MxMIndia

Tag: WWM

  • The head of Times Conferences and TimesPro will take charge as Tarun Rai moves on after a seven-year stint

    Deepak Lamba to take charge of WWM as Tarun Rai to move on

    By A Correspondent

     

    Deepak Lamba

    It wasn’t called the seven-year itch for nothing. Former adman Tarun Rai who’s had a great run as CEO of World Wide Media (WWM) has decided to move on.  He helmed the organisation since February 2008.

     

    And taking charge of WWM will be Deepak Lamba who is currently helming Times Conferences and Times Centre of Learning (with initiatives like TimesPro etc). Mr Lamba holds the designation of President, Bennett, Coleman and Company Ltd since June 2012. He joined BCCL after being Business Head of Bloomberg TV India channel. Before spending two years at the business news channel, he was with MTV for a four-year period. Mr Lamba will continue to hold charge of the learning and conference divisions.

     

    Tarun Rai

    While Mr Rai confirmed the development to MxMIndia, he did not reveal his next move. Prior to WWM, he worked with ad agency network JWT for nearly 20 years. His last position at JWT was that of Managing Partner. Mr Rai will continue till end-February.

    Mr Lamba was not available for comment, thought MxMIndia learns the announcement of his appointment as head of WWM was made late last week week.

    WWM is the publisher of popular magazines Filmfare and Femina along with a variety of others like Food Food, Lonely Planet, Top Gear amongst others.

     

  • Mumbai will witness a week-long celebration of art through GoodHomes for Art, an initiative by Good Homes magazine to foster love for art and to make it accessible for all. The event is being held from October 29 to November 4

    WWM launches week-long initiative to celebrate art

    By A Correspondent

     

    Mumbai will witness a week-long celebration of art through GoodHomes for Art, an initiative by Good Homes magazine to foster love for art and to make it accessible for all. The event is being held from October 29 to November 4.

     

    The art week was declared open at a press conference that included members of the art industry such as Arzan Khambatta, Brinda Miller and Jaideep Mehrotra along with the pioneer of the concept of GoodHomes for Art, Tarun Rai, CEOof Worldwide Media. The preview of the art week showcased works of 25 celebrated artists. The launch event included a cocktail soiree attended by celebrities including Pria Kataria Puri, Kahini Arte-Merchant, Nisha Jamwal and Sangeetha Chopra.

     

    Tarun Rai

    About the art week, Tarun Rai, CEO, WWM said, “Good Homes magazine has been covering the Indian art scene since its launch issue. We believe that art is integral to a beautiful home. And, as such, we want our readers to be educated on art. GoodHomes for Art is another step in the same direction. The objective is to make Indian art and artists a bit more accessible to people. We also want to celebrate the vibrant Indian art scene. We are lucky that over 40 artists and many galleries and art institutes are partnering us in this initiative. We are starting with Mumbai but hope to take this movement to other cities in the coming months.”

     

  • BBC Knowledge is set to come out with a special 3D issue for its anniversary in November. The issue will hit the stands on November 1 and will be priced at Rs 100.

    BBC Knowledge goes 3D

    By Akash Raha

     

    Come November BBC Knowledge is all set to bring out its first anniversary issue in 3D, priced at Rs 100 and due to be on stands from November 1. This is a ‘Space’ special with 22 pages of exclusive 3D images which can be enjoyed with 3D glasses available free with the magazine.

    Speaking about the anniversary issue Soela Joshi, Brand Publisher said, “BBC Knowledge for its first anniversary had to do something special for its readers. We wanted to use the power of interactivity to engage our readers and capture audiences. Coverage of Science & Technology in 3D has a high potential for disruption. Hence we have created ‘Space in 3D’ for our anniversary issue. The moment you put on the 3D glasses and look at the pages…the magazine comes to life. It is so exciting to create an environment where the readers can have a truly interactive experience.”

    The magazine has also come up with a 360-degree plan to engage with the young adults who are the main readers. The marketing activities for the issue will be carried out in areas which are popular with this age group. There will be print ads as well as key outdoors. “We will also run a social media campaign where this TG is most active, including our own Facebook page. In addition, in terms of onground, we have tie ups with organizations like science centres and nature groups to reach out to a new set of readers for this issue. We also have a tie-up with Imax Big Cinemas where we will promote this issue through on-ground branding and contests. Their 3D screen provides a perfect backdrop for our special issue,” said Komal Puri, Brand Manager, BBC Knowledge.

    The BBC Knowledge team has carefully handpicked the iconic stories for this issue – it contains a mix of breath-taking images of NASA’s space exploration as well as the exclusive inputs of Indian experts like Retd. Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma and spacecraft designer Susmita Mohanty among others.

    Preeti Singh, Editor, BBC Knowledge explains, “For our anniversary issue we have pulled out all stops. A first in India’s magazine history, BBC Knowledge brings a spectacular Space in 3D special with iconic NASA images, never seen this way before. With features from astronaut Rakesh Sharma to 35 biggest questions about the cosmos answered, this extraordinary issue is a perfect preview of what’s to come from us in the future.”

    BBC Knowledge was brought to India by Worldwide Media last year.  It is a magazine for young inquisitive minds where well-researched, handpicked stories are matched with breath-taking pictures and graphics to cover history, science and nature.

