MxMIndia

Author: mxmadmin

  • Come FM radio phase III, Radio GupShup hopes to further expand to newer markets. Besides, the FM station which has only recently re-launched its website hopes to reach not only the online community, but also the media agencies.

    We plan to expand to newer markets: Radio GupShup

    By A Correspondent

     

    Launched in 2005, Radio GupShup is the radio arm of Purvy Broadcasts Pvt. Ltd. (PBPL). The Guwahati based private FM radio station is said to have its presence in districts of Kamrup, Darrang, Morigaon, Nalbari, parts of Baksa, Udalguri, Barpeta, Goalpara, and Nagaon districts in Assam as well as Ribboi District of Meghalaya and Samdrup Jongkhar in Bhutan.

     

    While Radio GupShup aims to further consolidate its position in the year 2012, achieving break-even may still be a distant dream. Come FM radio phase III, Radio GupShup hopes to further expand to newer markets. Besides, the FM station which has only recently re-launched its website hopes to reach not only the online community, but also the media agencies. In addition to these developments, Radio GupShup is said to be in a strategic sales alliance with Radio Mirchi which not only helps the Guwahati based private FM station (Radio GupShup) get exclusive business assistance but, also helps the FM station to enhance its sales capabilities (Radio Mirchi has its network across 14 states with 32 stations). Currently, Radio GupShup plays Assamese hits, Hindi and English hit music.

     

    In conversation with MxMIndia, Mr S Wassim Ahmed, Station Head, Radio GupShup spoke about the growth targets of Radio GupShup, break-even targets, the FM phase II plans and much more.

     

    Q: How would you rate the year 2011-12 for Radio GupShup?

    The year 2011 – 12 has been good. Both the programming and sales team have done a decent job and we want to further consolidate our position across markets.

     

    Q: What are your growth targets for 2012?

    As I have already said in 2012 we will look forward in consolidating our market position as a name to reckon with in the FM radio in Assam

     

    Q: What are your break-even plans?

    Break even would not happen within a couple of years as the FM radio business is not an easy money spinning business. As the saying goes … FM radio investor got to be a ‘laamba race ka ghoda’.

     

    Q: What are your phase iii plans?

    As and when Phase III happens, we at Radio GupShup would definitely go in for an expansion.

     

    Q: What about the website? How active are you on your website? Any specific plans for the website i.e. listening online radio etc.

    We have recently re-launched our website. This had been our weak point.

    We would be interested to reach out to the online listenership base, provided we have get link or some knowhow. More over as per my knowledge this concept would take some time to materialize because of I & B Ministry’s clearance has not yet happened.

     

    Q: And what was the thought process behind re-launching the website…?

    To keep in touch with the media planners since we need some kind of connect with the people outside the state vis -a- vis our radio sound, kind of shows we have, music we air etc. The media agencies also get a hang of our station. In nut shell it helps to pitch in for national commercials.

     

    Q: Has there been an increase in the ad rates?

    This ain’t petrol price where the rate can go up. In fact the rates at times go down below the Rs.100/spot mark. So you can imagine how competitive the market is.

     

    Q: What about the advertising categories on Gupshup?

    In my opinion the advertisers/media planners have gradually become more aware about the cost effectiveness of FM radio medium. Since TV and Newspaper advertising rates are humongous, Radio advertising as you might know is a good ‘sasta aur tekao’ medium

     

    Q: Do you have a creative and media agency?

    We do not have a creative agency, we produce our own stationalities.

     

  • Star India's winning the rights to broadcast Indian cricket for six years is a significant development in the Indian sports arena. Star will also have the rights for internet and mobile, besides TV.

    Starry starry rights from BCCI

    By Rishi Vora

     

    Star India’s winning the rights to broadcast Indian cricket for six years – from 2012 to 2018 – is a significant development in the Indian sports arena where cricket is the only celebrated sport, and the one that attracts the maximum moolah.

     

    Though Star has won the rights much to the joy of the senior management team, the fact is that it has come at a staggering cost of Rs 3,851 crore for 96 matches.

     

    What this means is – for every single match played in India till 2018, Star will pay BCCI Rs 40 crore as part of the contract. The contract also says that Star will also have the rights for internet and mobile besides TV.

     

    Mr Uday Shankar, CEO, Star India said in a prepared statement, “BCCI is a great property and we are overjoyed to have an opportunity to develop it further. It was decided amongst ESPN Star Sports, ESPN and Star that Star would bid for the rights and if Star were to win the rights it would be exploited in collaboration with ESS.”

     

    So while it is great news for Star India for it augments its position as a network, there are some murmurs within the industry on whether it is a viable deal as far as profitability is concerned, especially when Indian cricket has seen one of its worst ever phases of late.

     

    A broadcaster of a sports channel who requested anonymity said, “It’s a move from Star to dissuade MSM from its cricketing interests. MSM already have the Indian Premier League which is one of India’s biggest properties, so the BCCI rights would have put them in a superior position in the industry. Hence it’s a setback of sorts for them, especially when they’ve been in the news on launching a sports channel.”

     

    He further said, “The price Star is paying is on the higher side. But it’s not very surprising that they’ve won it for the price they have, as they have the strength and the clout to pull off a high-value deal such as this one.” MSM came second to Star with a bid of Rs 3,700 crore.

     

    T Gangadhar, Managing Director, MEC India commented on the development: “Sports is a rights-driven genre and channels compete on that basis. As faras exploiting rights is concerned, Star India has announced they will collaborate with ESPN-Star Sports, an already established player. To that extent, life is as usual. However, going by the size of the winning bid, it is clear that Star is betting big on digitisation and increasing subscription revenue therefrom.”

