MxMIndia

Category: NEWS

  • Social creative platform Qyuki.com has appointed Sunny Side Up to manage its creative duties

    Sunny Side Up bags creative mandate for Qyuki.com

    By A Correspondent

     

    Somak Chaudhary

    Social creative platform Qyuki.com has appointed Sunny Side Up to manage its creative duties. The six year-old agency with offices in Hyderabad and Bangalore will be involved in supporting the platform with its online campaigns for promotion and building sustainable digital assets.

     

    An initiative of Shekhar Kapur and AR Rahman, Qyuki.com intends to look at the new paradigm in social media by helping people follow their creative interests. And Qyuki will be supported by Sunny Side Up in finding newer ways of engaging with the platform’s growing user base.

     

    Qyuki.com is targeted at Indian youth residing in Tier 1, 2 and 3 markets, and Indian diaspora, aged 18 to 35 years. According to Bidisha Nagaraj, Qyuki’s Chief Marketing Officer, “The platform aims to unlock the creative potential of India by empowering people’s self-expression and enable them to build their creative identity. At Qyuki, Indian youth come together to experience differentiated content created by masters. They also get an opportunity to interact, learn and co-create content with creative experts with a potential of themselves becoming brands of the future. In Sunny Side Up, we found a partner who understands the need of a unique platform like Qyuki to continuously stay relevant to its target”.

     

  • BIG CBS Love will air the latest season of American Idol concurrently with the US telecast

    American Idol 12 to launch on BIG CBS Love today

    By A Correspondent

     

    After the successful run of The X Factor USA and exploiting the post-digitization opportunities among English GECs, BIG CBS Love set to air the 12th season of American Idol, concurrent with the US. It will premiere on the channel today (January 18) and will air every Friday and Saturday at 9pm.

     

    American Idol is said to be one of the most successful reality shows in the history of television. The channel is promoting American Idol Season 12 heavily through a 360-degree marketing campaign which reaches out to audiences through multiple touch-points like print, radio, electronic, OOH and digital mediums.

     

    Anand Chakravarthy

    Speaking on the launch of American Idol Season 12, Anand Chakravarthy, Business Head – BIG CBS, said, “Keeping in mind the current scenario post-DAS, the show will reach a larger audience base across consumer segments, while simultaneously offering marketers an excellent platform to reach out to their target audiences.”

     

    The channel will also host an online talent hunt for aspiring singers called ‘Love To Sing’ with Talenthouse.com which will allow fans from across the country to be a part of the American Idol experience. The winner of the ‘Love to Sing’ contest will get an opportunity to witness American Idol live in in Los Angeles.

     

  • The I&B Ministry has sought the recommendations of the TRAI regarding transmission of local channels or ground based channels operated by LCOs and MSOs

    MIB seeks TRAI recommendations on local channels

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Ministry of I&B has sought the recommendations of TRAI regarding issues relating to transmission of local channels or ground based channels operated at the level of cable TV operator/MSOs. In its reference to TRAI, the ministry has sought to know whether there was a need to put in place a comprehensive set of provisions for local channels to cover issues related to registration mechanism, including eligibility requirements, fee, terms and conditions to be provided for such channels, including the definition of local or ground based channels and their area of operation.

     

    The ministry has also sought views on the issue of transmission of local channels at LCO level in the DAS regime. TRAI in its recommendations dated July 25 2008 had recommended that LCOs shall be permitted to transmit their ground based channels. However, in the current DAS regime only digital addressable signals can be carried out on the cable network, which is generated at the MSO head-end. MIB has also requested the TRAI to state whether there was a case for putting a cap on the total number of ground based channels operated by a single MSO/cable operator.

     

    The TRAI has also been asked to examine whether there is a need to prescribe separate eligibility criteria for cable operators transmitting local news and current affairs channels at their level. Specific recommendations have been sought with regard to eligibility criteria, terms and conditions including foreign investment levels, net-worth criteria and requirement of security clearance etc. for such channels.

