MAM
Airtel campaign pits Sachin against SRK
MUMBAI: Mobile service provider Airtel is conducting a marketing campaign that involves two superstars Sachin Tendulkar and Bollywood badshah Shahrukh Khan.
The first of its kind showdown campaign kicked off a few days ago. It covers all 21 circles of Airtel. This campaign will give an opportunity to Airtel’s existing and new (postpaid and prepaid) customers of all ages, backgrounds and regions to come together, join the team play with their favorite superstar, Sachin or Shahrukh.
A customer needs to use his Airtel mobile phone and dial 646 or send an SMS “sd” to the same number to select their choice of star. Depending upon an Airtel customer’s mobile usage, rewards in the form of “Tickets” are earned by them. A lucky draw of 150 winners would then be taken out of these tickets. The more the number of tickets earned by an Airtel customer greater are his chance to be a part of the winner list.
The Airtel Showdown will last till 30 April 2005. Every Airtel circle will announce 100 lucky winners every fortnight from each of the 21 circles and the selection will be at random on the basis of a computer based lucky draw. There will be three fortnightly draws resulting in a total of 300 lucky winners for the regional finals in each circle. From these 300 winners in every circle, each circle will select at least six winners on an average at the end of six weeks on the basis of a lucky draw resulting in a total of approximately 150 finalists divided equally into Team Shahrukh and Team Sachin.
The 150 finalists will be taken to Mumbai for the grand finale to team up with Sachin and Shahrukh. At the finals these 150 winners would be split into two teams and they will participate in fun filled games under the captaincy of the stars.
The Airtel Showdown campaign has been backed by extensive internal research findings. Research data clearly suggests that primarily Bollywood and cricket drives the Indian consumer segment and forms the most popular inspirational icons of self-expression for people of all age groups across the country.
Qualitative and quantitative studies have shown that Shahrukh Khan’s core values of being a self made actor with his success and glamour and Sachin Tendulkar’s dedication, innocence and performance today are seen as a driver of self-identification amongst the masses. All the core values of the two superstars have emerged as a clear brand fit for Airtel, which stands for leadership, trust and innovation leading to a clear connect between Airtel and it’s customers. What makes these values even more relevant is its “All India” appeal, quite like the “All India” footprint of Airtel mobile service.
Bharti Cellular chief marketing officer and director Atul Bindal said, “Our research has shown that the most popular, inspirational icons for the Indian consumer happens to the two Airtel brand ambassadors – Sachin and Shahrukh. This motivated us to devise Airtel Showdown an innovative marketing programme. The whole construct of the initiative seeks to bring our customers, now spanning across all the 21 circles to come closer to brand “Airtel – the largest GSM network in the country.”
MAM
DB Group names Abhay Dubey as chief brand marketing
Seasoned marketer brings regional muscle and launch savvy to DB
LUCKNOW: Dainik Bhaskar Group has appointed Abhay Dubey as chief brand marketing, strengthening its leadership bench as the media major sharpens its focus on brand-led growth.
Dubey steps into the role after a high-impact stint as regional marketing manager at Reliance Broadcast Network, where he led data-driven regional campaigns and rolled out new initiatives from concept to completion. Based in Lucknow, he steered end-to-end account marketing, orchestrated launch events, and fine-tuned go-to-market strategies with a sharp eye on budgets and brand visibility.
Before that, he served as area marketing manager at Mahindra Holidays & Resorts India Limited, handling business development, media buying and integrated branding campaigns across Uttar Pradesh. His remit included planning new service launches and working closely with creative agencies, media owners and government departments.
Dubey also held the position of brand manager at EM3 Agriservices Pvt. Ltd., where he drove product launches, demand generation and stakeholder engagement. Earlier in his career, he was head of marketing at Saffron Communications Pvt. Ltd., overseeing integrated campaigns across sectors, and began his journey at Jagran Engage, building experience in advertising and lead generation.
With expertise spanning digital marketing, brand management, demand generation and below-the-line advertising, Dubey brings both strategic planning skills and hands-on execution experience to the table. His track record suggests a marketer who is as comfortable crunching numbers as he is crafting narratives.
At DB Group, he is expected to shape sharper brand strategies, amplify market presence and ensure campaigns that do not just make noise, but make sense.
