MxMIndia

Category: ADVERTISING

  • Truth is, nothing like a story of two 'decent' groups behaving like hooligans inside a five star hotel. And absolutely nothing like it if one of the parties happens to be a movie star. And secretly, we would love it if the battle rages on.

    Anil Thakraney: Yes, we want to read about the Saif punch-nama!

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    As usual, the knives are out for the media on the carpet coverage of Saif Ali Khan’s moment of madness at the Taj in Mumbai. The noble souls of the nation opine that too much attention is being given to what was just another brawl in a public place. That the media has lost it, that it must instead focus on serious issues.

     

    Reality check, people. I can assure you all these so-called nobles were hooked to their TV sets and read every single word in the newspapers on the fisticuffs saga, and they fully relished the drama. And then later quickly logged on to Twitter and got busy dissing the media. Such is the hypocrisy we suffer from.

     

    Truth is, nothing like a story of two ‘decent’ groups behaving like hooligans inside a five star hotel. And absolutely nothing like it if one of the parties happens to be a movie star. This sort of stuff is sensational, riveting and great fun. And secretly, we don’t want the opponents to reach a quiet truce, we would love it if the battle rages on, and some more blows on the nose will be soooo cool! Yup, we all love masala news, whether we confess to it or not.

     

    And this is not peculiar to India. If a Hollywood star behaved thus, respected newspapers like The New York Times and The Independent would dive right into the action. Celebrity news, especially of the violent kind, sells like hot potatoes; we are all suckers for it. Bottom-line: Saif’s nefarious deed collided with another big story: Congress leader Kripashankar Singh’s ill-gotten wealth. And the latter was given secondary importance to the Wasabi confrontation simply because that’s what excites us people. We are sick and tired of the routine political and civic stories, we need a break from these bores. And the media will give importance to what viewers/readers want, that’s the hard business reality.

     

    So please, kripa karein, and be a little less hypocritical.

    PS1: There have been allegations that the incident was engineered by the actor’s PR machinery to get some buzz going on his soon to be released flick. Bollocks, I say. Wish our PR industry was that smart. Alas!

     

    ***

     

    PS2: Ah! Sci-fi comes into hoardings. Super media innovation in London. A hoarding that ‘recognizes’ you and customizes content for you. High time we saw some excitement happen on this oft neglected medium.

     

    Link: http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/shortcuts/2012/feb/20/advertising-that-can-recognise-you

  • Hosted on Youtube on the February 8, sung by the latest rage, Dhanush of the Kolaveri Di fame, the anthem video now boasts of a Gold Trending Medal from YouTube, with over 4 million views as on February 22

    Mindshare’s YouTube record with ‘Boost Sachin Anthem’

    By A Correspondent

     

    Mindshare, India’s leading media services agency has recently created a unique milestone for itself on the back of a powerful digital media strategy. A record breaking 1 million hits were clocked for the ‘Boost Sachin Anthem’ in just under 2 days, making it the fastest video on Youtube to have reached a million views.

     

    Hosted on Youtube on the February 8, sung by the latest rage, Dhanush of the Kolaveri Di fame, the anthem video now boasts of a Gold Trending Medal from YouTube, with over 4 million views as on February 22.

     

    The challenge for Mindshare was to create buzz around the brand and noteworthy 23 year long association with Sachin Tendulkar as their brand ambassador. Therefore, there could not have been a better proposition than creating a dedicated anthem in the honour of the little master.

     

    The task was twofold – first, bringing the idea to life. This involved creating a powerful piece of content with carefully thought out celebrity recommendation, to scripting and final production, all of it mandated to the in-house content experts within Mindshare ESP.

