ITV

Category: Social Media

  • IIFA 2015 takes world by storm on social media

    IIFA 2015 takes world by storm on social media

    MUMBAI: Social media is being used extensively to popularise shows these days and an example of this was the recently aired IIFA 2015. While #IIFA2015 trended at number one in India, on the day of its telecast on Colors, it also was among the top 10 trends internationally.

     

    This year’s campaign saw a plethora of innovative mediums that kept consumers engaged and enthralled by the excitement and glamour of the IIFA Weekend. On twitter, fans and stars tweeted constantly about their favourite moments of the show.

     

    Fans got a chance to be part of the Green Carpet at IIFA with Facebook video lounge where they could ask their favourite stars a question. With the ingenious use of Facebook API, a touch screen experience was created for celebrities to answer the questions. Each celebrity picked a question by tapping on one of the five profile photos of their fans. Not just this, #Fame beamed close to 200 hours of live content spanning three days. Celebrities lost their hold on gravity with Instagrams Gravity Booth.

     

    Wizcraft International director Sabbas Joseph said, “Social media is a revolution in technology that allows us to interface with events across the world as an almost first-hand experience. It is this pinnacle of interaction that we have tried to achieve through our social media campaign this year and I think we have successfully achieved this goal.”

  • Chef Sanjeev Kapoor talks food with fans on Twitter with #SanjeevKapoorsRecipes

    Chef Sanjeev Kapoor talks food with fans on Twitter with #SanjeevKapoorsRecipes

    MUMBAI: On 8 July, 2015, between 11 am and 12 noon, celebrated chef Sanjeev Kapoor will reach out to fans on Twitter, powered by Hungama, India’s largest digital service. The celebrity chef will chat with fans while using #SanjeevKapoorsRecipes. With this, Chef Sanjeev Kapoor becomes the first Indian chef to do a Twitter activity to answer all his fans’ questions on food, cooking, tricks to preserve various ingredients and insight into recipes of various cuisines and regions. 

     

    Chef Sanjeev Kapoor has over 100,000 followers on Twitter from across the globe, he will not only chat about food but also his official recipes app called SANJEEV KAPOOR’s RECIPES available on Android, iOS and Windows. With this activity, the Master Chef judge aims to help his fans to resolve any issues they may have with cooking.

     

    The Sanjeev Kapoor’s Recipes App offers a wide range of features developed by Hungama Digital Media Entertainmen. Users can access detailed recipes with pictures, there are special, personal notes by Sanjeev Kapoor along with some awesome features like ‘In Your Fridge’ which offers a brilliant solution to everyday dilemma of what to cook? All you need to do is enter ingredients in your fridge and see the magical search results. There’s another feature called ‘Shopping List’ that helps keep a check on marking the missing items in your kitchen as you read a recipe on the app; pull out the list when one is at the supermarket or mail it to yourself. The app can also help locate the nearest Sanjeev Kapoor restaurant with the ‘Restaurant Locator’ feature.

     

    Sanjeev Kapoor said, “I have always believed that food brings us close, helps build communities and strengthen families. A discussion about food is as exciting and enjoyable as having food. Let’s catch up and talk about something that we all love – FOOD. I am looking forward to interacting with foodies from across the world.”

     

    Speaking on the occasion Neeraj Roy, MD & CEO of Hungama Digital Media Entertainment, said, “We are happy to associate with renowned chef Sanjeev Kapoor and his endeavors to promote the Sanjeev Kapoor Recipes app. His chat over Twitter with fans will circulate around the recipes he has created and re-created over the span of his entire career. We hope that with this activity Sanjeev Kapoor’s fans from across the globe will get a chance to interact with him.”

  • OML launches talent search for India’s next comedy star

    OML launches talent search for India’s next comedy star

    MUMBAI: The search for the next big guns of comedy on YouTube in India has begun, with OML announcing the first ever web hunt for the kings and queens of comedy through ‘The Comedy Hunt on YouTube.’

     

    Presented by Quikr, powered by Micromax, and co-sponsored by 5 Star, Garnier Men and Royal Challenge Sports Drink, the three-month-long contest began on 6 July, 2015. Over the next three weeks ending on 26 July, anyone interested in cutting their teeth as Indian’s next top online comedian can apply by creating a funny video, uploading it to their own YouTube channel, and then submitting the video URL at www.youtube.com/thecomedyhunt.

