MxMIndia

Category: NEWS

  • The newspaper carried a 16-column colour picture with the lead story of the day, with both, the front and back pages working seamlessly together as a unified 'front' page

    Lokmat Media thanks record-breakers with innovation

    By A Correspondent

     

    In what is possibly the first instance of a broadsheet newspaper innovation, Lokmat Media Limited used the full 16 columns across the front and back pages for a lead picture to physically communicate the size and scale of a world-record-setting event. It also spread its ‘front’ page coverage seamlessly across the back page over a span of 16 columns, perhaps creating another world record for its latest media innovation.

     

    Rishi Darda, Editorial Director & Joint MD, Lokmat Media Ltd, said: “Lokmat Connect had just assembled over a lakh of people in the stadium, and another 40 to 50 thousand outside, on a mid-week working morning, to set a world record for singing the National Anthem. It seemed as if all of Aurangabadresponded to our call to set the world record. So when we had our post-event editorial meeting to plan the next day’s issue, one of our main priorities, apart from excellent editorial content, was: How do we give the readers a sense of the scale of the mammoth turnout? While a picture normally speaks a thousand words, our lead picture bespoke a lakh”

     

    “To the best of my knowledge and belief, it was a world-first: a 16-column colour picture with the lead story of the day, with both, the front and back pages working seamlessly together as a unified ‘front’ page, ” he added.

     

    Getting a lakh-and-half people, which is around 8 per cent of Aurangabad’s population to congregate on a working day morning, is no mean feat. “Lokmat’s media innovation is not just a celebration of that success, but, more importantly, our way of thanking everyone who turned up, putting their lives on hold for the hours they spent with us,” said Mr Darda.

     

    Lokmat’s innovation not just communicated the scale, but also had a clever element of surprise for the reader. When one picked up the newspaper and saw the front page, it had a beautifully aligned 8-column banner picture. The layout of the other elements on the front page looked like a normal, well designed front page. “Only when the reader opened the paper and glanced at the back page did the picture reveal itself to be a full panoramic 16-column spread, and the editorial content on the back page too merged, seamlessly, with the front page layout,” explained Darda.

     

    Explaining the world record attempt, Mr Darda said: “Media brands do several things to connect with their readers. Ours was an activation exercise driven by patriotism, and a solemn sense of our duty to the nation. We wanted to help people gift to the nation, a World Record around our National Anthem, on the eve of Republic Day. We were not only commemorating 100 years of Jana Gana Mana, but also celebrating 30 years of our solid presence in, and bond with, Aurangabad.”

     

    Fittingly, even the massive backdrop had only Jana Gana Mana on it, with a tiny ‘Lokmat’ below – like its salute to the National Anthem.

     

    The media innovation was made possible by the depth of Lokmat’s emotional and enduring connect with the people it has been partnering and serving in their day to day lives for the past 30 years. “It was a never-before connect managed brilliantly by Lokmat Connect, our Events specialist team, which has organized many mega events. This connect with the people of the city, across barriers of caste, community, gender and age groups is what empowers us to contribute to and make an impact on the life of every Maharashtrian in general and Aurangabadkars in particular,” said Mr Darda.

     

  • The 10 millionth vehicle, a Red Swift Vxi, was dispatched toCoimbatoreon Thursday morning from the Company's Manesar plant

    Maruti Suzuki attains 10 mn domestic sales mark

    By A Correspondent

     

    Maruti Suzuki India Limited crossed the 10 million cumulative domestic sales mark here on Thursday. It is the only automobile company inIndiato cross this milestone. The company, which had rolled out its first car in December 1983, attained 5 million domestic sales in February 2006. The next 5 million domestic sales have been achieved in six years.

     

    The 10 millionth vehicle, a Red Swift Vxi, was dispatched toCoimbatoreon Thursday morning from the Company’s Manesar plant.

     

    While Maruti 800 and Omni powered sales for almost two decades, the Alto has beenIndia’s best-selling car for the last over seven years. In recent years, the success of WagonR and Swift, among others, has accelerated the company’s progress towards the 10 million mark.

     

    Dedicating this milestone to customers, Shinzo Nakanishi, Managing Director and CEO, Maruti Suzuki India Limited, said: “Maruti Suzuki’s success story is closely linked with the success story ofIndiain the last two decades. Even asIndiahas grown and transformed, Maruti Suzuki has evolved to meet changing demands. We will continue to drive the growth and evolution ofIndia’s car market. I thank employees, dealers and suppliers for their support and commitment.”

     

    To mark the occasion, Maruti Suzuki has unveiled a celebration edition of its SX4 sedan. The exclusive special White SX4 carries the celebration dome decal and body graphics.

