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  • If the businessmen aren't going to learn anything from the nation's biggest, mind-numbing financial scam, they never will

    Anil Thakraney: Time for clean up the 2G scam

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    The Supreme Court’s judgment on the 2G spectrum scandal is horrendous news for the telecom industry, the entire corporate world and the end consumer. The court has cancelled the 122 spectrum licenses issued in 2008 by the great A Raja, the then telecom minister. Fresh auctions will be held later in the year, and new allotments made.

     

    This means the cost of the licenses will shoot up, and the additional expenses will be passed on to the subscribers. What impact this will have on the telecom boom, you can easily imagine. Not just that. This judgment finally confirms the massive corruption involved in the 2G scam, and this is going to damage the overall business sentiment in the country. Foreign investors are going to think many, many times before parking their funds in this maha corrupt nation. Where, first you are expected to bribe to get licenses, and then one day you could be back to square one, your business model sent for a toss. Basically, it’s a lose-all situation.

     

    However, one hopes this huge scandal and its fall-out will serve as a starting point for a massive clean-up operation. Quite obviously, blatant corrupt practices such as these cannot be allowed to go on. If a huge shake up doesn’t take place this time, we will see this happen again and again. To begin with, Shri Chidambaram, who was the finance minister when Raja tore into the cookie jar, must accept moral responsibility and quit. And if he doesn’t, the mantri ought to be immediately sacked. Even if he was in the dark on the then telecom minister’s nefarious activities, he must be held accountable. Because at the very least, Chidu fiddled while Rome burnt. This is important. It’s not enough that Raja is in jail, the big heads must roll.

     

    And secondly, corporates in the telecom sector must take equal blame for this mess. Because if they had refused to bribe Raja, this scale of corruption wouldn’t have happened. The scam should be a lesson for all suits that they must play an equal part if the nation has to be rid of graft. In any shady deal, at least two shady partners have to be involved.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”200″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lw9ZeXB2uKs[/youtube]

    So even as the telecom industry gets busy and studies the exact impact of the SC’s judgment, it’s time for all corporates to wake up and smell the coffee. And swear to run a clean ship from now on. If the businessmen aren’t going to learn anything from the nation’s biggest, mind-numbing financial scam, they never will.

     

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    PS: TV serials based on vampires have been a rage in the US in recent times. Audi has capitalized on their popularity, and has released a hilarious commercial. Damn cool!

     

  • The channel delivered 306 GRPs this week, clearly underscoring its leadership position across channels and categories

    STAR Plus the undisputed leader in 9 primetime slots

    By A Correspondent

     

    STAR Plus scaled a new high in the popularity charts, with four of its prime-time shows cornering the top honours across general entertainment channels in this week’s ratings, TAM data show.

     

    ‘Saath Nibhana Saathiya’ and ‘Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hain’ brought in the highest ratings for the Star franchise, with a 5.3 TVR each, while ‘Diya Aur Baati Hum’, the channel’s gender-stereotype breaker, had a strong 5.2 TVR. ‘Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon’ (4.2 TVR) completed the top 4 sweep. The crowning glory was that nine of Star Plus’ shows were declared slot leaders.

     

    The channel delivered 306 GRPs this week, clearly underscoring its leadership position across channels and categories.

     

    Nitin Vaidya, Business Head, Hindi Channels, STAR India, said: “The consistent performance and popularity of our shows reiterate STAR Plus’ commitment to quality entertainment and world-class programming. Our constant endeavour is to re-invent the ‘nayi soch’ in the society with every show we conceive, design and offer.”

     

    Star India is a leading media and entertainment company, broadcasting 33 channels in eight languages to more than 400 million people every week across India and more than 100 countries across the globe. Its channel portfolio includes household brands Star Plus, Life Ok, Star Gold, Channel [V], Star Jalsha, Star Pravah, Star World, Star Movies, Star Utsav and joint venture channels Asianet, Asianet Plus, Star Vijay, Suvarna, Star News, ESPN and Star Sports.

