MxMIndia

Category: COLUMNS

  • The Morphing of Social Media & the Putative Rise of Conversation Marketing

    The Morphing of Social Media & the Putative Rise of Conversation Marketing

    Ashoke AgarrwalAt the dawn of the internet era and, a bit later, of the social media era, many sociologists believed they would lead to a more informed and enlightened world. The events at Tahrir Square, the subsequent Arab Spring, and later the Maidan revolt in Kyiv seemed, for a period, to support this contention. Marketing gurus posited the dawning of the age of interactive and one-to-one marketing, much like the bazaar of yore but on a global, post-modern scale.

    But then the medium took over the message.

    Marshall McLuhan, in his 1964 book, ‘Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man’, coined the phrase, “The medium is the message”, which went on to become a pop phrase that was widely quoted, right or wrongly, in a wide variety of contexts.

    Marshall’s theory posits that the form of the medium embeds itself in the message, creating a symbiotic relationship by which the medium influences how the message is perceived. A corollary of Marshall’s theory was that a dominant medium would influence societal norms, politics and personal identities.

    By 1964, TV was the dominant medium in the US and most of the developed world. In its days, TV as a medium was supposed to build a sense of collective experience and this community. Instead, it promoted a culture of consumerism and passive consumption. Advertising, of course, gorged on this medium that was so much in synergy with its objectives.

    Sidney Lumet’s 1976 movie ‘Network’ is a trenchant yet entertaining critique of the Age of TV and its social impact.

    When the age of social media dawned with Facebook and Twitter, the initial hope was that the medium would redefine interaction and create a participatory culture. Instead, it became another gatekeeper medium controlled by shadowy algorithms that created echo chambers promoting tribalism across many dimensions while delivering audiences to advertisers. The fact that it could provide a more narrowly targeted audience to advertisers than could TV resulted not in a more informed consumer but in an increased ability of brands to insinuate into the social and consumption profile of the consumer. Also, more brands could get into the act as social media lowered the threshold level at which advertising budgets were effective.

    Going by the ultimate societal effect of the TV and social media eras, another corollary to McLuhan’s theory can be posited: that the societal impact of a dominant medium settles into the lowest common denominator in human nature!

    With the rise of TikTok, social media is morphing, creating and strengthening a new medium.

    Initially, social media sites like Facebook showed chronological updates from users’ friends and contacts. As the volume of posts grew, the networks employed algorithms to prioritise posts that had proved popular among the user’s friends.

    TikTok changed that. As a recent article in The Economist notes, “TikTok decided that, rather than guessing what people liked based on their “social graph” – that is, what their family and friends liked – it would use their “interest graph”, which it inferred from the videos they and people like them lingered on. And rather than show content created by people they followed, it would serve up anything it thought they might like.”

    TikTok’s growing popularity forced every other big platform to follow suit – Reels on Facebook and Instagram, Watch on Pinterest, Spotlight on Snapchat, and Shorts on YouTube.

    The result is that social media is morphing away from an interactive medium into a video-first, highly curated engagement platform. In that sense, social media is on its way to becoming a TV-like medium. Thus, marketers and advertisers are beginning to adopt a grammar akin to their TV campaigns for their social media campaigns.

    While social media platforms become places for passive consumption, users move their conversations and arguments off the open networks and into closed private groups like WhatsApp and Telegram, with implications for the business of political campaigns and the news media. Political parties like the BJP have made WhatsApp groups a key pillar of their campaign strategy. As social media platforms have moved away from highlighting news stories in their feeds, news media are increasingly trying to create channels on instant messaging platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram.

    Currently, in India, the tendency is to use it as a mass promotional channel, sending messages to an undifferentiated mass of “mobile” numbers.

    Marketers need to recognise that the platform offers two unique opportunities:
    1) it allows for a convenient one-on-one interactive platform and
    2) it allows a brand to create, communicate and enthuse a “fan group”.

    WhatsApp marketing can become the communication edge of a whole-of-marketing Big Data and data analytics-driven approach. I call this Conversation Marketing. Data collected from retail outlets, e-commerce platforms, loyalty cards, and first-party data can enrich conversations with consumers and groups. Conversation Marketing allows marketers to open a genuinely interactive, one-to-one channel with consumers. Whether this turns out to be a chimaera as from the early days of social media depends on how both the owners of the messaging platforms as they move to monetise them as well as the campaign strategies of brands.

  • As we approach a crucial general election, the mainstream media has once more surrendered the right to show truth to power, writes Ranjona Banerji

    Ranjona Banerji: Life has always been cheap in India…

    Ranjona BanerjiA couple of years ago, Prime Minister Narendra Modi surveyed the Pragati Maidan tunnel in the national capital, as it was being completed. This inspection meant that he was driven along in an open vehicle festooned with flowers as he, umm, “inspected”.

    Soon after, he inaugurated the tunnel and declared it was the Centre’s “big gift” to the nation.

    Today, the Public Works Department has declared that the tunnel is dangerous, unfit for us, full of cracks and seepage.

    The cost of this gift that we the people of India have paid for? About Rs 1000 crore, give or take.

    This is not the first disaster involving some “gift” from the Prime Minister. But it is the latest, and I’m using it as an example.

    Obviously, the media cannot ignore this event, especially since the PWD has squarely blamed the construction company, Larsen & Toubro.

    And thus, the canny media has sidestepped Modi’s role in gifting us a substandard, unusable, dangerous tunnel and presented this disaster as a fight between a government agency and a construction company. Which incidentally, is one of India’s most trustworthy.

    https://www.ndtv.com/delhi-news/delhis-pragati-maidan-tunnel-beyond-repair-major-overhaul-needed-report-5018203

    It is impossible for the mainstream media to now link the tunnel’s collapse to the BJP government, although it had no qualms about blandly reporting on Modi’s comment that the tunnel was a “gift”, and they happily added to his propaganda machine by publicizing his photoshoots riding up and down the tunnel on a fake inspection run. He gets the credit, someone else gets the blame.

    As we approach a crucial general election, the mainstream media has once more surrendered the right to show truth to power and opted again to be one more arm of the BJP’s public relations wing.

    This guarantees that an unmindful public, brainwashed by religion and violence and stories of future greatness, will ask as few questions of the BJP and the Central government as possible.

    This strategy of the media makes it very convenient for the BJP and Modi – or have I got the order wrong? – to carry on with its divisive policies, which encourage sectarianism and promote Hindu supremacy at all costs.

