MxMIndia

Category: NEWS

  • The company has announced the acquisition of a mobile game development and publishing company in Japan and a mobile game development studio in Korea, thereby augmenting its footprint in the global mobile gaming industry

    Reliance Games expands to Japan, Korea

    By A Correspondent

     

    Reliance Big Entertainment Pvt. Ltd, part of the ADAG Reliance group, has announced that Reliance Games, its international mobile gaming business, in a bid to expand its global presence has made a strategic entry into the key gaming destinations in the world – Japan and Korea. The company has announced the acquisition of a mobile game development and publishing company in Japan and a mobile game development studio in Korea, thereby augmenting its footprint in the global mobile gaming industry.

     

    The recent ingress of Reliance Games into Japan and Korea will play a pivotal role in the company’s international roadmap. The Japanese and Korean business set-ups give Reliance Games direct access to the two largest mobile gaming markets known to the world. The company aims to adopt a two pronged approach for the new set-ups; while the Japanese and Korean facilities will develop IPs targeted to local consumers, they will in future also be responsible for R&D of multi-player mobile games for the western markets.

     

    Manish Agarwal

    Commenting on the milestone, Manish Agarwal, CEO, Reliance Entertainment Digital said,   “Reliance Games, after the success of Real Steel & F1 2011 mobile games globally, has embarked on a journey of expanding its business beyond North America markets. With this acquisition in Japan & Korea Reliance Games has made inroads into the world’s largest mobile gaming markets and looks forward to tap the 5.5 Bln USD & 1.3 Bln USD mobile gaming markets of Japan & Korea respectively. Investment in the development studio at Busan, Korea and in the distribution team at Tokyo, Japan will enable us to develop games for local markets instead of trying to force fit western games in these markets. I have full confidence on teams at Korea and Japan to establish Reliance Games as a very innovative and successful gaming brand.”

     

    Eric Marlow, Vice President of Global Studios, Reliance Games said, “The Company’s expansion into the Japanese and Korean markets is significant and strategic. We see now a clear path that allows us product and development capacity in both countries. We are extremely excited by the new capabilities added to our team and we think our customers will enjoy the games we are preparing for them.”

     

    The company has brought on board Hwa Seok Choi in the role of Chief Revenue Officer for Reliance Games Japan. Commenting on his new role, he said, “It is a great opportunity to be a part of Reliance Games’ global expansion strategy. I am looking forward to the successful games that we will bring to the mobile gaming markets in times to come.”

     

    On partnering with the Reliance Group, Hojin Song, CEO of Bluesom Inc. said, “It’s a pleasure to partner Reliance Games in its phase of expanding global presence. I am certain that together we will be able to effectively cater to the mobile gaming markets globally.”

     

  • Numbers of complaints soar, thanks to NAMS, and the number of complaints upheld increase sharply

    ASCI upholds complaints against 43 of 50 ads

    By A Correspondent

     

    In December 2013, the Consumer Complaints Council (CCC) of ASCI, upheld complaints against 43 out of 50 advertisements. ASCI’s National Advertising Monitoring
    Service (NAMS) has been very proficient in tracking down the misleading claims made by advertisers in various sectors, which include HUL’s New Rin, New Clear anti-dandruff shampoo, Comfort Fabric Conditioner, Dabur India’s Oxy Life Bleach, Nurture Health Care’s Hairten Hair Oil, Kesh King Hair Care Range, Keya Seths Aromatherapy, Clintech Medical & Aesthetic Center, Kangra Herb Pvt Ltd, Rediscover – Laser, Skin, Slimming & Ayurvedic Clinic etc.

     

    As per the complaint, the TVC claims that “New Rin is the only detergent powder in India which gives freedom from yellowness and gives shining whiteness”. This claim is qualified by a super stating “Perception of yellowness removed through patented technology”. The use of “patented technology” does not mean that the same benefit of “giving freedom from yellowness” cannot be claimed by using any other technology. The super does not provide the details of the independent agency which conducted the tests. In absence of independent technical data, this claim is false and misleading. The advertisement promoting the New Rin is based on the concept that “After repeated washing, clothes turn dull and yellow”. The said concept is not completely correct and is in fact misleading consumers. The visual showing the comparison between New Rin and other detergent powder is qualified by a super which states “creative representation of yellowness removal”. This in effect means that the shots showing the shirt washed with the other detergent and the shirt washed with New Rin cannot be replicated into reality. This is incorrect and misleads the consumers.

