MxMIndia

Category: NEWS

  • MxMIndia gets you reactions from industry stakeholders on the government's decision to postpone the digitization deadline for Phase I to October 31, 2012

    Can we achieve the October 31 deadline?

     

    By Shruti Pushkarna

     

    Under mounting pressure from various stakeholders, the government announced an extension of four months for the first phase of digitization of cable television. Digital Addressable System (DAS) will now be effective from November 1 in the four metros, Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata and Mumbai.

     

    A press release issued by the I&B Ministry read: “The Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Amendment Act, 2011 has made it mandatory for switchover of the existing analogue Cable TV networks to Digital Addressable System (DAS) by December 2014, in a phased manner. In respect of four metros of Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai, the digital switchover is mandated to be completed by 30th June 2012.”

     

    But towards the end in the press note, the ministry acknowledged that keeping ground realities in mind, the MIB is compelled to set a new deadline. The statement reads, “…keeping in view public interest and after intensive and extensive consultations, as well as written commitments from all the stakeholders, for fully implementing the regulations of TRAI, the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting has decided to modify the 30th June deadline for a complete switch over to 31st October 2012 for all four Metro Cities i.e Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata. All the TRAI regulations for DAS will come into effect from 1st November, 2012.”

     

    The extension was announced notwithstanding the pending matters before the Delhi and Bombay High Courts and the TDSAT. The Bombay High Court will hear the petition on June 21 and the Delhi High Court will hear the matter on June 25, which is also the date when TDSAT will hear a similar matter filed by LCOs and IndusInd Media & Communications Ltd.

     

    Soon after the announcement of the new sunset date, MxMIndia spoke to various stakeholders to get their reactions on the new timeline and to find out if October 31 is an achievable deadline. While some welcomed the government’s decision for postponement to November 1, others felt that the extension issued by the ministry is not enough for the humongous task at hand.

     

    MSOs welcome the govt’s decision, though some still unsure of achieving the deadline

    Ashok Mansukhani

    Ashok Mansukhani, Director, IndusInd Media & Communications Ltd said: “I think it’s a sensible development and it will help in smooth transition to digitization. The new date is completely achievable, it was fully discussed in the taskforce. I don’t know about Tamil Nadu since the government there is supposed to install the set top boxes but for the other three metros, certainly it will happen. It’s a welcome step and it was fully discussed in the taskforce and it’s a natural result of the taskforce deliberation.”

     

    JS Kohli, CEO, Digicable said: “We are happy with the postponement. Although it’s not a six month extension but yes we can deliver on the new date. We are satisfied with the extension.”

     

    JS Kohli

    Ravi Gupta, Independent MSO, Delhi said: “The new sunset date is good although it is two months less than what we were expecting. They should have given a six months extension, I still don’t think we can achieve the task by November 1. A lot of digital headends are under installation and integration is what takes time. I don’t think anyone from the ministry has done a detailed study of this process. No senior official from the ministry or from the TRAI has visited a digital headend. A minimum of six months extension should have come.”

     

    LCOs happy with the extension but feel four months not enough

    MR Srinivasan, General Secretary, Chennai Metro Cable TV Operators Association said: “It is good in a way because we are not yet ready because in Chennai only 2 lakh boxes are available. But now atleast we have some breathing time. Moreover, the government of Tamil Nadu is planning to start some MSO operation in Chennai, so it’s some relief and we have some time to plan ahead and be ready before the sunset date. Actually we expected an extension upto December but atleast we have got a slight relief, something is better than nothing.”

     

    Sanjay McGee, Local Cable Operator, East Delhi said: “Although it’s a good decision, in the last meeting between LCOs and I&B Ministry, Rajiv Takru agreed that four months extension was not enough. At first the ministry refused any extension, but when we urged on atleast three months extension, Rajiv Takru stated that if there has to be an extension then take atleast six months. But they have taken a middle path and decided on four months. They shouldn’t have announced the extension at this point, they should have waited till June 29. Now the consumer will not take the deadline seriously and the pace will slow down. If we keep working at the same pace as of today, then we might be able to achieve the new deadline.”

