Category: MAM

MUMBAI: Soccer‘s governing body Fifa has announced that Brazilian telecom company, Oi, is the first Brazilian Fifa World Cup Sponsor for the 2014 Fifa World Cup Brazil.
 
Oi offers local and long-distance voice transmission, mobile telephony, data communication, internet and entertainment. In an agreement, which begins in 2011, Oi will become the official Fifa World Cup telecommunications service provider for the 2014 Fifa World Cup Brazil. 
 
Fifa marketing division director Thierry Weil says, “Efficient and reliable communications are a vital and integral part of everything we do in the modern world, and to approach a FIFA World Cup without the help and expertise of a major telecommunications provider would be unthinkable. We are therefore delighted to announce that Oi will be joining Fifa as a global sponsor for the 2014 Fifa World Cup Brazil”.
 
Oi’s agreement with Fifa begins in 2011 and will run until 2014, during which time the telecommunications giant will enjoy global rights aimed at consolidating the Oi brand as a supporter of the 2014 Fifa World Cup, as well as reinforcing the company’s image both at home in Brazil and throughout Latin America.
 

MUMBAI: UK media watchdog Ofcom has published a consultation on possible removal of the Airtime Sales Rules (ASR).

The consultation relates to how broadcasters sell TV advertising to media buyers and advertisers. Specifically, it is consulting on whether commercial Public Service Broadcasters (PSBs) must sell all of their available advertising airtime and also whether the prohibition that applies to all commercial broadcasters relating to conditional selling is still appropriate.

The consultation closes on 7 June.
 
Ofocm is consulting on the possible removal of the Airtime Sales Rules – two rules, which relate to how broadcasters sell TV advertising to media buyers and advertisers, referred to as the ‘withholding rule‘ and the ‘conditional selling rule‘.

The withholding rule means all of the airtime available on the commercial analogue channels – ITV1, C4 and Five – must be sold. In contrast, the conditional selling rule applies to all broadcasters, prohibiting them from ‘forcing‘ media buyers – who want to buy airtime on one channel – to purchase airtime on additional channels.

The rules were intended to ensure fair and effective competition in relation to broadcasting and connected services and we have an obligation to review them periodically, to check whether they are still appropriate and fit for purpose. The rules were last reviewed in 2003 and we think it is now appropriate to assess whether they are still necessary.
 
Ofcom believes that the rules need to be considered in light of key changes in the TV sector which we believe are likely to have enhanced competition in the supply of TV advertising airtime. The large increase in the number of TV channels and in digital TV take-up, along with a shift in viewing from PSBs toward digital channels, has provided more opportunities for buyers to secure advertising from non-PSBs. This trend towards greater competition is expected to continue with future sector developments.

Ofcom has also considered whether there are incentives for broadcasters to engage in behaviour prohibited by the rules. We believe there are limited incentives for withholding airtime, given evidence that, in the short run, it is unlikely to be a profitable strategy for C4 or Five and it would provide very little uplift for ITV1‘s revenues. Moreover, Ofcom believes that the way TV advertising is traded incentivises broadcasters to sell all their airtime in the long run. 
 
Conditional selling is a form of bundling and bundling can yield benefits such as reduced costs. For bundling to have anti-competitive effects (for example reduced choice or higher prices), a sales house would need to have market power – and even then, any negative outcomes might be outweighed by beneficial welfare effects. Ofcom, therefore, believes that it is more appropriate to treat possible conditional selling by broadcasters on a case by case basis, rather than through an industry-wide rule to prevent this behaviour.

Given these considerations, Ofcom‘s preliminary view is that the ASRs are no longer appropriate for ensuring fair and effective competition. Removing unnecessary regulation is important to enable sectors to develop and to give players more flexibility to run their businesses. This may then have positive impacts on innovation or investment.

If Ofcom concludes that it is appropriate to remove the rules, then it will continue to monitor the development of the TV advertising sector and any effects of the removal. Continuing engagement from industry stakeholders will form an integral part of its ability to review the effects of lifting the rules.
 

