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Tag: Archana Anand

  • ZEE5 goes global with competitive rates

    ZEE5 goes global with competitive rates

    MUMBAI: If everyone else is coming here, we're going there, said Zee. Within less than a year of launch in India, Zee Entertainment Enterprise Ltd's (ZEEL) digital arm ZEE5 has gone global. In the first leg of the international rollout, the OTT platform has launched a global campaign recently targeting South Asian audience across the world. Talking about the global launch, ZEE5 global chief business officer Archana Anand said it has priced the subscription rates very competitively.

    The TVC of ‘Dil se Desi’, crafted in collaboration with Publicis has a very funky feeling where rap has been used as the medium. While ZEE has been traditionally looking at slightly older audiences, the new campaign intends to attract younger audiences conveying the message that ZEE5 as a global platform aspires to have content for all these audiences. 

    “Apni Bhasa Me Feel Hain was also to say that new age Indians are savvy, millennial, use digital and speak English, but when we speak we like to use references from our language. We want to watch content in our language and we love it. Now, in Dil Se Desi it is taking that context globally saying that the South Asian audience which loves our content lives across the globe and all of them may have advanced and in first world countries. Technology, globalisation all of that happened but their heart is Dil se Desi,” Anand commented.

    The TVC part of it is playing across the ZEEL network globally and right now it isn't going to third parties for inventories. The first phase of the launch is targeted to APAC, MENA and Africa. Later, the markets where connected devices got ready including Europe, Canada and the Caribbean will be targeted. While the short term goal is to become the entertainment destination for south Asian audience immediately, the long term goal is to position the platform as a top entertainment destination going beyond south Asians.

    The new campaign took around five to six months to be rolled out. It worked closely with Publicis, the creative partner in the mandate. There was a rigorous pitching process where multiple agencies took part. BBH and Publicis were neck-to-neck. Interestingly, BBH won the mandate for the Indian campaign earlier.

    “When I created the strategy for India, I wanted say that the new trend is languages, regional and masses. That was my co-proposition for India. For the global creative, I did not want to go too far from that co-thought. It had to be an extension,” Anand commented.

    Going forward, plans are on for two TVCs for Pakistani and Bangladeshi audiences particularly.

    Other than the TVC, the campaign has its counterparts in digital and social media also. The #lovedesi has already gone viral across social media. As the out-of-home marketing will not be very effective abroad as the target audience lives in pockets, there will be a lot of on-ground activity.

    Just like Airtel in India, there are global telecom partners as well.

    While there are several Indian OTT platforms that are already targeting diaspora audience, especially in the presence of international giants like Netflix, Amazon Prime, ZEE5 is confident to make a difference on the back of its language content. Anand said though many other platforms are also boasting about having content in several languages, ZEE5’s boast is very real owing to its depth.

    Anand who has been learning quite a lot in the space, thinks that the final call in content creation should be taken based on gut instinct and data both. According to her, before going into any new market, everyone has to invest a lot in research to understand consumer sights and find a need gap.

    While the subscription rates are very different across the globe, even in APAC itself, in every market it has taken account of competition rates, pay TV costs and priced it competitively. Though targeting a large crowd spread across various locations is not easy, Anand seems confident about her strategy.

  • ZEEL takes ZEE5 Global; goes LIVE in 190+ countries around the World

    ZEEL takes ZEE5 Global; goes LIVE in 190+ countries around the World

    Mumbai, 3rd October 2018: Bringing the largest library of multilingual content to the South Asian diaspora and beyond across the world, Amit Goenka, CEO – ZEE International and Z5 Global, today announced that ZEEL’s digital entertainment platform ZEE5 has gone LIVE in 190+ countries globally. ZEE5 has been launched across platforms and will offer viewers around the globe a completely integrated entertainment offering, with both On-Demand and Live TV across devices.

