MxMIndia

Category: MEDIA

  • Our audience measurement systems, no matter which medium they address, focus primarily on weight and very little on quality of engagement, rues Paritosh Joshi

    Paritosh Joshi: 10 minutes ≠ 10 minutes

    By Paritosh Joshi

     

    “This time he has surely lost it”. “OK, I’m outta here”. “Back button”. Yes, I can see why my patient readers might one, or even all, of these reactions upon seeing the title of this week’s ramblings. And who could fault them. Those who have survived thus far, I beseech your indulgence for, let’s say, 10 minutes and it shall soon be clear.

     

    One of the most cited metrics of any medium is ‘Time Spent’. Newspapers boast about it. TV stations crow themselves hoarse over it. Even outdoor signage locations, hoarding sites for instance, invoke frequent traffic jams at a particular location as its virtuous attribute- after all it increases ‘Time Spent’.

     

    Unfortunately, not all 10 minutes are equal. A 10-minute journey interruption at Mahim Causeway is malodorous misery. A 10-minute gridlock at Red Road running through Calcutta’s much celebrated Maidan, on the other hand, is an opportunity to deep dive into the heart and mind of India’s oldest metropolis. The first would be marked by frayed tempers and terminally, perhaps irreparably damaged olfactory sensors. The latter would conceivably result in new knowledge about: the human condition, the mythic status accorded to Football in Calcutta and Indian Marxism.

     

    I get two business newspapers. I spend 10 minutes flipping the pages to pick up stories that will probably feature in the day’s conversations. Then I pick up the other one and go to the Edit and Op-Ed pages where I expect to, and always do find, thought pieces that will provide real grist to the intellectual mill. This too lasts 10 minutes but the two are of materially different character.

     

    Unfortunately, our audience measurement systems, no matter which medium they address, focus primarily on weight and very little on quality of engagement. This is hardly unique and not good reason to beat up on the systems or their providers, however. This is how they were all designed historically and the legacy isn’t easy to shake off.

     

    This is a short piece so I won’t get into much detail today but more will follow on what such systems might look like.

     

    Paritosh Joshi was until recently CEO, Star CJ. He has been a marketer, a mediaperson and on the Board/committees of various industry bodies. He can reached via his Twitter handle @paritoshZero

     

     

  • MxMIndia spoke to Manish Paul, the anchor of Jhalak Dikhla Jaa, to find out what makes one the most sought after host…

    I’ll never give up anchoring: Manish Paul

    A show without a good host is Nothing. And that’s why anchoring has become such an important part of not only events, but shows on television too. The boom of reality shows on television has given birth to a new breed of hosts – spontaneous and as much a part of the show as the contestants and judges.

     

    MxMIndia’s Meghna Sharma spoke to Manish Paul, the anchor of Jhalak Dikhla Jaa, to find out what makes one the most sought after host…

     

    From RJ to VJ, actor to anchoring shows, you have done it all. How has been the journey so far?

    The journey has been just brilliant…and hosting shows has taken my career to another level. I’m glad that I got an opportunity to be associated with some of the biggest shows and events.

     

    How are the two worlds of radio and television different?

    The only difference between the two for me has been the fact that for a radio show, I don’t have to worry about my looks. No one will care if I host the show in my shorts, whereas when one is on TV, one has to worry about how presentable they are. Here, looks matter too.

     

    You have also acted in serials and now are hosting shows. If you had to choose between the two, which one will you opt for? Why?

    It’s very difficult to choose between the two. Right now, I’m opting to stay away from acting – even though I’m getting offers – because the character or role I have to play doesn’t match my sensibilities. For an actor it is very important that he/she truly believes in the role they have to portray. And until and unless, that happens, I’m happy doing what I’m doing right now.

     

    You have anchored DID and now hosting Jhalak, how has been the experience? How are the two different?

    Jhalak has been outstanding for me, now I get smses and mails from my fans about the show. Some even tell me which lines or jokes of mine entertained them the most. As for difference between DID and Jhalak; though both are dance shows, the difference comes from the celebrities. If you take DID, apart from the three judges and one grandmaster, the contestants are all common people, whereas in Jhalak, even the contestants are celebrities. So, as a host I have to keep that in mind and work according to that. One cannot make a mistake of offending anyone.

