MxMIndia

Author: mxmadmin

  • Star Plus is reportedly planning a round-up show to be aired on August 15

    Satyamev Jayate isn’t over yet, special show planned for Independence Day

    By A Correspondent

     

    Star Plus’ gritty up-close look at India’s malaises through the eyes of Aamir Khan in its Sunday mid-morning show Satyamev Jayate isn’t quite over yet. The last of the 13 episodes may have been aired on July 29, but the channel is reportedly planning a special episode to be telecast on August 15 to coincide with the Independence Day.

     

    MxMIndia learns that the extra episode is in the nature of a round-up examining the impact of Satyamev Jayate, how its themes have been received and how the various guests have fared since the airing of their stories.

     

    Some of the impact has already come across in ABP News’ ‘Asar’ programme which followed on the Friday after each episode, and the 14th episode is thus likely to be a “super-Asar”, a source told MxMIndia. However, this episode may not be shown on other language channels, it is learnt, but only on Star Plus in Hindi.

     

    A source in the network revealed that the Satyamev Jayate set has been dismantled, so the 14th episode will probably have a different look-and-feel from the show itself.

     

    The impact of Satyamev Jayate was also a shot in the arm financially for the NGOs that each episode supported, and this is also due to be talked about. The Reliance Foundation has matched all the proceeds that have come in for the charities, a fair bit of it even came in after each week’s ‘Asar’ was aired on ABP News.

     

  • Marketers talk about the large number of fans they have acquired on FB, so what do these number of fans mean to them and how are the marketers leveraging these fans?

    The Crucial Social Media Question: Have fans? Now what?

    By Tuhina Anand

     

    Every marketer worth his salt wants his brand to have a presence on social media. However, the truth is that the marketers are still trying to figure how to navigate this medium.

     

    Having heard that it’s a ‘cost effective medium, can be tracked and is ‘the’ medium’ where the customers hang out, the marketer obviously wants to be there too. But the social media still has a long way to go before it is seen as the ‘vehicle of choice’ and not just as an afterthought.

     

    Yes, one agrees that marketers are warming up to the medium but they are still testing waters barring a handful who have taken the medium wholeheartedly.

     

    Once a marketer decides to go on social media, the next move is to create a presence on Facebook and maybe on Twitter. We have often heard the marketers talking about the large number of fans they have acquired on FB, so what do these number of fans mean to them and how are the marketers leveraging these fans to engage effectively with consumers?

     

    Chhaya Balachandran Aiyer, Founder and Managing Director, BC Webwise agrees that there is peer pressure to acquire more fans and clients often bow to that demand: “The number of fans and likes is a visible number, hence one can’t write it off completely even though many of the numbers could be dormant fans. These numbers are an opportunity to engage those fans in a meaningful way to create brand loyalty and brand recall.”

     

    She added: “Two years back, the common demand of a client was to be on Facebook, but we have seen a shift now where they have realized that it’s not the ultimate answer but social media too needs a 360 degree approach.” So it’s clear that there are different kinds of marketers and the early adopters are clearly asking the right kind of questions.

     

    Some of the brands that have effectively used the communities on FB are Fastrack, Café Coffee Day, Sunsilk while more are getting on the engagement bandwagon. Explaining the significance of the numbers, Rajiv Dingra, CEO, WATConsult, said: “While all readers of an ad do not become buyers of the product, similarly with FB, the marketers become a publisher of its page to reach out to the consumers. The aim is not always conversion to transaction for all people on its FB page, but with a large fan base the number of potential buyers definitely increases.”

     

    Mr Dingra is clear that there is no replacement for good content. He added that the numbers might reflect various objectives of a brand at different points, but if the content is good, the engagement with brands will become only much more involved and meaningful.

     

    Vineet Gupta

    Vineet Gupta of 22feet has been relentlessly engaging with brands to enable them to use their social media tools effectively. He explained: “We have brought out exclusive sale for Fastrack fans on FB and the brand has been doing a lot of stuff exclusive to the community. Scale has its own benefit and one can’t deny that. With people becoming familiar with social media, there are lots of activities happening which take people beyond the likes and the fans.”

     

    The agency has recently done activation for Lee titled ‘Shadows of City’, where people were encouraged to present their photographs of the city and the shadows they create which would then be put up in the stores.

