It’s makeover time for Hindustan Times
Though Hindustan Times has always successfully been able to buck the trend by appealing to younger readers as compared to its competitors, there is still a pro-active and concerted effort that has been made to reap benefits from the demographic divide that India as a country enjoys.
Though Hindustan Times has always successfully been able to buck the trend by appealing to younger readers as compared to its competitors, there is still a pro-active and concerted effort that has been made to reap benefits from the demographic divide that India as a country enjoys.
Given that news consumption pattern is changing, whereby consumers are getting more news from dynamic mediums like TV and Internet, people still do turn to newspapers for a different reason - an affirmation of the written word and knowledge that it will help them move forward.
Keeping this in mind Hindustan Times has undergone a complete transformation. The content-led design change saw the re-launched HT hitting the stands on Saturday, July 11, 2009.
Editor-in-Chief Sanjoy Narayan, who joined Hindustan Times last year in August, has over the last few months engineered this editorial revamp and design change. Well-known newspaper designer Mario Garcia is the man who has led the redesign. His portfolio boasts the likes of The Wall Street Journal, Xpress and La Tribune. He is also credited with introducing the Berliner format in India with Mint.
According to Rajiv Verma, CEO, Hindustan Times, “The challenge is to be continually relevant to a large mass of readers of 20-29 years, who have been moving away from the newspaper category. Such (in last five years the contribution of this age group to AED has declined from 31 per cent to 27 per cent) and at the same time not losing older readers who constitute the core readership of English dailies.”
The prominent changes in the paper, as Narayan put it, “is much more than an aesthetic transformation, it is a complete change in the way we are organised, the way we collect news, the way we edit copy. We have reoriented the entire processes dealing with reader navigation, use of colour palettes and above all providing that real understanding beyond the news that no other medium can provide”.
“The overarching need from newspapers is to have awareness that helps an individual succeed in his personal or professional life. It goes beyond ‘What’ and explores ‘Why’ and ‘How’,” he added.
The need to move forward through real understanding is especially relevant to the younger generation, who have been born or grown up in post-liberalised India and are restless for success, as Neelanjan Shome, Chief Marketing Officer, Hindustan Times, confirmed, “This re-think goes beyond the product, and it is a complete transformation of how we position this newspaper in the minds of readers.”
With the time spent on newspaper and other news medium declining, there is more emphasis on how news is being presented. The need to scan-read and surf takes greater precedence, given the fast paced lifestyle of readers. It is important to provide news in a manner, which is easy to read and provides variety to readers to pick up the story that they want to read and be engaged by it adequately.
So, is it too big of a risk for a company in the times of economic slowdown to undergo a project like this? Verma explained, “HT has always been at the forefront of innovation and has successfully built respectable and popular brands like, ‘Mint’ and ‘Fever 104’ in a short span of time. Even in these times of recession, we have clocked a positive growth in profit, one of the few media companies to have been able to do so.”
He further said, “With the enthusiastic vote of confidence from readers in our extensive researches, we are sure about a fantastic acceptance of the new proposition and product because it has been painstakingly developed after 18 months of extensive efforts. We have never shied away from investing in projects that will have long term benefits. No wonder Mint has become the second largest business daily in India in just two years and Fever 104 has consolidated its leadership position in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Bangalore.”
On choosing Garcia, Narayan said, “He is the best in class, he understands our requirements. He is conversant with market reality and has also worked with us previously on Mint and HT City, both of which have been highly appreciated.”
Commenting on the brief given to Garcia, Shome said, “The brief was simple. We needed a modern and contemporary newspaper, which provides for a quick and easy read, and offers a choice for readers to pick any story and be engaged by it. We wanted a balance of the functional benefits and the youthful, contemporary feel to come through strongly.”
Talking about the campaign, Shome said, “Our new communication for the re-launch has an attitude that resonates with the youth of today. In our communication development researches, the target readers have voted most enthusiastically. My thanks to Balki and team from Lowe, the creative agency. We have aggressive multimedia communication planned to capture their mind space.”
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E4M Our strategy is to target younger audiences through Sports: Rajiv Dubey, Dabur
The Head of Media at Dabur India spoke exclusively to exchange4media on the World Cup, associating with Indian Idol, the company’s digital spending and much more
With quirky campaigns, memes and moment marketing, timed with the ongoing World Cup and particularly the India-Pakistan matches, Dabur India has got considerable consumer attention for its popular brands – Red Paste, Cool King Hair Oil, Chyawanprash, Dabur Vita and the recently launched Bae Fresh Gel toothpaste.
The 140-year-old company is going big on key sporting events, World Television Premiere (WTP) movies and reality shows. It is now gearing up to become the title sponsor of popular talent show ‘Indian Idol’ on Sony TV for the first time, shared Rajiv Dubey, who leads the media strategy at Dabur.
