Tag: celebrity

In collaboration with HeyHey, Gajendra Verma launches ‘Maar Sutteya’ NFTs

Mumbai: Singer Gajendra Verma has teamed up with HeyHey to enter the web3 arena. HeyHey is an online platform that powers immersive connections between celebrities, influencers, creators, and businesses globally, using technology.

Verma launched his new song, Maar Sutteya, featuring American hip-hop band Flipsyde,. The song, which was released on 10 October, has received major traction all over social media. As for the second part, the song was released alongside an industry-first NFT collection. The Maar Sutteya NFT collection was released on 18 October on HeyHey’s NFT marketplace. This is also the first of many NFT projects that Verma will be launching in the near future. The collaboration will further enable the fan following of Verma to get exclusive perks upon getting their NFTs.

To add to it, the Maar Sutteya NFT collection is offered in three categories. Maar Sutteya Genesis NFTs, the first category, are a collection of unique posters for the song that are available to everyone as a free souvenir. The second category, “Maar Sutteya Alpha NFTs,” includes some memorable parts of the song that have been recorded and converted to GIF format. The third category, Maar Sutteya Supreme NFTs, consists of a selection of behind-the-scenes footage from the recording of the song that is available only to those who buy the NFTs.

“We are delighted to collaborate with the well-known singer and performer Gajendra Verma and are happy to make a difference in the web3 community space. The web3 world evolves every day with news of innovation, development, updates, or new artists entering the space. Gajendra Verma is famously known for being the voice of unforgettable songs like Mann Mera and Tera Ghata, amongst many other hits. And we are extremely delighted that we could make a difference to his recent hit Maar Sutteya and showcase a different dynamic in the NFT space,” said HeyHey CEO and founder Caleb Franklin.

Nonetheless, Maar Sutteya NFTs come with access passes and prospects for everyone who claims them. One of these is having special access to the Gajendra Verma fan community on Discord, and in addition to many other benefits, NFT holders stand the chance to win one-on-one conversations with him and appear on his social media broadcasts.

Fans can find out more about the perks and pricing of Gajendra Verma’s Maar Sutteya NFTs on HeyHey’s marketplace, www.heylabs.io.

October 25, 2022
Amitabh Bachchan is the most recognised celebrity in the country: Hansa Research’s Brand Endorser Report

Mumbai: Hansa Research’s Brand Endorser Report has ranked Amitabh Bachchan as the most recognised celebrity in the country with a very high all India rank. Bachchan leads among the likes of MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Akshay Kumar, Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan and other favourites who are younger than him and who are also perhaps more active in their respective fields.

The Brand Endorser is a report of research conducted across 36 Indian cities. As per the syndicated study, Amitabh Bachchan is the most recognised celebrity in the country with the highest-ever recognition score of 92 per cent. He is perceived to be a global personality: self-made, relatable, influential, fit, energetic, sophisticated, and trustworthy. These factors make him a compelling brand ambassador for a range of products.

Hansa Research CEO Praveen Nijhara said, “Our study Brand Endorser is a holistic and comprehensive assessment of the value that an endorser brings to a brand. The study aids marketers to take informed decisions and improve the overall return of investment (ROI) in celebrity engagement.”

The celebrities are ranked as per the Brand Endorser (BE) Score results. They are tracked on various metrics like likability, social media influence, perception, marketing potential, recognition, etc., which make up their final BE score. While Bachchan has scored really high in the all India rank BE score, he ranks third in the west and north zone, ninth in the south zone, and eleventh in the east zone. The ‘Shahenshah of Bollywood,’ as he is fondly called, has a strong presence and mark in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab, Maharashtra and Gujarat.

At the age of 79, Bachchan is one of the most ubiquitous personalities, endorsing various brands, providing voiceovers with his trademark baritone, acting in Indian films and Hollywood, and hosting one of the longest running game shows on Indian television, Kaun Banega Crorepati.

Hansa Research’s Brand Endorser Report covered more than 550 celebrities across domains in the country. For this study, the research was conducted amongst 5,100 respondents across 36 cities in the country. To measure the results, structured interviews were conducted across India through online and offline methodologies to understand the standings and performances of shortlisted celebrities.

