Amagi, the leader in targeted TV advertising and cloud-based broadcast infrastructure has announced the launch of its ad monetization platforms that are uniquely designed for TV Networks whose satellite feeds cover countries outside its origin.
“In the last few months, we have witnessed a surge in demand from TV Networks to monetize their pan-regional feeds. Owing to their unique regional structure and demographics, Europe and the Middle East region are emerging as the priority markets for local Ad insertion. As a pioneer in targeted TV advertising, we are best positioned to offer local Ad insertion platform for these markets,†commented KA Srinivasan, co-founder, Amagi.
For TV Networks reaching Europe and the Middle East, Amagi will deploy its patented content watermark technology with flexible workflows to replace ad breaks on satellite feeds with local ads. Amagi can watermark any content provided by TV channels and replace such content at local headends based on a pre-determined playlist. The entire solution can operate on existing satellite infrastructure of broadcasters using STORM IRD, Amagi’s enhanced satellite receiver. “STORM IRD can store Ads and replace watermarked Ads locally while the entire workflow can be managed remotely through a cloud-based user interface. STORM IRD also supports traditional content triggers such as SCTE-35 and DTMF cue tones,†added KA Srinivasan.
Amagi has successfully monetized Ad inventory in Singapore and other countries in the Asia Pacific region for large TV networks. Amagi also runs India’s largest TV Ad network with over 1,000 installations and more than 2,000 advertisers, providing geo-specific Ad inventory on some of India’s leading entertainment and news channels.
Some moments in life are truly priceless like that of the sweet company of your special someone or your long lost buddy from University or the one who has been miles away from you for long – it is about the person that really matters the most to you. MasterCard is giving users a chance to celebrate a ‘Priceless New Year’s Eve’ in a unique way that one would wish for with their loved one. The same is being positioned by the MasterCard Priceless Surprises New Year’s Eve campaign, featuring Hugh Jackman as the ambassador.
From now till 13 December, 2014, users have to share on the MasterCard FB page who that special someone is that they would want to spend the coming New Year’s Eve with. The most enthralling story will be rewarded with a gift – the chance to celebrate a priceless, personalized New Year’s Eve together with that special person on New Year’s Eve.
This is the third ‘Priceless Surprises’ campaign presented by MasterCard in India following the campaigns ‘SPG Dream a Trip’ and ‘The Real VIP Justin Timberlake Campaign’ rolled out in Jan and September respectively.
RK SWAMY BBDO has unveiled another campaign for IndusInd Bank that focusses on its new innovation – Video Branch. Video Branch is a first-of-its-kind service in India and the right communication is key to its success in India.
Sunil Kukreti, Senior Partner, R K SWAMY BBDO said, “IndusInd Bank is credited with setting benchmarks in the banking industry and over the last few years, R K SWAMY BBDO has been consistently churning out clutter-breaking communication for IndusInd Bank. The current TVCs explains how one can use Video Banking instead of the visiting the branch or phone banking. Farhan Akhtar is the protagonist, who explains the benefits of a Video Branch and retains the ‘slice-of-life humour’ that IndusInd campaigns are now known for.”
The campaign has been extended to all other medium including Radio, OOH, Print, BTL and Digital.
Commenting on the campaign, Mohit Ganju, Head, Marketing & Communications, IndusInd Bank said, “The latest ad campaign incorporates strong consumer insights and humorous situations to deliver the service message. Our association with Farhan as a brand endorser is set to strengthen the Bank’s communication towards its core philosophy of ‘Responsive Innovation’, reinforcing our brand statement ‘You desire, We Deliver’. Farhan personifies sincerity, new-age thinking and dynamism and is a great fit to the brand.”
Wego, the leading travel search site in the Asia Pacific and Middle East, has shared the company’s top five most popular searches for 2014, as well as their regional market observations of travel trends during 2014, and key predictions for 2015.
The survey notes that Malaysian travellers continue their love affair with their favourite holiday destinations throughout Asia, including Indonesia, Singapore and number one this year, Taipei.
The country has a number of great options when it comes to homegrown destinations so it’s not surprising that Langkawi, Port Dickson, Penang, Kuching and the Genting Highlands are the most popular domestic picks.
