MxMIndia

Author: mxmadmin

  • What has shown improvement is the cumulative reach for these 57 matches in IPL 5 that stands at 155 million

    Loyalty factor is the key to consistency in season 5 IPL viewership

    By A Correspondent

     

    Although the Indian Premier League season 5 (IPL5) delivered the lowest television ratings as compared to the previous seasons, the weekly data released by TAM sports has shown some consistency in its overall IPL 5 viewership.

     

    According to the latest numbers released by TAM Sports for the first 57 matches (CS 4+ All India), IPL 5 recorded a TVR of 3.33 per cent, which is slightly lower than the first 58 matches of season four which received a TVR of 3.44 per cent.

     

    The inaugural IPL season (IPL1) however continues to remain the most watched tournament till date with a TVR of 4.81 per cent for the first 58 matches whereas IPL3 which celebrated the home coming season witnessed the second highest viewership for the first 59 matches with a TVR of 4.65 per cent while IPL season two which was played in South Africa received a TVR of 4.17 per cent for the first 57 matches.

     

    What has shown improvement is the cumulative reach for these 57 matches in IPL 5 that stands at 155 million. This is nearly the same for IPL 4 where the reach was 157 million and far better than IPL 3, 2, and 1 where the reach measured was 143 million, 122 million and 102 million respectively.

     

    It may be recalled that for the first 48 matches, IPL 5 delivered a TVR of 3.40 per cent whereas for the first 36 matches IPL 5 delivered a TVR of 3.41 per cent, for the first 27 matches, it delivered a TVR of 3.53 per cent and the first 16 matches, a TVR of 3.65 per cent.

     

    Mr Ajay Rao, Vice President, Dentsu noted: “There has been consistency in the ratings, which is good and this consistency, I believe, is because of the loyal viewers who watch IPL matches, come what may and also those audience who continuously surf channels but, return to the game to check the scores. However, as we head towards the semi finals and the finals, we will see an increase in the ratings.”

     

    Source : TAM Sports, Period : First 59 matches of all IPL Seasons, TG : CS 4+ yrs, Market : All India, Channel : MAX

     

    * In IPL 1 one match (47th) was abandoned due to rain
    * In IPL 2 two matches (7th & 13th)were abandoned due to rain
    * In IPL 4 one match (20th) was abandoned due to rain
    * In IPL 5 two matches (32th & 34th) were abandoned due to rain

     

  • This ad works for me. Because the brand arrives seamlessly into the story, it isn't forced. Also, the situation is very slice of life, many young people will identify with it

    Debrief: Cadbury Dairy Milk: Slice of sweetness

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Cadbury Dairy Milk’s ‘sweet beginnings’ campaign introduces two more commercials.

     

    One involves a young girl who’s discovered she’s pregnant. And the other one features college ragging. I didn’t quite like the latter one (the chocolate is forced into the situation), so let’s just discuss the ‘pregnancy’ ad which I did like.

     

    The nervous girl finds out that she’s carrying. And is unsure of how to break this big news to her mate. So she rehearses the standard filmy lines in front of a mirror. But the man overhears her, and this leads to a sweet exchange between the two. And of course, Cadbury Dairy Milk happens as a natural extension.

     

    This ad works for me. Because the brand arrives seamlessly into the story, it isn’t forced. Also, the situation is very slice of life, many young people will identify with it.

     

    So this will strengthen empathy. But most importantly, the couple acts very naturally and convincingly (unlike the ‘ragging’ TVC), so full marks to the director.

     

    All in all, must say the ‘Shubh Aarambh’ campaign is progressing sweetly.

     

    Rating: (On a scale of 1 to 5): 3.5 Right situation. Good direction.

     

  • There is an explosion of devices that are now connecting over to the Internet. We are living in an increasingly "hyperconnected" world where everyone is online 24/7, says Bruno Goveas

    The Anchor: Bruno Goveas lists 5 key trends shaping the internet

    By Bruno Goveas

     

    1. Hyperconnectivity:

    There is an explosion of devices that are now connecting over to the Internet. We are living in an increasingly “hyperconnected” world where everyone is online 24/7. Markets are evolving and business models are being replaced. Companies are embracing hyperconnectivity as they realize it is the only way to capture new opportunity and meet the emerging needs of their customers or consumers.

