INDIAS FIRST LYRICODE BEST MEDIA INNOVATION CINEMA (B 04)

While Sumo was on top of mind amongst its potential customers in UP & Bihar, the need was to stick Victa on tip of the tongue i.e. to create recall of Victa as a product extension of Sumo and not to be confused with Sumo itself.
Uttar Pradesh & Bihar are high priority markets for utility vehicles especially for customer trade in transport industry. As per client research, despite a TV campaign and cinema screening activity, the recognition of Victa as a new product was low amongst this community UP & Bihar. It was by default referred to as Sumo only. The dealer feedback suggested that a communication in local language will help strengthen this connect. While communication could have been designed in local language, brand faced a challenge in terms of reaching the customers using traditional media especially given that customers reside in semi urban & rural locations. Unavailability of Electricity, low literacy, low TV as well as satellite penetration and budgetary constraints were the barriers limiting the campaign reach.

Film music transcends age, caste, creed and all other barriers in India. Bhojpuri Film industry that makes about 60- 65 movies a year and accounts for a turnover of 150-180 crores each year is a huge resource for popular regional music. An average Bhojpuri hit film earns 2 2.5 crores from around 100 screens whereas a popular Hindi film like Welcome in the same market would do transactions in the range of 80 Lacs to 1 crores due to limited prints and focus.

While in-film placement and a full integration in movie including placement in promotions like TV promos, posters, audio cassettes etc are essential elements of movie associations, the brand recall longevity is increased with the music of a popular film. Life of a song is by far longer than the life of a movie. Song continues to be played free of cost on radio stations, music channels and during festival gatherings in markets places, thereby extending the reach of message multiple times. Adding brand name to lyrics in contextual setting not only adds credibility to the brand but also a real feel to the song. A real ode to a brand through lyrics, the first Indian LYRICODE for Sumo Victa, was thus born. Victa was integrated in the song of Bhojpuri movie Daroga ji, chori hoyi gayil starring Bhojpuri superstar Manoj Tiwari whose presence in ensures large crowds to cinema theaters. The lyrics of the song sung by female lead stated that she wont go to grooms home till such time that groom comes to fetch her in a Victa. Additionally, Victa was incorporated in multiple scenes in the movies as Manoj Tiwaris car of pride.

The master stroke of the execution was integrating brand name in the lyrics of the movies music album.

About half a million audio cassettes were sold over a period of 2 months and the song played extensively, over 1000 times, across the four FM stations of the region. There were extensive scenes in the movie showcasing the vehicle. One scene included a car demo with showroom owner explaining the advantages of the Sumo Victa to a couple. The movie ran for over 3 months in about 100 theatres. Over 1 million posters & 100

billboards prominently featuring Sumo Victa were displayed at key locations and at cinema halls.

Dealer feedback indicated that post music release of the movie and eventually post the movie release, the product extension awareness stood on its own with potential customers asking for a demo of Victa gaadi. The sales also increased by 11% in the month February 2009 (over January 2009) after the movie release and overall by 32% during three months (over previous quarter) post the launch of music of the movie

The use of lyrics & music of a popular regional film to establish a strong product extension was a task that could not have been delivered otherwise even with a normal TVC. Additionally, the integration in the local Bhojpuri language added credibility to the new brand Victa leading to an easy acceptance of the brand. And of course, we overcame the limitations of traditional media in the markets that are often termed as media dark.

C A S ES T UD I E S
D i s c l a i me r : T h i sc a s es t u d yi sf o r i n f o r ma t i o n a l p u r p o s eo n l ya n df o r a n yd e t a i l sc o n t a c t : k i n g s h u k . mi t r a @ ma x u s g l o b a l . c o m