ITV

Tag: Priyanka Datta

  • Content differentiation has been the clear winner for Zindagi: Punit Goenka

    Content differentiation has been the clear winner for Zindagi: Punit Goenka

    MUMBAI: A result of ZEEL MD and CEO Punit Goenka’s gut feeling, Zindagi, the premium mass Hindi entertainment channel from the network, was meant to be a breath of fresh air in the cluttered market space.

    Launched six months ago on 23 June, the channel promised to break out of the usual set framework and melodrama with the shows never seen on Indian small screens. Keeping true to its philosophy and tagline Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, shows from across the border were handpicked to meet the Indian sensibilities.

    With 32 GVTs in week 51 of TAM TV ratings, the channel targeting at the CS4+ AB in Hindi speaking markets (HSM) is happy with its performance, so far. “Extremely delighted with the launch and the subsequent response we are getting from the viewers. The channel has been received very well and has a rapidly growing loyal base,” says Goenka who believes that Zindagi has managed to create a new category in the Hindi entertainment space and is the only premium Hindi channel in India.

    The stories, when compared to the over-the-top (OTT) Hindi melodrama, have a realistic outlook. The natural settings and pragmatic acting make the shows like Humsafar, Maat, Kitni Girhain Baaki Hain stand true to its tagline ‘jodey dilon ko’. To top it all, it has made Pakistani actors household names so much so that many have entered Bollywood after the popularity gained here. “Zindagi has introduced many firsts on Indian televisions in the Hindi entertainment space today, be it finite nature of dramas or original soundtrack in every drama and many more,” pinpoints Goenka.

    “Content is king and since launch, all that has been shown on Zindagi has appealed to audiences (males and females) of all ages,” adds the channel business head Priyanka Datta.

    “The way we wanted to establish our channel, we have been able to achieve so,” says Zeel chief sales officer Ashish Sehgal. Butting the critics, who say that for a channel which wants to compete with the GECs hasn’t achieved the numbers needed to survive in the highly volatile market, Sehgal says, “TAM doesn’t have the ample sample size and most niche channels – English as well as infotainment – face the same number wrath.”

    He goes on to explain that in the country, when it comes to compartmentalisation of genres, English means niche and Hindi means mass, which doesn’t stand correct for a channel like Zindagi. Catering to the “evolved” viewers who have the disposable income, the channel wants to tell the brands that it is a perfect platform to cater to the premium TG.

    Started with only 20-25 clients, the channel now boasts of 100 clients. “We haven’t compromised on our pricing and are still getting new clients as well as repeat ones, which is a very good signal,” says Sehgal. The channel has jewellery brands, premium FMCG brands like P&G, Nestle amongst many others as its clientele. A 10 second ad rate at the core primetime demands from Rs 20,000 to Rs 25,000 while non primetime varies from Rs 8,000 to Rs 10,000.

    “The market is slowly accepting the channel as well as understanding its TG,” says Sehgal and adds, “One must understand that the channel was launched midyear and by then most media agencies had formed their key performance indicators (KPI) for their clients. Therefore, they either advised clients to come to us on their own or asked them to keep out. We are optimistic that things will change next year as agencies will support us and help us take our business higher.”

    With marketing budget being 25 per cent of the entire pie, the channel aims to double its clientele as well as make it more acceptable to brands in the coming year. “The year 2015, will see us escalating our charge as we will build on marketing campaigns and continue to get newer faces and stories,” highlights Sehgal.

    The channel isn’t affected by the two more channels, Sony Pal and Epic, which were launched after it. “Pal caters to SEC CD and Epic still has a long way to get people’s acceptance,” opines Sehgal while adding that Zindagi on the other hand has been able to tap into the audience’s mindset. “Unlike other established GECs also we have a very high, almost 90 per cent, engagement level with the fans on social media.” At the time of writing the article, the channel has 10.5k followers on Twitter while 314,971 likes on Facebook.

    With storyline as its hero and an agenda of generating beyond Rs 100 crore revenue in 2015, the channel hopes to breakeven by 2016.  “Clearly and most definitely content and the content differentiation from what has been seen on television in the Indian sub continent till Zindagi was launched, has proved to be the clear winner,” opines Goenka on what makes the channel stand out.

    On plans for the channel in the coming year, Datta says, “In the coming year, we will also start producing original content for Zindagi.”

    “After the phenomenally encouraging response to the channel, we will definitely stay the course where Zindagi is concerned and will create and source stories from different demographics that will appeal to the sensibilities of discerning audience and bring freshness to storytelling style in India,” concludes Goenka.

     

  • Zindagi partners with Give India to better some lives

    Zindagi partners with Give India to better some lives

    MUMBAI: Launched with the aim of connecting hearts, Zindagi, is now returning its gratitude to all its dedicated audiences in a very unique manner.

     

    Every hour, 31 children across the world are robbed off a future due to HIV.  3.8 million people go blind because of cataract every year. Over 50 per cent of Indian children drop out of school because they can’t afford to. This December, Zindagi has associated with Give India to undertake an initiative to bring about a change in the lives of children suffering from AIDS, old aged people suffering from cataract and children who are deprived of education.

     

    The channel will donate to this cause on behalf of its dedicated viewers with a unique initiative on social media platforms. Kick starting on World Aids Day i.e. 1 December 2014, Zindagi will invite its fans to post messages on its official Facebook page in support of little children suffering from AIDS. With every comment made on the Facebook page, Zindagi will make a contribution towards the fund on behalf of its fans. The amount raised through the day will be donated to support the living expenses of these children for a month. On 2 and 3 December, Zindagi will conduct similar initiatives to sponsor surgeries for aged people suffering from cataract and sponsor school supplies for children who cannot afford education respectively.

