Adgully Exclusive | Its a refreshed Cartoon Network: Turner Broadcasting's Monica Tata

Cartoon Network, the leading kids' entertainment channel, created by Turner Broadcasting, a unit of Time Warne is all set to present itself in its all new avatar. A well established player in the genre, Cartoon Network shall unveil its new look from October 1st 2011.

Adgully caught up with Monica Tata, General Manager (Entertainment Networks) South Asia, Turner International India, where she spoke about this change and the happenings around it.

Speaking about the changes that will be seen on Cartoon Network, Monica said, "We see this as "refresh' and not a revamp or re-branding of Cartoon Network. We believe that such a change is not necessarily because of any specific need. We have been in this industry for about 15 years now. This is a part of the regional initiative taken by the regional level, and we are a part of it. The motive is to get a new look and feel to the channel."

Talking about brand extension and strengthening it, Monica stated that, "Promotional activities like merchandising have been major contributors to the business of Cartoon Network. Cartoon Network Enterprises, Inc. operating as a subsidiary of Cartoon Network Studios provides branding and merchandising services for animation franchises in India". Its merchandising services include promotional licensing, home videos, interactive games, publishing, and music, as well as apparel, accessories, stationery and papers, sporting goods, foods, and personal care products. "The new and "refreshed' look and feel of the channel, the new logo and colours will definitely reflect on these activities as well", she said.

Stating no significant changes in the ad revenues post the change procedure, Monica said that for marketing purpose, their focus is utilizing their online platform effectively. "We have a huge following on our website, and we wish to make good use of it", she said.

"In terms of content, we are bringing a fresh and new young appeal to our shows. There are new episodes of hot favourites Ben 10 and Roll No. 21. There are no new shows as off now. But Diwali is a time of lot of activities for us, since it's the festive season, where family bonding and holidays add to the fun!" Monica added.

Competition is seeping steadily in this genre, where a few of them claim to be No. 1 in the given market space. Responding to this, Monica said, "We have been in the industry for more than a decade and a half and are leaders in our own way. We have always had our evaluation done on an annualized basis". Adding further she said, "Of course, with the number of players increasing, we have seen up's and down's. Also, with fragmentation, the total audience pie has taken a beating. But at the same time we hold about 37 ' 38 % of combined sharing, which I feel talks for itself".

Lastly, an optimistic Monica wished that through this new and "refreshed' look of Cartoon Network, the "stickiness quotient' of the channel remains high. "With quirky, funky and fun shows and a new look, we expect the kids to hang around our channel more", she quipped.

Monica Tata joined Turner in 2004 as Vice President - Advertising Sales. Prior to joining Turner, she worked in STAR India for nearly 12 years. At Turner, Monica is responsible for steering and overseeing all network initiatives across the group. | By Ankita Tanna [ankita(at)adgully.com]

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