Sapna Nair
Media

Big TV launches with a big splash

Big TV, the DTH arm of Reliance Communications, belonging to the Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group, has been launched and a high intensity marketing campaign has been chalked out

The much awaited direct to home (DTH) offering from Reliance Communications has been launched across 6,500 towns with one lakh outlets. It claims to be the first of a kind digital home entertainment service, which provides the biggest bouquet of channels – more than 200 – through an advanced technology platform called MPEG4.

Big TV plans to distinguish itself by providing more channels in its packages, ensuring greater reach and creating high retail presence. Arun Kapoor, chief executive officer, Reliance Big TV, in an official communiqué, said that providing superior quality content, better value proposition and service at prevailing market prices would be the key strategy for the company to attain leadership within the first year of its launch. In a bid to provide superior after sales service to its customers, Big TV will have a call centre capacity of more than 50,000 calls a day, in 11 languages, across two locations.

Big TV launches with a big splash
Big TV is being touted as not just any DTH provider, but one that is an interactive home entertainment service, offering hitherto unseen, innovative applications and value added services. Sanjay Behl, group head, brand and marketing, Reliance Communications, believes that TV viewing in the country is about to change.

Despite the presence of other players in the DTH space, Behl believes that there are huge untapped opportunities in this market. Though the consumer today is better equipped with the knowhow of the technology, Behl says there are many who still haven’t ventured towards adoption. “Our challenge will be to communicate our superior offering to the customer through multiple experience points,” he says.

Big TV launches with a big splash
Sanjay Behl
Behl says a high intensity marketing communication plan has been chalked out to announce the arrival of the brand. “Once our distribution is complete in the 6,500 towns, we will start our mass marketing drive,” he says. Citing communication as a key element, Behl says that just like the product, the campaign has been given a superior treatment.

Mudra Radar, the advertising agency that handles the creatives for all Reliance ADAG brands, was briefed to take inspiration from Hollywood and execute it Bollywood style, to make a campaign that is entertaining and features slice of life situations.

The TV commercial has been directed by a European production house, Mad Productions. “The TVC will be like a 60 second blockbuster movie,” Behl states. Big TV’s logo, creative templates and retail signage have been designed by Bonsey Design, a Singapore based firm that has also worked with brands such as Paramount, BBC and CNBC.

The mass media campaign includes outdoor (which will be launched today), print, online, cinema, advertising at retail touchpoints and points of sale and 15,000 spots on television in the first week of launch. The first phase will be a teaser ad. The main concept is, ‘It better be big’. Therefore, the campaign will revolve around the line, ‘Ho Toh Big Ho’.

Big TV is the official DTH partner of the Indian Premier League for the next four years. It won the bid in which Airtel Digital TV had also participated. Several other sports properties will be leveraged, such as the Champions Trophy, to build engagement with consumers.

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