MxMIndia

Tag: KBC

  • The film has been conceptualised and written by Nitesh Tiwari and Nikhil Mehrotra

    KBC 10 salutes the spirit of resilience with #KabTakRokoge

    By A Correspondent

     

    In its 10th season, KBC is back with its iconic host Amitabh Bachchan and will applaud the undying spirit behind every struggle. Celebrating the spirit of resilience, Sony Entertainment Television, has unveiled the theme for this year’s campaign – KabTakRokoge.

     

    Conceptualised and written by the Dangal duo Nitesh Tiwari and Nikhil Mehrotra, the campaign highlights three relatable stories. The films have been directed by Nitesh Tiwari and Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari.

     

    Said Aman Srivastava, Head – Marketing at Sony Entertainment Television said: “KBC is an Iconic show. Its campaigns in past years have touched and moved millions of Indians. It has won National and International awards and has successfully built anticipation for the show. This year’s theme of ‘Kab Tak Rokoge’ is both inspiring as well as upbeat and reflects Indian society’s prevalent ‘Can Do, Will Do’ attitude. Nitesh Tewari has always created magic with KBC campaigns and this year again, he continues to weave the same magic with relevant insight captured with great cinematic impact. This time around, we also have Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari who will direct a film for the campaign.”

     

     

  • The call for participation communication for this season has kicked off with the line – "Iss manch se koi bhi khali haath nahi jaata"

    KBC returns, with a new premise

    By a correspondent

     

    Popular entertainment show Kaun Banega Crorepati is set to return on Sony Entertainment Television with familiar host Amitabh Bachchan. The call for participation communication for this season has kicked off with the line - “Iss manch se koi bhi khali haath nahi jaata”.

     

    KBC is not just a quiz show about winning money for participants; it is about gaining knowledge, respect and also a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet their idol Mr. Amitabh Bachchan. Being a part of this show imbibes pride and instills confidence amongst the participants establishing it as an ideal platform to enhance aspects of their life. Starting from the 5th of May, questions will be asked regularly on Sony TV at 9pm every night. Potential participants have to answer these correctly in order to have a chance to be on the hot seat. This season aspiring contestants have access to two new platforms to reach the hot seat. One can download the KBC Official App and register by sharing the correct answer, their age and gender. Registration is also possible via sending an SMS to 5252525 with the correct answer along with necessary details. Idea users can register themselves simply by sending an SMS from their Idea mobile. Additionally, viewers can also opt for registration through BSNL landline phones or via Idea IVRS code.

     

    Gaurav Seth, Senior Vice President and Head – Marketing said, “KBC is a reflection of the hopes and aspirations of millions of people who are looking at transforming their lives. This year we are attempting to bring the show closer to our viewers by engaging various mediums through which they can enhance their chance to be on the much coveted Hot Seat. We are confident that once the season gets underway, it will strike a deep emotional chord with the entire country, like never before.”

     

  • Star Plus continues to Hindi GEC #1, followed by Colors and Zee. Sony is at #4.

    KBC takes Sony ahead of SAB in Week 36

    By A Correspondent

     

    With TVTs of 8950 and 8460 on the Saturday and Sunday of Week 36 of the TAM ratings, Sony Entertainment Television scored 346122 GVT versus that of SAB being 322392. Last week it was 291074 (Sony) and 319158 (SAB).

     

    Meanwhile, TAM has expaned its universe from 205396 to 205749.

     

    The rest of the GVT roster hasn’t changed very much for Week 36 of 2013. The figures in brackets indicate numbers for Week 35.

     

    Star Plus 494732 (495509)

    Colors 452851 (452921)

    Zee TV 410774 (395024)

    Sony   346122 (291074)

    SAB 322392(319158)

    Life OK 276290 (269927)

    Star Utsav 100093 (109333)

    Sahara One 28742(29645)

     

    We haven’t received the GVT score for Zee Anmol in this week.

     

    Important: It may be noted that TAM does not share GVT and TVT numbers with the media. What you see here is info shared by one of the subscribers. Though not authenticated by TAM, so we would urge our readers to base their decisions on authenticated data only.

     

  • The jackpot increases to Rs 7 crore for the new 13-week season that will play out every Friday to Sunday at 8.30pm

    KBC innovates for new season starting Sept 7

    By A Correspondent

     

    Sony Entertainment Television has launched the iconic Kaun Banega Crorepati 2013 with some innovations. While Amitabh Bachchan will continue to host the show and it will indeed by produced by Siddhartha Basu’s Big Synergy Media, KBC 2013 will have a 360-degree multimedia stage and a jackpot prize of Rs 7 crore.

