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  • TAM NCT Data Wk 11 ’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 11 – Mar 11 to March 17, 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.

  • Every Thursday, Ranjona Banerji will write about a grouse. Either spewing venom or tongue-in-cheek

    [MJR] The missing case of espelling & grammaria

    By Ranjona Banerji

     

    Everydays when I reads a newspapers I am realising that espelling and grammaria are mostly presence in their absent. Many has been noticing these trend for many year but mainly its still annoying. Solution are not being found but thats because effort are not being maid.

     

    How to be telling peoples in newspapers for examples that “lesser” is being a qualitative comparison and not quantitative. You cannots pays lesser moneys for somethings unless what you means is that the currency you is using is less important or valuable than the normal one. You cans however be a lesser speller than others

     

    Why be spelling “minuscule” as “miniscule”? It is not related to a short skirt. Why say “path-breaking” when you are meaning “ground-breaking” – why would you be breaking up a path?

    Why be putting a question mark after “How the West was won”. It is not a question. Blames are being put for all these on computer and young peoples who are not taughts English in schools. Then great writer Chetan Bhagats is saying what is the grammarian and espellings so greats anyways. Even great actor John Abrahams is saying anyways and hintings he not going to get more darker and will become more fairer. That is the why the prime ministers will one day be sayings in newspapers headlines “Anyways I doesn’t care abouts Mamata Banerjee. Akhilesh Yadav is lesser troubles”.

     

    I wills then be looking for the longer rope and the more tall fan for small hangings and other purpose.

     

  • It has a radical call-in concept for Dance India Dance, interactive features on its WAP side, and an unshakeable determination to milk social media for all it's worth. MxMIndia speaks to Marketing Head Akash Chawla about the Zee Group's galactic trajectory.

    Digital is the way forward for Zee

    By Rishi Vora

     

    The future is definitely Digital, and Zee Group has its sights set firmly on it. In addition to its recent launch of Ditto TV, the broadcast major has been fairly active in the digital space to promote properties such as Dance India Dance 3 (DID) and Punar Vivah.

     

    The channel has also taken a new and different step to enhance consumer interaction. It has introduced ‘free voting’ for contestants (where the viewer is asked to give a ‘missed call’ to his favourite contestant) as against the industry norm of pay-per-message.

     

    To further intensify its focus on Digital, Zee has now unveiled a WAP site and a mobile application that connect with DID fans on the go.

     

    The WAP site has interactive features which enable fans to interact with the contestants and judges and allows them to vote by a click of a button apart from a few other interactive features.

     

    MxM India spoke to Marketing Head Akash Chawla about these and other digital initiatives.

     

    Q: This whole focus on Digital… is this something that will take Zee a step ahead of competition?

    That is what we expect to do. We hope to be ahead of the competition with regard to this particular thing. From our perspective we’re not looking at how competition is doing on this front, because our entire objective is to be very close to the consumer. There are times when we do it by being on the ground and there are times when we do it by actually going to their homes. In the age of interactivity it is apt that we use digital media to the best. And that is exactly what we’re looking to do.

     

    Q: Does this take away anything from the way you use traditional media?

    The one mantra which we’re going after is driving conversations with the customers. So, even when we’re using the traditional media – a print ad for example – the attempt is to make it more interactive. Any my belief is that you can also use traditional media to drive a lot of audience on your social network.

    I’m not saying that traditional media is something we won’t do, but our attempt will be to drive more conversations through our communication.

     

    Q: You’ve been fairly active on social media and that seems to be a big thrust going forward as well. But there is a saying that social media is a double-edge sword and that it could well turn out to be harmful to a brand like yours.

    It is too soon to say that. In the case of iconic brands or sectors such as automobiles you can see a sizeable community. In the GEC space we’re just beginning to do that. So our first objective is to build a sizeable community. Once you get a sizeable community then how to use that is the second objective. Traditional media will irrespectively be required as social media in India is growing.

     

    Q: This missed-call concept which you’ve introduced for DID is something very different altogether. How did you come up with a concept like that?