     

    New Clear’s TVC claims that it “Is the best anti-dandruff shampoo in the country”, with a super “Based on clinical studies, microkill & ZOI data”. This superiority claim needs to be substantiated with technical and comparative data, and with details of tests/trials reports from an independent recognized testing institution. The claim, “Preferred choice of 9 out of 10 users”, is ambiguous. Where on one hand the claim does not clarify the parameters for which the Clear shampoo is preferred, the claim on the other hand is being used by Clear in its TVC. This claim is qualified by a super stating, “Based on consumer study”. This super does not state the source of the study and nor does it state the date on which the said study was conducted. The super, “Based on consumer study”, is not of adequate size and duration, and blurred so as to mislead the consumers.

     

    In other cases as well, the CCC considered the additional data provided by the advertiser and concluded that the earlier decision of the FTCC stands. The complaint was upheld. During the month of December, the CCC also received complaints against 6 advertisements. The complaints were received against the advertisements of Ceat Ltd’s ‘Ceat Tyres’, Skin Alive’s ‘Forever Young’, Kovai Medical Center and Hospital’s ‘Effective Treatment for Thyroid Disorders & Cancer’, Gillette India LTD’s ‘Oral-B Cross Action Pro-Health toothbrush’, Clinic Dermatech’s ‘Beauty Solutions for Skin Problems’, Procter & Gamble Home Products Ltd’s ‘Pantene Pro-V shampoo’. However, as these advertisements did not contravene ASCI’s codes or guidelines, the complaints were not upheld.

     

  • Under the mandate for the H&R Johnson business, it will handle tiles, bathrooms, kitchens and marble & quartz

    Soho Square Mumbai wins H&R Johnson

    By A Correspondent

     

    Soho Square Mumbai has received the mandate for the H&R Johnson business. This includes tiles, bathrooms, kitchens and marble & quartz.

     

    Samrat Bedi

    On the win, Samrat Bedi, Head of Office, Soho Square, Mumbai, said, “H&R Johnson is pretty much a household name in this category and being associated with this brand therefore makes this win even more special. The brand has ambitious plans in India for the road ahead and all of us at Soho Square are proud and honoured to be partnering H&R Johnson on the journey to make these plans a reality.” Mohit Ahuja, Vice President, Account Management, Soho Square, Mumbai, commented, “This win is also exciting from a portfolio point of view for us. In the homes and infrastructure category, we already have a realty major and a water-proofing solutions brand. Thus the H&R Johnson products strengthen this segment for us.”

     

     

    Sushil Matey

    Sushil Matey, COO – Emerging Business and Marketing, H&R Johnson India, said, “The energy and enthusiasm of the Soho Square team is visible in the work that they have proposed for our brand. We are delighted to be working with a team that brings with them their passion and experience into every single engagement.”

     

    For the record, Soho Square is owned by WPP and was re-branded in 2012 from Meridian Communications. In India, Soho Square has three offices in Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru.

     

  • The Gunn Report 2012 ranks the agency at the top among the most awarded agencies in India

    Taproot goes great Gunns, No 1 in India

    By A Correspondent

     

    Taproot India has earned the honour of becoming the top most creative agency in India in The Gunn Report 2012. Taproot has also entered the list of the Top 50 Most Awarded Agencies in the world. As one of the 12 new inductees in the winners list on creative excellence in advertising worldwide for the year 2012, Taproot has not just opened the account for India but has also brought the country’s creative ingenuity to the centre stage globally.

     

    Taproot leads the pack as the number one agency in India in The Gunn Report’s country-specific rankings for 2012. In the country listings of the most awarded agency networks in India, Taproot has taken the top slot leaving behind agency networks like O&M, Leo Burnett, Creativeland Asia, Contract and McCann Worldgroup at the second, third, fourth and a joint-fifth rank respectively.

     

    Earning seven points in the Film category and three in the All Gunns Blazing segment, Taproot earned the maximum 10 points to top the charts. The agency entered the country-specific The Gunn Report rankings in 2010, when it was placed third behind O&M (Mumbai and Delhi) and JWT (Mumbai) then.

