GEC: Great Expectation of Content in 2010

While most of the industry faced the heat of the economic slowdown the GEC space of television industry came out to be a winner despite being face to face with it.

The GEC space enjoyed almost 4 per cent growth (Source: TAM) in the Hindi speaking belt. And the credit for the growth goes to the competition for survival that resulted into high end content for the viewers.

While 2009 witnessed new players like - Colors standing tall, NDTV Imagine regaining the market, it also witnessed Real and 9X tasting the dust. The older players like - Star Plus, Zee TV, Sony Entertainment Television (SET) and SAB in order to not lose their viewers fought back and balanced themselves.

Though all the drama, emotion and action that happened last year in 2009, the present 2010 also appears to be challenging. The recent news like, new appointments by Zee Entertainment and Multi Screen Media, SET's parent company, for their Media responsibility to new agencies, takeover of Imagine by Turner International and series of new launches of shows across all the channels proves the aggressiveness of the players.

Adgully tries to gauge the aggressiveness of the market. We talked to major players in the space to know what their plans are for the current year to fulfill the "Great Expectation of Content" by its viewers.

The offerings

From the beginning of the year itself many channels started making offerings. To start with, Sony Entertainment Television joined hands with Yash Raj Films Television venture and launched 5 new shows ' Lift Kara De, Powder, Mahi Way, Rishta.com and Seven, with the mix of fiction and reality shows. Other than this Sony also launched another show called Crime Patrol. On asking the future plans for the year ahead, Danish Khan, VP and Head of Marketing, SET says, "Right now I am not in position to divulge any plan but Sony has always been a pioneer as far as reality shows is concerned, but we always have a healthy mix of reality shows and fiction that will continue."

NDTV Imagine has created a lot of buzz through its differentiated reality content like - Rakhi Ka Swayamvar, Pati Patni aur Woh and Raaz Pichle Janam Ka in 2009. Nikhil Madhok, VP Marketing and Communications, Imagine explains, "In 2010, we would like to continue to lead non-fiction programming on Indian television. Swayamvar Season 2 got launched this week to start the year. In the fiction space, we have success with shows like Bandini and Jyoti. We would like to build on this and create a strong consistent fiction line up. Our new shows Do Hanson ka Jodaa and Devi have both started well to some good feedback.

Star Plus also looks aggressive as it has announced the television premier of Paa one of the most appreciated film of 2009. Not revealing much about the future strategy, Vivek Bahl, Executive Creative Director, STAR India says, "I am not at liberty to discuss specifics, but we will continue on from shows like Ye Rishta Kya Kehlaata Hai, and Sach Ka Saamna (one is a show stemming from research and another is a trend-setting bold concept), to set new benchmarks for GEC television. We surely have an aggressive plan for both, our ongoing, as well as new shows this year."

SAB TV, which has changed its positioning to family entertainment channel, also has a unique offering that is the silent comedy show which is tentatively named Sab Chup Raho. Anooj Kapoor, Business Head, SAB TV briefs, "We will continue to make family comedy and consolidate our position that we have got so nicely in the last one year, and the success that we have achieved says that we are doing something right so we will continue with the same."

Zee TV also had some good reality shows last year which were a big hit in the masses, Dance India Dance which was a new entrant, while SaReGaMaPa one of the longest running show regained its viewership with new kid anchors Afsha and Dhairya. The channel seems repeating the trend as Dance India Dance season 2 is already on air.

Colors had a successful year in 2009 and the first big thing the channel has done this year, is, it has joined hands with IPL Season 3. IPL cricket stars will be seen on Colors through various format shows and the channel will also screen Fear Factor - Khatron Ke Khiladi IPL Special. The channel launched the new game show Bingo, and it is hosted by Abhishekh Bachchan, who is working first time for the small screen. A unique step that the channel is taking is trying to strengthen the afternoon band. They have named the slot Sanjhi Dophar and will start shortly with two new shows Agnipareeksha Jeevan Ki...Ganga and Aise Karo Na Vida!

Commenting on the change in the content and success of the GEC space, Surbhi C. Murthy, Deputy GM, Allied Media says, "Formatting surely is to be changed and is changing as people are definitely bored of the old melodrama. Couple of GECs are looking at revamping their programming right now, Colors is taking it forward, what they started a couple of years back."

Talking about the past year, Murthy explains, "Previous year, we saw soaps based on social message and with regional touch which were liked by the viewers. On the other hand there were many innovative reality shows from all the players in which some were liked while some didn't really work well. So, you never know what appeals to the audience. I can't suggest what can work but may be just strengthening one program or time band, bringing more properties, more innovative and interactive shows can also work wonders."