     

    The following changes have been implemented:

    • The Money Tree will now consist of 15 questions
    • There will be four questions in the ‘Sapta Koti Sandook’ a brand new feature, that will give the contestants a chance to win from Rs 1 crore to 3 crore, 5 crore and ultimately 7 crore
    •  ‘Fastest Finger First’ round now becomes a ‘Best out of three’ and the winner at the end enters the Hot Seat
    • More choice of lifelines – ‘Flip the question’ (Alat Palat) returns in place of ‘Ask the expert’ and ’50:50′ comes back in place of ‘Double Dip’
    • A new lifeline called ‘Power Paplu’ has been introduced. This lifeline will aid those who seek to revive any already used lifeline
    • In the entire gameplay however, a hot seat contestant may use only 4 of the 5 lifelines on offer
    • Yet another feature is the ‘Play SAlong’ for the ‘Fastest Finger First’ contestants who do not make it to the hot seat. These contestants can now play along with the hot seat contestant and the one who answers the maximum number of questions in the minimum amount of time gets to win Rs 1 lakh at the end of the episode

     

     

    The Ghar Baithe Jeeto Jackpot feature continues to engage home viewers. The central theme of KBC this year is ‘Seekhna Bandh Toh Jeetna Bandh’ thereby reinforcing the need for the continuous process of learning in life.

     

    Speaking on the launch, N.P Singh, COO, Multi Screen Media said: “There are brand new elements in KBC this year that will thrill viewers across India. This year’s theme encourages a renewed outlook towards learning.”

     

    SnehaRajani, Senior EVP and Business Head added:, “The new features will make the journey to become a crorepati even more exciting. The magic of Mr. Bachchan takes the show to another level altogether and will surely entertain the nation for the next 13 weekends.”

     

     

  • With KBC travelling to several Indian states and Bigg Boss following suit, regional adapts of popular Hindi shows seems to be a trend.

    Reality goes Regional… and how!

     

    By Ananya Saha

     

    Kaun Banega Crorepati might have been adapted from the international Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, but that is not where the adaptations stop. Suvarna TV, the Kannada general entertainment channel, has adapted the reality show into Kannadada Kotyadhipati, Vijay TV in Tamil Nadu has a version in Neengalum Vellalam Oru Kodi, and so does Asianet, which has the Malayalam version of KBC – Ningalkkum Aakaam Kodeeswaran. ETV Marathi has launched the Marathi adaptation recently. And it is not only KBC. Bigg Boss was recently launched on ETV Kannada and an announcement has been made for a Bangla variant of the show with Mithun Chakraborty as host. Many reality shows in the past have been adapted into regional languages and channels, and the trend seems set to grow.

    MxMIndia spoke to industry professionals for their view on regional adaptations of reality shows.

     

    Dhruv Jha, GM- Content & Experiences, Lodestar UM

    The regional adaptations do well, and they open well. It is to do more because of the kind of buzz that is generated on national scale – they are able to replicate it in some manner, and then it’s more like ‘we are not far behind’ and ‘if you can have a Bigg Boss, so can we’. And there is an aspirational level at the state and regional level that the channels also feel ‘our stars also deserve a Bigg Boss’. I believe the initial ratings were good, though I am not sure of the ratings now.

     

    I am sure that there are brands buying into it. If initial TRPs are generated, if there is a buzz, then regional adaptations are able to monetize. Strong national brands that are strong regionally, they are able to look at this option. I know of brands who are looking at AFP (advertiser funded programming) model and they are looking at programming in region – if it the format that is going to work, then there will be brands investing into it.

     

    All said and done, most of the reality shows on national GECs are also adaptations. Truly adapted, it can be as good – in any language or market. And the channel or programme would have to consider local culture, sensitivity and sensibilities while adapting.

     

    Anuj Poddar, AVP and Business Head – Regional Channels, Viacom18

    KBC is a proven format that continues to be successful; audiences have not tired of watching six seasons in Hindi. So why should the Marathi audience (even if they have watched it before in Hindi) not watch KHMC when it is tailormade for them? Format shows are adapted all the time, across the world, across regions.

     

    But let me also give you a specific fiction example: “Uttaran” from Colors has been remade as “Asava Sundar Swapnancha Bangla”. For that I asked the team to answer 2 questions: “How will we make it different enough and more relevant so that viewers who have seen the Colors version will yet watch the remake on ETV Marathi?” and “How will we make it as similar or true to the original Colors version so that the elements that made it work in the first place are not lost in the remake?” We made sure we had the answer to both these questions and a healthy balance on both these seemingly opposite aspects. If you get that right then the viewers will come. And if the viewers come, the advertisers will follow.

