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  • While he's happy to see Jagran grow, Pradyuman Maheshwari is upset to see yet another regional big get gobbled up by a biggie

    Mediaah! Sad that one more small giant got gobbled up

    By Pradyuman Maheshwari

     

    Yes, it’s great to hear of deals happening in the Indian media. It’s nice to know that the Chhajlani and Sethia families of Nai Dunia are getting significant value for their newspaper (and all in cash, I learn). It’s also good to see the Dainik Jagran group turn into a ‘huger’ force to reckon with.

     

    But it’s indeed sad to see one more regional superpower sell out.

     

    Others have done so in the recent past. Vijaya Karnataka, a very successful newspaper group in Kanataka sold to The Times of India group. Mid-Day sold to Jagran two years back and now Nai Dunia’s gone.

     

    Jagran has made its plans known on acquisitions. In fact it is mandated by its investor benefactors that it must grow inorganically. So rather than set up operations afresh, it’s buying smaller superpowers. In fact soon after the Mid-Day deal, director Shailesh Gupta had indicated to me that there will be more announcements coming soon.

     

    Rumours of buys in Orissa, Assam and Nai Dunia have been doing the rounds for over a year. There have also been a couple of papers in the Hindi belt that could be up for grabs if the price is right.

     

    It’s indeed unfortunate to see the owners of smaller players like Mid-Day and Nai Dunia having to sell out. In fact after the Jagran deal, Tariq Ansari told me three things in an interview in Impact magazine:

    • I am a big believer in the newspaper business but there are significant challenges: delivery is a challenge, younger people not reading newspapers is a challenge, volume share of the advertising pie is a challenge and I think that any small newspaper company needs to look at these challenges and think how it’s going to get around them…
    • I hate to admit it but I must say that this is the conclusion that I’ve reached, in the last two years when there was a slight drop in the economy, the small newspapers got clobbered. If you don’t have the resources to weather that kind of storm, to invest in things you need to, I think it’s rough going
    • The problem with raising money is that your investor wants to know where am I going to put this money when I get a hundred per cent returns. The way the newspapers are going to be in the next five years, to my mind, you are not going to be able to guarantee those returns. You need to have somebody who believes in newspapers, understands newspapers…

     

    Tariq Ansari admitted that his spends on the outdoor business were possibly a mistake. Chhajlani may also find that in retrospect his investments (in monies and mindspace) on NewsX wasn’t the right thing to do.

     

    But my own sense is that to be able to fight a big player requires a rigour that both groups didn’t have when required. (for Mid-Day: the competition from Hindustan Times, DNA and Mumbai Mirror and for Nai Dunia: Dainik Bhaskar and Rajasthan Patrika)

     

    I haven’t been able to speak with Vinay Chhajlani since yesterday’s announcement. But will do so, as I did after he acquired NewsX along with Jehangir Pocha. NewsX has been on the block for a bit, and although Web Dunia is a successful enterprise, I won’t be surprised if that also goes out to an international giant. Vinay Chhajlani will reinvent himself and possibly do what he’s best at: running a software enterprise with systems and processes.

     

  • In Freaking News, which will now appear every Tuesday and Friday, 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

    [MJR] The big wound in Indian newsgathering covered with Kareena Kapoor’s bandaid

    By Ranjona Banerji

     

    Even three years ago, my father couldn’t tell the difference between Kareena Kapoor and Shah Rukh Khan, if he even knew who they were. Now he can recognise every single Bollywood star and can even talk knowledgeably about their new films and their goings-on. He has not watched a film, I must clarify, in I-don’t-know-how-many years. But he is a news junkie. Therefore, when he told me on Saturday that the biggest TV news of the day was that Kareena Kapoor had a band-aid on her leg, I believe him.

     

    I think I also take back every criticism of Markandey Katju I ever made. I opened the e-paper of The Times of India this morning, to have a look at what was happening in the world. The front page of the main edition and the front page of Bombay Times opened next to each other. I have not read Bombay Times since Medianet began, so I did not look further. Why should I, when I already knew from opening the TOI website that Sajid Khan thinks that the Shah Rukh Khan-Farah Khan fight was meaningless and that Sachin Tendulkar had handed over the captaincy of the Mumbai Indians to Harbhajan Singh.

