MxMIndia

Author: mxmadmin

  • Inspired by the success of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in cricket, almost every sport with some following in India is launching a city-based, professional league

    Life beyond cricket: 5 new leagues in 1.5yrs

    By Bhanu Pande

     

    If Pepsi’s latest commercial, ‘change the game’, prods people to switch from cricket to football, it hints at a fundamental shift in the way the cola major plans to use sports as a brand-building platform. It feeds off – and feeds into – a fundamental change happening in the Indian sporting landscape.

     

    Inspired by the success of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in cricket, almost every sport with some following in India is launching a city-based, professional league. Five new professional leagues have been announced in the last 18 months and, word is, two others are being revived. “The Indian sports consumer is looking for entertainment, diversion, passion and emotion,” said Shailendra Singh, joint managing director, Percept India, which is behind the Indian Boxing League (IBL). “League sport will ensure that.”

     

    But for leagues to become a permanent fixture, something only the IPL has managed so far, paramount is drawing sponsors and advertisers. If the initial response is any indication, sponsors of many hues are warming to them. Hero Motocorp is making big investments in hockey, the Mahindra Group in basketball, and the ongoing World Series Hockey (WSH) has Bridgestone and Vodafone among its sponsors.

     

    “Those chasing cricket will have to move to a life beyond it,” said Sanjay Sharma, head of JK Motorsport. “The canvas has to enlarge for brand marketers as cricket won’t continue to enjoy the status it does.” Besides cricket fatigue and the gathering momentum of other sports, there are three reasons why marketers and sponsors are gravitating towards these new leagues.

     

    Low-risk investment

    The new leagues offer a low-cost proposition. Unlike cricket, they don’t have to put a lot at stake. CVL Srinivas, chairman of Starcom MediaVest India, a global communication & media services group, said while sports is a good medium for brands to connect to the youth, the most popular of them, cricket, poses an entry barrier for many advertisers. “Many advertisers today see cricket as overpriced,” he said. “Emerging new leagues could give them an opportunity to enter sports in some way at a much lower cost.”

     

    Four years ago, when Bridgestone considered IPL as a medium for brand communication, it was put off by the price tags for premium rights. For example, DLF pays 40 crore per year to be the title sponsor of IPL. So, Bridgestone made a modest entry into cricket as a co-sponsor of IPL team Mumbai Indians. The decision to become the title sponsor for the ongoing World Series Hockey (WSH) came easy.

     

    The investment was low: Bridgestone is paying 2 crore per year in a three-year deal. And it gives the tyre company an opportunity to target North India, a market where hockey is popular and where Bridgestone was weak. “South India has always been our strong market and our association with Mumbai Indians is good enough to deliver there,” explained Vaibhav Saraf, GM (sales & marketing), Bridgestone India.

     

    Similarly, a 10-second spot on IPL cost 4-5 lakh, but just one-tenth on WSH. “Returns in non-cricket sports would be much lower,” Mr Srinivas qualified. Even then, the cost value equation works just fine for Bridgestone. “Even if our return on investment (RoI) from WSH is 10 crore worth of media mileage, we are happy,” said Mr Saraf.

     

    Besides Bridgestone, the other principal sponsors of WSH are Vodafone and Imperial Blue (Pernod Ricard India). “We evaluate all sponsorship proposals on a cost per reach and level of consumer engagement possible,” said Anuradha Aggarwal, senior vice-president-consumer insights & communications, Vodafone. “The WSH was efficient on both.” The early days of WSH have seen modest to half-filled stadiums.

     

    “Hockey is still not a proven sport, we are building it,” said Yannick Colaco, chief operating officer of Nimbus Sports, the promoter of WSH. “Some leagues in the past haven’t delivered, which is likely to make sponsors and advertiser sceptical for any new league.” Mr Colaco claimed the league has booked 15 brands on-air in the first week.

     

    He expects this number to increase to 40-50 by the time the tournament ends on April 2, yielding 50-60 crore from sponsorship and advertising revenues. “WSH is not here to topple cricket, but we hope to make it a strong number two property before we enter the second season,” he said, adding that marketers will have to have “realistic expectations” during early days and come in with a “long-term vision.”

     

    Proof of Concept

    One factor that gives the new leagues a greater chance is how they are structured. They follow the IPL model, which is city-based and essentially pays for itself by riding on a big TV rights sale. “IPL has proven that city loyalties exist, which has prepared the ground for other professional sporting leagues to take off,” said Darshan M, CEO of Machdar Motorsports, promoters of i1Super Car Race Series.

     

    In Premier League Soccer, Uro Infra Realty, a Kolkata-based real estate company, was the highest bidder for a franchise – 25 crore for Team Barasat over 10 years, or a franchisee fee of 2.5 crore per year. Each team can spend up to Rs 12.5 crore on players, which means Barasat (Uno Infra) will spend a total of 15 crore a year.

     

    Now, 50 per cent of the central revenues – essentially, the sale of TV rights and central sponsorships – would be equally divided among the six franchisees. In return, each team gets 2.5 crore as match rights fee for its five home matches. Then, each team can have eight sponsors, apart from ticketing and hospitality rights in home matches. “Considering the league will be broadcast in 50 countries other than India, it won’t be a problem for franchisees to recover their investment,” predicted Bhaswar Goswami, executive director, CMG, the promoter of PLS.

     

    The new leagues have learnt from the failure of the past. For example, the Indian Cricket League (ICL), promoted by Zee, died because it did not have a buy in from the Indian board that runs cricket in India and so could not draw the best of the current players. The new leagues are either taking the boards of their respective sports along (soccer, boxing and basketball) or are working towards it (hockey).

