As mentioned in the second of our Friday announcements, MxMIndia announced the coordinates to enable access of its news updates and alerts via the Blackberry Messenger (BBM) and WhatsApp.
For BBM: the Pin No is 23050B5D. You can also scan the barcode and add the MxMIndia contact. For WhatsApp: the Data Cellphone Number is: +91 99206 50363 and the email id is editor@mxmindia.com.
MxMIndia recognises that the BBM and WhatsApp ids of most subscribers are private and promises that these will NOT be shared with anyone – advertisers included. However, news alerts and updates may include very short sponsor/advertiser messages in text and links.
Hungama Digital Media Entertainment Pvt Ltd has won four awards at The Promotion Marketing Awards of Asia (PMAA) – The Dragons of Asia 2012.
Hungama Digital Media bagged the PMAA Dragons of Asia for ‘The Best Campaign from India’ for its Maruti Suzuki Cricket Stock Exchange campaign. It also bagged a Gold in ‘The Best Innovative concept’ category, two Silvers for ‘The Best Use of the Internet in a Promotion Marketing Campaign’ and ‘Best Use of Social Marketing in a Promotion Marketing Campaign’.
Said Sunila Dhar, Deputy General Manager Media, Maruti Suzuki, “We are very happy to have got this award. Our association with CSX has been for two years and it is overwhelming to see the response to the game. It was based on the correct consumer insight of the passion for cricket, and the fact that we all have an opinion on the players and like to give a calculated opinion. Besides, the game has been made highly engaging by Hungama with many new segments in its second avatar.”
Speaking to MxMIndia on the news, Siddhartha Roy, COO, Consumer Business & Allied Services, Hungama Digital Media Entertainment said, “To be acknowledged by the PMAA for our campaigns is a great boost to the team’s morale, but it does raise the bar for them to keep creating successful, clutter breaking campaigns . Our Biggest winner – Maruti Suzuki Cricket Stock Exchange was a well thought out and superbly executed project by the team.” Speaking about the product, he added, “Cricket by far dominates and drives consumption on digital gaming, and with CSX we created a differentiated offering for consumers. With a trading game that is impacted by the real world cricketing news and stats, consumers have the opportunity to be more involved within the game. Ayaz Memon’s expertise ensures that users have the most accurate knowledge and info to make the trade on the stock exchange so as to maximise their earning.”
Added Ms Niloufer Dundh, Head – Integrated Media, Hungama Digital Media Entertainment said: “I am delighted, and thrilled with the awards we won, hats off to the team for creating Maruti Suzuki Cricket Stock Exchange campaign and for constantly improving and innovating. This is the second year we aired a campaign for this product, it was first launched during IPL 2011. I am also very happy because we had a brand like Maruti who supported us and had faith in us for these two years.”
This year, the awards witnessed the introduction of the Dragons of Malaysia, in partnership with Marketing Magazine, as a plan to recognize more local agencies. All winning campaigns were then judged locally and then again in the Dragons of Asia, with 50 Gold, Silver and Bronze winners now taking part in the 2012 MAA Worldwide Globes.
Awards won by Hungama at PMAA 2012 – The Dragons of Asia (Orders of Merit)
The Dragons for the Best Campaigns in their Country
Dragon
Campaign
Client
Best InIndia
Cricket Stock Exchange
Maruti Suzuki
Best Innovative Idea or Concept
Dragon
Campaign
Client
Gold
Cricket Stock Exchange
Maruti Suzuki
Best Use of the Internet in a Promotion Marketing Campaign
Dragon
Campaign
Client
Silver
Cricket Stock Exchange
Maruti Suzuki
Best Use of Social Marketing in a Promotion Marketing Campaign
Surf Excel is back with another commercial in the long-running ‘Daag achche hain’ campaign. Before I get to the new TVC, must say the idea has worked marvelously for the brand over all these years. It has allowed Surf Excel’s advertising to be different, and it’s quite extendable. A very good example of the importance of idea in advertising.
The commercial features a group of kids playing on a cricket field. A turf war breaks out between two teams (and this is quite usual!). The team consisting of older kids bullies the younger ones. One of the lads is pushed into a dirt puddle. But instead of crying, he smartly uses his dirty clothes to drive the older boys out of the field. Elated, his team mates join in for a dirt fest.
Good, fun stuff. Kids will enjoy it, but more importantly, so will the moms, who are the target audience for Surf Excel. Also, I like the idea of directly using the stains to win the day; this makes the communication quite powerful. Clearly, ‘Daag achche hain’ is on a roll, and the way it’s panned out since inception, I believe this property will live for a very long time.
My own favourite ad though is still the original brother/sister commercial, but the continuing ads have been cool too.
