Brand Audit

HINDUSTAN TIMES VS TIMES OF INDIA

May 2008 May 2008
Submitted by:- Tushar Narula
Amity University
Amity International Business School, Noida
Researcher's purview.
Identify a target group Identify a target group
Decide on a sample size
Collect data
Choose an apt medium for the investigation
Analyze the data
Recommendations
1arget Audience:- 18- 45 years
1arget Audience:- Gurgoan &Delhi
Audience, Respondent proile:- Business & Serice
class, students, housewies ,including working,
1otal number o respondents or lindustan 1imes:
36
1otal number o respondents or 1imes o India: 31
Research questions Research questions
Brands personality in terms of how the brand would look like,
Broke up in:
Physical attributes:
What people, places and colors associate with the brand.
Symbols:
What does the brand symbolize?
Related Brands:
What sort of brands does it relate to, how much efficacy does the communication
has in brand building.
Associations HT TOI
People
Most people associated HT are Vir Sanghvi,
Manmohan Singh, Karan Thapar .Some
people associated HT with the irrepressible
Khushwant Singh.
Association with cartoonist RK laxman
Page3 models, film stars like SRK,
Katrina kaif, Politicians & Sports icons.
Places
Associate with Delhi. Delhi is a dog-eat-dog
print market .DU festival carnival, College
canteens, Delhi Metro, Markets(Khan, Basant
lok & Siri fort)
Separate editions for Delhi, Bangalore,
Mumbai ,Hyderabad, Chennai
Lounges
Fashion Shows like ( Wills, Pantaloons,
Lakme )
Caf Coffee Day
Colors
Red & Blue Stripes
Respondents also citied the colors of HTs
new avtar i.e. green ,pink
& purple
Red and Black
followed by white and other vibrant
colors. Some respondents also
mentioned blue.
Associations HT TOI
Visuals and
pictures
Politicians ,The Hindustan Times web site is
good, that too with Archives. .
Some respondents also mentioned
columns including Life& Universe, The
Sunday Magazine Section and the HT Job
Photos of the beautiful semi clad
women, one of the USPs of TOI Others
including cartoon strips (specially
Dubyaman) ,the Speaking tree . GOD
& I article by celebrity.
Astrology (Daily Prediction), then
Seema Goswami column which is usually
featured under the column of Live
Astrology (Daily Prediction), then
comes the most favorite - SUDOKU
Signs and
symbols
Straight lines,
Most respondents could not draw an
association with any particular symbol,
however they only had known their sun sign
symbols.
Bennett and Coleman logo (some
referred to it as the two elephants) and
the mast head.
Associations HT TOI
With other
brands
Fever 104FM,Vodafone
Philips Electronic goods, Domino pizza ,
Other news papers like Asian Age
Navbharat Times etc
Many respondents mentioned Nike,
Reebok, Koutons ,TNG,
Others mentioned brands like HT, ford,
Samsung ,indiatimes poll ,ICICI bank
WLC college, Pantaloon, IPL
(cheerleaders!!)
Advertising
recall
Its only fewer among business executives
and 2 students had recalled the
Leadership Summit ,.
A daily column on Hot new careers has
the max recall.
Lead India campaign had a very high
recall. INDIA POISED . India today
Conclave has no recall, despite of max
coverage in papers &magazine
.
Observation
HT under Vir Sanghvi has overtaken them in almost all the issues of importance. The
only area where TOI competes favourable is the Delhi Times supplement. .
The language is simple and yet expressive.
TOI associates itself with people who are the heroes of modern society like SRK,
Business Tycoons ,Designer Clothes.
The Edit Page layout of HT is of high quality with lots of good articles and editorials to
look forward to.
The problem with this was that TOI was more concerned with image, style, gossipy
language
Brand personality:
So, if the brand had a mood, what would it be? What So, if the brand had a mood, what would it be? What
exactly is the brand to a user?
HT TOI
Would sum up
the brand as
Dominant thought: HT is a paper that
combines the sophistication of design
with topicality of content
Other thought: Balanced, properly
structured
Dominant thought:TOI has enjoyed a
widespread appeal.. more so among the
younger generation for its uninhibited
and bold approach towards news
structured
Other thought: where the news is mainly
who dated whom, who wore the
skimpiest clothing, where is the hottest
party!!!
