MxMIndia

Category: NEWS

  • In a unique initiative, Radio Mirchi gave away bicycles to lucky listeners for an easier, better and eco-friendly commute

    Radio Mirchi tackles petrol price hike!

    By A Correspondent

     

    The continuous price hike in petrol has left everyone in a fix and in a unique initiative, Radio Mirchi gave away bicycles to lucky listeners for an easier, better and eco-friendly commute.

     

    Radio Mirchi invited listeners to give a vent to their angst in a enjoyable and memorable way. RJ Jeeturaaj asked Mirchi fans to compose fun, peppy poems on the constant increase of fuel prices on ‘Hi Mumbai’.On popular evening show ‘Sunset Samosa’, RJs Suren & Meera ran a musical contest where listeners had to sing and complete songs they had created on a cycle.

     

    The innovative initiative by Mirchi registered huge participation from the listeners as they spoke about the troubling state of affairs caused by the ever rising price hike on the airwaves.

     

  • They have slammed vested interests who were trying to create roadblocks

    Ensure digitised feed from July 1: Broadcasters

    By A Correspondent

     

    Television broadcasters have urged the government to stick to the deadline of June 30 for mandatory cable digitisation in the four metros and slammed vested interests who were trying to create roadblocks.

     

    Cable digitisation in India has been hailed as the break of a new dawn for the entire broadcasting industry and all stakeholders – viewers, cable operators, multi system operators and broadcasters will benefit from it.

     

    “By and large, the industry has welcomed this transformation, but it is unfortunate that there are certain pockets of vested interests that are trying to create roadblocks,” said Uday Shankar, president of the Indian Broadcasting Foundation and the chief executive officer of Star India. “We remain confident that the government, TRAI, the parliamentary committee and for that matter even the courts will not allow these isolated voices to jettison what now is a national mandate.”

     

    Cable digitisation will to allow viewers to get more channels and will give them the option of refusing channels that they do not want. Being digital, it will also provide better quality of sound and picture. For MSOs, this would mean better transparency and ability to get a clearer idea of the number of subscribers. MSOs will therefore be able to declare revenues more precisely. With high bandwidth at their disposal, they will now be able to offer value added services and improve revenues.

     

    But some cable operators have cited unavailability of digital set top boxes and urged the government to extend the deadline.

     

    “The deadline must and has to be met. If it doesn’t happen on time, the confidence in this transition will completely evaporate and investments will not come in,” said Sunil Lulla, managing director and chief executive officer of Times Television Network, which runs Times Now, ET Now and Movies Now channels.

     

    In the current cable regime, broadcasters have been finding it difficult to generate revenues and scale up. “Broadcasters, particularly news broadcasters, have been crippled with huge carriage costs and poor subscription revenues. Digitisation changes all that. We will have far more resources to put into content, which will again benefit the consumer a great deal,” said KVL Narayan Rao, president of the News Broadcasters’ Association and executive vice-chairperson of the NDTV Group.

     

    Digitisation will benefit broadcasters as they will no longer have to pay large carriage fees and will now be able to get better subscription revenues. In the run up to the deadline, over the last two months, many television broadcasters have been communicating the shift towards digitalization at least five times a day.

     

    “Yes, there will be some disruption during this process but this is a game changing transition for the industry in India,” said Mr Lulla.

     

    Source: The Economic Times
    Copyright © 2012, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved

     

  • The Media Market Guide offers relevant information on media and markets in a lucid and easy-to-use format

    RK Swamy releases 11th edition of media guide

    By A Correspondent

     

    The RK Swamy Media Group has published the 11th edition of its popular Media Market Guide for the year 2011-12. The comprehensive pocket handbook is used as a valuable and handy reference across the advertising and media industry.

     

    The Media Market Guide offers relevant information on media and markets in a lucid and easy-to-use format. The Guide contains market demographics, audience description and information on various media. There are sections that talk about penetration and usage of products. Important information compiled from various sources is given in the form of snippets for quick reference.

     

    Said Sandeep Sharma, President, R K Swamy Media Group: “The Guide encompasses two decades of our knowledge, understanding and experience of the market and the insights of the media scenario in India. The increasing demand to access information in a pocket handbook format has encouraged the team to improve the content and add value with each edition.”

