ITV

Tag: Nick

  • Nick partners Metro Shoes to launch Dora co-branded footwear

    MUMBAI: Metro Shoes, one of the largest fashion footwear retailers in India, and Nickelodeon are set to launch a new range of vibrant Dora the Explorer footwear this season.

    The colourful range of shoes are priced from Rs 299 to Rs 999 and will be available across a network of 175 Metro stores in India.

    The footwear collection are available in flip-flops, crocs, trainers and more; in over 7 styles and sizes. The colourful shoes are designed for children aged between 2-9 years.

    Said Metro Shoes ED Farah Malik Bhanji, “Metro Shoes, being pioneers in the retail shoe business, have always explored changing trends. This is one of the exciting opportunities that we came across, and are extremely happy to be associated with Nickelodeon to launch this new Dora range of shoes. With this association, we aim to create a completely different offering for kids and hope that the vibrant designs create a benchmark in the retail space.”

  • Comedy Central to push for revenue growth

    MUMBAI: Comedy Central has roped in 30 advertisers after three months of launch and is looking at developing other revenue streams including on-ground events and licensing & merchandising.

    The on-ground events will kick off from the second half of the year. “Comedy goes beyond standup act routines. The events will be a combination of small scale and larger properties. We are exploring ideas. The challenge lies in their execution and doing them in a way that makes economic sense,” says Viacom18 Media senior VP, GM English entertainment Ferzad Palia.

    On the L&M front, Comedy Central will hope to capitalise from MTV and Nick, its two sister channels that have run longer in the Indian market. The channel will launch merchandise products for its show South Park in a couple of months.

    Says Palia, “This will cover a range of products. Because of Comedy Central‘s TG (15-34 years), avenues for purchase may be different from what has been seen. Depending on how this works we could launch merchandise that pushes the Comedy Central brand.”

    Comedy Central‘s first advertiser was Volkswagen. Now it has a roster of advertisers that include Jaguar, Nivea, Idea and Vodafone. “We are looking at doing innovations on TV and also outside it. This could take the shape of advertiser funded properties,” says Palia.

    The focus in the first year will be to get the sales strategy right. “There have been times when we have refused business as we felt that we were not getting a fair rate. Advertisers are getting more receptive towards this genre,” avers Palia.

    Content costs are a challenge with costs doubling in the last 18 months. “80 per cent of our content is acquired. 60 per cent of our content is old which is fine as comedy is evergreen. The balance 40 per cent is new content. We have managed to create a new genre,” says Palia.

    Comedy Central is exploring the possibility of starting local productions. “The challenge though will be to find content that lives up to the international standards,” concludes Palia.

  • Nick, Movie Park Germany renew licensing deal

    Nick, Movie Park Germany renew licensing deal

    MUMBAI: US kids broadcaster Nickelodeon and film and entertainment theme park Movie Park Germany have announced the renewal of their strategic partnership around Nickland, the popular Nick-themed 50,000 square-foot interactive adventure area at Movie Park Germany in Bottrop-Kirchhellen.

    Under the new, six-year licensing agreement, effective April 2012, Movie Park Germany will retain theme park rights to incorporate Nickelodeon’s beloved characters into attractions and features at its theme park.

    Since it opened in April 2007, Nickland (the first NICK-themed adventure site to launch in Europe) has offered kids and families immersive attractions based on Nickelodeon’s children’s TV programmes, including SpongeBob SquarePants, Dora The Explorer and Jimmy Neutron. The renewed partnership between Nickelodeon and Movie Park Germany will include the development of re-themed attractions, co-branded merchandise and expanded marketing campaigns in Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands.

    Nickelodeon Germany MD Patrick Alders said, “Nickland has been such a thriving and exciting destination for kids and families to interact with Nickelodeon’s brand and characters, and we’re really looking forward to expanding the Nickelodeon experience there over the next six years.”

    Movie Park Germany GM Wouter Dekkers said, “During the last year, Nickland has played an important role in our success story and it is an everyday pleasure to see kids hugging SpongeBob or Patrick. We are looking forward to welcoming new Nickelodeon family members during the next years”.

  • Kids channels swing into high action

    Kids channels swing into high action

    After a flood of four channel launches in 2004, the kids genre has swung into big action with three new appearances last year and the announcement of Discovery to enter the segment this quarter.

    The battle isn‘t going to be easy as the advertising pie is pegged at Rs 2.4 billion in 2011, up from Rs 2 billion a year ago, and the licensing and merchandising market is still at its infancy in India.

    Broadcasters, however, are finding strategic value to occupy the space at a time when India is waking up to the government’s call of mandated digitisation.

    “Discovery Kids will offer Indian children the ideal combination of learning and entertainment. In light of the massive digitisation drive in India, we believe viewers will express their demand for such distinct television networks,” says Discovery Networks International president, CEO Mark Hollinger.

    Expanding its bouquet in the southern region, Sun TV Network launched Malayalam kids channel Kochu in 2011 TV to complete its entire cycle of covering the four languages. Sun had launched Chutti TV in Tamil (2007), Kushi TV in Telugu and Chintu TV in Kannada (2009).

