GECs
Content differentiation has been the clear winner for Zindagi: Punit Goenka
MUMBAI: A result of ZEEL MD and CEO Punit Goenka’s gut feeling, Zindagi, the premium mass Hindi entertainment channel from the network, was meant to be a breath of fresh air in the cluttered market space.
Launched six months ago on 23 June, the channel promised to break out of the usual set framework and melodrama with the shows never seen on Indian small screens. Keeping true to its philosophy and tagline Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, shows from across the border were handpicked to meet the Indian sensibilities.
With 32 GVTs in week 51 of TAM TV ratings, the channel targeting at the CS4+ AB in Hindi speaking markets (HSM) is happy with its performance, so far. “Extremely delighted with the launch and the subsequent response we are getting from the viewers. The channel has been received very well and has a rapidly growing loyal base,” says Goenka who believes that Zindagi has managed to create a new category in the Hindi entertainment space and is the only premium Hindi channel in India.
The stories, when compared to the over-the-top (OTT) Hindi melodrama, have a realistic outlook. The natural settings and pragmatic acting make the shows like Humsafar, Maat, Kitni Girhain Baaki Hain stand true to its tagline ‘jodey dilon ko’. To top it all, it has made Pakistani actors household names so much so that many have entered Bollywood after the popularity gained here. “Zindagi has introduced many firsts on Indian televisions in the Hindi entertainment space today, be it finite nature of dramas or original soundtrack in every drama and many more,” pinpoints Goenka.
“Content is king and since launch, all that has been shown on Zindagi has appealed to audiences (males and females) of all ages,” adds the channel business head Priyanka Datta.
“The way we wanted to establish our channel, we have been able to achieve so,” says Zeel chief sales officer Ashish Sehgal. Butting the critics, who say that for a channel which wants to compete with the GECs hasn’t achieved the numbers needed to survive in the highly volatile market, Sehgal says, “TAM doesn’t have the ample sample size and most niche channels – English as well as infotainment – face the same number wrath.”
He goes on to explain that in the country, when it comes to compartmentalisation of genres, English means niche and Hindi means mass, which doesn’t stand correct for a channel like Zindagi. Catering to the “evolved” viewers who have the disposable income, the channel wants to tell the brands that it is a perfect platform to cater to the premium TG.
Started with only 20-25 clients, the channel now boasts of 100 clients. “We haven’t compromised on our pricing and are still getting new clients as well as repeat ones, which is a very good signal,” says Sehgal. The channel has jewellery brands, premium FMCG brands like P&G, Nestle amongst many others as its clientele. A 10 second ad rate at the core primetime demands from Rs 20,000 to Rs 25,000 while non primetime varies from Rs 8,000 to Rs 10,000.
“The market is slowly accepting the channel as well as understanding its TG,” says Sehgal and adds, “One must understand that the channel was launched midyear and by then most media agencies had formed their key performance indicators (KPI) for their clients. Therefore, they either advised clients to come to us on their own or asked them to keep out. We are optimistic that things will change next year as agencies will support us and help us take our business higher.”
With marketing budget being 25 per cent of the entire pie, the channel aims to double its clientele as well as make it more acceptable to brands in the coming year. “The year 2015, will see us escalating our charge as we will build on marketing campaigns and continue to get newer faces and stories,” highlights Sehgal.
The channel isn’t affected by the two more channels, Sony Pal and Epic, which were launched after it. “Pal caters to SEC CD and Epic still has a long way to get people’s acceptance,” opines Sehgal while adding that Zindagi on the other hand has been able to tap into the audience’s mindset. “Unlike other established GECs also we have a very high, almost 90 per cent, engagement level with the fans on social media.” At the time of writing the article, the channel has 10.5k followers on Twitter while 314,971 likes on Facebook.
With storyline as its hero and an agenda of generating beyond Rs 100 crore revenue in 2015, the channel hopes to breakeven by 2016. “Clearly and most definitely content and the content differentiation from what has been seen on television in the Indian sub continent till Zindagi was launched, has proved to be the clear winner,” opines Goenka on what makes the channel stand out.
On plans for the channel in the coming year, Datta says, “In the coming year, we will also start producing original content for Zindagi.”
“After the phenomenally encouraging response to the channel, we will definitely stay the course where Zindagi is concerned and will create and source stories from different demographics that will appeal to the sensibilities of discerning audience and bring freshness to storytelling style in India,” concludes Goenka.
GECs
ZEEL overhauls sales structure to chase growth across TV and digital platforms
New structure sharpens digital push as viewing habits fragment fast
MUMBAI: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. is reshuffling its sales playbook as it looks to keep pace with a fast-changing media landscape, where audiences are scattered, screens are multiplying and advertisers are following the data.
According to media reports, the rejig is anchored in the company’s push to build a more integrated, data-led monetisation engine, one that can straddle both traditional television and fast-growing digital platforms with equal ease.
At the heart of the move is a reworked sales architecture designed to deliver cross-platform solutions. With connected TV gaining ground and digital consumption surging, ZEEL is aligning its teams to move quicker, think broader and sell smarter.
The restructuring is being led by chief operating officer, advertisement revenue, Sandeep Mehrotra, at a time when the company says it is seeing tremendous growth. The idea is simple: match the right talent to the right opportunity in a market that is anything but static.
As part of the overhaul, several long-serving executives have been elevated to chief sales officer roles across regions and content clusters. Sanjoy Chatterjee will head the east market, while Gunjarav Nayak takes charge of the west along with high-margin verticals such as hmg, brand works, intellectual properties and digital sales. Rajnish Gupta will oversee bengaluru and chennai markets alongside the kannada and tamil clusters.
In other key moves, Divjyot Dhanda will lead hyderabad and kochi markets and manage zee tv, zee keralam and the telugu cluster. Roshan Vasu Kotian will supervise a diverse portfolio including Zee Marathi, &tv, Zee Punjabi, Zee Anmol, Big Magic and Zee Biskope.
The company is also strengthening its bench, appointing national sales heads across retail, regional clusters, digital and brand solutions. Ankur Kapila’s appointment to lead digital sales signals a sharper push into a segment that continues to outpace traditional formats.
Behind the scenes, dedicated strategy and operations roles have been carved out for both linear and digital businesses. Nitin Shetty, Rajkiran Shrivastav and Priya Nambiar will take on key responsibilities to ensure the new structure runs with precision.
The broader aim is clear. ZEEL wants a bigger slice of advertising budgets that are steadily drifting towards digital and connected TV ecosystems. By integrating its offerings, the company hopes to deepen client relationships while unlocking new revenue streams.
The new structure takes effect immediately, with Mehrotra continuing to report to chief executive officer Punit Goenka and steer the company’s advertising revenue strategy. Senior executive Laxmi Shetty will support the transition, with her revised role expected to be announced soon.
In a market where content is everywhere but attention is scarce, ZEEL’s latest move is less about rearranging the org chart and more about staying in the game.
