MxMIndia

Category: TV

  • The campaign featuring Shekhar Suman is phased out in two parts; first teasers and then the launch of the TVC.

    Everest creates campaign for SAB TV’s Movers and Shakers

    By A Correspondent

     

    Movers & Shakers, arguably the biggest talk show India has ever seen, is returning on SAB TV, albeit with a whole new contemporary look and feel, but with Shekhar Suman at helm.

     

    Everest Brand Solutions has created the communication campaign for Movers and Shakers, which is phased out in two parts.

     

    Phase 1 kicked off the debate of what Shekhar would do the second time around. The teasers had Shekhar attempting, and miserably failing, at things like a hunger strike, boxing and cooking. Shekhar’s skills as an actor were fully exploited in the teasers.

     

    Next SAB TV’s Facebook fan page took things forward by asking people to suggest what Shekhar could do. Shekhar responded to each suggestion with witty takes.

     

    The final reveal (phase 2) happened with the launch of the TVC. Print and outdoor media are being used to support the launch exercise.

     

    Overall, the exercise generated tremendous engagement with responses pouring in.

     

    The ad films were shot in Mumbai and Chrome Pictures was commissioned to handle the production.

     

    Team Everest: Pramod Sharma, Bappaditya Shaha, Sandeep Sastikar, Sharif Sheikh, Nikhil Kapoor, Harish Shetty, Pooja Balani, Rahul Jauhari.

     

    Client Team: Anooj Kapoor, Harjeet Chhabra, Naranayan R.

     

  • The company has launched a pilot project in Delhi and expects to grab 1-1.5 million subscribers across cities in the short term through tie-ups with the cable operators

    Dish TV to push set-top boxes in cable households, distribute & install connections

    By Meenakshi Verma Ambwani

     

    Stiff challenge from digital cable operators has forced India’s biggest direct to home (DTH) television company, Dish TV, to tie up with neighbourhood cable operators, opening up a new front in the war between the DTH and cable industries.

     

    India’s top four metros – Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata – will replace all analog television networks with digital transmission from July 1. This has led to a scramble between multi-system operators (companies which create and distribute a bouquet of channels through cable networks) and DTH operators who transmit their own bouquet of channels via satellites.

     

    Their fight could end up giving a fresh lease of life to the local cable operators who were until now providing the last mile connectivity for the MSOs, but were faced with the threat of extinction with the launch of digital set top boxes.

     

    Dish TV chief executive RC Venkateish said the company has launched a pilot project in Delhi and he expects to grab 1-1.5 million subscribers across cities in the short term through tie-ups with the cable operators.

     

    These operators have been given the option to take up distribution and installation of Dish TV connections to customers and push Dish TV set-top boxes in cable households with the first phase of cable digitalisation.

     

    Currently, the company has agreements with about thirty cable operators, but expects to roll out this scheme in the country and rope in about 3,000 local cable operators in the next two months.

     

    “This scheme helps us open a new distribution channel and establish a personal contact with our customers. Our last-mile operators will install these boxes, service the connections as well as collect bills,” said Mr Venkateish.

     

    These last mile operators will be paid commissions on the installation of set top boxes as well as a 15-20 per cent commission every time the customer serviced by them recharges his subscription.

     

    North-Delhi based cable operator Rajan Sidana, who owns Chaitanya Cable Network, said that aligning with large DTH players like Dish TV would be a profitable deal for last-mile operators. “As it is, we are facing competition from DTH service providers and losing consumers to them. This is a way to retain our customer base and be able to offer them DTH as well as high-definition set-top-boxes on a commission basis,” he said. He services about 700-800 households and can offer feeds of several MSOs to consumers.

     

    Other DTH companies may also join the fray soon. A senior executive from another DTH company who did not wish to be named, said that this is innovative way to grab more subscribers but warned that this could be an expensive way of grabbing consumers at a time when the DTH industry is making losses.

