[Exclusive] redBus targets the next leap of growth: Releases the snippet of upcoming TV commercial

Starting out in 2006, redBus has seen exponential growth in terms of number of tickets sold. Most recently, they crossed the 1.5 crore mark (INR 600 crore worth) when we got in touch with the redBus core team to know some of the inside secrets. Having reached a certainly level of penetration, to ride the next growth wave, redBus has decided to take the aid of TV commercials.

Not much has been done beyond price discounts to lure consumers w.r.t bus ticketing till now. "The overall idea behind this big push is to shake people out of their inertia, get them to give up their old practice of booking tickets with neighbourhood agents and adopt the power of online booking," says founder Phanindra Sama.

redBus has released a 20 second snippet of the TV commercial which can be seen here and we got in touch with their Chief Marketing Office, LK Gupta to learn more.

YS: Which agency is working for the TVC?

LK: The agency for this TVC is LOWE-Lintas, Bangalore.

YS: What was the ideation process behind the creation of the first TVC?

LK: The brand identity for redBus.in was defined as a "restless solution provider" that uses technology to solve real life problems in the area of bus ticketing. We wanted a TV ad that would showcase how simple we have made bus ticket booking by providing all relevant information transparently.

Since it is the redBus.in's first launch campaign, the creative had to be very clutter breaking and strong branding needed to be an integral element in the TVC. An advertising line was also required that succinctly sums up the sentiment of how simple and well informed the ticketing process is for consumers.

The advertising idea therefore is "When you gotta go, you gotta go!"

There is a series of three ads, with a new style and treatment - life-like animation, done totally in monochrome, with only redBus.in brand giving a splash of colour.

YS: When will the ads be aired?

LK: We will be airing in May-June.

YS: How aggressive is redBus is going to be on TV?

LK: We will ensure that we are well above threshold levels of GRP (gross rating point) delivery. The focus is on South & West markets, for these are the states where greater business potential currently exists to expand online booking category.

YS: What are the other marketing strategies?

LK: In addition to TV advertising, we will also be present on digital medium with display advertising as well as galvanizing our social presence.

YS: How big is the marketing team at redBus? How is the creative flow inside redBus?

LK: Currently we're in the process of setting up a marketing team at redBus. We are a small group of CMO + 3 people working on brand management, digital advertising and PR. We work closely with CEO, Phani who is quite enthusiastically involved in marketing ideas and implementation. In the open environment that we work, marketing & promotional ideas are generated and welcomed from all departments, including from product teams, HR, business development teams and even finance department. A number of promotions and creative ideas actually come from CPO's groups which are actioned by the marketing department.

Website: redBus