    A Hindutva “scholar” – an oxymoron if there ever was one – writes in The Indian Express, the beacon of “journalism of courage”, that “caste is a western construct”. Nonsense like this justifies caste discrimination in the minds of upper caste “educated” Hindu supremacists. That’s using media as a propaganda arm, at one level.

    At the same time, we have this piece of new, not really mainstream, about an Adivasi tea worker dying of starvation in North Bengal because of glitches in the Aadhaar system. This is because this government keeps changes its mind about Aadhaar – a bad system anyway – and the bureaucracy does not care and does not keep up.

    Life has always been cheap in India, especially the lives of the poor and the marginalized. Incompetence is now a given, with the Centre setting the standard.

    https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/governance/unable-to-get-food-adivasi-tea-worker-in-north-bengal-estate-dies-of-starvation-94331

    The Prime Minister in a garbled speech in Parliament – the mainstream media will not tell you this, but it is troublesome – claimed that the Opposition is trying to create a “North-South” divide. This is a bit rich, from a Central government which consistently tries to impose Northern customs and languages on other parts of India, is looking at a delimitation exercise which will badly affect the more prosperous South and which does not give the Southern states their due of Central grants and taxation shares.

    This analysis by P Thiaga Rajan, finance minister of Tamil Nadu, explains cogently and clearly just how it is not possible for the Centre to claim that Uttar Pradesh is doing better than Tamil Nadu (only a BJP fool would believe that UP is superior anyway).

    https://frontline.thehindu.com/economy/uttar-pradesh-economy-comparison-with-tamil-nadu-south-india/article67821390.ece

    Now we reach Uttarakhand. The latest BJP laboratory for sectarian division and creating Hindu-Muslim tension and violence. The state just passed a suspect and unconstitutional Uniform Civil Code bill.

    https://www.livemint.com/politics/news/uttarakhand-assembly-passes-ucc-bill-becomes-indias-first-state-to-implement-uniform-civil-code-11707310389777.html

    And the state has carried on with its anti-Muslim crusade, this time by attacking Masjids, Madarsas and Mazars. Haldwani has seen violence and death. This is not normal in Uttarakhand and nor should it be acceptable. The link below says two dead, current figures say at least six.

    https://indianexpress.com/article/india/haldwani-uttarakhand-violence-demolitions-live-updates-9152347/

    The tragedy for those who follow the media and its commentators, is that they will be fed analysis of the BJP’s electoral prowess and the Opposition’s weakness. This clever juxtaposition by liberal and fence-sitting journalists crafts democracy as a largely electoral exercise, while ignoring the ground realities.

    It is important, therefore, to remember a flower-festooned prime minister gifting an unusable tunnel to the nation which has literally thrown almost Rs1000 crore down the drain. And the juxtapose that image with people who die from starvation and state-sponsored violence.

    Ranjona Banerji is a senior journalist and commentator. She writes on MxMIndia on Tuesdays and Fridays. Her views here are personal.

  • Television in 2024: A Story of Two Half-Years

    Television in 2024: A Story of Two Half-Years

    Shailesh KapoorIt’s that time of the year, when the General Elections are round the corner. While the dates are not out yet, we may be less than 75 days away from the first round of polling. Even if the outcome seems somewhat like a foregone conclusion, the next three-four months will be full of political and media frenzy.

    One of the direct impacts will be felt on the IPL. The dates have not been announced yet, pending the announcement of election dates. In the past, IPL has moved to outside India during the election years. But it is unlikely to be the case this year, and that could complicate the international cricketing calendar more than just a wee bit.

    It’s a golden period for news channels, who are having a windfall year, which started with the mega Ram Mandir event, before the elections programming takes over. June will feature theT20 World Cup in US and West Indies, a summer bonanza for news media, despite the odd match timings.

    Going by how things have been, there isn’t much new one can expect from our news channels in the coverage of these elections. Innovation in Indian elections coverage came to a standstill about a decade-and-a-half ago, and since then, news channels have focused on speed rather than engagement as the primary target, creating a sense of sameness across platforms, as they battle each other to be first to report new information. Legacy brands like Aaj Tak will continue to hold the advantage, when the content across platforms is differentiated per se.

    Neutrality is, of course, a thing of the past, and not even on the table right now. And a potentially one-sided contest allows news channels to legitimise their bias, as the “voice of the nation”, even if the idea is in direct conflict with core tenets of good journalism.

    It will be more exciting to see how digital news brands manage to cover elections. They do not have the luxury of big budgets that the TV channels have, but seem to have more intent to drive innovation and engagement, which can lead to a few compelling shows.

    Television seems to have become a medium where events, whose existence is outside the television ecosystem (politics, sports, etc.) are driving the buzz, even as content native to the medium (GECs, movies, etc.) remain inert and unexciting.

    The first half of 2024 will do well for television. But it’s from July that the real challenge will begin, of being able to sustain interest in the medium, and the revenue it earns, when the big-ticket events are all over. I’m afraid that we may soon be entering the trickiest phase of Indian television in July this year. More on it when we get there.

  • The brand believes that all this will make people turn a blind eye to the overt commodification of love and the lengths to which brands like this one will go in pursuit of profit, writes Sanjeev Kotnala

    Sanjeev Kotnala: Love be dammed… Anything for business

    Sanjeev KotnalaValentine’s Day is when love purportedly descends upon the earth, transforming it into a world where genuine or dubious couples eagerly await the annual opportunity to demonstrate affection through materialistic displays of attachment. Meanwhile, singles retreat into the shadows, nursing their unrequited desires and cringing at the thought of their solitary status being laid bare.

    Some resort to sending flowers and cakes to themselves, while others simply shrug it off.

    Enter the company that has turned love into a lucrative enterprise, peddling notions of sharing, caring, and love as a consumer commodity. But amidst this commercial frenzy, a voice advocates for inclusivity, arguing that Valentine’s Day shouldn’t be cruel to those without romantic entanglements.

    So, armed with the power bestowed upon them by clueless consumers and the boundless creativity of the advertising industry, one brand of the same Love Company decides a daring plan: to effectively make Valentine’s Day disappear and live-stream the magically Houdini moment.

    A technically impeccable, scientifically endorsed feat for a ship with three selected stupids to cross the dateline on February 14th, 2024, effectively leapfrogging over Valentine’s Day altogether. The livestream is scheduled for 4 PM, strategically chosen for maximum social media engagement – it is different that it is the very day the magic is supposed to help vanish.

    Their communication is flawlessly smooth. The spectacle of a massive monitoring system, jubilant high-fives, and perhaps a tear or two accompanied by suspenseful music. And woven into this is the name ‘Nambi Narayan’. Every visual element is etched in the minds of Indians with the well-acclaimed ISRO Chandrayaan’s success.