     

    Vikram Mehra, chief marketing officer, Tata Sky said: “We have beefed up our service and installation teams and our customer care centres that will help us acquire new subscribers.”

     

    Cable companies still dominate in the big metros and roping in the last-mile cable operators will help them increase their subscriber base in the metros. Currently several local cable operators have access to television feed from several multi system operators besides being an exclusive last-mile operator for at least one MSO.

     

    Another South Delhi cable operator RS Bedi, who owns Skywaves, said, “This is an opportunity for existing cable operators who are being squeezed by MSOs to open up an alternative revenue stream. It will also help Dish TV reduce its downtime to cater to consumer’s service requests.”

     

    He added that the margins being offered by Dish TV is attractive and the cable operator will not have to bother about laying cables and will not have to set control rooms. “This will help us grab new consumers as digitalisation kicks in,” said Mr Venkateish. Dish TV currently has 12.5 million gross subscribers and 9.5 million net subscribers in the country as of December 31, 2011.

     

    Source: The Economic Times

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

     

  • After the Internet, C&S is the second largest medium to have grown in double digits i.e. a CAGR of 13.9 per cent

    IRS 2011 Q4: Media consumption grows but Radio and Cinema continue to decline

    By A Correspondent

     

    IRS Q4 2011 findings have revealed that the literacy rate and media consumption in India has witnessed growth when compared to IRS Q3 2011. The other media categories to have grown are Press, Television, C&S (Cable and Satellite) and the Internet. While Radio and Cinema consumption have witnessed a decline, the Internet has emerged as the fastest growing medium in the country.

     

    Press has seen a marginal increase of 1.5 per cent in the CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) whereas TV grew only 6.9 per cent of the CAGR. After the Internet, C&S is the second largest medium to have grown in double digits i.e. a CAGR of 13.9 per cent. Radio and Cinema on the other hand declined -5.8 per cent -5.2 per cent respectively.

     

     

  • Sahara One Media and Entertainment's Hindi GEC Sahara One has increased its ad rates three times on account of improved performance over the last few months.

    Sahara One hikes ad tariff post healthy ratings

    By A Correspondent

     

    Sahara One Media and Entertainment’s Hindi GEC Sahara One has increased its ad rates by three times, on account of improved performance over the last few months.

     

    The channel’s ratings have increased from 45 GRPs in week 04 to 54 GRPs in week 08 (TAM, C&S, Females, 15+ ABC, HSM).

     

    As a part of the strategy, Sahara One has not only raised the bar on some of the existing shows but have also got more banners on board to produce a couple of promising fiction shows, beginning with two horror shows which went on air in the second half of February 2012.

     

    Commenting on the new launches, Vikas Khanchandani – Director, Aidem Ventures said, “Sahara One has been consistently delivering numbers in the recent past, with almost all shows showing consistent growth.”

     

    Commenting on the ad rate hike, Gunjan Rege Karkera, Business head, Broadcast Media (Entertainment), Aidem Ventures said, “Sahara One’s ratings have been increasing gradually but consistently over the last one year. The increase in ad rates was necessitated by rising cost of talent, increased cost of production, spiralling marketing expenditure and wider distribution platforms. Owing to this Sahara One’s advertiser base has widened substantially. We have got several new brands on board this year and we are looking forward to adding more to the list. Besides, owing to our wider distribution network the advertiser benefits from a lower cost of reaching 1000 people. This rate increase is a part correction in lieu of this growing network.”

     

    The said increase has already come into effect. All proposals include fixed spots considering all the prime time shows have been performing consistently well.

     

  • The Consumer Complaints Council (CCC) of ASCI upheld complaints made against 17 advertisements, from various sectors like agro products, deos, and Home Shopping Networks

    ASCI upholds complaints against 17 of 31 ads

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Consumer Complaints Council (CCC) of Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) received a complaint against Bollgard, which had made claims of boosting cotton farmers’ income by Rs31,500 crore, reducing usage of insecticides, containing in-built plant protection and increasing yields. The CCC concluded that the claims made in the advertisement and cited in the complaint, were not substantiated. The advertisement contravened Chapter I.1 of the ASCI Code.