     

    Will you be hosting India’s Got Talent?

    Yes. Cyrus Sahukar and I will be hosting the show. The shooting has already started and it would be an understatement to call my life ‘hectic’ right now. With the amount of flying to and fro for the shootings of Jhalak and IGT, I have gone almost deaf (laughs).

     

    So, how do you balance work and your personal life?

    There is no doubt about the fact that television industry has become very competitive over the past few years and hence life has become difficult. One has to not only juggle between family and work, but at times, between various projects they have taken up. I make sure that in all this, I don’t compromise on my family.

     

    What are the most memorable moments of your career?

    I started my career 10 years ago and have done a lot so far. However, the most memorable moment would be the night where I was awarded the ‘Best Anchor’ award. And the funny part is that I was also hosting that show, so I read out my nomination with the others before being handed over the trophy!

     

    According to you, what qualities should a good host possess?

    A good anchor should be a well-read one. He/she should know what’s happening around too. Also, one needs to read the script well. Many a times, anchors don’t read their scripts, which I don’t think is a correct way to go about their work. And, of course, one needs to be spontaneous as well as witty. However, one also needs to be careful and know where to draw a line. It’s not our job to offend anyone. Humour too has its limits.

     

    Every TV actor harbors the ambition of becoming a film star. Will you ever give up small screen to concentrate on films?

    I am doing a film called Oye Mickey. And if interesting offers come which meet my sensibilities, then of course, I will be inclined towards the big screen. However, I will never give up anchoring. It is what I love doing…I love talking, so it is one profession which suits me the best!

     

    What’s next on you agenda?

    Right now its Jhalak, IGT and Oye Mickey….life is good, so far.

     

  • All questions in MxM Buzzer #3 are on social media… Ritika Misra and Mayank Jain win MxM Buzzer #2

    MxM Buzzer # 3 | Quiz on Social Media

    Here it is. The third edition of MxMIndia’s media quiz that happens every Friday. Our quizmaster is Sorbojeet Chatterjee, Vice President – Marketing at Neo Sports. To enter this quiz, simply email the answers with your personal details (Name, email id and telephone number) and a one-word descriptor for MxMIndia at editor@mxmindia.com with Buzzer#3 in the subject. Standard contest rules apply (see box below).

    There will be 2 prizes every week. First Prize: Rs 1001, Second Prize: Rs 501.

    If there’s a tie, the best descriptor for MxMIndia will get the prize (note: tie-breaker question will change every week). Last date for sending entries: Wednesday, August 8 .

    Instagram, a mobile photo sharing app, was recently acquired for a whopping USD 1 billion. Which social networking company acquired Instagram?
    Turkish Software Engineer ___________ Buyukkokten has a popular social networking site named after his first name. Which one?
    The Social Network was a blockbuster movie on Facebook. However, the movie was a film adaptation of a popular book. Identify the book?
    In 2009, Ashton Kutcher had challenged a global media brand to a race to 1 million followers on Twitter. Surprisingly Kutcher won! Which iconic media brand lost the race?
    This is the logo of a super successful online social gaming company that was named after the co-founder’s pet bull dog. Identify the company that has created blockbuster social games like FarmVille, Mafia Wars, etc?
    Amitabh Bachchan’s blog used to be hosted on Big Adda. However, it has recently shifted to a more popular destination. Where?
    What is the claim to fame of a video titled “Me at the Zoo” with respect to social media?
     In February 2011, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak had to step down after the Egypt Revolution. Activist Wael Ghonim (Marketing Manager at Google) played a vital role in mobilizing people that led to media terming this a ___________ Revolution
    These awards were instituted in 2008 to honour the best short-form content creators on Twitter. The scope was eventually extended to cover other social networking sites like Facebook, Four Square and Tumblr. Identify the awards?
    This is the first blue print sketch of a popular social networking site. Which social network was born from this concept?

