Outlook Hindi hits newsstands today

Outlook Saptahik, the Hindi newsweekly from Hathway Investments, is slated to hit newsstands across the country today. With an invitation price of Rs 10 (which, in the next three to six months, is expected to be raised to Rs 12, on par with competitor India Today Hindi), Saptahik Outlook aims "to mirror the changing lifestyle and aspirational values of the average Hindi reader".

With a print order of 1.50 lakh copies for the first issue, Outlook Saptahik hopes to replicate the success of Outlook English by toeing the line that its counterpart did in its early days - covering the more sensational issues of the day. The cover story in its 80-page inaugural issue is based on an opinion poll (by research agency Cfore, a long-time research partner of Outlook) on Hindutva, reveal sources. The story tries to figure out "who is the real leader of Hindus (the regular Hindus or the Hindu fanatics)", taking off from one of the hottest discussed topics in the political and social circles in the country today. Incidentally, the cover story of the first issue of Outlook English was based on a similar opinion poll on Kashmir and had come up with the conclusion that about 77 per cent of Kashmiris do not want a solution within the Indian Constitution.

Outlook Saptahik, however, will not be a replica of the English edition. R Rajmohan, vice-president, advertising, Outlook, says, "Outlook Saptahik will have an identity of its own. About 70-80 per cent of the content will be original and the rest will be adapted and not literal translation of the English version." In fact, company executives insist, Outlook Saptahik will distinguish itself on this very count - that it offers original content and not translation, as does India Today Hindi, 70 per cent of which is translated from its English edition. "Our research showed increasing levels of ‘dissatisfaction' with the current leader," avers Rajmohan.

The group has lined up a multi-media campaign to prop up Outlook Saptahik in the launch phase. Created by Montage Advertising, the Rs 1-crore launch campaign will use "top media vehicles" of a particular genre, says Rajmohan. In print, the magazine will use popular regional newspapers like Dainik Bhaskar, Navabharat, Dainik Jagran, Amar Ujala, Hindustan, Loksatta and Punjab Kesari. On television, it has booked a 13-week campaign on Doordarshan spanning news, movies and sports programming on prime time. It has acquired associate sponsorship of the 8.00-pm news bulletin ZEE News for a period of 10 weeks. All this, apart from hoardings, banners, and wall paintings in the top Hindi-speaking states.

Quite naturally, Outlook Saptahik will concentrate its marketing and brand building efforts in the Hindi Belt (which makes up 42 per cent of the Indian population, according to NRS 2002) comprising the states of Uttar Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Bihar, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh and Delhi. These states, Rajmohan says, is the core market of Outlook Saptahik, with the smaller markets being fed by the Hindi-speaking population in Maharashtra, West Bengal, Gujarat and Punjab.

Thus, given the potential size of the market and the high levels of interest in news and current affairs, the group avers "it won't be difficult to get to a reasonable circulation figure by the first year end". As for specific numbers, the Outlook Saptahik team prefers to remain non-committal. © 2002 agencyfaqs!