MxMIndia

Tag: Debolin Sen

  • Extensive marketing plans for BBC Good Food as it launches on Oct 21

    BBC Good Food whets appetites

    By Akash Raha

    Worldwide Media is all set to launch BBC Good Food in India. The magazine will be on the stands on Good Food Day, October 21. The magazine will be priced at Rs 100 at newsstands and UCOs. In a conversation with MxM India, Debolin Sen, Publisher – Good Food, Worldwide Media said the expectations riding on the title were huge. “It’s an exciting brand to launch in India, especially now,” said Mr Sen. “Food is the most exciting story unfolding in the country. Experimentation with global cuisines, presence of international restaurant brands, access to exotic ingredients in the neighbourhood supermarket, 125 food shows on television, three dedicated food channels, gourmet store expansions pan India. There’s so much that’s happening. We are at a point in time in the market, when it made much sense to launch the brand. So yes, the expectations are huge.”

     

    In a recent conversation, Tarun Rai, CEO, Worldwide Media said, “We are launching BBC Good Food on Good Food Day, October 21, which we are celebrating and we are encouraging people to try something new on the day. We have huge expectations from Good Food. India is changing, food habits are changing. People are experimenting with food, both in their kitchens as well as when it comes to eating out in restaurants. We believe that the time is right for such a magazine. There are no precedents; there are no international food magazines in the country. We are going into uncharted territory and we are beating a new path. There are dangers but as I said, somebody has to do it and we believe that the potential is huge. And the response we’ve got from advertisers for the magazine is excellent and you’ll see it in the number of ad pages we’ve got in the first issue.”

     

    Speaking about the target audience of the magazine, Mr Sen said, “The magazine will appeal to a diverse mindset. From Everyday Chefs – people  who cook regularly for family, friends and even themselves, to Recreational Chefs – people who are interested in new recipes and experimentation, but don’t cook on a regular basis, to Restaurant Junkies – people who love eating out, and finally Globetrotting Foodies – people who love to experiment, sample local cuisines when they travel.

     

    “BBC Good Food is an extremely exciting magazine to launch. The brand allows you to explore new territories and create engaging properties unlike others. The launch will involve sufficient amount of marketing dollars being invested to create the required market impact. We intend having a phase-wise launch build up to Oct 21, the day the magazine hits stands, and thereafter post-launch,” said Mr Sen.

     

    Whereas marketing of the brand is concerned, it will be done through various campaigns and activations such as Good Food Survey, Good Food Day, Good Food Privilege Program, Good Food Nights, Good Food Website and Apps, Good Food Social etcetera.

     

    BBC Good Food also has an incredible legacy. It’s UK’s best-selling food magazine for the last 22 years. In fact it’s a successful food media brand with its content present across mediums: as a magazine, as a TV channel, a website which is a storehouse of over 7,500 recipes, and hugely successful iPad and iPhone apps which have crossed the 100,000 download mark.

  • BBC TopGear celebrates its sixth year in India with a mega 214-page October issue.

    TopGear marks 6th anniversary

    By Akash Raha

    BBC TopGear celebrates its sixth year in India with a mega 214-page issue. The October anniversary issue has hit the newsstands at a price point of Rs 150. The rising price of fuel has not deterred the hottest cars of the world from descending on Indian shores. Moreover, with the Indian GP around the corner, the sentiment around is all for performance.

    Commenting on the anniversary issue, Mr Tarun Rai, CEO Worldwide Media, said,

    “The last six years have been an exciting ride for TopGear. And this year has been exceptional. We went in for a redesign, added lots of new sections in the magazine but kept the price at Rs 100, even though the others increased their cover prices. We believe with so much action in the car market, including the top end glamour segment and the F1 contributing its bit, the time is just right for TopGear. We are gunning for the number one position.”

    The anniversary issue of the magazine from the Worldwide Media group drives Koenigseggs, Aston Martins, and Jags with an India exclusive drive of one of the most exotic – The Maserati GranTurismo.

    Mr Girish Karkera, Editor, TopGear India said “In the increasingly crowded segment of auto magazines, TopGear has been growing from strength to strength with its hot cars, cool features, great photography and striking design. The magazine, thanks to its unique approach to cars and bikes, has managed to stand out from the rest of its ilk. And while conventional wisdom would suggest that the current environment is that of high fuel prices, high interest rates, and higher cost of living, TopGear, with its unique style of writing and presenting has managed to rise above the mundane and keep the readers engaged with cars… by providing dollops of entertainment, humour and information to maintain itself as an engaging and exciting read; irrespective of the world around it.”

     

    Mr Debolin Sen, Publisher, TopGear India said “2011 is the year for BBC TopGear in India. The year has seen the magazine perform exceptionally well in a crowded marketplace and we aim to build on the momentum that’s been generated. Together with the magazine redesign in April, the launch of www.topgear.com earlier this year, the magazine’s ready to host the TopGear Awards on November 25 in Mumbai.  With BBC TopGear the excitement and passion never ends. It just gets bigger and better. The sixth Anniversary Special is yet another reflection of the TopGear spirit.”

     

    Since TopGear is celebrating, the readers reap the benefits with a free DVD worth Rs 599 of XXX-2, an exclusive small car directory along with the TG Lifestyle supplement.

    Since it’s the flavour of the season, readers stand a chance to win Rs 1.5 lakh worth of Indian F1 GP tickets by participating in the TopGear Air-drive to F1 contest. More details are available in the issue and on www.topgear.com/india.