MxMIndia

Category: THE ANCHOR

  • Passion is at the core of lifestyle or special interest content; Smeeta Chakrabarti offers ways to approach building and sustaining lifestyle brands

    The Anchor: 5 ways how lifestyle channels can make it big

    By Smeeta Chakrabarti

     

    To paraphrase James Harkin, there is a new rule in business – forget the general audience and instead, stake out an identifiable niche. Love it or hate it, lifestyle programming that caters to special interests is here to stay. To our minds, the question was never about whether lifestyle channels can make it big, but more about how to build a sustainable ecosystem around brands which resonate, connect, relate and engage with the discerning consumer. We’ve always believed that passion is at the core of lifestyle channels or special interest content, and the following are ways in which we approach building and sustaining our lifestyle brands.

     

    #1 Multiple platform technologies: Lifestyle channels need to think of themselves as content providers targeting a specific audience, and indeed, targeting a defined passion, through all possible platforms and not just television. Technology today plays a vital role in sustaining and building lifestyle businesses.

     

    #2 Platform-agnostic content: While technology today permits dissemination of content across platforms and touch points, content creators need to be mindful of the fact that there are now multiple ways to consume that content, and a one-size-fits-all approach does not necessarily work. Whether it’s a laptop screen, the iPad, your smartphone or even an experiential initiative, smart content that’s platform-agnostic is the key.

     

    #3 Integrated marketing: Lifestyle channels need to be where their consumers are – something that finds resonance with the multi-platform and multi-faceted approach to content. Research, product, positioning, promotions, delivery and all aspects of the marketing value chain have to be geared to connect and engage audiences through touch-points not just inIndia, but globally as well.

     

    #4 Multiple revenue sources: It is imperative for lifestyle channels to see themselves as brands, which can be monetized beyond the conventions of FCT, sponsorships, integrations and subscriptions. Brand extensions, social media and DTH interactivity consumer products, books – the possibilities are endless, and essential.

     

    #5 Smarter distribution: This is an equally important step in building a sustainable business model. The very raison d’etre of special interest lifestyle channels is catering to a targeted, well-defined consumer, based on clearly articulated passions. Therefore, the conventional modes of carpet bombing and non-segmented distribution will need to get far smarter and targeted to have impact.

     

    Smeeta Chakrabarti is Chief Executive Officer of NDTV Lifestyle

     

  • The personal touch is often the deal-clincher in reaching women consumers. Tips on how to achieve this without putting them off

    The Anchor: 4 ways marketers can attract women consumers

    By Shivangi Gupta

     

    #1 Sampling: Whenever there is a new product in the market, the best way to reach out to the target audience is through sampling and what better way than small sachets and miniature bottles to be given out as freebies for trial to the consumers. Women today would never buy a product without prior testing. They are highly influenced by word-of-mouth by peers, especially in the feminine hygiene care category.

     

    #2 Brand ambassador: Having a face is one, utilizing the face in a way that the consumer relates to her is another key point. Pertaining to Clean & Dry, having a doctor (well-known) explaining the different stages she has gone through, will get a consumer to relate to her and seek a solution.

     

    #3 Personalized sampling/direct marketing: A product with a personal note sent to a woman leads to making her feel special because a courier comes home for the male family members or most likely the working child. This is an innovative way to engage with the customer.

     

    #4 Influencer outreach: Select a bunch of known women for a Meet & Greet activity with 20 top bloggers who can be addressed by a influencer (preferably a well-known doctor), spokesperson of the brand, select consumers, and women activists over a panel discussion. This, along with product sampling, can help in building the brand as well as help in reviews through influencers to make them key opinion leaders.

     

    Shivangi Gupta is Director at Midas Care

     

  • The four factors that will ensure people stick with the corner shop – convenience, cost, choice and customer service

    The Anchor: 4 reasons why FDI in retail will not shake up mom ‘n pop stores

    By Ganapathy Viswanathan

     

    #1 Convenience: The local grocery is located close to one’s residence so that one can go at leisure and buy things during any point of the day. Alternatively the shop will not hesitate to give free home delivery – even if only one item is ordered. Unlike the big retail chain which insists on a minimum amount of order for free home delivery. These little things make a difference.

     

    #2 Cost: Being a long-standing customer he or she always gets the benefit of competitive price. Here there will always be the argument that the big retail shops offer lower prices, but trusted long-term customers of mom-and-pop stores do not always look at only price, they also look at consistency in the quality of products such as cereals and spices.