    The brand believes that all this will make people turn a blind eye to the overt commodification of love and the lengths to which brands like this one will go in pursuit of profit. While this event may ultimately win multiple awards with impressive viewership metrics, many among us will question the jury’s intelligence that sees merit in such a frivolous venture, exploiting the public’s naivety and innocence under the guise of advertising.

    It’s the epitome of ‘Saala Business ke liye kuch bhi karega’ (will do anything for business) – a sentiment that leaves a bitter taste in the mouths of those who value authenticity over commercial gimmickry.

    It is worth debating if love needs a designated day or auspicious moment. Love either exists or doesn’t, irrespective of calendar dates and marketing ploys, gift or no gift. Perhaps, instead of lavish displays and extravagant gestures, a more straightforward, more genuine expression of affection would suffice – like sharing a humble Chikki or offering a heartfelt “hawla“- and thus following what a sister brand of the company has been promoting last few Diwali- be Indian buy Indian- support small business.

    It reflects sorely on an advertising agency that has always spoken about Indian ethos and culture to have overlooked other significant dates, such as Basant Panchami, Saraswathi Puja, or even the anniversary of the Pulwama attack. They may not make business sense.

    The main company must decide where the priorities lie, and what, if any, purpose they have- Do nothing- support Indian entrepreneurs- buy Indian- share chocolates for love, or it is blatantly- Anything for Business.

    And as I write this much before the live stream, I think of two possibilities. One, the brand will have a ship crossing the dateline on February 13 at midnight (4PM in India) – with the audience for whom they want Valentine’s Day to vanish would have already suffered 16 hours of it. Or they will deliver on the brand promise- with a static in-studio livestream of the three stupid people doing nothing and just having the bar. At least they will be faithful to the message, if not to the consumers.

    Sanjeev Kotnala is a Mumbai-based business strategist and educator. He writes on MxMIndia on Wednesdays, and often on other days as well. His views here are personal.

  • There was some plain bread and butter reporting on the Supreme Court's judgment on the electoral bonds, writes Ranjona Banerji

    Ranjona Banerji: Screaming Media goes quiet on Electoral Bonds

    Ranjona BanerjiThe Supreme Court’s judgment striking down electoral bonds as unconstitutional has led to…

     

    What do you want me to say?

     

    Because as far as the bulk of the Screaming Media is concerned, well… it’s not silence but it just as well could be.

     

    So we have some plain bread and butter reporting: the court said this, the government said that, the petitioner said the other thing. There’s a little welcome history about the scheme: what it wanted to achieve, what its provisions said and such.

     

    There is not quite as much on the Centre’s submission to the court that citizens do not have the right to know.

     

    What can our captive media say about this?

     

    They have capitalized on this notion for the past 10 maybe more years. The citizen does not have the right to know anything that significantly impacts her. Rather, the citizen must be fed a constant diet of hatred against some communities and ideologies and at the same time a non-stop glorification of one particular person and perhaps a few others.

     

    Here’s a look at TV channel websites between 10.30 and 11 this morning.

     

    The Times Now website had the news of the Supreme Court striking down the electoral bond scheme as unconstitutional low down on the list (farmers, crimes, a Bharat bandh possibility, and plenty of Bollywood stuff dominated the headlines). The focus of the coverage was not on the court judgment, but rather on how much money each party got from electoral bond funding.

     

    News18’s opening page had nothing on the Supreme Court judgment. A distressing case of sexual assault allegations against a Trinamool functionary in Bengal, the farmers and how they were wrong and greedy, and Bollywood news were displayed prominently.

     

    The India Today website led with the farmers, the role of Qatar as a global negotiator, cricket and crime. There was however a link to electoral bonds, which provided bog standard reporting on the subject.

     

    NDTV’s landing page was very similar to India Today’s, except there was nothing on the Supreme Court judgment.

     

    This gives one a clear idea that the judgment has upset the Central government to such an extent that it has not formulated a proper response for its captive media channels and nor for its Rs 2 trolls, who were every quiet on social media yesterday. I did not get even one tweet asking me to “deal with it aunty” or “keep quiet” or the usual threats of bodily harm, although the older I get the more those have reduced.

     

    The only responses were from popular outliers. A YouTube video maker who shills for the BJP, about how political parties other than the BJP have also received electoral funding from the bond scheme. And interestingly, both a former journalist and a former corporate honcho argued that secrecy was important because of possible vindictiveness of political parties. It was unclear why two loud BJP and Modi supporters would latch solely on to the vindictiveness angle when the BJP has been in power for so long.

     

    For the general public, a 223-page judgment is laborious reading. These a few links from digital and print news sites which aid comprehension:

     

    https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/mc-explainer-electoral-bonds-demystified-conditions-benefits-validity-and-more-12277871.html

     

    https://www.livelaw.in/top-stories/supreme-court-electoral-bonds-1scheme-249553

     

    https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/why-supreme-court-struck-down-electoral-bonds-scheme/articleshow/107710972.cms

     

    I will repeat here what I say all too often. This is a landmark judgment. An important government scheme has been knocked down by a five-judge bench of the Supreme Court of India as unconstitutional. Whatever your politics, it is the most important news of the day, week, month. The media would be going to town on this, if it hadn’t picked a side and surrendered its basic right of showing truth to power.

     

    It is surprising to many that the Supreme Court has batted for the citizen of India and her right to know.

     

    Sadly, it is not surprising to anyone that the bulk of the Indian mainstream media has chosen to suppress this news.

     

    Ranjona Banerji is a senior journalist and commentator. She writes on MxMIndia on Tuesdays and Fridays. Her views here are personal.

  • Aggregator apps- One step forward? Nah!Definitely two steps backwards

    Aggregator apps- One step forward? Nah!Definitely two steps backwards

    Vikas MehtaWith apologies to none at all

     

    I am an ancient relic. When I started working, forget email or computers even faxes were a rarity and corporates had STD phones (no, not the disease-inducing ones but the ones which enabled long-distance calls), which were always under lock and key lest they were misused. Telexes were the most often used mode of communication.

     

    In three decades, the evolution of technology in workplaces and for an individual has been astounding. And the last one decade has seen the emergence of new type of companies, brands and technology.

     

    But what stood out were the aggregator companies. These companies used technologies to aggregate various goods and services to be available at your fingertip and one could access it through the smartphones. Mobility, hospitality, food delivery, grocery delivery, in fact any type of delivery are all assembled under one platform. Now one did not have to go to a taxi stand or a travel agent or a market but the aggregators put everything together under one roof and it was all available at your doorstep.

