MxMIndia

Category: MEDIA

  • Jhalak Dikhla Ja, the celebrity dance show in its fifth season, premiered on July 16 on Colors

    Colors jumps to No 2, thanks to JDJ

    By A Correspondent

     

    Reality shows are the flavour of the season; and the latest entry to the bandwagon is Colors’ Jhalak Dikhla Ja.  The celebrity dance show in its fifth season premiered on July 16 on Colors and thanks to the show, the channel saw its highest growth this week. Colors has jumped to No. 2 again.

     

    According to the latest data for week 24, Star Plus is on number 1 position with 268 GRPs this week (last week 269). Zee TV has slipped to No. 3 with 212 GRPs (last week 203). Sony Entertainment Television went below the 200 mark, at No. 4, the channel has recorded 187 GRPs (last week 201).

     

    DID Little Masters on Zee has been doing well for the channel, but saw a drop in TVR ratings (2.8)  as Jhalak Dikhla Ja  got a 3.13 TVR. Both are dance shows, but whereas one deals with children, the other has celebrities like Madhuri Dixit and Karan Johar to its credit.

     

    So what worked for the show as well as the channel? Dinesh Rathore, vice president, India- West, MediaVest Worldwide, feels that though celebrities do arouse curiosity and makes them switch to a particular channel, there is no dearth of celebrities on television today as most reality shows feature them. “I think the show has done well on its opening weekend because of the initial curiosity. It would be difficult to say if it will continue to do so for the channel. We’ll just have to wait and watch.”

     

    Monaz Todywalla, general manager, Madison Media, said: “From the content point of view, the show is well packaged and promoted. Hence, it was bound to get such ratings on the opening weekend. However, the channel cannot rest on the shows shoulders alone. If it wants to remain on the slot or even reach the numero uno position, it will have to do a lot more, especially content wise.”

     

    Meanwhile, Zee TV’s DID Li’L Masters which earned a launch rating of 5.8 is adding a Bollywood flavour to its show on the coming Sunday with a tribute to the iconic dancing stars of Indian cinema.

     

    Surely what we have seen is a mere ‘jhalak’ of the two warring dance shows.

     

  • MxMIndia gets you reactions from industry stakeholders on the government's decision to postpone the digitization deadline for Phase I to October 31, 2012

    Can we achieve the October 31 deadline?

     

    By Shruti Pushkarna

     

    Under mounting pressure from various stakeholders, the government announced an extension of four months for the first phase of digitization of cable television. Digital Addressable System (DAS) will now be effective from November 1 in the four metros, Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata and Mumbai.

     

    A press release issued by the I&B Ministry read: “The Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Amendment Act, 2011 has made it mandatory for switchover of the existing analogue Cable TV networks to Digital Addressable System (DAS) by December 2014, in a phased manner. In respect of four metros of Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai, the digital switchover is mandated to be completed by 30th June 2012.”

     

    But towards the end in the press note, the ministry acknowledged that keeping ground realities in mind, the MIB is compelled to set a new deadline. The statement reads, “…keeping in view public interest and after intensive and extensive consultations, as well as written commitments from all the stakeholders, for fully implementing the regulations of TRAI, the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting has decided to modify the 30th June deadline for a complete switch over to 31st October 2012 for all four Metro Cities i.e Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata. All the TRAI regulations for DAS will come into effect from 1st November, 2012.”

     

    The extension was announced notwithstanding the pending matters before the Delhi and Bombay High Courts and the TDSAT. The Bombay High Court will hear the petition on June 21 and the Delhi High Court will hear the matter on June 25, which is also the date when TDSAT will hear a similar matter filed by LCOs and IndusInd Media & Communications Ltd.

     

    Soon after the announcement of the new sunset date, MxMIndia spoke to various stakeholders to get their reactions on the new timeline and to find out if October 31 is an achievable deadline. While some welcomed the government’s decision for postponement to November 1, others felt that the extension issued by the ministry is not enough for the humongous task at hand.

     

    MSOs welcome the govt’s decision, though some still unsure of achieving the deadline

    Ashok Mansukhani

    Ashok Mansukhani, Director, IndusInd Media & Communications Ltd said: “I think it’s a sensible development and it will help in smooth transition to digitization. The new date is completely achievable, it was fully discussed in the taskforce. I don’t know about Tamil Nadu since the government there is supposed to install the set top boxes but for the other three metros, certainly it will happen. It’s a welcome step and it was fully discussed in the taskforce and it’s a natural result of the taskforce deliberation.”

