Ciao '14 | Cherishing the year gone by with History TV 18's Aiyer

2014 saw a lot changes and innovation in the broadcasting space whether it’s a General entertainment channel or a factual entertainment channel. One such channel that was launched in 2011 with an aim to give differentiated content was History TV 18 and it has emerged as one of the most viewed channels in 2014. To get deeper insights about the channel's performance in the year that is almost passé, Adgully caught up with Sangeetha Aiyer, VP and Marketing Head, History TV 18.

Speaking about the biggest milestone of 2014, she said, "I think the biggest milestone this year was an understanding that content consumption will inevitably move beyond television. Every consumer research study and anecdotal evidence supports this presumption. In order to remain relevant to the way audiences consume content and stay ahead of competition, HISTORY TV18 launched the first second-screen app in the factual entertainment genre. Through a novel innovation, viewers can see their chats live on TV via a ticker, taking viewer engagement to the next level and allowing them to connect with all other fans watching the same show in real time. What’s more, when viewers are unable to tune-in to our channel, we have put the TV in their hands with the introduction of our live-streaming feature."

For every channel some shows work quite in favor therefore making the channel touch newer heights. Since its premiere, ‘Pawn Stars’ has redefined factual entertainment, emerging as the top performer not just on HISTORY TV18, but in the entire genre. Elaborating further she said, "We were always in the Indian market for the long haul. This show is part of the ‘Artifactual’ sub-genre, which has finally come of age and spawned an entire sub-genre of shows where hard cash is made from old/used antiques and collectibles."

This category also gives an insight into the core ethos of India where ‘jugaad rules’ and making ‘cash from trash’ find resonance amongst middle India. It is also a reflection of the young hungry India out there who is yearning to break the shackles of the old and herald a new prosperous beginning. The channel also worked with OLX.in to create a show called ‘The Great India Collectors’ Ride’ that integrated our factual knowledge with the client’s product proposition of being the ultimate destination for buyers and sellers. The concept revolved around two bikers on a journey across India to buy collectibles to design India’s ‘Freedom Bike’. 

Aiyer said, "I think the genre is beginning to make its mark in Indianized content. From this I mean in the past, we have seen a lot of globalized content being dubbed in Hindi and other regional languages and served to audiences here. The genre is beginning to question this model and experiment with localized content. HISTORY TV18 did its bit by premiering ‘Vital Stats of India’ – a unique endeavor to showcase India’s story through numbers."

The factual entertainment genre comprises about 1.2% of viewership, although it accounts for 2% of the revenues. Stating the channel's growth, Aiyer said, "Since the launch of HISTORY TV18 in 2011, the genre has grown by about 27%, largely on the back of HISTORY TV18’s stellar performance. It is worth noting that this growth is not a result of cannibalizing within the genre; we have brought in new viewers based on fresh content that never existed in the Indian television space. Eventually, extensive localization of our shows and more local productions will be the key to growing this genre by increasing the relevance of content amongst Indian audiences."

"Moreover, I think we’ve always tried to go beyond the genre and the medium. 2014 saw us expanding across different platforms. We recently launched the HISTORY TV18 second screen app across mobile platforms. Along with this, we are creating a digital ecosystem and online community around the channel’s social media platforms," she added.

As we all know that the Television industry has become much more robust, so when asked to elaborate on the marketing/ digital strategies have worked for them, Aiyer said, "The HISTORY TV18 App has a user interface that is very flexible, providing a great platform to connect with other viewers and also the channel. It’s a dream come true for any marketer and programmer since you are directly talking to your viewers on your own platform. So in a sense, it takes viewer empowerment to a whole new realm."

Being the first in the category and among the first in the business to premiere their multiple Emmy-award nominated show – The World Wars – on the HISTORY TV18 App, before its TV launch, the channel created a buzz in the market. Aiyer strongly believes that the future belongs to content which is platform agnostic. "By premiering one of our top rated shows on the App first, we are taking baby steps in this direction. The idea is to eventually create a 360 degree network for consumers to connect with each other, our content and advertisers in the best way possible," she stated

For their latest home production, Vital Stats of India, the channel created exclusive content about the show for the HISTORY TV18 app. The 2-4 min videos were created exclusively for its committed viewers who have downloaded the app. Produced with international quality standards of television, these clips went beyond behind-the-scenes clips that are generally available online, which is something most other channels traditionally do. Also, being a second screen app, we took engagement to the next level where HISTORY TV18 fans could win branded memorabilia by engaging with the channel during the show in a fun second-screen quiz. The questions were asked in real-time during the episode telecast and fans could participate on the app.

Another game changing aspect of 2014, according to Aiyer was the fact that advertisers have finally viewing mobile and social platforms as a scalable medium to reach the correct audiences; it is possible to target consumers more effectively.

"TV channels can create package deals for advertisers that ensure visibility of the brand across platforms. At HISTORY TV18, we have created a digital ecosystem around the channel’s social media platforms to provide integrated solutions for advertisers. Lines have blurred between mediums; the key challenge is not to be a social media agency and lose your own brand’s voice when providing solutions," she said.

Looking at the evolution of the television genre when asked to highlight some trends that she visualizes in 2015, Aiyer said, "I think the most exciting facet of content consumption to look forward to in 2015 and beyond does not lie in the differences across platforms but in synergies, in convergence. We are at a tipping point of technology and I’m very sure the TV industry will undergo metamorphoses of sorts in a manner similar to print, music and other types of content driven media."

"I think sooner rather than later there will not be much difference between TV and video viewing. Unlike developed markets, many households are moving out of the poverty line and into the middle class in India. As a result, television viewership is still growing. TV will be around and thrive for a considerable amount of time, but in what form is to be seen. Simultaneously, online video content will grow at an exponential curve," Aiyer said while concluding. | By Aanchal Kohli | Twitter: @aanchalkohli