MUMBAI: Just 10 days away from D-Day, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL) has embarked on a mission to educate and enlighten consumers about the new Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) tariff order and how it will benefit them.

Till now, packs focused on family viewing and bundled channels keeping everyone in mind. Now, it has launched a new multimedia multi-stakeholder communication initiative ‘Channels Ka Chunaav 2019’.

Talking to media, ZEEL CMO Prathyusha Agarwal said rather than looking at it as a multimedia campaign their approach is in the form of a behavioural change. While in terms of choosing channels broadcast sector had a very low involvement from consumers, the scenario is going to change soon as TRAI has put the power in the hands of consumers. Over a period of time, consumers will gradually start to evaluate what they are paying for. Explaining the structural change across the value chain, Agarwal spoke about ZEEL’s initiatives as well as the new regime’s impact on the industry.

On the new behavioural change program

We did a lot of work. We have done price modelling and consumer research in terms of path-to-purchase. The biggest worry is if they will end up compromising someone’s need in the family because budget remains the same. Is that a reality? Not necessarily true. Because once they start doing the exercise, they will realise that they are able to reallocate to the ones which they want. The entire behavioural insight focuses on the variety of needs of each family member and how to meet that demand.

The other one we have realised while doing this is that TV is seen as a family asset. So, when they are titrating it, the optimisation happens on the person fulfilling the needs of the family and hence the pricing of the bouquet is based on which is optimised for everyday entertainment needs. This is the monthly fee someone is willing to shell out that has been optimised for the everyday needs of everybody in the family. This is the ZEE approach and the behavioural campaign.

On readiness of DPOs

The DTH guys have systems in place and DTH consumers are already equipped with this. In terms of LCOs, it’s not as if every LCO is unprepared. I met an LCO who had his own app which he would look at for collecting payments and what he is giving to consumers. I met another LCO who did not have a clue. People who are already attuned to viewers’ demand will be the first movers and gainers. The rest of the mass majority will follow after that. Those who haven’t taken technological support are still empowering their salesmen.

On protests from LCOs

Every time there’s a change, there will be protests. First, they will ignore things, and then they will be listening and gearing up for action. I don’t think anybody is not wanting to do. Moreover, many times education and understanding help in a big way. Things will fall into place in the 29th-5th cycle when they go to collect money. By 25-26th of this month, they have to take the call.

On the change of pricing model

Currently, based on the pricing modelling that has been done, our pricing has been put by ZEEL which we believe is the right demand-led pricing. This is the channel which has a certain love from its viewers hence certain pricing has been fixed. It will get titrated because it was never an open market pricing. Earlier it was always a fixed bundle or fixed fee which is never a true representation of value.

On the change in subscription cost for consumers

The narrative is about reallocation, not increase. There might be or might not be an increase. India is a country where we always have a habit of trading up for what we want and trading down what we don’t need. So that is going to play out even in this sector. They will reallocate their monthly budget. If it does not fall in their budget they are going to shell that incremental money for what they really love. For consumers paying Rs 350, it’s going to be in the budget. Among those paying Rs 200, a little bit of reallocation and titration will happen.

On whether channel price will be relooked if SC strikes down 15 per cent cap

In TV ecosystem, now subscription pricing becomes an open market variable and hence you need to be ready not just when regulator intervenes but you have to be thinking about it at a conscious variable and hence be geared for it. Your consumer understanding of what is demand-led pricing will keep you in a good state in the long run. Obviously what the regulator is saying will make you go back and look at pricing. But even otherwise, we are really looking at it as the first pricing that has gone out. There is a behavioural change and there is a certain feedback loop that will happen from consumers saying what I am willing to pay for you. That will take six months to settle down. We will do continuous research.

Impact on advertising revenue

It’s a virtuous cycle. Brands which have the strength, pull and reach are going to actually benefit because the reach will keep going up. Because consumers will pick and choose, the reach will keep galloping and hence advertising revenues will go up. Where the product is not good, obviously you will not anyway get advertising revenues for it because there’s no reach. If it’s an open market, your offering and its quality will make you stand in a good state in both places. Till now there’s an artificial not knowing whether your product is doing well or not from the subscription side, now it will get opened up.

Content strategy

You never had random content being pushed doing well. When they don’t work, we shut those channels. So any good broadcaster who is committed to good content offering has always evaluated if it is performing well. You had the reach numbers to tell you if it’s catching eyes or not. It isn’t as if because of the new regime people will start evaluating their content. The good thing is there will be feedback on what is being pulled or consumed which will refine your strategy.