    At Zee, we’ve been doing talent hunts such as Sa Re Ga Ma and DID. When we started this interactivity thing in 2005 with Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge, we used to get a lot of votes. If we sit down and draw a trend, votes have actually gone down over a period of five to seven years. Most of the formats today are interactive in terms of asking for votes. Second, the credibility aspect. Consumers have come up to us and said that it is just a revenue making mechanism because the SMSes are charged higher than the normal SMSes. Frankly, as a broadcaster, for us, at this particular time, it is more about building the brand salience than the small amount of revenue that’ gets generated through votes.

     

    Q: That revenue – is it that small enough to be left out?

    It’s a tradeoff. Tomorrow we may not be able to do it for all our reality shows, but at the end of the day if it is about a brand like DID – from the consumer’s perspective, credibility is of primary essence. And whatever brings us that credibility is something we would want to go in for.

     

    Q: Is this a beginning of a new trend in broadcast?

    You cannot do this for everything. It is not a model that can be followed by all brands. There are certain attributes of DID in terms of how many people were connecting with it, in terms of it being a brand which is already known and the kind of credibility it has at this juncture…

     

    So I don’t think it’s a concept that’ll fit all brands. How many more people will start following us on that? We don’t know. But we did try this again for another show, Punar Vivah. We decided to apply that to the show because as a concept it applies to a segment where we could afford to be more interactive and it gave us phenomenal results.

     

    Q: Does a show like Punar Vivah attract a lot of traction on social media?

    Actually if you go to our Facebook fanpage, Punar Vivah is one of the topics that is heavily discussed. You’re right that you cannot do things on social media blindly. And I’m worried about that. If something is successful people will start using it as a formula. The aspect we’re following for Punar Vivah is very different. We’re doing Punar Vivah symposiums across 18 cities of India, where every week we have a couple of symposiums which includes a psychotherapist, a marriage counsellor and one reputed NGO of that particular city or state. We also have people on the panel who have gone through the remarriage process, our viewers and media.

     

    Our attempt is to bring this so-called taboo topic out of the closet. You may do with social media with a particular level. But, we feel for Punar Vivah that is the one that is actually more relevant than just social media. So yes, you’re right. Social media has to be used keeping the segment that you’re chasing in mind.

     

    Q: You’re at No 3. Neck-and-neck with your nearest competitor. Where next?

    No 1 next. It was a matter of 1 GRP with Sony last week.

     

    How long for No 1?

    (Smiles) I told you three months ago that we will be No 2 in three months. We’ve become No 2 in three months.

     

  • Marco Rimini, Leader, Business Planning, on his agency's plans for India and emerging markets

    The Mindshare Mantra for the Digital Age

     

    By Johnson Napier & Insiyah Rangwala

     

    With a new global CEO at the helm and a host of other reshuffling activity on the talent front, the most recent being the appointment of Greg Brooks as Global Marketing Director, it’s been a busy 2011 & 12 for Mindshare Worldwide. But organizational changes are just one aspect of the overall vision that the global media and marketing behemoth has charted out as it prepares to confront new challenges that the future will inevitably throw up.

     

    In India for a one-day seminar titled Mindshare-Brand Equity Compass 2012, Marco Rimini, Leader, Business Planning, Mindshare Worldwide opened up to MxMIndia on how his agency is preparing to deal with the digital tide that is expected to sweep the sector off its feet, on the agency’s plans for India and emerging markets, and his mantras for surviving the slowdown blues. Excerpts:

     

    Q: What is the moment of truth facing media agencies today where the medium of digital is concerned? How is Mindshare Worldwide gearing itself to face the medium for the challenges that it will throw up tomorrow?

    The world is seeing a digital revolution and everything changes as a result of that. It will be important for organizations to get their balance right in the way they approach the medium of digital. As for Mindshare, first of all, it is about making sure that we have people who understand that we have information we share between people who understand the medium of digital. Also, the fact that we have to deal with technology ourselves.

     

    Q: As one moves across markets from the US to Europe to Asia Pacific, what are some of the new digital trends that have sprung up in the recent past?

