MxMIndia

Tag: marketing

  • WATMedia's annual event will witness participation of prominent visionaries discussing topics that contribute to the growth of digital and advertising space

    WATSummit ’13 to discuss new era of digi mktng

    By A Correspondent

     

    WATMedia has announced its annual event, WATSummit that brings together eminent personalities to confer the evolving facets of social and digital industry. In its third edition, the theme of WATSummit 2013 is ‘A New Era of Digital Marketing’. The annual summit that is scheduled to take place on 15th Feb, 2013 at The Orchid Hotel, Mumbai, will also host WAT Awards 2013, wherein, thought leaders of Web, Advertising and Technology will be awarded.

     

    WATSummit 2013 will witness participation of prominent visionaries discussing topics that contribute to the growth of digital and advertising space.

     

    A panel of experts will be seen highlighting the prominence of social media with ‘Social Media Marketing – Making sense of jibber-jabber by brands’. The evolution of ‘Digital Media Marketing – Can it build a brand on its own?’ will be discussed extensively by a panel comprising Digital Agencies and Brands.

     

    The summit will also bring to light the E-commerce industry and the upspring of mobile marketing with in-depth discussion on topics like ‘Ecommerce Market build brand V/S build business’, ‘Mobile Marketing – Promises of reach V/S Actual Impact’. The final panel will be seen conferring the do’s and don’ts and the challenges of ‘Startup Marketing – Breaking the cluster and creating a Brand’.

     

    Sharing his views on the third WATSummit, Rajiv Dingra, Founder & CEO, WATMedia Pvt Ltd said, “I am pleased to announce WATSummit 2013. The response to the earlier summits has been encouraging, which brings us to its third edition. This year, at WATSummit 2013, we aim to emphasize on the new era of digital marketing. The medium has grown exceptionally over the past few years and brands and consumers across the world consider the digital medium a dominant tool. I am delighted with the participation of renowned speakers who will share their profound knowledge. With WATSummit 2013, our endeavor is to embark on a digitally successful journey.”

     

    The keynote speakers for the event include dignitaries such as Suresh Reddy – Chairman & CEO, Ybrant Digital & Neville Taraporewalla – Country Director, Advertising and Online- Microsoft Corporation.

     

  • Its new brand campaign themed 'Always in fashion' in India is to complement its international signature 'Where Fashion Gets Personal'

    Harper’s Bazaar launches new brand campaign

    By A Correspondent

     

    Harper’s Bazaar, the fashion magazine with 29 international editions, has introduced its new brand campaign themed ‘Always in fashion’ in India to complement its international signature ‘Where Fashion Gets Personal’. The magazine has kicked off a new 360-degree brand campaign, which will see lifestyle malls such as Select City Walk in Delhi being branded with Harper’s Bazaar Campaign. ‘Always in Fashion’ – a tri-series outdoor ad campaign with Sonam Kapoor, Anushka Sharma and Priyanka Chopra will cover print, online, outdoors, events & PR.

     

    Targeting the luxury clients, top socialites, HNI consumers, fashion segment and trade, the campaign will run across several lifestyle magazines and trade newsletters apart from digital amplification through trade e-mailers and banners, social media amplification through various Lifestyle Brands with the campaign promoted on social media accounts of major lifestyle magazines such as cosmopolitan, Women’s Health & Harper’s Bazaar India.

     

    The India Today Group also announced the appointment of a new team at Harper’s Bazaar India led by Nishat Fatima as Editor and Ami Patel as the Creative Director.

     

    Sharing her insights on the new brand campaign and welcoming the new team at Harper’s Bazaar India, Mala Sekhri, Chief Operating Officer, Lifestyle Group, India Today Group said, “The new appointments comes at the right time as we unveil the new campaign for Bazaar India. We are happy to welcome Nishat back to the company. Her background and experience make her the perfect editor for Harper’s Bazaar India. We are confident that she will be able to lead the team and help the magazine retain its position as the must-read magazine for the latest fashion, beauty and lifestyle innovations.”

     

    Ms Sekhri added, “We are very excited about this next chapter for Bazaar India!”

     

  • Maximus Events are conducting a two-week-long programme at High Street Phoenix and Phoenix Marketcity to disseminate the idea of the Pinkathon and raise awareness about breast cancer

    Pinkathon raises breast cancer awareness with the 10km marathon and other programmes

    By A Correspondent

     

    Maximus Events, the agency behind the 10km special women’s marathon Pinkathon 2012, has collaborated with two of the most high-profile malls of Mumbai in order to spread awareness about breast cancer – which is the cause that Pinkathon is officially associated with.

