ITV

Category: Social Media

  • Olympic Gold Quest and Twitter together share the journey of Indian Olympians

    Olympic Gold Quest and Twitter together share the journey of Indian Olympians

    MUMBAI: Olympic Gold Quest, a not-for-profit foundation supporting the training and preparation of India’s top athletes, has joined forces with Twitter to let Indian fans be part of journey with the Olympians and Olympic sports they support. Throughout the lead up to, during and after the Rio Olympics, Indian fans will be able to immerse themselves in the Rio experiences of their favourite Olympians across Twitter, Vine and Periscope

    #ReadyForRio Periscope Series

    Starting 23 June, Olympic Gold Quest will be taking fans into the world of Indian Olympics with a regular #ReadyForRio Periscope series from the Twitter India Blue Room leading up to the Games and from Rio during the Olympics, where Viren Rasquinha will host Twitter chats with athletes and other guests.

    #KnowYourStar Video Series with Athletes

    Athletes supported by Olympic Gold Quest will be answering fun and interesting questions in a rapid fire video quiz series on Twitter.

    #TrainWithOGQ on Vine

    The Olympic Gold Quest Vine account will take fans into the inside world of Indian Olympic training with a regular series of six second Vine videos. These looping videos will highlight the Olympian training experience like never before, from the intensity of athlete training to the fun behind-the-scene moments.

    Olympians on Twitter

    Each of the athletes supported by Olympic Gold Quest be active on Twitter in the lead up to the Olympics. Fans can follow their journey by subscribing to this Twitter List that also includes the accounts of the Olympic Gold Quest founders, board, management and more.

    Olympic Gold Quest CEO Viren Rasquinha said, “Our mission is to build a movement for Olympic sports in India. We are excited to partner with Twitter to ensure that well-wishers of Indian Olympics anywhere in the world will have the best access to the team with interactive video experiences.”

    Twitter head of sports partnerships Aneesh Madani said, “Twitter has democratized sport and is the best place for fans to see what’s happening in the lead up to the Olympics. There has been a 400 percent growth in video consumption across Twitter, Vine and Periscope over the past year and Olympic Gold Quest’s commitment to bringing the story of Indian Olympians to life with Twitter video is great to see.”

  • Olympic Gold Quest and Twitter together share the journey of Indian Olympians

    Olympic Gold Quest and Twitter together share the journey of Indian Olympians

    MUMBAI: Olympic Gold Quest, a not-for-profit foundation supporting the training and preparation of India’s top athletes, has joined forces with Twitter to let Indian fans be part of journey with the Olympians and Olympic sports they support. Throughout the lead up to, during and after the Rio Olympics, Indian fans will be able to immerse themselves in the Rio experiences of their favourite Olympians across Twitter, Vine and Periscope

    #ReadyForRio Periscope Series

    Starting 23 June, Olympic Gold Quest will be taking fans into the world of Indian Olympics with a regular #ReadyForRio Periscope series from the Twitter India Blue Room leading up to the Games and from Rio during the Olympics, where Viren Rasquinha will host Twitter chats with athletes and other guests.

    #KnowYourStar Video Series with Athletes

    Athletes supported by Olympic Gold Quest will be answering fun and interesting questions in a rapid fire video quiz series on Twitter.

    #TrainWithOGQ on Vine

    The Olympic Gold Quest Vine account will take fans into the inside world of Indian Olympic training with a regular series of six second Vine videos. These looping videos will highlight the Olympian training experience like never before, from the intensity of athlete training to the fun behind-the-scene moments.

    Olympians on Twitter

    Each of the athletes supported by Olympic Gold Quest be active on Twitter in the lead up to the Olympics. Fans can follow their journey by subscribing to this Twitter List that also includes the accounts of the Olympic Gold Quest founders, board, management and more.

    Olympic Gold Quest CEO Viren Rasquinha said, “Our mission is to build a movement for Olympic sports in India. We are excited to partner with Twitter to ensure that well-wishers of Indian Olympics anywhere in the world will have the best access to the team with interactive video experiences.”

