ITV

Tag: Laxmi Hariharan

  • Hallmark claims ‘Flipper’ flips its ratings

    Hallmark claims ‘Flipper’ flips its ratings

    MUMBAI: Family entertainment channel Hallmark claims to be on the upward tack in the ratings, at least for some of its shows. The first episode of Flipper, the new series launched on Hallmark channel, gave the channel fourth position amongst all other English channels in India, an official release says.

    The premiere showing of Flipper, which was aired on 2 September 2002, attracted viewers belonging to 25-54 age-group in the four metros, says the release. The single episode, gave Hallmark third rank among all channels in Mumbai and eleventh among all channels in the key metros in India, the release says.

    “We are delighted that Hallmark Channel has gained such high ratings in India’s metro areas. This demonstrated the popularity of quality programming and great stories that we offer,” Hallmark Channel marketing director- Asia, Laxmi Hariharan was quoted as saying in the release.

    Flipper, a series for the entire family, explores the timeless fascination and relationship with dolphins. It follows the activities of a group of ocean scientists at a marine mammal research facility where groundbreaking studies are being conducted on dolphin behavior and other marine life.

  • Hallmark to strengthen late night slot next month

    Hallmark to strengthen late night slot next month

    MUMBAI: Hallmark is taking special pains to strengthen its position in the late night block.

    With this in mind, the channel will push The Guardian and the second season of McLeods Daughters to the 11 pm slot from October. The Guardian will be part of the channel’s science fiction block while Star Trek at midnight will take over from its current Sunday 8 pm slot.

    Speaking on how the basic programming matrix had changed director Marketing Hallmark Asia Pacific Laxmi Hariharan says,”The programming mix has gained in variety. We started introducing more serials and we will also screen theatrical releases like the Kevin Costner baseball drama Field Of Dreams. We are creating awareness that the channel will screen shows which have been nominated for the Emmy Awards. For instance we will air Jack and The Beanstalk: The Real Story which is a contemporary take on the classic tale. Therefore we will keeping a close tab on the developments taking place at the Emmy Awards.”

    “Our other blocks – the women’s block in the afternoon, kids block in the late afternoon and evening block where we showcase specials like Flipper have evolved quite nicely over the past year. We base our FPC on viewer ship trends, competitive programming.”

    The channel will also introduce a slew of interactive initiatives. Says Mediascope Associates’ Rohinton Maloo, “We will be using a new form of interactive service, which has so far not been seen, in the country. This will not require the use of a cell phone and will be accessible to the common man. SMS has been done by so many people that if we enter it now, we will basically be seen as a me too, which Hallmark is most certainly not. We will unveil details for the same later in the month. In fact, from September – November we will be coming out with a slew of interactive initiatives.”

    Hariharan says, “We will be having an on air promotion for Diwali. We are also enabling media outlets to interview stars of our shows like Simon Baker through email and that is where our focus will rest. We will also be promoting the family film festival, which will take place end September through the different media. We will be doing an on air promo for kids shortly. This will revolve around the theme of health. So you will see ‘Clifford’ and ‘Callilou’ offering health tips.”

    The channel has tied up with indiatimes.com for Early Edition and with Sify to build the brand in Chennai for Women’s Week. The channel, which dubbed the kids’ block last year in Hindi, found that people prefer watching the shows in English. “This is because our shows are visually attractive and also location specific. For example if you were to watch Sherlock Holmes in a local language, the flavour would get diluted,” says Hariharan.

  • “We are particularly strong in the late night slot” : Laxmi Hariharan Hallmark’s director marketing, Asia Pacific

    “We are particularly strong in the late night slot” : Laxmi Hariharan Hallmark’s director marketing, Asia Pacific

    The Hallmark Channel is planning a slew of programming and marketing initiatives in a bid to increase visibility in India. And coordinating these activities is Hallmark Entertainment Network‘s director marketing, Asia Pacific Laxmi Hariharan. As director-marketing (Asia), her responsibilities include communications, research, events and promotions, brand building, and brand management, besides contributing to programmes and production. She is also involved in distribution and ad sales for the channel in India.

     

    Indiantelevision.com‘s Ashwin Pinto caught up with Hariharan last Thursday (12 September) to find out what Hallmark has planned for the months ahead.

    Are you satisfied with the response your marketing initiatives for shows like ‘The Guardian‘, ‘Early Edition‘ have received?

    Yes. Our Mother‘s day initiative in May was successful. Last month, we came out with 900,000 copies of ‘Early Edition‘ to promote the show. At traffic junctions, people who received a copy got the impression that a new tabloid had been launched.

    How successful has the channel been in attracting new advertisers so far this year in India? Have any revenue targets been set for the financial year?

    For major promotions like Mother‘s Day, we have been able to find sponsors like Whirlpool. Right now, we are pitching our programming initiatives to a whole new batch of advertisers. This week, Maruti commenced a campaign on the channel. We have also become aggressive in the trade marketing department. We offer the advertising community value added tailor made packages including at times a presence in Hallmark Cards. It is too early however, for us to talk about revenue targets.
    “The channel is popular in the South in cities like Chennai and Bangalore.”

    Tell me about the brand awareness programme working across the metro cities?

