MxMIndia

Tag: news

  • Martin da Costa of 70EMG tells MxMIndia how 2012 has been, and what he looks forward to

    Jaldi 5 with Martin da Costa: Time is perfect to roll out ticketed IPR events

    While the last two years have been rough for the Events & Experiential domain in India, it has been smooth sailing for 70EMG that has managed to beat the odds and register good growth. According to Martin da Costa, CEO, 70EMG, the growth has been possible due to its focus on IPR development and experiential investment.

    Martin da Costa opens up to MxMIndia on what was the year 2012 like for his company and what is in store for 2013.

     

    01. As 2012 draws to a close, how would you define the growth journey for Seventy EMG this year? Anything you were particularly proud of?

    We’re looking at 15-20 percent growth over last year. Nowhere near the 50 percent plus levels we experienced up to 2010. The last two years have seen the Events & Experiential business largely flatline – a trend 70 EMG’s been able to beat through IPR development and experiential investment.

     

    The development and launch of the India Bike Week Festival brand with Fox TV as a major new festival for India’s huge community of bikers and bike fans was a unique experience.

     

    As for the business, it has performed more or less as expected. The IPR development business has exploded into action this year. We’re seeing a dramatic increase in paid experiential & entertainment activity.

     

    02. What are your expectations from India Bike Week that’s scheduled for Feb 2013?

    The biker profile today is wildly different from the late 90s. Harley-Davidson has changed the face of Indian leisure biking. The Superbikers, the Ducati dudes, the Japanese speed fans, and the Vintage bike collectors are growing at an incredible rate. And when you add in the 80 odd Bike Clubs that we’ve contacted so far, together with the astonishing fact that there’s over 30 bikes on the road per 1,000 Indians, that’s when the spectacular idea of a bikers festival hit us hard and you can agree that we have got something of a winner on our hands here.

     

    Basically, IBW will be a ton of fun, and a festival which we think will grow and grow in India.

     

    There are many elements to the weekend – a Vintage Bikes Concours, Superbike & Customization Stages, Stunt Arena, 3 Music Stages, great F&B, MMA Fight Stage, Open Gym, Cigar & Whiskey Club, a non-commercial Bike & Biker Flea Market, Speakers Corner, Biker Journey Cinema, Pimp My Bike & The Fixer Zone, Brand Exhibitor Zone, Men of Steel Parade & Ride of the Heavies (650CC plus bike parade through the center of IBW).

     

    As for the plans of taking it forward, we are hoping to see an exponential increase over the next 3-5 years as the festival matures and develops. And in future there will be plans to extend the Bike Week concept to other Asian markets but not before the brand have been established over three years in the Indian market.

     

    03. What are some of the hurdles that crop up while organizing large events in India?

    Venues, infrastructure, government licenses, local licenses – all the usual culprits. However, they’re tempered somewhat by the fact that 70EMG has had over 15 years of experience in this field. That we’re perhaps the largest festival planners in the country (Goafest, IndiaFest, The Kala Ghoda Art Festival). And finally, that there are so many areas of entertainment and cultural experience that are still untapped for live, ticketed events.

     

    04. How does the Events industry look like in India? Do you think the market is cluttered or is there scope for more growth?

    It’s looking increasingly robust. Unsurprisingly, given its relative youth. There’s scope for growth in almost every field of the Indian event and experiential business I believe, and whilst in the short term margins will be squeezed, this year and next will be the perfect time to roll out ticketed IPR events and experiences that will then reap the advantages that the eventual upturn will create.

     

    05. What is the current market share you occupy in India so far? What is the growth spike (in percentage) you hope to see for 2013?

    We’re not in the game of assessing market share – we don’t compete on the btl activation business for example, and we’re very circumspect about both the business we do, and the clients we work with. We’re very firmly a Festival and Special Events business – with the accent being on large format, high-end, well produced, well planned execution. We’re certainly large enough to be placed in the country’s top ten experiential agencies – but it’s probably not a fair comparison given the limited type of high-end / large format events and brand experiential work we like to do, and the fact that most of the other nine agencies in the top 10 compete in the BTL & Activation space.

