MxMIndia

Author: mxmadmin

  • Seventynine is said to be one of the fastest growing mobile ad network in the country with Rich Media serving capability such as videos and HTML5

    Mobile ad network Seventynine to launch ‘unique’ Android product

    By A Correspondent

     

    Launched in July 2011, Seventynine, the mobile ad network, started commercial engagement in the market in April 2012 with a focus on rich media inventory especially videos to enrich user experience. Seventynine has clocked record growth serving 700mn ad requests within three months of operation.

     

    Currently, Seventynine is working with brands such as Microsoft, Lufthansa, Nokia, Opera Mini, ICICI bank, ICI Dulux, Tata Docomo, Nazara, Mcarbon, Techzone  and so on and is in talks with other large brands for similar association. The mobile ad network is focusing actively on building inventories across mobile applications and mobile web.

     

    In an email interaction with MxMIndia, Chirag Shah, Co-founder, Seventynine spoke about his company’s journey since July 2011, its break-even plans and so on. “The journey so far has been very exciting and full of challenges. We are focusing heavily on unique product development, platform and analytics. Since March 2012, we have hit the market and managed to get some amazing response. Mobile ad spends are growing at more than 100 per cent. Spend on content such as application is growing at more than 400 per cent growth rate.”

     

    “We are launching a unique product on android platform and we intend to share details on that in the next 10-15 days. This unique product will be our focus for 2012-13” he added.

     

    “Mobile phone and mobile internet users are growing rapidly and consumers are spending more time on mobile as compared to TV, newspaper and internet. We are actively focusing on innovative technology solutions to create the differentiation that will position us ahead of the curve.” added Deven Dharamdasani, Co-Founder, Seventynine.

     

    The team size of Seventynine is currently 15 but, the mobile ad network company will be hiring aggressively. “We intend to have a 50 member team by the end of this year” observed Mr Shah.

     

    Seventynine is said to be one of the fastest growing mobile ad network in the country with Rich Media serving capability such as videos and HTML5. It is working closely with The Times Group, Network 18, Reuters, Business Standard, Nimbuzz, Angry Bird, Talking Tom Cat and others and has tie-ups with leading exchanges across the world.

     

  • 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: Times Now = Alternative government on Pakistan?

    Ranjona Banerji

    By Ranjona Banerji

     

    There is a need perhaps for news channels to rethink their positions as far as prime time studio discussions are concerned. One might be so bold as to suggest that they are running out of steam. Sadly, not everyday brings up a topic so incendiary that the nation’s hackles rise one way or another and as has happened over the past few weeks. If panel discussions (debates, fights, yelling matches, whatever you want to call them) are about subjects like India’s team selection for the World T20 Championships (NDTV) or one more interminable inquiry into Air India (Times Now), then who’s really watching?

     

    Times Now however seems to be setting itself up as an alternative government when it comes to Pakistan. Night after night it badgers various Pakistanis (not members of the government) and tries to get them to confess that Pakistan is sponsoring terrorism in India. There appears to be some sort of strange naivete at play here. No one in India doubts Pakistan’s involvement. But it is hard to imagine that this kind of TV assault is going to make the situation any better.

     

    * * *

     

    Are newspapers alive or dead? Two takes on the debate are in the links pasted below. Well, the first is certain that death is imminent. The second is one of those “India rah rah” stories which foreign news agencies alternate with ‘India boo hoo” stories. Sadly, the reasons given in these links on why newspapers are dying are as pedestrians as the reasons why newspapers in India are booming.

     

    I have another take: news is not dying. Conventional methods of dispersal are. Any other ideas?

     

    http://listverse.com/2011/07/03/top-10-reasons-the-newspaper-is-dying/

     

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-14362723

     

    * * *

     

    Senior journalist Sevanti Ninan of The Hoot writes a scathing piece in Mint on the collapse of newsgathering in newsrooms and the replacement of reporting with hectoring on TV channels. She also lifts the lid of newsroom practices and the ruthless retrenchment policies followed by newspaper managements.

     

    http://www.livemint.com/2012/07/04211735/The-changing-newsroom.html

     

    * * *

     

    Meanwhile excerpts from veteran journalist Kuldip Nayyar’s autobiography show the former editor to be in vicious form as he eviscerates former colleagues young and old. There is lesson here: refuse a former editor a column or suddenly cancel the column and you will pay the price later by being exposed in print.