     

  • Jaisurya Das and Shailesh Amonkar are set to return to the Sakal group as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Marketing Officer respectively

    Jaisurya Das and Shailesh Amonkar to return to Sakal group as COO & CMO

    By A Correspondent

     

    The winds of change are blowing across the media. MxMIndia learns that senior industrypersons Jaisurya Das and Shailesh Amonkar are returning to the Sakal group from next week. The news was confirmed by a spokesperson of the group.

     

    While Mr Das, who has earlier been a consultant to the Pune-based Sakal group, will be Chief Operating Officer, Mr Amonkar will be Chief Marketing Officer and head the sales and marketing functions. Mr Amonkar was with Sakal from 2003-06 and held the portfolio of Director-Sales. He moved on to be an entrepreneur and set up Kemistry Media in Pune.

     

    Mr Das, who has had a successful run with The Times of India group having launched the edition in Pune, also turned entrepreneur and set up Xanadu Consulting, a media and human resources advisory firm (Disclosure: Mr Jaisurya Das is also Contributing Editor, MxMIndia and writes the very popular ‘Dear MxM’ column).

     

  • A lot of information today is lost in business jargon which business papers must stay away from.

    The Anchor: 6 things for the publisher of a business publication to remember

    By Vivek Khanna

     

    #1 One of the most important things that the publisher of a business paper – or, for that matter, any publication – has to keep in mind is the content. Accuracy and genuineness of information is critical to the success of any newspaper.

     

    #2 It is extremely important that the content and business sides of a paper are always separate, especially in a business publication. There has to be a wall between the content and business side so that no one can influence the other.

     

    #3 Checking for errors is extremely important. Business news can make or break an economy, hence it is critical to keep many level of checks before any news goes into print. In our organization, we have several levels of checks to ascertain that the news which goes to print is genuine and credible.

     

    #4 Journalists and Editors for a business publication have to be handpicked as they are meant to have a very special skill set and knowledge of the business world.

     

    #5 Business news needs to have more clarity. A lot of information today is lost in business jargon which business papers must stay away from.

     

    #6 In a market where there is a plethora of publications, it is of importance that a business publisher finds the differentiating factor for his product. A differentiated product with credible content is the only way to success.

     

    Mr Vivek Khanna is the Publisher and Business Head of Mint, HT Media Limited.

     

  • Brand Ambassador Yuvraj Singh's real-life story to inspire India on the need for Wealth with Protection Solutions.

    Yuvraj continues to tell Birla Sun Life story – with added confidence

    Birla Sun Life Insurance (BSLI) continues on its committed strategy to provoke massIndiainto realizing and appreciating the many critical and relevant roles that insurance can play in their life.

     

    With a new campaign for their Wealth with Protection Solutions, BSLI and Yuvraj have come together, once again, to play the role of agent provocateur for massIndia, by provoking them to insure their lives through the highs and lows that life can have in store for them.

     

    The TV commercial has the ace cricketer not only discuss his personal triumphs, but also his trials and tribulations, candidly, by taking a recent leaf from his own life.

     

    Ajay Kakar, Chief Marketing Officer – Financial Services, Aditya Birla Group said: “Today’s Indians have tasted never-before success in the early years of their working life. This unprecedented material success gives them the confidence and belief that the good times will continue, uninterrupted, and they will live and enjoy all their ambitious dreams, one by one.”

     

    He adds: “We have used Yuvraj Singh as our Philosophy Ambassador to share his personal belief and experience – also a reality of life – that ‘Jab tak balla chaltha hai, thaat hain. Jab balla nahin chalega to…’  (‘You rule, only till your bat rules’). We aim to provoke and inspire massIndia with the personal triumphs, trials and tribulations of Yuvraj, who just keeps working to combat the challenges that life and cricket have thrown his way, to bounce back.”

