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  • The conclave introduces Thinktent, a platform for aspiring professionals and students to interact with speakers. Live budget analysis roundtable managed by Business Today editors

    IndiaToday Conclave 2012: Securing the global promise

    By A Correspondent

     

    The India Today Conclave, India’s largest thought festival for the finest minds from across the country and the world, is scheduled to take place in the capital on March 16-17. The theme this year is The Asian Century: Securing the Global Promise. The focus, as usual, is on contemporary concerns as well as on innovations. But the Conclave will have a wider reach this year. Because India Today firmly believes that the more ideas are shared the bigger they become.

     

    The India Today Conclave goes free with ThinkTent, a brand new innovation this year, to increase the reach of the Conclave and to engage theIndiaof tomorrow-young executives and management students. Conceived as an outdoor event in a massive and comfortable tent, ThinkTent will beam proceedings live, via giant screens, concurrently with the Conclave.

     

    Not just that, the audience will get the opportunity to interact with Conclave speakers, who will also be available for photo ops and autograph sessions. One can register for ThinkTent at the Conclave website and, if selected, can be a part of ThinkTent for free.

     

    The Conclave is also proud to present a debriefing session from the Union Finance Minister, Pranab Mukherjee, a day after he presents the Budget to the nation. March 17 will open with the Finance Minister’s keynote address, explaining his budget. Delegates will get the rare opportunity of interacting with him over a Q&A session.

     

    On March 17, Akhilesh Yadav, the young Samajwadi Party leader, who has pedaled his party to sweeping electoral success, will address the Conclave. But he will not be the only one. There will be the opportunity to listen to a range of new heirs of political dynasties from acrossIndiaand its neighbours-from Namal Rajapaksa, MP,Sri Lanka, to Sajeeb Wazed, Special Adviser toAwami League,Bangladesh, Omar Abdullah, the Chief Minister of Jammu & Kashmir and Shehrbano Taseer, Journalist,Pakistan.

     

    With India Today’s culture of being in step with news, this year there will be a concurrent session, The Business Today Budget Studio@India Today Conclave, on March 16. The live budget coverage will be accompanied by senior editors from Business Today, India’s premier-most business magazine, and experts from the world of finance explaining the implications of the budget and answering queries.

     

    As usual, the Conclave promises to be a star-studded affair. Beginning with an inaugural keynote address by social activist Anna Hazare on ‘Yeh Dil Maange No More Corruption’, the two-day conference will reflect the full range of contemporary interests, passions and concerns: India’s favourite cricketers Virender Sehwag and Harbhajan Singh on the zigzagging fortunes of Indian cricket; superstar Kareena Kapoor on the rise of the New Heroine in Bollywood; His Excellency Anwar Bin Ibrahim, Leader of Opposition and Former Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia, on arguments for democracy and a keynote address by Henry Kissinger, Former Secretary of State of the United States of America and Nobel Laureate.

     

    The conclave will close with  Imran Khan,  Pakistan’s legendary cricket captain and chairman of the political outfit, Tehreek-e-Insaf, delivering the Dinner Keynote address. The event will be followed by a gala dinner, specially created by British gourmet chef, Rob Rees.

     

    With some of the finest minds from around the world assembling inNew Delhi, The India Today Conclave will once again provide the perfect platform for a free and frank exchange of ideas.

     

  • It was the opportune time for the group to highlight the brand’s promise of 'Andar se solid' in an interesting, engaging and visually arresting manner to the consumers

    Jaypee Cement ‘Wall Moments’

    By A Correspondent

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”200″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xbo8rqEpkrQ[/youtube]

    Jaypee Cement ‘Wall Moments’

     

    Background

    Jaypee Group has always been in the forefront of nation building activities by creating world-class infrastructure and power projects that ensure economic prosperity and energy security ofIndia. Jaypee Group is the third largest cement producer in the country and produces cement under the brand name of Jaypee Cement.

    As one ofIndia’s leading cement brands, Jaypee Cement has played a significant role in various landmark projects developed by Jaypee Group across the country.

    It was the opportune time for the group to highlight the brand’s promise of ‘Andar se solid’ in an interesting, engaging and visually arresting manner to the consumers.

     

    Insight

    While we may not realize it, the wall enjoys a special place in our lives. We all have had our share of ‘wall moments’… be it a young girl, leaning against a wall, dreamily reading a love letter; a father measuring his child’s height on the wall; a young man putting up a Rocky poster on the wall and so on.

     

    The Execution

    While the TVC comprises of various engaging, nostalgic wall moments in all of our lives, the difference comes through in the execution – in the manner in which these sequences flow seamlessly from one through the other.

     

    Right from the start of the film where a man welcomes us into a home, the treatment resembles a journey where one is being guided through from one moment to another as we move through the home.

     

    The TVC is also being supported by Print and Outdoor, along with Cinema as well.

     

    “We knew we’d hit upon a strong, resonating idea with ‘wall moments’. It was then only a matter of crafting it. The brief was opened up to the office and people were asked to dig into their own lives and pen down their wall moments. We finally picked up the best from the pool,” said Vandana Katoch, Creative Director, DDB Mudra,Delhi.