She further says, "IPL is round the corner so I think the coming four months is going to be really interesting time."

The marketing approach

Adgully also tried to know what will be the marketing approach of the channels though they were not very vocal about it but they did gave a clue.

Explaining about the strategy for SAB, Kapoor briefs, "Marketing wise also, we are continuing to do what we did last year. Last year we had done multiplexes and out of home media at those places which gets footfalls from families, as they are our major target group. Apart from this we will continue to do brand campaign of our brand through our on air virals. We will find new and innovative ways to continue to hammer our brand promise of clean and wholesome family entertainment."

NDTV Imagine which was recently acquired by Turner International is very bullish about their future marketing approach. Madhok believes, "Our marketing effort has always been strong. Our share of viewer mind space is much higher than the share of viewership and this is a testimony to the fact that we've created a strong brand and managed to keep it salient despite intense competition in the GEC space. With our new parents - Turner, we now have the firepower to further up the ante on our marketing effort."

In his year-end speech, Nitin Vaidya, COO, ZEEL and Business Head, Zee TV, was heard talking about the vast opportunity at the digital front. Vaidya said, "Another challenge that holds great value today, is the digital scenario which is changing television consumption patterns. On one end of the spectrum is mass consumption pattern of television that is measured by GRPs and on the other is the evolving audience that is migrating from analogue to digital. Content and communication to match audiences' sensibilities is the emerging reality of the digital era. Growth of the DTH is phenomenal. It has surpassed the number of declared analogue subscribers and will continue to grow further. Hence concentrating on the existing analogue viewers along with the ever-growing DTH viewers will be our core focus in the coming years."

Competition

With high fragmentation, competition and decreasing attention span of the viewers, how difficult is it going to be to woo the viewers?

On this, Bahl explains, "Today, there are a number of top shows spread across channels. Ahead, I feel, the battles will intensify, as the viewers get more & more demanding. The life cycle of shows will become shorter, the top shows' listing will change week on week & there will be zero space for laxity and that's great for the viewer!"

On the same line Khan says, "Competition is pretty tough, I think at one point in time there were 3 GEC channels and there was not much to watch outside those GECs. But now there are 8-9 GECs and 100 odd channels in addition to that. You have other options like multiplexes, malls and thousand others. So now everybody has got an alternative depending on their choice, so the time spends on television is going down and that's a big challenge for broadcasters to get their attention and retain them."

Again agreeing to competition, Madhok says, "It's tough for everyone and will continue to be so. However in 2009 we managed to double of our prime time ratings versus where we were in 2008. So despite the competition, strong content will always find viewers. We hope to do more of that in 2010."

While most of them agree to the competition SAB TV is quite confident about their content and programming. Kapoor says, "For us the advantage is that we are doing differentiate programming from the rest channels. We are not competing with the other players who show same old saas bahu sagas."

Learning from the past

At the end of any year in most of the businesses there is a business analysis that is done to scrutinize what should be avoided and what should be continued for the betterment of the commerce. We tried to know what has been the key learning for different channels from the year that went-by.

On this Madhok says, "As a relatively new channel, viewers are looking at us to do something novel. If we provide them the same fare that they have been getting from the older channels then they won't have much reason to shift - inertia is tough to break. But each time we did something novel last year, they came to our channel in droves. This has been an important lesson so we will strive to do new stuff and engage our viewers more strongly in 2010."

Talking particularly of the comedy genre, Kapoor strongly opines, "Yes we have learnt that stand-up comedy has no viewership now."

Bahl describes, "A lot is changing in the Hindi GEC space since the past few years, 2009 is part of that process. It is, in my view, the year of the shows, not channels. With viewers having access to more channels, and the remote becoming commonplace, it became imperative for channels to churn out quality content, day on day. And, with a plethora of new shows and new producers in the industry, the viewer really became spoilt for options. This is leading to the industry maturing and becoming professional."

Remembering the past year Khan tells, "Learning is a continuous process and we learn every month and every year, last year was a bit difficult year because of recession and industry tackled it in its own way. This year everyone is optimistic and we are proposing this year to be good for broadcasting industry."

So with all the lessons and plans will the channels be able to attract advertisers along with viewers. Murthy opines, "Honestly it's all about numbers, according to the fitment of the product, the feel, the look and all that. We try to do that when we do innovative media marketing, but end of the day when it comes to picking up time band it's all about numbers and TRPs."

Having said that one thing is sure, in this rat race whoever wins, the ultimate winner will always be the viewers, who will sit back with the channels' destiny controller (remote control). It will be they who will decide the fate of the channel by judging if their Great Expectation for Content is fulfilled or not.