MxMIndia

Author: mxmadmin

  • If the Ashok Leyland guys had to use Dhoni, the least they should have done was to make the man play a credible role in the script

    Debrief: Ashok Leyland: Terrible casting!

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    You must have watched umpteen numbers of ads where you are left scratching your head wondering how did that celebrity fit into this (SRK selling Santro had me in splits for days together), However, truck maker Ashok Leyland appointing MS Dhoni as their brand ambassador will have you tearing your hair out in utter frustration.

     

    In the TVC, Maahi doesn’t just bond with truck operators and mechanics, he claims to represent Ashok Leyland (like a company salesman), and worse, the cricket captain boasts, ‘Hamara barson ka tajurba’! Wow! What on earth does the Mercedes Benz driving dude know of trucks?? Has he spent even a single day with Ashok Leyland? In the very next commercial, I saw Dhoni jiving with some international footballers, busy selling Pepsi.

     

    The Ashok Leyland guys must think their customers are totally dumb to buy into this nonsense. And if they had to use Dhoni, the least they should have done was to make the man play a credible role in the script. As if all this isn’t bad enough, the ad is very boring and painful to watch. And I say this even when I put myself in a trucker’s shoes.

     

    Complete disaster, I say.

     

    Rating: (On a scale of 1 to 5): 0. Incredible and dull

     

  • PR is not a quick fix and helps achieve goodwill – which cannot be earned overnight and has to be nurtured and sustained through long-term PR activity for the company or brand says Toral Sanghavi

    The Anchor: 6 things that ail the PR industry

    By Toral Sanghavi

     

    1. Lack of awareness or poor knowledge on what PR can do for a company or a brand, leads to ineffective use of this marketing tool. Clients who have a different perspective of the role leads to a huge void in meeting the PR objective.

     

    2. PR is also looked upon as a short-term activity and expectations are far higher vis-a-vis advertising. Here it is to be appreciated that PR is not a quick fix and helps achieve goodwill – which cannot be earned overnight and has to be nurtured and sustained through long-term PR activity for the company or brand.

     

    3. There is no true value placed for PR activity and hence it cannot be truly measured by any accounts, which at times, leaves the client wanting for more and dissatisfied inspite of good media reportage.

     

    4. Lack of the right talent in this industry. Average time spent in the industry by professionals is not more than 5 years and then the general growth chart of a PR professional is to move to the corporate side of the business. This can leave a void for seasoned PR professionals in the business.

     

    5. Public Relations is an unpaid form of communication and hence dependent on an outside agency’s opinion and bias on the topic.  It is totally dependent on an individual’s rapport with the target media and hence media reportage and coverage can get unpredictable.

     

    6. The media universe is getting larger, in-depth and niche to a variety of target audience and industry. In such case, PR activities can get challenged and restricted in nature.  Also timeliness can affect coverage.

     

    Toral Sanghavi is Director – Clea Public Relations, India

     

  • In Freaking News, which appears 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] Media has to protect freedom of expression and thought

    Ranjona Banerji

    By Ranjona Banerji

     

    The knee-jerk government response to the Ambedkar cartoon controversy – banning cartoons from text books – got a very strong response from Sunday’s newspapers. The need to protect freedom of speech, why cartoons frighten those in power, the personal attacks faced by cartoonists were covered by The Times of India, Indian Express and Hindustan Times in special features and detailed stories.

     

    Many also carried cartoons which have caused trouble in the past and tried to examine just why cartoons are seen as dangerous.

     

    Indian Express had a comprehensive interview with historian Mushir-ul-Hasan who has just written a book on Parsee Punch, a cartoon magazine brought out by Parsis in colonial India. The British in India at the time either had a good sense of humour or the good sense to realise that going after cartoons was hardly likely to end subversive thinking.

     

    The media has to come out and protect freedom of expression and thought – because in any battle against it, it will be the first casualty. The threat does not come just from those in power but also from pressure groups in civil society. Unfortunately in India, the first response by the government is to cave in to the demands of those whose “sentiments are hurt” rather than stand up for the Constitution.