July 25, 2022
Taboola releases readership insights for April 2022

Mumbai: Taboola, a front-runner in powering recommendations for the open web, today released the readership insights for the month of April, 2022. These insights from Taboola’s Newsroom revealed the topics of interest of Indian readers that gauged their attention. Over the last month, a huge surge in the page view traffic on specific subject-focused articles showcased a tremendous shift in the reading interest of the population, increasing their awareness of the ongoing pandemic and keeping themselves entertained.

Here are some of the key insights revealed from the readership trends released:

The threat of new Covid Wave

The rising cases of coronavirus in the subcontinent alerted the readers as Taboola Newsroom saw a 65 percent surge in readership to 23 million pageviews peaking in mid-April. As Delhi and NCR region reported maximum cases, article headlines mentioning Delhi and COVID also peaked by 137 percent.

India’s love for cricket

Nothing causes a stronger buzz in India as much as cricket does. The new season of IPL caused an 877 percent surge in the readership by drawing a traffic of 14 million pageviews over the last 45 days. As people searched to gather updates about their favourite teams and players, Chennai Super Kings gained a lot of traffic during the season since the start of March while Gujarat Titans and Punjab Kings saw a surge from mid-April.

Celebrating celebrity unions

The celebrity wedding of Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor caused much anticipation in the country. According to Taboola Newsroom, Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor drove 24 million (350 percent) and 15 million (1,831 percent) pageviews since early April, respectively. The couple tied the knot on 14 April 2022 and continue to drive readership in the entertainment segment as the country is geared up to know more about the newlyweds.

Data from Taboola Newsroom identifies topics and news categories, which have seen an increase in pageview traffic for the past 53 days. This data comes from the wide network of Indian news publishers Taboola works with. Taboola’s news publisher partners have access to data on trending topics in the Topic Insights part of Taboola Newsroom, a real-time audience analytics platform.

May 18, 2022
FOX Life celebrates a perfect celebrity mismatch in Great Escape’s new season

MUMBAI: He’s rugged, she’s delicate. He’s adventurous, and she is spiritual. They are two friends who, at a distance, might seem like polar opposites. But get closer and you are sure to be surprised. FOX Life, India’s favorite premium lifestyle channel, is all set to give its viewers a closer look at the 15-year-old friendship between music legend Vishal Dadlani, and actress and VJ Sarah Jane Dias, on the new season of ‘Great Escape’. This is the third edition of Fox Life’s successful India’s home-grown franchise ‘Great Escape’ and will feature travel tales of ‘the bold and the beautiful’ from their expedition to some of the most visually stunning parts of Himachal Pradesh, starting from the hill town of Shimla and ending at the Golden Temple in Amritsar.

For Vishal and Sarah, this is first trip they have taken together in their 15 years of friendship, and it definitely promises to be a journey of a lifetime. As they embark on a 10-day road trip across the less explored regions of Himachal Pradesh, viewers will get a chance to get up-close-and-personal with the duo. Together, the two will be seen throwing each other in into a sea full of challenges and experiences. From Sarah trying her best to make Vishal do a round of morning yoga to Vishal encouraging Sarah to rappel down a waterfall, the two leave no stone unturned in making their road trip epic.

Talking about the show, National Geographic & FOX Networks Group India, Head – Productions, Shruti Takulia says, “Both Sarah and Vishal resonate perfectly Fox Life’s brand philosophy which is to ‘Never Stop’ and always seek more out of life. The show will be an absolute treat for travel junkies, since it will showcase some of Himachal’s most beautiful, but lesser travelled to sites. The show will also give viewers an intimate view of Vishal and Sarah, showcasing an unknown side of the personality that can only come out through travel experiences. The chemistry and camaraderie of these two celebs, who have known each other for 15 years, but have completely opposite personalities, is definitely something that will keep viewers hooked on to the show.”

June 22, 2018
New iGameLeague allows advertisers to sponsor individual players

MUMBAI: iGameLeague – a platform through which mobile games for all age groups can be played offline or online professionally anytime and anywhere, aims at revolutionizing the industry as it allows advertisers to become sponsors of individual players.

The platform has been created by four experts – serial entrepreneur Devesh Gupta, sales and marketing maverick Nilesh Thakkar, animation and VFX industry veteran Susanta Dutta and Nishith Maheshwari. “IGameLeague is first and sole professional mobile gaming platform in India. How YouTube is a platform for video the same we are for gaming industry with monopoly,” said co-founder NIlesh Thakkar.