Similarly in the Philippines, the top five international destinations belong to Asian capitals, and, apart from Manila, domestic visits are centred on popular holiday locations such as Cebu, Davao, Puerto Princesa and Bacolod.
Singapore remains the top international destination selection for Australia, and Bali moved up to second most popular search from number three last year. London too moved up from number ten to take the fifth spot this year, and Taipei is the fastest mover at third most searched destination, particularly interesting when the city didn’t even register in Australia’s top ten in 2013.
Domestically, more people searched Sydney airfares this year as Melbourne slipped to number two, and both Brisbane and the Gold Coast nudged Perth down to number five.
Bangkok again topped the list for international searches for Singaporeans, and Taipei, Hong Kong and Manila made the top five again this year. Jakarta slipped out of the top five and was replaced by Bali, indicating Singaporeans took full advantage of low-cost flights to escape the city and take time out during 2014.
Thailand’s tourism industry has had a tumultuous year where demonstrations in the capital affected the choice of travellers, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) who predicted 28 million arrivals for 2014, however between January and August, arrivals sat at 15.7 million.
On Wego, interest in Thailand remained high, with no obvious effects of the demonstrations with favourite visitors, Singaporeans, still choosing Bangkok as their top destination. Bangkok was also listed among the top five destination searches among Wego’s regional markets in Indonesia, China, India, MENA, Malaysia, Philippines and Australia over the past year.
In 2015, the study notes that one can expect some aggressive marketing campaigns from TAT as the authority highlights new destinations within the country, with new promotions to stimulate fresh niche tourism opportunities.
The MICE industry continues to play an important role in Thai tourism, with the UK and European markets among the top ten source markets for business events, rising 84 per cent over the first three quarters of 2014. The number is expected to increase in 2015 with a myriad of business events throughout the next 12 months.
BIG MAGIC Ganga, the regional channel for Bihar and Jharkhand region, has announced its latest innovation Ganga Gaurav. The upcoming series, a first of its kind, will bring forth inspiring stories of legends for their contribution in the field of arts, literature, music, sports, social reforms, history or politics. This biopic series based on real people and their real stories of pride and achievement, kicks off on November 15th and will air each Saturday at 8:30pm.
Ganga Gaurav will present a series on the contribution of these heroes who have been revered and admired through an interesting 30 minute special which will feature an excellent story board along with interesting trivia and rich content through interviews with family and friends, revealing interesting personal information. Supported strongly by research the show will feature a blend of authentic information collected from books, articles, interactions at different stages of their lives, which will be deeply rooted in the region and hence poised to be lapped by audiences.
Commenting on the new show launch, Lavneesh Gupta, COO, Reliance Broadcast Network said, “BIG MAGIC Ganga has built itself to the No. 1 player of the region on the back of distinctive offerings basis in-depth local research. Created around the pegs of pride of association and culture we are very happy with the way Ganga Gaurav has shaped. The first ever regional biopic series, we are confident of it being a hit amongst audiences, while offerings marketers an excellent platform.â€
Ganga Gaurav will be promoted through an aggressive multi media campaign across TV, Radio, OOH, Print and Digital. The channel will also promote the show heavily through on ground local activations.
Big Magic Bihar and Jharkhand, the flagship regional entertainment channel from the Reliance Broadcast Network stable, rechristens itself to ‘Big Magic Ganga’, at midnight on August 15.
With this move, the channel consolidates and fortifies its position in the market, enhancing an authentic regional flavour through locally shot programmes, derived from local insights like ‘establishing self identity’ and ‘preserving local culture’.
As part of its long-term endeavor of further developing the market, the channel also sets up a production unit in Patna which will nurture local talent.
Commenting on the change, Tarun Katial, CEO, Reliance Broadcast Network said: “Big Magic Ganga delivers to audiences an authentic, highly engaging entertainment destination which has made it the No 1 channel of the region. Our production set up in Patna is part of our long-term commitment to grow this regional market while creating excellent opportunities to hone skills of local talent. With this re-branding exercise, we consolidate our position, strengthen our hold, and cement our leadership position in the region. It remains our endeavour to offer audiences exceptional television engagement, and marketers a great platform to ride on.”
