MxMIndia

Category: NEWS

  • Arnab Mitra (National Director, Starcom Mediavest Group) and Amit Tripathi (Managing Director, id8labs) have jointly invested in the recently launched Digital Marketing and Training Institute (DMTI)

    Arnab Mitra & Amit Tripathi invest in DMTI

    By A Correspondent

     

    Arnab Mitra (National Director, Starcom Mediavest Group) and Amit Tripathi (Managing Director, id8labs) have jointly invested an undisclosed amount in the recently launched Digital Marketing and Training Institute (DMTI), according to Rashmi Putcha, CEO – DMTI. The investment will be used as seed capital for the company to fund the operations of the education firm.

     

    DMTI was formed by Rashmi Putcha to offer multiple categories of training programs across Short Term and Medium Durations directly. The company has tied up with the likes of ITM group of Institutions and NIIT Imperia for partnering their long-term courses and certifying the students appearing for these courses.

     

    DMTI has already trained over 1,000 professionals thus far and has successfully been able to place some of these students at some of the leading Digital Marketing companies. DMTI program is a unique industry partnership where some of the leading Digital professionals are coming together to help build the quality manpower for the industry under an organized player with a strategic approach to deliver a product, which is closest to what is desired, by the industry.

     

    Mr Mitra and Mr Tripathi will be joining the Board of DMTI and will provide the company with the growth direction that it needs to take the company to the next level of an organized play in the largely unorganized Digital Marketing Education space.

     

    Speaking on the occasion Mr Tripathi said, “There is an urgent need to address the state of the quality of available resource for the rapidly growing Digital Media business. Presently, the industry is rapidly evolving and with it the needs and the demands of the business, however the quality of available resource has been lagging far behind. We believe that DMTI with its unique proposition is in a position to make an impact on this gaping need.”

     

    Mr Mitra added, “Great team, and a great vision, partnerships with industry leaders makes DMTI a unique combination of both sides of the spectrum, the supply and the demand. And thus offer insights which produces a pool of talent which is groomed from the start to meet the rigors of the Digital World.”

     

    Rashmi Putcha, CEO DMTI added, “We are delighted to have industry stalwarts like Arnab and Amit expressing confidence in the vision of DMTI and making the investment in the company. Their association will immensely benefit DMTI to the next level by bringing on board insights from their vast experience in the digital realm.”

     

  • Digital media conglomerate Smile Vun Group (SVG) and Gruner+Jahr's Indian entity, Networkplay, have announced the sales transaction of the mobile ad network, Seventynine.

    Smile Vun Group’s Seventynine sold to Gruner+Jahr’s Networkplay

    By A Correspondent

     

    Digital media conglomerate Smile Vun Group (SVG) and Gruner+Jahr’s (a Bertelsmann division) Indian entity, Networkplay, have announced the sales transaction of the mobile ad network, Seventynine.

     

    Seventynine will be an independent business unit under the Networkplay umbrella, with its management reporting directly into the board. The co-founders of Seventynine, Chirag Shah and Deven Dharamdasani will continue to lead the business post the buy-out.

     

    Seventynine was launched in April 2012 by Smile Vun Group with an extensive focus on rich media inventory especially videos and HTML5 to enrich user experience. The mobile ad-network recorded its first milestone in July 2012 when it clocked record growth by serving 700 Mn ad requests within three months of operation.

     

    Seventynine is currently serving 1.8 Bn ad requests and focusing actively on building inventories across mobile applications and mobile web. Apart from a phenomenal ad-platform, Seventynine also possesses Seventynine App Analytics Service and Predictive Analytics Engine.

     

    Manish Vij, Founder, Smile Vun Group, commented on the buyout, “SVG is committed to introducing path-breaking businesses in the digital media industry and accelerating their journey to success. Our seven months association with Seventynine has been extremely successful leading it to be the fastest growing mobile ad-network in India. Seventynine has great potential as a business and we are certain that its association with Gruner+Jahr will provide a global platform for the business to grow further. This alliance is the beginning of our relationship with Gruner+Jahr.”

     

    Dr Torsten-Jörn Klein, President, Gruner+Jahr International said, “The expansion of Networkplay in the mobile space through the acquisition of Seventynine is clearly following our strategic commitment to grow our mobile business in the Indian market. G+J believes that in the Indian market, one of the fastest growing digital markets, the mobile segment will gain increasing importance. G+J is looking forward to further expand in that area together with Networkplay and the Seventynine team.”

