Sony SAB rebrands positioning; moves away from being a comedy channel
The channel is transitioning from a comedy brand to one that tells stories that resonate with people's everyday lives
Sony SAB, a Hindi GEC owned by Sony Pictures Network India (SPNI), has changed its positioning from being a comedy channel to a living room brand. The move is aimed at establishing Sony SAB as a channel which tells stories that resonate with people's everyday lives while catering to the entire family.
Speaking about the decision and the thinking behind the repositioning, Neeraj Vyas, Business Head, Sony SAB, PAL, and Sony MAX Movie Cluster, shared that Sony SAB has always been perceived as a comedy channel, and in order to maintain that position, the channel launched multiple shows in the comedy genre, which is not an easy task. "During this process, it took some time to understand that calling it a comedy channel is one thing, and delivering seven-eight shows daily with the same efficiency and precision is another. Comedy is a difficult genre, and the reason for this is lack of talent. There are very few writers in our ecosystem who can give us good content daily. It's almost impossible to get people to write good 20-25 minute comedy content,” said Vyas. He also mentioned that comic talent is scarce in the television space."
He went on to say that if the channel continues to ignore all of these challenges, they will end up making compromises and casting the wrong people. “This was also the learning for us but we always had one advantage that the channel has also been perceived as a happy family channel. This is very critical recognition that the brand has,” he added.
He further added that Sony SAB is entering a new phase as the brand is undergoing metamorphosis with its content and brand strategy. ”We are looking for stories and insights from the daily lives of people. As creators, we are constantly looking for new themes and new insights that reflect on the trends and what people are going through, staying ahead with consumers and their changing lives. The recently launched brand films will further help us cement our positioning as a brand that goes beyond just providing entertainment and helps us connect emotionally with our audiences on a much deeper level. As a channel we are forward-looking, catering to the diverse needs of the family and yet at the same time bringing them together."
Vyas mentioned that another option would be to make Sony SAB another flanker for the network, as others have done within their networks, but he believes that a brand in the entertainment category should have its own identity.
"Luckily, we don't believe in flankers, and I believe that if you have a brand in the entertainment industry, that brand should be able to stand on its own. As a result, we saw a lot of value in casting a channel that primarily caters to a diverse audience. As you can see, the majority of the channels are primarily targeting female TG between the ages of 25 and 40. Today, television has developed a pattern of one type of storytelling aimed at women or housewives. And here we saw an opportunity: why don't we revive television which is meant for the entire family?"
Sony SAB has launched a new brand campaign to mark a new chapter in its journey as a channel and brand. The channel aims to strengthen its emotional connection with its viewers through a philosophy based on the understanding that "jo roz choti khushiya dete hai, wohi rishtey toh bade hote hai." The channel aims to strengthen its emotional connection with its viewers through a philosophy based on the understanding that "jo roz choti khushiya dete hai, wohi rishtey toh bade hote hai."
The amotive is to inspire people to celebrate life by highlighting the small yet unforgettable moments. Catering to the needs of every member of the family, as it shifts gears, the channel is steering towards offering more progressive content and will launch new shows in the coming months to further strengthen the brand's position as a living room brand.
Vaishali Sharma, Marketing & Communications Head, Sony SAB, PAL and Sony MAX Movie Cluster said, "In today’s complex world, we understand the meaning of using the insights of what relationship means to our viewers and we have mined a very powerful insight which helped us develop this campaign. The objective of the brand campaign is to strengthen our relationship with our consumers and to express how the brand interweaves itself into the life and emotions of people. The campaign is one such initiative in the journey of evolution for Sony SAB, and while content continues to make an impact, at a brand level we will continue to engage with people keeping this ethos in mind.”
Sony SAB has launched three heart-warming brand films. The channel is engaging in a massive television plan to promote the campaign which will roll out on November 3. The marketing plan also consists of a substantial digital leg.
There is diverse content on Sony SAB from Alibaba Dastaan-e-Kabul, Maddam Sir, Wagle Ki Duniya, Pushpa Impossible, Dharm Yoddha Garud, and the evergreen 'Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah.