     

    Two, tactfully seeding the content, where “people” would make it viral. To accelerate this, the Search and Social Media Experts at Mindshare went onto ingeniously seeding the content through contextual search and social media platforms of Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

     

    Alok Sinha

    “The purpose of strategy at Mindshare is very simply to try and turn our brands into currencies of popular culture. Cultural currencies that fuel consumer conversations are far more valuable in today’s wired world than passive opportunities to see. The Sachin anthem is a great example of this belief. The team spotted an existing cultural meme in Dhanush and then went on to leverage it via executional excellence across content production, brand integration and social seeding. The Boost case also highlights the necessity of jugalbandis between strategy and the content & digital technology teams to create meaningful brand led cultural currencies,” said Alok Sinha, Leader Strategy – South Asia at Mindshare.

     

    Leading the mantle, the Mindshare strategy team required not just meticulous, but dynamic planning on a real time basis. By putting the brand’s content in the hands of the consumers it was a calculated risk and a bold strategic stance by the team. But today, Mindshare stands tall as GSK’s proud partners, while history is being written.

     

    Jayant K Singh

    “As a part of our marketing efforts on Boost, this time around, we wanted to celebrate Sachin’s long standing ‘Stamina’ association with the brand. A Sachin anthem, that people would resonate and rise with, was our instinctive choice. While we were certain that Dhanush’s popularity would help accelerate talk ability around Boost, our partner agency Mindshare’s contribution, through a well thought out strategy and execution in making it a “first” on many accounts for GSK, has successfully brought our intent to life,” said Jayant K Singh, Executive Vice President, Marketing, Glaxo Smithkline Consumer Health Care.

     

    Mindshare is a global media and marketing services network with billings in excess of $27.8 billion (source: RECMA). The network consists of 114 offices in 82 countries throughout the North America, Latin America, Europe, Middle East, and Asia Pacific, each dedicated to forging competitive marketing advantage for businesses and their brands.

     

  • Domestic companies are spending over Rs 1,200 crore on social media campaigns: Assocham

    ‘Social media is an explosion’

    By A Correspondent

    Companies in India have gauged the might of social networking and are currently spending over Rs 1,200 crore with 30 to 40 per cent of marketing budget on digital media according to the findings of a study titled ‘Explosion of Social Media: Transforming The Corporate Business Scenario,’ by The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham).

     

    Releasing the highlights, Assocham secretary general DS Rawat said, “Goods and services worth about Rs 23,000 crore are traded currently on the social networks across the world and the figure is likely to swell to about Rs 1.35 lakh crore by 2015 with India’s share likely to cross Rs 10,000 crore mark during the course of next three to four years.”

     

    It was observed that majority of start-ups, leading national and international companies operating in India are embracing the social media to enhance their business and on an average spending anywhere between Rs 2 lakh to Rs 50 lakh a year on social marketing campaigns.

     

    A large number of national and multi-national corporations in India are using the services of social media management companies that help small, large brands to manage, heighten their social network presence and maximise their exposure in the newsgroups and newsfeeds of the people logged on the social networks.

     

    “The significance of social media in the current scenario can be gauged from the fact that the department of information technology (DIT) has recently advised all government departments to make the most of social media in their day-to-day work and communicate with citizens effectively,” said Mr Rawat.

     

    Assocham interacted with about 1,400 directors, chief executive officers, chief financial officers, chairmen, managing directors, executive directors et al from sectors as diverse as BFSI (banking, financial services and insurance), auto, FMCG, manufacturing, IT, telecom, biotech, education, infrastructure, consumer packaged goods and healthcare to ascertain the extent of their spending on online activities and about 75 per cent of them said that they have doubled their spending on social media this year.

     

    “Companies both large and small are turning to social media platforms as the percentage of internet users on social networking sites continues to climb,” said Mr Rawat while releasing the survey that was carried out in Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Pune between April and August. “Brands today cannot afford to ignore the significance of social media as a key medium to target their identified customers and connect with them,” said Mr Rawat.

     

    Companies are taking advantage of social media to advertise, launch new products, study consumer behaviour pattern and communicating, interacting directly with their customers and wooing new clientele. Assocham interacted with 200 representatives of various companies in Delhi and about 60 per cent of them said that they have a dedicated staff who work round-the-clock and are constantly plugged into the web to monitor online traffic on their web portals.

