HT Media's FOG campaigns garner strong response from readers and advertisers

The Festival of Gifts and Festival of Gold campaigns drew significant participation, offering a glimpse into reader demographics and brand recall.

In a strategic move to enhance reader engagement during the recent festive season, the HT Media Group successfully executed month-long Festival of Gifts (FOG) campaigns. While Festival of Gifts targeted print platforms, Festival of Gold was designed for digital platforms, covering 11 locations of Hindustan Times and Hindustan. The campaigns featured daily festive quizzes that attracted over 6 lakh entries, ultimately announcing 650 winners.

The participation extended beyond the readership, with 273 clients from major cities such as Mumbai, Delhi-NCR, Chandigarh, Lucknow, Varanasi, Patna, and Agra. This diverse engagement generated enthusiasm among both readers and advertisers. Notably, both campaigns achieved a 1.6% click-through rate across Hindustan Times and Hindustan websites, demonstrating consistent daily participation.

According to internal HT Media data, a significant portion of responders on Hindustan Times were iPhone users, highlighting the tech preferences and the High Net Worth Individual (HNI) demographic among its readers. The campaigns also showcased diversity, with three out of four responders on Hindustan being under the age of 45, and 33% being women participants. In the Hindi heartland, Kanpur emerged as a standout, recording the highest responses across Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Jharkhand.

A Kantar brand lift study conducted in October 2023 to assess brand recall among key target audiences indicated positive success metrics for the campaigns, revealing a substantial increase in brand recall and a notable brand lift of 20 percentage points* for client brands among Hindustan readers. This outcome marks a significant takeaway for advertisers seeking to connect with their target audience.

Madhu Pai Bagwadia, marketing and PR manager, Tourism Australia (Mumbai), commended the initiative, stating, "They say the best gifts are not wrapped in paper but in thoughtfulness, which is exactly what Hindustan Times has done for its readers by putting together this FOG campaign."

Joy Daniel Pradhan, an avid reader from Delhi and one of the winners, expressed his excitement, saying, "I am really excited about winning this prize! Having been a reader of Hindustan Times since my journalism school days, this gift holds special significance for me. I'm delighted to share it with my partner, making this moment even more meaningful."

As the group concludes its festive campaigns, these innovative initiatives underscore the significance of unifying reader and advertiser engagement. They successfully capture the pulse of the nation during the festive season, contributing to a meaningful and interactive experience for all stakeholders involved.

*Source - Based on the brand lift study conducted by Kantar in Oct'23 to understand the brand recall among the key target audiences

(We got this information in a press release.)