Category: Marketing

MUMBAI: Katherine Kaufman will join Televix Entertainment as its new VP of sales. 
 
Kaufman will be in charge of domestic and international sales. She will report to Hugo Rose, the company‘s CEO. Kaufman previously worked at Televix from 2001 to 2005 as VP of sales.
 
Kaufman moves in from Maya Entertainment where she was the VP of international sales.

MUMBAI: Colors has roped in Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan as brand ambassador ahead of its launch in the US and UK, two tough but revenue-earning markets for Indian broadcasters overseas. 
 
This is Colors‘ second association with the Big B. Earlier he had endorsed the channel‘s reality property Bigg Boss 3 as ‘Pop Philosopher’.

Says Colors CEO Rajesh Kamat, “Rare coupling of charisma and inherent talent is what makes Mr Bachchan the right choice for endorsing the channel. We are honored to have him on-board and are confident that, with his association with us, we will meet with similar success outside India.”

The Viacom18 channel will be launching in the US on Dish Network donning the new name, “Aapka Colors,” while in UK, Colors will be on Sky EPG 829 (which it has bought from 9XM).
 
Bachchan commented, “My association with Colors began with Bigg Boss Season 3. Now, by taking on the responsibility of being its brand ambassador, I feel extremely honoured in being able to partner a media channel that has been a conduit of social change while churning out excellent quality entertainment. I am sure Colors, with its myriad hues of entertainment, will spread its magic in the US and UK as it did in India.”
 
As reported earlier in Indiantelevision.com, Colors is planning a simultaneous launch in both the countries. Now it is learnt that the channel will be launched in the last week of January.

MUMBAI: In a bid to strengthen its India presence, VivaKi Exchange India (earlier known as India Media Exchange) has restructured its senior management team and introduced a few operational changes for the region, all to be effective immediately.

Said VivaKi Exchange India chairperson Ambika Srivastava, “IMX in its new avatar as Vivaki Exchange presents strategic opportunities for the team to leverage its powerful scale in India. Our media buying clout ability is already noteworthy, and as we move into the new brand, our clients will witness the unique capabilities we bring to the fore. The VivaKi Exchange platform enables us to amass and supplement resources as well as invest in delivery of new tools, capabilities and technology platforms to clients in this dynamic and growing market.” 
 
As per the changes, the VivaKi Exchange will be lead by Mona Jain as chief operating officer. Jain was until recently India head – strategic investments.

Speaking on her new role, Mona Jain said, “Today‘s market dynamics and vast media landscape including the integration of both offline and online opportunities coupled with the strong influence that the VivaKi Exchange will bring to the fore will be game changing. As IMX, we have been the greatest challenger and have amassed the best for our clients and now I am looking forward to the new panorama that VX will unfold for clients and the community alike.”
 
Jain will be working with Sejal Shah has been elevated to executive vice president and will be responsible for content and partnerships and Shikha Mahajan who joins VivaKi Exchange as vice president – expansion and alliances.

Meanwhile, VivaKi Exchange has also rolled out the VivaKi Nerve Center (VNC) in India with Pavan Chandra as managing director. 
 
The VNC aims to bring cutting-edge technologies that will provide a competitive advantage to Starcom Mediavest, ZenithOptimedia and Solutions-Digitas in the months to come.

The new model from VivaKi makes an attempt to deliver powerful digital capabilities to the Groupe and its clients that are accelerated for the new media landscape. The VNC‘s primary function is to find and scale audiences that have the best affinity for clients‘ brands.

MUMBAI: ZenithOptimedia India has roped in Dnyanada Chaudhari as managing director for West and South.

Chaudhari joins from Hindustan Unilever Ltd where she was head-media services India.
 
Based out of the Mumbai office, she will be responsible for the growing development of ZenithOptimedia‘s operations in West and South India. She will report to ZenithOptimedia India CEO Satyajit Sen.

Commenting on the appointment, Satyajit Sen said, “Dnyanada‘s wide-ranging experience across essential sectors and her commitment to ROI- encompassing ideas, intent and investment are fundamental to our growth in Mumbai and Southern India. I am confident that under her leadership we will soon match the success we have already had with our North operations.”
 
Adds IMX and ZenithOptimedia India chairman Ambika Srivastava, “Dnyananda is the ideal candidate to build our operation both in Mumbai and the South. Her learning and experience garnered working with some of the world‘s fastest selling brands is noteworthy and I am pleased that she will now be working with ZO India.”

Dnyanada has over 13 years of work experience in the media industry with expertise across strategic planning, buying and media management having worked with the finest financial and FMCG companies. She started her career at Lodestar where she was responsible for leading cutting edge media planning and buying.
 
Over the years, Dnyanada has led several initiatives looking beyond traditional methods of measuring media deliverables. When she joined ICICI Prudential in 2004, she was the first media manager in the finance industry in India and was responsible for setting up the media department and drive media effectiveness. In 2005, she joined Marico Ltd to head media and drove some game changing strategy and innovations.

MUMBAI: In the wake of a multi-agency pitch, Starcom Worldwide Delhi has bagged the media duties of Educomp Solutions.

The agency takes on the role of a channel planning partner and will be responsible for all media planning and buying duties for Educomp. It will be activating relevant touch points that ultimately drive revenue for Educomp.
 
Says Educomp director Abhinav Dhar, “Starcom did well in the pitch process. Our brief evaluated the agencies on four counts – talent helming the account, consumer insights, ideas anchored on business goals and stretching the budget. Starcom did well in all areas. Now comes the exciting part – delivering and executing.”
 
