Roy banks on branded content at Media Prima

<P>You could be forgiven for thinking that Media Prima is sitting pretty. As sole owner of all Malaysia's private free-to-air channels, it dominates the TV landscape, with a 48 per cent share of viewership. </P> <P><br><br><BR>But life is never that simple in Malaysia, where newspaper advertising expenditure outranks TV at a ratio of approximately two to one. And as Media Prima creative marketing group general manager Navonil Roy explains, it is precisely this reality that drives both the company's acquisitive instincts and its innovative efforts to turn branded content into a realistic revenue stream.</P> <P><br><br><BR>Roy's own role mirrors these twin goals. Along with overseeing the company's branded content division, he also plays a key role in Media Prima's marketing activities. After starting life in 2003 as the owner of the top-ranked TV3 channel, the company launched 8TV, and bought ntv7 and Channel 9, which it recently relaunched as TV9. That's in addition to two radio stations and a substantial stake in the New Straits Times Press.</P> <P><br><br><BR>While these moves have brought tremendous scale, they have also prompted some murmurings in the media industry from critics who worry about cannibalisation between its competing TV products. </P> <P><br><br><BR>"The reality is that, especially on TV, you're going to have some kind of duplication, but the objective is to have some broad levels of segmentation to minimise overlap," explains Roy. "That's why we have the four demographics. At a micro-level, we also do it in terms of scheduling. We've also integrated the sales teams into one, which allows for cross-deals and, from an advertiser point-of-view, is great."</P> <P><br><br><BR>Roy has overseen various campaigns run by each of the channels, in conjunction with the differing creative agencies: McCann Erickson on TV9 and TV3; Ogilvy on 8TV; and M&C Saatchi on ntv7. He is particularly suited to this task, given his own seven-year stretch at Leo Burnett, where he worked in brand planning and account servicing at Chaitra Leo Burnett India, before heading brand planning at Burnett Malaysia. "I believe I make a pretty bad client, because I'm quite understanding of agency problems," explains Roy. "It's been a revelation, and quite scary to realise how similar agency offerings are. No one is coming in from a radically different point of view."</P> <P><br><br><BR>In one regard, at least, Media Prima has displayed a degree of boldness not often associated with terrestrial players. Aggressively pushing branded content solutions across its TV, radio and newspaper properties, many of its initiatives in this area have placed it one step ahead of the rest of the region. Of these programmes, Roy points to a handful as being particularly groundbreaking. A Ramadan initiative for providing late night programming for Unilever brands achieved a high degree of resonance, and is now being replicated in Bangladesh. Drypers, meanwhile, kicked off a parenting reality show that is now expanding across Asia-Pacific, while Sunsilk and Pond's have also seen success through drama serials.</P> <P><br><br><BR>As Roy's examples demonstrate, it is the Procter & Gambles and Unilevers of the world that are taking the most notice of these opportunities. "It started off as something below the radar, especially from a regional point of view," says Roy. "Now that it's becoming quite big, you have more of a regional focus from the client."</P> <P><br><br><BR>In this regard, Roy sees his own background as an advantage. "I'd like to believe I brought in more of a branding and business perspective," he remarks. "It helps sell it to the marketing director if they can see what it does for their business and how it impacts their brand."</P> <P><br><br><BR>At present, the branded content revenue stream has grown to approximately five per cent of Media Prima's total TV ad income. Roy is expecting this ratio to stabilise at around 70:30 in favour of conventional spot revenue. Ultimately, he points out, the key driver behind branded content is nothing less than necessity.</P> <P><br><br><BR>"It's desperation, because it's a 60:30 market," says Roy, referring to the split between newspaper and TV adex in Malaysia. "If there was spot-buy revenue walking in through the door it would be different. But no one is trying to grow the market in terms of TV adex, which we need to do out here."</P> <P><br><br><BR>If that sounds stark, then so do many of Roy's views, not least when it comes to the future of the TV industry. "If you look at TV, the same shows are virtually running on all channels, for all practical purposes," he explains. "We have to do stuff which builds differentiation beyond programming.</P> <P><br><br><BR>"The fact that David Droga (of droga5) moved out of advertising for branded content is an indication that this is the way to go. The challenge is to keep it fresh, because it will become too cluttered." <BR>.</P>