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
Microdrama Specialist COL Group International Builds Out With Narativ, Rock Networks & BlingWood Deals
MUMBAI: Microdrama powerhouse COL Group International is building out its distribution network, with its CEO saying vertical video is about to enter its “next competitive chapter.”
The microdrama arm of publicly-listed Chinese company COL Group appointed Narativ Media as its official distributor in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and CIS regions and Africa, and a struck new content deal with a new Dubai-based microdrama platform.
The deals were unveiled this morning at MIP London, and also included Rock Networks as its exclusive Southeast Asia telco distribution partner for its app, FlareFlow. MIP London is now into its second day at the Savoy Hotel and adjoining IET London complex.
The deals come soon after COL appointed Harbour Rights to represent its titles in Europe and Latin America, as we reported yesterday in our extended feature on microdrama distribution.
COL’s Singapore-based microdrama unit says its “coordinated global distribution architecture and significantly expanded international content slate” would help to scale its catalogue to more than 1,700 microdrama titles worldwide. These hail from South Korea, Japan, Africa, the Middle East, Southeast Asia and the UK and roll out across Sereal+, FlareFlow and 17K.
A deal with Dubai-based BlingWood, which recently launched as an OTT platform, will expand COL’s access to Middle Eastern and Indian microdramas, and includes a broader pipeline of Indian series from storytelling platform Pratilipi, Korean titles from BeLive Studios and British reality-led formats from Tattle TV — the UK’s first dedicated microdrama app, including titles such as Dog Dates.
“Microdrama is entering its next competitive chapter, where quality, retention and monetization standards are increasingly shaped by data and operational discipline,” said Timothy Oh, General Manager of COL Group International.
“As pioneers in both China and the U.S., scaling some of the world’s leading platforms in this space, we understand what it truly takes to win sustainably. Our role is not simply to offer catalogue volume, but to help partners select, position and scale the right content for their platform and audience. By bringing together a broad, constantly refreshed slate from across regions, we enable smarter curation, clearer differentiation and long-term growth for serious industry players.”
Narativ deal
COL and UAE-based Narativ described their deal as a “strategic expansion of premium vertical content distribution across high-growth emerging markets,” and comes as the microdrama continues to boom financially. The growth of the medium will be among the key topics of conversation today at MIP London, where COL chief Oh will be speaking.
The pact extends beyond content representation and is being billed as part of a more “structured micro-drama distribution infrastructure.”
Narativ will spearhead market development, platform alliances, broadcaster relationships and digital monetization frameworks across the MENA and CIS regions and Africa, where they have identified “rapid mobile-first consumption growth and strong demand for short-form, high-engagement storytelling formats.”
“Micro-dramas are reshaping global viewing habits, particularly across mobile-first markets like MENA, Africa and CIS,” said Manjyot Sandhu, CEO and co-founder of Narativ. “Our appointment as official distributor for COL Group in these territories reflects Narativ’s strategy to build sustainable distribution architecture.
“A key pillar of the collaboration includes integration with FlareFlow, enabling strategic telco partnerships, bundled carrier offerings, and alternative monetization pathways designed to accelerate scale across mobile ecosystems and OTT platforms.”
Oh added: “We are building more than a content slate – we are building the global infrastructure for microdrama. With hundreds of new titles launching every quarter, scale and regional strength are critical. Narativ with its deep foothold in MENA, Africa CIS and other key markets makes them a natural strategic partner as we expand FlareFlow and bring microdrama to new platforms, telcos and audiences.
Narativ, which is joint venture Sandhu operates with Copyright Capital, manages around 7,000 hours of content and has a digital network spanning 150 million subscribers across 21 language.
COL Group has emerged as one of the biggest microdrama platforms, running platforms such as FlareFow. It is also a part-owner of ReelShort.
