MxMIndia

Category: NEWS

  • The OOH veteran has huge plans for Laqshya's growth

    Satish Singh back @ Laqshya as President, plans rapid growth for OOH major

    By A Correspondent

     

    Veteran out-of-home industry captain, Satish Kailash Singh is back at Laqshya. He took charge as President of the company earlier this month.

     

    Mr Singh, an alumnus of the Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management, was until recently Managing Director at Realm Media, a company which he and a former colleague, Mr Yuvraj Agarwal had set up.

     

    Mr Singh has been with the outdoor sector since 1998 after 11-year stint in print – at Dainik Bhaskar, Mid-Day and Sterling Newspapers. He spent a decade at Outdoor Media Integrated (OMI) where he was CEO and later moved to Laqshya as President.

     

    “The out-of-home industry is at a very interesting juncture and at Laqshya we are equipped to attain greater heights,” said Mr Singh, highlighting that his company has some seasoned professionals holding key roles and portfolios.

     

  • Britannia is aiming at getting 10-15 per cent of additional revenue from Snackuits tp contribute to its Rs480 crore business (as valued by AC Nielsen)

    Britannia introduces Snackuits for guilt-free snacking

    By Tuhina Anand

     

    There is no need to feel guilty about snacking any more, Britannia has launched a new product, 50-50 Snackuits keeping in line with its Taste Bhi, Health Bhi formula, this product aims at making snacking enjoyable experience and at the same time getting rid of any guilt that comes with it. Snackuits was launched in January and is already available in North, West and East. Now Britannia is gearing to launch the product in South.

     

    Talking about Snackuits, Shalini Degan, Category Director, Delight and Lifestyle, Britannia Industries said: “The truth is that people want to snack and then they feel guilty which leads them to snack some more, making them unhappy. We want our consumers to feel ‘Snack Happy’. The idea being that we know that people want to snack and we don’t want them to feel guilty about eating in between meals. We decided to make a product that satisfies some need of the consumers but fundamentally it removes guilt. So we have been telling people, please have this whenever you feel like and be snack happy.”

     

    The highlight of the product is that it is baked and there is no ostensible calorie intake. In fact, healthy snacks have become a fad of sorts with many players joining the bandwagon and talking about health and nutrition such as Lays Baked, Aliva and even Nestle’s Maggi.

     

    Not deterred by many players jumping into the health platform, Ms Degan said: “People like to follow Britannia. We took to this platform much before the rest. It’s nice to know that others are following us. For us it is simple, we are here to make sure that our consumers are emotionally satisfied, we are here to ensure that along with the taste, we ensure that nothing that we do makes one unhealthy. That is something we have been doing for many years now.”

     

    But the question is whether the consumers are convinced enough to pick up a packet of such ‘healthy’ baked products? Degan clarified: “It depends on what your reference point is. We are not saying we are as healthy as an apple but yet as far as snacks goes we have an innovation that is healthy as well as satisfies your taste buds!”

     

    Britannia is aiming at getting 10-15 per cent of additional revenue from Snackuits tp contribute to its Rs480 crore business (as valued by AC Nielsen). It’s looking at achieving this target in two years time. Snackuits will probably see more flavours being launched or a variation in shape or formats but that is once it establishes itself among the consumers. It is now available in three flavours – Swiss Cheese & Chilly, Chinese Hot & Sweet and Italiano Pizza in 30 gms pouch for on-the-go consumption and 50 gms box for in-home consumption.

     

    In the Rs7000 crore salty snack business which has been growing at a CAGR of 20 percent per annum, the success of Snackuits is not overestimated. And to make it a reality, Britannia has planned a 360-degree campaign to talk to its consumers about this new product.

     

    Created by Lowe Lintas, Britannia will soon launch four TVCs that features homemakers who enjoy snacking on Snackuits along with their witty take on everyday incidents of life. The ad is all about breaking the ‘bechari’ stereotypical image of a homemaker one sees in many ads being bogged down by worries of domestic life.