     

    JS Kohli, CEO, Digicable said: “We are happy with the postponement. Although it’s not a six month extension but yes we can deliver on the new date. We are satisfied with the extension.”

     

    JS Kohli

    Ravi Gupta, Independent MSO, Delhi said: “The new sunset date is good although it is two months less than what we were expecting. They should have given a six months extension, I still don’t think we can achieve the task by November 1. A lot of digital headends are under installation and integration is what takes time. I don’t think anyone from the ministry has done a detailed study of this process. No senior official from the ministry or from the TRAI has visited a digital headend. A minimum of six months extension should have come.”

     

    LCOs happy with the extension but feel four months not enough

    MR Srinivasan, General Secretary, Chennai Metro Cable TV Operators Association said: “It is good in a way because we are not yet ready because in Chennai only 2 lakh boxes are available. But now atleast we have some breathing time. Moreover, the government of Tamil Nadu is planning to start some MSO operation in Chennai, so it’s some relief and we have some time to plan ahead and be ready before the sunset date. Actually we expected an extension upto December but atleast we have got a slight relief, something is better than nothing.”

     

    Sanjay McGee, Local Cable Operator, East Delhi said: “Although it’s a good decision, in the last meeting between LCOs and I&B Ministry, Rajiv Takru agreed that four months extension was not enough. At first the ministry refused any extension, but when we urged on atleast three months extension, Rajiv Takru stated that if there has to be an extension then take atleast six months. But they have taken a middle path and decided on four months. They shouldn’t have announced the extension at this point, they should have waited till June 29. Now the consumer will not take the deadline seriously and the pace will slow down. If we keep working at the same pace as of today, then we might be able to achieve the new deadline.”

     

    Swapan Chowdhury, General Secretary, Cable & Broadband Operators’ Welfare Association, Kolkata said: “I am not satisfied because four months will not cover up the whole situation. Government might have given an extension but they have not considered any facts and figures. I say that because 70 per cent in Kolkata still don’t have set top boxes (STBs), so four months are not enough for deployment of such a huge number of STBs. It will not even happen on November 1. Maybe another 20 or 30 per cent seeding will be done up till the new date but what about the remaining numbers. In the June 8 meeting with the I&B Minister it was categorically mentioned that none of the government appointed nodal officers have checked the actual seeding position or the status of ordered material. Unless and until the government studies the ground situation deeply it will again fall back. The actual facts are different from what’s being presented on paper. They should have given an extension upto atleast Jan 1.”

     

    Broadcasters disappointed with the postponement, suggest on strict penalties for those who don’t adhere to the timelines

    Sunil Lulla

    Sunil Lulla, Managing Director & CEO, Times Television Network said: “It’s a complete disappointment. What is the guarantee that the new date will be held, when there is a date set by law, why should the date be changed? A lot of time, money and effort has gone by broadcasters in promoting and communicating the date and making sure consumers went along. The industry and the consumer suffers because there are some parts of the entire constituent which may not have adhered to these deadlines, may not have implemented the seeding of the boxes. This was announced on the net through a press release, the government hasn’t really notified us. I think it would have made sense for them to invite all stakeholders and agree on a new date if there was to be one and to a process by which these date wont slip.”

     

    Rahul Sood

    Rahul Sood, Head- Network Distribution & Affiliate Sales, NDTV said: “Basically LCOs were pushing for a Jan 1 timeline and broadcasters were saying that if you have to give an extension, it should be only for three months. So I guess they have taken a middle path by extending it upto October 31. The TRAI guidelines which came out on April 30 were such that within six months there has to be implementation of the same. I think that’s the loophole that MSOs and LCOs were quoting and asking for a minimum six months extension. So keeping all that in mind, I think ministry has taken this step. But if as an industry we have this discussion again on October 20, then it’s a real shame. There should be no excuses now, timelines have been extended, now there has to be a joint willingness to from all stakeholders to make sure this happens. While they have issued this date change, I think with that strict penalties and penalization code should be put in place as well for those who don’t adhere to the new timelines.”

