MxMIndia

Category: NEWS

  • The alliance with the Tennis League reiterates the airline’s strong commitment towards sponsoring key sporting events worldwide

    Qatar Airways comes on board as Presenting Sponsor of IPTL

    By A Correspondent

     

    Qatar Airways has teamed up with Coca-Cola International Premier Tennis League (IPTL) as the Presenting Sponsor for the inaugural edition of the event. The alliance with the Tennis League reiterates the airline’s strong commitment towards sponsoring key sporting events worldwide.

     

    The IPTL is the first of its kind initiative in tennis to encourage a competitive franchise-based competition. The League will travel to the cities of Manila, Singapore, New Delhi and Dubai featuring current and former ATP and WTA players in its inaugural season from 28 November until 13 December 2014.

     

    The strategic partnership will play a key role in connecting teams and sports fans from across the world to four countries in Asia to witness the much-awaited event. In its capacity as the Presenting Sponsor, Qatar Airways will be undertaking a series of on-ground activations to engage with tennis fans across the globe.

     

    Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Akbar Al Baker said: “We are extremely excited about our partnership with the Coca-Cola International Premier Tennis League. At Qatar Airways, we have a long-standing history of associations with large-scale sporting events which allows us to connect with sporting fans and legendary sportsmen across the globe through our widespread global route network. Qatar Airways’ association with this event will further promote the game among the increasing fan base of tennis enthusiasts across the world.”

     

    Mahesh Bhupathi on behalf of IPTL said: “Qatar Airways’ legacy as a committed sponsor of global sports events is well known. We’re glad to partner with an award-winning airline like them as Presenting Sponsor and look forward to enjoying a long and fruitful association during and after the IPTL season.”

     

    Starting from the Philippines, the Tennis League will travel to Singapore and India before culminating in Dubai. In its inaugural season, the championship will feature renowned players such as Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova and others playing for four tournament franchises – Manila Mavericks, Singapore Slammers, Micromax Indian Aces and the UAE Royals, that have been sponsored by corporates and leading sports legends.

     

  • Industry captains to debate on Friday, November 28, 5-7pm, Mumbai

    IAA Debate in Mumbai to delve on Metro Markets

    By A Correspondent

     

    The first in a new season of IAA Debates, organised by the International Advertising Association (IAA) India Chapter and presented by the Dainik Bhaskar group, will be held on Friday, November 28, 2014 at Gallops, Mahalakshmi Race Course, Mumbai.

     

    Industry captains will speak for and against the motion on: Metro Markets are losing their sheen to Tier II & III Towns for Consumer Products/Services. The speakers are

    :: Sadashiv Nayak, CEO, Future Retail Ltd
    :: Ronita Mitra, Senior VP, Brand Communication & Insights, Vodafone India
    :: Amitabh Pande, Senior Director – Consumer Insights and Strategy, PepsiCo India Region
    :: Atul Phadnis, CEO, Whats-On and GM (APAC), Gracenote

     

     

    The debate will be moderated by Mini Menon, Executive Editor, Bloomberg TV India.

     

    Srinivasan K Swamy, President, IAA India Chapter & Vice President – Development, Asia Pacific, IAA and Chairman & Managing Director, R K SWAMY HANSA Group,  on the new season of IAA Debates said, “The IAA Debates has traditionally seen industry leaders deliberate on topics of vital importance to the stakeholders we serve. We have had debates on the relevance of print and TV in the digital age – whether social media is a good business, the role of creative becoming more critical with media fragmentation. I am happy that the new season of IAA Debates is kicking off with a topic of much relevance to the fraternity.”

     

    The IAA Debates hosted so far have been in Mumbai, Goa, Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Chennai. The Debates have featured senior advertising, media and marketing professionals such as Prasoon Joshi, Vikram Sakhuja, Lloyd Mathias, Josy Paul, Pratap Bose, Deepika Warrier, Anupriya Acharya, Arun Anant, Arunabh Das Sharma, Partha Sinha, Monica Tata, Vikram Chandra, Punitha Arumugam, Mahesh Murthy, Virginia Sharma, Ashok Lalla and Zerin Rahman, speaking for and against the motion.

     

  • MxMIndia is looking for bright, smart, confident individuals (gender no bar) in Mumbai and New Delhi who have excellent English writing and speaking skills. Email us a link to your LinkedIn profile and your coordinates at editor [at] mxmindia.com.