    ZEE5 offers the largest width and depth of multi-genre content including news and entertainment across English, Tamil, Hindi, Malayalam, Telugu, Kannada, Marathi, Bengali, Oriya, Bhojpuri, Gujarati and Punjabi. ZEE5 comes packed with 1,00,000 hours of On Demand content, including Movies and TV Shows, Music, and Health and Lifestyle videos along with a slew of originals, across 12 languages. It also has an extensive Live TV offering with 60+ popular Live TV channels.

    ZEE5 offers various unique features like content and display language personalization across 12 and 11 languages respectively, voice search, download to watch offline option, HD Quality video, adaptive bit rate streaming etc.
    Outlining the global strategy, Amit Goenka, CEO – ZEE International and Z5 Global said, “As a global content company ZEE has always been at the forefront of bringing the best of Indian entertainment content to audiences around the world. With the launch of ZEE5 across 190+ markets, we have moved into the next phase of our growth story. Launching ZEE5 globally rather than in a staggered manner has been a conscious move in order to capitalise on the tremendous love and following the brand has amassed over the years overseas. This new chapter further strengthens us as a Media & Entertainment behemoth and reiterates our claim to the India story, bringing to our audiences around the globe an unrivalled content offering, using robust technology.”

    Speaking on the soft launch, Archana Anand, Chief Business Officer- ZEE5 Global said, “With over 1,00,000 hours of content across genres and languages, ZEE5 is the singular platform that Indians and South Asians have been waiting for. With the launch of ZEE5 globally, we intend to own the India peg completely and be the unequivocal go to destination for Indian content for South Asians and beyond, wherever they may be.”

    Availability: The ZEE5 App can be downloaded from Google Play Store and very shortly from the iOS App Store. Also available at www.ZEE5.com. Other platform in the pipeline includes Amazon fire tv stick, Apple TV, connected TV apps etc.
    Pricing: Freemium pricing model with both free and paid premium content to cater to a mix of audiences across markets. Viewers who subscribe to the ZEE5 subscription pack will get access to the entire library of content at a special introductory offer price ranging from USD 2.00 per month to USD 10.00 per month, depending on the region.

  • Women media pros speak out about gender equality in the workplace

    Women media pros speak out about gender equality in the workplace

    MUMBAI:  Women’s Day commemorates the movement for women’s rights. First organised by The Socialist Party of America, the earliest women’s day observance, called National Woman’s Day, was held on 28 February 1909 in New York. 8 March was then suggested by the 1910 International Woman’s Conference and labeled International Woman’s Day.

    Over the past decade, a lot of brouhaha has been created about 8 March – Women’s Day – as a day to celebrate eves all over the world. Even as an increasing number of womenfolk are joining the workforce in India, the perception is that the shift to positions of power has happened for a handful only. Yes there are a few women achievers who have made it to the top rungs of corporations and they feature in flashy features in business magazines and newspapers but the number that has made it to the very top is limited.

    Therefore, Indiantelevision.com spoke to a few industry professionals who have made a mark in the Indian media industry on what Women’s Day means to them and about the status of Indian women in media and entertainment organisations and most of them were blunt that corporate India and especially media and entertainment companies have a lot of distance to cover on the issue of gender equality in the workplace. Read on:

    public://Anita Nayyar_CEO Havas Media Group India & South Asia.jpgAnita Nayyar, CEO India & South Asia  at Havas Media Group

    Women’s day is just another day that reminds me how lucky I am to be a woman and to be one among the many inspiring and accomplished women across the globe. Our (advertising agency’s) work reflects our thinking and mindset which further determines workplace equality. As an industry, we’ve come a long way since the #MeToo movement and with more campaigns like #LikeAGirl, #JaneWalker, #UnitedbyHalf we are surely and swiftly moving in the right direction, towards gender equality. Women, across the world, are expected to play a larger part in handling a household and taking care of their family. Long working hours especially in industries like advertising and media, become a hindrance and affect the overall work-life balance. Although our country boasts of a number of successful women entrepreneurs who have created successful business brands across the world, their journeys have not been easy. Women are still considered as a weaker section of society than men and given less importance.

