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Category: Specials

  • Cisco to be top Cas firm in India with NDS buy

    Cisco to be top Cas firm in India with NDS buy

    MUMBAI: Cisco will become the largest video and content security solutions provider in India following its $5 billion acquisition of NDS.


    The California-based networking giant has been highly active in the Indian market, inking deals with several multi-system operators (MSOs) for providing digital set-top boxes (STBs).


    Cisco Capital has also provided vendor financing to some cable TV networks. It has, for instance, supported Fastway Transmissions, which has presence in Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh, and Gujarat Telelinks Private Ltd (GTPL), a joint venture where Hathway Cable & Datacom has 50 per cent stake, for its digital services in Kolkata.


    NDS, the video and content security software company currently owned by News Corp and Permira Advisers LLP, is already a major player in the Indian market. It provides encryption systems integration to big digital distribution companies like Tata Sky, Airtel Digital TV, Hathway Cable & Datacom, Den Networks and Asianet.


    “NDS’ service provider footprint will expand Cisco’s video customer base internationally, including in emerging markets, such as in China and India, where video subscriber growth is increasing rapidly. For media companies, this acquisition will strengthen Cisco’s ability to provide them with a platform to directly serve their customers and better align with service providers,” Cisco MD, Corporate Strategy, Investments and Acquisitions – Asia Pacific Japan Theatre & WW Services Joydeep Bose told Indiantelevision.com.


    Cisco will also have access to NDS‘ R&D centre at Bangalore in India. NDS has invested over $250 million in the country and has 1900 people, with offices in Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore.


    “The merger between NDS and Cisco brings the best of both worlds to the digital-pay TV market. NDS is the leader in the digital broadcasting sector in India, securing and enhancing the TV- watching experience of over 20 million homes in India. We can leverage the resources that Cisco brings to this merger, so that we can both work together to support the digitalisation process in India,” NDS senior VP, GM and MD, Asia Pacific Sue Taylor told Indiantelevision.


    Added Bose, “In India, NDS is a leading provider to the satellite TV market, which is rapidly growing due to increasing subscriber penetration.”


    Cisco, with the new acquisition, will be in a position to aggressively push for expansion to smaller cable TV networks in India, something which NDS has not been able to tap due to cost reasons.


    “Cisco will become the largest Cas (conditional access system) company in India with the acquisition of NDS. We already have a 10-year association with Cisco for our broadband service,” said You Broadband and Cable India MD & CEO EVS Chakravarthy. Cisco also provides Cas solutions to Scod18, You Broadband‘s cable TV outfit in Mumbai.


    Cisco agreed Thursday to buy NDS for $5 billion, including $1 billion retention-based incentives and debt as it seeks to expand its video services business. The acquisition will strengthen Cisco‘s position in emerging markets like China, besides India. BSkyB, Canal Plus and DirecTV are also NDS‘ main clients.


    “The NDS acquisition is aligned with our video priority and our strategic initiatives – to lead in emerging countries, build software platforms, and drive business and technology architectures. NDS’s video software solutions are complementary to Cisco’s Videoscape platform, and together they will transform how service providers and media companies deliver next generation video experiences,” said Bose.


    The acquisition will have an impact in the Indian market. “This is in line with Cisco‘s earlier acquisition of Scientific Atlanta to create an end-to-end triple play solution for cable networks in the digital economy. The NDS purchase is in the same direction as it seeks to expand its Videoscape entertainment platform. Cisco boxes will come with NDS embedded Cas,” said Chakravarthy.


    The acquisition is expected to close during the second half of calendar year 2012, subject to regulatory approvals.


    Fastway Transmissions, the cable distribution company with foothold in Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh, has signed a pact with Cisco to deploy over two million STBs over the next two years.

  • Print thrives in India amid digital growth

    Print thrives in India amid digital growth

    MUMBAI: Print is still breathing strong in India while gasping for life in the US where Internet is poised to overtake the traditional media this year as advertisers chase young audiences.