Rating: (On a scale of 1 to 5): 4. Smart and humorous
Perfetti van Melle India, the market leader in confectionery, has partnered with Fox Studios for the latest marketing campaign for Alpenliebe. The creative for the campaign is set in Ice Age, the internationally successful franchise from Fox, with the release of its latest installment – Ice Age 4: Continental Drift.
The campaign aims to bring alive the “irresistibility” positioning of Alpenliebe. In this TV commercial, Scrat, who is one of most loved characters from the franchise, has turned this attention towards his favourite Alpenliebe. But his greed for Alpenliebe cascades into a hilarious chain of events.
The campaign will surely surprise and entertain consumers and create an excitement around the brand. This campaign can be seen on all leading kids’ channels and on Youtube and Facebook.
Commenting on the initiative, Nikhil Sharma, Director Marketing Perfetti van Melle India, said:Â “The objective of this campaign was both to bring alive the brand proposition and to entertain our consumers. Thanks to the support we received from Fox Studios, we have been able to produce a TVC that delivers very well on both counts.”
[youtube width=”400″ height=”225″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Wcl2zVWQ14[/youtube]He added: “Scrat’s tireless chase of an acorn is a well established and entertaining part of the Ice Age story and the whole piece fit very beautifully to highlight the ‘irresistibility’ of Alpenliebe – something which is very rarely the case in such associations.”
Vijay Singh, CEO, Fox Star Studios India said: “Ice Age is the most successful animated franchise in India, and highly beloved amongst children and families; we are really pleased on the association between Ice Age 4: Continental Drift and Perfetti van Melle. The Indian team is very passionate and creative. The idea has been seamlessly depicted in the TVC, from the perspective of both Alpenliebe and Ice Age franchise.”
Ahmedabad is the commercial and the political capital of Gujarat. As per internal research and readers feedback, it was evident to the Dainik Bhaskar Group that the readers in Ahmedabad are deeply interested in the political and bureaucratic activities of state. Power corridors of Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar were of prime interest to the readers.
Keeping this interest in mind, Divya Bhaskar launched a special page – Rajkaaj -in its main issue in Ahmedabad to address this heightened reader need for political news.
Mr Saras Sethi, State CEO Gujarat said: ‘Divya Bhaskar has always been a newspaper that has remained above the curve; and we use reader’s feedback and formal research for keeping a tab on the changing environment. RAJKAAJ aimed at providing focused political news is a perfect example of this philosophy. We understand that this will further strengthen the strong reader connect that Divya Bhaskar enjoys with its readers and will help then remaining updated on the political and bureaucratic scenario and the power struggle or equations.”
Divya Bhaskar, the Gujarati newspaper from Dainik Bhaskar group with 11.44 lakh readers (IRS Q1 2012) is the only Gujarati newspaper with more than a million readers in a city.
In the past 13 weeks, one show has done what no other show has been able to in a long time – get people face-to-face with the ugly truths of our society. Aamir Khan’s television debut, Satyamev Jayate, was the most-talked about show even months before it was aired. It was touted to revolutionize the Sunday morning slot on the Indian television.
From the very first episode till its last episode on July 29, the show was able to create a lot of buzz. People shared their views on the social ills the show highlighted on social networking sites. The news channels and newspapers carried expert views and opinions on the show. It didn’t back down from highlighting the fact that a country of one billion lives like ostriches when it comes to taking action against such evils.
However, inspite of all the hue and cry, one question still remains on everyone’s mind: was it really effective?
MxMIndia spoke to industry experts, journalists and even activists after the show was aired on May 6 and almost all of them gave it thumbs up. Now that the show has ended, we got in touch with the same people to know their opinions…
TRP: the only yardstick?
Chandradeep Mitra
For any channel and show, the TRPs it gets are the yardstick at which its popularity is measured on. Star India’s Satyamev Jayate which premiered across nine channels – Star Plus, Star Pravah, DD National, ETV, Star Utsav, Vijay, Star Jalsha, Star World & Asianet – got a rating of an average 4 TVR for the CS4+ in the Hindi speaking markets and an average of 4.9 TVR for the All 4+, according to the TAM viewership data. But, as the weeks rolled on, the ratings dipped.
Many, however, feel that such shows cannot be measured by TRPs as they are much bigger than that. “For a show like this, ratings alone cannot be the yardstick. One must not forget that the it was a non-entertainment show and was aired on Sunday mornings. Â For a slot and content like that, the show did very good,” said Chandradeep Mitra, managing partner, Anvention.
Anil Sathiraju
He added: “We must look at the social impact it created and I’m sure it will remain in people’s memories for a long time. Apart from the buzz created on social networking sites and getting eyeballs, I’m sure now companies will also increase their CSR activities as it highlighted the work done by a few.”
Similarly, Anil Sathiraju, Head – south, Mudra Max Media, too feels that content and impact are more important than the ratings: “What the show has done to the morning slot is evident enough, that it made people sit up and take notice. And I’m sure now most channels, including Star, will want to revive the slot and come up with shows which will not make the slot redundant.”
