Tag: Aditya Swamy

MTV gears up to spread election fever

MUMBAI: For all those youngsters who are rather vocal about their disenchantment with the present administration but fail to exercise their right to vote, MTV is all set to drive political awareness and the need to vote among the country’s youth.

‘MTV Rock the Vote’, sponsored by Hero, sounds a wake-up call for all those above 18 years of age who have their own opinion to express. With India poised for general elections, there couldn’t have been a better time for MTV to launch the campaign in partnership with Rock the Vote, a US-based non profit, non partisan organisation founded 21 years ago which pushes political awareness among youth in USA, Canada and Chile.

MTV India, EVP and business head Aditya Swamy says: “Apart from playing a huge role in pop culture, MTV has always led young people in the area of social activism. Young people have the power more than ever to make a difference. Hero MTV Rock the Vote is a movement that aims to make young people aware of this power, and to act on their right to be heard. Our partnership with Hero is truly special as both brands are genuinely committed to working with the youth to build an even more incredible India.”

Having registered over five million young people to vote, Rock the Vote has become a trusted source of voting information for young people.

Rock the Vote USA president Heather Smith says: “Rock the Vote is thrilled to be partnering with MTV India in this effort to encourage young people to get engaged in the upcoming elections. Rock the Vote has a long standing history with MTV and has worked to elevate the voice and concerns of young people in the United States for over 20 years. We are excited to bring this partnership to India to ensure that young people in this country are being heard by those they elect.”

Young people have the power more than ever to make a difference, says Aditya Swamy

MTV India head – marketing, media and insights, Sumeli Chatterjee believes youngsters today are very vocal and expressive and have a very strong point of view on things happening around them. “If they see something and are influenced by certain trends, they talk it out in social media,” she says. “Look at MTV, the way we are positioned, we entertain, we lead, we educate the youngsters about the trends that are happening across the world. We have launched this campaign to further educate people to vote in India, to further believe that you have the power to vote and bring about a change in India.”

Apparently, the findings of a survey conducted by MTV include:

· In 2014, 12 crore first-time voters will be eligible to vote, which is more than the votes won by any party during the last election.

· While 32 per cent of the Indian electorate is under 30 years of age, less than 12 per cent voted during the last election.

· While 97 per cent of youth agree they can bring about a change in the society, only 15 per cent claim they have a say in choosing the government

Rocking the boat
With a cheeky tagline that reads ‘Dabao na… button’, ‘MTV Rock the Vote’ puns on the voting button to urge first time voters to cast their vote.

The channel has launched a series of hard-hitting, satirical five short films that re-emphasise on the need to vote; the first of which was aired on 6 December on the website http://mtv.in.com/rockthevote/ and on Facebook and Twitter with hashtag #RockTheVote. Plans are afoot to release a new short film every Friday online and on the following Monday from 7am onwards on MTV and will be played almost every hour.

All the films and creatives are done by MTV’s in-house team. The funny creatives include: ‘Aur Khilao Suar ke bachon ko’, ‘You could either hand it over or show them the finger’ and ‘Sharing an ice-cream is cool but only when you can afford it’ among others.

Sumeli Chatterjee believes youngsters today are very vocal and expressive

Explains Chatterjee: “We will be discussing issues that are strictly confronts the youth and what is affecting their life – corruption being one. If freedom and social media is one thing that they want in India, we will discuss that. If we are saying women’s security really affects them, then we will discuss that.”

But how is the campaign different from other election-based ad message? “If you look at our campaign and the whole movement, we have built it on three pillars of popular youth culture – Bollywood, music and humour. Humour is something which is weaving the entire campaign together,” replies Chatterjee.

In the coming weeks, MTV plans to take its “vote” message across multiple cities through college festivals, concerts and panel discussions with policy makers. The target: 300 colleges nationwide.

“Music is something that really brings this youth community together. We are creating a music video with Yo Yo Honey Singh which will be released early next year and will be about the issues that the youth face. It will be out the whole power of youth coming together. They can decide the future of the nation; they can come in and vote together,” says Chatterjee.

‘MTV Rock the Vote’ will run till the end of the general elections 2014 and even after that. “This is the campaign which has been created only to ensure that the youth community is conversing about elections, conversing about the biggest thing that is happening next year and participating in it,” says Chatterjee.

