Category: eNews

Flipkart bets big on its commerce advertising platform for retail and non-retail brands

MUMBAI: Flipkart, which claims to be India’s largest e-commerce firm, today went live with its Brand Story Ads on the mobile app with over 50 leading brands on board.

Brands including Yes Bank, L’Oréal, Micromax, Intel, Gillette, Datsun and Sony have already signed up on the platform to launch their ad campaigns.

Flipkart SVP Ravi Garikipati said that with Brand Story Ads, FlipKart is “offering a platform where the brands can target and engage with largest qualified commerce audience in the country at the right time for the right intent. Thus, the propensity to click on the advertisement is only higher and stronger. The magnitude of consumer traffic and intelligent data insights on online shopping behaviour gives Flipkart the edge to provide larger reach, impact and measurability.”

Brand Story Ads is a native, interactive story format with content images and product guides that enables brands to tell their stories in a crisp and impactful manner. In the initial phase, the campaigns will focus on awareness creation with brand story and category pages. This will later be extended to product listings, checkouts and other areas.

Along with the brands that retail on Flipkart (first party brands), this service will also be available to other non-retailing brands (third party brands) in sectors like real estate, FMCG, BFSI, auto, and telecom etc.

With the launch of Brand Story Ads, Flipkart has introduced a new form of advertising that it calls ‘Commerce Advertising’, delivering a holistic view of consumer’s purchase journey post ad interactions and highlights effectiveness of the advertising campaigns. Flipkart promises a universal solution to brands that is based on superior data and buying intent of 50 million+ consumers.

March 3, 2016
Flipkart bets big on its commerce advertising platform for retail and non-retail brands

MUMBAI: Flipkart, which claims to be India’s largest e-commerce firm, today went live with its Brand Story Ads on the mobile app with over 50 leading brands on board.

Brands including Yes Bank, L’Oréal, Micromax, Intel, Gillette, Datsun and Sony have already signed up on the platform to launch their ad campaigns.

Flipkart SVP Ravi Garikipati said that with Brand Story Ads, FlipKart is “offering a platform where the brands can target and engage with largest qualified commerce audience in the country at the right time for the right intent. Thus, the propensity to click on the advertisement is only higher and stronger. The magnitude of consumer traffic and intelligent data insights on online shopping behaviour gives Flipkart the edge to provide larger reach, impact and measurability.”

Brand Story Ads is a native, interactive story format with content images and product guides that enables brands to tell their stories in a crisp and impactful manner. In the initial phase, the campaigns will focus on awareness creation with brand story and category pages. This will later be extended to product listings, checkouts and other areas.

Along with the brands that retail on Flipkart (first party brands), this service will also be available to other non-retailing brands (third party brands) in sectors like real estate, FMCG, BFSI, auto, and telecom etc.

With the launch of Brand Story Ads, Flipkart has introduced a new form of advertising that it calls ‘Commerce Advertising’, delivering a holistic view of consumer’s purchase journey post ad interactions and highlights effectiveness of the advertising campaigns. Flipkart promises a universal solution to brands that is based on superior data and buying intent of 50 million+ consumers.

March 3, 2016
Times Internet acquires Willow TV International to live broadcast ICC World Twenty20 in the US

MUMBAI: Times Internet, the digital arm of The Times of India Group, has acquired Willow TV International. Expanding the ICC tournament’s reach beyond the traditional and expensive pay-per-view distribution method, Willow will provide an exclusive live US television broadcast and live stream of the ICC World Twenty20.

This will be the first time an ICC tournament will be available on a US television broadcast channel.Willow TV is one of the leading cricket broadcasters in the US.

Willow is the only channel that is dedicated to cricket in the US, with an aligned direct-to-consumer digital service.

Times Internet director Satyan Gajwani says, “We are extremely pleased to welcome Willow to The Times Group. Cricket is one of the most popular sports in the world, and has the potential to become a major sport in the US. We are excited to expand and strengthen our offerings for South Asians living in the US and to grow interest in cricket across the US, both with loyal fans and new consumers”.

The channel and its associated TV Everywhere service is widely distributed by the largest satellite, cable, IPTV and OTT platforms in a variety of subscription packages, including sports packs and South Asian targeted packages.

On the other hand, Cricbuzz will exclusively deliver pre-match, in-match, and post-match highlights and coverage of the entire tournament to its US based digital audiences.

“As a bootstrapped company, we launched the Willow cricket channel just over 5 years ago, and we are extremely proud of where it has reached. With the backing of The Times of India Group and its assets, I am confident that we can jointly build one of the premier sports businesses in the US”, adds Willow TV founder and CEO Vijay Srinivasan.

