BLUE BILLION

Question: What do you want to do when you want to grab attention??
Create Headlines?? Make yourself visible to the whole of India??


Answer: You support India just before a Huge event such as the Champions Trophy.

At the end it might look like I was paid to write this article but thats not true.Read On.

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MARKETING STRATEGY

There is a rule to show biz and business. Both benefit from each other. Wont go deep into Branding but for starters you can call it Economic as well as Image Benefit.

Pepsi Co. did do a lot to improve its image in the market by roping in its Own CEO in the advertisements which is called Advertising in Public Relations to make the "Aam Janata" believe that indeed Pepsi as a cola drink is safe from pesticides or any other contamination.

Now this did air everywhere in the media through newspapers and Television prominently but Pepsi had other problems like declining sales due to Off- season and was in grave danger of losing its identity.


What Pepsi has done is almost "Been there done that" but it still works, I mean I'm influenced!


Pepsi -
Hoohaaa India Aaayaa India... (repeat for that 'patriotic' effect)

Storyboard: First came the Teaser campaign for the Blue Billion where a boy of about 12, runs all around as if there's some excitement with a voice consisting of lots of people is following him around. He ends up at a house where he has the bottle in his hand and apparently he realises that the voices are coming from inside the bottle.

This teaser evoked a lot of interest and was aired for about 10 days I suppose.

Then during the Champions Trophy qualifiers there has been a 'One in a Billion' contest running in which fans of the Cricket Team promise some really absurd stunts through which they proclaim that they are the biggest fans of the Indian Team.

And now finally with India's first match versus England approaching on Sunday Pepsi is finally out with their advertisements on Television. No doubt they are not yet on Prime Time so you might not have seen them all as yet(another evident working strategy).

There are three people currently edging on the Indian Team to win the Champions Trophy 2006(Mini World Cup).

Rahul Dravid, Shahrukh Khan and Sourav Ganguly (yess!!).

Pardon me if there are more... I myself might not have seen al the celebs roped in for this biggie!!

Rahul Dravid -

Rahul Dravid in one of the firsts of the final blow seems to gather all the people of India for suport and people ranging from elderly to the youth follow him in his quest. He shows his support fr the team and proudly says Hoohaa India Aaayaa India.

Shahrukh Khan -

A more longer and a better thought process has gone into this one for sure. Shahrukh talks about his acting career and what he has done for the country. He talks about doing acting as social work for "us" the people of India on Demand (omigosh really munna??).

He talks more on how there's something he wants to do for himself and that is gonna be cheering Team India. And how he is immensely proud to be an Indian and saying Hooohaa India Aaayaa India from wherever he is.

(Shahrukh dude... enough of acting don't think Indians are fools)

Anyways, there's more

Now Sourav Ganguly , (with some loud cheering in the background)

Okay this was innovative and totally unexpected. I don't know how they managed to convince Sourav Ganguly for this, I think Percept has done a good job.

Sourav Ganguly -
Sourav comes and talks about how his past has affected his life and he doesn't want to think more on it, he has buried the past. (ya right) He says that he's currently working on coming back in the Indian Team and he also says " Maybe I'll have another oppurtunity to swirl my shirt around" (dude u rock).
After saying this he finishes a great execution by saying that I will still cheer Team India and does the HOohaaa.... very proudly(take a bow Mister!).


Wowy,
the last one just took by surprise, I'm really astounded and looking forward for more from Pepsi Co.

By the way let's just hope India does manage to get some inspiration from this and really bring the Cup home.

HOoooOO HAAAaaaAAA INDIA.... AAAaaaAAAyaaaa INDIAAAA....