Tuesday, March 22, 2011

CASE STUDY: ALCATEL ICE3 MOBILES

Business Objective: Re- Launch Alcatel Mobiles in India. Alcatel Mobiles (A unit of TCT Mobiles, A JV between Alcatel and TCL Communications, based out of Hong Kong) to collaborate with distributor and after sales network in India.

Marketing Objective: To push sales by different marketing tools and build brand value in process.

Communication Objective: To use various communication tools to contribute to marketing brilliance.

SWOT Analysis:

Strength:

  • Strong brand name and lineage of Alcatel being a European telecom giant with a cost effective pricing strategy
  • India, an expanding market in mobile telephony, With deep mobile penetration in India is still raring for as much
  • Tie-up with ICE Mobile Network Systems, one of the leading distributors and after sales network in India, also worked with Lava and Lemon Mobiles
Weakness
  • Over cluttered market
  • Struggle between brand name and real penetration. Mobile telephony giants like Nokia are getting battered from relatively lesser or even unknown players which are offering value for money and enhanced multi media features in rural/ semi urban markets. The real potential lies in rural/ semi urban market but one can also not ignore the urban market and power of brand value

Opportunities

  • Huge untapped Indian market
  • Alcatel a name to reckon with
  • Design Edge of Alcatel over existing players
  • Feature rich Alcatel handsets

Threats

  • Cut throat competition. To carve a niche and drive effective sales is quite a task
  • No existing user base (brand loyalty)
  • ‘Me Too tag’
  • Limited marketing spends

Brand Campaign: Low on cost and most effective tools were clear choice. Hence, below the line advertising was chosen. While this was helping reach potential customers directly but Alcatel ICE3 was clearly missing on larger formats of magazines, television, newspaper and online presence.

Also, the brand name was no where visible, as visibility was very selective and affected by the common perception of large brands advertising large scale in mobile telephony sector.

Channel Public Relations suggested Alcatel ICE 3 to choose Public Relations tool to build brand value and target mainstream media formats through editorial routes.

The Central Idea: Two mobile handset models along with two positive announcements were the communication spin planted for Alcatel ICE3 in year 2010- 11. The thought was clearly for the financial year 2010-11 to witness enough positive media exposure for the target audience to start reacting to the created impression.

The idea was PAN India impact through out the campaign considering the importance of all the segments of the Indian market.

Public Relations Campaign:

The launch year campaign was planned in a very strategic way. 2010-11 was clearly a very crucial year as the launch year- “You don’t get a second chance to create the first impression”.

The beginning of the campaign was the Launch phase, followed strategically by sustenance phase with positive announcements about the brand. The last phase for the year was launch of another model.

The flagship Alcatel ICE3 clamshell was the market initiation/ launch peg, enclosed is the media presence illustration.

To sustain and create a positive wave, strategically Alcatel ICE3 submitted entries for all the awards and bagged the CMAI excellence in design award.

To further enhance the positivity for the brand image communication peg on a brand ambassador was suggested and launched. Famous Hindi Cinema actor Kangna Ranaut was signed as the brand ambassador for the clamshell OT 808 along with the new stylish slider handset OT 880.

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