     

    2. Security for Online Businesses:

    With the Internet now an important channel for doing business, it’s not surprising that there is a dramatic increase in the frequency, scale and sophistication of web attacks. Hence, there is a critical need for robust web security that will ensure scalable protection from data theft and downtime, and enable extension of the security perimeter outside the data-centre to deal with distributed threats and ensure adequate protection.

     

    3. Enterprise Applications are moving to the Cloud:

    With theEnterpriseworkforce becoming increasingly mobile, and businesses expanding into new markets, having suppliers, partners and customers distributed around the world, there is a need to securely deliverEnterpriseapplications anywhere and to anyone, in a cost effective and efficient manner. Businesses are now leveraging the Internet and enabling enterprise application access over the Internet, to effectively reach their employees, customers and partners.

     

    4. Interactive HD quality entertainment over the Internet is now a reality:

    Consumers are now demanding access to entertainment from any device, anywhere. Hence there is a need to engage audiences with interactive HD quality video over the Internet, solve the challenges of multi-device consumption and provide the highest quality video experience to all devices.

     

    5. Need for performance with Mobile sites and applications:

    With connected mobile devices now ubiquitous, growing exponentially, and their capabilities having developed and matured, there is a critical need to overcome limitations of accessing content over the mobile network and optimizing the content to ensure optimal and vastly improved user experience on any mobile device.

     

    Bruno Goveas is Director of Products- Asia Pacific &Japan, at Akamai Technologies

     

  • The idea is to not just create a platform for young talent, but to also actively look for the unique, different and gifted

    Lowe Lintas to host 10th Portfolio Night

    By A Correspondent

     

    Lowe Lintas and Partners has once again come in support of Portfolio Night, which in its simplest form is, a platform for young creative aspirants to have their work sampled by at least three top creative directors from the industry in one evening. In the process, they not only get feedback and advice, but if they are good enough, they might land up a job as well. It is conducted on the same date in more than 20 cities all over the world every year.

     

    Organised by IHAVEANIDEA globally, as an industry event, it has been growing over the past few years with a lot of young creatives looking forward to it. Since 2003, it has taken place in 56 cities and 35 countries around the world. Over the past nine years, over 11,000 young copywriters, art directors and designers have taken part in it all over the world. And over 2,800 Creative Directors have given their time to participate in Portfolio Night.

     

    Mumbai has been a part of this event since last two years and this is the third year that it is being organized in the city. Given the significance of encouraging and motivating new talent in the industry, the mantle of organizing Portfolio Night in Mumbai has been taken up by Lowe Lintas and Partners this year on May 23 at the Four Seasons in Worli.

     

    With 25 top CDs from the industry slated to attend and review the work of young, enthusiastic creatives, this highly anticipated evening will unite advertising and design communities in every continent as the next generation of creative talent makes an exciting foray into the industry.

     

    The idea is to not just create a platform for young talent, but to also actively look for the unique, different and gifted. It acquires tremendous significance as there are limited opportunities for the young creatives to discover opportunities in the industry. This is one way with which they not only get one but three opportunities in one evening.

     

    And while one may think that he or she is talented enough to be in an agency, the reality of what agencies and Creative Directors look for may be completely different. Part of the attraction is thus the opportunity for young aspirants to get valuable advice and perspectives as well, from some of the well-known and established CDs who have gone through the grind.

     

    Arun Iyer, NCD, Lowe Lintas and Partners, said: “Hosting Portfolio Night is one way for us at Lowe Lintas and Partners to give back to the community. We would want young creative guys to come in and get the chance to talk to some of the best known CDs in the country. It’s only when you sit in front of someone who has the experience and the maturity that you understand what’s frivolous and what’s really important in a given context. Portfolio Night is thus the right opportunity to get a Reality Check.”

     

  • The idea behind Ward Watch is to sensitize people about their rights and to apprise the civic bodies about people’s expectations

    Inext’s Ward Watch for civic issues

    By A Correspondent

     

    In an attempt to bring order to the ever chaotic city wards, Inext, from Jagran Prakashan, has launched a Ward Watch campaign, a three month long campaign which will focus on the civic infrastructure issues that plague the cities. It will highlight core areas which warrant serious attention like roads, sewage, power supply, water connections, garbage collection, which pose a big challenge for people to lead a healthy and risk free life.

