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Tag: Asia-Pacific

  • Twitter hires Sonali Malaviya as head – business marketing

    Twitter hires Sonali Malaviya as head – business marketing

    MUMBAI: Twitter has appointed Sonali Malaviya as country business marketing head for India as part of Twitter’s Global Business Marketing team (GBM).

     

    She will be based at the Twitter office in Delhi and report to Twitter international marketing director Frederique Covington, who is based in Singapore.

     

    Malaviya will be responsible for marketing and messaging that helps businesses understand and embrace Twitter’s advertising solutions in India. She will set the vision for business marketing strategy, segmentation, and events. In her role, she will create and evolve the Twitter story to win the hearts and minds of advertisers and agencies, while resonating across the broader advertising spectrum.

     

    Covington said, “India is one of our key growth markets for Twitter in Asia Pacific and we are committed to delivering more value to the local advertising community through real-time marketing solutions. We are excited to have Sonali join the Twitter flock and to further educate and engage with brand advertisers and agencies in India through her vast experience and expertise.”

     

    Malaviya added, “Twitter is the place for discovering what’s happening in your world right now, sharing your interests with others, and expressing your thoughts and opinions. As an individual, those are traits that I identify with and it’s truly amazing to have the opportunity to live my passion at Twitter. I’m thrilled to be joining a supercharged team and contribute my media agency experience to Twitter at this exciting time of digital transformation for brands in India.”

     

    With more than 15 years’ of experience in the marketing industry, Malaviya previously worked at GroupM. Prior to that, she worked at PHD in Dubai, and at Roy Morgan Research in Australia.

  • Indian advertising market leads BRIC with 11% growth rate in 2015: Carat

    Indian advertising market leads BRIC with 11% growth rate in 2015: Carat

    MUMBAI: The Indian advertising market is all set to witness a double digit growth rate of 11 per cent in 2015, which is the highest growth rate amongst the BRIC markets. The growth boost came from the ICC Cricket World Cup, which was held earlier in the year. Moreover, in 2016, India is poised to see a growth rate of 12 per cent, according to the Carat Ad Spend Report of September 2015.

    The year 2015 looks buoyant for the Indian advertising market as optimism continues to flood the market with growth prospects remaining high in the country, propelled by the election of a pro-business government in 2014 and the revival in investment.

    Of the other BRIC countries, while the advertising market in both Brazil and China is expected to see a growth rate of six per cent each in 2015, Russia will be an aberration as the economy has been affected by the sharp drop in oil prices and Western sanctions following the annexation of Crimea last year. The Russian advertising market has been severely affected with advertising revenues decreased by 16 per cent in 1H 2015. Carat predicts the total is market forecast to decrease by 14 per cent in 2015, a revision down from the decrease of 7.1 per cent previously forecast in the March 2015 report.

    DIGITAL AND MOBILE FORECAST

    From a regional perspective, Carat confirms on-going positive momentum in 2015 for most regions although volatility occurs in some individual markets, with Western Europe at 2.6 per cent, 4.2 per cent in North America, 4.1 per cent in Asia Pacific and 12.7 per cent in Latin America.

    Despite a slight decline in growth forecasts due to China’s economic downturn, Asia Pacific remains strong in 2015 with an above global spend rate of 4.1 per cent, driven by high-performing India at 11 per cent and growing Australia at 2.4 per cent. 

    The report predicted continued optimism through positive global and regional outlook and solid growth in Digital and Mobile. Based on data received from 59 markets across the Americas, Asia Pacific and EMEA, global advertising spend will grow by four per cent in 2015 to $529 billion, a slight decline from the 4.6 per cent predicted in March 2015. Moreover, in 2016 it is predicted to grow by 4.7 per cent, accounting for an additional $25 billion in spend as per Carat’s latest global advertising expenditure report. 

    Fuelled by the rise of Mobile and Online Video spending trends, the report reconfirms the continued solid growth for Digital media, evident through the upsurge in the predicted share of advertising spend in 2015 of 24.3 per cent and 26.5 per cent in 2016. For 10 of the markets analysed, including the UK, Ireland, Canada and Australia, Digital is now the principle media used based on spend, with the US market predicted to join this list in 2018 when digital advertising spend is forecast to overtake TV advertising by more than $4 billion.

