MxMIndia

Category: NEWS

  • Cable operator Hathway has undertaken substantial marketing initiatives to educate consumers on the benefits of digitization

    Hathway goes all out for digitization awareness

    By A Correspondent

     

    Digitization of TV is less than a fortnight away and Hathway is leaving no stone unturned to educate the customers about the benefits and importance of digitization. With digitization, consumers will be able to watch a wider variety of TV channels in digital quality, providing them better viewing experience than ever before. Digitization will also allow consumers to pick their mix of favourite channels.

     

    Hathway has undertaken multiple initiatives to make the consumer aware that digitization is affordable and will take TV viewing experience to the next level. Marketing activities including advertising placements in mainstream print publications across the country, outdoor advertising and door-to-door campaigns are being conducted to educate the consumers.

     

    Infomercials about digitization are running on Hathway’s local channels, and its consumers are also receiving e-newsletters on the issue.

     

  • Indian music service Dhingana has announced that Ashish Joshi, Head of Digital and Business Development (India and SAARC) at Universal Music India, has joined them as Vice President, Business Development

    Ashish Joshi moves to Dhingana from Universal Music

    By A Correspondent

     

    Indian music service Dhingana has announced that Ashish Joshi, Head of Digital and Business Development (India and SAARC) at Universal Music India, has joined them as Vice President, Business Development.

     

    Prior to his stint with Universal, Mr Joshi served as the General Manager at Hungama Digital Media Entertainment for almost three years. He holds a Master’s Degree in Computer Software Applications from KJ Somaiya Institute of MGMT Studies & Research in India.

     

    Snehal Shinde, Co-founder and CEO, Dhingana, said, “We are very happy that Ashish has decided to work with us. We are expanding rapidly and are focused on providing a much wider music collection to our customers. Ashish’s deep knowledge and expertise of how music industry functions will play a big role in taking Dhingana to the next level of growth.”

     

    Mr Joshi said, “With my extensive prior experience of over a decade in content acquisition and distribution on various digital platforms in a B2B environment, it was only a logical step to join a B2C player which is a leader in its space. At Dhingana, I will get a chance to explore my entrepreneurial streak and help build a very strong consumer facing brand in the rapidly growing streaming business. I believe that Dhingana is fast becoming the most compelling destination for music labels and content owners to monetize their assets while, for consumers, it provides the ultimate listening experience.”

     

    Dhingana (www.dhingana.com) is a social music streaming service for Bollywood and Indian music, and is accessed by users across 220+ countries/territories. The company today has a collection of over 5,00,000 songs across 35 different genres, which are available, legally and for free. By using Dhingana, consumers also become device-independent and can access their favorite music across different devices and platforms like iPhone / iPad / iPod, Android, BlackBerry and Nokia based devices, as well as their PCs and laptops. Headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, Dhingana also has their offices in Pune, India.

     

  • In the run-up to the first phase of Digitization, we spoke to Anuj Gandhi, Group CEO, IndiaCast about the ground realities and beyond

    Jaldi 5 with Anuj Gandhi, Group CEO, IndiaCast

    1. We have a little less than a month to go for digitization in the four metros. If the government estimates are to be believed, by now over 70 per cent of four metros have been digitized. Is that the case?

    The data does not take into consideration that homes have 2-3 TV sets now. That is the only gap I see, which will have to be plugged probably in the first month. Other than this, we think that the numbers are in line with what the situation is on the ground.

     

    2. With digitization, audiences will be able to choose channels. Would IndiaCast channels lose out?

    It depends on what packages the channels are on. Of all the packages that have been declared, I am pretty pleased that our channels are very well-placed. I do not think that is a worry at all. Packages have been announced. we have done deals with most operators in the market and we know where the channels are being carried.

     

    Have you signed the deal with all the operators?

    We have signed deals that cover 70-75% of the market. Our intention is to sign with each and every operator.

     

    3. There is a worry that there will be some piracy in the form of pilferage of signals after November 1.

    In any transformation or reset in the industry, there is always going to be chaos or piracy. We will have to deal with it. Of course, I am not saying that there will not be. But I do not think it will be on large scale and we will have to deal with it when it comes.

     

    4. What more would you like the other stakeholders to do to ensure 100% digitization?

    The critical work that needs to be done, has to be carried out by ground personnel. The last mile operators and MSOs have to ensure that there are enough boxes available on the ground, and that the right communication is going to the final customer.

     

    5. Will digitization cause paradigm shifts in how media brands create value in the future?

    Absolutely. Most of the big media brands have been under-monetized with the subscription revenues for a very long time. And once we start getting our fair value of subscription, I am sure better part of the money will go into making better content and putting more money in the channels.