     

    This drive covers over 500 wards across 10 cities includingKanpur,Allahabad,Ranchi,Gorakhpur,Agra,Varanasi,Meerut,Lucknow,PatnaandBareilly. Inext team will go from one ward to another, digging out problems that the residents face in their daily life due to lackadaisical attitude of authorities and the office bearers towards local area development. Inext, through this civic focused initiative, will pose direct questions to the policy makers by bringing the plight of the wards on a public forum. The corporators, councillors /parishads of the locality will be confronted and responses will be sought for the sorry state of affairs.

     

    Similarly, the residents are also invited to present their perspective on the health of their respective wards. Therefore, this not only provides masses a platform to voice their concerns through Inext, but also it will also open up a debate on the role of each of the stakeholders including the government, civic authorities and the people.

     

    Alok Sanwal, Editor, Inext explained the rationale behind this initiative: “Mini metros inIndiasuffer from a peculiar and perennial state of negligence as far as civic affairs are concerned. There are many pockets, where even very basic facilities like proper sanitation, power supply and garbage management are absent. Ward Watch will highlight the local problems by taking them up ward wise, for a deeper penetration. And Inext, being a youthful newspaper, through this initiative resonates with the realization of the need to change, a change that solves problems!”

     

    The idea behind Ward Watch is to sensitize people about their rights and to apprise the civic bodies about people’s expectations. In Inext’s efforts to reach out to the people, youth have shown tremendous enthusiasm and support to the cause.

  • Despite the criticism over the TRAI regulations about ads on TV channels, needless to say, as a viewer I'm a bit un-miserable

    [MJR] Un-miserable about Trai’s ad regulations

    Ranjona Banerji

    By Ranjona Banerji

     

    This is actually an “un-grouse” – I go with the current zeitgeist and fascination with the un-dead (vampires) and the unlikely (werewolves).

     

    Despite the criticism on MxMIndia.com yesterday over the TRAI regulations about ads on TV channels, needless to say, as a viewer I’m a bit un-miserable. I understand the need to make money and profits and all that but sometimes watching TV can be an unhappy experience.

     

    TRAI has asked for commercial breaks to be limited to 12 minutes for every hour that there should be at least 15 minutes between consecutive breaks for programmes and every 30 minutes for movies. In addition, there are to be no part-screen or drop-down ads for live sports events. What’s to complain? It’s not as if the TV channels themselves don’t know how damn annoying constant ad breaks can be – they themselves advertise “break-less” movies as a cachet, as if the producer suddenly released a new uncut version of the film.

     

    The worst transgressors are Indian general entertainment programmes. Producers shoot what seems to be about 10 minutes of programming for those popular soaps and serials and the rest of the time is spent on dramatic repetitions of the last two minutes that transpired before the 40-odd ad breaks. Obviously someone in TRAI (or their families) watches these serials.

     

    There can be no one – except for some very brain-dead advertisers – who actually thinks that part-screen drop-down ads which mask action during a live sports events endears one to the advertiser. TRAI has only stated the obvious here.

     

    News channels are no better in particular, NDTV and CNN-IBN. If you catch them on the half-hour or the hour, you can be treated to about 10 straight minutes of advertisement. I keep hearing about how news channels are financially precarious which only leads me to believe that they ought to charge more.

     

    Times Now is terribly smart about this. During prime time, which is when editor-in chief Arnab Goswami conducts his nightly inquisition, there are minimum commercial breaks. The channel knows that people are watching for the drama and are not interested for the moment in Katrina Kaif having sex with a mango. TRPs skyrocket during Goswami’s Newshour (sometimes two hours) and Times Now knows that that benefit can be spread across the other hours of the day.

     

    It must also pointed out that newspapers and magazines also operate under some restrictions about the editorial to ad ratio and this does not lead to general hand-wringing and despair.

     

    Plus, it is also true that some ad breaks are necessary. You can make a few quick calls, run to the loo and check that the dinner is not burning. In between you might also decide that the Appy Fizz is indeed incredibly annoying and a talking soft drink should indeed be un-alive.

