ITV

Category: Marketing

  • ION Media Networks & Sony Pictures Television ink TV programming deal

    ION Media Networks & Sony Pictures Television ink TV programming deal

    MUMBAI: US-based ION Media Networks, Inc. and Sony Pictures Television have announced a programming agreement that provides ION with the rights to broadcast dozens of classic television series and a large selection of award-winning feature films from the Sony library on the i television network, reaching over 90 million homes.

    “This agreement reflects our strategy of strengthening our i network’s programming schedule with popular series and theatrical hits with proven audience appeal,” says ION Media Networks CEO Brandon Burgess. “We look forward to working with Sony on developing a compelling entertainment line-up that continues to appeal to our current audience, while attracting new viewers to the network.”

    “The i network and its stations will benefit from a wide variety of titles from our extensive library of television series and feature films, which have proven to deliver audiences,” adds Sony Pictures Television president distribution John Weiser. “We are pleased to be in partnership with ION, helping them grow and making them a destination for great programming.”

    Under the terms of the agreement, ION will have access to many of SPT’s most popular TV series from the last three decades, including Charlie’s Angels, Starsky & Hutch, The Partridge Family, The Monkees and Silver Spoons, among others.

    In addition, titles from Sony’s extensive library of theatrical films will be available to ION, including A River Runs Through It, Oliver!, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Short Circuit and many more.

    “We are pleased to have access to Sony’s diverse collection of movies and classic TV shows,” says ION SVP of programming and strategic planning Stacey Nagel Galper. “We will begin scheduling the Sony movies on the i network this month, with plans to launch the television series in August.”

  • Hughes teams with Oxigen for marketing initiative

    BANGALORE: Hughes, the global player in broadband satellite networks and services, has announced that it has tied-up with Oxigen for offering prepaid recharge and bill payment services across all HughesNet Fusion centers in India.


    As part of this alliance, Oxigen will be made available across all 250 HughesNet Fusion centers in 95 cities in Phase I.


    Oxigen works on the concept of electronic distribution of prepaid airtime and bill payment services in India. The service will extend to over 1000 centres by the end of 2006. This tie-up will help Oxigen increase its points of presence from the existing 14 circles to 21 by the end of the year, states an official release.


    The company offers prepaid recharge and bill payments services for all leading telecom service providers pan India including Airtel, Cell-One, Hutch, Idea, RIM, Spice, Trump, BPL and Tata Indicom.


    “The Indian telecom market is growing at a CAGR of 29 per cent with over 4.5 million new subscribers joining the mobile club every month. A majority of this market, close to 75 percent is predominantly prepaid customers, who are spread across the length and breadth of the country. This tie-up will allow Oxigen services to be available across the country especially the tier B & C cities”, said Pranav Roach, Director Hughes Communications India Ltd.


    Speaking on the tie-up, Oxigen executive chairman Pramod Saxena said, “Hughes has effectively leveraged the strengths of satellite broadband to create electronic superstores in the form of HughesNet Fusion centres. I am confident that Oxigen will be able to leverage this infrastructure to provide greater accessibility and availability of prepaid recharge and bill payment solutions for customers pan India”. HughesNet Fusion will give Oxigen 1000 additional points of presence especially in regions like Gujarat and Kolkata.

  • Nokia conducting mobile TV trials in Sweden

    Nokia conducting mobile TV trials in Sweden

    MUMBAI: Mobile firm Nokia has announced a new commercial DVB-H pilot in Stockholm with Teracom in Sweden. Nokia is supplying the Nokia Mobile Broadcast System 3.0 and Nokia N92 mobile TV devices to the pilot which will last from October to December 2006 and includes 400 consumers. The project is a co-operation between ATG, Boxer, Nokia, Sveriges Radio, Sveriges Television/UR, Telenor and Teracom.

    The pilot participants will be able to watch 14 TV channels and listen to four radio channels in the Stockholm city region, where a network has been built for high quality indoor and outdoor coverage. The objective is to evaluate what Swedish consumers think about commercial broadcast mobile TV and thus gauge market potential.

    ATG, Boxer, Sveriges Radio and Sveriges Television will provide content for the pilot. The test will be delivered using Nokia Mobile Broadcast Solution 3.0, and the pilot participants will use mobile devices from Nokia, the Nokia N92. Teracom will be responsible for the network, the broadcast and operating of the platform.

