MxMIndia

Author: mxmadmin

  • Sahara One Media and Entertainment's Hindi GEC Sahara One has increased its ad rates three times on account of improved performance over the last few months.

    Sahara One hikes ad tariff post healthy ratings

    By A Correspondent

     

    Sahara One Media and Entertainment’s Hindi GEC Sahara One has increased its ad rates by three times, on account of improved performance over the last few months.

     

    The channel’s ratings have increased from 45 GRPs in week 04 to 54 GRPs in week 08 (TAM, C&S, Females, 15+ ABC, HSM).

     

    As a part of the strategy, Sahara One has not only raised the bar on some of the existing shows but have also got more banners on board to produce a couple of promising fiction shows, beginning with two horror shows which went on air in the second half of February 2012.

     

    Commenting on the new launches, Vikas Khanchandani – Director, Aidem Ventures said, “Sahara One has been consistently delivering numbers in the recent past, with almost all shows showing consistent growth.”

     

    Commenting on the ad rate hike, Gunjan Rege Karkera, Business head, Broadcast Media (Entertainment), Aidem Ventures said, “Sahara One’s ratings have been increasing gradually but consistently over the last one year. The increase in ad rates was necessitated by rising cost of talent, increased cost of production, spiralling marketing expenditure and wider distribution platforms. Owing to this Sahara One’s advertiser base has widened substantially. We have got several new brands on board this year and we are looking forward to adding more to the list. Besides, owing to our wider distribution network the advertiser benefits from a lower cost of reaching 1000 people. This rate increase is a part correction in lieu of this growing network.”

     

    The said increase has already come into effect. All proposals include fixed spots considering all the prime time shows have been performing consistently well.

     

  • The Consumer Complaints Council (CCC) of ASCI upheld complaints made against 17 advertisements, from various sectors like agro products, deos, and Home Shopping Networks

    ASCI upholds complaints against 17 of 31 ads

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Consumer Complaints Council (CCC) of Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) received a complaint against Bollgard, which had made claims of boosting cotton farmers’ income by Rs31,500 crore, reducing usage of insecticides, containing in-built plant protection and increasing yields. The CCC concluded that the claims made in the advertisement and cited in the complaint, were not substantiated. The advertisement contravened Chapter I.1 of the ASCI Code.

     

    The complaint was upheld.

    PassPortDeodorant’s TVC, which focuses on a woman’s body and lewd expressions on the face of the male actor, was pulled up by the CCC. It was concluded, that the advertisement was obscene and that, in the light of generally prevailing standards of decency and propriety, the TVC was likely to cause grave or widespread offence.

     

    The complaint was upheld.

    Telemart Shopping Network Pvt Ltd’s advertisement of Sandhi Sudha was under scanner as the TVC made claims of curing arthritis and spondylitis and of a ‘Money Back Guarantee’, if the product was ineffective. The CCC concluded that in the absence of scientific substantiation, the claim “Sandhi Sudha cures the disease of arthritis and spondylitis” was not substantiated and was misleading. The complaint regarding “money back guarantee” was misleading as the terms and conditions for the refund were not mentioned in the TVC.

     

    The complaint was upheld.

    Association of Mutual Funds inIndia’s booklet states that “Every Mutual Fund is managed by a fund manager, who, by using his investment management skills and necessary research work, ensures better returns than what an investor can manage on his own”. The objection is to the word “ensures” as it could be misleading.

     

    Hence it was upheld.

    Dr. Ayurveda Power Prash and Body Growth’s advertisement for ‘enhancement of sexual power’ was questioned for its claims stating “increasing sperm count, helping people suffering from infertility to have kids.” The CCC remarked that these claims were not substantiated. The advertiser should provide clinical data in substantiation of these claims. The CCC concluded that the TVC contravened The Drugs & Magic Remedies Act.

     

    Hence, the complaint was upheld.

