MxMIndia

Tag: TOI

  • The film depicts the TOI reader’s relationship with the newspaper

    Gulzar celebrates #NewspaperMornings for Times of India

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Times of India has launched an ode to the morning newspaper habit of many/most Indians with a poetry penned by celebrated lyricist and poet Gulzar.

     

    Speaking about the campaign Sanjeev Bhargava, Director, Brand TOI said: “Across the world, newspapers are the most trusted source of news, and our readers already know that.  Reading a newspaper is not merely flipping through pages. We all have our unique way of reading our newspapers – some sit on a table, some lounge on floor, some start from front page, some go reverse and so on. The charm of reading a newspaper is an intimate and uninterrupted immersion into news, that is both relaxing and intense depending on the pace of its reader. The poetry narrates this experience from the eyes of the reader. During uncertainty, access to accurate information is critical. And, we stay committed to our readers to bring them unbiased and authentic news to ensure our relationship with our readers strengthen further.”

     

     

  • The campaign created by Wunderman Thompson India captures the need for empowering senior citizens to live happy in the new-normal with social distancing norms

    ‘Reverse Parenting’ is the need of the hour, says TOI campaign on Father’s Day

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Times of India is doing a content series under ‘Unlocking Diaries’ that chronicles how different sectors are opening up post the lockdown.

     

    Speaking about the campaign, Sanjeev Bhargava, Director, Brand, TOI, commented, “As the world comes to terms with the new-normal, the older generations will find it increasingly alien and the younger ones will find ways to adapt. In this scenario, it become incumbent upon the younger generations to help their elders acclimatize to the new reality. This Father’s Day, TOI recognises this shift and helps create awareness for this new dynamic in old parent-child relationship.”

     

    Talking about the video, Joy Chauhan, Senior Vice President & Managing Partner, Wunderman Thompson, Gurgaon, added: “Curating such a thought-driven and purpose-led campaign for an iconic brand like TOI reaffirms the faith that we have in them towards making a difference to society. Our long-standing association with them has seen us contribute our creativity towards the cause in creating a host of impactful and compelling initiatives. Coupled with a sense of urgency in these testing times, the concept of #ReverseParenting film was one that needed to reach out to the audience at the very earliest. It drives forward the message and reiterates the fact that it is now time for the children to help their father ease into the new normal. Having made such a telling campaign, we look to make more of the same for them in the near future.”

     

     

  • 290 million eligible voters were unable to exercise their right to vote, due to migration

    TOI’s ‘Lost Vote’ campaign propels EC to finally act

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Times of India had launched its largest-ever collective campaign, Lost Votes, aimed at getting the right for voting for those who have moved away from the address where their vote is registered. Drawing nation-wide attention, the publication with each step in the campaign parsed awareness to millions of migrated voters and concerned citizens on the importance of casting their vote and urgency of addressing the gap.

     

    As per the insights gained during the campaign roll-out, 290 million eligible voters were unable to exercise their right to vote, due to migration without a permanent local address. TOI launched th Lost Votes campaign, urging the Election Commission to find an effective, immediate and permanent solution. Following the year-long campaign, the Election Commission recently announced that they are working on a technology-led solution that will address the issue so that there are no more lost votes.

     

    Speaking about the impact of the campaign, Sanjeev Bhargava, Director The Times of India said: “We launched the Lost Votes campaign last year. Powerful and simple thought: people temporarily not living in the place where their vote is registered are unable to vote. And the number of such eligible voters is close to 30 crore. This campaign demanded tech solutions to enable these lost votes and give back the fundamental right to these citizens of India. More than a million-people pledged support to this campaign. And less than a year later the election commissioner has announced the start of this journey. We are proud to be instrumental to the strengthening of our democracy!! Not surprisingly at TOI we say: “Change Begins Here”.

     

     

  • The motivation behind this movement is to bring about a behavioral change in India surrounding preventive healthcare

    TOI partners Healthians to celebrate National Health Checkup Day

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Times of India has announced the launch of the Healthy India Fit India movement (HiFi) in support of the Fit India movement to drive the cause of building an authentic health and fitness platform. To promote the cause further, the group will launch the inaugural National Health Check-Up Day on December 1 this year.

     

    The motivation behind this movement is to bring about a behavioral change in India surrounding preventive healthcare. Organised by the Times of India and Healthians, it is a full-fledged 360-degree health campaign to promote the country’s overall well-being. It focuses on encouraging Indians for periodic health check-ups and to be more aware of mental and physical well-being.

     

    Speaking on the campaign, Puneet Gupt, COO – Times Internet said: “At The Times of India Group, we believe India grows stronger when we become healthier, and small changes in daily habits go a long way. We are excited to present our fellow Indians the opportunity to make a pledge for a healthier version of themselves by signing up for preventive health checkups. This would ensure that they are more aware of what their bodies are telling them, and ensure they are less stressed, more productive and happier.”

     

    Added Deepak Sahni, Founder & CEO, Healthians: “National Health Check-Up Day is an initiative designed solely to raise awareness about the importance of preventive healthcare. The idea of dedicating a day to proactively work towards good health stemmed from the simple fact that we celebrate and recognize so many days like Mother’s Day, Father’s Day etc. however, we do not have a day for prevention of diseases. TOI’s Hi-Fi campaign gives us a perfect platform to create awareness about the importance of preventive healthcare for the masses. This partnership is the convergence of two complementary ideas – fitness and good health. Healthians is proud to be empowering this initiative solely for the coming years.”

     

     

  • Recognised as a symbol of sisterhood, the annual campaign will run with the endeavuor to make inclusive sindoor khela celebrations a part of tradition

    TOI unveils third edition of #NoConditionsApply – Sindoor Khela

    By A Correspondent

     

    Two years ago, The Times of India reinterpreted a 400-year-old tradition with the award-winning campaign #NoConditionsApply – Sindoor Khela. Conceptualised to promote gender equity, the campaign calls attention to the issue of inclusion of women in celebrations and combats the discrimination that they face in terms of their caste, creed, marital status, sexual orientation etc. In its third year, #NoConditionsApply – Sindoor Khela initiative aims to reach the corners of the nation and beyond spreading this message of inclusive celebration that celebrates the womanhood sans any discrimination based on labels and societal barriers.

     

    Commenting on the launch, Sanjeev Bhargava, Director, Brand TOI, said: “The #NoConditionsApply – Sindoor Khela campaign is extremely special to all of us, owing to the change that it has fostered across the various communities in India. While it is contextualized to a Bengali cultural event, the message of inclusive celebration and sisterhood resonates with everyone. We have always left no stone unturned in spreading the message across the various strata of society. Our success lies not in the awards that this campaign has garnered but in the fact that the initiative has grown from strength to strength and is rapidly becoming a symbol of inclusiveness.  We are grateful for the overwhelming response we have received from women across the country who have shared their celebrations with us. The fact that it is back for the third time is testament to the widespread movement that the campaign is now. I thank everyone who has supported us in making the change happen.”

     

    Speaking about the campaign, Swati Bhattacharya, Chief Creative Officer, FCB Ulka added: “This piece of work has been a big emotional milestone for me personally. This bloodless coup of a campaign shows the world that joy love friendship and beauty can help break down walls an inclusive Sindoor Khela shows us that sisterhood is one of biggest ideas that can change the world we live in.”

     

     

  • The Times of India’s flagship property becomes the longest running platform for young collegians to showcase their talent

    Times Fresh Face announces launch of its 11th season

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Times of India has bought on board Livon to partner for the 11th season of its talent-hunt platform – Livon Times Fresh Face powered by Set Wet.

     

    Commenting on the contest, Sanjeev Bhargava, Director of Brand TOI said: “The Times of India is not only a chronicler of change but an enabler of positive change. We attempt to impact positive change in many different ways through initiatives that empower the citizens of this country to impact the environment, the health issues facing the country, improving the economic and political awareness in the country. One of the key areas we have identified is to empower the upcoming generations of Indians with self-confidence and recognition, opening the doors to new opportunities for them. Livon Times Fresh Face is one such initiative. We believe that by reaching out to ambitious and talented youth in colleges around the country, and encouraging them to recognize and showcase the power of their talent and personalities, we are not only giving these bright future stars a big platform but also inspiring thousands of other fellow students through our events and amplification in media. The change their talent can bring about is what will contribute to defining the future of this country.’’

     

     

  • TOI’s City Supplements celebrate cities of India with a series of unique City Anthems

    Flirt with your city, says new TOI campaign for city pull-outs

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Times of India has launched a brand campaign for its metro supplements (TIMS) – Bombay Times, Delhi Times, Gurgaon Times, Chennai Times, Bangalore Times and Calcutta Times – titled ‘Flirt with your City’. The campaign aims to communicate its strengthened content and reinforce its positioning as the one-stop-destination for all news and gossip of city’s bustling social life and everything related to city’s popular culture.

     

    Conceptualised by JWT India, the brand campaign is set to communicate the spicier, buzzier, trendier content proposition to its readers.

