MxMIndia

Tag: The Anchor

  • Back in the gory old days of hard-copy reports and chattering teleprinters (huh, what?), reporters got short shrift from editors. Today’s comparatively cossetted bunch may like to take a peek into the past, says Vidya Heble

    The Anchor: 5 old-school rules for today’s writers

    By Vidya Heble

     

    #1 Your story got laughed at.

    You wrote that fancy intro – and the editor read it out, mockingly, to the rest of the newsroom staff who chuckled while you stood there red-faced. This is exactly what happened to me, and I remember which story it was as well as the lavender prose that I thought made a great opening paragraph. Lesson: There’s a difference between lyrical and laughable, and the quicker you learn it, the better.

     

    #2 Your story got mangled.

    Maybe your language wasn’t clear. Did you try to write fancy? If so, the sub-editor didn’t get it. The end result – your story ends up very different from what it was supposed to be. Lesson: Write simply and clearly.

     

    #3 Your story died.

    There were times when your carefully composed prose just vanished. Was there a black hole into which it had gone? Yes, it was called the news editor’s dustbin, and if you asked why that had happened, you got sat down for a lecture, if you were lucky, or more likely ridicule. Lesson: If you want it to survive, write it well.

     

    #4 Your big story of the day was an obituary.

    Newbies were taught the hard way, and the deceptively simple obituary or death notice was among the starting courses. You had to get it right, and if you didn’t, you got – yes, ridiculed. Lesson: No job is too small, no story too simple.

     

    #5 You rose the hard way.

    You worked your story well, you wrote it well, you cooperated with the editing desk to make it look good. And when it shone, you got that boost. Not like today where one rises at the job almost as easily and quickly as one rises in the elevator. (By “pushing the right buttons”? Wicked.) Lesson: It may seem as if hard work doesn’t pay, but you get a reward that the easy risers don’t.

     

    Vidya Heble is Deputy Editor at MXMIndia.com.

     

  • What public sector broadcasters can do to stay ahead, and surge forward

    The Anchor: 5 musts that will give government-led channels an edge over commercial counterparts

    By Rajiv Mishra

     

    #1 Continue providing strong alternatives to commercial channels:

    Broadcasters funded out of the public purse have historically formed a vital component of the broadcasting sector in most countries. The rationale for these broadcasters, which can offer alternative programming to that provided by the commercial sector, remains strong. Some countries support public service broadcasting more enthusiastically where the public service broadcasters (PSBs) are seen as more informal, modern, and informative than before, without having lost their reputation for quality.

     

    #2 Encourage public sector broadcasting partnership with government funded telecom companies:

    Broadcasting is changing. Rarely a day goes by without more news of an innovative way to access audiovisual content over the internet, mobile phone networks, hand held devices or other new media. In television, meanwhile, we have moved rapidly from one network to hundreds of competing channels, and will soon move to a digital only television environment.  It is with the development of new media platforms that this conflict has deepened. We no longer have an environment with a small number of providers. The internet and digital television represent near limitless forums for broadcasting content, whether news, entertainment, sport, movie, music, live events or anything else, and competition for audiences is much more intense. The benefit to the public service broadcasting in India is that government funded telecom companies is having the pan India presence and PSB’s can join hand for seamless delivery of content in triple play environment as well.

     

    #3 Public sector broadcasters can experiment and provide alternate programming more often:

    The vast library and archival footage are also a major strength of PSB’s. Further the private companies face much tougher financial constraints. One may think, public service broadcasting has no role in the contemporary media and may argue that state funded broadcasters should not replicate services that the market can already provide. This weakness is actually the strength of the public service broadcasters as they can experiment and provide alternative programming frequently in very innovative manner.

     

    #4 Encourage private-public sector partnership in broadcasting:

    The private and public sector have co-existed peacefully since the emergence of modern broadcasting, even providing similar services. There seems no reason why this should not continue in an expanded media environment. One has to suspect that the repeated emphasis on the newness of the new media suggesting that wholly reformed approaches to content are needed is perhaps a little exaggerated.