    The advertisement of Glen Appliances Pvt. Ltd’s print advertisement states “Do you know cooking in aluminium can be harmful?” while the website states “Do you know aluminium cookware is not safe?” These claims are not truthful, and have not been substantiated by any reputed international organization such as the World Health Organization (WHO) or by any country noted for a high standard of vigilance in consumer protection. The claims are not based on facts, and incapable of reasonable substantiation. It also unfairly denigrates attacks and discredits all aluminium cookware directly. The CCC concluded that the print ad’s and the website’s claim that cooking in aluminium is not safe were misleading.

     

    The complaint was upheld.

    Vanesa Inc’s advertisement of Denver Deodorant contains the tagline “play it cool”. However, the brand John Player’s has been using the same tagline since 2005. Since copying the slogan amounts to plagiarism, the advertisement contravened Chapter IV.3 of the ASCI Code.

     

    The complaint was upheld.

    In the personal hygiene segment, the CCC received a complaint against Stayfree All Night. As per the complaint, the advertisement claims that “Stayfree all night has the unique five guard. This in comparison to your Ultra is longer, wider, with more body coverage, more absorbent and drier too.”

     

    This claim means that the Stayfree All Night is better than all the pads in the market which use the word “Ultra”. But in reality this is not the case as has been admitted by the TVC itself in the form of a super which states, “When compared only with Ultra napkins of 280 mm length and 105 mm back width.” Making comparison against product in different segment is unfair and misleading. As the comparison was not made between products of a similar size, the TVC was considered misleading.

     

    The complaint was upheld.

    Health drink Complan’s advertisement was under the scanner this time around. The TVC claimed that “children who drink Complan grow 2 times faster than children who drink other health drinks”. This claim was substantiated through independent clinical research.

     

    This complaint was Not Upheld.

    However the comparison in the Chart between Complan and non-Complan drinkers is likely to mislead consumers that Complan is superior on the basis of its main ingredient (Milk Solids)

     

    Hence, this complaint was upheald.

    In the education sector, Noesis Education and Management Services was pulled up for their advertisement which made claims of being ‘Biggest in India, attended by 1200 students at a time’, ‘Do not miss out on being trained by the best subject experts from all over the country,’ ‘High quality contents from Bestselling authors, rank holders and subject matter experts.’ In the absence of comments from the Advertiser, the CCC concluded that the claims mentioned in the advertisement, and cited in the complaint, were not substantiated.

     

    Hence the complaint was upheld.

    In the healthcare and pharma sector, Pfizer’s advertisement on Gelusil Antacid was questioned. As per the complaint, the TVC shows “a boy running along a parked vehicle and using a sharp article scratching the vehicle, possibly scraping the paint and even denting the body”. The question asked: “Does this make your Heart burn” followed by “Gelusil be used to avoid heart burn and acidity”.

     

    The CCC concluded that the depiction of the young boy vandalizing a car is likely to encourage minors to emulate such acts, the careless use of which could lead to their suffering cuts or other injury.

     

    The complaint was, therefore, upheld.

    Eureka Forbes’ Aquasure water purifier’s TVC claimed that the product provides ‘World’s Safest Water’. The TVC does not provide any basis, facts or reference to any study or research work which substantiates this claim. The CCC concluded that, whilst the water from Aquasure water purifier is safe, the claim of the “World’s safest water”, is misleading. The complaint was upheld.

     

    The CCC also received a complaint against Eureka Forbes’ Aquasure Xtra water purifier’s leaflet which makes comparisons and propagates false statements about Pureit products, Classic and Compact. The tabular format compares the product features and puts a ‘?’ against Pureit products. The CCC concluded that, while Eureka Forbes has gained trust of the consumers, to say that Pureit products have not, is disparaging. By marking a ‘?’ against the Pureit brand is misleading and creates doubts in the minds of the consumer. It was thus concluded that the leaflet contravened the code.

     

    The complaint was upheld.

    During these two months, the CCC also received complaints against Cadbury- Bournville, Piramal Healthcare Ltd’s Supractiv Complete, Jockey, MetLife India Insurance Company Ltd, Ad promos of C.I.D., Fast Track watches, Killer Deodorant, Wild Stone Deodorant, TATA Docomo, Colgate Palmolive, Dulux Paints, and Santoor Soap amongst others. As these advertisements did not contravene ASCI’s codes or guidelines, the complaints were not upheld.

