Being headquartered in Mumbai, our office – like those of most other media offices – is shut today on account of Ganesh Chaturthi. Hence, there will be no news updates and newsletters. We will be back with all the action on Thursday, September 20.
Our newsdesk though will be working from the evening onwards, so if there’s a communique that you would like to send, please inbox it to editor@mxmindia.com.
And if there’s some business that you want to give us, we work 24x7x366!
By Madhvi Sally & Sutanuka Ghosal
Luxury watches and pens, iPads, smartphones and even toasters and sandwich makers are set to replace gold and silver coins, idols and puja thalis as corporate gifts this Diwali as prices of precious metals soar through the roof and slowdown-struck companies cut back on festival spends.
Jewellers across India do not see bright prospects for the festive season what with prices of gold and silver northward-bound. Since mid-August, gold has risen 6.6% and silver 18%. “There are no orders. We feel companies will go for other gift items as gold and silver prices remain firm,” says Bharat Zaveri, managing director of Ahmedabad-based Zaveri & Co.
The shift away from gold and silver gifts is also being spurred by a younger generation that is more enthused by luxury goods. Sanjay Bansal, chairman of the Ambootia Group, a producer of Darjeeling tea, says: “We have stopped giving gold and silver coins as corporate gifts during Diwali and are now giving consumer durables and iPads to clients. The prices of these gifts vary between Rs 1,000 and Rs 25,000.” Ten grams of 24 karat gold is currently quoting at a little over Rs 32,000 and a kg of silver at roughly Rs 64,500.
“Corporate gifting of gold and silver coins during this Diwali is on decline. Jewellers who had placed orders during the India International Jewellery Week (IIJW) last month are holding back physical delivery of gold. There is some reluctance among jewellers to create an inventory for the festive and wedding season,” says Bachhraj Bamalwa, chairman of the All India Gems and Jewellery Trade Federation.
Organized by Gems & Jewellery Export Promotion Council, the IIJW saw participation by over 862 diamond and jewellery companies. Nearly 65% of jewellers who had placed orders during the expo are now in a wait-and-watch mode.
Good News for Appliance Makers
Most jewellers who had placed orders during the IIJW are watching the situation before entering into a final transaction, says a jeweller who participated in the show.
He adds that orders worth a little over Rs 5,000 crore were placed during the jewellery exhibition. Leading players such as Rosy Blue, Karp Impex, Dimeson, Gitanjali Group, Rio Tinto, PC Chandra, Anmol Jewellers and the World Gold Council had participated in the show.
Harmish Arora, director of National India Bullion Refinery, a refiner of gold and silver, says demand for gold coins has slowed down and there were hardly any investors in the market. “People are selling gold and not buying,” he says.
That’s good news for marketers of everything else other than gold — including domestic appliances. Says Gautam Sengupta, vice-president, Videocon: “We are seeing demand for light home appliances for corporate gifting purposes. Corporates are interested in items such as toasters and sandwich makers. We expect order flows to improve further from early October.”
It’s not curtains, though, for gifts of gold – not yet. Ajay Mitra, managing director (India & Middle East), World Gold Council says: “Despite the uncertainty, it is important to remember that there is still a lot of latent demand for gold; and with the upcoming festive and marriage season, we should see an upsurge in demand.” Ved Prakash, director at MMTC, India’s largest bullion importer, adds that although sentiment is low, Indian buyers may be prompted to buy in October, when prices are expected to dip; and that could well jumpstart sales.
Source:The Economic Times
Copyright © 2012, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved
By A Correspondent
Spuul.com was founded by Sudesh Iyer who is the Founder of Sony Entertainment Television and S Mohan, the Founder of Accellion, buUuk and a number of other technology and venture companies. Spuul.com was launched in 2010 and aims to combat online piracy by trying to acquire newer movies immediately after their theatrical release and offer them to consumers in good quality and at a relevant price. Spuul.com, which aims to launch newer genres of Indian content too, wants to be a one stop entertainment destination for Indian content in the long run.
Spuul.com is an advertising supported subscription service that provides on-demand access to the best of Bollywood movies and television programmes via the web and mobile devices. If the year 2011 was all about focusing on technology and content acquisition, the year 2012 will see the company increasingly focus on building up its content. Only recently this year, Spuul.com had launched the iOS app i.e. the apps for iPhone and iPad etc, thus making it easier for the users across the globe to watch Indian contents online whether it is Hindi Cinema, television shows or even regional contents.
