Bharti Airtel, India's largest telecommunications company, has engaged IconPR to handle its public relations services in the Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand regions of India. IconPR will work to enhance Airtel's brand image, increase awareness of its diverse service offerings, and manage any potential crises in the region through 2015. Key objectives include strengthening Airtel's leadership position, expanding its customer base particularly in rural areas, and addressing competitive threats in certain districts of Uttar Pradesh. IconPR will utilize traditional and digital PR tools to achieve these goals and build favorable media coverage and public opinion of Airtel over the long term.

1. A PR Services Proposal by
to Bharti Airtel Limited
A division of Group Bannericon September 2011

2. By 2010 Airtel will be the most admired brand in
India
Loved by more customers
Targeted by top talent
Benchmarked by more businesses
Vision achievement 2011 -
Bharti Airtel has maintained its leadership
position with 25.3% market share in India
Globally present and expanding

3. Bharti Airtel Ltd is the 5th largest mobile operator in the
world in terms of subscriber base and has a commercial
presence in 19 countries. The Company is India’s largest
integrated telecom company in terms of customer base
and offers-
Mobile - Cellular Services
Telemedia - Fixed Line services, Broadband & IPTV
Enterprise - Long Distance and Enterprise services.
Digital TV - DTH service named Airtel Digital TV

4. Manoj Kohli of India`s biggest mobile phone group Bharti
Airtel, told an industry conference in Hong Kong that his firm
is aiming to almost double its customer base to 200 million
people in the next few years.
`Achieving a billion plus (Indian mobile users) by 2015 is
possible,` he told the Mobile Asia Congress, the region`s
largest telecom industry gathering.
`The largest growth will happen in the rural market,` he said,
adding that pricing wars between providers were knocking
down rates in the Indian market and making phones
affordable to more people.

5. India will have 48 million direct to home (DTH) satellite TV
homes by 2015, thanks in part to the rapid expansion in DTH
subscriptions in rural areas, according to a new report from
the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India
(Assocham).
Digital cable TV subscriptions are also predicted to soar,
reaching 38 million by 2015 compared with nine million in
2010.
As of the end of last year, there were 38 million digital homes
in India, with a DTH level of 28 million, cable and one million
viewers receiving internet protocol television (IPTV),

6. India’s mobile workforce is slated to grow by an
overwhelming 53% in the next four years, despite the fact that
enterprise adoption of mobility strategies is still at an
infantile stage
The Springboard Research report states that “With today’s
consumers becoming increasingly mobile and well informed,
enterprises must follow suit. A mobile enterprise can
experience a range of business benefits including operational
efficiency and enhanced customer interaction and
engagement. The resulting upside in productivity, revenue
and market share cannot be ignored by Indian CXOs.”

7. Our Focus

8. Geographical Area-UPU
Uttarakhand - Facts
Area- 53483 Sq.Km
Population- 101.17 Lakh
Districts- No. 13
Tehsils- No. 78
Uttar
Pradesh
72
Districts
Cities 631
Area 2,36,286
sq. km.
Population
(2001 16,60,52,859
Census)

9. Geographical Area-UPU
Uttar Pradesh
1. Lucknow
2. Bareilly
Media reach in UPU
3. Meerut
4. Agra
5. Jhansi
Total 13 editorial centres/
6. Kanpur editions
7. Allahabad
8. Varanasi
9. Gorakhpur
10. Aligarh
11. Moradabad
Uttrakhand
1. Nainital
2. Dehradun

10. To provide Airtel PR services in UPU to:
Create the perception of a full service lifestyle Brand
Integrating technology and services for personal enhancement
Publicise Airtel’s market offerings amongst targeted audience
to increase the market share and bottom line
Positive enrolment of Airtel amongst multiple constituencies
establishing local leadership & understanding of Global Brand
To take the Airtel services, it’s offers and community
initiatives to new heights in the two States.
Organize regular interactions between the Company & key
journalists to build a strong relationship in turn supporting
the communication strategy.