     

    ‘The Comedy Hunt’ will be a digital search for budding talent, which is backed by popular comedians on YouTube in India. Comic stars such as All India Bakchod, Kanan Gill, Jose, SnG Comedy, East India Comedy, Abish Mathew, Aditi Mittal and Shudh Desi Endings will shortlist top participants and work with them to help sharpen their skills before they’re put through seven weeks of challenge rounds.

     

    These YouTube creators will also act as judges and pick the top finalists from these challenge rounds. The top five finalists will then be on stage and display their videos live alongside the mentors in front of an audience.

     

    OML director Ajay Nair said, “There is huge appetite among younger audiences to consume content that’s not formulaic and that has been traditionally served by television. This initiative is a platform to find and reward creators across various comedic forms- not just stand-up or sketches. It’s an exciting time to create humorous content and with this hunt, we want to accelerate that process”

     

    “YouTube has always worked with fresh and innovative comedy talent, and creators like AIB and TVF are helping make comedy one of the fastest growing content verticals on the platform today. We are sponsoring this first of its kind initiative , which will help us continue to support new comedians across the country as they build their brands as entertainers and find global audiences for their talents through YouTube,” added YouTube Partnerships, Asia-Pacific regional director Ajay Vidyasagar.

     

    AIB’s Ashish Shakya said, “We’re kicked to be a part of the ‘Comedy Hunt’. It’s an exciting time to be a digital content creator in India and we’re happy to help in pushing new comic talent centre stage. Also, people are tired of seeing our ugly faces and the scene could always use new blood.”

     

    Quikr founder and CEO Pranay Chulet informed, “We are delighted to sponsor the first ever ‘Comedy Hunt on YouTube.’ Quikr is a young Indian company and it is a natural fit for us to encourage the next generation of talent in India. Comedy is one of India’s fastest developing entertainment genres in India and at Quikr, we love the kind of dynamic, fast paced experience it offers. We wish all the participants the best of luck.”

     

    Micromax CMO Shubhajit Sen opined, “Micromax is a young brand, never content with the world as we find it – always wanting to improve it with innovative, disruptive solutions. We hope to see the same irreverent, disruptive and insightful wit from the young and talented participants. Micromax is proud to power the laughter at the inaugural ‘Comedy Hunt’ on YouTube.”

  • “2021-22 will see a convergence of television and digital:” Arnab Goswami

    “2021-22 will see a convergence of television and digital:” Arnab Goswami

    MUMBAI: “Twitter has opened up avenues and forced people to be more spontaneous,” said Times Now and ET Now news president and editor in chief Arnab Goswami. He was speaking at #RiseWithTwitter, organised by Twitter India on the occasion of ‘World Social Media Day.’

     

    Goswami, who himself has stayed away from Twitter, unlike his counterparts, further said, “The channel has been getting million impressions since we broke the Lalit Modi scandal, which subsequently saw Lalit-gate trending. Though, these numbers are highly helpful, I don’t get swayed by it. I like to be focused and let my craft which is journalism and storytelling, do the talking.”

     

    The veteran journalist did touch upon the emergence of digital and predicted a point of convergence around 2021 -2022. “Television gives me five times more viewership compared to digital and certainly is the largest medium at this point of time. So I would request people to neither overestimate nor underestimate the power of digital. The kids in kindergarten now will mark the real emergence of digital and that will happen once they start earning their livelihood, which will take time,” added Goswami.

     

    Goswami informed the audience of how the behaviour of journalism in Delhi had almost forced him to take a decision to leave journalism. He said, “In 2001, I had almost decided to quit journalism. But today, thanks to the stories and a few moments, I feel journalism is the best profession for me to be in.”

  • Rural India pips urban India in social media usage with 100% growth

    Rural India pips urban India in social media usage with 100% growth

    MUMBAI: Internet and Mobile Association of India [IAMAI] and IMRB International report depicts 100 per cent growth in usage of social media in rural India during the last one year with 25 million users in rural India. 

    On the other hand, urban India registered a relatively lower growth of 35 per cent with the total number of users at 118 million as on April 2015. According to the report there are 143 million social media users in India as on April 2015. 

    The report also finds that the top four Metros continue to account for almost half of the social media users in urban India.

    According to the latest report, the largest segment accessing social media consists of college going students with 34 per cent followed by young men at 27 per cent. School going children constitute 12 per cent of social media users. College going students and young men still form 60 per cent of the social media users in urban India.