     

    Another learning is spreading it out. Premier Hockey League (PHL) – India’s first sporting league event launched in 2005 and WSH’s predecessor – was discontinued in 2008. “Any successful league the world over has had two fundamental elements: multiple ownership and multiple match locations,” said Mr Colaco of Nimbus. “PHL ignored both.” PHL teams were all owned by ESPN and all matches were held in Chandigarh. By comparison, WSH has eight franchisee teams playing in eight cities.

     

    When Fragmentation Works

    Sports promoters and marketers say sports like soccer and wrestling have a significant regional following, and brands can tap that. “For instance, a brand that wants to target audience in soccer-crazy West Bengal may want to ride the PLS,” said Indranil Das Blah, chief operating officer, Kwan Entertainment & Sport Solutions.

     

    Mr Aggarwal of Vodafone sees a fragmented market as more of an opportunity rather than a threat. “Marketing investments are fixed and need to deliver maximum RoI,” she said. “If local fragmentation delivers a higher RoI, marketers like us will not have any problem going regional.”

     

    Similarly, Mr Colaco points to how motor sports can target auto brands, be it cars, tyres, lubes or accessories. However, eventually, feels Mr Srinivas, leagues will have to make a national impact. “To sustain, they’ll have to become pan-India properties,” he said.

     

    Source: The Economic Times

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

     

  • Little did the prince know that the damsel would be vanquished not by him but by another putative heir – one who blindsided him with a cycle

    Noosemaker: The fable of Rahul Gandhi & the other chap

    By Ranjona Banerji

     

    Pity poor Rahul Gandhi. There he was riding around Uttar Pradesh on his white charger, eating with a Dalit family here, saving a Dalit village there, quite the prince of India, promising deliverance from the evil dragon. In the strange twists that best illustrate fairy tales, the dragon was a damsel – but contrarily, a damsel who was causing distress.

     

    The media sometimes liked the young prince and sometimes it didn’t. The opposition all hated the young prince. And the Congress Party tried every sycophantic trick to woo the young prince. The prince himself was so involved in saving the state from the damsel that he paid no attention. The queen and the princess were clear that the prince was only interested in helping and wanted nothing for himself. The biggest advantage that the prince had was that he was better looking than most of his courtiers or indeed than the upstart wannabe princelings, who belonged to other, lesser parties.

     

    Little did the prince know that the damsel would be vanquished not by him but by another putative heir – one who blindsided him with a cycle which was obviously more effective than his horse as a dragon-slaying device. Suddenly everyone counted. The prince of India travelled so many thousand km and delivered so many speeches. But his quiet rival did more of everything. Had the prince failed? Was he a hoax? Had he missed the woods for the trees? Did he have any dragon-slaying and state-saving abilities at all? Would he ever become king emperor?

     

    After all, the other chap has been made chief minister of Uttar Pradesh by his grateful father and the sulking dragon has retreated behind a statue.

     

    In India, it must be noted that while sons may replace fathers and daughters may take over from mothers, there is only one dynasty. So the prince of India did what he did best. He dimpled his apology to the people of India and his mother, the queen, said they would live to fight another day.

     

    Awwww, said the people, that’s so noble and sweet.

     

    Damn said the white horse, no rest for me.

     

  • The occasion is the second birthday celebrations of AlphaOne,Amritsarwhich was attended by politicians, retailers, media, shoppers, corporates and celebrities

    Over 100,000 throng AlphaOne for grand celebrations

    By A Correspondent

     

    The AlphaOne team recently celebrated its second anniversary on March 5. Dr. Prodipta Sen, Executive Director, Marketing, Corporate Affairs & Retail, Alpha G:Corp, along with Navjot Singh Sidhu, MP, Tarun Chugh, Mandip Singh Manna,Punjabpoliticians, Dalbir Pannu, JV Partner, and Alpha team members cut the cake for the anniversary celebrations.

     

    Dr Sen addressed the media with the promise of adding further value to Amritsar. “AlphaOne substantially elevates the customer expectation and experience by constantly providing a truly cosmopolitan experience to Amritsaris, customized especially for them.”

     

    As a gesture of gratitude toAmritsarand Amritsaris, Dr Sen announced the launch of their landmark initiative, ‘Be the Change Club’. “This unique club is the next level of our initiative, ‘Amritsar Sparkling’. It will integrate AlphaOne’s CSR initiatives in the city.

     

    ‘Be the Change Club’ would consists of registered volunteers who would benefit from various learning programs, self-governance, personal development, health education programs, sports activities as well as career orientation counselling and seminars. The club will help members to contribute to the betterment of the city with initiatives based on that. The team believes in the progressive values of Learn, Earn and Return. Dr Sen said that they are seeking active participation from principals of colleges and institutions in supporting this cause by encouraging their students to join this collective initiative.”

     

    The logo of ‘Be the Change Club’, was unveiled by the AlphaOne Management at the bash. The unique club would engage in city welfare activities like green campaign, cleanliness drives, boosting civic amenities, among others.

     

    AlphaOne, since its launch in March 2010, has been adding value to the lives of families and youngsters ofAmritsarby creating opportunities for wholesome participation for all.

     

    The crowd witnessed and thoroughly enjoyed the first-ever Flash Mob inAmritsarat the Central Atrium of AlphaOne to mark the unveiling of ‘Be the Change Club’.