“The communication at this stage is focused on urging the youth to register for voting; we are telling them that it is the only way you can actually go and cast your vote. Closer to the date when the general elections are on, it will be a reminder to vote, and after the elections, it will be a gratification for all those who have actually fulfilled their responsibility and gone and voted.”

As part of the initiative, MTV plans to host a series of panel discussions with the youth on one side and spokespersons from political parties on the other. But it will have a fun flavour to it, according to Chatterjee, who says: “This is going to be fun. It is going to be light-hearted, a very informal way because that is the younger way of discussing issues. However, at the core it is essentially a very serious discussion where we are saying that these are the issues that are given by the youth, can we find answers.”

Youth icons Rannvijay Singh and Yo Yo Honey Singh will encourage the youth to go to their nearest voting booths and vote through a music anthem. This will be a crowd-sourced music video, and will imbibe the essence of the initiative. Many celebs have come on board as supporters. The channel hopes that rock the vote initiative will serve as a call to action. Will the fickle youth respond?

December 7, 2013
MTV dares to step out with ‘Rann VJ Run’

MUMBAI: Come 27 October, MTV will have a brand new adventure reality series for its viewers. The show christened Rann VJ Run is a genre-bending show that takes a look into the life of Rannvijay Singh like never before. The channel has roped in Woodland as the presenting sponsor and the show will be powered by Samsung Galaxy S4.

Produced by Anshuman Jaiswal, the 10-part series will follow Rannvijay as he embarks on an epic journey to discover new places, new sports, new cultures, new people and a new way of life. Each destination across the globe will see Rannvijay challenge himself into doing things that he always wanted to do but never imagined he could.

Speaking about the new show, MTV India EVP and business head Aditya Swamy exults: “We have always seen our favourite stars in charge and in control. But how often do you get to see the real person behind the star, that’s exactly what this show is about. The most real reality show which you will see, it captures what happens when a man challenges himself to the very limit. It’s not about how hard you fall but it’s how fast you will bounce back.”

Will the series work wonders for the channel? A media planner answers: “I don’t think the channel has made a right move by airing it on Sundays, where people are either busy with friends or family. The channel’s main target group (TG) is youngsters, but who will like to sit home on a Sunday in front of the television box and watch the series.”

He further goes on to say that: “As far as concept is concerned, it is quite interesting. Rannvijay is known as the face of the channel. But the time slot the channel has booked won’t give them the numbers it might be expecting. Let’s hope his fans churn out numbers for the channel.”

Thrilled at being part of the show, Rannvijay Singh says: “I am extremely delighted to be part of a project like MTV Rann VJ Run which makes me go that extra mile and challenge myself. I am not going to play against any opponents but myself. It will be just me and the game. This is one journey I just can’t wait to commence.”
The series will be air every Sunday at 6.00 pm.

October 22, 2013
This Independence Day, own up to your freedom, pledge ‘Maa Kasam Hindustan’ With MTV ACT

MUMBAI: MTV has announced its new take on freedom through “Maa Kasam Hindustan” with MTV ACT. The initiative has been launched with series of campaigns that urge the youth to stop being a fence sitter; but to take a stand and take action against issues that concern them. The campaign is based on MTV ACT philosophy that every action counts -no matter how small it is. And, is backed with numerous initiatives that are supported under MTV ACT s pro social platform.

Leading the campaign, John Abraham and Nargis Fakhri have joined hands with the MTV VJs to bring about a change. All the MTV VJs & faces – Anusha, Gaelyn, Nikhil Chinapa, Cyrus Brocha, Rannvijay and Raghu will participate in the campaign by taking their very own Maa Kasam oath on-air. Each promo will feature one VJ talking about that one change they would like to bring about in India. Right from conservation of paper and animal welfare to racial discrimination and cleanliness, the campaign will see the VJs taking a pledge for all. Each person pledges their action to make a difference to life surrounding them. Lead musicians including AR Rahman, Salim Suleiman and Papon, are also taking the pledge by “Maa Kasam Hindustan”. Starting August 12, 2013 the campaign will engage with the youth till the end of the month.

