A leading digital ad network in India, Networkplay (www.networkplay.in), announced, the latest addition to its current bouquet of offerings to advertisers – BHASHA. A regional vertical, BHASHA is a network of more than 40 regional websites, offering content in languages ranging from Hindi, Marathi, Malayalam to Bengali, covering the entire Indian landscape.
BHASHA’s launch was largely triggered as a response to the changing Indian internet landscape, which foresees the next level of growth to come from smaller towns with people preferring content in their regional language while browsing. With an audience number reaching a 150 million mark, and poised to double to over 330 million in the next couple of years, majority of the English speaking populace has been covered. The spending power of people in rural India is also increasing. A fact corroborated by the IBEF Report, May 2013, which states that between 2010 and 2012, the spending in rural India was more than in urban – $68.05 billion vs $54.25 billion! It was keeping this in mind, that Networkplay has launched BHASHA – their regional website offering.
“Around 37% of the Indian population consumes local language content (According to the Vernacular Report 2012 by Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) and IMRB). Regional or vernacular portals have become a very important medium for marketers these days. The number of UUs (Unique Users) and time spent on each portal has increased as compared to last year. Some platforms have grown over 40%. Marketers will have to look beyond reach and will have to focus on how to connect with users on these portals,” says Amit Duggal, Director – Digital, Madison Delhi
Echoing similar sentiments, Hitesh Trehan, Director – Sales & New Initiatives adds: “Our team had done enough deliberation with the advertisers to get an indication that there is a clear need for a consolidated approach to reach these markets effectively. BHASHA is a unique product which will allow an advertiser to Innovate, Create and Engage on a Regional Audience Network. I believe, yet again at Networkplay we have taken the consulting role for our esteemed clients while creating this solution.”
According to Viren Anand, Co-founder and Director – Publisher Alliance & Client Servicing: “With increasing penetration of the internet in smaller towns, BHASHA could be a game changer for a lot of advertisers. We want advertisers to advertise in local languages and carry the conversation forward with local language microsites. Sooner or later, all advertisers will realize the potential the non-urban audience holds.”