     

    The need for putting in place a regulatory framework for local channels being operated at the level of cable TV operators, which has been engaging the attention of the MIB for some time, has assumed greater significance in view of the digitization of cable TV being implemented in the entire country in a phased time-bound manner. At present, cable TV operators/MSOs are transmitting local news, videos and other locally developed content as separate televisions channels in addition to broadcaster-owned satellite channels. These local channels are currently not subject to a regulatory framework unlike private satellite TV channels permitted under the uplinking/downlinking guidelines of the ministry. As a result, local channels continue to mushroom all over the country without having registration /license.

     

    Since the area/jurisdiction within which the programme generated at the level of the cable operators can be transmitted has not been defined in the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995, it is possible for LCOs and MSOs operating at the local levels to broadcast local channels over a larger geographical area, ie at Regional/State/National level, by transmitting the same content over their entire network. Instances have been brought to the notice of the ministry that some cable operators are also venturing into transmission of local channels over a wider geographical area which includes inter-state and intra state transmission by sharing the same content with others on their network. In such a scenario, local channels are basically operating as State/Regional/National channels like permitted private satellite TV channels, without getting any permission. The intent of allowing cable operators to generate and transmit local programmes is to keep the local people informed of relevant local issues. According to the MIB, this intent is not fulfilled when LCOs and MSOs start networking of the content to cover a larger geographical area. Given the present state of technological advancement, the tendency to network content in a larger geographical area has gained strength.

     

  • The 7th Indian Magazine Congress, to be held on Feb 14-15 in Mumbai, is based on the theme of 'New Directions. New Opportunities'

    Publish or perish: Indian Magazine Congress 2013 to discuss future of mags in digital era

    By Ananya Saha

     

    The digital era is turning up the heat on print publications, especially magazines. One of the most prominent of titles to succumb was probably Newsweek, which has gone digital-only. (More here: http://www.mxmindia.com/2012/10/could-indian-mags-go-the-newsweek-way/) For most publications, it is a choice between moving ahead with technology or perishing. ‘New Directions. New Opportunities’ is thus the theme for the 7th Indian Magazine Congress, which will be held in Mumbai on Feb 14-15.

     

    Maheshwer Peri

    Maheshwer Peri, Chairperson, Programme Committee, IMC and Chairman, Pathfinder Publishing, explained, “Increasingly, the tablet has made magazines earn revenue through digital also. Similarly, metrics have come up measuring circulation on the tablet, and hence lot of magazine publishers are also monetizing it for advertising. The revenue model supports zero-cost. This year’s congress will explore new opportunities that arise out of new media.”

     

    Mr Peri added, “Last year, we did not dwell too much on the tablet even though we focused on digital a lot. Now, we want on focus on the tablet revolution. There is a lot of research and groundwork that has happened where magazine publishers have monetized this medium.”

     

    The international list of speakers includes Andrew Duck, Managing Director, Audience Media; Arnaud de Saint Simon, CEO, Psychologies Magazine; Ashish Bhasin, Chairman India & CEO South East Asia, Aegis Group; Chris Llewellyn, President, FIPP; Fabrizio d’Angelo, Managing Director, Burda Holding International; Nicholas Brett, Deputy Managing Director and Group Editorial Director, BBC Magazines; Mike Lovell, International Director, Licensing, Meredith; Torsten-Joern Klein, President, Gruner + Jahr International, Germany; and Sandra Gotelli International Publisher and Head of Licensing, Mondadori, among others.

     

    The Indian delegate list includes: I&B Minister Manish Tewari; Ambika Srivastava, CEO, ZenithOptimedia; CVL Srinivas, CEO, South Asia, GroupM; Indrajit Gupta Editor, Forbes India; Rajan Anandan, Managing Director, India, Google; Satyaki Ghosh, Director, Consumer Products, L’Oreal India; and Umang Bedi, Managing Director, Adobe.

