Category: Marketing

MUMBAI: Television was the most memorable type of advertising in 2010 and had the greatest impact, according to a report to be published by Deloitte on behalf of the Media Guardian Edinburgh International Television Festival in the UK, which took place from 27-29 August 2010.
 
The UK’s appreciation of television advertising appears to remain robust. It is now regarded as a top three advertising format by 56 per cent of respondents, compared to 64 per cent in 2009 – it still leads by a long way.

Television was way ahead of newspapers (30 per cent) and magazines (17 per cent). In contrast, banner ads polled poorly in both years (four per cent) and a new option for 2010, online video ads, also underwhelmed (3 per cent).

Television advertising’s appeal to the young : Television advertising’s appeal was strongest amongst the youngest, with 18-34 year olds rating television advertising’s impact the highest at 63 per cent. Among those aged over 55, a third stated that no form of advertising had a great impact on them, compared to among 18-24 year olds, for which group the proportion was just 13 per cent.

TV ads most widely remembered : When respondents were asked to think of the advertising campaign they considered to be most memorable in 2010, 52 per cent ranked television highest followed by 10 per cent for newspapers. This compared to just one per cent for banner adverts, one per cent for iPhone or iPad ads and two per cent for online video ads.
 
Relevance of the traditional television ad:
Just over a third (36 per cent) said they were most likely to pay attention to the traditional, 30 second advert, compared to 1 per cent for a video advert before an online video clip or as part of the web site.

Online video formats were particularly poorly rated – only three per cent of respondents were most likely to pay attention to a pre-roll advert. Less than one per cent of respondents cited a video advert shown on a mobile phone, or an ad played in the middle of an online video as the format they were most likely to pay attention to.

Questions over the relevance of the traditional television advert have been raised for years, yet when asked about their most favoured video format, respondents voted for the standard 30 second commercial.

Online advertising’s poor showing relative to television may surprise given that the former has often been portrayed as television’s nemesis. What television does best – display and brand building – is what online struggles with. Online advertising is best at search, which previously newspapers, particularly for classified, had excelled at.

However, despite the positive perception of television advertising, its bed of roses is not free of mildew. Among television advertising’s greatest preoccupations is measurability. While television generates billions of commercial impacts every day, it is hard to measure precisely how many of these are viewed.
 
Viewers’ television advertising behaviour :
When television viewers were asked about whether they watched the entire advertising break when watching television live, 13 per cent always or almost always watch the entire advertising break, while 11 per cent said they never watched it, and two per cent remarked they never watch any television which has ads. Of viewers watching pre-recorded television via their PVR, 86 per cent reported that they always fast forward through the adverts.

Shorter ad breaks (48 per cent), more memorable ads (32 per cent), and shorter advertisements (17 per cent) were the top three reasons that would encourage viewers to watch all the advertisements in a break. Less popular were ad breaks that focused on one theme, such as cars or food (eight per cent) or personalised advertisements (14 per cent).

Over the past 12 months, 33 per cent of viewers have watched the same number or more ads than before. When watching a non-staged television programme, such as a football match, 21 per cent are less likely to watch the entire ad break than if they were watching a drama, film or documentary.

MUMBAI: Content company Gobsmack, in association with Radium Los Angeles and its parent company Reel FX, has brought about the ‘Dancing Squirrels‘ commercial for Kit Kat chocolate bar.
 
The commercial shows a love struck male squirrel serenading a female squirrel, as she spurns his advances. Undeterred, the squirrel sings and dances on a Hindi film song Kaate Nahin Katte Din ye Raat… from the Anil Kapoor starrer Mr India with signature Bollywood pelvic thrusts, till he finally wins over his Juliet.

The 45-second commercial marks the beginning of an ambitious plan by Bengaluru-based Gobsmack which handled the production for the Kit Kat commercial from concept to completion and brought to life the creative spot out of JWT Delhi. 
 