     

    The campaign is inspired by an actual conversation that Yuvraj had with the senior team of BSLI, soon after India’s momentous win at the World Cup. Yuvraj had shared his regret that despiteIndiawinning the World Cup, the nation’s dream for 28 years, and him being declared the man of the series, he didn’t even have the time to sit back and enjoy this enviable success. He was back on the training grounds, with the IPL round the corner. And then, due to unforeseen and totally unexpected health reasons, he had to sit outside the team. All of this within a span of few months – but rather than sitting back and becoming prisoner of an ailment, he is prepared to once again fight against all odds.

     

    There is a lesson in Yuvraj’s story for all of us. Even the “Gods” have reason to feel insecure. The message provokes us to take action against our fears and ensure our dreams. It reminds us that life is uncertain and we should be financially prepared at all times for any eventuality.

     

    Speaking on the new communication campaign, Nandita Chalam, Vice President & Executive Creative Director, JWT said: “Over the years people have started associating the BSLI brand strongly with the concept of “Balla”.  The ad is set within a stadium, with Yuvraj sharing his story, talking to massIndiathrough the camera, conversing in a real, true, down-to-earth manner. The tonality of the ad is candid, honest and more importantly, it connects.”

     

    The campaign’s TVC features Yuvraj in a fresh avatar while he shares his story which will instantly strike a chord with audience reminding them that even the stars are vulnerable to the vagaries of life and environment.

     

    The TVC will go on air by January, 30th and will be seen across all leading television channels. One will witness a surround effect that will reflect a collective effort of integration and innovation leveraged through communication platforms. BSLI aims to provoke, surprise and delight the customer and eventually persuade them to take action with the power of sheer creative chemistry.

     

    Creative Agency: JWT (Mumbai)

     

    Production House: Chrome Productions

     

    Birla Sun Life Insurance Company Limited (BSLI) is a joint venture between the Aditya Birla Group, a well known Indian conglomerate and Sun Life Financial Inc, one of the leading international financial services organizations fromCanada. With an experience of over a decade, BSLI has an extensive distribution reach over 500 cities through its network of around 600 branches, over 139,057 empanelled advisors and over 200 partnerships with Corporate Agents, Brokers and Banks.

     

  • The CASBAA study measures the benefits of allocating variable percentages of a US$1.75m TV budget on multi-channel TV and Free-to-Air (FTA).

    Advertising on multi-channel TV can double reach

    By A Correspondent

     

    CASBAA, the association for digital multi-channel TV, content, platforms, advertising and video delivery acrossAsia, has released a first-of-its-kind reach and frequency analysis of the definable returns on media investment in multi-channel TV advertising.

     

    Commissioned by CASBAA and executed by global media agency Universal McCann, the study measures the benefits of allocating variable percentages of a US$1.75m TV budget on multi-channel TV and Free-to-Air (FTA) in seven key Asia-Pacific markets:Australia, Hong Kong, thePhilippines,India,Malaysia,SingaporeandTaiwan.

     

    “The clear advantage of advertising on multi-channel TV becomes evident when simulating real-life budgeting scenarios via robust Peoplemeter data. The numbers demonstrate that multi-channel TV makes undeniable fiscal sense when reach and return on investment are optimized,” said Simon Twiston Davies, CEO, CASBAA.

     

    “This powerful new look at TV data allows us to better understand that for a regional campaign, switching a portion of the budget onto regional multi-channel TV channels means we can deliver higher reach at a lower cost-per-thousand for our clients,” said Chris Skinner, Managing Director, Universal McCann Hong Kong.

     

    Highlights from the study (audience: 4+):

     

    In the seven markets measured, a 100 per cent allocation of a $1.75m budget to FTA results in a campaign viewed by just 33 per cent of the TV population.

     

    Campaign reach increases from 33 per cent to 56 per cent when half of the TV budget is redistributed to multi-channel TV from FTA only TV allocation.

     

    A 50/50 combination of FTA and multichannel TV sees total impressions (gross number of times a commercial is viewed) multiplied by 2.5 times from an FTA only schedule: increasing from 537 million to 1.4 billion.

     

    Using multichannel TV lowers cost per thousand (CPT) by up to 60 per cent in a 50/50 multichannel TV/FTA combination versus an FTA only schedule.

