From the desk of Strategic Resources For any query, discussion or feedback, please contact Pavan Chandra, Head of Strategic Resources at pchandra@zenithoptimediaindia.com, +91-124-4195100. Office Address : 10th Floor, Vatika Tower, Block-B, Sector 54 Gurgaon -122002, Haryana, India.

Volume: X

January, 2008

 

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Telecom (Service Providers)

Share Prices
 

 

 

 

 

 

Sales and Market Share
 

   

 

Source: Cellular Operators Association of India

 

 

 

66. Telecom Cos Add 8.3 Million Mobile Users In November – December 26

India’s wireless subscriber base touches 225.5 million in November 2007

According to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), in November 2007, India added 8.3 million wireless users, thereby increasing the total subscriber base to 225.5 million. The fixed line user base in November fell to 39.31 million, from 39.41 million in October, as more and more users shifted to mobile phones. India, which added 60.35 million new wireless users during April-November 2007, is the world’s fastest growing mobile services market. The total telephone subscriber base, which included fixed line users, grew to 264.8 million by November 2007.

 

Source: The Economic Times

 

 

 

Trends, Marketing Initiatives and Others

 

67. Indians Not Just Talk Less, They SMS Less Too – January 02

SMS usage and minutes of usage decline for GSM and CDMA providers According to data from TRAI for the July-September quarter, both GSM and CDMA operators witnessed decline not only in SMS usage but also in minutes of usage. The SMS usage dropped by 11% and 15% for GSM and CDMA providers respectively, while for GSM companies minutes of cellular usage per subscriber declined by 2.94% from 476 minutes in June 2007 to 462 in September 2007. For CDMA players, the average minutes of cellular usage per subscriber per month decreased to 413 for the quarter ended September 2007, compared with 462 minutes in June 2007.

 

Source: The Economic Times

 

 

 

68. 25% Of Next Billion Mobile Users Will Be Indians: Report – December 21

1 in 4 of the next billion subscribers will be Indians: Boston Consulting Group

According to the report ‘Ringing in the next billion mobile consumers: A roadmap for accelerating telecom growth in India’ from Boston Consulting Group, although only about 1 in 20 of the first 2 billion mobile subscribers live in India, as many as 1 in 4 of the next billion subscribers will be Indians. However, the report states that reaching these subscribers profitably will demand radical changes in products and business models on the operator’s part. The report also estimates that approximately 91 million households in India belong to this next billion segment. Categorised by income, this segment is just above the poorest of the poor and just below consumers who are already targeted by most companies.
 

Source: The Hindu Business Line

 

 

 

69. Now Vodafone Users Can Pay Bills At Post Office In Andhra – December 20

Vodafone Essar ties-up with Postal Services in Andhra to make bill payment easier

On 20 December, 2007, cellular service provider Vodafone Essar announced a tie-up with Postal Services in Andhra Pradesh to enable its post-paid customers to pay their bills in cash at designated post offices. The aim of this initiative is to make payment simple and convenient for customers. Initially, this facility will be available at 496 designated post offices within the state. 

 

Source: The Economic Times

 

 

 

70. Airtel To Focus On Rural Markets – December 29

Bharti Airtel keen to make Airtel the most admired rural brand by 2010

Bharti Airtel has decided to focus on the rural market and plans to expand its network from the current 3 lakh to 6.14 lakh villages over the next 2-3 years. With the launch of IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) and DTH (direct to home) in the first half of 2008, media and entertainment products will be the thrust areas, and the company is keen to make Airtel the most admired rural brand by 2010.

 

Source: The Economic Times

 

 

 

71. Airtel Launches Upgrade To SMS Services – December 30

Bharti Airtel ties-up with Affle to offer its users 'SMS 2.0'

On 30 December, 2007, telecom company Bharti Airtel tied up with global mobile media company Affle to offer its 55 million users an up-graded version of SMS service 'SMS 2.0'. This alliance would enable the users to send personalised messages and receive content such as news and cricket updates.

 

Source: DNA

 

 

 

72. BSNL Ready To Ring In Free Insurance Plan For Subscribers – January 14

BSNL to provide free non-life insurance cover to its subscribers

BSNL has finalised plans to provide free non-life insurance (mishaps and accidents) cover of nearly Rs 50,000 to its subscribers. Initially, this facility would be provided to landline subscribers and later will be extended to mobile subscribers also.

 

Source: The Economic Times

 

 

 

Product Launches

 

 

73. BSNL Launches Caller Tracking Facility In N-E – January 05

On 5 January, 2007, public sector telecom company BSNL introduced the location-based services (LBS) in the North-East. The LBS package includes people finder service, dating, chatting, resource tracking and management service among others.

 

 

 

74. Tata Indicom Launches 'South Corridor Pack' – January 11

On 11 January, 2008, telecom service provider Tata Indicom launched the ‘South Corridor Pack’ for its post-paid mobile customers in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Available at a monthly rental of Rs.75, this package offers STD calls at 50 paise/min to any phone in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh.

 

 

 

75. Airtel On Wheels Launched – December 28

On 28 December, 2007, Bharti Airtel launched Airtel on Wheels', a coin operated Public Call Office (PCO) in private buses in Kochi city.

 

 

Advertising Campaigns

 

 

 

76. Airtel Breaks Barriers To Break The Clutter – January 03

Airtel adopts brand premise of ‘Barriers Break When People Talk’ in its new TVC

Airtel has adopted a new brand premise, ‘Barriers Break When People Talk’, in its new TVC.

 

The TVC, conceptualised by agency Rediffusion DY&R, begins with the shot of a Moroccan boy eating at home. When he sees a football land in his balcony he steps out to find another boy on the opposite side of the fence (presumably the border of a neighbouring country) asking him to pass the ball back.

Hesitatingly he looks back to see if his parents are watching and after thinking for a while, kicks the ball towards the other who, in turn, invites him over to join the game.

Not minding the restrictions any more, the boy crosses the boundary and joins his new friend.

 

They start playing together and the voiceover concludes “Deewarein gir jaati hain, faasle mit jaate hain, jahan do baatein ho jaati hain (Barriers break when people talk).”

 

The ad ends with Airtel’s signature tune. The campaign uses children as symbols of minds free of prejudice, with their innocence depicted in contrast to the desolate landscape around them.

 

Source: Agencyfaqs

 

 

 

77. Vodafone Still ‘Making The Most Of Now’ – January 10

Vodafone releases ‘visual ads’ for its ‘alerts’ services

Vodafone released a set of five TVCs for its value added service ‘alerts’ with an objective to create awareness and interest about the service.

 

The first TVC is on Astrology Alert, which shows a man hanging around in an elevator all day because his horoscope says he will find his soul mate in the lift that day. The second TVC, for News Alert, shows a man in a supermarket filling his trolley with all the onions available there because his Vodafone news alert told him that onion prices were going to rise.

 

The third, Art of Living Alert, shows a woman screaming at her husband at the breakfast table, while he just stares at her. She hurls a pillow at him, but he meekly lifts the pillow and gives it back to her, only to have it thrown back at him. This continues till the woman finally calms down. The super says, “A calm mind can overcome even a storm.” The Cricket Alert shows a man pacing the corridor of a maternity home. The film ends with the super, “India needs six runs from two balls.”

 

The last TVC is about beauty tips in which a girl is shown running around to catch a goat. The film ends with the super saying, “Goat’s milk is good for the skin.” All the TVCs end with a second super that says, “Make the most of now.” The ads use no dialogue as they are totally visual ads.

 

Source: Agencyfaqs