Speaking about this initiative Bollywood hunk John Abraham said, “I am really excited to be associated with Maa Kasam Hindustan Campaign. I do believe that the future of the country lies in the hands of this generation and only they can bring about the required changes. So come on India, voice your opinion and make the difference.”

The beautiful Nargis Fakhri said, “I think it’s high time we all take charge of the situation and not rely on others to bring about a difference in the country. Through this campaign we are urging all the youngsters to take an oath and make their actions count. Maa Kasam Hindustan is really an amazing campaign and I am extremely happy to be associated with it.”

Speaking about this initiative, Aditya Swamy, EVP and Business Head, MTV India says, “Young people have the power to inspire and the power to drive change …This Independence Day we are bringing to light what youth icons are doing in their everyday lives to make a difference ..ACT now , every action counts .. Because maakasam it’s our Hindustan ”

This pledge by swear campaign is backed by MTV’s own pro social platform MTV ACT that enages with over 20 NGOs and independent organizations to support cause baaed initiatives across verticals like environment, recycle, education and animal welfare. In past, MTV ACT has worked with Greenpeace, TeachIndia, SIFE, Peta, Akanksha etc. to support multiple causes across these verticals. In addition to John Abraham, Nargis Fakhri and the MTV VJs, the Maa Kasam Hindustan campaign will also feature the youth who have pledged to do their bit for the nation. It will also see extensive digital promotions and on-air promotions.

For those who want to pledge to make a difference this Independence day can log on to www.mtvindia.com/maakasam or they can simply select any one or more causes that they would like to lend support to through MTV ACT . Youth can support across causes by donating time or money to the NGOs working for the cause.

This Independence Day take a pledge, be the change maker with Maa Kasam Hindustan only on MTV! MTV ACT – every action counts!

August 14, 2013
MTV gets socially interactive with Tata Nano’s Drive with MTV II

MUMBAI: Viacom18’s music and youth entertainment channel MTV is vrooming back onto your screens with the second season of its digital show, ‘Drive with MTV’ presented by Tata Nano.

The channel aims to make this season double the fun, double the adventure with some of the craziest and passionate drives. The show’s format is that of a web show spanning 21 days across 3,000 km and over a 100 snapshots. The webisodes will then be telecast across six episodes on television (half an hour), with the key sponsor as Tata Nano on board.

Users will be required to register on drive.mtvindia.com and submit their video entries which showcases their passion for travel. The channel will shortlist entries that are fun, quirky and showcase the road-tripper amongst the contestants. From all the entries they receive, 24 contestants will be short-listed and 12 will be chosen to go on the road trip of their lifetime. The entire journey will be documented and will enfold live on various social media platforms and the Drive with MTV website.

MTV India digital head Eklavaya Bhattacharya elucidates, “They (the contestants) will experience 21 days of non-stop fun, adventure, discovering new places and cultures as they travel across the length and breadth of the country in the Tata Nano. The contestants will be divided into four groups and will start journey from a particular point to four different destinations.”

MTV executive vice president & business head Aditya Swamy further explaines about the format, “Each team will get a budget of Rs 4,000 per day and within the budget the contestants will have to take care of their food, fuel, stay and every expense one can imagine.”

While on the trip, participants will share their experiences live with their friends, followers and the online audience using social media platforms. They will tweet, post updates, share pictures and videos every hour, every day.

Speaking on some changes which will be in place this year, Bhattacharya reveals, “This time the fourth player of each team will remain undecided until the rest of the three players pick him/her up on their way during the journey.They will pick up or select their fourth teammate according to preference or choice. And auditions will take place anywhere and any point of time.”

The idea behind the show is to connect with over eight lakh people on Twitter and more than 15 million on Facebook , and to channelise with the fan club of MTV India. “We have already got over 2500 tweets and has been trending nationally,” states Swamy.

Unlike any reality show, it would be bereft of any judge, and winners would solely be decided on the basis of amount of likes they generate on digital platforms.

“Activities on the road and on the web will get the contestants points. Each at the end of the journey, the team with maximum points will take home a Nano each,” concludes Swamy.

