MxMIndia

Category: INTERVIEWS

  • Alok Sanwal, the CEO and Editor at Jagran Prakashan Ltd, discusses the i-next journey and the way ahead

    Jaldi 5 with Alok Sanwal: There’s much acceptance of i-next now

    By Tuhina Anand

     

    Alok Sanwal, the CEO and Editor at Jagran Prakashan Ltd has been spearheading a publication that has been targeting youth in mini-metros. For i-next, the journey has been that of discovering a new niche all together with immense potential. Mr Sanwal discusses the journey taken and the way ahead.

     

    01. How do you see i-next positioned among number of titles and how has it evolved over the years?

    We are very specific in targeting our audience and have a demographically, geographically defined TG of 15-35 age group from mini metros lying in the upper middle socio-economic strata. This has somewhat ensured that there is only sporadic congruence of audience for i-next and other titles in the region. The narrowly defined TG of i-next gives it a chunk of unique and loyal readers. We are comfortably placed both in terms of numbers and revenues. Over the years, our biggest strength has been to know our limitations. As a compact daily, the space crunch is always there; coupled with the fact that it is still a very nascent brand, i-next’s unique, youthful imagery remains our key asset. Our evolution has been firmer, clearer and we are far more focused on our core brand promise and are now more in line with the changing youth sensibilities.

     

    02. It’s been doing well so far… so why the revamp?

    Firstly, a lot has changed around us in the past 5-6 years. When i-next was launched in 2006, the social networking scenario was not a hot cake. Orkut was an infant. My Space was there, but nobody really heard about it. But soon everyone was ‘Facebooked’ and ‘Twittered’. In 2009, we got a survey through IMRB for insights into launching a website for the newspaper and we realized that even in tier 2 metros the digital era was on. Besides social media networking, youth today use it for all sort of things like iTunes, mp3 players, games apps and product & services purchases. The digital era had stuck which is now in its prime. The changes had to be incorporated to address the digital dimension of youth. For example, a page specially dedicated to youth gadgets (‘tech it easy’) has been added to i-next.

     

    The second trigger was an urgent necessity for an extremely clean design with lot of white space. i-next now has a new aerodynamic logo, which reflects the dynamism and energy of youth and a new masthead. The paper design was digitally synchronized. The changed folio has picked up page links of web pages and tweets are shared in widget form. A lot of re-alignment of fonts was also done to make the Hindi English text integration more seamless.

     

    03. Going ahead, what should we expect from i-next in terms of content, circulation and marketing?

    We have always strived to achieve international standards of excellence across every department. Dailies like Le Monde and Gazetta inspire us to set new industry benchmarks. i-next has a very focussed content branding and all our subsequent product extensions will centre around the unique brand core that i next has. Content shall continue to be more interactive, more engaging. Our editorial colleagues are trained to be more of curators of the news rather than the editors, thus channelizing better, the depth and breadth of the news pool. In circulation, new initiatives will be taken, many of them industry first. New reader loyalty schemes shall be floated soon, working on our clearly defined TG. More emphasis shall be laid on brand positioning and bigger activations modules shall be worked out and at least 3-4 big ticket activations shall run throughout the year, some of which, in these markets, have already become more or less synonymous with i next.

     

    04. What has been the response of advertisers to the improved i-next?

    The response from advertisers has been extremely encouraging. Everybody likes it and clients are specifically asking for i-next from amongst all other group publications from Jagran. Last year too was very good and we have grown by 52 percent in advertising revenue in the cities having i-next editions. There is a much greater acceptance of the product now and for majority of local clients i-next is part of their core print media vehicles.

     

    05. Can you talk of two initiatives that did well for i-next last year and which you want to take forward this year?

    Basically we are in entertainment and information arena. Last year we had witnessed a very successful launch of inextlive.com, the digital arm of i-next through iktara, a unique online folk singing contest. The enthusiasm shown by the audience has encouraged us to come up with it season-2, slated for later this year. In education, we organized a mega engineering aptitude seminar in association with one of the leading technical universities of India. It was a major success for us both in terms of revenues, as well as brand positioning. We are already looking for more such initiatives in future.

     

  • The Omnicom boss on retirement, his close links with India, the challenges he faced… & conquered

    Indian creatives are a global influencer: Tim Love

     

    By Tuhina Anand

     

    Tim Love, Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Omnicom, APIMA is a known name in the Indian advertising circuit. He has been a frequent visitor to India exploring new opportunities for mergers and acquisitions, expressing his thoughts on various Indian advertising forum and playing a crucial role in the India chapter of the Omnicom Group. As Mr Love announces his retirement and plans to switch gear and get into developing teaching platform, MxMIndia seized the opportunity to talk to him about how he ventured into advertising, his long and illustrious career and life post-retirement.

     

    It’s been a long and successful career for you, if you were to pin point- what would have been the turning point in your career?

    I was very fortunate to have worked for two people at the start of my career who really took the time to teach the business. The first was someone who had been a teacher at the US Naval Academy. He was also debate coach there and his entire approach was to develop us into composite advertising people. This was a holistic approach, requiring me to get experience with all facets of the business. He was also very focused on innovation and, crucially, believed we learn more from our failures at innovation. He would take the time with me to better understand what I was learning. This also took the fear out of trying new ideas and challenging conventional wisdom.

     

    The other person was an incredibly disciplined business writer. He taught me the famous P&G one-page memo-writing discipline. He was so good at it that he later started his own consultancy called “Leadership on Paper” and has worked with many of the world’s biggest and best marketers, including P&G. He drilled this discipline into us. He would make us rewrite a recommendation or conference report so many times until it was about perfect. It affected how we organized our thoughts and how we presented our ideas. This discipline would prove very valuable as my career broadened with the globalization of our industry and the need to communicate with people all over the world.

     

    One challenge that you faced recently and how you overcame that?

    I have found that the nomenclature we use can be helpful in taking advantage of learning opportunities. For example, several years ago our industry became increasingly aware and focused on the analog to digital transformation. I thought we ought to stop talking about it like it was something in the future, and instead began saying we live in a “post-digital” world. This helped me shift my frame of reference and those of my clients and colleagues.

     

    You have had a close association with India, how do you see the creative landscape here and can India come out with creative solutions (more often) that can be used worldwide?

    There are more than 20 official languages in India and several hundred separate dialects. The challenge of creating big, relevant ideas that connect with people whose brain processes are wired so diversely requires a very sophisticated kind of creativity.

