MxMIndia

Category: INTERVIEWS

  • Keertan Adyanthaya, MD – FOX International Channels, talks to MxM India about digitization, localized shows, and more…

    Jaldi 5 with Keertan Adyanthaya on Fox Traveller’s first anniv

    On October 30, Fox Traveller completed a year in India, billing itself as India’s number 1 Travel and Lifestyle channel. An HD channel and clutter-breaking content such as ‘What’s With Indian Men’, ‘Twist of Taste’ ‘Freaky Traveller’, ‘It Happens Only in India’ and ‘Life Mein Ek Baar’ making the channels focus on locally made productions very high. MxMIndia interviewed Keertan Adyanthaya, MD- FOX International Channels, on the channel’s first anniversary and its plans for the year ahead.

     

    01 How would you see the travel and lifestyle genre changing in the recent past? Where do you see it heading to in India?

    I think we’ve only seen the tip of the iceberg as far as the genre is concerned. There’s so much more to experience and invite people to immerse in.

     

    02 The channel has a lot of localized shows like ‘What’s With Indian Men’, ‘It Happens Only in India’, ‘Life Mein Ek Baar’, etc. Given that high-profile presenters would obviously increasing your programming costs, how is easy is it to get advertisers to buy in such content?

    We believe that it’s the tone and tenor of the show that really matters and that’s why we have always looked for celebrities who can seamlessly integrate into the fabric of the show. Advertisers look for various things when it comes to sponsorships – Channel, Relevance of the programme concept, Marketing & Communication Plan, Show entitlements, Talent associated with the show etc etc.

     

    03 Do you see digitization impacting a niche channel like Fox Traveller?

    Digitization will have a huge impact on many aspects of the TV channel business.

    o Until now, subscription was a B2B-led vertical, we will now need to re-calibrate our thinking to it being a B2C vertical.

    o Channel communication was strongly dependent on show-led marketing. This will need to change to a marketing strategy where we ask people to subscribe to the channel

    o Co-marketing with MSO / DTH platforms will gain even more importance

     

    04 Given that there exist opportunities for channels like ‘Fox Traveller’ to get picked ‘a la carte’ post-digitization, are you looking at adding on more content that will attract people to subscribe to the channel?

    We are always on a quest to bring innovative, differentiated content that will help us engage better with our audiences. That’s an on-going process. There will not be any change or further bolstering on that front.

    05. Any new shows and activities that we can hope to see on the channel in the immediate future?

    There’s David Rocco’s Amalfi Getaway coming up this week and next month, we start What’s with Indian Women?, which is a sequel to our popular show ‘What’s with Indian Men?’ that was aired last May.

    Interviewed by Meghna Sharma

     

  • Summary: Indus Sports CEO Mahesh Ranka on the current sports sponsorship scene, Sachin Tendulkar being back in runs and the money in other sports

    Jaldi 5 with Mahesh Ranka: The Tendulkar impact is waning

    Okay, the ghost of the Champions Trophy T20 is behind us. The India team for the first two Tests has been announced. Cricket will soon be back on the front pages of the newspapers and essential chatter in the metros and local trains. And above all: Sachin Tendulkar (SRT) appears to be in good form. Since matters off the field (especially on monies in the game) get as discussed as matters on it, MxMIndia asked Mahesh Ranka, CEO, Indus Sports and Sponsorship, a few questions which every sports enthusiast would like to ask.

     

    01. Now that Sachin Tendulkar is back in the runs (albeit against Railways) in the Ranji Trophy, do you think the interest in cricket will rise again?

    Interest in cricket isn’t related to interest in Sachin Tendulkar alone… anymore. However, this will get all enthusiasts to sit up and take notice of his performance in the upcoming series… should he play. The fact that we are seeing cricket after long (CLT20 without Indian teams qualifying ahead was forgotten by people), and the holidays/festive season may enhance interest to some level.

     

    02. From the sales point of view, is it true a lot of viewer interest goes up and down given the way Sachin plays?

    It was the case until 2005-6. Post that, interest connected to SRT has really been achieving the 100th 100, 50th 100 in one format… and when he hit the first 200 in ODIs. Even today, many enthusiasts out of sheer expectancy of a good innings from the master batsman will switch off their TV sets if and when Tendulkar is out cheaply. The SRT impact however is waning thanks to a decent balance in performances (forget the last England-Australia tours).

     

    03. We’ve seen a lot of cricket this year, and we’ve also seen the interest go up and rock-bottom with Champions League. What’s your prediction for the rest of the cricketing season?

    The rules have always been simple… India performs (read wins or stages a heroic effort) and the nation watches, India performs badly… and no one’s happy… viewers, advertisers, media… even experts! We are very emotional about the performance, and that reaction is clearly visible across the spectrum.

     

    04. Over the last few years,other sports have gone up the popularity charts. Tennis, F1, Football and even hockey? Which sport do you think will be next to cricket in terms of sponsorship monies?