11. A reference to how Airtel’s services with updated technology
has freed us all to do many a things while staying connected
all the time in any mode:
Cell phones and Broadband Wi-Fi are considered the big
"lifestyle enablers."
The TV remote transcending now to the Digital TV services is
the current favourite
Aided with specialised business enhancement services has
changed the way of conducting not local but globally spread
businesses

12. Gain in-depth information and anticipate events
Sustain and enhance Brand image
Understanding risk exposure and entry into new markets
and brand extensions
Investor relations and profile enhancement
Strong positioning of the financial markets & shareholder
value
Better stakeholder relations and alignment of strategy with
key stakeholders’ expectations
Highlight employee output, retention and internal &
external communications
Better media relations and issue management
Prepared for crisis situation

13. Mobility in UP (East)
Source: Boneless Research
Airtel - Leader with highest No. of subscribers and active
users
◦ Focus – Sustain and increase base
◦ Enhance Brand

14. Mobility in UP (West)
Source: Boneless Research
Airtel – facing stiff competition & positioned behind others
◦ Focus – Initiate strategic PR exercise and market communications
◦ Aggressive Brand development and image enhancement

15. The urban and rural electronic media awareness has created a
hunger for more information, entertainment and interactive
updates, which cane be provided via Airtel’s-
◦ IPTV
◦ HD TV
◦ HD recorder
Airtel digital TV’s 6 interactive services
iLearn,
iNews,
iDarshan,
iGoodlife,
iAstro and
iKisaan
PR to create awareness and enrolment of services

16. Fixed line services covering 94 cities in India
Urban and Rural interconnectivity provides a big opportunity
for growth.
PR to create the required bridge with the targeted business
houses for the enhanced awareness and promotion.

17. Primary – The urban-rural youth and the
adultescent
Secondary – media persons, social writers and
current users
Tertiary – identified groups – farming community,
Government organisations, Vyapar Mandals,
Panchayats, Clubs, Business / Social Associations,
etc.

18. Media Consumer Community Pressure Groups Employees
Build stronger Create Brand Build goodwill Build
& favourable ownership and reflect a Inculcate
relations for
editorial Communicate humanitarian positive sense of pride
opinions Market face influence for Airtel
offerings /
products and
Inturn services Demonstrate Reward
establish the principle performance
positive public Corporate “People Over Multi-
opinion focused Profits” pronged
messaging influence in Develop
the favour of goodwill
Entertainment
Create Promote the Airtel by ambassadors
and youth
champions CSR communicati
targeting
who assist in commitments ng the values
neutralising Create on going Create family
negative engagement of past and
developments and recall present
through employees
continuous
messaging

19. Follow the soft PR route - Let others speak about you
Crisis Management & Brand Awareness PR Campaign
Quantify reporting with quality outcomes
Stand out within the competitors by distinguishing oneself
subtly but strongly
Not to take on the hard-line or confront pressure groups
Keep away from over-exposure and desperate attempts for
coverage
Be aware of competition and negative media
Required exposure to offerings and services resulting in
enhanced Brand Building
Readiness for managing crisis in co-ordination with media,
local public representatives as well as government officials

20. A Strategic Approach
Formulation & execution of comprehensive Brand enhancement
and media management plan
Educating multiple sections of the media to be inline with
the expanse of Airtel and its vision
Opportunity & positioning Airtel’s services of various
segments in regional & mainline media (including rural
market)
Strengthen lobby with media persons
Ensure coverage on news, developments and product /
package offerings
Coverage of on-ground activities & events at regional level
Provide regular feedback and analysis from media

21. Key PR Tools Photography
Road-shows Stunts
For Airtel E-mail Press
Features
Release
Launch Promo
Events Events
IconPR
Online PR Corporate
Releases Stories
Social
Interviews
Networking
Case
Advertorials
Studies
Editorial
1-on-1
Coverage

22. Regular hi-impact on ground Media Activity in presence of a
spokesperson at each identified centres in order to keep in
loop the local media.
For proper strategising & suggestions from PR perspective
Airtel to share its Marketing Plans in advance.
Small-budget Media get together at regular intervals at all
centres in presence of a senior official from Airtel. This will be
an effective platform for Informal Interaction between the
Media and the Company inturn creating a bridge during crisis
situations .
Regular participation in Social events.
Detailed Strategy Paper shall be tabled during presentation