    During the first part of the year we concentrated on the metros of Mumbai and Delhi. Later on through research, we found that the channel is popular in the South in cities like Chennai and Bangalore. So our marketing mix will now target cities. This will include e-newsletters, advertising shows like The Guardian in cinemas in a big way. We also sponsor horoscopes in the local dailies. We are planning more innovative stunts. For instance, we will be coming out with two more editions of Early Edition Tomorrow (13 September) we are having a special screening in Delhi of the Hugh Jackman film ‘Paperback Hero‘ for the advertising community to create awareness about the product.

     

    We have found that using three to four media outlets at the same time for a few days to hit the viewer is extremely effective in getting the message across. At the moment through radio spots we are promoting our late night movie specials. In this manner, people driving home from work late will have an instant reaction to the ad flash and will feel like tuning in.
    ” Through radio spots we are promoting our late night movie specials. In this manner, people driving home from work late will have an instant reaction to the ad flash and will feel like tuning in “

    What is virtual product placement and how are you pushing it through?

    This is a unique technology exclusively available from Princeton Video in the US. This allows Hallmark to insert products into the film or serial once it has been shot, edited. The advantage is that since Hallmark owns the television movies it airs it can make changes to a particular scene. For instance if the show is passing through a road in Europe an automobile marketed in the country can be inserted on the curb and then the viewer will think to himself that Europeans also drive it. Similarly at the breakfast table you can insert a packet of Kellogg‘s cornflakes which is popular in the country. The same scene will change from country to country. In England for instance the advertiser may want the Kelloggs packet to be removed from the scene.

     

    This is a relationship that Princeton has exclusively with Hallmark. On the other hand Star and HBO, which rely on acquired content, cannot use the technology as the production company whether it is Columbia Tristar, Twentieth Century Fox or Miramax would raise instant objections if they were to alter the original content using technology in any manner.

     

    We are at an advanced stage of discussions with an automobile, biscuit as well as a soft drink manufacturer to offer this value added service.
    ” Our value proposition to the cable operator is that we are a family channel and are not just targeting certain age groups “

    Are you doing cross-promotions on other channels such as Discovery and MTV?

    Yes. For Friendship Day we tied up with MTV. We promoted each other‘s programmes through snippets. We have tie-ups with the magazines Elle and Cosmopolitan.

    What would you say is the USP of the Hallmark channel for the Indian audience and advertisers?

    Viewers see us as a channel with emotions. If they are in a romantic mood, they will automatically come to the channel. We offer something, which one can watch with the entire family. The kid‘s block works well with mothers looking for a healthy alternative as well as those who want their children to be exposed to educational programmes.

     

    For the ad community, we offer a clutter free environment, integrated marketing packages as well as an atmosphere where ads get noticed. Advertisers know that on Hallmark they are reaching a viewer who is loyal and has aspirations regarding attaining a certain lifestyle.
  • Hallmark aims to expand reach, outlines marketing strategy

    Hallmark aims to expand reach, outlines marketing strategy

    Consolidate distribution, increase reach and brand visibility through aggressive marketing. That is the target that general entertainment English channel Hallmark has set for itself in India this calendar year.

    We will increase brand awareness in the key cities of Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai and Calcutta through mass media campaigns, says Laxmi Hariharan, marketing director, Hallmark Asia. A media mix of outdoors, cinema, websites, radio, and print are the off-television promotional activities that are involved.

    The channel’s initiatives are already having an impact and this can be seen in the fact that the cumulative reach of the channel has increased by 60 per cent since January, says Hariharan.

    Hariharan says the channel is adopting a two-tier strategy by promoting the mother brand and creating event-specific programmes. Towards this end, Hallmark has earmarked $1.2 million this year for advertising and promotions.

    The channel’s initiatives are already having an impact and this can be seen in the fact that the cumulative reach of the channel has increased by 60 per cent since January, says Hariharan.

    Hariharan says the channel is adopting a two-tier strategy by promoting the mother brand and creating event-specific programmes. Towards this end, Hallmark has earmarked $1.2 million this year for advertising and promotions.

    On the programming front, the channel has a three point plan that it is confident will deliver the desired results – original series, television movies and Hollywood blockbuster titles.

    Distribution is another area where Hallmark hopes to increase its numbers. From the current 9 million across 18 cities, the channel expects to hit 12 million by the end of the year, Hallmark India general manager Amitabh says. Queried as to the kind of subscription revenues the channel had, Amitabh said last year it was $500,000 and he expected it to reach $ 600,000 this year.

    Leading the way for Hallmark on the ad sales front is Mediascope Associates. According to Rohinton Maloo, managing director, Mediascope, revenues close to $1 million is what he is targeting. This is a five-fold jump from last year where the channel raked in just $ 200,000. Queried as to how he could so confidently state this would happen when the fight for a share of the ad pie was becoming increasingly stressful, Maloo says ad revenues of $ 200,000 had been achieved with practically no worthwhile effort. A focussed strategy would bring in increased much more ad revenue, is Maloo’s contention.

    And there are new product categories opening up every year – insurance, premium cars, technology and many more. There is enough to sustain niche channels such as Hallmark, says Maloo.

    The channel intends to package not just on-air opportunities but the significant on-ground strength of over 430 Hallmark Card stores in India, says Maloo. These stores, says Maloo, can be used for demo and on-ground promotions.

    One unique feature that Hallmark can offer to advertisers thanks to its ownership of 80 per cent of the content that appears on the channel is “virtual product placement”, says Maloo. This means that after a particular movie or series has already been shot, the advertiser is offered an option where he can digitally insert his product during relevant scenes. He cited examples of Samsung in Latin America, Visa card in the US and Coke in the Asia Pacific.