Its an Swayamvar for all Hindi GECs

Its an Swayamvar for all Hindi GECs

The slew of new programmes across Hindi general entertainment channels (GECs) has offered a sumptuous treat to viewers, with the channels taking full advantage of this cricket-free period to bask in the limelight. Lintas Media Group (LMG) says that it was a Swayamvar everyday in which audiences select their program of choice and grace the channel with their viewership.

Programs like Sach Ka Saamna (Star Plus), Rakhi Ka Swayamvar (NDTV Imagine), Pavitra Rishta (Zee TV), Iss Jungle se Mujhe Bachao (Sony TV), India's Got Talent (Colors), are all so different in concept, but of equal strategic importance to their parent channels. Every GEC is now in a different stage in its marketing life-cycle, therefore expectations from each new program also differs and it's not about ratings alone.

In an e-mail interview to Televisionpoint.com, Premjeet Sodhi, chief planning officer, Lintas Media Group, says, "Less than 5 per cent of any launches succeed and hence while novelty of a new programme does attract initial viewership, these must be evaluated on more long term parameters."

Star Plus is struggling to retain its leadership position; Imagine wants new territories after being on the periphery of success for so long; Zee TV and Sony are trying to maintain their recent upsurge; and finally Colors must hold on to its rapid growth trajectory.

Opening day TVRs are reflective of viewer anticipation caused by the program's promotional activity. Sach Ka Saamna and Rakhi Ka Swayamvar were both eagerly awaited by the audiences, albeit for very different reasons, resulting in high opening TVRs.

Though these TVRs did fall over subsequent episodes, these two programs continued to perform well. With Rakhi Ka Swayamvar achieving the nearly impossible for NDTV Imagine in the final episode - the highest ever audience for a reality show, at 40 million viewers. Notable also are the high average TVRs delivered by Pavitra Rishta and India's Got Talent, the latter being the only show, whose average TVR has eventually crossed the opening TVR.

Sodhi adds, "Other than viewership ratings, it is imperative that the channels assess how the media property is strengthening their channel brand and offering opportunities for participation for advertiser brands to build value for all – the viewer, the channel and the advertiser."

Besides ratings, a program's performance can be judged by parameters like impact on overall channel performance; new viewers added to time band; channel share snatched from competition; viewership retained despite competitive pressures; strengthening viewership in weak markets and exciting a specific demographic segment not earlier on the channel.

Both Rakhi Ka Swayamvar and Sach ka Saamna attracted more male viewing, because of smart timing and shrewd casting – this contributed well to audience growth. Not only did Rakhi Ka Swayamvar deliver a 19 per cent growth in TVR's to NDTV Imagine, it also provided an increase of 96 per cent to the average ratings on that time band.

Sach Ka Saamna contributed a 180 per cent increase to the viewership of the 10 pm weekday band for Star Plus, besides helping to consolidate Star Plus's overall channel share by 25 per cent. Despite, or because of the controversy, a winning stroke from Star Plus.

Zee TV was struggling with a dying Kasam Se, which had dropped from a healthy 3.6 TVR to a sloppy 1.9. Pavitra Rishta helped pull its viewership back to 3.14, an increase of 65 per cent. On the other hand, the high action reality show, Iss Jungle se Mujhe Bachao raised TVRs by 55 per cent to cross the 1.0 barrier, for Sony Entertainment Television. More young people tuned in than before.

Maruti Suzuki's first foray into presenting sponsorship status on a GEC channel worked well. India's Got Talent on Colors raised the TVR on that time slot to 2.7 from the 1.6, an increase of 62 per cent. Unlike the other programs, which benefited from PR noise, this program offers consistently good content to generate a continuous growth in TVR's, not dependent on PR spikes.

In sum, each of the new programmes has proven to be a winner for its respective channel. While some brought brand new formats to India, others took the tried-and-tested route. While one courted controversy, another chose to romanticize tradition. While some may soon be forgotten, others will have gone on to establish the reality genre as a force to be reckoned with.