Dr Amit Rangnekar www.dramitrangnekar.com

Case learnings

• Successful marketing strategy of an Indian children’s

brand

• How ACK, built on print media, is connecting to its

target audience through relevant new platforms

• ACK’s attempt to emerge as a credible online

authority on India mythology & culture

• Brand building in the Indian context

• Analysis based on branding models

Comics- perceptual mapExp

en

siv

e

Traditional International

Aff

ord

ab

le

Popeye

Phantom

Marvel (Spiderman, Spider Girl, X-Men & Wolverine, Hulk, Fantastic 4)

Archies

Vernacular

Ben10

Tinkle

Asterix

Tintin

DC (Superman, Batman, Robin, Wonder Woman)

Richie Rich

Commando

Disney

Chandamama

Noddy

Champak

Comics in India• 1930s- US, animated films popular, led to comics

• Superheroes- Phantom, Superman, Batman- hits

• 1947 Chandamama, published in 6 languages since

• 1950s- Indrajal Comics (TOI) published US comics

• 1960s-Daabu (Milap) by Pran (Chacha Chaudhary)

• 1967- Amar Chitra Katha- Indian mythology & culture

• 1980s- Indrajal NPL Bahadur, ACK NPL Tinkle

• Comic graphics improved, but TV, Video games

affected

• 2007- Rs 100cr industry, 5mn English + 25 mn

vernacular

• Possible to create a local Superman/ Batman?

ACK mental map

Indian

Comics

Mythology

History

Stories

Acceptable

Knowledge

Art

Childhood

Library

School

Hobby

ACK 2008

• India’s most popular comic series ever

•90+ million copies till date

• 3 million copies per year, 10000 every day

• 436 volumes collection

• 20+ languages

• Global ambassador for Indian culture &

heritage

•Quintessential middle-class India culture

ideologue

ACK genesis• Anant Pai, UDCT Engineer, passion- publishing & comics

• Failed with children's magazine (Manav, 1954)

• 1967 Dismayed when Delhi boys unable to answer Indian

mythology quiz, but could answer on Greek mythology

• Quit Indrajal (TOI) when Indian section dropped

• Mooted comic on Indian mythology & national heroes, most

publishers rejected (Allied to Jaico)

• 1967 HG Mirchandani, India Book House, agreed

• ACK conceived and edited by Pai (Uncle Pai)

Founding thoughts

•‘Children love stories & stories

with pictures are even more

popular’

•Objective- Credible source of

Indian mythology, folklore, epics,

history, culture & heritage for

children

•Target- English educated urban

Indian children

• Position- Indian-style Aesop fables

•Comic book format, Art +

aesthetics, sober, iconic

1st edition

• 1969- 1st issue Krishna, No. 11, 30 page

• Monthly (then fortnightly)

• Not full colour- Panels in yellow, blue & green

• Subsequent issues, in full colour

• 1st issue lacked miracles-Krishna lifting

Govardhan

• Pai (engineer) skeptical of miracles, relented

(Superman without super powers?)

•Krishna reprinted 60 times, 1 million+ copies

•Followed by Ramayana and Mahabharata

•India’s most popular comic series

Slow & steady progress• Lucid, entertaining storylines, variety, slow

response

• Own style- panel, drawing and narrative

• Focus on diversity- Hindu- gods, saints, kings,

Muslim kings, British villains, musicians, courtiers,

freedom fighters, folk tales

•Illustrators- Yusuf Bangalorewala, Pratap Mulick &

Ram Waeerkar

•Borrowed from Raja Ravi Varma

• Writers- Anant Pai, Kamala Chandrakant, Margie

Sastry, Subba Rao, Debrani Mitra and CR Sharma

ACK contribution

•Colourful window into India’s glorious history and

mythology for urban Indian nuclear families

•Filled traditional story telling void (Grandparents) •launch coincided with shift away from joint families

•Ubiquitous, shaped Indian sensibility and identity

•Entertainment + education + reading habits

• Connects Indian diaspora to India•English helped reach majority of children•Brought alive architecture, costumes, flavours & facts•Non controversial, sober, parent & teacher acceptance•Promote national integration & regional awareness