     

    The link is from the blog sans serif: http://wearethebest.wordpress.com/2012/07/05/kuldip-nayar-on-shekhar-gupta-n-ram-co/

     

    Read and enjoy. And may there be a lesson for all those who have refused to give this writer columns…

     

  • If the economy grows, middle class internet usage will increase, which will lead to consumption of Indian language content, says BG Mahesh

    The Anchor: BG Mahesh on 5 reasons why the future is regional language internet

    By BG Mahesh

     

    Diversity of India is the main factor:

    Official data related to literacy is 74.04 per cent. Now internet is used only by the upper middle class, slowly penetrating to the huge middle class sector, which is the largest in India. The upper strata of this middle class is moving to the upper middle class category and their aspirations are high.

     

    The Economy Factor:

    Indian internet penetration will double in coming years. Upper strata of the internet users may not understand Indian language but others, which is the majority, is going to outnumber this upper strata. If the economy grows, middle class internet usage will increase, which will lead to consumption of Indian language content.

     

    The changing in media consumption:

    One can see the phenomenal growth of Hindi language newspapers circulation during last five years, soon news papers will see stagnation in circulation and readership – users will be depending other media channels like Internet and Television.

     

    The increasing demand for mobile internet access:

    There are 898 million mobile subscribers in India, 292 million of these living in rural areas. The same data showed that 346 million Indian mobile users had subscribed to data packages. Telecom operators are already activating GPRS by default as they realize their users want mobile internet access. We need to recognize the fact that mobile internet (and possibly desktop internet) is not a luxury anymore but a necessity.

     

    Regional language internet involves masses:

    Unless there are content and services out there in a language the masses can understand why will they use the internet? Regional languages will bridge this gap. Advertisers are not for or against any language. Once they see there is a huge user base of regional language users, they will jump onto the advertisers’ bandwagon on the language sites.

     

    BG Mahesh is the Founder & MD of Oneindia.in

     

     

  • It is India's first single window mobile creative agency

    Mogae launches mobile creative agency ‘Mobocracy’

    By A Correspondent

     

    Mogae Media has announced the launch of Mobocracy, India’s first single window mobile creative agency. Headquartered at its Gurgaon offices, the new mobile boutique already has a team of 12 professionals across design, creative, technology and mobile integration.

     

    “The world is getting smaller. At Mobocracy we’ve invested in founding the right skills for optimizing design for the small screen and strengthening communication strategies for this next wave of advertising. We are already working with our diverse portfolio of clients to integrate smart mobile thinking into new and existing campaigns,” said Tanya Goyal, Executive Director of the Mogae Group.

     

    With massive rise in the number of mobile phone users accessing the web on their handhelds, it is very important for a brand to have mobile version and Mobocracy offers top-notch mobile web design services to help a brand reach its target audience that is scattered over many handsets & versions in a unified way.

     

    “It’s hard to believe that as recently as a decade ago; most businesses did not even have a website or, at best, maintained a meagre online presence. Today it is as much a staple of our daily lives as is the personal computer, making it vital for businesses to not only maintain a comprehensive website, but to keep updated with advances in technology that will offer customers easy access to the information they desire. Further the advent of ‘smart phones’ such as the iPhone, Android phone or Blackberry has prompted those in the business of building and hosting websites to explore new technological avenues, leading to the creation of ‘mobile web sites’,” said Tanya Goyal. “Ultimately, mobile websites are a win-win both for clients and consumers – helping to deliver a brand’s message and compelling content to current and potential customers with just a glance at their mobile phone screen.”

     

    Mogae Media, the parent entity of Mobocracy, was set up in October 2011 by veteran ad-man Sandeep Goyal, former JV partner and Chairman of Dentsu India.

     

  • DSP offers transparent automated media buying across multiple sources in real-time

    Marmalade Digital thrusts on Demand Side Platform (DSP)

    By A Correspondent

     

    Marmalade Digital is making use of several technologies plugged together in one platform called Demand Side Platform (DSP). DSP offers transparent automated media buying across multiple sources in real-time.

     

    Buyers have complete control through a web-based interface. DSP is fully transparent and neutral, not favouring any publisher, advertiser or inventory over others. This increased transparency and targeting addresses prevailing disparities in display domain.

     

    Throwing light on Marmalade DSP, Hemant Kumar, founder and chief executive officer, Marmalade Digital said: “Our goal is to be the digital partner who will provides smart media buying insights and optimization to agencies, enabling them to focus more on client strategy, brand building and less on execution of media plan.”

     

    Till date advertisers had access to only reports which tells whether campaign has performed or not. With direct control and full involvement in media buying, advertisers will know exactly what performs best for them and how the performance can be improved. The learning stays with the agency and can be re-used.

     

    “Marmalade DSP is an intelligent media buying platform that will offer value beyond impressions and clicks to its advertisers. To ensure brand safety, Marmalade DSP maintains a strict compliance with IAB standards. Advertiser can also choose type, content and category appropriate for its brand,” he added.