     

  • Kolkata remains the only big market where Radio City is not present, thus the sales alliance allows Radio City to extend its sales reach to Kolkata as well

    Radio City renews sales alliance with Friends FM

    By A Correspondent

     

    Radio City, the FM radio brand promoted by Music Broadcast Private Limited (MBPL) has renewed its strategic sales alliance with the Kolkata based Friends FM, the FM radio arm of ABP (Ananda Bazar Patrika) for another one year term. The strategic sales alliance between the two stations has completed nearly three years.

     

    Of the 20 cities, Kolkata remains the only big market where Radio City is not present, thus the sales alliance allows Radio City to extend its sales reach to Kolkata as well. Besides Friends FM, Radio City is also in sales alliance withGwaliorbased FM radio station, Suno Lemon.

     

    Speaking to MxMIndia, Ashit Kukian, COO (Chief Operating Officer), Radio City said: “Strategic sales alliance has worked for us. We are already in our third year of strategic sales alliance with Friends FM and have, in fact, renewed it again. It helps a single station to sell their brand nationally because it is very difficult to sustain the cost of placing people nationally. As for Radio City , this alliance helps us reach out to a critical market – Kolkata where we are not present. Besides Friends FM, we also have a strategic alliance with Suno Lemon inGwalior, and once the third phase is rolled out, we will strategize how to reach out to rest of the markets.”

     

    Radio City had recently announced its decision to increase its ad rates by 15 to 20 per cent, which it believes will result in better ROI for its clients. Some of its telecom clients include Tata Docomo, Vodafone, Idea, and Airtel, while FMCG, Consumer Durables, Automobiles, Realty Estate and media are some other advertising categories that advertise on radio. The retail versus national advertising ratio in Radio City is currently around 35:65 per cent – 35 per cent from retail and 65 per cent from national advertisers.

     

    Currently, Radio City is present in 20 cities namely, Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Pune, Hyderabad, Lucknow, Jaipur, Vadodara, Surat, Sholapur, Nagpur, Sangli, Coimbatore, Vizag, Ahmednagar, Akola, Nanded and Jalgaon.

     

    In the last couple of years, Radio City is said to have established and rolled out a lot of 360 degree marquee campaigns. Following the season one success of its property, Gully Premier League (GPL), Radio City is back with the Season 2 of GPL. Season two of the GPL is said to have already registered more than 14,000 teams for the tournament. Mr Kukian also pointed out that BTL (Below the Line) activations which has been witnessing growth over the years, have contributed significantly to the overall revenues of Radio City : “Our BTL activations have also been growing from strength to strength, moreover our activations last year contributed significantly to our overall revenues. From a radio industry perspective, BTL activations could be around 12 to 15 per cent of the overall revenues, whereas the BTL activations of Radio City alone contribute around 10 to 12 per cent of its overall revenues.” Therefore we are very much in sync with the contribution of BTL activations in the overall revenues.

     

    Mr Kukian was also of the view that besides FTCs, a radio station, and Radio City in particular, has multiple sources of revenues, activations and on ground propositions are a couple of them. He was also of the view that in the long run, he expects to see further growth in the contribution of these other revenue sources in a radio station’s overall revenues. “Since the medium is high on reach and content, customised syndication of content can be another source of revenue for the industry. In addition to this, we can also look at digital content syndication and monitisation as an extended source of revenue for Radio City .”

     

    “As of today, 15 per cent of our revenue comes from other sources but, over a period of time I believe these revenue sources could contribute to around 22 to 25 per cent of the entire revenue,” he added.

     

    Mr Kukian said that 2012 has been the best year so far for the FM station since the last three or four years. He went on to add that Radio City has been consistent in its leadership position in both Bengaluru and Mumbai. In Delhi too, it witnessed an increase in listenership numbers: “According to IRS, Q4 2012 we are ranked first or second across most of the non-metro cities in which we are present in. So from a product perspective, it has been a great year. As far as the revenues are concerned, we have always been doing well, in fact this year we have almost doubled the growth over the market category. Even in terms of talent, we have witnessed consistency in the low attrition rates. And with phase III coming up, we are clear about expanding our network to many more markets and increase our foot print panIndia” he said.

