Abstract

This case is about the promotional strategies adopted by India-based mobile operator Aircel. Aircel entered the highly competitive Indian telecom market in the year 1999. It adopted innovation as its key branding strategy and communicated with customers through simple and thoughtful advertising campaigns. The case discusses the various marketing strategies adopted by a relatively late entrant into the Indian market and how it increased its subscriber base. Aircel was one of the first mobile operators to introduce its advertising campaign on Facebook. The case explains how Aircel promoted its services through several media like TV, print, out-of-home (OOH), and radio. It used celebrity endorsement as well as cause-related marketing. Within a short time of its launch, Aircel had become one of the top mobile operators in India. According to experts, the company's unique promotional strategies helped it survive and grow in the highly competitive telecom sector. The case concludes by highlighting the challenges Aircel could face as a relatively new player in the highly competitive and fast-saturating Indian mobile phone market. This case is aimed at MBA/MS level students as part of the Brand Management/ Marketing Communication/ Marketing Management curriculum.

Learning Objectives

The case is structured to achieve the following Learning Objectives:

• Study the promotional strategies of Aircel
• Study how Aircel differentiated itself by focusing on innovative marketing campaigns
• Understand issues and challenges in out-of-home (OOH) and cause-related marketing
• Understand the importance of innovative marketing for mobile operators
• Analyze the impact of advertising on the revenue growth of a company

Keywords

Differentiation, Promotional strategies, Innovative marketing campaigns, Out-of-home (OOH), Cause-related marketing, Celebrity brand endorsement, Sponsorships, Advertising, Core values of the brand, brand communication, Internet and mobile advertising, Aircel, Telecom, India