'2022 will see us renew our commitment to help our viewers tell signal from the noise'

CNBC-TV18 is all set to showcase its special programming line-up on the Union Budget 2022. The news channel has already roped in multiple brand partners for the upcoming programming. Brands like Snapdeal, ZOOM, Biz2X, Lenovo, EaseMyTrip.com, Campus Activewear, Bandhan Bank, and Toshiba have come on board. 

In a conversation with exchange4media, Shereen Bhan, Managing Editor and Anchor, CNBC-TV18, spoke about programming line-up for TV and digital planned for the upcoming Budget, marketing campaigns, and a lot more.

Excerpts: 

What is your programming strategy for the upcoming Union Budget 2022? 

CNBC-TV18 has been analyzing the Union Budget for the last 22 years. We have deep expertise in decoding the budget fine print and explaining the implications for the economy, industry and citizens. As always, we have put together a comprehensive programming plan which has been on air since January 1, a month ahead of the big day. We have focused on industry expectations through a series of CEO Round tables - the CEO Sentimeter. On our Budget Caravan, we have travelled to SME clusters & industrial hubs around the country to gauge the impact of the pandemic on business and the expectation from the Finance Minister. 

We have travelled to vegetable markets (mandis), and commodity markets to see how farmers are coping. On our special series - What The Market Wants - we have brought together the most influential voices from the Mutual Fund and Investor community to draw up a vision board for 2022. We have collaborated with Industry Chambers like CII, FICCI and ASSOCHAM to put together special surveys and polls. We have partnered with EY, KPMG & Dhruva Advisors to focus on tax-related issues and policy imperatives. On the Budget Day, we will be live from 7 am with eminent voices from different sectors analyzing the impact in real time. 

Do you have a different content strategy for TV and a digital news platform for budgets?

Our programming plan for digital has been focused on bite-sized explainers which make the Budget and its impact easy to understand, and accessible to a wide audience. There has also been a concerted effort to make our digital content more interactive and responsive to the feedback from our audience. From personal income tax on ‘Tax Talk’, to conversations on Twitter Spaces, we have tried to connect with our audience through different platforms and curated content. 

To what extent do you expect the viewership to go up from the budget coverage?

CNBC-TV18 has been the clear leader through the Budget month by drawing in record viewership. We expect this year to be no different.

How many sponsors came on board for the special line-up? 

We have leading brands from across sectors. These being Snapdeal, ZOOM, Biz2X, Lenovo, EaseMyTrip.com, Campus Activewear, Bandhan Bank and Toshiba on board.

What are the marketing campaigns planned for the special programming line? 

The Union Budget Campaign is our flagship property, and we are going all out to promote it via a comprehensive marketing plan.

As the economy gradually recovers from the upheavals caused by the pandemic, ‘Growth’ is literally the agenda for the coming year, and ‘Booster For Growth’ is the central idea of the campaign which is being brought alive with the leading faces of CNBC-TV18. The leading faces are sharing their analysis, insights and thoughts on what the audience can expect from the Union Budget through a massive on-air, social and digital campaign, including YouTube and OTTs, along with a series of radio interactions. 

An extensive social and digital campaign has been built on the thought - Hopes Of A Billion -  that encapsulates the hopes of our viewers from the Union Budget. To build up on this further, we are doing a bouquet of activities to amplify the buzz through - LIVE chats with renowned influencers, the flagship annual Budget Quiz, polls to gauge popular sentiments around the Union Budget, and interesting creatives and memes on social media to build engagement.

How was the year 2021 been for CNBC-TV18?  What are your expectations from 2022? What are the new shows lined up this year?

2021 was a challenging year but also a year of learning, innovation and change. We launched a brand new programming line-up under CNBC-TV18’s ‘Clutter Breakers’ umbrella, with the idea of disrupting ourselves and the genre. 

In a difficult year, we launched several marquee properties showcasing the depth of our talent - shows like Mad About Markets, Startup Street, The Making, Get Schooled, and special segments like Off The Charts, Tech At Work, The Medicine Box – which reinforced our commitment to provide differentiated and high value content that offers actionable insights. We are particularly proud of the 100s of hours of special programming focused on the impact of COVID-19 with the most respected leaders from the world of Healthcare, Pharma, Medicine, Govt. & Policy. 2022 will see us renew our commitment to help our viewers tell signal from the noise.