ITV

Tag: Nickelodeon

  • Nickelodeon and Sonic engage with over 500 schools across India

    Nickelodeon and Sonic engage with over 500 schools across India

    MUMBAI: School time is synonymous with friends, fun and learning and kids channels Nickelodeon and Sonic are set to add to the unforgettable experience. The campaigns, ‘Nickelodeon Party Hard with Motu Patlu’ and ‘Sonic Jo Dekhega Wo Jeetega’ aim at making school time special by curating a high octane entertainment and engagement event with kids. Upping the edutainment experience at schools, the month long engagement will reach out to over 5 lakh children in 500 schools across 16 cities in India.

     

    Days spent at school are most memorable and these campaigns through the school contact programme are all set to make sure that children celebrate the best years of their life.  The engaging programme kick starts with the introduction of the Nickelodeon and Sonic shows, leading to children participating in multiple learning based games with their favorite characters.  The games will be seamlessly integrated with team building activities with their school buddies and the Pakdam Pakdai gang.  Stories of their favorite characters Motu Patlu  will bring alive the spirit of friendship and themed games based on mind mapping and analytic skills will keep children engaged and entertained while also helping them hone their cognitive skills. Select few kids will also get a chance to win cool goodies and party with the awesome twosome Motu Patlu and get to win cool gadget from Sonic’s Pakdam Pakdai.

     

    Speaking about engaging with lakhs of kids though the school contact programme Nina Elavia Jaipuria, EVP & Business Head, Kids’ Cluster, Viacom 18 Media Pvt Ltd, said, “Engaging with children and making our characters an intrinsic part of every child’s life has been our key endeavor. Our robust school time engagement helps us connect with kids as we imbibe core values and skills in them. We are sure that kids will be delighted to spend time with their favorite characters at school with their friends”.

     

    Leading brands like Alpenliebe Juzt Jelly, Hamdard Joshina, Dabur Red Toothpaste, Act II Popcorn and Luxor have partnered with Nickelodeon in this celebration of school time.  The 1.5 month long initiative filled with laughter, action and entertainment will culminate on September 30th 2015.

  • Kids television viewership descends as summer vacation ends

    Kids television viewership descends as summer vacation ends

    MUMBAI: Summer holidays have come to an end and kids with their bags and water bottles have stomped back to school. While kids may be grumpy to wake up early and get back to the rigmarole of studies, another party that needs to wake up and take notice is the kids channels.

     

    With schools reopening, consumption of kid’s content on Indian television has seen a substantial dip according to an analysis by Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) India.

     

    The decline is very much evident across all age groups. While the 4-8 years category registered ratings of 142043 in week 21, it saw an ascend in week 22 where it garnered viewership of 144519. However, in the current week (week 23) after the re-opening of schools, it went down to 126079.

     

    On the other hand, the 9-14 years category also witnessed similar statistics where it fetched viewership of 114754 in week 21 and witnessed a substantial growth with 118091 in week 22. However, not surprisingly, in week 23 it dropped to 106168.

     

    As per the analysis, the Southern and Western part of the country, where most schools have restarted, has witnessed a major decline in viewership. On the other hand, in North India where schools are yet to open, retains similar viewership. This goes to prove that the reopening of schools is the critical reason behind the decline in viewership.

     

     

    Another key depiction that emerges from BARC India’s analysis is that even though Northern India contributes more in kids viewership, at a macro level Sothern India is the biggest market for kids in India.

     

     

    With kids going back to school, looks like kids channels’ executives will also need to take home some learnings. It now remains to be seen the bunnies that the likes of Cartoon Network, Pogo, Nickelodeon et al pull out of their hats in the light of BARC India’s latest analysis. One thing is for sure, kids content producers will have to do what it takes to stop viewership from declining any further.

  • Nickelodeon acquires BBC’s new ‘Teletubbies’ series for US

    Nickelodeon acquires BBC’s new ‘Teletubbies’ series for US

    MUMBAI: Nickelodeon has acquired the exclusive US broadcast and on-demand rights for the new Teletubbies series for broadcast on its Nick Jr. channel.