     

    #5 Public sector broadcasting must develop a new relationship with the audience:

    The long-term future of public service broadcasting in the context of a rapidly changing media landscape and with intense competition between private players is to remain extremely focused on long term goal to strengthen our economy, our culture and our democracy. The public service broadcasting must in the future both retain its basic characteristics and change very significantly. Public service broadcasting can and should aim to develop a new relationship with their audiences, this will be vital as expectations as well as the technology are fundamentally changing.

     

    Rajiv Mishra is the CEO of Lok Sabha TV and anchors a weekly show – ‘Special Guest’

     

  • It’s not just TVCs that the Boys are known for, but this list by A N Chorrea looks at the work that got them to be the most courted creative hotshop in the country.

    The Anchor: 10 TAPROOT! TVCs that you want to watch over and over again

    By A N Chorrea

     

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIuGHTAwi1g[/youtube] Airtel: Jo Tera Hai Wo Mera Hai

     

    The new Airtel ad may seem a little inspired from the original and hence not as refreshing, but it has caught on with the youth, and guess that’s what matters.
    [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIAKKtlyi6g[/youtube] Fox Movies: Subtitles

     

    Okay, it may take a second for you to get it, but when you do, you can’t help wanting to watch it over and over again.
    [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2FviMZkX5s[/youtube] Nirma Ambulance (New)

     

    Woman power at its best… in fact it may want you to sock those men where it hurts most. (Pssst: now would you really do what the women did if you were in your finery?)
    [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xeg27rv__04[/youtube] A Day in the Life of India – The Great Indian Circus (The Times of India)

     

    It’s part of the Day in the Life of India series… nicely crafted.
    [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWq3101hotA[/youtube] Mountain Dew – Dam

     

    How did he do it!? We bet every time you saw it, you had a new theory on how the young man would’ve overcome fear.
    [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVb01vfbVEw[/youtube] Mumbai Mirror

     

    Award-winning ad… need we say more.
    [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxz4WvGG7uA[/youtube] TOI Chennai – Wake up to The Times of India

     

    This is the ad that woke up The Hindu… guess that’s what matters.
    [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZIFj3VF9KU[/youtube] Pepsi World Cup Cricket 2011 promos

     

    These were fun, weren’t they… remember the Helicopter Shot?
    [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dz6YylorUGM[/youtube] Aman Ki Asha

     

    Tears roll down our eyes every time we see this.
    [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9BlCyTD-sw[/youtube] Airtel – Har Ek Friend Zaroori Hota Hai

     

    Huge hit. Earned cult status as you don’t mind seeing it over and over again.
  • From the look of the website, to your knowledge of the market – it has to be up to scratch

    The Anchor: 5 ways to build trust among e-consumers

    By Prasad Shejale

     

    #1 Your Image – Your Website

    Your ecommerce website should contain quality content and images. It is best to offer relevant content and display minimum advertisements as far as possible. At the same time, company profile and ‘about us’ content on the website adds to the trust factor of the consumer. The entire look and feel of the website should reflect a high degree of genuineness which in turn builds up the trust of the consumers.

     

    #2 Service & Support

    Customer service and support are the vital keys to build up trust and support. With many customer support options available such as email, chat, and phone support expert advice, do offer as much of them live as possible. The idiom ‘Striking when the iron is hot’ stands true and definitely goes a long way in building up customer support and loyalty too!!

     

    #3 Fortifying Customer Relations

    Social media and consumer trust are directly proportionate to each other. Along with your social media presence, offering genuine and consumer friendly advice and tips through an article, Facebook post or a tweet is what really counts. These efforts generate a feeling of trust and reliability which can be ascertained when these blogs/articles/posts are further referred by customers.

     

    #4 Know Your Market’s Vibe

    Grasping the pulse of the market and being very dynamic to adapt to the latest market trends is essential. Offering just what the customer wishes to purchase is one of the most preferred trust building efforts you can undertake. Always remember ‘Customer is King’, and this mantra does hold true even today.

     

    #5 Respect Privacy

    Don’t spam your customer’s mailbox. Just because he has bought once doesn’t mean that he wants your mail every day. Give him an option to unsubscribe or at least decide on the frequency.