    A wave of acquisitions and expansions through multiple editions have been supported by the raising of capital from initial public offerings (IPOs) and private equity firms. Heightened activity is driven by increasing literacy rates, consumer spending and the growth of regional markets.

    Said Business Standard chairman T N Ninan, “In India, the print market shows contradictory trends. Proliferation and consolidation are happening at the same time. New titles are being launched even as the market is consolidating. Advertising is going towards the entertainment media while advertising in news content is moving towards the Internet.”

    The encouraging fact is that newspapers have seen 6 to 20 per cent growth in sales, while TV news channels have seen losses. However, Ninan has expressed doubts about certain anomalies in the sector. “English newspaper circulation grows by 70 per cent but readership grows by 2 per cent. Industry practices need to come to focus at some point of time. Metrics of the industry are rigged, so nobody knows the truth,” he said.

    HT Media CEO Rajiv Varma said the print medium is still a thriving business in the eastern countries like Japan and Singapore. “The picture is not very encouraging in western countries like the US where print newspaper advertisements have declined from $60 billion in the late ‘90s to $20 billion in 2011. Internet has impacted most newspapers in the last decade in the US. In India, the picture is not very clear. How audience is going to behave in the next decade remains a question. For newspapers to survive, they will have to be more innovative and will have to diversify into other portfolios.”

    Advertising is still the primary source of income for print. The business model needs to be tweaked to fit into the new market environment. Said Ninan, “Internationally, the business model is subscription-led. At some point of time, India will have to move towards that model.”

    According to Lintas Media Group Chairperson and CEO Lynn De Souza, advertising spends during the last five years have doubled and print has done well to maintain its share. “Ad spends have grown from Rs 150 billion to Rs 300 billion. The share of the print media has remained the same – around 40 per cent,” she said, while speaking at Ficci Frames.

    De Souza noted that despite the growth of TV and Internet, the print medium has held fort. “There is certainly buoyancy in the print market,” she said, adding that digital technology was still confined primarily to the English-speaking market and would take time to reach the masses who are already hooked to the print medium, mainly because of its availability in regional/vernacular languages.

    Digitisation is putting pressure on print to change. “For decades, newspapers were built on a model where readers would come and engage with the stories to reach the advertised product or message. Digitisation has disrupted that model. Now advertisers do not need to use doors to reach their target as they can reach out to them directly. The online revolution is very young but in the next decade will be more viable and newer models will evolve, ” observed Varma.

  • Good filmmaking possible only if production houses rope in creative producers

    MUMBAI: Filmmakers in India have begun to realise that low-budget films do well within the country as well as outside, if the content is good and relevant.


    This was one of the views expressed in a rare meet of film directors who gathered at the Ficci Frames to talk about other directors, and not just business – something that producers do.


    Noted directors Anurag Kashyap, Zoya Akhtar, Imtiaz Ali, Bruce Beresford (director of ‘Driving Miss Daisy’) and award winning Australian filmmaker Robyn Kershaw were giving their view of ‘The Art of Movie-Making: Director’s Cut’ at a session moderated by Amol Gupte.


    Kashyap said, “The year 2012 is set to be a landmark year in the annals of the Indian film industry that is to celebrate its 100 years next year. This has been proved by two low budget films ‘Paan Singh Tomar’ and ‘Kahaani’ becoming hits.”


    Compared to blockbusters like ‘Bodyguard’, ‘Ready’ and ‘Singham’ and some others, films that also brought in good returns during 2011 were ‘Rockstar’, ‘Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara’ and ‘The Dirty Picture’.


    The participants also mentioned that low-cost films have been doing exceedingly well internationally too. To prove this, Gupte said the South Korean distributor of his film ‘Stanley Ka Dabba’ had ordered as many as 102 prints of the film which was released in India with 200 prints.


