MxMIndia

Category: NEWS

  • The Interconnect arrangement will allow WWIL to carry the encrypted TV channels signal on its digital delivery platform

    WWIL signs DAS interconnect deals with MediaPro

    By A Correspondent

     

    Wire and Wireless (India) Ltd. (WWIL), the cable television service provider, has signed DAS Interconnect arrangements with Mediapro Enterprises for about 70 channels, as part of its commitment for timely implementation of digitization.

     

    WWIL operates under the Siti Digital Cable Television brand name inDelhi, Kolkata and Mumbai.

     

    The Interconnect arrangement will allow WWIL to carry the encrypted TV channels signal on its digital delivery platform. With this arrangement, WWIL can offer channels of Zee, Star, Turner, NDTV, Fox and NGC bouquets to its customer under DAS regime.

     

    With about two and half months to go for first phase of digitization of cable TV networks in  metros, the company  is in active negotiation with all other leading content aggregators / broadcaster for DAS Interconnect arrangements.

     

    By inking all content arrangement the company will roll out channel packages which will be available for consumer, and with this the power will shift in the hands of consumer to choose what they want to watch.

     

    The company is seeding STB in its markets so that subscriber can continue watching cable TV even after the digitization deadline. The government is continuously monitoring the progress report on digitization of cable TV. TRAI has recently directed all MSO and broadcasters to enter into the interconnect agreements by August 21, 2012.

     

    As the digitization of cable will provide better viewing experience to the consumer in terms of the more number of TV channels with better quality picture and sound.

     

  • Pankaj Vassal has been appointed as Vice President (Regional Business Head – West and East) and working closely with him will be Neeti Virmani, Station Head, Mumbai

    Big FM makes two new appointments

    By a Correspondent

     

    Rabe T Iyer

    Reliance Broadcast Network Ltd. (RBNL) announced the appointments of two business heads at BIG FM. Pankaj Vassal has been appointed as Vice President (Regional Business Head – West and East) and will report to Rabe T Iyer, Business Head, BIG FM. He will be responsible for business growth and overall P&L for the business vertical. Working closely with him will be Neeti Virmani, Station Head, Mumbai and helping ensure revenue targets are met. The duo as a team are all set to ensure the targets are met and floor is set to usher phase III of the radio revolution.

     

    Rabe T Iyer, Business Head, BIG FM said: “In our continuing quest to constantly bring more of the “Outside” In, we are happy to have two very talented associates join us in critical positions. Both Vassal and Virmani come with vast experience in driving revenue, operations and execution in different but relevant ecosystems. Their depth and width of business understanding will not only build better ROI, but also build a higher listener affinity for our large network of stations.  I wish them the very best.”

     

    Mr Vassal’s key focus area will be to grow the radio business – expanding the West and East Zones of the network from the revenue point of view. He is said to bring with him close to 15 years of experience. Mr Vassal has worked across organizations like Amway, Motorola, Asian Paints and Essel Packaging wherein he is said to have been instrumental in growing the business and leading improvements in areas such as gross margins and profitability while growing new markets.

     

    Pankaj Vassal said: “I feel incredibly proud and excited to have joined a growing and vibrant organization like RBNL at a time when it is transitioning into a media giant. I respect the vision and culture of the organization, and look forward to taking on new challenges and to contributing towards helping RBNL reach greater heights.”

     

    Working closely with Vassal will be Neeti Virmani, who joins as Station Head for Mumbai, who brings close to 14 years of varied experience across General Management, Marketing and Sales at Mass Consumer focused organizations like Aircel, Pepsi, Airtel, Aptech and STG Ltd. As Station Head, her role will involve – managing overall business and operations of the Mumbai Station while managing the P&L, by driving functions including sales, programming, and marketing. Her key forte is said to include driving growth and share blueprint through market insights and in driving business through large teams.