     

    Prasad Shejale is Co-Founder & CEO (India), Logicserve Group

     

  • For big creative shops to get serious about digital, they need to modify their outlook and treatment of the medium

    The Anchor: Madan Sanglikar on 4 big changes needed in Indian digital advertising

    #1 Erase the traditional vs digital mindset:

    This mindset has created a silo where what the digital team does is not known by the traditional media team and vice versa, whether it be at a client level, at an agency level etc. There is no unified thinking and therefore if we want to believe in convergence then it needs to first change with the mindset, not just in the devices. If we can therefore rule out this digital versus traditional mindset, it will work far better.

     

    #2 Single unified data points:

    We have different data points for different set of consumers, a lot of countries today are moving towards unified data points. It is high time that we start getting single sourced data which allows us to capture data points for the same consumer across different medium. Right now there are four or five different companies providing different data points, and hence like most developed countries it is high time India also adopts single source data points for tracking consumer behaviour.

     

    #3 Big creative shops must get serious about digital:

    While the media side of the business has seen tremendous growth, the creative part of the business is still struggling. I would like to see a lot more traditional media creative guys jumping into the digital media creative bandwagon. Because what I see today is a clear gap in the way work is done; as a result a lot of small time creative shops have got an opportunity to pull this gap. The big creative shops therefore must get serious about digital, not just by acquisition or adding business but, by actually understanding the medium and getting their hands dirty rather than just acquiring business.

     

    #4 Political will to make India more digital-savvy:

    There seems to be a lack of strong political will where building good infrastructure facilities in order to make India a digital-savvy country is concerned. I would like to see a strong political will in improving the broadband infrastructure of the country because India is ready and looking forward to newer opportunities in this area but, sadly there are not enough opportunities available at the moment.

     

    Madan Sanglikar is the Co-founder and CEO at AD2C

     

  • Chandradeep 'CD' Mitra on why general entertainment channels rule telly-land!

    The Anchor: Chandradeep Mitra on 5 reasons why GECs rule the Indian TV industry

    By Chandradeep Mitra

     

    1. Historicity – General Entertainment Channels (or GECs) were the first and the main channels which started the TV culture in our country – Doordarshan (DD), then Zee, then Star. In fact, all other channel genres – news, sports, kids, music, etc. – started off as sections within main GECs before being spun off separately. However, GECs have remained the main draws, the big brothers and the bouquet-drivers in the TV business.

     

    2. Mainstream Entertainment Quotient – In an entertainment-crazy nation fed on Bollywood and other escapist fare, GECs provide the most broad-based mass-appeal entertainment platter (think ‘Thali’!) that aims to please most, if not all, of the TV audiences, unlike more niche options targeting smaller audience groups.

     

    3. Targeting Remote Controllers – Among various TV audiences, GECs have traditionally targeted the middle-class, middle-aged women the most, who form the largest and most loyal TV viewing group. Long-running soaps and popular well-tested formats ensured repeat viewing of this core audience. And the fact that most Indian households are single TV homes ensured that GECs won over other channels during primetime by targeting the folks who controlled the TV remote at those hours. The creation of the afternoon slot also resulted from targeting this audience group, further consolidating the lead of GECs.

     

    4. Resource Prioritization – As GECs were historically the bigger TV channels, media owners as well as advertisers put greater focus and energy on continuing their success, hence dominance. The biggest production budgets, the slickest marketing campaigns and the biggest stars (think Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Aamir Khan…) all were marshaled to make GECs bigger and stronger. Success perpetuated more success.

     

    5. Biggest Innovations / Breakthroughs – While a number of GECs continued to play safe and repeat successful formulas (remember the Saas Bahu serials?!), the high stakes game in the GEC genre also ensured that the biggest innovations and introduction of breakthrough formats also happened on GECs (think KBC and Satyamev Jayate). This ensured that more often than not, it was a GEC that benefited from a positive discontinuity in Indian television (IPL is perhaps one exception).

     

    Chandradeep Mitra is CEO, PipalMajik

     

     

  • With more users, better penetration and competitive pricing, broadband internet has nowhere to go but up.