     

    Credits

    Creative team:  Vandana Katoch, Vishal Singh, Joy Sengupta

    Account Management: Gopal Krishnan, Raghunath, Anusheel Chowdhury

    Senior Film Executive: Vineeta Misra

    Client: Jaypee Cement

    Director: Nico

    Production House: Coconut Films

     

    India’s largest integrated marketing communications and services network, the DDB Mudra Group’s customized and collaborative approach helps its clients build valuable and enduring brands. Our capabilities span Advertising, Media, Digital & Data marketing, Experiential marketing (Promotions, Events, Rural), Trade marketing, Youth marketing, Localization & Pre-Media services and Brand Strategy & Design consultancy.

     

    With over 1,100 employees and 36 offices, offering direct contact across 1,75,000 villages, 4000 towns, 3500 schools and nearly 7 million students, the DDB Mudra Group was India’s most awarded agency network at Cannes, Spikes and Abbys among others in 2011.

     

    The DDB Mudra Group’s clients include Aircel, Ashok Leyland, Asian Paints, BPCL,  Bank of Baroda, Baxter, Castrol, Cipla, Colgate, Dabur, Emirates, Emami, Federal Bank, Future Group, Gillette India, Godrej, Gulf Oil, HDFC Bank, HPCL, Hindustan Unilever, HP, HUL, ITC, Jaypee, Jyothy Labs., ICICI Prudential Mutual Funds, Idea cellular, Johnson & Johnson, LIC, Lavasa, L&T, McDonalds, MSD, Malayala Manorama, Mother Dairy, Nestle, Novartis, PepsiCo,  Peter England, Philips Healthcare, Reebok,  Rotomac, Sab Miller, Shell, Star India, Standard Chartered Bank, Tata Communications, Tourism Australia, TTK Prestige, UNICEF, Union Bank, United Spirits, Volkswagen, Western Union, Worldwide Media, Wipro, Wrigley and Zydus.

     

  • Customers to benefit from integrated attribution solution for ad campaign analysis

    MediaMind and Encore Media Metrics Announce Partnership

    By A Correspondent

     

    MediaMind, the leading independent provider of integrated digital advertising solutions, announced recently its partnership with Encore Media Metrics to deliver cross-channel, full-funnel attribution as an extension of the MediaMind platform.

     

    Marketers can now receive deep, actionable insights through robust, attribution-based reports through the partnership. As an integrated solution, MediaMind and Encore are reducing the cost, complexity and level of effort normally associated with advanced analytics.

     

    Attribution solves the ‘last-click’ problem by allocating partial credit to each impression, click and interaction that influence conversions. Through Encore’s statistically validated attribution model, marketers can see the true performance of each channel, vendor, placement and keyword. Encore also measures the optimal frequency for converters while quantifying opportunities to expand reach and increase ad efficiency. Armed with these insights, marketers can optimize campaigns effectively and efficiently while gleaning a deeper understanding of customer engagement cycles.

     

    “Advertisers and their technology partners are challenged to optimize every dollar in a media buy,” said Gal Trifon, General Manager, MediaMind and Chief Digital Officer, DG. “Collaborating with Encore provides our customers another opportunity to maximize campaign performance at a channel, vendor, placement and keyword level, as well as determine optimal frequency, engagement cycles, and KPIs for search, display, affiliate, email, social and other digital media.”

     

    “With the fragmentation of digital media, advertisers and media agencies find it increasingly difficult to track how consumers respond to cross channel campaigns,” said Steve Latham, Founder and CEO, Encore Media Metrics. “By integrating the Encore solution with the MediaMind platform, advertisers will have easy access to advanced insights into their ongoing campaigns while saving time, money and energy.”

     

    “To date, the biggest hurdle faced by our customers to full-funnel, cross-channel views is the level of effort required to deploy yet another point-solution across each campaign,” said Jordan Khoo, MediaMind APAC Regional Director. “We’re very pleased to be able to bring an integrated attribution solution to our customers to reduce their workload.”

     

    MediaMind, a division of DG (NASDAQ: DGIT), is a leading global provider of digital advertising campaign management solutions to advertising agencies and advertisers. MediaMind provides media and creative agencies, advertisers and publishers with an integrated platform to manage campaigns across digital media channels and a variety of formats, including rich media, in-stream video, display, search and mobile.

     

    Encore Media Metrics helps advertisers and media vendors optimize performance through better analytics. Encore helps clients measure performance across channels and beyond the last click, producing actionable insights while reducing the cost and complexity of media measurement.

     

  • There are a few advertisers who have raised concerns over low returns against large investments on IPL

    Has IPL become too expensive for advertisers?

    By Rishi Vora

     

    After Rahul Dravid announced his retirement from international cricket on March 9, senior journalists, fellow cricketers and fans pondered over the future ofIndiaas far as test cricket was concerned. While that’s an issue selectors for the Indian cricket team have to sort out soon, officials from IPL and Multi Screen Pvt Ltd have to come up with real quick ideas to woo key advertisers, so that they remain invested in the property, especially after the 10 per cent hike in the ad rates for Season 5.

     

    The 10 per cent hike in ad rates means that advertisers will have to pay upwards of Rs5 lakh per 10 second spot. Last year, afterIndia’s fabulous performance in the World Cup, MSM hiked ad rates by about 25 per cent.  The season delivered an average rating of 3.91, lowest ever in four seasons.

