'Millie' to take on Sony's 'Kkusum'; Star plans marketing blitz

By SONALI KRISHNA
Indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: After the big bang marketing blitz that one saw with Star Plus' Kavyanjali, the leading Hindi general entertainment channel has decided, one month in advance, to activate a promotional onslaught for the launch of their next big property, which debuts on the tube next month in the critical 9 pm slot.

Launching 4 April, Mondays to Thursdays, Millie is poised to replace the recently converted half-hour dailies - Des Mein Niklla Hoga Chand, Kehta Hai Dil, Saara Akaash and Sanjivani, all of which will be phased out by end of March.

Apart from the regular activity that entails a campaign, Star plus has gone a step forward to ensure visibility and reach for the show. In terms of sheer decibel levels, Millie's promotion will be as loud as that of Kavyanjali's, confirms Star India senior vice president marketing and communications Ajay Vidyasagar.

For the next one month, promo's of the show will air across the Star network which will comprise the introduction and the profiling of all the characters in the serial. "This has been done with a specific intention of familiarising the audience with the characters to induce interest and curiosity for the show before the launch and in turn ensure that the 9 pm slot becomes a staple diet for the viewers," adds Vidyasagar. Millie, the central protaganist in the promo's, will talk about the other characters and the others will talk about Millie creating a sort of interplay.

A total of six promo's are planned, the smiley being the symbolic logo of the serial depicting sunshine will be played as the icon of the campaign.

The other innovative factor is the title track of Millie which the channel believes is a potential chart buster. Composed by Preetam of the Dhoom fame, a music album is slated to be released on the same. Also the music video will be airing on both Star Plus and Channel V. The video is a take-off on 'How do you solve a problem like Maria', the much loved song in the musical classic Sound of Music.

Apart from that, the show will also be sufficiently supported by ground events, radio, outdoor and print media.

Coming to the content of the show, it is essentially a family-centric show which revolves around an orphan who comes into a family that is always buried in sorrow. Millie comes into their lives as the sunshine and hence the symbolic smiley.

Gone are the days of regular marketing. With television shows getting more and more cutting edge and competitive, innovation and alternative seems to be the name of the game.

Mille is pitted against SET's Kkusum. Is Sony getting into an aggresive mode as well to ensure stabilty for their 9 pm slot or is it going to surrender to the entertainement major?

It's a question of survival.