    Winner of Buzzer # 2 is Ritika Misra (Tel No xxxxx 57763) who works with DDB Mudra Max. Ms Misra wins a Prize of Rs 1001. The second prize winner is Mayank Jain (xxxxx 72616) who wins the Second Prize of Rs 501. Congratulations, Ms Misra and Mr Jain. Please await our mail, send us your coordinates and we will wire/ courier/ deposit the prize… asap!

     

    Answers to Buzzer # 2

    1. Danny Boyle (of Slumdog Millionaire fame), 2. Amul, 3. NBC, 4. Rani Mukerji, 5. Hey Jude,
    6. Tennis The Menace, 7. Leander Paes (His father Vece Paes represented India in Hockey and his mother Jennifer Paes in Basketball), 8. Chariots of Fire, 9. Oscar Pistorius 10. Ambush Marketing
     

    1. The families and employees of MxMIndia Private Limited and its associates are not eligible to win prizes.

    2. You can send as many entries as you would like. There is no entry fee.

    3. In case of more than one all-correct entry, the Tie-Breaker will be the decider.4. The decision of the Quizmaster and/or the MxMIndia editor will be final.

    5. If the winner is not reachable by phone/email, the next best entry will be awarded the prize.

    6. By sending your entry, it is assumed that you are in agreement with the rules.

    7. Last Date for sending entries for Buzzer # 3 is August 8, 2012
  • This will be the first time that these events will be presented in the region

    ESS, ESPN Intnl sign cricket distribution pact for Latin Am

    By Ashoke Nag

     

    ESPN STAR and ESPN International have entered into a cricket distribution agreement for Latin America to carry top ICC events and the Champions League Twenty20 through 2015. This will be the first time that these events will be presented in the region. The International Cricket Council (ICC) agreement is a four-year deal from 2012 to 2015 and covers several ICC events, including the global showpiece of the cricket calendar, the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

     

    Under the agreement, ESPN International will carry the events in English via ESPN Play (WatchESPN in Brazil), ESPN’s broadband network that offers live and on demand sports video across the region. The upcoming cricket coverage includes the ICC Under 19 Cricket World Cup in Tony Ireland Stadium, Townsville, Australia from August 10-25; the ICC World Twenty 20 in Sri Lanka from September 18-October 7; and the Karbonn Champions League Twenty20 in October.

     

    Source: The Economic Times

    Copyright © 2012, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved

     

     

  • The Nirvana Digital YouTube Content Creators Network eyes a market share of the 800 million unique user visits to YouTube each month

    Now, a YouTube ‘Content Creators Network’ for India

    By A Correspondent

     

    Nirvana Digital, a leading creator and distributor of audio and video content across Internet and mobile platforms, has launched a “YouTube Content Creators Network” that will start the creation of original content as well as the distribution of produced video content from the Indian market across YouTube channels.

     

    Through this network, Nirvana Digital aims to capitalise on the exploding power of YouTube, which at current estimations is around 800 million monthly unique user visits across the globe, and a staggering 30 million inIndiaitself.

     

    Nirvana Digital’s new YouTube Content Creators Network provides an opportunity ranging from individuals to large organisations. The network will enable them to upload content for immediate distribution, monetization and direction of traffic.

     

    The potential for “talent” to tap into YouTube inIndiais immense as YouTube is emerging as the first global TV station. It has committed $100 million to 96 new video channels and has recruited topHollywoodtalent to produce content.

     

    Nirvana Digital specialises in the distribution of movies, music videos, documentaries, web shows, news, gossip, and has already established itself as the distributor of top quality Bollywood and mainstream content.

     

    In the words of Pinakin Thakkar, Founder, Nirvana Digital: “The digital platform is large enough globally for video creators to still have their fame and recognition, and we are here to help creators and content owners push content to a global audience while earning immediate revenue from their videos.”

     

    He added: “YouTube, which delivers one out of every three online videos viewed (according to ComScore), has become an increasingly important distribution channel for content creators, established media companies and advertisers. As the demand for quality digital content grows across the world, Nirvana Digital is keen to create brands out of video creators inIndia, monetize them anddrive traffic to them from its existing networkof millions of views.”

