ABP Network recently announced its entry into the Andhra Pradesh and Telangana market with the launch of its brand new digital platform, ‘ABP Desam’. By pursuing stories that matter to the people, ABP Desam will bring a whiff of fresh air to the Telugu digital news space with a unique perspective on regional content.
Extending its belief in empowering the audience with unbiased and credible news, ABP Desam has entered the market with the determination to create an informed and open society. With this new offering, ABP Network will once again strengthen its push for local storytelling and strive to create bigger strides in the sphere of regional news. Last quarter, the network had entered the Tamil Nadu market with the launch of its digital Platform, ‘ABP Nadu’
ABP Desam has positioned itself as a digital portal that completely mirrors the culture, ethos, and spirit of the Telugu people. Its tagline ‘Manavartalu, manaooribhashalo!’ Which translates to ‘Our news, in our town’s language!’ conveys its objective to deliver news that is personalized to the individual and collective preferences of the Telugu readers. Furthermore, the name ‘ABP Desam’ also reflects the network’s willingness, dedication, and commitment to always fulfill its duty towards the nation by creating an open and informed society.
We spoke to Avinash Pandey – CEO of ABP Network on this aggressive push in the south market by the ABP Network and much more…
After the foray into TN now into the Andhra Pradesh and Telangana market, what was the strategy behind this launch?
AP/TS today is known to the larger country as two Telugu-speaking states but that was not true. What was considered as homogenous Telugu-speaking states had more unique and differentiating aspects that were not known to many.
It is with this understanding we found an opportunity to position ABP Desam as a digital portal that completely mirrors the culture, ethos, and spirit of the Telugu people. Its tagline ‘Manavartalu, manaooribhashalo!’ which translates to ‘Our news, in our town’s language!’ conveys our objective to deliver news that is personalized to the individual and collective preferences of the Telugu readers.
The launch campaign of ABP Desam was based on the central insight that regardless of borders, the people of the two states share the same interests. We found there is more to recognize and represent about the shared interests of the two states and we wanted to use this launch as an opportunity to celebrate the pride every Teluguite carries within themselves when it comes to their culture and especially their language.
You are a leader in the regional platforms, with TN & now Desam, you are creating a strong brand in the southern market, what is the strategy to slowly and surely enter this market?
The Southern market has an extremely high internet adoption rate and the Telugu people are also highly engaged in accessing news content online. According to a recent report by Google, 90% of internet users in India prefer to consume content in their local language. Plus, there was a 42% increase of daily heavy internet users last year. So, surely, the business of digital content is going vernacular, making Tamil Nadu as well as Andhra Pradesh & Telangana – tremendous offerings for audiences and advertisers alike.
With the introduction of digital platforms like ABP Nadu and ABP Desam, we want to disrupt the digital news sphere with breakaway formats, stories of significance, and personalized content.
The south is heavily populated with news channels and digital platforms. What would be that one USP to stand out in the crowd?
ABP Desam strives to bring promising content and meaningful stories for every segment of the Telugu audience.
We have a dynamic blend of creativity and personalization within our extensive content portfolio. We have aggressively invested in cutting-edge technology and sophisticated multimedia engineering in order to provide our users with a seamless website/app experience. Our high caliber, diverse digital news content will ensure ABP Desam cuts through the clutter and truly differentiates itself from other players within the highly competitive Southern market.
You have entered the southern market i.e. digitally only this year, how important is this market for ABP?
If we go by consumer insight, the growth opportunity in the southern market is immense. Content offerings that cater to local tastes and preferences are gaining prominence.
The past few years have witnessed a huge surge in regional launches, as the viewers’ preference of native languages is now discernible. According to a report released last July by Recogn, the market research division of digital marketing agency WATConsult – 70% of Indians would access the Internet in their native languages by the end of 2020.
The launch of ABP Desam has therefore been extremely important for us as we further expanded our presence in the Southern market and established a connection with Telugu audiences.
Tell us about the thinking behind the launch campaign?
As discussed before, the launch idea came from the insight on how AP/TS are united by many aspects, then what separates them. We wanted to peg our brand right at the center of this truth and talk about the versatility of the platform in addressing all regions together and equally under one platform.
ABP Desam wanted to appeal to the young, modern, and progressive Telugu mindset that informed our execution. The song is fresh, new-age, and a peppy take on what we offer reflecting the ground reality of the states. We have creatively managed to address different Telugu dialects in our song, thereby infusing a sense of authenticity.
The launch ad also has visual elements that bring alive the idea of ‘shared interests’ with a visual pneumonic of the border that runs through the ad, binding things together. Overall we wanted ABP Desam to be a modern, progressive brand that reflects the local reality of the two states, serving news in a contemporary format like never before.
