MxMIndia

Tag: Mitrajit Bhattacharya

  • Effies 2016 will be held on Friday, December 16 at the Taj Lands End, Mumbai

    Vikram Sakhuja to head Effies 2016 organising committee, Mitrajit Bhattacharya to co-chair

    By A Correspondent

     

    Vikram Sakhuja

    The Advertising Club has announced the appointment of Vikram Sakhuja, Group CEO, Madison World as President, Effies 2016.The awards recognise and commend excellence in marketing communications and encourages thoughtful dialogue about the drivers of marketing effectiveness. Mitrajit Bhattacharya, ‎President & Publisher at Chitralekha Group will be Co-Chair of Effies 2016.

     

    Speaking of Sakhuja’s appointment, Raj Nayak and President, The Advertising Club said: “Effies have emerged as a coveted industry awards that laud campaigns and individuals delivering landmark brand solutions.  Vikram has been an essential part of Effies 2015 and was instrumental in ensuring the awards success last year. I am delighted that Vikram will be at the helm of the prestigious awards this year too. I am confident that under his leadership the awards will gain further in repute, stature and scale. Wishing all the best to Vikram and the team.”

     

    On his role as President Effie Awards 2016, Vikram Sakhuja said: “It is a privilege to be chairing the Effies. It remains the one award that Agencies and client covet equally since it celebrates effectiveness. This year the Effies will be held in December, a little earlier than last year to ensure that Christmas and New Year is not spent working on entries. We look forward to again welcoming great work from all quarters.”

     

    According to information received, Effies 2016 will be held on Friday, December 16 at the Taj Lands End, Mumbai.

     

  • The debate is scheduled for Friday, August 5, 2016 at ITC Grand Central, Parel, Mumbai, 6pm onwards

    IAA Debates to debate on quality of print advertising

    By A Correspondent

     

    The next IAA Debates, presented by the Dainik Bhaskar group will be on “The quality of creativity in print advertising today is adversely impacting the efficacy of Print Medium.”

     

    The debate is scheduled for Friday, August 5, 2016 at ITC Grand Central, Parel, Mumbai, 6pm onwards.

     

    Srinivasan K Swamy

    Srinivasan K Swamy, President IAA India Chapter and Senior Vice President IAA Global said, “IAA Debates is an important property of IAA. Many industry leaders have taken the stand and debated on subjects that the industry always felt uncomfortable with. It has therefore become a must-attend event from all section of the advertising, media and marketing fraternity. I look forward to an intelligent fight between seasoned professionals”.

     

    Speaking for the motion are, Mitrajit Bhattacharya, President & Publisher- Chitralekha Group, President – AIM and Sandip Tarkas, CEO, (Sports, Media & Special Projects) Future Group; and speaking against the motion are Rana Barua, CEO – Contract India and  Joy Chakraborthy, President, TV18 -Revenue & CEO Forbes. Nandini Dias, CEO – Lodestar UM – will moderate the debate.

     

  • Sponsors who came on board to put this mega event together include co-sponsor, Mycro Fine Atta Chakki, category sponsors, Kiwa and Urmin, hospitality partner, Club 07 and radio partner 93.5 RED FM

    Chitralekha hosts first season of Mrs. Gujarat contest

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Chitralekha Group hosted its very first season of Chitralekha Mrs. Gujarat 2016, at Club 07, Ahmedabad.

     

    After being groomed by experts in their fields, the 21 finalists faced the jury comprising Priyadarshini Rao, noted fashion designer and founder of the label Mineral, Mickey Mehta, well known Wellness and Holistic Living guru, actress Soha Ali Khan, Tanvi Vyas, Femina Miss India Earth 2008, a popular face of Indian television, actor, producer, Jamnadas Majethia or JD, renowned rapper, Devang Patel and fashion photographer Ashish Sompura over three gruelling rounds of traditional, Indo-Western and gown to emerge winners of Chitralekha Mrs. Gujarat 2016 along with the 1st and 2nd runners up, Mrs. Readers’ Choice, Mrs. Fitness, Mrs. Photogenic and Mrs. Congeniality.

