MxMIndia

Author: mxmadmin

  • To Enable Online News Subscription with One-Tap Access

    Times of India & Simpl collaborate

    By Our Staff

     

    Times of India Digital and Simpl have partnered to enable online news subscriptions. This collaboration enables TOI+ subscribers to enjoy seamless one-tap checkout, eliminating complexities of traditional payment procedures.

     

    Said Radhika Shukla – Head – Subscription Growth, Strategy and Analytics, TOI+ said: “We are excited to partner with Simpl to make it easier for our readers to access premium news content. Simpl’s 1-tap checkout solution is simple, secure, and convenient, and we believe it will make a big difference in the way our readers subscribe to TOI+.”

     

    Added Nitya Sharma, Founder and CEO of Simpl: “We are thrilled to partner with TOI+ to bring the power of one-tap checkout to the news industry. This partnership aims to bridge the gap between convenience and quality journalism for millions of readers across the country. By leveraging Simpl’s revolutionary 1-tap Checkout, this partnership seeks to enhance the accessibility and ease of news subscriptions.”

     

  • The TVC has been conceptualized by Tilt Brand Solutions

    Kohli gets ‘great sleep’ on Duroflex

    By Our Staff

     

    Duroflex, sleep solutions provider, has launched their first campaign with national brand ambassador Virat Kohli, featuring its Energise Mattress range. The campaign aims at promoting quality sleep and explores the benefits of making healthy choices to ensure longevity in health.

     

    Speaking about the new campaign, Mohanraj Jagannivasan, Chief Executive Officer, Duroflex said: “The new brand campaign with Virat Kohli embodies our core belief. Virat is a benchmark for fitness and an inspiration to many. He perfectly aligns with our ‘Great sleep leads to great health’ philosophy, enabling us to spread this message to a wider audience We aim to demonstrate the strong connection between a well-rested mind and body and peak performance, with none other than the exceptional performer like Virat.”

     

    The TVC has been conceptualised by Tilt Brand Solutions and executed by Adarsh Atal, Chief Creative Officer, Tilt Brand Solutions adds: “We wanted to create a crisp video which encapsulates the essence of our messaging; the importance of sleep in one’s life. We have captured how Duroflex is instrumental in delivering these fundamental needs and strengthening their consumers to power through the day with India’s fitness icon – Virat Kohli.”

     

  • To highlight benefits of flexible repayment solutions for MSMEs

    Godrej Capital launches brand campaign

    By Our Staff

     

    Godrej Capital, the financial services arm of the Godrej group, launched its brand campaign, #IssLoanMeinLoadNahi. The campaign has been strategically planned around launching their business loans for MSMEs in 31 markets across India to enable access to credit for business owners to invest in their businesses’ growth. It is conceptualised by Creative Land Asia.

     

    Elaborating on the campaign, Nalin Jain, Chief Marketing Officer of Godrej Capital, said: “This campaign is rooted in the idea that a loan should never feel like a burden. At Godrej Capital, we firmly believe that a loan should symbolize empowerment and growth. Our goal is to transform how loans are perceived and facilitate business expansion through our innovations, flexible payment options, and digital-first approach. We aim to become the lender of choice for MSMEs and help them grow their businesses to their potential.”

     

    Added a spokesperson from Creative Land Asia: “The idea was to communicate the brand message with an engaging visual. We wanted to differentiate Godrej Capital’s flexible offering by personifying the feeling of being weighed down by an inflexible loan. Like always, everything boils down to the client team’s conviction on backing an idea that’s not predictable.”

     

  • K.Madhavan meets PM Narendra Modi

    Needed a new policy for broadcast sector: Madhavan meets PM Modi

    By Our Staff

     

    The Association of Indian Entertainment and News Channels, IBDF (Indian Broadcasting & Digital Foundation) President and Disney Star India Country Head, K Madhavan met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and brought to his notice crucial topics regarding the broadcasting sector in the country. He suggested the relevance of introducing a national policy on media and entertainment for the enhancement of broadcasting industry in the country. He pointed out that such a policy shall give better clarity to both media and governing bodies too.

