Mastiii & Dabangg target consolidation

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Sri Adhikari Brothers have had a busy year. 2011 marked the company taking its music channel Mastiii to leadership position, and in the process, Mastiii has seen many new initiatives including new shows and on-ground events.

According to data from TAM Media Research, for the C&S 15+ in the Hindi speaking markets, Mastiii has consistently stayed on a leading position.

Markand Adhikari, MD and Vice-Chairman, Sri Adhikari Brothers, pointed out, “In the last one and a half year, Mastiii has either been a number one or a number two player in the music genre. This genre has almost 17 players and numbers indicate that audiences are coming back for Mastiii.”

For Adhikari, there are two things that have continued to contribute towards Mastiii’s success -- the mix of music with comedy and a playlist comprising different time periods of Indian cinema. Adhikari explained, “Mastiii had launched a novelty factory, and it has worked. Also, Mastiii brought a wide range of music that had disappeared with the other channels.”

The channel is already adding new shows such as ‘Golden Era with Anu Kapoor’ and on-ground events that have music at their core to better connect with their audience. The 2012 plan includes doing more of this.

Adhikari added, “We would be developing more such properties in 2012. We don’t want to be a programme oriented but music oriented.”

Bhojpuri quotient working for Dabangg

Where Mastiii is already one and a half year old, Dabangg is completing nine months. Dabangg was amongst the first regional entertainment channels that attempted to bring national quality content for specific regional markets. Dabangg caters to Uttar Pradesh and Bihar markets.

According to data from TAM Media Research, for the C&S 4+ in the UP and Bihar markets, Dabangg is already a leading channel.

“From an advertising standpoint, UP and Bihar are very important markets right now and this is one of the reasons why he have put immense focus on this channel too. Dabangg has already become a clear-cut winner, overtaking the likes of Mahuaa TV.

Markand Adhikari remarked, “We have launched with a vision, and just within few months of launch, we became leaders in the segment -- that is quite an achievement for us.”

Dabangg has increased the flavour of Bhojpuri in its content. In some of the more popular shows of the channel such as ‘Bahut Khoob’ and ‘Maar Tahake’, the channel has created a segment for Bhojpuri. Dabangg also hosted a special on-ground event for its viewers. Markand Adhikari reiterated that these two factors had contributed to the channel’s success so far, and more of this can be expected in 2012 for Dabangg to continue with its leadership position in the UP and Bihar market.

Sri Adhikari Brothers also launched Dhamaal earlier this year but at present, from an advertiser’s standpoint, there was still time before the markets of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh could grow to allow more investment. Adhikari said, “There is still time for these markets to grow from an advertising perspective and we are well poised to leverage our presence once that happens.”

The competition in both the genres is heating up, and for now, both channels from Sri Adhikari Brothers are already delivering on the company’s dream. While Markand Adhikari makes no pretence that for various reasons 2012 will be a tough year, he also added that he sees it as a year of growth for the industry.
Source:exchangemedia