EMERGING COMPETATIVE TRENDS IN NEWSPAPER WITH REFRENCE TO Times Of India

Administrator

Ajesh Shah

n [Type the fax number] 9/10/2011

For readers and my friends By Ajesh Shah Happy reading

EMERGING COMPETATIVE TRENDS IN NEWSPAPER WITH REFRENCE TO Times Of India

MEANING OF NEWSPAPER
A newspaper is a regularly published print product containing information vital to the function of the market it serves. Definitions become more important as traditional newspaper companies move from single-product management (newspapers) to multi-product management - often under the company's brand, typically the title of the newspaper. What newspaper companies are learning is that the value of what they produce is not the ink on paper, but the content, depth, segmentation choices, credibility, and emotional attributes that are delivered in any distribution channel they choose.

MEANING OF MARKETING

Regardless of product, the marketing objective is to reach the intended audience with a message and delivery system that reflects the product itself - or at least does not detract from it. For example, an upscale Beverly Hills jeweler would waste advertising dollars placing billboards on a bus line. Hiring a graphic designer to put together a full-page ad for a magazine like Vanity Fair is a more likely marketing strategy. Conversely, a major studio marketing a new movie starring former wrestler The Rock will not likely divert money into a costly magazine ad that caters to a market outside the movies main target audience. Inner city buses, billboards, television trailers and online advertisements will be a more likely marketing choice. Aside from acquisition, or expanding the customer base or brand awareness, marketing is also concerned with base management. This refers to in-house marketing that keeps current clientele coming back. Sales, discounts for customer loyalty based on punch cards, and other strategies can all be part of a good marketing plan. Marketing is an investment that, if done wisely, not only pays for itself but allows a business to grow. When proper marketing gets the message to the right audience, delivered in the right context, at the right price, you cant go wrong. Hiring an experienced marketing consultant can help the new business owner to develop

effective strategies. Various books are also available on marketing strategies and can shed more light on the options available.

NEWS PAPERS IN INDIA

Amar Ujala
Amar Ujala was launched on the 18th of April 1948 from Agra, as a 4 page newspaper with a circulation of 2576 copies with an objective of promoting social awakening and introducing a feeling of responsibility among the citizens of a recently independent India.

Asian Age
Promoted by UB group

Assam Tribune
A leading English Newspaper of Assam

Bharat Times
An Indian daily newspaper.

Cybernoon
news,question and answers,extras.

Danik Nirantar Chakra

Danik Nirantar Chakra is the first Hindi News Paper On Line From East and West.

Deccan Chronicle
Deccan Chronicle are the leaders in jobs for foreign IT professionals in the US.

Deccan Herald
Deccan Herald is a English Daily Newspaper founded by Printers (Mysore) Private Ltd. It is a south Indian english daily newspaper. Published in Karnataka.

Deshabhimani
Starting at Kozhikode in 1942 as a Weekly, and graduating to Daily in 1946, Deshabhimani has been steadily growing in popularity. The second edition was added in 1968 at Kochi, followed by the third in 1989 at Thiruvananthapuram, the fourth in 1994 at Kannur and the fifth at Kottayam in 1997 and the sixth at Trichur in 2000.

Express Healthcare Management

Express Healthcare Management, the first Indian business weekly for the healthcare industry is part of the Business Publication Division of the Indian Express Group to bring out industry-focussed publications. The publication has been updating and providing information to healthcare professionals since January 2000.

Expressindia
Expressindia.com offers various other news-related microsites and sections, functioning as independent sites on their own, which attract large focussed audience.

Hyderabad News
Hyderabad News is the first E-Newspaper from the capital of Andhra Pradesh.

India Abroad
International weekly newspaper in North America. India's largest news and entertainment service online.

India Journal
The American India Foundation's (AIF) Spring Benefit Gala hosted on May 16 at the Waldorf Astoria hotel in New York exceeded its expectations and raised over $1.1 million for its grants and programs in India.

India Times
IndiaTimes is Netplus But with interests ranging from knowledge events, telecom, and integrated marketing, Indiatimes is more than a web entity.

Indian Express
an Indian daily newspaper.

Indian Newspaper
India newspaper - there complete experience on India. Besides Indian news, they provide in-depth coverage of rest of the world.

Jagran
India's Largest Read Hindi NewsPaper.

Kashmir Times
nformation on the news and issues of Jammu and Kashmir.

Kerala Tourism Newsletter

With the Arabian Sea in the west, the Western Ghats towering 500-2700 m in the east and networked by forty four rivers, Kerala enjoys unique geographical features that have made it one of the most sought after tourist destinations in Asia. An equable climate. A long shoreline with serene beaches.

Mid-Day Multimedia Limited

From a family-owned, one-paper company Mid-Day Multimedia have grown into a full-fledged, multiple-media conglomerate listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange, one of the handful of Indian media groups to go public.

New Indian Express

Express Network Private Limited was incorporated as a company under the Indian Companies Act, 1956. The company was promoted by the New Indian Express Group.

News Asia
All the asian news links like Asia's stock markets, The World Factbook and more.

PatnaDaily.Com
PatnaDaily.Com is your exclusive source on the Web for news, facts, and figures relating to Patna and its neighbors.

Project Monitor
Project Monitor is Indias first newspaper on Projects, which will update the readers on projects in the country, educate project managers on the latest developments in technology and material, inform manufacturers and vendors on the needs of the industry.

Sakal
Sakal has the distinction of having the most balanced readership among the urban and rural readers. Over the years, it has achieved an unmatched feeling of trust and ownership amongst its readers in Maharashtra due to its tradition of reliability and involvement in community affairs.

Sandesh
Gujarati newspaper's online edition in both English and

Star of Mysore
The most popular evening daily in Mysore.

Sucheta Dalal
Sucheta Dalal has been a business journalist of high professional repute for the last two decades having worked in Business Standard, The Economic Times and as the Financial Editor of the Times of India. She is not afraid about taking on the big guns. A great example for young jounalists!

Tehelka
The most popular newspaper with investigative journalism.

The Bihar Times

This website provides information about The Bihar Times newspaper which serves as a passage to Bihar.

The Hindu
The Hindu's independent editorial stand and its reliable and balanced presentation of the news have over the years. The Hindu is the only newspaper which brings out supplements on all days of the week.

The Hindustan Times

news - city,state,foreign,economy,sports.

The Hitavada
NEW DELHI IN keeping with the government efforts to modernise para-military forces, Home Minister Shivraj Patil on Monday inspected a Mine Proof Vehicle (MPV) manufactured by the Ordnance Factory Board, which the Ministry says could be used in counter insurgency operations.

The Inquilab Urdu Daily

The Inquilab Urdu Daily is a daily news provider. You can refer The Inquilab Urdu Daily for latest National and Internationa news in Urdu.

The Samaj
The Samaj is Orissa's oldest and largest circulative daily newspaper.

The Sentinel
The Sentinel, a leading English daily of north-eastern India was launched on April 13, 1983, two days before the Assamese new Year's day. A skeleton staff for the preparatory work for launching the newspaper in the including its founder editor D.N. Bezboruah, was recruited earlier in December 1982.

The Telegraph
The Telegraph is the largest circulated English daily in Eastern India and published by the ABP group of publications.

The Tribune
The Tribune's editor, printer and publisher is Hari Jaisingh. It is a north Indian daily published from The Tribune House.

Times Of India - India Times

Indiatimes is the flagship brand of Times Internet Ltd, the digital venture of India's largest media house. A portal with an awesome range of offerings, from news to books to web solutions, and channels as diverse as Infotech and Spirituality, Indiatimes strives to create multiple relationships with the Global Indian.

