MxMIndia

Category: ETC

  • DNA's VP Marketing tells MxMIndia about the new team running the ship, how the half-marathon benefited the paper, and coverage by other media…

    Jaldi 5 with Sorbojeet Chatterjee: Events like half-marathon deepens bond with readers

    It’s been a hectic fortnight for DNA’s vice-president – marketing, Sorbojeet Chatterjee. The women’s half-marathon was a show of strength for the newspaper and one wrong move could lead to much embarrassment. But, as those who visited the event tell us, there is much reason to cheer for Sorbo, as the CMO is better known as, since not only was the event a big success but it also offered reason to cheer as a positive rub-off to the newspaper brand and as a successful sports-cum-cultural property. He took some time off to respond to MxMIndia’s questions a day after the event.

     

    01.  It’s been an all-new team at the helm at DNA… organizing a successful event like the half-marathon must be a marathon effort?

    A new team also brings in some fresh thinking and added dynamism…This year the mandate was to scale up on all fronts.

     

    Since the event has been fully sponsored, wouldn’t it have been nicer for the entire entry fee to have gone in to the charity cause selected?

    We are the only half-marathon of stature that contributes 50% of the registration fees to charity. Going forward we plan to make the scale bigger by adding more NGOs and a larger corpus

     

    02.  From the point of view of the benefit to the brand, would you say DNA benefitted?

    A newspaper brand needs to be a relevant and integral part of the local milieu. Marquee events like a women’s half-marathon allow us to create special engagement opportunities that deepens the bond with our readers. Besides differentiated and innovative offerings are the best way to widen the reader family. Thus a one-off women’s half marathon will add some value to the brand, but the larger objective is to create a steady flow of events and engagement platforms that will strongly seed the brand in the “DNA” of our readers.

     

    03.  We’ve seen events run by publications becoming big and standalone properties of the publishing company (eg Filmfare, Femina awards). Do you see the Stayfree I Can Women’s Half-Marathon also becoming that?

    ‘I Can’ is an extremely powerful ethos and the long-term strategy is to extend it to various round the year engagement opportunities for women across multiple interest areas. There will be always be a finite limit to how much one standalone event can grow. However, the moment we create a strong umbrella brand the opportunity to scale up is infinite

     

    04.  We know it’s too early, but a couple of things that you would like to do to make it bigger and better next year?

    We would definitely like to grow in scale in terms of participants in the existing market as well as expand to newer markets. While we have almost doubled the registrations this year – there still exists a tremendous potential that can be tapped. Besides, every year we have been looking at ways of bettering the “runner experience”. We need to continue to innovate to further broadbase participation.

     

    05.  DNA is also published from other cities. Will you take this to other publishing centres (like Bengaluru, Pune, Ahmedabad etc)?

    This is only the second year. This year the focus was in terms of scaling up the event in Mumbai. The integration with Zee TV helped get national awareness. The logical step is to take it to the other ‘DNA’ markets in due course.

     

    It’s unfortunate that other media vehicles do not report on what their competition is doing… even if it’s for a good cause. Your comments?

    This year the media coverage for the event has been fantastic. Every news channel has covered it extensively. They realize that if an event is an integral part of the city – they must be true to their consumers and cover it.

     

  • Robert Bakish, President & CEO, Viacom International Media Networks and Sai Kumar, Group CEO, Network 18, tell MxMIndia what's making the network surge ahead

    Jaldi 5 with Robert Bakish & Sai Kumar: It’s fair to say that we have a pipeline

    Robert Bakish
    Sai Kumar

    Most of their broadcast products in India attained leadership position in the genre that they operate in. In recent years, some of them have managed to attain that in record time like the Hindi GEC Colors or English comedy channel Comedy Central.

     

    Viacom has had a fantastic innings in India thus far and much of that growth has been possible due to its win-win partnership with entertainment hotshop Network 18 in India.

     

    On the sidelines of FICCI Frames 2013, MxM India caught up with Robert Bakish, President & CEO, Viacom International Media Networks and Sai Kumar, Group CEO, Network 18 to find out what’s making the network surge ahead in India and what’s in store next. Excerpts:

     

    01.  With Viacom being a major player, what is your top-level view of the content business that exists in India?

    Robert Bakish: Like most things there are some common elements and there are some unique elements where content is concerned. Generally speaking, it’s about creating content that an Indian consumer is very engaged with. They could be watching their content anywhere, so in that sense the dynamics remain the same. The next end is funded partially through advertising and distribution and through consumer products. Now some of the specifics to India are different. Today everybody is talking about digitization and that’s a seismic shift in the television distribution marketplace in India, which quite frankly has been a long time coming. This has been a market where you have to pay for distribution where you really didn’t get paid. In most markets around the world on that basis they are making a lot of money from distribution. So we look forward to the day that happened in India and thankfully it’s happening now. So that’s one big unique element and that’s certainly to the benefit of leading content companies. So unless you have very strong content and brains you may not be able to do that and that’s what Viacom 18 is in a good position at.

