Category: Press Release

  • A Treat for All Music Lovers: The Revolutionary Reality Show American Idol, with its latest edition, makes its way to Star World on 16th March

    A Treat for All Music Lovers: The Revolutionary Reality Show American Idol, with its latest edition, makes its way to Star World on 16th March

    MUMBAI: The singing reality show that started off almost two decades ago, in 2002, American Idol established itself as one of the most iconic shows just after its launch and went on to become one of the most sensational shows of all time. Known to provide a platform to some of the biggest pop idols of our generation, American Idol, with its next edition of Season 18, will be showcased in India on Star World, one of the leading English entertainment channels. Starting 16th March Monday – Friday at 9PM, get ready to experience a musical treat as the show premieres in India in sync with the US, airing 23rd March onwards.

    American Idol, the show that revolutionized reality television all over the world, was the very first to bring the format of singing reality show on television and managed to inspire many countries to follow through with the concept. Certainly the most sought after launch-pad for aspiring singers, the show has recognized many talented artists and kick started the musical journeys of some of the biggest names today – Kelly Clarkson, Adam Lambert, Carrie Underwood, Phillips Phillips, and many more. This time again, with its 18th edition, the show is all set to launch the talents into the world of Hollywood with the support of the very talented judges and host.

    This season, marking the third season since the reboot in 2018, will have the terrific trio judges return – the award-winning singing diva Katy Perry, legendary Academy Award winner Lionel Richie, and one of the loved country music singer, Luke Bryan along with the host, comedian Bobby Bones who will continue to woo the audience with his charisma and charm. Executive producer of American Idol, Ryan Seacrest will also reprise his role as the show's host, a position he's held since the singing competition first debuted 18 years ago. This season will witness participants go through some challenging rounds with for only one to be crowned as the winner of American Idol 2020!

    The singing reality show has enjoyed immense popularity worldwide, giving the world of music some of the biggest superstar voices and will continue to be the platform that makes dreams come true. Set to bring music enthusiasts from all corners of the world and winning hearts of millions of people with soulful renditions, this new season will be aired in India only on Star World starting 16th March, every Monday– Friday at 9PM with simultaneous airing as the US international release starting 23rd March!

  • Adidas reveals official match ball for UEFA Champions League knockout stages

    Adidas reveals official match ball for UEFA Champions League knockout stages

    MUMBAI: Global sportswear giant Adidas reveals Finale Istanbul, the Official Match Ball for the 2019/20 UEFA Champions League knockout stages in India.

    Drawing its inspiration from the host city, where East and West merge, the intricate design features a hand-drawn artistic interpretation of a map of Istanbul, which uniquely bridges the two continents of Europe and Asia.

    The 2019/20 UEFA Champions League Final takes place in Istanbul on 30 May 2020. The Adidas Finale Istanbul Pro will be available to purchase online, in Adidas retail stores and selected retailers from today.

    The Official Match Ball of the final has been designed to highlight the famous stars of the UEFA Champions League. Nodding to Istanbul’s deep culture of art, the carefully placed white stars contrast to a hand-printed artwork of a map of the city which can be followed and adorns the rest of the ball.

    Fusing art and football, Adidas designers looked to more traditional methods to bring the map pattern to life. The ball features the latest Adidas performance technology to help ensure Europe’s top can perform at their best during the UEFA Champions League Final.

    Offering the same high-performance structure and panels as recent iterations of the iconic star ball, an outer texture coating gives a secure grip and complete control while the panels are thermally bonded, with more sustainable glue, to provide a seamless surface for an improved first touch. 

    Equally distributed colour and the star formation are arranged across the ball to ensure peak performance and enhance aerobatic stability.

    Celebrating the thrill and action of football, Adidas also announced an interesting initiative for fans across the country. The buyer of the Adidas Finale Istanbul Pro ball gets a chance to enter an exciting raffle draw. The lucky winner of the draw will stand a chance to win an all-expense-paid trip to watch the UEFA Champions League final in Istanbul along with his/her partner.

