MxMIndia

Author: mxmadmin

  • Shruti Pushkarna gives you a few options of low cost HD cameras that can come in handy for journalists on the move, especially if you carry the tag of a 'multimedia journalist'

    The Anchor: 5 low-cost HD cameras that come in handy for journos

    Gone are the days of bulky camera units…now any reporter can move around with slick video gear that doesn’t require a whole crew to function around with. Here are a few options of low cost HD cameras that can come in handy for journalists on the move, especially if you carry the tag of a ‘multimedia journalist’.

     

    1. Kodak Zi8:

    An easy to carry pocket size full HD camera. It’s a great combination of superior video quality and a reasonable price. It comes with an attached foldable USB which you can easily plug into your computer to upload videos. A step up from its previous model, Zi8 records full 1080p HD video. And it also has other video mode options like, 720p/60fps, 720p/30fps or a WVGA mode. You can also shoot stills at 5 megapixels. Another big plus is an external mic jack which helps you attach an external mic to get great sound quality. There are hardly any product offerings at this price that come with an external audio jack. The design is simple, it looks almost like a phone which you can easily slip into your pockets. It also features a few interesting tricks like face detection and digital image stabilization.

    http://store.kodak.com/store/ekconsus/en_US/pd/Zi8_Pocket_Video_Camera/productID.156585800

    Price: Rs. 8000 approx.

     

    2. Flip Ultra HD:

    Another pocket size camera that records HD quality. Flip pretty much kick-started the pocket camcorder trend. The Flip, like the Zi8 comes with built-in software for uploading straight to YouTube, Twitter or Facebook. Using the side-mounted flip-out USB connection you can plug it straight into a PC or Mac to either copy your files over or upload them directly from the device. Like the Zi8, this too comes with a HDMI connection if you want to plug it directly into a TV. It comes with an internal storage of upto 8GB, enough for 2 hours of recording. In terms of battery, the Flip Ultra offers the best of both worlds: rechargeable battery pack, or the option of regular AA batteries if it runs flat and you can’t charge it. It has added features like image stabilization, and its low light performance is impressive as well.

    http://support.theflip.com/en-us/products/ultrahd

    Price: Rs. 9000 approx.

     

    3. Kodak Playsport:

    A shockproof, dustproof and a waterproof camera that records full HD video. If you want to record video outdoors, at the beach, or anywhere else there’s water, Kodak Playsport is a top choice. It can withstand drops up to 5 feet, and it’s as waterproof as ever, with the ability to shoot up to 10 feet deep. Unlike the Kodak Zi8, it does not come with an external audio jack or a built-in USB connector. You have the option to record in high-definition 720p at 30 or 60 frames per second or at 1080p at 30 fps. Videos are recorded as MP4 files which can be uploaded directly into YouTube and Facebook for sharing.

    http://store.kodak.com/store/ekconsus/en_US/pd/PLAYSPORT_Video_Camera__Zx5/productID.221644700

    Price: Rs. 7000 approx

     

    4. Creative Vado:

    A pocket camcorder that can record 720p high-definition video. It scores over other camcorders for its solid video quality and feature set. Unlike other camcorders, it comes with a wide-angle lens that lets you capture wider scenes and more action in your videos. Like the other pocket camcorders, the Vado HD has an integrated USB connector that you plug into a PC to offload your footage and charge the camcorder. The integrated 8GB of storage holds up to 2 hours of 720p high-definition video in HD+ mode, up to 4 hours of footage in HD mode, and up to 8 hours of standard-definition VGA video. Like Kodak Zi8, the Vado HD includes an external microphone port for recording better audio, and it doubles as a headphone jack for listening to playback on a pair of headphones. The Vado has a superior low-light performance and a manual exposure control.

    http://in.creative.com/products/product.asp?category=833&subcategory=834&product=18108

    Price: Rs. 8000 approx.

     

    5. Sony Webbie MHS-PM 1:

    The Sony Webbie resembles the Creative Vado. What helps it stand out of the pack of camcorders is its inclusion of five different shooting modes. Apart from its 1080p recording, it can also shoot decent 5 megapixels stills. It also offers convenient uploads to YouTube and sharing sites via USB cable, although it lacks an integrated USB connector like in the Zi8 or the Vado. It comes with a rechargeable lithium ion battery and a tripod mount. The other key feature is the Webbie’s swiveling, fixed focal-length lens that provides some shooting flexibility and lets you record yourself while looking at the sharp 1.8-inch LCD. A few shortcomings, you cannot charge the battery in the camera, you have to remove it to charge it. Also, it lacks the HDMI connector found on other competing models.

    http://store.sony.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10551&storeId=10151&langId=-1&partNumber=MHSPM1

    Price: Rs. 9000 approx.

     

  • A second expanded edition of Paranjoy Guha Thakurta's book on 'Media Ethics: Truth, Fairness and Objectivity' was launched in the capital on April 27

    Paranjoy Guha Thakurta upgrades book on ethics

     

    By Shruti Pushkarna

     

    Veteran journalist, Paranjoy Guha Thakurta came out with a second expanded edition of his book, ‘Media Ethics: Truth, Fairness and Objectivity’. The revised edition of the book was launched in the capital on April 27 at the India International Centre.