     

    Another thing about this market is that there are many countries within India itself. These are still early days for exploitation by major content companies like us but there are tremendous opportunities ahead.

     

    In a sense you are going to have many countries in the Viacom 18 umbrella itself given Hindi and the various languages under ETV. So you do not have to look elsewhere for refashioning content in other languages…

    Robert Bakish: One of the advantages of Viacom 18 being a global company is that we can cast a very wide net for hit content in terms of format etc. But at the same time we can focus on the Indian market whether it is something that came out of our national set of services or may be some regional opportunity… or maybe from Eenadu with which we are still doing some regulatory diligence but there are already some national formats that are travelling to regional it’s only a matter of time before some regional format moves over to become national on Colors and maybe even exported to the US, the UK, Middle east etc. So there’s pretty broad opportunity that exists there.

     

    02.  Like you’ve said, Colors and the regional channels have had some successful content to their credit. Are you looking at taking that content and repurposing that for airing in international markets?

    Sai Kumar: That has already started whereby content from Colors is now available across 130 countries. That’s pure syndication. Now if you see, syndication is largely for the Indian market oversees. But if you look at the local market we have already started shipping formats. Uttaran has entered Africa as a format so it is going to be completely produced. Now that’s a green shoot that we have seen in the past two months. We are already having conversation around 3-4 of our soaps… so reverse migration has started. By which I don’t mean only syndication, I mean format migration which could be a very healthy revenue line for us.

     

    03.  In terms of revenues, what are the numbers you are expecting post-digitization?

    Sai Kumar: I’ll tell you what our wish-list is: two years down the line we will be happy if Viacom 18 gets about 45 per cent of its revenues from domestic distribution and about 10 per cent of revenues from international distribution…so a range of over 30-60 per cent is what we are looking at over the next two-four years which is something that will change our P&L dramatically. And I dare say that we are on track.

     

    04.  Comedy Central has been a big success in quick time. Are you looking at playing that content across other languages in India?

    Robert Bakish: Comedy Central is our third great global brand behind MTV and Nickelodeon. If you look at the last 12-18 months with Comedy Central, we have not only lit up India but also Russia, South East Asia, Africa, Latin America etc. So Comedy Central is a big deal for us. The brand obviously has a great ability to connect with the consumers all over the world, and obviously the services are different all over the world. So we will be launching additional services in India; we are not going to say what they are going to be but there will be more opportunities.

     

    05.  In terms of new offerings from the Viacom stable, can we look forward to more channel offerings…

    Robert Bakish: We are not here to announce any new products but it would be fair to say that we have a pipeline. From a Viacom standpoint, India is a very important market with a huge potential ahead of it. We know that part of accessing that potential will involve creating more products… we launched a couple of new national products last year including Comedy Central, Sonic etc and it’s safe to assume we will launch additional services in the future.

     

    Robert Bakish (pic source: blog.viacom.com)

     

  • Marathi general entertainment television hasn't seen promotions on this scale before. As Kon Hoeel Marathi Crorepati is set to take off on ETV Marathi, Anuj Poddar- EVP Strategy & Business Head Regional Channels Viacom18 ( in partnership with ETV) addresses MxMIndia's questions

    Jaldi 5 with Anuj Poddar: KHMC will be a milestone for Marathi television

    By A Correspondent

     

    In the world of regional television in India, ETV Marathi had made a mark soon after its launch 13 years back. Now with new renewed vigour post business realignments, the channel announced the launch of Kon Hoeel Marathi Crorepati to be hosted by veteran actor Sachin Khedekar as host. The show which will premiere this evening (May 6) has seen a high visibility blitz across Maharashtra. MxMIndia asked Anuj Poddar- EVP Strategy & Business Head Regional Channels, Viacom18 (in partnership with ETV) to talk on various marketing activities planned for KHMC.

     

    01. It wouldn’t be incorrect to say that you’ve virtually taken over the state’s media with the KBC Marathi promotions… can you give us some specifics on the promotional activity…
    TV spots: More than 2000 GRPs covered: Over 150 GRPs
    Number of hoardings: Several hundred hoardings, bus shelters, bus panels and other outdoor media
    Radio spots: 650+

     

    What is the approximate adspend?

    We have achieved visibility and engagement equivalent to a Rs 5cr spend.

     

    02. The promotional spend is comparable to the big bang launches on the Hindi GECs. We have seen a mixed response to the KBCs in various Indian languages… are you confident of KBC Marathi delivering in ratings and revenues?

    Everything that we’re doing on KHMC is to give it the same scale and persona as a Hindi property, but of course for the Marathi audience. The Marathi audience will not feel that this is any lesser or there has been any compromise of any sort. The participation process, the scale of the set, the production values and, of course, the marketing are all designed to convey the stature of this unique and most successful show. We have also extensively studied the format across the Hindi and all regional avatars so far and absorbed all the learnings from those and are confident we have a great version ready for the Marathi audience. We are confident that this will be a milestone for the Marathi television genre – as well as for advertisers who are hungry for something of this scale and quality for their brands to engage with.