  • Sony BBC Earth premieres docu-film, ‘Climate Change – The Facts’

    Sony BBC Earth premieres docu-film, ‘Climate Change – The Facts’

    MUMBAI: The global temperature is predicted to increase by 1.5 degrees by 2040 – beyond which, climate change would cause irreversible damage. That’s how close our world is from a climate catastrophe. The clock is ticking seemingly faster than ever before but, is hope still alive? Underlining this campaign thought, Sony BBC Earth brings forth a landmark film, ‘Climate Change – The Facts’. Narrated by Sir David Attenborough, the docu-film premiered on 7 March at 9PM and unveils the whole truth behind the biggest danger facing mankind – from the impact of our actions to the solution.

    ‘Climate Change – The Facts’ will deliver an unflinching exploration of what dangerous levels of climate change could mean for all life on Earth and touches upon different aspects of it – from deforestation and melting icebergs to drought and the effects on humans and wildlife. It also looks at potential solutions and explores the innovations, technology and actions the world's governments, industries and individuals are taking to prevent further warming. While Climate Change – the greatest challenge facing mankind – is here and glaring at us like never-before, not all life is lost and hope is still alive.

    To promote this need of the hour film, Sony BBC Earth deployed an extensive and a stimulating 360° campaign which will compel people to stop, think and act, for positive change. The campaign is on-air, in-cinema, in print, on-ground, out of home (OOH) and on digital mediums. To begin with, Sony BBC Earth partnered with PVR to run a week-long promotional campaign across Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Chennai, giving viewers a peek into the landmark film before its Television Premiere in India. This was coupled with a theatrical screening where Sony BBC Earth assembled an ensemble of influencers and celebrities who came in support of the film and were faced with the pertinent question – ‘Is hope still alive’.

    Additionally, high traffic locations in Mumbai and Delhi are selected to compel the onlookers to realize the impact of human actions on Climate Change via eye-catching and innovative OOH campaign. To add to this, employees of 14 trade offices such as Group M, Lodestar, ZO, Starcom and OMD across Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore will be faced with the hard reality of Climate Change via innovative branding. Even on social media, Sony BBC Earth’s clutter-breaking campaign intends to stir conversations and inspire positive action.

     Sony Pictures Networks India English Cluster and Sony AATH business head Tushar Shah, "As we turn three, we are proud to have changed the way people look at infotainment by providing content that not just appeals to the mind and heart but also stirs conversation around  pertinent questions. ‘Climate Change – The Facts’ is another such landmark film which explores the environment and the challenges facing the natural world. We are certain that this eye-opening and thought-provoking film will inspire India to commit to our environment like never-before”.  

  • Meesho on Fast Company’s top 50 most innovative companies’ 2020 global list

    Meesho on Fast Company’s top 50 most innovative companies’ 2020 global list

    MUMBAI:  Meesho a social commerce platform, today announced that it has secured the #14 spot on Fast Company’s World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies (MIC) 2020 list, the only Indian company to be featured this year. Meesho is also #1 on MICs’ India list. The list includes businesses making a profound impact on industry and culture, showcasing innovative ways to thrive in a fast-changing world. This year’s MIC list features 434 businesses from 39 countries.

    Meesho has enabled over 2.8 million Indians to start their own business without capital. With its uniquely Indian model, Meesho has brought millions of women from small towns back into the workforce, empowering them to earn a sustainable livelihood by selling on WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram. Through these 2.8 million social sellers, Meesho has created a disruptive distribution channel for 40,000+ suppliers and manufacturers, many who have come online for the first time.

    “Over 80 per cent of first-time entrepreneurs created through the Meesho model are women. We've been able to build a simple yet powerful ecosystem that has empowered them to earn from home. This recognition is a testament to the scale of social impact we have created in just three years and our commitment to building a strong community of self-starters by enabling anyone to start a business without capital,” said Meesho founder and CEO Vidit Aatrey.

    The World’s Most Innovative Companies is Fast Company’s signature franchise. It provides a snapshot and a road map for the future of innovation across the most dynamic sectors of the economy.

    “At a time of increasing global volatility, this year’s list showcases the resilience and optimism of businesses across the world. These companies are applying creativity to solve challenges within their industries and far beyond,” said Fast Company senior editor Amy Farley, who supervised the issue with deputy editor David Lidsky.

    Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies issue (March/April 2020) is now available online at www.fastcompany.com/most-innovative-companies/2020. 

