MxMIndia

Author: mxmadmin

  • The second issue of the North-east's lifestyle magazine 'Good Times' has Arnab Goswami being interviewed

    Good Times with Arnab Goswami

    By A Correspondent

     

    He is one of Assam’s most famous sons, probably the best known Assamese face in the world. Okay, there have been other big names from the state – Bhupen Hazarika being the foremost, but there’s no doubting the fact that Arnab Goswami is undoubtedly the most prominent – not just in the media but from other walks of life as.

     

    Little wonder that he was on the cover of the second issue of Good Times, an all-new lifestyle magazine that is edited by Guwahati-based mediaperson Koushik Hazarika.  Mr Hazarika was until earlier this year Executive Editor and Marketing Manager with Eclectic Publications. His magazine is priced at Rs 40 and Mr Hazarika can be reached at: koushik.h@gmail.com

     

    Sample some questions posed to Mr Goswami:

    Coming to debates, there are a lot of talk shows that are aired in the television channels now. What is the kind of impact that these shows should aim to create with these discussions? It seems like it has happened on TV and then it’s over!

     

    I have often thought about this and I have come to a conclusion that only when the people, who need to be embarrassed and the people, who need to be humiliated are exposed, only then can a change happen…

     

    Personal and professional future in the next 5 years?

    I wouldn’t know about the professional future but yes, I do dream that at sometime in the future, our country will have a channel like BBC or CNN which is going to be broadcast to the world and if such an opportunity arises, I would certainly like to play a role in it. Personally, I hope I get more time to visit my parents who are in Guwahati and to spend time with my family. That would be good enough.

     

    One last thing – regarding the recent open letter by Madhu Kishwar. Any comments?

     

    I have a postal as well as an e-mail address and if anyone wants to reach me, they can write directly to me.

     

  • A weekly column by Paritosh Joshi, until recently CEO, Star CJ. Given his varied experience in the media and industry bodies, Mr Joshi will analyse issues concerning the business of media, measurement and research

    Paritosh Joshi: Everything I had to know, I heard it on my radio

    By Paritosh Joshi

     

    Three times this last week, radio has crept into my conversations, with three quite different people. Let me cite just one. We were talking about our preferences between playing music from our CD collection and dialing up a radio station. My guest was enthusiastic in his approbation for the radio, for a very simple reason too. “When you play music from your collection, you always know what’s coming up next,” he said, adding: “and what makes radio fun is it’s an endlessly unfolding sequence of surprises.”

     

    To which I would add that there is something rather relaxing about leaving the hard work of choosing what plays next to someone else, indeed someone else who is specialized in the art and craft of assembling and running through playlists.

     

    Got me thinking about radio, so it was the obvious next step to check out what the industry association offered up. Wasn’t hard to locate the website of the Association of Radio Operators for India (AROI). Promptly went there to discover – well, not a lot. Had to get something on the industry and thankfully, the good people at KPMG and FICCI had the latest “Indian Media & Entertainment Industry Report” available for download, which I swiftly proceeded to do. Here’s what I found.

     

    The Radio industry in 2012 is worth a mere Rs13 billion, ~ US $ 240 million and represents a mere 1.6 per cent of the overall industry of Rs 823 billion, ~ US $ 15 billion.

     

    In five years, it is projected to grow to Rs 29 billion, still just ~ US 540 million but representing a slightly more respectable 2 per cent of the overall pie. Evidently, this will require it to grow faster than the overall pace, which it is projected to do, clipping along at a 21 per cent CAGR even as the overall number doesn’t quite get to a 15 per cent CAGR.

     

    Dig deeper and you will find that a lot of the enthusiasm stems from FM Radio Phase III which will introduce private FM to as many as 227 new towns. So that is all it takes to make radio exciting, is it?

     

    Let’s take a look elsewhere and find out what radio is really about. A good place to start is any of these: Last.fm, “tunein.com” Radio or “shoutcast.com” Radio Directory. All of them are aggregators, like the portals of yore in some ways, which offer you an endless variety of radio stations from across the planet. An important aspect of what is on offer is the range of ‘genres’ by which the stations are classified. Here’s a list of the genres under the broad category, ‘Music’ on TuneIn:

     

     

    Adult Contemporary Country Hip Hop Rock Top 40-Pop
    Blues Decades Jazz Soul World
    Classical Easy Listening Oldies Spanish
    College Electronic-Dance Religious Specialty

     

     

    Just in case you might think this was a bewildering choice, I have news for you. ‘Sports’ offers a choice of 21 genres, including, trust me, ‘Fantasy League’.

