AMFI is running advertisements on television which urge people to use mutual funds to diversify their investments. The advertisements went on air on August 22, which coincides with AMFI completing 20 years of operation.
The campaign is being aired on general entertainment and news channels. AMFI is also planning to communicate this message through print media and FM channels.
“We would like to run these campaigns on a sustained basis for 12 months. The message we are trying to convey is that investors should invest in mutual funds to diversify,” said H N Sinor, CEO, AMFI.
Balkrishna Kini, Deputy CEO, AMFI said that the pan-India campaign is being aired on TV in 13 languages. AMFI will roll out the print and digital campaign soon.
AMFI had earlier run a TV campaign ‘Savings ka naya tareeka’ in September 2011 for five weeks. The budget for this campaign was estimated to be Rs. 8 crore. Apart from television commercials, AMFI had developed a 36 page booklet to explain the basics of mutual funds. Over 30,000 SMSes enquiries about mutual funds were generated within four weeks of running these ads on national television channels.
The initiative is the brainchild of AMFI Financial Literacy Committee.
We asked financial advisors if such advertisements help create curiosity among investors. “The advertisements of AMFI as wells as other fund houses have created curiosity among people. People have started asking about SIPs and mutual funds. There is some acceptance among investors about mutual funds now,” said Ritesh Sheth of Tejas Consultancy.
Gajendra Kothari of Etica Wealth Management says “Such advertisements do help but it all depends on how creative is the advertisement. The commercials which AMFI had released in 2011 had a tagline ‘savings ka naya tareeka’. But mutual funds are investment vehicles.”