Recognizing the high affinity for this rich regional content amongst the large migratory population across the country, the Channel has recently inked distribution deals with national DTH platforms like Reliance Digital TV, Dish TV and Airtel Digital TV. Additionally, the Channel is available on Hathway, Incable, Manthan, Digicable, GTPL, Siti Cable, Maurya, DEN and other all independent operators.
Accelerated with a high definition drive, BIG Magic Ganga launches with a 360 degree marketing campaign, which includes television, outdoor, activations, print and innovations across multiple locations.
While 57 per cent of professionals in three metros still believe that advertisements have not been able to portray the actually status of women in the country, there is a strong sentiment that education, financial independence and decision-making power have helped bring about a change in the portrayal of women in advertising in the country.
This has been determined by a special study conducted by the India chapter of the International Advertising Association (IAA India) and Hansa Research. The study was conducted amongst 94 top A&M professionals from three cities.
Senior industryfolk speak at IAA Seminar
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The IAA Hansa research study has predicted India’s victory over the war on gender equality. It notes that about 91 per cent men and women say that ‘Women are shouldering equal responsibilities with men in the family’. The research was done across three metros of Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai amongst senior Marketing Managers and Creative Directors of advertising agencies, the people involved in the final outcome of much of the advertising we see in media today
The research further suggests that this is the outcome of women’s education, financial independence, becoming a bread earner, self-realisation of her rights and emergence of women as many role models.
The IAA India Chapter had commissioned this research study and Hansa Research came forward to do this study at cost. The study was unveiled at the IAA Seminar on Changing Trends in Portrayal of Women in Indian Advertising released at a seminar on Wednesday, December 10 in Mumbai.
The Seminar was conducted in association with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), well-known NGO Laadli and the Advertising Council of India (ACI).
Srinivasan K Swamy
Said Srinivasan K. Swamy, President, IAA India Chapter & Vice President – Development, Asia Pacific, IAA and Chairman & Managing Director, R K SWAMY HANSA Group: “IAA has been conducting a host of activities for the benefit of the industry and society. This was yet another initiative which clearly underlines our commitment to the philosophy that what is good, is good for business.â€
Added Monica Tata, Managing Director HBO India Pvt Ltd and Chairperson of “Changing Gender Frames†“I am delighted with the findings of the study. While the sentiment around the messaging a few years ago was that it was reinforcing the stereotypes, India is clearly showing signs of moving towards a more progressive society where women are perceived as equals.â€
The seminar was addressed by senior marketers, advertising leaders and amongst others. These being: Colvyn Harris (JWT, ACI), Dr AL Sharada (Laadli), Dr Sonya Mehta (Psychologist), Sanjay Tripathy (HDFC Life), Sam Balsara (MadisonWorld, ASCI), Sonal Dabral (DDB Mudra), Geetu Verma (Unilever), K V Sridhar (Sapient Nitro) and Rajat Ray (UNFPA).  The last session saw an engaging discussion with actors Dia Mirza, Richa Chadda along with Anuja Gulati and Monica Tata.
The following are the highlights of the study:
:: Women today have come out of their closet and are proving their worth. Almost all professionals are of the view that the women of today are ambitious and are shouldering equal responsibilities with men (91%)
:: But as we delve deeper, things are not that rosy. High association scores on statements like Marriage is more a social necessity for women as compared to men (53%), women empowerment is restricted to upmarket households (44%), men normally judge a woman on the basis of beauty and sex appeal (56%) suggest that there exists a difference in the intended versus actual status of women in the society
:: Though women (especially educated women) have come a long way in proving their mettle at the workplace (96%), objectification of women is still prevalent. The views expressed by the professionals about the statement – Men normally judge a woman on the basis of beauty and sex appeal (56%) substantiates this.
:: But the winds of change have started blowing. 80% professionals believe that there has been a steady awareness towards giving women their due and not mistreating them, which is reassuring
:: The refreshing change in the attitude is that people are challenging the age old beliefs and believe in giving women due respect they deserve in the society. With more and more women joining the workforce and not being restricted to the four walls of their home, it’s important for other family members to be supportive of her. Almost all professionals disapprove of the statement that Housekeeping is women’s work (85% disagreeing), Men who do household chores are effeminate (90% disagreeing) and women should give up their jobs if family needs are more (84% disagreeing). This is indeed encouraging.
