Times Network lures viewers to the HD experience

The network launches a reach - based campaign today to promote its HD English entertainment channels, Romedy Now HD, Movie Now HD and MN+

BestMediaInfo Bureau | Mumbai | May 2, 2016

Television broadcasters are increasingly promoting premium services, especially High Definition feed. Times Network has launched a campaign across all platforms to promote the HD channels of its English entertainment cluster. A similar campaign was launched by Star India to promote its HD channels last year. The campaign 'Dabba hai dabba' turned quite popular.

The Times Network's reach-based campaign, which will be launched on Monday, has been conceptualised and implemented by an in-house team. It includes promoting the network's High Definition English entertainment channels ? Movies Now HD, Romedy Now HD and MN+. The campaign urges viewers to raise their standards and switch to viewing television on HD.

The ad film opens with a boy watching a Hollywood movie on his television set on a standard definition (SD) version, when a voice in the backdrop asks him to upgrade his standards. The ambience then changes and the customer is seen enjoying the HD experience.

Vivek Srivastava

Vivek Srivastava, SVP and Business Head, Times Network English Entertainment Cluster, said, “It is estimated that around 12 million HD enabled LCD and LED panels are sold every year, but there are only around six million HD subscriptions, so there is immense growth potential. This campaign will benefit not only our own English cluster, but the entire industry.”

He said the gap in these numbers was because of lack of awareness and education. The campaign will start on Monday, May 2, on the channels of Times Network. It will later be expanded to cross network channels too. Television and digital will have the main thrust of the whole marketing campaign, in the range of 60 per cent and 70 per cent. The campaign tells customers, 'It's time to raise your standard to High Definition.'

In the first month of the campaign, the network targets about 50 per cent to 60 per cent of the total TV viewership. According to Srivastava, HD channels have shown about 93 per cent increase in viewership over the last year and have doubled their ad volumes.

The film, featuring Purab Kohli, is a fun take on how Hollywood is viewed in India. The central character clicks the remote and when the TV switches on, it takes viewers into the mind of the character, who dwells in a perfect environment that elevates his movie-watching experience. The film opens to catchy music and seamless and photo real VFX, to create a sparkling world of illusion in the mind of the character.

The campaign will be restricted to the urban viewership of the Times Network. Srivastava felt that extending it to the rural interiors of India would be futuristic. “Urban is a low hanging fruit and we want to target them first. By urban, I also want to point out to the non-metro cities. Rural will come into picture at a very later stage. As far as sales of HD enabled TV sets are concerned, it is not at all restricted to cities. Everyone wants the latest technology, these days.”

Info@BestMediaInfo.com

Info@BestMediaInfo.com