     

    03. The response that your announcement saw some phenomenal response on our site (MxMIndia.com) with over a 100 people writing in, wanting to be part of KBC. Could this see a turning point in the various regional language programming will be promoted in future? Do we see ETV Marathi looking at more content which will entail viewer participation?

    Yes, I was most glad to note the response and buzz created by the show when we called for entries. We also have a second round of call-for-entries lined up shortly and with the show now hitting air, I am confident the participation buzz will only grow further. To me, it reflects how all the positive values of this show – knowledge, aspiration and celebration of one’s culture & history – find direct resonance amongst the amazing Marathi population of this country. ETV Marathi will continue to look for ways to deeply engage with Marathi viewers in a meaningful and relevant way.

     

    04. ETV was the first Marathi GEC… interestingly launched less than a month before the first season of KBC took off . We are also seeing some action with the other Marathi GECs. Do you see the entire genre growing in the months to come?

    Any process of evolution and growth witnesses key phases and turning points. ETV’s regional foray over a decade ago is a testimony to its founder’s vision and he helped set the ball rolling. The step-up in competition in the Marathi genre over the last 4-5 years was the next turning point and has led to Phase 2 of this growth. Now, I see us entering the next phase of evolution of the Marathi genre and we will look back at 2013 as the turning point for the start of this phase. And I am glad and hopeful that ETV will have led this turning point.

     

    05. The first season of KBC in Hindi on Star Plus saw some smart strategy from the channel in the form of the saas-bahu serials propelling the channel to numero uno. Are you working on rejigging the rest of your content?

    ETV has already quietly but surely rejigged the content on the channel over the last four months. The channel has a full new content line-up on air with great fiction properties some of which have already become leading-TSV shows, demonstrating their strong content quality. Hence, KHMC was strategically planned to be brought in post the rejigging of other content. The packaging, et al has also been changed. The channel is looking fresher, nicer and is ready to rock…we’re looking forward to an entertaining ride along with our viewers! Ratings will naturally follow…God and TAM willing!

     

  • As the Group M Chief Digital Officer begins his India, he address questions from MxMIndia

    Exclusive! Jaldi 5 with Rob Norman, Chief Digital Officer Global, GroupM: There’s no doubt mobile internet will be massive in India

    Meet Rob Norman. In August last year, he took charge as Chief Digital Officer of GroupM Global from the position of CEO of GroupM. The job requires him to oversee the world’s largest buyer of online media with more than $5 billion in billings.

     

    Prior to taking this role in 2012, Mr Norman served as CEO of GroupM North America where he was responsible for the general management as well as strategic and administrative activities at each of GroupM’s four media agencies-Maxus, MEC, MediaCom and Mindshare.  He assumed that role in March 2010 after serving since 2007 as head of Group M Interaction.

     

    Mr Norman has worked for more than two decades in the media agency business in a wide range of increasingly senior roles, mostly at MEC, where he was named UK Chairman in 2003.  He joined the company in 1986 prior to the merger, when the agency was known as CIA. In 2002, following the merger of CIA with Mediaedge, Mr Nomran was appointed Worldwide Director of New Business Development.

     

    On the eve of his visit to India, Rob Norman addressed MxMIndia’s question and gave a special message to the fraternity in India.

     

     

    A message for India as you embark on your visit here?

    Millions of young people with a desire for media and connectivity is the most fertile imaginable ground for growth. Your telecom industry and the infrastructure it creates are an outstanding asset and if they provide access to bandwidth and devices they will be rewarded by high engagement from consumers, content creators and brands. Together this is a god recipe for economic growth.

     

    01. As you oversee the the world’s largest buyer of online media, are you happy with the way the online media is progressing globally?

    Yes, in broad terms. There is a direct relationship between e commerce as a % of GDP and online as a % of advertising. E-commerce depends on infrastructure in connections, payments and in retail and other sectors. Where those things are slow to develop so is online advertising.

     

    02. Why do you think has the progress in markets like India been so slow?

    Infrastructure. India has limited PC broadband distribution and limited smartphone penetration as a % of all phones. Not much is going to change the former but Airtel, Vodafone, Samsung and Android are changing the latter. There’s no doubt in my mind that the mobile internet will be massive in India.

     

    03. In markets like India, consumption of mobile media has far overtaken that of computer-based. Given the growth of the smartphone market, do you see mobiles ahead of traditional large-screen-based internet?

    Yes. The only barrier is keeping the price of data to the consumer down. There is a huge social and economic upside to a vibrant connected mobile population and wide distribution of devices, content and commerce depend on data pricing

     

    04. One of reasons why the lack of quality advertising on digital in India is that the monies which agencies earn on digital is much lower. There aren’t million-dollar TV commercials and there are much lesser spends. Is this the scene globally? How do see things changing in markets like India?