:: One of the other gender stereotypes is that for a women being independent and doing things on her own is sometimes perceived as way too modern and not respecting the cultural values. With only 18% agreeing with the statement that Women today are losing a sense of their culture and becoming too modern suggest that there has been a change in the mindset of people towards providing women their own space.
:: The portrayal of women is no more synonymous with merely homely (69%), individualistic (64%) or just being provocative (49%). Today’s women are being portrayed much more than these. They are shown as multi taskers (93%), energetic (94%), self confident (86%) and modern (87%) in advertising.
:: Considerable proportion of professionals (52%) feel that advertisements have not been able to portray the actual status of women in society; particularly those in advertising (57%)
:: However, half of the professionals are of the opinion that there has been a significant change in the way women are being portrayed in advertising
:: Education (90%), Financial independence(82%) and decision-making power (76%) are the key factors which have brought about a change in the portrayal of women
:: While most professionals feel that the trend is sustainable, it rests on the fact that marketers now look at women as a potential segment which will facilitate growth; thereby making it important to tap the potential of this segment which is now experiencing independence on the financial as well as decision making front.
:: Some of the advertisements cited as the flag bearer of this change are Airtel (Wife as a Boss ad), Tanishq (remarriage ad) and Bournvita (Mother training her kid). These advertisements are able to challenge the gender stereotypes and confront head-on issues, which were hitherto considered taboo. The key tak-away is that advertising, where the gender stereotypes are challenged, are received well and people are noticing the change.
:: While there seems to be a change in the portrayal of women in advertising due to her newer roles, there still seems to be a lot of opportunity to explore various facets of women and showcase them in advertising
Backed by the success of its last on-ground event Jai Baba Baijanath in Deogarh – Jharkhand BIG MAGIC Ganga, the regional entertainment channel from the Reliance Broadcast Network bouquet will launch its second on-ground property Jai Chatti Mai with bhojpuri superstar Nirahua. The event is centered on the region’s biggest festival Chatt Pooja and is yet another innovation from Jai Chatti Mai thatwill have devotional programming elements from 25th - 30 of October.
Backed by the insight that religion and festivities rule the hearts and pulse of audiences, the special offering has been crafted to ensure an entertainment package with excellent appeal. Additionally, in keep with the learnings from a recently held on-ground show titled Jai Baba Baijanath with singing star Pawan Singh, which saw more 20,000audiences engage with the on ground event and millions tuning to watch it on television.
Commenting on this enormous exercise building local connect, Lavneesh Gupta, COO, Reliance Broadcast Network said, “As as leader, BIG Magic Ganga takes pride in connecting with the region’s largest festival, through the cultural ethos of the state. We are taking this bold initiative of organizing for the first time a live event on the banks of the Ganga, which shall be televised throughout the evening. Similar to the other popular events on the banks of Ganga, we hope this event representing the culture and identity of the region will grow in such magnitude over the next few years. We thank our partners, distributors and people of the region who have experienced our offerings and accepted it.â€
L To R-Mr. Ajay Vidyasagar, Regional Director, YouTube Partnerships
YouTube announced the launch of an offline feature as part of a larger initiative to make it easier for users to enjoy video on mobile devices. This is part of YouTube’s first release of its ad-supported offline feature on Android and iOS, which was announced earlier this year with the launch of Android One smartphones.
The new offline feature for the YouTube app lets people take videos offline, using WiFi or their data plans. Once taken offline, the videos can be viewed without an Internet connection for up to 48 hours, allowing people to enjoy YouTube videoswithout worrying about slow connections. For videos where this feature is available, people can choose to add the video for offline viewing by tapping on the offline icon that sits under the video frame.
John Harding, Vice President of Engineering at YouTube, said, “In a country like India, the future of the Internet is mobile. 85 per cent of the internet population will connect to the Internet with a mobile phone before any other device. Already, we’re seeing over 40 per cent of our traffic in India come from mobile devices, and we want to make sure we are making YouTube as enjoyable as possible for these mobile-first users. By launching this offline experience on YouTube in India today, we hope to help people move past the challenges of data connection, speed and cost to enjoy a smooth, buffer-free version of YouTube.† “We are delighted to launch this new offline experience on YouTube with some of India’s household names for entertainment and music, including T-Series, Saregama and Yashraj Films.