     

  • Ten Golf to be launched in India; official broadcast partner for PGTI tournaments

    PGTI, Ten Golf ink three-year deal

    By A Correspondent

     

    Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI), the official sanctioning body of professional golf in India, on Thursday announced a three-year exclusive partnership with the soon-to-be-launched sports channel, Ten Golf.

     

    The deal provides Ten Golf with the broadcasting rights for all PGTI-sanctioned tournaments within and outside the country from 2012 to 2014. Ten Golf  is India’s first exclusive golf channel.

     

    Announcing the partnership, Mr. Padamjit Sandhu, Director, PGTI, said: “Professional golf inIndiahas had strong positive growth over the last five years under PGTI. We are at a stage now where it is important for us to showcase the depth of Indian talent and their achievements with the support of a professional electronic medium. To further grow golf, and project the opportunities and the potential the sport has, it is important to have a strong broadcast partner. With Ten Golf we see strong synergies, and are confident that their expertise, knowledge and bandwidth will substantially help take Indian golf to the next level.”

     

    Mr. Atul Pande, CEO, Taj Television India Private Limited, said, “Our sports broadcast strategy of building committed viewers in specific sports, has led to the idea of the golf channel – Ten Golf. Our tie up with PGTI will help in strengthening the Indian Tour. We will be working closely with Asian Tour and European Tour to bring world class golf action for viewers inIndiaand the subcontinent.”

     

    When Ten Golf launches in March, it will broadcast a weekly show titled “Inside the PGTI”. This show will highlight the best golfing action from PGTI events and will feature golfers on the PGTI circuit. The sports channel will also air special promos and fillers based on Indian golfers and the PGTI tour.

     

    Ten Sports bouquet of channels are the leading sports channels in Indian Subcontinent. Ten Golf will be the latest addition to the bouquet of products offered by Taj Television Limited, whose portfolio includes Ten Sports, Ten Cricket, Ten Action+, Ten HD. TEN bouquet of channel reaches 100 million households acrossIndia.

     

    Formed in 2006, Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) is the recognized official body of professional golf inIndia. PGTI’s objective is to promote professional golf in the country as well as give players an opportunity to be involved in decision making for all aspects of the game.

     

  • On an overall level, the index had peaked during the mid-months of 2011 but most months saw the index about 20 per cent lower than the July 2008 levels.

    Media hiring 9% higher in Jan than Dec

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Indian entertainment and media sector is one of the fastest growing sectors in the economy, and has witnessed tremendous growth in last couple of years.

     

    In January 2012, hiring activity in the media sector saw a growth of 9 per cent above December 2011 levels and 3 per cent above the January 2011 levels.

     

    The May 2011 index at 1025 was the highest point on the job index in three years. The last three months of 2011, however has seen some dipping hiring numbers.

     

    Hitesh Oberoi, CEO and MD, Info EdgeIndiasaid “With the beginning of the new year, the recruitment scenario seems to be moving in a positive direction. However, this year, firms will be more particular about recruiting the right talent and employees who can make meaningful contributions to the firm.”

     

    Thus, on an overall level, the index had peaked during the mid-months of 2011 but most months saw the index about 20 per cent lower than the July 2008 levels.

     

    Naukri.com, India’s No. 1 job site, is the flagship brand of Info Edge. It revolutionized the concept of recruitment inIndia. Since its inception in 1997, Naukri.com has seen continued growth while outperforming its competitors in every sphere. Info Edge is the first internet Company to be listed inIndia.

     

  • In its seventh edition, the event continues with its focus on in-store environment, but with a delivery strategy that ensures that all content needs are addressed

    Build shopper equity with In-Store Asia 2012

    By A Correspondent

     

    Inflationary trends, recessionary portents, policy paralyses and cautioned consumer sentiments were some of the phrases that defined the overall business outlook for almost every industry inIndia over the past year and retail was no exception.

     

    But going into the new-year, Indian retailers and brands are expected to focus on managing overall profitability without any significant scaling down of expansion plans. If managing profitability is the key to the success of retailing in these uncertain times, then there never was a better incentive to invest in productive store environments, in-store practices and shopper marketing programs.

     

    And any investment made to understand and make most of the current shopper zeitgeist is not only an investment that will help harness mid-term profitability but an initiative that will ensure long-term profitable shopper equity.

     

    Thus helping build shopper equity this February is In-Store Asia 2012, slated to take place from February 16, 2012 to February 18, 2012.  In its seventh edition, the event continues with its focus on the in-store environment, but with a finely honed delivery strategy that ensures that all content needs across a range of formats and practices are addressed.