“Apart from print, TV, outdoor, radio and online, IGameLeage will add as yet another medium for advertising, where users not only play and win cash, the media partners and advertiser also reach their target audience,” Thakkar shared, adding, “Being a sole platform, brands like Citrus will give our users Rs 50 per players as sponsors. So we bring ready advertiser with us.”

As per Thakkar, the startup is already valued at Rs 70 crore after investment from venture capitals.

Bringing alive the idea of ‘Play Mobile games –Win Real Cash’, the platform has more than 20 popular mobile games on the platform. With a very simple and easy to use interface, players can download, register and start winning cash from their favourite games.

After testing the waters through a beta launch in Mumbai where more than 2300 students from 18 top colleges including HR, Nationals, Thakur, KJ Somaiya, etc participated, iGL is in the process of doing a massive national launch of the platform through Brand, Media and Celebrity partnerships.

Various business houses have evinced interest in buying the territorial rights of various regions of the platform.

Since it has brought to the fore a completely new age medium for mass engagement, it is expected to be lapped up by the Smartphone and IT industry.

March 3, 2016
New iGameLeague allows advertisers to sponsor individual players

MUMBAI: iGameLeague – a platform through which mobile games for all age groups can be played offline or online professionally anytime and anywhere, aims at revolutionizing the industry as it allows advertisers to become sponsors of individual players.

The platform has been created by four experts – serial entrepreneur Devesh Gupta, sales and marketing maverick Nilesh Thakkar, animation and VFX industry veteran Susanta Dutta and Nishith Maheshwari. “IGameLeague is first and sole professional mobile gaming platform in India. How YouTube is a platform for video the same we are for gaming industry with monopoly,” said co-founder NIlesh Thakkar.

“Apart from print, TV, outdoor, radio and online, IGameLeage will add as yet another medium for advertising, where users not only play and win cash, the media partners and advertiser also reach their target audience,” Thakkar shared, adding, “Being a sole platform, brands like Citrus will give our users Rs 50 per players as sponsors. So we bring ready advertiser with us.”

As per Thakkar, the startup is already valued at Rs 70 crore after investment from venture capitals.

Bringing alive the idea of ‘Play Mobile games –Win Real Cash’, the platform has more than 20 popular mobile games on the platform. With a very simple and easy to use interface, players can download, register and start winning cash from their favourite games.

After testing the waters through a beta launch in Mumbai where more than 2300 students from 18 top colleges including HR, Nationals, Thakur, KJ Somaiya, etc participated, iGL is in the process of doing a massive national launch of the platform through Brand, Media and Celebrity partnerships.

Various business houses have evinced interest in buying the territorial rights of various regions of the platform.

Since it has brought to the fore a completely new age medium for mass engagement, it is expected to be lapped up by the Smartphone and IT industry.

March 3, 2016
Just Buy launches marketing campaign targeting shopkeepers

MUMBAI: With an aim to empower retailers, e-distributor Just Buy Live has launched a marketing campaign – Just Buy, Ek App, Ek Awaaz, which highlights the brand’s emotional connect with retailers and the challenges they face.

The campaign began with teaser ads comprising four thematic TVCs centre staging challenges faced by small retailers. The week-long teaser campaign culminated with the reveal of Just Buy Live. The TVCs were launched simultaneously on YouTube.

Just Buy Live’s ATL campaign was conceptualised and executed by Ferry Wharf Communications (FWC).

Just Buy Live chairman and CEO Sahil Sani said, “As the world’s first e-distributor we had to resist the temptation of simply announcing: ‘here’s a revolutionary product’. Instead we took a step back and looked at why we came up with Just Buy.”

“Just Buy was born out exasperation with traditional distribution systems that put the retailer, the Aam Dukandaar, at a disadvantage. Add to it the real threat to the Aam Dukandaar’s business because of the discount-scale model of online retailers, and we have a potent combination of status quo (of distribution) colliding with frustration and uncertainty experienced by the Aam Dukandaar,” Sani elaborated.