    The most important thing is the amount of time people spend online and that differs by market and by region. And so obviously, the amount of time you spend online marketing to them changes remarkably by region as well. So in some markets, we are already seeing a 30-40 per cent spend by sectors such as financial services and telecom, going towards digital. Countries which are leading that race include the US and the UK.

     

    Q: Asia Pacific is being touted as the region that’ll churn out highest growth numbers where the medium of digital is concerned. What are your views around this thought?

    I think where digital is concerned, the Asia Pacific market is ahead because they can leapfrog ahead of the US and UK and because they have less infrastructure issues. For example, where wireless is concerned the Asia Pacific markets can leapfrog ahead because they don’t have to go through the cable revolution.

     

    Q: But despite the decibels and the glory, why are adspend figures around the medium still abysmally low? Do you see the low growth as an opportunity or a challenge for the sector to deal with?

    I definitely see it as an opportunity for both marketers and agencies to get it right, but to ensure that you go ahead you have to make sure you get your today and tomorrow also right. But I am positive of seeing healthy numbers being posted as we move forward.

     

    Q: What are the growth numbers that you anticipate for the medium in 2012?

    I think we will see an immaculate growth coming from the medium and it will differ across sectors. It is observed that sectors which sell online spend the most on online. Also, the sectors in which the advice is given the most online spend the most online. So you’ll see cars, telecom, retail, etc all have become very big spenders whereas you see less fast growth in the FMCG space.

     

    Q: Which are the categories that will drive online growth in 2012?

    I think it’s the ones that have a better online distribution presence; online distribution and online services will be the ones that will drive the growth. Examples include retail, banking, telecoms and cars. These are the top four high-probability sectors that I can think of.

     

    Q: Going forward, can we expect a renewed focus on some of the emerging markets for Mindshare Worldwide?

    There won’t be any renewed focus on any of our markets – we have always been strong in Asia and we expect Asia to continue to be strong for us. Also, within Asia we expect markets like Indonesia to drive substantial growth for us. If there is anything new it will be growth in Latin America and Africa.

     

    Q: Mindshare India has seen some reshuffling in the recent past where a host of people have been promoted and new talent inducted too. Globally too, there have been a few key appointments as well. What more can we look forward to on the talent front?

    Nick Emery has taken over as the global CEO for us and we wish Dominic Proctor well in his role as Group M in-charge now. Nick comes from a planning and strategy background and I think he is going to make sure that we all drive the company strategically and also do our marketing right. In fact we have just announced a new global marketing director for Mindshare Worldwide – Greg Brooks. Greg is coming from C Squared which was the organizer of the Festival of Media and also publishers of M&M magazine. So Greg is a digital maven; a digital consultant who used to be a digital journalist and his job will be to market Mindshare in this new digital age.

     

    Q: Has the much-spoken about slowdown impacted growth at Mindshare?

    I’ve heard a lot about this in the last 24 hours since I have been here but I have to tell you that if you come from Europe all of you here are being far more pessimistic; 6-7 percent growth is still very good and I am sure this will only be a very short-term slowdown in India and growth will continue to come. At the end of the day 6-7 percent is a very significant amount to stand by.

     

    As for Mindshare, we expect it to grow more or less with the average growth rate of the economy. The target for us is to grow as per the relevant economic conditions; so we say that our target in Europe is to beat the economic growth that gets registered.

     

    Q: What is the number you are looking at?

    We only set targets at the WPP level and I’m afraid you will have to look at their targets rather than ours. Obviously the growth in Asia Pacific is higher than Europe and we expect the growth to continue to be high. Logically, Asia Pacific is a very important region for us. Also, recently Latin America has also become an important region for us.

     

    Q: It was interesting to see representatives from P&G grace the panel for a Mindshare event. Worried about how Unilever will react to this?

    (Laughs) I didn’t choose the panel, Vikram Sakhuja did. But we are very proud to work for Unilever and hope that we continue to do so.

     

    Q: The team in India seems to be busy behind the Unilever pitch with hectic travel and meetings being the order of the day. Would you delve on what’s the current status of the pitch?