     

    Neeti Virmani said: “I am delighted to have joined the dynamic RBNL family. The world of multi-media entertainment has fascinated me and I am eager to the take up this challenging role, and learn and contribute to the best of my ability.”

     

  • The social networking sites were requested to take appropriate steps in line with those outlined in the Information Technology (Intermediaries Guidelines) Rules, 2000

    Government regulation for networking sites

    By A Correspondent

     

    The government has held many discussions with social networking sites and brought to their notice that objectionable content appearing on the sites may lead to law and order problems. The social networking sites were requested to take appropriate steps in line with those outlined in the Information Technology (Intermediaries Guidelines) Rules, 2000.

     

    Adequate legal provisions are already in place in this regard. Government has notified Information Technology (Intermediaries guidelines) Rules, 2011 under Section 79 of the Information Technology Act, 2000. Further section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000 empowers the government to issue directions for blocking for public access of any information through any computer resource in the interest of sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of the state, friendly relations with foreign states, public order or for preventing incitement to the commission of any cognizable offence relating to these.

     

    This was stated by Minister of State for Communications and Information Technology, Sachin Pilot in written reply to a question in Lok Sabha on August 8, 2012.

     

     

  • The agency is opening offices in Chicago and New York to start with and will expand to other cities at a later date

    Bang in the Middle launches in US

    By A Correspondent

     

    Reversing the trend of global agencies launching in India, the newly formed independent agency Bang in the Middle announced the launch of its operations in the US. The agency is opening offices in Chicago and New York to start with and will expand to other cities at a later date.

     

    “We have been clear from the start that we won’t be a single country operation. This is the next step in our evolution and we aren’t going to stop here. We are exploring some more opportunities in Asia and Europe, and we hope to expand into those markets. It’s time to demonstrate a brand new way of doing business, and what a better moment than India’s Independence Day to announce this,” said Prathap Suthan, Managing Partner, Bang in the Middle.

     

    To facilitate the US entry, Bang in the Middle has brought on board Ms Saira Mohan as the president, Bang in the Middle, US. Ms Mohan is a well-known international supermodel with extensive advertising and marketing experience, especially in the world of global fashion, luxury and design.

     

    “I am excited to partner this incredibly talented team in India and open up the opportunities in US for brands from India and open up Indian markets for brands in US,” said Ms Mohan. “I have been in the world of branding and design for over a decade and I intend to fully bring that experience on table for all our current and potential clients” she added.

     

    Bang in the Middle, US will help the growing ambitions of many mainstream brands who are not owned by MNCs, but want to expand their ambit and enter India. Bang in the Middle will also help its clients like iYogi and Veen Waters to establish their brand in US. It is currently in conversation with a few brands in US, and some leading communication and professionals to bring them on board. Through its unique suite of offering that span design, branding and digital marketing, this is Bang in the Middle’s first international foray into establishing itself as a mainstream global creative media company.

     

    “We currently have a very eclectic bunch of clients who require our services in more markets than just US. We have launched campaigns in US, Europe and Middle East already for our clients, and are about to launch some more for our brands. In today’s hyperconnected world, you need to be present in everywhere where opportunity is, and for us USA is a vast opportunity” said Naresh Gupta, Bang in the Middle.

     

    Bang in the Middle currently works with iYogi, Veen Waters, Hawktrack from Knoxx Global, Dulux Paints, Vimal, and BigFlix among others.

     

  • Aegis Group plc ("Aegis") announced that it has acquired Communicate 2, a performance marketing and search agency inIndia. MxM spoke to Ashish Bhasin, Chairman India & CEO South East Asia, Aegis Media on his views…

    ‘By 2015, we want to be the top 3 player in every single sphere we operate in’

    What led you to shortlist Communicate2 as the partner of choice?

    Communicate2 is one of the largest and oldest firms in the area of search & performance marketing in India. Vivek Bhargava, as you’d know, is considered to be the guru of search inIndia. He is also one of the guys to be Google-certified and has been in this business since 1997 – a time when the internet and search was in its absolute infancy. In our view, nobody else managed the quality and scale of the business that he has built up, and therefore he was a preferred partner of choice.