     

    “When I was putting in the content and structure for this conference, the underlying motive was to see what we can learn that we can implement in India. For me, it is all about what the speaker did and what I can learn. Speakers will shed light on distribution models, merchandising and branding as an added revenue stream, brain-mapping of readers that is not only scientific but also impressive, what India can learn from China from a person who is already present in that market and is about to enter India. We have a speaker to talk about multi-platform publishing and how to put and monetize content five times over. At the end of the two-day conference, if I implement even one of the things that are shared, it might be a turn-around for me as a publisher,” Mr Peri asserted.

     

    Provocative discussions, interesting topics and an impressive line-up of speakers: IMC 2013 promises a lot.

     

  • The newly created 'Havas Media Group' will include all of Havas's media agencies. This move brings the media side of the business in line with the structure of Havas' creative division, Havas Creative Group

    Havas pushes integration, digital strategy into media

    By A Correspondent

     

    (L-R) Michel Sibony, Alfonso Rodes, Dominique Delport and Jordi Ustrell

    Havas has announced another step forward with its integration strategy, simplifying its brands and structure.

     

    The newly created ‘Havas Media Group’ will include all of Havas’s media agencies, consisting of Havas Media (operating in 126 markets, India included), within which its media brand MPG and its digital brand Media Contacts, also in India, will be fully incorporated and rebranded, and Arena Media (operating in 13 markets). The rebrand is supported by a new simplified structure that places its digital expertise and content marketing at the core of its operations. This move brings the media side of the business in line with the structure of Havas’s creative division, Havas Creative Group (composed of the Havas Worldwide global network and Arnold Worldwide micro-network).

     

    Alfonso Rodes, Havas Media Group’s CEO, commented, “The explosion of digital media means that no one can afford to deliver a siloed approach to communications. This new media model integrates our digital expertise “at the core” of our organisation, promoting greater agility between all our teams and disciplines. It’s a simple yet progressive move that enables us to harness the digital transformation that has hit all types of media. By reorganising our teams, changing the lines of reporting and investing in building company-wide digital fluency, we put ourselves in a unique position in the industry. Our scale and simplicity allows us to present clients with a shared vision that meets consumer demand for more meaningful connections.”

     

    The new media organisation allows Havas to continue its strategy to be the first major communications holding company to invest in establishing digital excellence at the centre of all its agencies around the world. The new structure will place its specialised units such as Artemis (the group’s global data management network), Mobext (mobile network), Socialyse (social media), and Affiperf (Havas’s global trading desk) so that they are more accessible to the teams from both Havas Media Group and Havas Creative Group.

     

    On the content marketing side, Havas Sports & Entertainment will support this structure with its 36 international offices, India included. To support this move the Havas Media brand will be relaunched on January 24 with a new identity to reflect the tighter, more integrated organisational structure.

     

    To manage this new organisation the group has formed a new executive committee managed by Mr Rodes. Dominique Delport, CEO of Havas Media France, is appointed as Global Managing Director Havas Media Group. Reporting to Mr Rodes, he will be in charge of the commercial activity for all countries and all brands, strategy, new business, digital integration and intelligence. Michel Sibony, “Global Head of Middle Office”, will manage all global planning and buying operations as well as the group’s digital and specialist offers. Jordi Ustrell, “Global Head of Back Office”, will oversee the global support services such as IT, HR, legal and finance

     

    Mr Sibony said, “We need to guarantee our clients more consistency in every market and more speed in the delivery of this change to provide greater effectiveness and more efficiency when leveraging the new technological given by data management and technological platforms.”

     

    Mr Delport explained, “Our clients need change and innovation more than ever because beyond media, digital affects any business with great opportunities but also potential disruption. Understanding the relationship between brands and consumers, especially for the growing digital generation, is essential. Our aim is to form a new company that lies at the intersection of the traditional international holding groups and the new style of innovative, digital companies. It’s an exciting challenge for our clients and our teams.”