     

    Swapan Chowdhury, General Secretary, Cable & Broadband Operators’ Welfare Association, Kolkata said: “I am not satisfied because four months will not cover up the whole situation. Government might have given an extension but they have not considered any facts and figures. I say that because 70 per cent in Kolkata still don’t have set top boxes (STBs), so four months are not enough for deployment of such a huge number of STBs. It will not even happen on November 1. Maybe another 20 or 30 per cent seeding will be done up till the new date but what about the remaining numbers. In the June 8 meeting with the I&B Minister it was categorically mentioned that none of the government appointed nodal officers have checked the actual seeding position or the status of ordered material. Unless and until the government studies the ground situation deeply it will again fall back. The actual facts are different from what’s being presented on paper. They should have given an extension upto atleast Jan 1.”

     

    Broadcasters disappointed with the postponement, suggest on strict penalties for those who don’t adhere to the timelines

    Sunil Lulla

    Sunil Lulla, Managing Director & CEO, Times Television Network said: “It’s a complete disappointment. What is the guarantee that the new date will be held, when there is a date set by law, why should the date be changed? A lot of time, money and effort has gone by broadcasters in promoting and communicating the date and making sure consumers went along. The industry and the consumer suffers because there are some parts of the entire constituent which may not have adhered to these deadlines, may not have implemented the seeding of the boxes. This was announced on the net through a press release, the government hasn’t really notified us. I think it would have made sense for them to invite all stakeholders and agree on a new date if there was to be one and to a process by which these date wont slip.”

     

    Rahul Sood

    Rahul Sood, Head- Network Distribution & Affiliate Sales, NDTV said: “Basically LCOs were pushing for a Jan 1 timeline and broadcasters were saying that if you have to give an extension, it should be only for three months. So I guess they have taken a middle path by extending it upto October 31. The TRAI guidelines which came out on April 30 were such that within six months there has to be implementation of the same. I think that’s the loophole that MSOs and LCOs were quoting and asking for a minimum six months extension. So keeping all that in mind, I think ministry has taken this step. But if as an industry we have this discussion again on October 20, then it’s a real shame. There should be no excuses now, timelines have been extended, now there has to be a joint willingness to from all stakeholders to make sure this happens. While they have issued this date change, I think with that strict penalties and penalization code should be put in place as well for those who don’t adhere to the new timelines.”

     

    An independent commentator says new sunset date ill-conceived

    Dinyar Contractor

    Dinyar Contractor, Editor and Executive Publisher, Satellite and Cable TV Magazine said: “This is not going to work, this date is ill-conceived. There is no way that set top boxes can be procured and deployed in that timeframe even if the order is released today. As I’ve mentioned earlier, delivery time on set top boxes alone is around four months so this extension makes no sense except postponing one more extension. Any date prior to end of December is not realistic and is not going to resolve the problems or the issue, which is obtaining and deploying set top boxes. So I feel that the extension is inappropriate.”

     

  • The launch marks its international foray and also exclusively partnership with The Ethnic Channels Group

    RBNL’s BIG Magic launches in Canada

    By A Correspondent

     

    Reliance Broadcast Network Ltd has expanded its reach into the international markets with the launch of BIG Magic International in Canada. Building on the brand lineage of its recently launched channel in India- BIG Magic; the new channel has been tailored to suit the entertainment preferences of the sizeable South Asian diaspora in Canada.

     

    The channel will offer audiences a mix of daily sitcoms, shows on varied genres ranging from socio-mytho and dramas to crime and daily business news from Bloomberg UTV. The channel has partnered with Ethnic Channels Group (EGCL), a Canada-based television broadcasting, distribution and communications company, specializing in multicultural television channels for the North American market.