     

    The Gunn Report, created in 1999, combines the winners’ lists from all of the world’s most important awards to establish the annual worldwide league tables for the advertising industry. In 2012 this encompassed 46 shows in total – national, regional and global – and the winners at these shows in TV, Print, Digital and All Gunns Blazing. In short, it identifies the most awarded new work in the world each year as well as who did it and celebrates both.

     

    With 44 points, India ranks 13th in the list of Most Awarded Countries in the World in 2012 that is topped by the US, the UK and Australia at the first, second and the third ranks respectively.

     

    Agnello Dias
    Agnello Dias

    According to The Gunn Report, “Any agency that ever makes it into the Top 50 Table has to be a great place to work and a great place to be a client of.”

     

    Being a part of the prestigious winners’ list, Agnello Dias, Co-founder and Chief Creative Officer, Taproot India, said “It is humbling, intimidating and exhilarating all at the same time, if ever that was possible. The amount of parameters The Gunn Report takes into account to arrive at the results is vast and wide-ranging and therefore something like this is always going to be unexpected. What can I say; it’s quite hard to believe actually.”

     

    Santosh Padhi

    “We have done this quite often in the last few years – second most awarded creative agency in the country, followed by the Creative Agency of the Year India and South Asia title. We have earned our position as one of the top three creative agencies in this country with sheer great cutting edge work year after year. Be it in creative awards or Effies, be it local or international awards, we have topped the table on many occasions. It will be a big challenge to retain the top slot and keep delivering. But we at Taproot love to be challenged,” said Santosh Padhi, Co-founder and Chief Creative Officer, Taproot India.

     

    Rohit Ohri

    Commenting on the inclusion of an Indian advertising agency into the league of the most awarded creative agencies globally, Rohit Ohri, Executive Chairman, Dentsu India Group said, “2012 was a remarkable year of creative achievement for Taproot. And this ranking by The Gunn Report is a testimony to that. Taproot has truly done the Dentsu Network proud.”

     

  • With reality shows becoming norm on every channel, MTV has launched a brand new TV series, MTV Reality Stars

    MTV’s new reality shows takes a dig at reality shows

    By A Correspondent

     

    With reality shows becoming norm on every channel, MTV has launched a brand new TV series, MTV Reality Stars. The theme is that everyone knows and sees reality shows but no one knows the comedy and chaos of what goes on behind the scenes.

     

    So from the makers of reality shows like Roadies and Splitvilla, comes a series which apart from other things takes a healthy dig at MTV and the madness that goes into creating these block buster reality shows. MTV Reality Stars will premiere on March 16, 2013.

     

    Aditya Swamy, EVP and Business Head, MTV India, says, “MTV brought reality to India and today it’s everywhere. You can love it or hate it, but you can’t run away from it. In this show, we take healthy digs at our biggest shows and the ability to laugh at ourselves has always made us more endearing to our audience. Unlike daily soaps, this is a finite series that is built around a tight script, a truly delightful cast and film level production standards. This is the future of Indian television and this is a genre we are committed to building.”

     

    Reality Stars is a 12 episode, 22-minute comedy TV series based on the lives of four crazy friends – Krish, Kuldeep, Zameer and Tania, who get caught in the world of reality television.

     

    The campaign for the show will see 360 degree marketing promotion through various media verticals, including on-air promotions, digital activations, and on ground activities. The campaign will also see a contest run across 200 plus colleges in the country where selected students will get a chance to be a part of the new show.

     

  • The DY Patil Group and Whistling Woods International have announced that they are jointly setting up an Institute of Film, Media & Communication. It will start operations in August this year

    Whistling Woods, DY Patil Group set up film & media school in Pune

    By A Correspondent

     

    The DY Patil Group and Whistling Woods International have announced that they are jointly setting up an Institute of Film, Media & Communication. The DY Patil – Whistling Woods Film & Media School will be set up in the DY Patil Knowledge City in Pune.

     

    The DYP – WWI Film & Media School will begin operations in August this year. The collaborative film and media school will offer students from across the country integrated undergraduate courses in film-making, animation, media and communication, and a MBA in Media & Entertainment. The three-year degree film-making course will feature a twinning model where the students will spend the final 18 months at the Whistling Woods Mumbai campus and so be exposed to the cultural experience of studying in Mumbai’s Film City.

