Category: MAM

MUMBAI: With its deal with Sahara for sponsorship of the Indian team coming to an end next month, the BCCI has floated a tender inviting bids from various companies.

The bid is for sponsoring four teams – men‘s, women‘s, India A Team and India Under 19 Team.
 
The bid document is available for a non-refundable fee of Rs 500,000.

The notice requires all bidders to satisfy the eligibility criteria laid down by the board. The BCCI has reserved the right to cancel or amend the entire bidding process at any stage and to reject any and/or all bids without providing any reasons, including calling for a re-tender.
 
Last year, the BCCI had to persuade Sahara to extend its sponsorship deal after its tender found no takers due to a difficult economic environment.

The BCCI had quoted a huge base price. The board sought Rs 30 million each for Tests, ODIs and Twenty20 played in the next four years. India will play nearly 170 international matches in the next four years and the BCCI was looking to raise a minimum of Rs 5 billion. 
 
Whether Sahara will bid for the sponsorship, is a big question mark, as it is already making a substantial investment in its IPL franchise, Pune Warriors.

Sahara had paid Rs 4 billion for the current deal.
 

MUMBAI: After being appointment by Credila Financial Services earlier this month, Vizeum India has now been named as the media agency on record (AOR) for Asia MotorWorks Limited (AMW).

AMW specialises in the manufacturing of trucks in the 25 tonne and above segment. 
 
Said Vizeum India sub-continent MD S Yesudas, “It is a hugely challenging assignment and radical thinking, coupled with our passion to operate as the extended brand management team of the client will ensure our success with the brand.”
 
This account will be handled out of Vizeum‘s Mumbai office.

In addition to the HCV business, AMW Auto Component supplies wheel rims and pressed components to various automobile companies in India and overseas.
 

MUMBAI: Wynn Telecom has roped in Saif Ali Khan to endorse their latest line of mobile phones.

Priced between Rs 1,500 and 5000, the new range exhibits a mix of utility, multimedia and QWERTY phones.
 
Co-founder and chairman of Wynn Telecom Rakesh Malhotra said, “Consumer response to quality Indian brands has been overwhelming in the last 12 months which has encouraged well entrenched and reputed consumer brands like us to make significant investments in this space to secure long term leadership in this domain.”
 
Utility phones come with a high efficiency battery and multiple language support. The multimedia range has a camera, video player, wireless FM and expandable memory. The Y-50 Qwerty Phone comes with features such as pre-loaded AIO messenger, social networking applications and multimedia.
 
Co-founder and MD Wynn Telecom Mr Arvind RVohra said, “Wynncom will strive to make its products available to Indian consumers not only in the cities but in the hinterland of the country. We are committed to be amongst the top 3 Indian brands before the end of this financial year.”
 

MUMBAI: The internet giant Google is targeting 4 billion television users worldwide in partnership with Sony, Logitech, Dish Network and Intel.

Google TV will not generate their content, rather the company is looking to capitalise on the advertising revenue potentially generated from almost two-thirds of the world‘s population.

Google has its eyes on the largest consumer market on the planet. Computer users number 1 billion, mobile users number 2 billion, but TV trumps both of those with 4 billion users around the world.
Donning the tagline, “TV Meets Web, Web Meets TV”, Google TV will help users find programmes that can be watched and recorded from across various cable and satellite channels.
 
Google TV proposes to give users a search box on their television sets, via which they can use Google‘s search engine to look for live programmes, DVR recordings, YouTube videos, and video-on-demand from Amazon. Users can then see a short list of results displayed on their TV, from which they can select and view the desired video with the push of a button.

This technology will be built into TV sets, set top boxes, Blu-ray players and other electronic devices. All the three, partners Sony, Logitech and Dish all plan to have their Google TV enabled products ready by this fall.

Sony will have a TV and a set-top box with Google‘s Android-based technology. 
 
Dish Network, on the other hand, plans to have the Google TV devices plugged into their network receivers over HDMI, enabling the Google TV to search for content on the web and save it to their Dish DVR.

Logitech, meanwhile, will launch the “companion box” by fall, which will run Google TV. This device is like a set-top box and can be connected to any HDTV, allowing the user to use Google TV with any other channel service set-top box. The box comes with a controller that is a small keyboard, remote control, and a touch pad for navigating the service.
 
Logitech also plans to launch a camera that will let users make video calls from the TV, and an application that will let any smart phone act like a Google TV controller.

The companies will initially launch these products in the US in the fall of 2010 and then gradually roll out into other global markets.

