MxMIndia

Author: mxmadmin

  • She succeeds Viraj Chouhan, who takes up a new role as Vice President, Global Market Communications

    Pepsi appoints Garima Singh as Head of Government Affairs & Communications

    By Our Staff

     

    PepsiCo India has announced the appointment of Garima Singh as Head of Government Affairs and Communications. Singh, takes over from Viraj Chouhan who is elevated to the role of Vice President, Global Market Communications.

     

    Prior to the new appointment, Singh was Head of Corporate Affairs at HeroMotoCorp and as part of her 20+ years of experience, she has led public affairs mandate for companies like Mondelez, Apple, Mahindra & Mahindra amongst others. In her new role at PepsiCo India, she will be a key business partner managing long-term policy risks and opportunities to shape public policy decisions for sustainable, responsible business growth of the company.

     

    Chouhan meanwhile will take up a global role with him being a focal point for all global market communications teams outside the US, covering both internal and external communications. He will serve as the head of the Markets Center of Excellence, providing support and guidance to teams and drive positive outcomes around key themes including pep+, Diversity, Engagement & Inclusion, Digital Transformation and Community.

     

  • In the new millennium, relationships have now become three-way, writes Avik Chattopadhyay

    Three to win!

     

     

    By Avik Chattopadhyay

     

    Avik Chattopadhyay“Three’s a crowd” is a thing of the past.

    Today it takes three to tango.

     

    Welcome to a world of three-way relationships in ‘brand management’.

     

    Since the term was created [and I really do not know when], it has been all about the product or service and the consumer. A company makes a product or creates a service offering with a certain performance promise. Through a channel or medium, it reaches the prospect who consciously chooses it over others. A simple two-way relationship between the provider and the consumer. We spent decades learning how to manage the dynamics of this relationship, with the consumer being the single-minded focus. Till recently, the provider literally provided the consumer all that was to do with the product or service. The process of feedback, complaints and redressal was two-way.

     

    The task for the brand manager was well laid out in terms of what to research, what to create, who to cater to and how to offer. Brand management was more or less linear in nature even though the process might incorporate many stakeholders and be circular.

     

    The new millennium has changed all that. With growing personalisation or customisation and the outburst of digital interfaces, the dynamics of the relationship has taken a new form. If earlier it took two to tango, now threesome is wholesome!

     

    The product or service has given way to an experience. The same hardware may allow use of multiple software depending on the specific requirements of the user. Previously, the product or service provider was expected to create the entire package for the customer. Today, the tasks are clearly demarcated for the domain experts to do their own little bits in creating the whole experience for the consumer. Earlier you bought a car, and it came with all the bells and whistles pre-fitted or pre-loaded by the automaker. Today, one buys a car from the automaker and chooses a connected interface from an Apple or a Google and the two need to work in tandem to give the consumer an immersive experience!

     

    Similar examples abound in every aspect of life.

    Dominos prepares a pizza that is delivered by a Zomato to a consumer.

    Netflix makes content that is viewed on a Sony smart television by a consumer.

    The entire experiences are created by two brands working together than merely one.

    A smart television would be useless without the customisable OTT platforms.

    A Zomato is not feasible without the food maker.

    A Maruti Suzuki is incomplete without Apple Carplay or Android Auto.

     

    Hence the relationships have now become three-way. There are typically two product propositions that work together in catering to one consumer. Both the propositions could be physical in nature, or digital or a mix, depending on the final experience being designed.

     

    This makes the traditional brand manager’s role a bit complex now. Now he/ she has to work symbiotically with another outside the organisation to create the final offer. The purpose and promise of the two brands need to respect each other in the first place. Both need to realise that in isolation, it is both incomplete and incompetent in delivering the final benefit proposition it desires. This necessitates mutual respect and genuine collaboration. This requires the candour to admit one cannot do everything by oneself. Some of the world’s biggest brands have been singed trying to do everything by themselves, rendering them irrelevant or late in the race.