    Twitter head of sports partnerships Aneesh Madani said, “Twitter has democratized sport and is the best place for fans to see what’s happening in the lead up to the Olympics. There has been a 400 percent growth in video consumption across Twitter, Vine and Periscope over the past year and Olympic Gold Quest’s commitment to bringing the story of Indian Olympians to life with Twitter video is great to see.”

  • Blush Originals to release Papa Reji’s story

    Blush Originals to release Papa Reji’s story

    MUMBAI: The inspiring tales of real life heroes, people who stood up against all odds, the stories that will melt everyone’s heart are the stories that Culture Machine’s Blush is set to recite under its Blush Original vertical. Encouraged by the heart-warming response for its first documentary-narration on Bollywood stunt woman Geeta Tondon, Blush has come up with a new story based on Papa Reji to be released on Father’s Day.

    Papa Reji Thomas gave up his government job and started the Bless Foundation to shelter HIV+ve kids that have been abandoned by their families. Reji shelters 22 children, he takes care of their medical treatment, their living expenses and their education with the help of public donations. He has so far managed to rehabilitate 90 percent of the kids brought under his care. His wife and kids stay with these children as one big family, giving these kids parental care and a place to call home.

    public://reji.png

    The channel calls Papa Reji’s story a reality check. During times when we are stuck with our worldly problems, people with the least amount of money and huge hearts are making a difference. “It does not take a big bank account to help people, it takes determination and a very big heart” expressed Blush channel director Akanksha.

    The film on Geeta Tondan narrated the tale of how she survived an ugly marriage, of her escape from brothels and her bringing up her two young children. It recounted how Geeta made her space to do stunts for Deepika Padukone and Alia Bhatt as Bollywood’s leading stuntwoman.

    public://geeta.png

    Blush has content under many verticals like Unblushed, which has stories of outstanding celebrity heroes, and Blush Verdict for its entertainment column. The Original space is entirely dedicated to the real life stories that deserve to be told. “We wish to inspire people through these strong hearted humans, Blush Originals is a celebration of humanity and spirit that people have to live it” explained Seda.

    In spite of Blush being a women-centric content creator, Blush Originals is planning to not only concentrate on female stories, but also narrate any inspiring story from a chaiwala to an up market entrepreneur. Any tale that can inspire. Seda asserted that through digital platforms it has become much easier to create awareness among people and have them share what they have gone through. Digitization has brought people together to empathize and understand the other person’s journey, and Blush is planning to make most of it. It is also open to creating something around a concept and connect various individual stories to it.

    Each documentary is planned to be shot in its own taste say the makers. All the productions are in-house, shot with Sony F7 and 5D Mark III cameras. Blush Originals is set to release one documentary per month. The production team has informed that its is ready with two more videos to be released in July and August.

    Explaining about the people to be showcased, the makers said that they pick up stories amongst themselves. “These are the people we come across day by day, it could be my friend or a neighbor or just someone I run into. There is a story everyone has and every story deserves to be told” added Seda.

    There is no specific search team. It is an in-house task to find people. The makers also claim that they have such a good response after the first video that stories are coming to them now.

    On the marketing and promotion front, Blush is majorly using cross promotion with its sister YouTube channel Being Indian. Otherwise it is pushing the videos through regular online marketing strategies. “Documentaries have reached the right audiences through digitization” commented Seda while explaining the promotion front.  

    There are no tie ups with any brands or sponsors as of now. These documentaries are intellectual properties of Blush.

  • Blush Originals to release Papa Reji’s story

    Blush Originals to release Papa Reji’s story

    MUMBAI: The inspiring tales of real life heroes, people who stood up against all odds, the stories that will melt everyone’s heart are the stories that Culture Machine’s Blush is set to recite under its Blush Original vertical. Encouraged by the heart-warming response for its first documentary-narration on Bollywood stunt woman Geeta Tondon, Blush has come up with a new story based on Papa Reji to be released on Father’s Day.