    MxM is hiring. And you needn’t have been a journalist to be an Editor or Reporter

    Yes, you could have been a copywriter, clientservicing exec, PR exec, sales manager, shop assistant, social media writer, call centre operator, homemakers… whatever. MxMIndia is looking for bright, smart, confident individuals (gender no bar) in Mumbai and New Delhi who have excellent English writing and speaking skills. And, btw, you could’ve also been a journalist.

     

    MxMIndia is into the business of media, and not just into the craft and creation of television software, advertising or news media. So please don’t expect to meet Kapil Sharma or Arnab Goswami or land yourself on the sets of your favourite soap on Day 1 or 2 or 100 of your job.

     

    The ideal candidates should be under 24 years of age, but 30-somethings are welcome as long as they are happy to start lower down the ladder.

     

    We have flexi work hours and you don’t have to be physically present in the office every day. We are strict on deliveries, but we aren’t impractical in our demands. We follow a Code of Ethics, and expect your primary commitment to be the work at MxM.

     

    We are a multiple media company and offer opportunities in digital, print and in future: video/television.

     

    We don’t expect you to know who the Chief Justice of India is or who is the Chief Editor of The Times of India, but we surely expect you know a fair bit about the media and brands and newsmakers.

     

    The ideal applicant should be familiar with the digital media, be active on Twitter and Facebook and be comfortable with technology. We don’t consider working long hours a virtue, but when necessary, the MxM editor/sub/reporter should willing to work looong hours.

     

    Enough said. If interested, mail us a link to your LinkedIn profile and your coordinates at editor [at] mxmindia.com.

     

    Designation and salary will match experience.

     

  • The channel is expanding its content offering to reflect the new and emerging passions, desires and interests of the aspirational male audience

    Discovery Turbo targets ‘Men’ as new TG

    By A Correspondent

     

    Discovery has transformed its existing channel Discovery Turbo into a Premium English Entertainment Channel for Men. The channel is expanding its content offering to reflect the new and emerging passions, desires and interests of the aspirational male audience.

     

    Turbo will fill the vacuum in the Indian television space by catering to the growing segment of men seeking to live life to the absolute fullest. The channel will give its male audience a life changing inspiration and its content will push the boundaries of endurance, imagination and excitement. The refreshed Turbo brand will present content ranging from adventure, combat, DIY, hobbies, lifestyle, reality, trends, challenges, and auto. A one-stop destination for everything cool, real and entertaining, the channel programmes will be presented by the world’s most ingenious, daring and eccentric personalities.

     

    The brand MAN-tra will be demonstrated through the channel’s new logo and new programming and bold personalities such as Mike Rowe, Joel Lambert, Les Stroud and Gary Humphrey and Bill Wu.

     

    Rahul Johri, EVP & GM – South Asia and Southeast Asia, Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific said, “The refreshed Turbo will match the dynamic expectations of the Indian male audience seeking maximum out of every experience. The only specialised content channel in the English genre, Turbo reflects the promised benefits of digitalization. The Indian television landscape is ever changing and we have stayed ahead of the curve by recognizing the evolving trends and addressing them by creating new television genres and distinct audience segments. With its widened content offering, Turbo will offer an increased value to the affiliates and advertisers.”

     

  • In the last two decades, this show has enviably featured almost all top names from India

    India TV to celebrate 21 years of ‘Aap Ki Adalat’

    By A Correspondent

     

    India TV’s iconic show ‘Aap Ki Adalat’, hosted by Rajat Sharma, completes 21 years of airing in India. To commemorate the milestone, India TV is organizing an event on 2ndDecember 2014 that will be graced by the who’s who of India including the President, Prime Minister, Bollywood stars, sports icons, business leaders, etc.

     

    Ritu Dhawan, MD & CEO, India TV said, “Words would be redundant if we try to sum-up the glorious journey of Aap Ki Adalat, equally redundant would be an attempt to word the glory of the celebration plan. I am sure that every bit will be loved by both who will be present for the ceremony & those who will get to watch this on their TV sets.”

     

    Ritu Dhawan

    In the last two decades, this show has enviably featured almost all top names from India. During the celebration most of the personalities who featured in Aap Ki Adalat in its journey are expected to grace this mega event, making it the biggest such gathering in recent times.

     

    GEC channel Star Plus has also decided to be part of the celebrations and the event will be simulcast on both the channels – India TV and Star Plus on a 7th December at 10pm.

     

  • Celebrating the spirit of music and life, Gaana.com unveils 'Bas Bajna Chahiye Gaana' campaign

    Gaana.com launches first musical brand campaign

    By A Correspondent

     

    Gaana.com has launched a unique musical campaign for its brand promotion. The brand has strategically chosen the content marketing route for this musical campaign.