     

  • The portal is part of India.com, founded by Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited and Penske Media Corporation,USAwith United Internet Germany

    Bollywoodlife leapfrogs into leadership league

    By A Correspondent

     

    Arvindra Singh Kanwal

    Entertainment, perhaps, remains one of the most sought-after domains inIndiafor those seeking to venture out with an online enterprise of their own. Proof of its popularity could be gauged by the presence of umpteen number of Bollywood portals that have surfaced in recent years, and continue to hold fort despite the tough business environment plaguing the outside world.

     

    Amongst the newer lot of entrepreneurs who have made a mark with their product offering is one-year-old entrant, bollywoodlife.com. The portal is part of India.com, founded by Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited and Penske Media Corporation, USA with United Internet Germany. What is noticeable about bollywoodlife.com is that barely a few months since its launch, the portal went on to lead the category, overtaking some known leaders in the process.

     

    Throwing light on the genesis and journey of the portal so far, Arvindra Singh Kanwal, CEO, India.com, said: “Bollywoodlife.com was launched in May 2011 and follows the theme and design of its very successful parent site Hollywoodlife.com, owned and operated by our JV Partner Penske Media Corporation. Barely a few months since we launched, around November 2011, the website started being ranked as the No 1 Indian movie property in entertainment on comScore ahead of an old established player like Bollywoodhungama.com. It’s been at the top since.”

     

    Emphasising on the growth being registered since then, he said, “On comScore, we have been growing 3 per cent month-on-month, whereas other sites have been flat or negative. We are confident of accelerating this growth as we keep updating our offering.”

     

    Adding on the journey, Mr Kanwal said that most sites at the time they launched were very movie review-oriented. “We focused on content around Bollywood and Southern movie lifestyle. At a time when most portals tend to be biased towards Bollywood or Southern-based content, we pride on offering an offering that is well balanced.”

     

    The credit, according to Mr Kanwal, goes to Ramya Sarma, the editorial head of the portal who brought her own variety of conversational and photo-essay style essence to the product. “This approach has made it a leading destination to follow celebrity actors and entertainment news for style-minded men and women aged 18-35. Over time, we expect to see a spike in the women audience as the editorial style is tilted towards conversations they engage in,” he said.

     

    On what makes his portal unique from the others in the space, Mr Kanwal said that bollywoodlife.com’s uniqueness lies in providing content that is original, showing breaking news in a conversational fashion and having a multimedia editorial approach.

     

    “We also have transaction content sites in Auto, Education andMobilewhere we deliver news in English, Hindi, Marathi and Bengali. We rank No1 to 5 in every vertical category we represent. We expect our mobile offerings that are to be launched soon to take us closer to our vision of beingIndia’s premiere digital and mobile platform.”

     

    Divulging on the reach, Mr Kanwal said that worldwide it reaches around 15 million users per month (as per Google Analytics). “InIndia, we reach 12 million users of which bollywoodlife.com reaches to 2 million users worldwide and 1.6 million users inIndia.”

     

    On the growth strategy for india.com, Mr Kanwal said that, as a portal, India.com is barely 10 months old but is already ranked No 7 (March 2012, comScore) just behind in.com and AOL aggregate sites: “We have grown at a pace of 7 per cent month-on-month versus the market rate of 2 per cent. We are growing faster than all others. In fact in.com is in the negative zone and we should catch up soon going by our current pace.”

     

    On the scope for online players catering to the M&E industry, Mr Kanwal said that currently, the digital entertainment market is not built for local original licensed content. “There are a lot of sites that offer aggregated, undifferentiated and unlicensed content e.g. songs.pk, torrentz and others and this is the reason that advertisers have stayed away from advertising on them. But the time spent in this category is growing versus other media options. Also, internet penetration is expected to grow from 5 to 30 per cent by 2015. So quality content, multiple multimedia formats, time spent and high reach will make us and others who invest in this segment very valuable media assets.”

     

    According to Mr Kanwal, the plan going forward is to be seen as “a premier destination for users in every category that the company is present in.” This is what will make the company stand out and be counted as a “great” product, compared to the other good ones from the lot.

     

  • Report + reactions from Dileep Padgaonkar, Sevanti Ninan, Paranjoy Guha Thakurta & Sucheta Dalal

    Apology + Rs 500cr: Is Indian Express right in sending Open a legal notice?