     

    Notably, the PM has emphasised on the role played by Star Sports in upbringing Kabaddi as one of the much accepted sports in the country after cricket. They also discussed the possibilities of implementing similar ideas to enhance other sports too.

     

    It may be remembered that Minister Smriti Irani shot into fame after starring in a Star Plus ‘saas-bahu’ serial in the early0 to mid-2000s.

     

  • The mainstream media is unable to point fingers in Manipur, but no such luck in West Bengal, writes writes Ranjona Banerji

    Violence? Floods? All depends on which party

     

     

    By Ranjona Banerji

     

    Ranjona Banerji“The mainstream media is unable to point fingers in Manipur. Not towards Chief Minister Biren Singh. Or Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who made one visit of little use. Or the Prime Minister himself, who has not said a word about Manipur yet,” writes Ranjona Banerji

    The Indian media has concentrated with full attention on election-related violence in Bengal. At least 20 people were killed, as a bloody panchayat election was held across the state.

    Several high decibel “debates” were held on TV, where the state government and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was held responsible for being unable to control her party, which was accused of some of the violence. The party that may have been responsible for the rest of the violence shall remain unnamed.

    Heck, even I was asked to answer for the violence by trolls on the payroll of the unnamed party, because all Bengalis are responsible for what happens in Bengal and also in my case, because I share a surname.

    After Banerjee and the Trinamool Congress won with a “thumping” majority, the outrage died down in the media and only mutters remained, mainly in the corridors of the unnamed party.

    Such understandable anger at poll-related violence and the consequent responsibility of the party in power remains absent in Manipur. Even though it’s been two months since the violence began. Observers and commentators have likened the situation to anarchy and civil war. Armed Forces munitions have been raided and stolen. Violence continues.

    The mainstream media is unable to point fingers in Manipur. Not towards Chief Minister Biren Singh. Or Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who made one visit of little use. Or the Prime Minister himself, who has not said a word about Manipur yet

    Which party is in power in Manipur?

    It is the unnamed party in power at the Centre as well.

    And hence, the silence. From the party and the media.

    One prominent TV person was even upset that the European Parliament discussed the situation in Manipur. How dare they, when Indian TV doesn’t? The cheek!

     

    **

    The devastating floods in North India have sadly also been reported party-wise. Although to be fair, there has been some universal condemnation of bad planning, Delhi (AAP) and Himachal Pradesh (Congress) have faced more media attention than the rest.

    Am I being unfair? Just compare the level of anger and outrage in the Yelling Media, and you’ll get your answer.

    The big concentration for our captive media is the Prime Minister’s visit to France. Enough said.

    **

    And so to a curious case in the British media. And an abject lesson in how not to do journalism. Or, conversely what happens when gutter journalism is prominent over all other forms.

    The Sun, not really known for any form of serious journalism, carried a story last week allegting that a “prominent” BBC presenter had paid 35000 pounds to a young man, starting when he was 17, to send the presenter explicit photos of himself. The story was given to the Sun by the man’s mother and stepfather, who claimed that the money was used to feed their son’s drug habit.

    The BBC instantly suspended the presenter and began an internal investigation. Speculation went crazy over the identity of the presenter. And the police started an investigation.

    From last Friday to today, the story has practically turned on its head. The so-called “victim” has stated that his parents’ allegation is rubbish. The police have ended their investigation saying that no crime has been committed. The Sun has said it will publish no more stories on this and will cooperate with the BBC’s internal investigation. The Sun also claimed that the parents had not done this for money – which is common in the British media. But there are allegations that The Sun has paid huge amounts for the couple to appear on Talk TV, a sister concern. The presenter is in hospital with mental health issues. His wife is the one who named him to stop the speculation.

    https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/bbc-presenter-facing-sex-photo-claims-is-huw-edwards-bbc-says-citing-his-wife-2023-07-12/

    All in all, a right royal mess.

    Was there a story at all? Was The Sun just throwing muck around – not uncommon for the British tabloids – to target the BBC? And why was the BBC so quick to act against the presenter without ample evidence?