Vijay Times
The Vijay Times launched on December 22, 2002, is the VRL group's first English daily and second publications. Encourages by the success of Vijay Karnataka, the Vijay Times started out with the twin advantages of already existing infrastructure, as well as inputs of a network off 500 correspondance

NEWSPAPER HISTORY IN MUMBAI

NEWSPAPERS Although the first printing press was imported into Bombay as early as 1670 by the Parsi businessman Bhimjee Parikh, it was more than a hundred years before the first newspaper was printed. The first newspapers in Bombay were owned and printed by Parsis, who already owned the technological and financial basis for such ventures. The first English newspaper in Bombay was printed by Rustomji Keshaspathi in 1777. The first vernacular newspaper in Bombay was the Gujarati daily Mumbai Samachar, published in 1822 by Fardoonjee Marzban. Although not the first newspaper in an Indian language (that distinction was held by the Bengali newspaper Sangbad Kaumudi, published from Calcutta) Mumbai Samachar is still being published, and is India's oldest newspaper. The first Marathi daily Dig-Dursan appeared in 1837, and the first Hindu-Gujarati newspaper, Vartaman in 1849 (in Ahmedabad). Initially the newspapers concentrated on social issues. In 1851 Dadabhai Naoroji started the first political paper-- Rast Goftar. In later years, when K. N. Kabraji became the publisher, he stopped all political commentary and had a public exchange of letters with Naoroji in which each accused the other of deviating from the original agenda. In 1878 the Government of India passed the Censorship Act. Protests from the press had no effect. Four years later, in 1882, the

newspaper Kaiser-i-Hind was founded by Framjee Cowasji Mehta. This became a platform for the fledgling Congress from its inception in 1885. The leading British newspaper of this time was the Times of India.

TIMES OF INDIA HISTORY

Bringing India to the world and the world to India, The Times of India is synonymous in being the "Masthead of India", an opinion-forming instrument for India and Indians. The Times Of India is not only Indias largest selling English general daily but also the leading English general daily broadsheet in the world. It attracts a daily circulation level of about 22 lakh copies. It is the largest selling English daily between Tokyo and Paris. Its own history constitutes an authoritative slice of the history of journalism in India. Since its inception in 1838, it has witnessed and reported the making of the phenomenon called Modern India. It has been moulded by the doyens of English Journalism in India, in turn moulding public opinion in India, re-inventing itself along with the times to remain India's favourite English newspaper. Officers, executives, decision makers, businessmen, government executives, politicians, intellectuals and students form the highest percentage of TOI readers. TOI has highest percentage of sole readers indicating its leading position. It has eight regional editions - Mumbai, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Pune, Bangalore, Lucknow and Patna.

TIMES OF INDIA MARKETING

PRODUCT
Launch Date: 1962/ 1st May 1962 Type of Publication: Morning Daily Newspaper in Marathi Editions: One Edition (Mumbai) The Mission: "Think big, write small" - epitomizes the analytical prowess of the reportage, rather than simply attitude, imparting core beliefs and principles in consonance with Maharashtrian thought. 'Think global, act local' is an expression that does fair justice to one of the frontline states in India - Maharashtra. Capturing the sheer zest of this economic and cultural powerhouse of India, the Maharashtra Times

reflects the coming of age of this region, in its deep insights. This newspaper covers local and national news, sports, international news, political commentary and cultural activity updates. It is the favourite newspaper of the up-market Maharashtrian community

MAHARASTRA TIMES
Launch Date: 1950/4th April 1947 Type of Publication: Daily Morning Newspaper in Hindi Editions: 2 Editions (Mumbai, Delhi)

The Mission: To address independent India in a language of its own. The leading Hindi Newspaper in Delhi and Mumbai and retains the number one position in Delhi. The Nav Bharat Times is the spokesperson for Delhi. The findings of the fifth National Readership Survey have positioned the Nav Bharat Times as the most widely read newspaper in any language

FEMINA
Since inception in July 1959, it has been India's leading women's magazine and is read by progressive women. It is a fortnightly magazine that covers fashion trends - for both men and women, the latest in interior decoration, food, beauty, health and fitness, legal and

financial advice, gardening, pet care, careers, new products, fiction etc. Femina's website was launched in December 1996 and has generated tremendous response from Indians in India and across the globe. Femina is also the exclusive franchisee for the Miss Universe, Miss World, Miss Asia-Pacific and look of the year contests in India. Today, Femina represents the accomplishments of Indian women across the world. It provides the Indian woman with a magazine that appeals to her intelligence, going beyond mere the traditional recipes, gossip and fashion trends. This is based on Femina's deep understanding of the attitudes and the ethos of the modern Indian woman - "The Woman of Substance".

FILMFARE
Ever since its launch in 1952, Filmfare has inculcated awareness of the intricacies of the Indian entertainment industry, specially films, amongst Indians in India and abroad. It offers a deep insight into showbiz and brings glamour closer to the people. It is a colour magazine in English with a Hindi edition. Over the years, has evolved into a complete medium on Entertainment in India, covering Indian movies, music, serials, soaps, Hollywood films and more. It is the No. 1 monthly film magazine in English. It also covers features and news on India's film stars and their lives. It also covers interviews with prominent personalities. Filmfare brings to an otherwise superficial form of Indian film journalism, a high ethical standard of reportage, offering an unbiased

and non-voyeuristic communication. It instituted the Annual Filmfare Awards, the Indian equivalent of the Oscars, the honours being cherished by a 'Who's Who' of the Indian celluloid world.

Mirror Buzz
Launched August 2005 on Genre(s) Supplement Magazine Affiliation(s Mumbai Mirror ) Owned by The Times Group Online Online Version Of Buzz Version Official site Official Website Mirror Buzz is a weekly supplement being distributed with the Mumbai tabloid Mumbai Mirror every Saturday. It has been in circulation since August 2005. It is owned by The Times Group and is published by Sam Dastoor. Contents

1 Components and format 2 Controversies 3 References 4 External Links

Components and format

Mirror Buzz comes in a magazine form and is 12" X 9" in dimensions. It "tries to capture the spirit of Mumbai". The supplement contains 30 to 32 pages and is fully coloured. The pages are glossy, though not of magazine quality. Regular features include "Numero-Logic", "Reviews", "Around Town", "Food", "Interiors", "Travel" and "Quick Take". Also included is a small "Letters to the Editor" section. Apart from the regular features, there are special articles on varied subjects and a cover story.

The "Reviews" section contain a number of reviews of books, music and DVDs. The "Numero Logic" section in Mirror Buzz is a section on numerological predictions for the week by numerologists Sanjay Jumaani and Jhernna Jumaani. The predictions are provided for the nine planets indicating the nine numbers of the Birthdate of a person. The section also has a sub-section called "Reader Query" where queries by readers are answered in detail by the numerologist team.

"Around Town" is a section where a common Mumbaikar is given the chance to review a restaurant in Mumbai. It is reviewed against such parameters as ambience, cost, food, service, etc. Genereally, the amatuer reviewer is accompanied by a professional food critic of the magazine.

The section on "Food" is a two page feature which contains a few recipes on a single theme. It also contains a small sub-section on food by restaurater Mshe Shek and his own recipe.

The "Travel" section covers tourism, especially those from outside India. Various regions like Cambodia, Sicily and Greece have been covered in this feature.

In "Quick Take", which is at the last page of the issue, a celebrity is asked a few brief questions and is required to answer them

briefly. There is also a small sub-section called "Freudian Snip", where a single word is given to the celebrity and they have to reply with another single word.

The "Interiors" feature covers home dcor, furnishings, interior designing, etc.

Controversies
Mirror Buzz has courted some controversy since it was launched in 2005. The November 12-18, 2005 issue of Mirror Buzz contained a cover story called "Mercury Rising : How Hot Is Mumbai ?", which explored the sexual trends of the city. However, this didn't go down well with some culture protectors and activists and six NGOs subsequently filed a complaint against the publisher of the magazine. On November 15, 2005, the publisher of Mirror Buzz, Sam Dastoor was arrested on charges of "sale of obscene material" and "sale of obscene objects to young persons", before being released on bail.[1] The publisher was also slapped with the Young Persons (Harmful Publications Act).[2] The police alleged that the pictures of the two pairs of models published in the magazine were obscene and should not have been circulated in public. The police also added that the magazine featured nine pictures of nude and semi-nude couples in various stages of undress and making out. Surprisingly, The Times of India, the parent newspaper of Mirror Buzz didn't give much space to the news, while rival newspapers like Indian Express and Daily News and Analysis were quick to have a say against the activists and their ways to impose their value systems on the media.

