MxMIndia

Category: NEWS

  • When Arnab Goswami of Times Now became a subject of debate in the session titled 'The Big Fight for Primetime'…

    #FF14 Day 2: Traditional or sensationalism – what works more for primetime?

    By A Correspondent

     

    The tone for the session was already set by the speaker from the earlier session, who was invited to make a keynote address to the audience on Day 2 of FICCI Frames 2014. Having shared with the audience his secrets to being a popular anchor on news television, Arnab Goswami of Times Now became a subject of debate in the next session titled ‘The Big Fight for Primetime’.

     

    The panelists included Ashok Venkataramani, CEO, MCCS India; Dr Bhaskar Das, CEO, ZEE Media; Vishnu Som, Editor & Sr Anchor, NDTV and Jon Sopel, Senior Anchor, BBC Global News who moderated the session.

     

    Sounding put off by the adulation that his friend and former colleague had received at an earlier session, Vishnu Som was critical as he said that what sells in news journalism today is an element of sensationalisation or entertainment. “The job of any news journalist is to provide news, not infotainment or entertainment. I find Arnab’s Goswami’s style of reporting a bit more dramatic or aggressive if you may call it. Personally, what matters for me is providing content that is high on quality. In that sense, the old style of journalism is much better and remains desirable even today.”

     

    Bhaskar Das highlighted how it was essential to have content that was centered around the interest levels of the viewers. Ultimately, he opined, if you manage to provide good content that will result in better viewership which will translate to better revenues for the channel at large. “It is essential that news broadcasters figure out what is the primetime for the viewer and work towards providing content accordingly.”

     

    On a question on the high number of news channels in operation today, Ashok Venkataramani said that there were too many channels existing in the marketplace which was not feasible. “There are too many news channels operating today and beyond the top 3 players, others will continue to face survival challenges. That is possible by having a sound business model with renewed focus on content.” Mr Venkatramani went on to add that the best way to see that people do not chase TRPs is to stop giving them TRPs. He asserted that it was important to build brands that stayed loyal to their core objective and accordingly, give them enough space to grow.

     

    Taking a hard jibe on the regulators, Vishnu Som was quite vocal when he said that one of biggest problems arising out of the ongoing primetime battle is due to a flawed measurement system. “I find the ratings system to be highly flawed as it is based on limited number of meters installed at homes. In fact, an internal study undertaken by us show NDTV as the clear No 1 in primetime but that is not the case with the current measurement system.” Adding further Som said that news channels today were relying only on advertisers for making money and therefore when the numbers were not right it was causing a dent on the revenue making model for channels.

     

    Pointing again to antics followed on rival channel Times Now, Som said that the primetime in India is majorly between 7-11pm and people have realised that all it takes to get numbers is get in people to talk. “Talking is a cheap exercise as there are no costs involved in getting panelists to speak on air for free, but it results in certain channels getting undue favour from advertisers while those offering quality content don’t get the desired returns. All this needs to change.”

     

    Bhaskar Das opined that the challenge for news channels will be to get the youth hooked on to the content especially since many new platforms were evolving that were offering similar content. But the good thing is that digital is still evolving as a medium and there is still about 3-5 years for television to make changes if it had to stay relevant in the future as well, he remarked.

     

  • The digital world has managed to play the role of a catalyst in disseminating information to the people at large. more aspects concerning the digital world were discussed in detail at the session 'Internet and Democracy: Interloper or Catalyst?'

    #FF14 Day 2: Internet – playing catalyst to change

    By A Correspondent

     

    The year 2014 is turning out to be a turnaround year for political parties who are turning to the digital world to reach out to the masses. While their popularity with the masses on the medium is questionable, what is noteworthy is that it has managed to play the role of a catalyst in disseminating information to the people at large. But it is not as smooth for most politicians who are looking at the medium as an intrusion into their public life.

     

    These and many more aspects concerning the digital world were discussed in detail at the session ‘Internet and Democracy: Interloper or Catalyst?’ The panelists at the session included Chetan Krishnaswamy, Head, Public Policy and Govt Relations, Google India; Suparna Singh, Director of Strategy, NDTV, and Managing Editor, NDTV.com; Ronak Samantray, Founder, NowFloats.com; Mike Best, Berkman Center for Internet & Society, Harvard University and Roger Fisk, PR Expert, President Obama’s Campaign. Jon Sopel, Senior Anchorperson, BBC Global News was the moderator at the session.