MUMBAI: Red FM head national marketing and West Anuj Singh has called it quits.
 
Singh is serving a notice period and his last day with the radio station is 31 March.
 
Singh was associated with Red FM for over four years. Prior to that, he was with Ernst & Young as senior M&E consultant. He has also worked with Radio City and the Times of India.

MUMBAI: The third edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) has thrown up some interesting numbers with Mumbai watching it the most and Punjab the least.

The average TVR in Mumbai for the first 14 matches is 6.2 while in case of Punjab it is 3.55. This could in part be attributed to the team’s performances as Mumbai is on the top of the table while Punjab is languishing at the bottom. Sachin Tendulkar‘s superlative performance could be another reason, though some analysts feel he has an appeal spread across the country. 
 
Kolkata and Bangalore managed an average TVR of 5.6, but Delhi surprisingly got an average rating of 4.9. Rajasthan got an average TVR of 4.4 while Chennai got an average TVR of 4.2.

Despite having to play away from home city, Hyderabad fetched an average TVR of 5.2.

As expected the home matches are the most viewed. The match between Mumbai and Delhi on 17 March got a rating of 10.79 in Mumbai while the contest between Mumbai and Bangalore got a TVR of 9.04 in India’s financial capital.
 
The fact that Delhi is lagging behind can be seen from the fact that the Mumbai-Delhi encounter only got a rating of 6.83. While it is the highest TVR for Delhi it is well below what Mumbai, Kolkata and Bangalore peaked at.

The match between Bangalore and Kolkata on 14 March got a TVR of 11 in the city of joy. Strangely in Bangalore it only got a rating of 5.16. Where the people of the garden city really tuned in was for their match against Mumbai on 20 March which got a rating of 10.05. In Punjab only five matches crossed a TVR of 4 while Rajasthan got a peak TVR of 6.6 for their match against Delhi on 15 March.
 
The fact that the opening match was shifted away from Hyderabad did not dampen the enthusiasm for the IPL for people in that city. The first match got a TVR of 8.25 which was the most for that city while their match against Chennai on 14 March got a TVR of 8.04.

Interest in the IPL, though, might have slowed down as their match against Punjab on 19 March got a rating of 6.7. The fact that Mumbaikars are interested in the IPL can be seen from the fact that three matches that did not feature the Mumbai Indians crossed a TVR of 6.
 

MUMBAI: PVR Pictures has appointed Arun Nair as vice president marketing.

Nair will join PVR Pictures from 1 April and will be handling the marketing for co-productions in Hindi. Besides Hindi film co-productions, Nair will also look after the promotions of PVR‘s Hollywood releases.
 
Earlier, Nair was serving as marketing consultant for Kumar Taurani‘s Prince of which he was handling the promotions. Before that, he was heading the marketing division of Karan Johar‘s Dharma Productions. 
 
Said Nair, “I am excited about being part of the PVR Group. Apart from producing an eclectic mix of films, PVR is a leading distributor and most importantly offers the best film-going experience in the country. For the moment, I will be handling the three Hindi films that we are co-producing. Besides, I will also be working on the Hollywood releases slate with the team. The biggest film of this year is Eclipse, the third instalment of the Twilight series.”
 
Apart from the Twilight series, the other Hollywood releases of PVR include Edge of Darkness starring Mel Gibson, A Single Man starring Colin Firth, Remember Me starring Rob Pattinson and Agora starring Rachel Weisz.

MUMBAI: Spice, a multi business diversified firm, has roped in Sonam Kapoor as brand ambassador for its mobility business including mobile handsets, mobile retail and value added services. The company‘s association with the actress is with immediate effect.
 
Sonam Kapoor said, “I have always been particular about the brands that I am associated with. Spice is one of the fastest growing and trusted brands that is contemporary, showcases attributes that go with my own personality. I am happy to be associated with them.”