Said Gobsmack director Shyam Madiraju the force behind the ‘Dancing Squirrels‘ campaign, “A huge part of Gobsmack‘s uniqueness lies in finding the best talent for each job across the globe. Our desire is to think and work beyond the limitations of physical borders or the limitations of mindsets working in the traditional worlds of mass media. When we heard the creative for the commercial, we knew what all we wanted to create the best CGI possible. What you see today is a result of a collaborated talent roster at JWT, Radium and Gobsmack.”
 
 
The commercial, which has become a rage since being out on Indian TV screens two weeks ago, has received overwhelming response with close to 500 K hits on YouTube already. It has also developed an international following on 30 different posts on YouTube.
 

MUMBAI: Reliance Broadcast Network Ltd‘s (RBNL) integrated media sales team, Big Connect, will now work as a single window to all the Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (Reliance ADAG) companies. 
 
Big Connect, thus, will sell the media space on all the assets of the Reliance ADAG that include communications, infrastructure, power and entertainment.

RBNL said in a release that with this move, the company will have access to a consumer base of 200 million of the Reliance ADAG companies – that is almost one in every five Indians.
 
Big Connect has an integrated sales team of over 200 professionals spread across 52 offices. The company claims that it services 1000 + clients each month.

Reliance Broadcast Network CEO Tarun Katial said, “For marketers meeting with the challenge to engage time pressed and low attentive audiences, the need for integrated media solutions is a business reality. With RBNL’s already existing integrated media solutions capabilities, the true potential of these 200 million + consumers can now be unleashed for brands to reach out and engage with their audiences. Our incomparable reach and multiple relevant touch points promise to attract advertisers and media houses who stand to gain significantly from our humongous network, all at one single touch point.”
 
Reliance ADAG’s media assets include Delhi Airport Metro Express, Mumbai Metro One, Worli Sea Link (Infrastructure); Reliance Mobile (Telecommunication); Big Cinema, Reliance World outlets, Zapak Gameplexes, Big Flix (Retail); Big Street (OOH); Big FM and soon to be launched English Channels with BIG CBS (Broadcasting); and Zapak.com and Big Adda (Online).

MUMBAI: OMD India kicked off 2010 with quite a few big clients in its pocket. It started the year with the Sony Network win and then followed it up with the Unilever Digital business. More recently it won Ferrero and Reliance. And now as the three-year-old agency looks to expand its portfolio across varied categories, it also plans to get further bullish on its digital offerings. 
 
Says OMD MD Jasmin Sohrabji, “Our most successful offer outside traditional is Digital. In addition to existing full service clients, we added Digital only clients across our offices (Unilever, ICICI, HCL, etc). Additionally, we set up Analytics, which has now started gaining momentum. We have two new offerings starting up later this year.”

According to Sohrabji, digital and radio have the potential to scale up on their currently smaller bases while TV itself will offer newer platforms of addressability and technology through DTH. “Radio has never really seen its potential in this market while digital has already made small dents in traditional media budgets! TV continues to hold out in its traditional avatar…and keeps re-inventing its offer – through content, scale and technology/addressability,” she opines. 
 
Launched in early 2007 in India, 2009 was the driver year for OMD in the country as it managed to grab quite a handful of clients roughing out the recessionary climate. 
 
It established itself as a strong agency at a national level with a number of wins such as HP, Henkel, VISA, Danone and Nissan, set up two new offices – Delhi, Chennai and launched its Analytics and Digital offering. 

MUMBAI: In a bid to expand its brand awareness amongst viewers, Sab TV has launched the ‘Happy Housewives Club‘ initiative to create direct consumer connect. 
 
‘Happy Housewives Club‘aims to be an aspirational platform for the housewives wherein they get to meet their friends, unwind, have fun time, socialise and also showcase their talents through Sab TV. Through this campaign, which will run across cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Pune and Kolkata and even the smaller towns like Muzzfarpur, Anand, Ambala, Jalgaon and Kolhapur, Sab TV aims to establish 2000 such clubs by end of 2010 across India.
 