     

    CCD is another brand that has been using FB to listen to its customers and also engage them via the medium. Ramakrishnan K, President- Marketing at CCD elaborated: “At CCD, we not only have numbers, but also a high level of engagement. Our fan base is 2.6 million and our monthly engagement level is 60 per cent, i.e. 60 per cent of our fans interact in some form with our page every month.”

     

    He added: “At CCD, we use social media base for regular tailor-made communication on happenings in CCD. We have a direct consumer feedback on cafes across the country which gives us instant information that keeps us on our toes. Most importantly, we use the fan base for co-creating many of our offerings – be it new menu, suggestions for improvement, live tasting of new introductions, choice of music among others. We engage fans to co-create their brand. As a result, we drive a very high level of consumer engagement, which in turn helps us drive sales.”

     

    One concern is that many fans on FB might be dormant, so then do the numbers really mean anything? Sanjay Mehta, Joint CEO at Social Wavelength explained: “I think that the key is to deliver message to interested people. If people receive the message but not respond, that is not a concern, but if they do not get the message in the first place, then it’s a bigger challenge. I think one should not be dismissive of the dormant numbers, but focus more on getting the right kind of messages that will get them to engage.”

     

  • Now these cities are among the emerging hot destinations for luxury as premium global brands seek to reach out to pockets of affluence beyond the big metros

    Luxury brands, including Louis Vuitton, Armani and Burberry, eye ‘conservative’ markets like Surat, Chennai

    By Vijaya Rathore & Nandini Raghavendra

     

    Traditionally conservative markets like Surat, Chennai and Kolkata are warming up to luxury, opening a wealth of opportunity for brands such as Louis Vuitton, Armani and Burberry beyond Delhi and Mumbai.

     

    In the next six months, people in Surat – home to some of India’s richest entrepreneurs in the diamond and textiles trade – will see the entry of half a dozen international labels that include Armani, Burberry, Tumi and Crabtree & Evelyn.

     

    Some 1,500 km away down south, on the eastern cost, curious shoppers in Chennai are checking out the first Louis Vuitton store that opened a fortnight ago. “Chennai is a great market, full of possibilities and perspectives,” said Geoffroy van Raemdonck, Louis Vuitton’s south Europe president, from Milan.

     

    Two new luxury hotels in Chennai are offering space to luxury brands keen to go deeper into the country even as Louis Vuitton has identified its next stop – Kolkata, where businessman Sanjiv Goenka is readying a 7-lakh sq ft mall that has already leased out about 50,000 square feet of space to luxury brands such as Bottega Veneta, Bally, Burberry, Rolex, Porsche Design and Jimmy Choo.

     

    Surat, Chennai and Kolkata have traditionally been conservative markets, with only a few rich buyers spending on the luxury labels. But now these cities are among the emerging hot destinations for luxury as premium global brands seek to reach out to pockets of affluence beyond the big metros.

     

    “There is a nascent market waiting to explode. We think the time has come,” said Sanjay Kapoor, managing director of Genesis Luxury, which markets brands such as Armani, Burberry and Canali in India.

     

    Genesis has taken up space for half a dozen stores at a luxury mall in Surat being built by Virtuous Retail, a retail real estate asset platform sponsored by the Xander Group Inc. It is also looking for space in Chandigarh, Ludhiana and Jaipur because several people from these towns frequent its stores in Delhi and Mumbai.

     

    Clearly, the rich in small towns have more money and desire than ever to spend on high life, and they seem indifferent to the slowdown in economic growth and overall consumer spending.

     

    Three years ago, NCAER’s Rajesh Shukla and Future Capital’s Roopa Purushothaman had said a report titled Next Urban Frontier, that boomtowns like Surat, Jaipur, Lucknow, Nagpur, Bhopal, Coimbatore and Kanpur have seen the most striking shift in income distribution.

     

    “That trend is established now,” said Mr Shukla. “The number of high-income households in boomtowns is growing at around 20 per cent a year, against 13.7 per cent in the mega cities…(and) boomtown households on average spend 12.7 per cent more than mega cities on clothing.”

     

    Anupam Yog, marketing director of Virtuous Retail, said Surat is one of the top ten markets on the company’s radar and has massive consumption potential. He says 73 per cent of the five million population in Surat is below 35 years of age, and 32 per cent of the households there have an annual income of more than 3 lakh.