     

    #3 Choice: Most local grocery stores also offers a wide choice but include local brands which have gained customer loyalty. This is most common in a category like beverages (tea and coffee). Big retail chains are more likely to go by universal tastes as they cater to a larger population.

     

    #4 Customer Care: Customer care has been the emphasis for most giant supermarket stores but the kind of personal touch that small stores give cannot be replaced. The personal equation of the owner is so good that he often knows the likes and dislikes of each family member. He is also likely to know the first name of his customer and hence is able to connect with the customer and establish a bond. This is missing in the big retail stores.

     

    Ganapathy Viswanathan is a senior communications professional based in Mumbai

     

  • In a growth economy, with a vibrant entertainment market and an eager and aware audience, there are many reasons for licensing and merchandising to succeed in the Indian market

    The Anchor: 8 reasons why the licensing & merchandising market holds promise in India

    By Jiggy George

     

    #1 India is a growth economy with a vibrant entertainment market. Television, film and sports in India have a huge audience which creates potential demand for licensed merchandise for brands and icons. Entertainment is also inexpensive in comparison to most markets; eg, you can get access to a plethora of channels for as little as Rs 300 or less a month. So, our audience is aware of brands via content.

     

    #2 Our consuming class is significantly large and have an appetite for licensed brands.

     

    #3 While entertainment licensing with brands like Tom and Jerry, Disney, WWE, Angry Birds, Power Rangers, Ben Ten and Chhota Bheem have an active kids’ audience and is one of the fastest growing segments, sports, fashion, movie and celebrity licensing are also coming to the forefront.

     

    #4 Retail is on the cusp of growth and with FDI opening up, will launch licensing into double digit growth figures in coming years.

     

    #5 With e-commerce growing at its current rapid pace, it is now possible for consumers who are aware of local and international brands, and are fans to buy licensed products on-line even if traditional and modern retail formats is unable to make it available in the towns and cities.

     

    #6 With the economy growing, there is a hunger among OEMs (original manufacturers) and large suppliers/distributors to create their own brand and identity. Licensing is an excellent method of leveraging iconic brands to launch new brands and business propositions.

     

    #7 Franchising is another area of growth which can use licensing models to create differentiated and outstanding offerings in entertainment, restaurants and retail.

     

    #8 Indian consumers are now more open to stating their identity and sporting it on their apparel, accessories and items of everyday use through brands they like, such as Mr Men (with characters like Mr Happy, Mr Strong, Little Miss Sunshine etc), WWE, Superman, Batman, Shrek, Angry Birds and others.

     

    Jiggy George is founder and CEO, Dream Theatre Pvt Ltd

     

  • Kiran Gopinath sees the shape of things to come in the ad network arena

    The Anchor: 5 trends to watch for in the ad network space

    By Kiran Gopinath

     

    #1 Ad networks allow advertisers to focus on audiences rather than just publisher/content-specific deals.

     

    #2 Advertisers are able to understand and target users most effectively and efficiently using ad networks.

     

    #3 Data segmentation and analytics drive advertising and marketing efficiencies on ad networks.

     

    #4 Publisher revenue yields will increase as efficiencies of inventory utilization improve.

     

    #5 Moving up the value chain to becoming digital media consultants rather than just publisher aggregators.

     

    Kiran Gopinath is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Ozone Media Solutions

     

  • Information, comparison, decision-making help… everything is online, and with increasing ease of internet access, it only makes sense to sell online.

    The Anchor: 5 reasons insurance should be sold online

    By Ravi Vishwanath

     

    #1 Growing number of internet users in the country. At the end of last year, India had 12.1 crore internet users and this number is expected to grow exponentially over the next five years. With this growing number of internet users in both urban and rural areas, we have already started to witness the internet’s cost-effectiveness in reaching out to consumers through online advertising, blogs, clear and succinct advertising and websites.

     

    #2 Informed decision-makers. We are witnessing tremendous growth in the level of awareness among the target market with every passing day. Our surveys show that consumers are now more willing to spend time to review the details of policies, wordings, exclusions, inclusions and benefits. People now talk about insurance policies with their friends and family in order to arrive at informed decisions. With larger accessibility to data on the digital platform along with increased investment to build awareness, we are poised to see an informed market in the days to come.

     

    #3 Ease of online product comparisons. With the advent of several insurance and personal finance portals, customers are able to gauge quality and performance of products and services. Online reviews, comparisons, listings and comparative information are just a click away and are helpful for one to take an informed decision. However, I would like to suggest that all customers take help from multiple sites.

