Direct to Consumer (DTC) advertising is regarded as the most important and the most lethal weapon in the marketing arsenal of majority of market players operating in the consumer products and the consumer directed services space in India.
The advertising strategies adopted by the organizations and the messages intended to be delivered through the DTC ad campaigns pin-point to the ever changing market dynamics and the competitive landscape.
The brightest case example that illustrates this trend can be the recent ad campaigns initiated by Vodafone India. The campaigns also illustrate the increasing focus on "Localization in Globalization”. Vodafone globalized by acquiring Hutch. It then localized by resorting to the same promotional strategy that made Hutch, a household name. It is only in this country that you can see a pug fighting head on with the likes of Shahrukh Khan (Airtel) and Abhishek Bachhan (Idea).
There used to be a time when competition in the mobile services space was only on the basis of price. The mobile services market in India has probably seen and experienced the bloodiest price war ever fought in recent times. However the shift on the basis for competition has been pretty fast. The focus has shifted from Price to Network to Value added services and most recently to customer care service, thanks to the latest campaign by Vodafone.
Interestingly, with Hutch, the pug symbolized the network whereas with Vodafone, it symbolizes the ever-responsive customer care service. At a time when the affordability of Indian consumers has increased tremendously (thanks to a burgeoning middle class), the focus is shifting from cost to the comfort and convenience of use – the Vodafone ad being a reflection of the same.
The advertising strategies adopted by the organizations and the messages intended to be delivered through the DTC ad campaigns pin-point to the ever changing market dynamics and the competitive landscape.
The brightest case example that illustrates this trend can be the recent ad campaigns initiated by Vodafone India. The campaigns also illustrate the increasing focus on "Localization in Globalization”. Vodafone globalized by acquiring Hutch. It then localized by resorting to the same promotional strategy that made Hutch, a household name. It is only in this country that you can see a pug fighting head on with the likes of Shahrukh Khan (Airtel) and Abhishek Bachhan (Idea).
There used to be a time when competition in the mobile services space was only on the basis of price. The mobile services market in India has probably seen and experienced the bloodiest price war ever fought in recent times. However the shift on the basis for competition has been pretty fast. The focus has shifted from Price to Network to Value added services and most recently to customer care service, thanks to the latest campaign by Vodafone.
Interestingly, with Hutch, the pug symbolized the network whereas with Vodafone, it symbolizes the ever-responsive customer care service. At a time when the affordability of Indian consumers has increased tremendously (thanks to a burgeoning middle class), the focus is shifting from cost to the comfort and convenience of use – the Vodafone ad being a reflection of the same.
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