     

    * * *

     

    After running through the IPL as the scourge of human civilisation, TV channels found something else to amuse themselves. Not, of course, the Indian economy, which seems perilously close to bad times ahead – there is after all little scope for a melodramatic studio-based jatra based on a falling rupee and rising inflation. Much better instead to concentrate on parties (not political ones, but the others where people gather to eat, drink and make merry and thus promote unconscionable evils), why the BCCI has insulted Kapil Dev by not giving him lots of money (and then providing the answer – because Dev hooked off to the rebel league ICL) and for all I know whether the sun will rise tomorrow or not.

     

    * * *

     

    It is always interesting to see journalists take the moral high ground when it comes to other people eating and drinking. Everyone knows that there are journalists who will do anything for a free meal and many attend press conferences only for the free drinks at the end. Even those who are not quite so greedy enjoy a drink or two at the end (or the middle) of a long and stressful working day. So why this moralistic posturing when it comes to others? Just to appeal to a puritanical audience or has alcohol dimmed their memories of their own excesses?

     

    In fine contrast, of course, the glamour sections of newspapers and glamour segments on news channels only serve to glorify the “having fun” lifestyle and employ almost no critical faculties at all.

     

    Just because the general public doesn’t know what you get up to in your spare time does not mean that you have to give in quite so much to hypocrisy.

     

    * * *

     

    Now that the Lokpal Bill has been put off till the next session, one can predict an all out publicity campaign by the Anna Hazare brigade – that’s easy. However, it is also possible to predict that while the movement may not fizzle out, the media coverage will.

  • Over Rs8.89 crore funds were raised as part of the Green Campaign

    NDTV celebrated May 20 as ‘India’s Recycling Day’

    By A Correspondent

     

    NDTV, the country’s most reputed news network, brought together concerned citizens for the fourth edition of the NDTV-Toyota Greenathon on May 20, in a 12 hour long gala finale at the Yash Raj Studio in Mumbai.  This year, the focus has been recycling waste, especially plastic, along with encouraging everyone to keep their immediate environment clean. Joining the grand celebrations of Greenathon 4 were a galaxy of film personalities, celebrity chefs, composers and singers, chief ministers, Members of Parliament, school children and citizens from around the country.

     

    In keeping with the green theme, the NDTV-Toyota Greenathon 4 set was made of recyclable products. The unique Green Set, created by well known designer Omang Kumar, also had a Green Kitchen area where celebrity chefs including Aditya Bal, Ritu Dalmia, Bikramjit Singh and Vicky Ratnani cooked some eco-friendly, delicious recipes for guests and hosts.

     

    Supporting this Green Initiative and raising awareness about the environment, actor Milind Soman started his 1,500 km Green Run on April 20, running from the Qutub Minar in New Delhi, across 5 states and ending his Green Run at Yash Raj Studios in Mumbai. His 1,500km run in 30 days had been recognised as a World Record by the Limca Book of Records.

     

    In an attempt to mobilise a mass movement, plastic/recyclable waste collection centres were set up across New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Phagwara (Punjab), Dharamshala and Nainital. People were invited to come out and participate in the recycling drive by depositing their recyclable waste, from plastic (bags and bottles), metal, paper, Tetrapak cartons and e-waste.

     

    Some of the generous supporters of the campaign were brand ambassador Priyanka Chopra, Cyrus Broacha, Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Shahid Kapoor, Sridevi, Farhan Akhtar, Imran Khan, Deepika Padukone, Rahul Bose, Kunal Kohli, Parineeti Chopra, Arjun Kapoor, Bappi Lahiri and Vasundhara Das.

     

    Speaking on the occasion, Dr Prannoy Roy, Chairman NDTV Group, said: “NDTV-Toyota Greenathon 4 has been the best we have seen so far. I would like to thank TERI for being there and making this whole experience a success. Not having light is like losing your eyesight.”

     

    NDTV-Toyota Greenathon 4 saw Rs8.89 crore being raised to benefit 508 villages. IndusTower came forward to donate Rs5 crore and the Power Finance Corporation donated Rs3 crore. Other key donors included Shah Rukh Khan who adopted 12 villages and Aamir Khan who adopted 5 villages. Shahid Kapoor adopted 3 villages, Priyanka Chopra adopted 2 villages.