    This is the second mobile TV pilot in Sweden where Nokia is one of the main suppliers of DVB-H technology. Recently Nokia had announced a new contract with TeliaSonera Sweden for a complete DVB-H pilot system, including Nokia Mobile Broadcast System 3.0 and Nokia N92 mobile TV devices, underpinned by Nokia’s hosting and systems integration know-how.

    Fore the uninitiated DVB-H technology complements existing operator networks, optimising capacity and quality. It offers consumers the chance to enjoy high quality terrestrial digital broadcasts along with voice telephony and internet access all in a single device. Broadcast mobile TV will offer new business opportunities for mobile service providers, content and broadcast companies, infrastructure and handset manufacturers as well as technology providers.

    The feedback from different mobile TV pilots has been promising. Results from pilots on broadcast (DVB-H) mobile TV services among consumers in Finland, the UK, Spain and France have revealed clear consumer demand for such services as well as important indications over future business models for commercial mobile TV services.

  • Worldspace unveils A R Rahman signature tune; set to launch new campaign

    BANGALORE: Worldspace Satellite Radio has unveiled a new signature tune developed by music impresario AR Rahman, Worldspace brand ambassador in India.


    The signature tune, to be used in an integrated communications campaign, highlights the ‘everyday‘ and ‘everywhere‘ nature of music while showcasing the incredible variety of radio content offered by Worldspace with over 40 stations of distinctive music genres, entertainment and information.


    Speaking at the launch, Worldspace corporate VP Tedros Lemma said, “It is our vision to offer Indians a truly global radio experience – giving them the variety, quality and the ability to choose what they want to listen to. AR Rahman has come to personify quality music and we are honoured to partner with him on our aggressive communication campaign to build our brand in India.”


    The Worldspace signature tune draws inspiration from the sounds of nature and the rhythms of our everyday lives. AR Rahman has woven the lyrical sounds of the soothing sea, a bird‘s chirpy call, the earthy chant of fishermen – showcasing the true inspiration of music, states an official release.


    Adds AR Rahman said, “It is my pleasure to be associated with Worldspace as I believe that there truly is so much music to hear and Worldspace has created a unique platform that not only keeps alive various forms of music but also extends the reach of this music to virtually the entire country and even abroad. When creating the tune I wanted to bring alive the true sounds of India as a showcase of the depth of musical traditions available in the country.”


    The new communications campaign, of which AR Rahman is an integral part, is based on extensive studies with existing as well as potential customers across India. Commenting on the campaign, Worldspace CMO Arti Mehta said, “We will leverage this imposing persona, and his undoubted association with quality music, to build awareness for our brand and connect with music lovers across India. We have developed an aggressive integrated campaign that involves a refreshing new series of TV commercials and on-ground events including concerts, contests and awards.”


    Shot in the picturesque surroundings of Kannur in Kerala, the new television commercial celebrates the diversity of music and draws from the theme of AR Rahman‘s inspiring signature tune – celebrating the sounds around us. At the center of the campaign is the unbeatable variety and diversity of Worldspace content highlighting the fact that “there is so much to hear.”

  • Rajshri Media to create humorous content for telecom networks

    Rajshri Media to create humorous content for telecom networks

    MUMBAI: Rajshri Media has tied up with humorists, Shailesh Lodha and Navneet Hullad, for the creation and development of humour content for telecom networks.

    The company is in the process of producing exclusive audio and video content, specifically catering to the 100 million plus telecom user base in India, which it says is growing at a rapid pace and is increasingly demanding entertainment ‘on the go’.

    The mobile phone is fast emerging as the preferred device for entertainment, communication and information for this consumer base.

    Rajshri Media MD Rajjat A. Barjatya says, “Humour has always been a big attraction on the cinema and TV screens, in both films and TV shows. With mobile phones evolving into personal entertainment devices and with consumers increasingly consuming entertainment ‘on the move’, the age of ‘made for mobile’ content has arrived.

    “After having studied user habits and consumption patterns on this new medium, we have begun creating a large bouquet of original entertainment content customized for the ‘smallest screen’ in people’s lives. Both Shailesh Lodha and Navneet Hullad are hugely talented artists and we are delighted to be associated with them in our endeavor to brighten up the moods of millions of telecom/mobile consumers in India.”

