Case Study
MTV - Making ‘desi’ cool - establishing MTV as #1 youth music channel in india
Challenge
Despite global appeal, MTV was facing stiff challenge from homegrown channels Channel V, B4U and not resonating with Indian youth due to westernized content and VJs, severely impacting growth with poor revenue from ad. sales
Approach
Recognizing the disconnect, MTV embraced Indian preferences and positioned itself as the Desi Cool’ youth music channel. It reoriented programming to reflect the new positioning, heavily in favour of Bollywood. Apart from creating whacky programming fillers such as Gaseous Clay, MTV Bakra, purpose led campaigns such as MTV Rock the Vote, Anti-Corruption campaign, amongst others.
The channel introduced large on-ground talent hunts across India, to support programming initiatives such as VJ Hunts, MTV Video Ga Ga music talent hunt, MTV Roadies and Splitsvilla dating reality show amongst others.
PR became the single biggest amplifier to support on-air promotions, creating constant buzz among viewers by optimizing national and local media, building differentiated profiles for VJs, making them omnipresent in media and top of mind as youth icons.
Result
Despite reliance on Bollywood driven content similar to its competition, MTV through powerful PR campaigns resonated with Indian youth with its Desi Cool position, localized programming, breakthrough on-ground marketing and immensely popular Indian VJ’s, with carefully curated public profiles through PR, It recorded significant growth in revenues in ad sales and sponsored content, building large client base among brands and shut down its competition out of business.
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Anil Nim
Anil Nim
Making him a trusted advisor for businesses that are leading the way, driving change, and shaking things up. He’s spent more than a decade each in top roles at major global communication firms and leading marketing teams in-house. His career includes stints at agencies like Vaishnavi Corporate Communications, Weber Shandwick, Genesis Burson Marsteller, and Edelman. On the client side, he’s held key positions such as Head of Marketing Communications at Invista for South Asia (formerly Dupont Textiles & Interiors), Associate Director of Brand, Marketing, and Communications at EY, and National Director of Communications at a top corporate law firm in India.
Anil has worked on mandates for large organisations, like helping MTV India grow into the leading youth music channel in the country, boosting sales for the Almond Board of California, managing reputational risks for GMR during the Delhi Airport privatization, and driving consumer preference and sales for LYCRA and Teflon brands in India. His experience spans a wide range of industries and brand challenges.
When he’s not immersed in work, Anil loves to travel to different corners of the world and has explored places like Spain, Russia, Hungary, and China. At home, he’s an avid reader, enjoys soaking up the sun with a good book, and finds gardening to be a great way to unwind and connect with nature.
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