Category: Events

  • Viacom18 unveils Voot Select content

     

    By A Correspondent

     

    When it announced Voot in October 2015, Viacom18 was the last of the broadcast networks to embark on an OTT play. But since then it hasn’t looked. Last year, after announcing 100 million monthly active users, it announced its first subscription-driven service called Voot Kids. And then in January, it announced Voot Select, its second subscriber-only service.

     

    On Tuesday, leadership of Viacom18 unveiled the initial offerings of Voot Select with much fanfare, as also the subscription tariff. Voot Select will present 30+ Originals in the first year, international content through partnerships with global studios, 1500+ movies and stream over 35+ live TV channels.  Voot Select is downloadable from the Voot app and is available on the internet. The subscription fee is Rs 99 per month and Rs 999 for an annual subscription. The annual subscription has an introductory offer of Rs 499.

     

    In an industry-first initiative, Voot Select will bring top fiction content from Viacom18’s extensive portfolio of channels on the digital platform 24 hours before the episodes air on regular television. All non-fiction content can be accessed on the platform 15 – 30 minutes before its TV airing.

     

    Speaking about the network’s platform agnostic, content first strategy, Sudhanshu Vats, Group CEO & MD, Viacom18, said: “In a short span, VOOT has already emerged as one of India’s largest OTT platforms with 100 Mn MAUs and 100 Bn watch minutes. It is India’s most engaged platform with an average TSV of 50 mins. With projections of aggressive growth in Fibre to Home, Viacom18 is ready to go Digital First. VOOT Select is our premium SVoD offering developed to cater to this growing connected TV audience,” adding: “We’ve put together a very compelling proposition and even pushed the envelope with publishing content 24 hours before TV, clutter-breaking originals and international content. The launch of VOOT Select marks a key milestone in our journey to become a future-ready, pipe-agnostic storyteller.”

     

    Speaking about Voot’s business strategy, Gourav Rakshit, COO, Viacom18 Digital Ventures said: “Voot is the outcome of Viacom18’s vison to create a future ready digital business catering to the evolving digital entertainment needs of every Indian. It is with this focus and a content first approach that we have built Voot Select as a premium platform providing an enhanced viewing experience for our users. Voot Select is “made for stories” that are differentiated and compelling and with them we are determined to be the most sought-after content destination for every Indian.”

     

    Added Ferzad Palia, Head – Voot Select, Youth, Music and English Entertainment, Viacom18 said: “Voot Select has been carefully crafted and designed for today’s ‘on-demand’ generation. We’re proud to give to India a destination that has the country’s largest showcase of stories ranging from Hindi & Regional Originals, Live Television channels from across the world, the widest variety of top-drawer international content to ‘24 hour-before-TV’ premieres of our TV network content. Adfree, Multi-screen access and a solid recommendation engine will further add to a great entertainment experience for our subscribers.”

     

    Voot Select will house global content from CBS, CBS All Access, Showtime, Fremantle, Endemol Shine, Chelsea TV, Arsenal TV, Real Madrid TV, BBC and Sony Pictures, among others.

     

     

    At the unveiling to the media five Originals were showcased starring Arshad Warsi, Rajeev Khandelwal, Barun Sobti, Ahana Kumra, Atul Kulkarni, Saqib Salem, Piyush Mishra and Shriya Pilgaonkar amongst others. Directors and storytellers like  Vikram Bhatt, Apoorva Lakhia and Oni Sen amongst others will be associated with some of the original content.

     

    The international content includes the following: Murder in the Bayou, 48 Hours, Crimes Of The Century, Whistleblower, Enemies: FBI vs The President; brand new exclusive global premieres like Why Women Kill, The Twilight Zone, Interrogation, BH 90210, Nancy Drew & critically acclaimed shows like Dexter, Californication, Elementary, Madam Secretary and Nurse JackieI addition, reality shows like Masterchef USA, Masterchef Junior, Shark Tank, America’s Got Talent, X Factor, Project Runway, Fear Factor, My Kitchen Rules will also be on offer. Celebrity Chefs like Martha Stewart, Nigella Lawson and the late Anthony Bourdain are also part of the offering. As also are daily talk shows like The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, The Daily Show With Trevor Noah, The Late Late Show with James Corden, Entertainment Tonight, Dr. Phil, Daily Mail TV and The Graham Norton Show amongst others.