Pricing aspect
In India price is always the interesting factor. Because major part of the society is classify into lower and middle class they are the price sensitive buyers. But newspaper is a purchase by everyone as per there needs and its a daily requirement even other media options are available for news. so every newspaper prices are the low there fore anyone should buy it. But while charging the price of newspaper the costs such as the raw paper, advertising and promotions, distribution, and also one of the important thing is compition has to be kept in mind. When the times launched Mumbai mirror they took the quarterly subscription but the cost is 2 RS but the after the sale was got down they circulate it free with the TIMES OF INDIA then now also they circulate Mumbai mirror free with times but it cost 4 RS and if u buy only Mumbai mirror single it cost for 2 RS

The following is the chart of prices of times of India papers.

NAME OF THE NEWSPAPER TIMES OF INDIA ECONOMIC TIMES MUMBAI MIRROR MAHARASHRTRA TIMES NAVBHARAT TIMES RS RS RS RS RS PRICE IN RS 4/ 2.5/ 2/ 2/ 3/

PLACE :
Customer counter is the face of the newspaper system Times is the popular newspaper in India and they sells in all metropolitan cities. According to lintas desai however the TOI holds 80% of share in Mumbai means 15 billion print media market so they have strong distribution network in every city of Mumbai. The figure 80% denotes about there distribution. The paper 1 st print in a press an d then its go for transportation to the main distribution center of the city then all sellers will come and collect there copies and then they distribute there paper in every home as per there area.

TIMES OF INDIA BRANDING

Times is a 165 year old paper with he freshness tomorrow. With the authority of ten editions impacting a phenomenal sixmillions-plus readers, the Times Of India could have easily adopted the lofty height of grandstanding, and no one could have challenged its right to do so. Instead it dismantled the podium and got down to new primer of 3RS a paper that was relevant, refreshing and, above all, real . Media has conventially portrayed itself as the pompous font of power. The Times OF India dared to transfer this right to its readers and , by exatention ,its advertisers. Instead of traditional role of

moulding public opinion it provides the choices that unable readers to arrive at there own conclusions. What lies beneath this contrarian approach? the belief that society must get precedence over state . we realized that partriosm and nationhood are upstart, artificial concepts, and that primeval , emotional bond is with ones community . so, we turned our back on authoritarian figures of cabinets and corporations , and got down to gut of real concerns of real people. Which is why community reinforcement lies at the heart of our news machine. We have put our money where the readers heart was. In the collection , management and presentations of our stories , we consciously address a divers set of groupings not just ethnic or graphic communities, but also those of the mind. The reader is not a one fits all Indian , but a Punjabi, a south mumbaiite , a lawyer, a xavierite, a member of the local laughter , jogging of cigar club. It followed ,there fore , that the first authority to be challenged was the hierarchy of the front page . that hegemonistic brahmin .politics ,has been cut to size if not unceremoniously evicted . he has to share space with a carnival of new neighbors , all projecting in their own way an enhancement of the quality of life. Individual first, establishment seldom, preferably never. Thats the mantra for everyone , from editors to reporters. At primary level, this means we write our stories from that of the lofty provider of the service , whether it is the government or the local cable oprator. At a secondary level, this translate into catering for the multitude of personae that make up the individual, tax payer, commuter, parent, share investor , amusement-seeker. And we have extended this to the readers need to levitate into a higher domaine, we

put them in touch with their inner selves as much as we cater to their physical realities. Many of these ideas are radical. They do not fit into the usual slots of newspaper of record , newspaper of influence , newspaper as crusader. Our formula, which added news that s useful to know and even news that fun to know to the conventional news that important to know first met with disparaging disdain. Till success turned the critics in to imitators. look at the scatter of newspaper on your table and you cannot fail to see that everyone of them from the most conservative downloads ,has scrummed. To varying degrees, but inexorably. Everyone today worships the presiding deity of local issues. These were the concerns that topped led state satraps in the assembly elections , and finally overturned the seemingly unstoppable juggernaut at the center in may 2004.

Strategy for newspaper company may differ from strategy for newspaper
Latest trend is targeting narrower and younger

audiences.
Does this tactic (or is it a strategy) make sense? It depends on what the editors and publishers have as their long term goal. One question that newspapers editors and managers must get clear in their heads is the line between their newspapers and the entity that publishes the newspapers. That is, when we talk about saving the newspaper or developing new strategies for the newspaper, should this refer to the ink on paper product that is manufactured on Goss Metroliners? Or does this refer to the role of a newsroom, advertising department, and marketing organization that create of bundle of information for distribution to an audience by whatever channels?

I raise this question because the answer would suggest the direction for strategy. Emphasizing the current newspaper product might result in actions such as redesign of the papers graphics, changing the editorial mix to target a specific group of readers (i.e., younger, current nonreaders as the WSJ headline suggests), raising local ad rates for the dwindling core of must have advertisers, and so on.

On the other hand, if the strategy is to ensure the health of the company that publishes newspapers, then a different strategy may emerge. That is more likely to focus on new products, such as online classified ad services, hyper localized neighborhood Web sites, specialized free print publications such as the Tribune Cos RedEye . The two strategies are not completely mutually exclusive, but how they are viewed by editors and publishers does make a difference. First is a matter of priority. If management believes that it is newspaper that is paramount, then it may over invest in that (new presses anyone?), making the new ventures skimp for internal venture capital. And new ventures may be viewed more as an end to subsidizing newspaper margins than to truly developing new businesses that will replace the declining size of the paper product.

On the other hand, a strategy that looks at threats and opportunities, at the publishers own strengths and weaknesses, would look at the pieces of the enterprisethe editorial resources, sales and marketing, even circulation and be willing to strike out in a fresh direction. There are some innovations finally emerging that the tide may be turning to this latter mode.

HINDUSTAN TIMES

India's foremost media conglomerate is home to the leading newspapers in the country - Hindustan Times (the flagship English daily) and Hindustan (Hindi newspaper). And it has a significant online presence with HindustanTimes.com. The Hindustan Times Ltd. plans to consolidate itself as a vibrant and modern media powerhouse through strategic partnerships, ever-increasing scope of operations and a consumer focussed approach.

The flagship publication of the Group has editions from Delhi, Lucknow, Patna and Kolkata, thus, dominating the Northern, Eastern and Central regions of the country. It is printed out of eleven centres including Bhopal, Chandigarh, Delhi, Jaipur, Nagpur, Kolkata, Lucknow, Bhagalpur, Patna, Ranchi and Raipur, reaching closer to the consumers. Its New Delhi edition continues to be the single largest English daily edition in the country with a circulation of over 9.2 lakhs, while maintaining its leadership status in Delhi as the largest circulated English daily at 5.5 lakhs.

Hindustan Times believes in continuous improvement and providing greater value to its readers and advertisers. It has set many a standard for its competitors and will continue to do so in the years to come. It is the first smart-age newspaper in India to evolve into a new international size, sleeker and smarter, which ensures enhanced ease of reading and convenient handling. In its endeavor to provide its readers with greater value, it has revamped its existing supplements and added new ones to its portfolio, offering a daily supplement catering to specific target audiences. Supplements like HT Estates (on real estate and interiors) are the first of their kind in their respective categories. The enlarged operations and enhanced look have also paid off with a substantial increase in circulation across the country. In a major incentive for the advertisers as well as the readers, Hindustan Times has entered into strategic alliances with The Indian Express, Business Standard, Mid-Day and Deccan Chronicle. These alliances, along with its strong presence in North India, make it one of the most of the most formidable media players.

Hindustantimes.com
HindustanTimes.com, a news led media portal is today one of the most popular port of call for news and infotainment content seekers on the Web. Besides carrying stories from the newspaper, the site has exclusive and in-depth coverage by its independent editorial staff. Its exclusive properties include HTTabloid.com, which is Asia's first tabloid on the Web; and HTCricket.com, a popular destination for cricketing bytes. The site also provides sections written by popular columnists,

along with in-depth web exclusives on politics, business, new economy, entertainment, fashion and lifestyle. In another major achievement, HindustanTimes.com is the only Indian media site featured amongst the top 10 international newspaper sites by Forbes for the third time running, ranking above the likes of International Herald Tribune.

The group's Hindi newspaper, Hindustan is the 9th largest read newspaper in the country. (Source: National Readership Survey 2002). The publication's readership has grown by an impressive 11% to 63.85 lakhs (NRS). Hindustan has grown considerably from strength to strength and has gained significantly across markets. It remains the Number 1 daily in Bihar with a market share of more than 75% of the Hindi daily market. In Uttar Pradesh and Delhi, Hindustan has grown by 34%. Lucknow has been a trailblazer, recording an unprecedented growth of 169%. The popular Hindi daily has also featured innovative advertising campaigns tailored to meet the specific needs of advertisers.

