Patrika enters Indore

At a time when other publication houses are reviewing their plans to enter new markets, Patrika has gone ahead and announced the launch of its second edition in Madhya Pradesh this year.

Patrika entered the state in May 2008. With this launch on September 30, it will cover the commercial capital of the state as well. Pankaj Mukati will be the editor of the new edition.

In an email reply, Arvind Kalia, national head, marketing, Patrika Group, tells afaqs!, "I'm confident that with the launch of the Indore edition, Patrika will become a promising option for advertisers to reach the key consumers in the state. It will also connect the advertisers to a fresh set of readers, thereby increasing their penetration where it matters. Moreover, Bhopal and Indore together account for 74 per cent of the total ad spends of the state."

To gauge the potential of the new market, a survey team of more than 450 members covered the city, which was divided into eight zones for the purpose. The extensive survey helped in charting out readers’ preferences and expectations, locating areas of dissatisfaction and creating brand awareness. About 4.25 lakh households and business establishments were contacted for this exercise.

Based on the survey and research findings, the Indore edition of Patrika is slated to be packed with new features, in order to differentiate it from the existing players in the market. "A fresh approach to a fluid and more visual layout further reinforces this differentiation. Patrika has deliberately worked on establishing the readers' connect. The accent is clearly local," adds Kalia.

Madhya Pradesh is one of the largest Hindi speaking states in the country and has a large percentage of Hindi daily readers. However, existing players are showing a declining trend in readership, which indicates a clear opportunity for a credible and strong newspaper, Kalia explains.

Patrika claims to have entered the Bhopal market in May with a print run of 150,000 copies; within four months, it claims to have reached 263,000 copies.

In an official communiqué, BR Singh, general manager, circulation, Patrika Group, says, "The phenomenal success of Patrika in Bhopal has paved the way for its grand entry in Indore. An army of sales personnel have been employed in the survey team.” Singh says the competitors are already aligning themselves to the new equations emerging in Indore thanks to the splash made by the entry of Patrika.

The promotional blitzkrieg has been intensified for the launch. Various below-the-line and above-the-line activities and ambient media in malls, restaurants and other public places are being used. Outdoor activities, including hoardings, canopies, camel road shows, motorbike rallies, games and fun activities at malls, human banners and vehicle branding, radio spots and cinema slides at cineplexes were utilized for the promotion of the new Indore edition.