MAX2 has a very strong identity that is its differentiator: Vaishali Sharma

Sony MAX2 has ushered in its third year with a refreshed tagline ‘Yaad Rahega’. The Hindi movie channel from Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) has rolled out its latest campaign to refresh the channel’s brand ethos – ‘Kuch Filmo Ka Jadu Kabhi Kam Nahi Hota’. Conceptualised by DDB Mudra, the campaign is a rejuvenation of the brand’s promise of enriching the lives of today’s viewers with the inspiring values and refreshing pure content of iconic films.

The campaign went on air on August 10, 2016. Sony MAX2 is engaging in a massive television plan across all genres for over four weeks. The marketing plan also includes print and a digital campaign spread over the next one month.

The two short TVCs highlight the magic of unforgettable movies and the impact that these films have on people’s lives even today. It showcases how people savour ageless cinema by celebrating simple yet beautiful moments in their lives. The first TVC shows a family get-together where a young couple celebrates their marriage anniversary and the speech-impaired wife beautifully enacts the all-time romantic number, ‘Pehla Nasha’, for her anxious husband and surprises him.

The second TVC celebrates the strength of a long-enduring relationship, wherein an old couple shares a light moment with their grandchildren when they are asked about their love affair in their younger days. These TVCs engrave MAX2’s refreshed positioning in the minds of its viewers and help the audience develop an instant connect.

The channel has also strengthened its content library with classic movies like ‘Julie’, ‘Ek Duje Ke Liye’, ‘Khatta Meetha’, ‘Gharonda’, ‘Kasme Vaade’, ‘Aap Ki Kasam’ and many more such to live up to its promise of enriching the lives of today’s viewers.

Commenting on the latest campaign, Vaishali Sharma, Senior VP - Marketing and Communications, Sony MAX and MAX2, said, “Being the leader in its space, MAX2 as a brand has grown and built a strong viewership base for itself. With the new campaign tagline, ‘Yaad Rahega’, we aim at strengthening our brand promise by appreciating the magic of iconic cinema. The two TVCs indisputably bring forth the nostalgia of good timeless movies and how they still have the power to impact our present life. With a more robust library in place, it’s a perfect time for us to refresh our brand imagery.”

AdGully spoke with Vaishali Sharma to get further insights into the latest campaign as well as the road ahead for Sony MAX2. Excerpts:

What is the objective behind launching this new campaign?
The objective behind launching a brand new campaign is one – we are a very young brand, we are only two years old and we have a very distinct positioning, a very clear content offering in the category where product is generic. We are trying to completely differentiate ourselves and trying to strengthen our positioning from that perspective. So, being a young brand it is good to keep strengthening the position. Therefore, with time we decided to refresh and rejuvenate the brand, without changing the core essence and positioning. Also crucial for us is to continue to drive growth in terms of viewership and highlight the new film properties that we have acquired. From this perspective, we decided to do the brand new campaign this time.

What was the brief shared with the creative agency DDB Mudra?
The brief was very clear. Since MAX2 is a brand that enriches consumers’ lives with the magic of films, we wanted to take that forward. The journey of this brand has been about the impact which these iconic films have in today’s age. Our lives today are full of complexities. While a lot of things have become better, everything comes at a price. The simplicity of life is something that we have lost – the simplicity of moment, simplicity of relationship. Either we don’t have the time or don’t appreciate what we have. So the brief was very clear – how do we discover the magic of life, how do we discover the magic of yesterday’s innocence through these iconic films on MAX2. The campaign reminds of ad picks that really inspire us in today’s age. It brings alive those moments from the iconic movies of yesteryears which have the capacity or power to really lighten our lives today.

How different is the latest campaign from the earlier communication of MAX2?
The strategy has not changed because we are too young a brand, we are just two years old and we have a very strong strategy and positioning. It has not changed, but it has been moved forward. So while we have retained the essence of ‘Kuch Filmon Ka Jaadu Kabhi Kam Nahi Hota’, today we are saying ‘MAX2 Yaad Rahega’. That is what we have changed vis-a-vis the earlier ‘Jab Dekho Tab Naya’. Why ‘Yaad Rahega’? Because the power, as I have said, of the enriching quality of these movies and how you remember their moments, their dialogues, their stories, and MAX2 is a brand which is creating an aura around them that you will always remember. That is the thinking behind the positioning and the tagline.

What kind of overall growth in viewership and demand have the evergreen movies seen?
I think one of the things that MAX2 has managed to do is actually rejuvenate a category and take care of the need gap that existed. By launching MAX2, we opened up the category for iconic evergreen classic films completely. I think the growth of the genre, which was at 30 to 50 GRPs, has almost doubled. So really I think we have managed to grow this genre of movies.

Average Weekly GVTs:


Channel Wk. 41'2015 – Wk. 31' 2016
Sony MAX 2 133,485
Zee Classic 120,668

When you talk about evergreen movies, which time period are you referring to?
I think everything pre-2000 is actually evergreen. Post 2000 is the millennium era. So, anything pre-millennial we consider to be evergreen.

How is MAX2 creating differentiation, compared to channels like Zee Classic and Star Gold?
As a matter of fact when MAX2 was launched, Star Gold was not really a competition because at the end of the day, Star Gold is a destination for newer films and movie premieres. There are not too many competitors in this space, but what MAX2 has managed to do is create a very strong identity which is very distinct from the direct competition. So people have a very clear idea of what this channel is all about – ‘Kuch Filmon Ka Jaadu Kabhi Kam Nahi Hota’.

Going forward, what kind of programming strategy do you plan to adopt?
Right from the time of our launch, we’ve always had peripheral programming. We renew it every couple of months, every season we have a fresh round of peripheral fillers like ‘Take 2’ and ‘Sitaare’. We are coming up with the next season of ‘Lights Camera Kissey’ with Shekhar Suman.

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