    But the directors also agreed that small budget films are not a cup of tea for big time producers who always bank on big stars to fetch them good business at the box office.


    “But both these films – ‘Paan Singh Tomar’ and ‘Kahaani’ – have proved that even without a Khan, a film can fetch superlative returns if there is good content. After a long time we have set to underline that content is indeed the king,” added Kashyap.


    Kashyap went on to add that there was a need for a creative producer who could look at the creative part of the film besides the financer who was equally important.


    Agreeing with him, Akhtar said Excel Entertainment had just the right combination in Ritesh Sidhwani sourcing the funds for a project, while co-producer Farhan Akhtar looked after the creative aspects of the film besides directing it. “Hence it was a wholesome Entertainment company,” she observed.


    Referring to the negative aspects of a producer, Gupte said: “Since my film ‘Stanley Ka Dabba’ had school-going children including my son Partho comprising the cast. I shot only on Saturdays so that the studies of the children should not be hampered. I approached Fox Star Studios only after I finished the film. If I had approached them earlier, they would have come to know that I was shooting only on Saturdays and they would have shown me the door. This is because the studios and big-time producers are very particular about the schedules and want to complete a particular film on time. They account everything financially and not with creativity,” he added.


    Agreeing with Gupte, Ali said, “When I started to make my first film ‘Jab We Met’, there was some problem or the other cropping up from the producer’s end. But I was determined that I would go ahead with my conviction of making a good film and I succeeded. But it took me three years to complete the film, though I had planned to complete the filming in three months. However when I undertook to helm ‘Rockstar’, both the production people and I were in unison in our thoughts. In my view, the system needs an immediate change,” he added.


    He felt that directors turning producers will not help to change the scenario. “Of late I turned producer, but since then I have been able to direct only one film for I am too much glued in my production activities,” observed Kashyap.


    It now remains to be seen whether producers heed the directors’ call to involve a creative producer. Such a step will not only turn fruitful but will also cut costs dramatically. All said and done, the star system is on the wane with good content coming to the fore.

  • Tenets for building relationships online growing

    MUMBAI: The world is going online and Indian businesses and consumers are not far behind in accepting the notion of online purchases and e-commerce sites.


    ‘The Building Essential Relationships in the Online World: emerging Business Models and more’ session at Ficci Frames 2012 explored the possibilities that are open to this trend and how the success stories from India came into being. The moderator MEF Americas chairman Ralph Simon and the panelists Nielsen MD Farshad Family, Hungama Digital and bollywoodhungama.com CEO Albert Almeida and Flipkart digital distribution head Sameer Nigam lent their own perspectives to this.


    Simon coined the term ‘Screenagers’ for the population that alternates between the online, mobile and television medium for entertainment or communication.


    Family provided some statistics about how the population in India is increasingly accessing the digital space on a daily basis.


    According to the latest Nielsen report, smartphone users on an average spend two to two and a half hours on their phones out of which 20 to 25 per cent is spent for communication while the rest is spent surfing the applications.


    In the age group of 18 to 24 years, the time spent is more than three hours a day on smartphones. “This indicates a impact on the media consumption on the whole, but doesn’t necessarily mean that time spent watching TV is affected as many houses now have one TV set while the children have smartphones. So the number of people watching the TV together may decrease, but both the screens are used in any case,” Family concluded.


    Following this pattern, one can see that the digital medium is gaining acceptability and it is now easier for businesses to attract online purchases. “The trigger points for an online purchase are convenience, value and trust in that order,” explained Family. Considering that the digital space is a novel medium, the players have more wriggle room and space for experiment in the process of discerning the taste of the ‘Screenagers’.


    Taking the session forward, Nigam explained how Flipkart is focused on generating trust amongst its patrons and providing convenience. “For this, we are in the process of making online shopping as convenient and trustworthy as possible through features like cash on delivery. In a market that still believes in assuring the quality of the product after a touch and feel experience, cash on helps in inculcating trust of the buyers.” Additionally, the online dealer is also developing its own logistics chain in order to deliver efficiently and safely.


