Director and writer Vikram Bhatt announced his venture into the digital space with the launch of his OTT platform called VBontheweb. The platform brings forth a theatre on the web, a concept where one pays only for the premium show one wishes to binge watch. The app was launched on the platform hosted by Brightcove and has been developed by Ecreeds.
The platform allows users to buy a pass to watch a show/entire series for a nominal fee of Rs 18. This is the first time in India that the viewers would get to pay for particular shows only which they desire to watch and not the entire application.
Said Bhatt:“We are not leaving any stone unturned to making it big for VBontheweb app. Our digital venture premiered Untouchables which is special to me because it my daughter Krishna’s directorial debut, and it makes me feel extremely proud. Digital is the future and it has arrived, we are ready to seize the day.â€
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By A Correspondent
What does an auto major do to sell what it calls its ‘World-Smart Truck’? Take it on the roads across the world? Impossible. Send glossy brochures to prospective customers? Naah. Enter technology, and here’s an easy tool deployed by the folks at the commercial vehicles division of Tata Motors to give potential buyers an experience of the real thing. Well, almost.
Enter Virtual Reality or VR, the ‘Formidable 4’ campaign brings out Tata Prima’s versatility across different applications in an “immersive fashionâ€.
Tata Motors commissioned its digital agency Ogilvy Digital on the job with a clear mandate to let people experience the versatility of the vehicle. The brief given, a global hunt started for the best possible VR film-maker. In came Sandeep (Kamal) Kamalasanan who is regarded as one of India’s best VFX and hybrid media specialist. Kamal interestingly started off as an artist in Udaipur before taking the leap into computer-aided art. And the rest, as they say, is history.
George Kovoor
The leadership team on the project at Ogilvy Digital – George Kovoor – Group Creative Director, Ogilvy Mumbai and Namrata Keswani – Head of Digital Domain, Ogilvy Mumbai facilitated an exclusive look at the hybrid films and here’s what they had to say. Kovoor: “The Tata Prima is the flagship brand of the Tata Motors fleet of commercial vehicles. Tata Motors wanted to showcase its technological prowess in an international market dominated by giants like Mercedes, Volvo and Mitsubishi. We took that as a challenge and created a first of its kind experience that intersects experiential technology and storytelling. “The Formidable 4†is a unique hybrid VR film that seamlessly merges virtual reality with I-max technology, graphic animations and interactivity to literally take you into the future of test drives. I would like to commend the client for partnering with us on a project of this magnitude and scale. I would also like to thank Sandeep Kamal, one of the finest VR film directors in India, who turned our vision into a magical reality.†And Keswani: The hybrid film gives an opportunity to customers and patrons of automobiles in general to virtually experience trucking on varied terrains which include – a racing track, a mountain pass, a mine and a highway. While traversing through these four terrains, one also gets a sense of how challenging it is to tread on them and learn the technological prowess of the Tata Prima at play.â€
Namrata Keswani
Both Keswani and Kovoorard delighted at the results that the film has produced. The film was released in November and has done the rounds, though it was shown to the media only last week. Keswani is quick to say that the film isn’t a replacement for test drives. When asked how much time it took to get the film ready – from brief to delivery, Kovoor said two months. Two years, we asked. No, two months, he said emphatically. “We’ve been working with Tata Motors since late 2016 and we understand the client and its products well. The film was shot entirely in Rajasthan and the outskirts of New Delhi.
And did it mean that their client had to shell out millions to produce the film. Keswani clarified that it’s possible as much as a regular TVC. And what’s more, given the way it has been produced, we can add on modules without having to
Rudrarup Maitra
We missed meeting Rudrarup Maitra - Head – International Business, Commercial Vehicles, Tata Motors, but here’s what he had to say in a communique:“The Tata Prima – Formidable 4 is a unique journey which helps us communicate to our prospective and existing customers. It redefines the way we demonstrate the versatility of the Tata Prima platform and the benefits of the Tata Prima’s technological prowess.Since the roll out of the film in November, we have been taking our fleet customers and key stakeholders through this VR experience. The experience has been able to generate excitement around Tata Prima across relevant audience and increase its
If the Ogilvy Digital films produce the desired results for Tata Motors, it’s surely going to be goodbye to PPTs and flipbook-based sales meetings.
ATKT.in, a platform for promotion talent, has assigned Archer Frères Communications to provide them with professional direction for image building, plan media relations and manage content across corporate communications and brand PR.
ATKT.in, established in July 2016, is a platform which enables youth who are talented in the arts – performing/ fine/literary– to find their audiences and grow into future legends. It showcases talent on its platforms in the form of videos, imagery and text. It has currently over 1400 videos on its YouTube channel spanning music, dance, comedy, performance poetry, rap, beat boxing, theatre and more, which has over a million views per month.