     

    Virtuous Retail has also tied up with Indian fashion designer Rohit Bal to open shops within ‘VR Surat’ mall.

     

    Chennai, meanwhile, is fast becoming a popular luxury destination. “Chennai is becoming big in terms of consumers’ spending on luxury and lifestyle,” said Rajmohan Krishnan, executive vice president (wealth management) for north and south, Kotak Mahindra Bank. “People have new money and also the new generation of business entrepreneurs, who want to splurge, has come up.”

     

    Mr Krishnan says increasing connect between north and south of India too is impacting spending habits of people in the south.

     

    A new luxury hotel in the city, The Leela Palace, has earmarked around 8,000 square feet of retail space for luxury brands. “We are looking at luxury retail brands, with a focus on jewellery and watches,” said Amruda Nair, head of asset management, The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts.

     

    ITC Grand Chola too is offering space to luxury retailers in Chennai as the city does not yet have a super luxury mall.

     

    In Kolkata, Sanjiv Goenka’s mall that will be operational early next year. “The mall will not only get shoppers from within the city but from the entire eastern region. We also expect an influx from Bangladesh,” said Pankaj Renjhen, managing director, retail services, at property consultant Jones Lang LaSalle, which is marketing the property. Gucci, too, is exploring having presence in Kolkata.

     

    Then there are other places.

     

    Louis Vuitton’s chief representative in Asia, Tikka Shatrujit Singh, said that besides Kolkata, the French fashion giant is considering places like Hyderabad, Noida and Gurgaon to open shops. High-end crystal products maker Swarovski opened boutiques in Ahmedabad and Pune last year. “This year we are opening in Ludhiana and Chandigarh and also looking at Kochi and Jaipur,” said Sukanya Dutta Roy, managing director (consumer goods business) at Swarovski India.

     

    Luxury hotels too are reporting higher business from domestic travellers.

     

    Source: The Economic Times

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

     

  • This will be for the e-auction of spectrum in 1800 MHz and 800 MHz bands

    Times Internet to conduct e-auction for spectrum

    By A Correspondent

     

    The digital technology company Times Internet Limited (TIL) has been selected as the auctioneer to operate spectrum auction process by Department of Telecommunications (DoT). This will be for the e-auction of spectrum in 1800 MHz and 800 MHz bands.

     

    NCDEX Spot Exchange and Karnataka State Electronics Development Corporation were the two other firms in the race. These two firms could not qualify the technical bids.

     

    The e-auction will entail inviting applications, resolving queries of potential bidders, finalising eligible bidders, public information sessions and mock auction.

     

    Satyan Gajwani, CEO – TIL said: “Online auction is the most transparent method of holding large auctions. As a technology leader, we are excited to facilitate this process.”

     

  • This acquisition strengthens Publicis Groupe's presence inIndiaas well as its digital dominance

    Resultrix is now a Publicis Groupe company

    By A Correspondent

     

    Publicis Groupe has announced the acquisition of Resultrix, an award winning digital marketing agency with an international footprint in India, Singapore, the UAE and the US. This acquisition strengthens Publicis Groupe’s presence in India as well as its digital dominance.

     

    Resultrix was founded in 2008 and has grown to be the leading performance marketing agency in several strategic markets. Resultrix employs over 100 specialists across its global offices in New Delhi, Mumbai, Singapore, Seattle and Dubai. The award-winning agency provides a full suite of services including search engine optimization, search engine marketing, online media, web-design, analytics, media buying, social media strategy, and mobile marketing with a differentiated set of performance-based business models. Resultrix’s extensive clientele comprises both international and local brands including Corbis Corporation, Bupa, Standard Chartered Bank, Airtel, Cleartrip, DBS Bank and Emirates National Bank among others.

     

    Talking about the acquisition, Daina Middleton said: “Clients are demanding best-in-class specialized skills and seamless digital integration at scale. Resultrix has an impressive track record as a leading search and interactive services agency. Their highly sophisticated suite of digital solutions perfectly complements our offering and will solidify our leadership position around the world.”

     

    Resultrix will operate as a unit within Performics, under the name ‘Resultrix, a Performics Company’. Its founders, Vidur Luthra, CEO, and Gulrez Alam, COO, will continue to lead the agency and will report into Daina Middleton, Global CEO for Performics and Gareth Mulryan, Managing Director of Performics, Asia Pacific.

