MxMIndia

Category: Digital

  • Social creative platform Qyuki.com has appointed Sunny Side Up to manage its creative duties

    Sunny Side Up bags creative mandate for Qyuki.com

    By A Correspondent

     

    Somak Chaudhary

    Social creative platform Qyuki.com has appointed Sunny Side Up to manage its creative duties. The six year-old agency with offices in Hyderabad and Bangalore will be involved in supporting the platform with its online campaigns for promotion and building sustainable digital assets.

     

    An initiative of Shekhar Kapur and AR Rahman, Qyuki.com intends to look at the new paradigm in social media by helping people follow their creative interests. And Qyuki will be supported by Sunny Side Up in finding newer ways of engaging with the platform’s growing user base.

     

    Qyuki.com is targeted at Indian youth residing in Tier 1, 2 and 3 markets, and Indian diaspora, aged 18 to 35 years. According to Bidisha Nagaraj, Qyuki’s Chief Marketing Officer, “The platform aims to unlock the creative potential of India by empowering people’s self-expression and enable them to build their creative identity. At Qyuki, Indian youth come together to experience differentiated content created by masters. They also get an opportunity to interact, learn and co-create content with creative experts with a potential of themselves becoming brands of the future. In Sunny Side Up, we found a partner who understands the need of a unique platform like Qyuki to continuously stay relevant to its target”.

     

  • SVG Media's leading display ad network business, Tyroo Audience, has been dissolved to make way for the data targeted display ad network, Velocity

    SVG Media launches Velocity

    By A Correspondent

     

    SVG Media (formerly known as Tyroo Media) has announced the launch of its data-backed display ad network, Velocity, in India and Asia Pacific. Velocity is pegged as the first data-backed display ad network in the region, offering targeted reach and relevant audience, and offers valuable audience segments at speed using world-class technology platforms.

     

    Velocity’s product portfolio includes offerings such as Audience Display, Video, Mobile, Rich Media, Social, Data Targeting and Speciality Display. Commenting on the launch, Manish Vij, Founder and CEO, SVG Media, said, “The online display advertising ecosystem is evolving and changing rapidly, and we at SVG Media believe in responding to changing market needs. Velocity has been created to bridge the gaps that exist in the online display advertising ecosystem. Velocity will utilize the benefits of programmatic buying using high-scale data and analytics to make display work as effectively as non-branded keyword search. ”

     

    Piyush Rathi, National Sales Director, Velocity, commented, “Data targeting is the only way forward for display advertising and we are thrilled to be the pioneers of targeted display advertising. Velocity has some 33 million unique users across multiple audience segments, and is capable of offering the right audience on digital display, including videos, irrespective of the placement and format through the use of audience data. All major display exchanges are integrated with Velocity on the display and mobile ad ecosystem, offering the opportunity to reach almost all internet users in India.”

     

    Data targeted display offered by Velocity is expected to improve CTRs by up to three times, reduce bounce rates by more than half and improve post-click engagement metrics by up to two times.

     

  • MSM has announced the launch of Sony Liv, its first digital entertainment channel, providing entertainment on the go

    Sony goes Liv with digital entertainment

    By A Correspondent

     

    Multi Screen Media (MSM) has announced a new product for digital entertainment, Sony Liv. Sony Liv is MSM’s new Video-on-Demand service, which will provide viewers a world-class viewing experience of their favourite shows from the Sony stable – Sony, Sab and Max. Viewers can watch ACP Pradyuman solve the most interesting cases on CID, revisit the most hilarious episodes of Comedy Circus and watch the 1st ever episode of Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah, online, on their personal mobile handsets and tablets, on the go, at their convenience.

     

    Apart from current shows, Sony Liv also gives viewers a chance to watch past episodes of their favourite shows on Liv Classics. In addition to episodes of all-time favourites like Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahin, Kkusum, Heena, Boogie Woogie, Movers & Shakers and Office Office, Liv will also showcase a large archive going back 17 years of movies and special events like Stardust and Filmfare Awards.

