MxMIndia

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  • Travel Channel announces a new travel talk show, ‘Livewire With Ash’.

    Explore launches travel talk show

    By A Correspondent

    Explore Travel channel, India’s first travel channel, has announced ‘Livewire with Ash’, a first-of-its kind talk show on travel, hosted by Indian travel industry stalwart Mr Ashwini Kakkar.

    Indian travellers are discerning when it comes to travel plans.  More and more Indians are travelling not just within the country but overseas too for work, pleasure, quick breaks and shopping.  They seek information that is relevant, reliable and practical.

    ‘Livewire with Ash’ is a relevant programme for the Indian traveller to get first-hand topical and reliable information while making decisions on travel. ‘Livewire with Ash’ is also an opportunity to hear the travel greats from Airlines, Hotels, Travel Operators and Tourism Boards on how they view the Indian traveller and their future plans for India.

    Guests on the show include Mr Subodh Kant Sahai (Union Minister for Tourism), Mr Raymond Bickson (CEO, IHCL and Taj Hotels Group Worldwide), Mr Adel El Masry (Director of the Egypt Tourism Authority, Asia), Ms Catherine Oden (Director of Atout France), Mr Michael Maedar (MD of Switzerland Tourism), Mr Sriram Narayan (Deputy Commercial Manager, South Asia, British Airways), Mr Randall Tan (Regional Director of Singapore Tourism Board), Mr Miguel Nieto-Sandoval (Former Tourism Counselor of Spain Tourism) and many more stalwarts from the travel ecosystem.

    The show airs on Saturdays at 10pm on Explore Travel Channel.

  • Publicis Groupe is among the leaders in third-quarter mergers and acquisitions rankings, with agencies from the group’s public relations network advised on approximately US$155 billion value of deals worldwide.

    Publicis among leaders in Q3 M&A rankings

    By A Correspondent

    Publicis Groupe’s global financial communications consultancies – operating as part of the MSLGROUP network – have ranked third worldwide in deal value for companies advising on mergers and acquisitions through September 30, 2011, Q1-Q3, according to Mergermarket, a  leading M&A intelligence service.  MSLGROUP is Publicis Groupe’s flagship PR, speciality communications, and engagement network.

    Consultancies within MSLGROUP that contributed to the global performance were led by Kekst and Company (“Kekst”) who took the top spot overall for the number of deals handled in the US.

    Mr Olivier Fleurot, CEO of MSLGROUP, said, “Two years after we created the global network MSLGROUP, we’re proud to see our world-class agencies perform so well in the highly competitive mergers and acquisitions speciality sector.  Financial communications is an area we intend to invest in further.”

    MSLGROUP’s financial communications expertise is housed within six key agencies around the world:  Kekst, based in New York; Capital MSL based in London and Dubai; Hanmer MSL based in Mumbai; Paris-based Publicis Consultants; MSL Italia based in Milan and Stockholm-based JKL Group.

  • Star Plus named ‘Best Entertainment Channel’ at CNBC Story Board Awaaz Awards 2011.

    Star Plus gets CNBC award

    By A Correspondent

    STAR Plus, India’s No 1 Hindi Entertainment Channel, has been adjudged the best in its class at the prestigious CNBC Story Board Awaaz Awards 2011.

    STAR Plus topped viewers’ choice in a pan-India survey of over 5,500 viewers in the country. According to the survey conducted by CNBC Awaaz and AC Nielsen in the run up to the awards, STAR Plus emerged a clear leader with maximum viewership in the country and was voted as “The Most Recommended Television Channel of the Year” in the Entertainment Category.

    “Viewers are at the core of STAR Plus’s content. They are the force that drives us to constantly raise benchmarks with shows that set a social agenda, while simultaneously improving on the viewing experience through HD channels and Apps that make content available on-the-move,” Mr Nitin Vaidya, Business Head, Hindi Channels, STAR India said, thrilled by the recognition. He added: “To be voted as the most favorite channel is a huge compliment and an honor. We, at STAR, are humbled at receiving the CNBC Story Board Awaaz Awards 2011.”

    The channels refreshed brand philosophy “Rishta Wahi, Soch Nayi” is not just a tag line but the operating brand philosophy which is best expressed through the actions of its progressive protagonists. These iconic women characters, reflects India, what’s changing and what’s reassuringly remaining the same.

  • Lavie releases its first ever TV campaign, capturing the essence of the brand, ‘Handbags for the Many Moods of Women’.

