A survey was done for the shows to be aired on LifeOK
Here I thought of sharing abt that and the 20 minutes strategy
NEW DELHI: Star India's new channel Life OK goes on air Sunday with Bollywood diva Madhuri Dixit
being the 'sutradhaar'. The stories will have compelling content that
flows from the philosophy that 'Life is Ok', and ad breaks are kept
shorter.
"Life OK is a unique name which is in itself a
statement of its philosophy, compelling content that flows from that
philosophy and an unprecedented focus to cater to the viewer's needs,"
Star India CEO Uday Shankar said in a statement.
"We found that viewers wanted better value for their time. Hence the
stories on Life OK will be told seven days a week and will feature three
stories every hour. People often said that they did not understand why
we were doing a certain story and hence Madhuri Dixit will be the
'sutradhar' - a completely novel introduction on Life OK," Shankar
added.
The channel also promises to have shorter ad breaks.
"Everybody that we spoke to said that they wanted shorter ad breaks, so
Life OK will have the shortest ad breaks for any channel anywhere in
this country," Shankar said.
Being a 'sutradhaar', Madhuri will guide viewers about the stories on the channel and its link to the channels philosophy.
The shows cover a wide spectrum of emotions -
"Meri Maa" pays tribute
to special bond between a mother and a child; "Mahadev" is about Lord
Shiva's journey;
"Saubhagyavati Bhava" shows the sorrow of a young woman
whose parents focused on external appearances while choosing her life
partner;
"Smile Please" shares that the glue that binds a family is the
values and not the money; and "Tum Dena Saath Mera" will show how simple
joys of life have become casualties of materialistic world.
And there will be " Sach Ka Saamna", hosted by Rajeev Khandelwal, which will put the spotlight on pervasive moral and economic corruption.
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Life OK isn't a wkly game; it's building a future brand: Uday Shankar
At
8.00 pm on December 18, 2011, STAR India closed curtains on Star One
and launched a new channel ' Life OK. From the thought process behind
its programming to the detailing in its presentation, Life OK challenges
all conventional norms of the Hindi general entertainment genre.
Life OK packs in three shows in just one
hour of programming. It has the shortest ad breaks across television in
India. It begins with a strong digital presence and is being supported
by one of the most elaborate marketing campaigns for a channel launch in
recent times. The channel also has a 'sutradhar' in the form of actor
Madhuri Dixit.
STAR has created a launch brand film that
captures the channel's positioning with the message 'Kal ki soch kar
dhat teri ki karte reh gaye ' toh aaj ka kya hoga pyaare?' In a first,
Life OK is being launched in a three-day roadblock across the STAR India
network. The outdoor plan will reach 101 towns in an attempt to "go
where no entertainment brand has gone before". Recognising the
importance of youth, the brand is launched through a week long digital
engagement plan and an eight-hour long online concert with Life OK
Rockathon exclusively for the web.
Life
OK has to still evolve its sales strategy, but as STAR India's CEO Uday
Shankar puts it, the focus right now is to establish the brand and
drive viewer engagement.
The channel's core team comprises Channel
General Manager Ajit Thakur, the programming team of Gaurav Banerjee,
Sanjog Gupta and Dimpi Dey, Dhruv, Sushma and Dhiren in the Marketing
and OAP department and Anand Shiv in Consumer Insight.
The most important of all aspects is the thought process on which the programming of the channel is based.
A Positioning of Positivity
The first thing one notices about Life OK is that STAR India has stayed
away from the STAR branding for this channel. Life OK is not just a
second GEC from STAR India, it is a brand new channel from the Network
with a distinct identity of its own.
According to Uday Shankar, the brand name captures the channel's encapsulating message 'Life is OK'.
In a conversation with exchange4media, he
explained, "Life OK believes that the chase to prosperity can be a
mirage, an endless chase. You pay a huge price if 'norms of success'
come at the cost of sacrificing values. In our chase for what we don't
have, we often forget to cherish what we have. In our quest for
happiness tomorrow, we often forget that life is OK today."
The premise of Life OK's thought process
is that India is at a critical phase of growth. On the one hand, there
is 'India shining' and on the other hand, there are deep rooted concerns
within society reflecting a new anxiety and restlessness. Shankar
informed, "Studies show that for majority of India, material prosperity
is redefining norms of success and people are afraid that they or their
families will be left behind in that race. There is growing concern on
whether our life is really 'ok'? The channel will try to address this
concern and turn up the volume on all that really matters in life."