     

  • Taproot India has bagged two golds – Creative Agency of the Year Award and Agency of the Year for India and the Subcontinent – at the Campaign Asia-Pacific Awards in Singapore

    Taproot India cleans up with 2 Golds at Campaign Asia-Pacific Awards 2012

    By A Correspondent

     

    Taproot India has bagged two Golds – Creative Agency of the Year Award and Agency of the Year for India and the Subcontinent – at the Campaign Asia-Pacific Awards held at Singapore on Monday, 10th December.

     

    The Campaign Asia-Pacific Agency Award is in its 19th year and continues recognizing inspired leadership, management excellence and outstanding achievements in advertising and communication industry.

     

    For Taproot India, the year began with a bang with 34 metals at Goafest, making them the second best creative agency in the country. Their work also picked up a Gold Cannes Lion, in craft category for ‘I am Mumbai’ campaign. With multiple awards, they were the runner-up independent agency at Spikes Asia 2012. A week back they won three gold metals at Ad Club EFFIE Awards and now, this achievement brings a well deserved end to the year. Speaking on this win, an overwhelmed Santosh Padhi, Chief Creative Officer and Co-Founder, Taproot India said, “It feels great to get recognition for your work. Every win inspires us to do bigger and better the next time. We have topped the table on many occasions, be it local or international awards or be it creative or effective awards.”

     

    Agnello Dias
    Agnello Dias
    Rohit Ohri

    Agnello Dias, Chief Creative Officer and Co-Founder, Taproot India, said, “In a small agency there is more transparency and the flow of communication is effective. As long as your client is content and the idea clicks with your audience, the size of the agency is secondary. The trend has changed and now it is your work that matters.”

     

    “This is a fantastic win for Aggi and Paddy and the entire Taproot team. A true testimony to the fact that Taproot is today the creative powerhouse of the region. They absolutely deserve this recognition and I’d like to believe that, in some small way, we brought them this luck”, said Rohit Ohri, Executive Chairman, Dentsu India Group. Taproot India is a part of the Dentsu Network after Dentsu Inc. acquired 51 percent equity in the near-four-year-old agency.

     

  • Parag Milk Foods Pvt Ltd, manufacturer of leading brands Go and Gowardhan, has appointed Mahesh Israni, a 25-year marketing veteran, as Chief Marketing Officer

    Mahesh Israni, the ‘Go’-to guy at Parag Milk Foods

    By A Correspondent

     

    Parag Milk Foods (Pvt.) Ltd, one of the largest private dairy player and manufacturer of leading brands Go (cheese, Yoghurt etc) and Gowardhan (Milk, Ghee, Paneer etc) has announced the appointment of Mahesh Israni as Chief Marketing Officer.

     

    Mr Israni, who has over 25 years’ experience in sales and customer marketing in FMCG, will lead Gowarhan and Go’s global Sales and Marketing functions including marketing strategy, brand development, marketing communications, S&D and RTM Strategy

     

    Devendra Shah, Chairman, Parag Milk Foods Pvt Ltd said, “Mahesh is a vital addition to our leadership team and is a proven communicator and evangelist for rural marketing. This is a strategic appointment for Parag Milk Foods Pvt Ltd and signals the next phase in our evolution as a global business. It’s a pleasure to have such an experienced professional in place and leading this critical part of our business.”

     

    Prior to joining Parag Milk Foods Pvt Ltd, Mr Israni was Chief Rurban with Pidilite Industries Ltd, responsible for building up the business structure and creation of RTM strategy. Prior to Pidilite, he has worked with Hindustan Unilever Ltd in various roles in sales and customer marketing where his last assignment was as regional sales manager for Pureit business in the West.

