Category: MAM

MUMBAI: Driven by strong economic performances and rapidly improving consumer confidence levels in the first quarter of 2010, main media (television, newspaper & magazine) advertising activity in India has surged ahead by 32 per cent, the highest growth amongst the 12 Asia Pacific markets covered in The Nielsen Company‘s survey on media spends.

Overall across the 12 markets, media spends grew by 18 per cent. For the first quarter since Q3 2008, all 12 markets across the region recorded strong to bullish ad spend growth. This was also the second consecutive quarter with no declines in ad spending.

In a clear sign that the country is accelerating out of the economic downturn, India emerged as the most confident in the Q1 2010 Nielsen Global Consumer Confidence Survey and is fast on the path of recovery.
 
The discretionary spending of Indians has also showed significant growth and this is not lost on most marketers who are now back in the growth mode. This is translating into advertising activity rapidly returning to pre downturn levels indicating growth in the second consecutive quarter of media advertising in India and across all 12 markets in Asia Pacific (compared to the same period in 2009).

“Economic prospects are improving rapidly and consumers‘ spending intentions are turning into actual spending reality. This is a sign that marketers, manufacturers and retailers have been eagerly waiting for and is seen translating into advertising spends. The challenge now for marketers however, will be right brand positioning and strengthening brand awareness as visibility diminished during the downturn,” said The Nielsen Company president India Piyush Mathur. 
 
Growth Drivers

Year on year (YOY) growth for a 12-month period to March 2010 saw an increase of 26 per cent in main media ad spends in India. Across the 12 markets main media spends grew by 15 per cent. The main driver of growth in India was the newspaper, which experienced 30 per cent YOY growth in ad spends; the highest percentage growth for newspaper ad spends across all 12 markets covered in the Nielsen survey. Overall newspaper ad spends grew by 14 per cent YOY.

Across the region, television was the main driver of media spends with 16 per cent YOY growth. However, in India, television followed newspapers, growing by 26 per cent; however, this was the highest percentage growth for television ad spends across the 12 markets.

The third of the main media, magazines‘ ad spends grew by 7 per cent in India while across the 12 markets it grew by 4 per cent. India followed China in magazine ad spends, which posted an 18 per cent YOY growth.
 
 
All other media combined like radio, outdoor, pay TV and cinema showed a growth of 28 per cent in the 12 months to March 2010 in India. Ad spends by all media sectors saw a growth of 27 per cent YOY.

A quarterly comparison of ad spends in India shows that in Q1 2010, all main media recorded double digit growth to finish 33 per cent ahead of the same quarter in 2009. Overall ad spending was dominated by newspapers with 46 per cent share of spend, followed by television with 32 per cent share in Q1 2010.

Top Advertising Categories

In the previous 12 months till March 2010, all the Top 10 categories registered double digit advertising growth to finish a robust 29 per cent ahead YOY and represented 52 per cent of all main media ad spending. Stellar ad spend increases were noted for the top three categories, which combined represented 22 per cent of all India media spending. These were services (25 per cent YOY growth), food & beverages (37 per cent YOY growth) and personal care/personal hygiene (53 per cent YOY growth). Banking/ finance/ investment (26 per cent YOY growth) and education (27 per cent YOY growth) were the other categories that carved a place for themselves in the top five.

Media spends on social issues has expanded in the past 12 months, not only with government campaigns, but also corporations and brands aligning themselves to relevant social communications like health & hygiene and women‘s and family welfare. Social issues are also now the focus on TV soaps and prime time serials.

Top Spending Products

A varied mix of products is seen advertising across different media but the top three products advertised are from the telecom sector. The fourth biggest spender was LIC Wealth Plus, an investment insurance product from Life Insurance Corporation of India, which was launched in Q1 2010. Another major product new to the top 10 was the Petroleum Conservation Research Association, after two quite low key previous quarters.

“The outlook for media advertising across the remainder of 2010 appears extremely positive in India and the 12 markets surveyed. Consumers are out there spending and intending to loosen up their purse strings, so the onus is now on marketers to ensure their products and services return to top of mind,” said Mathur.
 

MUMBAI: Big Street, the OOH arm of Reliance Broadcast Network, has bagged the Delhi Tourism and Transportation Corporation‘s (DTTDC) Street Furniture Makeover project along with the mandate for high end digital pods across 25 Delhi Metro Rail Corporation‘s underground stations.