     

    The recently released music video on YouTube has already fetched over a million views and in the coming few days, TVCs supported by a high decibel media plan will also being rolled out.

     

    Gaana.com has been serving out music across genres and preferences for the past two years. The recently launched Gaana 5.0, with a slick black theme and hourly playlist feature, has already led to a 20 per cent increase in average time spent by users.

     

    ‘Bas Bajna Chahiye’ campaign will further give a push to the app. It is a first-of-its-kind content marketing initiative that promotes the website as a brand. The song reflects the various moods and occasions where “Gaana” plays a role and even uses the word ‘Gaana’, as an integral part of the music video.

     

    Commenting on the occasion, Pratik Mazumder, Vice President & Head Marketing, Times Internet said, “Being the category leader in the music streaming space, we felt that the brand name itself provided the opportunity to define the category and therefore we took this route. In this musical campaign, we have emphasized on the fact that all moments & situations in life can be made awesome with music. ‘Jo bhi situation to make it awesome’ with gaana.com, Bas Bajna Chahiye Gaana”. We roped in some of India’s most talented musicians to create an amazing song for us which we shared with our users. The tremendous response has only encouraged us to take this forward and convert this in to a full-fledged campaign & launch it across different media vehicles.”

     

    The campaign has been created by M&C Saatchi and will be the very first multimedia campaign for Gaana.com that will run across TV, Print, Outdoor, Radio, Cinema and of course digital media. Over the next few months, more such videos, centered around the theme will be released.

     

  • The event organized by WAN-IFRA had participation by media companies from over 30 countries

    So Sorry series bags Gold at the 5th Asian Digital Media Awards 2014

    By A Correspondent

     

    The India Today Group’s pioneering animated ‘So Sorry’ series of politoons added one more feather to the cap by winning the Gold for Best Online Videos at the 5th Asian Digital Media Awards 2014 held in Singapore. The event organized by the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) had participation by media companies from over 30 countries.

     

    The prestigious awards are recognition of outstanding work in the fields of news website, online video, data visualization, multimedia campaign, mobile services, tablet publishing, reader engagement and outstanding new product in Asia.

     

    Speaking on the award, Ashish Bagga, Group CEO– India Today Group said, “The So Sorry series stands out not just for the cutting edge animation but also for the humour and simplicity with which it mirrors the present day developments in Indian politics. I congratulate the entire team for adding one more award to their ever expanding tally.”

     

    ‘So Sorry’ is a an informal entertainment and graphically cutting edge show that is a lighter reflection of the Great Indian Political Tamasha which has been running through the television channels, digital, web and mobile platforms of the India Today Group. This one of its kind, political Satire on Television uses humour and wit to reflect on the political landscape, making it relatable to the common man.

     

  • Yu Yu Din, currently Head of Digital, is relocating to her home country

    Vijay Sankaran appointed Director, Digital Strategy at Genesis Burson-Marsteller

    By A Correspondent

     

    Vijay Sankaran

    Genesis Burson-Marsteller has announced the appointment of Vijay Sankaran as Director, Digital Strategy, heading GBM Digital Studio, a Centre of Expertise that provides specialised services and counsel to meet the needs of its clients.

     

    “Vijay’s appointment reflects Burson-Marsteller’s commitment to strengthen focus on building digital strategies that meet the needs of our clients. Vijay is a key addition to our leadership team and he will provide critical support in articulating digital concepts and solutions in a clear and compelling way to our clients,” said Nikhil Dey, President, Genesis Burson-Marsteller, India & South Asia.

     

    Yu Yu Din, currently Head of Digital, is relocating to her home country, Myanmar. She will be moving on from the consultancy by the end of 2014. Vijay will spearhead GBM Digital Studio and drive the opportunity space for Genesis Burson-Marsteller and its clients’ digital presence; creating innovative ideas that bridge digital and public relations as well as digital and marketing, to provide solutions and services that are driven by consumer insights. GBM Digital Studio comprises of a strong team of digital strategists, creative specialists working on digital and social media mandates for clients across corporate and financial, brand and consumer, telecom and technology, and health and wellness practices.

     

    A seasoned communications professional, Vijay brings with him a wealth of experience spanning advertising, digital marketing, public relations and social media. Before joining Genesis Burson-Marsteller, Vijay worked with Social Wavelength, a social media agency as Director, Digital Strategy and Planning. He has also worked with Edelman PR as Head Digital and Nokia Siemens Network as Head Social Media, a global role.

