Category: Special Report

DataWind Receives award for “Tablet Brand with Maximum Consumer Pull” at Teleanalysis Device World 2016″

New Delhi, 20 March: The Indian DataWind Inc.:has been recognized for the Tablet Brand with Maximum Consumer Pull.

The award was presented to DataWind during the Tele Analysis Device World 2016, Confluence of Indian Device Ecosystem, in New Delhi.

The dignitaries present at the Device World 2016 included CMDs, Chairmen, CEOs,COO,and senior people from policy formulators, market researchers & industry analysts,handset vendors, operators, OTT players, telecom vendors, VAS providers, consultants/System Integrators/VAR’s, trade associations & media amongst others.

DataWind was recognized for making UbiSlate, the low cost, affordable internet connectivity devices accessible to people at the grass root level and in turn making a transformational impact to the Indian Tech industry. DataWind’s efforts have received global attention as the company implements its vision of connecting billions of people to the internet. The company is the only firm to offer free internet browsing for one year on all its devices

On receiving the award, DataWind President and CEO Suneet Singh Tuli said, “We thank the organisers for the recognition which further motivates us to continue the journey to bridge the digital divide.We were named as the leader in the Tablet market for the 4th Quarter of 2015 both in the IDC and CMR Reports and now we have been named as the Tablet Brand with Maximum Consumer Pull. I am deeply honoured and humbled for this recognition.”

He added “At DataWind we strive to make technology and connectivity most affordable just so that the true benefits of this digital age are accessible to all.”

At the event DataWind also made a presentation on Make in India, conforming to the vision Prime Minister of India. The Award was received by Anil Gupta, Vice President, Platform Strategy from DataWind.

Recently, DataWind was announced as the leader in the Tablet market in 4th Quarter of 2015 by both IDC and CMR Report with 20.7% and 24% market share respectively.According to CMR report, DataWind holds 58% market share in the sub-Rs 5,000 tablet segment (approximately $75) which is the largest growing segment of the overall market, having nearly doubled since 2014.

March 21, 2016
DataWind Receives award for “Tablet Brand with Maximum Consumer Pull” at Teleanalysis Device World 2016″

New Delhi, 20 March: The Indian DataWind Inc.:has been recognized for the Tablet Brand with Maximum Consumer Pull.

The award was presented to DataWind during the Tele Analysis Device World 2016, Confluence of Indian Device Ecosystem, in New Delhi.

The dignitaries present at the Device World 2016 included CMDs, Chairmen, CEOs,COO,and senior people from policy formulators, market researchers & industry analysts,handset vendors, operators, OTT players, telecom vendors, VAS providers, consultants/System Integrators/VAR’s, trade associations & media amongst others.

DataWind was recognized for making UbiSlate, the low cost, affordable internet connectivity devices accessible to people at the grass root level and in turn making a transformational impact to the Indian Tech industry. DataWind’s efforts have received global attention as the company implements its vision of connecting billions of people to the internet. The company is the only firm to offer free internet browsing for one year on all its devices

On receiving the award, DataWind President and CEO Suneet Singh Tuli said, “We thank the organisers for the recognition which further motivates us to continue the journey to bridge the digital divide.We were named as the leader in the Tablet market for the 4th Quarter of 2015 both in the IDC and CMR Reports and now we have been named as the Tablet Brand with Maximum Consumer Pull. I am deeply honoured and humbled for this recognition.”

He added “At DataWind we strive to make technology and connectivity most affordable just so that the true benefits of this digital age are accessible to all.”

At the event DataWind also made a presentation on Make in India, conforming to the vision Prime Minister of India. The Award was received by Anil Gupta, Vice President, Platform Strategy from DataWind.

Recently, DataWind was announced as the leader in the Tablet market in 4th Quarter of 2015 by both IDC and CMR Report with 20.7% and 24% market share respectively.According to CMR report, DataWind holds 58% market share in the sub-Rs 5,000 tablet segment (approximately $75) which is the largest growing segment of the overall market, having nearly doubled since 2014.

March 21, 2016
What content marketers should keep in mind in 2016

GroupM’s This Year Next Year report 2016 has projected that Digital Ad Ex will grow by 47.5 per cent in 2016. It has also strongly hinted at an upcoming trend where brands will get into movie and content production.

With disruption being the name of the game, traditional avenues of content marketing, yes, this breed of marketing did exist before the digital era, has gone through a major overhaul and marketers are already seeing some new trends emerging.

With a billion mobile phone connections and counting, bandwidth for internet consumption is soon to grow manifold, thanks to improved telecom infrastructure and 4G hitting urban and semi-urban markets. Advertisers well aware of this rapidly changing ecosystem must evolve, must adapt or perish. Hence, content marketing keeping the digital world in mind is advisable.

Industry experts share their inputs with www.indiantelevision.com about some factors that content marketers should keep in mind for 2016.

Know thy social media:

Stay ahead of the curve, it’s important to understand the digital eco-system well, including devices that make way for content marketing and the social media. “I feel a whole new generation is coming on to the mobile internet for the first time in India. Not just Delhi-Mumbai-Hyderabad-Bangalore, but also in the tier II cities like Jaipur, Kanpur and Allahabad,” says popular travel itinerary website Ixigo.com’s content marketing head Ashish Chopra.

“The moms and dads are coming online. They aren’t necessarily tech savvy on desktops but they are pretty active on mobile social media like WhatsApp and Facebook. The fact that more and more people are spending longer hours on the internet is important for a content marketer like me. It has become necessary that we keep mobile sensitivity when we create videos,” he adds.

To further substantiate his argument, Chopra proposes to make the content native to the user’s experience. “For example, if you copy and paste a YouTube video link on Facebook, it doesn’t get enough views. Two years ago, we launched a video and posted its YouTube link on Facebook. It got around 300 views,” Chopra recalls from his personal experience. “The next day we uploaded it on Facebook as a native video and got 50,000 views on day one. So Facebook is killing the game right now. It wants good content, wants people to stick around longer on the platform. Content marketers must understand and capitalise on this, and see if it can be turned into a win-win for both the stakeholders,” he adds further.

