MUMBAI: Like all previous editions of the annual convention, FICCI FRAMES 2014 too is as much about the progress of the industry as it is about the success stories of individual companies that set up booths during the event.
Indiantelevision.com stumbled upon one such booth by Dolby Digital, which has been participating in FICCI FRAMES for the past four years. “We have been coming down to FICCI Frames for the past four years with a booth, and it has certainly worked well for us and helped us meet our current partners, key decision makers and stakeholders. It’s a great place to network,” said Dolby Laboratories head of marketing Ashim Mathur.
Not so long ago, Dolby Digital collaborated with HBO’s two niche offerings – HBO Hits and HBO Defined – to provide them with the best in sound technology.
“The association with HBO is great for us as their two new channels are really gaining some traction among viewers for their offering of 100 per cent ad-free content. Dolby traditionally has been known for cinema and the collaboration fits perfectly into our scheme of things,” said Mathur about their association.
Currently, Dolby is the go-to surround sound experience for nearly 20 channels and caters to all possible genres of content, including movies, music, general entertainment and sports.
It all started with Star Plus, recalled Mathur and added, “We came on board the whole HD and surround sound bandwagon with Star Plus nearly four years back, which was our first asli HD channel with Dolby surround sound.”
Dolby has been associated with television shows as well, the most recent being the high-octane thriller 24 on Colors. “The mode of communication from our side was simple; we had to showcase it to people. We did a lot of on-ground activation with Colors at cinema theatres, by playing a visual inside and we gave the demonstration to explain the difference in surround sound experience with Dolby,” said Mathur. For Colors HD, 24 was the first show with Dolby surround sound.
The company has also collaborated with brands the likes of LG during the last ICC World Cup, where it had its products on display at nearly 200 LG-branded stores across the country. “The campaign that we had was simply to bring the in-stadia cricket experience home and it was a grand success,” beamed Mathur.
The secret behind Dolby’s success is that it believes in providing the best experience to its customers and partners alike. Thus, the home of surround sound technology associates with retailers and ensures that customers get to experience its products before bringing them home. Dolby uses experiential marketing by giving demonstrations in malls and retail stores to attract customers’ attention.
“The idea is to give customers the experience and explain the difference between mono and surround sound, and also the difference between standard definition (SD) and high definition (HD),” said Mathur.
Currently, Dolby has its 5.1 surround, 7.1 surround and the Dolby Atmos - which is used in cinema theatres. The company continues to strive for better technology coupled with the core marketing strategy of bringing the best cinematic experience home.