Just Buy Live co-founder and managing director Bharat Balachandran added, “For me, Just Buy is not only the world’s first e-distributor. It is a movement, a revolution that will give back the Aam Dukandaar his confidence, financially and emotionally. The only difference between a retailer and us is that everyone only seems to care about us. Us as in you and me, the consumers.”

FWC director Theron Carmine said, “In the process of getting a product from the manufacturer to the customer, the most important point is where the customer actually interacts with the product. That point is the retail store and surprisingly, it is the most neglected link in the chain. The average shopkeeper doesn’t understand the online retail model, valuations, funding etc. and is perplexed by the fact that online businesses are making losses and yet have big bucks to spend on advertising campaigns. He is unable to understand this loss-making business model and wonders why it is the darling of the media and those in power.”

Network Media executive VP Nilesh Patil said, “The challenge was to target a segment that had no available media consumption data; we had to go beyond traditional thinking and market information. That’s where learning’s from past market visits came handy. We planned the media with a combination of data, gut feel and experience. The results are validating the approach, with a substantial number of downloads from the moment the reveal happened on TV.”

“When the only thing you know to earn a living is under threat, you feel trapped. This feeling of entrapment triggers a bunch of emotions. Some look outside for help and hope for a messiah, some explore the possibility of violent protests, while others see a conspiracy against them. On the other hand, when the family earnings suffer, the family suffers too. These very emotions have been captured in the TV commercials in both the teaser and reveal phases,” added FWC creative head Deven Sansare.

“The important emotional aspect that the TV campaign explores is the feeling among retailers that they are pitted against forces much larger than them. It is the classic David versus Goliath scenario that is playing out in the retailers’ minds and on the business front. Just Buy is the Aam Dukandaar’s voice, his awaaz. All we have done is given it a loudspeaker,” voiced Sani.

January 28, 2016
Just Buy launches marketing campaign targeting shopkeepers

MUMBAI: With an aim to empower retailers, e-distributor Just Buy Live has launched a marketing campaign – Just Buy, Ek App, Ek Awaaz, which highlights the brand’s emotional connect with retailers and the challenges they face.

The campaign began with teaser ads comprising four thematic TVCs centre staging challenges faced by small retailers. The week-long teaser campaign culminated with the reveal of Just Buy Live. The TVCs were launched simultaneously on YouTube.

Just Buy Live’s ATL campaign was conceptualised and executed by Ferry Wharf Communications (FWC).

Just Buy Live chairman and CEO Sahil Sani said, “As the world’s first e-distributor we had to resist the temptation of simply announcing: ‘here’s a revolutionary product’. Instead we took a step back and looked at why we came up with Just Buy.”

“Just Buy was born out exasperation with traditional distribution systems that put the retailer, the Aam Dukandaar, at a disadvantage. Add to it the real threat to the Aam Dukandaar’s business because of the discount-scale model of online retailers, and we have a potent combination of status quo (of distribution) colliding with frustration and uncertainty experienced by the Aam Dukandaar,” Sani elaborated.

Just Buy Live co-founder and managing director Bharat Balachandran added, “For me, Just Buy is not only the world’s first e-distributor. It is a movement, a revolution that will give back the Aam Dukandaar his confidence, financially and emotionally. The only difference between a retailer and us is that everyone only seems to care about us. Us as in you and me, the consumers.”

FWC director Theron Carmine said, “In the process of getting a product from the manufacturer to the customer, the most important point is where the customer actually interacts with the product. That point is the retail store and surprisingly, it is the most neglected link in the chain. The average shopkeeper doesn’t understand the online retail model, valuations, funding etc. and is perplexed by the fact that online businesses are making losses and yet have big bucks to spend on advertising campaigns. He is unable to understand this loss-making business model and wonders why it is the darling of the media and those in power.”

Network Media executive VP Nilesh Patil said, “The challenge was to target a segment that had no available media consumption data; we had to go beyond traditional thinking and market information. That’s where learning’s from past market visits came handy. We planned the media with a combination of data, gut feel and experience. The results are validating the approach, with a substantial number of downloads from the moment the reveal happened on TV.”

“When the only thing you know to earn a living is under threat, you feel trapped. This feeling of entrapment triggers a bunch of emotions. Some look outside for help and hope for a messiah, some explore the possibility of violent protests, while others see a conspiracy against them. On the other hand, when the family earnings suffer, the family suffers too. These very emotions have been captured in the TV commercials in both the teaser and reveal phases,” added FWC creative head Deven Sansare.