     

  • The Publicis Groupe’s 100 percent acquisition of BBH will not impact India operations, we are told

    It’s business as usual at BBH India

    By A Correspondent

    It is business as usual at BBH India post the agency’s acquisition by Publicis Groupe. The Publicis Groupe which previously held 49 per cent stake in BBH has upped its stake to 100 per cent. In another related development, Publicis Groupe has also acquired 100 percent stake in NEOGAMA/BBH.

     

    Partha Sinha, Managing Partner, BBH India, told MxMIndia: “Nothing changes as far as BBH India is concerned. The shareholding pattern remains the same and we continue to report to BBH global leadership based out of London.”

     

    In an official communique on the BBH site, Nigel Bogle, Founder of BBH, said: “The decision was very clear. We were looking for an opportunity that would ensure that our agency maintained a high degree of autonomy and could continue to abide by the values characterized by the black sheep. The key point for us was the preservation of our operational independence in managing the BBH brand, which has produced almost uninterrupted growth for thirty years. The new ownership not only ensures our autonomy, but brings us considerable advantages through Publicis Groupe’s resources and global infrastructure.”

     

    BBH was launched officially in India in the year 2008 with much fanfare with Priti Nair, Partha Sinha and Subhash Kamath taking the role as managing partners. However, Nair has since moved on to her own venture. Mr Sinha and Mr Kamath continue to steer the India ops.

     

    Bartle Bogle Hegarty (BBH) is known for its creative work. Founded in 1982 by John Bartle, Nigel Bogle and John Hegarty, the agency has been steadily expanding its footprint and now has offices in London, New York, Sao Paolo, Singapore, Shanghai, Los Angeles and Mumbai.

     

    Read Advertising Age interview with Mr Nigel Bogle where he says: “Publicis Groupe can never merge us with another agency. They can’t make us take business we don’t want to. We’re not obliged to pitch for anything. They can’t move us into one of their buildings.”

     

    Link: http://adage.com/article/global-news/questions-bbh-s-nigel-bogle-publicis-deal/235781/

     

  • It’s clear that not many lessons have been learnt from the past, and that the news channels are busy making the same goof ups. It’s back to alarm-raising and hysteria

    Anil Thakraney: Hysterical news channels

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    On Wednesday noon I got a serious jolt. Was in the middle of some work, and during the quick lunch break I switched on the TV to check if there was any khabar on the heavy downpour in Mumbai. What I saw instead made the food plate drop out of my hands. All the news channels were going ballistic over the discovery of a ‘suspicious looking’ object inside a Lokhandwala Complex (Mumbai) mall. Even as the police was busy sussing that mysterious object, it was being freely referred to as a ‘suspected bomb threat’. In fact, close-up shots of the damn thing were being flashed.

     

    Totally panicked, I frantically got onto the phone to alert family members who live in the vicinity (and am sure many people did ditto), and then rushed back to the television set. Suddenly, instead of the bomb threat, all the news channels were hectically ‘breaking news’ on the Indian cricket team’s selection for the up-coming Sri Lanka ODI series! And I was like: Arre, bomb ka kya hua, behenji?

     

    I had to strain my eyes to read the fast moving ticker. Which, very quietly, indicated that it was only a false alarm. Meanwhile, of course, many weak hearted sods (like me) had to endure a great deal of stress. Now this is worrying. It’s clear that not many lessons have been learnt from the past, and that the news channels are busy making the same goof ups. It’s back to alarm-raising and hysteria. (Also, I later discovered this led to intense rumour mongering all over the city.)

     

    Guys and gals, it’s simple, really. No ‘God Particle’ science, see? Maybe we should hold the news till some sort of an official statement is made by the cops? Maybe the media needs to let the investigators do the initial work in peace, that of determining what the ‘suspicious looking’ object is? So that people don’t needlessly panic. And most importantly, the same old disturbing question: What public service is being served by such ultra hurried, speculative reporting? Correct, the answer is none.

     

    Frankly, I really don’t know if and when we’ll get our act together on terror coverage. I guess our news channels simply cannot resist going live at the very first hint of terror. In which case, there’s no hope at all. Keep your pace maker on stand-by.

     

    * * *

     

    PS: Hahaha. Really enjoyed this series of comic strips on the advertising life. Hit this link only if you belong to the crazy world of advertising, because only then you’ll be able connect with these situations. Yep, we ad buggers have lived each one of these moments! Awesome stuff.