    At workplaces, women need to first believe in themselves, participate more without hesitation and speak up for their rights. At an organisational level, companies should develop and implement comprehensive anti-discrimination policies, as a starting point. Such policies allow employers to make clear to its employees the types of behaviour that will not be tolerated in the workplace.

    public://anita_0.jpgAnita Kotwani, Leader of Client Leadership at Mindshare

    Why should the significance of women be restricted to a day? Her significance to me is “everyday” where she rises to the occasion and excels both personally and professionally. I think one makes a mark in any industry by the sheer outcome that you drive on the business.  At that time, it’s about results and not about gender bias. You deliver, you leave your mark. The only challenge that I faced in my career was how can I better my performance year on year such that I stand proud of my achievements?

    public://Soniya Kulkarni.jpgSoniya Kulkarni, Creative and Business Head for Formats and Productions at BBC Worldwide India

    The media industry is one of the industries where women have done relatively well as compared to many other industries. It requires lateral thinking, creativity, multitasking and democratic methods of operation, these are the things that most women have long proven to be excellent at. We have several instances of women who are leaders in production houses, programming, writers and designers. However, in the larger corporates you definitely see fewer women in senior and strategic positions.

    I don’t believe that women look for any special concessions at the workplace. We only expect to be treated equally, to be paid as much as our male counterparts are and given the same opportunities and the rest is on us to prove our best abilities.

    public://tata.jpgMegha Tata, Chief Operating Officer at BTVI

    Every day is a reminder to pause and reflect on the achievements of womenfolk around the world. There are many women employed in the media industry but I don’t see too many women as business heads or at the board level. It’s not about males dominating this industry, but there is something fundamentally wrong in the way we function of not making the environment more conducive for women to grow

    In this competitive atmosphere, striking a balance between your work and personal life is not an easy job for working women. A demanding career makes things even more difficult. Even as a mother I adjusted, not compromised in my life. There are times when a PTA meeting was more important than a business meeting and at times vice-versa. That’s the balancing you need to do, this can’t be taught but comes from within you, by your experiences, understanding and prioritising what is important at that moment.

    To ensure a healthy workplace for women, the industry needs to implement an egalitarian work culture, starting with equal opportunities and equal pay. There are some work roles that are less explored by women and organisations should encourage women to take forward such opportunities and support her on every possible step.

    public://Ms Leena Lele Dutta (1).jpgLeena Lele Dutta, Business Head at Sony Pictures Networks India for Kids Genre

    Why do we need to celebrate women for just for a day? I believe the key lies in being more gender neutral. I hope we have a day, in our near future, where women and men are both celebrated, free from prejudices where equality comes through in its true form. Indian media has a very healthy mix of both the genders. Women have been celebrated amongst all the sectors and business sectors especially have always enjoyed a strong presence of women professionals, and often in leadership roles. I believe the glass ceiling is cracked, but it’s yet to be broken.

    There is the adage that ‘she would get judged in whatsoever she does’ and that has been hammered in our minds since the start. Working women essay many roles; a mother, wife, daughter, boss and a team member. It is multi-dimensional, pressured, and unfortunately many succumb to the ‘choice’ they need to make. In my case, I have been blessed with an encouraging husband and family. They have been instrumental in calming my anxieties every time I’m faced at the crossroads of making the ‘choice’ – the decision; especially more so after the birth of my twin boys.

    public://rubeena.jpgRubeena Singh, CEO, iProspect India.

