In a taxi on my way to the office this morning, my eye was drawn to a man holding a brilliant red Vodafone branded umbrella, stark against all the other uniformly standard black umbrella's of Mumbai. The man was innocently standing on Marine Drive, in monsoon rains, looking out to sea - presumably unaware of his effective contribution to Vodafone's remarkable and very visable marketing success in India.
In September 2007, 35 million customers and 400,000 Hutch outlets were affected by a swift and affective rebranding exercise by Vodafone Essar; who in February of 2007 had aquired a 67% stake in Hutchison Essar's Indian operator Hutch.
No sooner than the rebranding had been announced in September 2007, my local Hutch shop in unison w
ith all the other many outlets in the neighbourhood were having new shop fronts installed with the Vodafone logo loudly and boldly over everything which had once been Hutch. The speed of this exercise was impressive. The many Hutch outlets in my neighbourhood were transformed within two weeks of the rebranding announcement.
A clever marketing campaign was actively and visably underway, with what seemed like every third billboard advertising Vodafone, and every corner shop and phone wallah in Mumbai proudly hanging up new Vodafone marketing collateral in their windows and shopfronts advertising their supply of Vodafone products.
Hutch is but a vague memory. Indian people are well known for their swift adoption to mobile phone technology and are prolific mobile phone users. It is a sight that is noticeable when you are in India. P
eople from all walks of life and status appear to own at least one mobile phone - and they are not shy to use them! Music downloads are a huge hit in this market, with people often seen listening to music with ear phones on, or sharing music with their friends directly from their mobile phones while they meet for coffee, etc.
In addition to this highly impressive campaign, are the Vodafone television advertisements, which I first noticed around January or February of 2008. These adverts are mini movies telling a story, with a warm and fuzzy feeling to them. They stand out from other advertisers by using a unique flavour of music and colour, yet they manage to retain the target audience through the storyline. They are charming, with a message tantamount to "we are here to stand by you through thick and thin, you can rely on us". Yes yes, I can hear the cynics sniggering already, but scoff not! India's heartstrings have been pulled.
I do not use this brand, as I have a mobile provider that I am happy with and have had no reason to change. I have, however, noticed everyone from local business associates, to friends, to the peon promote Vodafone as being a reliable and trusted brand. All this in ten months since rebranding? I am seriously impressed!
In September 2007, 35 million customers and 400,000 Hutch outlets were affected by a swift and affective rebranding exercise by Vodafone Essar; who in February of 2007 had aquired a 67% stake in Hutchison Essar's Indian operator Hutch.
No sooner than the rebranding had been announced in September 2007, my local Hutch shop in unison w
ith all the other many outlets in the neighbourhood were having new shop fronts installed with the Vodafone logo loudly and boldly over everything which had once been Hutch. The speed of this exercise was impressive. The many Hutch outlets in my neighbourhood were transformed within two weeks of the rebranding announcement.A clever marketing campaign was actively and visably underway, with what seemed like every third billboard advertising Vodafone, and every corner shop and phone wallah in Mumbai proudly hanging up new Vodafone marketing collateral in their windows and shopfronts advertising their supply of Vodafone products.
Hutch is but a vague memory. Indian people are well known for their swift adoption to mobile phone technology and are prolific mobile phone users. It is a sight that is noticeable when you are in India. P
eople from all walks of life and status appear to own at least one mobile phone - and they are not shy to use them! Music downloads are a huge hit in this market, with people often seen listening to music with ear phones on, or sharing music with their friends directly from their mobile phones while they meet for coffee, etc.In addition to this highly impressive campaign, are the Vodafone television advertisements, which I first noticed around January or February of 2008. These adverts are mini movies telling a story, with a warm and fuzzy feeling to them. They stand out from other advertisers by using a unique flavour of music and colour, yet they manage to retain the target audience through the storyline. They are charming, with a message tantamount to "we are here to stand by you through thick and thin, you can rely on us". Yes yes, I can hear the cynics sniggering already, but scoff not! India's heartstrings have been pulled.
I do not use this brand, as I have a mobile provider that I am happy with and have had no reason to change. I have, however, noticed everyone from local business associates, to friends, to the peon promote Vodafone as being a reliable and trusted brand. All this in ten months since rebranding? I am seriously impressed!
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