MxMIndia

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  • 100 days of MxM in the words of senior correspondent Shubhangi Mehta.

    Shubhangi Mehta: Where ‘highs’ & ‘lows’ are treated like a comma, never a full stop

    By Shubhangi Mehta

     

    Waking up on wintry mornings at 8.30 am, getting out of my cozy bed, freshening up and entering the MxM India office (my study) where my laptop is my colleague and my Blackberry is the boss’s messenger. Strange eh? Well, this is precisely my life at MxM India, and if not every day, at least most days I have been in absolute high spirits.

     

    To be very honest, when I joined MxMIndia, I wasn’t really sure of the future, neither mine nor MxM’s but that’s where the ecstasy was and more so, it was the trust of the MxM team that I was good enough to do the job.

     

    The past four months have been a mixed bag for me in terms of highs and lows just like a regular journalist working anywhere, but what makes it different to be at MxM is that here ‘the highs’ as well as ‘the lows’ are treated like a ‘comma’ and never a ‘full stop’.

     

    Whenever we work in a company, it becomes a second family for us but working with MxM made me realise that this place has actually become like a family for me as I am a part of the foundation team.

     

    What makes me feel proud is that despite the challenges we have managed to do some high-quality work, be it the breaking news or the exclusive news of agencies bagging businesses or the fun of doing the ‘Big stories’, we do it all here at MxM.

     

    It is after joining MxM, I felt personally responsible for the misses on my site. If a story on my site is appreciated, it makes me feel content, no matter whoever’s by line that story has.

     

    The reason which makes the working experience different at MxMIndia is that each of us is responsible for his/her work. We are all colleagues here and the attitude of pushing someone else behind in order to accomplish one’s own goals is nowhere to be seen.

     

    No doubt, the same routine everyday makes life seem a little monotonous. But, what the hell? Every work becomes monotonous in a while, it’s the way we do that work which makes a difference.

     

    In the past year, I had often questioned myself many times if this is what I want to do in life. Is journalism something I want to continue with? Is advertising the beat I enjoy writing on? Well, working with MxM I have realised that I need to stop ‘trying’ to fit in, this is something I was born to do, because even if I commit mistakes it simply means I am trying. ‘Try and don’t give up’ is what MxM has taught me.

     

  • 100 days of MXM in the words of senior correspondent Robin Thomas.

    Robin Thomas: Still so much to learn about this fascinating medium called Radio

    By Robin Thomas

     

    My Congratulations to Team MxM on completing 100 days. At MxMIndia, I handle the radio and Out-of-Home (OOH) beats. Since I have handled radio before, it did not take long for me to settle down at MxM. Radio has always, and perhaps will always, be one of my favourite mediums because of its ability to reach not only the masses, but also the unreached, all this through just sound.

     

    There are many stories that I loved doing at MxM but two of my absolute favourites are the radio stories – ‘RJ mentions need to be regulated?’ and ‘Radio One turning international’.

     

    The RJ Mentions story is close to my heart because it was my first big story at MxM.

     

    The Radio One story involved chasing a lot of people and getting confirmations from multiple sources – some extreme hard work but the end was fruitful.

     

    OOH, on the other hand, is a completely different ball game altogether, for me. The type of stories, the people in the industry and the medium itself is vastly different from the radio beat, my comfort zone.

     

    One of the OOH stories I really enjoyed working on was Milestone Brandcom launching its rural and digital divisions. Another story that gave me a high to work on was the OOH rural story, mainly because most of the industry players have been saying that the next phase of growth in OOH media would be coming from tier 2 and tier 3 cities.

     

    I have always enjoyed writing about the radio industry, but there is still so much I have to learn about this fascinating medium and there is still so much to do. I am also looking forward to getting comfortable and doing some really good work in OOH media as well. To all the radio and outdoor players and the readers, please continue giving me your feedback – positive or critical, and I will do my best to keep you informed and provide a good read.

     

  • 100 days of MxMIndia in the words of Contributing Editor Jaisurya Das.

    Jaisurya Das: A stupendous start

    By Jaisurya Das

     

    Yeah! We are a 100 days strong and boy hasn’t it been fun at DearMxm!

     

    I recollect when we kicked off with the inaugural column we were almost certain we would be writing our own questions and it would take ages before our readers sought our advice…. Well, we were wrong and the very next week the response started coming in and soon we were battling on what to answer each week since most of our readers had multiple queries and each of them significant.

