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WHAT’s in the DNA of ‘Times’? (Mumbai Region) By Drashti Buch Roll no: 10 PGP EMC
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TOI- Why is it a habit?

Jan 16, 2015

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A project presentation on why is TOI such an integral part of our lives
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Page 1: TOI- Why is it a habit?

WHAT’s in the DNA of ‘Times’?(Mumbai Region)

ByDrashti BuchRoll no: 10PGP EMC

Page 2: TOI- Why is it a habit?

Research objectives

• To find out the reasons for TOI’s success in Mumbai v/s other newspapers (English Dailies) like DNA, HT etc.

• Perception analysis of TOI v/s DNA and HT

Page 3: TOI- Why is it a habit?

Target audience and sample size details

• Methodology: Questionnaire • Total no. of people interviewed: 45• Males interviewed: 30• Females interviewed: 15• All the people interviewed are residents of the city of Mumbai• Age group: 20 and beyond

Page 4: TOI- Why is it a habit?

Snapshot of the questionnaire

Page 5: TOI- Why is it a habit?
Page 6: TOI- Why is it a habit?
Page 7: TOI- Why is it a habit?

Link to the questionnaire: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/BVY5VF7

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The newspaper market scenario in Mumbai

• According to the current round of Indian Readership Survey (IRS) -- Round 2 (R2) 2009 -- The Times of India (TOI) continues to rule the financial capital of India across languages, with a total readership of 24.91 lakh.

• However, the country's largest English daily has seen a marginal decline in readership in Mumbai, which has been a TOI stronghold.

• Amongst English dailies, Mumbai Mirror, the tabloid from Times group, follows its elder cousin with a total readership of 14.2 lakh -- a loss of 80,000 readers.

• Mumbai Mirror ranks no. 7 in the survey

• Mid-Day (English) and DNA come in at No. 8 and No. 9, with a total readership of 13.26 lakh and 12.83 lakh readers, respectively.

• However, both newspapers have lost readers in the city. While Mid-day's readership has declined by 91,000 readers; DNA has lost around 41,000 readers.

Page 9: TOI- Why is it a habit?

• Amongst other English dailies, Hindustan Times has lost around 30,000 readers; while The Economic Times has lost 79,000 readers in the financial capital. Though Hindustan Times gained 38,000 readers in Navi Mumbai; it has lost around 64,000 readers in other reporting centres.

Page 10: TOI- Why is it a habit?

Trend Analysis and Insights

Page 11: TOI- Why is it a habit?

Newspapers read by respondents

0

20

40

60

80

100

Times ofIndia

DNA HindustanTimes

EconomicTimes

MumbaiMirror

Mid-Day Others

Name of the newspaper

Per

cen

tag

e o

f p

eop

le

read

ing

it

Series1

Newspapers as stated in the ‘OTHERS’ category:

Maharashtra Times

Indian Express

Loksatta

Financial express

Business Standard

Gujarat Samachar

Page 12: TOI- Why is it a habit?

Quick Insights

• Bennett and Coleman group rules the roost.

• Times of India leads followed by its sister publications, Mumbai Mirror and Economic Times (which can be a result of subscription along with TOI).

• Mid-Day is not a newspaper that people subscribe to at home.

• Maharashtra Times, once again a B&C group publication makes an appearance maximum no. of times in the ‘OTHERS’ category.

Page 13: TOI- Why is it a habit?

No. of years the current newspaper has been subscribed to

9%

24%

18%

49%

Less than a year

1-5 years

5-10 years

10 years and more

Page 14: TOI- Why is it a habit?

Quick Insights

• Late entry of competition and monopoly might be a contributing factor for TOI’s current leadership position.

• This is substantiated by the fact that more than 50% readers have stated ‘More than 10 years’ as their period of subscription to the newspaper.

• And also substantiated by the fact that some of the newspapers like DNA, HT did not even exist 10 years ago.

• 24% of the readers have a subscription of 1-5 years with the newspaper. These can possibly be the readers of the new entrants in the dailies market.

Page 15: TOI- Why is it a habit?

Tim

es O

f Ind

ia

Mum

bai M

irror

Mum

bai T

imes

Eco

nom

ic T

imes

DN

A

DN

A A

fter

hrs H

T

HT

Sup

plem

ent

Oth

ers

S1

57.8

17.8

0 4.4 2.2 06.7 4.4 6.7

Name of the newspaper

Value in percentage

Newspaper picked up first for reading

Page 16: TOI- Why is it a habit?

Quick Insights

• TOI, the main newspaper leads in terms of being picked up first for reading. • This defies a general perception of ‘Bombay Times’ being a crucial first for many

due to its masala news content. • This might be deduced to the tendency of many to pick up the newspaper (when it

is crisp and folded) and start skimming through the headlines the moment you hold it in your hands.

• Mumbai Mirror, the popular tabloid supplement of TOI comes second in this aspect.