     

    Link: http://theawesomeworld.tumblr.com/archive

     

  • Senior VP & GM Rahul Johri talks of how the Discovery Network scores over the rest (Text+Video)

    We’re bigger than the sum of all our competitors: Rahul Johri

     

    Text & Video by Shruti Pushkarna
    Although most of its channels are not mass like those offering soaps and sitcoms, the Discovery Network is a key member of the Indian broadcast landscape. The Discovery Network Asia Pacific’s Senior Vice President & General Manager for South Asia, RahulJohri attributes the network’s success to its dedicated and loyal viewership and says it is far ahead of competition

     

    Under Mr Johri’s leadership, Discovery India’s portfolio has grown from two to eight channels. In 2009, he led Discovery Channel to become India’s No.1 channel in non-fiction entertainment. He cemented TLC as India’s definitive lifestyle channel and energized Animal Planet with the brand recording the highest audience growth in the factual space.

     

    He launched three new networks in 2010, Discovery Science, Discovery Turbo and a 24-hour high definition channel – Discovery HD World. Mr Johri has also pioneered the channel’s localization strategy by launching language feeds in Telugu and Bengali. Discovery Channel Tamil was also launched in 2011.

     

    At a press meet in the Capital on July 5, Mr Johri announced the launch of a new series on TLC called Be Blunt with Adhuna Akhtar. A six-part series, Be Blunt with Adhuna Akhtar showcases the striking transformation of the girls selected from across India into dazzling divas by popular hairstylist Adhuna Akhtar and her brother Osh Bhabani.

     

    MxMIndia caught up with Mr Johri soon after he unveiled Be Blunt to the media. In this one-on-one interaction, Mr Johri tells MxMIndia about Discovery’s leadership and the network’s latest offering and that Discovery Kids will be unveiled shortly. He also shares his views on how digitization is set to impact Discovery and other niche channels.

     

    Excerpts from the interview:

    It’s interesting that you have a show on hairstyling. Tell us a little about this show with Adhuna Akhtar?

    Our focus in TLC is on different aspects of lifestyle and one of the most prominent ones of that is appearance. So keeping that in mind we thought a hairstyling show would fit in really well on the channel. And there is no other hairstyling show. When we wanted to do it, we found Adhuna Akhtar, who is one of the most popular hair dressers in the country. This show takes in six different individuals and carries out a makeover on them and in the midst of doing the makeover, Adhuna gives viewers a lot of tips on how to keep their hair better.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”225″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LvsvFWwOTA[/youtube]

    You mentioned there are six episodes of this show ready to air… what’s coming up next?

    We have always done new things and surprised our viewers. Whether it’s a show on Shah Rukh Khan’s life, the jewellery show, and now it’s a hair dressing show, so we will continue to surprise people.

     

    And then there’s the programme capturing the Indian Army’s Women Expedition to Everest…

    The Army sent an expedition which scaled Mount Evereston May 25 and 26. There are seven women who were part of that expedition and a total of 17 climbers who climbed Everest. We shot the whole show; in fact, a Discovery cameraman also climbed Mount Everest along with the climbers. Right now we are editing the footage that has been brought back and we hope to bring this show within this year.

     

    And the two-part series on Oprah’s visit to India?

    Oprah was here earlier this year and she shot extensively in Mumbai, Vrindavan, Agra and Jaipur. There are two episodes of this new series that she now does which is called The Next Chapter which appears on Oprah Winfrey’s Network in US and in India you will see it both on Discovery Channel and on TLC. Discovery has had quite a few specials in the past, like the special show with Shah Rukh Khan, another one of course coming up with Oprah…

     

    Considering a lot of money has to be invested in promotion for programming, isn’t it better to stick to longer format shows rather than these one-offs?

    It is a part of the kind of shows we do. A documentary filmmaker does not make a series, there is no 52-part documentary. It will always be smaller parts. And viewers know that there will be specials and we have now eight different channels of our own. So we have enough air time to take the message to the viewers.

     

    Discovery has got a lot of competition in this space now, especially from a channel like History which is doing fairly well. How do you view competition from upcoming channels?

    We are, by far, the leaders in the genre. We are bigger than the sum of all our competitors. We’ve been in the business for 15 years and no matter how you slice and dice the numbers, we are the leaders. And we will continue to present to our viewers with quality programming. And the other important thing which is responsible for our leadership position is, on Discovery you will always find shows which are on brand. There is nothing that is not on brand. So viewers get from Discovery what they expect from Discovery. And that is really responsible for the loyalty that we have of our viewers.

     

    A channel like TLC is fighting for viewership with English GECs like Star World and Zee Cafe…

     TLC is bigger than most of them and TLC has a very dedicated audience. If you ask people what they watch on TLC, they will give you names of shows that they follow. And TLC has managed to establish itself as the definitive lifestyle channel in this country and that really gives it the advantage.