     

    As part of the programme, they have lined up an array of exciting active and passive events which offer a unique edutainment experience to the mall visitors. While women can directly pledge support to breast cancer by registering for Pinkathon 2012 at the mall, others may passively contribute by way of writing on the Post-it wall or pinning a pink ribbon on the Pinboard of Support.

     

    On Sunday December 2, 2012, High Street Phoenix mall witnessed a unique, never seen before Treadathon event; where 20 men ran on a treadmill, non-stop from 10 am till 9pm, thus covering 200kms in this activity. The runners were extremely enthusiastic about the cause and encouraged the women at High Street Phoenix to come, register for Pinkathon and be more aware and alert.

     

    In order to make the events more interactive and involve the women personally into the program, Phoenix Marketcity will host a Treasure Hunt on the December 8, 2012, where 20 participants will be chosen from the women who have registered for Pinkathon. These women will be divided into 10 Teams and then sent to different stores for a treasure hunt. This activity will be repeated three times in the course of the day making it a total of 60 women being engaged in the activity.

     

    The two week extravaganza culminates with a true “grand” finale, The Pink Carnival at Phoenix Marketcity on December 8 and 9. It will be a carnival of sorts where the mall will be decked up in pink balloons and ribbons, zumba performances, bib distributions and stalls where women can indulge in a shopfest.

     

    Commenting on this activity, Reema Sanghavi, Managing Director, Maximus Events said: “We are happy that we are being able to offer such a fun-filled extravaganza for all the ladies around. The on-ground activation has commenced from 26th November, and we have received an overwhelming response from the women. Even if they aren’t able to register for Pinkathon, they still contribute via post-its or ribbon tags and it is this enthusiasm and awareness which was the main idea behind the mall activation.”

     

    Pinkathon 2012 is an initiative by event management company, Maximus Events, led by avid runner and fitness enthusiast Milind Soman along with Reema Sanghavi. It is India’s first ever 10km run for women named “Pinkathon – Run to Lead” with an aim to spread awareness on breast cancer and educate people about the causes and prevention of this hugely under-publicized ailment.

     

    Maximus Events has joined hands with the Women’s Cancer Initiative led by Deveika Bhojwani and the Tata Memorial Hospital for this unique initiative. Leading Bollywood actress and fitness aficionado Bipasha Basu officially launched the registrations for the event for participants from across the country on the November 9, 2012.

     

    The 10km run scheduled in the business hub of Bandra Kurla Complex will be held on December 16, 2012 in Mumbai. This will be the first of the planned 10 city series across India in the coming years.

     

    The official website for Pinkathon is http://pinkathon.co/ through which online registrations can be done. Participants can also log onto to https://www.facebook.com/Pinkathon and https://twitter.com/pinkathon2012.

     

  • An ecstatic Piyush Pandey thanked the 'team and culture' as Ogilvy and Mather was 'Effie Agency of the Year' and Cadbury was 'Effie Client of the Year'

    It’s Ogilvy all the way at Effie 2012

    Click on the image for larger view

     

    By Ritu Midha

     

    As an event, one couldn’t have thought of a better way to spend a Tuesday evening than sampling the soothing breeze and top-notch refreshments at the Turf Club, Mumbai. Of course, the event was the Effie 2012, so the focus was necessarily on the awards.

     

    Piyush Pandey

    Perhaps unsurprisingly, the show was stolen by Ogilvy and Mather, who came ahead by miles, with the Man of the Moment being its executive chairman and creative director, South Asia Piyush Pandey once again. Ogilvy and Mather, with 280 points (more than 400 percent over its closest rival) was declared Effie Agency of the Year. When it came to clients, the competition was stiffer, although both Cadbury India Ltd (Effie Client of the Year) and No 2, Star India Pvt Ltd, are O&M clients.

     

    An emotionally charged Piyush Pandey said, “It is all by God’s grace. The credit completely goes to our team and culture. New blood joins with its own creative thinking and seamlessly blends with the existing creative thought process.” On being a repeat winner, he said, “It feels ecstatic to be winning again and again. To tell you the truth – the joy and thrill of winning increases every year.”

