The channel has gone for an image makeover and re-jigged its programming to hook the young
The makeover comes at a time when the music channel space is getting intensely animated as youth-centric channels frequently rehash their content to gain mind share. MTV, once the undisputed leader, is under attack from various fronts. According to TAM 2010 ratings, its 14.1 per cent channel share is under threat from UTV Bindaas (also 14.1 per cent), 9XM (13.8 per cent) and B4U (12.8 per cent). With players using four-week, eight-week and 12-week TAM data to claim supremacy, the genre is as competitive as the reality shows it hosts. Industry experts believe that the space has undergone tremendous transformation over the last few years, and the battlefield will now move to the brand front, rather than content (programmes, music, VJs et al) which has become more or less generic.
MTV India Channel Head Aditya Swamy says the new logo and tagline will go beyond just an aesthetic change and is the tip of a larger channel strategy. “MTV is present across a spectrum of businesses which includes digital activations, branded content, live events as well as merchandising, and hence we wanted a common ideology that would weave all the different businesses together.” Currently, only 50 per cent of its revenue comes from airtime sales, while the balance comes from the other lines. So with the new identity, the company will attempt to cement its reputation as a youth brand so that it can leverage this image to grow its other revenue streams.
Raw power
First up, the company commissioned London-based design agency Petrol for a new set of graphics. Petrol was familiar with the Group as it had worked with Viacom 18’s venture, general entertainment channel Colors, in the past. “The current graphics on air are based on raw materials like concrete but in the coming weeks, channel graphics will see an extension into other raw materials,” says Petrol Creative Director David Frearson.
“The cosmetic change is in line with an underlying change in philosophy within the company. The new philosophy, ‘Stay Raw’, is about presenting yourself in the most basic way — no gimmicks and pretensions. If you are yourself, the world will love you. It is about being straightforward and honest,” explains Swamy. “Young people are in a state of constant flux and to stay clued in to what is happening in their life, a youth channel has to evolve with their needs.”
The philosophy was developed after gaining key insights about the channel’s target audience. “Young people today are more confident than earlier and their attitude towards life has changed. They are less insecure about their future,” says Swamy. Two, there is no blind hero worship anymore and young people today follow their own icons. “For example, the rise of small town heroes like MS Dhoni has led young people to believe that they don’t need to come from a big family or big town to be successful. They are confident and believe they can achieve anything if they believe in themselves,” adds Swamy.
Bates was the creative force behind the ‘Stay Raw’ philosophy. This is the first time MTV has worked with an external agency to design a campaign, as previously all communication was developed in-house. “We submitted three or four campaign routes before this was chosen,” says Bates India Chief Creative Officer Sagar Mahabaleshwarkar who conceptualised the campaign. Mahabaleshwarkar, however, is tightlipped on the alternate strategies presented to MTV.
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“Our creative strategy was to do something that was brave. We wanted to do something that people either love or hate. We wanted to present a viewpoint that young people can connect with,” explains Mahabaleshwarkar. Bates has created 11 films which are on air. Nine more will be on air soon. These spots were directed by Vivek Kakkar and produced by Curious Films. Each film is of 20 to 25 seconds and showcases the uniqueness of individual personalities. “At the heart of the campaign, we are talking about being yourself,” says Mahabaleshwarkar.
Re-mixed
Swamy believes the branding exercise is more than just a facelift. To start with, the company will introduce some changes in programming on the TV channel. “In the past, the focus was only on a single genre of music — Bollywood — but going forward we are adopting a differentiated music strategy,” says Swamy.
The company has created four music blocks and audiences can sample a different kind of music every time they tune in. “The morning slot will be MTV Big Bang Mornings which will play the latest Bollywood music, while afternoons will be dominated by a mix of new and old Hindi music. Evenings we are introducing a concept called MTV Mash Ups which addresses the fact that music knows no language. So youngsters can see an international rock band followed by a home rock band. The late-evening time slot will play tracks from international artists like Britney Spears and Lady Gaga,” says Swamy. “We are introducing English music because we believe the audience today is a global citizen. A youngster who is watching Roadies is also watching the latest season of television series Lost.”
The brand is also introducing ‘experimental music’ on the channel, where upcoming bands from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka will get the opportunity to showcase their stuff on the channel. For example, “We [MTV] recently did an event with Talvin Singh at a bar in Mumbai called Blue Frog. Likewise, we will capture interesting Indian and South Asian artists and bring their music to the country. It will also help build music icons in a country which is dominated by celebrity icons,” says Swamy.
Rivals argue that MTV bringing back music into the channel is surprising since a year back it had significantly reduced its music content. “There were rumours that MTV was planning to launch MTV2 and hence the experimentation with different types of music,” says the head of a rival channel who does not wish to be named. Swamy, on his part, says: “We want to become a broader music destination for young people, but that does not alienate the fact that we will continue our focus on other non-music related content.”
The philosophy change will also extend to the non-music space — both in the reality and non-reality shows that the company does. “Our shows will have no gimmicks, unnecessary glamour. If you saw the Splitsvilla promos last year, it was all about sexy night clubs, school girls in short skirts and disco lights,” says Swamy. “This year we have chosen the desert as a location.”
Deeper change
Rivals claim that the change in content is hardly visible, but Swamy argues that the changes right now are only at the ‘look and feel’ level and starting next year, viewers will see a progression in programming. Beyond the TV space, MTV wants to strengthen its digital footprint. “Currently, MTV’s Facebook page has 1.6 million users compared to Channel V’s 350,000 users. In India, MTV’s Facebook page has the largest user following. The brand has also launched a microsite, called Ispeak, where young people can voice their views. Membership to Ispeak is by invitation only. Another recent digital initiative is mtvplay.in which was developed based on the findings gathered from consumer focus groups and Facebook discussions. “The microsite summarises some of the interesting insights we gathered, which are of interest to our advertisers and partners,” says Swamy.
Youth channels like Channel V are also looking to capitalise on the multiple touch points. “Online and on-ground are both huge initiatives for us. For example, our most recent event is the Nokia India Fest (college fest). This is not a television property but a purely online and on-ground initiative. Today, uni-dimensional communication does not work as the way media is consumed by the target audience has changed,” says Channel V Executive Vice-president & General Manager Prem Kamath. Others like 9XM are not looking the reality way and are dedicated to Bollywood music. Its point of differentiation is the animated characters. “Animated characters not only help break the clutter but also work to our advantage since they attract an audience as young as 6-year olds who enjoy watching television,” says 9XM’s head of programming, Amar Tidke.
At the campaign level, industry folks appear positive. Cheil India National Creative Director Prathap Suthan feels the thought is dug out from the core of the brand, and it has been executed nice and sharp. “The company has thrown in enough expressions to tickle minds,” says he. Dentsu Communications National Creative Director Shivanand Mohanty agrees. “The overall simplicity is hard to miss. In stark contrast to a lot of attitude-driven communication, the work doesn’t try too hard to be clever or edgy.” While the campaign might have helped generate a buzz, there needs to be a follow through in terms of innovative content across the different touch points. Youth today are a demanding lot, and a superficial rebranding effort is not going to make a dent in their minds.