    Almeida offered that the key for any online business to thrive is to offer value. The QUE or the Quality User Experience is what really sells one’s online business and to gain the loyalty of customers in an age where choice is ample, providing value can make a big difference.


    “Brands have begun to realise that mere advertising or pushing the communication towards the consumer is no longer going to work. They have to be involved in the conversation that their consumers are engaging. Take for example the automobile brands. They realised that Indians love to discuss automobiles online and to make themselves noticed, they just need to be a part of these conversations. Hence you see auto brands are becoming increasingly active on the social media platform.”


    Nigam concluded that the Indian consumer is communicative and thus engaging him in a two way interaction is a good way of knowing what the brand is doing wrong or more importantly what it can do to make the experience better.


    Mobile, according to the panel, is the medium of the future with the penetration being deep. Smartphones, though finding a lot of takers in the urban areas, will lag behind features phones and, thus, IVR services will find takers for the time being.

  • India, Hollywood working on ways to collaborate

    India, Hollywood working on ways to collaborate

    MUMBAI: The ball has started rolling for more collaboration and cross pollination of knowledge, technology and talent between two of the world’s largest film communities – Hollywood and India.


    The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) chairman, CEO Senator Chris Dodd participated in an event of the LA India Film Council during the 2012 Ficci Frames Convention to discuss how to push this partnership forward.


    The event included the announcement of the Council’s governing body, the premiere of a “sizzle” video highlighting the initiative, and a presentation of the Council’s enhanced website. A special Council publication commissioned from Ernst & Young providing further information about the LA and Indian industries was released and plans for upcoming activities, including film premieres and conference events, were discussed.


    Dodd said, “The LA India Film Council is a natural corollary to the rapidly increasing creative, technological and location partnerships developing between the two countries and promises to set new benchmarks in the world of cinema. On the behalf of the MPAA, and as a big fan of Indian cinema, I wish the Council great success in the future”.


    The LA India Film Council was set up in 2010, as part of a declaration between the city of Los Angeles and the Indian film industry. The initiative aims to explore mutual opportunities in fostering and encouraging partnerships between the two influential film industries.


    Filmmaker and producer Ramesh Sippy said, “We can learn from schools in LA. We should learn from each other. Create and enrich each other‘s knowledge, strengths and experiences. I feel the council can only take us forward. One thing is for sure, it will bring people of two cultures closer together.”


    Hollywood is looking at the growing Indian market even as its threatical revenues from overseas have overtaken that of US. A flood of 3D movies has also made the products popular in tough markets like China.


    “India is a preferred destination for a lot of films, and I think the LA India film council will hugely benefit both countries. We could co-create film schools and schools of technology. The mingling and merging of the two cultures is essentially the desire behind a co-production”, said filmmaker Shekhar Kapur.


    The Council focuses on developing and strengthening motion picture production, distribution, technology, content protection and commercial cooperation between the two filmmaking communities. Members of the Council’s governing body comprise powerful film guilds, government organisations, industry experts and leading companies in the areas of VFX, animation and post production from both Los Angeles and India.


    Actor Anil Kapoor said, “Without a body like this people may get connected with wrong people. A body like this can help and support those who seek guidance”.


    In recent years, the Indian film industry has globalised its reach as producers have improved the international marketability of their films by building partnerships with international domain experts. More and more producers in India are considering foreign locales to shoot their films. Previous big budget Indian productions filmed in Los Angeles include: Kites (2010), My Name Is Khan (2010), Kambakkht Ishq (2009), Kaante (2002) and Pardes (1997)


    Other joint ventures and co-productions between individual Hollywood studios and Indian production houses over the past two years alone include: Ek Deewana Tha (2012), Dum Maro Dum (2011), Stanley ka Dabba (2011), Force (2011) and Engeyum Eppothum – Tamil (2011).