     

    As many as 110 respondents said that they have hired employees specially for their social and interactive media cell who perform the task of tracking conversations, blogs, discussions, chats on social networks to ascertain the consumer preferences and perceptions towards their products and services. Nearly 40 per cent of respondents in the city said that started their campaigns on social networking websites with a tiny budget and clocked revenue of about three to four times their budget in a span of about five to six months terming it a successful venture.

     

    Almost all the respondents said that their dependency on traditional print media for advertisements has reduced drastically and people logged on social networks are their core target group and social media allows them to directly interact with consumers Currently, there are over six crore mobile internet users and about eight crore users using internet across India.

     

    Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Google+, Linkedin, Orkut, Hi5, Friendster and BigAdda are certain popular social networks used by companies in Delhi to carry out their social media campaigns. “Low cost coupled with higher visibility and wider reach on social media is the grave reason behind this surge in number of companies cashing in on inevitable social media platform to reach young customers as highest number of active social media audience in the country is in the age group of 15 to 25 years,” the Assocham study emphasizes.

     

  • While agencies are waking up to the phenomenon in a heightened manner, there is still a lot that is needed to be done in the space, admits CEO Niteen Bhagwat.

    Asterii seeks to create new wave in the world of analytics

    By Johnson Napier

     

    How often do we come across marketers, media agencies and surprisingly, even research bodies who say the inevitable: ‘due to lack of data… we couldn’t project the right numbers’ or ‘our projections fell short of expectations due to the variation in numbers’ and so on? In fact most marketers are wary of pumping in huge monies behind a project or activity given the lack of availability of accurate data that goes a long way in simplifying trends and analysing customer behaviour across markets – ingredients that play a critical role in the marketing plan of most brands.

     

    While research agencies are the most sought after for mapping such trends, they often fall short in providing a plan that is wholesome; something that could alter the way marketers look at the future. Such shortcomings are turning out to be easy pickings for agencies, which are on an overdrive launching divisions dedicated solely to analytics and data. And the latest to join the bandwagon is ad agency DraftFCB+Ulka that has announced the launch of specialty division, Asterii Analytics in India.

     

    Niteen Bhagwat

    In India, the team will be led by Niteen Bhagwat, who has been assigned the post of Executive Director and CEO. Sharing his views on the new launch, Mr Bhagwat admitted that while agencies were waking up to the phenomenon in a heightened manner, there was still a lot that is needed to be done in the space. “The mantra at DraftFCB+Ulka has always been about creating brand wealth and making our clients richer. At one point in time, it was having right strategies and good creatives, which will continue but the marketplace is becoming increasingly competitive for our clients. The same set of tools or decision-making may not be as optimum or efficient as it was earlier. We believe that if our clients have to compete, they have to take decisions that are completely rooted in data. So, if we have to continue delivering on our promise of creating brand wealth with the underpinning of analytics, it is absolutely critical. It also compliments beautifully with our overall approach of being a strategy strong agency group.”

     

    An analytics person with more than two decades of experience in the field, Paula Fedoris, EVP, Chief Analytics Officer – DraftFCB pitched in by giving a global overview on the origins of analytics and the need for the discipline to make it big in India. “In certain markets, the marketing and media analytics trend has been taking place for the past 15 years or so. There are certain agencies, particularly in theUnited StatesandEurope, which have gravitated towards making sure that marketing strategies and media investments are as smart as possible. So we have been applying analytics to these challenges for quite a few years now. This is more so for agencies which are more focussed on one-to-one marketing or database marketing or direct marketing, they have always been very quantitative-oriented.”

     

    Paula Fedoris

    According to Ms Fedoris, with some organisations, when the internet came in a big way in 1999-2000, it was then that some of these tools and techniques went on the online space. “Over the years, we have been able to generate a lot of data by our marketing activity. The companies are trying to data-mine insights from this information to draw new insights and conclusion and make better decisions, not only about their current business but also on where they need to go in the future and how this information can help in identifying new and important trends that they need to be mindful of, as they develop a strategic direction and maintain competitiveness in the marketplace.”