    Ideas in India need to be relevant across a wider array of mental technologies. This is especially so as internet access experiences explosive growth in India, and make people the first media. This also places a creative priority on visual strategy that is more prevalent than in some other markets which are less language-diverse. India’s writers, designers and artists are increasingly influencing our industry outside of India.

     

    In India, among the creative fraternity, who do you think has immense talent?

    My esteem for the industry talent in India is so deep that it would be unfair to mention specific names. The most creative people in any communications discipline know that an idea is just an idea until it changes the way you see the world. Recognition of India talent is vibrant and growing in Cannes, Effies and D&AD.

     

    How do you see the Omnicom group poised in India today and the way forward?

    We see India as a fundamentally important market for fuelling our need to attract top talent and business growth. That’s why we specifically identified India in our regional view. The “I” in APIMA is for India, loud and clear. (Here again an example of nomenclature breaking with convention.)

     

    For you, what has been your biggest achievement vis-a-vis Omnicom Group in India?

    I have been privileged to work with some of the most extraordinary leaders in India. Leaders who have not only influenced their countrymen, but have raised the professionalism of our industry over all. Leaders like Keki Dadiseth, Sundar and Shekhar Swamy, Sam Balsara, Jasmin Sohrabji, Shiv Sethuraman, Madhukar Kamath, Josy Paul, Bobby Pawar, Sonal Dobral, Ajai Jhala, Prabha Prabhu, Yusuf Hatia, Bharat Patel, Gurcharan Das and so many others since my first visit to India on business in 1993.

     

    You have had a long and illustrious career, what would you miss about advertising in your daily life after retirement?

    Few can look backward without regret and forward without fear.

     

    The paradox of being so plugged in and always on with so many clients and people worldwide. The really great thing is how easy we can continue to be connected today. I don’t need to miss these people, because I can still be in touch with them, just an email away. Someone said to me it really should be called rewirement.

     

    So, what do you plan to do post-retirement?

    I’m very much looking forward to developing a teaching platform for global brand-buidling with Dr Linda Scott of Oxford University. And, continuing to grow through “lecture and learning” opportunities at schools like MICA, Yale, Columbia, the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, Miami University and others who invite me. For example, I will be at MICA the first week on February for a Management Development Programme and really looking forward to deepening my understanding of India advertising and marketing services.

     

  • The PR major aims to be a thought leader for the industry in India and China

    PR industry needs honest answers: Olivier Fleurot, CEO, MSLGroup

     

    By Johnson Napier

     

    While a sluggish outlook has dampened growth prospects across industries the world over, it’s a different story for the communications space. Or so it seems for the India market, which has been demonstrating decent growth year-on-year. Part of the success that the communications industry in India is witnessing could be attributed to the phenomenal performance of some of its prominent players. Like MSL India, which had a fantastic 2012 growth story to boast of.

     

    In India for the MSLGroup’s Board Meeting and to unveil the second edition of its industry report titled ‘Public Relations in India: Inside the Industry’s Mind and the 2013 Outlook’, MxMIndia spoke to Olivier Fleurot, CEO of MSLGroup, to gather his views on how far the PR industry has arrived in India, and what is it about the Indian communications market that makes the world sit up and take notice.

     

    Apart from India, China and other hot and emerging markets is where the action will come from, going forward, asserts Mr Fleurot. Excerpts:

     

    We’d like to begin with your observations on the trends that the PR industry in India and across Asia threw out, post the release of your outlook report in 2012. What were the ground realities you came across through the course of last year on the growth front?

    It is very clear that the PR industry in Asia is developing very fast. It is probably less mature than the Western Europe or US markets and therefore has a great potential for growth. Because we have acquired certain properties and have big ambitions for India and China we were of the view that we should be taking the lead in terms of organising a debate and finding honest answers on what is the road ahead for the future growth of this industry. That is the reason we launched our first executive report last year and have done it again this year. It is a contribution to the debate process and a way to show that we think we can be a thought leader in this industry.

     

    What was different about the way the Indian communications market grew in 2012 versus the other evolved markets?

    In India, what we managed to do is get a lot of western companies here as now we are very confident of our operations. As you’d know, foreign investment is very important for India and what we did for the country on that front is a good thing, so we think. As for Asia, I would say that it is the region in the world where the growth in our global industry is the highest. And I think it is going to be like that for several years because unfortunately in other markets like Europe the economy is not dynamic enough; we expect it to be flat for some more time. But clearly Asia is going to be the major driver of growth for our industry and we are very happy that we invested in this region a few years ago.

     

    Everyone seems to be hopping onto the digital bandwagon. What is going to be your strategy for growth for 2013?

    We are the clear No 1 in China and I can say the same thing about India as well. For us, digital was one of the key sectors where you saw us do a lot of initiatives in that space. Gaurav Mishra has been leading the digital and social media space for us in the whole of Asia. We are looking at acquisition opportunities across the region. Also we would be looking at other countries outside China and India to see if there is a potential for growth.

     

    Are you looking at emerging markets as an avenue for expansion going forward?

    Countries that are really opening up include Vietnam Indonesia, Latin America etc. We are always monitoring markets for potential acquisition possibilities wherever they be. These markets have to important in terms of the skills and experience. After all this is also the business of people so we need to keep looking out for new talent especially when dealing with new businesses and sectors. The best are those that have created their own company; they are more entrepreneurial and if they are ready to join it is always a fantastic experience. They need not necessarily be big companies but skills and talent is something that we are looking at.

     

    Are you satisfied with the growth story of MSL India in 2012? How does it compare to the growth story in your other important markets?

    Overall in Asia, our organic growth has been about 30 per cent which is way higher than the global industry figure of 5 per cent. A few countries have reported low numbers on account of low marketing and communication spending. For 2013, I am looking at a global growth of 5 per cent knowing that Europe will still be flattish and also Germany whose GDP grew by just 0.5 per cent given that it is the largest economy in Europe…also the industries are more mature in these countries. Actually, I am a bit optimistic about the US market as well given the fact that the elections are over and new budgets being approved etc. I think we can be surprised about the US market in 2013.

     

    Do you see opportunities arising out of upcoming or unexplored sectors going forward?

