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Tag: Coca-Cola

  • Coca-Cola asks ‘American Idol” fans to join singer Taio Cruz for song

    Coca-Cola asks ‘American Idol” fans to join singer Taio Cruz for song

    MUMBAI: In order to create interactivity for American Idol which airs on US broadcaster Fox, beverage conglomerate Coca-Cola has announced the Perfect Harmony collaboration. This invites fans of the show to help write a new song for it that will be performed during the show’s season finale on 25 May.

    Fans can visit www.AmericanIdol.com where they can listen to the opening segment of a song penned by multiplatinum singer-songwriter Taio Cruz. Then the fans take it from there. Taio will start the song and write the beginning of each verse, but it’s up to fans to help finish each verse in time for him to perform the single on the final show. People can also get the latest updates on the programme by following the hashtag #perfectharmony on Twitter.

    Ryan Seacrest, host of the show, said: “American Idol auditions are proof that many of our fans have a passion and desire to sing professionally. What we don’t get to explore on camera are the many talented songwriters that exist as well. Coca-Cola has created a very exciting and innovative programme that, for the first time, gives fans the opportunity to work with a top artist to create a new song that will be performed live in front of millions of people.”

    Each week till 13 May people in the age group of 18+ will have the opportunity to submit lyrics for consideration for inclusion in the final composition. Following each of the four submission phases, Coca-Cola will select the top three lyrics and then fans, ages 13 and up, will be able to vote for their favorite. The lyrics with the most votes will then be incorporated into the song.

    Cruz said, “Songwriting can be an individual journey or a cooperative effort, and I’ve done it both ways. But creating a new song, with the input of music fans and in partnership with Coca-Cola and American Idol? Now that takes the experience to a completely new place and I’m ready to get it started.”

    Perfect Harmony is part of a new Cola-Cola music programme that offers teens the inside track to the latest in music through opportunities to express themselves and collaborate with popular artists.

    Later this year, Coca-Cola will launch another teen music showcase with emphasis on Hispanic teens. People will be able to vote for an up-and-coming bilingual artist or band that will win the chance to perform with an established artist live onstage. The programme will kick off with a concert celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month in September.

     

  • Oscar ad spending reached $720 mn in 10 years

    Oscar ad spending reached $720 mn in 10 years

    MUMBAI: Marketers have spent almost $720 million during the past 10 years to endorse their products during the Oscar telecast, according to a report released by ad research firm Kantar Media.

    The average price of a 30-second unit was the highest, $1.69 million in 2008, and the lowest in 2002, with $1.29 million.

    For the 2011 telecast, ABC’s initial asking price for a 30-second spot is around $1.7 million, according to published reports.

    Over the past decade, the total ad spend per year reached a high of $81.1 million in 2008 and a low of $61.6 million in 2001. The total for 2010‘s telecast was $70 million.

    According to the report, for the past five years, just five companies – Coca-Cola, JC Penney, General Motors, American Express and MasterCard International – accounted for more than 50 per cent of the total ad revenue.

    However, due to recession, the number of first time advertisers has increased during the live telecast of the academy awards over the past five years, says Kantar Media.

    Forty-eight per cent of advertisers during last year‘s telecast were first-timers, up from 33 per cent the year before and up from 15 percent in 2008.

    Last year‘s newcomers included Ameriprise, Estee Lauder, Intel, Kimberly-Clark and Samsung.

  • Sachin Tendulkar to bat for Coca-Cola

    Sachin Tendulkar to bat for Coca-Cola

    MUMBAI: Sachin Tendulkar is not only ruling the cricket field with his free-flowing strokes but is also scoring in the advertising world. Coca-Cola is signing up Sachin Tendulkar as its brand ambassador, sources familiar with the development say.

    The three-year deal is valued at around Rs 200 million, the sources add.

    When contacted, a Coca-Cola spokesperson declined to comment. 

    Coke will be shooting a new television commercial ahead of the World Cup, the sources say.

    Tendulkar was earlier representing Coke‘s rival brand, Pepsi.