     

    The complaint was upheld.

    PassPortDeodorant’s TVC, which focuses on a woman’s body and lewd expressions on the face of the male actor, was pulled up by the CCC. It was concluded, that the advertisement was obscene and that, in the light of generally prevailing standards of decency and propriety, the TVC was likely to cause grave or widespread offence.

     

    The complaint was upheld.

    Telemart Shopping Network Pvt Ltd’s advertisement of Sandhi Sudha was under scanner as the TVC made claims of curing arthritis and spondylitis and of a ‘Money Back Guarantee’, if the product was ineffective. The CCC concluded that in the absence of scientific substantiation, the claim “Sandhi Sudha cures the disease of arthritis and spondylitis” was not substantiated and was misleading. The complaint regarding “money back guarantee” was misleading as the terms and conditions for the refund were not mentioned in the TVC.

     

    The complaint was upheld.

    Association of Mutual Funds inIndia’s booklet states that “Every Mutual Fund is managed by a fund manager, who, by using his investment management skills and necessary research work, ensures better returns than what an investor can manage on his own”. The objection is to the word “ensures” as it could be misleading.

     

    Hence it was upheld.

    Dr. Ayurveda Power Prash and Body Growth’s advertisement for ‘enhancement of sexual power’ was questioned for its claims stating “increasing sperm count, helping people suffering from infertility to have kids.” The CCC remarked that these claims were not substantiated. The advertiser should provide clinical data in substantiation of these claims. The CCC concluded that the TVC contravened The Drugs & Magic Remedies Act.

     

    Hence, the complaint was upheld.

    The advertisement of Glen Appliances Pvt. Ltd’s print advertisement states “Do you know cooking in aluminium can be harmful?” while the website states “Do you know aluminium cookware is not safe?” These claims are not truthful, and have not been substantiated by any reputed international organization such as the World Health Organization (WHO) or by any country noted for a high standard of vigilance in consumer protection. The claims are not based on facts, and incapable of reasonable substantiation. It also unfairly denigrates attacks and discredits all aluminium cookware directly. The CCC concluded that the print ad’s and the website’s claim that cooking in aluminium is not safe were misleading.

     

    The complaint was upheld.

    Vanesa Inc’s advertisement of Denver Deodorant contains the tagline “play it cool”. However, the brand John Player’s has been using the same tagline since 2005. Since copying the slogan amounts to plagiarism, the advertisement contravened Chapter IV.3 of the ASCI Code.

     

    The complaint was upheld.

    In the personal hygiene segment, the CCC received a complaint against Stayfree All Night. As per the complaint, the advertisement claims that “Stayfree all night has the unique five guard. This in comparison to your Ultra is longer, wider, with more body coverage, more absorbent and drier too.”

     

    This claim means that the Stayfree All Night is better than all the pads in the market which use the word “Ultra”. But in reality this is not the case as has been admitted by the TVC itself in the form of a super which states, “When compared only with Ultra napkins of 280 mm length and 105 mm back width.” Making comparison against product in different segment is unfair and misleading. As the comparison was not made between products of a similar size, the TVC was considered misleading.

     

    The complaint was upheld.

    Health drink Complan’s advertisement was under the scanner this time around. The TVC claimed that “children who drink Complan grow 2 times faster than children who drink other health drinks”. This claim was substantiated through independent clinical research.

     

    This complaint was Not Upheld.

    However the comparison in the Chart between Complan and non-Complan drinkers is likely to mislead consumers that Complan is superior on the basis of its main ingredient (Milk Solids)

     

    Hence, this complaint was upheald.