     

    Nickelodeon has also taken all 365 classic Teletubbies episodes from the original series for Noggin, its new mobile subscription service for preschoolers. The series has been commissioned by CBeebies in the UK.

     

    DHX Media, an international player in the creation of content for families and children licensed the show to Nickelodeon.

     

    DHX Media SVP distribution Josh Scherba said, “There has been overwhelming international interest in the new Teletubbies series, and appetite for the classic episodes remains exceptionally strong. With Nickelodeon on board for the US, as well as CBeebies in the UK and further deal announcements pending, we are building incredibly strong foundations for the next-generation Teletubbies.”

     

    The timeless, unique and much-loved Teletubbies are re-imagined for a new generation in 60 brand new episodes for 2016, starring costume characters Tinky Winky, Dipsy, Laa-Laa and Po. With rewarding rituals, sound play, and physical comedy, new-generation Teletubbies will build upon many familiar and beloved features of the original series, but offer some exciting and surprising new developments too. With the Teletubbies landscape replaced and replicated by a beautiful, detailed model that will be enhanced via CGI, there will be freedom to apply large doses of creative imagination to Teletubbies stories. The wonderful new world of the Teletubbies will resonate with young preschoolers, reflecting child development and learning in a stimulating and contemporaneous manner.

     

    Teletubbies first launched in March 1997 and became one of the most successful global children’s brands of all time. It has reached over one billion children to date and the original episodes have aired in over 120 territories in 45 different languages. It was the very first western pre-school property to air on China’s CCTV reaching an audience of 300 million children.

  • Viacom18 puts marketing might behind summer shows across three kids’ channels

    Viacom18 puts marketing might behind summer shows across three kids’ channels

    MUMBAI: Summer is here and that means it’s that time of the year when channels and brands alike go all out to woo their favourite consumer – the kids!

     

    Nickelodeon for one is all set to entertain kids across the country with exciting offerings across its four channels namely Nick, Sonic, Nick Jr. and Teen Nick.

     

    Building on its unparalleled leadership story, Nickelodeon has unveiled its detailed plans for the summer, which includes a robust programming line-up along with interactive campaigns on-air, on-ground and online. From power-packed promotions to new shows, new seasons and more, Nickelodeon is geared up to engage kids across age groups this summer.

     

    Nick: The undisputed leader of the kids’ genre

     

    To consolidate the leadership position, which the channel has been enjoying for the last couple of months, Nick has set the stage for its flagship show Motu Patlu by launching a campaign called ‘Motu Patlu Hero Hunt.’

     

    As per the data released by BARC for week 16, Nick maintained the lead with 61,287 GTVTs (Gross Television Viewership in Thousands) followed by Pogo, which had 58,473 GTVTs and Cartoon Network with 39,495 GTVTs.

     

    Viacom18 – kids cluster EVP and business head Nina Elavia Jaipuria avers that the channel’s viewership grows by almost 15 per cent during the summer months. “We are making sure that we are out on the front foot entertaining and engaging kids with our best content and best promotions,” she asserts.

     

    Keeping in line with the changing and ever evolving preference of children, Jaipuria believes that it is imperative to understand the current fads and trends in the kids’ space.

     

    For the Motu Patlu Hero Hunt, Nick will give kids an opportunity to get animated alongside the two characters. “Kids love to be on television and if they are in the animated avatar, there’s nothing like it. So based on that learning, we will run a contest on the channel wherein kids can answer a simple question and win a chance to feature on the Motu Patlu show in an animated avatar,” informs Jaipuria.

     

    “This kind of promotion merits a great marketing plan because we need to give it surround sound and create enough awareness about the promotion,” she adds.

     

    To give wings to the campaign, Nick will roll out a 360 degree campaign across the country, which will include cross channel television plan, print, ambient, digital and a whole host of experiential touch points to engage with kids wherever they are.

     

    As part of the on-ground promotional activity, Nick has also planned tons of games and fun activities for kids in malls across Mumbai and Delhi.

