HT Media’s festive reader engagement initiatives, ‘Festival of Gifts’ for print platforms and ‘Festival of Gold’ for digital platforms, offering readers a chance to win daily prizes, have received an astonishing 3.3 lakh responses from across India in just 18 days, averaging 19,000 responses per day submitted across Hindustan Times and Hindustan platforms. As part of this initiative, readers were presented with questions related to festive offers and promotions of partner brands advertised in Hindustan Times & Hindustan. It offered readers a chance to win exciting prizes like smartphones, smartwatches, and Bluetooth speakers, which not only engaged readers but also gave advertisers a unique platform to enhance brand visibility. The digital campaign, ‘Festival of Gold’, achieved a remarkable response with an average CTR of 3.2% on hindustantimes.com and 4.3% on livehindustan.com, showcasing high digital engagement. The campaign not only engaged the audience but also rewarded their participation generously, with 650 winners expected by the time the campaign concludes on November 10th, adding an element of excitement and thrill to the entire initiative.
Loved by readers and advertisers alike, this month-long campaign has fostered a shared sense of delight. Krishna R. Vanjari, an avid reader from Delhi and one of the lucky winners, expressed his enthusiasm, “Discovering that I had won a smartwatch left me in sheer awe and brimming with happiness! My longstanding 15-year relationship with HT, ensuring I don’t miss a thing, fueled my motivation to participate in the quiz—it’s like the pages of HT just gave back to me in the most surprising way!”
The campaign garnered appreciation from marketing professionals across the country. Shivani Malik, Director of Marketing at Da Milano, shared her thoughts: “We’ve had a long-standing association with Hindustan Times, and every visit feels like a warm return home. I believe this campaign will significantly boost both readers and advertisers. Such initiatives are rare among media houses, and it’s an excellent way to kickstart the festive season, a pivotal period for advertisers.” Vicky Ajit, Director of Media Partnerships at Publicis Media, reiterated similar feelings by stating, “Festival of Gifts, introduced by HT Media Group, is a commendable initiative for direct reader engagement. My heartfelt congratulations to all the contest winners. I express my gratitude to Hindustan Times for granting me the chance to be part of this fantastic initiative. I extend thanks to the entire HT team on behalf of Publicis Media!” Media & Advertising professionals including Iftikhar Khan, Director, Assured Advertising and Media Pvt. Ltd.; Sujata Dwibedy – Chief Investment and Trading Officer, Amplifi, Dentsu International; Dolly Choudhary, Director, Promotions & Marketing, GJEPC; Akhilesh Kumar Singh, COO, Red Chief; Anju Munjal, Senior VP, Usha International, and many more joined hands with HT Media Group to felicitate the daily winners.
The ‘Festival of Gifts’ initiative, with its wide-reaching appeal, has not only strengthened the bond with the existing audience but has also attracted new participants from diverse backgrounds and regions, creating a vibrant and interactive community of readers and advertisers alike while spreading the festive cheer this season.