    Maa TV Network launched Maa Junior in Telugu, its first channel in the kids space, while Viacom18 introduced Sonic to complement its other kids channel Nick. Maa Junior has since the beginning of the year transitioned into a GEC and has been rebranded as Maa Gold.

    “In 2011, two regional broadcasters launched language channels to expand their networks in the southern states of Andhra Pradesh and Kerala. The Viacom18 channel was more a segment strategy to complement Nick,” says a media analyst.

    Sonic targets children in the age group of 10-17 years with action, sitcoms and adventures. The movies cater mainly to teens.

    What is encouraging kids broadcasters is the rise in viewership. The overall genre is on a growth path due to channel launches, according to research agency TAM. The total share of the genre grew to 18 per cent among the 4-14-year-olds (C&S, All India), largely due to the growth in the universe of kids to 48 million in 2011, from 43 million a year ago.

    According to Sonic and Nick India EVP and GM Nina Elavia Jaipuria, the genre enjoys the loyalty of kids among the age group of 4-14
     despite competition from other genres and has been growing 7-10 per cent year-on-year.

    “Despite the fragmentation that has happened in the entertainment world, this is one genre which continues to garner GRPs and viewerships from kids. In 2011, we once again proved to ourselves that it is a genre that is being viewed by boys and girls in that age bracket,” she says.

    In her yearender column for Indiantelevision.com, Turner International India GM, Entertainment Networks South Asia Monica Tata wrote that the genre not only recorded growth but also saw the entrance of new channels like Sonic. “The kids’ genre grew in regional languages as well. In Tamil, for example, the share of Kids is higher than News. The continued investments in launching new channels and content prove that the kids’ entertainment space is a very viable market.”

    Even though the kids genre commands 6-7 per cent viewership share, the problem is on the revenue said. However, while traditional advertisers like food & beverages, personal care, and household products continue to be heavy spenders on the genre, non-traditional advertisers like automobiles, electronic devices, and insurance companies have started to take notice of the genre.

    “We did see a lot of non-traditional advertisers. We now have insurance companies who are talking to the 4-14 TG,” says Jaipuria.

    Hindustan Unilever and Cadbury India were top advertisers on the genre for both 2010 and 2011 in a list dominated by FMCGs and personal brands, TAM AdEx data shows. Interestingly, Maa Network and Sun TV, who operate channels in the genre, were among the top 10 advertisers in 2011.

    “There has been increasing awareness that kids now have a say in purchase decision-making that extends far beyond traditional categories. Today, around 63 per cent of parents involve their children in the decision making process. This is one of the main reasons that has attracted advertisers to kids’ channels in order to effectively target families,” says Turner South Asia network head ad sales Juhi Ravindranath.

    Agrees Walt Disney Television International India business head Vijay Subramaniam, “Brands understand the importance of engaging this TG because this is a very loyal base. It is important to realise that the kids of today will become the consumers of tomorrow. A lot of advertisers are now including kids channels in their advertising mix.

    L&M is another revenue stream the channels are betting big on. Disney, for instance, has inked a licensing deal with Mukesh Ambani-owned IPL franchise Mumbai Indians to launch co-branded merchandise products targeted at under-14 kids segment. The merchandise will be sold in around 5,000 Reliance retail outlets and will be also be promoted through the digital medium.

    But considering the number of channels in the genre and the ad revenues it attracts, is running a kids channel a viable proposition?

    Jaipuria feels it depends on the business models of the individual channels and whether or not they fill the need gap. “How the channels source content – whether it is a localised or is it sourced internationally – also plays a role in channels‘ viability. Although the gestation period for a kids channel maybe longer than other genres, it‘s about having an intelligent business model and having a right mix of content,” she avers.

    Jaipuria is also betting big on digitisation as it will make possible an increase in subscription revenues and bring down high carriage fees.

    Sun Group CEO Tony D‘Silva believes kids channels need to become more and more segmented as their needs keep changing as they grow up. “Right now most of the channels are targeted at 4-14 age groups,” he avers.

  • Nick unveils toys of its entertainment brands

    Nick unveils toys of its entertainment brands

    MUMBAI: US kids broadcaster Nickelodeon is headed to Toy Fair 2012 with a toy portfolio, based on entertainment brands for preschoolers, kids, and tweens.

    Nickelodeon will unveil products for both new and established properties, including ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’, ‘Winx Club’, ‘Team Umizoomi’, ‘Dora the Explorer’, ‘SpongeBob SquarePants’ and ‘Victorious’.

    Playmates Toys will show a new line of toys inspired by the broadcaster’s new CG-animated ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’. Currently in production at the Nickelodeon Animation Studio in Burbank, California, the series is set to premiere later this year. The new series explores the camaraderie of four teenage brothers learning to rely on one another as they unravel the mystery of their existence and train to become heroes in a half shell. Playmates Toys has been the partner responsible for the TMNT toy lines over the last two decades, and this year‘s lineup includes basic, deluxe, and collectible action figures, as well as Ninja gear, playsets, and vehicles.