     

    Commenting on the launch, Sanjeev Bhargava, Director, Brand TOI said: “TOI’s Metro Supplements (TIMS) creates affinity in a hyper local way like no other media – building conversations, highlighting happenings and hangouts, bringing alive engaging platforms and collaborations, all leading up to your City’s pop culture. Through its evolved content, the brand encourages motivates and excites the readers to explore their own city like never before! TIMS as a supplement brings its readers just that-right from fashion to culture to the popular to the unexplored. It helps you flirt with your city. Our product Bombay Times, Delhi Times, Gurgaon Times, Chennai Times, Bangalore Times, Calcutta Times and other supplements captures this social buzz like no other media. From the latest cinema review to newest cuisine in the town, from latest gig update to best fitness regime for you, from the newest earworm music to hottest celebrity gossip, our newspaper keeps one updated on the trending topics in and around the city. Our ‘Flirt with your City’ campaign is built around this key thought. So, pick up the newspaper, and stay updated with the social chatter of the city. Plan your weekdays and weekends, go out and explore the city. We have packed more fun, color, youthfulness in the paper and strengthened the content around movies, food, fitness, fashion, campus and music. With more engaging content, new exciting IPs and integrated activities, we intend to bring readers closer to their respective city, and reinforce the thought that it is one-stop shop of everything one needs to stay connect with the buzz in the city.”

     

    Added Senthil Kumar, Chief Creative Officer, JWT India: “To bring the TOI’s Metro Supplements (TIMS) essence to life, we have created a face-off, a musical city versus city rap battle between different cities, where people, icons, characters, rappers and even objects of each city are extolling the values of their city, the city as seen through the Times. The name of the city itself becomes an audio device.  For example, Kolkata is not just Kolkata, it’s also Goal-Kata, as football is the most popular religion here. The local music and local lingo leela is the vocal veins of this film, a binding factor, replete with city specific instrumentation and lyrics. It’s your City’s Daily Rap versus Another City’s Daily Rap. The visual style is mixed media brought alive from various elements of the city. It is an amalgamation of the slice of life, Stop Motion Animation, Hyper-Lapse captures, 2D Flash Animation, Compositing within Times Newspaper and Traditional Cell Animation and of course Times Newspaper headlines and snapshots from a day in the life of your city. The ambition for this campaign is to create a dynamic anthem for each city driven by its unique pop-culture with the City Times at the center of it all.”

     

     

  • Mahesh Sable (23) and Suraj Giri (21) saved over 150 in the Kamala Mills tragedy last week

    Our Salaams to these Star Employees of Times Network

     

    By Pradyuman Maheshwari

     

    As a specialised destination tracking the advertising, media and marketing ecosystem, MxMIndia restricts itself to the CxOs and stars in the industry. We often forget the soldiers in the system – the lowest common denominators, as one brackets them – without whom we couldn’t function as well.

     

    Last week, two of these folks achieved what a lot more than the biggest stars in the business haven’t: saved the lives of around 150 people who could’ve lost their lives in the Kamala Mills tragedy.

     

    Here’s a report that appeared in The Times of India:

    Two security personnel from the Times Network exhibited exemplary courage and heroism in the midst of the Kamala Mills tragedy on Friday and rescued over 150 people by breaking open an exit door and leading them to safety.

     

    The staffers, Mahesh Sable (23) and Suraj Giri (21), also averted a bigger tragedy by removing gas cylinders which were close to the falling fire debris.

     

    The Times Network is located in a building adjacent to the one housing the restaurant where the fire started. Giri said the two premises had a connecting terrace. Sable told TOI he noticed the fire around 12.10 am and immediately called the cops.

     

    “I saw people coming down the stairway, but since it was dark, they were clueless. Having worked there for over a year, I knew my way around. I immediately broke open the exit door and guided people out.”

     

    Sable said he then called up Giri, who was outside the building gate, and told him about the people making their way down.

     

    Working in perfect sync, Giri ensured people were escorted to safety. “It was chaotic. Some did not have shoes on, while the clothes of a few others were torn. A couple of them even fell down. I steered everyone away from the shower of debris and the fire,” Giri said, adding he had to even stop a few from going back to the building to rescue family and friends.

     

    Giri also had the presence of mind to alert fire officials about several cylinders kept in a room close to where the fire debris was falling. “We broke open the door and managed to take the cylinders out. If this hadn’t been done on time, all of Kamala Mills would have been destroyed and loss to life would have been colossal,” he said.

     

    Both said their fire training courses had helped them overcome their fear. “I also suffered minor injuries, but I knew I could not leave anyone behind,” Sable said. “It was heartbreaking…I had to help however I could,” Giri added.

     

    Remember these are security personnel. The ones who do the salaams to the saabs and memsaabs every day.  But Mahesh Sable and SurajGirideserve our salaams. I would urge the Times of India group, citizens and administration of Mumbai and Maharashtra and the various industry associations (IBF, NBA and Press Club) to suitably honour them, as also the various others who saved the day for hundreds.