     

    Since its launch in 2008 The Greenathon Campaign has already funded solar lanterns for over 600 villages benefitting thousands of households. The NDTV-Toyota Green Campaign was the first ever-nationwide campaign to save the environment. The Campaign is aimed at creating awareness about the environment, by involving the people of our country to make a difference, and is supported by Dr RK Pachauri and TERI.

     

  • Record response for Disney Channel's Jet Set Go campaign where 30 kids and families will fly to the Hong Kong Disneyland

    Disney wows kids with contest, launches new shows for summer

    By Meghna Sharma

     

    This is the time when it’s not just the weather, but even the competition between various channels targeting children that hots up. This year, Disney Channel has raised the bar with a unique offer in association with Jet Airways: 30 kids and their families fly to the Hong Kong Disneyland.

     

    Talking about the campaign called ‘Jet Set Go’, Vijay Subramaniam, Business Head, Walt Disney Television International India said: “This is the first time ever that a plane full of families is flying to Disneyland! And to add to the unique experience, we are also wrapping an entire Jet Airways aircraft with Disney favourite characters Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Pluto and Goofy, a one-of-a-kind virtual ‘billboard in the sky’.”

     

    Families will fly to Hong Kong on July 9 for two days where they will stay at the Disney’s Hollywood Hotel. The contest, wherein the kids have to watch Disney Channel closely from April 29 until May 28 and spot a magical plane with their favourite characters- Mickey & Friends on their television screen to win, saw an overwhelming response.

     

    “The campaign stands out because of the record-breaking response that we have seen in just three weeks! We had three lakhs calls on day one, crossed the two million mark in a week and now, we have registered 3.5 million calls from across the country with another 14 days to go. These are at least 50 times the responses the genre has been receiving through other campaigns, so this is clearly unprecedented levels of participation and excitement,” added Mr Subramaniam.

     

    The channel feels the response is the testimony of the strength of the channel’s reach. Almost 50 per cent of the entries came from 5 key circles – Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Maharashtra, Mumbai & MP + Chhattisgarh. And the entries coming from across the country and the winners selected till date come from  both metros and Tier 2 cities – Dehradun, Chandrapur, Kolkata, Vishakapatnam, Pune, Baerelli to name a few.

     

    The channel has been working on various campaigns in its objective of reaching out to its TG. Last year, it had ‘Disney Channel Shooting Stars’, billed as one of the biggest talent hunt platform by a kid’s channel. “Disney Channel is the only kids channel to cross the 200 GRP mark this summer as well as the last and such megashowcases reinforce our position as the leading entertainment brand for kids and families with viewers and advertisers alike,” said Mr Subramaniam.

     

    He added about how and why a kids’ channel should take advantage of summer vacations. “Summer is a time when kids have greater control over the remote and kid’s channels see a 25 per cent increase in viewership. Last year, Disney which houses Disney Channel, Disney XD and Hungama TV, saw an increase of over 30 per cent in viewership.”

     

    This year, along with the ‘Jet Set Go’ initiative, the  channel has also planned a strong content push with over 500 hours of fresh programming across the three channels, which will see premieres of 24 series across genres. “Through tent-pole programming and campaigns such as Jet Set Go, our idea is to use summer as a springboard to engage more kids and families throughout the year,” said Mr Subramaniam.

     

  • A study of the aggregate financial performance of the leading 10 FMCG companies over the past eight quarters shows that the industry has grown at an average 16-21 per cent in the past two years

    FMCGs like HUL, Dabur, Godrej, Marico on consumption-driven growth

    By A Correspondent

     

    India’s fast-moving consumer goods, or the FMCG sector, has been able to weather the impact of an economic slowdown and rising input costs yet another quarter, as firms led by HUL beat street expectations both on top line and bottom line growth.

     

    A study of the aggregate financial performance of the leading 10 FMCG companies over the past eight quarters shows that the industry has grown at an average 16-21 per cent in the past two years with average operating margins being 22 per cent.

     

    Very few other industries can boast of having such a performance track record. “The consumer sector typically is the last and the least to suffer during a slowdown,” said Manoj Menon, senior analyst at Kotak Institutional Equities.

