Introduction

•  Name of the programme / product - The Times of India, Student Edition •  Category of the entry - Editorial •  Sponsoring newspaper - The Times of India •  Complete address of the newspaper - The Times of India

Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. Times House 7, Bahadurshah Zafar Marg New Delhi, India 110002

•  Details of project director - Ms. Deepti Mehra Dy. General Manager deepti.mehra@timesgroup.com 011-23492050

•  Circulation - 3,46,000 copies •  Frequency of the newspaper - Monday-Friday •  A one-sentence description of the project - Customized Newspaper for the 21st

century youth •  Target of project - Young adults aged between 10-16

years

Core Category: Editorial

1. Description

Programme Size

The Times of India – Student Edition now effectively reaches out to

6,90,000 student members

in over 2200 schools

across 11 cities

Program Configuration

-  The Times of India Student Edition, an ace product of the Times NIE programme, targets students in the age group 10-18

-  It is edited exclusively for the Indian teen, a mind that is intelligent, articulate

and wants to be successful

-  The Edition has been noted to be of high interest to young adults due to its crisp reporting style and ample opportunities for interactivity

Programme Audience

Program Configuration

A comprehensive newspaper which forms the mainstay of the Times NIE program. Dedicated to school going children, it is a customized student newspaper, designed in a student friendly manner with each and every section carefully crafted to meet the student needs.

-  It features stories that reflect youth concerns, attitudes and interests

and comprises pages that are designed for the youthful mind-set.

-  Since curriculum and school is the most important focus of under-17s, the edition provides stories and articles that may be used as reference or topics for discussion in classrooms.

-  It encourages the tenets of excellence and integrity while reflective of the panoramic view on life.

Descriptor : The Times of India, Student Edition

- Use the newspaper as a learning aid which bridges the gap between

classroom teaching and the current world

- The newspaper aims at engaging the student by introducing interactivity, where each page features articles by students, teachers, young people and their parents

- The emphasis is to empower the young reader, so that s/he emerges a

winner, both at school and in his/her social set-up.

Goals: expected to be met

About the Times of India, Student Edition

Aim: To cover the latest most significant happenings across the world in a relevant, impactful manner.

Detail: Youth centric news and trend stories specially packaged for young readers. Stories would include comments, both by experts and youngsters.

Front Page

India and The World

Aim: A news page that comprises important news of the day across the globe, thus updating the reader on the latest happenings.

Detail: A mix of local, international, national and business news that bears relevance for the young reader. Apart from a lead feature and short reports on events of the day, the page also includes daily columns to make it more interesting.

Aim: A bonanza read on a daily basis, covering a wider spectrum of issues of interest to young people

Detail: In-depth insights into various aspects of entertainment, books, music, movies, travel, science and technology; thus delivering an encyclopedic appeal in a twitter style format topics of interest to students

Theme Pages

Aim: Provide insights into events and trends in the school campus that interest the youth.

Detail: A page dedicated to l school news, events and achievements of individual schools, students and teachers. It includes news features on spotting new trends in schools. The tenor of the page would primarily help students to surge ahead and excel in school.

School is Cool

Aim: A customized edit page that evokes analytical ability amidst youth.

Detail: This page includes commentative articles on topical issues and events which impact youth attitudes. It primarily features user generated content, including articles by good writers and young adults.

iComment

Interchangeable page

Aim: The content helps tweak the young mind and simultaneously generates entertainment

Detail: A light hearted page that features the best of teen comics, puzzles and games, jokes, riddles, funny quotes and odd news. Quiz Time and Write Right sure get the popular vote.

Junk Yard

Aim: To help students demystify a topic and explain it in a reader-friendly manner.

Detail: Insight into who, why and what behind news which is current and contemporary hence demystifying issues in a reader-friendly manner. The emphasis is on the core issue minus all jargon. It would have in-depth articles on contemporary issues to provide a complete low down and understanding of people and events in the news.

In Focus

Aim: This page is dedicated to sport news and sporting heroes, including school sporting heroes.

Detail: Focuses on daily dose of sport news in India and across the world. There are special features on sporting news of what's happening sports wise across the various schools in the city. An all time favourite.

Simply Sport

Aim: To provide encyclopedic information to our young readers in a fun way.

Detail: A fun, yet informative page on understanding and decoding the world around, in short almost anything that a young adult would be interested in.

Beyond the Blackboard

2. Development

Development

The Times of India, Student edition is owned and managed solely by the Times Group. We ensure a spate of sponsored contest and columns by external clients from time to time.

External clients who have partnered with us.

(contd.)

To ensure interactivity and maximum involvement we keep coming up with activities and contests which involves the students using new media and technology. While the contest is printed in the newspaper the responses are sought through electronic medium.

Print initiatives introducing alternate media usage

Integration of Print and Electronic medium

Integration of Print and Electronic medium

(contd.)

Integration of Print and Electronic medium

(contd.)

3. Marketing

Marketing: The Times of India, Student Edition

1.  Brand Advertisement

To create brand awareness and brand image, strategic advertisement campaigns have been created to generate awareness for The Times of India, Student edition and the Times NIE program as a whole.

While the Times Newspaper in Education programme has a whole gamut of activities, the following activities are exclusively focused to strategically market the brand value of the Times of India, Student Edition and simultaneously deliver value to the young reader.

Activities Print -  Times NIE Fundamental Quiz - Times NIE Mindfield -  Spell Bee - Times NIE Privileges -  Times NIE Summer Training -  Times NIE School Reporters/ Times NIE Star Correspondents -  Times NIE Newsmakers Meet -  Times NIE Guest Editor -  Times NIE Editorial Interface - Times NIE Press Visit

2. Brand Activities

Times NIE Fundamental Quiz

Aim: Inculcate the habit of reading by basing the quiz on information and knowledge harnessed from the newspaper

Description: An information, entertainment and education based event, true to the philosophy of giving education a new dimension. A one day event where students meet and compete at the preliminary and final rounds. Associated with high value, high quality and a top of the line Quiz master, the event draws a few thousand students.