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ShareSwapan Seth's new book 'COOL' is out
The book is a reflection of the author's 'eclectic taste across categories'
Advertising professional and art collector Swapan Seth has announced the launch of his new book COOL. The book is described as "a ready reckoner to the hip and the happening, of the known and the very unknown."
The book is a reflection of the author's "eclectic taste across categories: from boltholes to exotic hideaways."
COOL has been published by Simon & Schuster India and is available on Amazon.
Seth is an ad veteran with a long and illustrious career in the industry. He became the youngest-ever Creative Director at Clarion at age 24. He was VP at 26 at Trikaya Grey. Two years later, he started his agency Equus.
He writes for publications such as The Economic Times, Hindustan Times and India Today. This is his second book and he has previously published THIS IS ALL I HAVE TO SAY.
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Disney Star signs 9 sponsors for Asia Cup PAK
Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up come on board
e4m Staff Disney Star has signed nine broadcast and digital streaming sponsors for the upcoming Asia Cup.
Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up have come on board for the upcoming tournament.
As reported earlier by exchange4media, Disney Star has sought Rs 26 crore for the co-presenting sponsorship on TV and Rs 30 crore for Disney+ Hotstar.
According to industry sources, the associate sponsorship on Star Sports has been priced at Rs 19.66 crore, whereas for the ‘powered by’ sponsorship on Disney+ Hotstar, the broadcaster is seeking Rs 18 crore.
As per the information available with exchange4media, Disney+ Hotstar has three sponsorship tiers-- co-presenting (Rs 30 crore), powered by (Rs 18 crore) and associate sponsorship (Rs 12 crore). The broadcaster is offering an estimated reach of 120-140 million for co-presenting sponsors, 90-100 million for powered by and 60-70 million for associate sponsorship.
A spot buy for 10 seconds has been priced at Rs 25 lakh for the India vs Pakistan matches, while for the non-India matches, the ad rate for 10 second is Rs 2.3 lakh. The India matches plus the final for ODIs has been priced at Rs 17 lakh per 10 seconds.
Asia Cup is scheduled to be held from 30 August, 2023, to September 17, 2023.
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Sorted 360 wins creative & social media mandate of Reliance Mall
The agency will manage offline and online campaigns for Reliance Mall
Sorted 360, an integrated creative and social media agency, has won the mandate to providing brand solutions for Reliance Malls across India.
“Sorted 360 is set to enhance Reliance Malls' market presence with their unparalleled creative prowess and strategic thinking,” read a press release.
“Sorted 360's commitment to pushing the boundaries of creative communication aligns perfectly with Reliance Malls' ethos. With a pan-India presence spanning across 19 cities and growing, Reliance Malls has consistently captivated customers by offering an array of Reliance brands and third-party fashion & lifestyle brands. The mall has established an unparalleled connection with its patrons through superior quality, a remarkable value proposition, and an unmatched shopping experience,” it read further.
"We are thrilled to welcome Sorted 360 as our trusted partner in advancing our brand presence across the nation," said the Head of Marketing at Relaice Malls. "Their proven expertise in retail, shopping center management, and innovative creative strategies make them the perfect fit for our vision."
"Partnering with Reliance Malls is a testament to our commitment to shaping extraordinary brand experiences," remarked Prerana Anatharam, Co-founder of Sorted 360. "We are excited to leverage our strategic and creative acumen to further elevate Reliance Malls as the epitome of convenience, choice, and excellence."
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KlugKlug onboards Hemang Mehta as Country Manager for Indias
Mehta was most recently Head of Agency Relationships at Network 18 Media & Investments
KlugKlug has appointed Hemang Mehta as its Country Manager for India.
Mehta will play a pivotal role in driving KlugKlug's growth and expansion within the Indian market and be responsible for Sales & GTM Strategy
Prior to that, he has also represented organisations like Exponential (now VDX.tv), India Today Digital and Rediff.com. His expertise spans various domains including digital media sales, mobile marketing, media planning, and buying, social media marketing, and more.
Hemang Mehta expressed his enthusiasm about joining KlugKlug, saying, "I am thrilled to be a part of KlugKlug, a forward-thinking platform that is reshaping the influencer marketing landscape. As much as I look forward to collaborating with the exuberant team at KlugKlug, I am super excited to interact with the brands to deliver powerful data-backed Influencer solutions that will guarantee business outcomes."
Commenting on the appointment, Kalyan Kumar, Co-Founder and CEO of KlugKlug, stated, "We are excited to welcome Hemang Mehta to our team as the Country Manager for India. His extensive experience in digital media sales and marketing will be instrumental in driving our efforts to provide influencer marketing solutions to our clients. We believe Hemang's leadership will be key in scaling our operations and expanding our reach within the Indian market."
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