     

    There is also a partnership with international channels such as Fashion One, Clubbing TV and Real Madrid TV which will lead Voot Select  to present 24-hour live streams with access from these fchanels. In addition, there is leading 24/7 LGBTQ channel, Revry TV will also be part of Voot Select as will gaming events like World Poker Tour

     

  • Quaker India announces Season 3 with Vikas Khanna

    By A Correspondent

     

    Quaker India has announced the third season of its web-series show, ‘Kitchen, Khanna & Konversations’. The new season sees Michelin star chef and face of Quaker Oats, Vikas Khanna presenting breakfast recipes with celebrities Shraddha Kapoor, Shikhar Dhawan and Pearle Maaney. Maaney is a Malayalam actor and television presenter, Kapoor is a Bollywood actor and Dhawan a cricketer with the Indian men’s cricket team.

     

    Talking about the web-series, Dilen Gandhi, Senior Director and Category Head – Foods, PepsiCo India, said: “We are delighted to bring yet another season of Kitchen, Khanna & Konversations. Our young target audience has consistently played back that they’re looking at ways of incorporating oats in their daily routine. Kitchen, Khanna & Konversations! aims to combine the boundless talents of Chef Vikas Khanna, the goodness of oats with some of the biggest youth icons to help deliver this message for our target audience. The very fact that we are now in our third season speaks volumes about the efficacy of the programme.”

     

     

  • Hindu wins two awards at INMA Global Media Awards 2020

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Hindu group won two awards at the International News Media Association (INMA) Global Media Awards 2020. The group secured the first place for its campaign ‘Cadbury Sweet Kondattam’ for Client Mondelez India in the category ‘Best Idea to Acquire or Retain Advertising Clients’ and the second place for ‘Stay home. Stay vigilant.’ campaign for ‘Best Initiative in response to COVID-19’.

     

    Said Anil Viswanathan, Director – Marketing (Chocolates), Mondelez India: “Our partnership with The Hindu helped in continuing our mission to become a part of the cultural fabric of Tamil Nadu. Cadbury Sweet Kondattam was an initiative jointly conceived by Mondelez and The Hindu to make Cadbury and chocolate integral to snacking and sweet occasions in the city. The initiative was very successful and The Hindu was instrumental in bringing local insight and execution muscle to deliver scale and noticeability in Chennai,”

     

    Added Suresh Balakrishna, Chief Revenue Officer, The Hindu Group said: “As an organisation, we have understood our consumers well – be it informing, engaging or entertaining them. Through our integrated solutions, we enabled our client Mondelez India to connect with the people of Tamil Nadu. Through ‘Stay home. Stay vigilant.’, we continued to be with our readers as we face the biggest tests of our time. We are happy about the wins at INMA 2020 Global Media Awards as they validate our constant efforts to be consumer-centric. This is yet another encouragement to keep us going as there is much to do in the times to come – to rise up with hope!”

     

     

  • Shoppers Stop unveils second leg of EyeStoppers 2020 event

    By A Correspondent

     

     

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CGX6TOCFRcq/

     

    Leading beauty and fashion chain of stores Shoppers Stop has unveiled series of videos attempting at breaking stereotypical beauty standards and perceptions. Their pop culture show #StopTheBias is the second leg to their talent show property – EyeStoppers 2020.

     

    Sharing her thoughts, Uma Talreja, Customer Care Associate, Chief Marketing and Customer Officer at Shoppers Stop said: “The beauty industry has seen a shift during the pandemic. Lipsticks have dominated the segment but with the wearing of masks, the focus has shifted. Indian culture has been deep rooted in the use of eye makeup and eye art, and there is plenty of cultural context that has been amplified in Bollywood and many other occasions. During the pandemic, we believe that eye makeup can open the doors to artistry and creativity in makeup and give women a feel-good factor while they wear a mask.  We have seen over 2350 entries in a week of very elaborate videos and the effort taken by each participant in creating their designs and looks is truly exciting.”

