Nokia cashing in on soccer for brand campaign

New Delhi, May 19: In a bid to cash in on the soccer fever in the country ahead of next month's World Cup, cellular technology giant Nokia today commenced marketing for its latest brand-building campaign -- Defend Your Turf.

With DYT, as it is being called, Nokia plans to project its image as ''young, passionate and free in style''.

Nokia is organising freestyle street football tournament in four cities -- Delhi, Banglore, Kolkata, Mumbai -- which will culminate with the national champions defending their turf against the best street footballers from Brazil.

Bangalore leg of the tournament is slated for June 7-8, followed by Mumbai (June 9-10), Delhi (June 13-14) and Kolkata (June 15-16) and the final is scheduled in the Bengal capital on June 17.

In keeping with the spirit of the game, the organisers have chosen venues like a shopping mall in Bangalore, Juhu beach in Mumbai, Ansal Plaza in the capital and another shopping mall in Kolkata.

Though youths, in the age group of 18 to 25 years, are its main target, Nokia considers DYT an oppurtunity to reach out to the seniors.

''Of course, youth is over target as Nokia -- connecting people -- projects itself as full of passion, youthness and freeness ...

but DYT will also attract people, who love and watch football,'' Devinder Kishore, Director Marketing, Customer and Market Operations Nokia said at the launch of the campaign.

''It's one of our stretegies, which would encourage mass participation and give opportunity to budding footballers in the country,'' he said.

''From today we are going to advertise about this street football tournament through print and electronic media'' Mr Kishore added.

Eyeing further expansion in India, he said the ''cellular market in India is growing'' and the number of hand-sets in the country would ''definitly increase''.

''We believe in consumer satisfaction and give importance to the value added services, apart from voice or information transfer'' he added.

He also revealed that Nokia, which holds 35 per cent of world value shares in cellular sector, has several other plans for future depending on ''season, people's interest and other conditions'' Baichung Bhutia, India's celetrated soccer player, who kick started the campaign, said corporate sector coming forward in this direction is good sign for the development of game in India.

Nokia's DYT '' is just a begining'' and would certainly give platform to youths at grassroot level and popularise the game in India, Bhutia observed.

UNI