     

    As told to Ananya Saha

     

  • The anniversary issue by the Chitralekha Group had a mega five-city simultaneous launch in Ahmedabad, Surat, Baroda, Rajkot and Mumbai

    Chitralekha launches 62nd anniversary issue

    By A Correspondent

     

    The anniversary issue by the Chitralekha Group had a simultaneous five-city launch in Ahmedabad, Surat, Baroda, Rajkot and Mumbai by columnist, humourist, writer and playwright Taarak Mehta, psychiatrist and sex therapist, Dr Mukul Choksi, painter, Ghulam Mohammed Sheikh, chairman of the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), Devendra Desai and Vice Chairman of MCX-SX, Jignesh Shah, respectively.

     

    Themed on the topic ‘Game Changers’ the issue has contributions by experts like Chandan Mitra, Sam Pitroda, Justice Markandey Katju, Kapil Dev, Gunwant Shah, Sagarika Ghosh, Salim Khan amongst others who have shared their perspective on people and incidents which have changed the conventional rules of the game and emerged as “Change Agents”.

     

    The issue also houses the third edition of Chitralekha’s ‘Gujarati Power List’, which comprises superstars from the fields of politics, business, corporate, music, fine arts, cinema, sports, media and social service, who have gone beyond their own areas of comfort and influenced the larger society.

     

    Moreover, the issue also carries a specially compiled music CD by Sa Re Ga Ma comprising 62 best songs of the superstars of Indian Cinema, Dev Anand, Shammi Kapoor and Rajesh Khanna.

     

  • New categories, sharper definitions, expanded judging and paperless judging are among the highlights of the annual awards for effectiveness in advertising this year

    Entries open for Effies 2012

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Advertising Club has let the cat out of the bag as it sets the stage open, inviting entries for the most coveted event of the Advertising Industry in India. The EFFIE Awards are back and with a bang. This year the showcase for effective marketing and creative strategies throws open new categories.

     

    While the International EFFIE Awards are hosted every year in New York, since 2001 The Advertising Club Bombay has been organizing the EFFIEs in India. Says Ajay Kakar, Chairperson = EFFIE Committee and the Vice President of The Advertising Club, “For over a decade, the EFFIEs has become the gold standard in measuring marketing and communication effectiveness in India. This is reflected both in the quality and the number of entries which the awards have been attracting every year – a startling increase from 53 in 2001 to 300 in 2011! In fact EFFIEs is the only award that is bestowed on both the client and agency, to jointly celebrate the in-market effectiveness of their campaigns,”

     

    A practice introduced last year, this year too, thought leaders of the industry were invited to share their views and suggestions on how to further enhance the stature of the EFFIE. Basis the discussions and feedback, EFFIE 2012 will:

     

    · Introduce 2 new categories i.e. Direct, in recognition of the Specialist discipline’s ability to give measurable results and Best ongoing campaign, to recognise brands that have made effectiveness a way of life, across years

    · Host the Round 1 and 2 judging in Mumbai and Delhi, while inviting coveted jury members from across the country

    · See a sharpened definition of categories like Integrated and David vs. Goliath

    · Attract specialist Jury members for specialist categories like Direct, Digital and Rural

    · Introduce paper-less judging

    · Sharply qualify the material that can be submitted in support of the entries

    · Marico uncommon Sense Award is an essential part of EFFIES.

    · Lenovo has introduced a new Award  – Lenovo Tech-Doers Award.

     

    The Advertising Club has not increased the entry fee, only the service tax component gets added as a statutory requirement.

     

    The Effies are open to all clients and agencies, be they creative, media, digital, DM and PR, to enter their work and demonstrate the effectiveness of their campaigns.

     

    “I am also happy to share with you a strengthened team at our end, committed to taking EFFIES 2012 to even greater highs. Sameer Sathpathy from Marico has come on board as the Co-Chairman and N Rajaram from Airtel as our Anchor, from Delhi. And as always, we enjoy the active guidance of our President, Shashi Sinha and the active support of the Secretariat, led by Bipin Pandit,” Mr Kakar added

     

    The last day for entries to be submitted is Monday, November 5, 2012. The award ceremony event is scheduled to be held in Mumbai, on Wednesday, December 4, 2012.

     

    In-depth details about the EFFIES 2012 are available in the Entry form, which is now up and available on The Advertising Club’s website. The advertising, media and marketing industries can visit www.adclubbombay.com or email adclub@vsnl.com, for more details.

     

  • Life ka Balla, a twitter contest launched by Yuvraj Singh, saw major traction from the followers of Yuvraj. The contest was viewed by more than 1.6 million followers in less than 4 hours

    Yuvi’s Twitter contest sees 1.6mn views in under 4 hours

    By A Correspondent

     

    Life ka Balla, a Twitter contest launched by Yuvraj Singh, saw major traction from the followers of Yuvraj. The contest was viewed by more than 1.6 million followers in less than 4 hours. The southpaw, who made an unbelievable comeback in cricket by scoring a magnificent double century in the ongoing Duleep Trophy, encourages the public at large to share their hard-fought moments of life on Twitter through this contest.