     

    The Sony Liv application is available globally for free, online on www.SonyLIV.com, for download on major app stores iTunes and Google Play (Android).

     

    Man Jit Sigh

    Commenting on the new initiative, Man Jit Sigh CEO, MSM said, “Liv is aimed at providing entertainment on the go for young India on the move. With the launch of this user-friendly and highly interactive application, Sony is slated to change the way this nation consumes entertainment. It is a great platform for brands to enhance their engagement and interactivity with today’s young consumers.”

     

     

     

    NP Singh

    NP Singh, COO, MSM, said, “Innovation is the bedrock of business at Sony and our latest offering, Sony Liv reiterates our commitment to engage and interact with our audience in a whole new way. Sony’s shows like Bade Achhe Lagte Hai, Comedy Circus, CID and Sab’s shows – Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah and FIR have very high repeat value and have been rated amongst the most viewed shows online. Through Liv, we want to strengthen our viewership in the digital space and provide the best entertainment preferences to our audience.”

     

  • Smartphones, videos, analytics are identified as the way to go this year by online marketing firm ODigMa

    Your Mom is on FB… and other key Social Media trends for 2013

     

    By A Correspondent

     

    Leading online marketing firm ODigMa has outlined six trends that are expected to define the social media landscape in India in 2013. These trends have been captured basis the company’s analysis of the social media industry, customer usage and customer demands. Says Advit Sahdev, ODigMa’s CEO and Founder, “To lead in a competitive business environment, companies and marketers need to integrate their marketing and social media strategies. Functions within businesses need to venture out of traditional marketing and social media boundaries to realise their true potential. The year 2013 will see the emergence of various new tools and platforms which can be used to augment business objectives.”

     

    Trend 1: Moving beyond Likes and linking them to assess competitiveness

     

    Most companies on social media platforms restrict their engagements to Likes, Sharing and increasing their Fan base, but companies are maturing in their social media presence. There is an immediate need to translate these engagement tools into tangible and measurable benefits.

     

    What it means: 2013 will see marketers and advertisers demand an assessment of how Likes, shares and increase in fan base will affect campaigns, product innovations, pricing and market competiveness.

     

    Trend 2: Mobile is moving to the centre of social media campaigns

     

    Internet-enabled smartphones in India reached the 24 million mark in 2012, as per Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and KPMG International. The increase in smartphone usage has spurred online activities on the move. This, coupled with a slew of new smartphone launches lined up in 2013, will make the smartphone the epicentre of all social media activities.

     

    What it means: In 2013 advertisers and marketers will need to devise a mobile strategy to meet their marketing objectives – be it retention, conversion, or branding. Engagement platforms on the mobile phone that enhance reach, and help to explore new audiences and market will be an essential element of every marketing strategy.

     

    Trend 3: The rise of video content

     

    At a time where there are zillions of mediums which hanker for a customer’s attention words no longer have a lasting impression. 2012 saw the popularity of mediums that use pictures, including Instagram Pinterest, and even Infographic. 2013 will focus on Video content, moving pictures which will speak, express and eventually leave a more lasting impression on consumers.

     

    What it means: Innovation, creativity and out of the box thinking to communicate via moving pictures will rise. Marketing decision makers will need to equip themselves with video content management insights and knowledge.

     

    Trend 4: The magic of analytics

     

    In today’s competitive environment, companies irrespective of their size and industry necessarily need to employ analytics tools to improve efficiencies. 2013 will see more traditional segments employing these tools such as governments and regulatory bodies who are required to cater to a population of over a billion citizens and not just sunrise segments such retail or telecommunications.

     

    What it means: Analytics tools will become a standard that marketing decision makers will need understand and implement to understand how their social media campaigns impact strategic goals, be they retention, conversion, or branding. Analytics tools will help companies observe the pattern of online behaviour of customers across search engines and social media platforms. They will aid businesses in customising their marketing strategies in a manner so as to attract as well retain more customers. It will be imperative for companies to gather accurate and relevant data from all these sources and analyse it for customer insight thereby significantly improving their customer acquisition and retention strategies.