     

    Announcing the alliance with the illustrious DY Patil Group, Subhash Ghai, Founder & Chairman – Whistling Woods International, said “It is a great privilege for Whistling Woods to be associated with a university of this stature. Over the past year or so, we have been exploring opportunities to expand nationally, and in the institute being set up jointly in Pune, we have found the perfect partner in the DY Patil Group. Whistling Woods is here to stay and this is one step towards expansion with many more to come.”

     

    On the partnership between WWI and the DY Patil Group, Dr Ajeenkya D Y Patil, Chairman, DY Patil Group, commented, “We are delighted that our two institutions have joined forces. I am convinced that the institute of Film, Media and Communication will raise the bar further for professional media education in India. Our vision is to help shape young lives by providing them cutting-edge professional education and training for rewarding and fulfilling careers in the high-growth sector of media & entertainment.”

     

    Dr Patil added, “I am delighted to announce that Pavan R Chawla, a respected and award-winning media & entertainment professional with close to 25 years of rich and varied experience in content and communication with some of the biggest and best M&E brands in India, has joined us as Dean of the DYP-WWI Institute of Film, Media & Communication in Pune. He has a large and impressive body of professional achievements, and I am sure he will be a driving force to achieve our joint vision for the institute.”

     

    Meghna Ghai-Puri, President, WWI, commented, “DY Patil and Whistling Woods International are two institutions that have earned a great reputation in education. It is extremely exciting to be associated with a renowned Institution such as DY Patil, and we look forward to a very successful partnership in the future.”

     

  • The movement urges people to ask questions about issues that matter, in order to 'Drive Positive Change'

    Mahindra Reva launches ‘Ask’ movement

    By A Correspondent

     

    Mahindra Reva, a part of the US$ 15.9 billion Mahindra Group, has announced the launch of its new ‘Ask’ movement, a campaign that urges people to ask questions about the issues that matter. The movement is based on the idea that real progress happens when people ask the right questions and then seek the appropriate answers. The motto of this campaign is: ‘Think, and you will ask. Ask, and you will Rise’.

     

    The Ask movement has emerged from the Mahindra Group’s vision of the Future of Mobility, which was unveiled by Group Chairman, Anand Mahindra in August 2012, at the inauguration of Mahindra Reva’s new manufacturing plant in Bengaluru. At that time, the Mahindra Group had promised to launch a movement to co-create and co-imagine the Future of Mobility, and ‘Ask’ is that movement. The Future of Mobility envisions the creation of an automotive ecosystem that brings Clean, Convenient, Connected, Clever and Cost-effective (the 5 C’s) mobility solutions to customers across the world.

     

    At the root of the Ask movement is Mahindra’s brand idea of ‘Rise’. This has been the basis for a number of other movements including the ‘Spark the Rise’ movement which seeks to tap into the entrepreneurial spirit of India to drive positive change. The Ask movement is another step in this direction and seeks to leverage the principles of Rise to co-create a more sustainable vision of the Future of Mobility. This movement will tap into the hunger for change in an increasingly confident India by inviting the public to ask questions about topics like mobility, infrastructure and technology.

     

    Pravin Shah, Chief Executive, Automotive Division, Mahindra & Mahindra said, “At Mahindra, challenging conventional thinking in everything we do is a way of life. We have always encouraged people to ask questions because we believe that our ability to innovate and develop superior products and services is related to the questions we are asked – by our customers and our own employees. With the Ask movement, we hope to encourage people to constantly think of the questions that really matter and actually voice them, thereby paving the way for the creation of a better world.”

     

    Commenting on the rationale behind the movement, Chetan Maini, Founder and Chief of Strategy & Technology, Mahindra Reva Electric Vehicles said, “Each human being has this innate curiosity and desire to drive positive change. At Mahindra Reva, asking questions is an intrinsic part of what we do. We have relentlessly questioned ourselves on what we can do to redefine the Future of Mobility in the years to come. The Mahindra e2o electric vehicle is our first significant step in this direction.”

     

    Mahindra Reva will funnel these questions down to issues relating to mobility and related topics, and form interest groups that will seek to provide answers to these issues. In this manner, Mahindra Reva hopes to play the role of an incubator of ideas related to the future of mobility.