    If you go back in history, you will note that roots of Women’s Day lie in Russia where during the World War 1, where driven to despair by the long lines for food, women went on strike. Much later the UN declared 8 March as Women’s Day to celebrate women’s achievements throughout history and across nations. For me, the fact that we observe Women’s Day means that true gender equality is yet to be attained. In India, the media sector is one of the most gender diverse. Across content creation, marketing, creative, advertising women have been continuously making their mark. That said, at the senior and leadership levels we have a long way to go. 

    public://gada.jpgKranti Gada, SVP at Shemaroo Entertainment

    There are many women out there who know that it is not a level playing field for them and who in their own manner want to change it. Women’s day celebrates and recognises women, their solidarity and support for each other.  This is a day that celebrates their collective interests. I feel women have made some commendable progress in the media industry and continue to make a significant mark for themselves. We now see so many women behind the camera on television sets, in news channels and donning different hats in other creative fields. But what we can’t ignore is that, this industry has its own set of challenges. Media is a dynamic, 24X7 industry and has no fixed hours and day offs. A journalist can be summoned at any hour of the day if there is a news break. Films and television shoots almost always go beyond their twelve hours shift and wrap up into the wee hours of the day. 

    There is a high dose of uncertainty involved in this profession and it does become difficult for women to dabble with work, personal commitments and duties at home. It is up to us to decide whether we will ape the masculine or underline the feminine.

    public://ARCHANA-ANAND (1).jpgArchana Anand, EVP & Head of Digital at ZEE5 India 

    The fact that we need to call out and celebrate this gender with a specific day indicates that we still have some way to go before we claim true equality. Patricia Arquette in her Oscar acceptance speech last year spoke about the need for ‘equal wages’, cheered on by Meryl Streep and Jennifer Lopez. It is really intriguing that even today, women’s equality is being discussed and debated in hugely public forums of the first world. If Madonna and Meryl Streep feel the inequality strong enough to talk about it, that says a lot.

    People also assume that women will not be able to give their full potential as they have to balance work with usual life breaks; marriage, kids, home management, etc. Then there are often assumptions about women not being analytical enough. Women also have a higher EQ which is often underestimated, as is their ability to multi-task. Just stop seeing them as women and start seeing them as professionals, the way you would any man.
  • Publicis Media bags digital mandate for ZEE5

    Publicis Media bags digital mandate for ZEE5

    MUMBAI: Publicis Media has won the full digital duties of ZEE5 in India, the newly launched digital entertainment platform from Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL). The business was won as part of a multi-agency pitch.

    Zenith India group CEO Tanmay Mohanty says, “The OTT segment in India is poised for exponential growth and requires specialist expertise trained to navigate this new and emerging area. We look forward to making ZEE5 a powerful business.”

    ZEE5 India digital head Archana Anand adds, “ZEE5’s language focus makes it strongly relevant to people across the length and breadth of India. We were therefore looking for a partner that could bring in the necessary digital marketing solutions and deep consumer insights to help take us across markets and quickly establish ZEE5 as the go-to digital destination for language content. Publicis has strong credentials and experience in digital marketing and understands the changing milieu of the digital and entertainment business.”

    Publicis Media is one of the four solutions hubs of Publicis Groupe alongside Publicis Communications, Publicis.Sapient and Publicis Healthcare.

  • Diverse language content the pivot for ZEE5’s growth

    Diverse language content the pivot for ZEE5’s growth

    MUMBAI: The Zee Group’s much anticipated new digital platform ZEE5 (Z5) has finally launched, a few months down the brand refresh that was given to media behemoth’s entertainment channels. Offering everything from Indian and international original content, movies, TV shows, music, live TV and health and lifestyle content, Z5 gives viewers the opportunity to pick their entertainment from 11 browsing (and content) languages—English, Hindi, Bengali, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Marathi, Bhojpuri, Gujarati and Punjabi.

    During the launch event, Zee International and Z5 global CEO Amit Goenka said, “As a global content company, our biggest strength is how well we understand our consumers and translate this into content they love. Every aspect of Z5 is based on our deep understanding of our consumers and their local ecosystem. It is both local and global at the same time and we know it is going to change the way you watch content.”

    Z5 is seeking to addresses the entertainment demands of a young India that is increasingly digital savvy and globally connected, yet fundamentally rooted in its culture. Aggregated and original content is offered in the 11 languages as well as Odiya. “Digital will play a critical role in fuelling this growth and we wanted to ensure that we had a strong offering and presence in the space. With the launch of Z5 we see ourselves catapulting into the next phase of growth,” added Amit.