     

    Chetan Krishnaswamy of Google began by warming up the audience on the spectacular growth story being put up by the medium of digital. “From what it was around a decade ago, internet has grown by 600 per cent to a $2.5bn industry today. In fact over the next six years, the country would have about half a billion users accessing the internet, easily surpassing countries like US and being a close second to China.” Krishnaswamy went on to add that much of the growth on digital was coming from the mobile platform with over 4 million users using the medium to access content. “What is interesting is the growth that is being reported from non-English websites or language websites that have grown by more than 56 per cent whereas the English websites have grown by just 11 per cent. All these are indications that the internet can only make the democracy better and act as a catalyst.”

     

    According to Suparna Singh, what social media, in addition with players like facebook, twitter can do is become an apparatus of change. “What is being witnessed right now is that such platforms are becoming more opinion oriented and not informational; it needs to shed its baby weight and become more mature. There needs to be more dialogues and exchange of ideas and information on these websites,” reiterated Singh.

     

    Highlighting the action that was being witnessed on the medium with the general elections around the corner, Singh said that though there has been an invasion from the political parties on these platforms, it is still in its infancy. “But that will change in the next general elections where a lot more political parties will take a liking to the medium and will be reaching out to the masses in a much profound manner,” affirmed Singh.

     

    Highlighting the work done by his firm, Ronak Somantray said that the objective of his firm was to get businesses online and promote them largely through the medium of messaging (SMS). There is a lot of response that we have generated in the marketplace and are hopeful of making a big impact in the future as well, he said.

     

    According to Mike Best, the role of social media is not being comprehended in a manner that it should. “If you see the impact that social media websites created on countries like Iran and Syria during the turmoil, it was quite an extraordinary effort.” Best bought up the example of Nigeria where his company had helped the country in the run-up to the elections by providing insights and data on the trends that were being spotted. This, he said, prepared the people to either vote for change or be ready for the worst. Highlighting his objective in 2015, Best said that his company will be monitor social media as well as well as observer missions at the same time when the elections take place again in Nigeria.

     

    The panelists went on to discuss the intricacies surrounding privacy on the internet and how the process had to be simplified so that the owners do not face a harrowing time answering questions from the consumers’ end.

     

  • The fashion portal has got the two top agencies to spearhead a marketing strategy in order to maintain its leading position in apparel retail

    Myntra hopes to maintain high with Lowe & Ogilvy in tow

    By Radhika P Nair

     

    Myntra, a fashion portal, has roped in advertising agencies Lowe Lintas and Partners and Ogilvy India Worldwide to spearhead its marketing strategy in a bid to maintain its leading position as an online apparel retailer.

     

    The Bengaluru-based company will also create separate brand identities for a few of its in-house labels that it plans to sell on other portals and offline stores, as these will provide higher margins. While Ogilvy will focus on the private-label branding, Lowe will handle the overall strategy for Myntra.

     

    Companies such as Flipkart and Myntra are vying for a pie of an overall online retail industry worth more than $3 billion ( 18,000 crore). Lifestyle, including fashion, accounted for 35% of the industry. Myntra aims to be a 10,000-crore firm in the next three to four years and is targeting 1,500 crore in sales during the next fiscal year.

     

    “A couple of our private labels have become quite large and we will now create a brand identity for them beyond Myntra,” said Vikas Ahuja, Myntra’s chief marketing officer. “They will also be available in other online and offline stores by end of the year.” Some of the private labels in the company’s stable have the potential to become a 500-crore brand in two years, Mr Ahuja said.

     

    The company is also finalising kidswear and men’s formalwear ranges to be unveiled in the coming months. A private label is a range of products manufactured and sold by a multi-brand retailer. While third-party apparel brands provide margins of between 30% and 40%, in-house labels can provide over 60%.

     

    Mr Ahuja said the appointment of the two agencies was the next step in the company’s journey. “Our objective is to be the largest and preferred fashion destination in the country. Brand communication is almost as important as the products on offer,” said Mr Ahuja, who was Nestle India’s country business manager til last year.

     

    Online retail market leader Flipkart, on the other hand, has so far used a little known Bengaluru-based agency, Happy Creative Services, which came up with the retailer’s distinctive kids-masquerading-as-adults ads.