     

    Personally, I revelled in the emergence of Ola and Uber, Swiggy and Zomato, Amazon and Flipkart, Make My trip and Oyo, sorry strike out Oyo. But I did enjoy the offerings of these aggregators. Planning a trip at a short notice, intra-city travel, ordering food, all became child’s play. And also, one experimented, tried new travel routes, destinations, hotels and of course food. Initial hiccups were accepted with a pinch of salt and improvements were always expected to be round the corner. But, when the novelty disappeared, the frustrations mounted. Improvements were far and few. Same problems were being encountered and overall standards of these new kids on the block was shockingly abysmal. On my travel two weeks ago, I used most of these aggregator apps and following is my review of these.

     

    I will start with Oyo. Inspite of persistent advice from my well-wishers, not to touch Oyo with a bargepole. I decided to try it out again, after a gap of maybe 6-7 years. Earlier, I have had mixed experience with Oyo and at least twice I was pleasantly surprised with their offerings in Gurugram. So, this time when I had some work in Delhi, in an area where Oyo seemed to be the only option available, I had to clock in by 8:30 am and I did want to stay, preferably, walking distance away, so I opened my Oyo app.

     

    I had about 6-7 Oyo options available in a kilometre radius and most were pretty cheap. The photographs were decent and approval ratings hovered between 3-3.5. I took the plunge. I even prepaid as the amount was not big. Big mistake, as I learnt later. One day before the trip I get an automated call saying there is a problem at the Oyo I have chosen. So, I was given an option to cancel or get my booking transferred to another Oyo. No mention of which. I just disconnected, worried about what to do next.

     

    After 15-20 minutes, a customer service executive called. Like a rote she repeated the automated message. When I ask her about the option she mentioned some hotel 500 metres away from this one. I was tempted to change but I asked her about the charges of this place and will it be adjusted against my payment? Oh, for that I need to call the helpline, she said. And she volunteered the number. Irritated, I ask her why should I call? You are changing my booking so please first tell me the rate and refund/ adjustment status, I retort. Sorry, sir. She replied without any hesitation, I do not have access to that information. You just tell me if I need to cancel or transfer your booking. By this time, I had lost my patience so I asked her to cancel my booking.

     

    I go back to my app and I find a message that my refund has been initiated. Emboldened, I look for alternatives and this time choose a Oyo Townhouse. Supposed to be a Oyo-owned property. So must be good. I book it and pay up. In the meantime, I got a message that my full money has been refunded. Since it was a UPI payment, I got it back the same way. I felt relieved and happy.

     

    Next day, I land up in the area and I find at least 4-5 Oyos exactly in the same place where my townhouse is supposed to be. In adjacent buildings. I trudge up one of those. The receptionist looks at my app, scrolls up and down, calls someone else who repeats the process and then tells me that ‘aapka Oyo’ is two buildings away. Off, I go again. Find my Oyo. Am checked in a jiffy and someone escorts me to my room. On the way up I see two young couples coming down. No bags. Nothing on them. They just handover the key to the guy accompanying me and say, check out. And leave.

     

    I entered the room. It was basic. Paint peeling off. The bathroom looked okay at a glance. The room had no towel or soap. On asking I was given a towel and two small bottles of body wash. I suddenly realised that I have not been given any room key. My escorter, searched the room for a lock and then saunters out saying I will get one.

     

    Ten minutes later, I was down, wanting to go out and I asked for my room key. The guy looked around and then asked me to wait. He was busy taking photocopies of Aadhar cards of another bagless couple. Another gent sauntered in and asks if his room was ready. He had been told to come back in 15 minutes and it was now 30 minutes. He was told to go upstairs and check it himself. He gulped. I rolled my eyes and realised that I have made a mistake. I ask for room key again and am told not to worry as CCTV cameras are everywhere.

     

    At this stage, I told them I want to check out and did some namedropping. Suddenly, a suitcase lock emerges and I am asked to please not cause a problem. I lock my room and leave. I returned late around 9 pm and found that my toilet was very dirty. The cold and my tiredness precluded me from checking out but I was clear: I will check out first thing in the morning.

     

    I was tired and late because of my experience with Ola, the second aggregator I tried. I booked an Ola to come back at around 6:30 pm and first, my ride was cancelled. Finally, another driver turned up. As I settled down amidst the Gurugram traffic rush, my driver told me that he will take a shorter route, it’s on the map but road is not good. Positive is that it will save 15 minutes. This was what his app told him. I agreed. Another mistake. The road was not all that bad, but the route was through narrow lanes and bazars and we ended up lost. At that stage, I put the map on my phone on and started directing the driver. On my app I was getting a message to rate my trip and the driver was getting messages to pick up another passenger! It was total breakdown. Chaos. Imagine if the passenger was a female.

     

    Technically, I should have not paid the driver as my trip was over and rating was being asked for. But I paid him in cash when he dropped me, not at my destination but a kilometre away. Oh, did I tell you? Ola now gives the option of paying online before your trip is over. Else you have to pay the driver in cash. And sometimes one pays, one gets a payment done message and 5 minutes later Ola sends a message that the transaction failed. If the money has been debited from your account please call Ola helpline. The onus is on the customer, not Ola!

     

    Two apps down, next morning I open Make My Trip. The first surprise was that when I broadened my search to a 3-4 km radius the majority of the hotels being shown were still Oyo. This time, I researched properly. I shortlisted 3-4 options. I did not even look at the cheap ones, I read at least 5-6 reviews, read the AI generated review summary and finally picked one hotel 3.5 km away from my meeting point. I must confess, the MMT app seemed easier to navigate, its reviews seemed balanced and it had more parameters like quality of food, closeness to metro station etc.

     

    And the place I chose, was good. The experience was as promised by the app. So, a thumbs up to MMT.

     

    But, and there is always a but. After I paid, I was sent an offer. I could buy through Swiggy and get a discount. It was very tempting. But the fine print said that the offer was valid only for some NCR restaurants. Here I am booked near Saket. So why would you send me offers for NCR? I know Swiggy can deliver from there. But the delivery time could be more than an hour and the delivery charges will be higher.

     

    So, is this how Swiggy or MMT use their data? They know I am in Saket so why can’t they give me an offer from nearby? I guess all this hype about using data to do targeting is an overblown proposition? Is it?

