Results and Effectiveness

Claiming “Asli HD” (Real HD) was no empty claim for either StarTV or Toshiba. The communication campaign benefited both stakeholders by reaching 1Mn elite set-top box households and 93Mn cable households. After the campaign, Toshiba’s LCD and LED TV sales grew by 81% (Toshiba Monthly Sales Track); Top of Mind Score – 20 (moved from 16 recorded in Nov 2011) – lifting it from the 3rd to the 2nd brand cluster. “Toshiba coming on HD platform & co-promoting HD viewership helped us create a new revenue stream of advertising for STAR India” – Kevin Vaz, President – Ad Sales, StarTV.

Creative Execution

Technology infused communication looked inside-out – pixels, contrast ratios – meant little to consumers. We challenged convention and explained Toshiba's HD promise through a simple insight – in Indian culture TV programmes are family events and people will upgrade to get ‘the best view’ of their favourite shows for their families. A simple, unique solution emerged by crafting an outside-in message, a first for the category. We did not create an ad – we partnered StarTV to create content promos (channel and programming) which simply advised that it was best viewed on Toshiba HDTV. StarTV became the endorser of Toshiba HDTV by building its performance delivery and the communication was a promotion of cross-channel programming every time the ad was aired – a win-win situation. StarTV carried this message on all its HD channels exclusively for two weeks. This was the first time any brand appeared on StarTV HD.

Insights, Strategy and the Idea

The consumer durables market in India is stratified into 3 clusters. Top of the pile is the Samsung-LG-Sony combine which pretty much leads the market. The 2nd cluster comprises brands like Philips, Panasonic and domestic brands like Videocon and Onida. In the minds of prospects, Toshiba was seen as a laggard and was slotted in the bottom-most cluster. A 2011 AT Kearney study on consumer durables in India revealed that a brand needed 5 years of media domination to prepare the ground for consumer’s perceptions to get modified and for market share to increase. Toshiba neither had the time nor the resources to wait it out after its return to the Indian market in August 2011. Toshiba needed an opportunity to open the market for itself and challenge established positions of other TV brands.