     

    With the BCCI deal, ESS has now become a significant player in Cricket. They’re the official broadcasters of ICC matches, plus Australian and England cricket. Ten Cricket – the channel from the Zee stable airs matches played in South Africa, Sri Lanka, West Indies.

     

    Neo banked on World Series Hockey after having lost the rights for Indian Cricket. They however continue to own Bangladesh rights – the Asia Cup which was recently concluded was aired on Neo Cricket.

     

    Neelkamal Sharma, COO – Buying, Madison Media Group said, “For sports as well as for Star, it is really a big news – Star TV acquiring the rights for Indian Cricket for next six years. Since rights are with Star TV and not ESS, there could possibly be some more development on the way forward and time will tell what will those developments be.

     

    He further added, “There will be some consolidation of sports companies in the near future to leverage this opportunity. I will not be surprised if Star becomes a dominant player in sports as and fiction”

     

    According to Mr Mahesh Ranka, it will take some time before the investments could be recovered. “I can say that by the end of six years, Star will make money out of this deal on the back of subscription plus advertising revenues. It’s just not the Indian market. There are a lot of viewers who follow Indian cricket in other countries. Plus they have the mobile and the internet rights too. So it seems to me that it’s a good win for Star.”

     

    On what it means to other players in the sporting arena, Mr Ranka said, “Sadly cricket is the biggest game in India and quite clearly, other players such as Neo and Ten Sports would face a bit of a setback. They’ll survive, but that’s not the big question. The big question is whether they will be able to grow and build from where they’re now.”

     

    Advertising revenue may not be much in the first few years, and experts predict price points to range from 2 lakh to 3 lakh per 10-second spot. Profitability will be an issue.

     

    Star Network is poised to gain more strength. But will the Star shine yet again?

     

  • 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

    [MJR] The big wound in Indian newsgathering covered with Kareena Kapoor’s bandaid

    By Ranjona Banerji

     

    Even three years ago, my father couldn’t tell the difference between Kareena Kapoor and Shah Rukh Khan, if he even knew who they were. Now he can recognise every single Bollywood star and can even talk knowledgeably about their new films and their goings-on. He has not watched a film, I must clarify, in I-don’t-know-how-many years. But he is a news junkie. Therefore, when he told me on Saturday that the biggest TV news of the day was that Kareena Kapoor had a band-aid on her leg, I believe him.

     

    I think I also take back every criticism of Markandey Katju I ever made. I opened the e-paper of The Times of India this morning, to have a look at what was happening in the world. The front page of the main edition and the front page of Bombay Times opened next to each other. I have not read Bombay Times since Medianet began, so I did not look further. Why should I, when I already knew from opening the TOI website that Sajid Khan thinks that the Shah Rukh Khan-Farah Khan fight was meaningless and that Sachin Tendulkar had handed over the captaincy of the Mumbai Indians to Harbhajan Singh.

     

    Actually, it said ‘Bhajji” but by now we all know who that is. Should they have called Sachin “Tendlya” to keep the casual tone consistent? Maybe you’re not allowed to get casual with Sachin.

     

    I then went to Google to have a look at Hindustan Times. “Click for the latest Bollywood and cricket news” said the link. Ah well. I already know that, I thought. Kareena Kapoor has a band-aid on her leg and Sachin is no longer captain of the Mumbai Indians. Of course I was wrong. The most viewed story on the Hindustan Times website is “Akshay Kumar, John Abraham in a brawl”.

     

    I had foolishly thought that the Myanmar elections and Aung San Suu Kyi’s imminent victory was big news but couldn’t find it on the home page of these two worthy websites.

     

    So I went to the Times Now website and that is where normal service was resumed. Arnab Goswami, in save-India mode, looked at me sternly and I then knew all about Jaganmohan Reddy’s yatra as the CBI noose around him tightened, the fact that Team Anna was now taking on the BJP over Himachal Pradesh and the Lok Ayukta Bill, that the prime minister had refused to meet army chief VK Singh. I also saw Mynmar there.

     

    I hereby humbly take back all the nasty things I have ever said about Indian television. This I predict will last three days. Because I just remembered Kareena Kapoor and her band-aid.

     

  • CNN's Ali Velshi shares his sentiments around the political and business scenario bracing several economies and suggests patterns that would emerge as countries try and lift themselves out of the slowdown dilemma.

    Single biggest role is accountability: Ali Velshi, CNN

    Being associated with a network that prides itself on coverage being different from the clutter as well as being responsible for making the people and authorities accountable for their actions, are roles that many journalists would hanker after during their lifetime. And this is where Ali Velshi of CNN holds himself in high stead as he embarks on an enduring journey of bringing about accountability and response from the viewers in a way that affects the functioning of an economy. Whether it is connecting the news through finance, global issues, contemporary governance, education and big ideas, CNN’s Ali Velshi executes several roles across CNN as the network’s chief business correspondent and anchor of Your Money and World Business Today on CNN International.

     

    In a short yet crisp conversation with MxM India, Mr Velshi shares his sentiments around the political and business scenario bracing several economies and suggests patterns that would emerge as countries try and lift themselves out of the slowdown dilemma.

     

    Q: There’s talk of an ongoing slowdown that’s said to be impacting growth of several industries across the globe. How do you view the current economic crisis?

    The biggest differentiator between what the world is going through right now and what it went through in 2008-09 is that the current crisis has not evolved into a global credit crisis – that’s what made the last economic crisis substantially different in the sense that we learnt that we are all interconnected and that credit arrears that started in the US froze up the flow of money globally. Here we have a situation where we still have a great deal of uncertainty about Europe but you have stronger-than-expected economic growth in the US and weakening but still very strong economic growth in Asia. So we are not on the threshold of a disaster like we were globally in 2008-09; the general view is that the economic growth story is much more positive. It looks like the global economy is going to move forward heavily dependent on emerging economies and on strong growth in China & India.