    First TVC from Lavie

    By A Correspondent

    [youtube width=”350″ height=”250″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LI7X1r-42OE[/youtube]

    Conceptualized by TBWA, the new television commercial of Lavie featuring the brand ambassador Kareena Kapoor, hits across various  TV channels this season. The new television commercial for Lavie captures the dilemma of the sales person who attends to innumerable women, with varied demands. It also highlights the perplexity of a woman who has a picture of requirement in mind but is unable to convey the same and is trying various options to come to a conclusion of what to shop for. The new television commercial for Lavie is created based on the notion of women with various moods.

     

    Talking about the insight behind the creative idea, Mr Rahul Sengupta, National Creative Director, TBWA India states, “Probably the most complex machine is the mind of a woman. It means one thing while it says something else. The statement is truest of all when a woman is shopping. If you have ever been a brother, suitor, husband or salesman, you will know. Watching this can be bemusing and amusing at the same time.”

     

    The TVC captures the essence of Lavie which has bags for all the moods of today’s jet-setting women.

     

    Mr Sandeep Goenka, Business Head of Lavie says, “Kareena very well resembles the personality of Lavie and the association with her is synonymous with our brand. And with this ad, Kareena captures the essence of shopping, for every woman with her proficient expressions. The Lavie collection offers stylish and accessible handbags for today’s jet-setting women which are now readily available all over India.”

     

    Talking about the objective of the campaign, Mr Nirmalya Sen, Managing Director, TBWA India says, “We aren’t the only brand that claims it has a wide range of styles and colours. But then, that truly is the competitive advantage of this brand – the widest range of colours, styles, genres of handbags. The challenge was to communicate range in a manner that is distinctive and endears the brand to its audience – confident, young, style-conscious women.”

     

    Credits:

    National Creative Director: Rahul Sengupta, (NCD TBWA India)

    Creative team: Rahul Sengupta, Rahul Ghosh, Siddharth Deo, Shagun Seda & Kimberley Flanagan.

    Account Management: Nirmalya Sen, Anand Narayan, Priya Chandni & Geetanjali Sharma

    Planning: Rajesh Sharma & Reny Thomas

    Production house: 30 Secs of Fame

    Director: Uzair Khan

  • The Times of India and The Cardiological Society of India are organizing an India Heart Conclave to engage relevant stakeholders from the healthcare fraternity in a discussion on necessary actions for managing cardiological disorders.

    TOI holds ‘heart conclave’

    By A Correspondent

    The Times of India and The Cardiological Society of India are organizing an India Heart Conclave to engage relevant stakeholders from the healthcare fraternity in a discussion on necessary actions for managing cardiological disorders.

     

    India is undergoing a transition and is on the threshold of an epidemic of cardiovascular disease. It ranks extremely high amongst the nations struck by the rising wave of premature deaths caused by non-communicable diseases, mainly heart and blood ailments. The country of 1 billion plus was estimated to account for 60 percent of the world’s heart disease cases in 2010. And a recent study found that people in India and other South Asian countries suffer their first heart attack at age 53, on average – six years earlier than the rest of the world.

     

    India Heart Conclave, a daylong conclave is being held on October 20, 2011, 2 pm onwards at The Oberoi Hotel, New Delhi.

  • HT Media’s Shine.com has partnered with The Indian Air force (IAF) to help their retired and retiring personnel find a second career in the corporate world.

    Placement fair by IAF with HT Media’s Shine.com

    By A Correspondent

    HT Media’s Shine.com partnered with the Indian Air force (IAF) to help their retired and retiring personnel find a second career in the corporate world.  On the October 15 weekend, the IAF inaugurated a two-day placement fair in New Delhi in collaboration with Shine.com.

    Mr Rajiv Verma, CEO, Hindustan Times Media Limited said, “The contribution of the IAF is invaluable and the officers’ skills are unmatched. We will provide our expertise in getting them to the corporates. We have 40,000 potential jobs at our portal Shine.com and we are willing to help the former officers to get the jobs they deserve.”

    The fair, held for ex-warriors of the IAF saw a huge turnout both from recruiters as well as those seeking jobs. Many IAF personnel retire at around the age of 40, with a productive span of nearly 15-20 years ahead of them.  Because of their long, technology-intensive training and discipline, post retirement, ex-Servicemen and women are invaluable to the corporate sector.

    “The Air Force is a technology-intensive service and the officers who retire from IAF are skilled, hardworking and have a wide range of skill sets. Since they get early retirement, it is our duty to help them in the transition from a job with the force to that in other sectors,” said Air Marshal Anil Chopra.

