MxMIndia

Author: mxmadmin

  • Cricketer Chris Gayle has extended ties with Vijay Mallya's United Spirits to endorse the company's 'Cariba Rum'

    Chris Gayle to endorse Mallya’s Cariba Rum

    By Anshul Dhamija & Boby Kurian

     

    Swashbuckling cricketer Chris Gayle has extended ties with Vijay Mallya’s United Spirits as the latter tries to spin a Caribbean rum story off the cricket pitch. The big hitting Jamaican, and arguably the most valuable player in Mr Mallya’s Indian Premier League (IPL) team, has signed an endorsement deal for the company’s latest brand, Cariba Rum.

     

    This is the first major standalone deal for Gayle, the highest run scorer in the current IPL season, on the Indian brand endorsement pitch. The move is probably part of Mr Mallya’s multi-million dollar strategy to retain Chris Gayle, who has been eyed by rival teams. Mr Mallya’s Bangalore team bought Gayle for $560,000 just before last season and managed to retain him in the fifth edition this year.

     

    While Gayle’s IPL price remains the same, his overall package, including endorsement fee, may touch the maximum $2 million for an individual player in the T20 league. United Spirits, which also owns the Bengaluru team, didn’t disclose the endorsement fee but said the contract was for “more than one year”.

     

    Outside cricket, USL’s move to use Gayle to build a Caribbean rum brand is part of the company’s premiumization strategy aimed at checking the rapid advance of MNC rivals. Prestige and premium brands will contribute almost 60% of the company’s profits in the current fiscal, up from just under 10% in 2005.

     

    Mr Mallya, who had Caribbean business interests when he owned Berger Paints, is rolling out Cariba with a blend imported from the islands where rum was first distilled more than 300 years ago. Gayle, who embodies the Caribbean free spirit, may help United Spirits to develop a rum story closer to the original home. Cariba rum aims to tap the upgrading rum drinkers in a market where most brands in the flavour category (barring exceptions like Bacardi) are regular and economy priced.

     

    “Gayle is the best fit as brand ambassador for a rum brand. Dark, brooding, and hard-hitting – all these facets make for great rum,” said brand consultant Harish Bijoor. “However, sportsmen and alcoholic beverages have always been a question mark in the minds of people. But then, Mr Mallya knows the cricket story,” he added.

     

    Source:The Economic Times

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

     

    Photograph: Fotocorp

     

  • The move is a part of a global realignment plan to have a single creative agency

    Wieden+Kennedy wins Levi’s India account

    By Neha Dewan

     

    After staying with JWT for nine years, denim brand Levi’s is moving its India advertising account to Wieden + Kennedy (W+K), as a part of a global realignment plan to have a single creative agency. W+K will operate as a full-service creative partner, responsible for all future campaigns. JWT had been the agency on record since 2003.

     

    “It is important that consumers receive a singular point of view across markets,” said Vishal Bhalla, director (marketing), Levi’s. In line with its core ‘youthful’ spirit, the brand plans to reach out to its core target group of 18-34 years. “We will continue to have a significant dialogue with consumers through digital and other mediums. Our aim is to target the youth with innovation being at the heart of all our campaigns,” he added.

     

    Last year, for the first time, consumers experienced the first global campaign by Levi’s in India-Go Forth. The campaign by W+K appeared in 24 countries and communicated bringing about a positive change in the world. The digital engagement plan recognised people around the globe who were coming forward to transform the world.

     

    However, continuing its relationship with US jeans maker Levi Strauss & Co, JWT will handle work on the dENiZEN brand in India, which is a part of the same group. dENiZEN is managed globally by JWT.

     

    Colvyn J Harris, CEO, JWT India, said: “The parting of ways has been due to the global realignment. But our partnership of nine years has yielded some great work, including the Levi’s Stick figure campaign at Cannes and the recent Curve ID campaign for women among others.”

     

    Source: The Economic Times
    Copyright © 2012, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved

     

  • Now that the IPL is over however, it will be interesting to see how our perpetual moaning machines in the media will fill up their time…

    [MJR] IPL symptomatic of the end of civilization

    Ranjona Banerji

    By Ranjona Banerji

     

    There’s only one newsmaker this morning and that’s the IPL. As Manoj Tiwary hit a four over Chepauk stadium winning the title for the Kolkata Knight Riders, season five of a very successful Indian Premier League comes to an end.

