Thaindian News

Kolkata, Oct 2 (IANS) From virtual puja platforms to attractive promotional offers to eye-catching advertisements, corporates are going all out to rake in the moolah during Durga Puja.

Banking on the puja shopping spree, many companies - be it Cola majors or consumer electronic giants - have come up with new products and innovative marketing plans to woo consumers.

Thums Up, a leading Cola brand in India, is big on Durga Puja. The brand has introduced a new TV commercial for West Bengal with a heavy GRP (gross rating point) plan across leading Bengali channels for a period of three weeks.

The company said for on-ground advertisement, it has tied up with 150 community pujas in the state, including over 100 in the city. Street banners have been put up on roads leading to the canopies and there will be retail outlets to sell the chilled cola. In total, there will be 23,000 outlets.

Japanese consumer electronics giant Sony has introduced innovative consumer promotions across categories, including TV, Cyber-shot, Handycam and Home Theatre System in this festive season.

The company will provide a digital photo frame, clock radio or pen drive on purchases of LCD/LED TV. It has targeted a sale of Rs.2,000 crore this festive season (September-October) in the country which accounts for 35 percent growth over corresponding period last year. The company is investing Rs.100 crore in promotions during this time which will include television and print commercials, cinema and shop front.

Mobile service provider MTS Kolkata-West Bengal circle has rolled out a unique virtual Puja campaign, christened ‘Sarbojonin Durgotshob’. The company claimed that this campaign is a first of its kind initiative that explores the virtual space at a whole new level.

The company in India has over 13 million wireless subscribers and under the MBlaze brand it provides mobile broadband services to more than 1,000,000 customers in over 200 cities across the country.

In the virtual campaign, the entire look and feel of the puja ambience has been recreated online on a webpage - www.mtspujo.com, complete with an online 3-D thematic canopy and a walk through to it with the virtual replica of the six gods and goddesses, their five vahanas and Mahish Asura. The website is being popularised through Facebook.

It said even the puja rituals will be conducted online.

Keshhav Tiwary, chief operating officer, Kolkata and West Bengal circle, MTS India, said, “The basic objective of the campaign is to integrate the Bengali community living in India or abroad on the occasion of their biggest festival, Durga Puja. It will provide them with an online platform where they can interact with each other and share their puja experiences, upload photos and videos.

“So Bengalis, be it in Maddox Square (a popular marquee and meeting place in South Kolkata during the festival days) or Manhattan (in New York) will get to experience the best of both worlds,” he added.

Bharti Airtel, a leading telecommunications company, has announced 3G services in Siliguri and Malda in West Bengal just before puja. The company had earlier rolled out the service in Kolkata, Durgapur, Asansol, Burdawan, Chittaranjan, Kulti and Raniganj.

Camera maker Nikon has also intensified its advertising and marketing plans before Durga Puja.

“A new TV advertisement has recently been started. Print media campaign has been intensified along with Radio. We have taken an all-round approach to promote our products during the puja,” Nikon India general manager (Imaging) Sajjan Kumar told IANS.

The company is targeting to double its sales volume this festive season through an increased presence. The festive season contributes 30 percent of the company’s total sales during a year.

(Mithun Dasgupta can be contacted at mithun.d@ians.in)