     

    The day started on a reverent note with Shri Sukhmani Sahib Path followed by Lamp lighting in the Central Atrium. The Alpha Team, for the first time, gave awards to recognize excellence to the retailers at AlphaOne in several notable categories, namely, Best Store Employee Award, Best Store Team – Anchor, Vanilla, Food Court, Entertainment and Special Dining, Best Store Manager – Anchor, Vanilla, Food Court, Entertainment and Special Dining Best Marketing Efforts – Vanilla, Best Store – Anchor (Consumer’s and Jury’s Choice), Best Store – Vanilla (Consumer’s and Jury’s Choice) and Best Store – Food Court (Jury Choice).

     

    An inspiring Sufi (Fusion) rock band performance by Satvik group was the climax to the day’s celebrations.

     

    AlphaOne offers the best of national, international and regional brands while also retaining the best of the vibrant Amritsari spirit. It caters to the city ofAmritsar, and as a corporate citizen involves itself with initiatives that qualitatively and quantitatively contribute to the betterment of societal welfare in the realms of health, positive public awareness, entertainment, community participation, cultural and spiritual well-being.

     

  • The conclave introduces Thinktent, a platform for aspiring professionals and students to interact with speakers. Live budget analysis roundtable managed by Business Today editors

    IndiaToday Conclave 2012: Securing the global promise

    By A Correspondent

     

    The India Today Conclave, India’s largest thought festival for the finest minds from across the country and the world, is scheduled to take place in the capital on March 16-17. The theme this year is The Asian Century: Securing the Global Promise. The focus, as usual, is on contemporary concerns as well as on innovations. But the Conclave will have a wider reach this year. Because India Today firmly believes that the more ideas are shared the bigger they become.

     

    The India Today Conclave goes free with ThinkTent, a brand new innovation this year, to increase the reach of the Conclave and to engage theIndiaof tomorrow-young executives and management students. Conceived as an outdoor event in a massive and comfortable tent, ThinkTent will beam proceedings live, via giant screens, concurrently with the Conclave.

     

    Not just that, the audience will get the opportunity to interact with Conclave speakers, who will also be available for photo ops and autograph sessions. One can register for ThinkTent at the Conclave website and, if selected, can be a part of ThinkTent for free.

     

    The Conclave is also proud to present a debriefing session from the Union Finance Minister, Pranab Mukherjee, a day after he presents the Budget to the nation. March 17 will open with the Finance Minister’s keynote address, explaining his budget. Delegates will get the rare opportunity of interacting with him over a Q&A session.

     

    On March 17, Akhilesh Yadav, the young Samajwadi Party leader, who has pedaled his party to sweeping electoral success, will address the Conclave. But he will not be the only one. There will be the opportunity to listen to a range of new heirs of political dynasties from acrossIndiaand its neighbours-from Namal Rajapaksa, MP,Sri Lanka, to Sajeeb Wazed, Special Adviser toAwami League,Bangladesh, Omar Abdullah, the Chief Minister of Jammu & Kashmir and Shehrbano Taseer, Journalist,Pakistan.

     

    With India Today’s culture of being in step with news, this year there will be a concurrent session, The Business Today Budget Studio@India Today Conclave, on March 16. The live budget coverage will be accompanied by senior editors from Business Today, India’s premier-most business magazine, and experts from the world of finance explaining the implications of the budget and answering queries.

     

    As usual, the Conclave promises to be a star-studded affair. Beginning with an inaugural keynote address by social activist Anna Hazare on ‘Yeh Dil Maange No More Corruption’, the two-day conference will reflect the full range of contemporary interests, passions and concerns: India’s favourite cricketers Virender Sehwag and Harbhajan Singh on the zigzagging fortunes of Indian cricket; superstar Kareena Kapoor on the rise of the New Heroine in Bollywood; His Excellency Anwar Bin Ibrahim, Leader of Opposition and Former Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia, on arguments for democracy and a keynote address by Henry Kissinger, Former Secretary of State of the United States of America and Nobel Laureate.

     

    The conclave will close with  Imran Khan,  Pakistan’s legendary cricket captain and chairman of the political outfit, Tehreek-e-Insaf, delivering the Dinner Keynote address. The event will be followed by a gala dinner, specially created by British gourmet chef, Rob Rees.

     

    With some of the finest minds from around the world assembling inNew Delhi, The India Today Conclave will once again provide the perfect platform for a free and frank exchange of ideas.

     

  • It was the opportune time for the group to highlight the brand’s promise of 'Andar se solid' in an interesting, engaging and visually arresting manner to the consumers

    Jaypee Cement ‘Wall Moments’

    By A Correspondent

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”200″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xbo8rqEpkrQ[/youtube]

    Jaypee Cement ‘Wall Moments’

     

    Background

    Jaypee Group has always been in the forefront of nation building activities by creating world-class infrastructure and power projects that ensure economic prosperity and energy security ofIndia. Jaypee Group is the third largest cement producer in the country and produces cement under the brand name of Jaypee Cement.

    As one ofIndia’s leading cement brands, Jaypee Cement has played a significant role in various landmark projects developed by Jaypee Group across the country.

    It was the opportune time for the group to highlight the brand’s promise of ‘Andar se solid’ in an interesting, engaging and visually arresting manner to the consumers.

     

    Insight

    While we may not realize it, the wall enjoys a special place in our lives. We all have had our share of ‘wall moments’… be it a young girl, leaning against a wall, dreamily reading a love letter; a father measuring his child’s height on the wall; a young man putting up a Rocky poster on the wall and so on.

     

    The Execution

    While the TVC comprises of various engaging, nostalgic wall moments in all of our lives, the difference comes through in the execution – in the manner in which these sequences flow seamlessly from one through the other.

     

    Right from the start of the film where a man welcomes us into a home, the treatment resembles a journey where one is being guided through from one moment to another as we move through the home.

     

    The TVC is also being supported by Print and Outdoor, along with Cinema as well.

