Manajit Ghoshal, former MD & CEO of Midday, has turned entrepreneur by floating a new company titled Media Lounge Pvt. Ltd. Partnering Ghoshal in the venture will be his good friend and owner of Ronak Advertising, Amardeep Singh Vig.
Speaking on the development, Ghoshal said “Media Lounge is floated with the idea of creating a full service agency which has companies specializing in media buying, digital media, creative services, event management, PR, running exhibition centres and conducting media courses. We are planning a pan India presence and will look at mergers and acquisitions too.”
Adding his inputs, Amardeep Vig said, “Ronak Advertising plans to go pan India and develop into a full service agency with all its verticals. We will grow both organically and inorganically. With the strength of Ronak advertising and Manajit Ghoshal on board as the MD & CEO of the new company, we are confident we will achieve a healthy growth rate and achieve our goals.”
Neo Sports Broadcast Pvt Ltd has decided to do away with its cable distribution agreement with MSMD and rather distribute their channels through its in-house team. From April 1, 2014, One Alliance, MSMD’s distribution arm will cease to distribute the Neo Sports and Neo Prime channels respectively to the cable and HITS operators.
A statement issued from the office read thus: “Neo shares a fantastic relationship with DTH operators and other digital platforms and are confident that it will be able to build a similarly robust relationship with cable and HITS companies across the country. The dawn of addressability is a great opportunity for all of us; we are confident that we will be able to forge an equally robust and healthy relationship with cable companies as we start selling channels directly though our team.”
Neo has continued to distribute its channels through its in-house team to DTH and other digital distribution platforms even as it gave away its cable distribution rights to MSMD in 2010. Neo Prime and Neo Sports are currently available on all leading DTH platforms and also across all leading networks nationally and regionally.
Dilip Sharan, EVP, Distribution Platforms said that it is a step in the right direction to further build business keeping in mind the emerging digital landscape. “The suggestive Regulatory approach combined with digitalization clearly points that future distribution deals will be dictated by the relevant content that is made available to various audiences and the ability to work with the platforms keeping in mind the business issues and not entirely on the strength of the channels size in the bouquet, a prevalent practice in the analogue era. Our cable distribution deal with MSMD made better commercial sense in the analogue environment.”
Adding further he said, “Our dealing with the DTH operators has reinforced this line of thinking that standalone channels can make for a business case as much and as efficiently in a digital environment provided it can offer very relevant content that has significant traction in various category of sport; is attractively priced and above all, there is strong intent to engage with its business partner in building a mutually supportive business environment.”
In 2014-2015, Neo will be showcasing some of the biggest sporting events including French Open, Fed Cup, Davis Cup, Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, Bundesliga, US PGA etc.
Star Gold appears to be setting the tone for blockbuster television premieres in 2014. The channel announced the acquisition of a fresh movie library as part of its extensive plans for 2014 in the Hindi movies genre. The new acquisition comprises 18 highly anticipated Bollywood films of the year including films of leading superstars such as Salman Khan, Ajay Devgn, Ranbir Kapoor and Hrithik Roshan.
Announcing the movie acquisition plans for the year, Hemal Jhaveri, Executive Vice President, Star Gold and Movies OK said: “We have consistently received a phenomenal response for the big ticket premieres on our network.  Apart from entertaining the audiences, movie premieres also prove to be an extremely successful platform from the advertisers’ standpoint. Hence, it proves to be a win-win situation for all stakeholders. For 2014, we have targeted a diverse content line up acquiring films across different genres. Our strategy has always been to simply offer our viewers’ content they want to watch, rather than what we want them to watch”
Touted to be the first hit of 2014, Yaariyan shall kick start the movie premieres for the year across the network. This shall be followed by Salman Khan’s Jai Ho, the first 100 crore grossing blockbuster of the year. The other acquired films of 2014 include Gang of Ghosts, Traffic, Sonali Cable, O Teri, Traffic, Bhaag Johnny and Hawaa Hawaai. The newly acquired movies are bought for a period of 10 years with exclusive telecast rights
In 2012, the network had acquired over 500 films from the Viacom 18 group followed by adeal with superstars Salman Khan and Ajay Devgn in early 2013. Star India has successfully premiered blockbusters such as Singham, Bodyguard, Ra.One, Housefull 2, Bol Bachchan, Son of Sardaar, Dabangg 2 and Bhaag Milkha Bhaag.