Sundeep Nagpal
The show wasn’t developed and promoted for TRPs, said Sundeep Nagpal, founder director, Stratagem Media. “It was applicable for the masses and not many shows of such genre have been created. Hence, it would be wrong to judge it on the ratings…it’s much more than that. It bought out the issues which are prevalent but under the surface. For example how many of us in Mumbai knew about Khap panchayats? The show is a turning point in the Indian television history.”
The much-hyped show even went on to charge an exorbitant amount for the 10-second advertisement slot which was sold at thrice the usual rates. “For an advertiser, the show was the best medium to reach its audiences. For the first time, a show was created, which in turn created two new stakes – timeslot and a new category of a show. So, many didn’t hesitate in paying that extra for the quality they were getting in return,” explained Llyod Mathias, director GreenBean Ventures and former CMO of Tata Teleservices and Motorola.
Aamir Khan vs Content
Anita Nayyar
According to the media planner, Anita Nayyar, who is moving back to her former agency Havas from Bennett, Coleman & Company (BCCL) by August, initially the show got the hype only because it was anchored by the actor and the fact that the concept of the show was well hidden. However, for a show like Satyamev Jayate, it’s the content which plays a bigger role.
“Satyamev Jayate is a socially relevant show and in the beginning, I think, it did mobilize people. However, in between it lost its public appeal. And I’m not surprised as such shows only appeal to a certain section of the society. Hence, it wasn’t even able to garner the TRPs it deserved,” said Ms Nayyar.
She explained that though the show was anchored by a popular actor like Aamir Khan there was a gap between enlightenment and mobilization. “The show was supposed to mobilize people, but it was only able to highlight the evils which we all know exist. Nonetheless, it was a good show.”
Voicing the same opinion, Sarla Bijapurkar, sociologist, believes that if one has to score Aamir Khan vis-a-vis the content of the show, Aamir would win. “Public memory is very short and everything will be lost if there is no follow-up. For instance, take the episode where diktats of Khap panchayats were highlighted. Has anything changed? No, we still have such bodies making people’s lives miserable. Sometimes, when one hears or reads about such instances, it makes you wonder if we, as a society, take two steps backward for every one step taken forward.”
“For me, the show will only mean something if it is able to do a follow-up on the issues highlighted. Also, instead of raising a new issue every time, I think, they should have focused on fewer and discussed about different dimensions related to a particular issue. Maybe, then it would have been able to brought about a change,” said Ms Bijapurkar.
Waiting for a change…
Ranjona Banerji
However, there are many who think that the show was a success and was able to do more than just generate public interest and will eventually lead to some change as evolutions don’t happen overnight.
Ranjona Banerji, a senior journalist and contributing editor, MxMIndia, feels that the show did justice to the concept though there were a few dodges like the show being too emotional, sometimes. The first two episodes – female foeticide and child sexual abuse – were able to create a lot of public interest. “Apart from these two episodes, the episodes which moved me were the ones on disability and senior citizens. The show did the work of a journalist and was even able to answer a few questions. Hopefully, they’ll tweak the show a little bit and come up with a second season – better and stronger.”
Stemade Biotech, a pioneer in dental stem cell banking in the Asian region has appointed LinOpinion – the Lowe Lintas public relations division, which bagged the account after a competitive pitch against two other agencies. LinOpinion is mandated to educate publics on the concept of dental stem cell banking and increase media visibility for Stemade.
With an aim to gain repute in the era of regenerative medicine, Stemade endeavours to be the largest dental stem cell bank inIndia, offering services of the highest standards.
Commenting on the reason for picking LinOpinion, Shailesh Gadre, Managing Director, Stemade said: “LinOpinion has an excellent body of work in the healthcare space. I think they were able to immerse themselves completely into the category, and consumers, which led to a thorough understanding of our business and our brief. Considering that we wanted to change our communication strategy from one that was tactical, to one that is insightful and strategic, we believe that LinOpinion is the best fit. Our ultimate aim is to heighten awareness of dental stem cell banking acrossIndiato save lives.”
Kavita Lakhani, President, LinOpinion said: “We are very pleased to work with Stemade who are leaders in the category. Dental stem cell-based therapy indeed seems to have potential to change the traditionally weak Indian medical system. Our challenge is to create awareness of dental stem cell banking and its benefits. LinOpinion will employ a fully integrated multi-media approach to deliver messages and drive conversations with diverse audiences – consumers, healthcare practitioners and regulators. We will also articulate Stemade’s advocacy programs ranging from innovation to education.”