     

    The point I’m making is quite simple really. Radio is all about precise choices and tightly defined audiences. Stations have an unapologetic and uncompromising commitment to their audiences and are only able to attract them because they stick to playlists that reflect the choices of their highly differentiated audience.

     

    What does the picture look like inIndia? Our earliest templates from what radio stations must sound like came from Akashvani, the one channel that catered to our teeming millions long before the brash youngsters arrived on the scene with FM Phase I.

     

    Akashvani was the ‘one size fits all’ / ‘any colour so long as it is black” radio station. From programming in two, even three, languages to carrying everything from mythologicals through adventure serials (anyone remember Inspector Eagle here?), to the News and various topical features, radio did everything – catered, as it were, to the lowest common denominator.

     

    Look at where we are now. Barring one station that chooses to play a purely Western playlist, all our major metros run a whole bunch of stations whose content is largely interchangeable, mainly because their music and even anchoring style – chatty, hip youngsters doing their clever, irreverent thing, are right out of a cookie cutter.

     

    Now before I get flamed out by radio folks pointing to the compulsions of recouping sizable licence costs, I must beg forgiveness and hide behind the defence of ignorance. What I do know, however, is this cannot possibly be the best way for radio to go forward.

     

    Radio must target tightly and then programme obsessively to that chosen audience. “Let me be just like everyone else” is not good marketing in any category, least of all radio. Keep in mind that radio will shift away from airwave frequencies to the Internet. That’s when the same-same (known, I believe, as Adult Contemporary) content will die anyway.

     

    I began by invoking Queen’s Radio Gaga and can’t help but quoting again from the same, wonderful song at the end.

     

    “You’ve yet to have your finest hour Radio – radio”

     

    Paritosh Joshi was until recently CEO, Star CJ. He has been a marketer, a mediaperson and a key officebearer on industry bodies. He is Strategic Advisor, Ormax Media. He can reached via his Twitter handle @paritoshZero
  • 9XO, the international music channel from the 9X Media Group, has launched a comprehensive international music store online called www.9xo.56060.in

    9XO launches online music store and WAP Portal

    By A Correspondent

     

    9XO, the international music channel from the 9X Media Group, has launched a comprehensive international music store online called www.9xo.56060.in. This is the second online store by 9X Media Group which has earlier successfully launched a Bollywood music store for 9XM. Besides www.9xo.56060.in, 9XO has also created a WAP Portal to download Videos, Wallpapers, Ringtones and Audio Packs.

     

    9XO in association with Techzone — aggregators, developers, publishers and distributors of entertainment content, boasts of an enviable collection of the best of international music. This online music destination will allow music lovers to stream as well as download the audio content of their favourite international music.

     

    Speaking on the initiative, Vibha Gosher, Sr. VP, Digital, 9X Media Group, said, “We are extremely pleased to partner with Techzone for this initiative. In India, International music is seldom promoted in comparison to other genres of music content. Despite of this, the consumption of international music on mobile is almost five to seven per cent of the overall music content in the country. In the age of smart phones and tablets, great content, at an affordable pricepoint powered by robust technology is a sure formula to make a significant footprint in the Music industry. The availability of a large repertoire of international songs on the store will definitely make it the preferred destination for international music enthusiasts.”

     

    Thrilled about the tie-up with 9XO, Naveen Bhandari, Director of TechZone says, “We are glad to be associated with 9XO in creating this online web store. Techzone is the only player in India that has presence in the international music market and captures majority for mobile. Our users are mobile and internet savvy and the online store is a part of our efforts to make the entire gamut of international music available to consumers legally and at a very affordable price. We are sure to delight our users with the large library of songs and video titles available through our online store.”

     

  • How does a vibrating chip relate to the Polo and the Vento? I really hope the cars don't vibrate while being driven, that would be quite alarming!

    Debrief: Volkswagen’s senseless ‘innovation’

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Volkswagen celebrated 9/11 with ‘shock and awe’. No, they didn’t drive their zippy cars into buildings, they did something even more spectacular: Stick a vibrator on the last page of certain newspapers, as the message read: ‘Feel the shiver of excitement?’. If this provided some, ahem, excitement to the female readers, that was short-lived; the gizmo was a cheap chip that vibrated the entire newspaper… this is Volkswagen’s method of showing us that they are an innovative company.