     

    KHMC (Kon Hoeel Marathi Crorepati) is completely tailored for the Marathi audience. The questions, while being based on overall general knowledge, are inclined towards the culture and history of the Maharashtrian heartland. Our objective with this show is to also create awareness of the rich heritage and history of this Maha – Rashtra amongst people. The contestants are naturally Marathi-speaking people. The auditions have been done across Maharashtra. So in every way, the show is adapted to the regional audience. Having said that, the grandeur and the magic of the original format is all there – no compromises on that!

     

    The KHMC format is hugely back-end intensive. I must admit that before getting into it I did not realise how much logistical work goes into the show. And what we have achieved is probably the fastest ever mounting of this format so far, because we had a specific time-window that we had to catch. So my full compliments to my team and to Big Synergy for having pulled this off. The challenge of course is that such formats come with well-established quality benchmarks that the audience expects – if you compromise on that, they would feel cheated. And yet, the resources available to a regional channel are fewer than to a national channel – so it is a tight balancing act. Having said that, I am confident that the Marathi and other regional markets will scale up further.

     

    Harneet Singh Rajpal, Vice-President – Marketing, Domino’s Pizza India

    For any brand, particularly a mass brand that is present across the country, it is very important to have a regional connect. While presence on national television gives a wider reach across the country, to engage a consumer at a regional level it makes sense to advertise on regional properties, especially for the brands that have regional presence through regional channels on the shows that have been adapted and already follow on the success of national shows.

     

    Domino’s spends close to 20 percent of our total media and television ad budget on regional channels. This would mean the 7-8 markets that we are present in.

     

    Anilkumar Sathiraju, AVP & Head South, DDB Mudra Max

    The adaptations of big ticket shows are being accepted by many, be it audience or advertiser for that matter and the response is, in my opinion, a positive one. Not sure about whether the channel is able to make profits, but yes, they are investing heavily and the channel dependence on that particular show is becoming very critical and important

     

    Challenges as such that the show should be accepted by the audience regionally/locally, else its no point, cos it might just not work. Therefore channels are obviously looking at what kind of content appeals to the local audiences and thereon adapting the same

     

    KBC in Tamil did ‘average’ in 1st season, later on seasons it’s doing pretty ok. In Malayalam, KBC did quite well, in Karnataka it was a bigger success than Tamil Nadu. May be it’s because the audiences were used to a personality such as Big B that nobody else was accepted. In today’s scenario if you look at what a Big Boss has done in Karnataka, we have something to talk about. The original Big Boss in Hindi was accepted anyways but when it came to adapting it to Kannada, initially am sure people couldn’t accept it, but now the program as such is doing well in the market place.

     

  • Come Saturday, she’s going to be the new star of the country. Mumbai homemaker Sunmeet Sawhney is the new KBC Rs 5cr jackpot winner

    Sweet smell of success for Sunmeet

     

     

    By Kshama Rao

     

    This Saturday, Sunmeet Kaur Sawhney will become the first woman to win the panchkoti gyaan kumbh of Kaun Banega Crorepati. The homemaker from Mumbai (originally from Chandigarh) is naturally pleased to have “made a name” for herself with the Rs 5 crore win. “My husband firmly believes that women should make a name for themselves. And I have made him proud,” says the mother of two daughters.

     

    Sony Entertainment Channel which is at Number 4 on the GEC chart this week couldn’t have better timed this victory as this Saturday the show (which enjoyed a TRP of 3.5 in the last week of December) is likely to face its stiffest opposition in the form of the Bigg Boss finale and Nach Baliye 5 (which has already opened pleasantly). Says a channel insider, “We are going all out to promote Sunmeet’s episode and it’s a great victory, something viewers will definitely enjoy watching. Whenever there is a big victory and especially if it’s an underdog – in this case, Sunmeet is a 12th pass housewife – people love to watch it. Of course, at the end of the day, we can only hope to garner more eyeballs because these days you never know which way the viewership will go given the other programmes on weekends.”

     

    Ratings apart, Ms Sawhney’s victory also comes at the right time with the Delhi rape case hitting the morale of women to an all-time low. Ms Sawhney says she can only hope her victory could bring a ray of hope for her ilk.

