MUMBAI: The Times Group's glamour & lifestyle channel Zoom seems to have got into an overdrive with its new marketing initiatives; the aim being to aggressively promote its weekend programmes. The new initiatives are being weaved around the top three channel drivers - Just Pooja, PopKorn and Page 3.
Elaborating on the marketing initiatives, Zoom head of consumer marketing Shailesh Kapoor says, "Our aim is to build viewer interactivity, so that watching our shows is not a passive activity. We are trying to do this with the help of various cross-promotional activities like contests, opinion polls and of course through the mobile route. To sustain viewer interest for Zoom, we are also doing things like flashing news headlines on the mobiles or some clippings, etc."
The channel is also using all the strengths of the Times Group's properties and the group's sms line 8888 for the Times of India group. To take the brand forward, special properties are being created on the website Indiatimes where chats are conducted with celebrity anchors. In fact, a special Zoom website has been created to build a two-way communication.
Just to get a lowdown on the new initiatives planned; every episode of Page 3 has an auction of paraphrenalia used by Bollywood actors in different films that viewers can bid for over the Zoom website. The channel reveals in the past they have had viewers bidding for Hritikh Roshan's jacket for Rs 10,000 and more.
The entertainment news show Popkorn now has a daily opinion poll with the names of the winners being published daily in the Bombay Times as well as the Delhi Times. A special contest has also been weaved around Just Pooja, where the winners get a dinner date with Pooja Bedi.
The popular show Kosmic Chat will now give an opportunity to viewers to get their forecast by popular tarot card reader Sunita Menon. Viewers can now sms their sun sign, birth place and time of birth. The channel will pick up 100 people who get a free forecast done by Sunita Menon.
Elaborating further Kapoor says, "Apart from creating a market buzz over a period of time, we also hope to cash in by way of revenues. We have already worked out revenue sharing terms with various mobile companies like Airtel & BPL. As of now we get more than 2 lakh (200,000) sms messages on the Times group's 8888 sms line which will only keeps increasing with time."
Apart from the marketing initiatives, Zoom has also tied up with Kingfisher Airlines for inflight telecast of its programing.
