The latest initiative in the fight for this audience is Media Prima Berhad’s (MPB) shift in strategy for its TV9 channel. Set to celebrate its third anniversary in April, the station is looking to bolster its image and programming to cater to younger viewers and to attract more advertisers.
The channel premiered in 2006 with a focus on traditional Malay values. It targeted viewers in semi-urban and rural areas and was also known for its children’s programmes. So far, the formula has proved successful as TV9 has emerged to become the country’s second biggest channel among Malays and saw its viewership grow from eight to 12 per cent in 2008, trailing only market leader TV3 on 22 per cent.
However, viewers have not necessarily meant ads. “They have the viewers now, but it’s the advertisers who need convincing as most were sceptical whether their products would be relevant to TV9’s viewers. A lot more marketing needs to be done for advertisers to believe in the channel’s commitment and deliverables,” says Tan Siang Lin, MD of MediaCom Malaysia.
Another media agency head noted that TV9 needed “acceptance from advertisers and agencies that would shy away in the past when words like religious, semi-urban, ‘kampong (rural) dwellers’ were associated with the station. Previously, only a few clients agreed with TV9’s ideology.”
The makeover will see the channel shift strategy to target the young and vibrant urban Malay audience. That is in line with the growth of the young Malay population aged 15 to 39 years old, which makes up 65 per cent of the population of 8.4 million. To become more contemporary, TV9 will be unveiling a variety of programmes relating to music, fashion and celebrity. Other programmes including talk shows, reality-TV, magazine and documentary-style programmes are in the pipeline. TV9 will also be launching a series of on-the-ground events to connect with local audiences and will be looking to grow its kids segments.
The image change is part of a RM250 million (US$67.2 million) investment in content by MPB. Group MD Abdul Rahman Ahmad says 60 per cent of the investment will be for local productions while the remaining will go into acquiring foreign content.
TV9 is not alone in targeting this sector. Government-owned TV2, known as RTM2 before a January rebrand, is also making an effort to appeal to youth. There are also a growing number of cable broadcasters targeting young consumers, including Astro, which operates the Ceria and Ria channels.
Competition will be fierce and TV9 risks stealing share from its own sister station TV3. But in the long term change is needed if MPB is to keep up with the market. “TV9’s proposition was niche - it appealed and resonated well with Malay traditionalists,” concludes Andreas Vogiatzakis, MD of OMD Malaysia. “But as audiences progress and evolve, it is important for a media brand to be seen to be doing the same.”
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