    DIGITAL

    By media, Digital with 15.7 per cent growth in 2015, continues to be the only channel warranting double digital growth and is predicted slightly lower at 14.3 per cent in 2016. This is driven by the high demand for Mobile and Online Video advertising especially across social media, with 51.2 per cent and 22 per cent year-on-year growth expected this year.

    TELEVISION

    Programmatic buying is also experiencing rapid growth at a rate of 20 per cent each year. TV remains both dominant and resilient with a steady 42 per cent market share of global advertising spends in 2015 and is predicted to grow by more than three per cent in 2016, as the upcoming Olympic Games and US elections are expected to drive considerable viewership.

    Thirty eight out of the 59 markets analysed, report TV still as their leading medium, with 17 out of these 37 markets showing that more than 50 per cent of their advertising spend is still placed on TV, including Italy, China and Brazil. 

     

    ONLINE VIDEO

    Online Video is forecast to grow at a rate of 22 per cent this year and a forecast of 19 per cent in 2016, as previously predicted in the March 2015 report. With cross-device measurement tools becoming more robust, and access to premium content increasingly available, greater investments from TV budgets are being allocated into Digital, moving from a ‘channel-first’ mind set to an ‘audience-first’ focused approach. Brands are starting to understand the reach and potential of moving their investment to Online Video as the lines between linear broadcasts and digital increasingly blur. Growth in Online Video will also be fuelled by the rise of programmatic video and more efficient/scalable video production via media partners.

    MOBILE

    Mobile is experiencing the greatest spend growth across all media. The opportunities
    to re-target consumers closer to purchase activity is a big driver. Carat forecasts growth in Mobile spend at 51.2 per cent in 2015, up from the previous prediction of 49.7 per cent in the March 2015 report and a predicted 44.5 per cent in 2016 up from the previous prediction in March 2015 of 41.9 per cent. In the US, Mobile ads targeted to both smartphones and tablets are predicted to capture up to 40 per cent of online display spend by 2019, currently accounting for 24 per cent of digital budgets.

    SOCIAL MEDIA

    Mobile and Online Video are also the key factors for Social Media advertising spend growth. Social Media advertising spend is rising, and moving to mobile and in-app placements. Both Twitter and Facebook report that over 70 per cent of their advertising revenue now comes from mobile, and the vast majority of this is now likely to be in-app rather than through the mobile web.

    NEWSPAPERS

    The age old Newspaper continue to capture the third highest share of total advertising spend, being the second most popular media type in India, and the third most popular for nine of the 13 top spending markets, including the US, Japan and UK. However, the market as a whole continues to fight against a difficult structural trend of spend shifting to digital platforms. As a result, traditional Print spend has been declining every year since 2008. Newspaper share of total advertising spend has been falling by over a percentage point each year, from 23 per cent in 2008 to a predicted 13 per cent in 2015 and 12 per cent in 2016.

    MAGAZINE, CINEMA, RADIO, OOH

    Despite the ongoing decline in Print spend, Carat’s forecasts confirm year-on-year growth for all other media with updated predictions for 2015 highlighting year-on-year growth in Cinema at 4.7 per cent, Radio at 1.3 per cent and Outdoor at 3.4 per cent, with the latter two slightly revised down from March 2015 figures.

    Magazines are forecast to decline by two per cent in 2015 and by 1.9 per cent in 2016. Magazine share of spend is forecast at 6.9 per cent in 2015 and 6.5 per cent in 2016.

    Dentsu Aegis Network CEO Jerry Buhlmann said, “Carat’s latest advertising spend forecast shows optimism balanced with realism during a year of increased volatility in major markets such as Russia and China. Noticeably, the landscape is becoming increasingly complex as previously grouped markets, such as the BRIC economies are now operating differently and economic situations can quickly change markets at pace. Our teams are well positioned to navigate our clients through this multi-faceted marketplace and successfully assimilate new market opportunities at speed.”

    “Digital media continues to achieve outstanding growth as the effectiveness of this medium and results achieved, especially with the millennials, warrants the upsurge in spend levels. As digital rapidly evolves into a more established asset and programmatic and search bring stronger performance and efficiency, we continue to add value to our clients by delivering innovative solutions that are different and better,” he added.

