Dangal is one of the leading Hindi general entertainment channel available on the Free dish. They have been in the forefront on their content strategy and also acquired a few Mythological content. During this pandemic Dangal made sure that their viewers were kept entertained by providing the best mythological mix with shows like Anand Sagar’s Ramayan, Chandragupt Maurya, Mahima Shani Dev Ki and Dwarkadheesh: Bhagwan Shree Krishna. They are a brand synonymous with constantly delivering diverse stories.
Now as the lockdown is gradually being lifted and I&B Ministry giving permissions for shoots to resume, Dangal is launching their new show ‘Aye Mere Humsafar’ on Monday 31st August.
Arpit Machhar, Head of Marketing, Enterr10 & Deep Drona, Chief Operating Officer, Enterr10 Television, talks to us about the channels growth, their content strategy and way forward for the channel.
In this period of crisis, when no original content was available and viewers had shifted to News television and other genres what was your content strategy to stay on top? How have you maintained your position?
Deep: As a channel in the GEC space, Dangal has a very loyal viewer base that has been with us for a very long time. Moreover our programming and FPC is well tuned to the needs of our viewers. We have shows that are across genres ranging from mythology, drama, crime etc. thus providing wholesome entertainment. We followed the same strategy even during the lockdown to keep our viewers entertained.
Today as the leader in the Hindi market, do you think you have an added edge as a Free to Air channel?
Deep: We are in a very busy market space where there is place for everyone. Dangal does have an edge considering we deliver the highest viewership share in terms of GRPs in prime time if compared to our competitors. Dangal even dominates share in terms of the top programs where 4 out of top 5 shows among FTAs are from Dangal. So we certainly have an edge here.
What are the advertisers take on Dangal, are you seeing more and more national brands showing an interest?
Deep: The FTA space is let by brands from the FMCG sector. So FMCG brand use this space most effectively. These markets are gradually maturing in tier-1 and 2 cities and we are seeing a lots of brands who are increasing looking at this segment for growth to come in from regional and rural markets. While this happens, Dangal too is seeing a good surge in client base now with increasing interest from auto, education and banking and insurance. Brand from these categories are exploring this space very aggressively.
Can you tell us about this new show which is being launched?
Arpit: Aye Mere Humsafar is a women centric fictional drama that revolves around the challenges which women face while trying to find a balance between their dreams and taking care of their family. We have partnered with Shashi Sumeet for this one. The show focuses on the story of Vidhi Sharma, who has channeled her focus on becoming an I.A.S officer after coming to terms with the thought that a women with physical disabilities will not be accepted by a man and looked down upon by society. Aye Mere Humsafar is a very relevant and relatable show that will certainly keep our viewers engaged.
In the coming months will we see a change in content with more original shows?
Arpit: At Dangal, we have a clear goal of keeping our viewers engaged and entertained. We were the first to resume shoots as well as to begin airing original content on the channel during this pandemic. Our current programming strategy is doing well with a mix of shows across genres. We have a strong understanding of the market and our viewers and will continue to explore stories that are interesting and need to be told.
What is the marketing strategy for this show?
Arpit: We have an integrated marketing strategy in place for Aye Mere Humsafar that is more digitally inclined. At the same time, we are leveraging our networks strength. We are very strong in our digital outreach and keep our viewers engaged at all time. While the show has a strong story line that will surely appeal to our viewers, we are sure that this digitally led strategy will amplify awareness about it to a great extent.
In the near future will you also think of a subscription model or be Free to Air only?
Deep: FTA is a huge opportunity yet to be unlocked and it is nowhere close to maturity nor fragmentation.
