ET NOW has launched a unique initiative that demonstrates the importance that a television brand places on reaching out to touch key target audiences across multiple touch points. And for a category-leading business news channel — that could well have restricted itself to on-air initiatives considering its market leadership — to go on ground, and in a segmented way to reach different TGs – that just demonstrates how important strategic touch-and-feel marketing is.
TVNEWS4U.COM Editor Umanath V spoke with Shantanu Gangane, Head of Marketing – TIMES NOW, ET NOW, Magicbricks NOW & ZOOM at TIMES NETWORK, about Dealing Room Heroes, the new on-ground initiative that will run till the end of September across some of the top brokerage houses, felicitating and celebrating the top 5 dealing room heroes handpicked by the leadership of the organisations they work in and which have benefited greatly by their professional excellence, which ET NOW is helping them reward and recognize not just in their own establishments, but across the world of Business News Television to the biggest industry and viewer audiences of the Number One English Business News Channel of India.
Excerpts from the conversation:
Tell us about Dealing Room Heroes
SHANTANU GANGANE: In fact, before I tell you about Dealing Room Heroes, which began today in one of the biggest brokerage houses, IIFL in Mumbai, let me tell you about the marketing philosophy behind the on-ground initiatives that we have been rolling out.
ET Now has been a leader across metrics and markets within the financial category for almost a quarter now. This has been a long-standing leadership we have enjoyed. While numbers and TV related viewership and leadership are definitely on our side, we are always looking to cement our leadership further. We wanted to make our brands more and more relevant and very accessible to our consumers, and that is why we decided to reach out and take our channels in a palpable way, through on-ground initiatives, to all our target audiences – the viewers, the trade, and the advertisers and media agencies.
You will recall that in February this year, and again in May, we took ET NOW on ground in Ahmedabad with Kem Cho Gujarat initiative, which was an investor welfare initiative to guide investors in Gujarat on how they could beat market uncertainties and make better investment decisions. There were interactions with market leaders and top ET NOW editors, plus panel discussions, which Ahmedabad viewers registered to attend. It helped us make an even deeper connect with viewers and investors in Gujarat which, as you know, is the business epicenter of India. Consumers have had a taste of KCG, which will see various other editions and forms in other cities as well.
Then, only last week, Magicbricks NOW went on-ground in Thane with its popular show, The Urban Debate, which its Editor Faye D’Souza anchors. We gave our viewers in Thane the opportunity to interact with the Thane Municipal Commissioner, Mr (Sanjeev) Jaiswal. They asked him questions pertaining to the civic infrastructure, preparedness for the rains, the extreme shortage of water which was the worst they were facing in a long time, the state of the roads, etcetera. The channel connected with its viewers in a very tangible way, because it went on ground and actually helped them question those in authority who they felt were responsible, to seek answers and help from them. People turned out in numbers with their real estate issues and this was another form of us extending ourselves beyond our brand beyond just television to reach out to the consumers.
How did Dealing Room Heroes come about?
SG: While those were viewer-investor welfare initiatives, we also wanted to bring trade in, in a different light. We wanted to do an industry welfare initiative. And being leaders, we were keen to avoid an initiative that was done by someone else. We had to come up with a concept which was a global first, and we thought of Dealing Room Heroes.
Dealing Room Heroes is a world-first industry-welfare initiative from ET NOW.
As you know, Dealing Room executives are the nuts and bolts of any financial decision. They crunch numbers and give a backbone to any financial decision for their clients and their organization. These are the real people who have worked really hard to meet the goals of the clients and their organization.
With Dealing Room Heroes, we take ET NOW through the on-ground route to some of the most important parts of the industry. Dealing Room Heroes celebrates the top performers in the brokerage houses. The best dealers, who have been identified by the leadership and management of the brokerage houses they work in, for being the best performers. So each brokerage house has identified its top 5 Dealing Room Heroes, as we call them, and ET NOW visits the brokerage house and the winners are felicitated.
How?
Sg: ET NOW awards them a trophy, and we also create very special 2 to 3 minute profile-vignette videos showcasing their insights, interests and inspiration, and will air them on the channel. These videos will be created for each of the 5 Dealing Room Heroes at each participating brokerage house, and will receive high playout, especially during market hours. This is our way to give the heroes a wider amplification and a larger-than-life substantiation of this recognition by helping them shine in the limelight on India’s N umber One English Business News Channel.
What does this do for the channel?
SG: Even as the initiative encourages the people who power the trades and keep the industry growing healthily, it also helps ET NOW, as a core constituent of the eco-system, to connect even more closely with these stakeholders. But is something we have wanted to do for the industry, in line with our leadership stance of industry welfare.
Do you have any sponsors on Dealing Room Heroes?
SG: No, there are none.
Which are the brokerage houses you have lined up?
SG: We began today where we felicitated their 5 Dealing Room Heroes in the presence of IIFL MD Mr R Venkatraman and ET NOW’s Senior Editor Nikunj Dalmia. There are other brokerage houses lined up too, including Kotak Securities, Motilal Oswal, Edelweiss, and others. (The five Dealing Room Heroes at IIFL are Deepak Sujera, Garvita Jain, Veena Chainani, Saurabh Paleja and Shoeb Master – Editor)
How are you marketing Dealing Room Heroes?
SG: Across trade, digital and our network, and through print, especially through publications for the trade, like Dalal Street, and others. No OOH.
