The Hindu launches hub of information

The South India-based English daily has launched a microsite to cater relevant information about its readership, events, innovations and market for media planners, buyers and marketers.

In an attempt to communicate better with media planners, buyers and marketers, the South India-based English daily has launched a microsite, www.thehinduhub.com, that carries information about the readership numbers and circulations of The Hindu newspaper and its several editions, as well as other publications of the group across different states and cities. The site also reveals information on the events executed by The Hindu, various innovations on offer and its future plans for advertisers.

The microsite is called a hub because it provides all the information about The Hindu, Frontline, Sportstar, Businessline, Metroplus, Youngworld, Education Times, Friday Review, Habitat and Empower, along with the upcoming launches.

Speaking about the idea, Suresh Srinivasan, vice-president, The Hindu says that the website is a readymade presentation for the sales and marketing team while they begin a pitch process to an advertiser or a marketer.

"We wanted to create an independent medium or a platform for dialogue between the media planners, buyers and marketers and the marketing and sales teams of The Hindu. We were never sure about what exactly gets communicated to the media agencies or the marketers, so this is a prepared content that will give information about all our products and innovations to the marketers and in future will disseminate more information about the print market," he adds.

To promote the website, The Hindu has released an ad in its newspaper that says 'The first source for the last word on the print industry'. It takes its database directly to marketers and the publishing house has asked its sales team to use the website as the first point of communication in any pitch.

Through this initiative, the English daily aims to position itself as a newspaper that understands the print industry much more than the others, especially the industry in South India (where it is the leading English daily) and across other markets, too.

Srinivasan adds that the microsite will give marketers/advertisers a good perspective of the South India market as there are many people who do not understand the South India market that well.

The first of its kind website will be managed by the marketing teams of the English daily; the editorial will have no say in it. It will be updated periodically and the marketing teams plan to add new content to keep the site fresh. It also plans to add podcasts on consumer insights and other subjects in the future.