Kidstuff helps Uninor 'monopolise' in Mumbai

Recently, Uninor launched a new initiative of dynamic pricing. As part of this, users get discounts on their calls, based on the location from which the call was initiated. To create awareness about the initiative through consumer engagement, the telecom player chose to take the on-ground route in Mumbai -- one of the circles where Uninor launched its services a few days ago.

The offering

Under the '24X7 Badalta Discount Plan', customers will be able to avail a discount -- ranging from 5 per cent to as much as 60 per cent -- on their calls, depending on the location and the time of the call. This discount will be applicable on a standard base call rate of 50p per minute for any local call, Uninor-to-Uninor, or Uninor to any other operator.

The discount available at any given time will be visible on the user's handset screen, and this discount will be applicable for the particular call. As the call ends, a flash will appear on the phone's screen, indicating the discounted cost of the call.

Uninor is the first mobile operator to bring the concept to India.

The challenge and the solution

After selecting malls as the apt location to reach out to the brand's TG -- youth and blue-collar workers -- the challenge was to come up with an activity that could convey the essence of the offering, simply and quickly. Kidstuff, one of Uninor's activation agencies, decided to tweak the famous game of Monopoly for this purpose.

Thus, a Monopoly board has been created, with each block representing an area in Mumbai, such as Dadar, Andheri, Bandra or Churchgate. Once the promoters convince at least three players to be part of the activity, the game begins. Every location on the board has a discount percentage attached to it; and as the players cover these locations, they are handed a placard containing the discount percentage. Also, whenever a player happens to land on the 'Chance' block, he/she is asked a question related to Uninor. In case the player is unable to answer the question, he/she is not allowed to proceed further in the game, even after getting a discount percentage.

When any of the three players completes one round of the board, the winner of the game is announced, based on the maximum total discount percentage earned by a player.

While winners are awarded with branded merchandise such as T shirts and bags, a programmed LED wall placed close to the Monopoly board keeps flashing different discount percentage figures, attracting onlookers and creating the look and feel of the brand. Additionally, the platform that carries the board has been highlighted with lit acrylic boxes.

Cementing the connect

According to Rahul Karwa, head, Kidstuff Mumbai, malls are becoming overcrowded, with multiple activations taking place on weekends. "For clients, it may be all about reaching an X number of people; but for shoppers, it's yet another activation on a Sunday. The activity needs to be different and something that can catch people's attention, despite the noise levels in a mall. Next on our agenda is to create touch points for the brand across colleges in the city," he explains.

The ongoing activation will cover eights malls across Mumbai. Interestingly, most of these locations have Uninor showrooms, so that once shoppers have had their share of fun by participating in the activity, they can be directed towards the point of sale.

As part of the brand's launch in Mumbai, Kisdstuff sent 45 teams of promoters across the city to touch base with retailers. The game is the second phase of Uninor's brand building initiatives in the city.