    Next to cricket, F1 seems like the strong one, thanks to the Airtel Indian Grand Prix. Football is creating its own ecosystem which generates a decent amount of sponsorship monies. The popularity of Indian football, however is limited. TV viewing is skewed to European football and Indian football has big enthusiasm in traditionally strong pockets only.

     

    Tennis had the makings of being #2, but it didn’t?

     

    It was a lot of media-created and fuelled. That probably pushed opinion. Tennis was getting popular thanks to the exploits of Saina…. and of course consistent performance of Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi. Monetarily, it was never a big business spinner. Many companies invested and failed to raise the necessary sponsorship and other revenue options to run the effort successfully. Apollo’s 10-year plan worth Rs 100 crore crashed within two years of inception, Kingfisher Open, Sunfeast Open… never found support after the first round of deals (three years or so). So much so, that Globo Sports did not continue with the events they had created. Only Chennai open has survived all these years, and that’s thanks to the support of the Tamil Nadu government.

     

    05. Lastly, any truth in sponsors/endorsements playing a role in player selection or staying on even if he or she may not be in top form?

    In my position, I wouldn’t know the dynamics that go on in ‘selection’ of players or ‘staying on’ as it’s nowhere close to my function. Neither do we represent athletes nor do we manage their commercial interests. In the past, there have been cases that have been argued on the above, not only in India but also in foreign markets. It’s probably as true and as visible as betting in sports in India.

     

  • It's US Presidential Elections week and we asked Amith Prabhu, who currently works with a leading PR firm in Chicago and is a keen follower of Indian and American politics, on the role of image management in the campaigning in the US and whether there is scope for the same as the general elections here draw closer

    Jaldi 5 with Amith Prabhu: Only so much ‘spin doctors’ can do in election campaigns

    It’s US Presidential Elections week and given the importance that United States of America affairs have on India (apart from family and friends in all parts of that country), it’s not surprising that our media too is working overtime to bring you comprehensive coverage over the next few days.

     

    Having read the tweets from Chicago-based Amith Prabhu, former head of communications at VivaKi and co-founder of the Promise Foundation and co-chair of the upcoming PRAXIS 2012, we asked him a few questions on the US Presidential elections and how much of a role the campaign managers of President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney played in their respective campaigns.

     

    Mr Prabhu keeps a keen eye on Indian and American politics and hopes to manage his own campaign someday. The views here are personal and do not represent that of any organization Amith is associated with.

     

    01. Having tracked the run-up to the US Presidential elections closely, how much of the campaigning do you think is a creation of the respective campaign managers?

    Matt Rhoades and Jim Messina have definitely played a big role in shaping the campaigns of their bosses Romney and Obama respectively. Unless the machinery is run with exact precision and thorough planning there is no way for a fight to be as close as it has been.

     

    We read that Obama’s campaign is aided by the way he handled Hurricane Sandy. Obviously perception-management at play? Or he did work to ease the plight?

     

    Hurricane Sandy was able to influence a few undecided voters who are certainly crucial. Obama is a politician at heart and he knows how to do the right things at the right time. That won’t change the decision of staunch supporters of either party. It definitely had a small role to play.

     

    It’s obviously naïve to say that the Presidency of the world’s strongest nation is won thanks to spin doctors? Or, is that how it really is?

     

    American voters are educated and understand the difference between the ideologies of the two parties. There is only so much the so-called spin doctors can do. The rest is what is done and what is seen by the well-informed citizen who finally takes the call on whom to vote for.

     

    02. With general elections round the corner in India – 2014 or earlier, do you think our political parties too should appoint professional image management practitioners for their positioning?

    Indian political parties have been working with professional firms but like in the US most of the marketing and communications is managed in-house to have better control and for ease of management. I don’t think image management is a positive term. The phrase has been abused and people mistake image management for spin doctoring. What Indian political parties need is a panel of mentors who have great credentials and solid values to guide them to do not just the right things but everything right.

     

    03. We know that you were at the Obama rally in the early hours of today (India time) and we also figure from your tweets that you actively follow Indian politics from your base in Chicago. As a PR professional, is there an Indian politician whose image you would like to work on?

    I would prefer never to work on individuals but rather would prefer to work for an organisation. I was a summer intern in the Congress party media office way back in 2003 and I subscribed to some of that party’s ideology and had the option of working there in the future but I chose not to, since I wanted a decade of corporate experience. However, two interesting men who have fascinated me are Nitish Kumar and Arvind Kejriwal. I would like to work with the former someday. Another politician who knows how to be in the news is for wrong and right reasons is Lalu Prasad Yadav and is a case study on his own.

     

    Rahul Gandhi?

    Not likely because from what I have gauged he is not keen on running a government unless push comes to shove. He would prefer to operate like his mother where he runs the party and appoints a PM who can manage the government.

     

    04 Is there an Indian politician who could do well with US-style image management?

    I think Arun Jaitley and Jairam Ramesh could do very well if they build a mass base, which is not difficult for them to do if they choose to.

