Marketing strategy for Telecom Industry in India

If this isn't obvious, then let me spell it out for you: This post was an entry for a competition, and after pushing the deadlines for few hours, they said they've had enough (They got the right amount of entries), so ours was rejected. Now having put quite some effort into it, this article lands here as a post. 

Discussed in this post are market trends and potential Differentiation practices. The details are kept to bare minimum, to take care of the length of the post.

MARKET TRENDS:

Telecoms can increase network spread with positive ROI to only certain extent, so consolidation and further land grab for urban market will continue. Real penetration is still low, so urban population will remain to be viable target over next 3-4 years.

High speed internet on mobile/netbooks/laptops, VAS, IVR, 3G, 3.5G are going to be the watchwords. The prudent and pragmatic Indian populace and earlier and not very positive interaction customers have had with earlier telecoms and new tech, they are bound to be bit circumspect. A level of trust, basic telecom relations and establishment has to prerequisite for further interaction.  Premium customers may be provided special offers to avail of 3G services, relieving congestion as well as providing newer services to premium subscribers.

Network sharing, partnering, outsourcing, better revenue sharing models than prevailing with VAS content creators, aggregating bodies will be key to positive ROIs.

First move: LAND GRAB TO VALUE BASED SERVICES.

TARGET the Indian customers worn down by celebs and big names who have become cash cows and are adding little than just matching best competition practices. Of this segment, the youth is the most viable segment for positive communication.

What has to change for differentiation?

Customer service:

Personal marketing, defined by long term relationships will position the brand as one which can be trusted, is simple and is faithful to customer.

CRM (Customer relations management) should be made more local in spite of pan-India-circle plan (arresting the question of reliability) and ubiquitous. With trust, doing the walk, faithfulness, getting things done, availability even in terms of physical presence being the new watch words.

New tech and High speed internet: bundled with compatible mobile devices.  All the new innovation has to be preceded by the above differentiation and new trades like mobile advertising, pre-call advertisements should only be adapted once they are tested by other telecoms.

Loyalty incentives, Customer centric plans in true sense (Send your request, after you have been loyal) as part of long term plan.

Value communication:

The advertisement campaigns revolving around realistic icons like Saina Nehwal, Bindra, Beauty contest winners etc.

The key to approval would be what happens when the buck stops, how is the relationship with customer then? Does it make them feel significant, make them belong?

Event creation:

Campaigns around youth, indigenous Indian activities which beg the question how the truly creative and aspiring Indians ask WHAT, WHY IT?

Involving target consumers in branding and not the other way.

VAS targeting rural demography which will be also used for brand building and positioning.

Open to questions, discussions as always... cheers.