     

    “Campaigns that allocate part of their terrestrial TV budget to multi-channel TV reap the rewards,” added Twiston Davies. “The research tells us that you can effectively double your reach, increase the viewing frequency of ads, and lower your CPT – all with no extra investment.”

     

    A similar trend was also monitored when the demographics data was analyzed to reflect key age, gender and socio-economic groups.

     

    In the coming months CASBAA will release more data from two other global media agencies supporting the case for multi-channel TV advertising.

     

    The complete study is available at http://www.casbaa.com/atac/features.

     

    Established in 1991, CASBAA is the Association for digital multichannel TV, content, platforms, advertising and video delivery acrossAsiafor the past two decades. Spanning 17 geographic markets, CASBAA and its Members reach over 420 million connections through a footprint ranging fromChinatoAustralasia,JapantoPakistan.

     

  • Colors and The Global Indian Music Academy (GIMA) will celebrate the 71st birth anniversary of the 'Ghazal King' on February 8 in Mumbai.

    Colors’ tribute concert for Ghazal maestro Jagjit Singh

    By A Correspondent

     

    In a unique initiative, the Global Indian Music Academy (GIMA) in partnership with Colors and Wizcraft International Entertainment will bring together the Indian music & film fraternity for a tribute concert in the fond memory of the late ‘Ghazal King’, Jagjit Singh.

     

    The musical evening titled ‘Jagjit Singh -Yaadon Ka Safar’, which also marks his 71st birth anniversary, is a special tribute to celebrate his musical legacy.

     

    Jagjit Singh was an artist with many dimensions – singer, writer, composer, music director, activist and a philanthropist. An active member of GIMA, he also mentored most of its music initiatives. Jagjit Singh always supported and inspired new talent. This intimate tribute concert is an effort to celebrate his ‘musical journey’ – his iconic legacy and unmatched contribution to music, through performances dedicated to him by friends and colleagues.

     

    Renowned poet & lyricist Nida Fazli along with well-known celebrities like Javed Akhtar, Shabana Azmi,Mahesh Bhatt and Dia Mirza, who shared a special bond with Mr Singh will share their personal anecdotes.

     

    Speaking on the occasion, Chitra Singh said: “I am filled with a deep sense of pride and joy that the music fraternity is coming together to remember and honour my husband on his 71st birth anniversary. The tribute concert has my blessings and support. My family and I look forward to a nostalgic night embracing his memory.”

     

    The expected artistes at the tribute concert are Ghulam Ali, Ustad Rashid Khan, Anup Jalota, Bhupinder & Mitali Singh, Talat Aziz, Suresh Wadkar, Hariharan, Dr. L Subramanium & Kavita Krishnamurthy, Kailash Kher, Hans Raj Hans, Shafqat Amanat Ali, Shaan, Kunal Ganjawala and Richa Sharma, to name a few.

     

    Sharing his thoughts on the initiative on the same, Mr. Raj Nayak, CEO – Colors said: “­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­Colors is proud to present a peek into the life and times of the musical maestro Jagjit Singh. Our association with GIMA and Wizcraft opens up avenues into several unchartered territories in this space. This event is a mark of respect and love for the Jagjitji, and will surely touch an emotional chord with the music lovers and Colors viewers”

     

    “We are very honoured and excited that our initiative has received an overwhelming support from the industry. Through GIMA, it is our endeavour to contribute to the Indian music industry by providing a platform where such legends can be celebrated, honoured and fondly remembered. This intimate tribute concert will feature memorable performances by renowned artistes as we bring alive the memories and anecdotes about the maestro,” said Wiz. Sabbas Joesph, Director – Wizcraft International Entertainment Ltd.

     

    A recipient of the ‘Padma Bhushan Award’, Jagjit Singh won hearts world over with his soulful voice, inimitable rendition and timeless music. Credited for the revival and popularity of Ghazals, he was responsible for single-handedly changing the course of music by infusing the age-old genre of classical Ghazals with modern instrumentation while preserving its soul and purity.

