MAM
Advertisers that ruled on news channels during Railway & Union budget presentation
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MUMBAI: When it comes to the television viewer, “the railway budget is for the masses and the Union budget for the classes.” That seems to be the way advertisers have approached spends on television as regards the Union and railway budgets, data thrown up by AdEX India, a division of TAM Media Research on indicates. The ratings agency has just released its findings of a comparative analysis of the top advertisers based on duration and spends for the railway and Union budgets in the years 2002, 2003 and 2004 on Indian news channels namely Aaj Tak, DD News, Star News, Zee News, Sahara MP, Sahara UP, Sahara Mumbai, Sahara Samay, CNN, BBC, CNBC, Headlines Today, NDTV India and NDTV 24×7. |
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Broadly speaking, top end advertisers dominated the Union budget coverage while FMCG companies and the like were heavily onto the railway budget.  Analysis on the day the Railway Budget was presented reveals that while General Electric was the top advertiser in terms of the duration in 2002, while in 2003 Subhash Chandra’s Zee Telefilms Network usurped the number one position which pushed General Electric to the second spot. However in 2004, is was FMCG giant Hindustan Lever Limited (HLL) that reigned supreme on the highest advertising duration front while Zee Network and General Electric were nowhere in the Top 10 slot. Life Insurance Corporation of India was the second on the list this year during the airing of the Railway budget on television.
Overall the total number of ads that were aired in 2002 during the Railway budget was 80502 with a total duration of 48760 seconds. In 2003 the total number of ads increased to 91673 with a total duration of 50135 seconds. On the other hand, this year the total number of ads was 124210 with the total duration being 74845. Also with regards to the duration of advertising that took place, one thing that needs to be kept in mind is that there are more news channels in India today than there were in 2002 so with more space available to the advertiser, obviously there will be more advertising. Now coming to the advertising spends now during the Railway Budget in 2002 and 2003 (the figures for advertising spends in 2004 will be available with Tam at a later stage). In 2002, Nirma Chemicals Ltd was the top spender on television followed by Raymond Ltd. While in 2003 Zee Television Network was numero uno on spends. Interestingly HLL was no where in the picture in the last two years and in all probability may be the top spender this year.
Moving on to the top categories of products advertised on the basis of duration during the Railway Budget presentation on news channels during the last three years. The Insurance sector which was the fifth largest sector to advertise in 2002 with respect to the total duration of ads steadily crept up to the second spot in 2003 and to the first spot in 2004. Also interesting is the fact that the sector that has managed consistently remain among the top five in terms of duration of ads for the last three years has been that of the Pan Masala, Zarda and gutkha. From being second on the list in 2002, this sector slipped to the third slot in 2003 and then to the fourth in 2004. This dip can be attributed to the fact that tobacco advertising was banned in India with effect from 1 May 2004, so major cigarette companies were not in the race this year. The hosiery category which was at the bottom of the Top 10 list among categories that advertised in 2002 based on the duration of ads, was up in the sixth slot in 2003 and then zoomed up to the second slot this year.
Among the categories which were the top spenders in 2002 and 2003 when the Railway budget was aired on news channels, suitings was on top of the charts in 2002 while the insurance sector which was in the eight position in 2002 zipped up to the first in 2003. The suitings sector took a back seat last year and was the ninth largest spender ninth.
Now coming to the comparative analysis of the Top 10 advertisers based on duration on the day of the Union Budget in the last three years aired on the earlier mentioned news channels. In terms of the Top notch advertisers based on duration in the year 2002, Kotak Mahindra Finance Ltd was top of the charts followed by Raymond Ltd. While on the other hand in 2003 Hindustan Motors Ltd stole the show. Interesting is the fact that while HLL was the top advertiser in terms of duration on the day of the Railway budget this year, on the day of the Union budget this year was Malaysia Tourism. HLL was not even spotted among the Top 10 advertisers in terms of duration this year. Since the target audience on the days of the Union and the Railway budget are vastly different, the advertiser base is also different. So while on the day of the Railway budget FMCGs, hosiery, pan masalas, footwear, washing powder et al were the top categories to advertise, on the day of the Union budget travel and tourism sector, insurance and cellular phone categories were the top notch advertisers.
In terms of the top advertiser based on spends during the day of the Union budget, in the year 2002 the Aditya Birla Group was the top advertiser and Hindustan Motors stole the show in 2003. Also last year, Zee Television Network was the third largest spender.
Coming to the top categories based on duration that advertised on the day of the Union budget in 2002 and 2003 was dominated by the Cars and Jeeps sector, this year the travel and tourism sector ruled the roost while the Insurance sector followed close behind and was on the second spot this year.