     

    Through augmented reality, kids will be able to see their animated avatar talking to Motu Patlu on the screen in the mall. “With this initiative, we will see how augmented reality actually converts kids into an animated avatar,” adds Jaipuria.

     

    The network has also partnered with 26 Pantaloons outlets in the country where the retail chain will hold a ‘Junior Fashion Week’ and conduct auditions in their outlets with finales being held at Mumbai, Delhi, Calcutta and Bangalore. In these cities, Motu Patlu will also be the part of the fashion show and walk the ramp with children.

     

    In order to generate awareness about the promotions, Nick has also tied up with almost 25-30 McDonald’s outlets in the north and west.

     

    No promotion activity or marketing campaign these days is replete without a digital presence. Nick is creating a micro site – nickindia.comfor the iconic characters, which will have a whole lot of videos and promotional material. Additionally, the channel has also loaded the website with as many as 15 games, which kids can enjoy playing. “The whole play factor comes into place here and kids can play with our characters because they love them so much,” Jaipuria says.

     

    Nick will also be milking the consumer products segment in order create the required euphoria for Motu Patlu. “While we had the apparels earlier, this season we are focusing on ‘Back to School’ as soon the kids and their mothers will start buying new stuff for school. Some of the branded products we will be launching are bags, water bottles, lunchboxes and zippers amongst others,” informs Jaipuria.

     

    Adding to the summer excitement will be the launch of Motu Patlu’s sixth exclusive ‘made-for-television’ movie, Motu Patlu Kung Fu King Returns, which will be released in June. The channel will also launch all new episodes of the show this season. This will be preceded by the launch of the latest SpongeBob adventure: The SpongeBob Movie – Sponge Out of Water, which will release across India on 8 May, 2015.

     

    Sonic: Selfies & new shows

     

    Nick’s sister channel Sonic is taking a different route in terms of promotions. According to Jaipuria, being a smaller channel, the summer months helps Sonic grow by getting in new viewers, which leads to drive a better reach of the channel.

     

    Riding on the selfie wave that has swept adults and kids alike, Sonic has launched a summer campaign with the tagline ‘Selfie Kheecho Prizes Jeeto’ to drive engagement with the digital savvy generation.

     

    The idea is for the kids to watch Sonic’s show Pakdam Pakdai, take selfies with Doggy Don and send it to the channel. Winners stand a chance to win smartphones and tablets. The selfies will also be uploaded on sonicgang.com as videos and gags.

     

    For Sonic, Viacom 18 is focusing on smaller cities and has launched van activations in 15 cities across the states of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.

     

    Sonic will also connect with kids across multiple retail touch-points such as Funcity across 12 cities and numerous McDonald’s outlets pan India.

     

    Further building on the Pakdam Pakdai franchise, the channel will be launching all new episodes of the action packed chase-comedy show this summer. Sonic has also launched two new shows called Hubert Takako and Mini Ninjas.

     

    “With all the marketing this summer, we want to make sure that the advertisers are also happy with the kind of viewership and promotions we have,” adds Jaipuria.

     

    Teen Nick: New shows

     

    Realising that kids are watching international shows online on YouTube, Viacom 18 brought those shows on its channel Teen Nick. The new shows that will be aired on Teen Nick this summer are Marvin Marvin and a sitcom called Nicky Dicky Dawn.

     

    Nick Jr: Dora takes the lead

     

    Dora leads the pack on Nick Jr this summer. On 14 May, the channel will celebrate Mother’s Day with Dora and Gelato in four cities namely Mumbai, Pune, Delhi and Bangalore. Kids and mothers can walk in and enjoy free scoops of ice-cream. On the consumer products front,Dora continues to have its back-to-school goodies.

     

    With the new shows on-board, Jaipuria reveals that the channel will stick to its five-seven hours of original programming. “We don’t play the 24-hour repeat but play other repeats so kids don’t feel that they are watching the same episodes again and again,” informs Jaipuria.

