The sixth edition of DNA, the English daily from Diligent Media (the joint venture between the Dainik Bhaskar Group and the Zee Group), has been launched in Bengaluru. The Bengaluru edition is being edited by Vinay Kamat.
The daily, which is priced at Rs 2, has a print run of 1.75 lakh copies in Bengaluru according to Sumit Rohatgi, senior chief manager, marketing, DNA. It will be competing directly with The Times of India, which has a circulation of 4.03 lakhs in the city, according to figures from the Audit Bureau of Circulation (ABC) (January-June 2008).
Rohatgi claims that almost 1.7 lakh copies have been booked for a year. According to him, the core target audience is youth between the ages of 18 and 35. He explains, “Though we are targeting each and everyone who can read English, since Bengaluru is one of the youngest cities in India, the youth forms our core audience.”
DNA was first launched in Mumbai in July 2005. Subsequent editions were launched in Ahmedabad, Surat, Jaipur and Pune. According to Rohatgi, DNA has a print run of 4.2 lakh copies in Mumbai and a total print run of 7.5 lakh copies. DNA is not certified by the ABC.
Diligent Media’s expansion plans have not been hampered by the economic slowdown. On the contrary, Rohatgi reveals that, “In fact, we’ve invested close to Rs 200 crore in the Bengaluru edition, which includes infrastructure, campaigns and promotions”.
The daily contains two pull-outs: DNA Money (a six-page business paper) and DNA After Hours (an entertainment supplement).
As a pre-launch subscription drive, the annual subscription fee for DNA was only Rs 301. Rohatgi reveals that after the launch, this figure will go up to Rs 601.
Since August, DNA has used outdoor effectively with the tagline, ‘I Believe in Bangalore’. The campaign did not involve television or prin