BHARTI AIRTEL LTD.

1.1 INTRODUCTION
Bharti Airtel Limited is a leading global telecommunications company with operations in
20 countries across Asia and Africa. Headquartered in New Delhi, India, the company ranks
amongst the top 4 mobile service providers globally in terms of subscribers. Airtel is a
name that connects with millions of people in India. Today, this telecom giant is amongst the
most trusted telecommunication brands in the world.
From the humble beginnings in the Indian telecom industry in 1986; Airtel had its roots in
Bharti Telecom Limited. Founded in 1986 by Sunil Bharti Mittal, the company was the first
in India to offer push button telephones.
The company then went on to launch various telecom technologies to the Indian market and
had innovation at its heart. Going on to acquire license to build a cellular network in Delhi,
Bharti Telecom Limited laid the ground work for the mobile operations of the company in the
year 1992. It began operations in Delhi in the year 1995 as Bharti Tele-Ventures. The
service was extended to various other states by various acquisitions and partnerships.
In India, the company's product offerings include 2G, 3G and 4G wireless services, mobile
commerce, fixed line services, high speed DSL broadband, IPTV, DTH, enterprise
services including national & international long distance services to carriers. In the rest
of the geographies, it offers 2G, 3G wireless services and mobile commerce. Airtel globally
rebranded itself in 2010 and it now follows the One Network strategy across all Airtel
operating countries
1.2 PRODUCT OFFERINGS
The various product offerings of Airtel are given below:

AIRT
EL
Phon
e
Post-paid
Mobile
Prepaid
Mobile
Landline
Telephony

Airtel
Shop

TV

Interne
t

IPTV
Digital
TV
Airtel
Movies

Broadba
nd
Internet
GPRS

Airtel
Gifts
Airtel
Money.

Airtel
Live
Music

Cricket
Games
Astrology
Antivirus

Mobiles
Hello
tunes

3G

Laptops

4G LTE

Landline
phones
mobile
accessorie
s

Alerts
TV
computer
accessorie
s

News

1.3 MARKET SEGMENTATION

Due to diminishing marginal returns on its voice revenues, Airtel was forced to abandon its one
size fits all demographic segmentation. It came up with a strategy where it classified users into
different segments.
Segmentation can be defined as the process of dividing the market into customers with similar
interests into one segment
There are basically 4 levels of segmentation and Airtel segmented its market as:
i.

Segment marketing: Here the target market is divided into different segments on the
basis of homogenous needs. Airtel has broadly divided the whole market into 2 categories
prepaid and postpaid.

ii.

Niche Marketing: It can be defined as the marketers effort to position their product or
service in smaller markets that have similar attributes and have been neglected by other
marketers. Airtel launched its product blackberry in this category which particularly
focused on the upper business class who have to be in touch with the world every time.

iii.

Local marketing: In this segment companies have to focus on the requirements of the
local markets to be successful. Airtel is focusing on local marketing by their low tariff
plans in rural and even urban cities.

iv.

Individual Marketing: In this segmentation, companies focus on individual customers

and try to be in touch with them by phone calls, email etc. Airtel regularly calls its
every customer and tells them about its new features and schemes.

Figure 1 Market Segmentation

Airtel segmented its consumer market on the basis of:1. Geographical segmentation: Airtel segments the market on the basis of states, as they
have different plans for different states. The different geographic regions are handled
independently and different campaigns are run according to the tastes and preferences of people
in each region.
2. Demographic segmentation: The market is divided into groups based on demographic
attributes like age, gender, income, occupation, religion, family life cycle etc
i.

Age and lifecycle: Recognizing that senior citizens have the need to keep in touch with
their children and relatives who may be located far away, Airtel came up with a senior
plan which offered a discount on one STD number and one local number. Besides,
subscribers of this plan would get special discounts for health check-ups and would have
a facility to club bills with that of their children.

ii.

Gender: The Company has also launched special packages to target the women. Airtel
had started the Ladies Special plan targeted at women and allowed subscriber to receive

special beauty and lifestyle tips, apart from subscriptions to cosmopolitan and
housekeeping magazines. The plan also offers women the option to club the monthly bills
with that of their spouses.eg: Inspiring women concert , Women of substance, etc.

Figure 2 Inspiring Women Concert

Figure 3 Women of Substance

iii.