     

    On the positive side after abandoning Ola, I took up Blu. It was a very good experience. I prebooked cabs twice. Both times the cabs were on time. They were electric cabs so environment friendly. The drivers drove safely and were polite to a fault. The app was very user friendly. It seemed a huge improvement on Ola.

     

    But overall, I was really disappointed. It seems the new age product offerings have actually deteriorated, rather than improving. Oyo is really pits and I guess all these stories about being used mostly by unmarried couples for two hours is true. Is that its business model now? Ola seems to have lost focus completely. My trip was shown as finished without any payment or actually being finished. The driver was lost. And a one hour trip as predicted at the start ended in a two hour trip? And I do hear some pathetic stories about Ola electric scooters too. Quality, service. Is this an Ola trademark now?

     

    These could be exceptions but it shows major flaws in the product. If after 10 year these brands have gone from bad to worse and not improved, then they fail the first test of marketing. Bad product.

     

    And the worst part is that after I abandoned Oyo after one night, even though I had a three-night booking, even though my Ola trip had gone horribly wrong, there was no follow-up. No calls. No feedback mechanism. Both of them asked me to rate them. I gave the worst rating and then there was silence. Don’t they follow up if the rating is 1. Or maybe they cannot, as the number of ratings with least score is way too many. And therein lies a tale.

     

    Vikas Mehta is a senor business strategy consultant and educator based in Dehradun. He writes on MxMIndia every other Monday. His views here are personal.

  • My journey with Pexel is a testament to the power of engagement and community-driven initiatives in shaping digital landscapes, writes Sanjeev Kotnala

    Sanjeev Kotnala: My journey- from Pexel user to contributor

    Sanjeev KotnalaA new chapter of my digital journey unfolded as the clock struck midnight on January 1, 2024. Little did I know, I was about to embark on an unexpected adventure with Pexel.com, a haven for free imagery seekers like me. It has been my go-to platform for stunning images for my blogs and articles. I use 25-30 images a year from Pexel and Unsplash and often forget to give credit to the contributor. I never thought I would graduate from a grateful user to a contributor.

     

    The Email Belled the Cat

    It all began with a simple, innocuous email from Pexel. It asked a seemingly routine question: “How did you use these downloads?” Not much of a surprise there, but it did nudge me to click to find my recent downloads highlighted. I am a person who loves sharing feedback, a selfish way to contribute to helping the provider give better service. S0, with a sense of obligation, like a disciplined student, I diligently shared details, unknowingly setting off a chain reaction that would redefine my relationship with the platform.

     

    The Gateway to Contribution

    The click of a button led me to an area I hadn’t explored before. My contributor profile. Amidst statistics and rankings, the neon glow of the “UPLOAD” button almost sucked me in. I uploaded the initial batch of images with a newfound purpose and a desire to give back to the community that has given me and supported me over the years.

     

    Challenging Self

    As per the process, while my images underwent quality checks, I voluntarily set a goal of uploading at least 100 photos by the end of 2024. What started as an email exchange has evolved into a personal challenge, a commitment to contribute meaningfully to the Pexel community. In the back of my head, I knew many pictures would come from my upcoming Chennai visit and the batch reunion in Jaipur in March.

     

    Navigating the Contributor Terrain

    I took time to carefully evaluate and choose the tag and title for every image, remembering my experience as a user and constantly thinking about how people would search and how my images could be helpful to other users. The game is on, and I am now waiting for at least one of my images to find a home beyond my projects. I know someday, I will see someone credit me for the picture, making me feel more valuable and happier.

     

    Net-net: A Reflection on my Journey

    In retrospect, my journey from user to contributor was a testament to the power of a simple nudge. Pexel’s subtle encouragement and transparent process seamlessly guided me through the transition, opening my eyes to new possibilities and responsibilities. I now live a dual role- a user of the resources and a minor contributor- but then many minor contributors like me collectively make Pexel what it is. I am unsure if this experience will make me further contribute to other platforms- surveys- and feedback.

    I learned how gentle nudges and transparent processes can lead users down desired paths. My journey with Pexel is a testament to the power of engagement and community-driven initiatives in shaping digital landscapes. It tells me that I must contribute ( wherever I can) for the free services I avail- and now I understand why people sign in and answer or give feedback on various apps and platforms.

  • WPL: The Big Opportunity for Women’s Sports

    WPL: The Big Opportunity for Women’s Sports

    Shailesh KapoorThe second edition of WPL, or Women’s Premier League, starts tonight. It took BCCI a bit longer than expected (perhaps the pandemic delayed their plans) to launch the ‘IPL of women’s cricket’, but they finally did so last year. BCCI is by far the richest cricketing body globally, and is in pole position to drive growth of women’s cricket, in India and worldwide.

    Of course, WPL is a welcome step, and one hopes the second edition continues to expand interest in the sport, especially among young women audiences. After all, the idea of gender inclusivity has been an elusive one in Indian sport, over many years now. It’s ironical, because some of India’s best individual achievement in sports over the last four decades have come from sportswomen, starting with PT Usha in the 1980s, followed by the likes of Mary Kom, Sania Mirza, Saina Nehwal, PV Sindhu, the Phogat sisters, Sakshi Malik, etc. In the Tokyo Olympics (2021), three of India’s seven medals came from sportswomen: Mirabai Chanu (Weightlifting), Lovlina Borgohain (Boxing) and PV Sindhu (Badminton).

    Yet, in a cricket-dominated sport, female sportspersons have operated on the fringes. It doesn’t help that football and kabaddi, the next two most popular sports in India, are male-dominated too. In our monthly popularity track Ormax Sports Stars, we ask audiences to name their favourite sportsperson, irrespective of their sport or nationality. On an average, only 4% audiences name a sportswoman as their favourite. Even among female audiences, this percentage is in single digits every month, without exception. While it’s understood that sport is male-dominated worldwide, 96:4 is an embarrassing ratio.

    Even as more and more Indian sportswomen are managing to break new barriers globally, they are fighting decades of gender bias, stereotyping, and conditioning embedded in our socio-cultural fabric.

    Sports is an expensive category, and sustainable sport at the top level has to be advertiser-funded. Sportswomen continue to struggle to get endorsement deals, even from brands that otherwise champion projects focusing on gender equality and women empowerment. Till the audiences (including women) begin to watch more women’s sport, it’s going to be an uphill task. The medals may come, but the deals won’t.

    Hence, WPL has a lot riding on it. It can become that one property that creates demand for women’s sports in India. It may take some time, perhaps 3-5 years. But the opportunity does exist.

