MAM
WPP’s 3D findings offers new TV viewer insights
MUMBAI: * Almost 30 per cent of viewers change channels during commercial breaks.
* Mumbaikars are more receptive to television advertising than Bangalore viewers, much more of whom find nearly all TV ads annoying.
* In Mumbai and Lucknow TV’s role as a “information provider” is far less than other cities.
* TV’s importance is least when it comes to understanding brand characteristics.
These are just some of the key findings of the 2003 Round 1 3D report released by Media Consumer Insights (MCI), the research division of WPP Marketing Communications India. The survey covered 28 categories and over 260 brands and the relationships consumers have with these brands.
Since these results are released twice a year, 3D offers a continuous tracking of brand health, shifts, in consumer preferences, among other insights, says WPP India’s director of marketing and corporate affairs, Sai Nagesh. With over 8,000 respondents, 3D is the largest proprietary survey in India, says Nagesh, adding that the fieldwork was done by research agency IMRB.
Content viewers choose to watch was one of the questions tackled in the survey. And not surprisingly, viewers in India’s commercial capital Mumbai (11 per cent) were far more inclined to watch business shows than those from Chennai (3 per cent).
There is more to the Mumbaikar than money though, with 12 per cent watching documentaries compared to just 1 per cent in Chennai.
Travel shows are big with Kolkatans with 18 per cent watching as opposed to just 8 per cent among viewers in Hyderabad. It would appear that Chennaiites like to gab what with over 30 per cent watching talk shows as against just 10 per cent in the capital Delhi.
There is some bad news for TV advertisers as far as Mumbai is concerned. It has the largest percentage of viewers (34 per cent) that reach for the remote and switch channels during the commercial break. A seven-city comparison shows that Kolkatans seem the most laid back with only 22 per cent reaching for the remote while the average is just under 30 per cent.
Among those who find all TV advertising annoying, Bangalore leads the “no-ad brigade” with over 14 per cent, twice that of Mumbai at just over 7 per cent.
Dependence on TV as an information source is the highest in Kolkata and Hyderabad at around 40 per cent and lowest in Lucknow and Mumbai at below 25 per cent.
Kolkata, conversely, has the lowest percentage of couch potatoes with just 1.5 hours spent in front of the TV on weekdays. Bangalore citizens spend the most time in front of the TV at over 2.7 hours followed closely by Chennai (2.6 hours).
IMPACT INDEX: TV’s importance is least when it comes to understanding brand characteristics and highest for finding out about the launch of new products. The second most important value of a TV ad campaign is to get a positive image for the brand. Decisions on which brand to buy come third.
The respondents for the 3D survey, aged between 15-55 years, were drawn mostly from SEC ABC but D/E were also covered in some markets and for some categories, says Nagesh. Towns in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh having populations over 100,000 were in the survey, as too the cities of Delhi, Kolkota, Kochi, Ludhiana and Ahmedabad.
Brands
Radico Khaitan appoints Kunal Madan as chief marketing officer
Promotions signal focus on premium spirits, global expansion and homegrown leadership
UTTAR PRADESH: Radico Khaitan has elevated two long-serving insiders to its top leadership team, signalling a bold push into premium spirits and global markets. Kunal Madan steps in as chief marketing officer, while Sudhir Upadhyay takes charge as chief sales officer, both part of what managing director Abhishek Khaitan calls a consciously built next-generation leadership bench.
“At Radico Khaitan, our growth has always been powered by people,” Khaitan said. “True leadership is not imported, it is cultivated.” He added that empowering internal talent ensures continuity while keeping the company globally competitive and future-ready.
Madan, with over 20 years of experience across global sales and marketing, will drive brand architecture, marketing strategy, and the premiumisation agenda, including travel retail. Upadhyay, who has 25 years in the industry and was most recently national sales head, will oversee distribution expansion and execution across markets.
The leadership reshuffle comes amid Radico’s intensified focus on premium spirits, a segment driving higher margins and international growth. Last year, Ajay Kakkar was brought on to head the Premium On-Trade vertical, targeting modern and institutional channels to boost presence in high-growth segments.
Meanwhile, Amar Sinha stepped down as chief operating officer after contributing across multiple growth phases. Khaitan acknowledged Sinha’s role in supporting the company’s trajectory, while Sinha described his tenure as “an absolute privilege,” crediting Khaitan’s leadership for shaping the company’s strategic direction.
With a homegrown leadership bench and a clear premium agenda, Radico Khaitan is set to accelerate its global expansion while doubling down on brand elevation and market impact.