Know thy consumer better:

With the nationwide penetration of internet in the rural and semi-urban markets, and advertisers taking increased interest in them to grow their markets, marketers are often heard asking if the strategy they have in place for their urban consumers will also work in these newer markets.

The looming question is whether content popular in metros and other urban market will resonate in the newer markets or ifmarketers need to have a different strategy for these.

“I look at content in a different light,” Chopra shares. “For every brand that invests in content marketing it’s the consumer who decides what the flavour of the content will be. ixigo has many users who travel by train. So we focus on those people.”

What is important is that content marketers ask themselves if what they are creating is useful for their target audience, irrespective of the sensibility of urban, rural, tier I or tier II cities. “If it’s useful he or she is most likely to share it. One should keep an eye on topical content and inspirational stories that might relate to the audience. Then, with an insight into the lives of the consumers, come up with little things that touch their daily lives,” Chopra adds.

Be a storyteller, not advertiser:

Recognising the power of digital media and content to move consumers, several brands are powering their marketing arms to become storytellers as well — either through brand integration or through partnerships with content creators (branded content).

United Beverages’ alcohol-beverage brand Kingfisher is a fine example of a forward-looking brand that has done exceptionally well in tapping this potential.

“At the end of the day YouTube has a viewership of 75 million of our target group and is the fifth largest video channel so to speak. Only a few television channels are larger than it. One has to start looking at YouTube as mainstream media as well,” says United Beverages Limited, marketing SVP Samar Singh Sheikhawat, talking about content marketing and digital marketing in general.

With branded content being the buzzword, one mustn’t confuse it with ads. “People have little patience for advertisements.”

“Earlier, say when there was only Doordarshan, people didn’t have a choice but to sit through them. After multiple channels came in, people had a remote control in their hands, and would mostly switch channels to avoid ads,” says Chopra.

“For the current, digital generation, when an ad comes on YouTube or Facebook, viewers have 10 tabs open. So we can’t make ‘ads’ for this generation. It has to be authentic content of real value to them, solves a problem, fascinates or is topical. And there has to be entertainment of some sort. Period,” Chopra firmly asserts.

And that is exactly what Kingfisher has done with the web-series Pitchers in partnership with The Viral Fever. “Kingfisher has already heavily and successfully invested in content marketing on the digital platform, their single most outstanding success being TVF’s Pitchers.

It was produced by TVF and funded by us, and after the success of its season one, we have decided to be part of season 2 this year. Kingfisher has been woven into the story and the views you see are organic. We are not claiming credits or marketing it,” shares Sheikhawat, admitting that the brand is looking to invest in several similar initiatives. “We have received feelers from the likes of Ronnie Screwvala’s Arre, YRf’s new digital arm. So we are currently evaluating creating more content like pitchers,” Sheikhawat adds.

Be patient, it works:

The 120 Media Collective founder-CEO Roopak Saluja defines content marketing simply: “If advertising is telling the world you are a rock star, content marketing is showing you are one.”

In the current eco-system, Saluja observes that advertisers lack patience with content marketing and aim for an immediate result. According to his market observations, “Though wisdom remains in investing in a sustainable content property, for the most part, brands and advertisers investing in content marketing are not looking into larger properties.”

“From what the market looks like in early 2016, there will be brands that will be dipping their toes into content market to try it out. Rather than making a big investment, they might want to experiment at a small scale as an entry point into the field,” he elaborates. In other words, the adoption of the medium might be low intensity and not immediate.

In agreement with his peers, Saluja reiterates that the current trend of content marketing is based on the rapid growth of video content digital available. ”Whether its small video content or a large property, the way ahead is definitely video-driven.”

In content marketing, advertisers really see results in sustained strategy over getting content as a standalone initiative. Therefore advertisers making one-time small investments might not see the promised result from the medium and might go back to the traditional medium. This could be counterproductive for the medium. “It’s hard to say how it will affect the medium currently. Whether it’s five or 16 years later, traditional media will be deemed inefficient and all advertisers must be on board the content and digital bandwagon,” Saluja speculates.

When it comes to effectiveness, Sheikhawat, a pioneer in content marketing, agrees that it is too soon to talk of efficacy as more often than not brands are aiming at credibility and loyalty than at direct effect on sales.

Keeping Pitchers in mind Sheikhawat shares his experience on accountability of content marketing. “It is hard to tell in only one season, but it did get listed at position 21 on IMDB, rated next to shows like Game Of Thrones. It got over 10 million views for the five-episode web series. The target is to take it to 4 to 5 million unique viewers. That’s a significant number, larger than many television channels in this country. Apart from viewership, it comes with credibility, which is organically built with this digital-savvy generation, the future consumer base for us. We will continue this for a couple of more seasons. Then we will be in a better position to evaluate.”

While the budget for content market is comparatively small for Kingfisher at the moment, it will only increase, says Sheikhawat. “Typically, digital advertising is 20 per cent of our marketing budget, out of which content creation will be close to half.”

The industry is also discussing if an episodic way of introducing a marketing campaign to viewers and consumers can also be a way to keep them loyal to and interested in the brand. While many are concerned that episodic branded content requires longer commitment, they are willing to place their bets on it.

March 7, 2016
What content marketers should keep in mind in 2016

GroupM’s This Year Next Year report 2016 has projected that Digital Ad Ex will grow by 47.5 per cent in 2016. It has also strongly hinted at an upcoming trend where brands will get into movie and content production.

With disruption being the name of the game, traditional avenues of content marketing, yes, this breed of marketing did exist before the digital era, has gone through a major overhaul and marketers are already seeing some new trends emerging.

With a billion mobile phone connections and counting, bandwidth for internet consumption is soon to grow manifold, thanks to improved telecom infrastructure and 4G hitting urban and semi-urban markets. Advertisers well aware of this rapidly changing ecosystem must evolve, must adapt or perish. Hence, content marketing keeping the digital world in mind is advisable.

