MxMIndia

Category: NEWS

  • dna has put on a front-page note saying there is a "clear mismatch" between the IRS numbers and its own database of readers

    Knives out. dna questions new IRS numbers

    By A Correspondent

     

    Okay, it would be incorrect to suggest that a streetfight is on. But in what is decidedly not a common sight post the release of readership data, news daily dna, has put on a front-page unsigned note headlined: dna questions new IRS numbers.

     

    This is what the note says:

    “The Indian Readership Survey (IRS) 2013 is out in the public domain. However, dna contests the data presented by Media Research Users Council (MRUC).

     

    There’s a clear mismatch between the survey figures and our own database. dna has a robust subscription base and we have the names, contact numbers and addresses of most of our readers, who have opted for a paid subscription scheme. This also shows our loyal reader base, which is extremely stable.

     

    We would, therefore, like to know the basis of IRS’ readings. There seems to be an honest error on the part of MRUC and we have written to the Director-General and the Chairman of the Technical Committee of MRUC for a clarification.

     

    We trust the IRS would take corrective measures immediately”

     

    A senior media researcher who spoke to MxMIndia on anonymity said it was indeed unusual for a newspaper to frontpage its peeve on the readership numbers. “The stakes are high in a market like Mumbai, so dna could ill-afford a negative outlook.” But is the paper right in feeling aggrieved, we asked. “Everyone is right in feeling so. While there will be shifts in previous numbers when a research methodology changes, such a significant change is inexplicable.”

     

    Meanwhile, even though the fight hasn’t commenced, the knives are out for sure. And as we know from the past, the Zee group, of which dna is now an integral part, is known to put up a good fight.

     

  • Since it is incorrect to compare with the last IRS figures, it would be prudent to do an analysis only after the next round

    IRS 2013: Toplines & Top 10s + Why it’s incorrect to analyse numbers

    By Our Research Associate

     

    The Indian Readership Survey (IRS), billed as the world’s largest continuous study tracking print and other media consumption, demographics, product ownership and usage, etc, released the first round of 2013 figures. IRS 2013 covered a sample of more than 235,000 households, across India. The sample was  spread across Urban India (~ 160,000 households) and Rural India (~ 75,000 households). The Nielsen Company conducted the extensive study.

     

    The key information areas covered being:

    – Readership of print publications for a wide range of local, regional, and national newspapers and magazines.

    – Reach and consumption of other media – Television, Radio, Digital and Cinema.

    – Demographic profiling

    – Consumer Durable Ownership and FMCG Usage.

     

    The RSCI has released the findings of the readership study for 2013. While Dainik Jagran continues to be #1, Hindustan has climbed up to #2 position as Dainik Bhaskar is #3. Malayala Manorama is #4, Daily Thanthi at #5, Rajasthan Patrika at #6 followed by The Times of India at #7. Amar Ujala, Matrubhumi and Lokmat are at #7, #8 and #9. (Source of information until here: MRUC website – topline findings and release notes)

     

    The tables in the slideshow alongside are self-explanatory. As per the request of the IRS authorities, we have refrained from comparing the figures put out in the last report given that it wouldn’t be an apple-and-apple comparison. The figure given to the media are only toplines which don’t really reflect much, except create an incorrect perception. Also, since it is incorrect to compare with the last IRS figures, it would be prudent to do an analysis after the next round. In fact it would have been nicer for the RSCI/ MRUC/ Nielsen to reveal the figures only after the second round along with the first one.

  • What D&AD brings to the table is a rigour in the judging process which Kyoorius pledges to honour and maintain

    One Min View: Can the industry afford two creative advertising awards?

    We were sure this would happen. The Abby awards have lost much glitter over the years and created room for a D&AD-like player to come in with the Kyoorius Awards.

     

    But if the film industry can have 10-odd awards, what prevents over a dozen being offered for advertising. Well, for the film awards, there’s no entry fee, and the organizers make their money from sponsors given it’s a televised show. Not so for the ad awards.

     

    Yes, internationally we have the D&AD, Cannes, Clio, One Show etc etc, but can we really afford to have more than one awards show? Or, rather, can agencies afford to send entries to more than one national awards event apart from some of the international awards that need to be participated in?

     

    It’s unfortunate that the ecosystem has led the Abby degenerate to this level. Degenerate may be a harsh word, but surely the Creative Abby even as it is the Oscars of the creative advertising community has lost much sheen.

