Imagine Dil Se readies quiet re-launch strategy

Popular free-to-air Hindi entertainment channel, Imagine Dil Se is getting ready for a re-launch, which it plans to roll out over the next few months.

In India, Imagine TV has witnessed stiff competition from recently revamped channel Life Ok (previously Star One) and has pushed Imagine TV down to seventh in the pecking order.

According to a report on AFaqs, Chief Content Officer at Imagine TV, Vivek Bahl, said plans were being put into action of new shows being launched in the coming weeks.

First up will be ‘Gyan Guru’, a quiz show based on religion and culture, slotted during primetime. Bahl says that the show will not be episodic so that viewers are forced to return the next day.

As part of plans, Bahl said there will be the launch of two new fiction shows in February called ‘Mi, Aaji Aur Saheb’ and ‘Jamuna Paar’.

“The first half of 2012 will see small and simple shows to build that confidence in viewers. Once that confidence is built, the second half will have bigger shows like ‘Swayamvar with Veena’, along with a number of new fiction launches,” Bahl says

The channel also plans to re-strategise its scheduling so that it can use its repeats effectively. Bahl says, “For many channels, 60 per cent of its weekly GRPs come from repeats. These channels telecast only those shows which perform well. Our strategy will be different. We will craft our creative strategy in a way that shows which have the potential to grow, as well as shows which show slow growth, will both benefit from repeats in the long term.”