     

    #4 Independent decisions. It is a universal truth that every individual wants to take an independent decision. With the gamut of information now available online about health insurance plans, as well as customer reviews and feedback, consumers are able to arrive at independent decisions. Today, we receive more enquiry calls on our national helpline than previous years, which signifies increasing likeability towards the sole information conduit.

     

    #5 Know your customer. With the advent of newer players and unique propositions, it has become imperative to know your customer more than ever before. Direct contact with the customers through the internet can be a catalyst in maintaining a good relationship, where everything is just one click away. Knowing the customer fully is an added advantage that can give far-reaching sustenance and value to the companies.

     

    Ravi Vishwanath is Chief Marketing Officer, Apollo Munich Health Insurance

     

  • From keyboard to keypad, it’s a quiet little revolution

    The Anchor: 5 reasons mobile games will take over from PC games

    By Deepak Abbot

     

    #1 Mobility: One of the major reasons for mobile games to take over is the ease of accessibility. You don’t need to depend on a computer to provide entertainment. Mobile games offer you engagement on-the-go and instantly. So, while you are travelling or commuting you can still play games on your mobile unlike PCs.

     

    #2 Reach: The reach of a mobile phone is far better than that of computers. Owning a mobile phone is a common trend because of the range in terms of price. Not everybody owns a PC. Therefore, the reach of mobile games because of accessibility is much better.

     

    #3 Cost-effectiveness: India is a very price-sensitive nation. PCs are still a niche market. They are not present in every household. Whereas a mobile game comes for as cheap as Rs 5 a game, and with the current ad wrap models most popular games are available free to the consumer. This is not the case with PCs.

     

    #4 Content type: The content available on mobile phones is very snappy and snacky. Gamers have a variety of options to choose from. Also, the games available on mobile are easy to use and do not require the user to be very tech-savvy.

     

    #5 Internet and technology explosion: With the current 3G and 4G boom, everything that you could once access on PCs or laptops can now be accessed on one’s mobile. Also, with technology being on an all-time rise, the handset and smart device rates have become extremely affordable.

     

    Deepak Abbot is Head – Product, Reliance Entertainment Digital

     

  • A N Chorrea picks the 10 stars that made Zee TV a happening channel over the last two decades

    The Anchor: 10 all-time favourite ‘faces’ of Zee TV

    By A N Chorrea

     

    There have been many, many faces on Zee TV through these last 20 years. So it was a tough ask to pick just 10 faces of the channel… so you have a list that’s different from the one here, do inbox it to editor@mxmindia.com. Or just put it in the comments below. Meanwhile, check this list (in alphabetical order of their last names)…

     

    Mithun Chakraborty

    Mithun Chakraborty

    He obviously didn’t become such a huge star thanks to Zee, but as the endearing Grandmaster of Dance India Dance (and DID Li’l Masters), on the small screen, Mithunda has become bigger than you-know-who.

     

     

     

    Avinash Sachdev & Rubina Dilaik

    Avinash Sachdev and Rubina Dilaik

    As Dev and Radhika in Chhoti Babu and Chhoti Bahu 2, Avinash Sachdev and Rubina Dilaik are now household names whose screen lives are followed by lakhs of Indians on Zee.

     

     

     

     

    Annu Kapoor

    Annu Kapoor

    If Antakshari is not a popular music reality show on television these days, it’s because no one could do it better than Annu Kapoor, the constant factor on the Gajendra Singh-produced show. Kapoor is an accomplished star, but Antakshari made him a megastar.

     

     

     

    Prachi Desai and Ram Kapoor

    Prachi Desai and Ram Kapoor, Kasamh Se

    Yes, Prachi Desai got into the big league with Rockstar and Ram Kapoor is everywhere thanks to Bade Achhe Lagte Hain’s promos for Sony, but as Bani Dixit/Walia and Jai Walia respectively, Desai and Kapoor had already turned superstars for tele-viewers

     

     

     

    Sanjeev Kapoor – zeenews.com

    Sanjeev Kapoor

    Long before Masterchef entered Indian homes and long before we had 24×7 television channels devoted to food, Khana Khazana saw Sanjeev Kapoor get into the kitchens of nearly every Indian. Khana Khazana is now a full-fledged channel and even though Chef Kapoor runs his own Food Food channel, Zee’s got his Khazana on all the time!