    The fair was inaugurated by Defence Minister MrAK Antony. “IAF offers a disciplined, well-trained and elite pool to which the industry should give priority during recruitment,” Mr Antony said during the inauguration. This is the sixth such placement fair being held for retired personnel.

    The association will stretch from assistance in resume building all the way to leveraging Shine.com’s database of employers in order to match the diverse skill sets of ex-IAF personnel with the perfect career option.

  • Creativeland Asia has won the creative mandate for two verticals of Godrej – Godrej hair colour and a new product line to be launched soon.

    Creativeland bags Godrej verticals

    By A Correspondent

     

    Following a multi-agency pitch, Creativeland Asia has won the creative mandate for two verticals of Godrej – Godrej hair colour and a new product line which is soon to be launched.

     

    Commenting on this partnership, Mr Sajan RaJ Kurup, Founder and Creative Chairman, Creativeland Asia said, “Godrej is one of India’s most trusted and prestigious brands, and it gives me great pleasure to see them place immense faith in Creativeland Asia. I am also excited about the opportunity to launch their new product line. We are looking ahead to this partnership and are certain that our work culture and beliefs will match the unsurpassed legacy of brand Godrej.”

     

    Creativeland was founded by  Mr Kurup in the summer of 2007, and since has grown to an over 80-strong team with two full-fledged offices in India and nine strategic offices in Asia. Creativeland’s work has been awarded at the D&Ad, One Show, Adfest and Cannes.  It recently became the first ‘Independent Agency of the Year’ at the Spikes Asia 2011.

  • NDTV to honour excellence in the sixth edition of the Indian of the Year Awards 2011, which salute Icons of Change, on October 18 in New Delhi.

    Indian of the Year awards on Oct 18

    By A Correspondent

    NDTV has announced the Indian of the Year Awards 2011, to honour extraordinary Indians and their achievements. The awards will honour eminent citizens who have made the nation proud.

     

    The most prestigious civilian honour of the country, the Indian of the Year Awards, will salute icons of change for this year in New Delhi on October 18, 2011, at the Taj Palace Hotel. The awards, in its sixth successful year, will be graced with the presence of some of India’s most influential personalities.

     

    Announcing the awards, Dr Prannoy Roy, Chairman, NDTV, said, “NDTV Indian of the Year Awards recognizes eminent visionaries, and personalities who have made the country proud and helped build Brand India. The colossal success of the initiative over the past five years and the presence of some of the most eminent Indian personalities have given tremendous credibility to the awards. We hope to make this year’s NDTV Indian of the Year bigger and involve the entire nation in the celebration.”

  • Listeners of Sunset Samosa on Radio Mirchi Delhi get to play Musical Tambola with Radio Mirchi RJ Naved, and stand to win cash prizes up to Rs 15,000.

    Musical Tambola on Radio Mirchi Delhi

    By A Correspondent

     

    Delhi radio station Radio Mirchi 98.3 FM has announced a Musical Tambola contest for the month of October with RJ Naved on Sunset Samosa Monday to Friday, from 6pm to 7pm, with cash prizes up to Rs 15,000 on offer.

     

    To play, the listener has to SMS Mirchi <space> name to 5676729 to get a Tambola ticket with a unique number consisting of six songs. Listeners have to then tune into Sunset Samosa and tick off the songs from their Tambola ticket while RJ Naved plays super-hit songs on air and engages his fans with witty repartee. As the listeners get a Top 2, Top 4 or a Full House on their tickets, they have to SMS their name and ticket number to Radio Mirchi at 58888 and win.

  • Even though creative content is at the heart of all communication, magazines which are proactive and transparent in sharing information with clients are the ones which will survive, feels Mr Tomas Ernberg of Volvo Auto.

    Magazines need to be more open: Volvo MD Tomas Ernberg (Video)

    By Shruti Pushkarna

    In today’s digitalized world where advertisers and marketers have options aplenty to choose from, when it comes to their vehicle of communication, traditional media has a tough battle to fight, feels Mr Tomas Ernberg, Managing Director, Volvo Auto India Pvt. Ltd.

    Speaking at the 38th FIPP World Magazine Congress 2011 in New Delhi, Mr Ernberg said, “The world is going for the digital and that’s why there’s a scary scenario for magazines, so to say…”

    Sharing a client’s perspective, Mr Ernberg said that the marketer feels a bit blind when it comes to ROI from putting an advertisement in magazines. “If magazines could be more open and could find more information about the customers, the subscribers…especially psychographics, it would give the marketers a very good platform to decide which magazines to advertise in”, added Mr Ernberg.