    This episode reflects what is the worst of the British media.

    As The New York Times says here, the BBC walked into The Sun’s trap.

    And Huw Edwards was hung out to dry.

    https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/13/world/europe/bbc-huw-edwards-saturation-coverage.html

     

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

     

  • Ranjona Banerji watches the anchor after long and is amazed by how young he looks

    When Arnab Goswami took on the Modi government on Manipur…

     

     

    By Ranjona Banerji

     

    Ranjona BanerjiIn the doom and gloom that is India now, there are occasional moments of gallows humour to cheer us up.

    Like Arnab Goswami screaming that whataboutery on Manipur is wrong, that the Modi government has made a mistake by not sacking Manipur Chief Minister, and so on.

    This is the first time I have seen Goswami’s face in I don’t know how long. So first I was amazed by how young he looks. Then I heard his bombastic shouting and realised it must be good exercise for face muscles. I may try it.

    The clip itself is short. So I have no doubt that Goswami went back to his usual BJP propaganda soon. The channel he runs is supported by the ruling disposition in more ways than one.

    But it was very entertaining.

    We all know, except for old journalists who have forgotten the new rules, even if they championed the hero who changed the rules, that the Modi government will avoid Manipur and do what it can to save Prime Minister Narendra Modi from being questioned on Manipur.

    This is a given.

    But since people will continue to watch TV there is nothing to be done.

    Except entertain yourself on social media.

    Like with the Modi government reaction to the film Oppenheimer.

    And that of former magazine employees who now work for the government. One such wrote a letter to director Christopher Nolan objecting to sex scenes where the Bhagvad Gita was quoted. The objector had not seen the film, but based his objections on social media comments. An honest admission. But also  a good lesson to be careful when journalists liberally sprinkle their copy or TV people their monologues with “sources”. Who knows what their sources are.

    Trolls on Twitter for instance.

    Another such important journalist who once worked for another government has also jumped into the fray on another matter: that the Congress President who is not a Gandhi family member is a puppet of the Gandhi family. This is the same story he has spun for years. But you have to admire his sense of timing.

    With poor Modi being protected from falling airport ceilings, collapsing highways and an increasingly impossible situation in Manipur, it’s all hands on deck to help. And who better than an inside man from the other side?

    I apologise for qualifying journalist with “important”. All journalists are important. Those who live in Delhi and have sources are more important than others.

    I digress. While some old school journalists are up to their usual tricks, others forget the rules have changed and a few try to climb out of the molasses to talk about collapses. Not just Manipur, but landslides, roads, drains and soon, at least 25 per cent of India’s forest cover.

    If you though Manipur was too far away for Delhi to bother about, imagine how far all the Himalayan states are.

    Look out for the amendments to the Forest Conservation Act. Or rather, the new Forest Construction Act. While you sleep, the polity carries on with its destructive policies.

    You could of course also laugh about Elon Musk changing Twitter’s name to X. Extreme foresight about our imminent extinction.

     

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

     

  • Sanjeev Kotnala on the Barbie movie's marketing campaign

    Sanjeev Kotnala: Painting the heart pink!

    By Sanjeev Kotnala

     

    Sanjeev KotnalaBarbara Millicent Roberts (lovingly called Barbie), daughter of George and Margaret Roberts from Willows, Wisconsin, recently hit a theatre near you. Despite a strong t franchise and a legendary product, BARBIE, the movie ran an all-out marketing campaign. Why not? At The End- It Is All About- ”Come on Barbie- let’s let’s go party”. The excitement is high, and the movie on day one did more than decent business during the weekend, inching closer to the 20Cr mark.

    Barbie like Lego toys, and then the play-station has been a divider than a unifier. There were two kinds of kids, Barbie owners and non-owners. And after the movie, you will have a perfect 2X2 matrix of Barbie owners and movie watchers. And everyone would want to be at Owned a Barbie – watched the movie quadrant.

     

    Dolls And Toys Have Huge Emotional Links.

