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  • Stung by jibes that it is boring, The Hindu has hit back at what it terms "the news equivalent of junk food"

    Hindu hits back with a tough punch

     

    By Tuhina Anand

     

    The Times of India fired the first salvo with its hints at a “boring” newspaper. The Hindu has countered with its ‘Stay ahead of the times’ campaign. A bit of a revelation coming from the house of the newspaper which is perceived as traditional and old-fashioned, the 360-degree pan-Indian advertising campaign seeks to bring the core values of journalism to the fore. At the same time it shows how the ‘popular’ read has trivialised the kind of news being dished out to the readers, with the result that they are more clued in about Aishwarya’s baby and Hrithik Roshan’s pet name than knowing the name of the Vice President of India.

     

    What is more surprising is that in the campaign, even though it’s bleeped out, one knows that people who have been featured say that they read The Times of India, thus clearly acknowledging at one go that TOI is a force to reckon with but at the same time responsible for this trivialization of news. The tagline leaves no room for doubt as it states, “Stay ahead of the times.”

     

    This kind of aggressive marketing could be the answer to the campaign that The Times of India had come out with a few months ago in the Tamil Nadu market which targeted The Hindu for being boring. The Times of India campaign says, “Stuck with the news that puts you to sleep? Wake up to The Times of India.” In fact, it is learnt that the TOI had even printed a dummy newspaper, circulated within the industry, with The Hindu masthead and “zzzzz” printed all over, to underline its message that reading the newspaper put people to sleep.

     

    Mr Suresh Srinivasan, Vice President (Advt), The Hindu Group of Publications insists that the campaign is not a reaction to the earlier TOI salvo. He said, “We have been on a path of transformation and change where we have not only undergone organizational changes but also been contemporising our product in order to connect better with our reader. The changes have been in content, layout and packaging based on the research we had commissioned, and their suggestions.”

     

    He added, “We are the country’s most respected English daily and the number 1 English daily in the South, with a growing footprint in the North. While we build on our strengths there is also a need to protect our turf. The Times of India is definitely our single largest competitor down South.”

     

    The Times of India, meanwhile, has been watching the recent development with a  touch of amusement. Mr Rahul Kansal, Chief Marketing Officer at Bennett Coleman & Company Limited, said: “It is good fun to watch it from the sidelines. TOI is an all-India brand and has redefined the news and newspapers altogether. In fact, this doesn’t really damage our brand in any way. On the contrary, it reiterates the fact that we are a very strong contender for the leadership position in the Chennai market. Remember, the Coke and Pepsi war? It didn’t hamper Coke in any way but it did establish Pepsi as a worthy young brand.”

     

    One of The Hindu TVCs
    [youtube width=”400″ height=”200″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmXPBp7DpQw[/youtube]
    The Times of India TVC
    http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/videos/news/Wake-up-Chennai/videoshow/10557020.cms

    “While advertising, one does exaggerate and that’s what we had done when we said in our earlier campaign that The Hindu is a staid brand. One takes extreme positions in advertising to bring out the humour, so even now when the ad says we give only Page 3 news that just to bring out humour. Everybody knows that the TOI is a complete newspaper,” added Mr Kansal.

     

    Despite the impressive numbers of The Hindu, there definitely seems some concern about the might of the TOI which led to this kind of aggressive marketing. Mr Narendra Kumar Alambara, Vice President at Starcom Worldwide, who has been observing the Chennai market, explained: “The TOI has made inroads into the Chennai English newspaper market and there is no denying that. While the gap between the leader and TOI is still huge, but the latter has become a strong competitor. Youngsters and migrant population have been picking up this newspaper, especially, because of the kind of news reporting that TOI has been doing. While earlier there was no option, but now there is an alternative read. In terms of readership, I think that for The Hindu it has remained stagnant while TOI has grown the category itself. However, one should remember that in the Chennai market retail advertisers lead and for them The Hindu is still a priority.”

     

    On the campaign, Mr Srinivasan said: “The Hindu believes that, more than ever in a globalising, knowledge-driven economy, it is vital that readers are well-informed about the world at large. And yet, over the last few years, the news and media industry in India has become increasingly focused on serving up a steady diet of trivia, shying away from the national and international issues that really matter. This may help sell more newspapers or get more viewership in the short term, but it is the news equivalent of junk food. And the long-term result is a steady dumbing-down of readers who end up knowing more about Aishwarya’s baby than the Arab Spring.”

     

    The campaign shows how one may be creating a country that is fully conversant with gossip and Page 3 culture but clueless about current affairs and world events.