     

    Trend 5: Your mother is on Facebook

     

    There is a mindset that social media is a tool to reach out to a certain demographic. 2013 is going to bust this myth. Last year has seen a diverse age group join the social media bandwagon, from grandmothers to school kids. This audience is well poised to be targeted by marketers.

     

    What it means: Marketers will need to reckon with this phenomenon and move beyond the traditional mindset that suggests that social platforms reach out to the under-30 years of age population.

     

    Trend 6: A 360-degree integrated approach

     

    Offline and Online marketing cannot work in silos any more. Marketing strategies need to take a 360 approach where both these facets complement each other.

     

    What it means: Brands will have to create campaigns wherein online programs, such as a campaign running on Facebook, will have an offline component to maximize impact.

     

     

  • Experian CheetahMail, the world's largest permission-based email marketing platform, has expanded its portfolio of clients by signing up with Cafe Coffee Day, Apnapaisa and Yepme.com

    Experian Marketing Services bags Cafe Coffee Day, Apnapaisa and Yepme

    By A Correspondent

     

    Experian CheetahMail, the world’s largest permission-based email marketing platform, has expanded its portfolio of clients by signing up with Cafe Coffee Day, Apnapaisa and Yepme.com. Experian Marketing Services will partner with these prestigious brands to help them engage with their audience through advanced email marketing strategies. These new clients join an existing roster of brands such as Makemytrip, Lemon Tree Hotels and Flipkart, helping Experian CheetahMail strengthen its position in the Indian market.

     

    On securing these new signups Naveen Bachwani, Head of Experian Marketing Services, said, “Experian CheetahMail is pleased to partner with Cafe Coffee Day, Apnapaisa and Yepme.com, to help improve the RoI on their digital marketing programs by deploying sophisticated Email Marketing strategies on the foundation of an industry-leading permission-based platform.” “Every marketer’s need is to get the right message delivered to the right consumer at the right time. The Experian CheetahMail platform and its team of highly experienced professionals, enables customers to tailor their marketing strategies to suit their consumer preferences, define an appropriate segmentation approach and maximize Inbox deliverability with measurable results.”

     

    K Ramakrishnan, President, Cafe Coffee Day, said, “CheetahMail is an email marketing platform that has helped us communicate effectively with our customers. With a robust reporting platform and hands-on help from the team, I’m confident we will be able to tailor our communication much better.”

     

    Hemang Desai, COO of Apnapaisa, said, “CheetahMail brings to ApnaPaisa a product that delivers great flexibility, combined with some of the best practices of contemporary email marketing. Today, subscriber engagement not only impacts performance but also future deliverability. Hence, working with a partner who can track and report up-to-the-minute metrics, as also advise you with real, implementable solutions to improve these metrics, is invaluable. We are delighted with our partnership with Cheetahmail.”

     

    Sandeep Sharma, Co-Founder, COO & CTO of Yepme, added, “Experian is a very dynamic company and has put in efforts to understand our business. The solution is designed to better understand our customers and help in ROI improvement through targeted marketing. The team understands the challenges of our business model, and tries to provide help in operational aspects. I think Experian’s greatest strength is their people – they are not just trying to sell you a product, but are also able to look beyond to forge a long-term partnership.”

     

  • BuzzCity research expects Indian mCommerce activity to grow, with 53% of consumers having already shopped via mobile

    ‘Consumer confidence in mcommerce at all-time high’

    By A Correspondent

     

    BuzzCity has brought out its latest quarterly report on the current trends dominating the global mobile advertising industry. The report reveals the appetite for mobile commerce is at an all-time high, with consumer confidence diminishing previous fears over security of payments – 3 percent compared to 27 percent a year ago.

     

    Dr KF Lai, CEO of BuzzCity, said, “It is clear that consumers are now far more receptive to mobile commerce than ever before; this comes as a result of continuous education by the mobile industry to overcome concerns such as trust and security, combined with falling data costs and increased capabilities of smartphones and tablets.”

