Star India will officially launch its free-to-air (FTA) Hindi movie channel Star Utsav Movies on 28 May. The channel, targeted primarily at rural markets, will be initially available exclusively on Doordarshan’s free direct-to-home (DTH) platform Freedish. Star will take a call later on the channel’s future distribution strategy. Star Gold, Movies OK, Star Gold HD and Star Utsav Movies general manager Hemal Jhaveri said there was a need gap in the rural market. “With the advent of BARC, rural markets took the center stage with more than half the TV viewership coming from the heartland.
Our analysis indicated that there was a clear need gap in this category since 25% of the total viewership came from movies, but the Hindi movie genre share is a miniscule 5%. This is because of the unavailability of good content on the existing Hindi movie channels in the FTA space. “An extensive research undertaken to unravel the rural psyche shed light on the key usage and behavior patterns. This has been the cornerstone for all acquisition, programming and marketing inputs on this new channel offering.
What made this research unique and accurate was that it was tailor-made for each respondent surveyed based on their viewing behavior, which was captured using close circuit cameras positioned in their homes.” Jhaveri said that Star Utsav Movies stands apart as a truly rural offering because it has been designed with the rural viewer in mind. “The insights from research gave us a rich perspective on triggers that dictate the viewer’s approach towards life and his entertainment needs. ‘Har Din Utsav’ as a promise is an indication of our endeavor to give our viewers a reason to celebrate every day with the biggest and best stars on the channel,” he stated.
To drive reach and awareness for the new channel, a multi-media launch campaign has already kick-started. The channel will leverage the might of Star India to rapidly build awareness. Along with a comprehensive high-impact TV plan, the promotion includes a high-octane radio plan and unique brand experiences for viewers across villages in key markets. “The rural markets are the last important frontier, and we believe Star Utsav Movies will empower both the consumer and the advertiser,” Jhaveri asserted.