    We are all very engaged in the pitch; we knew it was going to happen and look forward to doing it. We hope to continue working with them as they have been one of our founding clients and through JWT and Ogilvy before that — we have worked with Unilever for over 100 years so we hope to continue our association with them.

     

    Q: What are the sentiments amongst your clients where advertising budgets are concerned?

    I think in 2008-2009, you saw dramatic cutbacks but in the last 18 months or so we have seen clients being more confident about their spending decisions. As we know, some clients are spending right in the middle of recession. So I don’t see so much of restraint from the client’s end. I think the point here is that the financial community is more nervous than the client community — it’s a government issue and not a corporate issue that’s facing us this time. In 2008-09, it was more of a corporate issue.

     

    Q: What will be your single largest agenda for 2012?

    The focus will be on people – there’s a lot of talent out there especially in Asia. We have to make sure we get our fair share. It’s a work-in-progress; it’s always a work-in-progress.

     

  • Sandeep Sharma to take over from Chintamani Rao as head of RK Swamy Media Group. Mr Rao to take on an advisory role in the group.

    Sandeep Sharma joins RK Swamy Media Group

    By A Correspondent

     

    The R K Swamy Media Group has appointed Sandeep Sharma, former head of sales and marketing at Times Global Broadcasting, as President. Mr Chintamani Rao, who held the position until earlier this week, is likely to move to another role within the group.

     

    Confirming the development, a spokesperson for the RK Swamy/Hansa group indicated that Mr Sharma joined the organization on Monday, March 26.

     

    Speaking to MxMIndia, Mr Sharma said he’s looking forward to leading the four companies under him – Media Direction, Hansa Media Services, Digital Direction and Hansa Outdoor and Hansa Media – to newer heights. “I have a great team working with me and we hope to grow in a big way,” he said, that his first priority to familiarize himself with all aspects of the group’s businesses.

     

    Mr Shama, a chemical engineer from IIT Bombay, has an MBA from the NMIMS, Mumbai. In a career spanning 22 years, he has worked with Times Global Broadcasting (as Senior VP – Sales and Marketing), at Star India (as VP – Sales and Business Head) and Lowe Lintas (VP, Unit Head).

     

  • Prasoon Joshi to be on Board of the historic jv between Ominicom and Interpub for Chevrolet (Chevy)

    Omnicom & Interpublic Group join hands for Chevrolet

    By A Correspondent

     

    Omnicom Group and Interpublic Group have come together to form the first joint venture between two global advertising giants to handle creative duties for General Motors’ Chevrolet brand across the world.

     

    The equal joint venture, ‘Commonwealth’, will combine San Francisco-based Goodby, Silverstein & Partners of Omnicom and New York-based McCann Erickson Worldwide of Interpublic Group.

     

    “Commonwealth will be based here in Detroit, and its only focus will be on strengthening and growing Chevrolet into an iconic global brand,” GM Vice-President and Global Chief Marketing Officer Joel Ewanick said in a press release issued late Tuesday night.

     

    The agency will have a global board of eight, including Prasoon Joshi, executive chairman & CEO, McCann Worldgroup, India, and president, South Asia. Jeff Goodby will serve as the creative chairman of Commonwealth while Washington Olivetto and Linus Karlsson will be among the board members.

     

    “It’s unprecedented and I am excited to be a part of it,” Joshi said. “GM will benefit from such a collaboration of great minds,” he added. GM said the agency’s appointment, combined with the recent selection of Carat as its agency for media planning and buying operations, is part of efforts to drive efficiencies.

     

    “These agency consolidations are expected to create about $2 billion in savings over the next five years,” Ewanick said. While agency companies have been teaming up to service business on a global scale, such co-operation is unusual for bagging new business.

     

    Source:The Economic Times

    Copyright © 2012, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved

     

  • A copywriter has taken the trouble to try and revive the art of writing long copy, and he has come up with a cool idea. Bodhisatwa Dasgupta of Ogilvy & Mather has announced a contest called: 'Longhand'. Which invites contestants to write long copy ads. And win instant recognition.

