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Tag: IPL

  • What IPL advertising badly needs is another shot of ZooZoo-like creative by many more brands

    Why hasn’t IPL blossomed into a marquee opportunity for creative agencies?

    By Shephali Bhatt

     

    One is a three-hour long football match; the other is a game of cricket played between various teams over a period of 45 days. One is a 48-year-old event, the other will conclude its seventh year in a couple of days. There’s absolutely no comparison between the US’ National Football League aka Super Bowl and controversy’s favourite child IPL (Indian Premier League).

     

    Yet, at some level, IPL is India’s answer to American Super Bowl. Purely basis the level of popularity that a single sport can enjoy in a country as diverse as theirs and ours. For marketers, these are two games that give them the golden chance of reaching out to a whole nation at once. Now would be a good time to throw in some numbers: Super Bowl XLVII had garnered 108 million viewers last year whereas IPL 6 registered 100 million viewers. This year, Super Bowl XLVIII was viewed by 112 million people on TV. Those figures are a strong testimony of why a 30-second spot for the game aired on 2 February was priced at $4 million. IPL and Super Bowl mirror each other in another aspect – there are natural breaks between the game, allowing marketers to sneak in their message. And that makes advertising around the two games supremely significant.

     

    There’s hardly any Super Bowl viewer who wouldn’t smile at the sight of a Budweiser Clydesdale or not get gooseflesh after watching Clint Eastwood in Chrysler’s ‘It’s halftime in America.’ Super Bowl ads are looked forward to as much as the game itself, if not more. Even the digital natives of our land keep scouting for Super Bowl ads during the first week of February. Why then have Indian advertisers not been able to create a similar buzz for advertising around IPL. The first year of IPL witnessed the birth of ZooZoos, a character Vodafone created specifically for the game. Post ZooZoos, one hasn’t seen any brand going an extra mile to produce an iconic piece of communication solely for an IPL season. It’s not that the ROI is weak, the numbers are for everyone to see. To add to that, IPL is one sport event that makes for family viewing.

     

    “People still remember the Max New York Life ad we released during IPL-1 (the one where a wife enters her house frantically looking for her husband Sanju, only to find him lying on a recliner in the balcony and assuming he’s dead). I don’t think it would’ve had this huge an impact on the audience had it not been released during IPL,” recounts Satbir Singh, CCO and managing partner of Havas Worldwide (India), the then agency for Max Life.

     

    What’s amiss is perhaps the euphoria among the advertisers and agencies to use this event as an opportunity to showcase their best. Time is not really a hindrance here as opposed to the regular assignments. “The slots are booked 6-7 months in advance so the agencies have enough time at hand to create outstanding ads,” states Rohit Gupta, president of MSM (Set Max and Sony Six are official broadcast partners for IPL). One thing that Stuart Elliott, ad columnist with The New York Times, observed during Super Bowl this year was that brands were releasing their ads online, days before the game. Good way of creating build up rather than keeping the suspense like the previous years. As a result, the social mentions had a marked rise – multiple Facebook shares and Twitter allowed the hashtags to thrive a lot longer than two hours post the game.

     

    Maybe there’s a lesson for Indian advertisers who fail to release their ads in time even when they have a full 45 days to leverage on. “Brands releasing their ads when IPL is 15 days into the game has become a norm now. Delay doesn’t do anyone any good,” T Gangadhar, MD of MEC India points out.

     

    To keep the creative fresh and unique year-on- year is a challenge, says Ronita Mitra, SVP – brand communication and insights at Vodafone India. Yet they’ve been trying to do distinctive activities on-ground which includes enabling people to nominate their fan friends and give them a chance to meet the winning captain. What would make a brand stand apart though is not offers, for there will be a dozen other brands doing the same. What IPL advertising badly needs is another shot of ZooZoo-like creative by many more brands. If IPL is India’s answer to Super Bowl, it’s only fair that advertising around it match up.

     

    Source:The Economic Times

    Copyright © 2014, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved

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  • Is a cautious PepsiCo going slow on India and CSK skipper MS Dhoni in IPL ads?

    Oh, yes, but kabhi?

     

    By Ratna Bhushan

     

    Why hasn’t IPL title sponsor PepsiCo not featured its prized and most famous brand ambassador MS Dhoni, India captain and captain of IPL team Chennai Super Kings, in any of its IPL ads yet, despite PepsiCo being title sponsor of the IPL, and despite this being peak season for colas?