     

    The victorious Ogilvy team with Shashi Sinha (hugging Piyush Pandey) and Rajesh Iyer, Marketing Head of Colors (extreme left)

     

    Shashi Sinha
    Shashi Sinha

    The Effies themselves were enhanced in stature this year, both in participation and jury process. Advertising Club President Shashi Sinha stated, “It is special for two reasons: it is the first Effie under the aegis of the Ad Club post it becoming the Ad Club of India.” Also, he said, “This year the entire judging process has been conducted online – and the credit goes to Bipin Pandit and his team for managing it smoothly, considering that there were more than 100 jury members this year.”

     

    This year, the number of entries increased to 357. And while last year 29 agencies had participated – this year the number reached 50. Another feather in the Effie cap is that 50 percent of the jury members represented clients – best placed to judge the effectiveness of a campaign.

     

    Ajay Kakar

    Emphasizing the way the Effie is growing, Chairperson of the Organising Committee Ajay Kakar said, “This year, judging moved beyond Mumbai, and was extended to Delhi. We have also introduced two new categories – Direct Marketing and Ongoing Campaign.” He added, “It is a matter of pride that it is not a small set of agencies winning an Effie tonight; 13 agencies have contributed to the winning entries.”

     

     

     

    Ravi Rao

    Another point worth mentioning is the fact of a media agency winning two Effie trophies this year. Mindshare took away two bronzes – and considers it just the right beginning. Mindshare’s Leader, South Asia Ravi Rao told MxMIndia, “We bagged three bronzes, two for Axe Shower Gel and one for HSBC. I am really glad that we made it to the Effies. We will strive harder next time around.”

     

     

     

     

  • The engagement is aimed at adding traction to the multi-media Corporate Campaign

    Innocean devises ‘Moments of Brilliance’ for Hyundai

    By A Correspondent

     

    Hyundai Motor India has recently launched the second phase of its corporate campaign under the umbrella concept of ‘Live Brilliant’. To add an experiential edge this campaign uses digital media innovatively via new cross-media digital activation and engagement titled ‘Moments of Brilliance’.

     

    Live Brilliant is Hyundai’s global corporate campaign theme and highlights the inextricable nature of the brand with the happiness and brilliance in its consumers’ lives. This activation brings to life this strategic premise that true moments of brilliance in one’s life can happen anytime anywhere and deserve to be shared with one’s loved-ones and friends. So, Hyundai’s communications agency Innocean Worldwide India decided to engage their audience by devising a mobile phone app.

     

    The application enables the user to scan the messages across media -print, dealer posters, outdoor or even on social media using his smart phone which serves the Live Brilliant TVC followed by the contest page.

     

    Using this application, the user can share their own moment of brilliance on-the-go, whenever and wherever they experience it. They can submit freshly clicked images using their camera-phones or share a previous image from their phone gallery. Shankar Narayan Head of Digital practice at Innocean Worldwide, said, “It’s a first-of-its-kind; on-the-move contest enabled using a Mobile AR application. It brings the tacit imagery of the brand in the real world through real people.”

     

    Elaborating further, B Sridhar, Group Director Media & Digital Services at Innocean Worldwide India said, “This initiative underlines the importance of digital technology and media in amplifying the brand ideas in a user friendly manner. Moreover the relevance and delight factor is ensured all along. We see in this instance a clear force multiplier to our media efforts and brand outreach.”

     

    For the audience not using smartphones, this engagement devised by Innocean for Hyundai Motor India has an application on their official Facebook page to enable online entries for the contest. Along with the contest, this innovative application gives a remarkably personalized experience to its user by showcasing the Live Brilliant concept video via a collage of the user’s own images which are dynamically picked in real-time from the user’s Facebook album. The intent is to make the user feel related to the brand and the Live Brilliant motto. Users can even download this video collage and share it with friends. To reward and delight the consumers, from the total entries received, across platforms, 50 lucky winners will be chosen to win exciting prizes courtesy Hyundai Motor India.

     

    Vivek Srivastava, Joint MD, Innocean Worldwide India, said, “This campaign is a living testimony to the agency’s strong digital capabilities and their leverage for client’s benefit. In times to come it will imperative for brands operating in high consumer involvement space to offer memorable and relevant experience to their patrons using the Digital medium. Moreover with this initiative our valued client Hyundai Motor India has proved yet again that its campaigns are more about relevantly designed consumer-centric experiences and not mere taglines.”

