ITV

Tag: Bindass

  • ‘B for Change’ is Bindass’ way to transform youth

    ‘B for Change’ is Bindass’ way to transform youth

    MUMBAI: Change is good, it’s said. Playing along the age-old adage is the youth entertainment channel – Bindass that has launched a new brand film – ‘B for Change’, that in one minute 56 seconds, captures the sentiments of today’s youth who wants to explore but at the same time don’t hesitate in going forward to bring about a change.

     

    So if the film showcases two guys who love partying but become heroes on social media after exposing a traffic police constable accepting bribe, it also shows a cool chick – uninterested in studies – making a mark as a tattoo artist.   

     

    The film, which captures multiple stories of the sort, is an effort from the channel to make its ‘Restless’ youth audience, an ‘Enabler of Purposive Action’. The new campaign is a progression from its previous ‘Restless’ concept.

     

    The film directed by Prashant Madan along with Bindass Creative Services (OAP Team) with inputs from the Disney UTV channel network, was also launched on YouTube and has garnered close to 11,000 views within a week.

     

    “The ad film is not preachy and yet fresh. It doesn’t force the youth to do anything and yet instills that feeling of doing something,” says Disney UTV VP, head of marketing Shikha Kapur and adds that the film stands for the change that the youth wants to see around them. “The message is simple, you can change, if you want to and Bindass can be the enabler of that. We are not an institution to push you to change, but we are a channel that is with you to incept the change in you,” she remarks.

     

    Interestingly, the ad film is not all, multiple activities are being planned under the campaign, ‘B for Change’. The channel will take the thought forward with other initiatives that would also include the inculcation of the idea in its programming. The channel plans to launch new shows around the concept.

     

    Quiz Kapur if the channel has shifted its positioning and she says, “Restless by nature, conscience and heart is a step before change. It is a step before taking an action. So this was a natural progression into restless becoming far more significant, as it now has become the ‘Enabler of change’. I don’t see this as a shift or change in positioning. It is a natural progression of a brand from being restless to getting into action.”

     

    A lot of research has been put by the channel to come out with the tagline. “It took us almost three to four months to finalise this. The entire process and journey has been thought through,” remarks Kapur.

     

    The film, which has been created by the in-house creative team of the channel, touches on all aspects of the youth’s life. Kapur says that the youth has a dual personality. “The youth of the country is not just about change, it is also about fun, attitude and partying.”

     

    While currently the ad campaign is being promoted through Disney UTV network, the channel will use other media vehicles as well in the coming weeks for an inclusive 360-degree campaign. “We will be looking at doing print, outdoor, in-theatre and radio campaign,” informs Kapur.

     

    The campaign targets the youth – both urban and in small town as the channel doesn’t want to distinguish. “The campaign doesn’t talk about the kind of people or the demographic it is relevant to. We want to reach out to maximum number of youth,” affirms Kapur.  

     

    To augment the campaign’s penetration, a website – www.bforchange.com has also been launched. “The website will help people to look for the options they have to bring about the change. 50-60 NGOs have partnered with us and from different fields. People visiting the website have the chance to volunteer for any of these,” concludes Kapur.

     

    Click here for Video

     

     

     

  • ‘Roadies XI’ is back with a bang

    ‘Roadies XI’ is back with a bang

    MUMBAI: The mother of all reality shows – MTV Hero Roadies – is back with Season XI which promises to be one heck of a roller coaster ride.

     

    With the tagline ‘Ride for Respect’, the new season is slated to hit TV screens on Saturday, 25 January at 7pm. The adventure will see seven boys and seven girls bike riding from desert to desert, starting with Sun City Jodhpur and culminating in the Rann of Kutch. Leading the pack will be the winner of season I of MTV Roadies, Rannvijay Singh and MTV Roadies producer, Raghu Ram.

     

    Hero continues to be the title sponsor for the show. Whereas, the channel has roped in nine associate sponsors on-board including brands like CEAT, Mountain Dew, Spraymintt mouth freshener, Karbonn tablets among others.

     

    Significantly, the new edition of MTV Roadies is all about performance sans the vote outs and group politics. So, all 14 contestants will have to prove their mettle through challenging tasks and only their track record through the show journey will get them closer to winning the title.