     

    If we thought things couldn’t get worse after Ogilvy not participating last year, the controversy around scam ads and plagiarism was shameful.

     

    What D&AD brings to the table is a rigour in the judging process which Kyoorius pledges to honour and maintain. Last year, D&AD’s often brutal processes were much appreciated at the Kyoorius Design Awards, and one hopes to see an encore of that for the Creative Advertising Awards. Even Kyoorius’s founder-CEO Rajesh Kejriwal wasn’t allowed to enter the meeting room on the first two days of judging.

     

    Contrast this with the Creative Abby where the processes have been cleansed much, but there’s a definitely loss of faith. And face.

     

    It’s ironic that the Ad Club is managed by some of the brightest brains in the business. The top creative bosses are also a very reasonable lot. What needs to be done is for them to sit together and hammer out a solution. Soon. Meanwhile, for now, let’s welcome the D&AD-Kyoorius folks. And let’s hope both can co-exist.

     

  • The second phase of the campaign was launched a few days back with a two-minute TVC, digital and print advertising and exhibitions which will draw people to understand the problem and donate

    Taproot launches second phase of TOI campaign on farmer suicides

    By A Correspondent

     

    Taproot India has released the second part of the farmer suicides campaign it has created for The Times of India.  The awareness campaign began in April last year with an exhibition, traffic to which was driven by a print and outdoor campaign. As part of that communication, 12 portraits of dead farmers were created using dry, burnt hay. These portraits were displayed and auctioned and the proceeds from each portrait were given to the families of the deceased.

     

    “The objective of this campaign is to raise awareness of this issue so that steps are taken to support the farmers. In addition the campaign will also attempt to provide an alternative source of income  to the farmers families that have been affected,” said Rahul Kansal, Executive Director, Bennett, Coleman & Co Ltd, the publishers of The Times of India.

     

    Rahul Kansal

    Given the response to the initial phase, the second phase of the campaign was launched a few days back a two-minute TVC, which is also a part of a digital campaign that got implemented around the same time. Webchutney is the digital agency. Along with the television message, hoardings have been planned in different cities, starting with Mumbai. Followed by a print campaign and a second round of exhibition planned at Feb end in Nagpur, The whole agenda of the campaign is to have more and more people wake up to the issue and generate sufficient funds for the hugely affected farmer community, notes a communiqué.

     

    Santosh Padhi

    “One Indian farmer committing suicide every 30 minutes is indeed a shocking piece of news. Our attempt is to make people realise the seriousness of the issue and request people to donate or spread the message. The more we spread the message the higher our chances of saving a few lives,” said Santosh Padhi, Chief Creative Officer and Co-founder, Taproot India.

     

    All proceeds go towards helping the community learn alternative means of livelihood and to support the families of the bereaved. The initiative has been carried out with support from Samaj Sevak Charitable Trust, an NGO working for the same cause, thereby ensuring the funds reach those rightfully in need. The initiative has also gained support from the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development to ensure effective implementation of all its programmes.

     

    “India’s economic strength comes from the farmers and all that they produce. Close to 60 percent of people are still directly or indirectly dependent on agriculture. For centuries, the entire nation has been heavily reliant on the farmers. So it’s only right that now when they are suffering, we try and do everything from donations to awareness programs to ease their pain and put an end to their sufferings,” said Vivek Khilare, Secretary and Divisional Head, Samaj Sevak Trust, Mumbai

     

  • TBWA\India announced the appointment of Rajshekar Patil as Creative Director based in the Mumbai office

    Rajshekar Patil joins TBWA as CD

    By A Correspondent

     

    TBWA\India has announced the appointment of Rajshekar Patil as Creative Director based in the Mumbai office. With over 10 years of experience in advertising, Mr Patil has worked at BBH, Grey, Ogilvy & Mather and Contract where he was last employed.

     

    “Raj’s maturity as a creative director, digital smarts and an innate ability to spot opportunities for brands makes him a great resource to our young, ambitious and inventive creative department,” added Parixit Bhattacharya, Chief Creative Officer at TBWA\ India Group. “I look forward to some disruptive work from him and the team.”

     

    Commenting on his appointment, Mr Patil said, “It’s always exciting to join people who have worked beyond borders. TBWA has a pedigree that is truly global. So, the next step is to quickly get to the important part – great work and good fun.”