  • Coca-Cola new holiday campaign set to ‘Shake Up Christmas’

    Coca-Cola new holiday campaign set to ‘Shake Up Christmas’

    MUMBAI: Beverage conglomerate Coca-Cola has announced plans for a new global marketing campaign that taps the heritage of traditional imagery used by Coca-Cola such as Santa Claus, the Coca-Cola Christmas “caravan” delivery trucks and even a nod to the Coca-Cola Polar Bear. The campaign will also include a new song written by the band Train Shake Up Christmas.

    An extension of the global Open Happiness marketing platform, the campaign will be deployed in more than 90 countries around the world through a new television commercial, digital experiences, in-store promotions and packaging.

    It represents the first new creative used in a global holiday campaign for the Coca-Cola brand since “Christmas Caravan” that featured holiday themed delivery trucks.

    Coca-Cola senior VP Sparkling Brands Shay Drohan says, “We know that during the holiday season people are looking for moments of inspiration to remind them how special the holidays are and connect them with friends and family. “Our 2010 holiday campaign shows how a catalyst such as the spirit of the holidays, the festive images of Santa Claus, a memorable holiday tune or sharing a Coca-Cola can inspire moments of happiness and bring people together.”

    The global campaign, developed through a collaboration of marketing teams at Coca-Cola Germany along with the global brand team, will launch around the world next month. The new television commercial “Snow Globe” illustrates the theme of the campaign of how people find happiness through the simple moments of connecting with friends and family that are inspired by Coca-Cola.

    The spot, created in partnership with McCann, Madrid, opens with several vignettes of individuals who are obviously feeling separated from friends and family – a young man working late at night in a grocery store, a couple on opposite ends of a park bench, even a lonely dog in an alley. The shot pans out to show they exist in a glass snow globe sitting on Santa’s workshop desk. Santa is taking a break to have a Coca-Cola and he is inspired to pick up the snow globe and gently tilt it as Train’s “Shake Up Christmas” plays.

    This causes the Coca-Cola Christmas Caravan delivery trucks to roll into action and brings the couple together on the bench. The action also sends the grocery clerk tumbling into a shopping cart and rolling through the streets of the city, only to end up bursting through the front door of the home where his family awaits him for a holiday meal along with the no-longer-lonely pup.

    The soundtrack from Train provides lyrics that echo the same emotion — “Shake it up/ Shake up the happiness/ Wake it up/ Wake up the happiness/ Come on y’all/ It’s Christmas time.” The song features prominently in the campaign and will be promoted through live performances by Train on their current tour.

    The strategy of having a commercially released song that is tied to a Coca-Cola campaign follows the success of Wavin’ Flag by K’Naan which was adapted by Coca-Cola for its 2010 Fifa World Cup campaign this past summer.

    Train lead vocalist and founding member Pat Monahan says, “The holiday season is one of the best times of the year. The song Shake Up Christmas is inspired by childhood memories of spending time with family and sharing the happiness and hope that the season brings. Having it be part of the Coca-Cola campaign is a wonderful way to share that sentiment with a bigger audience. We are looking forward to performing it for our fans during the coming weeks.”

    Shake Up Christmas produced by Butch Walker, will be released as a single worldwide. The song is included as a bonus track on the deluxe version of Train’s latest album Save Me, San Francisco (Golden Gate Edition) which debuts globally on 2 November and will be released by Sony Music.

  • ‘We will get an opportunity to build our brand in the international arena of cricket’ : Amrit Mathur – GMR Sports CEO

    ‘We will get an opportunity to build our brand in the international arena of cricket’ : Amrit Mathur – GMR Sports CEO

    The drama over, it is back to business. As the Indian Premier League (IPL) takes refuge in South Africa to play out its second edition, the team owners are readying their new plans to size up their revenues.

     

    GMR Sports, the owner of Delhi Daredevils, is trying to figure out how to make up for the revenue loss from ticketing sales. The spotlight is on sponsorship revenues.

     

    In an interview with Indiantelevision.com’s Anushree Bhattacharyya, GMR Sports CEO Amrit Mathur talks about the opportunity that South Africa throws up in establishing the Delhi team franchise as a brand in the international arena of cricket.

     

    Excerpts:

    GMR Sports was aiming at a 20 per cent revenue growth from sponsorship and ticketing. Now with IPL being shifted to South Africa, will that be achievable?
    No, very unlikely. With ticketing revenues under pressure, it will be difficult to reach the target. Sponsorship will be the only avenue open for us to actually earn. Also, with the tournament moving out of the country, the business model in terms of cost and revenue sharing changes.

    How does the revenue pattern shift dramatically?
    Till last year, IPL was a tournament organised by the eight franchises. Out of the total 59 matches, 56 matches were run by the franchises while IPL organised the two semi-finals and the final. But for this year, all the matches will be organised by IPL and the BCCI. So unlike last year where each franchise was clear about the cost model, (for example, the franchise knew it was to organise seven matches and could size up the costs of organising them), it is all uncertain now of how much we as franchises have to bear.

     

    We also don’t know how the revenue will be shared this time. Till last year, we knew that the central pool contributes revenues of about Rs 320 million. Now it is possible that the IPL may add the ticket revenue to the central pool to share it with the franchises. So the revenue from central pool might increase this time. It will, thus, depend on the revenue share model the IPL finally decides upon.

    Which are the areas where you feel the costs will increase for the franchises?
    Since the franchises have been told that it would be a centrally managed tournament, the IPL is expected to bear all the costs. But the main cost will depend on the financial structure of the facilities being made available – including the ground, the infrastructure, availability of ground for practice, etc. Now IPL will have to discuss these arrangements with the South Africa cricket board and figure out the expenses. As owners of teams, we have an idea of what the games would have cost in India. But we have no idea of what it would be like outside. The cost of travel and the hotels will be relatively minor.

    What if the IPL asks the franchises to bear a certain portion of the costs?
    We will go by the consensus approach. We understand that it’s an extraordinary situation. So if there is a cost attached to the tournament, I am sure everybody will sit together and find out a way.

    On the sponsorship front, GMR Sports has roped in Coca-Cola, UB, Hero Honda, Religare, adidas and Kingfisher. What has been the progress on the two slots that are still lying vacant?
    We are trying to close the last two sponsorship deals as soon as possible. However, the last couple of weeks had been uncertain and there were doubts about the tournament being played. Due to this, we had put on hold our talks with the sponsors. Now that the dates and venue have been announced, we are hoping that the interest for the property will revive.
    ‘We are unlikely to reach our target of 20 per cent revenue growth this year. Ticketing revenues will be under pressure‘

    With the game shifting outside India, are sponsors looking at renegotiating their old deals?
    No, not so far. We had signed sponsors for three years and there is further scope for extension. But at the same time, we are supposed to give them certain benefits. We are in constant negotiations with our sponsors and are open for any sort of dialogue.

    With the broadcast partner yet to be finalised, how much of damage will that do to the business?
    The audience is not really bothered about who the broadcast partner is. The main concern is whether the tournament is on or out. Now that we all know that it is in, things would start moving again.

    Now that the IPL will be played in foreign land, does your marketing strategy go through a complete overhaul?
    Well, it will change to a large extent. What we could do in terms of promoting our team in Delhi, we can definitely not carry out those activities outside India. So our marketing plans will change. We will now try to build our fan base even stronger with ticketing being handled by IPL. Moreover, we will promote our team through our media partners which include BigAdda.com, SMS GupShup, Hindustan Times, Times of India and CNN-IBN.

    Do you think the IPL will manage to gather enough loyalty in South Africa?
    This year it is true that the character of the tournament has changed because it’s no more a domestic league. The nature of loyalty will change. For example, Delhi Daredevils will miss its loyal Delhi fans. The team will play in venues like Durham or Johannesburg which might see an inflow of neutral crowd only interested in cricket as a sport. But then this is only for this year, as the schedule clashed with the Lok Sabha polls.

    What would have been a better decision – no IPL or IPL in South Africa?
    The most important thing is to have the IPL running. About hosting it in South Africa, the benefit is that the tournament and teams will get an international exposure. As team owners, we would get an opportunity to build our brand in the international arena of cricket.
  • ‘We see GEC as a long-term game. We are playing a Test match and not a T20’ : Indrani Mukerjea – INX Media Pvt Ltd founder-CEO

    ‘We see GEC as a long-term game. We are playing a Test match and not a T20’ : Indrani Mukerjea – INX Media Pvt Ltd founder-CEO

    From starting as a human resource (HR) consulting firm in 1996 to entering the fast-growing broadcasting space, INX Media has travelled a long way.

    INX’s music channel 9XM has notched the top position in its genre while the general entertainment channel (GEC) 9X is making slow but steady strides.