     

    And what a season it has been – a film star team owner fights with a security guard, another film star team owner castigates a third umpire for being unfair to one of her players, a player assaults a woman at a party, five players are exposed for spot-fixing and the management is exposed for unfair processes in the buying and selling of players… have I left anything out?

     

    And then there’s been the cricket. The drama over Saurav Ganguly now being with the Pune Warriors, the expectation that Sachin Tendulkar would soon reach his 1000th Test century, the thrilling last ball finishes, the sentiment attached to Rahul Dravid and all the news finds.

     

    And of course, the media. For some, like the ultra-bore Boria Majumdar parked in the Times of India stable, the IPL is symptomatic of the end of civilisation. The erudite Ram Guha doesn’t like it either. A player misbehaves at a party and a couple of former players threaten to go on a hunger strike – which I don’t think happened. Or at least, everyone forgot soon after. The TV channels also decided that IPL was the thin end of the wedge before the human race sinks into an irreversible path of iniquity. I would say the same thing about TV news as far as the fate of the media in India is concerned but…

     

    Sharda Ugra in The Indian Express lauds the good things, hopes the BCCI will fix the bad things and then focuses on what was really wrong with the IPL – the terrible pre and post shows on Sony’s SET Max, Extra Innings. I think there may be an extra ‘a’ in there for some inexplicable reason. Having dispensed with the dispensable Mandira Bedi, we have had the unpalatable and hysterical Gaurav Kapoor and those two girls foisted on us. Isa Guha, since she understood cricket and took it seriously, was a rare breath of fresh air. Why those two badly dressed, screeching and oddly accented girls had to interview minor starlets on the grounds was not explained to us. The cheerleaders in the studio were the worst available. I cannot understand a word Navjot Singh Sidhu says so I was spared tearing my hair out. My only concern was that he needed to go on a diet. Ever since Harsha Bhogle had a hair transplant, I cannot but concentrate on his new fringe to the exclusion of his platitudinous and fatuous observations on cricket.

    Ugra, I have to confess, was not this nasty.

     

    Mid-Day’s headline “Ra.Won” is the winner of the day. The Hindustan Times gave us a sort of truncated report, obviously written in a hurry and the reporter clearly did not like Shah Rukh Khan. The Times of India had a better report – a real surprise since its sports coverage has sunk to new lows recently – but its reporter is clearly no fan of MS Dhoni’s and called him out for his “standard tricks”, in this instance, slow over rate towards the end of the match.

     

    Now that the IPL is over however, it will be interesting to see how our perpetual moaning machines in the media will fill up their time…

     

  • Inext won the top award in the Public Service category for this year's World Young Reader Prize and has also been named World Young Reader Newspaper of the Year for 2012

    Inext seals the big show at WAN-IFRA awards

    By A Correspondent

     

    Taking yet another big leap, Inext has bagged the top honours in WAN-IFRA (World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers) awards for 2012.  With an unrelenting focus on espousing youth’s philosophy, Inext, won both the top award in the Public Service category for this year’s World Young Reader Prize and has also been named World Young Reader Newspaper of the Year for 2012. The prizes will be awarded on July 10 inBangkokat the 1st Asia-Pacific Young Reader Summit.

     

    WAN-IFRA, a global organisation of the world’s press, representing more than 18,000 publications, 15,000 online sites and over 3,000 companies in more than 120 countries, gives away awards for excellence in the defence and promotion of press freedom, quality journalism, editorial integrity and the development of prosperous businesses and technology.

     

    Welcoming the announcement, Shailesh Gupta, Director, Jagran Prakashan Limited, congratulated the team and lauded the efforts that went into the winning campaigns and the stories. “It is due to the substantial focus and tangential wisdom of the team Inext that such smart campaigns which incorporated both the news value and more importantly, the societal concerns, were run. It has been yet another token of excellence for the Jagran group and I believe the good work would be kept up with in the future too.”

     

    This year, Inext’s success at WAN-IFRA hinged on three major stories: The Power of youth; wherein survey was done to tap the thinking and preferences of youth in run-up to the assembly elections in UP and Uttarakhand. Tol Mol Ke Poll was an election page carried daily till elections which focused on an issue related to elections almost daily and succeeded in connecting with youth through a column ‘Sadda Haq’.