Industry experts share their inputs with www.indiantelevision.com about some factors that content marketers should keep in mind for 2016.

Know thy social media:

Stay ahead of the curve, it’s important to understand the digital eco-system well, including devices that make way for content marketing and the social media. “I feel a whole new generation is coming on to the mobile internet for the first time in India. Not just Delhi-Mumbai-Hyderabad-Bangalore, but also in the tier II cities like Jaipur, Kanpur and Allahabad,” says popular travel itinerary website Ixigo.com’s content marketing head Ashish Chopra.

“The moms and dads are coming online. They aren’t necessarily tech savvy on desktops but they are pretty active on mobile social media like WhatsApp and Facebook. The fact that more and more people are spending longer hours on the internet is important for a content marketer like me. It has become necessary that we keep mobile sensitivity when we create videos,” he adds.

To further substantiate his argument, Chopra proposes to make the content native to the user’s experience. “For example, if you copy and paste a YouTube video link on Facebook, it doesn’t get enough views. Two years ago, we launched a video and posted its YouTube link on Facebook. It got around 300 views,” Chopra recalls from his personal experience. “The next day we uploaded it on Facebook as a native video and got 50,000 views on day one. So Facebook is killing the game right now. It wants good content, wants people to stick around longer on the platform. Content marketers must understand and capitalise on this, and see if it can be turned into a win-win for both the stakeholders,” he adds further.

Know thy consumer better:

With the nationwide penetration of internet in the rural and semi-urban markets, and advertisers taking increased interest in them to grow their markets, marketers are often heard asking if the strategy they have in place for their urban consumers will also work in these newer markets.

The looming question is whether content popular in metros and other urban market will resonate in the newer markets or ifmarketers need to have a different strategy for these.

“I look at content in a different light,” Chopra shares. “For every brand that invests in content marketing it’s the consumer who decides what the flavour of the content will be. ixigo has many users who travel by train. So we focus on those people.”

What is important is that content marketers ask themselves if what they are creating is useful for their target audience, irrespective of the sensibility of urban, rural, tier I or tier II cities. “If it’s useful he or she is most likely to share it. One should keep an eye on topical content and inspirational stories that might relate to the audience. Then, with an insight into the lives of the consumers, come up with little things that touch their daily lives,” Chopra adds.

Be a storyteller, not advertiser:

Recognising the power of digital media and content to move consumers, several brands are powering their marketing arms to become storytellers as well — either through brand integration or through partnerships with content creators (branded content).

United Beverages’ alcohol-beverage brand Kingfisher is a fine example of a forward-looking brand that has done exceptionally well in tapping this potential.

“At the end of the day YouTube has a viewership of 75 million of our target group and is the fifth largest video channel so to speak. Only a few television channels are larger than it. One has to start looking at YouTube as mainstream media as well,” says United Beverages Limited, marketing SVP Samar Singh Sheikhawat, talking about content marketing and digital marketing in general.

With branded content being the buzzword, one mustn’t confuse it with ads. “People have little patience for advertisements.”

“Earlier, say when there was only Doordarshan, people didn’t have a choice but to sit through them. After multiple channels came in, people had a remote control in their hands, and would mostly switch channels to avoid ads,” says Chopra.

“For the current, digital generation, when an ad comes on YouTube or Facebook, viewers have 10 tabs open. So we can’t make ‘ads’ for this generation. It has to be authentic content of real value to them, solves a problem, fascinates or is topical. And there has to be entertainment of some sort. Period,” Chopra firmly asserts.

And that is exactly what Kingfisher has done with the web-series Pitchers in partnership with The Viral Fever. “Kingfisher has already heavily and successfully invested in content marketing on the digital platform, their single most outstanding success being TVF’s Pitchers.

It was produced by TVF and funded by us, and after the success of its season one, we have decided to be part of season 2 this year. Kingfisher has been woven into the story and the views you see are organic. We are not claiming credits or marketing it,” shares Sheikhawat, admitting that the brand is looking to invest in several similar initiatives. “We have received feelers from the likes of Ronnie Screwvala’s Arre, YRf’s new digital arm. So we are currently evaluating creating more content like pitchers,” Sheikhawat adds.

Be patient, it works:

The 120 Media Collective founder-CEO Roopak Saluja defines content marketing simply: “If advertising is telling the world you are a rock star, content marketing is showing you are one.”

In the current eco-system, Saluja observes that advertisers lack patience with content marketing and aim for an immediate result. According to his market observations, “Though wisdom remains in investing in a sustainable content property, for the most part, brands and advertisers investing in content marketing are not looking into larger properties.”

“From what the market looks like in early 2016, there will be brands that will be dipping their toes into content market to try it out. Rather than making a big investment, they might want to experiment at a small scale as an entry point into the field,” he elaborates. In other words, the adoption of the medium might be low intensity and not immediate.

In agreement with his peers, Saluja reiterates that the current trend of content marketing is based on the rapid growth of video content digital available. ”Whether its small video content or a large property, the way ahead is definitely video-driven.”

In content marketing, advertisers really see results in sustained strategy over getting content as a standalone initiative. Therefore advertisers making one-time small investments might not see the promised result from the medium and might go back to the traditional medium. This could be counterproductive for the medium. “It’s hard to say how it will affect the medium currently. Whether it’s five or 16 years later, traditional media will be deemed inefficient and all advertisers must be on board the content and digital bandwagon,” Saluja speculates.

When it comes to effectiveness, Sheikhawat, a pioneer in content marketing, agrees that it is too soon to talk of efficacy as more often than not brands are aiming at credibility and loyalty than at direct effect on sales.

Keeping Pitchers in mind Sheikhawat shares his experience on accountability of content marketing. “It is hard to tell in only one season, but it did get listed at position 21 on IMDB, rated next to shows like Game Of Thrones. It got over 10 million views for the five-episode web series. The target is to take it to 4 to 5 million unique viewers. That’s a significant number, larger than many television channels in this country. Apart from viewership, it comes with credibility, which is organically built with this digital-savvy generation, the future consumer base for us. We will continue this for a couple of more seasons. Then we will be in a better position to evaluate.”