    Indian investment in Hollywood has also been steadily increasing, most notably with Indian entertainment conglomerate Reliance Entertainment’s (A.DAG) acquisition of DreamWorks SKG and the launch of YRF Entertainment in Los Angeles.

  • 30 June deadline for 4 metros sacrosanct: Uday Varma

    30 June deadline for 4 metros sacrosanct: Uday Varma

    MUMBAI: Information & Broadcasting Secretary Uday Varma Wednesday said the government was committed to the 30 June deadline for the complete switchover from analogue to digital in the four metros, putting an end to speculation that the the industry would get more preparatory time.

    Delivering the keynote address at the 13 edition of Ficci Frames here, Varma said :”The government has laid out a roadmap for digitisation of broadcasting and is committed to time bound transformation of the broadcast chain, especially the cable television distribution chain.

    The cable services will switch to digital mode in Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and Chennai as early as July 2012 and the whole country will go digital by 31 December, 2014.

    “It is a unique position where there is no political opposition for it (digitisation). In terms of what the government had to do, there is nothing much left. Yes, it is a difficult task but to change the status quo has always been challenging with gains and losses for all the stakeholders,” Varma stated.

    Elaborating further, he said: “30 June is not an unrealistic date. “We have set up mechanisms , task force and interest groups.”

    The I&B Ministry will go back to the revenue ministry, seeking for incentives for digitisation. When this was proposed earlier, the concerned ministry had certain reservations and would need some clarifications.

    On the promotion of digitisation, Varma said the first task is to ensure that people at large are accepting the shift. “We are at the threshold of a revolution and large changes are going to happen in a wider sense. And most of them will be beneficial for the stakeholders,” Varma opined.

    Varma also informed that the Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion (DIPP), the nodal body for approving the FDI, has already circulated the note on raising the FDI limit in the cable and DTH sector. He stressed that there is no serious issue and it should be done soon.

    The infrastructure created via digitisation would also help in increasing broadband penetration.

    According to Varma, over 80 million analogue TV homes are going digital. “This will make cable the largest provider of digital content.”

    The government has also approved the proposal to allow 839 new FM radio stations in over 250 towns of the country, the auction process for which has already been initiated.

    He further said that the government is laying special focus on community radio and informed that as many as 1000 community/campus radio stations will be set up across the country, to give voice to local aspirations.

    Outlining other initiatives taken by the I&B Ministry, Varma said the government is mulling setting up single window facility for shooting clearances in India in a bid to promote India as a cinema shooting destination in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism and Culture.

    Meanwhile, Trai chairman Dr JS Sarma, who also was speaking at the annual media conclave, said that digitisation is an “essential ingredient” for India’s growth.

    Sarma said the sale of analogue TV sets has gone down while people are trying to acquire better TVs and better “digital content”.

    Trai is also open to reviewing the must provide clause and other regulations , if there is a need.

  • New media to open up new revenue streams: Punit Goenka

    New media to open up new revenue streams: Punit Goenka

    MUMBAI: Entertainment in today’s times cannot be termed as evolution anymore, it is a ‘revolution’, Zee Entertainment Enterprises MD and CEO Punit Goenka said on Wednesday while delivering a keynote address at Ficci Frames 2012.

    According to Goenka, there are two main factors that are driving the revolution — young population with high disposable income; and a new generation that is ready to embrace new technology at the drop of a hat.

    Emphasising on the fact that new media would create unique revenue generation models for the entire value chain, he said that with the spread of adoption of content consumption, very soon new media will not be new media. It will be “The media”.

    Goenka said content consumption is going through a sea change. Broadcasters are increasingly looking to engage young audiences through new media offerings. “With dependence on ad revenues going down, newer avenues will open up for content players. Niche and sports channels, currently unprofitable ventures, will start becoming viable businesses. 3G, 4G and Wireless Broadband will evolve as new platforms for distribution of content. Also, smart devices will drive consumption of content on-the-go.