    This is an Indian challenge but a global one. The fragmentation of audiences and service / device proliferation allows sharper targeting by behaviour, geography and time. The economics of this are good for brands and it would be a terrible thing if brand owners invested more in the agencies that manage these channels and the assets required to populate them.

     

    05. Do you see the return of full-service agencies in digital given that clients are desirous of all services under one roof?

    No. Structurally, the full service model is dead. It needs to be replaced by client mandated behaviors that align the financial incentives of disparate experts.

     

  • Q&A with Vivek Srivastava, Digital Head of Colors, on the online strategy for the 'Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa'

    Jaldi 5 with Vivek Srivastava, Digital Head, Colors: Jhalak online pageviews will double this year

    There’s more to the new season of Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa, the Indian version of the BBC show Strictly Come Dancing, than just the airing on Colors from June 1. The channel has planned an online offensive that will not just extend the on-air excitement, but also engage internet users with the show and its stars. MxMIndia posed a few questions at Vivek Srivastava, Digital Head of Colors, to get a sneak peek.

     

    01. We’ve been hearing about the various online activities that you are doing for Jhalak. How critical is online for the promotion of a television programme? Or are you looking at attracting an entire set of people online who may not necessarily watch it on telly?

    Digital is a critical part of our promotion strategy. This year, we are taking the brand Jhalak and our promise to make Non-Dancers dance to the next level. Throughout the season,  we will release one dance tutorial every day for our viewers. This will be from different dance forms , for example, Seven Steps salsa etc. These videos will be released every week on our website, Jhalak app and social media. To make this more exciting we have tied up with Dancewithmadhuri.com – Madhuri Dixit’s online dance academy. Viewers can now learn, practise and upload their videos. Madhuri Dixit will herself select the winners and one lucky winner will get a chance to dance with Diva herself.

     

    Apart from this, we are also launching a microsite for Jhalak and soon we would also be launching a Jhalak app. Also, there will be lots of action happening on the day of the launch – June 1, as viewers will get a chance to come face-to-face with Madhuri on our website and Facebook page at 11:30am. In the afternoon (3pm), we have a 20-min web premiere on YouTube.

     

    02. Some of the content that you have on the internet requires fast broadband speeds, which is a reality only with people in offices… at least in India. What were the numbers like last year, and what do you expect it to be this year?

    Connectivity has been improving –  Smartphone/tablet penetration, 3G and access to Internet has gone up significantly in the last few years. We did 100 million pageviews on our website last year. We are looking at doubling these numbers this year.

     

    03. In terms of audiences, how many of them from India and abroad? And in India, where are the people coming from? Could you share some of these statistics?

    At over all level approx 30 percent of our consumption is from outside India. In India, the consumption is across states and towns the Tier 2 however are slowly gaining in numbers and we expect them to be a sizable number this year.

     

    04. In terms of revenues, are you going to be having the same set of sponsors, or will your digital presence have an all-new sponsor set?

    The on-air title sponsors will get preference since they have a existing association. However, we do approach a larger set for digital sponsorship.

     

    05. Until last year the TV show (JDJ) winners were decided by votes received via phone (smses). Will this year’s edition be factoring in votes received via the app?

    A JDJ viewer has the option of voting through sms and the website, last year too, the SMS voting option was incorporated in the JDJ app. We will have the same option this year as well.

     

  • A candid Q&A with Ritu Dhawan, Managing Director and CEO of India TV

    Jaldi 5 with Ritu Dhawan: Hindi news is for both masses and the classes

    For someone in the news television business, Ritu Dhawan prefers to stay away from the limelight. But with India TV having established its numbers and an A-team in place, the objective has been to assert the channel’s supremacy over others. In this Q&A, Ms Dhawan, Managing Director and CEO of India TV, speaks on how Hindi news channels score over their English counterpart, the recent ad campaign in the trade and preparations for the channel’s 10th anniversary.

     

    01. It’s interesting to see your latest ad campaign taking on the English news channels on viewership numbers. Why this desire to put down English channels… it’s not the first time that a Hindi news channel has done so?

    We don’t intend to put down English channels or any other channel for that matter. Our attempt is to clear the misconception in a small section of the trade, that India TV is not for the affluent. Some rivals have been indulging in this propaganda for some time. It is high time that we told the truth. This campaign communicates a ground reality. All English news channels put together have been used only as a unit that a section competition has used over a period of time for comparison. We have just added a bit on numbers and made it holistic with top Hindi News Channels compared against the said unit.

     

    01.a Is it because advertisers are biased against Hindi news channels to advertise their premium products?

    The fact is that there is a set of advertisers who prefer to advertise premium products on niche channels including English news. But we don’t look at it as a threat. No genre can take care of overall advertising objectives alone. It is about co-existence. In fact Hindi news is for both masses and the classes and this is the biggest strength of the genre.