While the budget for content market is comparatively small for Kingfisher at the moment, it will only increase, says Sheikhawat. “Typically, digital advertising is 20 per cent of our marketing budget, out of which content creation will be close to half.”

The industry is also discussing if an episodic way of introducing a marketing campaign to viewers and consumers can also be a way to keep them loyal to and interested in the brand. While many are concerned that episodic branded content requires longer commitment, they are willing to place their bets on it.

March 7, 2016
DTH subs in Jharkhand, West Bengal, J&K jump manifold with DAS Phase III

MUMBAI: As a result of being the major beneficiaries of cable television digitisation in the country, direct to home (DTH) operators in January have seen an increase of 62 per cent in their subscriber base, with states like Jharkhand, West Bengal and Jammu & Kashmir being the major contributors as per Chrome Data Analytics & Media.

While Jharkhand’s DTH subscriber base jumped to 54 per cent in January from a meagre one per cent; in West Bengal, where there was almost nil DTH penetration, a jump to 42 per cent has been seen. Jammu & Kashmir, on the other hand, upped its DTH subscriber base from 22 per cent to 61 per cent post the Digital Addressable System (DAS) Phase III deadline of 31 December, 2015.

Bihar followed next with a 32 per cent jump in DTH subscriber base. The state’s 13 per cent DTH penetration has now has increased to 45 per cent.

With a 31 per cent jump in subscriber base, Gujarat’s DTH penetration now stands at 34 per cent, while Chhastisgarh registered a hike of 22 per cent and achieved 39 per cent DTH penetration in January.

Karnataka’s DTH subscriber base saw an increase of 12 per cent with the state achieving 21 per cent DTH penetration. While Goa saw a 11 per cent jump at 21 per cent.

With an increase ranging from four – 10 per cent, the DTH penetration percentage in other states stood as follows: Uttar Pradesh – 78 per cent, Haryana – 32 per cent, Rajasthan – 41 per cent, Punjab – 22 per cent and Uttrakhand – 45 per cent as per Chrome Data Analytics & Media.

As of 30 June, 2015 there were 78.74 million registered DTH subscribers, of which only 39.74 million were active subscriber being served by six private DTH operators. As of October 2015, the market share of these DTH operators was as follows: Dish TV – 27 per cent, Tata Sky – 20 per cent, Airtel Digital – 19 per cent, Videocon d2h – 16 per cent, Sun Direct – 12 per cent and Big TV – six per cent.

As of 31 December, 2015, while Dish TV’s subscriber base stood at 1.4 crore, Videocon d2h boasted of 1.13 crore subscribers and Airtel Digital TV had 1.11 crore subscribers. The subscriber numbers for Tata Sky, Sun Direct and and Big TV are not known.

Now with the share of DTH subscribers increasing across the country, it will be interesting to note, which operator has benefited the maximum with DAS Phase III.

What’s more, despite the stay by the High Court in five states on the implementation of DAS Phase III due to shortage of set top boxes (STBs), there has been a successful 50 per cent digitisation for phase III across the country according to Chrome.

It may be recalled that earlier this year, Chrome had claimed that post the Phase III deadline of 31 December, 2015, over 70 per cent digitisation had been achieved when analogue signals were completely switched off in various cities. However, the company has now revised its figures in the wake of analog signals being switched on again in various states, which has been stated as the cause for the steep fall in digitisation percentage in a place like Goa.

According to the revised data provided by Chrome, three states namely Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Punjab have achieved more than 90 per cent digitisation as of January 2016.

Below is the percentage of digitisation achieved by Indian states in descending order:

Andhra Pradesh – 94 per cent

Kerala – 93.5 per cent

Punjab – 90 per cent

Uttar Pradesh – 89.2 per cent

Bihar – 68.4 per cent

Haryana – 66.7 per cent

Goa – 64.9 per cent

Rajasthan – 64.2 per cent

Jammu & Kashmir – 61.2 per cent

West Bengal – 60 per cent

Jharkhand – 59.5 per cent

Chhattisgarh – 56.2 per cent

Uttarakhand – 53.4 per cent

Karnataka – 51.8 per cent

Gujarat – 51.6 per cent

February 8, 2016
DTH subs in Jharkhand, West Bengal, J&K jump manifold with DAS Phase III

MUMBAI: As a result of being the major beneficiaries of cable television digitisation in the country, direct to home (DTH) operators in January have seen an increase of 62 per cent in their subscriber base, with states like Jharkhand, West Bengal and Jammu & Kashmir being the major contributors as per Chrome Data Analytics & Media.

While Jharkhand’s DTH subscriber base jumped to 54 per cent in January from a meagre one per cent; in West Bengal, where there was almost nil DTH penetration, a jump to 42 per cent has been seen. Jammu & Kashmir, on the other hand, upped its DTH subscriber base from 22 per cent to 61 per cent post the Digital Addressable System (DAS) Phase III deadline of 31 December, 2015.

Bihar followed next with a 32 per cent jump in DTH subscriber base. The state’s 13 per cent DTH penetration has now has increased to 45 per cent.

With a 31 per cent jump in subscriber base, Gujarat’s DTH penetration now stands at 34 per cent, while Chhastisgarh registered a hike of 22 per cent and achieved 39 per cent DTH penetration in January.

Karnataka’s DTH subscriber base saw an increase of 12 per cent with the state achieving 21 per cent DTH penetration. While Goa saw a 11 per cent jump at 21 per cent.

With an increase ranging from four – 10 per cent, the DTH penetration percentage in other states stood as follows: Uttar Pradesh – 78 per cent, Haryana – 32 per cent, Rajasthan – 41 per cent, Punjab – 22 per cent and Uttrakhand – 45 per cent as per Chrome Data Analytics & Media.

