What have you achieved in Chennai so far?
We have had a big impact. We are at 245,000 copies and are already in three-four cities, in Coimbatore, Madurai, Trichy. We are giving The Hindu a close run for its money.
How has this launch been compared to other cites where you entered earlier — Hyderabad, Bangalore, ...
Chennai has been even better than the other cities. In Hyderabad, Deccan Chronicle was a tough fight because it is very connected. The Hindu is an iconic brand but it has progressively become more disconnected from the real concerns of its readers. A lot of the young readers have taken to us. We are a more modern-minded paper and relate to the travails of daily living. It is not about dumbing down, but about redefining news to make it more relevant. So, if a child’s education is more important, then we will cover that.
Your comment on the new Hindu ad?
It is surprising, coming from The Hindu. It is more an O&M ad than a Hindu ad. The conventional wisdom is that a challenger should take on an incumbent. In Chennai, we are the challengers, though we are bigger nationally. The campaign has put the race for the top slot in salience.
