Indian daily unveils national print push

<p>NEW DELHI: Hindustan Times has launched a national campaign across </p><p>India, re-emphasising its sombre and serious character to give the </p><p>newspaper a new shine. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The press and outdoor campaign is part of efforts to broaden the paper's </p><p>appeal in the 32 to 40-year old market, beyond its traditional base of </p><p>readers in the 45 to 50-year segment. The campaign is the first </p><p>conducted by the paper, which has a stronghold in Delhi, but is </p><p>preparing to expand into Mumbai, now dominated by its biggest rival </p><p>Times of India. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Grey New Delhi, which won Hindustan Times' advertising account in June </p><p>this year, has turned the paper's "statesman-like, conservative" image </p><p>on its head, using it as a strength to position the daily. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The agency's associate vice-president Prathap Suthan said these </p><p>perceptions of Hindustan Times, which is over a 100 years old, were </p><p>gleaned from readership research Grey conducted. "As it happens with a </p><p>lot of heritage brands, somewhere consumers start to feel it is an </p><p>old-fashioned brand. This was the problem HT faced," said Prathap. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"Our task was to give the brand a new shine, but not make it funky or </p><p>young." </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Instead, the five executions created for the campaign were built around </p><p>the word "smart" - a choice description, which Grey's research found </p><p>readers associated the brand with. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>However, since the idea of "being smart" varies from person to person </p><p>and from one age group to another, Grey chose to focus on it as an </p><p>individual's philosophy. Hence the tagline, "Live smart". </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>In one execution, a jogger talks about fitness for a smarter life. The </p><p>text continues "Like my lungs need oxygen, my brain needs inspiration. </p><p>My newspaper is my jogging track." </p><p><BR><BR> </p>