     

    An independent commentator says new sunset date ill-conceived

    Dinyar Contractor

    Dinyar Contractor, Editor and Executive Publisher, Satellite and Cable TV Magazine said: “This is not going to work, this date is ill-conceived. There is no way that set top boxes can be procured and deployed in that timeframe even if the order is released today. As I’ve mentioned earlier, delivery time on set top boxes alone is around four months so this extension makes no sense except postponing one more extension. Any date prior to end of December is not realistic and is not going to resolve the problems or the issue, which is obtaining and deploying set top boxes. So I feel that the extension is inappropriate.”

     

  • The I&B ministry ought to have known that the June 30 sunset date for the four metros was unachievable, writes Pradyuman Maheshwari

    Mediaah! Why Ambika Soni is to blame for the delay in digitization

    By Pradyuman Maheshwari

     

    I have been a huge fan of the current information and broadcasting minister Ambika Soni. After the likes of Priyaranjan Dasmunshi and Anand Sharma, Madame Soni’s tenure came as a breath of fresh air. And a much-needed one, because she didn’t make life miserable for the broadcasters like her predecessors did (and I am told wanted her to).

     

    The I&B minister’s job is a thankless one. Several hundred Parliamentarians and politicians, consumer groups, corporates, lobbies and alert citizens writing to her with comments and requests, and most of which cannot be ignored.  If Colors didn’t face any problems with Balika Vadhu or Star Plus didn’t have to pull out Sach Ka Saamna, it’s thanks to the minister warding off various pressures.

     

    I think just keeping all these complainants at bay and letting the various players do their job is an achievement. She has also gently ensured that news and non-news broadcasters adopt a stringent (and effective) self-regulatory mechanism.

     

    So what’s the problem? Well, part of it is thanks to successive I&B secretaries having short tenures. Uday Kumar Varma, the incumbent, also has a two-year stint prior to retirement or an extension. Mr Varma has the advantage of having worked with MIB in the past at senior positions so he didn’t spend a few months understanding the nuances of the job as a few of his predecessors may have had to.

     

    Over the last few months, several industry captains and observers have told me that the ministry is inefficient which I have vociferously countered by saying Ms Soni’s achievements need to be counted by her proactive opposition to regressive forces. At least one CEO even told that me that I was too pro-MIB. Perhaps, but that’s because she’s not regressive.

     

    However, the fact is that the ministry lacks the initiative to deliver on bold measures. Nothing happened with Doordarshan even as much was promised when it celebrated its golden jubilee in 2009. The radio sector is still floundering: there is still no news on radio even as television stations even in the most sensitive of zones in the country are allowed to air news. The minister wasn’t able to stand up to her colleague in the food and consumer affairs department on ad regulation and more recently it’s made a mess of the entire digitization process.

     

    The Minister and her secretariat were aware of the requirements of the process, so even before accepting the TRAI regulations, they ought to have looked at whether the Sunset Date of June 30 was achievable. It wasn’t as most stakeholders told us.

     

    Even now, as a few of the people familiar with the situation on the ground have told me that October 31 is going to be a tough ask.

     

    It’s critical that the government monitors the execution carefully and ensures that there is no room for any further delays. Care must also be taken to ensure that the respective state governments and municipal corporations are taken into confidence… especially in Chennai and Kolkata.

     

    As to those who raise the bogey that digitization puts television out of the reach of the lowest common denominator, the answer is that they can always access terrestrial transmission. Quality software must be paid for.

     

    Meanwhile, all is not lost for the Honourable Minister. She must get aggressive on digitization and various other pending issues in her ministry. Or let history remember her as one more ineffective I&B ministers that India has had.

     

    Buzz me if you have a story to tell. Confidentiality assured. There are various ways you can reach me:

    pradyumanm[at]mxmindia.com, Gtalk pradyumanm@gmail.com, Twitter @pmahesh and of course the mobile: 98338 76278.  The views expressed here are my own.

     

  • The launch marks its international foray and also exclusively partnership with The Ethnic Channels Group

    RBNL’s BIG Magic launches in Canada

    By A Correspondent

     

    Reliance Broadcast Network Ltd has expanded its reach into the international markets with the launch of BIG Magic International in Canada. Building on the brand lineage of its recently launched channel in India- BIG Magic; the new channel has been tailored to suit the entertainment preferences of the sizeable South Asian diaspora in Canada.