     

    Q: What role will Asia play in helping the world rebuild its growth story?

    A lot of what happens to global growth is going to depend on China and India. We do see some slowing of growth in both of those markets for different reasons – in some cases because of the inflation and in the other cases because of the slowdown in spending in Europe. So the sum total of what happens in 2012 will probably have more to do with politics and inflation and oil prices then it’s going to have to do with organic growth. There are a number of things that are going to happen in the coming months particularly with respect to Iran and oil prices that will have an impact what 2012 will end up looking.

     

    Q: At CNN, what are some of the new viewership trends that’re redefining the way you cover news?

    The biggest trend that we’ve been witnessing at CNN and in the world of news is the remarkable surge in digital consumption of news, especially business news. Digital consumption of business news has been high for several years but the thing that is becoming important in financial news and economic analysis these days is context. And that’s where we can shine at CNN and that’s where we can gather the experts to add context to simple numbers or political results or debates as we have a strong stable of excellent analysts and commentators who can bring colour to the discussion. And that’s what is important; digital has given us access to development and news. But in the end, regardless of how our readers or listeners consume their news the value of the content and the context remains our major advantage in the market.

     

    Q: Don’t you see digital challenging the traditional medium where accessibility of news is concerned?

    As a journalist, I am highly agnostic to how people consume our product and one thing I have learnt at CNN is how to be agnostic. So I have to be able to report through TV, through social media, through blogging, through videos, etc. There are different types of audiences for these mediums, but ultimately if you are trying to get news and analysis out it should be relevant to the audience. I don’t think digital takes away the sheen from traditional media; in fact it adds to it as it allows us instant access to our audience and allows us to respond to them more quickly etc.

     

    Q: How according to you does CNN stand out from its peers in the highly competitive news market?

    Our reach continues to grow at CNN because it’s a must-have product for people who want to stay informed about global events and happenings. Whereas the Indian market is concerned, it’s fascinating how much news there is, how much broadcast there is…the growth of newspapers, etc. So Indians are clearly national consumers of news but where we stand apart is that CNN is a key channel that offers global perspective. We only see an upside potential in terms of busy, crowded, noisy world where people need to understand context in digestible portions.

     

    Q: Apart from being just a disseminator of news, how do you ensure you play a larger role in impacting the lives of people?

    The kind of initiatives that we take up like CNN Heroes etc we see to it that it really creates an impact because what ends up happening is that we can throw a light on corrupt practices and the plight of people who have no other voice. We can influence bad policy and have an impact on changes in an effective way. Also, the other thing is that using the strength of CNN we can get accurate reporting where sometimes a smaller organisation that doesn’t have a similar reach is not able to do so. As a result, we can hold people accountable. In media, the single biggest role that we can play is that of accountability. It makes for a more honest and fair world and I think that’s what our viewers appreciate.

     

  • Dutta will report to Alok Agrawal, Cheil Worldwide SW Asia.

    Cheil appoints Vivek Dutta as VP-Planning

    By A Correspondent

     

    Vivek Dutta joins Cheil as the Vice President-Planning after spending almost five years at Hakuhodo Percept where he was VP and National Planning Head. He has also worked for JWT in the past and in brand and marketing functions at Dainik Bhaskar, LNJ Bhilwara Group (Mayur Suitings) and Mahindra & Mahindra.

     

    Commenting on the development, Alok Agrawal, COO, Cheil Worldwide SW Asia, said: “Vivek has the right credentials to provide the required momentum in the planning function. His experience across diverse categories from automotive to consumer electronics; to health, lifestyle and sports; to social development, makes for the perfect choice of a seasoned partner for the Cheil India team.”

     

    Dutta has been in the industry for over a decade and a half and has had extended brand experience in the automotive sector having worked on the Maruti Suzuki range. He has also worked with Daikin, Carrier, Panasonic, Sharp, Toshiba, Sony and the like in both the HVAC and consumer electronics categories. Other career brands include Yakult, Hindware, Sukam Power Solutions, Unicharm, Citizen Watches, Top Ramen noodles, UNICEF, ILO, GAIL, Apollo Tyres, ESPN Star Sports among others.

     

    Confirming his appointment, Vivek Dutta said: “It’s a great time to be a part of Cheil. Contrary to popular belief Cheil is not just a Samsung agency. The intention here is to exponentially grow to be one of the top agencies in India. The fact that in the past few months Cheil has acquired a slew of varied business is a testimony for this. My intention is to be a part of this movement and provide momentum for growth.”

     

    Cheil India has been on an aggressive growth plan over the last 2 years, almost doubling its size its employee strength and billings. Significant expansion and growth has been seen particularly in BTL and Digital areas, making Cheil one of the largest fully integrated single agencies in India. Cheil set up the agency office in India in 2003 with just 12 team members and today has over 85 talented and passionate team members.

     

    Cheil Worldwide Inc is Korea’s largest and one of the world’s leading advertising groups. Established in 1973 with headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Cheil operates 49 offices in 27 countries with about 3,000 employees. Cheil offers a full portfolio of marketing communications services including advertising, PR, sports marketing, exhibition and display production, and production of large-scale performance events.

     

  • Jagran Prakashan makes giant entry to Madhya Pradesh & Chhattisgarh with Nai Dunia buy

    With Nai Dunia in the bag, Jagran is #1 print group

     

    By Archita Wagle

     

    There was no press conference announcing the deal. The Kanpur-based Jagran Prakashan Limited (JPL) simply did it by notifying the stock exchanges. The acquisition of Nai Dunia was done via Suvi Info Management (Indore) Private Limited which in turn owns Naidunia Media. It was an all-cash deal.

