MxMIndia

Tag: ZEEL

  • Korn Ferry is assisting the Board to induct additional Directors with diverse experience

    Zee Entertainment appoints Piyush Pandey as Independent Director

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Board of Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL) has appointed veteran adperson Piyush Pandey as an Independent Director based on the recommendation of Nomination & Remuneration Committee, with effect from March 24, 2020.

     

    Punit Goenka

    Speaking on the appointment, Punit Goenka, MD & CEO, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd., said: “I am elated to welcome Piyush Pandey on the company’s Board. We all have experienced his creative work, which has directly touched our hearts. His sharp acumen and creative approach will help us immensely in driving the company to its desired goals. On behalf of the entire management of the company I welcome him aboard and look forward to working with him along with other esteemed members of our Board. In line with our commitment to further strengthen the Board, we aim to move swiftly with the help of our consultant to appoint additional Directors with diverse experience.”

     

    Piyush Pandey

    Added Piyush Pandey who is Chief Creative Officer Worldwide and Executive Chairman at Ogilvy: “I am delighted to join the Board of Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd., a pioneering company which has contributed immensely to the M&E Industry in India. Content creation as a process aims at multiple platforms in today’s era and it would be my pleasure to contribute to Zee’s journey of entertaining the world.”

     

     

  • 40+ channels of Zee pause content for a 30 second break throughout the day, encouraging viewers to wash their hands

    ZEEL pauses content to #BreakTheCoronaOutbreak

    By A Correspondent

     

    Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. has taken a first-of-its-kind initiative – #BreakTheCoronaOutbreak for the well-being of its audiences.

     

    Taking the initiative to create a unique reminder for its viewers, ZEE has decided to pause the content across its channels with a 30-second break throughout the day. Conceptualised by Lowe Lintas, ‘pause’ will encourage viewers in a creative manner, to use the break to wash their hands.

     

    Said Prathyusha Agarwal, Chief Consumer Officer, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd: “As a responsible national television network which entertains 588 million individuals every week, it is our duty to educate and encourage every citizen to adopt and practice healthy habits to fight this pandemic. While several brands are driving awareness around good hygiene, we believe this initiative to pause content and remind our audience to wash their hands will actually drive behavior. Pausing our content when the audience is most engaged will act as an in-home trigger to wash hands and contribute towards combating the spread of the outbreak.”

     

    Talking about the initiative, Sagar Kapoor, CCO, Lowe Lintas added: “Having worked on health and hygiene brands for years, my learning is no matter how much we remind people for washing hands, there will always be laggards. Its importance is at a peak in today’s situation. Hence, a straightforward reminder to wash hands with soap.”

     

     

  • Unveils multi-media campaign that celebrates the hit feeling that cinema adds to your life

    Zee Picchar to offer viewers a ‘Hit Dinada Feeling’

    By A Correspondent

     

    Zee Picchar, the newest Kannada movie channel is reaching out to Kannada cinema lovers with a ‘Hit Dinada Feeling’.

     

    The brand proposition ‘Hit Dinada Feeling’ that translates into having a ‘hit day feeling’ will be showcased through the channel’s offering and communication. Zee Picchar released the first in a series of brand films, conceptualised by DDB Mudra, that showcase how cinema lovers have a unique take on life.

     

    Speaking on the launch of Zee Picchar, Siju Prabhakaran, South Cluster Head, ZEEL said: “The success of the six channels – Zee Kannada, Zee Telugu, Zee Cinemalu, Zee Tamil, Zee Keralam and most recently launched Zee Thirai in the Zee South Portfolio is testimony to the Network’s vision to emerge as the one-stop destination for fans of entertainment. With the launch of Zee Picchar, we aim to further this growth by celebrating the love and passion that Kannadigas have towards films. With a diverse movie library, we aim to make every day a ‘hit-day’ by presenting best-in-class entertainment for our viewers.”