     

    Dhoni, the most prominent face of PepsiCo other than actor Ranbir Kapoor, is conspicuously absent in Pepsi’s advertising at least till now in the ongoing IPL, a departure from previous years when PepsiCo, in its trademark flamboyant style, had splashed media bursts on TV and outdoor featuring Dhoni either before the IPL kicked off or coinciding with the start of the tournament. But this time, the cola firm has restrained showing him in ads till now.

     

    For the time being, PepsiCo has released teaser ads, which are expected to culminate in advertisements showing the India captain and the flavour of the season, cricketer Virat Kohli together as one of the options. But the timing of when these ads will be released isn’t clear yet. A PepsiCo spokesperson, however, said releasing Dhoni ads later in the tournament was part of strategy.

     

    According to an official, one of the ads showing the Dhoni-Virat duo, which is likely to be released later as the tournament progresses, shows Dhoni as the lesser aggressive of the two and Virat as the younger go-getter.

     

    The PepsiCo’s IPL ads so far have featured actor Ranbir Kapoor, based on a theme called the Pepsi Intern.

     

    Last year in January, PepsiCo had announced its Oh Yes Abhi campaign, featuring Ranbir Kapoor, Dhoni and Priyanka Chopra. And the previous year too, Pepsi’s ‘change the game’ advertising featured Dhoni as the star in ads featuring several cricketers including Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina and Harbhajan Singh, along with many top footballers like Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard.

     

    In Pepsi trademark style, the ‘change the game’ hoardings and ads were pushed very aggressively.

     

    Two officials who work closely with PepsiCo, said the firm is being cautious about using Dhoni because of the company’s global code of conduct, which says, among other things, that the company needs to restrain itself from showing celebrities who’s names are involved in controversies. PepsiCo works with ad agencies JWT and Dentsu India-owned Taproot.

     

    “It’s a given that Pepsi would want to cash in on their association with the India captain in peak cola and cricket season. But they are walking a tight rope and need to tread cautiously,” one of the officials mentioned earlier said.

     

    On the other hand, it would not want to disassociate itself from Dhoni – still a youth icon, hugely popular and a successful captain. But Dhoni’s name is been dragged in the IPL spot-fixing scandal, and he has been alleged to have hidden the fact that Gurunath Meiyappan, named as accused in betting, was not the team principal of Chennai Super Kings but just a cricket enthusiast.

     

    The IPL probe committee headed by Justice Mudgal indicates that Dhoni did not say the truth on the matter. The Mudgal report also mentions prominent cricketers as involved in spot fixing, though the names of the cricketers are not in public domain yet.

     

    On the other hand, brands like telecom services player Aircel and Orient are liberally showing ads featuring Dhoni, cashing on the cricket season.

     

    The IPL is currently being played in the UAE, as its timing clashed with the Elections. The tournament will return to India in its second leg.The time difference between the UAE and India is less than two hours, so the tournament remains a prime time view for Indian audiences.

     

    Pepsi also happens to be a leading sponsor of the IPL on broadcaster Multi Screen Media.

     

    Source:The Economic Times

    Copyright © 2014, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved

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  • The e-commerce firms are investing heavily in the current edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) for buying onair advertising space

    Amazon, Flipkart investing heavily on TV ads during IPL

    By Pritha Mitra Dasgupta

     

    A clutch of e-commerce companies are investing heavily in the current edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), the country’s most glamorous cricketing extravaganza, for buying onair advertising space.

     

    Companies, including Amazon India, Flipkart and Go Daddy, have invested heavily in IPL7, confirmed Rohit Gupta, president of Multi Screen Media, the official broadcaster of the tournament. Multi Screen Media will have nine presenting and associate sponsors for this season of IPL.

     

    “This is at par with previous seasons of IPL where we had eight to 10 sponsors,” Gupta said. The presenting sponsors include Vodafone and Karbonn Mobile and the associate sponsors are Amazon India, Havells, Perfetti, Marico and TVS.

     

    According to Gupta, while the presenting sponsors have paid anywhere between Rs 50 crore andRs 60 crore, and will get airtime of over 200 seconds per match, the associate sponsors have paid Rs 25-35 crore and will get over 100 seconds of advertising time per match.

     

    “We will be signing two more associate sponsors next week,” he added. The channel has already sold 60-70% of its on-air inventory at Rs 4.75-5 lakh for a 10-second spot.

     

    Amazon India, which launched its operation in India 10 months ago, will be launching its first Indian television commercial during IPL 7. The company’s print and online campaigns have been created by Taproot and the media mandate is being handled by IPG Group company Initiative Media.

     

    “Amazon.in is working across platforms for the IPL season. In line with our vision to be the most customer-centric company, we have spent the last 10 months building on our favoured, trusted and reliable global brand,” Amazon India’s spokesperson said, but declined to divulge the details of the TV commercial. “As our target customers around the country will be watching IPL, we hope to entice and delight them with our trusted online shopping experience.”