    Anil Thakraney: Ready for long copy?

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    It’s quite well known that ever since television boomed in India, and ever since the Hindi heartland boys took control of the ad world, the press ad has been dead. No one cares about it, often not even the client. It’s now treated as a support medium which must coldly state the facts, and no more. It is also widely (and incorrectly) believed that people don’t read any more, that they have become video junkies, therefore the copy must be kept as crisp as possible.

     

    With the advent of social media, the last nail in the coffin of the press ad got hammered in. Forget penning long prose, writers today don’t even know how to spell simple words. These are days of “Hiya gr8 2 c u!” In such a gloomy scenario, there emerges a ray of hope. A copywriter has taken the trouble to try and revive the art of writing long copy, and he has come up with a cool idea. Bodhisatwa Dasgupta of Ogilvy & Mather has announced a contest called: ‘Longhand’. Which invites contestants to write long copy ads. And win instant recognition.

     

    What makes things even more exciting is that the entries will be judged by legendary copywriters like Indra Sinha and Neil French. (Below are their posters encouraging writers to participate in the contest.) Moreover, the product briefs sound pretty enticing. One is for a whisky brand called ‘Gambler’, which is sold in little sachets.

     

    Full marks to Dasgupta for trying to do his bit. At least there’s someone out there who’s kept the faith. So get cracking and craft out that lilting prose. And prove to everyone that Indian ad world writers can still write. And can communicate without murdering the Queen’s language.

     

    All the best!

     

    To enter, you can join this Facebook page:
    http://www.facebook.com/putheadlinehere

     

    And here’s the link to the contest:
    http://putheadlinehere.blogspot.in/2012/03/faq-briefs.html

     

     

     

    Indra Sinha Neil French

     

     

  • Addressing a seminar on 'India going Digital: An Industry Interaction with Stakeholders' Additional Secretary of I&B Ministry Rajiv Takru said that the sunset date is sacrosanct and absolutely non-negotiable. Moreover, digitization is in the larger public interest, and if it hurts a few, then so be it.

    [95 Days to D-Day] No negotiation on deadline: MIB

    By Shruti Pushkarna

     

    Once again the government of India maintained its hard stand on the issue of digitization. Speaking at a FICCI organized seminar, ‘India going Digital: An Industry Interaction with Stakeholders’, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Rajiv Takru, made it very clear that the June 30th deadline is not subject to any negotiation. Addressing all stakeholders, the LCOs, MSOs and the broadcasters, Mr Takru said, “All analog will be switched off from July 1. The June 30th deadline is not negotiable at all. So all stakeholders should pace up and brace the change.”

     

    The seminar on digitization was organized by FICCI in New Delhi in partnership with the government of India. Participating in the event were all stakeholders, from local cable operators (LCOs), to multi-system operators (MSOs) as well as broadcasters. The seminar was organized to address issues faced by various stakeholders in the run up to the switch over from analog to digital.

     

    Mr Takru started off by saying that there are several rumours in the market that he would like to belie. The first being the unavailability of set top boxes (STBs). He said, “In Delhi there is a requirement of around 33 lakh STBs out of which 7 to 8 lakh STBs are already installed. And around 28 lakh STBs have already been ordered for and they are at various points in delivery. So whoever tells you that there are not enough STBs, is all false.” Secondly, he said there is a lot of talk about the sunset date being extended, he said that the deadline was absolutely sacrosanct and all industry stakeholders will have to follow it as an order. However, he admitted that the task that lay ahead is not easy but knowing the weaknesses of analog, this seems to be the best way forward for all. Mr Takru said that digitization is good for everyone and especially for the consumer. He said, “Digitization is in the larger interest of the consumer and if it hurts a few then so be it. This initiative is not being undertaken to promote any particular business interest, it is a larger step in the move towards digital.”

