MMM –Sem IV

Sneha Narendra Jangid

Roll No - 14

Advertising Strategies of Times of India

Q1. What factors have contributed to the success of times of India / what strategies they
have adopted in the Indian market.

Answer 1.

1) Promotion (P) – Creating awareness among the people, promoting as brand with
functional elements like’ largest circulated’ English newspaper, most upmarket
newspaper
The company has worked effectively in building TOI as a Nation Brand. It has
concentrated on promoting TOI as a brand with functional elements like
• Largest circulated’ English newspaper

• Mostup market newspaper

• The newspaper with a grip on future.

2) Exposure to readers to different perspectives – knowledge regarding various sectors

3) Adoption of world war–II strategy called pincer movement strategy-
4) The Advertising Strategy of Times of India touched every Indian’s life. They have
moved from functional, circulation based advertising claims to establish an emotional
chord with readers. They have used a set of emotions from hard realty to humor, from
slice of life creative to those celebrate a day in an average Indian’s life
5) They have shifted to emotional platform where the newspaper is being projected as
something that chronicles the aspirations of Indians. It reflects struggle, turbulence,
success and failure in an Indian’s life.
6) This campaign helped in changing the outlook of people towards the newspaper.
7) Buffet of content with diverse range of interesting news covering
political analysis
Metaphysical Stories
Local & Global Coverage
Use of Graphs and illustrations
Cartoons & Caricatures
Short & Crisp News.
8) Pricing Factor as compared to competitors – they come with combo offer to provide
more content of news to people at lesser price – further adding new editions to it.
Selling newspapers for Rs – 75
9) More readers chose times of India because it give them more for less
10) New Editions of newspapers with more content and exposure to sports, education,
Business, Entertainment etc
 11) Strategy to understand the readers interest, program to sense the life style of Indian
people and to develop the newspaper with Indian touch and feelings.
12) The advertisements have highlighted the ‘Indian-ness’ in all the campaigns and
reflected how TOI is a part of this great journey of Indian-ness
13) The strategy was the create awareness, communication, and acceptance from the
readers it adopted Marketing Strategy, Price Strategy, Media Strategy.
14) News paper runs between 24 and 32 pages and carries daily city centric life style and
other supplements such as Delhi Times, Bombay times, Kolkata times and related
supplements like Education times(Education), Ascent (Carriers) and times property
(Real State).

15) There is also strong emphasis on local content without disturbing the brand philosophy
to the core.

16) In 2002, TOI introduced a slicker launch in International standards

Q2) Evaluate the advertising campaign of Times of India. What are the learning lessons
from these campaigns?

Answer 2 –

The Advertising Campaign of Times of India is to touch the lifestyle of India and to cover the
areas of emotion of the people. The ultimate strategy was to show the Indian ness in the
covers. It tired to touch the every Indian life

The Advertising Campaign of Times of India touched every Indian’s life. They have moved
from functional, circulation based advertising claims to establish an emotional chord with
readers. They have used a set of emotions from hard realty to humor; from slice of life
creative to those celebrate a day in an average Indian’s life
They have shifted to emotional platform where the newspaper is being projected as something
that chronicles the aspirations of Indians. It reflects struggle, turbulence, success and failure in
an Indian’s life.
Different campaigns of TOI’s are
1. Lead India

2. A day in the life of India

3. Touch India

4. Incredible

5. Power of joke

6. Hrithik’s a good

This campaign helped in changing the outlook of people towards the newspaper.
They came up with new edition and creative ideas – making use of graphs, illustrations,
cartoons
The advertising Campaign of TOI make use of extensive technology

Times of India campaign reached to all masses -

More content of information with coverage to both local and global New
Providing diversified news information in different sectors like education, Sports,
Entertainment, Politics etc

The TOI offered its hindi newspaper Navbharat Times (NT) with the English
newspaper at a special price of Rs 75 per month :it was a great scheme as existing readers
of Navbharat Times got an opportunity to read the English newspaper for only a small amount

TOI offered its second combo offer TOI with Economic Times at the same attractive
price of Rs 75 and the response was overwhelming. In early 2003, TOI in Delhi became the
first newspaper to go full color.