     

    Sharing the advertisement space with the e-commerce firms is first-time entrant and two-wheeler maker TVS.

     

    According to Gupta, the Supreme Court verdict helped iron out the initial hiccups in signing the deals. “There was a lot of skepticism and apprehension in the beginning whether the tournament will happen or not and therefore we faced a lot of challenges in closing the deals with advertisers. But once the Supreme Court verdict came in favour of the tournament within 7-10 days, we closed most of the deals,” he said.

     

    A senior media planner attributed the surge in advertiser interest to the IPL brand. “Good or bad, there is no other property on television which can give the kind of mileage that IPL can deliver. And the tournament has built so many brands over the last six years, especially mobile handset brands like Micromax, which has now become aglobal player,” the media planner, who did not wish to be named, said. Multi Screen Media is expecting a spike in viewership to over 200 million, according to Gupta.

     

    “Firstly, the number of matches has come down to 60. Secondly, this year, there are fewer afternoon matches, which tend to get low viewership. Finally, because of the player auction, there are no clear favourites. Anyone can win the tournament. We believe all these factors will culminate into high viewership this year.”

     

    Source:The Economic Times

    Copyright © 2014, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved

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  • The FL is a digital league that debuted last year and created an immediate impact, with over 5 lakhs players across the globe participating during IPL 2013

    Second edition of IPL’s Fantasy League announced

    By a correspondent

     

    With the stage set for the seventh edition of the Indian Premier League, the event would also mark the unveiling of the second edition of IPL Fantasy League. The IPL FL is a digital league that debuted last year and created an immediate impact, with over 5 lakhs players across the globe participating during IPL 2013.

     

    “We are extremely excited about the league this year. When we approached IPL last year, we were confident about the appeal of a Fantasy league, as well as how it will help grow the craze of IPL beyond the traditional boundaries. However, what caught us by surprise was the momentum it gained in its debut year itself. With half a million participants, the league became the largest fantasy cricket league ever. This year, we have packed in lots of new stuff to fuel the awareness and engagement for IPL further. We expect a million players to play the league this time, taking the IPL fever to the next level globally,” said Ramesh Srivats, Digital Marketing Guru and founder of TenTenTen Digital Products, the company that created and manages the IPL Fantasy League.

     

    The Fantasy league is quite popular with cricket lovers across the globe. The site saw nearly 15 million visits and over 100 million page views in a space of two months last year. It also created tremendous involvement and social buzz with lakhs of tweets and Facebook updates. Users were given the ability to create private leagues and play IPL Fantasy with their friends and colleagues, for bragging rights. Several ‘office leagues’ came into being as a result of this! Encouraged by the success, the Fantasy League was extended to the Champions League T20 2013 with TenTenTen handling all responsibilities for the same.

     

    The League allows a player to own and create a team with name, emblem and motto. Each player is then given 10 million Fantasy Dollars using which he or she can pick a virtual squad of 11 players. Players then earn points based on their squad’s actual performance in IPL matches. The Fantasy team with the most points wins the league.

     

    Many new features have been added to the IPL Fantasy League this year like ‘Stealth mode,’ which lets players hide one’s squad changes from opponents; ‘Scheduled Substitutions’ that let players schedule changes one match in advance; ‘All Star’, where fantasy cricket meets blockbuster entertainment and lets users create their own star-studded fantasy squad. Apart from this, ‘Facebook Leagues’ will allow players to check their rank among their Facebook friends and ‘Dishooms’ will allow players to send fun messages to members within their league.

     

    The league is also better optimized for mobile this year. The winners of the IPL Fantasy League 2014 stand a chance of winning tickets to the matches and exciting IPL merchandise.

     

  • Uncertainty about IPL's future freezes ad sales

    Freeze! Media agencies put on hold IPL-7 buys given uncertainty over tourney

    By A Correspondent

     

    Media-buying firms have frozen all ad sales of the Indian Premier League for the next 48 hours as they await clarity on the future of the tournament, two top officials of leading media buying firms said.

     

    They said advertisers are considering either re-negotiating ad rates for the IPL, or considering pulling out of the twenty20 tournament and putting their money on elections instead, after the Supreme Court on Thursday recommended suspension of two teams – Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals.

     

    Gautam Kiyawat

    Gautam Kiyawat, CEO at media buying firm Madison Media group, said the development will hit the sentiments of marketers. “There was a bit of scepticism from the beginning with some matches being moved out of the country and now with the potential disappearance of two star teams, advertiser sentiments are going to tank even further,” he said. Media buyers, which represent some of the country’s biggest advertisers, are of the opinion that if 20-30 per cent of the IPL matches are scrapped, it would bring down the overall revenues of the popular twenty20 tournament by half.

