Amar Ujala, Hindustan strike ad deal  ( August '10,2001, HBL)

TWO of the most popular Hindi dailies, Amar Ujala and Hindustan have struck an alliance, whereby they will share a platform to release advertisements through a special alliance advertising rates.

Mr Atul Maheshwari, Director, Amar Ujala, said the alliance would help the two publications complement each other. There will be no clash of interests between the two as there are very few areas where the two compete.

``While Amar Ujala's presence is strong in some of the Hindi-speaking markets such as Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttranchal and Chandigarh, Hindustan has a good presence in Delhi, Bihar and Jharkhand,'' Mr Maheshwari said.

The alliance also indicates that there would be no encroachment by one into the other's stronghold. ``That is implicit. We will not get into their areas and they will not come to ours,'' Mr Maheshwari said.

According to Indian Readership Survey 2001, the combined readership of the two dailies is close to 1.22 crore and will cover a distance of 1,720 km. The new `Alliance Advertising Rates' will offer special cost-effective advertising packages to advertisers for optimising their reach and minimising costs.

Mr Rajan Kohli, Executive Vice-President, The Hindustan Times Ltd, said, ``After having pioneered and achieved success in similar alliances with other group publications, we are confident that the plan will emerge as the preferred media option especially in Uttar Pradesh.''