King of Heartland

What would you call the largest newspaper group in India, which publishes seven newspapers, 59 newspaper editions and 135 sub-editions in three languages, Hindi, Gujarati and English, in 13 states across the country? Dainik Bhaskar, of course.

This is a paper which has, literally, a larger than life presence. It can be noticed at news stalls, stations, airports, restaurants and other public places, its unique content and attractive layouts designed to be a sure fire winner.

Launched in 1958 in Madhya Pradesh, Dainik Bhaskar is the largest media group in India and ranks eleventh worldwide in terms of sale. With a strong-willed determination to change and turn things around in non-metro cities, Dainik Bhaskar, believes that the growth of the economy is largely supported by the growth of this India, which they call ‘the Real India’. This multi-edition group, is in every sense, omnipresent in most towns in MP, Chattisgarh Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab and Maharashtra, UP, Delhi and others. “We are deeply rooted in India and regardless of the type of media we are in, we shall continue to play a positive role in society,” Ramesh Chandra Agarwal, Chairman of the group, announces on his website.

The newspaper has come a long way from being a purely regional language newspaper to become the largest circulating national newspaper and is growing exponentially. The Dainik Bhaskar megacorp publishes seven newspapers, Dainik Bhaskar, Divya Bhaskar, Saurashtra Samachar, DNA, Business Bhaskar, DB Star and DB Gold.

After making rapid strides in the Hindi market, the group entered into another language arrangement, in 2003 with Divya Bhaskar and Saurashtra Samachar in Gujarat and Maharashtra. With the Daily News and Analysis from Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Jaipur and other cities, Dainik Bhaskar added English language newspapers to the group though it is published on a franchisee basis with Zee group. A look at Dainik Bhaskar’s recent history makes for interesting reading, the story of how Dainik Bhaskar has expanded over a span of 52 years. The group branched out of Bhopal only as late as 1983 when it launched its Indore edition. By 1995, it became the largest circulating newspaper of MP and then began the outward expansion. They identified Jaipur to launch its new edition and to enter Rajasthan’s Hindi market. In December 1996, the Jaipur edition was launched and soon emerged as the number one newspaper in the state dethroning mass circulating Rajasthan Patrika. Today, they have nine editions there, making them the largest group in the state.

Since then, success has given way to even greater success. There are making their presence felt everywhere: MP, Chattisgarh, Rajasthan, Haryana, Gujarat, Punjab, Chandigarh, HP, Uttrakhand, Delhi, Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand and Maharashtra. And they are looking to expand further.While the group’s initial foray was in newspaper publication, it has diversified into textiles, solvent extraction, oil refinery, FM radio, Information Technology, real estate, amusement park and FMCG among others. Currently, the group is among India’s most admired corporate elites. However, they have not lost their main focus, which are the newspapers. Setting new records has become synonymous with the Dainik Bhaskar Group. They have a staggering 17.9 million readers across the country (IRS 2010 Q4).

Aggressive marketing has helped the group dethrone competitors with ease in literally every market they have entered. For the group, market research is not just as a tool for surveying the market, but also a brand building exercise. After identifying a city/state they intend to enter, rigorous research is followed by their innovative twin-contact door-to-door survey to know the expectations of their readers. The sample size is not just a handful, but they map the entire population as potential readers. “I think that the growth of the Dainik Bhaskar Group from a regional language paper in a single state to a national media group in the last decade has been phenomenal. Their high-quality consumer research has helped them grow by launching papers that consumers wanted. This technique has worked well for them,” says Shiv Dravid, Editor-in-Chief, the Viewspaper.net.

This direct contact with the readers has helped them to accelerate their subscription drive manifold and is the cause for the paper’s massive advance bookings. Research is an ongoing process at the Dainik Bhaskar Group is not restricted just to the launch of an edition. Media analysts and experts have attributed Bhaskar’s success to its strong marketing efforts. “Their marketing is very aggressive. They have entered areas where they did not previously exist. They have used sampling as a very effective method and are now market leaders,” says Jagdeep Kapoor, Brand Guru, CMD, Samsika Marketing Consultants.

The group’s door-to-door survey has become such a hit that it is included as a case study in several top notch B-schools. Marketing can, of course, bring potential readers to the group, but minus relevant content, it would be difficult, if not impossible, to build a loyal readership. The credit goes to the group for pioneering the concept of ‘localisation of news’. Danik Bhaskar is one such newspaper in the group that has taken the lead in that direction. For instance, the group newspapers’ place special emphasis on local news. Almost 50 per cent of their content is local news. As their readers are mostly based in non-metro towns, they have better uses for local news. The management believes that readers are keen to know what is happening in and around them; they want to know what is making news in Bhopal not in Nepal. But they focus equally on global news. This shift is not at the cost of national and international news though. They have their own importance and in a global era. Gokul Sharma, Advisor Editor of Dainik Bhaskar, Jabalpur, points out, “Yes, we carry more local news than others as we have editions from various regions. At the same time, we do not ignore national and international news. To increase revenues, no national newspaper can afford to be as regional as regional newspapers. Therefore balance should be maintained and at the same time, dynamism is required.’’

Being a readers’ newspaper before anything else, Dainik Bhaskar focuses on the changing needs of the readers, on topics that impact their lives individually, socially or professionally. For instance, on Earth Day, Dainik Bhaskar carried several news stories, illustrations and pictures related to local environment to enlighten the reader. “Content is the king when it comes to newspapers. We have this dominant position and are India’s largest newspaper group because we invest in deep understanding of the changing consumer needs and aspirations. This understanding provides us directions helping us develop a strong connect with our readers. This to us is the most critical part of our business,” affirms Pawan Agarwal, Director, Dainik Bhaskar Group.

Not only do they focus on local news, they also make it a point to use colloquial language to connect with the readers. They believe that a newspaper should be easily read. Words that are used commonly by the laymen are printed. For instance, they use ‘university’ and not ‘vishwavidyalaya.’ “We encourage colloquial language in our newspaper to connect with our readers instantly,” says Gokul Sharma.

The group’s big size has not come in the way of its rapid pace of growth. It is the hunger and the passion to deliver the best and remain ahead of the curve which has ensured growth. With growth, they have adopted best practices, modern systems and efficient procedures. “Understanding the markets, based on local issues and then offering a product as per a reader’s requirement, Dainik Bhaskar is able to expand its markets successfully,” states Chandra P Dobhal, Business Director, Carat India.

The bigger the company, the bigger the responsibility to manage it. Managing 59 editions across 13 states in the country is a Herculean task. However, a strong team of dedicated professionals and constant monitoring have made this group achieve what others can only aspire. “Despite being a regional media house, the Dainik Bhaskar Group has been very aggressive when it came to their marketing strategies. If you look at their recent tie-ups, you will get the sense of them being always at pace with the growing businesses in the media. Being a regional brand hasn’t come in their way of maintaining an up-to-date status, so to speak, and that is highly commendable,” Ravi Kiran, Senior Media Planning Professional, Former CEO, Starcom MediaVest Group, South East & South Asia told this magazine. Talk about advertisements and almost 60 per cent of them are retail regional ads. “The main reason is because of it being a big regional newspaper. Naturally there is a strong need for any company to advertise their products or services in the largest local/regional daily,” adds Kailash Agarwal, MD, Dainik Bhaskar, Jabalpur.

After launching editions in Jharkhand, Ranchi, Jamshedpur and Dhanbad, the group is now getting ready to launch Divya Marathi in Aurangabad. As a formidable competitor with an aggressive track record entering its fiefdom in the form of Divya Marathi, the leading Marathi newspaper, Lokmat, is going to have many sleepless nights. It will be their first edition in Marathi and the 60th edition of the group, apart from being the fourth language after Hindi, Gujarati and English. Some progression that.