     

    What it does for the Jagran group is significant as its hold on the Hindi belt becificant, a factor that could help strike better contracts with advertisers. In fact, as an analysis with IRS 2011 Round 4 numbers shows, the Nai Dunia acquisition has helped JPL become the numero uno print media group in the country (see accompanying story: Saala Jagran No 1 print media group ban gaya…)

     

     

    Announcements of the deal on the front pages of Nai Dunia (left) and Dainik Jagran (right)

    According to an analyst from a domestic brokerage firm, this deal makes sense to JPL as the enterprise value assigned to Nai Dunia is Rs2.25 billion and had JPL planned a greenfield expansion in MPC, the total cost could have run into at least Rs3 billion.

     

    In an email interaction with MxMIndia, Mr Amit Jaiswal, Company Secretary, JPL clarified that JPL has acquired only Nai Dunia. NewsX and Webdunia are not a part of the deal. Talking about the changes after the deal he said: “Mr Vinay Chhajlani will continue as Advisor to Board. His vast experience of print and knowledge about the market will be quite useful for us. We will add some new members to the team at senior level in sales, marketing and editorial. Our corporate brand team will help in branding and communication. As far as the staff, the erstwhile promoters have already rationalized the staff strength to a large extent.”

     

    Commenting on the acquisition in a communique, Mr Mahendra Mohan Gupta, Chairman and Managing Director of Jagran said, “This was a logical market expansion for us and enables us to strengthen our presence in Central India. Nai Dunia is a newspaper with a very strong team and has demonstrated editorial excellence over the last decade.”

     

    Nai Dunia is the flagship publication of Naidunia Media Limited, which was launched June 5, 1947. Nai Dunia features amongst the top 10 Hindi dailies of India and has multiple editions in MP and Chhattisgarh and is the third largest read newspaper in Madhya Pradesh and the fourth largest read newspaper in Chhattisgarh (IRS Q4 2011). According to a Jagran communique, Nai Dunia’s current circulation base is around half a million copies per day with the readership growing 2.6 times over the last five years.

     

    The industry is almost unanimous in saying that the deal is windfall for both the parties involved, especially JPL, which can now enter the Madhya Pradesh-Chattisgarh (MPC) market. JPPL, controlled by GD Gupta family publishes the Jagran editions in Bhopal and Rewa in Madhya Pradesh and JPL, promoted by the PC Gupta family, has been barred from using Dainik Jagran banner in MP as it has been in litigation since 2007. But with the Nai Dunia acquisition, the other option for JPL, they are entering the MPC market with an established newspaper, which is the second largest newspaper in terms of readership and business volumes in MPC.

     

    “JPL will benefit in terms of circulation and readership as it gets two new territories, Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh, with the acquisition of an established and well-known newspaper. JPL couldn’t enter Madhya Pradesh as per the agreement in the family, but now taking over Nai Dunia has opened the MP market for them,” said Mr Vijaydutt Shridhar, senior MP-based journalist and ex-editor of Navbharat.

     

    Mr Abhishek Karnani, Director, Free Press Journal which also has an edition in Indore, echoed Mr Shridhar’s sentiments: “The takeover deal is a windfall for both, JPL and Nai Dunia. Entering the MPC market was the next logical move for JPL. Initially the market had only Dainik Bhaskar and Nai Dunia but several local new publications with strong backing were launched in the market. Nai Dunia made a smart move in selling out rather than being marginalised in the market.”

     

    Says Mr Sundeep Nagpal of leading media consulting firm Stratagem, “This is in line with what other leading groups have done – like the Times of India group did with Vijaya Karanataka.” According to Mr Nagpal, the acquisition is a win-win for all parties involved.

     

    “With Nai Dunia’s acquisition, JPL has gained foothold in an important and growing market for Hindi publications. Nai Dunia never grew much beyond Indore, though they had launched editions in other cities. But with an aggressive player like JPL taking over we can expect to see Nai Dunia growing in other centres too. JPL has now entered Dainik Bhaskar’s territory. We can now expect a good fight,” said Mr Janardhan Pandey, associate VP, DDB Mudra.

     

    Stockmarket analysts though are a little cautious about this face-off as they believe that DB Corp will not be impacted because of the entry of JPL from a short to medium term perspective. But they say that Patrika would be impacted as Jagran would become aggressive to win back the No. 2 slot in MPC. The analysts also feel that the price paid (net of tax benefits) is inexpensive and should derive benefits in the medium to long-term.

     

    For the cash-rich Jagran group, the Nai Dunia acquisition follows that of Mid-Day two years ago and the management plans that Nai Dunia will be consolidated once a year just like Mid-Day.

    Saala Jagran No 1 print media group ban gaya…

    By A Correspondent

     

    Question: Until last fiscal, which was the largest print publishing house in the country?

    Answer: No, the answer is not Dainik Jagran. It’s Dainik Bhaskar, In fact, Jagran was at No 3 until two days ago, just behind the BCCL group. But with the buyout of the Nai Dunia group, Jagran now becomes the largest print media group in the country. Check tables below:

     

     

     

    Note: MRUC does not share detailed IRS numbers with the media. Given that we had adequate time for the confirmation of the Nai Dunia buy, we collected the information from what MRUC shared with us and from respective media entities.

     

     
  • Flavoured and frozen yogurt is a new food category to India. The market for yoghurt of all types is pegged at almost Rs2,500 crore

    Can flavoured & frozen yogurt replace the good ol’ dahi?