     

    Rahat Taslim

    Winners of previous editions of KBC are happy for Ms Sawhney’s success. Says Rahat Taslim, who won a crore in Season 4, “Right now, I am putting together my own ladies’ garment shop in Jharkhand which I plan to launch in March. When I read about Sunmeet’s victory, I was more than happy because she won five crore and that’s a huge achievement. Right now, the women of our country are not feeling good about the way things are going after the Delhi rape case and so I feel Sunmeet’s achievement is every woman’s achievement.”

     

    Taslim believes that women of this country haven’t had easy “with so many prejudices and age-old customs and traditions like the purdah that only hamper their progress. I have gone through a lot myself and feel extremely fortunate to have participated in KBC which changed my life. I got about 70 lakhs of the prize money after tax deduction and it helped me a lot in starting a new life. But yes, I feel I could have won more if I was better prepared.”

     

    Anil Kumar Sinha

    Anil Kumar Sinha, a 2011 ‘crorepati’ from Patna, agrees with Taslim. “KBC changed my identity. Earlier I would be known by the bank where I worked and now it’s the other way around. I feel Sunmeet despite being a Class 12 pass and a housewife really showed how passion and a little bit of luck can take you far.” Raina says after KBC, he’s become a volunteer of sorts to anyone and everyone who wants to try their luck at the hot seat. “I get calls every day asking for tips and advice. Recently, there was a person from Coimbatore who was low on confidence. He called me up and asked me for help and I am happy he not only landed on the hot seat, he also won six lakh, forty thousand rupees. I hope a day comes when a contestant who I have guided wins a crore! That would be my biggest achievement. As for Sunmeet’s victory, I am proud of her and she could be hugely inspiring for other people, especially women.”

     

    With his prize money he says he bought a house. “I am also building a nursing home in the memory of my late younger brother.”

     

    Sushil Kumar

    The news of Ms Sawhney’s victory is sweet music for Bihar’s Sushil Kumar, the first to win five crores last season. “I am happy a woman has done that now. Right now, it’s heartening news for everyone who lives in this country after what we went through in the last few days. I spoke to Sunmeet and am happy for her.” Tell him that his big win last season was one of the major reasons that inspired Ms Sawhney to try her luck and he brushes it off saying, “It feels good when someone is inspired by you because I too am inspired by many people and their stories. So it’s an achievement for me when someone participates in the show only because I could inspire them. Sunmeet has shown that a big degree is not what you need but a desire to get knowledge and continue learning is what makes success possible.”

     

    Mr Kumar who tried his luck at a dance reality show after KBC says right now he’s happy being in his library which he has started with part of the prize money. “I have repaid loans, bought land and am building a house now for my family. I am happy.”

     

    Meanwhile, there is jubilation in the Sawhney household. The newest KBC jackpot winner couldn’t finish her graduation because she lived with her grandparents for most of her childhood and had to give up studies as her grandfather, who she was closest to, was diagnosed with cancer and wanted to see here married. I “dropped studies but my husband proved to be the best decision of my life as he encouraged me to dream big.” The homemaker, who’s been giving home tuitions after a surgery left her bedridden for a few months, says her students can’t have enough of her victory.

     

    And after this weekend, we are sure the nation too might find a reason to rejoice.

     

  • Did the shift in the airing schedule affect the buzz factor for KBC 6 or has the Big B's aura begun to fade?

    Did the switch to weekends impact KBC buzz?

     

    By Kshama Rao

     

    That the sixth season of Kaun Banega Crorepati opened with a massive 6.1 is old hat; but what also seems to be equally true is that the show has failed to cash in on the success of last season. The buzz in the TV industry is that there is no buzz around the show this time despite its lofty tagline of ‘Gyan hi aapko aapka haqq dilata hai’. That there are no ratings to corroborate this (in the wake of the announcement of deferring the TAM data during week 41 ((October 7, 2012,) to week 49 (December 8, 2012) by the industry bodies, Indian Broadcasting Federation (IBF), Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) and Indian Society of Advertisers (ISA), in consensus with TAM Media. The nine-data is scheduled to release along with the week 50 (December 9-15, 2012) results).

     

    Says an industry insider, “Last year, KBC had a free run with no new big ticket shows at the same time slot on rival channels. They also got many sponsors on board at a premium and though the marketing and promotional buzz was as much or more for the current season, the hype amongst viewers is negligible as if viewer fatigue has set in and it’s no longer fun to watch yet another person with a background full of hardships win. Besides, Zee’s Sa Re Ga Ma Pa and Bigg Boss on Colors cut into KBC’s timings on weekends. Also, apart from crime shows on the weekends, nothing else has traditionally worked on Sony. KBC is no longer appointment-viewing.”