     

  • On 10th anniversary, Kaya Skin Clinic announces the launch of a new retail format

    Kaya announces launch of Skin Bar

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Kaya chain of skincare clinics has announced the launch of Kaya Skin Bar – a new retail format and 18 new specialized products, marking the brand’s landmark achievement of completing 10 years of skin excellence in the country. Launched in December 2002, Kaya Skin Clinic introduced world of cosmetic dermatology to Indians through world class and customized skin care solutions. The new smaller-format stores, called Kaya Skin Bars, will cost approximately Rs 35-40 lakh to set up per outlet, with the focus on offering more products than services, with the head-count capped at three per outlet as against the approximately eight to ten people that man the regular clinics.

     

    Ajay Pahwa, CEO, Kaya Skin Clinic said, “Our 10th anniversary is a big milestone in our journey. On this occasion, it gives me immense pleasure to announce that the first Kaya Skin Bar will be launched in Bangalore, in January, 2013. Introducing 18 new specialized products, researched and developed by dermatologists, in our new product-forward store will mark the beginning of a new chapter in Kaya’s brand journey. Strengthening our product portfolio with the launch, Kaya will now have 54 products.”

     

    The Kaya Skin Bar will be a product-forward store, with an open and inviting format. The new format prototype is designed to fast-track Kaya’s expansion in metro & Tier II cities. The area of these new stores will be under 500 square feet and will kick-off in cities such as Bangalore and Delhi, before moving to other cities.

     

  • Footwear retailer Bata has appointed DDB Mudra Delhi as its dedicated integrated marketing and communications agency. DDB Mudra will be responsible for strengthening the Bata brand and highlighting its contemporary and youthful product range

    Bata India picks DDB Mudra Delhi for integrated marketing and communications

    By A Correspondent

     

    Footwear retailer Bata has appointed DDB Mudra Delhi as its dedicated integrated marketing and communications agency to shoulder marketing communication responsibilities starting December 2012. DDB Mudra will be responsible for strengthening the Bata brand and highlighting its contemporary and youthful product range.

     

    Bata India continues to maintain an aggressive momentum on retail expansion, having added 168 new stores so far this year and is resolute in its plans to launch new and exciting styles for the entire family. The recent growth in business is testimony to Bata’s commitment towards providing consumers the best quality footwear.

     

    Speaking on engaging DDB Mudra Delhi,  Rajeev Gopalakrishnan, Group Managing Director, Bata India Limited said, “DDB Mudra’s robust experience in Media, OOH, Retail and Experiential lifestyle retail has positioned them as our preferred choice. Their understanding of our brand integrated seamlessly with our foreseeable plans. Given the complexities of the retail marketplace and our diverse portfolio of products, it was crucial to select a creative and passionate team to partner Bata in our growth endeavour.”

     

    Said Madhukar Kamath, Group CEO & Managing Director, DDB Mudra Group, “I am elated about this new win for DDB Mudra Delhi. Bata is one of the oldest and most respected brands in India and represents a very special addition to our list of clients. I am confident that our team in Delhi, consisting of Vandana Das, Talha Mohsin, Mahesh Parab, Xavi Bech and Radhika Das will do an excellent job partnering and building brand Bata.”

     

    Expressing both excitement and commitment, Vandana Das, President DDB Mudra Group said, “Bata is one brand we all have grown up with. Needless to say that it’s a prestigious business and it delights us even more to win it particularly at a time when the brand is going through an evolution. There are a host of new offerings planned for the year ahead and we are all geared up and excited.”

     

  • Savvier than ever, Indian consumers now spend even more time researching products, and prefer quality for every purchase

    The Anchor: 5 things to consider when catering to the India market

    By Sajjan Kumar

     

    As India races towards its manifest destiny of becoming a developed nation, its growth paradigm continues to rise. India is witnessing great social, political and cultural changes and has become one of the fastest growing economies. The sheer size of the India market is the primal cause of the complexity a marketer has to consider before they decide to bring their business here. India market consists of more than a billion people who differ from each other in terms of language spoken, religion followed, and personal beliefs. This diversity is also reflected in the buying decision.

     

    Indian consumers prefer quality for every purchase. They consider the best product available, quality and price offerings collectively before making any purchase decision. Recent study by Nielsen states that Indian consumers are now more informed about the product they want to buy. They invest significant amounts of time and energy in doing primary research for their purchase decision.

