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In an innovative strategy for the rollout of its infocom services, Reliance Infocomm is following the initial public offering distribution model to ensure that potential consumers in each and every pocket across the country are tapped to sign up as customers.
Reliance is putting its entire marketing and distribution network behind the retail distribution strategy.
Apart from Reliance Mutual Fund, textile dealers, polymer and polyester dealers, and distributors have also been roped in to push its limited mobility services in the market.
Though the Reliance group is relatively new to the retail market as far as its services business is concerned, it has the useful experience of having successfully launched and completed the largest equity public offerings in the history of the Indian capital market.
The group also has the largest shareholder base of around 3.5 million. Following the model, the company has roped in several top 'lead managers' to act as distributors for its subscription forms.
The group plans to leverage on the vast distribution networks of these brokerage houses in a bid to get its subscription forms and sales pitch across to all consumers.
According to group officials, the underlying principles in the distribution setup remain the same: while earlier it was the shareholder who was sought to be targeted, now it is the consumer with a similar background.
The nationwide launch of limited mobility services on December 28, expected to be the largest rollout by a brand in Indian corporate history, has a stiff target to achieve.
While Reliance group officials refused to specify any target figures, an official hinted, "Reliance never works for less than a 50 per cent market share in whatever it does."
The company has not only chalked out its horizontal distribution spread, it has also created a vertical structure for effective monitoring.
It has also devised an incentive structure whereby an agent, after garnering a minimum subscriber target, will get an attractive commission on every additional subscriber basis.
Industry sources claim that the company has set specific targets for each zone. In order to achieve various targets, the entire country has been categorised into several zones to prevent overlapping as well as to ensure accountability.'
Sources claim that the schemes pushed through 'lead managers' are expected to attract the maximum number of customers since this is a high-impact category which will be targeted.
The brand is likely to be called Reliance India Mobile, according to the Reliance Group Chairman Mukesh Ambani.