Assessment of Brand Activation Campaigns of UFone

Abstract

Below the line promotion has only recently gotten the response that it truly deserves. With traditional channels of promotions and customers contact being crowded out in Pakistan, the search is on for more customer centric programs that truly hit the "sweet spot". What is required today is a mechanism that enables organizations to get in touch with their customers' feeling, aspirations and desires. BTL or brand activation then, is the only answer. This report is designed to study the concept of brand activation and analyze its’ effectiveness with respect to Ufone i.e. the brand under consideration. Marketing that gets people to buy a product isn't enough anymore. Idea-driven marketing is used to fire imaginations, create conversations and build lasting relationships. The big difference is action. Brands that simply talk don't get talked about. Brands that act do. Active brands are ones that find smart, fresh, relevant ways to interact with people. So they become more likable, more personal and more effective which ends up being good for everybody; because active brands spend less time chasing people and more time hanging out with them. That's a great opportunity to sell the next product or the next service. In 1995, the Pakistani cellular industry looked very promising. With ever increasing globalization and expanding business activities, cell phones became a necessity for business on the move. The younger generation also began to flaunt the cell phone as a status symbol. Soon cell phones were being used not only as a tool for communication but also as a source of entertainment. Pakistan still has a huge untapped potential for telecom growth i.e. 41% of the total population still remains untapped of which 34% reside in the rural market. The existing players in the telecom market (Mobilink, Ufone, Telenor, Warid and Zong) are actively involved in below the line promotions to reach this target audience and bring them closer to their respective brands.

As far as Ufone is concerned, the activation team has been a revelation for the BTL industry. It really understands brand activation at consumer level, and has an awesome ability to take brand strategy and convert it into brand activity that drives the brand objectives. Ufone has been actively involved in a number of brand activation campaigns in order to increase its brand visibility and loyalty and developing a sense of association and belongingness with the target market. These campaigns range from sponsoring live shows, concerts, play grounds, campaigns aimed at promoting product and service packages of Ufone etc to introducing new value added services.

Therefore an attempt has been made to revisit theoretical frameworks and use them while analyzing the activation campaigns of Ufone. This report further explores (i) the concept of Brand Activation, (ii) study the effectiveness of brand activation campaigns in Pakistan and in specific with respect to Ufone, (iii) to determine receptivity of consumers towards the such activation campaigns, (iv) ascertain how such activation campaigns create customer loyalty and (v) to ascertain that brand activation and excessive advertising is imperative and not waste of company’s resources.