One of LinOpinion’s greatest competitive advantages is a comprehensive understanding of building and protecting healthcare brands through its work with hospitals, insurers, healthcare professionals, policy makers and other key influencers. The agency’s experience includes campaigns for the Government of Maharashtra – Avert Society (AIDS awareness), Healthspring Community Medical Centres, Allergan, Botox, Centre for Obesity and Diabetes, GSK – Smoking Cessation Therapy, Pfizer-Viagra, Manipal Hospitals, Johnson and Johnson, Johns Hopkins University, National Leprosy Education Program, OncQuest and Rotary’s pulse polio vaccination drive.
Hockey India entered into a multi-year broadcast agreement with leading sports broadcaster ESPN STAR Sports to exclusively broadcast the soon to be launched Hockey India League (HIL). ESPN STAR Sports will also cover all international hockey test matches under Hockey India to be played in India for the next 5 years.
In a multi-year deal, ESPN STAR Sports has been granted global telecast rights for the professional hockey league. The FIH-approved league will see the best of national as well as international hockey stars showcase their prowess. The first edition of the league is expected to be played in January 2013. The league will comprise of at least six franchise hockey teams and will feature 33 hockey matches to be played in prime time in stadia across the country. All teams will play each other on a home and away basis (30 league matches) followed by 2 semifinals and the final.
Hockey India further announced that ESPN STAR Sports has the global broadcast rights to telecast at least 5 international hockey test matches every year under Hockey India to be played in India for the next 5 years. The number of matches that India will play against top quality international opposition could go up depending on the finalization of the series schedule.
Hockey India Secretary General and Chairman, Hockey India League, Dr. Narinder Batra said: “We are delighted to have ESPN STAR Sports as our broadcast partners. Hockey India has a clear vision – we want to revive the glory days of hockey inIndiaand drive popularity of the game across the country. This partnership with ESPN STAR Sports will play a key role in our overall plans.”
Speaking on the professional hockey league, Mr Batra added: “The proposed league (HIL) will be the biggest initiative that hockey has ever seen in India. We have been working out the details for months now and I am glad to announce that things are quickly falling into place. I am confident that our partners ESPN STAR Sports will help us deliver a flawless world class product.”
Peter Hutton, Managing Director, ESPN STAR Sports said: “Hockey is close to our heart and we will drive all our efforts to make this league a success. We are also delighted to have all international hockey test matches under Hockey India to be played in India on our networks for a 5 year period. I look forward to some memorable occasions and a new era for Indian hockey.”
Hardly had the news of the acquisition of English news channel NewsX by ITV Media Group and Hindi news channel Live India by Prosperity Agro filterd in, there were murmurs on whether it was vital for the government to impose entry barriers for the news media. ITV of course has been in the news for around five years and Live India already had a sizeable stake by a property developer HDIL.
As part of MxM Mondays, we spoke to a cross-section of news media practitioners to offer their views on the issue.
This issue of media ownership has been debated on in the past, and more so recently, because of the entry of corporate groups into the news media. Earlier this year we saw two big corporates enter the media domain, when Reliance Industries bought a stake in Raghav Behl-led Network18 and Aditya Birla Group invested in the Aroon Purie-led Living Media India.
While big business owning media is not a new phenomenon, there are numerous instance of politicians owning and controlling sections of the media, especially in Southern India.
Hence the question arises: Is it a cause for worry when people with non-media interests start owning the mass news media?
Here are a cross-section of views from captains of the industry (in alphabetical order of their last names):
Tariq Ansari, Chairman and Managing Director, Next Mediaworks Ltd
Tariq Ansari
The worry is not around who owns the media but whether they act in a way that is consistent with journalistic standards of integrity and fair play. We seem to have forgotten simple journalistic conventions like a declaration of interest from the owner of the publication/channel on stories in which there is a substantial commercial interest.
Media, much like steel or fertilisers or communications, will eventually belong to those who have the means and desire to invest in it. The point about it being the preserve of a few is inexplicable. Nobody is stopping anyone from raising the capital to start a newspaper/magazine/TV station/radio station/website. We live in a free country. Anyone who has the ability to own media should be able to do so, without limitation. Clearly my preference would be that criminals or those with clear vested interest should not own media, but I am not sure if the law of the land can prevent this from happening.
Vinod Mehta
Vinod Mehta, Former Editor-in-Chief, Outlook magazine
I am worried. Media diversity is very important for freedom of the press. I don’t want Media in the hands of a few owners. It should be open to all.
And here’s what MxMIndia’s regular columnists say:
Ranjona Banerji, senior journalist, columnist and Contributing Editor, MxMIndia
Media ownership is a worry to the extent that journalists are not able to withstand corporate pressure. For instance, the Birlas started Hindustan Times and the Tatas has a stake in The Statesman (to name just two) and the battle between marketing and editorial is as old as the profession. The problem comes when senior editors capitulate and reader interest is surrendered or sacrificed. I would turn the spotlight back on journalists: are we fighting the good fight?
Many years back when I asked a leading industrialist why he was keen on starting a news channel he replied with the famed Deewar dialogue (some alcohol in the system did the trick): Aaj mere paas buildingey hai, gaadi hai, bank balance hai, but even then these guys owning newspapers and channels are ruling the world. We were in the late 1990s, and journalists and news media owners were indeed much sought after. That may have waned over the years, but the desire to own news media stays. What hasn’t changed is that the intent of owning the news media goes far beyond returns on investments.
When the British ruled India, it was the desire to mobilize public opinion that led to several national leaders and even businessmen to embrace news. Post-Independence, with the birth of a new economy, it was a mix of nationalistic sentiment and also to use it as an ally in a tightly controlled business environment. The ’60s and ’70s saw the media taking off with magazines like the Illustrated Weekly of India, later India Today and several others in regional languages. The imposition of the Emergency got people to realize the importance of the news media as the liberalization of the economy and and the airwaves ensured that there is no looking back.
Being a democracy, there are no entry barriers to the media. And rightly so. However, when a few years back a few real estate and assorted players jumped into news television there were representations to the information and broadcasting ministry that there ought to be tighter controls.
The current murmurs are being heard because NewsX has been acquired by businessman Kartikeya Sharma. ITV, his media company, also runs the newspaper Aaj Samaj and regional and Hindi news network India News. And the reason for the concern: it was feared that being the brother of Manu Sharma who has been convicted in the Jessica Lallmurder case, he could misuse his position to influence the executive and the judiciary. Well, the Supreme Court upheld its sentence of life imprisonment in 2010, so evidently he didn’t achieve much. To be fair to Sharma, a senior editorial and business executive who has worked with him, told me that he saw no interference on content, especially on the Manu Sharma front.
Clearly, the money power of rich businessmen and politicians cannot bring in readers or viewers, as the case may be or make a success of the media enterprise. In the late’80s, the Ambanis acquired Commerce Weekly and converted it into a business daily. They also acquired The Sunday Observer that was once edited by Vinod Mehta and was exceedingly popular.  The Ambani indulgence in the media failed despite hiring top journalists and publishing executives. They could only use the papers to fight a few minor battles, and even those without much success.
Mehta worked and fell out with industrialists Vijaypat Singhani and L M Thapar as both found news too hot to handle and counter-productive to their primary businesses (and revenues). One had assumed he would meet the same fate when Rajan Raheja, a then-emerging industrialist with some interests in real estate, set up the Outlook magazine group. Mehta has led many battles with the mighty and powerful in his magazine and both Raheja and Mehta have survived each other.
Save the Outlook example which is a good indicator of business interests and independent journalism co-existing, clearly big money is not enough to drive consumption of news media. My worry though lies elsewhere:
1. Lack of transparency in the ownership of media.
2. Creation of a monopolistic scenario with business groups investing in multiple and similar vehicles
3. Level playing field for competition in case of vertical and/or horizontal cross-ownership, and
4. Diversification of media companies into entities beyond news
1 & 2. Transparency requirements in media ownership are critical. When the government announced recently that a certain conglomerate doesn’t not have interests in the media, is it really the case, or is that what is on paper and hence deemed correct? While doubts have been raised about how the acquisition of a sizeable chunk of Network 18 via an independent trust would impact the editorial independence of the group, the real worry is the rumoured interests of the group in other media ventures too.
Could we have a situation that a genre of channels or newspapers or the media entities in particular region of the country be owned – directly or indirectly – by one group? How do we tackle a monopolistic scenario such as this?
3. The PR head of a radio station in Delhi once complained that she could never hope to get her press release into the two main English dailies in the city because both had their own FM stations. So, while the most inane event from the group’s radio station gets covered, the lady’s FM frequency never got a mention even for a big activity. So rampant is this blacking out of a rival group’s activities that it’s now considered standard practice. In many countries there are strict rules for horizontal and vertical cross-ownership. While the TRAI has suggested restrictions in vertical ownership (a TV channel can’t fully own a DTH or cable platform etc), horizontal ownership is fine (so a TV channel can also run a newspaper, radio station etc).
4. The last of my worry areas can be a bigger concern, and, if misused, even graver than big business or a political party getting into the media. Many news media groups have invested in sectors outside of news and doubts have been expressed if there is any connect between the relationships with governments via the news media and the winning of such contracts.
Even though the government at the Centre is weak, and we can be sure it will flex its muscles often enough in the run-up to various elections until 2014, I don’t see any immediate solution to the problem. But what can play a deterrent for those who abuse the media will be public opinion via social media.
Sevanti Ninan, Editor, thehoot.org and Columnist, Mint
Sevanti Ninan
Yes, it is a cause for worry when people with vested interests start owning the mass media because political ownership of the media is increasing, and there are no transparency requirements on media ownership.