     

  • ESPN Star Sports (ESS) capped a successful calendar year with a total of 14 awards for its in-house on-air campaigns when it clinched two Gold and two Silver awards at the recent Promax Asia Awards

    ESPN Star Sports ends 2012 with a record haul of creative awards

    By A Correspondent

     

    ESPN Star Sports (ESS) continued its creative leadership, capping a successful calendar year with a total of 14 awards for its in-house on-air campaigns when it clinched two Gold and two Silver awards at the recent Promax Asia Awards that honours the industry’s best communications campaigns.

     

    The recent success comes at the heels of ESS’s most memorable performance at Promax International USA where it won two Gold & two Bronze awards, beating stiff competition in sports from across the globe. Likewise in the highly competitive Indian market in May this year, ESS scored another record haul of six awards at PromaxBDA Awards India where it not only swept off the entire sports category, but also won two more awards in other highly competitive categories.

     

    Said Peter Hutton, ESPN Star Sports’ Managing Director, “It’s excellent that our creative team have received further recognition for their consistently high level of original work.”

     

    Conceptualized in-house, the achievements for these projects highlight ESPN Star Sports’ Marketing & OAP team’s single-minded focus to engage the diverse audience through the most memorable, relevant and effective communication campaigns, while building and promoting key properties and events in line with its business objectives.

     

    Awards won in 2012:

    Promax International Asia – 4 (Spanish BBVA La Liga, Barclays Premier League, ESPN Player)

    Promax International USA – 4 (Barclays Premier League, Wimbledon, Champions League T20)

    PromaxBDA Awards India – 6 (Formula 1, Barclays Premier League, Wimbledon, Champions League T20)

     

  • Ten Sports has extended its support to the 18th edition of Aircel Chennai Open as the exclusive official broadcast partner

    Ten Sports is official broadcaster of Aircel Chennai Open 2013

    By A Correspondent

     

    Ten Sports has extended its support to the 18th edition of Aircel Chennai Open as the exclusive official broadcast partner. The channel has bagged exclusive rights of telecasting the tournament in India. Ten Sports will bring LIVE tennis action as the world’s best tennis players converge in Chennai to display their talent and win the coveted title. Ten Sports’ comprehensive coverage will be telecast from 31st December 2012 through to 6th January 2013.

     

    Announcing the tie-up, Atul Pande, CEO Ten Sports, said, “We have enjoyed a strong and fruitful association with the Aircel Chennai Open and are very excited to be strengthening it further. Once again, we have kept our promise to bring the finest international events to Indian audiences. Tennis has a huge fan following across the region and our association with the Aircel Chennai Open will give a fantastic opportunity to millions of tennis fans to experience thrilling tennis action from the comfort of their homes.”

     

    Speaking about the tournament’s association with Ten Sports, Ashu Jindal, COO, IMG Reliance said, “In taking tennis to millions of homes across the world and giving aficionados a brilliant opportunity to enjoy the action live, Ten Sports has played an important role in popularizing the tournament and the sport in different markets. We are pleased to continue our partnership with Ten Sports as official broadcaster of the 18th Edition of the Aircel Chennai Open.”

     

    M A Alagappan, President of Tamil Nadu Tennis Association said, “We are glad to welcome Ten Sports as the Official Broadcaster of the 18th edition of the Aircel Chennai Open. Ten Sports definitely enjoys wide reach in the region and we are sure their exclusive LIVE coverage of the event will help tennis fans to witness the game from start to finish”

     

  • Havas Media Asia Pacific has announced its appointment as the global media AOR of luxury hotel group Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts

    Havas appointed global media AOR of Shangri-La Hotels

    By A Correspondent

     

    Havas Media Asia Pacific has announced its appointment as the global media AOR of luxury hotel group Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts. The agency has been tasked with handling the media planning and buying for the Hong Kong based hotel group, across all its markets and properties.

     

    The agency won the business after a pitch process, which involved several media agencies including Starcom and OMD.

     

    Pitch consultancy R3 managed the pitch process.

     

    Havas Media was selected for its ability to deliver media innovations and strong integrated solutions. The hotel account will be led out of the agency’s Hong Kong operations.