For Times Internet, Willow is complementary with its recent acquisition of Cricbuzz, the world’s largest online cricket destination. During the ICC World Cup 2015, Cricbuzz claims to have 1 billion visits in a span of 40 days with 96 percent available on mobile.

Between Willow, Cricbuzz, and Times of India’s digital assets, the group estimates to reach about 15 million Americans with an interest in cricket. Willow is the first international acquisition by Times Internet, and the first US acquisition for The Times of India Group.

The channel is available on 7 of the top 10 pay television platforms in the US, and also plans many more launches currently in the pipeline.

March 3, 2016
Times Internet acquires Willow TV International to live broadcast ICC World Twenty20 in the US

MUMBAI: Times Internet, the digital arm of The Times of India Group, has acquired Willow TV International. Expanding the ICC tournament’s reach beyond the traditional and expensive pay-per-view distribution method, Willow will provide an exclusive live US television broadcast and live stream of the ICC World Twenty20.

This will be the first time an ICC tournament will be available on a US television broadcast channel.Willow TV is one of the leading cricket broadcasters in the US.

Willow is the only channel that is dedicated to cricket in the US, with an aligned direct-to-consumer digital service.

Times Internet director Satyan Gajwani says, “We are extremely pleased to welcome Willow to The Times Group. Cricket is one of the most popular sports in the world, and has the potential to become a major sport in the US. We are excited to expand and strengthen our offerings for South Asians living in the US and to grow interest in cricket across the US, both with loyal fans and new consumers”.

The channel and its associated TV Everywhere service is widely distributed by the largest satellite, cable, IPTV and OTT platforms in a variety of subscription packages, including sports packs and South Asian targeted packages.

On the other hand, Cricbuzz will exclusively deliver pre-match, in-match, and post-match highlights and coverage of the entire tournament to its US based digital audiences.

“As a bootstrapped company, we launched the Willow cricket channel just over 5 years ago, and we are extremely proud of where it has reached. With the backing of The Times of India Group and its assets, I am confident that we can jointly build one of the premier sports businesses in the US”, adds Willow TV founder and CEO Vijay Srinivasan.

For Times Internet, Willow is complementary with its recent acquisition of Cricbuzz, the world’s largest online cricket destination. During the ICC World Cup 2015, Cricbuzz claims to have 1 billion visits in a span of 40 days with 96 percent available on mobile.

Between Willow, Cricbuzz, and Times of India’s digital assets, the group estimates to reach about 15 million Americans with an interest in cricket. Willow is the first international acquisition by Times Internet, and the first US acquisition for The Times of India Group.

The channel is available on 7 of the top 10 pay television platforms in the US, and also plans many more launches currently in the pipeline.

March 3, 2016
UpGrad appoints Anshul Khandelwal as marketing head

MUMBAI: Ronnie Screwvala’s UpGrad has appointed Anshul Khandelwal as marketing head effective from March 2016.

Khndelwal will be responsible for driving the marketing, positioning and branding for UpGrad and report to UpGrad MD Mayank Kumar.

In a joint statement, UpGrad co-founder Ronnie Screwvala and Kumar said, “We are happy to have Anshul on board to lead the marketing operations for UpGrad as we continue to expand our portfolio of programs. We look forward to working with Anshul and benefitting from his expertise and out-of-the-box thinking. Education is a large sector and there is a lot of disruptive thoughts that can be executed to build a long standing brand. Together we hope towards achieving and setting new industry benchmarks as we scale up.”

Khandelwal added, “In today’s context, online education is becoming more mainstream and acceptable. This is the way our country has to go. UpGrad, within a very short time since its launch, has made waves in the industry with its holistic approach towards education for professionals.I am very excited about working with the dynamic team to help further their vision and to build on their success.”

Prior to joining UpGrad, Khandelwal worked with BlueStone as VP – marketing where he led brand strategy and positioning, creative development, brand activation, customer acquisition and marketing-led innovations.

He also led new product development initiatives and launches during his stint at 3M’s healthcare division and has worked with companies like Mahindra & Mahindra and GlobalLogic.

February 11, 2016
UpGrad appoints Anshul Khandelwal as marketing head

MUMBAI: Ronnie Screwvala’s UpGrad has appointed Anshul Khandelwal as marketing head effective from March 2016.

Khndelwal will be responsible for driving the marketing, positioning and branding for UpGrad and report to UpGrad MD Mayank Kumar.

In a joint statement, UpGrad co-founder Ronnie Screwvala and Kumar said, “We are happy to have Anshul on board to lead the marketing operations for UpGrad as we continue to expand our portfolio of programs. We look forward to working with Anshul and benefitting from his expertise and out-of-the-box thinking. Education is a large sector and there is a lot of disruptive thoughts that can be executed to build a long standing brand. Together we hope towards achieving and setting new industry benchmarks as we scale up.”

