VAS Ramayan - Part 2

This post is a sequel to the earlier post “VAS Ramayan” on Mobile Value Added Services.

Ya, you must be thinking “Hmm, err….sequels usually follow something which is a hit, don’t they?” .

My mama once said, “Son, whatever you do in life, don’t worry about the returns; just put your heart into it”. Mama obviously hadn’t envisaged a recession where everybody demands ROI for advertising expenditure. Does mobile guarantee you that? Let us cut the theory out and get back to our VAS Ramayan. As we saw, there were various instances where VAS could have been used in Ramayan. Now would advertisers during the time of Ramayan sit aplomb and do nothing about it? I bet my salary (not much of a bet you say?!!!) they would have been pouncing at every opportunity. How you wonder? Let us go back to VAS Ramayan and re-script the story. Here we go, point by point!

1. Ah! Videoconferencing! Ram using videoconferencing to run his kingdom. Imagine an LCD TV ad flashes on the screen explaining the advanced LCD screen features.
2. Surpanakha getting herself into trouble by asking the Ram-Lakshman duo out!! The time has come, dear Ravan, when every brother assumes responsibility. Up pops a banner of a matrimonial service on Ravan’s mobile phone. Oh! Not ready yet??!! The banner is followed by a dating service ad with a “Click to Call” facility.
3. Hanuman in search of the herb. How can pharmaceutical companies forego this opportunity? Hanuman is bombarded with messages giving him routes to the nearest medical store where the capsule version of the herb is available. Oops! Hanuman forgot his purse back home. No problem, Sire! Thou can pay with the balance in thy SIM card.
4. Biochip to diagnose health disorders, is it? Multi-specialty, super-specialty hospitals equipped in curing the diagnosed disorder scurry with their messaging campaigns and advertise to the injured war party.
5. Ram doing a video chat with Sita. Sri Lanka tourism board sends ads to their respective handsets of the places they can tour. An intelligent travel portal follows and sends the details of the cheapest air tickets between their respective destinations. Oh! Sorry if there were airplanes then why would Ram construct a bridge in the fist place? Err…does it spoil the Ramayan script?
6. Oh Sita watching “The Return of Hanuman”!! An adaptive internal recommending machine, suggests her other movies on similar themes; “People who watched this movie also watched – “Troy”, “ Dilwale Dulhaniya le Jaenge”, “Talaash: The Hunt Begins” “. You can even order a DVD.

Yeah, I agree, some of the ads mentioned above might not be possible without interfacing with multiple systems and a lot of other processes. But the possibilities are limitless. Now when was Hanuman most likely to entertain a pharmaceutical advertisement? When he is building bridges for Ram or when he is burning Lanka down or when he is searching for a herb for Ram to cure him? Talking about contextual ads, what could be more contextual?? Now does mobile guarantee you ROI on advertising expenditure? The choice is for you to make!!

P.S: The subscriber’s permission has been taken before sending them advertisements in the VAS Ramayan. They are perfectly aware of the DND (Do Not Disturb) registry and all the marketing was permission based.