     

  • The Association of Designers of India has announced the eight annual edition of the Pune Design Festival. It will be held on February 14 and 15 at Hotel Le Meridien, Pune

    Pune Design Festival on Feb 14-15

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Association of Designers of India (ADI) has announced the eight annual edition of the Pune Design Festival (PDF). It will be held on February 14 and 15 at Hotel Le Meridien, Pune (*See Disclosure).

     

    According to Ashwini Deshpande, Managing Committee, ADI Pune Chapter and co-founder Elephant Design, the PDF is a one-of-a-kind initiative organized by practising designers from Pune. “As always, it will be a glocal platform with a mix of designers and design thinkers from India and overseas,” she said.

     

    Pune Design Festival, has earned accolades for exploring diverse design and design-led business segments, noted a communiqué adding: “This year’s theme, Design Unlimited, will celebrate wider interpretations by exploring fields other than design that embrace good design.”

     

    Since 2010, Pune Design Festival also celebrates work by design students through a student project competition in the following categories:  Industrial Design, Graphic Design & Visual Communication, User Interface Design, Media- Film & Animation, Transportation Design and Craft-based products.  The competition is open to all design students across the country for coursework and student projects. Entries should be submitted as soft copies, not more than 3 jpeg files of A3 size at 72 dpi resolution to competition14@punedesignfestival.org.  Submission mail must mention category name in subject line. Entry is free. This is also the eighth edition of student competition. In the past there have been winners from design schools across the country including Ahmedabad, Delhi, Mumbai and Pune. The jury comprises well-known design professionals from across the country.

     

    Said Nachiket Thakur, Head of Design at Mahindra Composites and part of the managing committee of the ADI Pune Chapter has been leading the awards initiative: “Battle of Design Projects – a student design projects competition is being arranged for the fourth time in a row. We started this initiative to encourage the good design work happening in various design schools in India. One of the competition winners last year went on to win the Red Dot award in Singapore for the product concept category. The competition is getting overwhelming response with each passing year. We are extending the submission deadline to February 1.”

     

    Said Nikita Kanade, who was a winner in the 2013 edition: “Pune Design Festival is a wonderful platform to meet designers across disciplines and also to get your work noticed and analysed under their watchful eyes. I had the privilege of being associated with PDF 2013 through the student project competition where I won in the visual communication category. The event triggered insightful thinking and also opened gates for new conversations and design collaboration opportunities. It is a great window of opportunity for young designers to step in the professional world and experience a slice of it.” Ms Kanade was a student at MIT-ID when she participated in the competition and now works with Microsoft. More information on PDF is available on www.punedesignfestival.org.

     

    *Disclosure: MxMIndia is a media partner of the Pune Design Festival

     

  • MxMIndia learns that a few leading dailies are planning to collectively and individual contest the IRS in Court. They are currently seeking legal opinion on the same.

    Key newspapers likely to contest IRS numbers in Court

    By A Correspondent

     

    Does it help having a stakeholder-led body supervise measurement exercises? Logically, it should, but often it could mean more problems.

     

    Paritosh Joshi

    Running the technical committee and the MRUC and RSCI is a thankless job, and as Paritosh Joshi, head of the MRUC and IRS techcom, told MxMIndia in an interview, “as a TechCom person, I have to do the best possible job of design and process management. The numbers are outcomes that distill the voice of respondents.”

     

    The problem is that a large number of the key newspapers are unhappy with the new set of readership figures. While the response was muted at the Mumbai launch of the new IRS, the murmurs got louder when the report was unveiled in Delhi on Wednesday.

     

    Sensing a negative outcome from the stockmarkets, a leading listed newspaper company even engaged investor analysts with data to point out what it consider as anomalies. As reported earlier, dna had also questioned the data by way of a front-page note.

     

    MxMIndia learns that a few leading dailies are planning to collectively and individual contest the IRS in Court. They are currently seeking legal opinion on the same.

     

    When alerted about this, a senior MRUC functionary told us that Court cases files by aggrieved members and newspaper groups after the publication of readership numbers is nothing new for the MRUC.

     

  • The Delhi High Court has deferred its decision on staying the TV ratings guidelines to February 11

    Decision on TV ratings guidelines pushed to Feb 11

    By A Correspondent

     

    As per reports that have just come in, the Delhi High Court which was to have announced its decision on the Kantar Media petition on the government guidelines on television audience measure will now happen on February 11.

