Now the consumer is not restricted to just an Airtel or a Vodafone but he/she has choices.In recent past many new players have entered the market with a bang.

TATA Docomo,Aircel,Virgin,MTS entered the market in recent past (2008-2009) and gave a consumer the ‘choice’.The price wars started.1p/sec,1/2p/sec etc etc were terms used in daily conversations.

Now yet again a new player has entered the market named ‘Uninor’.

The new GSM service provider is the result of a joint venture of real estate major, Unitech and Norway-based Telenor Group.They have started their campaigns in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Bihar, Eastern and Western Uttar Pradesh.

For any new player to get noticed in the current Indian scenario is to market and position their brand well.They have to market it aggressively to get noticed in the telecom jungle.

With number portability just around the corner,brands and service would matter even more.

So what is Uninor doing ?

Are they going for the regular offensive strategy ? Is the price their talking point as Docomo did ?

“We chose to go beyond the immediate functionalities of prices, plans and schemes and offers. There’s something much bigger going on in India. An entire generation is breaking free and reaching out to get what it wants. We hope to be able to serve as a tool in their hands to do this,” explains David Meneghello, executive vice-president, marketing, Uninor.

“Our positioning statement, ‘Ab mera number hai’, is the voice of a young Indian who is restless to succeed; who knows that his or her time has come and it is now. We at Uninor believe that heroes need not necessarily be celebrities and stars. The real heroes are out there — succeeding every day in their own lives, making it on their own and wanting more. And these are the faces you see in our TVCs and on our billboards,” adds Meneghello.(source : Afaqs)

They have started with 15 sec teasers to introduce the brand with the tagline “Ab Mera Number Hai ”

I found 2 full TV commercials for it which set the Positioning straight.

Father and Son

Flatmates

Both ads have similar positioning and similar setup.Both ads are trying to connect to today’s successful ambitious youth.But they have kept getting a job as the base in both ads.But still the ads are fresh,realistic,connects well.

They are not shouting per sec billing,low sms charges etc etc etc,but yes they are important too because they are gonna get you the acquire the customers.

Their plans are different and not at per sec billing.You can check out their website here.They have less plan choices as of now.

Lets wait to see how does this new player backed by strong parentage fight the competition ?

What Say ?

© 2010, TMSBee. All rights reserved.

So whats the offering ? Is it just another ‘me-too’ touch phone in the market or is it THE phone we had been waiting for ?
If it has Google’s name attached to it,it ought to be good.The initial reviews are good.



Analysts say the phone(to be sold directly to consumers) is not expected to dramatically alter the carrier-hardware vendor relationship the industry relies on, nor is it likely to yield a revenue windfall in the short term, though executives said it could be profitable.

Google plans to use what it calls a “superphone” (the first of many types of smartphones that it will make) to expand its reach from the PC to the mobile world and ensure its online products and ads get prominent placement on a new breed of wireless Internet devices.

The highly anticipated Nexus One, which marks the first time the 11-year-old Internet search titan has designed and sold its own consumer hardware device, could provide Google with a viable challenge to the iPhone and Research in Motion’s BlackBerry.

After iPhone came into the market,it witnessed many of its touch clones(not cousins) bombard the market.Each and every cell phone manufacturer(even Nokia) came up with their own ‘iPhone’.

All phones without keypads,rectangular in shape,with normally one (or max 2-3) button were common in the market.

Now the next question is Whats the price and Where is it available ?

The Nexus One is available “in large quantities”  at Google.com/phone. An unlocked GSM version of the phone that will work in most countries is $529.

Google is also offering a subsidized version of the phone – also unlocked – through T-Mobile for $179. The service plan offered by Google is 500 minutes/unlimited SMS/unlimited data for $80/month. T-Mobile’s termination fee is $200, and some users might be tempted to buy the T-Mobile version and terminate immediately, paying just $379 for the unlocked phone. Google says that users terminating too soon will be charged the full price of the phone, however. But even the T-Mobile version of the phone can be used overseas on trips by slipping in a different SIM.