     

    The unstoppable proliferation of mobile devices, along with the convenience they provide, has put online stores and the ability to compare and research purchases directly into the hands of consumers.

     

    BuzzCity’s research illustrates how shoppers are using their phones to “browse and buy” – search engines and social media are a major source of information, along with 14 percent using review and comparison sites, and 17 percent relying on friends’ recommendations. However, mobile advertisements are still influencers to a purchase with 17 percent claiming to have been persuaded to buy via an ad. With this wide range of mobile touch points brands need to continue to develop an optimum shopping experience, in order to reap the rewards of all that mobile commerce has to offer.

     

    This latest report highlights a key factor in the mobile purchasing chain – convenience.  With 74 percent of consumers using mobile for last-minute purchases, linked to the increasing prevalence of mobile vouchers and QR codes to drive people to connect mobile with the offline world.

     

    Dr Lai added,  “Mobile is now the first screen for many. Our research shows that there are many influences involved in consumers’ decisions when shopping via a mobile device. Marketers must ensure that they put strategy before tactics and take into consideration user behaviour as well as multi-screen viewing. Any brand embarking on global campaigns should bear in mind that consumer reliance on these services can differ greatly by region, and merchants need to understand these cultural nuances by localizing content strategies and apportioning resources accordingly.”

     

    Other highlights of the report include:

    • India saw four quarters of double digit growth and closed off with a year-on-year growth of 46%.
    • While Nokia remains top device in India, its dominance is being challenged by Samsung
    • Mobile surfing expected to grow in India as smartphone penetration increases beyond 25%.

     

  • Bijoe George, VP, Rapp, will now handle Rapp India's operations in the West and South. Saugata Bagchi, VP, Tribal DDB, will now be in charge of the West & South operations for Tribal DDB through the Tribal DDB presence in Mumbai and Bangalore

    Saugata Bagchi, Bijoe George get wider roles at Tribal DDB, Rapp India

    By A Correspondent

     

    Saugata Bagchi
    Bijoe George

    Saugata Bagchi and Bijoe George are taking on additional roles for Tribal DDB and Rapp India respectively. Mr George, VP – Rapp, will now handle Rapp India’s operations in the West and South. He will also continue his lead role on the HP business that is a key client for Rapp in India. Mr Bagchi, VP Tribal DDB, will now be in charge of the West & South operations for Tribal DDB through the Tribal DDB presence in Mumbai and Bangalore.

     

    Both of them will continue to report to Venkat Mallik, President, Tribal DDB and Rapp India.

     

    Tribal DDB is a digital agency while Rapp is a new age data-driven multi-channel agency. Rapp and Tribal DDB are members of the DDB Mudra Group and the Omnicom Group world-wide.

     

    Commenting on his new role, Mr Bagchi said, “We’ve had a strong hold in the western market and were able to further consolidate it in 2012. I am very excited about this new opportunity and believe that with our new improved digital skill-sets, our clients in Southern India will increasingly contribute to the fast pace of growth that we’ve set for Tribal DDB India.”

     

    Mr George said, “Over the last few years Rapp India has won many blue-chip clients and 2013 would further propel our growth story. It would be exciting to lead this growth and transformation. Given Rapp’s legacy in the data analytics space combined with its media-neutral offering, clients across verticals will find the Rapp proposition a compelling one.”

     

    Venkat Mallik

    Venkat Mallik, President, Tribal DDB and Rapp India, said, “We have had a very good 2012 for both Tribal DDB & Rapp. The new structure with expanded roles for Bijoe and Saugata will help us leverage their skills better &build on the progress we have made in 2012. The year 2013 should see us deepening our capabilities and delivering higher quality business and creative solutions for our clients while we build Rapp and Tribal DDB into stronger, bigger communications agencies.”