    We see huge opportunity in the energy sector given all talk about renewable energy etc. So we expect certain number of clients coming in there. Also, healthcare is also a priority for lot of clients across markets. The fact is that many industries are witnessing profound transformation these days. Also because of the growing use of social media and web most media are struggling to find a new business model or to promote their activity as where there were 3-4 channels, today that number is 100 or so…Also, Financial Services is another sector that needs some help going by what happened in 2012. So there are plenty of opportunities that exist.

     

    What are the takeaways that the industry can take a cue from the second executive report you’ve launched yesterday?

    The industry here in India should agree that there is a lot of potential and that it needs to come together and debate what are the best practices, how to raise the game, etc. There is need for the industry to see how it can offer value-added services, be more innovative etc as it is no longer about media impression anymore. It is much more complex than that especially on the web. So it is about measurement, being able to analyze data… basically see how we can develop a more sophisticated industry.

     

    What about talent? What is the way forward on that front?

    The fact that the industry is growing by 20 per cent we need to find the right talent. We need to work on our own image and on the image of the industry. We have to ensure that we attract the right young talent pool to our industry.

     

    What would be your core objective going forward?

    The aim going forward is to be a clear leader while also trying to be at the forefront by way of participation, debates etc in this industry.

     

    On Tuesday, January 22: Read extracts from the PR industry report – Public Relations in India: Inside the Industry’s Mind and the 2013 Outlook

     

  • Has Airtel reached saturation with its 'Tera Mera' campaign? Bharti Airtel Limited's Arun Sharma tells MxMIndia all about it

    Jaldi 5 with Arun Sharma: Friendship will never be boring

    While Airtel has been making the right noise with its ‘Jo Tera Hai, Woh Mera Hai’ campaign, is it moving towards saturation? Arun Sharma, Vice President Marketing, Head Media & Rural at Bharti Airtel Limited, speaks to MxMIndia about this and other issues.

     

    01. Is the ‘Jo Tera Hai, Wo Mera Hai’ not reaching a point of saturation, though it remains the clutter-breaking communication from Airtel?

    No, I do not think so. The whole campaign is only a few months old. The campaign is around the theme of friendship and there are different renditions of it. So when ‘Har friend zaroori hai’ campaign was ongoing, we actually cut it short even when it was early to do that. The ‘friendship’ theme will remain, but every year or so we will bring out new renditions so that there is no boredom.

     

    02. Digital’s role in the media pie for Airtel is increasing. How is it leading to innovation in advertising on this medium?

    Digital and creativity or innovation are synonymous for me. I do not see any difference. Digital, however, is not a linear medium; people have the control of skipping your ad at any point of time. Hence, creative is very inherent to this medium. The medium, with technology seeping in, allows you to do so many things, which is not the case with so many other media. Attention span here is less when compared to others such as outdoor or television.

     

    03. Digital ROI: Much appreciated yet criticized. What do you think?

    ROI is getting measured. We are in the eCommerce platform and can actually track our ROI to the last decimal. But it so happens that the more the data is re-routable, the more you want. More questions are raised when there is data. In terms of outdoor, there is no data but no questions are raised. I believe the problem is the part of the solution and vice versa.

     

    04. Which is showing more digital growth penetration: Rural or Urban?

    Rural.

     

    05. Going forward, what can be expected from Airtel on the digital platform?

    It’s too early to say. But whatever we do, it will be core to the brand idea and it will be available to those audiences. What we do has to be relevant to their language, to their needs and for the devices they have. For instance, in rural areas we cannot create communication on smartphones because there the device penetration is different.

     

    As told to Ananya Saha

     

  • LV Krishnan, CEO, TAM India, on digitization and its lessons for broadcasters and advertisers

    Jaldi 5 with L V Krishnan: Core viewers of genres is up

    By Ananya Saha

     

    Digitization is having multiple ramifications for all stakeholders: MSOs, LCOs, broadcasters and advertisers. On the sidelines of the ‘Digitization Begins’ conference convened by afaqs.com, MxMIndia spoke to LV Krishnan, CEO, TAM India to get upclose to the real picture after mandatory digitization was implemented in the three metros.

     

    01. What can broadcasters learn post DAS, given that the two metros (Delhi and Mumbai) have shown differential changes towards genre preference?

    There are two aspects to it. One, distribution is bringing order in the chaos post-DAS, where channels are getting in two metros. In a way, order that you now see will be much more systemised order and consist of core audience wanting to watch that genre than the trespass audience. This will go the long way in Phase II. The learning of Phase I is good enough to say what the next step should be. Step one is marketing: tell the consumers what the channel has and come and watch it. The second step would be much stronger content of engagement.

     

    02. So, do we have any surprises post-DAS?

    Overall, the core viewers of the genres have gone up. However, the overall reach of mass channels has gone down. Engagement levels have marginally increased with the genre and strong properties that are marketed are getting the audience. The core audience is still sticking to the preferred genre; it is the trespassing audience that are no longer accessing it. The broadcasters can create strong properties and communicate those properties to the audience so that the audience becomes loyal.

     

    03. How do you see the audience trend of Delhi and Mumbai replicating in other cities?

    Rollout of digitization will exhibit same phenomena in other markets as well. But the difference will be those markets already have strong penetration of digitization, eg MP and Gujarat. In metro markets, we see 50 percent penetration so such cities will see much smoother rollout of digitization than a Delhi or Mumbai.

     

    04. Many channels are claiming a spike in viewership. Have things shaken up much with digitization?

    These are the initial stages of digitization. The channels have worked hard to get their communication across to the audiences and have created better content and engagement.

     

    05. What is in it for the advertiser in the post-DAS scenario?

    They are getting targeted with audiences getting skewed to genres. Therefore, they can target their advertising more efficiently unlike the pre-DAS scenario. Secondly, geography is becoming clearer, especially for niche genre. Communication will be much easier in the digital era.

     

  • BCCC Chairperson Justice (Retd) AP Shah tells MxMIndia about the complaints that the broadcast authority receives, and what is being done about them

    Jaldi 5 with BCCC chief AP Shah: Unedited foreign programmes lead to more complaints

    By Ananya Saha

     

    The Broadcasting Content Complaints Council received 8,628 complaints and suggestions as of November 30, 2012. Should it be a cause for concern? Should the industry focus more on self-regulation? MxM India spoke to BCCC Chairperson Justice (Retd) AP Shah about the issue.