    By Preethi Chamikutty

     

    Dahi that went abroad and came back. That’s how Swati Jain chooses to describe the latest flavour of the season: frozen and flavoured yoghurt.

     

    “Flavoured is just a nomenclature,” said the head of marketing at Danone India, which recently forayed into the frozen category after debuting with the flavoured variety. Danone isn’t the only brand taking this more contemporary form of good old curd, or dahi, pan-India. Go Dahi, a frozen yogurt brand launched by Parag Milk Foods two years back, is now available in Mumbai, Pune and Bengaluru.

     

    And it has plans to enter North India. So what about east India then?

     

    “Kolkata already has mishti doi!” says Devendra Shah, chairman, Parag Milk Foods very matter-of-factly. He goes on to say mishti doi is quite entrenched in West Bengal and making consumers there switch to frozen/flavoured yoghurt could be difficult.

     

    It’s not just Kolkata that has a local variant of curd; Maharashtra has shrikand, Punjab lassi, Kerala taire and Tamilians still swear by curd rice.

     

    Flavoured and frozen yogurt is a new food category to India, just two years young. The market for yoghurt of all types, including flavoured, frozen and regular curd, is pegged at almost Rs2,500 crore by euromonitor International – and one that grew 35 per cent in 2011.

     

    Clamouring for a scoop of the action are a clutch of brands, from Parag Milk Foods’ Go and Amul Flaavyo of the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF); to Nestle Real Fruit Yoghurt, Mother Dairy Yoghurt and Danone Cremix Yoghurt. The second set in this space include retails brands like Cocoberry, Red Mango, Kiwi Kiss and Yogurberry which sell flavoured/frozen yoghurt through exclusive outlets that only stock the respective brands.

     

    Most non-retail brands are using modern trade, institutions, college, school and office canteens, airlines, five-star hotels and independent kiosks to reach out to its potential consumers. Danone is also looking at kirana stores to reach customers and Jain says they provide Danone coolers to shops for stocking products. The target customers are young, urban and health-conscious people. Ms Jain of Danone points out: “Women tend to pick it up more than men, as psychographically they are more health conscious than men.”

     

    Adds GCMMF managing director, RS Sodhi: “This is a new product category being adopted by middle and upper middle class people who are health-conscious.” Nestle is trying to position its yoghurt as an ‘anytime nourishing snack.’ Kumaran Nowuram, general manager – dairy, Nestle India, says: ” Consumers consider flavoured yoghurt a western concept and, as they do not quite understand it, there really is no specific consumption pattern yet.” Nestle Real Fruit yoghurt has been available in the market for the past few years and the brand will soon add Junior Daheez (for children) and Fruit Daheez to its portfolio.

     

    These are still early days of trial and error. For instance, Go has withdrawn its banana variant for lack of adoption. Mango, strawberry and pineapple variants, which are common to all brands, are finding takers. Mother Dairy also has yoghurt in raspberry, blueberry and plum flavours.

     

    Munish Soni, DGM marketing at Mother Dairy’s dairy products division, says blueberry is quite popular among its customers. The retail brands have a larger range of flavours – as many as eight in the case of Cocoberry. Cocoberry also offers the largest pack size of 300 gm and even provides the option of home-delivery. Go, says Shah, will soon launch a 400 gm pack.

     

    The way forward clearly is to grab share from other snacks and desserts. Ina Dawer, research analyst at euromonitor International, says: “Frozen yogurt has already started to replace ice cream to a certain extent. Consumers have also already started to look at it not only as a healthy snack but also as a healthy replacement for meals.”

     

    Companies tying up with corporates to target office employees, adds Dawer, will also help in increasing consumption by making it a quick, convenient and healthy substitute for meals. “I will not be surprised if frozen yogurt sees growth of 70-80 per cent each year over the next two years,” predicts Dawer.

     

    There are a few obstacles to such robust growth. The lack of adequate cold chain infrastructure is the biggest roadblock, which restricts distribution to cities and towns away from the manufacturing facilities. This also makes building loyalty difficult as consumers tend to lap up whichever brand they can get their hands on. Says Suman Srivastava, cofounder of Marketing Unplugged, a brand consultancy: “While there are a number of brands in the space, someday I eat one brand and the next day I pick up another. This may be because not all outlets are stocking all brands.” Srivastava also thinks for the category to become bigger there has to lot of innovation: “When Britannia showed its cheese as equivalent to a glass of milk, it was unique way to position the product. Similarly if brands are able to create some parallels for frozen/flavoured yoghurt that could help increase adoption,” he says.

     

    Source: The economic Times

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

     

  • Starting early evening before the show was supposed to premier on Colors prime time, a video was seeded through Twitter medium. The campaign took the help of celebrities to seed in the video as a teaser.

    Twitter goes ‘laplap” for Center Fruit

    By A Correspondent

     

    The last evening of the financial year saw the start of something unique in the media space: celebrities using Twitter to seed in a viral video of a TV show which was scheduled later the same evening. The unique thing about it was that it was not only to promote the show tune-in, but to actually create awareness of a branded content segment by Center Fruit in the Mirchi Music Awards.

     

    Perfetti Van Melle India is credited with introducing some catch phrases through their advertising which have gone on to become common lingo amongst the Indian youth. After Center Fresh’s Zubaan Pe Lagaam and Mentos’ Dimaag ki Batti Jala De, this time Indian audiences were witness to something unique for Center Fruit on Mirchi Music Awards which was aired on Colors on Sat-Sun.