     

    Well, Volkswagen has fooled around with newspapers with their wild ideas on previous occasions too, so this was nothing new. Clearly, their strategy, much like that desperate cartoonist called Trivedi, is to get attention at all costs (and for Volkswagen, the cost of these tricks must be phenomenal). So, yes, the idea worked, people hotly discussed the vibrator in the social media.

     

    However, I would urge Volkswagen to try and put out ideas that connect with their cars. How does a vibrating chip relate to the Polo and the Vento? I really hope the cars don’t vibrate while being driven, that would be quite alarming! So this is trickery for the sake of trickery. And that’s not very smart thinking.

     

    Also, must tell you, I had to purchase the TOI from the street vendor after I heard about the vibrating newspaper. And this is because my own copy arrived all soggy and wet (9/11 was a very rainy morn in Mumbai), water had seeped into the contraption and it had gone kaput! Again, hope that sort of stuff doesn’t happen to Volkswagen’s gaadis in the monsoons, hehe.

     

    Rating: (On a scale of 1-5): 1. Silly, costly, irrelevant ‘innovation’.

     

  • Zee Alwan will have over 180 hours of original programming monthly with three Arabic series offered exclusively on the free-to-air channel

    Zee launches 2nd Arabic GEC – Zee Alwan

    By A Correspondent

     

    Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd announced the launch of its second Arabic channel, Zee Alwan, on September 12, 2012.

     

    Zee Alwan will have over 180 hours of original programming monthly with three Arabic series offered exclusively on the free-to-air channel. The programme roster also includes popular Indian serials that have been dubbed into Arabic, in addition to a range of lifestyle shows including cookery, yoga, and travel – all carefully structured to appeal to Arab audiences.

     

    On the launch of new channel, Punit Goenka, MD & CEO, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEE) said, “As a part of our global strategy, Zee Alwan is a step towards strengthening our presence in the Middle East. After the success of Zee Aflam, this new channel will help us to further consolidate our share and enhance ZEE’s reach.”

     

    Mukund Cairae, CEO-Middle East, North Africa & Pakistan, said: “Zee Alwan has received overwhelming response from Arab audiences across the Gulf region, particularly in the UAE and Saudi Arabia following its soft launch. With the grand roll-0ut, we are further strengthening the programming of Zee Alwan, with a focus on providing original Arabic content. Zee Alwan’s niche of providing exclusive Arabic series – produced in the Gulf region as well as the dubbed Indian productions – sets a new trend in family television entertainment in the Middle East.”

     

    Mr Cairae added, “With Zee Alwan, we are also creating a new platform for talent collaboration between the Arab world and India. This will benefit the creative community in the region, and add to the historic cultural linkages that have existed between Arabia and India for over several centuries.”

     

    According to a Bengaluru-based media planner, Middle East is a mid-sized market and therefore Indian channels especially South Indian channels which have a huge market there see it as a good investment. “From Bollywood to Indian serials, people are want to watch popular shows and movies there. Therefore, so many Indian channels are available there. A launch of a few more channels with original content will only intensify the market.”

     

    Zee Alwan follows the launch of Zee Aflam, a dedicated 24×7 movie channel beaming Bollywood movies dubbed in Arabic. The two Arabic channels underline Zee’s long-term commitment to the Arab world and to leverage the growing popularity of Bollywood and Indian television content among Arab audiences.

     

    Zee Alwan’s line up of Arabic serials include the hugely popular Hindustani, the first Saudi Arabian musical and comedy with a prominent cast, making its first and exclusive free-to-air channel telecast. Other Arabic serials, also to be telecast exclusively on the channel, include the Khaleeji series Banaat Al Jameaa, depicting the story of life after high school and the advantages and disadvantages that young men and women endure at school and within their families; and the Syrian drama Banat Al Alilah, a tale of a guarded secret shared by an aunt and her niece.

     

    The popular Indian serials that have amassed millions in viewership, and have been dubbed in Arabic for Zee Alwan include: Malekat Jhansi, which narrates the tale of the courageous Rani Laxmi Bai, a name that stands for bravery and heroism; Alwa’ad, following the lives of three sisters from a hill resort who are brought together when their parents pass away; and Lalli, in which the protagonist discovers the positive side of life despite living in poverty.

     

    The array of lifestyle shows on Zee Alwan include celebrated Indian chef Sanjeev Kapoor’s Konooz Khanaa that highlights the finer delicacies in Indian cuisine;Yoga for You¸ a health and fitness show which introduces the ancient Indian practice of Yoga and the health benefits that one can attain by practising it regularly; and Full Circle, a travel show that takes viewers to the Far East and the Pacific, illustrating various lifestyles and cultures.