Income: Airtel also segmented the market on the basis of income through their corporate
plans as well as through the launching of Green SIM Cards for farmers. They had started
the corporate scheme on the basis of the higher usage rate and higher income persons.

Figure 4 Green SIM Cards

Figure 5 Airtel for Corporates

iv.

Generation: Airtel had started Friendz pre-paid connection, SMS plans and VAS like
hello tunes, which was targeted towards the 15-25 year age. This includes phone-tophone (P2P) recharge facility, enabling the consumer to transfer talk time and validity to
any Airtel prepaid subscriber. In addition comes the introduction of Hot Spot tariffs
where Airtel Friendz customers can enjoy tariff discounts at pre-designated places within
the city.

Figure 6 Friendz pre-paid

3. Psychographic segmentation: In this segmentation, marketers segment the market on the

basis of motivation, values, belief, lifestyle, personality etc
i. Lifestyle: Airtel focused its attention on two groups in particular.
a. The first group was known as "funsters" -- consumers aged between 18-35 years old,
who share a common trait -- a high adoption of VAS. Airtel believes that with some

targeted marketing, spending from this group can increase quite significantly. The Telco
has exclusive tie-ups with application providers like Google and has identified music-ondemand as a key value proposition.

Figure 7 Music on Demand

b. The other segment of focus is the "achievers", who are the top five percent of mobile
users. While this segment isn't a high adopter of VAS, it contributes to revenues nearly
10 times that of Airtel's ARPU.
To enhance customer experience for this segment, Airtel has separate priority relationship
managers. It also partnered with HTC and Blackberry to offer highend handsets catering
specifically for those customers who want to be in touch with their peers or their
subordinates, colleagues etc.
ii. Personality: Airtel last year had also started life Time Validity scheme for the persons who are
not financially strong and cant afford the normal schemes.
4. Behavioral segmentation: Organisations also divide the market on the basis of behavior that
the customer shows towards the usage of products. Various variables for segmenting market on
the basis of purchase behaviour of customers are occasions, benefits, user status, user rate,
loyalty etc.
i.

Occasions: Airtel on the occasion of Independence day, introduced a recharge coupon of

Rs 1947 with two years validity for its Delhi and NCR prepaid customersand many other
offers in collaboration with Apple.

Figure 8 Airtel Independence Day Offers

ii.

Benefits: Airtel also provides various tangible and intangible benefits for its customers.
Like Airtel launched various tangible benefits like validity schemes for its customers and

intangible benefits like discounts on next bills, roaming, voice mail, fax mail, close user
group etc.

Figure 9 Benefits: Discounts

iii.

Usage rate: Airtel very often comes up with schemes like Get the talk time of 1111 on
the recharge on 1000 i.e. getting more talk time value for which customers are paying, ab
baatein hongi hazaar campaign is another example.

Figure 10 Usage Offers

1.4 MARKET TARGETING

Airtel was the first company to target specific customers and it came out with
advertising its group card labeled as Friendz. In fact, until now, the market was

treated as homogenous.
Airtel then announced Senior citizen cards targeted at those above 60. The Friends
card is for those who wish to restrict themselves to their group with low calling
rates and some free messages.

Airtel introduced its Airtel Live! The value added services were provided to
customers to generate more revenue. Hence, they introduced value added cards,

which would help to download ring tones and other fancy stuff.
Airtel ads were categorized by mostly as emotional ads. They had a differentiation

point from their competitors as well as innovative.

Moreover, Airtel has been targeting posh areas and customers who value speed and
want good service and as Airtel is mostly known for its good services, they have been
able to serve in best manner.

So, Airtel meticulously segments its market. Apart from the geographic segmentation, which
divides the Indian market into east, west, south, north and central regions, the market is also
segmented in each region on the basis of age and income. The different geographic regions are
handled independently and different campaigns are run according to the tastes and
preferences of people in each region. Under each region, age and income play an important
role in determining the extent of mobile usage.
Hence Airtel caters to two different categories each in age and income.
It targets younger population by providing them cheap call/msg rates at night and also
cheap SMS plans, while the elder population is targeted by plans for calls at reasonable
rates. In the income categories, the lower income people are targeted by offering them cheap
and affordable lifetime validity prepaid cards, that can be used for incoming calls; while the
higher income groups are targeted by offering them premium services like VAS(value added
services), GPRS plans and 3G technology.