    Another new Nickelodeon property, Winx Club, is an animated modern fantasy adventure series that follows six best friends — Bloom, Stella, Flora, Musa, Tecna and Aisha — enrolled in Alfea College, the finest fairy school in all the realms. Jakks Pacific and its Creative Designs International (CDI) and Disguise Halloween divisions will debut a new line of dolls, playsets, accessories, dress-up, role play items and Halloween costumes based on the series.

    Building on the ‘Winx Club’ doll line from Jakks, Creative Designs International has created a beautiful assortment of role-play dresses and fairy wings for girls who want to transform themselves into their favorite Winx Club member.

    The Jakks Pacific, CDI and Disguise product lines are scheduled to launch later this year to coincide with the premiere of the brand new CG episodes of ‘Winx Club’ on Nickelodeon.

    Nickelodeon and Fisher-Price will introduce new toy lines for ‘Team Umizoomi’ and ‘Dora the Explorer’. This is the first toy line for Team Umizoomi, which will incorporate elements from the show featuring Umi-friends, Geo, Milli, and Bot by infusing their “mighty math powers” into this preschool toy line.

    ‘Team Umizoomi’ products from Fisher-Price include figures, basic and learning plush, bath toys, and vehicles. Building on the past success of Fisher-Price toys inspired by Dora, new products for 2012 will include a dollhouse, playsets, dolls and role play toys.

    ‘SpongeBob SquarePants’, who has entertained fans of all ages for more than a decade, is the inspiration for new toys from Fisher-Price‘s Imaginext brand. The new line includes playsets, vehicles, and figures where SpongeBob is featured in the iconic Imaginext look. SpongeBob is also the inspiration for two new building sets from The Lego Group, which debut at Toy Fair.

    Finally, Victorious master toy licensee Spin Master will unveil new products for the series. The show is about teenagers navigating life at the performing arts high school Hollywood Arts. The 2012 offerings will expand upon the success of Spin Master‘s first Victorious toy launch in October 2011. The new line will feature fashion dolls, and role play, including a new Tori Singing Doll featuring the song, ‘Best Friend‘s Brother’.

    Feature dolls for additional Victorious characters, including Trina (Daniella Monet), Cat (Ariana Grande) and Jade (Elizabeth Gillies) are also included.

    Nickelodeon senior VP, global toys and consumer electronics Manuel Torres said, “Nickelodeon‘s presence at Toy Fair 2012 is our strongest toy portfolio ever, and demonstrates our influence with kids of all ages, from preschoolers, to kids, and tweens. Our robust programming line-up has given us a tremendous opportunity to develop exciting toys for both girls and boys, to bring their favorite characters to life through active play.”

  • WWK in licensing pact with Nick in India

    WWK in licensing pact with Nick in India

    MUMBAI: Wiesner Worldwide Kreations (WWK) has entered into a licensing agreement with kids entertainment channel Nick to sell Keymon Ache products in India.

    WWK is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Wiesner Products Inc, New York and a fashion conglomerate, focused on product variety, brands, licensing and private labels.

    The collection will be available under the apparel, footwear, bags and bag packs range.

    The Keymon Ache merchandise designs will be crafted by designers from the US who have an expertise in developing products for licensed goods. The designs will be global in scope yet personal in nature, bringing a blend of both international flavours and Indian desires.

    WWK VP-South East Asia Bhavna Jha said, “We are delighted to have Keymon Ache on our board and believe that this is an ideal fit for us. Keymon Ache has emerged to be a local hero of kids in India, in a short span of time since the show was introduced on Nickelodeon in May 2011. The success of the show lies in the 360 degree approach, adopted by the channel to promote the character, be it downloadable games, videos and ringtones. Keymon Ache is also popular on Facebook. We are proud to be associated with India’s first non-mythological contemporary show and be a part of this achievement by introducing Keymon Ache’s merchandise in India.”

    Viacom18 Media Sr. VP- consumer products Sandeep Dahiya added, “We are excited by the opportunity to create this partnership. WWK has provided a platform to promote the popular character with kids by bringing out the special edition of Keymon Ache’s merchandise. We are certain that these products will be a rage amongst the kids and they will love them.”

    Wiesner Products Inc., New York has already been associated with the licenses of Nicklodeon for Dora/Spongebo and Diego, the famous cartoon characters.

  • Nick Consumer Products to represent Viacom’s properties in Canada

    Nick Consumer Products to represent Viacom’s properties in Canada

    MUMBAI: Nickelodeon Consumer Products (NCP), a division of Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN), has announced plans to take its Canadian licensing and merchandising business in-house effective 1 October.

    NCP Canada‘s Toronto based office, led by NCP Canada senior director Tanya Visano, will exclusively represent VIMN‘s portfolio of properties and brands which include Nickelodeon, MTV and Comedy Central and manage all operations and retail and licensee relationships for NCP.

    Said VIMN senior VP of consumer products Michael Connolly, “VIMN‘s business and brand portfolio in Canada has grown exponentially since we launched our first licensing program a little more than a decade ago and now encompasses two 24-hour dedicated channel services with our Canadian broadcast partners, multiple digital platforms and mass awareness of our brands and properties. Moving from an agent to in-house representation model is optimal for our continued growth in
    the region and, combined with our global scale, we are able to offer even deeper value to our Canadian partners.”