May 14, 2013
Techzone gets exclusive mobile rights for Honey Singh’s ‘Bring me back’

MUMBAI: Continuing its efforts to bring authentic mobile music and entertainment content to its consumers, aggregators, developers, publishers and distributors of entertainment Techzone has clinched the exclusive rights for the song-track ‘Bring Me Back’ by Honey Singh.

The company has entered exclusive right agreement with MTV for providing the song content on mobile and desktop internet. Through this right, Techzone will provide music tracks downloads, videos, ringtones, caller ring back tones and other digital entertainment formats for the song.

‘Bring me back’ is the controversial rapper’s latest single hit. Unlike Honey Singh’s other famous party song tracks which have a fun theme to their lyrics, ‘Bring me back’ touches the soul with a hard hitting message, the premise of MTV Spoken Word.

Techzone MD Naveen Bhandari said, “Yo-Yo Honey Singh is an extremely famous Indian artist and his songs have a mass appeal. Acquiring the exclusive songs for Honey Singh’s ‘Bring me back’ is a very exciting moment for Techzone. The song has already gauged a record of mobile downloads on the first day of the availability which is phenomenal.”

MTV, India’s leading music channel has a great youth appeal and is followed by youngsters across the country. ‘Bring me back’ was launched by Honey Singh at MTV‘s brand new music show, MTV Spoken Word.

MTV EVP and business head Aditya Swamy said, “Bring Me Back is a very special collaboration between Honey Singh and MTV and is the opening track on our latest music project MTV Spoken Word. We have always been successful at leveraging platforms beyond television and this partnership with Techzone will ensure the track is available across every single mobile VAS vertical.”

April 9, 2013
MTV ropes in Tata Docomo as presenting sponsor for Youth Marketing Forum

Mumbai: MTV is bringing back the ‘Youth Marketing Forum’, which is to be held in Mumbai on 27 April. The youth brand has roped in Tata Docomo as the presenting sponsor for the 2012 edition.

The forum is targeted at the brand curators, marketers, media experts and everyone who sells, markets and creates for the Youth. It will discuss MTV’s comprehensive research of youth voices, their sphere of influence, relevant youth causes and their creative side on digital media. The sessions will explore the manifestation of youth power and how brands can leverage the power to create brand movements.

MTV India EVP and business head Aditya Swamy said, “The key change we have witnessed is the power young people are feeling. Armed with information and strength in the collective, they believe they can make a difference. Comfortable in their skins, and devoid of conflict, they know exactly what they want and how to get it. It is this constant reinvention that makes the Youth Marketing Forum a thought provoking experience.”

Tata Docomo head brand marketing Ritesh Ghosal added, “Youth is not just a life-stage, it’s almost a distinct tribe. In the wired world of today, the Youth pick up, adopt as their own and disseminate trends from across the world. YMF is a forum where Marketers can dip into the rich world of youth stimuli and get a chance to catch up or lead the trends of tomorrow.”

MTV has been doing research in order to know its target better. In 2011, the MTV focused on their attitude towards money, career, relationships and changing ethics through ‘Age of Sinnocence’ study. Prior to that, it had also published studies like MTV Recreation Redefined and MTV State of Cool to explore the relevant youth trends and themes that can be actively deployed in marketing to the youth.

April 13, 2012
MTV revives youth marketing forum, launches youth research study

MUMBAI: MTV India, the youth destination, is reviving its iconic property – the Youth Marketing Forum. The company has also got Virgin Mobiles as the presenting sponsor for the forum – Age of Sinnocence.

The day-long forum will kick start on 29 April in Mumbai. The theme for the forum is “Welcome to the new Generation where conventional virtues are replaced by delicious Vices.”

MTV, which is also launching its yearly research report, noted from the research findings that the traditional vices that were frowned upon are now the driving forces in youth life. It also said that today’s youth is the “most connected” and “loudest generation” ever.

It said that the youth poke, tweet, ping, chat and broadcast every minute through status messages and it is also the most “voyeuristic and narcissistic breed of youth”.

The forum will discuss MTV’s research of Youth Vices and Virtues conducted across India. Different sessions during the forum will explore the relationship and attitude of Indian youth towards money, aspirations, career, ambition, romance, sex life all bundled into the‘Age of Sinnocence’.

