Indiantelevision.com Team

(22 September 2007 4:00 pm)

MUMBAI: UTV Bindass, which will officially start airing from 24 September, is building a 360 degree marketing push to promote the channel. It has already earmarked a marketing budget of Rs 200 million for the first year.

In a bid to directly engage with its target audience and create awareness about Brand Bindass, it had tied up with college festivals like IIT Delhi's 'Rendezvous' as title sponsor and also St. Xavier College's (Mumbai) Malhar.

It is now promoting its 'Bingo Bindass Go to Space Contest'. Using this contest, the channel hopes to that viewers will sample its prime-time programming and build up engagement with audiences across three platforms - TV, mobile and web.

As part of the contest, six questions will be aired on the channel every week, beginning 24 September. Viewers have to answer just one of the six questions correctly to be eligible for participating in the contest.

Users can also log on to www.bindass.com or send an SMS 'BS' to 59995 or dial 5059995 from their phones and get access to the questions.

Every person who has answered at least 1 question correctly will be eligible to participate in the auditions.

These auditions will be held in 7 cities in India. Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Pune and Lucknow.

The lucky winner of the hunt will get once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to travel to space as a passenger on board RocketPlane XP - a US based commercial flight.

Bindass CEO Zarina Mehta says, "We are delighted to give young India a historic opportunity to fly to space. You don't have to be a millionaire or an astronaut; you just have to be bindass – fun, frank, free and fearless! We are delighted to have as our presenting sponsor ITC's Bingo which is a great fit with brand Bindass."

ITC Limited Foods Division head marketing Hemant Malik said, "The Bingo brand DNA is all about owning youthful and innovative platforms. The Bingo Bindass Go to Space contest blends perfectly with both our brand parameters. We are very happy to be associated with a like minded brand like Bindass and be part of this innovative and once in a life time contest."

Bindass positions itself as India's first local 360 degree leisure and entertainment brand for young India targeted at the age group of 15-34 years.

It will comprise of a bouquet of television channels, mobile, web, gaming, merchandising, retail and nationwide ground events. Besides C&S homes, Bindass will be available on Tata Sky.