    To fill the void from childhood, where soft toys were a luxury we could never indulge in. Where the friends played with us but never allowed us to play with the teddy bear she had. I bought a giant teddy bear from my first salary. So, I can understand the huge emotional pull the movie will have on Barbie owners and non-owners. Many of these toys are kept and treasured like memories.

     

    Barbie International Success. 

    There are more than 1 billion Barbie dolls sold since 1959, and she is still going strong, with more than 100 Barbie sold per minute and an estimated revenue of $2 billion in 2022.

    Barbie till now has more than 250 inspirational careers, meaning there are many more Barbies to own. You can get $25,000 plus for an original 1959 Barbie in pristine condition.

    Children find a place for their toys and dolls on the show shelf or child memory kits when they grow up. The girl never grows her Barbie. And, there is a Barbie in every girl’sgirl’s world – the fantastic world they live in and run wild with imagination. Barbie is, after all, an entirely fluid idea. She plays on the reflective dreams of young girls and is what they want her to be. 

     

    Barbie Ecosystem &  Digital.

    The Barbie app boasts over 70 million active users, with 19 million plus followers across social media platforms. I see it as an underselling of the legend on screen. It has evolved and kept pace with time. Be it the dress sense, ethnicity options, boyfriends, cultural ethos, continuous marketing, or accessories. Thus creating ab hugely successful ecosystem.

     

    Barbie Proactive Marketing.

    The 29 cm legend has remained a girl child favourite globally. The US figures claim that 90% of girls own at least one Barbie and that the average girl owns 10 Barbie dolls.

    There is a Barbie world out there- stories like her breakup in 2004 and getting back with Ken in 2011 keep the imagination high.

    The screen outing of Barbie should be much stronger than the first outing of Batman, Superman, Superwoman etc., in the overall pull, interest and lifetime revenue or impact on Barbie as a franchise.

    The movie Barbie will be a family outing with a girl child. It will further boost the Barbie world and expand the universe of Barbie kids while retaining and igniting the nostalgia in the ”I once had a Barbie’Barbie’ audience. The old generation, fully dripping in childhood memories and remembering the time with Barbie, will be the brand ambassador inviting the new generation into the fold. I will not be surprised if many moms play Barbie-Barbie with their daughters in the next few weekends.

     

    Barbie & India

    Barbie has not seen the same success in India. Though it remains aspirational and a large franchise. There has always been a question of Indian relatability to Barbie and acceptance of her sexuality and beauty parameters, including body measurements.

    It is a futile debate. For girls, she is a prime princess of the dolls she has in her playgroup. The body measurement is not something the kid looks at. Even the plastic hollow air-filled INR 7 dolls in a rural market have the same makeup. So where is the problem?

    The brand Barbie will get more mileage and traction post the movie launch and later with reruns over channels.

     

    Barbie Is Not Without Controversies.

    On the other hand Barbie in recent times, has had controversies due to some negative body image, perceived sexism, upholding gender stereotypes, pushing impossible beauty parameters and lack of Barbie diversity- however, it has not really impacted her popularity. On top of it, with ever-new introductions and expansion of the ecosystem, the brand further fuels the insatiable hunger of wanting a fresh Barbie.

     

    Brands And Barbie Ecosystem.

    The brands participating in the movie promotion leverage the Barbie ecosystem, and the captive audience are riding a marketing juggernaut. All these linkages were years in the making in a well-controlled campaign. Brands, including Crocs, Boohoo, Kitsch, Gap, Funboy, Primark and Mattel, have marketing product associations with limited editions and other merchandise from the world of dress, fashion trends, new clothing, barbie parties, perfume, shoes, brushes, eatables and more.

    The brand has been fairly active in outdoor activation and social media. The selfie filter was a huge hit, and the outdoor campaign was a great curiosity generator. There were social media filters, UGC and metaverse associations, to list a few.

     

    It is more than just painting the town in Barbie colours. It is like colouring the hearts of the older generation, which proudly claimed ”I lived in a Barbie world” to the new audience who want to live the Barbie world in Barbie colours.

     

    More Than The Movie.