     

    By Pradyuman Maheshwari and Shruti Pushkarna

     

    Shekhar Gupta

    It was the most read story on MxMIndia yesterday. As the news of the legal notice served by a lawyer representing Indian Express, Shekhar Gupta and three others filtered in, there were heated discussions in newsrooms on whether the Express and its legal eagles were right in serving a legal notice to Vinod Mehta, Open and its senior staffers.

     

    First some background. On April 4, The Indian Express carried a story by editor-in-chief Shekhar Gupta with Ritu Sarin and Pranab Dhal Samanta on two key army units moving towards New Delhi without informing the government. Ajmer Singh contributed to the report.

     

    Vital Links
    The Indian Express report (April 4, epaper)
    The Open interview (April 21)
    The ‘notice’ (May 15, note: source unverified and unknown)

    There was outrage and denials issued by all and sundry in the government and armed forces. However, save the outbursts, it wasn’t proven that the Express story was incorrect.

     

    Meanwhile, ever since the report appeared, The Indian Express – while still respected as a no-nonsense, credible newspaper – was the butt of ridicule by commentators and on social networks. Those in print may have been a lot more gentle, but a few television discussions were indeed scathing.

     

    And then came this interview with Outlook’s editorial adviser (and former editor-in-chief) Vinod Mehta in newsmag Open on the issue. The headline of the interview said it all: The Mother of All Mistakes (issue dated April 21, 2012). In his inimitable style, Mr Mehta suggested that Mr Gupta was taken in by a story that was planted on the Express.

     

    While a magazine has a limited readership, since the article was freely available on the internet and it carried a very pointed allegation by one high profile editor on another, the interview viralled in the media fraternity a great deal.

     

    This legal notice by a lawyer representing The Indian Express and the four writers of the story – Shekhar Gupta, Ritu Sarin, Pranab Dhal Samanta and Ajmer Singh – came less than a month of the publication of the interview.

     

    One would’ve let the notice be, but its contents make for interesting reading. So while Mr Mehta may be suggesting in the interview (and he also said  amidst some cheer at the Press Club Bombay awards recently) that he quit the Independent owning moral responsibility of an incorrect story, the notice points out that in his memoirs (Lucknow Boy), he projects that he was compelled to do so. “Till now, I am unsure why I had to quit.”

     

    The notice asks for an apology and pulling the story off Open’s internet edition openthemagazine.com. At the time of filing this report, Open hasn’t done either and two senior staffers told MxMIndia that the magazine does not intend to do either.

     

    The notice also demands damages of Rs 100 crore each to the lawyer’s clients. That’s five of them – the Indian Express, Shekhar Gupta, Ritu Sarin, Pranab Dhal Samanta and Ajmer Singh. The Rs 500 crore damages have to be paid regardless of the apology.

     

    MxMIndia asked a few senior editors for their views on the issue. While many of them did not want to be drawn into the controversy, there were a few who told us that they didn’t know enough of the matter to be able to comment.

     

    Our questions were: Is the media too sensitive to criticism? Just as the Express, Shekhar Gupta & Co sent a legal notice to Open and Vinod Mehta, can governments, politicians, businesspersons and even film-makers who are critiqued by the media also send notices and ask for crores as damages?

     

    Here are reactions from four veteran commentators:

    Dileep Padgaonkar

    Dileep Padgaonkar, former editor-in-chief, The Times of India:

    Of course it is… the media is sensitive to criticism. The media thinks it is fit to criticise everyone but the minute everyone points a finger at the media, the media bristles. I think media should take criticism directed against it in its stride, this is part and parcel of democracy. And I don’t think one should be too prickly in these matters unless of course there is a clear case of personal attack, defamation… in that case legal course is available but otherwise one should ignore these things and go on.

     

    As it is, the censorship of cartoons was a dismal warning of the sensitivity of the political establishment. Now if media is going to go at another section of media, there is going to be a free-for-all and the big casualty out here would be good, decent, honest journalism.

     

    Sevanti Ninan

    Sevanti Ninan, editor, The Hoot, columnist and media-watcher:

    Criticism is not an accurate word for what Vinod Mehta called The Indian Express story. He essentially said it was a planted story and it was a huge mistake to carry it. Considering that the first byline on the story was that of the chief editor, that is quite statement to make. You are saying the chief editor and his colleague are susceptible to plants, thereby seriously questioning their credibility. So I guess the Express could hardly ignore it. IE did come in for a lot of criticism on the import of the story and the display given, including a critical editorial in the Hindu but nothing quite as damning as Mehta’s statements.