     

    The channel will offer audiences a mix of daily sitcoms, shows on varied genres ranging from socio-mytho and dramas to crime and daily business news from Bloomberg UTV. The channel has partnered with Ethnic Channels Group (EGCL), a Canada-based television broadcasting, distribution and communications company, specializing in multicultural television channels for the North American market.

     

    Tarun Katial, CEO, Reliance Broadcast Network Ltd. said: “We are happy to reach out to the Canadian market with BIG Magic International which has been designed to fulfil the need gaps in the infotainment genre for South Asian audiences there. The channel will bring an increasing variety of fresh and relevant programming to the viewers which will include not just entertainment but also daily business updates from India. With this move, we are optimizing the use of our robust and extensive content library to reach out to both viewers and marketers in the market. The launch of BIG Magic International opens new and exciting opportunities for the execution of our expansion and growth strategy.”

     

    One of the USPs of the channel will be three fresh, 30-minute updates each day with the latest news from the Indian capital markets. The channel will also feature a special weekend feature show created around the Indian business world and investments inI ndia.

     

    With Ethnic Channels Group as its exclusive representative inCanada, the channel will be available across all major platforms like Rogers Cable, Bell DTH and Bell Fibe. With a robust reach in place, the channel will reach a relevant audience base of 0.2 million across these platforms. The revenue model is based on subscription and ad-sales.

     

    “With our continued expansion into new genres, these channels are a welcome addition to the ECG family,” said Slava Levin, Co-founder and CEO of Ethnic Channels Group. Said Hari Srinivas, President of Ethnic Channels Group: “We are happy to partner with Reliance Broadcast Network to launch BIG Magic International which is a first of its kind variety entertainment channel, which will cut across clutter and appeal to the larger south Asian Diaspora inCanada.”

     

     

  • The report noted Text100's early focus on digital, along with the strength of its leadership team, product and service development, and regional campaigns

    Text100 named digital consultancy of the year

    By A Correspondent

     

    Text100 APAC has been named Digital Consultancy of the Year for 2012 by The Holmes Report. The report noted Text100’s early focus on digital, along with the strength of its leadership team, product and service development, and regional campaigns.

     

    As reported by The Holmes Report, Text100 was one of the first firms to position itself as a leader inAsia’s fast-growing social media arena, launching a sophisticated range of services in 2008. And, unlike many of its global peers, many of the network’s digital efforts are led by the region, under the oversight of global social media lead Jeremy Woolf.

     

    In 2011 the firm broadened its capabilities, launching a dedicated design and digital support hub inMalaysia, expanding its digital headcount, and stepping up a digital training programme that is as advanced as any in the region.

     

    All of those efforts paid off, as its Cisco ‘Flip Your Profile’ programme landed the Global and Asia-Pacific SABRE Award recognition in the social media category, and Text grew its digital mandate for numerous clients, including IBM, Lenovo, Yahoo, Cisco and Nokia.

     

    “At Text100, we define ‘Digital’ as something that encompasses all forms of communications that are technology-enabled and we ensure all our staff are digitally certified and capable of delivering our services to clients,” said Anne Costello, Regional Director, South Asia Text100 APAC.  “Achieving this status from The Holmes Report goes a long way as we continue to follow our vision of shaping the most influential conversations in the digital age and beyond.”

     

  • The OOH campaign is executed by Milestone Brandcom and is spread across various outdoor formats to optimize impact

    Milestone stirs up Nestle’s Junior Daheez launch

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Nestle team decided to launch Junior Daheez inDelhiusing an extensive out of home (OOH) campaign with more than 50 + sites in the city. The creative of the campaign, developed by Publicis Capital, showcase an image of Toy Train carrying two cups of Junior Dahi.

     

    As a part of the campaign, the cups innovatively rotate on the train which helps in catching more eyeballs. The OOH campaign is executed by Milestone Brandcom and is spread across various outdoor formats to optimize impact. The outdoor formats include billboards, unipoles, bus queue shelters, strategically located at major arterials roads ofDelhi.

     

    Ravi Rockey Ambrose, Sr. Vice President, Milestone Brandcom said: “We are thrilled to work on the brand. The brief from the Nestle team was to deliver the most impactful plan for launch of Junior Dahi and I am thrilled that the team has ensured the same.”