     

    The other important reason for choosing Communicate2 was chemistry – Aegis Media has a certain vision and value outlook which is very close to our heart and Communicate2 seemed to have gelled very well with those attributes. There was a lot of comfort on both sides. So these were some of the key reasons for us to choose Communicate2.

     

    Will you be laying enhanced emphasis on Search with the current acquisition…

    The focus is on search because it is one of the fastest growing parts of our business. Clearly, Communiacte2 is the biggest player in the space and now with iProspect and Communicate2 together, we are straight away the number one player of search in India. So that’s how it is placed as of now.

     

    How long has it been since you have been pursuing Communicate2? Did you scan the market for other potential candidates?

    We were working with them about 4-5 years ago, but nothing more came out of that deal. This recent move has been in the works for a few months. Also, we did scan the market as anybody else would and we did have a few names that we shortlisted and we narrowed down to Communicate2.

     

    The deal seems heavy on the investments front. Would you share with us the monetary plans you engaged in towards snapping the agency?

    An agency that is the oldest and has a workforce of more than 130 people is not going to sell out cheap. I cannot disclose the amounts behind the deal, but I can say that it has been fairly priced.

     

    The market has been abuzz with news of big communication houses buying out specialist digital agencies in the recent past. What would you infer of this trend that everybody is taking a liking to?

    I cannot comment about others, but there is a clear strategy that Aegis Media believes in and that is by 2015, we want to be the top three player in every single sphere that we operate in – be it out-of-home, search or digital. As part of our strategy to be in the top 3, the best way of getting there was by partnering with Communicate2 because their expertise, their client base and their search professionals coupled with the iProspect tools and knowledge would be an unbeatable combination.

     

    In an acquisition it is very important that you have to see how the acquisition fits with the plans of your company. So the task of integration becomes key, which is why the quality and type of people and the chemistry become important. So companies that are blindly going out and buying companies will fall flat on their face, but those who are able to acquire and integrate companies and have a great bond with the partners will be successful in the long run.

     

    Globally, digital contributes more than 35 per cent for Aegis Media. What is it that you anticipate from the Indian market post the acquisition of Communicate2?

    We are looking at being the clear No 1. Globally, iProspect is the world’s largest search network, and in India we now become No 1 with this venture. But we want to be No 1 by a long distance. We want to be double the size of the No 2 guy in a few years.

     

    What are the immediate changes that will be seen on ground?

    There is a new office that we are in the process of doing up in Mumbai; their staff will be moving into that new place soon. Likewise the Delhi team too would be amalgamated in our office. With this the entire Aegis Media clients will have benefits from Communicate2 and vice-versa.

     

    As for people, Vivek will be the MD of the new venture. He already has a management team. Of course, as growth happens we will keep recruiting more people. All other aspects remain the same.

     

    The announcement comes just weeks after Dentsu acquired a stake in Aegis Media. Has this deal been inspired from that takeover…

    These things do not happen overnight; it has been ongoing much before that. The two are not related.

     

    Future plans from Aegis Media…

    As I said, we will be the top 3 player in every space that we operate in. In some instances we will do that organically, in others we will do that inorganically – provided we get a good partner. We are not on the lookout as of now but if any new opportunity does come up we will not be turning a blind eye to that.

     

  • Communicate 2, a performance marketing and search agency inIndia, has been acquired by Aegis Group plc ("Aegis"). MxM spoke to Vivek Bhargava, Managing Director Communicate 2 about the acquistion…

    ‘It was a meeting of the best minds of the world’

    The buzz was that you were being hounded by most big communication players in the market for a takeover and now you’ve finally given in to Aegis Media. How would you describe the takeover journey?