Spuul.com offers three levels of content to its consumers, ‘Freemium content’ which includes access to a broad range of free movies. ‘Specials’ which are pay per view movies, available at a certain price (pay per movie for 72 hours of unlimited views) and premium subscription which provides consumers access to the very best of Bollywood for a month. Spuul.com is said to be receiving good traction from India, and particularly from other parts of the world namely, the US, UK and even Middle East wherein users are increasingly visiting Spuul.com and consuming Indian contents online.
According to Prakash Ramchandani, South-Asia and India Head, Spuul, “We are in the evolution phase and we want to grow and set a benchmark in the industry. Content consumption is getting more fragmented today. We see a trend in India as well as internationally that there is no dedicated service which is legal, purely for Indian content. So we are targeting just the Indian segment, which includes the Hindi cinema as well as television programmes as well as regional content. Thus we will be across multiple content genres, pan India for consumers across the world. We want to be ready for India when India is ready for it.”
Spuul.com which is said to have pre-roll ads that does not interfere or disrupt the consumers viewing experience, also aims to combat piracy and make it a better monetization model for the producer and the content provider. “Our entire focus is to combat piracy and to provide better monetization model for the producer and content provider. If we can get the movie as soon as possible post theatrical release and give it to the consumer on the go, it is better than somebody giving it away for free. Our focus is also providing good content and customer experience. In fact we had our first subscriber within one hour of launch, this shows that there are consumers and that they are ready to subscribe or buy online if they are given different content, at the right price and with a good customer experience, they will buy it” added Mr Ramchandani.
In the long run Spuul.com wants to be a one stop entertainment destination for Indian content wherein its breath of content would include all types of genres as long as it is premium focused. Â Currently, Spuul.com has a total of 15 employees in its Singapore office, it has also has an office in Mumbai and aims to open more offices across the globe in the near future. Speaking on the future of online video streaming in India, Mr Ramchandani was of the view that smart phone and tablets will drive the online video consumption as the growth of smart phones will be much faster in the near future than what it was in the last six years. “Online video streaming is exploding in India and globally and this is the best time for the second screen i.e. mobile” said Mr Ramchandani.
A disclosure: he’s our quizmaster and hence part of the MxMIndia family.
But he’s a professional first and as he sets out to make a dramatic switch from television to print, we thought it would be good to do a ‘Jaldi 5’ with him. For the record, Sorbojeet Chatterjee assumes office today as Vice President – Marketing at Diligent Media, publishers of the multi-edition DNA newspaper.
01. From the No 1 Hindi news channel network to a challenger sports network to a challenger newspaper brand… you could”ve been sitting pretty with the leader at Aaj Tak. So why change?
The answer lies in the question… as a marketing professional it’s critical to get varied exposure and not get too comfortable. After a fantastic stint in television news, the scale of sports was indeed tempting. I have been quite fortunate working across strong leader and challenger brands with some of the sharpest minds in the media industry. The momentum continues with DNA.
02. You don’t hear of too many people switching from television to print. As a media marketer, do you see fair amount of action in print?
There is no denying that the relevance and more importantly the impact of newspapers are constantly growing… especially in India.
For me it completes the proverbial ‘circle’ in media…television, radio and now print. The complexities of building a strong newspaper brand are quite different from what I have done so far and I am looking forward to a new set of marketing challenges.
03. What’s the first big thing that one can see on you joining DNA? Will there be more synergies with the parent group’s media offerings?
Too premature to say anything. Will be suitably poised to answer this after a few weeks of rolling up my sleeves and getting my hands dirty.
04. There are various views on it, but we would like yours: what’s more important for a newspaper’s success – quality editorial or great marketing?
This is hardly a debate. Quality editorial is the core product for any news brand and is the solid foundation. Aggressive marketing is essential to create consumer awareness and overall buzz. A strong product without strategic marketing or a struggling product with cutting edge marketing yield the same result – a failed attempt!
05. How’s Mumbai been for you at work? Pardon our putting you into a spot on this, but a quick Mumbai v/s Delhi analysis?
Ah, this is a toughie! As a professional in this dynamic environment, one can’t afford to get attached to any particular location… it’s not the city that matters, but the culture in the workplace. How’s that for diplomacy?