     

    On the campaign, R Balki, Chairman and CCO, Lowe Lintas, said: “Who says housewives are boring? If only we could put a camera on when they are with their friends…husbands will be shocked! It’s not just teens who hang around with snacks. 50-50 Snackuits is positioned as an accompaniment to the housewives adda!”

     

    Along with TVC, the other multi-media platform will explore the ‘naya concept hai ji’ tagline that sums up Snackuits aptly. There will be spots on radio and various on-ground activation which will try and find places where 50-50 Snackuits can interact and engage with housewives

     

  • The campaign was aimed at creating awareness on the menace of female foeticide by educating the masses

    Dainik Bhaskar’s Save the Girl Child campaign in Punjab,Chandigarhand Haryana

    By A Correspondent

     

    Dainik Bhaskar, as part of its social responsibility, conducted a month-long educative drive against female foeticide and abandonment of girl child at birth. The ‘Beti Bachao Muhim’ (Save the Girl Child) initiative is concentrated in the state ofPunjaband Haryana, where this practice has lead to a serious gender imbalance.

     

    The campaign was aimed at creating enhanced awareness on this social menace of female foeticide by educating the masses through a series of editorial articles and public rallies and to create the much needed social impact through participative ground movement.

     

    The campaign saw relentless editorial coverage for 23 days. Additional local level focus group discussions among eminent personalities of the region were conducted and shared with the readers. Other than the local social and political influencers, 23 Bollywood celebrities like Vidya Balan, Bipasha Basu, Shilpa Shetty, Kiran Kher, Preity Zinta, Juhi Chawla, Divya Dutta, Shabana Azmi, Lara Dutta and Aishwarya Rai shared their point of view on the initiative.

     

    A series of interactive activities were conducted to further enhance awareness across 40 centres inPunjaband Haryana. Among the activities conducted, a signature campaign on March 20 saw 4 lakh people signing an oath against this social menace. On March 22, a candle light vigil was organized across 40 centres inChandigarh,Punjaband Haryana.

     

    The culmination of the campaign saw a ‘Beti Bachao’ March on March 23 with collective participation of more than 3 lakh people.

     

    Dainik Bhaskar will keep working on its agenda of socio-economic changes, catalyzing the mass psyche on social and economic issues. Speaking on the ‘Beti Bachao Muhim’ Ashu Phakey, COO, Dainik Bhaskar said: “Declining sex ratio is a serious problem in the state ofPunjaband Haryana. As an enabler of socio-economic change, Dainik Bhaskar has a responsibility to create awareness against this social menace and making more people aware of this social evil. This endeavour from Bhaskar is small step to uproot this social evil from society. We will continue our work against this social menace”

     

    Kamlesh Singh, State Editor, and the force behind the critical editorial environment for the initiative said: “Punjaband Haryana are industrious and prosperous states but always figure at the bottom in case of gender ratio. Female foeticide is rampant and known but the two states have not woken up to the harsh reality of a crisis. We were overwhelmed by the response and to quote a reader from Ambala who sent a message the following day, it was organized in “an unprecedented manner. The scale of coverage and number of people involved is unbelievably large.” That quite sums it up”.

     

    Dainik Bhaskar is the leading newspaper in Chattisgarh with editions fromRaipur, Bilaspur, Jagdalpur and Bhilai. The Dainik Bhaskar Group has a strong presence in newspapers, radio, event marketing, printing, short code, Digital, services andMobileapplication. Its flagship Hindi daily newspapers are Dainik Bhaskar, Divya Bhaskar, Divya Marathi and DNA. It covers 13 States with 64 editions reaching across 19 million readers every day.

     

    Additionally, it publishes 3 other newspaper – Business Bhaskar, DB Gold, DB Star. In magazine sphere it publishes Aha! Zindagi, Bal Bhaskar for young readers and Lakshay.