     

    The first edition of this book had come out in 2009. When asked, why he decided to bring out a second edition, Mr Thakurta told MxMIndia, “After the book came out three years ago, a lot of people came up with suggestions on how this book could be improved. So this book is about 40 per cent bigger than the earlier edition and there are new chapters…there is an entirely new chapter on corruption in media. There’s also a new chapter on Reality television and some of the existing chapters have been drastically rewritten and revamped.”

     

    ‘Media Ethics’ discusses key ethical issues in media today, delving into issues like truth, objectivity, sensitivity and privacy. The expanded edition has new chapters on paid news and reality television. It has also has revised chapters on introduction to media ethics, media market, new media and ethics of advertising.

     

    Attending the event were senior journalists, academicians and students. The launch was followed by a discussion on media ethics by an eminent panel comprising Chief Election Commissioner, SY Quraishi, and senior journalists, Vinod Mehta and Rajdeep Sardesai.

     

    Media has to inform and educate…

    Addressing the gathering at the book launch, Chief Election Commissioner SY Quraishi said, “The title of this book, truth, fairness and objectivity is an acid test of media’s fairness. This book is a virtual encyclopaedia and Paranjoy is a crusader of media ethics.”

     

    Mr Quraishi, in his address, also touched upon issues like paid news, opinion polls, hate mails on social media and the whole debate around freedom of expression in the internet age. He said: “Media has a duty to inform and educate the citizens of this country. And, in the context of elections, media has assumed new proportions. There was a revolutionary 30 per cent increase in the voters turn out in UP this year because of the partnership between the CEC and the media.”

     

    Talking about freedom of expression, he said, “No one wants to encroach on freedom of expression but there are some things which are illegal. Anonymity of the internet media is disturbing and damaging.” Mr Quraishi concluded by saying that media is like the eyes and ears of the society and we should do everything possible to check malpractices in media.

     

    Editors are like ordinary people…

    Mr Vinod Mehta, Advisor, Outlook magazine started his address by saying that the custodian of any media organization is its Editor. If the Editor is corrupt, the organization is corrupt. He said: “The biggest myth about media is that editors are like gods, that they are independent, that they make no mistakes and they are on a social mission to tell the truth. While this might largely be true, it is highly exaggerated. Editors are like ordinary people, often most opinionated, and they have a view on everything. So they come with their own baggage. So what you get in media is various shades of opinions where the editor’s point of view is reflected. After this polarization of views, in the end you get something approximating the truth.”

     

    Mr Mehta added that one of the greatest assets of media, which is public trust, is declining and the uproar that used to be about the fourth estate has gone down significantly in the last few years.

     

    According to Mr Mehta, two reasons for the rise of unethical practices in media are: the reluctance on the part of media persons to admit their mistakes and secondly, intense competition, which has created its own problems. He also said that Editors often assume a larger than life role, thinking that they are setting the national agenda. He said: “We journalists are not players, we have the best ring side seats but we are not players, we can’t get involved in the game.”

     

    On self-regulation, Mr Mehta said: “We in the media are always telling the other guy what’s wrong, we never correct ourselves. Self-regulation is always for the other guy. So I believe we need a strict code of conduct.” Mr Mehta also suggested that all Editors like politicians should declare their assets on the Editors’ Guild website.

     

    Problem lies in the business model…

    Mr Rajdeep Sardesai, Editor-in-Chief, IBN18 Network confessed: “Media is more powerful than ever before, but it is also less respected than ever before. In this age of quantification we are facing a credibility crisis.” But he added that the viewer has almost a ‘schizophrenic’ attitude towards the media, so the messenger (media) who is expected to play ‘god’ is repeatedly shot at. Mr Sardesai indicated two main threats to the main stream media, internal and external. Talking of the external threat he said: “The business model is the main problem. The declining ethical standards are because of how the business model is, where 95 per cent dependency for revenues is on advertisements. The channels have to pay what is called a carriage fee, which is actually illegal and completely unethical.”

     

    Mr Sardesai offered ‘disclosure’ as a solution to paid news. He said: “If it is paid news, then it needs to be said that it is paid news. Disclosure is the only way out, tell the world it is paid news. If an advertiser or a political party is sponsoring a certain programme, then you need to mention outright that the show is sponsored by xyz. But the problem is, in this era of maddening competition and declining revenue, who will set the rules of disclosure?”

     

    Speaking of the internal threat, Mr Sardesai said that this is one area where you can’t blame the proprietor. He said: “Who asked us (journalists) to replace sense with sensationalism, to replace news with noise? The moral compass that makes journalism different from any other profession has gone.” Mr Sardesai cited the example of theNorwayissue where a domestic problem within a span of no time took the shape of a diplomatic battle.

     

    He also added that what has changed about media today is the fact that the public is turning against media, the public is willing to teach media a lesson. For ethical cleansing to happen, Mr Sardesai concluded, “We have to name and shame the transgressors and the naming and shaming has to happen by someone within the system.”

     

  • Lonely Planet is recognised as the traveller's best friend the world over, and as the flag-bearers of this brand in India

    Lonely Planet Magazine India announces Travel Awards 2012

    By A Correspondent

     

    Lonely Planet Magazine, India has announced its first Travel Awards, which celebrate the best travel experiences available to Indians, and anoint the best service providers, the preferred places to stay and the destinations Indians most love to visit.