     

    Citing statistics, Ms Fedoris said that overall businesses are generating about 40 per cent new data every year and how companies are being able to harness this information and in the marketing arena this has been accelerating even more.

     

    As for the USP that Asterii would bring to the table, Mr Bhagwat stated categorically: “Asterii will bring a far sharper focus on analytics than other offerings from marketing communication companies. That’s majorly because it is a standalone agency, so much of the resources and people in the team will be focussed on Asterii; they won’t get lost in handling other functions within the organisation. As for the other groups that offer analytics, what we understand far better than most is the concept of insights. So we would be far better than the others based on our insights and ideas in the marketplace.”

     

    In fact, Mr Bhagwat was certain that it was the most opportune time to launch in the country as marketers would take a liking to the service given the hostility that’s being faced by them amidst a hostile economic scenario. “When businesses are under pressure, analytics is proven to be able to give you a lift in terms of sales or profitability and by a huge margin, if done properly. If the market conditions are tough, analytics would probably be the answer to find new segments to increase growth or market share or figure out ways to optimise your marketing communication by doing market mix modelling. So, if at all there are budget pressures, analytics will help clients spend their money more effectively. In a sense, now is the best time for us to launch our division.”

     

     

    Chancing upon the opportunity, Mr Bhagwat admits that the agency has approached at least ten marketers to offer their services. These include clients who are aligned to the advertising agency as well. “We have started speaking to a whole host of people we are associated with and the response has been encouraging. Close to ten marketers have evinced interest and we would be meeting up with them to decide future course of action. What actually materialises, I think only time will tell.”

     

    On the sectors that the solutions would be centred around, Mr Bhagwat said that it would be automotive, packaged goods, financial services and retail. When asked on how they went about shortlisting these sectors, Mr Bhagwat said: “There are certain sectors that are rich in data, so the comfort level in doing analytics in those areas will obviously be very high. Also, at the same time, companies in sectors such as retail, automotive, packaged goods and financial services would be analytics-aware sectors and so the kind of solutions that they would want would be of a different kind versus companies in, say, fashion or food where analytics is not used as much.”

     

    A much more historical and detailed perspective was provided by Ms Fedoris: “Historically, analytics started with the financial sector because they are very quantitatively-focused and this got further momentum with the advent of credit card transactions and the ability to find out what the people were purchasing. In theUnited States, we were able to marry our purchase decision behaviour with the demographic information and so that was always a robust area that people focused on. It seemed to then migrate to the travel industry, as people began to book their airline tickets and have loyalty programmes, both the airline and the hotel industry understood the importance of relationship marketing and began developing databases of their customers. Ultimately it moved on to retail as people used their credit card in the retail establishment and then finally it moved on to the packaged goods area.” According to Ms Fedoris, a lot of people are going on to the internet to find information on how to go about buying packaged goods product and are able to find solutions online. “So these are the core sectors that emit a lot of data on patterns and trends,” she said.

     

    So focussed is the group on the new division that it won’t stop short in going all out as far as investment is concerned. Asserts Mr Bhagwat: “Analytics, for us, is an absolutely critical offering that the agency group is going to have. So investments won’t come in the way of growth as such. We are not looking at this only as a revenue model but more as a capable solutions provider. We have invested in new office space in Mumbai that can seat up to 50 people; we are also investing in fairly expensive software and hardware that goes with it. Also, Paula would be coming toIndiaon an ongoing basis to be able to bring along global best practice tools that are in use around the world. This will enable us to have global scale and capability in our Indian operations.”

     

    As for the growth, Mr Bhagwat feels it is too early to foretell, but that is not of concern as yet. On a stronger note, he feels that the analytics market is still in its infancy and has a lot of potential that’s yet to be explored. “Analytics market inIndiais still in a nascent stage; they do not pay as much money as they do in international markets. So it is an under-served and under-priced market,” quipped Mr Bhagwat. According to him, all this will change once people start understanding the true value of analytics and how one can take advantage over competitors by employing analytics. In his opinion, the tipping point is next couple of years. But what is important is that the availability of good quality data is going to improve dramatically in the future, he concluded.