23. Crisis Centre: Kanpur
Issues:
Discontinuation of numbers due to Issue raised on lifetime prepaid
scheme
FIR was lodged against Airtel on International calling
Issue fully resolved with no media outcome after 1st stroty
Crisis Centre: Varanasi
Issues:
Distributors providing SIM on fake ID
Airtel network failed
Robbery at one of Airtel’s cell-sites
Issue fully resolved with media discontinuity
Centre: Dehradun
Issues:
Airtel network failed
Media educated to write for Airtel citing other issues
Others on request

24. Our Outcomes - 2009
Photo Opportunity without any presence of spokesperson
◦ Airtel Consumer initiative Airtel Lucky Recharge and Gaana lagao Sona pao
Gorakhpur - October
Agra - November
Bareilly - December
Kanpur - December
Dehradun - December
Meerut - December
Varanasi - December
Lucknow – December
Dehradun
Address by Mr. Manoj Kohli, CEO & JMD Bharti Airtel and Mr. Rohit
Gothi, CEO, Bharti Airtel UPU
Varanasi
Agitation by Dr. Sandeep Pandey over water issues against Coca-Cola
Media was fully educated and no outward comments towards the clients
appeared either locally or internationally

25. Our Outcomes - 2010
Barabanki
Water Harvesting implemented with presence of DM & officials of Coca-
Cola
One on One interview of Mr. Rohit Gothi, CEO, Bharti Airtel,
UPU with top leading mainlines dailies :
The Times of India
Hindustan Times
Hindustan
Business Standard
I next
Meerut
April’11 addressed by Mr. Deepak Malhotra , OD, North West Bharti
Airtel and Mr. Rohit Gothi, CEO, Bharti Airtel UPU
More success stories and outomes with can be tables on
requested

26. Ashok Kapoor
Chief Advisor / Mentor of IconPR, is a business entrepreneur with in-depth
experience in journalism, media publishing, Public Affairs & PR management
expertise; providing the firm with in-depth knowledge of both client’s
requirement and servicing needs to compliment the outcome of desired
objectives. With government & political understanding, consulting with values
and experience of over 26 years on state and national perspective to all large
business houses.
Sharad Kapur
Advisor to IconPr, is an experienced hand spanning his knowledge over 35
years in consultancy. His strong entrenchment with the media fraternity and
relationship as the first PR Agency head in UP since 1999 has provided in-
depth understanding of corporate deliverables to match with media
requirements of the region.
Saurabh Malaviya
Senior Consultant at IconPR, is a bright face at Lucknow managing day to day
UPU coordinations, client-media bridging and client management, efficiently
for the past 4 years
City Coordinators – Stationed at every single city as per client needs

27. Managing international, national and rural public relations
since 1998
Initiated the first ever state-wide rural pr network in 2003 in
the country
Experience with Brands like, international- British Tobacco,
Bacardi, Amway, Coca-Cola, leading real estate– Omaxe,
Ansal API, DLF, education- Wigan & Leigh, Carrier Launchers,
Queen’s University Ireland, etc.
Association with Coca-Cola since 1998. Re-assignment of the
account for UP in 2011.

28. Stella Advisory Pvt. Ltd. under the ownership and
management of Group Bannericon, initiated PR services for
Airtel in UP (E) from 2004 to 2005 and then UP (W) along with
Uttrakhand from 2005 onwards
From 2006 IconPR, the specialised PR division of Group
Bannericon was granted State-wide PR services which we
continue to provide with our best of commitment to Airtel
Airtel’s growth trajectory has been an experience for us as we
also been taken forward by the sharing and professional
approach of the Company
A state-wide network in UPU, 6 centres dedicated to Airtel
has been developed and crisis management from small issues
to major outbursts have been handled to the complete
satisfaction of Airtel over the period.
We look forward to our continuing the relationship to 2015
and beyond…

29. Thank You.
From: IconPR
A division of
Banner India Consultants