As media houses get set to walk the ramp...
With the king of bling, Vijay Mallya, and the savvy
TV star Prannoy Roy shaking hands, it’s time to bid adieu to all those soppy, sobby and oh-so-affected dramas – with saas-bahu and the villainous other – that have been enchanting millions of weepy-eyed couch potatoes for years. Instead the age of the chic and the stylish has been ushered in, with the fast growing breed of channels, with new age living and fast lifestyles as their USP. The coming together of the Good Times (Mallya’s fav tagline) baron and Roy’s NDTV may have given birth to yet another lifestyle TV channel - NDTV Good Times - for the Indian junta, but is by no means the first to capitalise on this latest craze among the affluent Indians. The Times of India group’s Zoom arrived there first, not to mention others (though in a slightly expanded genre) like Star One and UTV’s Bindaas. Other media groups are also planning similar ritzy channels to pull in the aspirational, metro crowds. “The future of new lifestyle channels (like NDTV’s venture with Kingfisher) seems bright, as lifestyle channels are in an evolution mode right now in our country,” comments Anwesh Bose, Brand Director, Denstu Media.
But the question is that in a country where nearly half the population is still struggling to have two square meals a day, is there sufficient market for such channels to ensure adequate Returns on Investment for these players? Aren’t general entertainment channels enough to fill the void with their lifestyle-oriented kaleidoscopic offerings, spiced up in all hues?
“The reach of general entertainment channels (GEC) is higher as they are meant for masses, whereas lifestyle channels are focused toward a niche audience. Though reach is not high as compared to GECs, these channels are meant for a particular class,” explains Anita Nayyar, CEO, MPG India. And this is precisely what is tempting advertisers of ritzy brands (accessory brands or hi-end premium products), to associate themselves with lifestyle channels. There’s more! Most of these channels telecast exclusive programmes highlighting a designer or luxury car, which may become another source of revenue, as the product receives adequate branding in the process. Designer Neeta Lulla, strictly denies this. “Not all channels ask you to pay, but at the same time often it’s a mutual agreement between the brand and the media channel,” she avers. Uh uh!
Suffice is to say that whatever the revenue streams, lifestyle channels, targeted at generation next with swelling pockets, are here to stay. With an increasing number of affluent Indians & aspiration levels pole vaulting every day, this forecast is certainly no exaggeration.
With the king of bling, Vijay Mallya, and the savvy
TV star Prannoy Roy shaking hands, it’s time to bid adieu to all those soppy, sobby and oh-so-affected dramas – with saas-bahu and the villainous other – that have been enchanting millions of weepy-eyed couch potatoes for years. Instead the age of the chic and the stylish has been ushered in, with the fast growing breed of channels, with new age living and fast lifestyles as their USP. The coming together of the Good Times (Mallya’s fav tagline) baron and Roy’s NDTV may have given birth to yet another lifestyle TV channel - NDTV Good Times - for the Indian junta, but is by no means the first to capitalise on this latest craze among the affluent Indians. The Times of India group’s Zoom arrived there first, not to mention others (though in a slightly expanded genre) like Star One and UTV’s Bindaas. Other media groups are also planning similar ritzy channels to pull in the aspirational, metro crowds. “The future of new lifestyle channels (like NDTV’s venture with Kingfisher) seems bright, as lifestyle channels are in an evolution mode right now in our country,” comments Anwesh Bose, Brand Director, Denstu Media.But the question is that in a country where nearly half the population is still struggling to have two square meals a day, is there sufficient market for such channels to ensure adequate Returns on Investment for these players? Aren’t general entertainment channels enough to fill the void with their lifestyle-oriented kaleidoscopic offerings, spiced up in all hues?
“The reach of general entertainment channels (GEC) is higher as they are meant for masses, whereas lifestyle channels are focused toward a niche audience. Though reach is not high as compared to GECs, these channels are meant for a particular class,” explains Anita Nayyar, CEO, MPG India. And this is precisely what is tempting advertisers of ritzy brands (accessory brands or hi-end premium products), to associate themselves with lifestyle channels. There’s more! Most of these channels telecast exclusive programmes highlighting a designer or luxury car, which may become another source of revenue, as the product receives adequate branding in the process. Designer Neeta Lulla, strictly denies this. “Not all channels ask you to pay, but at the same time often it’s a mutual agreement between the brand and the media channel,” she avers. Uh uh!
Suffice is to say that whatever the revenue streams, lifestyle channels, targeted at generation next with swelling pockets, are here to stay. With an increasing number of affluent Indians & aspiration levels pole vaulting every day, this forecast is certainly no exaggeration.
Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008
An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative
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