Category: Specialised and Niche

Shop CJ eyes deals with Sun Direct and MSOs to expand reach

NEW DELHI: The home shopping market in India is hotting up. With players like Best Deal TV and the newbie Big Deal TV for the south entering the market, the existing players are looking at upping their game plan.

In the midst of growing competition, Korean home shopping player Shop CJ is looking at expanding its distribution network and in turn increase its turnover to approximately Rs 1200 crore this fiscal.

Shop CJ is currently available on four DTH platforms namely Dish, Tata Sky, Airtel digital, and Videocon d2h. The company is now looking at entering into a distribution agreement with Sun Direct so as to make in-roads into the southern market. Moreover, with a presence on two major multi-system-operators (MSOs) namely Hathway Cable and Datacom and Den Networks, Shop CJ is also eyeing deals with other MSOs to reach the entire country.

Claiming that Shop CJ was the third largest shopping channel in India, Shop CJ chief financial officer N Ramakrishnan told Indiantelevision.com that the company spends less than 10 per cent on marketing the channel in India.

Ramakrishnan also said that Shop CJ, which believed in personal contact and word of mouth publicity, had for the first time launched a television commercial. The TVC showcases its product offering that syncs with the company’s philosophy to bring ultra-trendy, durable, cost-effective, innovative and customer-friendly products, which delight the customers. “The TVC also showcases the new brand identity and name change from Star CJ Alive to Shop CJ with the new brand tagline – ‘shop a new trend’, which signifies company’s product offering that are in synch with customers lifestyle and latest trend,” he said,

Ramakrishnan said that unlike most other shopping channels on TV, Shop CJ was not concentrating as much on electronic items as on kitchenware, clothes and other items that appealed to the homemaker.

Focusing on its core USP of product portfolio, content and multichannel business model, Shop CJ will reach out to its customers with a mix of Indian, international and private brands to offer them variety and choice. While some Korean goods are also sold on the channel, the channel’s concentration is more on Indian goods.

Shop CJ director and CEO Kenny Si Yeol Shin said that the Indian teleshopping market stood at $5,525 million at present and that the channel’s major sales came from Delhi and Mumbai.

“We are very optimistic on the home shopping industry in India as it has the potential to grow by leaps and bounds in the coming few years. Being a multichannel platform is a huge advantage for us as it gives us the opportunity to tap customers from various sources. However, the target groups for each of these mediums is different. TV viewing majorly happens by housewives and other two mediums of internet and mobile by working professionals. Hence we plan to reach the customers with differentiated content, which is relevant and engaging. Being a global leader, we want to change the face of home-shopping in India and we stand committed in our efforts to do so.”

Additionally, Shop CJ is also planning to improve its backend service in order to serve customers quickly and effectively. Being a multichannel platform, Shop CJ will also bring synergy between the three platforms by communicating about online buying option on the TV channel. Whereas on the mobile platform, it will have live streaming option where customer can watch shop CJ channel on their mobile.

Breaking away from the clutter of typical home-shopping channels in India selling sauna belts and slimming teas, Shop CJ has gauged the shifting trend in home-shopping and focused on providing a good product portfolio, engaging the customer through its unique programming, which is entertaining and informative.

Shop CJ’s product-mix, content and multi-channel business has helped the company retain customers at a repeat purchase ratio of 40 per cent.

In the Rs 40 billion TV home shopping market in India, Shop CJ competes with players like HomeShop18, Den Snapdeal TV-Shop, Best Deal TV and Big Deal TV.

June 4, 2015
Big Deal TV eyes 50% market share of Tamil Nadu’s home shopping industry

MUMBAI: Tapping into the growing home shopping market in India, which is currently valued at Rs 40 billion, Akshay Kumar and entrepreneur Raj Kundra have expanded their offering into the South market with the launch of Big Deal TV.

With the Indian home shopping market expected to rise more than five fold over the next five years, Big Deal TV aims to own 50 per cent of the total market share of the entire home shopping industry in Tamil Nadu.

After launching their Hindi home shopping channel Best Deal TV earlier this year, Kumar and Kundra have joined hands with South actor Chiyaan Vikram to launch their second home shopping channel – Big Deal TV. The celebrity driven 24/7 free to air (FTA) home shopping channel for the Tamil Nadu market will go on air from 18 June, 2015. It will be available across all major cable and DTH platforms across Tamil Nadu as well as online.

Best Deal TV Group founder of companies Raj Kundra said, ”We are pleased to launch our second home shopping channel within such a short span of time. We have brought the same celebrity shopping concept to Tamil Nadu, where stars are held in high regard. I thank Mr. Chiyaan Vikram for sharing our vision and partnering with us for Big Deal TV. We will not only use star appeal to attract customers but we will also focus on quality. Big Deal TV promotes products that stand out from the crowd and offer great value at the same time. I am confident our CEO and co-owner Mr. Gaurav Garg, who comes with a huge wealth of knowledge, will do wonders in the south market.”