     

    Actually, it said ‘Bhajji” but by now we all know who that is. Should they have called Sachin “Tendlya” to keep the casual tone consistent? Maybe you’re not allowed to get casual with Sachin.

     

    I then went to Google to have a look at Hindustan Times. “Click for the latest Bollywood and cricket news” said the link. Ah well. I already know that, I thought. Kareena Kapoor has a band-aid on her leg and Sachin is no longer captain of the Mumbai Indians. Of course I was wrong. The most viewed story on the Hindustan Times website is “Akshay Kumar, John Abraham in a brawl”.

     

    I had foolishly thought that the Myanmar elections and Aung San Suu Kyi’s imminent victory was big news but couldn’t find it on the home page of these two worthy websites.

     

    So I went to the Times Now website and that is where normal service was resumed. Arnab Goswami, in save-India mode, looked at me sternly and I then knew all about Jaganmohan Reddy’s yatra as the CBI noose around him tightened, the fact that Team Anna was now taking on the BJP over Himachal Pradesh and the Lok Ayukta Bill, that the prime minister had refused to meet army chief VK Singh. I also saw Mynmar there.

     

    I hereby humbly take back all the nasty things I have ever said about Indian television. This I predict will last three days. Because I just remembered Kareena Kapoor and her band-aid.

     

  • Jagran Prakashan makes giant entry to Madhya Pradesh & Chhattisgarh with Nai Dunia buy

    With Nai Dunia in the bag, Jagran is #1 print group

     

    By Archita Wagle

     

    There was no press conference announcing the deal. The Kanpur-based Jagran Prakashan Limited (JPL) simply did it by notifying the stock exchanges. The acquisition of Nai Dunia was done via Suvi Info Management (Indore) Private Limited which in turn owns Naidunia Media. It was an all-cash deal.

     

    What it does for the Jagran group is significant as its hold on the Hindi belt becificant, a factor that could help strike better contracts with advertisers. In fact, as an analysis with IRS 2011 Round 4 numbers shows, the Nai Dunia acquisition has helped JPL become the numero uno print media group in the country (see accompanying story: Saala Jagran No 1 print media group ban gaya…)

     

     

    Announcements of the deal on the front pages of Nai Dunia (left) and Dainik Jagran (right)

    According to an analyst from a domestic brokerage firm, this deal makes sense to JPL as the enterprise value assigned to Nai Dunia is Rs2.25 billion and had JPL planned a greenfield expansion in MPC, the total cost could have run into at least Rs3 billion.

     

    In an email interaction with MxMIndia, Mr Amit Jaiswal, Company Secretary, JPL clarified that JPL has acquired only Nai Dunia. NewsX and Webdunia are not a part of the deal. Talking about the changes after the deal he said: “Mr Vinay Chhajlani will continue as Advisor to Board. His vast experience of print and knowledge about the market will be quite useful for us. We will add some new members to the team at senior level in sales, marketing and editorial. Our corporate brand team will help in branding and communication. As far as the staff, the erstwhile promoters have already rationalized the staff strength to a large extent.”

     

    Commenting on the acquisition in a communique, Mr Mahendra Mohan Gupta, Chairman and Managing Director of Jagran said, “This was a logical market expansion for us and enables us to strengthen our presence in Central India. Nai Dunia is a newspaper with a very strong team and has demonstrated editorial excellence over the last decade.”

     

    Nai Dunia is the flagship publication of Naidunia Media Limited, which was launched June 5, 1947. Nai Dunia features amongst the top 10 Hindi dailies of India and has multiple editions in MP and Chhattisgarh and is the third largest read newspaper in Madhya Pradesh and the fourth largest read newspaper in Chhattisgarh (IRS Q4 2011). According to a Jagran communique, Nai Dunia’s current circulation base is around half a million copies per day with the readership growing 2.6 times over the last five years.

