MxMIndia

Tag: Lokmat Media Limited

  • The newspaper carried a 16-column colour picture with the lead story of the day, with both, the front and back pages working seamlessly together as a unified 'front' page

    Lokmat Media thanks record-breakers with innovation

    By A Correspondent

     

    In what is possibly the first instance of a broadsheet newspaper innovation, Lokmat Media Limited used the full 16 columns across the front and back pages for a lead picture to physically communicate the size and scale of a world-record-setting event. It also spread its ‘front’ page coverage seamlessly across the back page over a span of 16 columns, perhaps creating another world record for its latest media innovation.

     

    Rishi Darda, Editorial Director & Joint MD, Lokmat Media Ltd, said: “Lokmat Connect had just assembled over a lakh of people in the stadium, and another 40 to 50 thousand outside, on a mid-week working morning, to set a world record for singing the National Anthem. It seemed as if all of Aurangabadresponded to our call to set the world record. So when we had our post-event editorial meeting to plan the next day’s issue, one of our main priorities, apart from excellent editorial content, was: How do we give the readers a sense of the scale of the mammoth turnout? While a picture normally speaks a thousand words, our lead picture bespoke a lakh”

     

    “To the best of my knowledge and belief, it was a world-first: a 16-column colour picture with the lead story of the day, with both, the front and back pages working seamlessly together as a unified ‘front’ page, ” he added.

     

    Getting a lakh-and-half people, which is around 8 per cent of Aurangabad’s population to congregate on a working day morning, is no mean feat. “Lokmat’s media innovation is not just a celebration of that success, but, more importantly, our way of thanking everyone who turned up, putting their lives on hold for the hours they spent with us,” said Mr Darda.

     

    Lokmat’s innovation not just communicated the scale, but also had a clever element of surprise for the reader. When one picked up the newspaper and saw the front page, it had a beautifully aligned 8-column banner picture. The layout of the other elements on the front page looked like a normal, well designed front page. “Only when the reader opened the paper and glanced at the back page did the picture reveal itself to be a full panoramic 16-column spread, and the editorial content on the back page too merged, seamlessly, with the front page layout,” explained Darda.

     

    Explaining the world record attempt, Mr Darda said: “Media brands do several things to connect with their readers. Ours was an activation exercise driven by patriotism, and a solemn sense of our duty to the nation. We wanted to help people gift to the nation, a World Record around our National Anthem, on the eve of Republic Day. We were not only commemorating 100 years of Jana Gana Mana, but also celebrating 30 years of our solid presence in, and bond with, Aurangabad.”

     

    Fittingly, even the massive backdrop had only Jana Gana Mana on it, with a tiny ‘Lokmat’ below – like its salute to the National Anthem.

     

    The media innovation was made possible by the depth of Lokmat’s emotional and enduring connect with the people it has been partnering and serving in their day to day lives for the past 30 years. “It was a never-before connect managed brilliantly by Lokmat Connect, our Events specialist team, which has organized many mega events. This connect with the people of the city, across barriers of caste, community, gender and age groups is what empowers us to contribute to and make an impact on the life of every Maharashtrian in general and Aurangabadkars in particular,” said Mr Darda.

     

  • 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.