     

    Speaking of niche channels, how are Discovery Turbo and Discovery Science doing?

    In terms of reach, they continue to grow. Discovery Turbo has very dedicated audience in the metro markets and Discovery Science has been growing all over the country. Its distribution has been growing. And if there is a country in the world where a Science channel fits in perfectly, it is India because 65 per cent of India is under 30 years of age. And 35 per cent of the country is under 14 years of age. And everybody understands the value of education. And that is why the science channel works so well here.

     

    And how’s your regional foray going? Discovery Tamil is a success… what languages up next?

    Discovery Channel Tamil is a great success. Discovery is the only international company to have a full-fledged channel and not just a dubbed feed in the language. So it has its own programming grid, it has all the on-air packaging in Tamil. And from the day we launched in Tamil, the rating has more than doubled. Today it is the No 9 channel in Tamil Nadu. We are already available in Bangla, Telugu and Hindi and we continue to evaluate languages.

     

    It’s been a while since you announced Discovery Kids at FICCI Frames. When will it be launched?

    The test signals of Discovery Kids are already on and we are currently seeding the channel in various parts of the country. We should be announcing the launch very soon.

     

    And how will it be different from the other channels in this space?

    Discovery Kids is not a 100 percent animation channel. It has the inherent Discovery values. However, we understand the value of entertainment so there is a lot of entertainment on the channel and it’s a parent-approved entertainment channel.

     

    What will be its driver shows? For instance, POGO has Chhota Bheem and Disney has Doraemon…

    We have our set, and like I said it’s just a matter of time that we’ll announce Discovery Kids and we will show you all the big shows that Discovery Kids has.

     

    Are you looking at a reality show like Endurance which is a rage internationally?

    You will get all the big shows of Discovery Kids in India!

     

    Do you think digitization will have a positive impact on channels like Discovery?

    In a digital world where the consumers are not constrained by the bandwidth capacity and have a complete choice, channels like Discovery become that much more important. As a consumer you get complete control over what you want to watch and that is where clearly defined offerings like TLC, Discovery Science, Animal Planet have a clear cut proposition and they become that much more pronounced in a digital environment.

     

    Given that TRAI will have restrictions on pricing of channels, will niche channels (like Discovery) really benefit from it, considering the huge amount of investment on content by these channels…

    Not being able to price your channel has its drawbacks… I would like to bring the military channel here which talks about all kinds of war strategies and so on. But that will have a small dedicated tribe to watch it. Till the numbers grow, the next level of specialization is difficult. It’s a challenge to get extremely specialized channels into the country.

     

  • Designed as a direct-contact initiative for LG's aspiring and lifestyle conscious consumers, the LG Bus showcases the company's flagship products and takes consumer experience to a new high

    LG takes to streets with RC&M

    By A Correspondent

     

    LG Electronics had launched an innovative campaign – “LG Lifestyle and Service on Wheels”. LG has a compelling range of premium offering across various product categories and the lifestyle lounge recreates the décor of the customers home to give them a perspective on how LG’s premium range of products enhance their home and life.

     

    Consumers today are buying products that are lifestyle statements. LG is taking a step towards meeting the implicit needs of their consumers by coming closer to them with the launch of LG Lifestyle and Service on wheels initiative.

     

    Designed as a direct-contact initiative for LG’s aspiring and lifestyle conscious consumers, the LG Bus showcases the company’s flagship products and takes consumer experience to a new high. The bus is designed around the concept of a modern home that embodies technology and style. A team of a lifestyle consultant and a service engineer help the consumers experience the Life’s Good philosophy.

     

    The LG Lifestyle and Service on Wheels is well wired with broadband connectivity onboard for faster call allocation and flow of information.

     

    LK Gupta

    On the launch, LK Gupta, VP-Marketing, LG India said: “Today’s consumers want the very best of everything. They want better quality, differentiated features that aid convenience, strong after sales service standards, world class designs and highest standards of consumer engagement. We have introduced LG Lifestyle & Service on wheels with the sole aim of coming closer to our consumers and build emotional connect. This is one of the finest experience and service-led initiative the consumer durable industry has ever witnessed. We are confident that with this unique initiative, LG will certainly witness positive change in the customer service space and significantly raise the bar of customer aspirations.”

     

    RC&M, the On- ground partner for LG Lifestyle and Service on Wheels has taken LG on a journey to more than 100 RWA’s across Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Maharashtra.

     

    “Exhibiting all the premium LG products, the lifestyle lounge in bus serves as the perfect tool to enter the consideration set of  target group and leverage their loyalties for the brand, effectively giving LG a competitive edge,” said RC&M’s spokesperson.

     

  • Presenting the concluding part of our feature asking some business leaders to review how the January to June 2012 period was for the industry as a whole and/or their specific sectors and organizations

    The Half-Year That Was-III

    By Team MxM

     

    Presenting the concluding part of our feature asking some business leaders to review how the January to June 2012 period was for the industry as a whole and/or their specific sectors and organizations.

     

    Read the earlier parts at: Part 1 Part 2

     


    Mohit Joshi

    Mohit Joshi, MD, MPG

    There has been a marginal growth (under 5 per cent) in adex in Jan-June 2012, as when compared to the same period in 2011. Some sectors that have been slightly depressed are auto and cellular phone service while sectors that have gone up are education/ institutes, jewellery and insurance.

     

     

     

    Jaideep Shergill, CEO, Hanmer MSL

    Jaideep Shergill

    I would say the PR space is growing but it has not been a year where there have been some big pitches that one would expect. That was what 2010-11 was all about. Although there has been some business, it has been more of an organic one. One of the factors that led to the sluggish growth is the economic scenario which has been going through a hard phase recently. But I would want to think of it as otherwise – when there is a general lack of trust in the market, I think that is where PR has a larger role to play. But that is not what usually happens. For our group too, it has been a good year but it could have been better.

    As the market conditions get more complicated, clients are looking at other streams to expand their business. And that’s where social media is playing a huge role. Our social media unit itself has been seeing some tremendous traction and we have hired more people in the unit. So the medium will continue to see some good growth. But the other thing about social media is that it is evolving continuously – what was happening a year ago and what is happening now is completely different. The medium has been evolving at a good pace.

     

    Pankaj Raj

    Pankaj Raj, Director, Search Value Consultants Pvt Ltd

    I would summarize hiring as still being slow and sluggish in this space. There are 2-3 observations that I would like to bring across. The first is that most organisations today are in ‘sensible hiring’ mode. This is really about replacement, immediate benefit kind of hiring. The second trend that I am seeing is that there is a huge sense on cost consciousness, whose effects are seen in the hiring space as well. The third trend that I am seeing is that increments haven’t been really good. So there is a level of concern amongst employees in the M&E sector. But having said that, some organisations are still hiring and not in standstill mode.

     

    As for the next six months, it’s a function of revenues – on how the September quarter turns out for the advertisers. Also, the December quarter is a peak season from an advertiser point of view; a lot of advertisers are active during this period. But to predict growth for the March quarter next year is a bit difficult. We will have to wait and watch how the growth pans out till then.

     

    Abha Kapoor

    Abha Kapoor, Executive Director, K&J Consultants

    The Media and Entertainment sector is not an island. This space is as affected as any other by the global and national environment. What’s going on in the rest of the world, and in our own country – the economic indices, inflation, governance or the lack of it, have a universal effect on all sectors, not just Media. So if the indices and sentiment are looking southward, then we are as affected by it as any other sector. You have to consider the macro perspective as also the ones specific to us to probably understand the lull in the hiring market.

     

    There is likely to be a spike from September-October onwards, during the festival period. That’s when you see brands spending more. Therefore, there is likely to be a more optimistic/feel good factor and an expansion (need-based) in hiring. But it is not likely to be at the rate and scale that we have seen in the past.

     

    In our case at K&J – we are used to working on three start-ups simultaneously like television, radio and digital – which used to be the case a couple of years ago, but no more! So the pace has definitely slowed down. Digital is the new kid on the block, so there is a lot of activity happening in that vertical.

     


    K Jayaraman

    K Jayaraman, MD and CEO of Hathway Cable and Datacom Limited

    The industry is been focused on digitization, as its on the anvil and the Indian broadcasting space is in the process of witnessing the dawn of a new digital era with its implementation proposed by the Government of India. With this, the government has paved the way for transition to a Digital Addressable Cable TV system (DAS).

     

    For the average Indian family, the TV is the primary source of news, entertainment and education. The liberalization of the Indian economy starting 1991 has led to what it termed as an explosion of channels catering to different genres. Today we have more than 550 channels broadcasting leaving out the count of local channels specific to regions.

     

    As per The Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2011, the cable TV industry is required to migrate all subscribers from analog signals to digital. The overall objective of the industry has been to expose every television viewer to an experience which will invariably give consumers the opportunity to resolve some of the issues they have faced with analog cable systems.

     

    At Hathway our aim has always been to providing consumers with enhanced viewing experience.

