&TV's success is a combination of content, marketing & distribution: Rajesh Iyer

&TV's Business Head speaks about the channel's content and marketing strategies that have spurred its success in the short period since its launch on March 2, 2015

Aanchal Kohli | Mumbai | June 1st 2015

Rajesh Iyer

Looking at the rising need and demand of the viewers, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) launched a sister flagship Hindi GEC in its '&' bouquet of channels – &TV. Staying true to the personification of the Ampersand, &TV signifies a conjunction of aspirations and rootedness which is synonymous with the spirit of New Age India.

Through its content offering, the channel has been bringing together people and ideologies, thus fostering cohesive viewing within Indian households. With a diverse mix of relatable fiction, non-fiction, marquee events and blockbuster movies, the channel is available across all cable and DTH platforms.

The newest entrant in the Hindi general entertainment space, &TV went on air on March 2, 2015 with 'Celebration' at its core and aiming to 'celebrate the spirit of living' with its flagship property – 'India Poochega… Sabse Shana Kaun?, that challenged conventions and gave more power to the common man as the 'Asker' as well as the 'Contestant'.

Within just five and a half days of its launch, &TV emerged as a major gainer in the ratings game. It was for the first time that a general entertainment channel as new as &TV had opened at 90612 GVTs. The high octane flagship shows have had both critics and the audiences appreciate the progressive yet relatable content of the channel.

As per TAM ratings for Week 10 of 2015, 'Razia Sultan' registered 616 TVTs, 'Bhagyalakshmi' registered 587 TVTs, 'Gangaa' registered 1338 TVTs, 'India Poochega... Sabse Shana Kaun?' registered 880 TVTs, 'Begusarai' registered 653 TVTs, 'Bhabhiji Ghar Par Hai' registered 812 TVTs, 'Killer Karaoke - Atka Toh Latka' registered 1004 TVTs and 'Tujhse Naaraz Nahi Zindagi' registered 418 TVTs.

Thereon, &TV picked up at a good pace and has been successfully catering to the needs and demands of its viewers. Be it &TV's flagship show hosted by Shah Rukh Khan, 'India Poochega... Sabse Shaana Kaun?' or the strong fiction line-up with shows like 'Razia Sultan', 'Bhagyalakshmi', 'Gangaa', 'Begusarai', 'Bhabhiji Ghar Par Hai', and the weekend offering of 'Killerr Karaoke' and 'Tujhse Naaraz Nahi Zindagi' – the programming has struck a chord with the audience.

To know more about what has spurred the channel's success, BestMediaInfo.com caught up with Rajesh Iyer, Business Head, &TV, who speaks at length about the content and marketing strategies of the channel. Excerpts:

&TV opened really well. Who would you like to attribute the success to – the content line-up or the marketing strategies?

It is a combination of content, marketing and distribution; can surge ahead and create benchmarks in the industry. In our case, all the shows are strategically designed to appeal to the new age mindset of viewers.

How has the channel's performance been since launch?

The channel had a great start and its performance has been quite stable since. We launched well and delivered a good mix of shows with a historical,  comedy, family drama and  reality formats. All the shows have been performing relatively well, we now need to consolidate, look ahead at the next level of growth which we are working on.

How has been the response from advertisers and marketers?

The response has been great, they have understood our potential and the kind of content we offer. We have a strong line-up of sponsors across show like Quick Heal, Yepme, Chings, HUL to name a few.  For The Voice, we have Chings, Vicco and Maruti Suzuki collaborating with us.

Any particular genre that has witnessed great success?

We are a young channel that offers variety content, it's too early for us to comment on any particular genre.

You have been very aggressively marketing every property that you have. If you have to point out the key marketing strategies, what would those be?

In today's day and age aggressive marketing is imperative. We believe that we have been fairly successful in marketing and reaching out to our audiences in an interesting manner across properties.

How has the response been for your ongoing shows?

The response has been very encouraging. The number of viewers sampling the content is on a rise. Loyal following is being built, which is reflecting in the reach and time spent.

How is the year slated?

We have an interesting line up of shows planned for both weekday and weekend programming. It's too early to share details but all I can say is that '&' more action is lined up to keep our audiences entertained.

Info@BestMediaInfo.com

Info@BestMediaInfo.com