Familiar formats

ACK- Criticism

•Stories simplistic, Indophilic and authentic

• Often single source research

• Most characters artist imaginations or from old

paintings and depictions

•Gods & kings, always fair and well formed

•Demons & villains dark & grotesque

•Hindu mythology specific

Makeover

• Mid-1980s, sleeker reprints of original comics

• More durable editions, thick cardstock covers

• Better colour separations

• National footprint- all major book retailers, most

small bookstores and many vendors

• Best-selling children's publication

Range

• Fables & Folktales (Panchatantra, Hitopadesha,

Jataka)

• History ( Shivaji, Akbar, Rana Pratap)

• Mythology (Krishna, Hanuman, Buddha)

• The Epics (Ramayana, Mahabharata)

• Humour & wit (Tenali Raman, Birbal)

• Biographies (Vivekananda, Lokmanya Tilak)

• Literary Classics (Shakuntala, Nala Damayanti)

SKU & extensions

•‘Singles'

•Hardcover 3-in-1 and 5-in-1 bundles

•Mahabharat special editions- 3 volume 1300+

pages

•“Bumper" issues 90 pages (Birbal, Hitopadesha)

• Longer stories ( Ram, Christ)

• Regional classics

• Back-issues in print throughout 1970s & 80s

• Full collections

• Issue collections

•Theme Sets

Lingua Franca

• Mid- 1980s

• 5 lakh copies per month

•English, Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, Assamese,

Gujarati, Punjabi, Kannada, Telugu, Tamil,

Sanskrit, Urdu

•French, Spanish, German, Swahili, Indonesian,

Fijian and Serbo-Croat

Indian animation

• Indian ‘animation DNA’ exception than norm, outsourced

• Hanuman, Disney’s Roadside Romeo, Toonz’s Tenali Raman, Green Gold’s Chota Bheem & BIG Animation’s Little Krishna- closer to world-class

ACK Media

• 2006 ACK Media, founder Samir Patil (Ex Mckinsey)

• N3Y $20mn- M&A + portfolio (brands, titles, content)

• N3Y- Top Indian content producer (stories, characters)

• 2006- M&A Amar Chitra Katha +Tinkle titles (IBH)

• M&A controlling stake in Karadi Tales

• Revive ACK popularity levels using new media

• Set up 20-25 ACK Lounges in metros and large cities

• Shop-in-shops & reading lounges- browse at leisure

Brand expansion

Category

Channel AdjacentSegment

Geography

Broadcast +

virtual media

Broadcast +

virtual media

Print media to entertainmentPrint media to entertainment

TVCinemaMobile

Internet

TVCinemaMobile

Internet

ACK

Indian to globalIndian to global

ACK Media- Founding thought

• Fables, religious parables and historical

biographies

• Introduction to great & lesser-known stories of

India

• “The opportunity to take brands locked in their old

worlds & rediscover them in other forms excited

me. ACK was synonymous with storytelling, and

will retain the unique ACK storytelling flavour”

