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  • Penn Schoen Berland & Via Media Health form strategic alliance

    By A Correspondent

     

    Penn Schoen Berland (PSB), a global research-based strategic  communications  advisory that helps companies negotiate some of their toughest corporate image and corporate affairs challenges announced that it has formed a strategic alliance with VIA Media Health, India’s largest healthcare communications service provider, to offer its healthcare clients the most effective communications solutions guaranteed to “move the needle” and give clients a competitive edge.

     

    This alliance will bring together the research based strategy, planning and campaign management expertise of PSB and the knowledge of healthcare sector and a national footprint of implementation of VIA Media Health to tackle the full spectrum of advocacy, corporate image and corporate affairs challenges faced by companies across the spectrum of healthcare products and services to achieve their goal of  providing  ‘universal and affordable healthcare.”

     

    “Understanding the competitive landscape and the challenges faced by our client is the key to developing and delivering a programme that helps them gain a competitive edge. This partnership will combine the best of research based planning with the national execution footprint of VIA Media Health to deliver the best returns on the communication investment by our clients,” said Ashwani Singla,MD& CEO, Penn Schoen Berland,South Asia.

     

    Commenting on the partnership, Swadeep Srivastava, MD & CEO, VIA Media Group, said: “We at Via Media have always been looking to add cutting edge research based communication solutions for our clients from a wide spectrum of health sector. The alliance with PSB will further strengthen our offering besides giving us an opportunity to work closely with their global and Indian clients.”

     

  • Milestone Brandcom executes campaign for Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa

    By A Correspondent

     

    Milestone Brandcom has brought out the glitz, glamour, magic & star power straight from the sets of Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa out onto the city streets.

     

    Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa is the Indian version of BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing and ABC’s Dancing with the Stars that went on air on June 16. The dazzling launch was supported by an extensive OOH coverage in over 22 cities across a wide array of 1,500 high impact media touch points; coupled with a mixed bag of innovative ideas that have been conceptualized and implemented by Milestone Brandcom along traditional and unconventional media mix generated the desired buzz and hype around the launch of the show.

     

    This is the first time that Colors is broadcasting this famous international format. The show brings together 12 celebrities along with one common man who will compete with each other along with their choreographer partners for the title. These 13 pairs will be judged by 3 celebrity judges – Madhuri Dixit, Karan Johar & Remo D’souza.

     

    The media mandate / communication objective to Milestone Brandcom was to bring out the spectacular extravaganza from the show, live on OOH. The core communication objective was to create intrigue for the upcoming show and to build salience for the brand and maximize impact through high visibility, scale and innovation.

     

    The main media objective was to drive tune ins for the channel thereby increasing TRPs.

    To ensure the right audiences were reached, a high intensity OOH plan was executed across the key target markets – Mumbai, Delhi, UP, Gujarat, MP, Maharashtra and Rajasthan across mass media touch points varying from billboards, bus shelters, metro signages, pillars, bus panels, lift branding, station branding and utilities. The viewers were intrigued at every OOH transit point with thrilling visuals of the judges.

     

    The 2 innovations executed for the show were conceptualized around the “disco ball” element that relates directly to dance; were a perfect brand fit for the show. The first was a Gigantic Disco ball at Mahim causeway. The disco ball, sparkling through the night was set up on a rotating disc. It was visible from a distance of over 500 metres and ensured that every passerby stopped & glanced at it. The second execution at Juhu, Tulip star junction was that of a “shiny disco ball.” The hoarding was lit from various points & it appeared as if the disco ball was glistening in the night.

     

    Commenting on the campaign Rajesh Iyer, Head Marketing, COLORS said: “Since this was the first season of Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa on Colors, we had a dual task in hand – to communicate the launch of the show along with building recall for the time slot and the channel. Along with Milestone Brandcom, we developed an idea of using the “disco ball” imagery through-out the campaign to bring out the essence and star power of the show. Due to the awareness created by this innovative and creative OOH campaign, Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa has stood out distinctly and created excitement. This concept has helped us in creating buzz for the show and certainly created the desired impact.”

     

    “We tried to being out the action from the sets of the show out onto the OOH campaign. In order to complement the exuberance of the show it was essential to build presence along every key arterial route and important transit junction in the key markets and that is exactly what we delivered,” said Hanoz Patel, Founder Member & Managing Partner, Milestone Brandcom.

     

  • Ormax offers tool to measure effectiveness of big media tie-ups

    By A Correspondent

     

    Media research & consulting firm Ormax Media announced the launch of its proprietary model for brand association measurement – Mpact. Mpact is a scientific tool that measures the strength of association of a brand with a big-ticket, high-impact media property.