     

    Tarun Katial, CEO, Reliance Broadcast Network Ltd. said: “We are happy to reach out to the Canadian market with BIG Magic International which has been designed to fulfil the need gaps in the infotainment genre for South Asian audiences there. The channel will bring an increasing variety of fresh and relevant programming to the viewers which will include not just entertainment but also daily business updates from India. With this move, we are optimizing the use of our robust and extensive content library to reach out to both viewers and marketers in the market. The launch of BIG Magic International opens new and exciting opportunities for the execution of our expansion and growth strategy.”

     

    One of the USPs of the channel will be three fresh, 30-minute updates each day with the latest news from the Indian capital markets. The channel will also feature a special weekend feature show created around the Indian business world and investments inI ndia.

     

    With Ethnic Channels Group as its exclusive representative inCanada, the channel will be available across all major platforms like Rogers Cable, Bell DTH and Bell Fibe. With a robust reach in place, the channel will reach a relevant audience base of 0.2 million across these platforms. The revenue model is based on subscription and ad-sales.

     

    “With our continued expansion into new genres, these channels are a welcome addition to the ECG family,” said Slava Levin, Co-founder and CEO of Ethnic Channels Group. Said Hari Srinivas, President of Ethnic Channels Group: “We are happy to partner with Reliance Broadcast Network to launch BIG Magic International which is a first of its kind variety entertainment channel, which will cut across clutter and appeal to the larger south Asian Diaspora inCanada.”

     

     

  • The report noted Text100's early focus on digital, along with the strength of its leadership team, product and service development, and regional campaigns

    Text100 named digital consultancy of the year

    By A Correspondent

     

    Text100 APAC has been named Digital Consultancy of the Year for 2012 by The Holmes Report. The report noted Text100’s early focus on digital, along with the strength of its leadership team, product and service development, and regional campaigns.

     

    As reported by The Holmes Report, Text100 was one of the first firms to position itself as a leader inAsia’s fast-growing social media arena, launching a sophisticated range of services in 2008. And, unlike many of its global peers, many of the network’s digital efforts are led by the region, under the oversight of global social media lead Jeremy Woolf.

     

    In 2011 the firm broadened its capabilities, launching a dedicated design and digital support hub inMalaysia, expanding its digital headcount, and stepping up a digital training programme that is as advanced as any in the region.

     

    All of those efforts paid off, as its Cisco ‘Flip Your Profile’ programme landed the Global and Asia-Pacific SABRE Award recognition in the social media category, and Text grew its digital mandate for numerous clients, including IBM, Lenovo, Yahoo, Cisco and Nokia.

     

    “At Text100, we define ‘Digital’ as something that encompasses all forms of communications that are technology-enabled and we ensure all our staff are digitally certified and capable of delivering our services to clients,” said Anne Costello, Regional Director, South Asia Text100 APAC.  “Achieving this status from The Holmes Report goes a long way as we continue to follow our vision of shaping the most influential conversations in the digital age and beyond.”

     

  • The OOH campaign is executed by Milestone Brandcom and is spread across various outdoor formats to optimize impact

    Milestone stirs up Nestle’s Junior Daheez launch

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Nestle team decided to launch Junior Daheez inDelhiusing an extensive out of home (OOH) campaign with more than 50 + sites in the city. The creative of the campaign, developed by Publicis Capital, showcase an image of Toy Train carrying two cups of Junior Dahi.

     

    As a part of the campaign, the cups innovatively rotate on the train which helps in catching more eyeballs. The OOH campaign is executed by Milestone Brandcom and is spread across various outdoor formats to optimize impact. The outdoor formats include billboards, unipoles, bus queue shelters, strategically located at major arterials roads ofDelhi.

     

    Ravi Rockey Ambrose, Sr. Vice President, Milestone Brandcom said: “We are thrilled to work on the brand. The brief from the Nestle team was to deliver the most impactful plan for launch of Junior Dahi and I am thrilled that the team has ensured the same.”

     

    The on-going campaign kicked off on May 18 and continued till the first week of June.