     

    Mr Srinivasan says, “The campaign is aimed at triggering conversation and if we succeed in provoking thought and debate that would be the measure of our success. It is intended as an eye-opener to get people to re-evaluate their media choices, to demand a smarter newspaper.”

     

    The campaign will be on TV, radio, cinema, print, outdoor and digital. It will be supported by on-ground activities in malls, cafes and other locations.

     

  • Without intending to be preachy, here's a word of advice for Gen X: While it's great to have an attitude, it must be channelized into your work and NOT into your interpersonal interactions.

    Anil Thakraney: Save the attitude, kids

    ‘By Anil Thakraney

     

    As part of my journalistic job that covers all beats including movies, sports, politics, crime, etc, I have to often deal with young people. I also conduct guest lectures at various colleges and institutions, which gives me an opportunity to interact with youngsters. And I really enjoy these meets, it gives me a chance to discover first hand what Young India thinks and feels. And while I admire the ambition, the adrenalin and the energy, I also get alarmed when I notice young people with what we often disparagingly call an ‘attitude problem’. The belligerent, arrogant, ‘I know it all’ outlook on the world. The attitude that reflects scant respect for seniority and experience. For just about anything, for that matter.

     

    Usually, this attitude appears pretty cute and cool. After all, who wants our young people to be subservient, low self-esteemed and unconfident? That’s so damn boring! We want our guys to be bubbling with passion and the ‘can do’ spirit. However when the ‘attitude problem’ is taken to an extreme level, it can get very infuriating and off-putting.

     

    Without intending to be preachy, here’s a word of advice for Gen X: While it’s great to have an attitude, it must be channelized into your work and NOT into your interpersonal interactions. Also, while attitude should reflect confidence in one’s abilities, it becomes self-defeating when it extends to closing one’s mind to other people and other ideas.

     

    Let me illustrate this with some examples. Both Sachin Tendulkar and S Sreesanth have an ‘attitude problem’. While Sachin employs that attitude into his batting skills, Sreesanth uses it to provoke and offend his rivals and teammates. Whom do you respect more? Who of the two will achieve more in life? Who do you want to be like? Only you can answer these questions.

     

    Here’s another one: If Hrithik Roshan throws attitude at you, how will you react? And if Harman Baweja does ditto, how will you react? Chances are, quite differently. Perhaps it’s a good idea to prove your worth, do something substantial in life, before baring your fangs? Bad attitude display from a nobody, a non-achiever, is even more difficult to deal with. And if you are wondering who Harman Baweja is, then that only proves my point.

     

    Finally, I am quite aware a few of you, after reading this piece, will react with: “Oh, come on man, who the hell is this old fart to tell me what I should do and think? I know my shit and don’t want an uncle to lecture me.”

     

    Well, okay, it’s your life after all. Good luck!

     

    ***

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”200″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEsnb3kUDAw[/youtube]

    PS: Crew members of Finnair celebrated India’s Republic Day with a bit of dance and masti. And the video has gone seriously viral. I am quite certain the top bosses at the airline wanted exactly this to happen. I’m not sure how kicked they were about January 26th, but they must be really happy with all the free publicity. Think about how many more people know of Finnair now. Good work.

     

  • The warning came after the 'Operation MLA' sting was telecast on India TV.

    Given India TV sting, EC warns parties on unfair practices

    By A Correspondent

     

    A sting – Operation MLA – telecast on India TV on January 26 which alleged that some candidates belonging to various political parties are procuring bribes from corporates, allegedly for the purpose of their election expenditure in the forthcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, has drawn the Election Commission’s attention.

     

    The sting also telecast that such persons, aspiring to be candidates from various political parties, have admitted that their election expenditure will be between Rs1-3 crore, which includes expense in the name of dummy candidates, liquor for the electors and other expenses.

     

    The Commission, taking serious note of the contents of this sting operation, called for the transcript. After considering the transcript, the Commission has taken the following decisions and measures:

     

    1. Any attempt to obtain or procure gratification for exercising any electoral right, including right to stand or not to stand at election, is offence of bribery under IPC. Therefore, the DEOs have been asked to file complaint against the persons who were seen to be involved in such acts for the offence. (If convicted by the court, it may result in imprisonment up to one year or fine, including disqualification for continuing as MLA, if elected, and also from contesting any election in future).

     

    2. The Commission has reiterated its appeal to all the political parties, whose functionaries are named in the sting operation, to inquire into the matter and advise all their functionaries to refrain from such activities in the current elections.

     

    3. The Commission has reiterated its stand that such bribery under the IPC should be made a cognizable offence. The Commission has once again approached the government to pass an ordinance to make suitable changes in the law, as the matter is quite serious.