     

    1. What kind of role does BCCC play in the regulation of the broadcast medium?

    We have to strike a balance between preserving free speech and expression on the one hand, and on the other see that the guidelines and advisories are followed.

     

    2. What are the major complaints or suggestions that BCCC gets?

    Broadly 47 percent of complaints are on sex, vulgarity and nudity. Some 30-40 percent pertain to harm and violence. Others are related to religion or are general complaints. I think the complaints have increased due to increase in import of foreign programmes, which are telecast unedited.

     

    3. What is the advisory you issue on ‘unedited’ programmes?

    Some are asked to go off-air, or some episode is asked to be pulled. Or be put in night slot, which is the restricted slot of 11 pm to 5 am. Or we ask them to modify the content. The good thing is that when it comes to self-regulation, we have had 100 percent compliance from the channels.

     

    4. What about content on regional entertainment channels?

    Yes, there are concerns in regards to regional channels. We receive a large number of complaints from South but since we do not know the language it becomes a problem. We get complaints in language programmes such as Kannada, Telugu, Tamil; not so much in Malayalam though. We need to have a BCCC person in South India who understands the languages.

     

    5. Does MIB interfere with BCCC’s advisories?

    No. There are times when the ministry refers a complaint to us. But the ministry has not interfered with our work. We have fairly succeeded in implementing the guidelines.

     

  • The celebrated Ahmedabad-based columnist speaks to MxMIndia on his life and times

    Gujarati writer-journalist Devendra Patel’s journey to the Padma Shri

     

    By Ananya Saha

     

    At 68, Devendra Patel reads 4-5 hours daily, which includes 25-30 newspapers. He watches television for two hours  and keeps himself updated with national and international news, ranging from Barack Obama and Manmohan Singh, to Bipasha Basu and Katrina Kaif. Mr Patel, Advisor to the Editor and columnist for Gujarati newspaper Sandesh, was recently awarded Padma Shri in the discipline of Literature & Education.

     

    “I was elated at the announcement. I am not a hypocrite to say that I did not feel good. Naturally, it feels good,” he said. Mr Patel who was born on October 20, 1945 in Gujarat, began his career as a journalist began in June 1967, when he joined Gujarat Samachar as a reporter. It was actually by accident that he chose this career. “I was to join the Intelligence Bureau, and could not go because of some reason. I was desperate to work, and joined this field. It was a dramatic incident,” he shared.

     

    Mr Patel maintains that he does not have any idols or role model in journalism that he followed, but he was impressed by Mahatma Gandhi and his journalistic efforts and launguage. “I was only influenced by Gandhiji indirectly, not as a journalist,” he clarified.

     

    Mr Patel has written “lots of stories”, but he gave prominence to human interest news stories. He recalled, “Some hardcore criminals of Dadva village inBhavnagargang raped one 19-year-old female, the young wife of atemplepujari(priest), burnt their house and shop and ultimately forced them to leave the village. The policed refused to lodge their complaint and the couple came to Ahmedabad to commit suicide in theKankariaLake. Before doing so, they came to Gujarat Samachar and told me the whole story.” Gujarat High Court took note of the story and sent a notice to the Gujarat government suo moto. The government had to act and more than 12 culprits were behind bars within 24 hours.

     

    The woman became the sarpanch of that village later. “Back then, I used the name of the woman and even her picture in the story I filed. The story created quite a stir. In those times, SC had not ordered yet that the victim’s name and identity cannot be revealed,” he said.

     

    Thirty years ago, Mr Patel through his articles alerted parents of girls against fraudulent US green card holders who used to cheat the cultured, educated Gujarati girls through marriage. “More than 50 cases came to me. I wrote every story. The same is happening inPunjabnow. But after I published my stories, the educated girls no longer got excited by the prospect of getting married to a green card holder. Now, parents are also cautious about NRI boys who want to get married to Gujarati girls,” he said.

     

    But the good work comes with various bad experiences as well. Mr Patel recalled, “In 1985, the students of the B.J.Medical College started ‘Anti-reservation movement’. The Madhav Singh Solanki government wanted to crush this movement aggressively. The police started torturing innocent people by baton charge and firing. I started a column ‘Wohi Raftar’ against this torture in Gujarat Samachar, which was the true reflection of the people’s mood in Gujarat. It became ‘the voice of Gujarat’ ultimately. This made some elements furious and irritated and as a result, they set Gujarat Samachar press on fire. However, the daily began again after 15 days and I wrote, ‘We will write from the ashes of Gujarat Samachar’. The Madhav Singh government desperately wanted to put me behind the bars and I had to go hiding with my family for 15 days. However, the Delhi high command had to take serious note of this and ultimately Madhav Singh was forced to resign as the chief minister of Gujarat.”

     

    It was in December 2007 that he joined Sandesh as the advisor to the Editor and column writer and very soon, became an integral part of the ‘Sandesh’ family. In his career spanning 42 years, Mr Patel has penned 40 books apart from two books in Gujarati on America’s war onIraqtitled ‘Gulf War’ and ‘Saddam Hussain’. His book ‘Israel: the land of the Bible’ received the Best Book award by Gujarat State Sahitya Akademi. In 2009, he got the Best Writer award by the Trans Media, Mumbai, for the TV serial ‘Kabhi Kabhi’ on Zee Gujarati.

     

    Mr Patel is confident that the young generation is going to take the cause of journalism more aggressively. He said, “I am really inspired by the new generation. We started the concept of fieldwork 45 years ago, but the new generation is more excited and intelligent. If they get to know of the issue, they take action and do good work. Every new generation is better than the previous generation. I see the youngsters and feel proud about the way they work and research.”

     

  • Interbrand's Ashish Mishra tells MxMIndia about the agency's strategy for the Indian market and what one can expect from it in the near future

    Jaldi 5 with Ashish Mishra: ‘Great deal of confusion in brand consultancy sector’

    By Johnson Napier

     

    Having flagged off its operations in India, brand consultancy firm Interbrand will be aiming at living up to its global reputation of being the only integrated brand services offering that completes the loop of creating, managing and evaluating brands.

     

    Ashish Mishra, Managing Director, Interbrand India responds to queries by MxMIndia on the agency’s strategy for the Indian market and what one can expect from it in the near future.

     

    01. It’s been almost a year since Interbrand had announced its launch in India through acquisition of Water. You waited almost a year to kick off operations in India? Why the delay?

