English newspapers take a beating. 'DNA' bucks trend

The recent round 2 of the India Readership Survey (IRS) 2009 did not present a rosy picture for the English newspapers in India.

Much like the previous rounds, English print (both newspapers and magazines) lost a fair ground to vernacular print (also called language print). Apart from a few exceptions, including Daily News & Analysis (DNA), not many newspapers showed any sign of recovery post recession. While most English newspapers saw a dip in their readership, DNA not only sustained its ground, but managed to add 41,000 readers in the round 2 of the survey.

“One can easily conclude that DNA has been well accepted by one and all. It has managed to create a space for itself in a competitive market,” says K Ramesh, media director, Media Direction (RK Swamy BBDO).

The current round means that DNA is now the second-largest broadsheet English daily in all markets it has edition in and the seventh largest English newspaper in the country.

In Mumbai, DNA is the only English daily that showed year-on-year (yoy) growth at 1.5% while all other English dailies fell between 4% and 9% compared with the same period last year.

In the upmarket SEC A, DNA has registered 2.3% yoy growth as against a drop of 11.9% for The Times of India (TOI) and 26.9% for Hindustan Times (HT). Among the male readers (the target group for English dailies), DNA registered a growth of 5.6%, whereas TOI dropped 9.9% and HT showed no change. Among people with MHI (monthly household income) above Rs 20,000 per month, DNA grew 11.9% while TOI dropped 23.8% and HT dropped 37.5%.

“One would cite DNA’s growth to a number of new families which have migrated/moved to Mumbai. The city, being a metropolitan, attracts a lot of English speaking migrants from across the country. These people don’t have a TOI or HT legacy, hence don’t mind trying a new brand. DNA meets their needs. Also, the newspaper has shown growth among young adults. Youngsters usually have an urge to try newer brands, and would not necessarily read what their parents read. That’s where DNA has shown some strength,” says Divya Radhakrishnan, president, TME.

Among the decision making young adults (20-39 years old), DNA grew 21.3% while TOI dropped 8.2% and HT dropped 9%. Among graduates and post-graduates, DNA grew 14.6% while among businessmen, industrialists, self-employed professionals, officers and executives, DNA grew 18%. “The success of DNA lies in the fact that it has been targeted specifically in certain pockets of the city, not necessarily stronghold of other papers, and the strategy has paid a huge dividend. More and more people are picking up DNA for its novelty factor. If I have seen only TOI and HT outside Mumbai, I’d rather pick up a new and popular brand here, not available outside,” says Pratap Bose, COO, Mudra Group and CEO, Mudra Max.

In the key Mumbai city and Navi Mumbai areas, DNA grew by 6.7%, while TOI dropped 6.1% and HT dropped 2.6%.

Agrees K Ramesh from RK Swamy BBDO, “I know this for a fact that suburbs, say Navi Mumbai, is where DNA has done really well, and it has build on others’ weakness.”

Alarmed at the falling readership, experts cite shift to digital media and rise of the middle class as two major reasons for consistent drop in the English print circulation. 

“Most of English newspaper readers have internet access and prefer to read an e-paper as and when they get time. So, most of the English readership is shifting to the internet,” explains Radhakrishnan.
 
Though, others believe it’s the rise of the middle class in smaller towns and cities in the different parts of the country leading to the current trend. “More and more entrepreneurs are mushrooming in smaller cities leading to a spurt in sales of regional media. Say, if I am a businessman’s son from Lucknow, my first preference would be a Hindi daily to an English daily,” says Pratap Bose.