Tag: The Anchor

By Shailesh Kapoor

 

Content testing is now an established norm in the television industry. Channels test new programme concepts or pilots among consumers with the purpose of content development, or to take green-lighting decisions. We have tested more than 150 programmes across genres in the last four years. This industry-wide need also encouraged us to create a proprietary tool for this purpose, called True Value. There is conclusive data to prove that pre-testing content can reduce failure rate by almost 30-40%.

 

I believe that as we step into the next stage of television content, we can’t be satisfied with involving consumers only with content testing and post-launch feedback. The consumer’s mind is a fascinating melting pot of heterogeneous ideas, and tapping into them can throw up stories and formats that trained creative minds may not necessarily be able to conjure up.

 

Of course, the process of content generation using the consumers can’t be “random” in nature. Often, when I speak about this topic, the first broadcaster reaction is: “But consumers are not creative people.” But that’s the whole point. Because they are not “creative” people, they think like “normal” people. What we need to bring into the process are tools and devices that stimulate their thinking; some kind of a structure using which their rich minds can be channelized into concrete ideas.

 

We have been focusing on building such tools over the last year, and are happy to announce that 2013 should see definitive progress in this direction. I’m looking forward to working with like-minded channels and production houses to change the way content is generated, not only in India but also across the world.

 

Of the consumer, by the consumer, for the consumer!

 

– The writer is Founder-CEO, Ormax Media Research. His column, TV Trail, appears on MxMIndia every Thursday

 

By Deepa Gahlot

 

The question comes up sporadically, why don’t the newspapers and general interest publications carry reviews or in-depth pieces on culture? The answer is invariably a) who’s interested in reading about it?  b) where are the experts to write on art and culture?

 

These two issues are linked- if nobody writes, how can interest be created? And if no interest is created, who will read?

 

In the Indian media, Bollywood has almost wiped out everything else that has value, beauty, intelligence. If crass films that make 100 crore are cited as the ultimate goal to be achieved, slowly all difference of opinion (already mainstream critics are becoming apologists for bad commercial cinema) will be smothered and anything that cannot be measured with money will lose its worth.

 

Already, large parts of the country exist in a cultural vacuum and in cities, for the middle and upper classes, malls and pubs are the new temples of ‘timepass.’

 

The print medium seems to have abdicated its role as thought leader and influencer. It happened when most publications abruptly dropped their culture and books pages, and, to ostensibly rope in young readers, filled pages and pages with Bollywood trivia. Now India has a young generation of Philistines, who think Bollywood and TV talent contests is all the culture they need, because who will teach them any better? Not schools burdened with percentage-oriented education; not parents, unless they are exceptionally enlightened.

 

If the next generation’s taste has to be developed and the onslaught of idiocy halted, then the mainstream media-mainly print- has to bring back the culture and books pages and also encourage a climate of informed criticism and connoisseurship.

 

–The writer is a senior journalist and an award-winning film reviewer. Her column, Reviewing the Reviews, appears on most Mondays

 

By Jaisurya Das

 

When we started Dear MxM on Day 1 of MxMIndia, the concept was unique. What was a counselling service doing on a trade news and views site, people asked?

 

We were almost certain we would be writing our own questions and it would take ages before our readers sought our advice…. Well, we were wrong and the very next week the response started coming in and soon we were battling on what to answer each week since most of our readers had multiple queries and each of them significant.

 

While the response to the column is welcome – and we will start a new season soon, it also shows that there is a genuine need for a quality counselling and mentoring in the media. Industry associations may perhaps take a lead in the issue and start it. Large media companies must have it. It’s vital for organizations and seniors in the business to be available to mentor young talent. Until some decades, media companies had established training or internship programme. Not any longer, as entry-level employees are thrown in the deep end instantly. Even though this may be good exposure, not everyone is able to tackle the pressure and demands of the job.

 

It is important that senior employees or HR departments take the lead for internal mentoring but employees are hesitant to speak to someone from their own workplace, they should be able to approach the ‘neutral’ mentors appointed by industry associations.

 

The media is a people’s business, and we need to take good care of all our talent. It’s our responsibility to do so.

 

— The writer is COO, Sakal Media Group and Contributing Editor, MxMIndia

 

By Paritosh Joshi

 

David Cameron, under enormous pressure to show decisive action in the face of what was widely seen as egregious behaviour at News International, announced a wide-ranging inquiry into “the culture, practices and ethics of the Press” on July 13, 2011. Headed by Lord Justice Leveson, the inquiry commenced on July 28, 2011 and submitted its final report on November 29, 2012.