     

    The brand manager has to remap his/ her role into not only protecting the interests of one’s own brand but also becoming capable enough of collaboration and co-creation. This capability has to be acquired through training and counselling as majority will not have such skills as natural. The collaboration and co-creation will be with a counterpart of the same stature. This is an adult-adult relationship and not a parent-child one that brand managers are used to when dealing with ‘agencies’.

     

    Another key evolution in the brand manager’s skillset is to cater to not just the customer but also the consumer. Earlier a product or service had to be bought to experience it. Now one need not buy to experience. One can merely loan or lease for a limited time period to use a product or service and share an opinion on the same. Today one may rent a car for merely a few hours to experience it. Or lease it for a few months. Tomorrow’s generation does not believe in owning but only in consuming, whether it be an app or an automobile. And when an industry as traditional as automotive has realised such a future, all other product categories are sure to follow.

     

    My brand + Collaborating brand + Consumer.

    That’s the equation the brand manager must balance in the days to come.

    There will be a constant back and forth from each constituent as each is an active contributor to the experience. The days of the provider and recipient are gone. All are collaborators and creators. The quicker the brand manager realises the same and upgrades accordingly, the better for all constituents in making it a win-win-win outcome!

     

     

  • Is access to physical spaces reserved for the privileged majority? Is a situation not worth reporting unless it is life-threatening, asks Shruti Pushkarna

    Shruti Pushkarna: Is barrier-free access to physical spaces not a newsworthy agenda?

    Shruti PushkarnaBy Shruti Pushkarna

     

    Last month, Delhi hit a record temperature of 49.2 degree Celsius, the hottest I have witnessed in nearly four decades of living in the capital. The sweltering heat from April to July leaves you dehydrated, drained and demotivated. The only respite from the incinerator is an air-conditioned environment.

     

    From your home to the car, to the office, and back. All controlled air-conditioning. And the fun activities are also limited to indoor spaces, like, restaurants, cinema theatre, shopping malls et cetera.

     

    One could argue why step out and suffer the heatwave, especially if it’s not for work. True. But forced internment due to the protracted spread of Covid-19 has driven most of us to our saturation point. Now we seek the tiniest excuse to mingle with the external world, happily battling dust storms, soaring temperatures or pouring rain. Nothing can stop us.

     

    Except something does stop some of us from going out to shop, eat, watch a film, see a doctor, or have a business meeting. Not everyone is fortunate to experience carefree excursions.

     

    I’m hinting at the largeish section of the population comprising persons with disabilities and the elderly. Often simple things in physical environments that we may overlook or dismiss, turn out to be serious barriers in movement for senior citizens and the disabled folk.

     

    Here’s a picture I took of the entry point of a shopping arcade in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, which also happens to house a lot of doctors’ clinics as well as pathology labs.

     

     

    Interestingly, you can spot a ramp for wheelchair users but it has been permanently blocked with iron bars. The escalator is broken and functions more like a steep staircase. When I went to see my gastroenterologist for acute abdominal pain, the climb up to the first floor was an unnecessary excruciating exercise. I could have taken the elevator but it was small, stinky and crowded. On another visit, the assistant barged in to inform my doctor of a patient who couldn’t be transported upstairs. As he stepped down to examine her in the car, I stared at the (token) wheelchair parked in one corner of the clinic.

     

    Some time ago, I was accompanying my CEO for an official meeting to a coffee shop in a popular Delhi mall. Instead of going down to the basement parking, we chose to be dropped off at the mall entrance with steps leading up. Used to guiding him to the hand rail so he can climb the stairs on his own despite vision impairment, I was deterred by the huge flower pots placed on both sides of the staircase. He had to stick to my elbow for navigation.

     

    I wondered what if he were not accompanied by a sighted person? I also thought about children and their grandparents who need handrails for essential support. Why block a utility in the name of aesthetics? Needless to mention, that the flower pot phenomenon is commonly seen in many buildings, including schools, hospitals, government offices and so on.