     

    Commenting on the development, Seventynine’s co-founders said, “We are excited about our association with Networkplay and being a part of the international Gruner+Jahr and Bertelsmann family. We would like to express our gratitude to Smile Vun Group for believing in our vision and goals and helping us grow at such a phenomenal rate. We are certain that association with Networkplay would be an impetus for our business and aid our objective of becoming the leading player in the mobile advertising space in India and beyond.”

     

    Seventynine is G+J’s second digital acquisition in India after Networkplay, which was acquired by G+J earlier this year. Gruner+Jahr intends to strengthen its digital presence in the Indian market and Seventynine’s acquisition will help G+J and Networkplay fortify their competence and position in the mobile space. In the new group, Seventynine’s immediate focus would be technology, product and expansion in South East Asia and Middle East.

     

  • SAB has launched Saburbia, a board game which projects the SAB TV brand and thos, and at the same time thrills and entertains players

    SAB expands touchpoint by venturing into board game biz

    By Johnson Napier

     

    Its knack for doing something unusual has always managed to reap huge dividends for the channel. Whether for the new programming ideas that it experiments with on a regular basis or the array of assorted characters that it manages to throw up every now and then, SAB has always gone with the belief that consumers need to be fed with something different to keep them hooked on to the channel.

     

    In its latest twist to offering something new to its consumers, SAB has ventured into an untapped avenue by announcing the launch of a new board game. Named Saburbia, the board game is an advergame which projects the SAB TV brand and its ethos, and at the same time is directed towards providing thrill and entertainment to its users. The game makes the player an active member of a city called Saburbia, thereby giving him a chance to interact with his favourite characters like Jetha, Daya, Taarak Mehta, Gadha Prasad, Baujee, Mukundi, Indumati, Bhavesh, Bakula, Gopi, Gulgule and Chandramukhi Chautala through a series of tasks and unpredictable circumstances. The motive of the game is to find the perfect neighbour who becomes the Mayor of the city.

     

    The motive of the game, according to a statement issued by the channel, is to give SAB TV an alternate touch-point with its audiences, over and above the conventional media like TV, Print, OOH and online. Moreover, it also is to give people a chance to get to know more about the other shows on the channel. The over-arching belief is to get the viewer interested in all the shows of the channel, thus increasing viewership and building the brand.

     

    SAB TV has joined hands with Pegasus International (which is a major Indian toy and board game maker, operating with the brand name ‘Toy Kraft’) for the manufacturing and distribution of the game Saburbia.com.

     

    Elaborating on the thought-process and objective of the new venture, Anooj Kapoor, EVP and Business Head of SAB TV said: “The new initiative is the brainchild of our Marketing team. The idea was two-fold: one, to continuously engage consumers in fresh touchpoints and secondly, to increase the viewership of 15-24 age group audience on our channel – also the most active TG on Facebook for us.”

     

    Adding further, he said: “Over the past few years we have managed to create a certain salience for SAB in the consumers’ minds and a very strong brand image…this is on the back of SAB having a limited reach and budget but we are able to innovatively reach consumers in places where they are least expected. For eg, today we have 18 publications where we have cartoon strips of our shows appearing every day…so that is one such endeavour where you surprise the consumer by creating a fresh touchpoint and the surprise element manages to create an impact. Similar has been our approach with Saburbia.”

     

    Sharing his thoughts on venturing into an untapped domain, Mr Kapoor added, “Suburbia could be tagged as a gaming initiative from our end; and gaming in two forms – board game and online gaming. The idea was that whether one is a SAB consumer or whether you come to buy a board game one would be intrigued by seeing a game which has television characters even if you have never sampled the channel. And if you see that differentiation amongst other board games you may be attracted to it and therefore go and be a part of the brand experience by playing the game and become a convert or at least sample the product.”

     

    The channel would be engaging in appropriate promotional activity in order to attract consumers to the new board game. Said Mr Kapoor, “We would be engaging in two-fold promotional activity: one is print ads that we keep doing time to time and secondly, we have shot a few ads on our own channel which again inform and educate our consumers to try out the new product.”