     

    “Every year, we try to conceptualise the theme of the show around a trending youth sentiment. It is not just about the show, audiences connect with the Roadies’ spirit of never backing down, perseverance and standing tall against all odds. We are pushing the envelope further this year by making the central theme all about the Roadies’ spirit and confidence,” says MTV India head marketing and insights Sumeli Chatterji. “So, while competition will be more intense and tasks will be more challenging; there will be no vote outs and no group politics. Every candidate will have an equal chance to show his or her mettle and win.”

     

    The reason for going ahead with the no vote-out format, producer and judge Raghu Ram says that it is just to be fair. “In the past, many have complained that deserving contestants are voted out. While for me vote out is an interesting situation, we have been blamed for encouraging politics and thus we have done away with the vote out system altogether.”

     

    But it doesn’t mean there won’t be any eliminations – a lot of other things will be introduced to make the show interesting and unpredictable.

     

    Says MTV India EVP and business head Aditya Swamy: “This year on Roadies, we have seven boys and seven girls and they will have an absolutely equal chance in the Ride for Respect. Fresh twists in the format have made Roadies India’s longest-running reality show and this year’s format breaker ensures survival only of the fittest.”

     

    Raghu, who usually gives goosebumps to the contestants with his stringent remarks, thinks that the reason behind the year after year success of the game is the love of the audience and the sheer belief that the show is a life changer for many. He remarks: “The show has made adventure and bikes a household name in India. The ten years have seen over five million hopefuls, grueling auditions, tough tasks and deserving winners. The new edition is all geared up to introduce an absolutely new avatar to everyone. What I can promise you is a triple dose of thrill, action and a lot more drama.”

     

    However, when quizzed about the flak the show has got in the past for the use of abusive language, Raghu shots back and says: “I think much has been spoken about the language and it is time people should get over it. Language is not a problem because it is a reality show. Still, this year I have tried to make sure that there is no abusive language used from my end and the focus transforms to that instead of the other things in the show.” 

     

    Apart from auditions in Mumbai, Delhi, Chandigarh and Pune, this year, the channel also tapped Hyderabad and Kolkata. Also, an all-India audition was conducted online.

     

    Marketing and promotion

     

    This year, the strategy is not only about driving reach across the target audience but also engaging with consumers across various touch points.

     

    A college connect program targeted at over 200 colleges sees Raghu and Rannvijay visiting the colleges and integrating with college festivals and college bike rallies across cities. “Our attempt is to integrate Roadies with city-specific events like Marathon in Pune, partnerships with malls, hangouts and clubs,” says Chatterji.

     

    The channel is reaching out to over 150 power towns across UP and Gujarat through several BTL activations.

     

    Roadies is active on social media as well with nearly 20 million visitors on its micro-site and around 7.8 million fans on Facebook. According to Chatterji, the last season clocked 65 million views online and was the most subscribed YouTube channel for a TV show.

     

    Season XI will be consumed by fans through TV episodes, web episodes, on-ground events and Roadies’ branded merchandise including sunglasses, shoes and bags.

     

    Besides, the brain behind the show, Raghu, has penned a memoir of his over-a-decade-long journey titled Rearview: My Roadies Journey, which explores the bright and not-so-bright side of this ride. Launched in Bangalore recently, the autobiography is available at Crosswords bookstores.

     

    Verdict

     

    All said, with so many youth-oriented shows from the same channel, what makes Roadies the brand it is? “This is a journey where the underdog can emerge a winner if he survives the game. This series generates intense emotions, not only from the participants and judges but also from the audience. The eliminations, tasks, contestants are always a topic of debate. You can love it, or hate it… but the youth can never ignore Roadies. This drives the social buzz and fan following,” says Chatterji.

     

    However, a media planner says: “There are a lot of youth reality shows on Indian television today. No doubt, Roadies has gained popularity over the years but people now want to see some fresh shows. Though, it’s a good property for advertisers to invest in as the show has a brand value. Having said that, it’s not really going to grab enough eyeballs as the choice of the youngsters has evolved and they would like to watch something new rather than run-of-the-mill stuff.”

     

    However, Raghu thinks that the TG identifies with the format. “The show is very young at heart. It explores human emotions very interestingly. It is not about the tasks, not about the vote-outs, but about facing circumstances and adapting to different dynamics.”

     

    Roadies will be competing with shows like Emotional Atyachar: Love, Shaq aur Dhoka on Bindaas and the repeat telecast of Dil Dosti Dance (D3) on Channel V. Media analysts think that the show doesn’t really have a competition as nothing close to the similar format will be on air on the rival channels.