Following the announcement of the new initiative, CEO’s Got Talent, FremantleMedia revealed its three-member jury who will judge the event. Raj Nayak, CEO, Colors, celebrated director-producer Mahesh Bhatt and actor Raveena Tandon are set to be part of the jury panel.
Hosted by Mini Mathur, CEO’s Got Talent is a unique initiative that will feature 12 CEOs of India Inc. showcasing a fun and lighter side to themselves. The event is set to take place at Grand Hyatt Mumbai on Friday, March 7, 2014 and will be telecast on CNBC TV18.
Raj Nayak
Raj Nayak, CEO, Colors said, “CEO’s Got Talent is an incredible initiative being undertaken by FremantleMedia to encourage CEOs from across the country to step away from the hustle and bustle of their daily routine and showcase their talent. I am elated to be associated with the property as a jury member and look forward to witnessing the creative side of today’s young and upcoming leaders who have taken the corporate world by storm.”
Produced by FremantleMedia and presented by Blackberry Messenger, CEO’s Got Talent will showcase India Inc.’s leaders in a manner never seen before, even by their peers. Proceeds from CEO’s Got Talent will go to Genesis Foundation, that provides financial support for life-saving and life-changing medical intervention for critically ill under-privileged children in areas of cancer, cardiac disorder, organ failure, thalassemia and extreme deformities.
ZeeQ, the kids channel from Zee group has now been made available on Tata Sky. Accessible under the ‘Supreme Sports Kids’ pack, viewers can enjoy watching ZeeQ with the English and Hindi feed.
ZeeQ caters to the 0-14 year age segment. For the preschool viewers, the channel offers internationally acclaimed shows, such as ‘Dinosaur Train’ and ‘Zou’. Based on extensive research done by an expert panel, ZeeQ chooses internationally recognized programs, which inculcate curiosity among kids to question and learn. Through its association with BBC Worldwide, ZeeQ also showcases a time band of award-winning programs from BBC’s preschool brand – CBeebies. Apart from this, ZeeQ also airs a mix of live action and animated shows. Some of its prominent shows include Science with BrainCafe, Sid the Science Kid, The Weekly Wrap, Dinosaur Train, Zou, M.I. Four – The Multiple Intelligence quiz.
Commenting on the development, Subhadarshi Tripathy, Business Head, ZeeQ said, “Our aim is to reach to maximum number of households in India and provide a unique and engaging TV viewing experience to kids and their parents. Based on our philosophy of ‘doing what is right for the child’, our content is carefully chosen under the guidance of early childhood development experts. We take it as our responsibility to offer safe, clean and engaging content that provides edutainment to kids.”
Sri Lanka Cricket Board (SLC) and TEN Sports have signed a seven year deal to broadcast SLC’s international cricket matches. The deal, which includes multi-platform media and sponsorship rights globally, will run through till March 2020.
Through its network of international affiliates and other broadcasters worldwide, content will be distributed in over 100 countries, reaching millions of cricket lovers. Apart from English, TEN Sports will also be broadcasting the matches in Hindi and other regional languages.
TEN Sports will be the host broadcaster for Sri Lanka Cricket and will be responsible for ensuring consistent and high level production. There will strong focus on digital engagement, branding and promotion of Sri Lanka cricket to improve the viewer experience.
Rajesh Sethi, CEO Ten Sports said, “We are delighted to further extend our partnership with Sri Lanka Cricket Board, with whom we have shared a very strong relationship over the past decade. The exciting cricket action will be available during prime time making it a very interesting proposition for fans and advertisers alike.” He further added, “We will work closely with Sri Lanka Cricket Board and invest in production and marketing to ensure that Sri Lanka cricket reaches its full potential. As we have done with other rights, we will aim to innovate and create an exciting visual spectacle for international viewers.”