     

    Vidur Luthra, CEO for Resultrix said: “We were founded on the belief that digital advertising provides the opportunity to disrupt the traditional media business models and this is a great opportunity to join a network that is renowned for being at the forefront of the industry. It allows us to realise our ambitions and leverage our skills, strengths and experience across a larger group footprint which is of huge benefit to our clients and teams.”

     

    This acquisition confirms Publicis Groupe’s ambition to accelerate its presence in fast-growing markets and develop its capabilities in digital in order to better serve its clients.

     

    Srikant Sastri, VivaKi Country Chair for India added: “India promises huge growth potential and opportunities, especially in the area of digital. This investment demonstrates our commitment to developing our networks in fast-growing and important markets and sectors.”

     

    According to the current ZenithOptimedia Advertising Expenditure Forecast (June 2012),India, the world’s 16th largest advertising market, will see an increase in advertising expenditure of 6.8 per cent over the course of 2012. Along with Brazil, Russia and China, India is forecast to account for 35 per cent of total global growth.

     

    The acquisition of Resultrix, which is subject to regulatory approval, is a testament to Publicis Groupe’s strategic commitment to expanding its operations across India, where the Groupe aims to double its size by 2015.

     

     

  • The deal provides Ethnic Channels Group the rights to distribute the service on Cable and Satellite platforms

    Zee Cinema partners with Ethnic Channels Group in Canada

    By A Correspondent

     

    Zee America shas entered into a long-term distribution agreement with Ethnic Channels Group for Zee Cinema in Canada. The deal provides Ethnic Channels Group the rights to distribute the service on Cable and Satellite platforms.

     

    Suresh Bala, CEO, Zee Americas said: “This is exciting for us, in that for the first time we are able to focus our marketing and unlock the strength of the Zee Cinema brand in Canada. Ethnic Channels Group is an expert at marketing to ethnic audiences and we expect to grow our distribution and our subscription base significantly. Currently Zee Cinema is only available as a linear service, but we expect to work out the details of mobile distribution in the not so distant future.”

     

    Zee Cinema is Zee’s Bollywood entertainment channel. Its library features over 5,000 hours of movies.

     

    “We are delighted to partner with the Zee TV Group for the launch of Zee Cinema in Canada. Bollywood is a global, phenomenon and Zee Cinema is its biggest custodian,” said Slava Levin, Co-Founder and CEO of Ethnic Channels Group.

     

    Hari Srinivas, President Ethnic Channels Group added: “Ethnic Channels Group believes in the brand equity of its content partners, and it will be our primary objective to increase this for ZEE Cinema in Canada.”

     

  • The awards are a pioneering effort to recognize Indian music, transcending genres in the country giving the music industry a unified platform to celebrate its talent

    Red FM partners with Chevrolet GiMA Awards 2012

    By A Correspondent

     

    93.5 Red FM has partnered with the Chevrolet Global Indian Music Academy (GiMA) Awards, the biggest annual celebration of Indian Music, for the third consecutive year. The awards are a pioneering effort to recognize Indian music, transcending genres in the country giving the music industry a unified platform to celebrate its talent.

     

    An initiative by Wizcraft International Entertainment, GiMA recognizes talent across various genres of Indian Music such as Bollywood, Classical, Ghazal, Devotional, Folk, Fusion, Carnatic and Contemporary.

     

    Nisha Narayanan, Senior VP – Projects & Programming, Red FM said: “GiMA stands for excellence and honours the best talent in the music industry and Red FM is all about playing the most contemporary super hit music. There is an unparalleled synergy between the two and we are delighted to be partnering each other for three years in a row.”

     

    “This time RED has decided to present issues to listeners musically with the on-going ‘Gaa ke Bajaa’. GiMA-nominated stars sang for Mumbaikars a unique song every day for their daily woes on ‘Mumbai Local’ hosted by RJ Rishi Kapoor and will be aired from Monday to Saturday between 5-9pm,” she added.

     

    “Today, GiMA has evolved into a major platform for the Indian Music Industry and brings together the entire fraternity, to honour and celebrate musical talent across various genres. This year, there is an interesting mix of nominees and I congratulate GiMA as they embark upon yet another musical journey,” said Javed Akhtar, noted poet-lyricist and Advisory Board Member of GiMA.