     

    “We knew we’d hit upon a strong, resonating idea with ‘wall moments’. It was then only a matter of crafting it. The brief was opened up to the office and people were asked to dig into their own lives and pen down their wall moments. We finally picked up the best from the pool,” said Vandana Katoch, Creative Director, DDB Mudra,Delhi.

     

    Credits

    Creative team:  Vandana Katoch, Vishal Singh, Joy Sengupta

    Account Management: Gopal Krishnan, Raghunath, Anusheel Chowdhury

    Senior Film Executive: Vineeta Misra

    Client: Jaypee Cement

    Director: Nico

    Production House: Coconut Films

     

    India’s largest integrated marketing communications and services network, the DDB Mudra Group’s customized and collaborative approach helps its clients build valuable and enduring brands. Our capabilities span Advertising, Media, Digital & Data marketing, Experiential marketing (Promotions, Events, Rural), Trade marketing, Youth marketing, Localization & Pre-Media services and Brand Strategy & Design consultancy.

     

    With over 1,100 employees and 36 offices, offering direct contact across 1,75,000 villages, 4000 towns, 3500 schools and nearly 7 million students, the DDB Mudra Group was India’s most awarded agency network at Cannes, Spikes and Abbys among others in 2011.

     

    The DDB Mudra Group’s clients include Aircel, Ashok Leyland, Asian Paints, BPCL,  Bank of Baroda, Baxter, Castrol, Cipla, Colgate, Dabur, Emirates, Emami, Federal Bank, Future Group, Gillette India, Godrej, Gulf Oil, HDFC Bank, HPCL, Hindustan Unilever, HP, HUL, ITC, Jaypee, Jyothy Labs., ICICI Prudential Mutual Funds, Idea cellular, Johnson & Johnson, LIC, Lavasa, L&T, McDonalds, MSD, Malayala Manorama, Mother Dairy, Nestle, Novartis, PepsiCo,  Peter England, Philips Healthcare, Reebok,  Rotomac, Sab Miller, Shell, Star India, Standard Chartered Bank, Tata Communications, Tourism Australia, TTK Prestige, UNICEF, Union Bank, United Spirits, Volkswagen, Western Union, Worldwide Media, Wipro, Wrigley and Zydus.

     

  • Customers to benefit from integrated attribution solution for ad campaign analysis

    MediaMind and Encore Media Metrics Announce Partnership

    By A Correspondent

     

    MediaMind, the leading independent provider of integrated digital advertising solutions, announced recently its partnership with Encore Media Metrics to deliver cross-channel, full-funnel attribution as an extension of the MediaMind platform.

     

    Marketers can now receive deep, actionable insights through robust, attribution-based reports through the partnership. As an integrated solution, MediaMind and Encore are reducing the cost, complexity and level of effort normally associated with advanced analytics.

     

    Attribution solves the ‘last-click’ problem by allocating partial credit to each impression, click and interaction that influence conversions. Through Encore’s statistically validated attribution model, marketers can see the true performance of each channel, vendor, placement and keyword. Encore also measures the optimal frequency for converters while quantifying opportunities to expand reach and increase ad efficiency. Armed with these insights, marketers can optimize campaigns effectively and efficiently while gleaning a deeper understanding of customer engagement cycles.

     

    “Advertisers and their technology partners are challenged to optimize every dollar in a media buy,” said Gal Trifon, General Manager, MediaMind and Chief Digital Officer, DG. “Collaborating with Encore provides our customers another opportunity to maximize campaign performance at a channel, vendor, placement and keyword level, as well as determine optimal frequency, engagement cycles, and KPIs for search, display, affiliate, email, social and other digital media.”

     

    “With the fragmentation of digital media, advertisers and media agencies find it increasingly difficult to track how consumers respond to cross channel campaigns,” said Steve Latham, Founder and CEO, Encore Media Metrics. “By integrating the Encore solution with the MediaMind platform, advertisers will have easy access to advanced insights into their ongoing campaigns while saving time, money and energy.”

     

    “To date, the biggest hurdle faced by our customers to full-funnel, cross-channel views is the level of effort required to deploy yet another point-solution across each campaign,” said Jordan Khoo, MediaMind APAC Regional Director. “We’re very pleased to be able to bring an integrated attribution solution to our customers to reduce their workload.”

     

    MediaMind, a division of DG (NASDAQ: DGIT), is a leading global provider of digital advertising campaign management solutions to advertising agencies and advertisers. MediaMind provides media and creative agencies, advertisers and publishers with an integrated platform to manage campaigns across digital media channels and a variety of formats, including rich media, in-stream video, display, search and mobile.

     

    Encore Media Metrics helps advertisers and media vendors optimize performance through better analytics. Encore helps clients measure performance across channels and beyond the last click, producing actionable insights while reducing the cost and complexity of media measurement.

     

  • There are a few advertisers who have raised concerns over low returns against large investments on IPL

    Has IPL become too expensive for advertisers?

    By Rishi Vora

     

    After Rahul Dravid announced his retirement from international cricket on March 9, senior journalists, fellow cricketers and fans pondered over the future ofIndiaas far as test cricket was concerned. While that’s an issue selectors for the Indian cricket team have to sort out soon, officials from IPL and Multi Screen Pvt Ltd have to come up with real quick ideas to woo key advertisers, so that they remain invested in the property, especially after the 10 per cent hike in the ad rates for Season 5.

     

    The 10 per cent hike in ad rates means that advertisers will have to pay upwards of Rs5 lakh per 10 second spot. Last year, afterIndia’s fabulous performance in the World Cup, MSM hiked ad rates by about 25 per cent.  The season delivered an average rating of 3.91, lowest ever in four seasons.