Keeping in mind that the cars and jeep sector was the top advertiser in terms of duration in the years 2002 and 2003, it comes as no surprise that in terms of the spends in these years this sector was on top. The insurance sector in both the years dominated the second spot.
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MAM
Lessons from global media markets on building enduring content franchises
Rose Audio Visuals COO and CFO Mitesh Patel.
MUMBAI: The global media landscape has undergone a fundamental shift. Success today is no longer defined by a single hit show. It is defined by the ability to build intellectual property (IP) that travels, evolves, and compounds over time.
At Rose Audio Visuals, this shift is central to how we think about content pitching and creation. We are no longer in the business of just making shows. We are in the business of building IP ecosystems.
From Hits to Franchises
Globally, the most successful content is designed to extend beyond its first outing. It travels across: Seasons, Platforms (TV → OTT → Digital), Formats (series → spin-offs) Shows like Stranger Things and Money Heist are not just successful series they are multi-layered franchises with global recall, fan engagement, and long-term monetisation. The key learning is simple: If content cannot scale beyond one season or one platform, it remains a project not a franchise.
Local Stories, Global Impact
One of the most powerful global trends is the rise of culturally rooted storytelling. Platforms today reward local authenticity combined with universal emotion. Stories that are deeply regional are no longer limited by geography they are amplified by it. Consider the global impact of Squid Game or India’s own Sacred Games. The takeaway is clear: The more authentic the story, the greater its potential to travel if the emotion resonates universally.
Monetisation Begins After the First Window
A critical global learning is that the true value of content is not realised at launch, it is realised over time.
Strong franchises unlock multiple revenue streams: Licensing, International remakes, Brand integrations, Digital extensions , Events and immersive experiences
Global players like The Walt Disney Company have mastered this approach, turning content into long-term ecosystems that extend far beyond the screen.
The first window is just the beginning. The real value lies in what follows.
At Rose Audio Visuals, we increasingly evaluate projects not just on commissioning value, but on their long-term franchise potential.
The Rise of Creator-Led Franchises
An important global shift is the emergence of creator-led IP ecosystems.
Creators today are not just content producers they are building full-scale franchises across platforms, formats, and businesses.
A powerful example is MrBeast. What started as YouTube videos has evolved into: Multiple content formats, Global audience scale , Brand extensions and businesses, High-impact experiential content This is a fundamentally different model digital-first, audience-owned, and infinitely scalable.
This model is still in its early stages in Indian but it represents a massive opportunity.
The next wave of Indian content franchises may not come from traditional studios alone but from creators who think like media companies.
Balancing Data with Creative Instinct
Streaming platforms today are deeply data-driven. Data helps Identify emerging genres, Predict audience behaviour , Inform commissioning decisions However, global experience shows that data alone does not create hits. Data informs scale, but storytelling creates impact.
Talent is the Foundation of Franchises
Enduring franchises are rarely accidental they are built through long-term creative partnerships. Globally, there is a clear focus on nurturing Actors, Writter, Show runner and director. Franchises are not built on scripts alone they are built on creators. This is an area where we continue to invest deeply building long-term relationships with talent rather than project-based collaborations.
Multi-Platform Thinking from Day One
Content consumption today is inherently multi-platform. A successful show must be designed not just for its primary platform, but for: Short-form extensions, Social media amplification, Digital-first engagement. Every show today needs a second life beyond its original format.
India: A Market at an Inflection Point
India today stands at a unique moment in its content journey.
We are seeing significant opportunity in Regional markets (Telugu, Tamil, Marathi and others) Emerging formats such as micro-dramas, Scalable, franchise-driven fiction IP
India does not lack stories. What we have historically lacked is structured franchise thinking something that is now beginning to evolve.
The Way Forward
The biggest lesson from global markets is this: The future belongs to companies that do not chase hits, but systematically build franchises. Because while hits may deliver immediate success, franchises create long-term value, recall, and compounding growth.
At Rose Audio Visuals, this belief shapes how we develop, greenlight, and scale content across platforms.
For content companies today, the question is no longer “Will this show work?” It is: “Can this become a franchise?”
A Personal Note
Having worked across content, business, and strategy, one thing has become increasingly clear to me, the most valuable companies in our industry will not be those that create the most content, but those that create content that endures.
Building a franchise requires patience, conviction, and a long-term lens something that the industry is only now beginning to fully embrace.As we continue this journey at Rose Audio Visuals, our focus remains simple: to move from volume-driven creation to value-driven storytelling. Because in the end, stories may start conversations but franchises build legacies.