     

    Mpact can be used by brands and media agencies to test effectiveness of their brand’s association with high-impact properties across media, e.g. Sporting event associations, reality shows sponsorships, AFPs, print and television innovations and roadblocks, product placements, co-branded campaigns, and so on.

     

    In the Mpact model, consumer data is used to calculate the Mpact Score, a single-number measure of the effectiveness of the association for the brand.

     

    Speaking on the launch, Shailesh Kapoor, CEO – Ormax Media: “When an advertiser pays a premium to associate with an impact property such as IPL, KBC or Bigg Boss; takes a false cover on Times Of India; plans a roadblock on a top channel; or associates with a big film such as Ra.One or Bodyguard – returns that go beyond just the day-after recall of the association are expected. Mpact is a simple but powerful method of measuring how effective the association has been for the brand, beyond just a recall score which is extremely transient in nature. In effect, the Mpact Score is a surrogate ROI measure of the association.”

     

    Mpact has been developed and tested across more than 50 media associations by leading brands in various categories, including ‘Airtel presents Satyamev Jayate.’

  • Kenichiro Hibi is MD, Sony India

    By A Correspondent

     

    SonyIndiahas announced the appointment of Kenichiro Hibi as its new Managing Director with effect from July 1. Mr. Hibi will be responsible for spearheading the overall growth and profitability of the company within the region, by driving robust business strategy, providing thought leadership and guiding excellence in market performance across all categories.

     

    Mr. Hibi brings with him over 23 years of diversified experience in Sony, with a host of senior level positions to his credit. His last role was as Managing Director, Sony CIS, where he played a crucial role in making this region emerge as one of the most potential contributors in Sony’s global growth map. While managing the CIS region for over six years, he was successful in developing a sound business strategy, which adjusted to market turbulence while maintaining focus on customer orientation.

     

    Mr. Hibi will be replacing Mr. Masaru Tamagawa, the current Managing Director, Sony India, who will move on to the position of President, Sony Europe, with effect from July 1.

     

    Announcing the new appointment, Mr. Haruyasu Nagata, SVP in charge of Global Sales and Marketing, Sony Corporation, said: “I am delighted to appoint Mr. Kenichiro Hibi as the new Managing Director for SonyIndia. He has already successfully contributed to Sony’s growth in the rapidly evolvingRussiamarket, and we are confident that his experience and expertise will take our Indian operations to the next level. Mr. Tamagawa made an exceptional contribution in making SonyIndiaa top ranking sales company contributing significantly to Sony’s global sales, and I am confident that Mr. Hibi will build on this momentum by augmenting our overall market share and the customer experience we deliver in this rapidly growing market.”

     

    Expressing his delight on the appointment, Mr. Kenichiro Hibi said: “Indiais one of the key markets for Sony globally, with an immense growth potential across categories. I am excited to continue Sony’s journey to success in one of the most dynamic markets in the world.”

     

    Mr. Masaru Tamagawa has been Managing Director, SonyIndiasince 2007 and has overseen the emergence of SonyIndiaas a major organisation and growth market, holding the top share of the electronics market inIndia. He previously ledSonyGulf, based inDubai.

  • 9XM celebrates World Music Day with 9XM Wall of Music

    By A Correspondent

     

    9XM is celebrating the World Music Day on June 21 with a unique on-ground innovation. The channel is creatingIndia’s very first digital music wall called the ‘9XM Wall of Music’ offering free downloads of the latest Bollywood songs. The 9XM Wall of Music will be installed at the Chatrapati Shivaji Terminus in Mumbai and DAME Shivaji Stadium inDelhi.

     

    Based on the augmented reality technology, the 9XM Wall of Music will enable multiple songs downloads from the latest Bollywood movies. People can download songs by scanning the Bollywood movie posters placed on this wall, with their smart phone devices. People who do not own a smart phone can also download songs from the 9XM Wall of Music by sending a SMS to 54646 to get the song link on their phones for further download.

     

    Speaking on this initiative, Amar Tidke, Sr. VP & Content Head, 9X Media Group said: “June 21 is celebrated as the World Music Day across the world. This designated day of free music will be celebrated by 9XM by providing unlimited free downloads of the latest Bollywood hit songs. We are confident that this unique offering will make the World Music Day extremely memorable for Bollywood music fans.”

     

    The World Music Day originated inFranceand is celebrated annually on June 21. It is a day when the world celebrates the magical gift of music. Anyone can make music on World Music Day, in some cases in any location, provided one rule is followed: The music must be free.

     

    The 9XM Wall of Music will be promoted with a 360 degree plan across on air, print and digital platforms.

