Gujarat kite festival to go global
Every roof of Gujarat celebrates the festival with kites, music and foodWill Gujarat be able to showcase the kite festival as a global brand?
The drama is all set to unfold on January 14. The vast blue sky will look like a canvas as thousands of kites will fly in gay abandon. And the entire state will soak in delightful festive spirits on the Uttarayan day amidst cries of kaipo che. The kite festival now has moved from the terraces of humble houses of Gujarat to a larger canvas embracing kites from different countries. Official sources in the Tourism Corporation of Gujarat Limited maintain that "This year the International Kite Festival which kicked off yesterday is aiming for Guinness Book of World Records as 42 countries are participating. The importance riding on this festival lies in projecting Gujarat both as a world class business and travel destination."
Many feel much more can be done by the state government to woo tourists by showcasing the kite festival. If only we could pick up few lessons from Rajasthan where tourists throng to Pushkar during the cattle fair to have a dekko at trading of cattle, camel races and dazzling display of bangles, brassware and clothes. The trick lies in branding the festival. Sanjay Chakraborty, AVP of a top advertising agency, says, "Uttarayan is known for its colourful kite flying. When we talk about the festivals of Gujarat, 'kite festival', is one of the first names that comes to your mind. A branding exercise can be successful only if it has content and is communicated well." Interestingly, the kite festival has it all to make it an international brand. As far as content is concerned, Gujarat's kite festival has it all. It is just not celebrated at a single venue, but every roof of Gujarat celebrates the festival with kites, music and food. Now the big question-how do we communicate it to the global audience.
"The vibrancy of this festival has to be communicated through integrated communication media vehicles which are the touch points of the global consumer. Ads on TV, newspapers, social networking sites, roadshows abroad, exhibitions can make a lot of difference. The brand kite festival of Gujarat can only be created if the communication has consistency, synergy and a single thought or theme that runs through all the mediums," adds Chakraborty.
Heritage conservation enthusiast Raheel Patel who now has a miniature kite museum is planning to celebrate the festival in a unique fashion with folk music and dance in the pol areas. He says, "The assets of this festival are people's belief in carrying forward the tradition and their massive participation. But before making it as an international brand, one needs to look at the bottlenecks." He adds, "To do the international kite festival event on the Sabarmati Riverfront is fine because of wind flow. But the soul of the kite festival lies in the Walled City. There should be kite making workshops and some common platform where international kite flyers and locals can exchange their vision and skills. Merchandise in the local market can be of great help." It's time to get ready for the 'colourful' extravaganza.
source:deepika.sahu@timesgroup.com
Every roof of Gujarat celebrates the festival with kites, music and foodWill Gujarat be able to showcase the kite festival as a global brand?
The drama is all set to unfold on January 14. The vast blue sky will look like a canvas as thousands of kites will fly in gay abandon. And the entire state will soak in delightful festive spirits on the Uttarayan day amidst cries of kaipo che. The kite festival now has moved from the terraces of humble houses of Gujarat to a larger canvas embracing kites from different countries. Official sources in the Tourism Corporation of Gujarat Limited maintain that "This year the International Kite Festival which kicked off yesterday is aiming for Guinness Book of World Records as 42 countries are participating. The importance riding on this festival lies in projecting Gujarat both as a world class business and travel destination."
Many feel much more can be done by the state government to woo tourists by showcasing the kite festival. If only we could pick up few lessons from Rajasthan where tourists throng to Pushkar during the cattle fair to have a dekko at trading of cattle, camel races and dazzling display of bangles, brassware and clothes. The trick lies in branding the festival. Sanjay Chakraborty, AVP of a top advertising agency, says, "Uttarayan is known for its colourful kite flying. When we talk about the festivals of Gujarat, 'kite festival', is one of the first names that comes to your mind. A branding exercise can be successful only if it has content and is communicated well." Interestingly, the kite festival has it all to make it an international brand. As far as content is concerned, Gujarat's kite festival has it all. It is just not celebrated at a single venue, but every roof of Gujarat celebrates the festival with kites, music and food. Now the big question-how do we communicate it to the global audience.
"The vibrancy of this festival has to be communicated through integrated communication media vehicles which are the touch points of the global consumer. Ads on TV, newspapers, social networking sites, roadshows abroad, exhibitions can make a lot of difference. The brand kite festival of Gujarat can only be created if the communication has consistency, synergy and a single thought or theme that runs through all the mediums," adds Chakraborty.
Heritage conservation enthusiast Raheel Patel who now has a miniature kite museum is planning to celebrate the festival in a unique fashion with folk music and dance in the pol areas. He says, "The assets of this festival are people's belief in carrying forward the tradition and their massive participation. But before making it as an international brand, one needs to look at the bottlenecks." He adds, "To do the international kite festival event on the Sabarmati Riverfront is fine because of wind flow. But the soul of the kite festival lies in the Walled City. There should be kite making workshops and some common platform where international kite flyers and locals can exchange their vision and skills. Merchandise in the local market can be of great help." It's time to get ready for the 'colourful' extravaganza.
source:deepika.sahu@timesgroup.com
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