     

    Lonely Planet is recognised as the traveller’s best friend the world over, and as the flag-bearers of this brand in India. The team felt that there wasn’t yet a credible benchmark in the country. There was nothing to measure the standards the increasingly sophisticated Indian traveller has come to expect.

     

    The aim of the awards is two-fold. One, to celebrate those who are giving the Indian traveller the experience he or she wants. Two, to spur non-winners to do better still, to provide a richer experience and please the Indian traveller; and in doing so, to aim for the trophy next year.

     

    The ethos is simple – if, and only if, the Indian traveller is satisfied and happy with what you have laid out, will you win the trophy.

     

    The team believes the Lonely Planet Magazine India Travel Awards 2012 will provide the benchmark Indian travellers are looking for. The winners will become part of an exclusive club of travel facilitators, hotels and destinations that Indians love and will return to.

     

    The winners were chosen by readers for the benefit of other readers. Voting was through a reader poll (online and in the magazine); there were 39 categories to choose a winner in, making these the most extensive and industry-wide awards yet seen.

     

  • The supplement will focus on luxury products and services including high-end automobiles, travel, jewellery, watches, living spaces and fashion

    The Hindu launches luxury supplement – Watches, Luxury & beyond

    By A Correspondent

     

    Followed by a successful launch in 2011, The Hindu Group of Publications, South India’s most read English daily, has launched Watches, Luxury & Beyond as a monthly glazed tabloid on April 28. The supplement will focus on luxury products and services including high-end automobiles, travel, jewellery, watches, living spaces and fashion.

     

    Targeted at high net worth individuals, corporate managers and discerning buyers, WL is a one-stop shop for information on the finer things in life.

     

    The format will be engaging and dynamic with a focus on collages, trend meters and snapshots on the most important moments in the world of luxury.

     

    This supplement will be published on the last Saturday of every month and will be circulated in 7 important markets along with The Hindu and Business Line: Chennai (with The Hindu) and in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Coimbatore and Kochi (with Business Line) with a total circulation of 3,50,000 copies.

     

  • Positioned as the first action entertainment channel, the channel is slated to launch by end of Q1FY12-13

    Reliance Broadcast & RTL name JV channel ‘Thrill’

    By A Correspondent

     

    BIG RTL, the television joint venture between Reliance Broadcast Network and RTL Group, has named its soon-to-be-launched action channel Thrill.  The thematic action channel, positioned as the first action entertainment channel, is the result of a detailed audience mapping and insight mining among Indian audiences to determine entertainment need gaps. The joint venture channel will address this need gap and serve the very best of international content from across the globe, dubbed in Hindi. The channel is slated to launch by the end of the Q1FY12-13.

     

    With several options to choose from, the internal team set out to test names with the potential core target group: male audiences across metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas in the Hindi-speaking markets. With focus groups spread across the country and moderators mapping feedback closely, Thrill emerged as the hands-down winner for the name for the channel. The name is easily comprehensible across all social strata and encapsulates the core values of the channel – ‘daring’, ‘action-packed’, ‘electrifying’, ‘sporty’, ‘challenging’ and ‘adventurous’.

     

    The core viewers of the channel would be Thrill-seeking males in the age group of 15-44 years, who are action and adventure lovers.

     

    As part of the plan to offer a diverse programming mix, the channel has signed strategic deals with various leading international content providers for successful global formats and series across a variety of genres: action reality, action thrillers, fighting and wrestling championships, shocking, never seen before films, extreme sports, late night entertainment and a robust library of hit Hollywood action movies, all dubbed in Hindi.

     

    Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Tarun Katial, CEO, Reliance Broadcast Network Ltd. said, “We are excited to offer India its first action entertainment channel, Thrill which will showcase world-class international content, dubbed in Hindi. The channel fills a need gap that exist in the entertainment landscape and we are confident that our proposition, backed by consumer insights, will resonate excellently with viewers and marketers alike.”

     

    BIG RTL has already teamed up with Reliance Digital TV, India’s leading direct-to-home service provider, to distribute Thrill, giving the channel access to 30 lakh digital television homes across India and the channel is in the process of closing deals with other operators. This partnership marks the beginning of the quest to extend BIG RTL’s top-of-the-line content to maximum audiences across the country. Thrill will be distributed as part of a 7 Channel robust bouquet of Reliance Broadcast which includes BIG CBS Prime, BIG CBS Love, BIG CBS Spark, BIG CBS Spark Punjabi, BIG MAGIC and UTV Bloomberg.

     

    The present joint venture marks RTL Group’s entry into the burgeoning Asian television market and is Reliance Broadcast Network’s second international joint venture, following on the heels of its successful joint venture with CBS Studios International.

     

    Reliance Broadcast Network Limited is a multi-media entertainment conglomerate with play across radio, television, intellectual properties and out of home. It is part of the Reliance Group and specializes in creating and executing integrated media solutions for brands. It houses the following verticals: 92.7 BIG FM, BIG CBS- a joint venture with CBS Studios International which has launched four channels, BIG CBS Prime, BIG CBS Love, BIG CBS Spark and Spark Punjabi. Added to this robust bouquet, the Company also distributes Bloomberg UTV, India’s premier business news channel.

