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  • Salman Hussain on how marketers can make great use of mobile videos as an effective tool to reach out

    The Anchor: 5 ways mobile videos can become an ideal tool for marketers

    By Salman Hussain

     

    There’s no arguing that mobile video is hot, happening right now and is going to continue to grow in popularity in the near future. A recent Cisco report predicts that mobile video will generate 66 percent of global mobile data traffic by 2015. The question is how can marketers best harness the power of this amazing medium? Here are five tips:

     

    1. Tap into the rise of the social sharing phenomena. We’re seeing that in mobile video, social sharing is the new search. What better way to find content that is interesting to you than by recommendation from your trusted social network? What this means for marketers is that clever, compelling mobile video creative has just as much of an opportunity to go viral as the latest Bollywood trailer and this translates into amazing brand reach very quickly. It’s not unusual for mobile video views to be driven by social sharing on Facebook, Twitter and BBM by up to 65%!

     

    2. Create a direct line to a highly engaged audience eager to consume brand messaging that is in context and relevant to them. Video is a highly engaging medium. For example a recent survey of nearly 13,000 women in India found that 50% of women spend more than 30 minutes throughout the day snacking on mobile video content. This is significant because by way of comparison 53% of women said they spent a comparable amount time on television, radio and print media combined. And it’s not all just about entertainment. For example, news is another hot genre for mobile video as well. Marketers should use mobile video to deliver brand engagement that is in the context of the video experience consumers are already having, while communicating the brand’s values in a new and refreshing way.

     

    3. Seek inspiration from brands already achieving success with mobile video. Pepsi, Pizza Hut, Sonata are just a few brands that are already seeing success with mobile video. For example, in an effort to create awareness of Pepsi’s India “Change the Game” Campaign, a two-day roadblock featuring a new commercial starring Ranbir Kapoor was created. The roadblock yielded more than 16mn impressions and 160,000 video views. You can find additional ideas here from a number of case studies highlighting mobile video marketing wins from a broad range of companies.

     

    4. Efficiently ensure consistent user experience across all device types. Prior limitations are no longer in existence. Previously, brands needed to take the time to develop multiple versions of creatives, specifically for a variety of popular devices and screen sizes. Or users would have to suffer a less than optimized experience for their particular device, often visiting a landing page first. Now with innovative new ad units, you can automate a consistent user experience on 5,500 different device types with no manual adjustment required. Cadbury Silk is just one brand that’s already saved costs and time using this approach.

     

    5. Don’t be afraid to experiment. Mobile video marketing is an area ripe for innovation with opportunities for new trends being driven by the proliferation of low end but sophisticated feature phones. These innovations might take the form of new types of ad units or connections to social media sharing or innovations we haven’t even dreamed of yet!

     

    Salman Hussain is Vice President- BD & MD (India & Middle East), Vuclip

     

  • There's no point looking for logical explanations to justify what is carelessness, writes Anil Thakraney on grammar goof-ups in newspapers

    Anil Thakraney: Goofy newspaper desk

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Mirror’s chief editor. Meenal Baghel, said something very interesting as part of the interview with her for MxMIndia. And it has set me thinking. She said deskies is a disappearing breed in the print media, and this is the reason our newspapers arrive with grammar goof-ups. And I have been searching for answers on why we no longer have high quality personnel manning the desk.

     

    One explanation could be that people consider the desk job as a stop-gap arrangement, their ambitions lie elsewhere. And therefore attention to detail is missing. This could be because of the boom in the Indian media, which means a whole lot of opportunities/jobs have opened up. Therefore, the concept of commitment has taken a beating. Perhaps this is so. But then, there are many opportunities available for the deskies in the western world too, but newspapers from there seldom carry mistakes. So maybe there’s some other explanation.

     

    Another theory suggests that the arrival of the SMS and the virtual media may have played a role in this. Just like everyone else, desk personnel are also busy murdering angrezi, and it’s possible this dirty habit has spilled into their work. But once again, the new media doesn’t seem to have damaged the skills of newspaper folks elsewhere in the world, so perhaps the answer lies elsewhere.

     

    Here’s my own view: I think we are looking for scientific and logical explanations to justify what is actually plain and simple carelessness that has crept into the system. With too many distractions these days, I suspect youngsters at the desk aren’t paying adequate attention to subbing and proof-reading. Perhaps a little penalty is called for against each grammar mistake? Ten rupees per goof cut from the salary? Sounds too harsh? It is, but this may be the only way to get the deskies off Chatting/ FB/ Twitter/ Flirting/ Whatever, and back onto the goddamned page.

