ITV

Category: MAM

  • OgilvyOne’s digital campaign for Mentos

    MUMBAI: As part of its digital campaign for the recently concluded ICCCricket World Cup, Mentos rolled out two campaigns created by OgilvyOne India.


    The campaign got over 200,000 visitors per day via banners hosted on the ICC CWC live streaming page on www.espnstar.com.
     
    Perfetti Van Melle India marketing manager Namita Gupta said, “The brief to Ogilvy One Worldwide was to reinforce the brand positioning of Mentos (of thinking smart) for the cricket crazy fan.”


    The brief led the campaign to adopt a 2-idea approach. The banners led users to a microsite – mentoscricket.com – which hosted these 2 ideas.
     
    The first idea – ‘What’s Your Excuse to Watch the World Cup’ – provided users an opportunity to share their excuses for skipping work, classes, dinner dates etc to watch the matches.


    This campaign relied on the strength of user-generated ideas. Over the duration of the campaign, many users sent witty excuses to wiggle out of other commitments in order to watch the cricket. The most unique ones were adapted into banners on the landing page of the microsite, the agency claims.
     
    The second idea, ‘Predict & Win’, invited users to predict the winners of every match. Customised country specific banners were created for every match as Indians tried to emulate the legendary powers of Octopus Paul.


    According to the agency, over 200,000 netizens participated but nobody came anywhere close to the Oracle Octopus’ 100 per cent strike rate.


    OgilvyOne Worldwide India ECD Graham Kelly who headed the campaign and had his first tryst with India’s cricket addiction, said: “It was great to see the public having as much fun playing with the campaign, as we had making it.”

  • IPL4 skids 22% in 6-metro TV ratings

    MUMBAI: After a promising debut, the fourth season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) has seen a 21.8 per cent skid in its ratings over the earlier year.
     
    The average rating of the first 26 matches (till 29 March) has dropped to 4.3 TVR, as per data from TAM Sports for the 6 Metros. The average ratings in the 2010 edition stood at 5.5 TVR for the first 26 matches.
     
    In fact, the 2010 edition was the most successful one. The debut season’s average for the same number of matches was at 5.3 TVR, which dropped in 2009 to 4.73 TVR. However, the 2009 edition was played in South Africa and the timings were not suitable for primetime viewing.
     
    As far as IPL4 goes, the 10 matches played during the week ended 23 April fetched an average TVR of 4.2 TVR. The match played between Mumbai Indians versus Chennai Super Kings got the maximum, earning a TVR of 6.7.


    The lowest viewed match during the week was between Deccan Chargers and Delhi Daredevils (2.15 TVR). In fact, it got the lowest ratings among all the matches played so far this year.


    Meanwhile, the impact of IPL was still visible on the Hindi general entertainment channels. For the third consecutive week, the Hindi GEC genre lost GRPs (gross rating points).


    Barring Colors and Sab, which added nine and four GRPs respectively, all other GECs shed some GRPs during the week. However, the pecking order remained the same as the previous week.


    Star Plus stayed at the top but lost 19 GRPs to close the week ended 23 April with 300, while Colors was at No. 2 with 227 GRPs. Zee TV followed with 193 GRPs (from 197 in the previous week).


    Sony Entertainment Television remained at No. 4 with 145 GRPs (146 GRPs in week ago), while sister channel Sab narrowd the gap further with 139 GRPs.


    Imagine TV was at 61 GRPs ( from 68 GRPs), while Star One and Sahara One clocked 36 and 29 GRPs during the week.

  • Lowe Lintas appoints Subramanyeswar as national planning director

    Lowe Lintas appoints Subramanyeswar as national planning director

    MUMBAI: Lowe Lintas India has roped in S. Subramanyeswar as its national planning director.

    Previously, Subramanyeswar was national planning director at Publicis Communications.

    In an advertising and marketing career spanning more than a decade, Subramanyeswar has worked at Rediffusion Y&R, Saatchi & Saatchi, Mudra, Parle and Wipro.

    Lowe Lintas CEO Joseph George said, “Subbu has a brilliant mind and a great attitude. His strategic thinking abilities and his highly evolved grass roots understanding makes him uniquely qualified to develop, nurture and grow Lowe Lintas’s partnership with marketers in the non-metro markets.”