     

    So season 5 was always going to be a challenge considering the slowdown andIndia’s continued poor run inAustralia. However, despite these challenges, MSM has managed to rope in a few sponsors already. Pepsi, Vodafone, Tata Photon and Idea have been signed on as sponsors and, furthermore, the broadcast partner is in process of finalising a few more deals.

     

    But, as a matter of fact, there are a few advertisers who have raised concerns over low returns against large investments on IPL and two amongst those – LG Electronics India and Godrej that have been sponsors from the start of the tournament have decided to pull out this year. They don’t think it’s worth the money anymore.

     

    LG Electronics India’s Chief Marketing Officer, L K Gupta told MxMIndia: “It is true that we’ve opted out of IPL this year. While it is the single largest property on TV, the fact of the matter is that there is only a certain level to commit marketing funds and the return we get in terms of TRPs does not really justify the high level of spending. Last year we felt the pinch, so we decided to stay out this year.”

     

    Godrej too is said to have opted out on similar grounds.

     

    Maruti Suzuki, which as a policy spends about 23 per cent on sports every year, of which cricket commands a reasonable share, has always restrained from being associated with IPL. Shashank Srivastava, Chief Marketing Officer explained his stance: “We invested in the World Cup last year. We don’t invest in IPL because for a company like ours, one needs to put in a lot of spike. IPL gives you good reach. In terms of viewership, it gives you good returns for 5-6 weeks which is something ideal for new launches or new product offering. So the money which goes in on buying IPL, and in return what you get for a brand like Maruti is not much.”

     

    A senior media professional who requested anonymity said that India’s richest league commands nothing less than Rs65 crore for presenting rights and Rs45 crore for being an associate sponsor. He said: “This is serious money you’re talking about. They (MSM) have increased by 10 per cent on ad rates, and they are under tremendous pressure to cut down further.”

     

    Nitin Jain, Co-Founder, DoMor Communications said the broadcast partner will eventually have to come down to last year’s price which was around Rs4.5 to 4.75 lakh per 10-second spot. “I’m sure the broadcaster is in talks with many clients, but from what I understand, it is going to be a game of who blinks first.”

     

    Buying his point is Nimbus sports COO Yannick Colaco who said: “I think advertisers are just waiting to see if the rates can be brought down. It’s pretty usual for advertisers to do this as a practice to get better deals out of the broadcaster.  IPL is a big tournament and advertisers will eventually look to advertise on a property of that scale, so I think it’s just a matter of time before they (MSM) sell out and a formal announcement is made.”

     

    It is learnt that MSM has initiated talks with Cadbury, but it is not entirely clear if the chocolate brand has signed the deal officially. On-ground sponsors for season 5 are DLF, Hero Motocorp, Karbonn Mobiles and Volkswagen.

     

    Set Max officials could not be reached but it is said that this year the attempt is also to sell smaller packages of 20-25 matches to cash in on advertisers with limited budgets. Also, it is not leaving any stone unturned in promoting the mega event. It is believed that a whopping Rs45 crore is being spent to bring the IPL fever back among viewers.

     

    It will be interesting to see how things turn out to be for all stakeholders of the mega property.

     

  • Mindshare has launched the first edition of its new quarterly trend series, Culture Vulture, which identifies the Entrepreneurial Spirit of Gen Y across 30 countries globally.

    Mindshare finds Gen Y Entrepreneurial Spirit in Trend Study

    By A Correspondent

     

    Mindshare has launched the first edition of its new quarterly trend series, Culture Vulture, which identifies the Entrepreneurial Spirit of Gen Y across 30 countries globally. The report, which was led globally out of the agency’s Asia-Pacific hub in Singapore, examines over 300 Gen Y entrepreneurial businesses across 38 cities including New York, Buenos Aires, London and Shanghai to understand how the youth’s innovative ideas can inspire and fuel game-changing communication behaviour.

     

    “At the core of this first edition is the belief that businesses need a little bit of reverse mentoring from time to time- big blue chip companies can learn from the nimble and creative entrepreneurs of Gen Y,” said Catherine Williams who heads the series for Mindshare.

     

    The report identified 14 unique global trends that Gen Y-the consumer group, in the 17 to 32 age group (The generation born between 1978 – 1995) has been pioneering to great success in small to medium sized businesses. These include tips from trendsetting tech start-ups, channeling the power of advocacy, and creating a genuine value proposition.

     

    Commenting on the launch of the series, Marco Rimini, Mindshare’s Global Business Planning Leader said, “Understanding trends and popular culture actually tell us more about consumer behaviour than media consumption data ever could.  Our Culture Vulture series has been created specifically to better inform our clients and teams of these trends and inspire original thinking in our media strategies.”

     

    “Culture Vulture is a tool that we will be focusing on in India to dial up the cultural sensitivity of our strategy teams and deliver strong communication & media solutions that leverage cultural nuances. Mindshare is in the midst of executing a study, based on Geert Hofstede’s cultural dimensions, that will bring richness to this endeavor,” said Alok Sinha, Leader, Strategy, Mindshare South Asia.

     

    The report itself draws on ideas and technologies employed by Gen Y entrepreneurs. It is being distributed as a free iPad app, an interactive PDF and as a videos series on Vimeo on Twitter and a Culture Vulture blog.

     

  • The Kannada Kaun Banega Crorepati promises to be as big a hit as its counterparts in Hindi and other languages.