    Interbrand as world’s leading brand consultancy is very particular who represents the Brand Interbrand. Yes, like we advise our clients, unless we are sure of being completely aligned to the Brand internally, we do not encourage our representation. With an intent of migrating Water to Interbrand, we undertook the course of imbibing the Interbrand way. Of thinking, doing and behaving. The interesting part was that the unlearning turned out to be a bigger challenge than learning!

     

    a What does the Interbrand team in India look like?

    We have attempted to build our team as well as our clientele on the lines of ‘big & few’. So

     

    the lean team has very senior people from diverse backgrounds as­ Business & Brand Strategists, ex marketing heads from some of the top Indian corporates, arguably some of the best design talents in the market, architects, pop culture experts, financial analysts, etc. That’s how the Interbrand India team looks like.

     

    02. Though yours would be a pan-India approach, what would be the initial priority markets that Interbrand would be focusing on in India?

    We are geography neutral. Our business priority is around the nature of work. We would like us to do most upstream work in the area of Branding as we establish Interbrand in India. We are known for our strategic rigor and especially for the concept of Brand Value that we have pioneered in the world. We would like to do assignments that bring alive our positioning ­that of creating & managing brand value.

     

    a How have clients taken to your offerings in India? Would you be doling out services across categories in India?

    Interbrand has tremendous reputation in every market around the world. We were the first global brand consultancy and we are world’s leading brand consulting firm today as well. We are also uniquely placed as the only integrated brand services offering that completes the loop of creating, managing and evaluating brands. Our entire suite of brand services are on offer in India as well.

     

    03. While Mahindra is a global client, what would be your approach towards local clients who’re looking to go global in approach?

    One of the clear agendas we have set for ourselves is to partner the Best Indian Brands and help them become serious contenders for becoming Best Global Brands. Having done Brand Valuation for TATA, Re Branding, Valuation & Engagement for Godrej, we have a rich history already to build on around this agenda.

     

    04. In a market that’s stayed flat in a tough economic year, do you see clients increasingly opting for redesigning/branding exercises going forward?

    The tougher the market, the higher the relevance for Branding. Simply because, best brands enable strategic focus, synergy and efficiencies. Very clearly, good branding doesn’t just create long term brand value but immediate business value.

     

    05. How will you leverage intra-group expertise to for Interbrand’s growth in India? And what do you foresee for the brand consultancy sector in India?

    We are fortunate to have the benefit of all the Omnicom Group companies in India. DDB Mudra is a tremendous local network and is always a great option for the communication and implementation aspects during the expression part of branding value chain.

     

    It is still a nascent industry with great deal of confusion. Almost all agents and departments consider themselves to be brand custodians, while the true understanding of brand creation and management evades most. Marketing, advertising, marketing services, creative productions…almost everyone talks of brands on a superficial basis. I believe some good demonstrations of brand & business value creation will prove to be educative. We are on a growth path as an economy and globalization imperatives will be a key driver of branding in India. The tone once set would create both an aspiration as well as a competitive compulsion for the rest to emulate.

     

  • Ashwin Padmanabhan, Business Head, Big 92.7 FM speaks to MxMIndia about the station's remarkable growth in Delhi and other markets

    Jaldi 5 with Ashwin Padmanabhan: Going retro for differentiation

    By Ananya Saha

     

    Over the past 12 months, 92.7 Big FM has seen a phenomenal growth in the Delhi market with the average share growing to 11.3 from an average share of about 6. Ashwin Padmanabhan, Business Head, Big 92.7 FM speaks to MxM India about the station’s remarkable growth in Delhi, and other markets.

     

    01. What has contributed to this growth?

     

    Late last year we did studies and research to understand the unique and mass position of Big FM in Delhi. And with this research we decided to go retro. We took a clear-cut and distinct positioning of a retro music station with ‘Hit The, Hit Rahenge’. Within eight weeks of changing our music positioning along with a new RJ line-up that was more mature and new local shows, we saw a trend of increasing listernership. So, sampling started happening. In the 52nd week, we started averaging to 11.2 points from the previous 6. It tipped in second week of 2013, when three FM stations in Delhi stopped airing for a week. It became a two-horse race between Fever and us. What is heartening for us, we tipped Fever, which has been leading in Delhi, in this week. Our share went upto 33 percent in that week.

     

    02. Is Delhi witnessing faster growth than other markets where Big 92.7 is present?

    We have grown across markets. As per the Q2 and Q3 IRS figures, we have seen significant growth and continue to be leaders in Hindi-speaking markets. We have actually grown further from last quarter to this quarter. In Bengaluru, we have been growing and are a strong No.2. We did see a dip about an year back, and we have clawed back since then. We have been a very strong No.2 in Kolkata but now, our big shows like Breakfast Show are consistently No.1 in Kolkata. In Hyderabad, we have traditionally been strong, so we are maintaining that. In Chennai, we are witnessing quarter-on-quarter growth. According to IRS and the last round of RAM that happened in Chennai, we came at No.3.

     

    We have seen overall growth happening across our markets.

     

    03. Has the growth resulted in higher ad revenues?

    The growth has resulted in the brand becoming more visible and audible, and top-of-mind for our potential advertisers. We are seeing a larger offtake from advertisers. A lot of this is also being driven from smaller markets where SMEs and large brands from Tier II markets are taking to our network in a big way. Many of them are actually using our network to launch their products.

     

    Have the ad rates increased?

    We have been looking at increasing. At this point in time, we have been able to maintain our ad rates. But we are surely looking at increasing yields 15-20 percent depending on the market.

     

    04. Do on-ground or off-air and on-ground marketing initiatives help an on-air brand?

    When we lauched and introduced Retro in Delhi, we initially just allowed the people to sample our station for good three months. Then we did our first campaign in Delhi – Mohabatien, which was to promote our 11am-2pm show. Then we did the concert with Kailash Kher. And then on, it has been primarily driven by content that we have been creating on-air. Our marketing has been from weekly street-level perspective when we have tried to reach our listeners and tried to acquire new listeners through street-level activations that we do on weekly basis.

     

    There has been a lot of consumer engagement on-ground. It has been sampling and activation-based marketing rather than marketing in the pure sense.

     

    05. What can we expect from 92.7 FM in the coming months?

    We have Retro positioning in four stations: Indore, Delhi, Bhopal and Surat. We are looking at engaging with consumer at 2-3 levels in this market. We are creating platform for consumers to come on and express themselves. In Indore and Bhopal, we have just finished this initiative called Big Hindustani.

