Category: MAM

MUMBAI: Chennai-based media major Sun TV Network has hired two media firms for revenue expansion in the North American market.

Sun TV Network has appointed Global Media Management to manage and grow the distribution in North American markets across multiple platforms including cable, DTH and IPTV.
 
The partnership with World Media Connect will allow it to focus on growing Sun TV‘s advertising revenue from the same market.

The company said that the key focus behind the strategic move would be to diverge and expand into the North American markets by increasing subscription base and consecutively growing advertising revenues. 
 
This move also gives a competitive edge in distribution of services across varied platforms and promoting new television content to satisfy a diverse customer profile.

Says Sun TV Networks COO Ajay Vidyasagar, “This is a strategic move for us to further expand into global markets for our offerings. This initiative is focused on better monetisation of our content, both from the subscriber and the advertising revenue end.”
 
Sun TV has a series of plans that would boost its international revenues. The company will look at strengthening its foothold in other markets as well.

“The aim is to almost double the international ad revenues, which stood at Rs 560 million in FY‘10. Sun is looking at taking this up to Rs 1 billion within two years,” a source close to the company says.

Sun TV Network consists of over 20 channels catering and offering television entertainment to varied audience segments. The Network claims a viewership reach of over 95 million Indian households.

MUMBAI: Zee TV has announced a contest to promote its new shows in the 6-7 pm time band launching 6 December.
 
 Zee TV is inviting viewers to participate in a contest that will give them an opportunity to get lucky every day between 6 to 7 pm.
 
The contest will run from 6-17 December. It requires viewers to SMS the answers to the questions that flash on the channel between 6-7 pm.
 
Everyday 10 participants will have a chance to win daily prizes of household products like microwaves, mixers, cookers, toasters, irons, and non-stick cookware. At the end of the two weeks, one winner will also be given a bumper prize of gold jewellery worth Rs 100,000.
 

MUMBAI: Everest Brand Solutions national creative director N. Padmakumar is moving to Rediffusion as national creative head.

In his four-year stint with Everest, Padmakumar partnered president D. Rajappa in adding several new and substantial businesses such as ACC Cement, Indian Overseas Bank, Tata Housing and T-Series. 
 
“Working with Rajappa has been a truly rewarding experience. Our chemistry was terrific from the start and our outlook and attitudes matched perfectly. I now look forward to the challenges and demands of working at Rediffusion, and working in the inspirational presence of Diwan Arun Nanda,” says Padmakumar. 
 
Padmakumar spent the formative years of his career working at Lintas, handling Lever personal wash brands like Lifebuoy, Liril, Breeze and Rexona, besides having worked on the launch of Britannia Tiger biscuits and a brief stint at MTV. He has also worked with McCann Worldgroup as ECD Sri Lanka.
 
Everest Brand Solutions president D. Rajappa says, “Paddy and I have had a journey together that has been eventful all along, and it has been a pleasure working together. I‘m proud of what we‘ve achieved here, and am confident he will go on to do well in his next assignment. I wish him the very best as he grows, and I‘ve no doubt ours is a relationship that will endure through time.”

Padmakumar has handled advertising for various kinds of products and services, including clients like HSBC, ICICI, Cathay Pacific, Unilever, Nestle, Coke, Chevron, Pizza Hut, Tata and CNN-IBN.

MUMBAI: To promote the latest campaign launched by Madhya Pradesh Tourism, Ogilvy Mumbai has created a new TVC along with shadow artistes of Bengal.
 
‘MP ajab hai, sabse gajab hai‘ is the third campaign launched by MP and is based on the ancient art of shadowgraphy. The art form woven around an earthy and rustic musical jingle captures some of the unique and surprising facts about the state.
 
While tourism advertising typically shows visuals of tourist destinations, Madhya Pradesh Tourism has consciously focused on creating advertising which is ‘non-tourist‘ in nature, both from a strategic as well as a creative point of view. Through its ads, MP tourism has tried to present Madhya Pradesh in a true earthy and folksy way or perhaps now in a more Indian form.
 
To give the commercial a distinctive look, its entire narrative captures key landmarks of the state in a stark manner against a simple white screen.

The new commercial, created by Ogilvy Mumbai, will be supported by a 360 campaign to intensify engagement with consumers through media like radio, print and digital.
 

MUMBAI: The Loot has launched personally signed bags from cricketers Mahindra Singh Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh.
 
The products are priced from Rs 650. These bags aim to reflect the style and panache of the cricketers.
 