By Anil Thakraney
Yuvi is back in action, and Birla Sun Life decided it’s time for another TVC. I totally back this move. Readers might recall that earlier this year, I had suggested that Birla must pull the ad they were running at the time. The one which many people felt was insensitive and exploitative, as it appeared to be feeding on the cricketer’s misery. This is what I wrote at the time: ‘Here’s a suggestion for Birla: Drop the ad immediately. And wait. Sooner or later, Mr Fighter will recover and he will be back on the cricket field. It is THEN that the advertiser and its ad agency should swing into action. And create an ad where Yuvi speaks of his ill health, the fears he experienced, and the subsequent joy and relief on recovery. No one will object to that. We all like happy endings.’
| [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1sDQOUHAEU[/youtube] |
Well, it’s clear these guys listened to me. J. The new commercial is sunny, bright, happy, and it features Yuvi making his comeback statement, as he bonds with children. And he talks about moving on from suffering to victory. This is obviously correct. The TVC celebrates rather than exploits, packs in insecurity, hope and success… the key ingredients for an insurance company’s ad. So all that’s great.
I have just one complaint, and it’s to do with the execution. The commercial ought to have been powerful, emotive and should have left the viewer with that flags-flying feel. This would also have made the ad entertaining to watch. Currently, it’s kinda boring, you wouldn’t want to watch the ad a second time, even if you are the cricketer’s diehard fan. And yes, Yuvi’s continuous drone doesn’t help matters much.
Rating: (On a scale of 1-5): 2.5. Good idea, average execution.
By A Correspondent
On the request of stakeholders, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has extended the last date for receipt of comments on the draft regulation of Duration of Advertisements in Television Channels (Amendment) Regulation, 2012 to September 24, 2012.
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) released a draft regulation on Duration of Advertisements in Television Channels(Amendment) Regulation, 2012 on 27.08.2012 for which comments of the stakeholders were sought by September 11, 2012. TRAI’s notification in May 2012 sought to limit the duration of television advertisements to 12 minutes per hour. The move was criticized heavily by broadcasters, who rely heavily on revenues from advertisements.
In June 2012, however, Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) had stayed the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India’s (TRAI) notification to limit the duration of ads to 12 minutes per hour.
By Smeeta Chakrabarti
To paraphrase James Harkin, there is a new rule in business – forget the general audience and instead, stake out an identifiable niche. Love it or hate it, lifestyle programming that caters to special interests is here to stay. To our minds, the question was never about whether lifestyle channels can make it big, but more about how to build a sustainable ecosystem around brands which resonate, connect, relate and engage with the discerning consumer. We’ve always believed that passion is at the core of lifestyle channels or special interest content, and the following are ways in which we approach building and sustaining our lifestyle brands.
#1 Multiple platform technologies: Lifestyle channels need to think of themselves as content providers targeting a specific audience, and indeed, targeting a defined passion, through all possible platforms and not just television. Technology today plays a vital role in sustaining and building lifestyle businesses.
#2 Platform-agnostic content: While technology today permits dissemination of content across platforms and touch points, content creators need to be mindful of the fact that there are now multiple ways to consume that content, and a one-size-fits-all approach does not necessarily work. Whether it’s a laptop screen, the iPad, your smartphone or even an experiential initiative, smart content that’s platform-agnostic is the key.
#3 Integrated marketing: Lifestyle channels need to be where their consumers are – something that finds resonance with the multi-platform and multi-faceted approach to content. Research, product, positioning, promotions, delivery and all aspects of the marketing value chain have to be geared to connect and engage audiences through touch-points not just inIndia, but globally as well.
#4 Multiple revenue sources: It is imperative for lifestyle channels to see themselves as brands, which can be monetized beyond the conventions of FCT, sponsorships, integrations and subscriptions. Brand extensions, social media and DTH interactivity consumer products, books – the possibilities are endless, and essential.
#5 Smarter distribution: This is an equally important step in building a sustainable business model. The very raison d’etre of special interest lifestyle channels is catering to a targeted, well-defined consumer, based on clearly articulated passions. Therefore, the conventional modes of carpet bombing and non-segmented distribution will need to get far smarter and targeted to have impact.
Smeeta Chakrabarti is Chief Executive Officer of NDTV Lifestyle
By Anil Thakraney
Everyone is surprised by the massive success of Kaun Banega Crorepati, which is now in its sixth season. I have a simple explanation: The Congress leaders said their party is with the aam aadmi, and they won the election in 2009 on that promise. Well, scams-ridden Soniaji & Co totally let the aam aadmi down, and the junta had nowhere else to go. Enter KBC. India’s only hope and home for the common men and women… to try their luck and up their bank balance a bit.
KBC 6 opened to a rating of a staggering 6+ points (though NDTV will have doubts over these figures, hehe), and is now hovering at around 5. These ratings are actually spectacular, given the competitive scenario in the GECs segment, and also considering that this is an old show. Well, what’s happened is that KBC has become a truly desi gig, much like cricket, and it’s difficult to imagine that the format was created in another country. The Indian masses have made it their own… folks gather together to watch it, much as they would congregate at the village mela or at the ration shop in the cities. And Bachchan’s easy connect with the masses has made this very possible. He is like the adorable sarpanch of the village, the good headmen people like and trust.
I watched a few episodes of KBC 6, and must say it’s packed with sponsors and advertisers. This is the only confusing aspect in my mind. Because I suspect the big-city upper and middle classes have lost interest in the show, and it’s the lower middle class and people from small towns and villages who provide the viewership numbers. So while the TRP figures are high, they aren’t coming from the rich urban middle class. Does that not put off most advertisers? I would imagine it would. So then why are they paying for the show? The only explanation is that perhaps the advertisers have found a single, convenient medium in KBC to reach out to India’s heartland. And this explains KBC’s commercial success as well.
So, good show on all counts. However, the sad reality remains: The aam aadmi has to look to a TV serial for succour, having been failed by the political class.
***
PS: Brilliant example of how to use a celeb in advertising. Acer Ultrabook exposes the hidden passion of the macho ’24’ television series star, Kiefer Sutherland. And that passion happens to be cupcakes! What I like about the treatment is that the ad exploits the star’s famous persona, and yet delivers a surprising solution. Cool!
| [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zemXwxg8Og[/youtube] |
By A Correspondent
Global media network Aegis Media has launched its proprietary research based tools Consumer Connections System (CCS) & OCS in India, today. Originally launched 12 years ago in the UK, CCS has now expanded globally and is available in 40+ countries covering over 250,000 respondents accounting for over 90 percent of global advertising expenditure. In APAC, CCS is currently active in China, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and now India.
CCS will provide India and Aegis Media clients actionable insight into communication usage and engagement across bought, owned and earned digital, experiential and media channels. The investment in the tool stems from a belief that digital is changing everything, and, crucially, contributes to the way advertisers put an understanding of how consumers think and behave at the heart of everything they do.
With a focus on digital, this is the first study to have a significant focus on the digital touchpoints and e-commerce which is on a growth spurt in India. In-depth information is available for the first time in India through CCS which is capable of evaluating the comfort of the consumer with e-commerce.
CCS is owned by Aegis Media and gives the agency and their clients a valuable insight into how today’s consumers choose and use media in our rapidly changing world. In the new era of media, CCS and OCS help to create powerful connections between our client’s brands and their most valuable consumers.
Specifically on the digital space and e-commerce which has been an area of added focus, the research shows a growing role for e-commerce in the market, and early studies suggest:
Of the 18 percent of the population (amongst SEC ABC) who have accessed internet, 40 percent of them have bought something in the last 12 months
48 percent regularly research / look for products online.
Top categories being:
Books – 14.78 percent
Clothes/Shoes/Accessories/Jewellery – 12.83 percent
Insurance – 12.5 percent
10 percent have bought groceries and other household items online.
By A Correspondent
Continuing with its series of senior-level appointments, the Dentsu India Group has announced the appointment of Rajesh Mathew as Senior Vice President, Dentsu Communications, Mumbai.
An adman throughout, spanning over 17 years in advertising, Mr Mathew was Managing Partner at Doosra Brand Communications, Mumbai (part of the Aegis Media Worldwide network, since December 2011) prior to joining Dentsu.
Welcoming Mr Mathew to Dentsu, Arijit Ray, CEO, Dentsu Communications said, “Rajesh’s induction into Team Dentsu Communications is part of our on-going impetus on strengthening and consolidating the talent profile. I am sure Rajesh’s diverse experience across brands over so many years across markets, will help enhance our value proposition amongst our key business portfolios. I wish him a great innings at Dentsu.â€
Mr Mathew said, “I look forward to the exciting challenge and opportunities at Dentsu Communications; given the ambitious growth plans that are set, I couldn’t ask for a better timing than this, to come on board.â€
Among the agencies Mr Mathew has worked for in India include Saatchi & Saatchi Direct (Bangalore), Ogilvy & Mather (Bangalore), Lowe Lintas Worldwide (Chennai – as Brand Services Director), Rediffusion DYR & Wunderman (Chennai – as GM for both the Agencies), Contract Advertising (Chennai – as Senior Vice President & Manager), Ogilvy & Mather (Mumbai – as Vice President & Business Head).
By A Correspondent
IPAN Hill & Knowlton has announced a change in its name to IPAN Hill+Knowlton Strategies, as part of its global shift in corporate identity. This change is in line with the rebranding of Hill & Knowlton, the leading international communications consultancy.