     

    In Delhi, we are looking at series of concerts – Hit The, Hit Rahenge that we’ll do every quarter. It will be Retro music celebrated by today’s musicians and singers. We are also launching talent hunt across our network in March – Big Star Voice. The big gratification being – a chance to sing for a movie. There are going to be local activations that will happen in each of these markets, which will be driven by the positioning of our station in those markets.

     

    We invest, and will continue to invest in differentiated content.

     

    Is Big 92.7 FM looking at internet radio?

    At this point, obviously everyone is looking at internet radio. But we need more time in terms of clarity on music licensing policies on internet. Hopefully, when we get that clarity, we will surely look at it.

     

  • That Star India had a brilliant run in 2012 was proved once again when the broadcast major was declared winner in Marketer of the Year: Media & Entertainment category at the inaugural IAA Leadership Awards held recently in Mumbai

    Meet the IAA Awardwinners-3 | Differentiation is not enough: Gayatri Yadav

    The recipient of the Marketer of the Year for the media and entertainment category, Gayatri Yadav, Executive vice president, Marketing & Communications at Star India, chose to downplay her role in the award and instead credited the team. MxMIndia’s Johnson Napier caught up with Ms Yadav soon after she received the metal from I&B Minister Manish Tewari to gather her reactions on the win and more.

     

    What are your initial reactions to the inaugural Leadership Awards instituted by the IAA?

    This is a fantastic initiative where they’ve managed to get three different disciplines together; it’s something I have not seen anyone else do. The organizers need to be applauded.

     

    The line-up of shortlists under your category comprised the who’s who from Media, most of whom shone brightly with their performance last year. What worked in Star India’s favour?

    Where the award is concerned, I think it belongs to the whole team at Star and not to any one individual. What makes the media as a discipline challenging from a marketing perspective is two aspects: one is that it is a very dynamic category in the world. As a category this is the only one that undergoes a change almost every day. You may have categories like Telecom etc where the pricing and other such factors may change but the product doesn’t see any fundamental change. Media is the only category whose dynamics change every day when you’re catering to the consumer. The other aspect is that the consumer always has infinite choices at his/her disposal and unless you have something exciting to offer them they won’t stay loyal.

     

    What would be your advice to fellow marketers so that they’re ready to take on the challenges of tomorrow?

    There has to be a relentless focus today on knowing who your consumer is and what they aspire to be tomorrow. And, differentiation is not enough; it is necessary for one to disrupt. Whoever follows these precepts will emerge winners in the long run.

     

  • Buoyed by the boost from digitization, the Sr VP & Content Head is getting set for Phase 2 of DAS

    Talking Business | It’s gonna be Xmas for English entertainment channels: Rasika Tyagi

     

    Talking Business is our new fortnightly series of interviews with heads of businesses in various media companies. So although Rasika Tyagi is not the business head for the English channels of the Star India network, she has been holding fort ever since Saurabh Yagnik quit the organization to move to MSM Sony.

    In a freewheeling one-hour chat over some well-brewed tea, the Senior Vice President and Content Head, English Channels spoke to Pradyuman Maheshwari and Johnson Napier. And, as you’ll figure, she does talk with much confidence (and conviction) on issues concerning her business.

    Excerpts:

     

    There has been much action in the English general entertainment genre thanks to digitization. How have your channels done in the recent past? (*See Disclaimer below on ratings data)

    I think digitization has opened up plenty of opportunities and not just for our channels, which of course have seen huge growth. Our channels Star World and Star Movies were being well-distributed already. So I don’t think the upside of the digitized environment has been so much on these legacy brands; it has been rather on our newer brands. The Star network within the English category has grown by 15%. All our channels have seen positive trends post-digitization. While Star World continues its leadership; FX and Fox Crime have been the key contributors in the genre growth. The shares of these two channels have more than doubled post-digitization. FX has grown by nearly 343 % and Fox Crime has grown by 117 %

     

    So did this happen because they are now being distributed better by you?

    As far as I see it, I think it was availability that was stopping them from having a level-playing field. There is actually no reason why an FX cannot be at a similar rating as a Star World? Sure it is more niche so it won’t be as wide as FX, but the difference between the two channels  as it was pre-digitization did not make any sense. The only reason that happened was because FX was not as widely available. Now you see that the difference of availability has gone away the two channels could be compared almost similarly.

     

    But you are Star India and you could’ve leveraged the distribution muscle from MedioPro… so why wasn’t FX more widely available earlier?

    I think it didn’t make any business sense to us. In the pre-digitized environment, you didn’t need to spend a lot of money on analogue distribution. Frankly, if you see the possibility of recovering that money one would’ve surely put in that kind of money. For a new channel that is starting off and does not have as much as presence in the mind of the buyers, you were going to have to take it slowly. In Year 1, there is no way we would have recovered the kind of money that we would have had to pay to get it to the same distribution levels as Star World. Also, because of the fact that Star World and Star Movies have been around for a long time, they were being distributed without us having to invest a certain amount of money. But costs have been prohibitive for anything that launched a year-and-a-half or two years ago, which niche channels found extremely hard to recover… at least in the short-term.

     

    Have these smaller channels grown at the expense of a Star World or Star Movies?

    Star World has not lost… in fact we’ve gained.

     

    So where have these viewers come from?

    If you were to see the time spent by the viewer watching English entertainment, it is very small compared to other genres. I think that fraction of time spent has increased a lot more; it’s not gone from Star World to FX. It is: I will watch Star World and FX. This tells you that the propensity to watch English is so much more. … If 60% of the measured universe watches English and spends substantial amount of time on TV (1000+ minutes per week), of this, 1 to 2 hours is spent on channels within the English category (average time spent). These viewers are not new. They have always shown affinity towards good English content. Our Star network GEC channels have benefitted the most because our content line up is stronger. Similar trend exists in the movies category. All our channels have seen positive trends post digitization. Our #1 channel, Star Movies continues to lead the category with 30% share whereas FOX Action Movies has seen a 3000% growth.

     

    That’s because it started off as a small base and is suddenly available everywhere and people are spending a lot more time watching it. That applies for other English movie channels who have all seen growth post-digitization.

     

    Given that digitization has happened in Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata in parts, what you are inferring is that the growth for your channels has come from mostly Mumbai and Delhi. Is that the case?