     

    Lowe’s recent ads include the one for Tanishq which was scripted around the topic of remarriage and the series of Micromax ads featuring Hollywood actor Hugh Jackman.

     

    While Myntra and the agency did not go into specifics of the marketing strategy, G V Krishnan, Lowe’s executive director, said the focus will be on creating a ‘fandom’ for Myntra. “We want to make the brand endearing, aspirational and yet inclusive to all its consumers.”

     

    Myntra’s Mr Ahuja said the company is still finalising the private labels around which they will announce specific marketing campaigns. The firm, which raised $50 million (over Rs 300 crore) earlier this year, has a range of western casual wear labels for men and women and an ethnic wear label for women.

     

    Poran Malani, president at Ogilvy India Worldwide, said Myntra was “forging the New Digital India.”

     

    It makes business sense for Myntra to create specific campaigns around their successful labels, Aashish Bhinde, executive director at financial services firm Avendus Capital, said. “The idea is to bring in higher margins and they will keep introducing private labels for that.”

     

    Source:The Economic Times

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

    Licensed to republish

     

  • This is perhaps one of the most creatively exciting new ventures NDTV has launched, with so many 'firsts' for television in India

    NDTV Profit splits to offer stockmarket shows at trading hours, sponsored bands as NDTV Prime in the evenings and on weekends

    By A Correspondent

     

    NDTV has announced the rollout of a two-in-one channel – NDTV Profit and NDTV Prime. The announcement was made at a function held at the Trident, Bandra in Mumbai.

    On the channel, NDTV Profit, in a fresh association with The National Stock Exchange of India will operate from 9am to 5pm on weekdays and will offer viewers in-depth and credible business news and analysis during market hours.

    Speaking on NSE’s partnership with NDTV, Chitra Ramakrishna, MD & CEO of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) said, “I think this is a very good initiative and comes together with what NSE has been trying to do over the last few years in terms of investors outreach. NSE always reaches out to various segments of audiences starting from school children at one end to senior citizens. Some of you may be financially savvy, some of you may not be. But we believe that it is really our accomplished sort of objective to reach out to everyone to spread financial literacy at one end, and better investor awareness. So the best way to do this is to have knowledge outreach programmes and the more creative and varied the channels are, we are able to reach out to impart that kind of education.”

    From 5pm and on weekends, the channel will sport a brand new avatar – NDTV Prime, which is in association with Micromax. The channel is targeted at the 25+ urban male and will offer an interesting blend of ‘specialty bands’, which will showcase through the week across genres such as Technology, Auto, Property, Education & Careers, Entertainment and Comedy.

    Rahul Sharma, Co-founder, Micromax said, “Micromax has always looked at unique partnerships that bring alive newer experiences for Indian audiences through our brand associations and product offerings. We are very happy to partner with NDTV for their new and exciting venture NDTV Prime – India’s first dual channel, a new infotainment channel that will reach out to newer audiences through great content across different genres. With digitization and advancement of technology, we are seeing a trend for greater consumption of high quality content among the viewers. NDTV Prime provides an ideal opportunity for Micromax to reach out to evolved viewers through new programming on lifestyle, reality, automobiles, sports, music, property, gadgets & gizmos and comedy, all of which are showing increasing acceptance among Indian viewers. Our best wishes are with NDTV, and look forward to a long-term association.”

    Announcing the launch of NDTV Prime, Dr Prannoy Roy, Co-Chairperson, NDTV said, “This is perhaps one of the most creatively exciting new ventures NDTV has launched, with so many ‘firsts’ for television in India. The reactions so far, from advertisers and sponsors have been very, very positive. This new concept, with two prime times, changes many of the traditional views on what primetime viewership is all about!”

    In a first, sponsors are already on board partnering with the genres that fit in with their brands. Videocon d2h has come on board for ‘Ticket to Bollywood’ while Croma is the overall Technology Band sponsor. MRF is on board for the Auto Band and Supertech continues its association with the Property Band.

     

  • The NBA statement unequivocally ask Kejriwal and AAP to stop making preposterous allegations failing which its members would be forced to reconsider coverage of the activities of the Aam Aadmi Party

    NBA says members may boycott AAP if Kejriwal doesn’t stop hurling allegations against media

    By A Correspondent

     

    In what is a severe and what many consider justified indictment of the Aam Aadmi Party and its leader Arvind Kejriwal, the News Broadcasters Association (NBA) has asked the AAP convenor to “immediately refrain from making preposterous allegations failing which NBA Members would be forced to reconsider coverage of the  activities of the Aam Aadmi Party”.