     

    All the programmes respect the sensitivities of Arab audiences, especially women. Zee Alwan also has several Arab female anchors to present the shows, provide recaps on earlier episodes, and present vignettes from upcoming episodes. The channel is transmitted from Dubai with an operational office in Saudi Arabia.

     

  • Carrier Midea India Pvt. Ltd. has appointed DDB Mudra Delhi as its creative agency for the Midea Brand. DDB Mudra Group was entrusted with the account after a multi-agency pitch

    Carrier Midea appoints DDB Mudra for creative

    By A Correspondent

     

    Carrier Midea India Pvt. Ltd. has appointed DDB Mudra Delhi as its creative agency for the Midea Brand. DDB Mudra Group was entrusted with the account after a multi-agency pitch. The agency’s main focus will be on strategic planning and creative execution for both ATL and BTL requirements of the Midea brand. Led by Vandana Das, President, DDB Mudra Group, the account will be managed out of Delhi.

     

    Carrier Midea India is a new entrant in the Indian home appliances market and has aggressive marketing plans. The business was awarded to DDB Mudra Group based on its strong strategic recommendation and sharp point of view on positioning the brand Midea in the competitive Indian consumer durables market.

     

    Confirming the agency appointment, Sanjay Mahajan, Vice President – Sales & Marketing, Carrier Midea India said, “We are delighted to partner with DDB Mudra. They have a proven track record of creating brands, remarkable campaigns and fresh ideas. The team is proactive, extremely passionate and provides a good balance of thinking and doing. Also, we are poised for growth with major expansion plans and are confident that our partner agency will play a critical role in achieving our marketing goals. We look forward to work with them.”

     

    Vandana Das, President DDB Mudra Group, said, “Wins are always delighting, but this specific one, we are even more delighted as we would be partnering with Carrier Midea India for a full fledged launch of the Midea brand in the country. We would be adopting an integrated approach to launch it across all consumer touch points, in the months ahead.”

     

  • InMobi to rename Sprout to InMobi Studios; eyes huge revenue jump this quarter

    Mobile ad platform Sprout is now InMobi Studio

    By A Correspondent

     

    InMobi, a mobile ad network company which acquired Sprout in August last year, has decided to rebrand the leading platform for creating mobile HTML5 rich media advertising. Sprout will now be called ‘InMobi Studio’ while the details about the rebranding were not available at the time of reporting, Sandeep Deshpande, Country General Manager, InMobi said, “We will be rebranding Sprout, a company we had acquired last year to InMobi Studio.” The company website however states that “InMobi Studio is a simple, yet tremendously powerful platform that empowers marketers to build, run, and measure mobile rich-media ads without compromise.”

     

    InMobi which is said to be the largest independent ad network company in the world claims to reach over 600 million mobile internet users worldwide. In India, the ad network company claims to reach over 85 per cent of mobile internet users. “About 85 per cent of the entire mobile internet users in India can be reached through our network (InMobi), worldwide however we reach over 600 million mobile internet users worldwide” pointed out Mr Deshpande.

     

    According to Mr Deshpande, by 2014 more people across the globe are expected to access internet on their mobile phones rather than their PC or laptop. As a result mobile advertising will become a very important medium for brands to reach out to and engage.

     

    InMobi is currently working with over 150 advertisers in India namely NDTV, Indian Express, NIIT, Levis etc. InMobi aims to offer significant opportunities for brands to connect and engage with its users by using its reach and super engaging creative solutions. Mr Deshpande was of the view that there is a need for evangalising the benefits of mobile advertising in India. He said, “These are still early days for mobile advertising in India and we are investing a significant energy as a team to build the momentum of mobile advertising in India. It will take time for advertisers to realize the benefits of this medium”

     

    InMobi is said to have a total of over 800 employees currently, and about half of them are expected to be based out of India. With the festive seasons approaching and a lot of cricket tournaments coming up, InMobi expects a big jump in its revenues this quarter as compared to the previous quarter.

     

  • Myntra aims to further strengthen leadership position through new segments; to launch private labels soon.

