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Category: Genre Primer
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Join this fun ride for the family
What does Disney stand for? Devika: The core value that Disney stands for is celebration of the family. Expressing yourself, following your dream – these are universal themes. When we create content, we try to locally recreate it. Best of Luck Nikki is one of the best examples of a show that‘s able to balance a very strong track that focuses on both parents and children. As it‘s a large family, there‘s something for every age group to connect with.
Your content has evolved and today, you have various channels under the Disney umbrella. Please elaborate.
Devika: Disney is a kid-centric family-inclusive entertainment channel. That‘s something we‘ve been very mindful of and committed to.
Devika Prabhu says that for Disney UTV having shows that are kids-centric and family inclusive is importantIn terms of content, we started off with Disney Animation, which has sound heritage value, then adding Disney Live Action. Initially, we had a lot of the original series used by Disney USA but over the years, we felt the need to make our content more relevant to viewers in India. So, we created local series such asBest of Luck Nikki, Karan and Kabir and Shake it Up, which we are proud to have pioneered in this space.
While there have been many attempts to create live action in the past, there hasn‘t been anything created so family-focused and family-inclusive and we are happy to be the ones to initiate such programming and keep it going. In 2011, live action was only six per cent of our schedule but this year, it is nearly 18 per cent. We are committed to growing that because we want Disney to be enjoyed by all.
As for the different channels, Disney XD is all about humour, action and passion and is also the home of our Marvel Comics content.
Hungama celebrates the fun and mischief of childhood – something anyone of any age can relate to and appreciate.
Disney Junior, which targets pre-school children between two and seven years of age, is literally our baby. It is the home of pre-school content and popular shows like Micky Mouse Clubhouse and The Lion King.
While you say you are committed to growing live action at Disney, will these live action shows be originals or remakes?
Indrajit: Great stories are great stories. So whether it‘s a version of a show written in the US or an original, we focus on great stories with great characters as wholesome entertainment for kids.
Great stories are what catches Disney UTV‘s eye says Indrajit RayMany of our shows are re-versions but at the end of the day, it‘s about great stories that are universal.
How easy or difficult is it to adapt from an original?
Indrajit: We contextualise it in terms of the setting such as the kind of family, which part of India will they be from and what are the characters.
For instance, in one of the upcoming shows, there is this character of a governess which doesn‘t really fit into the Indian milieu. So, it‘s about adapting to the closest Indian character – in this case, a ‘daima‘ – who fits in. Then you go on to the dialogue – will it be in Gujarati, Punjabi, et al.
How do you package shows to suit different age groups?
Devika: Being in the kids‘ space, our demographic is four to 14 years. In this country, school timings are varied, so we make sure we have quality entertainment all day. We do schedule our live action post 8:00 pm so that the family can sit together and enjoy. There‘s special focus on the weekend, especially the mornings. On Sunday mornings, we have show premieres while Saturday mornings are for movies.
What‘s the kind of response you get?
Devika: It is important for us to understand family demographics and reflect that. For instance, we understand that kids are becoming more democratic than ever before, parents are looking to be closer to their children, and children are having a greater say in things that influence their lives.
So we choose to keep the dialogue open, and do that through syndicated research, focus groups and facebook pages. There are many avenues for us to interact with them.
Indrajit: In terms of structure, we are very focused and undertake research to understand the viewer better. One of the things that came out was that kids are very techno-savvy these days. They enjoy a lot of their entertainment on screens other than television as well. This kind of feedback that we get on a regular basis is worked back into the setting to make the content even more relevant to viewers.
What is it that sets Disney apart?
Devika: For instance, we have the magical world of Disney movies on Saturday mornings and these are what the parents have grown up with as well – The Lion King, Cinderella, Peter Pan,101 Dalmatians. These stories take you down memory lane and you enjoy sharing them with your kids. The kind of content we have on Disney, keeping these aspects in mind, sets it apart.
