Not so long ago, the city I live in was essentially a two-paper market. But it soon expanded to become a prime media market with multiple newspapers in English, Marathi and Hindi. Then came the onslaught of radio channels followed by the local TV, regional TV, OOH, online and neighbourhood media.
Revenues grew, advertising rates soared, hiring increased and soon everybody in media wanted to enter this market. In 2011, the trend continues and one hears of more English, Hindi and Marathi players eyeing this once-dreamy market. The excitement for Pune doesn’t stop at print, it extends to television, radio and online. Thanks to this excitement, one sees large salary movements too. It is not noticed often, but a fair amount of movement is happening and content professionals are the main target with each move pushing up their pay packages.
Interesting times will soon unfold and I wouldn’t be surprised if few of the older players, who are complacent in their faith in brand loyalty, are caught napping. Audiences are changing and so are habits and it won’t be long before “our readers” become “their readers”.
We saw this happen years ago, when TOI practically moved more than half of their competitors’ market with products the city hadn’t seen. What stops this from happening now? I am no soothsayer but as a die-hard media man, I can predict that one will see huge shifts in vernacular reading habits and the beneficiaries will be the new entrants. It’s only a matter of time.
Retail is non-existent in print and one now sees the local retailer using media like radio to maximize reach for their budgets. There is no room for complacency and far-fetched ideas. The monoliths must realize that it is time for quick action and not belief in brand supremacy or tradition.
Bizarre “innovative” ideas need to be replaced with quick audits on where the organisation needs to shape up! The newer entrants have their act in place and will not stop till they become leaders, heralding doom for the once-enormous organisations whose existing foothold in other languages only gives them advantage of audience leverage.
We see this already happening in the rest of Maharashtra, and Pune remains hot on the list for a cleanup. It can’t get more exciting for a job seeker in Pune and yet, there is a dearth of talent in the city since the young believe only a Mecca like Mumbai can build careers. Little do they know markets like Pune are soon going to become the mainstay of many a media company.
Larger cities are saturated and will see only parallel shifts and cannibalisation of revenue within brands. The frenetic activity is around us and yet for Punekars some things will never change… be it Joshi’s vada pav or Kayani’s Shrewsbury biscuits. They will always remind us of the once quiet by-lanes and a sleepy neighbourhood…. Now before I indulge in the holy aroma of Pune’s delicacies, let me get to work and respond to your queries!
Q: I have just been offered a job by a well-known newspaper group but for an edition that is not very strong. Now, after the news that Mid-Day has closed its Bengaluru and Delhi editions, I don’t know whether I should take up the job. Please help. Is there a law on closure of newspapers? Can’t the government step in to protect the interests of employees?
I can certainly understand your concern and it is important to do your research well before you join any company. Hard business decisions are taken in every industry and hence if the Mid-Day editions you mention had seen average issue readership just at 7,000-10,000 obviously it won’t attract advertising revenues and would have to wind up eventually. I would urge you to take a look at the circulation and readership figures of the newspaper offer you have. Check around with a few industry people in that city to get a first hand view of how they see it working. Unfortunately, there is no law, as I see it, to protect the employees who are not covered by the traditional newspaper wage boards, since now the hiring happens in the management cadres or on contract. So besides the notice pay or a few months’ salary nothing more can be expected. Personally, I don’t think the Mid-Day announcement should bother you from taking a leap… Every job has its perils but that’s part of the excitement, isn’t it?
Q: I want to explore a career in digital content. How and where should one start? Which are the leading organizations in this space?
You could start writing for the newer websites, if you have a flair and have done some amount of decent writing. Digital content is a large area and I am not certain which aspect you are keen on. Content extends from actual writing, like you read on this site, to hard news reporting for the news websites like NDTV or IBN Live and feature content for portals and sites. Blogging, of course, is the simplest way to get used to the medium, which could then take you on to full fledged employment. There are courses offered by many institutes basically covering content both online and offline, and there are others which offer specialized training, such as design elements and technical writing. The universe is huge and the potential enormous. A good way to start would be to send samples of some of your work to a few websites for review. This could be followed with freelance assignments to build your portfolio. Every website needs content, be it large portals like Indiatimes, Yahoo, Rediff or our very own www.mxmindia.com.
Q: I feel that I am being subjected to mild sexual harassment in my ad agency. My colleagues tell me that it’s rampant in media organizations, especially in advertising and I should ignore it. I had once heard of a court ruling that every company must have a sexual harassment committee… is this true?
Oh . I am sorry to hear this. Though I don’t agree that sexual harassment is “rampant” across media and advertising. It does exist in organizations which haven’t taken steps to handle it efficiently. Yes, large companies do have their HR teams geared to monitor and handle such situations. Personally, I don’t think this is something which you should ignore since it may just go on to a stage when it becomes tough to handle. Be firm, and if that doesn’t work, then report it, even at the risk of having to resign. Any organization which allows this to happen isn’t the place to make a career with. I do not recollect the court ruling you mention but there have been a few cases where the courts have ruled that it’s important for all companies to have strict monitoring and employee redressal policies.
Q: I am a final commerce student, and I have been a prizewinner in all writing competitions. I don’t know how to decide between journalism and copywriting as professions.
Super! Both are good options and it depends on what kind of writing you enjoy the most. All creative skills are about enjoyment! Hence, if you like the spontaneity of good copy and the excitement of selling a brand or service, then advertising copy is your choice. Journalism is more detailed, more about keeping your ear to the ground and sensing what the reader wants. Both offer good careers, though it’s important to get the right breaks and get a firm foothold. You could even do both, if your employment allows that, so dive in and start writing!
Take care and be good, folks, and we will be back next week !