“The important emotional aspect that the TV campaign explores is the feeling among retailers that they are pitted against forces much larger than them. It is the classic David versus Goliath scenario that is playing out in the retailers’ minds and on the business front. Just Buy is the Aam Dukandaar’s voice, his awaaz. All we have done is given it a loudspeaker,” voiced Sani.

January 28, 2016
Star’s celebrity dance show works wonders for it in week 45

MUMBAI: In the week 45 of TAM TV ratings, there are hardly any changes, especially in the top three positions. Star Plus continues to lead, thanks to its newly launched celebrity dance reality show Nach Baliye Season 6 that has registered 6034 TVTs on the day of its launch, 9 November taking its tally to 536,270 GVTs (486,066). Colors continue to be at number two even this week with 486,423 GVTs (463,778) and Zee TV also maintains its third position with 428,610 GVTs (434,987). Life OK has overtaken Sab TV’s position last week and has escalated to number four with 344,624 GVTs (323,897) followed by Sony that turned out to be the highest gainer this week and registered 341,054 GVTs (299,964). Sab is back to its number six slot with 310,534 GVTs (337,099) and Sahara One continues to be at the bottom with 31,549 GVTs (31,647).

Star Plus, which is leading the chart, witnessed few changes in the ratings of its popular shows — Diya Aur Baati Hum witnessed a slight increase in its ratings with 10,921 TVTs (10,155), Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai too registered 7,039 TVTs (6,986). However, Pyar Ka Dard Hai maintained a stable position with 7,754 TVTs (7,752). Sath Nibhana Saathiya, one of the most popular shows in the pre-primetime slot too witnessed 7,518 TVTs (7,509), while the epic series Mahabharat witnessed a drop and registered 4,899 TVTs (5,041). The ratings of Saraswati Chandra also didn’t see much change with 5,111 TVTs (5,170). The channel aired Indian Television Academy Awards (ITA) on 3 November, which garnered 3,192 TVTs.

There are surprises for Colors’ as well. Its longest running fiction series, Balika Vadhu saw a significant raise and generated 7,581 TVTs (7,080), Madhubala – Ek Ishq Ek Junoon scored 4,594 TVTs (4,441). Uttaran witnessed a dip and rated 3,690 TVTs (4,299). Comedy Nights with Kapil, which has been one of the most popular shows in the recent times, witnessed a huge rise with 7,357 TVTs (6,631) and so did the much hyped Indian adaptation of the international series 24 starring Anil Kapoor which scored 3,222 TVTs (2,755). And it seems the cat fights are really garnering eye balls as the celebrity reality show, Bigg Boss is becoming even more popular with every passing day. Compared to last week’s 5,024 TVTs, this time it registered 5,133 TVTs.

Zee TV’s period drama Jodha Akbar has worked some wonders for the channel. The show’s ratings notched up this time taking the final score to 8,989 TVTs (8,101). However, the channel’s fictional offering Qubool Hai witnessed a slight drop and registered 5,397 TVTs (5,625). Pavitra Rishta generated 4,345 TVTs (4,235), while drama series, Do Dil Bandhe Ek Dori Se registered 5,159 TVTs (4,870). Its sitcom, Bh se Bhade saw a drop too with 1,735 TVTs (2,139). Zee TV’s popular dance reality show, Dance India Dance 4 became a savior for the channel and its mega audition episode that was telecast on Saturday attracted enough viewers and scored 5,550 TVTs (3,854). But on Sunday, it again witnessed a drastic drop at 3,806 TVTs (6,519).

Life OK at number four witnessed a drop in its popular mythological series Mahadev. It scored 3,073 TVTs (4,183). Shapath seems to be becoming a favourite among the viewers as it generated 3,418 TVTs (3,172). Do Dil Ek Jaan recorded 1,438 TVTs (1,526), while crime-based show Savdhaan India generated 2,730 TVTs (2,509). Ek Boond Ishq saw a slight dip and registered 2,528 TVTs (2,620). With Mallika Sherawat’s antics making headlines, reality series The Bachelorette India saw a rise in its ratings with 2,710 TVTs (2,073).