     

    Nirvana Digital will also help independent video producers capitalise on the YouTube revolution to create content which receives direct feedback from audiences across the world. The model brings together different individuals, gives them support and infrastructure to collaborate and build audiences around their content across various distribution channels. Towards this end, Nirvana Digital provides their own specialized web video studio at Peddar road in South Mumbai with green screens, high end cameras (Canon 5D MKII) and lighting facilities. They also have a dedicated team who to help with the technical aspect of encoding, uploading and promoting videos, as well as animators for videos that may benefit with CGI.

     

  • bindass®, India's leading youth brand, is all set to introduce the 9th season of Beg Borrow Steal

    Bindass to unveil Season 9 of Beg Borrow Steal

    By A Correspondent

     

    Finding your way through an unknown destination is difficult, but if you are in a foreign country and the language is alien, it gets even tougher? Ever wondered, what would it be like to be stranded in an unknown international land, with no clue on the language and with absolutely no money in your pockets! Sounds’ terrifying isn’t it?

     

    And yet, Aaliyah, is all set to do precisely the same thing in the brand new season of Beg Borrow Steal – The Thai Way!

     

    bindass(R), India’s leading youth brand, is all set to introduce the 9th season of Beg Borrow Steal which witness Aaliyah dodging through the floating market, Chinese Temple and Thai villages.

     

    As the shows goes international for the first time, Nikhil Gandhi, Executive Director, Youth Channels – Media networks Disney UTV said: “BBS has been an absolute hit with the audiences, which is what has prompted us to come back with the 9th season. Our aim is to always offer our viewers with something new so that we keep evolving the seasons and this time we are back with yet another twist.”

     

    Commenting on the new season of Beg Borrow Steal, Aaliyah said: “What’s interesting about Beg Borrow Steal is that every season this show comes up with new challenges and new destinations. With an international destination, I am expecting the journey to be far more difficult and challenging.”

     

  • BMB India is the advertising unit of Madison World, a diversified communication group

    BMB wins 2 Hamilton brands – Treo And Milton

    By A Correspondent

     

    BMB India, a 50:50 JV between Trevor Beattie’s BMB and Madison World has won the Hamilton account. Prabha Prabhu, CEO, BMB India said: “We pitched for one, but won 2 brands of Hamilton Houseware P Ltd – Milton and Treo. In June, when I had the creative team in place with Raj Nair as the creative head, I decided to contact our old client Hamilton. We made a Strategy and Creative presentation for the brand Treo Glassware. Work for the 2 brands will start immediately since both the brands become very active during the festive season. I am glad to be associated with Milton once again.” Both Milton and Treo are the flagship brands of Hamilton Houseware Pvt Ltd.

     

    This win comes hot on the heels of the recent account win of Leapfrog Holidays. BMB India is the advertising unit of Madison World, a diversified communication group with 22 units across 9 specialized functions of Advertising, Media, PR, Out-of-Home, Rural, Retail, Entertainment, Mobile, Events and Sports; employing over 900 communication professionals across cities in India, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

     

     

  • National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) was set up in March, 2007 under the Commission for Protection of Child Rights Act, 2005

    Protect identity of children, MIB tells broadcasters

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting has issued a directive to all TV channels regarding protection of identity of children in need of care and protection and juveniles in conflict with law.

     

    National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) was set up in March, 2007 under the Commission for Protection of Child Rights Act, 2005, with the mandate to ensure that all laws, policies, programmes, and administrative mechanisms are in consonance with the Child Rights perspective as enshrined in the Constitution of India and also the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Any person contravening these provisions is “liable to penalties, as prescribed under the provisions of Section 21 (2) of the said Act”.

     

    The Commission has recommended that necessary directives/set of protocols be issued to the entire print and electronic media to refrain from publishing the names, pictures, home address, school address and other parameters of their identity of such children who need to be reported upon by media on account of certain circumstances. As such disclosures only tend to affect the social and mental health of children in their crucial stage of development.

     

    All news & current affairs TV channels are required to abide by the provisions of the Cable Television Networks Rules 1994 and Rule 6(1)(l) which state that no programme should be carried in the cable service which denigrates children. The channels are already required to carry the programmes involving children with due care, maturity and sensitivity.

