Puja organizers go hi-tech for sponsors

KOLKATA: Earlier, it was through paratuto kakus, jethus and dadas that puja committees arranged for sponsors. But with the evolution of theme pujas, the organizers can no longer depend on the PR skills of the para veterans.
With each passing year, more and more puja committees across the city are resorting to the digital media to hard sell their pujas.The organisers of the Badamtala Ashar Sangha, who did not want to return empty handed while looking for sponsors to fund their high-wattage puja, therefore stepped into the offices of the probable sponsors with a three-minute animation film handy.
Apart from highlighting the USPs of the puja, the audio-visual clip showed how a corporate house would benefit by advertising or sponsoring the puja. The CD ended with package deals on offer. one of the most popular pujas of the city, went looking for sponsors for their high wattage puja, they were armed with a three-minute animation film, highlighting the USPs of the puja and how a corporate house would benefit by advertising or sponsoring the puja. The CD ended with package deals on offer.
The organizers have been kept on their toes this year as the Innovative ways of marketing their pujas have kept organisers on their toes this time, especially because the market is slow and the
most popular sponsors have reported a budget cut in puja sponsorships. But the big puja organisers are in no mood to cut down on the frills as far as their "themes" are concerned because that would mean stepping out of the awards race. Thus they are busy devising new marketing techniques to meet the budget that has risen by at least 20% as compared to last year. Hence, they are devising new techniques to hard sell their pujas to corporate sponsors. Almost every organiser revealed that though it has been difficult raising funds for their pujas, the budget this year has exceeded that of last year by at least 20 per cent, something that could be compromised with only at the cost of quality.
Almost immediately after Dashami last year, Badamtala decided to shoot a film to market itself. "With a budget of more than Rs 18 lakh and a slowdown to deal with, we did not want to take chances. We circulated the film not only among national-level sponsors, but also among the upcoming companies headquartered here," revealed Rajdeep Das, a healthcare professional who is looking after the puja marketing of his club.
A huge glass aquarium is being built at the 66 Pally Puja that promises a glimpse of the aquatic life one gets to see in Singapore. But the organizers need a minimum of Rs 20 lakh for which they have sold 80% of the rights of the puja to a popular Bengali TV channel. will have live sea life in an airconditioned pandal, almost like what you have seen in Singapore. To bring such an exotic theme to life, the organisers have to arrange for at least Rs 20 lakhs. Gone are the days when this puja used to be organised only with the help of para subscriptions. Today, the 62-year-old puja survives mainly on corporate sponsorship and organisers admit that they do not even find time to collect para subscriptions. This year the organisers have sold 80% of the rights of the puja to a popular Bengali TV channel.