The Age of Vices

Media News

Mumbai, May 2, 2011

India offers multitude of experiences and challenges. What is true of multiplicity of this country is also true for the World of its youth, a fascinating section of the customer base that is existentially located across different regions, social groups, economic segments, educational levels and even sartorial choices. The world of youth is ever changing and highly dynamic therefore challenging to map and analyse. "Today, the rate of change in a 15-year-old's life is far more than that in a 35-year-old. While an adult will experience change once in four years, a15-year-old will experience that in just four days," says Aditya Swamy, Channel Head, and TV India. India is thriving and so are the aspirations of its young. Lust and greedier two pillars that drive the behaviour, thinking and the mindset of the young and the restless in India. Some say the need to flaunt greed is only one side of the small town growth story. Those who are yet to join the gravy train are working hard at it. Author, columnist and former CEOof Procter & Gamble, Gurcharan Das in his book India Unbound narrates a story that illustrates the small town India's social fibre. "I did a Bharat Darshan while working on India Unbound. In a village, I a 14-year-old named Raju, who served tea and coffee at a wayside dhabas. In the evenings, he was learning computers. He confidently told me that he had found the secret of success - learn Windows and 400words of English. Raju reflects the spirit of small-town India: hunger, ambition, willingness to work hard." Fulfilling that ambition now appears easier. The media expansion, including the growth of the DTH industry, has emocratised experiences and aspirations. When asked how has the dose, frequency, form and medium of entertainment requirements changed over time?

Anuradha Sengupta, Features Editor ,CNBC TV18 says, "I think the 70 million or so people who are said to use the internet regularly are consuming entertainment very differently today. I know I am. A lot of news is consumed online with twitter links to news sites; songs and promos on YouTube and Torrents downloads of shows."According to Swamy, while meeting contestants for MTV Roadies he found that the youth from Tier II towns, were not quite different from those in the metros."They dress the same way, use the same gadgets, consume the same net content.

There is a homogenization of young people. Only the small town guys have a hunger to prove themselves more," he says. The youth might be the same across the country with the same thirst for the good things in life, but marketers are still finding it tough to reach out to them. Says Christian Joffre, ex-Senior Vice President Marketing and Creative Director, MTV Networks International, "Youth is a dynamic group, akin to technology it is fast moving. Keeping in mind the pace with which the group is moving to ever new passions, brands shouldn't grow old and stay young and refreshing."As one of the most widely followed youth brand in India, MTV took it upon itself the DNA of the youth and come out with a well-researched marketing study. Across the world more than 135 million.

individuals tune in to MTV annually, MTV has the largest following on the Face booking India (19,67,086 at the last count) and a commendable one on Twitter .According to Jofre, brands that have done it right are:

Adidas - The way it has moved from a sports brand to a fashion brand is commendable. Adidas sells celebrities in a different way.

Xbox from Microsoft - The brand adopted a very good way of changing something technological to something emotional.

Nike - The masters of customisation online and in-stores. "Intelligent marketing today calls for touching customers at a deeper emotional level," Jofre says. When you are talking to passive viewers 30 second TV commercial isn't enough to turn them into active users. You have to touch youth at an interactive level. There is no one law or rule to reach out to the youth. A brand needs to harness lot more touch points. To enter their video games, you've got to have 10-20second commercials. Companies are now investing in "Community managers." One needs to be outgoing when marketing. "You need to b able to get in touch with people online and off line." Jofre adds.

For further information, please contact:

MTV

Arun Kumar

Email: arun.kumar@viacom18.com