  • Facebook announces call for applications from non-profit organisations for its CSR grant

    Facebook announces call for applications from non-profit organisations for its CSR grant

    MUMBAI: Facebook India today announced a call for applications for its CSR initiative, Facebook Pragati – powered by N/Core (The/Nudge Centre for Social Innovation). The initiative will incubate and accelerate, early stage women led non-profits that are working in the areas of women entrepreneurship and to drive awareness and adoption of technology among women in India. This is a part of the Corporate Social responsibility mandate by the Government, where Facebook will work in collaboration with N/Core. Facebook Pragati will award four grants of up to 50 lakhs for each non-profit to scale their work. 

    Ajit Mohan, Vice President and Managing Director, Facebook India said, “Facebook is an ally for accelerating India’s growth and promoting inclusion is one of our key priorities. An important enabler for that is financial independence. The relative number of businesses in India run by women entrepreneurs is still very low. We are committed to helping women entrepreneurs succeed through greater access to digital platforms, funds and mentorship. Our CSR focus with Facebook Pragati will be to empower women to set-up and grow their businesses, and contribute to making the country economically and socially stronger. ”

    “N/Core believes in the massive potential of women entrepreneurs to drive innovation, create jobs, unlock the power of technology, and fuel India’s economic growth. We are excited to partner with Facebook in launching Pragati and taking a significant step towards bridging the deficit for providing essential support for women entrepreneurs.” added Akshay Soni, Managing Director, N/Core Accelerator 

    Each of the non-profits selected for Facebook Pragati initiative will get access to:

    Direct Grant: as resources to build an organization and scale operations for a greater impact. Each non-profit selected will receive a grant of upto INR 50Lac.
    Mentorship:  by an N/Core Partner – Kamakshi Rao (Partner, Ankur Capital); K R Lakshminaraya (Chief Endowment Officer of Azim Premji Foundation) and S K Jain (Co-founder, WestBridge Capital) amongst others. The startups will also receive hands-on support in areas like technology, marketing and human resources from renowned experts and industry leaders including Facebook’s leadership team and employee volunteers 
    Fund-raising: Along with improving the fundraising strategy of the nonprofits through techniques including targeting and storytelling, the program will also ensure face to face meetings with funders to enable the nonprofits to utilise and internalise the learnings, leading to greater sustainability. 
    Organisational capacity building: the program will work on building second tier capacity within the nonprofits, with a series of functional mentors across marketing, HR and technology. Apart from creating sustainability, this will also let the founder of organisation to  spend time on strategic growth, resulting in scaling up faster.

    Who can apply?

    Nonprofits that are less than 3 years old and have at least one woman founder
     Should be able to demonstrate a viable business plan, working in the space of women entrepreneurship and promoting use of technology in India. 

  • Simplilearn Wins 2020 Stevie® Award for Customer Service Success

    Simplilearn Wins 2020 Stevie® Award for Customer Service Success

    MUMBAI: For the third year in a row, Simplilearn has won a Stevie Award for Customer Service Success – All Other Industries, taking home the Gold in this 14th annual edition of the awards. The Stevie Awards for Sales and Customer Service are the world’s top honors for customer service, contact center, business development, and sales professionals. This year received more than 2,600 nominations from 48 nations, from organizations of all sizes and industries. Winners were determined by the average scores of more than 180 professionals worldwide on seven specialized judging committees for the 2020 nominations. 

    Simplilearn always strives to provide comprehensive customer service to our learners, and this award is a testament to our commitment to that goal. Simplilearn has helped more than 1,000,000 professionals across 150 countries to upskill, get trained, and prepare for the digital future. Keeping our customers satisfied before, during, and after their training has always been extremely critical to our operations.  

    After incorporating a blended learning approach of online self-paced and instructor-led training for our learners into our key offerings, we also built a dedicated support team that is available for 24/7 assistance. As a result, we’ve won the Gold Stevie Award. Some of Simplilearn’s other significant achievements are:

    ·         We achieved a Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 77 across all customer touchpoints, including the end of consumption of our long delivery cycle.

    ·         We have a course completion rate of 64 percent, while the eLearning industry as a whole averages a rate of 10 percent.

    ·         Simplilearn won the 10th Annual Aegis Graham Bell Award for “Innovation in Edtech” category 

    ·         We were named a “2019 Top 20 Online Learning Library Companies” by Training Industry Magazine.

    ·         In the year 2018, Simplilearn also won the “Paul Writer's Bangalore's Hot 50 – Innovative Use of Technology” award. 

