Merchandised fare on offer for all MTV Roadies fans

MTV India has announced the sixth edition of its popular adventure show, MTV Hero Honda Roadies. The new season will see 20 Roadies aspirants fighting the battle of grit and determination in the difficult terrain of Australia.

Roadies’ fans and followers, too, are in for a treat this time because MTV India plans to roll out an entire collection of branded, Roadies inspired merchandise. Gifts and collectible items will be made available in almost 15 categories as diverse as helmets (Wrangler) and stationery (BILT).

MTV India has roped in Archies to retail the Roadies products in categories such as playing cards, photo frames, sippers, key chains, neck tags, mugs, bags, caps and wall clocks. For a few products, such as Roadies helmets, only limited editions will be available in the market.

Dahiya is also of the opinion that merchandise is increasingly emerging as the best medium to extend and establish brand connect with consumers beyond TV.

Talking about the price range of the products, Dahiya adds, "The merchandise is reasonably priced. There are products such as key chains selling for as little as Rs 20; for higher end products such as the Roadies Wrangler helmets, prices can go up to, say, Rs 2,000."

Dahiya admits that the merchandising business in India is not as robust as in Western countries, where it is a source of significant revenue for leading TV players. However, even in India, the past three to four years have witnessed significant changes in terms of infrastructure, entry of more players and expansion of retail chains. All these factors contribute to the demand of specialised, branded goods.

MTV has experimented with merchandise for some of its shows and associations with some brands in the past, too. The channel already has a range of clothing for youth under the label, MTV Apparel.

The Roadies merchandise will start retailing from leading Archies stores across the country from November.