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The
biggest of all festivals in the land of kathakali and snake boats
is here - Onam. Celebrated over a period of 10 days, Onam festivities
reach the peak during the last three big days - this year on the
28, 29 and 30 of August, and the Malayalam television channels are
gearing to have a crack at ad pie.
 With
Kerala's harvest festival giving them the biggest opportunity to
pull in the maximum ad revenue possible, the marketing arena of
Malayalam television has been witnessing frantic activity. While
leading channels have already reached their billing limit, second-line
channels are putting their best efforts to meet the set targets.
Says
Jeevan TV assistant marketing manager Krishna Kumar, "Yes,
Onam is the biggest festival not only for Keralites but also for
Malayalam television channels. The money advertisers shell out for
these ten days is equal to the amount they normally spend during
a three-month period."
According
to the regional television industry sources, the total ad market
for the Onam season is valued at Rs 150 million (approx). Television
owns more than half of it - approximately Rs 80 million, up 20 per
cent from the TV ad spend during the previous season.
"We
have got an extra billing of 30 to 40 per cent for Onam. From 27
August - 30 August, it is premium advertising on Asianet,"
says Asianet general manager Anto Puthiry. According to Puthiry,
all the national advertisers - especially white goods and FMCGs
- are keen on Malayalam channels during the season.
 Four-year-old
Kairali TV has already raked in Rs 2.5 million for the final Onam
days. According to Kairali TV regional head Sunil Nair, it is 75
per cent higher than the previous Onam billing. Jeevan TV has set
a target of Rs 25 million as billing for the ten-day period. The
channel claims that more than half of the set target is already
achieved. News channel Indiavision expects to get richer by Rs 10
million (approx) by the end of the festive season.
Onam
is valued as the best occasion for television advertising in Malayalam
not only because of the emotional value attached to it. Channels
capitalise on the 'luxury' of having more than one day to celebrate
by getting the festive days branded by advertisers.
Asianet has 25 August to 29 August (five days) branded by Sony Vega,
Kannan Devan Tea, Seemati Sari Sansar, Joy Alukkas Jewellers and
De Beers respectively. Surya TV 's on-air promos show HLL's herbal
brand Ayush has branded the channel's Onam programmes for 27 August
and 28 August.
Asianet
has roped in Alukkas Jewellers and Nestle India as main sponsors
and Bajaj Auto and Yamaha Motors as associate sponsors. Sandpiper,
Kannan Devan Tea, Johnson and Johnson and Kinetic Motors are some
of the advertisers Kairali TV has signed up for the big occasion
while Jeevan TV's list includes Samsung, Sansui and Daewoo.
How
national advertisers perceive the Onam market? Yamaha Motors India
marketing manager Santosh Iyer says Onam season is the best opportunity
to boost the sales as far as the Kerala market is concerned. According
to Iyer, Yamaha is targeting a 20 per cent increase in its sales
and is spending more ten per cent on advertising during the season.
"We
do spend equally on print and TV during Onam. But TV is very cost-effective
when it comes to building up the reach," offers Iyer.
According
to the 2003 TAM AdEx analysis for Onam advertising, Surya and Asianet
were able to raise the revenues by over 100 per cent vis-à-vis
previous days. Last year on the advertising front, jewellery topped
the list followed by furnishings, fairness creams, corporate brand
image and cellular phone service. Compared to last year, this season
has more national advertisers making their presence felt in the
Onam market, say industry observers.
 Programming-wise,
channels' biggest bet during Onam is movies. There's going to be
television premiere galore of blockbuster movies on Malayalam television
this time too. Surya TV and Asianet will be premiering four movies
each. Most of the Onam programmes are woven around film stars, keeping
in mind the target group's passion for movies. Kairali TV brings
film star interviews, blockbuster movies, music programmes, ground
events, skits and comedy programmes for Onam, while Indiavision
has lined up celebrity chat shows, star interviews, talk shows,
musical programmes and ground events.
Indiavision
chief marketing officer Issac Jacob says competing with general
entertainment channels during Onam is tough. But he adds that the
channel has a clear-cut programming strategy for Onam:
"Being
a news channel, we may not be able to do what a general entertainment
channel does during Onam. Understanding this, we have planned our
Onam programming and I am sure that the strategy will work. We are
trying to mop up as much revenue as possible during the season,"
says Jacob.
Even
on the occasion of the harvest festival, life surely is not a bed
of flowers for Keralites - economically and politically. But it
is harvest time for Malayalam channels and they are confident of
the eyeballs they would be getting.
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