Cholchhe na aar Cholbe na

Say NO to NEGATIVITY

Category: D 04 Best Integrated Campaign: Media/Media Property

Brand: ABP Ananda (formerly Star Ananda)

“Can’t Happen” , Won’t Happen Anymore !!

Marketing Objective

In a market crowded with news channels mushrooming every now and then, and a category where every brand claims to be No.1 with its own interpretation of data, Cholbe Na was a genuine effort by ABP Ananda to rise above all this.

It was a movement to inspire a change. The clear objective was to think beyond growth in market shares/ratings and associate ABP Ananda (previously Star Ananda) with a news channel which has got high perception value and a channel which is genuinely concerned about the people of Bengal.

The Target Audience

The society at large in Kolkata who have become used to the word “NO” i.e. ‘Can’t Happen’ in their daily lives.

The policymakers, government servants, shopkeepers, taxi/auto waalas - To make them realise the negativity of “NO”.

Situation Analysis

Kolkata, once celebrated as the ‘city of joy’ was slowly slipping into coma. Years of inaction, negativity, strikes, bandhs and lockouts had virtually brought the city to a standstill. A shadow of its once glorious past, Kolkata came to be known as the city where nothing moves; a city where the word ‘Na’ (No) is a birth right for some who are obsessed with the idea of refusing.

Comatose City

Situation Analysis

When cab drivers refuse to take passengers, we think it’s alright; when ambulances get stuck in political rallies, we say “it happens”; when students miss exams because of strikes, we forget and fold it along with our morning newspapers; when political parties call a ‘bandh’ we feel lucky to have got another holiday and when pensioners’ files gets stuck in Govt. offices for months, we believe it’s only a process. Kolkatans had almost given up on themselves. Some decided to opt out and leave the city; some decided to stay on and suffer; ABP Ananda decided to lead the way and change. The challenge was to inspire a whole city and make its citizens believe that they could actually make a difference.

Integrated Media Solution

A powerful idea of Mahatma Gandhi lent the insight :

“Change must begin from within.”

A new movement was born. Kolkata’s quintessential political slogan for all things negative “Cholchhe Na. Cholbe Na” (Can’t Happen. Won’t Happen.), was turned on its head to become “Cholchhe Na Aar Cholbe Na” (Can’t happen won’t happen anymore). It urged people to step out, come forward, join hands and start a movement.

“Cholchhe Na Aar Cholbe Na”

Integrated Media Solution

A powerful idea of Mahatma Gandhi lent the insight :

“Change must begin from within.”

Press being still the staple media diet for an average

Kolkatan, awareness was generated through ads in Anandabazar Patrika, Bengal’s leading news daily.

Integrated Media Solution

It was coupled with high impact billboards to create the desired salience. Intensive Television activity on ABP Ananda coinciding with the campaign kicking off on FM created the buzz.

Integrated Media Solution

While social media like facebook and twitter was explored to appeal to a younger audience. The movement caught the imagination of the youth. Leading college bands across Kolkata composed their own version of the ‘Cholbe Na’ anthem and participated in a rock concert where the two best bands were selected to perform on April 21, the big day.

Phased Communication Plan

• INVOLVEMENT – Launching the campaign and driving online

registrations to promote joining the movement

• ENGAGEMENT – Bringing in incremental on ground participation

• ACTION – Launch of the Anthem and actual taking of the pledge

• CLOSURE – Launching the next phase of the communication

through campaign featuring Mobile Reporter/ Citizen journalism

Width and Depth of Execution

Phase I: April 2, 2012 • Kolkata woke up to a clarion call. Press ads and over 100 billboards with the word ‘Na’

(NO) struck off in familiar negative phrases appeared across the city.

• TV Commercials and radio spots demonstrated various real-life situations where people encountered ‘Na’ (No).

• All communications urged people to join the cause by registering on Facebook (www.facebook.com/cholbena) and the official Cholbe Na website (www.cholbena.in) where one could register and invite five friends. It also had links to YouTube, Facebook and Twitter on which the campaign was launched on the same day.

• Within a week, over 20,000 people joined the cause on Facebook alone.

• The movement caught the imagination of the youth. Leading college bands across

Kolkata composed their own version of the ‘Cholbe Na’ anthem and participated in a rock concert where the two best bands were selected to perform on April 21, the big day.