  • Association with Sunteck: first step to bring Disney inspired homes to India

    Disney India eyes in-home segment

    By A Correspondent

     

    Disney Consumer Products (India) announced its association with Sunteck Realty Ltd, a Mumbai based real estate company to launch Disney-inspired homes in Mumbai. This will be DisneyIndia’s first foray to bring Disney-inspired interiors and exteriors in the Indian real estate market for Indian kids and families at the proposed property in Goregaon by Sunteck Realty.

     

    “We are pleased to be working with Sunteck to offer Indian families an opportunity to bring a piece of Disney magic into their homes. Disney’s beloved characters and stories have inspired multiple generations of fans,” said Roshini Bakshi, managing director, Consumer Products, Retail and Publishing, Disney UTV. “Our Disney Home products span across total home solutions  and we look forward to bringing more Disney inspired home environments and décor to kids and families inIndia.”

     

    “Our association with Disney in Mumbai helps us differentiate our offering from the other players in the market and breaks through the clutter to offer families their dream home. We are excited to be the first ones to bring Disney inspired homes toIndia,” said Kamal Khetan, Chairman & Managing Director of Sunteck Realty. “This association with Walt Disney reiterates our commitment to deliver niche living spaces to discerning customers.”

     

    Disney fans can choose from their favourite Disney stories or its beloved characters and own family spaces that are colourful, timeless and inspiring. Disney inspired homes will have Disney branded furnishing, home décor products, colour palettes, bedding products, bath fittings and more to bring alive the Disney experience for the family.

     

     

  • The agency's Mumbai branch will handle this account

    Grey wins Network18’s creative biz

    By A Correspondent

     

    Grey has won the creative mandate for the entire Network18 Group; a media and entertainment company with interests in television, internet, films, e-commerce, magazines, mobile content and allied businesses.

     

    The agency’s Mumbai branch will handle this account. The win is the result of a multi-agency pitch that saw the participation of several prominent agencies.

     

    The campaign will be primarily television-based and is expected to go on air in August.

     

  • Taproot's 'I am Mumbai' campaign for Bennett, Coleman & Co is the only Indian entry that has found favour with the judges

    Taproot entry sole shortlist in Film Lions

    By A Correspondent

     

    India lost a great opportunity to upgrade itself in the points tally when it found just a single nomination in the Film Lions. Of the 56 entries that were sent from India – last year it was 61 – only one entry has been shortlisted. Taproot’s ‘I am Mumbai’ campaign for Bennett, Coleman & Co is the only Indian entry that has found favour with the judges so far. This is strange given India’s past performance in this category, where it went on to win 2 metals in 2011 and 1 in 2010. Its best finish has been 3 metals in 2007.

     

    A total of 257 entries have made it to the final shortlist of the Film Lions category this year out of the 3,475 entries that were sent. The countries that have sent maximum entries include USA that have sent 966 entries, UK that has sent 329, Brazil that has sent 174 entries, Canada that has sent 172 entries and France that has sent 159 entries.

     

    Representing India at the Jury is Priti Kapur, Executive Creative Director, JWT Delhi.

    The Film trophies will be presented on June 23 in the Grand Auditorium, Palais des Festivals.

     

     

  • On day 4,India managed to pick up 1 Gold, 1 Silver and 5 bronzes. The Gold was bagged by DDB Mudra Group for its entry 'The Hinglish Project' in Design Lions

    DDB Mudra, Leo Burnett within touching distance of each other on metals tally

    By A Correspondent [updated]

     

    With 11 out of 15 categories already finding their fate at the grand creative stage of excellence-Cannes,India’s performance at this juncture doesn’t paint an impressive picture. Out of a total 84 shortlists that India has managed to garner against its name across the 11 categories announced till date, only 12 have managed to find their way into the winners tally. A recap of India’s performance thus far shows the country having two Golds, three Silvers and 10 Bronzes in its kitty.

     

    On day 4, India managed to pick up 1 Gold, 1 Silver and 5 bronzes. The Gold was bagged by DDB Mudra Group for its entry ‘The Hinglish Project’ in Design Lions category. It also won a bronze for the same entry. The other Gold for India was bagged by McCann Worldgroup for its client ‘Western Union’ in the Outdoor Lions category. As for the Silvers, it is Leo Burnett that is leading the way with 2 Silvers including one in Press Lions for its client Bajaj Electricals and the other for Doorstep School in the Media Lions category.