    Myntra, clicking faster

    By A Correspondent

     

    Myntra.com, an online retailer of fashion and lifestyle brands, has expanded its range of apparel to sarees this month. The online retailer of fashion offers 12 brands of sarees namely, FabIndia, Satya Paul, Satyavee Designs, Ambica Bridal Sarees to name a few. Myntra which is said to be witnessing consumer interest and traction in this category also expects to register daily sales average close to 1000 units within the next 30-45 days. In addition to these brands more brands and designs are expected to be added soon. While 65 per cent of its shoppers are males and 35 per cent are females, Myntra eyes an increase in female shoppers with its introduction to apparels like cosmetics and sarees.

     

    Myntra will be promoting these new categories across online platforms including Google ads, affiliates and social media platforms. On basis of its research findings, Myntra found that there is a huge demand for categories like sarees and cosmetics especially from tier 2 and 3 markets because of lack of choice and availability. Myntra aims to further strengthen is leadership position through its strong connect and high reach.

     

    Ashutosh Lawania

    In an email interaction with MxMIndia, Ashutosh Lawania, Co-Founder and Head – Sales and Marketing, Myntra.com said that Myntra is working on launching private labels in a few months time. These private labels will be Myntra’s own brand of clothing line. More details were however not available at the time of filing the report. “We are working towards launching our private labels which would go live in a couple of months,” said Mr Lawania.

     

    Footwear continues to be the most popular category on Myntra which is said to contribute approximately 45 to 50 per cent of its daily sales. Footwear is then closely followed by clothing for men, women and children, along with accessories such as jewelry, watches, glares, handbags, and so on.

     

    In addition to these developments, Mr Lawania also spoke about his mobile plans in the coming few months. “We believe that mobile will be the next big thing and that today it is only at a tipping point. We are working towards enabling our interface to make it ready to deliver the full Myntra experience across a plethora of handheld devices.”

     

    Speaking about the scope of e-commerce business in India and whether online buyers would increase their trust in online transactions, Mr Lawania said, “With the internet penetration currently at 120 million and expected to touch 300 million by 2015, we believe that ecommerce has a huge potential to grow over the years. We believe that CoD will play a huge role in the success of ecommerce in India. CoD is here to stay as we (India) are a huge cash economy and people are comfortable transacting in cash. Online retailers need to make this process of handling cash more efficient and cost effective.”

     

  • She will be the only woman ambassador for Brand Pepsi, which is also endorsed by the Ranbir Kapoor and M S Dhoni.

    Priyanka Chopra back as Pepsi’s brand ambassador

    By Nandini Raghavendra & Ratna Bhushan

     

    Priyanka Chopra is making a comeback as brand ambassador for Pepsi after four years, riding on her new, yet to be released avatar as a singer and her recent success at the box office, which the beverage-maker believes will help connect it with young consumers again.

     

    The deal is estimated at over Rs 4 crore a year, one of the biggest deals for the actress, an official aware of the details said. “It is likely that Pepsi will extend their association to Priyanka’s debut music venture as well,” he added. Earlier in May, PepsiCo and social networking platform Twitter announced a global music partnership, called ‘Live for Now Music’.

     

    Priyanka, one of Bollywood’s highest paid actors, who endorses Nokia phones, Nikon cameras, Hero two-wheelers and Garnier cosmetics, among others, had walked out of a deal with Pepsi in 2008 over endorsement fee, two people in knowledge of the development said. Over the last four years, Priyanka has reworked her movie career and will release her first solo album for Universal Music later this year. PepsiCo, on the other hand, is looking for fresh campaigns to beat a slowdown in sales.

     

    A PepsiCo spokesman confirmed the association with Priyanka as the brand ambassador for Pepsi. She will be the only woman ambassador currently for brand Pepsi, also endorsed by Indian cricket team captain MS Dhoni and actor Ranbir Kapoor.

     

    Source:The Economic Times

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

    Photograph: Fotocorp

     

     

     

  • The mobile, as a handheld device, is a lot more personal and contextual. Advertising on this medium thus cannot be the same as on the internet

    The Anchor: 4 challenges hampering mobile advtg growth

    By Narasimha Suresh

     

    #1 The mobile, as a handheld device, is a lot more personal and contextual. Advertising on this medium thus cannot be the same as on the internet. A promotional ad that is sent to a handheld device can excite. But if it does not, it can create more harm to the brand. Thus, contextual and relevant marketing is missing, and this is the foremost challenge.

     

    #2 The current inventory and mechanism available does not address the advertising issue for mobiles. The banner advertising or SMS might not be relevant at all times. There are clearly not too many options that are available or that an advertiser can leverage.