    A silent preparation of 1.5 years went into Z5 to include content and features that cannot be found on any other Indian platform. While revealing the mystery of the silence Zee Entertainment Enterprises MD and CEO Punit Goenka said, “We have invested immense amount of time and energy in creating and acquiring rich and engaging content for Z5, which I am sure will be cherished by our viewers across the nation and worldwide. The launch of Z5 further strengthens us as a media and entertainment powerhouse.”

    While talking about the strategies for India, ZEE5 digital head Archana Anand said, “We see ZEE5 as filling a definite need-gap in the Indian market for strong language content and navigation experience across Indian languages. Our platform will be as relevant to the urban elite as it is to the new digital audiences experiencing Internet for the first time. India’s digital story is going to be fuelled by new language consumers and that’s exactly who ZEE5 is for. 

    Our Brand Anthem celebrates this spirited new India, globally savvy, yet happiest in the language of their comfort. We believe this market to be hugely underserved and hence, see this approach as key to driving our India win.”
    Z5 is banking on India’s rich diversity of languages to bag it the popularity. “Our brand anthem celebrates this spirited new India, globally savvy, yet happiest in the language of their comfort. We believe this market to be hugely underserved and hence, see this approach as key to driving our India win,” she added. Tie ups have been made with regional producers for language content. 

    The platform’s brand anthem has been directed by Dangal director Nitesh Tiwari, composed by Amit Trivedi and written by Amitabh Bhattacharya. Keeping in mind the distinct audiences, two versions of the anthem have been created – one for the North market and one for the South, each catering to the specific market nuances for authenticity and connect.

    Z5 has a freemium pricing model with both free and paid premium content to cater to a mix of audiences. Viewers who subscribe to the subscription pack will get access to the entire library of content at a special launch offer price of Rs 99 per month instead of the actual monthly pack price of Rs 150. The advertisers will have a strong involvement in their free wall offerings. Those with Zee’s older digital platforms, i.e. Ozee will automatically upgrade to Z5, whereas Ditto TV will ask for an upgrade from the viewer. However, originals, international movies, old shows, Zee theatre and many more things will fall under its paid offerings. The live news TV offering will not only provide Zee News but also other news broadcasters’ feeds on it.

    People can watch 100 movies that have never been shown on TV with subtitles and with dubbing in their language of choice. Fresh series will be either launched together or on a weekly basis. Punit said that Z5 will focus towards the production of kids’ content in the near future. Anand also added that they will look at acquisitions in the kids’ space in regional languages. 

    Z5 is also available as a progressive web app (PWA) to address the patchy connectivity and low phone storage scenarios.

  • Avian Media wins the PR mandate for ZEE5

    Avian Media wins the PR mandate for ZEE5

    ZEE5 has mandated Avian Media to lead its India PR duties. Launching soon with content across multiple languages, ZEE5 will be the one stop digital destination for ZEE Entertainment, a global Media and Entertainment powerhouse. The platform will offer a mix of both On-Demand content, including Originals, movies and much more, as well as Live TV.

    Avian Media will be responsible for crafting and managing ZEE5’s key messages, and has a clear mandate to disseminate the richness of ZEE5’s language offering across markets.

    ZEE5 India digital head Archana Anand said, “ZEE5 launches in the Indian market with a very powerful proposition in its strong language focus, and one that fills a clear consumer need-gap. We wanted to work with a PR agency that has a strong network not only in urban markets but also a deep strength in regional markets for great dissemination of ZEE’s key messaging, and Avian Media brings that to the table. We look forward to working closely with them right from our launch to build ZEE5 up into a strong success story.”

    Avian Media CEO Nitin Mantri said, “We are pleased to be the partner of choice for ZEE5. At Avian, we believe that the art of storytelling is what makes a campaign stand out. We are delighted to work on a brand that shares our belief of telling an insight-driven story that influences user behaviour and drives change.”