     

    According to Mr Kapoor, what SAB is looking to achieve with this venture is increase viewership and also refresh and retain brand salience in the consumers’ minds. “We expect to roll out 5000 board games to begin with. And if we go by the assumption that there are 3-4 people per family then we can expect our consumer base to increase by that much amount. It’s difficult to predict right now what is the percentage base of audience that we expect to attract but it will be substantial to say the least. In fact, based on the response that Saburbia draws from the market and its sale from the shelves we would consider rolling out new games in the future.”

     

    As for SAB the channel, there is a lot of action that is lined up in the coming days. It would begin by the launch of Jini & Juju that takes off from Monday, November 5. “That will be followed by the Season 2 launch of Gutur Gu and Malegaon ka Chintu, two silent comedies on the channel. Those will go on air two weeks from now,” reiterated Mr Kapoor.

     

  • Effective implementation of digitization is among the immediate challenges for the new minister

    MxM Mondays: Expectations from Manish Tewari, the new I&B Minister

     

    It’s a week since Manish Tewari took charge as I&B Minister… just two days before the sunset date of Phase I of digitization. The foremost challenge he faces is overseeing and implementing the digitization process. While the digitization numbers as posted by the MIB look impressive, it remains to be seen if the challenging ground realities are met. Another task at hand would be to let the broadcast industry flourish.

     

    MxMIndia spoke to industry captains about their expectations from the new I&B Minister.

     

    Ravi Dhariwal

    Ravi Dhariwal, CEO – Publishing, BCCL

    I just wish that the new minister on board would help media industry in India grow and become more relevant – whether it is print or television. The minister should create an enabling environment where we, as a media fraternity, can serve the country in best traditions.

     

     

     

    Man Jit Singh, President, Indian Broadcasting Foundation and CEO, Multi Screen Media

    Man Jit Singh

    I have a three-pronged expectation list from the minister. I believe he has the same priorities as us when it comes to the process of digitization. We hope that the digitization process is smooth and continuous for him. And the second phase is also rolled out soon. I expect the new minister to support us in making sure there are no pirated signals or disruptive systems.

     

    The new I&B minister, as we know, supports self-regulation. As broadcasters, we believe self-regulation, and we look for his continuous support.

     

    The last and the most important thing is the issue of Price Control that was put in place in 2003. There was meant to be a sunset date for the price control, which has not happened till date. It has been too long that broadcasters have been following it. Now, it is the time that market forces decide the price.

     

    KVL Narayan Rao, President, News Broadcasters Association and Executive Vice-Chairman, NDTV Group

    KVL Narayan Rao

    I would not go so far as to call it expectation but a belief that he will continue to take forward the good policies that previous I&B minister, Ms Ambika Soni, had initiated. There are three things that Mr Manish Tewari should aim at: digitization being the first one. He should uphold the price for carriage fees and support self-regulation. He should support the industry from the perspective of unreasonable levels of taxation – whether it is direct or indirect service tax. We hope that the next Bill that he presents talks about these issues.

     

    Mr Tewari is a democrat, and will probably look at the whole picture and then make decisions.

     

    Ashok Mansukhani

    Ashok Mansukhani, President, MSO Alliance

    Basically, three things: the first thing – the first phase of digitization needs his personal interest to stabilize it. It requires political direction to put it on the right path, especially since the process of digitization has to happen through state governments. I don’t think the minister should leave it to bureaucracy alone.

     

    The second thing is that the second phase of digitization is too near the first stage, which is March. And, I think, at this moment it is a mirage to think that we can achieve that target on 31st March because the stabilization of the first phase of digitization is not dependent on a press note. It is the dependent on the acceptance of digitization by the consumer. Now the consumer is at least a month away from understanding what digitization means, what it will cost him and what the benefits are. This is a learning process and the process will take some time, and therefore, I think phase two – even though everyone will say it is non-negotiable – in my view, it will have to be pushed back by six months.

     

    The third step is that Mr Manish Tewari needs to very carefully look at the fact that you cannot regulate a multimedia delivery that India has in the form of cable, DTH, mobile TV and IPTV through the Cable Act. The Cable Act is fine as far as cable is concerned. We need to work towards an Electronic Media Management Act. Basically, this Act would function on the basis of self-regulation but which has a safety net of autonomous public authority that Supreme Court asked in 1992 for the Cricket Judgement in which SC had said that airwaves are neither private property nor government property but it is public property. And public property is best protected by an autonomous authority. In 1992, only cable and broadcasters were present but in 2012 you have four technologies and who knows if fifth one will come through 4G.