     

    Happy Advertisers

     

    New advertisers have flocked to the channel ever since the network achieved its leadership position last year with Nick. Viacom 18 has advertisers across categories like food, FMCG, automobile brands like Honda and Hyundai, as well as brands like OLX, Micromax and Whirpool to name a few.

     

    Advertisers who get active in the summers months are Rasna, Tang, Horlicks and Mother Dairy amongst others.

     

    Jaipuria reveals that it has been a good year in terms of ad sales growth and hopes that the quarter continues to grow even further. In terms of ad sales, the Nickelodeon franchise has witnessed a growth of 33 per cent. “Most of that has come through increase in our rates. We are happy to note that we are in the right trajectory, the shortage in inventory and our heroes – Motu and Patlu, Ninja and Pakdam Pakdai have made it happen for us.”

     

    The leadership position has helped the network monetize better thus making ad sales rates growth by 33 per cent, informs Jaipuria.

     

    Talking about the 10-sec ad rate, she says, “We saw the growth coming in Nick last year because of the leadership position and with our delivery being good, we were able to command our increase right. Summer observes a shortage in the inventory as well and therefore we would obviously like to give it to advertisers, who will pay us more because of the inventory shortage.”

     

    In ad rates, last year the Nickelodeon franchise witnessed a growth of 25-30 per cent and Jaipuria is hoping to keep it at the same rate this quarter as well. The network will continue the rate hike through summer as it has consolidated its leadership position and also advertisers are interested in their 12-minutes inventory.

     

  • Viacom launches ‘Vantage’ ad sales data product

    Viacom launches ‘Vantage’ ad sales data product

    MUMBAI: Viacom has launched an innovative, data-driven ad product called Viacom Vantage that enables advertisers to reach their custom targets at the program level across the Viacom Media Networks portfolio.

     

    The new approach transforms traditional media planning and offers advertisers more choice, more flexibility and increased accountability. Through a combination of enhanced consumer targeting and a deep understanding of how various audience segments consume content across our platforms, Viacom Vantage predicts, which content will perform the best for our clients across MTV, Comedy Central, VH1, Nickelodeon, CMT, Spike, TV Land and Logo.

     

    “Our guiding principle is to offer best-in-class and client-centered products for our advertising partners. Viacom Vantage is our latest cutting edge product to deliver on that promise by enabling our clients to close the gap between how they define their true segments and where their messages can work best in reaching that audience on our shows,” said Viacom Media Networks head of sales Jeff Lucas.

     

    Developed in-house over a year ago, Viacom Vantage’s beta version was successfully piloted with a select group of national partners including Horizon Media. Viacom Vantage offered each of these clients deep data integrations, customized capabilities and took on operational and inventory management efforts to drive unique media plans and help set new industry standards.

     

    “When Viacom came to us with this new ad solution, we recognized immediately it was a novel approach that could greatly build upon the effectiveness of our client’s investment. The results far exceeded our expectations by directly identifying and reaching our targeted consumers and providing us with precisely the right programming that would generate the highest return,” said Horizon Media senior vice president, director of national television Dave Campanelli.

     

    Now in its second year and available at scale to clients, Viacom Vantage is the result of years of strategic investment in data, proprietary research and ongoing optimization to build out new predictive models. It goes far beyond the traditional age and gender demographics and provides the capability to integrate attitudinal and behavioral segments with other off-the-shelf segments by using a unique algorithm that is custom fit to each advertiser’s goals.

     

    “Our holistic and highly customizable approach to data is far ahead of the industry curve and leverages the unparalleled social and digital reach of our programming to help unlock insights into the commercial and digital behaviors of our audiences. By effectively merging our expansive data footprint with syndicated research, we can continuously optimize media plans to integrate our advertisers’ messaging on the exact right shows at the exact right time,” added Viacom Media Networks executive vice president, data strategy and consumer intelligence Kern Schireson.