     

    Wizcraft International Entertainment,India’s leading Event and Entertainment Company is dedicated to showcasing its expertise on the world stage. The Global Indian Music Academy (GIMA) and The International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) are some of its initiatives.

     

    The Global Indian Music Academy Awards (GIMA) is a unique initiative in Indian music with a vision to honour artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in Indian music.

     

    Colors is Viacom18’s flagship brand in the entertainment space inIndia. From Fiction shows to Format shows to Reality shows to Blockbuster movies – the basket contains all ‘Jasbaat Ke Rang’.

     

  • OAP targeted 23 types of media that comprised of 440 media units covering an outdoor space of approx 1,52,000 sq ft across 22 markets

    Outdoor Advertising Professionals’ innovative outdoor arena for SA Tourism

    By A Correspondent

     

    The landscapes and abundant wildlife of South Africa is the canvas for Outdoor Advertising Professionals, who are using innovative outdoor ideas to promote South Africa Tourism.

     

    South Africahas truly been a ground-breaking destination for adventure, sport, nature and wildlife travel and is a pioneer and global leader in responsible tourism.

     

    A creative and out-of the-box idea by Outdoor Advertising Professionals was of putting up a tri-vision billboard for this campaign, the first of its kind in Mumbai. The mandate to Outdoor Advertising Professionals was to offer high impact and high quality exposure thereby ensuring top-of-the-mind recall, which in turn required them to look for all formats of media that could be a clutter-breaker.

     

    OAP targeted 23 types of media that comprised of 440 media units covering an outdoor space of approx 1,52,000 sq ft across 22 markets. The various media chosen are billboards, backlit walls, bus shelters, cantilevers, glass façades, flagpoles, gantries, glow cubes, king-long buses, metro signages, pole kiosks, subway panels, skywalks, standalones, malls, airport displays and so on.

     

    Commenting about this OOH campaign James Varghese, Vice president OAP said: “Being a leader in technology, OAP implemented various tools and technology to ensure that an optimum campaign was planned. Every single detail of the campaign was backed by a technical explanation. We implemented iLAP – a research tool to zero-in on those locations where the target audience is more densely skewed. Each site was chosen based on its Panel Value. OAP has also been able to customize the outdoor plan with the help of Gallop Math Model which helped us foresee the reach and frequency that a particular plan can generate. Based on the results, we re-worked the plan so as to attain desirable reach and frequency of 52 per cent and 4 respectively.”

     

    OAP’s commitment and understanding of the brand propositions in the previous campaign for South Africa Tourism in the 2011 helped in retaining the client for second year in a row for latest 2012 campaign.

     

    OAP is the AOR (Agency on Record) for outdoor media planning and buying for many leading corporate advertisers inIndia. They are one of the top 5 companies in the industry. As a premiere outdoor specialist company they are at the forefront of bringing in new and scientific approach towards media planning.

     

  • The auction will witness 147 players going under the hammer. The size of every DLF IPL team squad will be 33 instead of 30 players in the previous season. Team owners are each to be given a purse of $2 million to buy these players.

    It’s auction time at IPL season 5

    By A Correspondent

     

    On February 4, 2012, Sony Max will show the DLF IPL Player Auction, which is taking place in Bangalore where franchise owners will select additional players who may be crucial for the success of the respective teams.

     

    The auction will commence at 10.45 am on February 4 with Max’s anchor Archana Vijaya and Arun Lal bringing all the behind the scene excitement and then moves onto intense live coverage of the auction that’ll take place at ITC Royal Gardenia Hotel in Bangalore. The anchors will engage the audiences before, after and during the auction to take them through the bidding procedure as well to analyse the day’s activity.

     

    The auction will witness 147 players going under the hammer. The size of every DLF IPL team squad will be 33 instead of 30 players in the previous season. Team owners are to each be given a purse of $2 million to buy these players. The auction will give a deeper insight and glimpse of the strategy each team is scheduled to follow.

