MxMIndia

Author: mxmadmin

  • The problem for states like Uttarakhand is that they barely register on the national scale, writes Ranjona Banerji

    Ranjona Banerji: Has the media forgotten Joshimath?

    By Ranjona Banerji

     

    Ranjona BanerjiProtests continue in Uttarakhand over the various exam scams which plague the state. Paper leaks, fraud in various government recruitment schemes, cheating and everything that goes along with our proclivity to buck the game for the benefit of a small coterie and the detriment of thousands. The protests have become louder in past few days, but scams have been exposed over the past few years.

    In spite of Section 144 being imposed in Dehradun, students continue to sit in protest at various places in the capital city. A couple of days ago, rumours were rife that someone had been killed in police brutality. Social media provides both exaggeration and information, but it steps in when the mainstream media is sparse in details and coverage.

    https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/dehradun/more-join-protest-in-dehradun-against-paper-leaks-section-144-on/articleshow/97832742.cms

    https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/dehradun/four-identified-50-others-booked-for-violating-sec-144-by-holding-sit-in/articleshow/97899905.cms

    https://www.newsclick.in/Lok-Aayog-Leak-Aayog-Protesting-Students-Uttarakhand-Remain-Irate

    The problem for states like Uttarakhand is that they barely register on the national scale. Thus larger issues of fraud and corruption get buried and forgotten. For instance, that lakhs of fake RT-PCR tests presented so that the Kumbh Mela could be held in Hardwar in 2021 has been forgotten. Even given the tumult of news during the pandemic, this was important news. The Times of India broke the story and covered it assiduously then. Now, it is all but forgotten by everyone.

    I tried to search for a TOI article on the scam just now and could not find even one link over three pages!

    So here’s a reminder of what happened from The Wire:

    https://thewire.in/politics/kumbh-mela-covid-testing-scam-bjp-max-corporate-services

    And then there’s Joshimath. Nothing in the local English media for a while. We have forgotten that the town is on the verge of collapse. There is human pain and livelihood loss. This town represents the terrible damage that we have inflicted on the Himalayas. If we do not study the pattern, it does not bode well for the future. But what we are doing instead, is planning more roads and tunnels in this fragile mountain range.

    For those of us who live in the region the fears are real, as is our horror at what is being done to the countryside. This column from travel writers and residents Hugh and Colleen Gantzer encapsulates that pain:

    https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/joshimath-warning-for-mussoorie-and-all-of-uttarakhand-8438998/

    This article from Al Jazeera is also written by journalists who have invested time and care in the area. It is thus better informed and presented:

    https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2023/2/13/month-later-rehabilitation-eludes-residents-in-indias-joshimath

     

    The pain is personal. It was from Uttarakhand that the Chipko Movement spread knowledge about the dangers of deforestation across India, growing from the courage of a few women. It was from Uttarakhand, from Dehradun, that a few local citizens were horrified by the destruction being done to the mountains of Mussourie by limestone quarrying and got it stopped via a Supreme Court judgment. The state had not been formed, but the ethos of the hills set it apart from the rest of Uttar Pradesh.

    A city environmentalist pointed out how they are being hounded by the authorities for pointing to the dangers. She emphasized the fact that an environmentalist with the experience and expertise of Ravi Chopra is being demonised for being anti-development, rather than being listened to. Chopra resigned from the Supreme Court-appointed High-Powered Committee on the Char Dham All Weather Road a year ago. His family and associates are being hounded by the dispensation. Have you read much about that in the media?

    More importantly, Chopra’s warnings were all ignored. As much of the media ignores him now. He appeared on TV a while ago and barely got a chance to speak. NDTV, was it?

    The people of Joshimath, like the students of Uttarakhand, meanwhile have no agency and no voice, unless someone deigns to give them a little space.

    Regardless, the Himalayas will remain fragile and dangerous.

     

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

     

  • Perhaps an unfair question to ask, but we asked it nevertheless to seeks his views. Here's Dr Bhaskar Das in the February 14 edition of Das ka Dum. Read on…

    Das ka Dum with Dr Bhaskar Das | 30 years back, not many knew of Valentine’s Day. Today, it’s as widely celebrated as, say, several major community festivals. Ditto with various other “days”. Do you approve of the consumerism that has ‘infiltrated’ our observances?

    Bhaskar DasPerhaps an unfair question to ask, but we asked it nevertheless to seeks his views. Here’s Dr Bhaskar Das in the February 14 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 or click here: https://www.mxmindia.com/category/columns/das-ka-dum/

     

    Q. Thirty years back, not many knew of Valentine’s Day. Today, it’s as widely celebrated as, say, several major community festivals. Ditto with various other ‘’days’’. Do you approve of the consumerism that has ‘infiltrated’ our observances?