     

    The Media Market Guide is available free to clients, media owners and advertising professionals and can be obtained by mailing mmg@rkswamymedia.com

     

     

  • MAX launches a new brand campaign with a completely new channel packaging

    JWT crafts new ‘shuruaat’ for post-IPL Max

    By A Correspondent

     

    Television channel Max has announced its latest brand campaign with the theme ‘Shuruaat Yahin Se’ . Created and conceptualized by JWT, the creative agency for Max, the campaign comprises three films – featuring an old couple, a politician and an Olympic shooter.

     

    The campaign highlights the monotony in the lives of these characters and how certain movies that they watch on the channel change their life for the better. Directed by ad film maker Piyush Raghani of Old School Films, these will be released across television, social media and online forums.

     

    Meanwhile, the channel also sports an all-new packaging. Charlieco, a Los Angeles-based agency has brought about this new look-and-feel. The music score mirrors and accentuates the visual themes of the packaging and has been created by the musical duo Salim- Sulaiman.

     

    Speaking on the new initiatives, Neeraj Vyas, Executive Vice President and Business Head, Max said: “‘Shuruaat Yahin Se’ aptly brings alive the central communication theme that Max gives its viewers the power to change their life for the better by showcasing the best of inspiring and thought provoking Hindi cinema. I am sure we will be successful in further engaging loyal viewers while bringing in new audiences.”

     

  • The study was done for five top celebrities and the brands they endorse. The score is a measure of the strength of the association of the celeb with the brand

    Katrina Kaif leads Ormax’s list of top celeb endorsers for Slice ad

    By A Correspondent

     

    Leading Bollywood star Katrina Kaif has emerged as the most powerful endorser amongst celebrities. This was determined by a celebrity-brand association recall study conducted by Ormax Media to measure the brand association of Salman Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Katrina Kaif, MS Dhoni and Sachin Tendulkar with the various brands they endorse.

     

    The table below gives the association score of various celebrities with specific brands. The score is a measure of the strength of the association. 13 brand-celebrity combinations crossed an association score of 15. Katrina Kaif takes three out of the top four slots, with Slice being a clear leader. In contrast, the most popular male Bollywood star today, Salman Khan, has only brand (Wheel) making the cut, though Ormax Media believes this is because Salman remains a very selective endorser and most of his endorsements started only recently.

     

    Brand Celebrity Association Score
    Slice Katrina Kaif 45
    Boost Sachin Tendulkar 32
    Lux Katrina Kaif 28
    Veet Katrina Kaif 25
    Pepsi MS Dhoni 23
    Limca Kareena Kapoor 23
    Head & Shoulders Kareena Kapoor 21
    Lays MS Dhoni 21
    Pepsi Sachin Tendulkar 18
    Aircel MS Dhoni 17
    Boroplus Kareena Kapoor 16
    Olay Katrina Kaif 16
    Wheel Salman Khan 16

     

    The study was done among a total of 1000 respondents across 16 markets. TG was Males and Females, 15-34 yrs. Ormax Media plans to cover other celebrity endorsers such as Shahrukh Khan, Akshay Kumar, Priyanka Chopra and Virat Kohli in the next round of the celebrity association track.

     

  • Radio Mirchi’s RJ Raaj dressed as a green crusader to spread the message of reducing carbon emission in Bengaluru

    Reduce Your Carbon Footprint: Radio Mirchi

    By A Correspondent

     

    Radio Mirchi’s RJ Raaj – Majja Run patron –  dressed as a green crusader in a black robe with a huge life size cut out of a foot all made from recycled biodegradable products to spread the message of reducing carbon emission in Bengaluru. He won the first place at the Kingfisher ‘Run in Costume’ Green Crusader segment.

     

    RJ Raja went out to spread the message on how each one of us can take a green oath by reducing the carbon emission in our daily lives by adopting simple practices such as turning the lights, televisions and computers off when not in use, keeping fridge doors closed, drive less, do the weekly errands in a single trip or pay bills online, walk, bike, ride the bus or carpool and so on.

     

    Excited about his win, Beat Raja Raaj said: “It is a great high to win the contest for the second time in a row. I have always been an avid follower of green practices in my daily life and hence took up the carbon footprint concept.”

     

    Commenting on the occasion, Sangeeta Rath, Station Head – Radio Mirchi said: “We have been very actively participating in the World 10K for the last five years and every year RJ Raaj designs looks that are very topical in nature. This year it was the green message, it is commendable of RJ Raaj to come up with this unique and meaningful depiction! Kudos to him for winning second time in succession.”