     

    The winner of Chitralekha Mrs. Gujarat 2016 won a GetAway Goddess holiday package from presenting sponsor Cox & Kings, while the 1st Runner Up title was powered by AU Finja who gave away glittering gold jewellery and the 2nd Runner Up won gift vouchers from LG.

     

    The gala event saw some enthralling entertainment acts and the coming together of Ahmedabad’s leading socialites creating a larger-than-life platform of the beauty and fashion ecosphere.

     

    Other sponsors who came on board to put this mega event together include co-sponsor, Mycro Fine Atta Chakki, category sponsors, Kiwa and Urmin, hospitality partner, Club 07 and radio partner 93.5 RED FM.

     

    Commenting on what went behind creating the pageant; Mitrajit Bhattacharya, President and Publisher of Chitralekha Group says “We believe strength of a woman comes from being multi-faceted and marriage pushes a woman towards achieving goals which otherwise seem impossible to achieve. Chitralekha Mrs. Gujarat is a platform which looks to reward these outstanding women of Gujarat who continue to prove that beauty is not just skin deep. We are overwhelmed by the response both in terms of quantity as well as quality in the first year itself. As an organisation, it’s now our responsibility to nurture and help them achieve their dreams. More power to them.”

     

  • The sixth edition of Watch World Awards to recognize top brands across 10 product and 7 marketing categories

    Watch World Awards to happen tomorrow

    The Chitralekha group’s annual Watch World Awards will happen tomorrow, October 9, at the Westin Gurgaon.

     

    The sixth edition of the awards will see top-end luxury watch brands vying for the coveted awards in Marketing and Product categories.

     

    The product category was judged by panellists including Swiss master watchmaker Antoine Simonin, fashion designer Raghavendra Rathore; polo champion Adhiraj Singh and filmmaker Apoorva Lakhia. Nitish Tipnis, Senior Marketing & Business Transformation Specialist (Automotive & Retail) judged the marketing category.

     

    Speaking on the Awards, Mitrajit Bhattacharya, President and Publisher, Chitralekha Group said, “Watch World Awards has gathered a stature which the watch industry looks forward to.  With each edition, the list of marquee brands has grown up reiterating the significance of the unique platform we have created. Most importantly the awards have been able to touch the right chord with the watch brands and watch lover

     

  • An Assoc of Indian Magazines-IMRB study throws up interesting findings on magazines vis-à-vis other media

    Mags 2x more engaging than Radio & TV

     

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Association of Indian Magazines (AIM), the apex body of magazine publishers in India, commissioned leading market research firm IMRB in 2010 to conduct a large survey, covering a sample size of 3,600 over 10 cities. The study released at the Indian Magazine Congress held in Chennai on February 23 and 24, has shown high engagement scores for magazines on all key parameters like ad avoidance, information seeking, purchase intent and such.

     

    Mitrajit Bhattacharya

    Industry leaders urged AIM to take these findings forward and create an index as a composite score, which would clearly demonstrate the extent to which magazines are engaging, vis-a-vis other media. “That’s exactly what we did,” says AIM President Mitrajit Bhattacharya, adding: “We ran a regression analysis on the same data and came out with weights for individual indices like Mind Measures (weight .59), Ad Avoidance (-.32) etc. and then we created a Composite Index.”

     

    A two-step process was followed to create the Engagement Index. The first step entailed running a regression on a key dependent variable and evaluating the hierarchy of each of the partial engagement indices. The second step required evaluating each medium on the partial engagement indices and arriving at a final Engagement Index.

     

    The study demonstrates that magazines are twice as engaging as television and radio (239 indexed to 100 of Radio).