Read more news about (internet advertising India, internet advertising, advertising India, digital advertising India, media advertising India)
For more updates, be socially connected with us onInstagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook & Youtube
TOP STORIES
POPULAR
CATEGORY
Longest-ever DD Free Dish auction gives Prasar Bharati Rs 1069 crore
The average price per slot stands at Rs 16.5 crore
By Sonam Saini | Mar 21, 2023 8:49 AM | 3 min read
Public broadcaster Prasar Bharati has mopped up Rs 1069.60 crore from the e-auction of 65 MPEG-2 slots on DD Free Dish. The broadcaster's total revenue has seen a 66 per cent jump compared to last year's auction.
On the last day of the auction on Monday, seven slots were sold, with the highest bid of Rs 18.7 crore coming from Bflix. Other channels that secured the slots on the last day were Enterr10 (Rs 17 crore), GNT (Rs 17.9 crore), India TV (Rs 18.65 crore), Bharat 24 (Rs 17.15 crore), ABZY Cool (Rs 16 crore) and Sun Marathi (Rs 18.5 crore).
This is the first time in the history of DD Free Dish auction that the process went on for eight days. The auction was conducted over the weekend as well.
The auction saw participation of broadcasters from different genres. However, the big four networks' Hindi general entertainment channels Star Utsav, Zee Anmol, Sony Pal and Colors Rishtey stayed out of the auction.
"The revenue could have gone up if these four channels had participated," said industry sources.
The average price per slot this year stands at Rs 16.5 crore.
In the Bucket A+ category, which comprises Hindi GECs, 11 slots were sold for Rs 189.65 crore.
Last year, there were six slots in this category which were sold for Rs 91.1 crore. The highest bid in this genre was made by The Q India for Rs 17.9 crore. Other channels that bagged the slots were Dangal, Shemaroo TV, Manoranjan Grand, Manoranjan TV, Big Magic, Shemaroo Umang, Nazara, Dangal 2, Ishara TV and Shemaroo Ashirwad. The base price for this category last year was Rs 15 crore.
Under the Bucket A (movie channels), 19 slots were sold for Rs 329.55 crore this year. The highest bid in this category was made by Zee Anmol Cinema for Rs 24.05 crore. In fact this was the highest price ever paid for a movie channel slot in the history of DD Free Dish auction. Last year, 16 slots were sold for a total of Rs 166.55 crore in this category.
Under Bucket B, which comprises (music Hindi channels, sports, and all channels of Bhojpuri languages), 12 channels were sold for Rs 206.85 crore. The highest bid in this category was by Zee Biskope for Rs 22.1 crore. The lowest bid in the music genre was made by 9XM for Rs 15.2 crore.
Sources said, “The best bid came from 9XM, a music channel. They strategically waited for their turn and took a slot at Rs 15.2 crore, which is well below the average price paid for the other six music channel slots.”
Under Bucket C (Hindi news channels), 12 channels secured slots for Rs 199.1 crore in this year's auction. News18 India paid the highest price for the first slot at Rs 19.85 crore. Other channels that secured slots were Aaj Tak, TV9 Bharatvarsh, R Bharat, Zee News, ABP News, NDTV India, News Nation, Times Now Navbharat, Bharat 24, India TV and GNT.
In the 2022 e-auction, the pubcaster earned Rs 120 crore from the sale of 14 slots in this category.
Under Bucket D (all other remaining genre of Hindi, devotional channels, all genre of marathi, Punjabi and Urdu channels and news english channels), 10 slots sold out for Rs 144.45 crore. At Rs 18.5 crore, the top bidder in this category was Sun Marathi. Under Bucket R1 only one channel, Popular TV, bagged the slot for Rs 3.05 crore.
Compared to 2023, in 2022, the pubcaster earned Rs 645 crore from the allotment of 59 MPEG-2 slots.
Read more news about (internet advertising India, internet advertising, advertising India, digital advertising India, media advertising India)
For more updates, be socially connected with us onInstagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook & Youtube
FreeDish e-auction ends, Prasar Bharati earns Rs 1073 crore from 65 slots
On the last day on Monday, seven slots were auctioned. The highest bid came from Bflix
By exchange4media Staff | Mar 20, 2023 6:43 PM | 1 min read
Public broadcaster Prasar Bharati has mopped up Rs 1073 crore from the e-auction of 65 MPEG-2 slots on DD Free Dish.
