India is the entertainment capital of the world, with the biggest film industry, Bollywood and the largest number of TV serials. But what happens when 130 million people experience power cuts for 8-10 hours everyday? They live in a permanent state of isolation from entertainment, communication and brands.

But with population of 130 million, these regions of Bihar & Jharkhand are important markets for Unilever. Since existing media could not reach them, we had to invent a new one.

Our solution, was to create a new media channel, with the only electronic equipment the people here kept turned on- a rudimentary mobile phone. And 54 million people here had one! The strategy was to find a way to transform these rudimentary phones into a platform that would bring entertainment to these entertainment starved regions. .

We created- Kan Khajura Station – A free entertainment channel that worked on any mobile.

All people had to do was give a missed call to a number and the Kan Khajura Station would call them back with 15 minutes of free bollywood news, songs, jokes, and of course advertising from our brands.

It was entertaining content, with cultural relevance, and was free.

For advertising, media is essential. And Indians live on entertainment, with Bollywood being the world’s largest film industry. But in Bihar & Jharkhhand, two states in India, people have no electricity for 8 to 10 hours everyday. They live permanently isolated from entertainment, communication, and brands. But with 130 million people, these are important growth markets for Unilever.

Since existing media channels could not reach them, our solution was to create a new media channel, with the only electronic equipment that people here kept turned on- a rudimentary mobile phone. And 54 million people here had one!

By bringing together mobile phone operators, content providers and our brands, we created 15 minute content modules with Bollywood news, songs, jokes and advertisements from our brands. This entertainment station was designed to work on even rudimentary mobile phones. The Kan Khajura station is a 15 minute FREE entertainment channel, that worked very simply. People just had to make a missed call to a number and we called them back instantly with free entertainment and of course promotions from our brands. To popularize the number, we put up posters and banners everywhere people gathered- railway stations, local cattle fairs, gas stations, mobile recharge outlets etc., with a simple message to give a missed call to a number for free entertainment.

Content was refreshed and evolved each week to build engagement. People could choose to consume these 15 minutes in even smaller slots if they had less free time and most importantly, anytime, anywhere.

We created an identity with Kan Khajura Station. Within 6 months we were the largest media channel in Bihar & Jharkhand, ironically India’s most media dark states.

Unlike other media , ours operated on pull– you had to call to listen in. So our content strategy was designed to engage not interrupt... like lots of latest Bollywood content which people craved for. We refresh and evolve the 15 minute content every week, based on listener-ship trends. We made trailers for each week’s entertainment module, so people knew what to expect the next week and talk about it to others. Till date we have created 26 such fifteen minutes episodes.

In 6 months we had 24 million people calling in, and 13,000 hours of content heard each day.

Exceeding all expectations, in just 6 months, we got 24 million calls and 8 million unique subscribers

We peaked at 20,0000 calls in a single a day

Around 13,000 hours of content heard each day and a total 2.3 million hours heard till date

70 million ad impressions

Significant rise in spontaneous re-call of Brands- CloseUp-1300bps, Ponds-1400bps & Wheel-1100bps

We are the single largest Media channel in Bihar & Jharkhand today

All this at a cost of under 4 cents per person

We created a new media that brought advertising through entertainment, relevant to their culture through a rudimentary mobile phone. It brought people out of media darkness, and reconnected them with the world