TEN Sports currently holds rights for four cricket boards which includes South Africa, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and West Indies. It holds long-term rights for WWE, UEFA Champions League, French League 1, US Open Tennis, ATP & WTA, and Capital One Cup, European Tour & Asian Tour Golf among other exciting properties.
Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) has announced the appointment of Mona Jain as EVP-Cluster Head and Rahul Sharma as Senior VP-National Sales Head.
Speaking on both appointments, Ashish Sehgal, Chief Sales Officer (CSO), Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) said, “We are extremely happy to have two media stalwarts join us from the industry. Mona brings with her an immense experience and understanding of the industry. She has been instrumental in key media launches and her knowledge will be really valuable in reinforcing our relationship with agencies & clients. Mona will play a key role in developing brand solutions, setting up a business model for geo-targeting & agency relationship management. She will also head the North region leading the Business Development team, new initiatives and niche channels. Rahul comes with a digital background, which will add a new dimension in selling traditional media. His proven skills in establishing start-up operations and successful launch of channel brands will play an integral role in helping the company achieve its business objectives.”
Commenting on her joining, Ms Jain who was until recently CEO of VivaKi Exchange, said: “I am extremely pleased to be stepping into this position. Zee looks poised for huge growth and it will be very exciting to be a part of this journey.”
Said Mr Sharma said, “I have been a part of television and I am excited to join ZEE and be a part of the biggest television network.”
Well, India has just been knocked out of the ongoing Asia Cup tournament, thanks to a Shahid Afridi batting blitzkrieg that saw Pakistan nail hosts Bangladesh to make it to the finals. One would put the blame squarely on the Indian squad that failed to perform as a unit when it mattered the most. In fact, the men in blue may have given the media and critics another opportunity to go heavy on them after a spate of poor performances outside the continent including their recent Series loss to South Africa and New Zealand. But does this failure imply that sunny days for the sport in India may all but be over and that the popularity and revenues that it managed to rake until now could see a downward slide from here on?
A report by GroupM ESP, the sports and entertainment arm of marketing services major Group M and sports business information resource SportzPower, may all but rubbish the above claim as it predicts that the best days are yet to come for the sport in India. In fact, the report goes on to add that a few more sports – as upcoming and promising as cricket – would be changing the sports dynamics in a country that has just about started to harness the benefits that non-cricket sports have to offer.
The report notes that the sports marketing spends grew about 92 percent in the period between 2008-2013 reporting figures of Rs 41.1 billion in 2013 from the Rs 21.39 billion amount that was recorded in 2008.
The report is the first of its kind in India that documents important events during these eventful years, including the emergence of league-format sports in India like the Indian Premier League (IPL), Hockey India League (HIL), and Indian Badminton League (IBL). To increase its utility to Rights Owners, Advertisers and Agencies, the report has been divided into four segments – On Ground Sponsorship, Team Sponsorship, Athlete Management and On Air.
Elaborating on the future of sports marketing in India, CVL Srinivas, CEO, Group M, South Asia says, “This decade will be transformational for sports in India with a spectator base of over a billion people, a dozen sports television channels beaming content round the clock and a rapidly growing list of keen corporates and brands waiting to invest in cricket and other alternate sports. The next few years marketing investment in sports will no longer be peripheral, and it will be paralleled with that of entertainment and mainstream cinema.”
Rise of non-cricket sports
The report notes that while cricket will continue to remain popular, in the next few years the market is going to grow exponentially, with other sports complementing the cricket story. The report notes that the real opportunity lies in the number 2, 3, 4, 5… sports that are often under-leveraged and under-monetized, which otherwise have a sizeable target audience juicy enough for brands to associate with.