     

    This is the 3rd 100 crore notice involving the media over the past year, in any case. So it is becoming more common.

     

    Paranjoy Guha Thakurta

    Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, independent journalist and commentator:

    I think The Indian Express has over reacted. I think it’s gone a little over the top. They may disagree with what Vinod Mehta has said… my personal view is that it’s a point of view which obviously the Express doesn’t agree with but I don’t think that what Mr Mehta has said can be construed to be criminally defamatory. And the kind of damages sought are excessive. They are as excessive as the damages that Justice Sawant has sought from Times Now and what Times Now has sought from TheHoot. I mean these are ridiculous sums of money.

     

    I think we’ve become an extremely intolerant society. I think people talk about freedom of expression being a fundamental right but I don’t think people are really believing in Article 19(1)A of the Constitution of India. Like so many sections of Indian society, including our political leadership which is very upset about these political cartoons that have appeared in textbooks, I think even sections of the media are becoming extremely intolerant of criticism. If you are in a democracy, you have to give the right to everybody to disagree with you.

     

    Sucheta Dalal

    Sucheta Dalal, senior journalist and commentator, consulting editor, Moneylife:

    Well, not the media, but The Indian Express is too sensitive to critcism… It’s an interesting thing, it’s the first time it is happening and we should see where this goes, whether they follow through by actually filing a case. It’s the first time that somebody in the media is suing another person in the media, we need to look at how it goes… as I said everybody else is sensitive, everybody else does send defamation notices but I don’t know how many of those notices actually get converted into legal action. So we have to wait and watch.

     

    Otherwise the notice is also a way of making a point, it’s a way of putting pressure. It’s not just Vinod Mehta, if he looks at what was said about that story on the social media, then there are a lot more people that they would probably need to sue. So maybe he is making a case out of Vinod Mehta and Open magazine, we need to see whether they follow through. I would say that the test is not in the legal notice, the test is in seeing whether they are actually going to follow through, stand in court and argue it out.

     

  • To remake the Vidya Balan starrer Kahaani in Tamil and Telugu

    Endemol India forays into films

    By A Correspondent

     

    Following the acquisition of a 49 per cent stake in the company by CA Media, Endemol India is all set to make its foray into the film making business. The company has already acquired rights to remake Vidya Balan starrer Kahaani in Tamil and Telugu. The production is slated to begin in September this year and the company is looking forward to an early January release of the films in 2013.

     

    Endemol India is currently in talks with a couple of leading South Indian actors for the lead role in the remake of Kahaani. Sujoy Ghosh, who produced the original script, will also step in as the producer for the remakes and will be working with a leading director from the south Indian film industry.

     

    Elaborating further on this venture, Endemol India CEO, Deepak Dhar said: “After having produced content for some of the biggest format shows in the country, we realized it was time for us to venture into something new. Filmmaking was always on the cards and we are delighted to actually do it. We are already lining up projects for 2013 and are extremely excited about our first project, the remake of Kahaani, which will be in production soon.”

     

    Endemol India will be producing 3-4 films every year with an equal mix of South and Bollywood scripts. The slate for 2013 will be announced soon and work is on for the 2014 slate.

     

    While the movie making business is Endemol India’s newest venture; the company will continue to produce content for television shows with Bigg Boss and Fear Factor returning for their sixth season this year.

     

  • This year, the show will focus on 'Idols behind the Idol': follow the journey of the Idol and the people who have played a role in guiding them

    Indian Idol 6 to use drama & emotions for a connect with viewers

    By Meghna Sharma

     

    Music is something that almost every Indian can relate to. So, when in 2004, a reality show was launched which gave the people a chance to show-off their singing talent, the whole country lined up for auditions.

     

    Today that very same reality show, Indian Idol, is getting set to launch its sixth season. From June 1 on Sony Entertainment Television. The show had opened with average TVR of 6.9 in its first season whereas the last season got an average TVR of 2.0. According to Chandradeep Mitra, managing partner, Anvention, the main reason why reality shows lose their audience over years is stagnation: “After a while, one does get bored of watching the same genre of shows. It has happened to a lot of shows, be it KBC or IPL. Also, there are a lot of similar shows on other channels. So, there is a natural decay.” He further explained: “With more and more channels coming up and new genres being experimented, there is division of audience too.”