     

    Added Ameesha Prabhu, CEO, Trust for Retailers & Retail Associates of India (TRRAIN): “We live in a world where no matter how you look, you will get judged. It is up to us to use that in a positive manner and conquer the world. At TRRAIN we believe in social inclusion and creating livelihoods for persons with disabilities & young women. We train our trainees to take on the world with their confidence. Vidya and many more youths like her have paved the path for not only being independent but have shown the ability of the youth and the contribution they can make to the society.”

     

     

  • Spectra events on Dec 30 & Jan 9

    By A Correspondent

     

    After the completion of Day 1 and 2 of Spectra Prime, the virtual reputation management conference organised by the Reputation Today which also conducts the annual Praxis conference, is offering a bonus day called Spectra Plus. Scheduled at 12 noon on December 30, 2020. The first two days of Spectra earlier in the quarter witnessed a virtual footfall of over 1100 delegates, notes a communique. Meanwhile, Day 3 of Spectra Prime is scheduled to be held on January 9, 2021.

     

    Senior professionals Gaurav Sinha of Audi India, Ruchica Tomar of MakeMy Trip and Svetlana Pinto of Novartis are among those who will share insights through various short sessions.

     

    Said Roshan Alexander, Co-Curator, Spectra: “When we decided to postpone Praxis a week into the first lockdown, we were determined to come up with an alternative and give the reputation management professionals an immersive online experience in the year end. After months of hard work and brainstorming, Spectra was born. As the conference unfolds, it’s feels amazing to see the incredible amount of responses it has garnered in the first two days”.

     

     

  • INMA announces finalists for 2021 Global Media Awards

    By Our Staff

    INMA has revealed the finalists for Global Media Awards. Some 290 finalists have been listed for the competition. Most the themes centre on pandemic community outreach, brand-building, subscriptions, and data innovation at the heart of the shortlist.

    The 2021 competition by the International News Media Association (INMA) garnered 644 entries from 212 news brands in 37 countries. The finalists hail from Africa, Asia/Pacific, Europe, Latin America, and North America.  Leading the finalist list were entries from India (47), United States (36), Austria and Norway (22 each), Australia, New Zealand, and Sweden (with 19 finalists each).  Companies that led the INMA shortlist include Bennett, Coleman and Co. Ltd. (17), Russmedia (17), NZME (15), and News Corp Australia (14).

    First place winners, regional winners, and the global “Best In Show” will be unveiled June 3 in a virtual announcement.

    This year’s INMA Global Media Awards include 20 categories focused on excellence in news brands, media platforms, subscriptions, business development, and data and insights. The competition judges similar brands with groups for national news brands, regional news brands, and – for the first time – groups.

    The 644 entries in this year’s Global Media Awards competition are live on INMA.org in the association’s Best Practices archive. Finalists may be viewed publicly, while all other entries are reserved exclusively for INMA members. INMA has 6,500+ “best practices” from the past decade of Global Media Awards competitions, sortable to finalists and winners, category, year, and country.

     

     

  • Goafest: No News is Not Good News

     

    By Sanjeev Kotnala

    Sanjeev KotnalaIt is that time of the year. Goafest time. For the last 15 years, until 2020, Goa was my annual advertising, marketing, networking pilgrimage. I have attended every edition of Goafest.

    I have associated with Goafest in multiple capacities. I have been a delegate, a sponsor, an awardwinner and a jury member. Oh, I have rebelled by attempting to hijacking one evening with a successful standalone show. Few unfinished stories started at the Goafest and never reached a conclusion. I led cross-functional teams to publish the daily newsletter, including the first 3D issue at Goafest. Once, I objected to some Swami’s presence as a speaker. Pushed for more respect and participation to Publishers’ Abby.

    I have been an observer who regularly provided unsolicited inputs and suggestions. Some of them found the right ears and minds to impress and were implemented with no credit. But that’s par for the industry, or I think some else too had similar brilliant thoughts at the same time.

    So, it is natural that towards the end of March and the first/second weekend of April, I am full of nostalgia. My mind longs to be at Goa and enjoy the festival of advertising excellence. Thankfully, there are no withdrawal symptoms.

