BTVi aiming for influencers through #OpinionsThatCount: Monica Tata

English business news channel BTVi recently unveiled its new positioning – #OpinionsThatCount. The influencers seek accurate information that will shape their decisions and build opinions. BTVi will be the voice and choice of the influential. An integrated campaign will be primarily catering to influencers, key decision makers and opinion makers.

This campaign charts out an independent path for the brand, reinforcing its stance post their partnership with Reuters by bringing financial and business news from across the globe to Indian viewers, which was announced earlier this month.

Monica Tata, Chief Operating Officer, BTVi, commented, “This campaign represents our strong stand focusing on influencing the think tanks of the country who are trend setters and key drivers of the economy. BTVi aims to provide most credible information to its viewers. Through this campaign, the channel continues to reach out to recognised authorities of their fields, whose thoughts and opinions matter to the millions who follow them.”

Excerpts from the conversation with Monica Tata:

What is the #OpinionsThatCount campaign all about?
Our core target is the influencers as we believe that they help shape opinions and BTVi wants to be their voice. This particular integrated campaign caters to those influencers who are decision makers and opinion makers. #OpinionsThatCount seeks to rehydrate the proposition of how opinion matters and how this platform will be bringing significant opinions and people who matter the most.

Who is the creative agency behind the campaign?
We worked with Metal Communications for this campaign. Time constraint was a big challenge and collectively with our team, marketing and communications with Metal, we came up with this proposition.

What is the duration of the campaign?
Around a month.

What are the main media platforms that you are targeting for this campaign?
Since it is an integrated campaign, apart from trade, it spans print, digital, PR and outdoor.

Please tell us about the creative ideation behind #OpinionsThatCount.
We wanted to create some differentiation in the competitive space that we have. Along with our agency Metal, we gathered certain insights and from those insights we developed this proposition. Over several days of discussions we developed the communication and zeroed in on the media platforms, since different platforms have different kind of consumption.

How are you going to customise the message for different mediums?
Every medium will be customised based on how each medium gets consumed. For example, for outdoor, the message is pretty much straight and to the point, which captures the brand and its essence. On the other hand, on social media, the message is integrated in the thought itself – how do we cater to those audiences without being focussed on opinion-centric key words. For PR, the emphasis is on the importance of our editorial thoughts, the editor and the team, their credibility and their experience and how those opinions will be showcased in stronger manner. Also, the guests who will be brought on the channel form an integral part of our positioning and indepth analysis and opinions that are put on the discussion table to go deep down the topic.

How exactly are you planning to reach out to the influencer?
Through the mediums I have mentioned. Wherever these influencers are consuming these mediums, in whichever form, we intend to be there. In the right place and at the right time.

How will you incorporate #OpinionsThatCount into the channel strategy?
The thought has come out from the channel strategy, it is not a retro thing that is being done. We are a platform that is disseminating that communication through an integrated set of opinions which are put out there either through our editorial or the guests who come on our channel. This is the insight which has already existed from our consumer point of view. We have just enhanced that and taken a stand – BTVi has choice and voice of the people who are influencing the world. So, it’s not a retro fit of opinion being integrated into the channel, the channel anyway has been bringing those on the plate, we have just taken that insight and incorporated it into this campaign.

What have been the changes and development in BTVi post the partnership with Reuters?
This is an exclusive partnership for content. We believe that both our strengths will only bring about the leadership proposition much stronger. We intend to bring more value in this business, most credible business deal on content. This partnership gives us exclusive access to Reuters’ content and the financial sector. It will give Indian viewers access to global business and political news as well as extended feature programming.

How has BTVi’s performance as a channel been so far?
The channel assumed the new avatar of BTVi on August 1 this year. However, the people in the editorial team have been around for a very long time, which adds to our credibility. Both the brand change and partnership with Reuters happened recently. These are the new aspects. With the new proposition in place, we are quite excited about what we will be able to bring to the table in the coming months. It will be integrated in our approach, how we position ourselves. The international content will play an integral role, along with the local content which appeals to the influencers and decision makers and the business community at large. So, we are very excited about the programming lined up for the next 2-3 months.