It should serve as a wake-up call for all stakeholders in the sports sector that in the six-year time frame that the study covers, the highest share of On Ground revenue cricket has commanded in percentage terms was in 2009 – all of 79 per cent. And the lowest was just 52 per cent in 2010, which was also the year when New Delhi hosted the Commonwealth Games.
The report notes that On Ground sponsorship has a direct linkage to stadium attendance. And therefore reflects active fan engagement. What this shows is that in the IPL era, it takes an event the size of the Commonwealth Games to significantly shift the needle. But that is not to say that the ground is not shifting as far as other sports are concerned. In 2012, the share of non-cricket On Ground sponsorship stood at 34.5 per cent, dipping to 32.8 per cent in 2013, ironically a year that saw the launch of two new IPL-style tournaments – the Hockey India League as well as the Indian Badminton League
According to the study, football remains the problem child of Indian sport. There is a huge underlying potential here that is yet to translate into deliveries. What is clear though is that if and when football makes that big leap forward, its rise will be phenomenal. Proof of that is provided by the impact delivered by one-off events like the Argentina vs Venezuela friendly in 2011, which saw the world’s best player Lionel Messi strutting his stuff at the hallowed Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata before an adoring and star-struck audience. Another being the Audi Football Summit played in January 2012 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi between the Indian national team and German giants FC Bayern Munich.
It is also a telling indictment of the people who administer the world’s most popular game that a niche sport like Golf and a mass participation one like the Marathon, both of which are presumed to be TV unfriendly, garner far higher numbers than football!
Between 2008 and 2013, while On Ground sponsorship in football went up from Rs 85 million to Rs 142 million, in Marathons it rose from Rs 285 million to 420 million. Football clearly has a way to go before it can deliver numbers anywhere close to Distance Running in India, let alone Cricket. But at least it can lay claim to a steady, though extremely poor, increase year-on-year in the period under review.
Not so golf, the report states. From Rs 327 million in 2008, after hitting a high of Rs 375 million in 2012, it was down to Rs 280 million in 2013 and will fall even further in 2014. Two of the three biggest professional golf events in India (Indian Open is the biggest) – Avantha Masters, and Gujarat Kensville Challenge – have been discontinued and will not be held this year onwards.
Media dominance to continue…
The report further notes that sports television broadcasting will continue to be dominated by cricket in the foreseeable future contributing about 80-85 per cent of sports media revenues. But the other sports such as football, hockey, badminton, motorsports, etc are also expected to perform well and bring good revenues to broadcasters.
According to Thomas Abraham, co-founder, SportzPower, Indian sports TV broadcast was, is, and will continue to be dominated by cricket for the foreseeable future, contributing to 80 to 85 per cent of the total television sports media revenues. “However, other sports are also gaining prominence, especially Football, though interest remains predominantly for international leagues/tournaments,” he said.
All in all, the report notes that 2014 has more upsides than down. While there will be no Indian Grand Prix next year, there will be more leagues where sports like basketball are making rapid strides, and the whole wellness and  fitness movement gaining ever increasing traction, which in turn means more interest in sport as a participation activity and not just as spectator engagement.
Emphasizing on the key developments expected in 2014, Vinit Karnik, National Director, Sports & Live Events, GroupM ESP said: “Even though the IPL is off to a rough start this year, in the long run, accountability, better corporate governance, more transparency, are all good for not just the IPL, but the BCCI too. The successful launch of the hockey and badminton leagues has set the stage for an action-packed 2014 as far as franchise-based leagues are concerned in cricket, football, hockey, badminton, tennis, wrestling and kabaddi.”
Chief Election Commissioner Dr. GV Krishnamurthy presenting the award to Mr. Punit Goenka
Punit Goenka, MD & CEO of Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) was conferred the ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’ award at the Asia Pacific Entrepreneurship Awards 2014 that was held in New Delhi recently.
The prestigious Asia Pacific Entrepreneurship Awards (APEA) recognises and honours business leaders who have shown outstanding performance and tenacity in developing successful businesses within the region. Mr. Goenka was bestowed this award for leading an ever-growing media conglomerate with passion and determination.
