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Television
programming is increasingly devoting more time to airing mega events
and shows to increase their TVRs.
These
are some of the findings of The Compass, an industry monitor published
by Lodestar Media.
A
channel's programming has to be a canny mix of not only news, promos
but also coverage of popular events and shows. The latter has increasingly
found to not only sustain viewers but increase them as well.
Lodestar
evaluated channels in the four zones and three metros of the south
and found that almost all channels focused on events/shows to produce
a seamless mix of news and glamour.
Lodestar
found that among all the channels, Star Plus came up tops with a
116 per cent higher TVRs than its nearest competitor, Sony.
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Target
group: All individuals. Market: 6 metros
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Vacillating
Viewership
Viewers do not always show brand-loyalty. With so much
available on the air-waves and given some insipid content, they
may quickly shift focus. The event programmers showcase, has to
have real appeal and glamour to keep the viewer glued. Award shows
have the requisite 'glamour' what with so many cine personalities
on the same platform. These personalities ensure a person is glued
to his TV.
The next most appealing fix for a viewer is the New Year glitz shows,
says Lodestar, where a host of TV stars come together.
The
Big Picture
With television having a host of such shows, it would seem the small
screen is getting bigger than 70 mm. Lodestar says the reasons could
be:
1. Film awards have been around for a long time while the ones on
TV are fairly new.
2.
Besides, there are far too many cine awards. In India and abroad.
Not all of them do well.
The
Other Genre
Besides these two genres, one does find that the lesser of the shows
- fashion and lifestyle - have a niche yet dedicated audience. Lodestar
says the Lakme India Fashion Week and Grasim Mr India have a large
number of women (and teenagers) among the audience, Gladrags Mrs
India appeals more to the teens followed by women.
Indian
Stars
Contrary to print advertising, foreign stars don't find much appeal
at glam shows. Shahrukh and Aishwarya are still prime attraction.
The reason says Lodestar is that the Indian stars have an appeal
even with the masses while the phirang hardly any.
The
Methodology
To fine-tune and gauge the popularity of a particular show, Lodestar
have devised a method - Target Propensity Grid - (TPR) to evaluate
the popularity of a televised programme. They base it on two parameters:
1.
TVR
2. Selectivity Index which provides a measure of how a target group
will definitely watch a show or event come what may.
There
are four variants to the TPR
Most
Wanted: High viewership and a high preference. For instance,
if the program targets women, they will, in most cases, collectively
watch it. A typical example is the Star Parivar Awards.
Our Choice: High TVR but low selectivity can be explained
by the fact that these events have a mass appeal. The family generally
views it. The advertiser will thus also target the women of the
family. The Bollywood Awards Show could be one such programme.
My Choice: High selectivity but low on TVRs. Although these
shows have a low mass appeal generally, they focus more on their
target group. An example would be lifestyle/fashion shows.
Castaways: With no appeal for any target group, these shows
have low TVR and low selectivity. Programmes like MTV Immies fall
into this category.
Regional
Bias
So which region prefers a particular event? To analyze this, Lodestar
came up with a 3-step process.
1.
Comparing the average TVRs individually of the top five events with
the top five regular programmes.
2. Index individual markets to all-India ones.
3. Index greater than 100 are above-average markets and so more
receptive to events.
Kanpur,
Mumbai, Kolkota and the rest of Maharashtra are receptive to events
while the other markets remain loyal with little variation in tastes.
However,
the target audiences vary in the cities. For instance, in Delhi,
Kolkota and Mumbai, teens are keen to watch events. Not for them
the Saas-Bahu serials. The appeal of the star/actor is what draws
the teens. In effect, the charisma of Shahrukh, Aishwarya, Hritik,
Saif and Preity still holds.
Beyond
teens, males are probably the ones who would experiment the most.
Giving their favourite soap a miss is a possibility with them.
Women on the other hand, prefer emotionality, drama and suspense
and so such programming appeals to them. Little wonder then, that
the Star Parivar Awards and Kassam Se grabs their attention.
 Any
advertiser who has any association with events gains not only from
viewership but also from its promotion. What is the quantum of promos
for events?
While
regular programs get about 410 per month, events get around 1256.
For instance, Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi's cumulative
promo peaks in three weeks (touching 96), for event No 1 - Asian
Paints Star Screen Awards '04, the promos touch a high of 1999 for
the same period.
Events thus have a higher visibility.
Retaining
Viewership During Commercials
Events
are a clear winner here. During commercials, Lodestar says, viewers
are more likely to jump channels during regular programming than
during a showcase event. It has been found that events have a loss
of about 14.3 per cent during commercials while regular programmes
have 18 per cent.
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