     

    Sabbas Joseph, Director, Wizcraft International Entertainment said: “We are glad to have Red FM as our radio partner once again, for the third edition of the GiMA. It has been a great association and we look forward to yet another spectacular celebration with them this year.”

     

    GiMA is the only Music Awards platform with a voting process based on peer-to-peer recognition. Nominees are selected by a jury panel of over 30 eminent members from the music & film industry and later presented to the GiMAAcademy for the final voting.

     

    The Academy’s votes are tabulated by KPMG, the process auditors for GiMA who determine the winners. To ensure a fair and unbiased evaluation, the Academy follows a thorough and meticulous voting process.

     

    While the country’s best talent comprises of the jury, as per a mandate by KPMG, all jurors do not adjudicate on categories/genres in which they are in contention. The illustrious Advisory Board members include Dr L Subramaniam, Hariharan, Javed Akhtar, Mukesh Bhatt, Prasoon Joshi, Pt. Shiv Kumar Sharma Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, Resul Pookutty, Shankar Mahadevan, Shubha Mudgal, Vishal Bhardwaj among others.

     

    The Academy comprises over 300 members from the music & film industry encompassing industry stalwarts, music directors, producers, lyricists, singers, technicians, composers and leaders in the music business.

     

     

  • Mr Karumbaiah will partner Sagar Prajapati in steering the creative ship for the agency inBangalore

    Orchard Advertising gets Kishore Karumbaiah as Creative Director

    By A Correspondent

     

    Kishore Karumbaiah
    Sagar Prajapati

    Kishore Karumbaiah, who was Creative Director at JWT Bangalore, has joined Orchard Advertising as Creative Director at the agency’s headquarters in Bangalore. He will partner Sagar Prajapati, Creative Director, in leading the creative function in Bangalore.

     

    Commenting on his appointment, Mr Karumbaiah said: “I was looking for a hungry agency, and in Orchard, I found my match. Orchard and The Leo Group are known for their creative prowess, and have produced some of the best work the country has seen. This gives me an opportunity to fuel this trend and further the creative standards of this agency. I’m also excited about gaining from the collective experiences of the team here and thrilled about getting an opportunity to groom and nurture some really good young talent we have here.”

     

    Mr Karumbaiah comes with 12 years in the business, and has worked on brands such as Airtel, ITC stationery, Nike, Infosys, Microsoft, Quest, Lenovo, Lotte, Tanishq, Fastrack, TajMahal tea, Van Heusen, Signature, Kingfisher, Spice Telecom, Citizen Watches,Levis, Nissin, Epson, TVS, Chola Insurance and Arihant builders among many others.

     

    Prior to JWT, he worked at Rediffusion-Y&R, Ogilvy & Mather, Hakuhodo Percept, MAA Bozell and Lowe Lintas. He has consistently picked up national and international awards over the years (NY fest, Abbys, Regional Awards) and has a few features in the International Archive.

     

    Sagar Prajapati is excited about having found his new partner in Kishore: “It’s been 12 long years for me at Orchard, and I’ve been with the agency through its highs and lows. With us being on the uptrend, and great talent like Kishore coming onboard to partner us, is indeed a sign of good things to come. I’m hopeful of our collective creative leadership bearing fruit for the agency and our brands.”

     

    Thomas Xavier, Chairman and National Creative Director added: “Kishore brings with him the perfect mix of youthful exuberance and skill to lead a young team of creative enthusiasts. We expect his contribution in upping the creative standards of the agency further, making our brands and clients benefactors of this progression.”

     

    Anish Daryani, Vice President and Branch Head, said: “I worked closely with Kishore during my stint at Rediffusion-Y&R, and have tremendous regard for the creative brilliance he brings to the table. I saw him as the perfect match for Sagar, and am sure their creative chemistry will benefit our clients and our brands. The fact that we’re hiring at senior levels is of course testimony to the fact that we’re doing well, especially following the slew of new business wins we’ve seen in the recent past.”

     

    Orchard Advertising, only in its 12th year, is part of The Leo Group, which also includes Leo Burnett and Black Pencil. Orchard has already been credited for creating some iconic advertising. Some of the agency’s clients include Wipro, SAB Miller, Essilor, Godrej, BlackBerry, Water Health India and Piramal Healthcare, among others.