     

    #3 Brand marketers do not know how to measure the impact of mobile advertising. Advertisers need to engage consumer not only through content but also through context. The mobile advertisement should not be a push, but pull consumers. Since this is all about advertising on handheld devices, the advertising needs to target the person there and then. If a person is checking out a product, the offer or advertisement about the product or category should reach them immediately.

     

    #4 There exists an ecosystem problem as well. The penetration of 3G and smartphones is still limited. If 3G spectrum is present, the network is too slow. Smartphones are priced highly, and thus limit the reach.

     

    Narasimha Suresh is CEO and Founder of TELiBrahma.

     

  • The iPhone 5 was launched with much fanfare on Wednesday making it the thinnest and lightest smartphone in the market

    No immediate iPhone5 launch in India, in HKG for Rs 39.7k

    By A Correspondent

     

    There was much fanfare amongst gadget-freaks across the world. There were live webcasts with geeky anchors soldiering on, but even as there was some excitement about the features – though guarded since the Samsung S3 – has been also been receiving rave reviews. But the bad news for India is that Apple has yet again not included India in its launch line-up for this month.

     

    iPhone 5 will be available in the US, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Singaporeand the UKfrom Friday, September 21, and customers can pre-order their iPhone 5 beginning Friday, September 14. iPhone 5 will roll out worldwide to 22 more countries on September 28 (nightingale Lata Mangeshkar’s birthday), including Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

     

    In HongKong, the 16GB version is priced at HK$ 5588. The 32GB is at HK$ 6388 and 64GB for HK$ 7188. With the prevailing conversion rate, the 16GB version is in INR terms, Rs 39,700. In Singapore, the 16GB version is a tad more expensive: S$ 948 (around Rs 42,600).

     

    Apple has announced iPhone 5, boasting of being the thinnest and lightest iPhone ever, completely redesigned to feature a stunning new four-inch Retina display; an Apple-designed A6 chip for blazing fast performance; and ultrafast wireless technology. iPhone 5 comes with iOS 6, the world’s most advanced mobile operating system with over 200 new features including: the all new Maps app with Apple-designed cartography and turn-by-turn navigation; Facebook integration; Passbook organization; and even more Siri features and languages. It will be available in white, silver, black and slate.

     

    “iPhone 5 is the most beautiful consumer device that we’ve ever created,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “We’ve packed an amazing amount of innovation and advanced technology into a thin and light, jewel-like device with a stunning four-inch Retina display, blazing fast A6 chip, ultrafast wireless, even longer battery life; and we think customers are going to love it.”

     

    Some more information courtesy an Apple communique: iPhone 5 – the thinnest smartphone in the world – comes with an all-new 7.6 mm anodized aluminum body that is 18 percent thinner and 20 percent lighter than iPhone 4S, with diamond cut chamfered edges and glass inlays. The new 4-inch Retina display on iPhone 5 delivers even more pixels than iPhone 4S.

     

    iPhone 5 supports ultrafast wireless standards including LTE and DC-HSDPA, that helps browse, download and stream content even faster. To support the latest LTE technology, Apple has pioneered a unique single-radio LTE solution that provides blazing fast speeds while fitting perfectly into the new remarkably thin design. iPhone 5 features dual-band 802.11n Wi-Fi support for a wireless experience up to 150 Mbps.

     

    The all-new A6 chip was designed by Apple to maximize performance and power efficiency to support all the incredible new features in iPhone 5, including the stunning new 4-inch Retina display-all while delivering even better battery life. The 8 megapixel iSight camera is completely redesigned with incredible optical performance, yet amazingly it’s 25 percent smaller than the camera in iPhone 4S. The new iSight camera in iPhone 5 features a sapphire crystal lens cover and the new panorama feature lets you capture jaw-dropping panorama images of up to 28 megapixels by simply moving the camera across a scene in one smooth motion. iPhone 5 also features the new Lightning connector that is smaller, smarter and more durable than the previous connector; and comes with the new Apple EarPods featuring a breakthrough design for a more natural fit and increased durability, and an incredible acoustic quality typically reserved for higher-end earphones.

     

    Photograph: apple.com

     

  • MxMIndia gets the chieftains of Multi Screen Media to dwell on the UFC gameplan and what more to expect from Sony Six

    Sony Six all set for the fight!