     

  • A fiery exhortation to "take the next audacious leap" from Uday Shankar rang in FICCI-Frames 2013

    #Frames2013 Time for the M&E sector to take the next audacious leap

     

    By Kshama Rao

     

    The 14th edition of FICCI-Frames started on March 12, 2013 at Hotel Renaissance, Mumbai with this year’s theme being ‘Engaging a Billion Consumers’. The first day of the three-day convention started with Karan Johar, Co-Chair, FICCI-Frames moderating it with FICCI President Naina Lal Kidwai kick-starting the morning event calling it an “annual Mecca where the media and entertainment industries came together to take stock of the year gone by”. This was followed by Uday Shankar, chairman, FICCI Media and Entertainment Committee, talking about the theme this year and another keynote address by Andy Bird, Chairman, Walt Disney International. Other key members on the dais were Dr Soon Tae Park, deputy minister, ministry of culture, sports and tourism, Republic of Korea (Korea being the partner country for this edition) and Perneet Kaur, Union Minister of State for External Affairs, Government of India.

     

    Text of Uday Shankar’s keynote

    While everyone made the right noises about digitization being the “significant driver of change”, the 100 crore b-o success “our next milestone has to be a 1000 crore one” and the various ways to engage a billion consumer through different media, it was Mr Shankar’s – he has got into the shoes of the late Yash Chopra to take on the mantle for taking FICCI to newer heights – fire and brimstone speech that had the audiences applauding the loudest. He said, “It’s time for the next audacious leap for the media and entertainment industry to take, setting a new milestone. The unthinkable is happening with digitization and though it’s taken a little while it’s happening for sure.” He then called for the government to align itself with the industry and its drivers for change. He asked for a pressing need to see the media and entertainment industry as any other business sector and work towards formulating policies and bring about change that could be a win-win situation for everyone concerned. He said it’s “time to nourish the industry and fuel it with policies and that in doing so, a change in the mind-set was required.”

     

    He also talked about a strong desperate need for “measurement” and that lack of data in terms of viewership and footfalls in theatres being the single-most deterrent in the progress and functioning of the industry. “No one really knows the size of the market he or she is catering to, we don’t know the exact viewership; a film producer doesn’t even know how many people have bought tickets to his film! Let’s not forget that rational business decisions are made and based on accurate numbers which we don’t seem to have!”

     

    Last but not the least, Shankar lamented about how despite being a largest democracy, we seem to have patience for those who practice intolerance. “Creative freedom comes with a premium. Freedom of speech is threatened here all the time.”

     

    He also wondered why a film like a Slumdog Millionaire or a Life of Pi couldn’t have been produced out of India and it’s time we did so.

     

    Andy Bird spoke among other things about the coming together of creativity, technology and the tapping of the international market at Disney as also the buying out of UTV and its contribution in helping Disney understand the Indian markets better.

     

    While Ms Kaur lauded the efforts of FICCI and wished them in their endeavor, she also stated that as the upholders of the Indian culture the “entertainment industry also should show some restraint”.

     

  • Alan Rusbridger, Editor-in-chief of the British daily 'The Guardian', will give a presentation at the Press Club, Mumbai, on The Future of Journalism in a Digital Age, on March 19 at 5.15pm

    Guardian Editor Alan Rusbridger in Mumbai next week

    By A Correspondent

     

    Alan Rusbridger, Editor-in-chief of the British daily ‘The Guardian’, will give a presentation at the Press Club, Mumbai, on The Future of Journalism in a Digital Age, on March 19 at 5.15pm.

     

    The presentation will cover a wide gamut of issues from the changes wrought by technology to concerns about regulation and ethical standards in journalism.

     

    It will be followed by a Q & A session. Seating will be on a first-come-first-served basis, and reporters and local editors may cover the event.

     

    Mr Rusbridger, known for his fierce independence and his liberal views, has been the editor of The Guardian since 1995, having joined it as a reporter in 1979. He recently wrote the book ‘Play It Again’ about how he took a year off from news to rediscover himself as a pianist.

     

    The Guardian, known until 1959 as The Manchester Guardian (founded in 1821), has grown from a 19th-century local paper to a national paper with a wide web presence. It has a certified average daily circulation of over 200,000. The paper currently identifies with social liberalism.