    In the education sector, Noesis Education and Management Services was pulled up for their advertisement which made claims of being ‘Biggest in India, attended by 1200 students at a time’, ‘Do not miss out on being trained by the best subject experts from all over the country,’ ‘High quality contents from Bestselling authors, rank holders and subject matter experts.’ In the absence of comments from the Advertiser, the CCC concluded that the claims mentioned in the advertisement, and cited in the complaint, were not substantiated.

     

    Hence the complaint was upheld.

    In the healthcare and pharma sector, Pfizer’s advertisement on Gelusil Antacid was questioned. As per the complaint, the TVC shows “a boy running along a parked vehicle and using a sharp article scratching the vehicle, possibly scraping the paint and even denting the body”. The question asked: “Does this make your Heart burn” followed by “Gelusil be used to avoid heart burn and acidity”.

     

    The CCC concluded that the depiction of the young boy vandalizing a car is likely to encourage minors to emulate such acts, the careless use of which could lead to their suffering cuts or other injury.

     

    The complaint was, therefore, upheld.

    Eureka Forbes’ Aquasure water purifier’s TVC claimed that the product provides ‘World’s Safest Water’. The TVC does not provide any basis, facts or reference to any study or research work which substantiates this claim. The CCC concluded that, whilst the water from Aquasure water purifier is safe, the claim of the “World’s safest water”, is misleading. The complaint was upheld.

     

    The CCC also received a complaint against Eureka Forbes’ Aquasure Xtra water purifier’s leaflet which makes comparisons and propagates false statements about Pureit products, Classic and Compact. The tabular format compares the product features and puts a ‘?’ against Pureit products. The CCC concluded that, while Eureka Forbes has gained trust of the consumers, to say that Pureit products have not, is disparaging. By marking a ‘?’ against the Pureit brand is misleading and creates doubts in the minds of the consumer. It was thus concluded that the leaflet contravened the code.

     

    The complaint was upheld.

    During these two months, the CCC also received complaints against Cadbury- Bournville, Piramal Healthcare Ltd’s Supractiv Complete, Jockey, MetLife India Insurance Company Ltd, Ad promos of C.I.D., Fast Track watches, Killer Deodorant, Wild Stone Deodorant, TATA Docomo, Colgate Palmolive, Dulux Paints, and Santoor Soap amongst others. As these advertisements did not contravene ASCI’s codes or guidelines, the complaints were not upheld.

     

    Advertising Standards Council of India is a self regulatory voluntary organization of the advertising industry. The Role and Functioning of the ASCI & its Consumer Complaints Council (CCC) is dealing with complaints received from Consumers and Industry against advertisements which are considered as false, misleading, indecent, illegal, leading to unsafe practices, or unfair to competition, and consequently in contravention of the ASCI code for self-regulation in advertising.

     

  • In its second year, the event comprises a conclave featuring master class sessions and an Experience Zone, culminating into one of the biggest tech awards night of the country

    NDTV Good Times to hose ‘Gadget Guru Conclave & Awards’ 2012

    By A Correspondent

     

    NDTV Good Times has announced the second edition of the much anticipated and coveted Gadget Guru Conclave and Awards 2012.

     

    In its second year, the event comprises a conclave featuring master class sessions by the likes of Sony, Dolby and Canon, amongst others and an Experience Zone showcasing the best that the tech world has to offer. All this will culminate into one of the biggest tech awards night of the country, to be held on March 12 atKingdomOfDreams, Gurgaon. An exciting addition this year is the Launch Pad initiative, which is a unique platform for the latest innovations and product launches by renowned brands.

     

    The Gadget Guru Awards are the biggest the country has seen in the field of Consumer Electronics, Gadgets and Technology and provide a unique opportunity for experts from the industry to ideate, discuss and analyze the latest trends.

     

    The event will be hosted by NDTV’s Tech Gurus Rajiv Makhni and Vikram Chandra, the duo behind the flagship tech show Gadget Guru, bringing the latest technology-related news and reviews to the consumers.