     

    02. We did a dipstick on the theme of your current campaign and the feeling has been that leading Hindi news channels such as yours should stick to their core strength of reaching out to the masses. Your comments?

    While we agree that we are a mass leader, but who says that a mass leader cannot be a class’ choice. Numbers speak louder than words. The campaign in question only compares competition over last 3 months but having said that if you delve a little deeper you will find that the same trend continues, particularly in terms of leadership rankings on same data parameters and markets spread over last two years. Thus, it is safely claimed that India TV is a consistent leader even on the parameters as communicated in this specific campaign. And yes, we are sticking to our core strength only.

     

    03. If you are indeed looking at positioning yourself as reaching out to the urban elite, would you also look at making any shifts in your content strategy and packaging to appeal to those sensibilities?

    Precisely this is what we are communicating. We are already reaching out to the urban elite. In fact we are the undisputed leader in India’s top two markets – Delhi & Mumbai for a very long time now. We just have kept a little low profile on this till now. Thus content strategy doesn’t need any major changes, but yes, as we have always been, we will always be innovative and adapting to the fast changing preferences of our vast and varied audience.

     

    04. How has digitization (Phase 1 and 2) been for you (as in, how has it impacted you)? Also, have things improved post the LC1 measurement by TAM given that it tracks more markets in your stronghold of HSM?

    Smooth transition during digitization has been the challenge for TV industry in general & news genre in particular. With digitization, India TV has emerged even stronger. In digitized markets of Delhi and Mumbai,(which also are the highest weightage markets for Hindi news viewership and priority markets for advertisers), India TV is leading with a huge gap now, with the nearest competitor thus establishing that India TV content is viewers’ choice.

     

    Presently, LC1 markets are not an advertiser’s top priority in general (except for categories like FMCGs of course). We are doing reasonably well here but there is a slight scope of improvement here. We are sure that the said improvement will happen pretty soon… much sooner than these become priority markets for advertisers.

     

    05. India TV launched on May 20, 2004. As you embark towards the 10th anniversary mark, are you looking at any new launches? Any plans on the English Channel which was once being discussed? It is also a big year for news channels given some state and of course the general elections? Do you see space for regional channels?

    Certainly yes, you can expect certain announcements soon. We have been waiting for the digital-transition to smoothly settle down. We have our plans ready. Timing you will get to know soon.

     

  • Ashwin Padmanabhan, Business Head of 92.7 Big FM takes our question on his Mumbai station turning retro late last month

    Jaldi 5 with Ashwin Padmanabhan: The retro way to rise in ratings in Mumbai

    Two Sundays back, Reliance Broadcasting Network Ltd’s 92.7 Big FM in Mumbai switched from being a current hits radio station to one that plays retro music. Last year, after it did the same in Delhi, the station leapfrogged the RAM ratings charts to the Top 3. With the change to retro, the RBNL thinktank hopes to achieve much success in Mumbai too.We posed a few questions to Ashwin Padmanabhan, Business Head of the 45-station 92.7 Big FM. Here goes the Q&A.

     

    1. So why the switch to retro in Mumbai too?

    We initiated an exhaustive research to evaluate the preferences of our listeners and understand our brand positioning better. The results showed that listeners favoured retro music and there emerged an opportunity to offer listeners music and content of their choice. This decision was also influenced by the success generated at the 92.7 Big FM Delhi Station, which went retro sometime ago and the market has reacted exceedingly well. The response from listeners was overwhelming, with the station reaching leadership numbers.

     

    2. Would you go retro with your other stations too?

    We have never believed in a one-shoe-fits-all format. We evaluate and treat each market independent of the other and understand the requirements of each individual market. We have gone retro in six markets – Mumbai, Delhi, Baroda, Kolkata, Bhopal and Rajkot.

     

    3. 92.7 BIG FM was meant to be a mainstream FM radio station. By going retro, while your listenership rises, you move away from the mainstream… something that you would’ve possibly have as your second station do post Phase 3?

    The team has mapped out its positioning strategy based on unique yet strong on-air and digital concepts, while taking into consideration the lifestyle of Mumbaikars, the amount of time they spend in travelling and the blend of listeners in Mumbai. Although the stationality has been changed to retro, the revamped content strategy will also bring to listeners a plethora of current happenings in the city including stock and gold updates, city affairs, traffic and weather updates, sports, music-related trivia and more. In addition to this, 92.7 Big FM Mumbai intends to keep up with the local roots of Maharashtra by airing Marathi music and will have Marathi-speaking RJs as well. So no, I would think we are still very mainstream.

     

    3a. Tell us more about the local Marathi content? How much of it will be at peak hour?

    We are still working on this and might be a little early to talk about.