     

  • In Mediaah!, Pradyuman Maheshwari recounts a story on how some marketers had once wanted to shift the Mother's Day date and comments on Siddharth Varadarajan's outburst in The Hindu, Hoshie Ghaswalla’s advice to his editors and how Taproot ought to have won the Grand Prix at Goafest for Airtel.

    Mediaah! The business of Akshaya Tritiya & the plot to shift Mother’s Day to make money!

    By Pradyuman Maheshwari

     

    Many years ago, the CEO and promoter of a well-known consumer product company came to meet me at my office at Mid-Day. He brought with him a large volume and said he wanted to seek my advice.

     

    He said that a group of varied Indian organisations had got together to find a solution to a problem: find an appropriate ‘day’ for mothers. While Diwali and Christmas-New Year were good occasions for gifting,  Valentine’s Day had become a great success thanks to “their collective efforts”. There ws a long gap between Feb 14 and Diwali which falls in October and November. Now, the study conducted by a well-known market research firm said the person whom Indians love the most is the mother. So, what’s the problem, I asked.

     

    Well, he said, the issue is that Mother’s Day falls in May in India and that’s when most schools and colleges are shut. And then he dropped the bombshell. So, we were wondering if we can shift the Mother’s Day to sometime when educational institutions are open as kids pick up the maximum of cards and soft toys etc?

     

    I must confess I was struck by the ingenuity of the idea and how some of the most discerning names in Indian industry had got together to consider this.

    The CEO-businessman wanted my views on the issue, and whether the media would pan the move. They had even looked at alternative dates and were considering August 28 since it coincided with Mother Teresa’s birthday.

     

    This meeting happened sometime in June and I wondered how it could be done since we had already had a Mother’s Day that year? No problem, he said. We’ll have two this year, and told me that the group spearheading the move had considered this and didn’t think it would have any problem. We then spoke of how Shivaji Jayanti was observed on two different dates in Maharashtra and it didn’t bother people.

     

    After this meeting, I kept waiting for a fresh date for Mother’s Day that year and in the next, but figured that wider sense had prevailed and the companies didn’t change the date.

     

    A few years later, when I had relocated to Pune, I discovered that Akshaya Tritiya was being celebrated in a big way.  I was told that it was the next auspicious festival after Gudi Padwa for Maharashtrians, and thought it was essentially Pune thingie. Two years later, when I was back in Mumbai, I found that the day had taken roots here too. And now we have most of the country celebrating it. A festival had come out of nowhere.

     

    I have been somewhat radical with some of my religious beliefs, and had faced some heat from colleagues. I think Karva Chauth is regressive and since this occurred to me a decade-and-a-half back, I have ensure that all the publications that I have worked with didn’t carry any pictures of the celebrations. But I was quite pleasantly surprised to read this outburst by Hindu editor Siddharth Varadarajan (courtesy Sans Serif).

     

     Read this carefully:

    “We carried a ‘jacket’ on Monday in our Tamil Nadu editions that featured a message – laid out in the form of an in-house advertisement – to readers on the occasion of Akshaya Tritiya on behalf of “The Hindu”.

     

    “Neither I, as Editor of The Hindu, nor anyone from the editorial side, was involved in the drafting of this message. Nor did we know of, let alone approve, its contents.”

     

    Makes sense, you would say. But the clincher is Para 3:

    “For the record, it is not The Hindu’s editorial position that Akshaya Tritiya, an occasion that has risen to prominence only relatively recently, is one of “the most auspicious days in the Hindu religion.” Nor can we possibly endorse this statement – “The belief that buying gold on this day would make you prosperous throughout the year is shared by one and all” – or others contained in that message.”

     

    One doesn’t have to dream much to figure what Siddharth Varadarajan’s sentiments are on Akshaya Tritiya. And I don’t think he’s incorrect. I don’t read Hindu since I don’t get it in Mumbai, but am surprised that this announcement was carried. So while it would be interesting to know what CEO Arun Anant has to say on his editor’s comment on what his marketing team would’ve done, there’s no denying that the festival has become as big as it has today thanks only to the collective zeal of some marketers.

     

    **

     

    I am delighted to inform that not all business-to-business publications are giving in to the demands and diktats of advertisers. Especially when it comes to editorial content.

     

    Hoshie Ghaswalla

    My friend Hoshie Ghaswalla, recently appointed CEO of the Cybermedia group (publishers of Dataquest, PC Quest, CIOl etc) has now issued an advisory to all his editors that they oughtn’t worry about the whims of large corporations who love bullying trade media. Note: these are my words, not his.

     

    Hoshie and his editor noticed some misgivings among employees of a laaaarge software corporation on salary raises even as the company had declared huge dividends to shareholders. CIOL went to town on the issue a fortnight back, and if the corp hasn’t done it already, it will soon announce wage revisions.

     

    Hoshie tells me that he has advised his editor on a similar story with a large international computer hardware company. “The problem,” he confesses is “that journalists have for far too long been not wanting to upset large companies who are also big advertisers”.

     

    I jumped to defend his editors and said this must be because of his editors who’ve worked in the past would’ve on their own or were told by his predecessors on not damning the big advertisers. Puff pieces only.

     

    Hoshie didn’t agree. I didn’t complain at all. It’s good to see a sales-driven CEO ask his editors to screw erring companies (who may be existing or potential advertisers). This especially in the trade media where there are many who are known to compromise on editorial integrity and ethics.