    “This Silver Stevie Award for Customer Service Success – All other Industries is another recognition of our honest efforts to provide outstanding customer service,” said Krishna Kumar, Founder and CEO of Simplilearn. “Winning it three years in a row is proof of the outstanding work of our dedicated instructors, product managers, course advisors, and influencers, and especially of the trust of our learners to help them in their journey towards upskilling and career advancement.

  • Xaxis, M’Six and Lemma join hands to drive sales growth for brands through programmatic DOOH campaign

    Xaxis, M’Six and Lemma join hands to drive sales growth for brands through programmatic DOOH campaign

    MUMBAI: Xaxis, the outcome media company and GroupM’s advanced programmatic arm, in partnership with m/SIX and Lemma recently announced the results of their pioneering digital out-of-home (DOOH) campaign for Veeba Sauces. The campaign showcased a new real-time audience targeting and measurement capabilities for out-of-home advertising and helped increase in-store sales by more than 15 per cent.

    Identifying buying patterns among consumers for Veeba Sauces, Xaxis designed the campaign to target the upper-middle-class population in Delhi. With a host of competing brands, standing out in stores was also a challenge. To reach out to their target audience, customers were targeted at three key touchpoints at the supermarket: before they entered the store, at the store and at the billing counter. Using Xaxis’ proprietary platform intelligence the campaign gained richer insights and analysis of all audience dynamics, enabling attribution of the effects of the contextualized content strategy as well as its impact on brand engagement and in-store behaviour.

    As consumer attention becomes increasingly elusive, Xaxis’ DOOH capabilities, allowed Veeba Sauces to build connections with target audiences in real-time and understand the direct impact of DOOH on the customer journey. By leveraging DOOH, brands can enjoy the benefits of digital display advertising, including data-driven targeting, measurement, and live creative updates, in localized, high-impact media sites. By 2021, digital is expected to account for 45 per cent of all outdoor media spend (WARC Global Ad Trends report, November 2018).

    Veeba Food Services brand manager Ankit Sharma commented: “Xaxis presented us an opportunity to deliver programmatically digital out of home. With our fantastic product line-up, being able to display our message in target stores supported by mobile activity, remarketing to users who were within 20 meters of a DOOH location, was a smart approach. The campaign helped increase sales by 15% across the target 24/7 stores in Delhi. Moving forward, it is a channel we will be considering within our media mix.”

    m/SIX India senior vice president Saket Sinha said: "M/SIX has always believed in outcome-based advertising and that connecting with walk-in consumers at a store is a critical part of the marketing funnel. By enabling brands to tap into the benefits of programmatic advertising, we were able to provide Veeba Sauces with a unique medium to reach consumers with eye-level messaging and cover an area far greater than what was possible through traditional OOH.”

    Xaxis India country lead Bharat Khatri added: “Out-of-home advertising has always been an effective media channel to drive awareness for brands and now combined with programmatic technology this medium is more automated and measurable than ever before. We saw all the benefits of programmatic DOOH come to light, the ability to communicate in real-time through networked digital screens, Wi-Fi and mobile broadband to deliver contextually relevant messaging, and drive more immediate consideration, trial, and purchase. This is a compelling reason for brands to invest in DOOH.”

    Lemma founder and CEO Gulab Patil said: “Mapping audience parameters and behavioural tendencies to locations has taken DOOH advertising to new heights. Furthermore, programmatic technology has enhanced DOOH outputs with dynamic creative rendering abilities that empower advertisers to leverage the essence of the surrounding. In this case, contextualized creatives for Veeba in sync with audience profile, placement & density influenced consumers in the last mile of the purchase journey, subsequently resulting in higher sales. Not only this, technology like ours provide data-mining opportunities that help brands garner information beyond mere exposures.

  • ConnecTechAsia 2020 Postponed to 29 September – 1 October at Singapore  EXPO & MAX Atria

    ConnecTechAsia 2020 Postponed to 29 September – 1 October at Singapore EXPO & MAX Atria

    MUMBAI: In light of global concerns due to the on-going Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) situation, Informa Markets, organiser of ConnecTechAsia, is postponing the 2020 edition to 29 September – 1 October 2020 at the Singapore EXPO & MAX Atria. The event was originally scheduled for 9 – 11 June 2020 at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore.