MUMBAI: The No 3 and No 4 players, Zee TV and Sony, in the GEC sweepstakes shaved off largish GRP chunks in week 20 in C&S 4+. While Zee TV lopped off 22 points to close the week at 245 GRPs, Sony dropped 26 points to register 153 GRPs. Colors on the other hand gained 10 points to close at 288 while Star Plus stayed stagnant at 337 GRPs.

Zee TV lost ratings despite the fact that it has four shows in the Top 10 more than the other two, which have three each.
 
It‘s interesting that Star continues to lead the market for the second week in a row. Its soaps seem to be giving it traction: Pratigya with a peak 5.7 TVR is the top show amongst GECs, Bidayi (4.5), Yeh Rishta Kya Kehalata Hain (4.4) and Sabki Laadli Bebo (4) while celebrity dance show Zara Nachke Dikha with a peak TVR of 2.8 is adding numbers. Totally, Star Plus prime time GRPs was 131. Its weekend prime time GRPs dropped last week from 46 to 41 while its afternoon block GRPs at 32 were almost twice as much as its rivals.

Colors seems to be getting some buoyancy from its soaps and from its weekend band. Its prime time shows generated 125 GRPs lower than Zee TV‘s 129. Uttaran ( peak TVR of 5.1), Laagi Tujse Lagan (4.3), Na Aana is des Laaddo (4.2), Baalika Vadhu (3.6), Maa Tujhe Pranam (3) and Bairi Piya (2.7) were its winners. Colors did exceptionally well on its weekend with 39 GRPs (22 last week) as against 24 for Zee TV. 
 
Zee TV‘s prime time saw some ratings being scraped off from last week (140 GRPs).

The Balaji Telefilms produced Pavitra Rishta is holding rock solid with consistently high TVRs with its peak being at 5.6; Agley Janam (4.1), Jhansi Ki Rani (4.1) DID Little Masters (4) and Yahan Mein Ghar Ghar Kheli (3.9) were its big ‘uns. Its weekend band with 24 GRPs dragged down its performance.
 
Sony at the other hand continues to befuddle: its big success in the past month has been Indian Idol (2.3) and Comedy Circus Mahasangram (2) while its CID, Aahat and Crime Patrol continue to contribute to its ratings. Its soaps, dramas continue to do badly. Its prime time ratings fell from 53 to 43, very close to NDTV Imagine‘s 41 GRPs.

Observers are wondering whether Sony‘s bet with Boogie Woogie at prime time will work and whether the two new soaps it is adding to its lineup by end this month will help push it up the ratings ladder.

MUMBAI: Force Motors has roped in Salman Khan and Sohail Khan to feature in its new television commercial, which talks about the company‘s latest entrants to the small commercial industry – Trump 15 and Trump 40.

Force Motors is a vertically-integrated automobile company with expertise in design, development and manufacturing of the full spectrum of automotive components, aggregates and vehicles.
 
Says Triton Communications executive director Mumbai & Pune Pankaj Arora, “Given the marketing challenge, we chose to adopt a ‘sandwich strategy‘. The task was to position both the Trump 15 and Trump 40 which have a capacity to carry loads from 790 kg to 1100 kg respectively as a range that is tough, rugged and stylish. Also Force Motors has a heritage of making vehicles that are strong, reliable and fuel efficient. We needed to communicate this range in a simple interesting and memorable manner”
 
Commenting on the creative idea, Triton Communications national creative director Renton D‘Sousa says, “The most potent, rugged duo in filmdom with mass-market appeal was used to mirror that most powered rugged cross-country duo in the mass goods carrier segment. How the Trump duo overcomes all adversity, is exactly the awe that this product generates amongst non-Trump truckers.”
 
Apart from TVC, the campaign will also be a mix of both ATL and BTL activation.
 

MUMBAI: It has ambitions to hand its rivals a beating. HUL‘s Lifebuoy Hand Santiser had been launched in select markets last year. The company is now launching the product nationally at all leading medical and departmental stores at a price of Rs 50 for a 55 ml bottle.

The Lifebuoy Hand Sanitizer is a convenient, accessible and easy-to-use way to keep ones hands germ-free, even in the absence of water, making it almost unique. For those interested in its contents, it is an ethyl-alcohol based hand sanitizer (95% v/v), which kills 99.99%of germs, including the deadly H1N1 virus. Moisturisers and vitamin E, make it tough on germs, yet gentle on hands, keeping the skin healthy and supple. 
 
Since it does not need to be washed off with water, Lifebuoy‘s hand sanitizer can be used anywhere and protects one against both direct (for example, shaking hands with a person with cold, flu, eye infection or a stomach infection etc.) and indirect contact (for example, touching a doorknob handled by an infected person) with the disease causing viruses.