Spice group president global branding & marketing Vivek Bali says, “We at Spice have undertaken a brand transformation exercise, including a fresh look at our external expression. Our refreshed brand manifesto encourages us to be smarter thinkers and it was important to establish a strong connect with key brand attributes. I truly believe that our association with Sonam Kapoor will seek to establish and achieve exactly that.”
 
Spice operates in the fields of telecom, entertainment, financial services and technology in Israel and Indonesia region. In the past, Priyanka Chopra and Katrina Kaif were associated with Spice.

MUMBAI: UTV Movies is readying to launch a brand campaign in the second week of May after the conclusion of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

UTV Movies will also sport a new tagline and look while strengthening its library as part of the plans to give the Hindi movie channel a big push.
 
UTV has roped in Motivator as its media agency and Taproot has conceptualised the campaign. The channel will invest between Rs 5-7 million in the campaign.

Says UTV Movies marketing head Kunal Mukherjee, “We did some primary research and found that although consumers are aware of the brand, there has to be some kind of a connect which has to be developed. This is what the new brand campaign is aimed at achieving.”
 
The campaign will be promoted heavily on UTV‘s network channels including UTV Bindass, UTV Action, World Movies and Bloomberg UTV. “We will also use other network channels to promote the campaign,” avers Mukherjee.

While television, print and outdoor will be the preferred mediums, the movie channel will also use other media platforms like radio and digital to support the brand-building process.
 
UTV will be improving its movie titles. Says Mukherjee, “We have evaluated and found that we are strong in some titles and weak in others. We are clearly focusing on all genres as it‘s a movie channel and we have to cater to all age groups. We are looking at showing 10-15 newer titles in the first quarter. By May, the library will be strong enough not only to add to the brand salience but also improve the numbers,” Mukherjee adds.

Last month, UTV had rolled out the ‘What I Am‘ brand campaign for UTV Bindass.
 

MUMBAI: Siyaram Silk Mills has roped in Vijender Singh as the new face for its latest product offerings – Messari, Elanta and Tropez suitings.

Singh joins MS Dhoni who will continue to be the face of the corporate brand of Siyaram‘s.
 
“Vijender Singh is the perfect choice for our dynamic new product lines. His popularity among the masses has touched new heights post his success. He is a global phenomenon, thereby lending character to our brand positioning “coming home to Siyaram‘s‘,” comments Siyaram Silk Mills vice chairman and MD Ramesh Poddar.

Adds Singh, “I am delighted to be a part of a brand that enjoys such enormous credibility and brand history. I am also very excited to join a list of stellar giants who have carved their success stories and have made India proud. And have great pleasure to be associated with a brand that recognizes the same.”
 
 
Avers MS Dhoni, “I welcome Vijender into the Siyaram‘s family. I am sure that he will hold the Siyaram‘s mantle high and together we can lift the brand to scaling heights.

“As a sports persons we have known each other for a long time and I strongly believe that we individually and collectively have a lot to offer to the brand.”

With these new product lines Siyaram‘s plans to target sales of Rs 500 million in the next 12 months and will be marketing them at a national level through their strong pan-India distribution network.
 

MUMBAI: In the wake of a multi agency pitch, Ispat Industries has zeroed in on Equus Red Cell as advertising partner for Ispat Steel.  
There was no incumbent agency for Ispat.

Says Equus Red Cell CEO Swapan Seth, “We plan to have a 360 degree campaign focusing on multimedia options to pass on the message of Ispat.”
 
A TVC on the same has been aired on DD and will also hit other channels soon.
 

MUMBAI: Nestle has roped in Bharti Airtel brand and media head R Chandrasekar as marketing manager beverages. 
 
He was with Bharti Airtel since last three years.
 
Under his new mandate, Chandrasekar will be responsible for Nestle’s brands including Classics Nescafe, Nescafe Sunrise, NesTea and NesIced Tea variations.
 
Chandrasekar has 13 years of experience and has worked in companies including Britannia and Marico.