Khandelwal added, “In today’s context, online education is becoming more mainstream and acceptable. This is the way our country has to go. UpGrad, within a very short time since its launch, has made waves in the industry with its holistic approach towards education for professionals.I am very excited about working with the dynamic team to help further their vision and to build on their success.”

Prior to joining UpGrad, Khandelwal worked with BlueStone as VP – marketing where he led brand strategy and positioning, creative development, brand activation, customer acquisition and marketing-led innovations.

He also led new product development initiatives and launches during his stint at 3M’s healthcare division and has worked with companies like Mahindra & Mahindra and GlobalLogic.

February 11, 2016
Rubique appoints Jayatri Dasgupta as marketing head

MUMBAI: Online marketplace for financial products Rubique has appointed Jayatri Dasgupta as marketing head. In her new role, Dasgupta will be responsible for designing and implementing the brand and marketing strategy.

Speaking on the appointment Rubique founder and CEO Manavjeet Singh said, “Jayatri brings with her valuable marketing experiences from the industry especially in e-commerce domain. Being one of the first adopters of digital marketing in India, she brings extensive domain expertise in marketing in digital medium, which is essential for online marketplace like is. Her expertise and proven track record of designing and building brand images will surely be a value addition at Rubique.”

Prior to Rubique, Dasgupta was heading the marketing function at ezeego1 & Cox and Kings Online. With over 14 years of work experience, she has played key roles in global companies like Cleartrip and Google.

On her new role, Dasgupta said, “I am thrilled to join this unique lending platform, which streamlines the complex lending process in the market through pioneering technology and domain expertise. It is extremely rewarding to work on a brand that has the ability to revolutionise the way we consume financial products in the county. As the marketing head, my job is to build a brand equity that is true to our promise of making finance simple for all our consumers, both online and offline.”

January 30, 2016
Rubique appoints Jayatri Dasgupta as marketing head

MUMBAI: Online marketplace for financial products Rubique has appointed Jayatri Dasgupta as marketing head. In her new role, Dasgupta will be responsible for designing and implementing the brand and marketing strategy.

Speaking on the appointment Rubique founder and CEO Manavjeet Singh said, “Jayatri brings with her valuable marketing experiences from the industry especially in e-commerce domain. Being one of the first adopters of digital marketing in India, she brings extensive domain expertise in marketing in digital medium, which is essential for online marketplace like is. Her expertise and proven track record of designing and building brand images will surely be a value addition at Rubique.”

Prior to Rubique, Dasgupta was heading the marketing function at ezeego1 & Cox and Kings Online. With over 14 years of work experience, she has played key roles in global companies like Cleartrip and Google.

On her new role, Dasgupta said, “I am thrilled to join this unique lending platform, which streamlines the complex lending process in the market through pioneering technology and domain expertise. It is extremely rewarding to work on a brand that has the ability to revolutionise the way we consume financial products in the county. As the marketing head, my job is to build a brand equity that is true to our promise of making finance simple for all our consumers, both online and offline.”

January 30, 2016
Innovations needed to meet ‘Digital India’ goals

NEW DELHI: While the telecom industry is on track, there is need for innovation to meet the goals of Digital India. This was the general outcome of discussions at South Asia’s largest ICT, broadcast and digital media event, which ended today.

The expo witnessed 434 companies from 29 countries around the world showcasing the latest technologies and innovations. Over 125 eminent speakers took the dais to deliberate on the theme ‘Digital India’ – roadmap, opportunities, challenges, infrastructure and investments.

The third day of the expo deliberated on affordable broadband for rural India at the third Telecom Summit, powered by Microsoft, thus facilitating Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of making India a digitally empowered economy.

Microsoft group director, government affairs & public policy S. Chandrasekhar said, “Exhibitions India and Convergence India provide a good platform for all telecom and ICT eco-systems to come together and exchange ideas, best practices and the best of technology.”

A presentation on ‘Internet of Things in Mobile Workforce Management’ was given by Cyient – India senior manager Venkata Satyadeep Mane. “Technology is an enabler to build smart solutions for rapid growth. Industries in India are therefore aiming to build cutting-edge technology solutions and services that will shape the digital revolution. Accordingly, the Indian ICT marketplace is going to experience substantial shifts in the coming days! In this content, I believe Convergence India is a fantastic platform to share and learn not just technology but various other elements of business solutions,” he said.

Key session on ‘Opportunities in telecom sector arising from Big Data & Cloud’ panelist HP India country leader – future cities & CTO – technology services Lux Rao said, “The promise of Digital India has been successful in capturing the aspirations of a young India and the unbridled optimism is palpable. Smart Cities & Digital India is lending traction to the country’s modernisation agenda.”

He added, “Convergence India holds a mirror to the current state of programmes and their progress and is a convergence of philosophy, ideas and action. The three-day program packs in an eclectic combination of knowledge and experience sharing, networking opportunities and a deep dive into fast emerging ethos of an empowered nation – Truly Digital, Truly India.”

Exhibitions India Group chairman Prem Behl, who conceived Convergence India, said, “The exhibitors have received quality visitors and have had a positive response on all three days of the expo. The concurrent conferences were productive with detailed discussions and presentations on Digital India.”

A landmark session on the third day included the SCTE India Awards for Technical Excellence and Innovation in Digital Cable and Broadband.

‘GSMA India open day 2016’ hosted a discussion on India’s mobile industry growth trends and forecasts, challenges in this fast changing market, mechanisms being used to ease efforts in monetising this market and the innovations India will need to deliver a Digital India from industry leaders.

Participating exhibiting names included Broadcom, C-Dot, Conax, Cyient, Ericsson, EMC, Harmonic, MediaTek, Microsoft, M-Star, Nagra, Sandisk, Telenor, and Thomson to name a few.

Convergence India 2016 expo was endorsed by the Department of Electronics & Information Technology, the Communications & Information Technology, and the Information and Broadcasting Ministries.

Exhibitions India Group (EIG) has been organising the annual International Convergence India series of expos since 1992, and will witness its silver jubilee edition at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi from 8 to 10 February next year.

January 22, 2016
Innovations needed to meet ‘Digital India’ goals

NEW DELHI: While the telecom industry is on track, there is need for innovation to meet the goals of Digital India. This was the general outcome of discussions at South Asia’s largest ICT, broadcast and digital media event, which ended today.

The expo witnessed 434 companies from 29 countries around the world showcasing the latest technologies and innovations. Over 125 eminent speakers took the dais to deliberate on the theme ‘Digital India’ – roadmap, opportunities, challenges, infrastructure and investments.

The third day of the expo deliberated on affordable broadband for rural India at the third Telecom Summit, powered by Microsoft, thus facilitating Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of making India a digitally empowered economy.

Microsoft group director, government affairs & public policy S. Chandrasekhar said, “Exhibitions India and Convergence India provide a good platform for all telecom and ICT eco-systems to come together and exchange ideas, best practices and the best of technology.”

A presentation on ‘Internet of Things in Mobile Workforce Management’ was given by Cyient – India senior manager Venkata Satyadeep Mane. “Technology is an enabler to build smart solutions for rapid growth. Industries in India are therefore aiming to build cutting-edge technology solutions and services that will shape the digital revolution. Accordingly, the Indian ICT marketplace is going to experience substantial shifts in the coming days! In this content, I believe Convergence India is a fantastic platform to share and learn not just technology but various other elements of business solutions,” he said.

Key session on ‘Opportunities in telecom sector arising from Big Data & Cloud’ panelist HP India country leader – future cities & CTO – technology services Lux Rao said, “The promise of Digital India has been successful in capturing the aspirations of a young India and the unbridled optimism is palpable. Smart Cities & Digital India is lending traction to the country’s modernisation agenda.”

He added, “Convergence India holds a mirror to the current state of programmes and their progress and is a convergence of philosophy, ideas and action. The three-day program packs in an eclectic combination of knowledge and experience sharing, networking opportunities and a deep dive into fast emerging ethos of an empowered nation – Truly Digital, Truly India.”

Exhibitions India Group chairman Prem Behl, who conceived Convergence India, said, “The exhibitors have received quality visitors and have had a positive response on all three days of the expo. The concurrent conferences were productive with detailed discussions and presentations on Digital India.”

A landmark session on the third day included the SCTE India Awards for Technical Excellence and Innovation in Digital Cable and Broadband.

‘GSMA India open day 2016’ hosted a discussion on India’s mobile industry growth trends and forecasts, challenges in this fast changing market, mechanisms being used to ease efforts in monetising this market and the innovations India will need to deliver a Digital India from industry leaders.

Participating exhibiting names included Broadcom, C-Dot, Conax, Cyient, Ericsson, EMC, Harmonic, MediaTek, Microsoft, M-Star, Nagra, Sandisk, Telenor, and Thomson to name a few.

Convergence India 2016 expo was endorsed by the Department of Electronics & Information Technology, the Communications & Information Technology, and the Information and Broadcasting Ministries.

Exhibitions India Group (EIG) has been organising the annual International Convergence India series of expos since 1992, and will witness its silver jubilee edition at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi from 8 to 10 February next year.

January 22, 2016