Readers and viewers are unable to discern ownership-related biases. There is also a renewed trend of corporate investment in media increasing. Media companies are supposed to file ownership details with the registrar of companies, but one, it is not properly done, and two it is very difficult for lay people to access the correct and latest data.
On the issue of media being a preserve of only a certain groups, even now it is fairly widely owned.
Maheshwar Peri, Chairman, Pathfinder Publishing India Pvt ltd
Maheshwar Peri
In my opinion there is no cause for worry. I think, increasingly, the cause for worry comes from a few industrialists who’ve gotten into media. But if you go back to the flag bearers of Indian journalism in the 1980s, Indian Express was owned by RNG, an industrial group. So, to say that ownership by industrialists would hurt media is a slightly wrong way of looking at it.
There is definitely a cause for worry when people get into media for reasons other than running it as a professional empire. If you look at some of the politicians who’ve come into media or political parties that are launching their own channels, that’s a cause for worry because they have a reason to dish out news which suit their needs and opinions.
So there is a problem when people in public office get into media, but it’s not so much of a problem if industrialists or venture capitalists or any others moneybag get into it because they want to make it a commercially viable operation. And they know they can make it commercially viable only when the reader/viewer respects them. In case of politicians, they are not interested in making it commercially viable; they just want to ensure that their point of view finds a space in the public domain.
I think unless a reader or consumer respects you, you won’t be able to sell beyond a point. So all of us, whether or not owned by corporates, are always trying to ensure that we give unbiased and credible information so that the reader continues to respect us as well as the advertiser continues to invest in us.
And what makes one think that they have a better opinion about media than a fruit vendor? I don’t think there can be a classification of who has a better opinion about certain things in this country – we are a democracy. So the worse thing is to say that ‘these’ kind of people can get into media and ‘those’ kind cannot.
Tarun Tejpal, Editor-in-Chief, Tehelka magazine
Tarun Tejpal
To some extent, there is cause to worry about media ownership. We have to air, discuss and examine issues of monopolies, cross media ownerships, and of cross business ownerships. And to try and build in some structural safeguards that both help ensure the financial viability of honest, robust media, and deter media owners from using their media instruments for unfair advantage in their other businesses.
Theoretically, it (media) should be open to all. But we must build in safeguards that minimize the misuse of public discourse and public instruments of media. This is not easy, but a discussion must start on this issue at all levels.
Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, Senior Journalist
Paranjoy Guha Thakurta
The growing corporatization of the Indian media is manifest in the manner in which large industrial conglomerates are acquiring direct and indirect interest in media groups. There is also a growing convergence between creators/producers of media content and those who distribute/disseminate the content.
In India’s unique ‘mediascape’, it is often contended that the proliferation of publications, radio stations, television channels, and internet websites is a sure-fire guarantor for plurality, diversity, and consumer choice. There were over 82,000 publications registered with the Registrar of Newspapers. There are over 250 FM radio stations in the country. Despite these impressive numbers of publications, radio stations and television channels, the mass media in India is possibly dominated by less than a hundred large groups or conglomerates, which exercise considerable influence on what is read, heard, and watched.
One example will illustrate this contention. Delhi is the only urban area in the world with 16 English daily newspapers; the top three publications, the Times of India, the Hindustan Times, and the Economic Times, would account for over three-fourths of the total market for all English dailies.
However, what is unacceptable is media barons using news outlets as tools to further their business interests. In this country, as in the world over, large media corporations are clearly playing a bigger role in the political economy that they report on. Though a free media is fundamental to the existence of a liberal democracy, concerns about the accountability and transparency of media companies remain. For instance, the RIL deal has enabled Network 18, Eenadu, and the merged group to expand its offerings to benefit its stakeholders and its advertising target audiences. What remains to be seen is whether clear boundaries can be etched between the boardroom and the newsroom.
There’s absolutely no doubt about the fact that if it’s truly going to be a responsive media, then the media should reflect the views, the interests, the aspirations of a larger section of population as possible. The problem with much of our media is that they are too busy trying to ‘reach’ consumers to potential advertisers than providing information to citizens.
Next Week:
Why do we all like to damn TAM?
The Sectoral Innovation Council recommendations last week said that there was need for an alternative to TAM, short for the media research company formed by a jv of two international research biggies: Nielsen and Kantar. This is a view that has been expressed several times over the years.
One of the main peeves against TAM is the number of Peoplemeter boxes present to collect data. Can 8000+ boxes effectively poll a populace of 1.2 billion, is what many broadcasters keep asking in public. In private though, not many are ready to pay up by increasing their subscription fee to enable the installation of more boxes across the country.
Also, what’s happening to BARC, the joint industry body that was to provide an alternative?