     

    1. Consumers are now aware of the offerings in the international market and are willing to spend for the same.

    2. Consumers are selective in their choices. They conduct a careful assessment of all their options and go for best option available. They don’t compromise on a better product or service but actively hunt and look for the best deals, or will restrict consumption to buy the better offer.

    3. Across categories, consumption is not limited to the metro cities. With increasing incomes and awareness levels, the needs and consumption patterns in Tier 2 and 3 cities are rapidly converging with those of the larger, more affluent towns.

    4. Consumers don’t just jump at the more expensive offer; they hunt for greater value, look for distinct differences and make careful choices.

    5. The disposable income of consumers differs largely with different geographical areas. The vast expanse of regions and great differences in culture and social systems will always formulate different consumer psychologies.

    These reasons will always create various clusters of consumers divided geographically and with their social systems, thus keeping India a complex marketplace even in the near future. But, we can say that this complex market provides great opportunities for brands to grow. Due to different requirements brands should focus on providing quality products available at different price points and specifications, catering to every customer need. It is achievable for brands to become a box of ability catering to each and every consumer need and thus growing.

     

    Sajjan Kumar is VP, Imaging, Nikon India

     

  • Wrigley, a subsidiary of Mars Inc, has appointed Deepak Iyer as the Managing Director of its India operations effective January 3, 2013

    Wrigley India appoints Deepak Iyer as managing director

    By A Correspondent

     

    Wrigley, a subsidiary of Mars Inc, has appointed Deepak Iyer as the Managing Director of its India operations effective January 3, 2013. This appointment follows the departure of Gautam Sharma, the former Managing Director of Wrigley India who resigned from the company to pursue a new career.

     

    Mr Iyer will be based in New Delhi and operate out of Wrigley India’s headquarters located in the National Capital Region (NCR). In his new role as the Managing Director of Wrigley India, he would be responsible for developing the business strategy to drive growth across various functions and brands of Wrigley India.

     

    Commenting on the appointment, Michael Yeung, President of Wrigley Asia Pacific, said, “India is one of the top 20 geographies of Wrigley globally and India has got a huge potential as an important growth engine to fuel the growth of our region. We are excited to have Deepak join Wrigley India. Given his extensive experience and solid track record, I am confident that our India business will achieve new heights under Deepak’s leadership.”

     

    A seasoned executive, Mr Iyer brings with him a wide spectrum of experience in Sales, Marketing and General Management functions with leading global companies, in both Manufacturing and Corporate sectors. Before joining Wrigley, Deepak spent 16 years in PepsiCo where he handled a portfolio ranging from sales and general management functions. His most recent assignment with PepsiCo was in the capacity of Senior Franchise Director for Africa based in Beirut, Lebanon.

     

  • Mumbai-based brand management and licensing enterprise Dream Theatre is launching a merchandise range based on the action adventure series Power Rangers Samurai in India

    Dream Theatre launches Power Rangers Samurai merchandise

    By A Correspondent

     

    Mumbai-based brand management and licensing enterprise Dream Theatre is launching a merchandise range based on the action adventure series Power Rangers Samurai in India. The long-time running hit show owned by Saban Brands is telecast on both Nickelodeon and Sonic.

     

    The new Power Rangers Samurai collection, targeted at audiences between ages 4 and 14 years, ranges from Toys, Apparel, Footwear and Publishing to Sporting goods like Skateboards and Cycles.

     

    Commenting on the launch, Jiggy George, Founder and CEO, Dream Theatre, said, “The Power Rangers franchise is the first boy action brand that has stayed alive and resonant for nearly two decades. Dream Theatre is excited to deliver excitement to the fans in India with a slew of authentic Power Rangers Samurai merchandise.”

     

  • Today's urban youngsters are very socially conscious and aware. Samyak Chakrabarty lists four causes that metro youth are most concerned about and taking the initiative to address

    Young Track by Samyak Chakrabarty | Causes that Young India is fighting for

    What’s a 23-year-old writing a column on a site where the average age of columnists is… ? Ok, ok, we won’t reveal that number, but like it or not the youth constitute a majority of India’s population. Since the last few years, young Samyak Chakrabarty has been in and around media events and offices with his vision of how the youth can be targeted.

     

    In this period, he has organized a few conferences, participated in several of them in India and abroad, and works as Chief Youth Marketer with the DDB Mudra group. He’s organized a TedX youth conference in Mumbai, was invited to meet Hillary Clinton when she visited India and has co-authored a book ‘Generation Einstein 3.0 – India version’.