     

    The Engagement Index Findings

     

    Statements which constitute Mind Measures (Weight: 0.59):This medium matches my personal interests/ personality

    This medium shows how I can approach problems

    This medium is trustworthy and reliable

    This medium helps me stand out and create an impression

    This medium is like an undemanding companion

     

    Statements which constitute Escapism (Weight: 0.20):

    This medium is relaxing and a good escape

    I can consume this medium anywhere and at any time

     

    Statements which constitute Information (Weight: 0.20):

    I am always discovering something new with this medium

    This medium keeps me updated with latest styles and trends

    This medium helps me in expanding my knowledge 

     

    Statements which constitute Stimulation (Weight: 0.18):

    This medium helps me understand the opinions of others

    This medium touches and inspires me

    This medium helps in better social interaction 

     

    Statements which constitute Ad Seeking (Weight: 0.14): 

    Ads provide useful information new products/ services

    Ads add to the experience of consuming the medium

    Pay more attention to ads as I find them more useful

     

    Statements which constitute Ad Avoidance (Weight: -0.32): 

    Ads appear at inconvenient moments in this medium

    Ads in this medium should be eliminated

     

     

  • Celebrating the best of time keeping, the fifth edition brings top watch brands, glitterati and mesmerizing performance to create the biggest celebration of horology ever

    Fifth edition of Chitralekha’s Watch World Awards held in Gurgaon

    By A Correspondent

     

    Watch World from the Chitralekha Group hosted the fifth edition of the definitive roll-call show in the world of horology – The Watch World Awards recently. Hosted at The Westin, Gurgaon, in presence of luminary guests from a cross-section of the society, the awards saw eclectic watch brands winning commendations across 10 product and six market categories. These top brands were adjudged by acclaimed jurists including Antoine Simonin, Neeraj Pandey, Raghavendra Rathore and Adhiraj Singh who unanimously adjudged CARTIER Rotonde de Cartier Astrocalendaire as the ‘Watch of the Year 2014’.

     

    The event saw attendance by eclectic timekeeping brands vying for the top awards. The winners in the Marketing categories included SEIKO for their Kolkata Knight Riders IPL Campaign bagging the ‘Best Marketing Campaign in Print’ award and TITAN Edge and XYLYS picking up the award for ‘Best Marketing Campaigns on Television’. BREITLING New Bond Street, London picked the ‘Best Boutique’ award, while HUBLOT FIFA 2014 and IWC Mercedes AMG Petronas partnership was adjudicated as the ‘Best Integrated Marketing Campaign’.

     

    Mitrajit Bhattacharya

    Mitrajit Bhattacharya, President & Publisher, Chitralekha Group & Creator of Watch World Awards said, “Watch World Awards has reached a stature which the watch industry looks upto. The list of marquee brands and participating product line-up continues to grow reiterating the importance of the platform. To match the incredible watches we once again had put up an incredible jury comprising the best from across watch making, designing, sports, creative and marketing. No wonder the watches which come through this tough jury and emerge victorious stand for the best in timekeeping.”

     

  • Continuing with our extracts from the second edition of the MxMIndia Annual, we present contributions by Vinay Bhatia and Mitrajit Bhattacharya

    What Ticks for Indian Consumers/Women: Vinay Bhatia and Mitrajit Bhattacharya

    Continuing with our extracts from the second edition of the MxMIndia Annual, we present contributions by Vinay Bhatia and Mitrajit Bhattacharya.

     

     

    Marketing driven analytics is the way forward

     

    By Vinay Bhatia

     

    In the past two years, we have seen a rise in the use of marketing driven analytics by brands in India in order to deliver a better retail experience at the consumer level.

     

    At Shoppers Stop, we have been investing in data driven marketing a lot and have created tailor-made programmes for our customers, through which we can then keep a track on their spends.

     

    While it is true that data driven marketing is the way forward for India’s retail industry, it is still in its nascent stages; it is probably just beginning to be recognised as an effective marketing tool in India. I guess, in the next five to seven years, we will see massive growth in this area – and I see that within retail – every aspect of investment will be much more data driven.

     

    To remain connected with the consumers at large, we undertake digital and social media campaigns. Gone are the days where brands rely on traditional modes of communication. Today word of mouth has become an important factor in decision making, and this is true of both men as well as women consumers.

     

    		  

    Don’t preach,  just build bonds that’ll last

     

    By Mitrajit Bhattacharya

     

    Magazine as a brand or magazine as a printed product? Most publishers are still struggling to figure out the transition from the latter to the former and the earlier they do it, the better it is for them. Readers particularly women, as we all know might be difficult to understand but when they profess their loyalty to something, they are quite rigid about the same. And this is where trusted brands should swiftly move in to become the friend, philosopher and guide to their readers rather than continue being printed magazines.

