Adgully Exclusive | Outlook Traveller captures the essence of India better: Maheshwar Peri

Today the Indian market is flooded with niche publications specific to various genres and catering many audience categories. If there is some one talking about designer clothes, then somebody else in talking about designer babies. There is a vast assortment of interests being sold at the stands and all for a certain amount of value.

India until late 2000 had some well established magazines catering to women, Bollywood, politics etc. but did not have a leader commanding the force in the genre- travel. The Indian market lacked a travel magazine which catered to the general masses. Though there was a silent existence of many in-house publications that were circulated around a certain privileged class of the society, these periodicals never made it to the hands of the common man.

So while there was an increasing need for someone to begin the print rolling in the travel space, Outlook Group took the lead and launched Outlook Traveller in 2001. Outlook Traveller since then has grown from strength to strength and has been able to capture the needs of the readers, at the same time has tried to stay relevant.

Adgully spoke to Maheshwar Peri, Publisher of Outlook magazine and President, Outlook Publishing India Pvt Ltd, to know more about Outlook Traveller's journey so far and to understand how the Group tried to make the most of the relatively new genre for India back then.

Talking about the initial stages following the launch of the magazine, Peri says "There was a crying need for a good travel magazine and we filled the gap. And I must say, once we got the right editorial people working on it, it was easy. The launch time was difficult because we launched at a time when the New York attacks happened and travel was going through some tough times."

The product offering from a publication like Outlook was well received and further helped in creating a unique market space for travel as a genre. Following suit, many international titles have been launched in the same genre and which is an added level of competition for the home-grown champion in the travel space.

However, talking about the competition, Peri contends that, "The challenge is to be yourself and not let competition decide your strategy. We have been successful and liked by our readers. It is important that we continue to believe that good content, with an Indian soul, drives our magazine."

He further states that Outlook Traveller is more efficient and real at capturing the "soul of India" compared to the other magazines. Besides with a comprehensive network of travel guides the magazine is complete and germane. "Despite so many launches and also price increases, the circulation of Outlook Traveller only grows. This is a true testimony of our success," he adds.

Over the years there have been some well thought of marketing initiatives by the magazine to create the buzz around the product and at the same time to increasingly remind the loyalists what Outlook Traveller has to offer.

Presently the magazine's ad campaign is the one which highlights a lot of unknown travel destinations, which have been popularized by Outlook Traveller like Jeolikot in Uttarakhand and Hodka in Gujarat. The magazine has also just announced their 4th annual reader's survey in the October issue, where the readers nominate their number one choice under categories like the Best Summer Destination, Best Adventure Destination, Best Heritage Site etc.

Further, talking about the category of audience that the magazine caters too, Peri says, "Outlook Traveller appeals to a much wider audience. It caters to the Indian traveller keeping in mind their sensitivities and preferences. The tone of the magazine is much more friendly and informative. Each destination is presented with an insight into all that a traveller Must See Must Do .The magazine has a pan India appeal and is not only liked by readers in the metros but also in mini-metros and smaller towns."

Moreover Peri explains that though there are other competing publications entering the market; Outlook Traveller is priced at Rs.75 while the competing brands are offered at Rs.100. Thus, clearly stating that the magazine "captures the essence of India better" plus the recent issue of Outlook Traveller is a new, fresh and redesigned magazine.

Niche magazines are always known for their value-based content and brand associations. From adding up as content to providing insightful data to the reader of a genre, brand associations can be necessary at the same time detrimental for the magazine's content strategy. Talking about this occurrence, Peri asserts, "At Outlook, we always believed that content drives the magazines. If we believe that brands drive the magazine, then we will be underestimating the intelligence of our audiences. The story is no different with Outlook Traveller."

Niche magazine as a category is being explored by many industry leaders and the Indian market is seeing a sudden inflow of publications and well-known titles. However there are a few industry experts who believe that the magazine will come with a shelf-life.

Peri shrugs it off and says, "The shelf life of magazines like Outlook Traveller goes beyond their periodicity. The content is not dated. We have a more than 90% retention levels of the copies, to be referred to

Outlook Traveller has stayed in the Indian market, with a great understanding of the real pulse of Indian travellers for a long time now. On the other hand, there are some very big international brands planning a smooth entry and progressive stay in the Indian market. A point that should be highlighted here is that these titles are going to be product offerings of a premium level and might not hit it off very fast with the regular Indian traveller. However, Outlook Traveller is relatively economical and understands the pulse sensibilities of an Indian traveller. This certainly gives the magazine an edge over the other new launches and it will be interesting to note the market dynamics in the months to come and if the leadership position is still retained by the Outlook Traveller. | By Prabha Hegde [prabha(at)adgully.com]