  • Nickelodeon mobilises Gen-Next with Big Green Help 2015

    Nickelodeon mobilises Gen-Next with Big Green Help 2015

    MUMBAI: Kids inspire, influence and hold the baton to the future of society. It is this kid power that Nickelodeon has sought to unleash with the Big Green Help 2015. Answering the nation’s clarion call for Swach Bharat and taking it a step further, the pro-socio environment initiative will empower and encourage kids to save the planet and its resources.

     

    The Big Green Help will provide information and tools to kids to understand various environmental issues like conserving energy, preserving nature and fighting pollution hazards, amongst many others. Nick will make this serious topic very relevant and kid friendly with the adorable Nicktoons spreading the key message of saving the planet.

     

    Viacom18 Media EVP and business head – kids cluster Nina Elavia Jaipuria said, “Nickelodeon continuously engages with kids on issues that affect their lives and encourages them to take action. With The Big Green Help, we aim to provide them with the necessary knowledge so they can become part of the environmental solution and ensure a brighter future for themselves.”

     

    Post its success in the last couple of years, the Big Green Help initiative by Nickelodeon has now made its way into the digital space through an exclusive microsite (nickindia.com/BGH). The microsite will allow kids to learn more about the environmental issues and be the “Agents of Change” to make the world a healthier place.

     

    The on-air campaign further resonates this message and showcases kids taking the higher ground and encouraging adults to walk the right path.

     

    Nickelodeon has also launched a new chapter in their environmentally friendly challenge by opening up an online game – The Big Green Game with a goal of kindling real-world action for environmental change. The popular Motu – Patlu Nicktoons characters will be featured wherein they will be on a mission to clean Furfuri Nagar and make it garbage free. The online kid’s game seeks to use social media as a tool to help educate today’s children about global environmental concerns.

     

    Launched with the goal of spurring a kid-led movement, the channel also encourages kids to pledge to be green ‘Refuse, Reduce , Reuse , Recycle’ and take actionable stops in the real world through projects in their communities and schools.

  • Decision on Nick proposal for buying entire holding in Prism TV deferred

    Decision on Nick proposal for buying entire holding in Prism TV deferred

    NEW DELHI: The Government today deferred approval to a proposal by Nickelodeon Asia Holdings Pte. Ltd., Singapore for purchasing the entire holdings of Shinano Retail Private Limited, India.

     

    Nickelodeon Asia Holdings plans to purchase the holdings of Shinano in Prism TV Private Limited.

     

    The Finance Ministry on the recommendation of the Foreign Investments Promotion Board (FIBP) approved a proposal of Viacom 18 Media Pvt. Ltd. for the deletion of one condition in the amendment.

     

    However, this does not involve any foreign direct investment (FDI).

  • We deserve it, says Nina Jaipuria as ad sales rates hike 25-30%

    We deserve it, says Nina Jaipuria as ad sales rates hike 25-30%

    MUMBAI: Pleasing a child is a daunting task and taking the challenge head on is none other than Nickelodeon and Sonic. With the new year coming in, the channels are set to excite its viewers with surprises and celebrations. Re-enforcing its market leadership, while Nick has got back Oggy and the Cockroaches, the action packed, chase comedy Pakdam Pakdai will be seen on Sonic, starting 22 December. 

    This is in line with the channel’s strategy to bring alive the thought of “Action Ka Tevar with Comedy Ka Flavour.”

    “Nick has already established its leadership position with characters like Motu Patlu and Ninja that we have nurtured over the years. Now its time to focus on Sonic. The shift of Pakdam Pakdai to Sonic is a strategic move in that direction. The show will rest only on Sonic since we do not want to dilute the franchise and keep both our channels differentiated,” says Viacom18 EVP and business head kids cluster Nina Elavia Jaipuria.

    To back this up, it is launching the first Pakdam Pakdai movie called Pakdam Pakdai – Don v/s Billiman on 25 December at 11.30 am on Sonic. Adding to the supersonic line-up is Sci -Fi Santa and all new episodes of Power Rangers with an entertaining array of new shows like Rimba Racer, Mini Ninjas and Jungle Bunch.