  • Colors jumps to No 2, thanks to JDJ

    By A Correspondent

     

    Reality shows are the flavour of the season; and the latest entry to the bandwagon is Colors’ Jhalak Dikhla Ja.  The celebrity dance show in its fifth season premiered on July 16 on Colors and thanks to the show, the channel saw its highest growth this week. Colors has jumped to No. 2 again.

     

    According to the latest data for week 24, Star Plus is on number 1 position with 268 GRPs this week (last week 269). Zee TV has slipped to No. 3 with 212 GRPs (last week 203). Sony Entertainment Television went below the 200 mark, at No. 4, the channel has recorded 187 GRPs (last week 201).

     

    DID Little Masters on Zee has been doing well for the channel, but saw a drop in TVR ratings (2.8)  as Jhalak Dikhla Ja  got a 3.13 TVR. Both are dance shows, but whereas one deals with children, the other has celebrities like Madhuri Dixit and Karan Johar to its credit.

     

    So what worked for the show as well as the channel? Dinesh Rathore, vice president, India- West, MediaVest Worldwide, feels that though celebrities do arouse curiosity and makes them switch to a particular channel, there is no dearth of celebrities on television today as most reality shows feature them. “I think the show has done well on its opening weekend because of the initial curiosity. It would be difficult to say if it will continue to do so for the channel. We’ll just have to wait and watch.”

     

    Monaz Todywalla, general manager, Madison Media, said: “From the content point of view, the show is well packaged and promoted. Hence, it was bound to get such ratings on the opening weekend. However, the channel cannot rest on the shows shoulders alone. If it wants to remain on the slot or even reach the numero uno position, it will have to do a lot more, especially content wise.”

     

    Meanwhile, Zee TV’s DID Li’L Masters which earned a launch rating of 5.8 is adding a Bollywood flavour to its show on the coming Sunday with a tribute to the iconic dancing stars of Indian cinema.

     

    Surely what we have seen is a mere ‘jhalak’ of the two warring dance shows.

     

  • Text100 named digital consultancy of the year

    By A Correspondent

     

    Text100 APAC has been named Digital Consultancy of the Year for 2012 by The Holmes Report. The report noted Text100’s early focus on digital, along with the strength of its leadership team, product and service development, and regional campaigns.

     

    As reported by The Holmes Report, Text100 was one of the first firms to position itself as a leader inAsia’s fast-growing social media arena, launching a sophisticated range of services in 2008. And, unlike many of its global peers, many of the network’s digital efforts are led by the region, under the oversight of global social media lead Jeremy Woolf.

     

    In 2011 the firm broadened its capabilities, launching a dedicated design and digital support hub inMalaysia, expanding its digital headcount, and stepping up a digital training programme that is as advanced as any in the region.

     

    All of those efforts paid off, as its Cisco ‘Flip Your Profile’ programme landed the Global and Asia-Pacific SABRE Award recognition in the social media category, and Text grew its digital mandate for numerous clients, including IBM, Lenovo, Yahoo, Cisco and Nokia.

     

    “At Text100, we define ‘Digital’ as something that encompasses all forms of communications that are technology-enabled and we ensure all our staff are digitally certified and capable of delivering our services to clients,” said Anne Costello, Regional Director, South Asia Text100 APAC.  “Achieving this status from The Holmes Report goes a long way as we continue to follow our vision of shaping the most influential conversations in the digital age and beyond.”

     

  • Milestone stirs up Nestle’s Junior Daheez launch

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Nestle team decided to launch Junior Daheez inDelhiusing an extensive out of home (OOH) campaign with more than 50 + sites in the city. The creative of the campaign, developed by Publicis Capital, showcase an image of Toy Train carrying two cups of Junior Dahi.

     

    As a part of the campaign, the cups innovatively rotate on the train which helps in catching more eyeballs. The OOH campaign is executed by Milestone Brandcom and is spread across various outdoor formats to optimize impact. The outdoor formats include billboards, unipoles, bus queue shelters, strategically located at major arterials roads ofDelhi.

     

    Ravi Rockey Ambrose, Sr. Vice President, Milestone Brandcom said: “We are thrilled to work on the brand. The brief from the Nestle team was to deliver the most impactful plan for launch of Junior Dahi and I am thrilled that the team has ensured the same.”

     

    The on-going campaign kicked off on May 18 and continued till the first week of June.

  • Disney India eyes in-home segment

    By A Correspondent

     

    Disney Consumer Products (India) announced its association with Sunteck Realty Ltd, a Mumbai based real estate company to launch Disney-inspired homes in Mumbai. This will be DisneyIndia’s first foray to bring Disney-inspired interiors and exteriors in the Indian real estate market for Indian kids and families at the proposed property in Goregaon by Sunteck Realty.