     

    I reached out to the mall authorities by posting a tweet, citing the concern and hoping to raise the general awareness levels. Here’s a link to the Twitter thread that managed to initiate a conversation, engage some and incite some, if not resolve the problem.

     

    But I must confess I have also encountered a few positive initiatives ensuring ease of access in the city. And I find it equally important to highlight and laud such interventions. I have been visiting the famous Priya cinema complex in Vasant Vihar, Delhi since my school days. But on a more recent trip, I noticed the welcome addition of a well-lit rampway on the way to the parking lot.

     

     

    There are at least two shopping malls where a small wheelchair lift is installed adjacent to a short flight of stairs. One is shown in the picture below. The India Habitat Centre also has a stairlift, a mechanical device lifting people up and down from their basement halls.

     

     

    I was also pleased to see an aged woman using a specially designed wheelchair, enjoying a hearty meal with her entire family in an accessible (read roomy and barrier-free) restaurant. In fact, some tables in another restaurant were reserved for such guests.

     

     

    Very often all it takes to accommodate people with different needs is an open mind, right attitude and awareness. Informative engagements with various stakeholders can prove effective in countering hostility, apathy and prejudice.

     

    Many a times, I tweet hoping some friend or ex-colleague in the media will take note and campaign for equal rights for persons with disabilities as well as those limited by age or illness.

     

    We’ve seen consistent reporting on urban developmental problems of potholes, badly designed flyovers, dangerous curbs, which cause several deaths every year. Do the barriers of ingress and egress go unreported because they are not life threatening?

     

    Why can’t the media do something about the ignorance impeding access for millions in the country?

     

    Shruti Pushkarna is a former journalist who now works as Director, EnAble India where she heads North India operations as well as media and communications outreach. Shruti writes for MxMIndia every other Thursday. Her views here are personal. She can be reached via Twitter at @shrutipushkarna

     

  • The campaign has been created by Mogae Media

    Sonu Sood promotes Shyam Steel in new TVC

    By Our Staff

     

    Shyam Steel producers and manufacturers of primary TMT Bars launched their new TVC campaign featuring Sonu Sood.  It is the extension of Shyam Steel’s “Maksad Toh India Ko Banana Hai” campaign. The TVC campaign has been created by Mogae Media and is directed by Vaibhav Misra.

     

    Speaking on the TVC campaign launch, Lalit Beriwala, Director, Shyam Steel said: “The campaign narrative embodies the principle of what Shyam Steel stands as a brand. We at Shyam Steel aim to build the nation by assisting people in building their dreams. The TVC reflects the brand’s thought in connection with Sonu’s exemplary work in assisting people achieve their dreams. Through this campaign we are looking to establish a deeper connect with our target audience.”

     

    Added Harish Arora, Creative Director, Mogaé Media: “With Shyam Steel Flexi Strong TMT bars TVC, we’ve tried to ignite the dreams of millions of youth in this country. The youth of today is well prepared to reach the pinnacle of success in the new India.  And rest of the glory was added by the exceptionally polished actor and a great human being – Sonu Sood.”

     

  • Video features Anshu Mor, stand-up comedian and Manabu Yamazaki, President & CEO

    Canon India reaches to Gen Z in new campaign

    By Our Staff

     

    Canon India has launched a corporate campaign tilted ‘Big Smile with Canon’. As the company celebrates its 25th year milestone in India, its CEO is brand ambassador in the videos. The campaign comprises five episodes featuring Manabu Yamazaki, President and CEO, Canon India, and Anshu Mor, stand-up comedian and former senior business executive.

     

    Commenting on the launch, Yamazaki said: “I am thrilled to announce the launch of our latest campaign ‘Big Smile with Canon’, an endeavor from our side to spread big smiles amongst our audience and employees alike. With this campaign, we look forward to being recognised as a young brand that is constantly not only launching products in line with industry trends but also campaigns that are relevant and most importantly, relatable. We are sure that the messaging brought out with this series will hold the attention and help us build connection with the millennials, which will surely help position Canon as a brand that understands the pulse of Gen Z. It has been a memorable and fun experience for me working with a talented stand-up comedian like Mr. Anshu Mor, and I think it brought me even closer to the beautiful culture of India.”