Says Sab Executive VP & business head Anooj Kapoor, “After the success of Sab Ka Mela, we are launching another consumer connect programme called Happy Housewives Club, clearly aimed at the women audience. Through Happy Housewives Club, we hope to win over and create a bond with the women audience among the growing base of Sab families.”
 
 
“Happy Housewives Club will be implemented in 20-25 cities in the Hindi speaking markets. It will be an initiative for the housewives, by the housewives, to engage them with the brand – thereby extending the brand platform,” added Kapoor.
 

MUMBAI: The United States Tennis Association (USTA) has announced that consumer electronics major Panasonic has become an official sponsor of the US Open Grand Slam in a new three-year agreement.

Working with CBS Sports, the USTA and Panasonic will spearhead the first-ever 3D broadcasts of the tournament. CBS Sports will produce 3D versions of all the Arthur Ashe Stadium matches that it broadcasts in High Definition on Labor Day Weekend and on Finals Weekend, 10-12 September. These matches will be made available across the US via DirecTV’s exclusive dedicated 3D entertainment channel.
 
 
On-site at the 2010 US Open, Panasonic will have three 3D viewing galleries–a 3D Panasonic Showcase located in the former International Tennis Hall of Fame Gallery on the floor level of Louis Armstrong Stadium, and another in SmashZone, the US Open’s interactive tennis experience for fans and families located in the state-of-the-art indoor facility and one more in the South Plaza area.

Panasonic and DirecTV also will provide the US Open semifinal and final matches live in 3D to hundreds of TV retail outlets nationwide, including scores of Best Buy stores, as part of the September 10-12 “National 3D Demo Days” organised by the Consumer Electronics Association.
USTA chairman of the board and president Lucy S. Garvin says, “We are very pleased to enter a new era of sports production with a new partner, Panasonic, and our long-time partner, CBS. We continually explore new innovations for the US Open, and new ways to present our tournament to tennis fans. 3D technology is the wave of the future, and once again the US Open will be on the cutting edge.”
 
 
Panasonic US chairman and CEO Joseph M. Taylor says, “Panasonic is proud to support the US Open, on site and in homes throughout the country, by bringing live match action to tennis fans in immersive 3D. Panasonic consumer and professional 3D displays will show the Arthur Ashe Stadium matches to spectators on site in Flushing Meadows, viewers nationwide can see them via DirecTV’s exclusive 3D channel, “n|3D powered by Panasonic”, and our professional 3D camcorder will be used to shoot interviews and other footage in 3D for CBS’s production.”

The 3D broadcasts will use a separate production team and equipment from the traditional HD broadcasts of the tournament. Plans call for six camera rigs (each holding two high definition cameras), two special 3D production trucks, and a unique 3D-dedicated CBS Sports broadcast team. CBS has designed the 3D camera placements lower to the court than traditional TV locations, in order to capture the close-up and personal, athletic dimension of tennis that make 3D such a powerful experience.
 
 
Panasonic also will reach out to viewers with advertising geared to the new 3D technology during the CBS Sports broadcasts of the US Open. In order to view the US Open in 3D, fans must have 3D televisions and 3D eyewear and be subscribers to DirecTV.

The Panasonic sponsorship also include sponsorship of Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day, the US Open’s tennis and entertainment spectacular that serves as the unofficial opening to the tournament. In addition, Panasonic will have new, digital signage in the three stadiums and at most of the outer courts at the US Open.

MUMBAI: The Emvies 2010, hosted by the Advertising Club of Bombay, has named Mindshare as the Media Agency of the Year. The agency won four golds, two silvers and six bronzes while earning a total of 110 points.

Maxus, with 95 points in its kitty, follows second as it won three golds, one silver and eight bronzes.
 
Standing at the third spot is Mudra Max with 75 points. It bagged three golds, two silvers and two bronzes. Meanwhile, the agency has also been honoured with the Grand Emvie for its work on ‘National Association for the Blind – May I Help You‘.
 