    It is futile to see marketing efforts as just movie marketing. If there was a word a concept, it is one of the largest surrogate advertising for Barbie for being future-ready and expanding the Barbie lover segment in an era where kids are turning more to screens than playing with toys.

    The movie Barbie got a PG13 certificate abroad. It is nice for the brand in countries with a large following. It is UA certified in India and will work for the movie. The kid’skid’s pressure may not be high, but the adult would support the outing.

     

    Net-net

    Barbie, the movie marketing looks to have gone overboard if one looks at it as simple movie marketing. Then the task was simple, fill the theatre for the first 4 days and let the experience market the movie. There was no option to undersell and risk it overall.

    If the movie and the brand manage the expectation and experience gap well, it will be great; otherwise, we may see the movie fail in no time. 

    I feared the marketing campaign may have extended the expectations, and the experience may not live up to it, hurting the movie, if not the franchise. Like the non-pet owners in a pet café, you will find many non-barbie owners at the shows- it is Barbie, after all. She had parted during the weekend on the large screen in Indian cinemas.

     

  • A serious, straightforward question, and a serious, straightforward response. Here's Dr Bhaskar Das in the July 26 edition of Das ka Dum. Read on…

    Das ka Dum with Dr Bhaskar Das | As a vehicle which reaches a smaller but decidedly relevant audience for marketers, do you see the AVOD pie increasing to vie for ad spend budgets in the coming years?

    Bhaskar DasA serious, straightforward question, and a serious, straightforward response. Here’s Dr Bhaskar Das in the July 26 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. As a vehicle which reaches a smaller but decidedly relevant audience for marketers, do you see the AVOD pie increasing to vie for ad spend budgets in the coming years?

     

    A. The overall size would certainly grow for some more time but the distribution across formats of delivery would continue to get redistributed, depending on where the relevant audience for a product/ service or idea is getting aggregated and engaged. This is of course the usual grammar of media planning and buying. What would be different would be the (if not already being experimented) way communication would be crafted and delivered in as much as personalised manner and AVOD won’t be a dominant route of survival for any media per se. In other words, as delivery formats multiply, many monetisation routes would emerge. Over-dependence on one route (AVOD), seems, as of now, to be a sure threat to a business model of an enterprise.

     

  • Free of Charge to 25 young leaders

    ACI offers AFAA New Age Leadership Programme

    By Our Staff

     

    The Advertising Council of India (ACI) has announced a New Age Leadership Program between August 23rd and 26th 2023, under the aegis of the Asian Federation of Advertising Associations (AFAA) free of charge to 25 potential young leaders under 35 years of age.

     

    Says Srinivasan Swamy, Chairman AFAA: “ This is a real effort of industry Associations to give back to our industry and also help shape the future of our industry in a manner that tomorrow’s leaders are exposed to what we call a 4-day experiential and inspirational immersive event. The multi-city experience will be an all-expenses-paid learning opportunity covering Mumbai Ahmedabad and Surat.”

     

    Added Manish Advani, Founder and CEO MIMO Potentio, an eight-times TEDx speaker and recipient of the International Green Apple Award at the House of Commons in the British Parliament, who is the Program Facilitator: “The 25 young professionals could be young marketers, advertising executives, market research executives, digital and analytics executives, space/time marketing executives to mention a few areas. They will visit interesting corporates, institutions, cooperatives and interact physically and digitally with leaders from across India and even the world. I believe they can transform from promising young professionals to future leaders.”

     

  • The Advertising Council of India (ACI) has been a distinguished member of AFAA

    Jury announced for AFAA ‘Changemakers For Good’ Awards

    By Our Staff

     

    The Asian Federation of Advertising Associations (AFAA) had introduced its first ever unique pan-Asian Awards called Changemakers for Good in four categories;

    1) Advertising; (for messaging that has been transformational in the public space).

    2) Government; (which is for a similar messaging but from the Government or an arm of the Government).

    3) Industry Leader; (for a leader in the communications industry who has consistently led societal change in the last few years).

    4) Innovation; (where technology or a radically different approach has made a difference in the lives of people).