ACK Website

• 2007 1 stop shop, global delivery, India free delivery

• Credible to suit gen now

• Target Indian children + Indian diaspora

• e-comics @Rs 45, promotions galore

• Telugu, Kannada, Tamil, Gujarati, Bengali & Marathi

• Ads on relevant issues, cultural updates

• ACKpedia- India encyclopedia- credible online authority

• Focus on customer engagement

Customer engagement

•Flip-pages to give comic feel

•Download ACK heroes

•Write own stories

•Draw own art

•Narrate own tales, share with others

•Design and mail a new ACK comic cover for

existing title

ACK Digital Media- Tie-ups

• Strategic fit- leverage own content strength of comic

books to harness digital media reach & potential

• Turner TV- Tinkle and Amar Chitra Katha

• Vodafone Essar mobile- audio books, comics,

ringtones & wallpapers

• Synqua mobile games- Bheema, Arjuna, Suppandi

• iRemedi- ACK comics on iPhone & iPod, global audience

• NPL- online, 2D multi-player game- Legend of Katha

ACK-Vodafone •Comics, stories & dramas, poetry on Vodafone Live

•Download ringtones, characters, wallpapers, quiz,

jokes

•Monthly subscription Rs 30

•Rs 5 to download video, Rs 15 ring tones, Rs 50

games

•"Today mobiles have as big a reach as TV. For

content owners like us, this is very critical. By

launching wide range of ACK games, wall papers,

comics & audio stories we have taken an important

1st step forward.“ CEO Patil

Why TV

• “We grew up in a different world. But to connect with

today's kids, you have to be present in the

broadcast (TV, films) media.” CEO Patil

• "Popular Children TV shows are from foreign sources,

hence dubbed, but adult programs are produced

locally & suit Indian tastes. So we have adopted

localisation strategy to take Indian kids' channels

content to the next level.“ Monica Tata- Turner TV

ACK on TV• Turner International- Content tie up

• Adjacent expansion, strategic fit (Harry Potter)

• 3 properties: Pre-production work+ In-house Cartoon Network

work+ Outsource production to other studios

• On air in 2010- Shivaji, Hanuman, Mahabharata

• “ACK entertained many generations, so its a great idea to

bring alive those amazing stories, which most Indian adults

have grown up with.” Monica Tata, Turner

• ACK similar plans for Tinkle magazines

Turner TV deal

•Archives- 26 episodes (30 mins) + 2 films (70

mins)

•Cartoon Network- Turner’s global animation

channel

•Pogo- Turner’s 100% Indian channel (only

country)

•Deal range-30 mins @Rs 12-20L, Film @ Rs 50L+

•Basis- content strength+ channel reach+ deal

period

•Turner- perpetual film rights, 7 years sub-

continent series rights, ACK can exploit other

markets

•ACK Turner’s 35th Indian animation title in L10Y

Turner TV• Harness popularity of Indian animations/cartoons

• Screened- Little Krishna & Chotta Bheem, Bal

Ganesh, Akbar Birbal, Tenali Raman, Vikram

Betaal

• Movies- Tripura- The 3 Cities of Maya - Summer

2010, e-comic for itunes

• Sons of Rama- Diwali 2010, Hindi e-comic

i-Remedi

• Technological tie-up- iRemedi Corp US

• Hi-res e-comics for iPhone & iPods from iTunes @$1.99

• Retell ACK classics to global audiences

• Titles- Krishna, Buddha, Gita, Ashoka, Saibaba, Karna,

Shakuntala, Panchantantra, Mirabai and Bheeshma

• “This launch has brought the world of Indian story-telling

to the iPhone community. Besides comics we will create

new applications and games for this platform,” CEO Patil

Copyrights

• No copyrights on mythological characters?