     

    Deryk Tang, Managing Director of MPG Hong Kong said: “This is an extremely exciting win for us and a testament to our extensive experience in the luxury and hospitality sector. We have a great synergy with the marketing team from Shangri–La.”

     

    Stuart Clark, Managing Director of Havas Media International APAC, said: “Shangri-La Hotels is a brand synonymous with Asian luxury and hospitality. They have produced some really interesting campaigns over the last few years, taking the brand into a unique territory within the category. We will leverage all our specialist resources in International and Luxury marketing to help them build on that platform in 2013 and beyond.”

     

    Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts currently has 76 hotels and resorts throughout Asia Pacific, North America, the Middle East and Europe and a room inventory of over 30,000. New hotels are under development in mainland China, India, Malaysia, Mongolia, Philippines, Qatar, Sri Lanka, Turkey and United Kingdom.

     

  • Star Jalsha boss Kevin Vaz on what viewers can expect from the new Jalsha Movies, and why the channel is already a winner in the buzzing Bengal television market

    Jaldi 5 with Kevin Vaz: Blockbusters to boom Bengal

    Having gained an unmatchable reach and popularity with its brand Star Jalsha in Bengal, Star India is also set for the launch of a new movie channel titled Jalsha Movies. The launch is in line with Star Jalsha’s philosophy of Chalo Paltai (let’s change) that aims at delighting viewers through contemporary stories from their surroundings.

     Kevin Vaz, President and General Manager – Star Jalsha and President – Ad Sales at Star India Pvt Ltd tells MxMIndia what viewers can expect from the new offering and why the channel is already a winner in the already buzzing Bengal television market.

     

    01. The third Bengali movie channel, and the second launch in close succession. From the sales point of view, is Bengal the new ‘hot’ market?

    I can’t comment on it being a hot market, but Bengal is definitely growing very fast. It has become a Priority One market for most brands today be it across telecom, consumer durables, FMCG etc. Most importantly, it is not the national clients but the retail business that is growing rapidly here. So whether it is jewellery stores or saree shops or biscuit manufacturers… a lot of local interest is gaining prominence here.

     

    As for the launch, Bengal is a huge consumer of Bengali cinema irrespective of the channel that it gets played on. Star Jalsha has always been offering quality movies to its audiences and has achieved a TVR as high as 12. Keeping these trends in mind we thought it was right time for us to launch a Bengali movie channel. According to us, there is nobody right now offering blockbuster movies regularly and that is what Jalsha Movies will stand for.

     

    02. Star Jalsha has been a huge success whereas at least one of the channels from a well-pedigreed media company has shut down. What’s the secret of the success with Jalsha?

    When we launched Star Jalsha, we were very clear that we had to be different. In fact within a few weeks of its launch it was a clear leader and has been so for the last four years with our GRPs totalling 500 compared to our closest competitor at 400 GRPs or so. More importantly we attained that position by redefining the market and the storyline that we do. With such a benchmark, we said that we clearly expect Star Jalsha to be leaders within the channel. I see that we have the necessary content that will help us deliver that promise.

     

    a. How fast do you hope to be on top of the pack?

    If we get into something we clearly look at become leaders at once. So the answer is: as early as possible.

     

    03. We see that you’ve stitched up quite a few alliances with film companies.  Will we also see any international/Indian movies dubbed in Bengali in future?

    We’ve got a great library of Bengali movies and the reason to launch a regional channel is for people to consume it in their own language. So we will be going ahead only with Bengali movies as of now.

     

    04. How has the response been from advertisers and media agencies?

    We’ve got a great response from them. Vivel has already come aboard as the channel partner. Going forward you will see a whole lot of clients who will be associated with us. In fact, most of these advertisers have seen Jalsha operate in the last four years and know the kind of mileage we offer to them. So most of them are excited enough to partner with us from day one of operations.

     

    A market like Kolkata is counted in as part of the extended HSM. Do you think with three Bengali movie channels, the Hindi movie channels will get impacted?