     

    Sharing his views on NDTV’s long term relationship with technology and the Gadget Guru Conclave & Awards 2012, Vikram Chandra, CEO, NDTV Group, said: “It’s great to be back with the second edition of the Gadget Guru Conclave and Awards. We were truly inspired by the overwhelming response received last year and have decided to go even bigger this year with additions like master class sessions and the Launch Pad”

     

    The awards have 18 categories which include Audio Product of the Year, Audio and Video Innovation of the Year, Portable Audio Product of the Year, Computer Peripherals of the Year, Computing Product of the Year, Consumer Electronics of the Year, Gadget Eye Candy of the Year, Budget Phone of the Year, Smartphone of the Year, Imaging Product of the Year, TV display of the Year, Celebrity Endorsement of the Year, App of the Year, Gaming Product of the Year, Technology/Innovation of the Year, NDTV Gadget of the Year (Viewer’s choice), NDTV Gadget of the Year (Jury choice) and Portable Computing Product of the Year.

     

    Talking about the unprecedented success of the first edition of the awards and its bigger and better version this year, Smeeta Chakrabarti, Chief Executive Officer, NDTV Good Times said: “Gadget Guru Awards have become a benchmark in the field of technology and gadgets and we are extremely excited about the second edition. The awards will celebrate the best innovations in the tech world over the past one year and will honour those brands and companies who have made a place in the consumer’s hearts.”

     

    The distinguished jury for the awards features award winning actor Gul Panag, tech expert – Atul Chitnis, techonolgy consultant – Kishore Bharagava, Nishanth Padiar – Editor, Stuff Magazine, Ashish Bhatia – Independent technology writer and

    columnist, Prasanto Kumar Roy – President and Chief Editor of Cyber Media’s ICT Group besides Vikram Chandra & Rajiv Makhni. A special audio jury includes KJ Singh – National Award Winner for Sound Design in Omkara and Milinid Rane Rao – Electro-Acoustic Expert.

     

    Speaking about the jury and the credibility of the awards, Rajiv Makhni, Editor,

    Technology, NDTV Limited, said: “The Gadget Guru Awards are the most esteemed and anticipated awards in the Indian tech space. The award jury has some of the most respectable names in the industry and an extremely rigorous and exhaustive process has been put into place for the nominations and selection of winners.”

     

    Gadgets launched between February 1, 2011 and January 15, 2012 are eligible for this year’s nominations. All nominations have been tested and rated by NDTV Good Times’ Knowledge Partner, Living Digital. The final winners will be shortlisted based on the test results and an extensive jury meet process and rating system verified by Ernst & Young.

     

    NDTV Good Times is the flagship channel of NDTV Lifestyle, part of the NDTV Group. Launched in September 2007, NDTV Good Times quickly becameIndia’s top-ranked English-language lifestyle television channel. NDTV Good Times presents world-class, aspirational lifestyle programming that advocates living large. The lineup of shows covers every aspect of the lifestyle genre to portray and cater to an increasingly globalIndia.

  • Mr Satheesh will spearhead the company's revenue opportunities and oversee the marketing and brand building of the channel

    PR Satheesh joins as President, Travel Trendz TV

    By A Correspondent

     

    PR Satheesh, who recently quit as the President of the mobile solutions company TELiBrahma, has joined Travel Trendz Tv as its president.

     

    Mr Satheesh will spearhead the company’s revenue opportunities acrossIndiaand rest of the world. He would also be overseeing the marketing and brand building of the channel, along with giving strategic inputs in the content creation and distribution space of the channel.

     

    Talking about his role, Mr Satheesh said: “I am excited to be part ofIndia’s first travel channel that plans to projectIndiato Indians and foreign nationals – the true culture, history and diversity ofIndia.”