     

    Talking about the change in the delivery strategy, Sachin Jante, Chief Content Planner & Marketing Strategist, VJ Media Works, said: “The transformation in approach will be evident on various levels. At the primary level, existing modules have been tweaked to enhance effectiveness like, for example, the convention has been bifurcated along product service categories, further on the creation of an exclusive designer pavilion at the Expo. Then there is the addition of new modules and programs that enhance, recognize the varied aspects of in-store environment and people, like the Material Lounge, POPAI OMA Awards, a live VM challenge module and an exclusive VM workshop for students.”

     

    There is lot more to look forward to at In-Store Asia 2012; the three days are all set to offer everything from wisdom to solutions to help build shopper equity. Standing true to its essence In-Store Asia’s seventh edition promises to be a platform for leveraging and cultivating effective sophistication in retail endeavours.

     

  • Inorbit Malls have created an online forum on Twitter and launched a dedicated 24 hour customer SMS service

    Inorbit Malls’ interactive feedback mechanism on Twitter & SMS

    By A Correspondent

     

    Inorbit Malls, the pioneers in mall culture in India, now brings to its shoppers an interactive feedback mechanism that will enable them to connect with their consumers in real time as well as provide a forum for consumer interaction and response. Inorbit Malls have created an online forum on micro blogging site, Twitter as well as launched a dedicated 24 hour GSM customer short messaging services (SMS).

     

    The feedback mechanism will enable an expeditious and inexpensive forum to shoppers for resolution of complaints relating to certain services rendered by the mall. All that the consumers, who are active on Twitter, have to do is #InorbitMall on twitter while posting their queries or complaints and Inorbit Malls will respond immediately. A dedicated digital and social media team has been set up, which will monitor these posts and respond to shoppers in real time.

     

    Similarly, people who are not active online can send an SMS with key word ‘FEEDBACK’ on 9619792233. The query will be stored after the mechanism captures the key words, which will thereafter send an alert to the response team for further action. The response team will respond to all the queries within 24 hours.

     

    Talking about this initiative Kishore Bhatija, Chief Executive Officer, Inorbit Malls Pvt Ltd, said: “Consumer engagement and feedback is an integral part of brand awareness and commitment. As a brand, it is extremely critical to understand and connect with consumer on a personal level, as these help us in improving and furthering brand experiences. With this feedback mechanism, we will able to communicate with our shoppers in real time and build trust in the brand.”

     

  • The campaign, promising not to carry paid news during elections, was appreciated by the readers

    “No Paid News” in Dainik Bhaskar

    By A Correspondent

     

    Dainik Bhaskar has unveiled a campaign  ‘No Paid News’ with a promised to readers that they will not be misguided.

     

    Simple yet stark statements and visuals in a very common man’s language and imagery were used to drive home the differentiator and the message was amplified by radio. The campaign ran through the entire election duration ending with the polling.

     

  • She will be responsible for building both the DDB Mudra and Mudra brands in Delhi.

    Vandana Das to join DDB Mudra, Delhi as President

    By A Correspondent

     

    Vandana Das, President and Branch head at Brand David, a sister agency of Ogilvy, is all set to come on board the DDB Mudra Group as President. She will be responsible for building, both, the DDB Mudra and Mudra brands in Delhi.  She brings with her more than two decades of experience including more than fifteen years at Ogilvy.

     

    A post graduate in Psychology and Business Administration, Ms Das is credited with the significant growth that Ogilvy Delhi has enjoyed in the last few years. Besides successfully turning around many Dabur brands across the hair care, skin care, oral care and home care categories, she launched the hugely successful Maruti Zen Estillo Little box campaign, a completely integrated effort that spanned television, print, OOH, digital as well as rural marketing.

     

    She played a significant role in transforming Limca from an uninspiring brand to a very refreshing drink for the youth. She has also worked on Costa Coffee, Hindustan Times and Four Square Cigarettes. At Ogilvy Delhi, Vandana also served as a training leader.

     

    Speaking on the new development, Madhukar Kamath, Group CEO and MD of the DDB Mudra Group said: “I am glad that Vandana is coming on board. I look forward to working closely with her. In the Group, we are keen on building our Delhi operations around her. I was impressed with not just her dynamic leadership capabilities, but also her boundless energy and lively people skills. Both, in terms of culture and mindset, she will be a great fit and asset within the DDB Mudra Group.”

     

    Vandana Das said; “It has been great working with Ogilvy for the past 17 years and my time spent has been very enriching and will always be cherished. It is now time to explore other opportunities and I am excited. DDB Mudra is poised for even greater growth and I am looking forward to being part of the team that will steer it.”