MTV India channel head Aditya Swamy said, “The signposts of youth culture are changing every couple of years. And the time in between sees lots of trends come and go within individual spaces. The only way to stay on top of this generation is to live their lives and here’s where our non- traditional insight techniques work. Age of Sinnocence is a chance for all of us to open our minds to the world of young
people.”

Swamy said the study was conducted across 22 towns in the 18-24 years demographic with over 2000 respondents.

Over the years, MTV’s youth researches have thrown up some interesting insights on Indian youth. In 2002 the study focused on ‘Sources of Cool’ where cult branding took centre stage. In 2004, the study focused on ‘Tuning into the Youth’, which highlighted youth belief such as ‘live-and-let-live’ and more.

On its association with the forum, Virgin Mobile India CEO Madhusudan Mandyam said, “At Virgin Mobile India, we are delighted to be partnering with MTV for this forum, which will further cement our presence and the strong relationship we enjoy in the youth segment.

Virgin Mobile has always believed in reaching out to our target audience, get insights into their likes and dislikes, and then fashion our products and services to suit the requirements and needs of our customers.”

April 13, 2011
Music channels face uncertainty

Year 2010 saw major changes in the music and youth TV channel genre. Firstly, the space got further cluttered with the launch of a new player – Mastiii. Secondly, at least three channels – MTV, UTV Bindass and 9XM – were fighting week-on-week to know who is first among the equals. And thirdly, the focus of the channels shifted – some went for pure music and others for pure youth.

The 13-odd channels in the genre (as per Tam) are locked in a rat race. From January –December 2010, in the C&S 15+ age group of Hindi speaking Market (HSM), MTV and 9XM were leading the pack with a 14 per cent average market share. UTV Bindass was, however, in hot pursuit with 13.9 per cent.

To add on to the fierce competition, Sri Adhikari Brothers’ Mastiii, which launched in July, quickly climbed and captured a good 12.6 per cent average share.

Meanwhile, Channel [V], Zoom (Bollywood and lifestyle channel), B4U Music, ETC and E24 (Bollywood news channel), which Tam puts in the same genre, followed with 9.1 per cent, 8.8 per cent, 7.7 per cent, 6.5 per cent and 6.3 per cent respectively of the overall pie.

The also rans include Zing, Imagine Showbiz and Vh1.

The question remains: How the music and youth channels will survive with such competition? Industry pundits peg the whole pie between Rs 2.5–3 billion yearly and believe the market is small while the players are too many. Some say that the music space has undergone tremendous transformation and today they all have the more or less same generic content – be it music or reality shows.

But how true is it? Answers Channel [V] EVP and GM Prem Kamath, “TV is not the primary medium for music anymore as it is available everywhere. More importantly, the greatest monetisation in television comes from differentiation. The biggest limitation of the music television model has been that there is no scope whatsoever in differentiating the content of one channel from another. Every channel has access to the same pool of music and, hence, very little differentiates one channel from another.”

And to counter this situation, Channel [V] has cut down its reliance on music drastically. The channel airs music only between 7-10 am band, which is a prime slot for music channels.

However, at the same time, pure play music channels – 9XM and Mastiii – are doing great so far as ratings go. What is their success mantra?

9XM programming head Amar Tidke says, “It’s all about how you package your content. Yes, you have to break through the clutter and for that we have animated characters.”

Tidke believes that other “youth channels” have diluted the music proposition. And on the point that music is skewed towards Bollywood only, Tidke strongly replies that it is wholesome music. “Bollywood music contains all the forms of music including romantic, sad, sufi, bhajans, etc. So it is wrong to say that we are neglecting other forms of music,” he says.

And while Channel [V] and Bindass are youth channels, through and through, MTV, the long standing undisputed leader of the genre, changed its positioning twice in the year.

While MTV continued cutting down its music content to 20 per cent, in the later part of the year it backtracked and increased it to 50 per cent. Some rival channels executives believe the step taken by MTV is rather unfortunate. “The channel has lost its positioning. It had a head start with cult shows like Roadies. But they have spent a lot and the latest seasons of the shows did not perform well. The high cost may have been a reason behind going back,” one senior executive on condition of anonymity said.

