ITV

Category: Special Report

  • Jodha Akbar: Ekta Kapoor’s & Zee TV’s historical romance

    Jodha Akbar: Ekta Kapoor’s & Zee TV’s historical romance

    They have become the in-thing and they seem to be working just like their cousins – mythological series – are. We are referring to historical shows on television. Following closely on the heels of Sony Entertainment‘s Maharana Pratap which was launched on 27 May 2013, is Zee TV which is set to premiere the old time romantic tale of Jodhaa Akbar on 18 June at 8.00 pm. The story was interpreted on the big screen under the crafty hands of helmer Ashutosh Gowariker, and most lovers of cinema are familiar with that.

    Rajat Tokas as Akbar and Paridhi Sharma as Jodha strike a pose

    But TV czarina Ekta Kapoor says that “the beauty of Indian history remains open to perception and interpretation.” And it was this that encouraged her to take up the challenge of producing the show under the banner of Balaji Telefilms. 

    The magnum opus historical will capture the intriguing journey of love that, in fact, began with intense hatred.

    How Jodha’s love softened the hard edges of Akbar’s personality and made him a kinder, more compassionate soul forms the crux of Zee TV’s Jodha Akbar which is set to replace Rab Se Sona Ishq.

    Balaji Telefilms has churned out shows in all genres such as drama, romance, thriller, horror and even kitchen politics. Jodha Akbarmarks Kapoor‘s maiden encounter with history (if you exclude the disaster that was Mahabharat on NDTV Imagine) and she says she is ready to take any sort of criticism that comes her way.”It‘s a huge risk I am taking,” says Kapoor. “But I love taking on challenges. Balaji is the premier TV production house in the country and this will be shown through Jodha Akbar.“

    Santram Verma who has previously directed a thriller drama show titled Kaahin Kissii Roz on Star Plus and has also helmed the movieKrishna Cottage (2004) to his credit will be occupying the director’s chair for Jodha Akbar.

    Says Verma: “Viewers will get to see a very strong love story for the first time in a historical show. A similar period drama Jhansi Ki Rani on Zee was a huge success and we expect a similar response for Jodha Akbar as it has a very innovative storyline that will touch the hearts of many.”

    The brains behind the creative‘s – Sujata Rao

    Scriptwriter Rajesh Joshi is penning the epic series, following eight months of research, courtesy Bodhisattva, who is the man behind scores of historicals and mythologicals. Prakash Kapadia, who has written for films likeDevdas (2002), Black (2005) andSaawariya (2007), is writing the dialogues.

    Sujata Rao, a master of her art, and of known for her work for Jhansi Ki Rani and Veer Shivaj has been hired to creatively direct Jodha Akbar.

    Says Rao: “We are going to be a lot more different and innovative when it comes to creativity of the show. We are penetrating equally into the characters, scenes and inter-personal relationships be in terms of father who is a king and his daughter. How they behave behind the doors, how the father talks to his daughter not being a king, these things are not going to be typical. We have gone into the depth of the history. am sure the show is going to be unique in its own way. With the help of Bodhisattva, we have managed to make a good historical set for Jodha Akbar.”

    Ekta Kapoor talks about her comeback on Zee with Jodha Akbar

    Says Kapoor: “Zee is my lucky mascot. I started my career withHum Paanch on Zee. I followed withKasamh Se a huge success. The story of Jodha and Akbar is an intriguing chapter from India’s history. It speaks of love in the time of hate. It is relevant and relatable to present times as well. In India, history books are more incident-based. But we are looking at human stories, characterisations that focus on inter-personal relationships, politics, how they think and communicate.”

    Nearly 11 episodes have been filmed in scenic locations of Jaipur at Sawai Madhopur‘s Nahargarh Haveli (the schedules ran for almost a week) followed by another stint at Kolhapur and finally at the grand ND Studios in, Karjat.

    Heavy investments have been put into the sets, with lots of detailing to rightly depict Akbar’s grand ‘Diwaan-e-khaas‘, ‘Diwaan-e-aam palace‘s and ‘Jodha Mahal‘.

    Kapoor further reveals that history gives a roadmap, incidents, experiences, various dates, and a broad structure of what happened in the past. To add on further, Ekta says, the creative team has been her strength for it is they who are adding colors to the characters and relationships.

    The cast of Jodha Akbar is all set to ‘recreate‘ history

    Prithviraj Chauhan fame Rajat Tokas will be playing Akbar, while Ruk Jaana Nahin second lead fame Paridhi Sharma being his Jodha. Ekta travelled across the country and attended every audition personally to hand-pick the right actors for the roles of Jodha and Akbar.

    In the young and handsome Tokas, Ekta has found the ideal blend of boyish innocence and rugged manliness required for Akabr, says she. She adds: “He is quite mature as an actor. He is an expert in martial arts and horse riding, so he was the perfect choice for her.”

    Ekta went through as many as 7,000 auditions during the course of a nationwide hunt before she gave her final nod to the beautiful Paridhi. Other in the ensemble o the show include prominent actors such as Ashwini Kalsekar playing Mahamanga, a pivotal mother figure in Akbar’s life who saved him from the clutches of death on many an occasion. Chetan Hansraj has been chosen to portray Adham Khan, the mighty son of Mahamanga who has an eye on the Mughal throne.

    Zeel Head Content – Ajay Bhalwankar

    Zeel head content Ajay Bhalwankar states: “Our experience with Jhansi ki Rani gives us the conviction that viewers in India are curious to know more about prominent historical figures. It was a story that was received extremely well because it was told interestingly. The key objective is to highlight to our audiences the power of love and its significant role in making someone a better human being. And on top of that we have a wonderful team consisting between 800 – 1000 who have been working thick and thin for the show. So it will work very well with the audiences at large.”

    He further reveals to indiantelevision.com that the show is going to be the most expensive ever produced for Indian television right from the sets at different locations, costumes, jewellery, weapons and so on.

    Zee TV is leaving no stone unturned in terms of marketing and digital activities. The channel plans to create a virtual historical monument on Facebook giving online users a chance to immortalise their love by inscribing their and their lover’s names on the monument.

    Moreover, Zee intends to create Pinterest boards, familiarising viewers with the architecture, monuments, artefacts, clothes and jewellery from the Mughal era. To top it all, it will also organise edutainment excursions for school children where they will watch the shoot of the show and be taken on a guided tour of the Jodha Akbar sets that resemble Jodha and Akbar palaces, showcasing replicas of the same.

    The channel has tied up with the local Delhi authorities and plans to make the toll booth on the DND Flyover toll-free on 18 June in remembrance of the fact that Emperor Akbar had waived off a pilgrimage tax for all countrymen in his time. Plans are to have stalls serving sherbet outside prominent dargahs in Uttar Pradesh as a goodwill gesture on the launch day.

    Jodha Akbar is going to come up against other long-running fiction series like Balika Vadhu on Colors (2.8 TVR) and newers ones such as Anamika on Sony (0.8 TVR) and the upcoming show Meri Bhabhislated to debut on 17 June on Star Plus.

  • Rediscovering Excellence in Journalism: Journalism Mentor

    Rediscovering Excellence in Journalism: Journalism Mentor

    "In journalism, there has always been a tension between getting it first and getting it right," so said veteran American journalist & Pulitzer Prize winning syndicated columnist Ellen Goodman.

    In today‘s highly commercialised world, this conflict has become even more crucial. The very profession of journalism is being looked at through a cynical lens. It is hence, imperative that young aspiring journalists receive the right guidance and training so that they uphold the highest principles of journalism without compromising on newsworthiness and immediacy.

    Journalism Mentor (JM) (www.journalismmentor.in) is a-one-of-its-kind mentorship based programme for post graduate journalism in India which promises to provide that guidance to aspirants. The institute, located in Mumbai, was founded four years ago by veteran journalist Shishir Joshi and Dr. Aloke Thakore as a not-for-profit organisation.

    The institute was recently featured in a New York Times‘ article on journalism education in India. It is perhaps the only institute in India which places no age or no language barrier.

    Interestingly, both founders do not take any salary and are working for the sheer passion that drives them for this cause. While there are some students who pay the entire fees (in three installments), there are others who pay fees once they start earning their salaries. In some cases fees have been waived off in entirety, on humanitarian grounds.

    Shishir Joshi

    Speaking exclusively toindiantelevision.com, Journalism Mentor programme director Shishir Joshi says: "Both Aloke and I felt that the gap between what is taught and what skills are needed is wide. Those entering the profession, whether in print or television, or multimedia, flounder. The need for proper education is more than ever. Senior journalists have shared this need and some of them are supporting this initiative as mentors. For me teaching has been an abiding interest and we have ensured that this programme delivers the best in journalism education."

