The entertainment industry is gearing up to commence production of fresh content. With quality content taking precedence over the channels, Arpit Machhar, Head of Marketing, Enterr10 Television Network shares that despite challenging times good content will continue to thrive, irrespective of the medium on which it is aired.
In an exclusive conversation with Media Samosa, Machhar sheds light on the programming strategy of Dangal TV.
Excerpts:
With many popular mythological and old series being liked by the audiences, a lot of channels rode the wave of nostalgia amidst COVID-19. Would Dangal Tv continue to adopt a content strategy based on the same?
Mythological, Historical and period Dramas have always had an everlasting charm on the audience and have done well. At Dangal, we have always understood that this genre of content appeals to viewers in rural and urban markets equally and that audience connects with these shows at a personal level. We have one of the most diverse sets of content libraries which attracts all sets of audience. However, it is a consistent effort to continue evaluating concepts and stories that will work with our viewers.
We will continue to keep an eye out for content that is innovative and that has mass appeal not only for our rural audience but also for our urban viewers. We are certain that viewers will continue to watch rich content with the same enthusiasm even once the lockdown is lifted.
Please take us through the programming strategy at this time. How did the production halt impact your content line up?
We have a great mix of wholesome entertainment for our audience. There are daily soaps catering to a certain section of the audience, some shows are watched by the whole family together, while some shows are male-dominated.
With a strong/robust content bank that has done well in the past we gave the audience a chance to go back in time and re-live some iconic shows like Ramayan, Mahima Shani Dev, and Chandragupt Maurya. The response has been encouraging.
What would be the marketing strategy for the channel? How much will digital occupy in the marketing mix?
We have a well-rounded marketing strategy where digital plays an important/integral role.
In the current scenario, Digital and Social Media have been our go-to mode of communication as it is the quickest way to reach the audience and also receive instantaneous reactions.
We have seen an increase in engagement and traction in platforms such as Facebook and Instagram.
Please shed light on the latest social media campaign by Dangal TV on mental health. What was the insight & rationale behind the campaign?
The campaign aims to create awareness of mental health as a subject as well as to promote positive mental wellbeing. The campaign speaks about how challenging times like these lead to various mental break-downs and that one needs to fight them back with a positive attitude, and seek necessary help and support from their social circle. It urges individuals to speak up during such times and encourages them to look beyond their problems and emerge stronger during this phase. It also attempts to connect with everyone at a personal level and not simply professionals and artists belonging to the entertainment industry.
For the film, we brought actors together from some of our most popular shows to start this conversation and create awareness on this matter. Our aim was to create hope that leads to conversations that will help people cope and emerge stronger in such times. Our actors too were extremely forthcoming and supported us in putting this together as well as to amplify the message.
What has been the impact of the ongoing pandemic on the viewership and ratings for shows on Dangal? Which are the top shows right now for the channel?
We have seen a positive trend in viewership due to a healthy mix of shows across genres. We attained 206 GRPs (as per Week 20 BARC data) setting a new benchmark for the industry.
The time spent 61 minutes which was the highest within this category was also achieved during the same week. Shows such as Ramayan, Jyoti, Baba Aiso Var Dhundo, Rakt Sambandh Mahima Shani Dev have performed well. Some of these shows have also consistently been among the top 5 shows week after week. Baba Aiso Var Dhundo was the number 1 show as per the BARC data of Week 22. Jyoti which is a women-centric and empowerment show too that was launched recently has also made it to the top 5 shows in its first week.
Also read: Zee Marathi gained 4% share in the genre during the lockdown:…
3 things that the COVID-19 situation taught you in terms of marketing, production & advertising?
- Consumers will always be attracted towards good, meaningful content
- Today’s consumers are smart/well-read and can differentiate between forced and fruitful advertising
- You need not necessarily have a huge production concept for the content to do well. The content that touches the heart and mind of the consumers, will always be accepted.
Road to Recovery and the way forward for your channel? How do you see the industry shaping up in the post-COVID-19 world?
We are open to new IPs and concepts and will invest in projects which we believe in. The entertainment industry has been very malleable and I am sure it is a matter of time when we all get used to the new norm of working.
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