     

    A. Consumerism is a byproduct of a celebratory mood of citizens of India which has a mosaic of multiple cultures and varieties of celebrations. In fact, I observe that all celebrations, irrespective of region, faith, caste and creed and global celebrations are increasingly embraced. What’s wrong in it? With the increasing challenges of navigation of life due to many factors, celebrations can act as tranquilisers/ soul-soothers for tormented souls or even for stoic minds. The ambient moods provoke consumption senses. And all these sentiments help the economy to remain vibrant. Now, that calls for a celebration too.

     

  • Included are Thums Up, Amway, Jindal Steel and Power, Google, HDFC Life

    Star Sports onboards marquee sponsors for ICC Women’s T20 World Cup

    By Our Staff

     

    Star Sports Network, the official broadcaster of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2023, has onboarded seven marquee sponsors such as Thums Up, Amway, Jindal Steel and Power, Google, HDFC Life, Kajaria, and Policy Bazaar. Overall, the broadcaster has onboarded 19 brands for the marquee ICC tournament. All the action from the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2023 will be telecast Live & Exclusive on the Star Sports Network & Disney+ Hotstar from February 10-26th, 2023.

     

    Notes a communiqué: “Leading up to the marquee event, Star Sports Network has created an enhanced focus to galvanise support for the Women in Blue as they endeavour to replicate the World Cup triumph of the U19 Indian team, thus creating history and consequently changing it to ‘Her Story’. Adding to the excitement around the Indian matches, Star Sports Network will build surround sound and telecast all Indian matches LIVE in five languages – English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada.”

     

  • For expansion of outdoor campaign

    Times Prime teams up with Prooh Technologies

    By Our Staff

     

    Times Prime, lifestyle subscription app, has forged an association with Prooh Technologies, an AD network of digital and static road facing inventory, to further engage the brand’s audience with campaign – ‘Members’ Fest. This expansion of the outdoor campaign is from Cyber Hub, Gurgaon to 35 sites across the Delhi NCR region and will showcase brand’s new offer launches and exclusively curated events. It will run for three months and feature 35 digital screens strategically placed in popular shopping and dining destinations.

     

    Said Harshita Singh, Business Head, Times Prime: “Our 15-day extravaganza of exclusive benefits and experiences was a major success. The targeted approach drove engagement, brand awareness, and interaction. To keep raising the bar, we’re partnering with PROOH Technologies  for better innovation and adopting the latest marketing technologies.”

     

    Added Vishnu Mohan, Co-Founder of PROOH Technologies Pvt. Ltd. “This is an industry first initiative combining audience planning, programmatic DOOH AD placement around cohort movement patterns and buying DOOH and OOH space on no fixed rental instead on impressions delivered.”

     

  • Will help in delivering transformational work for the agency

    Cheil India appoints Neeraj Bassi as Chief Growth Officer

    By Our Staff

     

    Neeraj Bassi
    Neeraj Bassi

    Cheil India communication solutions agency appoints Neeraj Bassi as Chief Growth Officer. He will lead Cheil India’s business growth by adding to the roster of new clients and help in delivering transformational work that builds on Cheil India’s capabilities in Creative, Media, Data, Activation, and Retail.  In his current role, Bassi will report to Carlos Limseob Chung, MD, Cheil India, and Sanjeev Jasani, COO, Cheil India.

     

    Talking about his appointment, Sanjeev Jasani, COO, Cheil India said: “We are all geared up for the next chapter in Cheil India’s growth story.  We are uniquely positioned as a Business Connected Agency that offers an integrated result-oriented offering of various services to our clients. The presence of veterans like Neeraj helps us take this value proposition forward with our clients and deliver high-impact work that benefits the bottom line of our client.”

     

  • To refresh brand identity

    Publicis Business wins creative mandate for agri-tech startup Ninjacart

    By Our Staff

     

    Ninjacart, B2B Fresh Produce Supply Chain platform, has appointed Publicis Business as its creative partner. The account mandate includes a refreshed brand identity for Ninjacart along with a strategic creative design, marketing and advertising strategy for its multiple business verticals.

     

    Vasudevan Chinnathambi
    Vasudevan Chinnathambi

    Speaking about the association, Vasudevan Chinnathambi, Co-Founder, Ninjacart said: “We are delighted to have Publicis Business on board as our communications partner and will lead the 360-degree creative mandate for us right from brand identity creation. As Ninjacart takes its next big step to being India’s largest agri-tech platform and reshaping the Indian agricultural ecosystem, we are confident that Publicis Business will help us achieve our ambitious goals with their new-age thinking, creativity, and strong execution skills. We look forward to the association.”

     

    Nidhi Lall
    Nidhi Lall

    Nidhi Lall, Senior VP, Publicis Business, added: “Ninjacart is on the cusp of a tremendous growth journey and to get a chance in being a part of their success story is something all of us at Publicis Business are looking forward to. This mandate offers us the opportunity to truly flex all our B2B offerings and create clutter-breaking work which will in turn also impact India’s agricultural ecosystem. We are looking forward to a great and mutually rewarding partnership.”

     

  • In new languages and genres

    Aha OTT unveils expansion plans

    By Our Staff

     

    Aha streaming service, offering Telugu and Tamil-language content, unveiled plans for expansion in new languages and genres.

     

    Allu Aravind
    Allu Aravind

    Giving details about the investment, Allu Aravind, Promoter, aha said: “We are happy with the run we’ve had in these three years. We know that aha came in and catered to a gap in the OTT space by offering 100% local content. Today three years since, we are successful in Telugu and we are growing fast in Tamil and I believe the time has come for us to grow further into more languages. I am happy to say that over the next three years, we have a solid plan of growth with expansion into new languages and genres; and to that end, we are committed to infusing Rs 1000 crores.”

     

    Ajit Thakur
    Ajit Thakur

    Ajit Thakur, CEO aha added: “Today aha is synonymous with 100% local entertainment. We believe within our current markets we have a lot more to offer beyond the films and original series that we have come to be known for. We are committed to making aha a super app for our local audiences, and towards that over the next three years we will offer gaming, news, K-dramas, short form, interactive content, and a host of other features on our platform. In addition, we have also started working on our plans to launch in Malayalam and Kannada.”

     

  • According to the TYNY report, GroupM estimates 56% of adspends 2023 to be on digital

    GroupM estimates adspends to grow 15.5% in 2023

     

     

    By Our Staff

     

    GroupM India released its TYNY report on Tuesday, highlighting the advertising expenditure forecast for 2023. GroupM predicts INR 20,000 crores of incremental adspends in 2023 compared to 2022.

     

    This, according to a communique, highlights the continued growth and potential of the Indian advertising industry and the opportunities it presents for advertisers. The report highlights a 15.5% increase in ad spends in India, reaching INR 1,46,450 crore in 2023.

     

    India moves up to the 8th position globally in ad spends and continues to be the fastest-growing
    market in the top 10 markets worldwide.

     

    Prasanth Kumar
    Prasanth Kumar

    Said Prasanth Kumar, South Asia CEO, GroupM: “As technology redefines interactions between consumers, brands and businesses the ad industry must navigate thru this changing environment. The past 3 years have been marked by macroeconomic volatility and global events that have impacted advertisers’ businesses and ad spending. The Indian economy though is expected to weather these challenges and is poised to grow in the coming years.”

     

    Ashwin Padmanabhan
    Ashwin Padmanabhan

    Added Ashwin Padmanabhan, President – Investments, Trading, and Partnerships, GroupM – India: “Indian Adex will be the fastest growing globally at 15.5% supported by robust macroeconomic conditions. Digital at 56% of all advertising spends and growing at 20% over last year is driving the growth of Adex. India stands out globally with all mediums expected to grow with TV, Print and Radio growing at high single digits! We see 2023 panning out stronger as we move into the second half of the year and are confident of the Indian Adex staying on course to grow as projected.”

     

    Said Parveen Sheik, Head of Business Intelligence, GroupM India: “The growth of SMEs in the Adex has been a feature for the past few years, this year too we see the same trend. We also anticipate the revival of the rural economy as well as improved funding for the start-up ecosystem. Additionally, Telecom, BFSI, Retail, Fintech, Gaming as well as Travel & Tourism are expected to drive ad spending.”

     

    The launch and expansion of 5G services beyond top metros, combined with affordable
    smartphones, is also expected to drive ad spend growth, GroupM adds.

     

  • The question was meant to provoke, and we are happy we did that. For, the answer that you are about to read is, in one word: brilliant. Here's Dr Bhaskar Das in the February 15 edition of Das ka Dum. Read on…

    Das ka Dum with Dr Bhaskar Das | GroupM forecasts a drop of 1% in television and print. Are you still bullish on the legacy media?

    Bhaskar DasThe question was meant to provoke, and we are happy we did that. For, the answer that you are about to read is, in one word: brilliant. Here’s Dr Bhaskar Das in the February 15 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 or click here: https://www.mxmindia.com/category/columns/das-ka-dum/

     

    Q. GroupM forecasts a drop of 1% in television and print. Are you still bullish on the legacy media

     