On receiving the award, Goenka said, “I accept this award on behalf of the entire ZEE Family, for it is the result of their hard work and dedication. Our visionary Chairman, Mr. Subhash Chandra, pioneered the private Satellite Television Industry way back in the year 1992, and has proven the importance of foreseeing the market demands well in advance, setting higher benchmarks of entrepreneurship for all of us at ZEE. With great pride, the entire ZEE Family aspires to take his vision forward.”
Mr. Goenka further commented, “During the initial days of my career at ZEE, I came across this beautiful quote on ‘Entrepreneurship’ by Peter Drucker, which said that ‘A true entrepreneur always searches for change, responds to it, and exploits it as an opportunity.’ In my opinion, it is the best definition of a true entrepreneur in today’s era. An Entrepreneur in this era, has to be all ears to these ever-rising demands of today’s consumers across the globe, and has to satisfy the consumers, by proactively presenting them, the customized offerings. This evening, I believe is a celebration of this entrepreneurial spirit, across Asia Pacific, and I am glad to be a part of it.”
It’s Women’s Day this Saturday. The importance of women characters on Indian television is well understood, especially over the last two decades. Last month, I wrote about our daily soaps being unfairly branded as “regressive” (Read here), especially because the lead women characters in these serials are, in fact, strong and progressive.
But there’s a world of Indian television beyond the daily soaps and their characters. Here’s my list of five women who created a strong impact on Indian television. The list, presented in chronological order, does not include women whose impact largely came via specific characters they played. Also, it does not include women behind the scenes, which is perhaps a much easier list to generate, and a longer one too, albeit with Ekta Kapoor firmly on top.
Salma Sultan: If you are old enough to have watched Indian television in the pre-satellite era, the image of Salma Sultan reading news on Doordarshan is likely to be still fresh in your mind. Doordarshan had many newsreaders, but Salma Sultan brought with her a combination of grace and glamour like no other. Her sense of style, marked by the rose and the saree drape, inspired fashion choices till at least the mid 90s. More importantly, she encouraged several young women to take up newsroom jobs in a conservative Indian back in the 80s.
Neena Gupta: All other female actors, ranging from Smriti Irani to Sakshi Tanwar, are known for only one or two iconic characters. Neena Gupta, the only soap star in this list, broke that ceiling. Her identity today goes beyond any one or two serials she acted in. Ketaki in Khandaan or Priya in Saans or the reluctant host of Kamzor Kadi Kaun may eventually be forgotten, but the stamp of Neena Gupta on Indian television is indelible.
Simi Garewal: The ‘Lady In White’ hosted a show that was loved and hated in equal measure. Celebrities sharing their deepest secrets and crying on Rendezvous With Simi Garewal was not an uncommon occurrence. Speak, so I can see your soul, the show’s theme song aptly said. With time, Garewal lost relevance, with the new generation audience looking for more spice than aspiration in celeb chats (a la Koffee With Karan). But till about a decade ago, her stature and her success were unmistakable, as apparent in the exclusive party she threw to celebrate 100 episodes of her show back in 2004 (Watch here).
Rakhi Sawant:Â If there were a ranking on ‘class’, Simi Garewal and Rakhi Sawant would fall at the two ends. But with her inimitable style and a carefully cultivated art of sounding stupid, Rakhi Sawant managed to enthrall audience show after show. An episode in the first season of Bigg Boss, where she cried to the point of fainting because her ‘favorite mug’ was broken accidentally by another housemate, remains one of most dramatic Bigg Boss episodes till date. She could do crazy things like walk out of a reality show finale (Nach Baliye) if she did not win. Rakhi Ka Swayamwar remains the high point of her eventful TV career.