  • Bindass to give a ‘Dream Start’ to the youth

    Bindass to give a ‘Dream Start’ to the youth

    MUMBAI: Disney UTV’s youth brand, Bindass, has launched an umbrella project titled ‘Dream Start’ to take its engagement with its core audience a step further.

     

    With this, the channel aims to fulfill the aspirations of the youth not only through shows like Yeh Hai Aashiqui but other initiatives tailor-made to build their confidence.

     

    “The brand philosophy of Bindass is that it is the enabler of purposive action. We realise that young people are very insecure, which comes because of lack of experience. We have also, through several research programmes, realised that they need additional endeavour to ensure that they have an advantage over others,” explains Disney UTV director marketing media networks Bikram Duggal. “The youth’s aspirations, dreams, hopes, careers… Through Dream Start, we are taking the whole brand philosophy to the brand engagement space.”

     

    Targeted at youngsters aged 18 to 25 years, ‘Dream Start’ has garnered a good response within the first 17 days of its launch. “In the last 17 days, we have already got some 80,000 responses,” informs Duggal.

     

    And not without reason, for the channel has spent 20 per cent of its annual marketing budget on the project and is promoting it in a big way, with 800 promos running across UTV channels. “Marketing for this project is more audio-visual and so, we have created promos for television and are also promoting it in cinema halls,” elaborates Duggal.

     

    The cinema campaign, which started with Dhoom 3, will run for a month, while the outdoor campaign in Mumbai and Delhi has begun too. A huge college campaign has been devised for 450 colleges across 26 cities. Bindass has been active on the digital front as well, with a microsite having been created apart from promotions on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. As Duggal puts it, “We have chosen a 360 degree campaign for promotion of the project.”

     

    So how does ‘Dream Start’ work? In its very first phase, the project will offer a two-month internship with UTV Motion Pictures. To participate, “the person has to go to our website and write an essay of 150 words explaining why he/she should be selected for the internship, followed by a general awareness quiz. We sift through the candidates and then shortlist 500 candidates for round two, who will come to Mumbai and Delhi for group discussions and from there, one candidate will be chosen for the internship,” Duggal explains.

     

    Will the selected intern be offered a job at UTV Motion Pictures? “The project is about giving confidence to the individual. We have devised a special curriculum for the intern. This will reflect in the person’s CV,” replies Duggal.  

     

    Registrations for Phase I have already started and will go on till 31 January. Internship is slated to commence in April or May this year.

     

    And that’s not all. “Different people have different needs. So, while we start with offering an internship with UTV Motion Pictures, the next phase of ‘Dream Start’ could see someone spending one week at the Oxford University.  We are looking at creating best experiences for the youth,” reveals Duggal.

     

    The channel plans to keep the marketing campaign alive even after completion of registration. “The group discussion will be recorded and the same will be put up on YouTube,” chuckles Duggal.

  • IndiaCast issues public notice about Dish TV

    IndiaCast issues public notice about Dish TV

    MUMBAI: Dish TV subscribers might have been a wee bit surprised today when they saw an IndiaCast notice in newspapers and on their TV channels informing them about a possible channel unavailability from 1 January.

    Last month Dish TV went on a hyper drive promoting its “on request channels” campaign that was designed to give TV consumers freedom of choice and give them the option of taking up a flexible package and allow India’s oldest DTH operator to generate savings.  

    As part of that scheme (which is still going on), Dish TV subscribers need to SMS or telephone its call centre and opt for the IndiaCast channels they want. Subscribers who choose not to SMS or choose to unrequest the IndiaCast channels have a reward waiting for them in the form of 100 bonus points (Rs 100) per unrequested channel, which they can redeem against the movies on demand service that Dish TV is offering. 

    The DTH operator had said that it is looking at increasing revenues and reducing content costs over a period of time. The initiative of knowing what channels consumers want would help it bring down satellite transponder and bandwidth consumption costs as it would help it decide which channels it can take off. This unbundling of packages would be a win-win situation for itself as well as subscribers.

    Now, IndiaCast has been running TV promos on all its channels and has also issued a public notice on the same issue in select newspapers.  The newspaper notice has cautioned general TV viewers who are subscribers of Dish TV “that several IndiaCast channels might not get carried on Dish TV from 1 January 2014 and that Dish TV would be offering its movies-on-demand instead.” 

