Tata Sky: WE MIXED INDIA!

Credits & Description:

Type of Entry: Product & Service
Category: Commercial Public Services incl. Healthcare & Medical
Advertiser/Client: TATA SKY
Product/Service: SATELLITE TV SERVICE
Entrant Company: MAXUS Mumbai, INDIA
Media Agency: MAXUS Mumbai, INDIA
Managing Director: Ajit Varghese (MAXUS)
Managing Partner: Kartik Sharma (MAXUS)
Client Leader: Rajendra Dwivedi (MAXUS)
Business Director: Anish Appukuttan (MAXUS)
Business Manager: Vikash Modi (MAXUS)
Business Executive: Ramya Akhileshwar (MAXUS)
Client Leader: Pratik Rathod (MAXUS)
Business Manager: Tauseef Unea (MAXUS)
Group Head: Pascual Monteiro (MAXUS)
Business Director: Anne Velankar (MAXUS)
Results and Effectiveness:
GFK Mode research scores for ‘cost perception’ and ‘value for money’ for TATA SKY increased by 10% & 5% respectively. Subscriptions to ‘TruChoice’ TATA SKY packages touched a record 1.4 million. The effort won “The Gold” for the best work on television in Indian Advertising for 2010 in the coveted Goafest’ 2011 awards. This never done before execution of “mixing language on different channels” is a classic case of innovation that was not only relevant but also effective as it delivered desired subscriptions for TATA SKY.
Creative Execution:
We mixed India! In the middle of live content of a language channel, we aired content with a different language. Viewers did not understand the new language and were caught by surprise. For example, a Western Indian language channel aired Eastern Indian language content during live programming. It was followed up with a message reminding viewers not to pay for channels that they don’t watch. A message to switch to TATA SKY DTH followed. Post this, the regular live programming resumed. 12 leading language channels created 42 similar situations of language change. This engagement surprised 7.3 million audiences and made them realize that they were currently paying for languages they don’t understand. The integration into live content ensured that there was no loss of viewership that otherwise happens during commercial ad breaks. A single idea cut through multiple cultures and demographics. This was a first on Indian Television.
Insights, Strategy and the Idea:
India is a country with 21 different languages spoken exclusively in 27 different states. Viewers of one language often don’t understand other languages. Such diversity has resulted in multiple language channels in India. However, cable networks and direct-to-home (DTH) players bundle all different language channels in a single offering, hence forcing the viewers to pay for channels that they don’t understand and watch. To allow viewers to reduce cost burden of non-viewed channels, TATA SKY DTH introduced ‘Truchoice’, a unique package allowing them to pay only for the language channels they understand. Media thus had to make consumers realize that they were paying for channels they don’t even watch. Insight - “Realizations are deeper when one is caught by surprise”- led us to do what has never been done before. We caught viewers unexpectedly by making them watch what they don’t understand and telling them not to pay for it.