     

    The contest has already received overwhelming response from the ever growing fans base of Yuvraj with post including ‘winning best student award’ to ‘climbing the Himalaya’ to ‘buying the dream house’ to ‘getting married and getting a child’. The responses were posted by people of all age group across the globe.

     

    Yuvraj’s tweet: @YUVSTRONG12: Playing for Team India was always my dream. I planned for it and here I am! Truly one of my best #LifeKaBalla moments yet.

     

  • Platinum Guild International (PGI) has come out with a new film to further embellish the idea of love happening after marriage, a thought that was reflected in their first Platinum Day of Love film

    New ‘married love’ TVC from Platinum Guild

    By A Correspondent

     

    Platinum Guild International (PGI) has come out with a new film to further embellish the idea of love happening after marriage, a thought that was reflected in their first Platinum Day of Love film. Once again created by Metal Communications, the film has just gone on air across India.

     

    Narayan Kumar, Chief Creative Officer, Metal said, “We thought it was time to take the Platinum Day of Love concept one level deeper. The story would still be about a young couple inside of an arranged marriage, but with an added emotional dimension.”

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhEj55-Gobc[/youtube]

    The film begins with a young bride packing her suitcase for her first visit home after marriage. We can tell she is excited as she packs all the various gifts that she has bought for all her loved ones at home while her supportive husband looks on. Even though there is excitement and anticipation of the impending reunions, it is only a matter of moments before the couple has to deal with the pangs of their first separation.

     

    Commenting on the film, Mr Kumar elaborated, “That is the real life based, plausible context we based our story on. Such a story allows for the blossoming of real love in a credible situation. We laid a lot of emphasis on realistic details in both casting and storytelling so that it would ring true.”

     

    Speaking on the campaign, Vaishali Banerjee, Country Manager India, Platinum Guild International said, “Being a very precious metal the world over, platinum is symbolic of emotions and moments closest to your heart. This new rendition is about how most Indian couples want to balance the tradition with the modern life they seek. The campaign draws parallels between the unchanging and permanent nature of platinum and everlasting love in a marriage.”

     

    Mr Kumar added, “We also added a new, closing tag-line to reflect not only the quality of what real, genuine love is but also the unchanging nature of platinum itself: Platinum. Because real love can only begin, never end.”

     

  • BBC Good Food to celebrate Good Food Day on Oct 21

    By A Correspondent

     

    Sunday, October 21 is Good Food Day. Just as it had celebrated the day last year, BBC Good Food Magazine will observe it this year too. A celebratory event will be held at the ITC Grand Central, Mumbai between 12noon and 4:30pm. Celebrated chefs will rustle up a minor storm of global culinary classics in keeping with the magazine’s first anniversary issue theme, creating an impressive spread across three cuisines – Indian, Pan Asian and European – across three restaurants of ITC Grand Central in Mumbai. A formidable line-up of chefs includes ITC’s Kulsum Begum, MasterChef Haji Mohammad Farooqui and Chef Yang Jiayu. The chefs who will also participate in this event include Chef Gresham Fernandes of Smoke House Deli, Chef Viraf Patel of Café Zoe, Chef Jaydeep Mukherjee of Indigo Deli, Le 15 Patisserie’s Pooja Dhingra, Lemongrass chef NitinTandon and Busaba’s Nikhil Chib. Reservations are priced at Rs. 1,500 all inclusive per head per restaurant and can be availed at www.in.bookmyshow.com/goodfoodday

     

    Commenting on the occasion, Tarun Rai CEO Worldwide said, “In just one year since launch BBC Good Food has become the favorite magazine of food lovers. To celebrate Good Food Day we have got together some of India’s most talented chefs to prepare an exquisite menu at an incredible price. This is just one of the many activities taking place across cities in India as we celebrate good food and Good Food Day”.

     

    Adding to the celebrations, select restaurants across eight cities have also partnered with the magazine on the occasion, offering discounts and set menus. Specially designed Good Food Day subscription offers are being extended to customers of all participating restaurants, at Foodhall Mumbai and Bangalore, and to those at the ITC Grand Central Mumbai event. Besides these free passes to the Good Food Day event at the ITC Grand Central,Mumbai are also being given out to some lucky magazine fans, in return for their participation in the brand’s social channel activities.

     

  • Animated, toony versions of the popular Star India show will be accessible on mobiles from this week

    Mogae to bring ‘Laughter Challenge’ to your mobiles

    By A Correspondent

     

    Mogae Digital has announced the launch of Star’s Laughter Challenge on Mobile. Set to go live on various mobile networks this week, the animated toony version of Star TV’s humour show will be available to Indian mobile users in easily accessible form of short two-minute videos, created with original voice tracks of various artists.