     

    ***

     

    Agnello Dias

    It’s been over a week since Goafest happened. While I am happy that the Abby went through peacefully, I was surprised that Taproot didn’t win the Grand Prix for the Airtel ad. It deserved every bit of it, and although the Agnello Dias and Santosh Padhi were pretty cool about it when my colleague spoke to him soon after the awards (see link), he has shared his disappointment in an interview with Anil Thakraney (see link). Though not in so many words.

     

    I sincerely hope that Taproot continues to bring us great advertising, attracts some $$$s (okay, let’s make it $$$$$$$$$$$$$s!) from the Big networks and is always rooted to the real world.

     

     

    Buzz me if you have a story to tell. Confidentiality assured. There are various ways you can reach me: pradyumanm[at]mxmindia.com, BBM 23050B5D, Gtalk pradyumanm@gmail.com, Twitter @pmahesh and of course the mobile: 98338 76278.

     

    Disclaimer: Although he is CEO and Editor-in-Chief of this site, Pradyuman Maheshwari’s views in Mediaah! are not necessarily those of the rest of the team and MxMIndia.com. And decidedly not those of the sales team 🙂

     

  • Young people are willing to be advocates of brands on social networking sites as long as they trust it was the key learning at MTV Power of One – Youth Marketing Forum 2012

    Authenticity and engagement is what brands must give consumers: MTV youth summit

    By A Correspondent

     

    Brands today need to listen, learn and begin to engage with the youth; they need to be authentic as young people today are willing to speak positively about the brand they trust. These were some of the points discussed at the ‘MTV Power of One’- Youth Marketing Forum 2012.

     

    Ms Angela Barkan, Senior Director, Marketing and Publicity, Sony Music Entertainment; Mr Chetan Bhagat, Author of five blockbuster novels; Mr Andrew Ridley, Executive Director and Co-Founder, Earth Hour; Mr Henri Holm, Senior Vice President, Rovio Entertainment, the creators of Angry Birds; Simon Smith, European Digital Director at Interbrand were some of the speakers at the Youth Marketing Forum which saw presentations and a panel discussion on ways to engage the youth in the digital media era.

     

    Aditya Swamy

    The MTV Youth Marketing Forum 2012 kick-started with Mr Aditya Swamy, EVP and Business Head, MTV India sharing some of the findings from the MTV’s study on the Indian youth. The study titled ‘Power of One’ was unveiled on Friday, April 27. Mr Swamy said that over 5,000 youth were interviewed across the Country and an overwhelming 76 per cent said that they are happy with their life. According to the findings, for today’s youth family is more important than their friends, as a lot of young people see their parents as their role model.

     

    The survey also says that 97 per cent of the youth believe that they can bring about change and that social media has given them a voice, thus making them feel empowered. “Single screen engagements are not going to work, today web and mobile are required to engage the youth. Today the youth do not need inspirations but engagement, so there needs to be a two way conversation. If brands learn to keep the promises they make to their consumers, it will see more people, particularly youngsters flocking towards their brands” Mr Swamy added.

     

    Andrew Ridley

    A good idea needs good platform:

    Mr Andrew Ridley, Executive Director and Co-Founder, Earth Hour spoke about how the movement first started in one city -Sydney, before it became a global movement. He spoke about how every individual has the power to change the world they live in and how social media strengthens that power and provides a vehicle to take action. Citing the example of how Earth Hour was designed to build reach and increase its reach to billions of people around the world, Mr Ridley was of the view that a good idea needs a good platform in order to reap rich benefits. “I believe that for the first time we have the power to connect. We are still at the initial stage of creating a big change, but if our core idea is relevant and connected to the young people in particular, it will lead to a huge change in the world” said Mr Ridley.

     

    Henri Holm

    It’s all about communication…

    Speaking on the success story of Angry Birds, Mr Henri Holm, Senior Vice President, Rovio Entertainment, said that it took the company nearly eight years to be where it is today. He also spoke about how to engage the younger generation with the powerful concept and the characters and also how the distribution channels were also chosen carefully to reach out to the millions and to be of service to the fans. Since youth is the core TG, Rovio Entertainment hopes to stay relevant, connected and constantly find new ways to engage the youth.

     

    Besides the online experience, Angry Birds also gave the audience offline experience of the game, thus not only engaging its TG but even getting newer audience. “One of the reasons for the success of Angry Birds is its simplicity. We put a lot of weight on communication and feedback from our audience, therefore for us it is all about building business with fans and not features. Angry Birds is a permanent part of the youth culture and our aim is to further service the youth efficiently in the years to come.”

     

    Chetan Bhagat

    Reaching out through social media

    Author of five blockbuster novels, Mr Chetan Bhagat, also known as the marketing guru gave his insights on marketing. He said that social media is a good way to execute the power of one: “Social media has become very popular today and one must know what a Facebook or a Twitter is. As far as I am concerned social media is a great platform, my goal is to reach out to maximum number of people and social media is one of the ways to reach out.”

     

    He said that one of the reasons why his books worked was because the plots were tight, they were unputdownable, the language was simple, and the characters were relatable. Mr Bhagat also gave some insights into the mind of the youth. He said that the youth today has the ‘hunger’ to do well in life, to gain respect and make money; that they want an education that could provide them skills that would help them make money. Besides the love for their careers and seeking out their love, youth today deeply care for their country and are willing to clean up the system.

