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Sony's SAB-SET Purvita Chatterjee
WITH the re-launch of SAB TV as a general entertainment channel, SET has decided to expand its bouquet in the television space and reach out to a different target audience — the heartland of India. The comedy channel, belonging to Sri Adhikari Brothers, was acquired by SET earlier this year for Rs 57 crore. Kunal Dasgupta, SET's CEO, declared, "Sony Entertainment's vision is to have another channel among the top three general entertainment channels in the country. After its acquisition, SAB will complement Sony Network's offerings and broaden its television audience." Brave words apart, it may take a while for SAB to differentiate itself. Says Anupriya Acharya, President, TME (The Media Edge), "It is a wise decision for Sony to acquire the SAB brand as media is getting fragmented, and being a media company, it makes sense to add more share with an additional channel. But one wonders how viewers would see it differently, as, beyond a certain point, it is difficult to have a sharp positioning for a general entertainment channel." Says Pradeep Iyengar, Vice-President (West & South), Carat Media Services India Ltd, "Just how different can a general entertainment channel get? Sony must have realised that all future deals will be multimedia deals from the media owners and an additional channel adds to its power." Besides, SET Max's and Sony's programming overlaps and unless its third channel is a clear differentiator, having SAB is not going to be a great option, say media planners. Cannibalisation is also an impending threat, but N. P. Singh, Chief Operating Officer, SET, says, "SAB complements the total network. There is distinction based on demographics and the age of the viewers. SAB will have programmes targeted at viewers in the 25-35 years age group living in the small metros which comprise the heartland of India." So, while Sony has been perceived as a women- and family-focused channel, SAB TV will be skewed towards men in the Hindi heartland. In fact, the SAB brand had reached saturation point in the comedy genre and the channel's revenues had been dipping after five years of being on air. Adds Singh, "The viewership had declined and revenues were not growing. We changed it to a free-to-air channel from a pay channel and brought it under the One Alliance bouquet. As each of our channels is sold on its own strength, SAB too will have to stand on its own feet. As a conscious strategy, we will not be pitching it with the rest of the bouquet." SAB came into Sony's bouquet with certain advantages. It had got its own niche with a non-metro focus with adequate distribution and had its share of loyal male viewers who preferred such comedy shows. Vikas Bahl, Senior Vice-President and Business Head, SAB, claims: "Since SAB was already operating in the niche segment, it has done a good job of building its brand over the years. It is now time to leverage its equity, which is that of a light-hearted channel. We will make sure the programmes and the brand move in the same direction. After all, most general entertainment channels do not propagate a brand stance and are open to just about any kind of programming. We will ensure that the brand and the content have synergies as we go along." Besides, segmenting the audience will also help SAB in attracting advertisers looking out to reach a particular target audience. "Light comedy as a genre attracts males and there is still no national brand on television that reaches the heartland of India, except local channels. SAB will provide a platform for advertisers who are specifically looking at this particular market," says Bahl. With Airtel sponsoring its newly launched LoKal'lo Baat show, there are expectations of the revenues getting healthier. Says Rohit Gupta, Executive Vice-President, ad sales and revenue management, SET, "We are expecting revenue growth between 20 and 25 per cent as with every new show, we are getting new sponsors." So, while a decision has been taken to change the channel's positioning with a tilt towards general programming, comedy will continue to dominate. As Singh says, "Humour will still be central to SAB's programming but with broader horizons, stretching into other genres to get a wider audience. However, our daily soaps will not be what you see today. They will have a more positive and optimistic approach. Our philosophy will be to offer programmes which bring smiles to the faces of our audiences comprising the heartland of India." The channel's baseline is 'All smiles, no tears.' There are no plans yet to change it. Euro RSCG, the agency handling the SET account, is already on the job of creating a new personality for the channel and does not want to tinker with the baseline. Says Suman Srivastava, President, Euro RSCG, "All media brands need to be differentiated on personality rather than content. We would be attempting to create a distinct personality for the SAB brand." Meanwhile, SAB is creating fresh programming to signify the change in personality. The new 'improved' SAB started with a new prime-time special - Lo Kal'lo Baat — an improvised comedy show which requires its participants to be spontaneous, witty and creative and enact skits impromptu. Its other recent prime time show, a daily soap, Maahi Ve, is an emotional saga of family relationships and rediscovering the joy of getting back to one's roots. The soap captures the rustic ethos of North India, its traditions, culture and values. Certain old shows will be repositioned. For instance, Banda Yeh Bindaas Hai will have a new anchor in Rageshwari, while Wah Wah, based on comic poets, will be repositioned as a 'classy and glamorous' show. It move out of the studio and involve a live audience. Meenakshi Madhvani, Managing Partner of media audit firm Spatial Access Solutions, believes the repositioning of SAB TV may work for a couple of reasons: "The general entertainment channels may be declining, but they still demand a higher rate than other genres do, and usually account for the largest percentage share of a brand's media investment. The perception of a channel acquired by Sony Entertainment and the re-launch with a fresh positioning will help SAB get at least one-time/trial viewers, if packaged and marketed well." "It could be a general entertainment channel for the masses and leave Sony free to woo the upper SECs which are currently watching more Star Plus and Star One," she says. Besides, Star's addition of Star One to its bouquet is also seen as a threat to the general entertainment channels. Says a media observer, "Star One is already catching up with Zee and Sony and now SAB will also be expected to compete with it." The climbing TRPs of Star One with the popularity of its shows such as Nach Baliye has been threatening the viewership of the other channels. Says Carat's Iyengar, "One never knows which show is going to click. SAB is probably Sony's answer to Star One." But Madhvani is confident of SAB's success, now that it is under Sony's fold. "There is no doubt that Sony has one of the best-designed promotional campaigns. If the strategy and programming is distinct, it could definitely succeed. Sony has had a somewhat mixed ability to increase revenue realisation per 10 seconds on its higher rated shows. For a keen observer of media, this will be an interesting experience," she says.
| Will SAB's relaunch help Sony create a niche in the general entertainment space and broaden its television audience? |
Meanwhile, SET is all set to invest in its new SAB brand. "We will be making substantial investments for the next two years and the channel will be in an investment mode," says SET COO Singh. Bringing in new offerings and audiences should help SAB establish its place in the welter of general entertainment channels.
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