     

    Added Prathyusha Agarwal, Chief Consumer Officer, Domestic Broadcast Business, ZEEL: “At Zee, we believe in getting deep inside the cultural core of each of the region we operate in and bring alive its true spirit in our stories.  In Karnataka, we have remained No.1 for 48 consecutive weeks with Zee Kannada, which is a testimony to this strong customer centricity. With the launch of Zee Picchar we unite with the Kannada audiences to celebrate their love for cinema and its role in their lives. The brand promises to leave viewers with a ‘Hit Dinada Feeling’ every day and encourage them to turn an ordinary day into an extraordinary one.”

     

    Said Raghavendra Hunsur, Business Head, Zee Kannada: “Zee Kannada has seen the most incredible journey in the last one year by emerging as the number 1 Kannada GEC channel in Karnataka. Now with the launch of Zee Picchar, we hope to find a place in the hearts and minds of fans of Sandalwood. Our offerings such as one-break films and 12 premieres in 12 days – are a first for any channel on the Kannada Television Industry and will present viewers with best-in-class entertainment. With Zee Picchar, we aim to leave our viewers with a ‘Hit Dinada Felling’ and promise to indulge the love and passion that our audience has for Kannada cinema.

     

    Added Krupanand Sivadasan, Senior Creative Director, DDB Mudra group: “To stay relevant, it is more important than ever for a movie channel to represent something real in people’s lives. And that’s exactly what Zee Picchar is doing for those who adore sandalwood movies. With an array of carefully handpicked movies and never seen before packaging, it is definitely going to give the small screen viewers a ‘hit dinada feeling’. A feeling that is a celebration of small victories over hurdles that a day can throw at you. Our brand films and other communication pieces are crafted to deliver on this promise.”

     

     

  • Agarwal will continue to report into Punit Misra, CEO, Domestic Broadcast Business, ZEEL

    Prathyusha Agarwal appointed Chief Consumer Officer at ZEEL

    By A Correspondent

     

    Prathyusha Agarwal

    Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd has announced that Prathyusha Agarwal will take on the mantle of the Chief Consumer Officer for the domestic broadcast business. In this new role, Agarwal will continue to report into Punit Misra, CEO, Domestic Broadcast Business, ZEEL and, as a communique notes, she will be responsible for embedding a customer first culture and thinking in all aspects of the broadcast business.

     

    Speaking about the new role, Misra said: “The needs of our consumers are dynamic and ever-evolving. Over the last few years, across all functions and teams in the Domestic Broadcast Business, we have embarked on a journey towards making consumer/ customer centricity a key strategic priority for us. While this structural change may be seen as a simple merging of the marketing and the strategy and insights functions, our vision is much larger than that. We endeavour to create this new function as an epicentre for driving consumer/ customer centricity across the organisation.”

     

    Added Agarwal: “Our viewers are evolving at a pace never seen before, and the only way to win their hearts is to be fully tuned in and translate this understanding into compelling offerings. We need to break the wall and all the layers between viewers and creators to build a seamless soul to screen storytelling and connecting conversations with our consumers and customers. I am honoured and thrilled to take on this new role and build our customer centric ZNA that is factful in decision making and mindful of the viewer’s perspective in everything we do.”

     

     

  • A massive hunt for ‘Bedhadak Bharat’ stories in 10 cities across the length and breadth of India

    Zee Katha Caravan goes story hunting across India

    By A Correspondent

     

    Zee’s latest initiative, ‘Zee Katha Caravan – Come tell us an extraordinary story’, will see it travel across 10 cities looking for storytellers with the ‘Bedhadak Bharat’ spirit at the core of their narratives. The best stories will be brought to life on the television screen.

     

    Said Prathyusha Agarwal, CMO, ZEEL: “In a country as vibrant and diverse as India, there are uniquely charming characters every 100 kms with a story to tell. As a storyteller fuelling culture, we strive to bring this viewer’s soul to screen. Most stories at the core are driven by innate human truths but the cultural context of that truth really dictates the connect a story and its characters make with that culture. Zee Katha Caravan is a step ahead in looking for culturally rich stories, stories of a ‘Bedhadak Bharat’ that is vibrant, spirited and taking charge of its destiny like never before. We at Zee, recognise there is an abundance of talent across the many Bharats who have a strong story that is waiting to be told. Zee Katha Caravan shouts out to all storytellers to come tell us an extraordinary story that we can together bring to life.”