     

     

    Mohan Kapur – Fotocorp

    Mohan Kapur

    He was rude but he was fun and also very entertaining. In the early days, it was the UTV-produced Saanp Seedi that saw Zee climb the ladder of popularity.

     

     

     

     

    Ankita Lokhande

    Ankita Lokhande

    It’s a complex story from the Balaji Telefilms stable, but Ankita Lokhande as Archana Manav Deshmukh in Pavitra Rishta has essayed an award-winning role.

     

     

     

     

    Navneet Nishan – Fotocorp

    Navneet Nishan

    Doordarshan had its star protagonists in the past, but Navneet Nishan in Raman Kumar’s Tara was a rock star in the serial which went on and on and on… on Zee.

     

     

     

     

    Rajat Sharma – indiatvnews. com

    Rajat Sharma

    We knew him as a journalist and editor, but it’s Aap Ki Adalat on Zee that made Rajat Sharma a household name and took him to where he’s today as Founder-Chairman and editor-in-chief of India TV.

     

     

     

    Nikki Aneja Walia

    Nikki Aneja Walia

    Her character of Dr Simran in Astitva – Ek Prem Kahani earned her the sobriquet of the Sridevi of the small screen. Although she has starred in several soaps thereafter, nothing to beat her in Astitva.

     

    A N Chorrea is a senior industryperson writing under a pseudonym

     

  • Here are six questions you need to answer before you jump on the social media bandwagon

    The Anchor: 6 things marketers must keep in mind while opting for social media

    By Ambika Sharma

     

    Everyone is on social media; we need to be present too! While this is true, what will work for your brand is probably unique to the brand. Rather than starting with “We have to have a Facebook page – let’s get one,” here are six questions you need to answer before you jump on the bandwagon.

     

    #1 What social media activities are consistent with your brand positioning? Start with your brand, and then think of social media activities and platforms that will help enhance its positioning and personality. Choose your platform carefully; it should provide you with the freedom as well as the reach to be able to communicate with your audience effectively. If you have a service with a lot to say, then you must evaluate a blog and/or forums alongside the social networks.

     

    #2 Set your expectations. What do you want from your social media presence, and how will it enhance your marketing initiative? It’s critical to list out and set expectations. This will be the first step to establishing not just the platform right but also what sets the tone of that platform.

     

    #3 Does it fit with the rest of your marketing plan? How will your social media programme take advantage of your other marketing initiatives? Social media built on advertising or promotion activity or sponsorship events have a head start. Before creating an entirely new programme, consider how you will cross-leverage existing initiatives.

     

    #4 Content is the king. Getting on social media is easy, keeping interest, excitement and relevance alive, but consistency is not so simple. Get a content plan in place. Research your consumer. What will keep him interested about your brand? Deep dive into your brand communication – what is the message that you want to reinforce? Marry the two. Keep it interesting, consistent, conversational and light.

     

    #5 Guidelines are a must. Set your organizational guidelines for social media in place. It’s a good idea to get the buy-in on all stakeholders in place. What worked for advertising will not necessarily work for social media. Be specific, for instance: what will you do if an irate consumer is vocal on your page? What is the information flow? What is the escalation plan?

     

    #6 How will you make your social presence valuable for your consumers? Social initiatives require a daily effort in customer delight and engagement. It’s imperative to have a plan in place that will chalk out a path towards the same.

     

    Ambika Sharma is MD and CEO, Pulp Strategy Communications

     

  • The age of TV may not be imminent yet, but the internet is a strong rival – and quality online streaming content is a big reason

    The Anchor: 5 reasons why premium online video streaming is the next big thing in India

    By Pandurang Nayak

     

    #1 The ‘screen’ is everywhere:

    Technology has enabled true convergence of content across various kinds of devices. Your phone or tablet is also your television and entertainment device. Your television is also your internet device. With the proliferation of devices, users want premium content wherever they are. The users who have their handheld device as their first computer are already here!

     

    #2 Appointment-viewing vs On-demand:

    The days of people waiting for their favourite show at a particular hour of the day is fast changing. On-demand video lets users break from the shackles of appointment-based television viewing and decide which part of the day or night they want to watch their favourite content.

     

    #3 Internet proliferation:

    Better broadband speeds and network infrastructure has meant that even people in small cities and towns have a Facebook account, share stuff online with their friends and colleagues, read news online and do more online activity than ever before. Online video consumption for short-form content has grown massively in the past few years. The surge in internet access through faster network speeds, better data plans and increased awareness means that the time is here for premium long-form content.

     

    #4 Shortening of the windows:

    Content owners are wary of rampant digital piracy and the lost opportunity of making revenue in the digital streams with genuine content. This has led to shortening of the time it takes for new releases to arrive on digital distribution platforms. Content owners have also carried out bold experiments like doing simultaneous releases or releasing on the internet first, and seen some early success.

     

    #5 Transcending boundaries:

    The internet has always helped transcend boundaries faster. With the relative simplicity of streaming content via the internet, it is easy for content owners to take their content around the world. From the user’s perspective, users can get content from all around the world sitting in one place. This opens the viewer to a world of content that was never available before and thus creates an explosion in video consumption patterns.

     

    Pandurang Nayak is Business Head, Boxtv.com

     

  • The Indian M&E industry is still in its nascent stages and hampered by issues such as rampant piracy and strong regulatory restrictions

    The Anchor: Renu Aggarwal on 5 reasons M&E is under-leveraged in India

    By Renu Aggarwal

     

    Media spend as a percent of GDP is very low in India (at 0.41%) and is half of the world average. The five major impediments for the same are cited below:

     

    #1 Low penetration levels: The Indian M&E industry is still in its nascent stages and a lot of developments have taken place only in recent years. Though India has a large and young population base, it is not fully tapped. The penetration levels are still quite low with TV penetration of 60 percent of households, cable penetration at 50 percent and DTH penetration at just 30 percent.

     

    #2 Low customer revenues: The average revenue per user (ARPU) in India is amongst the lowest in the world. When compared globally, ARPU (per month) in the US is USD 120, in the UK is USD 70, in China it is USd 5 while in India it is merely USD 3. This increases the payback time for the various channel providers and makes it less attractive.

     

    #3 High levels of piracy: Indian M&E industry is crippled by piracy, due to which it has not been able to monetize its content fully. Despite various technological advancements to curb piracy, the fact remains that industry is still losing significant revenues on account of piracy.

     

    #4 Digitization is still far-off: Digital infrastructure is still very weak in India and modern technologies are yet to be deployed. India has just ~30 percent penetration of digital TV compared to more than 95 percent in most of the developed countries. With lack of digitization, ARPUs continue to remain low and the last mile operator can carry a maximum of 70 channels only (in analogue network), whereas more than 600 channels are available in the country.

     

    #5 High regulatory framework: Industry faces strong regulatory restrictions in terms of FDI limits and taxation structures. Currently, the digital cable and DTH sector have to pay taxes at multiple levels – Central, State as well as local/city level. Also, the sector requires capital expenditure for the digitization and content creation, and thus, calls for rationalization of FDI limits.

     

    Renu Aggarwal is the  Principal Consultant at Wazir Advisors

     

  • As music consumption on digital media crosses any other medium, web radio will gain massively from the trend, writes Rachna Kanwar

    The Anchor: Why Web Radio will be the next big thing

    By Rachna Kanwar

     

    Digital music consumption: As music consumption on digital media crosses any other medium, web radio will gain massively from the trend. More and more people will turn towards web radio for music that has been curated by radio and music experts and saves them the hassle of searching for it. Web Radio equals uninterrupted music experience online.

     

    Music discovery: Bollywood wary music lovers are looking for alternate sounds of music. On the net they can find this diversity, as there is no paucity of space. You are not restricted by genres or languages and can enjoy music be it Indie, Devotional, Ghazals or English. You’ll get your choice of music. Web Radio is and will become an essential medium of music discovery.

     

    Artists endorsed: Newer artists are waiting to be ‘discovered’ on Web Radio. They are no longer struggling to get their music heard as Web Radio is providing a readymade platform that promotes new music and sounds. For the artist community, it will become a big draw.

     

    Ease of access: There is a huge jump in web radio listenership at the workplace People are tuned into web radio at work as a background medium and apart from getting what they want they love the convenience.

     

    Reach:  As Internet literacy spreads outside the big cities and towns, there is a growing trend of web radio listenership from small towns where entertainment options are limited. As web radio is not limited by boundaries, it will grow into a preferred mode of entertainment for an Internet savvy listener. And the pull of nostalgia will bring the NRIs.

     

    Engagement: The level of engagement through RJ-driven shows will maximize the scope of the medium. It will provide the much-needed boost to the Internet revenues through the opportunities that arise from live interactions of the listener and the RJs.

     

    Rachna Kanwar is SVP and Head, Digital Media and New Business, Radio City