     

    (Note to the editor: Please ensure there are NO typos in this article. Else, we’ll get lynched by the industry deskies!)

     

     [youtube width=”400″ height=”225″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRB0i9-AUQs[/youtube]

    P S: “She embodied every desirable quality I had ever wanted. In my mind, I was a peasant before a queen. And so, Susan Glenn and I were never a thing. If I could do it again, I’d do it differently.” Not only is this AXE commercial fantastic, the script has been written by a brilliant copywriter. Looks like fine writing has moved from press ads to television. No complaints, we need more of this.

     

    Anil Thakraney is a senior journalist and commentator. He is also Editor-at-Large, MxMIndia. The views expressed here are his own.

     

  • Deepa Gahlot found most reviews decrying the lack of sufficiently high heat quotient in Jism 2

    Reviewing the Reviews: Critics snigger at Jism 2

    By Deepa Gahlot

     

    The Bhatt camp got a whole lot of mileage– equal amounts of outrage and admiration– for signing up porn star Sunny Leone for Jism 2.  Right from the erotic poster (that so offended Mumbai’s mayor) to sizzling stills, the film – directed by Pooja Bhatt – offered viewers sex on toast… and then delivered a tepid, tedious love triangle.

     

    A few years ago, Sunny Leone’s skimpy clothes might have attracted male audiences at least, but now every A-list actress has a bikini body and every male star six-pack abs. So what is the big deal, a ticket buyer might ask.

     

    As can be expected the film got no higher than 2 stars, except of course, the Times of India’s 3.5. Almost every critic decried the lack of a sufficiently high heat quotient and sniggered at the cheesy dialogue. Indian Express’ Shubhra Gupta rightly headlined her review, Bare All Dare Nothing.

     

    Anupama Chopra of Hindustan Times wrote, “Neither a feminine nor masculine gaze can combine intense passion with such a ridiculous story. For an erotic film, everyone talks way too much. Of course, we get love-making, Leone’s bare back and ample cleavage. But the Bhatts – Mahesh and Pooja – also want to unveil some deeper truth about men, women and their obsessions with each other. So Jism 2 plays out like an unintentionally funny fever dream. Kabir is a sort of artist-assassin. He plays the cello and sings mournfully. He quotes Faiz to Izna and says lines like, Mausam guzar jaate hain, yaad nahin guzarti. Hooda is a fine actor but here he seems to be emoting for all three of them. Leone, who is very pretty, clearly wasn’t cast for her acting skills, but honestly, she’s not bad. She wisely finds a sort of half-bewildered, half-heavy breathing expression and then stays with it. When the emotion becomes too complex for her to handle, Pooja cuts to the back of her head.”

     

    Sukanya Verma of rediff.com commented, “In most movies of this genre, sex is employed as a sly tool to arouse psychological intrigue and suspicion, where lack of inhibition works as a disturbing element (Eyes Wide Shut, Sleeping Beauty, anyone?) instead of shabby titillation. But what can one say about a film so paranoid that characters react with such emotional exaggeration and neuroticism as if a nuclear holocaust is upon us? Things get irreversibly dreary after a while. I mean, how many times can one watch two people with zero chemistry going at it, again and again and, well, you get the drift. The one good thing about Jism 2 is the lush green resort it has been shot in — Galle, Sri Lanka. At one point, the possibility of getting a detailed tour of the resort or even its unoccupied rooms seems more exciting than yet another glimpse of Leone’s undressed torso.”

     

    Shubhra Gupta cribbed, “You sit back and wait for some hot action which is what porn stars are meant to show us, right? Or what are they porn stars, avowedly and loudly, for? I am here to tell you that on that count alone, Jism 2 is a crashing disappointment. Yes, there are several flashes of bare backs. There are several flashes of bare everythings, actually, especially in the chest department whose musculature, as they say these days, is awesome. You can see why Ms Leone would be a smash hit in movies which wouldn’t stretch her beyond the requirements of standard X-rated flicks: she’s really pretty, she’s got tumbling locks that tease her shapely shoulders, a constructed bust that proceeds into the room before the rest of her, legs that go on, and so on. But what the makers of Jism 2 didn’t see that for a two hour-and-some film where the leading lady would have to do a little more than moaning and groaning and heating up the bed clothes, Ms Leone would run into trouble. She is made to teeter about in stilettos while delivering dialogues about patriotism and true love. Yes, that’s right.”