     

    DearMxm also got popular thanks to the brief intro to each column which was Pradyuman’s idea and it has been a super journey covering the high and lows of the industry. The past 3  months have been so full of action, be it companies or people in them . Investments, launches, huge people movement, shake ups, collaborations or just analysis .

     

    And through all these days we stayed glued on to the market to bring you the best snapshots of the action remaining true to our beliefs always . I feel particularly emotional since this column and idea itself means so much to our core belief that mentoring makes people.

     

    Dream big, start visualizing yourself in that avatar and the world will turn around to give you all that you want from it . We have the power to do it and belief is the starting point!

     

    For our readers today, I reproduce my personal selection of the “  5 best questions ” we have received and responded  from our archives.

     

    Thank you dear readers for making us feel so warm, strong and cared for.  We do hope we will always live up to your expectations of us being there for you always….

     

  • 100 days of MXM in the words of Web designer Rafiq Barak

    Rafiq Barak: What keeps me going is the challenge of the creativity

    By Rafiq Barak

     

    My day officially starts at 7.30am. At a time when most of the people are waking up, I am uploading content on MxM website, ensuring the photographs are right, and checking for a variety of characters which get into websites. The job requires a sharp eye and mind, not easy first thing in the morning.

     

    After the content is uploaded, then there are the newsletters that I have send out after a set of test mails.

     

    If all this sounds routine, most of the time it is…But what keeps me going is the challenge of the creativity. Be it the big story images, or the design work I do for the website.

     

    If you think images are easy work, and one can ‘borrow’ from the web…it is not. MxM has a strict code of ethics where I can lose my job for picking up photographs from the Internet without permissions. So I have to be creative with what I have. Sometimes, the concept of the story is simple and has ready images.

     

    But the real challenge is when the concept is abstract and the image has to be created. One story image I enjoyed working on was the recent Hindu ads big story. Sir (my boss) had suggested a concept but I went ahead with something I had created and sent it to him. I took a chance and it worked…he responded with ‘excellent’. It was good to be appreciated.

     

    All of this requires good planning…But at night I go to sleep with a clear mind that the work I did for the day was my own and on the right side of the law!

     

  • 100 days of MxMIndia in the words of Senior Assistant Editor, Johnson Napier.

    Johnson Napier: Century @ MxM – Chalta hi jaaye…

    By Johnson Napier

     

    It seems like yesterday; like I had just walked into this modest yet cosy office that had just about made its foray into the online world with a bang. The initial feelings that engulfed me while I stepped foot into the premises a couple of months ago was that of friendliness and familiarity. Familiarity, as I was making a headway back to the arena from where I had made an exit a few months ago, and friendliness as I was about to be joining a workplace where the employees were all known and familiar to me. From then on, the ride has been a challenging yet motivational one for all of us. It is not easy trying to be the best in a field where there are already established players but there is something about MxM India – apart from the clutter-breaking news and stories that it churns out everyday – that makes it a place worth existing.

     

    Of the many different Media domains that one gets to read about on the website, there is a dedicated space for the PR industry – often the neglected lot – who finally have a voice and a channel to air their views on. From CEOs to business heads and even individual entrepreneurs, most have welcomed this new gesture by actively participating in the exercise by way of columns, interviews, news etc. Of course, there are the regular beats that update the viewers of the ongoing state of the industry but it is the effort in going the extra mile with attempts such as these (PR, Journalism, etc) that brings about a cheer amongst the industry at large.

     

    As we complete a century, we hope to be making more noise around the work that we do and keep engaging the industry on a profound level so as to be the hub of providing resourceful and insightful opinions around the world of media.

     

    Here’s to completing many more century days in the future!!!

     

  • 100 days of MxMIndia in the words of National Sales Head Alok Kapuria

    Alok Kapuria: Thank you, dear advertiser

    By Alok Kapuria

     

    It’s been an exhilarating journey so far. When I first heard about the proposition of MxMIndia, it was just a concept. Even the name wasn’t finalised. So, as I look back at the baby steps we took to get this far, there is a great sense of accomplishment.

     

    Almost everything in a start-up can be a challenge. From something as critical as the broadband connectivity snapping to working without any office help for over two months. And then, of course, revenue targets which look very easy-to-achieve when you see them on a spreadsheet.

     

    While I was confident of the product, I was not sure how the industry would take it. Ethics and such sound very good, but the reality at the ground level is different. Or so I thought. But with a strict code of ethics leaving one with no opportunity to compromise on editorial values, I think my job has been made simpler. It is vital for trade publications to engage people in the industry, but not at the cost of selling one’s soul.