     

    Commenting on the launch, Tanya Goyal, Executive Director, Mogae Group, “Animated Laughter Challenge jokes refresh the magic created by the original show. The animated caricatures add a new comic dimension to the existing jokes and users would love watching them again and again, that too right on their mobile screens. Mogae has invested more than 12 months into creating the animated Laughter content, specifically for mobile devices.”

     

    Mogae recently launched its Talking Comics on various DTH platforms, which, the company’s communique says,  have been received very well by viewers. Mogae’s mobile comics with over 2000 mythology, history and humour stories are already live across various telcos. “Our momics were created for the mobile. Hence UI and downloads are designed for good consumer experience,”  she added.

     

    Mogae has a 40-man studio dedicated to creating the mobile comics (momics) content at its Gurgaon HQ. “We will start a second round of creative development in Q1 2013 with another 2000 new stories to be created”, adds Ms Goyal.

     

    Mogae Digital is part of the Mogae Group, co-owned by Sandeep and Tanya Goyal, erstwhile JV partners of Dentsu in India.

     

  • The editorial and business offices of MxMIndia will be closed tomorrow, October 24, as it's Dassera. We wish our readers a Happy Dassera

    No edition tomorrow: Happy Dassera!

    The editorial and business offices of MxMIndia will be closed tomorrow, October 24, as it’s Dassera. We wish our readers a Happy Dassera.

     

    Although our offices will be shut, some of us will be working from the second half to put together the edition for October 25. So if there’s a communique that you would like to send, pls inbox it at editor@mxmindia.com.

     

    And if there’s that urgent ad you would like to release, we work 24x7x366. Just call our National Sales Head Alok Kapuria at 09892832681. You would be making his and our Dassera even happier!

     

  • VivaKi Exchange has announced the appointment of Tarun Nigam as COO for Vivaki Partnerships, a focused initiative to pursue partnerships with local full service agencies and media agencies in Tier 2 & 3 markets across the country

    Tarun Nigam to lead VivaKi Partnerships ops

    By A Correspondent

     

    VivaKi Exchange has announced the appointment of Tarun Nigam as COO for Vivaki Partnerships.

     

    VivaKi Partnership, a special unit housed under VivaKi Exchange, is a focused initiative by VivaKi, to pursue partnerships with local full service agencies and media agencies in Tier 2 & 3 markets across the country. These partnerships are in the form of exclusive relationships to support the agencies on their strategic product, and provide value-added services. Additionally, VivaKi Partnerships also works with small size advertisers to help them achieve better pricing value on their media spends.

     

    Commenting on the appointment, VivaKi Exchange CEO Mona Jain said, “Our game is changing. To write the next chapter of VivaKi Partnerships, we were looking for someone who has the right mix of maturity and hunger, someone with a broad exposure to communication and marketing and who comes with a business, not just media, bias. Tarun fits the bill nicely.”

     

    An MBA in Marketing from Philippine Christian University, Manila, Mr Nigam  has over eighteen years of experience; the first four years were in pioneer TV production and marketing house United Television [UTV] and next eight in WPP Media [Mindshare, Maxus and MediaCom], and most recently at Starcom MediaVest Group. In his stint at WPP’s various agencies, he worked on accounts such as Gillette, Ranbaxy, Hero Honda, LG Electronics, American Express, NIIT and Monte Carlo. Before he moved as office head for MediaCom Delhi earlier this year, he led several clients at Maxus, including the large and complex Hero Honda AOR. At Starcom, he has serviced Samsung, Aircel, Educomp and many other clients. Most recently, Tarun played a key role in streamlining SMG India’s operations by taking on the additional responsibility of National Director Business Impact.

     

    Describing this move, Tarun Nigam said, “I really liked the model of VivaKi partnerships and felt that the role is the right fit for me. I am looking forward to taking VivaKi partnerships to the next level”

     

    Mr Nigam will be based in New Delhi and report directly to Ms Jain.

     

  • Leading satirist, actor and television host Jaspal Bhatt was killed in a road accident earlier today

    Jaspal Bhatti dies in a road accident

    By A Correspondent

     

    Satirist and actor Jaspal Bhatti died in a road accident 40 km from Jalandhar in Punjab earlier today (Thursday). Mr Bhatti was on his way to promote his film Power Cut.

     

    According to information put out by news agencies PTI and IANS, the accident happened around 3 am while Mr Bhatti, 57, was on his way to Jalandhar from Bathinda.

     

    His son, Jasraj, who is starring in the film, was also injured in the accident along with the film’s heroine.

     

    Mr Bhatti gained much fame with his programme ‘Flop Show’ on Doordarshan.

     

    Photograph: Fotocorp