    NCP Canada will focus on driving NCP‘s strategic priorities around their Something for Everyone portfolio, including innovative and enhanced retail partnerships, holistic franchise and category management with first in class operational support and product development. Visano and her expanding team of marketing and licensing professionals, who include Jeremy Potvin (Director, Softlines), Jean Brozny (Senior Manager, Marketing and Brand Management), Daniel
    Christamtsis (Senior Manager, Hardlines), and Matthew Spataro (Coordinator, Retail Marketing), are based in Toronto at the offices of VIMN’s Canadian subsidiary, MTV Networks Canada.

    Visano added, “We are very excited about NCP‘s expanding efforts in Canada and the great potential around our Something for Everyone portfolio. Our team will focus on deepening partner relationships through value added solutions and product innovation that will deliver increased sales and impactful retail merchandising.”

    NCP Something for Everyone portfolio spans every demo across pre-school, kids, tweens, teens and adult. Nickelodeon‘s evergreens‘ Dora the Explorer and SpongeBob SquarePants feature newly integrated marketing campaigns and high quality product designs. Nick‘s robust content pipeline keeps delivering the hits such as Victorious (currently broadcasting on YTV) which debuts at Walmart in Canada this summer for Back-to-School. Adult offerings around Comedy Central‘s South Park, now entering its 15th season and MTV‘s The Jersey Shore reflect NCP‘s scope as a true one-stop-shop for partners.

    Visano will coordinate operational transition from agent to in-house and is responsible for all day to day NCP business.

    NCP’s move to direct representation in Canada will be managed out of VIMN’s Canadian subsidiary, MTV Networks Canada.

  • Kids channels gain viewership; Nick cracks HSM

    Surely the biggies of the Hindi general entertainment space have been channelising their efforts to attract the kids segment. If Colors has been trying to capture the small pops through its top-rated shows Balika Vadhu and Uttaran, Zee TV is gearing up to use this arsenal in its new property Aap Ki Antara.

    But has this effort anyhow eaten into the viewership pie of the discerning bunch of little champs, the kids‘ channels as a category? Not really!!! If 2008 saw the kids genre close at a 13.78 per cent share (period Jan-May 2008, All India C&S 4-14), the same period in 2009 (period Jan-May 2009, All India C&S 4-14) saw the genre grow by 1.08 per cent.

    Kids Genre Share % in 2009
    Month
    ALL INDIA 09
    Jan
    13.9
    Feb
    13.6
    Mar
    14.5
    Apr
    15.6
    May
    16.6
    Source: TAM, C&S 4-14, All India
     

    Within the category, again, there are a few transitions. While Cartoon Network still continues to hold the fort, the channel has seen a slight dip of 0.4 per cent in its market share for the period between January to May in 2009 as compared to the same period last year.

    Sibling channel Pogo too has surely managed to remain number two in the space. The channel has also seen a rise in its market share from 20 per cent in 2008 to 22.8 per cent in 2009.

    All India Market
    Channel
    Jan
    Feb
    Mar
    Apr
    May
    Cartoon Network
    29
    26
    27
    24
    23
    Pogo
    23
    24
    24
    22
    21
    Nick
    17
    16
    15
    21
    20
    Hungama
    14
    15
    17
    14
    18
    Jetix
    10
    11
    10
    9
    9
    Disney
    7
    7
    7
    9
    8
    Spacetoon Kids TV
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    Source: TAM, C&S 4-14, All India

     

     

    HSM Story

    Nevertheless, when it comes to slicing the market further to concentrate on the HSM space, the view is visibly different and new. While CN has seen a slight dip here too for the same period over last (Jan – May 2008), it has been ousted for the first time ever by new market leader Nick for the last two consecutive months. Nick has also seen a 4.4 per cent upward swing in its market share, compared to 2008.

    So what helped Nick emerge as the number one kids channel in the Hindi speaking market?

    “There are a couple of factors that helped us attain this position. First, the Nicktoons – characters that have helped Nick establish space and engagement with the kids leading to an increase in the stickiness of the channel,” says Nick India SVP and GM Nina Elavia Jaipuria.

    “Second, we have managed to take Nick beyond television, thus making it more tangible. And I think we did that very successfully with our experimental 360 degree marketing philosophy – we wanted to be in every place where children are,” she adds.

    In 2009, CN, however, continues to remain above Nick at 23.4 per cent (Jan – May 2009). Pogo hasm meanwhile, climbed 4.6 per cent up over last year to garner 22 per cent market share.

    HSM Market
    Channel
    Jan
    Feb
    Mar
    Apr
    May
    Nick
    22
    20
    18
    25
    25
    Hungama
    17
    19
    21
    17
    22
    Cartoon Network
    27
    25
    25
    21
    20
    Pogo
    22
    24
    24
    21
    19
    Disney
    8
    8
    8
    10
    10
    Jetix
    4
    4
    4
    5
    5
    Spacetoon Kids TV
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    Source: TAM, C&S 4-14, All India

    While there is definitely a Cartoon Network vs Nick tale here, there seems to be a new contender creeping up the ladder to challenge the old bee.