     

    Also addressing the gathering was Ms Supriya Sahu, Joint Secretary (Broadvast & Policy), Ministry of Information & Broadcasting. Sharing some numbers with the audience Ms Sahu said, “There are 33 lakh cable TV homes and around 5000 cable operators. There are 5 national MSOs and several independent MSOs. The task ahead is difficult and we need to especially reach out to the migrant workers and slum dwellers.” She also said that the government was doing its bit by running ads on radio and TV for consumer awareness. A toll free number has been set up for all kinds of queries on the matter, and the ministry also has a Facebook page where issues can be addressed. However, she urged the LCOs to get into the act now. She said, “You need to start contacting all your consumers to pass on the message because time is very limited.” She assured all stakeholders that although the rules are still being framed by the ministry, once out, they will only ease the process of transition for everyone involved. She said that there were no substantial changes that the ministry is going to make to the existing framework for the benefit of all stakeholders.

     

    Despite all assurances of support from the government representatives, the industry stakeholders seemed unconvinced. Ministry representatives invited questions for discussion from the audience and it was evident from the several points raised at the forum that there were varied levels of discomfort among the stakeholders. While some were hoping that there will be an extension to the sunset date, some hoped that there will be subsidies in sight. But putting all doubts to rest, Mr Takru said, “There will be no free STBs provided for by the government, just like there is no such thing as free lunch. There are no subsidies being contemplated by the government at this point.” He said however, the service providers are putting their services out in the market with heavy amount of subsidy built in, like the cost of a set top box is already subsidized.”

     

    A concern was voiced by a local cable operator with regards to the quality of STBs. He said, “Often there are issues with the set top box provided by the MSO and once the customer buys the STB, he/she is stuck with it. Since the LCO is the link between the end user and the MSO, what does the LCO do if the consumer wants to return the STB and get another one?” Addressing his query Mr Takru said, “The government is devising a scheme where a customer can return a STB he/she has purchased. The refund guidelines etc. are being worked upon by the ministry. The LCO can also return the STB to the MSO and get a refund in return.”

     

    Addressing a concern over the tariff for channels, Mr Takru said that TRAI will soon notify the tariffs which will apply to all, including the LCO, MSO, broadcaster as well as the customer. On repeated complaints over lack of availability of STBs from the MSOs’ end, Mr Takru told several LCOs present that they were free to change their MSO if the MSO refused to provide them with required STBs. But he also urged the cable operators to cooperate with the MSOs in the switch over process.

     

    The seminar was followed by a press conference by the ministry officials. Addressing the media, Mr Takru said, “The discussion with the stakeholders was very interesting and we managed to address several concerns of all the stakeholders.” The Additional Secretary reiterated for the media that there were more than required STBs available in the market and the deadline was non-negotiable. Speaking of the tariff for channels, Mr Takru said, “We don’t expect the tariff structure to rise or to go beyond what it is today.” He also said that consumer awareness initiatives are being undertaken by the ministry, which has already put up radio jingles on AIR FM Gold and Rainbow. Two TV spots will be on air soon on all national and private channels. The IBF and NBA are also carrying tickers as an initiative to raise consumer awareness on the subject.

     

    Mr Takru concluded by saying that this process might leave a few unhappy but because it is being done in the larger public interest, the government is forced to ignore certain concerns being voiced by a smaller group. He said that digitization will empower the customer who will now have the ‘choice’ to watch what he/she desires to watch unlike the present day scenario when the customer is dependent on what is offered by the cable operator.

     

  • Investor Karisma Kapoor is also throwing her weight behind online babycare shop Babyoye.com, promoting the shopping portal on TV.

    E-shopping hits busy young mums too

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”200″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zi9nBtflKY[/youtube]

    By Shubhangi Mehta

     

    Babyoye.com has come up with its first advertising campaign and it aspires to convey a series of messages to the new and young working mothers who are pressed for time. Babyoye.com gives consumers more than 120 brands and over 30,000 products to choose from. With just a click of a button mothers can avail the best products for their children.

     

    The current campaign was worked internally by them along with the production house. Their media agency is OMD.

     

    The biggest innovation that Babyoye.com is, by bringing world class baby and kids products at the click of a button thus enabling parents to spend quality time with their baby. By providing a wide variety of choice, parents can make an informed decision.