    The Anchor: 5 reasons why broadband internet will grow in India

    1. Better devices
    2. Ease of use
    3. Better connectivity
    4. The pricing at which the broadband in now available – the government of India, BSNL has been doing a lot to get pricing and affordability in play.
    5. People coming onto the web is the effective reason. The fact that more and more services are available on broadband will also result in better broadband services.

     

    The broadband penetration is bound to grow, there is no two ways about it. Take for instance China, five years back China was around 100 million internet users, four years down, now it is at 450 million internet users. It has an extremely high penetration of mobility but its broadband continued to grow because infrastructure rollout has happened, ease of use is there from a connectivity perspective. Therefore I am opportunistic about the fact that broadband will continue to grow in India.

     

    Siddhartha Roy is the COO, Consumer Business & Allied Services, Hungama Digital Media Entertainment.

  • No faces, no pictures – maybe that’s why radio captures minds so engagingly.

    The Anchor: 6 reasons a listener can never fall out of love with radio

    By Ashit Kukian

    #1 Radio gives listeners different genres of music and a fresh playlist all through the day. And that is further packaged with warm and friendly RJs, topical banter, guest appearances and lots of surprise elements to keep listeners wowed every minute of every day.

    #2 Radio is credited with being the ‘Theatre of the Mind’ since it engages one’s imagination more actively than a visual medium does.

    #3 The level of engagement and interaction that Radio enjoys with its listeners is incomparable to any other medium.  From conversing with listeners on a daily basis, to celebrating their joyous occasions of life, Radio touches the lives of all its listeners.

    #4 Radio provides listeners with Infotainment – relevant and topical information presented in as entertaining a way as possible. Radio then serves as a mood-enhancer by catalyzing one’s mood and uplifting the spirit of the listener who tunes in.

    #5 Listeners can relate to the medium in a very personal and intimate way. It can be a loyal friend to some and a confidant to others. So much so that you’ll often find listeners confiding in RJs about their deepest fears and problems.

    #6 Being a local medium, Radio fits seamlessly into the fabric and framework of the city. It serves as a lens through which listeners can get a glimpse of the pulse of the city.

     

    Ashit Kukian is COO, Radio City 91.1 FM.

  • AdAsia a waste of time? Not, says this reader, emphatically.

    The Anchor: 6 reasons why you can’t do without attending AdAsia 2011

    There have been some angry responses to our anchor of November 2. As it emerged, it did touch some raw nerves. Here’s an angry retort, again anonymous. The writer has replied point by point. The responses are in bold.

    #1 Rs 40,000 for entry. Okay, you could get early bed or bulk entry discounts, but it’s still not small money. Plus travel – flight tickets, local travel and hotel. All of this amounts to around Rs 75,000 if you stay in a budget hotel. Rs 1 lakh if it’s 4-star-upwards.

    So what, dear brother (or sister)? The best things in life don’t come free. Look at the number of meals you get as part of the package. Gyaan sessions, entertainment and an opportunity to meet people and boast to the kids back home that you attended AdAsia. Btw, if it was held in some foreign land, you may have to pay twice. Of course you can bring those two litres of booze. But neighbourhood bootlegger hai na!

    #2 Usual suspects, usual suspects, usual suspects. It’s the same old faces at all our industry events. AdAsia had Harish Manwani of Hindustan Lever on Day 1. But Shah Rukh Khan? Grrrr!

    Manwani is a usual suspect? And Shah Rukh Khan is one of the most popular faces in India and in advertisements also. The fact is that Ad Asia didn’t have the usual suspects lined up. We even saw a swami in the line-up!

    #3 There is a need to draw younger professionals to AdAsia and not 40-plus and 50-year-olds.

    Point. But that’s for organizations to blood young talent. The organisers are doing their bit to organise quality content.

    #4 The same old format of keynotes, speeches and panel discussions is boring. C’mon marketers and advertisers. You guys are creative, why not think of something innovative?

    You should try some of the other industry conclaves and events. Boring panel discussions and speeches of people who plug their own work. Hey pal, you’re a mediaperson yourself, any ideas… pls mail them.

