MxMIndia

Category: MEDIA

  • Different rules for Different Governments

    Different rules for Different Governments

    Ranjona Banerji PhotographMonsoon related disasters continue across India. The landslide in Wayanad is undoubtedly the worst with at least 300 people dead, homes and livelihoods destroyed. Torrential rain, a river changing course and the human lack of respect for nature are all possible reasons for the landslide and subsequent damage.

     

    The media, or sections of it, would rather concentrate on the political dynamics – since Kerala is ruled by the CPI (M) and like all non-BJP states, the government must be severely castigated – than on aspects of the disaster itself. Or, discussions on why opposition politician Rahul Gandhi who is still the MP from Wayanad has not visited yet, with implications that he is somehow to blame.

     

    And yet, as we have one more train accident – three on passenger trains in the last six weeks – in Jharkhand, the legacy media is unable to find any politician to blame for the sad state of the Railways. The excellent article from The Economic Times linked below provides all the details, has a stentorian tone about safety and protocol failures and yet, if you were new to India, you would be excused for believing that India has no railways minister. Is Ashwini Vaishnaw’s name there? Is he blamed or asked to take responsibility? O no. The rules are different for Kerala and the BJP-ruled Central government. Of course. What’s new here, eh?

     

    https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/transportation/railways/howrah-mumbai-mail-accident-india-rail-joy-ride-or-fatal-ride-15-lives-lost-in-6-weeks/articleshow/112123228.cms?from=mdr

     

    August 1 and India saw the unedifying spectacle of the new Parliament building leaking like a sieve. Not metaphorically, as in politicians sharing juicy details of government gossip with journalists. But actually physically leaking rainwater into the fancy new entrance hall. Journalists who cover Parliament are kept in a cage and possibly some are quite used to be being treated like lapdogs, so they don’t mind. And ruling party politicians mainly share gossip about opposition parties.

     

    If not, there would be have massive fisticuffs about the BJP’s Nitin Gadkari writing to the BJP’s Nirmala Sitharaman requesting her to cut GST on health insurance. O no, we are so circumspect about turmoil within Narendra Modi’s ship, even when there is turmoil, so you would be forgiven for thinking that this media is stuck in the 1970s. Polite news articles are matter of fact: “Gadkari writes to Sitharaman”.

     

    But obviously not with other political parties: “Cracks in India Alliance!!! Is this the end! One party member did not smile at a member of another party! Who is to blame??? Is it Nehru???” and so on is the media response.

     

    But that Parliament building. Now this is a real shame in terms of India’s glory and Modi’s ambitions. But we must be circumspect with blame here. Rahul Gandhi may have caused the Wayanad landslide, or done nothing about it, Nehru has caused the rest of the problems. But our friends in the Central government? No way. So let’s cover the embarrassment of this prime ministerial project being shoddy – not the first time – by shooting from the shoulders of the Opposition:

     

    https://www.business-standard.com/india-news/rs-971-crore-parliament-building-faces-leaks-due-to-heavy-rains-in-delhi-124080100457_1.html

    (heavy rain to blame, Congress mentioned in intro, Akhilesh Yadav mentioned early in the article, Prime Minister Modi mentioned lower down as someone who merely inaugurated a building which perhaps mysteriously manifested.)

     

    https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/new-parliament-roof-leaking-delhi-rains-akhilesh-yadav-built-with-billions-opposition-jabs-bjp-over-parliament-roof-leak-video-6238329

    (Opposition)

     

    https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/opposition-highlights-new-parliament-buildings-leaking-roof-government-says-small-issue-addressed/articleshow/112209481.cms

    (Opposition)

     

    Luckily, they do tell us that this badly made structure cost Rs 971 crore to make.

     

    Don’t worry yourselves. It’s just our money getting washed away.

     

    Ranjona Banerji is a senior journalist and commentator. She writes on MxMIndia on Tuesdays and Fridays. Her views here are personal.