     

  • With this campaign, sport lifestyle brand PUMA takes the next step in bringing the party to the playing field

    PUMA Social once again focuses on after-hour athletes

    By A Correspondent

     

    Every professional athlete wears a uniform, but what about the amateur athlete. The king of foosball or the reigning champion of darts? PUMA brings fun and irreverence to the sports sphere once again with the launch of ‘PUMA Social,’ a campaign bringing together after-hours athletes from around the world. With this campaign, sport lifestyle brand PUMA takes the next step in bringing the party to the playing field.

     

    The PUMA Social range of clothing symbolises how PUMA fuses sport with lifestyle into everyday life. It is about a distinct lifestyle rather than a specific product. The brand sets out to celebrate the lesser-known games played among friends and the amateur athletes who rarely make the headlines. The PUMA Social campaign is about paying homage to the obscure, bizarre and after-hours games that every group of friends makes up at one point or another.

     

    To complement the popular in-market program, PUMA has launched a mobile extension with the launch of the PUMA Social Cards Mobile Application for iOS devices. Showcasing the distinctive characters that make up the universe of late night revelers, the PUMA Social Cards app comes loaded with pre-designed and customized archetype templates, encouraging After Hours Athletes to unite in celebration of late night and after-hours fun.

     

    The digital deck captures the spirit of social stereotypes, playful party superstars and bar-sport warriors, allowing users to label their friends in the best way possible and share their shots via PUMA.com/Social as well as their own social platforms such as Facebook. At its core, the app is meant to embody the PUMA brand’s philosophy that life deserves to be played and enjoyed with teammates near and far.

     

     

  • The professional networking continues to grow in popularity

    LinkedIn celebrates 15 million members in India

    By A Correspondent

     

    LinkedIn announced that more than 15 million professionals are now using the platform in India. Indiais LinkedIn’s largest market outside the USin terms of membership. LinkedIn started its Indiaoperations in 2009 with a member base of 3.4 million.

    Hari V Krishnan, Country Manager, LinkedIn India, said: “We are delighted to reach the 15 million member milestone. It demonstrates that professional networking is becoming increasingly important to Indian professionals. In just three years our member base has grown by over 300 per cent. We attribute this growth to the tools we have developed that help professionals to stay connected, gain insights for their businesses, bag that dream job and ultimately, realize their professional potential. As awareness of our product features has grown, engagement and adoption of the platform has accelerated.”

     

    In India, members turn to LinkedIn to keep up with industry discussions (58 per cent), fostering their professional identity (75 per cent), networking with other professionals (77 per cent) and learning about companies (46 per cent).

     

    In addition to its growing membership base, LinkedIn has experienced growing demand for its marketing solutions and hiring solutions in India. A number of high profile brands are opting for LinkedIn Marketing Solutions to build conversations and influence with a highly targeted, affluent audience.

     

    Brands like AMEX, Wipro, DSP Blackrock and VolkswagenIndiahave leveraged the customized solutions that LinkedIn provides to its advertisers. Furthermore, companies like ING Vysya Bank, HCL Technologies, Genpact and Larsen & Toubro have been extensively using LinkedIn Hiring Solutions to recruit professionals for various positions in their organization.
    LinkedIn India is headquartered in Mumbai with 4 offices across Gurgaon, Bengaluru and Mumbai.

     

  • NDS to provide suite of end-to-end technologies including MediaHighway set-top box software, VideoGuard conditional access, NDS Dynamic Advertising capabilities, an electronic programme guide (EPG), interactive TV applications

    ADN selects NDS Technology to launch Digital Cable TV service in central and western Delhi

    By A Correspondent

     

    NDS announced that it will be providing the enabling technologies for cable operator ADN Networks to support the launch of its digital cable TV service in central and westernDelhi.

     

    NDS will provide  an end-to-end technology suite including MediaHighway set-top box software, VideoGuard conditional access, a customised electronic programme guide (EPG) and a host of interactive functionality such as games and TV applications, including regional content, to compliment ADN’s current channel offering.

     

    Tejinder Chawla, Director, ADN Networks, said: “With its raft of innovative, affordable technologies and strong support framework, we are confident that NDS is the right technology provider to enable the launch our digital cable TV services.”

     

    NDS will also enable additional revenue streams by providing regional advertising capabilities via the EPG home page and banner ads supported by NDS Dynamic Advanced Advertising technology.