Lodestar UM and Madison Media Infinity follow next with 70 points and 40 points each. While Lodestar UM won four golds and one silver, Madison Media Infinity grabbed two golds and two silvers.
 
Amongst the others, Mediacom with 35 points won three silvers and one bronze, Motivator won one gold, OMD India won one silver and Ogilvy Action won one Bronze.

MUMBAI: Reliance Industries Limited president- Brand Strategy and marketing communication Kaushik Roy has been elected unanimously as the new president of the India Chapter of the International Advertising Association (IC-IAA) for the year 2010-2011 at its annual general meeting held in Mumbai today.

Roy was serving as the VP of the IAA‘s India Chapter for the last two years.
 
 
Lintas Media Group chairman and CEO Lynn de Souza, who was the Honorary Secretary of the India Chapter for the past two years, will hold the position of vice president.

IC-IAA also announced its new managing committee, which include Srinivasan K Swamy as Hon. Secretary, Ramesh Narayan as Hon. Treasurer, Raj Nayak (Ex officio) as immediate past president.

The other members of the committee are: Sam Balsara, Avinash Pandey, Jaideep Gandhi, Bhaskar Das, Kunal Lalani, MG Parmeshwaran and Neeraj Roy.
 
The special invitees are Pheroza Bilimoria – global Hon secretary and member of the world board and Pradeep Guha – Global VP and area director, Asia Pacific and member of the world board.
 
After assuming office Roy said, “The IAA India Chapter has had a great run under the leadership of Raj Nayak. Thanks to him, today we have a strong contingent of reputed professionals from across creative, media houses and agencies and advertisers as our members. We are also strengthened by a large number of young members who have joined the IAA Young Professionals‘ group to become a part of this great international institution. Me and my committee’s top priority will be to deliver value to these members. We will work closely with other industry bodies like the AAAI, the Ad Clubs, ASCI, ISA, INS, IBF and other industry bodies to create programmes and events that will benefit the industry as a whole. Our focus will be on knowledge based initiatives and CSR. The other burning need is to make the fraternity embrace the digital wave and towards that the IAA India Chapter has a clear agenda. While undertaking these responsibilities, we hope to bring to the table the best practices from the global IAA network from across 76 countries and over 4000 key decision makers”.

MUMBAI: From sunrise to sunset, with the many occasions taking place in between, the latest Young Asians survey by global market research firm Synovate shows the lives of Asia‘s youth revolve around their mobile phones. Personal ownership of mobiles has increased from 60 per cent in 2008 to 64 per cent in 2010 among this young population surveyed.

However, television continues to be the key medium for connecting with the youth in India – at 47 per cent, young Indians are the top group (compared to the regional average of 28 per cent) who cannot live without TV. Similarly, 58 per cent of the young Indians polled said they like spending time watching TV – once again the highest across Asia (regional average being 34 per cent).
 
 
This fifth Synovate Young Asians study provides an in-depth look at the lifestyles, habits, product ownership and media consumption of youth across Asia. Respondents ranged from eight to 24 years old across 11 markets in Asia, covering China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam. A total sample of 12,302 youth was surveyed by face to face interviews and online method during Q2 of 2010.

Comments Synovate executive director – media research Steve Garton, “We are excited about the trends we‘re seeing in Young Asians. In conjunction with our research sponsors – Friendster, Microsoft Advertising and Yahoo! – we are uncovering the driving forces that influence Asia‘s youth.”

Compared to the rest of Asia, young Indians are the top for mobile phone ownership. Personal ownership of mobile phones among young Indians surveyed has increased from 28 per cent in 2008 to 37 per cent in 2010 while the Asia regional average is 18 per cent only.
 
 
The survey also showed that young Indians are displaying fatigue with TV adverts -55 per cent of young Indians 15-24 years would pay a higher subscription on their Pay TV to avoid the adverts (the highest in Asia). However, interestingly, they do a complete volte face when it comes to mobile phone advertising as 37 per cent won‘t mind receiving ads on their mobiles/ responding to adverts, as long as they are incentivised. This trait is the highest in the region after Vietnam (44 per cent), and the regional average is 29 per cent.