     

    The industry is almost unanimous in saying that the deal is windfall for both the parties involved, especially JPL, which can now enter the Madhya Pradesh-Chattisgarh (MPC) market. JPPL, controlled by GD Gupta family publishes the Jagran editions in Bhopal and Rewa in Madhya Pradesh and JPL, promoted by the PC Gupta family, has been barred from using Dainik Jagran banner in MP as it has been in litigation since 2007. But with the Nai Dunia acquisition, the other option for JPL, they are entering the MPC market with an established newspaper, which is the second largest newspaper in terms of readership and business volumes in MPC.

     

    “JPL will benefit in terms of circulation and readership as it gets two new territories, Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh, with the acquisition of an established and well-known newspaper. JPL couldn’t enter Madhya Pradesh as per the agreement in the family, but now taking over Nai Dunia has opened the MP market for them,” said Mr Vijaydutt Shridhar, senior MP-based journalist and ex-editor of Navbharat.

     

    Mr Abhishek Karnani, Director, Free Press Journal which also has an edition in Indore, echoed Mr Shridhar’s sentiments: “The takeover deal is a windfall for both, JPL and Nai Dunia. Entering the MPC market was the next logical move for JPL. Initially the market had only Dainik Bhaskar and Nai Dunia but several local new publications with strong backing were launched in the market. Nai Dunia made a smart move in selling out rather than being marginalised in the market.”

     

    Says Mr Sundeep Nagpal of leading media consulting firm Stratagem, “This is in line with what other leading groups have done – like the Times of India group did with Vijaya Karanataka.” According to Mr Nagpal, the acquisition is a win-win for all parties involved.

     

    “With Nai Dunia’s acquisition, JPL has gained foothold in an important and growing market for Hindi publications. Nai Dunia never grew much beyond Indore, though they had launched editions in other cities. But with an aggressive player like JPL taking over we can expect to see Nai Dunia growing in other centres too. JPL has now entered Dainik Bhaskar’s territory. We can now expect a good fight,” said Mr Janardhan Pandey, associate VP, DDB Mudra.

     

    Stockmarket analysts though are a little cautious about this face-off as they believe that DB Corp will not be impacted because of the entry of JPL from a short to medium term perspective. But they say that Patrika would be impacted as Jagran would become aggressive to win back the No. 2 slot in MPC. The analysts also feel that the price paid (net of tax benefits) is inexpensive and should derive benefits in the medium to long-term.

     

    For the cash-rich Jagran group, the Nai Dunia acquisition follows that of Mid-Day two years ago and the management plans that Nai Dunia will be consolidated once a year just like Mid-Day.

    Saala Jagran No 1 print media group ban gaya…

    By A Correspondent

     

    Question: Until last fiscal, which was the largest print publishing house in the country?

    Answer: No, the answer is not Dainik Jagran. It’s Dainik Bhaskar, In fact, Jagran was at No 3 until two days ago, just behind the BCCL group. But with the buyout of the Nai Dunia group, Jagran now becomes the largest print media group in the country. Check tables below:

     

     

     

    Note: MRUC does not share detailed IRS numbers with the media. Given that we had adequate time for the confirmation of the Nai Dunia buy, we collected the information from what MRUC shared with us and from respective media entities.

     

     
  • Come FM radio phase III, Radio GupShup hopes to further expand to newer markets. Besides, the FM station which has only recently re-launched its website hopes to reach not only the online community, but also the media agencies.

    We plan to expand to newer markets: Radio GupShup

    By A Correspondent

     

    Launched in 2005, Radio GupShup is the radio arm of Purvy Broadcasts Pvt. Ltd. (PBPL). The Guwahati based private FM radio station is said to have its presence in districts of Kamrup, Darrang, Morigaon, Nalbari, parts of Baksa, Udalguri, Barpeta, Goalpara, and Nagaon districts in Assam as well as Ribboi District of Meghalaya and Samdrup Jongkhar in Bhutan.

     

    While Radio GupShup aims to further consolidate its position in the year 2012, achieving break-even may still be a distant dream. Come FM radio phase III, Radio GupShup hopes to further expand to newer markets. Besides, the FM station which has only recently re-launched its website hopes to reach not only the online community, but also the media agencies. In addition to these developments, Radio GupShup is said to be in a strategic sales alliance with Radio Mirchi which not only helps the Guwahati based private FM station (Radio GupShup) get exclusive business assistance but, also helps the FM station to enhance its sales capabilities (Radio Mirchi has its network across 14 states with 32 stations). Currently, Radio GupShup plays Assamese hits, Hindi and English hit music.