MxMIndia will speak to a cross-section of the industry to get answers. Meanwhile, if you have a view, email it to us at editor@mxmindia.com with the subject ‘MxM Mondays #2’
It’s hard to choose the biggest noosemaker of last week. Was it Danny Boyle for his quirky, funny and very British opening ceremony for the London 2012 Olympic Games? Was it Madhura Nagendra aka Madhura Honey for gate-crashing India’s flag march in the parade of nations and not being colour coordinated at the same time? Or was it our old friends, the various members of Team Anna in their fight against corruption and the people of India who support them?
This Honey or Nagendra person, depending on how affectionate you feel about her, has got no affection from the people of India – even less than they have for Anna Hazare. She smiled as she stole the show from our athletes but since then she has apparently even cancelled her Facebook page. The crime was double-fold: walking in the parade as if she belonged there, smiling away and then wearing bright red and turquoise which clashed horrible with the yellow of the Indian team. This is a rule which all gate-crashers must follow – at least attempt to blend in.
Her daddy in Bangalore has tried to defend her (daddies are vital for the defence of all those connected with Indian sport as we discovered in the Bhupathi-Paes face off, especially daddies from Bangalore) and so funnily enough has Lord Sebastian Coe of the London Olympics. Nagendra got “over-excited” he said. She was supposed to be a performer which is why she was lurking about, but was not eventually selected which is why she had no business lurking about. Then there’s the other suspicion (mine) of the British propensity for cultural determinism. Someone put her there to make the Indians athletes feel welcome as they entered the arena, it was hinted at somewhere. This is because the British feel that Indians only feel welcome when they see other Indians. In this case it backfired – as cultural determinism normally does.
So where does it leave Danny Boyle? Probably wishing he had selected Honey-Nagendra. What is this Honey thing anyway? The Indian press applauded the opening ceremony as did most of the world. Most even forgot that there was some speculation about AR Rahman being part of the show -which he wasn’t and no one cared.
Mumbai Mirror’s headline “Tepid London Boyle’s Over” upset firstpost.com which pointed out that the headline and the body copy did not match.
* * *
That leads us to the latest fast by Anna Hazare and his anti-corruption crusaders. Last year over one lakh people supported him in Delhi and that was a lot and this year 6,000 people supported him and that was a lot. In Mumbai last year when 5,000 turned up in Bandra that was too little, and this year 2,000 people in VT is a lot.
Thus proving that even mathematics is relative: If only my maths teacher had bought that argument when I was in school.
Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity (DAVP), the multi-media advertising agency of the Government of India, in its Annual Report 2011-2012 stated that out of the total value of advertisements released by DAVP, 15 per cent goes to small newspapers, 35 per cent to medium newspapers and 50 per cent goes to big category of newspapers. DAVP also has an audio visual wing which undertakes various advertising or publicity campaigns through various other multimedia vehicles like the television, radio, out of home and now even the internet and mobile.
In what could be a shot in the arm for the digital industry, DAVP has been conducting pilot projects on websites and through SMSes. According to DAVP’s Annual Report 2011- 2012, 33 of India’s top websites were empanelled for releasing advertisements. In addition to this, more than 110 advertisements via SMSes were also sent.
Rajan Anandan
According to Mr Rajan Anandan, VP and Managing Director, Google India: “This is a welcome development for the entire digital advertising industry. With over 120 million Internet users in the country, digital is already the third largest advertising medium in terms of revenue in the country. It’s too early to talk about the impact, but it’s definitely a step in the right direction as the overall marketing/advertising approach is making a shift to being more accountable and measurable.”
In fact on July 26, The Sectoral Innovation Council by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting submitted a list of recommendations to the Minister of Information and Broadcasting, Ms Ambika Soni. One of these recommendations stated: ‘New Media should be utilised for media campaigns by the government’. In addition to this, it also recommended that ‘E-mode transactions should be a priority for the functions of DAVP, RNI, CBFC and licensing activities of the Government for ensuring transparency’.
Arpan Chatterjee
Mr Arpan Chatterjee, online media professional and consultant with webdunia.com noted: “This is a logical extension by DAVP to focus on digital media, which is generating a critical mass in the country. It is to be noted that DAVP started digitization of its own system of issuing release order and payments to media companies over a year back and the fact that it is now looking at digital media more seriously was only a matter of time. DAVP’s move to enter the digital media will only add to the importance of the digital medium, but how it uses the medium is something one has to wait and watch. DAVP ads can also help create certain guidelines for internet advertising in India, which currently is self-regulated.”
Even before these recommendations were made by the Sectoral Council, the IAMAI (Internet & Mobile Association of India) is said to have lobbied hard to bring a shift in the government’s approach towards digital media. The IAMAI is also said to have played a key role in getting the mobile SMS aggregators empanelled.
Dr Subho Ray
Dr Subho Ray, President – Internet & Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) explained: “Today with 100 million internet users and growing every day, digital is the most cost effective way to reach out to youth and, through them, their parents. The engagement with internet and mobile of the youth is very deep and the relevance of the message too gets transmitted on this medium. Young urban voters aged between 18 and 35 are a major constituency today for all political parties. And the internet, whether through mobile or PC, has surfaced as the best medium to reach this group.”