    We had the opportunity to talk to every single large player and we found that the way the market is growing, there is going to be a lot of technology components required in it and iProspect globally has the best technology in the world. Also, we are a very dominant agency as far as search and performance marketing is concerned inIndiawhile iProspect was the world’s largest search company, so it was a meeting of the best minds of the world. The digital market inIndiahas matured to the level where clients are looking for the best in the world and we felt that with the expertise that iProspect had to offer, it was a perfect solution to offer to our partners. And we endeavour to take decisions for our partners as much as it helps us.

     

    What is your view on big communication players showing sudden interest in digital in India?

    Digital marketing inIndiahas now arrived. More promoters and senior management people now believe that digital is a very critical part of their marketing endeavour. So they are spending a lot of time around the medium. About 3-4 years ago we were talking about digital being the future and today digital is now considered as present. Earlier digital used to attract a small budget from marketers, but now they position it as their first priority and question whether they need conventional media or not.Mobilehas given digital three times the reach of television. So I believe digital is going to be the dominant medium in the future.

     

    What is the value that you’d be leveraging from this partnership?

    Globally if you see, there are clients like GM, Nokia, Philips and others who have operations in 60-70 countries and they are aligned with Aegis Media. I see tremendous opportunities there. As for us, we are a 140-people agency which makes us the largest digital agency in the country. So with the clients we have and with the kind of team we have in the enterprise sector, I see it as a perfect marriage of the two. I see tremendous value in the venture.

     

    How have clients responded to this move of yours?

    I had spoken to clients even before this venture and they seemed pretty positive about it. Also there is no change as such in the team and talent, so there was a comfort level there. Generally they are happy with the merger.

     

    Do you see the gap between digital and advertising being bridged?

    If you ask me the demarcation between digital and conventional media will probably go away. This is going to be an advertising agency and digital is going to be an integral part of the advertising medium, probably the largest. Demarcation is something that we have created for ourselves but it is about giving out advertising solutions.

     

  • The shortlists for Emvies 2012 to be held on September 3 have been announced. Mindshare leads with 27 of the shortlists, followed by Maxus (19), Pinnacle (15) and Lodestar UM (13).

    Mindshare leads in Emvies 2012 shortlist

    By A Correspondent

     

    The twelfth edition of the Emvies could well see media agency major Mindshare walk away with the numero uno slot. The agency has managed 27 from the 126 shortlists announced, followed by 19 from Maxus. Pinnacle has 15 entries and Lodestar UM has 13.

     

    This year, organiser Ad Club Bombay has introduced the following new categories/changes at the Emvies: Media Client of the Year, Best Ongoing Media Campaign & Young Emvie of the Year has been introduced as three new categories.  Display and Video has been added as additional sub-categories under Best Media Innovation – Digital.

     

    The Emvies were introduced by the Advertising Club Bombay to honour measurable and significant contributions in the field of media. This year, the event will be held in Mumbai on Monday, September 3, 2012 while the second round of judging will happen on August 23 to 25.

     

     

  • The e-auction for Phase III is expected to begin in January 2013 and may take another two or three years until the entire FM Phase III expansion is completed

    FM Phase III: Pre-qualification bid for e-auctions starts Sept

    By Robin Thomas

     

    The FM radio industry has moved one step closer to the Phase III expansion as the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has called for tenders starting September 2012. The pre-qualification for the bidders is expected to be complete in another two months, following which the qualified companies will be allowed to participate in the e-auction for FM Phase III. The e-auction for Phase III is expected to begin in January 2013 and may take another two or three years until the entire FM Phase III expansion is completed.

     

    CS Kaushik, Deputy Secretary (FM), MIB (Ministry of Information and Broadcasting) and Uday Chawla, Secretary General, Association of Radio Operators for India (AROI) have confirmed the development to MxMIndia.

     

    It may be recalled that the Union Cabinet had given its nod to the e-auction for FM Phase III. In November 2011, an Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) was constituted in the MIB with an aim to guide and supervise the process of e-auction and to award the license of FM radio stations to private agencies under the FM radio Phase III expansions.