     

  • Hot on the heels of bagging the Aditya Birla Retail "More." business, Everest has won the strategic and creative duties for Borosil in a multi-agency pitch

    Everest wins Borosil’s creative mandate

    By A Correspondent

     

    Hot on the heels of bagging the Aditya Birla Retail “More” business, Everest has won the strategic and creative duties for Borosil in a multi-agency pitch. The agency’s Mumbai office will handle the business, initially working on the microwavables range.

     

    Commenting on the reasons for choosing Everest, Priyanka Kheruka, Director, Borosil Glass Works commented: “We, at Borosil, are very passionate about our brand and wanted a partner who shares our passion and vision for Borosil. Everest has demonstrated this passion and have created a strategy aligned with our vision.”

     

    Commenting on the win, Dhunji S. Wadia, President, Everest said: “We were given a very detailed and specific brief. This helped the team in working on interesting creative solutions. We are delighted to be their agency of choice. We look forward to take the brand to greater heights.”

     

    Rahul Jauhari, NCD, Everest said: “It’s great to welcome clients who appreciate totally unconventional thinking and work. We look forward to a wonderful relationship.”

     

    Borosil Glass Works is a producer of laboratory glassware and microwavable kitchenware in India. It was established in 1962 in collaboration with Corning Glass Works, USA. In 1988, Corningdivested its share holding to the current Indian promoters.

     

    Everest is a creatively led, full-service agency with a reputation for delivering fresh, original thing that helps clients succeed. The agency has offices in Mumbai and Delhi and representations in Chennai, Bengaluru and Kolkata.

     

  • The students representing over 100 B-Schools beyond the Top25, were tested by MeritTrac on standardised tests in verbal ability, quantitative ability and reasoning on behalf of recruiting companies

    Study reveals only 21% MBAs employable!

    By A Correspondent

     

    A nationwide study of marks secured by 2,264 MBAs who sat for tests by recruiting companies found only that only 21 per cent could make the grade. The previous study of 2007 by MeritTrac placed employability index at 25 per cent.

     

    The students representing over 100 B-Schools beyond the Top25, were tested by MeritTrac on standardised tests in verbal ability, quantitative ability and reasoning on behalf of recruiting companies.

     

    Examination of ‘AICTE Approval Process Hand Book: 2012-13’ reveals that the number of MBA seats in India has grown almost four fold – from 94,704 in 2006-07 to 3,52,571 in 2011-12.

     

    To benchmark the current state of employability of management graduates, MBA Universe.com and MeritTrac teamed up to conduct the research and release top line findings ahead of the MBA Universe.com organized Indian Management Conclave 2012, on August 9-10 in New Delhi.

     

    For purposes of this study, pre-recruitment test scores of 2,264 candidates were analysed by MeritTrac to assess how they fared on the three tests in terms of the average percentage scores and pass-through rates.

     

    The pass-through rates were calculated based on the pre-decided cut-off for each test. These cut-offs are at par with the average cut-off scores decided by companies in their recruitment exercises.

     

    The threshold cut-off scores used in Verbal ability, Quantitative ability and Reasoning were 45 per cent, 35 per cent and 40 per cent respectively. Overall average percentage score obtained by MBAs in Verbal ability, Quantitative ability and Reasoning was 52.58 per cent, 41.17 per cent and 37.51 per cent respectively.

     

    While performance on verbal ability seems to be satisfactory, reasoning is an area where there is scope for improvement. Considering that the elements of the reasoning test (deductive logic, data sufficiency, spatial reasoning, and analytical reasoning) are crucial to making sound management decisions, this is a result which warrants closer attention.

     

    The total pass-through rate, which is an index of employability, at 21 per cent leaves scope for improvement considering that organisations hire from this talent pool for strategic roles and this is the managerial pool that companies bank on.

     

    “The results of 2012 employability report covering 2,264 B-schools students from 29 cities are quite startling. This report clearly brings out the employability gaps across various competencies and highlights the need for scientific examinations and tests to align the candidate skills to employability metrics,” saidS Murlidhar, CEO and Director, MeritTrac Services.

     

    The MeritTrac- MBA Universe Employability Index study of MBAs will now be conducted once every two years.