     

    It may be remembered that the 30-day period after the government guidelines were issued this month on January 16 is due to end on February 14.

     

    *Please await a detailed report by 7.30pm today (Jan 29)

     

  • Star Plus was at 606 (previous week 626), Colors at 449 (467), Zee at 441 (471), Life OK 375 (347), Sab 323 (318) and Sony was at 254 (258)

    Colors back at #2 as Life OK biggest gainer in Week 4

    By A Correspondent

     

    Week 4 of 2014 saw Colors revert to the #2 slot with Life OK numbers increasingly dramatically on the back of the Life OK Screen awards aired last Saturday.

     

    Star Plus was at 606 (previous week 626), Colors at 449 (467), Zee at 441 (471), Life OK 375 (347), Sab 323 (318) and Sony at 254 (258).

     

    As always, this info is based on what a TAM subscriber told us. Nothing official about it. But it’s reliable.

     

    We expect Sony’s ratings to leapfrog next week given the numbers of the Filmfare Awards.

     

  • The megastar told IIM-A students that he had stopped endorsing Pepsi after Jaipur girl called it 'poison'

    For Amitabh Bachchan, endorsing Pepsi is not the right choice!

    By Vishal Dutta & Ratna Bhushan

     

    Egging on other celebrities to do a due diligence before endorsing brands, Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan told an audience on Thursday that he stopped endorsing Pepsi after he was confronted by a little girl who wondered why he promoted the soft drink that her teacher had branded as poison.

     

    Mr Bachchan said the girl tossed the question to him during an event at a school in Jaipur. He said he could not reply immediately, but it made him feel “this impression is on the mind of the people…” “So I stopped endorsing Pepsi,” he told the audience at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, comprising IIM-A students, faculty members and officials of Gujarat Tourism – a brand that Mr Bachchan promotes.

     

    Mr Bachchan said he did his due diligence before endorsing any product. “I look into it… I meet the client and ask them about it… I don’t endorse tobacco or alcohol because I don’t have them…then why I should endorse them?” he said.

     

    “I tell this to my son Abhishek and to daughter-in-law Aishwarya also…if you have to endorse a product then you have to conduct your life in such a manner that it does not affect others’ lives,” Mr Bachchan said. His comments came at the end of the interactive session on celebrity endorsement when an IIM-A student asked him about how he decided on brands.

     

    A spokesman for PespiCo, which owns the soft drink brand Pepsi, refused to comment on Mr Bachchan’s remarks. The actor had featured in the Pepsi campaigns between 2002 and 2005. Chandra Bhushan, deputy director general of environment think tank Centre for Science & Environment, said that Mr Bachchan’s comments should serve as an example for a lot of celebrities who endorse brands that are not healthy and make children obese.

     

    “Most celebs have been associated with one cola brand or the other. They should be responsible for what brands they endorse,” said Mr Bhushan, whose organisation had spearheaded a campaign against soft drinks such as Pepsi and Coca-Cola a few years ago after reports that they contained pesticide residues.

     

    Cola brands are one of the biggest spenders in the advertising markets and any association with the top brands is considered a badge of recognition in tinsel town. Pepsi’s current brand ambassadors include Ranbir Kapoor and Indian cricket team captain MS Dhoni while Deepika Padukone endorses Coca-Cola, a brand that also boasts of Sachin Tendulkar, who appears in its social messaging ads.

     

    Bollywood’s highest-paid star Shah Rukh Khan endorsed Pepsi for over 10 years while Mr Bachchan’s daughter-in-law Aishwarya Rai endorsed brand Coca-Cola during her heydays in Bollywood. Harish Bijoor, social commentator and brand consultant, however, felt Mr Bachchan needed to be more careful before airing such views.

     

    “After endorsing a brand for so many years, he cannot de-endorse it. Any brand endorsement deal by a celebrity is an informed choice. They cannot be repenting it at a later stage,” he said.

     

    Mr Bachchan, who has been described as ‘the angry young man’ and ‘one-man industry during his blockbuster years in Bollywood in the 1970s and 80s, started his association with Pepsi in 2002.

     

    His current endorsements include Maggi, Kalyan Jewellers, Parle Goldstar Cookies, Binani Cement and Gujarat Tourism. At least one commentator we spoke to wondered what Mr Bachchan would have to say about his continuing endorsement of Maggi, a convenience food targeted at children that is high on calories.