     

    Starting early evening before the show was supposed to premier on Colors prime time, a video was seeded through Twitter medium. It was not just a plain seeding. The campaign took the help of celebrities to seed in the video as a teaser. The video had the host of the award show Shaan being interviewed just before he was about to take the stage. In the middle of the interview, the journalist holds up the jar of Center Fruit, and off goes Shaan with his tongue-wagging act. This was similar to what happens in the brand commercial where a singer competing with a tabla player wins the battle when Center Fruit makes the singer go non-stop laplap with his jeebh (tongue).

     

    This was probably the first time a FMCG brand used the Celebrity tweet route to create a teaser online for amplifying a TV show scheduled later in the day. Commenting on the initiative, Sudarshan Saha, Client Leader, Maxus says that the idea came to his team when they saw top trending topics in the evenings in India recently tended to pick up what was being shown on Television. The agency team decided to turn the tables around, and used Twitter to seed in a tease before the show went on air, in this case. Sample this: Sophie Choudhrytweets – Does Darrling Luscious Lopez make your #Jeebhlaplap? or Poonam Pandey tweets -Shaan’s exclusive #jeebhlaplap backstage footage from MMA. Eesha Koppikar tweets -Enjoyed Shaan’s laplap secret. Watch Colors to see what makes Usha Uthup’s #jeebhlaplap.

     

    Perfetti Marketing Director Nikhil Sharma feels that the quality of innovation executed for Center Fruit pushes the benchmark further on how to use multiple mediums, especially Digital along with TV for FMCG brands. He leads marketing mandate for an array of impulse purchase brands in Perfetti, and treats Maxus as a long term partner to drive the growth agenda for his brands.

     

  • Ms Rishi will join Max India as executive director, brand and human capital. She will report to Max India MD Rahul Khosla

    Max ropes in Vibha Paul Rishi for brand building & HR ops

    By Ratna Bhushan & Khomba Singh

     

    Healthcare and insurance group Max India has roped in Vibha Paul Rishi to take care of its brand building and human resources operation, two people aware of the development said.

     

    Ms Rishi, who quit retailer Kishore Biyani’s Future Group last month, will join Analjit Singh’s Max India as executive director, brand and human capital, later this month, they said. She will report to Max India MD Rahul Khosla.

     

    A person close to the development said since the company’s executive represents the image of a firm, the company decided to bring both the verticals under Ms Rishi. “Our people are the best ambassadors of the group,” a top company official said, defending its decision to make Rishi responsible for building the group’s brand as well as managing its talent, career and succession plans.

     

    Despite repeated attempts, Rishi could not be reached for comments. Max India too declined comment.

     

    Max India’s existing human capital director P Dwarakanath, who retires shortly, will continue as an advisor to the human capital function, the official said.

     

    Rishi, who worked with beverages maker PepsiCo for 17 years, returned to India in 2010 after close to seven years overseas and joined the country’s largest retailer Future Group as its executive director for customer strategy. But her stint at the firm lasted barely two years. “She had some issues and her decision to exit was mutual,” a Future Group official said on condition of anonymity.

     

    A mother of two, the 50-year-old Rishi was heading PepsiCo’s marketing in India before she relocated to New York in 2003. She had led Pepsi’s ‘Nothing official about it’ campaign during the 1996 cricket world cup, which took cola wars to a new high.

     

    An MBA from Delhi’s FMS, Rishi quit PepsiCo in 2007, after which she was associated with NGO Pratham.

     

    In the last few months, Max India has elevated Mohit Talwar to the position of deputy MD and appointed Rahul Ahuja as the group financial controller.

     

    Its hospital subsidiary Max Healthcare also appointed a new chief executive officer, CFO and chief services officer, while elevating two senior doctors to the post of vice chairmen. During this period a few executives including CEO and CFO of Max Healthcare left the group.

     

    Source: The Economic Times
    Copyright © 2012, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved

     

  • Some names are enough to get brands instant recognition. Listed are 5 players whose's brand equity brands can benefit from

    The Anchor: 5 IPL players brands can ride on this season

    By Tuhina Anand

     

    1. Sachin Tendulkar:

    Good ole Sachin is the God of cricket even if the man himself has been telling everyone around that he is just Sachin. With his 100th 100, brand Sachin is in news. His handing over the baton of Mumbai Indians to Harbhajan Singh to concentrate on the game once again shows that for Sachin the game always remains his utmost priority. He is dependable, trustworthy and what we call ‘lambi race ka ghoda’ which he has proved time and again.

     

    2. Mahendra Singh Dhoni:

    Captain Cool has a lot riding on his shoulders. Having led CSK to re-create the IPL magic and win IPL 4, all eyes are him once again. MSD is picture of poise under duress and that’s a great attribute that brands can cash on.

     

    3. Chris Gayle:

    Return of the prodigal, that’s how Gayle’s IPL 4 stint can be aptly summed. He entered RCB last year as a replacement in the middle of the series and then created ripples by leading his team to the finals. This year Mumbai Indians were keen on having him on their side though RCB managed to retain him. Being among one of most recognized and popular players of IPL, his brand equity is currently high, which brands can benefit from.

     

    4. Virat Kohli:

    The 23-year old is already hot choice for brand endorsements. Being touted as dream player for ODIs, Kohli is being projected as a youth icon. He is endorsing around 10 brands including PepsiCo, Fair & Lovely, Titan Fastrack, TVS Sports Motorcycle among others. He still is behind Sachin and MSD in terms of number of endorsements so brands get on the Kohli brandwagon.

     

    5. Lasith Malinga:

    The Sri Lankan playing for Mumbai Indians has created quite a stir with his unruly locks and fierce bowling style. He is amongst the most popular faces of IPL and his quirks and style only adds to his appeal. Malinga, the name is enough for brands to get instant recognition.