     

    Multi Screen Media-run Sony Entertainment, which holds broadcasts rights for the tournament, would also face a similar quantum of losses because advertising airtime would also shrink with less number of matches, said the CEO of a top media buying firm.

     

    Multi Screen Media (MSM), which is charging Rs4.5-5 lakh for 10 seconds, was expected to better its last year’s IPL earnings of around Rs900 crore that was helped by 30 per cent – 40 per cent jump in advertising revenues. Rohit Gupta, president at MSM, said: “Since the final order has not come yet, it is too early for us to comment on the matter. Let the order come.”

     

    If Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals are banned, then it would have a direct negative rub-off on advertisers. Title sponsor PepsiCo, which had has committedRs400 crore for five years, stands to lose the most, as it has hinged its entire annual plans on the tournament that falls in peak summer season for the soft drinks sector. PepsiCo declined comment on the matter.

     

    CVL Srinivas

    CVL Srinivas, CEO at GroupM, the country’s largest media conglomerate that also represents PepsiCo, said, “It is too early to take any decision (on whether or not we should advice our clients to stay away from the IPL) as we don’t know which way the scenario will pan out. We will get more clarity in days to come and then we will weigh the options for our clients.”

     

    Some matches of the IPL will be played in the UAE, which is not a market for many brands, and with the Supreme Court banning two teams, advertisers stand to accrue huge losses if the tournament is scrapped. Navin Khemka, managing partner at media buying firm ZenithOptimedia, said absence of two key teams will bring down the value of IPL as a property.

     

    IPL’s brand value grew 4per cent, from $2.92 billion in 2012 to $3.03 billion in 2013. The total brand value of the nine franchises last year reached $325.8 million from $321.12 million in 2012, according to consulting firm Brand Finance.

     

    Nandini Dias

    Mr Khemka said that big advertisers may choose to be on elections over IPL, while likely lower ad rates may open IPL doors to smaller companies. “The sense is that overall ad rates could come down in the IPL. The flip side is that many small advertisers, who otherwise were not able to afford IPL as the entry costs were very high, may get a chance to be a part of it this time,” he said. Nandini Dias, CEO at media-buying firm Lodestar UM, said the agency was not advising clients to pull out of the tournament.

     

    “Controversies in cricket seem to have become a regular occurrence. Advertisers like PepsiCo have paid unprecedented amount of money despite all the controversies and uncertainties,” she said. “There are enough clients who want to ride on the higher viewership likely due to controversies. In fact, there are clients who change their media plans and skew their media plans to news channels when the channel is breaking news regarding controversies and scams.” The hospitality industry too could take a hit if some matches are cancelled.

     

    Source:The Economic Times

    Copyright © 2014, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved

    Licensed to republish

     

  • Naming rights for various buildings on the campus are on offer, as the institute tries to emulate a fund-raising method that's well-established overseas

    Move over, IPL, corporate events. IIM-A to now offer infrastructure naming rights on campus

    By Vishal Dutta

     

    For any pedigreed company or individual donors looking to get their names on a building at the Indian Institute of Management in Ahmedabad (IIM-A), the country’s top-ranked business school, now’s the time to do so. Naming rights for various buildings on the campus are on offer, as the institute tries to emulate a fund-raising method that’s well-established overseas.

     

    Back home, Indian Institutes of Technology and the Indian School of Business are among educational establishments that use this method to drum up contributions. “Yes, we are in the process of implementing infrastructure naming rights,” said IIM-A Director Ashish Nanda, a Harvard Law School professor who was appointed last year after a global hunt that took nearly 10 months. He said Arvind Sahay, a professor at the school, was heading the project.

     

    Big education institutions such as Harvard Business School receive a substantial portion of their revenue from naming rights. “If we can have a large corpus, then this may also result in a decrease in student fees,” said an official associated with the plan. IIM-A rights will be awarded for a fixed tenure and the terms will vary. Amongst IIMs, the Ahmedabad school will be the first to give out naming rights in an organised format, said the person.

     

    Harvard Business School’s 2013 annual report showed a total revenue of $587 million, of which 31 per cent came from publishing, 25 per cent from executive education tuition, 18 per cent from MBA tuition and fees, 2 per cent from housing, rents and others and 24 per cent from endowment distribution and gifts.