    #5 You network every day with your friends and aspirational friends on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. So conferences like these need to relook the role of these events for connecting with the fraternity. Agreed there’s nothing like meeting people face-to-face, and Facebook friendship is also fine.

    Facebook is fine, but har physical meeting zaroori hoti hai. There’s nothing like meeting in person, exchanging cards and letting the relationship grow.

    #6 Why Delhi? It was good to not do it in Mumbai. How about Bangalore, Pune, Amritsar, Calcutta, Chennai? Wasn’t Calcutta once the capital of the adwallahs?

    Delhi is where there’s loads of action. All the big media guys are there and so are the advertisers. You said it right, Calcutta was once the capital. Unless Didi does some jaadoo-i jugaad out there, not likely that the boys and girls of adland will shift there in a hurry.

     

    The writer of this piece too is a senior member of the media industry. She/he prefers to stay anonymous as according to her/him why should he/she do it when the writer of the earlier piece didn’t reveal his/her identity. And we (as in MxMIndia) let that happen!

  • Watch a movie? Maybe. Or read, shop, check out sports. Or watch a movie.

    The Anchor: 6 things you could do in the looooong Diwali break this week

    There’s an extra long Diwali break coming up. So you’ve had to cancel your Bangkok holiday because of the deluge there and find the tickets to every other touristy place exorbitant? You would’ve liked to watch Ra One at least once, but the endless promos have ensure that you have the movie coming out of your ears, eyes and toe nails?

     

    Worry not. Here’s a recommendation from the MxMIndia editorial team of what you could do.

     

    #1 No 1 on our list is the exclusive biography of Steve Jobs. Written by Walter Isaacson, this book shot up on the Amazon popularity charts from oblivion to the top after Jobs passed away. Since it’s got the blessings of Jobs, be sure of getting some rare insights.

    It’s going to be on all bookstores and is available for quite a steal on Flipkart (Rs 559) or better still, off uRead.com at Rs 543. Hey, the 16 bucks could buy you a world of things. Isaacson’s book is scheduled to be out today (Oct 24).

     

    #2 Go shopping for the Smart TV at Chroma, eZone, Vijay Sales etc. The Samsung Smart TV or the other brands in the same genre. It can do loads of things together, plus also play videos from DVDs and YouTube. Prices are high, but can be fitted into EMI plans.

     

    #3 Get yourself a couple of DVDs. Check the ones at Flipkart (http://www.flipkart.com/movies). Okay the new releases may not excite you much: Nutcracker 3D is a downer. Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara has already been on telly recently, but if you want to see it at one go and with deleted scenes and the making of a few of the songs, go for it at Rs 255 (Flipkart again). Some good giftables are available from among the TV shows.

     

    #4 Live events: Eden Gardens is going to come alive with an ODI tomorrow (Oct 25) and a T20 encounter on Saturday (Oct 29)… the games are between India and England and they’ll be on Neo Cricket (and DD). There’s Metallica in Gurgaon (Oct 28) and Bengaluru (Oct 30). Plus of course Lady Gaga and all the entertainement acts to coincide with the big F1 days on Oct 28-30.

     

    #5 Go watch Ra One. Poor Shahrukh Khan. He’s invested huge sums of money and time for its promotion. May as well watch it. Meanwhile, visit MxMIndia next Monday for our expert view on the film and how we think the reviewers fared.

     

    #6 And last but definitely not the least, await MxMIndia’s Diwali special on Wednesday. Titled ‘It’s gr8 to be in the media’.  Guest writers plus Anil Thakraney, Ranjona Banerji, and, a little birdie tells us, even Mediaah! To those of you, who’ve been initiated to MxMIndia a little late, this may be a good opportunity to dig into our archives.

     

  • How do you keep viewers coming back to you in an arena that’s packed with channels and content?

    The Anchor: 7 ways to keep a viewer glued to your channel

    By Sunder Aaron

     

    #1 Assortment: A channel needs to offer a variety of content to viewers to keep them coming back.

     

    #2 Thematic: It is important to be a part of local festivals and important historic days which makes the viewers feel closer to the channel – for example Diwali or Independence Day.