     

    05. Narendra Modi, for instance, seems to have got his ‘image’ in order?

    Narendra Modi had two options after 2002. To either let it all crumble or go the other extreme and focus on building a solid positioning based on development and an iron-hand. He chose the latter, which was a smart decision. He has a bunch of excellent IAS officers with whom I have had the pleasure of working who drive a lot of what is seen and heard about him. Unfortunately, his support base is restricted to his state and to sections of citizens in various parts of the country and on Twitter. His image problem is within the party and that is something he needs to focus on.

     

    PS: We also asked Amith Prabhu one last question: Your gut feel… Obama or Romney? And his response:  Obama all the way.

    Ah, well. Psephologist, loyalist or just a good observer of political trends?

     

  • Quick questions with Sourabh Sharma, co-founder, Milaap on his organisation's unique method of fund-raising and the ongoing 'Light up a 1000 Homes' Diwali campaign

    Jaldi 5 with Sourabh Sharma: Light up lives this Diwali!

    Milaap is a unique community welfare organization as it raises money not in the form of donation by way of loans which can then be claimed back by the donor. Set up by a group of professionals, it is now running a ‘Light a 1000 homes’ for Diwali (*see disclosure). MxMIndia Milaap interview co-founder Sourabh Sharma.

     

    01.   Milaap is a unique concept in fund-raising where you loan money for causes as against donate. How has it worked thus far?

    It has worked really well so far… Our company started in June 2010 and in the last two years, we have raised over 600,000 USD, with more than 5000 lenders — impacting more than 13,000 lives in India and we expect it to grow at much faster pace as more and more people are getting involved.

     

    It’s critical that organizations who borrow pay back… is that secured?

     

    Microfinance is unsecured lending in traditional banking parlance but it has seen better repayment rates than even the best of banks. The industry average is close to 98% repayment rate. This is because of the unique model of lending in joint liability groups where group members vouch for each other.

     

    In our two years of lending, we have not had any defaults till date – which is a proof that the model works. Still, we clearly tell our lenders that lending via Milaap carries an inherent risk of loss in principal and therefore the motivation to lend is still primarily philanthropic. Additionally, our field partners do offer to cover up to 20% of the defaults in case there are any.

     

    02.   Tell us briefly of the ‘Light a 1000 homes’ Diwali campaign…

    As much as 50% of rural India does not have access electricity and are forced to use kerosene lamps for light and firewood for cooking. Noxious fumes claim a life every 20 seconds as a result of early childhood pneumonia, emphysema, cataracts, lung cancer, bronchitis which claim more lives than malaria or tuberculosis.  On this Festival of Lights, we plan to bring light to 1000 homes in India by providing them with solar lights and smokeless stoves thereby providing them with clean and healthy life.  People can either make a loan directly or adopt a village and help us raise funds by spreading the word among their friends. The cost of providing solar lights to 100 homes (village) is about 1lakh INR.

     

    03.   Specifically, how has the response been?

    The reponse has been great so far. Besides individual loans, we already have 22 fundraisers – where people have adopted villages are helping us raise funds from their friends. Adding to your previous question- fundraisers are another way of gaining traction hence we are looking to grow and much faster pace in the future.

     

    04.   Would you say NRIs are more responsive than resident Indians

    It really does not matter where the person is located. We have seen benelovent people making loans from all stratas of society  and both from within India as well as outside. In our limited experience, we have observed that geographical location or financial status has nothing to do with goodness of the heart.

     

    06.   Apart from writing about Milaap, how do you think can Indian media and advertising help in your efforts?

    By adopting a village and help us 🙂 Also, by writing about the change which has come in the lives of the people who may be poor but are equally hard working and smart and take control of solving their problems in their own hands.

     

    Any efforts towards this direction?

     

    Please look at some of the videos we have made of stories of change in the lives of the people we are helping: youtube.com/milaapdotorg We would love to invite people from the press to join us on our field assessment trips and write about working poor.

     

    05.   What are your current promotional strategies and campaigns in India?

    We primarily engage our audience via newsletters and social media (Facebook and Twitter) and also come up with seasonal campaigns such as the Adopt-an-entrepreeur campaign we did around Independence Day and now this Diwali campaign.

     

    Disclosure: MxMIndia is supporting Milaap’s ‘Light a 1000 homes’ campaign for Diwali

     

  • DDB Mudra Max president Mandeep Malhotra on 'The Art of Indian Jugaad', a presentation he made to marketers and ad agencies in Finland last month, and why the concept is such a hit in Europe

    Jaldi 5 with Mandeep Malhotra: Jugaad is our way of life

    Last month (October 2012), DDB Mudra Max president Mandeep Malhotra and DDB Mudra Concrea Chief Youth Marketer and MxMIndia columnist Samyak Chakrabarty were invited by Aller Media, Finland’s leading publishing house, to speak to advertising agency and brand heads on ‘The Art of Indian Jugaad’ in the context of marketing  and advertising.

     

    MxMIndia interviewed Mr Malhotra on his view on Jugaad and why the concept was such a huge hit with the European audience.

