MxMIndia

Category: MEDIA

  • Grasshoppers will manage all the mainline communication for the channel in order to reach out to its consumers across various touch-points

    Grasshoppers India to handle creative mandate for NDTV Good Times

    By A Correspondent

     

    NDTV Good Times has appointed Grasshoppers India as its creative agency. The agency’s mandate is to develop innovative and edgy communication that would create and maintain the channel’s image, which is young and Indian in the minds of socially upbeat, well-travelled, cosmopolitan viewers who want to live in style, admire fashion, are adventurous about food and travel and want more out of every moment in life.

     

    NDTV Good Times was launched in 2007 as the flagship channel of NDTV Lifestyle, which is a part of the NDTV Group. Over the last few years, the channel has redefined the lifestyle entertainment category codes with a lineup of shows that cover all aspects of lifestyle genre to portray and address an increasingly global India. With a focus on providing younger, edgier and more relevant Indian content; through its programming and communication the channel aims to reach out to its young and dynamic audience as their only lifestyle entertainment destination.

     

    Arati Singh

    The creative duties have been awarded to Grasshoppers following a multi-agency pitch in which three Delhi-based agencies participated. Speaking about the reasons for choosing Grasshoppers, Arati Singh, Channel Head, NDTV Good Times, said, “The work pitched was fresh, fun and unconventional. It was vibrant and young reflecting exactly what the channel is. The communication, as it was supposed to be, was crisp keeping in mind that it is the young, ambitious and daring Indian youth that it is targeted towards.”

     

    Grasshoppers will manage all the mainline communication for the channel in order to reach out to its consumers across various touch-points and promote everything that happens on the channel. The platforms that will be used during the campaign include advertisements, outdoor branding, radio jingles, OOH, online creatives and on-ground event collateral among other things.

     

    Arjun Banerjee

    Grasshoppers’ Director, Arjun Banerjee said, “Working for a TV channel brand, a first for us, will be exciting because the dynamic nature of the TV industry requires the agency to be extremely innovative for the campaign to stand out from the clutter and interest the target audience. Since NDTV Good Times is known for its impulsive, interactive and action oriented content and programming, there is a lot of scope for us to create edgy and call to action creatives which will appeal to the targeted youth and encourage them to embrace the channel’s ideology of ‘#LiveYoung #LiveIndian’.”

     

  • Says writer-journalist Anil Thakraney as his first book, a crime thriller – An Invitation to Death – released on Friday

    Ready to be dissed by all and sundry: Anil Thakraney

     

    Most people who’ve been reading MxMIndia and some of those who would read The Brief: in the 1990s are familiar with Anil Thakraney’s work. Or you’ve read his interviews or stings in Mid-Day and Mumbai Mirror.

     

    Over the last two years, Thakraney has been working on his first novel – a crime thriller called ‘An Invitation to Death’. Released on Friday, July 10, the book has been received well, we hear. We read a review on Sunday and that said it was unputdownable.

     

    Pradyuman Maheshwari interviewed Anil Thakraney and put him through the kind of questions he [Thakraney] would subject various others to. Anyone smiling, hehehaha?!

    Read on…

     

     

    Why I wrote ‘An Invitation To Death’

    Once I decided the time had come to get cracking on my first book, the decision to write on crime was a no-brainer. Because crime has always fascinated me (I would dearly like to eliminate a few people, hehe). And I gravitated toward fiction because I needed my characters to be interesting people. People I would want to hang out with for a drink, even at the risk of being stabbed on the way to the loo. Real-llfe crime stories I have read about in India (and covered as a journalist) have left me uninterested in the protagonists; hard-core criminals, mind-effed for sure, but essentially boring, depressing people.

     

    While pondering on the subject, the thought of writing on a serial killer was alluring. Mainly because there hasn’t been a noteworthy story written on the subject in this country. Perhaps because most of the serial killers in post-independent India have come from the lower strata of the society, there hasn’t really been a suave, handsome, intelligent white collared serial murderer (aside from Charles Sobhraj, who is half-Indian, from another era, and has been dealt with to death across the world). I suppose this might have been a dampener for writers.

