Discovery Channel - Discovering India

Details

Themes : Differentiation
Period : 1995-2003
Organization : Discovery Channel, Sony Entertainment Channel
Pub Date : 2003
Countries : India
Industry : Media and Entertainment

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Case Code : MKTG052
Case Length : 10 Pages
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Background Contd...

Along with launching various infotainment channels, DCI sold educational products and services based on its television programs to consumers through its Discovery Consumer Products Division to leverage its brand name and provide innovative products to students (Refer Exhibit II). Discovery success was attributed to its programming mix and its marketing strategies. However, in India, Discovery faced the problem of positioning itself in the viewers' mindset. In India, Discovery was perceived as a specialty channel airing programs on wildlife and nature.

Discovering India

When Discovery entered India in 1995, the Indian television market was dominated by entertainment channels which provided family soaps and film-based programs to viewers. Discovery was the first channel to provide infotainment programs in India. It aired programs related to Nature, Wildlife and Science & Technology in English. Discovery was successful in attracting viewers; in the first year of its operations it reached 3 million homes. The reasons for its success were:
- Its innovative programs, which gave viewers a break from routine family dramas aired on entertainment channels in urban areas.
- Parents, who were concerned about the influence of TV on children. They liked the channel's informative programs, which had a positive influence on children.

In mid-1999, Discovery became a pay channel, charging around Rs 5 per household.

Subsequently the number of households receiving Discovery went down to 8 million from 13 million in the first quarter of 1999 as operators stopped airing the channel. However, with consumers demanding the channel, cable operators were forced to resume airing the channel. As a result, the number of households receiving Discovery increased to 12 million within 6 weeks.

Though Discovery aired a variety of programs covering a wide range of subjects, such as Nature, Wildlife, Science & Technology, Culture and Civilization, Indians perceived it as a channel airing programs on nature and animals and regarded it as an educational channel. Commenting on the channel's brand image in India, Kiran Karnik (Karnik), former MD, Discovery India, said, "Discovery India has to rework its brand positioning."

Karnik announced that the channel planned to undertake an extensive advertising and brand building exercise to change its brand image in the country. Discovery also announced that it would try to enhance its reach in India. In order to reach more viewers, Discovery tied up with Doordarshan (DD)¹¹ to air Discovery programs in Hindi¹² for two hours on DD. This move helped Discovery reach people who did not understand English.

However, Discovery soon realized that though these programs were successful in the northern states of India where Hindi was the popular language, in the southern and eastern parts of India, where the regional languages were more popular, it could not attract viewers through its Hindi language programs. In order to increase its penetration in South India, Discovery decided to launch its programs in regional languages.

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11] Indian State Broadcaster, reaching around 70 million television homes in India.
12] One of the official languages of India