     

    Second campaign was Bhari Basta; an educative and investigative campaign that activated the government machinery – school authorities, parents and teachers – to reduce the weight of schools bags of kids. It was run across 12 cities in 4 states and proved to be a catalyst in children empowerment. The Jury also found Inext’s iktara campaign, a unique folk singing competition, integrated online to bring out the talent in folk singing, a new approach to entertainment. It created a strong buzz across the country in favour of the old, relegated art.

     

    The jury observed that these campaigns provided a refreshing perspective on the 3Cs-corruption, compassion and creativity. “Inext did an excellent job in galvanizing youth to get out and vote. We found it especially interesting that youth considered corruption the number one topic of concern. The other two projects entered also showed creativity and relevance. The investigative report and campaign about heavy back-packs truly made a difference, and the folk singing contest was a fresh approach to youth entertainment,” mentioned the official communication.

     

    Last year, the World Young Reader Newspaper of the Year award was won by Indonesian newspaper JAWA POS, while for 2010 the winner was French newspaper Le Monde. This year, Inext has joined the distinguished league of such illustrious antecedents for the top honour.

     

    Expressing pleasure at the development, Inext’s Project Head and COO, Alok Sanwal revealed that it is Inext’s youthful vision that provided the cutting edge to the tabloid. “We have always tried to capture the social concerns with a young eye. All our major campaigns are directed at influencing young minds and developing in them a taste of societal awareness and understanding. We would continue to undertake such path breaking campaigns that underline our responsibility to change the world around us.”

     

  • Introduces a unique mobile platform for advertisers to reach out to the right audience.. expects m-advertising to grow 40 percent

    Airtel forays into m-advtg, expects 40% growth

    By A Correspondent

     

    Bharti Airtel recently announced its strategic foray into the mobile advertising (m-advertising) segment in India. With this, Airtel will equip advertisers to connect with their potential customers in a targeted and personalized fashion via their mobile phones. The platform is designed to meet all the essential demands of advertisers such as inventory management, campaign management, reporting and analytics. As has been reported by MxMIndia in the past, Airtel has mandated Mogae Digital, a company owned co-owned by Sandeep & Tanya Goyal, former JV partners of Dentsu in India & the Middle East, to be its sole and exclusive monetization partner.

     

    Commenting on the development, K Srinivas, President – Consumer Business, Bharti Airtel, said: “We are excited to launch our mobile advertising platform. Personalization, sharp segmentation and contextualization are increasingly making this platform an exciting proposition for brands. With the mobile advertising market poised to grow by more than 40 per cent over the next few years, Airtel with its technology, scale and customer intelligence is placed uniquely to leverage this growing medium. Airtel’s m-advertising platform will enable advertisers to land their message in a simple, effective manner in an increasingly complex media environment.”

     

    Through Airtel’s m-Advertising platform, advertisers will be able to leverage multiple communications outlets and tools such as mobile internet (WAP), Messaging services and Airtel digital TV to engage their audiences. With this platform, companies can also extend their access to the rural audience with voice solutions.

     

  • The cut-throat rivalry between DTH players and cable operators intensifies in the countdown to the first phase of compulsory digitisation in the top four metros by June 30

    Tata Sky gears up for digitization with new ads

    By A Correspondent

     

    “Drop cable, upgrade to Tata Sky,” reads the latest ad of the direct-to-home (DTH) service provider, as the cut-throat rivalry between DTH players and cable operators intensifies in the countdown to the first phase of compulsory digitisation in the top four metros by June 30.

     

    “Your TV will continue to run on your inverter even during a power cut…isn’t this a reason enough to choose Tata Sky over cable,” said another advertisement, as the DTH major unleashes its third phase of print and out-of-home (OOH) ad blitzkrieg to lure millions of cable users in the top four cities to its services.

     

    Vikram Mehra, Chief Marketing Officer of Tata Sky, said the campaign is directed at educating consumers so that they can make an informed choice. “Our latest print campaign tells subscribers to do their homework before they buy a set-top box (STB) so that they chose Tata Sky and not just some dabba (box),” said Mehra. It’s not targeting any cable operator, he added.

     

    With over 9 million subscribers, Tata Sky is the second-largest DTH service provider in the country, after Dish TV.

     

    Last December, Lok Sabha passed the Cable Television Networks (Regulation)

    Amendment Bill, 2011, which makes it compulsory for cable companies to convert their analogue system to digital in a phased manner from June 2012.