     

    4. Besides the above, the Commission has given strict instructions to all election officials in Uttar Pradesh that any such attempt to bribe any elector during election process should be dealt with firmly. The entire liquor production, sale and distribution shall be monitored everyday and any illicit liquor shall be seized. Movement of unaccounted cash in the constituency is to be monitored and seized. If any person raises funds in cash as mentioned in the sting operation, the Income Tax department has been alerted to deal with such donors firmly and investigate about the source of such bribe money.

     

  • Under the platform of 'Creating Happiness', the campaign combines a film competition along with social media and traditional media outreach

    Vedanta unveils first ever national corporate campaign

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Vedanta Group, a globally diversified natural resources major with interests in aluminum, copper, zinc, lead, silver, iron ore and oil & gas, has unveiled its first ever national corporate campaign under the platform of ‘Creating Happiness’.

     

    The integrated campaign combines a unique first-of-its-kind film competition forIndia’s next-gen filmmakers along with social media and traditional media outreach. As a part of the campaign, Vedanta is releasing 39 films – a 90 seconds film by Piyush Pandey of O&M and 38 three minute films made by student film-makers from across the country.

     

    Vedanta Chairman Anil Agarwal’s vision of contributing to building sustainable communities and integrating sustainability as a core part of the business is at the heart of this campaign.

     

    114 students from top media and film schools in the country including FTII, Whistling Woods, Symbiosis, School of Convergence, MGR FTI, IIMC, Assam University, Xavier’s, Christ University, AAFT, ZIMA, Tezpur University, IP College and Ravenshaw have produced 38 short films that tell the stories of the people and communities whose lives have been changed by Vedanta’s community initiatives, creating happiness in the process. Each film was made by a group of three students.

     

    The students travelled to the interiors of Rajasthan, Goa, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Orissa, and Chhattisgarh to meet with an Indiathat is full of inspiring stories and came back with their experiences and films. The films are open for public voting on YouTube till 20th March, 2012. The films will also be judged by the jury that includes Piyush Pandey, Shyam Benegal and Gul Panag.

     

    The face of the campaign is ‘Binno’, a little girl who was chosen from one of Vedanta’s community initiatives in rural Rajasthan. The television ad film, which has been conceived and scripted by veteran adman Piyush Pandey takes a real slice out of Binno’s life, with her parents, friends, doctors and school teachers playing their parts.

     

    It shows how her life is different from that of her earlier generations, in the process, highlighting the many changes that have come about over the years.

     

    The film has been shot on location in Rajasthan by award-winning director Shivendra Dungarpur of Dungarpur Films and the music has been composed by Rajat Dholakia, who has won two national awards as best music director for ‘Dharavi’ and ‘Sunday’.

     

    The television campaign, with the Binno film, will go on air from January 30 and student films are available for public voting on youtube.com/Vedanta group.

     

    Piyush Pandey, Executive Chairman, O&M said: “The Vedanta ‘Creating Happiness’ campaign is extremely close to my heart for it’s all about enablingIndia. I have worked on this campaign along with my team as an excited young copywriter and I look forward to the people ofIndianot just appreciating Vedanta’s efforts, but getting inspired to do something on their own to makeIndiaa happier place.”

     

    Senjam Raj Sekhar, Director – Communications & Brand, Vedanta group said: “Vedanta has several compelling stories to tell about the work that is being done in community and sustainability. Our aim is to tell the world the Vedanta story under the platform of ‘Creating Happiness’. With the film competition, we opened up all our projects and locations to budding independent film makers. The idea was to enable them to experience it first hand and make films on impact that the projects were having on the community. The results are tremendous – we have got 38 heartwarming stories capturing hope, change and empowerment in rural India”

     

    Vedanta Resources plc (“Vedanta”) is aLondonlisted FTSE 100 diversified global natural resources major. The group produces aluminum, copper, zinc, lead, silver, iron ore, oil & gas and commercial power. Vedanta has presence in India, Zambia, Namibia, South Africa, Ireland, Liberia, Australia and Sri Lanka.

     

  • Lokmat facilitates Aurangabadkars' commemoration of 100 years of Jana Gana Mana, creating a new Guinness World Record for 'the most people singing a national anthem simultaneously'.

    Lokmat’s initiative puts Indian Guinness Book

    By A Correspondent

     

    In a rousing display of patriotism and unity, the voices of thousands of Aurangabadkars singing Jana Gana Mana created history. With a tally of 15,243 people singing the national anthem, they landed India into the Guinness Book of World Records for ‘the most people singing a national anthem simultaneously’, erasing the previous record held by Pakistan with 5,800 individuals.

     

    Andrea Banfi, Head of Adjudicators, Guinness World Records Limited, who had flown in from London, handed over the certificate to Rajya Sabha MP and Chairman of Lokmat Media Limited, Vijay Babu Darda, who accepted it on behalf of each and every Aurangabadkar who created the world record for India.

     

    Other Guinness World Records Limited officials present on the occasion were Lucia Sinigagliesi, Adjudications Manager, and Nikhil Shukla, Adjudicator - India.

     

    Commenting on the achievement, Rishi Darda, Editorial Director – Lokmat Media Ltd, said: “This is our gift, as a responsible media house, not just to Aurangabadkars, but to every Indian. We are delighted that Aurangabadkars responded so splendidly to our initiative for the world record attempt to commemorate the completion of 100 years of Jana Gana Mana, since it was first sung.”

     

    It will be recalled that Jana Gana Mana was first sung at the Calcutta Session of the Indian National Congress on December 27, 1911. It was declared the Indian National Anthem by the Constituent Assembly on January 24, 1950.

     

    Lokmat Media had pulled out all stops to inform every Aurangabadkar of the world record attempt. While Radio Mirchi was the radio partner, MCN Hathway, IBN7, IBN Lokmat and CNN-IBN were the TV partners, and Abhishek Advertisers was the outdoor media partner. The sponsors were WS Developers, while the Phadnis Group was the co-sponsor. “I would like to thank our sponsors and media partners who ably supported us in the initiative,” said Mr Darda.

     

    As early as 7 am, all roads leading to the District Sports Complex in Garkheda witnessed traffic jams, with students, working people, housewives and families making their way purposefully to take part in the historic world record attempt. The entire stadium, with an official capacity of 45,000 was jam-packed, with no standing room, and the gates had to be shut on thousands of eager locals waiting to get in and be part of the world record attempt. The final tally of 15,243 people came as a surprise to everyone.

     

    GWR head adjudicator Andrea Banfi said: “We were not able to include all the people present at the stadium in the count, as it was physically impossible since they were so closely packed. And after the first singing, many people left. But, for us to do a proper count as per the stringent GWR standards, we had to request Lokmat Media to ask the people to assemble once again, in a particular, countable order, and to sing the national anthem again. The figure of 15,243 is what we arrived at after the second singing.”

     

    Leading the swelling crowd in the chorus on stage were Shankar Mahadevan, Mahatma Gandhi’s grandson Tushar Gandhi, Prashant Damle, Roopkumar and Sonali Rathod, Vaishali Samant, Swapnil Bandodkar, Pramod Sarkate, Mrs Salaskar (widow of 26/11 martyr Vijay Salaskar) and others, who sang with Aurangabadkars to create the world record.

     

    “Our National Anthem is a wonderfully inspiring composition, and is a part of everyone’s psyche. I am truly excited to have been a small part of this gigantic experience,” said Shankar Mahadevan.

     

    Tushar Gandhi, grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, said: “I am very happy to be among the enthusiastic people of Aurangabad, who have given such a wonderful response to this initiative by the Lokmat group. It reinforces the magic of those 55 words written a hundred years ago by Rabindranath Tagore.”

     

    Prashant Damle, actor and singer said: “It is moving to see the surge of patriotic sentiment at the grassroots, as I have witnessed here in Aurangabad.” Singer Vaishali Samant said: “It has been a great experience to mingle with thousands of Aurangabadkars on this momentous occasion. I am happy to have paid my tribute to the Nation by singing with one and all.”

     

    The Fictitious Group, winners of talent reality show India’s Got Talent mesmerised one and all with their power-packed acrobatic dance routines.Vernonfrom Fictitious said: “It’s exciting to dance in the service of our Nation! We salute those who laid down their lives for the country.”

     

    Smita Salaskar, widow of Vijay Salaskar, who laid down his life defending his countrymen on November 26 2008, said: “I am overwhelmed by the patriotism of the people inAurangabad.” She urged the young students to study hard and serve with the defence forces, which need good officers.

     

  • Behind every great commercial is super strategy. Every week, MxMIndia will bring you the brief and the strat as given by the client and whatever else that went into creating a winning ad. AdStrat is compiled by Shubhangi Mehta.

    Ad Strat: No kidding with Flipkart

    Kartik Iyer, CEO, Happy Creative Services

     

    Name of the Campaign/Ad:

    No Kidding. No Worries. – Flipkart.com

     

    The Brief :

    To convince people that it was safe and hassle-free to shop at flipkart.com. In short, build trust for the brand.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”200″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZ47GDgTWGg[/youtube]

    Research insights

     

    We found that there were two categories of people we needed to speak to:

    a) Those who were already transacting online for tickets on sites like IRCTC and travel sites, but were not shopping for physical goods.

    b) Offline shoppers – people who were sceptical about transacting online itself.

     

    We found the common thread between them to be lack of trust, and both groups had common fears:

    a) Fear of losing their money by having to pay upfront.

    b) Unsure about quality of products and their warranties.

    c) Fear of not having a place to replace / exchange a product in the event of a problem, if any.

     

    Flipkart already had the solutions to the above problems in place, ie multiple payment options (including cash on delivery), easy replacement policy, and the fact that they only dealt in original products that came with original warranties. All we had to do was go out and tell the world that there’s nothing to worry about.

     

    Being the first mover, we were clear that Flipkart needed to battle the demons of e-commerce itself. Basically, grow the category.

     

    The thought process behind the creative:

    We knew we were pretty much talking to everybody. In some way we had to voice the concerns in the minds of the consumers. So we chose a classic question / answer format that allowed people to recognize their own fears in every piece of communication. Since we were there to build trust, the choice to go ahead with children was almost unanimous, as they are the only ones who trust unconditionally. So we had a format and we had kids, all we needed was a little touch to make it clutter-breaking. So we decided to get the kids to behave like adults and gave them adult voices, which took the experience of watching the commercials to another level. After all, we wanted to tell everyone after every piece of communication that there was no need to have any fear when it comes to shopping on Flipkart.com. No kidding. No worries.

     

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

    Media vehicles chosen

    TV, Print, Outdoor, Digital.

     

    Key issues kept in mind while executing the ad:

    Getting the performance right was key. We didn’t want it ending up like a spoof or have the kids ‘trying’ to act like adults. The kids came through like magic. Their performances are there to be seen and appreciated. Full marks to Aiyappa the director and Footcandles the production house for their commitment and efforts. Special mention to Shaun who trained the kids with workshops prior to the shoot, and kept them in great spirits through the entire schedule.

     

    Does the treatment do justice to the brief?

    The campaign definitely did justice to the brief. I am not sure if a treatment is expected to do justice to a brief. If i understand your question right, yes it definitely helped people to watch the communication repeatedly, to the point that they not only recalled everything that Flipkart was trying to communicate but also the dialogues from everyone in the films.

     

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

    The kids acting like adults and speaking in adult voices definitely made the campaign stand out. The little touches of subtle humour only added to repeat value in viewership.

     

    Market and client feedback:

    The campaign was appreciated without prejudice by consumers, marketers and industry peers alike.

    The commercials went on to become a viral success, and crossed a million views on YouTube alone within two weeks, streaming on channels that were not owned by Flipkart or the agency.

    People actually started recalling the dialogues from the commercials in normal conversation. “Thats a classic,” has found its way back into common parlance and comments on Facebook.

    The campaign featured among the five most recalled campaigns of the festive season.

    It also featured in the most recalled campaigns of 2011 in polls conducted by Financial Express, Business Line, Afaqs, Campaign India and FHM, among others.

     

    Results:

    1. The website traffic, orders and revenue all doubled post the campaign. In August Flipkart was clocking Rs 30 cr/month. By the end of the campaign they clocked in excess of Rs 60 cr each month.

    2. Website traffic jumped to 100 lakh visits per month and 1000 lakh page views.

    3. Flipkart is now among top 30 sites in the country ahead of eBay (Alexa rankings) and the largest e-commerce (physical goods) player in the country.

    4. Today Flipkart ships close to 30,000 items every day ie 17 items every minute.

    5. The campaign was skewed towards the new electronics categories whose contribution went up from 40 percent to 60 percent in the two months of the campaign.

     

    Campaign Credits:

    Client – flipkart.com

    CEO – Sachin Bansal

    VP Marketing – Ravi Vora

    Agency – Happy Creative Services

    Creative Directors – Kartik Iyer / Praveen Das

    Copywriter – Naren Kaushik

    Art Director – Anuja Singhal

    Acct Management – Ruchika Chaudry / Neelima Kariappa

    Strategy – Ravi Bhat

    Production House – Footcandles

    Director – Aiyappa

    Exec Producer – Anand Menon

    Producer – Amaerjeet Phukan

     

  • Most brands have seen increased purchasing power in smaller markets, and these audiences can be tapped effectively using OOH, feels Vikas Nowal.

    Anchor: 5 reasons OOH must shift focus to Tier 2 & 3 cities

    By Vikas Nowal

     

    #1 There is considerably less OOH media clutter in Tier II and Tier III markets, which means that messages do not get lost in the proliferation of communication targeting the target consumer.

     

    Media is more noticeable in these markets, so any innovations done are highlighted, and receive local media coverage as well as become talking points among the TG.

     

    #2 The relative cost of media is less, therefore, spending more rational amounts of money can help cover the city, rather than spread yourself thin due to high per unit outlays. It is possible to capitalize on the “build” and perception “spillover” quality of OOH, by retaining sites for a longer duration, since the costs are rational.

     

    The limitations of too-short campaign periods, which have become almost a norm in metros, can be rectified and the campaign has the ability to register and be internalized by the TG.

     

    #3 Business potential across categories is rising in these markets, therefore an investment in media in these cities results in better ROI for the client. Most brands have seen increased purchasing power in smaller markets, and these audiences can be tapped effectively using OOH, whereby the returns will typically be higher than in metros.

     

    #4 Media absorption power in these markets is more limited, therefore the possibility of optimally covering the entire city costs less than a Mumbai or a Delhi. For eg: spending Rs100 in Mumbai / Delhi may yield a less than optimum coverage whereas even a lesser spend in a smaller market with a comparable geographical spread may result in overkill.

     

    #5 Malls and multiplexes are gaining traction in smaller markets as destinations, and media available at these locations provides a controlled OOH visibility option closer to POS, thereby driving purchase decisions. Activation undertaken at these locations also helps in multiplying the effect of static OOH done across the city.

     

    Vikas Nowal is Vice President, Mudra Max OOH.

     

  • In Freaking News, Ranjona Banerji reviews the fare on primetime news and in the papers

    Media gets it wrong on Republic Day

    By Ranjona Banerji

     

    Republic Day is not about freedom from colonial rule, it’s about the Constitution and the way we rule ourselves. How did the media respond? After 63 years, maybe they feel that there’s little left to say, even though we have, in 2011, suffered a number of crises that examine or question our schedule of rights, responsibilities, freedoms and systems.

     

    Even the advertisers got it wrong. Bank of America, for instance, talked about some medieval version of the Panchatantra that they had helped restore. Wonderful news though that is, it has nothing whatsoever to do with India becoming a Republic. The Google doodle was some very cute cavorting elephants – but cute does not quite cover what Republic Day means.

     

    Anna Hazare used the opportunity to declare that “gram sabhas” are more important than the Lok Sabha. Luckily Mumbai is newspaper-free on January 27 or Hazare’s urban supporters would have been really confused. He was not, you see, talking about a sprouted moong salad or any other health food. What he means is that village assemblies are more important and should be more powerful than the elected representatives chosen by systems laid down in our very carefully constructed Constitution. As The Times of India’s Hyderabad edition put it, “Struggling to stay relevant amid signs of growing public indifference, Anna Hazare…” The Deccan Chronicle’s Hyderabad edition, it must be pointed out, did not bother to front-page Hazare archaic notions.

     

    But what the DC does have is an interesting story about how Nitin Gadkari, BJP party president, has changed his tune a bit about Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi for prime minister. Now he says Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley are in the race too. Perhaps the BJP, which is so enamoured of the US presidential system, now wants to internally implement the US political party system for choosing presidential candidates. It will be great fun if they do it – Modi, Swaraj and Jaitley locked in public fights with each other for the privilege of running for prime minister. Can you imagine the amount of fodder for our TV anchors?

     

    * * *

     

    Talking of TV (as I ran through the channels on Republic Day), the terrible story of a battered baby at New Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences dominated the headlines, together with the Indian cricket teams continuing travails in Australia. Virat Kohli’s century in Adelaide got some accolades but it was mainly doom and gloom. The battered baby got front page lead in the Delhi edition of the Hindustan Times, so can I forecast a more “people-friendly” 2012 in the media?

     

    * * *

     

    For the first time in several years, the Republic Day awards did not cause media hysteria. If Sachin Tendulkar had got his 100th 100th, the fact that he did not get a Bharat Ratna may have been a matter of huge melodrama. As it happens, no one got a Bharat Ratna.

     

    My only observation here is possibly a very visible parochialism where newspapers were happiest about awards given to local people. Now not only do you have to be jingoistic about India as a media person, you also have to fall prey to all the foibles of regional identity politics. I hope that’s not a prediction!

     

  • Mr Premjeet Sodhi, has taken charge as COO of LMG, Mr Mahesh Motwani has been promoted to Executive Vice President of the Kolkata office and Mr Patrick Gomes has been elevated to head of the agency's Mumbai business

    LMG announces key elevations in Mumbai, Kolkata & Kochi

    Mahesh Motwani

    By A Correspondent

     

    The process of restructuring at Lintas Media Group (LMG) continues. Mr Suresh Balakrishna, CEO of the proposed agency under the LMG fold, has announced a few elevations in a communiqué released to the media.

     

    While, Mr Premjeet Sodhi, has taken charge as COO of LMG (as reported first by MxMIndia), on the back of strong new business wins and a healthy growth in Kolkata, Mr Mahesh Motwani has been promoted to Executive Vice President of the Kolkata office and will develop new markets as well. Mr Patrick Gomes has been elevated to head of the agency’s Mumbai business. With fourteen years experience, Mr Gomes has been with LMG for 1.5 years, heading prestigious financial accounts and the Bajaj Group. He was previously with Starcom, Mediacom,TME and Madison.

     

    Patrick Gomes

    Meanwhile, eight-year LMG veteran, Dhirendra Singh has been promoted to Head of Planning for the Mumbai Office. He has been overseeing planning for accounts like UBI, Jyothy Laboratories, Bombay Dyeing etc and now takes on a larger responsibility for the entire office.

     

    Vidya Nandakumar

    Ms Vidya Nandakumar has returned to the agency earlier this month as Head of the Kochi office and has taken charge of the Manappuram and other businesses. She has come in from Madison, Bengaluru and has more than 12 years of experience in the industry, handling businesses like Britannia Industries Ltd, ITC Ltd, Hewlett Packard and Muthoot Finance.

  • At the touch of a mouse, a universe of customizable radio – what's not to like, asks Prashant Panday.

    The Anchor: 5 reasons online radio will grow in India

    By Prashant Panday

     

    #1 Variety in Music Programming

    As internet radio grows it will offer much more variety in music programming. The internet is the future of everything, and radio happens to be part of it. Radio is currently hamstrung by the music royalty license issue, but we hope that it will get sorted out soon. Once that happens, all Indian radio stations will be available online.

     

    #2 No Geographical Boundaries

    Geographical boundaries that exist today will be demolished. What will happen is that a listener in Mumbai will be able to hear a Delhi radio station and vice- versa, or a New York station in Mumbai etc.

     

    #3 Higher Interactivity

    There will be far higher interactivity. For example, if I like a song, I will be able to download it instantaneously. In fact, download speed will further increase as 4G services will be available; and as broadband internet penetration increases, it will bring more users on board.

     

    #4 It Will be Wonderful for Artists

    As online radio grows strong it will help artists make a mark in the music industry merely on the back of great content; whereas today, a whole lot of marketing support is required.

     

    #5 New Challenges and New Opportunities

    For broadcasters it will bring new challenges because there will be much more competition, it will also offer new opportunities because then the whole world will be our oyster.

     

    Prashant Panday is CEO, Radio Mirchi.

     

  • The Awards also dedicated a special segment to the legends of Indian cinema marking the beginning of '100 years of Indian Cinema' celebrations.

    A night filled with stars and entertainment at the7th Apsara awards

    By A Correspondent

     

    The 7th Chevrolet Apsara Awards 2012 powered by Venus Soap saw a glittering, star-studded event held at Mumbai’s plush Yashraj Studios. The Film & Television Producers Guild of India and Wizcraft International Entertainment announced the much awaited winners for the finest talents in film and television for 2011. The 7th Chevrolet Apsara Awards 2012 ceremony saw the who’s who of the industry.

     

    Ranbir Kapoor, on winning the Best Actor Award for Rockstar, said: “This is my 3rd Apsara Award and actually, I don’t feel humbled because I worked really hard for this role, so I’m very happy that I got the award for it. I express my deepest gratitude to the Guild for giving me this honour; it is very special to me.”

     

    Commenting on the ceremony, Mr. Sumit Sawhney, VP Marketing, Sales & Service, General Motors India said: “Chevrolet Apsara Awards is an endeavour to honour excellence in cinema and television by the stalwarts of the industry itself. This is our third straight year of association with the Chevrolet Apsara awards, a partnership that has really given us a wide reach acrossIndia. It is one of many initiatives that has served to increase the awareness and purchase consideration of Chevrolet vehicles inIndia.”

     

    Mr. Rahul Gyanchandani, Director, RSPL Ltd said: “We take pride in associating with Apsara Award which is the official award event of Television and Film Producer’s Guild and is an important event for the industry. We are proud to be associated with this award and feel that our brand, Venus Coconut Soap, would definitely reap rich dividends out of this association. We hope this partnership to continue for many years to come.”

     

    Speaking on the list of celebrity performers, Sabbas Joseph, Director, Wizcraft Entertainment International Ltd. said: “We have always been pleased to partner with the Guild for the Chevrolet Apsara Awards and strive every year to recognize talent in the Indian entertainment industry. The 7th edition of the Awards was a grand success and the night was one of winners.”