     

    “Questions are asked about the talent coming out of MBA colleges, and whether they create a workforce responsive to the needs of the economy like understanding of business and on-the-feet thinking. So, decision-making skills are being valued more than ever,” said Amit Agnihotri, chairman of MBAUniverse.com.

     

     

  • Dish+ is positioned at a consumer-friendly and competitive price of Rs1,690 (against all other SD boxes at Rs 1590) with a free 4 GB pen drive as promotional offer

    Dish TV launches India’s first SD Recorder with unlimited capacity

    Salil Kapoor

    By A Correspondent

     

    Dish TV has launched “Dish+”,India’s first standard definition box with unlimited recording facility. Dish+ is positioned at a consumer-friendly and competitive price of Rs1,690 (against all other SD boxes at Rs 1590) with a free 4 GB pen drive as promotional offer. Post VCR, there is no recording device available with consumers and there is a huge vacuum to fulfil the consumer need. Dish+ fulfils the ‘need gap’ of recording facility for the consumers.

     

    Speaking on the launch, RC Venkateish, Chief Executive Officer, Dish TV India, said: “Being pioneers and market leaders, we have constantly reinvented and redefined the market with thought leadership to be ahead of the pack. Dish+ is being launched in 42 cities of Phase I and Phase II of digitization and will clearly demonstrate Dish+ as a better alternative for all viewers who will shift from analog to digital.”

     

    Salil Kapoor, Chief Operating Officer, Dish TV India, emphasized: “Dish+ is a comeback of recorders in the living room and is a clear differentiator vis-à-vis other alternatives including digital cable. Its highly competitive launch price will position it as a preferred option amongst all DTH buyers”.

     

    The unique feature of Dish + is its compatibility with any USB device enabling consumers to simply plug and play an existing USB stick/ HDD, and build an entire genre based library of their favorite program. Dish+ offers unmatched advantage of recording on SD. Dish+ is user-friendly with features like “plug-n-play” through an external USB device. This enables all benefits of a traditional DVR like recording and playing back programs, Pausing or Rewinding live TV, different play-back positions, event based recording (EBR), time based recording (TBR) and so on.

     

  • I think ad agencies should devise a powerful communication package, to be run across the media, with the objective of imparting Americans with basic knowledge on various religions and cultures

    Anil Thakraney: Ad agencies can help with hate crime control

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    I still recall the first thing many Americans did immediately after 9/11. This was to frantically search for their world maps, and try to locate Afghanistan. This, of course, became a subject of many jokes at the time, but after we stopped sniggering, we realized that the average Yankee is totally cut off from the rest of the world. That, he/she has never stepped out of his/her comfort zone and hasn’t even bothered to find out what goes on beyond their shores. That it was of no consequence to them. And this isn’t something to laugh at, it can be dangerous.

     

    The recent attack on a Gurudwara in Wisconsinis yet another reminder that the average American remains blissfully ignorant of international geography, history, culture and religion. The attack was obviously targeted at another religious minority group, and our Sardarji friends paid heavily for someone’s lack of general knowledge. So then what’s the way out of this mess? There is only one way: this problem can be fixed by advertising agencies. Because it pertains to communications.

     

    I think ad agencies inIndiashould work with their American parents and devise a powerful communication package, to be run across the media, with the objective of imparting Americans with basic knowledge on various religions and cultures. The Obama government needs to include this education as a part of school and college syllabi, but that can only work as a long term solution. Ad agencies can create campaigns to provide immediate solutions.

     

    So go for it, people. Not only will such a public service campaign win you many awards, you can end up saving many innocent lives. What can be sweeter than that?

     

    An important disclaimer: Having said the above, let me hasten to add that attacks on ANY community members is highly deplorable, and one hopes that the world evolves to a stage where these things don’t happen at all. But in the meantime, at least the ill-informed Americans must be educated on how to differentiate between communities. That itself will be an important beginning.

     

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    PS: If you are a constant tweeter, and have no control over your thoughts, hit this link. It’s about the journalist whose Twitter account was suspended. I like this. It’s time the social media portals stepped in to oversee things. Excessive illegal and abusive stuff seems to be freely floating around in the virtual world.

     

    Link: http://mashable.com/2012/08/01/kicked-off-twitter/?
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