     

    Jayant Changrani, Country Head & General Manager NDSIndia, said: “With the digitisation of cable TV inIndiarapidly progressing, cable operators are looking to swiftly migrate from their existing platforms to digital. This announcement underlines our commitment to provide operators with the enabling technology to meet the government’s digitisation mandate and enable a superior subscriber offering.

     

    NDS will continue to work closely with ADN to deliver a raft of world-leading, affordable and innovative solutions and services to its growing subscriber base in Delhi.

     

  • A new season of Discovery Channel's survival series I Shouldn't Be Alive brings incredible stories of ordinary people who were unwittingly thrown into dire situations

    Discovery launches new season of extreme survival series

    By A Correspondent

     

    What would you do if you were suddenly faced with the possibility that you might die? A new season of Discovery Channel’s survival series I Shouldn’t Be Alive brings incredible stories of ordinary people who were unwittingly thrown into dire situations but beat unimaginable odds to survive. I Shouldn’t Be Alive will air every night at 9pm on Discovery Channel.

     

    Each one-hour episode presents a true-life story of endurance, using accurate reconstructions and the first-hand testimony of those who managed to overcome extraordinary danger. From battling a raging blizzard in the snowy wilderness of Kyrgyzstan and drifting in shark-infested waters in Costa Rica to surviving a savage grizzly attack in the mountains of Montana and facing wild animals in Africa, I Shouldn’t Be Alive reveals the most basic instincts as people react to these extreme situations.

     

    Commenting on the programme, Rahul Johri, senior vice president and general manager – South Asia, Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific said: “Discovery Channel viewers have been drawn towards its extraordinary survival series like Man Vs. Wild, Man Woman Wild and Dual Survival. Continuing its promise to inspire and entertain the viewers, the new series celebrates the deep human drive to survive in death-defying situations.”

     

    Each episode inspires the audience as it details a unique incident and the ultimate fight for life. Striking visuals and the latest computer generated image technology will enhance these stories of human perseverance and survival under astonishing circumstances.

     

  • The brand communication was targeted at the Indians in the age bracket of 18-40 years

    Milestone Brandcom rolls out a widespread campaign for eBay India

    By A Correspondent

     

    Breaking through the OOH clutter, Milestone Brandcom has executed an exceptional campaign for eBay India , the online shopping destination where thousands of manufacturers and merchants list a range of every-day use products, with the best deals.

     

    eBay India is a pioneer of eCommerce in India . At any given time, there are over 6 million live listings on eBay India across 2,000 categories of products. eBay India has, over the years, taken significant steps to strengthen the brand through a mix of Offline/Digital campaigns such as the current ‘want it, get it’ campaign.

     

    The brand communication was targeted at the Indians in the age bracket of 18-40 years. The main audiences being value seeking, shopping enthusiasts who have dreams/wants and are looking for deals and availability of products to fulfill these wants. With a tag line, ‘want it, get it’ the communication was aimed at reinforcing the role of eBay India in everyone’s life.

     

    “If you have a want, we will get you a deal” crisply established eBay India as the one destination to fulfill all the wants.

     

    The media mandate to Milestone Brandcom was to position eBay India as the distinguished website where one could get the best deals on a wide variety of products. In an extremely cluttered outdoor scenario, the core communication objective was to stand out and make a bold impression.

     

    The objective was to drive more customers to the website and make eBay India the hot spot for ‘wants’ to complement all occasions.

     

    “Communicating with such vast audiences, required strategic site selection and fitting media placement. The brand needed to be positioned amongst the masses as a one stop, online shopping destination. The strategy deployed to achieve these objectives was a media burst across key arterial routes and catchment areas, malls, colleges & hangouts. The objective was to build presence and reach amongst key catchment area where the TG would be inherent in,” said Imtiyaz Vilatra, founder member & managing partner at Milestone Brandcom.

     

    The OOH media plan covered 700 media touch points in 3 major metros (Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore) and was spread across an assortment of media formats such as billboards, gantries, bus shelters, fuel station branding, pole kiosks, bus side panels, mall facades & metro station media.

     

    To tap into the areas close to markets and malls, various unconventional media formats such as mall facades, fuel and railway station media, bus back & side panels, metro station signages and so on were taken up.