    A. First, bullishness is not a function of irrational exhuberence. It is contextual and not predicated on some statistical deviation. Secondly, I am not bullish (slightly exaggerated adjective though). I have fact-based confidence, as of now, on both the formats of delivery in Indian context. For instance, my position on print is very clear: that is, print market leaders still deliver to the advertisers inspite of any real-time data. This is because of variety of factors like: pecking order in a market, a factor like primary pick-up, empirical evidence and for passive medium, active audience as a format advantage. Now, for television, the sheer Reach is a sizeable market for marketers (India has still maximum number of single TV homes) which can’t be ignored. Secondly, in an omnichannel media ecosystem, complementarity of media usage for maximising reach is equally important than only performance marketing as marketers are divided on the final verdict on the subject, as it is dependent on nature of the product/service. Even today, legacy media is critical for brand-building. Finally , a 1% negative variance on a large base, can’t reduce the efficacy of a medium. With increasing fragmentation of media and consumer attention and tepidness in the demand side of various industries, due to both local and global volatilities, a marginal negative growth can’t be conflated with a significant erosion of effectiveness of a media format of delivery.

     

  • Launches week long campaign titled '5xThankYou'

    Zee5 marks its fifth brand anniversary

    By Our Staff

     

    ZEE5 marks its fifth brand anniversary. It is celebrating the occasion with a week-long campaign in India titled ‘5xThankYou’ from 13th to 19th February, featuring exciting offers on annual plans, Indian and international blockbusters and exclusive titles.

     

    Sharing his views on the milestone, Amit Goenka, President – Digital Businesses & Platforms, ZEE Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) said: “ZEE5 was launched five years back with a vision to take Zee into its next phase of growth through leveraging the rapidly growing digital ecosystem to bring audiences extensive content choices and enhanced viewing experiences across screens. Today, I am happy to see ZEE5 emerge as India’s largest homegrown multilingual platform and the leading global platform for South Asian content representing the rich linguistic and cultural diversity of the region to the world. The journey has been enthralling with many learnings as we strengthened our presence across international and local markets in the last few years, and our teams have a lot to be proud of. The appetite for digital content with advancements in emerging technologies has catapulted the demand for OTT content, paving the way for us to step into our next phase of growth with a robust content-led digital-first strategy.”

     

    Added Manish Kalra, Chief Business Officer, ZEE5 India: “As a leading player in India’s OTT industry, we at ZEE5 have helped in expanding the contours of entertainment business over the last 5 years owing to the large appetite of Indians for quality content across languages. We, as a customer focused platform, believe in delivering high quality content for consumers, as well as engage with creators that could propel sector’s growth and address the demands of the culturally diverse and discerning audiences. With innovative storytelling, evolved character arcs, compelling narratives and content that transcends all barriers of languages and geographies we have grown remarkably over last 5 years across SVOD and AVOD. Our investments on content development increased significantly as well, as we strengthened our regional presence making inroads into the smaller pockets of India. Charting the next course for ZEE5, we will focus on producing good-quality stories, enhanced viewing experiences, creative collaborations, and increased choices for our viewers.”

     

  • Highlights that 'Welcome Change' is at the heart of everything they do

    Acko General Insurance unveils new marketing campaign

    By Our Staff

     

    Acko General Insurance unveils its new marketing campaign.

     

    Starting with Mumbai, the hyperlocal campaign salutes the positive changes that the city has seen over the years and highlights that “Welcome Change” is at the heart of everything they do. Changes like zero commission pricing and stress-free claims provided with zero paperwork are loved and welcomed by customers. In addition, the company firmly believes in constantly redefining the way people think of and experience complex financial decisions like insurance through technology.

     

    Giving a deeper insight into the Campaign, Ashish Mishra, Executive Vice President – Marketing, ACKO, said, “Empathy towards customers and the recognition that they deserve better than the traditional approach to insurance is at the core of everything we do. This empathy is reflected in our innovative way of thinking and doing things. Mumbai, the city where ACKO was born, is our first market where we are bringing this philosophy to life through our campaign by showcasing all the positive changes that the city has witnessed.”

     

  • Showcases videos of employees' first-hand experience working at DBS

    DBS Bank premiers third season of Sparks web series

    By Our Staff

     

    DBS Bank premiers the third season of Sparks, its award-winning web series.

     

    In this latest season of Sparks, the bank shows us what it is like to work at the World’s Best Digital Bank and offers a special preview of what is ‘Behind the Spark’ through behind-the-scenes content on their social media handles. Moreover, the web series showcases how DBS is a different kind of bank that embodies the agility of a startup – encouraging innovation and collaboration internally to develop best-in-class solutions and a fulfilling banking experience for its customers.

     

    Shoma Narayanan, Managing Director – Group Strategic Marketing & Communications at DBS Bank India, said: “The new Sparks episodes showcase how the synergy of both technology and sustainability enabled us to create an impact beyond banking and resulted in greater social good. While in previous seasons, we have highlighted how DBS works with customers and social enterprises, this time, we chose to focus on our employees, the reason behind the bank’s success. We are confident these compelling stories will ignite meaningful conversations with our audiences and motivate them to find their spark.”