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MUMBAI: In a market where it is increasingly becoming tough to grab eyeballs, marketers are constantly eyeing unconventional methods to get the desired visibility. Balloon advertising with product replicas is becoming popular. This advertising medium was seen during the launch of Tata Docomo, which is Tata Teleservices Limited’s (TTSL) GSM service, in Hyderabad.
 The launch of Tata Docomo was marked by high-soaring inflated balloons that dotted a section of the Hyderabad sky in the second week of July this year.
Inflatable Ideas, a Secunderabad-based inflatables manufacturing company, was in charge of making the large inflated balloons for Tata Docomo. Three huge inflated balloons were used at Hyderabad’s Hussain Sagar Lake, apart from using other conventional media.
The reason cited for the use of inflated balloons for the launch was that it was already a popular advertising medium in the European markets. “Being multinational clients and especially joint venture partners, foreign companies are well versed with the use of inflatable products. They are also aware about the impact of such unconventional medium and that is why such a medium is id demand by a client who is not from India. Besides, these branding products are also portable and light to use as well,” explained P. Ravi, marketing manager, Inflatable Ideas.
Earlier too, McDonald’s had used its brand replicas during its launch in Chennai, Mumbai and Kolhapur – all of which were made to order by Inflatable Ideas. Mobile TeleSystems OJSC (MTS), a significant mobile phone operator in Russia which had been brought to India by Shyam Sistema (earlier Shyam Telelink), is another case in point. It used brand replicas during its Chennai launch. Pepsi, Nokia, Siemens, Sonix, Bosch, GM motors and Bayer are other companies that are regular clients of Inflatable Ideas. Among Inflatable Ideas’ most recent clients are Kingfisher, ITC and Idea Cellular.
The cost of these products in India when compared to their counterparts found abroad is at least 40-50 per cent less. While the cost of the replicas range from Rs 14,000-Rs 25,000 depending on the size, the cost of balloon may cost anything between Rs 40,000-Rs 50,000.
Unique Inflatables, which is another such manufacturer of inflatable balloons, product replicas and inflatable product costumes, recently manufactured product costumes for Indofil Chemicals and Rallis India for their promotions. Dnyanesh Sole of the Hyderabad-based Unique Inflatables, agrees that similar costumes abroad would cost not less Rs 1 lakh. “Other products are also available at half the prices in India. Here most of these companies would use these costumes for two seasons before placing an order again next year,” he said.
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