  • Campaign conceptualised in-house

    Virat Kohli & Taapsee Pannu campaign for Noise brand

    Noise, the wearable and lifestyle brand, has rolled  out its latest campaign, “Made of Noise”, featuring its brand ambassadors Virat Kohli and Taapsee Pannu.

    Commenting on the campaign, Gaurav Khatri, Co-Founder, Noise, said: “At Noise, we’ve always believed in ‘Listening to our inner Noise.’ Over the past decade, this philosophy has driven us to innovate and lead. But as we celebrate 10 years, we also recognize that external voices play an equally important role in our growth when embraced positively. The ‘Made of Noise’ campaign embodies this philosophy, highlighting how every noise, whether internal or external, can drive us towards excellence. Our Noisemakers – Virat Kohli and Taapsee Pannu are not just ambassadors but epitomize this belief, perfectly reflecting the essence of harnessing every noise to fuel their pursuit of excellence. This campaign is a tribute to everyone who uses the world’s noise to rise above and succeed.”

  • To foray into financial services as an aggregator

    Infibeam to acquire 54% of Rediff.com

    Infibeam Avenues Ltd, the fintech company, has entered into a definitive agreement for a 54% stake in Rediff.com India Ltd, one of India’s oldest internet portal.

    Said Ajit Balakrishnan, Chairman  & CEO of Rediff.com: “I am delighted to pass on this iconic brand and its legacy into the capable hands of Mr. Vishal Mehta, Infibeam Avenues. I strongly believe that the new avatar of Rediff under his leadership will further strengthen the company and accelerate business growth.” Balakrishnan will continue to advise the company.

    Added Vishal Mehta, Chairman and Managing Director of Infibeam Avenues Ltd: “This transaction harnesses the synergies between Infibeam Avenues’ fintech expertise and Rediff.com’s esteemed brand legacy. We are poised to cement our position as a leader in the dynamic landscape of digital finance aggregation, cloud storage and content distribution. With this synergy, we are poised to unlock new dimensions of growth, redefining the essence of cloud and fintech engagement.”

  • Entertainment in Limbo

    Entertainment in Limbo

    Shailesh KapoorIn more than 25 years of observing the Indian media and entertainment industry closely, there has never been a period like the one we are in currently. Every mainline sector of the industry is going through a phase of stagnancy or descendancy. It is difficult to say if any of this will change anytime in a hurry.

    The television industry has been struggling to hold on to pay subscribers. The drops are not sizeable in percentage terms. But in a country where more than 30% of the population still doesn’t have access to TV, growth should be a given. Instead, we are looking at stagnant numbers. Because BARC India hasn’t conducted a baseline study in a while, this data point is open to debate. On the revenue front, the EY-FICCI report projects positive revenue growth, but that’s a little hard to believe in the current scenario.

    On the content front, big-ticket cricket is the only marquee property type that television has to show. Nothing on mainline Hindi GECs is in that league anymore.

    Over the last couple of years, the popular narrative suggested streaming is the future, and television will slowly make way for it. But the streaming numbers paint a picture of their own. In our recently published OTT report, India’s digital video audience size went up by 14%, from 481 Mn to 547 Mn. But this entire growth comes from the AVOD segment, largely on the back of new audiences who have entered the category via YouTube and social media videos.

    As new audiences enter, one would expect those already there to move to the next level. In case of OTT, this would mean from AVOD to SVOD. That hasn’t happened at all, and the total paid subscriptions seem to have frozen in time. Audiences outside the Top 15 cities are not keen to pay for OTT subscriptions, and the Top 15 cities have reached their saturation point post the pandemic.

    The evident slowdown in content production makes the picture look gloomier. The number of originals on OTT this year may be a good 30-40% less than 2023. Next year could be even lower. Creators (producers, writers, directors) who were navigating multiple projects last year are now in sustenance mode.

    The theatrical category is doing decent numbers, but matching last year’s box-office will be a tough ask. In any case, a handful of big films are driving the box-office, and the long tail has weakened considerably, leading to a lot of scepticism, and a general drop in the number of Hindi releases. We are currently in one such period, where there are no major releases for several weeks after Stree 2’s release on Independence Day.

    The silver lining comes via positive signs on the larger consumer sentiment and demand in the country. Evidently, media advertising will ride on this sentiment. But that could be the only tangible positive for the Indian media industry currently.

    Hopefully, there are positive developments round the corner, which will pleasantly surprise us. For now, the next few months may be those of wait and watch.

  • As official ticketing partner for key IPs

    Nodwin Gaming partners with Insider.in

    Nodwin Gaming has entered into a multi-year strategic partnership with Insider.in, the ticketing and events platforms.

    Sharing his thoughts on the partnership, Akshat Rathee, Co-founder and MD, Nodwin Gaming said: “We are delighted to team up with Insider.in as our official ticketing partner across 3 of our iconic IPs. Our past collaborations have always been exceptional and this partnership is a natural progression in our shared vision for excellence. NODWIN Gaming is committed to becoming the premier destination for youth entertainment with our exclusive IPs, and this partnership is a significant step toward that goal. Insider.in’s expertise and commitment to delivering exceptional experiences aligns perfectly with our mission to enhance audience experiences for Comic Con India, NH7 Weekender and DreamHack India. Together, we look forward to creating iconic memories  and delightful experiences for everyone.”

    Speaking about this strategic collaboration, Varun Khare from Insider.in added: “We are thrilled to announce this multi-year ticketing partnership with Nodwin Gaming for their iconic IPs like NH7 Weekender, Dreamhack and the globally renowned Comic Con editions. Our longstanding partnership has been a testament to our shared commitment to excellence in live entertainment that focuses on providing unmatched entertainment to fans across the country. With tremendous fan support for all of these IPs, we are excited to elevate consumer experiences and set new benchmarks in the industry.”

  • Amid Channel and Platform Expansion

    India TV restructures sales team

    India TV has restructured its sales team to align with its expanding presence across television, Connected TV, and streaming platforms.

    Under the leadership of Sudipto Chowdhuri, Chief Revenue Officer, India TV’s sales team has been restructured into three pivotal divisions. As National Head, Mini Harrison will head India TV Television, bringing with her 29 years of experience from News24 and Zee Media Corp Ltd. Her regional team includes Manan Sheel Bhasin (North), with 20 years in television monetisation; Supreeth S Gondkar (South); Shyamotpal Chanda (East); and Arghya Roy Chowdhury (West), an ad sales expert with two decades of media industry experience, previously at Zee Media.

    Avdhesh Kumar, The National Head, will lead Connected TV and streaming platforms, drawing on over 15 years of expertise with roles at Inshorts, Star Jalsha, Channel V and The Walt Disney Company. Under Avdhesh Kumar’s leadership, the regional heads are Pratibha Mishra (North and East), with 14 years in revenue growth and strategic partnerships, and Shriram Devati (South and West), known for his success in go-to-market strategies from Sun Tamil Cluster Channels and Zee Talkies.

    Sourav Dev, the National Head overseeing Speed News, brings substantial sales and marketing experience from Times Network and TV Today Network. His team includes Subhadip Bandopadhyay (North and East), with 15 years in market development, and Sreyashi Banerjee (South and West), with 22 years of experience, recognised for significant revenue contributions and tentpole sales.

    Notes a communique: ‘The aim of this restructuring is to enhance India TV’s presence across channels and platforms, enabling the company to respond swiftly to market dynamics and deliver increased value to advertisers. With a leadership team boasting extensive industry experience and regional expertise, India TV is well-positioned to drive its sales strategy into this new phase of growth.”

  • To support aspiring creators

    Instagram launches Creator Lab in India

    Instagram has launched a Creator Lab in India. This initiative aims to provide support to young people across India who are interested in content creation.

    As many as 14 content creators feature in the content on Creator Lab, who represent diverse geographies, genres and growth journeys. Some of them are Aabir Vyas, Govind Kaushal, Meethika Dwivedi, Raghav Sachhar, and The Vixens Crew. The creators will share takeaways around three themes that are essential to achieving sustained success:

    The content is available in English and Hindi, depending on the comfort of the creators who’re part of the videos. Going forward, more content will be added to the Lab, and the content will also be captioned in 6 Indian languages – Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Bengali, Hindi. Here’s the link to the Lab.

    Said Paras Sharma, Director, Global Partnerships, Meta, India: “We are dedicated to empowering creators to express themselves freely and succeed in their own unique way. We recognize that success means different things to different people, and we are constantly seeking ways to add value through product features, programs, collaborations, and economic opportunities. To support aspiring creators, we are now launching Creator Lab, a resource that provides content by creators, for creators. Our goal is to help creators across the country take advantage of this opportunity and achieve their goals.”

  • To deliver unified view of Marketing Campaigns and Drive Faster Execution

    Adobe announces Workfront Planning

    Adobe has announces Workfront Planning to deliver a unified view of marketing campaigns and attempting to drive faster execution.

    Said Amit Ahuja, Senior Vice President, Digital Experience Business at Adobe: “The daily work of the modern marketer has become increasingly complex, as different teams charge forward on individual campaigns without much visibility into the efforts of their colleagues. The net result is fragmented marketing operations where too much time is spent trying to align programs and stakeholders, a problem Workfront Planning solves by providing a centralized solution to plan campaigns, deliver marketing briefs and orchestrate work across teams.”

  • Unlike earlier, news television has not blanked out Rahul Gandhi's latest Bharat Jodo Yatra, writes Ranjona Banerji

    Ranjona Banerji: ‘Pappu’ no more!

    Ranjona Banerji PhotographAs the USA is enthralled by its electoral processes, there is some conversation over how the normally rightwing media – like Fox News – appears to be tiring of former president and repeat Republican candidate Donald Trump. Apparently, Fox has a few times cut Trump off and switched to the Kamala Harris campaign. The implication is that Harris’s presidential bid has so enthused the Democrats and the nation, that no media house, no matter how committed to one ideology (Trumpism), can ignore the wider world.

    However, knowing how the rightwing media operates, the more normal sections of society should not hope for any substantial return to balance. When push comes to shove, the right will switch back to its core competency. In most cases, this means pushing some form of bigotry and hatred over common sense.

    Of course, when it comes to western democracies, the media totally aligns when it comes to approval of genocide committed by Israel on Palestinians. You don’t even need any investigation. The approval of deaths of Palestinians and the inability to even name Israel as the killer stares the observer in the face.

    You can see in the three examples that I have provided below, even when there is disapproval of Israel, headlines are carefully calibrated to avoid any blame. Let us put this in context. In other instances, the media loves to sensationalise even trivial bits of pointless news and aim for “clickbait” headlines to draw you in. “Cure for cancer found!”: the article if you read it will tell you that no cure has been found but someone is working on something.

    “Asteroid about to hit Earth!”: no asteroid is going to hit Earth is what the story will say. And so on.

    But somehow outrage or even simple human compassion for the deaths of Palestinians is hard to find, whether you look right or left.

    https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/8/29/eus-top-diplomat-seeks-sanctions-against-israeli-ministers

    https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-eu-sanctions-relations-trade-7bdc4df36661081a2e408f3c7ff24863

    https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/media-groups-call-on-european-union-to-suspend-treaty-impose-sanctions-on-israel/article68567762.ece

    Palestinians are undeserving, it appears, across the board.

    There are several obvious conclusions to be drawn from this. Do I have to spell them out?

    No, I didn’t think so.

    Meanwhile, back in India, it appears that some sections of the Indian media are doing some similar sidesteps with Rahul Gandhi. Unlike earlier, TV has not blanked out his latest Bharat Jodo Yatra. Videos of Gandhi giving martial arts demos are viral on social media and being discussed on TV. His name also appears to have changed from Pappu. I saw Aaj Tak had some sort of clip on “Rahul Bhaiyya” and “Modi Kaka”. So now, Rahul Gandhi is a relative. A sort of national brother while Narendra Modi has been relegated to an “uncle”. In internet terms, “aunty” and “uncle” are not compliments. Just saying.

    However, when it comes to women’s issues, rape, safety of women in the workplace and everything else we get periodically worried about after a national incident, the legacy media is very clear. The ghastly rape in Bengal is more important than ghastly rapes elsewhere. Since the rape and murder of the junior doctor at RG Kar hospital in Kolkata on August 9, there are have been innumerable news stories about more awful rapes and murders of women and girls across India. But the legacy media will only pick them up and provide indepth coverage if they happen in non-BJP ruled states. Uttar Pradesh? No. Madhya Pradesh? No? Uttarakhand? No. Bengal? Well, obviously.

    We like to be consistent it seems. And generally vile.

    Ranjona Banerji is a senior journalist and commentator. She writes on MxMIndia on Tuesdays and Fridays. Her views here are personal.

  • 48% of Online Shoppers are Women: IPG Mediahbrands-Google Study

    48% of Online Shoppers are Women: IPG Mediahbrands-Google Study

    IPG Mediabrands, in collaboration with Google, has presented a study titled ‘The Indian Online Shopper 3.0,  a study of consumer behaviour in the digital shopping landscape. This  report surveyed over 7,000 consumers across India, delving into 18 key categories to unveil crucial insights for understanding the evolving online shopping trends.

     

    Top 5 takeaways:

    The report equips businesses and marketers with invaluable knowledge about consumer behavior, enabling them to tailor strategies that resonate with the dynamic preferences and expectations of the Indian online shopper. Key takeaways include:

      • The Indian Online Shopper is open to hedonistic shopping; however, is still mostly conservative across categories.
      • Shopping missions (motivating factors) vary not only across categories, but also across shopper profiles.
      • 15 years after the advent of e-commerce, Indians still need handholding from online retail platforms.
      • Social commerce is not ready to be a sales channel. However, it’s becoming the most important point of discovery and influence.
      • Marketplace giants are bleeding users to category-specific marketplaces and D2C brand websites.

     

    Indian Online Shopper Profile:

    Dissecting the Indian online shopper profile, the report examines demographics, consumer classification, household income segmentation, and state-wise behavior analysis. Key findings include:

    • Online shoppers skew younger: 75% of shoppers are aged 18-44.
    • Shopping for household, not just self: Most are married (69%), living with children, and nearly half (49%) live with parents.
    • Significant portion are affluent: 62% of online shoppers have medium to high household income.
    • Concentration in select states: Five states account for over half of online shoppers: Maharashtra (16%), Delhi (12%), Karnataka (9%), West Bengal (9%), and Tamil Nadu (8%).

     

    Shopped Categories:

    Focusing on 18 categories, the report explores shopping missions, analyzes purchase frequency, and unveils the influences driving online shopping decisions. Key insights include:

    • Rise in emergency purchases: Quick commerce has accelerated purchases in categories like food, groceries, and baby products.
    • High dependence on recommendations & reviews: Shoppers seek expert opinions before buying expensive items like electronics and furniture.
    • Fashion and Beauty ecommerce on the rise: These categories show both impulse and routine buying behavior, driven by ease of online shopping.

     

    Shopping Sources:

    The study identifies pain points in online shopping, investigates reasons prompting consumers to switch platforms, and outlines the latest trends. Findings include:

    Resurgence of D2C marketplaces: As many brands want more control over the branded space and user shopping experience, D2C marketplaces are witnessing a comeback. Users like buying from D2C potentially due to the perceived quality and authenticity of buying straight from the source.