    JM has an impressive line-up of visiting faculty which is paid even more than existing standards Joshi revealed. Shillong Times editor & Padamshree Patricia Mukhim, Outlook editor Krishna Prasad, Mumbai BBC bureau chief Zubair Ahmed, Divya Marathi chief editor Kumar Ketkar, former NDTV bureau chief South & currently The South Reports editor TS Sudhir are some of the reputed personalities associated with it.

    JM Foundation partners Martin Luther University to reach Shillong for a workshop on Journalism, citizens role, Media ethics and practice.

    The institute is an off-spring of the JM Foundation for Excellence in Journalism which is engaged in journalism education, archiving and journalism research. The foundation has trained more than 600 citizen journalists across five states and will soon be announcing its expansion to the North East.

    In addition to this, JM programme has now partnered with Martin Luther Christian University in Shillong, India, which will accept Journalism Mentor credits from students who wish to pursue a postgraduate diploma or masters in journalism.

    Joshi admits it has been a struggle at times. He elaborates: "It is not easy to sustain an organisation like this. When we started, we dipped into our pockets. We do have our limitations if we have to invite a guest speaker from outside of Mumbai as we cannot afford to bear their travel or stay costs at times."

    Joshi added that their dependence on fees from students is high. Sometimes other not-for-profit projects of the foundation help make ends meet for JM.

    "We are now a registered charitable institution and are approaching CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) divisions of various institutions to come forward and support us, through endowments or even sponsoring the education of students. Many of our books have been donated by well wishers."

    Apart from total fee waiver for genuinely needy students, JM offers two other scholarships; one for the North Eastern states and one for Jammu and Kashmir.

    The institute maintains a clear and transparent approach for donation and has it displayed as a wishlist on its websitehttp://journalism.org.in/support/

    JM is gaining prominence and recognition gradually. The official Facebook page has a commendable twenty thousand likes. Besides, students from well informed backgrounds like young graduate Parth MN, son of renowned journalist Nikhil Wagle, are opting for this over other popular institutes.

    Joshi reasons: "What sets us apart from the hordes of other institutes is our approach. We will not induct more than 25 students a year and we give special attention to the skills and needs of each student. Besides, the faculty is well connected with the industry. As a result, after the programme, our students get placed in reputed organisations."

    JM has had 22 graduates over a span of three years and with the exception of three, all students have been employed in news organisations like NDTV, Times Now, Mumbai Mirror, The Telegraph, Careers 360, Hindustan Times, Mid-Day, The Afternoon Despatch & Courier, Deccan Chronicle, Lokmat Times, Dainik Bhaskar, Saamna and Mahanagar.

    The 14-month programme also includes 15 day project of conflict reporting which gives students a real insight into the practical and challenging demands of this profession. "We do not guarantee jobs but we definitely guarantee valuable education", Joshi concludes.

  • “We hope to reach a mature solution on the TAM ratings issue”

    “We hope to reach a mature solution on the TAM ratings issue”

    There are two kinds of individuals out there. Those, who lead their lives on their own terms and others, who lead their lives according to the terms set by the rest of the world. And then there is Sam Balsara, who creates benchmarks for the rest through his feisty attitude!

    Rated as amongst the top media professionals in the world, MadisonWorld chairman & managing director Sam Balsara is no stranger to a challenging situation. He is known to speak his mind without mincing his words. The media vet has worn many hats in various industry associations and committees over his very long career, which began at Sarabhai’s in the late sixties, early seventies and ended with him setting up Madison 25 years ago.

    Here, in an exclusive interview, Balsara opens up on the heated issue of Broadcasters v/s TAM Media. Who else can give us a better perspective than the advertising genius himself. Sit back, read and enjoy his engaging responses from this free wheeling chat indiantelevision.com had with him.

    Excerpts:

    What is your take on Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF) members deciding to discontinue subscribing to TV ratings provider TAM?

    It is very clear ratings are very important not just for advertisers and agencies alone, but for the whole industry which includes broadcasters who have worked so hard to built the industry to Rs 12,000 crore. If there are no ratings the confidence in TV advertising will go down.

    Take a look at radio and out of home; they have no robust measurement system, hence they account for just five per cent of the media spends. Television does have a robust measurement systems and it accounts for a sizeable 45 per cent.

    You don’t have to throw the baby out with the bathwater. If there is something wrong, you fix it. We have to remember that the TV ratings that come out every week are a sample not a census. At times, if it does not do justice, you don’t shut it down. The long term solution is definitely BARC…till then we have to have TAM.

    But then how do you address the problems that the IBF and the government has with the ratings?

    Let the IBF put out a paper on what their view is on what is wrong with the ratings methodology and what needs fixing. We can give our view on what can be done or should be. The answer is not stopping a rating system.

    Why do you say that?

    Stopping a ratings system would hurt the broadcast leaders in their respective individual genres, they would lose their leadership perception and this would hurt them. I think it is a very unwise decision.

    Let the IBF put out a paper on what their view is on what is wrong with the ratings methodology and what needs fixing. We can give our view on what can be done or should be. The answer is not stopping a rating system.

     
    Let’s say the TAM meltdown continues and you don’t have ratings, is historical data a valid barometer for buying TV advertising time?

    Historical data around TV viewership is not an option and is unacceptable to the buyer. I would not work with historical data for buying. If I am buying IPL this year, why should I use last year’s data? Why should and how can I use historical data for how a serial is performing? We know that viewership habits move around.

    Then what is the solution?

    If there is something seriously wrong with TAM’s data, methodology, we should sit together, highlight the problems, diagnose the imperfections and come up with answers. We need to give a patient hearing to each other as to why it’s going wrong too!

    I am aware that TV ratings have been going down because of the rejig of the sample, digitisation and also LC1. But every time you go for a change in a changing environment, the findings are also going to change.

     
    But the dropping ratings are hurting broadcasters and they are saying how is that possible when we are paying for the measurement?

    That brings us to the fundamental question: should media owners pay for the ratings system? Maybe you are right! Media owners should not be involved in media measurement. But the fact is that no media owner has found fault with the ratings system when they are at No 1.

    But Star India which is the leader in the GEC space is also likely to discontinue its TAM subscription…

    Hmmm. The only thing I have to say is that if there is no viewership data, the TV industry is going to suffer.

     
    Is making the advertiser/ad agency pay for the data a solution?

    As far as the advertising industry is concerned, we don’t really care who pays for the data, we are concerned that we get the data. We are absolutely certain that we need the ratings.

    I am aware that TV ratings have been going down because of the rejig of the sample, digitisation and also LC1. But every time you go for a change in a changing environment, the findings are also going to change.

     
    What if broadcasters continue to refuse to accept TAM as the currency and want to do transactions for TV adverts with agencies and advertisers?

    For a deal to take place, each seller has to make something available to the buyer and the latter has to see value in it to pay for it. Both parties have an objective and as long as it is met a deal happens. You see if Dove is priced at Rs 30, and you see merit in buying it you will pay for it, if you don’t, you won’t. Similarly with us, we need a measurement metric before we buy media.

     
    The IBF seems to be pushing the agenda on various fronts. For instance, in the case of net billings it was the IBF which had its way by forcing the advertising industry to accept net billings? Will it do so even in TAM’s case?

    There is no question of IBF having its way. The AAAI, ISA and the IBF found a mutually acceptable solution. Some of our full service advertising agency members wanted the 15 per cent mention to be in the bills and we got that in. It was a mature solution that met the needs of all concerned. We similarly hope to reach a mature solution on the TAM ratings situation too.

  • Star Plus believes digital is the way forward

    Star Plus believes digital is the way forward

    (Hindi GEC Star Plus features in this the second of our series on what TV channels are doing in the digital and social media space)

    It’s the leader in the Hindi general entertainment space in India and has been so for the most part of the previous decade, and even this one. The Star India network, has been gung-ho on the online space, ever since one can remember like its owner Rupert Murdoch, who has had a fascination for it but confesses he does not know how to deal with it.

    Star India took a big punt when it acquired the much-touted indya.com way back in 2001, coughing up a hefty $50 million in buying it. It has since not known what to do with it. Just like Murdoch failed to fathom what the group could do with myspace.com, finally selling it out cheap.

    Star India‘s Indya.com fiasco looks unlikely to be repeated today. CEO Uday Shankar is quite clear on that and a crack team at the media giant has been working overtime to engage with its viewers.

