ITV

Category: iWorld

  • #fame organizes an interactive session #famestarsLive

    #fame organizes an interactive session #famestarsLive

    MUMBAI: Live video entertainment app #fame has launched #famestarsLive – a series of ground meet ups to evangelize the power of live video. 

     

    The four-hour long interactive session had three panellist – film critic Raja Sen, cricket columnist Ayaz Memon (aka Cricketwallah) and #famestar Pavleen Gujral along with 50 leading influencers. The event was hosted by #fame VP – content Ankit Vengurlekar

     

    Addressing the inaugural event, #fame CEO Saket Saurabh said, “We believe that live video is a huge inflection point for the digital space and as pioneers of this in India, we are committed to evangelizing its power across stakeholders. #famestarsLive is a great platform for influencers to share their learning and experiences.”

     

    “Live-streaming marks a truly unique kind of programming. I love the fact that there is no production or post-production process and there is a democratisation of the medium – anyone can shoot and go live, and it’s spontaneous and instant. The fact that there is real-time feedback on the app makes it fascinating,” he further added.

     

    Highlighting the power of Live Video, Memon recalled, “I remember my first international tour to Pakistan in 1982, I would finish watching the day’s play and then run to the Central Telegraph Office to telex my review of the day’s play. My editor in Bombay would receive the tape at his end, key it in again, get bromides made after, which would come the plates to be put on the printing press and hours later, my words would see the light of day.”

     

    Memon further added, “Following all that, there could be zero feedback from the audience. The internet has been as significant as the invention of the wheel and rapid improvements in technology have made dissemination of information so much more dynamic. Look at the #fame app now. You can go Live instantly from any part of the world and get instant feedback from viewers via chat. I love how instant and real time our world has become. I have started using the app so I don’t become a dinosaur in this uber connected generation.” 

     

    #famestar Pavleen, who talks about Health and Wellness on the app daily, said, “I am a nutritionist and people send me questions like if they can use one particular type of supplement or not. The interaction on the chat can be that personal or individual. And there are others who want to discuss their diet chart, in that case I share my email ids with them and connect further.”

  • ErosNow launches on Jadoo TV OTT platform worldwide

    ErosNow launches on Jadoo TV OTT platform worldwide

    MUMBAI: Jadoo TV’s parent company CloudStream Media, Inc has inked a partnership with Eros International to bring the ErosNow streaming service to the Jadoo TV over-the-top (OTT) streaming platform worldwide.

     

    With this deal, Jadoo TV’s consumers will get instant access to Bollywood movies, television shows and music videos. Jadoo TV will make the ErosNow premium service available starting September 2015 for free to Jadoo4 users for the first year, amounting to a $100 value.

     

    With this latest announcement, Jadoo TV continues to provide its customers with an industry leading line up of on-demand and live South Asian film and television content on its.

     

    ErosNow premium service users on Jadoo TV will see films releasing immediately after their theatrical release and prior to their television release. ErosNow will also include in-house flagship original programming delivering shows with film-like production values. Content across several genres that include reality shows, adaptations of international series, and original productions spanning drama, comedy and thrillers will also be made available. Full seasons of these shows and series will be available for viewing exclusively on ErosNow.

     

    “Partnering with Eros is an exciting opportunity for us as it significantly bolsters our on-demand content offering, allowing our customers access to the latest selection of high quality Bollywood and regional movies, television shows, and music videos. Jadoo TV is the leading platform for the South Asian diaspora, and we believe that this partnership will significantly change the digital media distribution landscape,” said CloudStream Media, Inc CEO and Jadoo TV founder Sajid Sohail.

  • Twitter launches self-service ad platform for SMBs in India

    Twitter launches self-service ad platform for SMBs in India

    MUMBAI: Twitter has launched its self-service advertising platform for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) in India. With this, Twitter has now expanded Twitter Ads’ reach globally from 33 countries to over 200 countries and territories.

     

    Now, SMBs from India to Iceland can more effectively reach their target audiences on Twitter in 15 languages. In addition, Twitter also announced that the total active advertisers, including SMBs were approximately 100,000.

     

    “Small and medium-sized businesses face the most challenges and are least resourced to promote the good work they do. With the expansion of the Twitter self-service ads platform, we are excited to help SMBs level the playing field with digital advertising to increase their sales,” said Twitter SMB lead for Asia Pacific Emily Huo.

     

    There are 51 million SMBs in India, according to market research firm Zinnov. Start-ups registered in India are projected to go up a whopping 11,500 by 2020, independent consultancy KPMG reports. Anyone with a small business, from tech start-ups to retail, F&B establishments, and even mom and pop shops, can now use the Twitter platform to target and engage in real-time with more than 316 million active Twitter users worldwide and increase sales.

     

    Twitter self service advertising platform – better than tweeting for free

     

    Twitter self-service advertising platform allows businesses to amplify their organic Twitter message and reach more people by targeting a specific audience. The great thing about the platform is that companies can set their own budgets. There is no minimum requirement for spends and the campaign can be started and stopped at any time. The self-service ad platform has been developed so it is as easy to use as possible, while providing businesses and individuals with all the tools they need to advertise effectively. All one needs is a Twitter account and a USD credit card to get started.

     

    With Twitter Ads, advertisers can now select the best ad format for their campaign, reach their target audience as well as track and analyse results in real time.

  • Subtle yet creative, Google unveils new logo

    Subtle yet creative, Google unveils new logo

    MUMBAI: The times they are a-changin’! Google acknowledges these evergreen lines from Bob Dylan’s song as it changes its logo and branding yet again. The last change had come about in September 2013.

    As the world bid adieu to the good old days when Google was only accessed from desktops, the company is re-inventing itself yet again. Since Google’s launch 17 years back, a lot has changed. Thanks to the aggressive penetrations of internet and smartphones, Google now is as mobile as human beings are. On 1 September 2015, the world’s largest used search engine changed its logo and identity once again, which reflects this reality and shows people when the Google magic is working for them, even on the tiniest screens.

    Google has said goodbye to the small blue ‘g’ and replaced it with a capital ‘G,’ which has all four colors – blue, red, green and yellow – in it.

    So why did they do so? In an announcement, the company said, “As you’ll see, we’ve taken the Google logo and branding, which were originally built for a single desktop browser page, and updated them for a world of seamless computing across an endless number of devices and different kinds of inputs (such as tap, type and talk).”

    Google is known for its subtle changes and the voyage started from 1998 when Larry Page and Sergy Brin used the logo for their Stanford University graduate project.

    August 1998: The team heads to Burning Man and creates the first Doodle as an out of office message.

    September 1998: Google moves to Google.com and shares its beta release with the world.

    May 1999: Still playful, the logo gets a more sophisticated look based on the Catull typeface.

    May 2010: The logo brightens up and sports a reduced drop shadow.

    September 2013: The logo goes flat with some typographical tweaks.

    September 2015: The logo becomes part of a new family that includes the Google dots and ‘G’ icon.

    The new logo doesn’t simply tell consumers that they’re using Google, but also shows them how Google is working for them. For example, new elements like a colourful Google mic helps identify and interact with Google whether a person is talking, tapping or typing.

    Complimenting the subtle yet creative development, RK Swamy Hansa Group chairman S K Swamy said, “Google has been refreshing its logo quite often but the current change is a larger and continuing step. I quite like the modern looking upper case – lower case version.”

    “Google has succeeded in striking a fine balance of form with function in its new logo. It’s a homegrown typerface and vector based, which makes it scalable across devices in so far as legibility is concerned and sports a contemporary look at the same time. Although it will take some time to get used to the new look, it’s nice that Google has retained slight tilt of ‘e’, ” said Leo Burnett’s digital creative agency’s Indigo Consulting national creative director Navin Kansal.

  • Netflix inks first TV deal in Spain with Vodafone

    Netflix inks first TV deal in Spain with Vodafone

    MUMBAI: Vodafone Spain has inked an agreement that will bring Netflix onto a Spanish TV platform for the first time.

     

    Using the Netflix app, Vodafone TV homes will be able to watch a broad variety of series, films documentaries and kids titles through their set–top box. Netflix will be available through Vodafone TV when Netflix launches in Spain in October.

     

    The Netflix offering will include exclusive original series such as Narcos, Marvel’’s Daredevil,Sense8, Bloodline, Grace and Frankie, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and Marco Polo and critically acclaimed documentaries Virunga, Mission Blue and docuseries Chef’s Table as well as various stand–up comedy specials. Additionally, younger viewers will find a wide selection of programming for kids.

     

    Viewers will continuously be offered new titles and can look forward to the first Netflix original feature films, with announced titles including Beasts of No Nation, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon The Green Legend, Jadotville and The Ridiculous 6. Netflix is fully localized, offering a choice of subtitles and dubbing.

     

    Netflix will be available on Vodafone TV through an app on the decoder. Viewers will also be able to find titles using the search engine or recommendations section of the Vodafone service, two of the features customers use most. Vodafone customers will be able to enjoy Netflix in high quality thanks to a collaboration between the companies on Vodafone’s ultra high–speed fixed and mobile broadband networks.

     

    Vodafone TV customers will be able to enjoy the Netflix service without having to update their set–top–boxes. Netflix will also be available on smartphones and tablets, the Netflix app for those devices will be available in the app stores.

  • YRF & Vistaprint launch personalised merchandising platform

    YRF & Vistaprint launch personalised merchandising platform

    MUMBAI: Yash Raj Films (YRF) and Vistaprint have joined hands to launch a first-of-its-kind personalised merchandising platform called Film-Me.

     

    Users can add their own images and expressions on products, which will be designed using YRF’s movie library content. The platform is available on Vistaprint’s website, where users can get to the page directly through Vistaprint’s homepage.

     

    Merchandising for movie content in itself is not a new idea but customised and personalised content instantly introduces a whole new dimension for the industry as well as consumers. So instead of simply having a generic T-shirt which just carries the Fan movie logo, (YRF’s next with Shah Rukh Khan), fans can now actually buy a T-shirt with their very own picture or name on it alongside the actor’s silhouette and movie logo in the background.

     

    “This is definitely path-breaking We’ve all loved YRF movies, the characters and the dialogues but for the first time, as fans and movie buffs, you have the opportunity to literally bring all this content into your lives. You might not be able to get a selfie with your favorite superstar but can now have a poster with you and him/her in the same frame through our new platform, Film-Me. We are very excited about the possibilities this opens up to transform most-loved movie content into physical personalised products and look forward to offering a truly wow experience to all movie lovers and fans of YRF movies through Film-Me,” said Vistaprint India MD Nilesh Parwani.

     

    YRF vice president marketing and merchandising Manan Mehta added, “The high degree of customisation that YRF and Vistaprint offer through this first of a kind personalised merchandising range is very different from what we have seen uptill now. Fans will find plenty to love about this collection and the products are sure to be a prized possession among hindi movie aficionados and YRF film lovers.”

  • HK-based Lamplight raises $1.49 million to drive social analytics in Asia

    HK-based Lamplight raises $1.49 million to drive social analytics in Asia

    MUMBAI: Lamplight Analytics, a Hong Kong based social media analytics startup, has completed a seed funding round of $1.49 million, led by venture capital fund Vectr Ventures.

     

    The investment is currently one of Hong Kong’s largest seed investment rounds ever. Other participants in the investment round included local and international firms, friends and family. The company plans to use the capital to accelerate its growth in Asia while further developing its proprietary technology.

     

    Vectr Ventures’ Alan Chan says, “We invested in Lamplight because of their incredibly diverse and dynamic team. Their combined skills are perfect for tapping into this rapidly evolving, exponentially growing, demand driven market.”

     

    Lamplight Analytics was founded by Sam Olsen (CEO), Fergus Clarke (COO) and Nathan Pacey (CTO) in 2014, after their experience in Asia revealed a lack of specialised tools designed to navigate Asia’s social media landscape. They created the Lamplight tool to address the complexities of social media analysis in Asia, stemming from language, culture, variety in social platforms, and geography, among other factors. 

     

    In less than a year, Lamplight Analytics has grown to over 15 staff at its Kennedy Town office and is currently working with numerous multinational and regional clients, including Live Nation, the world’s largest live music company.

     

    Olsen said, “Lamplight helps our clients listen with a local ear, which provides enormous commercial advantage. Our tool allows you to understand what your customers and markets are really saying, helping you identify growth opportunities, set effective campaign goals, manage your online reputation, the applications are endless.”

     

    Clarke added, “Bringing realtime insight to businesses on their target markets is incredibly useful in a region as diverse as ours. The investment ensures Hong Kong will be at the forefront of advances in this technology.”

     

    Social analytics tools like Lamplight are using latest technologies to uncover value from the continuous conversation found on social media. Millions of social sources and data can now be aggregated and transformed to provide important brand and market insights such as brand sentiment, demographics, top influencers and other actionable insights, allowing brands to make quick and informed decisions, factors crucial in today’s fast paced business environment.

     

    Major investments by both investors and brands into the social analytics are transforming the once niche industry. A study by global market research and consultancy Marketsandmarkets shows the social marketing analytics sector is projected to be worth at least $2.75 billion by 2019, growing at 35 per cent a year, with Asia second only to North America in terms of market size.

  • ShopClues launches kids and gifting stores

    ShopClues launches kids and gifting stores

    MUMBAI: ShopClues has launched two new categories on its platforms namely kids store and gifting store.

     

    ShopClues AVP – categories Nitin Kochhar said, “We are committed to becoming the preferred destination of online shopping for our users. To fulfil this goal, it is imperative that we constantly innovate and enhance our bouquet of selection to meet every need and desire. Kids shopping and gifting have emerged as very lucrative and segment in the e-commerce space and with the launch of these two categories on our portal, we would further consolidate our market leadership position in India.”

     

    The Kids store will offer apparel, toys and accessories for children up to the age of 12. From prams to telescopes, footwear to dolls and soft toys, the entire gamut of children’s needs is available on the platform. Gifting store also will have a plethora of choice segmented by occasions, personalised gifting options and corporate gifting options. One can even shop for gift coupons, make a present of special experiences such as a spa session or a romantic wine dinner or buy bouquets and hampers.

  • Zee’s three channels launch in Canada on Jadoo TV

    Zee’s three channels launch in Canada on Jadoo TV

    MUMBAI: Zee TV has been launched in Canada’s Jadoo TV on 1 September. The company has reached a subscriber licensing agreement for its flagship networks Zee TV Canada, Zee Punjabi and Zee Cinema with Jadoo TV.

     

    Asia TV USA general manager Sameer Targe said, “Canada is one of the fastest growing markets for us. Our business has more than tripled in last two years. This move helps us to further consolidate our position in the market. Jadoo TV has been one of the pioneers in over the top play, which has been the fastest growing category of access.”

     

    Jadoo TV founder and CEO Sajid Sohail added, “We’re excited about bringing Zee TV channels to the largest South Asian viewership base in Canada on Jadoo TV. Zee TV is not only popular amongst the Indian diaspora in Canada, but also has great appeal amongst the greater South Asian community. The addition of Zee TV, Zee Cinema, and Zee Punjabi will enhance our entertainment offering, making JadooTV the best value for end users. With this agreement, Jadoo TV has further cemented its position as market leader in the OTT space for South Asian diaspora worldwide.”

     

    Zee TV Canada is currently available on all satellite, cable, telco and IPTV platforms. Zee TV Canada will be available in HD to all Jadoo TV subscribers.

  • Despite Digital India talk, broadband subscribers less than 109 million by June

    Despite Digital India talk, broadband subscribers less than 109 million by June

    NEW DELHI: Following a growth of 4.21 per cent in mobile users, the number of broadband subscribers increased from 104.96 million at the end of May to 108.85 million at the end of June with monthly growth rate of a mere 3.71 per cent, despite the emphasis on Digital India. 

     

    The Mobile devices users (phones and dongles) went up from 88.96 million to 92.7 million.  Fixed Wireless subscribers (Wi-Fi, Wi-Max, Point-to-Point Radio & VSAT) users went up from 440,000 to 450,000, showing an increase of 1.96 per cent, while wired subscribers rose from 15.56 million to 56.7 million, showing a rise of just 0.9 per cent.

     

    The top five service providers constituted 83.83 per cent market share of total broadband subscribers at the end of June. These service providers were Bharti Airtel (24.56 million), Vodafone (22.08 million), BSNL (18.20 million), Idea Cellular (16.67 million) and Reliance Communications Group (9.74 million). 

     

    According to the figures released by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), some wireless service providers exclude incidental data users from their subscriber base, based on minimum usage decided by them.

     

    As on 30 June, the top five Wired Broadband Service providers were BSNL (9.91 million), Bharti Airtel (1.47 million), MTNL (1.13 million), Atria Convergence Technologies (720,000) and You Broadband (460,000). 

     

    The top five Wireless Broadband Service providers were Bharti Airtel (23.09 million), Vodafone (22.07 million), Idea Cellular (16.67 million), Reliance Communications Group (9.63 million) and BSNL (8.29 million) as on 30 June.