    I wouldn’t like to call Bengal as an extended Hindi Speaking Market and has rather reached a stage where it holds its own. At one point in time it was considered an add-on market but for most brands it has become a priority market. Also, if one were to see Star Jalsha delivers higher ratings than any other Hindi GEC or channel by a distance. So to reach out to the masses is our number one priority. If I may add here, Bengal is witnessing a huge surge in retail advertising and more and more brands are hopping on to be a part of the association with us.

     

    05. Tell us more about Vivel being the Channel Partner? The performance of this partnership could open the floodgates for many more?

    As I said, Vivel has come on board as the channel partner but it’s not we have closed our doors to the others. Probably as the numbers start to trickle in people will want to make bigger commitment to the channel. That will be an ongoing effort but a few brands have come based on faith and seeing potential in what we have to offer them. Jalsha has a very strong equity in the market with its advertisers and it is purely on that front that many have partnered with us.

     

  • Nick Jr is being positioned as an ecosystem for pre-school kids and their moms.. Balle balle to that!

    Tot’s the way ahead for Nick Jr

     

    By A Correspondent

     

    Most parents are faced with a slightly amusing scenario almost every other day in their lives when their kid is stuck between choosing what programme to watch from an array of kids channels that are blasted across to them. From toddlers to tweens to even teens, children across different age categories have a tough time trying to watch an entertainment channel that amuses them the most. While some may blame this on the innumerable offerings that are available today, others may reason that the quality of content is so superior that it makes the task of staying loyal to one channel more demanding.

     

    While in any other space (under the realm of television), players would think twice before venturing with a new channel if the space is too cluttered, that is not the case with the kids genre that saw the launch of a new and challenging entrant in the form of Nick Jr. Said to be the third such launch from the Nickelodeon stable, Nick Jr. is being positioned as an eco-system for pre-school kids and their moms. With world-class content on-air, backed by a comprehensive consumer products range at retail, Nick Jr. aims to become the preferred destination for kids from the age group of 2-6 years and their moms.

     

    With history by its side, Nick Jr. is known to be successfully beamed around 125 countries and across 25 different languages with the tag of being a kid-friendly channel that airs safe and edutaining shows. The content is so devised keeping in mind curriculum goals and a child’s growing needs – be it motor, cognitive, creative or technical skills. In fact properties like Dora the Explorer, Go Diego Go, Team Umizoomi, Bubble-Guppies and Blues Clues, amongst many others, Nick-Jr shows are well-researched and proven to aid learning amongst pre-school kids.

     

    Nina Elavia Jaipuria

    Sharing her excitement with MxMIndia on the latest entrant and on the positioning being adopted, Nina Elavia Jaipuria, EVP & Business Head – Kids Cluster, Viacom18, said: “It just isn’t education per se as that would be very boring and that’s what children do anyways at school. The focus for us is edutainment – a combination of entertainment and education. The focus is a result of the multiple choices that are available for parents and children today.” Given her own example, Ms Jaipuria added, ” As a parent, I can tell you that there are some choices that a parent has to make for their children and as one moves forward one realises that there is a time for everything – both education as well as entertainment. Today, in most houses television has become inevitable and is on switch-on mode for most part of the day. At such times, kids become passive viewers to a lot of content that adults watch. So to bring back the focus on development for children through entertainment was what our objective is.”

     

    According to Ms Jaipuria, “There is too much pressure on kids today to perform well be it at school dance, sports etc. As a result of which they get stressed out easily. So the focus here is development of the child which is not rigorous in nature but which is helpful for the growth of kids.”

     

    Along with most experts who agree that the edutainment segment is still unexplored and in a nascent stage in India, Jaipuria too has a similar sentiment to share. Says Ms Jaipuria: “The whole concept of parents wanting their kids to be competitive has been there from the start but what has changed today is the offering. We didn’t have much choices or offerings when we were young but that aspect has changed today. So while edutainment offering is in a nascent stage in India the need was always there. Today there is content available that is bridging that gap.”

