Packaging for a channel

Published by Emil Abraham,


Packaging may be defined as the attractive presentation of a product. It is therefore the final form in which a product is delivered to a consumer. For example, if a confectioner wishes to market his biscuits, he has the choice of selling them loose by weight or nicely packaged in an attractive-looking packet. Packaging is necessary for businesses to survive, since it is the way in which they present their products to their customers. The packaging of a television channel refers to the overall look of the channel. Since we are here concerned primarily with news channels, we shall confine our discussion to them.
Significance of packaging for news channels
The term ‘packaging’ comes from the discipline of Marketing Management. It is part of the business strategy used in strengthening the place of a firm in the marketplace. The look of a channel, among other things, defines and reflects its brand image. The brand image of a channel is the psychological image that people carry of it. For example, NDTV 24*7 has the brand image of being accurate and reliable, while CNN-IBN has the brand image of being reliable and aggressive. Likewise Aajtak has the brand image of being aggressive as well as the fastest channel to deliver news. It may be observed that each of the major television news channels in India has its own individual look. Aajtak uses plenty of red to highlight its aggressive image, while Star News uses plenty of blue to emphasize its sophistication. The packaging of a news channel is thus part of its business strategy to create and manage the psychological image which audiences carry of it.
Elements of packaging in news channels
The packaging of news channels involves consideration of the following factors.
  • The predominant colour or colour-combinations used by the channel. As pointed out, Aajtak uses plenty of red to highlight its aggressiveness, while Star News uses plenty of blue to emphasize its sophistication.
  • The design of the channel logo and its position on the screen.
  • The hair-styles and dress-codes defined for the male and female anchors of the channel
  • The designs used in the making of various graphic elements. These elements include: 
    • Astons: The band which appears on screen during a person’s soundbite, stating his or her name and designation
    • Fonts: The particular form of alphabets used for text, and its size 
    • Bugs: A little band which appears on any given side of a screen, stating the location or time of a story
    • Slugs: A band, which appears on screen during a news story stating the headline of the story. 
    • Ticker: A static or scrolling band at the bottom of the screen which flashes important news, text messages by viewers or share prices 
    • Windows: The screen is split into two or more windows showing two different locations simultaneously