Mickey, Mini and me
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Playhouse Disney for pre-schoolers and the children's movies are Disney channel's edge over its competitors in India, Hema Govindan of Walt Disney Television International, tells SANGEETA BAROOAH PISHAROTY.
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Hema Govindan, Head of Marketing and Communications, Walt Disney Television International, India.
IT COULD be a bit of an exaggeration if someone comments that after parents, it is Mickey Mouse, Mini Mouse and Donald Duck that kids are well familiar with. But call it westernisation or just a long-resident habit of parenting worldwide, childhood universally at some stage has always encountered the troupe of the famous icons — Donald, Mickey and Mini.
And, this is such a piece of good news for four-month-old Disney channel in India!
Disney World is primarily about these icons for an English-speaking man on Indian streets and so, that becomes the trump card for Disney's two channels — Toon Disney and Disney — to try and nest themselves in the Indian TV viewing homes with kids.
Waving the flag of localisation, on the very day of launch of these two channels in mid-December last year, it also announced the launch of Toon Disney in Tamil and Telugu. Not only it is a first-ever for Walt Disney to launch two channels together, and two more in regional languages, for Indian history of channel launch too, it becomes a first.
Says Hema Govindan, Head of Marketing and Communications, Walt Disney Television International, India, "These familiar icons have worked elsewhere and so, we knew that it would work here too. They are such common parts of everyone's childhood."
Having said this, she also adds, "Besides this, we think our stronghold also lies in our segments for pre-schoolers and blockbuster-animated and live action movies."
Playhouse Disney directed at pre-schoolers, she stresses, "is only done by Disney. Others don't have a well-rounded, comprehensive segment for pre-schoolers."
Live skills, thinking skills, social skills, self-expression and early academics are the fields Playhouse Disney focuses on.
In the movie segment, Hema names animated versions of classics like The Jungle Book, Aladdin and The Lion King, etc, all in Hindi.
"We show as many as 60 good movies in a month. The focus is on good kid-driven family entertainment," she adds.
Poor distribution
As one would look at her with expectations when she talks about "redefining kids' entertainment in India," what comes as a solid roadblock is its still poor distribution system. "We are working on it," is Hema's response. She says, in this March-April block, the focus is also on its marketing. "You shall see more hoardings on the street, TV advertisements etc," she adds.
But what is the use if ads leave you craving for more and there is no way to satiate it.
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