This record-breaking number of responses through telephone, SMS and online participation is unparalleled by any other kids show on Indian television. And what's more, these votes have been generated despite no incentive of winning a prize, but rather simply to tell Sanya 'what to do' in the next episode.

Sanya, which premiered on 12 December, is a 'dramedy' about a golden-hearted girl with two problems. The first problem is that she can never say no to someone who asks for her help. The second is that even if no one actually asks, Sanya has to help, thus getting herself into a dilemma where she has to choose between two options.

At the end of every episode Sanya turns to the viewers and asks for help via votes through SMS, tele-voting or on the Sanya website www.sanya.hungamatv.com. The voting closes at 1 pm the next day. At 2.30 pm, the votes are counted and the episode with the highest votes plays out at 7.30 pm.

"Due to the novel format of the show, it was essential for us to reach out to viewers through a targeted campaign that helps to communicate the novelty of the show and drives interest in participating and solving Sanya's dilemmas," says UTV senior vice president marketing and communications Siddharth Roy Kapur.

"The key contributors to Sanya's success are its novel concept and the flawless execution of a very tricky programming format by the Hungama and UTV teams. We have supported this with a marketing campaign that includes imaginative ads in leading print publications, kids magazines and supplements in the form of comic strips depicting Sanya's dilemmas. Key touch points for kids such as malls and multiplexes were also branded with relevant dilemmas. This brought to life Sanya's personality and helped to communicate the interactive format of the show."

In addition to this, the core audience was targeted at theme parks, like Essel World and Appu Ghar, through branding of popular rides and snack counters with relevant dilemmas. School buses were branded with Sanya and were targeted online by sending Sanya direct mailers to their email accounts. Sanya leaflets were distributed to kids outside schools in key markets and extensive street postering was carried out near key kids touch points. Sanya promos even ran on the UTV-distributed blockbuster Bluffmaster.

A week before launch, Sanya checked into the Hungama Express, which is the channel's mobile initiative to reach out to kids in their immediate surroundings and communicate what's hot and happening on Hungama TV.

Mobile vans with Sanya branding zoomed across 22 cities. Close to 550,000 Hungama tickets were distributed at schools in all these cities inviting kids to pre-decided locations. The express informed kids about the show and the ways in which they could help Sanya solve her dilemmas.