In Conversation With | NDTV Good Times turns 7 & promises to stay strong...

Its birthday time for NDTV Good Times...! With an aim to redefine its positioning as ‘India’s Youngest Lifestyle Channel’, NDTV Good Times with the reach of approx. 30 million individuals in India on 15+ ABC, the channel is turns 7. Having received multiple awards in the genre from credible industry forums; the channel boasts a robust show line-up from its hit flagship properties like Band Baajaa Bride, Highway on My Plate, Kingfisher Supermodels, Making of Kingfisher Calendar Girl, indicating that the strategy and content of the shows are focused on targeted genres- Food, Fashion and Travel.

The channel boasts a brand promise of providing an immersive and experiential ‘Good Times’ experience to their consumers through all the platforms, the channel can leverage and communicate their expertise as content creators.

Adgully caught up with Arati Singh, Channel Head, NDTV Good Times to know more about the plans, strategies and a lot more.

Adgully: Last seven years have been quite exciting and interesting for NDTV Good Times.... If given a chance how would you like to define those seven years?
Aarti Singh: Last 7 years have been really good and challenging, by the end of which we feel that we have defined the lifestyle genre in Indian television.

Adgully: How are you celebrating the moment?
Aarti Singh: As part of NDTV Good Times' 7th anniversary we encouraged our viewers to join the celebration, online and vote for their 7 favourite shows from a list of our most popular programs. The poll on www.ndtvgoodtimes.com ran from 2nd to 6th September and 7 shows that received the maximum votes were telecast as our viewers’ choice on 7th September, 4:30 pm onwards on NDTV Good Times and Live Young Live Indian is our theme this year.

Adgully: Turning seven is a remarkable milestone the channel has achieved. What strategies do you think have led you reach the position that you are in?
Aarti Singh: On regular basis, we have done a fairly deep dive into the tastes, preferences and consumption patterns of our target audience in our key markets. With multiple rounds of focus groups, in-depth interviews, commissioned studies and working with industry experts to back this exercise; what you see now is a culmination of regular research and tweaking.

Adgully: Personally, you have been associated with the network for about 17 years now. How do you think has content grown and evolved over the years?
Aarti Singh: Our flagship properties like Highway On My Plate, Band Baaja Bride, Heavy Petting etc have evolved multifold and have been loved by our viewers year after year. The shows have helped in the growth of the sponsors as well as the brand.

Adgully: With the advancement and evolution of the lifestyle genre, how challenging is to stand ahead of the curve viz-a-viz competition?
Aarti Singh: Our mission and aim since inception, was to provide Indian lifestyle content to the viewers and there is no competition we have to that. We launched as India’s only Lifestyle Channel and still are.
The channel has established a niche for itself as the only lifestyle channel in India. With 30 million individuals in India on 15+ ABC, the channel is ahead of almost every other English Lifestyle channel in the country.

Adgully: What are the key areas and spaces that you think NDTV Good Times should have forayed in the last 7 years?
Aarti Singh: We have covered the entire lifestyle spectrum in the past 7 years and the areas which work well for the Indian audience are Food and Weddings which are our focus this year.

Adgully: When it comes to marketing, NDTV Good Times has left no stone unturned in that department. Which, according to you have been your best campaigns or strategies that have made you enhance your reach among your TG?
Aarti Singh: While we firmly believe that content is our greatest advertisement, we throughout the year focus on promotional mediums that cater to the youth, for eg- social media, outdoor, on-ground via malls, multiplexes etc.

Adgully: People are exposed to high quality international lifestyle shows from abroad on your rival channels. How challenging has it been to match those shows?
Aarti Singh: NDTV Good Times’ expertise is to provide Indian Lifestyle content to its viewers; hence we don’t see channels with international lifestyle contest as our rivals. The focus is to promote programming which is targeted to ‘Young India’.

Adgully: How does 2014 look like? What can your viewers expect this year from NDTV Good Times?
Aarti Singh: The channel is looking at providing new and engaging shows with content that is young-at-heart and dynamic and has an appeal across segments and demographics. We are doing two new exciting shows besides our staple favorites:
‘You Got Magic’ is a half hour, 13 part series that showcases India like never before. Travelling to cities across the country, the show will explore lifestyles, food and people – from a local youth icon to the dynamic young Indian on the street. Binding them all together with Magic! The host of the show is a young Magician, Neel Madhav, who interacts with people everywhere – on the street, in restaurants, at malls, in melas…and through them and his magic, brings out the hidden treasures of every city he travels to. Same is expected to go on-air around third week of September.
‘Kingfisher Blue Mile-Mission Mount Everest’ is a super exciting, never been done before, 9 PART REALTY ADVENTURE SERIES with Gul Panag. Expected to hit air around third week of December, the show is a hunt for a team of 6 that will take on the base camp trek for the highest mountain in the world. Each campout will have 3 – 4 adventure activities where we judge hundreds of contestants on the basis of climbing skills, water based activities to see balance, rope activities and even scuba diving.
In addition to that, new season of “Kingfisher Supermodels” with all new anchor Neha Dhupia, would hit air towards last week of October. Band Baajaa Bride turns 5 this year and is all set to return on-screen around third week of November, with BAND BAAJAA BRIDE ‘JODI’; a fresh series for the bride and groom to be!  International content includes- Adam Richman’s Best Sandwiches in America and Cutthroat Kitchen.

Adgully: How are you looking at strengthening the channel's position with innovative lifestyle programming in India?
Aarti Singh: Our focus has always been multi-platform content creation, and we will continue to do that as we reach across to our consumers through all platforms. LiveYoung being our mantra, we are focusing to take this message to heart and minds of young, young-at-heart and youthful Indians through our content with clearly defined bands for fashion, food, travel and reality. [By Aanchal Kohli | Twitter: @aanchalkohli]