    Papa Reji Thomas gave up his government job and started the Bless Foundation to shelter HIV+ve kids that have been abandoned by their families. Reji shelters 22 children, he takes care of their medical treatment, their living expenses and their education with the help of public donations. He has so far managed to rehabilitate 90 percent of the kids brought under his care. His wife and kids stay with these children as one big family, giving these kids parental care and a place to call home.

    public://reji.png

    The channel calls Papa Reji’s story a reality check. During times when we are stuck with our worldly problems, people with the least amount of money and huge hearts are making a difference. “It does not take a big bank account to help people, it takes determination and a very big heart” expressed Blush channel director Akanksha.

    The film on Geeta Tondan narrated the tale of how she survived an ugly marriage, of her escape from brothels and her bringing up her two young children. It recounted how Geeta made her space to do stunts for Deepika Padukone and Alia Bhatt as Bollywood’s leading stuntwoman.

    public://geeta.png

    Blush has content under many verticals like Unblushed, which has stories of outstanding celebrity heroes, and Blush Verdict for its entertainment column. The Original space is entirely dedicated to the real life stories that deserve to be told. “We wish to inspire people through these strong hearted humans, Blush Originals is a celebration of humanity and spirit that people have to live it” explained Seda.

    In spite of Blush being a women-centric content creator, Blush Originals is planning to not only concentrate on female stories, but also narrate any inspiring story from a chaiwala to an up market entrepreneur. Any tale that can inspire. Seda asserted that through digital platforms it has become much easier to create awareness among people and have them share what they have gone through. Digitization has brought people together to empathize and understand the other person’s journey, and Blush is planning to make most of it. It is also open to creating something around a concept and connect various individual stories to it.

    Each documentary is planned to be shot in its own taste say the makers. All the productions are in-house, shot with Sony F7 and 5D Mark III cameras. Blush Originals is set to release one documentary per month. The production team has informed that its is ready with two more videos to be released in July and August.

    Explaining about the people to be showcased, the makers said that they pick up stories amongst themselves. “These are the people we come across day by day, it could be my friend or a neighbor or just someone I run into. There is a story everyone has and every story deserves to be told” added Seda.

    There is no specific search team. It is an in-house task to find people. The makers also claim that they have such a good response after the first video that stories are coming to them now.

    On the marketing and promotion front, Blush is majorly using cross promotion with its sister YouTube channel Being Indian. Otherwise it is pushing the videos through regular online marketing strategies. “Documentaries have reached the right audiences through digitization” commented Seda while explaining the promotion front.  

    There are no tie ups with any brands or sponsors as of now. These documentaries are intellectual properties of Blush.

  • Twitter launches first-ever #EveryCharacterMatters Week

    Twitter launches first-ever #EveryCharacterMatters Week

    MUMBAI: Starting June 13 Twitter India will celebrate young creators and users in its first-ever week-long live showcase called#EveryCharacterMatters. This curated showcase across Comedy, Lifestyle, Modern Romance, and Music will see over 20 comedians, chefs, musicians, stylists, and more, harness Twitter, Vine and Periscope to connect and create with their followers.

    #EveryCharacterMatters, as the theme suggests, will highlight how every content genre, every character, every personality has a voice on Twitter, and the curated showcase will be a reflection of the diverse youth and creative voices of our country. #EveryCharacterMatters will celebrate new forms of digital and live storytelling, and will help users discover and interact with new creators across their daily lives.

    This week-long showcase will also encourage the creator in every user on the platform, and will showcase how best to use Twitter’s tools and features. Onecan join the conversation by following @VideoIndia account or #EveryCharacterMatters hashtag on Twitter, which is the best way to get live updates about the program. On the web, go to www.everycharactermatters.com to check out the #EveryCharacterMattersconversations unfold in real time.

    “Twitter is current and live – it’s just like serving a dish at the restaurant – you get instant feedback. I can bounce off ideas for seasonal menus at The Bombay Canteen with our followers and I can also reach out to them asking about new ingredients I come across. I often look to Twitter for travel tips, and hyperlocal recommendations from foodies in the city I am visiting. Twitter helps build connections, inspires my work, and I learn something new everyday through my conversations,” says chef Thomas Zacharias (@ChefTZac) at The Bombay Canteen.