    Carat Global chief strategy officer Sanjay Nazerali said, “The media landscape is more complex and multi-faceted than ever before. The diversity of media, market volatility and the rising impact of geographical events are all influencing advertising spend. For global clients, this means a greater need to be aware of such evolving scenarios, to be agile and able to move spend where it can deliver the greatest return.”

  • Indian brands eye 25% increase in mobile marketing spends

    Indian brands eye 25% increase in mobile marketing spends

    MUMBAI: In this ever changing and developing world, which is led by technological advancements, brands need to constantly re-examine their strategies and explore the full extent of the tools at their disposal. In a scenario like this, the key to the mobile marketing industry’s success is for brands to take a focused and consumer-centric approach.

     

    What’s more, according to a research called “State of the industry – mobile marketing in India” conducted by WARC in conjunction with Mobile Marketing Association (MMA), around 75 per cent of Indian marketers are looking to raise their mobile marketing spends to 25 per cent from this year from 10 per cent or less from the previous years. What’s more, the number might even hit 50 per cent in the next five years.

     

    According to WARC Asia Pacific MD Edward Pank, the study indicated that Hindustan Unilever was the most innovative mobile brand in the country followed closely by Flipkart, Samsung, Amazon and Paytm while Telecom and Retail ead the way in terms of innovation and location based marketing.

     

    The annual MMA Forum India 2015, which was held in Gurgaon recently, was themed ‘Acquiring, Reaching and Engaging the Right Consumers through Mobile.’ The forum saw speakers from brands, agencies and technology companies, dissecting successful and innovative brand campaigns over the previous year to highlight the importance and effectiveness of mobile within the marketing mix.

     

    “Capability-building and innovation are key to the success of the mobile marketing industry. In light of the rapid evolution of technology, it’s important for brands to take a focused and consumer-centric approach to mobile,” said MMA Asia Pacific managing director Rohit Dadwal.

     

    The MMA Forum India 2015 kicked off with a keynote session by Unilever regional vice president – media Rahul Weld, who discussed Unilever’s innovative approach to marketing and its success in reaching out to the targeted customer through effective strategies.

     

    Talking about the importance of “seizing the moment” when reaching out to the consumer, Google India industry director – e-commerce, retail, online classifieds and technology Nitin Bawankule said, “The most effective way to reach out to the consumer is to target them in time of their need. Every consumer looks for solutions on their mobile devices and strategic advertising are key to catching the consumer at this moment.”

     

    Media specialist and writer Vanita Kohli-Khandekar and Vserv co-founder & CEO Dippak Khurana brought to light the various aspects of mobile commerce, advertising and data that can help shrink the intent-purchase gap. 

     

    Talking about the need to share data to leverage its power to reach, engage and acquire the consumer, Khurana said that publishers with significant “consumer attention” will try to move to commerce and that while consumers in India have regularly demonstrated their appetite to pay through mobile, marketers have been shy of sharing data that could help them buy through mobile platforms, significantly limiting their success.

     

    Madhouse Inc founder & CEO Joshua Maa discussed the similarities and the difference between different Asian markets with a focus on India and China during his session – “No two markets are the same yet they are not different.” He covered aspects and opportunities where India could learn from China and vice versa.

     

    Group M CEO CVL Srinivas moderated a panel discussion with Pepsico India vice president – beverages category Vipul Prakash, ZEEL chief business officer Sunil Buch and OLX India CEO Amarjit Singh Batra, where they shared insights on becoming “mobile capable” and how media owners, brands and agencies can come together to build mobile insight and capability to achieve the desired level of maturity.

     

    Yahoo Asia Pacific senior director marketing Nitin Mathur unveiled the various aspects of Flurry, the mobile-analytics company acquired by Yahoo, and discussed its potential to influence the consumer by tracking their behaviour on apps and building personalised and relevant communication thereby highlighting the need for more such tools in the space.

     

    Opera Mediaworks Asia managing director Vikas Gulati illustrated the effectiveness of mobile devices in connecting brands and consumers by discussing the success of AskMeBazaar.com’s campaign with Askme India group CMO Manav Sethi and Findit Malaysia that was executed by Opera MediaWorks. Gulati discussed at length, the power that mobile empowers brands with, to control consumer behaviour as they are most intimate and used media device.

     

    As part of the MMA forum 2015, Madhouse – South Asia COO Milind Pathak introduced the winners of Madlabs, a platform introduced by Madhouse to showcase the innovative mobile communications and solutions in the startup ecosystem and espoused the effective use of mobile to reach out the targeted consumer.