     

    Leading the list among the agencies is DDB Mudra with 32 points (including 22 points from shortlists). At the second place is Leo Burnett with 30 points against its name. If not for the points accumulated from shortlisted entries, Leo Burnett would’ve been placed at the top spot. Coming in third is Ogilvy India that has a total of 19 points against its name, including 3 Bronzes that it has bagged so far. It is a close call between the fourth and the fifth spots with BBDO India sitting at 14 and McCann WorldGroup sitting at 13. Cheil Worldwide is next with 8 points including 1 Silver that it won for Samsung. Brand David is next with 4 points followed by Publicis and Bates at 2 each. The remaining ten agencies are placed at the same spot (tenth) having bagged a point each for their respective shortlists.

     

    With four more categories to go, including Film Lions, Film Craft Lions, Branded Content & Entertainment and Titanium & Integrated Lions, the table is still wide open. Whether a new contender will emerge at the top and whether India will compare this year’s metals tally to that of the past will be known in a couple of days. Note this does include the shortlists announced today.

     

    Agency Titanium Grand Prix Grand Prix, Titanium Gold Silver Bronze Shortlist Total
    Points 12 10 7 5 3 1
    DDB Mudra 1 0 1 22 32
    Leo Burnett 0 2 1 17 30
    Ogilvy India 0 0 3 10 19
    BBDO India 0 0 2 8 14
    McCann Worldgroup 1 0 0 6 13
    Cheil Worldwide 0 1 0 3 8
    Brand David 4 4
    Taproot India 3* 3*
    Bates India 2 2
    Publicis Communications 2 2
    BBH India 1*+1 1*+1
    JWT Mumbai 1 1
    Creativeland Asia India 1 1
    TBWA\ India 1 1
    M&C SAATCHI 1 1
    OMD India 1 1
    Mindshare 1 1
    Draftfcb + Ulka 1 1
    Grey Worldwide 1 1
    PERCEPT/H 1 1
    Bacardi India 1* 1*

     

     

    * Winners to be announced on Saturday late evening @ Cannes

     

  • Titanium is for work that is provocative, that challenges assumptions and points to a new direction. 517 entries from 53 countries, an increase of 8 per cent compared to last year, are competing this year.

    Taproot wishful of bagging India’s second Integrated metal

     

    By A Correspondent

     

    The most coveted awards category – Titanium & Integrated Lions – found a worthy shortlist from India in the form of Taproot India. Agnello Dias and team will be vying for the top prize at Cannes Lions with their entry ‘A Day in the Life of Mumbai’ for the client The Times of India. Till date, India has won just a single metal in this category since its inception and that win too came almost four years ago in 2008.

     

    Whilst Integrated Lions will honour high standard state-of-the-art integrated campaigns, the premise for Titanium Lions remains the same: Titanium celebrates work that causes the industry to stop in its tracks and reconsider the way forward. Titanium stands for breakthrough ideas, it might be a brand new idea, or it might use an existing idea in a brand new way. Titanium is for work that is provocative, that challenges assumptions and points to a new direction. 517 entries from 53 countries, an increase of 8 per cent compared to last year, are competing this year.

     

    As for the countries with the most number of entries, it is USA that leads the board with 136 entries followed by UK at 45, Germany at 30, Brazil at 25 and Japan at 25. Rob Reilly, Worldwide Chief Creative Officer, Crispin Porter + Bogusky is the Jury President for this year while India is being represented by Agnello Dias, Chief Creative Officer, Taproot India.

     

    The awards ceremony will take place on Saturday evening 23 June in the Grand Auditorium, Palais des Festivals.

     

     

  • The purpose of branded entertainment is to deliver marketing messages by engaging consumers via relevant content platforms rather than traditional advertising methods.