    Rajshri Media has produced audio and video content with both the artists, which would be made available on wap and voice portals across all leading mobile networks. Short audio and video clips will be available for downloading and/or streaming as ring tones, ringback tones, video clips, audio clips and other innovative products.

  • Tata Teleservices gives customers the ‘Power of Choice’

    MUMBAI: Telecom service provider Tata Teleservices has announced a new marketing initiative the Power of Choice. The aim is to address the varying demands of mobile customers across segments.


    On the CDMA front, Tata Teleservices has introduced a range of handsets coupled with a tariff plan suited to the customer‘s requirements.


    With the flexibility to bundle the handset and tariff plan, Tata Indicom prepaid customers will have a choice of four starter packs, The Go Easy, Go Life, Go Active and Go Max plans. In addition, other benefits include no monthly recharge commitment, attractive SMS and call rates and 100 per cent talktime on all recharge cards.


    Speaking on the launch, Tata Teleservices CEO Darryl Green said, “Through ‘Power of Choice‘ offer, we seek to offer the customer a choice of wide, exciting range of handsets and offers and remove misconceptions that CDMA limits the freedom of choice.”


    In their attempts to market the new offers, Tata Teleservices will advertise using the print medium especially vernacular papers along with TV to create an overall awareness about the details of the plan. Additionally, value added services such as downloadable games for Rs 5, stock information, caller tunes and faith sites are also available, as “there is a huge demand for these services in the pre paid market,” stated Green


    “Coupled with our new offers we also plan to extend our services in Jammu and Kashmir, Assam and the North East and with this, we expect about 1 million new subscribers this fiscal,” he added.


    The handsets available on offer include Indicom Ace, LG 2535, Samsung Hero, Indicom Star, Pantech, LG 6335 and Samsung Wideo handsets whose price range starts at Rs 999.

  • Emvies 2006: Mindshare bags media agency of the year again; O&M picks up Grand Emvie



















    MUMBAI: Mindshare set the Emvies on fire for the second year running, as they bagged the most prestigious award of the evening, the Best Media Agency of the Year, with a total of 113 points.


    Hooting and shouts galore, Mindshare took home six gold awards and nine silvers in total.









    GroupM South Asia COO Vikram Sakhuja and his winning team.

    Commenting on their big win, GroupM South Asia COO Vikram Sakhuja told Indiantelevision.com, “This one is for the team. It is a manifestation of two years of great effort, to be able to write, package and present our work in this manner.”


    The O&M team pocketed the coveted Grand Emvie for their Hutch Delhi Half Marathon campaign. Basking in the glory, OgilvyOne India president Renuka Jaypal spoke about the victory, “To win an integrated award is very fulfilling. We were able to focus on the brand, the product relevance and the customer in a natural way, thus keying in on every touch point.”




    Madison Media bagged The People‘s Choice Award for the Best Case Study Presentation for the Saffola Gold World Heart Day campaign. Madison Communications chairman and MD Sam Balsara reacted to this achievement, “This year the Emvies are bigger and better. We are absolutely delighted especially after winning two media Lions at Cannes 2006. Moreover, given the fact that we have only 25 clients, winning six Emvies is something great!”








    Zee Cinema team

    The Best Media Marketer of The Year silver awards were shared by Zee Cinema for Take a B-R-E-A-K campaign (for the film Mujhse Shaadi Karogi) and Red FM 93.5 for ‘Bajate Raho‘.


    When queried about the strategy that went into making it so successful, Zee Cinema programming head Mohan Gopinath told Indiantelevision.com, “In showcasing a movie, the fun must be extended to relate to the common man, which we were able to do through a built in mechanism such as the Mujhse Shaadi Karogi Contest.”




    In her inaugural speech, Ad Club Bombay president Kalpana Rao requested everyone “to join in and have a ball”. With a sizzling performance from Malaika Arora Khan and with Shubha Mudgal singing her popular Monsoon litany “Ab ke sawan”, the ad fraternity seemed to be having a blast.


    Speaking to Indiantelevision.com, Emvies Committee chairperson Apurva Purohit commented on the quality of entries that came in this year, “With over two months of work put into sifting through entries and judging presentations, its great to see that there has been a quantum leap in media strategy. There is currently a sharper focus on responses as is seen in sales going up, after all that is what clients want.”