     

    The on-going campaign kicked off on May 18 and continued till the first week of June.

  • Association with Sunteck: first step to bring Disney inspired homes to India

    Disney India eyes in-home segment

    By A Correspondent

     

    Disney Consumer Products (India) announced its association with Sunteck Realty Ltd, a Mumbai based real estate company to launch Disney-inspired homes in Mumbai. This will be DisneyIndia’s first foray to bring Disney-inspired interiors and exteriors in the Indian real estate market for Indian kids and families at the proposed property in Goregaon by Sunteck Realty.

     

    “We are pleased to be working with Sunteck to offer Indian families an opportunity to bring a piece of Disney magic into their homes. Disney’s beloved characters and stories have inspired multiple generations of fans,” said Roshini Bakshi, managing director, Consumer Products, Retail and Publishing, Disney UTV. “Our Disney Home products span across total home solutions  and we look forward to bringing more Disney inspired home environments and décor to kids and families inIndia.”

     

    “Our association with Disney in Mumbai helps us differentiate our offering from the other players in the market and breaks through the clutter to offer families their dream home. We are excited to be the first ones to bring Disney inspired homes toIndia,” said Kamal Khetan, Chairman & Managing Director of Sunteck Realty. “This association with Walt Disney reiterates our commitment to deliver niche living spaces to discerning customers.”

     

    Disney fans can choose from their favourite Disney stories or its beloved characters and own family spaces that are colourful, timeless and inspiring. Disney inspired homes will have Disney branded furnishing, home décor products, colour palettes, bedding products, bath fittings and more to bring alive the Disney experience for the family.

     

     

  • Unless Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Bengalsee the DAS in their own interest, Mrs Soni and her two key satraps won't make progress beyond impotent bluster, says Rohit Bansal

    The Anchor: Rohit Bansal on 5 must-dos for the sun to rise on Digitization on Nov 1

    By Rohit Bansal

     

    1. Govt and Ambika Soni must stay

    To state the obvious, for The Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Amendment Act, 2011 to kick in the mandatory switchover of the existing analogue cable TV networks to Digital Addressable System (DAS) in the four metros of Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai, the government must survive.

     

    Even if that’s a given, the minister Mrs Ambika Soni mustn’t be allowed to meander into party work. If she does, a new minister will take his or her own to time settle down, and pernicious lobbies for a status quo will have an upper hand.

     

    2. Ambika Soni and her babus get three states into action

    Though Shastri Bhavan bears the mantle of implementing the Act, the ministry of information and broadcasting (MIB) has no boots on the ground. So, unless Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu andBengalsee the DAS in their own interest, Mrs Soni, Uday Varma and Rajeev Takru, her two key satraps, won’t make progress beyond impotent bluster.

     

    3. There’s deeper monitoring and a few scalps on the lamp post

    Albeit coming late, TRAI regulations on Tariff & Interconnection would have had enough time since April 30 to sink in. The Quality of Service Regulations and the Consumer Complaint Redressal Regulations would have existed since May 14, requiring every Broadcaster and MSO to publish its Reference Interconnect Offer within 30 days of issue of the regulation, and the stipulated 30 days for negotiations between Broadcasters and MSOs, and thereafter, the MSOs and LCOs to arrive at agreements for us ordinary Joes would have been exhausted many times over. No one could then cite lack of time for fuzziness over the terms and conditions for installing Set Top Boxes and the prices of channels on an a-la-carte as well as on a bouquet basis. Also, every MSO or its linked Cable Operator would have no excuse for failing to put a Consumer Complaint Redressal System consisting of a complaint centre with toll free consumer care number, web based complaint monitoring system, as well as appoint or designate one or more nodal officers and publish consumer’s charter for DAS.

     

    Thus Verma and Takru have their tasks cut out. Implementation is their dharma, the concerned states their believers.

     

    4. ISRO delivers the promised launch

    For any stick that Takru and Varma may hold, the cable operator is wily enough to dodge them. What she can’t is if Indian Space Research Organisation’s much-delayed GSAT-7 multi-band satellite, carrying payloads in UHF [ultra-high frequency], S-band, C-band and Ku-band, leaves the ground and starts doing some work. It would then be left to Doordarshan’s Tripurari Sharan to show his mettle and put together a free-to-air DTH platform of 200+ channels on GSAT-7. If Sharan can swing that, the cablewalla will embrace DAS with a measure of fear if not conviction.