    Goenka also said that the ratings system in India is inadequate. It needs to be enhanced to give the right picture of TV viewing.

    He said that GenNext is redefining the TV broadcast industry and to move forward content creators, content delivery platforms and broadcasters have to work in sync to meet their expectations.

    “India’s young population is demonstrating huge appetite for digital content. Broadcasters and content providers need to ride on the tech wave to seize the opportunity. Technology is re-defining industries and consumer consumption. Broadcasters and content houses are working towards building anytime, anywhere access to content. Content producers are looking at partnerships with platform owners. Distribution players need to evolve into an intelligent pipe,” he added.

    Niche is the way forward in the television space. “It is imperative to have fair price for the content available. Content has to scale up to command fair share of consumer’s wallet. Premium pricing should be demanded for exclusive content and consumers are willing to pay for such content.”

    Talking about digitisation, Goenka said, “Consolidation and co-option will drive digitisation. Less than 20 per cent channels are profitable on standalone basis. With the implementation of DAS, as per the announced timelines, there would be accelerated conversion from analogue to digital subscribers. I believe that over the next 4-5 years, the television distribution business can evolve to a more transparent, organised and service oriented industry.”

    “Young Indian with an average age of 29 constitutes a majority of wealth accumulators. They will decide which way the entertainment content and delivery mechanism moves over the next few years. At least 2.2 million jobs will be created over the next two years, resulting in the changing lifestyle of India‘s younger generation. Over the next 10 years, GenNext should constitute the majority of ‘wealth accumulators’,” he added.

    As smart phones gain in popularity and acceptance, emerging youth markets such as China and India offer a bigger opportunity in terms of market size and potential. “India will leapfrog the United States and Europe’s combined markets to become the second largest youth smart phone market with 66 million owners,” he added.

  • Passing the Copyright Amendment Bill will resolve many issues

    Passing the Copyright Amendment Bill will resolve many issues

    MUMBAI: How does one react on the issue of copyright when a person appeals to a Court to remove a dialogue of the Salman Khan starrer ‘Veer’ because this person had uttered it some years earlier?

    The filmmaker had to finally give in after which the dialogues were indeed deleted from the film on grounds that ‘the expression of the person while uttering the dialogue was copied.’

    Said Anand And Anand Managing Director Rahul Ajatshatru, “Our lawyers and judges are not well versed with the Copyright Act while talking about the subject or passing an order on this topic. It is time the Copyright Amendment Bill is passed.”

    Agreeing, Film Federation of India Secretary General Supran Sen said, “Some years ago the Mumbai High Court had said that if a particular video of a film is shown at home nothing happens, but if it is shown in society then copyright is infringed. This issue was challenged in the Madras High Court that said the Bombay High Court stand was wrong. Later it held that special courts should be set up to hear these matters.”

    The matter led to a lot of debate after which it was decided to come out with a Copyright Amendment Bill. But though this has been through the Lok Sabha, it is yet to get the approval of the Rajya Sabha. “Hopefully this would be done after the Budget session of Parliament,” opined Amarchand Managing Partner Shardul Shroff.

    The views were expressed during a discussion on the process of IP transfer and its legal ramifications in the specific case of film remakes during the FICCI Frames. RCL Motion Pictures head and producer Jagdish Rajpurohit, UTV Motion Pictures creative director Amar Butala, French Embassy, TV & Cinema head Deborah Benattar and International Federation of Film Producers Association former Director General Bertrand Mouiller also spoke.

    Referring to RCL Motion Pictures obtaining the copyright of the French film ‘L’emmerduer’, Rajpurohit said:” “When we approached the French film producers, they were a little inquisitive, but decided to give us the remaking rights after some thought.”