     

  • A responsive website automatically adapts and resizes itself according to the resolution of a device. Hence, a single site is displayed in different visual formats with flexible images and fluid grids

    Zoom TV launches responsive website Zoomtv.in

    By A Correspondent

     

    Bollywood channel Zoom has ramped up its internet presence with a new responsive website, Zoomtv.in. Developed by Times Internet, the new website automatically adapts and resizes itself according to the resolution of a device. Hence, a single site is displayed in different visual formats with flexible images and fluid grids. In today’s world of multi-screen experiences, like phones, tablets, and computers, responsive sites automatically adjust to give the best experience for each one.

     

    Zoom TV has already established itself in the social media space, with 3.2 million fans on its Facebook page, 1.6 lakh subscribers on YouTube and a strong presence across Google+, Twitter, Socialcam and Pinterest.

     

    Satyan Gajwani

    The content on the website has also undergone a strong refresh. Besides regular channel programming, the site will feature exclusive videos and unused footages from the channel to offer depth to its video content. Satyan Gajwani, CEO, Times Internet, said, “Times Internet prides itself in developing cutting edge digital platforms. This is our first responsive design product for the market, complemented with a very strong technology platform. As consumption becomes multi-screen, ZoomTV.in is well positioned to serve content across devices.”

     

     

    Avinash Kaul

    “We have been, and continue to be, very serious about the digital presence of Zoom. We are revolutionizing the way we cover and distribute Bollywood content across platforms in relevant ways that inform and entertain our users at all times,” said Avinash Kaul, CEO, Zoom TV.

     

  • Reliance Broadcast Network has launched Big RTL Thrill And Big Magic on Ditto TV, India's first 'Over-The-Top' TV distribution platform

    RBNL launches Big Thrill, Magic on Ditto TV

    By A Correspondent

     

    Reliance Broadcast Network (RBNL) has announced the launch of their channels Big RTL Thrill and Big Magic on Ditto TV, India’s first Over-The-Top (OTT) TV distribution platform offering live TV and on demand content on mobile phones, tablets, laptops, desktops, entertainment boxes and connected TVs.

     

    This is a next step ahead for the channels to engage with audiences through the digital platform, in addition to the traditional television medium. The tie-up also offers video-on-demand content.

     

    Sunil Kumaran

    Sunil Kumaran, Business Head, Language TV, Reliance Broadcast Network said, “Around the world and in India, digital media has transformed the way consumers perceive and consume entertainment. The immense penetration of the internet and the growing number of smart televisions and internet-enabled mobile devices are stimulating demand and we believe this will transform into a very significant viewing platform in time. Ditto TV is a promising new distribution tool and we are pleased to launch our channels through the platform. We are confident that it will help expand our channel offerings and reach.”

     

     

    Vishal Malhotra

    Commenting on the alliance, Vishal Malhotra, Business Head, New Media at Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd said, “This partnership with Reliance Broadcast Network spells a momentous occasion for Ditto TV ensuring that we continue to delight our customers across the world with rich, premium and quality content, anytime, anywhere. Ditto TV will continue to drive innovation in this sector, thereby consolidating our position as a pre-eminent OTT distribution platform worldwide. We are extremely proud of this partnership with Reliance Broadcast Network and are confident that our customers will enjoy the variety that it brings to the Ditto TV offering.”

     

    Ditto TV, as an application, is available on leading application stores such as Apple App Store, Android Market, BlackBerry Application World and Intel AppUp. Ditto TV’s prepaid cards are also retailed at high-footfall outlets like Croma and Vijay Sales with whom Ditto TV has entered a distribution alliance. For Windows and Mac PCs the app can be downloaded from www.dittotv.com.

     

  • The iButterfly application, which has won many industry awards, creates a virtual environment where marketers can push branded messages or promotional information to their target audience by transforming simple content into colourful virtual butterflies

    Dentsu Digital launches mobile marketing platform iButterfly

    By A Correspondent

     

    Originally developed by Dentsu Inc., “iButterfly” was first launched in Japan in 2010 as a “Coupon Entertainment” platform. It’s innovative design and simple user experience soon connected with consumers across the country and became a massive marketing success story.