     

    GOAFEST 2020

    Goafest 2020 was rightfully postponed as the entire country was reeling under the spectre of the Covid-19. Later, Abbys were also deferred. The Red-Abby, which was to have its maiden appearance, remained silent. Later the whole show was cancelled.

     

    GOAFEST 2021

    One expected 2021 to be better. But, the Covid pandemic is back with a vengeance. The organising bodies AAAI and Advertising Club are silent. There is no announcement I know of.

    Don’t think there is any time left. In all probability, Goafest 2021 is dead.

    The question that stares you on the face is not so simple. Will Goafest ever be revived? There is no reason to believe it is dead! But most people do not see many reasons for it to be restored.

     

    FESTIVALS ADAPTING TO CHANGE

    I do not understand. When most of the awards have adapted to the new realities and have gone online or found other ways to celebrate, what stops from Goafest from doing the same?

    Is Goa the problem? Goa and virtual fun – does not sound right. What about the drinks? The tamasha? The knowledge sessions? The manpower poaching and interviews? Maybe, this is the right moment to get Goa out of Goafest. Maybe, it is time to get back to celebrating the excellence in Advertising and Marketing and be location-agnostic.

     

    ABBY COULD HAVE CONTINUED

    The Advertising Club says on its site: ‘ Recognition of efforts is what motivates an individual. And for an industry that thrives on motivation, the Ad Club has initiated various awards to ensure that Indian ad professionals receive the recognition they deserve. The ABBY AWARD are the Oscars of Indian ad awards to honour creative excellence in advertising.”

    So, when  Cannes changed its format and dates, it allowed a rich interaction with archives and sessions.  Adfest Pattaya went online and announced the winners of the last two years. Near home, award functions continued. Virtual webinars and exhibitions thrived. Knowledge seminars buzzed with suitable content and names… so what about Goafest? Kyoorius Award have started the entry process and were successfully conducted last year – what stops Goafest? Meanwhile, I read about the Filmfare Awards 2021, when the industry was almost shut for the last year. As I write this, I wait to watch the Mirchi Music Awards.

     

    EXPECTATION AND EXPERIENCE

    Goafest has evolved with time. Setting up new expectations and creating experiences to bridge the gap. So, what stops it from taking that leap of faith and get to a 2021 Goafest version going.

    Don’t the organisers have the responsibility and direct accountability to the community of agencies, clients, researchers, PR and marketers. Should the elected body at Ad Club and AAAI not go the extra mile to see it happens.

    2020 is understandable. But what about 2021.

    Why is no one asking and raising the voice?

    Or maybe Goafest does not call for such concern!

    Maybe, it is just me who is paranoid about the changes and what it could spell for Goa in Goafest.

    The industry has worked within imposing constraints. Brands and agencies innovated to find new ways to create fabulous relevant-original and impactful work.

    Should these industry warriors go unrecognised?

    Or do we plan to have a three-year award show in 2022 – subject to fair weather conditions.

     

     

    THE INDUSTRY NEEDS POSITIVITY  

    The economy, business and the advertising-marketing fraternity can definitely do with some positivity and celebration. Offline or online. WFH or lazing around in Goa. Remember, consistency is always a winner. Voids and absence give rise to many uncomfortable thoughts. Frankly, I can’t think how we will bridge the gap if Goafest is not held this year.

    Sanjeev Kotnala is a senior marketing and business strategist and educator. He writes on MxMIndia every Wednesday. His views here are personal

     

     

  • Advertising goes down 29%

     

    By Indrani Sen

     

    Indrani SenThe FICCI EY report on Indian M&E industry 2021 titled “Playing by New Rules” was released last Friday, March 26, 2021 at a virtual event. By now, we know that M&E sector posted INR 1.38 trillion in 2020 (a decline of 24% from 2019). Except Digital Media and Online Gaming, all other media suffered degrowth as an effect of Covid-19. Print media lost its #2 position to Digital Media, while Television managed retain the #1 position.

