IIPM 3-year full-time Integrated (MBA BBA) Programme
India Poised, Lead India, Teach India to Let’s make this Vote Count in 2009, TOI has transformed its ‘information’ brand imagery to one of ‘empowerment’ over the last three years, says Pallavi Srivastava...
But ask Rahul Kansal, Brand Director, The Times of India (TOI), about TOI’s marketing initiatives in the last three years and he is quick to explain that content remains king for this 171 year old brand. “Marketing is secondary. For us, content is most important. Nearly 90% of our efforts go into improving content regularly, to make it engaging for readers,” says Kansal. And if that sounds a tad too pat coming from the brand head of an organisation that unabashedly celebrates marketing in its success, simply consider the manner in which the daily has consistently changed form and design to keep pace with its rapidly evolving target audience. Starting from the mid nineties, it transcends initiatives like more colour on TOI pages, leaner look, celeb columns and juicy Page One stories that interest and involve the youth - India’s fastest growing demographic. “We moved away from overdose of policy and politics and included lifestyle based news,” adds Kansal. With the result that today, TOI leads the charge among all English dailys in India with a total readership of 13.3 crore (as per IRS 2008).
TOI launched its first TV campaign in 1998 titled ‘A day in the life of India’. Campaigns, launched in the last few years, like Lead India and Teach India have not just allowed TOI to hog premium positioning as market leader, but the accompanying ground activation has kept the masses engaged with the brand like never before. Yet, Kansal says that their marketing budget over the last year has been just Rs.10 crore. He explains the reason as the heavy focus on print and outdoor ads in their campaigns. “For us, swearing to the idea is more important and that makes it effective,” he adds. Take for example, Teach India campaign that was rolled out in August 2008. TOI invited volunteers to take out some time from their routine to teach poor kids. The campaign got a massive response, with over 95,000 volunteers coming forward to take on the job. In July this year, a second round of applications for Teach India were invited and it netted about 30,000 additional volunteers.
Kansal asserts, “We don’t want ourselves to play the role of a passive provider of news. to our readers. We want to be a facilitator. We want to empower our readers to play a larger role in the making of a new India.” And that’s precisely what the future from Brand TOI is going to look like viz. making TOI readers connect to their “Idea of India” that is...
Shivanandan Pare
COO, Bigadda
“It is difficult for me to imagine India without Times of India for the basic fact that it is one of the oldest and most credible brand when it comes to news for the masses. It has given us brands like R.K. Laxman’s common man. it is impossible to imagine the daily without laxman’s cartoons. i associate TOI to a newspaper for india’s common man. Times of India is more of a habit in an average Indian’s life.”
For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.
Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).
For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
The Sunday Indian:- B-SCHOOL RANKING SCAMSTERS EXPOSED!
For Exclusive Footage by Sunday Indian Click Here
Business Standard Exposes the Outlook Magazine Money Editor
Don't trust the Indian Media!
IIPM ISBE Programmes
Follow Arindam Chaudhuri on Twitter
IIPM B School on Twitter
Management guru Arindam Chaudhuri’s latest blockbuster book, Discover The Diamond In You
IIPM 2-year full time Programme (leading to the award of the MBA degree from IMI)
B-schools expect higher rate of campus placements this year
Arindam Chaudhuri (IIPM Dean) – ‘Every human being is a diamond’
IIPM Best B School – EVENTS
IIPM conceptualized the grand final of Dare ‘10 — the most prestigious of international B-school student quizzes
IIPM B School : King Khan, Bollywood Badshah and Quiz Wiz — that’s Shah Rukh Khan for you
India Poised, Lead India, Teach India to Let’s make this Vote Count in 2009, TOI has transformed its ‘information’ brand imagery to one of ‘empowerment’ over the last three years, says Pallavi Srivastava...
But ask Rahul Kansal, Brand Director, The Times of India (TOI), about TOI’s marketing initiatives in the last three years and he is quick to explain that content remains king for this 171 year old brand. “Marketing is secondary. For us, content is most important. Nearly 90% of our efforts go into improving content regularly, to make it engaging for readers,” says Kansal. And if that sounds a tad too pat coming from the brand head of an organisation that unabashedly celebrates marketing in its success, simply consider the manner in which the daily has consistently changed form and design to keep pace with its rapidly evolving target audience. Starting from the mid nineties, it transcends initiatives like more colour on TOI pages, leaner look, celeb columns and juicy Page One stories that interest and involve the youth - India’s fastest growing demographic. “We moved away from overdose of policy and politics and included lifestyle based news,” adds Kansal. With the result that today, TOI leads the charge among all English dailys in India with a total readership of 13.3 crore (as per IRS 2008).
TOI launched its first TV campaign in 1998 titled ‘A day in the life of India’. Campaigns, launched in the last few years, like Lead India and Teach India have not just allowed TOI to hog premium positioning as market leader, but the accompanying ground activation has kept the masses engaged with the brand like never before. Yet, Kansal says that their marketing budget over the last year has been just Rs.10 crore. He explains the reason as the heavy focus on print and outdoor ads in their campaigns. “For us, swearing to the idea is more important and that makes it effective,” he adds. Take for example, Teach India campaign that was rolled out in August 2008. TOI invited volunteers to take out some time from their routine to teach poor kids. The campaign got a massive response, with over 95,000 volunteers coming forward to take on the job. In July this year, a second round of applications for Teach India were invited and it netted about 30,000 additional volunteers.
Kansal asserts, “We don’t want ourselves to play the role of a passive provider of news. to our readers. We want to be a facilitator. We want to empower our readers to play a larger role in the making of a new India.” And that’s precisely what the future from Brand TOI is going to look like viz. making TOI readers connect to their “Idea of India” that is...
Shivanandan Pare
COO, Bigadda
“It is difficult for me to imagine India without Times of India for the basic fact that it is one of the oldest and most credible brand when it comes to news for the masses. It has given us brands like R.K. Laxman’s common man. it is impossible to imagine the daily without laxman’s cartoons. i associate TOI to a newspaper for india’s common man. Times of India is more of a habit in an average Indian’s life.”
For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.
Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).
For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
The Sunday Indian:- B-SCHOOL RANKING SCAMSTERS EXPOSED!For Exclusive Footage by Sunday Indian Click Here
Business Standard Exposes the Outlook Magazine Money Editor
Don't trust the Indian Media!
IIPM ISBE Programmes
Follow Arindam Chaudhuri on Twitter
IIPM B School on Twitter
Management guru Arindam Chaudhuri’s latest blockbuster book, Discover The Diamond In You
IIPM 2-year full time Programme (leading to the award of the MBA degree from IMI)
B-schools expect higher rate of campus placements this year
Arindam Chaudhuri (IIPM Dean) – ‘Every human being is a diamond’
IIPM Best B School – EVENTS
IIPM conceptualized the grand final of Dare ‘10 — the most prestigious of international B-school student quizzes
IIPM B School : King Khan, Bollywood Badshah and Quiz Wiz — that’s Shah Rukh Khan for you