• But specific artworks can be patented

• Mythological characters- familiar, accepted, growth

potential

• So less money to familiarise & build such brands

• Lesser content development time as storylines &

characteristics known

• Scope to create new stories on accepted platforms

4Ps

Online, WoMback of book,

Online, retailers, book stores

India’s history, culture & heritage

VFM, affordable, volumes based

STPD

Indian school children

Route to their roots

Credible, sober, variety

English educated urban Indian school

children

PLC extension, strategy map

Amar Chitra Katha

ComicsOnline

TV

Cinema

Mobile

Gaming

1967 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

SynquaTurner TV

iRemedy

Vodafone

ACK Media M&A

Ansoff matrixX Market N Market

X P

rod

uct

N P

rod

uct

Adjacency expansion in entertainment & media

Brand Amar Chitra Katha- value proposition

Functional- Authentic, insightful, easy to read, sober

Economic- VFM, Sets

Emotional- Quintessential Indian history & glory

Brand Identity & Image

Customer’s Mind

Identity

Image (Perception

)Credible source of

Indian mytholog

y & history for children

Credible &

acceptable source of Indian mytholog

y & history

Position

Indian, credible route to

roots

POP & POD

PODCredibleAcceptedRangeReach

POPComic

English & Vernacular

VFM

ACK-Aaker’s ModelExtended

MultimediaGlobal

Brand Essence

Core

Tales

MultilingualEducation

Children

Entertainment

Indian history & mythology comics

Available

ACK- Kapferer’s Brand Identity PrismE

xter

nal

isat

ion In

ternalisatio

n

Physique (Purpose)- Knowledge, History

Personality (Soul)-Traditional, Indian

Culture (Brand in customer’s conscience)Sharing, common roots

Relationship (Brand to customer)-Social, family, ethical

Reflection (Customer identifies wrt brand)-Values, focus

Self-Image (Customer identifies brand wrt self)- Credible, acceptable

Keller’s CBBE / Brand Equity Pyramid

Loyalty, connect, engagement, attachment

Researched, credible Indian, roots

Knowledge, values, history Accepted, traditional

High recall, awareness, range, reach

Meaning

Who ar

e you

Respo

nse

What a

bout

you

Relatio

nship

Brand c

ustom

er co

nnec

t

POP / POD

Positive reactionsIntense loyalty

Aw

arenessIden

tity

Building blocks

Case questions

• Can the ACK comics model be

replicated across digital

media

• Would today’s kids reared on

western characters lap up

Indian mythology & icons

• Can ACK revamp to suit gen

now

• Would a virtual ACK emerge

as credible Indian online

authority on people, places

and culture

References•India's Immortal Comic Books: Gods, Kings, and Other Heroes, by Karline McLain, Indiana University Press, 2009. ISBN 978-0-253-22052-3•Turner laps up Amar Chitra Katha, Omkar Sapre PUNE , ET 7Aug09 p18 http://ibnlive.in.com/news/amar-chitra-katha-to-make-its-tv-debut-soon/99031-8.html • A New Avatar For Amar Chithra Katha! Mumbai, July 20, 2009 http://living.oneindia.in/kids/book-movie-reviews/2009/amar-chitra-katha-270709.html •Amar Chitra Katha and the construction of the Indian Identity- Pramod Nayar, The ICFAI Journal of English Studies, Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. 26-35, March 2006 •Amar Chitra Katha & Turner Ink Deal For Animated Films & TV Series; Legend of Katha

http://www.medianama.com/2009/08/223-amar-chitra-katha-legend-of-katha/ •Synqua Games To Develop Games On Amar Chitra Katha http://www.medianama.com/2009/04/223-synqua-games-to-develop-games-on-amar-chitra-katha-tinkle-rights-to-mythological-characters/ •Now Amar Chitra Katha is available on iPhone, iPods, Business Standard Reporter / Mumbai June 3, 2009•Changing with times: Amar Chitra Katha, Kanupriya October 7, 2008

References•The Classic Popular: Amar Chitra Katha, 1967-2007. By Nandini Chandra. New Delhi: Yoda Press, 2008. 260pp Paperback: ISBN-10: 8190363433 || ISBN-13: 9788190363433•ACK Media Pvt Ltd. Updated 03/8/2009•http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=39144912

•The Classic Popular: Amar Chitra Katha (1967-2007), by Nandini Chandra, Yoda Press, 2008. ISBN 81-903634-3-3.•Amar Chitra Katha makes a comeback online Oct 15, 2008 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anant_Pai•The Evolution Of Comic Strip And Its Changing Characteristics,Manas Maisnam http://www.kanglaonline.com/index.php?template=kshow&kid=728 •Comics may be India's new cult biz TNN 18 August 2006 •Amar Chitra Katha to make its TV debut soon Manisha Mahaldar / CNN-IBN, Wed, Aug 12, 2009•http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Amar-Chitra-Katha-makes-a-comeback-online/373664/

References• Tinkle; Rights To Mythological Characters? Nikhil Pahwa April 15, 2009 ⋅• "Amar Chitra Katha,Tinkle to entertain kids on Net". CNN-IBN. 2008-01-27• "ACK Media buys Amar Chitra Katha, Tinkle brands". The Hindu Business Line. 2007-

11-22• ^ http://www.iRemedi.com/amarchitrakatha.htm• ^ http://ax.search.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZSearch.woa/wa/search?

entity=software&media=all&submit=seeAllLockups&term=iremedi• The official Amar Chitra Katha website• The Amar Chitra Katha hangover, Anand Ramachandran, 2009-07-01

http://www.financialexpress.com/news/the-amar-chitra-katha-hangover/483313/• Amar Chitra Katha, Vodafone Essar tie up, 28 February 2009

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2009/02/28/stories/2009022850981700.htm• Amar Chitra Katha gets talking on Vodafone Indiantelevision.com Team (28 February

2009)