    Kannadada Kotyadhipathi locks ads, to air from tonight

    By Tuhina Anand

     

    Kannadada Kotyadhipathi goes on air tonight (on March 12) on Suvarna, and the team behind it has pulled out all the stops to make it a success. The channel has closed on its sponsors which are a mix of both national and local advertisers. The presenting sponsor for the show is Santoor and it is powered by Pepsodent. The telecom partner is Airtel while the banking partner is Vijaya Bank. The associate sponsors for KBC include Confident Group, Bhima Jewellers, Sunfeast, Muthoot Fin Corp, Mentos, Tata Motors. Big FM is the radio partner and Suvarna News is the news partner. It is learnt that in terms of revenues the channel is getting a premium on this property; the average spot rate for this show is three times more than that of a regular show.

     

    It is seen as the biggest property in Kannada and the channel has been promoting the show heavily on its own platform. Besides, there is a complete 360-degree marketing plan to promote the show across ATL and BTL activities. During the launch phase, there was print advertising in all key publications of the state. Radio activity included radio spots and RJ mentions. In OOH, 100 hoardings are up in the state promoting the show and 10000 posters across the state. There was also a mobile canter activity conducting events across 15 towns of the state is on for one month. Bus shelters across key areas of Bangalore were taken besides branding in high-traffic key retail outlets of the state. 10 kiosks in high traffic areas are planned across Bangalore city plus a mobile application with which key info of the show like schedule, pics, videos and a quiz game will be live for Android phones. In the online space, there has been engagement via Facebook and videos on YouTube.

     

    For the sustenance activity, the plan is to continue with print advertising in key publications. Radio activity with radio spots and RJ mentions will continue besides the hoardings and mobile application and online activity. Anup Chandrashekaran, the channel’s Business Head, said, “This is the biggest show on Kannada Television and we expect that this show will break all previous records in terms of performance & revenues. The look and feel of the show and the production values are of international standards.”

     

    “Kannadada Kotyadhipathi is yet another show that stands for wholesome family entertainment. We at Suvarna are happy that Puneeth Rajkumar, the face of the Kannada film industry, is doing this path-breaking show for us. The format of the show is unique as this gives the common people an opportunity to use their knowledge and change their lives. Big Synergy, the production house which produced the Hindi version of KBC, is also doing this version. They are a team of experts and I am happy to be associated with them,” added Mr Chandrashekaran.

     

    He also said other shows are planned to be launched around KBC. He said, “We have lined up an array of fiction shows to come up in the next few weeks. The first show to be on air would be “Amrutavarshini” this show is about a naive girl from a middle-class family who gets married into a rich family. The show looks at the mother-in-law – daughter-in-law relationship through a new lens. We are also working on a few other fiction shows which fall in line with our channel philosophy of offering differentiated content.”

     

  • N Ramamoorthi, President & Country Head, Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide, on PR challenges in India and what keeps him awake at night.

    [PR] Our goal is to achieve standards: N Ramamoorthi

    By Johnson Napier

     

    While PR agencies are gradually waking up to the phenomenon of social media, there are a few like Ogilvy PR who have been steering the initiative at their workplace for quite some time now. Not surprising that the agency has recorded superior growth through its social media offering last year – a space that’s said to be growing the fastest in the industry today.

     

    As the agency seeks to deliver unmatched solutions and leapfrog ahead of its peers, it aims to achieve the objective by hiring talent that is ahead of the curve and by paying adequate emphasis on training. In conversation with MxM India, Mr N Ramamoorthi, President & Country Head, Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide discloses his plans for the agency and what would be the possible growth drivers for the PR industry in 2012. Excerpts:

     

    How has Ogilvy PR delivered on the growth front in 2011? And, how would you rate your start in 2012?

    I joined Ogilvy PR during the second half of last year. My sense is that growth has been good at Ogilvy PR, particularly due to our growth in the social media space. I am sure everyone knows that that’s the part which is growing the fastest in the industry today. It’s an exciting time to be in the PR business, because digital is driving it to be more and more result-oriented.

     

    We have had a better-than-expected start in 2012. In Mumbai, we participated in two pitches – both global brands – and won both the pitches. Interestingly, we won both because we showed a good sense of how companies need to engage with their public in a changing environment. We are on our way to creating a new PR approach, and these two pitches confirmed that we are on the right track. Now it’s about our ability to execute and deliver on this approach.

     

    How would you assess your client roster across the several domains that you offer your services in?

    Our client roster today is a mix – spanning Digital, Corporate, Consumer and Technology clients. We have been able to gather genuine strength in some areas – especially in Consumer PR and in Social media, particularly in the B2B space. And that is an ongoing priority for us – to establish strengths in a few areas that make sense and make a real difference to clients’ businesses. For example, we do work with IBM and we win a lot of IBM’s global Best Practice awards as a team on Social media.

     

    How would you rate Ogilvy PR on the parameter of client retention?

    Pretty good. Our emphasis is on longer relationships – I feel that for any agency, you need to work with a client for some time; get to be a part of their business and understand their opportunities and issues better. That is when we can become true partners with a stake in client businesses and start making real contributions. This is what we tell clients.

     

    How do you review your practices each year so as to stay ahead of the curve on a consistent basis?

    One of our advantages here is the fact that in addition to being a part of Ogilvy’s massive reputation in India, we are also part of a regional PR powerhouse. Ogilvy PR is the No. 1 PR agency in the Asia Pacific region – and that brings with it a huge benchmarking and training advantage. You have regional leadership looking critically at your performance in each practice and evaluating whether it fits the standard of the No. 1 PR agency in Asia Pacific. These appraisals are very honest, because nobody likes a regional reputation to be let down. We are excellent in some areas and good in others.  In a couple of areas we would rather keep low till we acquire the skills.