    Latest Tam data shows that Hungama TV, the kids channel for 4-14-year-olds which saw a 8.8 per cent fall in its market share over last, has relocated to the number two spot to push CN down the ladder for the month of May, 2009.

    Recently, as part of its revamping strategy, the channel had introduced three new bands during summer and infused new shows into the bands. And its quite evident that the channel shored up its ratings post the change.

    The channel had acquired two live action shows, Hatim from Star and Dharam Veer from NDTV Imagine to put them under the action band, Dum Powder. The Trouble Soda band features shows such as Doraemon and Ninjaboy Rantaro while Fun Gas showcases Shinchan and Asari Chan.

    Disney channel, meanwhile, has also exhibited an upward growth in its market share.

    Well, indications are on that while competition is really getting fierce, competitors are also putting their acts together to displace the winning feather from CN‘s hat.

    So, does CN foresee any collision ahead?

    Says Turner International India vice president and deputy general manager – entertainment networks, South Asia Monica Tata, “Cartoon Network and Pogo‘s relative shares in HSM have grown this January-May 2009 to 45 per cent from 41 per cent in the same period in 2008. These numbers are also a reflection of Turner‘s long term vision and strategy for India that has paid rich dividends making Cartoon Network and Pogo the most viewed and loved brands amongst kids in India. Not only kids, but parents too give the highest endorsement to these two networks as their choice for kids (per New Generations 2008).”

    “Besides, we also enjoy the lion‘s share of the advertising pie. Increased competition has not outstayed us from our leadership position in the last 13 years and that‘s a merit/result of our focus on the long-term rather than short-term measures and gains and a proof that we know and service our consumers best amongst all,” Tata adds.

    South Story

    Treading the Southern path, CN indisputably continues to rule the region exhibiting its leadership crown. Placing itself at the second spot, however, is not CN‘s sibling channel Pogo, the second in command in the All India market, but Disney‘s Jetix that is fed on action adventure content and targeted at only boys between the age-group of 6-10.

    “Of the two global channels (read Disney and Jetix), Jetix is a more defined channel. We have made it available in four languages – English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu,” said Walt Disney Television International (India) senior vice president and managing director Antoine Villeneuve earlier in an interview with Indiantelevision.com.

    South Market
    Channel
    Jan
    Feb
    Mar
    Apr
    May
    Cartoon Network
    36
    32
    35
    34
    32
    Jetix
    27
    32
    30
    26
    30
    Pogo
    26
    26
    25
    27
    26
    Nikelodeon
    3
    4
    4
    5
    5
    Disney
    4
    3
    4
    4
    3
    Hungama
    3
    3
    3
    3
    3
    Spacetoon Kidss TV
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    Source: TAM, C&S 4-14, All India

    Advertising and the kids‘ genre

    Advertising growth came under pressure amid recession and clients and advertisers became cautious about their ad spend. As a result kids channels were stressed to move to quarterly deals with big advertisers, slash their ad rates and see some brands do a walk out. Yet, in spite of all, the category saw its ad volume grow by 36.87 per cent for the period from January to May 2009 over the same period last year.

    Period
    Jan-May 08
    Jan-May 09
    AD Volumes (Secs ‘000s)
    7726
    10575
    Source: TAM

    So does this increase indicate that existing advertisers had increased their spots across the kids channels while channels were unable to attracting new advertisers during the recessionary period?

    “Not really. Television is the cheapest medium to reach out to the masses. For every other medium, there is an extra amount to be paid. Manufacturers understand this and they have also recognised our growth. And, thus, even during recession we have doubled our rates,” says Nick‘s Nina Elavia Jaipuria.

    While Nick claims that despite challenging times the channel quadrupled its sales revenue as advertisers found value in what they offered, Cartoon Network was on course to achieve its yearly targets.

    “We‘ve added more value for the advertisers with innovative and customised solutions. For example, ‘The Winning Secret‘ a contest specially created to build Boost‘s association as the energy partner for the Rajasthan Royals that received over 84000 entries! And, ‘Morning Shines‘, a customised pre-school programming block specially packaged for Johnsons Baby Top-to-Toe Wash,” says Tata.

    Apart from traditional advertisers, broadcasters state that a lot of non-traditional advertisers across sectors like FMCG, investment banks and durable products are also eyeing this space. The rationale behind this, they feel, are an increase in the co-viewing pattern and also the mere pester power of kids who have the ability today to influence parent‘s decisions.

    “In order to spend time with their kids, parents end up spending a lot of time on the kids channels. Also, animation as a category is today appealing to adults. Thus, a lot of co-viewing is taking place,” explains Jaipuria.

    Cartoon Network, meanwhile, claims that over 30 per cent of the channel‘s advertisers reach out to its secondary audience (that is 15+) such as Procter & Gamble, Gillette, Johnson & Johnson, Colgate Palmolive, Hindustan Unilevers, Reckitt Benckiser, SC Johnson, Marico, Vodafone, Bharti Airtel, BSNL, LG Electronics, Voltas, Whirlpool, Hitachi, Tata Tea and L‘Oreal, amongst others.

