Bharti trims roster on $17m account

NEW DELHI: Leading Indian telecom operator, Bharti Enterprises, has realigned its US$17 million marketing communications account in a bid to achieve greater impact with a two-brand strategy. It shaved its media roster and consolidated the business with Carat. The creative assignment for Magic - India's best-selling, pre-paid cellular card - has moved from Leo Burnett to Percept Advertising, while the launch of fixed line and broadband services under the TouchTel brand has been awarded to Dentsu Young & Rubicam. Percept already handles Bharti's coporate account as well as Mantraonline, an internet service provider, and Beetel, the company's new electronic, push-button telephones. DY&R handles creative work for the group's flagship brand, AirTel, the general pre-paid cards. The agency realignments follow a decision by Bharti to pursue a dual brand strategy -AirTel with an annual turnover of about US$255 million on one plank and TouchTel, with expected revenues of $160 million on the other. Rajan Mittal, joint managing director of Bharti Enterprises, said: "The launch of TouchTel marks a new beginning in line with Bharti's high-growth restructuring strategy and corporate philosophy. It is symbolic of the coming-of-age of wired line telephony in the country." Bharti's major competitor Essar Cellphone has been conducting a multi-million dollar advertising blitz in Delhi and Mumbai. Bharti has hit back with a television and print effort for Magic's nationwide roaming service, featuring Indian movie stars. TouchTel, positioned as the "caring expert", will break its campaign soon in the northern part of India before it is rolled out to the rest of the country.

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