Tune Talk focuses on brand building

Ring girls at a MIMMA tournament.

BRAND enhancement by focusing on different communities through movies, music and social interaction programmes is something Tune Talk Sdn Bhd will bank on to effectively position its brand among consumers.

The latest to join the fray under the social interaction pillar is mixed martial arts through the Malaysian Invasion Mixed Martial Arts Fighting Championship (MIMMA FC). It is the brainchild of Tune Talk chief executive officer Jason Lo and Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.

Lo says as a relatively new brand in the telecoms market, the company will target different communities, be it through music, movies and social interaction like mixed martial arts to boost its market share and enhance its brand awareness.

Brand recognition

“We want to build something unique and exciting for our brand among consumers. Since the introduction of MIMMA FC five months ago, the response to the sport has been overwhelming translating into stronger brand recognition as well as effective positioning of Tune Talk’s brand among consumers. Marketing, we believe, should connect rather than disconnect communities,’’ he tells StarBizWeek in an interview.

Lo adds that the company will leverage on the mixed martial arts community to strengthen its brand as Tune Talk is a challenger brand fighting for the lowest mobile rates and best services for its customers.

There is great potential in this sport as currently there are more than 250 gyms in Malaysia offering different martial arts disciplines, he says, adding that it is the fastest growing sport in the world. Besides that he estimates mixed martial arts exponents in the country to be about half a million to two million and growing rapidly.

For example, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) franchise is worth US$3bil, making it one of the largest in the world, he says. Lo says ONE Fighting Championship (ONE FC) is also popular and gaining more recognition among sports enthusiasts in Asia.

Without disclosing the amount for advertising and promotion for MIMMA FC, Lo hints that it is substantial and says that by sponsoring this event it will allow Tune Talk to compete with other bigger telcos to capture a large share of the telecoms market due to the potential of this sport.

Since May 15, MIMMA FC has been aired on Astro Starsport Channel 813 every Wednesday at 11 pm and there are six episodes for the programme. MIMMA FC is the first and largest professionally managed pan-Malaysian amateur fighting championship offering a total of RM150,000 in cash for all its contestants.

This amateur championship which is open to all Malaysians aged 18 and above conducted its tryout sessions in February, and garnered a positive response from over 300 registrants vying to be the first champion of MIMMA FC. The finalists for each weight class will be crowned at the Grand Finals scheduled for June 15 at Stadium Negara.