     

    Most companies are reaping the benefits of the direct distribution expansion mostly in rural India. HUL, for instance, has tripled its rural penetration in the last couple of years. Sales from modern trade have also been a strong growth driver for companies. Marico has posted a growth of over 45 per cent in revenues from its rural and modern trade businesses during FY12.

     

    The quarter to March performance of FMCG companies like HUL, Dabur, Godrej Consumer Products, Marico, Asian Paints, GSK Consumer Healthcare, Procter & Gamble Hygiene and Healthcare and Jubilant Foodworks is also a reflection of consumption-driven growth.

     

    Half of HUL’s 20 per cent revenue growth during the March quarter was volume driven. Dabur’s domestic sales rose 19.2 per cent with volumes rising 9.5 per cent. Godrej Consumer Products logged 30 per cent sales in soaps in India – 17 per cent of which was volume-driven. Asian Paints registered 29 per cent growth in its revenues from domestic business, of which 15 per cent was volume growth.

     

    The company had raised prices by close to 12 per cent on its portfolio during the quarter. Jubilant Foodworks, owner of the Dominos Pizza franchise in India, reported 26 per cent same store growth, which was almost entirely volume-driven despite the company raising its menu prices by 10 per cent. Marico has been able to achieve a 17 per cent volume growth for the March quarter from a total revenue growth of 23 per cent for the quarter.

     

    GSK Consumer Healthcare registered 14.5 per cent increase in net sales – 7 per cent of which was driven by volume growth and the rest through higher realisations on account of price increases. Nestle was probably the only company to have a largely value-driven revenue growth of 13 per cent during the March quarter.

     

    Exceptional value growth always carries the risk of hurting volumes. Till now, most FMCG companies have been able to perform well while balancing between volume and value growth. “Over the long run, we see consumer demand being resilient,” Nitin Paranjpe, chief executive officer of HUL, had said at the press conference following the company’s results. According to Mr Paranjpe, the secular trend of consumers is towards uptrading rather than downtrading.

     

    “The demand for consumer goods is relatively inelastic compared to that of other products,” explained Milind Sarwate, group chief financial officer, Marico. An earlier ETIG analysis of the growth in revenues and profits of leading FMCG companies revealed that companies registered a much faster growth in revenues and profits during periods of high inflation (in 1994-98 and again from 2006 till date) compared with periods of low inflation (1999-2005).

     

    “During an inflationary period, there is a likely market share gain for organised players from the unorganised regional players,” Mr Menon explained. Larger firms enjoy economies of scale on account of bulk buying and higher pricing power on their reputed brands.

     

    The ET FMCG Index has a price to earnings multiple of 36 against the Sensex P/E of 16.1. Stocks of Godrej Consumer Products and Asian Paints hit a new high ahead of the companies’ result announcements. Stocks of HUL, Marico, Dabur, Glaxosmithkline Consumer Healthcare and Jubilant Foodworks are hovering near record high levels.

     

    However, their current valuations are still lower than their all-time record levels. In case the broader economy is sluggish, analysts fear that the going may not be good for the sector in the coming quarters. “Moderation is very much on the anvil,” cautioned Mr Menon. For now, FMCG companies continue to live up to their reputation of being a defensive investment play.

     

    Source: The Economic Times

    Copyright © 2012, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved

     

  • Aditya Birla group chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla says the media is a sunrise sector from an investment point of view? Is it really?

    Mediaah! Is media really a ‘sunrise’ sector?

    By Pradyuman Maheshwari

     

    I had just got down to writing this when the day’s newsletter from Moneylife entered the inbox. The top story was an analysis by editor Debashis Basu titled ‘Kumar Birla’s Living Media investment is a bet on a sunset sector’.

     

    Basu is scathing in his criticism about Birla’s investments. “Kumar Mangalam Birla’s investments in “sunrise” sectors over the last decade have been garments, retailing, telecom, financial services and software. All these have fetched very poor returns. Now comes his investment in the messy, unprofitable and sunset media sector,” the article says (see link: http://moneylife.in/article/kumar-birlas-living-media-investment-is-a-bet-on-a-sunset-sector/25819.html). The last sentence kind-of captures the drift of the piece: “Kumar Mangalam Birla seems to have not only got carried away once again in his quest for sunrise sector but this investment is surely one of his worst.”