 

We are in India, I hear you say, and this topic is irrelevant and irksome. Right then, I will let you go. Here still? Thanks. This merits your attention and patience. The Leveson Inquiry’s Terms of Reference appear as an Annexure but here are a few key points:

 

Part 1
1. To inquire into the culture, practices, and ethics of the press

2. To make recommendations:
a. for a new more effective policy and regulatory
regime (truncated)

 

Part 2
3. To inquire into the extent of unlawful or improper conduct within (truncated) newspaper organisations and, as appropriate, other organisations within the media (truncated)

 

We are no strangers to improper associations between the media and the political establishment. The Radia Tapes and countless other misdemeanours suggest that the issues that Lord Justice Leveson dealt with are pertinent to us.

 

Our news businesses have never been more short-term-orientated and generally myopic to enduring vision, than they appear today. While this should only be expected of the arrivistes who have entered driven by promises of lucre and/or power, it is not restricted to them. Alarmingly, the great and the good of the Ancien Régime too are willing victims of the contagion.

 

Here, finally, is the big idea: A Media Agnostic, Fully Empowered Self-Regulatory Body For News.

 

An interesting dialectic is playing out in these times. On one hand: Access to news and information about people and events anywhere in the world is no further than a click on Google or Tw itt er.

 

On the other : At no time have states, or other sufficiently powerful groups, been more hostile to adverse reportage. Or more prepared to attempt to muzzle it. Within the last fortnight we have seen everything from girls arrested for a Facebook posting and editors being accused of extortion to a whole country, Syria, disconnected from the internet.

 

We can’t do much about despots in distant lands but we have a solemn obligation to the citizenry. Free speech is the best long-term safeguard of our democracy. It is
imperative, therefore that the press does not open itself up to accusations of mendacity. In effect, a self-regulator would have to protect the press against its own worst
instincts.

 

Over the last year or so, television news broadcasters have instituted a self-regulatory body the News Broadcasting Standards Authority, NBSA, presided over by ex- CJI, Justice Verma. NBSA has begun to make some progress but there is still disquiet on both substance and form in which news is delivered. The situation on the print side of the business is less sanguine. The Press Council of India is constituted under the provisions of the Press Council Act, 1978. Its stated objective is “preserving the freedom of the Press and of maintaining and improving the standards of newspapers and news agencies in India”.

 

Justice Katju, who took over Chairmanship on October 5, 2011, has managed to keep the Council, and himself, in the news over this last year and a bit. Bluster has its uses but eventually it becomes vexatious. So what is the problem?

 

We don’t have a real self-regulator in place. And more importantly, a medium-agnostic regulator. A regulatory system, however well intentioned, is simply not up to scratch if it operates inside historical silos.

 

There are four generally accepted pillars on which a Self-Regulatory Regime for News Media must stand:

Journalists’ Code of Ethics Defined Standards of Editorial Independence Media Organisations’ internal S&P (Standards & Practices) Guidelines

Formal Complaints Management and Redressal Process with a formally constituted body comprised of:

Industry professionals, both working journalists and editors Representatives of allied professions (advertisers and agencies) Representatives of Civil Society Templates for the first three are available locally or internationally and can be adapted. If templates are needed for establishing the Complaints Redressal Body, that model too is available in the form of the Consumer Complaints Council of Advertising Standards Council India.

 

It isn’t as simple as that. There are huge vested interests to contend with and many apparently irreconcilable positions. An idea like this will take much time to find acceptability but it is an idea whose time has come.

 

And think about it the way Stan Lee, creator of Spiderman put it. “With great power, there must also come great responsibility”.

 

By Sujit Kote, GM, Hansa Events and Activation

 

The one big idea that could be a game changer for the Events industry is ‘Intellectual Property’. IP offers unique entertainment to the audiences and gets like-minded brands together. Consumers were always exposed to international entertainment through the Internet, but through Youtube and Social Media the awareness is much more now. Regular Bollywood song and dance alone does not excite consumers any more. International formats and new format IPs are slowly but surely making their way into India. These IPs will be driven by a single, large brand or multiple brands with similar ideologies coming together. The success of the marathon for the last few years is a testament to the fact that IPs are here to stay. New age music festivals have already begun to spring up across the country. Event-management companies and production houses are making rounds of festivals to buy India property rights for various international IPs. In the next few years, India will see a huge rise in the number of IPs across the country.