     

    There are many examples of great magazine brands, like Vanitha, Sananda, Grihashobha, Chitralekha etc where the relationship has evolved much beyond that of a magazine and a reader. We at Chitralekha do many things to keep our women readers engaged, and in a very entertaining manner. Our motto: never be preachy and change with times. We have a dedicated magazine within Chitralekha addressing the needs of women, named Priyadarshini.

     

    A magazine-withinmagazine, it was launched in 2001 as we felt we needed to create a different ambience for the women audience. During our 60th anniversary celebrations in 2010 we took 60 of our readers on a paid holiday to Thailand. It was not a favour we did to them but was an acknowledgement for the goodwill they have showered on us over the years by following every word published.

     
     
     

    They do ask their friends before buying a product or a service. Various mobile applications (such as WhatsApp) and social media networks have made it easier for consumers to share and review their purchase decisions with friends. Therefore, retailers have taken to digital and social media very seriously. And we’ve certainly taken it very seriously as well.

    We were among the first retailers in India to have leveraged the digital space effectively. On Facebook, we have more than 5 million fans – the 8th largest Facebook page in India across all brands and all categories. We are also very active on Twitter with more than 70,000 followers. As far as consumer and consumer spends are concerned, this year, we have seen a steady growth despite the economic slowdown.

     

    In the apparel category, we clearly see an upswing where consumers are spending more, they want better brands, and they want to own more brands. Women in particular. We have seen an increase in sales of women footwear and women bags in the premium category like never before. All we need to do moving forward is keep the buzz going in the social space and leverage that with tailor-made programmes made for consumers with the help of data analytics.

     

     

    		  

    They really know more than we do about our magazine. In fact, when we found a couple of issues missing from our archives and approached our readers, many came forward to provide them to us. One more recent example has been a massive consumer activation programme on recipes with stars of Colors’ TV shows and Everest Masala. The activity which ran for 15 weeks received an overwhelming 5000 original recipes from readers on the favourite food of the TV celebs.

    The lucky winners visited the sets of Colors to meet the stars and were showered with prizes too. A magazine brand connected with its audience, how can we not leverage the social media? We have a very active FB page with strong properties like Chhoti Si Mulakat, Wah Bhai Wah, Elchi etc which are very unique to us. We were able to build a very strong connect with the younger audience through FB within a very short period of two years.

     

     

     

     

    Tomorrow: Teens -Anupriya Acharya and Lavneesh Gupta

     

  • The book takes the readers through an extraordinary life lived by an ordinary mortal bringing in eleven astounding storie

    Mauritius gets a taste of ‘Life Money Can’t Buy’

    By a correspondent

     

    Mitrajit Bhattacharya

    After receiving a positive feedback on the launch of his book in India, Chitralekha’s Mitrajit Bhattacharya now plans to release his book across international destinations. As a starting point, Bhattacharya got the Honorary Arvin Boolell G.O.S.K, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Foreign Trade, Government of Mauritius to launch ‘Life Money Can’t Buy’ in Mauritius.

     

    The evening was hosted by Ravin Lama and Bhawana Maskey, Directors, Mind Initiates Ltd and saw attendance of crème de la crème of Mauritius including industrialists, business persons and representatives of the State.

     

    The book takes the readers through an extraordinary life lived by an ordinary mortal bringing in eleven astounding stories. From being enchanted by a mermaid frolicking around a yacht in the waters off the coast of Capri to flying a jet in Switzerland, from cheering on a game of polo with Maharajas for company to having his own ‘wonderland’ moment with the Great Wall of China as the backdrop, this book is Mitrajit’s expression of the fascinating adventures he has encountered while pursuing his assignments.