    Let us turn our focus to the advertising industry, which according to the FICCI EY report, saw the highest single year drop in the history of Indian advertising. The industry saw a degrowth of 29% in 2020, higher than the 24% degrowth of the overall M&E sector. The report describes 2020 as “a watershed year for advertising spends”. A review of how advertising revenue was distributed among different media in 2020 and how did the distribution compare with 2019 is shown in the table below:

     

    Ad Revenue by Media: Source FICCI EY Report 2021

    Advertising in traditional media experienced a degrowth of 37% from 2019 to 2020, but advertising in digital media remained steady and did not suffer any loss. Advertising in Print sufferred due to reverse migration, changed consumer habits and cost-cutting while advertising in Radio and OOH was affected by reduced mobility of consumers. The experienial industry comprising of Events and Cinema degrew due to lockdown guideline, social distancing norms and consumer fear of crowded places.

    The advertising industry is not expected to recover the losses of last year in next two years (2021 and 2022). While the total advertising spend is expected to regain the pre-Covid-19 levels in 2023, the individual traditional media are estimated to regain the same levels over a period of 5 years: 2021 (none), 2022 (Television), 2023 (Events & Cinema), 2024 (OOH), Radio (2024+) and Print (2025+).  Digital media is expected to grow by 22.5% over the 2019 level in 2021.

    In a Marketer Survey conducted by EY in 2020, 88% of marketers were confident that consumer spends in their sector would grow in 2021. 66% of the marketers felt that their advertising expenditure would grow in next two years. However, 33% of the marketers surveyed felt that their advertising expenditure either would not grow or would decline in the next two years.

    The same survey showed the marketers incresed investments in D2C initiatives during the pandemic in 2020 as shown in the above chart and 74% of them expeted to spend over 20% of their total spends on digital media against 45% who had shown interest in investing in digital media in 2019. A significant increase in digital spend were expressed by most.

    The survey probed further on how the marketers were assessing the state of their future readiness in terms of their digital maturity and found that the advertising agencies are playing a crucial role.

    :: “92% of respondents were actively monitoring their digital readiness, at a time when complex ecosystems are emerging across the business and marketing landscape.

    :: 53% of respondents surveyed depended on their agency partners to update them on leading practices in their digital transformation journeys”

    The FICCI EY report finally sums up the section on advertising by listing how advertisers are turning uncertainty to opportunity through Martech adoption, investments in brand purpose and architecture, hyperlocalisation, building and retaining immersive consumer experience, diversification of media, colaboration and last but not the least ensuring digital effectiveness. The experts’ comments at the end of the section on Advertising makes it clear that in the digital age advertising agencies need to invest in data, technology and analytics to stay relevant for their clients.

     

  • The Grave Crisis in OOH Continues

     

    By Indrani Sen

     

    The EY-FICCI 2019 Media & Entertainment Industry Report estimated that the Indian OOH industry grew by 5% in 2019, taking the industry size to Rs 37.1 billion. The traditional OOH formats, driven by increased advertising opportunities in tier-II and tier-III cities, contributed 54% to the overall revenue. However, according to the report the main driving factor behind the growth is recent development of infrastructure network, including upcoming airports, smart city projects, malls, metros, bus shelters, public utility, coffee shops, etc.

     

    Source: EY-FICCI 2019 M&E Industry Report

     

    A couple of years back, www.statistia.com published an estimate of out of home advertsing in India from 2009 to 2024 as shown below. It is interesting to note that overall size of OOH industry estimated In the FICCI EY report is higher than shown in the chart for 2019 (Rs. 34 billion).

     

    Source: https://www.statista.com/statistics/233491/out-of-home-advertising-revenue-in-india/

     

    The growth of the OOH industry has been stalled completely as an effect of Covid-19. In the ‘FICCI Frames 2020’ virtual conference, WPP’s CEO Mark Reed remarked that OOH was the most impacted medium due to Covid-19. While we are seeing some signs of revival in digital, TV and print media, the trend has not yet been seen in OOH media under the gradual process of unlocking. While we are still waiting for FICCI EY to release a revised estimate for M&E industry in 2020, the mid-year review of the Pitch Madison Advertising Report 2020 has estimated 35% to 50% de-growth in OOH advertising revenue in 2020.

