Matrix gets users to BBM even on international roaming

The campaign created by Equus Red Cell has banked on humour and direct communication to drive home the message that Matrix has the ideal data roaming plans

Surbhi Chawla | Delhi | January 3, 2012

When planning a trip abroad, one also has to factor in high roaming costs. The search till recently involved looking for the most economical call options. One rarely thought about using the mobile device for data usage which remained restricted to laptops, for which hotel Wi-Fi facilities preferred.

Now that the number of consumers with smartphones is increasing at a rapid pace and with subscribers looking at using their handsets for more than calls, they demand the same facilities even when on roaming. However, a lot of consumers try to curb this need because they consider it more of an indulgence.

Realising this, Matrix has now come out with a new TVC to talk about the data roaming plans that it offers. The idea was to clearly differentiate how Matrix SIM cards provide much better savings on international roaming.

Swapan Seth, CEO of Equus Red Cell, said, “The TVC is a direct adaptation in terms of making people conscious of how expensive roaming is in the current social conversation modes of BBMs, Facebook updates, photo uploads, etc. The idea behind both the TVC and print campaign is largely to inform consumers that international data roaming rates are quite steep and in the same breath talk about how Matrix can help consumers use the same services but at one-tenth the costs.”

Talking about the campaign, Arun Batra, CEO, Matrix Cellular, said, “We focused on the aspect that every time a family or a loved one travels abroad, they always tend to return with gifts. The gifts in this commercial focused on the 'savings' aspect as a result of using Matrix. The campaign clearly shows the difference between a Matrix user and a traveller who goes abroad without Matrix. The Matrix user is seen returning with lots of gifts in the form of shoes, bags, etc., for his wife, all which have been purchased from the money saved on international roaming expenses, while the other traveller is seen returning with nothing.”

Matrix's latest commercial is quite different in approach from its last commercial, which was called 'Who killed the cash' and was a suspense thriller featuring Shah Rukh Khan. Though this campaign too plays on the humour aspect, unlike the previous TVCs, it has not been marinated in exaggerated humour and the tonality too is quite direct. The objective clearly was to create a sense of brand recall, and also showcase Matrix as a young brand that understands the everyday complexities when customers travel abroad.

Sreya Seth, Group Business Director, Equus Red Cell, said, "The brief was to create a no-frills and direct film. That is what was done."

Commenting on why BBM services have been highlighted in the TVC, she said, "It's a much used service and a perpetrator of high bills when travelling abroad if not used at the correct rate – a perfect point to illustrate the Matrix advantage."

While shooting the commercial, there was a small hiccup that involved changing actors at the last moment, but ultimately things went off quite smoothly. The TVC was shot at the Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok. Though the team had anticipated that getting shooting permission in the area would be a time consuming process, it really did not turn out that way.

Regarding the direction the brand communication of Matrix will take in the coming times, Swapan Seth commented, “Matrix's Communications has always followed market signposts and consumer signals. Going forward we will always move in the direction of the winds that blow across the consumerscape.”

The TVC:

Surbhi@BestMediaInfo.com

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