DAVP recently revamped its website with an aim to make it user-friendly, it has also adopted digitization by issuing release orders and payments to media companies online. In fact the Ministry of Tourism is said to have been one of the early adapters and a large advertiser online. While these developments also show the government’s willingness to use digital, nevertheless what remains to be seen is how effectively the medium is used by the government in the long run.
Mr Gyan Gupta, CEO, Dainik Bhaskar Digital Division pointed out that although these are good recommendations and a welcome step, it all depends on how much DAVP is willing to spend on digital. Just like any other medium, digital too needs a sizable ad spend: “DAVP has started this process last year and the trial is still on. Although this is a fantastic move, the question really boils down to how much is the government willing to spend on digital? What will be the ad spend from DAVP on digital? Digital today has become the third largest medium with increasing reach – it has become a medium which cannot be ignored. But, if the government is not willing to spend a sizeable amount or if each publisher does not get a decent money or ad revenue then it is not worth it, it will be irrelevant.”
Mr Gupta too had a set of recommendations for the DAVP, which is said to have had a consensus among the other local language publishers: “First, they have to look at the categorization of the website very clearly and second, DAVP must also ensure that enough volume of advertisement is pumped into digital.”
Now that more and more people are gaining access to the internet and spending more time online, not just in urban but also in rural India, perhaps the government has realized that it is a medium it can no longer ignore. With the 2014 general elections fast approaching, the government is expected to increase its advertising spends in order to showcase its achievements and with the Council’s recommendations to use digital, the government could well use digital extensively to reach out to the youth.
Mr Upen Rai, Director, Times Internet Ltd, observed: “By bringing digital publishers into the DAVP fold, the signals are very clear from I&B ministry that it is digital all the way. With e-filing of taxes and other e-govt frays including Passport Kendras, it was a matter of time! Next stop would ideally be its relevance to general elections, yes this time around social, and digital will play a large part… Watch out for this space…”
The 2009 Lok Sabha elections or general elections saw political parties advertising online and the next general elections could well see political parties further increasing their spends online.
BG Mahesh
Mr BG Mahesh, Founder and MD, Oneindia.in said: “Considering the contribution of Government ads in Print and TV channels, if the similar importance is given to the digital medium, it will be a very good sign for the Digital industry. It will not only fuel the higher growth rate for the digital industry, but will also provide the government a better connect with youth of country who spend a lot of time on Internet. Furthermore, if DAVP also extend the digital spends to mobile internet, the reach would be much broader as today phones with internet connections, or smart phone, start from as low as Rs5,000 and their dependence on electricity is very less as compare to desktop/laptops.”
So, how would the youth of today react to government advertisements? Will it have any positive impact on them? Ms Chhaya Balachandran Aiyer, CEO and MD, BCWebWise said: “Awareness will increase, and we can pave the way for a betterIndia. We will see more open forums, debates and discussions. There are perils of uncensored content, at the same time, and this is something India needs today.”
Chhaya Balachandran Aiyer
So, while the industry has welcomed the Sectoral Innovation Council’s recommendation that the Government must utilise the new age media for its media campaigns, there is a cautious optimism among industry players as far as ad spends in the medium is concerned.
Mr Anurag Gupta, MD, DGM India stated: “Government spending should be seen in the same light as spending by any brand. A marketer spends his monies where the users are, and if users are online then the best way to reach them is by advertising online! Any online media consumer whether it is youth or the older people will react to online advertising by the Government in pretty much the same manner as they would seeing the same ad in print or on TV.”
Anurag Gupta
Nonetheless if the government approves of these recommendations and does increase its digital ad spends, it would be a major boost for the entire digital industry particularly for increasing the digital advertising revenue. Currently, DAVP ad spends seem majorly skewed towards print and, to an extent, even television. However as the government increasingly uses the new age medium, what kind of implications digital advertising may have on DAVP ad spends only remains to be seen.
For BBM: the Pin No is 23050B5D. You can also scan the barcode and add the MxMIndia contact. For WhatsApp: the Data Cellphone Number is: +91 99206 50363 and the email id is editor@mxmindia.com.
By Anil Thakraney
By D Ramakrishna
Many years back when I asked a leading industrialist why he was keen on starting a news channel he replied with the famed Deewar dialogue (some alcohol in the system did the trick): Aaj mere paas buildingey hai, gaadi hai, bank balance hai, but even then these guys owning newspapers and channels are ruling the world. We were in the late 1990s, and journalists and news media owners were indeed much sought after. That may have waned over the years, but the desire to own news media stays. What hasn’t changed is that the intent of owning the news media goes far beyond returns on investments.