     

     

    By Johnson Napier

     

    If all had gone as planned, then Sony Six, the much-hyped sports channel from Multi Screen Media, would have been the toast of sport-loving viewers in India by now. The single biggest property that was scheduled to be relayed on the channel – the IPL, was supposed to be the booster with which the channel was supposed to be flagged off in India. But that was not to be and Six was forced to launch itself in a manner that was meek by nature.

     

    A few months into its journey and with cricket taking a minor backseat for the network, the channel is back in action with a big-ticketing property to boast. Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization has partnered with Sony Six to popularise the sport in India. Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada, and with offices in London, England, Toronto, Canada and Beijing, China, UFC programming is broadcast in over 150 countries and territories, to nearly one billion homes worldwide and is available in 20 different languages. It is known to produce more than 30 live events annually and is the largest Pay-Per-View event provider in the world.

     

    While the physical sport phenomena is not new to India – made famous by WWE on Ten Sports and properties like Bellator on BIG CBS Prime – UFC seeks to change all that is associated with Mixed Martial Arts (the format on which UFC is modelled around) and get in viewers to take a liking to the sport. It is the ‘real’ fights that will attract the viewers, say the promoters, and not ‘fake’ action that gets thrown across to them.

     

    The partnership will kick off in India with the production of an all-Indian edition of the Ultimate Fighter, the UFC’s long-running reality TV show where 16 of the most talented unsigned martial artists compete for a contract with the UFC. The schedule for the same will kick off around Diwali. The actual show will be telecast in India in 2013.

     

    On the sidelines of the launch, MxMIndia’s Johnson Napier got the chieftains of Multi Screen Media, CEO Man Jit Singh and COO NP Singh and also UFC Chairman and CEO Lorenzo Fertitta, to dwell on the gameplan for UFC in India and also what to expect from the channel Sony Six in the immediate future.

     

    We are aiming at being the No 2 sport in India after cricket: Lorenzo

     

    Lorenzzo Ferttita

    What would be your immediate operational plans for UFC in India?

    The immediate focus would be to work with Sony Six and ensure that the sport is on the right track in terms of attaining a foothold in India. In October we would be launching a massive ad campaign around UFC that would include mediums like print, radio, outdoor etc. We would also be looking at social media in a big way. A lot of our marketing activity would be focussed online on the youth in the 18-34 age bracket where the attempt would be to make them more aware of UFC and get them to be a part of our database. These would be largely centred on large metropolitan cities like Delhi, Mumbai, etc.

     

    The only other popular sport related to what UFC attempts to do in India is WWE. What are your plans to combat the popularity of WWE and get viewers accustomed to your sport?

    WWE is very different from UFC. The thing about WWE is that it is fake while UFC is real. While WWE has a large fan base but once we enter the market we expect our TG to migrate from there and become regular viewers of UFC. We follow what WWE does and we know that they have a large fan base here but we hope to attain a large market share with UFC.

     

    Sony Six has assured that UFC will draw in more viewership numbers compared to a popular market like the US. What is your assessment of the ratings that you wish to draw from India?

    I really cannot say much on that but we are relying on Sony’s expertise in the market to get us the viewership numbers. Obviously we know that we are going to be very successful here and we know that fighting dominates the sport scene and we are aiming at being the No 2 sport in India after cricket. We feel it is going to be a very successful business for us as it is very big in terms of the market.

     

    Did you scan the market for other potential buyers for your property? What was the motive behind shortlisting Sony Six for UFC?

    We spoke to every other sporting network in India and we shortlisted Sony Six because firstly, we share a pretty good relationship with Manjit Singh and we also like the fact that they broadcast the IPL, which has a huge following in India. So we liked having that connection. UFC is an important event for us. We didn’t want it to be on a general entertainment channel because the way our marketing and positioning is that we are a sport; we didn’t want to be on any other channel.

     

    Where do you plan to head next in your bid to expand in the Asia Pacific market?

    From an Asia point of view, our next stop is going to be Macau in greater China. Beyond that the focus is going to be in taking the live event to other major capitals like Shanghai, Taipei, Seoul, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. So these are our next priority markets for Asia. We would be taking these events to these markets by 2013.

     

    Hope to see Sony Six among the top-3 players in India soon: Man Jit singh

     

    Man Jit singh

    Why the decision to invest behind a physical sport that is yet to find a foothold in this country?

    Our strategy is to target young India. What we have gathered is that young India is interested in new fast-pace sports and UFC is the epitome of a fast-pace sport. We have great expectations that over time we will be able to build the UFC brand and also build the audience for UFC. One has to remember that it is the fastest growing sport in the world today. In Brazil, where the sport was launched some time ago it has become a hugely successful show now. According to me, Brazil and India are similar by nature and we feel we will be able to attain a similar success in India too.