     

    Advertising Standards Council of India is a self regulatory voluntary organization of the advertising industry. The Role and Functioning of the ASCI & its Consumer Complaints Council (CCC) is dealing with complaints received from Consumers and Industry against advertisements which are considered as false, misleading, indecent, illegal, leading to unsafe practices, or unfair to competition, and consequently in contravention of the ASCI code for self-regulation in advertising.

     

  • Bags title sponsorship for biggest cricket championship inAsiafor the second consecutive year

    Neo nets Micromax to sponsor Asia Cup 2012

    By A Correspondent

     

    Micromax Informatics Limited (“Micromax”), the 12th largest handset manufacturer in the world (According to Global Handset Vendor Market share report from Strategy Analytics) has bagged the title sponsorship for Asia Cup 2012 for the second consecutive year. Nimbus Sport and Micromax have entered into an agreement and the event will be now titled as Micromax Asia Cup 2012.

     

    Asia Cup is one of the premier cricketing events which feature the top four cricket teams of the continent (India,Pakistan,Sri LankaandBangladesh) battling to secure the title of Champions of Asia. Micromax Asia Cup 2012 will be hosted byBangladeshthis year and the seven ODI series is scheduled to kick off from the March 11 and will continue till March 23.

     

    Announcing the sponsorship, Yannick Colaco, Chief Operating Officer, Nimbus Sport said: “Micromax is an exciting brand, close to the heart of youth, and one which is a good match to the dynamic and vibrant nature of this event. As we come together, once again to present an action packed cricket series of the year, we expect this event to be an exemplary celebration of sportsmanship.”

     

    Commenting on the association, Vikas Jain, Business Director, Micromax said: “Micromax is proud to be part of the Asian Cup 2012, which is the most coveted cricket championship inAsia. Cricket is not just another sport, but a culture that connects youth beyond boundaries. We are proud to be associated with this game and are elated to continue our patronage and support for the game.”

     

    He added: “The sponsorship addresses our commitment towards building a brand that echoes the pulse of the younger generation. We sincerely hope that the event will be a truly memorable experience for all cricket fans.”

     

    The television coverage of the entire Series is being produced by Nimbus Sport and the broadcast TV partner inIndiawill be Neo Cricket. The event will also be broadcast globally and Nimbus Sport expects to make a separate announcement on the broadcast partners across the world.

     

    Singaporeheadquartered, Nimbus Sport International Pte. Ltd. (100 per cent  subsidiary of Nimbus Communications Limited) is a leading full service sports management company providing end-to-end solutions including rights management, television production, sponsorship sales, event management and sponsor services.

     

    Nimbus Sport currently manages various commercial rights (on long term contracts) for a number of global sports federations including the BCCI (Indian Cricket Board), Bangladesh Cricket Board, Cricket Kenya, ACC and the English Premier League (digital/new media rights).

     

     

    NEO Sports Broadcast Pvt. Ltd owns and operates two channels i.e. NEO Cricket and NEO Sports. NEO Sports offers premium quality global sports including top drawer Football, Tennis, Golf, Badminton to the Indian sports lovers. NEO Cricket is the world’s first cricket centric TV channel and currently broadcasted in 27 countries including US and Canada.

     

  • In Freaking News, which will now appear every Tuesday and Friday, Ranjona Banerji reviews the fare in the morning papers and the nightly news. And sometimes the afternooners, the newsmags and all that's on the Web

    Freaking News: SP goes UP, Times Now went down

    By Ranjona Banerji

     

    What a mouth-watering cornucopia of choice, you think, as you settle down to watch the election results unfolding at 8 am on Tuesday morning, what with so many TV channels to choose from. In a couple of hours of course, you’re weeping at the cacophony, the grand, sweeping statements and the sheer confusion caused by so many channels.

     

    For once, the loser is perhaps Times Now. The channel, which so often knows what India wants to know, appears to have overplayed its hand. Its bizarre desire to clock 100 hours of election coverage meant that it started long before the results day and created unnecessary boredom for the viewer. Plus an enormous range of “guests” some of whom were colour-coordinated (Vinod Mehta and Meghnad Desai on Monday night and Meghnad Desai and Neerja Chowdhury on Tuesday morning) and too much on-screen graphic hysteria made Times Now distracting and the remote more appealing.