     

  • New initiative to commemorate legends of Indian cinema with handprints, signatures and statues.

    UTV Stars launches Walk of the Stars

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Indian Film Industry has earned immense admiration and loyalty of people of not only in India but worldwide. To immortalize this legacy, the official channel of Bollywood has launched a landmark which will bring Bollywood fans closer to their favourite stars.

     

    UTV Stars Walk of the Stars, similar to Hollywood’s Walk of Fame, is a premium property that will encompass renowned celebrities’ handprints on a customized slab and specially designed brass statues of iconic legendary actors. While customized slabs bearing the handprints will be dedicated to the living legends of Indian cinema, customized slabs with signatures will be dedicated to the legends who have passed away.

     

    March 28, 2012 marked the launch of the property in India, Mumbai, at the Bandra Bandstand Promenade. The launch was a grand affair that witnessed the felicitation of the ‘Kapoor Khandaan’ one of the legendary families of Indian cinema that is synonymous with and has contributed immensely to the Indian Film Industry. Prithiviraj Kapoor, Raj Kapoor, Shammi Kapoor, Randhir Kapoor, Rishi Kapoor, Neetu Kapoor, Karishma Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor’s slabs were installed on the day. And as a special honour, brass statues on a bench of the great Raj Kapoor and Shammi Kapoor were also installed.

     

    The property was inaugurated by Kareena Kapoor along with Madhur Bhandarkar.

    Commenting on the Launch of the prestigious Property, MK Anand, C.E.O, Broadcasting, UTV, said, “The launch of the UTV Stars Walk of the Stars marks an important milestone in our efforts to bring Bollywood closer to audiences nationwide. Thereby, reinforcing the channel positioning, i.e. ‘The official channel of Bollywood’. It gives us immense pleasure to know that we are making a truly noteworthy tribute to the industry that we’re such an integral part of.”

     

    Commenting on the Launch of UTV Stars Walk of the Stars, Zarina Mehta, Chief Creative Officer, Broadcasting, UTV, said, “UTV Stars, has in 6 months of launch, created a strong brand for itself as a knowledgeable Bollywood Insider. We are of and for the Indian Film Industry. And the UTV Stars Walk of the Stars is our tribute to this vibrant and wonderful dream world of movies.”

     

  • Nets the entire creative communication mandate, acquires the business in a multi-agency pitch

    Cheil Worldwide South West Asia bags Net4

    By A Correspondent

     

    Cheil Worldwide South West Asia has been awarded the complete creative mandate for Net4 India Ltd, India’s leading data centre, cloud hosting and network services provider, in a multi-agency, creative and digital communication pitch that encompassed strategy; creative and execution plan presentations.

     

    Confirming the news, Alok Agrawal, COO Cheil Worldwide SWAsia, said: “The win is yet another testimony to Cheil’s integrated expertise. We provided a 360-degree solution to the client’s brief. The challenge is to enhance awareness for Net4 and make it a top-of-mind choice in its fields of business. More than just advertising the brand requires active engagement with the consumers to get into their consideration set. At Cheil, we always lay emphasis on ideas that energise people into action. Net4 is one of the earliest Internet companies in India with a solid heritage and proven business models. Our solution focused on building a stronger brand franchise across all segments of a fully integrated communication plan to drive business to Net4.”

     

    Speaking on the appointment of Cheil WW SW Asia as Net4’s creative communication partner, Jasjit Singh Sawhney, Chairman & MD, Net4 said: “Net 4 is a leader in most of its areas of operations, especially Web Services to SMEs. It is the only fully integrated Internet Company providing solutions to businesses of all sizes, across a wide spectrum of technology services. We feel the market for our services is currently highly underpenetrated and is poised for explosive growth. To capitalize on this opportunity, we are embarking on an aggressive marketing plan and floated a brief to identify the right partner to build our brand and image. Cheil’s understanding, clear strategy and impactful creative for Net4 clearly demonstrated superior thinking. We are looking forward to our partnership with Cheil for driving business on the back of a solid brand” Cheil has already begun work with Net4 on its various projects.

