Channels push 'exclusive' ads

To help clients cut through the clutter, TV channels are offering advertisers category exclusivity for a premium ranging from 10 to 25 per cent for prime time programming and special events.

"At the moment, we are trying out category exclusivity as yet another value addition for some of our long-term advertisers on certain key spots," said a Star India official.

The move is a part of Star's initiative to bring on board a larger number of long-term advertisers by sharing with them future programming details and the expected TV rating points vis-a-vis the competitors.

With the number of brands and new variants growing in product categories like consumer durables, automobiles and telecom services, advertisers are increasingly feeling the impact of the on-screen clutter.

Category exclusivity became an important issue during the telecast of cricket matches a few years ago. Companies, which had the ground rights and title sponsorship suffered because their competitors would swamp the channels with spot advertising.

"Today, category exclusivity is given for live cricket telecast and some channels are trying it out for general entertainment programming at a premium," said Sandeep Vij, president OMS, Mudra's media-buying arm.

"We have always insisted on exclusive airing of advertisements in our product category when we are the title sponsors for any programme. In the case of category exclusivity, there is a notional premium attached to the rates which means we will not be offered spots on a discount," said Salil Kapoor, Head (marketing), LG India.

According to Ashish Kaul, vice-president (brand development), Essel Group, offering category exclusivity is a commercial consideration, which depends on the popularity of a programme.  "Exclusivity on all programmes is not possible but we sell the concept selectively," he said.

"It is still very early days for this trend. Category exclusivity is always desirable for advertisers as it provides a brand better visibility, but it would be difficult for TV channels to sustain it in the long run," said Hemant Sachdev, corporate director (marketing), Bharti Enterprises.

Earlier this year, the quest for a clutter-free advertising avenue forced the country's largest advertiser Hindustan Lever and its media-buying partner Midshare to start a cable TV channel in parts of north India and Gujarat called Tmatrix. The channel, which carries programmes for four hours a day, exclusively airs HLL ads.