     

    The way I would like to see it that the last thing the Minister needs to do is that everybody somehow managed to do Phase I of digitization without getting any incentive from the government. But I think that what happened in the last week or first 10 days to the run up to sunset date was the sudden realisation that the much-beloved Census figures itself showed that 50% of people in India are poor. If that is so and in any case MSOs were giving a subsidy of nearly Rs 1000, Rs 500 is also proving too much for this really poor class. Someway has to be found to lower the burden on slum areas as much as possible. And one way to do it is what TRAI had wanted to do in 2010, which is to say that if you are a digital infrastructure provider, you will be treated on equal footing as other infrastructure providers and given a tax holiday for seven years so that whatever you invest now, you are able to then recover it in form of low taxes over the next seven years. Also, there has to be some form of set top subsidy scheme, which is not just borne by cable but is also borne by broadcasters in form of lower prices and government in the form of duty reduction.

     

    If digitization be his main objective, then apart from that he has to ensure that everybody is kept on a level-playing field. He made some statements in the beginning about it but he is silent in the last four days. So, I think that I am really looking for is more sane and more stable approach to digitization and a level-playing field, which is technology-proof for the future.

     

    Roop Sharma

    Roop Sharma, President, Cable Operators Federation of India

    We expect him to treat all stakeholders in the digitization process equally. He should understand the realities. The new minister should work in tandem with the ground realities of digitization. Mr Manish Tewari should listen to all stakeholders, and take into consideration the problem and hiccups that each state and stakeholder is undergoing in this process.

     

  • Keertan Adyanthaya, MD – FOX International Channels, talks to MxM India about digitization, localized shows, and more…

    Jaldi 5 with Keertan Adyanthaya on Fox Traveller’s first anniv

    On October 30, Fox Traveller completed a year in India, billing itself as India’s number 1 Travel and Lifestyle channel. An HD channel and clutter-breaking content such as ‘What’s With Indian Men’, ‘Twist of Taste’ ‘Freaky Traveller’, ‘It Happens Only in India’ and ‘Life Mein Ek Baar’ making the channels focus on locally made productions very high. MxMIndia interviewed Keertan Adyanthaya, MD- FOX International Channels, on the channel’s first anniversary and its plans for the year ahead.

     

    01 How would you see the travel and lifestyle genre changing in the recent past? Where do you see it heading to in India?

    I think we’ve only seen the tip of the iceberg as far as the genre is concerned. There’s so much more to experience and invite people to immerse in.

     

    02 The channel has a lot of localized shows like ‘What’s With Indian Men’, ‘It Happens Only in India’, ‘Life Mein Ek Baar’, etc. Given that high-profile presenters would obviously increasing your programming costs, how is easy is it to get advertisers to buy in such content?

    We believe that it’s the tone and tenor of the show that really matters and that’s why we have always looked for celebrities who can seamlessly integrate into the fabric of the show. Advertisers look for various things when it comes to sponsorships – Channel, Relevance of the programme concept, Marketing & Communication Plan, Show entitlements, Talent associated with the show etc etc.

     

    03 Do you see digitization impacting a niche channel like Fox Traveller?

    Digitization will have a huge impact on many aspects of the TV channel business.

    o Until now, subscription was a B2B-led vertical, we will now need to re-calibrate our thinking to it being a B2C vertical.

    o Channel communication was strongly dependent on show-led marketing. This will need to change to a marketing strategy where we ask people to subscribe to the channel

    o Co-marketing with MSO / DTH platforms will gain even more importance

     

    04 Given that there exist opportunities for channels like ‘Fox Traveller’ to get picked ‘a la carte’ post-digitization, are you looking at adding on more content that will attract people to subscribe to the channel?

    We are always on a quest to bring innovative, differentiated content that will help us engage better with our audiences. That’s an on-going process. There will not be any change or further bolstering on that front.

    05. Any new shows and activities that we can hope to see on the channel in the immediate future?

    There’s David Rocco’s Amalfi Getaway coming up this week and next month, we start What’s with Indian Women?, which is a sequel to our popular show ‘What’s with Indian Men?’ that was aired last May.