Garg added, ”At Big Deal TV we aim to own 50 per cent of the total market share of the entire home shopping industry in Tamil Nadu whilst focusing on 100 per cent customer retention. We are extremely happy and lucky to have Vikram as a partner and brand ambassador for Big Deal TV. The channel is committed towards offering great value to its customers at an affordable price ranging between Rs 999 to Rs 8,999. Customer delight is our prime goal hence it becomes important for us to maintain a high level of quality.”

Kumar said, ”After a successful launch in the Hindi speaking market, the second channel has been launched to cater to the Tamil speaking audience. Big Deal TV offers value-for-money deals while keeping quality and convenience in mind.”

Vikram said, ”I am very excited to be launching Tamil Nadu’s first celebrity driven home shopping channel. It’s a unique concept and the online and TV commerce space is growing day by day. I will also be launching my range of products on Big Deal TV, which are under development and will be announced shortly. We will stay true to our name and promise, to offer our customers some really BIG deals. As our tag line goes Big Deal TV Bestest Mattumae.”

June 4, 2015
NDTV Good Times launches two part travel series on Mauritius

MUMBAI: NDTV Good Times has launched a two part travel series called Bucket List- Mauritius, which will be hosted by foodies and travel enthusiasts Rocky and Mayur.

The show will discover the ultimate to-do list for some of the finest destinations in the world as the duo set out on a journey to hunt their hunger for travel. The two will take viewers on an action adventure packed trip around the Mauritian coastlines, exploring the culture and the wild side of Mauritius.

While Rocky discovers Mauritius from beneath the deep blue seas, Mayur explores it from high up in the sky. Immersed into tropical bliss, Rocky and Mayur unravel their experiences of flying over water, cruising into the sunset, indulging in Creole food, exploring the nightlife of Mauritius and a lot more, while keeping their famed idiosyncrasies intact.

In its two part series, audiences who love travelling to exotic places and learning about new cultures, will find itineraries that fit their speed and preference. They can sit back and relax in comfort of their homes and ensure their Bucket List has all the experiences that make it worthwhile.

NDTV Good Times channel head Arati Singh said, “We are always trying to engage our audiences with travel content that pushes the boundaries and with this show we are getting our favourite anchors to explore their own bucket lists.”

June 3, 2015
Epic goes digital; to launch mobile app in July

MUMBAI: Epic Television Networks founder and managing director Mahesh Samat had once rightly said that the channel’s content will cross borders. Building on that philosophy, Epic, a segmented entertainment channel is set to step out of television sets and go mobile with the launch of its mobile app.

Replying to an inquisitive fan, the channel’s official Twitter handle tweet read, “We’re launching the Epic channel mobile app soon where you can catch all your favourite shows. We’ll keep you posted.”

Sources close to the development told Indiantelevision.com that the app will be launched in July. “It will be a subscriber based app for international markets,” says an industry source.Other details will be unfolded soon with time.

“Things are under preparations and the official announcement will soon follow,” an official close to the development adds.

It can be recalled that Samat had always been keen on digital. Says a media expert, “Digital is the next big thing and he wanted to sell his content online because it’s premium and not just show it free on YouTube. He has always believed that his content will travel overseas and I think this is a good move by the channel.”

Moreover, as this website had earlier reported, the channel will be launching a host of new shows in July.

According to a media analyst, in an era of moving screenagers, the channel has made a smart move with cost attached and this in turn will bring visibility to the premium content that it airs.

June 2, 2015
HomeShop18 launches ‘Tanu Weds Manu Returns’ jewellery collection by Gitanjali

NEW DELHI: HomeShop18 is launching the exclusive ‘Tanu Weds Manu Returns’ jewellery collection by ‘Kashvi’ from Gitanjali. The jewellery worn by the protagonist, Tanu played by Kangana Ranaut in the forthcoming movie features Austrian diamond studded designer wear that is both elegant and trendy and a must-have for every jewellery collector’s treasure box. The jewellery is available at a special launch price, i.e. 50 per cent off for a limited period only.

Running successfully in cinemas now, ‘Tanu Weds Manu Returns’, produced by Eros International and Colour Yellow Productions is the sequel of the super hit movie, Tanu Weds Manu that released in 2011. Tanu will adorn her ethnic chic look with the trendsetting jewellery from Kashvi by Gitanjali as she walks around the streets of London and Kanpur. The jewellery is gold plated and available in Kundan and Pearl stones.