Neel and Yash from Shake It UpIndrajit: There‘s a huge thing about trust. Adults trust us with our content, and that is very important to us. Yes, there‘s always going to be competition and pressure, but these things make us what we are and what differentiate us from the rest.
With so many GECs in the race, how does Disney UTV manage to stay on top in the minds of its audience? Vishaka Chakrapani spoke to Disney UTV Digital COO Sameer Ganapathy to understand the channel‘s social media strategy.
How is Disney making its presence felt online?
Disney is a family entertainment brand with content present across television, cinema, consumer products and digital.
With the evolution of the digital space, especially social media, we believe it‘s a great way to engage fans and have a two-way communication with them. A strong online presence across YouTube, Facebook and Twitter is a significant step in that direction.
Some statistics about the Disney App for feature phones:
Disney App – Feature phones (Since launch)
· 1.4 million+ downloads
· 465 GB data streamed every month
· 12.95 minutes streamed per user per day
· More than 20,000 minutes of content streamed every day
Sameer Ganapathy says that their effort is to make sure content is available on multiple platforms Our strategy is to provide our web users with constant updates on our programming and also create a platform for Disney fans to get together and enjoy content on their favourite franchises. Our efforts are to ensure that our content is available to viewers and fans whenever and wherever they want it.
Of the three platforms Disney India is operating on, which one is getting the most traction? Why and how are you maintaining this?
Currently, the Facebook page is garnering maximum engagement among fans. With Facebook, we have an average of 13 per cent engagement over the past six months.
The Disney India Facebook page is home to all things Disney including daily contests and interactive content for our fans. In the past, we‘ve had multiple activities on the page, ranging from Disney Consumer Product franchises to show promotions and awareness. Activities like Disney Back2School, DisneyQ and Art Attack received a very positive response and we hope to continue the momentum with the release of Disney‘s Planes that is just round the corner.
How important are mobile devices? What is the split between these and desktop viewing? Are apps big for you?
At Disney Media Networks, our efforts are to ensure that our content is available to viewers and fans whenever and wherever they want it.
An important part of our strategy is to ensure content availability across multiple screens including mobiles. On YouTube, we have 6.3 million views for Disney India; of which, over 1.2 million views come from mobile phones.
Ours is a generation of screen-agers and mobile phones have emerged a personal source of entertainment to access games, videos and more. We aim to provide our users with content that can travel with them across screens, from television to computers to mobile phones. Just last year, we launched the Disney App for feature phones, which has short format videos for fans. The beauty of this app is that fans get seamless video viewing experience even on data connectivity like Edge and GPRS.
With its niche content and programming, who are the advertisers on Disney UTV? Vishaka Chakrapani spoke to Disney UTV Media Networks ad sales executive director Nikhil Gandhi to get a feel of the kind of advertising the channel attracts.
Who are the advertisers you have on board?
Currently, we have several long-term advertisers on our channels like ITC Foods, Nestle, Cadbury and Hindustan Unilever to name some.
Nikhil Gandhi says the focus on mothers gives a better prospect for media plansWhich shows get the best/highest number of advertisements?
There are no specific shows that are the key drivers. Advertisers are driven by two types of content – Performance driven shows or shows and movies based on saliency. We are very excited about our original productions and live action is definitely the way forward for us.
Which categories/companies spend the most on advertising on your channels? Are there any emerging spenders?
We have a significant number of FMCG (Fast Manufacturing Consumer Goods) advertisers on our channels. However, with our content reaching out to family audiences, there is a new genre and categories of advertisers who target families, especially mothers looking to explore our channels.
What does advertising on such channels offer to these advertisers? Any trends and insights you can share with us?
Families are becoming far more democratic in nature and kids today have become key influencers and more involved in the decision making process. With kids at the centre, our channels engage families, especially mothers, and therefore, offer a greater efficiency to any media plan.
Which time band is most preferred and why?
In the kids‘ genre, we cater to a broad segment of children across our channels. During weekdays, the afternoons become a significant band for us. Sunday mornings have already been established as an exciting band with our live action shows such as Best of Luck Nikki,Shake It Up and more. We already have the Magical World of Disney block on Saturdays, and we are focusing on building Saturday mornings as a key slot for advertisers as well.
The Singh family from Best of Luck NikkiSo what is the primetime for advertising?
Like mentioned before, afternoons on weekdays since kids are generally in schools. However, with our live action shows – Sunday mornings become extremely important for us, and we are building on Saturday mornings as well.
Do advertisers differ for weekends and weekdays?
No. We see the same traction on weekdays as well as weekends.
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“Kids’ is the number 3 priority genre in Indian television today”
How big is the market for Kids and how Discovery Kids is matching the pace with its competitors? / What is the competitive landscape like? Who are the main viewers (age, urban, non-urban, etc.)?
Kids’ genre is a mature genre. Over 370 million kids under the age of 14-years are discerning viewers They demand variety, new concepts and characters. It, therefore, becomes our duty to react and respond to the need of kids with exciting and engaging content 24 hours a day in the language they relate to and understand. Discovery Kids offers programming that appeals to different age groups from pre-school, tweens to teens.
The emphasis is on stimulating learning and imagination, and providing a safe environment that parents can trust is what
Discovery Kids‘ Rahul Johri believes inAfter championing non-fiction and lifestyle genres, Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific introduced Indian kids with its razor strong and endearing programming in 2012. Discovery Kids lets children explore their amazing world and ignite their natural curiosity by providing content that is enjoyable and enriching. The channel stimulates learning and imagination, and provides a safe environment that parents can trust.
Viewership and target audience
Kids today are very sharp, focused and skilled as compared to kids of last decade and they are interested in learning a lot of new things. Be it rural or urban, there is curiosity amongst kids to know more. Schools cover a particular aspect of learning. Discovery Kids offers learning embedded with entertainment; it does not impart classroom training but offers the right environment. Discovery Kids is the only network of its kind targeting elementary/primary school children and kids in the age group of 4-14 years.Differentiation from other channels in kids’ television space
In India almost all the leading channels in the kids’ genre have similar programming with very little variation and learning. We analysed that there was a gap within the kids’ genre for a channel that has appeal for both kids and parents. Discovery Kids offers a robust combination of entertainment embedded with learning thereby making an exciting and one of its kind network for children.What is the local strategy adapted by the channel to attract viewers and more so encourage co-viewing (kids & parents together)?
Discovery Kids offers an eclectic mix of programming across concepts, topics, stories, mythologies and much more. We have series that explore adventure, nature, science, wildlife, history and technology. The content is a mix of India acquisitions and international series. The programming comprises of fun, enriching and entertaining shows such as Tintin, Maya The Bee, popular franchises like Transformers Prime, animated series like Adiboo Adventures, The Amazing Spiez, Sally Bollywood, Tales of Tatonka, Dex Hamilton, Papyrus and many more.
The channel has a balance of both India and international shows. Discovery Kids bring in the best of formats and shows from across the world along with showcasing some home-grown productions like Mystery Hunters India.
We are currently airing various India themed productions such as Sally Bollywood and Howzzatt. Sally Bollywood takes you through the adventures of a bright girl – Sally, who runs a detective agency and solves cases with a distinct Bollywood flair.Howzzatt brings cricket in its classic avatar – gully cricket.
What will be the content strategy of Discovery Kids for the next one year?
Discovery Network presents content that is high quality and credible. We will continue to maintain the similar standard for Discovery Kids and focus on encouraging learning based on fun, amongst kids of India.
Discovery Kids will continue to bring programmes that explore adventure, nature, science, wildlife, history and technology. We have an exciting and entertaining line-up of shows coming up which includes Mister Maker – an arts & craft show, Dinofroz – an animated series set in pre-historic world of dinosaurs and dragons. We also have new editions of Transformers Primeseries and a bagful of Tintin & KIM movies in Sunday Movie Dhamaka.
Discovery Kids is currently available 24 hours in English, Hindi and Tamil and we will aim to increase its popularity and reach amongst kids.
How are you faring as far as advertising is concerned?
Kids’ is number three priority genre in Indian television and has high viewership not only amongst kids but parents as well. Though it is a highly populated television genre with a few major players, there is demand for differentiated content offering a balanced mix of learning and entertainment.
Discovery Kids has gained traction of advertisers due to its differentiated content and unique value offering. The channel has attracted both national advertisers and kids’ consumer brands like Glaxo, Hamdard, HUL, ITC Foods, Nestle, Piramal, Kellogs to name a few.
Which categories spend the most on advertising on your channel? Which companies spend the most money? Are there any new emerging spenders? What does advertising on such channels offer to these advertisers? Any trends and insights you can share for the same?
In today’s fast changing scenario, especially in nuclear families, children exhibit major influencing power. Kids channels not only offer dedicated viewership, but a strong brand recall amongst young viewers. Majority of advertising campaigns in categories as diverse as automobiles to FMCG, beverages to stationery and gadgets such as cellphones and laptops have been adverting on kids’ television to reach parents through their kids.
Discovery Kids has all major brands (stated above) advertising on the channel.
How is Discovery Kids making its presence felt in social media?
Discovery Kids has its dedicated website dkids.co.in. The website offers interactivity, gaming and programme information to children.
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Kids TV channels seek to service adults too
Krishna Desai speaks on the business, content and digital sides of Turner International India‘s kids forays. What is the local content strategy adapted by the channel to attract viewers and more so encourage co-viewing (kids & parents together)?
Way back at the turn of the century, realised that there was a growing preference of local content in the kids‘ space, resulting in development of our Desi Toons strategy that emphasises on showcasing locally relevant content that resonates with kids. We will continue to deliver local content be it more of international shows in local languages, acquiring and producing content conceived locally and delivering a platter full of hit shows in different formats.
Although, traditionally, kids‘ channels are perceived to cater to only to children, the latest findings of Cartoon Network New Generations , our proprietary research, shows that a majority of parents (three out of every five parents) watch television with their kids; morevover, cartoons are their most preferred genre after serials. Our strong portfolio of shows such as Tom and Jerry, Ben 10, Oggy and the Cockroaches, Chhota Bheem, etc. cross age limits and appeal to parents as well.
What kind of numbers are you generating in terms of viewership and what kind of audiences and from where?
Turner‘s kids‘ network is clearly leading the genre on-air as well as online. Key findings are highlighted below:
POGO at No. 1 (151 GRPs) and Cartoon Network at No. 2 (119 GRPs) – YTD
Cartoon Network at No. 1 (159 GRPs) and POGO at No. 2 (151 GRPs) – Week 23
Cartoon Network, at 159 GRPs, is the maximum in last 5 years – Week 23
At 188 GRPs, Pogo created a new industry record in the genre of the highest GRPs ever for any kids channel in last 7 years – Week 19
(Source: TAM | All India | YTD: wk 1-23 | 4-14 years | All SEC)www.cartoonnetworkindia.com and www.pogo.tv are the top two kids‘ websites in the country with a million unique viewers.
What is the competitive landscape like? Who are the main viewers (age, urban, non-urban, etc)?
* Currently, there are 16 national channels in the kids‘ genre.
* Cartoon Network and POGO broadly target kids across the country between the age group of 4-14 years, across all SECs.What are the initiatives and plans you have to promote merchandise along with highlighting the scope for partnering with a retailer?
The advantage for us is that we are part of a media conglomerate with presence across all platforms such as TV, online, on ground and digital. Apart from leveraging the two channels – Cartoon Network and POGO, we also leverage our predominant position in the market in the digital space. With over 375 unique games on CartoonNetworkIndia.com & POGO.tv, we reach out to 500,000 unique visitors monthly. We also have tie-ups with all the major retail chains to provide children with memorable on-ground experience through character meet and greet events and trade activities.