     

  • Presenting TAM data for Week 47 for various Hindi and Regional Entertainment Channels in select India markets

    TAM numbers for Hindi & Regional Channels in Week 47

    ​Presenting TAM data for various Hindi and regional entertainment channels for Week 47. This ought to have appeared on MxM on Friday, November 28, but it just slipped our notice and didn’t get published. Sorry!

     

    Note this list is not exhaustive and does not include some key and growing regional markets. Also, as you possibly know, this data is not sourced from TAM. So we’ve sourced it from a friendly subscriber. While we are confident that the numbers are correct, we urge advertisers and our readers in general to verify the data below.

     

     

  • Mumbai daily mid-day has stopped publishing from Pune. Friday, November 28 was the last day of the Pune edition

    mid-day bids goodbye to Pune edition

    By Sandeep Puraname

     

    Mumbai daily mid-day has stopped publishing from Pune. Friday, November 28 was the last day when the Pune edition of the daily was printed. A front-page announcement signed by ‘Team mid-day’ reasoned: “It was clear that our earnings were not quite matching up to the investments we have made, and the costs we put in every day to bring you a top-quality product.”

     

    This isn’t the first time mid-day has tried an edition in the city that’s grown beyond being a pensioner’s paradise. In the 1990s too, mid-day (then written: Mid-Day) had commenced and suspended an edition in the two-wheeler town.

     

    The front-page announcement in Mid-Day Pune announcing the edition's closure

     

    The announcement added: “Today is the final issue of mid-day, and it is with a heavy heart that we bid farewell. We hope that Pune will continue to remain as vibrant as it is right now, and grow to be a city to reckon with internationally. Actually, we know it will.”

     

    The note ends with a “Until we meet again” leaving behind a glimmer of hope that the paper may return if the good times are back.

     

    mid-day’s exit happens a few months after dna also bid goodbye to the city. The Jagran Prakashan Limited-owned mid-day had shuttered its New Delhi and Bengaluru editions in December 2011.

     

    When asked why newspapers haven’t been successful in the city, a senior media planner requesting anonymity said: “It’s not that there’s no scope for a new English daily, but, yes, there is a huge entry barrier with The Times of India ruling in the city. Sakal of course dominates the market, but that’s in the Marathi space.”

     

    Meanwhile, it is rumoured that Lokmat may consider entering the city with its English daily Lokmat Times now that the market is less cluttered. For the growing number of media professionals in the city, and a large number passing out from the scores of media and business schools in and around the city, this could well be good news.

     

  • News network iTV has appointed MSLGroup to handle the PR mandate for the entire network. MSL will continue to manage the PR mandate of IBN though with a different team

    iTV network appoints MSL for its PR

    By A Correspondent

     

    News network iTV has appointed MSLGroup to handle the PR mandate for the entire network. iTV Network with its two national news channels News X and India News, four regional news channels India News (Haryana, MP & Chhattisgarh, UP & Uttarakhand and Rajasthan), two newspapers- Sunday Guardian and Aaj Samaj and various digital assets is going through an expansion phase and aims to emerge as the biggest independent news network in the country.

     

    The Network employs more than 2000 people across 25 bureaus and offices in India. With a reach of 91 million viewers & readers across the country the umbrella brand has.

     

    Savvy Dilip, Group CMO, iTV Network, said, “We were looking for an agency with expertise in the media segment and found MSLGroup to be the most effective and credible one. We are optimistic that this association will further boost the aggressive growth track we are set to follow.”

     

    Jaideep Shergill

    Added Jaideep Shergill, ‎MSLGroup India CEO: “The industry is evolving and clients are looking for strategic and integrated communications that will differentiate them in the marketplace. We are pleased to partner with iTV Network and look forward to take this association to a whole new level with our expertise and media knowledge.”

     

    Meanwhille, an MSL group executive clarified to MxMIndia, that it continues to take care of the PR mandate of the IBN Network (with its news channels like CNN-IBN, IBN7 etc). “But the teams are different,” we are told.

     

  • Presenting RAM numbers for Week 46- that's November 9 to 15, 2014

    RAM ratings for Week 4​6

    Namaste, Namaskaara, Hello. Behno aur Bhaiyyon, presenting Week 46’s RAM ratings.

     

    Like in the case of TAM, these numbers are not provided by RAM, but we source it from one of the subscribers. We advise advertisers and media agencies to make their buying decisions after validating the numbers with authorised data.