     

  • During a cricket match if the player is found performing really badly, or is woefully out of form, the advertiser can switch to the commercial that doesn’t feature him.

    Anil Thakraney: Dual ad play during cricket matches?

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    I have always wondered what goes through the minds of viewers when they are subjected to commercials that feature cricketers during a live match coverage, when those boys are doing miserably on the field. For instance, ads featuring Sachin Tendulkar are constantly on air, even as there’s hectic talk of his immediate retirement from one day cricket.

     

    I don’t have research material to prove this, and maybe the time has come for a study on this subject, but I strongly suspect television viewers get mighty irritated, even repulsed, more so in the Indian context, where the average cricket fan is likely to be deliriously passionate about the game. As he gets busy swearing at the player, one can imagine the vocabulary when the commercial featuring the same player projecting him as a hero comes on the air. Clearly, this isn’t healthy for the brand in question, as the player negativity is sure to rub off on the former. And even if that sounds a bit extreme, annoyed viewers are highly likely to zap or mute such adverts. Which means not just money down the tube for the advertiser, there’s also danger of damage to brand imagery.

     

    And this is a risk advertisers knowing take when they hire sportspersons. As against movie stars, where the only risk is if the actor gets involved in an adverse publicity situation, like Saif Ali Khan did very recently. But that’s a rare occurrence, with cricketers it’s a constant gamble.

     

    Which then makes me think: Should marketers have a dual ad campaign on the ready during cricket tournaments? One campaign featuring the cricketer and the other based on a different creative route. So that during a cricket match if the player is found performing really badly, or is woefully out of form, the advertiser can switch to the commercial that doesn’t feature him.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”200″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Xa7cYMD-Dc[/youtube]

    I wonder if broadcasters can technically make this happen without too many logistical issues. I actually think it shouldn’t be a problem.

     

    The only question which then remains is this: Does this justify additional spend on creative work? I think it does. Better to spend a bit more on cost of production than have the brand being sweared at during each commercial break.

     

    * * *

     

    PS: Fallon has re-created Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ for Cosmopolitan, a Las Vegas luxury resort and casino. Mostly in spoken words. Simple idea and very cool!

     

     

     

  • Behind every great commercial is super strategy. Every week, MxMIndia will bring you the brief and the strat as given by the client and whatever else that went into creating a winning ad. AdStrat is compiled by Shubhangi Mehta.

    Ad Strat: Mahindra XUV500

    Robby Mathew, NCD, Interface

     

    Name of the Campaign/Ad: Mahindra XUV500 Stories

     

    The Brief:

    Here is a vehicle that doesn’t look like any other SUV in the country. It is truly a global vehicle. Its design and technology rivals the very best in its category, anywhere in the world. Hence the edgy idea, the British humour. The ad, with its over-the-top plot, different narrative style, and lastly the action and setting tries to reflect this.

     

    Research insights:

    Actively seeking out new experiences is a global trend. People today aren’t just happy with accumulating riches and assets. Living a rich life is as important, if not more.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”200″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJue4VKbWUk[/youtube]

    The thought process behind the creative:

    People who have travelled a lot, seen different places, done different things are interesting people. They have interesting stories to tell. They are the life of any party or get together. Everyone wants to listen to them. They take us out of our mundane existence and promise us a life that we could live if we only we had the courage and desire to.

     

    Hence the creative idea of stories. The tag line of the brand is not just a tagline but a wish/blessing: may your life be full of stories.

     

    It is a wish that you live a very rich, very fulfilling life. A life so full and interesting that it is worthy of a story. And that is the life the brand wishes for you.