    “#EveryCharacterMatters will put a spotlight on the new young, delightful, hyperlocal Twitter. It will allow people to enjoy their interests such as food and music in a new dimension, and in a more inclusive and collaborative manner. The content across categories on Twitter is authentic and relatable, and that helps us redefine digital lifestyles on the world’s largest live communications platform today,” says Twitter India Lifestyle and Culture Partnerships Keya Madhvani.

    #EveryCharacterMatters will spotlight young Indian talent across genres, and all week these users will tell their stories in new, creative, multimedia content forms using Tweets, photos, videos, Vines, and Periscopes. They will collaborate with Twitter users for a richer experience by asking people to Tweet their ideas, lyrics, sound clips, and will involve them in the creator’s journey. You can journey with a musician in the making of a new track, or you can accompany a blogger as he walks down the streets of Bandra as he enjoys the local street food. Twitter brings you closer to all your favourite things, and you can enjoy them in ways you had never imagined – through candid conversations, live video broadcasts, and short-form videos.

  • Twitter launches first-ever #EveryCharacterMatters Week

    Twitter launches first-ever #EveryCharacterMatters Week

    MUMBAI: Starting June 13 Twitter India will celebrate young creators and users in its first-ever week-long live showcase called#EveryCharacterMatters. This curated showcase across Comedy, Lifestyle, Modern Romance, and Music will see over 20 comedians, chefs, musicians, stylists, and more, harness Twitter, Vine and Periscope to connect and create with their followers.

    #EveryCharacterMatters, as the theme suggests, will highlight how every content genre, every character, every personality has a voice on Twitter, and the curated showcase will be a reflection of the diverse youth and creative voices of our country. #EveryCharacterMatters will celebrate new forms of digital and live storytelling, and will help users discover and interact with new creators across their daily lives.

    This week-long showcase will also encourage the creator in every user on the platform, and will showcase how best to use Twitter’s tools and features. Onecan join the conversation by following @VideoIndia account or #EveryCharacterMatters hashtag on Twitter, which is the best way to get live updates about the program. On the web, go to www.everycharactermatters.com to check out the #EveryCharacterMattersconversations unfold in real time.

    “Twitter is current and live – it’s just like serving a dish at the restaurant – you get instant feedback. I can bounce off ideas for seasonal menus at The Bombay Canteen with our followers and I can also reach out to them asking about new ingredients I come across. I often look to Twitter for travel tips, and hyperlocal recommendations from foodies in the city I am visiting. Twitter helps build connections, inspires my work, and I learn something new everyday through my conversations,” says chef Thomas Zacharias (@ChefTZac) at The Bombay Canteen.

    “#EveryCharacterMatters will put a spotlight on the new young, delightful, hyperlocal Twitter. It will allow people to enjoy their interests such as food and music in a new dimension, and in a more inclusive and collaborative manner. The content across categories on Twitter is authentic and relatable, and that helps us redefine digital lifestyles on the world’s largest live communications platform today,” says Twitter India Lifestyle and Culture Partnerships Keya Madhvani.

    #EveryCharacterMatters will spotlight young Indian talent across genres, and all week these users will tell their stories in new, creative, multimedia content forms using Tweets, photos, videos, Vines, and Periscopes. They will collaborate with Twitter users for a richer experience by asking people to Tweet their ideas, lyrics, sound clips, and will involve them in the creator’s journey. You can journey with a musician in the making of a new track, or you can accompany a blogger as he walks down the streets of Bandra as he enjoys the local street food. Twitter brings you closer to all your favourite things, and you can enjoy them in ways you had never imagined – through candid conversations, live video broadcasts, and short-form videos.

  • ESPN India and Twitter launch #TwitterPostbox for sports lovers

    ESPN India and Twitter launch #TwitterPostbox for sports lovers

    MUMBAI: ESPN India and Twitter have come together to launch #TwitterPostbox, a daily utility service for sports fans. Sports enthusiasts can subscribe for free to their favourite sport to get a Daily Direct Message on the day’s best sports stories by simply sending a Tweet.