     

    Consequently, in the first phase of digitisation, India’s top four metros – Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata – will have to replace all analog television networks with digital transmission from July 1, 2012.

     

    This means that all cable subscribers would need to get digital STBs in order to ensure that their TVs don’t go blank. By March next year, as many as 38 cities across the country would be brought into the digital fold.

     

    While phase 1 has around 10 million TV homes in the four metros, over 90 million analogue cable TV homes are estimated to convert to digital by the end of fourth phase in December 2014.

     

    Stakes are indeed high for DTH players who have a ready, captive base of millions of analogue cable TV customers, who just need to install a digital set top box in their homes.

     

    “DTH is expected to grow at a healthy CAGR of 20 per cent for the next 5-7 years,” said Abhishek Chauhan, Senior Consultant, ICT Practice, Frost & Sullivan, South Asia & Middle East. DTH contribution would increase to more than 30 per cent to overall the pay TV market, reducing the cable providers’ contribution to less than 65 per cent, he says. While the number of DTH households in the country is set to go up from 37 million in 2011 to 86 million by 2016, digital cable would see its subscriber base jump from a mere 6 million to 75 million, according to a recent FICCI-KPMG report.

     

    The number of cable and satellite (C&S) households is estimated to reach approximately 176 million by 2016, of which paid C&S households is estimated at 168 million, representing 89 per cent of total TV households. In 2011,146 million households in India had television sets; 119 million of which used cable or satellite services, says the report.

     

    While Tata Sky has been relentless in its campaign against cable, Dish TV has a different strategy. “Direct attack on cable operators is a short-lived approach,” said Salil Kapoor, Chief Operating Officer, Dish TV. Differentiated offerings and emotional connect with users is a sustainable strategy, he added. Dish TV has, in fact, tied up with neighbourhood operators to push its own set-top boxes and install connections.

     

    Meanwhile, Tata Sky has been running a campaign to shed its premium image and spread awareness about the impending digitisation and the value-added services that it offers.

     

    Perceptions on pricing in multiple television households, vacation time charges, relocation charges and prices about offerings are some of the issues that ‘Poochne mein kya jaata hain’ campaign started to address since last September. Created by O&M, the commercials urge consumers to ask while underlining the range of offerings.

     

    “Poochne mein kya jaata hai campaign was our way of telling customers that it’s possible to get a world-class service at an affordable price,” said Mr Mehra of Tata Sky. The latest campaign in this series informs one about the affordability of DTH services.

     

    Sonu & Cookie (characters from the last campaign), try to find items which are cheaper than Tata Sky. But every time they bring one to the shop, the shopkeeper surprises them by informing them that Tata Sky’s package is even cheaper.

     

    ‘Get the quality of DTH at the price of cable,’ says a print commercial of Den Networks, one of the largest multi-system operators having presence in a number of states, just a few months back. And a subsequent radio ad raised the pitch by mocking at DTH players – ‘DTH stands for Don’t Try at Home.’

     

    Tata Sky was quick to come up with a tit-for-tat print advertisement – “World-class digital box or any other dabba. What will you choose?”

     

    “Den has been the first cable TV MSO in India to launch a nationwide brand campaign, created by Bates,” said a Den Networks spokesperson, adding that different players will experiment with different types of messages and campaigns to attract subscribers.

     

    Digital cable has some inherent advantages such as weather-proof services that are not interrupted by rain, service through the local cable operator who is known to the household for years and is just a phone call away, to address any technical or service queries, the spokesperson says.

     

    While such kinds of advertisements may be attention-grabbing tactics, they also help consumers in making a better choice, say advertising and brand experts.

     

    “These are attention-grabbing tactics as consumers are in the process of making up their minds,” said Jehil Thakkar, Head, Media and Entertainment, KPMG. While now there is an opportunity for DTH players to acquire analogue subscribers from cable, the latter would obviously try its best to keep users under its fold, he added.

     

    Most advertising that we see around are intra-category fights, driven on the shoulders of brands such as Pepsi vs Coke, Rin vs Surf, Bajaj vs Hero. However, it’s the category versus category fight, for example GSM Vs CDMA, which is the game changer, say brand experts.

     

    In a fight like this, end consumers stand to gain, said Prathap Suthan, Chief Creative Officer of Bang in the Middle, an independent ad agency. “And this is exactly what is expected when it gets into a category versus category fight.”