     

    Vishnu Mohan

    Vishnu Mohan, CEO, Havas Media, Asia Pacific, added, “This rebranding couldn’t have been initiated at a better time from the Asia Pacific perspective. Clients in the region are looking for simplicity in agency structures and an integrated offering. The objective of our current rebranding is aligned to that expectation. The simplification of brands within our group furthers our aspiration of being the most agile and integrated agency group with digital at its core”.

     

    Commenting on the development, Anita Nayyar, CEO, Havas Media India, observed, “Media is today an evolving ecosystem where only change is constant. Digital is fluid across every platform from traditional to new age, so the concept of ‘digital at core’ is vital. It is not ‘only’ specialization but the dynamics of integration and knowledge synergies that will exploit it to advantage. Brands are asking for integrated communications to differentiate themselves; they need responsive and analytical services. In India, digital is a reality or aspiration for every Indian. Our integrated service offerings of media, outdoor, digital and mobile with the new platform will be better leveraged to the benefit and delight of our customers.”

     

  • Showing a strong growth trajectory this quarter, the company turned in a profit of Rs. 21.3 crore after tax

    TV18 Broadcast announces Q3 results

    By A Correspondent

     

    TV18 Business (both News and Entertainment) show a strong growth trajectory this quarter. Reported revenues for the television and motion pictures business (including IndiaCast) stood at Rs.512.4 crore for the quarter. The reported operating profit for the quarter was Rs. 48.1 crore. The company turned in a profit of Rs.21.3 crore after tax.

     

    TV 18’S continuing broadcasting and motion pictures operations turned in a strong performance with a profit of Rs.58.1 crore during the quarter excluding one-time expenses/revenues and losses towards new launches and discontinued operations. The Net Distribution Income turned positive while Advertising Revenues grew 10 percent YOY.

     

    Announcing the results, Raghav Bahl, Managing Director, Network18 said, “I am delighted to inform our investors and stakeholders that TV18 has returned to profitability this quarter. Our Net Distribution Income has finally broken into positive territory and our recast balance sheet has helped us rationalize our interest payouts. We are now entering an exciting phase in our journey as we strengthen our existing operations and consolidate our regional acquisition.”

     

    Commenting on the results for the quarter, B. Saikumar, Group CEO, said, “We are extremely pleased that all our broadcast operations grew their margins despite softness in the advertising environment. IndiaCast has hit a positive trajectory and stays with its focus of correcting the group’s distribution revenues upwards and adding more brands and partners to its stable. The News Network will further consolidate its leadership position with the addition of ETV News to the stable. The brands across mass entertainment, English and Factual Entertainment, Kids, Music continue to grow and hold leadership positions. Importantly, all our programming initiatives in prime time and the weekend have paid off rather well on Colors and we hope to replicate this success in the regional ETV entertainment bouquet as well by investing in content and audiences.”

     

    Business News Operations reported a strong quarter with margins expanding almost threefold as compared to the same quarter last year. General News Operations broke into positive territory with 10 percent margins. Q3FY13 revenues for Viacom 18 grew to Rs. 473.5 crore, a growth of 50 percent over the same  quarter last year.

     

  • SVG Media's leading display ad network business, Tyroo Audience, has been dissolved to make way for the data targeted display ad network, Velocity

    SVG Media launches Velocity

    By A Correspondent

     

    SVG Media (formerly known as Tyroo Media) has announced the launch of its data-backed display ad network, Velocity, in India and Asia Pacific. Velocity is pegged as the first data-backed display ad network in the region, offering targeted reach and relevant audience, and offers valuable audience segments at speed using world-class technology platforms.

