MxMIndia

Author: mxmadmin

  • Not only is SRK over-used and over-abused, by no stretch of imagination can I visualize a brand match out here, writes Anil Thakraney

    Debrief: Hyundai i10: Same old, same old

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    In my books, the worst celebrity choice in Indian advertising has to be Shah Rukh Khan endorsing the poor man’s Santro. It’s a cruel joke, really. The multi-billionaire hero would want to be caught dead inside such a ‘down-market’ vehicle.

     

    Well, Hyundai has cast him again, this time for their i10 car, which is one level above Santro. But is still an aam aadmi ki gaadi. I often wonder what SRK does with such a car, assuming one ‘sample’ is sent to him gratis. I suppose he gifts it off to one of his security guards. Anyway, let’s get to the task at hand: The commercial has a strange idea – something called ‘the helping hand’. And this mystery hand blesses the i10 owner with good things in life. Like a hot babe, great weather, etc. But frankly, all I recall is shots of SRK primping and preening throughout the ad. The same old Bollywood expressions of his that the junta is tiring of.

     

    Nope, this isn’t working at all. Not only is SRK over-used and over-abused in media and advertising, by no stretch of imagination can I visualize a brand match out here. Therefore, he neither brings in freshness nor salience. The i10, if they must used celebs, would be far better served with fresh new faces from the showbiz. In addition, there’s no story, no narrative in the TVC. Same old boring lifestyle shots that most car ads use.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”225″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9q_6214N_8[/youtube]

    It’s a flop show. The people who need a helping hand out here are the brand manager and his/her ad agency.

     

    Rating: (On a scale of 1 to 5): 1. Poor casting. Weak creative.

     

     

  • MxMIndia gets you reactions from industry stakeholders on the government's decision to postpone the digitization deadline for Phase I to October 31, 2012

    Can we achieve the October 31 deadline?

     

    By Shruti Pushkarna

     

    Under mounting pressure from various stakeholders, the government announced an extension of four months for the first phase of digitization of cable television. Digital Addressable System (DAS) will now be effective from November 1 in the four metros, Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata and Mumbai.

     

    A press release issued by the I&B Ministry read: “The Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Amendment Act, 2011 has made it mandatory for switchover of the existing analogue Cable TV networks to Digital Addressable System (DAS) by December 2014, in a phased manner. In respect of four metros of Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai, the digital switchover is mandated to be completed by 30th June 2012.”

     

    But towards the end in the press note, the ministry acknowledged that keeping ground realities in mind, the MIB is compelled to set a new deadline. The statement reads, “…keeping in view public interest and after intensive and extensive consultations, as well as written commitments from all the stakeholders, for fully implementing the regulations of TRAI, the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting has decided to modify the 30th June deadline for a complete switch over to 31st October 2012 for all four Metro Cities i.e Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata. All the TRAI regulations for DAS will come into effect from 1st November, 2012.”

     

    The extension was announced notwithstanding the pending matters before the Delhi and Bombay High Courts and the TDSAT. The Bombay High Court will hear the petition on June 21 and the Delhi High Court will hear the matter on June 25, which is also the date when TDSAT will hear a similar matter filed by LCOs and IndusInd Media & Communications Ltd.

     

    Soon after the announcement of the new sunset date, MxMIndia spoke to various stakeholders to get their reactions on the new timeline and to find out if October 31 is an achievable deadline. While some welcomed the government’s decision for postponement to November 1, others felt that the extension issued by the ministry is not enough for the humongous task at hand.

     

    MSOs welcome the govt’s decision, though some still unsure of achieving the deadline

    Ashok Mansukhani

    Ashok Mansukhani, Director, IndusInd Media & Communications Ltd said: “I think it’s a sensible development and it will help in smooth transition to digitization. The new date is completely achievable, it was fully discussed in the taskforce. I don’t know about Tamil Nadu since the government there is supposed to install the set top boxes but for the other three metros, certainly it will happen. It’s a welcome step and it was fully discussed in the taskforce and it’s a natural result of the taskforce deliberation.”

     

    JS Kohli, CEO, Digicable said: “We are happy with the postponement. Although it’s not a six month extension but yes we can deliver on the new date. We are satisfied with the extension.”

     

    JS Kohli

    Ravi Gupta, Independent MSO, Delhi said: “The new sunset date is good although it is two months less than what we were expecting. They should have given a six months extension, I still don’t think we can achieve the task by November 1. A lot of digital headends are under installation and integration is what takes time. I don’t think anyone from the ministry has done a detailed study of this process. No senior official from the ministry or from the TRAI has visited a digital headend. A minimum of six months extension should have come.”

     

    LCOs happy with the extension but feel four months not enough

    MR Srinivasan, General Secretary, Chennai Metro Cable TV Operators Association said: “It is good in a way because we are not yet ready because in Chennai only 2 lakh boxes are available. But now atleast we have some breathing time. Moreover, the government of Tamil Nadu is planning to start some MSO operation in Chennai, so it’s some relief and we have some time to plan ahead and be ready before the sunset date. Actually we expected an extension upto December but atleast we have got a slight relief, something is better than nothing.”

     

    Sanjay McGee, Local Cable Operator, East Delhi said: “Although it’s a good decision, in the last meeting between LCOs and I&B Ministry, Rajiv Takru agreed that four months extension was not enough. At first the ministry refused any extension, but when we urged on atleast three months extension, Rajiv Takru stated that if there has to be an extension then take atleast six months. But they have taken a middle path and decided on four months. They shouldn’t have announced the extension at this point, they should have waited till June 29. Now the consumer will not take the deadline seriously and the pace will slow down. If we keep working at the same pace as of today, then we might be able to achieve the new deadline.”

     

    Swapan Chowdhury, General Secretary, Cable & Broadband Operators’ Welfare Association, Kolkata said: “I am not satisfied because four months will not cover up the whole situation. Government might have given an extension but they have not considered any facts and figures. I say that because 70 per cent in Kolkata still don’t have set top boxes (STBs), so four months are not enough for deployment of such a huge number of STBs. It will not even happen on November 1. Maybe another 20 or 30 per cent seeding will be done up till the new date but what about the remaining numbers. In the June 8 meeting with the I&B Minister it was categorically mentioned that none of the government appointed nodal officers have checked the actual seeding position or the status of ordered material. Unless and until the government studies the ground situation deeply it will again fall back. The actual facts are different from what’s being presented on paper. They should have given an extension upto atleast Jan 1.”

     

    Broadcasters disappointed with the postponement, suggest on strict penalties for those who don’t adhere to the timelines

    Sunil Lulla

    Sunil Lulla, Managing Director & CEO, Times Television Network said: “It’s a complete disappointment. What is the guarantee that the new date will be held, when there is a date set by law, why should the date be changed? A lot of time, money and effort has gone by broadcasters in promoting and communicating the date and making sure consumers went along. The industry and the consumer suffers because there are some parts of the entire constituent which may not have adhered to these deadlines, may not have implemented the seeding of the boxes. This was announced on the net through a press release, the government hasn’t really notified us. I think it would have made sense for them to invite all stakeholders and agree on a new date if there was to be one and to a process by which these date wont slip.”

     

    Rahul Sood

    Rahul Sood, Head- Network Distribution & Affiliate Sales, NDTV said: “Basically LCOs were pushing for a Jan 1 timeline and broadcasters were saying that if you have to give an extension, it should be only for three months. So I guess they have taken a middle path by extending it upto October 31. The TRAI guidelines which came out on April 30 were such that within six months there has to be implementation of the same. I think that’s the loophole that MSOs and LCOs were quoting and asking for a minimum six months extension. So keeping all that in mind, I think ministry has taken this step. But if as an industry we have this discussion again on October 20, then it’s a real shame. There should be no excuses now, timelines have been extended, now there has to be a joint willingness to from all stakeholders to make sure this happens. While they have issued this date change, I think with that strict penalties and penalization code should be put in place as well for those who don’t adhere to the new timelines.”

     

    An independent commentator says new sunset date ill-conceived

    Dinyar Contractor

    Dinyar Contractor, Editor and Executive Publisher, Satellite and Cable TV Magazine said: “This is not going to work, this date is ill-conceived. There is no way that set top boxes can be procured and deployed in that timeframe even if the order is released today. As I’ve mentioned earlier, delivery time on set top boxes alone is around four months so this extension makes no sense except postponing one more extension. Any date prior to end of December is not realistic and is not going to resolve the problems or the issue, which is obtaining and deploying set top boxes. So I feel that the extension is inappropriate.”

     

  • Over a period of time IRS as a product has evolved and is must for the media planning, says Jwalant Swaroop

    The Anchor: Jwalant Swaroop on 7 reasons why IRS is a valuable tool for measuring readership

    By Jwalant Swaroop

     

    Whether we like it or not, we cannot help but accept IRS as the currency for readership measurement. I do not think that we have an option.  In fact, I find IRS most valuable tool for its robustness and brilliant consistency. Over a period of time IRS as a product has evolved and is must for the media planning.

     

    1. IRS is the industry’s most acceptable currency. For the benefit of the professionals joining the industry now, let me share that there were times when we had NRS and IRS the two conflicting readership surveys. Now that the merger of both is official, IRS has emerged as the most acceptable currency.

     

    2. IRS is a technically sound product which encapsulates expectations of all the stake holders.

     

    3. Given the sample size IRS captures the readership trends having geographical and demographic details with precision.

     

    4. Despite the fact that it is largely industry funded, IRS has a neutral stance delivering value to clients and agencies equally.

     

    5. The product linkage data in IRS is significant for understanding the market size and set directions to brand and media owners.

     

    6. IRS can also be leveraged for setting directions for the content team to develop content for building attractiveness in the target readership which the media owners desires to build.

     

    7. Since the IRS results are out every quarter, it builds the excitement.

     

    Jwalant Swaroop is COO-Publishing, Lokmat Media Pvt Ltd

     

  • The I&B ministry ought to have known that the June 30 sunset date for the four metros was unachievable, writes Pradyuman Maheshwari

    Mediaah! Why Ambika Soni is to blame for the delay in digitization

    By Pradyuman Maheshwari

     

    I have been a huge fan of the current information and broadcasting minister Ambika Soni. After the likes of Priyaranjan Dasmunshi and Anand Sharma, Madame Soni’s tenure came as a breath of fresh air. And a much-needed one, because she didn’t make life miserable for the broadcasters like her predecessors did (and I am told wanted her to).

     

    The I&B minister’s job is a thankless one. Several hundred Parliamentarians and politicians, consumer groups, corporates, lobbies and alert citizens writing to her with comments and requests, and most of which cannot be ignored.  If Colors didn’t face any problems with Balika Vadhu or Star Plus didn’t have to pull out Sach Ka Saamna, it’s thanks to the minister warding off various pressures.

     

    I think just keeping all these complainants at bay and letting the various players do their job is an achievement. She has also gently ensured that news and non-news broadcasters adopt a stringent (and effective) self-regulatory mechanism.

     

    So what’s the problem? Well, part of it is thanks to successive I&B secretaries having short tenures. Uday Kumar Varma, the incumbent, also has a two-year stint prior to retirement or an extension. Mr Varma has the advantage of having worked with MIB in the past at senior positions so he didn’t spend a few months understanding the nuances of the job as a few of his predecessors may have had to.

     

    Over the last few months, several industry captains and observers have told me that the ministry is inefficient which I have vociferously countered by saying Ms Soni’s achievements need to be counted by her proactive opposition to regressive forces. At least one CEO even told that me that I was too pro-MIB. Perhaps, but that’s because she’s not regressive.

     

    However, the fact is that the ministry lacks the initiative to deliver on bold measures. Nothing happened with Doordarshan even as much was promised when it celebrated its golden jubilee in 2009. The radio sector is still floundering: there is still no news on radio even as television stations even in the most sensitive of zones in the country are allowed to air news. The minister wasn’t able to stand up to her colleague in the food and consumer affairs department on ad regulation and more recently it’s made a mess of the entire digitization process.

     

    The Minister and her secretariat were aware of the requirements of the process, so even before accepting the TRAI regulations, they ought to have looked at whether the Sunset Date of June 30 was achievable. It wasn’t as most stakeholders told us.

     

    Even now, as a few of the people familiar with the situation on the ground have told me that October 31 is going to be a tough ask.

     

    It’s critical that the government monitors the execution carefully and ensures that there is no room for any further delays. Care must also be taken to ensure that the respective state governments and municipal corporations are taken into confidence… especially in Chennai and Kolkata.

     

    As to those who raise the bogey that digitization puts television out of the reach of the lowest common denominator, the answer is that they can always access terrestrial transmission. Quality software must be paid for.

     

    Meanwhile, all is not lost for the Honourable Minister. She must get aggressive on digitization and various other pending issues in her ministry. Or let history remember her as one more ineffective I&B ministers that India has had.

     

    Buzz me if you have a story to tell. Confidentiality assured. There are various ways you can reach me:

    pradyumanm[at]mxmindia.com, Gtalk pradyumanm@gmail.com, Twitter @pmahesh and of course the mobile: 98338 76278.  The views expressed here are my own.

     

  • Watch an assortment of videos from Cannes Lions 2012 in a playlist put together by MxMIndia whch features trailers, jury interviews and much more

    CannesLions2012: Playlist 5: Assorted Videos (Updated)

    MxMIndia gets you an assortment of featured videos from Cannes Lions 2012. This is your one stop shop for all the exciting action from the Festival of Creativity. The playlist below features trailers, experts sharing their views and expectations from the festival, Jury members’ interviews and much more.

     

    www.youtube.com/mxmindiatv/canneslions2012

     

     

    1. Darren McColl and Freddie Laker: Darren McColl, Vice-President, of Global Brand Strategy & Marketing at SapientNitro, and Freddie Laker, Vice-President, Global Marketing Strategy, SapientNitro speak to Cannes Lions TV about brands and marketing. [youtube width=”300″ height=”169″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ajs3K_Zb6vU[/youtube]
    2. Tom Scott: Earlier this year, Cannes Lions joined up with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to challenge the creative community to solve a global problem. At this year’s Festival the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation gave a seminar looking at how creativity and innovative thinking can have huge impact on our world. In this video Cannes Lions TV spoke to Tom Scott, Director of Global Brand and Innovation at Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, about the project, and why social organisations need to learn more about storytelling from agencies. [youtube width=”300″ height=”169″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDcPs1Fqp6o[/youtube]
    3. Cindy Gallop and Elliot Polak: In a controversial seminar, Elliot Polak, the Founder, CEO of Textappeal, and Cindy Gallop, Ex-chairman at BBH New York, and the Founder and CEO of IfWeRanTheWorld, tackled the topic of what online pornography has done to youth behaviours. Cannes Lions TV was there to talk to the pair after the session in the Cannes Connect Bar, discussing the issues raised. [youtube width=”300″ height=”169″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpF8MHEFYYM[/youtube]
    4. Omar Epps Interview: SapientNitro brought actor and producer Omar Epps to Cannes Lions talk argue about whether brands or celebrities were better at marketing. Cannes Lions TV caught up with him back stage after the session and asked some questions about social media and celebrity. [youtube width=”300″ height=”169″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCbbJU7Nxh0[/youtube]
    5. Joe Chen Interview: Joe Chen is the Founder, Chairman and CEO of Renren, one of the largest social networking sites in China. Here, he talks to Cannes Lions TV about mobile and social media in China and what western brands can do to engage consumers in this emerging market. [youtube width=”300″ height=”169″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rM0EpOLD_Ao[/youtube]
    6. DDB APAC’s John Zeigler @Cannes Lions: John Zeigler, CEO, DDB APAC, Indian and Japan speaks to exchange4media on the agency’s expectations on the awards front and his views on India’s performance so far. [youtube width=”300″ height=”169″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixsFswce1Yk[/youtube]
    7. IPG Mediabrands’ Matt Seiler @Cannes Lions: Matt Seiler, CEO, IPG Mediabrands speaks to exchange4media on the agency’s focused approach to Cannes Lions this year, and why. [youtube width=”300″ height=”169″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBzCNR41Td8[/youtube]
    8. George St-Pierre with Justin Kingsley: Cannes Lions TV caught up with UFC Champion George St-Pierre following a seminar at Cannes Lions 2012. Alongside him is Justin Kingsley, Vice-President, Strategy, Partner at Sid Lee. Together they chat about creativity, social media and connecting with fans. [youtube width=”300″ height=”169″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iw_6blPdTsE[/youtube]
    9. DraftFCB’s Global CMO Debra Coughlin @Cannes Lions: Debra Coughlin, Executive Vice President and Global Chief Marketing Officer, who was also a jury member in Creative Effectiveness Lions, speaks to exchange4media on whether agencies pay enough attention to their own brands, the India ops of DraftFCB and women in advertising. [youtube width=”300″ height=”169″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ftxBww5XJQ[/youtube]
    10. Initiative’s Jim Hytner @Cannes Lions: The newly appointed CEO of Initiative Worldwide speaks to exchange4media about the recent leadership changes at the agency, including in India, and his views on some of the initiatives IPG Mediabrands has undertaken at Cannes Lions this year. [youtube width=”300″ height=”169″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wp9317XSPlU[/youtube]
    11. The World’s Most Creative Minds Are Gathering: Cannes Lions 2012 Trailer: The Cannes Lions seminar programme features more than 50 keynote presentations from a wide-range of global leaders. The aim of this programme is to inspire through new ideas and concepts. The speakers range from thought-leaders, to clients, to industry gurus, to non-advertising creative stars such as directors, musicians and architects. [youtube width=”300″ height=”169″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qtY5VfO7jE[/youtube]
    12. Cannes Lions 2012 – Archive Creative Club: The campaign is a funny attempt to understand how a great advertising idea is born and how the campaign evolves. During the Lurzer’s Archive workshops to be held on June 21 at the Palais du Festival, top creatives Sergio Valente, CEO & President DDB Brasil, and Toby Talbot, Executive Creative Director RKCR/Y&R London, UK, will select three of their favorite ads from Lürzer’s Archive Vol 3/12. [youtube width=”300″ height=”169″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nXW0A9xdRk[/youtube]
    13. Cirkus ‘Do it not the same’ Workshop @ Cannes Lions 2012: A promo for ‘Do it not the same’ workshop @ Cannes Lions 2012. [youtube width=”300″ height=”169″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rt7jhUUBaig[/youtube]
    14. Cannes’ Terry Savage announces JWT’s MaYan as Outdoor jury Chair at the Cannes Lions 2012: Cannes Lions Festival Chairman Terry Savage speaks with Lo Sheung Yan (MaYan), JWT’s ECD North East Asia and Chairman of China, about being selected as the first Chinese Jury President for Cannes, what it means for China. [youtube width=”300″ height=”169″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ultqc-q-zTg[/youtube]
    15. 2NE1 Fans speak to Lions Daily News – Cannes Lions 2012: 2NE1 are appearing in Cheil Worldwide’s seminar at the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity 2012 [youtube width=”300″ height=”169″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXzLWhJvR30[/youtube]
    16. CANNES Lions 2012, Mofilm & The FEMININE Voice with Sandra Rupp: ExecCareerCoach Sandra Rupp shares thoughts on her 1st experience with Cannes Lions & Mofilm 2012. Sandra is on the THINKERS 50 Guru Radar List for the world’s top business thinkers. Brand Ambassador, Thought Leader, Speaker, Writer on “The Yin & Yang of Leadership.” She calls Investing in The Feminine Leadership Style the largest economic opportunity worldwide. [youtube width=”300″ height=”169″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56moOv8iKR4[/youtube]
    17. R Gowthaman, Mindshare @Cannes Lions 2012: R Gowthaman, CEO, South and South East Asia, Mindshare speaks to exchange4media on how Mindshare is approaching Cannes Lions and why he thinks the platform is a must-attend for media agencies in India. [youtube width=”300″ height=”169″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puXJY1wVvmE[/youtube]
    18. Initiative at Cannes Lions 2012: A teaser for what Initiative will be presenting at Cannes 2012. [youtube width=”300″ height=”169″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kR98iCV8f2c[/youtube]
    19. Young Cannes Lions Cyber Entry 2012 [youtube width=”300″ height=”169″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7rs8yP_kG0[/youtube]
    20. The Official Launch of “RAW – Pervasive Creativity in Asia” [youtube width=”300″ height=”169″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lz7wpfhl0wI[/youtube]
    21. Chairman of Cannes Lions Terry Savage talks about Cannes Lions to Oglivy DO [youtube width=”300″ height=”169″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JB5jcDa6OEI[/youtube]
    22. Cannes Lions Jury member Barney Loehnis speaks to Ogilvy DO on judging the mobile category at Cannes Lions 2012 [youtube width=”300″ height=”169″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXtyfqZmQ5Q[/youtube]
    23. Frank Holland on “The Microsoft Advertising Opportunity” at Cannes Lions 2012: Frank Holland CVP of Advertising & Online at Microsoft talks to Mel Carson about Cannes Lions 2012 and the “opportunity” for advertisers and agencies on the Microsoft Advertising platform. [youtube width=”300″ height=”169″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1f7BfWCv24[/youtube]
    24. Cannes Predictions Vietnam 2012 – Official Trailer: Leo Burnett Vietnam presents its Cannes Predictions 2012, a glimpse into what to expect at the global advertising industry’s most prestigious event, the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. [youtube width=”300″ height=”169″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoN2Hfp-qDs[/youtube]
    25. Shekhar Kapur & R Balki @Cannes Lions: Fillm director and producer Shekhar Kapur and Indian creative guru R Balki (Film maker and Chairman & CCO Lowe Lintas) speak to exchange4media on what the Indian film industry and advertising industry take from each other, and their session at Cannes Lions 2012. [youtube width=”300″ height=”169″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bV6lv2Ot-E8[/youtube]
  • In Freaking News, 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

    Ranjona Banerji: TV lacks training to cover live events

    Ranjona Banerji

    By Ranjona Banerji

     

    The fire which engulfed and destroyed large portions of Maharashtra’s most important government building on Thursday afternoon dominated news broadcasts and the newspapers on Friday – hardly surprisingly. TV channels switched from whatever they were covering – mainly the unseemly drama over India’s tennis stars and the Olympics to concentrate on the fire in Mumbai.

     

    It’s self-evident that TV is the best medium to cover live events. However, this is where lack of training – both anchors and reporters – gets exposed. Having shown viewers the fire over and over again – which really points to the camerapersons being able to locate the targets – TV reporters then appear to be at a loss. Instead of hundred several of them “standing by” at various locations around an incident, news channels might be better served if they trained some reporters to collect information while others dealt with on-camera duties. This way, viewers would get some news instead of having to hear: “The fire is still raging and as you can see people are waiting anxiously and if my cameraperson could show you…” over and over again.

     

    This is an aside: Instead of concentrating on emulating some fancy foreign accent, reporters who appear on English channels might spend more time on their grammar. A young girl on Times Now kept talking about the “backside of the building.” Backside however refers to the derriere, posterior, bottom, buttocks, bum – that is, the rear end of humans. She could have just said “back of the building”. This would not have been so jarring – or amusing – if she had not acquired an ambivalent pseudo-foreign accent.

     

    * * *

     

    Incidentally, local channels usually win at times like this and Times Now, being the only major English news channel located in Mumbai had the clear upper hand.

     

    * * *

     

    And the same can be said of The Times of India. For the past four years now, Mumbai’s largest English newspaper has been flexing its muscle when it comes to local coverage. With the Mantralaya fire, they covered just about every angle. Since they have employed a large proportion of the city’s reporters, they also benefited from the expertise their staff has picked up in other papers!

     

    In order, Mid-Day comes next and the tabloid newspaper has done a comprehensive and detailed job, then the Indian Express and finally, Hindustan Times. It is at moments like this that Hindustan Times seems to pay the price for concentrating more on packaging than substance. The Times of India has dispensed with packaging to provide material and this seems to be a winning strategy. Undoubtedly, a commendable achievement for a “product” from a group which is also responsible for some of the worst practices in the media today?

     

    “Sabotage” asked the Economic Times in a boxed item on their front page, thus emphasising the suspicions that almost everyone has about this fire.

     

    * * *

     

    Eminent heart specialist Ramakant Panda’s defence of the medical fraternity (obviously still feeling hurt by Aamir Khan’s Satyamev Jayate) on Times of India’s edit page was not just weak, it was quite funny. Imagine using the incredible service provided by Prakash and Mandakini Amte to the tribals as an example of how great doctors are. If other doctors bothered to even do half of what the Amtes have managed for years, our healthcare to the poor would not be so despicable. Most doctors in Maharashtra however refuse to do their rural stint since it severely cuts into the ka-ching of big city cash registers. Please.

     

    * * *

     

    This is just a personal note. My rage against biased coverage of the tennis fiasco led one young (am assuming young from the way it was written and the handle Poopsonurface) person to call me a “Calcutta partisan presswalla”. Amused as I am, I must humbly declare that I have never worked in Calcutta or Kolkata in my career which spans almost 30 years. Other than Mumbai, the only other place I have worked in is Ahmedabad. As to his or her’s other suggestion that I “get a life”, I have taken that under advisement!

     

  • The launch marks its international foray and also exclusively partnership with The Ethnic Channels Group

    RBNL’s BIG Magic launches in Canada

    By A Correspondent

     

    Reliance Broadcast Network Ltd has expanded its reach into the international markets with the launch of BIG Magic International in Canada. Building on the brand lineage of its recently launched channel in India- BIG Magic; the new channel has been tailored to suit the entertainment preferences of the sizeable South Asian diaspora in Canada.

     

    The channel will offer audiences a mix of daily sitcoms, shows on varied genres ranging from socio-mytho and dramas to crime and daily business news from Bloomberg UTV. The channel has partnered with Ethnic Channels Group (EGCL), a Canada-based television broadcasting, distribution and communications company, specializing in multicultural television channels for the North American market.

     

    Tarun Katial, CEO, Reliance Broadcast Network Ltd. said: “We are happy to reach out to the Canadian market with BIG Magic International which has been designed to fulfil the need gaps in the infotainment genre for South Asian audiences there. The channel will bring an increasing variety of fresh and relevant programming to the viewers which will include not just entertainment but also daily business updates from India. With this move, we are optimizing the use of our robust and extensive content library to reach out to both viewers and marketers in the market. The launch of BIG Magic International opens new and exciting opportunities for the execution of our expansion and growth strategy.”

     

    One of the USPs of the channel will be three fresh, 30-minute updates each day with the latest news from the Indian capital markets. The channel will also feature a special weekend feature show created around the Indian business world and investments inI ndia.

     

    With Ethnic Channels Group as its exclusive representative inCanada, the channel will be available across all major platforms like Rogers Cable, Bell DTH and Bell Fibe. With a robust reach in place, the channel will reach a relevant audience base of 0.2 million across these platforms. The revenue model is based on subscription and ad-sales.

     

    “With our continued expansion into new genres, these channels are a welcome addition to the ECG family,” said Slava Levin, Co-founder and CEO of Ethnic Channels Group. Said Hari Srinivas, President of Ethnic Channels Group: “We are happy to partner with Reliance Broadcast Network to launch BIG Magic International which is a first of its kind variety entertainment channel, which will cut across clutter and appeal to the larger south Asian Diaspora inCanada.”

     

     

  • No wonder the quality of writing is so low in many publications and web portals. Because the editors/content heads offer peanuts, they end up with monkeys

    Anil Thakraney: Freelance writers need to be paid more

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Although I haven’t suffered the same fate (so far at least!), freelance journalists/columnists I know still crib about very poor payments. They have been cribbing about this for many years, and it hasn’t changed. Despite the so-called economic boom, the media explosion and the killing inflation. Even those publications that are doing pretty well for themselves, and don’t think twice before splurging on photography, travel, technology, and so on, get suddenly hit by poverty pangs when it’s time to negotiate with freelance writers. It’s still that pre-historic, measly ‘per word’ figure.

     

    And this amazes me, really. One would have thought with the increased competition across various media forms, quality of content would be given maximum priority. Which means ensuring that the best writers and reporters are assigned to do stories or write columns. And these people are paid handsomely to keep them engaged and fired up. But that’s not how it seems to have panned out. From what I hear, freelance contributors continue to get step-motherly treatment.

     

    This then results in quality writers who are unable to survive on freelance assignments being compelled to seek other options. Some get married to loaded partners, some turn into full time authors, some migrate to the corporate world and others simply fade away. And who loses in the process? The media, of course. No wonder the quality of writing is so low in many publications and web portals. Because the editors/content heads offer peanuts, they end up with monkeys, as the proverb goes.

     

    So then why is this ancient mind-set not changing? Why are freelancers still being put at the bottom of the food chain? I think it has got to do with the mind block most editors suffer from, it’s a legacy they have carried over from the past. This must change very quickly. Media brands that continue to dish out sub-standard content will find the going tough. Because quality contributors will move away to greener pastures.

     

    I must also add here that this mind-set has changed in the Indian film industry. In the past, story and screenplay writers were paid shabbily and this resulted in so many pathetic flicks being churned out. In recent times however, writers have come to the party and they command good remuneration. The overall quality of our cinema has also improved. If it can happen there, there’s no reason why the media must remain frozen in the ice age.

     

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    [youtube width=”400″ height=”225″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGgByLLQwSw[/youtube]

    PS: This commercial is never going to score atCannes. Simply because it’s a very provocative way to promote cancer awareness. And theCannesjury shan’t be amused. But that doesn’t change the fact that it has worked big-time, lakhs of men have already viewed this link. But do NOT even think of emulating this inIndia. Unless you have been granted permanent asylum in a first world country.

     

     

  • The report noted Text100's early focus on digital, along with the strength of its leadership team, product and service development, and regional campaigns

    Text100 named digital consultancy of the year

    By A Correspondent

     

    Text100 APAC has been named Digital Consultancy of the Year for 2012 by The Holmes Report. The report noted Text100’s early focus on digital, along with the strength of its leadership team, product and service development, and regional campaigns.

     

    As reported by The Holmes Report, Text100 was one of the first firms to position itself as a leader inAsia’s fast-growing social media arena, launching a sophisticated range of services in 2008. And, unlike many of its global peers, many of the network’s digital efforts are led by the region, under the oversight of global social media lead Jeremy Woolf.

     

    In 2011 the firm broadened its capabilities, launching a dedicated design and digital support hub inMalaysia, expanding its digital headcount, and stepping up a digital training programme that is as advanced as any in the region.

     

    All of those efforts paid off, as its Cisco ‘Flip Your Profile’ programme landed the Global and Asia-Pacific SABRE Award recognition in the social media category, and Text grew its digital mandate for numerous clients, including IBM, Lenovo, Yahoo, Cisco and Nokia.

     

    “At Text100, we define ‘Digital’ as something that encompasses all forms of communications that are technology-enabled and we ensure all our staff are digitally certified and capable of delivering our services to clients,” said Anne Costello, Regional Director, South Asia Text100 APAC.  “Achieving this status from The Holmes Report goes a long way as we continue to follow our vision of shaping the most influential conversations in the digital age and beyond.”

     

  • The OOH campaign is executed by Milestone Brandcom and is spread across various outdoor formats to optimize impact

    Milestone stirs up Nestle’s Junior Daheez launch

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Nestle team decided to launch Junior Daheez inDelhiusing an extensive out of home (OOH) campaign with more than 50 + sites in the city. The creative of the campaign, developed by Publicis Capital, showcase an image of Toy Train carrying two cups of Junior Dahi.

     

    As a part of the campaign, the cups innovatively rotate on the train which helps in catching more eyeballs. The OOH campaign is executed by Milestone Brandcom and is spread across various outdoor formats to optimize impact. The outdoor formats include billboards, unipoles, bus queue shelters, strategically located at major arterials roads ofDelhi.

     

    Ravi Rockey Ambrose, Sr. Vice President, Milestone Brandcom said: “We are thrilled to work on the brand. The brief from the Nestle team was to deliver the most impactful plan for launch of Junior Dahi and I am thrilled that the team has ensured the same.”

     

    The on-going campaign kicked off on May 18 and continued till the first week of June.

  • Association with Sunteck: first step to bring Disney inspired homes to India

    Disney India eyes in-home segment

    By A Correspondent

     

    Disney Consumer Products (India) announced its association with Sunteck Realty Ltd, a Mumbai based real estate company to launch Disney-inspired homes in Mumbai. This will be DisneyIndia’s first foray to bring Disney-inspired interiors and exteriors in the Indian real estate market for Indian kids and families at the proposed property in Goregaon by Sunteck Realty.

     

    “We are pleased to be working with Sunteck to offer Indian families an opportunity to bring a piece of Disney magic into their homes. Disney’s beloved characters and stories have inspired multiple generations of fans,” said Roshini Bakshi, managing director, Consumer Products, Retail and Publishing, Disney UTV. “Our Disney Home products span across total home solutions  and we look forward to bringing more Disney inspired home environments and décor to kids and families inIndia.”

     

    “Our association with Disney in Mumbai helps us differentiate our offering from the other players in the market and breaks through the clutter to offer families their dream home. We are excited to be the first ones to bring Disney inspired homes toIndia,” said Kamal Khetan, Chairman & Managing Director of Sunteck Realty. “This association with Walt Disney reiterates our commitment to deliver niche living spaces to discerning customers.”

     

    Disney fans can choose from their favourite Disney stories or its beloved characters and own family spaces that are colourful, timeless and inspiring. Disney inspired homes will have Disney branded furnishing, home décor products, colour palettes, bedding products, bath fittings and more to bring alive the Disney experience for the family.

     

     

  • The agency's Mumbai branch will handle this account

    Grey wins Network18’s creative biz

    By A Correspondent

     

    Grey has won the creative mandate for the entire Network18 Group; a media and entertainment company with interests in television, internet, films, e-commerce, magazines, mobile content and allied businesses.

     

    The agency’s Mumbai branch will handle this account. The win is the result of a multi-agency pitch that saw the participation of several prominent agencies.

     

    The campaign will be primarily television-based and is expected to go on air in August.