     

    A storyteller at heart, the book is his way of reaching out to readers. It’s his way of telling the world that if you really believe in strange, fascinating and unforgettable adventures, they are likely to come your way. Talking about his book, Mitrajit said, “This book is a journey of my life over the past decade or so. It’s about the out-of-the box experiences I was fortunate to have covering the ‘luxe’ world criss-crossing continents. Hope you enjoy leafing through my adventures as much I have enjoyed ‘living’ them.”

     

  • Mitrajit Bhattacharya takes over from Tarun Rai as the new President of the Association of Indian Magazines

    Mitrajit Bhattacharya is new President of Association of Indian Magazines

    Mitrajit Bhattacharya
    R Rajmohan

    By A Correspondent

     

    Chitralekha group President and Publisher Mitrajit Bhattacharya will be the new President of the Association of Indian Magazines. He takes over from Tarun Rai of Worldwide Media.

     

    Meanwhile, R Rajmohan, Publisher of Open magazine will be the new Vice-President and B Srinivasan, Managing Director of Vasan Publications will be General Secretary. Pradeep Gupta, CMD, Cybermedia will continue to be Treasurer.

     

  • The New York Times set up a team to track – practically in real-time – whether editorial is going in the right direction. Does India need data analytics in editorial decisions? MxMIndia finds out

    Does editorial content need an eye in the sky?

     

    By Ananya Saha

     

    Recently, The New York Times set up a news analytics team with the aim of establishing a better understanding of how editorial content is consumed – to know if the content being created is actually working, and if they’re publishing the news the right way, and where and how can they fix the gaps.

     

    With more and more people consuming and sharing news in real time, do media houses in India too need analytics team to make data-driven decisions? Would it help the editorial decisions? Do Indian media houses need it yet? While Sriram Kilambi of Bloomberg preferred to not comment since Bloomberg is considering it, the industry thinks it is the right time to employ data analytics for editorial decisions.

     

    Mitrajit Bhattacharya, President-Publisher, Chitralekha Group

    Different media houses have their own methods of assessing the efficacy/ response to their content. We religiously go through the traditional letters and emails from our readers. The feedback is very sharp on new media like Facebook. Based on continuous feedback from our readers we decide to make changes in our edit mix. It’s a continuous process though. Use of analytics is always welcome. It just makes the feedback process bias-free and scientific.

     

     

    Niteen Bhagwat, Executive Director & CEO – Asterii Analytics

    The data analytics and its role in news and journalism was the tipping point in US market after the Obama election campaign. Nate Silver, an analyst had predicted that Obama would win even when expert commentators had predicted that Romney might win. However, Silver’s prediction was right since he based his theory on data available. He made an editorial comment based on marketplace. Now, that was the tipping point. There is a lot of data around that can be used. Even the US papers moved to data-based journalism from opinion-based journalism.

     

    There are three kinds of journalists in a news room: traditional, social media or digital-friendly journalists, and quant or quantitative-oriented journalists. Quant journalists are the ones who can make sense of huge amount of data. Now, whether it is journalism, corporate communication or PR, we will need people in all three buckets or people who have all three qualities.

     

    The second point is, NYT is one of the 100 publications that have a metered payment gateway. And it has registered more subscription revenue than advertising revenue. This makes the publications enjoy more freedom when it comes to content. With data analytics in place, one can understand the online reading habit – can know the demography, or which part of the publication is being consumed more, which will allow more tailor-made content.

     

    Shantanu Bhanja, VP (Marketing), HT Media Ltd

    Yes, for sure. While the editorial judgment is paramount, analytics are valued inputs to that judgment. Our analytics team helps us give the editors a pulse of the consumer, as well as feedback on our news offerings in real time as well as over periods of time. The final editorial decisions are taken solely by the editorial team. However, an analytics team provides the reader interface. We carry out various studies, both online and offline some continuous (with different periodicity) and some as and when the need arises.

     

     

    Projit Chakrabarti, Head – Marketing Services, NDTV Limited

    Well certainly for genres of news that fall into the category of ‘information’ or ‘news you can use’; with more and more 360-degree targeting to the consumer  becoming increasingly relevant, data and analytics will drive the dissemination of certain kinds of news and information. It will most certainly help from a contextual and utilitarian point of view but may be not so much from an editorial point of view. Indian media houses definitely need it.