• This might be due to the sensational nature of its news content and its compact size that enables the reader to skim through the news as well as filmy gossip within a short period of time.

Page 17: TOI- Why is it a habit?

What about the newspaper is liked?

37%

27%

15%

8%6% 3% 4% It's a habit more than liking

Content

Supplements

Read but don't personally like it

Provides masala news

Less boring

Others

Factors for liking the newspaper as mentioned under the category ‘OTHERS’:

Accurate News

Indepth Analysis

Page 18: TOI- Why is it a habit?

Quick Insights

• Newspapers like TOI have been a part of households since ages (as established by the earlier survey questions).

• Hence their subscription is more often than not because someone or the other in the family has been reading it for years.

• This is established by a vast majority who claim to like their current newspaper because it is more of a habit than a particular liking for it.

• This might also be a major reason why newspapers like DNA and HT have not been able to make inroads into Mumbai or other TOI strongholds.

• Thankfully, there’s also a huge 27% that states ‘Content’ as a factor for liking their newspaper and 15% who do enjoy crucial supplements offerings by these publications.

• Much to my surprise, Masala news does not feature strongly in the factors stated for liking newspapers.

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Difference in the credibility of news in different newspapers

40

35.6

23

Yes, Definitely

All newspapers coversame news

Types of newscovered are different

Page 20: TOI- Why is it a habit?

Quick insights

• It is important to note that here the findings show a perceptual difference in the ‘credibility’ of news given in the newspapers.

• Thus the believability of news given by newspapers like TOI becomes extremely high and there is high chance of various news articles to be taken in as ‘ultimate truth’.

• This is a warning to publications that they should be careful in what they publish as people base their trust for news on them.

• The ‘credibility’ factor may also be the reason why people do not want to try out other equally competent newspaper publications.

• However there’s a significant number, almost 36% which also claim that news covered is largely the same across newspapers.

• There are other factors like ‘comfort of simple language’ and ‘easy to understand for a layman’ that came up as important quotes by respondents. Perhaps that’s one of the reasons for TOI’s success in India.

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Would you switch from current newspaper if you get a newspaper by a reputed publishing house at cheaper rates?

11%

36%53%

Yes, Of course

No, not a chance

Depends

• A vast majority of the readers are open for experimentation. Next slide will elaborate the reasons for the same.

Page 22: TOI- Why is it a habit?

Factors that will make the readers switch

• ‘Might subscribe to both, but will not stop reading TOI’• ‘Interesting content and supplements’• ‘More images and high level of interaction with the readers’• ‘Gives me something more than the current paper I am reading’• ‘Timeliness of news’• ‘Will ADD to my current list of newspapers’• ‘Depends on the READING EXPERIENCE’ • ‘Will add one more newspaper but wont give up TOI’• ‘Presentation of facts and analysis of stories’• ‘Money is not the criteria. It is content above anything else’• ‘More local content, related to art and culture and for kids’• ‘Sample the paper from stands, if interested, subscribe’• ‘Good easy writing style and pleasing layout’

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Quick insights

• As stated earlier, more than 50% of the readers have criteria which if fulfilled, they are willing to switch their newspapers.

• The most interesting insight that once again establishes the supremacy of TOI is a strong opinion that came across of readers wanting to ‘try out’ new newspapers but certainly not ‘give up’ on TOI.

• It shows how ingrained the newspaper is in the lifestyle of an average Mumbaikar. • Content comes across as another strong factor for readers in order to switch.

Though one can doubt if they are able to differentiate between contents of various English dailies.

• Presentation, interactivity, layout etc. are some of the factors that might trigger a switch. However what kind of presentation, interactivity or layout is something that this survey has not covered in this phase.

Page 24: TOI- Why is it a habit?

MIRROR, MIRROR ON THE WALL, WHO IS BETTER OF THEM ALL?

Image and perception analysis

Page 25: TOI- Why is it a habit?

Words/phrases that describe TOI

Pay me, Use me and I will tell the world about you

Voice of the nation

Authentic

Need it as a morning starter!

MASALA!

Bigger than other brands

Highly organizedGames!

Boring front page, when with too many ads!

Sellout! TOI ROCKS

Good morningNews for everyoneTalks about IndiaText

Egoistic Credibility

Political, commercial, economic, fashion, trends

Morning bible

Habit, old tradition, comfort Balanced serious trustworthy legacy

Bulky Commerical Nice Ads Superficial news

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Quick Insights

• The association of words with TOI has an interesting story to tell.

• Use of phrases like ‘The morning bible’, ‘Good morning’ etc. strongly re-affirm the close connection readers share with TOI. We can also conclude that the newspaper is highly considered to be an essential consumption in the busy mornings of Mumbai.

• Also use of phrases like ‘Voice of the nation’, ‘Legacy’, ‘Old tradition’, ‘Credibility, serious’ etc. give an impression that TOI readers are extremely comfortable, confident and proud of their newspaper. This makes it a highly loyal audience for TOI.