     

    Sanjay Dua

    Sanjay Dua, CEO, Network18 News Media

    This year has been a mixed bag for the industry quite frankly. On the advertising front, the decline in economic sentiment has created a challenging environment, especially for some genres. So, while growth continues to exist, its pace has been muted and variable. However, given the positive move towards digitization, a possible revival in outlook and the impetus of festival spending, the second half holds a lot more promise for broadcasters. We are cautiously optimistic about the scenario going forward.

     


    Rahul Razdan

    Rahul Razdan, President – ibibo Games & Mobile

    The gaming industry in India witnessed a concerted shift towards mobile gaming on the iOS and Android platforms. Games are now ubiquitous across platforms.

     

    Games exploiting the touch and tilt features of smartphones were very well received. Our game – Can You Draw, which we’d made for our web platform two years back – became one of the top games on the Android platform within weeks of being launched there.

     

    While the first phase of web social games plateaued out, live multiplayer games maintained their growth and continue to be the top games on our platform.

     

    Dr. Subho Ray

    Dr Subho Ray, President – Internet & Mobile Association of India (IAMAI)

    I would say that the year began with a bang. Between January and April there were serious hopes that that this would be a bumper year for the industry. However, in the last two months, there have been some caution and apprehension. The very positive performance was the result of key factors like secular growth of traffic both in urban and rural areas, investments coming in on time and some friendly regulatory announcements like removal of service tax on digital advertisement. The more recent sentiment of caution is led by primarily European crisis. However, so far it is only a caution and alert stage.

     

     

    Jogi George

    Jogi George, CEO, Percept Sport & Entertainment

    To be frank, the first half wasn’t as it was expected to be. There was business, but it was more about collections. Also, for our company, some of the major projects have been moved to the second half. Hopefully, this trend won’t continue and things will improve once the rupee stabilizes. As for the overall industry, it’s not that people aren’t  ready to spend, but they have become more cautious and selective as some of the sectors are experiencing a gloomy outlook. Hence, there is a wait and watch attitude.

     

     

    Hemal Thakkar

    Hemal Thakkar, producer, Playtime Creation

    It’s been a mixed year so far, a major setback was Imagine shutting down and a big welcome was Life Ok. Lot of new format shows have been launched this year – the biggest being Satyamev Jayate. Inflation has put lot of pressure on the industry, and with rising cost of programmes, we have to put together a skilled team to manage our shows within budgets. In future, rising expenses are going to be major burden for the industry. Playtime Creations has had good start with Ruk Jana Nahi and as a company, we feel that this show has given us the opportunity to experiment with new content. There are couple of other projects in the pipeline which we are excited about. The best aspect of our industry is it keeps us on our toes and so we expand rediscover and reinvent and keep breathing.

     

  • Though Anand Sankeshwar's Vijayavani started on April 1 with three editions, it has now launched its ninth edition from Gulbarga on June 30

    Vijayavani launches 9th edition in 3 months

    From the MxM Infodesk

     

    Vijayavani launched its ninth edition in Karnataka from Gulbarga on June 30. The Kannada daily started with only three editions when it launched on April 1 this year. It now has editions from Bengaluru, Mangalore, Hubli, Bijapur,Mysore, Gangavathi, Chithradurga, Shimoga and Gulbarga.

     

    Vijayavani was launched by Anand Sankeshwar, a leading businessman in the logistics space and a former newspaper baron. Mr Sankeshwar’s logistics company, VRL Logistics Ltd, has a fleet of commercial vehicles in the private sector. The company operates from 1,000 branches and franchisees across the country.

     

    In the last 3 months, Vijayavani is said to have averaged more than am innovation every week. An average main issue of 16 pages comprises four pages on local/ hyperlocal issues, two pages each on national, state and sports, one calendar page on entertainment/events, one page on serials/stories and  one page on commerce/business.

     

    In addition, Vijayavani carries  four page-supplements on various subjects – Vittavani (Commerce), Lalitha (Women), Masth (Youth), Samskruti (Culture), Cinivani (Cinema), Putani (Children), and VijayaVihara (Sundays). The paper is the only daily in Karnataka with all colour pages across all its editions.

     

  • Except for The Times of India’s critic, no one gave the Rohit Shetty film more than 2.5 stars, notes Deepa Gahlot in Reviewing the Reviews

    Critics don’t get generous with Bol Bachchan

    Bol Bachchan

    Directed by Rohit Shetty

    Produced by Ajay Devgn, Dhillin Mehta

    Screenplay by-Yunus Sajawal

    Starring-Ajay Devgn, Abhishek Bachchan, Asin Thottumkal, Prachi Desai, Krushna Abhishek

     

    Nobody in their right mind, except, of course those involved in the making and trade media could have anything good to say about Bol Bachchan.  It is loud, crude, garish and braindead. Rohit Shetty obviously wants box-office success, which such films seem to achieve, even if a majority of the audiences don’t actually like them, but with source material as rich as Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s Golmaal, there is no excuse for a film like Bol Bachchan. Except for The Times of India’s standard 3.5 stars, no critic could go over 2.5 stars, if they were feeling generous.