    “We have leveraged the platform of digital, our various digital assets and the power of broadcast integration to drive deeper multi-screen engagement and conversations,” says Star India marketing & communications executive vice president Gayatri Yadav.

    “Having an engaged audience that can interact with the brand is a very meaningful goal. This helps us build loyalty for the characters and the brand, develop interest in new launches and of course acts as a great influencer for new audiences to sample the on air content. The engaged audience base also acts as a great feedback mechanism for our content.”

    Star India marketing & communications executive vice president Gayatri Yadav

    Star has been innovative in actively energising, featuring and interacting with audiences with powerful integration of online with on-screen content. All the key show launches and events now have at least one element of live engagement with the viewers. Auditions, which were earlier only limited to on-ground activities, have further been extended to the digital platform, reveals Yadav.

    In terms of video content that it uploads, Star Plus broadly classifies it into long form and short form, catch-up content, web exclusives, promos and legacy. For platforms like YouTube the channel‘s approach has been to upload short form catch-up content, which it says has been very well received. Its own video platforms have long form catch up content, along with some marquee legacy shows.

    Starplus.in and Star Player (www.startv.in) are among the two-owned platforms that it uses to encourage users to engage with the channel and download content. Data on how many downloads the Star Player app has achieved was not available at the time of writing but its Facebook page had received 93,000 likes or so.

    Star Plus constantly keeps on updating pictures and videos of its shows on their website

    Star Plus constantly keeps on updating pictures and videos of its shows on these websites. Star, however, does not upload an episode within a couple of hours of its telecast. Besides, it uses textual and image content like daily recaps, show highlights, trivia and polls to interact with and engage the visitor.

    Apart from internet based platforms, Star Plus also leverages the reach of the voice platform through SPOM (Star Plus on Mobile – 5057827). Through its voice portal Star Plus on Mobile, the channel runs audio recaps of the daily shows, daily diaries, and voice blogs of popular characters and also title tracks of the shows.

    Star Plus uses the mobile platform to leverage it‘s content

    With live engagement being one of the significant elements, Star has Plus has created applications for Apple, Blackberry, Android and Nokia through which people could interact, chat with the judges and read blogs while watching shows such as ‘MasterChef India‘.

    For some of its marquee shows like ‘Nach Baliye‘ and ‘MasterChef India‘, Star Plus has leveraged the transmedia storytelling route – where the main show has a strong storytelling leg running exclusively on digital platforms which link back meaningfully to the main show.

    Apart from this, the channel has showcased its content on the digital platform through initiatives like the web premiere of ‘Saraswatichandra‘ exclusively for digital audiences.

    Star Plus has an official Facebook page with around 2.80 million likes and hundreds of thousands of visitors talking about the channel and its programmes at any point in time. On Twitter, another vital ingredient of the social media mix, the channel has around 88,250 active followers. @StarPlus is buzzing with tweets and re-tweets every couple of hours. The numerous fan-driven handles of their popular shows are busy re-tweeting and sharing every Star update, making for a huge cacophony of views across the digital world.

    YouTube also plays an integral part in Star’s digital strategy with close to 2.50 million subscribers

    YouTube also plays an integral part in Star’s digital strategy with close to 2.50 million subscribers. Drama series and reality shows are attracting a good number of page views, say channel executives. Star uploads day-to-day activities, episodes that viewers may missed, comparatively, among on-air shows, fiction has an upper-hand over non -fiction shows.

    The channel’s official Facebook pages for some of its TV shows have received commendable responses from nitizens/viewers. The Facebook page of its leading fiction series ‘Diya Aur Baati Hum’ has 2.34 million likes with 2,485 active followers on Twitter. ‘Diya Aur Baati Hum’ also leads the drama genre with more than 32,304 video views on YouTube in just two days. Another fiction show ‘Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai’ bagged 20,529 video views for one of its episodes. Reality shows such as ‘India’s Dancing SuperStar’ lead with 1,18,222 video views.

    Star Plus marketing vice-president Nikhil Madhok

    Star Plus marketing vice-president Nikhil Madhok states, “We are producing a lot of content exclusively for our digital assets, be it in the form of behind-the-scenes clips, rehearsal footage, bloopers, interviews and much more. We have even made special edits of the episode acts just for digital. For example, Chaavat Boys, which is a group of engineering students from a Mumbai college, have already become a rage online, and all their dance acts have gone viral. In fact, people have been uploading videos of their own version of Chaavatgiri.”

    Star Plus claims that ‘Nach Baliye’ generated one billion impressions online during the course of its telecast. Of these, a 100 million happened on the final episode itself, which not only trended at no 1 in India but also worldwide, it says.

    ‘Satyamev Jayate’, (SMJ) the first talk show produced by Aamir Khan Productions created a lot of buzz on social media platforms. It became the most searched query on Google immediately after its first episode. SMJ has 93,929 followers on Twitter and its official Facebook page has 1.69 million likes.

    SMJ has 93,929 followers on Twitter and its official Facebook page has 1.69 million likes

    Official pages of SMJ were launched on the big three of social media – Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, to provide a platform for fans to share their views and interact. Updates were posted at regular intervals. Video snippets and full episodes were uploaded on YouTube for fans to watch the show or a favourite segment at their convenience.

    Reports suggest that though initial conversations around SMJ were triggered by Aamir Khan’s popularity, conversations around the causes he espoused on the show took centre stage later. The reason for this trend can be assumed to be the content fed into social media platforms. The fever of the show became strong on digital as the show only aired once in a week for 1 hour on Sunday. For the rest days, they storm the viewers by different social messages by constantly updating videos and statuses and also by tweeting.

    “We at Star deeply cherish our relationship with consumers. Giving consumers a chance to engage and interact deeply with our brands and characters is no longer an option, but a necessity. It is something we value deeply and have set up a team, infrastructure and partners to enable us to interact meaningfully with consumers across the network,” concludes Yadav.

  • Clash of the Titan

    Clash of the Titan

    The battle ground is set, the weapons are drawn and the leading Hindi general entertainment channels (GECs) are all set for intense combat and to emerge victorious in the weekend mega prime time war. Come 1 June, Colors is all set to attack with season six of its popular celebrity dance reality show Jhalak Dikhhla Ja (JDJ). Sony on the other hand will be unveiling its long talked about and all new Indian Idol Junior (IIJ). Zee TV on its part is counting down the minutes to unleashing DID Super Moms on its viewers. All three are slated to air during the crucial 9.00 pm – 10.00 pm slot every Saturday and Sunday.

    With so many reality shows, which show are the advertisers placing their bets on? Dentsu Media India CEO Divya Gupta answers: “All three have potential. With the new formats, anchors, all have something to offer. It remains to be seen, however, how the initial hype will pan out in terms of quality and content. From an advertiser’s point of view, the program that is able to pull eyeballs early and keep them is the best bet.”

    She further says that depending on the number of associates on board currently, and spot buy sales on first episode, the three upcoming shows have anywhere between Rs Five crore to 6.5 crore riding on them this Saturday.

    What is it about the weekend prime time slot that has turned GECs into a war zone? Madison Media senior VP head of Pinnacle Mumbai Shekhar Banerjee gives a different perspective. Says he: “Weekend slots over the years have been hosting reality shows across GECs, not that it has better potential and generates higher TVR but because channels don’t want to disturb their already running staple fiction shows. Taking off a weekday fiction for a 13 week reality show means breaking a viewer’s habit and there is high likelihood that the person may not come back to the fiction show after 13 weeks are over.”

    For want of a better option or not, the weekend slot has become the hub of reality shows and has ensured cut-throat competition among GECs and an attractive platform for advertisers. “Total inventory based on total number of episodes, not counting repeats, would be in the range of 24,000 to 30,000 seconds totally. The value of a weekend prime slot would depend on product and target prospects. By and large, prime time is coveted by all due to its quick, high reach viewership,” says Gupta.

    Colors’ JDJ’s starry judging tri -Karan, Madhuri and Remo : It’s all about the madness of dance

    Colors has placed high hopes on JDJ which had a successful run last season with an average TVR of 3 and will leave no stone unturned to make this season a thrilling rage over a span of 15 weeks. The show has roped in six associate sponsors including Ultratech, Dove, Sony Experia, Ever Ready battery, Amul Macho and Metro Tyres while Cadbury Bournvita returns as title sponsor and Vaseline is the powered by sponsor.

    Talking about the show’s USP, Colors marketing head Rajesh Iyer says: “JDJ is a strong property itself and has its niche audience. The format of the show is very different as compared to any other reality show. Here, we have 12 celebrities from different walks of life as contestants and a very strong jury force including Karan, Madhuri and Remo who are masters of their craft.”