     

    Among the most prominent of recent contributions by an India business house is Tata Hall named after Ratan Tata and finished in December last year, endowed by the Tata Group’s philanthropic wings. Total operating revenue for Harvard University rose 5 per cent to $4.2 billion, due largely to the increased annual distribution from endowments and a substantial increase in gifts for current use. The university’s net assets were up $3 billion to $38.6 billion at the end of June last year, driven mainly by positive endowment returns and an increase in giving. In fiscal 2013, the endowment distribution rose 5 per cent to $1.5 billion.

     

    Of course, naming rights form just a part of this, said Ahmedabad-based chartered account Saurabh Shah. Donors to IIM-A will be able to choose from various facilities. “Dorms, classrooms, seminar rooms, faculty wings, the IMDC (International Management Development Centre) complex, cricket ground, case development centre are the locations/ sites which can be allowed for naming rights,” said the person cited above.

     

    The 110-acre area is divided in two by a road that runs between the old and new sections that are connected by an underground passage. The old campus is on 65 acres and new one on 45 acres. IIM-A has 18 dormitories, 100 faculty houses, 250 staff houses, a library, six large classrooms, six seminar rooms, 90 faculty offices and some administrative offices. The Kasturbhai Lalbhai Management Development Centre (KLMDC) has 64 rooms, two auditoriums, two class rooms, eight seminar rooms, a dining hall and a computer lab.

     

    The IMDC complex has 168 rooms for executives, two classrooms, an auditorium, two seminar rooms, 12 syndicate rooms, five large classrooms, five seminar rooms, 10 faculty offices, 17 dormitories and 120 married student homes. The school has an average student strength of about 1,100 every year. “The immediate requirement is for roughly Rs 1-2 crore for the Louis Kahn Plaza (KLP) area restoration as it has been affected by cracks due to the earthquake in 2001,” said the person cited above. American architect Louis Kahn designed the iconic red brick IIM-A building in 1961. “Negotiations with a few donors are going on.”

     

    IIM-A will make clear in the conditions that the money won’t allow donors to impose any restrictions on the school and that there should be flexibility with regard to its use, the person said. Nanda declined to provide any names of donors, but said, “Much progress has been made in the last three months.” While naming rights will go to the highest offer, there’s unlikely to be a typical bidding process, said the person cited above. The naming rights won’t be awarded in perpetuity but will need annual or bi-annual renewal or as per the agreement between IIM-A and donors.

     

    The Hyderabad-based Indian School of Business (ISB) has various facilities named after donors, including lecture theatres. According to IIM-A’s 2011-12 annual report, total income from various sources rose to Rs151 crore from Rs132.7 crore in 2010-11. In 2011-12, the fund corpus was Rs63.63 crore, out of which Rs62.62 crore was the endowment fund (donation corpus). The Comptroller & Auditor General of India audits the accounts of IIM-A every year. 2012-13 accounts haven’t been published yet.

     

    Source:The Economic Times

    Copyright © 2014, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved

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  • With a headline as long as this, do you need a summary 🙂

    Rejig @ MSM. Frmr Star Plus head Pantvaidya to steer SET. Sneha Rajani to watch on movies, Anooj ‘Sab’ Kapoor to also head new venture

    By A Correspondent

     

    It’s been in the work as per the grapevine. Multi-Screen Media Private Limited (MSM) has announced that Sneha Rajani, will assume the position of Deputy President and Head, MSM Motion Pictures. Nachiket Pantvaidya, who has recently joined the network, takes over as Senior. Executive VP & Business Head, Sony Entertainment Television (SET). Anooj Kapoor, will assume additional responsibilities as Senior Executive VP and Business Head, SAB, and also a new initiative in the Hindi entertainment space.

     

    NP Singh

    Said N P Singh, CEO, MSM on the announcement, “I am certain that Sneha, Nachiket and Anooj will revitalize and provide fresh perspective to their respective areas of responsibility. Each brings unique strengths to grow the business and we wish them the best in their new roles. I am confident that 2014 will be a year of innovation and growth for MSM.”

     

    Ms Rajani, who has been Business Head, Sony Entertainment Television, will have end-to-end responsibility for MSM Motion Pictures and will chart the success and future of that business as a key force in movie production. She has been associated with MSM for over 15 years and has previously been Business Head, Max, which she launched and led for 10 years before assuming responsibility of the flagship GEC.

     

    Mr Pantvaidya who was the Business Head of Star Plus and also held several roles in the Star India network, including being the Head of Star Pravah and MD of FOX Television Studios will now head SET. An IIM Ahmedabad alumnus, Nachiket has had stints with BBC and Disney in the past. He has also held several positions in MSM from 1996 to 2004.