     

    Not having tracked the Aditya Birla group companies in possibly the way Debashis would have, I am not going to comment on all of Birla’s ventures and his specific decision on investing in Living Media. Yes, the market is tough, spends are down and competition is up, but Living Media would count among the better run media companies in the country.

     

    Although Purie’s daughter Kalli is actively involved, Living Media is managed by CEO Ashish Bagga. After G Krishnan’s exit, the TV business is also under Ashish (who is president of the Indian Newspaper Society), and I am certain that he will work towards the profitability of his business without compromising on core editorial values.

     

    My point is different: is media really a sunrise sector for investments as KM Birla says it is. And as Aroon Purie puts it, at a tipping point?

    While I am happy to see that a corporate biggie like Kumar Mangalam Birla believes in the media, this is not what everyone in this country believes is true. Entertainment television requires deep pockets and just having those and/or people who have struck gold before is not enough. The examples of 9X and Imagine are too fresh in one’s memory to attempt that. News channels are a weird game. Try producing one with quality content and your viewership will be very low and if you sensationalise, you devalue yourself.

     

    Mass print is expensive and the digital media hasn’t really taken off in right earnest for advertising. Social networks and Twitter are a rage with a section of urban India and not beyond.

     

    So sunrise? Perhaps, but a cloudy one. But if Mr Birla thinks it isn’t, why complain?

     

    Tomorrow: The decaying state of media education

     

    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.

     

  • Will reach approximately 10,000 students and 800 coaches across five cities

    HP, others to parner junior NBA/WNBA school-based programme in India

    By A Correspondent

     

    The National Basketball Association (NBA), in collaboration with HP and Basketball Federation of India (BFI), announced that it will launch the 2012 Jr NBA/Jr WNBA basketball development program in India on May 26.  The program will reach out to approximately 10,000 students and 800 coaches in five cities and marks an important step in incorporating basketball into the regular sports routine of India n youth at the school level.

     

    BFI and HP will support the Jr NBA/Jr WNBA program and enhance the experience for India n youth throughout the event. Adidas is the official outfitter for the program and will provide apparel and footwear for participants and coaches.

     

    “The Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA program demonstrates the NBA’s commitment to growing basketball at a grassroots level and will reach more children in its second year as one of the league’s most inclusive programs in India ,” said Akash Jain, Sr. Director, Development, NBA India .

     

    The program will visit Delhi , Chennai, Mumbai, Pune and Chandigarh, and will culminate with the Jr NBA/Jr WNBA Skills Challenge National Finals in Delhi on July14-15.  The NBA has now implemented sustainable grassroots programs in seven cities in India .

     

    A dedicated Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA microsite on NBA.com India  will provide all coaches and physical education instructors access to videos, photos and other materials to reinforce proper training technique. HP will provide laptops and Dream Screens to enhance the training experience.  An HP Technology Zone will be created at each City Championship and the National Finals where fans can create their own basketball player with the NBA Avatar game.

     

    “With a very strong focus on the youth of the country, Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA will help create yet another platform with the NBA to reach our young and active audiences while promoting the game of basketball,” said HP India Chief Marketing Officer, PSG, Ranjivjit Singh.

     

    At the center of this program is the Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA Skills Challenge, which begins with a City Championship tournament in all five cities with approximately 2,000 participants between the ages of 10-12 in each city. The top five boys and top five girls will qualify to represent their city at the Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA National Finals.

     

    Since 2008, the NBA has staged grassroots programs in seven cities in India including the Mahindra NBA Challenge which has become the largest, multi-city, community-based basketball league in India .  Six live NBA games air each week during the regular season on Ten Sports, Sony PIX, Sony SIX and NBA.com/India , and the NBA currently has its widest assortment of NBA merchandise available in 200 adidas stores across the country.

     

    The NBA has marketing partnerships in India with Adidas, Coca-Cola, HP, Mahindra, Nike, Reebok and Spalding.

     

  • Continuing with the series of senior-level appointments, the Dentsu India Group announced the appointment of Arijit Ray as Chief Executive Officer, Dentsu Communications

    Arijit Ray joins Dentsu Communications as CEO

    Arijit Ray has joined Dentsu Communications as CEO. Mr Ray’s key priority will be to enhance and reinforce the agency’s competencies and output, including overall creative, strategy and services along with strengthening media synergies and driving growth.

