Building CONNECT beyond Metros: Ferzad Palia

Colors take a step into a new direction by foraying into English Entertainment on Indian Television. The soon to be launched Colors Infinity is all set to break new grounds by ushering in the growing International trend of ‘Essential Viewing’.

The channel will be Co-curated by Karan Johar and Alia Bhatt, who will be bringing their great blend of finesse and insight to the channel. Their exposure to the International market will prove as an asset in bringing in the right blend of content to the channel.  Their mass appeal will help the channel in garnering a varied set of audiences.

The channel will keep the audiences hooked as it will premiere new shows every day of the week which includes critically acclaimed and multi-award winning series like Fargo, Orange is the new Black, The Flash, Better call Saul among others. The prime time will start at 8 pm with the audience being treated to ‘My Kitchen Rules’ every day.  To up the ante there would be an array of Reality television from across the globe be it in the genre of Dancing, Cooking, Magic, Singing and other lifestyle statements. In passing Ferzad added that Comedy would not be the first foray that Colors Infinity would start with.

Colors Infinity will also spread it wings by getting into hosting Global Live Events and Awards shows, also premium biopics, mini-series, documentaries and much more.

The channel will have first run programming seven days a week. With primetime starting from 8-12 pm where all the original content will be telecast leading to an amazing audience experience. On asking Ferzad Palia, EVP, Viacom18 and Head, English Entertainment as to why seven days programming he mentions “The main problem is that audience are spoilt for choices and that’s the honest truth, so in primetime we will be focusing on airing new shows throughout the week. The insight of how audiences have plethora of options available led us to work on 7 days a week fresh content and not stay with the usual five day week format.”

The channel launch has been announced after a thorough research spanning over 24 months. Four big brands L’Oreal, Renault, Grey Goose and Integriti have partnered the Channel. These four brands will have a presence on the Channel post launch too.

In order to have a long and unparalleled connect with the Indian audiences, the network has entered into multi-year deals with large studios like Warner Bros. International Television Distribution, NBC Universal, Sony Pictures Television, Twentieth Century Fox, Lionsgate, MGM, BBC and Endemol Shine amongst others.

The entire communication strategy and packaging (in collaboration with a UK based Company)has been created by the in house team be it the promos of the channel or the advertisements. Frezad Palia added “See we like to create a lot of communication our self and we have some brilliant people in our team who have won international awards and they are the best in the world.”

Responding to the Channels marketing strategies Frezad Palia pointed out “I think one important part of our strategy is Karan and Alia taking the lead while the other part is foraying into markets other than metros. The fact of the matter is that no one has reached out to the audiences beyond metros. Thus it will be like a new genre reaching out to a new set of audiences. Since 50% of our viewership comes from smaller markets hence our endeavour has been reaching to that set of audiences. Keeping that in mind we have an objective to cover 25 markets.”

On the marketing approach he further added “the marketing strategy that we used for Comedy Central and VH1 were nothing in comparison to what we are doing for Colors Infinity. This time we are very clear that we want to go well beyond the metros for our audience appeal or the kind of audience that we are targeting. We have tested those markets and we are sure audience will come and watch us.”

While on the latest offering from the Viacom 18 stable, Sudhanshu Vats, Group CEO, Viacom18 said “In 2008, Viacom18 scripted the first few pages of its journey to establish its first milestone COLORS, thereafter disrupting the genre landscape. In 2015 we once again embark on a journey to recreate history, this time in the English Entertainment space with Colors Infinity. Our first homegrown English entertainment channel for India- Colors Infinity, through its many first is all set to subvert convention in the genre through providing a consummate viewing experience.”

Available across DTH & Digital cable platforms, the channel will be aired in SD as well as 1080p HD format with Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound.