STAR initiates 'STAR News Yatra' across Maharashtra

STAR has launched an interesting marketing drive in the form of STAR News Yatra. As per the initiative, STAR News travels to the small towns and villages across Maharashtra with a mobile van. This mobile van plays audio jingles promoting STAR News and at important junctures, it rolls out large screens, and invites people to sit and watch STAR News.

This might be a very good concept for a movie channel. But does this idea go with a news channel? Keertan Adyanthaya, brand director, STAR News, says, "To attract people, the mobile van will organise games and contests based on our programming and also give out STAR News merchandise as gifts and prizes."

"The strategy is to make people experience the brand," he adds. "Viewers should know what's inside STAR News and get hooked on to it."

And for the forthcoming Maharashtra elections, STAR News is moving to outskirts of Mumbai and also places across Maharsthra to ask people "Kaun Banega Mukhyamantri?" (who will become the chief minister?) -- on the same lines of Kaun Banega Pradhan Mantri, the initiative the channel had adopted during the Parliamentary elections.

Adyanthaya says, "Inspired by the success of Kaun Banega Pradhan Mantri, we have adopted this strategy. While this has turned out to be a popular programme, it also helped us reach out to people and spread across our brand message."

Apart from these initiatives, STAR News has also started live news bulletins at bus shelters in Mumbai. Adyanthaya says, "We have identified strategic locations such as intersections and points where bus shelters face each other." The idea is that the commuters standing at either side of the bus shelters can have a glimpse of the headlines and also those passing by can have a glance.

Adyanthaya says, "We have had a substantial amount of viewership among the SEC A & B. Now, we want to broadbase our viewership base among SEC C, D and E. And all these activities have been initiated to increase brand awareness among this section of the society."

For the upmarket SEC A & B, the channel has tied up with Airport Authority in Mumbai, to ensure the exclusive telecast of STAR News at the terminals. STAR News is in talks to implement the same initiatives at other airports especially Delhi.

© 2004 agencyfaqs!