     

    CheilIndia has been on an aggressive growth plan over the last two years, almost doubling its size in its employee strength and billings. Significant expansion and growth has been seen particularly in BTL and Digital areas, making Cheil one of the largest fully integrated single agencies inIndia. Cheil set up the agency office inIndia in 2003 with just 12 team members and today has over 85 talented and passionate team members with a never-say-die attitude. Cheil is a truly integrated agency executing some of the largest cross-functional integrated campaigns, providing 360°implementation across all facets of marketing services. Cheil Worldwide Inc isKorea’s largest and one of the world’s leading advertising groups.

     

    Net4 is India’s leading Data Centre, Cloud Hosting and Network Services Provider. It is a NSE & BSE listed business enterprise with consolidated revenues to the tune of R 304 Crores (2010-11). Net4 focuses on providing services to businesses (small, medium and large) and its offerings include Data Centre & Cloud Solutions, Web & Application Services and Network & Systems Headquartered in Noida, Net4 has a PAN India presence with offices in 11 major business cities & an ever-growing clientele which includes 850 Corporate Data Center Customers, 800 Internet Bandwidth customers, 2800 Business VoIP customers, 88,000 hosted websites, 1.2 million business e-mail accounts & over 350,000 registered domain names. Net4 is amongst the largest provider of hosted email, web hosting and domain name registration (www.net4.in) in the Asia-Pacific region.

     

  • Variety entertainment channel BIG Magic is now the most watched TV channel with 1.14 cr of cumulative audiences (4-week average) in the Hindi heartland, thus fortifying its position as the No 1 channel in the region.

    BIG Magic is No 1 in Hindi heartland

    By A Correspondent

     

    BIG Magic, India’s first variety entertainment channel for the core Hindi heartland from the Reliance Broadcast Network stable, featuring locally relevant entertainment around Humor, Movies, Reality, Talent Hunts and Action Sports, is now the most watched TV channel with 1.14 cr of cumulative audiences (4-week average) in the Hindi heartland, thus fortifying its position as the No 1 channel in the region.

     

    The latest TAM results Week 12’12 demonstrates a tremendous increase in reach.  A statement from the channel said this quick growth can be attributed to its locally produced shows BIG Bal Kalakar, Hasya Panchayat and newly launched shows Hum Hai Bajrangi and Police Files. The channel continues to stay ahead of established channels like Mahuaa, Dabaang, Sahara Samay, ETV UP, ETV Bihar, ETV MP etc.

     

    BIG Magic’s locally relevant devotional children singing talent hunt show, BIG Bal Kalakar built around the thought of Sangeet Mein Sanskaar, has demonstrated phenomenal growth with 45 lakh viewers, striking a chord with audiences. Hasya Panchayat introduced in February, and woven around a range of enjoyable poems on modern-day issues such as inflation, corruption and unemployment has also been received excellently by audiences, registering 45.3L audiences in the same period. Besides, newly launched shows Hum Hai Bajrangi, a perfect blend of mythology and comedy, and Police Files based on real crime shows from the region, have picked up well with 22 lakh audiences in just two weeks.

     

    BIG Magic is being distributed across all cable operators across the states of UP, MP and Bihar.

     

  • Entertainment brand Bindass is co-authoring the Indian edition of the book, ‘Generation Einstein’, along with international author and speaker Jeroen Boschma.

    Bindass co-authors Indian edition of Generation Einstein

    By A Correspondent

     

    Entertainment brand Bindass is co-authoring the Indian edition of the book, ‘Generation Einstein’, along with international author and speaker Jeroen Boschma.

     

    The book describes a new generation, ‘Generation Einstein’ that was born during the last decade of the previous century. The youth and young adults of today aged 12 to their early or mid-twenties represent a new generation with positive characteristics and values which are shared amongst young people all over the world and therefore the first real global generation.

