Warid launches Mobile Paisa ad campaign eight months after soft launch

Warid Telecom and Bank Alfalah recently launched an advertising campaign for the Mobile Paisa branchless banking service.

The ad campaign comes eight months after Warid soft-launched the service even though the telecom operator had previously stated that the launch would take place in April 2014.

Warid is the last mobile network operator to enter the branchless banking sector, which includes services such as Easypaisa, Mobicash, Timepey and Upaisa from the mobile network operators, and UBL Omni and HBL Express from banks.

Aurora caught up with Warid and Red Communication Arts (Warid’s advertising agency) to learn more about the campaign.

But first, here’s a look at the TVC:

A word from the client – Faisal Sadozai, Director, Mobile Financial Services, Warid

On the core strategy for Mobile Paisa: “The over the counter (OTC) market is still the driving force behind mobile financial services in Pakistan, capturing approximately 80% of the branchless banking transaction market. Therefore, whilst we are the last entrant, currently Mobile Paisa’s core focus is to capture and increase its share in the OTC market. However, we have a very focused strategy for wallet penetration which will be segmented based on the product type.”

On the availability of Mobile Paisa services: “Mobile Paisa products and services are available OTC and through mobile accounts. Mobile account registration is available at all of Warid’s Business Centers at this point and will be available soon at franchises across Pakistan. Customers only have to bear an active Warid SIM and a valid CNIC to secure a Mobile Paisa account on their name.”

On the delayed mainstream launch: “Mobile Paisa was soft launched in January [December 31, 2013] with two services, i.e. money transfer and utility bill payment. The reason behind the soft launch was to enter the market with basic services, get customer feedback, analyse market trends, check technology stability and to understand what customers actually want. We wanted to use this feedback to fully prepare for the mainstream launch. Once we performed this activity, we updated our systems, products and process and commercially launched Mobile Paisa with mobile accounts.”

On Warid’s agent network: We are currently operating with over 10,000 agents covering more than 500 cities across Pakistan. We are foreseeing a reach of approximately 20,000+ agents by the end of 2014.

A word from the agency – Haroon Sheikh, Account Executive, Red Communication Arts

On changing the tagline from ‘Chalta Rahay Pakistan’ to ‘Aap ki amanat, humari zamanat’:“The former tagline was for the soft launch campaign. For the mainstream launch, we wanted to change the conversation to something that was more true to the brands and had a relatable element to it. Trust and confidence in the banking sector have always been paramount, Bank Alfalah is already synonymous with those attributes. ‘Trust/Bharosa’ was identified as the key USP and brand positioning for launching Warid Mobile Paisa. The focus shifted from ‘the ongoing economic cycle in Pakistan’ to ‘Trust/Bharosa’ for Mobile Paisa. The line ‘Aap ki amanat, humari zamanat’ was deemed more fitting for this kind of financial service as it reinforces the relationship and the trust factor between the brand and the customer.

On the challenge of defining a clear positioning for Mobile Paisa in comparison to the competition: “As this was the launch campaign, it was important to establish consumer perceptions such as the brand image, the services, etc.  Since we were dealing with two powerhouses in the corporate world (Bank Alfalah and Warid), it was important to do both of them justice,  and we did so by using the overlapping elements of each brand’s equity. This led us to position the brand based on trust. We also had the USP of having a well known and established bank that is a household name, so we wanted to leverage it to cement this positioning in the consumer’s mind. Future campaigns will not have requirements that are usually associated with launches, so we will be able to shift the focus more on Mobile Paisa’s unique identity.