With no cricket around, SET Max focuses more on movies

With very little cricket left for SET Max to air, the channel is focusing more on movies. As Albert Almeida, executive vice-president and business head, SET Max, says, “With the new management at BCCI, it will take us some time to figure out how we can benefit from their change in policy. However, BCCI is looking into more ways of generating revenues from cricket broadcasting.”

For the present, the movie channel has decided to bet on Bollywood blockbusters and market them aggressively. The titles it has lined up include ‘Veer Zara’, ‘Mangal Pandey’, ‘Parineeta’, ‘Kaal’, ‘Iqbal’, ‘Dus’ and ‘Waqt’. The movies will be telecast on Sundays at 1 pm.

Almeida says, “We categorically chose this time slot as we wanted to experiment with other feasible time slots beyond prime time. And we realised that in comparison with the prime-time slots, Sunday afternoons are generally clutter-free with no interesting programmes on competitive channels.”

Regarding the marketing strategy of these movies, Almeida says, “A combination of programming and marketing will help us win. We plan to launch a 360-degree marketing campaign revolving around all these movies, which goes beyond print and outdoor, and also includes television and radio.”

He adds, “The print campaigns are designed as film posters of freshly released movies. The entire idea is to send across the message that Max movies are big and fresh.”

“The television campaigns exaggerate the entire idea of movie viewing and we have given it a humorous touch. The radio jingle is also designed similarly.”

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