Same Target, Different Tactic
Like any Hindi GEC, Life OK targets the C&S 4+ in the Hindi speaking
markets. In its initial phase, the channel has experimented with its
content presentation significantly. Life OK is beginning with three
hours of original programming, beginning at 8 pm. There would be seven
shows including six shows of 20 minutes each and one non-fiction show of
40 minutes every day.
The marquee shows cover a wide spectrum,
focusing on an underlying value. 'Meri Maa' pays tribute to the mother
and child bond. 'Mahadev', a period epic story of Shiva's journey from
ascetic to householder, draws on religion as the ultimate moral compass.
'Saubhagyavati Bhava' is a cautionary tale of a woman, whose parents
lay focus on external appearances rather than inner values, when
choosing her spouse. 'Smile Please' shares that the glue that binds a
family is the value you inherit, not the wealth you earn. 'Tum Dena
Saath Mera' will show how the simple joys of life are casualties in a
materialistic world.
'Sach Ka Saamna', with a new theme
'Bhrashtachar ke Khilaaf' in its second season, will put the spotlight
on the all-pervasive moral and economic corruption. Rajeev Khandelwal
will anchor the show.
Speaking on the guiding philosophy behind
programming, Shankar explained that each show has been created to show
the conflicts that arise, when we leave our value systems behind or
neglect our most precious relationships. The central protagonist of each
show evolves over time to go through a life changing moment. He said,
"We have also picked upon issues and concerns that are thought
provoking. The core philosophy of the channel not only keeps the viewer
engrossed in the plotline and fate of the characters but also raises
disruptive questions. You will not see any show that does not conform to
the philosophy of the channel and does not underline a value or raise a
question."
Life OK is not Star Plus
How will Life OK be different from STAR India's flagship channel Star
Plus? Shankar replied, "Star Plus urges viewers to strive for the
better. Life OK reminds viewers to cherish what they have."
Star Plus is 'Rishta Wahi. Soch Nayi'.
Shankar explained that the channel provides a fresh perspective on
relationships. All the content on Star Plus is true to the channel
philosophy and demonstrates 'nayi soch', Star Plus is founded on the
belief that the woman is the strength of the family and she has the
confidence to change her world. This is best demonstrated by the
protagonists like 'Pratigya' who will take on even her own family in the
pursuit of justice and 'Suhaana' who proves that you can retain your
individuality post marriage.
Life OK is about reminding viewers to
cherish what they have. Shankar added, "The content dials up what's
really important in life. When Life OK does 'Sach ka Saamna', it dials
up an important, eternal value - Honesty. 'Saubhagyavati Bhava' raises
the question on what makes an ideal partner and urges you to look beyond
appearances. 'Tum Dena Saath Mera' shows how relationships are often
the casualty in a materialistic world."
A Disruptive Marketing Push
Elaborating further on the marketing strategy, Shankar informed that the
objective was to differentiate the brand and to execute a disruptive
channel launch. He said, "The brand identity is iconic, whether it is
the brand name which is a statement of philosophy or the OK icon with a
glow that embodies the optimism of the brand or the channel sutradhar,
Madhuri Dixit, who guides viewers and links our stories to our
philosophy."
Life OK intends to take the conversation
off the screen and bring it to the people. The marketing initiatives
bring in consumer engagement at the grass-root level. "We intend to make
'Sach Ka Saamna 2 - Brashtachar Ke Khilaaf' part of the larger movement
against corruption and have initiated a pan India activation, where the
common man can come forward to participate in the Sach Ki Shapath
against corruption," added Shankar.
The STAR network with a weekly reach of
over 400 million viewers is the foundation of the media plan for the
launch. In addition, it will be aggressively promoted on digital and a
101-town outdoor plan.
Life OK has begun with a digital presence
through its website www.lifeok.com. The channel has seen build up of
over 2 lac fans on Facebook within the first four days itself and also
has strategic presence on Youtube, Yahoo and Twitter.
The Combined Punch
For STAR India, Life OK is its single biggest focus area at present. And
together with Star Plus, it readies STAR India for the future. Shankar
said, "Life OK's brand promise is reflected in the content line up and
the marketing disruptions. The channel's success will be measured by
TRPs and by the strength of the brand we build. But this is not a weekly
game alone ' it is building a brand for the future."
The STAR Brand, for Shankar, is about
aspiration and striving for better. He stated, "This is best captured by
the 'Nayi Soch' message of Star Plus. The Life OK brand is about
reassuring India that Life is indeed OK and in the quest for fulfilment
they should not forget to cherish what they have. Both brands together
capture two polarities of thought and motivation. And together the
network addresses all of India."
Edited by shanti05 - 12 years ago
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