     

    The period for the advertising messages would be the calendar year 2022. The awards will be judged in a two-tiered manner. National and then Pan Asian.

     

    The Advertising Council of India (ACI) has been a distinguished member of AFAA. ACI whose constituents are The Indian Society of Advertisers (ISA), Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI), Indian Broadcasting and Digital Foundation (IBDF), The Advertising Club and India Chapter of the International Advertising Association (IAA) announced that entries for the AFAA Changemakers For Good Awards have been judged by an erudite jury to pick the winners for India.

     

    The jury members are Avinash Pandey (CEO, ABP Network and President, India Chapter of the IAA), Partha Sinha (President, Times of India Group and President, The Advertising Club, Sangeeta Pendurkar (CEO, Pantaloons at Aditya Birla Group) and Jaideep Gandhi (Founder, Another Idea).

     

    Srinivasan Swamy Chairman & Managing Director, R K Swamy Limited and Chairman, Asian Federation of Advertising Associations said: “These awards are unique. They seek to salute those advertising, media and tech professionals and companies who are using communication for making a positive impact on society. The quality of the entries received was very good, and the awards would achieve their objective of positioning the marcom community in its proper way, as caring people, who are using communication as a real force for good.”

     

  • To drive media duties for the jewellery chain

    Havas Media appointed as AOR for Joyalukkas

    By Our Staff

     

    Havas Media Network has been appointed as the media AOR of the jewellery chain, Joyalukkas. It will take charge of driving the media duties for Joyalukkas across all offline channels, encompassing TV, Print, Radio, Cinema, and OOH. The account will be led by Saurabh Jain, President – South, Havas Media India, from the agency’s Bengaluru office. The win came on the heels of a multi-agency pitch.

     

    Commenting on the association, Joy Alukkas, CMD, Joyalukkas Group, said: “Joyalukkas has always been committed to delivering the finest jewellery and exceptional experiences to our customers. With Havas Media Network India’s remarkable track record and strategic insights, we are confident in their ability to amplify our brand presence and ensure that our message reaches our esteemed customers in the most relevant and relatable manner.”

     

    Mohit Joshi, CEO, Havas Media Network India, added: “Havas Media Network India and Joyalukkas are set to embark on a dynamic and transformative partnership, geared towards bringing Joyalukkas’ legacy of elegance and splendour to even greater heights in the ever-evolving market. Our team is fully committed to curating meaningful impact that resonate with their target audience and further strengthen Joyalukkas’ position as a leading jewellery brand in India and beyond.”

     

  • Elevates Gaurav Arora to COO and onboards Divya Singh as CRO

    Jagran New Media strengthens leadership

    By Our Staff

     

    Jagran New Media, the digital wing of Jagran Prakashan Ltd., announced key leadership appointments by elevating Gaurav Arora to the role of Chief Operating Officer (COO). Divya Singh succeeded him as Chief Revenue Officer (CRO).

     

    In his new role, Gaurav will take on broader responsibilities in helming operational strategies, optimizing new product revenue streams, and enhancing overall organizational effectiveness, in addition to leading affiliate sales, video production (news and non-news), and other monetization possibilities for the brand. Also, he will continue to lend his support to the revenue functions.

     

    Divya Singh is a seasoned industry doyen with an exceptional track record of spearheading revenue growth and strategic partnerships. In her current role at JNM, she will be responsible for overseeing the company’s revenue operations, advertising sales, and business development initiatives. Having held pivotal roles across diverse organizations for more than two decades, she possesses a profound understanding of revenue engagements and sales networks.

     

    Bharat Gupta, Chief Executive Officer, Jagran New Media, said: “Gaurav has paved the way for a culture of performance in the organization and is a true people-oriented leader. His calm demeanour combined with a strategic and innovative approach in a highly dynamic and evolving digital space has been both reassuring and gratifying for the organization. I am thrilled to see his continued growth. Simultaneously, we are pleased to welcome Divya Singh as our new CRO. She will play a crucial role in optimizing revenue, leveraging her profound industry knowledge and insights into measurable outcomes.”