    Bacardi India bags India’s only shortlist for Branded C&E

     

    By A Correspondent

     

    Making its first appearance, the Branded Content & Entertainment Lions awards have received a total of 18 entries from India. Of the lot, just a single entry by Bacardi India for its work around ‘The Dewarists’ has been shortlisted.

     

    New for this year, the Branded Content & Entertainment Lions award has been designed to reward creativity in branded content and entertainment, defined as: the creation of, or natural integration into, original content by a brand. The purpose of branded entertainment is to deliver marketing messages by engaging consumers via relevant content platforms rather than traditional advertising methods.

     

    A total of 800 entries from 52 countries have been submitted into the Branded Content & Entertainment Lions category in its launch year. Leading the count is USA which has sent 218 entries. Coming next is United Kingdom that has sent 58 entries, France with 52 entries, Brazil with 47 entries and Japan with 43 entries.

     

    In its first year, Avi Savar, Founder & Chief Creative Officer, Big Fuel has been selected as the Jury president while India would be represented by Cyrus Oshidar, Creative Director, Bawa Broadcasting. The trophies for this category will be presented on Saturday evening 23 June in the Grand Auditorium, Palais des Festivals.

     

     

  • Too harsh a question? India's dismal showing in Cyber & Mobile at Cannes Lions 2012 pushed us to discuss it with industry leaders

    Are we Duhs in Digital Media?

     

    By Tuhina Anand and Shruti Pushkarna

     

    India has once again drawn a blank in the Cyber Lions category at Cannes 2012. From the 27 entries from India in this category, none made it to the shortlist. Considering that digital is the talk at all industry forum and the future, or is it actually the present, of advertising, its dismal performance at Cannes makes one realize that India is still miles behind on this medium.

     

    Nagesh Alai

    Nagesh Alai, Executive Director – India Operations at DraftFCB Group, pointed out: “It is not surprising not seeing a shortlist in the Cyber Lions from our shores. Most in our industry continue to see and use Digital as a ‘medium of messaging’ instead of seeing and using Digital as a ‘medium to engage with and start a conversation about the brand’. It is a classic case of getting stuck in hoary mindsets of a 30-second TV commercial. The day our digital specialists get out of this mindset, I reckon one will see a sea change in the digital executions and becoming award worthy. I am sure we will see that happen in the not too distant a future.”

     

    Talking about the digital in India, Carlton D’Silva, Chief Creative Officer, Hungama Digital Services Pvt. Ltd, said: “As I have mentioned in the past, the standard of good digital work in India to compete at the Cannes can only be made possible if the playing fields are even.”

     

    He listed the factors that go against good digital creative work, which remain remains the same – the inability to acquire the requisite budget for a digital campaign, the lack of time and the lack of risk taking (both from the client as well as agency side) the digital medium is still used more for its effectiveness than creativity.

     

    A senior mobility and digital media executive with a leading media agency felt that India’s performance in Cannes Digital categories should at least have some positive side-effects. “Why this happened? If I have to sum up in short, it is because of lack of respect for the Digital medium, which comes from ignorance about the medium and its possibilities; lack of budgets, which comes from lack of respect for the medium; lack of creative talent, which stems from lack of budgets,” she added.

     

    The executive explained that there is a need for a reality check on how evolved the consumers, marketers and agencies are, as compared to Cannes shortlisted entries or winners. “Look at the short-listed entries for Cyber Lions, they come from countries which have more than 75% internet penetration, while we are celebrating our 10% mark. Of course, one can argue that the population of these countries is lesser than some of our states but one also needs to understand that their consumers are also much more evolved. Again, take a look at the Mobile Lions winners, what do you see? Smart phones and Tablets! In our country Voice is the most penetrated medium on Mobile and we have 21 million smartphones in a mobile subscriber base of 900 million plus. If rich media creatives are the tickets to Lions, I would rather design mobile campaigns that work in Indian eco-system and bring value to advertisers in terms of media effectiveness,” she said.