    Interviewed by Meghna Sharma

     

  • The company has come up with a nine-day campaign to promote its scooter Ray during the festive season

    Yamaha takes unique approach to connect

    By A Correspondent

     

    India Yamaha Motor has come up with a unique initiative to attract its niche target audience of young urban women for its new scooter Ray. The company has come up with a nine-day campaign to promote its scooter Ray during the festive season. The campaign tries to give a new definition to driving the stylish and peppy Yamaha RAY by reinstating the RAY “Life is an Adventure” campaign message.

     

    The campaign which started with a group of 6 girls forming a cavalcade of scooters with 6 RAYS will travel through various locations in New Delhi. The cavalcade of scooters will start from a particular dealership at one point in the city, travel through the city for the entire day and culminate at another dealership at the end of the day. The cavalcade of scooters in turn will cross and halt at key junctions like markets, colleges and schools to create buzz, excitement and maximize awareness about the scooter RAY.

     

    Speaking at the occasion, Roy Kurian, National Business Head, India Yamaha Motor said, “We launched the RAY in India due to the huge demand that this segment was witnessing in the country, with college students and young working women showing increased affinity to purchasing light weight and highly efficient scooters. The new RAY has been designed and engineered to answer the needs of this growing class of young female customers who want a scooter that is stylish, compact, easy to use and has a fresh new appeal. Through this campaign we are trying to enthuse further excitement amongst our target audience. The campaign will showcase the spirit of adventure that is associated with the Ray and which it promises to deliver to its customers.”

     

    The cavalcade of scooters will travel to various colleges in New Delhi to create buzz and excitement among young college students. The cavalcade will cross various colleges in the city like Vivekanand College for women, Deshbandhu College, PGDAV College, Jamia Milia Islamia College and Maharaja Agrasen College. The cavalcade will also cross a number of customer centric areas like the City Square Mall- Rajouri Garden, M2K Rohini, Jwala Heri Market- Pachim Vihar etc. The event spanning across 9 days will culminate on Nov 10th.

     

    Post the Ray’s launch, the company has undertaken a number of activities in order to attract its target customers and influence sales. The company has expanded its dealer network and improved customer care quality for female customers by appointing more female staff at customer contact points and introducing female customer care program. The company has also developed a riding training programme for female customers. The riding training programme known as the Yamaha Female Riding Training programme is to be implemented across India very soon.

     

  • Srinivasan K Swamy, popularly known as Sundar Swamy, Chairman RK SWAMY BBDO was unanimously elected President of the India Chapter of the International Advertising Association (IAA) for the year 2012-13

    Sundar Swamy is President, IAA India chapter

    By A Correspondent

     

    Srinivasan K Swamy

    Srinivasan K Swamy, popularly known as Sundar Swamy, Chairman RK SWAMY BBDO was unanimously elected President of the India Chapter of the International Advertising Association (IAA) for the year 2012-13 at the annual general meeting on November 2. An industry veteran, Mr Swamy was till recently the Chairman of Confederation of Asian Advertising Agency Associations. He was also past president of Advertising Agencies Association of India for three years between 2004 and 2007. Kaushik Roy, President, Brand Strategy and Marketing Communications, Reliance Industries, who was IAA President for the last couple of years.

     

    Mr Swamy said, “In today’s global economy, associations like the IAA play a pivotal role in building cross- cultural bridges, and in ensuring a seamless transition of ideas and interests across the world”.

     

    He added that since the IAA represented marketers, agencies and the media it had a very important role to play in developing the communication industry in the country and across the globe.

     

    Mr Swamy said that apart from the Olive Crown awards and the other regular activities that the IAA conducts, he would make a concerted effort to spread the activities of the India Chapter to different parts of the country. Another thrust area would be to get mid-sized agencies and media houses to get further involved in the activities of the IAA so that they could benefit from the involvement and participation.

     

    Kunal Lalani of Crayons Advertising was elected Vice President, Monica Tata from Turner as Hon. Secretary and Jaideep Gandhi of Jaya Advertising was elected Hon. Treasurer. The Managing Committee members elected are Avinash Pandey, M.G.Parameswaran, Neeraj Roy, Raj Nayak and Sam Balsara and the new Committee also co-opted Ramesh Narayan, Shreyams Kumar, Arunabh Das Shrama, Abhisek Karnani, Manish Advani and Neville Taraporewala as its members.