     

    Tata Sky is clearly and visibly a better constructed and sustained brand among DTH players, feels Suthan. “When you stand for a category, and you represent a category (just as Tata Sky has done), other brands will look small or will be made to look small.”

     

    The other DTH brands, it seems, have sort of abdicated the position of category leadership to Tata Sky, he added.

     

    Source: The Economic Times
    Copyright © 2012, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved

     

  • Mahesh Ranka lists the pros and cons of watching sport events live at the stadium or on TV

    The Anchor: Mahesh Ranka on 5 reasons for watching sports live in the stadium & on TV

    5 reasons for watching sports live in the stadium as a regular FAN … not the AC/Corporate boxes type

     

    1. Well, the experience

    …. The noise… the atmosphere…. The crowd … the Mexican wave – it is unmatched in many ways. Of course, it depends from sports to sport. Like F1 is all about the fraction of a second “darshan” of the car and the vrooooom, Cricket is about being by your team and screaming your lungs out for them…..

     

    2. Closer to stars

    If luck favours, you end up meeting, clicking a snap, talking to the stars…professing love that otherwise seem so distant. Usually players are open to talk in the stadium (of course after the game), or calling out to them and their acknowledgement of the same… And it’s always something a sports fan cherishes.

     

    3. I Was There

    Key and landmark events become a kind of a HIGH to attend… at the World Cup Finals in 2011 that India won, the 1st Airtel Indian Grand Prix, watching Messi play… et al.

     

    4. Gang of friends

    It usually turns out to be the best way to be with friends… plan out a before and after the game activity. Argue, comment, pass opinions with friends…. It is a part and parcel of any game and being at the action always creates memories that last (for better usually)

     

    5. Get away with anything… well almost

    Where will you have green hair and paint your body with team colours ever … unless of course you are at the stadium… showcase your passion and fanaticism as much as you want….. possibly be shown on national TV…

     

    5 reasons for watching sports on TV, usually at home or a restaurant/pub

     

    1. Never miss action – the way you want

    Technology ensures that you don’t miss any part of the game… replays, analysis, numbers on the screen….. control of noise…. All with you.

     

    2. Comfort

    No sweating, no travelling, no dust….. just be with family and/ or friends… food… drinks … all flows… and yeah, mini contests within the game played… score, player performance, win-lose, goals, and so on….

     

    3. Go social

    ….. Frantic Twitter and FB updates have become a norm for many people and its best done from the comfort of home / pub.

     

    4. Economy

    Watching at home ensures you not just save the time but save money. It is far more economical to watch game at home…. Even in a restaurant…you may end up spending less than going to the stadium.

     

    5. Multi sport mix

    You’d not miss one action for the other…. Many times back to back or parallel events are being showcased that MUST be watched…. The luxury of switching channels, PiP tech, 2 TV’s etc ensure you are always in the know of all (almost) that’s happening.

     

    Mahesh Ranka is Founder & CEO, Indus Sports and Sponsorship

     

  • This makes me wonder. Should we in the media broadcast and publish pictures of youngsters cowering with fear and hiding their faces? Is this ethical?

    Anil Thakraney: The party-pooping media

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Newspapers and TV channels have been flooded with pictures of those ‘caught’ at the recent Juhu (Mumbai) ‘rave’ party bust. (We still don’t know if it really was a rave bash, but that’s not the focus of my article.) All these guys and gals desperately trying to conceal their faces in shame. Or, as I believe, because of the fear of being seen by their families and pals in such a tight situation. And each time I watch these images, I get terrified. No, I don’t get invited to many la-di-dah parties (sadly, haha!), and yet that lingering fear… that it could have been me out there.

     

    Imagine going out with friends to a party and being suddenly accosted by cops just because a few buggers had decided to top up their noses. And being treated brusquely all night, and made to go through unhygienic tests at municipal hospitals. It’s a nightmarish feeling. Still, when you look at it rationally, you have to quietly accept that drugs were found at the venue, and so the cops had to do their duty. So far, so bad.

     

    But does it surprise you how the media lands up at such busts in full force? It shouldn’t. Obviously, the cops, who want to project themselves as some sort of heroes, invite chosen reporters and cameramen to tag along. And thus more than a crime battle, this turns into a media spectacle. Leading to more stress and agony for the party goers.