As of 30 June, 2015 there were 78.74 million registered DTH subscribers, of which only 39.74 million were active subscriber being served by six private DTH operators. As of October 2015, the market share of these DTH operators was as follows: Dish TV – 27 per cent, Tata Sky – 20 per cent, Airtel Digital – 19 per cent, Videocon d2h – 16 per cent, Sun Direct – 12 per cent and Big TV – six per cent.

As of 31 December, 2015, while Dish TV’s subscriber base stood at 1.4 crore, Videocon d2h boasted of 1.13 crore subscribers and Airtel Digital TV had 1.11 crore subscribers. The subscriber numbers for Tata Sky, Sun Direct and and Big TV are not known.

Now with the share of DTH subscribers increasing across the country, it will be interesting to note, which operator has benefited the maximum with DAS Phase III.

What’s more, despite the stay by the High Court in five states on the implementation of DAS Phase III due to shortage of set top boxes (STBs), there has been a successful 50 per cent digitisation for phase III across the country according to Chrome.

It may be recalled that earlier this year, Chrome had claimed that post the Phase III deadline of 31 December, 2015, over 70 per cent digitisation had been achieved when analogue signals were completely switched off in various cities. However, the company has now revised its figures in the wake of analog signals being switched on again in various states, which has been stated as the cause for the steep fall in digitisation percentage in a place like Goa.

According to the revised data provided by Chrome, three states namely Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Punjab have achieved more than 90 per cent digitisation as of January 2016.

Below is the percentage of digitisation achieved by Indian states in descending order:

Andhra Pradesh – 94 per cent

Kerala – 93.5 per cent

Punjab – 90 per cent

Uttar Pradesh – 89.2 per cent

Bihar – 68.4 per cent

Haryana – 66.7 per cent

Goa – 64.9 per cent

Rajasthan – 64.2 per cent

Jammu & Kashmir – 61.2 per cent

West Bengal – 60 per cent

Jharkhand – 59.5 per cent

Chhattisgarh – 56.2 per cent

Uttarakhand – 53.4 per cent

Karnataka – 51.8 per cent

Gujarat – 51.6 per cent

February 8, 2016
JWT and McCann Worldgroup tie at No 1 spot in Gunn Report 2015

MUMBAI: J. Walter Thompson and McCann Worldgroup have scored the most number of awards in India for their creative campaigns spanning across print, digital, film, and AGB as per The Gunn Report 2015.

J. Walter Thompson Mumbai and Bangalore, and McCann Mumbai have their sum totals tied at 10 each, while J Walter Thompson’s South Asia group company Contract Advertising came in at the third spot with a tally of six.

On the whole, India has jumped a position higher from it’s last year’s world rank of 14 to 13 in 2015, as per the GR Creative Ranking.

When it comes to film category, JWT stole the show with the lead score of seven, closely followed by its sister arm Contract Advertising with five.

McCann Worldgroup chairman Asia Pacific and McCann India CEO and chief creative officer Prasoon Joshi said, “I am excited with this outcome, the hard work and dedication that our teams put in has come to the fore with this recognition. I also want to thank our clients who have always believed in us and value ideas and long term relationships.”

JWT South Asia CEO Tarun Rai said, “To have two of our group companies right at the top of the creative charts is really satisfying. This is an unprecedented achievement. I am really proud of the fantastic teams led by Senthil and Ashish.”

J. Walter Thompson India chief creative officer Senthil Kumar added, “It’s a great start to the year with J. Walter Thompson India topping the Global Gunn Report India agency ranking. We have always gone in with all guns blazing for our clients with sharp ideas that strike the bulls’ eye more often than not.”

Contract Advertising NCD Ashish Chakravarty said, “While I am quite happy about the Gunn report rankings, I believe that awards (and, therefore, such rankings) are the by-product of the passion and rigour that we put into our work… so, the many creative awards, new business wins, and rankings, only go to show that we are doing it right. Maybe.”

On the world stage however it was Always #LikeAGirl from Leo Burnett Toronto that emerged as the most awarded All Gunns Blazing in the World advertising campaign of the year 2015, while “Monty’s Christmas” by adam and eve DDB London took away the most number of awards in Film Commercial category. The title for Most Awarded Agency in the World this year was taken away by BBDO, followed by Leo Burnett and DDB.

The Gunn Report 2015

February 2, 2016
JWT and McCann Worldgroup tie at No 1 spot in Gunn Report 2015

MUMBAI: J. Walter Thompson and McCann Worldgroup have scored the most number of awards in India for their creative campaigns spanning across print, digital, film, and AGB as per The Gunn Report 2015.

J. Walter Thompson Mumbai and Bangalore, and McCann Mumbai have their sum totals tied at 10 each, while J Walter Thompson’s South Asia group company Contract Advertising came in at the third spot with a tally of six.

On the whole, India has jumped a position higher from it’s last year’s world rank of 14 to 13 in 2015, as per the GR Creative Ranking.

When it comes to film category, JWT stole the show with the lead score of seven, closely followed by its sister arm Contract Advertising with five.

McCann Worldgroup chairman Asia Pacific and McCann India CEO and chief creative officer Prasoon Joshi said, “I am excited with this outcome, the hard work and dedication that our teams put in has come to the fore with this recognition. I also want to thank our clients who have always believed in us and value ideas and long term relationships.”

JWT South Asia CEO Tarun Rai said, “To have two of our group companies right at the top of the creative charts is really satisfying. This is an unprecedented achievement. I am really proud of the fantastic teams led by Senthil and Ashish.”

J. Walter Thompson India chief creative officer Senthil Kumar added, “It’s a great start to the year with J. Walter Thompson India topping the Global Gunn Report India agency ranking. We have always gone in with all guns blazing for our clients with sharp ideas that strike the bulls’ eye more often than not.”

Contract Advertising NCD Ashish Chakravarty said, “While I am quite happy about the Gunn report rankings, I believe that awards (and, therefore, such rankings) are the by-product of the passion and rigour that we put into our work… so, the many creative awards, new business wins, and rankings, only go to show that we are doing it right. Maybe.”