Lessons –

Most important learning from the campaign was about the idea of increasing the content of
news information with diversified coverage of sectors.
Pricing strategy – Pricing strategy as compared to competitors was to provide more news
information to the readers at lesser price and also with coverage to various segments of life.
It focused and played with human emotions and provided them with the information the
readers looking for or will be interested to read.
The idea was to provide the look and feel of the news touching the Human Emotions.

Q3. How the goal of integrated view of all edition can be achieved through a modified
advertising campaign.

Answer 3 -

Providing News Information covering all the editions, highlighting the headlines and the
content of each edition can help to achieve the goal of integrated view of all edition.

Advertising Campaign for getting readers attention to the advertising message and creating
awareness among readers about the coverage, content and focus of news of each edition.

Providing the editions with combo offer – all edition more news at lesser prices.
Providing more at less price will be the effective strategy for achieving the goal.

The advertisements have highlighted the ‘Indian-ness’ in all the campaigns and reflected how
TOI is a part of this great journey of Indian-ness. The Times Group constantly keeps things
exciting – not just through their contents, but also through their designs and innovations.
Everything that they do is also always greatly marketed and backed up by perhaps one of
India’s best sales teams, which is always equipped with the best tools and researches. In their
campaigns – rather than talk about the newspaper, they try and be the platform or the presenter
of ideas that come from the readers’ own lives, reflect their hopes, aspirations.
For the following way modified advertising campaign of TOI achieved the goal of all editions.
1. In the combo offer campaign TOI offered its Hindi newspaper Navbharat Times (NT)
with the English newspaper at a special price of Rs 75 per month. It was a great
scheme as existing readers of Navbharat Times got an opportunity to read the English
newspaper for only a small amount. People could buy a package for their family. So
the reader got a chance to have different perspective of exposure. In less than 30 days,
the TOI-NT combo could move 200,000 orders.

2. In July 2003, TOI offered its second combo offer TOI with Economic Times at the
same attractive price of Rs 75 and the response was overwhelming.

3. Due to competition of Indian Express, Hindustan Times and DNA, TOI distributing
Mumbai Mirror along with it. Due to this combo offer sell of TOI increased a lot.

Q4 . Suggest an Advertising Campaign for the times of India covering objectives,

message and Media Decision?

Answer 4 –

Advertising Campaign – Objective Increasing the Response

Making use of Different Headlines, Catchy Slogans – it will help to grab attention of the
readers.

Testing different headlines, offers, copy, themes, ad sizes, photos, illustrations etc

Headline is 70% responsible for the success of advertisement. You want it to promise the
biggest benefit, or to ask a provocative question. “Loose 10 pounds in 2 weeks” is a
benefit promise headline. Headline Must Be Great.

Combining News and Advertising - Providing Information to readers with combination of

News and Advertising. Creating interest as getting the information with combination of news
and advertisement.

Advertising – Theaters Advertisement - Covering the news regarding Politics, Sports,

Education creating awareness of the coverage of news among the people
Strategy can also be used by providing offer and discounts to TOI newspaper readers – Movie
tickets or discount Coupons
Campaign to awaken strong emotions in your customers. Emotions are triggered by clear and
powerful benefits. Give benefits, not features. Touch on human desires and needs, and offer
the solution to the problem.

Graphics - Readers will look at graphic than read headline. By using a graphic or a photo,
we will get the attention of twice as many people with newspaper advertising.

Media Decision – The major decision for the advertiser is making the right choice of
media Type.

Placement of Hoardings, Television, Radio Broadcast, Internet, Sending SMS to cover the
masses using catchy Headline – Eg – Tsunami exclusive coverage by Times of India.

Due to less circulation of TOI in rural part of India I suggest “Read India” advertising
campaign. Its objective is cover rural educated people of India.
I will give the message in a clear way to understand well the people. I suggest a “Read India
Read” slogan for people to understand the message and interest to read newspaper.
I will suggest local celebrity to spread the campaign in the rural part of India. These celebrity
create an awareness and interest in the people. Also select home media like hording near
school and market and also spread pamphlets to increase the awareness in the people.