Sony, which is at number five, witnessed a huge rise in ratings for its longest running crime series CID — 5,501 TVTs (4,317). Crime Patrol too witnessed a rise and managed to register 4,284 TVTs (3,818). The channel’s historical show Maharana Pratap garnered 2,668 TVTs (2,771), while quiz show KBC witnessed a rise and recorded 4,029 TVTs (2,436). Other fiction shows either maintained a stable position or dipped marginally during the week. Its new horror flick, Bhoot Aaya registered 1,583 TVTs (2,544).

Sixth placed, Sab’s fiction show, Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah continued to lead among all its other shows with 7,135 TVTs (7,637). Chidiya Ghar saw a drop and generated 2,836 TVTs (3,645). Lapataganj generated 1,894 TVTs (2,354) and Baalveer registered 2,375 TVTs (2,391). It was a roller-coaster ride for other fiction shows as well.

In the movie channel genre, Zee Cinema reported 218,568 GVTs (210,728); Star Gold witnessed a rise and registered 217,861 GVTs (175,245) and Movies OK scored 138,425 GVTs (120,183). On the other hand, &pictures garnered 71,225 TVTs (57,589), Zee Anmol registered 41,776 GVTs (50,827) and Max scored 197,869 GVTs (182,588).

While there hasn’t been much change this week as compared to last week, let’s see what’s in store for the channels in the coming weeks.

November 14, 2013
GroupM unveils celebrity branding study ‘CelebZ’

MUMBAI: GroupM the media investment management arm of the WPP Group launched its comprehensive study on celebrity endorsement called CelebZ which allows marketers to identify celebrities who have the strongest appeal and are the best fit with a particular brand.

The study was conducted by IMRB on a sample size of 2800 across 14 cities between October and December 2006. For the first study, CelebZ zeroed in on 86 celebrities and 140 brands. This will be continually updated over the next six months.

In his presentation at the press conference, GroupM COO South Asia Vikram Sakhuja explained that CelebZ is based on the Millward Brown study of celebrities which creates a persona of the celebrity in terms of 12 negative and positive traits. It also measures the overall size and nature of the relationship that consumers have with a celebrity and goes on to create his or her equity pyramid. Based on this, the study calculates the mScore of each celebrity and classifies them into Platinum, Gold and Silver categories.

Sakhuja added, “With over 250 crores being pumped into celebrity endorsement by marketers annually, it is high time we brought some accountability to celebrity management. CelebZ is a scientific research tool that helps our clients understand why a particular brand needs a certain kind of celebrity.”

He also clarified that at present it is the five Platinum celebs which constitute about 40 percent of the industry’s current celebrity endorsement value. “This means that there is a large untapped resource of celebs out there who can also be potential fits for medium and low end brands,” says Sakhuja.

Expectedly the highest scores are raked in by Bollywood and sport stars, especially cricket stars. But the study also throws forth some interesting insights. For example, some stars who have been out of the limelight still carry residual power. While explaining this, Sakhuja mentioned the example of “leading divas in Bollywood.” Aishwarya Rai and Rani Mukherjee claimed the first two slots. But the third slot came as a surprise. Juhi Chawla is obviously the masses favourite although she may not be part of the Bollywood numbers game anymore.

While the study has included regional celebrities from the South as well, another pleasant surprise is economist Amartya Sen. The study has so far not included any international celebrities in the study although Hollywood actor Richard Gere and Australian cricket stars Brett Lee, Shane Warne and Glenn Mcgrath have endorsed brands in India.

What about a study like this encouraging celebrity endorsements where none is necessary? Sakhuja says, “Advertisers and marketing heads are constantly on the look out for celebrities to drive their brands. We can’t deny that they do sell. However the research tries to break through this clutter of often repeated celebrities and get the marketers to look at the gold and silver categories which may help brands target more focused audiences. Taking them as brand endorsers would address the brand’s need far more effectively than going by mass perception and picking the platinum listers.”

The study sampler presented at the press conference shows how an intangible emotion like ‘firmness’ is associated with celebrities like Mona Singh, Smriti Irani and Preity Zinta. For a brand that cannot afford a Preity Zinta, there is no paucity of alternatives.

The study was championed by GroupM’s Insights division.

April 20, 2007