However, MTV India channel head Aditya Swamy said that the channel has adopted a new “Raw” identity. “MTV as a brand is much bigger than a TV channel,” Swamy said. “We felt that a good combination of music and reality is necessary, so we have increased the music content.”

However, experts believe that pure music channels 9XM and Mastiii are forcing the older music channels to relook on their music content. “MTV and Channel [V] had taken steps to reduce their music content as they repositioned themselves as youth brand channels. MTV could now be trying to play a fine balance between their reality and music content,” says a media tracker.

Meanwhile, on the reality content front, MTV’s reign is shaking as UTV Bindass has succeeded with bold homegrown reality shows like Emotional Attyachaar and Dadagiri. And Channel [V] also is upping the ante with new reality shows.

Also, as per ad sales executives, a pure play music channel can have a revenue upside of Rs 600-650 million, if it leads the genre and buying music is not expensive. And that precisely is the opportunity Sri Adhikari Brothers’ saw while launching Mastiii.

As might be the case with MTV, the reality content doesn’t come cheap. It increases your cost significantly, while results are not always that great. So is it not safe to play pure music? Kamath disagrees. “Music is very easy form of content to put on a channel, but then there is a limit to grow. Moreover, many pure play music channels are getting good ratings from retro songs, which are not sampled by youth,” he says. Channel [V] claims of targeting youth in the 15-34 year segment.

Meanwhile, the year 2010 saw a slight increase in the whole genre, presumably because of the launch of a new channel and the combined effort of other channels to market their shows.

However, 2011 will be a tougher year for the players. There is one more new player in Sony Entertainment waiting for licence to launch its music channel – Sony Mix. Imagine Showbiz has also changed ownership and is now in the hands of Anil Ambani. So wait for more uncertainty in the genre.

January 15, 2011
MTV India adopts a new ‘Raw’ look

MUMBAI: MTV, the youth brand channel, will go “raw” as it repositions for its Indian viewers from 27 November.

The new philosophy – ‘Stay Raw’ – will be supported by a new logo and packaging that will start promoting across Viacom18 network channels, print, outdoor and Internet.

Changing its earlier gameplan, MTV is also upping its music quotient as the M in MTV gets a boost to play a key role in India‘s rapidly changing marketplace..

Says MTV India channel head Aditya Swamy, “What we have started is not an ad campaign or new tagline. It’s a philosophy. It’s an idea that is based on what young people today believe, expressed in an edgy yet tongue in cheek manner which is trademark MTV. A powerful idea has a limitless canvas and way this has come together is proof of just that.”

In a strategic content shift, MTV is creating four music blocks – MTV BBM (Big Bang Mornings); MTV Music Xprs; MTV Mash Ups; and MTV International.

MTV BBM will play latest Bollywood music in the morning, while the afternoon music block (MTV Music Xprs) will have film music from across the years.

In the evenings, the global MTV phenomenon will hit India. MTV Mash Ups, the unique concept of East meets West, will see VJ Nikhil mashing up the Indian and International tracks from the same genre.

And the channel has decided to get back the global music charts with MTV International, the midnight block.

“The success of pure music channels 9XM and the newly launched Mastiii is, perhaps, forcing the older music channels to relook on their music content. MTV and Channel [V] had taken steps to reduce their music content as they repositioned themselves as youth brand channels. MTV could now be trying to play a fine balance between their reality and music content,” says a media tracker.

Swamy, however, feels that there is a need for youth channel brands to reinvent themselves from time to time to stay ahead of the curve. “Our core TG evolves very fast, and so we have to reinvent ourselves. We are just resonating,” he says.

On the reality content front, MTV is feeling the heat from UTV Bindass that has succeeded with bold homegrown reality shows like Emotional Attyachaar and Dadagiri.

Swamy denies that the move has anything to do with competition in the youth genre. “Today MTV is much bigger than a TV channel. Only 50 per cent of our revenues come from airtime sales,” he says.

For years, music channels in India have struggled to develop subscription and licensing and merchandising as strong revenue streams.

