|
MUMBAI: It was a few months ago that The History Channel
(THC) underwent a brand repositioning from an infotainment
channel to an entertainment one.
With its strenght in historical programming, this allowed the channel
to offer a better repertoire of shows. And, in the coming months it will boost
the variety on offer. Speaking to Indiantelevision.com
The History Channel VP marketing Rajesh Sheshadri says, "The History Channel
(THC) has planned an interesting mix of content for the next couple of months.
Our endeavour has always been to feature movies, mini-series and serials that
have never been shown in India before. "September will see THC air
programmes such as Luxury Cars, Kane Abel, Warriors and many
more." Luxury Cars is
a 13 episode show about famous cars. They include Ferraris, Aston Martins, Lamborghinis
etc. Warriors on the other hand, is a four part series featuring the most
famous warriors in the history of the world. This series will highlight their
weapons, architecture, famous battles and their eventual downfall.  In
terms of of movies and mini series, the channel plans to air titles like Attila
the Hun, Helen of Troy, Rocky Marciano, Archangel (featuring
Daniel Craig, the new James bond), First Olympics and Kennedy. Gerard
Butler who played the title role in Phantom of The Opera stars as Attila
The Hun. During the waning days of Roman Empire, the barbarian Huns are making
their way toward Europe. A warrior named Attila violently assumes Hun leadership
and unites the warring clans under his banner.
But this is not enough for
him, Attila seeks to form an empire, and he sees Rome, bristling under the leadership
of the incompetent Caesar Valentian, ripe for the picking. In an attempt to quell
a Hun invasion, ambitious Roman general Flavius Aetius attempts to form an alliance
against Attila against their mutual enemy, Visigoth King Theodoric. But this plan
backfires, and it soon becomes clear that a violent showdown between all three
armies awaits.  Jon
Favreau stars as Rocky Marciano about the only undefeated world heavyweight
champion in the history of boxing. Some of the biographies being featured are
Henry VIII, Pope John Paul II, Ariel Sharon and Mother Teresa. "We are also
in the process of procuring relevant and exciting new titles like The Bronte Sisters,
Al Qaeda, Mary Magdalene, Oskar Schindler, Hercules, Charles Dickens, Casanova
and Rudyard Kipling.
"Our films and mini-series are bound together
by the fact that they are fun, compelling and entertaining while being set in
a historically relevant setting or deal with personalities who have become historical
icons such as Helen of Troy or Cleopatra or Spartacus"
adds Sheshadri. A shift in approach towards clients: Asked about
the relationship the channel has with the advertising fraternity, Sheshdari says
that the approach has been changed keeping in mind a long term plan. "The
revamped History Channel brings with it, its own unique set of challenges. The
whole philosophy behind the new content like Jumbo Movies and Double
F had to be communicated to our clients. We accomplished this by focussing
heavily on content, conveying that this is not a short term shift but a long term
strategic investment for the channel."
When asked whether advertisers
now see THC as an entertainment channel or as an infotainment channel, Sheshadri
points out that mass and niche are in the minds of marketers and not consumers.
Consumers, he points out, don't consume brands based on whether they are mass
or niche. They consume brands based on the connect they form with the brand.
"The History Channel is a theme-based channel and no one delivers the theme
of History better than us". The strategy is to bring historically significant
events irrespective of the format and that is the core message that THC executives
try to convey in all their presentations to clients.
Sheshadri goes
on to clarify that the core idea of the brand repositioning was to consolidate
the positioning of the brand and not to increase numbers for numbers sake. The
overall approach therefore, has taken into consideration the connect that THC
has with its consumers and what THC can do to strengthen it. "Hence,
we think that going forward THC will continue to cement and own a distinct position
in the minds of the consumer and this distinct positioning is what will also give
it additional numbers. We are already seeing signs of that and are sure that it
will get better going forward. Advertisers follow consumers."
As
far as the viewer perception of the channel is concerned, Sheshadri notes that
viewers have taken note of the change. "New formats like Jumbo Movies
and Double F have widely appreciated and followed. They still see us as
being an authority on the subject of history. The difference is that now they
know that we have a broader spectrum both in terms of the type of shows and type
of formats." | 