     

    Photograph courtesy Indiatimes.com

     

     

  • The winners of “Shop with the Stars” campaign will win chance to go on an all-expenses paid shopping trip with their favourite celebrity and Calcutta Times

    Calcutta Times launches campaign for Puja shopping

    By A Correspondent

     

    On the eve of Durga Puja, Calcutta Times has launched a new campaign: shop with the stars, to add to the festive cheers in Kolkata. Fashion Launched as an interactive campaign on multimedia, the audience must answer a series of questions, to win this shopping trip.

     

    Speaking about the initiative, Sanjeev Bhargava, Director, Brand TOI said: “Durga Pujo is one of the biggest festival of the year, especially in West Bengal. Shopping is the fun part of preparing for celebrations where friends, family, everyone ardently exchanges notes. We publish a lot on trends, new fashion styles, style bloopers and continuously track celebrity fashion tips. This year, we are taking it a notch higher by giving our readers a complete experience of Shopping with the Star, like a Star and be a Star. The way only Calcutta Times can. But, yes one must earn this opportunity through engaging in multiple tasks on print and our social media handles. It is indeed a money-cannot-buy opportunity that we present. And, we wish to make our readers feel special this Durga Pujo.”

     

  • TOI’s refreshed What’s HOT page will serve up all the latest happenings in the city with its crisp snippets and quirky layout

    TOI revamps What’s Hot page

     

     

    The Times of India’s metro supplements will sport a new What’s Hot section, informs a communique. Interestingly, the comment on the refurbished page comes to us only from the recently appointed brand head and not the editor, as one would expect of any announcement of an change in the content of a newspaper. Guess the times indeed are a-changin.

     

    So here’s what Sanjeev Bhargava, Director, Brand TOI said in the communique: “The refurbished look of What’s Hot should appeal to our readers because of a more reader-friendly look-and-feel and a stronger local connect. Keeping in mind the hyperlocal sensibility of our metro supplement as a brand, we believe that introduction of the city-specific logo is a perfect fit for our readers. Making the city pages specific, innovative, and brief, will aim to offer our readers, information of all the latest happenings in a fun yet informative manner.”

     

    Since the metro supplements (Bombay Times, Delhi Times etc) are tagged ‘advertorial, entertainment industry promotional feature’ and carry some content that’s paid for, we aren’t sure what the criteria for the selection and highlighting of items on the page will be.

     

  • The agency will handle all mainline advertising and services including the digital mandate by being its strategic and creative partner

    J Walter Thompson India wins creative mandate for TOI

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Times of India has appointed J Walter Thompson India as its creative agency. The business was awarded after a highly contested multi-agency pitch, notes a communique. The account will be handled out of the agency’s Delhi office.

     

    Sanjeev Bhargava

    The agency will handle all mainline advertising and services including the digital mandate for the English daily by being its strategic and creative partner.

     

    Commenting on the appointment, Sanjeev Bhargava, Director, Brand TOI said: “The strategic thinking that J Walter Thompson has contributed to business building coupled with a multi city high powered creative and servicing capability is what has made them the best choice for us. I am hoping for great work to come from this partnership.”

     

     

    Joy Chauhan

    Commenting on the win, Joy Chauhan, Senior Vice President and Managing Partner, J Walter Thompson Delhi said: “The Times of India has been one of the most precious wins for JWT Delhi in the recent past. It is precious because it is one of the biggest and the most iconic brands of India. We all know that this great publication is so much more than just a newspaper. The brand’s contribution towards the Indian society is second to none. We look forward to creating some path breaking work for this iconic brand.”

     

  • The courses being offered by this academy will be in subjects pertaining to self enhancement skills that matter to today's modern Indian women

    TOI unveils Femina Believe academy for women

    By a correspondent

     

    Borrowing a leaf from the legacy of Femina  and its connect with the modern Indian women, The Times of India Group has launched ‘Femina Believe Learning Academy’, a first of its kind learning academy in India. Targeted towards women from all walks of life, the practical and contemporary courses being offered by this academy will be in subjects pertaining to self enhancement skills that matter to today’s modern Indian women in their professional and social life.

     

    Extending the group’s presence in the field of education and training, Femina Believe will be a part of the ‘Times Center for Learning’, which was launched last year.

     

    The academy aims at empowering women through the power of training and will conduct short intensive workshops in a variety of subjects ranging from personality enhancement to culinary skills.

     

    As a part of the brand launch campaign, Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut will be the face of the brand.

     

    Speaking at the launch, Kangana Ranaut said, “I am delighted and honoured to be a part of Femina Believe. This empowering initiative will help women to transform and manage everyday pressures of life with the help of practical workshops and discover a brand new self.”

     

    Women can choose from an array of courses mentioned on the academy’s website. Definitive learning, practical curriculum and a high level of interaction will be the core focus of these courses and will be conducted by best in class professionals, who will combine their unrivalled experience in subjects with training skills par excellence.