On the world stage however it was Always #LikeAGirl from Leo Burnett Toronto that emerged as the most awarded All Gunns Blazing in the World advertising campaign of the year 2015, while “Monty’s Christmas” by adam and eve DDB London took away the most number of awards in Film Commercial category. The title for Most Awarded Agency in the World this year was taken away by BBDO, followed by Leo Burnett and DDB.

The Gunn Report 2015

February 2, 2016
The vehemently tailored factual entertainment genre in India

The factual entertainment channels’ genre in India has seen rapid growth over the last couple of years. While the big daddies of factual entertainment like Discovery,National Geographic Channel and HistoryTV18 have already carved out a niche for themselves with a balanced mix of international and localised content,a few new channels have also sprung up,which are trying to make their mark. What’s more,with a handful of more channels slated to launch soon,the genre is poised to get a huge impetus.

The genre has shaped effectively due to key factors like digitisation,change in lifestyle and localised content amongst others. Breaking away from the soaps and movies,it is observed that the demand for non-fiction and reality content is on the rise.

The entire genre,both in terms of share and viewership has grown exceptionally,by providing a great breeding ground for advertisers to effectively target a larger number of niche audience. Viewers now are demanding good quality entertainment with a blend of enrichment and learning.

According to the FICCI-KPMG M&E report 2015,the factual entertainment genre enjoys a viewership share of 1.3 per cent of the total market,higher than the 0.9 per cent of English Entertainment and 0.1 per cent of English News,while the genre’s AdEx share stands at two per cent of Rs 175 billion ad spends for 2015.

India is a young and diverse country,where viewers have a high demand for inspirational programming. They want to be informed and entertained at the same time. Television viewing in India has undergone a dramatic shift over the last decade. The change has come into play owing to factors like tastes and preferences of the audience,competition in the TV entertainment industry as well as changes in regulation. Though the factual entertainment genre is not that diverse,apart from the pioneers in the space,newer channels like Travel XP,Insight Channel,Living Foodz are also catering to the needs of the audience. Additionally,channels like Sony BBC Earth,Living Travelz,Living Rootz and Living Homez are all waiting to launch and further expand the genre.

Discovery Networks has many firsts to its credit. Discovery has pioneered the factual entertainment genre in India since 1995 and has also introduced a refreshing new wave of programming. It also led dubbing of international content with multiple language feeds in the country.

Discovery was the first mover in bringing the best of non-fiction programming across genres like science,exploration,survival,natural history,sustainability of the environment,technology,anthropology,health and wellness,engineering,adventure,lifestyles and current events. Lately,the channel has expanded its portfolio to include reality television and pseudo-scientific entertainment.

Discovery Channel has maintained its leadership in the factual entertainment genre. The new rural rating released by BARC has reiterated viewership trends amongst urban and rural audience alike. The channel showed a viewership increase of 84 per cent from 2014.

The channel has played an important role in shaping the entire infotainment genre in India.

Discovery Networks Asia Pacific executive vice president and general manager – South Asia Rahul Johri tells Indiantelevision.com,”We have also witnessed increased demand for genres such as adventure,wildlife,survival,technology,travel,cuisine,auto and science. The channel runs with original content globally as well as in India. The channel airs shows like Man v/s Wild,HRX Heroes and How Do They Do It,etc.’

Observing that India has a significantly diverse viewer base with differentiated tastes and preferences,Johri says,”While local content finds more appeal,there is demand for a mix of international and localised content from our network. Discovery Networks offers viewers a window to the world.’

Viewers expect to see unique facets of India from the prism of such infotainment channels and hence,localisation forms the bedrock of the India growth strategy.

The channel has very well stuck to its localised content by airing a new India series every month like Tiger Sisters of Telia,Story of Yoga,India’s Wandering Lions,India Emerges,1965: A Visual History,Jai Ho with A.R. Rahman and HRX Heroes with Hrithik Roshan. While Investigative Discovery saw Indian shows like Khooni Saaya with actor Rohit Roy and Shaitaan with Sharad Kelkar,the Discovery Kids channel contributed with series like Kisna and Luv Kushh amongst others.

While some channels have advanced to the 4K format,Johri is of the opinion that 4K is still in its nascent stage in India. “We continue to explore new opportunities to make a strong connect with our viewers. 4K is at its nascent stage in India and as technology evolves,we shall assess the prospects,’ he says.

The channel claims to have evenly distributed the revenues across both advertising and affiliate business. Emphasising that the network values both cable as well as DTH subscriptions due to their respective advantages,Johri adds,”While cable is cheaper,it gives wider penetration to the channels. On the other hand,DTH offers more value to its consumers viz. variety,clarity,service and offers high growth in revenues for broadcasters.’

The channel claims to have nearly three billion cumulative subscribers in more than 220 countries and territories. In the Asia Pacific region,Discovery’s reach is at 209 million subscribers.

“Our vision moving forward would be to bring best in class content and offer distinct value to all our stakeholders. We shall also relentlessly explore new opportunities of growth. India content has been a key focus for the network and we shall continue to produce path-breaking programs to suit Indian viewers’ tastes. Our aim is to continue to innovate and deliver value to viewers,advertisers and affiliates alike,’ says Johri.

While in 2015,Discovery took its focus a notch up with an intensive slate of India shows across all brands,in 2016 plans are to keep the momentum high with new formats,exclusive accesses,topical shows and refreshing hosts in a bid to satisfy the curiosity of Indian viewers.

Cable television digitisation has been a major change that the industry has witnessed,which has also helped drive up the value of differentiated and high quality content. “Backed by digitisation,we launched eight new channels including three high-definition channels,a kids channel (Discovery Kids),a regional (Discovery Tamil) and a Hindi entertainment channel (ID) in the last five years. Each of these channels has garnered tremendous response from the viewers,advertisers and affiliates alike,’ says Johri.