DNA
Diligent Media Corporation
Diligent Media Corporation, which owns DNA (Daily News & Analysis), is a joint venture between two industry majors the Dainik Bhaskar Group and Zee Group. With a reach of more than 120 countries and access to more than 250 million viewers globally, Zee TV has created a strong brand equity and is the largest media franchise serving the South Asian diaspora with presence in major global markets, including Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, the UK, the US, Canada, the Caribbean and Africa. The Group has transformed itself into an integrated media conglomerate with operations spanning the entire media spectrum.

The Dainik Bhaskar Group has soared to the top of the print media industry in India with its flagship Hindi daily, Dainik Bhaskar (Indias No. 1 Daily Hindi Newspaper), and the Gujarati frontrunner, Divya Bhaskar. While Dainik Bhaskar has a big presence in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chhatisgarh and Uttar Pradesh, Divya Bhaskar is the largest circulated regional daily in Gujarat. Targeted at a young readership, DNA is the voice and soul of Mumbai. Through news, views, analyses and interactivity, DNA provides readers with a composite picture of Mumbai and the world. Its interactive platforms seek to bring the reader and surfer at the centre of its news activity.

Strategy of DNA to enter in the market

Advertising and Promotion
Direct Marketing, Internet Advertising, Marketing Communications, Outdoor Advertising, Point of Sale, Print Advertising, Retail Advertising, Search Engine Optimization

Branding
Brand Management, Brand Strategy, Digital Branding, Graphic Design Channel Management

Direct and Indirect Sales Channels, Strategic Partnering.

Market Research
Focus Groups, Internet Market Research, Marketing Strategy, Telemarketing, Usability

Pricing
Competitive Pricing, Price Optimization, Pricing and Margins, Pricing Strategy Product Marketing Display-Merchandising, International Marketing, Positioning and Segmentation, Product Development and Design, Product Life Cycles

Current scenario in Mumbai

IN August, Mumbai was not only flooded with rain, but also with newsprint. Two new English newspapers - Daily News and Analysis (DNA) and Hindustan Times (HT) hit the stands in a metropolis where The Times of India (TOI) has had a virtual monopoly. Suddenly, piles of newsprint are being dished out to readers, as newspapers compete with quantity as well as quality.

For months, DNA kept up an aggressive hoarding campaign, raising curiosity before its launch. Its promoters, the Dainik Bhaskar and Zee media groups, did a pre-launch survey of over 3 lakh households which increased anticipation and helped it lay the ground for its distribution network. Hindustan Times, on the other hand, has been more low key, but has tried to get loyal readers by offering annual subscriptions which amount to paying less than Re. 1 a day. Why has Mumbais lethargic newspaper industry suddenly become a `hot market for new competitors? First, because it has the countrys largest advertisement revenue of Rs.1,000 crores, of which only one player - The Times of India - has the lions share. The new entrants are vying for a piece of the pie. The Times of Indias advertising rates are the highest in the country. For long, advertisers have felt that they have been held to ransom as they have no choice but to pay exorbitant rates to The Times of India in order to reach Mumbais upmarket consumers. Now, there are other platforms, but they will have to prove themselves before advertisers start considering them an option. Advertisers are happy that there will be competitors. But, there wont be a dramatic shift in ad spend in the short term. Only when any of these newspapers cross 50 per cent of The Times of India readership, will they claim a place in any advertisers media plan, says Himanshu Shekhar, Investment Director of Mindshare Fulcrum, a leading media planning agency. At present, DNA and Hindustan Times advertisement rates are around one-fourth that of The Times of India. Both DNA and Hindustan Times are essentially competing for the No. 2 slot in the market. The Times of India is too old and

established to be overthrown in the short term. With a six lakh circulation, it was far ahead of earlier competitors like Indian Express (58,000). In fact, it was The Economic Times (1.47 lakhs) and Mid-Day (1.40 lakhs) that trailed in second place after The Times of India in Mumbai. While there are varying estimates on how the new newspapers are doing, market sources estimate that DNA sells around two lakhs and Hindustan Times 1.40 lakhs. However, DNA claims that it is printing 2.90 lakh copies and Hindustan Times says it sells 2 lakh copies. Though The Times of India claims that its circulation remains the same, a newspaper agent says that its counter sales have reduced by 40,000 to 50,000 copies. Its probably because other newspapers are half the price, while the content is not very different. Moreover, people are curious about the new newspapers, he says. Months before DNA and Hindustan Times launched in Mumbai, The Times of India went on the defensive and started a new `compact newspaper, somewhat like a tabloid, called Mumbai Mirror. But it did not sell much, so The Times of India started distributing it free with the main newspaper. Now, for Rs.4, The Times of India reader gets more than 100 pages. We always knew that there was space for a second newspaper in Mumbai, and so we started an alternative to broadsheets - a compact. By including Mumbai Mirror with The Times of India, we are improving the price performance ratio of our brand, says Bhaskar Das, executive president of The Times of India group. The Mirror is a newspaper for the new generation who want news-on-the-go like McDonalds. Its for the supersonic age where people want to scan news without going into too much depth.

It is essentially a `blockading strategy - you flood the reader with so much that he/she does not feel the need for another newspaper. A normal reader spends 20-25 minutes on newspapers. Do you think he/she will spend more time reading just because there are new newspapers? asks Das. The Times of India readers are suddenly seeing a lot more news in a paper that once gave news a back seat to fluff. The TOI has also taken a lot of rear guard action by beefing up its coverage. New competitors have raised the bar, says Das. Moreover, both The Times of India and Mirror went on a massive recruitment of journalists and media executives at high salaries, mopping up manpower and making it more expensive for their competitions to recruit. But advertisement rates are as expensive as ever, around four times that of DNA or Hindustan Times. What seems inevitable, however, is that circulation will expand. Around 40 per cent of Mumbais population speak, read and write English, of which only 20 per cent are buying English newspapers, says Shekhar. As Girish Agarwal, Director of the Bhaskar group that owns DNA, points out, We believe in widening the market, like we have in all the cities that we have launched newspapers and become the leader. Since the time we started Divya Bhaskar in Gujarat, readership there has increased by 49 per cent in two years and ad revenue also increased by 40 per cent. In the next few years, Mumbais market will expand by up to 75 per cent, with even The Times of India growing, says Meenakshi Madhvani, Managing Partner of Spatial Access media solutions. Delhi has a slightly lower population than Mumbai, but there are 12 lakh [copies of] English newspapers sold there as compared to only 7.5 lakhs [copies] in Mumbai. There will be

dramatic market expansion in Mumbai. But ad spend wont keep up, since it is already oversaturated. Mumbai has the highest ad rates in the country. Why has Mumbais newspaper industry been stunted for so long? The demand for newspapers is extremely price sensitive. Until now, The Times of India was way ahead of the competition. So, it had a high cover price and didnt push for greater sales, because that would increase their costs (since the cost of producing a newspaper is much greater than its market price). They didnt need to increase circulation, since they anyway milked all the ad revenue, says Madhvani. THE new newspapers are priced much lower - Hindustan Times at Rs.2.50 and DNA at Rs.2 - which have boosted initial sales. Generally, the price of an English newspaper in every city is around Rs.2, only Mumbai was an aberration where The Times of India was priced at Rs.4. However, now they have tried to increase their value proposition by adding a second free newspaper to The Times of India, says Sandip Ghose, Vice-President, Marketing, Hindustan Times. DNAs vice president, Sales, N.B. Verma, says: We want as many people as possible to sample our product, so we have kept the price low. The Bhaskar group, which has established several successful Hindi editions and the Gujarati Divya Bhaskar, has always followed the strategy of reaching out to readers through surveys, flooding the market, distributing freebies. Surprisingly, DNAs counter sales are giving the afternoon tabloid Mid-Day a run for its money. But, as a newspaper agent points out, a vendor stands to earn 45 paise more per copy if he sells DNA in the raddi (recycled paper) market, rather than selling it at the counter at Rs. 2.