     

    Staying ahead of the curve basically depends on two things – One, keep an eye out and hire talent that is ahead of the curve – you will hopefully see a lot of action from us in this area. And two, training. Since early last year, Doug Buemi, Senior Regional Executive Advisor/Asia Pacific, has been spending a tremendous amount of time in India on training. And we’ve begun to see it paying off – at the first stage, with the kind of highly improved scores we are getting in our annual employee surveys.

     

    We are today very serious about our PR business and about bringing it up to speed with our regional reputation.

     

    A lot of agencies are waking up to the concept of crisis management in India. What is the emphasis you lay on the practice of crisis PR?

    A few years ago, we planned and executed an award-winning Crisis management program for an India client. The case is now part of Ogilvy PR’s global crisis management showcase. So we have the credentials there. But we feel what’s happening today is on reactive crisis management than on proactive crisis preparation. Everything has evolved – from the way a crisis strikes to how it spreads and the media it adopts. And a reactive approach just won’t work – look at what is happening all round us, sometimes for some really well known corporate.

     

    Our emphasis is on proactive crisis preparation. We have a global module called Brand Shield with which we successfully engage clients and improve preparedness on responding to a potential crisis.

     

    What is the shift you observe in the way PR as an industry functions today to what it did, say, about a decade ago?

    The industry is evolving in terms of greater professionalization, which is a very good thing. Personally, the one thing I would wish is for the industry’s work and its value to be more noticeable and acknowledged. I read comments from quite a few PR agency heads – that the industry has significant challenges in terms of attracting talent and its ability to command fees commensurate with its contribution. Getting your value to be noticed is the best way to overcome such challenges.

     

    Where do you see Ogilvy PR placed in the PR pecking order amongst its contemporaries?

    There have been some surveys as well as media articles that have named us within the Top 10 in India in ranking terms. Which is good, but what really motivates is an internal ranking. Our goal is across practices, to achieve the standards set – by Ogilvy in India and by Ogilvy PR in the APAC region. We’ve begun that journey, started to see some results, and that’s the goal that is going to keep us awake at night.

     

    How do you think social media has impacted PR and its functioning?

    Firstly, it has brought in a new skill and specialization into an industry that is less departmentalized than others. So there is some freshness there. Secondly you have new things, new ideas to share with clients, so scope for growth at this stage is undoubted. Thirdly, it is performance-oriented and can help build long-term advocate-communities which are a big plus to how the industry shows its results. I feel the change is for the better, and not merely in business terms. Culturally this will definitely help the PR industry evolve into the same league as the other, more glamorous communication disciplines.

     

    Including talent, what are some of the big challenges facing the PR industry in India?

    I’ve spoken about it before in terms of what I read – talent and the average size of client retainers. These challenges can’t be overcome with a logical approach; they need to be overcome by making the industry, the personalities and their work more noticeable. Willing talent and fees will follow.

     

    What are your views on international agencies venturing into India? What is the future you foresee for the PR and communications space in India?

    I guess everyone is welcome! There is no doubt that PR is evolved in more developed markets; so if some of those practices can be brought into the country to everyone’s benefit, why not?

     

  • The radio play is aimed to make the youngsters understand that there is an alternate way of thinking for everyday situation they come across

    Fever FM’s new radio play – Gandhi

    By A Correspondent

     

    After the success of Ramayana, Fever FM will air a new radio play, Gandhi beginning March 12. Fever FM is said to have put together a story for the youth that revisits the life of Mahatma Gandhi. The radio play, Gandhi, is aimed to make the youngsters understand that there is an alternate way of thinking for everyday situation they come across.

     

    With celebrated artists such as Farooq Sheikh, Rajit Kapoor, Heeba Shah and Sachin Khedekar as a part of the play, Gandhi promises to be one of the most ambitious and out of the box radio projects of all time. Farooq Sheikh will be voicing the role of Bharat, Rajit Kapoor voices Gandhi, Sachin Khedekar voices Ambedkar and Heeba Shahand voiced Kasturba Gandhi.

     

    Harshad Jain, Business Head, Radio & Entertainment, HT Media Ltd said: “Mahatma Gandhi needs no introduction. He is one of the greatest men this country could possibly ever have. Through Gandhi, we are paying a tribute to the Father of Our Nation and reliving the life of the man for the present day world. This is another ‘first’ that Fever 104 FM brings for its listeners. Packaged with great music and superior production quality, I’m sure it will be loved and much appreciated across age groups”.

     

    Fever FM’s radio play, Gandhi is sliced over 60 episodes. The first episode will be aired on March 12. Gandhi will be a two month long series with episodes airing every day.

     

    Fever 104 FM (radio operated by HT Media Ltd.) is available in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Kolkata with a vibrant, youthful, creative and interactive programming, that just lets the music play! HT Media Ltd’s association with Virgin brings global strengths and expertise in radio markets across the world including Bangkok, South Africa,ParisandMalaysia. With the best quality and most quantity of music on-air, constantly playing only the top contemporary hits Fever 104 FM is synonymous with less talk, more music.

     

  • Radio Netherlands' Country Manager Amitabh Srivastava tells MxMIndia that talk radio is the next big thing.

    Intnl radio stns will soon enter India: Amitabh Srivastava

    By Robin Thomas

     

    Amitabh Srivastava is the Country Manager – South Asia, Radio Netherlands Worldwide. Prior to working with Radio Netherlands, Mr Srivastava was the Director, Affiliate Relations at Walt Disney Company and General Manager at TV Today where he worked for a total of five years. In conversation with MxMIndia’s Robin Thomas, Mr Srivastava spoke at length on the six-year-long journey of Radio Netherlands in India, on phase III developments, various initiatives of the Dutch international broadcaster in India and much more.