     

    The MMA Forum was followed by the MMA’s mobile excellence awards program – SMARTIES India 2015 where the winners from 15 categories and five Industry awards were announced.

     

    Over 330 delegates and 34 industry leaders representing the mobile marketing ecosystem in the country came together for the day-long event to discuss and deliberate over the future of the industry.

  • Discovery to premiere ‘The Lion Queens of India’ on 28 September

    Discovery to premiere ‘The Lion Queens of India’ on 28 September

    MUMBAI: Discovery Channel is all set to highlight the women forest guards, who are on a mission to preserve the endangered species of the Asiatic lions in the Gir National Park, in a series called The Lion Queens of India. 

     

    Discovery Channel will premiere the four-part series on 28 September at 9 pm.

     

    These courageous women risk their lives every day to rescue vulnerable lions, heal defenceless cubs, reduce human-animal conflict and assist villagers who face accidental animal attacks. The series highlights their unwavering commitment to preserve the lions and its habitat and offers an ode to their spirit and dedication.

     

    The four-part series brings alive some of the most daring wildlife action sequences on television for the first time. From rescuing a lion stuck in an open well, healing a badly injured lioness with three little cubs in the middle of the night, retrieving a wayward leopard from a farmer’s house or catching and releasing a deadly Russell’s viper are all part of their daily job. 

     

    Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific EVP & GM – South Asia Rahul Johri said, “Discovery Channel recognises Indian women forest guards who are holding one of most dangerous and impactful professions. The Lion Queens of India captures an inspirational journey of skilled women team in the wild and highlights riveting real-life challenges they face during the course of their duty.”

     

    The rescue team is headed by Junagadh Forest Division deputy conservator of forests Raj Sandeep, assisted by Trupti A. Joshi (in-charge range officer) and Rasila P. Vadher (in-charge rescue team). An exceptional 28 year old forest guard, Vadher, along with many other gallant women have carried out over 600 rescue missions last year – perhaps amongst the highest number in any wildlife park in the world. 

     

    The channel will also air the series on 5 October. 

  • Viacom18 broadens reach with Rishtey Asia launch; rebrands channel in UK, US

    Viacom18 broadens reach with Rishtey Asia launch; rebrands channel in UK, US

    MUMBAI: Viacom 18 has launched the Asian version of its Hindi variety entertainment channel Rishtey, which will be beamed across 20 countries in the Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa region.

     

    Additionally, the network has also rebranded Rishtey in the UK and US to Rishtey Europe and Rishtey Americas. 

     

    The content on the channels is specially curated with shows catering to the specific needs of the viewers in the respective regions.

     

    IndiaCast group CEO Anuj Gandhi said, “After receiving an encouraging response from viewers in the UK and US, we are now looking at expanding our reach in the APAC, Middle East & Africa regions. Rishtey Asia is a wholesome entertainment channel, which connects everyone in the family making it a preferred entertainment destination for viewers. With the channel now being available across twenty countries, we are strengthening our ties with distribution networks to engage with a larger audience segment.”

     

    In Australia and New Zealand, Rishtey Asia will be available on Vision Asia, Yupp TV, Lebara Media Sevices. The channel will further be available on Eitisalat, Du and Yupp TV in the Middle East, Azam TV, Space TV and Mauritius Telecom in Africa, Digital System of Nepal in Nepal, and Scan International Company in Thailand.

     

    IndiaCast business head – Middle East & Africa Sachin Gokhale added, “We have thoroughly studied the content need gaps existing in the South Asian TV space in Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific regions and through Rishtey, have created a unique channel with carefully handpicked content that will fill those gaps and deliver never before seen entertainment to our viewers. The channel has carefully put together the best content across various genres ranging from drama, lifestyle and kids, to youth and blockbuster Hindi movies, giving the discerning viewer access to new and exciting content options. Our content is conducive to creative marketing campaigns, and through the insights provided by our research team, we hope to mobilize and engage audiences online and offline.”

     

    Speaking on the re-branding of Rishtey Europe and Rishtey Americas, Gandhi said, “Through the rebranding exercise, we have carefully aggregated a diverse programming line-up across genres, bringing together an eclectic mix of shows not only from the Viacom18 bouquet of offerings, but also syndicated from broadcasters across the globe. We are confident that geo-targeting the content for Rishtey Europe and Rishtey Americas will enable us to further engage with our viewers.”