     

    Any violation may entail stringent action as per the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995, and the terms and conditions of uplinking and downlinking guidelines.

     

  • Aegis' acquisition of Communicate 2 is part of a series of M&As in the Indian digital media space

    Another win-win digital equation

     

    By Johnson Napier and Robin Thomas

     

    ‘By 2015, we want to be the top 3 player in every single sphere we operate in’
     

    What led you to shortlist Communicate2 as the partner of choice?

    Communicate2 is one of the largest and oldest firms in the area of search & performance marketing in India. Vivek Bhargava, as you’d know, is considered to be the guru of search inIndia. He is also one of the guys to be Google-certified and has been in this business since 1997 – a time when the internet and search was in its absolute infancy. In our view, nobody else managed the quality and scale of the business that he has built up, and therefore he was a preferred partner of choice.

     

    The other important reason for choosing Communicate2 was chemistry – Aegis Media has a certain vision and value outlook which is very close to our heart and Communicate2 seemed to have gelled very well with those attributes. There was a lot of comfort on both sides. So these were some of the key reasons for us to choose Communicate2.

     

    Will you be laying enhanced emphasis on Search with the current acquisition…

    The focus is on search because it is one of the fastest growing parts of our business. Clearly, Communiacte2 is the biggest player in the space and now with iProspect and Communicate2 together, we are straight away the number one player of search in India. So that’s how it is placed as of now.

     

    How long has it been since you have been pursuing Communicate2? Did you scan the market for other potential candidates?

    We were working with them about 4-5 years ago, but nothing more came out of that deal. This recent move has been in the works for a few months. Also, we did scan the market as anybody else would and we did have a few names that we shortlisted and we narrowed down to Communicate2.

     

    The deal seems heavy on the investments front. Would you share with us the monetary plans you engaged in towards snapping the agency?

    An agency that is the oldest and has a workforce of more than 130 people is not going to sell out cheap. I cannot disclose the amounts behind the deal, but I can say that it has been fairly priced.

     

    The market has been abuzz with news of big communication houses buying out specialist digital agencies in the recent past. What would you infer of this trend that everybody is taking a liking to?

    I cannot comment about others, but there is a clear strategy that Aegis Media believes in and that is by 2015, we want to be the top three player in every single sphere that we operate in – be it out-of-home, search or digital. As part of our strategy to be in the top 3, the best way of getting there was by partnering with Communicate2 because their expertise, their client base and their search professionals coupled with the iProspect tools and knowledge would be an unbeatable combination.

     

    In an acquisition it is very important that you have to see how the acquisition fits with the plans of your company. So the task of integration becomes key, which is why the quality and type of people and the chemistry become important. So companies that are blindly going out and buying companies will fall flat on their face, but those who are able to acquire and integrate companies and have a great bond with the partners will be successful in the long run.

     

    Globally, digital contributes more than 35 per cent for Aegis Media. What is it that you anticipate from the Indian market post the acquisition of Communicate2?

    We are looking at being the clear No 1. Globally, iProspect is the world’s largest search network, and in India we now become No 1 with this venture. But we want to be No 1 by a long distance. We want to be double the size of the No 2 guy in a few years.

     

    What are the immediate changes that will be seen on ground?

    There is a new office that we are in the process of doing up in Mumbai; their staff will be moving into that new place soon. Likewise the Delhi team too would be amalgamated in our office. With this the entire Aegis Media clients will have benefits from Communicate2 and vice-versa.

     

    As for people, Vivek will be the MD of the new venture. He already has a management team. Of course, as growth happens we will keep recruiting more people. All other aspects remain the same.

     

    The announcement comes just weeks after Dentsu acquired a stake in Aegis Media. Has this deal been inspired from that takeover…

    These things do not happen overnight; it has been ongoing much before that. The two are not related.

     

    Future plans from Aegis Media…

    As I said, we will be the top 3 player in every space that we operate in. In some instances we will do that organically, in others we will do that inorganically – provided we get a good partner. We are not on the lookout as of now but if any new opportunity does come up we will not be turning a blind eye to that.