• One interesting comment to take note of is ‘Too boring when front page is full of ads’. Although it hardly matters to TOI, the newspaper should take note of intrusion of ads in the reader’s mind space.

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Quick Insights

• As some media professionals have filled this survey, heavy criticism in terms of TOI being a ‘sellout’ has appeared in the word association. This is perhaps a peek into the inside story that surrounds the newspaper.

• The word ‘Masala’ finally makes an appearance in the association. And so does the word ‘Bulky’. Although it is difficult to judge if this works to the advantage or disadvantage of TOI.

• The word ‘Text’ associated with TOI makes one sit up and take notice. Perhaps it is time to include some more images, some more colors in the content rather than filling up the paper with just ads.

Page 28: TOI- Why is it a habit?

Words/Phrases that describe DNA

Pay me, use me and I will tell the world about you but in a very ideological way

BusinessYoung resurgent

Don’t’ read

Good stories, especially city based

Youth

Evolving

Hasn’t made a place for itself

Youth, Different, Trendy, Citizen Journalism, Alternative stories

Detailed

Don’t know why it exists

Hi-fi, Helix

Easy and light

Lost and confused

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Quick Insights

• While there were many readers who declined from giving a word association for DNA citing ‘I don’t read it’ as a reason (and hence were perhaps clueless about the image of the newspaper), perceptions as put forth by the rest were as interesting as those of TOI.

• The ‘Speak Up’ campaign of DNA has assured a strong association with the youth for DNA. This is reflected in the repeated use of the word in the association exercise.

• An important word to take note of is ‘evolving’. The perception is still that of a newspaper that is learning to give out news to customers and hence there is a lower level of trust on this brand of publication.

• A larger perception for the newspaper is that of ‘confusion, no clear reason for existence, and unsuccessful’. This, if we can take the liberty to assume is the perception of non-DNA readers, clearly points out to reasons why the paper is still struggling to compete with TOI.

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Quick Insights

• On a positive note, words like ‘Light, trendy, Citizen journalism’ etc. re-affirm the stand that DNA has tried to take all this while.

• It should perhaps focus on these very factors, giving an honest voice to citizens in order to attract loyal readership.

Page 31: TOI- Why is it a habit?

Words/Phrases that describe HT

Wish people would pay me as much as others

Old fashioned newspaper

Tradition Interesting

Should improve in business section

They sometimes provide with magazines, that is good

Bigger pictures, serious

Boring

Political, comprehensive, criticalPerfect balance, better layouts, Change, Indian

Rational news, sobre, Complex, competitive, Aspirational, let there be light

Page 32: TOI- Why is it a habit?

Quick Insights

• If the people who gave word associations for DNA were lesser than those for TOI, the case for HT was even worse.

• The most common word that came across was ‘boring’. Perhaps the newspaper’s initial attempt to come across as honest and serious has backfired and remained ingrained in the minds of the readers (despite its attempt to come up with a more snazzy image and the ‘change’ campaign). This is something that is definitely working against the newspaper leading to its downfall in Mumbai.

• The HT readers/loyalists have a lot of good things to say about the paper. Bigger pictures (photographs) interestingly features as one of the positives for the newspaper. Apart from this layout, seriousness of news, critical nature of news is something that readers quite like to read.

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WHAT DO THEY LOOK LIKE?

Image association

Page 34: TOI- Why is it a habit?

TOI Image Associations

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DNA Image Associations

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HT Image Associations

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Concluding Section and Summary

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Objections and Criticisms for newspapers-as stated by readers

• Paid Content – Credibility is questioned• News in Mumbai Mirror gets repeated• Some sections are boring and monotonous• The Jacket ad concept of TOI is extremely irritating• Lot of supplements full of just Bollywood news • Sports is not covered• Times of India is getting very filmy • Data sometimes misguides from the actual news• TOI is biased towards Congress and news quality is deteriorating• Better layouts?• Too many dirty ads, lesser reading material • Sensationalizing the news• ET, TOI do not mention sources of news in many articles • Looks like TOI comes out with newspaper for advertisers rather than readers

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Research summary and conclusion

• Interestingly, majority of the complaints are made by existing TOI readers• The complaints range from sensationalism to excess of advertising• And yet, a whopping 88.9% of the audience, as seen earlier subscribes to TOI and

DOES NOT WANT TO DISCONTINUE IT.• Factors like habit, legacy and introduction of new supplements like Mumbai Mirror

to counter competition have worked extremely well for TOI in Mumbai, so much so that people find TOI as a person they sometimes want to get rid of, but yet can never do without.

• Every aspect of this research has time and again proven that the supremacy of TOI is here to stay despite of its monopolistic attitude. This will remain until something really radical comes up to counter this media giant.

• As for DNA and HT, will have to keep trying harder and make do with the image of being ‘second newspaper’ in the households.

• Finally, I have to accept. TOI does RULE. And WILL RULE for ‘Times’ to come.

Page 40: TOI- Why is it a habit?

THANK YOU