    It is primarily led by Mumbai and Delhi but we have seen growth come from Kolkata as well. Delhi being a 100 per cent digitised market, we are seeing more growth there.

     

    If this is the kind of growth you’ve seen from just two markets, what do you anticipate when Phase 2 digitization kicks off from March 31 2013?

    It’s going to be Christmas! At least Christmas is going to come early for us… for at least those working in the English entertainment category. In this country we tend to talk about how many people and not about who watches us. Considering that we were considered as primarily being available in the metros in India, I have no reason to believe that people residing in towns like Lucknow, in MP, Punjab, South… do not want to consume English content? I think every city has elite English-speaking people who did not have English channels available because it was prohibitive for us to distribute in those markets.

     

    You will now need to market yourselves in these cities and towns?

    I agree. There are two things to this: it’s not just about marketing that will indeed play a crucial role but also what you are doing to differentiate yourself in the line-up of seven movie and seven entertainment channels. Star World and Star Movies are easy brands to deal with. Like when I was doing a research and asking people about their preference about English movie channels it was heartening to note that they started by saying Star Movies and followed by other brands.

     

    Was this across all age groups?

    It was across all age groups, male/female, English-speaking viewers from Sec A&B. That was not what was observed with Hindi movie channels where the opinion was divided.

     

    A fair percentage of your TG comprises teens. How strong are you there?

    Yes, you are right. We are strongest among the 15-24 age group.

     

    But this TG is also considered to be fickle with their choices. They hop on from one channel to another and be back to yours for a show of their choice. Is this a pattern you are worried about?

    Absolutely not. What is my hope? My hope is that I am your first choice to start your search.

     

    The reason why this is important and is not the case with the Hindi GECs where it took some taking to a dislodge a Star Plus from its #1 status. And because it is a younger generation, there is no loyalty to a media brand.

    Whether this exists as much I do not know, but again I am hoping that I am able to start them to watch me now and build them to be my loyal audience when they turn 23-24. It is my job to build brand loyalty in them. I will try and get the best programmes because I will still try and get these audiences to play only me.

     

    So more spends on wooing viewers increase in the digitized scenario?

    I am not sure whether spends will necessarily increase, though there will be some gain but because of whom we are talking to, we are rethinking the mediums for promotion. For example, in the campaign we did for ‘Packed to the Rafters’ we only used our own channels and the rest of it was only done online. That’s because the 15-24-year-old TG is available on that platform and they spend a large amount of time there. I think it is a rethink that we are doing. If we put a masthead on Youtube, it is not just going to seven metros it is going across.

     

    Is getting a Karan Johar to be your brand ambassador worthwhile considering the monies you will make from the show?

    Yes, it is worthwhile because that show was going to come on air for 6-7 months. Could I have done that for a show of 22 episodes, Monday-Friday, which is one season in the US – and done for 22 days? No. May be I wouldn’t have thought of doing something like this. Also it is about relatibility of our content. Because they do not talk your accent or do not dress like you doesn’t mean that their issues are not yours.

     

    I think for that barrier to break, we make it more culturally relevant to a larger set of audience.  That we managed pretty successfully. We started with ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ in September where we said a Meredith Grey is just like you. Her issues are your issues and she is grappling with what a 24-25-year-old would be grappling with. Just because she doesn’t look like you doesn’t mean she is not like you. It was an extremely successful campaign and it is today the No 1 show in the 10pm time band. That is also the reason that I chose a show like ‘Packed to the Rafters’ because it is all about relationships and something what Indian families go through. Our lives are changing in metro India and we do not know people pick up cues on what they want to evolve into…

     

    What about the season lag issue that exists for shows on your channels? I guess the bigger competition is not a rival channel but the internet where the more newest season and/or episode is aired

    Yes, downloading, Torrents, etc… I am very well aware of that. It is such a hard battle and my team and I fight this battle each and every day. We often sit and mull whether should we go a day-and-date with the US…but the point is that we keep trying. We had a whole slot called Crime @ 10 where we did 5 shows including Castle, White Collar, Dexter, Person of Interest and Unforgettables. We launched them exactly the same day and had the shows airing 24 hours after the US. That meant playing a different show every day of the week. In India, we are not used to watching television like that. People were finding it tough to remember the slot because they were watching 600 other channels in one day!

     

    Yeah, Star pioneered that…

    (laughs) Yes, but I was trying to tell viewers that you watch 600 channels in one way but you come and watch my channel in another way! That’s very hard and the point is that the US makes only 22 episodes per season. So when I have to strip something it only lasts 22 days, so when do I promote it, when do I get you used to watching it, etc. This was not working for the audience. We did enough work to find this out.

     

    Yet you have a fair number of people who watch the latest episode of ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ or some other American show on the web, especially in the two digitized metros.

    If you haven’t seen ‘Grey’s Anatomy’, you will have to download 250 episodes. It’s kind of hard but I am not taking away from the fact the downloading happens. What we are trying to do is have a balance where we are saying: on weekdays, let’s show you shows together on the go and therefore six seasons of Grey’s Anatomy. But on weekends, I am showing you the biggest shows in the US. There’s a show called Arrow that has just launched which has done seven episodes in the US after they were going to take a seven-week break. So I started seven weeks after them, else I would have to tell people that for seven weeks there will be no episode of Arrow…

     

    But the Star India with Uday Shankar as CEO has always done things differently. So I am sure you too change the way things are here…

    Firstly, I think that it is slow progression. And also I think that we have changed over time. I come back to what I have said that if this is not your primary source of entertainment – if you watch me only for 15 minutes from the entire viewing time limit…

     

    But there is a generation of people who just watch English entertainment.

    That’s a rarity. Around 99 per cent of my audience watch Hindi/regional GECs for primary consumption. Actually we have not found even one person who only measures and comes up in English and does not cross over to other genres.

     

    So what’s going to be the way forward for you in terms of tackling this online immigration?

    We are trying to do is getting all our content available online as well. Whatever we play on television we will play online and just take away the reason for you to go and download from any other place. Also it comes down to economics of business as well. Most people end up paying Rs 1 to watch Star World in a month; this content is made for millions of dollars every episode…I am just waiting to work out a business model that will give me the revenue that I need to go and buy the rights of these shows online and doesn’t restrict me whenever I want to play them online. So it has to make business sense to us.

     

    By when do you see the ratings see-saw game stabilising itself?