     

    He has been instrumental in taking TELiBrahma from its nascent stage to a high growth stage, and was part of their recent Series C fundraising efforts from Intel Capital. He had also set up and managedIndia’s first IN Store TV Network Tag Media.

     

    Mr Sateesh has worked with Zee Network, Deccan Chronicle and The Asian Age in the past.

     

    Talking about Mr Satheesh’s appointment, Abdul Azeem, CEO & Executive Director of the company which is promoted by the Agri Gold Group said: “We have found an ideal partner in Satheesh. He brings with him decades of experience in the industry, along with great passion and entrepreneurial mind-set that will go a long way in carving TTTv’s passport to success.”

     

    He added that PR Satheesh joining the company has added a fillip to the efforts of the channel in showcasingIndiain its true spirit towards promoting global travel and tourism in its real spirit.

     

    TTTv has also recently appointed Som Banerjee as the Channel Head. Banerjee comes with an experience of creating content across genres such as sports, travel, fiction and reality. A graduate in Philosophy from thePresidencyCollege, Kolkata, he is a multi-brand and a multi genre professional with over a decade of work experience.

     

  • Mr Rao will be responsible for growing sales and leading the team across the country, to grow client base and revenues for these channels.

    Yashraj Rao is National Sales Head for BIG Love & Spark

    By A Correspondent

     

    BIG CBS Networks announced the appointment of Yashraj Rao as the National Sales Head for its channels – BIG CBS Love and BIG CBS Spark. As part of his new role, Mr Rao will be responsible for growing sales and leading the team across the country, to grow client base and revenues for these channels. In his current profile, he will report to Vishal Rally, Business Head – BIG CBS Networks.

     

    With almost nine years of sales experience across industries, this trained pilot with the Indian Air Force holds a PGDBM from Birla Institute of Management. He began his career with Monster.com as a Corporate Relationship Manager, before moving into the Life Insurance Industry with Aviva Life Insurance as Assistant Manager, in the Corporate Sales portfolio. From there he moved to HDFC Life where he grew quickly from a Relationship Manager – Group Sales to Associate Vice President – Group Sales.

     

    A multifunctional sales, marketing, business development and professional services executive, Mr Rao comes armed with a combination of dynamic technical skills and proficient sales knowledge. His new profile marks his entry into the dynamic M&E industry. With skill sets which include relationship building, negotiating favourable deals, securing strategic alliances and laudable client development, Mr Rao is confident of being able to grow the market while offering excellent ROI to Clients through the Channels.

     

    Speaking on the appointment, Mr Rally, Business Head, BIG CBS Networks said: “Yashraj’s sound background across the dot com and insurance sectors along with skill sets, when combined with his ability to listen to prospects’ needs and develop solutions to meet their requirements, are what will work in his favour to lead the team to further growth. We are happy to have him on board and wish him an excellent innings at BIG CBS.”

     

    Commenting on his appointment Mr Rao said: “I feel honoured to take on this responsibility and feel proud to be part of an excellent media conglomerate. I look forward to working with the dynamic team here and am confident it will be long and fruitful journey for both.”

     

  • To celebrate the spirit of women in the advertising-media domain, MxM India conceptualised a roundtable conference with Big CBS Love, in a half-hour show that was aired on Bloomberg-UTV on March 8.

    Woman power at MxMIndia’s roundtable for Big CBS Love

    By A Correspondent

     

    Much has being spoken about how the media-advertising industry being one of the few industries in India that has seen many women professionals coming to the fore and showing the way to the younger and the aspiring lot to stand their ground for excellence, despite myriad challenges.

     

    To celebrate the spirit of women in the advertising-media domain, MxM India conceptualised a roundtable conference for Big CBS Love, in a half-hour show that was aired on Bloomberg-UTV on March 8, 2012.

     

    Eminent women professionals such as Punitha Arumugam, CEO, Madison Media, Anita Nayyar, CEO, MPG India, Shubha George, COO, MEC South Asia, Anisha Motwani, Director and Chief Marketing Officer, Max New York Life Insurance shared their views on the role of women in the industry.

     

    Ms Arumugam pointed out that advertising attracted a lot of women as against other industries, while Ms Nayyar and Shubha George referred to how Roda Mehta played an inspiring role. Ms Motwani, who started out in advertising, then joined the automobile industry and moved from there to insurance, remarked how women even today can’t ignore their responsibilities towards their families. Ms Motwani, who had taken a sabbatical after marriage for two years, said working women need to believe in themselves, their ability and not give up.

     

    On reasons why women have done so well in advertising and media, Ms Nayyar said: “Over the years, it is evident that when it comes to client relations and numbers – women have done very well. And since advertising has a casual sort of environment, it gives that extra advantage and scope for women to double up as a key member at home and the workplace.”

     

  • There are a few advertisers who have raised concerns over low returns against large investments on IPL

    Has IPL become too expensive for advertisers?

    By Rishi Vora

     

    After Rahul Dravid announced his retirement from international cricket on March 9, senior journalists, fellow cricketers and fans pondered over the future ofIndiaas far as test cricket was concerned. While that’s an issue selectors for the Indian cricket team have to sort out soon, officials from IPL and Multi Screen Pvt Ltd have to come up with real quick ideas to woo key advertisers, so that they remain invested in the property, especially after the 10 per cent hike in the ad rates for Season 5.

     

    The 10 per cent hike in ad rates means that advertisers will have to pay upwards of Rs5 lakh per 10 second spot. Last year, afterIndia’s fabulous performance in the World Cup, MSM hiked ad rates by about 25 per cent.  The season delivered an average rating of 3.91, lowest ever in four seasons.

     

    So season 5 was always going to be a challenge considering the slowdown andIndia’s continued poor run inAustralia. However, despite these challenges, MSM has managed to rope in a few sponsors already. Pepsi, Vodafone, Tata Photon and Idea have been signed on as sponsors and, furthermore, the broadcast partner is in process of finalising a few more deals.

     

    But, as a matter of fact, there are a few advertisers who have raised concerns over low returns against large investments on IPL and two amongst those – LG Electronics India and Godrej that have been sponsors from the start of the tournament have decided to pull out this year. They don’t think it’s worth the money anymore.

     

    LG Electronics India’s Chief Marketing Officer, L K Gupta told MxMIndia: “It is true that we’ve opted out of IPL this year. While it is the single largest property on TV, the fact of the matter is that there is only a certain level to commit marketing funds and the return we get in terms of TRPs does not really justify the high level of spending. Last year we felt the pinch, so we decided to stay out this year.”

     

    Godrej too is said to have opted out on similar grounds.

     

    Maruti Suzuki, which as a policy spends about 23 per cent on sports every year, of which cricket commands a reasonable share, has always restrained from being associated with IPL. Shashank Srivastava, Chief Marketing Officer explained his stance: “We invested in the World Cup last year. We don’t invest in IPL because for a company like ours, one needs to put in a lot of spike. IPL gives you good reach. In terms of viewership, it gives you good returns for 5-6 weeks which is something ideal for new launches or new product offering. So the money which goes in on buying IPL, and in return what you get for a brand like Maruti is not much.”

     

    A senior media professional who requested anonymity said that India’s richest league commands nothing less than Rs65 crore for presenting rights and Rs45 crore for being an associate sponsor. He said: “This is serious money you’re talking about. They (MSM) have increased by 10 per cent on ad rates, and they are under tremendous pressure to cut down further.”

     

    Nitin Jain, Co-Founder, DoMor Communications said the broadcast partner will eventually have to come down to last year’s price which was around Rs4.5 to 4.75 lakh per 10-second spot. “I’m sure the broadcaster is in talks with many clients, but from what I understand, it is going to be a game of who blinks first.”