    The report further finds that 61 per cent of these users access social media on their mobile device. The fact that almost two thirds of the users are already accessing social media through their mobile is a promising sign. With the expected increase in mobile traffic the number of users accessing social media on mobile is only bound to increase.

     

    The report further finds that 61 per cent of these users access social media on their mobile device. The fact that almost two thirds of the users are already accessing social media through their mobile is a promising sign. With the expected increase in mobile traffic the number of users accessing social media on mobile is only bound to increase.

    According to the report, maintaining a profile on social networking sites is a top activity of users followed by updating status. On the other hand, commenting on a blog site is the third most popular activity among users in social networking sites. 

  • WWE surpasses half a billion social media followers

    WWE surpasses half a billion social media followers

    MUMBAI: WWE has eclipsed half a billion fans through its global social media platforms, further cementing its position as one of the most-followed brands in the world.

     

    WWE’s Facebook page has more fans than the NFL, ESPN, Marvel, Google and UFC, and WWE superstar John Cena is the No.1 most followed active American athlete on Facebook with more than 36 million likes.

     

    On Twitter, @WWE has more followers than MLB, Disney, Sony and Pepsi and according to Klout, is the No. 1 most influential brand on Twitter. 

     

    On Instagram, WWE’s fastest-growing platform, @WWE has more followers than ESPN, HBO, NHL and Gatorade. With nearly five billion video views on YouTube in the past year alone, WWE is the No. 1 Sports channel ahead of the NBA, MLB, NFL, NHL, ESPN and NASCAR.

     

    WWE’s Social Media Snapshot:

    • Facebook: 354 million total likes, including 98 million new likes, an increase of 38 per cent year-over year.

    • Twitter: 108 million total followers, including 18 million new followers, an increase of 20 per cent year-over-year.

    • Instagram: 26 million total followers, including 25 million new followers, an increase of 2,955 per cent year-over-year.

    • YouTube: 6.2 million total subscribers, including 2.8 million new subscribers, an increase of 82 per cent year-over-year.

     

    Earlier this year, WWE won awards for Overall Social Media Excellence and Social Media Dream Team at the 2015 Cynopsis Sports Media Awards and 2015 Cablefax Digital Awards, respectively. WWE’s 12 social media platforms include Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat, Periscope, Google+, Vine, Foursquare, Tumblr, Pheed and Pinterest.

  • Videogram to deliver what YouTube can’t; targets entertainment, sports & fashion

    Videogram to deliver what YouTube can’t; targets entertainment, sports & fashion

    MUMBAI: Why buffer the entire video on YouTube when you are interested in seeing only a particular part? Because there is no other option available? Now, there is a brand that has gone deep into the mind of video streaming consumers to understand their problems and has come out with an innovation called Videogram.

     

    Videogram enables users to see a particular part of the video without buffering the entire piece. Such a product is definitely welcome in a country like ours where we are still grappling with bandwidth issues.

     

    Co-founded by two Indians – Sandeep Casi and Rahul Golecha, Videogram is a global entrepreneurial venture offering innovative video solutions. Founded in 2012, the venture is a flagship product of Silicon Valley based Cinemacraft, headquartered in Tokyo.

     

    “While the entire world was happy with the streaming services and techniques available, we were brainstorming to find a solution because we repeatedly saw people wasting their time and data seeing the entire video while they were interested in watching a particular part. That’s where Videogram came into picture,” says Golecha.

     

    “We wanted to add transparency, give people more options and empower them by giving facility of summary based video streaming where a particular part can be promoted and emphasized on,” he further informs.

     

    When asked how companies can benefit through this streaming service, Golecha says, “Apart from social media, Videogram can be a bright tool for brands also. Take the case of BMW, wherein the TVC covers every aspect like engine, elegance, interior, exterior finishing and all. However, if one has to see only the engine, he can directly go there and doesn’t need to go through the entire video. So Videogram gives these added options, which if used properly can make a big difference. The entire concept behind Videogram is to provide multiple avenues in one video and disrupt the linear methodology.”

     

    Having recently worked with the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Rajasthan Royals, the company is buoyant with the response it has got from brands and consumers alike. Indian media and entertainment houses like Yash Raj Films, Dharma Productions, Born Free Entertainment, Tips Industries, Pocket Films and Star Plus amongst others have also taken to using Videogram.

     

    Globally, the company has worked with Fox Pictures, Sony Pictures, Capitol Records, Disney, HBO, Jennifer Lopez, L’Oreal, Warner, CBS, ABC, ESPN Turner Broadcasting and others.