     

    As someone who moved to Mumbai, starry eyed and with a desire to make it big, I know how significant a milestone a hundred days is. I am happy that I am part of this one.

     

    I thank our advertisers for trusting us from Day 1 and giving us their business support. Many friends in the industry share that our content offers them a different experience and helps them be better informed. It will be our endeavour to bring innovative properties in which our advertisers see ROI and our readers sees value. I would say the journey has just begun.

     

  • 100 days of MxMIndia in the words of Editor-at-Large Anil Thakraney.

    Anil Thakraney: The hundred that beat Sachin

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    MxMIndia just completed 100 days. And while hard core cricket fans may not be very pleased to hear this, the hot new media and marketing portal beat Sachin Tendulkar to that Big 100. Congratulations!

     

    I must say it’s been a pleasure to be associated with the portal as Editor-at-Large. Which means that while I regularly contribute articles and interact with the chief editor now and then, I am essentially busy ‘making it large’ elsewhere. Usually at a pub. And this neat arrangement suits me perfectly. My mischievous work doesn’t come back to haunt me, it’s the chief editor who’s left facing the heat from aggrieved parties.

     

    Younger readers may not be aware of this… I used to edit an ad and media mag between 1996 and 2002. It’s been a long while since that brand shut down, but I have noticed that one thing hasn’t really changed in all these years: Many advertising, media and marketing professionals still do not like to hear criticism, and take offence pretty quickly. I suppose this is because of the ‘safe’ trade press, which has consistently spoilt the industry leaders by being all sugar and honey. And so when along comes a strong critique, it becomes difficult to digest.

     

    To all those reading in, I have just one thing to say on this issue: Puff pieces and PR re-prints are great for the ego, but for real impact, some bitter medicine is actually a good thing. Criticism makes us ponder after the anger has subsided. Appreciation quickly passes away over a peg of Scotch, it leads to no change. Therefore it’s important to take negative feedback on the chin, and treat it as valuable input. By the way, I often get trashed for my comments from readers, and I welcome that.

     

    Which then brings me to the founder/chief editor of MxMIndia, Pradyuman Maheshwari. I have known PM (as many of us address him) from a long way back as a colleague at Mid Day. But our association actually began when he signed up as Editor-in-Chief at exchange4media, and it has continued at this portal. And I must say I admire PM’s clear focus. For him, content and ethics unhesitatingly take precedence over commerce, and he runs an unbiased, truly professional ship. He’s that rare breed of editors in that sense, and a blessing for venom-spewing scorpions like yours truly. For the record, not even once have I been asked to plug for an advertiser. Not even once have I been asked to dilute a piece.

     

    All said, here’s wishing more power to MxMIndia. The industry deserves and badly needs a medium that doesn’t shy away from discussing tough issues. And one that always keeps the industry’s best interests in mind. Here’s to many more centuries. And hopefully, Sachin will score his 100 before MxMIndia’s next ton.

     

    So you enjoy this portal, while I am off to make it large. Cheers!

     

  • 100 days of MXM in the words of Junior Assistant Editor Rishi Vora.

    Rishi Vora: You are given the license to ask tough questions when necessary

    By Rishi Vora

     

    I joined MxMIndiain mid-October, so it’s been little less than 100 days as far as my stint is concerned.

     

    I remember the big boss (Editor-in-Chief and CEO Mr Pradyuman Maheshwari) having once told me, prior to my joining, “Rishi, I have a vacancy. I need someone who can ask the right questions; one who is able to write with some perspective.” That excited me enough to join his venture – MxMIndia.

     

    The going has been good so far. I cover the Broadcast and Digital media. One single reason why it’s quite enjoying being a part of the editorial team at MxM is the fact that you are given a free hand.

     

    The license to ask ‘tough’ questions when necessary and of course, the focus on analysis as against plain vanilla reporting.

     

    One story that I am quite proud of is the interview I produced with Star India COO Sanjay Gupta on Star’s new general entertainment channel Life Ok.

     

  • Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf aims at capturing those seeking a better coffee experience.

    Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf looking to brew more

    By Tuhina Anand

     

    Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf (CBTL) which was launched in 2008 in India is eyeing to capture a segment that has grown up to coffee culture and now is migrating to the next level of coffee as an experience.