    To up the entertainment quotient, Nick will be airing the fifth exclusive made for television Motu Patlu movie: Motu Patlu Aur Khazane Ki Race. “There is always room for more. The kids demand for more and hence as the year progesses you will not only see newer episodes of Motu Patlu but also many more made for television movies.”

    Talking about the next big initiative, Oggy and the Cockroaches is all set to make a come back on Nick. Premiering on 1 January 2015, the channel has already created a bank of 65 episodes. This character was made about five years ago and very quickly it became a chart topper. “What we got was a silent show, but we dubbed it and it became a runaway success.” 

     

    2014: A successful year…

    In the year, Sonic has grown almost 200 per cent in terms of ratings. “We couldn’t have asked for a better growth story for Sonic. Small and steady but we are happy the way the graph is looking now.”

    As per TAM ratings provided by the channel in All India ABC CS 4-14, Sonic’s reach has grown by 63 per cent and time spent by 93 per cent as compared to last year. “Not only we want more viewers but we want them to stick on our channel and the growth clearly shows that the content is sticky and the characters have already made their way into the hearts and minds of children. Our closest competitor Disney XD has de-grown and trails by 25 TVTs in November’14,” points out Jaipuria.

    What led to the 200 per cent viewership growth on Sonic? The holiday season did wonders for the channel where close to 1.5 million kids engaged all through summer. The channel conducted a ‘Back to School’ campaign to ‘Be the Ranger’ across 11 cities and 200 schools and grabbed eyeballs of almost 1.6 lakh kids. Moreover, it was followed by ‘Diwali Dhamaka’ campaign that reached out to over 10 million kids across the country. ‘Meet the Rangers in USA’ was an exciting mass media campaign with the ultimate thrill factor where the winner kids got a chance to meet the actual power rangers in USA.

    Power Rangers visited malls and game-plexes and challenged kids to take up the multicity gaming championship. The channel received over 15,000 entries. With Christmas nearing, the channel is conducting a sci-fi Santa contest, a month full of amazing prizes to be won every day.

    The reason behind so many campaigns and activities was to make Sonic more popular amongst its TG. “The Sonic task was very different for us because it was about creating awareness for the channel in the digitized markets given that Sonic is only available in digital markets.”

    From April 2013 to November 2013 and from April 2014 to November 2014, the kids’ category has witnessed a growth of 7 per cent. From the category, Nick tops the chart with 21 per cent growth in the ratings followed by Hungama with 9 per cent and rest all the channels have registered a drop.

    So what has worked wonders for Nick? According to Jaipuria, the three stalwarts on the channel – Motu Patlu, Pakdam Pakdai and Ninja Hattori have added to most ratings. In a very short span of time Motu Patlu managed to grab 44 per cent of the ratings, Pakdam Pakdai (9 per cent) and Ninja Hattori  (43 per cent).

    Jaipuria believes it is not just about TAM, but how the channel captures the hearts and minds of the little kids and to create the bond and relationship. “In the kids category the characters are most important to drive viewer affinity.  It is the character that forges the relationship and bond with our viewers along with engaging story-telling and great quality of animation.”

    The channel conducted ‘Be the Boss’ campaign where Nicktoons travelled to each winner’s city to hand them their ‘Appointment Letters’ to invite them to the corporate office. Over 21,000 entries participated to ‘Be the Boss’.

    Talking about the achievements, in the 11th edition of Ormax – Small Wonders Study, Nick’s Ninja Hattori, Motu Patlu and Sonic’s Power Rangers made their way amongst the top 10 characters.

    So, what made Nick stand out in the crowd? According to Jaipuria the trend in the category has not been Hollywood or Bollywood, but it is about creating movies that kids actually love. The fourth movie – Motu Patlu Kung Fu Kings was a runaway success. It was the category leader and in the week when it premiered it garnered around 777 TVTs.

    In 2014, Nick has attracted almost 20-30 new advertisers. Brands like Snapdeal, OLX, Godrej, Gionee Smartphones, Rasna etc have come on board. Talking about the entire franchise, it has attracted 105 new advertisers and 300 brands.