     

    In a statement, the NBA said it was “shocked to note the unverified and objectionable statements being made by Mr Arvind Kejriwal and his associates regarding the electronic media and accusing the electronic media of being “paid” by political parties to drive their agenda during the General Elections of 2014″

     

    “NBA wishes to remind Mr Arvind Kejriwal & his associates that the electronic media is independent and is discharging its responsibilities in a fair, transparent and balanced manner and urges the AAP not to hurl unsubstantiated and unverified charges on the electronic media,” the statement noted

     

     

  • The actor features in the new TVC announcing the launch of saffron blended, silver coated cardamom seeds, 'Rajnigandha Silver Pearls' from the house of DS Group

    PC to work her magic for DS Group

    By a correspondent

     

    Rajnigandha Silver Pearls has announced Priyanka Chopra as their brand ambassador. The actor features in the new TVC announcing the launch of saffron blended, silver coated cardamom seeds, ‘Rajnigandha Silver Pearls’ from the house of DS Group.

     

    The new 60-sec TVC celebrates the little gestures of goodness that we make despite our hectic day-to-day life, with the slogan ‘Achai ki ek Alag hi Chamak hoti hai ‘. The new catchphrase re-emphasizes the brand’s belief that real goodness always shines through in our words and deeds, and sets us apart as heroes of real life.

     

    Commenting on this occasion, Rajeev Jain, Senior General Manager, Marketing, Dharampal Satyapal Ltd. said, “Rajnigandha brand has always been a hallmark of achievement and our new product ‘Rajnigandha Silver Pearls’ that shares the same brand’s DNA, can be seen as symbolic of individuals who are successful and yet uphold a strong humanistic approach to life. Priyanka Chopra has been appointed as the brand ambassador as she is an epitome of a global achiever, and at the same time a grounded and humble person who is always ready to give time and effort for a good cause. The TV commercial highlights exactly this aspect of her life”.

     

    The film has been created by Dentsu Marcom and narrates the story of a successful film-star who has a massive following because of her inherent goodness. It shows interwoven scenes that narrate examples of little acts of goodness — Priyanka Chopra is seen performing an Indian classical dance, making a moment special for a little boy, throwing a scarf at the screaming sailors and surprising an old woman with a birthday cake.

     

    Finally we see the classical dance performance culminating in her final act of goodness where Priyanka Chopra calls her team for the final bow in front of the audience to acknowledge their contribution to the applause that she has received. It is in the journey back home, that she tastes Rajnigandha Silver Pearls and her chauffer looks through the mirror to realize that ‘achchai ki ek alag chamak hoti hai’.

     

    Titus Upputuru, National Creative Director, Dentsu Marcom said, “Rajnigandha Silver Pearls is saffron blended silver-coated cardamom seeds (Elaichi) Cardamom  is good for health, silver has shine, so we came up with ‘goodness shines’. At the same time we also considered the lineage of Rajnigandha which stood for success and achievement. When we decided to go ahead with Priyanka Chopra as the face of the brand, we thought let’s show stardom in a new light. Thus was born ‘achchai ki ek alag chamak hoti hai’”.

     

  • The company commemorated the triumph with a star-studded event graced by accomplished cinematographers, directors and producers

    Reliance MediaWorks crosses 400-film mark

    By a correspondent

     

    Reliance MediaWorks, the media and techno-creative solutions provider and a part of the Reliance Group, announced the landmark achievement of completing 400 films successfully at their digital lab.

     

    The company commemorated this triumph with a star-studded event graced by accomplished cinematographers, directors and producers that Reliance MediaWorks has worked with on their projects.

     

    Set up in 2008 as Asia’s first Digital Intermediate Lab with a 4K facility, the Reliance film lab revolutionized the way films are processed in India. It also offers cutting edge VFX Solutions to Indian and international productions through its state of the art VFX studios in LA, London and Mumbai. With specialization in highly complex VFX, the company and its team of award winning artists stand at the forefront of an extremely dynamic world of VFX production.