     

    This got me thinking. What if there WAS one such in today’s India. What would he look like, how would he behave, what would be his background, what would he do for a living, indeed, what would be his personality and motivations. And soon Darius Irani was born. A dark, mysterious, edgy but immensely interesting and charming character. Someone you want to know more about, someone who attracts you. Someone who invites you to your death, and you gladly accept it.

     

    As novelist Chelsea Cain says, ‘Ugly people kill people all the time. But when pretty people did, it got attention.’ And Darius Irani will get your attention all right. He will stay with you long after the last page is done. That’s a promise. (I can hear him sniggering. Loudly.)

     

    (from AnilThakraney.com)

     

    Why a crime thriller? Why not a love story? Or something else?

    Hard crime has always fascinated me. Have always wondered exactly what goes on inside a killer’s mind, what are his/her motivations, what drives a human to take another human’s life. And within this genre, I was most keen to write the story of a serial killer. Mainly because there haven’t been too many serial killers in India (not recorded, at least), and most of those that have been, have come from the lower strata of the society. This got me thinking; what if there was an educated, urban, white collar, true blue desi serial killer in our midst? Someone like you and me? That I found enormously alluring. Sure I will write a love story some day but there will be plenty of blood and gore in it. 🙂

     

    You weren’t ever a crime journalist. As a genre, does crime interest you more than anyone else?

    While crime wasn’t my specific beat, both at Mid Day and at Mumbai Mirror, I worked on the odd crime story. Also don’t forget, I have interviewed policemen, top cops and criminals in my journalism career. Not to speak of the netas and the so-called religious heads with criminal records. Crime does interest me but that won’t prevent me from exploring another genre in the future. Basically it’s about the story idea, that’s paramount.

     

    You are an accomplished writer of not-so-long print/digital media copy? Was writing loooooong copy for fiction tough? How much time from start to finish?

    Not really. Once I got going, the words simply poured and poured. It was like the characters had got a life of their own, and were doing their number with me watching as a spectator. It’s almost an eerie feeling. I once went for a drink, and felt the serial killer in my book, Darius Irani, sitting right beside me, loudly making fun of someone seated on another table. It’s almost a schizophrenic feeling. It took about two years in all, but it would have taken lesser if I didn’t have bills to pay! I would write for maximum three hours a day, and then slip into work that kept the home fires burning.

     

    As someone who’s revels in subjecting others to intense scrutiny, is it worrying that now you too will be subjected to the same, especially by all those you damned?

    Haha. I am ready for the book to be dissed by all and sundry! As you know, I once edited a fearless, give-a-damn ad and media magazine called The Brief. I then went on to write hundreds, maybe thousands of columns with my pen loaded with sulphuric acid. The extremely harsh reader comments I would often get in return, and the open threats from the high and mighty, to either get me sacked or killed, only helped to make my skin thicker than it already was.

     

    If you have to self-assess, how would you rate ‘An Invitation to Death’? On a score from 1 to 10?

    9.5. I have taken off 0.5 because I don’t want to appear immodest. 🙂

     

    You haven’t gone for a big-name publisher for your first novel? Is it because the biggies were acting difficult? Or is it because you make money in self-publishing?

    An Invitation To Death isn’t self published, it’s been published by the Delhi-based Srishti Publishers & Distributors. While they aren’t as high profile as some of the bigger ones, their distribution network is solid, and that’s well know in the publishing industry. Also, I approached only three publishers. One did not bother to reply, the other asked me to ‘tone down the violence’ (eeeks!). Srishti fully believed in the idea and the story, they were super excited, and that’s what I needed from my publisher.

     

    One has heard stories about how certain writers rose up the popularity charts by buying their own books in bulk from the bookstores? Any plans on that?