     

    The book stresses upon the significance of the youth as an important part of the market. It’s about a faster and more social generation that understands the world better than anyone else. The book aims to decode this generation and help marketers reach out to them.

     

    Keith Alphonso, Business Head, UTV Bindass said, “Technology and communications have brought global aspirations to the Indian youth and a lot of the international trends witnessed abroad are evident here as well. But, there is and will always be a certain Indianness that sets apart the Indian youngster. We at UTV Bindass have our finger firmly on the pulse of the youth and understand this Young India. By co-authoring this book with Jeroen we have opened up our vast archive of research based insights to make the book’s Indian Version truly relevant and contemporary. As a part of Bindass Open Source, we believe that by sharing our insights with brands and partners like Jeroen, we will all be able to get a robust understanding of Young India.”

     

    Already published and immensely successful in the international market, the version co-authored by Bindass will be specific to the Indian market and will speak about the emergence of a global generation in India, their likes, dislikes, lifestyle and what sets them apart from the others.

     

    The book will also throw light on new-age communication strategies like ‘Increation’ which is a more effective method of communicating with a youth segment. It involves putting many ideas to test, then trying to use the reactions to narrow down the ideas.

     

    Young people are ultimately suited to working with in-creation projects. They are extremely creative because of the world in which they live and their present stage of life.

     

    The Indian edition of Generation Einstein also goes on to explain the communication strategies that marketers could adopt in reaching out to the youth with the help of India specific case studies such as Tata Docomo, Bindass and Virgin Mobile, among others.

     

    The announcement of the Indian edition of Generation Einstein is another step by Bindass in creating awareness about internationally recognized methods of understanding and engaging brands in India with this generation, the book is expected to hit stands by end of April 2012.

     

  • Monica Nayyar Patnaik, Joint Managing Director at Eastern Media Ltd. in conversation with MxMIndia about trends in the radio industry, Radio Choklate, post break-even, phase III plans and much more.

    Tier 2 & 3 crucial for radio: Monica Nayyar Patnaik

    By Robin Thomas

     

    She is the founder member of Radio Choklate, the radio arm of Eastern Media Ltd. Monica Nayyar Patnaik is the Joint Managing Director at Eastern Media Ltd., In conversation with MxMIndia, Ms Patnaik spoke at length about the trends in the radio industry, the challenges, on Radio Choklate post break-even, the phase III plans and much more.

     

    Q: How would you rate the year 2011 for Radio Choklate and the radio industry?

    The radio industry is still awaiting phase III announcements, and there are hopes in these announcements. Secondly, the increase in FDI has brought some cheer for all of us. As far as the copyright issue is concerned, the talks are still on, though I believe that we have gone ahead and may soon reach a breakthrough point.

     

    For the past three years Radio Choklate has been able to further consolidated its position and achieve break-even. The year 2011 has seen our listenership in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and other nearby areas further increased, the reason being the change in programmes. We have been constantly changing our programmes, placed them in the right time slot and it worked well. In addition to these, our on ground activations also gave further momentum to our listenership.

     

    Q: Radio Choklate achieved break-even couple of years ago… what has changed for the station since then, ie in terms of infrastructure, talent, etc?

    The break-even achieved was purely advertising led, our expenditures has however gone up. One of the significant contributors was the Telecom sector. They had advertised considerably which gave us a huge boost in our advertising revenues. Besides we also deliver a lot of value additions to our clients. Going forward, it is not so easy. It is difficult in getting the right talent, and a lot of money is invested in recruiting good talent. Hence both in terms of talent pool and infrastructure it requires a lot of money and besides the copyright issue is yet to be fully resolved. In fact this year has not been so good for the industry in terms of advertising revenues which has slightly declined.

