MxMIndia

Category: BLOGS

  • Mahesh Ranka lists the pros and cons of watching sport events live at the stadium or on TV

    The Anchor: Mahesh Ranka on 5 reasons for watching sports live in the stadium & on TV

    5 reasons for watching sports live in the stadium as a regular FAN … not the AC/Corporate boxes type

     

    1. Well, the experience

    …. The noise… the atmosphere…. The crowd … the Mexican wave – it is unmatched in many ways. Of course, it depends from sports to sport. Like F1 is all about the fraction of a second “darshan” of the car and the vrooooom, Cricket is about being by your team and screaming your lungs out for them…..

     

    2. Closer to stars

    If luck favours, you end up meeting, clicking a snap, talking to the stars…professing love that otherwise seem so distant. Usually players are open to talk in the stadium (of course after the game), or calling out to them and their acknowledgement of the same… And it’s always something a sports fan cherishes.

     

    3. I Was There

    Key and landmark events become a kind of a HIGH to attend… at the World Cup Finals in 2011 that India won, the 1st Airtel Indian Grand Prix, watching Messi play… et al.

     

    4. Gang of friends

    It usually turns out to be the best way to be with friends… plan out a before and after the game activity. Argue, comment, pass opinions with friends…. It is a part and parcel of any game and being at the action always creates memories that last (for better usually)

     

    5. Get away with anything… well almost

    Where will you have green hair and paint your body with team colours ever … unless of course you are at the stadium… showcase your passion and fanaticism as much as you want….. possibly be shown on national TV…

     

    5 reasons for watching sports on TV, usually at home or a restaurant/pub

     

    1. Never miss action – the way you want

    Technology ensures that you don’t miss any part of the game… replays, analysis, numbers on the screen….. control of noise…. All with you.

     

    2. Comfort

    No sweating, no travelling, no dust….. just be with family and/ or friends… food… drinks … all flows… and yeah, mini contests within the game played… score, player performance, win-lose, goals, and so on….

     

    3. Go social

    ….. Frantic Twitter and FB updates have become a norm for many people and its best done from the comfort of home / pub.

     

    4. Economy

    Watching at home ensures you not just save the time but save money. It is far more economical to watch game at home…. Even in a restaurant…you may end up spending less than going to the stadium.

     

    5. Multi sport mix

    You’d not miss one action for the other…. Many times back to back or parallel events are being showcased that MUST be watched…. The luxury of switching channels, PiP tech, 2 TV’s etc ensure you are always in the know of all (almost) that’s happening.

     

    Mahesh Ranka is Founder & CEO, Indus Sports and Sponsorship

     

  • This makes me wonder. Should we in the media broadcast and publish pictures of youngsters cowering with fear and hiding their faces? Is this ethical?

    Anil Thakraney: The party-pooping media

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Newspapers and TV channels have been flooded with pictures of those ‘caught’ at the recent Juhu (Mumbai) ‘rave’ party bust. (We still don’t know if it really was a rave bash, but that’s not the focus of my article.) All these guys and gals desperately trying to conceal their faces in shame. Or, as I believe, because of the fear of being seen by their families and pals in such a tight situation. And each time I watch these images, I get terrified. No, I don’t get invited to many la-di-dah parties (sadly, haha!), and yet that lingering fear… that it could have been me out there.

     

    Imagine going out with friends to a party and being suddenly accosted by cops just because a few buggers had decided to top up their noses. And being treated brusquely all night, and made to go through unhygienic tests at municipal hospitals. It’s a nightmarish feeling. Still, when you look at it rationally, you have to quietly accept that drugs were found at the venue, and so the cops had to do their duty. So far, so bad.

     

    But does it surprise you how the media lands up at such busts in full force? It shouldn’t. Obviously, the cops, who want to project themselves as some sort of heroes, invite chosen reporters and cameramen to tag along. And thus more than a crime battle, this turns into a media spectacle. Leading to more stress and agony for the party goers.

