Hijacking maybe a hard word to describe, what happened on 3rd April 2008. Jagdip Bakshi was Goafest ( Largest event for Indian Advertising and marketing fraternity) Chairman that year. Dainik Bhaskar Group well known across the Industry for highly innovative initiative and plans decided to take advantage of a schedule loophole (That has been plugged now in 2014) without being sponsoring the event. At the same time the group was clear that in no way we would indulge in any Guerrilla marketing or try doing what could be called ambush marketing. Plain simple we were there to exploit the situation.
2008, schedule was such that Goafest started with an afternoon entry by invitation only INDUSTRY CONCLAVE open for senior members of advertising marketing conclave on a Thursday. The real inclusive Goafest for the rest of the industry actually started on Friday between 11 Am to 1 PM.
Many delegate for Goafest (starting on Friday) actually took train. The train reached around 4 PM and if they were to come on Friday they would have lost a part of the Goafest and maybe would have been tired to really enjoy the Friday event- awards and night party. Many of these delegates landed on Thursday. Some of them (who were not part of the Industry Conclave ) but were coming by flight also came on Thursday.
This sizeable chunk of non-conclave participants actually had nothing to do on Thursday evening. Our estimate said that the count could be as high as 300- 400 delegates. And from last year’s experience one knew the set of hotels- guest houses and resorts these delegates were expected to stay in. And we here saw a ripe OPPORTUNITY staring at our face.
Dainik Bhaskar Group designed a separate party some 20 KM from conclave venue in BLUEBERRY an open air banquet area. This party was not advertised. But when people (Conclave delegate or not) from Delhi and Mumbai flights landed at the GOA AIRPORT or reached the two Goa railway stations, they were greeted by a professional promoter- and he handed them a simple DAINIK BHASKAR PARTY PASSPORT . This was their invite- it told then in exciting terms what they could expect at the party and published a shuttle service timetable that they could use for pickup and late night drops. Additionally I recall that we had taken a 60X40 hoarding right outside Goa Airport that questioned the delegate- if they had their passport. If not- they could call a local number (Truth is we did not get any call on that number) but a lot more delegates got added by word of mouth.
Now some promoters also gave away the Party Invite to a few seniors at the airport. This was unplanned but in a way helped us. Our aim was not to disturb the Conclave and we were not even targeting the industry seniors. The focus was the delegate who had come a day early and would want to get to a free party.
My team was doing a great job. Akshay jain ( Now with Amar Ujjala ) was leading the behind the scene and I while attending the conclave was in touch with them. A few conclave delegates who heard about it asked me and I politely invited them. The hotel where the conclave was happening was not even in our pickup-drop plans- but for these the team in no time could set up exclusive travel arrangement in form of dedicated cars.
Then Jagdip Bakshi came to know about it, he from the stage said ‘Dainik Bhaskar has kept a party to hijack the conclave (how wrong he was) – and I would request you all to boycott it and not go there’ on phone connect with them’. I in fact thanked him personally for this unique plug and it created a bit, more of interest in the conclave delegate. We got many more entries but we played it a bit safe and only took few to the event.
The DAINIK BHASKAR PARTY was a grand success. Due to really not well controlled logistic part- teams of 6-8-12 kept joining the party at regular interest. As the same cars went back on another shift we could control and in a way the participant were captive at the site – not really knowing which part of Goa they were on. The group of African fire-starters and the belly dancers with a DJ was keeping them engaged and the hard drinks and beer involved in the party.
There were debates in the next year to re-do the party but we knew it will not have the same charm and surprise- and hence we never repeated the concept.
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Learning’s
- Your plan is as good as it is executed
- The execution holds the key for success
- The execution is all in detailing
- The execution is a result of planning and on ground sharp decision based on authority and responsibility
- Luck can only help a great execution- it cannot create a great event
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Other episodes in Advertising and marketing
● Thank You ● Rain Clause – I ● Lethal Combination ● APPETITE ● Puncture ● Adultery- the moment ● ASSET ● I am Sankar ● The Count ● Introduction ● Time Bomb ● Small Tile ● Shoot Report ● Sardar Khush Hoga ● Shoot At Mud Island ● Kaali Peeli Picture ● Upgrade ● Juhi Effect ● Power Of Punjab ● Out ● Two More ● Eleven Minutes ● The Cherry Win ● The Presentation ● Black Gold ● Buffered ● Continue With Client ● Not Fired ● One Less Decision ● The Ghost Of 35 Rani Jhansi Road Jhandewalaon ● The Problem ● Imported Art Card ● Banyan Tree Agency