     

    Ashish Pherwani, Partner, Advisory Services, Ernst & Young

    At the end of the day, a media house (whether TV, print, radio, website, whatever) provides audiences to advertisers.  With the growth of digital distribution channels and the proliferation of lower-cost hardware options, audiences are changing the manner in which they consume content.  Hence, media houses now not only need to provide their content to their audiences in the manner and format of their choice, but also keep using analytics to understand changing audience preferences, to better cater to them.

     

    Analytics will also enable better sales efficiency – enabling ad sales teams to sell in a more targeted manner. And of course, editorial teams, to understand what type of content do their audiences prefer, at what time and how it must be packaged. Hence, analytics leads to (1) better serving the audience and (2) better monetization of the audience.

     

  • The Chitralekha Publisher and President writes a book on his varied experiences from his travels in 'Life Money Can't Buy'

    Mitrajit Bhattacharya’s priceless tales of crazy things

    By A Correspondent

     

    His interest and expertise in the world of watches is now well-known. In fact he has used this to even co-own a consultancy firm called The Horologists. His full-time vocation though is that as Publisher and President of the Chitralekha Group. He also creates content for television and is an active vice-president of the Association of Indian Magazines. Meet Mitrajit Bhattacharya, now also a first-time author.

     

    Mr Bhattacharya has shared his experiences through various professional and personal engagements that transported him into worlds which would constitute, as the the title of his book tell us, Life Money Can’t Buy….

     

    The book is a compilation of voyages — from being enchanted by a mermaid frolicking around a yacht in the waters off the coast of Capri to flying a jet in Switzerland, from cheering on a game of polo with Maharajas for company to having his own ‘wonderland’ moment with the Great Wall of China as the backdrop.

     

    Obviously, this book is Mitrajit’s expression of the fascinating adventures he has encountered while pursuing his assignments.

     

    Cricket commentator and former India captain Ravi Shastri has written the foreword to the book, which will be released by actor Shabana Azmi at an event in Mumbai tomorrow (April 16).

     

    Excerpts from a short interview with Mr Bhattacharya:

     

    What prompted you to put your impressions in book form?

    Being closely associated with the luxe industry for over a decade now, I have led a life which has allowed me to do crazy things across the world.  One fine day last year it dawned on me that putting together these experiences will make a great read, hopefully. Hence the book.

     

    In many ways, the book’s title reminds one of the Mastercard ad. Which of these was, according to you, the most priceless?

    Most of these experiences are unique and very few in the world have access to. Hence all are priceless. Moreover, all journeys are different from each other and can’t be compared.

     

    If you were given an opportunity to relive one of these experiences, what would it be?

    I would like to undertake newer journeys, may be share those in my next book.

     

    The struggle and hesitation is max for the first book. Now that you have passed that, what next?

    We have just placed the book in key bookstores and the response so far has been positive. When I am ready with more to share, another book will follow.

     

     


  • No, say publishers, rubbishing the recent IRS 2012 Q3 numbers and say that readership is in fact rising!

    MxM Mondays: Is magazine readership sliding?

     

    By Ananya Saha

     

    As magazine publishers are set to meet for the Indian Magazine Congress in Mumbai on February 14 and 15, the indifferent numbers posted by the latest findings of the Indian Readership Survey continue to mar what appears to be business as usual. According to the IRS 2012 Q3 figures, magazine readership is on the decline barring a few magazines that have gained AIR.

     

    Even as the Indian print industry continues to see new launches, the readership of magazines is sliding (including regional language, Hindi and English magazines), as recorded by the IRS. MxMIndia spoke to a cross-section of industry veterans about the Indian magazine industry, and the shape of things to come. In alphabetical order of their last names:

     

    Suresh Balakrishna, CEO, BPN

    Newspapers and television have taken over the space which was once occupied by magazines. Therefore, general news/interest magazines readership is on a decline. However, niche magazines which cater to a small but specific audience are doing well and will continue to do well. Even as we speak niche magazines on jewellery, garments, travel etc are being launched. And advertisers are interested in putting their money on them as they are leisure magazines and will get their message across to their target audience. Hence, the future of niche magazines is bright although other magazines will have to take a hit