     

    In conversation with MxMIndia, Mr S Wassim Ahmed, Station Head, Radio GupShup spoke about the growth targets of Radio GupShup, break-even targets, the FM phase II plans and much more.

     

    Q: How would you rate the year 2011-12 for Radio GupShup?

    The year 2011 – 12 has been good. Both the programming and sales team have done a decent job and we want to further consolidate our position across markets.

     

    Q: What are your growth targets for 2012?

    As I have already said in 2012 we will look forward in consolidating our market position as a name to reckon with in the FM radio in Assam

     

    Q: What are your break-even plans?

    Break even would not happen within a couple of years as the FM radio business is not an easy money spinning business. As the saying goes … FM radio investor got to be a ‘laamba race ka ghoda’.

     

    Q: What are your phase iii plans?

    As and when Phase III happens, we at Radio GupShup would definitely go in for an expansion.

     

    Q: What about the website? How active are you on your website? Any specific plans for the website i.e. listening online radio etc.

    We have recently re-launched our website. This had been our weak point.

    We would be interested to reach out to the online listenership base, provided we have get link or some knowhow. More over as per my knowledge this concept would take some time to materialize because of I & B Ministry’s clearance has not yet happened.

     

    Q: And what was the thought process behind re-launching the website…?

    To keep in touch with the media planners since we need some kind of connect with the people outside the state vis -a- vis our radio sound, kind of shows we have, music we air etc. The media agencies also get a hang of our station. In nut shell it helps to pitch in for national commercials.

     

    Q: Has there been an increase in the ad rates?

    This ain’t petrol price where the rate can go up. In fact the rates at times go down below the Rs.100/spot mark. So you can imagine how competitive the market is.

     

    Q: What about the advertising categories on Gupshup?

    In my opinion the advertisers/media planners have gradually become more aware about the cost effectiveness of FM radio medium. Since TV and Newspaper advertising rates are humongous, Radio advertising as you might know is a good ‘sasta aur tekao’ medium

     

    Q: Do you have a creative and media agency?

    We do not have a creative agency, we produce our own stationalities.

     

  • Star India's winning the rights to broadcast Indian cricket for six years is a significant development in the Indian sports arena. Star will also have the rights for internet and mobile, besides TV.

    Starry starry rights from BCCI

    By Rishi Vora

     

    Star India’s winning the rights to broadcast Indian cricket for six years – from 2012 to 2018 – is a significant development in the Indian sports arena where cricket is the only celebrated sport, and the one that attracts the maximum moolah.

     

    Though Star has won the rights much to the joy of the senior management team, the fact is that it has come at a staggering cost of Rs 3,851 crore for 96 matches.

     

    What this means is – for every single match played in India till 2018, Star will pay BCCI Rs 40 crore as part of the contract. The contract also says that Star will also have the rights for internet and mobile besides TV.

     

    Mr Uday Shankar, CEO, Star India said in a prepared statement, “BCCI is a great property and we are overjoyed to have an opportunity to develop it further. It was decided amongst ESPN Star Sports, ESPN and Star that Star would bid for the rights and if Star were to win the rights it would be exploited in collaboration with ESS.”

     

    So while it is great news for Star India for it augments its position as a network, there are some murmurs within the industry on whether it is a viable deal as far as profitability is concerned, especially when Indian cricket has seen one of its worst ever phases of late.

     

    A broadcaster of a sports channel who requested anonymity said, “It’s a move from Star to dissuade MSM from its cricketing interests. MSM already have the Indian Premier League which is one of India’s biggest properties, so the BCCI rights would have put them in a superior position in the industry. Hence it’s a setback of sorts for them, especially when they’ve been in the news on launching a sports channel.”

     

    He further said, “The price Star is paying is on the higher side. But it’s not very surprising that they’ve won it for the price they have, as they have the strength and the clout to pull off a high-value deal such as this one.” MSM came second to Star with a bid of Rs 3,700 crore.