     

    It actually got 0.25 stars from Yahoo’s acerbic Kunal Guha. “Just after a cameo jig in the title song, Big B offers a disclaimer: he isn’t a part of this film, even though his name is. And that is hint enough for the wise. But for those who don’t know, Bol Bachchan (BB) jams chopsticks up the nose of Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s comic classic Golmaal and digs itself six feet under with it. While the story is same in theory, being a Rohit Shetty film only adds some cars nailing somersaults, trucks attempting a ballet, baddies playing mid-air Garba after being biffed and Ajay Devgn drawing his eyebrows close enough to show that he means business.”

     

    Sudhish Kamath of The Hindu savaged it too. “Sitting through Bol Bachchan is like sitting through multiple car wrecks. No, seriously. There is enough car-on-car action all through this unwarranted Rohit Shetty remake of Golmaal.   Well, it’s made by stuntmen, you see. Something they don’t want you to miss….There’s enough bad English in this film under the pretext of humour to make even Rowdy Rathore go: Don’t angry me. If you liked Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s Golmaal, which you sure did, you would want to protest this assault on one of the effortlessly funny films of all time.”

     

    Anupama Chopra of Hindustan Times gave it two stars and wrote, “Bol Bachchan, like most of Shetty’s earlier films, including the Golmaal series and All the Best: Fun Begins, isn’t so much a film as a series of gags strung together with songs and the requisite car-bashing action. There is no attempt at plotting, storytelling, delineating a character, building coherence or following logic. Shetty’s only agenda is to give you a good time.”

     

    Rajeev Masand of IBN went with 2 stars as well and commented, “‘Bol Bachchan directed by Rohit Shetty, revels gleefully in its silliness. This is a film whose pedestrian humor requires neither taste nor common sense to appreciate, and anyone seeking wit, a clever screenplay, or inspired performances might want to revisit Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s Golmaal, which Shetty plunders in the name of inspiration for this lazy film.”

     

    Karan Anshuman of Mumbai Mirror also gave it 2 stars and wrote, “The main problem with Bol Bachchan is that it unfolds like a play. There are literally a couple of sets where an overwhelming part of the action (and songs and dialogue exchanges) takes place. If you’ve experienced mainstream Hindi or Gujarati comedy theater (loud and forced comic situations devoid of experiment) you know precisely what to expect in BB. Even the genuinely funny bits are lost in a deluge of recycled jokes, preposterous situations, over the top ‘drama’ (you only know it’s drama because the background score suddenly spikes up to deafening levels), and – of course, how could a have a comic hit film without – offensive gay jokes.”

     

    Sukanya Varma of rediff.com raised it to 2.5 and ranted, “Shetty picks up all the major plot points of the original only to alter it with his boisterous, cheesy, slapstick and visually flashy sensibilities, known to work hugely in his favour given the success of the propitiously titled Golmaal franchise. Unlike the Utpal Dutt-Amol Palekar starrer, however, Bol Bachchan isn’t an out-and-out comedy throwing in large-scale action and irksome melodrama.”

     

    Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express must have been in a good mood since she gives it 2.5 stars too and writes, “This is a Rohit Shetty film. Which means it is full of primary colours. I counted a red-blue-green-yellow palette more than a couple of times, all in the same frame. It is full of cars and jeeps hurtling down roads and crashing and smashing. It is full of Ajay Devgn, which is a given because Shetty and Devgn are long-time collaborators; plus, the star is the producer of the film. But this time around, there’s a slight difference. It’s also got Abhishek Bachchan, and that makes ‘Bol Bachchan’ not as much a Rohit Shetty film as his previous ones, which is not such a bad thing : I laughed more in this one than I have in his previous loud comedies.”

     

    Which brings one to Times of India’s Srijana Mitra Das of the 3.5 stars. “BB’s a dialogue-lover’s delight – lines like ‘fish and chips without water’, Devgn conveying the situation of a ‘jal bin machli’ – sparkle across the plot and you can feel the love as the actors reprise bits and bobs of vintage Bollywood. On the downside, it exceeds by about 30 minutes and has that odd, uneven heart-chart quality accompanying the film. But that aside, BB showcases Shetty as the maharaja of madness, Devgn clearly his crown prince. And Abhishek? His judwa bhai, of course. Tip-Off: Don’t strain your brain applying reason to this laugh-riot – but do buy more popcorn for that extra half-hour.”