     

    Equipped with a state of the art DI facility to cater to film, TV and web related video content, the team has worked on a slew of recent blockbusters that include Chennai Express, Ram Leela, Krrish 3, Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, 3 Idiots, Singham, amongst others.

     

    Venkatesh Roddam, CEO, Reliance MediaWorks said, “At Reliance MediaWorks we have always believed in adding value to the filmmaking process by keeping up to date with the latest technology and techniques. The completion of 400 films is a testimony of our commitment and hard work.”

     

    Krishna Shetty, President – Post Production Services, Reliance MediaWorks said, “Digital filmmaking has opened up greater possibilities and opportunities for filmmakers than ever before. Every movie, from the massive big budget blockbusters, to the small independent films made on a shoestring budget, have been influenced by the advents in digital technology and filmmaking. We look forward to continuing our efforts to reinvent the ways in which movies are viewed.”

     

  • The ad brings out the importance of high performance and toughness of the tyres in an emotional setting

    TVS Tyres: counting on the letter-man to deliver happiness

    By a correspondent

     

    TVS Tyres has announced the launch of its new multimedia campaign in India. The ad brings out the importance of high performance and toughness of the tyres in an emotional setting as it shows an army jawan braving difficult terrains by riding on TVS Tyres to hand-deliver letters from home to his fellow compatriots.

     

    This is the first time that TVS Tyres has adopted a different route to showcases the ruggedness and dependability elements of the brand. The campaign has been created by Rediffusion Y&R and will be promoted heavily on television, print, outdoor, radio, cinema and ambient media over the next two months.

     

    The TVC begins with a rider sitting near the river side. As the rider moves ahead in his journey, he is shown negotiating his way through the treacherous path in the midst of gushing water – roads washed away, roads no more than dirt tracks and rubble, roads no decent driver would risk taking. The tyres act as his companion as he tries to negotiate through a particularly hazardous patch, where a landslide has occurred, weaving his way through boulders and riding on the absolute edge of the cliff, a steep drop barely an inch away.

     

    As evening approaches, the rider reaches a hillside town where a few army men are stationed. The driver stops, removes his helmet and opens one of the sacks and delivers a letter to one of the men standing around him. The man takes it from him, emotion writ large on his face, as he notices it’s a letter from home. He is joined by others in reading their respective letters. The film ends with the tagline “Koi toh raasta zaroor niklega”.

     

    The film has been created by Ananda Ray, NCD, Rediffusion while Lloyd Baptista is the Director of the film. Ravneet Mahajan is the producer of the film while 7 Films is the production house.

     

  • ZEE Cinema has partnered with the South Asian International Film Festival (SAIFF) as a signature partner

    ZEE appointed partner for SAIFF

    By a correspondent

     

    ZEE Cinema has partnered with the South Asian International Film Festival (SAIFF) as a signature partner. The festival opened with ‘Monsoon Shootout’ and capped off with “The Good Road”. Other films included in the roster were “Animal State” “Ankhon Dekhi” “First Sight” “I.D.” “Qissa” “Siddarth” “Tasher Desh” and the centrepiece feature, “Good Morning, Karachi.” The line-up showcases a combination of films from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

     

    Shilen Amin, President and Founder of SAIFF said, “For the past decade, SAIFF has highlighted the vision of gifted Directors and Writers of full-length feature productions, documentaries, and short films that move and inspire us. New York City has become the most important venue in showcasing the works of some of the world’s best South Asian filmmakers and since then the Festival has become the connection that strengthens the bond between Bollywood and Hollywood in the US. We are proud to announce a new partnership with ZEE TV, the #1 South Asian Channel, along with its family of networks, and the South Asian International Film Festival on its historic 10th Year Anniversary.”

     

    Sameer Targe, General Manager of ZEE TV Americas added, “ZEE TV Americas has had a long-standing commitment in providing South Asian viewers outstanding entertainment here in the U.S. and abroad, and it was only a matter of time before the largest South Asian TV platform and largest Film event in the U.S. would come together in order to continue producing memorable cinematic and cultural experiences for its audiences.”

     

  • The jury members will meet in Cannes to judge work in the new Product Design, Film, Media and Promo & Activation Lions categories

    Cannes announces jury list for four categories

    By a correspondent

     

    The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity has announced the members of a further four juries who will meet in Cannes to judge work in the new Product Design,  Film, Media and Promo & Activation Lions categories.