     

    Zee Katha Caravan is being conducted in partnership with Roshan Abbas’ Kommune, a performing arts-based startup.

     

     

  • Zee Biskope (Bhojpuri), Zee Thirai (Tamil) and Zee Picchar (Kannada) are the three channels announced

    Zee announces 3 regional movie channels

    By A Correspondent

    Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. (ZEEL) has announced today that it will further strengthen its regional portfolio to serve the many Bharats within our country with four new channels – Punjabi GEC Channel – Zee Punjabi (which we wrote about earlier) and three movie channels – Zee Biskope (Bhojpuri), Zee Thirai (Tamil) & Zee Picchar (Kannada)

    Said Punit Misra, CEO – Domestic Broadcast Business, ZEEL” “ZEEL has completed 27 illustrious years, now entertaining over 800mn people across India, 650mn of which comes through our non-Hindi offerings. We at ZEEL have always believed that deep understanding of cultures across the many Bharats, and then serving people entertainment rooted in each culture is what wins hearts, be it through original shows, or through curation of content like movies. As India’s leading broadcaster with successful channel offerings across states, we have consistently showcased our capability to understand the cultural pulse of our extraordinary country. This is at the core of our differentiated strategy at ZEEL. Our newest offerings are designed to add to our growth trajectory, further cementing our belief in winning hearts across many Bharats.”

    Added Prathyusha Agarwal, Chief Marketing Officer, ZEEL: “At Zee, we have always believed that at the heart of storytelling lies culture, and for successful and endearing stories, one needs to obsess about getting deep inside this cultural core of each of our regions. This “soul to screen” approach is what helps us bring alive the spirit of that region through unique stories, relatable charming characters and boli that drives love for our brands and helps us belong to our audiences. From a highly TV penetrated but hugely under consumed latent Punjabi GEC opportunity to insatiable, thriving demand for movies in the Bhojpuri, Tamil and Kannada markets, the regional need gaps present the perfect opening to further deepen these bonds. We crafted and curated these four new offerings powered by deep viewer understanding, loads of passion and hoping that our viewers enjoy them as much as we did creating them!”,

     

     

  • Gurdas Mann to mentor Sa Re Ga Ma Pa, Sara Gurpal to play the title character in Heer Ranjha

    Zee Punjabi to go live on Jan 13, Lohri Day

    By A Correspondent

     

    Zee Punjabi, the newly announced Punjabi GEC by Zee Entertainment Enterprises, is scheduled to go on air on Lohri Day next year, that’s January 13.

     

    Commenting on the launch, Amit Shah, Cluster Head – North, West and Premium Channels, ZEEL said: “Zee invests in understanding the pulse of middle class India and what drives people across different regions. We have had very successful regional channel launches across the country. With our consumer understanding and the innate ability of creating magic with our stories, we are now looking at the launch of Zee Punjabi. Despite the highest TV penetration (88 per cent) in the country, Punjab has a significantly low ‘time spent’ and that is a factor of not having dedicated Punjabi content that does justice to the region and the culture. Zee Punjabi is being launched by understanding the viewer’s need gap; for a culture that is so powerful, Punjab definitely needs its own authentic Punjabi channel. Intensive consumer work in the market has helped us understand the potential and craft the strategy for our content and brand. We are certain the audiences will resonate with the stories and fall in love with the characters.”

     

    Speaking of the launch, Rahul Rao, Business Head Zee Punjabi added: “We look forward to bring shows that are inspired from the region and its culture. Punjabis have a jazba and junoon which is very unique to them and our content is a reflection of that spirit. We have a strong line up of stories with themes familiar to Punjab, characters that people will fall in love with and faces like Gurdas Mann, Jazzy B, Jaidev Kumar, Sonu Kakkar and Sara Gurpal who are respected here! With over 20 hours of original content every week and a strong line up of World TV Premieres every month, we are certain of being wholeheartedly accepted by the Punjabi audiences.”