     

    Srijana Mitra Das of the Times of India wrote, “Without such plot absurdities, Jism-2 could have been tighter. Slicker. And hotter. Instead, with unexplained turns (how does Izna go from good girl to porn star?) and over-acting, it’s often limp, salvaged by its last 20 minutes of suspense when Izna learns new facts about the IB. Still, Jism-2 offers one more surprise, earning it a couple more points. It’s pleasingly aesthetic, all its sensuousness clad in spa-like serenity, its lighting – golden gossamer, dusty hazes, cool, pale moonlight – actually its sexiest asset. Thank heavens for foreplay.”

     

    The usually effusive Taran Adarsh of bollywoodhungama.com couldn’t find ways to praise this film. “On the whole, Jism 2 has Sunny Leone as its USP, but the lacklustre screenplay and the sluggish pace act as deterrents. However, Sunny Leone in the driver’s seat, coupled with a generous dose of skin show and erotica, besides an attention-grabbing title, should act as a honey-trap to lure the audiences. But how one wishes this jism had soul as well!”

     

    Rajeev Masand of IBN wrote, “Unlike the earlier Jism that Pooja Bhatt produced but didn’t direct, this sequel has little of consequence to say about relationships based on lust. The previous film was a well-acted, adult thriller that had rare sexual frankness. In comparison, Jism 2 feels hollow and exploitative…a film in search of a story. Despite some terrific music and Pooja Bhatt’s neat production design, it’s let down by laughable dialogue and a pace slower than my 90-year-old grandmother on a race track.”

     

    Vinayak Chakravorty  of India Today panned it too. “After all the hoopla, what you get is a two-hour condom ad shot in Sri Lanka. Pooja Bhatt’s Jism 2 roughly divides itself into two moods: Sunny Leone striking sultry half-nude poses with Randeep Hooda/Arunoday Singh (which is what you will pay to watch), and Sunny giving a wide-eyed, clueless look as Randeep/Arunoday blabber, blather and yell. Classy, metaphorical, dramatic, gross, dirty, sad, funny – sex on the screen has been all these and more over the years. Pooja just gave sex a new twist: boring.”

     

    Aniruddha Guha of DNA wrote, “Jism 2 is hybrid cinema. A sort of B-grade sex thriller meets patriotic drama meets intense love story meets spoof. The film is all of the above and none of them. It also falls under a category much cherished by film lovers – the So Bad It’s Good variety. In the past few years, Prince, Haunted 3D and Players have made it to the illustrious list of films that are terrible, yet terribly entertaining. Jism 2 is a fitting addition.”

     

    The usually acerbic Kunal Guha of yahoo.in commented, “Why this film is more erratic than erotic is because it only borders on extremes. Neither of the actors can tread the line between screaming their heads off and being so subtle that they resemble the contents of a washing machine in action. Also, there seems to be some confusion about the role of a porn star as Izna admits to being one but functions as a prostitute. It’s like saying oranges and lemons are both citrus fruits, so oranges are lemons.”

     

    Quite… this one’s did turn out to be a lemon!

     

  • Behind every great commercial is super strategy. Every week, MxMIndia brings you the brief and the strat as given by the client and whatever else that went into creating a winning ad

    AdStrat: Recurring Savings Plan by Birla Sun Life Asset Management Co Ltd

    Deepak Agarwal
    Ajay Kakar

    Lead Credits: Deepak Agarwal, Executive Creative Director, M&C Saatchi; Ajay Kakar, Chief Marketing Officer – Financial Services, Aditya Birla Group

     

    Name of the Campaign: Recurring Savings Plan (RSP) by Birla Sun Life Asset Management Co. Ltd.

     

    Brief:

    Saving via a Mutual Fund v/s other ways of saving!

     

    Everyone knows that it is important to save their earnings – but people go about saving in the manner that they are most used to. Very few people choose to evaluate newer methods of saving, other than the traditional avenues. It is not surprising, therefore, to see as low as 5 per cent of all people opting for a Mutual Fund as a means of saving.

     

    Since its introduction, the option of saving in a Mutual Fund has also been perceived as a riskier method of saving, because of the propagation of information about Mutual Funds. Namely, that Mutual Funds invest in the equity/ share market and that this market can be volatile – hence mutual funds are risky. But the other half of the story is that there are options in mutual fund that can cater to a variety of saving needs, with similar safety and flexibility as traditional avenues.

     

    Among those who are used to saving in other ways, there is also a growing sense of disappointment with traditional avenues of saving – as the rising price of fuel and other aspects of inflation eat away at everyone’s savings.