     

    Media vehicles chosen: TV, press, digital, outdoor

     

    Key issues kept in mind while executing the ad:

    International production values, exotic location, never seen before car shots (unlike other car ads where the car shots are smooth and romance the car slowly – here the shots resemble the action scene in a Hollywood film – ‘edge of the seat’ treatment is how I will describe it.

     

    Does the treatment do justice to the brief?

    Yes, it does

     

    What is the differentiating factor about the ad?

    The plot, the treatment and the action.

     

  • The duration of the campaign, from January 2012 to February 2012, was selected to coincide with the various exhibitions held at Pragati Maidan in these months.

    OOH brand awareness for Om Logistics by JCDecaux

    By a Correspondent

     

    The client brief to JCDecaux was to create awareness about brand Om Logistics and its services. Om Logistics is the flagship company of Om Group, an Indian multi-modal logistics company. The outdoor campaign has been executed by JCDecaux in the city of Delhi.

     

    The idea behind the campaign was to give Om Group a higher visibility and appeal. The duration of the campaign, from January 2012 to February 2012, was selected to coincide with the various exhibitions held at Pragati Maidan in these months. JCDecaux displayed the creatives of the different business verticals of Om Group. The creatives were displayed on seniors and pole-mounted MUPIs in some of the prime locations in Delhi to draw attention of the commuters. The area around Pragati Maidan was used for the campaign to gain mileage during the exhibition season.

     

    The TG for Om Logistics are individuals or companies involved in the logistics of supply chain management. The objective of the campaign was to create a lasting impact and to increase brand awareness through outdoor campaigns.

     

    Lalit Kumar, Assistant Manager, Marketing, Om Logistics said, “This campaign has created impact on the arterial routes and vantage locations with its large formats and creatives. The campaign gripped people’s attention and succeeded in attracting our TGs.”

     

    Alok Duggal, General Manager, Sales, JCDecaux India said, “We are glad that we have been able to build brand awareness for Om Logistics. We always look forward to partner with niche brands and support them in reaching their objectives.”

     

  • The agency's mandate includes overseeing the Italian coffee major’s digital and social media strategy, media buying, and planning across all digital and interactive channels.

    Pulp Strategy wins Digital Media mandate for Lavazza

    By A Correspondent

     

    Pulp Strategy Communications has won the mandate for the Digital Media and Activation for Italian coffee major Lavazza after a multi-agency pitch.

     

    Barista Lavazza had called for a pitch a few weeks back and several agencies took part in the process. Pulp Strategy’sDelhioffice will handle the account. The agency’s mandate includes overseeing the brand’s digital and social media strategy, media buying, and planning across all digital and interactive channels. In addition to this, strategic planning for activation at retail is also a part of their area of responsibility (AOR).

     

    Barista Lavazza traces its roots back to the old coffee houses inItaly– the hotbeds of poetry, love, music, writing, revolution and of course, fine coffee. Offering alternative options and pleasures of coffee to millions, the chain is also revolutionizing the coffee drinking experience in most Indian cities.

     

    Barista Lavazza has managed to capture the loyalties of many, elevating the experience of coffee to a lifestyle. Its leadership position can be attributed to a remarkable expertise in specialty coffee coupled with a sound technical competence, an ever-evolving delightful retail experience.

     

    Ambika Sharma, Managing Director & CEO Pulp Strategy Communications said: “Being chosen as the Digital AOR by LavazzaIndiais a matter of honour and pride for us at Pulp Strategy. LavazzaIndiahas big plans towards quality and leadership position in the café business inIndiaand we are excited to partner them in fulfilling that goal. Our biggest strength is a talented team and a holistic integrated approach, which understands the sensibilities of the brand as well as the nuances of retail and social media”

     

  • The ad works as nicely as all of the previous Vodafone pug commercials. The animal brings in a great deal of freshness and simplicity into the communication.

    Debrief: Vodafone’s pug returns. And shines.

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Ah, the cute pug makes a comeback for Vodafone. This time it’s being used to communicate instant connectivity. I had been wondering where the animal had disappeared to; there’s little doubt it makes Vodafone commercials that much more charming to watch.