     

  • Not the same old – there is always something new to look forward to, and Rajneesh Chaturvedi tells us what that is, in this edition of the IPL.

    The Anchor: The top 5 things we can expect from IPL 5

    By Rajneesh Chaturvedi

     

    #1 Watch out for new sponsors:

    Look out for and identify new brands that will be using IPL in their marketing communication, all for the first time.

     

    #2 New campaigns and Innovations:

    Watch out for new and innovative campaigns in IPL this year. Traditionally Vodafone has always launched new campaigns around IPL year on year, and every year we see some or the other innovative advertisements on the ground and on air. This year too we can expect new and innovative campaigns during IPL.

     

    #3 What’s new from Max this year:

    It would be interesting to see what Max has to offer, considering that the advertising and media fraternity is slightly apprehensive of the ratings this year.

     

    #4 New on-ground experience for viewers:

    What are the new things viewers can expect – the entertainment, the opening ceremony, all this is related to the experience a person gets in the stadium across the 12 venues.

     

    #5 New IPL winner?

    Last but not the least – are we looking for a new IPL winner this year? Last two IPL seasons, we had the same winner – Chennai Super Kings. Will we have a new winner in season 5?

     

    Rajneesh Chaturvedi is the National Director, MEC Access.

     

  • It's literally 'aisa mauka aur kahaan milega' as stakeholders go all out to promote IPL 5 starting next week

    Five days to return of IPL mega-carnival

     

    By Tuhina Anand

     

    The annual IPL event is no less than a carnival or a circus and the TVC featuring the two kids with the Eena Meena Deeka song playing in the background aptly sums it. As the countdown begins for the circus to visit our cities or beam in to our TV sets, we take a look at the various marketing activities planned around the IPL.

     

    Once touted as the biggest property for marketers, the game lost some sheen because of the negative coverage it got in its last avatar. Fully aware of the situation, those involved with the IPL have now gone all out to woo audience and it’s no surprise that lately, especially in the last two weeks, one has seen and heard a lot about IPL on various medium.

     

    Eena Meena Deeka- Carnival- Ye IPL Hai Boss
    [youtube width=”400″ height=”200″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2lDDabuGLs[/youtube]

    Rohit Gupta, President, Multi Screen Media (MSM), the official broadcaster of DLF IPL, talking about the inventory sold on MAX said: “We are in the process of closing deals and it’s been a regular sellout process. The start was a bit slow, but once our marketing campaign kicked off we have managed to rope in most of the key brands. In fact, we have not dropped our rate which is Rs5.5 lakh for a 10-second spot.”

     

    Mr Gupta, in fact, is confident that the rates will go up once the game begins and more audience comes in to watch the matches.

     

    Talking about the campaign, Gaurav Seth, Senior VP, Marketing and Communications, MAX, said: “We have reached the end phase of a very long campaign that was kickstarted on February 23 with Aisa Mauka Aur Kaha Milega and April 4 will see the culmination of all the activities we had undertaken as the IPL begins. As for sustenance, we will take a call on the basis of the viewership and address the issue accordingly.”

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”200″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXQsIgN_530[/youtube]

    Some of the activities that MAX has undertaken include a partnership with Radio Mirchi for 40 stations across India which will include radio spots, RJ mentions, and IPL contests. For OOH, they have taken over 700 units across 70 towns including billboards, bus shelters and various other innovative OOH panels. The print engagement includes both English and vernacular newspapers. They are also engaging the audience through mobile and FB along with BTL activation. It is learnt that the budget earmarked for IPL 5 is almost Rs30 crore.

     

    Mr Seth said: “We are reaching out to our audience with one million printed schedules which will be distributed through multiple outlets. We have planned flash mobs across 10 IPL towns. The mobs will give info on IPL by disruption and the sequences will be uploaded on YouTube which we hope will go the viral route.”

     

    “This is the 5th year of IPL so people know what it is. The challenge is to create something that is innovative and appeals to the consumers. Aisa Mauka is perfect as it talks about IPL being an opportunity to bond with family and friends. It invites people to enjoy the IPL experience,” he added, on marketing IPL which has definitely been a mega exercise.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”200″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkBVlfisg88[/youtube]

    Extraaa Innings T20 2012 on MAX has also come out with a special video featuring its presenters on the theme of Aisa Mauka Aur Kaha Milega.

     

    Here’s a look at some of the marketing initiatives taken by various IPL teams:

     

    Mumbai Indians

    Mumbai Indians has taken the digital route to connect with its close to 2.5 million fans. The unique marketing campaign by O&M is being digitally driven on Facebook’s MI fan page ‘MIPaltan’. The campaign ‘Players become Friends’ is aimed at increasing the interactivity quotient between the players and the fans in the digital space. The fans can get to be friends with Sachin Tendulkar, Harbhajan Singh, Rohit Sharma, Munaf Patel and other team players and know about their real lives, practice sessions and much more.

    https://www.facebook.com/mumbaiindians?sk=app_358303457535779

     

    MI has also unveiled its new website www.mumbaiindians.com, which offers a fresh view for the fans to know more about the team. The new website presents dynamic online tools, easy navigation and is rich in its contents. The fresh look and feel of the website, designed in keeping with international standards, echoes the value which best epitomizes the team – ‘Play Like One’.

     

    Mumbai Indians has recently signed a brand alliance with Walt Disney India, which marks the first time Mickey Mouse will be associated with cricket. The Mumbai Indians Disney merchandise is available for sale in India.