On the last day of the auction on Monday, seven slots were sold, with the highest bid of Rs 18.7 crore coming from Bflix. Other channels that secured the slots on the last day were Enterr10 (Rs 17 crore), GNT (Rs 17.9 crore), India TV (Rs 18.65 crore), Bharat 24 (Rs 17.15 crore), ABZY Cool (Rs 16 crore) and Sun Marathi (Rs 18.5 crore).
This is the first time in the history of DD Free Dish auction that the process went on for eight days. In fact, the auction was conducted over the weekend as well.
Read more news about (internet advertising India, internet advertising, advertising India, digital advertising India, media advertising India)
For more updates, be socially connected with us onInstagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook & Youtube
enba: Prasanth Kumar joins jury panel
Kumar is the CEO of GroupM-South Asia
By exchange4media Staff | Mar 20, 2023 8:19 AM | 1 min read
Prasanth Kumar, CEO - GroupM South Asia, has joined the exchange4media News Broadcasting Awards (ENBA) jury panel. Kumar, popularly known as PK, has over 25 years of industry experience.
Before joining GroupM, Kumar was associated with companies like Pepsi, The Hindu, The Media Edge & McCann Erickson.
Kumar is currently President of AAAI for the 2022-23 term.
The exchange4media Group formulated enba in 2008 with the sole objective of recognizing the best in television news. The awards recognise and acknowledge industry leaders who are responsible for shaping the future of television broadcasting in India. This year, ENBA is in its 15th edition. The grand jury this year will be led by Sunil Arora, a senior bureaucrat and former Election Commissioner of India.
In the previous editions, the enba jury was led by Harivansh Narayan Singh – Deputy Chairman, Rajya Sabha, Dr Kiran Karnik – Former President – Nasscom, Dr Nasim Zaidi - Former Chief Election Commissioner of India, SY Quraishi – Former Chief Election Commissioner of India, N Ram – Chairman, Kasturi & Sons Ltd., Former Editor–in-Chief The Hindu and Group Newspapers, Sanjay Gupta – Managing Director – Star India.
Read more news about (internet advertising India, internet advertising, advertising India, digital advertising India, media advertising India)
For more updates, be socially connected with us onInstagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook & Youtube
Free Dish e-auction: 25 channels pick up slots in rounds 2 & 3
According to sources, the pubcaster has mopped up approximately Rs 409 crore in these two rounds; bidding for remaining rounds to continue on March 20
By Sonam Saini | Mar 20, 2023 8:01 AM | 2 min read
Prasar Bharati continued the e-auction for vacant MPEG-2 slots on DD Free Dish on the weekend with 25 channels picking up slots in rounds 2 and 3.
The starting receive prices for each round were Rs 16 crore and Rs 13 crore, respectively.
While the buckets eligible for bidding in round 2 were A+, A, B, C, D and R1, round 3 saw bidding for buckets A, B, C, D and R1.
According to industry sources, the pubcaster has mopped up approximately Rs 409 crore in these two rounds.
The channels that secured slots in round 2 were Sony Wah (Rs 20.25 crore), Star Gold Thrill (Rs 17.85 crore), Colors Cineplex Bollywood (Rs 17.5 crore), Shemaroo Ashirwad (Rs 17 crore), Dangal 2 (Rs 16.8 crore), Shemaroo Umang (Rs 16.65 crore), Nazara (Rs 16.6 crore), Manoranjan Prime (Rs 16.7 crore), Goldmine Bollywood (Rs 16.7 crore), Ishara (Rs 16.75 crore), Goldmines (Rs 16.9 crore) and B4U Music (Rs 17.05 crore).
The channels that picked up slots in round 3 were Showbox (Rs 17.05 crore), Dil Se (Rs 17.05 crore), Filmachi (Rs 16.7 crore), Goldmines (Rs 15 crore), Aastha Channel (Rs 15.05 crore), Times Navbharat (Rs 15.15 crore), another slot by Goldmines (Rs 15.35 crore), B4U Bhojpuri (Rs 15.05 crore), Bhojpuri Cinema (Rs 15.1 crore), News Nation (Rs 15.05 crore), Aaj Tak (Rs 15.1 crore), 9XM (Rs 15.2 crore) and Movie Plus (Rs 15.2 crore).
In round 1, 33 channels bought slots for over Rs 538 crore.