     

    What the industry thinks
    Basabdatta Chowdhury, CEO, Platinum Media

    Without the data and TVR, it will be difficult to comment. It is also about reach even though success is one parameter. The show has done well for the channel and they have got their revenues, so it is a success for them.

     

    Samir Khanna, EVP and Head, DDB MudraMax Media

    If you go by so-called numbers, KBC 6 is a success even though social media says otherwise. According to the common currency that we had precisely till October 8, KBC 6 was doing fairly well. Moving it to weekend was a good move since it is an episode-to-episode show and does not have continuity like serials. KBC format essentially works on weekend format, and it was a good strategy to move it to weekend slot. It might have become repetitive and getting to a point of viewer fatigue, but this fact has nothing to do with weekend.

     

    – Ananya Saha

     

    Also, unlike last season, this year, Sony gambled with the show telecast days. From weekdays it moved to weekends and that, say industry sources, did it in. A channel insider, who’s worked on the last two seasons of the show, on condition of anonymity says, “Well, it opened with a 6.1 which is huge but, yes, the sustenance ratings were affected. And with now the ratings coming in only on December 19, it’s a wait-and-watch game. Having said that, when it was on weekdays it consolidated the viewers, who were looking for more than just daily soaps as viewing alternatives. But this year, with KBC moving to weekends, the very same loyal audience has been fragmented. And that always happens because the weekend viewership is drastically different from the one during weekdays.”

     

    The source continues that while the show started with the noble intention of “gyan” being paramount and the tagline being “gyan hi aapko aapka haqq dilata hai”, it didn’t do much for the show in the later episodes. The channel brought the common man into the forefront with the last two seasons when the show moved from Star TV to Sony and we managed to surprise the audiences; that worked very well so unless you change the fundamentals, surprise your audience every time you bring in a new season, it won’t work in the longer run.”

     

    A member of the production crew who’s been instrumental in putting the show together says on condition of anonymity, “If you ask me, KBC is now settled in its orbit, so ratings don’t matter. But yes, change of telecast days made some damage.”

     

    Has the show run its course? “No,” says the channel source. “It is a great product. It has potential and like in case of any reality show, be it the Indian Idol or The X Factor, unless there is a surprise at the basic level for the viewers, the show won’t click the way you want it the way you want it to. Another very important factor that could have hampered the show prospects is the fact that it came too soon in the wake of the last season. Normally, there should be a healthy gap of say 12-14 months between the two seasons. This time, it ended in January last year and came back in September. The breathing space for the viewers was not adequate enough.”

     

    Another grouse against the show is its duration. The show last one-and-a-half hours. “I don’t think anything is wrong with the duration. 8.30 pm is absolutely fine because that’s when the viewers in the interiors tune in and by the time it’s 10 pm, the metro audience too has joined in. So it works. The celebrity specials too worked be it the Shah Rukh-Katrina Kaif episode, the Sridevi one or the recent Lara Dutta one,” the insider who wished to stay unidenitified told us.

     

    Siddhartha Basu

    Siddhartha Basu, chairman and managing director, BIG Synergy, which produces KBC, in a reply to our mail on the same, says, “These are highly subjective perceptions, and quite contrary to the depth and width of KBC’s impact, from the feedback we are getting. But please follow this up with the broadcaster who will be in a better position to respond on whether there is any objective basis or substance whatsoever to such a negative perspective.”

     

    Well, we can instead wait for December 19 when the ratings will come in and tell us the real story. Meanwhile, Kaun Banega Crorepati airs its last episode on January 19.

     

  • The online study reveals consumer interest, media consumption and attitudes towards partnership platforms

    Interest in KBC is greater than IPL: MEC

    By A Correspondent

     

    MEC, leading media and planning agency and a founding partner of Group M, (www.mecglobal.com), has announced the launch of its global research study – Partnership Intelligence. The study is an innovative research and online analysis tool that enables in-depth analysis of consumer interest, media consumption and attitudes towards partnership platforms including Sport, TV programming, Art, Entertainment and other global properties.

     

    Some of the key findings from the research include:

    * Among cricketing properties, ODI World Cup and T20 World Cup were considered the most preferred with ‘love’ and ‘like’ score of 80-81%. IPL only came third with a 71% ‘love’ and ‘like’ score

    * FIFA World Cup had the highest interest among non-cricket properties with 66% ‘love’ and ‘like’ score whereas Formula1 is far below in the 7th position with a score of only 51%.