     

    Research insights: 

    A vast majority of Indians have grown up with traditional avenues of saving (bank accounts, post office etc …)

    A vast majority of Indians are not financially savvy about modern ways of saving (mutual funds, stock market etc …)

    The investors who choose avenues other than the traditional ones target for ‘increasing their income’ as opposed to ‘planning their savings’

     

    The thought process behind the creative:

    The campaign objective: Remind and inspire people with the knowledge of how to save their earnings, regularly and more smartly, via a “Recurring Savings Plan” – a regular savings method in select mutual fund schemes that offer relative safety when it comes to your hard earned money.

     

    The campaign idea: The secret to saving smarter lies in your childhood stories!

     

    As children, we have all heard fables and learnt the difference between right and wrong from their morals. The brand plays the role of a provocateur, reminding adults of the moral behind the fable of ‘The Crow & The Pitcher’ – that doing something different, regularly can actually help one to reach one’s goals.

     

    The message that the brand conveys, via its TVC, is that as adults we often use fables and morals to remind our children to approach issues in their lives in a smarter manner … but the second and more powerful message is to also remind adults to approach their savings habits in a similar, smarter manner.

     

    This creative route leverages the space that fables occupy in everyone’s life, as the morals behind fables are deep rooted and unquestionable. Additionally, morals always seek to educate the reader with valuable life learnings. Hence, the creative route uses a fable to open the minds of adults – in order to plant the thought that perhaps it is these very fables and morals that can also guide us when it comes to saving our money.

     

    Media vehicles chosen:

    The campaign uses a mix of online and mainline (TV, Print, OOH) media to bring alive ‘The Crow & The Pitcher’ fable – in order to inspire adults to try a smarter way to save regularly.

     

    The campaign is supported by a website www.recurringsavings.in where the audience can also play a game that replicates the actions behind the moral of ‘doing something regularly to reach your goal.’

     

    Does the treatment do justice to the brief?
    Commenting on the film, Ajay Kakar, Chief Marketing Officer – Financial Services, Aditya Birla Group said: “In a country that has deep rooted belief in savings and resultantly the highest savings rate (35 per cent of GDP contribution as compared to 20 per cent for the rest of the world), the challenge and opportunity is to bring a self realization among mass India, of the need to also save smartly, through Recurring Savings, through a mutual fund”.

     

    He added: “Being a Top 5 MF player, at BSLMF we were quick to recognize this opportunity and decided to remind mass India about the merits of regular savings through MFs by reminding them of the thirsty crow fable we all heard and grew to. The moral of this story is what we hope creates self realization among our target audience. And in execution, the fable route and the animation approach was chosen for its ease in understanding and to build an instant connect on our core messaging. We decided to rely on a fresh and non threatening approach, going away from what’s now expected as a typical predictable FS advertising look and feel.”
    What according to you is the differentiating factor about the ad?

    • Simple yet powerful concept of regular savings through fixed income instruments of MF- easy for investors to understand and comprehend
    • Inculcates the habit of regular and systematic savings and take advantage of power of compounding
    • Fresh look and feel using an animated approach and a fable, story – telling route, a first in Financial Services category

     

    Compiled by Shubhangi Mehta

     

     

  • The application is currently available for Android and Iphone users and is an excellent way to add digital content to printed media

    Pulp Strategy launches Augmented Reality app

    By A Correspondent

     

    Augmented reality (AR) is the new buzzword and augmented reality games have become a favourite with brands and consumers alike. Now introducing a new dimension to experiential marketing campaign, Pulp Strategy has launched a layar-based mobile application. The application is currently available for Android and Iphone users. This app is an excellent way to add digital content to printed media.

     

    Explainign about the app, Ambika Sharma, Managing Director & CEO, Pulp Strategy, said: “With the increased penetration of smart devices in the youth segment, the application allows the static creative advertisements and collateral’s traditionally used in on-ground activations to be infused with interactive digital experiences in real time. This means that a static poster or a standee – a method of delivering static information – can now be an information tool and an engagement prompter.”

     

    The possibilities of the application are amazing – consumers can be prompted for check-ins on Social media at the press of a button; drive ‘Likes’ or ‘follows’; go to the brand site or order a product or stream the brand video straight to the users hand-held device. The next time marketers plan for that poster creative in campus, or big branded wall in a mall activation, or even brand merchandise for a campaign, the app promises to bring alive each piece of static creative digitally for the consumers.

     

    “Marketers find value in such innovations, as not only is it useful and social media relevant but also breaks clutter, and adds pizzazz to existing branding elements increasing consumer engagement,” said Sharma.

