Abstract

Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL), Indian arm of the Anglo-Dutch FMCG major Unilever plc, had a presence in India since 1933. The company, through its wide distribution network managed to reach every nook and corner of the country. At the same time, it faced a problem of not being able to communicate with its customers in the rural hinterlands due to absence of media in those areas. In order to reach the customers in media-dark locations, HUL came up with an idea of reaching them through mobile phones. This led to the launch of free mobile radio service called ‘Kan Khajura Tesan’ (Centipede Station), a mobile-based, on-demand entertainment initiative. Launched in a few states of the country, the initiative was highly successful, prompting HUL to consider extending it to other states.

Learning Objectives

The case is structured to achieve the following Learning Objectives:

• Innovative ways to connect with customers in developing markets
• Reaching customers in media-dark locations
• Emergence of mobile marketing channel
• Creating brand awareness using innovative methods

Keywords

HUL, mobile radio, Kan Khajura Tesan, media dark locations, building brand awareness, innovation, reaching target markets