     

    After creating waves in Japan, iButterfly has been successfully launched across the Asian region by many Dentsu network agencies. Markets include Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Thailand and others.

     

    The iButterfly application, which has won many industry awards, works through a combination of three technologies : Augmented Reality, Motion Sensing and GPS. It creates a virtual environment where marketers can push branded messages or promotional information to their target audience by transforming simple content into colourful virtual butterflies that can be ‘caught’ on mobile devices and stored through a simple swipe action.

     

    Once these butterflies are caught they can be collected and redeemed or traded for exciting offers. These virtual butterflies can also be exchanged amongst friends & family. iButterfly is also integrated into social media, ie Facebook, where consumers can keep track of new offers and information on various brands by signing up for and following the iButterfly conversation.

     

    Dentsu Digital India is introducing this engagement platform in India for the first time with more enhanced features that are custom-built for the Indian consumer.

     

    With the increasing smartphone penetration in urban India, as well as the huge demand for mobile apps and games, from a marketers perspective the uniqueness of “iButterfly” is that one can select a designated time, range and location where butterflies can be introduced – this adds to the flexibility of running multiple campaigns across various locations.

     

    Apart from offers and privileges, marketers can also publish brand information or hyperlink the butterflies to their own official website , apps or even Facebook fan pages. iButterfly can also trigger consumer purchase behaviour by driving them to visit retail stores to collect special edition brand butterflies, therefore stimulating impulse purchase for a brand and increasing the opportunity to sell.

     

    Rohit Ohri, Chairman of Dentsu India Group, said, “iButterfly is a truly transformational platform that will help brands in India create massive differentiation. In a highly fragmented media environment today, brands need to connect with consumers in a disruptive yet simple way. And iButterfly does exactly that by putting the experience right into the hands of the customers.  For customers today, it’s all about the power of immediacy and instant gratification.”

     

    How to play iButterfly:-

    1. Free download iButterfly at iTunes store

    2. Turn the mobile device left and right to catch butterflies

    3. Once the Butterfly is saved and stored

    4. Click the Butterfly to view details of content

    5. Hyperlink to brand’s website

    6. Enjoy special offers and discount at retail points

    7. Search for your favorite Butterflies via Google maps and continue to catch them at various locations

    8. Now share your Butterflies via Facebook or Bluetooth with friends and family

    To find out more about iButterfly, visit http://www.iButterfly.in

     

     

  • Ignitee Digital Services has been signed on as the digital marketing partner by American Swan, the global online and lifestyle brand owned by The American Swan Lifestyle Company

    Ignitee bags digital duties of American Swan

    By A Correspondent

     

    Ignitee Digital Services has been signed on as the digital marketing partner by American Swan, the global online and lifestyle brand owned by The American Swan Lifestyle Company.

     

    Ignitee Digital Services will undertake to establish a strong digital footprint for American Swan in the fast growing Indian lifestyle and fashion segment. It has developed the corporate website for American Swan and will now manage the brand’s social media campaigns and communication across assets including Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and YouTube. Additionally, Ignitee will also manage the digital media planning and buying for the brand across platforms.

     

    Atul Hegde

    Atul Hegde, CEO, Ignitee Digital Services, said, “The fashion and lifestyle segment in e-commerce has shown the largest growth this year. It’s a crowded but very exciting space to be in. American Swan with its globally designed products is uniquely placed to leverage this booming trend online. Ignitee will put all its might in making American Swan one of the premier fashion brands online.”

     

    According to a recent report by Google India, apparel and accessories has emerged as the second biggest product category with 30 percent market share in the e-commerce space. Other categories that have witnessed a significant growth online include beauty and personal care with 10 percent, and home and furnishing with 6 percent market share respectively.