    Next in the roll-out pipeline is NewsX. Despite controversies dogging the news channel venture with the exit of Vir Sanghvi and his senior editorial team, plans are being put in place to launch the channel in March. Regional channels are also part of INX’s growth agenda.

    In an interview with Indiantelevision.com , Mukerjea talks about her company’s growth plans.

    Excerpts:

    INX was a recruitment search consultancy company that you ran successfully for years. What pulled you to the broadcasting space?
    Despite being a human resource consulting firm, INX has been very inclined towards media placements. In the last 10 years, a majority of our placements have been in this sector. Besides, Peter (Mukerjea – husband, chief strategy officer INX Media and former Star India CEO) has 14 years of experience in the television industry.

    But isn’t the mainstream broadcasting space too cluttered?
    More and more channels are launching and doing fairly well. There is clearly a new emerging audience. You have seen how our music channel 9XM has grown ever since its launch. What is happening is that the gap between the number one and number two channels is decreasing. We are even seeing it in the GEC (general entertainment channel) space. The viewer base is also expanding; more and more TV sets are being bought. Moreover, viewership is getting fragmented; different viewers are liking different genres of entertainment.

    Though 9XM has shown rapid growth in the ratings game, it is a channel that runs songs without breaks. What does the revenue front look like?
    I think viewers like to watch full songs. That is why we are getting good ratings. When it comes to revenue, there are Coca-Cola and Vodafone who have joined 9XM as platinum partners. Also, though we have not put in so much of commercials, we still follow the pattern of 12-minute break. We use this duration to show our channel promos. As more ads come in, the same space will be used.

    Isn’t the growth of 9X, your flagship Hindi general entertainment channel, on the slower side?
    If you notice, we started with only two hours of prime-time programming and have added another half an hour in the last fortnight. Only by the end of June, we will be completing our four hours of prime-time programming. And that is the strategic decision we took very consciously.

    We see GEC as a long-term game. We are playing a Test match and not a T20. We want to build this block by block. The critical part is to stay there. It is very important to sustain. So, we have a five-year plan in the horizon to which we are sticking, and this is what I believe is going to make us sustain.

    So you are thinking of breaking even after five years?
    No no, breakeven will be before that. We are talking about long-term plans with short-term goals. And we are executing all our plans; you’ll see it in the coming three months.
    ‘We’re well funded. So it’s easy for us to make long-term plans‘

    But there are other channels like NDTV Imagine that have shown faster growth in a short term?
    We have been funded very well, and that’s why it is very easy for us to plan ahead. When you are backed by strong financers, you can make long-term plans. We don’t have to run and do full-time programming.

    Your programme ‘Mission Ustaad’ failed commercially?
    We did Mission Ustaad as part of our corporate social responsibility (CSR). We were very clear from day one. The priority was also to establish the brand first. Now people know that there is a brand called 9X. You go to any part of the country, and people know about 9X.

    Aren’t you pumping in a huge amount of money for distribution and promotion?
    Absolutely! For us, 9X is an institution and not just a channel. It’s very important to establish a brand, and once that is done, it becomes important to keep the hammer ready. This is what happens when any new channel comes into play: first, it establishes the brand; then it waits for the right moment to strike “big”.

    Also, whoever goes up quickly has a tendency to go down as well. So we are patient. Our investors are long-term players. It’s not that if we pull out a programme, things will crash. We have not launched a channel based on one programme.

    And now, as we’ve established ourselves, I think we need at least another five months to bring in full programming. Strategically, it’s like a baby in my mind: a baby takes shape in nine months and we feed it when it’s born.

    On the ratings front, only one show has TRP of over one. Besides, isn’t it true that the channel’s GRPs are mainly being driven by movies?
    No, the report which we’ve got from Tam shows that 32 per cent of our GRPs are from movies while 54 per cent are from serials and 14 per cent from other shows. At the end of the day, when you are planning a channel, you have to think about overall GRPs, and we have taken a conscious decision not to bombard viewers. Now we have Chak De Bacche, Yeh Hai Jalwa and other programmes lined up. We are also having some serials which we will announce in due course.

    As a syndication deal, have you paid Sony Rs 400 million for 60 movies?
    That’s absolutely wrong information. The actual amount is not even half of it.