    Some of the brands that Subramanyeswar has worked on include Citibank, Colgate, Procter & Gamble, General Mills, Johnson & Johnson, Unilever and Sony Ericsson.

    Subramanyeswar added, “I’m happy to be here. Lowe always had a strong Planning culture and the planning product is well respected internally and externally. I bought into Joe’s thinking on breaking new ground by being a Planning Entrepreneur here.”
     

  • McVitie’s ropes in Bipasha Basu and Shriya Saran as brand ambassadors

    McVitie’s ropes in Bipasha Basu and Shriya Saran as brand ambassadors

    MUMBAI: United Biscuits has signed on Bollywood actress Bipasha Basu and South Indian actor Shriya Saran for endorsing its flagship brand McVitie‘s in India.

    Basu and Saran have been signed on, following the brand‘s strategy of increasing its penetration amongst the urban Indian consumers. As part of this strategy, McVitie‘s will be launching a new TVC later this year, featuring the two actors.

    United Biscuits India president Jayant Kapre says, “We feel privileged to have iconic celebrities like Bipasha, and Shriya representing the McVitie‘s brand as both share an immense passion for a healthy lifestyle, and embody great values that are a great fit with the brand. Both the celebs have mass appeal and we are confident that this will further strengthen the brand‘s image and will help us to reach out to more consumers.”

    Basu said, “It is a matter of great pride for me to be associated with a brand like Mc Vitie‘s. Their tasty and healthy products are a perfect match to my idea of leading a healthy and active lifestyle. I am delighted and very excited to be a part of the brand.”
     

  • MPG wins Escada’s global media account

    MUMBAI: HAVAS’ Media Planning Group (MPG) has bagged the global media account of Mittal family trust-owned Escada.


    MPG will take over the seven-digit account in April 2011 from current holder Mediacom.


    The mandate as awarded following a muilti-agency pitch that involved agencies such as Mediacom, Mindshare and phd. 
     
    MPG will be handling media planning and buying for all of Escada products – with the exception of fragrances and eyewear – in classic and online media. 
     
    They will be responsible for the markets of Europe, the Americas and Asia, with international coordination being managed by MPG Germany out of their Frankfurt office.


    MPG has worked with luxury clients such as Herm?s, LVMH and Burberry.
     
    In November 2009, Germany’s then insolvent Escada’s main business, brand rights, production facilities and distribution network were bought by the Mittal family trust.
     

  • Dentsu India moves Nobuki Sakai as CFO

    Dentsu India moves Nobuki Sakai as CFO

    MUMBAI: Dentsu India Group has appointed Nobuki Sakai as its chief financial officer.

    Sakai relocates to India from Dentsu’s Group Companies Management Division in Tokyo. Prior to this, he was a member of the board and chief financial officer at Dentsu Sudler & Hennessey in Japan.

    Based out of Delhi, Sakai will report to Dentsu India Group acting chairman Seiichiro Hayata.
     
    Sakai will be responsible for the financial plans, policies, and accounting practices of Dentsu India. He will also lead the accounting, budgeting, cash management, and financing functions of all the Dentsu India Group companies.

    Hayata Says, “We are delighted to have Sakai-san join our India team. With his extensive knowledge and experience in corporate and financial management, we look forward to his leadership in strengthening our financial structure not only at the Group level but also at the Agency level.”

    Sakai has been with Dentsu for over thirty-five years, twenty-one of which were focused on spearheading management support and financial management of subsidiary companies in Japan and overseas. 
     
    Sakai added, “I am excited about working in India and being part of Dentsu India’s growth story. I believe that integrity and discipline compose a core part of the management of a company. I am here to extend all efforts and partner our India team in cementing a sound, solid finance foundation, one that incorporates our global best practices.”
     
    Sakai‘s experience spans corporate and financial management functions with assignment of strategic planning and implementation for the expansion of Dentsu‘s operations overseas, including M&A of overseas companies, the setting up of new subsidiary companies, and the recapitalisation and financial management of subsidiary companies.
     