     

     

    Mitrajit Bhattacharya, Publisher & President, Chitralekha Group

    A survey like IRS hardly does justice to a highly complex category like magazines. Magazines are heterogeneous in nature with skewed distribution, which is missed by a huge survey like IRS; or in simple words, IRS is not even designed to capture readership of magazines (particularly special interest or niche ones). There are concerns about certain genres of magazines facing difficulties in retaining loyalty among its audiences, but there is surely traction in the specialized space. How else can you justify launch of so many new titles every year? IRS is not a good measurement tool. It is a one-size-fits-all omnibus survey with no focus on skewed distribution of magazines.

     

    The industry is reorienting, specialised genres are doing great even if some traditional genres are threatened. Also the digital formats are doing well for all big magazine brands. I see further traction in this. Digital will complement the print formats in a great way and magazines will lead the space for their superior content and presentation.

     

    Varghese Chandy, Chief General Manager, Marketing Advertising Sales, Malayala Manorama

    The quarterly result or six-month readership data will not establish if readership is declining or not. The readership is dropping compared to a few years ago. What we need to understand is that the way a magazine is consumed or read is getting different. It is changing because online versions are available. The time will come that when you talk of magazine readership, you will actually have to add the online and offline (print) readership of the magazine, including tablets and mobile. That is what one should look at in the long run, whether you are able to retain readership through all possible formats. Unfortunately, we are not in position to capture this readership currently.

     

    The way readership is captured in India for the magazine is very newspaper-oriented. For the newspaper, the readership is concentrated is the catchment area that is near printing or publication centres. Magazines, on the other hand, are dispersed widely, and in most cases, nationally. Even the language magazines are dispersed beyond one geographical state where the language is read. Thus, the sample pickup for magazine and newspaper cannot be the same because of the wide dispersion. The present readership survey, and this is something all of us have been saying for some time, is not actually geared to capture the readership of the magazines; particularly the niche magazines and magazines that have specialized readership.

     

    That is why you see readership drop even in cases of English and general interest magazines. Some readership figures and drops should be seen as rationalization of numbers. There used to be a time when the readership of one copy was seen as 10 or 15, which is out of the question. Some of this rationalization is definitely happening.

     

    We need a much larger sample base for a magazine-focused readership survey.

     

    Ashish Pherwani, Partner, Advisory Services, M&E, Ernst & Young

    To measure the readership of magazines, a standard measure is used by IRS. It does not capture the online readership of magazines. Also, one needs to understand that readership is one of the ways that a magazine reaches the readers. The magazine is a brand that you (readers) believe in. The brand can reach their targeted audience via television, internet, tablet, event etc. Take the example of Femina: the brand is larger than a magazine and the database of customers that Femina is connected with is much bigger than its magazine readership. It is connected to readers via Facebook, social media, its website, events, and what not.

     

    IRS is the only currency, so it needs to be used. It does not measure the brand value. IRS is just one part of the brand and publishers need to take cognizance of that.

     

    Tarun Rai, CEO, World Wide Media and President, AIM

    Declining readership of magazines is a myth. Magazines like all media are going through dynamic changes. Yes, there are some genres of magazines which may be witnessing some decline but most others should actually be showing an increase. Our circulation numbers are going up. So many new magazines are being launched. That wouldn’t be the case if readership was going down.

     

    There are issues with the retail infrastructure of magazines. Getting our magazines to our readers is not easy and is expensive. However, our concern is more fair measurement. In its current form the IRS does not capture the reality of magazine readership. We have been in discussions with them and hope we will be able to get to a satisfactory solution soon.

     

    Rather than a decline, we see an increase in magazine readership, going forward. There are two reasons for this. On the one hand, with increasing disposable incomes and more choices, people are looking for quality content and expert advice which only magazines offer. On the other hand, digital devices are enabling magazines to take their content to a much larger number of people. And digital technology also allows magazine editors to enhance the reading experience. I believe that lifestyle and special interest magazines are the sunrise sector of Indian media.