Catering to a specific audience segment,Animal Planet has climbed up the ropes in the factual entertainment genre and is successfully surging ahead of competition. The channel offers entertainment-focused programming tapping people’s primal instincts with compelling stories,engaging characters and the innate drama of the natural world.

The channel aims to bring refreshing television content for Indian audiences making for family entertainment. Beyond just animals,the channel will continue to offers different perspective to the animal kingdom. It will immerse viewers in a rich range of wildlife content – from blue chip natural history to adventure,conservation to extreme expeditions,and intimate stories of wildlife enthusiasts to bizarre creatures; catering to audience across age groups.

Animal Planet has sharpened its claws and is ready for 2016 with a new programming line-up including series and specials to strengthen its content slate. In the first quarter of the year,the channel will launch Masters of the Jungle,which will be aired every night at 9 pm. The band is one of the highly rated time bands that will bring exciting new adventures of the channel’s hosts and wildlife experts. Animal Planet will also bring the fifth edition of Where Tigers Rule,an initiative to shine spotlight on the importance of tiger,which will be aired every night at 9 pm starting from March.

“We have a well-entrenched portfolio that provides high-quality and differentiated audience through the year for advertisers across categories. Our brands offer consistent and targeted viewers,which is what the advertisers look for. This is evident from the fact that our channels have a wide range of advertisers and product categories across markets,pan India,’ adds Johri.

The channel will also introduce two new shows namely Rann Bhoomi,which will be aired every night at 10 pm uncovering the lives of the world’s most elusive predators and Return of the Lions,which will air every Monday at 8 pm,honouring the majestic lion. The channel will also be bringing the new season of its popular series The Wildlife of Tim Faulkner,River Monsters,etc this year.

“In a cluttered television environment,the challenge remains to establish unique and differentiated proposition and we have succeeded in our mission to provide the highest quality entertainment across our 11 brands,’ asserts Johri.

As per data provided by Discovery Network, the channel in AA 4+, All India market is placed at second slot.

Another channel that enjoys a strong foothold in the space is National Geographic Channel (NGC). The channel is owned by Fox Cable Networks,which had seen its inception in 1997. It airs non-fiction television programs and also features documentaries with factual content involving nature,science,culture,history,reality and pseudo-scientific entertainment programming. The channel ranks third in the genre in Week 1,2016 all India (U+R) data from Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) India with 4090 (000Sums).

With the digitisation wave in India,the channel has witnessed a shift in the audiences’ TV viewing habits. There is an increasing demand for specialised content,which in turn has created an opportunity for special interest channels. The other significant impact of digitisation has been a gradual demand for quality and localised content. “Infotainment channels like National Geographic are slowly but steadily commanding a much larger viewership pie compared to what they were commanding earlier. Competition is making sure that everyone has enough and more to keep the audience hooked on to TV,’ says National Geographic and Fox International Channels India business head Swati Mohan.

“Viewers expect content to be world class,distinctive,informative and awe inspiring. Nat Geo takes pride in continuing to deliver on this promise,’ adds Mohan. Even as the genre has seen an increase in the local content hours,Mohan is of the opinion that there will always be room for stories,facts,innovations from across the world that Indian viewers will continue to want to see and learn about.

Content creation for the infotainment genre is definitely not inexpensive,but at the same time the channel also believes in the unique access it provides,the conversations it creates,and the evergreen nature of the content as priceless. Maintaining a balance between what the viewers want and what will the advertisers be interested in,is NGC’s core are of focus.

Travel XP,the home-grown travel channel owned by Celebrities Management Private Limited,flagged in 2011 and enjoys good viewership in India. The channel features shows like Xp Guide,Great World Hotels,Great Indian Hotels,Bada Weekend,Foodicted,Strictly Street,Xplore World,etc and is known to provide 100 per cent original content to viewers as well as license its shows to several networks outside India.

Travel XP believes in localising content for the Indian trade. “The sensibilities and requirements of the Indian consumers are different and so are the consumption patterns. Audiences have to identify with the content and we think local content is what they would relate to,’ says Travel XP CEO Prashant Chothani. The channel is aggressively investing in 4K and will be soon migrating its complete production from HD to 4K.

The channel is widely available across India,Sri Lanka,Africa,Canada and the Middle East. The ad free channel effectively reaches out to viewers through DTH and cable and rakes in revenue from domestic as well as international subscription. The channel syndicates its content to over 50 networks across various geographies and licenses content to over 15 airlines for in-flight entertainment.

“There has been a lot of activity in the genre in recent times. Niche has its own distinct audience and advertisers. Original content will help the genre grow in terms of viewership but the quality cannot be compromised. Overall,I see the genre doing well,’ says a media planning and buying veteran,who did not wish to be named.

One of the factual entertainment channels enjoying success in India is History TV18,which began its sprawl in 2011. The channel is jointly owned by A+E Networks and TV18 and broadcasts programmes related to historical events,infotainment and persons. It is available in eight languages across all major markets in India. The channel ranked second in Week 1,2016 all India (U+R) data from BARC India with 5143 (000Sums).

“The entire factual entertainment genre lacked some action and was operating in a niche space before the launch of History TV18,concentrating more on GEC,sports,etc. Post our channel’s launch,the entire genre grew by 30 per cent,’ informs A+E Networks | TV18 vice president and head marketing Sangeetha Iyer. “With more players in the fray,the entire genre expands with a larger number of audience sampling the genre,’ she adds.

Even though History TV18 runs with original content,Iyer believes that there is not much local content to dramatically change the landscape of the genre yet. “Players run with only 10-15 per cent of original content and are cautious about localising it. If you don’t invest in original content and not talk the language that the local market understands,the business opportunities won’t grow,’ voices Iyer.

The channel is strategising to invest more in storytelling,idea,innovation and uniqueness of the story by talking about things that are rooted in people’s culture,lifestyle and choices.

