Rann Utsav – Behold a RannTastic Experience!
Big Brand Challenge
Nothingness. Endless emptiness in all directions. An empty desert, or a land full of opportunities? We saw it as the latter and even turned it into a global brand that enjoys worldwide attention, appreciation and applause today.
This is the story of Rann of Kutch, a place once barely known to anyone outside the town’s periphery, today becoming the most visited tourist destination of India, where guests wait for the whole year and que up for months to visit and enjoy the one-of-a-kind experience offered here.
But this metamorphosis from an unknown town to a must-visit travel destination is an outcome of a well-defined vision, commitment and perseverance.
So how did our dynamic 360 agency change the game for Rann Utsav?
This is what we did. And how we did it.
Pivotal Groundwork (research)
The Background
Understanding the Core
Rann Utsav began as a fair that gained little to no popularity in the initial years. It started as Sharad Utsav in 2007, but in spite of having huge potential, without a focused marketing approach, strong branding exercises and robust advertising efforts, it never had the right outreach, losing out on a large section of its audience.
Add to that, the on-ground issues of being on an off track location, aloof from the regular tourism circuit, difficult in terms of accessibility via air and rail, and a tedious road journey to reach there, only added to the woes.
The Study
Deep dive into Data
Statistics show that 2007-08 was the year of phenomenal growth in the tourism industry. Gujarat saw an almost 50% rise in country visits by foregin tourists compared to 2005.
Domestic tourism too showed an amazing growth rate, with Gujarat having a total contribution of 2.6%, ranking 10 on a national level, highlighting the potential of the state.
The number of foregin tourist arrivals in India was 5.7 Million with a year on year growth of 5.6%, from which close to 16% belonged to the USA, giving India a brilliant opportunity to put its best foot forward.
This also hints at how India was slowly going to be the most preferred tourist destination, attracting a large number of national and international tourists. While the numbers did look like a promising start for the industry, fate had different plans.
The Trends
Ride the Wave
The year in which Rann Utsav was initiated (as Sharad Utsav), the rise in the number of foreign tourists was noteworthy. But by 2013, the number of inbound foregin tourists had plateaued at around 5.9%. Those who did visit India, were completely fascinated by the culture, heritage and welcoming warmth of our diverse population. Especially the foregin nationals, which rank at 30%, recorded to have entered the country for “leisure, holiday and tourism” as per the records.
Hinting at what the world expected out of a country that has unity in diversity at its core, we picked up this data point and made it our central idea to build something truly outstanding at Rann.
The Approach
Pave the Path
Interesting insights, global statistics and a thorough need-gap analysis done by the ace teams of Trizone, defined the roadmap for Rann Utsav once we came on-board in 2014.
Our approach was unique, we wanted to put forward an experience unlike any other, ever before or after. We started working on this from the ground up, understanding the heart of the culture we were going to represent and showcase on a much larger scale to tourists, travellers and trendsetters of the “social age”. So be it local heritage sites, cultural hotspots, trade and craft, and without doubt, the signature hospitality of India, we enveloped everything under one roof and created Rann Utsav – The Tent City.
Stellar Strategy
Our strategy began at the point of understanding the current challenge at hand. Being a 360 agency that takes pride in solving band issues on every level, and in all directions, after reading data and absorbing the statistics, we knew where we were headed
After a careful analysis done from all angles, we realized that Rann Utsav wasn’t just facing a minor advertising hurdle, but at large, was facing a major marketing roadblock that we needed to solve.
To do this, we took a classic approach.
The classic three-pronged strategy to build awareness came as a top priority. Then was to boost brand recognition. And the last leg was to build loyalty and encourage advocacy.
We had to build an unique identity for Rann, promoting a luxurious property offering an experience like never before in Gujarat. We identified this as our core USP, and began to work on this as our framework.
Our creative itinerary for Rann Utsav looked like this:
- Brand Identity Redesign
- Logo Revamp
- Defining Brand Tonality
- Digital and Mainline Campaign Creatives
- Promote Unique Experiences – Introduce Glamping.
As advisers to clients, we also suggested Rann Utsav expand their offerings. From a simple 1 Night 2 days, the portfolio slowly expanded to three nights and four days, from Deluxe Cottages to Rajwadi Suites, along with introducing an array of activities, amenities and adventure avenues.
Groundbreaking Execution
The advertising campaigns across time had taken various shapes and forms, all pointed in one direction – to showcase the property as a unique experience zone, unlike anywhere else in India.
Here’s a timeline of the campaigns since the beginning:
Campaign 1 – Come. explore. experience.
The launch campaign’s primary focus was to invite people to a stunning new destination that offers a very unique experience – the gorgeous white sands – an absolutely novel concept in India and barely seen anywhere else in the world too with “Come. Explore. Experience”. This stage was all about building awareness, which was done slowly but carefully and steadily across marketing channels.
