(23 January 2008 6:00 pm)

MUMBAI: Reliance Entertainment's online gaming platform Zapak is looking at innovative ways to get customers to touch and feel the brand.

To this end, it is organising an all-girls party this Friday in Mumbai.

Speaking to indiantelevision.com, Zapak CMO Arun Mehra says that a substantial portion of visitors to the site are women which disproves the myth that gaming is a male-centric activity.

The site has encouraged women to register for the party, and the expectation is that at least 200 girls will show up and play games. Whisper has tied up with Zapak for the initiative.

Zapak has also started pushing tournaments held at its gameplexes across the country. It has 15 gameplexes in the country and the aim is to increase this. The tournaments involve games like Fifa, Counterstrike.

Mehra also notes that multiplayer gaming is on the rise on the site, which shows that gaming is increasingly becoming a social activity. At any point in time, one can find 2,000 people playing multiplayer games on the site. He says that Zapak thinks on its feet when it comes to marketing.

The aim is to to be smart and relevant. The company recently started an ATM contest where one can earn cash depnding on how long one is playing. Since everyone is aware that the stock market is falling due to what is happening in the US, Zapak sent out an SMS ad that said, "Stock market falling. Earn your cash on Zapak."

With tie-ups with Adlabs and Fun Republic, Zapak also uses multiplexes to send the message to the target audience. It also has a gaming cafe at Imax Wadala, and recently tied up with McDonalds for gaming CDs. Maruti, Airtel and Indian Oil sponsor Zapak's cricket games.