     

    At the early stage of lockdown, IOAA also estimated that their annual revenue may see a 50% drop in 2020 and appealed for financial relief to the various state governments who have not yet responded positively. The association also requested the central government to declare the pandemic as natural calamity which is covered under ‘force majeure’ clause of all OOH contracts which also has not received any definite response. In US and couple of other countries, OOH industry registered as small business has received some financial relief, but we have not seen any such relief measures for the OOH industry in India.

     

    An article published on August 10, 2020 has predicted four key trends for OOH medium in 2020 and beyond (https://www.advendio.com/4-key-ooh-advertising-trends-2020-beyond): 1/ build brand awareness with smart creatives; 2/ adapt value for money messaging approach; 3/ the evolution of touch screen OOH advertisements and 4/ curbside pickup and digital OOH are here to stay. Apart from the first trend, there is hardly any scope seeing of the other trends happening in India. It is high time that our outdoor advertising agencies take stock of their inventories and consider disinvesting in traditional formats and channelize their attention to building up standardised digital OOH formats as per the global trends.

     

     

  • MTV Insights Studio launches Youth Study

    By Our Staff

     

    MTV Insights Studio has launched the 2021 edition of its MTV Youth Study titled ‘Atmanirbhar by Circumstance’, a handbook for the advertising and marketing community that provides a “comprehensive overview of India’s Gen Z population”.

     

    Said Anshul Ailawadi – Head, Youth Music and English Entertainment at Viacom18: “2020 has been a pivotal year in so many ways. This edition of our youth study is the first such exercise post the first wave of the pandemic. It offers a rare glimpse into how young Indians are coping with a changing world in which every aspect of their lives – from their education and relationships to their careers and interests – needs to be rebuilt. It will go a long way in helping brands, creators and publishers establish a deeper connection with their Gen Z constituency.”

     

     

  • Be the ‘Voice of Change’, says IAA

    By Our Staff

     

    The India Chapter of the International Advertising Association (IAA) is driving a campaign aimed at the marcom industry, urging it to be more aware and sensitive to gender related issues in all its communication.

     

    Said IAA President Megha Tata: “The unique survey we helped UNICEF and the Geena Davis Foundation conduct on the portrayal of women in Indian advertising threw up several interesting findings. We felt that a creative campaign that highlighted these findings could help our content creators focus on such points in a very positive way and collectively become what we call the Voice of Change.”

     

    Added Raj Nair, CEO and Chief Creative Officer Madison BMB, whose team comprising Rohan Joseph and Vallabh Yeolekar created the campaign: “It’s amazing that even in the 21st century, we continue to address bias related to gender, skin tone, male dominated settings when we are simultaneously discovering space tourism, breakthroughs in cancer cures and the like. Just goes to show that even in our seemingly more aware world of communication, these cliched tropes are very much in play.

     

    A study of gender representations in ads in India threw up some startling facts. An industry known to be a flag-bearer of out-of-the-box thinking seemed to be turning a blind eye to something as pertinent as gender equality. This campaign puts forward some uncomfortable truths and aims to be an eye-opener for the Indian advertising and media industry to be more aware and sensitive in their thought process. We leaped at the opportunity to hold a mirror to ourselves. And to help IAA continue to be the Voice Of Change.”

     

  • IAA Leadership awards presented

    By our Staff

     

    The International Advertising Association’s (IAA) India Chapter announced the winners for the eighth edition of the IAA Leadership Awards in Mumbai on Friday. Maharashtra governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari was chief guest. The association inducted senor mediaperson and former President Raj Nayak into the IAA Hall of Fame for “investing a lifetime in the marcom industry and  for his sterling role in directing the India Chapter of IAA towards its ongoing role in being the voice of sustainability”.

     

    Said IAA President, Megha Tata: “It is so rewarding to see the best in the business taking the time to be here and accepting these awards. While we were planning the awards for 2021 we wanted to highlight leaders that have established new age businesses.”

     

    Other prominent recipients were: Bobby Pawar (Creative Agency Leader of the Year), Nandini Dias (Media Agency Leader of the Year), N P Singh (Media Person of the Year), Raj Kamal Jha (Editor of the Year) and Palki Sharma Upadhyay (TV Anchor of the Year). Actor and Film Producer Anil Kapoor received the IAA Brand Endorser of the Year.

     

    Winner List – Leadership Awards 2021