     

    Simon Smith

    The power of one

    Mr Simon Smith, European Digital Director, Interbrand spoke about the power of conformity, and the willingness to conform publicly in order to attain social rewards. We need to understand the power of one and how powerful it is. The power of one, I believe, is simply about being human. One must not move with the crowd but, remain an individual he or she is supposed to be. “Fundamentally, as humans, we haven’t changed much, but our expressions to our needs have dramatically changed with technology, society and changing power structure. The relation between brand and consumer has fundamentally changed, so if a brand makes a promise to its consumers, it better deliver on those promises or the consumer will never trust the brand and influence others to rebuke the brand too.”

     

    Angela Barkan

    Authenticity and the art of listening to the youth

    Ms Angela Barkan of Sony Music International spoke about millennials, youngsters aged between 12 to 30 years. She was of the view that millenials are multi-taskers and optimists, that they expect brands to be authentic and have two way communications with them. She also said that this is a group which loves to share and that they define themselves by what they share. She also said that this unusual group is found mostly online. “Collaborations and interactions are very important when talking about music as it results in lifelong fans. However, there is a need for brands to be authentic because if a brand is authentic, then millenials are willing to speak positively about the brand they trust.”

     

    Reaching out to the youth

    A panel discussion which included eminent panelists like Mr Avinash Pant, Marketing Head, Nike India; Mr Sumeet Pahwa, DGM – Marketing, TATA Docomo; Mr Vikram Malhotra, COO Viacom 18 Motion Pictures; Mr Bejoy Nambiar, Director and Screen Writer; and Mr Ayushman Khurana, VJ turned Actor and was moderated by Mr Nikhil Chinappa, VJ and Founder, Summer Sunburn Festival spoke about the difficulties of marketing to the young generation and the possible ways of reaching out the youth. They also spoke on the role of social media marketing and whether social media is actually an effective tool to reach out to the youth.

     

    Mr Pahwa spoke about how the social media is a big platform to engage the youth citing the example of how it helped Tata Docomo successfully engage the youth by having a two way conversation with them.

     

    According to Mr Malhotra, “Brands need to listen a lot more, even to criticisms, and problems must be solved as and when brought by the consumers. The attitudes of the youth are fast changing, today they trust their family and friends more than the brands, hence brands need to listen, learn and begin to engage with the youth.”

     

    Mr Pant was of the view that the youth today are looking for innovation: “Things are moving so fast today that our conventional thought process itself needs to change drastically. We have to think a lot more digital.”

     

    Ayushman Khurana pointed out that the youth do not have the patience to listen, but they do have a strong opinion about films or any other product or brand. So one needs to understand its audience and find ways to connect with the audience and have a two way communication with them.

     

    Be authentic, have a two way communication, listen a lot more to your consumers, respond to criticisms and fix problems because young people are willing to be advocates of brands on social networking sites as long as they trust it otherwise brands must be ready for a backlash. These are some of the lessons to be learnt from the MTV Youth Marketing Forum 2012.

     

  • I wonder how many Indians would recognize the international football stars, since the sport is not really famous in India

    Debrief: Pepsi: Not really a game changer

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    It must have cost Pepsi a bomb to hire the services of football stars like Lampard, Torres and Drogba. Not to speak of expensive desi cricketers like Dhoni and Kohli. But does it work? Hmm, am not so sure.

     

    Pepsi continues with its ‘Change the game’ theme this summer. When they first broke with this idea it was quite refreshing in terms of the execution. But am afraid its losing fizz as the idea gets extended. Perhaps it has to do with the way they are extending it. In the new TVC, the football stars play football with a cricket ball.

     

    And there’s a ‘fun’ exchange between the cricketers and the footballers, as the two games collide.

     

    Here are the problems with this commercial: I wonder how many Indians would recognize the international football stars, since the sport is not really famous in India. Perhaps some uber urban lads will, but Pepsi is a mass brand. Which then makes one question the heavy expenditure. Also, the marriage of the two games is clumsily done and the treatment is very predictable. And this directly hits the entertainment value of the ad. The script had to be very spunky and very surprising for it to work. Lastly, the brand has been forced into the situation in a very, let’s just say, unsmart manner. They simply had to find a cool way to make Pepsi an intrinsic part of the storyline.

     

    In short, the ad lacks both, freshness and wit… the key ingredients of any Pepsi ad.

     

    Rating: (On a scale of 1 to 5): 1. Game changed. Now change the ad.

     

  • The account, previously handled by Lintas Media Group, will be handled out of Madison’s Bangalore office

    Madison Media wins Enamor media AOR

    By A Correspondent

     

    Madison Media Omega has just announced that they have won the media AOR for Gokaldas Intimatewear P Ltd, makers of Madison Media Omega media AOR Gokaldas Intimatewear P Ltd Madison World Enamor lingerie. The account was won in a multi-agency pitch. The agencies that participated in the Pitch were Maxus, OMD and RK Swamy Media. The account, previously handled by Lintas Media Group, will be handled out ofMadison’sBangaloreoffice.