     

    5. The DTH Gorilla Begins to Maraud

    These folks have sat on their backsides sleeping over the opportunity that “DAS Confusion” presents to them. If only they can get cable operators to become LMOs and leverage some Rs6,000crore residing in their war chests, the pure-play cablewalla will see more in digitization than what the long-arm of the regulation can ever achieve by scaring him.

     

    Rohit Bansal is CEO & Co-Founder, Hammurabi & Solomon Consulting

     

     

  • With this transition, the channel is set to consolidate its position in the youth entertainment genre

    Channel [V] says goodbye to Bollywood music

    By A Correspondent

     

    Star India’s Channel [V] is ready for a change from July 1 when it will discontinue all music slots in its programming. With this transition, the channel is set to consolidate its position in the youth entertainment genre.

     

    This move is being made to strengthen its stance as a holistic youth entertainment channel. The drastic change in the content strategy took almost three years. Speaking on the move, Prem Kamath, Executive VP & GM, said: “This shift in programming strategy is rooted in our continuous effort to remain a unique entertainment destination for the youth. We recognize the affinity the youth have developed for our shows and we can only oblige them with greater hours of these preferred shows.”

     

    In an effort to increase weekly hours of original content, Channel [V] will convert its teen crime show, Gumrah – End of Innocence into a daily. And, it also plans to launch new fictional shows like ‘The Buddy Project’ which will occupy the 6pm slot from Monday to Friday.

     

    However, the channel promises not to distance itself from music. “As for music, it can never go out of the youth DNA. We will continue our on-ground and on-air properties that are based on music. We will simply stop airing Bollywood music slots.”

     

    Launched in 1994 and reaching out to over 25 million viewers, the channel’s current mantra – Bloody Cool – manifests itself not only through its shows, but also through the broadcast persona and out of TV alliances created to engage with the youth.

     

  • Mobile Garage will give Mindshare clients a unique advantage in the race to harness the growing global trend of mobile device usage

    Mindshare & Google launch ‘Mobile Garage’

    By A Correspondent

     

    Mindshare and Google have announced the launch of ‘Mobile Garage’, a unique venture designed to use Google’s best in class mobile expertise to supercharge the use of mobile by Mindshare’s global client base.

     

    Mobile Garage will see the setting up of mobilehubs around the globe – initially New York, London and Singapore – where Mindshare clients will gain access via dedicated teams to mobile strategists and product experts. The hubs will consist of a mix of Mindshare and Google employees and will work across all aspects of the mobile eco-system, from search optimisation and app development, to strategy, planning and creative optimization.

    Nick Emery, CEO Mindshare Worldwide said: ‘We designed Mindshare to be open source and to work with the best partners for the benefit of our clients. It’s about trial, experimentation and speed to re-design our business. Working with Google on mobile will give our clients a competitive advantage in a key battleground both now and for the future.”

     

    Mobile Garage will give Mindshare clients a unique advantage in the race to harness the growing global trend of mobile device usage. Mobile search traffic has increased 400 per cent over the past 2 years, and its potential goes even further. The GSMA, the industry body for mobile operators, and research company Machina, predict there will be 24 billion connected devices by 2020 creating an industry worth $4.5 trillion and covering innovations such as connected cars, building automation and traffic management. In addition the venture will also give Mindshare clients competitive advantage in emerging markets, with KPCB’s Mary Meeker recently showing that mobile internet usage had surpassed desktop internet usage in India.

    Matt Brittin, VP, Sales and Operations, Northern and Central Europe at Google said: “We have adopted a ‘mobile first’ philosophy at Google to keep pace with the rapid acceleration in consumer mobile usage. We are delighted to team up with Mindshare on a similar strategy for their clients. Mindshare have already shown strong momentum in the mobile marketing space, and have a great opportunity to lead their clients to win on mobile in the future.”

     

    Mobile Garage will complement Mindshare’s existing relationship with WPP’s mobile agencies Joule and H-Art.

     

  • The application offers users a smooth browsing with the latest and most popular albums, artists, genres and songs

    Gaana.com launches music streaming app on Win 8 tab

    By A Correspondent

     

    Gaana.com is the first full-fledged music streaming application for India’s store of Windows 8 Release Preview. It is also the first music serving application for Surface in India. With a vast repertoire of popular Bollywood, Hindi, regional and international music, it is currently available in 38 markets worldwide.