    Fashion and Beauty lead in social adoption: Influenced by popular trends, creators and celebrities, Fashion and Beauty are fastest growing categories when it comes to social commerce.

     

    Platform Features:

    Recommended products, live chat, and online catalogues are the most used platform features, with younger shoppers being more accustomed to using experiential, assistive features. Key takeaways include:

    • Shopping experience/assistance features are expected by users: 92% users claim to have used some type of platform feature when they shop online.
    • Product recommendations: Form a vital point of discovery and strong influence in the decision-making process, >2/3 shoppers claimed to switch brands due recommendations on the platform.
    • Loyalty programs: Monetary value and exclusivity are appreciated, but data privacy and low reward value are concerns.

     

    Influence Points:

    • Top influences: Brand websites, recommendations from friends/family, TV ads, social media, and marketplace reviews.
    • Emerging influences: Live streaming on online platforms, AI reviews, social commerce shops, tech-enabled services, and social curation platforms.

     

    Shopping Experience Pain Points:

    • Top issues: price (21%), shipping charges (20%), delivery time (20%), product returns (19%), and product availability (18%).

     

    Said Shashank Rathore, VP, E-Commerce, Interactive Avenues (the digital arm of IPG Mediabrands India): “The e-commerce industry in India is growing rapidly, poised to reach $300 billion by 2030. Quick commerce is now thriving, with over 50 million monthly active users. Amidst these changes, marketers face challenges in understanding audience behaviour across multiple shopping platforms. To simplify these complexities and provide valuable insights, we conducted a detailed study of over 7,000 online shoppers. Our report explores strategic consumer nuances, growth drivers, and online buying behaviour across key demographics, industry categories, and shopping platforms. I am confident that the Indian Online Shopper 3.0 will serve as a valuable resource for businesses and industry professionals navigating this dynamic market.”

  • To enhance the Company’s technological capabilities

    Zee appoints Shiva Chinnasamy as Chief Technology & Product Officer

    Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd has appointd Shiva Chinnasamy as Chief Technology & Product Officer. In this new role, Chinnasamy will be based at the company’s Technology & Innovation Centre (TIC) in Bengaluru, and will report into Amit Goenka, President – Digital Business, International Linear Business, Enterprise Technology and Broadcast Operations & Engineering.

    Speaking on the appointment, Goenka said: “As the company moves forward in line with its strategic objectives to drive robust growth, certain action-oriented steps are being implemented to enhance the capabilities of the businesses. Technology plays a crucial role in enhancing the overall customer journey across all our platforms, and our Technology and Innovation Centre is steadily working towards gaining a deeper understanding of our vast audience base in order to deliver successful business outcomes.”

  • Will be strategising and mapping out LLC’s PR-related activities

    Legends Cricket hires Uncut PR for upcoming season

    Uncut PR agency has bagged the media mandate for the Legends League Cricket for the second time in a row.  Legends League Cricket is a global T20 league where retired cricketing legends come back to play competitive cricket again.

    Said Aditi Srivastava Dhanu, Founder, Uncut PR: “We are excited to partner with Legends League Cricket once again. We understand the mechanisms of the sports sector and working with such an iconic league, LLC again cements our belief in the progress we are making. This will also give us an opportunity at global exposure and we are committed to furthering the brand’s recognition, growth and contribute to their journey.”

    Added Raman Raheja, Co-founder of Legends League Cricket: “We are happy to onboard Uncut PR once again for the upcoming season of Legends League Cricket. Legends League Cricket is a one of its kind, elite competition that brings back the most loved cricketers to do what they do best. Uncut PR’s quick thinking, innovative, hands on approach has been key through the entirety of last season and it was the right movse for us to continue with them.”