The DTTDC project is for a period of 22 years on a BOT (build operate and transfer) model. The inventories will cover 19 kilometers of high advertising demand locations covering the ITO Bridge, Nizamuddin Bridge, road from Akshar Dham to ITO Chungi and the inner roads of Yamuna Sports Complex. The work is expected to be completed before the Common Wealth Games (CWG) and to ensure international standards for the infrastructural facelift, BIG Street has tied up with Honkong street furniture specialist firm, Qumbet. 
 
Stations where BIG Street will place their digital pods will include Delhi University, Rajiv Chowk, Barakhamba, Khan Market, JLN Stadium, Udyog Bhawan, Race Course, Jor Bagh, AIIMS, Green Park, Hauz Khas, Malviya Nagar, Saket, GTB Nagar, Vidhan Sabha, Civil Lines, Kashmere Gate, Chandini Chowk, Chawri Bazaar, New Delhi, Patel Chowk, Central Sec, Model Town and Jang Pura for a period of eight years. Footfalls across these high traffic lines are estimated to be upwards of 1 million each day. This innovation will be executed along with VMG Global, a UK based expert in digital media solutions.

The digital pods across DMRC‘s premium underground stations will offer commuter‘s key information ranging DMRC‘s services, ticket rates, station facility information, updates on the CWG and more. These Pod‘s will be the future for indoor advertising in India, ranging malls, multiplexes, airports, metro stations and other key locations as it offers innovative advertising opportunities on its LCD panels.
 
The digital pods will consist of vertical self supporting LCD panel of 62″ and 22″ touch screen facility acting as information booths. A critical innovation is that the screens across stations will be networked using a wireless or wire-line connectivity and will be remote managed for content updates, not only aiding commuters but also forming an excellent advertising option for marketers who wish to use the networked option to communicate through videos, animation or still images.

Prior to this, BIG Street has already bagged Delhi Metro Line 2, Civil Structures and 50 LED screens in the capital city.
 
Business Head of BIG Street Rabe T Iyer said, “These wins are part of BIG Streets business plans to acquire long term, low risk and quick payback inventory. With Delhi being a key focus market, both these deals strengthen our offerings in the capital. The expertise that Qumbet and VMG Global bring with them will help see innovative and pioneering street furniture in the country. The revenue potentials these projects have promise to contribute significantly to the profitability of the Company.”

MUMBAI: Yum! Restaurants (India) has announced the appointment of Sandeep Kataria as CMO, Indian subcontinent.
 
Kataria will be responsible for all marketing, branding and brand public relations activities for Yum! in the Indian subcontinent.

He brings to Yum! over 16 years of experience in Unilever where he was tasked with roles across general management, global brand management and strategy.
 
Yum! Restaurants (India) MD Niren Chaudhary, says, “Sandeep comes with a rich diversity of work in the strategy and brands domain that combines with a passion for new challenges and opportunities.” 
 
Kataria says, “Yum! Restaurants India is one of India’s most dynamic food retail companies with three successful and iconic brands opening here. The market in India is poised for a rapid, exciting growth phase and I see huge potential to increase our footprint and take our brands to new consumers and markets.”
 

MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Entertainment Networks – Asia (Spena) has appointed Qmedia, a Qatari-based media house, to represent its ad sales interest in the Middle East with immediate effect.
 
Qmedia will be responsible for packaging advertising and sponsorship solutions to Middle Eastern companies looking to expand their presence in the Asia region, through the eight networks under Spena: Spena’s own pay-TV channel brands AXN, AXN Beyond, Animax and Sony Entertainment Television, as well as third-party channels brands that Spena represents including AETN All Asia Networks’ History, The Biography Channel, Crime and Investigation Network and History HD. 
 
Spena senior VP, GM Ricky Ow says, “With the increasing presence of Middle Eastern interest in Asia, it is apt time for us to have representation there to service the needs of companies wishing to reach out to viewers in Asia. Our bouquet of channels comprising some of the most popular general and factual entertainment TV destinations will provide the best possible one-stop solution for brands looking to reach their desired audience in this region.”
 
Qmedia is a media house founded in 2004 to provide media tools for premium audience delivery, representing a number of regional televisions, radio channels, magazines and newspapers in Qatar and the wider Middle East.

MUMBAI: Pure Media has won the media duties of Maxima Watches. The incumbant agency was Zenith Optimedia.

Maxima Watches has launched a new campaign across media vehicles. The accout size is estimated to be around Rs 70 million spread across television, print and other media vehicles.
 
P A Time Industries MD Manjot Purewal said, “The brand has been through challenging times but still has fared well in many aspects of the business. We have always been focused on delivering values to our consumers through excellent products at relatively low price. With new partners on board we are confident to take the brand to another level.”
 