    In the notice, IndiaCast has asked Dish TV subscribers to call up the DTH operator’s call centres if they want these channels to be included in their packages. Additionally, it has informed subscribers that alternatively they can get a “new connection from service providers such as Tata Sky, Airtel, Videocon, Hathway, DEN and InCable.”

    IndiaCast, reportedly, has five different agreements with Dish TV for TV18-Viacom18, Disney, UTV, Eenadu and HD channels. Out of these, three deals namely TV18-Viacom18, Disney and UTV are slated for renewal on 1 January 2014. 

    The channels that are mentioned in the advertisement – Colors, CNBC TV 18, MTV, CNN IBN, Bindass, Nick, IBN7, CNBC Awaaz, UTV Movies, History TV, Disney, Hungama, Sonic, Disney XD, UTV Action, Comedy Central, VH1, UTV World Movies, Nick Jr, Disney Junior and IBN Lokmat are a part of the three deals coming for renewal.

    Earlier this week, a case filed in The Telecom Disputes Settlement Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) by Dish TV came up for hearing in which it claimed that IndiaCast was refusing to provide signals to the DTH provider on account of the carriage fees it was charging the aggregator. The case was dismissed and a settlement was reached between the two that Dish TV will get the channels on a reference interconnect order (RIO) basis. 

  • Dish TV threatens IndiaCast with legal action

    Dish TV threatens IndiaCast with legal action

    MUMBAI: The Dish TV vs IndiaCast battle has just taken an ugly turn. India’s oldest DTH operator has fired a salvo at the aggregator by issuing a statement that claims that it has issued a legal notice to it for “the false and malafide advertisement that it issued today.”

     
    It has asked IndiaCast to cease and desist from “spreading false and malafide information” regarding channels on DishTV. 

    “All necessary steps including criminal and civil actions against Indiacast UTV and its functionaries are being contemplated,” says a Dish TV spokesperson.

    However, an IndiaCast spokesperson said that they haven’t yet received any notice from Dish TV.

    Readers may recollect that leading Indian newspapers today carried a public notice from IndiaCast stating that channels it distributes might be discontinued from Dish TV subscribers’ packages from 1 January and replaced with movies on demand unless customers message or call the DTH operator clearly saying they wanted to continue receiving them. The ads asked them to call up Dish TV or in the alternative subscribe to another cable TV or DTH service. Promos along the same lines have also been running on all the IndiaCast channels. 

    IndiaCast had issued the ad keeping in mind that DishTV is running an “on-request channel” campaign which will see channels being unsubscribed unless subscribers opt for them. The DTH operator is also rewarding subscribers with points if they choose to unsubscribe from IndiaCast channels which they can use to watch movies. 

    The channels that are mentioned in the IndiaCast notice include:  Colors, CNBC TV 18, MTV, CNN IBN, Bindass, Nick, IBN7, CNBC Awaaz, UTV Movies, History TV, Disney, Hungama, Sonic, Disney XD, UTV Action, Comedy Central, VH1, UTV World Movies, Nick Jr, Disney Junior and IBN Lokmat.

  • Bindass climbs the rating ladder with content that connects

    Bindass climbs the rating ladder with content that connects

    MUMBAI: It seems content and digitisation has helped Bindass in a big way. The channel climbed the TV ratings ladder in week 46 of TAM TV ratings with 20,533 GVTs, leaving its rivals MTV and Channel [V] far behind with 14,160 and 16,576 GVTs respectively.

     

    “Both our content as well as digitisation has helped our channel to a great extent. It has helped us reach out to our core TG which is the youth,” says Disney executive director content media networks Indrajit Ray.

     

    Digitisation, according to Ray, has led to democratisation of channels. “Earlier there was limited penetration of channels and thus only the popular channels with better resources could reach every household. Digitisation has helped us to increase our reach,” he says.

     

    According to the ratings provided by Bindass, the top five shows for the week in the youth space were: Yeh Hai Aashiqui (1,852 TVTs), Channel [V] Gumraah Season 3 (1,056 TVTs), Emotional Atyachaar on Bindass (882 TVTs), MTV Webbed (628 TVTs) and [V] Crazy Stupid Love (208 TVTs).

     

    The channel has been working towards improving its GVTs for a long time now. “It is not a week’s work, but a long process. The ratings are not a result of one single promotional activity,” remarks Ray, attributing the growth in ratings to Yeh Hai Aashiqui. He also informs that the channel’s team has formulated an aggressive plan to offer more. “Currently, we have two hours of original content, we plan to increase this,” he adds.

