News Broadcasting
Guest article: Purpose is key
Mumbai: One word that certainly fascinates me is purpose. Oxford English Dictionary defines it as “the reason for which something is done or for which something exists”. If we go by the literal definition, we can clearly decipher that what purpose means for individuals is ‘why’. It is what makes us get out of bed, what makes us tick. And for organisations purpose has become more important than it ever was before. The factors driving this are the rapid shifts in technology, culture, society and behaviour that influence individual decisions on which organisations and brands people want to work for and buy from.
Nowadays, it is vital for companies to have a purpose that exists beyond just profit and places value and importance on building relationships that mean they are a brand that people can connect with. If the brand gets this right, it is easier for them to improve business performance, reduce churn, and importantly, build value and trust with consumers.
This has been proven by data. A study published by the Harvard Business Review found that companies with a clearly articulated purpose outperformed those organisations that didn’t develop their purpose. Specifically, 52 per cent of purpose-driven companies experienced more than 10 per cent growth compared to 42 per cent of non-purpose-driven companies. They also enjoyed greater global expansion, more product launches, and more successful transformational efforts.
The reason for this is that the world is now moving towards relational and purpose-driven businesses while “transactional businesses” have been left behind in the past. Purpose-driven businesses ensure that employees are more empowered and motivated, and the resulting innovation and performance fuels further customer engagement and loyalty.
As a news powerhouse used as a global point of reference, CNN also has a clear purpose. As I continue to admire the work that my editorial colleagues continue to do day in day out, a recent study by Toluna also revealed that 73 per cent of global news consumers think that role of international news today is more important than it was ever before. In addition, international news is seen as being reliable, trustworthy, providing high-quality journalism and in-depth analysis.
CNN has played a key role in global journalism for 43 years — this not only gives employees a purpose, but also provides a platform and environment to help brands articulate their purpose to global audiences. The key is to align the purpose with audience expectations and sentiments. When we conducted a study into attitudes amongst the CNN audience, we found that, after inflation, climate change is the second topic that audiences are most concerned about in 2023. This concern affects their behaviour, both in their personal and professional lives. 84 per cent of CNN business elites in India agree that ESG remains a focus for their company, and 92 per cent expect ESG to be even more important to business in the next 12 months than it is now. The Gen Z audience makes it more important for brands to be purpose-driven as their behaviour and expectations from brands is very different from past generations. This generation places increased value on brand authenticity and strives to be socially and environmentally responsible. They are more selective of what they buy, who they buy from and the effect their actions have on the environment. Our research shows that CNN’s Gen Z audience firmly believes that brands need to take a stance on causes of our time.
As a result, we are aware that if businesses are acting in a meaningful way to promote sustainability and are able to communicate this message in an authentic manner, they will be in a significantly better position to connect with our audience.
A good example of this is Kirloskar, who have been ahead of the curve on thinking about and acting on green issues. Kirloskar have partnered with CNNIC for 15 years, with our shared purpose of sustainability and environmental awareness forming the basis of this relationship. With Kirloskar’s sponsorship of CNN’s Going Green initiative, a series that showcases cutting-edge green technologies and explores innovative solutions for a sustainable tomorrow, over the past 15 years Kirloskar has reached global audiences including more than 700 million environmentally conscious viewers and over 270 million business decision-makers to foster a deeper understanding of sustainable innovations.
Green and sustainability issues have been put at the heart of the news agenda in 2023 as further evidence of the climate emergency and its far-reaching effects has been in force all across the globe. The year will close with climate high on the news agenda as COP28 takes place in the UAE. From the very announcement, this has been billed as the most important COP since Paris in 2015. As even many sceptics are sitting up and taking notice as temperatures soar, wildfires spread, sea levels rise and glaciers melt, exacerbating issues from food security to migration.
This is the most appropriate time for companies to look to the future and decisively define their purpose, particularly around the issue of sustainability and the future of our planet. The stage is set at COP28, which will provide brands a unique moment to show they have the agency to be part of a more optimistic, purpose-driven future. But here the world will take into consideration actions, and words without action would certainly go in vain.
This article has been authored by CNN International Commercial vice president, audiences & data Tini Sevak.
News Broadcasting
CNN-News18 to air live counting day coverage for five state election results on May 4
The channel is rolling out its biggest election coverage machinery yet for results day on 4th May
NOIDA: The votes have been cast. Now comes the reckoning. CNN-News18 is pulling out all the stops for results day on 4th May, when counting begins across five battleground states — West Bengal, Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and the Union Territory of Puducherry — in what promises to be one of the most closely watched electoral verdicts in recent memory.
The channel’s coverage, titled Battle for the States: The Verdict, kicks off at 7am and runs through the day across linear TV, connected television and YouTube. It is the culmination of CNN-News18’s multi-format editorial initiative, Battle for the States, which has tracked the polls from the beginning under the theme Road to Power.
At the operational heart of the coverage will be the Live Results Hub, the channel’s central command centre built to collate, verify and process real-time data flowing in from reporters stationed at counting centres across constituencies. The hub combines newsroom intelligence, analytics and on-the-ground reporting to deliver what the channel promises will be the fastest and most accurate results coverage in English news.
Leading the on-air charge will be primetime anchors Rahul Shivshankar, Anand Narasimhan, Aman Sharma, Nabila Jamal and Shivani Gupta. They will be joined by a wide panel of commentators including author Chetan Bhagat; GVL Narasimha Rao, senior leader of the BJP; Smita Prakash, editor of ANI; activist Saira Shah Halim; political analyst Sumanth C Raman; Abhijit Iyer Mitra, senior fellow at IPCS; Amitabh Tiwari, founder of VoteVibe; columnist Abhijit Majumdar; Nalin Mehta, managing editor of MoneyControl; political analyst Tehseen Poonawalla; senior journalist Subir Bhaumik; and political analyst Manojit Mandal.
Shivshankar, who serves as editorial affairs director at CNN-News18, set out the stakes plainly. “Counting day is one of the most watched events in the electoral cycle, where speed and credibility are tested in real time,” he said. “Battle for the States: The Verdict is built on that promise, combining ground reporting, sharp analysis and cutting-edge election technology to give viewers the clearest and fastest route to the verdict. On May 4, CNN-News18 will once again be the nation’s most trusted channel to witness democracy in action.”
Smriti Mehra, chief executive of English and Business News at Network18, framed the coverage in broader terms. “Elections are defining national events, and audiences turn to brands they trust in moments that matter,” she said. “CNN-News18 has consistently led from the front in every election coverage, and this special programming reflects the scale of our ambition and editorial strength.”
The channel has form here. It claims to have been India’s most preferred English news destination for election results for the past 20 years, covering everything from the 2024 general elections to the Delhi, Maharashtra, Bihar and BMC polls on the back of what it calls an “Always First, Always Right” record. Five states, one day, and a nation waiting for answers. The clock starts at 7am on 4th May.
