Godrej takes the missed call route to connect with customers

Sixty-two-year-old Tapati Mallik wanted to buy Godrej’s video-door phone. But she couldn’t locate a store that sells the phone.

She’s neither a smartphone user nor is she tech-savvy enough to browse for details. But Godrej has a simple solution.

Mallik gave a missed call to a number (09980899808). Then the company followed up the call and provided her details about the store.

Launched in mid-November last year, Godrej markets eight products through this initiative which it calls ‘FreeG’.

Under the scheme, the company responds to “a missed call or a blank call” by sending out a brochure of eight products either through interactive voice response (IVR) or on the mobile dashboard.

The brochure enables customers to browse through and get details such as store location. The technology works on both smartphones and feature phones.

According to Shireesh Mukund Joshi, Head-Strategic Marketing, Godrej Industries, the idea was to push ahead the mobile marketing strategy for better customer connect.

“We were looking to integrate our mobile marketing strategy for better customer-connect. And we thought of using the missed call,” he told BusinessLine .

So far, the company (Godrej) has received nearly 70,000 calls over a 60-day period. It’s a success, he claimed.

Godrej is now looking to increase the product portfolio on FreeG.

Currently, eight items — creation wardrobe; hydraulic bed; washing machine; video-door phone; Good Knight fast card; ‘Expert Rich Crème’ hair colour; ‘Mumbai vada’ under ‘Yummiez’ brand and Godrej Properties — are covered.

Another three are likely to be added.

“Maybe by February, we will have more products under FreeG,” Joshi added.

The company is also looking to add the FreeG number on all product packages in the coming days.