Suvidha: Launching the Beam Card

This paper describes Suvidha's strategy to market the Beam Card, a mobile phone transaction service that allows consumers to send and receive cash, and make payments using text messaging. A Suvidha study revealed that Indian consumers desired to transfer money to friends and relatives but relied on inefficient, costly and unsecured modes of money transfer. Given the low penetration of banking coupled with high mobile phone usage, a product like Beam could fill this need gap. Although Beam shared some characteristics with other payment service, Suvidha had to educate customers about its unique features. Its strategy to launch Beam included the following steps:

• Defining target audience, namely, the emerging middle class that aspired western-style convenience;
• Examining competition such as existing modes of payment and services provided by banks and telecom companies;
• Developing a distribution strategy with a wide network of retailers and franchisees;
• Fortifying main distribution channels through strategic partnerships with banks, MFIs and post offices;
• Deciding Beam's pricing and examining revenue sources;
• Generating brand awareness by detailing Beams unique features;
• Understanding media promotion options.