     

    01.  Jugaad in India has a very negative connotation. So how come talk about it to a European audience?

    When first invited, I too was surprised – not because of the negative connotation as such but more about how and when did the Europeans start wanting to learn more about Jugaad. However, upon interacting personally with my hosts and audience – I realized that post the slowdown, they wanted to discover more innovative and ‘street smart’ ways of doing business.

     

    Despite of the global recession, India has managed to tide through and hence they wanted an insight into our way of doing things. In fact, they were surprised to know how our advertising and marketing industry was so vibrant even in such testing economic conditions. The kind and quantity of innovations we continue to produce was a great eye opener for them.
    02.   Do you think the fact we have more economic imbalances in India as against the West causes this desire for the Jugaad? And in the developed economies there is greater complacency?

    I think Jugaad is ingrained in our social fabric – it is not just business, it is our way of life. Indians by nature are streetsmart, hardworking and ‘quick’ individuals. Whether people at the bottom of the pyramid or the SEC A+, this method of working is utilized by all at different scales and purposes. Those in the west are advanced at one end (in terms of technology especially) but at the same time are also quite primitive (with respect to approach to business processes), they prefer to rely of what is tried and tested leaving not much room for change.

    But due to recent circumstances, they are slowly opening up to newer ideas and are keenly looking at international success stories hence the interest in Jugaad – The art of doing business in India! This new-found interest has also much to do with the rise in the number of successful entrepreneurs in India.

    03.   In many ways, it’s this aggressive can do.. by hook or by crook attitude in India has also resulted in inefficiencies?

    No I disagree, one can still be efficient and aggressive at the same time. It is all about how seriously you take your business, comply to deliverables and create value for all stakeholders. Ineffeciences occur when there is no proper monitoring, control and strong leadership…this has nothing to do with using Jugaad.

    04.   If it can work to help business abroad, surely it can work here in India too. What’s your view on how we can use this ‘Jugaadoo’ spirit without short-cuts and corruption?

    Why are ‘corruption’ and ‘short-cuts’ synonyms to Juagaad? It is but a technique of getting around (without compromising fundamental ideals) your goal without wasting precious time and ensuring 100% results. We just got to be clear about what we want, critically analyze enabling factors (that can help reach the goal) and smartly use all available advantages.

    05.   Regrettably those with a spirit of enterprise in India (like Parle’s Ramesh Chauhan or R Mohan of GoodKnight) gave up their topselling brands to international or larger players like Coca-Cola and Godrej respectively. Are those into Jugaad, short-term entrepreneurs or is there no clear rule? 

    By the fifth question, I’ve begun to realize how misunderstood Jugaad is in our very own country especially by the current generation. In Jugaad, the clear rule is only about how to do business, not what to do with it. It is an enabler to success, not a destination. If someone wants to sell his/her business, that has nothing to do with it. One must know that this practice of doing business prevails even in the smallest of commercial ventures and deliver results everyday. At the outset, I urge everybody not to complicate and over-analyse Jugaad – its success lies in how simple it is!

     

  • Veteran adman and theatreperson Bharat Dabholkar on why it’s right to call Bal Thackeray a Brand and whether the Shiv Sena chief allowed freedom of speech in advertising and the arts

    Jaldi 5 with Bharat Dabholkar: Thackeray was unique… he was a Brand

    In his long career as an adman, playwright and theatrperson, Bharat Dabholkar has interacted much with Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray, including sharing some lighter moments. MxMIndia asked the veteran adman for his views on Mr Thackeray and why he thinks it’s appropriate to call him a Brand

     

    01. Your comments on the sea of humanity and outpouring to pay their last respects to Bal Thackeray.

     It’s a demonstration of the kind of sway the man held over people in Mumbai and Maharashtra. This is not some sponsored rally. On one hand, this is a tribute to his charisma. And it is also the picture of Shiv Sena, who from every nook and corner are very well-organised. From what I heard, there are over 20 lakh people and they are behaving in disciplined and orderly manner. It is great tribute to him. And it is a personal love of people for him.

     

    02. We heard a few people on television discussions refer to him as a Brand. Would it be right to dub Bal Thackeray as that… a Brand?

    Yes. H was a brand because he was only politician that I have met who was very outspoken and simple. Even his speeches were not very literary. He was very straightforward. He spoke the way things should be spoken. This is what made him a unique brand. A brand has to be unique otherwise it is just a product.

     

    03. Mr Thackeray had a view on the Arts and life. Do you recall any observations or run-ins he may have had over any ads?

    No. He was very respectful of any creative art whether it was music. He might have said something about a writer or so but according to my knowledge, I do not remember him saying something about an ad.

     

    04. As an editorial cartoonist, do you think he was a propagator of freedom of speech in the Arts?

    He practised that as a cartoonist. And his newspaper and magazine also carries that. And he would have to be like that for the comments and observations he had about his opponents and politics, they had to have a background that allowed him to say all these things. He was a propagator of freedom of speech since as a cartoonist or a journalist, he needed that.