Gauhar Khan:Â Gauhar Khan’s true impact on Indian television will be known in a few years’ time. But she makes it to this list for being topical. She exuded immense confidence and personal character in the recently concluded Bigg Boss season. She could take on Salman Khan and even come out as the more reasonable person in the argument. The shrill voice and non-stop chatter may have put off some viewers, but Gauhar Khan made an impact because she emerged as the face of the modern urban Indian woman in this digital generation. She remains the only Bigg Boss contestant across seasons to have crossed Salman Khan’s popularity (Source: Ormax Characters India Loves).
TV Trails is a weekly column written by Shailesh Kapoor, founder and CEO of media insights firm Ormax Media. He spent nine years in the television industry before turning entrepreneur. The views expressed here are his own. He can be reached at his Twitter handle @shaileshkapoor
Week 9 of 2014 saw Zee TV jumping back to the second slot amongst the Hindi GECs on the back of an excellent showing by the evergreen Dance India Dance Li’l Masters.
Star Plus was at 637, Zee at 548 and Colors at 465. Life OK was back at No 4 with 341, Sony at 306 and Sab at 303. The number indicates viewership in million.
The info that we have published is courtesy a friendly subscriber, but since the source is not TAM, the folks who (still) do the measurement, we would urge advertisers to not base their advertising investments based on this report alone. Call TAM, subscribe to the measurement numbers…
In a seemingly volatile broadcast scenario in India, it is a given that only ideas that are fresh and out-of-the-box manage to make a mark while the others face the possibility of being rejected. In a synergy that probably plans to change the way the genre has been approached until now, leading youth channel MTV has joined hands with FMCG major Hindustan Unilever to launch MTV Films.
The idea germinated out of a casual conversation that MTV and HUL’s media buying and planning agency Mindshare had sometime last year. Convincing HUL was easy for Mindshare, and since then it’s getting all parts of the act together.
The initiative would see six young and well-known directors known for their cutting edge film making styles making original movies just for television. Eminent movie directors including Anurag Basu, Abhinay Deo, Shoojit Sircar, Rohan Sippy, Nikhil Advani and Anurag Kashyap have been assigned the task of bringing the idea alive on television.
What would make this initiative unique is that MTV Films would be a mixed bag of six movies based on brand philosophies of different HUL products that will be showcased every month.
An initiative to provide film buffs a unique movie viewing experience in the comfort of their homes, MTV Films offers a mix of all the ingredients that connect with the youth instantly. These 60-minute movies are inspired by HUL’s brands like Sunsilk, Ponds, Tresemme, Close Up, Lakme and depict today’s generation’s perspective on love, friendship, family, responsibilities in a light hearted fashion.
Speaking about this initiative, Aditya Swamy, EVP and Business Head of MTV said, “It’s been a treat to watch six very special people look at youth through such different lenses. This project has redefined the rules of television and branded content in so many ways. Everyone around the table today has dared to take risks and it’s that spirit that has made this an exciting journey for all of us. With a new film being released every month, MTV Films can become a very strong franchise.”
Hemant Bakshi, Executive Director, Home & Personal Care, HUL, said, “HUL firmly believes in pioneering and creating newer ways of engaging consumers by leveraging popular culture. With the launch of MTV Movies, we will re-define the way in which brands tell their stories to consumers. This initiative will focus on communicating brand purpose and we are confident that it will resonate with our audience and build brand love.”
The initiative will see Bollywood, television and the corporate world collaborate to give consumers content they can best relate to. While MTV India is seen as the channel that has its check on the pulse of today’s youth, the film-makers roped in for this initiative have already made waves with their art and have an increasingly large fan base in the younger generation. Their unique approach and cutting edge portrayal of different themes has made a lasting impact on many. It is befitting then, that Hindustan Unilever – known for their innovative touch in every initiative – imbibes these themes in their brand philosophy and make MTV Films the perfect platform to reinforce their connect with the youth of today.
‘For HUL, the films are beyond passive integration… more of active integration’
Aditya Swamy
Ravi Rao
Q&A with Aditya Swamy, EVP and Business Head, MTV and Ravi Rao, Leader, Mindshare South Asia
And we thought MTV was a music channel… has the basic positioning changed by this move of getting into movies?