     

    Meanwhile, Mr Kapoor will With the success of SAB, Anooj has demonstrated capability for building differentiated audiences for the network. Anooj has been with MSM since 2007. Prior to joining MSM, Anooj worked with Colgate Palmolive as product manager, Lowe Lintas as Creative Director and also ran his own production advertising company. He has a Masters in English Literature and a MBA from SP Jain Institute of Management Studies.

     

  • PepsiCo already has pouring rights of seven of the eight teams in the IPL, besides title-sponsorship rights for the cash-rich league

    No Coke at IPL stadia as Pepsi likely to be beverages partner of Mumbai Indians

    By Ravi Teja Sharma & Ratna Bhushan

     

    PepsiCo is close to signing a deal to become the beverages partner of Indian Premier League team Mumbai Indians, potentially shutting out rival Coca-Cola’s products from stadiums hosting the country’s most popular sporting event.

     

    The US beverages and snacks maker is expected to shell out close to Rs 11 crore for a three-year pouring rights deal with Mumbai Indians, an official closely involved with the developments said. It gives the firm exclusive rights to serve its beverages at teams’ home matches.

     

    PepsiCo already has pouring rights of seven of the eight teams in the IPL, besides title-sponsorship rights for the cash-rich league. Coca-Cola, which had been holding the pouring rights for Mumbai Indians for three years till last season, has also been in talks to renew its contract with the team.

     

    “But Coca-Cola is unwilling to pay a premium for the rights and since PepsiCo is already associated strongly with the IPL as title sponsor and with the rest of the teams, PepsiCo has been more keen on the rights,” the official quoted earlier said. A spokesman for Mumbai Indians declined to comment on the potential deal with PepsiCo.

     

    Spokespersons for PepsiCo and Coca-Cola too declined comment. Cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, who retired last year, represents Mumbai Indians and is also associated with Coca-Cola’s social campaigns. But his contract with the firm is up for renewal this year.

     

    The firm did not comment on whether it would continue its association with him. Coca-Cola had paid about Rs 5 crore for its three-year deal with the Mumbai franchise.

     

    Source:The Economic Times

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  • Mahi was at least transparent in his dealings. Maybe this wasn't about honesty, maybe it was about financial naiivete. Either way, the truth is, he put his own name on record. The media must acknowledge this.

    Anil Thakraney: Mrs Dhoni should have invested in Rhiti

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Well, now that the dust has settled on the N Srinivasan saga (for the moment, that is), the media is going after Dhoni on charges of conflict of interest. Apparently, Captain Cool, at some point, held a cool 15 percent stake in a sports management company called Rhiti (what an odd name!), and this constitutes what we call ‘unfair trade practice’. This is because there are a few other cricketers managed by this company, and it would be in Rhiti’s interest if they got selected to play for India. The conflict arises because as captain, Dhoni has a say in team selection.

     

    While technically speaking the media has a valid point, and Dhoni is answerable for this direct investment, I really think we should go a bit easy on the guy, we should give him some breathing space. For three reasons. One, apart from doing commentary, cricketers don’t really have a solid career post retirement, and they have to look for investment opportunities while the going is good. Dhoni can start a restaurant or a hospital or a dance bar, but perhaps these things don’t interest him, his heart may lie in an activity he understands most: Sports. Therefore investing in a sports management company isn’t really out of place.

     

    Secondly, sports is a totally performance based activity (unlike many other professions in India, especially Bollywood, where failed sons of stars keep getting fresh opportunities), and even if Dhoni got Suresh Raina and Ravindra Jadeja (Rhiti clients) an entry into the cricket team, these blokes have to quickly deliver. Or perish. So this so-called ‘conflict of interest’ has a very small role to play in this case. N Srinivasan’s situation is entirely different. He headed the BCCI and owns Chennai Super Kings, that’s a Deadly Dodgy Deal.

     

    Thirdly, we have to admit Mahi was at least transparent in his dealings. Like some of our respected netas, he could easily have invested benaami money in Rhiti. Or even invested in his wife’s or cousin’s or chacha’s name. But he chose to put his own name to it. Maybe this wasn’t about honesty, maybe it was about financial naiivete. Either way, the truth is, he put his own name on record. The media must acknowledge this.

     

    In short, fine, let’s cover this story. But please don’t crucify the man, he deserves better. There are enough big fish swimming in the dirty Indian Ocean to go after.

