COMPARISON

2009 IBS Pune

Interegated MARKETING COMMUNICATION

BETWEEN
VIRGIN, DOCOMO &
RELIANCE
MRADUL RAJ PACHOURI
08BS0001794
Indian Telecom Industry – Some Facts
Indian Telecom sector, like any other industrial sector in the country, has gone through many
phases of growth and diversification. Starting from telegraphic and telephonic systems in the
19th century, the field of telephonic communication has now expanded to make use of advanced
technologies like GSM, CDMA, and WLL to the great 3G Technology in mobile phones. Day
by day, both the Public Players and the Private Players are putting in their resources and efforts
to improve the telecommunication technology so as to give the maximum to their customers.

• The Indian telecom sector can be broadly classified into Fixed Line Telephony and
mobile telephony. The major players of the telecom sector are experiencing a fierce
competition in both the segments.

• The major players like BSNL, MTNL, and VSNL in the fixed line and Airtel, Vodafone
(Hutch), Idea, Tata, Reliance, Tata-Docomo and Aircel in the mobile segment are
coming up with new tariffs and discount schemes to gain the competitive advantage.

• The Public Players and the Private Players share the fixed line and the mobile segments.
Currently the Public Players have more than 60% of the market share.

It’s Not about calls anymore…Communication

Strategies Adopted by three players

Basic Service Telecom Telecom Telecom

Strategy Pan India Appeal, Challenger Strategy only in Youth Centric Approach
Differential ( Better Mobile Communication. Entered in this market by
Coverage & Highest joining hand with Tata Tele
VAS support at Services. Also Opening
lowest possible different Mobile retail chains
Rate) to make their presence felt in
the market. Whatever they
do they do it differently like
First time any Telecom
player in India paid their
customer for their incoming
calls.
Social Media & Internet is
something where their target
market spend their time, so
they are focusing more on
those Media.
Message/ There message is Inspirational/Motivational, Positioned as Youth centric
Positioning very simple that they Do the New. Brand.
want to project Think Hatke, Think
themselves as Pan There are a lot of people who differently, connecting
India brand with all think, a lot of people who set themselves with youth which
Information their goals, but there are very symbolizes fun, masti,
Technological limited people who follow enthusiasm and creativity
solution. the path to achieve their
Campaigns like Bol goals, their promise to do When a firm launches its
India Bol, India ka something which can change product, it usually ropes in
cricket hai bidhu the world! They have Proven brand ambassadors to
shows that they want this with changing the promote the brand. But the
to encash on their Calling rate pattern. Virgin Group, they are
Brand Image as best different. The founder, Sir
Indian Company. Richard Branson himself is
Other campaigns the biggest publicity magnet,
like Go For it and mainly because of doing
Fastest Mobile things differently.
Broadband created
some controversies They positioned themselves
where differently by using funny
Advertising Ads on TV Advertisement as
Standards Council of well as Print Media like life
India (ACSI) for cycle syndrome and Life
running misleading girl and Life boy
ad campaigns
“fastest mobile
Broadband Service
in India”
Campaigns Yeh India ka 1.Musical Rhym DO-CO- Think Hatke- this
cricket hai Bidhu- MO Campaigns was to make
Touching cords of 2.Do-ers Campaign- their customer feel that they
Indian Heart by Share how U are gonna stick do not belong to general
connecting their to your DO and win a masses and they are different
company with the Blackberry everyday with their different way of
most entertaining advertisement all over social thinking. Customer or youth
game. Media sites, Blogs etc. generally want to associate
themselves with the tag of
Bol India Bol- “Iconoclast” or “Different
Humorous way from crowd”.
which portraits Online viral campaign-
Indians giving their To promote its new SMS
advices to their
friends, relatives and plan. Youth in India send six
acquaintances. times as many SMSs and
Which in turn is constantly desire to connect
saying that now you with their large network of
 can take or give friends and family. SMS is
advice to your dearly their Secret Messaging
people by using Service which they use to
Reliance low calling lead a life of their choice;
rates. zooming in and out from a
world as and when they want
Simply Reliance by to.
using most famous
actor Hrithik Roshan Seasonal offers like bak bak
they are claiming offers etc
that they have very
simple costumer
friendly plans.

Pricing/ Call Competitive, Three Very Innovative(Highly Innovative Incoming cash

Rates/ different plans for Competitive): Distributive back, Competitive outgoing
calling for different Innovation, Introduced Per calling, SMS Differential
SMS Rates
customers’ needs, sec calling Rate Pricing first three messages
Night Free calling, at 1.5 Rs each and after that
All India R2R free, 1 hundred message free all
P messaging over India.
Emphasis VAS and Brand Price, Service for Masses, YOUTH and their SMS
Building, Plan for Cost Effectiveness Habits and their long Out
everyone. bound calls.
Target Different Plans for Lower and Middle Class Customers age between 15-
Market different segment, Segment, youth 30
Generally with low Estimated Population – 400
Income and business million.
class people who
need to call
frequently on same
set of number again
and again.
Sponsorships/ Reliance India – Lanka ODI/ T 20 Tied up with Myspace.com,
Official Communications Series Tied Up with Few college
Partnership/J Bags Cricket World Canteens provided free TV
Cup Sponsorship for to them in favour of their
oint Us $103 Million advertisements.
Promotions includes two World
Cups, 20-20 World
Cup, Championship
Trophy
Brand Bollywood Super Ms. Pooja Chopra, Femina
star Hrithik Roshan Miss India World 2009, and
Ambassador
Ms. Krushnaa Patil, the
youngest Maharashtrian girl
to conquer Mount Everest.
Founder- Richard Brandson
No other such Cricket or
Bollywood personalities.
In some colleges they are
appointing students as their
Brand ambassadors.

Collaboration Black-Berry, HTC , Mobile Phone support Retail Black- Berry

/ Cross Nokia, LG and many Chain with lower prices.
others for their
selling
CDMA connections
Budget for Highest High Very High
Branding/
Rebranding
Brand Equity Highest after Airtel Lowest Medium
and Vodafone in
telecom sector,
Brand is also
supported by
diversifications in
other segment like
Reliance energy,
Reliance
Infrastructures and
Many More.
Major Regular Complaints Network Problems Network Problem in some
Weakness like Unreasonable /Incomplete Reach on Pan Interior areas.
Bills, misleading India Map.
terms and
conditions*