     

  • Reliance Broadcast Network Limited (RBNL) has announced its foray into Australia with the launch of the Big Magic International television channel

    Big Magic goes to Australia

    By A Correspondent

     

    Continuing its aggressive expansion and growth strategy in the international market, India’s Reliance Broadcast Network Limited (RBNL) has announced its foray into Australia with the launch of Big Magic International television channel. This marks the company’s foray into the critical APAC market with a growing South Asian Diaspora, following close on heels to its successful launches in the markets of Canada and the United States.

     

    Designed to offer audiences a phenomenal blend of variety entertainment, infotainment, and business news from the libraries of the Reliance Broadcast Network and Bloomberg TV India, Big Magic International AUSTRALIA promises to uphold the legacy of the Channel both in India and overseas. The channel’s offerings are customised to suit the entertainment demands of the sizeable South Asian Diaspora in Australia. Konnec TV, Australia’s fastest growing DTH Company that specialises in distributing multicultural television channels is partnering RBNL to distribute the channel across the length and breadth of the vast country.

     

    Tarun Katial

    The channel will be added to the basic pack, which is currently priced at AUD 39.55 at a fixed fee. The programming on Big Magic International will ensure varied appeal with an eclectic mix of daily sitcoms, socio-mytho programs, crime shows, dramas, and religious shows handpicked from BIG MAGIC India. The Channel will also showcase popular televised award shows created by the RBNL’s intellectual property vertical. These would include offerings such as India’s Sexiest Bachelor, India’s Glam Diva, I Love Style, BIG Hindustan Rising Star Awards, BIG Hindustani Music Awards, BIG Bangla Music Awards and more.  Delivering to its promise of offering varied entertainment the Channel will feature stand-up comedies, cultural quiz shows and more that will appeal across age groups.

     

    The South Asian population in Australia is approximately 4 lakh and makes for 2 per cent of the population of the country, making it the second largest non European group in Australia. Ensuring reach to maximum households, Big Magic International has mapped the entire market to ensure optimal reach amongst relevant audiences.

     

    Speaking on the announcement, Tarun Katial, CEO, Reliance Broadcast Network Ltd. said, “After establishing our presence in Canada and the United States, we are happy to take Big Magic International to Australia as the country’s only variety entertainment channel that offers fresh and relevant programming. We’ve been able to understand the market well and have made the move in line with our international expansion and growth strategy. We are certain that the channel will grow into a popular entertainment offering and resonate well with audiences and marketers there.”

     

  • Nickelodeon has joined hands with Mexus Education to launch edutainment toys under 'Nick Explore', and the channel will also launch toys under 'Nick Sports' & 'Nick Action' soon

    Nickelodeon launches edutainment toys

    By A Correspondent

     

    Nickelodeon India has a diverse portfolio in the kid’s consumer market with its popular toons and is now set to introduce its own sub brands in the Indian market – Nick Explore, Nick Sports and Nick Action. The first edition from this kitty is ‘Nick Explore’ in association with Mexus Education, one of the leading providers of hands-on educational toys for kids.

     

    The Nick Explore range of hands-on-learning toys and instructive games exposes kids to the fundamentals of science & technology thus increasing their imagination and analytical skills. These edutainment toys are targeted at 8 years and above, with 24 different models and priced from Rs. 199 to 2499. Nick Explore includes toys like rocking chairs, quad bikes, 360 degree cannons, walking robots, retro planes, earthquake meters and many more. The components in all the toys are interchangeable, re-usable and comes with infinite possibilities of making new models and machines. The range will be available at Hamleys, Landmark, Reliance Time Out, Shoppers Stop, Beanstalk and several toy stores across the country.

     

    ‘Nick Explore’ promises to be fun while it encourages active play & high engagement value amongst children. The toys give kids an opportunity to develop a constructive mindset, increase creativity, logical thinking and are DIY (Do-It-Yourself) too; so children get an opportunity to engineer the toy themselves, right from scratch!

     

    Speaking on the launch of Nickelodeon’s sub brands, Sandeep Dahiya, Sr. Vice President – Consumer Products & Communications, Viacom18 Media Pvt Ltd said, “This collaboration marks our entry into a new domain – both from a brand as well as a category perspective. The ‘Nick Explore’ range of kits, developed by Mexus Education, will help unlock the creative potential in older kids, while exposing them to basics of science in a manner that’s fun and interactive.”