    But they will decide on associating with the Hindi remake ‘Bumboo’ after they come down to India and see whether the makers have followed the content verbatim or have deviated from the same. “I am sure they will be happy after watching the film and associate with our film,” observed Rajpurohit. The film releases in India on 31 July.

    Butala said: “These days things have changed a lot and producers don’t want to go to Court on matters of copyright infringement. They sort the matter amicably.”

  • Filmmakers ready to emperiment with other platforms for release of films

    Filmmakers ready to emperiment with other platforms for release of films

    MUMBAI: Fox Star Studios CEO Vijay Singh said today that compared to the film scenario some years earlier, the situation had changed considerably. ‘In recent years we have been seeing a double digit growth from around 40 to 50 per cent. In 2009, there was only one film that crossed the Rs one billion mark and last year we saw as many as 11 films crossed that barrier.”

    Taking part in the discussion on the marketing of film distribution of theatrical and non-theatrical films at the ongoing Ficci Frames, UTV Motion Pictures CEO Siddharth Roy Kapur agreed. “It is because the content in our film has undergone a paradigm shift. While last year, we had remakes like Bodyguard, Ready and Singham, we also had films like Delhi Belly, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara and Dirty Picture to name a few that did good business and earned a lot of acclaim”.

    In films, 50 per cent revenue comes from theatrical collections while the rest is divided between the satellite rights and to a little extent the home video rights. But the overall scene is that from around 1250 films released every year, only a few films work while the others fail badly with some going off the screen in a day’s time.

    All participants were however of the opinion that it was piracy that was eating away 20 to 30 per cent of the revenue of films.

    “That is why I am of the feeling that on the overall, films not only in India but overseas too don’t do good business at all,” commented Specialtreats CEO Colin Burrows who was moderating the discussion.

    This led to the speakers move to the topic of alternate platforms of distributing films and monetizing from the same. Currently there are several platforms like IPTV, OTT, STB, internet portals and mobiles catering to Hindi films. “We are open to different platforms but right now they are at a nascent stage and people should be sure that there would be enough returns monetarily” Singh observed.

    But Shemaroo Entertainment Director Jai Maroo said: “Some time earlier, we had put our film Super K 1 1 on Yahoo. We weren’t sure about its run but recently when we checked, the amount of viewers had grown.”

    Real Image Media Technologies Directories Senthil Kumar, and Enlighten Film Society founder chairman Pranav Asher also took part.

    Meanwhile, in a discussion on From Theatre to Home to the Handheld: Superior entertainment experience all the way”, a majority of the speakers were of the view that new media devices were unlikely to replace cinema halls.

    Most speakers felt this was unlikely, even as mobile phones become more sophisticated and allow users to watch movies in good video and audio and despite the growth of broadband penetration.

    That is because films need a huge investment which only cinema halls justify. Also going to the theatre is a community experience which Indians are not likely to forego. What will happen though is that there will be more distribution avenues after a film has been released theatrically, was the general view.

    Participants at the session included filmmaker Karan Johar, film producer Bobby Bedi, Dolby Executive VP, Sales and Marketing Ramzi Haidamus, Nokia India Marketing Director Viral Oza, and Star India VP and Head digital Lalit Bhagia. The session was moderated by NDTV managing editor – Technology Rajiv Makhni who presented demonstrations to show how sound is great not just in a cinema hall but also in a mobile phone.

    Bhagia noted that the technology eco system is not completely ready for new media devices. For instance, Star produces content using Dolby surround sound. However new media devices do not support it. Johar noted that being a traditionalist, he would rather see people view films in cinema halls. But in some places, cinema halls may not be accessible and some people may not be passionate about the movie going experience. Watch films on the mobile was fine for such people as long as it can be monetized. At the same time he noted that people go to the cinema for a community outing. That will not change. Johar added that he was not keen on making content for the small screen including television. That is why he has only participated in a talk show.