     

    05. Your personal experiences or anecdotes that you remember.

    I have known him for many years and have had many interactions with him. but one that I remember is the way we used to celebrate his bypass surgery. It used to be celebrated as ‘Punar Janam Diwas’. It used to be very small get-together with a few close friends. And politics or so was never discussed, it was basically fun and games and cracking jokes.

     

    In one such meeting, I told him a joke and he laughed a lot. Then, after dinner as I was leaving, his Man Friday Mr Thapa, came and said, ‘Sa’ab is calling you’. So I went inside again, and Mr Thackeray said ,’Bharat, you told me that joke, tell that to me again.’  So I told him again. And he asked for my permission to use it in his speeches.

     

    I found it very endearing that normally people do not ask for permissions to re-use jokes. But he actually called me back and asked for my permission to use that joke. He was a polite guy in person.

     

    Can you share that joke?

    It was about a guy who is Congressman and goes to another Congressmen’s house. And he is talking to his little boy about how Congress family is doing. And the boy said, “Uncle, everybody in our family is a Congressman. My father is, my mother is, and I am a Congressman. Our cat is Congressman, and she has just got three kittens who are all Congressman.” The man was very happy to hear this, and after a month he visited the kid’s house and asked again, ‘How is the Congress cat and kitten doing?’ The kid replied, “Uncle, everybody is a Congressman but the kittens have joined Shiv Saina since their eyes have opened.”

     

    Interviewed by Ananya Saha

     

  • Games are serious business when it comes to Amit Chaudhary of Exelixi, as he talks about his 'neighbourhood toy store with international standards'

    Jaldi 5 with Amit Chaudhary: Toy Story, no Child’s Play

    On November 9, Simba India, a subsidiary of toy giant Simba Dickie Groupin association with Exelixi Management Company from India, launched a large format toy shop at the Oberoi Mall in suburban Mumbai. Amit Chaudhary, Founder Exelixi Management is bullish about the business in this interview with MxMIndia.

     

    01. It’s interesting that you have opened a toy store in Mumbai at a time when children are increasingly taking to electronic toys – Xboxes, PSPs and the like – or on the computer and tablets. Wouldn’t an investment in that direction have been wiser?

    I don’t see electronic games outside the purview of Toys & Games. It is one of the categories just like Outdoor Games, Wooden Toys, or Remote Control Cars. Children, and parents as well, are still looking for options in non-electronic games and we are happy to bring some really world-class toys in those categories to Indian customers. Yes, electronics is an emerging and an important category, and we are not ignoring it. You will see that reflected in the product mix in our stores as we grow.

     

    02. How much of a focus are you keeping on electronics, given that it is such a rage?

    We feel we have a good understanding of our customers, and the product mix in our stores is a result of studying the market for almost two years at the ground level. The share of electronic games will reflect that understanding.

     

    03. As the footprint of Simba stores is increasing in India, what does your marketing plan look like?

    We are a neighbourhood toy store with international standards. Our products, their quality, and the service levels in our store are the best marketing tools that we have to connect with our customers. We have a good mix of ATL and BTL campaigns lined up over the next 18 months for our stores. While share of ATL will increase as the store footprint expands, our spend on BTL will continue to remain significant. We want to be relevant to our customers and the best way to connect with them is to do so at the local level. All of our stores have a very aggressive activity calendar geared towards kids, and we intend to keep it that way even as we expand.

     

    04. Are you looking at tying up with schools or TV channels etc?

    Yes, we are keen to tie up with playschools, nurseries, crèches, children activity centers, and TV channels as well. A number of discussions are underway on that front. It will be premature to make any specific comments on this topic as of now.

     

    05. In a price-conscious country such as India, how do you compete against smaller stores stocking cheaper though sub-standard and even counterfeit products?

    It’s a myth that Indian customers always prefer cheaper stuff. Especially when it comes to their children. Indian parents want to provide their children the best that is available in the market, of course within their budget. It is another myth that the low quality toy products available today in the market are cheaper than branded products. Our pricing is very aggressive and there are enough instances where our high quality products are substantially cheaper than the counterfeit and sub-standard products available in the market. With us our customers can come and shop knowing that they get an International shopping experience, products at a very competitive price, and the confidence that they are buying some of the safest products in the world for their kids.

     

    06. How has the response been thus far… being a part of a mall of course ensures sure footfalls. Any more stores on the anvil in Mumbai?

    We are very happy with the response so far. Our visitor books are full of customers who have thanked us for opening the store! What more can we ask for? We will definitely open more stores in Mumbai. In fact, you can expect at least one more store in the area before the end of this year.

     

  • Naresh Gupta, CSO, Managing Partner at Bang in the Middle, talks to MxM India about expanding to a new market, Kolkata

    Jaldi 5 with Naresh Gupta: ‘Growth from new geographies beyond Indian borders’

    The six-month-old creative agency Bang In the Middle has recently opened its office in Kolkata. For the new territory it has appointed Meenakshi Sen as Managing Partner on board. Led by Prathap Suthan and Naresh Gupta, the agency has big plans.