Commenting on this association Prashant Sardesai and Saurabh Kanwar, Co-founders of ATKT.in, said: “It is our pleasure to welcome Archer Frères Communications as our public relations and communications advisor. We are looking at exploring newer ways of targeting our audience, therefore our association with Archer Frères Communications is very essential. I am sure our partnership will take the brand and the business forward.â€
Jaideep Shergill, Co-founder of Archer Frères Communications, added: “We are excited by the association with ATKT. This is a very interesting space to be part of and it is also a unique business model. We look forward to powering the brand ahead and assist in it meeting its business objectives.â€
NIIT Ltd. has entrusted its digital mandate with Performics.Resultrix, the digital end-to-end solutions company under Zenith India. The business was won as part of a pitch against leading agencies.
Mayoori Kango
Confirming the development, Mayoori Kango, Managing Director, Performics.Resultrix said: “NIIT is a highly reputed, fast-paced education services major, looking for strong digital play. Digitisation is rapidly transforming the education sector. Performics.Resultrix will put in the best of people, ideas, technology and customised solutions to help NIIT navigate an evolving technology landscape and to make the most of it. We are committed to them delivering their business objectives.â€
Added Kshitij Jain, Vice President- Marketing, Global Retail Business at NIIT: “At NIIT, the one thing that binds our diverse audience across the Youth and Working Professionals seeking to upskill to stay ahead of the curve, is their digital footprint. ~95% of our consumers are online and ~85% research online before taking a decision. A large part of them are also adopting e-learning with us, especially in the Working Pro segment. We are committed to world class digital discoveries and learning experiences for our consumers. Performics.Resultrix has great credentials and provides best-in-class digital thinking, with strong offerings in media analytics, data and tech. This cemented our decision to form this partnership.
SoCheers Infotech has won digital mandate for Wok Express. The account was won following a multi-agency pitch that witnessed participation from leading agencies.
As a part of the mandate, SoCheers will manage the entire digital duties for Wok Express which includes social media management, digital engagement and strategy and will help drive business objectives. The main objective would be to create brand awareness through engaging campaigns.
Aayush Agrawal
Discussing the alliance, Aayush Agrawal, Founder & Director, Wok Express said: “We are looking at investing around Rs 100 crore into the brand and to have at least 125 locations across Mumbai, Pune, Delhi, Bengaluru and Hyderabad in the next couple of years SoCheers promises to be a strong partner in our times of growth & will be helping us bridge the gap to reach our target audience.â€
Mehul Gupta
Commenting on the win, Mehul Gupta, Co-founder & Director at SoCheers said: ‘’Wok Express has done a brilliant job at branding themselves so far across online & offline and we are excited to work on this strong marketable Asian Food QSR brand account. Taking Wok Express’ vision as ours, we are all geared up to deliver the best for the brand that will help them see a positive phenomenal change in their business.â€
Laqshya Media Group has announced the acquisition of Digitalabs, a digital marketing agency based out of Noida.
Said Rakesh Tulsiani, COO of the new division: â€For years, Digitalabs has facilitated brands with conceptualising and implementing fully integrated digital marketing strategies which stem from nothing but data and numbers. We plan to continue the same mission as part of Laqshya Media Group. Sharing the same set of values, partnering with them will not only strengthen our base, it’ll add to the diversity of customers we’ll serveâ€.
Added Agam Chaudhary, Co-founder of Digitalabs and now CMO of the division: “At Digitalabs we’ve always been a technology-driven digital marketing solutions company and with Laqshya, while we strengthen that, our clients will now reap the benefits of getting serviced by a much bigger agency with further specialized and integrated solutions. Digitalabs as part of Laqshya will now go on to define the next generation of digital marketing.â€
Commenting on the acquisition, Alok Jalan, managing director of the Laqshya Media Group said: ‘‘This is a natural corollary to our expansion into all communication platforms that help our clients engage with the Millennials. Technology will be at the center of all our offerings to our clients & Digitalabs’ first mandate is to look at convergence between OOH, Experiential & Digitalâ€.
Columbus India, the digital agency from Dentsu Aegis Network, has been appointed as the affiliate marketing agency for Snapdeal. The account was won following a direct pitch and will be handled out of the agency’s Delhi office.
As per the mandate, Columbus India will manage Snapdeal’s affiliate marketing programme which includes managing publishers globally. The agency will assign over 10 digital experts across offices in Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore and will support Snapdeal in growing its affiliate programme.
Said Anurag Gupta, CEO, Columbus India: “We look forward to this new engagement with Snapdeal and are putting all efforts to make this a success. With our performance marketing capabilities around e-commerce, we are confident of being able to help Snapdeal further strengthen its brand & business by increasing site visits, engagement and conversions.â€
Added Nitin Sabharwal, CBO, Columbus India: “For ecommerce companies, leveraging the affiliate channel is one of the most cost effective channels to achieve one-to-one performance marketing at scale. We are deploying the best in class solutions for Snapdeal to achieve their goals.
Online travel portal Yatra.com has launched its new series of advertisement commercials featuring its brand ambassador Ranbir Kapoor.