     

    ***

     

    PS: Haha. Totally cute ad from Taco Bell to push their Dollar Menu. What I like most about this one is how nicely they’ve sold their low price offer without damaging the brand. Rather, they’ve made it rock.

    http://www.fastcocreate.com/1682903/a-spunky-senior-channels-christopher-walken- in-new-spot-for-taco-bells-dollar-menu?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ fastcompany%2Fheadlines+%28Fast+Company%29

     

    Anil Thakraney is a senior journalist and commentator. He is also Editor-at-Large, MxMIndia. The views expressed here are his own. He can be reached via Twitter at @anilthakraney

     

  • A study by Asterii Analytics analyses over 3.5 million tweets on IPL hashtags

    RCB emerges as Twitter war winner: Asterii

    By A Correspondent

     

    If Twitter was the pitch the game was played on, Vijay Mallya’s Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) would’ve been the clear winner. Asterii Analytics, a marketing analytics company that’s part of the Draftfcb Ulka Advertising, conducted an in-depth study on the Twitter wars among the IPL teams. To leverage their popularity and build consumer connect all teams have created several social media platforms, the primary being Twitter.

     

    And the key findings were:

    • Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) proved to be a clear winner with over 1,23,000  tweets, and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) team coming to a close second with over 116,000 tweets. Excited fans of RCB have been most excited and tweeted
    • The Asterii Analytics team analysed the tweet patterns based on win and loss scenarios. KKR and RCB celeberate when they win and are subdued when they lose. However CSK bucks the trend and fans tweet more on the team hashtag when they lose.
    • The most exciting match turned out to be the one between CSK and RCB as this match attracted over 26,000 tweets
    • A good number of women participate in Cricket-Twitter wars. The study shows that 21% of tweeple were women

     

    Twitter trends show the popularity of a brand or franchise, considering this Asterii Analytics observed keenly that ever since IPL started at least two hashtags of IPL have been trending daily. Asterii Analytics reviewed all matches held in the first 13 days. For this study, over 3.5 million tweets were analysed across 21 matches in 13 days.

     

    The Asterii Analytics team analysed the tweet patterns based on win and loss scenarios. KKR and RCB celeberate when they win and are subdued when they lose. However, CSK bucks the trend and fans tweet more on the team hashtag when they lose.

     

    (Source: Match hashtags and hashtags of both teams competing)

     

    Which match got the most tweets?

     

     

    The most exciting match turned out to be the one between CSK and RCB as this match attracted over 26,000 tweets.

     

    (Source: Match Hashtags)

     

    Cricket may be perceived as the game that is pre-dominant among males, however a good 21% women have been found tweeting for their favorite teams.

     

     

    21% of tweeple were women

     

    (Source: All IPL tweets)

     

    Before Match/During Match/After Match: Expectedly the most tweets were during the match, which accounted for approx 80% of the tweets for the match. KKR, RCB and CSK seem to continue getting tweets even after the match is over.

     

    (Source: Match hashtags and hashtags of the individual team)

     

    Commenting on this initiative Niteen Bhagwat, CEO, Asterii Analytics, said, “The era of the multi-screen consumer has truly arrived. Millions of viewers are engaged not just with their TV screens but also with their phones and laptops to give real time interactivity. It is a phenomenon that will grow exponentially in the years to come.”

     

  • Cricket has given the master batsman everything; it's time to give something back to it, writes Anil Thakraney

    Anil Thakraney: Gavaskar’s silence is deafening

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    For many guys from my generation, Bachchan was the childhood hero. But even at a young age I was smart enough to be able to differentiate real and reel life, and therefore the movie star meant little to me. Today when I see Big B moronically sell us cookies and jewellery (don’t those ads make you cringe?), I am glad I did not make him my idol. My one and only hero was Sunil Gavaskar, and I still admire him for his cutting insights on cricket. I vividly recall Gavaskar taking on the most lethal fast bowlers of this world, wearing only his white floppy hat… that was sheer guts. More than physical strength, it needed nerves of steel. He was THE man to me.

     

    About two years ago I chased him hard for an interview for a magazine. But failed. I can think of two reasons why. Some retired cricketers now prefer to speak only in exchange for money. Or, perhaps my nasty reputation preceded me, and therefore my childhood hero thought it’s best to duck this one. If that was so, he made a terrible mistake. Being a fan for life, my knees will have trembled in his presence; Gavaskar could have had me for lunch.

     

    However, today when I watch my hero desperately play those ultra defensive shots on the IPL scandal, it breaks my heart. This could be because he has been and desires to be on the BCCI’s payroll, and he does not want to risk losing that revenue stream. Therefore in his appearances on NDTV (another paid contract), all he does is side-track important questions, or defend the organization that has ‘Controversies’ enshrined in its mission statement. This man cannot be my childhood hero, this must be an imposter. It deeply saddens me to state this.