    With great power comes great responsibility, Spider-Man famously said. That saying perfectly captures BCCI’s role regarding the growth of women’s sports in India.

  • NDTV shares which were not doing well in the market have got a boost after the takeover bid by Adani Group, writes Indrani Sen

    Adani Stake Buy of NDTV | Indrani Sen: 8/23!

    Indrani SenBy Indrani Sen

     

    The last week was unusually busy for the Indian TV industry. The week began on Monday, August 22, 2022 with TV Industry honchos speculating about the growth in TV AdEx in H2, while the big four got ready for the final fight for the ICC TV and Digital rights. On Tuesday, August 23, our TV industry saw its first hostile bid for takeover of NDTV by Adani group and the ripple effect of the news went vibrating through the nation and across all news media for rest of the week.

     

    Like 9/11 has become an unforgettable date in the world history, 8/23 will become an unforgettable date in the history of Indian journalism. The news of SPN acquiring TV and Digital rights of US Open, which was announced on Thursday, August 25, went almost unnoticed as we were all busy in figuring out about the legitimacy of the Adani takeover bid. Finally, the news of Disney Star retaining the ICC TV and Digital rights for India till 2027 came on Sunday, August 28, 2022 ending all discussions on that front.

     

    The speculations on the takeover bid of NDTV by Adani are alive. There is no doubt that the move by Adani was pre-planned and well-researched with calculated objectives in mind.  As a well-wisher and regular follower of NDTV channels, I would be extremely happy if this attempt to strangulate NDTV news channels who dared to criticise the present government does not succeed, but from whatever information I have gathered over the last week, talking to various people in the industry and reading various reports, the chances of RRPR coming out unscathed from this entanglement does not seem to be good.

     

    If we try to plot the happenings related to the NDTV takeover bid by Adani during the last week, we find that Advani group’s subsidiary AMG Media Networks Limited (AMNL) acquired Vishvapradhan Commercial Private Limited (VCPL), which was indirectly owned by Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Enterprises. Almost immediately Adani Group announced their intention to take over indirectly 99.5% stake in RRPR Holdings Pvt Ltd, the promoting company of NDTV, which will give them 29.18% equity shares in NDTV on August 23. RRPR was asked to transfer the shares within two working days. In the same announcement an open offer was made to buy up to 26% of NDTV’s shares from the market.

     

    NDTV management issued an internal circular the same evening claiming that the acquisition was not valid as it was done without their consent or any prior notice.  Subsequently letters have been exchanged between RRPR and VPCL raising the issues of giving prior notice/ getting consent of the promoters as well as prior approval from SEBI for transfer of the shares, both of which have been rejected by VPCL. Adani Enterprises issued a statement on August 26 claiming that SEBI’s approval was not required as RRPR was not a party to SEBI’s order issued on November 27. NDTV on the other hand, cited an order by SEBI which bans both the promoter-directors, Radhika Roy and Prannoy Roy from accessing and dealing in securities for two years and has expressed their inability to transfer the shares immediately to VPCL.  However, the period of that ban will end on November 26.

     

    The route cause of this trouble seems to be a huge unsecured loan of Rs 400 + crore which was taken by RRPR in 2009 from VCPL. Why the promoter-directors needed such a huge loan is another story and will require another article. The loan agreement apparently gave an option to VCPL to convert the loan to equity shares. The details of the small prints of the agreement, like if VCPL was required to give a prior notice to RRPR or get their consent before exercising their rights of conversion are not known. Legal experts in the media industry are of the opinion that NDTV is currently buying time but their chance of thwarting the takeover bid depends on any loophole which Advani group might have overlooked in their hurry to acquire VCPL. However, that is a remote possibility.

     

    The money trail interestingly goes back to Mukesh Ambani-owned Reliance Enterprises as VCPL in turn borrowed money for financing the loan to RRPR from Shinano Enterprises in the form of another unsecured loan in the same financial year. Shinano Enterprises was co-owned by Teesta Retail Private Limited, which was wholly owned by Reliance Industrial Investments and Holdings Limited. In 2012 the ownership of VCPL changed and two companies Nextwave Televenture Private Limited and Skyblue Buildwell Private Limited linked to the Reliance group became its owners. As per current market information VCPL was wholly owned by Nextwave Televenture Private Limited till AMG Media Networks Limited (AMNL) acquired it last week. However, no move was made by the Reliance group to take over NDTV by exercising the warrant as per the loan agreement during the last ten years since 2012 though they increased their stakes in media industry during this period. A complex deal of acquiring Network18 Group by Reliance Group was concluded in 2014.

     

    NDTV shares which were not doing well in the market have got a boost after the takeover bid by Adani Group. The private shareholders currently may not accept the offer made by VCPL for selling their shares as the price is below the current market price. An upward revision of the price may tempt them to accept VCPL’s offer which will give Adani group the majority share holdings of NDTV. In that case NDTV will not be the same media brand and Adani Group will have to deal with practically a new launch which is not in line with a successful bid for taking over any ongoing business.

     

    References:

    https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/markets/stocks/news/what-d-street-analysts-said-on-adanis-hostile-takeover-bid-for-ndtv/articleshow/93751027.cms

    https://www.usnews.com/news/top-news/articles/2022-08-25/takeover-of-ndtv-by-indias-richest-man-worries-journalists

    https://www.thequint.com/explainers/gautam-adanis-2918-percent-ndtv-takeover-

    https://www.capitalmind.in/2022/08/adani-ndtv-not-quite-takeover/

    https://edition.cnn.com/2022/08/24/media/adani-ndtv-channel-takeover-bid-hnk-intl/index.html

     

  • Since August 2020 when she wrote on podcasts, it appears the podcast market has done remarkably well in India, writes Indrani Sen

    Indrani Sen: Tuning into Podcasts

    By Indrani Sen

     

    Indrani SenThe FICCI EY Report 2022 on Indian M&E Industry “Tuning into Consumer” has only a very brief mention of Podcasts as a popular audio alternative indicating that

    ►Many radio companies had started to experiment with podcasts, generating millions of listeners per month

    ► Popular categories included comedy, business, news, religion, and storytelling

    ► Monetisation of this content, though in its infancy, commenced at a platform level for a bouquet of podcasts”

     

    The report has a section on music where it indicates that digital revenues were 90% of the total music segment. It further states that streaming platform revenues (including YouTube) increased almost 22% in 2021 to INR12 billion, over 80% of which was advertising driven. It is difficult to figure out if the revenue earned by the streaming platforms include revenue earned through podcasts, most of which have non-musical content.

     

    On August 10, 2020, I wrote my column on the same issue. Link: https://www.mxmindia.com/2020/08/podcast-the-crawling-baby-is-walking-now/. It appears that since then the podcast market has done remarkably well in India. As per PWC’s Global Entertainment & Media Outlook 2021-25, India is the third largest podcast listening market in the world with 57.6 million monthly listeners. A closer look at the variety as well as the width and depth of the content of the top Indian podcasts available to Indian listeners on various streaming platforms explains the reason behind the growing popularity of this medium.

     

    From “Hindu in Focus” on Spotify and Apple talking about current developments across the globe to “On The Contrary” on Apple, a India Development Review by Arun Maria, a former member of the Planning Commission and former Chairman of the Boston Consulting Group; from “Kahani Suno” hosted by Sameer Goswami revisiting classic stories written by Jaishankar Prasad and Munshi Premchand on RadioIndia and Gaana to “Indian Noir” a crime, horror and dark fantasy mix narrated and produced by Commonwealth Short Story Prize winner and voice actor Nikesh Murali on Spotify; from “The Taste of India” a recipe and cookery show available across various platforms to “The Mythpat podcast”  created and hosted by Mithilesh Patankar highlighting all the trends in the gaming industry on Spotify; from the “Maed in India” showcasing the best Indian independent musicians hosted by Mae Mariam Thomas available across various platforms to “The Musafir Stories”  hosted by Saif Omar and Faiza Khan talking about Indian travel destinations and allowing the travellers to share their experiences also available on various platforms, there is just no end to the variety of content catering to the interests of different consumers.

     

    Like The Taste of India,  Maed in India and The Musafir Stories mentioned above, many other podcasts are available across various platforms, notable among them are the comedy show “Internet Said So”, the Amit Verma show “Seen and the Unseen” giving in depth understanding of various subjects, “Paisa Vaisa” hosted by Anupam Gupta on personal finance, “On Purpose” hosted by Jay Shetty, a British Indian author, former monk and purpose coach on self help and “Figuring Out – How to grow business and brands” hosted by Raj Shamani, a successful entrepreneur.

     

    Many of the successful podcast shows have been running over last four to five years like Indian Noir (2018), The Musafir Stories (2017), Paisa Vaisa (2017), The Taste of India (2017). Another popular show Tumne Kisi Se Kabhi Pyaar Kiya Hai focussing on falling out of love and finding it again streaming on JioSaavn has entered into season 2.

     

    A recent article in Emarketerdaily has forecast that podcasts will account for more than one fourth of digital audio ad spend in US by the end of 2022.  The article has indicated “Most digital audio monetization will come from recorded music for the foreseeable future, but podcasts’ share of the market has grown so much—and will continue to do so—that it cannot be ignored by marketers. Once relegated to experimental budgets, podcasts are becoming a crucial component of multimedia ad campaigns.”

     

    The above is an indication that Indian advertisers and agencies need to consider more seriously the scope of using podcasts as a part of audio media options available to us. Podcasts also offer excellent scope for advertiser sponsored programmes. FM Radios also need to review how podcasts can help them to differentiate the content of one brand from the other in future.

     

    Acknowledgements:

    https://www.thebetterindia.com/284009/best-indian-podcasts-listen-spotify-apple-music/;

    https://www.gqindia.com/entertainment/content/best-indian-podcasts-of-2021

     

  • Kantar predicts the brands that invest – in data, insight, people and marketing – will flourish beyond the rest, notes Indrani Sen

    Indrani Sen: Media Trends & Predictions 2022

    Indrani SenBy Indrani Sen

     

    Last week, Kantar released its report on Media Trends & Predictions across the world. The report talks about five important trends in 2022, “Video steaming: A complex and ever-evolving market”, “Remodeling the commercial internet: How will successful advertisers and media owners navigate through such radical changes”, “A different approach to data”, “Performance media and marketing: An expanding playground for brands” and finally “Life in a pandemic: And what it means now for brands and media”.

     

    John McCarthy, Strategic Content Director of the Media Division of Kantar, has said in the foreword: “This year, we’ve tightened our focus to examine five key themes, creating a report that mixes the most notable trends with evidence-guided predictions and insightful thought leadership.” Like the previous years, the report is an excellent mix of knowledge sharing interspersed with comments from senior executives of Kantar across the world tactically indicating how Kantar can help advertisers and media owners to navigate each area with their expertise.

     

    Video steaming: A complex and ever-evolving market

    The findings of Kantar’s TGI Global Quick View study of consumers in 25 markets shows that over half of internet-connected consumers claimed to have used over the last four weeks either Pay TV or video streaming services. Almost two-thirds of such consumers (65%) claimed they watch two or more hours of paid-for streamed content daily. As predicted in Kantar’s report for 2021, the influence of aggregators is continuing to increase and no sign of subscription fatigue is in sight giving broadcasters and platform operators new found confidence. Kantar’s SportsScope data shows a strong upswing in fan attitudes towards the most prominent streaming platforms for sport (and e-sports) over the last 12 months, particularly among younger age groups. Kantar predicts that the subscription model for SVOD will be gradually losing its power to drive long-term growth, broadcasters may get an upper hand as more audience research data are available for VOD content, content will continue to be the king and will hold the key to higher consumer engagement.

     

    Remodeling the commercial internet: How will successful advertisers and media owners navigate through such radical changes

    Over the last three decades, tracking cookies have played a crucial role to help the growth of the online advertising market. Google felt that the use of cookies had been pushed beyond their limits, both technologically and ethically and had planned to end the use of cookies by early 2022. However, earlier this year Google announced that the retirement of the cookies would be delayed by two years and would be a gradual process. Kantar has found through their research that majority of publishers are concerned about the inability to track online media via cookies and more than half of advertisers (59%) are concerned about the inability to track online media via cookies. The tech giants are yet to find a viable technology for replacing cookies, though everyone is experimenting. Kantar has predicted that end of the era of cookies will mark the beginning of an end for uncontrolled tech giants’ explosions, no single solution will be able to replace cookies and the panel -based data may get a new lease of life.

     

    A different approach to data

    Trends in 2021 has shown “marketers are continuing to allocate increasing proportions of their budgets to digital media. Growth in e-commerce and online video is fuelling digital advertising to take a forecast 58% share of the global advertising market in 2021, up from 48% in 2019.” In the survey done by Kantar 65% of marketers said consumer preference is now comfortably the biggest factor influencing media decisions. Kantar predicts that data on competitive intelligence will be a defining factor, brands will look for more first-party data enrichment for unlocking the power of their own data for building better relationships with consumers and data based behavioural planning with attitudinal overlays will be used more by brands.