     

    FM Phase III policy seeks to extend FM radio services to about 227 new cities. Phase III will cover all cities with a population of one lakh and above, simultaneously, there will be a total of 839 new FM radio channels in 294 cities. In addition, FM radio stations will also be allowed to air news, but sourced from AIR (All India Radio) only.

     

     

  • In other words, they applied a terrific amount of strategic thinking into each and every sport and took a very business performance management approach to everything

    Peter Mukerjea: 2012 Olympic Games – The philosophy of marginal gains!

    By Peter Mukerjea

     

    So now that the 2012 Olympic Games are over, I felt a sense of withdrawal for a day or so. I had got so used to watching hours of fabulous TV coverage across 24 channels – some in HD, of virtually all the events from different venues across the City ofLondonand further afield – sailing and rowing. I wasn’t one bit disappointed though, at not having been to the Games to see anything LIVE, only because the TV broadcast was of such a high standard, that making the effort to steer through the traffic to get there, shuffle with seating, break for snacks or lunch or tea or a pee break, that watching several events at the same time on TV was simply unbeatable, as an option.

     

    But, I did start wondering what it is that the recent 2012 Olympics did for me, in context to India Inc. and what I learnt from the Games themselves. The Games were terrific, as an event of course, the opening ceremony, the athletes, the management, et al, but how did Team GB do so well and so much better than the Beijing Games, just 4 years ago. What was their secret and how did they go about it? I asked a few people who are in the know of these things and the answers I got were astounding, although not surprising. There was also some timely in-depth research done by the IES (Institute for Employment Studies ) which will give us some insight on this.

     

    What stuck out for me was the “The concept of marginal gains”. This simple philosophy has made a big difference to the end result – the medal tally and put Team GB in 3rd place. This was a real surprise for me but not so when I probed a little to find out more.  Each sport had a performance director who had set a very clear goal for the team and at every stage of activity, the same question was asked – over and over again  – “is this going to make us better?”

     

    Be it rowing, sailing, running, jumping, shooting, boxing, whatever. They set a goal and then went about deconstructing the goals to see what needed to be done and how could something new make a slight marginal difference to the performance – a marginal gain each time. Not to make gains in leaps and bounds, but to do this on a step by step basis. And then to collectively achieve a better result each time.

     

    They would do multi-planner activity and had a meritocratic approach to everything – training, teamwork, funding, performance management, but they were also open to criticism. They were self critical at all times, got rid of flabbier organisations as compared to the earlier Games and better understood the concept of loss aversion. In other words, they applied a terrific amount of strategic thinking into each and every sport and took a very business performance management approach to everything. The support and funding that each sport got from Government was also based largely, if not entirely, on results achieved.

     

    None of this is earth shattering in itself perhaps, but the revelation gets more interesting when we see the ‘how’ and ‘why’.

     

    Based on interviews and focus groups with 154 team members, the research goes on to flag coaching and mentoring as key ingredients for a happy and successful team. It shows the team managers are not afraid of change and help create an atmosphere for innovation rather than wallowing in a blame culture. It also outlines 6 areas to avoid for anyone aspiring to engage their team.

     

    1. Never hope it will go away.

    2. Never have a bad day.

    3. Don’t be part of the problem.

    4. Don’t encourage discord and don’t play games to keep people on their toes or enhance competitiveness.

    5. Don’t manage performance before people

    6. Don’t hide, even if you are naturally shy and retiring.

     

    Great team spirit doesn’t happen by chance. The best leaders ensure their behaviour sets the standards for their staff.  The man behindBritain’s cycling success, Dave Brailsford, insists that it’s the little things that make a difference. Hence the likes of Chris Hoy and Victoria Pendleton taking their own pillows to meets, so they sleep better and making sure they clean gaps between their fingers to reduce probability of illness.

     

    Marginally obsessive perhaps, but dedication to success is infectious, particularly when it so clearly gets results. It’s certainly something for all managers to chew on in this post Olympic period.