     

    Commenting on the campaign, Kashyap Vadapalli, Chief Marketing Officer, eBay India said: “Our recent campaign is congruent with our goal of step jumping e-commerce trial in general and eBay trial in particular amongst shopping enthusiasts across the country. The campaign plays to eBay’s core strength of unmatched variety, illustrating not only the width but also the depth in categories available on eBay India . Through this campaign, we would like consumers to rediscover their eBay shopping experience with greater variety and better deals.”

     

    Campaign Details

    Client: eBay India

    Cities: Mumbai,Delhi,Bangalore. 675 media touchpoints

    Media formats used: Besides high reach & frequency media on key arterial roads & busy junctions, the brand communication was around most unconventional media formats to effectively reach the TG. Media formats closer to shopping destinations were extensively and creatively leveraged for maximum exposure and relevant connect – places like fuel stations, metro signages, railway stations, bus backs  collectively invoked shopping enthusiasts with the width and depth in categories available on eBay India.

     

  • Retailers don’t expect things to improve this fiscal as demand is subdued

    Lifestyle retail chains post weak same-store sales in January-March quarter

    By Sarah Jacob & Sagar Malviya

     

    Sluggish demand has led lifestyle retail chains to post weak same-store sales in January-March 2012 and lower growth estimates for this fiscal.

     

    Driven by new stores, most retailers clocked 20-30 per cent sales growth in January-March. But same-store sales, or sales from stores that were operational last year, grew in single digits. Same-store sales are an important indicator of consumer demand and the health of the retail industry. Retailers don’t expect things to improve this fiscal as demand is subdued.

     

    The downturn began after Diwali, and the increase in the prices of essential commodities, lower salary increments, adverse macro-economic conditions and government inaction dented consumer confidence.

     

    “We would have targeted double-digit like-to-like growth if the year looked better,” said Govind Shrikhande, MD of department store Shoppers Stop.

     

    Shoppers Stop’s revenues grew 27 per cent to Rs 621.35 crore in the January-March quarter, but same-store sales grew 10 per cent. Volume growth contributed just 1 per cent to the increase in same-store sales while price hikes made up the rest. “Prices have risen and imports are getting costlier. These developments start impacting consumer demand after a point,” said Mr Shrikhande.

     

    Rival Lifestyle International, which operates stores under the Lifestyle and Max brands, said it clocked sales of over Rs2,500 crore last fiscal and has targeted revenues of Rs4,500 crore by 2013-14.

     

    “The second half of last year was not good and it’s apparent in our bottom line,” said Lifestyle International MD Kabir Lumba. He refused to divulge figures as the company is unlisted. “Given the current market conditions, we have lowered our growth estimates by around 10 per cent,” Mr Lumba added.

     

    Pantaloon Retail posted an increase of 7.6 Pantaloon Retail in sales for the three-month period ended March 2012, but same-store sales rose just 3.6 per cent – the lowest in 13 quarters. Retailers say demand is subdued in the first two months of the current fiscal as well. “The overall sentiment has been poor and it is reflecting even in May,” said J Suresh, CEO of Arvind Lifestyle Brands and Retail. The 10 per cent excise duty on branded garments last fiscal has impacted Arvind’s value format Megamart, which posted a growth of 11 per cent in same-store sales during the quarter against an 18 per cent increase in the year-ago period. However, its lifestyle brands business – which includes Arrow, US Polo and Flying Machine brands – grew 27 per cent in the fourth quarter in terms of same-store sales.”

     

    Same-store sales have slowed down despite retail chains extending end-of-season discounts and advancing them by up to three weeks to liquidate inventory. “This helped them post higher sales on a sequential basis. However, margins of most retailers took a hit,” said Sangeeta Tripathi, a senior analyst with Sharekhan. Margins were further squeezed by higher interest rates, fuel and real estate costs.

     

    The slowdown in like-to-like sales has forced retailers to explore new strategies to drive sales. Shoppers Stop, for instance, is focusing on store events as well as new loyalty card schemes and has recently lowered prices of private label brands by 5 per cent.

     

    Experts say stores can boost sales by improving shelf displays and promoting private labels. “Significant work can be done to make the product on the shelf more compelling for the buyer, both in terms of merchandising and placement. Retailers can also differentiate by looking at their private labels, not just as additional margins but as brands that fill a gap,” said Devangshu Dutta, chief executive of retail consultancy Third Eyesight.

     

    Source: The Economic Times
    Copyright © 2012, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved