Pay TV major Tata Sky has decided to shift a significant portion of its set-top box sourcing to within the country. The leading DTH player has partnered with Technicolor to develop set-top boxes for the Indian market that will be manufactured and distributed within India.
Said Harit Nagpal, MD & CEO of Tata Sky: “As the world adjusts to the rapid changes emerging due to the recent effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, Tata Sky and Technicolor Connected Home are realigning production of a group of set-top boxes (STBs) to India by early 2021.”
Added Luis Martinez-Amago, President of Technicolor Connected Home: “Working with Tata Sky to move set-top box production to India will better serve this important market. It is yet another example of Technicolor’s best-in-class supply chain, which remains flexible and adaptable. This is especially valuable in volatile situations, such as those created by COVID-19. Our supply chain capabilities have proven to be a strategic asset as we offer multiple options to our customers. We remain committed to minimising risk and total cost of ownership for services providers around the world,”
BARC India and Nielsen Media jointly presented Edition 11 on ‘Crisis Consumption on TV and Smartphones.
Some of the Key Highlights of TV and Smartphone consumption are as follows: –
Total TV viewership has shown consistent growth in the last 12 weeks – Current week Daily Average Reach is 7% higher and Average, Daily Time Spent is 13% higher than pre- Covid period.
Growth in current week vs pre-Covid period is seen across both Primetime (3%) and Non-Primetime (44%) and also across HSM and South markets.
Overall smartphone usage is slightly lower than pre- Covid levels. The drop in the recent weeks is on account of time on banned apps getting reduced.
On TV, share of different genre is more or less back to pre- Covid levels – Original programming bringing back the GEC genre both in HSM and South Markets; News and Movies see a growth in Primetime.
On Smartphones – revival seen in shopping (surpasses Pre- Covid levels in recent weeks), Education and Video Conferencing continues to grow – almost 1 in 5 people accessing them, Overall time spent on Video Streaming returns to pre- Covid levels.
Independence Day event garnered 4.6 BN viewing minutes – highest viewership in last 2 years – also higher than all the previous PM addresses during Covid.
Live Telecast of Ayodhya Bhoomi Pujan garnered 7.3 BN viewing minutes.
On Content viewed on Smartphones – Sushant Singh starrer “Dil Bechara” tops Movie Charts in Week 1 of release, followed by action thriller “Khuda Hafiz”, “Mastram” continues to top the Original Series charts, followed by “Bandish Bandits”, “Dangerous” & “Aarya”, Share of time spent on Syndicated series on OTT increases as new programming resumes.
Ad Volumes in Unlock period surpassed Pre-Covid Volumes by ~12% – Top 10 Advertiser inventory increased by 34% in Unlock period compared to Pre COVID period.
DAN Consult and Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) hosted a three-part series in partnership with Google under the Modern Marketing Confluence banner.
The series hosted 18+ Industry leaders representing sectors such as BFSI, Retail, Consumer Goods, FMCG, Apparels, Born Digitals and more. 500+ audience were engaged through live discussion, debate, deliberation, and polling on key MarTech trends which have gained popularity and importance through the pandemic. The sessions were launched by industry experts providing a macro view and perspective with Sapna Chadha, Sr. Director Marketing for Google India & SEA in Session 1 and led by Vikas Purohit, CEO, Tata Cliq and Vivek Bhargava, CEO, DAN Performance Group, as keynote presenters in Session 2 and 3 who brought much needed attention to how first-party data is marketers gold, the new approach to personalisation with N=1 concept, marrying D2C strategy with digitisation, and reimagining marketing strategies with technology and machine learning along with implications of cloud marketing.
Said Lalit Bhagia, CEO, DAN Consult: “Change isn’t coming; it’s here. COVID-19 has brought it at breakneck speed, when we leave our houses in the near future, consumerism won’t look the same. New behaviours are being formed which will become permanent and this is redefining how businesses sell, service, engage, market, and retain their customers. The standards of customer engagement have shifted yet again, and marketers need to be at the forefront of this innovation. At DAN Consult, we are committed to partner with CEOs and CMOs in this transitional journey. As a business, DAN Consult has been working on the forefront of this marketing transformation and the MMC series is our endeavour to showcase & drive thought leadership in this ever-evolving space.”
Added Moneka Khurana, Country Head, MMA India: “The series couldn’t be better timed given the new normal we are all living in. It is the era of modern marketing. The Marketer is upskilling to adopt modern marketing techniques as organisations dabble with first party data strategy, D2C and cloud for marketing as must haves for marketing plans to succeed. It is imperative for a marketer to be equipped as he leads digital transformation from the front. Hence its important MMA enables the expertise and learnings required to shape the future of modern marketing.”
The Wadhwani Foundation has launched a campaign celebrating the ‘Spirit of Entrepreneurship’. The campaign branded as ‘Heart to heart: From one Entrepreneur to Another’, focuses on knowledge sharing by leading entrepreneurs to help other startups and entrepreneurs reeling under the pandemic by sharing their inspirational stories – how they found a way out even in times of acute economic and business distress.
Said Atul Raja, Executive Vice President, Marketing at Wadhwani Foundation: “The Covid-19 pandemic has wrought havoc in the startup and small business ecosystem. These are extra-ordinary times and the best many businesses can currently do is to dig in, bide the time, survive and wait for the situation to improve, and then thrive. We conceptualised the –Heart to Heart campaign– as an inspirational voice to encourage and uplift the general mood in the startup and entrepreneur community through the confidence, never-say-die spirit and business acumen of five wonderful entrepreneurs who have turned adversity into opportunity.”
Bosch India has launched a new digital video/ campaign titled ‘Indian Kitchen ka Dishwasher’ to educate consumers and bust common myths about dishwasher usage and highlight how they can be used in the most efficient way
On the launch of the campaign, Neeraj Bahl, MD & CEO, BOSH Home Appliances said, “We are thrilled to launch our first ever dishwasher campaign to showcase the Bosch range of dishwashers which gives consumers access to hygienic dishes while assuring convenience. We are world’s no.1 Dishwasher brand, before the lockdown, the dishwasher category in India was at a nascent stage but the heightened need for personal hygiene and convenience as an outcome of COVID-19, has accelerated awareness and demand for this product segment giving aspirational customers an opportunity to live a hassle-free lifestyle. We are excited about the vast possibilities for dishwashers in India and believe in the coming times we see it gradually featuring in their ‘top appliances to buy’ list.”
As governments around the world attempt to reboot their economies, consumer uncertainty is continuing to hinder progress. Reassurance from authorities that ‘opening up’ is safe is becoming less and less sufficient for a return to normal life. Wave 7 of Kantar’s Covid-19 Barometer, with more than 100,000 consumer interviews around the world, identified:
Consumers around the world are becoming less supportive of governments relaxing restrictions with a 9% drop in acceptance of measures (from 28% in June to 19% today), and a 10% drop in support for a full reopening of social and leisure environments (from 27% in June to 17% today)
Consumers are less willing to return to normal activities, hindering an economic recovery with just 36% willing to return to travelling on public transport vs. 41% in July and an increasing number of people delaying visits to the hairdresser (46%), restaurants/bars (56%), religious sites 67%, gyms (70%), cinemas (72%) and large events (79%) for at least one more month.
Government disapproval continues to increase with two in five globally saying their government isn’t doing enough to tackle the pandemic, and 29% overall are unhappy with their Government’s approach
Disapproval is highest in the countries currently with the highest numbers of cases of coronavirus such as the USA where disapproval in the Government’s approach has risen from 36% in May to 48% today
With some countries showing signs of a second wave, health concerns are growing; 2% more people are now classed by Kantar’s researchers as part of the Precarious Worrier tribe, and 1 in 2 are now very scared about the situation. This is most prominent in South Africa (where Precarious Worrier numbers increased from 17% of the population last month to 26% today), USA (from 18% to 26%) and Spain (from 17% to 23%).
Finding a near-term recovery
Kantar’s research suggests a near-term recovery will be difficult to achieve for many countries. Consumer finances continue to remain heavily impacted, with nearly three quarters of the population claiming to have already, or expect to have, their income damaged by the pandemic. The result has been changing priorities for many:
64% are prioritising financial planning
The number of people paying special attention to prices when they shop has grown from just over half (56%) in April to two thirds (67%) today
Focus on personal needs is growing, such as preparing for future challenges (29%), focusing on loved ones (30%) and supporting a local economy/ buying local (68%)
To drive recovery, brands will need to deliver the right messages and experiences to specific consumer ‘tribes’’ needs in the new normal.
Post-Covid-19 opportunities are emerging
“Despite the challenges we are all addressing, we see a growing appetite for change and renewal in our research,” observed Rosie Hawkins, Chief Innovation Officer, Kantar. “Environmental causes and demand for brands to enact positive change have always been a priority for many, but we see a renewed focus in these areas. Demand for brands to be an example and guide change has consistently grown over several months to become the primary expectation of consumers. Our research highlights an opportunity for brands in prioritising product sustainability, waste reduction and purpose driven products and experiences.”
The study re-establishes Kantar’s Coronavirus Tribes as the prominent segmentation to help brands design the most effective strategies to connect with consumers, with all six tribes expressing a desire to see the environmental causes prioritised:
22% of global consumers think environmental issues are more critical than ever and 51% think they remain important
Waste and pollution reduction top the agenda of concerns, followed closely by product sustainability and local production
Consumer demand that brands be an example and guide the change has consistently increased over several months to be the number one thing consumers expect of brands at 25% (vs.17% in April)
Madison World founder and CMD Sam Balsara has lamented lack of support from the government to the industry and said that it has completely ignored the sector.
He was speaking with Kailashnath Adhikari, MD, Governance Now in the Visionary Talk series on the topic ‘Impact of COVID – 19 on media and entertainment industry and the role of governance in the media sector’.
Said Balsara: “The government needs to provide a stimulus package to the advertising industry and push consumer demand. Perhaps they think if they gave a concession to advertising, then it would be considered a concession to the sector itself. It is not a concession; it is a stimulus package to revive demand and that is how it should be seen by the government and positioned and not as a sop to the media industry.”
Balsara said that the advertising industry has faced an overall steep drop of almost 75% in the first quarter of the FY 2020-2021 adding that in April it was about 95%, improved slightly in May, and recovered well in June, especially in the TV and digital media. “Print, radio outdoor and cinema are totally in the dumps and will only see some semblance by Diwali provided the govt allows suburban railways in metros and majority offices open. The industry was expecting TV to recover 80%-90% of last year’s levels in Q2 of the FY,” he said.
Responding to a question that if the government has responded well to the stakeholder’s recommendation of allowing amortisation of advertising expenditure to companies to help the economy back on track and create demand, Balsara lamented a lack of support from the government and wondered why it has completely ignored the sector, saying: “Perhaps they think if they gave a concession to advertising, then it would be considered as a concession to the sector itself. It is not a concession; it is a stimulus package to revive demand and that is how it should be seen by the government and positioned and not as a sop to the media industry.”
He said that Work From Home is a huge setback to the economy as it could work well for individuals and companies but not create consumer demand. “When advertising is widely recognised as the engine for large no. of consumer companies and drives demand in its absence the economy goes into a downward cycle. To spin out of this de-growth and perk up, a massive dose of advertising is required in July August, September.”
Balsara also came down heavily on Indian news channels and said that he is disappointed at what they repetitively put out and have to break out of the current rhythm of content. He was referring to the daily headlines of highest number of Covid-19 cases and deaths being reported by news channels which he said look as identical every day as they did four months ago.
“There are many opportunities for news channels to innovate, be more humane, and capitalize news intake intelligently. But repetitive news content is bringing the viewership down. When in the first week of lockdown viewership of news channels had shot up 300% today it has come down to February levels,” said Balsara
Yes Bank has launched a campaign titled ‘KuchNayaSocho’. Through this campaign, the bank wants to instill hope amongst people and give a positive message to the society that we can adapt to the new normal through collaboration and innovative thinking. Hmmm.
Commenting on the launch, Jasneet Bachal, Chief Marketing Officer, Yes Bank said: ”While the last few months transformed our lives beyond imagination, bringing in a whole new world of isolation and social distancing, it has also reminded us that we are all interconnected like never before – a part of one another. The ‘#KuchNayaSocho’ campaign mirrors the way this transformation has impacted us, and how innovative thinking will pave the way for us to embrace the ‘new normal’. Through this campaign, we have also showcased how Yes Bank is supporting all our stakeholders in adapting to the Covid-19 induced normal through digital solutions. The campaign urges ‘innovative thinking’ in order to adapt to the evolving changes, in readiness for the new.”
Mumbai-based content production studio, The Goodfellas Studio, has launched a Content Production Status Map. The tool offers comprehensive information to track content production capabilities and limitations across 22 states and 37 regions in India affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Ridhesh Sejpal
Commenting on the development, Goodfellas co-founder Ridhesh Sejpal said: “This tool provides marketers and creators with up-to-date information on the level of production possible across different regions in our country. The Covid-19 guidelines and SOPS are extremely decentralized in India. The virus spread is continuously fluctuating and so are the guidelines in different states. This makes it extremely confusing to keep track of the lockdown guidelines on a day-to-day basis. We endeavour to get all the information in one place and keep it up to date for our fraternity as much as possible. Creators and marketers are clueless about where they can shoot and to what extent. So something like this helps bridge the knowledge gap and also guides the creators to the right region!”
Criteo, the global technology company powering the world’s marketers with trusted and impactful advertising, has released a survey on the results of the impact of Covid-19 on downloads and usage on apps. The report is titled as ‘App User Behaviour in 2020: India’. Criteo’s research saw that apps are now indispensable for users to shop, connect with their loved ones and entertain themselves.
According to the survey, two-thirds of Indian app users have downloaded a streaming video app to entertain themselves. The report highlights a change in online shopping trends as well. 45% of respondents downloaded a new retail shopping app in the last few weeks. 4 out of 10 respondents also said that they downloaded new apps for grocery/alcohol/food delivery in recent weeks.
Key Insights:
# 45% of respondents downloaded a new retail shopping app
# 65% of Gen Z and millennials downloaded at least one video streaming app
# 65% increase in downloads for social networking apps
# 7 out of 10 Indians said they downloaded an app during quarantine after seeing an ad on social networks, on TV, or a different app
The report highlights that Gen Z and millennials prefer to use mobile applications much more than the older generations. They have a higher preference and convenience for using apps, and this is true across most product categories. They are seeking out more streaming entertainment apps and gaming apps. 65% of Gen Z and millennials downloaded at least one video streaming app whereas, only 56% of boomers downloaded the same. However, boomers downloaded the news related apps 3% more than the millennials.
With people spending most of their time at home, 4 in 10 Indians have also increased their app usage by spending more time shopping. Social networking apps have seen the most heightened download number, 65%. Video streaming and video conferencing apps have seen a high number of downloads as well, 63% and 52%, respectively.
Said Taranjeet Singh, Managing Director of South East Asia and India, Criteo: “From buying groceries and meals to home entertainment and workouts, apps have shown their versality to cater to varying audience segments to meet their needs and wants. Covid-19 has fundamentally changed the relationship between mobile users and their apps, elevating their importance to users due to their convenience during these times. We see that this could continue to be the trend even in the recovery stages after lockdowns as consumers have experienced and enjoyed the benefits of using apps. Brands and retailers will have to build up their presence in this area to stay competitive in the long term.”
Advertising is an extremely important player to promote an app. 7 out of 10 Indians said they downloaded an app during quarantine after seeing an ad on social networks, on TV, or a different app. 58% of respondents downloaded an app because of ‘Word of mouth’ and recommendations of family and friends.
50% of millennials and 49% of boomers said that they were most likely to delete the apps they have downloaded due to the lockdown. Whereas 79% of millennials and 83% of boomers said that they plan to make an in-app purchase they downloaded during the lockdown.
The survey also revealed that in the last 6 months, the highest share of respondents downloaded a streaming video app (85%), music app (81%), and/or retail shopping app (79%). It also highlighted that younger generations are slightly more likely than older ones to download a paid app.
Greenlam Laminates is back with a new TV commercial focusing on one of its key product feature of anti-bacterial surface for a healthy and safe environment. The TVC is conceptualised by ADK Fortune.
Speaking on the occasion, Parul Mittal, Director, Greenlam Industries said: “Today, the world is slowly adapting to a new normal lifestyle with a greater emphasis on personal health. If COVID has taught us anything, it is our obsession with hygiene. Rightly so, only a germ-free surface at home and workplace are our first line of defense. Keeping this in mind, Greenlam’s anti-bacterial laminate property becomes utmost important in current scenario. The latest TV campaign is launched with an objective to reach out to a larger audience highlighting the key benefit of anti-bacterial property in Greenlam Laminates and to communicate that the laminate does not just look beautiful but is also effective in retarding bacteria to keep the surface hygienic.”
Added Nakul Sharma, VP & Executive Creative Director, ADK Fortune, said: “We wanted to keep the moment very relatable and slice of life. The aim is to tell people that the need to take precautions around our health exists inside our homes on a day to day basis. And Greenlam with its anti- bacterial range brings ultimate peace of mind to everyone in the house.”
Leading Hindi news channel ABP News has launched a fresh line-up of shows.The first is ABP Reporter, a reporter-led show wherein reporters set the agenda of everyday news, the second is Newsgram – a show covering four major stories of the day with an indepth analysis from reporters, Panchnama – a deliberation on top news stories amongst five panellists/experts and four news anchors; Matrubhoomi, a show that presents news of national importance, and anything that concerns the viewers directly or indirectly and Reality Report, a show beaming clips from much-anticipated reality shows like Big Boss, Khatron ke Khiladi, The Voice, etc.
Said Avinash Pandey, CEO, ABP Network: “Covid-19 has significantly transformed the way Indians consume news. Our viewership numbers have witnessed a sharp growth spurt during these times. As our loyal viewers continue to tune into ABP News, the onus is on us to give them the best, newest, and the most novel content. We are extremely excited to be introducing this new line-up, which has been specially created & curated, keeping in mind the viewers’ needs and concerns. We hope the nation will continue to repose their faith in our offerings.”
A similar revamp will soon make its way in the weekend portfolio of ABP News.
Leading Hindi news channel ABP News has launched a fresh line-up of shows.The first is ABP Reporter, a reporter-led show wherein reporters set the agenda of everyday news, the second is Newsgram – a show covering four major stories of the day with an indepth analysis from reporters, Panchnama – a deliberation on top news stories amongst five panellists/experts and four news anchors; Matrubhoomi, a show that presents news of national importance, and anything that concerns the viewers directly or indirectly and Reality Report, a show beaming clips from much-anticipated reality shows like Big Boss, Khatron ke Khiladi, The Voice, etc.