    * Loyalty towards teams was translated with the National cricket team scoring the highest at 75% ‘love’ and ‘like’ score, followed by the National Hockey and Olympics teams at 59% and 54% respectively

    * Within the entertainment segment KBC dominated television reality shows cutting across age groups. Other than KBC, Dance India Dance (62%), Indian Idol & Sa Re Ga Ma (59%) and India’s Got Talent (56%) are among the Top 5 properties.

     

    Despite India being a cricket-crazy nation, the interest in KBC is greater than IPL as per the study. KBC is the only non-cricket property with a ‘love’ and ‘like’ score of 74%, which made it to top five properties in MEC’s Partnership Intelligenceâ„¢ study.

     

    Geetha Shiv, National Director, Analytics & Insight, MEC says, “Partnership Intelligence provides insights that help in deciding the most effective partnerships for brands based on how engaged their Target Audience is with different properties. It also helps select properties based on image profiles that fit with brand values.”

     

    The Partnership Intelligence global research has been conducted via an online survey across 17 markets including India, with a sample size of 1500 in each market. Besides delivering an analysis of property attributes the tool also provides comprehensive assessment of the potential fit of a property with a brand’s own values.

     

    Speaking about the research, T Gangadhar, Managing Director, MEC India says, “This is unique, never-done-before study that helps advertisers make choices between seemingly disparate opportunities. It offers an intelligent view on how one can go about choosing the right partnership or association for a specific brand. The study offers terrific insights based on people’s motivations and choices.”

     

  • KBC appears to be India's only hope and home for the common men and women to try their luck and up their bank balance a bit, writes Anil Thakraney

    Anil Thakraney: KBC: Winning desi hearts

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Everyone is surprised by the massive success of Kaun Banega Crorepati, which is now in its sixth season. I have a simple explanation: The Congress leaders said their party is with the aam aadmi, and they won the election in 2009 on that promise. Well, scams-ridden Soniaji & Co totally let the aam aadmi down, and the junta had nowhere else to go. Enter KBC. India’s only hope and home for the common men and women… to try their luck and up their bank balance a bit.

     

    KBC 6 opened to a rating of a staggering 6+ points (though NDTV will have doubts over these figures, hehe), and is now hovering at around 5. These ratings are actually spectacular, given the competitive scenario in the GECs segment, and also considering that this is an old show. Well, what’s happened is that KBC has become a truly desi gig, much like cricket, and it’s difficult to imagine that the format was created in another country. The Indian masses have made it their own… folks gather together to watch it, much as they would congregate at the village mela or at the ration shop in the cities. And Bachchan’s easy connect with the masses has made this very possible. He is like the adorable sarpanch of the village, the good headmen people like and trust.

     

    I watched a few episodes of KBC 6, and must say it’s packed with sponsors and advertisers. This is the only confusing aspect in my mind. Because I suspect the big-city upper and middle classes have lost interest in the show, and it’s the lower middle class and people from small towns and villages who provide the viewership numbers. So while the TRP figures are high, they aren’t coming from the rich urban middle class. Does that not put off most advertisers? I would imagine it would. So then why are they paying for the show? The only explanation is that perhaps the advertisers have found a single, convenient medium in KBC to reach out to India’s heartland. And this explains KBC’s commercial success as well.

     

    So, good show on all counts. However, the sad reality remains: The aam aadmi has to look to a TV serial for succour, having been failed by the political class.

     

    ***

     

    PS: Brilliant example of how to use a celeb in advertising. Acer Ultrabook exposes the hidden passion of the macho ’24’ television series star, Kiefer Sutherland. And that passion happens to be cupcakes! What I like about the treatment is that the ad exploits the star’s famous persona, and yet delivers a surprising solution. Cool!

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zemXwxg8Og[/youtube]

     

     

  • Do frequent changes in standings impact Hindi GECs? Quick takes from a few media agency pros & marketers

    Does anyone care about GEC GRPs see-sawing?

     

    By Meghna Sharma

     

    The battle of the Hindi general entertainment channels has intensified in the past few months. With most of them showing new seasons of popular shows like Kaun Banega Crorepati, Jhalak Dikhla Jaa, Dance India Dance etc, the competition has not only increased between the channels but also viewers – who wants to watch what?

     

    If the TAM ratings of the past few weeks are studied, it becomes very clear that there is no sure-shot contender for the numero uno position. The weekend which saw the first episode of KBC on Sony made the channel numero uno for the weekend slot. However, overall ratings for week 36 saw Zee in the top slot. Week 35, saw Star Plus in the top place whereas for week 33, it was Zee at number one position.