     

    So season 5 was always going to be a challenge considering the slowdown andIndia’s continued poor run inAustralia. However, despite these challenges, MSM has managed to rope in a few sponsors already. Pepsi, Vodafone, Tata Photon and Idea have been signed on as sponsors and, furthermore, the broadcast partner is in process of finalising a few more deals.

     

    But, as a matter of fact, there are a few advertisers who have raised concerns over low returns against large investments on IPL and two amongst those – LG Electronics India and Godrej that have been sponsors from the start of the tournament have decided to pull out this year. They don’t think it’s worth the money anymore.

     

    LG Electronics India’s Chief Marketing Officer, L K Gupta told MxMIndia: “It is true that we’ve opted out of IPL this year. While it is the single largest property on TV, the fact of the matter is that there is only a certain level to commit marketing funds and the return we get in terms of TRPs does not really justify the high level of spending. Last year we felt the pinch, so we decided to stay out this year.”

     

    Godrej too is said to have opted out on similar grounds.

     

    Maruti Suzuki, which as a policy spends about 23 per cent on sports every year, of which cricket commands a reasonable share, has always restrained from being associated with IPL. Shashank Srivastava, Chief Marketing Officer explained his stance: “We invested in the World Cup last year. We don’t invest in IPL because for a company like ours, one needs to put in a lot of spike. IPL gives you good reach. In terms of viewership, it gives you good returns for 5-6 weeks which is something ideal for new launches or new product offering. So the money which goes in on buying IPL, and in return what you get for a brand like Maruti is not much.”

     

    A senior media professional who requested anonymity said that India’s richest league commands nothing less than Rs65 crore for presenting rights and Rs45 crore for being an associate sponsor. He said: “This is serious money you’re talking about. They (MSM) have increased by 10 per cent on ad rates, and they are under tremendous pressure to cut down further.”

     

    Nitin Jain, Co-Founder, DoMor Communications said the broadcast partner will eventually have to come down to last year’s price which was around Rs4.5 to 4.75 lakh per 10-second spot. “I’m sure the broadcaster is in talks with many clients, but from what I understand, it is going to be a game of who blinks first.”

     

    Buying his point is Nimbus sports COO Yannick Colaco who said: “I think advertisers are just waiting to see if the rates can be brought down. It’s pretty usual for advertisers to do this as a practice to get better deals out of the broadcaster.  IPL is a big tournament and advertisers will eventually look to advertise on a property of that scale, so I think it’s just a matter of time before they (MSM) sell out and a formal announcement is made.”

     

    It is learnt that MSM has initiated talks with Cadbury, but it is not entirely clear if the chocolate brand has signed the deal officially. On-ground sponsors for season 5 are DLF, Hero Motocorp, Karbonn Mobiles and Volkswagen.

     

    Set Max officials could not be reached but it is said that this year the attempt is also to sell smaller packages of 20-25 matches to cash in on advertisers with limited budgets. Also, it is not leaving any stone unturned in promoting the mega event. It is believed that a whopping Rs45 crore is being spent to bring the IPL fever back among viewers.

     

    It will be interesting to see how things turn out to be for all stakeholders of the mega property.

     

  • Mindshare has launched the first edition of its new quarterly trend series, Culture Vulture, which identifies the Entrepreneurial Spirit of Gen Y across 30 countries globally.

    Mindshare finds Gen Y Entrepreneurial Spirit in Trend Study

    By A Correspondent

     

    Mindshare has launched the first edition of its new quarterly trend series, Culture Vulture, which identifies the Entrepreneurial Spirit of Gen Y across 30 countries globally. The report, which was led globally out of the agency’s Asia-Pacific hub in Singapore, examines over 300 Gen Y entrepreneurial businesses across 38 cities including New York, Buenos Aires, London and Shanghai to understand how the youth’s innovative ideas can inspire and fuel game-changing communication behaviour.

     

    “At the core of this first edition is the belief that businesses need a little bit of reverse mentoring from time to time- big blue chip companies can learn from the nimble and creative entrepreneurs of Gen Y,” said Catherine Williams who heads the series for Mindshare.

     

    The report identified 14 unique global trends that Gen Y-the consumer group, in the 17 to 32 age group (The generation born between 1978 – 1995) has been pioneering to great success in small to medium sized businesses. These include tips from trendsetting tech start-ups, channeling the power of advocacy, and creating a genuine value proposition.

     

    Commenting on the launch of the series, Marco Rimini, Mindshare’s Global Business Planning Leader said, “Understanding trends and popular culture actually tell us more about consumer behaviour than media consumption data ever could.  Our Culture Vulture series has been created specifically to better inform our clients and teams of these trends and inspire original thinking in our media strategies.”

     

    “Culture Vulture is a tool that we will be focusing on in India to dial up the cultural sensitivity of our strategy teams and deliver strong communication & media solutions that leverage cultural nuances. Mindshare is in the midst of executing a study, based on Geert Hofstede’s cultural dimensions, that will bring richness to this endeavor,” said Alok Sinha, Leader, Strategy, Mindshare South Asia.

     

    The report itself draws on ideas and technologies employed by Gen Y entrepreneurs. It is being distributed as a free iPad app, an interactive PDF and as a videos series on Vimeo on Twitter and a Culture Vulture blog.