    With holidays coming, the channel is celebrating with consumer activations. ‘Lift your Gift’ contest, which started from 8 December and will go on for a month long, is one example.

    The channels have the advantage of being part of the network, which caters to the age group of 0-50 plus. “We have kids, youth and then general entertainment and that’s how we leverage and build on each other.”

    For instance, the characters Motu Patlu hit the highest peak of popularity when they did the jig with the stars in Jhalak Dikhlaja (JDJ).

    What seems to be the happy moment for Nick is that the ad sales category has grown by 14 per cent which is actually growing faster than the kids category (7 per cent). Jaipuria says the reason is the 12-minute ad cap which fuelled the shortage of inventory and therefore led to an automatic increase of ad rates.

    Considering the 12-minute ad cap, Jaipuria reveals that the entire network is already houseful. But talking about the other side of the story, she feels the category continues to be under indexed. “While the ad sales for the category is growing, it is still hugely under indexed.  The genre contributes about 9 per cent of viewership at a CNS 4+ but less than 2 per cent of the total TV  ad pie.  This needs to be addressed and we are sure that this disparity will soon be corrected.”

    The network has gone beyond the usual FCT and is working on innovations; from customised on-air solutions to product licensing and from in-show placements to product licensing and promotional licensing. “The non FCT pieces are one that not only helps broadcasters like us but also helps advertisers in a big way.”

    When the IP belongs to the owner, one can possibly try and create things with it. For example, Pakdam Pakdai has made it to overseas markets and is syndicated to almost seven territories outside of India like Middle East, South Asia etc and has become a small part of the revenue stream for the channel. 

    Keeping ahead of the curve and being future ready, assuming kids are consuming television on mobile, laptops and internet, the network has got its websites up and running. While Nickindia.com boasts of 3.5 million page views, sonicgang.com has 1.75 million page views. To top it all, it witnessed over 5 minutes of average time spent on each visit.

    Keeping in mind that kids won’t always be available on laptops or desktops, it has launched a Nick World app with the Nick shows and Keymon O’Fish game on iOS and Android platforms. It has got almost 30,000 downloads.

    Jaipuria feels that the challenge in the industry is to write movies in animation and there is dearth of writers in the space. “It’s the chase at the end of the day. We have handful of people in the category and for us hunting new talent is always a task. Even the production houses find it very hard.”

    On the financial side, Jaipuria reveales that the ad sales rates for the entire franchise has grown by 25-30 per cent. “We deserve it and the category also deserves it.” She further says that unlike Hindi fiction which costs around Rs 6-8 lakh per episode, animation content per episode is Rs 15-20 lakh.

    On the subscription revenue, the network has witnessed a growth of 15-18 per cent. “Thankfully the PnL’s are looking healthier, thanks to the subscription revenues.”

  • Thousands of kids want to ‘Be the Boss’ on Nickelodeon for Children’s Day

    Thousands of kids want to ‘Be the Boss’ on Nickelodeon for Children’s Day

    MUMBAI:This Children’s Day, Nickelodeon decided to turn over the reins of their kids channels to a very discerning set of people – the kids! Nickelodeon invited children to send in entries for an exciting campaign called Nickelodeon ‘Be The Boss’. The campaign ran online and on air for over a month and attracted a phenomenal response with a whopping 21,000+ entries pouring in from children across India!  And now, the verdict is out and the bosses have been chosen.Iqra Khan – Age 11 of Indore, AditeyaGoyal – Age 7 andRohit Gupta – Age 13 of Chandigarh, Naman Dixit – Age 12 of Jaipur andUnamaniSameer Shinde – Age 11 of Mumbaiare now all set to take on the reins of Nickelodeon for a day.