     

    The Gaana.com application in the Surface store has the slick Windows 8 metro-style tiled interface with intuitive interactions and fluid navigation. The application offers users a smooth browsing with the latest and most popular albums, artists, genres and songs. Users can easily browse through the entire database of music, and choose from curated music charts or filter music based on language preferences. Gaana.com also offers music suggestions, based on the album that a user is listening to, further enhancing the overall experience.

     

    Gaana.com is one of the most popular music websites with over 10 million songs to choose from. It has a user base of more than 3 million unique visitors. Satyan Gajwani, CEO of Times Internet Ltd said: “We want gaana.com to be as accessible to users as possible. The Windows 8 Surface tablet is an exciting innovation, and a fantastic new way for users to experience music on demand. The Gaana app is now available in the Surface store for users globally to listen, compile, and share the music they love.”

     

  • Taproot’s campaign for Mumbai Mirror went on to bag India's first ever Gold in the Film Craft category and Abhinay Deo talks about the film and more

    Never make a film to win at Cannes, because then you’ll never do: Abhinay Deo

    By Meghna Sharma

     

    The final day at Cannes Lion 2012 turned out excellent for Taproot’s campaign for Mumbai Mirror – I am Mumbai. The advertisement was shortlisted in Film and Film Craft categories and went on to bag India ‘s first ever Gold in the Film Craft category.

     

    The campaign was entered in the Film Craft category by Mumbai-based Ramesh Deo Productions. The film was directed by Abhinay Deo whose work has been shortlisted at Cannes Lion before too. MxMIndia spoke to the winning director to know what it takes to make an award-winning campaign.

     

    It is India’s first ever win in the category, were you expecting a Gold?

    Honestly speaking I wasn’t. It’s my job to make a good film and keep entering them at such prestigious award functions. The rest depends purely on the quality of the work!

     

    What goes into directing an award-winning film?

    There is no thumb rule for it. All I can say is that one has to be honest to the craft. Never make a film to win an award be it cannes or any other, because then you surely won’t. (Laughs)

     

    The cast had never faced the camera before, so was it difficult to film it?

    When you have a cast which has never faced the camera before, it can either be extremely difficult or easy. It all depends on how you break the ice with them because they are bound to have apprehensions and fears about the whole thing. Sometimes such a cast can do wonders and have a film which even a seasoned actor couldn’t have been able to do better. I was sure that I wasn’t going to film the campaign with trained actors or celebrities.

     

    What was the thought process behind shooting the ad in black & white?

    Over the years, the city has lost its character. Today, everything is muddled-up; so, to show consistency, we decided to shoot it in black & white. Also, it was a polarised concept and I believe colour would have softened it. It was meant to be a hard-hitting one and B&W helped us achieve that.

     

    How important is an idea to direct for a concept like ‘I am Mumbai’?

    Both are important for a concept to work. The idea won’t work without good direction and vice-versa.  Without each other, it will just flop.

     

    How involved was Taproot in the ad?

    It was Aggi’s idea all along. Only after the idea was conceptualised, did I take over. And while shooting, it was my baby alone. It is great that Aggi and I know, and are able to understand, each other well, which helped both of us. We were able to execute each other’s ideas and thoughts well.

     

    Some of the reports that are coming out on Cannes Lions attribute the agency for the award. Do you think in advertising, perception-wise, it’s the agency which gets all the credit and not the film company and director?

    The campaign won the award for Film Craft category, so I think the award should be attributed to the craft.

     

    As a director, do you have any preferred agencies you work with?

    I have worked with most of them and have loved the experience. And I would continue to work with all of them. There are no preferences when it comes to work!

     

    Meanwhile, how’s the work on ’24’ going? When do we see the first season? Since TV is said to take so much of one’s time, does it allow you time for ad films?

    The series is in the scripting phase and, hopefully, will soon move to the execution stage. And when the shooting begins, I will give it all the time needed. In the past too, when I was making my two feature films, I didn’t make any advertisements. So, if needed I won’t be taking up advertisements till the series is over. Dedication and honesty towards work are important for me.

     

    Photograph of Abhinay Deo: Fotocorp