     

    Samyak’s column appears on Wednesdays and as the title suggests, it tracks the young – specifically keeping in mind the advertising, media and marketing fraternity – Ed

     

    Today’s urban youngsters are very socially conscious and aware. They do not want to live under the fear of natural disasters or any form of threat to their existence and ambition. Hence we see a large number of participants in protests, Facebook activism etc. Here are four causes that metro youth are most concerned about and taking the initiative to address:

     

    Freedom to enjoy: One won’t see many organizations taking this one up (as yet!), but as our system and its agents (police, municipal corporation, political parties) get more primitive in behaviour, a mass urban youth uprising won’t be far away. Things like arresting people for Facebook posts or using archaic laws to raid bars anger the new generation equally, as much as those below. Parallel to other advancements in the world, the definition of ‘a good life’ has evolved for those born post-1988, and these kids will do anything to ensure they have it!

     

    Education: Initatives like Akanksha, Raindancer (part of the Swades Foundation) and Teach for India demonstrate how young people’s energy and skills can be utilized for providing education to the underprivileged. Students from ‘good schools and colleges’ have begun to realize that one of the key solutions to resolving a number of India’s problem is to ensure that people from all sections of society must receive basic learning and training. Hence one will observe a number of youngsters even informally teaching kids of their home staff or those in the neighbourhood.

     

    Environment: Compared to a Japan or USA, India has been well shielded from major natural disasters. Through new media and easily available knowledge resources, youngsters in India are well aware of the consequences of not conserving nature. Therefore one will see a number of students starting projects like Batti Bandh, Indian Youth Climate network, etc, to create awareness and make a concerted effort to protect our environment.

     

    Corruption: I was not surprised to see Anna’s Lokpal movement attracting so many youngsters, including many from relatively affluent backgrounds. It begins when a kid with deeper pockets and/or powerful connections takes away the precious seat during admissions from a more deserving candidate … and makes your rage stronger when greedy enablers (of what work you need done – government offices, recruitment, hospitals etc) haunt you at every step. Youngsters find it necessary to take stringent action about this cause – in fact, when it comes to everyday life, more than anything!

     

  • Will it be a cracker or a damp squib? Advertisers are optimistic and observers pin hopes on the men in blue as they take on England in cricket until end-Jan

    Enough backers for payback series?

     

    By Johnson Napier

     

    The India-England cricket series that kicks off from November 15, 2012 is being billed as a revenge or payback series by most scribes who follow the sport closely. Be it the media, analysts, critics or even players/commentators, virtually all are going gaga about how the current series would be the one to watch out for as India will be fighting to prove its mettle as being the best in the business. The fact that the men in blue were thrashed badly by the Englishmen the last time they played each other makes the cause even more compelling. But is the prevailing sentiment as positive as is being made out to be, or will it be a tough ask for the channel as it begins its quest to draw in more audiences? And, more importantly, what is the response that can be solicited from the advertisers who of late are opting to stay aloof from their association with the sport?

     

    To begin with, the good news is that the tournament begins at a time when most of India is in the mood for celebration what with the festival season already underway. So while partying, visiting relatives and relaxing would be top of mind for most it would also mean being able to sit at home and watch Sachin Tendulkar or Virendra Sehwag get India off to a roaring start. And that’s what is leading everybody to believe that the Series will at least kick off on a high note.

     

    Ayaz Memon

    Anticipating a huge response, senior journalist, sportswriter and now commentator Ayaz Memon is hopeful that the current series will be a success. As Hindi commentator for the current series, Mr Memon sounded positive: “I feel the pressure is more on India as they have to prove a point on the home turf. The fact is that India hasn’t lost a home series since 2004, and also the record since the last 12 months hasn’t been good so the pressure is squarely on the Indian team. Also the team is not in peak form as can be inferred from their recent performances across other tournaments. So one can expect the Indian team to put up a compelling fight, to say the least.”

     

    Backing up his claim, Mr Memon said that the channel has been doing a good job promoting the series. “I will be doing commentary for Star in Hindi and I can tell you that they have done a good job in building up the tournament and promotion-led activities. Even on the print platform the exposure has been pretty good. But we will have to wait and see how it pans out over the next few weeks. But I am sure that the viewership will be higher than the previous Test matches. The fact that you have Sachin Tendulkar playing in the series along with Yuvraj, Harbhajan and also Kevin Pietersen from England etc, I think it will be a marquee series.”