     

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

    Arunima Singhdeo, Director & Co- Founder Babyoye.com said, “We had initially been focusing on the digital medium which still remains to be a big promotional tool. However, we have recently started experimenting with offline mediums also and if the response is good, we will definitely continue with the same”.

     

    Babyoye.com is focusing on digital-led campaigns which are generally product-led. They have recently launched their own line of baby apparel. The collection has been designed very thoughtfully keeping in mind the new born essential needs.

     

    Apart from that, the brand campaign is currently being run on the offline mediums – TV and they are evaluating using other mediums as well. They are also in the midst of tying up with various brands that target kids to run a few co-branded campaigns.

     

    The focus area for babyoye.com in 2012 would be to add more and more product range and catering to higher age group of kids as well and building the brand name would remain a priority.

     

    On the association, Karisma Kapoor comments, “I was thrilled to shoot for this campaign. As I personally indulge in shopping from Babyoye.com, I truly believe that Babyoye is a convenient platform for new mothers with hectic schedules who can shop while baby is sleeping or while watching TV.”

     

  • Once you've got your core competency (ability to conjure up fantastic ideas) and remarkable talent in place, follow the 5 commandments to become the Rajnikanth of advertising, Amod Dani style.

    The Anchor: 5 commandments for ad stardom

    By Amod Dani

     

    Some say stars are born. Others believe they are created. In advertising, however, stars are a result of both. Beautifully blended in a pressure cooker environment of tight deadlines, a dash of revealing briefs and a spoonful of client feedback.

     

    You must have it in you to become an Ad-guru, the zing, the X-factor, the mojo jojo. Call it what you may but this is the most important ingredient if you want to become an Advertising A-man.

     

    So once you’ve got your core competency (ability to conjure up fantastic ideas) and remarkable talent in place, follow the 5 commandments to become the Rajnikanth of advertising.

     

    And get ready to bask in the hot Goafest Sun, Don Draper style. Godspeed!

     

    #1 ‘P’seudonym

    What’s in a name, they ask? Everything. Take a look around at all the advertising biggies and you’ll see. The top guns have one thing in common: the letter ‘P’. According to Pandit Suryakumar, Onomsatics (the study of names) has played a significant role in determining the future of advertising in India. ‘P’ stands for Precision, Persistence, Perseverance, Positivity and above all Perfection. So ‘P’lease move over Ekta Kapoor, the days of ‘K’ are numbered. By the way how does ‘Pramod Dani’ sound? Naaah!

     

    #2 A.K.A

    Pops, Paddy, Balki, Aggie: A talent pool like that is truly unique. But what do all of them have in common? A nickname of course. Now that’s the second most important commandment.

     

    An alias, a shorter name or a unique nickname will truly put you in good stead for advertising stardom. But stay away from the names that your mother, grandmother and thousands of your relatives call you. Shontu, Monty, Bunty, Baby, Chotu, Bubbles, Pingoo and Vishambhar are not your ideal aliases. And yeah, do check for patents before you sign up for one.

     

    #3 Be the cover page

    Making a fashion statement plays a vital role in becoming an ad-star. So whether it is wearing all black or donning the latest top-hat, let your style be as unique as your work. Douse yourself into the pages of GQ or pester the daylights of your local darzi and dig out a style that defines you. From variations of facial hair to plain white shirts, from baldness to the badhti ka naam daadi look: ensure that you are a not just an ad-icon but also a style icon. Let caricature artists have a field day.

     

    #4 Bollywood, thy middle name

    Become a name frequented by the Khans and the Kapoors. Keep your feet on two rocks, one firmly placed in the ad-world, the other, nimble-footed, in B-town. Be associated with Bollywood in some way or the other. Music, Direction, Script writing, Screenplay, DOP, Spot, who cares, just make sure you are around a damn set. Flop movies or not, you being a part of Bollywood comes with a big plus: Dropping names!