     

    Rohit Jain, Managing Director – Mexus Education added, “We are delighted to launch our latest innovative designer toys as Nick Explore. This is in continuation with our efforts of making learning enjoyable for kids. Nick Explore series will give a new dimension to the way kids perceive toys and studies by delivering the rare mix of analytical skills and creativity. Now kids can make new designs everyday and experiment with their ideas to make real machines and life size models with world class quality components in Nick Explore products.”

     

    Nickelodeon’s association with Mexus Education will include a 360-degree marketing promotion that will include on-air promotion, on-ground activities, digital and radio that will help in consumer engagement. The new product range will be promoted through various social media platforms on Facebook, Twitter as well as on the Nick India website. There will also be contests and retail promotions planned around the range.

     

  • Sconaid McGeachin has been appointed regional president and CEO of Hill+Knowlton Strategies India, Middle East, Africa and Turkey

    Sconaid McGeachin steps up at Hill+Knowlton

    By A Correspondent

     

    Hill+Knowlton Strategies has announced that Sconaid McGeachin, Chief Operating Officer of H+K Middle East and Turkey, will become Regional President and Chief Executive Officer for the firm’s India, Middle East, Africa and Turkey operations. Ms McGeachin will continue to be based in Dubai and report directly to Jack Martin, global chairman and CEO of H+K Strategies.

     

    Ms McGeachin formally assumes the role of Regional President and CEO following the sad passing of Dave Robinson, former Regional President and CEO of H+K for Australia, Middle East, Africa, South and Central Asia, in late September. While she will take on Mr Robinson’s roles in India, Middle East, Africa and Turkey, Sue Cook will continue to lead Australia as Managing Director.

     

    As COO of H+K Middle East and Turkey for the last four years, Ms McGeachin oversaw the operations across Turkey and the eight H+K offices in the Middle East network. In addition to her corporate leadership responsibilities, she also served as a senior client leader on multiple accounts, including dnata, Intel, Dubai World Trade Centre, Etihad Rail, GAFI and Mubadala Aerospace.

     

    “Sconaid is one of our most trusted and respected colleagues within the H+K global network and I am extremely confident in her abilities to lead this far-reaching region,” said Mr Martin. “She worked closely with Dave for many years and has extensive experience managing integrated corporate communications campaigns including devising cross border corporate reputation programs. Sconaid provides unrivaled senior counsel on internal communications and change management, and on issues and crisis management, which positions her to continue our growth in India, Middle East, Africa and Turkey.”

     

    Ms McGeachin has spent more than 20 years working in international communications, beginning her career by implementing specialist marketing communications in the defense sector for Avon Rubber plc. She then worked for a regional UK PR consultancy before joining Mmd. During her 18 years there, she headed up the IT practice in London before moving to set up an office in Russia. Ms McGeachin became general manager in Poland and then regional director for Mmd’s South East Europe operations overseeing all of South East Europe before Mmd’s sale to the Huntsworth Group plc.

     

    “It is a tremendous privilege to have been appointed Dave’s successor,” said Ms McGeachin, who is currently Chair of the Middle East PR Association (MEPRA). “Having collaborated so closely with Dave over the last few years, I will endeavour to continue his vision to mentor and develop our teams, increase professionalism and successfully grow our operations in these developing markets.”

     

  • The TVC for premium fragrance brand from Godrej Consumer Products Ltd (GCPL) launched recently

    CreativeLand Asia creates Fresh Aer

    By A Correspondent

     

    The TVC for premium air fragrance, aer, by Godrej Consumer Products Ltd (GCPL), went on-air on November 5. Conceptualized and executed by CreativeLand Asia, the 35-second ad communicates the ability of aer to spread delightful fragrances in cars simply with a click of a button. It marks the entry of aer into the air care segment.

     

    The advertisement opens with a young man sitting in a common hatchback car. During the ad he realises that aer does not make unreasonable promises such as the car being magically transformed into a bigger and more expensive one after. It simply states that by ‘clicking’ aer, one can simply enjoy invigorating fragrances in the car. It communicates the most important aspects of aer – invigorating fragrances and unique mechanisms.

     

    The TVC was supported by a print campaign as well, wherein the readers of Bombay Times and Delhi received a delightful whiff of aer fragrances from the newspaper.

     

    Sunil Kataria, EVP, Marketing & Sales, GCPL said, “The 3 distinct fragrances – Cool Surf Blue, Fresh Lush Green and Petal Crush Pink along with aer’s unique brand positioning, make it stand out in the air care segment. The TVC compliments the invigorating and quirky aspects of the brand and communicates exactly what aer promises to deliver – a delightful experience!”