Garton said, “This shows the opportunities here and now for mobile marketing. Youth in Asia are looking to receive the latest information to wow their peers, so reaching them through mobile is the most immediate way to gain their attention.

“This year, we see that the mobile phone is simply inseparable from its owner. More youth across a number of Asia markets now own a mobile compared to 2008. With one in five (18 per cent) young Asians planning to use their mobile even more often, these findings show the great potential of this medium.”

Among Young Asians, young Indians emerge as the biggest sports buffs across Asia – at least 72 per cent of the youth polled rank sports as an integral part of their lives, displaying the highest incidence across Asia (against the regional average of 52 per cent).

India‘s youth continue to have their fixation with cricket as, understandably, cricket sensations Sachin Tendulkar and Mahendra Singh Dhoni have emerged as the top two favourite sports stars of young Indians. Sania Mirza who brought India onto the world stage due to her prowess in tennis, is placed at the third spot.

Trustworthy sources of information

78 per cent of young Indians rely on family and friends when seeking information. Though, Television emerges as the second most trusted source of information for at least 74 per cent of the young Indians surveyed (again the highest incidence observed across Asia). Interestingly, 67 per cent of the youth surveyed in India trust recommendations from TV programmes and, while in-store, 65 per cent of young Indians believe shelf information and product displays.

Says Synovate India MD Mick Gordon, “The Young Asians survey shows that young Indians like to make informed decisions, so while the primary dependence is on family and friends, the secondary sources are also important for trustworthy decisions like TV, in-store displays, etc.

Beyond communication, it‘s entertainment

Listening to music, playing games and taking photos are just some of the activities that youth turn to their mobile phone to offer. Among Asian youth who own a mobile phone, about half of those surveyed perform the above activities on their mobile. One in five (21per cent) also uses this device to record video.
 
 
In India, the most popular mobile phone activities over the past seven days were listening to music (59 per cent), SMS (58 per cent), taking pictures (51 per cent) and playing games (46 per cent).

Gordon comments, “The spontaneity and active lifestyles of youth means that mobiles are always helping them to live life to the fullest.”

Product ownership

63 per cent of the Indian youth households surveyed have DVD players, displaying the fixation with watching movies at home while the penetration of desktop computers was 42 per cent. Interestingly, digital camera ownership was significant at 24 per cent in the households of young Indians.

Browsing the internet a big draw among Young Indians

The top internet activity young Indians indulge in is searching for information using search engines – at least 62 per cent of the youth in India indicated this, which is the third highest group after Vietnam (75 per cent) and Korea (72 per cent) – Malaysia too was at 62 per cent.

Email was found to be the second most engaged internet activity among the Indian youth at 53 per cent. 42 per cent of the Indian youth polled listen to music online, found to be the third most popular activity.

Further, according to Young Asians 2010, more than one-third (37per cent) of Indian youth surveyed have made a download, while one in four (26 per cent) has played a game online in the past seven days.

MUMBAI: Ignitee Digital Solutions has bagged the social media campaign activities of Kaya Skin Clinic.

The campaign will involve a number of exciting applications that will help increase the level of consumer engagements and enhance Kaya Skin Clinic’s visibility in the social media space.
 
Said Kaya Skin Clinic Marketing Head Suvodeep Das, “We are happy to have Ignitee on board as our social media partner. Kaya has been an active player in the social media space and has successfully leveraged it to reach out to a large section of our target audience. I am confident that our association with Ignitee will help us further expand the scope of our activities in social media and help us engage with our customers better.”
 
Ignitee Digital Solutions Pvt Ltd COO Shankar commented, “Since our inception, we have always worked on campaigns that have added value to customers. It is this history that has helped us in gaining the trust of reputed names from the industry. We are certain that with the talent and minds back at Ignitee, we will see these wins increasing even furthermore.”