|
While numerous billboards are making their presence felt in Mumbai,
it's the media campaign that seems to have heated up. An example
of this is the promotional campaign around its new show, the emotional
saga Awaaz. The press material was presented as a tabloid
newspaper.
Soon to be former Zee TV president Apurva Purohit responding to
queries put to her by indiantelevision.com yesterday, said: "As
the media industry matures content and content promotion become
increasingly important and our strategy reflects the same. The change
is brought to usher in a new era and to stand apart in a cluster
with all brand values intact."
Touting the famous Zee News Tag line, Haqueqat Jaise, Khabar
Waise, the media release for Awaaz, waxes eloquent on
the 'news': the next high point of the show.
"The idea of this promotional strategy was conceived by our
Corporate Brand Development Group team. The whole objective is to
be innovative. Everyone sends a press note but what I thought was
ride on the story line of that episode and imagine if it had actually
happened then how it would have been reported in the media and that's
how its was conceived. Primarily it was driven by the overall promotional
strategy to be distinct," offered Purohit.
Previously the channel has used innovative techniques to build
up excitement for its new ventures like Tum Bin Jaaoon Kahaan,
Kabhie Kabhie, Manshaa and Astiva… Ek Prem Kahani.
One that got noticed is the Tum Bin... campaign. The channel
hired an astrologer (jyotishi) who did the rounds of the
media agency predicting the future of the employees. On the public
front, barring the numerous hoarding, the channel released advertorials
in leading newspapers and tabloids narrating the true incident that
the story was based on. Apparently the trick worked and the show
got better viewership.
A senior marketing executive at Zee offered that unlike a year
back, when the channel had no clear focus on its publicity and marketing,
this year saw a more structured effort in place. Just prior to the
launch of Tum Bin... and in the initial weeks of its run,
the marketing and the creative team worked in unison and released
an ad to introduce the characters. The team thought that it was
best to unveil the real life incident later to build on the excitement
mid-way.
The channel is also doing a lot of cross channel promotions. While
it is too soon to comment whether the new shows have benefited from
the promotional push, one area where the channel has clearly tasted
success is for its Thursday Premiers .
According to Purohit, the channel is constantly working on innovative
promotional activities for its Premier slot. "Thus came in
the apple in Darna Mana Hai, or the whole Madhuri Dixit hoopla
that drive the essence of the brand in our viewers mind. With the
promotions pushing the fare, the slot is doing well. Hungama
and Main Madhuri Dixit Banna Chahti Hoon got extremely high
TVR's and cities like Mumbai crossed 8+," offered Purohit.
At the moment, the channel has its hopes pinned on its new blockbuster
movie line up of films like Chalte Chalte and Mumbai Se
Aaya Mera Dost.
Purohit avered that although Zee has really been pumping it up
on the promotions front, it is the channel's content that is both
unique and differentiating. "The packaging and promotional
activities are further layers in driving sampling of these programmes,
which is increasing every week," she added
Unlike in earlier times, Zee now has started to promote individual
programmes, outside the 8-10 pm prime time with very focused and
hard hitting marketing strategies to coincide with new launches.
The channel will be laying stress on Sundays. Sundays would be promoted
aggressively as "entire family time", Purohit said.
The channel has over 200 brands on air currently, including Hindustan
Lever, Procter and Gamble, Coke, Pepsi, Hutch Airtel, Dabur, All
Out, Paras Pharmaceuticals, Whirlpool and Samsung endorsing the
fare, Purohit added.
|