     

    T Gangadhar, Managing Director, MEC India commented on the development: “Sports is a rights-driven genre and channels compete on that basis. As faras exploiting rights is concerned, Star India has announced they will collaborate with ESPN-Star Sports, an already established player. To that extent, life is as usual. However, going by the size of the winning bid, it is clear that Star is betting big on digitisation and increasing subscription revenue therefrom.”

     

    With the BCCI deal, ESS has now become a significant player in Cricket. They’re the official broadcasters of ICC matches, plus Australian and England cricket. Ten Cricket – the channel from the Zee stable airs matches played in South Africa, Sri Lanka, West Indies.

     

    Neo banked on World Series Hockey after having lost the rights for Indian Cricket. They however continue to own Bangladesh rights – the Asia Cup which was recently concluded was aired on Neo Cricket.

     

    Neelkamal Sharma, COO – Buying, Madison Media Group said, “For sports as well as for Star, it is really a big news – Star TV acquiring the rights for Indian Cricket for next six years. Since rights are with Star TV and not ESS, there could possibly be some more development on the way forward and time will tell what will those developments be.

     

    He further added, “There will be some consolidation of sports companies in the near future to leverage this opportunity. I will not be surprised if Star becomes a dominant player in sports as and fiction”

     

    According to Mr Mahesh Ranka, it will take some time before the investments could be recovered. “I can say that by the end of six years, Star will make money out of this deal on the back of subscription plus advertising revenues. It’s just not the Indian market. There are a lot of viewers who follow Indian cricket in other countries. Plus they have the mobile and the internet rights too. So it seems to me that it’s a good win for Star.”

     

    On what it means to other players in the sporting arena, Mr Ranka said, “Sadly cricket is the biggest game in India and quite clearly, other players such as Neo and Ten Sports would face a bit of a setback. They’ll survive, but that’s not the big question. The big question is whether they will be able to grow and build from where they’re now.”

     

    Advertising revenue may not be much in the first few years, and experts predict price points to range from 2 lakh to 3 lakh per 10-second spot. Profitability will be an issue.

     

    Star Network is poised to gain more strength. But will the Star shine yet again?

     

  • CNN's Ali Velshi shares his sentiments around the political and business scenario bracing several economies and suggests patterns that would emerge as countries try and lift themselves out of the slowdown dilemma.

    Single biggest role is accountability: Ali Velshi, CNN

    Being associated with a network that prides itself on coverage being different from the clutter as well as being responsible for making the people and authorities accountable for their actions, are roles that many journalists would hanker after during their lifetime. And this is where Ali Velshi of CNN holds himself in high stead as he embarks on an enduring journey of bringing about accountability and response from the viewers in a way that affects the functioning of an economy. Whether it is connecting the news through finance, global issues, contemporary governance, education and big ideas, CNN’s Ali Velshi executes several roles across CNN as the network’s chief business correspondent and anchor of Your Money and World Business Today on CNN International.

     

    In a short yet crisp conversation with MxM India, Mr Velshi shares his sentiments around the political and business scenario bracing several economies and suggests patterns that would emerge as countries try and lift themselves out of the slowdown dilemma.

     

    Q: There’s talk of an ongoing slowdown that’s said to be impacting growth of several industries across the globe. How do you view the current economic crisis?

    The biggest differentiator between what the world is going through right now and what it went through in 2008-09 is that the current crisis has not evolved into a global credit crisis – that’s what made the last economic crisis substantially different in the sense that we learnt that we are all interconnected and that credit arrears that started in the US froze up the flow of money globally. Here we have a situation where we still have a great deal of uncertainty about Europe but you have stronger-than-expected economic growth in the US and weakening but still very strong economic growth in Asia. So we are not on the threshold of a disaster like we were globally in 2008-09; the general view is that the economic growth story is much more positive. It looks like the global economy is going to move forward heavily dependent on emerging economies and on strong growth in China & India.

     

    Q: What role will Asia play in helping the world rebuild its growth story?

    A lot of what happens to global growth is going to depend on China and India. We do see some slowing of growth in both of those markets for different reasons – in some cases because of the inflation and in the other cases because of the slowdown in spending in Europe. So the sum total of what happens in 2012 will probably have more to do with politics and inflation and oil prices then it’s going to have to do with organic growth. There are a number of things that are going to happen in the coming months particularly with respect to Iran and oil prices that will have an impact what 2012 will end up looking.