     

    (But apart from this , what was also most endearing to me , was the lack of commercial breaks during any of the TV broadcasts. By the way, how’s the IBF getting on with limiting the volume of minutes per hour, for commercial breaks? )

     

  • He was VP, Business & Programme Development earlier

    Elephant elevates Ravi Kabara as President

    Ravi Kabara

    By A Correspondent

     

    To further strengthen its professional & operational practices, Elephant TM, India’s largest independent strategic design outfit with presence in Pune, Delhi and Singapore, has elevated Ravi Kabra to the position of President. He was VP, Business & Programme Development earlier.

     

    Mr Kabra joined Elephant in 2008 to look after Business Development.

     

    Mr Kabra, a post graduate in Marketing Management with degree in Mechanical Engineering has over 17 years of experience across Marketing, Brand Management, Business Development and Design. He worked with Bajaj Auto across functions in Sales & Marketing for 13 years before he crossed over.

     

    Speaking about his new role, Mr Kabra said: “My aim is to achieve higher levels of growth from meaningful work. I will focus on expanding the reach of Elephant brand and augment the contribution of strategic design across client’s business needs. I will also be responsible for ensuring that quality of delivery, teams & operations remain excellent.”

     

    Elephant team has built a strong portfolio of leading brands and award winning projects across sectors and clients.”

     

    Talking about this development, Ashwini Deshpande, Founder Director, Elephant said: “Ravibrought a good balance of professionalism and business understanding at Elephant without affecting the intrinsic passion and free thinking that this profession requires. It seemed like the right time to entrust him with greater responsibility that would leave the founders with more time to mentor teams and explore newer ways of achieving innovation.”

     

    With 23 years of experience, practices at Elephant include product design, retail spaces, packaging, brand strategy & communication, corporate identity & innovation consulting.

     

  • Bruce Wells, Managing Director and President, Asia of Vision Critical spoke to MxM India about his plans for India, expansion plans and how research software can alter the market research scenario

    Community panels will change the way research is done: Bruce Wells

    By A Correspondent

     

    In a business environment that’s getting increasingly competitive by the day, one can find clients making a beeline for research so as to stay ahead of the curve. Over the years, one is aware of the role that research has helped in making clients understand their TG and get closer to addressing their every need.

     

    From the traditional mode of questionnaire-filling & face-to-face surveys, market research today has evolved to include support from technological resources, including social media, which not only helps in lowering the costs and time but also gives customized information from the target audience. One such client that’s made an entry into India is Vision Critical – one of the largest global software developers for market research. Having achieved success worldwide, the company has entered India by associating with market research company, MRSS India.

     

    Bruce Wells, Managing Director and President, Asia of Vision Critical was in India recently and spoke to MxM India about his plans for India, expansion plans in Asia and how research software can alter the market research scenario in India. Excerpts:

     

    How would you describe your foray into the Indian market with a venture with MRSS?

    The Indian market plays a very important part in the global market research landscape and Vision Critical is very excited to partner with MRSS in India. We know that with the digital media coming of age and the rapid increase in the adoption of mobile phones and internet access represents an exciting opportunity for Vision Critical, given our suite of technology. So yes, the going has been exciting this far.

     

    Do you have a phase-wise activity plan that you’ve drawn up for the Indian market?

    The platform that Vision Critical has works across many different consumer segments such as media companies, FMCG clients, financial services, telecom, travel, and so on. What we are doing in India is looking at segments that have high growth potential, especially in the digital domain. We’ve been talking to some large multinationals and also local companies that have increased number of customers moving into the digital age.

     

    What is the investment push that you plan to pump into the Indian market?

    The way our business model works in Asia is that we are tying up with local market research companies that have a similar view and strategy in terms of recognising the opportunities of using digital communication. So, we have tied up with our strategic partner MRSS and we are working very closely with them in terms of giving them best practice, giving access to our technology…it’s a partnership model where we are investing our knowledge, experience and skills in supporting Majestic MRSS.