    What is new about season six which sets it apart from the previous seasons is the level of dancing. This season it’s the ultimate dance off between the contestants as the jury has raised the bar. Contestants will be seen using unconventional props, graphics and animation for showing the audiences what they have never seen before.

    Banerjee, who has placed his bets on JDJ for Madison Media’s client Cadbury, says: “When we buy a reality show the key criteria is fitment and the show’s potential to deliver on brand’s key performer indicators (KPIs). JDJ has been one of the best performing talent shows on Indian television, and even this year we are working with the Colors team to create bigger and better integration that can deliver the desired return on investment (ROI) on the brand scores of Cadbury Bournvita.”

    Colors’ Rajesh Iyer is going into hyperdrive marketing Jhalak Dikhhla Ja

    The battle for primetime is not going to take place on screens. The three players are pulling out all the stops on the marketing front to connect with their audiences through every medium. 
    The channel has launched an aggressive 360 degree marketing campaign to place JDJ at the top of the game. Iyer says: “Our extensive marketing plan includes home channel promotion with over 2,000 spots and network and cross channel promotion with 40 channels wherein we have bought over 5,000 spots across genres – English news, Hindi news, regional, infotainment, music, Hindi entertainment, Hindi movies and kids.”

    Apart from TV, Colors has also planned a 10-day campaign with 1,500 plus radio spots across its Hindi speaking markets. Print is also not left unexplored with over 100 ads to be placed across 100 plus cities across the country. In the out of home (OOH) space, the channel has planned a 10 day activity and targeted over 500 sites in the Hindi speaking markets.

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Sony, on the other hand, is all geared up to strike a chord with family viewers through Indian Idol Junior (IIJ), which will be running for 14 weeks. Title sponsor being Nissan Micra and powered by Horlicks, this new kids singing reality show has Real Fruit, 99acres.com, Kellog’s Oats and Alpenliebe as other associate sponsors. According to the channel, over 6,000 promos spots have been played for IIJ.

    “IIJ has one thing going for it,” says a media observer. “It is commencing at 8:30 pm, half an hour before the rest. This could well work in its favour in terms of it getting viewers tuning into it Whether it will manage to make them sticky will depend on the show’s content.”

    Indian Idol Junior judges Shekhar, Shreya & Vishal will be innovating while dealing with kids on the show

    That is a legacy story, says Sony Entertainment Television (SET) marketing head Gaurav Seth. But what sets IIJ apart from the rest is its brand positioning, he adds. He further elaborates: “It is a brand extension of the very popular Indian Idol format on SET. We believe children have a lot of potential and talent on offer and hence, we wanted to explore this segment and showcase it to pan Indian audiences. We conducted a massive nationwide hunt to search for these kids through our eminent judges and we believe our viewers are going to be stunned with the talent on display through the rounds. Kids have a lot to offer in terms of their innocent, spontaneous and completely endearing actions which makes for compelling television viewing.”

    Sony’s Seth has marketing for Indian Idol Junior covered from all angles

    Launching an extensive campaign revolving around kids, Sony is comprehensively promoting the newest branch of its much loved franchise. Seth explains: “We have executed a huge national communication roll-out to inform TV viewers across India about the show and what to expect. This has been across all major media platforms and has succeeded in building immense recall for the show prior to launch. As it progresses, we believe that the talent on display will continue to attract loyal viewers interested in following the fortunes of their favourite contestants.”

    Sony plans to sustain viewer interest through city concerts, activation and celebrity episodes designed to keep highlighting the high-points in the show throughout the current season. Says Seth: “It has been one of the most popular talent shows on television and we hope to keep the success of its past editions alive with this new and fresher avatar. Indian Idol is a profit maker and the latest offering has received a favorable response from our advertising partners.”

    Zee TV is counting on its all new concept of DID Super Moms derived from one of its most successful properties – Dance India Dance (DID) to do the trick for it. For the first time, mothers, who always have been seen supporting their children in DID, take center-stage in this unique dance reality show focused on moms.

    DID Super Moms team are looking at replicating DID’s success

    Zeel marketing head Akash Chawla asserts: “With DID Super Moms we wanted to capture the emotions of the audiences where a mother is a very important part of our lives and she always played a crucial role in our success. Our communication revolved around the fact that now it’s time for mothers to be in the spot light and we should cheer them and support them helps them to fulfill her dreams.”

    Coming back to JDJ, one of the innovative strategies launched by Colors exclusively for the show is a promotional tie-up with YRF’s upcoming Ranbir Kapoor- Deppika Padukone starrer Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani. “We will be running JDJ promos during YJHD. We have targeted 900+ screens in over 40 cities. While in terms of amplifying the campaign with the help of cable TV, we have planned a 10 Day activity in 130 cities and have bought over 1,000 spots,” adds Rajesh Iyer.

    Movie promotions are what IIJ will be banking on too to rope in celebrities and also heighten viewer engagement. Seth reveals: “There will be movie integrations at a later stage once gala rounds begin. We will also form strategic tie-ups with news channels to promote content and/or activation and concerts.”

    Season six of JDJ is being lauded for its aesthetically beautiful promos directed by Colors’ in-house team led by Monica Nair. JDJ is being heavily promoted on the channel with promos not only seen during the ad breaks but within shows as well. “In order to increase the recall value of the viewers, we’re trying this different mode of in-show promotion wherein we show a JDJ promo even before the advertisement break – between the show and the coming – up of the next segment,” asserts Iyer.

    Creatives

    • Colors- Marching Ants
    • Sony- Leo Burnett
    • Zee TV- Draft FCB Ulka

    Sony’s IIJ also has commendable creatives designed by Leo Burnett, with a strong positioning- Gaanon ka wohi jaadu ab bachchon ki awaaz mein. The promos, directed by the creative team at SET along with Fremantle Media, depicting young kids singing old classics have become quite popular. It has been an immensely clutter breaking campaign on all media especially TV with the spots getting high salience and recall,” says Seth.

     

     

    JDJ has targeted the space of ambient marketing as well, with over 500 hoardings across 12 cities. The creatives – both outdoor and print, are spearheaded by creative agency Marching Ants. Iyer says: “Last year we focused on the symbolic shining disco ball as a promotable. The idea this year was to take JDJ outside the environment of the studio to outdoors build scale. You will see that both in our launch promos as well as creatives.”

    Ambient Marketing:

    • Colors-500 horadings across 12 cities
    • Sony- 4000 horadings across 24 towns

    However, in terms of ambient marketing, Sony is way ahead as it claims to have stationed over 4,000 outdoor advertising units across 24 towns promoting IIJ.

    Seth elaborates: “We have targeted our viewers across their daily touch points from whenever they step out of their houses to when they return. This includes innovative branding and presence on major roads and arteries across 24 key towns of India through large and small format billboards. In addition, we have taken branding inside and outside major transport hubs and vehicles such as trains and buses both intercity and intra-city. We have also targeted malls and shopping centers and even cinemas to ensure all touch points are covered extensively.”

    Sony also has several out-of-box promotional campaigns planned for IIJ. “We will be carrying out an activation titled “Society Idol Junior” across 12 cities in which we will be conducting mini auditions and talent performances judged by local celebrities in various residential societies and colonies. We will then be crowning individual winners from this age group from each of these. In addition we will also be having mega Idol city concerts featuring our final contestants and of course our talented judges,” informs Seth.

    On the online, digital and mobile front, Colors has created a dedicated microsite, web chat and dance tutorials wherein it has tied-up with dancewithmadhuri.com, which is Madhuri Dixit’s online dance academy. There are also plans to create a mobile application for the show.

    “This year we are taking the brand JDJ and our promise to make non-dancer’s dancers to the next level by giving them a taste of true dance with Dance Tutorials & Dance with Madhuri contest,” says Iyer.

    He adds: “Throughout the season every day, we will release one dance tutorial for our viewers. This will be from different dance forms for example seven steps salsa in a week etc. These videos will be released every week on our website, JDJ app and Colors Facebook page for viewers to easily access while on the go. To make this more even more exciting we have tied up with dancewithmadhuri.com. Viewers can now learn practice and upload their videos. Madhuri Dixit will herself select one lucky winner who will get a chance to dance with the Diva herself.”

    Apart from all of the above, Colors has a lot in store for online viewers before the grand premiere- a Live Chat with Madhuri, the video of which will be uploaded on the channel’s official website. A web premiere is also on the lines, wherein 20 minutes of the grand premiere will be uploaded on the channel’s official YouTube channel at 3.00 pm on Saturday. All in all, the online buzz around #Jhalak (the official hash-tag) will be kept alive through live chats, web premiere, contests and the works!

    Sony has also launched several web/digital initiatives for its debutante property. Myindianidoljunior.com is the official website for all news, views and happenings from the show. Seth says: “Exclusive content regarding the contestants, engaging apps etc will only be available there. In addition we launched the IIJ audition app which allowed smartphone users to enter the selection process by auditioning through their mobile device. There are lots of other interesting features on our social media pages and handles as well.”

    Social Media

    • Colors– dancewithmadhuri.com
    • Sony-Myindianidoljunior.com
    • Zee TV: DID Super Moms’mobile App

    Zee TV has also launched several interesting social media initiatives for promoting DID Super Moms. Chawla states: “For Zee, the consumer has always been at the centre of business decisions. The channel has pioneered many digital and mobile initiatives with the intention of interacting with the consumers at every touch point. Committed to presenting out of the box ideas to market its shows, this time around some innovative features have been added in the DID Super Moms mobile app”.

    To amplify viewer engagement, a new feature called Tap on has been introduced. Here a user can hold the phone to capture the songs played during ‘DID Super Moms.’ Every time he does that, some exclusive content that is high on engagement would unlock on his phone giving him additional interesting information about the show. This content can be an exclusive live tutorial, images or some trivia from the show.

    Another feature is a chat room called Check In where everybody watching the show can check in and shares their viewpoints with each other. With the pattern of content consumption becoming more dynamic, the features introduced in the mobile app will keep the viewer engaged throughout the show via his/her mobile phone. This is a more personal way of interaction, engagement and entertainment.

    Talking about a recent online promotional activity, Chawla says: “The Masters of Zee TV’s DID Super Moms, Farah Khan and Marzi Pestonji along with skippers, Raghav, Prince, Jai and Siddhesh kicked off a virtual conversation on Google Hangout with 10 of their lucky fans on 24 May! These lucky winners were selected via a twitter contest where the ‘netizens’ were asked to use #dancingtome and write what dancing meant to them. In this online event, the masters and skippers not only shared interesting trivia’s and anecdotes but also showcased their signature moves to their admirers. For those who didn’t get a spot in the lucky 10, watched the hangout LIVE on Zee TV’s YouTube page.”

     

    what more?! DID Supermoms is going to have an impact on the digital space with a roadblock of two major portals in India – youtube.com and yahoo.com (YouTube mast head and Yahoo super take over). Its micro site has various engagement platforms for ‘netizens’ where all the super moms can upload their dancing video on the DID title track. A video wall with all these entries would be published during the sustenance of the show.

    Sony has had a successful integration with its network channel’s popular IPL show called Extraaa Innings T20 on Max. Besides, there is a countdown bug on the channel and a very high ratio of promo slots devoted to IIJ launch.

    The smartest move by Colors is that of the show’s Grand Premiere which is aimed at garnering maximum eye balls. The launch episode will be as big as the show itself.

    Kick starting the show will be dancing queen Madhuri who will team up with Ranbir for a stunning performance on their new item number- Ghaghra. Next to enthrall viewers will be an entertaining performance by Sushant Singh Rajput and actress Jacqueline Fernandez who will be introducing the 12 celebrity contestants.

    The launch episode week will also see the three Deols – Sunny, Bobby and Dharmendra shake a leg with the Jhalak contestants adding on to the commencement of the power packed journey of Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa.

    To further heat up the competition, Star Plus is upping the ante on its dance reality show India’s Dancing Superstar (IDS) which has been on air since 27 April at 9.00 pm. It has planned a special maha episode. Explains Star India vice-president marketing Nikhil Madhok: “For 1 June, IDS will have a two and a half hour dance ka maha episode which will start at 8 pm. The episode has one of the legends of dance, Govinda, doing something he has never done before on Indian television. Viewers will see him play a double role in an extremely entertaining dance act. The episode will also see the beginning of the face-off round, which is a very unique concept for a dance show in India.”

    Star marketing head! Nikhil Madhok

    Sounds great, but what is the media view of all these intense content creation and marketing initiatives that the GECs have drawn up?

    Madison’s Banerjee proffers a perspective. Says he: “Such overcrowding of reality shows on weekends will lead to cannibalisation both in terms of viewership and also revenues. Channels need to understand that with such high investment they should look for a clean window or time-bands that assures them of the best return.”

    He further points outs: “These shows can coexist with smarter planning. Next season, even advertisers will get wary of investing if average ratings of these shows come down.”

    Now that’s a piece of advice, none of the GEC players should ignore!

     

  • Clash of the Titans

    Clash of the Titans

    what more?! DID Supermoms is going to have an impact on the digital space with a roadblock of two major portals in India – youtube.com and yahoo.com (YouTube mast head and Yahoo super take over). Its micro site has various engagement platforms for ‘netizens’ where all the super moms can upload their dancing video on the DID title track. A video wall with all these entries would be published during the sustenance of the show.

    Sony has had a successful integration with its network channel’s popular IPL show called Extraaa Innings T20 on Max. Besides, there is a countdown bug on the channel and a very high ratio of promo slots devoted to IIJ launch.

    The smartest move by Colors is that of the show’s Grand Premiere which is aimed at garnering maximum eye balls. The launch episode will be as big as the show itself.

    Kick starting the show will be dancing queen Madhuri who will team up with Ranbir for a stunning performance on their new item number- Ghaghra. Next to enthrall viewers will be an entertaining performance by Sushant Singh Rajput and actress Jacqueline Fernandez who will be introducing the 12 celebrity contestants.

    The launch episode week will also see the three Deols – Sunny, Bobby and Dharmendra shake a leg with the Jhalak contestants adding on to the commencement of the power packed journey of Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa.

    To further heat up the competition, Star Plus is upping the ante on its dance reality show India’s Dancing Superstar (IDS) which has been on air since 27 April at 9.00 pm. It has planned a special maha episode. Explains Star India vice-president marketing Nikhil Madhok: “For 1 June, IDS will have a two and a half hour dance ka maha episode which will start at 8 pm. The episode has one of the legends of dance, Govinda, doing something he has never done before on Indian television. Viewers will see him play a double role in an extremely entertaining dance act. The episode will also see the beginning of the face-off round, which is a very unique concept for a dance show in India.”

    Star marketing head! Nikhil Madhok

    Sounds great, but what is the media view of all these intense content creation and marketing initiatives that the GECs have drawn up?

    Madison’s Banerjee proffers a perspective. Says he: “Such overcrowding of reality shows on weekends will lead to cannibalisation both in terms of viewership and also revenues. Channels need to understand that with such high investment they should look for a clean window or time-bands that assures them of the best return.”

    He further points outs: “These shows can coexist with smarter planning. Next season, even advertisers will get wary of investing if average ratings of these shows come down.”

    Now that’s a piece of advice, none of the GEC players should ignore!

  • Clash of the Titans

    Clash of the Titans

    JDJ has targeted the space of ambient marketing as well, with over 500 hoardings across 12 cities. The creatives – both outdoor and print, are spearheaded by creative agency Marching Ants. Iyer says: “Last year we focused on the symbolic shining disco ball as a promotable. The idea this year was to take JDJ outside the environment of the studio to outdoors build scale. You will see that both in our launch promos as well as creatives.”

    Ambient Marketing:

    Colors-500 horadings across 12 cities
    Sony- 4000 horadings across 24 towns
    However, in terms of ambient marketing, Sony is way ahead as it claims to have stationed over 4,000 outdoor advertising units across 24 towns promoting IIJ.

    Seth elaborates: “We have targeted our viewers across their daily touch points from whenever they step out of their houses to when they return. This includes innovative branding and presence on major roads and arteries across 24 key towns of India through large and small format billboards. In addition, we have taken branding inside and outside major transport hubs and vehicles such as trains and buses both intercity and intra-city. We have also targeted malls and shopping centers and even cinemas to ensure all touch points are covered extensively.”

    Sony also has several out-of-box promotional campaigns planned for IIJ. “We will be carrying out an activation titled “Society Idol Junior” across 12 cities in which we will be conducting mini auditions and talent performances judged by local celebrities in various residential societies and colonies. We will then be crowning individual winners from this age group from each of these. In addition we will also be having mega Idol city concerts featuring our final contestants and of course our talented judges,” informs Seth.

    On the online, digital and mobile front, Colors has created a dedicated microsite, web chat and dance tutorials wherein it has tied-up with dancewithmadhuri.com, which is Madhuri Dixit’s online dance academy. There are also plans to create a mobile application for the show.

    “This year we are taking the brand JDJ and our promise to make non-dancer’s dancers to the next level by giving them a taste of true dance with Dance Tutorials & Dance with Madhuri contest,” says Iyer.

    He adds: “Throughout the season every day, we will release one dance tutorial for our viewers. This will be from different dance forms for example seven steps salsa in a week etc. These videos will be released every week on our website, JDJ app and Colors Facebook page for viewers to easily access while on the go. To make this more even more exciting we have tied up with dancewithmadhuri.com. Viewers can now learn practice and upload their videos. Madhuri Dixit will herself select one lucky winner who will get a chance to dance with the Diva herself.”

    Apart from all of the above, Colors has a lot in store for online viewers before the grand premiere- a Live Chat with Madhuri, the video of which will be uploaded on the channel’s official website. A web premiere is also on the lines, wherein 20 minutes of the grand premiere will be uploaded on the channel’s official YouTube channel at 3.00 pm on Saturday. All in all, the online buzz around #Jhalak (the official hash-tag) will be kept alive through live chats, web premiere, contests and the works!

    Sony has also launched several web/digital initiatives for its debutante property. Myindianidoljunior.com is the official website for all news, views and happenings from the show. Seth says: “Exclusive content regarding the contestants, engaging apps etc will only be available there. In addition we launched the IIJ audition app which allowed smartphone users to enter the selection process by auditioning through their mobile device. There are lots of other interesting features on our social media pages and handles as well.”

    Social Media

    Colors- dancewithmadhuri.com
    Sony- Myindianidoljunior.com
    Zee TV: DID Super Moms’mobile App
    Zee TV has also launched several interesting social media initiatives for promoting DID Super Moms. Chawla states: “For Zee, the consumer has always been at the centre of business decisions. The channel has pioneered many digital and mobile initiatives with the intention of interacting with the consumers at every touch point. Committed to presenting out of the box ideas to market its shows, this time around some innovative features have been added in the DID Super Moms mobile app”.

    To amplify viewer engagement, a new feature called Tap on has been introduced. Here a user can hold the phone to capture the songs played during ‘DID Super Moms.’ Every time he does that, some exclusive content that is high on engagement would unlock on his phone giving him additional interesting information about the show. This content can be an exclusive live tutorial, images or some trivia from the show.

    Another feature is a chat room called Check In where everybody watching the show can check in and shares their viewpoints with each other. With the pattern of content consumption becoming more dynamic, the features introduced in the mobile app will keep the viewer engaged throughout the show via his/her mobile phone. This is a more personal way of interaction, engagement and entertainment.

    Talking about a recent online promotional activity, Chawla says: “The Masters of Zee TV’s DID Super Moms, Farah Khan and Marzi Pestonji along with skippers, Raghav, Prince, Jai and Siddhesh kicked off a virtual conversation on Google Hangout with 10 of their lucky fans on 24 May! These lucky winners were selected via a twitter contest where the ‘netizens’ were asked to use #dancingtome and write what dancing meant to them. In this online event, the masters and skippers not only shared interesting trivia’s and anecdotes but also showcased their signature moves to their admirers. For those who didn’t get a spot in the lucky 10, watched the hangout LIVE on Zee TV’s YouTube page.” 

  • How Sony Entertainment is driving its online ambitions

    How Sony Entertainment is driving its online ambitions

    Nitesh Kripalani is a man on a mission. His weapons: a MacBook Pro, a high tech smartphone and a 3G internet connection. His battleground: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and the oceanic mobile app market. Kripalani spearheads the very dynamic ‘digital team‘ of 10-15 young and passionate social networking experts at Sony Entertainment Television (SET). It is his responsibility to create a virtual and online connect for hundreds of millions of Sony Entertainment Network Television viewers – in India and worldwide. Kripalani is one of the masterminds of the digital revolution that has gripped India‘s Hindi general entertainment TV channels (GECs).

    The future of television could very well be digital. What could not have even been imagined a decade ago is now an indispensable part of our television viewing experience. Social interactivity with viewers at home is now just a ‘comment‘ away. ‘Tweet‘ and express your views on the latest twist and plot of your favorite daily serial. Guess what? The future is here and how!

    Catching up with the pulse of the audiences, Multi Screen Media‘s (MSM‘s) Hindi GECs Sony and SAB have carved out an online indent for themselves. The need for making their presence felt on the dynamic platform of new media urged Sony to gradually devise a social media integrated communication plan around three years ago.

    Let‘s consider the statistics to gauge the digital reach of the two GECs of SET.

    Sony and SAB both have an official Facebook profile and Twitter handle with a commendable fan base. While Sony‘s Facebook page boasts of around 0.17 million likes with 7,500 plus facebookers talking about it, SAB has 50,249 likes and 2,649 active followers. The quintessential TV viewing audience is increasingly engaging on Facebook. Then its official Facebook pages for its TV shows tot up large numbers. Itsiconic Ram Kapoor and Sakshi Tanwar starring Bade Acche Lagte Hai Facebook page has 0.7 million likes with 21,000 active followers. The official page of its Kaun Banega Crorepati has 0.35 million likes with 6,700 active followers and the show‘s registrations have yet to start. Crime Patrol has knocked up 0.1 million likes with 3,800 active followers. The long running CID, which garners huge ratings for the channel, however has a comparatively low 33,000 likes with 1,110 active followers.

    The thirst to know more about their favourite shows is quenched on these Facebook pages. Sony constantly updates these with pictures and teasers of upcoming episodes. The buzz is also kept alive by the Sony‘s TV show addicts who go to make up its fandom. When looking at a channel‘s Facebook presence, fan driven pages cannot be left in isolation. A lot of action takes place through these fan pages. Look for Bade Acche Lagte Hai, Sony‘s popular fiction show, in the Facebook search bar and chances are that you will be looking at 10 active Facebook pages with as the most popular sporting close to 0.25 million, with 40,000 fans being active.

    Twitter, being an indispensable aspect of social media, cannot be left out. And it is here where the Sony Network has to buck up and it lags behind its rivals Star and Colors. Hindi GEC Sony has an active twitter handle with around 7,500 followers, while SAB follows with approximate 4,500 followers. @SonyTv is buzzing with tweets and re-tweets every couple of hours.

    What more? The numerous fan-driven handles of their popular shows are busy re-tweeting and sharing every Sony update, making for a huge cacophony of views across the digital world.

    Ironically, the Facebook and Twitter fan base is just the tip of the iceberg. What takes the cake is Sony‘s official YouTube channel which has one of the most massive subscriber‘s bases in India of nearly 1.6 million and a humongous video views count of over 660 million. SAB has its own share of digital audience with around 28 thousand subscribers and 190 million video views. Ever since Set India joined YouTube on 20 September 2006, it has uploaded 1,69,994 videos so far and counting. No wonder, Sony leads most other GECs in the rat race of YouTube subscribers.

    In order to aggregate all its social media activities under one umbrella, SET India launched a vibrant and ‘lively‘ Sony Liv this January. Sony Liv is a branded website cum app which is slowly but surely gaining momentum which has generated nearly two million downloads on android and iOS platforms. The official SonyLiv Facebook page has over 0.12 million likes. In five months, the branded site has attracted around 12 thousand followers with 15 million videos watched so far. The fans are more than happy to catch up with not only the latest episodes of their favourite on-going shows, but also remain loyally connected with their beloved shows which have gone off air.

    All in all, SET has done it all from having an official Facebook page to its twitter handle; from one of the largest YouTube channels to a newly launched Sony Liv. The numbers are heartening! On an average, each YouTube upload by Sony garners as many as 25 thousand video views! The episodes are uploaded within two hours of telecast and by the next day, the newly discovered online audience has watched it repeatedly.

    Bade Acche Lagte Hai leads the race on Sony‘s YouTube channel. The adorable middle-aged married couple – Ram and Priya have a dedicated fan-following of around 35 thousand viewers who watch every episode within a couple of days. Next in the YouTube popularity index stands the veteran fiction-crime show CID, which continues to garner a massive count of more than 30 thousand video views for each episode.

    We have finally entered the era where the quintessential TV viewing audience is engaging on the digital platforms. Who knows, in the not so distant future, our stereotyped Saas-bahu sagas will drive a lot more traction online than what the TRP‘s tell us now!

    Sony began targeting the online space around three years ago. The first phase focused on handphones with the Indian Idol audition mobile registrations and special Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) apps. The second phase promoted the Sony YouTube channel and the third phase which continues today, involves the development and promotion of its own branded website-cum-app Sony Liv.