    Advertisers and marketers, emphasized Mr Ernberg, are looking to engage their audiences in entertaining and effective ways, so even though creative content is at the heart of all communication, magazines which are proactive and transparent in sharing information with clients, are the ones which will survive.

    Having spent 17 years at Volvo, Mr Tomas Ernberg took over as company’s Managing Director in July this year. In his last position as the Regional Marketing Director in Dubai, he managed 13 markets in the Middle East and North Africa. Mr Ernberg started his journey with the Swedish auto manufacturer in 1994 as the Tourist and Diplomat Sales Manager at Volvo Cars, Turkey.

    [youtube width=”350″ height=”250″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyYQZEWhdGM[/youtube]

  • A deal between NDTV Hindu and Kasturi and Sons will make Metronation Chennai a 100 percent subsidiary of Educational Trustee Company Pvt Ltd, promoters of Daily Dina Thanthi.

    Dina Thanthi takes over Metronation Chennai

    By A Correspondent

    New Delhi Television Ltd. (NDTV) and Kasturi and Sons Ltd (KSL) have entered into an agreement to sell their respective stake in Metronation Chennai Television Ltd (MNC). The stakes have been sold off to Educational Trustee Company Pvt Ltd (ETCPL), promoters of Tamil Daily Dina Thanthi.

    The deal is worth Rs 15 crore after the completion of which Metronation Chennai MNC will become a 100 percent subsidiary of ETCPL.

    Metronation Chennai Television Ltd was a joint venture of NDTV and The Hindu wherein MNC operated and managed Chennai’s first and only city-specific English news and current affairs channel, NDTV Hindu.

  • Ranbir Kapoor and Nissan to feature in the world’s first Bollywood movie auditioned on Facebook.

    Nissan launches film audition on Facebook

    By A Correspondent

    Nissan India and actor Mr Ranbir Kapoor are searching for 20 passionate members of the public to star in the world’s first Bollywood movie auditioned entirely on Facebook.

    From October 19, movie-fans will be able to join in one of the world’s largest on-line talent hunts by uploading a short clip of themselves dancing for a chance to appear alongside Mr Kapoor in the three-minute Bollywood blockbuster – New Star of India.

    Members of the public will vote to decide who the 20 lucky co-stars will be, and will also help produce the movie by shaping the plot, choosing the music, picking the wardrobe and naming the characters.

    As well as being screened to millions on Facebook, New Star of India will be premiered at exclusive red carpet events in cities across India in January 2012, where there will also be a chance to win one of six all-new Nissan Micras.

    Mr Kapoor said, “I’m incredibly excited to be involved in this ground-breaking movie with Nissan – no-one’s attempted anything like it before. Speaking to all Bollywood fans out there, this is your once in a lifetime opportunity to join me in the magic of the movies. I’m looking forward to seeing your auditions and can’t wait to meet my co-stars, so get dancing, get voting and get involved!”

    Taking part couldn’t be easier. All would-be stars have to do is record a 45-second audition of themselves via their webcam, smartphone or video camera showing off their best Bollywood moves and upload it to the dedicated New Star of India page on Facebook, www.facebook.com/nissanindia.

    There are just three steps to stardom…

    1: Choose your favourite soundtrack on the Facebook page

    2: Get dancing – either solo or with up to nine friends

    3: Upload the clip to the site

    Nissan will also be taking New Star of India on the road and will be touring shopping malls across the country to film live auditions in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Chandigarh, Kolkata, Pune, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad and Aurangabad from October 22 – check the Facebook page for details.

    Even non-dancers can get involved. Everyone who votes, shares or takes a test drive from Nissan’s model range will be entered into a competition to win one of the hottest tickets in town – a chance to attend one of the movie premieres and win a Nissan Micra.

    Mr Kiminobu Tokuyama, Managing Director of Nissan Motor India Pvt. Ltd said, “Nissan is all about innovation. It’s in the cars we build, the way we do business, and now we are offering members of the public a genuine world’s first – an opportunity to become a Bollywood star”.

    Mr Kapoor added, “I love that this movie is going to take 20 people from their living room or bedroom and onto the movie set in three simple steps. If you’ve ever wondered if you have what it takes to make it in Bollywood, now’s your chance to find out!”