 

Also, the one big idea that could be a game changer for the events and activation industry is the integration of social media. Very few players have actually realised and used the potential of social media. Today, the success of a campaign is being judged based on the active response for the event or activation. But by use of social media, the event/activation campaign reaches out to a larger audience or attracts a larger audience to the event. An event or activation is no longer restricted to the venue where the activity is taking place. The event is now being broadcasted live on Facebook, tweeted across social media, uploaded on various social media sites for consumers to experience at will. Very soon, the success of an activation campaign would be measured based on the responses on social media alone.  The integration of social media with events and activation would see a difference in the way pre-promotions would be done while maintaining sustainability of activity and measurement of final results.

 

By Sanjay Hemady, Chief Operating Officer, HIT 95 FM

 

Thinking big for the business will mean many aspects never ever done before; some things that make the game to be different will have to be played. There will be various aspects that will need to be covered as a plan to turn around and turn to profitability.

 

A lot has been tried and written, as a revolutionary measure all stations coming together with a “Minimum Common Agenda” might be the first step in a collaborative way. Let’s bring in a smile, let’s enjoy the game of radio.

 

With a goal to reach a revenue figure and an objective to achieve a set deadline will make all the difference. Some hard audited facts have to be showcased, hard stands need to be taken, assistance from external consultants should highlight the last 10 years that were toiled completely… Some hard thinking needs to be done with authority and responsibility that should be exercised to achieve goals and objectives in a constructive and meaningful way.

 

Accept it, that the going has been tough, accept that we don’t see a sunrise with the same ongoing humdrum, accept that we have to pull up and run faster… but the radio teams are always geared to give their best.

 

The question is, do we have the authority to be responsible enough to steer progress? Do we know that some collective introspection is required? If yes, let’s take these measures immediately.

 

Appoint an eGoB of Empowered Group of Radio Broadcasters with a clear agenda based on a result oriented plan and timelines. Invite a respected personality who can be an acceptable figure by all to guide the radio business to prosperity. This personality should spearhead radio agenda aggressively. This was effectively done in the olden times. Take the example of the first Maurya emperor Chandragupta and the scholar, teacher, philosopher Chanakya regarded as the master strategist who was heard by one and all. A quote which might be relevant for us today: “Learn from the mistakes of others… you can’t live long enough to make them all yourselves!!”

 

A fresh new thinking, a fresh new approach is the need of the hour.

 

Are we in a state to name the gentleman who will be radio’s game changer? Or who will be the father of Indian radio or a Chanakya…?

 

Radio’s time will come and we know the game, so let’s play it now!

 

By Mrinmoy Mukherjee, Director, Marketing & Business Development, Retail, Raymond Limited

 

The fashion and apparel sectors are among the fastest growing industries in the world today. The Indian fashion industry is seen in global circles as dynamic and with great potential. Over the past few decades, the fashion industry in India has evolved considerably on account of the increasing fashion consciousness among Indians. Indian youth have developed a distinct fashion sense – thanks to the democratization of information because of the digital age. By 2020 India will become the youngest nation in the world with an average age of 29. It is believed that it is the massive Indian fashion consuming class that will set trends in the global fashion industry in the future. With such fast-evolving consumers in the apparel sector, brands need to be abreast of the needs of their audiences, while being agile enough to adopt to their changing tastes.

 

In this context, it will be of primary importance to comprehend consumer tastes. Digital media, especially social media is a key tool that will help feel the pulse of fashion trends. Even as retail sales are still primarily being dominated by large format multi brand stores and exclusive brand stores, the influence of social media and Internet on offline purchasing is becoming increasingly important, acting as a complete ‘game changer’. Though this is just the beginning, retailers in India have started taking to social media. However, there is still considerable untapped opportunity. In the backdrop of changing lifestyles, increased incomes, demographic variability, and a vibrant democracy a sharp rise in social media usage in India can be expected. Brands can get meaningful insights and use them for decision-making in launching new campaigns, CRM programmes etc. It is interesting to see how marketers can take advantage of that. This is the platform where consumers talk free. Social media can get brands the exact sentiment of customers and what they want, as they are a direct and interactive communication tool.

 

Brand owners and media planners who can comprehend the complexity of the consuming consumer not only from a product and brand perspective but from her/his proximity to digital media platforms and can predict going forward how the two will complement each other will be the winners of the future marketplace. The future marketplace will be a complex mix of digital and real…the new reality!