     

    The yo-yoing has been going on for sometime now, so who gets affected by this – channels, media planners or advertisers? Or don’t the weekly ratings matter much? MxMIndia spoke to a few media planners/buyers and advertisers to get their perspective on it and to find a few answers.

     

    According to Anita Nayyar, CEO, India and Southeast Asia, Havas Media, in the GEC space there are four top channels – Star Plus, Sony, Zee and Colors – and their ratings keep fluctuating among themselves, which isn’t a recent phenomenon. “One week, one channel is peaking so the other week it’s another channel’s chance. Also, there isn’t much difference between their GRPs; it’s a matter of only a few numbers that they fall short of each other in the race. Therefore, it’s nothing alarming even for the clients who follow the GRPs to the T. However, we do keep in mind the trends and what gets the eyeballs to the channel. For instance, KBC taking Sony to number slot was expected. One needs to keep such issues in mind and plan accordingly.”

     

    Agreeing with Ms Nayyar, Hiren Pandit, managing partner, GroupM adds that one needs to keep in mind what is the programming mix of different channels. With KBC opening with 6.1 TVR, Sony was bound to reach the top slot. Therefore, one needs to track the new big shows coming up and how they’ll fare rather than worrying about channel shares which keeps see-sawing because of these shows. As for advertisers, they too focus more on shows and its performance rather than channels. Hence, such yo-yoing shouldn’t bother anyone unless it’s a drastic one.

     

    “I don’t think anyone takes these weekly GRPs of GECs into account; therefore, such weekly see-sawing shouldn’t matter. If one looks at various channels, you’ll see that most of them have reality shows or special episodes or Grand finale etc as their strategy to drive channel GRPs especially on the weekend. Hence, a media planner or buyer doesn’t get affected by it as most of the deals are separate for these (channel driver) reality shows and separate for rest of channel (regular) programs. And to advertisers what matters is the consistent deliveries through regular shows and not these few spike on select shows,” adds Neelkamal Sharma, COO – Buying, Madison Group.

     

    However, the advertisers feel a little different as GECs which have a vast reach in the country are seen by the advertisers as the best way to reach out to their audiences and brands spend millions to use the visibility given by these channels.

     

    Kamal Nandi, vice-president (sales & marketing) of Godrej & Boyce Manufacturing explains that as a brand, for them the two things that matter the most are efficiency and effectiveness. “Therefore, as advertisers on these GECs, we do look at cost and ratings points as the two most critical evaluating parameters. Hence, such fluctuations do effect our decisions as we monitor them closely.”

     

    Similarly, Mayank Shah, Group Product Manager, Parle Products says, “The content of every show on every channel varies. Despite the fluctuations, there are certain properties that continue to be at the top. These shows provide great opportunities for advertisers. However, strategies keep changing. So we do keep these fluctuations in our mind and alter the strategy as and when required. Advertising strategies are based on the kind of viewership a channel has. If a product matches with the channel’s target group, then advertisers will continue to advertise on that channel because the reach is effective. Also, there are various aspects to consider while choosing channels. Hence, the positioning is an important criteria, but not the sole criteria.”

     

    Hence, one thing is clear, that weekly ratings of GECs might not be considered as the sole criteria by planners or advertisers as much a monthly or the performance of the show in general. But they do matter when it comes to brands spending on GECs to reach their desired audience.

     

  • The success of KBC cannot be measured through a mere rating number. Several shows may attract similar audience volumes, but KBC’s long-standing legacy makes it stand apart, writes Shailesh Kapoor in 'TV Trail'.

    Shailesh Kapoor: Welcome Back, KBC!

    By Shailesh Kapoor

     

    After a few weeks of writing analytical pieces, which often used hard data to make some key points, I feel the need to indulge myself this week, and write a more ‘fanboy’ type of piece. And for good reason too. A new season of Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) opened to a rousing audience reception last weekend. Like four of the previous five seasons, host Amitabh Bachchan enthralled us with his charisma and elegance. Coupled with grace. And humour. And style. And warmth. And for me, nostalgia as well.

     

    It all started in 2000. When KBC first went on-air on Star Plus, Amitabh Bachchan was in the middle of a professional low. His last few films – Lal Baadshah, Sooryavansham (subsequently a huge television success), Hindustan Ki Kasam and Kohram – had not set the box-office on fire. And his business venture had crashlanded even before take off.

