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Rina Chandran

Mumbai , Sept. 18

TWO recent examples proved again how important programme and channel promotions are to broadcasters. On Sony Entertainment Television (SET), innovative promo ideas delivered big audiences for its newest series, `Jassi jaissi koi nahin', growing the channel's viewership by nearly 175 per cent during the first week, according to SET. On Zee, the series `Astitva,' has not been promoted heavily, but positive word of mouth has made it one of the channel's top shows.

Broadcasters spend about Rs 140 crore on promoting their shows and channels in print, on radio and outdoor; they spend several times that amount "virtually" by way of air time on their channels. In fact, for every four ads, there are five programme promos on TV, estimates TAM. Given that advertiser and viewer retention also depend on the success of the shows, broadcasters are looking to increase the efficiency of their promos.

So far, broadcasters have largely used instinct to determine the content of promos, when to air them and how much time to devote to them. But now, there is also a science to the process: TAM launched Promo Adex last year, and its Promo Evaluator Grid enables broadcasters to see which promos work better, if they are reaching the desired audience, and whether they translate into viewership for programmes.

"Promo evaluation is critical because it's an opportunity cost - every promo run is an ad lost," said Mr Atul Phadnis, Director, S-Group, TAM Media Research. "For instance, the best shows have the largest audiences, so promos get seen by the most number of people, but broadcasters also lose heavily by refusing ads which will also have the highest rates."

According to a recent TAM analysis, single-programme promos make up about 65 per cent of the total promotion time; promos for the channel and branded multiple programmes (like `Comedy Hour' or `Friday Block Busters') make up 15 per cent each of total promo time, while promos for the channel image and other properties make up the rest.

Some channels are now using `optimisers' to determine who is watching during the various dayparts to target promos better, and some are exploring new promo ideas, like `flash mobs' for `Jassi.' Star TV, for one, has approached promos scientifically and has reaped handsome rewards, said Mr Tarun Katial, Senior Vice-President - Content & Communication, Star India. For Star Plus' No. 1 show, `Kyunki... ' the channel only used on-air promos on programmes like KBC, and "did not spend a rupee on off-air ads," he added.

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