     

    Naresh Gupta, CSO, Managing Partner at Bang in the Middle, talks to MxM India about the new market.

     

    01. How big is the Kolkata market for Bang in the Middle, and what scope does it present to a new agency?

    We expect Kolkata to be a significant contributor to our operations. Kolkata is a fairly challenging market for most agencies, and will be a big challenge for a new start up agency. We believe that there are brands in Kolkata who have traditionally looked at the few large agencies to be interested in our offering

     

    02. What clients is the Kolkata office going to cater to?

    We are currently in conversation with a host of clients; we should be able to announce the clients shortly.

     

    03. What are the unique challenges that Kolkata as a market presents?

    Every market is a challenge, Kolkata is a unique challenge. Kolkata is not a large market say like Mumbai, but is a fairly significant market with its own demands. Kolkata has a host of heritage and new age brands from across categories and they do need modern cutting edge advise on the whole gamut of communication.

     

    04. How different will your approach be here?

    We marry the traditional with new age. We leverage our understanding of mainline brand building and then also craft the new media strategy to offer our brands a singular brand proposition that is truly media agnostic. We expect to offer the same services to our clients in Kolkata.

     

    05. After Gurgaon and Kolkata, what is the next stop for Bang in the Middle?

    There are new opportunities we are exploring. The new phase of growth will come from new geographies beyond Indian borders and from newer ideas!

     

    As told to Ananya Saha

     

  • AXN India is gearing up for full-on thrills spanning the entertainment spectrum. The star of the broadened content lineup is The Apprentice Asia. MxM India spoke to AXN's Sunil Punjabi on the whys and hows

    Jaldi 5 with Sunil Punjabi: Action, drama, entertainment

    Sony Pictures Television Networks Asia is geared up for its next original production, The Apprentice Asia, which will premiere on AXN across 21 countries in Asia in the first half of 2013. Call for participation for the India region began on November 15. We asked Sunil Punjabi, Business Head, AXN India Networks, why the channel needs The Apprentice.

     

    01. Programmes like The Apprentice and reality shows in the same genre have not done very well in India earlier. And this series will premiere across Asia. What was the rationale behind bringing the show on board?

    As far as The Apprentice and other reality shows are concerned, programmes that have some amount of interactivity built in tend to do better than plain shows that go on air. We ourselves did India’s Minute to Win It two years ago, and we built in a fairly large amount of interactivity. With the amount of interactivity and local presence, content offtake is higher because the viewer also starts engaging with the programme. Hence, engagement at the consumer level with localization is going to be the big differentiating factor for such shows.

     

    For The Apprentice at the Asia level, participants will be taking part from India in the selection process. It is where we believe local flavour comes in. Apprentice Asia should see better traction on the ground.

     

    02. How is AXN planning to create buzz around the show?

    We have pushed in the online campaign, apart from opening for entries on November 15. We are doing a lot of ground activation, contacting some 150-odd corporates across six cities with the aim of reaching working people one-on-one.

     

    We will reveal more plans as we come close to the airing of the show.

     

    03. Does The Apprentice or Minute to Win It gel with the programming of AXN, which essentially is Action TV?

    We have always been a thrill channel, and thrill can be action or drama. Or even dance. If you look at our top shows like So You Think You Can Dance, it is all about excitement. It is a very high-energy show and it gets the eyeballs, apart from other top-rated high-drama series like CSI and CIS, Leverage, Supernatural and Amazing Race. These are content blocks with lots of thrill built in, and that is the positioning that we’ve always maintained.

     

    India’s Minute To Win It – every activity that you look is based on the excitement. For that matter, Apprentice is going to be one challenging task. If you see the US and UK versions, every task that participants go through is time-based and there is heavy involvement in these episodes. And that is how it fits into AXN.

     

    04. Is AXN aiming to include all genres in its programming, and thus moving away from the original concept of an action channel?

    We have broadened the perspective. We have broadened the content line-up because at the end of the day we believe that there is a lot of International content, which can be brought to the India viewer. Apprentice has never been done in India, it has been done only in the US and UK. Actually, we are looking at an Indian version of Amazing Race soon. These are high-intensity formats.

     

    We believe that consumers want different types of content. The revised positioning of AXN is based on the consumer feedback that we have got over a period of time saying that they need more programmes that are high-energy.

     

    05. Apart from The Apprentice, which other non-action shows is AXN targeting?

    Amazing Race will start in January. There is Voice 4, which is slated for March. A strong drama series of Steven Seagal called True Justice 2 will be coming up also in January. It is a 12-part one-hour series that we are launching as part of Big Thrill Fridays, which is positioned around fresh and as-close-to-US-launch content. There is a new series of Leverage, a modern-day Robinhood series, which will begin in the month of Feb-March. An original production of Sony Pictures, Hannibal, will debut in March. It is an original AXN US production.