 

By Alpana Parida, President, DY Works

 

There are three major compelling reasons why advertising (ATL, as it is called) should become history, and become not more than 15-20% of the marketing budget:

 

Markets have seen a proliferation of categories, brands, variants and formats. Newer and newer products/ brands or variants fill the shelves – and the consumers know they have a choice. In this scenario, they come with a consideration set in their heads and then are fence-sitters till they see the product. The packaging is what sells at the retail shelf. And the Back of Pack is what causes conversions.

 

Brands have an opportunity to enter the ‘consideration’ set at the point of sale. Communication at the point of sale can drive trials and market shares. It is critical to understand what consumers want to know for conversion to occur. Depending on the category, of course, the consumer typically seeks more specific and rational reasons to justify the purchase. It is important to tell the consumer how this product will fit into his/ her life.

 

Media clutter is unprecedented and advertising is so busy trying to be memorable and TOM that its connection with the brand (sometimes even the category) is becoming tenuous. Advertising does not work any more – unless brands have budgets upwards of Rs 100 crore.

 

By Vivek Lakhwara, Sr. Vice President, Laqshya Media Pvt. Ltd

 

My take on the one big idea in OOH is its Measurability.

 

In spite of being the oldest media, it lacks in offering measurability, as yet, in our country.

 

So, what does it mean? Media is planned based upon the reach and impact of a certain media amongst its target group. Before money is allocated to various media the percentage of target group it would reach is known. Therefore, a calculated call is taken with regards to the inclusion of a media and the extent to which it is taken. It is also known how quickly the build-up to that reach would happen. This helps in better allocation of budget. It also helps in determining the right price of a media vehicle. Even if the price is not up to a decimal, it does offer base figures. Then of course, depending upon the demand and supply of inventory pricing happens.

 

In case of OOH, while it is quite established that it creates great impact and buzz, it doesn’t quantify its audience. This leaves a huge question mark in professional planning. Also, stretches most frequented by stakeholders tend to generate more demand and lead to overpricing. At the same time other equally good units could generate less enthusiasm and therefore less price.

 

As a starting point we ought to know who are the people passing by on the streets of our towns and cities. We need to understand the traffic flow. This is readily available in many countries through the traffic department. But, it is not yet available to the OOH industry in our country. So, we need to make an attempt to understand the people and traffic passing by through the various stretches of our towns and cities.

 

This then needs to be categorized according to the quality of traffic passing by. So, we could categorize people depending upon their demography. This would give us a fair idea about the kind of people passing by and therefore probability of them viewing a OOH unit.

 

Once, we know the demography of people passing by, we could engage ourselves in another exercise of ascertaining the likelihood of a OOH unit being seen by the people passing by. This can be done by indexing the units based on certain parameters which impact the probability of a unit being seen.

 

The number of people of a certain demography, passing by, multiplied by the probability of viewing a unit, would give us the viewership of a unit for a certain demography.

 

Such an exercise would put OOH on the same pedestal as other media in terms of ascertaining its visibility and therefore reach. It would also mean evenly distributed media could emerge resulting in pricing according to the audience delivery.

 

By Sanjeev Kapoor, Celebrity chef & founder, FoodFood

 

Food today is not a mere consumable – it is rapidly acquiring a lifestyle halo. As prosperity invades Indian households, food is coming out from the kitchens and extending well into our lives. Food today has become experimental, has gone cosmopolitan and has discovered fusion. Broadcasters are thus tuning in to whet the appetite of their consumers, the viewing audience who are as much fed by the content as they feed the content. Advertisers have started sharing a substantial part of their budget on food and lifestyle shows.

 

Food in media has created a whole new avenue of advertising – innovative brand integration. There is not only opportunity for product placements, but the ingredients themselves can be branded, new concepts can be introduced and new methodologies demonstrated while simultaneously ‘pushing’ the brand itself. The chef, often seen as a guru, and emulated in the hope of achieving similar culinary success, becomes a natural spokesperson and endorser for products.

 

Food also naturally allows for a high degree of interactivity and entertainment. Both of which the consumer today seeks from the media. The food gamut is endless and covers a vast sphere from travel to entertainment to culture and even kids. Almost every aspect of media lends itself to food, be it game shows, travelogues, lifestyle features, talk shows, or even soaps… space for every brand to be naturally incorporated into the content!