     

    Mr Sam Balsara, Chairman & Managing Director, Madison World said: “We are delighted that Enamor has chosen us and are confident that we will be able to add a lot of value to their business. We are also happy to add a new product category to our portfolio.”

     

    Madison Media was recently in the news for winning the Crompton Greaves and Dixcy Textile’s Media AOR.

     

    At the recent Goafest 2012 awards Madison Media won 4 awards, including a Gold for Best Use of Newspapers & Magazines for Parachute Advansed Ayurvedic Hair Oil; 2 Silvers for Best Use of Internet & Digital Media for Airtel and Best Use of Branded Content for Cadbury and a Bronze for Best Use of Events and Stunts for Cadbury Celebrations.

     

    Madison Media Group is India’s foremost media agency handling media planning and buying for blue chip clients including Airtel, Godrej, Cadbury, ITC, General Motors, Marico, McDonald’s TVS, Britannia, Procter & Gamble, Asian Paints, Tata Tea, Shriram Transport Finance, Levis, SpiceJet, Crompton Greaves, Axis Bank, Domino’s, Bharti Axa, MaxNewyork Life Insurance, Tata Salt, Acer, Dish TV, Times Television Network, Indian Oil, Dixcy Textiles and many others.  The gross billing of Madison Media is Rs. 3000 crores.

  • Design Stack will handle the entire gamut of off-air publicity and promotional campaigns for the network’s three channels

    Disney appoints Design Stack as creative agency

    By A Correspondent

     

    Mumbai based design and communication studio, Design Stack, has been appointed as the creative agency for the Disney Network. Design Stack will handle the entire gamut of off-air publicity and promotional campaigns for the network’s three channels – Disney Channel, Disney XD and Hungama TV.

     

    In early 2011, Design Stack had handled the creative duties for the immensely successful project – Disney Channel’s Shooting Stars: The country’s biggest nationwide, talent hunt by a kid’s channel.

     

    “The Disney Network’s continued success with kids and families is testament to how our stories and characters work at multiple levels and we are committed to further increasing the visibility of our brands and creating a deeper and richer connect with the viewers. We felt the time was right to appoint a creative agency that understands our brand values and can help bring them alive visually in our campaigns. The team at Design Stack brings an immense amount of enthusiasm and creative excellence to the table and we look forward to their contributions on our upcoming projects”, said Bikram Duggal, Director Marketing, Walt Disney Television International India.

     

    “We’ve all grown up with Disney as a part of our childhood and it’s a thrill to be associated with such an iconic brand, especially at a time when they are building a strong local presence in India,” said Priyanka Bhasin, Partner, Design Stack

     

    “The Disney Channel is very particular about maintaining consistency of their brand. It is exciting collaborating with their team of sharp marketing strategists and visual communication design specialists, who have high standards when it comes to messaging and design. In a sense, it’s a fitting partnership,” added Anoop Patnaik, Partner, Design Stack

     

    Design Stack, founded in 2004 by Priyanka Bhasin and Anoop Patnaik (graduates from the National Institute of Design), is a branding and strategic design studio located in Mumbai. Over the years, the firm has built up a diverse range of clients – from retailers like Westside and youthful, experimental brands like Chimp to corporate entities like Asian Paints, Cox & Kings, Standard Chartered Bank, Times of India, Sahara Housing & Infrastructure, to name a few. The studio was also awarded The International Design Award, LA,Californiafor Asian Paints Colour Spectra Pro – Packaging Design and Chimp Retail Branding.

     

  • In Freaking News, which will now appear every Tuesday and Friday, Ranjona Banerji reviews the fare in the morning papers and the nightly news. And sometimes the afternooners, the newsmags and all that's on the Web

    [MJR] TV arguments that go nowhere

    By Ranjona Banerji

     

    Few crimes have been more astonishing and more bitterly fought over in the public domain than the murders of 14-year-old Aarushi Talwar and the domestic who worked in her home, Hemraj. Unlike the Jessica Lal murder case – where everyone know who the murderer was and the scandal was the cover-up – everything about this double murder remains open-ended four years later.

     

    The role of the media, however, came into question from day 1. it started with the intrusive and speculative reporting about Aarushi’s own life – with ridiculous segments on TV channels about how Aarushi would have celebrated her next birthday, had she been alive. Then, the initial police investigation added more grist to the rumour mill – were the parents swingers, had Aarushi and Hemraj become too close because of the parents’ activities and as a result, had the two been shut up because they knew too much? No evidence was presented to prove any of these speculations, yet the Noida police had no problem putting all these theories into the fray.

     

    Then the expected happened -various domestics were blamed. it didn’t help that Hemraj himself was blamed, by the parents as it happened. His body was found the next day since neither the police nor the family even bothered to check the whole house after the murder of the girl was discovered. His body was on the terrace – not really that far away.

     

    The media at this time, rather than focus on the salacious aspects of the case and dramatising this young girl’s life, perhaps should have put the police under the scanner for destroying evidence, for not treating the Talwar home as a crime scene and for careening between believing the Talwars implicitly to treating them as criminals.

     

    Television on Monday night revisited the Aarushi case as her mother Nupur finally appeared before a court after giving the authorities the run around for a year and was sent to jail. We have seen the Talwars presented as both victims and perpetrators. The media has taken sides and many have sided with the Talwars. The arguments presented have been sweetly naive -how can parents kill their children and neighbours say the Talwars are nice people. The dentist couple also had high profile patients like historian Patrick French who have launched a spirited defence.