     

  • Nickelodeon's first theatrical release, Keymon & Nani In Space Adventure, will be in cinemas across four cities on November 9

    Nickelodeon’s Keymon Ache to hit big screen

    By A Correspondent

     

    Keymon Ache, Nickelodeon India’s local, non-mythological production that was launched in India last year, is soon slated to make its theatrical debut. After capturing the hearts & minds of kids on television, he will now make his debut on the silver screen with his movie – Keymon Ache & Nani in Space Adventure – A Viacom18 Motion Pictures Release. Set to release on November 9th this year, the movie will trace the adventures of Keymon along with his buddy Rohan. Produced in association with DQ Entertainment International, the movie will see a four-city theatrical release across Mumbai, Pune, Delhi and Bangalore in leading multiplexes.

     

    National Award winner Usha Uthup has lent her voice to the catchy songs in the film and the background music for the show has been composed by popular music director Sandesh Shandiliya.

     

    Speaking about Keymon’s Bollywood debut, Nina Elavia Jaipuria, EVP and Business Head, Sonic and Nickelodeon India said, “Taking Keymon Ache’s popularity a step further, Nickelodeon is taking his entertainment quotient to the silver screen. We hope to connect with our audience and reach out to them wherever they are through multiple touch points, thus tangibilizing and creating awareness for Keymon Ache. Nickelodeon will ensure kids and parents enjoy their Diwali holidays at the movies.”
    Keymon & Nani in Space Adventure will see Keymon with his buddy Rohan jetting off to Goa to meet his Nani, a fierce lady who knows karate and many languages. The character design of ‘Nani’ is inspired from Usha Uthup herself! A relaxing trip turns into an adventurous one as Keymon, Rohan and Nani encounter some unexpected enemies. What follows is a series of extraordinary events with Keymon & Rohan having to rescue Nani and have an alien adventure of a lifetime!

     

    Taking the brand a step further, Keymon Ache will be supported with an extensive merchandise launch, starting November 2012. The channel will launch the 1st ever Keymon Ache consumer products range for kids 4years+, that will include apparel, footwear, puzzles and DVDs. Keymon footwear is being launched in association with Wiesner Worldwide Kreations, ranged between Rs 199 and Rs 1099. To create further excitement for Keymon fans, Reliance Footprints and Maya Gitanjali will run a retail-based contest called ‘Star with the Super Star’. Winners of the contest get an opportunity to catch the premiere of the movie with Keymon Ache!

     

    Adds Sandeep Dahiya, Sr. Vice President – Consumer Products & Communications, Viacom18 Media Pvt. Ltd., “Keymon Ache has been a frontrunner ever since it was launched on Nickelodeon and it’s only natural that we extend his presence beyond television. The launch of ‘Keymon Ache’ merchandise will further strengthen our existing product lines around ‘Dora the Explorer’, ‘SpongeBob SqaurePants’ & ‘Ninja Hattori’, which has an existing presence in over 50 categories in India.”

     

    On ground, the channel has partnered with ‘Gelato’, where a Keymon Special Black Currant flavour will be available across all Gelato outlets in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Pune. Kids can also participate in a simple contest being held at these outlets and stand a chance to win Nickelodeon merchandise, which will be handed to them by Keymon himself! On the digital space, a customized Keymon microsite will keep Gen Y glued through games and movie videos. After the fantastic response received for the game ‘Keymon goes fishing’ last year, the channel is introducing 2 new Keymon games on the microsite www.keymon.in. A contest on Nickelodeon’s Facebook fanpage (www.facebook.com/nickindia) will give kids a chance to win movie tickets with their nani’s along with goodie bags!

     

    After a successful 1st season of Keymon Ache, Nickelodeon launched season 2 on October 29th this year. The show had premiered in May 2011 and is India’s first local, non-mythological contemporary show. The show enjoys huge fan following not only in India but also across the globe. From what was just a funny dude on TV, Keymon went on to ruling kids’ hearts, achieving a 1.11 TVR in its first week of launch. Within a year, Keymon Ache had made its presence felt in the print, online and outdoor media, making it the biggest multiplatform summer launch in the category in 2011.

     

    Keymon’s debut on the 70mm screen has the ingredients of a masala blockbuster for the whole family – magic, comedy and action!