     

  • In Media Mullings, Peter Mukerjea envisages a scenario that will enable the media industry in India to reshape and reinvent and become truly 'world class'.

    Peter Mukerjea: Dream On… after all we’re in March 2012!

    By Peter Mukerjea

     

    So, if I were the next Minister of Information & Broadcasting for the Government (which is about as likely to happen as a month of Sundays) here are the 7 things I would want to do in my first 7 days of taking on the job. Sorry Ambikaji, this, of course, is not to say that you’re not doing a fine job, which you are – but like my school report card said term after term, ‘Could do better’.

     

    1. I’d start with issuing a mandate to privatize Doordarshan asap and thus enable the public to buy shares in the new entity and operate it like a proper commercial organisation and remove all Government control over it. I’d call a Nandan Nilekani, Deepak Parekh kind of person and get him to take on the project of getting this done in no more than a year. He could in turn invite the world’s best financial gurus and merchant bankers to have them pitch for the job. Then to appoint a proper CEO and a management team to develop a growth plan for the business which would include online, social media, cable distribution and task them with getting on with that in the following 12 months. They would report to a Board and be accountable to them and the shareholders.

     

    Benefit: The taxpayer would not need to fund DD any longer and its independence would be ensured. Profitability would emerge which would enable DD to become the largest media company in India and compete with the likes of STAR , ZEE or any of the international companies like the BBC or CBS or SKY or FOX. It would then attract the world’s best talent and be seen as a jewel in the crown for India. The company would bring about an amalgamation of all media activities under one roof and take its place in the list of leading companies of the world. If the Oberois can do that with their hotels, there’s no reason why that cannot happen with DD.

     

    2. I’d create an OFCOM (the regulator in the UK) like organization who would be responsible to the Minister for all the regulatory issues and they would have the power to prosecute and de list broadcasters if they didn’t follow the letter (and spirit) of the law. This would be run by socially responsible individuals with distinction and standing in the community.

     

    Benefit: This would in turn, enable the various media organizations in the country to be mindful of their social and legal responsibilities and not abuse the same. OFCOM would also be required to ensure that the people that run these various media companies are categorized as ‘fit and proper persons’ to do so. Managing media will then not be the direct responsibility of the Minister who could then take an unbiased view on issues if they were ever escalated to the Minister.

     

    3. I’d call TAM and get them to install an overnight rating measurement system and give them one year to do that. No more. Meanwhile, to expand the current system to include rural markets across India and to do this in 6 months. If they were not able to commit to getting this done I would invite other Research and Technology companies from India and the world over to replace TAM.

     

    Benefit: We would move industry to the 21st century and be similar to other developed markets where overnight ratings are the norm. This will help broadcasters , content producers and advertisers alike and will also be a reflection of the consumer. The expansion of the measurement universe would benefit the country as whole and content providers and advertisers would then pay more attention to the needs of the rural consumer and this will help the current imbalance between the urban and rural.

     

    4. All news channels in the country, both Indian and foreign would be required to present their credentials via a barometer of measurement which is based on quality, integrity and depth of journalism rather than GRP’s (ratings) alone. This would apply to all forms of news – be it entertainment, sports, business, current affairs, social etc.

     

    Benefit: The consumer would benefit by being presented with news reporting which is responsible and credible but not driven solely by sensational and scandal. Maybe there will be a news channel from India that will emerge to compete with the BBC or CNN in international markets. Here again, if Infosys can be world class, there’s no reason why a news channel from India cannot be world class.

     

    5. I would remove all financial barriers immediately to foreign participation in all media and would therefore allow 100 percent FDI in media and media related technology businesses. However, those owning and running these media and technology companies must be Indian nationals as is the law in the US.

     

    Benefit: This will attract the world’s largest companies to participate in the growth of Indian media and speed up digitization and internet connectivity in the process. This would provide a base for on line connectivity for all, across the length and breadth of the country from the smallest of villages to the largest of cities which would in turn accelerate communication and exchange of information for all Indians everywhere.

     

    6. I would remove all price control mechanisms instantly for the pricing of cable TV & internet connectivity provided by cable operators, MSO’s, DTH and other service providers as this would urge them to provide their services at prices that are market driven and competitive. None of these services are ‘essential commodities’ and therefore should not come under the purview of price control. However, each such service provider would be required to provide channels from each available genre, in proportion to the viewership they attract e.g. GEC channels – say 25 percent, News say 5 percent, Sport – say 10 percent, Natural History – say 5 percent, Music – say 5 percent, languages – 50 percent and so on.

     

    Benefit: The consumer would benefit the most as services would be provided at commercially viable rates and the quality of service would undoubtedly be enhanced as the various service providers would compete to retain and grow their consumer base for their custom, by improving service levels and quality. The Government should have no role in pricing media and entertainment services.

     

    7. All private FM radio stations would be free to broadcast news and current affairs, weather, traffic info, business news, for as long as they feel is commercially viable. Private FM radio stations would also be free to broadcast any genres that they choose to and the license fee for each genre would be adjusted (by OFCOM) according to the value of the genre – ie talk radio, sport phone in, 24-hour news & current affairs, Bollywood music, Indian classical music, education, health, western pop music, western classical etc etc.