     

    Commenting on the DLF IPL Player Auction, Neeraj Vyas, EVP and Business Head, MAX, said “DLF IPL Player Auction 2012 will set the stage for what promises to be an absorbing fifth season of the DLF IPL which will set the nation roaring. Alternating between the studio and the auction venue, Max will bring an up close and personal perspective of the event which will keep the audience enthralled.”

     

  • The objective of starting Radiowalla was to serve the special interest groups and communities with the content they would like to listen to and willing to pay, says Anil Srivatsa.

    Venturenet Partners to launch Radiowalla in April

    By A Correspondent

     

    Venturenet Partners Private Ltd, a Bengaluru-based internet radio company plans to launch a premium model internet audio service, Radiowalla by April 2012.

     

    Venturenet has already launched Spot Radio, a b2b digital in-store radio entertainment network in August 2011. The internet radio company has already announced that it has raised series A funding from Ojas Ventures Partners (OJAS) which will enable it to further expand the services and features of its retail audio solution – Spot Radio and it’s b2c radio service – Radiowalla.

     

    In addition to this, it is also learnt that after having out-performed its business goals, Venturenet will scout new investors for the next round of funding.

     

    In conversation with MxMIndia, Mr Anil Srivatsa, Co-Founder and CEO, Radiowalla explained that the objective of starting Radiowalla was to provide radio with its due of choices and to serve the special interest groups and communities with the content they would like to listen to and willing to pay. “We are trying to be in all languages and genres, including motivations, philosophy and other non music content… It is like an audio mall – one place for everything,” he added.

     

    Launched in August 2011, Spot Radio is said to have already partnered with 20 national retail chains, with over 2000 sites nationwide and is targeted to grow to a record 10,000 sites by the end of the year.

     

    Currently, Venturenet has around twenty brands in its client list ranging from lifestyle brands to hypermarket brands to food and beverage brands to name a few. According to Mr Srivatsa, Venturenet Partners is currently in an investment mode and hence he is not thinking about break-even plans.

     

    However he believes the sites – Spot Radio and Radiowalla – will sustain break-even very soon, though not for the next 18 to 20 months.

     

    On his vision for the year 2012, Mr Srivatsa said: “My vision for the coming year is to launch a life changing audio platform that will change the way people will consume audio content. Therefore we are trying to leap frog into raising and meeting the expectations of our consumer base.”

     

    The team size of theBangalorebased Venturenet Partners is currently around 12 – 13 and growing. The marketing plans, for now, are limited to viral but will later spread to the traditional and digital media.

     

    Mr Anil Srivatsa has been a veteran of the media field since the past 20 years. He had launched a radio show called ‘Anil Ki Awaaz’, inNew Jersey,USAand ‘between the sheets’ inIndia. He also launched an internet radio channel for Asian Americans. Prior to launching Venturenet Partners, Mr Srivatsa was the CEO of Kings XI Punjab and before that he was the COO Radio Today Broadcasting (Meow 104.8 FM).

     

  • Viewership numbers by TAM Media Research for the first two weeks of January show Sun News had been relegated to the No 3 slot

    Kalanithi Maran’s Sun News battles to retain lost crown

    By Sangeetha Kandavel

     

    After 11 years of leadership among Tamil TV news channels, Kalanithi Maran’s Sun News is suddenly on shaky territory. Viewership numbers by TAM Media Research for the first two weeks of January show Sun News had been relegated to the No 3 slot.

     

    In the third week, it was tied for the second spot, and it was only last week when it was a decisive No 2. It was in late October last year that newbie Puthiya Thalaimurai beat Sun News, the first time ever the latter has shed the top slot even for a week. Since then, it has been a see-saw battle for leadership.

     

    Now, while Puthiya Thalaimurai is No 1, what could have shocked Sun News for most of January is even the No 2 slot was taken away from it by Jaya Plus, which belongs to long-time rival Jaya TV. Never until now has any of the Jaya TV channels come even close to Sun TV’s channels in viewership.

     

    One of the reasons for the change of fortunes for Sun News is the initiative of the state government to start its own cable service, called Arasu, to counter the on-ground cable distribution strength that Mr Maran has with the Sumangali cable distributions service.