     

    On partnering with Ignitee Digital Services, Anurag Rajpal, Director and CEO, The American Swan Lifestyle Company said, “The American Swan brand has been conceived and developed to be aspirational, accessible and affordable. We aim for a differentiation through our brand proposition and positioning to offer affordable luxury to an aspiration-led audience. We want to bring our target audience closer to the brand through our digital activities and for this we have brought Ignitee Digital on board.”

     

  • With digitization the mantra of the times, digital archiving of media libraries is now in focus

    It’s the time to go digital!

     

    By Ananya Saha

     

    Media libraries are a rich source of history, especially given the vast history of journalism in India. And looking up this treasure trove of information has been made far easier with the advent of the digital age. No more thick tomes and long afternoons among the shelves – Google has quickly become the one-stop for all searches. But not everything is on the internet, and there is an increasingly urgent need for proper digitization of media archives and libraries, to both preserve information better and also make it easily accessible.

     

    Speaking at the first National Conference of Association of Media Libraries and Archives (AMLANC-2013) on the theme, ‘Managing Indian Media Libraries and Archives: Challenges, Opportunities and Best Practices’, Jawhar Sircar, CEO, Prasar Bharati, predicted that as the Indian media continues to grow, the future prospects of media libraries and archives is very bright and “the latest developments technology is playing a major role in offering digital and online library and archival services in various media organizations”.

     

    In his brief address, Chaitanya Kalbag, Editor-in-Chief, Business Today, stressed on the importance of the availability of high-quality and authentic information for journalists. He further stated that it is the professional duty of media libraries and archives to constantly innovate and offer value-added library and information services in media organizations. Mr Kalbag said, “Every issue of the 21-year-old Business Today has been digitally archived.”

     

    ED!

    So why is a feature on media libraries and digital archiving the Big Story today?

    Because the heart of any newsroom is its library and digital archiving resource. I still remember how as a rookie journalist in the late ’80s in Mumbai, I would discuss story ideas with the librarians at the Indian Express and Centre for Education and Documentation (CED) reference sections. They would often come up with suggestions and provide clips of stuff that I hadn’t even heard of.

     

    Now, as the biggest reference source in the world in the form of the internet (and more specifically Wikipedia) easily accessible to all of us, not many of us acknowledge the role of a library or a digital archiving system in news media. Journalists are satisfied with the web presence of all content and the only reason why a librarian is sought after is to enable the easy tracing of file photographs. As one media CFO asked me a few years back, do you need a medium ticket librarian to do all of this? Can’t a couple of entry level staffers do the job?

     

    It’s critical that the ‘librarian’ or the ‘digital archivist’ is made an integral part of a newsroom. Let her/him be part of news meetings. Equip this team with ‘infographicists’ and see how archives-based content can make a newspaper or magazine come alive. Ditto with news television. For this to happen, it’s vital that those running libraries in news media organizations move out of their cubicles and get proactive.

     

    I wasn’t able to make it to the first National Conference of the Association of Media Libraries and Archives in Delhi, but by way of our editorial coverage as well as MxMIndia being a  Media Partner, we’ve tried to promote the cause. For, even as we can’t do without Google and Wikipedia, there is a huge role that the library and archives section can play in a newsroom.

     

    – Pradyuman Maheshwari

    Editor-in-Chief, MxMIndia.com 

    Why do digital?

    Dr Dinesh Katre, Associate Director, C-DAC said, “Digital preservation provides benefits such as legal protection, knowledge heritage for future work or generations, trend analysis, reuse etc.” If the data is not digitally archived, the heaps of papers might just become a part of library with no or limited access and loss of data in the long run. With 24X7 inflow of news, it is impossible for someone to go through heaps of newspaper archives. Everybody needs information at a click of a button.

     

    A media enterprise basically needs two broad types of information sources to expand its body of knowledge as well as carry out its business process, according to R Venkata Kesavan, DGM & Head, Times Archives & Knowledge Centre, a) editorial information sources and b) business information sources. “While the professionals working in a media organisation may have more than one information source, it is primarily the responsibility of a media library/information centre to cater to the information needs of employees from time to time.