     

    This makes me wonder. Should we in the media broadcast and publish pictures of youngsters cowering with fear and hiding their faces? Is this ethical? Is it not possible that most of them are innocent party goers? Do they deserve to be put under such harsh spotlight? One more issue for all of us in the media to introspect upon. Of course, the reporters have to join in when the cops invite them. Of course, they need to cover the bust. But because, at the time, they don’t know who’s guilty and who’s not, is it correct to put out pictures of the people trapped out there?

     

    My own view is such pictures must never be made public. And only after the police investigation is done, only after the culprits get booked, must we go public with images. That would be fair. Having said that, I know this practice isn’t going to stop anytime soon. Who cares if some drunk revelers are seen squirming? Who gives a rat’s ass if they are seen being treated like trapped animals? The editor wants pictures, you see. Else, he/she will say there’s no story out here. He/She will kick me out of the newsroom.

     

    Let’s do some self regulation, people. Before it comes in from outside.

     

    * * *

     

    PS: Brilliant ad by Prada. It’s directed by Roman Polanski and features acclaimed actor Ben Kingsley. This is the way to expand market share, I say!

     

  • The HD feed will be available from May 28 for analog and digital distributors

    Post-IPL, Sony goes HD

    By A Correspondent

     

    Viewers will now be able to watch their favourite shows on Sony Entertainment Television in pristine High Definition from May 28. The HD feed will be available for analog and digital distributors. It will be available on Tata Sky, Airtel, Dish TV and Videocon, covering almost all the current HD universe. Apart from this, it will also be available on Hathway, Seven Star & other key cable networks.

     

    NP Singh, COO, Multi Screen Media Pvt Ltd said: “I am pleased to announce that our flagship channel Sony is all set to be broadcast in HD. Traditionally, SET Network has always embraced technological excellence and going HD is another step in that direction. Improving viewer delight is our aim and I am sure that our consumers will enjoy the enhanced viewer experience immensely.”

     

    Sneha Rajani, Senior Executive Vice President and Business Head, Sony Entertainment Television said: “As a channel that has always been a pioneer in its content offering for the TV audience at large, Sony will continue to keep its viewers in the forefront and be a leader in the marketplace. Going HD is a continuation of that focus and a very proud moment for us all.”

     

    The other channel already on HD in the MSM bouquet is SIX. The IPL is also broadcast in HD on Max.

     

    Sony Pictures Television (SPT) comprises Sony Entertainment Television (SET), one of India’s leading Hindi general entertainment television channels; MAX, India’s premium Hindi movies and special events channel, SAB; a family comedy entertainment channel; SIX,,a premier sports entertainment channel, PIX, the English movie channel and MIX a refreshing hindi music channel.

     

  • MeridianCommunications Mumbai office has just won the new business mandate for hungama.com and bollywoodhungama.com and the apps business

    Hungama, Bollywoodhungama mandate Meridian

    By A Correspondent

     

    Meridian Communications’ Mumbai office has just won the new business mandate for hungama.com and bollywoodhungama.com and the apps business.

     

    Speaking on this new business win, a very excited Samrat Bedi, Head of Office, Meridian said: “The Hungama win, on the back of the Vespa win, is once again a testimony to Meridian’s strength in blending strategic thought with effective and inspiring creative work. The relevant use of new-age media and ideas that won hands down on high cut-through and freshness is where Meridian scored. In Hungama, we have a brave client who inspired us to push ourselves harder. Eventually, it was the chemistry and passion on both sides that brought us together.”

     

    This was a multi agency pitch. The agencies that were in the running for this business were Metal Communication, Network Advertising, Interface and Brand Insights.

     

    Shashank Lanjekar, Vice President-Account Planning, Meridian said: “Hungama.com is a brand that is young, fun and futuristic. We hope to partner them in creating work that mirrors these values.”

     

    Mohit Ahuja, VP Client Servicing: “At Meridian, we believe in creating long term buzz platforms, as opposed to mere taglines. Given the digital youth space that Hungama operates in, this approach is a perfect fit.”

     

  • With the increasing options available online and the easy way to find them, the internet makes customer fickle. This results in websites offering increasing levels of customer service to ensure that their customer is happy, says Suvir Khullar

    The Anchor: 5 trends to watch out for in e-com in India

    By Suvir Khullar

     

    1. Multiple channels in e-retailing

    A variety of SCM models are being created and new methods are evolving daily to procure/deliver products from varied brands/manufacturers. This helps offer a variety of brand and product options to customers with minimal investment in inventory and increase customer stickiness.