     

    Velocity’s product portfolio includes offerings such as Audience Display, Video, Mobile, Rich Media, Social, Data Targeting and Speciality Display. Commenting on the launch, Manish Vij, Founder and CEO, SVG Media, said, “The online display advertising ecosystem is evolving and changing rapidly, and we at SVG Media believe in responding to changing market needs. Velocity has been created to bridge the gaps that exist in the online display advertising ecosystem. Velocity will utilize the benefits of programmatic buying using high-scale data and analytics to make display work as effectively as non-branded keyword search. ”

     

    Piyush Rathi, National Sales Director, Velocity, commented, “Data targeting is the only way forward for display advertising and we are thrilled to be the pioneers of targeted display advertising. Velocity has some 33 million unique users across multiple audience segments, and is capable of offering the right audience on digital display, including videos, irrespective of the placement and format through the use of audience data. All major display exchanges are integrated with Velocity on the display and mobile ad ecosystem, offering the opportunity to reach almost all internet users in India.”

     

    Data targeted display offered by Velocity is expected to improve CTRs by up to three times, reduce bounce rates by more than half and improve post-click engagement metrics by up to two times.

     

  • 'A Whole New World', which began Jan 18 on NDTV Good Times, guides viewers on tackling changes in their lives and and making their homes more suited to their needs

    NDTV Good Times tackles life changes

    By A Correspondent

     

    Lifestyle channel NDTV Good Times has ventured into the home and decor space with a new home improvement show called A Whole New World.

     

    The show is based on the fact that everyone faces a life-changing situation at some point in time – the birth of a child, moving in of parents, moving out of a sibling after marriage. The 13-episode A Whole New World guides viewers in tackling these changes and making their home more suited to their needs.

     

    Hosted by Juhi Pande, the show features experts in the fields of architecture, interior design and home technology, and focuses on transforming one room of the house for the participant to best suit their needs.

     

    Shibani Sharma Khanna, Channel Director, NDTV Good Times and Creative Head, NDTV Lifestyle said, “Home decor as a segment has a lot of untapped potential, and being the pioneer in lifestyle programming it made perfect sense to explore this for our Indian audiences, worldwide. The show aims to open one’s world to myriad ideas with the assistance of the industry’s best designers and architects. The concept of the series is to help viewers welcome new and exciting changes in their lives with a smile. The show takes care of every little aspect that goes into setting up that special space in your home perfectly and promises to help you discover a whole new world.”

     

  • Will the hockey extravaganza be a worthy alternative to the cricket carnival? MxM Mondays finds out

    Can Hockey India League match IPL?

     

    By Ananya Saha

     

    From getting big brands to tie up, to having celebrities lend a face to the initiative, all efforts are geared towards making the inaugural Hero Hockey India League (HHIL) a success.

     

    The League, which began on January 14, is receiving similar enthusiasm from sports broadcaster ESPN, which wants to promote it similar to the IPL. It has even appointed cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu as the brand ambassador of the League. Aloke Malik, Managing Director, ESPN Software India, is bullish on the future of the League and said, “We believe that hockey as a game has the pull as well as the potential to become a prominent #2 sport in the country after cricket. The game has huge following across pockets in the country. This league has all the ingredients like franchisee-led teams, home and away matches and the world’s very best players in action, to make it a success.”

     

    But can HHIL emerge a favourite for audiences as the IPL managed to do when it kicked off in 2008? Further, will the League provide enough bang for the buck of the brands involved? MxMIndia finds out what experts think.

     

    Lloyd Mathias, Director, GreenBean Ventures

    No, I don’t think the Hockey India League can become as big as the IPL, for two primary reasons. The fan-following for hockey is much smaller in India and the game format does not allow too much for advertisers: just 70 minutes and no advertising when the game is in progress, unlike cricket. Also, there are not as many superstars/big names as cricket – few people can name more than five hockey stars. There is little support from the allied entertainers that IPL benefits from – like Bollywood stars, politicians & other glitterati. Other than this, India has a relatively low standing in world hockey (we were 12th in the Olympics), fewer teams – just five this year, and not many category SA sponsors besides Hero, Dabur and Sahara.