So, are the new newspapers really offering the reader anything different? Hindustan Times says it is targeting the `discerning reader who wants more than `regurgitated headlines and page 3. We are trying to engage people in a dialogue, and create a product that is uniquely Mumbai. Hindustan Times takes up Mumbais issues without dumbing down the content or making it tabloidish, says Ghose. With fewer pages than its competitors, Hindustan Times layout, more classical and less cluttered, does look different. DNA, with different business, sports and lifestyle sections, says it is trying to make newspapers more accessible to readers. Ours is a family newspaper that offers value for money. In our paper, we clearly differentiate fact from fluff. Readers want both, but they are not mixed together. We have recruited the best journalists for our team, says Agarwal. We have a lot of city news which reach out to the younger but informed audience. In fact, we even have a page called `Speak Out where readers can write in, says Gautam Adhikari, editor of DNA. The Indian Express is emphasising its USP - `Journalism of Courage. As part of a campaign called India Explained, India Empowered, it has got several prominent leaders including the President, Prime Minister, former Prime Ministers and film actor Shah Rukh Khan to write columns on the front page describing their idea of an `empowered India. The Times of India, while maintaining some of its fluff, has become far more news-oriented and also more colourful. Our newspaper is aimed at empowering the reader. We are not into crusading or agenda journalism, but are still doing investigative stories on issues that matter in our readers life, says Das. With

all the new newspapers coming in, the reader is the ultimate winner because everyone is splurging to gain his/her attention. But is it merely a Hobsons choice? As Charudatt Dangat, Mumbais largest newspaper agent, put it, What choice does the reader really have? Its more in terms of price. Most of the stories in all of the newspapers are the same. The journalists keep shifting, from The Times of India to DNA and back again. Another industry insider added, Even though the readers want better content, unfortunately, the competition is taking place on the marketing and sales front, rather than the editorial.

Midday

How it all began

From a family-owned, one-paper company we have grown into a full-fledged, multiple-media conglomerate listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange, one of the handful of Indian media groups to go public. Inquilab, our first paper in Urdu, was born in the fervour of idealistic nationalism in 1938. In 1979, Mid Day, in English, marked a new turning point in a city seizing its global destiny. Over the years, we continued to reinforce our slogan, 'Delivering Mumbai', not just in content but via a range of media vehicles: print in English, Gujarati and Urdu, on the Net, on FM radio, and through telephone information business. Powered by a custom-built convergent newsroom, we serve the 'newser' in a 24/7 cycle of news, information, comment and fun. Our daily audience of 1.2 million, through print and Net alone is upwardly mobile, and predominantly in the age group of 18 to 34. In creating the city's most exciting media, we've also become the most exciting news group to work in, empowering and enabling young professionals to become truly multimedia journalists. services, as well as with our Outdoor

ARTICLES RELATED TO CURRENT MARKETING OF NEWSPAPERS IN MUMBAI

The Times of India published yesterday a report claiming Mid Day has lost circulation, without revealing where it got this information and without naming anybody from inside or outside the media world to support this. This lie was published to bolster the Timess new paper, the Mumbai Mirror, which according to the industry has been an unqualified flop but which the Times has wrongly and without basis claimed is Mumbais biggest compact paper. Their claim of 1.5 lakh copies sold for the Mirror is bogus and unsupported. In fact, unable to sell it, the Times is considering giving away the paper free from July. To demonstrate what the facts on the ground were, we asked newspaper vendors across the city what their experience with the paper had been and

have published this report. Mid Days circulation graph meanwhile continues to move upward and this will continue to upset our friends at the Times.

Mumbai's media Mahabharat

Shuchi Bansal & Palakunnathu G Mathai | April 06, 2005

The battle has been joined, the assault on Bennett, Coleman's citadel has begun. Last week, the Dainik Bhaskar group (which is partnering Zee) kicked off a Rs 60 crore (Rs 600 million) outdoor campaign ("Speak up, it's in your DNA") in Mumbai for its yet-to-be launched English daily, unusually called "DNA." It plastered Mumbai with 150 hoardings and 500 kiosks with advertisements, and mounted a campaign on FM radio stations too. But the publishers of The Times of India, The Economic Times and other dailies and magazines had not exactly been sitting idle either. Bennett, Coleman was readying to launch a newspaper of its own called Bombay-Mirror on May 15 and quickly started hiring journalists from newspapers in the city. This would have the added advantage of depriving newcomers to the Mumbai market of journalistic talent. Bennett, Coleman's Maharashtra Times also used a variant of the Dainik Bhaskar ad -- and Diligent Media Corporation, the 50:50 joint venture between the Zee group and the Dainik Bhaskar group hauled the company to the Mumbai high

court accusing it of infringing its copyright and resorting to an unfair business practice. Referring to the ads, the Dainik Bhaskar group's managing director, Sudhir Agarwal, 37, told Ice World: "Their impact can be measured by the way Bennett, Coleman reacted and copied our campaign for Maharashtra Times. The company must have panicked to have used advertising space worth Rs 90 lakh (Rs 9 million) in The Times of India. Bennett, Coleman officials were not available for comment.

General English dailies in Mumbai before the war

Rs Publication The Times of India Mid-Day Indian Express Asian Age Afternoon Despatch & Courier crore The group was set up by Puran Reven Chand Gupta and later headed by ue the late Narendra Mohan Gupta and 404.40 his brothers and owns sugar mills, 35.60 micro motors units, a premium socks 25.40 factory and a condoms unit. A few 7.50 years ago, it entered into a joint 2.80 venture with the Vikram Kothari group to launch multiplexes in

Kanpur. The Rave multiplex chain is now expanding into other Allahabad, Agra, Meerut and Noida.

These media barons are also different from their English language brethren. They're low key and dress in a most ordinary manner. They're also more focused -- and hungry for success. But winning this war is a long-term affair (the Agarwals, for example, know that it will take four or five years for "DNA" to succeed). And newspaper companies have built hefty war chests. Collectively, they will be putting up to Rs 1,000 crore (Rs 10 billion) into the war over the next five years in Mumbai. The Dainik BhaskarZee combine, for example, expects to lose crores of rupees for years. "Money is not a constraint. We are prepared to match The Times of India's spends," declares Sudhir Agarwal. He says that the group's state-of-the-art printing press being put up in Vashi in Navi Mumbai "will be so advanced that The Times of India and others will take six months to catch up." The Agarwals have privately argued that The Times of India caters to upscale, Page 3 readers and ignores the ordinary Indian in far-flung suburbs. So DNA will be positioned as a daily for the English reading masses, though it will have its version of Bombay Times. The Dainik Bhaskar group, meantime, is using its time-tested strategy of resorting to consumer research on the kind of paper the city wants. Field workers have fanned out twice to 11 lakh (1.1 million) households and 200,000 traders in Mumbai to understand what they expect of a newspaper. Bennett, Coleman, on the other hand, is busy preparing to launch its new newspaper. Media industry sources say that Bombay Mirror is to

be positioned as a newspaper with an "attitude" and that it will have a 'broadloid' format -- that is, a broadsheet with tabloid content. Bombay Mirror is expected to be a 24-page newspaper with regular pull-outs and an elaborate section for children. The Times of India too is aggressively preparing to expand its business coverage. The Indian Express, meanwhile, is about to raise a war chest via an IPO. Unconfirmed reports suggest that Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay), will be raising Rs 250 crore (Rs 2.5 billion) in April, 2005. The money is expected to be used to upgrade its printing press to print more colour pages and to get more staff. The Indian Express CEO and editor-in-chief Shekhar Gupta did not respond to a questionnaire or a request for an interview. But Mid-Day's Ghosal says that to deal with the competition, The Indian Express (which has picked up a stake in Mid-Day) and Mid-Day are working on a joint circulation and advertising strategy for the two newspapers. "It will be across products -- that is, The Indian Express, Loksatta and Mid-Day and our radio venture. The moment it is formalised we will announce it," he says. Just why are publishers launching new dailies in Mumbai? Some 700,000 copies of English newspapers are sold in Mumbai, less than half of Delhi's 15 lakh (1.5 million). "The potential is huge," says Girish Agarwal. Many publishers argue that the circulation of The Times of India has not shot up significantly in the last four years (circulation in the city proper has grown, but has remained largely stagnant if the distant suburbs are included) and that a newspaper market expands whenever new entrants enter it, as happened in Delhi.