    No doubt people would talk about the number of medals won and the records that were broken in Olympics 2012; but what it will be most remembered for is the use of digital media, particularly social media. All of the Olympics events are being streamed live on YouTube for the first time; there has been an increase in the number of Facebook users and Twitter accounts and one can even get live news updates online. Even Google has been putting up doodles on its home page, giving users information and updates on the Olympic sport of the day. These are just few signs that digital has arrived.

     

    The past few months have witnessed quite a few mergers and acquisitions in the digital space. Standalone digital agencies, particularly those with over four years of existence, are being acquired by larger advertising networks. Only recently Publicis Groupe has announced the acquisition of Resultrix, a digital marketing agency, with the aim of strengthening Publicis Groupe’s presence in India as well as its digital dominance. Prior to this, JWT, one of the leading advertising agency acquired a majority stake in Hungama Digital Services, the digital and promotions marketing division of Hungama Digital Media Entertainment. Also recently Gruner + Jahr, the publishing division of European media conglomerate Bertelsmann AG, acquired a majority stake in Network play,India’s digital ad network company.

     

    On August 09, the media and digital communications group Aegis Group plc (“Aegis”) announced that it has acquired Communicate 2, a performance marketing and search agency in India.  With this acquisition, Aegis Media becomes one of the strongest agencies in the digital space in India. Communicate 2  will be merged into iProspect India’s existing operations; strengthening its network in key cities across India and providing additional service capabilities for its clients.

     

    Speaking to MxMIndia about his views on the increasing trend of big communication houses buying standalone or specialist digital agencies, Mr Ashish Bhasin, Chairman India & CEO South East Asia, Aegis Media said: “I cannot comment about others, but there is a clear strategy that Aegis Media believes in and that is by 2015, we want to be the top three player in every single sphere that we operate in – be it out-of-home, search or digital. As part of our strategy to be in the top 3, the best way of getting there was by partnering with Communicate2 because their expertise, their client base and their search professionals coupled with the iProspect tools and knowledge would be an unbeatable combination.”

     

    “In an acquisition it is very important that you have to see how the acquisition fits with the plans of your company. So the task of integration becomes key, which is why the quality and type of people and the chemistry become important. So companies that are blindly going out and buying companies will fall flat on their face, but those who are able to acquire and integrate companies and have a great bond with the partners will be successful in the long run,” he added.

     

    Mr Vivek Bhargava, Managing Director, Communicate 2 was of the view that these are signs that digital media has arrived and that even brands have accepted this reality. “Digital marketing in India has now arrived. More promoters and senior management people now believe that digital is a very critical part of their marketing endeavour. So they are spending a lot of time around the medium. About 3-4 years ago we were talking about digital being the future and today digital is now considered as present. Earlier digital used to attract a small budget from marketers, but now they position it as their first priority and question whether they need conventional media or not.Mobilehas given digital three times the reach of television. So I believe digital is going to be the dominant medium in the future.”

     

    MxMIndia also spoke to a few industry players to gauge their take on the recent mergers and acquisitions in the digital space, especially Aegis Media acquiring Communicate2′.

     

    Anurag Gupta

    According to Mr Anurag Gupta, MD, DGM India, it is a win-win situation for Aegis Media and Communicate 2: “Vivek Bhargava has done well for himself, he has created a fairly good outfit and the testimony for this is the fact that it has been acquired. This is a good sign. I believe that this trend will continue – most of the standalone digital agencies will get merged with larger offline agencies. Both search and performance advertising are growing robustly. In fact, a completely new category in digital has emerged in the past one and half years – e-commerce business. They are doing a lot of search and performance advertising, so there is lot of growth.”

     

    Mr Amardeep Singh, Co-Founder and CEO, Interactive Avenues was also of the view that the Aegis acquiring Communicate2 is a win-win situation: “I believe it is a good move for both Aegis Media and Communicate2, as this kind of transaction will help Communicate2 to scale from where they are currently placed. It doesn’t matter whether an agency is part of, or not part of, a larger advertising networking, if it continues to operate as an independent agency despite being owned by a larger network then it retains its identity. Typically, a specialist agency is able to provide a holistic solution to the clients and everything happens in-house for them. What happens is that when an agency offers an offline as well as online service, the focus on digital is lost. A standalone digital agency is able to give its clients that much more focus than an agency which offers both offline and online services.”

     

    So, while the Aegis Media acquiring Communicate 2 is seen as a win-win situation by industry players, it is also believed that this is just the beginning in the digital space.

     

    ‘It was a meeting of the best minds of the world’
     

    The buzz was that you were being hounded by most big communication players in the market for a takeover and now you’ve finally given in to Aegis Media. How would you describe the takeover journey?

    We had the opportunity to talk to every single large player and we found that the way the market is growing, there is going to be a lot of technology components required in it and iProspect globally has the best technology in the world. Also, we are a very dominant agency as far as search and performance marketing is concerned in India while iProspect was the world’s largest search company, so it was a meeting of the best minds of the world. The digital market in India has matured to the level where clients are looking for the best in the world and we felt that with the expertise that iProspect had to offer, it was a perfect solution to offer to our partners. And we endeavour to take decisions for our partners as much as it helps us.

     

    What is your view on big communication players showing sudden interest in digital in India?

    Digital marketing in India has now arrived. More promoters and senior management people now believe that digital is a very critical part of their marketing endeavour. So they are spending a lot of time around the medium. About 3-4 years ago we were talking about digital being the future and today digital is now considered as present. Earlier digital used to attract a small budget from marketers, but now they position it as their first priority and question whether they need conventional media or not.Mobilehas given digital three times the reach of television. So I believe digital is going to be the dominant medium in the future.

     

    What is the value that you’d be leveraging from this partnership?

    Globally if you see, there are clients like GM, Nokia, Philips and others who have operations in 60-70 countries and they are aligned with Aegis Media. I see tremendous opportunities there. As for us, we are a 140-people agency which makes us the largest digital agency in the country. So with the clients we have and with the kind of team we have in the enterprise sector, I see it as a perfect marriage of the two. I see tremendous value in the venture.

     

    How have clients responded to this move of yours?

    I had spoken to clients even before this venture and they seemed pretty positive about it. Also there is no change as such in the team and talent, so there was a comfort level there. Generally they are happy with the merger.

     

    Do you see the gap between digital and advertising being bridged?

    If you ask me the demarcation between digital and conventional media will probably go away. This is going to be an advertising agency and digital is going to be an integral part of the advertising medium, probably the largest. Demarcation is something that we have created for ourselves but it is about giving out advertising solutions.

     
  • Docs+ is a new weekly series on the channel which will showcase powerful documentaries on global issues

    NDTV Profit to spotlight social & environmental issues

    By A Correspondent

     

    NDTV Profit’s Docs + is back with a new documentary featuring ‘Earth Focus’. The documentary is produced by Raisa Scriabine and will aim to put a human face on pressing environmental issues in South Asia.

     

    Speaking on why there is a need to have such shows, the spokesperson for the channel said: “It is important to raise awareness on vital subjects that focus on key social or environmental issues in India, like child marriage, farmer suicides, water privatization, sustainable agriculture, female foeticide and trafficking of women.”

     

    ‘Earth Focus’ will investigate the relationship between human consumption and sustainable production methods in various regions of India, including Ladakh and the Sunderbans in Bangladesh. With soaring food prices, a growing population and changing climate, modern food production has to be commercially viable and involve sound environmental practices.

     

    Docs+ is a new weekly series on the channel which will showcase powerful documentaries on global issues. The channel is expecting a good response from viewers as it feels that such issues are in the limelight now and people are ready to learn about them.

     

    The show will go on air on August 11 at 10pm and will be repeated at 5pm on Sundays.

     

  • The launch will make the channel's first IPTV carriage deal inFranceand also strengthens Free's current offering of Indian content

    Tamil GEC Vijay TV inks carriage deal in France

    By A Correspondent

     

    Star Network’s Vijay TV will now be available on Freebox TV, Free’s IPTV platform. The launch will make the channel’s first IPTV carriage deal inFranceand also strengthens Free’s current offering of Indian content.

     

    Vijay TV is Tamil language general entertainment channel catering to the taste of Tamil audiences across the world. Vijay TV has raised the bar on content, packaging and promotion, thereby differentiating itself in the market. Furthermore, Vijay is a 24hour Tamil language channel that carries English subtitling on some of its key programming.

     

    Yeshpal Sharma

    Vijay TV is available on Freeview from end of July till 15th Aug and viewers can catch a special line-up of programmes for the Indian Independence Day on August 15.

     

    Commenting on the launch, Yeshpal Sharma, Vice President Star UK & Europe said: “We are very proud to be at the forefront of the Asian television entertainment offering and delighted to partner with Free to launch our leading Tamil entertainment channel in France”.

     

    Free users can subscribe to the Star Pack including Star Plus, Star Gold, Star Life OK, and ABP News at 15.99 Euros a month.

     

     

  • MTunes, the 24/7 music channel, celebrated its first anniversary yesterday (Augt 9) and boasts of a 200+ GRP

    Audiences have given MTunes the best birthday present: Sunil Sahjwani

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rreKrZ7F0B8[/youtube]

    By Meghna Sharma

     

    MTunes, the 24/7 music channel, completes one year today (August 10)  and can already boast of a 20+ GRP. Completing one year in a genre which revolutionized music during the 1990s isn’t a big deal. However, if one becomes a force to reckon with in such a short period, then it is, of course, a matter of pride.

     

    “When we started, we were at number five or six slot, but now we are number one in the slot. So, I guess we can call it a fast-faced and exciting journey with, of course, a lot of hard work,” said Sunil Sahjwani, Group Creative Director for Pioneer Channel Factory Pvt. Ltd. (holding company of MTunes and MExpress).

     

    Sunil Sahjwani

    Agreeing with him, Divya Radhakrishnan, MD, Helios Media which is strategic consultant to the channel said: “It’s wonderful to receive such a response for such a short period. They believed in our belief and helped us break convention with no VJ or no PJ on the channel only focusing on music.”

     

    Recently various prominent music channels have started a new trend of reality shows and now turning into youth general entertainment channels. Speaking about the same, Mr Sahjwani said: “There is no harm in experimenting and we are glad that they did that. Because the space vacated by them has given more space for music channels to grow. Also, we must realise that youth wants music, otherwise music channels wouldn’t have survived.”

     

    “In the name of ‘youth entertainment’, various channels forget where to draw the line and have created new lows of the Indian television industry,” rued Ms Radhakrishnan.

     

    Divya Radhakrishnan

    Apart from showing music in HD format which is its USP, the channel also prides itself in creating original properties like Asli Voice, Trending20, Kal ka Superhit and so on.

     

    “The channel’s aim is to reach out to various age groups and moods during the day and that is why the tempo of music keeps changing during the day. For instance, the day starts with fast-paced music, whereas in the afternoon the tempo reduces, only to increase again in the evening We want people to feel music and not just hear or see it,” said Mr Sahjwani.

     

    Music, today, is consumed across media – television, radio, internet, mobile, phones and other digital devices. So it is affecting the genre on TV? “No, we must realise that apart from a few urban homes, high-speed internet is still not available everywhere else. Having said that, there is also no denying the fact that youth consumes music on various platforms and internet is one of them. But the visual-audio treat provided by the television cannot be matched by others. Hence, it would be fair to say that other platforms act as a support system for TV. They only push the genre – which is great,” said Mr Sahjwani.

     

    And what about digitization? The channel isn’t available on platforms like Tata Sky. “We are aware of that and are working towards that. We are already there on Dish and Videocon and talks are on with other platforms. However, since we are a FTA channel, we don’t have much to worry about. And of course, we are hoping that digitization does happen this time around.”

     

    The channel opened its sales in April and hopes to do well in the coming years. “Our first motto was to build numbers, which we have been able to. So, now hopefully, we’ll be able to growth manifolds,” said Ms Radhakrishnan optimistically.

     

    The channel feels that Indians thrive on music, so the genre will only grow. However, one needs to be innovative and give the audiences what it wants to stay ahead in the clutter.