'Love Destiny' success fleeting

'Love Destiny' success fleeting

Soap opera's fame not cure-all for digital TV

Visitors dressed in traditional Thai costumes visit Wat Chaiwatthanaram, a main attraction in Ayutthaya and in the TV series 'Love Destiny'.  PATTARAPONG CHATPATTARASILL
Visitors dressed in traditional Thai costumes visit Wat Chaiwatthanaram, a main attraction in Ayutthaya and in the TV series 'Love Destiny'.  PATTARAPONG CHATPATTARASILL

The astounding popularity of period soap opera Love Destiny has ignited a boom that has expanded from digital TV to tourism, retail, and food and beverage.

The upswing, however, will merely be seasonal, say media and marketing specialists.

BEC World's Channel 3 series has been the talk of the town for months. The phenomenon spread through social networks like a fire soon after its launch, and has convinced audiences around the country to tune into their dusty digital TVs.

Media and marketing specialists agree the powerful engagement of Love Destiny was supported by its production quality, a key driver of exposure for content on any platform.

Pawat Ruangdejworachai, director of media for Media Intelligence, said digital TV will not reach the status analogue TV had in the past because it is competing in a completely different media landscape.

"Love Destiny is just the temporary talk of the town thanks to its outstanding content," he said.

Good content has always been the key to improving digital TV operators' business. Channel 3 won this time because it seized the opportunity at the right time, despite intense competition, said Mr Pawat.

"It's all about cross-platform strategy, and Channel 3 can lure both TV and online audiences and synergise its offerings to increase audience engagement," he said.

According to Nielsen and the Stock Exchange of Thailand, BEC World's Channel 3 (33HD) had a full slate of advertising during February and March. The show's six episodes averaged 8.005, higher than last year's total advertisement viewership rating.

A source in the industry said the channel could generate more than 113,750 baht per 15 minutes. The show will help prop up the channel's profits, which dropped 95% from 1.2 billion baht in 2015 to 61 million last year.

Werapol Swanpitak, a marketing specialist, said the success of a single TV show is not representative of the digital TV industry. Some people watch the same content through online channels, like Channel 3's official website or its Mello platform.

Love Destiny owes its success to its historical and comedic elements, as well as its premium production values, he said.

The "comeback" here is not in terms of audience numbers, but rather in terms of spending on TV media outlets, which for some time was on par with online channels, said Mr Werapol.

"Love Destiny succeeded on this front because many brands invested in prime-time space, and some brands made real-time marketing campaigns in line with the series' content," he said.

Younger generations still prefer online channels, which they can watch anytime, anywhere, said Mr Werapol.

He said some brands are paying to advertise on online channels on Channel 3's official website or its Mello platform because they can manage their budget more freely, choosing between banners, pre-show ads, bumper ads, etc.

"Even with a widely popular show like this, brands and advertisers are unsure about pouring massive portions of their budget into media outlets because the country's economy is slowing," said Mr Werapol.

Suchada Sahasakul, president of the Publishers and Booksellers Association of Thailand, said she believes the Love Destiny print novel will become popular in the wake of the show. The book has been reissued 35 times already.

People are starting to read more print media outlets as they collect information about the show's characters or the surrounding history, she said.

"The characters on TV feel real, so people are motivated to dig for more information. This will promote the sale of related books, as many Thais want to read more," Ms Suchada said.

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