     

    4. How do you anticipate the retro positioning faring in terms of ratings?

    Well, we believe this will work in the Mumbai market. Our endeavour is to break the clutter and offer listeners content that is engaging and meets their aural preferences. Right now might be a little premature, but the feedback coming in from across the city has been extremely encouraging. We are confident it will work well with listeners.

     

    4a. Yes, your Delhi ratings have most certainly improved… In terms of ads, how has the higher ranking helped?

    Advertisers pan India have supported our decision. Differentiation is the way forward, and our advertisers realize that.

     

    5. What does your Delhi experience say… does retro music alienate the young and restless?

    Certainly not. We think the music from the sixties and seventies has always been appreciated by listeners across age groups. We think 92.7 Big FM can offer a distinctive change from the monotonous pattern of music that is heard elsewhere. We have seen an increase in listenership and are very happy with the results of the new positioning.

     

  • The Hindu CEO is clear that the launch of the paper's school edition in Mumbai does not mean that the main daily will make an entry to the business and entertainment capital soon…

    Jaldi 5 with Arun Anant, CEO, Hindu: No plans to launch ‘Hindu’ in Mumbai

    By A Correspondent

     

    So does the entry of Hindu’s schools edition into Mumbai mean that the bigger daily will follow suit soon? MxMIndia asked this and some other questions to Hindu CEO Arun Anant, and got responses which are clear, direct and unambiguous. Excerpts:

     

    01.  While The Hindu is well-known brand, not all schools and school children in Mumbai may be familiar with the brand. Why this decision to launch the Hindu in School in Mumbai?

    We have a  product based on the Hindu editorial values customised for children that we launched last year and has been well-received by the children, teachers and parents. We therefore felt that it would be good to increase the footprint of the school edition to other markets

     

    02.  Any plans for a launch in Mumbai for the main paper? Is this move an effort to catch them young?

    No. We have no plans for a launch in Mumbai.

     

    03.  Other than being a circulation-booster for the parent edition, what kind of revenues does your schools edition generate currently in the rest of the country?

    We expect this initiative to be cost-neutral.

     

    04.  What are your targets for the Mumbai schools edition Will you also extend this to Pune and around Mumbai?

    We would like to extend to Pune. We have no specific targets for Mumbai yet.

     

    05.  Are you looking at marketing promotions and any activity for schools who subscribe in bulk?

    We will do some events and ground level education initiatives for schools across the country

     

  • Jaldi 5 with Nikhil Madhok: Be prepared to be amazed by Junior MasterChef talent

    While the seniors were busy showcasing their culinary skills to the nation a few weeks ago, it is now the turn of their junior counterparts to prove that they too can match them all the way. With the inaugural season of Junior MasterChef – Swaad Ke Ustaad set to be kicked off this weekend, Nikhil Madhok, Senior Vice President, Markerting, Star Plus tells MxMIndia’s Johnson Napier what the show has in store for its audiences and why it could be a game-changer in the kids programming genre.

     

    01.We’ve seen much promotion on Junion MasterChef. Can you highlight what’s different about the Indian edition of Junior MasterChef that goes on air this week?

    After three successful seasons of Amul MasterChef India, we wanted to do something different for our viewers. So we decided to launch an edition with kids. For the first time, you will see kids showcasing their cooking talent. You’ve seen kids singing, dancing and acting, but never seen them doing some serious cooking. With Junior MasterChef, they enter a territory that was till now assumed to have been owned only by adults. You will be amazed by their talent.

     

    02.Worldwide, how has the junior version of the renowned series been received by the audiences? And what are your expectations form the Indian edition?

    Junior MasterChef has been very successful internationally and we believe the Indian edition will also do very well. The recently concluded third season of MasterChef did very well and we are hoping to recreate the same magic with JMC as well. These kids have some serious cooking talent and can take on adults both with their culinary skills and knowledge. Not to mention the fact that is much more amazing and inspiring to see kids cook.

     

    03.Does it matter that corresponding season shows in India are not consumed as generously compared to the first? What has been your experience on that front?

    That’s not true for all shows. The recently concluded 3rd season of MC 3 was extremely popular and reached out to millions of viewers. In fact the success of the third season has prompted us to bring out a new variation in the form of Junior MasterChef.

     

    04.Do you see the digitization exercise bolstering your chances of delivering good ratings especially from newer markets?

    Digitization gives the viewer not only a better access to the content but also a superior viewing experience.  This is beneficial to all content not only JMC.

     

    05.What has been the response from the advertisers for the inaugural JMC?

    The response from the advertisers has been great. Amul’s association with the show goes back a long way and they continue to be the main sponsors for JMC as well. In addition Fiona, Pigeon and Yippee Noodles are already on board as associate sponsors.

     

  • Jaldi 5 with Amit Nair, Khana Khazana: There’s enough space for all and more channels to co-exist

    By Johnson Napier

     

    With plenty of options to toy around with, channels catering to food and lifestyle are leaving no stone unturned in offering programming of varying nature. Like Zee Khana Khazana that has announced the launch of its new show ‘World of Food’.