    Sony Entertainment Network SVP – new media, businessdevelopment and digital/syndication Nitesh Kripalani says: "We have covered all social media platforms from mobile to our own branded site that is the newly launched Sony Liv. It is an integrated marketing communications approach. We look at the online space as the means to reach maximum audience. The main aim is – first, to interact with and engage with our audiences and get their valuable feedback; second, to spread the word and promote our shows through this mass medium; and finally third, it is to monetise the online traffic."

    Kripalani estimates that the Indian digital market is Rs 1,000 crore – Rs 1,500 crore out of which approximately Rs 200 crore constitutes the mobile market; the rest is left to digital. Understandably, this digital revolution has opened up a whole new universe for revenue generation.

    Sony derives its online revenue through its existing advertising associations. Last year, Sony‘s official YouTube channel earned significant online revenue from brands like Axis bank, MTS and Maruti that sponsored popular shows like KBC and Indian Idol.

    As far as social media such as Facebook and Twitter go, Kripalani says, "Currently, our goal is not one of maximum monetisation. In fact, we believe the platform must be primarily used for reaching out to our viewers. Perhaps a year from now, we may look at subscription based content following a premium model where 80 per cent of the content is free while the rest is paid for."

    Sony Liv has been attractively packaged with several elements including videos, photos, behind the scenes videos and archived content. Some of the older shows like Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahi, Aahat, Heena and older episodes of Crime Patrol, Comedy Circus and CID receive considerable traction as well. This content that was otherwise rendered useless after the shows went off air is now being made to eke out revenues through digital media.

    Comparatively, among on-air shows, fiction has an upper-hand over non -fiction shows. Kripalani reasons, "Fiction series dominate the most watched content online because of loyal viewers who watch episodes repeatedly. However special episodes of non-fiction shows like Indian Idol, Comedy Circus or a KBC attract thousands of views. Fiction series have a consistent following which is understandably missing in case of non-fiction."

    Sony‘s revenue from its online initiatives runs into millions of dollars. Yet the network has not moved into producing web exclusive content like some of the other Hindi GECs. However, Kripalani does not dismiss a possibility of producing such content in the future. "As the market expands and becomes more receptive, we will look at generating content exclusively for the web. Let‘s say in the next year and a half, Sony Liv will be the one stop destination for exclusive web content. After all, the digital platform is very profitable and is growing rapidly," he concludes.

  • Industry leaders remember their Moms

    Industry leaders remember their Moms

    Mothers. Moms.They are the most wonderful people in the whole world. From our victories to our failures, mothers are always besides us.

    She is our first friend, our first role model, our first inspiration. The memories that are closest to our hearts are the ones with our mother. Whether it is a ragpicker or a billionaire, when it comes to Maa, they are no different.

    Indiantelevision.com decide to chat with head honchos, editors, CEOs and owners alike from the media, advertising, broadcasting and television industry to get you their fondest ‘Mom memories.‘ Catch a rare glimpse of a never-before-seen side of these highly influential and top notch individuals.

    "I always have my mother beside me and I think almost everything you learn in life has a little bit of your mother in it. Every aspect of life has her undertones."

    Raghav Bahl 
    Network18 founder-MD

     

    "My mother is an inspiration to me and has always been. Her self-discipline, her high standards, her self-motivation are values that I really look up to and I have tried to inculcate these values in myself."

    Tarun Katial
    RBNL CEO

     

    "The only memory that I have of my mother is of her dying in the hospital. I was very young when she passed away. She was in a lot of pain and we really couldn‘t do much for her. She used to write very good poetry depicting her pain. I still have those handwritten copies of her poetry. Today, all the writing skills and abilities that I have is all thanks to her. The way she expressed her pain in poetry… she is my inspiration."

    Rajat Sharma
    India     TV chairman and editor-in-chief

     

    "My mother has been my only inspiration and she still works harder than anybody else. She has been very loving, caring and has brought me up to be the independent woman which I am today. She hails from a small city Hardoi in UP and was a graduate even in those times but she is modern in the way she thinks. I was a laid back, lazy person but she encouraged me and pushed me to work harder and whatever I am today, its because of her."

    Mona Jain
    Vivaki Exchange CEO 

     

    "According to me, my mother is the world‘s best cook. I fondly remember the day my mother was experimenting while preparing a cake for me. We were so engrossed in talking to each other that the cake was on fire! She has always been there for me. She was the one who packed my bags when I was going to Oxford. I talk to her everyday on the phone. My mother is an integral part of my life."

    Sagarika Ghose
    CNN IBN deputy editor

     

    "I always feel that the journey I am enjoying in life has been entirely because of her sacrifices, prayers and belief in God. God is rewarding her by keeping us healthy and happy. While a doctor does cut the umbilical cord between mother and child, in real life, the cord only gets stronger and stronger as we grow. My mom and I share the same bond and she is the heart of my body. We share a great bond like friends. We care, we respect, we love, we fight, we pray, we share."

    Ajit Varghese
    Maxus South Asia MD

     

    "Every day I spend with my mother is special. I would not say I cherish Mother‘s Day specially, because for me, I love my mother each and every day and she is an integral part of my life. One of the most vivid memories from childhood with Mum is when she threw my entire collection of marbles out the window, quite literally. I used to love playing with marbles as a kid and I had a huge collection. I would start playing, and in the process create a racket with the marbles, in the morning. One day my Mum lost it. That was when she entered my room and just threw the entire bag away!"

    Pratap Bose
    DDB Mudra Group COO

     

    "A mother is often the first example of unconditional love that a child experiences. For many mighty girls, their relationship with their mothers is a very special one, and my mom is a role model for me. She has been extremely influential and supportive throughout. I share a wonderful relationship with her… more like a friend than a daughter. I always call her ‘from Shakespeare to samosas‘, as she has done her master’s in English literature and has also sold samosas. She is a fantastic lady and I owe my success to her. My mother is a diligent and determined woman who has guided me with the right direction. More importantly, she has taught me to appreciate this life as a precious gift."

    Monica Tata
    HBO India MD

     

    "Ever since my childhood, I have been greatly influenced by my mother. Right from childhood, my mother used to create plays at home and this is how I developed a love for this field. She holds a very strong and influential position in my life. She has motivated me a lot to act in plays in schools and colleges and that has helped me in building my career today to this success. There are many special moments and memories I have spent with her and it is very difficult to pin-point any one. My mother actually is an ordinary woman but in her tiny appearance lies an extraordinary fortitude, perseverance, an altruistic soul and a very kind heart."

    Anooj Kapoor
    Sab EVP and business head

     

    "When I was growing up in Uttar Pradesh in the seventies and eighties we didn‘t know of a thing called Mothers Day, but we practised it by giving her the day off on her birthday. My dad , my sister and I would pamper her and the day would end with us taking her out for a meal. Incidentally, my mother‘s birthday is on teacher‘s day, so it was very poignant. The current tradition of Mothers Day is a great one as it brings our dear moms in the spotlight and they deserve this extra day of being serenaded. May be we should have more mothers‘ days in a year. Happy Mother‘s Day Amma !"

    Atul Pande
    Zeel Sports Business CEO

     

    "Whatever I am now, I owe it all to her. She used to narrate a lot of stories to me in my childhood and that has helped me become a good ‘storyteller‘. When she would narrate stories to me, the very next day I used to narrate them to my school mates and soon I became a popular ‘storyteller’. Since the past five years I have the same caller tune dedicated to my parents. She has always guided me to the right path in every step of my life. She has taught me discipline, manners, and the sense of duty towards others in the family and in society."

    JD Majethia
    Hats Off Productions owner & actor/director

     

    "At 93, she is a fountain of Wisdom, wit and positive energy… My biggest inspiration #unconditionalLove #Mother" (on his facebook profile)

    Raj Nayak
    Colors CEO
  • “We will focus on compelling sports content, across multiple sports and languages”

    “We will focus on compelling sports content, across multiple sports and languages”

    By the end of 2011, Star had clearly established itself as the premier entertainment network in India and for Indians worldwide, with 400 million people watching our drama and movie channels in seven languages every day. In one of the most competitive markets in the world, we had established substantial leadership in every genre and in most geographies.And while Star and Fox had built an attractive franchise in entertainment, in sports, very unlike our traditional approach, we had tucked the business away in a joint venture with ESPN that was not managed or controlled by us.
     