     

    Mr Ray joins Team Dentsu from the DDBMudra Group where he was President – DDBMudra, West. Over his four-year tenure as Head of DDBMudra West, Arijit successfully steered the unit into the next orbit of growth, by seamlessly harnessing business growth by a combination of focused talent infusion, training and development and a noteworthy step-up in quality of work.

     

    Welcoming Mr Ray to Dentsu, Rohit Ohri, Executive Chairman, Dentsu India Group said: “I am delighted to have Arijit join the leadership team at Dentsu India . Arijit’s experience across diverse product categories and in traditional as well as new media is what will help us drive Dentsu’s ambitious plans for India . I look forward to working closely with Arijit and Taira Kimura, COO, Dentsu Communications, to create a world-class integrated communications agency in India “.

     

    Ken Terasawa, Executive Vice Chairman, Dentsu India Group said: “We are very pleased to have Arijit on board Team Dentsu. Arijit has strong expertise in driving organizational growth by leveraging the strength of teams combined with sharpening client deliveries. I look forward to Arijit leading Dentsu Communications and together with COO, Taira Kimura, creating some of the best work for our India n, Japanese and global clients.”

     

    Arijit Ray, Chief Executive Officer, Dentsu Communications said: “Dentsu in India is the midst of a serious expansion agenda led by Rohit’s vision of building a top-notch integrated communication network. The Group is well into the phase of building a quality talent and client base and this will only get more impetus in the endeavour to shape enduring client relationships, conceive and execute cutting edge communication mandates that are not only award worthy but more importantly worthy of recognition in the market, in the consumers mind resulting in enhanced desirability and image/ market shares.”

     

    On joining Team Dentsu, Mr Ray added: “What is heartening in being a part of the Dentsu India team at this juncture, is the new benchmarks it is creating in the global context. Not many people are aware of Dentsu’s leadership position in a large and important market like the US and the strides it has made in the digital space. I look forward to working closely with Rohit and support him in the aggressive plans he has for Dentsu in India .”

     

    Mr Ray’s career in advertising began with New Delhi based-based Alfred Allan Advertising in the early 90s.  An honours graduate in Commerce from Delhi University, Mr Ray also completed a programme in marketing management from MICA, Ahmedabad. A highly awarded and professionally reputed business head, Mr Ray has consistently sharpened his faculties by participation in advertising and creative workshops such as the DDB Advanced Leadership Programme in Shanghai, (ALP 2010), the Advanced Seminar on Advertising Skills DY&R – (ASAS Penang, Malaysia 1996), the Lovemarks workshop (Saatchi & Saatchi) and the Bill Folley Creative workshop (Rediffusion DY&R) to name a few.

     

  • WPP media investment management arm will roll out Buddy Media's BuyBuddy social ad software to all agencies

    GroupM selects Buddy Media as preferred social ad partner globally

    By A Correspondent

     

    Buddy Media, the social enterprise software for eight of the world’s top ten global advertisers, announced that GroupM has selected the company’s BuyBuddy social ad product as its preferred social ad management partner.

     

    “We are proud that GroupM has chosen Buddy Media as its preferred social ad partner,” said Michael Lazerow, CEO and Founder, Buddy Media. “Our self-serve social ad buying technology will make it easy for any GroupM agency to effectively scale and measure social spend for their clients.”

     

    GroupM will roll out Buddy Media’s BuyBuddy to all of its agencies, including Maxus, MEC, MediaCom, Mindshare, M80 and other business units. It will also begin training on how to maximize the benefits of Buddy Media’s unified social marketing software solution across paid, owned and earned media.

     

    “After extensive evaluation of the marketplace, GroupM is excited to deploy Buddy Media’s social ad software to all of our agencies,” said Rob Norman, CEO, GroupM Interaction Worldwide. “Social media success is of critical importance to our clients, and Buddy Media is the proven self-serve solution in market that has a focus on empowering agencies and being a true partner. We will continue to work with other partners but believe this consolidation will offer our clients and teams the opportunity to develop consistent high performance in a rapidly developing market.”