    Says Tata, “We have a robust portfolio of clients comprising both traditional and non-traditional kids‘ marketers with over 165 clients between Cartoon Network and Pogo. We are confident of further upping our non-traditional clientele, as 47 per cent of all viewership for the channels comes from CS 15+ audiences.”

    Broadcasters feel that the main factors that have led to the growth of the genre are localisation of content, co-viewing pattern, pester power of kids and taking the medium beyond the television space through licensing and merchandising, on-ground activities, constant promotions, polls, votes and contests.

    Local content adds a lot of local flavour to the content and therefore helps in increasing the channels‘ stickiness. CN believes that the 20 Indian animation shows/features playing on the channel have worked well for the channel. And its 2009 plan, therefore, is to expand on Indian animation content. For Pogo too the focal point will be to expand its original production.

    Similarly, while Disney has managed to establish its brand connect with audiences through its franchises, the ratings have been coming in from locally acquired live action content.

    “There has been an effect on ratings, but when it comes to a brand connect with the kids it is with our franchise properties. The best example of this is Hanna Montana. Our endeavour is to build a localised experience through Hanna Montana and our other properties,” says Villeneuve.

    All said and done, industry believes that even though the category‘s viewership continues to grow, even today it remains hugely under indexed. “As a result, in spite of contributing 7 per cent to the total television viewership, it commands only two per cent of the entire television ad revenue pie. This is because of the baggage that the space has been carrying over the years where advertisers are used to paying to the GECs,” avers Jaipuria.

  • Kids channels eye summer for growth

    Summer brings excitement for kids as well as kids broadcasters as the genre sees high growth during this vacation period.

    Sample this: last year after the launch of the summer line-up, the relative market share of the kids genre stood at 7.2 per cent (C&S, 4+, week ended 28 April, 2007), up from 6.9 per cent (C&S, 4+, week ended 21 April, 2007 after the summer programming was unveiled) as per Television audience measurement (Tam) data.

    This year too, the genre has increased from a relative share of 5.3 per cent (C&S, 4+, week ended 12 April, 2008) to 5.6 per cent (C&S, 4+, week ended 19 April, 2008) soon after the summer special programming was introduced.

    This clearly indicates an increased viewership and an ad sales growth over the three-month period (April- June). It is the sunshine period for the kids channels, when each one of them court their viewers with different customised offerings to have a bigger bite in the viewership pie.

    With several means of interactive contests, consumer products and on ground promotions, the channels put out their best properties to create each day as Sunday. 
     

     

    Turner’s two channels – Cartoon Network and Pogo – aim to further improve their leadership position this summer by banking on movies.

    Krrish, Chota Bheem, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Gulliver’s Travels, action-packed Trouble in Tokyo, Ninja Turtles III and Bal Ganesh are some of the titles that the channel is showing during the summer holidays. The network’s belief: movies will bring sticky viewers.

    Disney is also betting high on movies and contests for the three channels – Hungama TV, Disney channel and Jetix.

    Disney Channel will premiere two popular sequels of the original Movie – Cheetah Girls, High School Musical andMinutemen with a promise to keep the audience entertained during the vacation.

    Going by the interactivity mantra, both Hungama TV and Disney channel have announced contests on their respective channels. Hungama is back with the famous ‘Pyjama contest’ whereas Disney wants kids to catch the ‘Prof Silensor’.

    As the mercury rises, Disney Channel will kick off with an interactive dance segment titled ‘Nach To The Groove’. Kids can learn dance moves from Shiamak Davar. The channel will also throw open an on-air contest called ‘Disney Channel’s Summer Dance Off’ which invites kids and the tweens to step up and boogie with the latest dance and music.

    Nick, the fastest growing channel in the category, is not behind either. It has decided to take the kids on the dance floor through ‘Nick Fundoo Superstar’.

    But Nick has taken a different route by avoiding any kind of auditions. Kids, instead, have to answer simple questions and the lucky four get to dance in a music video with Mandira Bedi. The music video will be choreographed by Saroj Khan.

    “We believe that all kids are equal to us and we don’t want to judge them on their performance. Hence we choose a simple way of just asking them to watch Nick,” says Nick India VP and GM Nina Jaipuria.

    This is exactly what Nick did last year: the interactive contests and the Indian connect that it established with the kids fuelled its growth.

    Hungama has introduced new seasons for their best properties like Doraemon andKiteretsu. So has Nick with Ninja Hottoriand Perman.

    Stuart Little and Bingoo are some of the movies that Nick is banking on.

    Down in the South Chutti TV seems to be enjoying a monopoly. The leader in the southern market, it has unveiled 15 new properties for kids. Some of them are Glorious House, Spiderman and Bumper King.

    The Touch and Feel Factor

    Extending the favourite animated series on TV beyond the television screen brings in extra bucks for the kids channels especially during the summer vacation.

    To pull that extra amount, kids channels bring the animated characters live to the kids with customised merchandisng items. They tie up with various merchandising outlets for special items like noodles, toothpaste, deoderant, pencilbox, water-bottles and pencils.

