MAM

Consumers, media, measurement; staying on top in a changing landscape

Published

20 years ago

October 14, 2005

MUMBAI: Change is the only constant. Only it’s happening at a much more rapid pace today! From the changing consumer, to building relevant media, to moving beyond the obvious, to television ratings, to the relevance of print media, all were under the scanner at the MRUC (Media Research Users Council) seminar “Eye on Consumer, Eye on Media 2005” .

The seminar, held in Mumbai yesterday saw an impressive media turnout. With industry experts sharing their thoughts on the new emerging scenario of media, the seminar ensured good take home value.

BRANDBALLING

Kickstarting the session was none other than Dan Weiden, who, completing a decade as CEO Weiden & Kennedy, showcased a number of brands he worked with and how each case was uniquely treated to solve problems.

With Nike Basketball, the task he had was re-establishing a relationship for the disconnected target group. So, to position basketball as a people’s game and a game of self expression, Nike mixed hip-hop and basketball, Going beyond traditional media, they partnered with MTV and created a music video which was aired by MTV on several occasions. This not only accelerated the interactivity of the TG with the brand but also ensured phenomenal ratings for MTV. The video then went on to becoming a viral and Nike Basketball emerged as a leading brand in the sport of basketball in the US. To create a platform to solidify the relationship with the street ballers, Nike then conceptualized an event titled ‘Basketball One on One’ and the promo of which ran on MTV. The battleground became a franchise for Nike with MTV reaping profits as well with the popularity the event gained.

Another example cited was that of Nameshibori Beer. The positioning being fresh and alive, the agency created live programming on the Internet for a year, with 50 TV spots and 101 radio spots to get people to log onto the site. The whole campaign drove thousands onto the site with beer consumption going up by leaps and bounds.

The next session highlighted the new age consumer and where they were headed. Delivered by Venkat Ramaswamy, professor of marketing at the university of Michigan, he essentially focused on the “next” practices of value creation. “Everybody is sensing a very basic and fundamental shift in business,” said Ramaswamy. With increased awareness, consumers today are highly networked with the Internet, mobile phones and the rise of consumer to consumer communication. He reiterated that it was time companies wake up and understand that they can no longer create value for the customer, but need to create value with the customer. Hence there has to be a constant endeavour towards co-creation.

KRISHNANS IN A ‘RATINGS WAR’

Talking about the Apple I-pod, he pointed out how Apple demonstrated that Napster challenged the notion of choice. Going on to say that supply chain is intact but the locus of value creation has shifted the space of interactivity with consumers and other consumers. With the control over brands diminishing, the future demands that a two-way process for consumer interface be worked upon. Rapidly creating new knowledge by learning from each customer and integrating it with the firm. Moving to TAM (Television audience measurement) and is it the best possible system, saw the two Krishnans at loggerheads. The session conducted by LV Krishnan CEO, TAM and G Krishnan, CEO Aaj Tak threw a lot of light on the current standing the television rating system and its efficacy. While LV Krishna pointed out interesting trends across various channels and markets, G Krishnan stressed on the television measurement system being inaccurate and a lot to be desired.

Some of the key insights pointed out by LV Krishnan were as follows:
1) With the occurrence of any major disaster/ earthquake, ratings of
news channels jump significantly, the Tsunami catastrophe being the record breaker in terms of ratings.

2) DD Sports cashed in a lot during Olympics on account of Anju Bobby George, particularly in Kerala. A similar trend was also witnessed with Star Sports when Sania Mirza played Serena Williams at the Australian Open, with a chunk of ratings coming from Andhra Pradesh.

3) Vijay TV which is usually beaten hollow by Sun TV, managed to divertaudiences with the airing of dubbed movies like Titanic and Jurrasic Park in Tamil.

Coming to distribution, he pointed out that Max was a classic case of raising its connectivity to 100 per cent on the back of the World Cup. An issue in note today is that most cable operators work on an analog system allowing only 65 – 70 channels per TV set. Promotion and PR were also stated as important factors for increased sampling and TRPs. In fact 30 per cent of the audience are converted due to on-air promos, Krishnan stated.