     

    Anita Nayyar, CEO, Havas Sports & Entertainment, and CEO, Havas Media, India

    To compare any sport to cricket is almost unfair. The big league needs the big audience and cricket is an essential part of the Indian DNA, which is beyond any promotion.

     

    Just as IPL gave further impetus to cricket and local players, the Hockey India League will increase interest in hockey as a game. This is much deserved and should lead to its popularity, but in revenue terms it will be no match compared to IPL/cricket.

     

    Indian hockey in any form or league will only tend to gain, minus the politics the game has been plagued with for decades. It is sad and unfair to a game and its players when the game becomes a political playing field. Hockey has endured despite being written off many times, which speaks a lot about its popularity of this game which has won eight Olympic medals.

     

    The international focus will enable a stronger domestic league, more competitive on international platforms, so the unfortunate events of Beijing 2008 are far from repeating themselves.

     

    Ambika Sharma, MD & CEO, Pulp Strategy

    The money involved in the HHIL is less compared to the mindboggling figures of the IPL, but it’s a good start. With this investment there will be better facilities, more viewers, recognition, fame, sponsors and pressure to perform. It will definitely motivate the Indian hockey players to improve their stick work and attract more talent to join the sport. IPL is now a brand and it was the brainchild of the BCCI, which had the business motivation to market it. Cricket was at the height of its popularity. On the other hand HHIL is run by Hockey India; they will need to pull out all the stops to get to the level IPL is at today. It will take time, but well begun is half done.

     

    Aditya Save, Head, Media & Digital Marketing, Marico Ltd

    There is no point comparing the two leagues. Sport is supposed to encourage and bring out values. As long as it fulfils that, it should not be compared. When IPL was conceived, it was not supposed to be an entertaining format but look at how it turned out. As long as the game is interesting, it should be good.

     

    Raghu Viswanath, Founder & Managing Director at Vertebrand Management Consulting

    Comparison with cricket is probably not relevant. Indian hockey last won an Olympic gold in 1980 and since then has been on the downswing. With every passing year, it has touched a new low. The string of controversies which has accompanied this game recently has only added to its woes!

     

    Compare it with cricket, which won public imagination since India’s World Cup win in 1983. From being underdogs who pulled out a surprise win, the Indian team has gone from strength to strength. Cartloads of financial backing have poured in, making BCCI and cricket the richest things in the country today. This in turn has fired the aspirations of Indian youth, even in rural markets, each of who dreams of becoming the next Sachin Tendulkar and owning a garage full of Ferraris!

     

    The same generation has virtually no exposure to hockey today. May be it will not take another 10 years for HHIL to come to the level of IPL but it is definitely a long haul. Quiz any youngster about hockey and they are likely to give a blank stare.

     

    HHIL has tied up with a reputed industrial house, the Hero group. The challenge before them is not about making HHIL a hot property but about creating a favourable disposition for hockey as a game. How many of us would have really been interested in it but for the controversy of Pakistani players being denied participation at the last minute?

     

    Indians are known to tilt towards hero worship. Cricket, though it’s a team game, lends itself to individual brilliance, which in turn means heroes and gods are created and worshipped. Hockey needs to find a way to create heroes who represent the game. Their onscreen and offscreen persona needs to resonate with young Indians and they need to adopt the game. This means that you promote the game at every level of the community.

     

    So it’s a long way before hockey and cricket can even be compared.

     

  • The PR major aims to be a thought leader for the industry in India and China

    PR industry needs honest answers: Olivier Fleurot, CEO, MSLGroup

     

    By Johnson Napier

     

    While a sluggish outlook has dampened growth prospects across industries the world over, it’s a different story for the communications space. Or so it seems for the India market, which has been demonstrating decent growth year-on-year. Part of the success that the communications industry in India is witnessing could be attributed to the phenomenal performance of some of its prominent players. Like MSL India, which had a fantastic 2012 growth story to boast of.