    When you say see-saw we do not really measure as the whole number is very small. We tend to look at only 4-week averages. There is not much see-sawing in 4-week averages and our two prime channels are always on top.

     

    Any fresh targets being looked at for profitability?

    For the newer channels, we hadn’t really set any ratings or revenue targets. We were waiting for digitization to happen. In fact, March 31 will open up and reveal a lot more of what is going to happen. We are all waiting with bated breath for that to happen. Our financial year starts June-July so in July we will set targets for these new channels because when they continue to rate the way they have been in the last two months, we are very hopeful that we will be able to monetise them as well.

     

    Did you expect this growth of the niche channels?

    I was prepared for growth; I knew the kind of content we showed was going to work but was I expecting 350 per cent growth for FX, I do not know? I was pleasantly surprised too and the time spent on FX is what has blown my mind.

     

    Given the opportunities that are being thrown up by digitization what’s the next plan of growth for you in terms of new channels, more local content, etc?

    Where next year is concerned, we are looking at making FX and Fox Crime bigger so that we deliver rounded entertainment to our viewers. We already have 36 per cent of the English GEC market captured with these three channels and we want to solidify and expand that. There are plans… digitization allows you to get more focussed. It really allows you to go much more specific in terms of what you intend to deliver.

     

    But English movie channel are essentially about the library, right? Like Movies Now which has a fantastic library…

    They are essentially a library channel. I see it differently with Star Movies looking  to premiere almost 70 new movies including movies like Snow White and the Huntsman, Prometheus, Battleship, Life of Pi etc. We have more studio tie-ups than any other movie channel in India. We believe that movie channels need to show you new content or premieres; that’s one of our prime responsibilities.

     

    On Star World, how was the last year in terms of local content?

    We tried experimenting with more Indian content last year than we ever had previously on the channel. We have a lot of learning to do as a team. We have gone from having no Indian content to having eight shows. Some we were very proud of and some did not run up as we expected.

     

    Will we see a new season of Koffee with Karan?

    Fingers crossed; we are trying to work that out.

     

    With stricter regulations coming into play do you think you may have problems playing up risqué questions on air?

    Not at all. Koffee with Karan does not fall under the risqué basket as far as regulators are concerned. While the last season had content that was risqué but not so much to fall in trouble with the authorities. On the contrary, I think the regulators have been good with English entertainment channels as they realise there is a different sensibility of audiences involved, I feel we have had a great level of understanding with the BCCC. Some stuff which they told me, I was in complete agreement with them on that.

     

    In fact according to a report released by the BCCC, the maximum number of problems they faced was with the English entertainment genre…

    Yes, they may have received a lot of complaints but how they have responded to it has been fabulous. We have made a lot of adjustments as well. One of the reasons that we hurried up and brought the FX beams to India was because of the problems they were facing which we agreed with. FX was being beamed according to Asia primetime and shows like Archer, Californication were coming at 8-9 pm in India and that was late night for Hong Kong and other countries in Asia. We thematically agreed with the BCCC that these shows were not right to be aired before 11pm. So we’ve had a good experience with the regulators.

     

    What about other local shows. Will we see them back?

    We have just completed Season 2 of Dewarists which has done very well. It’s mindblowing to be able to do content like this and work for a channel that allows you to do something like this. We are currently also doing Season 2 of Teacher’s Achievers Club, which we are very proud of. I wanted to tell stories of people who have been successful but started from very humble backgrounds. I believe we all have an equal chance to be somebody irrespective of what lineage you come from. This year we are doing it with Boman Irani. We also have another show called The Front Row with Anupama Chopra which is a year-long show. Hopefully we will do another show with Koffee with Karan.

     

    And Simi Garewal?

    We have not yet decided on whether we will do another season of India’s Most Desirable. We will take a call on that later.

     

    *Disclaimer: Since TAM Media does not share viewership numbers with the media, all ratings-related data in the interview have not been verified by MxMIndia – Ed

     

  • In the dizzying world of celebrity management, Mates CEO Darshana Bhalla laments the lack of data and research

    Jaldi 5 with Darshana Bhalla: Talent management needs recognition

    By A Correspondent

     

    Maintaining stardom for new-age celebrities is no longer confined to getting roles and films. The growth of advertising and alternative means have expanded the horizon from endorsements to appearances to event participation and many more. The emergence of media agencies, such as Mates, specialized in handling the 360-degree portfolio of celebrities, has added a corporate angle to this business. Darshana Bhalla, CEO, Mates, talks to MxM India about her agency and the industry.

     

    01. Is India an evolved market for your agency?

    India is not a very evolved market. The strategies are substitutable. However, if the agency and talent focus on developing strategies of building revenues for their talent, vis-a-vis transacting them, I think this can grow into a much bigger place.

     

    02. How has Mates been growing?

    Mates was established about eight years ago when Madison and Teamwork came together. Today we are seeing higher growth than industry numbers year-on-year.

     

    03. What makes your agency tick?

    We have better understanding of our clients, including advertisers and celebrities only because of the pedigree we come from. We are an advertising agency first, and everything else later. So it is in our DNA to understand the clients-need before we actually provide solutions to them. We provide solutions, and do not push our commercials.

     

    Five years down the line, we see ourselves being able to provide much larger value to our clients, which includes advertisers as well as our talent. We will be hopefully be able to create methodologies and research formats that will also aid the industry.

     

    04. Working with stars and celebrities: Is it as glamorous as it sounds?

    The glamour quotient with any individual who is working in this industry will last for a month. Post that it is not about glamour, it is always about value and service. As we talk, each one is representing a very vulnerable brand in the country – celebrities. Effort and thinking that goes behind each of them, overtakes the glamour preference that you have when you are entering the industry.

     

    05. What are your concerns about this industry?

    Mates is a mid-sized agency. Finding and managing talent is always a concern. I always feel that mould people into this. But I am hoping, with time to come we will have domain experts in this industry.

     

    Other than this, whether it is celebrity or film business, there are hardly any research methodologies and data or papers available to analyze the decision taken in this area. It’s time the advertising industry starts recognising that this is an important part of advertising. If you look at the top 100 brands, my assumption is that top 25-30 brands at any given point in time will have celebrities. If that’s the kind of momentum that this entire format of advertising to get brand ambassadors, then there should be recognition for it in industry forums. Currently, there is no recognition for it. There are no mentions or analysis related to this industry.