Commenting on the new TVC series that are conceptualised by Ogilvy, Sharat Dhall, COO (B2C), Yatra.com, said: “We are focused on innovating in terms of customer features and benefits, and this set of ads highlight two such industry first features –eCash loyalty points and the airfare-drop protection. With these films we are looking to attract new users to our fold, while retaining the connection with our existing customer base. The ads capture the best of Bollywood – entertaining, yet with a key consumer message, and hopefully will strike a chord with the audience.â€
Added Dhruv Mookerji, Creative, Ogilvy & Mather, Kolkata: “Bollywood has left a lasting impression on the cultural psyche of the nation. And with RanbirKapoor as the brand ambassador of Yatra, it seemed a perfect fit to merge the unique positioning of Yatra with the great musical legacy of the Kapoorkhandan.â€
After 8 years of working with Viacom18 in various roles, Gaurav Gandhi, Chief Operating Officer, Viacom18 Digital Ventures, has decided to move on. Although no replacement has been announced for Gandhi’s role thus far, according to the grapevine, the hunt is on to find a suitable person to head the division.
Commenting on the development, Sudhanshu Vats, Group CEO, Viacom18 said: “Gaurav has contributed significantly to Viacom18’s growth journey. He has led an extremely capable team to make VOOT a brand that is loved by its consumers. Gaurav has been a passionate and driven colleague whose counsel I have always valued. On behalf of all of us at Viacom18, I would like to thank Gaurav for his contribution and wish him the very best for his future endeavours.â€
Meanwhile, it is rumoured that Gandhi is all set to join as head of Amazon Prime Video.
The Board of Directors of TV18 Home Shopping Network Limited announced the appointment of Manish Kalra as Chief Executive Officer of Homeshop18.
Prior to joining Homeshop18, Kalra was Chief Marketing & Business Officer at Craftsvilla. He has also worked in the past for Amazon India, MakeMyTrip and Dell.
Speaking on his appointment, Kalra said:“I am excited to join Homeshop18 and look forward to working with and learning from the talented team there. Retail industry in India is going through a transformation phase. Team at Homeshop18 has a unique opportunity to deliver innovative products and solutions to our customers that will bring greater value to them, our suppliers, employees, investors and other stakeholders in the process. I am grateful to the HS18 board for giving me this opportunity.â€
Network18 has announced the appointment of Binoy Prabhakar and Ranjita Sehgal at CNBCTV18.com, the soon-to-be launched digital arm of CNBC-TV18. Prabhakar will be the Editor and Sehgal the Business Head of the online venture.
Binoy Prabhakar
Speaking on the appointment, Prabhakar said: “I’m thrilled to lead the launch of CNBCTV18’s web avatar at a time storytelling generally is being enriched by digital prowess. It is an honour to head the digital platform of the undisputed leader of business news in India and I look forward to working with CNBC-TV18’s incredibly talented editorial team to create a truly integrated newsroom that deepens the brand’s relationship with its loyal audiences, attract new ones, and tell vital stories.â€
Ranjita Sehgal
Added Sehgal: “It’s quite exciting to lead the digital business for a brand like CNBC-TV18, especially at a time when the digital ecosystem is constantly evolving. We aim to reinvent CNBC–TV18 in a new avatar for the digital era by leveraging the brand to create compelling content for the digital consumers.â€
Binoy will report to Santosh Menon, Chief Content Officer of Network18 Digital, and Ranjita will report to Manish Maheshwari, CEO – Network18 Digital.
Angel Broking has launched its digital ad campaign unveiling Angel Bee and thus introducing to consumers ‘The New Way to Get Rich’. Angel Broking has partnered with Leo Burnett to launch this campaign.
Commenting on the release of the campaign, Rajdeepak Das, Chief Creative Officer, Leo Burnett, South Asia said: “The Angel Bee app completely simplifies the hassles and complications related to mutual funds. It is backed by Angel Broking’s decades of financial experience, and uses AI to personalise investment plans for the consumer. The campaign breaks down the ease of financial planning and investments to the youth, and we know it will work amazingly well for both, Angel Broking and our consumers.â€
Said Gagan Singla, Chief Marketing Officer, Angel Broking: “Millennials are powerful and dynamic and at the very core of their being is the need to do things their own way. We wanted to resonate with this audience and help them understand how effectively yet effortlessly would technology get them closer to their financial dreams without compromising on the things in life that mean most to them-family, me-time, friends, passions etc. The campaign and the app itself are a testament to our belief of evolving with technology.â€
What does an auto major do to sell what it calls its ‘World-Smart Truck’? Take it on the roads across the world? Impossible. Send glossy brochures to prospective customers? Naah. Enter technology, and here’s an easy tool deployed by the folks at the commercial vehicles division of Tata Motors to give potential buyers an experience of the real thing. Well, almost.
Said Anurag Gupta, CEO, Columbus India: “We look forward to this new engagement with Snapdeal and are putting all efforts to make this a success. With our performance marketing capabilities around e-commerce, we are confident of being able to help Snapdeal further strengthen its brand & business by increasing site visits, engagement and conversions.â€
Added Nitin Sabharwal, CBO, Columbus India: “For ecommerce companies, leveraging the affiliate channel is one of the most cost effective channels to achieve one-to-one performance marketing at scale. We are deploying the best in class solutions for Snapdeal to achieve their goals.