The newest player in town is Trilogic Digital Media and iTV Network’s Insight,which is a linear and non-linear channel. The channel is focussed on technology with an emphasis on showcasing talent to its viewers. It claims to change the ordinary television viewing experience and has a strategically planned line-up that will upgrade the level. “We are working towards taking the interaction and integration on TV to an entirely different podium globally. We are working on how the product is coming out and how will it work in the market,” says iTV Network MD Kartikeya Sharma.

“Subscription revenue is a contending contributor and a lot depends on the implementation of Conditional Access System (CAS) for this to become a larger contributor.Currently,the subscription revenue is in the range of 20-30 per cent overall and about as high as 35 per cent for infotainment at this point. Infotainment has higher reach through cable therefore,the implementation of CAS is critical for their overall growth,” informs Madison Media COO Karthik Laxminarayan.

The ad free channel,Insight,has been positively received by DTH players and expects to yield up to 30 per cent subscription revenue in year two of operations. “We are aiming for a 35 per cent hike in subscription revenue in our third year,” says Trilogic Digital Media COO Shivani Jaisingh.

Insight idealises that growth depends on the content available and claims to reach out to 80 million viewers. The channel has laid down content for the entire year exclusively for a splendid 4K experience. “Talking about ad spends,the figure has been growing quite highly and is in the 15 per cent range,while the infotainment spends are growing at 10-12 per cent annually,” adds Jaisingh.

The infotainment channels are expecting a drastic change with the phase III of digitisation and have rolled up their sleeves in preparations. With more channels poised to enter the market soon,the genre’s growth will be interesting to watch. “The phase III of digitisation will be a milestone achievement for the country and will generate higher value for all stakeholders,especially the viewers. It will also be crucial for broadcasters and will see a substantial growth in the reach and revenue,” adds a media observer.

January 20, 2016
‘Made in India’ characters pave way for glocalisation of kids genre: Nina Jaipuria

Children are a dynamic audience and their entertainment preferences are constantly evolving. The kids’ category in India is therefore reposed with the challenging task of keeping the most dynamic set of audiences constantly engaged and entertained. Over the last few years the most noted shift amongst kids has been an increasing inclination towards local characters that they relate to and can engage with even beyond television. Great story telling based in familiar settings brought alive through elements like dialect and lifestyle have been key to ensuring that children strike a bond with the character. Infusing local nuances that drive familiarity, a sense of belonging and relatability have hence become drivers to creating affinity for local characters. Local content curated from start to finish in India is therefore proving to be the game changer for the kids’ genre and has defined the way kids’ channels have evolved in India. Unlike the earlier days, today the most popular characters in the kid’s genre are local Indian characters like Motu, Patlu, Chota Bheem, Doggy Don, etc. The warm welcoming of the latest entrant into the kid’s category i.e. Nickelodeon’s very own super-kid Shiva is another example of the love and affinity that kids have for local characters and shows.

With the soaring popularity of these “Made in India” characters, the genre has further widened its appeal with local character based “Made for TV films,” thus adding to the engagement and viewing experience for children. Such made for TV films of our popular characters Motu Patlu and Doggy Don of the Pakdam Pakdai gang continue to top the rating charts, emerging as a clear favourite amongst children. These characters are no more just a mere viewing experience for children but have forged a lasting bond with them. These local characters have now become a part of every child’s inner circle as their best friend, role model and confidante.

At Nickelodeon, we truly believe in the power of local content to engage and connect with children. Each of our iconic “Made in India” characters like Motu, Patlu, Shiva, Doggy Don and Chotu have helped us create great resonance amongst children. We have taken these iconic characters out of television screens into the daily lives of children through on ground events, consumer products, digital games, etc aligning to the evolving consumption patterns of entertainment through various platforms.

Curating local content comes with its own set of challenges. However we are in the business of engaging and entertaining children and have always endeavoured to give them the best of stories, characters and quality of animation. We have thus overcome challenges like escalating animation costs, lack of specialised talent to create good content and scripts by investing in a business model that is a win-win for all stakeholders. It has provided great quality of content for the viewer translating to better viewership for the broadcaster, widespread reach for brands within their target groups and also facilitated interesting and innovative integrations for advertisers. This has also fuelled the growth momentum of the animation industry in India.

Kids are at the core of all we do at Nickelodeon. Curating local content and owning IPs thus enables us to create an ecosystem that amplifies our engagement further. For instance

1. Motu Patlu merchandise like, ride on’s, apparel, stationery and the back to school range have allowed children to make them a part of their inner circle

2. Games of Motu Patlu and Shiva have kept them engaged online and allowed off screen interactivity with their favourite characters.

3. On ground meet and greets with Motu Patlu, Shiva and the Pakdam Pakdai gang have given children up-close and personal experiences with their favourite toons.

4. Promo licensing partnerships like the latest Motu Patlu promotional pack of Mc Vities biscuits and Yellow diamonds have allowed kids to enjoy their favourite treats with their favourite characters.

These engagement opportunities also provide ancillary revenue streams thus bringing more scale to the entire ecosystem.

With India witnessing a digitisation drive, premium local content has emerged as a key differentiator for the discerning viewers with a wider variety of entertainment choices. Having made our mark in India, this superior local content has also demonstrated great potential and has made an indelible mark in the global animation landscape. We are already seeing instances of this with many of our local animation productions making a global foray. For instance Motu Patlu is now present across five countries, Pakdam Pakdai as Rat-a-Tat has been syndicated across seven countries. Our latest character, the super kid Shiva showcased at the latest chapter of MIPCOM has also received tremendous response and talks of international syndication for our new hero are underway.

The Indian animation industry led by the kid’s entertainment genre is at the cusp of the next echelon of growth where opportunities are galore. High quality of animation, great story telling and engaging “Made in India” characters are not only capturing hearts and minds in India but also making global in-roads, paving the way for glocalisation of the kids genre. Jai Ho!

(Disclaimer: These are purely personal views of Viacom18 EVP and head – kids cluster Nina Jaipuria and Indiantelevision.com does not necessarily subscribe to these views.)

January 19, 2016