     

    It is a fairly good mix of high-drama, high-action, high-energy entertainment.

     

    As told to Ananya Saha

     

  • Apurva Purohit, CEO, Radio City 91.1 FM explains the rationale between 'Women at Work', Radio City's networking initiative for working women

    Jaldi 5 with Apurva Purohit: ‘Great networking with fantastic women’

    The lack of networking is also seen by women themselves as one of the top three impediments in their progress. Leading radio station netword Radio City decided to make building connections between women easier by launching a forum where the women can all come and spend time with one another. Apurva Purohit, CEO, Radio City 91.1 FM explains the rationale of starting ‘Women at Work’.

     

    01. Do tell us more on Women at Work all about?

    Women at Work is a platform where women from all walks of life can come together and optimize their networking time to further their professional and personal growth. It is a networking forum where the members use the platform to connect and explore possible opportunities related to their profession/ business.

     

    02. And how did Radio City get down to developing this forum?

    As an organization, Radio City has quite a few women leaders, who fulfil their responsibilities equally or sometimes better than their counterparts. While it is a fact that men have several occasions to interact with each other through formal or informal networks, women don’t have such opportunities. Whilst multi-tasking with their responsibilities at work and at home, there is no room left for after-office networking. Women also often do not find a support group to seek solutions to their problems or enough networking opportunities to excel professionally. The senior women at Radio City thus decided to create an opportunity for women to interact and this was in fact the driving factor behind developing this online forum.

     

    03. How many forums is ‘Women at Work’ planning to hold, and in which cities?

    Our first on-the-ground networking session was held in Mumbai a few months ago and witnessed participation from nearly 100 women. It was amazing to experience the energy it created, through re-forging old connections and building new ones. Many women who attended the forum shared intimate parts of their lives with each other, and this turn helped them forge important relations. The next on-ground forum is being held in Delhi on December 1, and we are looking forward to some great networking with some more fantastic women. Though we are all virtually connected with each other, we plan to conduct one such on-ground meeting in different cities once every quarter.

     

    04. So how many women have become members of Women at Work?

    The forum has more than 800 users from across the globe and many more joining in daily. In fact, we have started receiving proposals from like-minded women from the US to start an international chapter too.

     

    05. What can one expect from the Women at Work forum?

    Apart from building connections, the members of the forum can look forward to sharing successes and learnings from each other. The forum has been created with the motive of building a bridge, an umbrella where working women across different cross sections can come together and talk about anything related to our work lives – from bad bosses to office spouses, from stilettos to mojitos, from babies to boyfriends!

     

    Interviewed by Ananya Saha

     

  • Amith Prabhu, co-chair PRAXIS 2012, reviews the conference that was held last week and what he would tell the industry captains who didn't turn up

    Jaldi 5 with Amith Prabhu: PRAXIS brought together seniors & juniors in the PR and corp comm community

    He’s made the fullest use of the time zone difference between the United States and India. So when he’s not on his desk at his day job at PR major Edelman in Chicago, he was busy coordinating PR conference PRAXIS 2012 and dreaming up what else the Promise Foundation should do. MxM India caught up with PRAXIS co-chair Amith Prabhu a day before he was heading back to the US and asked him a few leading questions.

     

    01.   As you look back, and given the standards that you had set for yourself, how would you rate PRAXIS 2012? And vis-a-vis other PR conferences that happen through the year?

    We, the organising committee of 12 at-larges and specifically Shane Jacob and I as summit co-chairs are very pleased with the way PRAXIS 2012  turned out to be. It surpassed all our expectations. When we had conceptualised the event we had thought of a small compact conference but over the months it grew to become bigger than we had imagined. And the final outcome was there for all to see. As many as 260 delegates including 35 top-class speakers and a full-house despite an experimental schedule. Everyone in the audience and backstage took ownership and that was evident even when there were glitches and all were supportive.

     

    It would not be fair to compare with other PR conferences because our intentions were unique – bringing together the seniors and the youngsters of the core Indian PR consulting and corporate communications community. We achieved this with aplomb and the fact that we are proud of is punctuality throughout the two days.

     

    02.   While there was representation from most firms, and most CEOs were also present, the big guns from a few agencies were conspicuous by their absence: Dilip Cherian of Perfect Relations, N S Rajan of Ketchum Sampark, Weber Shandwick’s Shiv Reddy/Atul Ahluwalia, Ameer Ismail of LinOpnion. Any reasons for their absence?

    We had invited 30 PR firms of all sizes when we set out on this mission and we had an instant response from over 25 of these wherein 15 had confirmed their presence right at the start. Around 9-10 had expressed their support but had scheduling conflicts. Of the four firms mentioned above we tried hard to connect with them but were not successful. Mr Cherian had responded favourably but was unable to make it. The CEO of his firm was a panelist but had to drop out at the last moment due to a personal emergency. We are confident that we will be able to have all of them not just attend but also be on panels at the next edition.

     

    What would you tell them given that they didn’t turn up?

