MAM
Ent. brands are illusory, elusive and magical – Star COO Sameer Nair
MUMBAI: While speaking at the Advertising Club Bombay’s Value Creation seminar on marketing entertainment and their growing inter-dependence, Star India COO Sameer Nair stated that successful entertainment products evolve daily and have a life and personality of their own. Once created, they feed on themselves, constantly reinvent themselves and transcend their basic achievements, he added. Nair also said that entertainment brands need to be illusory, elusive, magical and superior.
UTV Group director Zarina Mehta mentioned that the reasons for the success and failure of TV programmes were linked to marketing and communication plan; ability to offer simple propositions with a new twist and proper testing of concepts and new ideas. Mehta also stated that there were clear gaps in children’s programming and comedies.
Star’s Nair felt that brands are basic to human existence and the concepts of names and nationality has originated from this need. Entertainment products are inanimate but the marketers breathe life into them. However, a human touch is essential to provide a lifelike experience, Nair added. The objective is to ensure that the entertainment brands outlive the humans associated with the brands – for instance Charlie Chaplin is instantly recognizable but Charles Spencer Chaplin is not! The entertainer aims to keep the magic alive for a long time.
Nair added that human beings become brands, symbols or icons when myth eclipses reality. Entertainment brands are intangibles unlike sports and religion. Whenever human beings become icons, they get trapped and become a victim of their own. The audiences don’t like it when the icon changes. Building entertainment brands is like pulling rabbits out of a hat.
UTV’s Mehta felt that the key to successful programming is simplicity and concise communication.
The following are excerpts from Mehta’s presentation:
If a programming person cannot sell an idea in 15 minutes, then the idea cannot be sold at all. Therefore, there is a need for getting a fix on the single, strong selling point of communication. Every serial has to satisfy an emotional need. The stronger the need – the better the TVR. The USP needs to be part of all communication and marketing endeavours. It is important to know and respect the consumer’s need.
For instance, Shanti‘s USP was the fact that it was the story of a strong-willed middle-class woman with strong family values. Karamchand was a brilliantly conceived and crafted detective serial interspersed with comedy originating from the interaction between well-etched characters. Saaya and Shagun were all about female bonding. Tu Tu Main Main was about the eternal struggles of everyday humdrum. Shaka Laka Boom Boom was about magic and the fact that good triumphs over evil.
A simple proposition that satisfies consumer needs could be taken and developed by adding a new twist. However, there is a need to make sure that the viewer understands the differentiating element of the programmes. The point of differentiation in familiar themes is what draws audiences.
Kahin Na Kahin Koi Hai failed because the marketing and communication plan failed to get in viewers for sampling the first show. The viewers had wrong perceptions that the show was about Madhuri’s marriage; others believed that it was a soap opera starring Madhuri. The marketing plan failed to prepare the audiences and required more meticulous preparation. The feedback also showed that the actual show was considered to be less extravagant than what was promised through the promos.
Comedy serials on Indian TV need a laughter track as there is an ardent need to inform/tell viewers that they are watching a comedy serial. Khichdi is a serial that doesn’t have a laughter track and has not gone well with viewers.
Channels shouldn’t sell programming concepts or slots and must focus on selling serials and shows. Viewers don’t watch Sundays or night slots or morning slots – they watch shows and programmes. Also, the actual content must deliver what is being promised through the communication. Some programmes have flopped because the actual programming content fell short and couldn’t satisfy consumer expectations. The programmes also fail because viewers cannot fathom the differentiating factor.
There is nothing wrong with trying something new even if the programming initiative fails. However, the new concepts have to be tested and tried with a sample size comprising of different sections of society. Successful trial runs don’t necessarily guarantee success. There is also a need to revitalize the existing shows at regular intervals by reinventing the story idea.
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Buying family medical insurance online in India has become a common option for individuals who want to secure health coverage for multiple family members under a single policy. However, many buyers are unsure about the exact steps involved in selecting and purchasing the right plan online.
In this guide, you will know the step-by-step process of buying family medical insurance online in India, along with the key factors to review before purchasing a suitable policy.
Step 1: Assess Your Family’s Healthcare Needs
Before buying online health insurance, check the healthcare needs of all family members. Check age, existing illnesses, regular medicines, and the likely need for hospital care later. This helps in selecting a suitable sum insured, policy type, and level of cover. It also reduces the chance of buying a plan that appears suitable but does not meet actual medical needs.
Step 2: Visit the Insurance Company’s Official Website
After understanding the family’s needs, visit the insurer’s official website and read the plan details carefully. Use the official platform to review eligibility, policy wording, waiting periods, cover details, exclusions, and renewal terms.
This step gives a clearer understanding of how the policy works before payment is made. It also helps avoid confusion caused by incomplete summaries on other pages.
Step 3: Compare Available Family Health Insurance Plans
A family medical insurance policy should be compared on factors beyond the premium. Review the sum insured, hospital network, room rent limits, pre- and post-hospitalisation cover, daycare treatment coverage, and waiting periods. It is also important to check treatment sub-limits and specific policy conditions.
Careful comparison helps determine whether a plan provides balanced coverage and whether its terms are suitable for the healthcare needs of the entire family.
Step 4: Choose the Right Policy and Start the Online Purchase
Once the options have been compared, select the policy that best fits the family’s medical needs and budget. Before starting the application, review the covered members, policy term, benefits, and main conditions again. This is an important stage because errors here can lead to the wrong cover amount, an unsuitable variant, or missing details that create problems during policy use.
Step 5: Calculate the Premium Using an Online Calculator
Use the online premium calculator before making the final choice. Enter the correct details, including age, city, number of insured members, and selected cover amount. The result helps in understanding the expected premium and whether the policy fits the annual budget. This step is useful because it allows cost and coverage to be reviewed together, instead of choosing a plan only because the premium looks lower.
Step 6: Fill in Personal and Medical Details
When filling in the proposal form, provide accurate details for each insured member. This includes name, date of birth, contact details, medical history, ongoing treatment, and previous insurance information if required.
Every answer should be complete and truthful. Incorrect or missing details can create difficulty later. Before you submit the form, read every section again and correct any mistakes.
Step 7: Make Payment Through the Secure Payment Gateway
After checking the form, go to the payment page and complete the transaction through the secure payment gateway. Review the premium, policy term, and entered details once more before confirming payment.
After the transaction is completed, save the receipt, reference number, or confirmation message carefully. Keeping this record is useful if you need to track the purchase or follow up on policy issuance later.
Step 8: Download and Keep Your Policy Document Safely
Once the policy is issued, download the policy document, schedule, and any related papers without delay. Read them carefully to confirm member names, policy period, sum insured, and major terms. Save a digital copy in a secure folder and keep a printed copy if needed. Proper record keeping makes future renewals, document checks, and policy servicing easier and more organised when information is required quickly.
Conclusion
Buying health cover online becomes easier when you handle each step with attention. From checking your family’s needs to reading the final document, every stage helps you make an informed choice. A careful approach can reduce mistakes, improve your understanding of policy terms, and help you choose coverage that matches your household’s medical needs, financial capacity, and long-term healthcare planning in a reliable way for your family over the long term.