     

    Elaborating on his endorsement strategy, Mr Bachchan said he took up Gujarat government’s tourism campaign by sheer accident after a conversation with Chief Minister Narendra Modi. During the production of his movie ‘Paa’, he had met the CM to request waiving of entertainment tax for the film.

     

    During the conversation, Mr Modi told Mr Bachchan that Gujarat had the largest number of archeological sites in the country. “I suggested it should be talked about,” Mr Bachchan said. Within a week, Gujarat Tourism Secretary Vipul Mittra called Mr Bachchan up regarding a new campaign for Gujarat Tourism. “I suggested Ogilvy & Mather’s Piyush Pandey, and members from the tourism department joined in, thus creating an initial team for the Gujarat Tourism ad campaign,” he said.

     

    Source:The Economic Times

    Copyright © 2014, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved

    Licensed to republish

     

  • Late entrant Videocon’s DTH service celebrates 10 million connections in four years

    Videcon claims 10mn d2h connections

    By A Correspondent

     

    Videocon d2h may have been a late entrant in the direct to home television distribution space, but if a communiqué from the company is to be believed, the service has crossed 10 million connections.  d2H was launched pan-India in 2010.

     

    Said Saurabh Dhoot, Director, Videocon group: “Our commitment is to deliver the best to our customers and the encouraging response of the customers is an endorsement of our services.”

     

    Added CEO Anil Khera: “We are continuously differentiating ourselves from competitors by offering quality.”

  • The new structure to have both companies working under the L&K Saatchi & Saatchi brand

    Publicis takes majority stake in Law & Kenneth, merges it Saatchi & Saatchi India [Updated]

     

    By A Correspondent

     

    It’s not an acquisition like various others. Paris-based Publicis group has acquired a majority stake in Mumbai-headquartered full-service independent agency Law & Kenneth (L&K). In turn, L&K has merged with the India operations of the group’s Saatchi & Saatchi and taken full management control of the agency.

     

    Anil S Nair (CEO & Managing Partner, L&K S&S), Sandhya Srinivasan (CSO & Managing Partner, L&K S&S) and Anil K Nair (CEO & Managing Partner, Digital L&K S&S)

    The baton was in fact passed on to the L&K bosses some two months back, and once Saatchi’s key clients like Procter & Gamble were taken into confidence, the deal was announced on Thursday. Saatchi & Saatchi India will be re-branded L&K Saatchi & Saatchi.

     

    Law & Kenneth Chairman and Managing Director Praveen Kenneth will manage the new entity in the same role. He will join the Saatchi & Saatchi Asia-Pacific board and will work with Chris Foster, Chairman and CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi APAC. L&K’s core team of managing partners – Anil S Nair (CEO), Sandhya Srinivasan (CSO) and Anil K. Nair (CEO, Digital L&K) will take charge of the new company.

     

    Interesting Kenneth was CEO of Publicis India from 1999-2003. In 2004, he and British adman Andy Law founded L&K along with investor and co-founder Anita Roddick of The Body Shop. Pre-merger, the agency served a cross-section of local and global clients, including Renault, Dabur, Tata AIG Insurance, Godrej, ITC, Reliance, Idea and Hero MotoCorp.

     

    According to industry estimates, the combined entity will have a turnover upwards of Rs 100 crore, with more than 75 per cent contribution from the erstwhile L&K’s clients.

     

    Said Maurice Lévy, Chairman and CEO of Publicis Groupe in statement: “”We are excited to be adding the breadth and depth of talent and resources of Law & Kenneth to  the Saatchi & Saatchi network in  India. We are glad to be welcoming Praveen back into the Publicis Groupe family.”

     

    Praveen Kenneth

    Said Kenneth: “L&K was born out of passion and our story is an example of the Saatchi & Saatchi spirit of ‘Nothing Is Impossible’.” While what Publicis brings to the table is the financial muscle and international scale, Kenneth & Co will drive the enterprise hard. “The combination of L&K’s stability, size proven success and experience in India’s dynamic marketplace, together with Saatchi & Saatchi’s iconic status and mystique, results in a creative powerhouse that is L&K Saatchi & Saatchi,” Kenneth added.

     

    The Publicis group has been on an acquisition spree in recent years and employs 3000 professionals across 10 global media service networks in India.