     

    Zindagi invites active participation from viewers through their Facebook page where they have to post comments supporting this cause. Each day, the first 60 viewers that post comments will get a certificate from Zindagi acknowledging their contribution towards the cause.

     

    Speaking about this initiative, the channel’s business head Priyanka Datta said, “Zindagi has had such a phenomenal response from audiences in India since its launch and this initiative is just our way of saying ‘Thank you’! The appreciation we have received in the last 5 months is humbling and this is a very small step onour digital platforms taken to make a difference in some lives for all the love and support we have received.”

  • Zindagi: Catering to the progressive woman in you!

    Zindagi: Catering to the progressive woman in you!

    The two countries were divided, thousands were left homeless, and since then many wars have been fought between the two nations as well. But there still remains that minute thread which continues to join the chords amongst us all.

    Border, Veer-Zaara or the latest Google ad plays on those emotions. We might be divided by a line but culturally we still share the same nuances. And taking a cue from this media powerhouse, Zee, which goes by the corporate philosophy of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam – The world is my family’, recently launched a Hindi general entertainment channel (GEC), Zindagi.

    The channel’s proposition ‘Jodey Dilon Ko’ is based on the fact that even if the people from various parts of the world are culturally different, the stories of their lives are universal. Maybe that is why all women want a husband like Zaroon and men looked for a perfect wife in Zara.

    The channel showcases four shows every night from 8 pm narrating stories of various characters torn between relationships, duties and work. The stories are set in natural locations giving a true-to-life portrayal to not just the characters but also storyline.

    However, one element common between all these shows is that they have strong women characters dealing with issues. Be it a woman hesitant to trust a man after her father left her mother for another woman or two estranged sisters vying for a man’s attention. The portrayals are relatable and tell a story of woman’s struggle.

    Remember Shanti, Rajani or Udaan? The popular shows on Doordrashan in the eighties and nineties before the heavily-makeup saas-bahus took over the entertainment space. The characters in the shows on Zindagi remind of that era where life happened beyond the four walls of a set.

    The channel’s business head Priyanka Datta recalls the strenuous hours spent scrutinising content and then selectively handpicking drama with a lot of care, such that they were relatable to the viewer’s emotions and fulfilled the channel’s proposition.

    She points out that there was no conscious effort in choosing woman-centric shows, but since Pakistani television industry is known to highlight social issues amongst others that are prevalent in their society which are mostly woman centric, it happened naturally.

    Through the pragmatic content, the channel aims to cater to the new-age woman, for whom the primary concern is work-life balance and not solely entertainment. “She is the woman with a progressive mindset. The women in the dramas on Zindagi are regular ordinary women like you and me. Their emotions, feelings and day-to-day issues that they deal with are very similar to what women in our society go through. Unlike serials on other GECs, women on Zindagi’s shows do not wake up in the morning loaded with make-up and jewellery. Their lives do no revolve around conspiring against each other. There are many more relationships explored besides just saas-bahu on Zindagi,” elaborates Datta on the differentiating programming lineup.

    The content on Zindagi which includes storylines, script, language, natural acting, fashion, apart from just the good looks of the actors have become the most talked about in India. The social media is buzzing with millions of impressions online.

    The reason why it is creating a buzz especially among urbanites is the fact that there is a certain section in viewers who desire for something different, something better that could enhance their television-watching experience. Datta points out that through the various researches the network did before launching the channel, it found out that the attention span of viewers has only decreased over the time with the use of multiple screens and it has become a bigger challenge than ever to excite the audience and keep them glued. “We knew that we had to break the monotony-and so attempted to bring – content with depth and reliability. The saas-bahu sagas have been there since years and will continue to coexist parallel. While such shows cater to viewers with traditional mindsets, the likes of dramas that are on Zindagi will cater to viewers with progressive mindsets,” she says.

    If that wasn’t enough, there is stark difference between the longevity of shows as well. In the era when shows are competing with each other to cross 1000 plus episodes, the series on Zindagi lasts only for 20-25 episodes. The dramas aired have finite plots written by reputed authors and literary stalwarts. The numerous researches show that the viewers want to move away from long running shows that air for years at stretch. “However, the early adopters will be the people with progressive mindset followed by others. Viewers will surely take some time to adapt to this kind of format,” believes optimist Datta.

    When asked how are male audiences reacting to the channel? Datta answers, “The content on Zindagi seems to be going down well with the men. Celebrities like Subhash Ghai, Kunal Kohli, Jaaved Jaafferi are amongst the few from the industry who have been very appreciative of the content and it’s encouraging that our dramas are not restricted to any gender in specific. We understood that we had to break the monotony and showcase quality of content that was not similar to that associated to the Hindi GEC industry. The saas-bahu sagas have reigned for years and are mainly targeted towards female audiences. Content is king and all shows that have been shown on Zindagi since its launch have appealed to audiences (males and females) of all ages.”

    Media observers too agree with the fact that though the channel may not have got the ratings it expected, but has surely created enough noise in the market because of its content. “Kitni Girhain Baqi Hain is very popular amongst women in my office as well as outside,” says a woman media planner.

    The strong content has even got insight teams of competition talking. “The washroom talks rotate around the shows and the handsome men,” laughs an insights manager from a top-ranked GEC.

    Most of the shows airing on the GEC were previously broadcast on Hum channel which is run by a woman, Sultana Siddiqui. And what’s interesting to note is that the channel, which is a window to see how life is at the other side of border, creative and business heads too are women. “It’s just a mere coincidence,” laughs Datta.