  • LG to spend Rs 3 bn on marketing flat panel TVs

    LG to spend Rs 3 bn on marketing flat panel TVs

    MUMBAI: LG Electronics plans to spend Rs 3 billion towards marketing its flat panel televisions as it aims to get a 50 per cent share in India‘s nascent 3D TV market.

    The Korean consumer electronics company has positioned Cinema 3D TV as its flagship product in the flat panel TV segment. Launched in India today, Cinema 3D TV has LG‘s proprietary film patterned retarder (FPR) panel, a 3D liquid crystal display (LCD) technology.

    The price of Cinema 3D Smart TV ranges between Rs 94990 and Rs 164990.

    Says LGEIL‘s managing director Soon Kwon, “With this new Cinema 3D Smart TV range, we expect to bolster our FPD sales at a growth rate of more than 100 per cent. We aim to be a market leader in 3D TV market with a share of 50 per cent. To ensure the numbers, LG Electronics India has an aggressive strategy targeting the youth and plans to invest Rs. 3 billion in marketing with Cinema 3D as flagship product communication.”

    The Cinema 3D TV optimises the separation of images for the left and right eye to give viewers 3D pictures with less crosstalk, which means no dizziness and eye fatigue that sometimes occurs with wearing shutter glasses.

    Kwon added, “LG is committed to developing technology and products that exceed today‘s expectations of innovation. Cinema 3D TV is the perfect choice when it comes to watching 3D entertainment for longer periods in greater comfort. We‘re eager to show everyone just how exciting our new 3D TVs are and why we‘re confident this will become the industry standard for 3D TV technology.”

    The Cinema 3D also has features such as a thin film for full brightness, and a wide viewing angle and flexible viewing positions for watching in groups or while sitting or lying down in any spot in front of the screen.

    With a new, advanced 2D to 3D conversion feature, the Cinema 3D TV can convert 2D content into high quality 3D. It also has access to premium content via Hunagama, NDTV, Indiatimes, Carwale and Zapak in India as well as global providers.

    The company will give four sets of 3D glasses in four different models for different segments.
     

  • Metacafe in exclusive partnership with Vdopia

    Metacafe in exclusive partnership with Vdopia

    NEW DELHI: Metacafe, an entertainment destination solely dedicated to showcasing videos from the world of movies, video games, sports, music and TV, has entered into an exclusive partnership with video monetisation leader Vdopia, giving Vdopia charge of Metacafe’s entire online video and rich media advertising inventory in India.

    Metacafe keeps millions of viewers plugged into its entertainment passions every day, attracting more than more than 46 million unique monthly viewers worldwide and more than 5 million in India.

    Metacafe head of international sales and partnerships Tim Rottach said, “Metacafe is unique in its approach to telling the story via video, featuring more exclusive, original and curated premium entertainment-related video content than any other site. Partnering with Vdopia helps us connect leading brand advertisers with our audience of young influencers through close association with the most popular video content on the web.”

    Said Debadutta Upadhyaya Vdopia vice president–India, “Today online content consumption is seeing a growth spurt, making it the right-fit vehicle for advertisers looking to supercharge their brand marketing and seeking justifiable returns on marketing spend. This partnership will help brand advertisers leverage the most innovative online video advertising alongside popular content and achieve a video high. We are glad to extend our innovative video inventory including video prerolls, custom homepage takeover events and other engaging, large-format video ads to Metacafe, the leading premium content publisher.”

    Vdopia focuses on bringing impactful, market-disruptive innovation to online advertising. In the recent past the company has tied up with number of entities to expand the reach of the brands associated with it.

     

  • After 2 years, Star ups ad rates

    After 2 years, Star ups ad rates

    MUMBAI: Advertisers will need to cough out more to place their ads on television as two leading Indian broadcasters have indicated that they would be upping their rates this fiscal.

    After a gap of two years, Star India said Tuesday it would increase the advertising rates for its bouquet of channels by 20 per cent with immediate effect.

    “We expect our revenues to grow by around 15-20 per cent this fiscal as compared to 12-13 per cent in the last year. Since advertisements are the major source of income for this industry, the increase in rates will help us achieve the target,” says Star India COO Sanjay Gupta.