     

    This makes me wonder. Should we in the media broadcast and publish pictures of youngsters cowering with fear and hiding their faces? Is this ethical? Is it not possible that most of them are innocent party goers? Do they deserve to be put under such harsh spotlight? One more issue for all of us in the media to introspect upon. Of course, the reporters have to join in when the cops invite them. Of course, they need to cover the bust. But because, at the time, they don’t know who’s guilty and who’s not, is it correct to put out pictures of the people trapped out there?

     

    My own view is such pictures must never be made public. And only after the police investigation is done, only after the culprits get booked, must we go public with images. That would be fair. Having said that, I know this practice isn’t going to stop anytime soon. Who cares if some drunk revelers are seen squirming? Who gives a rat’s ass if they are seen being treated like trapped animals? The editor wants pictures, you see. Else, he/she will say there’s no story out here. He/She will kick me out of the newsroom.

     

    Let’s do some self regulation, people. Before it comes in from outside.

     

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    PS: Brilliant ad by Prada. It’s directed by Roman Polanski and features acclaimed actor Ben Kingsley. This is the way to expand market share, I say!

     

  • With the increasing options available online and the easy way to find them, the internet makes customer fickle. This results in websites offering increasing levels of customer service to ensure that their customer is happy, says Suvir Khullar

    The Anchor: 5 trends to watch out for in e-com in India

    By Suvir Khullar

     

    1. Multiple channels in e-retailing

    A variety of SCM models are being created and new methods are evolving daily to procure/deliver products from varied brands/manufacturers. This helps offer a variety of brand and product options to customers with minimal investment in inventory and increase customer stickiness.

     

    2. Customer Service like never before

    With the increasing options available online and the easy way to find them, the internet makes customer fickle. This results in websites offering increasing levels of customer service to ensure that their customer is happy – from 100 per cent satisfaction guaranteed to Cash on Delivery to 5 minute deadlines to respond to customer queries and complaints.

     

    3. Promotion through Social media

    Social Media is gathering force and becoming an important tool for promotion. It reels in the customer with events and stories relevant to the product/ service being offered while informing his friends and colleagues his interests thus enticing them to view the same. Social Media is also giving the customer free rein to comment about his experience and keeping the website on its toes to offer the best service model.

     

    4. Brand Awareness

    The e-commerce platform is increasing the awareness of a brand among a large range of customers. Earlier for a brand to gain awareness, it was necessary for them to open an outlet in all major relevant locations. Now the brand outlet can be in a Tier 2 city and service its online customers across the country by showcasing its products online. This will also result in limited mindshare of brand names, as more and more take up space in the customers mind. Unknown brands during the pre e-commerce time will become household names now.

     

    5. Brand Loyalty to Website Loyalty

    The loyalty a customer had to his favorite brand has diluted with the advent to tempting deals and offers available across competitive brands. Now depending on the offers and services offered by an e-commerce site, the customers’ loyalty will be held by the site instead of the brand. The product that site offers will become the customers brand basket to choose from.

     

    Suvir Khullar is Founder & Director, Gifting Ideas Pvt. Ltd.

     

  • In Freaking News, which appears 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] TV gets boring after IPL

    Ranjona Banerji

    By Ranjona Banerji

     

    The end of the IPL has seen a flurry of articles, analyses and edits – as well as some television breast-beating. Tuesday’s must-read is Ayaz Memon in The Times of India as he dissects the IPL and people’s reaction to it. TOI also carries an edit on the IPL – a day after everyone else.

     

    On TV, Rahul Kanwal of Headlines Today, wearing far too much make-up – almost like those pictures of stars like Rajendra Kumar and Biswajit with orange lipstick that movie halls used to carry – was in “hot pursuit” with BCCI chief TV spokesperson (if that’s not a designation it should be) Rajiv Shukla trying to solve all the problems with the IPL.

     

    The upheaval in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly also bothered our TVwallahs and led to one more verbal fisticuffs on Times Now. This followed another one on the Andhra High Court striking down a quota for minorities. One feels that TV channels need to stop inviting people like Ravi Shankar Prasad and Mohammed Owaisi on the same show as it only leads to acrimonious yelling rather than informed debate. Arnab Goswami did not even bother to control them. TV debates appear to have run through their usefulness. They provide little information or food for thought and now that the actors are the same on every channel night after night, there is no variety or novelty either.

     

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    The big news for newspapers in Mumbai was the horrific road accident on the Mumbai-Pune expressway where 27 members of a marriage party were crushed to death by a speeding truck. Several heart-wrenching details about the accident were in all the newspapers and were in fact almost too much to bear.

     

    The problems of no proper ambulance or paramedical services or the dangers of Indian roads and our lack of disaster preparedness were all covered. None of this makes the spectacle of accidental death any easier of course.

     

    The drought in Maharashtra is also now making almost a daily appearance in newspapers but I haven’t noticed it on TV yet. That is hardly surprising because unless there is mass-scale devastation, even 24 hour TV news channels struggling to fill in the gaps will not be interested. There is limited scope for engineered outrage and explosive TV debates when it comes to drought or even malnutrition.

     

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    The biggest media-related news was former British prime minister Tony Blair telling the Leveson inquiry into media ethics that politicians have to hobnob with the media in today’s world. He admitted to flying to Australia to convince Rupert Murdoch to support the Labour Party in the general elections. Interesting… Now how many Indian politicians would be so courteous to the Indian media?

     

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    On a personal note, was quite pleased to see the French Open get so much coverage in the newspapers. Of course, the IPL is over so there’s plenty of space… Hindustan Times gets top marks – but it has increasingly established itself as a newspaper which covers all sports not just cricket. Even the Times of India deigned to provide a little space to tennis and the Grand Slam which has just started in Paris. That is high honour indeed.

     

  • You cannot just concentrate on the good things being said about your brand. You cannot afford to ignore anyone on your social platforms anymore says Rajiv Dingra

    The Anchor: 6 things every marketer must pay heed to on social media

    By Rajiv Dingra

     

    Dialogue

    The rise of social media has brought about an important change in terms of communication between a brand and its audience. This is the magical two-way dialogue that social media offers. The days of a brand ‘communicating’ alone with its audience are gone. People and users are talking with brands online, and in many cases successful relationships are being forged because of this. A modern marketer should design marketing campaigns with this in mind. Being open and honest in your communication is the way to go.

     

    Equality

    Social media has given everyone a voice. This is good because now you as a brand can get access to some ‘real’ feedback and insights. The thing a modern marketer needs to note is that every person’s opinion and feedback holds value. You cannot just concentrate on the good things being said about your brand. You cannot afford to ignore anyone on your social platforms anymore. Instead delve deep into criticism and focus on how you can make it better for the person who has complained. This action will firstly get you a loyal consumer and all your fans and followers on your social pages will see this and react well to your brand.

     

    Brand reputation

    A brand’s reputation on social media hangs by a thread. One small negligent step can snowball into a huge media avalanche which can tarnish the brand that you have worked so hard to build. A lot of importance should thus be given to the content that you post on your social media platforms in terms of topic, context and viewpoints. It is good for a brand to believe in something, but at the same time ensure that whatever you post, it should not be construed in a negative way by your audiences. Stay away from controversies in your updates and even in your conversations with your audiences.

     

    Innovation

    Far too many times has the word, innovation been abused by peddlers of jargon. Real innovation is much more than that! First, you as marketer need to understand that innovations can be brought about by changing the way you view social platforms. Social media is not just your everyday media platform. It lives and breathes as a giant collective. The real question is ‘how do you inform and engage audiences instead of shoving your product down their face all the time?’ The second thing is to accept that not everything will be ‘viral’. As opposed to popular belief in marketing circles, you don’t conceive a viral video; it gets viral because it is good and marketed in the right way. Don’t let things settle down into a comfortable process. Experiment with your brands and your communication and then maybe you will succeed in getting something ‘viral’ done.

     

    Different platform, different strategy

    You can call it ‘Social Media’ for your ease but do not treat individual social media platforms as one. Ever. The ‘horses for courses’ approach is what needs to be taken to do well on Social Media. Every platform is distinctive in terms of features, UI, brand communication possibilities and its audience. You must learn to differentiate between platforms based on the parameters mentioned above. It might be easier to develop a broad social media strategy and deploy it, but trust me, it does not really work well for your brand. Learn the platform. Figure out the platform’s strength and weaknesses and position yourself accordingly. LinkedIn is a professional social network. How can your brand leverage this? If you can find more than one meaningful way, then get onto it and work your magic.

     

    Social is all about real-time

    Things move fast these days. The technology, the devices, the platforms and finally your audience. Never let anyone move faster than you. If your brand has to resonate with your consumer then it has to be perceived as fast, hip and trendy! This translates into a lot of effort for marketing. Dive headlong into the latest things, trends and crazes and figure out the potential they hold for your brands. Like I said before, take more risks! Don’t wait for someone else to try something out first, as this will only affect you negatively. These days there is a lot of buzz about Pinterest! If you are a retail brand or a restaurant, it is brilliant because of its visual nature. The first mover advantage is really very crucial in social media. Be prepared to think real-time or be prepared to be left behind!

     

    Rajiv Dingra is Founder and CEO of WATConsult

     

  • Additionally, I like the fact that Micromax has stuck to its irreverent brand personality. Whether you agree with them or not, you have to appreciate their focus

    Debrief: Micromax: Sexy and cool

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    The king of irreverent advertising, Micromax, is back with another edgy campaign. This one is for their new handset called A50 Ninja, which comes with a built-in female voice feature that offers artificial intelligence. And very smartly, they’ve pet named the phone ‘Aisha’.

     

    The central idea is that the user bonds with the phone as if it was a beautiful woman. A woman who quietly obeys the master’s commands and offers him solutions like a good personal assistant. A cross between a sexy mistress and an efficient secretary. She has no emotions and is very matter-of-fact. And as a bonus, Aisha engages the boss in conversations that are laced with sexual innuendo, even as she solves his problems.

     

    This isn’t brilliant stuff but it most definitely is clever. Because the advertising panders to that ultimate fantasy of a man: to possess a smart chick who does what he demands, and never argues back. Clearly an impossibility in the real world, but we men do secretly fantasize about these things, don’t we? Admit it, dood!

     

    Additionally, I like the fact that Micromax has stuck to its irreverent brand personality. I know plenty of feminists who would abhor this campaign, but that’s of no consequence to the phone maker. They will play mischief, they’ve decided that from the start. Whether you agree with them or not, you have to appreciate their focus.

     

    Rating: (On a scale of 1 to 5):  3. Good strategy backed by provocative creative.

     

     

  • Every Thursday, Ranjona Banerji will write about a grouse. Either spewing venom or tongue-in-cheek

    Wanted: translators for press conferences

    Ranjona Banerji

    By Ranjona Banerji

     

    This is targeted at TV newswallahs. They have a tendency to show us live press conferences that they deem to be important, from across the country. This week, we had Mamata Banerjee, chief minister of West Bengal, after the victory of the Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League. Then we had Kiran Reddy, chief minister of Andhra Pradesh, on the arrest of his predecessor’s son Jagan Mohan Reddy by the Central Bureau of Investigation.

     

    All very commendable, bringing us the news when it happens. The grouse? Banerjee spoke in Bengali and Reddy in Telugu. This of course makes it virtually impossible for anyone to understand what they’re saying. The on-screen translation process was extremely slow and then, only paraphrased their remarks. Which means for about 3 minutes of someone talking, you got about two lines of material. The reason I know this is because I understand Bengali and have a smattering of Telugu.

     

    If anyone is old enough to remember, it was a bit like the scene in Charlie Chaplin’s Great Dictator where the typist is taking dictation from the Adolf Hitler character, Adenoid Hynkel. Hynkel talks and talks and the stenographer types two words.

     

    On the BBC and al Jazeera this week, a live press conference with the British foreign secretary and Russian foreign minister on the Syria issue was also covered.

     

    When the Russian minister spoke there was a live voice translation. One understands that the translations were provided by the governments concerned and not the TV channels but it is a process which a multilingual country like ours needs to understand.

     

    It might be more sensible for a reporter present to provide a paraphrasing of events rather than subject people to listening to something they cannot understand. Neither press conference, it has to be said, was particularly scintillating.

     

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    There were few scuffles and a lathi-charge in Kolkata’s Eden Gardens when the celebrations were being held. All afternoon, Times Now behaved as if it was covering a major riot and hundreds had been badly injured. Even if you dislike Mamata Banerjee and Shah Rukh Khan, some perspective please. NDTV called it a “mild lathi-charge” which is an unfortunate choice of words but perhaps a more appropriate sentiment.

     

  • Since the overall television ratings were on the lower side this year, it indicates a strong possibility of audience fatigue having set in

    Anil Thakraney: The IPL diary

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    The two month long drama is done and dusted. (I use the word ‘dusted’ hesitatingly… goodness knows if there are more skeletons waiting to tumble out.) It’s a good time to take stock of the IPL and make some suggestions for the next season.

     

    Since the overall television ratings were on the lower side this year, it indicates a strong possibility of audience fatigue having set in. My hunch is there are just too many matches in the tournament… the numbers must be scaled down. I think the IPL should be a one-month event, this would make sure audience attention doesn’t flag. And the tournament doesn’t lose its appeal.

     

    There have to be very powerful and effective mechanisms put in place to rid the tournament of all the scandals it’s associated with. Match/spot fixing, black money transactions with players, rowdy behaviour of some franchise owners, drunk players going berserk at the IPL parties, cheerleaders being hit on, crowd mismanagement at the venues, etc, etc. I don’t know if the BCCI is aware of this, but the IPL carries very little respect and credibility across the world. I was stunned by the constant allegations of match fixing on the social media right through the two months. Clearly that’s not good for the IPL brand.

     

    The auctioning process needs to be made transparent. And the fee paid to all players made public. (We still don’t know how much Sachin and Dhoni get paid.) Since the IPL is not a private party, its financial records must be made public. This will only help the tournament gain some much needed brownie points.

     

    There have to be clear guidelines laid out for all members who get free passes at the venues. On how they must conduct themselves, and the exact benefits allowed to them. The reason Shah Rukh Khan got into a skirmish at the Wankhede stadium is because no one told him he’s not allowed to take children onto the cricket ground.

     

    Navjot Sidhu, Ravi Shastri, Laxman Sivaramakrishnan, Danny Morrison and a few others should be given a break from commentary duty for a few seasons. And instead, some old boys and T20 misfits like Ganguly and Dravid must be removed from the field and brought into the commentary box.

     

    Lastly and most importantly, a separate contract needs to be signed between the BCCI and the Royal Challengers team owner, Dr Vijay Mallya. This contract should make it clear that throughout the duration of the tournament, his very bigda hua beta, Sid, shall be barred from tweeting.

     

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    PS: Speaking of the IPL, in case you missed it, here’s SRK’s fantastic speech at Yale. Full of beans and full of humour. This is not the SRK who landed up at Wankhede that night, and indulged in deeply vulgar behaviour. I guess basically he’s a cool guy. But is unable to exorcise theDelhimawaali who still lurks inside of him.

     

  • It looks like the kids are living a life of hell, and the Rajya Sabha MP designate is chilling inside an air conditioned studio. This kinda puts you off

    Debrief: Coca-Cola: Zero Freshness

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Interestingly, there’s a new commercial on air from Coke, and it’s based on cricket. A bit strange that, because summer’s coming to an end and the IPL is done and dusted.

     

    Anyway, the TVC features some rural kids playing the game in extremely hot, dusty and inhuman conditions. It looks like a desert. They seem to be enjoying themselves all the same, since the kids are passionate about the game, like everyone else is in this country. And that passion is what Coke wants to ride on. However, all of a sudden, towards the end of the commercial, Rajya Sabha MP designate, Shri Sachin Tendulkar, appears on the screen. He ‘opens happiness’ and happily gulps it down.

     

    I have two huge problems with this one. For one, cricket has been heavily flogged in Indian advertising, and for the game to carry any further appeal, the execution has to be seriously fresh. We are done with watching kids play street cricket, surely that’s become ultra boring in circa 2012. So on this count, the TVC fails miserably, despite a good voice-over and a decent script.

     

    Secondly, Sachin looks like a cut-paste job in the film, an after-thought. Would it not have been a little nice if the hero lands up in those hot conditions and offers the poor kids some Coke? That would not have injected any freshness to the commercial, but it would have brought in some warmth at least. Currently, it looks like the kids are living a life of hell, and the Rajya Sabha MP designate is chilling inside an air conditioned studio. This kinda puts you off.

     

    Rating: (On a scale of 1 to 5): 1. Thakela idea. And it makes Sachin look bad. 

     

  • The needs and aspirations of your target audience should define the brand you eventually plan to sell, says Dilip Cherian

    The Anchor: Dilip Cherian on 5 things to keep in mind while building a brand

    By Dilip Cherian

     

    1. Is it unique?

    It helps when your product or service stands out from the clutter. It also makes it distinguishable.

     

    2. How do I want people to remember me by?

    Can I summarise it in no more than three words? Is your brand distinguishable and easy to understand, and easy to connect to? This requires paring it down to its bare essence. What remains is what your brand really is.

     

    3. Who is at the core of my target audience?

    This helps narrowing down on how you want to build the brand. The needs and aspirations of your target audience should define the brand you eventually plan to sell.

     

    4. What do my competitors battle for?

    Identifying the core competence of your competitors helps define the space you wish your brand to occupy.

     

    5. Am I easy to pronounce, remember or Google?

    In today’s digital world, among other factors, brand success also depends on your brand’s ability to seep into the societal subconscious.

     

    Dilip Cherian is Consulting Partner at Perfect Relations

     

  • Anand would make for an ideal brand ambassador for certain types of products… brands that promise mental strength and stamina, and brands that target sophisticated audiences

    Anil Thakraney: Er, any chance of endorsement deals for Anand?

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    The man has won the world chess championship title for the fifth time. And in my opinion, he’s now entitled to nothing less than the Bharat Ratna. (Sachin deserved what he got… a hot seat in the Parliament.) Also, Vishwanathan Anand is not just a regular world beater, he also happens to be a very nice, decent human being, who lives his life with great integrity and endearing simplicity. Doesn’t that sound like a good enough qualification for advertisers to be queuing up outside his Chennai house, armed with lucrative contracts?

     

    Now, I admit it is possible that Anand has done the odd brand deal in a very long and a very illustrious career. But usually he gets ignored, when even second rung cricketers like Kohli, the Pathan brothers and Rohit Sharma have been bagging loaded deals. Marketers would justify this by claiming that cricket is a passion inIndiaand chess is not. And that cricket is a spectator sport and chess is not. And I have no arguments with that per se.

     

    However, it is equally true that Anand would make for an ideal brand ambassador for certain types of products… brands that promise mental strength and stamina, and brands that target sophisticated audiences, the so-called ‘creamy layer’. And there are plenty of these in the market. Health drinks and foods. High-end watches. Luxury cars. Premium suiting. I could go on. And yet, these brands opt for either movie stars or cricketers, that too at a price far higher than what Anand might possibly charge.

     

    It gets more curious when you consider that casting Anand would help these brands smash the clutter. If Dhoni stands for 25 brands, he stands for nothing in my mind. I’d rather have Anand endorsing one, because he gives me the differentiation. Simple advertising logic.

     

    Here’s why I think Anand gets ignored, despite strong marketing rationale working in his favour: Our brand managers tend to be risk averse, and they usually try to play safe. Okay, let me put it impolitely: They want to cover their backsides by opting for the tried and tested Dhonis and SRKs of the world. So if things go wrong, the boss won’t blame the manager. These safe suits consider Anand to be a high risk proposition. Therefore in reality, the problem doesn’t lie with chess or with Anand, it lies in the heads of our brand managers.

     

    And I am hoping to see this change. At least this time. Fifth time world championship is simply superlative stuff.

     

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    PS: Very interesting. Ten ads that got theUKreally angry. Controversial ads that invited the most number of complaints. Methinks time has come to list down the top ten ads that got Indians really pissed off.

     

    Link: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2151927/Ten-ads-mad-Nude-Sophie-Dahl-Pope-hard-hat–brought-complaints-50-years.html?ICO=most_read_module