Aditya Swamy:Â MTV is about entertainment and if you see there is a strong music element to all of the stuff that we create. So there’s this film that we showcased at the preview where a bunch of girls coming together to run a radio station…similarly there is a strong musical element in all the films.
But the core premise of the channel initially was just around music…
Aditya Swamy:Â My sense is that the audience is changing. Twenty years ago when we were asked what music you listened there were a few names that came top of mind. But the times have changed today where the youth have a plethora of options to choose from. Right from the brands they wear or endorse they are getting defined by a lot of other factors. So as the audience is moving forward the only way to stay relevant is to move with them. Like I say, music is synonymous with creativity and creativity will always be the sole of MTV. That’s where we take this from; it’s storytelling.
Would you elaborate on the cost aspect of the deal with HUL?
Aditya Swamy:Â I wouldn’t be able to talk about the costs and budgets but I would say the challenge is going to be for partners to have deals that bring in good ROI for everyone concerned. If you see the films, they are not cheap or made on handheld camera they are films made by some big directors and have the latest technology to its credit. Moreover the audiences want a quality product and the directors are creating films which are mega in approach. I think the objective will be that when a viewer sees this he would not feel that these are films made specifically for television; the content rests seamlessly across different platforms and this platform happens to be the TV platform.
Was it tough to get the creative folk to weave in brands in the stories?
Aditya Swamy:Â For me the real cool thing has been getting these six directors together but the common thing that ties all of them together is that they are going to jump into a space that they haven’t done before. According to me, what excites creative people is taking up new challenges. Earlier they used to tell stories in two-and-half hours now they have to say it in 60 minutes. So it’s challenges such as these that excite these people. They’ve always been leading the charge that let’s do something beyond advertising. This idea was something that everybody quickly latched onto immediately.
How involved or over-involved were brands with the project?
Aditya Swamy:Â If you see the film it’s a new era in branded content. We’ve not needlessly pushed brands; it’s about the brand philosophy coming to life. Once they were onboard the philosophy then they would like to run.
Ravi Rao:Â I’d like to add here by saying that when you do a product integration exercise, the emphasis is how do I ensure that it is not just passive integration but more of an active integration. In these films what we did was give a positioning line for a brand and told them to interpret the way they want. If you see the banners that we have got it has been completely imagined by the directors themselves.
At Mindshare, you’ve handled spends across various platforms. How different was this exercise for you?
Ravi Rao:Â Whether we like it or not, content has been an important storyline for a long time. It’s just that the canvas is the same but we have made it bigger with high production values and great directors onboard. Also, for example when you say a shampoo can clean your hair, there are a whole lot of other attributes that can come aboard because it’s to do with the person and his/her choice of using the shampoo. It was a good opportunity to go beyond the 30- or 50-seconder where you can tell a story in a much more fluent way. To that extent it is going away from mainstream and making it even more interesting.
Would you be engaging in a high decibel cross-platform promotion for this initiative?
Ravi Rao:Â I think you should wait and see because some of the promotional ideas that we have got on this is very unique. It won’t be like what you see the other movies doing. It will be different. Also, while television as a medium will be huge, we would be exploiting the digital platform too. If the word-of-mouth happens you will see audiences coming back towards it. The first movie is just the trigger; you will have to wait to see how fine the others shape up as well.
For the last six years, Mindshare has been trying to do the content space differently. The team has done a fantastic job this time too. Here it is about how you generate impact; what is the right story that we need to do and what is the media that will be apt for the initiative. It is also about being flexible and doing things in a unique way.
An FMCG company like HUL is known to be very tough on deliverables…
Ravi Rao:Â They still are but they have been fair. It is also about their philosophies; on the one end, they are talking about getting great effectiveness but they also lay great emphasis on innovation. We have pushed our idea limits to see what more can we do. If the idea is strong enough for a brand to capitalise it works brilliantly and HUL gives a canvas to do it our way.