     

    One didn’t know what to make of KBC then. Quiz shows have never been mass entertainment in India, either before 2000 or even now. The channel airing the show had no Hindi audience base anyway. Prize money seemed the only big hook to get eyeballs in.

     

    But exceptional (not just good) content has the ability to permeate layers of audiences by crossing the most impermeable boundaries. My Bengaluru neighbourhood, where I stayed that time, would watch Kannada television at primetime everyday. As I would walk up three floors to my apartment every night, dialogues in the alien language would greet me from behind the closed doors. But only till July 3, 2000.

     

    Within a week of KBC’s launch, the “greeting” had changed. It was the KBC signature tune, or the deep baritone voice of Mr. Bachchan. I remember stopping once in amazement, on the second floor, listening to the signature music from a TV set playing in a staunch Kannada household, and wondering: This has permeated and how! (Today, I would look down upon this methodology of ‘research with sample size of one’, but that’s another point altogether)

     

    The ‘Umeed Se Dugna’ campaign for KBC 2 was sheer brilliance, and arguably the best ever KBC launch campaign till date. It’s a pity that the season had to be aborted prematurely because of the host’s health. There were also some signs of fatigue beginning to develop with the format, and the industry was beginning to wonder if KBC’s success was short-lived after all.

     

    When Shah Rukh Khan took over as the host for the third season, he was stepping into shoes that were BIG, in more ways than one. A lesson was well learnt in Season 3: You can’t make KBC more entertaining than Bachchan’s KBC. No one can. No one should even try.

     

    When Sony decided to bring KBC back in 2010, there were murmurs in the industry on how the channel was flogging a dead horse (referring to the format, and not its ever-so-alive host). To the channel’s credit, they managed the unique combination of keeping the core of the franchise intact, while making enough changes to infuse an element of freshness in the format. KBC 4 worked. Far better than what Sony would have settled for.

     

    For me, however, KBC 5 was the real turnaround season. It was the only season of KBC that had started with less than a year’s gap vis-à-vis the previous season. There wasn’t much to talk about. All the talking points had been exhausted in KBC 4. Leading upto the launch, the buzz scores were lower and that KBC 5 will match the success of KBC 4 was extremely iffy.

     

    But making the content emotional and (literally) pan-India was a masterstroke. It gave a new texture that the audience of the franchise had never seen before. The journey from a quiz show to an entertainment show was now truly complete. KBC 5 was a huge success. It also gave us the Rs. 5 crore winner in one Sushil Kumar from Motihari in Bihar. Today, he makes more money by participating in other reality shows.

     

    It may be early to identify the ace KBC 6 has up its sleeve. My sense is that this seems like the most “fun” season of KBC so far. It has humour and banter woven in, better than ever before. The host is in absolutely top form, almost as if he was born to do this. Of course, I dare not believe that, because his film work in the seventies is worth several lifetimes.

     

    The success of KBC cannot be measured through a mere rating number. Several shows may attract similar audience volumes, but KBC’s long-standing legacy makes it stand apart. It is the family unifier, the knowledge giver, the entertainment machine, the de-stresser, all rolled into one.

     

    An earnest request to all broadcasters: The day Amitabh Bachchan decides to hang his boots, let’s hang the boots on KBC too. Let the legacy remain untarnished, preserved for posterity.

     

    Of course, I hope (and am sure) that that day is still many years and many seasons away.

     

    Shailesh Kapoor is founder and CEO of media & entertainment research and consulting firm Ormax Media. He spent nine years in the television industry before turning entrepreneur. He can be reached at his Twitter handle @shaileshkapoor

     

     

     

  • Week 36 of the TAM weekly ratings put Zee at #1 yet again with 251 points and Star Plus a close second. But the real star has been Sony at 244 on the back on KBC

    Zee is #1 again as KBC propels Sony to a close #3

    By A Correspondent

     

    Zee is back to the No 1 slot among Hindi general entertainment channel in Week 36 of the weekly TAM ratings released today.

     

    While Zee scored 251, Star Plus was a very close #2 at 250. However, the star of the week was undoubtedly Sony. Mega quiz show Kaun Banega Crorepati took the channel from a distant #4 to a close #3 at 244. Colors was #4 at 229 GRPs.

     

    Meanwhile, after the tie at 132 points last week, Life OK inched ahead with 141, while SAB was at 136.

     

    Last week’s numbers were as follows: Star Plus 264, Colors 245, Zee 227, Sony 210, Sab and Life OK 132

     

    Please note that the information has not been supplied and verified by TAM Media. However our source is reasonably reliable. The figures in brackets indicate ratings of the previous week.