     

    Added Mor: “As a creator, I am always on the lookout to create unique content, which is funny and relatable. This project is of special value to me as a former business professional who got to mix his love for stand-up comedy with the corporate beliefs of such a renowned imaging brand. Never have I interacted with a Japanese CEO before and that too in such an innovative format. It was indeed an extremely fun project to work on and it was an amazing experience to converse with Mr. Manabu Yamazaki and get exposed to his humorous side. During the shoot, I learnt about Canon’s culture and how they stay true to their motto of spreading ‘Big Smiles’ to their stakeholders. We have received some positive audience response so far and we hope the love keeps pouring for this series that we all put so much thought behind.”

     

  • Titled "Kalaiyon Ke Liye Kalakari"

    Senco rolls out campaign

    By Our Staff

     

    Senco Gold & Diamonds,  the jewellery retailer from Eastern India, has announced the roll-out of its new Bangle Utsav 2022 campaign titled #KalaiyonKeLiyeKalakari.

     

    Commenting on the occasion, Joita Sen, Director, Senco Gold & Diamonds said: “Our new campaign Kalaiyon Ke Liye Kalakari is a tribute to the infinite creativity and power of human hands. Our bangles are more than just ornaments; they are precious works of art, created by the hands of master artisans to adorn the hands of every woman. The new campaign is part of Bangle Utsav which is a celebration of womanhood with more than 100 exquisitely handcrafted designs in gold, diamond and platinum.”

     

     

  • A not-so soft Friday question, but a pertinent one. Here's Dr Bhaskar Das in the June 17 edition of Das ka Dum. Read on…

    Das ka Dum with Dr Bhaskar Das | Do you think to ensure diversity of talent, corporate India should look beyond B-schools to hire freshers?

    Bhaskar DasA not-so soft Friday question, but a pertinent one. Here’s Dr Bhaskar Das in the June 17 edition of Das ka Dum. Read on…

     

    If you wish to access the archives, please go to the Das Ka Dum tab on the website’s top navigation bar.

     

    Q. Do you think to ensure diversity of talent, corporate India should look beyond B-schools to hire freshers?

     

    A. Absolutely. It may be a reality that renowned institutions do impart high quality capabilities amongst its students. But, while a renowned institution can assure an employer of the quality of a candidate, this perception may not always be valid, as subsequent career growth for many such candidates might not have followed the aspired for career graph. These days talents are coming up from unusual places and institutes. You may call it Dhoni-isation of India Inc. In real life, this trend of lesser known institutions has already started.

     

  • Linear TV has lost its pole position this week, writes Shailesh Kapoor

    IPL Media Rights: Indian Streaming’s Watershed Moment is Here!

     

     

    By Shailesh Kapoor

     

    Shailesh KapoorIPL media rights went under the hammer this week, and the results are out. The overall value of rights has gone up by almost 200%, though the growth is a notch lesser if one looks at the per-match average, as there are more matches lined up in the coming years because of the addition of new franchises.

     

    The growing stature and commercial value of IPL is not surprising. It’s literally the only TV property in India that has “event value” today. Gone are the days when big-ticket reality shows rated 4%+. Gone are the days when a single TV show worked across the audience spectrum, amassing event-like numbers every night. In times of highly-fragmented viewership, IPL is the only TV property that has any sense of audience aggregation at all.

     

    What surprised me, albeit mildly, is the massive growth in the price of the digital rights. In September 2017, when the last auction was held (for IPL 2018-22), Star India won on a consolidated TV + Digital bid. But if you look at the highest bids for the TV and digital packages individually, they stood at INR 11,050 Cr for TV (Sony Pictures) and INR 3,900 for digital (Facebook). That’s a ratio of 2.83.