     

    Balakrishna

    Backing Mr Memon’s optimism is PM Balakrishna, COO, Allied Media, who said, “From a cricket and sentiment point of view, I feel people are looking forward to the series. It is being touted as the Grudge Series going by the promotional activities that are being carried out by the broadcaster. The audience really wants to see India thrash the English. So based on the hype, I expect to see more crowds at the stadium and also more ratings for the broadcaster.”

     

    But while the initial sentiment seems bright it is definitely not easy predicting results before the start of the tournament. The prediction becomes even more difficult when the series begins with a Test match and not ODIs or T20 that can guarantee some decent TVRs. When asked about the possible ratings that can be expected, Mr Balakrishna said, “Test matches have never been about ratings like ODIs or T20. But maybe because of the fact that this is a long holiday week, one can expect high ratings at least from the initial match itself. While it would be difficult to hazard a guess, I would be happy to go with an average TVR of 2-3.”

     

    Kartik Sharma

    Kartik Sharma, Managing Partner, Maxus India was more forthright, saying, “Any cricket tournament involving India is always unpredictable but exciting. As Indians, we obviously want our country to win but a sport like cricket is always difficult to predict. If you ask me, the sentiments are purely driven by the results of the first few matches. And going by our ability to digest defeat, we Indians don’t really fare well in that department. By that I mean that if we lose a match or two, we tend to divert our attention to other sports or television properties. But then again, this being a festival/holiday season I expect at least the first few matches to have a decent viewership as people will be at home and thus would be able to watch the matches. By nature, Test matches anyway do not draw in more audiences compared to what the T20 or ODI matches do. So I am expecting an average TVR of 2+ for Test matches and an average TVR of 4+ for ODIs.”

     

    Mahesh Ranka

    Presenting another factor that could guarantee ratings or dismiss them, Mahesh Ranka, CEO, Indus Sports asserted that it may even depend on the opponent playing against India: “If it is Australia or even England, there could be some decent ratings expected, as these teams are ranked higher compared to what a Bangladesh or Zimbabwe series would draw. The thing about England is that we lost to them badly when we went there so hopefully, we can look forward to avenging that result through the current series. And if India happens to win the first match, you could expect more audiences (in the range of 20-30 percent more on the base figure) who will come in for the second match, and so on.”

     

    But in the overall analysis, Mr Ranka is of the opinion that the current series will not have anything great to offer in terms of viewership, at least as far as the Test matches go. “The ratings that Test matches have thrown up in the recent past kind of puts everything under the scanner. Though people (particularly media) tend to hype any tournament, Test matches have never really managed to draw in the audience (viewership). That’s because people have their own mindset behind watching any match and advertisers will always have to move along taking into account the risk of losing out on viewership.”

     

    On the interest shown by advertisers, Mr Ranka said, “From an advertiser’s perspective, one has to always look at why cricket is typically watched: it is brought for reach. There are two things to that. Firstly it is the festival season where advertisers have monies to spend and whether it is cricket or no, they will eventually spend at this time of the year. The rates that could be expected for Test matches in the current series would be in the range of Rs 50,000 to 1 lakh for ten seconds.”

     

    Taking a diplomatic stand Mr Sharma said, “The advertiser sentiment depends on the packages that are being offered by the broadcaster and there are various deals in store. But I wouldn’t be able to comment if the rates are more or less compared to the previous tournaments.”

     

    Presenting a bullish outlook, Mr Balakrishna said that from the advertiser’s standpoint, the sentiment seems pretty positive. “Against the backdrop of digitization, one genre that is the least affected always is cricket, as the sport is not always about being CPRP-led but also about hype and other such factors. So I do see a positive resonance to the whole series from an advertiser standpoint. Also, I am sure that the channel would have factored in the tough economic scenario and therefore would have come up with a competitive package for the advertisers, making it a win-win for both of them.”

     

    So whether it will be a winner or a dampener, what the India-England Series is managing to do is turn the spotlight back to cricket. Which is a good move considering that the recently held Champions League tourney didn’t go down too well with audiences. The icing on the cake would be if India manages to whitewash the team from England. TVCs have been saying that India “Angrezon ki band bajaayega” – that is, will thrash the English. Music to our ears or hitting the wrong notes? The game will tell.