     

    This thought is not new. RFID bands for check-ins have been used in activations before. However, they have been device restrictive and cost per user piles on if one scales up. It needs physical equipment presence to drive any engagement or check-ins.

     

    “But the Mobile app is device agnostic. All it needs is a smart phone and once planned it can be scaled up to unlimited consumers. It is not necessary to have a promoter or brand representative to drive the experience. Essentially, the added delight in experience for the consumer comes at a negligible cost as part of the ground campaign. It integrates, Facebook, Twitter, Google+ Linked In for social media,” said Ms Sharma.

     

  • This campaign will bring forth 15 heroic stories of men and women who have bravely stood up against crime

    Red FM launches Crime Ki Keh Ke Lenge

    By A Correspondent

     

    This summer seems to belong to superheroes on screen and we loved seeing them beat up the bad guys. But on August 06, 93.5 Red FM will launch ‘Crime Ki Keh Ke Lenge’, which will introduce listeners to some real life heroes – ordinary people who have had the courage to stand up against crime in our capital city.

     

    This campaign will bring forth 15 heroic stories of men and women who have bravely stood up against crime. The basic premise is to highlight the immense amount of courage and resilience shown by these people to counter different criminal acts they were faced with. The content of the show is purposeful and interesting, and goes on to show that the common man or woman can handle these successfully.

     

    Red FM Delhi’s Morning RJs Peeyuush and Swati will feature one such instance on their show every day, with different people related to the story coming on-air along with the protagonist.

     

    ‘Crime Ki Keh Ke Lenge’ is yet another initiative by Red FM to take up matters of local importance, and present them in an entertaining, yet responsible manner. As elucidated by the Senior VP – Programming and Projects, Nisha Narayanan: “‘Crime’ is a new genre for radio, the relevance of which is even more in our capital city. The campaign thought for our prime-time show comes from an inherent responsibility to highlight what we think should be brought to the notice of our listeners. These heroes are also a part of our listening universe, and the deeds instill a sense of pride in their fellow citizens.

     

    A bold move by one the leading radio stations inIndia, Red FM means business when it says ‘Crime Ki Keh Ke Lenge’.”

     

  • In Week 3 of our Friday announcements: an all-new channel on television content. A new weekly column by Shailesh Kapoor, founder and CEO of Ormax Media. Also, the second of our MxM Mondays will be on what ails media education (and not on TAM).

    Week 3 Announcement: Starting Aug 8: New channel on Content & Column by Shailesh Kapoor

    It’s Week 3 of our announcement on Fridays.

     

    And the first of these is on an all-new channel on our site – on Television Content. Since we launched last year, we’ve felt the need for one and have also received several requests to carry programming-related information and stories . However, since we concentrate more on the business of media, we have not been able to do justice to several stories on television content. It’s unfortunate because while distribution and marketing dynamics are critical, it’s content that finally drives viewership and the moolah. Also, we already have channels exclusively for journalism and radio on MxMIndia…

     

    So, starting next Thursday (Wednesday, August 8), look forward to our channel on TV Content.

     

    We are also proud to announce that Shailesh Kapoor, co-founder and CEO, Ormax Media will write a column on television starting on Aug 8.  Watch out for it!

     

    Meanwhile, given the controversy that is raging on television measurement, we’ve decided to put off our MxM Mondays discussion on why everyone loves to damn TAM. Instead, we will focus on an issue that concerns us all: What ails Media Education.  We will speak to a cross-section of people in the industry. If you would like to share your views, please email us at editor@mxmindia.com with the ‘MxM Mondays #2’ in the subject line.

     

  • The Internet Economy Watch data is said to be based on absolute numbers captured from various relevant sites, encapsulating online usage for e-tailing, online travel and vertical classifieds

    IAMAI Internet Economy Watch: E-com continues to surge

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Internet & Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) on August 01 released ‘Internet Economy Watch’ for the month of June 2012. According to the findings, the e-ticketing category with irctc.com (Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation) and airlines continues to grow robustly. It recorded a year-on-year growth of 36 per cent as compared to the corresponding months last year.

     

    As per the findings from the Internet Economy Watch data released by IAMAI (Internet and Mobile Association of India), there has been an increase in online railway ticketing and air ticketing. But figures for matrimonial profile uploads, activities on e-commerce sites and resume uploads on recruitment sites continue to show decline. Interestingly in the April-June quarter, the month of May has seen the highest traffic of online users across categories.

     

    The Internet Economy Watch data is said to be based on absolute numbers captured from various relevant sites, encapsulating online usage for e-tailing, online travel and vertical classifieds.

     

    In an email interaction with MxMIndia, Dr Subho Ray, President, IAMAI talked about the factors behind the surge of e-ticketing: “Technological advancement and more and more people getting internet savvy coupled with convenience is the key factor leading to the rise in online booking of train and air tickets. Online tickets can now be booked on the move, through mobile, tablets and of course PCs. A deeper PC penetration in rural areas is also one of the reasons for the rise in online booking.”

     

    On the takeaways for brands and marketers from these findings, Dr Ray said: “The Internet Watch Report is a recent initiative by IAMAI and is out with its third report. Going forward, the monthly data will help marketers and brands to map the consumer behaviour online and devise their digital strategy accordingly – to be in sync with the online behaviour of the consumers.”

     

    Besides e-tailing, online travel and vertical classifieds, in the near future IAMAI is expected to introduce newer categories: “Yes, going forward we would be incorporating more segments” added Dr Ray.

     

    Some of the finding of the report are:

    Online Travel Portals:

    The report states that 5.83 million bookings were registered on irctc.com in June 2012 as compared to 4.30 million in June 2011, whereas airlines witnessed 1.45 million online bookings for the month of June 2012 as compared to 1.07 million in the corresponding period last year. During the quarter April-June 2012, irctc.com registered an all time high of 6.22 million e-bookings in May 2012, while e-ticketing with airlines touched 1.92 million bookings in April 2012.

     

    Source: IAMAI/ Online Travel Portals

     

    E-tailing Sites:

    Data captured from 29 e-tailing sites reports an annual increase in online user visit to spa & restaurant category from 0.61 million in June 2011 to 0.75 million in June 2012, showing a year on year growth of 24 per cent. The branded apparel category witnessed 5.39 million visits in June 2012 as compared to 4.40 million visits in the corresponding period last year. On the other hand, designer labels segment saw a y-o-y growth of 21 per cent with 1.73 million online visits registered in June 2012 as compared to 1.43 million visits in June 2011.

     

     

    Source: IAMAI/e-Commerce sites

     

    Vertical Classifieds:

    While the number of resume uploads on recruitment sites has gone down from 3.43 million in June 2011 to 2.44 million in June 2012, the profile uploads on matrimonial sites is marginally up from 2.34 million in June 2011 to 2.36 million in June 2012.

     

     

    Source: IAMAI/ Vertical Classifieds

     

    Online Traffic:

    During the quarter April-June 2012, the month of May has seen the highest traffic of online users with e-ticket bookings at irctc.com, resume uploads on recruitment sites and visits in e-tailing of branded apparels, footwear and designer labels.

     

     

     

    Source: IAMAI

     

  • MTunes Trending20 brings to its viewers a comprehensive analysis of audience preferences across 5 platforms

    MTunes HD launches ‘MTunes Trending20’

    By A Correspondent

     

    MTunes HD – the HD Bollywood music channel has announced the launch of a countdown show called ‘MTunes Trending20’, presented by Bharti Airtel. This is in keeping with the channel’s premise of delivering “music like never seen before”.

     

    Historically, countdown charts have been based on record sales. However, given the fact that music consumption is spread across multiple platforms these days, MTunes Trending20 brings to its viewers a comprehensive analysis of audience preferences across 5 platforms. The final chart will be compiled by leading media research firm Ormax Media.

     

    The five platforms will be Radio popularity compiled by Radio City, Digital downloads provided by Hungama, YouTube views & Heartbeats (weekly music research) by Ormax Media and audience preferences as recorded by MTunes HD. A normalized measurement formula based on TV Ratings Data, Radio Aircheck, SMS requests, downloads/usage tracking across mobile service providers and views count on popular internet video sites will be collated to generate the weekly chart.

     

    Presented by Bharti Airtel, the weekly show – scheduled to launch from August 04 every Saturday – will play the top 20 songs of the week. Through the week the top songs on MTunes Trending20 will also be highlighted on the daily play list.

     

    Speaking on the occasion, Saravanan P, CEO of MTunes HD said: “MTunes Trending20 is a reaffirmation of our promise to deliver ‘Music Like Never Seen Before’ and strengthens a long line-up of path-breaking formats like Kal Ka Superhits, Handmade and MBox already on the channel. We have pioneered the industry by launching the World’s first HD Bollywood Music Channel and are committed to consistently drive growth for our stakeholders. This show will deliver the gold standard of Bollywood music rankings to the industry and is among several initiatives in the pipeline that will make the MTunes HD viewers feel the music!” The channel is reportedly pricing the property at a premium and is confident of changing the game for the genre with its unique concept and distinct proposition.

     

    Shailesh Kapoor, CEO-Ormax Media added: “Today, music is consumed across media – television, radio, internet, mobile phones and other digital devices. MTunes Trending20 is a unique property that captures the combined effect of all these media.”

     

  • Leading news anchors and producers will conduct the Studio Talk anchoring workshop for Studio Talk from tomorrow

    Top news anchors & producers to conduct anchoring workshop from tomorrow

    From the MxM Infodesk

     

    Studio Talk has announced the second batch of its TV Anchoring Workshop starting August 4 in Mumbai. “Of the anchors you see on TV, very few are naturals. For the rest, it is an acquired skill set that comes with practice and practice,” said course director Mahrukh Inayet Rizvi, who was formerly Senior Editor with Times Now and is an award-winning journalist.

     

    The workshop trains and prepares one on how to be a television anchor/presenter during an intensive six weekend programme which is designed by top names in the industry, informed Vikram Sawant, director, Studio Talk and senior journalist.

     

    As course director, Ms Inayet Rizvi will personally oversee the six weekend training programmes. She will be joined by Mr Sawant, Mandira Lalwani (Former Times Now, ESPN, TenSports & Star News), Naomi Datta (Author 6 pm slot and Former Anchor & Producer CNBC & Times Now), Tejas Mehta (Mumbai Bureau Chief, NDTV 24 x7), Tanvir Gill (Senior Markets Anchor, ET Now), Juhi Pande (Former VJ, Channel [V]), Ragini Kumar (Former Sports Anchor, Times Now), Shruti Rajkumar (Former Anchor & Producer, Tech Toyz, CNBC), Mikhail Vaswani (Presenter, Neo Cricket), Ameet Sawant (Producer & Director, 96Karatz Productions), Renelle Snelleksz (Former Anchor, Times Now) among others.

     

    Along with teleprompter training, studio simulated exercises, voice modulation and basic make-up sessions, students will receive a certificate at the end of the program and a demo CD which will help showcase their talent and proficiency before the cameras.

     

    The weekend batches happen on Saturdays and Sundays from 10am to 3pm atSt Paul’s Institute of Communication Education, Bandra (W), Mumbai.

    Telephone: +91-9820125420, +91-9004402661, Email: thestudiotalk@gmail.com, Website: www.thestudiotalk.com

     

    *MxMIndia was a media partner of Studio Talk’s first workshop

     

  • All questions in MxM Buzzer #3 are on social media… Ritika Misra and Mayank Jain win MxM Buzzer #2

    MxM Buzzer # 3 | Quiz on Social Media

    Here it is. The third edition of MxMIndia’s media quiz that happens every Friday. Our quizmaster is Sorbojeet Chatterjee, Vice President – Marketing at Neo Sports. To enter this quiz, simply email the answers with your personal details (Name, email id and telephone number) and a one-word descriptor for MxMIndia at editor@mxmindia.com with Buzzer#3 in the subject. Standard contest rules apply (see box below).

    There will be 2 prizes every week. First Prize: Rs 1001, Second Prize: Rs 501.

    If there’s a tie, the best descriptor for MxMIndia will get the prize (note: tie-breaker question will change every week). Last date for sending entries: Wednesday, August 8 .

    Instagram, a mobile photo sharing app, was recently acquired for a whopping USD 1 billion. Which social networking company acquired Instagram?
    Turkish Software Engineer ___________ Buyukkokten has a popular social networking site named after his first name. Which one?
    The Social Network was a blockbuster movie on Facebook. However, the movie was a film adaptation of a popular book. Identify the book?
    In 2009, Ashton Kutcher had challenged a global media brand to a race to 1 million followers on Twitter. Surprisingly Kutcher won! Which iconic media brand lost the race?
    This is the logo of a super successful online social gaming company that was named after the co-founder’s pet bull dog. Identify the company that has created blockbuster social games like FarmVille, Mafia Wars, etc?
    Amitabh Bachchan’s blog used to be hosted on Big Adda. However, it has recently shifted to a more popular destination. Where?
    What is the claim to fame of a video titled “Me at the Zoo” with respect to social media?
     In February 2011, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak had to step down after the Egypt Revolution. Activist Wael Ghonim (Marketing Manager at Google) played a vital role in mobilizing people that led to media terming this a ___________ Revolution
    These awards were instituted in 2008 to honour the best short-form content creators on Twitter. The scope was eventually extended to cover other social networking sites like Facebook, Four Square and Tumblr. Identify the awards?
    This is the first blue print sketch of a popular social networking site. Which social network was born from this concept?