     

     

  • The idea is a part of promotions for &TV’s new show ‘Jaat Na Poocho Prem Ki’

    &TV introduces caste-free matrimony page to promote new series

    By A Correspondent

     

    Urging Indians to see beyond a person’s caste while finding a prospective partner for themselves or a family member, &TV launched a ‘Jaati-Free Matrimony Page’. In this edition, the several caste sections have been striked out. This novel idea is a part of promotions for &TV’s new show ‘Jaat Na Poocho Prem Ki’ that raises the question of whether love can manage to break down the walls of casteism that divide us all.

     

    Prathyusha Agarwal

    Said Prathyusha Agarwal, CMO, ZEEL: “Caste is invariably the first and foremost parameter when it comes to marriages in India. It’s so ingrained in our culture, we don’t even think twice about it. It’s a given that the girl or boy will be from the same caste. There are no two ways about it. While things are slowly changing, we wanted, through this innovation, to startle the readers and consider a reality where love triumphs over all. While this edition may have been a show promotion, we are looking forward to a day when a jaati-free matrimonial edition is a norm.”

     

     

  • The account will be serviced out of Mumbai

    Publicis Capital bags creative mandate of Zee5 India

    By A Correspondent

     

    Publicis Capital has bagged the creative mandate of Zee5 India, OTT platform from Zee Entertainment. The agency will manage the creative duties for the leading OTT brand across its AVOD, SVOD, Regional SVOD and Trade (B2B) verticals. The account will be serviced out of Mumbai.

     

    Manish Aggarwal

    On appointing Publicis Capital as its agency, Manish Aggarwal, Business Head, Zee5 India said: “Earlier this year, we completed one year of operations. This year has been one of many learnings and insights. We were keen to bring on board partners who understand our business and have the ability to scale with us. As we continue to be the fastest growing OTT platform in India, we found Publicis delivering on all boxes. We look forward to partnering with Publicis in our next phase of growth.”

     

    Srija Chatterjee

    On winning the account, Srija Chatterjee, MD, Publicis India added: “In 2017, we inaugurated our relationship with the ZEEL family with the broadcast bouquet, in 2018 we expanded it by winning the mandate to launch Zee5 in the international markets, and now in 2019, the team at Zee5 India has awarded us the creative mandate for partnering the OTT business in the domestic market as well. It’s when we grow with our clients that we feel true gratification. We’re looking forward to this exciting journey and in partnering Zee5 India to leadership in what’s an increasingly action-packed category.”

     

    Suraj Pombra

    Adding his views, Suraj Pombra, EVP, Publicis Capital, said: “The decibels in the OTT category find no parallel today. The future leadership of content consumption is what all brands are fighting for. We feel privileged to have been chosen by Zee5 India to partner them in what’s going to be a thrilling battle with daily non-stop action. With their unmatched content library that finds appeal across the country, Zee5 is poised to be the go-to destination for all Indian viewers. Here’s to leading the change together.”

     

     

  • &flix encourages movie fans to share their stories of #MyEverydayLeap out of the ordinary

    &flix celebrates a year with new line-up

    By A Correspondent

     

    Movie channel &flix is celebrating a year with a campaign titled #EverydayLeaps, where the idea is to encourage their viewers to break out of the monotony and leap beyond what’s possible.

     

    Speaking on the anniversary, Prathyusha Agarwal, Chief Marketing Officer, ZEEL, said: “This time last year, we identified a clear gap in the category for the ever-evolving and un-satiated viewers. With the launch of &flix, we have constantly strived to bring larger than life experiences through our premieres and associations, enabling our viewers to Leap Forth and explore unlimited possibilities. We are extremely proud of the significant growth and the heart-warming response that &flix has witnessed in its first year.”

     

    Added Shaurya Mehta, Business Head, Zee English Cluster: “It brings us immense happiness to share that it’s been a year full of blockbuster premieres with &flix. As one of the leading English entertainment channels, we’ve always endeavored to carve a niche and serve as real disruptors in the category. Over the past year, our loyal viewers have truly pledged to #LeapForth into a world full of unlimited possibilities. Having witnessed a growth of over 50% in viewership between December 2017 (as Zee Studio) and December 2018, we’ve successfully moved the needle with the launch of &flix. &flix HD has increased its viewership numbers by over 200% between the same period, making a dent in the HD consumption in the genre. Having completed a year of exciting innovations truly calls for a celebration and with #EverydayLeaps, our aim is to encourage our audience to share the many leaps out of the ordinary that they take in their daily lives.”