The pubcaster has so far earned around Rs 947 crore from the e-auction. The remaining rounds (i.e. rounds 4, 5, 6 and 7) will go up for bidding on March 20.
Read more news about (internet advertising India, internet advertising, advertising India, digital advertising India, media advertising India)
For more updates, be socially connected with us onInstagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook & Youtube
Madan Bahal joins enba jury panel
Bahal is the Co-Founder and Managing Director of Adfactors PR
By exchange4media Staff | Mar 18, 2023 8:30 AM | 1 min read
Madan Bahal, Co-Founder and Managing Director of public relations firm - Adfactors PR, has joined the exchange4media News Broadcasting Awards (ENBA) jury panel. Over the past 25 years, Bahal has served as a lead communication counsel in many of the milestone events of Corporate India, including fundraises, M&As, disputes, litigations, issues, and crises.
Bahal is known for providing leadership to the Indian PR industry during major events such as the global financial meltdown in 2008, and the two years of the Covid-19 pandemic. He is also a member of the governing council of The Yoga Institute, Mumbai – the world's oldest body of organised yoga teaching.
In September 2022, the Arthur W. Page Society inducted Bahal into its Hall of Fame. In October 2020, PRovoke recognised his firm Adfactors PR as one of the seven global agencies of the decade.
enba was formulated by the exchange4media Group in 2008 with the objective of recognizing the best in television news, and for rewarding industry leaders who have shaped the future of television broadcasting in India. This year, enba is in its 15th edition, and the jury will be led by Sunil Arora, a senior bureaucrat and former Election Commissioner of India.
Read more news about (internet advertising India, internet advertising, advertising India, digital advertising India, media advertising India)
For more updates, be socially connected with us onInstagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook & Youtube
Free Dish e-auction: 7 slots of Bucket D sold out for over Rs 79 cr
Zee Chitramandir, Zee Punjabi, Fakt Marathi, Shemaroo MarathiBana, Manoranjan Movies, Sanskar TV and Sun Marathi picked up the slots
By exchange4media Staff | Mar 18, 2023 7:50 AM | 1 min read
Prasar Bharati has mopped up over Rs 79 crore from the sale of seven slots under Bucket D of the DD Free Dish e-auction.
This bucket comprises all other remaining genres of Hindi, Devotional/ Spiritual/Ayush, all genres of Marathi, Punjabi and Urdu channels and news and current affairs (English) channels. The base price was Rs 6 crore.
Sources close to the development confirmed six channels that picked up the slots were Zee Chitramandir (Rs 13.40 crore), Zee Punjabi (Rs 12.45 crore), Fakt Marathi (Rs 12.65 crore), Shemaroo MarathiBana (Rs 13 crore), Manoranjan Movies for Rs (13.4 crore), Sanskar TV (Rs 14.6 crore) and Sun Marathi.
Bucket D has eight slots, out of which seven have been sold out. Bidding for the eighth slot will continue today.
Read more news about (internet advertising India, internet advertising, advertising India, digital advertising India, media advertising India)
For more updates, be socially connected with us onInstagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook & Youtube
Free Dish e-auction: ABP News picks up 6th slot for Rs 17 cr
The six slots under Bucket C category have been secured by News18, Republic Bharat, TV9, Zee News, NDTV and ABP News
By exchange4media Staff | Mar 17, 2023 12:23 PM | 1 min read
ABP Network has picked the last slot on DD Free Dish. According to sources, ABP News secured the last slot on DD FreeDish for Rs 17.10 crore.
Under Bucket C, which comprises news and current affairs (Hindi) channels, News18, Republic Bharat, TV9, Zee News, NDTV and ABP News bagged the slots. The base price for the bucket was Rs 7 crore.
Prasar Bharati has now made Rs103.15 crore from the six slots under Bucket C.
The highest price paid in this category was Rs 19.85 crore.
As reported earlier by exchange4media, News18 bought the first slot for Rs 19.85 crore, Republic Bharat secured the second one for Rs 16.55 crore, TV9 took the third slot for Rs 14.55 crore, Zee News bought the fourth slot for Rs 15.5 crore and NDTV bought the slot for Rs 16.55 crore.
Read more news about (internet advertising India, internet advertising, advertising India, digital advertising India, media advertising India)
For more updates, be socially connected with us onInstagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook & Youtube