     

    #5 Have your own Mnemonic

    Like the big brands they create, all the ad-biggies have their own unique Mnemonic. A brand property that is unique to their own personalities. From an exaggerated laughter to a short temper, from poignant hand gestures to exquisite catch phrases that remind you of your mother and sister, figure out what’s your Mnemonic.

     

    However this commandment comes with a big caution. At times, your Mnemonic might not be the one you’d really want as an Ad-star. So the next time you scratch your behind, burp vociferously or drive your finger into those nasal corridors, be careful, the peering eyes might just make that your Mnemonic. And not a pleasant one to say the least.

     

    And if the 5 commandments don’t help you become a star, then Sorry Mate. Kind of like my Pre-Happy April fool’s day. Not like you didn’t see it coming. As for all us mere mortals, it is back to the tried-and-tested mantra of simple hard work and passion. That’s how Piyush did it, that’s how Balki did it, that’s how Aggie did it and that’s how we must to do it.

     

    To be a star or not, well, only our stars will tell.

     

    Amod Dani is ECD, Leo Burnett.

    Click here to view all Goafest 2012 stories

     

  • MxMIndia is hiring – journalists & sales professionals

    MxMIndia is hiring journalists and sales professionals in New Delhi and Mumbai.

    Journalists (correspondents): ideally a year in trade or business media

    Sales: ideally worked for at least two years in the ad sales team of a trade or business media

     

    Although we are looking at hiring experienced professionals, bright freshers and entry-level professionals are also welcome to apply.

    Email editor@mxmindia.com (for Correspondents)  and sales@mxmindia.com (for Sales)

     

  • Not everyone has the mental toughness required to face up the uncertainties and challenges of a start-up; Vijay Singh lists the traits that get one there.

    The Anchor: 6 must-have traits for entrepreneurs

    By Vijay Singh

     

    There is a newfound zeal these days for being an entrepreneur, and a number of folks are chucking away the securities & comforts of “salary on the 1st” and venturing into the unknown.

     

    Entrepreneurs are the best thing that can happen to a society, economy and country. Entrepreneurs create value out of nothing, create opportunities and fuel overall growth, and they need to be deeply respected for it.

     

    However being an entrepreneur is the toughest job in the world. There are no cushions; no soft landings and the failure rates are very high.

     

    In an environment where most won’t make it, while luck might play a huge role, there are other traits that I believe an entrepreneur must have to break through:

     

    #1 Imagination: A good entrepreneur sees not just the big picture but well beyond the picture. He / she needs to imagine ideas that will create solutions to obvious and everyday problems.

     

    #2 Foolishness: Now made famous by Mr Jobs’ speech, foolishness is a virtue that is a must have, to pursue a dream that others don’t see, understand or give a damn about.

     

    #3 Stubbornness: An entrepreneur lives in a lonely and often unkind world – especially in the early years. There are, more that you need, armchair advisors and critiques that would question the validity everything starting from the macro business environment, to the business model, to scalability, to ability, to sustainability. The entrepreneur needs to stay the course with persistence.

     

    #4 Willingness to evolve: While staying the course, it is important to learn from mistakes and spot opportunities along the way and evolve into a better idea. It is my view, however, that one should stay true to the original & pure DNA of the idea and not drift at every opportunity (or failure) that pops up, as there would be plenty of both.

     

    #5 Team: As an entrepreneur one you get into every aspect of the business, however, to do justice to the organization that you are going to create bring in specialized talent for specific roles and ensure they are better than you at that task.

     

    #6 Passion for the idea:  Take up your entrepreneurial journey for the right reasons – the reason being absolute belief and passion for the idea that you have imagined. If one feels deep down that the passion has started to drain, that is the green light to quit and maybe take up a lucrative 9-to-5 assignment.

     

    Not everyone has the mental toughness required to face up the uncertainties and challenges associated with a start-up; however, it is my belief that everyone with a real passion for an idea will acquire that toughness over time and they should jump in.

     

    Professionally let me assure you there is nothing more fulfilling that to create something of value – out of nothing.

     

    Vijay Singh is the CEO & Managing Director, AaramShop, and can be followed on Twitter @vijaysingh.