MTV has taken progressive steps to reduce its overarching dependence on advertising revenue. In an interview in mid-2009, the then MTV India head Ashish Patil had told Indiantelevision.com that ad sales accounted for 65 per cent of the overall revenues, of which 5 per cent comes from international clients. “Around 15 per cent comes from affiliates, which is also increasing. 15 per cent comes from Viacom Brand Solutions (client lead stuff, events and advertiser funded programming) like The Fast and The Gorgeorus, Stunt Mania etc. The remaining 5 per cent comes from L&M and movie previews (Ghajini).”

For promoting its new ‘raw‘ look, the channel is going ad free over the weekend for the first time, doing a “roadblock for itself.”

The new look of MTV is designed by UK-based Petrol, while the creatives are done by Bates 141.

The channel is going to promote the change heavily with graphics. It has created a series of 3D channel IDs and over 100 creatives that will communicate its ‘Stay Raw’ philosophy through mass media and digital.

MTV said Friday it is launching the second season of ‘Kurkure Desi Beats Rock On with MTV’ on 27 November at 7 pm and ‘Vodafone MTV Splitsvilla Season 4’ on 3 December at 7 pm.

“The channel has got rock band Indian Ocean and music director and composer Pritam to judge the singing reality show this season,” says Swamy.

MTV recently launched its first ever magazine globally, MTV Noise Factory. It also launched a website mtvplay.in, which captures and shares what’s going on in the minds of young people with marketers and advertisers.

“MTV plans to enter a new growth phase. All its new moves are a step in this direction. The challenge is for it to succeed on the content front as well as on the new brand position it has taken,” says a senior executive from a rival network.

November 26, 2010
MTV goes digital for ‘Aila Tendulkar’

NEW DELHI: MTV India has decided to go digital in its marketing initiative for its new show Aila Tendulkar. No print ads, billboards or spots for this show. Riding the internet wave, the channel has looked at online banners and mobile content. The idea has been to capture viral circulation.

Aila Tendulkar is hosted by Suresh Menon aka VJ Tendulkar. The show has been launched with the cricket season in mind, especially with the approaching Cricket World Cup. The show launches on Saturday, 17 February, at 7 pm but will go on well past the World Cup until June.

Says MTV India VP marketing Aditya Swamy, “While the show is definitely in sync with the Cricket World Cup, we would also look at the post World Cup spillover and all the analysis and gossip that happens then.”

The show format for Aila Tendulkar looks at a 5 to 7 minutes duration vignette and each vignette will have 3 to 4 cricket based gags/sketches. VJ Tendulkar is joined by Gag Chappel (Ashwin Mushran), the men in blue, Bowel Dravid (Kunal Kumar) and Kaurav Ganguly (Gaurav Gera). All this madness is of course monitored by VJ Cyrus Sahukar who cameos as the umpire.

A day before the telecast of the show, 30-45 second vignettes will be available on the mobile and net. The channel claims to be experimenting with the idea that a preview of the show will be made available before the actual telecast.

“In fact keeping in mind, its reach via digital formats, the show has also been produced to suit the medium. So no long shots, etc.”

“The idea is to reach across to our target audience, which is metro youth and they are increasingly available on mobile and internet rather than on television. So we decided to market Aila Tendulkar across multiple platforms to get that ‘constantly on the move viewer’.

All episodes of Aila Tendulkar would first break on mtvindia.com. Mobile users can simultaneously log on to wap.mtvindia.com from their GPRS-enabled phsones for the preview of these videos. MTV has tied up with Reliance, Hutch and Aitel for this service. The channel has also roped in Rediff, Google and Yahoo amongst others to feature these vignettes. Reliance mobile users can view the same on the MTV Zone on RWorld.

The post CAS situation has led to many channels reviewing their consumer performance and looking at different modes of media branding. MTV does have an international ‘I want my MTV’ campaign for subscription based channels. Commenting on this, Swamy said, “While there were plans to adapt this campaign in India as well, for now, we are just looking at how things are shaping up here.”

The channel has also partnered with CNBC TV18 for a series of vignettes called MTV Budget Fundas to be aired on both the channels. Says Swamy, “MTV is not just about fun and humour but also everything relevant to the youth. So if the budget affects the pocket money of the youth and how they spend it, we will showcase it.”

February 15, 2007