     

    The survey done by Kantar shows the top-ranked challenges faced by brands globally and the gaps in the current data available to the marketers.

     

     

    Performance media and marketing: An expanding playground for brands

    The report comments “The pandemic witnessed many brands turning to performance-based strategies to survive, but after stunning growth comes a host of challenges – in worlds both real and invented”. As the pandemic continued, the world saw a growth in performance media as brands switched their advertising tactics under global work from home and stay at home orders. The growth of social commerce has been a notable trend for 2021 and Kantar’s survey has shown that 61% of online consumers are likely to purchase from social media platforms in future. Kantar has predicted that growth and sophistication of performance media will empower advertisers and their agency partners to boost efficiency for their campaigns supported by emerging measurement solutions. Kantar further indicated “The metaverse – a collective virtual shared space – will have implications online and in performance media as 5G expands and community-focused businesses, such as Facebook – which aims to hire 10,000 people to build its own metaverse – make serious investments in associated technologies”.

     

    Life in a pandemic: And what it means now for brands and media

    Kantar’s Covid-19 Barometer reveals, for example, just how far e-commerce has become embedded in our lives and similar effects which pandemic had on consumers across the world. After the initial shock of 2020, in spite of a presence of Covid-19across the world, many markets (including India) are on their way to recovery. Kantar’s Brand Z data for 2021 shows that the ‘building blocks’ of strong brands have held true throughout the pandemic, reflected in an advertising growth which is stronger than expected. Kantar predicts the brands that invest – in data, insight, people and marketing – will flourish beyond the rest, TV will continue to be the preferred backbone media channel of many brand campaigns and 2022 which promises to be a bumper year for sports will aid in the overall recovery of advertising investments.

     

    Kantar’s ad receptivity studies since 2001 has shown that consumers are generally much less positive about ads in online channels. This posed a dilemma for the marketers though the pandemic has accelerated the growth of online in every aspect of life including consumption of media. Kantar concludes by proclaiming that “The challenges of the pandemic will pale into insignificance against what unchecked climate change could unleash… Media plans will no longer just be about reach, frequency and driving results. The carbon footprint will be just as important”.

     

     

  • The concept of Valentine's Day has been promoted by national and regional TV channels who have made it an integral part of their content than by advertisement related to the concept, writes Indrani Sen

    Indrani Sen: Valentine’s Day Spreads Riding on Media Wings

    Indrani SenBy Indrani Sen

     

    Today is Valentine’s Day. Inspite of the clash of the concept of Valentine’s Day with our conservative religious traditions, which have been fueled in recent years with the rise of Hindutva, we find media and brands encouraging people to celebrate the day by showing their love for each other. The vigilance of the keepers of the Hindutva seems to be matched equally, if not by a better degree by the aggression of media bent on utilising the opportunity of doing brisk business on the occasion of the Valentine’s Day.

     

    Valentine’s Day, which is popular across the world, has its origin as a Christian Feast Day in honour of Saint Valentine. There are many legends associated with Saint Valentine, who died (or was executed) on February 14 in 269 AD in Rome. The Feast Day was established by Pope Gelasius in AD 496. Apparently, the day got associated with romantic love during the 14th and 15th century and gradually grew into an occasion for celebrating universal love by the 18th century in England. In modern times, it stands as an interesting example of cultural capitalism which has spread across the world riding on mass media and ably supported by marketers/ advertisers and their agencies.

     

    Very recently the concept of Valentine’s week is being promoted by giving a name to each of the day preceding the Valentine’s Day in that week and creating more opportunities for marketing and advertising (https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/valentines-week-from-roses-to-promises-everything-you-need-to-know-about-valentines-day-2751803). This concept is yet to catch on in India where it would be very difficult to promote Hug Day (February 12) and Kiss Day (February 13), but I am sure that chocolate manufacturers and toy manufactures would live to promote the Chocolate Day (February 9) and Teddy Day (February 10). The Rose Day (February 7) also holds promises for doing brisk business for flower sellers, but as it is not an organised industry, they may not be able to utilise the opportunity to its full extent, unless e-retailing comes to their rescue.

     

    The concept of Valentine’s Day has been promoted in India more by the national and regional TV channels who have made it an integral part of their content than by advertisement related to the concept. Each and every general entertainment (GEC) channels, be it in Hindi or in regional languages, plan to have special programmes on the Valentine’s Day as an integrated part of story in one of the serials running on the channel. The same is promoted on all channels owned by the TV Network and if it is a part of the marketing campaign of the TV channel, then the special programme on Valentine’s Day is advertised across other media, newspapers, FM Radio and hoardings. The viewers across tier II, tier III cities and even in smaller towns and rural areas, thus get educated about the celebration of love on the Valentine’s Day.

     

    The movie channels organise special screening of age-old romantic movies round the clock on the Valentine’s Day. This day is also considered to be a good day for launching a romantic movie online. The news channels try to do special features and grab every opportunity of broadcasting a news related to the Valentine’s Day celebrations. On the whole, Indian TV industry invests a lot of time, energy and money to promote the Valentine’s Day. There is no ready analysis of the ADEX available to assess if their efforts are being rewarded by the advertisers.

     

    The print industry, particularly the newspapers, do not have much opportunity for promoting the Valentine’s Day through their regular content. If Valentine’s Day falls on a Saturday or Sunday, then we find articles on the same in their weekend supplements. Years back, in the late eighties and early nineties, many English newspapers used to carry special supplements of classified ads where people could book space for sending Valentine’s Day messages to their loved ones. That practice has become obsolete now.

     

    Still, we find special Valentine’s Day advertisements in newspapers, usually from medium and small size manufacturers. This morning (Feb 14), I was surprised to find an advertisement in Bengali of “Khukumoni Sindur” in Ei Samoy, Kolkata, indicating that the concept has been integrated into our traditional symbol of marriage. The ad has a headline which when translated into English reads ‘Celebrating that colour’ meaning the red colour of sindoor, followed by the copy inside the heart which says “and all its power”. The brand signs off with just two words “With love Khukumoni Sindoor”.

     

    FM Radio also utilises the Valentine’s Day for holding sponsored programmes on various channels. It is also quite common to find activation programmes by FM stations in malls, etc. on this day.

     

    On the whole, traditional media in India is ensuring that Valentine’s Day becomes a day for celebrating love across the country. Needles to mention that their activities are supported by advertisers, some of whom also create special advertisement based on the Valentine’s Day theme.