    Haidamus noted that offering superior audio quality on new media devices like the mobile is a way to fight piracy. “If you offer high quality then consumers will see that paying a little extra makes a big difference. We are talking about quality whether on the big or the small screen. Consumers want convenience when they access content and we put quality in their hands whether it is on the tablet, PC or the phone.”

    Dolby offers headphones that give superior experience on the mobile. At the same time he noted that cinema halls are not going anywhere as films need huge investments. A film like ‘Avatar’ will never be released first on the mobile. But it would be interesting to see the sequence of platforms that a film releases on after its theatrical run.

    He said consumers own an increasing number of devices. This offers companies the chance to give consumers high quality experiences on the go. “But the ultimate entertainment device for film is always the cinema hall. A home theatre cannot be replaced by a phone.”

    Oza said consumers want to take their entertainment with them. This is why Nokia has launched things like Nokia Store and Nokia Music Unlimited. “Nokia is about connecting people with their passions. Our DRM free store which we launched a couple of months ago gets two song downloads a second.”

  • Facebook an effective tool for brand promotion: Carolyn Everson

    Facebook an effective tool for brand promotion: Carolyn Everson

    MUMBAI: Facebook has changed the way the present generation all over the globe communicates, and the world has become smaller with various social media platforms providing opportunities to draw people closer.

    In this environment, Facebook can be quite an effective tool for brand promotion, especially if it is consumer interaction that one is targeting.

    Facebook had a reported 845 million users all over the world as on December 2011. Having been on the scene for the past eight years, the social media website has seen a lot of changes, the latest being the Facebook Timeline. Earlier a Facebook profile only consisted of the individual’s personal information, photographs and interests etc.

    Speaking at the 13th FICCI Frames in Mumbai, Facebook VP Global Marketing Solutions Carolyn Everson said, “The Facebook Timeline can be considered a digital container where one can capture a person’s or a brand’s entire life span in photos, notes and videos.” With the introduction of the timeline, Facebook now enables people and brands to have a more expressive and visual online identity.

    Along with the timeline, Facebook has also adopted the opengraph technology which enables seamless sharing on multiple media. As a result the site tied up with the Washington Post in the US and introduced the Washington Post reader application. In a matter of eight weeks the application’s readership exceeded the readership of the regular print copy. In India a similar tie up has been done with CNN.

    News is just one aspect of media and entertainment that Facebook has partnered. The other fields include music (Spotify and Saavn), gaming (Zynga) and films. Everson explained, “In the US a new film does not release without significant campaign or presence on Facebook. Now Facebook allows integration on large scale across media like TV, print and phones which helps accessibility.”

    Decoding the success of Facebook, Everson explained that the site’s psyche is based on an anthropological study. Throughout history, people have existed in communities. These communities have varied from 130 to 140 individuals over time. Interestingly, this corresponds to the average number of friends a Facebook user has. It draws from the basic instinct of humans to co-exist in communities, have networks and seek recommendations by friends and peers.

    When it comes to marketing and branding, Facebook provides an opportunity for consumer interaction and allows brands to open up a two way channel for communication and actually listen to it. As Everson explained, “Social discovery is the most powerful driver of human behaviour in the world today.” With the scope and scale that Facebook offers, it can help in driving human behaviour which is the main goal of any advertising or marketing initiative.

    The world is now moving from ads to stories. Hammering is a thing of the past as the trend now is to share stories. With Facebook’s timeline feature, stories can now appear as news feeds on different platforms like smartphones which helps in targeting a specific audience. According to Everson, 800 million brands have shifted to the new timeline.

    Also, the Like button which was introduced a couple of years earlier Timeline can also be used to create a buzz about brand and measure the effectiveness of campaigns online.

    Concluding the session, Everson said Facebook is conscious about the content it uploads and strives to operate according to the feedback of the various communities it functions in. She said, “We would say we are one per cent along in our journey and are always open to partnerships.”