The Outcome
The campaign was very well-received by those whom it was geo-targeted at. Before the campaign hit, there was little to no knowledge about the property. Our aim, to make people aware of this unique destination, was achieved as per what the engagement numbers tell us – a lot of people did take notice of the stunning white sands destination in Kutch, as opposed to the very well-known golden sand desert we all know.
Campaign 2 – India’s Biggest White Desert Festival
The second campaign played a crucial role. While people were keen to know more about Rann Utsav – The Tent City, we now wanted to heavily promote the “White Desert Festival” experience. And what better way to do it, but put this in the title – “India’s Biggest White Desert Festival” is what we called it, because that’s what it was.
The Outcome
Going by the last campaign’s learnings, we’ve put the property at the heart of the campaign. This did generate a lot of curiosity amongst avid travellers.
Campaign 3 – Rann ki Kahaniya
For the third campaign, once the destination was well-known, we now wanted to focus on those who were our target audience.
We designed this campaign specifically around younger audiences who love to capture moments and tell wonderful stories. So we decided to turn them into storytellers with “Rann Ki Kahaniya”.
The real beauty of this campaign lies in the fact that all locations were covered – the main Tent City, highlighting the tour of nearby places, the activities and so much more.
The Outcome
The impact was exactly how we had expected. There was a lot of interest generated amongst our targeted audiences, creating a buzz for a “white desert destination in India”.
We created a lot of shareable content, UGC, captured special moments, and created beautiful stories in every part of Rann Utsav.
But what lied on the other side of the success of this campaign, was unforeseen by the entire world. COVID19, a global pandemic, swept across the world and everything came to a stop.
Campaign 4 – Acho Kutch
To address the infamous pandemic problem, we decided to take things a notch higher, and go deeper at the heart of what makes Rann Utsav a memorable experience.
We understood the impact it had on all those who were involved in creating Rann Utsav, and what it was – a unique destination to relax and unwind.
This campaign somewhere redefined the way forward for the entire project. We focused, not only on the experiences offered at Rann Utsav, but also those people who made it possible. We designed this campaign around the locals of Kutch, keeping them at the centre of our communication. And calling it “Acho Kutch”, meaning “Welcome to Kutch” gave it a warm, welcoming touch.
Of course, all safety precautions were taken and all government guidelines were followed.
We spoke about the locals and showed them in all our communication, talking about how much this festival has helped them, in not just earning their livelihood but also as bringing about their community’s upliftment.
The Outcome
What happened next was a complete surprise. We had anticipated a 40-45% occupancy, but the campaign touched a cord and we drew close to 65-70% occupancy, driving our audiences out of their homes even during COVID.
Campaign 5 – Rann Ke Rang
Rising from the last successful campaign, we now wanted to bring many new exciting offerings to the forefront with this campaign. From the colourful and vibrant Kutch, to the naturally scenic spots around, to the soulful heritage and culture, “Rann ke Rang” was all about the experience.
The Outcome
A delightful idea that delivered. Especially since COVID cases are now on a decline, even those who weren’t sure if travelling was safe, were venturing out. This campaign highlighted all those elements that they had missed due to lockdowns, giving us a steep rise in bookings and occupancy.
Key Takeaways
The deepdive study of statistics, the planning, the strategy, and the creative campaigns, all aimed for a single outcome – to build a unique brand that becomes an unparalleled travel destination for the world.
But the Government of Gujarat’s larger objective that we helped achieve, was that Rann Utsav brought about a tremendous socio-economic upliftment for the people of Kutch. The families that had faced the infamous and devastating Kutch earthquake, saw Rann Utsav as a ray of hope. What it turned out, was a new dawn in their lives. Rann Utsav brought tremendous socio-economic development, brilliant employment and business opportunities, global recognition of the local art and culture, and a complete lifestyle elevation for the locals.
Here’s how we measured the impact:
- Socio-economic upliftment of the state
- Created new employment opportunities for the locals
- Flea market with handloom offerings
- Local Kutchi handicraft reaching International shores
- Raw Material to build is procured from local stores, helping the economy
- Local Kutch people selling directly, without a middleman
- Platform provided for local artists to showcase their work
Clients Speak
Travelling brings new realities to life. Especially since the world has been locked indoors for such a long period of time, we are seeing a new spark of enthusiasm from all over the world, across every age group and socio-economic backgrounds, from those who want to create timeless memories.
Rann Utsav is designed to offer unparalleled and unforgettable experiences to all our visitors. We are also extremely glad to do our bit for the fastest growing sector, Gujarat’s tourism industry, that will contribute to the gross domestic product (GDP) of Gujarat in India up to 10.2% in 2022.
And not just the industry, but also the smallest, local artisans who reflect our country’s rich cultural heritage, get to benefit from our projects.
Truly, this line surmises it all, “Kutch nahi dekha to kuch nahi dekha.”