     

    Vikas Tandon

    Giving his take on India’s performance in this category, Vikas Tandon, Founder and Managing Director, Indigo Consulting said: “To start with, I think we should recognise that Cannes is as big as it gets, the competition is really tough with hundreds of entries from all over the world, so there is no shame in not winning. We must keep learning from the experiences and pegging away at it. Let’s not write off the Indian team because we lost one tournament. But, definitely it must serve as a reminder that we need to commit ourselves a lot more to Digital than we are now. Among Indian marketers, it is still not as important/critical a piece in the marketing game plan as it is in many other countries and hence, while it seems to get some attention, it just does not get the time or budgets. One of the most frustrating challenges that digital agency invariably have to encounter in India is lack of execution time. Once you have an idea/construct, and even detailing it takes time. Execution is, of course, equally critical for success, and the time constraints often do not allow an idea to reach its full potential.

     

    So one thing has clearly come out from this, is that for Indian marketers, digital is an after-thought and not still a critical medium.

     

    Naresh Gupta

    Naresh Gupta, Managing Partner, Bang in the Middle when asked on what ails Indian digital advertising said that he would rather look from the perspective of why the Indian digital advertising is not growing up. Giving his take, he pointed out four aspects: “The digital advertising in India is stuck in a time wrap. The traditional method of advertising is about creating awareness, to generate Interest that creates desires that leads to action. More often than not, digital campaigns are built around the same parameter. Digital behaviour is really about search and share, and that is a paradigm that marketers haven’t been able to factor in. This is part of the reason why campaigns neither aid search, nor motivate share.”

     

    Mr Gupta also mentioned that Digital engagement has been reduced to a Facebook page and a Twitter handle: “I am not saying they are not important, they are, but they are just the tools. For a lot of brands getting the followers or number of likes becomes the strategy. Now that’s not really smart. The brands have to have a strategy for social media.”

     

    His third points is that the TV-led thinking for brands where an idea is crafted for TV and then adapted to digital is actually the biggest problem. Consider this, all marketing theories were written before the advent of Internet. The need to position, the need to leverage a singular attribute and build on one are all fine with TV-centric thinking, but not so for ‘word of mouse’-centric thinking. The digital medium has its own dynamics and needs a different take. The strategic thinking that leads to ATL idea needs to be interpreted keeping digital dynamics in mind.

     

    And lastly: “Most importantly, the brand owners need to recognize the importance of digital and craft the entire strategy accordingly. The brand owners too fret to get their TV brief right, but rarely debate to get their digital idea right.”

     

  • Five Indian entries found their way in the shortlists for four categories announced on Friday

    5 more shortlists give India some hope for an average finish

     

    By A Correspondent

     

    The current metals tally (wins) for India stands at 12 but the contingent is still trying its best to up the ante and get the number to a respectable position. With six more shortlists being announced from India on day 5, it looks like India would have to settle for its 2010 score of 17 metals, or less. But luckily, it would not be as bad as 2007 where it managed only 12 metals against its name.

     

    The big news for the day came from Taproot India as its works received three shortlists against its name with the best being an Integrated shortlist for ‘A day in the Life of India.’ There is high probability that the entry will strike a metal this year.

     

    In the Film Craft Lions category, India received two shortlists including BBH India’s entry for its client Google Chrome under the category of Art Direction. The second entry to be nominated was Ramesh Deo Productions’s entry for its client The Times of India titled ‘I am Mumbai’. The entry has been nominated under the category of Direction.

     

    Making its first appearance, the Branded Content & Entertainment Lions was the other category to have announced its shortlists. The category had received a total of 18 entries from India. Of the lot, just a single entry by Bacardi India for its work around ‘The Dewarists’ has been shortlisted. A total of 800 entries from 52 countries have been submitted into the Branded Content & Entertainment Lions category in its launch year.

     

    In the Film Lions category, of the 56 entries that were sent from India – last year it was 61 – only one entry has been shortlisted. Taproot’s ‘I am Mumbai’ campaign for Bennett, Coleman & Co is the only Indian entry that has found favour with the judges so far. A total of 257 entries have made it to the final shortlist of the Film Lions category this year out of the 3,475 entries that were sent.