     

    CNNIBN made large generalisations even as early trends were being reported and then hopped back and forth to little avail. If Times Now had too much, CNNIBN did not have enough.

     

    In the English news segment, the battle seemed to be between NDTV and Headlines Today. NDTV had Prannoy Roy and Dorab Sopariwalla, the old and trusted team, bolstered by words of wisdom from Indian Express editor-in-chief Shekhar Gupta. Headlines Today had Mani Shankar Aiyar to add his considerable wit to the mix apart from a very eager energetic Rahul Kanwal.

     

    I have to be honest here – I preferred NDTV until Barkha Dutt arrived, which is when I switched to Headlines Today – which by the way also claimed that only its exit polls were correct (more on that in a bit).

     

    Of the Hindi channels, Aaj Tak was professional and easy to watch – although they all have a better ground presence in terms of reporters than the English channels. The Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha channels both had serious debates and less fluff than all the others combined.

     

    Mid-morning, the confusion between the channels reached its climax as each of them showed different trends, some almost at odds with each other. At which point, I switched everything off and went for a walk!

     

    **

     

    It’s now 12.55 pm and we have no results yet but some very strong trends. Most exit polls had decided that the Samajwadi Party would win UP, but the feeling was for a hung assembly where the permutations and alliances would be paramount. Right now, it seems like a clear win for the SP. The BJP has not done as well as it must have expected and nor has the Congress – but it has done better than before. Most channels have been debating this “failure” of Rahul Gandhi in UP although the numbers show a Congress gain.

     

    Punjab was tagged as a clear Congress win but instead the Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP alliance has retained power – although the BJP’s losses have been the Congress’s gains.Uttarakhand is still too close to call – but again, it was seen as a Congress win.

     

    Manipur has gone to the Congress – as expected and Goa seems to be heading to the BJP, again as expected.

     

    **

     

    Which means once more, the Indian voter has done her own thing and flummoxed everyone.

     

  • Reported revenue for WPP was up 11.4 per cent year-over-year to $16.05 billion while Interpublic Group of Cos reported that it nearly doubled its net income for 2011, up 96 per cent to $551.5 million

    How the WPP and Interpublic Group fared in 2011

    By A Correspondent

     

    WPP reported record profits of more than $1.45 billion for 2011, up a whopping 43 per cent from the year prior, and the holding company expects to see continued momentum in 2012 due to increased ad spending for the US presidential election and this summer’s Olympic games, according to Ad Age.

     

    Reported revenue for WPP, the biggest ad holding company in the world and home to creative agencies such as Ogilvy, JWT and media-buying behemoth Group M, was up 11.4 per cent year-over-year to $16.05 billion. However, WPP’s CEO-Executive Director Martin Sorrell is less optimistic about 2013, as there are no big events to bolster ad spend, and political ad dollars will drop off following the election.

     

    “We think 2012 looks similar to 2011, maybe at a slightly reduced level,” said Mr Sorrell. “But the one big cloud on the horizon we feel the need to address in 2013 is deficit reduction after the US election.”

     

    WPP said North America performed well, and in Europe the debt crisis is impacting growth, but overall the company said it still fared well in the region thanks to strong growth in the UK and acquisitions in Western Continental Europe.

     

    The company reported that Austria, Germany, Switzerland and Turkey, all showed strong like-for-like growth for the year, but France and especially Greece, Portugal and Spain remained affected by the Eurozone debt crisis. In 2011, nearly 30 per cent of WPP’s revenue came from Asia Pacific, Latin America, Africa and the Middle East and Central and Eastern Europe.

     

    The company said that emerging markets in Asia, Latin America, Africa and Eastern Europe represent the highest growth regions for WPP. The company plans to spend between $470 million and $630 million on acquisitions this year, Mr Sorrell said. The focus will remain on small and medium-sized agencies, particularly those in new markets or specialising in digital work, data analytics and technology.

     

    The past year saw a number digital agency acquisitions, including: F. biz and Gringo in Brazil; Rockfish and Lunchbox in the US; Who Digital in Vietnam; Promo in Russia and A4A in China. The company made a total of 38 acquisitions and 10 investments in 2011.

     

    The Interpublic Report-Card 2011

    US-based ad holding company Interpublic Group of Cos has reported that it nearly doubled its net income for 2011, up 96 per cent to $551.5 million, up from $281.2 in 2010, according to Ad Age. The company’s annual revenue was up 7.8 per cent, to about $7 billion.

     

    “Building on a very good 2010 result, we continue to show organic revenue growth that is at or near the top of our peer group,” said Interpublic CEO Michael Roth. “This performance keeps us on track to deliver on our goal of fully competitive profitability in 2014.” Mr Roth added all of the company’s regions grew in terms of organic growth in 2011, except for Europe, which is in the midst of a debt crisis.

     

    For the full year, continental Europe was down 0.1 per cent. The best region for organic growth last year was Latin America, which was up 17.8 per cent. For the fourth quarter, US organic growth was up 2.2 per cent, Latin American was up 30.4 per cent and Europe was down 3.2 per cent. Interpublic’s digital agencies, MRM, part of the McCann network, Huge and R/GA, significantly contributed to the company’s growth.

     

    In 2012, the company is targeting 3 per cent organic growth, noting “significant macro uncertainty on the global level.” Interpublic agency networks McCann Erickson and DraftFCB both saw major accounts defect in 2011. McCann Erickson lost Nescafe and other accounts, while DraftFCB lost SC Johnson and is now having to share Miller Lite with Publicis Groupe’s Saatchi & Saatchi.

     

    Source: The Economic Times

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

     

  • It's obvious that one of the reasons the industry produces such few media innovations is the break-down of the full service ad agency

    Anil Thakraney: Full service agencies must return

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    In my interview with Lodestar’s Shashi Sinha, we discussed how the advent of media buying global conglomerates has killed the media planner. Here’s a link to the interview, in case you missed it: http://www.mxmindia.com/2012/03/the-media-planner-has-become-a-zombie-shashi-sinha/

     

    What gives me heart is that Shashi believes integration is the best way to work, and that he will re-start that structure in Interface. Good luck to him. That discussion also brought back memories of my days in advertising. When the client servicing, the creative team and the media planner would work under one roof and operate as one unit. And how that bonding facilitated many opportunities to conceptualize and execute cool media innovations for clients. Having quit the ad world a long time ago, I personally cannot even imagine working in an ad agency where there’s no media planner I can discuss ideas with. And nag her into making my crazy creatives come to life in the media. I shall go to the extreme and say that I consider the cutting off of the media function to be like an amputation, the loss of a limb.

     

    In fact, so connected were we with the media planners back in my days as a young account exec at O&M (then called OBM), I vividly recall that one evening when the then fiery media chief, Rhoda Mehta, threw me out of her department, accusing me of spending too much time with the girls in the media. Yes, in those days the media department was packed with members of the fairer sex, and I must also confess it wasn’t just work that attracted many of us lads to that pretty department. So, Rhoda wasn’t exactly over-reacting, heheh.

     

    On a serious note, it’s obvious that one of the reasons the industry produces such few media innovations is the break-down of the full service ad agency. A way has to be found to reverse things, and bring people back under a single roof. I am not sure how that can happen in these days of independent media buying outfits, and, therefore, we must all keenly observe how Shashi goes about things at Interface.

     

    Like it happens in Karan Johar’s weepy flicks, the broken family must re-unite for the greater good.

     

    * * *

     

    PS: Blast from the past! One cannot even imagine that a marketer would run such an advert in these times of militant feminism. The brand would get skewered on the streets. And what if this ad appeared on March 8, International Women’s Day?

     

    The brand manager won’t live to tell his version of the story, haha.

     

  • The initiative is to acknowledge and encourage the young turks and honours stars with the potential to become tomorrow's superstars

    RBNL announces Big Star Young Entertainer Awards 2012

    By A Correspondent

     

    BIG Live, the intellectual property vertical from Reliance Broadcast Network Ltd. and Star India, on Tuesday announced the launch of their new offering Big Star Young Entertainer Awards, 2012. The awards have been conceptualized to appreciate and recognise the young stars that have risen quicker than their contemporaries across different genres of the entertainment industry including film, television, music and sports. These are stars that have spent less than 5 years in their respective industries and are poised to become the superstars of tomorrow.

     

    The Big Young Star Entertainer Awards will honour the dedication of these young superstars while applauding their achievements for the year gone by.

     

    These awards will be chosen by a set of esteemed jury members who will nominate the characters and then leave it open for India to vote, leveraging the vast network of RBNL’s radio brand – 92.7 BIG FM.

     

    This is the second initiative by BIG Live and Star India after the success of the BIG Star Entertainment Awards 2010 & 2011, which achieved a rating of 5.78 TVR in its first year and a rating of 4.63 in its second year.

     

    Partners on these awards stand to gain tremendously from the synergies within Reliance Broadcast Network, with promotions across 35 stations in the Hindi speaking belt of 92.7 BIG FM, BIG MAGIC – the regional channel exclusively for the Hindi heartland of UP, MP and Bihar, Spark Punjabi – India’s first international Punjabi Channel, its strong out of home arm BIG Street and a very robust digital marketing plan with BIG Digital.

     

    Commenting on this new initiative, the Company said in a statement: “This is another industry first, which, like all our intellectual properties, is influenced by a high degree of consumer centricity and delivered through engaging ideas and multiple touch points to create unprecedented impact. Our partnership with STARIndiawill ensure excellent synergies coming into play, as we offer the young stars the acknowledgement and encouragement that they deserve. ”

     

  • Every Thursday, Ranjona Banerji will write about a grouse. Either spewing venom or tongue-in-cheek

    [MxM Journalism Review] Why must TV news depend on print eds for analyses

    By Ranjona Banerji

     

    Where would TV journalists be without their colleagues in print? (I thought I’d say cousins but then that would make me related to TVwallahs too so…) Every time there’s some big issue to discuss (which in TV land is every day), out come a whole array of print seniors (and sometimes not so seniors).

     

    During the election coverage on Tuesday we had Shekhar Gupta, Vinod Mehta, Neerja Chowdhury, Manini Chatterjee, Siddharth Vardarajan, Vandita Mishra, Hartosh Singh Bal… and many more worthies.

     

    I’m thrilled for my friends and colleagues in print who I see on TV all the while at other times – Ayaz Memon, Sidharth Bhatia, Anil Dharker, Arati Jerath… At any time you are likely to see Dileep Padgaonkar, Bachi Karkaria, Tavleen Singh giving their considered opinion on this and that. The list is endless and I apologise to anyone I have left out. I don’t mean it. But it makes me wonder about our esteemed TV anchors and editors. Do they trust their own judgement so little that they cannot carry a programme by themselves? Have they not managed to hone their opinion creating abilities? And if that’s true, what have they been doing for all these years in TV?

     

    TV wallahs often feel that print journalists are too critical of them. But when they do nothing to change those perceptions and instead feed them by calling print journalists as experts all the while? How often do you see print journalists on BBC and CNN?
    My advice to TV wallahs is: have a little faith in yourselves.

     

    Having said that, I then remember the columns which Rajdeep Sardesai, Sagorika Ghosh and Barkha Dutt write for Hindustan Times (since few other print publications condescend to give them a platform and rightly so) and I really wonder at myself!

     

  • The Biennial Event, held inDubai, attracts global leadership of PR Industry

    Prema Sagar to speak at 20th PR World Congress

    By A Correspondent

     

    Genesis Burson-Marsteller announced on Tuesday that Prema Sagar, Founder and Principal, will be participating in the 20th Public Relations World Congress (PRWC) to be held Grand Hyatt,Dubaion March 13-15.

     

    Ms Sagar will join a venerated list of speakers including the pioneer of public relations and founding Chairman of Burson-Marsteller, Harold Burson. In a survey conducted by PRWeek, the industry’s foremost periodical, Burson was described as “the century’s most influential PR figure.” Burson, who brings over 65 years of industry leadership, is a singular figure in the world of public relations, having won numerous industry honours, supporting an array of organisations and charities, and serving as a mentor to countless communications professionals.

     

    “I look forward to participating in this wonderful event that draws on the knowledge and experience of so many respected thought leaders from around the world. It’s an opportunity to share and gain perspective on the latest trends and best practices from the best in the field,” said Ms Sagar.

     

    Ms Sagar will be joining an expert panel of public relations professionals scheduled to speak on Wednesday, March 14. The theme of the panel is Public Relations in an age of Dialogue: Opportunities and Challenges. Also invited to speak are Lord Tim Bell, Chairman, Chime Communications; Dr. Herbert Heitmann, Executive Vice President, External Communications, Royal Dutch Shell plc; Khalid Al-Maeena, Editor at Large Arab News and former head of Saudi Public Relations Company and Richard Linning, IPRA President 2011.

     

    Over 500 professionals from over 35 different countries are expected to attend this year’s event. Sunil John, Chairman of the PRWC Organising Committee and Chief Executive Officer of ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller expressed his excitement about the upcoming event. “We are thrilled Prema is able to join what is shaping up to be an incredibly strong lineup. I look forward to welcoming industry colleagues to this part of the world where together we can assess and discuss the myriad challenges our industry is facing, not only here in the Middle East, but around the globe,” he said.

     

    Genesis Burson-Marsteller isSouth Asia’s leading integrated communications firm specialising in public relations, public affairs and digital marketing services. The firm has seven offices and a domestic affiliate network that reaches over 100 cities across the country. Genesis Burson-Marsteller is known for its evidence-based strategy, strategic counseling, innovative execution and strong focus on measurement of results.

     

  • The Good Times Ambassador is the first brand inIndiato switch to the new Facebook guidelines

    Kingfisher set to recount its ‘Brand Journey’ with Facebook Brand Timeline

    By A Correspondent

     

    Kingfisher, one ofIndia’s top 10 brands on Facebook, has proved yet again that it is one of the most digital-savvy brands in the country. It is the first brand inIndia to adapt Facebook’s ‘Brand Timeline’, giving its consumers ample reasons for a qualitative interaction with the brand.

     

    The switch to Facebook Timeline comes not just as a new look but a strategic move to engage with its consumers more qualitatively while also highlighting the milestones and narrating the story of the brand that was never told before.

     

    The Kingfisher page has been positioned as a facilitator of ‘Good Times’ and strategically does not promote beer, considering the profile of the Facebook users. The Kingfisher Facebook fan page currently enjoys more than 3.3 million likes.

     

    Commenting on the new move, Samar Singh Sheikhawat, Senior Vice President, United Breweries Ltd said: “In the rapidly evolving world of digital communications, the changes might be multiple but the crux remains the same – finding innovative and instantaneous ways of touching the lives of consumers. At Kingfisher, we’ve always strived to set these benchmarks by moving on to new platforms swiftly and utilizing the inherent strengths of the medium to forge a deep, meaningful relationship with our consumers. In keeping with that philosophy, Kingfisher was the first Indian brand to adopt the recently launched Facebook Timeline on February 29. Our endeavour now will be to use the key features of the format in a uniquely creative manner and make the consumer interactions on Facebook richer and more memorable.”

     

    Facebook Timeline went online in September 2011. It offered Facebook users the joy of revisiting their lives with a collection of photos, posts and apps facilitating a digital autobiography! Facebook has now rolled out the Timeline for brands which will transform the way brands communicate and interact with consumers drastically. The latest format provides brands with new options for self expression, allowing them to narrate their corporate story with milestones, highlight the brand’s key campaigns and so on.

     

    Kingfisher made its entry into Facebook in April 2008 and has been successful in constantly engaging with its consumers for the last 4 years. The numbers of fans have been growing in leaps and bounds year after year, a clear indication of the ever increasing popularity on Facebook.

    Initiating, fuelling and sustaining conversations remains to be the key challenge any brand faces on social media – Kingfisher is perceived as the benchmark in this space with consistently high levels of interactivity. As a result, currently the brand’s Facebook page flaunts more than 3 million fans, making it one of the top 5 brands on Facebook inIndia. Incidentally, this also makes Kingfisher the second largest beer brand globally on Facebook.

     

    On the other hand on Twitter, Kingfisher has a fair presence with about 17,000 followers. Though Twitter is a fairly new channel in the social media universe of brands inIndia, Kingfisher is perceived as a thought leader and as a brand that listens to consumers, not just talk. This is reinforced by even some of the top global blogs on social media mentioning Kingfisher’s Facebook & Twitter presence individually as amongst the best uses of social media inIndiaby brands.

     

  • Mr Sharma will take over as the head of the Chennai operations in addition to the Bangalore office. He will report to Mallikarjunadas CR, CEO, SMG India

    SMG strengthens South ops, Sriram Sharma elevated

    By A Correspondent

     

    Starcom MediaVest Group has promoted Sriram Sharma as the Vice President, Starcom MediaVest Group, South India. He will take over as the head of the Chennai operations in addition to the Bangalore office. He will continue reporting to Mallikarjunadas CR, CEO, SMG India.

     

    In another senior management appointment GV Sudha has been appointed as the Business Director, Starcom & VivaKi Exchange, Chennai. She will lead all businesses in Chennai and will report to Sriram Sharma. Ms Sudha comes to SMG after a two year stint with Madison. She has 14 years of experience in media and has worked with organizations like Lodestar UM, Ogilvy & Mather and Lintas.

     

    Confirming the appointments, Malli CR said: “We are delighted to announce that Sriram Sharma has been appointed the Vice President for South. His track record with us speaks volumes of his talent and capabilities. We are sure he will lead the southern offices successfully. As for Sudha, we are extremely happy to welcome her to the SMG family. Her experience in media will surely accelerate the growth of SMG in Chennai.”

     

    Commenting on the appointment, Sriram Sharma said: “I am thrilled and honoured to be given this opportunity to lead SMG in the South. My experience till now has been fabulous and I look forward to the new responsibilities.”

     

    Starcom MediaVest Group is one of the youngest, largest and most diversified media networks in the country. It has over 250 human experience strategists and activators across its four full service offices. It prides itself on its ‘people first’ approach at workplace and is known as one of the best places to work in. In addition to communication strategy development through its two networks Starcom Worldwide and MediaVest Worldwide, the group offers solutions in the area of ‘any screen content’ LiquidThread.

     

  • The Gujarat Tourism is now branding one entire Reliance Metro Airport Express train for a period of three months with the 'Khushboo Gujarat ki' campaign

    Delhi to get a whiff of Gujarati flavour

    By A Correspondent

     

    The ‘Khushboo Gujarat Ki’ Campaign featuring the mega star Amitabh Bachchan is currently omnipresent. Whether you switch on the TV or tune in to your favourite FM Radio Station or flip through the magazines and newspapers, the Khushboo of Gujarat is inescapable.

     

    Now the Gujarat Tourism is now branding one entire Reliance Metro Airport Express train for a period of three months. The ‘Khushboo Gujarat ki’ Campaign in its entirety would be branded on both the outer body and insides of the train by BIG Street, Reliance Broadcast Network Ltd’s OOH arm.

     

    The train would be jointly flagged off by Shri Vipul Mittra, Principal Secretary Tourism, Government of Gujarat and Shri Sanjay Kaul, Commissioner of Tourism & Managing Director, Tourism Corporation of Gujarat Ltd. on March 7 from the Reliance Metro Airport Express New Delhi Metro station.

     

    Gujaratis considered to be a land of myriad of opportunities. Though the impression about Gujarat is only that of land of ‘industrious people’, the state, renowned for its beaches, holy temples, and historic places of interest with immense architectural wealth, wildlife sanctuaries and hill resorts, also offers a lot to an avid traveller.

    The USP of Gujarat Tourism is its diversity of tourism products. It is being promoted as a complete family destination.

     

    The state has been ranked as the third best unsung tourist destination of the world by Lonely Planet. Gujarat Tourism also won the prestigious PATA Gold award for its coffee table book –‘The White Rann’ in the Secondary Destination Category.