Aidem Ventures to handle ad sales for GET Punjabi

For the record, GET Punjabi was launched in October 2011 by GEE Info Media. The channel is available across Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Himachal Pradesh (PHCHP). It is distributed on digital and analog platforms. Its programming mix comprises drama, comedy, horror, news, devotional, films, music, cookery and reality.

Independent media consulting, marketing and advertising sales company Aidem Ventures has been roped in to handle the ad sales duties for the Punjabi general entertainment channel, GET Punjabi.

GET Punjabi was launched in October 2011 by GEE Info Media. The channel is available across Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Himachal Pradesh (PHCHP). It is distributed on digital and analog platforms. Its programming mix comprises drama, comedy, horror, news, devotional, films, music, cookery and reality.

Announcing the appointment, Vikas Khanchandani, director, Aidem Ventures, says, "We at Aidem intend to create an assortment of focused offerings that deliver a pan-India reach to our advertisers. With this deal coming through, we have expanded our footprint in the regional market."

Currently, Aidem handles channels such as Jaya TV, Jaya Max, Jaya Plus and J Movies (Tamil Nadu), and Odisha's Lakshyya Entertainment and Mi Marathi in the regional space.

Regional markets form a sizable portion of the total TV pie, wherein much after Hindi GECs, the regional GEC genre is the largest in terms of viewership. Key regional markets in India present a large population with higher-than-average incomes and consumption patterns. They have grown at a higher rate than the national market, registering a growth of 15 per cent in 2011 (FICCI-KPMG Report 2012).

Alok Rakshit, head, broadcast business, regional and news, Aidem Ventures, says, "GET Punjabi is a perfect fit in our regional TV channels bouquet. It will help shape our growth path for the next few years. The Punjabi-speaking population across Northern India is the target audience for many brands. With Rs 75 crore riding on the Punjabi entertainment genre, the growing trend is deemed to continue."

Consider this: During the initial years of the 21st century, barely six-seven Punjabi films were produced every year. In contrast to this, about 17 films were released in 2011 and more than 40 films are expected to be released in 2012. Production houses such as Eros International and Big Pictures, which earlier produced only Hindi or South Indian films, are entering the Punjabi arena. Moreover, the Punjabi film industry that once clocked anywhere between Rs 3 to 5 crore a movie at the box office, now crosses the Rs 20 crore mark (estimated) for top movies. This evidently suggests that audiences are ready for Punjabi entertainment, Aidem claims.

"We at GET Punjabi invest a lot of time and resources to reinvent our programming and cover every aspect of entertainment in order to connect with evolving viewer interests. With Aidem's thorough understanding of what drives profitability and cash flow and its market-oriented approach to business, we are confident that this collaboration will have a progressive bearing on our ROI," says Manish Vasisht, executive director and CEO, GEE Info Media.