    During the summer this year, kids channels have flooded the market with unique items like Disney noodles, Tom and Jerry toothpaste and deoderants. Besides, branded toys like Spongebob and Ben 10 are in high demand among kids.

    Attempting to win new eyeballs, Cartoon Network has associated itself with Zapak.com to launch an online gaming portal Zapakkids.com.The website will soon have over 40 Cartoon Network action-adventure packed online games.

    Featuring iconic Cartoon Network toon stars from shows such as Johnny Bravo, Code Name Kids Next Door, Dexter’s Laboratory, Courage the Cowardly Dog, and Ed, Edd N Eddy,these games have been specially created to enhance the gaming Cartoon Network experience.

    Says Zapak.com COO Rohit Sharma, “Kids aged 14 years and below constitute over 25 per cent of Zapak users online. They are the stickiest and the most loyal users on our site, which is definitely an area of focus for Zapak.”

    This ‘touch and feel’ factor is increasingly becoming important for channels to have a direct connect with their target audience. Its an awe factor that the channel capitalises on by bringing the kids face to face with their favourite characters.

    Ground events no doubt help channels in building reach and interaction with their target audience. It’s a medium that helps build brands, unlike passive media like print and radio.

    “Getting kids face to face with their favourite characters is the ultimate that we can offer,” adds Jaipuria.

    On 17 May Chutti TV will organize craft workshop for 4000 kids in Chennai.

    “Last month we had organised a mega workshop for various activities. It turned out to be great with a participation from 2000 kids,” says Chutti TV head Kavitha Jubin.

    Advertisers cash in

    With growth in the genre, advertisers have found out a new platform to exploit their brands.

    The advertisers are also taking maximum advantage with pester power and passive viewership coming into the picture.

    According to media planners, there has been a shift of viewership from Hindi general entertainment channels (GECs) to movie, news and kids channels. That has brought in a whole category of non conventional advertisers. FMCGs, insurance and real estate companies, for instance, have hopped on to the kids channels.

    According to Ad Ex Analysis, ad volumes of kids channels have increased tremendously from 2006 to 2007.

    Monthly Ad Volumes of Kid Channels
    Month 2006 2007
    April 1247 1409
    May 1356 2006
    June 1430 1862

    Source: AdEx India – A Division of TAM Media Research
    Figures are based on ad volumes (secondages for TV)

    Are summer months crucial for brand exploitation?

    Absolutely, say media planners. Perceptually as well as in reality, there is a viewership surge on kids’ channels during summer and therefore advertisers flock in to exploit their brands.

    Also, parents become liberal in purchasing what the kids ask for. Kids broadcasters gain from this, boosting their ad revenues during this period.

    “Our inventory for summer is already full and we have no more spots left for other brands,” adds Jubin.

    The field will become more active after the advent of new players, both in terms of audiences and advertisers.
  • ‘We are the second stickiest channel in the category today’ : Nina Elavia Jaipuria – Nick India VP and GM

    ‘We are the second stickiest channel in the category today’ : Nina Elavia Jaipuria – Nick India VP and GM

    Driving Nick India from a market share of a mere 9 per cent to 18 per cent has been a phenomenal journey for Nick India VP and GM Nina Elavia Jaipuria. The eight-year old kids’ channel got its act together last year and since then there has been no looking back. After years of relative reticence, popular characters Spongebob, Ninja and Perman are lifting the channel up.

     

    In an interview with Indiantelevision.com’s Richa Dubey, Jaipuria reveals what strategy worked for Nick and how she plans to grow the kids’ channel in a fiercely competitive marketplace.

     

    Excerpts:

    Nick has taken its channel share from 9 per cent in January 2007 to 18 per cent by the year-end. What has led to this fast growth?
    There was no fixed mantra but just a few insights which helped us get to the position where we are now. To feel the pulse of the kids, we built a connect with them, Indianised the channel and went beyond traditional TV.

     

    Everything done on the channel was done in a fashion to connect with kids – right from the way we packaged our shows, to dubbing and selecting the content, and scripting them.

     

    We have been very innovative in marketing our channel. We add an Indian flavour to whatever we do. For example, we celebrated festivals like Janmashtami by putting slime in the handi. We did Holi with Holi flash.

    While every channel in the genre is trying to do the same, how did you ensure to look different?
    Our first effort was to Indianise the channel and that worked wonders for us. It helped us in building affinity with kids.

     

    We interacted with kids more and more. We were no more a passive channel that they used to watch. We became a regular destination for them. We built a bond with the child and at every point of time the kid could have a dialogue with us through IVRS, SMS or through our website. There were initiatives like “Bhoot Aya,” “Chaddhi Buddy,” etc. which kept the kids engaged.

     

    In 12 months, we did some 19 initiatives. This means that at any given point of time, a kid could actually interact with us.

    Nick was perceived to be a very western channel. Wasn’t that a hindrance in getting the kids’ eyeballs?
    Yes, for a while, Nick was thought of as a very western channel with shows that were international. We acquired shows from the Asian territory and Indianised them. Shows like Perman, Munnabhai, Ninja Hatori. were Asian and brought a lot of Indianness on the channel.