Maxima marketing manager Govind Mishra says, “Although it was a bit risky taking a new name on board, it was Pure‘s extensive research and understanding of the brand that gave us the confidence.”

NEW DELHI: Coming down heavily on surrogate advertisements, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry has directed all television channels to stop showing advertisements of products using brand names or logos which are also used for cigarettes, tobacco products, wine, alcohol, liquor or other intoxicants.

In a directive, the Ministry said the notification of 27 February 2009 cannot be cited as an excuse for airing such advertisements in violation of Rule 7(2)(viii)(A) of the Cable Television Networks Rules 1994 as the guidelines under the amended Rules have not been finalised. 
 
It has further said that certificates issued by the Central Board of Film Certification under the Ministry’s notification of 9 August 2006 will also not be accepted as these are null and void in view of subsequent amendment of Rule 7(2)(viii) of the Rules.

All channels including news and current affairs channels have been directed to, therefore, immediately withdraw such advertisements.
 
In another notification, the Ministry asked all TV channels to stop violating Rule 7(10) which clearly states that advertisements should be clearly distinguishable from the programme/news broadcast and cannot be carried on the same screen as captions, static or moving alongside the programme.
 
This follows several complaints that channels often carry advertisements in scrolls which get mixed with news and also on the screen which interferes with the programme.
 

MUMBAI: Japanese consumer electronics company Toshiba Corporation has appointed Sachin Tendulkar as brand ambassador across its product categories of laptops, LCD TV and home appliances and for corporate branding in India.
 
With Tendulkar, Toshiba will be launching an extensive cross-product media campaign with the key message of ‘Quality Technology Design‘.
 
Toshiba India MD Kenji Urai said, “Cricket is the most popular sport in India and Sachin, the most formidable and popular cricketer, is an influential figure. His cricketing achievements and constant quest for high performance is in line with Toshiba’s ‘leading innovation‘ tagline, where Toshiba aims to provide products with innovation in high quality, leading-edge technology and stylish design.”
 
As brand ambassador for Toshiba, Tendulkar will be featured in Toshiba advertisements in major media for its laptops, LCD TV and home appliances.
 

MUMBAI: Kerala Tourism Board has assigned its entire media and creative duties to Crayons Advertising, Mudra, Stark Communications, Group M and three local Kerala agencies – Hues, Modern and AD India.

The account size is pegged at Rs 200 million.

This decision comes after a multi agency national pitch involving 25 companies, and three rounds of pitching. 
 
The agencies will handle all the 360 degree marketing and advertising needed to promote tourism in Kerela. The campaigns would include TV, radio, print, OOH and BLT activities.
 
Mudra South, the agency which had created the “God‘s Own Country” campaign for Kerela Tourism 15 years ago, is one of the empanelled agencies who will be handling the account out of its Kochi office.

EVP & Head of Mudra South Ranji Cherian said, “We are delighted. There is something very special about Kerala Tourism. We are looking forward to creating some great work.”
 
Added Mudra India CEO Jude Fernandes, “This win is great news to follow Mudra South‘s double win at Cannes for its work for Bangalore Traffic Police. The Kerala Tourism brand now resonates globally as a holiday destination that is at par with the best destinations across the world.”
 

MUMBAI: Television ratings for cricket are taking a hit from an overdose of the sport and the soccer World Cup. The Asia Cup, telecast on Neo Cricket from 15-24 June, had an average TVR of 1.7, lower than its earlier edition that had posted a rating of 2.9. 
 
The final, which saw India beat Sri Lanka to win the trophy after a wide gap of 15 years, fetched a rating of 3.8. In 2008, the final between the same sides had earned a higher rating of 6.57.

The ratings are sinking somewhat even for the classic contest between arch rivals India and Pakistan. The match reaped a TVR of 3.9 as against 4.48 in the 2008 edition.
 
Cummulative reach for the tournament, however, has climbed to 81.7 million, up from 48.6 million in 2008. The India versus Sri Lanka final saw 47 million viewers tuning in compared to 23.2 million in the earlier version.
 

MUMBAI: Rosebys Home Care, a joint venture between Rosebys Interiors India and Caretel Infotech, has appointed Denstu Marcom India to handle its advertising duties.
 
The size of the account is estimated to be approximately Rs 100 million. 
 
As part of its new mandate, Dentsu Marcom will also be responsible for the creative duties of the company‘s official website, print advertising, outdoor designs, staff uniform, caps, car stickers, membership forms, welcome kits and B2B & B2C brochures.