     

    Buying his point is Nimbus sports COO Yannick Colaco who said: “I think advertisers are just waiting to see if the rates can be brought down. It’s pretty usual for advertisers to do this as a practice to get better deals out of the broadcaster.  IPL is a big tournament and advertisers will eventually look to advertise on a property of that scale, so I think it’s just a matter of time before they (MSM) sell out and a formal announcement is made.”

     

    It is learnt that MSM has initiated talks with Cadbury, but it is not entirely clear if the chocolate brand has signed the deal officially. On-ground sponsors for season 5 are DLF, Hero Motocorp, Karbonn Mobiles and Volkswagen.

     

    Set Max officials could not be reached but it is said that this year the attempt is also to sell smaller packages of 20-25 matches to cash in on advertisers with limited budgets. Also, it is not leaving any stone unturned in promoting the mega event. It is believed that a whopping Rs45 crore is being spent to bring the IPL fever back among viewers.

     

    It will be interesting to see how things turn out to be for all stakeholders of the mega property.

     

  • The Kannada Kaun Banega Crorepati promises to be as big a hit as its counterparts in Hindi and other languages.

    Kannadada Kotyadhipathi locks ads, to air from tonight

    By Tuhina Anand

     

    Kannadada Kotyadhipathi goes on air tonight (on March 12) on Suvarna, and the team behind it has pulled out all the stops to make it a success. The channel has closed on its sponsors which are a mix of both national and local advertisers. The presenting sponsor for the show is Santoor and it is powered by Pepsodent. The telecom partner is Airtel while the banking partner is Vijaya Bank. The associate sponsors for KBC include Confident Group, Bhima Jewellers, Sunfeast, Muthoot Fin Corp, Mentos, Tata Motors. Big FM is the radio partner and Suvarna News is the news partner. It is learnt that in terms of revenues the channel is getting a premium on this property; the average spot rate for this show is three times more than that of a regular show.

     

    It is seen as the biggest property in Kannada and the channel has been promoting the show heavily on its own platform. Besides, there is a complete 360-degree marketing plan to promote the show across ATL and BTL activities. During the launch phase, there was print advertising in all key publications of the state. Radio activity included radio spots and RJ mentions. In OOH, 100 hoardings are up in the state promoting the show and 10000 posters across the state. There was also a mobile canter activity conducting events across 15 towns of the state is on for one month. Bus shelters across key areas of Bangalore were taken besides branding in high-traffic key retail outlets of the state. 10 kiosks in high traffic areas are planned across Bangalore city plus a mobile application with which key info of the show like schedule, pics, videos and a quiz game will be live for Android phones. In the online space, there has been engagement via Facebook and videos on YouTube.

     

    For the sustenance activity, the plan is to continue with print advertising in key publications. Radio activity with radio spots and RJ mentions will continue besides the hoardings and mobile application and online activity. Anup Chandrashekaran, the channel’s Business Head, said, “This is the biggest show on Kannada Television and we expect that this show will break all previous records in terms of performance & revenues. The look and feel of the show and the production values are of international standards.”

     

    “Kannadada Kotyadhipathi is yet another show that stands for wholesome family entertainment. We at Suvarna are happy that Puneeth Rajkumar, the face of the Kannada film industry, is doing this path-breaking show for us. The format of the show is unique as this gives the common people an opportunity to use their knowledge and change their lives. Big Synergy, the production house which produced the Hindi version of KBC, is also doing this version. They are a team of experts and I am happy to be associated with them,” added Mr Chandrashekaran.

     

    He also said other shows are planned to be launched around KBC. He said, “We have lined up an array of fiction shows to come up in the next few weeks. The first show to be on air would be “Amrutavarshini” this show is about a naive girl from a middle-class family who gets married into a rich family. The show looks at the mother-in-law – daughter-in-law relationship through a new lens. We are also working on a few other fiction shows which fall in line with our channel philosophy of offering differentiated content.”