     

    Mr Kesavan said that the TAKC was set up over a century ago in Mumbai, and the centre now has digitally archived all Times of India editions since the first issue – Nov 3, 1838. He highlighted how the three A’s rule the digital preservation: Authenticity, authentication and access. Not all articles or pictures, according to the archivists, are preserved. Only the authentic exclusive articles and pictures are usually archived digitally.

     

    Digital preservation is the need of the hour, yes, but enough it is also important to keep in mind the reasons to go digital. It is important to create ‘fit for purpose’ project management; identify the users and organisational needs; draw up a development policy and project management plan. Besides it is also important to digitize authentic copyright articles or images, especially in a media group. What is also important that budget estimates are prepared well in advance. Once the content digitization process begins, it is imperative for the organisation to educate the employees to make appropriate use of the digital archives. Besides adding value to the parent organisation, digital archives also help in saving the time of library staff and information users.

     

    Media houses, such as DNA and Times of India, are also earning revenues off their digital archives through syndication services. The syndication is not only available on articles, but also on cartoons and images. TOI’s digital archive from 1838-2003 is charged for the users. For newspapers like DNA, being born in digital era is an advantage since all their editions are e-editions as soon as they go into print. According to Priya Pai of DNA, archival system is important to collate and build intellectual property. DNA has been syndicating its content since January 2006.

     

    “Apart from syndication, digital archiving helps ad sales team in special features and supplements by providing background information and pictures from the archives. We can also trace the articles that were published in the newspaper in past so as to help make the pitch to convince the clients for ads,” Ms Pai shared.

     

     

    Framework of digital archiving

    • Data capture and creation: Formats and compression; managing hardware and software; copyright IPR and ethics; metadata; indexing and cataloguing
    • Data Access and Delivery: Search and retrieval; access management
    • Data Collection Management: Database creation and system design; workflow and procedure management; quality assurance
    • Digital Preservation: Storage and archiving

     

     

    Benefits of digital archiving

    • Anytime, anywhere availability of authentic data
    • Information can be uploaded on continuous basis
    • Wider access
    • Monetization possibilities though syndication
    • Improved preservation

     

     

    Issues regarding digital archiving

    • Non-availability of quality manpower
    • Digital preservation of huge volume of archival data
    • Data security of digital archives
    • Maintaining copyright
    • Analogue to digital conversion remains an expensive process
    • Evolution of, and obsolete, storage media

    Challenges

    The benefits of digital archiving do not come without challenges. Careful planning is required when building digital archive. Issues such as copyright clearance, metadata issues and project management can have severe impact on both resources and time. Dr Katre said that the data that is stored on software today, might become obsolete in another 20 or 50 years, as technology changes every six months now and “we do not even have access to systems that can read data on floppies”.

     

    India does not have a legal framework regarding digitized data unlike the US. Digital records do not have legal sanctity in India. Copyright is always critical for media houses. Then there are technology issues, which includes conversion and security. The protection of copyright data, however, can be beefed up with encryption technology, watermarking, digital signature and back up, and signing contracts with outsourced digital archiving management.

     

    Vrunda Pathare, Chief Archivist, Godrej & Boyce, also put forth her concerns. “It is not really true that if data is digitally archived, it is preserved. There is an increasing unreliability of storage mediums and obsolete technology. And to convert analogue data to digital is very expensive, even for corporates like us.”

     

    Digital preservation is a constant interaction between data and technology. Thus, inter-disciplinary co-operation becomes imperative. Trained manpower that understands and adapts to changing technology is also a concern for the industry.

     

    But as Mr Kesavan concluded, “Nobody has the perfect answer to digital preservation for every case. If we try we may fail; if we do not try we will certainly fail.”

     

     

    AMLANC has been jointly organised by the Association of Media Libraries & Archives (AMLA) and Central Library, Jawaharlal Nehru University. MxM India is the Media Partner of the conference. In the two-day conference about 40 papers on the main theme and related sub-themes will be presented.