G Krishnan on the other hand carped about a mere 5,000 people meters being the judge of the entire C&S and non C&S population. He stressed on the sample size being minuscule for a micro analysis and questioned the very basis of the media buying effectiveness. Citing that the TV advertising business which is Rs 50 billion today, is apportioned on the basis of measurement which is purely indicative and not accurate was not the way to go. He ended by saying, “Media planning should be a science and not an art based on a gut feel.”

The next two sessions were focused on retaining relevance of the print medium and the success story of the GCMMF (Amul) cooperative. Print will always be sacrosanct, but needs to adopt certain broad parameters to keep up with the times was the conclusion (nothing new in that). Next BM Vyas, MD Amul talk spoke about the history of the company, the dairy industry and how Amul became a brand to reckon with. Vyas pointed out that the consumer was not a static one, but a moving entity. He closing words were, “The milk industry is already the largest in India, but 2020 the production will soar to twice the current size and India will dominate the international dairy marketplace.”
All in all the seminar provided insight, raised relevant concerns, some age-old, some emerging to ensure perspective and progress.

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Netflix India names Rekha Rane director of films and series marketing

Streaming giant bets on a seasoned marketer who helped build Amazon and Netflix into household names

Published

3 weeks ago

February 9, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: Netflix has put a proven brand builder at the helm of its films and series marketing in India, naming Rekha Rane as director in a move that signals sharper focus on audience growth and cultural cut-through in one of its most hotly contested markets.

Rane steps into the role after seven years at Netflix, where she has quietly shaped how the platform sells stories to India. Her latest promotion, effective February 2026, crowns a run that spans brand, slate and product marketing across originals, licensed content and new verticals such as games.

A strategic marketing and communications professional with roughly 15 years’ experience, Rane has spent much of her career building technology-led consumer businesses and new categories, notably e-commerce and subscription video on demand. She was part of the early push that introduced Amazon.in, Prime Video and Netflix to Indian homes, then helped turn them into everyday brands.

At Netflix, she most recently served as head of brand and slate marketing for India from March 2024 to February 2026, leading teams across media and marketing for global and local content portfolios. Before that, as manager for original films and series marketing, she led IP creation and go-to-market strategy for titles including Guns and Gulaabs, Kaala Paani, The Railway Men* and The Great Indian Kapil Show, spanning both binge and weekly-release formats.

Her earlier Netflix roles covered product discovery and promotion in India and integrated campaign strategy to drive conversations around the content slate, product awareness and brand-equity metrics.

Before Netflix, Rane logged more than three years at Amazon in brand marketing roles in Bengaluru. There she handled national and regional campaigns for Amazon.in, worked on customer assistance programmes in growth geographies and contributed to the go-to-market strategy for the launch of Prime Video India.

Her career began well away from streaming. At Reliance Brands in Mumbai, she worked on retail marketing for Diesel and Superdry. A stint at Leo Burnett saw her work on primary research for P&G Tide, mapping Indian shoppers’ paths to purchase. Earlier still, at Orange in the United Kingdom, she rose from sales assistant to store manager, running a team and owning monthly P&L for a retail outlet.

The arc is telling. As global streamers fight for attention in a crowded Indian market, executives who understand both mass retail behaviour and digital habit-building are prized. Rane’s career sits at that intersection.

For Netflix, the bet is simple: in a market spoilt for choice, sharp marketing can still tilt the screen. And with Rane now leading the charge, the streamer is signalling it wants not just viewers, but fandom.

Brands

Orient Beverages pops the fizz with steady Q3 gains and rising profits

Kolkata-based beverage maker reports stronger revenues and profits for December quarter.

Published

3 weeks ago

February 9, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: A fizzy quarter with a steady aftertaste that’s how Orient Beverages Limited, the company that manufactures and distributes packaged drinking water under the brand name Bisleri closed the December 2025 period, as the Kolkata-based drinks maker reported improved revenues and a healthy rise in profits, signalling operational stability in a competitive beverage market.

For the quarter ended December 31, 2025, Orient Beverages posted standalone revenue from operations of Rs 39.98 crore, up from Rs 36.42 crore in the previous quarter and Rs 33.53 crore in the same quarter last year. Total income for the quarter stood at Rs 42.24 crore, reflecting consistent demand and stable pricing across its beverage portfolio.