     

    Commenting on the formidable jury line-up including the new Product Design Lions jury, Terry Savage, Chairman of Lions Festivals, said, “As a global festival celebrating the best creative ideas in brand communications, it is important to embrace all facets of this ever-changing industry, and as such we very much look forward to welcoming the members of the first ever Product Design Lions jury to Cannes Lions along with all our other juries. By judging and awarding only the very best work using integrity, commitment and unbeatable industry knowledge, this esteemed group of industry professionals selected for these juries, will ultimately help drive the industry forward on a global scale.”

     

    As implemented last year, there will be a two-stage judging process for the Media Lions category. A 40-strong jury of media professionals from around the world will be divided into eight sub-groups of five people tasked to cast the first round of votes that will determine the shortlist. Jury president Matt Seiler, Global CEO of IPG Mediabrands, will spend time with each sub-group but will not vote during this first round. At the second voting stage, the shortlist will be judged and the winners selected by the Awarding Jury made up of 13 media industry leaders including the jury president.

     

    The three other juries will be led by Amir Kassaei, Chief Creative Officer, DDB Worldwide, USA (Film Lions); Susan Credle, Chief Creative Officer, Leo Burnett, USA (Promo & Activation Lions) and Donghoon Chang, Executive Vice President, Samsung Electronics, South Korea (Product Design Lions).

     

    Amir Kassaei, Chief Creative Officer, DDB Worldwide, USA is the Jury President for the Film category while Matt Seiler, Global Chief Executive Officer, IPG Mediabrands, is the Global - Jury President + Awarding Jury for the Media category.

     

    Susan Credle, Chief Creative Officer, Leo Burnett, USA is the Jury President for Promo & Activation while Donghoon Chang, Executive Vice President, Samsung Electronics, South Korea is the Jury President for Product Design category.

     

  • According to sources, the revalidation exercise hasn't started in right earnest and it's unlikely that the RSCI and MRUC will complete it by March 31 as announced earlier

    IRS revalidation will not happen by March 31

    By A Correspondent

     

    In what is a blow to the readership measurement mechanism, it is reliably learnt that the revalidation exercise that the Readership Studies Council of India (RSCI) and the Media Research Users Council (MRUC) were supposed to conduct along with Nielsen India hasn’t really started in right earnest.

     

    A meeting of a small taskforce created to look into the concerns on IRS 2013 has been appointed with senior industrypersons as members.  A meeting of this group happened last week, on March 13.

     

    Although the MRUC statement on February 19  had categorically stated that IRS 2013 was to be in abeyance till March 31, sources tell MxMIndia that the process will take at least another month and even more given that all stakeholders are busy with the budgeting exercises in their own organisations.

     

    Meanwhile, there is some confusion in the market as a few publishers continue to quote the IRS 2013 figures as it suits their business. A few others have got back to the earlier numbers. A media planner who spoke to MxMIndia on anonymity that there is much confusion and vagueness in buying decisions. “The bosses of stakeholder bodies like the INS, AAAI, RSCI and MRUC should realise that short-sightedness is self-defeating.  Had they waited for a month more earlier and revalidated all numbers properly, we would not have got to this.”

     

  • In 2013, the CCC decided on 1842 complaints out of which 1477 were upheld

    ASCI cracks whip on misleading ads; Education, Personal Care products major defaulters

    By a correspondent

     

    In December 2013, ASCI’s Consumer Complaints Council (CCC) upheld complaints against 87 ads which was dominated by Health & Personal Care category that continued to lead with the highest number of complaints received.

     

    In 2013, the CCC decided on 1842 complaints out of which 1477 were upheld. Out of these misleading advertisements, approximately 40 per cent were the education sector advertisements and 36 per cent from the personal and healthcare category.

     

    In the year 2013, Advertising Standards Council of India introduced various initiatives ensuring quicker and stronger actions against all advertisements violating its code.  The National Advertising Monitoring Service (NAMS) helped the self-regulatory body to cast its net wide on the defaulting advertisers, and Online Complaint and Monitoring Service (OCMS) made it convenient and faster for consumers to file complaints against misleading advertisements.

     

    In addition, ASCI also launched online monitoring of ads to track advertisements in the online space and also introduced Suspension Pending Investigation for taking quick action against those advertisements whose continuation may be against public interest. These initiatives resulted in a five-fold increase in the number of complaints.