CavinKare and Airtel- Alternative communication medium: Jatra

CavinKare and Airtel

Alternative communication medium: Jatra

The article is an excerpt from the book "Marketing Management: Comprehensive text, Best practices and Corporate insights" by Profs.  Arun Kumar and N. Meenakshi.

The authors can be contacted at  nmeenakshi@niilm.com and akumar@niilm.com

In the north east, the media options are limited. The reach of media is poor, and the bulk of the population lives in the rural regions. Even entertainment options are restricted. Jatra or mobile folk theatre is an old tradition in the East and North-East of India. Visiting troupes of actors and crew members tour villages putting up shows, the themes of which have evolved with time, running the gamut from mythology and folklore to college romances. There has been resurgence of Jatra groups. Actors from cinema and TV also act in Jatra shows, and they even take a break from their screen assignments to do so. For some of them, it is an opportunity to go back to their roots.

Companies are tying up with Jatra groups. CavinKare has tied up with the Bardoichila troupe to build the Fairever brand in Assam. Airtel has tied up with a number of troupes to cover various regions. It is an active platform to talk to the rural people and there is large local connect. Not only is it an awareness and education opportunity for companies but it also helps a folk form that has been cash-strapped and is looking for a revival plan.

Originally featuring stories from the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, Jatra plays are now set in modern times and themes are social and current, from Hindu-Muslim unity to college romances. The plays are staged after the monsoon ends, in September-December, but marketing starts earlier in May and June.

The village Panchayat, which pays the troupes an advance, considers past record before committing to a performance, and may even hedge its risks by inviting more than one troupe. Usually, a single troupe does not perform for more than two days in the same village.

The entire process offers a brand-building opportunity, through sampling, co-branding of banners and seats and of course, the script of the play. In Phase 1, when the Jatra is promoted in the village, the company undertakes sampling through vans co-branded with the details of the Jatra and the brand. In Phase II, which is usually a reminder to the village about the shows and a pitch, so that the village puts its money behind the Jatra, there is more sampling. Leaflets are distributed and the hoardings for the Jatra are put up.

In the final phase, when the play is staged, there could be another round of sampling, more visual branding and the message is dispersed through the content. The marketer does not get to see the script till close to the date of staging. The shows are quite technology-heavy as they use a lot of sound and lighting equipment. Tying up with marketers has also afforded the troupes a chance to be more sophisticated.

In the case of Fairever, the message to be communicated was that beauty will boost confidence.  Airtel, though the plays and in the environs, made consumers aware of the brand, and taught them how to send a message, and download a ringtone. This also doubled up as an education initiative for consumers. Airtel even put up its service counters at plays in villages where there was no such facility for customers.

The companies finance about 10-12 per cent of the show’s cost. Each tie-up for the whole year cost a couple of lakhs, and the cost of the collateral is about Rs 2-3 lakh. Collaterals include the co-branded T-shirts worn by the crew. All the vehicles – buses, trucks, are branded. There is branding on-stage and on the tickets as well. The troupe owner gets the sponsorship money. However, if agents are roped in to liaison and negotiate with the brands, they get about 30 per cent of that. There is a central agency to coordinate these deals.

The initial results seem to be good. The distributors and retailers are talking about it far more than earlier. Not only is there the benefit of repeat exposure due to the branding and sampling opportunities presented by the various phases of the Jatra’s planning, but as the brand message is presented through the entertainment medium, the consumer’s mind is more open to receiving it.