     

    Arasu claims membership of almost all cable operators in all areas of Tamil Nadu where it launched.

     

    The Sun slew of channels isn’t yet part of Arasu.

     

    But while the eponymous general entertainment channel Sun TV is being shown on the sly by cable operators, as it enjoys a two-thirds share, the rest of its channels might not enjoy similar visibility in Arasu’s areas. Jaya Plus might also enjoy more visibility than the pre-Arasu days.

     

    “With Arasu cable coming in there has been a tremendous distribution correction in the last two months,” said a Chennai-based media industry official, on the condition of anonymity. GV Vijayakumar, associate vice-president, Lintas Media Group-Chennai, pointed out programming as one of the other reasons.

     

     

    “In the last few months, Puthiya Thalaimurai has shown good numbers because of their news format and variety. Sun News is still following its traditional roots.” Sun’s fortunes in other genres such as general entertainment and music, where it is still the leader, depends on the fate of its negotiations with Arasu.

     

    A media planner said the spike in interest in Jaya Plus could also be a result of the viewer interest surging after Jayalalithaa expelled her close confidante Sasikala. Jaya TV, of which Jaya Plus is a part, is seen as a mouthpiece of the AIADMK party. Sun TV and Jaya TV officials couldn’t be reached for comments. As far as media buying interest goes, the battle is still only between Puthiya Thalaimurai and Sun TV, said a media planner.

     

    Punitha Arumugam, Group CEO, Madison Media Group, however, pointed to the relative insignificance of news channels in Tamil Nadu. “People who want to watch news watch it on Sun TV or Jaya TV (general entertainment channels). These channels telecast news thrice a day. News as a genre is not significant and not successful. The fluctuations for channels losing grip could be the cable war that happening in the State,” she said.

     

    Source:The Economic Times

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

     

  • With brands benefiting much from the buzz created digitally, social media is now part of almost every seller's toolkit

    How (and why) marketers love social media

     

    By Rishi Vora

     

    There is sooooo much happening in Social Media. Every brand – no matter how big or small, every media and entertainment company, especially film and television content (where YouTube has become such a rage!), even a local mall or a retail outlet owner in a small district is looking to be on Social Media, where he feels he should be before his neighbourhood rival is, and win more customers.

     

    Although this might sound as if Social Media is a disparate measure for brands, the fact is that the market is responding to the rise of a new medium which is a just about a three-year-old phenomenon; one which promises to change the game as far as marketing is concerned.

     

    There are many cases of brands benefiting from the social space, be the whacky Old Spice videos that did the trick in 2010 – yes, they were a set of videos, but became most popular on Social Media or Kolaveri Di, which became an online sensation. Or whether it is the case of Megan Fox meeting Rose Boy back in 2009, thanks to Kodak that took the initiative of taking it to the masses, through Social Media of course, offering the winner a handsome $5,000. There are many more stories where brands have recognised the opportunity and made the most of it. Celebrities have now become a key asset to the marketing strategies for many online brands.

     

    Traditional Media:

    Even the radio channels and newspapers danced to the tune of Social Media, a rare case of digital beating traditional media hands down. But the TV Channels and content companies are the ones taking the most advantage of the new medium.

     

    Akash Chawla, Marketing Head – National Channels, Zee is of the opinion that the percentage spends on digital has seen an increase and social media is one direction where most channels are putting their focus on. “We’re not the only ones to have entered the social space. It’s important to be there. But, the fact is that being on social media is also a fad. It is stylish and fashionable. The medium is highly measurable, and you get real time responses from consumers.”

     

    Even participants of Zee TV’s flagship reality show Dance India Dance Season 3 claim that watching videos on YouTube has encouraged participation in the show.

     

    Star Network too has been fairly active in the space, promoting all of its entertainment channels on platforms like Facebook and Twitter. And so as Viacom 18, MSM Group.