     

    I wish India’s finest batsman ever (I rate him above Tendulkar) chooses cricket over money. And takes the bull by its horns. Gavaskar is universally respected in this country, his views will make a huge difference. The IPL mess has put the credibility of the game on the line, and we need heroes like Gavaskar to rise to the occasion. Cricket has given the master batsman everything; it’s time to give something back to it.

     

    Throw that helmet out of the TV studios, Sir. If blokes like Andy Roberts, Malcolm Marshall and Michael Holding could not intimidate you, why would you worry about a businessman called N Srinivasan? Be the hero you always were in my eyes. Take him on, and hit him out of the cricket ground.

     

    PS: Terrific idea. Hold an exhibition of posters containing the worst client feedback, and make a charity organization happy. Indian creatives need to do stuff like this. So much better than indulging in dirty scam ads.

     

    Link: http://www.boredpanda.com/sharp-suits-worst-client-comment-posters/

     

    Anil Thakraney is a senior journalist and commentator. He is also Editor-at-Large, MxMIndia. The views expressed here are his own. He can be reached via Twitter at @anilthakraney

     

  • IPL's 6th edition saw much interest in matters off the field. Presenting a list of IPL's most forgettables

    10 Things about the IPL we never want to see (or hear) again

     

    By Ranjona Banerji

     

    Now that the Indian Premier League is over… no, no, I’m not making a forecast to make N Srinivasan’s life even more miserable, I mean this edition of the IPL. Where were we? Right, now that IPL 2013 is over (and who knows what lies in the future), we at MxM and some random members of the general public – like our sons-in-law and nephews – have compiled a list of things we never want to see or hear again.

     

    1 The Jumping Jhapak or Jhampang or Dhumping Dhapang song

    What were the words exactly? Never understood a word but I somehow objected to Sameer Kocchar and that other man making kissie faces at us. On the other hand, during that pathetic opening ceremony in Kolkata, the Jumping song was the highlight of a lacklustre and long evening. Of course, that was only the first time we heard it. And I watched the opening ceremony on Sony Six HD. Which means there no commercial breaks. Which means that every time SET Max went to an ad break, we had to hear the Jumping song. Which means that by the end of the evening, we were sick of Jumping, Shah Rukh Khan, Pitbull, Deepika Padukone and Katrina Kaif.

     

    2 Bad Cheerleader Outfits:

    Why do they have to look like they’ve been outfitted by Maganlal Dresswalla of the 1970s? Nothing seems to fit, the lycra or spandex looks cheap and the bizarre attempts to protect “modesty” backfire. Anyway, if Padukone and Kaif could prance around in the costumes they wore for the opening ceremony, why should these cheerleaders be dressed so badly?

     

    3 A Studio full of Clueless Girls:

    We’re all for gender equality. But what is the point of these women who know nothing about cricket and are more concerned with speaking in incomprehensible accents than saying anything substantial. Every year, this attempt by Sony to glamorise the Extraaa Innings studio gets worse and worse. It’s reached a stage where you almost start missing Mandira Bedi and that’s saying something. I have nothing against these ladies in this edition, but one dressed like she had used upholstery fabric and baroque household artefacts to ornament herself and the other looked like her dress was so tight that she could hardly breathe.

     

    4 Media Hypocrisy:

    Yes, yes, I know this is wishful thinking. But first the media goes gaga over everything IPL and how wonderful it is. And then when something goes wrong, all the journalists say they always knew it. Bull. If you “always” knew, why didn’t you say something before?

     

    5 Uncomfortable Looking Board Members and Sponsors at Post-Match Presentation Ceremonies:

    They look like they don’t want to be there and we don’t want them to be there so why are they there?

     

    6 Owner People Who Have Not Paid Their Staff Salaries and Are in Other Financial Imbroglios:

     Yes, it is disturbing to watch Vijay Mallya and the Roys of Sahara prancing around in this giant extravaganza. Yes, Sahara may or may not be there any more, but still.

     

    7 Owner People in General:

    We’re just bored of them, no? They look less glamorous than they did before and this dugout business has lost its novelty.

     

    8 Spot-fixing:

    Why can’t we get self-righteous, eh? It’s not just bringing disrepute to cricket; it’s cheating us, the viewing public and you, the cricket fan.

     

    9 No More Hysterical Confusion:

    Someone to understand the differences between spot-fixing, betting and living a lavish lifestyle. The three may be connected and they just as easily may not.

     

    10. No More Rahul Mehra, Sanjay Jha and Boria Majumdar in News Channel Discussions:

    … for a while at least. Please.

     

    Ranjona Banerji is a senior journalist and commentator based in Mumbai. She is also Contributing Editor, MxMIndia. She can be reached via Twitter at @ranjona. The views here are her own