Hemal Jhaveri, GM and EVP, Channel V, Star Gold, Movies OK & Utsav Movies talks about moving back to being a 24-hour music channel. Vaishali Sharma, Senior VP, Marketing and Communications, Sony Max and Max2 talks about the brand’s latest campaign
‘WE ARE DETERMINED TO BUILD CHANNEL V INTO A PLATFORM THAT REDEFINES THE MUSIC VIDEO EXPERIENCE’
Star India’s Channel V, which became a youthdriven GEC in 2012, as the music genre had become commoditized, forayed back into the music television industry as it transformed into a 24-hour music channel on August 1. Hemal Jhaveri, General Manager and EVP, Channel V, Star Gold, Movies OK & Utsav Movies tells us more about the transition.
INSIGHT BEHIND REVAMP: There is a lot of potential to take music programming and videos to the next level. Currently, music channels feature a cluttered environment where the visual experience is compromised. Channel V will redefine the music video experience and present the best looking/sounding, latest Hindi and English music in an uncluttered environment. We are clear in our proposition that we are programming for the youth – the TG being 15-20-year-olds - and we will play the genres they listen to.
ON RETURN TO MUSIC GENRE: Music has got further commoditized. We are starting from Ground Zero and building the brand upwards and are determined to build Channel V as a music service which will co-exist, compete and collaborate with anything and everything related to music.
THE DIFFERENTIATOR: We will differentiate in terms of the music experience, the song selection and the overall feel of the channel.
A YEAR FROM NOW: We hope to be where Star Gold is - a pioneer, a thought leader in the Hindi movie space. We see Channel V displaying thought leadership on how music will get consumed in future. Channel V should be the definitive music service and music platform for a 15-20-year-old. We would like to be beyond TV, be part of festivals, bring down acts and be an integral part of the music genre. We will try out some degree of innovation, but it will all boil down to great content.
‘MAX2 YAAD RAHEGA IS ALL ABOUT RE-ITERATING THE TIMELESS MAGIC OF CLASSIC HINDI FILMS’
Hindi movie channel Sony Max2 - showcasing iconic movies from the 60s to the early 2000s - has unveiled its latest campaign with two TVCs to refresh its brand ethos ‘Kuch Filmo Ka Jadu Kabhi Kam Nahi Hota’ with its new tagline ‘Yaad Rahega’. The campaign, conceptualized by DDB Mudra, was launched on August 10 and the marketing plan includes a TVC across all genres for over four weeks and a Print and Digital campaign spread over a month. Vaishali Sharma, Senior VP - Marketing and Communications, Sony Max and Max2 tells us more.
THE INSIGHT: Sony Max2 has a distinct offering, a different personality, and offers timeless, iconic movies, meaningful entertainment and cinema that captivates viewers. Viewers find these films refreshing, inspiring and captivating and this was a key insight for the campaign.
ON CONTINUITY: Sony Max2 is a two-year old brand, and the objective at launch was rekindling the aura and magic of movies. But how do we strengthen that further? ‘Kuch Filmon ka Jaadu Kabhi Kam Nahin Hota’ is the brand essence and we haven’t changed. But we moved from ‘Jab Dekho Tab Naya’ to ‘Max2 Yaad Rahega’. It is about re-iterating and strengthening the timeless magic of these films and taking it one step further. Sony Max 2 has grown since launch and is the market leader in the genre of older classic films, attaining leadership in 30 out of 43 weeks (Source: BARC, Avg. weekly GVTs, Market: HSM, Individuals All 4+,Daypart: All Day ) with an average weekly GVTs of 133,485 (Wk. 41’2015 – Wk. 31’ 2016)
THE CONTENT: We have refreshed our content and added classic movies like Julie, Ek Duuje Ke Liye, Khatta Meetha, Gharonda, Kasme Vaade, Aap Ki Kasam to the library. We keep re-infusing our peripheral offering and have another season of ‘Lights, Camera, Kissey’ with Shekhar Suman and new segments of ‘Sitaare: Kal Aaj Aur Kal’.
ON EXPECTATIONS: We opened up the category. The next step forward is to infuse the brand with freshness, embark on a fresh growth trajectory and get new viewers in newer markets.