    Sounds good! What an idea, Sirji! Would love to do that but will need to rob a bank first. You know how poorly we freelance journalists get paid in this country. I can’t even afford a fancy book reading do at Crossword, and that’s being honest.

     

    We have read the first chapter, and it’s possibly too early to talk about it, but are you looking at converting this to a film or TV series?

    Yes. Would make for kickass cinema. Will discuss with a few producers after the book is out. I just hope they don’t tone down the violence! 🙂

     

    There is talk of likenesses to real-life folk from the media in your work? You’ll obviously want us to read the book to figure it out for ourselves, but some clues?

    Yes, you will identify a few characters. But the book isn’t really about targeting individual media personalities. As for the media angle to the story, it’s more about how the Indian media, particularly television channels, deal with crime in this country. The focus is usually on sensationalism and eyeball gathering, rather than concern for loss of human life. You will discover the heartlessness and callousness of India’s so-called ‘vibrant’ media.

     

    What next? Have you started work on your next book?

    Nope, not immediately. Have to first get my bread and butter work in order, the courier company just delivered the latest electricity bill. 🙂

     

     

  • The masks people wear make can make social media a false god at the altar of truth, writes Ranjona Banerji

    Ranjona Banerji: Are journalists taking the shortcut of gathering news via social media?

    By Ranjona Banerji

     

    Is social media important when it comes to newsgathering? Are journalists using social media to bypass traditional means of newsgathering? Is this laziness? Or is it keeping track of an essential new medium?

     

    The answer most likely is yes to all the questions. It is impossible to ignore social media but it is encouraging too many journalists, young and old, to take shortcuts and the easy way out. This does not have to do with the social class or the educational levels of a society. It has to do with the lazy belief that social media represents such a large swathe of society that it has to take front and centre compared to all groups.

     

    Strangely, all of us who are very active on social media know very well that this importance is not fully justified. To quote that much quoted line from TS Eliot, we all prepare a face to meet the faces that we meet and never more so than on social media. Few people are ever themselves. The focus is often on anonymous internet trolls for their abuse or their hidden and/or open agendas. But internet trolls might well be the most honest creatures out there. They reveal more about themselves than most of us who use open forums like Twitter to share information or links or opinions.

     

    Either way, the masks people wear make can make social media a false god at the altar of truth. This is what journalists have to be wary of as they collect information and opinions. Sadly, there is no better way of finding out how people think than by talking to them face to face.

     

    Of course, Twitter is not the villain in all this. Years ago, we came across the breed of telephone journalists and their dial-a-quote respondents. This lot never left office to do their stories. Some rather foolish editors – unfortunately many of them were promoted mediocre sub-editors or management stooges or both – felt that reporters were wasting time on the field and needed to be seen (by them) in the office. The landline telephone was pushed forward as the best newsgathering device. I have seen this policy being implemented to the great detriment of the newspaper I worked in then and have heard enough horror stories about similar policies in papers across the world. In most such cases, some MBA had done some kind of a study and decided that it profits a newspaper or journal more if a reporter does all his or her work in office. You do not have to be a genius to see the extreme folly of such an idea: just a proper journalist.

     

    Imagine the fun you can have with a mobile phone. Produce byline after byline just by going through social media, never meeting anyone. Most of this criticism is aimed at the print media. TV dances to a different drummer and 24-hour news television cannot survive if all reporters are forced to sit in their offices.

     

    It is hardly surprising in India at least that websites like scroll.in and the now thewire.in gained readers just by sending people out to do stories. Few newspapers still follow that path. And yet one of the best stories I read this Sunday was in the Indian Express headlined “Dabang Didi”, about a woman who had turned into a sort of Robin Hood vigilante for her area. She refused to play victim after she was raped. Not exactly possible via Twitter.

     

    ***

     

    The anatomy of an internet troll remains an amusing subject though. Bestselling author Chetan Bhagat wrote a column about why pro-BJP trolls abuse some women on Twitter. This caused hysteria amongst Bhagat’s supporters and detractors. And led to a discussion on Nidhi Razdan’s Left Right and Centre on NDTV.

     

    However, as was evident from the TV show and the reactions on social media, the troll is less dangerous and but far more pervasive and a fitter survivor than the fairy-tale creature after which it is named.

     

    I have a simple solution to them: mock or block.

     

  • Girish Balachandran appointed as Chief Strategy Officer, Neha Mehrotra and Shalmana Tendulkar as Regional Heads for Avian North & West respectively

    Avian Media rejigs leadership team

    By A Correspondent

     

    Avian Media has announced new roles for its leadership team as it prepares to take on new growth from existing and new clients.

     

    Girish Balachandran

    Girish Balachandran has been promoted as Chief Strategy Officer. In the last eight months at Avian Media he has held responsibility for marquee client relationships, winning new business and championing LEAP, an agency-wide, employee-led movement to build a culture of achieving unreasonable results. In his new role, Girish will continue building a growth roadmap for the agency including incubating newer business units – Digital & Content Marketing and CSR, Advocacy and Development sector work. Prior to joining Avian Media, Girish served as Europe, Middle East and Africa Client Development Director at Waggener Edstrom and worked with Ketchum as a Board Director in London.

     

    Neha Mehrotra

    Neha Mehrotra, an Avian Media veteran has been appointed as Regional Head for North. She is one of the first employees of Avian Media and recently completed 11 years with the company. Neha has helped build a robust team in Delhi looking after key clients across aviation and defense, consumer electronics, automotive and e-commerce among others. In her new role, Neha will be responsible for leading strategy and creating standards and processes to ensure a consistency in service for large Indian and multinational clients as well as manage operations for Avian Media in north India.

     

    Shalmana Tendulkar

    Shalmana Tendulkar, has taken the reins of Avian West as Regional Head. With over eighteen years’ experience, she joined Avian Media in Jan 2014 to lead its consumer practice out of Mumbai. In her new role, Shalmana will also oversee operations for Pune and Mumbai offices and ensure seamless quality in client servicing across its corporate, consumer, and technology and healthcare practices. Prior to Avian Media, Shalmana has worked at Genesis Burson Marsteller and as an independent communications consultant in India.

     

    Subramaniam M continues leading operations for Avian Media in the South as Regional Head of its business across offices in Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Chennai.

     

    Commenting on the new structure, Avian Media CEO, Nitin Mantri said, “Brands in India are increasingly looking for agencies that can understand the role of communications within a broad stakeholder environment. By uniting our functions under single regional heads we’re bringing together the best mix of expertise and experience to bear on client challenges in an integrated way, beyond the silos of practices and functions. This new realignment will help us not only focus better to run the business and also integrate teams better within and across offices.”

     

    The firm continues to have Nikhil Khanna, MD and Nitin Mantri as CEO at its helm. In the last year, Avian Media won 48 new clients including BMW, Sony, BlaBlaCar and Sesame Workshop.

     

  • New logo reflects evolution of company's business and enhancement of users' experience

    Quikr unveils new brand identity

    By A Correspondent

     

    Quikr has announced the launch of a new company logo that symbolises its successful rise in the Indian classifieds industry and its transition into a platform that has deep, verticalized offerings in large categories. The evolution of the company’s brand is also in sync with the evolution of Quikr’s users who have high aspirations, and have increasingly started using Quikr across a variety of categories such as cars, real estate, goods, services and jobs to fulfil these aspirations.

     

    Quikr’s new slogan “Aasan hai badalna” reflects the sentiment of today’s India and instantly connects with young, aspiring Indians who seek to change their lives for the better. Quikr, with an easy to use platform, enables consumers to buy, sell and find things that inspire change in their lives. The company believes that change is essential and even the smallest of change has a multiplier effect that can bring big positive changes in one’s life.

     

    Commenting on the rebranding initiative, Pranay Chulet, Founder & CEO of Quikr said, “At its very core, our purpose as a company is to help our users achieve their aspirations and hence enhance their lives. Our platform symbolizes the fact that good things in life are easy to get. Whether people come to us to buy something good or to sell something because they are buying something else, our users always experience positive change when they come to us. Our new logo and brand identity represents this change and the world of new possibilities that comes with it.”

     

    The company’s new logo and brand identity has been crafted by Alok Nanda & Company. Commenting on the launch of the new logo, Alok Nanda, CEO of Alok Nanda & Company said, “We created the brand identity and architecture system after engaging in an in-depth, strategic brand repositioning exercise with Quikr. From a design perspective, the ‘Q’ in Quikr is a designer’s dream and has been fashioned to suggest positive change in its users’ lives. The logo retains the blue and green colours for which the company is recognised and the new font is contemporary, yet sleek with a sense of speed which is integral to the name Quikr.”

     

  • The Twitter application was created as part of the EPIC Channel’s ongoing campaign

    Epic channel introduces Twitter alarm for #Epicat10

    By A Correspondent

     

    EPIC channel has unveiled a unique innovation for their new campaign – #EPICat10. The channel is has released ‘The EPIC Channel Twitter Alarm’ that lets followers set a reminder for the 10 PM shows. The Twitter alarm was conceptualized for the EPIC Channel by Grey group India and executed in collaboration with Twitter. The Twitter application was created as part of the EPIC Channel’s ongoing campaign.

     

    Mahesh Samat

    Mahesh Samat, MD, The EPIC Channel says, “When GREY suggested the idea as part of the ‘EPIC At 10’ campaign, we were instantly sold and excited to get it activated. We are proud to announce ‘The EPIC Channel Twitter Alarm’ for the first time in India. Twitter has been excellent in facilitating the innovation. The core idea of our Campaign is to drive tune-ins to the 10 pm timeslot on the channel. The Twitter Alarm fits in perfectly with the campaign.”

     

     

    Sunil Lulla

    Sunil Lulla, Chairman and Managing Director, Grey Group India commented, “At GREY group, we are constantly looking at creating, ‘Famous & Effective’ campaigns for our clients. This makes it imperative to step beyond the boundaries and create – even if it is something as simple as a ‘Twitter Alarm’. We hope that soon enough, India will need no reminder to tune into The EPIC Channel at 10 PM.”

     

  • The acquisition shall be from current shareholders of Sarthak Entertainment Private Limited, subject to requisite regulatory approvals, as an all-cash deal at a consideration of maximum of Rs. 115 crore

    Zee set to acquire Odia channel Sarthak TV

    By A Correspondent

     

    Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) has announced its decision to acquire 100% equity stake in Sarthak Entertainment Pvt Ltd which operates popular Odia GEC ‘Sarthak TV’.

     

    The acquisition shall be from current shareholders of Sarthak Entertainment Private Limited, subject to requisite regulatory approvals, as an all-cash deal at a consideration of maximum of Rs. 115 crore.

     

    With this Zee enters the rapidly expanding Odisha market from a bouquet of channels in other regional languages like Marathi, Bengali, Telugu, Kannada and Tamil.

     

    Launched in 2010, Sarthak TV has been a leader amongst Odia GECs. Commenting on the acquisition, ZEEL MD and CEO Punit Goenka said:  “The acquisition of an already profitable, market leading venture is going to be a value accretive investment in line with our philosophy of enhancing shareholder value. Sarthak will further add to our formidable bouquet of 33 channels in the domestic market”.

     

    Said Sitaram Agrawalla, Founder & Managing Director of the Sarthak Group and Raj Thourani, Director, Sarthak TV: “It gives us great pleasure to announce that Sarthak will now be a part of India’s leading entertainment network. Being the oldest and market leading network in India, ZEEL would provide the perfect platform for Sarthak to grow further in the future. With a history of successful operations, we are sure Sarthak will be a great value-add for ZEEL”.

     

  • The study also uses existing data to estimate the size of India’s app economy at Rs. 1964 crores in 2016

    Employment in India’s App Economy to leap manifold by 2016

    By A Correspondent

     

    India’s App Economy is witnessing exponential growth. A study published by ICRIER and IAMAI titled “An Inquiry Into The Impact Of India’s App Economy” estimates direct employment in this industry to range between 1,51,230 and 1,59, 010 by 2016. Apps currently account for 75,000 jobs in India. Accordingly, the increase in direct employment attributable to India’s App economy is expected to range between 76,230 and 84,010 jobs from 2014 to 2016. Besides, Apps create downstream jobs in sales and marketing and in customer sales management. They also cause income growth that has its own secondary impact on jobs. These indirect and induced effects could result in an increase in total employment by up to 8 times during the period 2014 to 2016. At its best, the App economy could generate over 6,00,000 jobs. The study also uses existing data to estimate the size of India’s app economy at Rs. 1964 crores in 2016.

     

    Speaking at the launch of the Report, R Chandrasekhar, President – NASSCOM said, “Digitization of data at source is critical and therefore mobile is the way forward to speed up the implementation of projects. Mobile apps offer an interesting way of digitization and save both time and money but the challenge is to create a conducive ecosystem. Harmonious commercial synergies between app developers and telecom operators have to be created. App development coupled with infrastructure development will lead to the growth of the app economy.”

     

    The Report illustrates four scenarios that determine the range of potential employment that can be generated by the app economy in India. These are

    1. Business As Usual (BAU) with no regulatory intervention
    2. Mature Industry (IM) with high smartphone penetration and data usage
    3. Government Intervention (GI) providing digital infrastructure enabling demand

    4 .Aggressive Government Intervention (AGI) and Mature Industry (IM) playing pivotal role

     

    According to the Report, smartphone penetration in India is estimated at less than 20 percent, the country experiences 100 million downloads per month placing it amongst the top five regions for Google Play, the official Android app store. The number of 3G Sims in India is also expected to increase from 35 million in 2012 to an impressive 272 million by 2017. India also significantly contributes to app development as roughly ten percent of apps worldwide are developed by Indians either based abroad or at home.

     

    Rajat Kathuria, Director & Chief Executive – ICRIER, said, “The increase in start-ups coupled with an enhanced ecosystem could create employment opportunities. At present the app economy has created approximately 75,000 direct jobs, and has the potential to reach 6,00,000 over a period of time, due to indirect and induced impacts of App development.

     

    Providing insights on the report, Dr. Subho Ray, President – IAMAI (Internet & Mobile Association of India) said, “India’s App economy is at the cusp of exponential growth. With e-commerce companies going mobile only and unprecedented growth in the hyperlocal segment, the industry will not be surprised to witness a faster growth rate than projected in the report.”

     

  • All eyes on whether CSK and the Royals have new owners or are out of the tournament

    Dark Clouds for IPL Sponsors?

     

    By Pritha Mitra Dasgupta & Ratna Bhushan

     

    The proposed suspension of Indian Premier League teams Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals following a betting scandal evoked mixed opinions about how the cricket tournament would be affected, although it is unlikely to financially hurt title sponsor PepsiCo or team sponsors such as Aircel and UltraTech.

     

    In all probability, the Board of Control for Cricket in India will have to compensate sponsors financially for any loss of opportunity to market their brands, two people who deal with such negotiations said.

     

    “Both teams have star players such as MS Dhoni and Shane Watson who are brands in their own right and the teams have been performing well. If BCCI chooses to go ahead without the two teams next year, then it will have to decide on how the sponsors would be compensated,” a source said.

     

    The sponsors of CSK and Rajasthan Royals won’t take any hit, said Melroy D’Souza, chief operating officer at Professional Management Group, the sports marketing unit of Madison.

     

    Media planners said suspension of two of the eight teams may be a problem for Sony, official broadcaster of the T20 cricket league. “Sony Max will not be able to match the ad sales revenue it raked in the previous IPL season because the number of matches will reduce,” a top media planner said.

     

    “There will be a lot of challenges for the next edition of IPL,” said Santosh Desai, MD & CEO of Futurebrands India. “The immediate issue will be adjusting the format and one would imagine that the brand value will take a knock. And advertisers will be wary at least for the next season of IPL.”

     

    According to Ashish Bhasin, chairman & CEO South Asia, Dentsu Aegis Network, “Both CSK and RR are very big teams and their suspension will impact the tournament in a big way. But I am sure BCCI will find ways to reorient the tournament.”

     

    Bhasin added that the tournament is unviable with six teams and “financially it will be very difficult to sustain. If the number of matches get lesser there will be less advertising time. So we need to see how BCCI restructures IPL.”

     

    Shashi Sinha, CEO, IPG Media brands, said that IPL is bigger than the teams and “people watch it more for its entertainment value than competitive cricket. So in my opinion, advertiser interest will remain.”

     

    Vodafone, one of the three official IPL partners and one of the biggest advertisers, declined to comment.

     

    PepsiCo India said it expects the issues surrounding IPL to be adequately and swiftly addressed. “The faith of cricket fans is important and needs to be restored in the interest of the game. With reference the ban on the two teams, we will discuss it with Board of Control for Cricket in India and are hopeful they will be able to find a solution, which is in the best interest of all stakeholders,” a PepsiCo spokesperson said.

     

    Mobile wallet company, Paytm, which came on board as an IPL sponsor in 2015, will “wait and watch before signing another deal with IPL.” Shankar Nath, senior vice president at Paytm, said, “We are stunned by the news. But the good news is there is still a lot of time before the next season and maybe it will prove to be resilient.”

     

    “IPL has emerged as a robust and endearing sporting event property, which has only grown stronger with record TV viewership and instadium attendance. We believe that the strengthened governance structure and enhanced image of the IPL will further build the popularity of the league and benefit all its stakeholders, including sponsors,” said Anindya Datta, chief marketing officer at Yes Bank, one of the official partners of the event.

     

    Aircel, the oldest and biggest team sponsor of CSK, went into a huddle over the question of disassociating with a team found to have links with a betting scandal.

     

    “The verdict has just been announced and we are reviewing our position in the matter,” Aircel said in a statement to CSK.

     

    A leading media agency is of the opinion that both CSK and RR will play in the next season of IPL, probably under new owners, and therefore the tournament format will remain unaffected.

     

    However, the agency said a number of big advertisers may not associate with IPL because the property is marred with the betting scandal and the matter is sub judice. No one would want to come under the scanner of the new government.

     

    The agency said cricket as a property in India has become very expensive and a number of beverage and FMCG brands might use this as an excuse to get out of IPL.

     

    Source:The Economic Times

    Copyright © 2015, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved

    Licensed to republish

     

  • This marks the foray of the Brand Sanjeev Kapoor into the lifestyle houseware and kitchenware segment through brand licensing deals

    Brand Sanjeev Kapoor appoints Tangerine as the Retail Licensee

    By A Correspondent

     

    Chef Sanjeev Kapoor, Mr. Rajiv Merchant,Co-Founder & CEO, Tangerine and others and press conference held at HGH 2015

    At the recent HGH India 2015 annual trade held at the Bombay Convention and Exhibition Centre, Brand Sanjeev Kapoor announced Tangerine as its authorized licensee to sell select Sanjeev Kapoor branded products like Table and Kitchen Linen. This marks the foray of the Brand Sanjeev Kapoor into the lifestyle houseware and kitchenware segment through brand licensing deals. Tangerine, the designer brand in Home Solutions and part of the Indian Home Variations, will offer a new array of SK Branded fashionable kitchen linen, table linen, mugs, trays, etc. Tangerine would be also be the sole distributor for SK range of Cutlery launched by Licensee – Trinity Kitchenware Pvt Ltd.

     

    These products by Tangerine crafted under the parameters of the SK brand will be trendy and aesthetically designed to suit the contemporary taste and requirements of the modern consumers. A special focus on the quality to develop effective and safe kitchenware, the Sanjeev Kapoor range of products will be at par with the global standards and redefine the experience from storage pre-cooking, cooking to table arrangement and dining.

     

    Rajiv Merchant, Co-Founder & CEO, Tangerine commented, “Brand Sanjeev Kapoor is the most authentic brand for every Indian kitchen as the Chef is known by every house maker and his name itself brings credibility and assurance. We are excited to work with the SK brand and aim to provide customers with a complete experience in kitchen and table products at one place, under one brand. The interesting and classy pieces will certainly raise the standard of cooking in every house and create an organized look in the kitchen and dining space.”

     

  • The Sakal Media Group tops readership charts in Maharashtra and Goa and publishes 5 daily newspapers with 12 editions, 3 weeklies, 3 magazines in Marathi and English

    Salt Brand Solutions bags communications mandate of Sakal Media Group

    By A Correspondent

     

    Maharashtra’s largest independently owned media group has appointed Salt Brand Solutions to represent its communications.Salt Brand Solutions will be spearheading the creative strategy and communication for the Pune based Sakal Media Group.

     

    The Group’s extensive portfolio includes – Sakal, Sakal Times, Gomantak, Gomantak Times, Magazines, Saam TV channel and foundations namely DCF, YIN, SILC, Tanishka and Madhurangan.

     

    Mahesh Chauhan, Founder, Salt Brand Solutions said, “Our engagement with Sakal has been a journey of discovery. What appears to outsiders as a regional media group is actually a dynamic media conglomerate that is transforming itself into a media-ecosystem aimed at creating real, sustainable change on ground. We are eager to bring this story alive to all key stakeholders. Besides, I consider it an honour to be associated with an institution like Sakal.”

     

    “We were impressed by Salt’s thorough understanding of the brand and our ambitions. The team is young and enthusiastic with some great creative work to showcase.” said Jwalant Swaroop, CEO, Sakal Media Group.

     

    The Sakal Media Group tops readership charts in Maharashtra and Goa and publishes 5 daily newspapers with 12 editions, 3 weeklies, 3 magazines in Marathi and English. The newspaper was established in 1932.

     

  • A first-of-its kind show that provides invaluable insights into the biggest deals in private equity and VC space

    Bloomberg TV India to launch ‘Deal Street’

    By A Correspondent

     

    Bloomberg TV India is set to present an all-new show – Deal Street, that will decode some of India’s biggest corporate and financial deals.

     

    Through the series, get invaluable insights into the business of deal-making, along with a ringside view of multimillion dollar deals for funding, mergers, acquisitions, buyouts and takeovers. Also, there will be a special focus on the future of India’s buzzing start-up ecosystem.

     

    The half-hour special series will feature interviews with some of the most successful people in the industry. Industry stalwarts, who are placing some big bets on India, will discuss their deals and plans for the companies that they have bet on. In the initial weeks, the show will feature leaders like Sanjay Nayar, CEO – Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR India); Deepak Gaur, MD – SAIF Partners; Avnish Bajaj, MD – Matrix India; Renuka Ramnath, Founder, MD & CEO – Multiples Alternate Asset Management Private Limited and Sanjeev Aggarwal, Senior Managing Director, Helion Venture Partners.

     

    Commenting on the launch of the show, Alok Nair, Executive Vice-President and Business Head, Bloomberg TV India, said, “Our strategic approach has always been to provide hard-hitting news to help our viewers take informed decisions. Taking this into consideration, the show will bring together the most promising leaders from the private equity and VC community. The show will focus on what top investors look at when they back a business or an entrepreneur, and how they ensure that their investments will pay off. Mini Menon – one of the most respected Business & Markets journalists will be driving the show. Mini’s deep engagement with the PE & VC community will put this content in the right perspective & bring together the most crucial ecosystem alive, exclusively on Bloomberg TV India.”