     

    This time, the main domestic rights (Package A & B) have gone for INR 23,575 Cr (TV) and INR 20,500 Cr (digital), i.e., a ratio of only 1.15. While TV rights have gone up significantly too (even if you look at the per-match average), it’s the change in the ratio that’s a sign of things to come: Digital is no longer niche. It’s as mainstream as TV. Even if the viewership numbers are still higher on TV, digital has the momentum, and the advertiser sentiment, on its side.

     

    If you also consider Package C, which is another digital package for non-exclusive rights (eventually taken by Viacom 18 itself, who also took Package B), the ratio of TV to digital is 0.99. In simple terms, from being almost a third of TV rights five years ago, digital rights of IPL have gone for a notch higher than the TV rights this time.

     

    The absence of an integrated measurement system will be felt more than ever before. Advertisers now have two equally-sizeable media to put their IPL moneys on. But they won’t have an integrated currency measurement to help them plan it well. This was a lesser issue so far, not only because digital was the smaller piece all these years, but also because the last five years had both rights under the same network, and the selling was often bundled. Both those factors have now changed, and we are in for some eventful times. Both Star India, who continue to hold the TV rights, and Viacom 18 will have to innovate out of their skins to monetise their prized grabs.

     

    IPL digital rights crossing TV rights in value is a watershed moment in the Indian entertainment business. Linear TV has lost its pole position this week. And streaming is a worthy successor.

     

  • It is conceptualised by Creativeland Asia

    Godrej Aer Matic’s new TVC

    By Our Staff

     

    Godrej Aer, the bathroom, car and home fragrance brand, unveiled its TVC campaign, ‘If rooms could talk’ for Godrej Aer Matic, an automatic fragrance diffuser variant.  It is conceptualised by Creativeland Asia.

     

    Speaking about the new campaign, Somasree Bose Awasthi, Chief Marketing Officer, Godrej Consumer Products Limited (India), said: “There’s nothing more relaxing than spending quality time with your family and fragrance plays a key role in uplifting the mood. Godrej aer matic’s fresh fragrance creates happy & relaxed family moments. This smart fragrance plans its day around yours and lets you create custom spray schedules like every 10, 20, or 40 minutes. The new TVC emphasises these key features of the product with the help of smart VFX making it more interesting for consumers to watch. There is also a smart matic version which is bluetooth enabled”

     

    Adds Anu Joseph, Chief Creative Officer, Creativeland Asia: “If rooms could talk” is a fertile space for a brand that has always been quirky in its communication. In this ad, we’ve pretty much demonstrated what would happen if objects in a living room were to actually prep themselves for a family movie night. Just the perfect stage for aer matic to make a grand entry and settle the chaos. A word on the actors, they were an absolute riot and wouldn’t stop talking.”

     

     

  • Interface created by Publicis Conseil to help employees and clients better navigate Web3

    Publicis appoints Chief Metaverse Officer

    By Our Staff

     

    Publicis Groupe France has announced a new interface to further help its clients understand, navigate and develop Web3 strategies. The interface will take the form of an avatar named Leon in the role of Chief Metaverse Officer.

     

    Created by Publicis Conseil, Leon has spent his entire career with the agency. As a Web3 native, he has strong grounding across communication disciplines and is a metaverse expert.

     

    Said Arthur Sadoun, Chairman and CEO of Publicis Groupe: “The metaverse isn’t a destination, it’s a real-time learning moment for all. It requires interrogation, education and experimentation. We are committed to being on that journey with our clients, to help them understand what it means for their business and to bring them the existing Web3 capabilities in the Groupe across data, media and technology. Leon embodies that as an avatar and will help our clients navigate this new channel and progress every step of the way.”

     

  • "Regardless of the extent to which old and new media outlets hide behind paywalls, the scope of the paywall model is limited" writes Ranjona Banerji

    Ranjona Banerji: Where’s the money?

    Ranjona BanerjiBy Ranjona Banerji

     

    The state of journalism in India is dire. There is no doubt about that.

    But there are also, luckily for us, small pockets of hope. Largely individual journalists in both small and large media houses, and a few media outlets, mostly digital.

    The old notion of blanket dependability of newspaper brands is gone.

    However, broadly, The Hindu, The Telegraph, The Deccan Herald, Deccan Chronicle, Frontline are some of the print publications which remain trustworthy.

    The Times of India with its “federal structure” is trustworthy in regional pockets. The matter which comes from its head office, which includes the parody of an edit/opinion page, is substandard and often questionable.

    The Indian Express was once the “journalists’ paper”. Now it is a faint and sometimes reprehensible shadow of its former feisty self.

    Almost any digital platform is more trustworthy than print. Most do better journalism and cover a wider variety of subjects.

    The big problem however remains money. This is not a new problem. But it is one to which there is as yet no magic solution. The advertising model which carried print for a couple of hundred years, and which helped television defeat print, is not as effective digitally. The plethora of digital choices for the advertiser has also meant that traditional avenues like news outlets can be easily bypassed.

    The exact information from survey-based audience searches means that advertising can be carefully targeted. Therefore, if you’re looking for young targets you will not go to old newspapers for instance.

    Regardless of the extent to which old and new media outlets hide behind paywalls, the scope of the paywall model is limited. The latest report from the Reuters Institute (link below) indicates that this revenue model has stagnated. Younger people are so used to a free internet that they will baulk at paying for anything. It is the above 55s who pay and they may not be the audience that everyone is looking for or catering to. Digital content changed the consumption game. But it did not bring any substantial new ideas to the revenue game.

    TV viewership continues to drop. It is also seen as the least trustworthy form of news, according to the Reuters Institute report and by empirical evidence. Also, again, its audience tends to be older.

    The challenge for journalists and media houses is not just changing patterns of news consumption. It is the inability of media houses to understand and therefore profit from digitisation. It’s not enough to have a website. It is not enough to manipulate viewers with fake news and click bait headlines. All this is old school. Tabloid journalism established centuries ago how to trick readers. Network news in the USA set the standard decades ago for adversarial explosive studio battles.

    Personally, I find it impossible to subscribe for every single publication I want to read. I’ll admit it: I am not young but I have got used to a free internet. I do however buy physical newspapers. But it irks me that this monthly subscription does not entitle me to any online benefits. I cannot share articles, which my work sometimes requires. There is a disconnect here but perhaps those of us who still have a newspaper vendor are in a forgotten minority.

    I abhor getting my devices clogged with millions of daily PDF format newspapers which are annoying to navigate.

    I have subscribed now and then to digital platforms, but I find it easier for my pocket to donate, albeit I must confess, sporadically. I also find it tedious to have to go through an online payment process for individual articles.

    I have registered with innumerable news outlets only to find I spend half my morning deleting various emails. If I actually click on any link to read something, I get sent on a log in, put in password, register again rigmarole which makes me give up.

    I am not certain therefore that the end consumer is kept in mind when all these revenue options are discussed.

    However, there is some great journalism going on.

    Like this:

    https://www.wired.com/story/modified-elephant-planted-evidence-hacking-police/

     

    The Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at the University of Oxford report:
    https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/digital-news-report/2022/dnr-executive-summary

     

    Ranjona Banerji is a senior journalist and commentator. She writes on MxMIndia on Tuesdays and Fridays. Her views here are personal.

     

  • Indrani Sen weighs in the various dynamics of broadcast and OTT market given last week's auctions

    Thoughts on IPL Media Rights, a week after

     

     

    By Indrani Sen

     

    Indrani SenLast week, on June 14, 2022, the final results of the e-auction conducted by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) were declared with the Board earning a whopping Rs 48,390 crore for all the packages offered by them for auction. The amount is almost three times of Rs 16,376.5 crore, the money which Star India paid for TV and Digital media rights for the 2017-2022 cycle. This has made IPL the second most valued sports league in the world, next to America’s National Football League pushing English Premier League to the third position.

     

    By now everyone knows that this time Disney Star India has won only Package A containing telecast rights (India sub-continent) for next five years 2023-27 by bidding Rs. 23,575 crore. Viacom18 has bagged Package B containing digital rights (India subcontinent), Package C containing digital rights of 18 matches per season and part of Package D containing media rights (both TV and digital) for three global regions, Australia + New Zealand, the UK and South Africa, the main cricket playing countries whose players have been regularly participating in the IPL tournament. There is some confusion in the market related to the total payment of Rs.23,758 crores made by Viacom 18 to BCCI as lot of people have concluded that the amount has only been paid for the domestic digital rights whereas Viacom18 actually paid Rs 20,500 crore for the domestic digital rights. The media rights for the balance global regions have been won by Times Internet.

     

    Lalit Modi has been getting lot of coverage related to IPL media rights auction this time as cricket historian and author Boria Majumdar timed the release of his book on Lalit Modi “Maverick Commissioner” last week right after the announcement of the winners of IPL’s e-auction for media rights for 2023- 2027. Majumdar also announced that his book will soon be made into a film. Suddenly. media channels are busy interviewing Lalit Modi who is having a field day. At the time of writing, I read his interview on www.mykhel.com where he has said that BCCI should make it mandatory for all IPL franchises to own a women’s team in order to start a Women’s IPL in India. Last week, in an interview to NDTV Sports, he said that value of media rights will double again in next cycle as IPL viewership is probably the highest in the world in terms of people watching the matches (https://sports.ndtv.com/ipl-2022/ipl-viewership-probably-highest-in-the-world-lalit-modi-to-ndtv-3079226 ).

     

    While the Indian M&E industry is still struggling with its overall growth after the pandemic, one wonders from where the growth in the value of IPL media rights will happen? According to the EY FICCI report 2022, digital advertising grew by 29% in 2021 and TV advertising grew by 25% in 2021 which was still slightly short of the pre-Covid 2019 level. TV subscriptions continued to fall in 2021 for the second consecutive year. In the last few weeks of IPL, there was a sharp fall in the TV viewership which had raised doubts about the base rates fixed by BCCI for the e-auction. If any particular media property grows at a much higher rate than the market average for a certain period, it does so at the cost of other media properties in the same media bucket which cannot be sustained in the long run. Only time will tell if the value of IPL media rights based on the current e-auction will be actually attained.

     

    Back in 2016, when Star India won the TV and Digital rights for IPL (2017-2023), a lot of doubts were raised about the possibility of their success in achieving the targets. This time, industry people are speculating more about the winning bid of Rs 20,500 made by Viacom 18 for the digital rights and the implications of TV and digital rights going to two different organisations.  The Reliance-backed Viacom18 seems to have played its cards well based most likely on a deep-routed strategy for increasing their market share in online video viewing backed by the huge share of Jio in the telecom market. The introduction of 5G is expected to change consumers’ choice for live viewership of sports events from TV to mobile during this 2023-2027 cycle.

     

    According to an article by Javed Farooqui on Exchange4media on May 7, 2022, London-based Omdia’s recently published report on online video viewing trends shows that in India Disney+Hotstar leads the chart with 41% share. The article also shared the following graphic from the research.

     

    Source: https://www.exchange4media.com/digital-news/disney-hotstar-has-41-share-of-indian-online-video-subscription-market-omdia-112817.html

     

    Disney+ Hotstar’s subscription base tripled during pandemic years from 8 million to around 25 million by the end-2020, thanks mostly to IPL’s coverage and the competitive pricing of its annual plan. Omdia believes Disney+ Hotstar will continue to lead the standalone subscription online video market. The same report estimated that online video-on-demand (VOD) subscription market in India reached a value of $639 million in 2020, up by 142% from 2019. Disney+ Hotstar and Netflix together accounted for 78% of the total online video subscription market.

     

    ViacomI8 may be planning to revive Voot with this bid for digital media rights of IPL and may be also ready to write off losses, if any, as part of marketing cost for promoting Voot. With 41% marketshare, Disney+Hotstar was not required to invest proportionately high amount in winning the digital rights of the IPL. On the other hand, Disney Star India has a greater need to protect its turfs in the various TV genres where competition is much stronger.