    How interactive was Nick with kids?
    Interactivity is not just about interacting but about having a lot of fun. A lot of ideas were out of the box. Through initiatives like “Chaddhi Buddy,” where we ran a contest, we took best friends Spongebob and Patrick to the winner. Several other initiatives like Lot Pot, Pakda Pakdi, Masti Dosti, Chak De Ninja wih Ajay Jadeja or Gift Mangta, etc. helped us build the connect. Fundoo Star was another very innovative initiative whereby we got the kids on the TV.

     

    Engagement is very important as it keeps kids away from the remote. Our programming was such that it made them not to surf in and out of the channel, and made it very sticky for the kids. Following this, channel stickiness grew by 40 per cent. We are the second stickiest channel in the category today.

    What was the 360-degree approach you adopted?
    The other thing was enhancing the connection with a 360-degree approach. We went to places where kids were present. If they were watching general entertainment channels (GEC), then we had our ads on the GECs so that we got noticed by our TG and their parents. We promoted ourselves on the channel which families and kids together watched. We had promotions running across shows like Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Lil Champs, Voice of India and Boogie Woogie, which are popular among kids and families.

     

    We also did a lot of activities in shopping malls and schools. Nick went beyond TV and made it tangible. Kids could touch and feel their favourite characters, and that is the ultimate thing for them.

     

    Today it is all about viral and word of mouth. We also went on to retail our properties across various categories – apparels, story boards, PC games, water bottles, etc. Nick characters also appeared in Diamond Comics.
    ‘We would utilise our foreign library first and only then would we get into local content‘

    In terms of programming, how have you distinguished yourself from the other channels?
    As a kids’ broadcaster, it is important to realise that kids come to TV for relief. They want to be away from teachers and parents through Nick. We are a clean and responsible broadcaster. Within the genre, we offer a variety of programming. Our shows have slapstick comedy and silent humour, and even if there is a little action, it only adds to the humour.

     

    We realised that movies are a big source of entertainment for kids. So we launched “Nick Home Cinema” which has so far done very well.

    Could you please elaborate on your summer line-up?
    A new show Niender will kick off on 21 April. We also have a couple of new movies like Dinotopia and Under the Black Flag.

     

    We will show an entirely new series of Ninja Hatori and Perman which will be aired back to back. We are also planning interactive stuff around Mother’s Day which falls on 11 May.

    Like others in the genre, do you also have plans to foray into local content production?
    Kids’ content knows no boundaries. We have such a huge library worldwide and it has been popular. We would utilise it first and only then would we get into local content. It is just a matter of time. There is a lot of content still to be exploited. Until we have utilised all of that, I don’t think we will go ahead and manufacture it.

    Do you think that frequent channel launches are affecting the kids’ genre?
    No, not at all. In fact, the genre has grown and it’s all due to the offerings of the other channels. A kid does not want to watch a GEC. S/he needs to be given something different.

     

    There has been an increase in kids viewership. Kids are continuously getting enticed by the channel offerings. GECs do not focus on kids at all. The more focused and customised the offerings, the better is the growth of the category.

     

    Moreover, pester power is also influencing parents to let kids spend more time in front of TV.

    How much has passive viewership helped the channel?
    The trend is slowly changing. It’s now parents spending more time with kids on the kids’ channels. Kids’ programmes are very inclusive so the parents can also watch along with their kids. A lot of co-viewing is happening.

    Advertisers are taking advantage of that?
    Pester power and passive viewership have helped the channels in terms of advertisements. A lot of FMCGs, insurance and telecom brands have started advertising on kids’ channels. None of these directly target kids, but they obviously understand that co-viewing is happening.

     

    We ourselves started with 17 brands and now we have around 80 on board.

    Even GECs show kids’ programmes during weekends. Do you see that spoiling your Sunday line-up of shows?
    I would not deny that anything that is catering to a kid is a threat to us. Kids are not channel loyal; they are programme loyal. A kid watches a particular channel because of the show. The fact is that there is a lot of scope in kids, and so GECs are catering to them. Kids will watch a good film on any channel. But as a core kids’ broadcaster, we provide a complete 360-degree experience to the kids. We have our own set of marketing initiatives which make us stand apart.

    How do you ensure that Nick reaches to kids beyond TV in tier-2 cities?
    We normally try and reach cities in the Hindi speaking markets (HSM). We select key cities in UP, MP, Rajshthan and other parts in north India such as cities like Badodara, Surat, Ajmer, Jaipur, Allahabad, Varanasi and few others.

     

    We are available to around 24 million C&S homes.

    Do you have any plans to expand in the southern market?
    Our audio feed is available in English. We will consolidate our presence in HSM and only then explore the southern market. In Chennai, we are available in Cas (conditional accesss system) homes.

     

    We have syndicated some of our shows like Dora-the Explorer and Avtaar to Sun Network’s Chutti TV. We also have a tie-up with Jet Airways, who play our shows on the flights.
    Is there an increase in ad sales during vacations?
    Yes, there is but not much as it is seasonal. As far as viewership is concerned, vacation-watching contributes 20 per cent of the channel’s total audiences.