PRINT

TV

OOH

DIGITAL

ACTIVATION

RADIO

Phase I Snapshot

Phase II: April 14, 2012 Starting this date, through press ads, billboards, celebrity bytes on TV, the Cholbe Na website, YouTube, Facebook and Twitter, Kolkatans were exhorted to come to the Maddox Square (a popular park in Kolkata) in the evening of April 21, 2012 to ceremonially banish ‘Na’ from their lives. In the next 7 days, more than 17,000 people joined the Facebook page, with over 25,000 views registered on YouTube.

PRINT

TV

OOH

DIGITAL

ACTIVATION

RADIO

Phase II Snapshot

Phase III: April 22, 2012 Immediately after the event, the movement entered its next phase. For the first time, the faces of real people were featured on Press Ads, billboards, and web banners asking Kolkata to join in. Facebook became an active forum for debates and discussions. The YouTube page carried videos and testimonials of common people talking about real issues. Flash mobs appeared at major malls and street junctions denouncing the ‘Na’ (No) culture and asking more people to join this revolution. Inter-college debate competitions had students exchanging heated arguments on Kolkata’s deep seated tradition of negativity. Entries poured in at the open-to-all

Cholbe Na Cartoon & Poster competition. The Cholbe Na anthem was performed live at the city’s biggest annual award ceremony – Sera Bangali.

PRINT

TV

OOH

DIGITAL

ACTIVATION

RADIO

Phase III Snapshot

The Final Phase: August 15, 2012 • The movement entered its final phase. Kolkatans were asked to take the lead, be the

change agent for their city and were given the real power to bring in the change.

• One could take videos or pictures of instances where they encountered a negative attitude and upload it on the Cholbe Na site. Alternately, one could also call, SMS or send an email to ABP Ananda.

• The website was redesigned for user generated audios, videos, images, or documents.

• On the channel, Suman De, the lead voice of ABP Ananda, asked people to voice their protest.

• A specially designed mobile site (m.cholbena.in) helped Change Agents to upload their cases instantly whenever they faced negativity. Facebook, twitter and YouTube carried the same call for action.

• During a co-promo with Barfi, Ranbir Kapoor also urged people to join the movement.

• In no time, the Facebook likes shot up to 65000+ and YouTube views crossed 2lacs.

PRINT

TV

DIGITAL

ACTIVATION

Phase IV Snapshot

The Result in terms of Delivering

the Marketing Objective

• As on October 12, 2012, the campaign has 34,210 registrations on the

website, 2,16,000 views on YouTube, 65,892 likes on Facebook and 529 followers on Twitter.

• The Cholbe Na Facebook Page ranks second among the causes listed from India.

• Despite being a regional campaign, the number of Facebook page likes for Cholbe Na (65,892 likes as on Oct 12, 2012) is higher than that of campaigns implemented on a national scale. Aman Ki Asha has clocked 5061 likes (as on Oct 12, 2012) and Teach India has 12,070 likes (as on Oct 12, 2012).

• The initiative has earned 954.6 sq cm. of free media publicity in newspapers. The campaign is talked about in websites,

radio interviews and has garnered over 50 free celebrity TV bytes.

• The YouTube channel views crossed 2 Lacs, the highest in terms of any Bengali campaign done so far.

• The campaign received mention in the India book of records for the 51 feet tall ‘Na’ shaped inflatable.

• Top personalities and celebrities of Kolkata like Prosenjit Chatterjee, Parambrata Chatterjee, Chuni Goswami, Late Sunil Gangopadhyay, Dev and many more, regardless of their political affiliation, spoke up for a cause unanimously.

• For the first time in the last 5 years, CITU called off TRANSPORT STRIKE in July,

2012 in Kolkata ; the Chief Minister herself taking the lead to declare a war on strikes and hartals.

• Kolkata Traffic Police promptly opened up its new FB page to act on taxi refusals.

• During the dengue / malaria fever spree in August 2012, hospitals took special initiatives to reduce admission refusals.

• School kids from (Modern High School, Don Bosco and La Martiniere School initiated a cleanup drive on the 5,00,000 sq. ft. park in Kolkata (Vivekananda Park) and forced the government authorities to take up the job, which it should have done well before.

• ABP Ananda inspired other Bengali channels to follow suit and take up their own movements to improve Kolkata. Some examples being Pathachari.com by Kolkata TV and STAR Jalsha’s green initiative called ‘Chalo Paltai’.