     

    Benefit: Consumers across the country would then receive news on their FM radio stations and be informed rather than exist in the dark as they are currently. If we believe that the right to information is a democratic right for all , then we must live upto that ideal and enable private FM radio stations to provide a news service to their listeners 24 x 7.

     

    I doubt that any of these will see the light of day in the near future but I do hope that decision-makers in India will move quickly to turn all of these into reality as they will help the media industry in India to reshape and reinvent and become truly ‘world class’. Or else we can dream on!

     

  • Every week, Deepa Gahlot casts a critical eye over media reviews of Bollywood releases… in Reviewing the Reviews.

    Reviewing the Reviews: Kahaani

    Kahaani

    Key Cast: Vidya Balan, Parambrata Chattopadhyay, Nawazuddin Siddiqui

    Directed By: Sujoy Ghosh

    Written By: Sujoy Ghosh, Advaita Kala

    Produced By: Kushal Kantilal Gada, Sujoy Ghosh

     

    Sometimes miracles are known to happen. Everything happened just right for Sujoy Ghosh’s Kahaani. After the success of The Dirty Picture, Vidya Balan was on a high. A day before the film was to release, she won a national award. This just compounded the high-powered promotion she did for the film, going to the extent of attending every media event with that unflattering ‘pregnant’ tummy – her look in the film.

     

    Critics and audiences were already favourably disposed towards the film, and though everyone pointed out the loopholes in the script, no critic was curmudgeonly enough to give it less than 3.5 stars.

     

    Gaurav Malani of Indiatimes.com gave it 4 stars and raved, “Kahaani rightly lives up to its name and reinstates the fact that the core criterion for a decent film is a strong story. And if that story is in competent hands, you don’t need anything else. No big stars, songs, budget or even a customary male lead. For a (pleasant) change, the script is indeed the hero here!”

     

    Anupama Chopra of Hindustan Times gave it 3.5 and wrote, “Kahaani is a nifty thriller with an enjoyment quotient that is indirectly proportionate to how long you spend thinking about the plot. If you back-track and try to connect all the dots, the implausibility of the story amplifies – there’s even a piecing-together-the-puzzle moment that echoes The Usual Suspects but this riddle isn’t a patch on the intricate web of lies in the Bryan Singer film. However, if you’re willing to think less, there is some fun to be had here.”

     

    Sukanya Verma writing on rediff.com rated it 4 stars. “The concept behind a jigsaw puzzle is most fascinating. Its three-step model involves drawing an intricate picture laden with buried details and fine clues, cutting it into several unrecognizable segments and assembling a jumble that carries a seemingly simple challenge – to fall in place, to make sense. Suspense thrillers are just the same. But very few films belonging to this genre are able to fit the right piece in the right place. And that’s what makes Sujoy Ghosh’s accomplishment in Kahaani worth all the applause that comes its way.”

     

    Rajeev Masand of ibnlive gave it 3.5 and wrote, “As is integral to all good stories, Ghosh creates solid characters. There’s the do-gooder rookie cop Rana, played by Parambrata Chatterjee, who’s constantly by Vidya’s side. Their antagonist comes as the surly Intelligence Bureau officer Khan, played by Nawazuddin Siddiqui, who wants the search abandoned. In Kahaani, there is attention to detail served to even bit characters like an impish errand boy in the guesthouse who becomes friends with Vidya, and a sinister contract killer who bumps off his victims after greeting them cordially.”

     

    Anuj Kumar of The Hindu also gave it 4 stars and offered fulsome praise. “A rare original story from Bollywood that engages both mind and heart, Sujoy Ghosh’s Kahaani lives up to the age-old adage that it’s not about what you say, it’s about how you say. On the surface it is a thriller about a pregnant woman’s search for her missing husband in Kolkata but its core attempts to revitalize a gender which is often clubbed with handicapped and senior citizens in public life. On the surface the four writers (Ghosh, Advaita Kala, Suresh Nair and Nikhil Vyas) plot a puzzle that you desperately want to solve but beneath it is full of moments that humanize a pregnant woman on celluloid.”

     

    Surprisingly, Shubhra Gupta of the Indian Express gave it a relatively miserly 3. “Kahaani gives us not just a woman on the trail of a missing spouse, but a terrorist plot, data-crunching specialists, contract killers, evil moles, salt-of-the-earth guys. And it keeps us guessing, more or less. Which, for a Bollywood thriller, is quite an achievement, even if the terrorist angle turns out to have faintly ludicrous edges. In the first place, Hindi cinema doesn’t really attempt fast-paced thrillers with quite these ingredients, and when it does, they turn out clunky if not plain terrible. If Kahaani had managed to keep the edge of suspense as sharp in the second half, which falls prey to a few improbable plot contrivances and some gratingly explanatory scenes, it would have been very good indeed. But despite the hiccups, it remains engaging.”

     

    Another 4 from DNA and Akanksha Naval Shetye, “There are few filmmakers who can handle the genre, and the deft handling of the twists and turns as well as the flashbacks show Sujoy’s hold over it. The film proves that Jhankaar Beats was no flash in the pan and after the trial and error of his previous two films, he can clearly take a bow for this one. Watch it and you won’t be surprised if you see yourself making a trip to watch it again.”

     

    To top it, audiences have given it thumbs up too. Vidya Balan and Sujoy Ghosh have delivered that rare species – a critically acclaimed box-office hit. The awards will follow too.

     

  • The Kannada Kaun Banega Crorepati promises to be as big a hit as its counterparts in Hindi and other languages.

    Kannadada Kotyadhipathi locks ads, to air from tonight

    By Tuhina Anand

     

    Kannadada Kotyadhipathi goes on air tonight (on March 12) on Suvarna, and the team behind it has pulled out all the stops to make it a success. The channel has closed on its sponsors which are a mix of both national and local advertisers. The presenting sponsor for the show is Santoor and it is powered by Pepsodent. The telecom partner is Airtel while the banking partner is Vijaya Bank. The associate sponsors for KBC include Confident Group, Bhima Jewellers, Sunfeast, Muthoot Fin Corp, Mentos, Tata Motors. Big FM is the radio partner and Suvarna News is the news partner. It is learnt that in terms of revenues the channel is getting a premium on this property; the average spot rate for this show is three times more than that of a regular show.

     

    It is seen as the biggest property in Kannada and the channel has been promoting the show heavily on its own platform. Besides, there is a complete 360-degree marketing plan to promote the show across ATL and BTL activities. During the launch phase, there was print advertising in all key publications of the state. Radio activity included radio spots and RJ mentions. In OOH, 100 hoardings are up in the state promoting the show and 10000 posters across the state. There was also a mobile canter activity conducting events across 15 towns of the state is on for one month. Bus shelters across key areas of Bangalore were taken besides branding in high-traffic key retail outlets of the state. 10 kiosks in high traffic areas are planned across Bangalore city plus a mobile application with which key info of the show like schedule, pics, videos and a quiz game will be live for Android phones. In the online space, there has been engagement via Facebook and videos on YouTube.

     

    For the sustenance activity, the plan is to continue with print advertising in key publications. Radio activity with radio spots and RJ mentions will continue besides the hoardings and mobile application and online activity. Anup Chandrashekaran, the channel’s Business Head, said, “This is the biggest show on Kannada Television and we expect that this show will break all previous records in terms of performance & revenues. The look and feel of the show and the production values are of international standards.”

     

    “Kannadada Kotyadhipathi is yet another show that stands for wholesome family entertainment. We at Suvarna are happy that Puneeth Rajkumar, the face of the Kannada film industry, is doing this path-breaking show for us. The format of the show is unique as this gives the common people an opportunity to use their knowledge and change their lives. Big Synergy, the production house which produced the Hindi version of KBC, is also doing this version. They are a team of experts and I am happy to be associated with them,” added Mr Chandrashekaran.

     

    He also said other shows are planned to be launched around KBC. He said, “We have lined up an array of fiction shows to come up in the next few weeks. The first show to be on air would be “Amrutavarshini” this show is about a naive girl from a middle-class family who gets married into a rich family. The show looks at the mother-in-law – daughter-in-law relationship through a new lens. We are also working on a few other fiction shows which fall in line with our channel philosophy of offering differentiated content.”

     

  • N Ramamoorthi, President & Country Head, Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide, on PR challenges in India and what keeps him awake at night.

    [PR] Our goal is to achieve standards: N Ramamoorthi

    By Johnson Napier

     

    While PR agencies are gradually waking up to the phenomenon of social media, there are a few like Ogilvy PR who have been steering the initiative at their workplace for quite some time now. Not surprising that the agency has recorded superior growth through its social media offering last year – a space that’s said to be growing the fastest in the industry today.

     

    As the agency seeks to deliver unmatched solutions and leapfrog ahead of its peers, it aims to achieve the objective by hiring talent that is ahead of the curve and by paying adequate emphasis on training. In conversation with MxM India, Mr N Ramamoorthi, President & Country Head, Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide discloses his plans for the agency and what would be the possible growth drivers for the PR industry in 2012. Excerpts:

     

    How has Ogilvy PR delivered on the growth front in 2011? And, how would you rate your start in 2012?

    I joined Ogilvy PR during the second half of last year. My sense is that growth has been good at Ogilvy PR, particularly due to our growth in the social media space. I am sure everyone knows that that’s the part which is growing the fastest in the industry today. It’s an exciting time to be in the PR business, because digital is driving it to be more and more result-oriented.

     

    We have had a better-than-expected start in 2012. In Mumbai, we participated in two pitches – both global brands – and won both the pitches. Interestingly, we won both because we showed a good sense of how companies need to engage with their public in a changing environment. We are on our way to creating a new PR approach, and these two pitches confirmed that we are on the right track. Now it’s about our ability to execute and deliver on this approach.

     

    How would you assess your client roster across the several domains that you offer your services in?

    Our client roster today is a mix – spanning Digital, Corporate, Consumer and Technology clients. We have been able to gather genuine strength in some areas – especially in Consumer PR and in Social media, particularly in the B2B space. And that is an ongoing priority for us – to establish strengths in a few areas that make sense and make a real difference to clients’ businesses. For example, we do work with IBM and we win a lot of IBM’s global Best Practice awards as a team on Social media.

     

    How would you rate Ogilvy PR on the parameter of client retention?

    Pretty good. Our emphasis is on longer relationships – I feel that for any agency, you need to work with a client for some time; get to be a part of their business and understand their opportunities and issues better. That is when we can become true partners with a stake in client businesses and start making real contributions. This is what we tell clients.

     

    How do you review your practices each year so as to stay ahead of the curve on a consistent basis?

    One of our advantages here is the fact that in addition to being a part of Ogilvy’s massive reputation in India, we are also part of a regional PR powerhouse. Ogilvy PR is the No. 1 PR agency in the Asia Pacific region – and that brings with it a huge benchmarking and training advantage. You have regional leadership looking critically at your performance in each practice and evaluating whether it fits the standard of the No. 1 PR agency in Asia Pacific. These appraisals are very honest, because nobody likes a regional reputation to be let down. We are excellent in some areas and good in others.  In a couple of areas we would rather keep low till we acquire the skills.

     

    Staying ahead of the curve basically depends on two things – One, keep an eye out and hire talent that is ahead of the curve – you will hopefully see a lot of action from us in this area. And two, training. Since early last year, Doug Buemi, Senior Regional Executive Advisor/Asia Pacific, has been spending a tremendous amount of time in India on training. And we’ve begun to see it paying off – at the first stage, with the kind of highly improved scores we are getting in our annual employee surveys.

     

    We are today very serious about our PR business and about bringing it up to speed with our regional reputation.

     

    A lot of agencies are waking up to the concept of crisis management in India. What is the emphasis you lay on the practice of crisis PR?

    A few years ago, we planned and executed an award-winning Crisis management program for an India client. The case is now part of Ogilvy PR’s global crisis management showcase. So we have the credentials there. But we feel what’s happening today is on reactive crisis management than on proactive crisis preparation. Everything has evolved – from the way a crisis strikes to how it spreads and the media it adopts. And a reactive approach just won’t work – look at what is happening all round us, sometimes for some really well known corporate.

     

    Our emphasis is on proactive crisis preparation. We have a global module called Brand Shield with which we successfully engage clients and improve preparedness on responding to a potential crisis.

     

    What is the shift you observe in the way PR as an industry functions today to what it did, say, about a decade ago?

    The industry is evolving in terms of greater professionalization, which is a very good thing. Personally, the one thing I would wish is for the industry’s work and its value to be more noticeable and acknowledged. I read comments from quite a few PR agency heads – that the industry has significant challenges in terms of attracting talent and its ability to command fees commensurate with its contribution. Getting your value to be noticed is the best way to overcome such challenges.

     

    Where do you see Ogilvy PR placed in the PR pecking order amongst its contemporaries?

    There have been some surveys as well as media articles that have named us within the Top 10 in India in ranking terms. Which is good, but what really motivates is an internal ranking. Our goal is across practices, to achieve the standards set – by Ogilvy in India and by Ogilvy PR in the APAC region. We’ve begun that journey, started to see some results, and that’s the goal that is going to keep us awake at night.

     

    How do you think social media has impacted PR and its functioning?

    Firstly, it has brought in a new skill and specialization into an industry that is less departmentalized than others. So there is some freshness there. Secondly you have new things, new ideas to share with clients, so scope for growth at this stage is undoubted. Thirdly, it is performance-oriented and can help build long-term advocate-communities which are a big plus to how the industry shows its results. I feel the change is for the better, and not merely in business terms. Culturally this will definitely help the PR industry evolve into the same league as the other, more glamorous communication disciplines.

     

    Including talent, what are some of the big challenges facing the PR industry in India?

    I’ve spoken about it before in terms of what I read – talent and the average size of client retainers. These challenges can’t be overcome with a logical approach; they need to be overcome by making the industry, the personalities and their work more noticeable. Willing talent and fees will follow.

     

    What are your views on international agencies venturing into India? What is the future you foresee for the PR and communications space in India?

    I guess everyone is welcome! There is no doubt that PR is evolved in more developed markets; so if some of those practices can be brought into the country to everyone’s benefit, why not?

     

  • While production companies and the channels are ready to experiment, there seems to be a reluctance to totally deviate from the tried and tested stuff.

    Anil Thakraney: Sex and the city, anyone?

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Ekta Kapoor’s legendary saas bahu TV shows are officially dead. Both Tulsi mata and Parvati bhabhi over-stayed their visit to our living rooms, and that’s generally agreed upon. Further proof is Ekta’s increased attention to the movie business… the soap queen perhaps realizes that her sort of forever weeping, forever sacrificing, sati savitri naari is dead. And that’s a good thing; massive audience fatigue had set in on the format.

     

    However, after watching some of the new prime time daily soaps, I observed that the senior woman/younger woman face/off isn’t really over. Sure, the producers are attempting to feature the ‘modern’ woman and the plots now include remarriage, late marriage, young girl/old man, wife beater husband, and so on. But almost always, lurking in a dark corner, is an older woman who’s ready to give our young protagonist some serious stress. We haven’t really eschewed kitchen politics, in that sense.

     

    And I suppose the reason is this: Production companies, and more importantly the entertainment channels, are playing a safe game. There is a formula that’s worked in the past, and while they are ready to experiment with new ideas, there seems to be a reluctance to totally deviate from the tried and tested stuff. Too much money rides on television programming, there are also sponsors to worry out, and so it makes sense to be cautious. Fair enough, I understand where they are coming from.

