Karnataka Department of Tourism business goes to Stark, Bangalore

Following a multi-agency pitch, Stark, Bangalore, has bagged the creative and media duties for the Karnataka Department of Tourism. The agency will also assist the Department of Tourism in all its marketing related activities. Stark’s appointment was confirmed to agencyfaqs! by Kumar Naik, commissioner, Department of Tourism, Karnataka.

Triton was the incumbent agency and it had been orchestrating the advertising for the Karnataka Department of Tourism for the last two years. A pitch was called when Triton’s contract expired. Now Stark has been signed on for two years, with plans to spend Rs 6 crore annually on advertising.

As reported earlier by agencyfaqs!, the Karnataka Department of Tourism had issued a tender in a local daily in Bangalore, inviting agencies to present their strategies. Eleven of the 24 agencies that responded were finally invited. These included Grey Worldwide, Mudra, Euro RSCG, TBWA, iB&W, MAA Bozell, Triton and Stark.

These 11 agencies were judged on the basis of their strategic plans and financial quotations, with a 70:30 weightage. Those with experience in the tourism sector were preferred.

For the record, Stark is also on the Kerala Tourism panel and it was among those who made the ‘God’s Own Country’ campaign.

According to Hari Krishnan, director, Stark, Bangalore, “Our efforts will be to primarily position and package Karnataka in a manner that differentiates it from other destinations. Our strategy will be to be compelling in our brand promise by offering a higher order emotional benefit, which does justice to the potential of this destination.”

The media mix will go beyond mass media advertising and include a wide range of strategic and tactical initiatives targeting three sets of groups: the end consumer, media houses and trade, including travel and tour operators, hotels, airlines and travel writers.

The use of media will include the Internet, print and television in the priority markets across the world and within India. Besides, there will be a series of ground activation exercises in select markets, including Bangalore, in order to drive the existing in-bound traffic to Bangalore to other attractions within the state.

Incidentally, Stark, Bangalore, had been the marketing agency for Karnataka Tourism in 2002-04, when it positioned the destination as the ‘Theatre of Inspiration’. Karnataka is currently positioned as ‘One State, Many Worlds’.

© 2006 agencyfaqs!