MUMBAI: With Children’s Day coming up next week, kids’ channels have lined up special programmes to entertain the little ones on 14 November.
The latest kid on the block, Sony Yay, is all set to woo kids for the entire month. A new logo will be placed on the channel depicting the month-long celebration. There are also activities such as submitting your imitation of Guru aur Bhole and winners are awarded prizes. Fans can also see new episodes of Paap-o-Meter.
Even though the day may call for more eyeballs, channels aren’t hiking their ad rates. Sony Pictures Network kids’ genre business head Leena Lele Dutta says, “Diwali was actually the week where we went out with differential prices. We are not planning for any differential prices on this occasion; it will be standard prices and standard rates.”
When asked if ad rates were hiked on Children’s Day, Brand-Building.com brand strategist and founder Ambi M G Parameswaran said that the ad rates do not get hiked for just a particular day. “At best, discounts are reduced but you may call it a rate increase and this happens at all peak seasons, Diwali and Dussera, among others,” he adds.
Stratagem Media founder director Sundeep Nagpal affirms Parameswaran’s statement. “Certain kids’ brands may have to pay more for that day (up to about 20 per cent more) only because of the demand-supply equation for such brands otherwise there is no significant difference.”
Delving into other channel’s pockets, there’s another channel- Discovery Kids-that will telecast specials of Sheikh Chilli – Ek Se Bhale Do and Sheikh Chilli and Gama – Khub Hoga Hungama. There will be cross-channel promotion for the occasion. Discovery Kids head Uttam Pal Singh says, “We are more network focused. We do not intend anything special because the occasion happens to be on the weekday. So we will completely focus on our channel.”
Turner India will be celebrating Kris’s birthday on Cartoon Network. This includes a party with Kris (from Roll No. 21) from 5-15 November, when kids can participate in a contest and win a chance to party with him at their homes. The channel also has a brand new movie, Roll No. 21 - Kris Aur Ande Ka Funda lined up on his birthday, 14 November, at 11 am. Market leader Nickelodeon is organising a contest to win iPhoneX handsets.
Not attaching a lot of importance to the day, young adult’s all-time favourite--Disney channel that believes everyday is Children’s day. The channel hence will not have any special program or campaign around 14 November.
Whether or not brands pay heed to Chacha Nehru’s birthday, children do love the day they are pampered at home and by their favourite cartoon characters.
