Zee Network ad inventory going at 100%, dependency on regional channels has grown manifold

Bhojpuri general entertainment channel Big Ganga has launched an initiative in association with Lowe Lintas that aims to cater to and resolve the on-going unemployment issue among migrant workers in India due to the Covid pandemic.

Samrat Ghosh

Speaking about the initiative, Samrat Ghosh, Cluster Head East, Zeel, said, Big Ganga has always been driven with a higher sense of purpose.

The initiative is built to help migrant workers get back to work and also assist employers with access to a pool of readily available workers. In the past, the channel has carried out initiatives such as Yoga FutureFit, around International Yoga Day and Ek Kadam Swabhiman Ki Aor, which was a social initiative as part of which they installed safer changing rooms for women across Patna Ghat on Chhath Puja.

Prathyusha Agarwal

Prathyusha Agarwal, Chief Consumer Officer, Zeel, said the idea was conceived during the unlock phase. “Lintas reached out to us saying if we could do something around mobilising resources to make a bigger impact. Zee has always believed in bringing people together and participating in the eco-system. We think we are storytellers who entertain but we are also the storytellers of the people of the culture and we see ourselves playing a powerful role in being the medium of mobilisation for the people whom we provide content,” she added.

On Big Ganga’s recovery from the Covid period, Ghosh said, “Big Ganga is known for entertaining audiences with its unique content and offerings all around the year while consistently claiming the leadership position in the market with 27% market share. Though business is reviving gradually, Big Ganga continues to maintain 18% of the market share in primetime.”

“Having struck the right chord through festive events and shows such as Jai Chhathi Mayi, MemSaab No. 1, etc, the channel looks to redefine entertainment and original content for its regional audience through a new family game show Muraitha Maidaan, Faguaa Holi special among others,” he added.

Talking about the overall recovery of the network, Agarwal said the ad inventories for Zee are robust. “When businesses reopened and started on the revival path, they were focused on individual markets since the unlocking happened in a phased manner. The revival was seen both at the regional as well as the national advertisers’ level. The regional channels gave the advertisers an opportunity to plan their investments in a phased manner.”

Agarwal said it has been a good performance for Zee since they have seen revival across markets and have managed to gain a market share in markets such as West Bengal with channels like Zee Bangla.

Citing similar sentiments, Ghosh said, “The recovery had started from Q3 itself, the advertisers are back in the space on regional channels across the markets. From the festive period, advertisers have been robust. The kind of momentum that has picked up will continue for many months to come.”

“Specifically talking about regional GEC channels, they help in getting an incremental reach to the advertisers’ media campaigns. They have their deep-rooted cultural impact on the geography and increase opportunities for advertisers and, therefore, Zee Bangla for the WB market, Big Ganga for the Bhojpuri market turn out to be huge platforms to encash for advertisers. In the last couple of quarters, we have seen that the dependency on regional platforms has grown manifold and now it is back to pre-pandemic times,” said Ghosh.

“The Zee advertising inventory is going at 100%, which indicates that the robustness of advertisers. We are keeping our fingers crossed that these numbers continue. I don’t see any reason why they should not continue as consumer demand is back,” he added.

Talking about the Kaam Wapasi initiative, Ghosh said the response to the initiative has been amazing and they have managed to get jobs to 30,000 locals. They have amplified the initiative through a 360-degree campaign focusing on TV and digital channels. They have also roped in celebrity Dinesh Lal Yadav (Nirahua) to promote the cause as he has a deep connection with the Bhojpuri audience.

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