“The new brand points to a shifting market for our clients, one with an explosion of information and a revolution in the ability of almost everyone to find that information. This democratisation of information is fundamentally changing the way they do business,†said Jack Martin, Global Chairman and CEO, Hill+Knowlton Strategies.
Radhika Shapoorjee, President, IPAN Hill+Knowlton Strategies, India, said, “The renaming reflects a renewed emphasis on strategic communications advice that ensures a client’s business imperatives are achieved. We believe that the public is at the centre of the client’s business and we can help build a positive influence and sentiment across the various stakeholders backed by research and insight, built upon a rich heritage of our public relations strength.â€
The rebranding and new name comes into effect from September 18, 2012. More information is available at www.hkstrategies.in.
By Johnson Napier
There’s some magic mantra that seems to be driving the team at Mindshare India to be at their performing best. How else would one explain the endless series of notches in their awards belt? After emerging No 1 agency at the Emvies this year, Mindshare India has gone on to win another big accolade – Media Agency of the Year at Spikes Asia 2012.
MxMIndia spoke to the man behind the agency churning out the dream run, Ravi Rao, Leader, South Asia for Mindshare. While he admits to the agency throwing up some spectacular work it would in no way mean resting easy on the laurels. There’s a bigger challenge that lies ahead for the agency, he affirms. Excerpts:
Mindshare Mumbai is on a roll again on the awards front. You’ve just bagged the all-important Media Agency of the Year accolade at Spikes Asia. What was it that brought the tide in your favour?
We are extremely delighted to have won the accolade; and to win it for a client like HUL is a double delight. If you analyse, we had 5 shortlists and they were spread across three of our brands. More importantly, all three brands went on to win some award at Spikes, which is terrific for us. I would credit the showing to the all-round performance of the team.
The big takeaways that emerge from our performance at Spikes this year are: firstly, all of the brands are local by stature – other than Rin – so that’s a big booster for us. Very simply, the power of an idea to push it through and get us an award is something that is very unique and has also helped the brand awareness as well as volume share in the process. Most importantly, it is the combination of every single media playing a role and each one delivering and creating synergies to bring the best out of the results. In a way, if I again look at the tally and say that we won against several competitors across the region also gives us a sense of bearing in terms of where we are today.
What it also means is that we need to continue to deliver similar if not better work for our clients. It is a challenge that we want to continuously keep pushing ourselves against. No doubt the competition is getting tougher but we will have to adjust ourselves and up the single point of call that we have in Mindshare.
By winning this accolade, have you pipped other notable contenders (from Mindshare) across Asia to the tag of being the best in the space?
I think it is a matter of structuring how to get out real ideas. It is an idea that has to be behind an insight that works very well for the brand and land it properly. I think that is the key element in getting an award. We managed to do that well. The interesting part is yes, it has been a windfall for us this year but we do not want to rest easy on our laurels and want to keep pushing our boundaries even further.
Are you disappointed with some entries not managing to make the cut in terms of a win?
What we realised is that there are certain other entries that we thought were worthy of an award but somehow didn’t make the call. For example, if we look at the Emvies in terms of the wins that we’ve had and at the others too…I guess the parameters change and it’s important that you really look at how best you can reach the audience in a different way. As a country, we still have some way to go in terms of one, the content and secondly, in terms of the format of presentation which is also very critical. But all said and done, we are in the learning phase and will only get better and better as we move ahead.
What significance does a creative award like Spikes Asia hold for a media agency like Mindshare India?
Winning at Spikes is a big accolade for us but we do not want to take it easy because yes, there were a great set of campaigns that collectively made it work for us this time but what it requires is that we need to excel in a similar way across every single campaign and client that we cater to. It means that we want to keep doing better all the time and it’s only going to be a bigger challenge for us in the future. So while we would definitely relish the wins we want to fold our sleeves and get back to doing some great work in the future.
Do you see HUL emerging a hot contender for the Client of the Year title in the future?
As I see it, it is a systematic way of shoring up everything in the process. In my mind, it is an intense but healthy competition and all it does is bring the best out of every single team – whether from the agency or client’s side. We will surely give everyone a run as we go along as much as the competition is going to do and it is only going to get more intense as we move ahead.
What would be the next big focus area for Mindshare India as you move forward?
One area that we really want to look at is Cannes. It is the single biggest aim that we have going forward. The other thing for us is to make great campaigns that have a high ROI. By doing this, we even want to look at other areas like winning awards with IPA. Those are the targets that we have. We are working towards that goal and time will tell.