     

    The future growth path for many of the players in the cafe business is to offer a different experience depending on the TG. India having gone through the phase where cafes have established themselves as a ‘hangout’ place, there is a need for a better offering for those looking for more. Hence, there is Cafe Coffee Day coming out with its Lounge concept or players like Costa Coffee and CBTL stepping in to provide that evolved ambience. With Starbucks set to enter India, this space will only see more competition.

     

    The organized coffee chain retail market is said to be approximately Rs1,000 crore and has been steadily growing. For CBTL this is where opportunity lies for future growth where, having started with one outlet in Select CityWalk in Saket in New Delhi, in the last three and half years they have expanded to 17 stores, including three outlets at airports, in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata and Pune.

     

    Talking about their growth plan, Vinay Gopinath, Head, Marketing, Pan India Foods, the company that has brought CBTL to India, said, “We are looking at expanding our presence and clocking in at 25 stores by May this year. There are plans to expand in a big way in Pune, Bangalore and Kolkata. We are also looking to enter newer markets like Jaipur and places like Ludhiana and Chandigarh in Punjab.”

     

    The expansion for CBTL is along four formats including high street, property inside a mall, kiosk model and high profile office building. There are around 2,000 organised players in the cafe segment including CCD, Gloria Jean’s, Costa Coffee, Barista and Mocha among other stores. As Mr Gopinath says, they have been growing their store presence by 25 per cent yoy and that has been the case with many leading players in this segment.

     

    CBTL worldwide has around 812 outlets and their USP, as Mr Gopinath describes it, is having the best coffee on their menu coupled with their mojo effect plus offering high-quality food and the best music.

     

    However on pricing, Mr Gopinath clarifies, “Yes, we do charge a premium but that is only on our signature offering. Pricing of, say, our cappuccino or any other regular product will be as competitive as any other cafe.

     

    “At CBTL we cater to the upper strata of market and it’s definitely not a hangout place. It’s about better experience. Our TG would be anyone 20 plus to 35 who has traveled around the world and looking for a better coffee experience. There are many who are looking for this experience so there is opportunity galore. The positive thing is that finally a segmentation is happening and gradually a pyramid is being drawn in terms of coffee consumption at various places. With increase in coffee consumption outside homes there is immense scope to grow the top end of the spectrum.”

     

  • After the Internet, C&S is the second largest medium to have grown in double digits i.e. a CAGR of 13.9 per cent

    IRS 2011 Q4: Media consumption grows but Radio and Cinema continue to decline

    By A Correspondent

     

    IRS Q4 2011 findings have revealed that the literacy rate and media consumption in India has witnessed growth when compared to IRS Q3 2011. The other media categories to have grown are Press, Television, C&S (Cable and Satellite) and the Internet. While Radio and Cinema consumption have witnessed a decline, the Internet has emerged as the fastest growing medium in the country.

     

    Press has seen a marginal increase of 1.5 per cent in the CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) whereas TV grew only 6.9 per cent of the CAGR. After the Internet, C&S is the second largest medium to have grown in double digits i.e. a CAGR of 13.9 per cent. Radio and Cinema on the other hand declined -5.8 per cent -5.2 per cent respectively.

     

     

  • It's Holi and our offices are shut tomorrow, Thursday, March 8. There will hence be no updates and no edition of our newsletters. We will be back on Friday, March 9.

    Holi-day Notice

    It’s Holi and our offices are shut tomorrow, Thursday, March 8.
    There will hence be no updates and no edition of our newsletters.
    We will be back on Friday, March 9.

    Happy Holi!

    And yes, celebrate responsibly.

    It’s also International Women’s Day tomorrow. Happy Women’s Day!

     

  • With its enhanced display, Apple's new tablet could rev up digital media and publishing though there's no indicator of an India launch

    iPad3 could revolutionise ad & content

     

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”200″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAF51B0HgDg[/youtube]

    By A Correspondent

     

    Apple brightened up our lives on Holi day with the third generation of the iPad. That it launched on Holi was obviously a coincidence. India sadly figures nowhere in the iPad 3’s roll-out later this month.

     

    On March 7 in the US, Apple introduced the new iPad featuring a stunning new Retina display, its new A5X chip with quad-core graphics and a 5 megapixel iSight camera with advanced optics for capturing amazing photos and 1080p HD video.  The battery life is 10 hours.

     

    And what happens to the iPad 2? It is now offered at $399 (Rs 24,500 in India) for the 16GB Wi-Fi model and $529 (Rs 32,900 in India) for the 16GB Wi-Fi + 3G model.