     

    Q: At CNN, what are some of the new viewership trends that’re redefining the way you cover news?

    The biggest trend that we’ve been witnessing at CNN and in the world of news is the remarkable surge in digital consumption of news, especially business news. Digital consumption of business news has been high for several years but the thing that is becoming important in financial news and economic analysis these days is context. And that’s where we can shine at CNN and that’s where we can gather the experts to add context to simple numbers or political results or debates as we have a strong stable of excellent analysts and commentators who can bring colour to the discussion. And that’s what is important; digital has given us access to development and news. But in the end, regardless of how our readers or listeners consume their news the value of the content and the context remains our major advantage in the market.

     

    Q: Don’t you see digital challenging the traditional medium where accessibility of news is concerned?

    As a journalist, I am highly agnostic to how people consume our product and one thing I have learnt at CNN is how to be agnostic. So I have to be able to report through TV, through social media, through blogging, through videos, etc. There are different types of audiences for these mediums, but ultimately if you are trying to get news and analysis out it should be relevant to the audience. I don’t think digital takes away the sheen from traditional media; in fact it adds to it as it allows us instant access to our audience and allows us to respond to them more quickly etc.

     

    Q: How according to you does CNN stand out from its peers in the highly competitive news market?

    Our reach continues to grow at CNN because it’s a must-have product for people who want to stay informed about global events and happenings. Whereas the Indian market is concerned, it’s fascinating how much news there is, how much broadcast there is…the growth of newspapers, etc. So Indians are clearly national consumers of news but where we stand apart is that CNN is a key channel that offers global perspective. We only see an upside potential in terms of busy, crowded, noisy world where people need to understand context in digestible portions.

     

    Q: Apart from being just a disseminator of news, how do you ensure you play a larger role in impacting the lives of people?

    The kind of initiatives that we take up like CNN Heroes etc we see to it that it really creates an impact because what ends up happening is that we can throw a light on corrupt practices and the plight of people who have no other voice. We can influence bad policy and have an impact on changes in an effective way. Also, the other thing is that using the strength of CNN we can get accurate reporting where sometimes a smaller organisation that doesn’t have a similar reach is not able to do so. As a result, we can hold people accountable. In media, the single biggest role that we can play is that of accountability. It makes for a more honest and fair world and I think that’s what our viewers appreciate.

     

  • Because the promise isn't really earth shattering, the execution has to play a very important role. And must say the ads are done nicely.

    Debrief: eBay: Simplicity works

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    You want to patao that supermodel? You want to be a beauty queen? No worries. You can do it all via eBay.

     

    The promise in eBay’s new TV campaign seems to be simple enough. I watched two commercials. In one, Ms Jabalpur desires to become Ms India. And she easily gets what it takes on eBay. In another ad one rather seedha saadha banda is able to win over a hot babe by buying her scintillating goodies on eBay. Simple enough and very massy concepts. And it works. Only because the communication is single minded.

     

    eBay only tells you that if you desire it, it’s here. And there’s no clutter of additional promises forced into the advertising. Also because the promise isn’t really earth shattering, the execution has to play a very important role. And must say the ads are done nicely. Although the humour isn’t really strong, they do leave you with a smile. So that’s fine.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”200″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTKyVR3RfAI[/youtube]

    All said, it’s done well. And they can produce many ads with this theme. Just one suggestion: What will make the communication work even better is if people are shown to desire bizarre stuff. AND they get them too. Just to give you an extreme example: A man wants to kill himself, but doesn’t know how to go about it. Till eBay comes to his, er, rescue. Of course, it’s macabre. But you get the idea!

     

    Rating: (On a scale of 1 to 5): 3. Focused and effective.

  • Some names are enough to get brands instant recognition. Listed are 5 players whose's brand equity brands can benefit from

    The Anchor: 5 IPL players brands can ride on this season

    By Tuhina Anand

     

    1. Sachin Tendulkar:

    Good ole Sachin is the God of cricket even if the man himself has been telling everyone around that he is just Sachin. With his 100th 100, brand Sachin is in news. His handing over the baton of Mumbai Indians to Harbhajan Singh to concentrate on the game once again shows that for Sachin the game always remains his utmost priority. He is dependable, trustworthy and what we call ‘lambi race ka ghoda’ which he has proved time and again.