Remarking on the special range of jewellery, Vikrant Khanna, Chief Operating Officer – TV & Online Business, HomeShop18 said, “India is one of the largest movie going nations and thereby, hugely inspired by Bollywood for fashion and jewellery. HomeShop18 is delighted to launch the ‘Tanu Weds Manu Returns’ jewellery by the Kashvi from Gitanjali for the Tanu, Kangana Ranaut admirers.This exquisite jewellery is available at a special launch price to make it available to everyone across the country.”

Commenting on this special range, Pankaj Shah,CEO Kashvi at Gitanjali Gems Ltd said, “We at Gitanjali are committed to provide our customers with the latest designer jewellery for every occasion. For this special ‘Tanu Weds Manu Returns’ range by Kashvi, we have partnered with HomeShop18 as we wish to leverage their strong customer base to reach the maximum number of women who follow Kangana Ranaut as a fashion diva.”

So be ready to sport the ‘swag’ on the dance floor and sweep onlookers off their feet with some gorgeous glitter from ‘Kashvi’ by Gitanjali, through HomeShop18.

May 25, 2015
Care World TV eyes digital space for growth

MUMBAI: Digital is the way forward and grasping the same is healthcare channel Care World TV, which has added two lakh subscribers and crossed 12 crore views on YouTube.

The channel, which plans to digitalize its content, has already partnered with Shemaroo Films, Rajshri Films and Culture Machine in order to expand its presence in this space.

The new move is in sync with the channel’s effort in reinventing itself to be widely accessible to anyone and everyone across the healthcare spectrum. The network will continue to focus its efforts on the digital platform to remain competitive and provide accessibility to its audience.

“Our aim is to revolutionize the healthcare sector and as a channel, a medium we understand that we can play a pivotal role in doing so. For seven years, as a satellite channel we’ve successfully connected the medical community with the masses. Now we want to walk with the times and explore the digital medium to be further effective in accomplishing the task. If it is any indication, the huge subscription base we have garnered on YouTube, which is increasing each day, taking steps to digitalize the platform seems only logical,” said Care World TV managing director Ajit Gupta.

Care World’s YouTube network presently has five channels: Beauty Mantra, My Food Court, Love, Sex and Drama (LSD), The Daily Doctor and Care World Events. The channel will add FitVit – your personal trainer, in the near future.

“All our YouTube channels are unique and address various subjects. Care World helps you become a better you with Do-It-Yourself videos covering everything from exercise, diet; and healthy living to style, makeup and fashion tips. All these programmes are meant to appeal as personalized content to the viewer and so we’ve maintained the highest quality of recording and streaming the shows. We are sure that this will not only enrich the audiences’ experience but also will set a new audio-visual benchmark in the field of healthcare,” added Care World TV creative head Ashok Singh.

“After creating these channels on YouTube, we also plan to launch one more offline content channel on Daily Motion. Yupp TV and Roku TV are already running HD version of Care World TV. Care World’s future plan is to integrate all YouTube channels to one mobile application for easy accessibility to all our viewers around the globe,” concluded Gupta.

May 22, 2015
Best Deal TV registers Rs 3 crore in sales in first month

MUMBAI: When newbie Best Deal TV launched so late in the day as a home shopping channel, the naysayers emerged saying that CEO and cofounder Raj Kundra (the co-owner of Rajasthan Royals) was throwing good money after bad. The home shopping television market is dominated by south Korean major, which runs Shop CJ (erstwhile Star CJ Alive) and HomeShop18. And with DEN Networks setting up a joint venture to promote DEN SnapDeal TV Shop, the market was clearly looking crowded and competitive. Star India in fact took note of this when it decided to sell out its stake in Star CJ Alive to PE firm Providence Equity.

A month and a half into the business, Best Deal TV co-promoter Raj Kundra (the other partner is Akshay Kumar) says Best Deal TV is doing very well, thank you. He reveals that the newbie has managed to generate Rs 3 crore in sales in the month since its launch.

“We are on target to reach our first year’s gross sales target of Rs 150 crore,” he says. “Our chairperson actually delivered the 10,000th order to one of our customers personally.”

The channel’s USP is that celebrities like Sonakshi Sinha, Malaika Arora Khan, Bipasha Basu and more, will be endorsing their products.

Kundra recently roped in well known home-grown kitchen appliances brand Sumeet Appliances to sell its reputed mixer grinder on the channel. The deal is for three years and will be renewed depending on the sales the product chalks up.

He reveals that the idea to join hands with Sumeet came from his personal concerns to address Sumeet’s distribution issues. Having known Sumeet Appliances MD Ajay Mathur for a long time, Kundra was surprised to know that the once leading kitchen mixer-grinder brand was having distribution issues.

“I was appalled to find out that most of the 30,000 to 40,000 Sumeet products, which were being sold in the market were all fakes. Ajay shared how it was next to impossible to lodge litigation at each and every fakes in the market. That’s when I suggested that they re-launch the product with Best Deal TV,” shares Kundra.