Avers Starcom Worldwide executive director, India – North Tarun Deep Kumar, “It‘s a fantastic start to the year with the Educomp win. Understanding the realities of the education industry resulted in winning the account. Our unwavering focus on business-building ideas made our argument compelling.”

Starcom Worldwide has already commenced the work on the account.
 
Founded in 1994, Educomp Solutions is a globally diversified education solutions provider. It reaches out to over 25,000 schools and 14 million learners and educators across the world with 27 offices worldwide including an office in Canada, 20 in India, two in Singapore, one in Sri Lanka and three in the United States.
 
 

BANGALORE: Real estate developer Sunil Mantri Group unveiled its new corporate brand image and announced expansion plans in Bangalore today. The group has identified Bangalore as a strategic target for expansion.
 
The group also plans to spend around Rs.300-400 million towards media and communications, revealed Sunil Mantri Group chairman Sunil Mantri. Actors Radhika Menon and Aftab Shivdasani are the group’s brand ambassadors.

Sunil Mantri also announced 17 January as the launch of a Rs 700 million project, ‘Mantri Premero,’ in Bangalore.
 
“We are planning to spend around Rs 30 to 40 milliontowards communication for ‘Mantri Premero’, mainly across outdoor and print. You’ll see full page ads on the major newspapers of the city on the 17th,” informed Idb India (Idb)  COO Evarist Rego while speaking with indiantelevision.com.

Idb handles the media buying and the creative work for the Sunil Mantri Group.
 
Rego said that Idb is exploring various options for mass media communications and brand building including local television and local radio, but that radio communications would be event based. Rego is also not averse to sponsoring a sports event like other real estate groups have done with the Karnataka Premier League (KPL).

The title sponsor for the KPL is Mantri Developers, headed by Sushil Mantri. Mantri Developers is also a realtor with projects in Bangalore, but it is a different company.
 

MUMBAI: Rediffusion Y&R has appointed Rahul Roy as planning head, South. 
 
Prior to this, Roy was head and director – strategy planning at Lowe Malaysia. 
 
Says Rediffusion – Y&R chief strategy officer Arvind Mohan, “Roy brings with him the experience of working in Indian and international markets. His varied knowledge and understanding in marketing and communications will be an asset to our company.”
 
Prior to working with Lowe Malaysia, Roy has worked with Bates Asia, Ogilvy and BBDO. The brand on which he has worked includes J&J, IBM, ICI Paints, IKEA, Mahindra and Mahindra, Titan, Taj, Sara Lee, Britannia and Kissan.

MUMBAI: The Sahara Group brought the striking Indian hockey players back into the playing arena just days before the World Cup.

The five-day row over issue of payment has been resolved with team sponsor Sahara‘s announcement of releasing Rs 10 million. Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president Suresh Kalmadi also stepped in to resolve the crisis.

Kalmadi rushed to Pune this morning, where the base camp has been organised, after the talks between Hockey India (HI) officials and players failed to break the impasse.
 
Kalmadi announced his full support to the players and agreed with most of their demands, while Sahara actually bailed the board out by releasing Rs 10 million immediately.

Sahara issued a statement saying, “In the genuine interest of the national hockey players, Sahara India Pariwar has decided to pay immediately Rs 10 million in suspense account to Hockey India, only for distribution to the players so that they can peacefully and happily practice and play for the country.”
 
“Hockey has been our national game. It can never be a national shame. It will be our national pride. The players all feel that they want to bring up Indian hockey. I assured them of full support,” Kalmadi told reporters.

He also said that a ‘Players‘ Welfare Development Fund‘ will be created with former Indian captain Dhanraj Pillay in charge.
 
Sahara had paid Rs 7.7 million in December as advance for the quarter of 15 January to 14 April 2010. “Sahara will go through the past accounts of Hockey India and shall take suitable decision for this amount,” the company said.

The 22 probables for World Cup stopped training at the Belawadi Sports Complex in Pune on Friday over pending monies owed to them. The strike was, however, called off on Saturday after six players held a marathon meeting with Indian hockey officials here.

But the truce did not even last for a day after the players decided to resume their strike.

MUMBAI: The Kumbh Mela Administration, Government of Uttarakhand (GoU), has awarded Impact Communications, which specializes in rural marketing, the advertising rights for Mahakumbh Haridwar 2010 that begins on 14 January.

Says Impact Communications CEO Sanjay Kaul, “We won the account following a multi agency pitch. Earlier, we had won the ad rights of Mahakumbh Ujjain in 2004.” 
 
According to the terms of the agreement, Impact will have to pay the license fee in four installments for January to April.

According to a source in the company, the agency is looking at generating ad revenues worth Rs 30-40 million through this project.

The agency will earn ad revenues by selling space on four gantries, 100 entry gates, 25 parking lots, 400 kiosks, 1000 signage co-branding with social messages, 10 mobile vans and 25 air balloons. 
 
The agency is in talks with various companies including GSK, iShare, Dabur, Cadburys, Kodak along with a few telecom companies for branding the event.
 
“February is the peak time for the mela when the royal bath begins. And thus, we will begin with our on-ground activations during that period,” says Kaul.

MUMBAI: Russian tennis player Maria Sharapova, 22, has renewed her deal with Nike for eight more years. The deal is said to be worth $75 million.

In addition Sharapova will take a percentage of revenue from dresses she will design for the company.
 
The deal comes at a time when companies are struggling to battle the economic downturn. Media reports state that Nike has worked with Sharapova for 11 years.
 
Sharapova is said to be earning nearly $22 million a year in prize money and from endorsements.