     

    “So far, we have managed to rope in a lot of brands and all of them have been satisfied with the innovation we provided. The responses from both brands and consumers were immensely positive,” asserts Golecha on the responses garnered so far.

     

     

    Speaking about Videogram’s primary target and the company’s prospect in the Indian market, Golecha says, “Our major target and focus is on the entertainment, sports and fashion industries. India is a vast market and I see good scope here. However, one of the problems we have faced in India is that people are reluctant to experiment, or try something new. The conservative nature is the biggest obstacle for us, which we are trying our level best to overcome.”

     

    “Going forward we want to emerge as brand’s best friend when it comes to video distribution, and that can happen because the facilities and options that Videogram can offer no one else can,” he concludes. 

  • Blogmint, DMAi join hands for influencer marketing programme

    Blogmint, DMAi join hands for influencer marketing programme

    MUMBAI: India’s first automated marketplace Blogmint, which connects brands and bloggers, has joined hands with DMAi to launch a first-of-its-kind executive session on the adoption of influencer marketing in India.

     

    It will be an informative and interactive platform for businesses of all sizes to learn and unlearn about influencer marketing, which is the fastest growing channel for online customer acquisition. This will help brands generate returns on social media.

     

    With a view to spread the message of influencer marketing, Blogmint and DMAi conducted the first session at the Radisson Hotel in Delhi earlier this month and plan to continue this exercise in various parts of the country. A session is scheduled on 27 May in Mumbai.

     

    Blogmint CEO Irfan Khan said, “As influencer marketing empowers brands to leverage the power of word of mouth through influential bloggers and content producers with significant number of fans and followers on social media, it is increasingly becoming an integral part of brand’s marketing mix. However, there’s a big gap between brands and social influencers on how to collaborate successfully and responsibly. Through this initiative, we wish to bridge this gap between businesses and influencers.”

     

    “We remain committed to advancing the practice of response driven marketing through such initiatives. There is a library of rich content for our CXO (chief experience officer) roundtables that the industry can benefit from. We are thankful to Blogmint, who have partnered in curating the sessions for the influencer marketing roundtables,” added DMAi director and COO Shelly Singh.

     

    The first event witnessed more than 50 CXOs from leading companies like Reebok, SAP and HCL among others.

  • Hootsuite launches new tool for Facebook ads

    Hootsuite launches new tool for Facebook ads

    MUMBAI: Hootsuite has launched Hootsuite Ads, which is a new tool that easily turns high performing Facebook content into promoted posts.

     

    Hootsuite Ads provides a simple way to extend social impact. Social media practitioners and content marketers understand that social advertising is a powerful channel, but the ad creation and management process is difficult and time consuming.

     

    Hootsuite Ads is the first tool of its kind to provide automation that radically simplifies this process. Users choose the primary business objective for each ad, and then receive automatic content and targeting suggestions from within their Hootsuite dashboard.

     

    “Hootsuite Ads is the first advertising tool designed specifically for human beings. “Our vision is to make advertising so simple that anyone can create high-performing ads without training,” said Hootsuite CEO Ryan Holmes.

     

    Hootsuite Ads helps users in growing their business, creating high performing ads, finding the right audience, simplifying ad management and controlling ad spend.

     

    Hootsuite users can now access Hootsuite Ads for free through the dashboard to create Facebook Promoted Posts. 

  • MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings dominate Facebook fandom map

    MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings dominate Facebook fandom map

    MUMBAI: Facebook has been mapping fans of the eight teams playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL), which shows the most-liked teams on Facebook across all of India’s states and districts. Led by Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) are the kings of IPL when it comes to their Facebook likes.

     

    The map shows that every team is the most supported team in their home states. In states that do not have a team, CSK dominates. 

     

    Interestingly, more people in Delhi like the CSK team than their home team. In fact, the Delhi Daredevils do not have a plurality of fans in an Indian district. And in Gurgaon, Mumbai Indians are the most popular among Facebook fans. 

    The Facebook fandom map is created by the Facebook Data Science team, shows fans of all eight IPL teams across India. Each district is color-coded based on which official team Facebook page has the most likes from the people that live in that district.

     

    What’s more, from 1 April to 10 May, approximately 26 million people had nearly 250 million Facebook interactions around the IPL wherein people engaged in the conversation their favorite teams, players, and with their friends around IPL content. In India, 19 million people had nearly 200 million interactions.