     

    Research activity in India is still looked upon as being a manual exercise with less inclination towards dependence on software. Going forward, do you see a shift taking place in the way research will be conducted in India?

    What we have observed in other markets is that, for example, people using social media for communication and engaging with the outside world is on an upward swing. This trend is not going to reverse. As the consumers consume media and use social media differently as a communication platform, so must brands and research companies adapt – that’s exactly where Vision Critical sits. Just as social media has changed the way people communicate, we believe community panels will change the way research is done.

     

    What has been the response from clients to software solutions being doled out by specialist firms like Vision Critical?

    If we look at the clients who are gravitating towards the new way of doing research, these are mostly companies with a technological background. So clients from telecom, ISPs, travel, retail, finance and so on are high on our list. But where we see a greater adoption of digital consumption, those are going to be the areas that we will prioritise in. As I said, it’s amazing to see such an alarming growth of the digital medium…especially the number of new mobile phone subscriptions in the country that’s growing at a staggering rate. So it’s an exciting place to be in.

     

    We’ve spoken to a host of clients and they have been pretty enthusiastic about the offering. The Indian research market industry is very smart – they produce some of the best research work ever seen. This validates our assumption that we are doing the right thing at the right time and the right place.

     

    What are the challenges facing research software companies like Vision Critical?

    The first challenge is to use our platform in the community panel space. The thing is that the consumer needs to be online so that will limit certain aspects of research that we will be able to touch on in the short term. The biggest challenge is moving from traditional methodology to something new. Also, the challenge is identifying companies that are ready to adopt new approach where we have seen great success with our technology in the West – from North America all the way through Europe, Australia and now Asia. So it is about finding clients who are eager to move to newer way of doing research.

     

    Any upcoming or developing markets that you plan to expand to?

    We are looking to expand into Mainland China, Singapore and Japan. These are our next markets to focus on. It will mainly be about focusing on countries that have high concentration on digital. As for the other markets, we expect to expand our footprint in Latin America, Africa and similar markets where we expect to see more people come online.

     

    What is the growth you are anticipating for Vision Critical in a year’s time from now?

    I would expect at least more than 20 clients to use our service within the next 6-8 months. I am a firm believer of the expression ‘success breeds success’. Once a few companies start using it and we get people aware of using community panel, then we will see what the scene is in other markets. The challenge right now is that most clients are not even aware that these types of technologies exist. But we hope to see people using community panels very quickly.

     

  • Asia's leading fantasy football game kicks off new BPL Season with US$25,000 in cash prizes

    ESPN Star searches for Asia’s ultimate football manager!

    By A Correspondent

     

    ESPN STAR Sports kicks off the 2012-13 Barclays Premier League season in search of Asia’s ultimate ESPNSTAR.com Football Manager. Following the phenomenal success of last season which saw 46 per cent increase in unique players across Asia, ESPN STAR Sports will be giving football fans the chance to win a share of US$25,000 in cash prizes playing this seasons’ ESPNSTAR.com Football Manager.

     

    The grand prize winner, who accumulates the most number of points in the season, will walk away with US$10,000. A monthly prize of US $1,000 for the player that scores the most number of points is also up for grabs.

     

    This year Football Manager participants will get the opportunity to compete against resident ESPN STAR Sports football experts and presenters. Participants will find themselves pitting their skills against familiar names such as former Liver pool player Steve McMahon, and football experts such as Andrew Leci, Doug Chalmers, Jamie Reeves, Paul Parker and Paul Masefield. Participants will also be able to challenge ESPN STAR Sports’ Sports Center presenters Steve Dawson, Christy Simson, Jason de la Pena and Colette Wong.

     

    In addition, participants will now also be able to bring their passion to the next level, as ESPNSTAR.com Football Manager has been optimised for mobile and tablet devices, allowing participants to manage their teams whenever and wherever they choose.