     

    According to Amit Nair, Business Head, Zee Khana Khazana, the show will seek to offer inspirational stories about how food has changed the destiny of people. He converses with MxMIndia about the show and what more the channel has in store for its audiences in the coming months.

     

    01. What’s unique about ‘World of Food’ that you think will create a distinction in the marketplace?

    The kind of stories that we carry on our show is what makes it unique. There are inspirational stories about how food has changed the destiny of people. There are stories about landmark eating joints of Indian cities plus of course we are getting India’s best chefs to the fore front. We believe these kind of stories will resonate strongly with our audiences who like varied content in the food space.

     

    02. How has your channel handled competition being put up by other channels catering to food & lifestyle genre?

    There is a huge demand for food content and there is enough space for all and more channels to co-exist, what distinguishes us from the rest is the interactivity our shows have and the fact that we are in Hindi. We are also strong on the digital space with our website – www.zeekhanakhazana.com and on social. We also do regular ground connect activities across many cities where we have seen very high response.

     

    03. What has been the effect of digitization on your channel?

    Digitisation has helped us increasing our presence across all major digital cable networks in the country. This increased presence has shown a marked increased in our TVT numbers showing more tune in and time spent.

     

    04. Is the current economic scenario a cause for concern for your channel? What has been the response from advertisers/brands towards your channel?

    The business model of the channel is set as a subscription based channel. With our revamped content we have found very good traction from our viewers.

     

    05. What is the way forward in terms of programming for your channel?

    We have many exciting offerings planned for the consumers in the coming months both in the instructional and experiential space. In the near future we are launching “How se Wow tak” which seeks to demystify cooking and provide answers to queries that people have related to cooking , post that we will be coming out with a show targeted at the urban working audience. You can expect new launches practically every month.

     

  • Pink slips, pay cuts and no fresh hiring see a severe slowdown in the Indian media sector

    Jobs in Media: Slow & Unsteady

     

    By Johnson Napier

     

    With news of employees being given the pink slip occupying news space almost frequently, the going has been getting tough for many in the Media & Entertainment sector. While experts and analysts had predicted a recovery a few quarters ago, the situation seems to be almost static or on the downfall in some cases.

     

    When MxMIndia had spoken to experts almost a year ago, the opinion seemed divided on the prospects of a recovery. Whether the situation has changed and whether jobs will be hard to come by at this juncture is anybody’s guess. We speak to the job experts to assess the situation…

     

    Abha Kapoor, Executive Director, K&J Search Consultants

    The turbulent economic environment that is marred by tight liquidity, slow economic growth, the devaluing rupee and rising inflation has impacted advertising revenues. Subscription revenues are far below their potential as the benefits of digitization are yet to kick in. With margins under pressure many media companies are in consolidation mode whereby they are rationalizing marketing, distribution, programming and people costs. The hiring sentiment is therefore subdued. In fact, hiring is happening mainly at junior and mid levels with almost no movement at senior levels. This ensures that costs are low and fresh young talent comes in. Contractual/consultant hiring is also on the upswing. Specialist professionals are being pulled in for specific projects and not on payroll basis thereby controlling the fixed costs, in an extremely dynamic industry scenario.

     

    Also, the M&E sector has been overvalued and over leveraged in the past and hence in the current scenario, funding to this sector is further constrained. Therefore new initiatives/expansion plans with the exception of digital/new media have slowed down or are on hold which means – fewer start-ups and fewer replacement requirements as professionals hold on to their jobs!”

     

    Ashish Pherwani, Partner, Media & Entertainment, Ernst & Young LLP

    The first quarter of FY13-14 has seen some good results from companies, whether television, print or radio, and there has certainly been both ad volume and (a slight) rate growth. The new reality is that one can expect a tough working environment till the next elections. There are several positives for the media industry today such as increased revenues from DAS, rising cover prices of newspapers, the (always) imminent Phase III of radio licensing, and rising box-office collections of films on the one side, but this is being countered by a weakening rupee which is pushing up prices, falling stock markets and investor confidence, slowdown in some industrial sectors like auto, etc. It’s a precarious balance, and the winners will be those who can optimise costs, deliver audiences, and demonstrate that delivery.

     

    Pankaj Raj, Director, Search Value Consultants Pvt Ltd

    The M&E sector is poised to double in size by 2017. With a surge in digitization and a future forward election year approaching, the sector is poised to see sustainable growth.

    It’s easier today for global media organisations to dig deep in the market. They have understood localisation of content and strategy is the biggest leverage in the market.

    To produce this for the consuming millions, it is necessary to tap into relevant talent which now upgrades itself as fast as technology.

    The job market in the M&E has been slow in the last few quarters but there is still a lot opportunity for people having three specific competencies

     

    1) Ability to work and deliver in chaos and difficult situations

    2) People who have a genuine consumer and customer connect

    3) Can reinvent themselves with changing times and situations and regulations. What got me here is not going to take me further.