     

    The growing number of GVTs is an indication for the channel that brand Bindass is being accepted among newer audiences. “We believe this was largely on account of its popular mass narrative based on youth themes,” remarks Ray, who also thinks that the channel has been able to strike a chord with its audience because the content reflects the thought of today’s youth in the best way. “Our content is a reflection of what the youth feels today. Relationships, which are the most important part of any youngster’s life has been underserved,” adds Ray, emphasising that Bindaas is a platform for many youngsters to raise their concerns on issues that interests them.

     

    Talking about the reach, Ray says, “We have a fair equitable reach in the Hindi speaking market. We are strong in the north and now have also become popular in west and central India. Our core TG is between 15-24 years, but we do not restrict our programming to this age group. Our shows also cater to older people.”

     

    Bindass, for Ray, is a channel that brings to the fore issues that are brushed under the carpet. “We do not sensationalise but reflect the truth,” he says with hope that the channel will continue to be on the growth trajectory.

  • Bindass to telecast ‘Big Switch Season 4’ from 13 January

    Bindass to telecast ‘Big Switch Season 4’ from 13 January

    MUMBAI: Youth entertainment channel Bindass is bringing back its popular property ‘Big Switch‘.


    The fourth season of the reality show will launch on 13 January. The airing time of the reality show, however, has yet not been finalised.


    Big Switch Season 4 will be hosted by actor Gaurav Chopra.


    The show will see participation of a certain number of youngsters who get a chance to reform themselves and make themselves worthy of the luxuries without their parents‘ money.


    The contestants would have to survive in a house and be responsible for working and earning a living by doing various tasks.


    The channel is expected to bring some changes in the format to make it tougher for the contestants.

  • bindass bets on social media for marketing ‘Video Wars’ show

    MUMBAI: As the launch for its first daily format show Video Wars draws closer, Disney’s youth entertainment channel bindass is going full throttle to create a buzz around the show. This time though, the channel is leaning heavier on the social media and on ground engagement initiatives rather than the tried and tested ATL routes of television, print, radio and outdoor.

    Video Wars is a reality show that involves five contestants cataloguing a day in their life in the form of a video diary, which will then be aired for the viewers to see. Based on the content shot by the contestant, the viewers get to vote for their favourite and the least popular contestant will be eliminated at the end of the week. A fresh contestant will take his place the next week.

    Says Disney UTV executive director youth channels media networks Nikhil Gandhi, “Video Wars is a show that is in line with our ‘Rest Less. Do More.’ positioning as it empowers the youth with a camera and go out there and get famous. Since the show deals primarily with user generated content (UGC), we decided to focus on media like YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. The aim is to engage with the youth wherever they are. We all know how active the youth are on social media.”

    bindass will launch the Facebook Stamp Campaign from 19 November along with a YouTube in search video campaign which will go live in the second week of the show.

    Apart from the digital space, bindass is targeting on ground engagement opportunities to interact with the youth. “The idea is to take the youth play beyond television. We want to be where the youth of today is – from college campus to concerts to cafeterias,” says Gandhi.

    Recently, the channel collaborated with the Enrique concert in Delhi and Pune where people wearing video ‘heads’ were deployed in order to create visibility for Video Wars. During the NH7 Weekender, bindass set up Video Wars booths where ‘Weekenders’ could shoot themselves and audition to appear on the show.

  • Bindass to shed UTV name, go ‘Rest Less’ from 16 April

    Bindass to shed UTV name, go ‘Rest Less’ from 16 April

    MUMBAI: Youth channel UTV Bindass is in for a makeover as it drops ‘UTV‘ from its name, dons a new logo and changes the tag line to ‘Rest Less‘ from 16 April.

    The channel, falling under the complete control of The Walt Disney Company India with UTV founder-promoter Ronnie Screwvala at the helm, will have 133 variations of the new ‘dynamic‘ logo.
    “Bindass as a brand has grown over the years. Today it is not just a television channel and we are going to promote it that way,” Bindass business head Keith Alphonso tells Indiantelevision.com.

    The channel will launch a new brand campaign created by Taproot India. “On 16 April, Bindass is set to undergo a mega transformation with a a new brand campaign, created by Agnello Dias (Taproot India). The new motto – Rest Less – perfectly symbolises the new identity rest less and do more. It is all about let’s do more, be it action, fun… Bindass is the brand that will get you there,” Alphonso adds.