     

    On NDTV, there was some soul-searching about whether the media had gone too far, Headlines Today enjoyed chasing Nupur Talwar all over Delhi and told us all about the jail she would be staying in and how she would be treated. On Times Now, we were treated to an expected fight fest. One of the lawyers for the Talwars, Pinaki Mishra, historian French, activist Ranjana Kumari and TV journalist Ashutosh Tiwari and Arnab Goswami himself slugged it out. Or rather, Mishra and French batted for the Talwars, Tiwari for the media, Kumari hardly got a chance to speak and Goswami seemed unsure whose side he was on. He did however ask why no one was bothered about the domestics who were accused at the Talwars’ behest and then let off. Mishra wanted everyone to know he was taking no money – how this impacted the case was unclear. Should his paying clients now feel that he only pays attention to cases he does free. French said that everyone said the Talwars were nice people. imagine writing a history of, say, Hitler, and then telling us many people liked him. it’s hardly a defence.

     

    The Noida police and the CBi, who really should be under the microscope, were not grilled. So one more TV argument that goes nowhere.

     

  • It's been a week since Goafest 2012 concluded. Pradyuman Maheshwari offers some tips on how the next year’s edition could be bigger, better and more meaningful

    Mediaah! | 6 ways to make Goafest 2013 bigger, better & more purposeful

    By Pradyuman Maheshwari

     

    It’s been a little over a week since Goafest 2012 ended, and even though I wasn’t there personally, detailed accounts from colleagues and friends who were present got me to offer my two-bit. One of the problems which afflicts the Indian trade media is that it doesn’t put up tough observations and posers. Perhaps because the Goafest committee comprises biggies in the business, and it doesn’t want to upset them. But that doesn’t help any one in the long run… and almost all the officebearers will in private agree with these comments.

     

    Here are my 6 suggestions for making Goafest 2013 a finer fest:

     

    1. Get Lowe, or else…

    Until last year, we didn’t think too much of the Creative Abbys. And then a toughie organizing committee chairperson in Lynn de Souza and a tougher and determined Shashi Sinha ensured the Creative Abby was cleansed. Now in its second year of being squeaky clean, I think it’s time that the folks at the Abby go that extra mile to ensure Lowe participates. In an interview to MxMIndia editor-at-large Anil Thakraney a few weeks back, Lowe bossman Balki gave us his reasons. Which I thought were very valid, and I would urge the collective brainstrust at the Advertising Agencies Association of India and Advertising Club Bombay to incorporate Balki’s suggestions and get him on board. So get Lowe…. or someone else will.

     

    2. Need for one and all to be there…

    Is Goafest attended by all those who matter in advertising and marketing? No, it isn’t. I was trying to compile a list of those who didn’t attend this year, but couldn’t get the time to do it. Perhaps the organisers must. Also, find out who was present only at the Advertising Conclave and not on the other days and ask they Creative and Media Agency folk why some of them came in just to collect their awards. Guess they all had better things to do.

    It’s important that Goafest announces its schedule much in advance. Do it now. You know you’ve have it a few weekends before after the Good Friday-Easter weekend, so just let people keep their calendars free. For info: next year (2013), Good Friday falls on March 29.

     

    3. No Jan-Feb…?

    Hey, wait a minute before firming Goafest 2012 dates. Goa is forever humid, but April is dehydratingly hot. Even a countless pints of beer aren’t enough to keep you cool. I know there are issues – yearend for some folks and a possible tight schedule of other international awards, but there’s got to be a way out. Goa is a super place… it’s close to Mumbai and Delhiwallahs love to get here anyway. But we’ve got to find a solution!

     

    4. Get the marketers in…

     

    It’s a problem: true blue marketers don’t think much of what happens at a Goafest. Which is wrong, because there’s a lot of good. They just need to be exposed to it once. In fact next year, just as there is an attempt to woo the under-30s, perhaps it would be good to motivate the 40-plus-ers to also head here. Just ensure there’s a good single malt sponsor around J

     

    5. Could we see some serious stuff in?

    Sam Balsara’s comment that the Advertising Conclave must see some quality discussion on the business of advertising and the way-forward must be deliberated on. While many of the debates can’t happen in a public forum, some can well be. In addition, workshops, tutorials and assorted classroom sessions on the sidelines would do a world of good. There exist a few already, but carefully thought out ones – and in enough quantity and catering to all stratas – would be ideal.

     

    6. And lastly: plan early.

    It’s important to work on Goafest 2013 now. Appoint the key functionaries and agencies rightaway. That way we can be sure of a kickass fest!

     

    A good part of this column is also in MxM’s special print edition for Goafest. Meanwhile, buzz me if you have a story to tell. Confidentiality assured. There are various ways you can reach me: pradyumanm[at]mxmindia.com, BBM 23050B5D, Gtalk pradyumanm@gmail.com, Twitter @pmahesh and of course the mobile: 98338 76278.

     

    Disclaimer: Although he is CEO and Editor-in-Chief of this site, Pradyuman Maheshwari’s views in Mediaah! are not necessarily those of the rest of the team and MxMIndia.com. And decidedly not those of the sales team 🙂