     

  • JWT Chennai has won the creative mandate for K7 Computing, the antivirus company. The agency will develop a new brand positing strategy and 360 degree communication solutions for the brand

    JWT Chennai wins creative mandate for K7 Computing

    By A Correspondent

     

    JWT Chennai has won the creative mandate for K7 Computing, the antivirus company. The agency will develop a new brand positing strategy and 360 degree communication solutions for the brand. JWT Chennai will also be responsible to create communication solutions to adrress K7 reatail and corporate customers.

     

    “K7 is engaging JWT to develop a strong marketing strategy that will help the brand reach out and connect with its customers and establish K7 as a leading player in the domain of antivirus and internet security systems,” says J Kesavardhanan, CEO, K7, on their association with JWT.

     

     

  • Cisco recently participated at the Cable TV Show 2013 and showcased its digital pay TV solutions, which will enable both small and medium-sized pay TV operators to provide an improved user experience and generate additional revenues

    It’s the time to Cisco

    By A Correspondent

     

    Cisco recently participated at the Cable TV Show 2013 and showcased its digital pay TV solutions. The solutions are designed keeping in mind operator’s fundamental need for rapid and cost-effective digitalization; and demonstrated market-leading, easy-to-deploy solutions that will enable both small and medium-sized pay TV operators to provide an improved user experience and generate additional revenues.

     

    More than 20 million homes and 100 million viewers in India are currently enjoying an enhanced TV-viewing experience through Cisco’s customers’ platforms including Tata Sky, Airtel, Hathway and Den. Smaller cable operators are also now selecting Cisco as a cost-effective digital TV solution.

     

    At the show, Cisco demonstrated how it is optimizing its technologies to provide a hosted, managed service for small and medium sized cable TV operators looking to migrate from analogue to digital with limited CAPEX budget. The solution is scalable, with a fully managed, end-to-end cable system which significantly reduces upfront software, hardware and integration costs.

     

    Cisco has designed a new Electronic Program Guide (EPG) solution for smaller operators that will enable them to customize their look and feel. This unique solution is designed for Indian cable operators who not only want a cost-effective technology to quickly digitalize their network but also brand identity with a customized EPG design. The Cisco designed EPG is intuitive and easy-to-use. It will enable subscribers to easily navigate TV content and services such as catch-up TV, Video-on-Demand (VOD), DVR programming and interactive applications including games and informational services. 

     

  • Milestone Brandcom executed the new investment campaign for DSP BlackRock, a joint venture between the DSP Group and BlackRock, urging investors to decide sooner rather than later

    Hurry up: Milestone Brandcom for DSP BlackRock

    By A Correspondent

     

    Worried about how to invest your money in the right place at the right time? Who isn’t? It is this thought that the recent brand campaign by DSP BlackRock aims at, by encouraging more investors to plan their finances as soon as possible.

     

    Milestone Brandcom executed the campaign for DSP BlackRock, a joint venture between the DSP Group and BlackRock, by playing on the ’emotional factor’. The creatives focus on events in daily life which should be done ‘sooner rather than later’. The campaign communication is ‘Start Investing Early – Because some things should be done sooner, rather than later.’

     

    The campaign was executed across 35 cities. Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune, Ahmedabad were among the major metros. An assortment of large format & unconventional formats were employed for the campaign. With over 1400 media touch points & 900000 sqft. of exhaustive vinyl ensured that the entire country was plastered with DSP BlackRock!

     

    “The core communication objective was to build salience for the brand and maximize impact through high visibility and scale. To ensure the right audiences were reached, we executed a high intensity, all pervasive OOH plan across the key target markets. We ensured brand presence along every key arterial route & important transit junction across the 35 cities,” said Imtiyaz Vilatra, Founder Member & Managing Partner, Milestone Brandcom.

     

    Commenting on the campaign Aditi Kothari, EVP and Co-Head of Marketing, DSP BlackRock Investment Managers Pvt Ltd said, “The campaign, executed by team Milestone, left no arterial route or media without our brand presence. The work done on OOH is a critical success factor in the number of leads and enquiries for DSP BlackRock and to an extent even the investments generated during the campaign period. Milestone Brandcom has delivered an excellent campaign right from planning to execution.”