     

    What is the USP that UFC will offer its users compared to what is already being aired by properties like WWE, etc?

    It’s too premature to comment but you could take a look at the models of other fight sports that are around like WWE – it is the second-most watched sport in India after cricket. We expect to much exceed something like that because it is a real sport; it’s about real fight, there’s no pretence in what you will see the contestants doing. That’s what I feel is the core differentiator for us.

     

    A large percentage of the TG that you plan to target is transfixed around WWE. How do you plan to convert them to like your product?

    The TG for our show is youth that fall under the 18-34 year-old bracket. I feel once they get older they will migrate from make-belief to the real thing. It would be a natural progression that we hope to see happening in this space. We are already of the opinion that we have a natural base of fans that will migrate to us.

     

    Would it be okay if children below 14 take a liking to your sport? There is a tendency for them to go overboard in terms of aping stunts, etc?

    I do not see any issue with children below 14 years coming to our channel to watch the show. I have been to events where they have children even in the audience who are avid fans of the sport. Remember that it is a sport; it’s like you asking if children like to watch boxing, if they like to then why not?

     

    Did you engage in any research exercise before you finalised on bringing in a fighting sport in India?

    We had carried out research studies in the market last year where the focus was on finding out the interest levels among viewers on fight sports and the pride that our people have on the sportspersons in India. We can tell that wrestling is going to be a big thing in India because the athletes are performing well on the international platform. Also, Indians like seeing Indians do well internationally. That we feel was a natural fit for us. Our real expectations are that UFC be a very successful sport in India.

     

    Have you managed to arouse the curiosity levels of marketers for this property?

    We haven’t yet started out on advertising, sponsorships and stuff like that. We are waiting till around Diwali time to get this sport established, to get the channel fully established on all platforms and then we will go and talk to the advertisers. It will be a premium priced product though. It will be available on all platforms by October.

     

    What are the other big-ticket properties to expect from Sony Six?

    We are looking at properties like basketball, soccer, fight sports of all kinds, tennis, cycling etc.

     

    What is the gameplan you have for Sony Six in the coming one year?

    We hope to see Sony Six be among the top 3 sports channels in the country.

     

    Sony Six will become the home for new sports in India: NP Singh

     

    NP Singh

    What promise does an event like UFC hold for Sony Six in India?

    Traditionally, fight sports have always been popular in India. Through UFC the attempt is to get real fight sport made available on Indian television, which the youth too will be able to connect with. It would a good example for the youth to look up to a real sport like UFC and inspire them to face real life challenges. UFC holds a lot of promise for Sony Six and for the youth of the country.

     

    What’s the next step for UFC in India?

    The journey has just begun. We would be showcasing a lot of the UFC Talent hunt everyday on Sony Six. Getting the local talent to come and register for the ultimate fight will start soon.

     

    The buzz is that you plan to tap in the viewership from IPL and convert them to watch UFC. Do you think the attempt will fetch you high viewership for UFC?

    UFC in the US attracts a viewership of 20 million whereas for the last season of IPL the number was 163 million. So that’s the size that we are talking about. We hope to better the numbers that a big market like the US throws up for UFC. We have just launched our channel a few months ago but it is already being beamed across 30 million homes. Also, we have still not completed our distribution but by the time we are done it will be in double those homes. One should understand that our country has a high percentage of youth and of late they have started taking a liking to other sports like football, F1 etc. We believe that Sony Six will become the home for new sports in India. I am much more confident that we will manage to engage the youth much more than any other sports channel in India.

     

    Does India need a sport like UFC in the first place?

    Through UFC, we hope to establish Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) in the Indian market which I am sure will benefit everyone concerned.

     

    Sony Six was launched a few months ago but is yet to see traction in terms of viewers and properties. Your comments?

    We are first trying to establish the channel and within that the sport has to be established. Our efforts are on. UFC is one big step in that direction.

     

    The UFC deal seems to be heavy on investment. Would you be going all out to promote the event in India?

    As a network we have never stopped short of making investments in every new initiative that we take. Likewise would be the case with Sony Six and with UFC. Anything that we as a network do we do it big. UFC will too be in the big league for us. For one, we are positioning ourselves differently by calling ourselves a sports entertainment channel. Entertainment is in our DNA so everything and anything that we do will be garnished with a lot of entertainment.