Figure 11 Airtel Market Segmentation ,Targeting & Positioning

1.5 BRAND POSITIONING

Effective Brand Positioning is contingent upon identifying and communicating a brand's
uniqueness, differentiation and verifiable value.

Figure 12 Brand Positioning Model

Initial Branding

Initially, the target group was elite professionals since tariff rates were
high.
Airtel has been positioned as an aspirational and lifestyle brand, in a way that has
trivialized the price in the mind of the consumer. It was pitched not merely as a mobile
service, but as something that gave it a badge value.
The Brand was developed to connote leadership in network, innovations, offerings and
services.

1.5.1Brand Positioning Strategies

Airtel positions itself as juvenile brand linkages to celebrities such as SRK and Sachin. Airtel is
transforming itself fully into a service led brand.
1. Power to keep in touch- The Leadership Campaign

Airtel was on a power trip: the logo was black, uppercase bold lettering; and the baseline
was "the power to keep in touch.

The taglines emphasised that stance: "Airtel celebrates the spirit of leadership" and "The
first choice of the corporate leaders".

2. Leadership to Touch Tomorrow

Bharti decided to humanize the brand Airtel in 2000. It started with Bharti launching its
new Touch Tomorrow campaign which aimed at strengthening its relationship with its
customers and make the brand softer to cater a wide variety of people across the society.

The advertising became two-pronged: a product-driven communication that showcased new

offerings like the Magic prepaid card, and an emotional communication to connect with younger
people.
3. Touch Tomorrow to Live Every Moment
Airtel came out with a new logo. The logo signified a strong, contemporary and confident
symbol for a brand that was always ahead of the rest. It had two solid, red rectangular forms

whose counter forms create an open doorway. Capital A showed leadership and red dot on
i showed innovation.

In 2002, Airtel signed on music composer A R Rahman and changed its tune to "Live every
moment": Rahman's signature tune for Airtel is, perhaps, the most downloaded ringtone in India.
4. Live every moment to Express Yourself
Later, Airtel adopted the "Express yourself" positioning, the emotional angle was predominant
it wanted to stand out in what was becoming a highly commoditized, crowded market.

5. Express Yourself to Har ek friend zaroori hota hai

Airtel came up with a new logo. The new logo was supposed to give Airtel and the brand
a more "youthful and international" look. The acquisition of ZAIN added about 40
million subscribers from African countries. The change in logo has been done keeping in
mind its synchronization with the logo of Zain.

The logo is a modern representation of the letter 'a' on a bright red background.

The unique symbol is an interpretation of the a in Airtel.

The curved shape & the gentle highlights on the red colour make it warm &
inviting,almost as if it were a living object.
The colour Red shows the heritage. It is the colour of energy & passion that expresses the
dynamism that has made Airtel the success it is today, in India, and now on the global
stage.
The logo is called The Wave.

1.5.2 Co-Branding of Airtel

Airtel made partnership with brands, it formed an alliance to work together, creating marketing
synergy.
1. Bharti Airtel has entered into an agreement with browser expert Opera to offer a
customised version of Opera Mini internet browser for its mobile customers in 20
countries across Asia and Africa. The mobile phone service provider claims that this move
will make the browser available to a total of 253 million of its customers.

2. Bharti Airtel and Nokia has launched a customized version of Nokia Xpress Browser
for the Airtel customers with Nokia Asha and select Series 40 devices. The Nokia Xpress
browser usually comes pre-loaded on Asha phones, but the new co-branded version would
offer the Airtel subscribers and enhanced experience, by providing them with one-click

access to Airtels premium mobile internet services and easy discoverability of rich content
on-the-go.

3. Airtel will Launch Branded 4G Smart phones at Rs. 4,000 to Counter Reliance Jio. The
company is in discussions with Chinese vendors and even held talks with Taiwan
based Foxconn, which has set up its mobile manufacturing plant in India. Airtel has
started launching 4G service across the country in a phased manner.
The object for this is to combine the strength of two brands, in order to increase the premium
consumers are willing to pay, to combine the different perceived properties associated with these
brands with a single product. Ultimately, co-branding helps both the partners as each contributes
some aspect of its brand (expertise, distribution, status, etc.) to create an offering that neither
could develop as effectively on their own.
1.5.3 Airtel Ad Campaigns
i.) A.R.Rahman Campaign

16 states, 600 million people, one service provider.

One network that connects India, like A. R Rahman moves India with his music.
Target Group: People who need wireless network, people who want to connect on the go,

people who want to be the part of the revolution of wireless communication.