Google will ship the unlocked version of the phone to customers in the U.S., U.K., Hong Kong and Singapore. In the Spring they say they’ll add a CDMA version of the phone through Verizon, and set up a European store with a carrier plan via Vodafone.

U.S. users can also use the unlocked phone with AT&T, although the phone’s radio isn’t able to use AT&T’s 3G network.

The bad news for India right now is that its not available in India.

The Nexus One is an important milestone in the smartphone market. This is a software company, frustrated with making compromises with hardware manufacturers, that has taken the product bull by the horns. HTC makes the phone, but the branding is mostly Google and it’s clear that they directed every aspect of the development of this phone. It’s Google’s vision of the perfect Android device, from the huge and beautiful screen and massively fast Snapdragon processor to the software elegance of Google Navigation, Live Wallpaper and the Voice Keyboard. When combined with Google Voice there is no phone on the market today that can touch the Nexus One.(Source : TechCrunch)

After reading and researching about Nexus,it seems to come up as the biggest competitor for iPhone.The “smartphone” market which was witnessing a battle of sorts between iPhone and Blackberry is set for a War now.

So how would Nexus One fair in the market ? Would it bite Apple or RIM where it would hurt them the most ? Is Microsoft observing from the flanks ?

Lets wait and watch.

What Say ?

© 2010, TMSBee. All rights reserved.

Vodafone and Shopper Stop have launched the all new ZooZoo merchandise.We were not seeing much of ZooZoos ads from some time but this is a new campaign involving them.

The price of the merchandise has been kept very nominal.E.g.The price of a ZooZoo T-shirt is Rs 299.A discount of 10% is also offered to existing Vodafone customers.

This is an excellent way to connect to the customers and increase brand loyalty.The campaign is also highly innovative and fresh.People were tired of Telecom wars on TV and radio.The character merchandise concept is new in India and should do well.
Vodafone has gone for a flank attack on other players.Instead of frontal attacks on TV and other common media,they have launched this new concept in a new way least expected by others. There are many non -Vodafone customers who love ZooZoos a lot.By giving them an option to get more closer to it,Vodafone also increases the probability of converting non vodafone customers to vodafone customers.
A Non-Vodafone customer who would buy a ZooZoo merchandize might just switch from an Airtel or a TATA to a Vodafone to further enhance his connect with ZooZoo.The switching costs are minimum these days.The only issue is change in number.With number portability around the corner,it just might be the case.

Vodafone has started a new trend in the market.Lets see how well it picks up with the Customer and how the competitors respond to it.

What Say ?

© 2009 – 2010, TMSBee. All rights reserved.

Look at the ad above.It clearly says ‘End of counting minutes.Keep Talking’, I was very impressed by the plan on the first look.I thought TATA is creating waves in the telecom sector,first TATA Docomo pay per second,now pay per call by TATA Indicom.

Then things changed when i was asked by one of my friends to visit TATA Indicom website.I selected Delhi/NCR as the circle as the plan is not available in Mumbai/Maharashtra.

I found this

On tariff rates its mentioned per 10 mins,I didn’t get it.I thought to myself when they say time duration doesn’t matter,why are they mentioning tariff per 10 minutes.Then i read more and found these lines in the bottom of the table.

Note :
1. Each local call to be charged at Rs 1 for 10 minutes & each STD call to be charged at Rs 3 for 10 Minutes
2. Pulse for Local & STD call will be 600 secs
3. Pulse for Roaming calls will be 60 secs
4. This new starter kit allows keep talking benefit only with the purchase of a new handset on the tata indicom network , if sim is used with old & used handsets , the default tariffs of Rs 1/min for Local calls & 1.5/min for STD Calls . Local SMS @ Rs1 & National SMS @ Rs 1.5
5. As a special promotion , customers will enjoy an extended pulse of 24 hours for all local calls for first 15 days from date of activation
6. Daily rental to be charged at Rs 1 per day
7. Keep talking plan is a stand alone plan & can not be coupled with any other special offers which has free talk time or free minutes built in.