     

    “The new iPad redefines the category Apple created less than two years ago, delivering the most amazing experience people have ever had with technology,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “The new iPad now has the highest resolution display ever seen on a mobile device with 3.1 million pixels, delivering razor sharp text and unbelievable detail in photos and videos.”

     

    According to Mumbai-based IT consultant Lionel Faleiro, the new iPad is a great evolutionary product for its screen, processing power and upgraded camera. “The main reasons that sells the iPad the most is its availability of Apps and its consistent OS updates. The quality of design of iPad optimized Apps in the iOS Store is much better than its Android counterparts,” he said, adding that he expects the iPad3 to launch in India in May this year.

     

    The new iPad’s Retina display delivers four times the number of pixels of iPad 2, so dense that the human eye is unable to distinguish individual pixels when held at a normal distance, making web pages, text, images and video look incredibly sharp and realistic. The 3.1 million pixels in the Retina display are more than one million more pixels than an HDTV, and with 44 per cent increased colour saturation the new iPad displays colors that are unbelievably richer, deeper and more vivid. Movies are now capable of playing at full 1080p HD-resolution, delivering an incomparable viewing experience on a mobile device.

     

    The A5X chip with quad-core graphics promises to deliver a fast, responsive user experience while supporting the incredible Retina display. With double the graphics performance of the A5 chip, the A5X facilitates a Multi-Touch interface, immersive gameplay and visual depth.

     

     

    Writes Patrick Thornton on Poynter.org:

    “The new iPad could finally elevate the text reading experience on a tablet to something much more akin to reading a printed newspaper, magazine or book. Most major news organizations have released iPad apps, but the blurry, pixelated text from the relatively low-resolution iPad 1 and 2 always stood out. iPad news apps may have great looking photos, videos and interactive graphics, but text – often the core of what a news organization produces – doesn’t look that good, especially in comparison to what humans have been able to enjoy for hundreds of years.”

     

    iPad Wi-Fi + 4G with built-in next generation 4G LTE offers support for fast networks including HSPA+ and DC-HSDPA, and now both CDMA and GSM iPad users have the ability to easily roam internationally.

     

    Comments Amy Gahran on the Knight Digital Media Center site: “Over the last two weeks, such updates include the iPad apps for the New York Times, Associated Press, New York Daily News, Pulse News, Flipboard, NBC Nightly News, the Guardian (Eyewitness app), the Star Tribune and more.

     

    Now that the specs and capabilities of the iPad3 have been confirmed, it’s likely that even more news organizations will be revamping both their apps and the kind of content delivered through them-especially the resolution of photos, video, and graphics.”

     

    The new iPad also supports dictation, another amazing way to get things done just using your voice. Instead of typing, tap the microphone icon on the keyboard, then say what you want to say and the new iPad listens. Tap done, and iPad converts your words into text. You can use dictation to write messages, take notes, search the web and more. Dictation also works with third-party apps, so you can update your Facebook status, tweet, or write Instagram captions.

     

    The new iPad Wi-Fi models will be available in black or white from Friday, March 16 for a suggested retail price of $499 for the 16GB model, $599 for the 32GB model and $699 for the 64GB model. iPad Wi-Fi + 4G for either AT&T or Verizon will be available for a suggested retail price of $629 for the 16GB model, $729 for the 32GB model and $829 for the 64GB model. iPad will also be available in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Puerto Rico, Singapore, Switzerland, UK and the US Virgin Islands from March 16.

     

    By the end of March iPad will be available in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Macau, Mexico, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.

     

    A final word from Gahran: What will be more interesting will be to see if later this year Apple finally launches a smaller, cheaper iPad mini. This long-rumored unicorn so far has failed to materialize-but if the Kindle Fire and other smaller Android tablets keep gaining ground fast, Apple might be tempted to compete with this large consumer market segment.  It’s still a rough economy out there – and the lesson of how Android quickly came to dominate the US smartphone market is probably not lost on Apple. An iPad mini would have very different device and app support capabilities, which would require more significant adaptation from apps and mobile websites.”

     

    Please read:

    BusinessWeek: http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-03-07/apples-big-show-the-tech-bloggers-prom

    Poynter.org: http://www.poynter.org/latest-news/top-stories/165618/ipad-3s-retina-display-will-make -news-apps-stand-out-present-new-challenges-for-news-orgs/

    Knight Digital Media Center: http://www.knightdigitalmediacenter.org/news_blog/comments/20120307 _ipad_3_launches_what_does_it_mean_for_news_publishers/