    Starting in April 2012, this started to change. We acquired the rights to India’s international cricket calendar that month; a few months later, our parent company bought out its partner from the ESPN Star Sports joint venture in Asia with the intent to roll the Indian part of the joint venture into Star; we launched two new domestic leagues in university cricket and hockey; and we renewed the rights to English Premier League football with a substantive bid. All in all, we invested a billion dollars in less than six months.As a result, by the end of 2012, we had established ourselves as India’s leading sports broadcaster.

    So, why did we get aggressive on a business where the traditional wisdom is that no one makes money?

    Many experts mused loudly that Star had found a way to quickly kill a highly profitable franchise built on leadership in entertainment across genres and languages. I still run into these questions every day. Just two days ago, a leading Indian business daily ran a big story wondering why Star had entered a business that usually never makes money. After all, one sports broadcaster had gone bankrupt trying to pay the bills for the Indian cricket rights, another is struggling to break even and yet another is trying to run a sports business without much sports content. Why would Star make such a big, bold move particularly at a time when the overall

     sentiment on the India story has gone cold?

    So, again, why did we do this? Did we lose the plot?

    In order to answer this question, it is important to take a close look at a few facts, some conventional wisdom and many myths that surround the Indian sports business.

    Everyone in this industry knows one thing. India is a single sport country. It is a country where cricket is a religion, where passion for the game is deep and where the country shuts down when the national team is playing.

    And yet, this is only half the truth. Even for a big match where India plays arch rival Pakistan, consumers do not view the entire match, they view only 15 per cent of the match on an average. The reality outside of really big tournaments is even starker. Out of more than 1000 hours that an Indian viewer spent watching television last year, only 20 hours was on cricket, about 2 percent.This is actually less than the time spent on a single successful show on Star Plus!Consumption of domestic cricket is even worse. Although matches are played round the year, only 50 matches are broadcast on television in a year.And very often, the best of the country’s talent do not participate in these games.

    Imagine if soccer crazy England manifested its interest in the game only by watching the FIFA World Cup once in four years and only really paid attention when England played Spain or Italy. That is the equivalent of India’s current state in cricket viewership. In fact, until the Board of Control for Cricket in India introduced the Indian Premier League, there was not even a domestic league, the equivalent of an EPL or an NFL.

    So, India is not a single-sport country, it is at the moment a zero-sport country that occasionally follows 11 Indian cricketers when they play a big marquee tournament.

    For us, though, the more interesting question is why this happened, and what has led to the current state of affairs. We believe that the biggest culprit is the Indian sports broadcaster. Let me explain why.

    A big shift happened in the last twenty years in cricket in the profile of its followership. It moved from being a sport for the urban elite to one that has a mass following across the country.The BCCI deserves credit for this transformation by making substantial investments to improve the quality of stadiums and infrastructure around the country.Today, some of the country’s best cricketers come from outside the large cities; and small towns host international matches on a regular basis. It is also a country where less than 1 per cent of the population has actually watched any sport in a stadium.

    And, yet, sports broadcasters have not made any effort to make their programming more relevant to the new audience.

    In a country where less than 10 per cent of the population understands English, and a much smaller number are native speakers, sports broadcasters programmed only in one language: guess which one? English. This, despite the fact that everyone knew that the big growth in entertainment consumption in the country came when programming on satellite switched to Hindi and other local languages. And even for the very few that actually understand English, it is quite a world they have to navigate to understand the diversity of commentator accents on television: from the Westernised Indian accent to the local Indian accent to the Aussie accent to the Kiwi accent to the Scottish accent to the West Indian accent. It is almost as if the sports broadcasters were not relaying sports, they were running extraordinarily painful accent training programs on television for the very small English speaking audience that came to watch in the first place.

    The pain did not stop there. Around the world, sports graphics is used to bring the game closer to the viewer and to help the viewer understand the game. Yet, in cricket, graphics is more a nuanced tool meant to tickle the sensibilities of the few deep masters of the game, not the 99 per cent of the country that has never even been to a stadium. The same story extends to television commentary too. Rather than being the anchors of the game who explain the game and bring the excitement of the stadium to the viewer’s living room, the cricket commentator is invariably an expert talking to his peers.

    It is no surprise then that the Indian viewer does not spend much time on sports on television.

    But, it would be unfair to put all the blame on just the sports broadcaster. The broadcaster has had many fellow partners-in-crime in ensuring that sports viewership remains miniscule.

    It’s biggest partner has been the cable and satellite platform. Around the world, sports have been a huge driver of revenue and profit for pay television operators. In India every operator complains about the low ARPUs they get from the business. And yet, instead of using compelling sports content to get more money from consumers and reduce churn, the cable and satellite operators make it difficult for their subscribers to discover and develop a habit of consuming sports.

    And this attitude shows up in the distribution of sports channels, which are treated less like the mass product that they should be, and more as premium add-on products for a small, rich, niche audience.

    To make matters worse, these platforms turn off the channel when a marquee event is not on. While this may have made sense in the old, bandwidth-limited analog world where you could only put 20-30 channels, it makes no sense that even DTH operators are employing the same tactic when they have 300 channels to offer. Compare this to other content categories. They do not switch off a news channel when a breaking news event is not on; they do not turn off the movies channel when a blockbuster is not on. But this is exactly what they do in sports. It is the worst kind of behaviour that limits the ability to build habit for the sports fan.

    Even worse is the behaviour of a few platforms that have created their own channels that switch to the most marquee sports events of multiple broadcasters. While they hide under the pretence that they are addressing a consumer need, what they are really doing is illegal piracy. But what is distressing is that they do not understand the long term damage they are doing to the business. Instead of multiplying choices and triggering demand, they are creating a structure that will ensure that viewers only watch a few cricket events.

    Put together, it is therefore not a surprise that the reach of sports channels lags that of even niche channels like Discovery and MTV!

    So in a zero-sport country, sports broadcasters and pay-TV platforms have worked very hard to make sure that it is only the deeply committed, rich expert fan comfortable with English that actually watches a match on television.

    Of course, if the sports broadcaster and the platform have done their part in eroding the value of sports franchise, the regulator and the government have not been far behind.

     
    For the regulator and the government, the overwhelming objective must be to further consumer interest. It is in the interest of consumers to have more and more sports available for them. It is in the interest of any country to have more and more people play sports. And the reality is that people play sports only when they passionately follow games and teams. If India has to break its poor status in international sports and use sports to create a virtuous cycle for the larger society, then the regulator and the polityhave a powerful role to play.

    I am reminded of an incident that happened in Canada last year. When the hockey union went on strike, the prime minister of the country got involved because his fear was that a prolonged strike would have an adverse impact on the GDP of Canada! More than anything, it showed the power of sports and its ability to be a huge economic growth engine. It also shows the lens with which politicians and executives approach sports globally.

    However, the regulator, the bureaucracy and the political class have not shown such an enlightened approach to sports in India.

    Of all things, the regulator has imposed a cap on prices. A price cap is never good for the long term health of a business but it is especially absurd in the context of sports, where the market we operate in is truly global, where the acquisition costs for rights reflects a global market.

     What is even more absurd is that a news channel, a general entertainment channel, an education channel and a sports channel are all capped at the same level, without any linkage to the underlying cost of content or the relevance of its shelf life. Shockingly, Star Sports which has the most compelling portfolio of content in the country can charge no more than the country’s weakest sports channel with practically no sports on it.

    To make matters worse, the government has mandated that the most expensive sports events are events of national importance that need to be made available to the public broadcaster – who in turn not only retransmits an unencrypted signal to all its subscribers for free, but also makes it available to private platforms to carry the content under a statutorily mandated ‘must carry’ law. So even as you are making no effort to ensure wider coverage for all sports for the long term, you are killing the economics of the sports broadcaster by forcing it to share the most popular content today without adequate compensationand also legitimizing piracy by permitting access to sports content by platforms for free.

    The entire eco system has therefore unwittingly conspired to ensure that sports broadcast is unprofitable, sports consumption is limited and sports followership is minimal.

    So, the question comes back to: if things are looking so bad, why did Star decide to make a big push into sports?

    For only one reason.The current state of affairs is just not right, is not sustainable and is not good for anyone. Somebody needs to change this unhealthy equilibrium which is hurtingthe country, the consumer and the media industry.

    And as the country’s media leader, and as a company that has faced such hurdles before and still managed to build an outstanding franchise, we believe that we can shape this change.

    Clearly, change will not happen overnight. It will require a lot of effort to break the status quo. We will have to ensure that we create compelling sports content, across multiple sports, across multiple languages, with an economic structure that will add value for all.

    But, we are patient, as we always have been in India. And our history, our parentage and the coherence of our approach gives us confidence that we will build India’s first successful and profitable sports franchise.