MUMBAI: When it aired on Star Plus two years ago, it took the nation by storm even as it brought home uncomfortable realities for not one but 13 weeks. At the time, Satyamev Jayate was the most talked about television show; its title the most searched phrase on Google. The channel claimed that the Aamir Khan-hosted show, simulcast in seven languages, reached a staggering 600 million viewers in its first season.
Two years later, the show is back by popular demand, with even more hard-hitting content - pertinent social issues that a majority of Indians are cut off from. And while it's too early to predict how season two will fare, judging by viewer response to the first couple of episodes, one can safely say that Star Plus' 360-degree promotional campaign is working well for the show, and the channel.
The Campaign
Launched on 26 January this year, the marketing campaign for season two of Satyamev Jayate was conceptualised around the thought, "Jinhe Desh Ki Fikr Hai" (Those who care for their country).
Spread across platforms including TV, print, digital, radio and outdoor, a series of on-ground activations with ambient touch-points called 'Fikr touch points' were held across the country. To drive greater affinity in the south, actors Mohanlal and Suriya were roped in as cultural ambassadors. A special people's version of the Satyamev Jayate anthem was created on Radio Mirchi that had ordinary people singing the original anthem and making it their own. What's more, the show promo garnered 4.4 million views on YouTube before its launch, which is a massive number.
On social media, on the day of the launch of season two, #SatyamevJayate trended as the number one topic across both Twitter and Facebook and together, resulted in 54.2 million impressions. On Yahoo, the show owned it for a day across each Yahoo webpage, resulting in more than 108 million impressions per day and more than four lakh clicks.
To top it all, out-bound calls in Khan's voice went out to people across the country, resulting in a total 23 million impressions in a day.
The Launch
The opening episode, focused on rape, received an overwhelming response from viewers. The show urged Indians to 'Vote for change' and one of Star Plus' leading protagonists took the cause forward by urging viewers to give a missed call on a toll-free number to help create One stop rape crisis centres across the country. Over 57 lakh missed calls were registered, of which 40 lakh calls were made within the first 72 hours of telecast of the show.
Among the seven hash tags created around the first episode, #FightingRape became the top trending hash tag in India on the day of the launch.
Four weeks before the launch, Satyamev Jayate's facebook page had nearly 10,000 PTAT (people talking about this). Today, the number is 7.5 lakh and counting.
At the end of season one of the show, the fan base was 1.4 million fans on facebook, which has now more than doubled to 3.4 million.
The Strategy
Satyamev Jayate is very important for the network at every level; be it content, marketing or any other.
"It's a unique show like no other. It's a show that leverages the power of a celebrity and the Star platform to create social impact. The reason it works is because it resonates with the citizen and the viewer who cares for the country and is concerned about these issues. Because these are issues that impact every family," says Star India EVP marketing and communications Gayatri Yadav.
The theme of the entire first season was "Dil pe lagegi, tab hi baat banegi". True to its theme, the show talked about issues that touched everybody's heart. The second season takes it a notch higher.
"The second season takes the whole promise forward. Because it taps into a sense of commitment and concerns that the average citizen has for the country," she says.
As for the theme of season two, the germ of the idea came from Star India CEO Uday Shankar. "We were thinking about what should be the theme of season two. From the season one, some complained that the show was too heavy and too difficult to watch on a Sunday morning. And we felt that is the nature of the show. The show is intense, it is going to be dealing with issues that are important to address," she says.
While it may not be the kind of stuff you'd want to see on a Sunday morning, people still do watch it because of the deep love they have for the country. Tapping into the love and concern every citizen has for the country is the promise of season two. "We don't really see as the episode is over, the cause is over," says Yadav. "This year, you will see a lot more engagement with the causes, even after the episode airs. As there are only five episodes this month, there will be a real focus on driving a very strong season finale which is the fifth day."