     

    Delhi Daredevils

    Delhi Daredevils, in its bid to engage its fans, signed four remarkable flagbearers of daredevilry as Delhi Daredevils Superfans. These include India’s only IronMan athlete, Anuradha Vaidyanathan; the youngest Indian climber to summit three peaks beyond 8000m, including Mount Everest, Arjun Vajpai; India’s only ultramarathon runner Arun Bhardwaj and the only Indian woman to ski her way to South Pole, Reena Kaushal Dharmshaktu.

     

    It also launched the team’s Hindi website, making it the first IPL franchise to create an online destination for cricket fans who would like to follow the game in the language. The English website too had been redesigned. Also on anvil is the launch of mobile version of the website. Smartphone users can download a mobile App to get scores and updates. DD also launched its new official song titled ‘Munday Dilli Ke’ to herald the coming season of DLF Indian Premier League.

     

    Chennai Super Kings

    CSK took its ‘Whistle podu’ further by launching a brand new participative cheer video. Titled ‘Chennai Super Kings ku Raise Your Hands’ this video too is a tribute to the unwavering fan support that the team enjoys. The one-minute video captures a fan formation that gathers momentum, with supporters joining in to form a Mexican wave cheering their favourite team. The video was uploaded on YouTube late evening on March 25, and in less than 12 hours it had already generated over 10,000 views.

     

    In another unique initiative, Washington Apple have partnered with CSK as ‘Official Fruit’ for the upcoming IPL season. South India is India’s largest market for Washington Apples and Chennai, in particular, is the key port of entry and distribution hub and also a key market for the company, hence the association.

     

    Kolkata Knight Riders

    Venky Mysore, MD & CEO of KKR on the marketing initiatives said: “KKR recently unveiled its new marketing campaign, ‘New Dawn, New Knights’. The campaign is about the new team that we have formed and its new attitude and intensity. It signifies the new winning spirit that has been brought in by our new players and the new coach. All of these go a long way in ensuring a new beginning.”

     

    He also said that their digital community exceeds 700,000 and before the start of the latest season of IPL, they are confident of reaching a million. The marketing would be mostly done through merchandising on the digital platform as well as through ticketing. “Contrary to public perception, we don’t go out and buy media, because we don’t need to. We have a brand that we constantly work on. Part of how we do that is to ensure the team is doing well, and we also try to be a part of mutually beneficial associations that can be leveraged. Hence, we develop marketing programmes that allow brands associated with us to activate themselves. For instance, we created a lot of content with our sponsors on digital and electronic media last year which they utilized advantageously,” Mr Mysore said.

     

    KKR is working to create new revenue streams like merchandising and licensing. Since various third party reports indicate that KKR is the most valuable brand franchise, they are looking at ways to strike licensing agreements to monetize on the same. As a result of multiple merchandising deals, they have made available a number of branded KKR merchandise like T-shirts, hats, head bands, fridge magnets, pens, ties and so on.

     

    “The market segment that IPL attracts is very different from that of a Test and One Day format of the game. I think it depends on the product. If you look at toothpaste today, you have hundreds of brands, but it all depends on how you package it and how you market it. So the challenge for us is to keep working on the product, its packaging and delivery, and if we do a good job, then we would be successful as a franchise,” he added.

     

    Rajasthan Royals

    Rajasthan Royals has again tied up with Sanskar School for their annual inter-school Kanni Thahryamal Tournament to develop, nurture and motivate young talent at the grassroots level. Various Rajasthan Royals players, including Rahul Dravid, scouted for talent at the tournament and. RR also supported the Ambuja Jaipur Marathon 2012 as Official Fitness Partner.

     

    They recently unveiled the pink-coloured training jersey dedicated to the city of Jaipur, the team’s home. On the digital front, the focus is on interactivity and their fan zone on the website encourages fans to express themselves through content, videos, images, forums or polls. Points are awarded based on interactivity on the website which can be redeemed for exclusive memorabilia and merchandise.

     

    UltraTech Cement Limited is the team’s Principal Sponsor for IPL 5. The cement brand has been associated with the squad since 2008.

     

    Kings XI Punjab

    This IPL team hosts the Kings XI Punjab Cup, a tournament organized to provide a platform for young guns to showcase their talent. Through this annual tournament, KXIP aims to nurture talent at the grass root level by giving them an opportunity to display their talent.

     

    Kings XI Punjab has initiated an activity with Institute of Fashion technology at Punjab University. As a part of the initiative, the aspirants were given an opportunity to design their favourite local team’s merchandise. The chosen designs have been used in the merchandising of Kings XI Punjab.

     

    The team associated with Indraprastha All India Sports Foundation to launch the one-of-a-kind reality show ‘Cricket Champs’. This reality show is being powered by Kings XI Punjab and a number of players from the franchisee are also part of the proceedings. This pan-India initiative is featuring on UTV.

     

    Deccan Chargers

    Emirates International has come on board as the Team Sponsor for Deccan Chargers. DC also kick-started its Blue Campaign in Hyderabad with ‘its gotta be blue’ line celebrating food, music and cricket. Some Tollywood films have also associated with Deccan Chargers for promotional campaigns. DC is also taking the digital route to connect and interact with its fans in a better way.

     

    Royal Challengers Bangalore

    RCB launched its new website earlier this month, which is aimed at making navigation easier for its fans. The site has new collection of photos, videos and other downloads for its followers. Most of the initiatives are on the RCB site.

     

    Pune Warriors

    This IPL team has been focusing on interacting with its fans with its website. In keeping with the name, the site has sections like ‘Our Warriors’ which give information about the players, War news and Warrior Club Updates. The Bhartiya Nrityanganas or the cheer queens with the Indian flavour will be encouraging the team on field. The team has also associated with Bookmyshow for buying tickets for the games.