Innovative Marketing-Kumbh Mela

The World’s Biggest Religious Festival at Allahabad in India. The Kumbh Mela, believed to be the largest religious gathering on earth is held every 12 years on the banks of the ‘Sangam’- the confluence of the holy rivers Ganga, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati. The Mela alternates between Nasik, Allahabad, Ujjain and Haridwar every three years.


Estimated Pilgrims during Kumbh 2013

S. NO.	Bathing  Days	Kumbh 2001		Kumbh 2013
		Dates	Estimated   Visitors	Dates	Projected Visitors
1	Makar Sankranti	14.1.2001	100 Lac	14.1.2013	110 Lac
2	Paush Purnima	09.1.2001	50 Lac	27.1.2013	55 Lac
3	Mauni Amawasya	24.1.2001	276 Lac	10.2.2013	305 Lac
4	Vasant Panchami	29.1.2001	175 Lac	15.2.2013	193 Lac
5	Maghi Purnima	08.2.2001	150 Lac	25.2.2013	165 Lac
6	Maha Shivratri	21.2.2001	50 Lac	10.3.2013	55 Lac

 
By seeing the projected visitors of 2013 we can say companies have best opportunity to sell and promote their product to large people and 52 companies have grab the opportunity for brand promotion at kumbh mela 2013 with innovative marketing strategy.
Now let us see how different companies have adopted innovative marketing strategy.
1. Lifebuoy

Lifebuoy has tied up with more than 100 local dhabas and restaurants. For every order, the first chapatti served carries the branded message and makes an instant connection. It has also placed the soap in the wash rooms of all these eateries. It delivers a message through chapatti and creates awareness as well as strong positioning in consumers mind.
 
2. Airtel 

Airtel is giving special tariff plan which include features such as live audio coverage of kumbh, live discourses from akharas and helps pilgrimage to take a dip at the Sangam during the mela.
 
3. Coca-cola

Coca-cola offering fountain coke at Rs 5.and also it has setup wifi service at 12 stalls where people can download free coke studio music and other  new ad jingles.
4. Horlicks
GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare has a basketball ring at its stall for people to shoot hoops and win free biscuits with their cups of Horlicks.
5. Vodafone
Vodafone has set up cinema like stalls—Vodafone ki Dhoom— where it’s showing mythological videos on history of the Kumbh and Samudra Manthan to piligrimage and has weaved info about two value-added services into the show. It is also distributing earmuffs with built-in speakers preloaded with devotional tunes for free.



6.Tata swach
Tata Swach has stationed 300 water purifiers spread over 28 booths. The brand estimates that over one million litres of water will be consumed by the pilgrims at the mela.

7. Revital: Health Supplement Brand from Ranbaxy

Revital have distributed free Hanuman Chalisa  over 50,000 and Branding on Local city buses, sponsoring local boats and advertising at changing room installations at Kumbh mela.

 
Conclusion
Kumbh mela gives a big opportunity for marketers to promote their brand. It will help the companies to create strong positioning in consumers mind about their products and services. This shows to consumers that how companies really care for their need and demands. It’s a type of CSR activity for companies.

Source:-http://www.mbaskool.com/business-articles/marketing/7681-innovative-marketing-kumbh-mela.html