Mood of the
brand
Dominant thought: Serious, not
happening, lack the in-depth coverage
Other Thoughts: Sober
Dominant thought:
spicy, entertaining, infotainment , young,
dynamic
Other Thoughts: for more matured
audience .sobriety and mindfulness
Observation
The HT has an impressive editorial board and good articles of national interest, but it
loses out on national level news.
Since many respondents read both papers noticing the inherently better coverage on
local City issues in the HT as compared to TOI. TOI is heading all attempts at
internationalization.
Emotional associations:
What feeling does the brand evoke and how much has it been able to
move beyond the functional benefits into the consumers life
HT TOI
Feelings and
emotions
associated
Feeling of restlessness and an incomplete
day if I missed reading it.
Empowered in sync with one likings
I will say that the paper is worth reading
for a person who wants to be updated
about the current happenings.
Lots Of Masala for Breakfast
Kudos to HT city for offering gamut of
offerings on career , fashion, My city,
games, bollywood
Lots Of Masala for Breakfast
TOI viz. Education Times ,Times Ascent
etc. are icing on the cake. It helps us to get
update with relevant subject matter.
How does it
makes me feel
about
myself?/Other
people using HT
The respondents thought reading HT or TOI doesn't really make a difference
in any ones image, but reading ET or any business paper does make a
difference in the way a person is perceived.
HT TOI
Relationships
Very few respondent believe that educative / articles from supplements
including business times/ standard or education times is an ideal piece
Work or Home
including business times/ standard or education times is an ideal piece
of information for discussion at workplace or meet., rest felt otherwise.
Occasionally they refer for infotainment!!!. It does not affect them.
Feelings about the brand VS competition
HT TOI
HT
Reader
s
Balanced
Matured
Catchy phrases
Easy language
Spicy,
entertaining,
infotainment but
no news
HT TOI
T0I
Reader
s
lifeless, boring
Page 3 missing
Sports pages are
better than the rest
Times: Pride of
India
Useful with
some top news
Easy language
Boring, Less
gossips, Politics
oriented
no news
TOI is just not
meant for the
masses .
Uses slanged
even to report
critical news
TOI is often
confusing. It
uses cheap
gimmicks
better than the rest
of the news paper
covers.
The front page
news are sometimes
bizarre.
some top news
and company
specific news .
Brilliant
presentation,
Resourceful
Good times of
page 3 celebrities
The Life of
Indians...
Soft News,
Infotainment
Observation
No newspapers, be it HT or TOI have really been able to make a space in consumers
life.
However TOI - education times gives info about the career opportunities to students. The
economic times is the best economy newspaper in India. The accent provide info on the economic times is the best economy newspaper in India. The accent provide info on the
various job opportunities. With such supplements TOI is ahead of HT
Many readers believe that the general outlook of the Times of India is so better than
that of Hindustan Times. Not only the main newspaper but also the supplements are of
interest.
The brevity of description is compensated by good design and excellent edit
pieces &HT is the testimony to the fact. Here HT outplayed TOI.
Respondents believed that New HT City REALLY LOOKS GOOD.The headlines are
very catchyone .Also the use of these pink, red, Green and black color on top looks
attractive. Having separate sections is suited to those looking for tailored made news
Learning
Respondents didnt find the idea great to leave their existing paper for
the other, unless one is price conscious. Not all changes are welcome.
Newspaper should bring out the headlines from the T.V. news, in a more elaborate manner and be truthful to the news as well as
to its readers, letting them decide which side of story they are, not by commenting on the news, giving the notion that the
Reporter/Editor have instead of the reader forming a opinion on his own.
Habit & loyalty are the only things which are responsible for keeping the
readers base of both HT&TOI
Newspaper should bring out the headlines from the T.V. news, in a more
elaborate manner and be truthful to the news as well as to its readers,
letting them decide which side of story they are, not by commenting on
the news, giving the notion that the Reporter/Editor have instead of the
reader forming a opinion on his own.
.