     

    Q: Radio Netherlands has been in India for the last six years. How would you rate the year 2011 for RNW and the journey since the India launch?

    Radio Netherlands Worldwide had exponential growth, both in terms of brand building and our key responsibility areas of promoting issues related to human and nature welfare. Our milestones were partnership with Reliance and State Radio Service AIR on co-production, which propelled the growth from thousands to millions. Apart from this, we have also tied up with regional and university radio – IGNOU Gyanwani, which has equally benefited us to mark our footprints in smaller areas, thus leading to a gradual development in this part of the world.

     

    Q: How are you viewing the Indian market from the radio perspective?

    India is a big nation and above all a huge audience size to attract any international broadcaster. Its diverse nature and broad media landscape ensures that any broadcaster invests resources on both commercial and for welfare means.

     

    Q: You had launched web and mobile sites Lovematters.info and Lovematters.in in November 2011; how has the response been so far? How do you plan to take this initiative forward?

    We had an overwhelming response and great uptake from our partners on both the versions of the websites. We had tie up with Reliance to launch the WAP version of the site which has been a great success. Also we had marketing campaigns (On Ground and Web) with various web portals and campuses which resulted into further promotion of our websites. We are also trying to get partnership with other telecom operators on pay mode to ensure sustainability in a longer run. FPA (Family Planning Association of India) also joined hands with us for this noble cause.

     

    We are planning to launch Love Matters to other parts of the world, for example in Latin America.

     

    Q: There are so many websites and information available on sexual health; how is Lovematters any different? How does the mobile site work? Is there a separate team working on these sites?

    We are an independent broadcaster which provides reliable information. Also, we have experience in making journalistic content for a young audience. It’s a one-stop solution and a comprehensive database for all sexual-related issues. It is to have a Dutch purview, but has been customised especially for the Indian audience with its cultural sensitivities taken care of.

     

    We have the mobile site on the WAP model on a lighter version which works quite brilliantly on the GPRS mode too. We have a dedicated editor in India as well as a complete editorial and technical team already on it from Hilversum, Holland.

     

    More so looking at the response we have a Hindi website too, which is www.lovematters.in.

     

    Q: Besides the audience, are advertisers, particularly youth marketers keen on advertising on the website?

    We are a state-funded organization, hence this is no issue for us.

     

    Q: In 2010 Radio Netherlands tied up with Web 18 for news on in.com as well as for international music on their website. Tell us more about how the deal has shaped up today? What are the other digital technologies you have invested in?

    Yes indeed we had a tie up with Web 18 for their web portal www.in.com. We are successfully running our strategic partnership with RNW music content on their sites as web stream radio and experienced good uptake by our listeners.

     

    We have developed APPS for Apple products, RNW Apps (Light Version) and other application programming Interface to strengthen our footprints in the new media.

     

    Q: Are you observing the FM phase III developments? The government has given its nod to air news on FM radio sourced from the government-owned All India Radio (AIR). FDI limit has been marginally increased from 20 to 26 per cent, there will be additional 800 stations in 300 new cities. How does Radio Netherlands India view all these developments?

    With this initiative I am sure many of the international broadcasters will try to base themselves, which will further enhance the need for talk radio which is already an established model on the global platform. The embargo on news and current affairs in India will be lifted as a result of this initiative, thus giving us more space to do some quality partnering with FM channels.

     

    Q: Are there any specific challenges that a foreign media faces when it enters the India market especially from a radio perspective? In a few years from now do you see these challenges being met or overcome?

    As stated, I believe, soon we will find the Indian radio industry catering to audiences from a global perspective. Besides this, since a new investment opportunity will also lift the embargo on news and current affairs, it will also make talk radio available in India. Hence I am hopeful to see these developments in the near future.

     

    Q: Do you agree that radio is a highly regulated medium in India and that it needs to be self-regulated?

    Yes radio is regulated to some extent which encompasses a restrictive circle to adhere to. In my opinion, we must have news and current affairs also to be part of the programming rights which will certainly prove a boon to the radio industry, as Bollywood songs and other contents are being exploited to a much desirable extent in other forms of media as well.

     

    Q: What are some of the lessons the Indian radio industry can learn from their international counterparts?

    Interactivity is the element that seems to be missing in the FM channels in India. Talk radio is the key to ensure that we have the missing piece in place. We are seeing the same already running successfully on the global platform.

     

    Q: Can you throw some light on the India-specific plans of Radio Netherlands? What is the business like in the South Asian markets?

    Radio Netherlands Worldwide needs to cut 70 per cent of its budget from 2013. We will focus entirely on making journalistic content to encourage free speech. It’s difficult to say anything about plans for the South Asian markets, because that’s still undecided.

     

    Q: How different is the radio industry in, say, Pakistan or Sri Lanka?

    The South Asian subcontinent on the landscape has primarily the same behaviour. Hence I don’t see any structural difference, however I do agree that press freedom is much curtailed and there is lack of free speech in these countries as compared to India.

     

    Q: What is the team size in India and in other South Asian markets? Any expansion plans?
    In India we have an office in New Delhi and dedicated producers for All India Radio co-productions. Apart from the distribution team we also have an editor based in the same region too.

     

    Q: On a lighter note what is a typical day like for Mr Amitabh Srivastava, Country Manager- South Asia, Radio Netherlands Worldwide?

    Well, I work in two countries at the same time. All my partners and potential partners work according to IST (Indian Standard Time) which normally starts at 10am, and since I have my team in Hilversum hence I have to work till the office timings in Netherlands which is 11pm IST. I enjoy being busy!! Plus I love meeting people and also spent good amount of time on social media for personal and professional reasons which helps me a great deal.