NEW DELHI, May 16 – Anticipating record viewership on Friday, the day India’s 16th General Election results are to be declared, popular news channels have jacked up their advertising rates. For a 10-second slot, rates have shot up from around Rs 10,000 (US$168) to up to Rs 200,000 (US$3,366), The Times of India reported.
So far this year, when it comes to ad rates, Indian Premier League 7, which is a cricket tournament, has hogged the limelight with advertisers coughing up nearly Rs500,000 (US$8,415) for a 10-second slot on television.
The 2014 general election took place in nine phases in India, the longest election in the country’s history, from April 7 to May 12 to constitute the 16th
Lok Sabha (Lower house of the Parliament). A single day counting will take place tomorrow.
The judgment day of Indian politics comes a close second, said the Times of India report. “I am not surprised,” says Navin Khemka, managing partner of Zenith Optimedia, a Gurgaon-based media-buying agency.
“Ad rates for May 16 have shot through the roof as news channels are expecting the whole country to tune in for poll results.” Brands from segments such as, insurance, plywood, veneers, two-wheelers and male innerwear will be looking to make the most of the excitement that poll results will bring to the table on D-day, says Khemka.
Despite popular celebrities like Gul Panag hopping onto the political bandwagon, it seems most Indian women like staying away from politics. Or at least that’s what advertisers believe, the English daily said.
Various media buyers said that mostly male-centric brands are expected to rule the airwaves during the period. “Historically, it has been noticed that brands that cater to men are the biggest advertisers during elections. For poll results too, it’s not a very different story,” says Hema Malik, Vice President at Lodestar UM.
Says Khemka, “whether it’s the public sector or private, the Indian workforce is still predominantly male. Election results are huge conversation starters for them since they feel it will affect them more than women. As more and more women enter the workforce, we will see a gradual shift in advertising
patterns.”
Interestingly, when it comes to ad rates during elections this time, media buyers say English news channels have made a lot of headway when compared with
their regional counterparts. “There is less clutter in the English news channel space,” says Khemka. “And we have seen the emergence of a few big personalities.”
– BERNAMA