     

    “We are pleased to be working with Sunteck to offer Indian families an opportunity to bring a piece of Disney magic into their homes. Disney’s beloved characters and stories have inspired multiple generations of fans,” said Roshini Bakshi, managing director, Consumer Products, Retail and Publishing, Disney UTV. “Our Disney Home products span across total home solutions  and we look forward to bringing more Disney inspired home environments and décor to kids and families inIndia.”

     

    “Our association with Disney in Mumbai helps us differentiate our offering from the other players in the market and breaks through the clutter to offer families their dream home. We are excited to be the first ones to bring Disney inspired homes toIndia,” said Kamal Khetan, Chairman & Managing Director of Sunteck Realty. “This association with Walt Disney reiterates our commitment to deliver niche living spaces to discerning customers.”

     

    Disney fans can choose from their favourite Disney stories or its beloved characters and own family spaces that are colourful, timeless and inspiring. Disney inspired homes will have Disney branded furnishing, home décor products, colour palettes, bedding products, bath fittings and more to bring alive the Disney experience for the family.

     

     

  • Grey wins Network18’s creative biz

    By A Correspondent

     

    Grey has won the creative mandate for the entire Network18 Group; a media and entertainment company with interests in television, internet, films, e-commerce, magazines, mobile content and allied businesses.

     

    The agency’s Mumbai branch will handle this account. The win is the result of a multi-agency pitch that saw the participation of several prominent agencies.

     

    The campaign will be primarily television-based and is expected to go on air in August.

     

  • Mindshare & Google launch ‘Mobile Garage’

    By A Correspondent

     

    Mindshare and Google have announced the launch of ‘Mobile Garage’, a unique venture designed to use Google’s best in class mobile expertise to supercharge the use of mobile by Mindshare’s global client base.

     

    Mobile Garage will see the setting up of mobilehubs around the globe – initially New York, London and Singapore – where Mindshare clients will gain access via dedicated teams to mobile strategists and product experts. The hubs will consist of a mix of Mindshare and Google employees and will work across all aspects of the mobile eco-system, from search optimisation and app development, to strategy, planning and creative optimization.

    Nick Emery, CEO Mindshare Worldwide said: ‘We designed Mindshare to be open source and to work with the best partners for the benefit of our clients. It’s about trial, experimentation and speed to re-design our business. Working with Google on mobile will give our clients a competitive advantage in a key battleground both now and for the future.”

     

    Mobile Garage will give Mindshare clients a unique advantage in the race to harness the growing global trend of mobile device usage. Mobile search traffic has increased 400 per cent over the past 2 years, and its potential goes even further. The GSMA, the industry body for mobile operators, and research company Machina, predict there will be 24 billion connected devices by 2020 creating an industry worth $4.5 trillion and covering innovations such as connected cars, building automation and traffic management. In addition the venture will also give Mindshare clients competitive advantage in emerging markets, with KPCB’s Mary Meeker recently showing that mobile internet usage had surpassed desktop internet usage in India.

    Matt Brittin, VP, Sales and Operations, Northern and Central Europe at Google said: “We have adopted a ‘mobile first’ philosophy at Google to keep pace with the rapid acceleration in consumer mobile usage. We are delighted to team up with Mindshare on a similar strategy for their clients. Mindshare have already shown strong momentum in the mobile marketing space, and have a great opportunity to lead their clients to win on mobile in the future.”

     

    Mobile Garage will complement Mindshare’s existing relationship with WPP’s mobile agencies Joule and H-Art.

     

  • Gaana.com launches music streaming app on Win 8 tab

    By A Correspondent

     

    Gaana.com is the first full-fledged music streaming application for India’s store of Windows 8 Release Preview. It is also the first music serving application for Surface in India. With a vast repertoire of popular Bollywood, Hindi, regional and international music, it is currently available in 38 markets worldwide.

     

    The Gaana.com application in the Surface store has the slick Windows 8 metro-style tiled interface with intuitive interactions and fluid navigation. The application offers users a smooth browsing with the latest and most popular albums, artists, genres and songs. Users can easily browse through the entire database of music, and choose from curated music charts or filter music based on language preferences. Gaana.com also offers music suggestions, based on the album that a user is listening to, further enhancing the overall experience.

     

    Gaana.com is one of the most popular music websites with over 10 million songs to choose from. It has a user base of more than 3 million unique visitors. Satyan Gajwani, CEO of Times Internet Ltd said: “We want gaana.com to be as accessible to users as possible. The Windows 8 Surface tablet is an exciting innovation, and a fantastic new way for users to experience music on demand. The Gaana app is now available in the Surface store for users globally to listen, compile, and share the music they love.”