     

    GroupM invested $200 million in Facebook advertising in 2011. Social network ad revenues will grow to nearly $10 billion in 2013, up from to $5.54 billion in 2011, according to eMarketer.

     

  • During the CEO Roundtable Session B Surendar – Senior V P & National Sales head, Red FM, will be sharing his views on the coming years of radio industry in India

    Suryan FM & Red FM sponsor radio forum

    Nisha Narayanan

    By A Correspondent

     

    Suryan FM and Superhits 93.5 RED FM have partnered the India Radio Forum (IRF) 2012 as Premium Presenting Sponsors.

     

    Radio over the years has emerged as a strong medium and a credible platform creating a significant place for itself amongst the more dominant and traditional forms of media communications. The Radio Industry is growing steadily and this association with IRF 2012 is a way of showing Suryan FM and RED FM’s commitment to the industry.

     

    Speaking on the association, Nisha Narayanan, Senior VP Projects and Programming, RED FM said: “We as a leading network in the country are proud to be associated with a prestigious event like the India Radio Forum. It is always nice to see the enthusiasm and passion that our radio fraternity has for the medium and IRF is one of the platforms where all of us meet year on year and share the work and see the best work getting rewarded, looking forward.”

     

    During the CEO Roundtable Session ‘Let’s get the bigger picture’ Mr. B Surendar – Senior V P & National Sales head, Red FM, will be sharing his views on the coming years of radio industry in India, the growth prospects and the major happening which will make the business more lucrative and absorbing, and the most awaited 3rd phase of licensing in Radio.

     

    Red FM, India’s Largest Radio Network, with 50 stations across India (including the Suryan Stations) was first launched in Mumbai in 2002 followed by Delhi and & Kolkata in 2003. Red FM has always believed in philosophy and attitude of “Bajaate Raho!” along with a music strategy of playing only Super Hit music, based on the internationally successful CHR (Contemporary Hit Radio) format.

     

  • Reliance Digital TV is the first DTH operator to offer BIG Magic to the viewers

    BIG Magic to be available on Reliance Digital TV

    By A Correspondent

     

    BIGMagic, India’s first variety entertainment channel for the core Hindi heartland from the Reliance Broadcast Network stable, will now be available to all viewers of the Reliance Digital TV platform.

     

    BIG Magic will replace Imagine TV on Reliance Digital TV channel 213, increasing its reach to an additional 4.5 mn digital homes and in effect goes national. This move allows BIG Magic immediate width in reach across the country, and marks the first step in its digital distribution plan.

     

    With the channel’s endeavour to take its unique regional content to the increasingly large base of DTH audiences in the Hindi Heartland, this alliance between BIG Magic and Reliance Digital TV, marks the beginning of a slew of digital alliances that the Channel is in the process of closing.

     

    Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Anand Chakravarthy, Business Head, BIG Magic said: “The last one year has seen BIG MAGIC build a strong platform on the back of an excellent programming mix and leveraging BIG FM’s brand lineage to fortify its position as a leading player in a very short span of time. As a next step of growth, DTH was the logical move and what better than Reliance Digital TV to begin with. This will only further cement our position as a leading regional television player, serving tailored entertainment to people who belong to the heartland.”

     

    Commenting on this occasion, Mr. Ashutosh Srivastava, Business Head, Reliance Digital TV said: “It has always been our constant endeavour to provide our customers with choice of content thus, enhancing their viewing experience. By adding BIG Magic to our bouquet, we now offer the unique regional variety entertainment content like movies and daily soaps for our subscribers from the Hindi speaking states of UP, MP, Bihar and Jharkhand directly in the comfort of their homes.”

     

    The partnership with Reliance Digital TV will be promoted aggressively on BIG MAGIC as well as on 92.7 BIG FM.

     

    BIG MAGIC is currently being distributed across all cable operators across the states of UP, MP and Bihar and spread across operators like DEN, Digicable, WWIL, Hathway, Darsh and Maurya amongst others, reaching approximately 10 million households in the heartland. Add to this the reach of Reliance Digital TV and BIG MAGIC can now boast of an enhanced reach. The Channel is supported with a high decibel multi-media integration plan across 92.7 BIG FM, Outdoor, and Mall Activation, play-out seeding in malls, print and local cable.