Cartoon Network Enterprises has licensee partnerships across all key merchandising categories such as toys, games, apparel and accessories, publishing, back to school, gifts and novelties, sporting goods, confectionary and home video amongst others. We also have significant business coming in from promotional licensing where we partner with large FMCG companies to offer free character branded give aways on purchased goods. Today, Ben 10 franchise is the number one boys action property in India that has sold over 950,000 units of toys and counting.
Apart from these traditional categories, we have successfully leveraged our business by launching innovative products to keep up with the trends in the market. Some of these include, digital video-ebooks based on the popular Ben 10 series and M.A.D. Let‘s Doodle! School graded art and craft books and M.A.D Live classes based on the successful show M.A.D. (Music Art Dance).
Taking this engagement to a new level, we recently brought an international stage show called ‘Ben 10 Live: Time Machine‘ to India. The show gave kids the opportunity to see their favourite superhero and his aliens live on stage and the audience response was phenomenal.
As far as partnering with retailers is concerned, currently our products are sold across traditional, modern retail channels as well as through school clubs and fairs. We have excellent relationship with individual retail chains built on a solid win-win philosophy. While the retail chains are able to provide the requisite infrastructure, we have the unique ability to create branded experiences and environments to engage with our consumers. We actively do in-shop promotions, retail activations, and meet and greet events.
Juhi Ravindranath speaks on brands that advertise on kids channels, emerging spenders and advertising solutions that Turner International India offers. 
How big is the broadcast advertising market and what is the share of the kids‘ genre?
The advertising spends of the broadcast industry were approximately Rs 125 Billion in 2012 (Source: Ficci-KPMG Report 2013) and the kids‘ genre contributed Rs 3 Billion to this revenue.Which categories spend the most on advertising on your channel? Which companies spend the most money?
For the kids channels, categories such as chocolates, noodles/pasta and confectionary that primary target kids, are critical for our business. Advertisers such as GSK, HUL, Cadbury, Mattel, Kellogs, Perfetti, ITC are amongst our top spenders.Are there any new emerging spenders?
For kids‘ brands, we expect to see a rise in advertising by non-traditional categories, as more and more advertisers realise the impact kids have on purchase decisions. We expect to see consumer electronics, mobile handsets and automobiles to show increasing interest.What does advertising on such channels offer to these advertisers? Any trends and insights you can share for the same?
Our audience comprises of kids as well as their parents. ‘Cartoon Network New Generations 2012‘ shows a majority of parents watch television with their kids. After serials, cartoons are their most preferred genre. Even amongst adults, Pogo and Cartoon Network would be within the top 15 most watched channels (All India, TAM).Kids are the primary decision-makers when it comes to certain categories, like chewing gum, candies etc. Kids form key influencers on other categories. They have a say on almost all household purchase decisions be it televisions, computers, mobiles, automobiles etc. This is apart from regular household consumption items like oral care, ketchup, ready to eat snacks etc.
As a result, advertisers come to the channel to target kids, both as primary consumers as well as key influencers. Apart from this they can reach the parents. A large number of advertisers like FMCG, durables are coming in to target the parent – FMCG for the mothers, durables for the fathers. This is the area of new growth for the kids genre.
At Turner, we believe in selling solutions to customers that can be leveraged across multiple media. Our properties work extremely well for clients on TV as well as beyond TV, and clients increasingly see the benefit of the same. For example:
*With Johnson & Johnson BandAid, we offered a promo licensing deal of Chhota Bheem, the most popular kids‘ character. This deal offered the brand online presence on our websites, sponsorships and was topped off with a school contact program across six cities tapping over 500,000 students.
*HP printers partnered with Rob, the iconic host of POGO‘s M.A.D. show, to conduct customised workshops and an event that was promoted on both kids channel through attractive vignettes.
*GlaxoSmithkline‘s Horlicks continues to partner with Cartoon Network, to create customised exam videos giving children tips on studying for exams. This is the third year in a row that we have been working with them.