The Loot MD Jay Gupta said, “India being a cricket crazy nation, The Loot has tied up with these cricketers to retail their exclusive collection through its chain of stores across India. We have offered our consumer a chance to take home their favourite cricketer”.
 

MUMBAI: Dentsu India‘s flagship full service and fully integrated agency, Dentsu Marcom has won the creative mandate for the ‘Smartclass‘ brand of education company, Educomp Solutions that provides diversified education solutions. 
 
Said Educomp director k12 business and operations Abhinav Dhar, “We were looking for a passionate set of minds that could internalize our dream for the brand. Dentsu clearly demonstrated that it had the DNA to translate our vision for the brand into reality with its formidable credentials and more importantly its quick uptake of our aspirations.”
 
Smartclass is a series of interactive educative tools or courses designed for schools, covering multiple subjects as per the school curriculum and delivered through simulations, animations and videos linked together by an involving narrative. It is currently being used in over 4500 schools across India.
 
Averred Dentsu India president Rajesh Aggarwal, “We are delighted to partner Educomp, a pioneer in the education sector for over more than a decade now. It‘s an exciting opportunity for us to communicate with parents and schools how technology, ethics and vision have been brought together to make for a powerful brand that nurtures and benefits their school-going children in their day-to-day learning process.”
 

MUMBAI: Lowe + Partners confirmed today the promotion of Lowe Lintas India’s Deputy CEO, Joseph George, to chief executive officer, Lowe Lintas India. He will continue to be based in Mumbai, and he will succeed Charles Cadell effective from 3 January.
 
Says Lowe + Partners CEO Michael Wall, “During Charles’ tenure, Lowe Lintas has both grown and evolved into a modern and dynamic business. I am very thankful and appreciative of his contributions. I am certain that Joe is best placed to take on the leadership of Lowe Lintas in this exciting and important market. Joe has been an integral part of Lowe Lintas for the past 19 years. He has a rare combination of business acumen, marketing savvy and creative judgment. I look forward to partnering with him and together realizing even greater ambitions for the company and our clients.”
 
Says Lowe Lintas India chief creative officer and Chairman R Balki, “Joe’s contribution and pivotal role in having enabled the company in achieving the tremendous success it has achieved on many of its clients, most notably Unilever, uniquely qualifies him for this new role and responsibility. This promotion is demonstrative of the organization‘s appreciation of his past performance and trust in his abilities to take Lowe Lintas forward with his vision and leadership.”

Lowe Lintas is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Interpublic Group, and one of the star offices in the Lowe + Partners network. Besides advertising, Lowe Lintas India offers its clients, holistic marketing services that include Public Relations, Corporate Identity and Design, Digital Solutions, Direct Marketing and CRM, Rural Marketing, Branded Content, Health Care and Film Production.
 
Lowe Lintas India‘s client portfolio includes both long standing relationships with companies such as Hindustan Unilever, Idea Cellular, Tata Tea, Johnson & Johnson, Dabur, Bajaj Auto, ICICI Life Insurance, BPCL, Axis Bank, Britannia, Maruti Suzuki, Titan, Tanishq, MRF and new successful partnerships with Havells, Micromax, ET Now, Tata Croma, Hindustan Times and Axis Bank.

MUMBAI: Percept Talent has signed up with Kannada actor Sudeep as an ‘Exclusive Talent‘ for a period of 5 years.

Under the terms of the agreement, the company will be solely responsible for strategising and managing Sudeep’s brand endorsements, media activities and media rights, brand and image management, digital rights and licensing and merchandising rights as well.
 
Said Percept Talent CEO Rajnish Sahay, “Sudeep is a shining star in the world of Kannada film industry and we are extremely fortunate to have him on board Percept. We will adopt an aggressive, proactive, 360-degree strategy for an acclaimed talent like Sudeep, and ensure all avenues of reach and exposure are explored and capitalised upon.”
 
The alliance with Sudeep further consolidates Percept‘s position in the talent management space across the genres of Motion Pictures, Television, Fashion, Music, Sports and Branded Entertainment.

‘‘Percept being pioneers in the talent business and a professional organisation, it will be great to have them exclusively represent me,”says Sudeep.
 
Sudeep has not only won Karnataka State Award but also the Filmfare Award in the best actor category for three consecutive years for Huccha, Nandi and Swathi Mutthu. He recently made his debut in Bollywood with Phoonk ,Rann and Raktacharitra.