    Winner of Buzzer # 2 is Ritika Misra (Tel No xxxxx 57763) who works with DDB Mudra Max. Ms Misra wins a Prize of Rs 1001. The second prize winner is Mayank Jain (xxxxx 72616) who wins the Second Prize of Rs 501. Congratulations, Ms Misra and Mr Jain. Please await our mail, send us your coordinates and we will wire/ courier/ deposit the prize… asap!

     

    Answers to Buzzer # 2

    1. Danny Boyle (of Slumdog Millionaire fame), 2. Amul, 3. NBC, 4. Rani Mukerji, 5. Hey Jude,
    6. Tennis The Menace, 7. Leander Paes (His father Vece Paes represented India in Hockey and his mother Jennifer Paes in Basketball), 8. Chariots of Fire, 9. Oscar Pistorius 10. Ambush Marketing
     

    1. The families and employees of MxMIndia Private Limited and its associates are not eligible to win prizes.

    2. You can send as many entries as you would like. There is no entry fee.

    3. In case of more than one all-correct entry, the Tie-Breaker will be the decider.4. The decision of the Quizmaster and/or the MxMIndia editor will be final.

    5. If the winner is not reachable by phone/email, the next best entry will be awarded the prize.

    6. By sending your entry, it is assumed that you are in agreement with the rules.

    7. Last Date for sending entries for Buzzer # 3 is August 8, 2012
  • In Freaking News, Ranjona Banerji reviews the fare in the morning papers and the nightly news. And sometimes the afternooners, the newsmags and all that's on the Web

    Ranjona Banerji: Anna movement reaches its predictable end

    By Ranjona Banerji

     

    The news was quick to jump on India’s new Union Home minister after a series of bomb blasts hit Pune the day Sushil Kumar Shinde was appointed. In a revealing interview with Rajdeep Sardesai of CNN-IBN, Shinde exposed himself as a “family” man and also attributed his political success to his Dalit caste. These are just the kinds of things a new India does not want to hear. Even worse, he then went on to say that he had been an “excellent” power minister – this on the day that North and East India reeled under power blackouts for the second consecutive day.

     

    Fortunately for Shinde and his possible short-comings – and also therefore for the UPA government – escape came from what has been the top news story, especially on television: the Anna Hazare-led anti-corruption movement.

     

    Two days ago, Times Now editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami had practically been in tears over the frail but defiant condition of Anna Hazare adviser Arvind Kejriwal. The activist, who is apparently a diabetic, was in a bad way but was refusing to break his fast until all his conditions were met – arrest half the government and so on.

     

    Goswami therefore got into fighting mode as there were indications that the movement was looking for a political solution. Karan Thapar also explored this on his Last Word on CNN-IBN.

     

    By Thursday, it was announced that the anti-corruption movement would now become a political platform. The news was welcomed by all political parties since the fight had moved away from civil society to a battle ground they were all very familiar with.

     

    The media’s relationship with the Anna Hazare movement has been fascinating. TV went overboard last year as it supported the movement wholeheartedly and since most TV journalists are under the age of 11, they must have felt this was bigger than the freedom movement. The print media however remained cautious and in some cases critical. The people of India also get enthusiastic and social media was buzzing with anti-corruption rage. The government helped by bumbling and fumbling in its negotiations. But nothing topped the one lakh people who supported the movement in Delhi last year. The Lokpal bill was passed in the Lok Sabha but did not get past the Rajya Sabha.

     

    Buoyed by its success, the movement went a little overboard in its demands and so TV also started asking difficult questions. No one showed up in Mumbai in December and TV totally turned. All the allegations against people like Kiran Bedi and Arvind Kejriwal were discussed. Hazare’s rustic ideas on politics and society became public knowledge. The group’s diverse and contradictory views on the politics, on political parties and ideologies were exposed.

     

    This time’s agitation saw the love coming full circle. TV tried to be supportive but the people were not. The movement’s supporters roughed up journalists for reporting the lack of popular support. The government was unmoved.

     

    The result is that the movement has gone political. Media support, which bolstered the movement so much in its early days, is now no longer assured. An interesting tale of how activists took on the government and enthused some people for a short while has reached a very predictable end. The media, they will have to remember from now on, will never be a pillar of support if it has to be a pillar of democracy.