Return of the Pocket Monsters

Children growing up in the 2000s were of two kinds: Pokemon fans and Pokemon ignorants. Jokes apart, such was the power of the 1996-born Japanese animation TV series that debuted in India in 2003. Once initiated, kids merrily succumbed to its spell, becoming loyal fans. And the franchise seemed invincible.

But soon the Pocket Monsters lost their turf to a motley crowd of superheroes and robots, including compatriot Doraemon and home-grown hero Chhota Bheem, courtesy myriad reasons. Now, with innovatively repackaged content and an extensive list of merchandise, Pokemon is trying to regain its past glory. On May 19 this year, Pokemon made a re-entry to this market via Hungama TV, now owned by Disney. It was hailed the best yet launch of 2014 in the kids genre, claim its makers. They say the show now reaches out to 57.1 million people in India, of whom 24.2 million are children.

In tune with the times

Pokemon’s comeback combat is armed by robust programming and promotion strategies, in tune with the changed times. “The show was launched through an interesting promotional campaign – a rap song which introduces the concept of the series along with the key characters,” says Vijay Subramaniam, VP and Head - Content and Communication, Media Networks, Disney India. Hungama claims that after the launch of Pokemon, the viewership during the prime play slot has strengthened by 15 per cent compared with the previous four weeks before the launch. Apart from English, Pokemon is being broadcast in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu. Also, while dubbing it in the local language, they are maintaining the peculiar voice of the characters.

“Globally, it is an established brand and show. We want to make it more popular in India,” says Jiggy George, Founder and CEO of Dream Theatre, which is syndicating the show in India. “With the relaunch, Pokemon is bigger and better,” he adds. George’s company is the master licence agent of the Pokemon franchise and manages all its businesses in India, from on-air syndication to consumer products and promotions to home entertainment and publishing.

George’s optimism notwithstanding, Pokemon will be competing in a bigger battleground. The genre is controlled by the 2008-born ChhotaBheem . The little superhero commands nearly 30 per cent of the pie, according to Bheem’s makers, Hyderabad-based Green Gold Animation.

In 2003, when Pokemon started broadcast in the country, Cartoon Network India was one of the very few dedicated children’s channels in the country. It no longer enjoys the monopoly. With the entry of new players and shows, the children’s television market started scaling up over the past few years. As of 2014, an impressive cast of over 19 channels is catering only to little viewers, and children’s television commands nearly 8 per cent of the total television viewership pie from nearly zero a decade ago.

“Kids’ category has become a priority in Indian television and this audience deserves quality programming. Though it is a highly populated genre, there is demand for differentiated content,” says Rahul Johri, Executive Vice-President and General Manager, South Asia & South East Asia, Discovery Networks Asia Pacific. India has 370 million children below the age of 14, which makes it one of the biggest markets in the world for kids’ television, adds Johri.

Also, branding and merchandising activities were limited in the kids cartoon space. After its 2003 launch, it took Pokemon only months to build a fan base of millions. Pokemon games, trading cards and toys soon went viral. “We used to eat Cheetos (a snack) just to collect Pokemon Tazos,” recalls Navaneeth Madhav, a Bangalore-based graduate student and a hard-core fan. Cartoon Network aired the series for eight years straight. Another game-changer has been the boom in animation technology which has helped children’s series improve in style and substance. Technological advancements now help producers present stories in a way more entertaining fashion. ChhotaBheem , which could be the arch rival of Pokemon today, is a good example. The series that went on air on channel Pogo in 2008 quickly became a cult and emerged as the most popular animation show all over India, making the franchise a household name.

Bheem enjoys the tag of one of the most watched children’s TV series in India today. The ‘local’ colour of the hero and the ‘Indian’ stories associated with the franchise have captured the imagination of the young audience. Rajiv Chilaka, founder and CEO of Bheem’s producers Green Gold, says.

“The very name of the character clicked and helped us to sit in the young minds. We could have named him Ravi or Ashok or anything else. If that was the case, Bheem would not have been Bheem. When you hear Bheem you will think the show is about power, strength and integrity. And that gets into the minds of children,” explains Chilaka. Bheem now pops up on a series of products targeting children, from t-shirts to books to food to fashion.

Of course, there was multi-pronged marketing that gave Bheem wings. “Bheem is not just a cartoon character any more. By cultivating the series with new episodes, movies and aggressive promotional strategies, he has now become a super hero among kids,” says Krishna Desai, Executive Director & Network Head – Kids, South Asia, Turner International India which owns Pogo TV.

The Pokemon brigade knows it has a mighty rival in Bheem.

“We are in no hurry to take on popular kids’ shows. We know that local programmes will connect with children more easily. But Pokemon has great content and can grab Indian market and can become a phenomenon. We have more elaborate plans in store,” says George.

“We chose Dream Theatre as a partner to relaunch Pokemon because it is deeply familiar with the Indian market and willing to take on challenges,” Kenjirou Itou, executive corporate officer at the Pokémon Company, told media recently.

Dream Theatre is planning tie-ups with popular brands such as Camlin, Funskool, Woodstock Merchandising, VKC footwear and My Baby Excel for popularising the Pokemon franchise.

It is launching apparel, footwear, stationery, toys, back-to-school supplies and bags. These products will be available in the market from January 2015 onwards. “We are looking at Pokemon doing ₹100 crore of retail sales over the next three years,” says George, beaming with confidence.