     

    2. Mahendra Singh Dhoni:

    Captain Cool has a lot riding on his shoulders. Having led CSK to re-create the IPL magic and win IPL 4, all eyes are him once again. MSD is picture of poise under duress and that’s a great attribute that brands can cash on.

     

    3. Chris Gayle:

    Return of the prodigal, that’s how Gayle’s IPL 4 stint can be aptly summed. He entered RCB last year as a replacement in the middle of the series and then created ripples by leading his team to the finals. This year Mumbai Indians were keen on having him on their side though RCB managed to retain him. Being among one of most recognized and popular players of IPL, his brand equity is currently high, which brands can benefit from.

     

    4. Virat Kohli:

    The 23-year old is already hot choice for brand endorsements. Being touted as dream player for ODIs, Kohli is being projected as a youth icon. He is endorsing around 10 brands including PepsiCo, Fair & Lovely, Titan Fastrack, TVS Sports Motorcycle among others. He still is behind Sachin and MSD in terms of number of endorsements so brands get on the Kohli brandwagon.

     

    5. Lasith Malinga:

    The Sri Lankan playing for Mumbai Indians has created quite a stir with his unruly locks and fierce bowling style. He is amongst the most popular faces of IPL and his quirks and style only adds to his appeal. Malinga, the name is enough for brands to get instant recognition.

     

  • Dutta will report to Alok Agrawal, Cheil Worldwide SW Asia.

    Cheil appoints Vivek Dutta as VP-Planning

    By A Correspondent

     

    Vivek Dutta joins Cheil as the Vice President-Planning after spending almost five years at Hakuhodo Percept where he was VP and National Planning Head. He has also worked for JWT in the past and in brand and marketing functions at Dainik Bhaskar, LNJ Bhilwara Group (Mayur Suitings) and Mahindra & Mahindra.

     

    Commenting on the development, Alok Agrawal, COO, Cheil Worldwide SW Asia, said: “Vivek has the right credentials to provide the required momentum in the planning function. His experience across diverse categories from automotive to consumer electronics; to health, lifestyle and sports; to social development, makes for the perfect choice of a seasoned partner for the Cheil India team.”

     

    Dutta has been in the industry for over a decade and a half and has had extended brand experience in the automotive sector having worked on the Maruti Suzuki range. He has also worked with Daikin, Carrier, Panasonic, Sharp, Toshiba, Sony and the like in both the HVAC and consumer electronics categories. Other career brands include Yakult, Hindware, Sukam Power Solutions, Unicharm, Citizen Watches, Top Ramen noodles, UNICEF, ILO, GAIL, Apollo Tyres, ESPN Star Sports among others.

     

    Confirming his appointment, Vivek Dutta said: “It’s a great time to be a part of Cheil. Contrary to popular belief Cheil is not just a Samsung agency. The intention here is to exponentially grow to be one of the top agencies in India. The fact that in the past few months Cheil has acquired a slew of varied business is a testimony for this. My intention is to be a part of this movement and provide momentum for growth.”

     

    Cheil India has been on an aggressive growth plan over the last 2 years, almost doubling its size its employee strength and billings. Significant expansion and growth has been seen particularly in BTL and Digital areas, making Cheil one of the largest fully integrated single agencies in India. Cheil set up the agency office in India in 2003 with just 12 team members and today has over 85 talented and passionate team members.

     

    Cheil Worldwide Inc is Korea’s largest and one of the world’s leading advertising groups. Established in 1973 with headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Cheil operates 49 offices in 27 countries with about 3,000 employees. Cheil offers a full portfolio of marketing communications services including advertising, PR, sports marketing, exhibition and display production, and production of large-scale performance events.