     

    In India for the MSLGroup’s Board Meeting and to unveil the second edition of its industry report titled ‘Public Relations in India: Inside the Industry’s Mind and the 2013 Outlook’, MxMIndia spoke to Olivier Fleurot, CEO of MSLGroup, to gather his views on how far the PR industry has arrived in India, and what is it about the Indian communications market that makes the world sit up and take notice.

     

    Apart from India, China and other hot and emerging markets is where the action will come from, going forward, asserts Mr Fleurot. Excerpts:

     

    We’d like to begin with your observations on the trends that the PR industry in India and across Asia threw out, post the release of your outlook report in 2012. What were the ground realities you came across through the course of last year on the growth front?

    It is very clear that the PR industry in Asia is developing very fast. It is probably less mature than the Western Europe or US markets and therefore has a great potential for growth. Because we have acquired certain properties and have big ambitions for India and China we were of the view that we should be taking the lead in terms of organising a debate and finding honest answers on what is the road ahead for the future growth of this industry. That is the reason we launched our first executive report last year and have done it again this year. It is a contribution to the debate process and a way to show that we think we can be a thought leader in this industry.

     

    What was different about the way the Indian communications market grew in 2012 versus the other evolved markets?

    In India, what we managed to do is get a lot of western companies here as now we are very confident of our operations. As you’d know, foreign investment is very important for India and what we did for the country on that front is a good thing, so we think. As for Asia, I would say that it is the region in the world where the growth in our global industry is the highest. And I think it is going to be like that for several years because unfortunately in other markets like Europe the economy is not dynamic enough; we expect it to be flat for some more time. But clearly Asia is going to be the major driver of growth for our industry and we are very happy that we invested in this region a few years ago.

     

    Everyone seems to be hopping onto the digital bandwagon. What is going to be your strategy for growth for 2013?

    We are the clear No 1 in China and I can say the same thing about India as well. For us, digital was one of the key sectors where you saw us do a lot of initiatives in that space. Gaurav Mishra has been leading the digital and social media space for us in the whole of Asia. We are looking at acquisition opportunities across the region. Also we would be looking at other countries outside China and India to see if there is a potential for growth.

     

    Are you looking at emerging markets as an avenue for expansion going forward?

    Countries that are really opening up include Vietnam Indonesia, Latin America etc. We are always monitoring markets for potential acquisition possibilities wherever they be. These markets have to important in terms of the skills and experience. After all this is also the business of people so we need to keep looking out for new talent especially when dealing with new businesses and sectors. The best are those that have created their own company; they are more entrepreneurial and if they are ready to join it is always a fantastic experience. They need not necessarily be big companies but skills and talent is something that we are looking at.

     

    Are you satisfied with the growth story of MSL India in 2012? How does it compare to the growth story in your other important markets?

    Overall in Asia, our organic growth has been about 30 per cent which is way higher than the global industry figure of 5 per cent. A few countries have reported low numbers on account of low marketing and communication spending. For 2013, I am looking at a global growth of 5 per cent knowing that Europe will still be flattish and also Germany whose GDP grew by just 0.5 per cent given that it is the largest economy in Europe…also the industries are more mature in these countries. Actually, I am a bit optimistic about the US market as well given the fact that the elections are over and new budgets being approved etc. I think we can be surprised about the US market in 2013.

     

    Do you see opportunities arising out of upcoming or unexplored sectors going forward?

    We see huge opportunity in the energy sector given all talk about renewable energy etc. So we expect certain number of clients coming in there. Also, healthcare is also a priority for lot of clients across markets. The fact is that many industries are witnessing profound transformation these days. Also because of the growing use of social media and web most media are struggling to find a new business model or to promote their activity as where there were 3-4 channels, today that number is 100 or so…Also, Financial Services is another sector that needs some help going by what happened in 2012. So there are plenty of opportunities that exist.

     

    What are the takeaways that the industry can take a cue from the second executive report you’ve launched yesterday?

