MUMBAI: While ABP news recently launched its new campaign, its extension in the B2B domain, effectively a plank which they have been promoting over a couple of years now has met with some resistance.

Leading Hindi News major, India TV has taken the battle to claiming supremacy over competition being the most preferred choice with the affluent audiences in India. In its campaign, ABP News highlights its preference amongst the affluent audiences with a share that is 5 times greater than the entire English news genre.
(CS15+ AB, Del+Mum+Kol,Wk 1-13‘13 all days).

In its campaign, India TV has launched a campaign highlighting a share that is 11 times bigger than the English News Genre in the same markets amongst the same TG. (CS15+ AB, Del+Mum+Kol, 24hrs, Wk 6-18‘13 all days). The campaign also comapres Aaj Tak, which is only around 8 times bigger on the same parameters. Hence positioning India TV ahead of both ABP News and Aaj Tak in terms of affluent viewership.

RELATIVE SHARE (%)
Source: TAM, TG CS 15+ AB, Del + Mum + Kol, 24 Hrs, All days, Week 6-18‘13 (13 weeks average)
Eng News: Times Now, NDTV 24X7, CNN IBN, Headlines Today, News X

Currently the 5 English news channels (Times Now, NDTV 24X7, CNN IBN, Headlines Today & News X) together hold a share of 2.3 % and ABP News at 11.1 % share is approximately 5 times bigger, Aaj Tak is approximately 8 times bigger with a share of 17.6% and India TV with a share of 24% is 11 times bigger. Effectively, though the campaign doesn‘t directly says so, but will certainly have a drowning effect for the ABP news‘ campaign and effectively boosting India TV‘s chances to be seen as a medium that not only as a leader with the core news TG but also furthering the channel‘s lead in the core markets including Delhi & Mumbai, markets clearly those are most costly to reach using any medium.

When contacted for a response, Ritu Dhawan, MD & CEO, India TV had only one thing to say, "Don‘t trust anyone blindly." Adding, she pointed towards a perceptual propaganda that is on for a while now, despite the fact that we have been delivering much more on most parameters than the others in the genre, we thought that it‘s time to set the record straight.

The last few years have seen India TV post steady numbers with almost a constant lead in terms of stickiness with a hard fought battle for the top spot in terms of Relative share %. In the current scenario with the effects of Digitization in place, the battle for the top spot has been intense in the cluttered Hindi News Genre. Leaving aside LC1 markets, a new addition by TAM, India TV is clearly a strong leader across HSM post Digitization.