    As bosses of Nickelodeon for a day, these five head honchos will take on the roles of bosses and will call the shots at the corporate office of Nickelodeon in Mumbai. It’s going to be their way or the highway! Making their somersault up the corporate ladder even more special, the winners received their ‘Engagement Letters’ from none other than Nickelodeon’s very own stars –NicktoonsMotu Patlu, Dora The Explorer and Ninja Hattori who went all the way to their home towns to personally deliver thegood news. Turning the tables around, these new bosses will now get to decide which Nicktoon gets how much air time on their favorite channel – Nickelodeon. Subsequently these new bosses will also turn celebrities and be brought on Nickelodeon.

    Talking about the launch of this inimitable initiative, Nina ElaviaJaipuria, EVP & Business Head, Kids Cluster said,“Nickelodeon is a channel of the kids, for the kids and by the kids. The winners are in for the most memorable and priceless experience of their life. We are sure that these children, brimming with ideas, will bring a new wave of energy in Nickelodeon and I am more than happy to step aside and hand over the reins to these little bosses.”

    They may have just entered the workforce, but these little bosses have already started planning on initiatives thechannel should take in December.Starting with the first major decision on behalf of the channel, the dynamic five have decided to work on an exciting idea for the month of December where kids across the country will be treated to an all new first ever PakdamPakdai movie. Children will also be able to participate in an exciting PakdamPakdai contest to win cool prizes. What’s more? The new bosses will also be working on making Christmas special with a cool Sci-Fi Santa on Sonic.To turn their day at Nickelodeon into a sweet memory for all, the new fabulous five have also tied-up with Theobroma, best known for its cakes and pastries. With the intent of making Children’s Day special for their friends, the have called for customized Dora The Explorer and SpongeBob Squarepants cupcakes to be distributed on the house across various Theobroma outlets on 14th November.  

     

  • Fly to USA to meet the SONIC “Power Rangers”

    Fly to USA to meet the SONIC “Power Rangers”

    MUMBAI: Its action time for all the Power Rangers fans across the country.  Sonic the channel for the action loving generation is geared up to turn every kid’s dream into reality with the launch of their new initiative – ‘Meet the Power Rangers in USA’ contest. The lucky kids will win an all-expenses paid trip to the United States of America where they will meet the Power Rangers in person and get a chance to click photographs alongside their favorite superheroes.

     

    The contest is currently on-air on Sonic Monday to Friday 3:30pm, giving kids the opportunity to not just meet the Power Rangers in USA, but also a chance to win super cool Power Ranger figurines daily.

     

    Speaking about the initiative, Nina Elavia Jaipuria, EVP & Business Head, Kids Cluster, Viacom18 said, “The key priority for us has always been to consistently engage with kids through innovative and experiential campaigns on television and beyond. The ‘Meet The Power Rangers in USA’ campaign is another step towards creating a tangible interface for children by providing them their most memorable and priceless moment – A personal tryst with their favorite superheroes.”

     

    Adding to the excitement of the contest, Sonic – the destination for real action and adventure, will also spread thrill and delight amongst children across India with  the all new power-packed episodes of Power Rangers. The new high octane season – Super Megaforce will see the Power Rangers stop at nothing to foil the plans of alien attack force.

     

    Sonic will take the action beyond television and engage with this wired generation. ‘Meet the Power Rangers in USA’ contest will also be promoted through a 360 degrees marketing campaign that will include an extensive on-air promotion on the Nickelodeon franchise channels and on relevant GECs and Movie channels. In addition, there is also a high decibel promotion across multiple platforms like digital with a dedicated microsite for the Power Ranger Contest on sonicgang.com and print promotions.

     

    The campaign will be further amplified through on- ground activations in malls in Mumbai and Delhi and extended to relevant touch points for kids such as Hamley’s, Funcity, etc. The Hamley’s activity in November will be across Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai will have performances and meet and greet with the Power Rangers. Kids can also participate in trivia sessions and win exciting prizes.

     

    Staring 8th November, the action and excitement begins at Funcity in 11 cities like Delhi, Jaipur, Mumbai, Thane, Chennai and more as kids battle it out against each other to be the ultimate Sonic gaming Champion along with promotions for the Sonic Meet the Rangers in USA campaign across 15 outlets.