    With expertise across verticals, extending from Public Relations and Public Affairs to Financial Communications, Digital, CSR and Advocacy, Avian Media currently services client like Deloitte India, Sony English Cluster, McDonald’s, Airbus, PVR Cinemas, Tourism Australia, Qatar Airways, Facebook and Coca Cola.

    Also Read :

    Zee TV new logo unveiled; refreshed digital platform Zee5 launch soon

    Carat bags media account for ZEE5

  • Carat bags media account for ZEE5

    Carat bags media account for ZEE5

    MUMBAI: ZEE5, Zee Entertainment’s new digital entertainment platform, has appointed Carat, part of Dentsu Aegis Network (DAN), as its media agency for India. Carat bagged the media duties following a multi-agency pitch. Carat will handle media planning and buying for ZEE5 in India excluding digital. Headed by senior business director Suman Pal, the account will be managed by the agency’s Mumbai office. 

    ZEE5 India digital head Archana Anand says, “We are delighted to have Carat on board as our media partner. We were keen to collaborate with an agency that understands our business and has the expertise to help us drive huge efficiencies into our media planning and buying, and Carat had excellent credentials on this front.” 

    Carat Media India CEO Rajni Menon adds, “ZEE5 has been in the news for some time and we are extremely excited about bagging the account. The platform offers viewers an extremely innovative viewing experience and we will adopt an equally innovative and consistent approach to ensure that their digital platform gains a strong foothold among their audiences. With the DAN group’s integrated approach and capabilities of delivering end-to-end solutions, we are confident of establishing a strong connect with the digital consumers of India.”

    Launching soon with content across multiple languages, ZEE5 will be the digital destination for Zee Entertainment and will offer a mix of both on-demand content, including originals, movies and much more, as well as live TV. 

  • Ditto TV has the largest paid OTT subscriber base in India, says Zeel’s Z5 head Archana Anand

    MUMBAI: Even as Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd has got it right on the television front, questions have time and again been raised that it has not got its act together on digital. However, ever since the digital business was handed over to Essel Group chairman Subhash Chandra’s younger son Amit Goenka, the company has been working on redoing its roadmap for VoD and streaming. 

    Hence, last year, it took a major punt by relaunching its platform Ditto TV as a live television platform. The sticker price was Rs 20 a month. And, the water cooler talk is that Goenka and team Z5 have got   a handle on the direction they would like to steer Ditto TV. More action and announcements are slated to follow.

    Goenka’s point professional is Archana Anand who serves as Z5 Business EVP and  head of digital. It is Anand who is executing strategy on the ground. And, she believes that the Rs 20 decision has proved to be a wise one, as it  has helped it reach newer audience who are not watching TV.

    Anand was one of the speakers at indiantelevision.com’s second edition of Vidnet2017. She had a one-on-one conversation with Indiantelevision.com consulting editor Anjan Mitra.  Excerpts from the conversation:

    What are your views on the OTT landscape in India?

    I think we are going through the best time possibly can have for the industry. Jio has played an immense part in easing out the the ecosystem and making it much more viable for people to consume OTT.

    More importantly we have had some international players coming in and setting up  shop here, Netflix and Amazon, I think that’s wonderful in the sense as the category has got evangelised so that people who will be coming later will don’t have go to explain what it is.

     With Jio and all the international players coming in it’s a fantastic time for somebody to do interesting things in this space. 

    Would you like to share some insights from your work with Ditto?

    People have been questioning whether going the SVoD way in a market like India where consumers are still hesitant to pay and that mindset is that content should come to us for free. If not, we are okay to get it from pirated sites. At  DittoTV, we were pioneers when we launched in 2012 for quite some reasons we couldn’t make the impact which we wanted to.

    Last year, we re-launched with a very gutsy call. We re-launched Ditto at a very radical price of Rs 20 and our catch phrase was ‘BeesKa TV’ and industry asked how we would make a profit out of it  – at so low a price.

    I am delighted to say this was the most successful thing we ever thought through.

    The concept was to democratize television. With this Rs 20 price point, our thought process was we will actually create penetration and get television to be used by all of those little markets and people who couldn’t afford.