     

    Packing a punch

    To begin with, the channel would be airing content daily between 6am to 7pm in the evening and would be followed by Nick Teens. Elaborating on the channel’s approach to content, “The content would primarily be in English and no other language as yet. That’s because in India, English is an aspirational language. Most parents want their kids to learn English whether from SEC A, B, C or D it doesn’t matter. We will play our content only in English so that it helps create another language skill for children,” she explained.

     

    On whether the channel will be open to incorporating indigenous content, Mr Jaipuria said, “We don’t plan to launch Indianised shows as yet on Nick Jr. as the shows are very well researched and need a lot of pipeline time as well. Since we have Nickoledean as our mother brand we know that we have invested in three more shows as we go along – they take years to make and we are waiting for them to launch in the US and then bring them here. Having said that, we know that kids are universal in their appeal and therefore every content targeted towards them works today. You do not have to make desi content to cater to local needs; at least not for this genre.”

     

    Sandeep Dahiya

    Sharing his plans on the retail front, Sandeep Dahiya, SVP, Consumer Products – Viacom18, said, “Given the line-up of iconic characters on Nick Jr., we’re ready to give wings to kids’ imagination, through a product range that’s comprehensive as well as interactive. As part of our plan to create an eco-system around Nick Jr., we will not only further strengthen the Dora the Explorer franchise, but also bring to life some of our other internationally acclaimed properties like Go Diego Go, Bubble Guppies, Blues Clues and Team Umizoomi, in categories that are both, conventional as well as unconventional.”

     

    While the kids genre is increasingly being viewed as being cluttered, that may not necessarily be the case, feels Ms Jaipuria. In fact, according to her the kids genre contributes around 8 per cent to the overall television pie and is second only to GECs in India. The space has also being seeing good response from advertisers with the ad spends pegged at around Rs 250-300 crore. According to Jaipuria, what will further incentivize players to do well is the digitization wave that will bode well for all players. “With digitization having come in, there is a lot of segmentation that is now possible for us to do. Digitisation has enabled us to segment and provide offerings to viewers in a manner where business also makes sense for us. I guess it’s a wave of digitisation that we rode on with Nick Jr. particularly,” she said.

     

    As for launching the channel in a slowdown phase, Ms Jaipuria said, “Slowdown has had no effect on our channels so far. In the past six years that I have been here, we have launched three channels and each one of them has being throwing up good viewership numbers so far. In fact we’ll be launching more Indian content as we move along.”

     

    On solid ground

    With its plans around content firmly in place, the channel would be complementing the offline initiative with a little help from online too. Added Ms Jaipuria: “We will be focusing on digital around Nick Jr. And will especially be targeting the mothers. As we’ve said, mothers will be a very important subset while we promote this channel. Also, I am imagining that it will be the mother that will lead the channel on to the digital platform; and mothers today are present on the website – let’s get real about that fact. There are a lot of activities that the mother can do with the child on our digital platform.” According to Jaipuria, the idea is to stay ahead of the curve as kids today are becoming screenagers and they want to consume content across various screens. “We want to make sure that we are present across various screens and therefore the idea of engaging outside of television,” she affirmed.

     

    When asked about the viewership numbers expected from the newest entrant, Jaipuria expressed a feeling of caution as she said, “It is difficult to predict what viewership Nick Jr. will throw up because the slicing of TAM doesn’t even capture this segment; the whole rating system starts from the age group 4. So I do not know they will manage to capture our TG. Ideally Nick Jr. will be like any other niche channel that not necessarily depends on GRPs but has a whole lot of connect with the TG audience. We are trying to figure out if TAM can do anything about the slicing of the kids genre but till then we will live with what we have.”

     

    Presenting a robust outlook for the various channels under Nickelodeon, Ms Japuria sounded content as she said, “Sonic has a 3 per cent market share and is riding high on digital. If you know the kids category you will know that it is a very slow category as you have to build loyalty with children over a period of time. They are so in love with their favourite character that it takes time for them to like another. As for Nickoledean, it occupies anywhere between 18-22 per cent market share and competes for the top spot. With digitisation taking off, we expect our market share to only grow further.”