    To subscribe to #TwitterPostbox, fans have to follow @ESPNIndia and Tweet to @ESPNIndia with #Cricket or #Tennis or #Football or #Olympics or #F1 to know the latest on their favourite sport. They can also subscribe to multiple sports at a time by Tweeting with multiple hashtags in a single Tweet. This one-time subscription will ensure fans receive a Direct Message from @ESPNIndia on Twitter everyday. The Direct Message will contain @ESPNIndia’s Top Tweet of the Day on the sport a user has chosen; the Tweet will include a link to a published article that users can click on and read more.

    Twitter India head of sports partnerships Aneesh Madani said, “Twitter is the best place to wake up to and see what is happening in the world, and we are very excited to partner with ESPN India to launch a first-of-its-kind daily utility service for fans to be served directly with the best news of the day from their favourite sport.”

    ESPN India business development director Gaurav Thakur too added, ““ESPN India website and app will offer the entire spectrum of sports of interest to Indian sports fans and launching #TwitterPostbox in partnership with Twitter resonates with our mission to serve every sports fan anytime anywhere. We’re thrilled to be the first partner globally to launch a daily sports utility service via Direct Messages on Twitter.”

    @ESPNIndia’s partnership with #TwitterPostbox will ensure that Twitter continues to be a fan’s live connection to the world of sports every day — bite-size news, pushed directly, for the sports fan on the go, so that you don’t miss a thing.

  • ESPN India and Twitter launch #TwitterPostbox for sports lovers

    ESPN India and Twitter launch #TwitterPostbox for sports lovers

    MUMBAI: ESPN India and Twitter have come together to launch #TwitterPostbox, a daily utility service for sports fans. Sports enthusiasts can subscribe for free to their favourite sport to get a Daily Direct Message on the day’s best sports stories by simply sending a Tweet.

    To subscribe to #TwitterPostbox, fans have to follow @ESPNIndia and Tweet to @ESPNIndia with #Cricket or #Tennis or #Football or #Olympics or #F1 to know the latest on their favourite sport. They can also subscribe to multiple sports at a time by Tweeting with multiple hashtags in a single Tweet. This one-time subscription will ensure fans receive a Direct Message from @ESPNIndia on Twitter everyday. The Direct Message will contain @ESPNIndia’s Top Tweet of the Day on the sport a user has chosen; the Tweet will include a link to a published article that users can click on and read more.

    Twitter India head of sports partnerships Aneesh Madani said, “Twitter is the best place to wake up to and see what is happening in the world, and we are very excited to partner with ESPN India to launch a first-of-its-kind daily utility service for fans to be served directly with the best news of the day from their favourite sport.”

    ESPN India business development director Gaurav Thakur too added, ““ESPN India website and app will offer the entire spectrum of sports of interest to Indian sports fans and launching #TwitterPostbox in partnership with Twitter resonates with our mission to serve every sports fan anytime anywhere. We’re thrilled to be the first partner globally to launch a daily sports utility service via Direct Messages on Twitter.”

    @ESPNIndia’s partnership with #TwitterPostbox will ensure that Twitter continues to be a fan’s live connection to the world of sports every day — bite-size news, pushed directly, for the sports fan on the go, so that you don’t miss a thing.

  • Facebook appoints Umang Bedi as managing director India

    Facebook appoints Umang Bedi as managing director India

    MUMBAI: Facebook has appointed Umang Bedi as Managing Director, India, where he will lead in building and maintaining strategic relationships with top clients and regional agencies in the country. He will take over from Kirthiga Reddy, who will be returning to United States to take on a new role at the company’s headquarters at Menlo Park.

    “I am thrilled to join Facebook and am looking forward to working with the talented teams in India, to help brands and agencies grow their business on our platform. For me it’s a promising opportunity to participate in India’s digital growth, and I can’t think of a better place to be at.” said Bedi on her new appointment.

    Umang comes to Facebook with close to two decades of leadership experience covering sales, marketing and partnerships where he successfully built teams and grew businesses for multinational companies. Prior to joining Facebook, Umang was the Managing Director of the South Asia region at Adobe. He was responsible for growing their business in India and helping India grow to amongst the leading markets for Adobe in the APAC and global regions.

    Umang is an engineering graduate from University of Pune, an alumni of Harvard Business School and the recipient of the prestigious ‘40 Under Forty: India’s Hottest Business Leaders Award 2014’ given by The Economic Times and Spencer Stuart in 2014.

    On the other hand, Kirthiga Reddy, who was the face of Facebook in India, is set to join the Global Accounts team at Menlo Park, CA where she will manage a set of global brands and also lead the emerging markets efforts globally for the Global Accounts team, which manages Facebook’s relationships with the world’s largest global advertisers.

    “After six years in India building our operations and business, it’s hard to leave a team I now call family. The good news is that we will continue to work together. As I look ahead, I am excited about how well positioned our business is, to grow from strength to strength with Umang’s leadership, and with my next opportunity to shape and drive our emerging markets strategy across some of the world’s biggest brands,” Reddy shared.

    Umang will officially start at Facebook in July 2016. Kirthiga will start her new role in August 2016.

    “India is known for its great talent pool and we are really pleased to have Umang Bedi, a proven business executive to lead our business in India. I also want to wish Kirthiga the very best in her new global role. Kirthiga has played a huge and key role in building our India business from scratch, and I know she will continue to deliver the same impact in the US,” said Facebook Asia Pacific VP Dan Neary.

    He further added, “Facebook is where people and businesses connect on mobile and with close to 150 million monthly active people in India, we see significant opportunities to help Indian business – large and small – deliver against their business objectives in the mobile world.”

    Facebook works with more than 85% of the top 100 advertisers in India identified by Kantar. 100% of those advertisers use video within their Facebook campaigns in India.

  • Facebook appoints Umang Bedi as managing director India

    Facebook appoints Umang Bedi as managing director India

    MUMBAI: Facebook has appointed Umang Bedi as Managing Director, India, where he will lead in building and maintaining strategic relationships with top clients and regional agencies in the country. He will take over from Kirthiga Reddy, who will be returning to United States to take on a new role at the company’s headquarters at Menlo Park.

    “I am thrilled to join Facebook and am looking forward to working with the talented teams in India, to help brands and agencies grow their business on our platform. For me it’s a promising opportunity to participate in India’s digital growth, and I can’t think of a better place to be at.” said Bedi on her new appointment.

    Umang comes to Facebook with close to two decades of leadership experience covering sales, marketing and partnerships where he successfully built teams and grew businesses for multinational companies. Prior to joining Facebook, Umang was the Managing Director of the South Asia region at Adobe. He was responsible for growing their business in India and helping India grow to amongst the leading markets for Adobe in the APAC and global regions.

    Umang is an engineering graduate from University of Pune, an alumni of Harvard Business School and the recipient of the prestigious ‘40 Under Forty: India’s Hottest Business Leaders Award 2014’ given by The Economic Times and Spencer Stuart in 2014.

    On the other hand, Kirthiga Reddy, who was the face of Facebook in India, is set to join the Global Accounts team at Menlo Park, CA where she will manage a set of global brands and also lead the emerging markets efforts globally for the Global Accounts team, which manages Facebook’s relationships with the world’s largest global advertisers.

    “After six years in India building our operations and business, it’s hard to leave a team I now call family. The good news is that we will continue to work together. As I look ahead, I am excited about how well positioned our business is, to grow from strength to strength with Umang’s leadership, and with my next opportunity to shape and drive our emerging markets strategy across some of the world’s biggest brands,” Reddy shared.

    Umang will officially start at Facebook in July 2016. Kirthiga will start her new role in August 2016.

    “India is known for its great talent pool and we are really pleased to have Umang Bedi, a proven business executive to lead our business in India. I also want to wish Kirthiga the very best in her new global role. Kirthiga has played a huge and key role in building our India business from scratch, and I know she will continue to deliver the same impact in the US,” said Facebook Asia Pacific VP Dan Neary.

    He further added, “Facebook is where people and businesses connect on mobile and with close to 150 million monthly active people in India, we see significant opportunities to help Indian business – large and small – deliver against their business objectives in the mobile world.”

    Facebook works with more than 85% of the top 100 advertisers in India identified by Kantar. 100% of those advertisers use video within their Facebook campaigns in India.