     

    However, I do believe time has come for a ‘Sex and the City’ sort of a show. This could be exclusively targeted at the upmarket urban women (they are the ones with money power), a segment that really has nothing tailored for it on the massy entertainment channels. It’s a badly starved segment. In any case, high living, blind dating, promiscuity, binge boozing… all of that (and more) goes on in the metro towns. So why not capitalize on it?

     

    Yup, it’s a slot waiting to be filled; it’s a great programming opportunity. And the first mover will have the big advantage. Marketers of premium brands would be very interested in such a show. A chance for them to exclusively reach the hip, loaded, urban woman.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”200″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kKAq6lHgeY[/youtube]

    So people, ready for some sex and sleaze in our living rooms. Any takers?

     

    * * *

     

    PS: Fabulous, fabulous media innovation fromIsrael. To create awareness on the problems faced by those suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. Hats off to the creators.

     

    Brilliant stuff.

     

  • The radio play is aimed to make the youngsters understand that there is an alternate way of thinking for everyday situation they come across

    Fever FM’s new radio play – Gandhi

    By A Correspondent

     

    After the success of Ramayana, Fever FM will air a new radio play, Gandhi beginning March 12. Fever FM is said to have put together a story for the youth that revisits the life of Mahatma Gandhi. The radio play, Gandhi, is aimed to make the youngsters understand that there is an alternate way of thinking for everyday situation they come across.

     

    With celebrated artists such as Farooq Sheikh, Rajit Kapoor, Heeba Shah and Sachin Khedekar as a part of the play, Gandhi promises to be one of the most ambitious and out of the box radio projects of all time. Farooq Sheikh will be voicing the role of Bharat, Rajit Kapoor voices Gandhi, Sachin Khedekar voices Ambedkar and Heeba Shahand voiced Kasturba Gandhi.

     

    Harshad Jain, Business Head, Radio & Entertainment, HT Media Ltd said: “Mahatma Gandhi needs no introduction. He is one of the greatest men this country could possibly ever have. Through Gandhi, we are paying a tribute to the Father of Our Nation and reliving the life of the man for the present day world. This is another ‘first’ that Fever 104 FM brings for its listeners. Packaged with great music and superior production quality, I’m sure it will be loved and much appreciated across age groups”.

     

    Fever FM’s radio play, Gandhi is sliced over 60 episodes. The first episode will be aired on March 12. Gandhi will be a two month long series with episodes airing every day.

     

    Fever 104 FM (radio operated by HT Media Ltd.) is available in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Kolkata with a vibrant, youthful, creative and interactive programming, that just lets the music play! HT Media Ltd’s association with Virgin brings global strengths and expertise in radio markets across the world including Bangkok, South Africa,ParisandMalaysia. With the best quality and most quantity of music on-air, constantly playing only the top contemporary hits Fever 104 FM is synonymous with less talk, more music.

     

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

    AdStrat: IndusInd Bank Responsive Campaign

    Pranvir Singh Mann, Creative Head,Delhi, RK SWAMY BBDO.

     

    1. Name of the Campaign: IndusInd Bank Responsive Campaign

     

    2. The Brief: Build on the responsive theme by introducing innovative banking solutions

     

    3. Research insights: The core idea was IndusInd Bank is a responsive bank that is ever-ready to innovate in order to help customers lead an easier life. The objective is to establish that IndusInd Bank provides innovative, secure and hassle-free banking solutions.

    IndusInd Bank came up with 3 innovative banking services based on the real consumer insights.

    • The innovative ‘Cash On Mobile ATM’ service to help their customers when caught in an unforeseen emergency. The freedom to withdraw cash from IndusInd Bank ATM when you are without cash or card by just receiving a SMS from an IndusInd Bank customer.
    • Calling and getting connected to a bank’s customer care is a big challenge. IndusInd Bank understood this problem and came up with ‘Call Connect’ which allows the customer to get connected to the Phone Banking executive directly.
    • Generally no one bothers to redeem their Credit Card reward points as it’s a hassle and moreover the redemption process and rewards associated with it are quite ambiguous. IndusInd Bank came up with ‘Quick Redeem Service’ which gives the customer a choice to redeem the reward points on the spot.

     

    4. The thought process behind the creative:

    The creative had to be clutter breaker and highlight the key benefit of the respective service very clearly.

    • Cash on Mobile: To deliver the message through a situation that one can relate to. Thereby, highlighting the main benefit of the service clearly.
    • Call Kabaddi: Create a visual of the hassle that one goes through while calling up the bank. To make people immediately empathize with the protagonist
    • Quick Redeem Service: to exaggerate the benefit and its impact on the customers.

     

     

    5. Media vehicles chosen: Primarily TV, Outdoors, Radio

     

    6. Key issues kept in mind while executing the ad: It was kept in mind that the service message should be brought out clearly and people should not get confused in the delivery and functionality of the service.

     

    7. Does the treatment do justice to the brief?

    Yes

     

    8. What according to you is the differentiating factor about the ad?

    • Cash OnMobileATM: Neetu Singh
    • Call Connect: Visual device
    • Quick Redeem Service: The whole set-up and aura

     

    9. Market and client feedback:

    Have a good feedback from the client:

    Cash on mobile and Call connect: Many customers called the bank for the service related query.

    Quick Redeem Service: Many customers called for query related to reward points redemption

    Overall, we got a great response from the customers.