    The industry here in India should agree that there is a lot of potential and that it needs to come together and debate what are the best practices, how to raise the game, etc. There is need for the industry to see how it can offer value-added services, be more innovative etc as it is no longer about media impression anymore. It is much more complex than that especially on the web. So it is about measurement, being able to analyze data… basically see how we can develop a more sophisticated industry.

     

    What about talent? What is the way forward on that front?

    The fact that the industry is growing by 20 per cent we need to find the right talent. We need to work on our own image and on the image of the industry. We have to ensure that we attract the right young talent pool to our industry.

     

    What would be your core objective going forward?

    The aim going forward is to be a clear leader while also trying to be at the forefront by way of participation, debates etc in this industry.

     

    On Tuesday, January 22: Read extracts from the PR industry report – Public Relations in India: Inside the Industry’s Mind and the 2013 Outlook

     

  • Digital agency Indigo Consulting has retained the digital account of Asian Paints, India's largest and Asia's third largest paints company. The win comes after a multi-agency pitch

    Indigo Consulting retains Asian Paints’ digital biz

    By A Correspondent

     

    Digital agency Indigo Consulting has retained the digital account of Asian Paints, India’s largest and Asia’s third largest paints company. The win comes after a multi-agency pitch, in which at least 10 agencies are known to have participated.

     

    In view of its new identity and positioning, Asian Paints had invited presentations from various digital agencies to take its new positioning forward on digital media. Indigo Consulting, which has been working with APL since 2007 across web, mobile, social and search, won the pitch after three rounds, with two agencies making it to the final round.

     

    The renewed mandate will see the agency continue to be involved with the brand to spearhead their digital initiatives across web, mobile and social media, while also exploring integrated customer experiences leveraging cloud computing.

     

    Commenting on the appointment, Satish Kulkarni, General Manager Marketing, Asian Paints, said, “Asian Paints, in its endeavour to provide a better brand experience to the customer, is keen to inspire customers and partner them through their home painting process which is an essential part of creating their own beautiful home. Therefore, we required an agency which understands our customers and helps us convert consumer insights into a rich web usage experience across screens. Indigo Consulting brought on board the ability to best match consumer insight to consumer experience design, and execution capabilities. We are delighted to continue our successful relationship with Indigo Consulting.”

     

    Vikas Tandon

    Vikas Tandon, Managing Director, Indigo Consulting, said “This is indeed a special win for us. The pitch underscores the importance of not taking any relationship for granted. APL has been a very important client, and a wonderful brand to work with, and we are delighted that they have reaffirmed their faith in us. We look forward to continuing our efforts in making Asian Paints a world leading brand in the online world too.”

     

  • Showtime's nine-day 'BMX Xperience' involved a specially built 10-acre obstacle course to showcase the X3's off-road capabilities to prospective customers, along with a launch event that took place in a 60-foot-deep excavated site

    Showtime Events bags Gold at The Gala Awards

    By A Correspondent

     

    The BMW Xperience event created by Showtime in September 2011 to launch the X 3 model in India was conferred with the Best Multiple Day Event Program at the prestigious Gala Awards ceremony in Chicago on January 18 2013.

     

    Pitted against the likes of the Audi national campaign in China and contenders from across the globe, Showtime is the only agency from India this year to have won a Gala Award.

     

    A first of its kind for India, the nine-day “BMX Xperience” involved a specially built 10-acre obstacle course to showcase the X3’s off-road capabilities to prospective customers, along with a launch event that took place in a 60-foot-deep excavated site. More than 1,000 VIPs, potential buyers, BMW owners and 10 Facebook contest winners joined in the main launch event

     

    The BMW Xperience event has won a total of four Golds – two in India (WOW Awards and EEMAX Awards), Haas & Wilkerson Pinnacle Awards, USA and now at the Gala Awards, USA.

     

    The Gala Awards were presented by Special Events magazine at The Special Event show.