Adgully Exclusive | Indian audiences have never seen anything like it before: GoodFood's Debolin Sen

Adgully caught up with Debolin Sen, Publisher BBC GoodFood Magazines to know the secrets behind the launch recipe of the magazine and much more.

Telling Adgully as to why he feels that this is a right time to launch this magazine, Debolin Sen said, "It's an exciting brand to launch in India, especially now. Food is the most exciting story unfolding in the country. Experimentation with global cuisines, presence of international restaurant brands, access to exotic ingredients in neighbourhood supermarkets, 125 food shows on television, 3 dedicated food channels, presence of gourmet food retail chains pan India, their large scale expansion plans . There's so much that's happening with food in India. We are at a point in time in the market, when it made much sense to launch".

The magazine which is priced at Rs. 100/- at newsstands and UCOs, has a 70:30 content split favouring locally produced content versus syndicated content from the UK.

Speaking about the target group that the magazine aims to reach out to, Sen said, "The magazine will appeal to a diverse mindset. From Everyday chefs - people who cook regularly for family, friends and even themselves, to Recreational Chefs - people who are interested in new recipes and experimentation, but don't cook on a regular basis, to Restaurant Junkies - people who love eating out, and finally Globetrotting Foodies - people who love to experiment, sample local cuisines when they travel."

Explaining the structure of the magazine and the verticals involved in it, Sen said, "BBC Good Food answers India's need for a world-class magazine devoted solely to food. Every issue offers Good Food's golden formula of 70-plus easy yet stylish recipes triple-tested in our kitchen. We cover restaurants and food destinations with the same zeal. That makes us the definitive authority on food."

Elaborating on the "triple testing method', Sen said, "At Good Food we test all recipes three times so our readers get it right the very first time. The first time is by the recipe writer who tests it in a domestic kitchen. Next, a member of the Good Food India cookery team makes the recipe in the Good Food kitchen. The recipe is then tested at our photo shoots. Testing our recipes three times may seem over-cautious but mistakes can be costly so we think it makes sense to ensure readers get right results every time."

The magazine has five main sections: First Bite ' which brings the month's freshest food buzz, Eat In - Fabulous recipes with little tips and tricks that are perfect for the home cook; Eat Out - The restaurant section stands out for its uniquely positioned restaurant reviews and features that are authoritative, objective and reliable; Eat Away - Our dedicated travel journos arm readers with insider info and recipes from the world's most exciting food destinations and lastly, Masterclass - restaurant-perfect dishes and fine dining finishing touches of superchefs through fully illustrated step-by-step recipes and insider secrets.

Debolin Sen, highlighting the alterations in the editorial content and style said, "Good Food India is carefully customized to Indian tastes and preferences and has a strong local connect. The Indian and UK markets are very different so we tweaked things around. Some highlights: Expanded section on weekend entertaining, Modern Veggie, Veg It, Suitable for Jains, Lunchbox and Off the Eaten Track."

As a part of their promotion plans, prior to the launch of the magazine, there was a survey done called GoodFood Survey - www.goodfoodsurvey.in ' that went live on Sept 19th. Questions range from India's favourite dish, favourite international and Indian cuisine, favourite dessert to cooking, food and entertainment preferences and habits, both within and outside home. Secondly, the day of the launch, i.e. 21st October, will officially be branded the GoodFood Day in India and henceforth every year will be celebrated as one; encouraging them to explore and try something new, avoiding the usual, getting adventurous and experiment while eating in, eating out or eating away.

The subscribers shall get even more lucky with the GoodFood Privilege Program which involves privileges and offers worth Rs.50000/- and more at 250 top end restaurants pan India, where every reader will get the GoodFood Privilege Card at no added cost. Additionally there are plans on launching the GoodFood Platinum Card in the immediate future. This will have offers which are even more premium and selective.

GoodFood Nights are exclusive gatherings in premium restaurant chains pan India, which will be foodie nights like none other. GoodFood Nights start November and are part of the post launch plan.

The magazine is keeping no stone unturned to make its presence and impact in the market. As a part of the technologically driven promotions, they have GoodFood Website and Apps. By early next year www.bbcgoodfood.in , the brand website will be launched which will mean an impressive digital presence. The website will be a storehouse of recipes, reviews and more. Launch of GoodFood apps are also being planned.

While traditional mediums will be used, they plan to devote a disproportionate share of their time on social media. Passionate foodies, foodie communities, advocates and influencers thrive on Facebook and twitter. They aim to involve them in our brand activities with exciting and engaging applications and properties. The GoodFood Facebook page has already started generating a potential community and is still adding members. Clearly the brand has an allure, people find hard to resist.

The magazine, whose editorial board will be headed by Sona Bahadur, will be distributed pan India across newsstands and UCOs. The latter will be focus for visibility and distribution as that's where, Sen believes, they get targeted and relevant footfalls. UCOs will soon also include high end gourmet chains as well as restaurants.

Lastly, summing up on a very positive note, Debolin Sen citing the reasons he believes that should make the venture a success said, "BBC GoodFood is India's first international food magazine and the single window for all food lovers in the country. The magazine's revolutionary formula of triple-testing every recipe gives it an unbeatable USP, as proven the world over. India won't be any exception. The substantial ratio of locally produced editorial content in the magazine customized to Indian readers' tastes gives the magazine a strong local connect. BBC GoodFood India's all-in-one coverage of recipes, restaurants and food destinations through its main sections ' Eat In, Eat Out and Eat Away ' makes it the complete food magazine. Indian audiences have never seen anything like it before."

From what it looks like, GoodFood India will not only bring in international and Indian "good food' to Indian readers, but promises to bring the "good foodie' experience as well. | By Ankita Tanna [ankita(at)adgully.com]