     

    Social Commerce:

    Yet another aspect of the social media – social commerce- as a trend started last year, and as experts believe that 2012 is going to be a year when Social Commerce will take off in a big way. Three of the most upcoming and prominent social commerce platforms are: Facebook (f-commerce), Twitter (t-commerce) and GuruLike.

     

    F-commerce or f-comm refers to the buying and selling of goods or services through Facebook, either directly or through the Facebook Open Graph. Experts forecast that F-commerce transactions on Facebook will overcome Amazon’s annual sales ($34 Billion) over the next five years.

     

    The emergence of social media has resulted into a sea change as far as the marketer’s psyche is concerned; who a couple of years back was unsure how the medium fare for the brands. He has now realised the true potential and as a result has started to appoint specialists for the job. This has resulted in the rise of specialist social media agencies- people who evangelised the medium three to four years back and who’re now well-equipped to handle marketing problems, using the power of social media.

     

    Social Wavelength and Windchimes are the two most popular pure play social media agencies, while there are other digital agencies that offer 360 degree digital solutions (where social becomes one part of the offering). And then there are PR agencies that have now expanded into offering social media services to existing clients. Hanmer & MSL Group, Ketchum Sampark, AdFactors and many others. Though these agencies pitch for social media businesses separately, they have the added advantage of an existing PR clientele.

     

    Sanjay Mehta
    Sandhya Sadananda

    Social media and creativity:

    Though different agencies follow different processes, there is a misconception which plays in the minds of many that Social Media does not need creativity; there is not much of strategy involved, as against other forms of advertising.

     

    Sanjay Mehta, Jt. CEO, Social Wavelength clarified: “Executing a good social media strategy is a mix of two disparate skill sets: One is creativity, like that of an ad agency, to differentiate the social media activity of the brand, and second: processes, of the kind that one usually associates with KPOs, as social media is not a campaign, but virtually a day-to-day, minute-to-minute business process.”

     

    Sandhya Sadananda, who prior to launching Windchimes, was a PR professional, explains how Social Media is not an extension of PR. “Unlike the US and the UK, PR in India is still a media-led activity. When you are in Social Media, you need to rethink the way you look at communication. Social Media cannot be seen as an extension of PR. Unlike PR, here you have the direct control in terms of the content you want to put up. At the end of the day, it is about adding value to the brand. And that could be in terms of content, the creativity, the number of fans and so on.”

     

    The nuts and bolts:

    So how do Social Media campaigns run? How different the approach needs to be? What are the systems and procedures that need to be followed? How does a social media agency scale the operations?

     

    Mr Mehta explains: “The starting point is to create a ‘character’ for the brand on social media. All communication, tonality and so on has to be in sync with the brand positioning and the brand’s character. For a TV channel, a social media campaign will typically have one set of conversations centred around the brand, and the other additional set of conversations to go closer to the interests of the target group.”

     

    From the standpoint of the marketer, however, the question which most often arises is: ‘Does social media help clients improve bottom lines’. This is also one reason why spends on social media are way too less in comparison to other media. Yes, these are early days, but pure play social media agencies have to grow and that is seen as a big challenge.

     

    Ms Sadananda affirms: “One needs to look at social media, not from a bottom line perspective, but from the point of view of qualitative engagement. The ROI in this business is so much number driven (number of fans, interactions) that people started to equate that with the bottom line. If you’re expecting increase in sales after a social media campaign – that’s not going to happen. One needs to have a different sort of mindset when it comes to social media.”

     

    She adds: “It’s very easy for marketers to make this just another medium. Agencies need to step in and help them understand the true nature of the medium.”

     

    Challenges:

    On the challenge for agencies to scale up their businesses, Mehta reckons that one needs to visualise the scale, in terms of the opportunity. And then investigate into various ways of creating an organisation, bringing in leadership levels and correcting/ tweaking the model as business grows to ensure smooth sailing.

     

    But, broadly, it is content that will decide the fate of specialist agencies. And, that in experts’ mind, is a bigger challenge. Adaptation will be the key as platforms evolve, users evolve. It is an age of e-commerce, and Social Commerce is not far behind.