     

    #3 Original: A viewer today is bombarded with numerous communications all the time – it is more important than ever create a clear differentiation amongst the category to enjoy top-of-mind status with the viewers.

     

    #4 Young and fresh: Any viewer, young or middle-aged, would like to watch a film which excites him/ her. The best way to this is to keep the appearance of the channel vibrant and fresh.

     

    #5 Beyond the television screen: Gone are the days when television channels just aired promos and hoped to keep viewers glued – the need of the hour is to create brand extension programs.

     

    #6 Avoid repetition: Repetition could result into losing a fair amount of eyeballs since there is a sense of disappointment if the viewer has already watched the content.

     

    #7 Surprise element: Surprise your viewer! Exceed your promise by delivering more than you promise.

     

    Sunder Aaron is Business Head, PIX.

  • There are hundreds of brands on Facebook at any given moment vying for your target group’s attention, even as Mark Zuckerberg introduces changes every few weeks.

    The Anchor: 6 reasons why ‘Likes’ aren’t a good indicator of Facebook popularity

    By Rohini Kapur

    The Facebook rat race has begun, and everyone’s racing to beat competing brands by gathering as many ‘Likes’ as possible. So while the fight for market share and the next bestselling product rages on, marketers are doing their best to win the Facebook battle. Unfortunately, there are hundreds of brands on Facebook at any given moment vying for your target group’s attention, even as Mark Zuckerberg introduces changes every few weeks. Meanwhile, as Indian users become more discerning online, the number of ‘Likes’ (or fans) on your page has can be quite misleading. The top six reasons your page ‘Likes’ don’t really indicate how many people really like your Facebook page:

    #1 ‘Likes’ (or fans, as they were called earlier) are there to win goodies: Let’s face it– most Indians are constantly on the look-out for freebies. From stickers to sunglasses, MP3 players to mobile phones, they will do anything for a chance to win something cool. They may not be interested in your brand or your updates– they are just there to impress their new girl with the free BlackBerry.

    #2 ‘Likes’ does not mean engagement: One reason brand managers love the online space is because a user can “engage” or “interact” directly with the brand. Sadly, that’s not always the case. A large number of fans does not always lead to a highly engaged audience. So if you’ve got 1 lakh fans but only 15 comments and 50 likes in response to your updates, it’s time to wonder whether the remaining 95,935 people really bother reading your updates at all.

    #3 They like your brand or product, but not your page: Some of the most loved international and Indian brands have just as good pages with updated content, a distinct voice, and a vibrant community. But then there are those with thousands of ‘Likes’ that have run-of-the-mill content, generic updates and somewhat relevant information from time-to-time. The question is– are those people still on the page because they like your brand or because they like your page? There is a small but significant difference here– a consumer may joined your community based on a wonderful experience he had with your product, but is not enjoying the brand story on Facebook.

    #4 A fan has forgotten about your page: Very often, a user ‘Likes’ a page because he likes what he sees, but he joins other pages and gets busy with things such as his real life, friends’ kids’ photos and viral videos. As a result, his engagement with the page drops, the page’s Edgerank falls, and the page updates tend to disappear unless the user scrolls all the way down his news feed. If he doesn’t see you updates, do he still like your page?

    #5: ‘Likes’ could be lurkers, haters or wannabes: A number of fans on brand pages just want to know what people are saying about the brand, product or service, especially before buying high value products like cars. They want to know product features, new collections, prices, and how the brand responds to complaints about poor service. Similarly, a number of fans are there just to complain. And then there are the wannabes that you are almost everywhere– you see them ‘liking’ every post, competing with others to be the first to comment or advising others. They aren’t really there because they love your page, they are there for timepass on Facebook.

    #6: They ‘liked’ your ad, your welcome/ landing tab or the Mallika Sherawat picture you posted: As a reflex action, users have begun seeking the ‘like’ button (or a thumbs up, star etc) online when they see something that amuses, enthralls or captivates them. Pressing the ‘Like’ button on your page could be due to a variety of reasons– the very cool ad they saw on Facebook, the Facebook widget on your website, an attractive landing tab or a hot picture of their favourite actress.

    Rohini Kapur works in social media and web strategy and runs a fashion blog.