National Payments Corporation of India invites creative and media pitches

The organisation plans to empanel creative and media agencies for the parent brand, as well as for its RuPay Card scheme. The pitch process is underway in Mumbai.

The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has called for creative and media pitches to empanel multiple agencies for the parent brand (NPCI), as well as for its RuPay Card scheme. The pitch process is underway in Mumbai.

An NPCI official, on conditions of anonymity, says, "We are looking for agencies to provide creative assistance or services for the parent brand, its products such as RuPay Card and other communications, in addition to consultation for marketing strategy."

As part of the brief, agencies have been asked to prepare a complete strategy, ranging from development of creative ideas to production for all communication channels, including broadcast media such as television, radio, print, internet, and mobile phones.

Agencies are also required to provide concepts for pamphlets, leaflets, brochures, posters, hand-outs, banners, hoardings and display panels. The organisation also plans to promote the brand through cinema, sports and endorsements, apart from various outreach programmes like street plays and direct mailers.

NPCI plans to launch its campaigns in Hindi, English and other local languages. Therefore, agencies are required to have local language experts proficient in regional languages and dialects.

The NPCI is promoted by 10 banks under the aegis of the Indian Banks Association, with majority shareholding by public sector banks. The 10 promoter banks include State Bank of India, Punjab National Bank, Canara Bank, Bank of Baroda, Bank of India, Union Bank of India, ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, Citibank, and HSBC.

In March, 2011, after almost two years of planning, the NPCI finalised the proposed unique India Card, which will be a domestic alternative to the global real-time payment processing firms like Visa and MasterCard. The organisation had appointed Ernst & Young (E&Y) to develop and roll out the entire architecture, including the design and software for RuPay Card. The organisation intends to launch the RuPay Card by the end of the current fiscal year.