     

     

  • Angoori, Guddan and six other leading protagonists of popular shows surprise viewers with their ‘Chatpatey khayaal’

    Kurkure partners Zee channels for in-show integration

    By A Correspondent

     

    Kurkure will be seen as part of shows on channels from Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) including Zee TV, &TV, Sarthak and Big Ganga. The protagonists of eight shows will be seen delivering a thought-provoking script; enabling their families to take a step towards embracing forward-thinking through fun and intelligent humor.

     

    Expressing his thoughts, Dilen Gandhi, Sr Director, Marketing – Foods category, PepsiCo India, said: “Kurkure is an ally to the Indian homemakers, who are the center force behind every positive transformation in the household. With the unique integration with Zee TV plays, we hope to continue encouraging our consumers to take unconventional routes to help their families embrace progressive thinking, while at the back of being anchored to rich Indian values. Aided by a mood uplift through Kurkure’s crunch and chatpata taste, each of the protagonists will be seen delivering a thought provoking and entertaining storyline, and we hope that Indian homemakers enjoy this Chatpata twist.”

     

    Added Ashish Sehgal, Chief Growth Officer, Zee Network commented on the association: “ZEEL shares great thought synergies with PepsiCo India, who has been a cherished client over the years. Our brand philosophies intersect beautifully when it comes to igniting a spark amongst the Indian masses to achieve the extraordinary. Through this collaboration we are happy to amplify this message Khayal to Chatpata hai across channels through the medium of our network influencers and ensure that it reaches the largest denominator in the form of engaging television content.”

     

    Sharing her thoughts on the in-show integration, Prathyusha Agarwal, CMO, ZEEL said: “Our protagonists, be it Zee TV’s Guddan or &TV’s Angoori Bhabhi, are the Indian viewers’ most sought-after dinner table companions who they not only connect closely with but also draw inspiration from. While our flagship channel, Zee TV with its brand ethos of Aaj Likhenge Kal, has stood for inspiring viewers to take charge of their destiny and work proactively in the present to build an extraordinary future. Our collaboration with Kurkure is a mark of our continued commitment to inspire our viewers every day to be their extraordinary selves. The protagonists, through evocative scripts will bring alive the synthesis of our brand philosophy with Kurkure’s new campaign ‘Khayaal Toh Chatpata Hai’. The collaboration will have our viewers look through the lens of celebrating Indian homemakers in a new light; a message relevant for viewers across gender, age and community.”

     

     

  • The campaign kicked off across the network prior to election week

    ZEEL encourages India to opt for an EVM instead of a remote

    By A Correspondent

     

    To encourage and mobilize viewers to cast their vote this election, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. (ZEEL) has announced the launch of its campaign called ‘Grown Ups Go Vote’. Conceptualised by Lowe Lintas, the campaign kicked off across the network prior to election week with child stars from the network appealing to the adults to fulfil their responsibility and do the grown-up thing by voting in the upcoming Indian General Elections 2019.

     

    Said Prathyusha Agarwal, CMO, ZEEL: “As a responsible national television network, it is our duty to encourage every Indian citizen we reach to vote. #GrownUpsGoVote is a campaign to transform voting from a chore to a celebration of civic engagement. It calls out to all adult citizens to do the grown-up thing and fulfil their responsibility to the nation’s future. Pausing our content is our way of encouraging people to move out of their homes and march to the polling booths. It’s a move away from our regular messaging where we ask people to watch our shows. As part of this campaign, our artists are appealing to the audience to go vote rather than sitting and watching them.”

     

    Talking about the initiative, Sagar Kapoor, CCO, Lowe Lintas added: “It’s the era of ‘doing’ and not just ‘saying’. Zee, as a testimony to their commitment to voting, has done just that. The roadblock is a bold move to remind people of their fundamental duty.”