Just the point No. 5 mentions that charges are irrespective of duration you talk and that too is valid just for 15 days.For this plan you need to buy a new handset.If you don’t buy it,then no such plan would exist on your old tata handset.And the most important thing is that the pulse is there Its 600 secs(or 10 minutes).

The plan doesn’t mean that i can talk non stop to my parents on a single call without bothering about the money.If i cross 10 minutes mark i would be billed for next call.

In last post about TATA Tion i had mentioned that in India TATA stands for trust but in this case it seems to be a bit fuzzy.

The plan of 10 minutes pulse is actually amazing.10 mins is a long pulse rate.Majority of the calls are withing the 10 min window.TATA would have gained a lot more customers if they would have said the truth as such.If they would have claimed the 10 mins pulse in their communications then still the response would have been the same or even better.

in the TV commercial They say ‘Ab Ghadi ka atyachar band aur minute ginna band(the atrocities of clock have come to an end,stop counting minutes,just talk)’.This positioning is far from truth.

With 10 minutes pulse,still people will have to watch the time else their bills would double.It does matter how long your call duration is. 10 mins or 11 mins makes a difference.

TATA indicom could have come up with a better communication strategy in which nothing is hidden from the potential customer.

Many of my friends have already expressed concern on this.One of my  family members has a TATA Indicom connection.Even he was upset when he learnt about the actual plan.

TATA Indicom should be a lot more careful in the future as they have a big brand to rely on.

What Say ?

© 2009 – 2010, TMSBee. All rights reserved.

I have a friend of mine who has joined Airtel,i was discussing with him one day that how will Airtel respond to Zoozoos.He said there is no need to respond.We have our own marketing base and strategy.

The new ad proves that He was right.Airtel didnt do anything  strange or different.They carried on with their emotional ads and came up with this.

I saw this ad and was touched so much.Hats off to Airtel.
No Zoozoo can match such ad when it comes to India(or even abroad).Emotional branding if done properly can do miracles.
Many thought Airtel would come up with some totally new Ads feauturing may be tootoos or joojoos or somehting wierd to match Zoozoos but Airtel had different plans.

Shreyas Talpade also rocks in the ad and the ad goes with the flavour of the season too.Young MPs in the Parliament.
It also maintains the standards of previous Airtel ads featuring him and other similar ads by Airtel.
Hats off once again to Airtel !
Comments!

© 2009 – 2010, TMSBee. All rights reserved.

We got a new internet connection at home.After surfing ulti seedhi all sites i thought to myself what shud i do.Then thanks to our out of world news channels i came across The new filmi blog fight Aamir Khan calling his dog Sharukh.Ammir khan actually writing on his blog.BLOG BlOg bLoG this word clicked as immediate effect.I thought with laptop warming my lap that all ppl are blogging and blog make news so why should not i also BLOG?

waah!!

mera apna blog(my own blog).now i just knew the word nothing else.I didnt even know how to start or wrote a blog.By the way i work for Oracle a software engineer but again Vela Software Engineer did nothing so how do where to blog.

so bang bang bang God has given us one thing which helps at any time Google.I googled all combinations and finally landed up at WordPress.

Thaks god English aati hai !!.So understood what this all is.And set up my blog account.I was unnecessarily feeling so proud like an idiot that i have a blog account.and as usual day dreaming that i will write super blog will worte ground breaking logic defying blogs then Zee news-> Aaj Tak-> NDTV-> CNN-IBN(This list no way reflects the quality of channels in increasing order) .My only aim is to dislodge Khali from his place in News channels and be there for my blogs.In evening and night i was day dreaming.

Now afteri am set that i m becoming a blogger.Now new conflict starts what to write in a Blog.What has to be the topicva(effect of Dil chance maare from Tashan so a “va” leaked).

I shortlisted many topics like bashing Arsene Wenger for making ARsenal FC what it is today.Why cant he buy a new star player and why cant he stop players like Hleb and Flamini from leaving then i thought arsene is more expert than me so i will not take out my frustration on him.