     

    Rishtey Europe is currently available on Freeview, Sky, Virgin, Freesat and leading OTT platforms, whereas Rishtey Americas is available on Dish and Sling in USA, Flow in the Caribbean region (Trinidad & Tobago) and Bell and Rogersin Canada.

     

    “Our business has grown more than four times in last three and half years, and 30 – 35 per cent of our revenue comes from global business,” Gandhi informed.

     

    Colors & Rishtey CEO Raj Nayak added, “Since its inception in 2012, Rishtey, as a brand, has adapted its content, to regional viewer preferences, which has struck a favourable chord in UK, USA and Canada. We are confident that the new content line-up will appeal to our regional viewers in the respective markets and further add to the success of the channels given the widespread appeal of the channel across-age groups. We believe that the time is right for us to elevate the positioning and programming line-up of Rishtey Europe and Rishtey Americas.”

     

    The content line-up on Rishtey Europe and Rishtey Americas includes young love stories Kaisi Yeh Yaariyan, Turkish drama Pabband Ishq, period drama Siyaasat and the Pakistani show Nail Polish.

     

    The channel will also offer kids’ content Luv Kush and Krishna Balram giving regional viewers a flavour of Indian mythology. Bollywood films like Hasee Toh Phasee, I Love New Year, and Bombay Talkies amongst others will also be available for viewers.

     

    If consumers want only regional content of a particular language, they need to subscribe to the base pack first and then choose the specific pack, a system that can certainly get disrupted by the OTT development. “OTT players will bring in huge change in the ecosystem as it gives consumer the total control of paying for particular content. Australia is an example of that where in people have shifted to OTT and IPTV. Niche channels will see a huge growth with the establishment of OTT players,” informed Gandhi.

  • APAC shows highest growth in ad spends over mobile web: Smaato report

    APAC shows highest growth in ad spends over mobile web: Smaato report

    MUMBAI:  Real-time advertising platform Smaato recently released its Global Trends in Mobile Programmatic report, by analysing data from billions of mobile ad impressions served on its exchange during the first half of 2015. As per the report, Asia Pacific countries recorded the highest growth during the first half of 2015 with India growing by 279 per cent followed by Singapore 225 per cent, Indonesia, 142 per cent and Malaysia 126 per cent.

    “Asia Pacific (APAC) showed the most growth during the first half of 2015 vs. the first six months of 2014, with China delivering an astounding 315 per cent increase in growth, India showing a 279 per cent increase in growth and Singapore growing by 225 per cent. More disposable income means bigger and more powerful smartphones; this in turn drives both the publisher/app developer and mobile advertiser ecosystems that rely on Smaato’s platform,” reads the report.

    When it comes to Smaato exchange, the report suggests India takes the second rank in top 10 countries list by supply and ranks third by spending.

    “Rich media and larger ad sizes are becoming increasingly popular in the Asia-Pacific as marketers use more creative and engaging content to get their messages across,” said  Smaato Asia Pacific vice president and general manager Malcolm Wong.

    “The average individual would have about 27 applications on their smartphone (Nielsen 2014), and with a voracious appetite for mobile applications observed in the Asia-Pacific, more advertising budgets could be expected to shift to mobile in future,” added Wong.

    Social apps like Facebook and Twitter could be the driving force behind this surge in mobile web usage. According to a recent report from IAB, 52 per cent of smartphone owners say they tap links in mobile apps that take them to web articles they want to read.

    “The shift to mobile began with the mobile web – and then apps took over,” said Smaato CEO Ragnar Kruse. “Although we can’t say for sure whether we’re looking at a huge comeback of the medium, the fact remains that publishers and advertisers can’t afford to ignore the mobile web. Mobile ad strategies -whether it be the size of ads or the use of rich media – must be created with both app and mobile web usage in mind,” he added.

  • Zee launches TV app for APAC market

    Zee launches TV app for APAC market

    MUMBAI: After making its application available to users in the US, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) has now launched the same for its Asia Pacific viewers, which gives them access to instant and unlimited access to a wide variety of content.

     

    Called Zeefamily.tv app, subscribers in the region can now enjoy a large library comprising hundreds of classic and new Bollywood movie and will also have access to episodes of Zee shows.