    The channel has decided to undergo the repositioning after a research that the company conducted with MarketGate Consulting. Alphonso stresses that the research has suggested that there is a clear need gap and Bindass aims to fulfill that.

    MarketGate Consulting founder director Shripad Nadkarni says, “Our consumer research indicated that the youth has moved beyond passive optimism and are bustling with ideas and have a sense of urgency attached to their ambitions. We decided to reflect this spirit of purposive dynamism into the brand’s refreshed positioning as we believe the Indian youth is in the middle of one of the most exciting times.”

    The channel will also kickstart its marketing campaign on 16 April.
    Taproot India chairman and co-founder Agnello Dias says, “A key trait that marks youth behaviour today is a sense of constant motion; everyone is either going somewhere or doing something all the time. This non-stop motion, well channelised is the new objective ideal. Settling down is fast going down the priority list. The bubbling undercurrents of discovery, exploration, invention, challenge, action seem to top that list. The new brand campaign for Bindass captures precisely this, that the youth today are ‘Rest Less’ and actually rest even lesser. We had earlier worked on Bindass’ immensely successful ‘What I am’ campaign as well which really caught on with the youth and this time around with Rest Less we hope to continue connecting with them yet again.”

    In a bid to move beyond TV, Bindass is also planning to launch separate divisions for events and products and services. Though the plans are in formative stages, Alphonso confirms that events division will focus on creating tent-pole on-ground IP properties. From conceptualising to execution, the events division will work on properties, which can be scalable on a year-on-year basis, he adds.

    Meanwhile, the company has identified six categories of product and services. While it is planning a range of apparels and accessories, the services will include holiday services, Bindass style.

    On the content front, the channel will launch two new reality shows soon. On 28 April, it will launch Live Out Loud, a 10 episodic series in which one person will be made to overcome fear by saying that one thing he or she wanted to say.

    This will be followed by another show Fear-Less in July, wherein participants will be helped by their friends to overcome fear of height, water or other such things which result in not enjoying life to the fullest.

    Bindass is also betting big on the digital front and from 16 April, the whole look and feel of the brand in the digital world will also get a makeover. It will make its presence felt on all the social media platforms including Facebook, Google Plus, Twitter, while a special channel for Youtube will be created with exclusive content, Alphonso adds.

    Bindass fights in a market which is too cluttered with youth and music channels including MTV, Channel [V], Mastiii, and 9XM.

    Bindass was launched in September 2007. It adopted the brand values of youth – fun, frank, and fearless – and built it as a platform to catch its target audience using TV, movies, web, mobile, ground and campus activities. Later it changed the positioning to ‘What I am’.

  • Pix’s ‘Big Break’ initiative ahead of digitisation

    Pix’s ‘Big Break’ initiative ahead of digitisation

    MUMBAI: In a bid to further engage with its viewers and build brand affinity, English movie channel Pix has announced a new marketing initiative – ‘Big Break’.

    The initiative will give a winner the chance to be part of a promo for the channel which will air in March. The winner will also be used for other channels in the MSM stable like Sony and Sab.

    Interested parties can submit a one-minute video of themselves online enacting a scene from one of their favourite films. The last date for submission of entries is 18 February.

    Ten people will be chosen and flown down to Mumbai. One winner will be chosen and will get the Red Carpet treatment.

    “With digitisation going to happen, it is important to remind people that Pix is a ‘must have‘ channel. We want viewers to feel committed towards us and to engage with us,” said Pix business head Sunder Aaron.

    A few years back, Pix had launched a short film festival initiative. Inspired by the response to that, the channel has gone ahead with this initiative.

    Pix marketing head Himmat Bhutalia noted that channels in the English movie genre are not doing enough at building brands. “While titles are important, brand recall needs to be created. It will be important for viewers to know what a brand stands for as we move into a digital arena where viewers will choose to carry a channel or drop it. Pix has a larger variety in content. We are also more into engaging in a dialogue with viewers,” he said.

    In terms of marketing, digital will be a greater focus area for Pix this year. “We took our local initiative chicks On Flicks online. We are also looking at extending our Pix movie Club initiative to the web. Traditional media is a one-way dialogue. With digital you can change your communication faster based on feedback,” averred Bhutalia.

    To market ‘Big Break’ the channel is using print, radio and television spots on MTV and Bindass.

    Bhutalia expects most respondents to be in the 15-30 year age group. On the ground, the channel is using an event management company to go to select schools and colleges in Mumbai and Delhi. There fans can make a one-minute video.