Profit before tax for the quarter came in at Rs 3.47 crore, a sharp improvement from Rs 1.31 crore in the September quarter and Rs 0.39 crore a year ago. After accounting for tax expenses of Rs 0.79 crore, the company reported a net profit of Rs 2.68 crore, nearly three times the Rs 0.99 crore recorded in the preceding quarter.

On a nine-month basis, the momentum remained intact. Revenue from operations for the period ended December 31, 2025 rose to Rs 117.66 crore, compared with Rs 106.95 crore in the corresponding period last year. Net profit for the nine months climbed to Rs 5.51 crore, more than double the Rs 2.18 crore reported in the same period of the previous financial year.

The consolidated numbers told a similar story. For the December quarter, consolidated revenue from operations stood at Rs 45.06 crore, while profit after tax came in at Rs 2.06 crore. For the nine-month period, consolidated revenue touched Rs 133.57 crore, with net profit of Rs 4.49 crore, underscoring the group’s improving profitability trajectory.

Operating expenses remained largely controlled, with cost of materials, employee benefits and other expenses broadly aligned with revenue growth. The company continued to operate within a single reportable segment beverages simplifying its cost structure and reporting framework.

The unaudited financial results were reviewed by the Audit Committee and approved by the Board of Directors at its meeting held on 7 February 2026. Statutory auditors carried out a limited review and reported no material misstatements in the results.

In a market where margins are often squeezed by input costs and competition, Orient Beverages’ latest numbers suggest the company has found a reliable rhythm not explosive, but steady enough to keep the fizz alive.

MAM

Washington Post CEO exits abruptly after newsroom cuts spark backlash

Leadership change follows layoffs, protests and a bruising battle over trust.

Published

3 weeks ago

February 9, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: When the presses are rolling but patience runs out, even the editor’s chair isn’t safe. The Washington Post announced on Saturday that its chief executive and publisher Will Lewis is stepping down with immediate effect, bringing a sudden end to a turbulent two-year tenure marked by financial strain, newsroom unrest and public backlash.

Lewis’s exit comes just days after the Bezos-owned newspaper announced sweeping job cuts that triggered protests outside its Washington headquarters and a wave of anger from readers and staff. While newspapers across the US are grappling with shrinking revenues and digital disruption, Lewis’s leadership had increasingly come under fire for how those pressures were handled.

The Post confirmed that Jeff D’Onofrio, a former Tumblr CEO who joined the organisation last year as chief financial officer, has taken over as CEO and publisher, effective immediately. In an email to staff, later shared by reporters on social media, Lewis said it was “the right time for me to step aside.”

The leadership change follows the announcement of large-scale redundancies earlier this week. While the Post did not officially confirm numbers, The New York Times reported that around 300 of the paper’s roughly 800 journalists were laid off. Entire teams were dismantled, including the Post’s Middle East bureau and its Kyiv-based correspondent covering the war in Ukraine.

Sports, graphics and local reporting were sharply reduced, and the paper’s daily podcast, Post Reports, was suspended. On Thursday, hundreds of journalists and supporters gathered outside the Post’s downtown office in protest, calling the cuts a blow to public-interest journalism.

Former executive editor Marty Baron described the moment as “among the darkest days in the history of one of the world’s greatest news organisations.”

Lewis defended his record in his farewell note, saying “difficult decisions” were taken to secure the paper’s long-term future and protect its ability to publish “high-quality nonpartisan news”. But his tenure coincided with growing scrutiny of editorial independence at the Post.

Owner Jeff Bezos faced criticism for reining in the paper’s traditionally liberal editorial page and blocking an endorsement of Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris ahead of the 2024 US election. The move was widely seen as breaking the long-standing firewall between ownership and editorial decision-making.

According to a Wall Street Journal report, around 250,000 digital subscribers cancelled their subscriptions after the paper declined to endorse Harris. The Post reportedly lost about $100 million in 2024 as advertising and subscription revenues slid.

While the wider newspaper industry continues to battle declining print advertising and the pull of social media, some national titles have stabilised. Rivals such as The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times have managed to build sustainable digital businesses, a turnaround that has so far eluded the Post despite its billionaire backing.

As Jeff D’Onofrio steps into the role, the challenge is stark, restore confidence inside the newsroom, win back readers who walked away, and prove that one of America’s most storied newspapers can still find its footing in a brutally competitive media landscape.