Then i thought of crying over these stupid news channels.Why are they killing journalism and media?Then i thought Chhod yaar aapan Ki laina hai? (what have i to do with it?).

Then i thought about my girlfriend,then i though that she is too vast to write a blog on She atleast deserves a book.He He

Then Cricket aaaah! then movies aaaah aaaaaaah!!! (i actually yawned).

Then i thought of my sinking career.Waiting for MBA calls and still waiting.

DISCLAIMER: If you are really feeling frustrated and bored reading this blog i have nothing to do with it at all.I do not take any responsibility if you have scratched your head many times and abused me too saying pagal hai kya kya likh raha hai bhai (no translation this time).

I have put disclaimert in middle so that you still backout or if you have courage lets write something more.

Lets discuss about Indias newest trend the call centres.My only interactions with call centre people have been when i have talked to them on phone hahaha where else!!!

But one serious thing which i have been seeing over past 3 4 years when everything has a call centre guy attached to it is that the professionalism is missing.

This is India here people want their job to be done when they pay for it or order something.

I will tell you a typical conversation

CC guy: Hi sir this is *****,How may i help you ?(he asks tell the problem so i tell him )

Me: actually my outgoing has been barred.I have already cleared my bills today they have not been updated.There is no mistake of mine

CC Guy: sir may i know your cell number?

Me:**********

CC Guy: whom am i talking to sir?

Me: confirmed

CC Guy: How did you pay the bill ?

Me:Yur website online option

CC Guy:Sir it has not been updated ?

Me: Then update it please

CC Guy: Sir i cant do it.its automatic.

Me: What do you mean you cant update you expect me to be without my cellphone outgoings for two days.

CC Guy: Sorry Sir.This online option takes time sir.(then why the hell you keep that option)

Me:Please not my reference number and make my outgoigns working i need it.

CC Guy: Sir system automaticllay does it.i am sorry

Me: I have been using ur f*** service for more than a year and this is the service i get.After already i have paid my money due to your system and internal processes its happening.

CC Guy: Sorry sir for the inconvenience.

Me: What do you mean??

CC Guy: It will be done sir automatically wait.

Me:You are asking me to wait on you mercy after paying money too.

CC guy:Sir when phone is barred due to credit limit we cant accept online payments we need cash(lo kalro baat)

Me: Who the hell has told this to me what is this?

CC Guy: I cant do anything sir.

Me: (losing my temper) :then why the hell you are sitting there go home you *@#$@%$

CC Guy: Sir please pay in cash in our shop centere hub.

Me: And the money which i have already paid

CC Guy: I dont know sir.I m telling u the way to get ur phone working

Me:Are you a moron?

CC guy: No sir

Me:(lost it now)Give the phone to ur manager or seniour

CC Guy:Cant Sir

Me:SCOLDED BADLY censored

—————————–

In the end gives it to the boss or manager.He understands the problem and makes my phone working after understanding and confirming the problem and phone started in 4 hours.

The point is why the hell a person with no power with no brain just a slave of stupid oracle or SAP applications.They are just making excuse of systems and applications for hiding the ineffeciency

Why no professionalism?????

The comapnies just should not have CAll centre guys if they have to behave like this

If they can help whats the fun

For some enquiry or specific puproses they should be there

Some professionalism shud be there yaaar

1 ye hain aur doosre hain ye telemarketing calls

vaale card lelo connection lelo loan lelo insurance lelo ganne ka khaet dekh lo

nahin dekhna mujhe ganne ka khet kya khas baat hai ganne ke khet mein

nahin lena mujhe  card connection kucch bhi

1 theory hai computers mein garbage in garbage out(GIGO)

ye log aadmi ko itna paka dete hain ki poora din frustrated rehta hai aur doosron ko ganne ka khet dikhata rehta hai.

Now finally i got a topic for writing a blog and have written it too

So now i should stop it

i am already feeling frustrated thinking of one more marketing call for a credit card

if now it comes i may burst on him or her so for their well being i end this confused blog here.

© 2008 – 2010, TMSBee. All rights reserved.