     

  • TAM NCT Data Wk 12 ’12

     

    Source: News Content Track – A service of TAM Media Research Pvt. Ltd
    Channels: Aaj Tak, CNN IBN, Headlines Today, IBN 7, India TV, NDTV 24/7, NDTV India, Star News, Times Now, News 24 & Zee News
    Period: Week 12 – Mar 18 to March 24, 2012
    Note : Analysis is based on the Telecast duration

     

     

     

    About TAM Media Research

     

    TAM is a joint venture between Nielsen Company & Kantar Media Research. Besides measuring TV Viewership, TAM also monitors Advertising Expenditure of Television, Print & Radio through its division AdEx India. Since 2004, it extended its presence in the PR Measurement & Analysis space for Corporate/Marketing Clients by setting up a separate division Eikona PR Measurement.

     

    In 2007, the joint venture introduced RAM (Radio Audio Measurement) service to track Radio Listenership for the Indian Radio Broadcast Industry. In year 2009, TAM launched a division, called TAM Sports that specializes in monitoring Sports Sponsorship ROI.

     

    TAM Media Research’s objective is to fuel media insights that will drive the growth of the Indian Media Industry.

  • It's now official. Jagran Prakashan Limited has announced its acquisition of NaiDunia, the leading daily of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.

    Jagran announces NaiDunia acquisition

    It’s now official. Kanpur-based Jagran Prakashan Limited has announced that it has acquired Suvi Info Management (Indore) Private Limited. Naidunia Media Limited is a subsidiary of Suvi and is engaged in publishing the leading daily NaiDunia in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.

    Launched in 1947, NaiDunia has over the years become a major player in the Central Indian states. It has multiple editions — from Indore, Gwalior, Jabalpur and Bhopal in MP and Raipur and Bilaspur in Chhattisgarh.

    Said Mr Mahendra Mohan Gupta, Chairman and Managing Director of Jagran, “This was a logical market expansion for us and enables  us to strengthen our presence in Central India. Nai Dunia is a newspaper with a very strong team and has demonstrated editorial excellence over the last decade.”

    According to a Jagran communique, NaiDunia’s current circulation base is around half a million copies per day with the readership growing 2.6 times over the last five years.

    For the cash-rich Jagran group, the NaiDunia acquisition follows that of Mid-Day two years back. The inorganic growth process will continue, a source close to the development had told MxMIndia last week. “We are well on our way towards implementing our strategy for inorganic growth through mergers and acquisitions as on the one hand it allows to begin with a sizeable scale with much lesser investment and on the other hand, it saves long gestation period typical of print industry. The acquisition will enable us to leverage our existing network and will have significant operating synergies.”

  • Madison Media announced the appointment of Mr Gautam Kiyawat as replacement for Ms Punitha Arumugam as Group CEO

    Gautam Kiyawat to replace Punitha Arumugam as Group CEO @ Madison Media

    By A Correspondent

     

    Madison Media has announced the appointment of Gautam Kiyawat as Chief Executive Officer of Madison Media Group. Mr Kiyawat takes charge as Ms Punitha Arumugam, who held the same position, has moved on to Google. She served her notice period till last week.

     

    Mr Kiyawat, a senior marketing, communications and media professional with experience over various markets including India, South East Asia and US has over 17 years of experience. A engineering graduate, he did an MBA from IIM Bangalore and started his career with Procter & Gamble in India. Apart from P&G, he has worked with Philips, Star TV, AdVerb (a company he co-founded), and Research in Motion, (Blackberry) Asia Pacific which he joined earlier this year. He will be based in Mumbai and join Madison on May 1.

     

    Says Mr Sam Balsara, Chairman & Managing Director, Madison World, “I am delighted to have Gautam join us. His cross market experience of managing brands, media companies and a digital startup are all very relevant to the exciting future we see for Madison. I am sure he will add a lot of value to Madison Media clients and bring a fresh new holistic business perspective”.

     

    Says Mr Kiyawat, on his joining Madison, “It is fantastic to be joining an organization that I have respected immensely as a client for its expertise, its values and for always being guided by doing the right thing. Along with Sam, Sriram and the Madison team I look forward to an exciting time in building on the momentum and taking Madison to greater heights.”

     

    In addition, as has been reported, Madison alumnus Mr D Sriram is to join Madison Media as a Consulting Director and will spend approximately one week every month advising on agency operations, and will also be available for key clients.