     

    Q: According to IRS, radio consumption has seen a decline. Do you agree? Some say that the decline is because of a delayed phase III and content restrictions…

    I have a different view on the listenership because we have been number one in our listenership since a long time and we are still number one radio station. However we have not witnessed any decline in our listenership. There are still many small town areas that need to be covered under the IRS bandwidth, many of which significantly contribute to the listenership share. Hence IRS must bring those uncovered or under covered areas under the IRS bandwidth to bring up the overall listenership.

     

    Q: Has radio listenership reached a saturation point in the metros and the next phase of growth for radio will come from tier 2 and 3 cities?

    I do agree that the next growth of FM listenership in India will come from the tier 2 and 3 cities as there are lot more cities and towns that need to be covered. With phase III rollout FM radio will be spreading its wings in 227 new cities. I believe it is now time that those cities which have reached saturation point must bring differentiation in terms of delivery, packaging and programming. However these developments can only take place once multiple licenses are allowed and I am sure it will help especially in cities where listeners need variety of music or programming.

     

    Q: Do you think the industry is confusing innovation with differentiation? As you just said, there is lack of differentiation… but, isn’t there too much innovation happening in radio today?

    It could be true however I am aiming to give listeners a different experience by getting into the niche areas i.e. by providing them a differentiated programme. So, if the listeners in my State want us to get into different areas of programming we would deliver to them what they want. So, if the listeners want a talk show they will be given, and that’s why we are so keen on multiple licenses, which is the key to differentiation.

     

    Q: You once said, come FM Phase III, you would want Radio Choklate to further expand in Orissa… Do your plans still remain the same?

    Absolutely, our plan still remains the same. We are looking forward to phase III, and our plans to further consolidate in Orissa. Music is just one part of radio, and for the medium to grow robust it needs other elements of contents as well, whether its sports commentaries or news and current affairs. Hence I feel there shouldn’t be any more delay in Phase III, the sooner it is rolled out the better for the industry.

     

    Q: Will multiple frequencies bring additional listeners and advertisers to radio or will it further fragment the listenership in the already fragmented medium?

    I don’t think so. How many multiple frequencies can one have in the same city? Multiple frequencies will give listeners more choice, and yes it will bring new listeners to radio, perhaps even those that have never listened to radio.

     

    Q: How has 2012 welcomed Radio Choklate? Any specific industry trends we should watch out for in the coming years?

    In 2012, Radio Choklate will look forward to FM Phase III rollout, we should be able to give different variety to the listeners and we will continue to concentrate more on local music.

     

  • The senior editor (news) at Times Now who recently resigned has set up Studio Talk which aims to prepare young journalists in all areas of TV journalism.

    Mahrukh Inayet quits Times Now, starts school for anchors

    By Archita Wagle

     

    If you thought anchoring was just about sitting in front of the camera and talking, Studio Talk, a finishing school for those looking to make their career before the cameras, will prove differently to you. “A lot of youngsters believe that anchoring is not serious journalism and I want to break that myth. It’s time one understands that anchoring is impossible without knowledge,” said Mahrukh Inayet Rizvi, Course Director, Studio Talk, who recently resigned as senior editor (news) at Times Now.

     

    Ms Inayet was part of the core team at Headlines Today, that helped set up the channel. From the TV Today group, she joined Times Now, again as part of the core team that set up the channel. Her 72-hrs non-stop reportage from outside the Taj Hotel during 26/11 earned her much acclaim and was appreciated as an example of unbiased coverage of the Mumbai terror strike. She has reported extensively on national politics with special focus on the Kashmir imbroglio.

     

    From the breathlessness of breaking news to understanding the nuances of business and sports anchoring to the intricacies of entertainment and live events anchoring – Studio Talk aims to prepare the young journalists in all genres. ‘This programme is a must for anyone and everyone looking to work before the cameras in the television,” said Ms Inayet.

     

    Ms Inayet believes that journalism schools teach you how to be a good journalist. But few teach what to do before the cameras and fewer prepare you for what to expect once the cameras start rolling. That’s exactly what Studio Talk aims to do- prepare and polish newbies with an intensive 14-day program on how to be a television anchor/presenter.