    Our campaign was pretty thought thourgh that I didn’t believe I was reaching out to the urban audience. I was very clear that I am reaching out the audience for whom digital is fuzzy word.

    More importantly with the 20 bucks price point what I got to do we were able to get it from telco’s mobile wallet which is the most ubiquitous in this country and that helped to partner with telcos and get immediate distribution. So today i have tied up with all the four telcos of this country. Subscription base comes (read: is growing month to month) because of the promotions done by the telcos. The highest cost is cost for acquisition and I don’t have any acquisition cost  – the telcos are giving it free to the consumer and paying.

    It was our good fortune that Reliance launched their Jio Play with live television and suddenly the other telcos needed Ditto. My guess is we would be highest or the biggest paid subscriber OTT in this country.

    Despite that,  as an ordinary consumer I am confused about your brand. Why so many brands in a space which is already littered with other brands?

    For starters, I understand it’s a bit confusing. In a short time, people will see our thought process and strategy for OTT very differently. We are going to get these multiple brands under a single umbrella and we will do a exciting launch in the near future.

    What will be your go-to market strategy then? 

    One should not view this market (in India) purely as AVoD or SVoD or TVoD. All of those models will still be exist because we are seeing the potential.  

    BARC recently put out some numbers saying there are some 103 million home who still don’t have access to television. So, what happened to those homes do they leapfrog to digital for they have already done so?

    Going by our Ditto expereince, I do believe we have reached out to a far greater audience than currently being targeted by BARC. Once EKAM (BARC’digital video measurement service) comes in, I hope you will realize that the last mile has expanded a little more because of the option of being able to watch live television on digital.

    Will OTT and traditional linear television both survive or cannibalise?

    Look at the consumer eyeballs around you and you resist all you want but the fact is this little device becomes the single point for us for most of our  content. Huge brands across the globe are now revisiting the way they are spending advertising money saying they wanted a particular urban audience or millennial audience. For the youth, they are possible smarter to put it on OTT.

    Having said that, while one is not making big prophecies about the death of television but you are going to see a trend. We have over 30 OTT players today. It doesn’t make any sense, it’s a loss pool today, and more and more people are jumping in. But, everybody is making a punt for the future.

    Zee Group, the parent company, completely got out of owning sports content. Aren’t you losing on a huge chunk of young audience who are digitally literate and could be your subscribers.

    It might be true but there are choices you make. You can’t do everything and so, I think, the concept was very clear if you couldn’t be the leader or number two in that space we rather move on and use the investment in the other areas.

  • dittoTV bags Social Samosa media award

    MUMBAI: dittoTV, India’s leading live TV platform, has bagged the Bronze Award in the first edition of Best Social Media Brands Awards, organized by popular social media news portal Social Samosa, in the Media and Entertainment category. The awards saw over 130 entries pouring in across 25 categories. dittoTV, India’s leading LIVE TV platform has observed phenomenal growth since its launch in June 2016, and has now emerged a winner in the social media space.

    Commenting on the addition of this feather in dittoTV’s cap, Archana Anand – Head of Digital – India Z5 Business says, “In a digital world where brands need to be engaging and regularly connect with their audience, this win for dittoTV comes as an achievement that will make us compete with full gusto and vie for the top-spot in the coming year.”

    dittoTV has witnessed a spike in the number of followers and engagement across its social media platforms, such as, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and the dittoTV blog due to its interactive and engaging social media presence. Viewers stay hooked to the OTT platform owing to the vast bouquet of content that it offers, across multiple genres, and at an extremely affordable price.

    Pitted amongst other stalwarts in the social media space, dittoTV is the only OTT player to have won an award for masterfully engaging an audience over an extended period, especially during its #BeesKaTV campaign in July, last year. Launched in June 2016, at a disruptive price of INR 20, dittoTV succeeded in democratizing television for viewers across India. The campaign generated tremendous buzz on all social platforms & helped in establishing the brand as the go-to LIVE TV platform for the Indian youth.