Mobiistar’s focused efforts to target small towns are paying off: Aniruddha Deb

No dream is too big and it’s time to give every dream of yours a shining start – this is the key thought behind the launch campaign for Mobiistar X1 Notch mobile phone. 

The communication is set in a college and features young students who are gearing up for a Selfie Queen contest. The story is about a young guy who helps his friend shine with the help of the X1 Notch. The girl, who is from a small town, is not confident about competing for the crown against much better groomed girls from the metros. While the Mobiistar film for C1 Shine shows the protagonist shine in the eyes of people who didn’t think much of him before, X1 Notch shows the protagonist using the phone to help his friend shine. The film seeks to reach out and resonate with those who live in the small towns, making sure their dreams and aspirations are fulfilled by the X1 Notch. 

Featuring a 13MP AI Selfie and Rear Camera and a Gradient Shine Body, Mobiistar X1 Notch is designed to make every moment shine bright. A proposition that is ‘more’ in a category where one must always pay more to get more. 

The campaign is being rolled out pan India across multiple touch-points and with a greater digital presence. The campaign aims to boost awareness and consideration of X1 Notch. 

Since its launch, the Mobiistar ad film has garnered 30.7 million views on YouTube taking it to among Top 10 YouTube ads for the month of January 2019. The YouTube masthead for the ad film on the first day itself garnered more than 24.9 million views and the masthead was No. 2 on YouTube, after Hero’s masthead. 

In conversation with Adgully, Aniruddha Deb, CMO, Mobiistar India, sheds more light on the campaign strategy, creating relevance for the TG, the value proposition and more. 

What was the creative brief for the campaign?
The brief was not very simple. As a new brand, we had a complicated task at hand and the job was two-fold:

1. Find a relevant and emotional connect with our core TG (especially the Tier 1, 2 and 3 audiences)
2. Showcase our key USP, the 13MP AI selfie camera, its relevance and user experience to the audience

After conducting an extensive research with our primary TG, we realised that a bad selfie camera can ruin a selfie, which can only be rectified by using filters. So here we were, with a product that promises the perfect selfies without any effort, using AI. That became the core product proposition. The creative hook came naturally when we decided to find a true insight to connect with our audience. We wanted the phone to enable people to fulfil their dreams despite limitations. We wanted our consumers to shine. For our audience, this limitation was the lack of access or money to buy the latest make-up. But the Mobiistar X1 Notch could help them take the perfect selfies, effortlessly, thus empowering them to do more with life. 

The video has resonated strongly with digital natives. What TG did you have in mind for the film?
While our core TG is defined as semi-urban, belonging to Tier 1, 2 and 3 regions, their presence in the digital space is quite strong. Consumption of digital content is extremely high among them since it’s their core medium of entertainment. We wanted them to find our communication relatable, which is where we got it right. We identified their problem and provided a solution which automatically grabbed their attention. 

How do you view the ‘selfie generation’ – their values and sensibilities, and how have you tapped that sentiment?
We are living in the selfie generation, a world where millennials use selfies to express themselves on social media. Our core target audience, the semi-urban millennials, are not only present but also very active on social media platforms. Unfortunately, in the budget smartphone segment, most selfie cameras are either 5MP or 8MP, so the photos they produce are mostly not up to the mark. We tried to solve this problem by giving them a 13MP selfie camera with AI that enables them to take great selfies without any effort and that made all the difference. 

What is the relevance of digital media for smartphone players to build their connect with the millennials?
Millennials live in the digital world, glued to their phones. Even the content that is produced on digital platforms caters to them. In order to reach out to them, digital is the way to go. Of course, one must note their content and consumption pattern, but slowly and surely digital is becoming the preferred medium for them. 

How has the success of the campaign translated into sales for the Mobiistar X1 Notch? Could you share some numbers with us?
It’s too early for us to share an exact figure as we entered the offline market in August 2018 and launched this campaign in January 2019. We are selling and doing well in the under 10K segment and I can proudly say that this has helped us gain confidence in trade as well. Today, we are present in over 37,000 outlets across India. 

What is the value proposition of Mobiistar as a company? How will it differentiate from the well-established competitors in this market?
Our value proposition goes hand in hand with our brand proposition. Our aim is to help semi-urban India to shine. We do that by spotting trends and giving them smartphones with excellent features and a user experience at an affordable price. Consumers should not have to pay more for the features that are trending. Whether its design (gradient shine body/ notch or waterdrop designs) or selfie cameras (13MP and more with AI), we will continue to provide them at affordable prices. 

As a global brand, what are the challenges in building your presence in India?
India being an extremely dynamic smartphone market, the biggest challenge for any new brand entering this space is to gain acceptance, not just from consumers but also from trade channels. The idea is to be relevant and give the consumers what they need. We have been fortunate enough to have received an extremely warm welcome so far, both by trade and customers, and hope to keep this momentum going.