     

    The course is aimed at teaching youngsters how to anchor news, business, sports and entertainment stories. The course will have studio simulated environment and the students will be taught how to work in front of the cameras and connect to the audience, ‘either as an on-field reporter who has 60 seconds to connect to the viewer with his/her story or as an anchor who has to present the final product to the audience. The students will also be taught basic make up skills so that they don’t look washed out in front of the camera.’

     

    “The camera is ruthless and does not allow you to rewind and press record the second time. Being on television is hard work. Anchors and presenters have to face all kinds of situations. From just one-line information on breaking news to anchoring in live situations,” Ms Inayet added.

     

    And, Ms Inayet definitely knows what she is talking about, given her rise from a reporter to being among the senior most anchors at Times Now. It is this extensive experience that has allowed the former Times Now Senior Editor to develop perhaps the only such training program in the country.

     

    While Ms Inayet, as the course director, will personally oversee the 14-day hands-on-training program, Studio Talk will also have some of the best names from the television industry such as Mandira Sawhney Lalwani, former presenter, Times Now, ESPN, Ten Sports & Star News; Prerana Thakur Desai, Producer, Aamir Khan Productions; Ragini Kumar, former sports anchor, Times Now; Mikhail K Vaswani Presenter, Neo Cricketer and Ameet Sawant, Producer & Director, 96 Karatz Productions as guest lecturers to share their experiences on topics like Inside A Television Newsroom, Teleprompter Training, Fundamentals Of News Anchoring, Handling ‘Breaking News’, On Field Reportage and other such relevant topics.

     

    At the end of the 14-day course, the student will be awarded a certificate and a demo CD on completion of the workshop. “Earlier we could learn from our mistakes on the job. But now there is no time to make mistakes. The demo CD ensures that the recruiters realise that the person knows what in required to be in front of the TV,” concluded Ms Inayet.

     

  • Also Atul Ahluwalia, president, CVWS was named PR Professional of the Year (Agency)

    Corporate Voice|Weber Shandwick wins highest number of accolades at e4m PR awards

    By A Correspondent

     

    Corporate Voice | Weber Shandwick (CVWS), India’s most awarded PR consultancy, took home more awards than any other consultancy or corporation at the exchange4media group’s Indian PR and Corporate Communications Awards again this year.

     

    The awards, organised by exchange4media, are the most extensive awards to recognise the contribution and success of the PR industry inIndia. CVWS shared recognition with clients for the following campaigns:

     

    • Hero MotoCorp Launch – Hum Main Hai Hero, Best Use of Public Relations by Private Sector Entity (Agency)
    • Gillette ShaveIndiaMovement, Best Continuous PR Campaign
    • Honda Brio Launch ‘Made forIndia,’ Best Use of Media/Marketing/Consumer Data for PR Planning/Strategy

     

    Additionally, Atul Ahluwalia, president, CVWS was named PR Professional of the Year (Agency). Tim Sutton, chairman, Weber Shandwick, Asia Pacific, delivered the keynote address to a large audience representing leading corporates and public relations consultancies in India.

     

    Speaking on the occasion, Shiv Reddy, CEO, CVWS, said: “Another year of recognition and accolades from our peers and clients in the industry leaves us proud, humbled and determined to innovate and succeed. We are grateful to the jury, our clients and the CVWS team.”

     

    Atul Ahluwalia, president, CVWS, added: “For seven consecutive years now, CVWS has established itself as the most awarded consultancy of the country. This continued success is wholly attributed to our ability to consistently re-invent and innovate as well as to the long-standing relationships with our clients.”

     

    Corporate Voice | Weber Shandwick (CVWS) is a  joint venture company owned by Weber Shandwick, a unit of The Interpublic Group of Companies, headquartered in New York, USA, and MAA Group Holdings headquartered in Bangalore, India. Incepted in 1992, the firm has grown to become one of the largest and the most awarded consultancies in the country. CVWS is a founder member of the Public Relations Consultants Association of India (PRCAI).