    The other leading broadcasting company, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (Zeel), has forecast a 12-14 per cent ad revenue growth in FY‘12.

    Star‘s decision has come amid rising content costs, an increase in market share and a leadership position of its flagship Hindi general entertainment channel Star Plus.

    Says Gupta, “We have achieved an unprecedented growth of 30 per cent in the last two years. Today we are leaders in 18 key states of India. This unstoppable growth is riding on the back bone of significant investments, innovative content and delivery of quality of experience through technologically advanced platforms.”

    Broadcasters have been pressing for a fair rise in ad rates as the cable and satellite homes in India have increased from 90 million in 2009 to 116 million in 2011, while the digital homes have almost double (from 15 million in 2009 to 26 million in 2011).

    Star claims that its market share and reach has gone up substantially. However, the advertising revenue growth has not kept the same pace.
     
    Says Gupta, “The total viewership share of the network in 2009 was 12.4 per cent, which today stands at 16.1 per cent. Advertisers should accept our increase.”

    Star justifies the increase in ad rates as it has come in the backdrop of spiraling cost of talent, increased investments in technology, advanced delivery and distribution platforms as well as increased production costs.

    Says Star India ad sales president Kevin Vaz, “Our network reach has increased and at the same time for the advertiser, the cost of reaching 1000 people has reduced by 38 per cent in the last two years. This rate increase of 20 per cent is just a part correction in lieu of the phenomenal growth the network has shown in the past two years.”
     
    Some senior industry executives do not find sense in Star making a public announcement. “Why do you need to announce the hike in ad rates when you don’t do business on rate cards? The deals are signed after negotiations and advertisers always try to beat down the price. This announcement is amusing,” says a senior ad sales executive from a rival network.

    Media buyers feel the pricing will be determined by the demand-supply equation.

    Says Madison Media Group COO Punitha Arumugam, “The television rates are decided by the TVR performance and not by rate cards. As Star is performing, it can charge premium. It all depends on the ratings and not on rate cards.”
     
    On the point of CPT (cost per thousand) going down, RK Swamy Media Group president Chintamani Rao believes that in India deals are not signed on the basis of CPT. “Deals are done on CPRP (Cost Per Rating Point). If deals would have been signed on CPT basis, the rates would have been much higher,” he says.
     

  • Asheesh Chatterjee is RBNL CFO

    Asheesh Chatterjee is RBNL CFO

    MUMBAI: Reliance Broadcast Network Ltd. (RBNL) has appointed Asheesh Chatterjee as its chief financial officer.

    Chatterjee will lead the finance and legal side of the business and will also spearhead key initiatives like fund raising, M&A and JVs.

    Speaking on Chatterjee’s appointment, Reliance Broadcast Network Ltd. CEO Tarun Katial said, “Asheesh’s varied finance background across critical financial and legal portfolios, will add tremendous value to Reliance Broadcast Network Ltd., which is a young company at a critical growth juncture. We welcome Asheesh on board and look forward to his expertise in taking this Company through its next growth leap.”

    A chartered accountant and cost accountant by qualification, Chatterjee brings with him over 15 years of post qualification experience across varied sectors will – assurance and consulting, financial services, manufacturing and media and entertainment.

    Having held senior finance positions with leading companies like Moser Baer, Sony Entertainment Television (Multi Screen Media), ICICI Prudential Asset Management and Ernst & Young, Chatterjee has worked on a diverse portfolio covering strategic finance, corporate structuring, operational finance, tax planning, audit, treasury and investor/analyst relations.

    On his appointment, Chatterjee said, “The brand Big has successfully created a robust and diversified business model ranging from radio broadcast, television, out of home and live events. I am excited to join the Company and work with a young and dynamic team, to achieve the full potential of Reliance Broadcast Network’s growth strategy.”

    In his last assignment, as the CFO of the entertainment business with Moser Baer, Chatterjee was involved in setting up of the home entertainment & film divisions and leading the company to become the largest home video company in the country within a year from launch.

    He was also spearheading the strategic process at the company to formulate its entry into newer verticals in the M&E space and also manage key strategic initiatives at the group level.