     

    Currently this service is available in Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand and Japan. It will be activated for six locations in Asia Pacific to start with post which it will be opened for the remaining markets. The app will contain more than 25+ Zee channels including general entertainment, movies, news and regional content thus offering one stop shop for complete entertainment experience.

     

    Zee business head Asia Pacific Sushruta Samanta said, “The app has received a wonderful traction in the US market since its launch. The catch-up feature and the VOD option have found strong preference within our viewers. We are expecting a similar trend in the widely distributed diaspora population within the Asia Pacific region.”

     

    It will act as an important tool to fight piracy and illegal viewership of our content within the online viewing community.

     

    The app is not only available on any web browser but also on devices including iOS and Android smart phones and tablets. The first 30 days will be given for free trial post which pay subscription will begin. 

     

    Viewers will be able to register for a TV package of its own choice on https://www.zeefamily.tv/Packages. Zee Family’s Subscription Video on Demand (SVOD) service will allow members to re-watch episodes of their favorite shows and for movie buffs special monthly movie subscription package that allows unlimited access to its library is available.

  • CNN named number one international news brand in India and Asia Pacific

    CNN named number one international news brand in India and Asia Pacific

    MUMBAI: CNN has been named the number one international news brand according to the latest Ipsos Affluent Survey Asia Pacific, reaching an unrivalled one in three upscale consumers in the region. CNN is consumed by more affluents in Asia Pacific in all daily, weekly and monthly metrics, as well as on all platforms of TV, online and mobile. In India, CNN is the leader amongst international news brands in multiplatform and digital reach, and also accumulates more TV viewers each month than BBC World News.

     

    Among international news brands and across platforms, CNN is the preferred destination for India’s affluent audience, with 20% monthly reach – significantly ahead of the next-placed brand (BBC World News). CNN is also the leading international news brand in terms of monthly TV reach as well as digital (websites & apps) reach, where CNN has a lead of over 50% compared to the next-placed international news brand (BBC World News).

     

    At the regional, Asia Pacific level, the survey shows every month CNN is consumed by over a third (34%) of the region’s affluent audience across all platforms, which is 40% more than the next largest news brand (BBC World News 24%) and twice as many as the third-placed brand (CNBC 16%). Each month CNN also reaches a large proportion of elusive target groups such as frequent business travelers (65%), opinion leaders* (51%), and top management (46%).

     

    On TV, CNN is the most watched international news channel with 27% monthly, 18% weekly and 6% daily reach. This is far ahead of the other news channels including BBC World News (18% monthly, 12% weekly and 4% daily), CNBC (12%, 8%, 2%), Channel NewsAsia (10%, 7%, 4%) and Bloomberg TV (7%, 5%, 1%). In a single week CNN reaches 99% as many upscale consumers as BBC World News does in an entire month. The research also shows over the course of a month 29% of CNN TV viewers watch CNN exclusively, watching no other news or business channel**.

     

    On digital platforms (websites and apps), CNN is ahead of all news and entertainment brands with 54% higher monthly reach than the next largest brand (CNN 9% monthly reach versus BBC World News 5%).

     

    CNN’s continual dominance extends beyond Asia Pacific with the Ipsos Affluent Global survey also released today showing CNN reaches 40% of upscale consumers and decision-makers in Europe, Middle East, Africa, Latin America and Asia combined. This audience is larger than all other news competitors in every metric across TV and digital platforms. The IPSOS Affluent Global findings follow CNN registering a global digital audience of 99 million Unique Visitors in comScore’s August data – over 25 million ahead of the BBC (73 million)****.  

     

    Rani Raad, Chief Commercial Officer, CNN International: “These results prove once again CNN has the winning combination of quality and quantity. CNN has an unrivalled ability to connect with affluent consumers and hard-to-reach groups and does so in large numbers. It’s been an extraordinary year for major news stories and these results are testament to the relevance and importance of CNN’s first-class journalism in Asia and all corners of the globe.”

     

  • CNN International’s Ellana Lee promoted to international role

    CNN International’s Ellana Lee promoted to international role

    MUMBAI: CNN International Asia Pacific vice president and managing editor Ellana Lee has been promoted to senior vice president of CNN International, adding international oversight of the network’s expansive roster of feature programs while continuing to manage CNN’s editorial operation across Asia Pacific. Working in close partnership with colleagues at Turner International, Lee will also be charged with developing CNN International’s business operations worldwide from the Asia headquarters in Hong Kong.                            