    What do you think about syndication of movies as a business model?
    It is a very good decision because at the end of the day the viewer is entertained and we, as a result, stand to gain. For example, with Jab We Met, we got fabulous advertisers, ratings. If I am calling it a family channel, I will have to provide content for the entire family.

    Mythologies seem to be coming back on Indian television. Is Ekta Kapoor doing Mahabharata for you?
    No, Ekta is not doing Mahabharata for us. I have also heard it, but Ekta and I have not spoken about making Mahabharata.
    But what do you have to say about the invasion of mythos?
    Mythological content has always been a part of Indian television. Be it Sai Baba, Sri Ganesh, Jai Maa Durga, Jai Hanuman – they have always been there. But it’s important for a channel not to overuse such content. You have to have a combination of movies, serials, soaps, fantasy, reality, etc. A good mix is essential.

    When are you launching NewsX?
    Our test signals are already on, and we have roped in Karan Thapar’s firm Infotainment Television (ITV) as editorial advisor to the channel while Arup Ghosh is our newsroom head. We will hopefully launch the news channel sometime in March; I can’t specify the date, but it will be in March.

    What content will the channel focus on?
    It will be analytical, in-depth news.

    How will it be different?
    You have to watch it to notice the difference. Our main studio is in Delhi; our Mumbai studio is under construction and is almost done.

    Are we going to see more channel launches from INX Media in 2008?
    The first priority is to complete the schedule and get NewsX up and running. We will also be launching regional channels.
  • FCC to examine relationship betweeen TV ads and obesity in kids

    FCC to examine relationship betweeen TV ads and obesity in kids

    MUMBAI: The controversy over the role TV ads play in kids obesity in the US is growing.

    US Senator Sam Brownback, and US media watchdog Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chairman Kevin Martin unveiled plans for a Valentine’s Day forum to examine potential voluntary actions that might ease any negative effects ads might have on children.

    The FCC announced the list of participants on the Task Force on Media and Childhood Obesity: Today and Tomorrow. The Task Force will hold its first meeting on 14 February, 2007.

    The Task Force consists of representatives of consumer advocacy groups, the food and beverage industry, media companies, and advertisers, as well as healthcare and academic experts. The participants include: American Diabetes Association, American Society for Nutrition, Coca-Cola, Kellogg Company, McDonald’s, Pepsi, Viacom, Discovery and Disney.

    The Commission is represented by Chairman Martin and Commissioners Deborah Taylor Tate and Michael Copps. They are joined by Brownback and Senator Tom Harkin. The goal of the Task Force is to provide a forum for the public and private sectors to jointly examine the impact of the media on childhood obesity rates and collaborate on voluntary recommendations to address the alarming rise in the rates of obese children.

  • Zee Sports to telecast National Football League final leg from Goa

    Zee Sports to telecast National Football League final leg from Goa

    MUMBAI: Zee Sports will telecast 10 live matches from Goa where the top clubs will fight for the title in the last leg of the ONGC Cup National Football League. In the first match of the last phase on 5 May, title contenders and Federation Cup winners Mahindra United will clash with Mohammedan Sporting.

    Zee Sports COO Gary Lovejoy said, “In the first year of our telecast of Indian football, the standard of league has reached a new peak in terms of quality of players, standard of play, passion and excitement. The excitement and competitiveness of the league can be gauged from the fact that there is a possibility of winner being decided in the last league game.”

    For the 10th edition of National Football League, Zee Sports has ONGC, National Insurance Company, Indian, Airtel, TATA Tiscon, Khadim’s, Coca Cola, DS Group and West Bengal IT Department among others as broadcast and on ground sponsors for the coverage of the ONGC Cup 10th National Football League.

    The schedule of ONGC Cup National Football League is as follows:

    5 May — Mohammedan vs Mahindra United
    7 May — Salgaocar Vs Dempo
    8 May — Sporting Club de Goa Vs Kingfisher East Bengal
    11 May — Sporting Club de Goa Vs Dempo
    13 May — Salgaocar Vs Air India
    17 May — Salgaocar Vs Sporting Club de Goa
    20 May — Salgaocar Vs Mohammedan Sporting
    (All the above matches kick off at 6:30 pm)
    21 May — Dempo Vs Mahindra United (4:30 pm)