     

    Danish Khan

    Danish Khan, senior VP and Marketing Head, SET, is optimistic about the upcoming season and feels that every season has to have a unique hook to catch audience’s attention. “We are doing our best to come up with a delight for our audience. I agree that there are a lot of reality shows, so differentiation becomes important to stand out of the clutter.”

     

    This year, the show will focus on ‘Idols behind the Idol’: “We thought of going back this year and focus on how ‘nobody’ becomes a ‘somebody’. We’ll follow the journey of the Idol and the people who have played a role in guiding them to reach that position. So, there are a lot of drama and emotion this time, and we are hoping that it will touch the audience. And help us get good ratings,” Mr Khan said.

     

    However, Mr Mitra feels that for this genre to work well, the show must have quality talent and should be able to use social media well to promote it which will help to create awareness about the show.

     

    The channel will launch the show after the IPL. “It is a deliberate move and we have used the IPL to build the show through various promotions. We have used 360 degree marketing strategy to market the show,” said Mr Khan.

     

  • The truth is that internet is a great medium for consumers, and it is a great medium for small and medium enterprises to build their business, feels Mr Oberoi

    Internet as a media has arrived: Hitesh Oberoi

    Hitesh Oberoi is  Chairman- IAMAI and CEO and Managing Director, Info Edge. In conversation with MxMIndia’s Robin Thomas on the sidelines of the IAMAI’s marketing conclave recently, Mr Oberoi spoke about the changing dynamics of internet and mobile in India, the trends to watch out for and much more.

     

    For long we have been referring to internet as a new medium. Would you still regard the internet as a ‘new’ medium?

    I don’t think internet is a new media any more, but a media which has arrived. There are already more than 120 million online users and this number will grow to 400 million in the next three to five years. Therefore, I don’t think internet is a new medium any more nor a medium that can be ignored.

     

    Has there been a shift in perception over the years among advertisers about the internet and mobile as media vehicles?

    Advertisers are definitely taking the internet a lot more seriously today simply because of the growing number of online and mobile users. With the kind of targeting options and the kind of measurement options, the internet offers have brought more and more advertisers on board. In addition to this, the internet is not only one of the cheapest medium to advertise but, also provides better ROIs to advertisers. So certainly these are some of the factors leading more advertisers to the internet.

     

    What about a credible measurement system? Why do we lack still one today?

    There are some challenges, there are different methods used by different measurement providers but, I think they realize that internet is getting big in India and are, perhaps, working towards a better measurement system. So very soon we should have a credible measurement system in India.

     

    What according to you are the opportunities and possible threats or challenges that 3G and 4G services could have for mobile advertising in India?

    As the internet grows faster, people will spend more and more time on the internet. Penetration and the speed of access are the two things needed for bringing in more people to mobile internet. What 3G and 4G will do is, improve the speed of access and when the speed of access increases, a user will be able to download content faster. So, a combination of faster internet on mobile, quick downloads, and good quality content and so on will lead mobile internet to a different level altogether.

     

    And the lessons that India can learn from their international counterparts on internet and mobile advertising?

    One thing we should be investing in is the internet economy. The truth is that internet is a great medium for consumers, and it is a great medium for small and medium enterprises to build their business. Internet is a great leveler of the two India’s (urban and rural). Just as the telecom revolution which has led to people being empowered, the same could happen on the internet. So, I think the lesson we can learn from the United States and China is that we need to invest more and more in broadband and we need to make it cheap for people, so that many more can get onto the internet.

     

    Any specific trends to watch out for in the digital media space?

    There will be many more people on the internet five years from now, Indians will spend more time on the internet and probably they will spend most of their time online, therefore, marketers cannot afford to not be online. In fact, a lot more access to internet will take place through mobile phones. So while in this phase, more people are accessing internet through their PC or desktop, the next phase of internet growth will come from mobile. Therefore, marketers need to adapt to these changes accordingly. These changes may take a while but, undoubtedly digital is the way forward.