     

    —————–

     

    MxMIndia spoke to top media agency captains on the launch of Nick Jr 

     

    Mohit Joshi, MD, MPG India

    Yes, definitely there is scope for more kids channels in India. Kids consume a lot of television and are most loyal viewers of shows – ‘appointment viewing’ in the true sense happens in this TG. On a personal note, my daughter is very upset that ‘CBeebies’ is not available anymore. Point being made – this TG is hungry for more content and ‘good’ content.

     

    Also, we as parents and as media experts, would love to have an edutainment channel option in this country.

     

    Shashi SinhaShashi Sinha, CEO – Lodestar UM & IPG Mediabrands

    I have not seen the content on the new channel and would therefore not be in a position to comment much on it but the fact is that the kids genre is at an exciting phase in India. With edutainment as their core focus, the channel has made a good segmentation move that will ensure that kids come and watch their channel. Moreover, more than half of India’s population is young and anything that is catered to or centered around them will eventually do well in the long run.

     

  • Food and food lifestyle channel FoodFood is now available on Tata Sky, channel no. 572. The channel has also increased its reach internationally by making an entry into Canada and Qatar

    FoodFood expanding in India, abroad

    By A Correspondent

     

    Food and food lifestyle channel FoodFood is now available on Tata Sky, channel no. 572. The channel has also increased its reach internationally by making an entry into Canada and Qatar.

     

    FoodFood channel’s content is a classic mix of cookery and food-based lifestyle shows such as Secret Recipe, Sanjeev Kapoor’s Kitchen, Roti Raasta Aur India, Turban Tadka, Style Chef and Mummy Ka Magic.

     

    The channel’s promoter Sanjeev Kapoor said, “FoodFood has ushered in a new wave in entertainment, that has engaged both men and women. The encouraging response has reaffirmed our commitment to offer enhanced value to audiences, partners and advertisers.”

     

    FoodFood has launched in Canada on Rogers Cable network. It is available in Qatar through the Asia Plus package on the QTEL Qatar Mosaic Platform. In India, in additon to MSOs across the country, the channel is available on all major DTH platforms. The channel also has a presence in the UAE.

     

  • The actress is coming on board as a personal grooming and beauty expert on the special segment 'Big on Style', and will share tips on attire, accessories, make-up and hair

    Karisma Kapoor debuts as RJ on 92.7 Big FM’s women-targeted show Big Memsaab

    By A Correspondent

     

    Bollywood actress Karisma Kapoor will be on board with 92.7 Big FM as an RJ for its women-centric radio show Big Memsaab. Through a specially created segment, Big on Style, Ms Kapoor will play the role of a personal grooming and beauty expert who will share her fashion and style knowledge by imparting interesting beauty and style tips to listeners. The segment will air on Big Memsaab every day between 11am and 2pm across 31 stations of 92.7 Big FM beginning December 24, 2012.

     

    Speaking about her association, Karisma Kapoor said, “Having worked in movies and also television, I was extremely keen to try a new medium – hence I decided to do radio. The Indian media scenario is constantly evolving and radio is the perfect medium for me to be closer to my fans than ever before. I am very excited about my radio debut on 92.7 Big FM’s afternoon show, Big Memsaab. I am confident that my fans will continue to support me as I undertake this new journey and will enjoy the show even further.”

     

    Commenting on the launch of the new segment, Manav Dhanda, Network Programming Head, 92.7 Big FM, said, “Beauty and style are two topics which never grow old with women. We are extremely excited about presenting the ultimate style diva, Karisma Kapoor as an RJ to our listeners for the first time ever. With the show reaching  audiences across 31 stations, our association with Karisma Kapoor, who is already a household name, will enhance our reach and enable us to keep our listeners engaged.”