"Because of The Times of India's efforts to overtake The Hindustan Times in Delhi, the entire market grew between 1996 and 2004," says a media expert. Secondly, Mumbai is the biggest ad market in the country (Delhi comes second). Estimates of the size of the Mumbai ad market for the print medium vary wildly but, according to Media Direction, the media buying wing of RK Swamy BBDO, English language publications account for about 70 per cent of the Rs 815 crore (Rs 8.15 billion) market -- and The Times of India bags almost half this sum (others think the figure is much higher). Newspaper publishers also cite research reports that suggest that television advertising will plateau with the introduction of broadband and that advertising in the print media will go up. "People will be able to exclude ads when they watch TV," notes Sudhir Agarwal. Figures for 2004 from Adex India, a division of TAM Media Research, back the point that advertising in the print media is on the upswing. Total television advertising grew by 13 per cent, from Rs 4,300 crore (Rs 43 billion) in 2003 to Rs 4,860 crore (Rs 48.6 billion) last year. But advertising in the print media jumped by about 14.6 per cent, from Rs 4,752 crore (Rs 47.52 billion) to Rs 5,450 crore (Rs 54.5 billion). As the action in the Mumbai newspaper market heats up, some media planners privately say that advertising agencies will celebrate the entry of new English language newspapers because they will offer competition to The Times of India, which often raises its advertising rates.

Indeed, advertising professionals expect the new entrants to sell ad space at a discount. "The old players may not offer discounts but will enter into long-term deals with advertisers," says Ghosal. The Times of India seems to have begun sewing up long-term deals two months ago. "It is offering three-year deals to some clients. The contract says that these clients will be offered attractive rates if they do not spend more than 10 per cent of their budget on other publications during the period of the deal," says a source at Optimum Media Solutions, the media buying arm of Mudra. Still, not many in the newspaper industry expect the new entrants to the Mumbai market to succeed in the near future. Say Kasturi & Sons joint managing director N Murali: "Mumbai is going to be a tough market for anybody coming from outside. The Hindustan Times does not have salience beyond North India. It will have to build its brand equity here." Some advertising men underline the Dainik Bhaskar group's earlier successes in markets like Rajasthan and Gujarat. But even Sudhir Agarwal notes: "We are not saying that we will beat The Times of India. All we want to create is a credible, workable newspaper. The Times of India is not our benchmark." Adds brother Girish: "The Mumbai market is not about who can launch. It is about who can sustain." And Ghosal and publishers themselves believe that the new entrants will have to rack up circulations of at least 200,000 in a year if they are to gain a foothold in Mumbai. The gainer will be the newspaper reading public -it will have greater choice and perhaps lower newspaper bills -- and journalists.

Master strategy to fight in the competitive market by Times of India

July 1's TOI had an item on the front page called 'Maha Newspaper'. Essentially, the Mumbai Mirror will be distributed for free with the Times of India starting today. The story mentions that Mumbai Mirror has seen an overwhelming response, and therefore copies are not available. Printing constraints are also mentioned. How does this tally with a max print run of 1,50,000? If the earlier claim of overtaking Mid-Day is right, this would mean taking Mumbai Mirror off newsstands and giving it away free. Or wasn't the earlier claim accurate? The mystery remains..

Todays front pages reflect competitive trends

There is a revolution occurring on the front pages of newspapers everywhere - and it isnt only happening in the news itself. It is a design revolution, and one of its leaders is a great gray lady.

This startigy was brought in india by Times of India. But it was not made by Times of India they have brought this in use seeing the success of newspaper in france.. they use this seeing the folloing result. This time, its Le Monde thats attracting all the attention. Compare a front page of the daily, known as Frances newspaper of record, with one from 10 years ago and its difficult to believe its the same publication. The changes in Le Monde - changes that helped it record eight straight years of circulation gains before losing ground last year reflect the cutting edge of a growing trend toward Internetinspired, faster-reading front pages.

Mid-Day, Mumbai Mirror in boxing ring

v/s The Times of India has earlier promoted its website www.indiatimes.com , Filmfare awards, Miss India contests and its SMS service 8888, through its august editorial pages. So we were not surprised to find a story in its Business Times section on June 28, which promoted its new product Mumbai Mirror, even while taking potshots at Mid-Day, the long-standing tabloid in the Mumbai media space. After all, Times is definitely not the first paper to promote its interests in its

edit pages. Reprisal was swift. Mid-Day sprang at Times like a cat, with a front page top story the very next day, screaming "Lies, Damn Lies". MidDay also carried details inside substantiating why Mid-Day is No.1 and why Mumbai Mirror is not. The wizards at Times may have pushed it a bit far this time. The Times report in question says: "In less than a month, Mumbai Mirror, India's first quality morning compact newspaper, has notched sales of over 1.5 lakh copies a day.... This makes it the No.1 compact in Mumbai, (Mid-Day, a tabloid, has seen edition-sales drop to 1.24 lakh according to ABC JD 04) and therefore, the unambiguous No.2 mainstream, English newspaper in the city (after The Times of India) The Times report goes on to claim that demand for Mumbai Mirror has risen so much that it has outpaced supply: "Reader response to Mumbai Mirror has been so strong that it's caught us by surprise pleasantly, I should add," said a senior executive, "It is rapidly-growing demand that we had not anticipated so soon. We have been receiving reports from customers, exposed to our advertising and publicity, that they're unable to buy the paper from either vendors or newsstands." Times of India proceeds to quote a Bandra resident who praises Mumbai Mirror and the executive who gushes over the quality of Mumbai Mirror news coverage. You will soon see a dramatic rise in supply, assures the unnamed executive. Every company is allows itself the luxury of patting itself on the back once in a while, if not all the time, but not everyone gets a stinging reply like Times got. Mid-Day's next-day counterattack shreds the

Bennett Coleman hubris. "The Times of India published yesterday a report claiming Mid-Day has lost circulation, without revealing where it got this information and without naming anybody from inside or outside the media world to support this." The punches keep coming: The lie (yes, Mid-Day calls the Times report a LIE) was published to promote Mumbai Mirror, which was an "Unqualified flop according to industry sources", says Mid-Day. The claim of 1.5 lakh copies is bogus and unsupported, it says, adding Bennett Coleman is planning to sell it free from July, since there are few buyers. It doesn't stop there. Mid-Day sends out its reporters to talk to vendors (real vendors with faces, names and locations) who swear by Mid-Day. All the vendors interviewed say that Mid-Day sells more than Mumbai Mirror, adding that the initial interest in Mumbai Mirror is dying out. The Mid-Day report also features a newspaper agent who claims that Mumbai Mirror is being sold as 'raddi' (scrap paper) since there are no buyers. Vendors buy the paper for 50 p and sell as 'raddi' for 70p, he says. No, we are not finished yet. Soon after, Mid-Day filed a petition with the Audit Bureau of Circulation, (ABC) of which both Mid-Day and Times are members. According to an exchange4media report, the Mid-Day complaint says that the Times report has damaged its business interests. As per the latest published ABC figures, Mid-Day has a circulation of

1.4 lakh. ABC members are not allowed to publish figures before the official figures are out. Obviously, both newspapers can't be right. Someone is lying here, some newspaper which supposedly disseminates correct information to the literate public. Newspapers use their pages to promote and defend themselves. We advise innocent readers to keep their eyes open. When newspapers write about their own glory, think of it more of an entertainment piece. Crosswords are equally entertaining.

Success of Mumbai Mirror

Mumbai Mirror demand outpaces supply MUMBAI: In less than a month, Mumbai Mirror, India's first, quality morning compact newspaper, has notched sales of over 1.5 lakh copies a day. This includes both booked subscription copies (delivered by vendors at homes), and steadily-rising newsstand sales. This makes it the No 1 compact in Mumbai (Mid-Day, a tabloid, has seen edition-sales drop to 1.24 lakh copies, from its earlier high of 1.4 lakh as per ABC JD04), and therefore, the unambiguous No 2 mainstream, English newspaper in the city (after The Times of India).