    I would tell them that we missed their presence and their insights and they cannot afford to miss a humble attempt put together completely by volunteers next year around. It is also possible that several people were apprehensive of a brand new event by a group of youngsters and would consider being part of it in the future. We are a completely independent not-for-profit venture and our focus is to collect people and give them a forum to learn and share.

     

    03.   It was in effect just a one-day event, though spread over two days. Given that people are spending a fair bit of time and money to get here, do you think there’s need to pack in more?

    We packed in as much as 24 hours could permit… 6 panels, 3 networking sessions, 2 keynotes and 1 concert was quite a bit. We planned the timings around flights to and from Chennai so those who wanted to spend just one night could make it. But we have feedback that people are open to an additional day and we will consider that when we plan the second edition.

     

    04.   Chennai agencies and corporate communications professionals didn’t appear to be exploiting the opportunity?

    The summit was promoted and marketed completely on social networks. It is possible that several firms in Chennai were either not aware of the intensity of this endeavour or chose to wait and watch. Honestly, there is nothing to exploit other than being there and having a good time. Hopefully, in the future there will be greater participation from professionals in the vicinity.

     

    05.   Was Pondicherry a good venue? Isn’t there too much of anxiety of storms?

    The idea is to offer delegates a destination that is unique and has tourist appeal. Our gut feel told us that Pondicherry would have a uniqueness that very few venues could offer. The concern was not so much about storms but about distance from the Chennai airport which was well taken by most despite the long drive, thanks to the decent roads.

     

    Where will it be next year? Dates finalized? Venue?

    The idea is to take the summit across zones and keep it moving. We have begun in the South. We intend planning the second one in the North or the West. We will decide dates and venue based on feedback received from the delegates which we are evaluating. We hope to announce the same soon on MxMIndia. All that we can say is that it will certainly be bigger and better.

     

  • It will be a month of mandatory digitization in the three metros of Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata. MxMIndia spoke to Joydip Kapadia, Business Head, Television Street Maps on the progress made so far

    Jaldi 5 with Joydip Kapadia: As we approach a month of digitization, Mum, Del nearly 95%, Cal: 80%

    It will be a month of mandatory digitization in the three metros of Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata. MxMIndia spoke to Joydip Kapadia, Business Head, Television Street Maps on the progress made so far

     

    01. According to Television Street Maps estimates, how much digitization has actually been achieved in Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata?

    We cannot comment on the exact numbers as there is too much of flux in these markets between DAS, DTH, Analogue. Hence, we would prefer to give a range estimate as follows: Mumbai and Delhi together are tending towards the 95% mark. Kolkata is trailing with less than 80%.

     

    02. Evidently, a lot of the process is work in progress… how many of the set-top boxes have been installed in the month of November alone?

    Yes. The pace of seeding has been pretty impressive with just under 35 lakh boxes seeded in November. Delhi leads the pack with more than 15 lakhs seedings. Followed by Kolkata with more than 12 lakh boxes. Mumbai was earlier seeded well and has added another 4.5 lakhs boxes in November.

     

    03. Do you see many switchovers from cable to DTH given the confusion?

    In the early part of 2012, we had seen a far greater enthusiasm with DTH expecting a large gain from cable. In a few cases, that expectation was as high as 30% of the total analog base within these metros would switch to DTH. However, the reality has been a little different. Cable has not lost as many homes as many on the DTH side had expected.

     

    04. How has the roll-out of Channel Packs been by the cable MSOs?

    While all major players have now introduced their packs, we have a few observations:-

     

    1. The packs have been rolled out – but not so much to end consumers. Cable Pack sales in the truest sense, in our estimate, is still 8-9 months away.

    2. There are fewer packs per cable operator vis-a-vis their DTH counterparts. This is bound to increase in days to come.

    3. The first approach seems to be National packs even for operators who are expected eventually to move to Regional/ Local packs.

    4. The systems at the MSO end are still not fully/ seamlessly integrated. Hence we are finding strange discrepancies of channels available on packs even when those are not being relayed by the MSO’s headend. We expect some of these teething issues to be ironed out in days to come.

     

    05. Any broad lessons as we embark on Phase 2 of digitization?

    a. The two back-to-back deadlines for Mumbai-Delhi-Kolkata could be avoided in the second phase. If individual MSOs/ Cable operators are known to expedite box seeding closer to the deadline, we need a more effective push for all key players to start seeding in time rather than at the 11th hour.

    b. DTH cannot assume that it will gain automatically due to the flux. They cannot assume that just heavy advertising and price promos will do the trick. Extensive ground efforts/ initiatives will be needed.

    c. The seduction and mating rituals between distributor companies and MSOs should start much in advance. Waiting for the last minute will only mean signal disruption to consumers.

    d. Distributor Companies would have to insist on getting subscriber visibility from the SMS of Regional Operators within the 38 cities as part of their deals. Succumbing to quick wins of minimum guarantee/ fixed deals would again put broadcasters in the same spot where their fortunes remain disconnected from number of subscribers.