  • A unique initiative acknowledging the indomitable spirit showed by the common man

    My FM announces Jiyo Dil Se Awards

    By A Correspondent

     

    India’s local FM network 94.3 My FM has announced the Jiyo Dil Se Awards to recognize and acknowledge the work of the common man in bringing about a positive difference in people’s lives in various fields. The campaign has been rolled out in My FM markets covering the seven states of Rajasthan, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Haryana. There are nine award categories: Education, Environment Conservation, Health & Sanitation, Public Service, Culture & Art, Sports, Women’s Welfare & Empowerment, Child Care & Development and Economic Development.

     

    The key criterion is that it must benefit people or a community at large and should have been done for the betterment of the society. The individuals applying for the award will be judged on various parameters like innovation in their initiatives, the impact they created, scalability and sustainability of the initiative and the challenges faced while executing the initiative. My FM has signed on Ernst & Young as the official tabulations for the Jiyo Dil Se Awards. They will be assisting My FM right through the selection criteria up to identifying winners in each category. This will be a multimedia campaign with the impact of the My FM brand property resonating across radio, print and online

     

    Speaking on the initiative, Harrish M Bhatia, CEO, 94.3 My FM, said “We are proud to announce the Jiyo Dil Se Awards as it takes further our brand’s belief that every individual, or entity should also give back to the society in which it dwells. Jiyo Dil Se Awards is an effort to recognize the individual who has showcased immense dedication and passion for a cause bringing about a difference in peoples’ lives. These awards are also is a continuation of My FM’s efforts like the Ek Koshish-Ek Rupiya Abhiyan to do good while spreading happiness to further strengthen our bond with our listeners”

     

    To apply for the award, people can log on to the My FM website www.myfmindia.com and download the form. The forms along with supporting documents will have to be sent to the My  FM offices in the respective cities in hard copy. The last date for receiving the entries is December29, 2012. The selected top entries in each category will be put for public voting and jury and listeners votes will determine the winners.

     

  • Anurag Bakhshi and Gautam Jain will lead the TV and film verticals

    Ormax Media strengthens research team

    By A Correspondent

     

    Ormax Media have strengthened their research team to meet the growing needs of their business. Anurag Bakhshi has recently joined the firm as ‘Head, Television Research’, while Gautam Jain, who has been with organization since 2010, has been elevated to the position of ‘Research Head, Films’. Mr Bakhshi comes with nine years of cross-functional television experience, where he worked with Zoom, Filmy and Imagine TV, across various functions, including marketing, content and presentation.

     

    Shailesh Kapoor

    Speaking about these changes, Shailesh Kapoor, CEO, Ormax Media, said, “We continue to witness amazing annual growth of about 35-40% for the last three years. As a result, an expansion of the research team has been on the cards for some time. Anurag and Gautam have the relevant experience, passion and skill sets for the television and films domains respectively.  I’m happy to see them lead the company in its next phase.”

     

    Ormax Media works with more than 55 channels in India today. The television research department manages flagship products such as Showbuzz, CIL and True Value, besides bespoke research projects, including large-scale quantitative and qualitative research projects.

     

    Speaking about his new role, Anurag Bakhshi said, “I’m extremely excited to be a part of the revolution that Ormax Media is bringing in the media & entertainment industry in India. The company has done seminal work in helping broadcasters use consumer knowledge to take key business decisions. I look forward to being a part of what I believe will be some very exciting years ahead, both for the television industry and for us at Ormax.”

     

    Ormax Media’s film research work is driven by its flagship products Cinematix and Moviescope, which are used by all the leading Bollywood studios and independent producers. The firm is widely recognized as the first and only company in India to have built film research and analytics capabilities.

     

    Speaking about his new role, Gautam Jain said, “When we started in 2010, we were not sure of the potential of ‘film research’ in India. But the whole-hearted acceptance from the industry has surpassed our expectations. At Ormax, I’ve been a part of pioneering work in film research in India. Now that we have created a separate film research vertical, I’m sure it will propel us even further.”

     

    Besides television, Ormax Media also does extensive research & analytics work in the areas of print, radio and branded entertainment.