Strategic Alliance between Times of India and MidDay

Mid-Day Multimedia Limited, publishers of Mid-Day in Mumbai and Bangalore and Bennett Coleman & Co. Ltd., publishers of the Times of India and Economic Times have signed a business cooperation agreement. This alliance will benefit both organizations through cooperation in printing, circulation and advertising sales. In order to support Mid-Days plans for growth in print and FM radio in metro markets across the country, the promoters of Mid-Day are enhancing their investment in the company. In demonstration of commitment to the business cooperation agreement, Bennett Coleman is undertaking to subscribe to a preferential allotment of Mid-Day shares, subject to shareholder and regulatory clearances. The incremental investment by the promoters of Mid-Day is Rs 22.56 crores while the investment by Bennett Coleman Co. Ltd. (Times Group) is Rs 21.11 crores at a share price of Rs 60 per share. After both rounds of investment, promoters will own 51% of the shareholding of the company and Bennett Coleman Co. Ltd. (Times Group) will own 6.65%. Ravi Dhariwal, Executive Director of Bennett Coleman and Tariq Ansari, Managing Director of Mid-Day Multimedia made the following joint statement in Mumbai: The Times of India, with its leadership position in the morning broadsheet market and Mid-Day with a successful formula for the middle-of-the day, are in fact complementary plays. With this alliance

we will endeavour to garner a larger market share of both readers and advertising in major metros of the country.

Ht shakes the king

18 July, 2005: On a drizzly July morning a decade back, the Jayanti Janata Express pulled into Bombay's Victoria Terminus Station, after a two-day journey. I stepped out, one bag on my shoulder, the other in my hand, to join the hordes of unemployed job-hunters in Bombay. Outside, the Times of India citadel raised its head, next to the ancient BMC building. I looked at it respectfully, and moved on. I have been reading the Times ever since. The Times rejected my job applications twice, first in 1997 and later in 2000. All the while, I kept reading Times, rather slavishly enjoying its monopoly. I heard about Medianet, Response and the Times selling edit space for advertisers. I came across the dumbing-down of news and realised how newspapers could take their readers for granted. I witnessed the Times campaign against FDI in print media and later how it went into tie-ups with Reuters and BBC. I would religiously turn to the Ascent page on Monday for job openings, but never came across any. Yet, I refused the "Journalism of Courage" of the breast-beating variety or its tabloid alternative. As I saw it, there was a certain honesty in running a business enterprise as a business enterprise and not being apologetic about it. Bottomlines were facts of life. If I did not like it, I could leave it. No one was forcing me to read Times. It was my choice. Yet on nights when I used to dream a lot, I would fantasise about a new newspaper, which would be far ahead of Times, a perfect news man's paper, which I could feed on like a glutton. A newspaper which did not take me for granted and would have less babes and more news. I wanted a news product, not a business product. There was no hope. Till I heard in 2003 that, Hallelujah, Hindustan Times is on way. Here is freedom, my heart jumped, I am finally getting my paper!

Marketing war of newspaper in Mumbai

Battleground Mumbai: HT poaches Response executives from TOI

v/s

The war to get a share of Mumbai's newspaper market, estimated at Rs 900 crore is about to get bloodier. After the Times of India invaded the Hindustan Times, HT, territory in Delhi, one can say it is pay back time for HT in Mumbai. The newspaper will finally launch its Mumbai edition today and has announced a print run of 2 lakhs. HT's Editorial Directors said it would be a Mumbai centric

paper. And also will be different from Times of India, and be a more Mumbai centric paper. Their aim was that they are looking for

things covered with depth, integrity, and intelligence what they are not looking for is something that lacks depth.There is room for more players in the Mumbai market. There is only one major player in the morning market and one in evening market. There is room for second player maybe even for a third player. Speaking of the 'difference' between HT and other papers, they tell that think the treatment at the way we look at our stories, there will be more depth. And we work on the assumption that people have read newspapers and they don't want us to regurgitate headlines. And between regurgitating headlines and covering disco dancing competitions there is a vast grey area and we hope to fill that.

Battleground Mumbai: DNA poaches Response executives from TOI

v/s

Even as Bennett, Coleman & Co (BCCL) is on a recruitment drive for its soon-to-be-launched paper Mumbai Mirror, the ZEE-Bhaskar combine which is set to launch Daily News and Analysis or simply, DNA is poaching talent from BCCL.

After Ayaz Memon, national sports editor, Times of India, put in his papers to join the DNA editorial board, it appears four senior hands in the Times Response team in Mumbai will be heading DNA's way shortly.

DNA has been in the news for its billboard campaign and the controversies around the creatives. The marketing campaign, which saw a phased rollout, now includes celebrities such as film maker Yash Chopra and theatreperson Dolly Thakore. Meanwhile, according to market sources, more people from the Response and editorial departments of The Times of India group could make a beeline for DNA in the coming weeks. Diligent Media, the JV between ZEE and Dainik Bhaskar, has acquired office space in the Kamala Mills Compound area in downtown Lower Parel. Rival Hindustan Times is headquartered at Mhatre Pen Building in nearby Dadar, Mumbai. Mumbai Mirror , meanwhile, was hit by the rivals company , and is billed as a 'broadloid' that will be unlike The Times of India. Its editor is former Mid-Day hand Meenal Baghel, and staffers include people from The Indian Express and Mid-Day among others. bureau

Mumbai's media war: Who's the winner?

Shuchi Bansal & Shobhana Subramanian in New Delhi | August 24, 2005 14:04 IST

One month after Mumbai's eagerly awaited media war began with the entry of two new English language dailies, the story is going around that an advertising agency professional kept a Times of India ad sales executive waiting for 30 minutes! The story is told with relish, as for years the reverse (ad agency executives invariably waited to see TOI's response team) was true of the Mumbai market, since The Times of India from the Bennett, Coleman stable, has been a virtual monopoly in India's richest city. With the Mumbai forays by Hindustan Times and Daily News & Analysis (DNA --promoted by the Dainik Bhaskar group and Zee), the city's advertising industry happily anticipates the increased level of competition. "Media planners are generally thrilled as two strong publications have entered the Mumbai market almost together," says Nayan Desai, head of print media buying at Lintas. Adds Suraj Suvarna of media buying firm Carat, "Competition is welcome. We would be happy if a paper has even half the circulation of TOI. We're recommending DNA to clients with smaller budgets."

Lintas' Desai, however, does not buy the argument about a change of attitude at TOI. It still holds nearly 80 per cent share in Mumbai's Rs 1,500 crore (Rs 15 billion) print media market. Besides, advertising in HT and DNA will take time to pick up in the absence of readership survey numbers. But Farokh Balsara, head of Ernst & Young's media practice, believes that "HT has done well. It has targeted Delhiites in Mumbai to sell to and is offering advertisers a Delhi-Mumbai package." Predictably, HT and DNA's ad rates (Rs 800-840 sq cms) are almost half of TOI's. So, has the market leader softened its rate card? On the contrary, on August 15, TOI hiked its per square cms tariff from Rs 1,200 sq cms to Rs 1,500 square cms besides making it mandatory for those buying a national package to buy its tabloid Mumbai Mirror at an additional Rs 100 per square cms. But senior executives at media buying agencies claim that the rate increase is only on paper and TOI is offering generous "incentives" to its larger clients. HT's circulation in Mumbai is still small though -- industry estimates suggest that HT sells between 75,000 and 100,000 copies, compared to TOI's 510,000. Though officially DNA claims to sell 295,000, trade sources estimates vary wildly from 150,000 to 225,000 copies a day. Says Dainik Bhaskar (that's co-promoting DNA) director Girish Agarwal: "We are rocking in Mumbai." Despite several attempts to speak to them, HT Media Ltd and Bennett, Coleman executives did not offer their official comments.

Both HT and DNA are trying to capture the Mumbai market through line sales, the subscription route and news stand sales. HT offers a year-long subscription for Rs 398 which, works out to barely a rupee per copy. Observes Lakshmi Narasimhan, director CTG, from media buying agency GroupM, "HT's is a good strategy. Readers are locked in for a year and a base circulation is ensured." The new papers may not exactly be flying off the news stands, but pricing seems to have worked in their favour. On the stands, HT costs Rs 2.50 while DNA comes for Rs 2 compared to TOI's Rs 4 per copy (with a free copy of the group's new tabloid, Mumbai Mirror). Executives in the DNA camp claim that TOI's news stand sale has dropped by 35,000 copies as a casual buyer prefers to pick up the Rs 2 paper. Adds Ashish Pingle, who runs a couple of Wheeler stalls at platforms, "Readers seem to like DNA and it's not only because of the price." Says Rajesh Jain, national director, ICE, KPMG, "DNA's strategy is to push through distribution and pull the consumer through hoardings. We need to give the experiment with the vendors some time to see how it works." The companies are battling it out on the distribution front amidst much mudslinging. Charges of buying out vendors to ensure they do not pick up rival newspapers are flying in all directions. Both DNA and HT are offering vendors a one rupee commission. To counter this, TOI is offering Rs 1.75 since Mumbai Mirror is distributed free with the paper.

After years of depending on TOI, newspaper vendors and agents, like advertisers, find they have a choice. Some have bagged contracts from HT to sell at traffic signals while others are getting incentives from DNA to source subscriptions. Any vendor who can locate a potential subscriber gets Rs 6. In a bid to earn more, vendors are straying from their assigned territories. They also claim that competition has softened TOI -- "it actually takes back unsold copies now". Trade sources also claim that TOI has increased its print run to make sure there is no shortage. Media buyers believe that from a content perspective, the new papers are still evolving. HT, they say, has not shown its "political" character yet. Says Narasimhan, "It will take time for the personality of the brand to emerge, but DNA is nicely packaged. It hasn't lived up to its huge expectations though." Sandip Tarkas, head of Media Direction, believes that "The Times of India is refreshingly different from what it was six months ago. Other than more colour and a free 48-page Mumbai Mirror thrown in, it's become more readable." So, is Mumbai's print media market overcrowded? "Confusing -- yes. Overcrowded -- no," says Tarkas. Mumbai city consumes just 75 per cent of the English newspaper copies that Delhi does and not many households are 2-3 paper homes. "I think the Mumbai print market can easily support this level and more," says Tarkas. Points out Girish Agarwal: "If Gujarat's advertising market could grow 35 per cent after Divya Bhaskar's entry, Mumbai must grow at least that much if not more." Adds Jain: "The operating market will expand because customers will demand better products."

And, therefore, more players will be attracted to the market. Unlike in the past, when newspapers failed to take off, this time round the players have deeper pockets. But is there a clear winner in round one of Mumbai's media war? "You can't predict the outcome of a one day match after the first over," says Tarkas. However, first round shows that TOI is a very strong brand in Mumbai -- "a fact we knew already", he adds. But as advertising in the new papers trickles in, TOI will have to run hard to retain its numero uno position. The verdict then is that the winner, so far, is the consumer.

Survey result:
Times of India has been since several years or decades the leader of all news papers because its several brands has been well established through out the country. Barring other states and cities, Times of India has been leader of other newspaper in mumbai with high ratio of 20:5:3 i.e. Times of India: DNA: HT. (Refer to survey).

To highlight on this point research has been taken across various vendors, customer and employees of Times of India. The results are as under (this survey has been distracted to mumbai city).

Survey to Vendors:
The general feedback of the entire vendor was the highest selling brand of newspaper is Times of India since several years. But of course due to the recent arrivals of other new brands, its sales and turnover has been affected, but still it is at the top most level. On the contrary this has contributed to the increase in revenue of vendors in terms of various incentives provided by various newspaper competitors and also increase in their total turnover. Considering the new entrant Mumbai Mirror in times group, its contribution is not much as it was expected. Since its launch, Mumbai Mirror has been seen several ups and downs. The paper was issued at the price of Rs2. with introductory offer of Rs1. but later it was also circulated free with the Times of India as it helps the company to face the competition. This lead to bad image of Mumbai Mirror, hence a drastic fall in its image still Mumbai Mirror is one of the favorite across Mumbaikars. Who are also fans of competitor Mid Day. However this competition has strengthened the bond between the vendors and the company Times of India, as the company has taken the special care of interest of vendors. Like increasing in commission per paper from Re1 to Re1.5, providing life insurance to registered vendors, other fringe benefits like bonus etc. Such campaign has helped Times of India and Mumbai Mirror to survive in the cutthroat competition. Mumbai Mirror is also fighting back to

establish its own identity, and it has been in a small way successful by giving competition to Mid Day. Mid Day has been getting a tough competition since Mumbai Mirror has been launch due to which its price is reduced from Rs3. to Rs2.

Survey to Customer:
As we al know Times of India has been leader in newspaper since several years which itself highlights on the fact that it has establish a wide group of loyal customer. There are customers who are not affected by the movement of marker and increase competition. However the customer can be divided into three groups that is new, old and non-readers of Times of India. Old: old once are those who are always been loyal to the company and had been reading various brands of Times of India group since years. And also many of them have happily accepted Mumbai Mirror and have not been diverted towards attractive competitor offers. The company has also been successful in attracting new customer with grate help of Mumbai Mirror. The marketing strategy of Times of India was vary good by collaborating Mumbai Mirror and Times of India which help them to retain their number 1 position and also reach the untouched areas of market. Ware has other paper like HT; DNA and Mid Day was available for Rs3, Rs2.5, Rs3 respectively. Times of India and Mumbai Mirror together was available for Rs 4. This strategy greatly attracted customer. Baring the price factor even the quality of content is of A grade which motivates the customer to buy Times of India. Although the price is high people prefer Times of India rather than other papers. There had been a point of time when there was dissatisfaction among the old customer as Times of India had several offers for new customer like subscription of 6 months for Rs 249. This offer was not

available for old Times of India readers. Still these customers continued their loyalty to the paper keeping in view the past track record of company and present growing competition. A small survey has also been taken among nom reader e.g. the readers of midday. Before launch of Mumbai Mirror it was only tabloid form paper anvil to teens and they prefer to continue to read the same paper. Also there are group of people who cannot afford Rs4. paper hence they are read Free Press Journal, which is relatively cheaper.

Survey to employee
Newspaper being a growing industry demand of manpower had also been increased recently. Keeping in view this scenario, the competitive firms had been regularly poaching the employees to attract them to their company by providing them incentive like high salaries. Even though some employee proved to be disloyal, it did not heavily affect Times of India as the company has already maintained good relationship with the employees. Still keeping in view the competitive market the packages offered to recent and new employee has been positively revised. Also non-monetary motivation in terms of holiday pack, insurance was also provided. All this has been possible due to goodwill of the company and its regular efforts of maintain healthy relationship with employee in good and bad situation.

Questionnaire
Vendor
1) Which is the highest selling newspaper at your stall before the competition and after the competition? 2) If same what is the difference in turnover overall? 3) What is difference of turnover of times of India? 4) Does mumbai mirror contributes in sales of times of India? 5) Where does mumbai mirror stands in computation with other new entrance? 6) Where does mumbai mirror stands with its supplement newspaper reference to midday? 7) What is the effect on your review by these competitions? 8) What are the French benefits provided by the times of India? 9) What are the French benefits provided by the other newspapers? 10) Has these competition-affected relationships with the company? 11) Which company has healthy relationship Times of India or other? 12) What is your view towards these competition do you encourage such competition?

Employee
1) Has this competition has made difference in your salary? 2) What type of motivation was provided by the competition? 3) Has the competition expand your employment opportunity? 4) How has this competition affected employee turnover? 5) What efforts where made by the competition to reduce these turnover? 6) What is the effect of sales due to this competition? 7) To what extent does the goodwill of Times of India help to retain number one position? 8) Has brand image of Times of India help Mumbai Mirror to survive the cutthroat competition? 9) Has this competition affected relationship with the company? 10) What is your view towards these competition do you encourage such competition?

Customer
1) Which is the paper your reading right now? If Times of India. New or old? New 2) Which paper you is reading before? 3) Why did you opt Times of India in this competition with other papers? 4) In what way did this competition help you? 5) What is your view on Times of India in competition with the paper you where reading before? Old 6) What motivated you to stick on to Times of India during this completive period? 7) How has this competition help you?

8) What is your view regarding the new offer provided only to new reads? 9) Has at any point of time induced you to shift to other papers? Non-reader 10) 11) What different you opt for Times of India? What additional does your newspaper provide in

comparison to other papers?

-A work by AJesh Shah Happy reading