Q&A: Nishant Padhiar, editor, Stuff and What Hi Fi India

Campaign India (CI): What's new at Stuff?

Nishant Padhiar (NP): The newest thing is that this is the biggest issue we have done so far in terms of revenue and page count. We have some new features which are actually old in nature and new in presentation. One example in that aspect is 'Design Classics' which is a feature on products which are designed in a timeless fashion. That's a new spin on technology and gadgets in this issue. Apart from that, it's the year end issue so it's the awards special issue. The cover story is dedicated to the world's best and finest technology.

(Apart from that) We did the Stuff show, which is the newest addition to the Stuff family. It was the first time we did something on this scale. It was the country's first gadget show. We had products and gadgets like the AR. Drone (a helicopter flown with the help of an iPhone). We had the trike (electric scooter) which you can use to commute for short distances. The iPhone 5 was launched at the show on the same day it went national. We also went online with an appearance on Magzter. We are on the Apple news stand too. We are also working on an interactive version with a dedicated Stuff app. It's under development and should be ready in the next two months.

How big has circulation grown in the last four years, and what are the online subscription and traffic numbers? How are online and offline readership growing?

NP: We have been tracking sales of both the online version and the print version. It's been pretty interesting, and surprisingly the online version is showing more growth than the print version. It shows two things; one, people are no longer bound to the traditional print form. They are breaking the mould and are shifting to digital. Secondly, it shows that the sales of tablets is increasing quickly. This is being helped by the cost of acquisition getting low. The Google Nexus 7 is available for less than Rs 20,000 and even less for an Amazon Kindle.

What are the major event properties created by Stuff in India? Are there plans for any more?

NP: We will be doing a similar show to our Stuff Gadget Show in a condensed manner around malls in the country. That's an event which will be activated by January and will go on till March. We will be targetting different malls and trying to recreate the magic around the country with the idea of letting people get closer to the products they see in the magazine. The products on display are not available easily in stores like Croma, and the idea is to get people closer to them.

What have been the major marketing initiatives for Stuff India?

NP: We are also looking at changing the whole vision of the Stuff Show next year. It might become a much larger show in terms of size, scale and breadth. We want to make it an evolution of the Stuff Show. We will then be across all mediums including radio and TV.

‘Disclosure: Stuff and What Hi Fi are Haymarket Group publications. Campaign India is published by Haymarket Media India.’