     

    2. Customer Service like never before

    With the increasing options available online and the easy way to find them, the internet makes customer fickle. This results in websites offering increasing levels of customer service to ensure that their customer is happy – from 100 per cent satisfaction guaranteed to Cash on Delivery to 5 minute deadlines to respond to customer queries and complaints.

     

    3. Promotion through Social media

    Social Media is gathering force and becoming an important tool for promotion. It reels in the customer with events and stories relevant to the product/ service being offered while informing his friends and colleagues his interests thus enticing them to view the same. Social Media is also giving the customer free rein to comment about his experience and keeping the website on its toes to offer the best service model.

     

    4. Brand Awareness

    The e-commerce platform is increasing the awareness of a brand among a large range of customers. Earlier for a brand to gain awareness, it was necessary for them to open an outlet in all major relevant locations. Now the brand outlet can be in a Tier 2 city and service its online customers across the country by showcasing its products online. This will also result in limited mindshare of brand names, as more and more take up space in the customers mind. Unknown brands during the pre e-commerce time will become household names now.

     

    5. Brand Loyalty to Website Loyalty

    The loyalty a customer had to his favorite brand has diluted with the advent to tempting deals and offers available across competitive brands. Now depending on the offers and services offered by an e-commerce site, the customers’ loyalty will be held by the site instead of the brand. The product that site offers will become the customers brand basket to choose from.

     

    Suvir Khullar is Founder & Director, Gifting Ideas Pvt. Ltd.

     

  • 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] TV gets boring after IPL

    Ranjona Banerji

    By Ranjona Banerji

     

    The end of the IPL has seen a flurry of articles, analyses and edits – as well as some television breast-beating. Tuesday’s must-read is Ayaz Memon in The Times of India as he dissects the IPL and people’s reaction to it. TOI also carries an edit on the IPL – a day after everyone else.

     

    On TV, Rahul Kanwal of Headlines Today, wearing far too much make-up – almost like those pictures of stars like Rajendra Kumar and Biswajit with orange lipstick that movie halls used to carry – was in “hot pursuit” with BCCI chief TV spokesperson (if that’s not a designation it should be) Rajiv Shukla trying to solve all the problems with the IPL.

     

    The upheaval in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly also bothered our TVwallahs and led to one more verbal fisticuffs on Times Now. This followed another one on the Andhra High Court striking down a quota for minorities. One feels that TV channels need to stop inviting people like Ravi Shankar Prasad and Mohammed Owaisi on the same show as it only leads to acrimonious yelling rather than informed debate. Arnab Goswami did not even bother to control them. TV debates appear to have run through their usefulness. They provide little information or food for thought and now that the actors are the same on every channel night after night, there is no variety or novelty either.

     

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    The big news for newspapers in Mumbai was the horrific road accident on the Mumbai-Pune expressway where 27 members of a marriage party were crushed to death by a speeding truck. Several heart-wrenching details about the accident were in all the newspapers and were in fact almost too much to bear.

     

    The problems of no proper ambulance or paramedical services or the dangers of Indian roads and our lack of disaster preparedness were all covered. None of this makes the spectacle of accidental death any easier of course.

     

    The drought in Maharashtra is also now making almost a daily appearance in newspapers but I haven’t noticed it on TV yet. That is hardly surprising because unless there is mass-scale devastation, even 24 hour TV news channels struggling to fill in the gaps will not be interested. There is limited scope for engineered outrage and explosive TV debates when it comes to drought or even malnutrition.

     

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    The biggest media-related news was former British prime minister Tony Blair telling the Leveson inquiry into media ethics that politicians have to hobnob with the media in today’s world. He admitted to flying to Australia to convince Rupert Murdoch to support the Labour Party in the general elections. Interesting… Now how many Indian politicians would be so courteous to the Indian media?

     

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    On a personal note, was quite pleased to see the French Open get so much coverage in the newspapers. Of course, the IPL is over so there’s plenty of space… Hindustan Times gets top marks – but it has increasingly established itself as a newspaper which covers all sports not just cricket. Even the Times of India deigned to provide a little space to tennis and the Grand Slam which has just started in Paris. That is high honour indeed.