    The detailed list of the winners are as follows:


    Best Media Innovation – Press
    Silver – Maxus – Walt Disney – The Day It All Went Hindi
    Silver – Starcom Worldwide – Sugarfree D‘Lite – 85 per cent less


    Best Media Innovation – Digital
    Gold – MindShare – Nakshatra Diamond Jewellery – Multiplex or Milky Way
    Gold – MindShare – DNA – The DNA Of Our Campaign
    Silver – MindShare – AXE Unlimited


    Best Media Innovation – Out-of-Home
    Silver – Media Planning Group – Red FM – Awaaz Uthate Raho


    Best Media Innovation – Direct Marketing
    Gold – OgilvyOne Worldwide – Hutch – Delhi Half Marathon (Shoe)


    Best Media Innovation – Never Used Before Media
    Gold – MindShare – AXE Unlimited – Mobile Academy of Seduction
    Silver – Ogilvy & Mather – Lenovo Thinkpad – Unbreakable


    Best Media Innovation – Cinema
    Silver – Broadmind Entertainment – Hanuman – Marketing a Movie
    Silver – Madison Media – Saffola Gold – World Heart Day
    Silver – MindShare – Sangini Diamond Jewellery
    Silver – Lodestar Media – Calcium Sandoz woman


    Best Media Innovation – Radio
    Gold – Madison Media – Saffola – Jaggus Mission 10K
    Gold – MindShare – Pepsodent Toothpaste – Prayers


    Best Media Innovation – Events
    Gold – M adison Communications – Thumps Up – The Everest Challenge
    Silver – Media Planning Group – Red FM – Awaz Uthate Raho


    Best Media Innovation – TV
    Gold – MindShare – Clinic All Clear – Fame
    Silver – MindShare – ICICI Prudential Life Insurance – Jassi Insured


    Best Media Marketer of the Year
    Silver – Zee Telefilms – Zee Cinema – Take a B – R – E – A – K
    Silver – Red FM – Red FM 93.5 Bajate Raho!


    Best Integrated Campaign
    Gold – Ogilvy & Mather – Hutch Delhi Half Marathon
    Silver – MindShare – Surf Excel Quickwash – Two Buckets
    Silver – AXE Unlimited Academy


    Best Media Strategy – Consumer Prpducts
    Silver – Madison Media – Saffola Gold – World Heart Day Zero Creative
    Silver – MindShare – Surf Excel Quickwash – Digging A Well Where Water is
    Silver – MindShare – Wheel – A 1000 Crore Story


    Best Media Research
    Gold – Lodestar Media – Revenue Estimator – Business Ka Asli Baazigar
    Silver – Mediacom India – AVIVA Life Insurance viewD


    Best Media Strategy – Consumer Durables
    Gold – MindShare – IGO TV – Reaching for the Sky


    Best Media Strategy – Services
    Gold – Madison Communications – Airtel – KBC II
    Silver – MindShare – DNA – The “New Paradigm” of Pervasive Marketing


    TAM Award – Mediacom India


    Grand Emvie – Ogilvy & Mather – Hutch Delhi Half Marathon
    People‘s Choice Award for the Best Case Study Presentation – Madison Media – Saffola Gold World Heart Day


    Best Media Agency of the Year
    MindShare

    The Emvies 2006 Slideshow

  • Reliance in mobile content deal with Disney; to offer 3D animation

    Reliance in mobile content deal with Disney; to offer 3D animation

    MUMBAI: Reliance Communications has announced its tie-up with Disney to offer on Reliance Mobile World what would be India’s first 3D animation on mobile. The deal promises a host of other Disney mobile content offerings as well.

    Reliance customers will be able to access 16 Disney animated video shorts, including ten in 3D, exclusively made for mobile devices and featuring Disney characters They also can download other mobile content with favourite Disney characters in the form of wallpapers, ring-tones, games or comic strips from Disney Zone, created on Reliance Mobile World, states an official release.

    This is not the first deal that Disney has done with a telecom player in India. It is worth recalling that Disney had tied up with AirTel in April to develop mobisodes, games, ringtones, wallpapers and animation in the ‘Disney Mobile Theatre’ featuring popular cartoons. Airtel was then the third telecom operator Disney had tied up with, the other two being in Asia.