This music went on to become the Airtel Signature Tune.

Figure 13 Airtel - A.R. Rahaman

ii.) Join The Dots Campaign

Few relation are very important, they cant be avoided - When relations are based
on love and affections, distance is nothing and conversation is possible - keep

connected with Airtel.

Target Group: special relations Son, Daughter, Wife, Husband, Mother, Father ( Every
Family member).

Figure 14 Airtel-Join The Dots Campaign

iii.)Breaking The Barriers - Communication Boundaries Campaign

Express Yourself platform making the breaking of communication barriers its one of
the focal points. Communication Boundaries.
Deewarein gir jaati hain, faasle mit jaate hain, jahan do baatein ho jaati hain (Barriers
break when people talk).
Connecting cultures, longing to communicate without any barriers the society
places, making new friends, caring, unity, peace, free mindedness.
Target Group: long distance relationship Son/ daughter away from home, husband away
from his wife for business assignment, friends separated because of careers.

Figure 15 Airtel- Breaking The Barriers Campaign

iv.) Endless Goodbye Campaign

A man and his girl are never apart even after they say goodbye
With Airtel 3G video calls, you always stay close to your loved ones, no matter how far

you are.
Love-Affection-Togetherness
Target Group: people who always want to see and talk with each other.

Figure 16 Airtel- Endless Goodbyes Campaign

v.) Street Performer Campaign

Dil Jo Chahe Pass Laye

Wherever you go, carry your entertainment with you
Entertainment anywhere any day!
Target Group: On the GO entertainment lovers, Demanding.

Figure 17 Airtel-Street Performer Campaign

vi.) Together Good Things Happen Campaign

The growth of Airtel is related to Shahrukh khan from its No one to someone to
stardom, which is connected to 110 million fans.
Unity, togetherness, networking, Aspiration, chasing the dreams, relationships, success.
Life is all about experience

You cannot be alone when 110 million people are connected with you
Target Group: Aspirating People, close friends, people who loves networking, people
who want to be together.

Figure 18 Airtel -Together good things happen campaign

vii.) Har Ek Friend Zaroori Hota Hai Campaign

Besides entertaining one and all with its catchy jingle, the ad served to position Airtel as a
brand that stands for friendship, and helps one to stay in touch with all kinds of friends.
Target Group:The advertisement campaign of Airtel Har Ek Friend Zaroori Hota
Hai caught the todays youth sentiments and positioning amongst the brand Airtel in the
most vibrant and happening target segment.

Figure 19 Airtel - Har ek friend zaroori hota hai Campaign

viii.) Jo Tera Hai Wo Mera Hai Campaign

Friendship is all about sharing

Picturisation: vibrant, peppy, colourful and pretty much bursting with youth, and the
upbeat mood of the ad is complemented by an anthem that has started creating quite a
buzz on the digital space.
Relation, happiness, Youngsters, Masti, Cool factor, Memorable moments in friends.
Target Group: Teenagers, youngsters, Tech Savvy.

Figure 20 Airtel -Jo tera hai woh mera hai Campaign

ix.) Talk All Night Long Campaign

Airtel takes a romantic route in its latest campaign to push its

unlimited internet and night calling category and narrates the tale of a
soon-to-be-married young couple.

The campaign aims to promote the 'Unlimited internet and calls at

night' offer under Airtel's 'Night Store' .

Target Group: Youth, Couples.

Figure 21 Airtel- Talk all night long campaign

x.) Airtel 4G Campaign

Airtel has launched the 4G campaign to position itself as the fastest network for
data uploads/downloads.
Airtel 4G is available to customers across a range of smart devices including mobile
phones, dongles, 4G hotspots and Wi-Fi dongles.
The service is available in 14 circles and 296 towns.
The company has also tied up with online marketplace Flipkart to provide an Airtel 4G
sim with a 4G phone purchase with mobile giant Samsung.

Figure 22 Airtel 4G Campaign

CONCLUSION

Airtel is to be found the best service provider of network service and customer care
service as well. This is one company in the industry that can be found delivering as per
their customer expectations. Thats why customers have rated it not as satisfactory but
excellent.
Airtel has the highest brand recall value among all its competitors.

Target Market of Airtel is mainly Youth (friends, Couples, etc. )

The Point Of Difference that exists for Airtel is that it is the only telecom service
provider offering 4G Services.