     

  • On and on VK Singh whined about when he was born, and on and on went the media about great patriots and martyrs being ill-treated, until the Supreme Court turned down his plea

    [MJR] A man chasing his date of birth

    By Ranjona Banerji

     

    First they told us he was a victim of an evil government, working overtime to throw him out of his job a year too early. Then he said that it wasn’t the government really but the army which was doing that – even though he was chief of army staff. Then he took the government, not the army, to court, saying he was younger than he said he was (Note to young people whose eyes glaze over when they come across anyone born before 1979: he is very old on both dates).

     

    Half the media then decided that VK Singh had gone too far while the other half decided that a decided patriot was being used as target practice by an evil government. This could be because many of the daddies and uncles of mediapersons under the age of 40 and holding bog jobs in television are in the armed forces. Those of us over the age of 40, most of whom have been put out to pasture, no one ever cared about our mummies, daddies, uncles, aunties and so on.

     

    Gosh, I sound just like the army chief, sorry.

     

    On and on Singh whined about when he was born and on, and on went the media about great patriots and martyrs (I’m not going there) being ill-treated, until the Supreme Court turned down the general’s plea and said he had to now be older than he wanted to be (don’t we all!).

     

    And so the tide turned. Half the media (maybe I exaggerated a tiny bit about so many uncles and daddies in the army having given birth to journalists, although even the army chief has a journalist for a daughter I hear) turned against the general and now he did a bad thing by fighting for his “honour”. Now we hear that whole date of birth fight was not a good thing, brought embarrassment to the army and so on.

     

    The general wasn’t done though. He licked his wounds inflicted by the Supreme Court, not some usual cross-border enemy and as he did that, he got quite cross. So, with a couple of months left till retirement, he started a tandav nritya, flinging accusations of bribery left and right.

     

    This means gloves off time for the media and a free-for-all amongst higher-ups is the best journalistic cannon fodder ever. Patriots, martyrs, cynics, sceptics, haters and baiters, yellers and screamers all joined in and everyone’s now bashing everyone else all day. The army chief remains at the middle of it all, putting his left in and his right leg out, doing the boogie-woogie, ‘cos that’s what it’s all about.

     

    Disclosure: My daddy and uncles are not and never have been in the army and I am well over 40 (closer to the other figure actually) though I am not as old as the general who is not sure how old he is.

     

  • Also sees record advertising revenue with mainstream advertisers

    Zee Cine Awards beats all other Bollywood award shows in the US

    By A Correspondent

     

    Zee TV, the number 1 South Asian entertainment network, announced recently that the 2012 Zee Cine Awards (ZCA) achieved record-breaking ratings this year. According to Rentrak TV Essentials, Zee Cine Awards delivered the highest rating for any South Asian program in over a year’s time (since Feb 11). ZCA received a viewership share of almost 75 per cent during its broadcast.

     

    On the monetizing front, the network saw a 40 per cent increase in revenues from last year’s awards show as announced by Zee TV America’s Business Head, Sameer Targe. He said: “Despite cut-throat competition we always find ways to reinvent, than to discount. As a market leader we have no one to follow, hence the challenge is to always focus on expanding the pie. This year we were able to bring well known mainstream brands like Omega, Verizon and MetLife as sponsors of the show. The idea was to sell the inventory at a premium value, keep the breaks short which eventually resulted in highest viewership.”

     

    Zee TV – the name that has become synonymous with unparalleled quality in entertainment – has been a dominant player in broadcasting content for more than 17 years in the national and international space.  As an Indian channel, Zee TV is committed to supporting the values and traditions that appeal to South Asians across the globe.
    In July 1998, Zee TV expanded its presence in the international space by establishing itself as a mainstay in American households, reaching more than 2 million viewers.  Zee reaches over 600 million viewers in about 168 countries.