    Meanwhile, with soccer fever gripping the world, wallpapers and animations showing Disney characters in football gear will be an added attraction. Downloads will be priced at: Rs 5 for wallpapers, Rs 10 for video shorts downloads, Rs 5 for animations and Rs 10 for ring-tones on Disney Zone. Games will be charged at Rs 5 per session, adds the release.

    Walt Disney Internet Group EVP & MD Mark Handler says, “The strength of the Disney brand, combined with our rich content library, allows us to create a new and fun mobile experience for families in India. We are pleased to collaborate with Reliance to bring to consumers Disney mobile content, anytime, anywhere.”

    Reliance Communications Applications Solutions and Content Group president Mahesh Prasad adds, “Reliance Mobile has unparalleled reach with over 10 million data-enabled handsets and a countrywide high speed data network covering small and big towns alike. With Kidz World in Reliance Mobile World, Reliance pioneered edutainment on mobile in India. Disney Zone will raise the bar many notches to give a unique experience”.“Earlier this year, a game based on Power Rangers, a hit TV show on Toon Disney, was launched on Reliance network, which became one of the highest downloaded games nearing 700,000”. With the launch of a new season of Power Rangers SPD, a completely new game around the show is set to debut on Reliance this month,” added Mr. Prasad.

    The Walt Disney India MD Rajat Jain says, “Our success in these emerging platforms stems from the strengths of Disney’s major brands and franchises, which have been leveraged and brought in through innovative and strategically sound ways – positioning the company as the leading provider of entertainment and information for the wireless and broadband markets. We are happy to bring our best-in-class content to Reliance Mobile.”

    After Star India, it is Walt Disney Television International (India) that is exploring the mobile-enabled episode (mobisode) phenomenon.

  • Microsoft unveils Windows Live service; service taregets advertisers too

    MUMBAI: Microsoft Corp. has debuted its upgrade to Windows Messenger called Windows Live Messenger. The company today announced the launch of Windows Live Messenger globally over the course of the year in over 60 markets including 12 in Asia.


    Windows Live Messenger goes beyond a traditional instant messaging (IM) service, enabling people to connect and share, with video calling, easy sharing folders and more.


    The new Windows Live Messenger also offers a treasure map to a peek at exclusive scenes from Walt Disney Pictures‘ upcoming film Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man‘s Chest, with exclusive access to Dead Man‘s Tale, an interactive online adventure that allows users to earn a berth aboard Jack Sparrow‘s ship, the Black Pearl.


    “Windows Live is all about giving consumers the tools and services they need to be in control as they stay connected to the people they care about, on top of the information that is important to them, and protected across all of their online activities,” said Microsoft Asia Pacific director Windows Live and MSN business Alex Stewart. “The launch of Windows Live Messenger is an important milestone for the business as we work towards realizing the Windows Live vision. This vision is based around putting people at the center of their digital life and creating a seamless experience across their PC, devices, applications and the web.”


    Windows Live Messenger is now available in more than 60 markets including India in the Asia Pacific such as Australia, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore and Taiwan.


    According to an official release, Windows Live Messenger is the next generation of MSN Messenger, the world’s most popular IM service and it goes beyond text IM to help connect people with voice, video and more. It also acts as a window to the internet, connecting people to their e-mail, blog, search and other Windows Live services with one click of the mouse.


    On the advertising front:


    “Windows Live Messenger builds on the strength of the traditional MSN Messenger service enhancing the consumer’s online experience and providing brands with even more exciting and entertaining advertising opportunities through which to reach their target audiences on a local, pan-regional and global scale,” said Microsoft Online Business Group international advertising sales VP Chris Dobson. “The integration of Windows Live Messenger with other Live.com services encourages prolonged consumer interaction, providing the advertiser with a more engaged audience to connect with.”


    Advertising opportunities available with the new Windows Live Messenger service include: PC-to-PC video call, sharing folders, Windows Live Contacts and Windows Live video ads.


    The release adds that the improved versions of traditional MSN Messenger advertising opportunities will also be available, these include: Windows Live Messenger Today page ad placement, sponsored tabs, theme packs and conversation window text link.