When asked if Best Deal TV will have exclusive rights in selling all Sumeet products, Mathur clarifies, “Not for all products, but we are introducing the new and improved Sumeet mixer grinder, the ‘Grinder Man’ through Best Deal TV, which will also have exclusive selling rights for it.”

Best Deal TV will, however, have to go through the grind if it wants to penetrate the Rs 2,200-odd crore Indian home shopping market.

May 16, 2015
Travelxp set to unveil new logo and theme

MUMBAI: Premium travel and entertainment channel travelxp is set to don a new avatar replete with a new logo and theme. The white logo will symbolize the convergence of wavelengths of different colours.

The channel’s content will be divided into six distinct genres, namely, food, culture, nature, heritage, lifestyle and destination. The six main genres will be ornamented in six different colours based on the concept of colour psychology, which indicates, that colours have a psychological impact on choices and subtly influence behavior. The different colour formula is to create different identity for different genres, which will ease viewer’s association too.

“At travelxp we believe that the future starts today, not tomorrow. With this belief we are investing to create 4k travel content. For us, it’s an endless journey and an exciting one…The only way to really have a sense of how the world works is too see it yourself! And with us you’ll keep continuing to see more and explore more,” said travelxp managing director Nisha Chothani.

Boasting of more than 20 million viewers in India, the fully high definition channel travelxp was launched in 2011. It is also one of the few channels in the world that has started shooting with 4K technology.

May 13, 2015
Zing launches new shows; dubs Bollywood movies in English

MUMBAI: UK’s entertainment and lifestyle channel Zing has launched a slew of new shows as part of its programming line-up.

Zing will also be launching a new initiative wherein it will dub popular Bollywood movies like Kai Po Che and Namaste London amongst others in English. These will be aired every Saturday night at 8:30 pm.

The first show to launch is titled Spirits of India – The Festivals and will celebrate the distinct flavours of different regions in India. Just as the map of our country is marked with ever changing topography, the various cultures that are born from these changes help decorate the calendar with festivals and celebrations.

India perhaps has more festivals than any other part of the world. Moreover, India’s vast storehouse of myths gives endless reasons to celebrate. Because in India, there is a festival for everything beautiful in life – lights, colours, music, dancing and sheer spirit. And this is exactly what Zing plans to showcase through the new show Spirit of India – The Festivals.

Apart from Spirit of India, Zing will also give a sneak peek into the lives of Bollywood stars and see how they carry themselves off-screen and onscreen with its new show Style Decode every Saturday at 8 pm.

Additionally, a show titled Harry Met Sally will be aired every Sunday at 8 pm. The show will feature gossips, events and movie reviews from Bollywood.

Zing will also add new content with its cookery shows, Kifayati Kitchen, The Urban Cook, All About Cooking and FilmiRasoi in the daily 6:30 pm slot.

May 11, 2015
TLC to air new season of ‘The Taste’

MUMBAI: TLC is all set to air the new season of The Taste from 11 May onwards. The show will be aired on Mondays and Tuesdays at 9 pm.

The competition gets hotter as Chef Marcus Samuelsson joins Nigella Lawson, Anthony Bourdain and Ludo Lefebvre at the judging table to select Britain’s best cook.

The four culinary superstars and The Taste mentors will each coach a team of four competing pro and amateur cooks chosen from a casting call, as they vie to create the best tasting dish in a state of the art kitchen. Each week the groups will face team and individual challenges with a variety of culinary themes through several elimination rounds.

At the end of each episode of The Taste, the mentors will have to judge the competitors’ dishes blindfolded, with no knowledge of whose creation they’re sampling, what they’re eating, how it was prepared or whom they could be sending home.

Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific executive vice president and general manager – South Asia & South East Asia Rahul Johri said, “The Taste combines the best of cuisine and reality television featuring four world-renowned celebrity chefs to bring the ultimate culinary challenge to our viewers.”

One blind spoonful is all it will take to win the judges over with The Taste on TLC. Celebrity chefs in India are excited about the series and have picked their favourites.

Massive Restaurants founder and managing director Zorawar Kalra said, “The Tasteis going to be a clash of the titans with Nigella and Anthony competing with each other. Both of them are extremely successful and acclaimed in the international culinary field and bring their years of experience and expertise to help mentor their respective teams and give a tough competition. This one is to watch out for.”

Diva, New Delhi celebrity chef and co-owner Ritu Dalmia added, “I am very partial towards Nigella! Even though I love the way Anthony writes, and books on his food journeys, when it comes to food I find Nigella a lot more appealing. So, I will be rooting for Team Nigella!”

Olive Bar and Kitchen Sous chef Dhruv Oberoi said, “I will cheer for Nigella. Her dishes work well for people across all ages and her cooking style is simple yet so classic. And of course, she is beautiful so that helps gets my vote too.”

May 5, 2015