     

    Another trend we are picking up is the opening up of relatively unheard of sectors in the media space - digital, digitised distribution, VFX, online video, films finally seeing a level of corporatisation, the opportunities are still aplenty for the right people. One needs people with new skills to run these domains and hence this opens up parallel industries of training, creativity and new age leadership modes.

     

    Lastly, the sector seems to be open to the “non-media” talent like never before. There are many examples of people who joined the sector from consumer facings business backgrounds and have made a success of themselves.

     

    Sarabjeet Sachar, Founder & CEO, Aspiration

    The media sector is in a bad shape at the moment with the advertising revenues plummeting by significant levels. With reducing value of rupee, rising inflation etc traditional mediums like newspaper, television, radio, out of home etc are either in a static state or have gone down. If one were to see the hiring trends taking place right now, it is taking place in the digital and mobile domains. It will probably take a long time for a recovery to happen; I presume it will take even longer after the elections are over. If an economy like US takes about five years, we may take double of that to return to normalcy.

     

    From the business perceptive, the only domains where there is action being witnessed is experiential marketing and digital and mobile. Also, hiring is taking place at the junior level while at the middle and senior level there is hardly anything being witnessed.

     

  • Rahul Kishore on why he thinks people will read his book on Facebook statuses – 'Tere Social Status Ki Aisi Ki Taisi'

    Jaldi 5 with Rahul Kishore: The world lacks humour & people with arrogance, attitude & sarcasm

    By Pradyuman Maheshwari

     

    Rahul Kishore oozes with over-confidence. Yet, for all his Dilli aggression, there’s a huge soft side. He zealously guards time for his family, his game of badminton and the various people in his life – the family included. At first, his Facebook status messages seemed like those the funny guy in college cracks to impress girls. But when I saw that they had quite a following, I suggested he put them in book form. That was over a dinner and some drinks. And I did that many times over a couple of years when we would meet for a drink or a coffee. By then, RK was sold on the idea and he was sure he wanted to do the book.

    The deal was that I would put it together for him, and he would get a sponsor for the publishing. My colleague and MxMIndia’s technology studio head Rafiq Barak painstakingly picked out data of around five years. All the messages, comments and counter-comments!  And then I convinced friend and celebrated cartoonist (and radiologist) Hemant Morparia to draw some toons for the book.

    Soon enough, Red FM came in to sponsor the effort and MxM’s (and my) role diminished. But that was fine. They were producing and promoting the book, and had put in the money.

    Earlier this week, the radio station’s PR agency sent me a press release on the book – called ‘Tere Social Status Ki Aisi Ki Taisi’. The folks didn’t have a copy and I missed getting it from Rahul when he was in Mumbai recently. But it’s getting rave reviews, I am told.

    In keeping with the ‘Bajaate Raho!’ credo of the book and benefactor, I bowled a few bouncers to Rahul Kishore (who btw is Senior VP at Mogae Media). He took them with much ease. And has been pretty candid in his response on his TV news biggie friends.

    So, given this disclosure, that I have played some part in the book’s evolution and that that he’s been a friend, read on:

     

    01. So you really think there are people who would want to read your status messages?

    Y-E-S, I do! The world lacks humour and people with arrogance, attitude and sarcasm… I love to do what I do and they love to stalk me… especially husbands!

     

    02. I remember talking to you about putting together your statuses in a book form after a few drinks. You took me seriously?

    I only take you seriously when you have had a few! Also, you contradict yourself! 🙂

     

    03. How did you manage to convince Red FM to bring it out? (wanted to use the word con, but thought of being polite)

    I have surplus charm. Plus Nisha Narayanan is a very astute businesswoman… she saw the potential. And I am not sure who conned whom!

     

    04. You appear to have a special love for some communities?

    Yes, Bongs… but it’s misplaced. I am a Bong-baiter not a Bong-hater… they fascinate me with their clannishness. It’s the only community which puts up Bong statuses on an English forum!

     

    05. And the news anchor/editor triumvirate of Rajdeep-Barkha-Arnab (who often feature in your statuses)?

    I like to watch TV news and they are the good ones. All the other English ones irritate me…

     

    05a. Let me put you into a spot. Who of the three do you rate the best and why?

    Rajdeep is not an anchor. He appears to be more of a business head. That is dangerous, he carries a lot on his shoulders.

    Barkha, I love. She is a very dear friend and so intelligent. Yes, she does get carried away at times but I enjoy her shows. Also, she’s very gutsy and driven!

    Arnab… I love to hate him or hate to love him, he is the most watchable! Newshour is a must-see in my home for my kids! It’s not easy to take on the factory that produced all three and ruled for five years. Also, he always makes time for me. That fascinates me. I also respect the fact that he is not part of the social circuit and is able to wreck any defence on TV. Most well-prepared!