     

  • The solutions, a global first, will give more recruiters in India access to high potential candidates and drive the growth of the local talent economy

    LinkedIn announces localized solutions 4 Indian recruiters

    By A Correspondent

     

    LinkedIn, world’s largest professional network, with over 135 million members worldwide and over 13 million in India, on Tuesday announced localized hiring solutions used by recruitment professionals in India.

     

    This move, a global first for LinkedIn, will give more recruiters in India access to high potential candidates and drive the growth of the local talent economy.

     

    LinkedIn India is rolling out, specifically for India, localized versions with India pricing for offerings like LinkedIn Recruiter, which will allow Indian recruiters to search and target profiles in India. Other offerings with differentiated India pricing include Jobs Network, Work with us Ads, Targeted Recruitment Ads and Talent Direct.

     

    “The growth currently being experienced by the Indian economy needs to be complimented with the right talent. Our member base, which consists of educated and engaged professionals, is much sought after by recruiters from corporations and executive search firms. By creating localized products for recruiters in India, we hope to build on our philosophy of connecting talent with opportunity,” said Irfan Abdulla, Head of Hiring Solutions at LinkedIn India.

     

    “LinkedIn’s localized pricing is in line with its commitment towards introducing efficiency enhancing tools for professionals and an acknowledgement of the growing demand for customized solutions in the Indian market,” he added.

     

    Since managing talent is core to making recruiters productive and successful, tools like LinkedIn Talent Pipeline enable recruiters to easily manage all their talent leads in one place; LinkedIn Career Pages, is a one stop virtual destination which helps companies build a brand amongst prospective candidates; and Targeted Recruiting Advertising is a strategic tool which enables recruiters to reach a specific population of candidates as per skill, location or experience. These tools empower hiring managers to make effective and strategic hiring decisions.

     

    In India, LinkedIn Hiring Solutions are used by a number of companies including ING Vysya, Genpact, Biocon, Wal-Mart, HCL Technologies, L&T Infotech among others.

     

  • The campaign talks about activating "your personal blockbuster theatre" featuring BigFlixs+, equipping subscribers to download blockbuster titles in addition to merely streaming

    Reliance Entertainment’s BigFlixs unveils its latest ad campaign

    By A Correspondent

     

    BigFlixs, a part of Reliance Group’s digital entertainment business on Tuesday announces the launch of a new ad campaign to increase awareness and promote its movies on demand service – BigFlix+ which lets the user ‘Click-Download-Play’ over 500 Blockbusters at a subscription fee of Rs249/ a month across PC, Tablets and Mobiles.

     

    Today’s metro generation is not able to see all films in theatres; they don’t want to watch the same on TV because of lack of variety and time limitations. There was a clear need of a service that can offer users the best in class movie experience on the devices that they are comfortable using – laptop, mobile or/and tablets.

     

    Hence the brief to agency was to establish BigFlix+ as a premium movie on demand service, where users of the service can also download blockbuster movies in addition to merely streaming them online.

     

    Commenting on the new campaign, Shreyash Sigtia, Business Head, BigFlicks Pv Ltd said: “The basic idea behind the campaign is to let the viewer know that they can now finally select a movie of their choice and view it wherever and whenever they want to see it. With BigFlix+, they can rest assured about the picture quality and enjoy a complete movie experience without the annoying ad breaks, on the device of their choice. This makes BigFlix+ service a Personal Blockbuster Theatre of the viewer. We deliberately kept the creative simple and focused the communication on the core offering and its benefit in order to build the category in the country.”

     

    On the completion of this campaign, Joy Ghoshal, Marching Ants, said: “Film content is not exclusive and viewing it comes with its irritants, so we decided to challenge the biggest provider; television. Big Flix+ is about to change the role of the laptop and other mobile devices to that of a ‘blockbuster theatre’, supported by huge choice of quality content and uninterrupted viewing.”

  • The DNA's journalistic bible called the Code of ethics unfurled recently is about DNA's journalistic values and guiding principles

    Leadership makes us tough, with ourselves first: DNA

    By A Correspondent

     

    Given Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s recent statement that the “media should come together to exercise a degree of self-regulation and to combat perversions like paid news”, broadsheet Daily News and Analysis (DNA) announced its Code of Ethics on its front page.

     

    According to the paper’s leadership team and CEO Mr. KU Rao, the “road of integrity and honesty is always difficult but in the long run, we will come through as an organization that has greater value which will one day bear fruits for us as well as for our partners who work with us.”