Making these popular videos available for temporary offline viewing will help fans connect more easily with their favorite content, and we hope to continue helping Indians affordably access YouTube over the next year. This new feature will also help our partners bring more viewers to their content and find even greater success on our platform,†said Ajay Vidyasagar, Regional Director of YouTube Partnerships, YouTube Asia-Pacific.  The launch of YouTube’s offline feature is the latest effort in series of initiatives to make video content more affordable and accessible to the large base of mobile Internet users in this country. Earlier this year, YouTube worked with Tata DoCoMo to introduce “YouTube Recharge,†a new video data add-on for prepaid users that gave them more affordable access to YouTube on their mobiles devices.
Reliance Broadcast Network announced the launch of a dedicated division for trade solutions and account planning. With the intent to provide strategic media solutions to clients, this move will see the strategy and solutions team coming together to deliver value to marketers. The functioning of the team comes into play with immediate effect and will be led by Sunil Kumaran, Network Strategy and Services Head – Reliance Broadcast Network.
With an endeavor to work with clients for best utilization of media spends, the Account Planning team would understand clients marketing and communication objectives and then come back with propositions which best utilize the RBNL strengths to meet the set objectives. The division will provide marketers associating with RBNL a much stronger proposal to increase the effectiveness of the media plans. This will be done through a deeper understanding of content, media consumption and local consumer insights which RBNL has acquired over the years of its existence and a strong radio entity.
Speaking on the initiative, Sunil Kumaran, Network Strategy and Services Head – RBNL said, “The idea is to ensure partners investing in our brands are getting the best value. Over the years with our Research, Strategy and Creative teams we have built a much deeper understanding of consumers and how they engage with media, how creative propositions can improve campaign effectiveness and how performance of our stations and channels can be effectively put to use to provide a strong marketing solution for client. This division will focus on utilizing this expertise to service clients partnering with us.â€
Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. (ZEEL) has announced the appointment of Anjana Kshetry as Head – Brand Solutions, Zee Digital. In her new role, Anjana will report to Debashish Ghosh, Chief Knowledge Officer, Essel Group.
Anjana will be working in close coordination with the India Web Portal, Ditto TV and Zee Digital teams. She will also be responsible for leveraging the ZEE Sales team for integration of digital propositions with TV sales propositions in the most optimum manner. Furthermore, she will be looking at Brand integration opportunities in the digital arenas being explored with Essel Vision.
Adlabs Imagica has launched their brand campaign using a series of human stories under the tagline ‘Kahaaniyan Banti Hain’. These films are aimed at establishing Imagica as a destination that has an impact on every visitor. The campaign conveys the stories of people from all walks of life who visit the magical world of Imagica.
The outdoor and indoor rides and attractions have been nicely woven into the script. The focus, however, is on human stories and moments with Imagica as the backdrop. These brand films are aired across national and regional television channels and will also be shared and showcased on Facebook, YouTube , cinemas and other OOH media.
While Adlabs launched the first two TVCs as a part of the campaign series last month, they have now launched their third TVC for the viewers. Sticking to their brand promise of ‘Kahaniyaan Banti Hai’, the TVC showcases another story that people come across when they visit a theme park. This is something that everyone watching the ad film will instantly connect to.
Commenting on the idea behind the campaign, Harjeet Chhabra, Chief Marketing Officer, Adlabs Entertainment, said, “These films establish the impact that Imagica has through human stories that happen here. We believe these stories will excite people who have not experienced and engaged with the brand so far and will also resonate well with more than a million people who have been to Imagica already and will help us re-engineer the word of mouth through them. There are very few brands who can claim to have an impact on the lives of people and we are happy to occupy that slot in the minds of our consumer through these films.”
BIG MAGIC Ganga, the regional channel for Bihar and Jharkhand region, has announced its latest innovation Ganga Gaurav. The upcoming series, a first of its kind, will bring forth inspiring stories of legends for their contribution in the field of arts, literature, music, sports, social reforms, history or politics. This biopic series based on real people and their real stories of pride and achievement, kicks off on November 15th and will air each Saturday at 8:30pm.
By A Correspondent