     

    In the new TVC, a young lad (is he old enough to be flirting?) eyes a young gal in a park, and she seems to be giving him the glad eye as well (is she old enough to be flirting?). But because the gal is very shy and the guy a phattu, his puggie plays Cupid and brings them together. Instant connectivity achieved. Cool!

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”200″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRO8mV3BdGE[/youtube]

    Yup, the ad works as nicely as all of the previous Vodafone pug commercials. The animal brings in a great deal of freshness and simplicity into the communication. The only thing one wonders about is this: Is the pug losing just a little bit of its appeal?

     

    Has it been overdone? I suppose the advertiser must have commissioned a survey to suss that, and perhaps their findings were encouraging.

     

    However, it’s critical that the dog be used very, very sparingly. Else, just like it happened to Uncle SRK, excessive exposure will kill its appeal. Then the doggie will have to dress in drag to draw attention to itself.

     

    Rating: (On a scale of 1 to 5): 3.5. The pug works its magic. Once again.

  • Some of the presenters seem to have been inspired by our own award shows

    Anil Thakraney: The Oscar Bore-fest

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    A few random observations on THE most watched TV show on Mother Earth, the 2012 Academy Awards, which was telecast live on Star Movies.

     

    Our pride and joy, AR Rahman’s gig was a ‘blink and miss’. The maestro should take offence and refuse further participation. So should Mr and Mrs Anil Ambani, who were probably seated in the last row.

     

    Some of the presenters seem to have been inspired by the trashy stuff that goes on during desi award shows. The inane, idiotic, incessant chatter on stage. Which young SRK has become an expert at. While I am happy that India is impacting the world, events like the Oscars must ensure award presenters are barred from aping our unfunny jokers.

     

    But what they SHOULD have learnt from us, they haven’t. The Oscars was a bore- fest; much too long drawn out with too many categories being awarded, and with too much self back-slapping. I almost dozed off mid way through. Pity that the show which honours the world of entertainment must be so yawny. Sizzling dance performances from the Hollywood hotties would have broken the ennui. Penelope Cruz and Natalie Portman were in the house. Some ‘Sheila Ki Jawaani’ action from them would have been nice.

     

    Every single nominated individual was in the house (except Woody Allen, who’s apparently outgrown the Oscars). This means there was no awards leak. Compare this to Indian movie award events, where only the winners turn up. If we ever hope to reach anywhere close to where the Oscars is in terms of prestige, the first thing we need to do is plug the bloody leaks.

     

    Host Billy Crystal’s humour has all dried up with age. He looked liked a stoned, embalmed Egyptian mummy. Or, maybe he was ordered by the organizers not to cause the slightest offence. Poor man. Guess when it comes to fragile egos, Hollywood stars are no better than ours.

     

    However, one must say what did save the show a little bit, which was otherwise headed for disaster, was Angelina Jolie showing off her long shapely right leg. Total paisa vasool.

     

    ———————————————————————————————–

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”200″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhAg0COnqds[/youtube]

    PS: Outside the Oscars auditorium, Sacha Baron Cohen dropped Kim Jong IL’s ‘ashes’ on the anchor. The notorious comedian, who was banned from appearance on the stage, made a surprise entry on the red carpet and created a scene. Good fun. He should have been on the stage. He was sorely missed.

     

  • New offices inU.K.,Canada,India,Singapore, and U.A.E. include several senior hires contributing to a 25% increase in headcount over the last year

    AdoTube announces new offices spanning 5 continents

    By A Correspondent

     

    AdoTube, the in-stream video advertising technology company owned by Exponential, announced on Monday five new offices expanding AdoTube’s global footprint to now cover North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East andAfrica. The five new locations -London,Toronto,Mumbai,Singapore, andDubai- will help capitalize on the reported 1.2 billion online video viewers watching videos globally.

     

    In announcing this expansion, AdoTube is also unveiling a rebrand including a new site, logo and look and feel to cater to its expanding global audience. The new website has gone live and can be viewed at www.AdoTube.com.

     

    “Access to broadband technology has spurred global consumption of online video across multiple devices,” said Steven Jones, Chief Strategy & Operations Officer, AdoTube. “AdoTube is well positioned to help brands benefit from that shift by delivering highly engaging and relevant campaigns in online video content. Our expansion into EMEA and APAC brings those capabilities to a much wider audience.”

     

    AdoTube is headquartered inNew Yorkwith offices in three otherUScities, as well Romania, Russia and Melbourne, Australia. Heading the London office is Niall Hogan,UK Commercial Director, and Tiernan Jinks, Senior Sales Manager, who both join AdoTube from Tribal Fusion UK. Carolyn Cramer, Exponential Country Manager,Canada, will lead from the Toronto office along with Michael Prytz, AdoTube’s Director of Sales, Canada. Vijay Kundari, Director of Sales, and Pooja Gupta, Senior Business Manager, will cover most of Asia-Pacific from AdoTube’s Mumbai and Singapore offices. Kundari joins AdoTube fromIndia’s largest media company, Web18, and Gupta previously worked with Tribal Fusion. Covering both the Middle East and Northern Africa from the Dubai office is Amer Attyeh, Business Manager. Amer was previously responsible for developing Tribal Fusion’s presence in the same area.

     

    AdoTube is a global in-stream advertising technology company. Its powerful and flexible technology provides a complete video advertising platform offering publishers and advertisers easy and efficient access to in-stream video advertising across all media platforms. AdoTube is part of the exponential Group of online businesses – a technology-enabled media services company headquartered in Emery ville, California with operations in 37 locations worldwide.

     

  • Hansi Ke Rang Surendra Sharma Ke Sang launches on March 5, marking the auspicious occasion of Holi, and is to premier across 25 Hindi-speaking markets in India.

    New comedy show on 92.7 BIG FM

    By A Correspondent

     

    While the primary expectation from radio continues to be music, the very next is humour, a nation-wide passion and cutting across all SECs, it is exceedingly playing a critical role in entertainment. Now 92.7 BIG FM is upping its humour quotient with one of the best humour poets ofIndia, Surendra Sharma.

     

    The Radio Network, which was adjudged the ‘Radio broadcaster of the Year – 2011’, continues to cater to the tastes and requirements of its listeners with ‘Hansi ke Rang Surendra Sharma ke Sang’. In keeping the mood of the Holi, the show will launch on March 5 exclusively across 25 stations of BIG FM in the Hindi belt.

     

    The well-crafted humor show will see the King of comedy Manoranjan Surendra Sharma at his best while:

    Solving queries and challenges of listeners in his own inimitable style.

    Taking on human follies and the ill of society with his humorous poetry.

    Giving listeners the flavour of ‘chaar laina’, poker face and comic sketches of himself and his wife which are legendary.

    Promising to keep the audiences hooked to the station through ‘chhed chhaad’ on the airwaves.

     

    The show will premier across the markets of Mumbai, Delhi, Rajasthan, UP, MP, Jharkhand, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu. The enormous reach across the markets, and with this kind of humor appealing to a more mature audience base, ‘Hansi ke Rang Surendra Sharma ke Sang’ offers audiences the best evening entertainment, while offering marketers an excellent opportunity to connect with a diverse audience base that meets their communication requirements.

     

    Reliance Broadcast Network Limited is a multi-media entertainment conglomerate with play across radio, television, intellectual properties and out of home. It is part of the Reliance Group and specializes in creating and executing integrated media solutions for brands. It houses the following verticals: 92.7 BIG FM, BIG CBS, – A joint venture with CBS Studios International, USA’s No. 1 TV broadcaster which has launched 4 Channels, BIG MAGIC, which is positioned as India’s only channel exclusively for the Hindi heartland. Added to this robust bouquet, the Company also distributes Bloomberg UTV, India’s premier business news channel.