Godrej Consumer Products, Paras Pharmaceuticals, Wipro Consumer Care and Himalya Herbal Healthcare are already established players in the Indian hand sanitizer market. All the three sold a record number of hand sanitizers during the H1N1 scare, almost 300% of their normal sales, and since then their product popularity has soared. 
 
Wipro Consumer Care‘s Chandrika hand sanitizer, Godrej Protekt Instant Hand Sanitizer, Paras Pharaceutical‘s DermiCool Skin Defense Instant Hand Sanitizer, Himalya Herbal Healthcare‘s Pure Hands and Clarus Instant Hand Sanitizer are the current big brands within the Indian hand sanitizer market of the India.

According to a Nielsen study, sales of hand sanitizers in the US soared 245% on reports of the H1N1 flu strain. In the UK, hand sanitizers have grown three-folds since the HINI scare broke. This sudden surge in demand around the world has brought alive an almost non-existent market, where the only available hand sanitizers were expensive imported brands.

MUMBAI: Ajay Naqvi has joined Mudra India as EVP and head – North & East.

Prior to this, Naqvi was national business head for Airtel at Rediffusion Y& R.
 
Commenting on the appointment, Naqvi said, “My biggest challenge would be to bring simplicity back into advertising.”

In his new role, Naqvi will be responsible for spearheading greater growth in the region and delivering on critical fronts such as creative product, client relationships and new business. 
 
Said Mudra India CEO Jude Fernandes, “With his mix of passion and enthusiasm, he is perfectly suited for the position and I‘m sure that his addition will infuse the team with new enthusiasm to deliver better solutions and results for all our partners.”

Naqvi brings with him over 10 years of experience in the industry across agencies such as Ogilvy & Mather, Leo Burnett, Bates Asia and Rediffusion. He has worked on a variety of businesses such as Castrol, Indian Oil, Amaron, Tata Motors, DHL, HPCL, Nokia, Heineken, Airtel and campaigns like Sumo Victa- ‘Kuch Log Sumo Chalate Hain‘ and Safari- ‘Reclaim your life‘.

MUMBAI: Low-fare airline IndiGo has launched its 2010 advertising campaign on national TV, digital, print and outdoor media.

Created by Wieden+Kennedy, the Delhi-based agency, the campaign focuses on IndiGo‘s “formidable track record of operational efficiency and clockwork precision”. The TVC also makes the point that IndiGo achieves these l performance standards in a chic, customer-friendly manner.
 
The TVC will be seen across business, news, movie, general entertainment, sports, travel, lifestyle and regional channels. Directed by Harvey B Brown and produced by Bang Bang films, the commercial also features a specially-composed electronic track by French DJ Mat of Bhavishyavani Future Soundz.

Commenting on the airline‘s latest marketing effort, IndiGo president Aditya Ghosh says,
“At IndiGo, low cost and low fares don‘t mean low quality. On-time performance is core to our business and is one of the three values that IndiGo stands for. The new TVC is refreshing and unique and reinforces IndiGo‘s commitment of providing all our fliers with an on time, hassle free experience at low fares, always!” 
 
According to Wieden+Kennedy executive creative director Delhi V Sunil, “IndiGo is the real leader in terms of customer experience, value and operational efficiency, and this comes from a genuine sense of love and respect for the customer. That‘s the point of our campaign – only IndiGo ensures that you get from A to B without wasting your time and money, or being made to feel cheap in the process.”
 

MUMBAI: With an increase in client demand for strategic digital services, OgilvyOne has appointed James Sandberg as digital lead – client servicing.

In his new role, Sandberg will manage some of OgilvyOne’s key digital clients such as Unilever and Vodafone while focusing on growing the digital portfolio for OgilvyOne. He will be based out of the agency’s Mumbai office. 
 
Said OgilvyOne Worldwide, Mumbai VP Harshad Hardikar, “Sandberg’s knowledge and understanding of the digital marketing space will enhance the current OgilvyOne service offering. His appointment is a reiteration of our commitment to digital growth plans to take OgilvyOne to the next level of path breaking digital solutions.”
 
A UK-national, Sandberg began his career in 2001 and has worked in a variety of projects and roles focusing purely in the digital space in agencies such as PHD (Omnicom), Ptarmigan Media and Perfect Relations. He also had a successful stint working as digital campaigns manager for HSBC Bank. 
 
Prior to this appointment, Sandberg was head – digital at Perfect Relations.

His experience in digital extends from web designing, online PR, e-mail marketing, search marketing (SEM and SEO), analytics to affiliate marketing and media planning.