Now, pubs on mobile to quench thirst

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Be ready to find out best party hangouts with just surfing through the mobile. The latest entrant to exploit the potential of value added services (VAS) in mobiles is global liquor major Diageo. The company is set to launch its wide range of services, including the details of pubs in the localities, recipes for cocktails and the historical backgrounds of the liquor brands, to mobile users in Mumbai under its flagship brand Smirnoff.

As Indian companies in different categories use mobiles to market their products, the Indian mobile VAS market is expected to witness a revenue of $1 billion this year, up from $570 million in 2007.

The company is doing the pilot project for its Smirnoff mobile link and claim that about 2 lakh people have already visited the site. The site provides services such as Night Life Guide, which gives details of the party hangout in Mumbai and western and central suburbs. Another service Vodkapedia gives details of vodkas available across the globe while Pocket Bartender gives recipes of various vodka cocktails. Explore Legacy gives in detail the historical backgrounds of vodkas. Also it makes people aware of responsible drinking through Proper Partying.

Santosh Kanekar, director, marketing, Diageo India Pvt Ltd, told FE, “In India there is an estimation of 200 million mobile customers and we want to exploit the situation maximum in order to create awareness among the consumers about our leading brands.”

The company will tie up with major mobile service providers to make the services available in Mumbai.

Meanwhile, Diageo is set to grab the major pie in the luxury segment in the liquor market by launching number of high-end brands like King George 5, Tanqueray Gin, which costs $400 and $70 per 750 ml bottle, respectively. It plans to launch single malt whiskies like Cragganmore and Lagavulin which are priced at Rs 10,000/bottle.