     

    Speaking about Colors’ association with Apsara Film and Television Producers Guild Awards TM, Mr. Raj Nayak, CEO – Colors, said: “Colors has been associated with the Apsara Awards for two years now. It is a perfect platform for Bollywood and Television stars to come together and celebrate the excellence that they have put forth through their efforts during the course of the past year.”

     

    On stage, the director duo Farah Khan and Karan Johar were the masters of ceremony. They entertained the audience with their wit and humor and camaraderie.

     

    Highlights of the evening were the enthralling performances by the stars themselves. The most exciting act was the soon-to-be-wed Riteish Deshmukh and Genelia D’Souza enacting their love story. Along with many other spell-binding performances and other stars joining in the baarat, this was truly a prelude to their wedding celebrations.

     

    King of Bollywood, Shah Rukh Khan set the stage ablaze as he grooved to the tunes of his latest movie Don 2. Svelte Kareena Kapoor put up a sizzling performance as she danced to some of the most popular South Indian hit songs like Nakka Mukka, Ringa Ringa and the recently popularized Kolaveri Di.

     

    The 7th Chevrolet Apsara Awards also dedicated a special segment to the legends of Indian cinema and their glorious years in Bollywood. This act marked the beginning of ‘100 years of Indian Cinema’ celebrations.

     

    A special act designed by Shiamak Davar and his troupe paid tribute to iconic stars like Dilip Kumar, Saira Banu, Shashi Kapoor, Dr. Vyjanthimala Bali, Waheeda Rehman, Asha Parekh, Manoj Kumar, Jaya Bachchan, Shabana Azmi, Vinod Khanna, Zeenat Aman, Rajesh Khanna, Hema Malini to name a few. Shahrukh Khan hosted the segment and spoke to the legends about the centenary celebrations.

     

    Amisha Patel mesmerized the audiences with a scintillating performance on hit item numbers ‘Chikni Chameli’, ‘Ooh La La’ and ‘Madhubala’. ‘Band Baaja Baarat’ star Anushka Sharma shook a leg with popular TV stars – Nandish Sandhu of Uttran, Sushant Singh of Pavitra Rishta and Shabbir Ahluwalia, winner of ‘Khatron ke Khiladi 3’ to three different styles of dance including Lezim, Hip-Hop and Bollywood.

     

    Of course, in the midst of all this entertainment, the envelopes were opened to reveal the winners for 2012 who accepted their Award amidst excitement and fervour, as the air was filled with thunderous applause and cheers.

     

    Watch the magic of the 7th Chevrolet Apsara Awards 2012 exclusively on Colors.

     

  • The website launches 7-Day Shopping Extravaganza to celebrate the 'Republic week offer' with huge discounts and gift offers

    HomeShop18 commemorates 63rd Republic Day Celebrations

    By A Correspondent

     

    HomeShop18 has launched a special 7-Day shopping extravaganza from January 24. It is an effort to celebrate Republic Day with the customers of HomeShop18. On offer are huge discounts and gifts to the brand loyal customers. It is an initiative to add excitement over the 63rd Republic Day celebrations. The promotions also ran on HomeShop18, the shopping channel, from January 24 to 26.

     

    HomesShop18 also offers ‘26 deals’ on multiple categories like apparels, appliances, cameras, computers, electronics, health, beauty, jewellery, mobiles and toys during the Republic Day week on all purchases made from the official website,  www.homeshop18.com.

     

    Shopaholics will benefit from heavy discounts, ranging from 69 per cent off on traditional clothing and 72 per cent off on jewellery and watches along with an 81 per cent off on health & beauty products.

     

    HomeShop18 has always endeavoured to offer customers world-class products and provide benefits that enable them to make the best use of on going offers. All these initiatives enable customers to shop at leisure from home during Republic Day.

     

    The Republic Day 2012 shopping extravaganza will offer an array of products including home appliances, jewellery, home decor, kitchen appliances, mobiles, digital cameras, laptops, apparel, furniture, gift items, bags and many more from world’s well known brands. The brand stores something valuable for everyone who shops from HomeShop18.

     

    In addition to the above offers, HomeShop18 is holding a Facebook Contest from January 25 to 27, where participants will get a chance to win three products from any category. Participants will have to answer two questions, one on Freedom and the other, a clue-based question. The customer has to search the answer (which will be a product from www.homeshop18.com). There will be a lucky draw of all the correct answers and winners get a chance to bag surprise gifts.

     

    HomeShop18 is Network18 group’s online and television retail marketing and distribution venture. It isIndia’s fastest growing e-commerce website. Adding a new customer every 6 seconds, HomeShop18’s robust distribution set-up helps it reach out to over 3000 locations in the country.