Spell Bee

Aim: A fun event based on usage of the language and its very many nuances extracted from the newspaper.

Description: An event which engages over a lac of students by testing their mettle in English Language and word power, directly derived from the newspaper. A mass participation event with a national and international synergy, culminating in the US. Loved by all, it engages students gainfully with the newspaper.

.

Times NIE Summer Training

Aim: To facilitate budding writers to create a newspaper of their own choice. Hence familiarizing with the newspaper in a comprehensive manner.

Description: An exclusive ‘Summer Training’ programme providing an exposure to the field of journalism under the tutelage of the National Editor. In addition provide comprehensive insight into organization behavior and its various functions. Students gain hands on experience in journalism and a “Letter of Recommendation” from the Editor. This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance for deserving candidates.

Times NIE School Reporter Times NIE Star Correspondent

Aim: To initiate students into the concept of journalism and within that training as a reporter by writing for The Times of India Student edition.

Description: A detailed evaluation and screening helps identify Times NIE School Reporters and amongst those hard core committed writers who are elevated to the status of Times NIE Star Correspondents. They constantly write for the edition and hence contribute to the newspaper. The students see their name in print by covering school news, celebrity interviews and writing on issues/topics that concern youth.

Times NIE Newsmakers Meet

Aim: To promote journalism and civic consciousness among students through the medium of the newspaper.

Description: Formatted as a large scale ‘Press Conference’, school reporters from every school accost eminent editorial staff and civil authorities on issues affecting the life of the populace, especially the youth. Outstanding School Reporters win accolades as Times NIE Star Correspondents and are inducted into in-depth training in journalism, from the Times Group editorial team.

Times NIE Guest Editor

Aim: To create a ‘shadow editorial’ board of students, teachers and principal of a particular school to create a newspaper for Pan India NIE audience.

Description: A concept that mirrors issues that impact students. As part of this we invite students and faculty or even well known personalities to form an editorial board wherein they play the all important role of the “Guest Editor”. The newspaper that emerges helps us understand the issues and concerns that need highlighting in the young world. These special editions are newspapers “by the students, of the students and for the students”.

Times NIE Editorial Interface

Aim: To introduce students to the concept of discussing social causes at a local level. Subsequently use The Times of India, Student edition to report the analysis, feedback and suggestions which could initiate positive change.

Description: It is formatted as a ‘localized press conference’ which includes a panel comprising students, principal, Editor The Times of India, Student edition and a representative who is an expert / socially responsible authority. The meet covers a current burning topic in news which is debatable & impacts society at large.

Times NIE Press Visit

Aim: To provide an exposure to the process of newspaper printing and production.

Description: Outdoor visits help integrate hands on experience towards holistic education. Such insights open a window to the world and add a new dimension to education. The Press Visit is a hands on educational experience and an insight into the media world from the production point of view.

Times NIE Mindfield

Aim: A learning aid which helps integrate the usage of newspapers with course curriculum, thus making learning current and updated.

Description: A workbook brought out 6-7 times in a year. Its a and fosters familiarity with the newspaper and subject wise integration for holistic learning. Its looked forward to as a wonderful learning tool.

Times NIE Privileges

Aim: To introduce the usage of the newspaper in a fun way, thus projecting it as a goody bag.

Description: The Times of India Student Edition is a storehouse of fun privileges for members. Offers include benefits, vouchers ad coupons to be exchanged for a range of products, from restaurants to entertainment and lifestyle. Printed once a week, they are looked forward to by all.

4. Evaluation & Results

Evaluating The Times of India-Student Edition

Modus Operandi

- Analysis was done across 11 Indian cities namely Delhi, Chandigarh, Lucknow, Jaipur, Kolkata, Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Chennai, where The Times of India – Student Edition is present.

- A sample size of more than 1100 students was contacted for the survey.

- The participants in the survey covered a wide spectrum of students from class 5-12th.

Evaluating The Times of India-Student Edition

1.  Parameters of Evaluation

- Design and Layout - Content - Interactivity - Overall Impact

Outcome

Evaluating The Times of India-Student Edition (contd.)

2. Identification of the Preferred pages

The top 3 pages which are hot favorites with the students are

i. School Is Cool

ii. Special Theme Pages

iii. Simply Sports

TRIVIA

All time favourite

*Source: Indian Readership Survey Q4 2011 /2012

Result - Measure of Success

The Times of India, Student Edition post its re-launch as a revamped customized newspaper has contributed tremendously to the growth of The Times of India.

The two industry benchmarks on which success is measured are:-

i. Readership*

-  In 2012, in the age group of 12-15 years, 22% increase has been recorded in the readership of The Times of India, over 2011, a period when The Times of India, Student Edition revamp was institutionalised. This segment has contributed the maximum percentage growth.

-  In the total readership of The Times of India, the contribution of young readers, in the age group of 12-15 years, has increased to 8.65% in 2012 as compared to 7.05% of 2011.

Result - Measure of Success

**Source: Audited numbers

ii. Circulation**

-  The average circulation of The Times of India, Student Edition for the period April 2012 to March 2013 has grown to 3,46,000 as compared to 3,28,000 in the last financial year, reflecting a growth of 5%.

-  The Times of India, Student Edition has contributed to the overall circulation of The Times of India by 7.6% in 2012-13 as compared to 7.3% in 2011-12.