  • Extensive marketing plans for BBC Good Food as it launches on Oct 21

    BBC Good Food whets appetites

    By Akash Raha

    Worldwide Media is all set to launch BBC Good Food in India. The magazine will be on the stands on Good Food Day, October 21. The magazine will be priced at Rs 100 at newsstands and UCOs. In a conversation with MxM India, Debolin Sen, Publisher – Good Food, Worldwide Media said the expectations riding on the title were huge. “It’s an exciting brand to launch in India, especially now,” said Mr Sen. “Food is the most exciting story unfolding in the country. Experimentation with global cuisines, presence of international restaurant brands, access to exotic ingredients in the neighbourhood supermarket, 125 food shows on television, three dedicated food channels, gourmet store expansions pan India. There’s so much that’s happening. We are at a point in time in the market, when it made much sense to launch the brand. So yes, the expectations are huge.”

     

    In a recent conversation, Tarun Rai, CEO, Worldwide Media said, “We are launching BBC Good Food on Good Food Day, October 21, which we are celebrating and we are encouraging people to try something new on the day. We have huge expectations from Good Food. India is changing, food habits are changing. People are experimenting with food, both in their kitchens as well as when it comes to eating out in restaurants. We believe that the time is right for such a magazine. There are no precedents; there are no international food magazines in the country. We are going into uncharted territory and we are beating a new path. There are dangers but as I said, somebody has to do it and we believe that the potential is huge. And the response we’ve got from advertisers for the magazine is excellent and you’ll see it in the number of ad pages we’ve got in the first issue.”

     

    Speaking about the target audience of the magazine, Mr Sen said, “The magazine will appeal to a diverse mindset. From Everyday Chefs – people  who cook regularly for family, friends and even themselves, to Recreational Chefs – people who are interested in new recipes and experimentation, but don’t cook on a regular basis, to Restaurant Junkies – people who love eating out, and finally Globetrotting Foodies – people who love to experiment, sample local cuisines when they travel.

     

    “BBC Good Food is an extremely exciting magazine to launch. The brand allows you to explore new territories and create engaging properties unlike others. The launch will involve sufficient amount of marketing dollars being invested to create the required market impact. We intend having a phase-wise launch build up to Oct 21, the day the magazine hits stands, and thereafter post-launch,” said Mr Sen.

     

    Whereas marketing of the brand is concerned, it will be done through various campaigns and activations such as Good Food Survey, Good Food Day, Good Food Privilege Program, Good Food Nights, Good Food Website and Apps, Good Food Social etcetera.

     

    BBC Good Food also has an incredible legacy. It’s UK’s best-selling food magazine for the last 22 years. In fact it’s a successful food media brand with its content present across mediums: as a magazine, as a TV channel, a website which is a storehouse of over 7,500 recipes, and hugely successful iPad and iPhone apps which have crossed the 100,000 download mark.

  • BBC TopGear celebrates its sixth year in India with a mega 214-page October issue.

    TopGear marks 6th anniversary

    By Akash Raha

    BBC TopGear celebrates its sixth year in India with a mega 214-page issue. The October anniversary issue has hit the newsstands at a price point of Rs 150. The rising price of fuel has not deterred the hottest cars of the world from descending on Indian shores. Moreover, with the Indian GP around the corner, the sentiment around is all for performance.

    Commenting on the anniversary issue, Mr Tarun Rai, CEO Worldwide Media, said,

    “The last six years have been an exciting ride for TopGear. And this year has been exceptional. We went in for a redesign, added lots of new sections in the magazine but kept the price at Rs 100, even though the others increased their cover prices. We believe with so much action in the car market, including the top end glamour segment and the F1 contributing its bit, the time is just right for TopGear. We are gunning for the number one position.”

    The anniversary issue of the magazine from the Worldwide Media group drives Koenigseggs, Aston Martins, and Jags with an India exclusive drive of one of the most exotic – The Maserati GranTurismo.

    Mr Girish Karkera, Editor, TopGear India said “In the increasingly crowded segment of auto magazines, TopGear has been growing from strength to strength with its hot cars, cool features, great photography and striking design. The magazine, thanks to its unique approach to cars and bikes, has managed to stand out from the rest of its ilk. And while conventional wisdom would suggest that the current environment is that of high fuel prices, high interest rates, and higher cost of living, TopGear, with its unique style of writing and presenting has managed to rise above the mundane and keep the readers engaged with cars… by providing dollops of entertainment, humour and information to maintain itself as an engaging and exciting read; irrespective of the world around it.”

     

    Mr Debolin Sen, Publisher, TopGear India said “2011 is the year for BBC TopGear in India. The year has seen the magazine perform exceptionally well in a crowded marketplace and we aim to build on the momentum that’s been generated. Together with the magazine redesign in April, the launch of www.topgear.com earlier this year, the magazine’s ready to host the TopGear Awards on November 25 in Mumbai.  With BBC TopGear the excitement and passion never ends. It just gets bigger and better. The sixth Anniversary Special is yet another reflection of the TopGear spirit.”

     

    Since TopGear is celebrating, the readers reap the benefits with a free DVD worth Rs 599 of XXX-2, an exclusive small car directory along with the TG Lifestyle supplement.

    Since it’s the flavour of the season, readers stand a chance to win Rs 1.5 lakh worth of Indian F1 GP tickets by participating in the TopGear Air-drive to F1 contest. More details are available in the issue and on www.topgear.com/india.