    Informa Markets will continue to run ConnecTechAsia in partnership with Singapore’s Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA). Mr Ivan Ferrari, Event Director, Tech, Media & Entertainment Events, Informa Markets, said, “Our ability to deliver an event that maximises our attendee’s investment in time and resources is our biggest priority, and after considering all aspects, we have taken the decision to postpone this year’s edition. I would like to thank our partners,  exhibitors,  registered  visitors  and  all stakeholders  for their  strong support during  this  period.  We are taking  immediate  steps to provide  all parties  with  the assistance they require.”

    Mr Howie  Lau,  Chief  Industry  Development  Officer at  IMDA,   and co-chair  of  the ConnecTechAsia Advisory Committee noted the decision to postpone the event to the later part of the year. He added, "Singapore is delighted to host ConnecTechAsia in September. In partnership  with  Informa  Markets, we aim  to create a comprehensive  trade  show, where Singapore’s vibrant infocomm industry and innovation ecosystem will benefit from the array of activities."

    “We understand Informa Markets’ decision to reschedule ConnecTechAsia, and are committed to working closely with them and our valued partners towards a successful show. We remain confident  in  Singapore’s  strong reputation  as a preferred destination  for MICE events. The event is a key highlight in Singapore’s event calendar, and we look  forward to welcoming all attendees and exhibitors at a later date,” said Mr Andrew Phua, Director of Exhibitions and Conferences, Singapore Tourism Board.

  • Avanse Financial Services introduces a special offer for female students on this Women’s Day

    Avanse Financial Services introduces a special offer for female students on this Women’s Day

    MUMBAI: Avanse Financial Services, a new age, education-focused NBFC, announced a special offer on education loans for female students to celebrate International Women’s Day. As a part of this offer, female students can avail an education loan for 12.99% interest rate. They will also be eligible for a 5% cashback on the tuition fee post successfully completing the course. This offer is applicable on any Under-Graduation or Post-Graduation program in India as well as abroad. This offer is valid from 8th March – 31st March, 2020. 

    Avanse is dedicated towards providing a robust platform to help students achieve their ambitions and strengthen the overall education ecosystem. This Women’s Day offer has been designed to encourage more female students to pursue their dreams. Avanse, as a student-centric organization, celebrates this day by being the enabler for women to fulfil their aspirations and to create a difference in their lives.    

    Commenting on this initiative Mr. Amit Gainda, CEO, Avanse Financial Services said, “To celebrate Women’s day at Avanse and to salute the power of womanhood, we have designed this special offer exclusively for female students so that they can aspire without boundaries. In line with our mission of making education affordable and accessible for all deserving students, this new scheme includes an attractive interest rate and a unique cashback offer.”

    This offer has been curated to support female education aspirants who are keen to further their interest in chosen fields and universities in a hassle free manner anywhere in India and abroad. He added, “We strongly believe that educating women results into empowered families, stronger societies, a knowledgeable economy and ultimately, a prosperous nation. As we aim to constantly enhance the overall education ecosystem in India with affordable solutions, this offer has been launched with the motive of empowering female students to pursue higher education.”

    Avanse is focused on strengthening its leadership position in education lending by creating customized solutions for individuals and offering equal opportunities to all deserving students. With solutions for every segment of the Indian education sector, Avanse also contributes towards building adequate and advance education infrastructure in the country.  

  • An ode to women’s power

    An ode to women’s power

    MUMBAI: It’s a befitting ode to all the women out there; a wake-up call for her to realize her true value and potential. This 1.30-minute-long video, produced by Jigsaw Pictures, is based on the creative by Leo Burnett, Mumbai, for Reliance Fresh & Reliance Smart. It tells the story of domestic violence, which unfortunately cuts across all social strata and age group.

    The video celebrates the virtues of a woman and exhorts them to understand her true values and shun stigmas associate with unwanted scars and colour. So it’s sign off is: “Women. It’s time. #ChooseYourColour.”

    It has already received 7m views and almost 40k shared from Reliance Fresh & Smart. “We received immense response from across the strata of the society. Many likes and shares more from FB, YouTube channel, and thousands from WhatsApp as well,” said Rajnish Lall, Founder & Creative Producer, Jigsaw Pictures.

    “The idea stirred me even as a man. The timing, Women’s Day-Holi, is a great opportunity. The concept was great. The trigger was heady for me not to be a part of this. Then all of us became a great team and we made this happen,” he added.