With Virat Kohli proving his mettle in every tournament, be it World Twenty20 or IPL, it is not a rare sight to see Kohli fan accessories around on the internet. Sachin Tendulkar was seen promoting Smartron, an Indian Gadget maker, but never did a handset maker sell a Sachin Edition smartphone in India.
With growing popularity of Virat, Motorola has launched a G Turbo Virat Kohli Edition smartphone, as a tribute to the fantastic cricketer and a sportsman. An addition to its speedy G series, the handset is exactly the same as the existing model. The only visual difference is the Virat emblem or the stylish ‘V’ at the back panel of the phone.
The smartphone has been priced at Rs 16,999, around Rs 3.5k more than the regular edition. The smartphone is a part of the larger Virat FanBox, which was launched at the event. It is one of its kind partnership in India to sell a sportsman-based foreign-company made smartphone in India.
The smartphone will be available on Flipkart from first week of May 2016.
Details of the Mystery Virat FanBox
FanBox is the main product which was showcased which contains some new services, including the smartphone. It is a result of an association between Cornerstone Sport consultants, a talent management agency handling Virat Kohli, and PrivyPlex, a Mumbai-based fan-engagement startup.
Virat FanBox club, is an app which will get his fans closer to him. With live and exclusive updates from him online as well as offline, the members will be able to live chat with him and get a chance to meet him in person. Needless to say, those who purchase the phone will be able to get the membership to this fan club without any extra cost.
Talking about the FanBox club, Virat Kohli said, “I feel genuinely blessed with all the love and support I get from my fans. This is my personal endeavour to get closer to my fans than ever before.”
Other products that come bundled include a miniature bat and a welcome letter signed by Virat Kohli. This is an excellent way of selling products by associating them with famous cricketers and celebrities.
A membership to Kohli’s fan club costs around Rs 4,000, which PrivyPlex feels might not be a hurdle for someone willing to meet or shake hands with their hero. The company also sees a lot of untapped potential in this space and plans to partner with more brands and cricketers or other celebrities to increase fan-engagement.
A very smart move by Motorola to increase sales of its smartphone, which anyway was a hit amongst Android lovers. The smartphone is a complete value-for-money product and was also Motorola’s first product as a comeback in the Indian market.
If you were waiting for an opportunity like this, and need a decent smartphone for under Rs 15k, this is your best chance to do so. Let us know below what you think of this initiative, and if you’re looking forward to some specific associations in India.