     

    Making the announcement, CNN International executive vice president and managing editor Tony Maddox said, “In this new role, Ellana becomes our most senior executive outside of the US. Ellana is the perfect fit for this new role. She already has an important job on her hands looking after the network’s editorial output in Asia Pacific but we’re thrilled she will now undertake an international role overseeing the network’s feature programming and spearheading business operations internationally.” 

     

    Lee has had a longstanding and accomplished career at CNN, having initially worked in New York as a producer. She was named a ‘Young Global Leader’ by the World Economic Forum, is an Asia 21 fellow as awarded by the Asia Society and is a graduate of Harvard’s ‘Global Leadership and Public Policy for the 21st Century’ Executive Program.  

     

    CNN International today also announced further key staff appointments in Asia Pacific, strengthening the network’s newsgathering and editorial capabilities in the region. 

     

    Other new roles to be based in the CNN International Hong Kong bureau include: supervising producer Mitra Mobasherat; assignment editor Chieu Luu; news field producer Pamela Boykoff; business field producer Felicia Wong; planning editor Bex Wright; business planning editor Jonathan Stayton; features producer Michala Sabnani; and associate features producer Alisha Haridasani. In addition, senior international correspondent Ivan Watson moved to Hong Kong last week and will now be permanently based in Asia. 

     

    “This new structure helps us to continue delivering the outstanding editorial output across all platforms that has seen us serve audiences worldwide with award-winning newsgathering and programming. I couldn’t be happier with the team we now have in place,” added Maddox. 

     

    These appointments come after a string of recent awards and accolades for the network including the Royal Television Society’s ‘News Channel of the Year’ for the second straight year and the ‘Cable and Satellite Channel of the Year’ at 2013 Asian Television Awards. In addition, the latest IPSOS survey results show CNN is the leading international news brand in the Asia Pacific region across television, online and mobile.

  • Leo Burnett consolidates Asia Pacific and Greater China regions

    Leo Burnett consolidates Asia Pacific and Greater China regions

    MUMBAI: Leo Burnett Worldwide chairman and CEO Tom Bernardin announced the  consolidation  of  the agency’s  operations  across  Greater  China  and  Asia Pacific.

     

    Leo  Burnett  Asia  Pacific president Jarek Ziebinski  will  take charge as the chairman and CEO for the consolidated operation including China as of 1 September 2014. The regional chairman and CEO of Greater China, Eddie Booth, will retire after 15 years with the agency. Booth will continue to be with the agency until 31 December to see through the smooth transition of leadership.

     

    Said Bernardin, “Eddie and I have been in talks regarding his plans to retire from the agency over the past year. After more than 20 years in the industry and 15 years of successful leadership at Leo Burnett in Greater China, Eddie has decided it’s time to retire from advertising. We want to thank him for his wonderful  work building  Leo Burnett Greater China to what it is today and wish him every success as he embarks on his new journey in life.”

     

    In his new role, Ziebinski will continue to report directly to Bernardin and will split his time between Shanghai and Singapore.  Leo Burnett China group CEO Donald Chan will be assuming additional duties to oversee Leo Burnett Hong Kong. Both Chan Leo Burnett Taiwan group CEO Margaret Huang will report to Ziebinski.

     

    “The  consolidation  of  Leo  Burnett’s  Asia  Pacific  and  Greater  China  operations  is  a  strategic decision to bring together the best of the network’s resources, talents and capabilities across these two important regions under one proven leader. The scale and efficiencies Leo Burnett will be able to achieve from the consolidation will enable the network to deliver greater value for our clients’ businesses in today’s environment of remarkable change and possibilities,” said Bernardin.

     

    Continued Bernardin, “Jarek’s track record of success across two very different regions – central eastern Europe and Asia Pacific – at Leo Burnett speaks for itself. The growth and momentum  he delivered for Leo Burnett in Asia Pacific over the past five years makes him the ideal candidate to take  over  the  consolidated  leadership  of  Leo  Burnett  in  this  region.  Asia  Pacific  is  a  critically important region for the Leo Burnett global network and I’m confident that with Jarek at the helm, he will be able to help us deliver the best in the world, bar none.”