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Tag: Columbia Tristar

  • Columbia Tristar spins media blitz around ‘Hellboy’

    MUMBAI: The lack of familiarity among Indian viewers with Hellboy is not stopping Columbia Tristar India from using the different media vehicles to create awareness about their latest product, which is based on a comic. The movie hits theatres on 14 May.
     

     

    Going all out to unleash Hell…err ‘HellBoy’
    Speaking to Indiantelevision.com, at the sidelines of an exhibitor convention for the western region last evening, the company’s marketing manager Harshavardhan Gangurdhe said that around 2000 spots were being used on television.

    “This is the best way for us to reach our target audience. We kicked off the campaign on 18 April on etc. The other channels we have used include Star Plus, Max, MTV, AXN, Raj, ESPN Star Sports. The film has been dubbed in three languages: Hindi, Tamil and Telugu. The promos will run onto 22 May,” he offered.

    The company has also tied with retail outlets across the country including Cafe Coffee Day, the Lifestyle Store and Shoppers Stop. Customers can read flyers and also answer questions that allows them the chance to win tickets and product merchandise like T-shirts. In addition, prominent hoardings will be used in the metros. Gangurdhe, however, said that for this, film buses and trains would not be used.

    In a few days, mini road shows will kick off with vans visiting different locations in the metros. The company has also tied up with Airtel for an SMS based quiz contest. The cellular provider is creating awareness about the same through their newsletter. As far as radio is concerned, the company has tied up with Radio City, Radio Mirchi and Go. Online, the company has tied up with Indiatimes for a contest. Print ads have already started appearing in major publications. Around 70 prints of the film will be released.

    ‘Spiderman2’ to spread the morning sunshine
    It goes without saying that the scale of activity will hit the roof when Spiderman 2 hits cinemas on 23 July. Partners that have already tied up include Pepsi and Kelloggs. The latter will come out with special boxes with Spiderman on the cover. This will give the film visibility at non theatrical outlets.

    The cornflakes manufacturer will also give out merchandise. Sony Ericcson will be conducting a huge promotion. Spiderman mobiles with games and ringtones will swing into town closer to the films opening date. Ganghurde claimed that the film had an 88 per cent awareness rate despite the fact that there were still a couple of months to go before the big event.

    Sandler’s a catch
    “We would be expecting a 100 per cent awareness rate a week before the film opens. As far as our other products are concerned 50 First Dates with Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore opens on 7 May. It is already playing to packed houses in Delhi and Bangalore. The familiarity factor is there which is not the case with Hellboy. People know who Adam Sandler is because of films like Big Daddy and Anger Management. So our marketing activity on this has been
    comparatively less. The same goes with Johnny Depp who stars in the upcoming Secret Window. His brand name has grown because of last year’s Pirates of The Caribbean.”

    Ditto for Johnny Depp
    Another film that Columbia Tristar is banking on to pull the audience is Anacondas, which opens on 27 August. The trailer for the film reminds one of the first movie, which did big business in the country a few years ago despite being panned by the critics.

    Ganghurdhe was also satisfied with the response that Peter Pan had received. “That was something that we timed keeping in mind the holidays when the children have loads of time on their hands.”

  • 375 companies to participate in Frames

    375 companies to participate in Frames

    MUMBAI: Frames, the convention for the entertainment industry kicks off in Powai on Monday. 375 media and entertainment firms are sending representatives to the event in order to network and find new business opportunities.

    The foreign companies include Bertelsmann, BBC Worldwide, Galaxy Entertainment, Hughes Communication, Columbia Tristar, Walt Disney Asia Pacific, Warner Bros., E! Networks. Bertelsmann has operations in 50 countries and has revenues to the tune of 18.3 billion euros. With the Indian media and entertainment sector opening up the European media giant is sending a delegation who will no doubt be looking at partnerships and possibly taking a stake in an Indian firm.

    The Indian companies include Mukta Arts, NDTV Media, Sony, Star, Zee, Television Eighteen, UTV, Toonz Animation and Crest Communications.

  • Sony Pictures Animation to produce first CGI film

    Sony Pictures Animation to produce first CGI film

    MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Animation, a division of Sony Pictures Digital, is set to begin production on its first feature length computer generated images (CGI) motion picture Open Season.

    Open Season will feature the vocal talents of black comedian Martin Lawrence, Ashton Kutcher and Debra Messing from the sitcom Will And Grace. Open Season tells the story of a 900 pound domesticated grizzly bear Boog voiced by Lawrence and a scrawny, one-horned mule deer named Elliot (Kutcher).

    They are stranded together in the woods during hunting season. Boog and Elliot must work together to rally the animals of the forest and turn the tables on the hunters. Messing will voice the character of Beth, a forest ranger who rescued Boog as a cub and raised him.

    Digital animation will be provided by Sony Pictures Imageworks. That company is currently producing the CGI adaptation of the children’s book The Polar Express with director Robert Zemeckis. The company has also worked on Columbia Tristar’s major blockbuster for the year Spider-Man 2.

  • “We can’t rest on our laurels. It’s easy for the public to get distracted by other products” : Uday Singh Columbia Tristar MD

    “We can’t rest on our laurels. It’s easy for the public to get distracted by other products” : Uday Singh Columbia Tristar MD

    Ever since last year’s Hollywood flick Spider-man set the box office records in India, there has been no looking back for Columbia Tristar.

    This year, the distribution house expects to have at least five of the top 10 Hollywood films. Trailers of Spider-man 2 have started running in India’s movie theatre, even though the film is slated for release only in July 2004. The man at the helm is Columbia Tristar India’s MD Uday Singh.

    Singh joined Columbia in this capacity in April 1996. The primary task set before him was to restructure the Indian operations and make Columbia Tristar the leading Hollywood distribution house in India. His brief was to put India on the Asia map first, and then on the world map of Columbia TriStar.

    Under Singh’s leadership, Columbia India’s new team crafted out a brand new mission statement – ‘no market, no customer, no opportunities are out of reach’. In order to live up to its ideals, the team strategically went about establishing a grassroot distribution model that was founded on transparency and professionalism.

    In addition to this, Singh’s team has gone about building a world class marketing mechanism to exploit the potential of each film to its maximum. But as the saying goes the proof of the pudding lies in the eating. Last year, the company hit an all time high with a record box office performance when it crossed the Rs 1 billion mark in ticket sales. From a mere Rs 40 million operation to a Rs one billion operation the growth was tremendous.

    Indiantelevision.com’s correspondent Ashwin Pinto catches up with Singh who gives a low down on the company’s marketing strategies, how it has managed to achieve transparency, Hollywood’s growth in the country and what expansion plans are in store:

    How has 2003 been, as compared to last year, when had the Spider-man phenomenon?
    We are happy to announce that Columbia TriStar India will close the year with at least five films in the top 10 category.

    So far, if you look at the opening weekend performance, we have five films in the top 10 category. Terminator 3 is number one with Rs 170 million gross box office. It took in Rs 48 million in its opening weekend. The other films are Charlie’s Angels 2, Bad Boys 2, Welcome to the Jungle and Pirates of the Caribbean.

    With forthcoming films like Once Upon a Time in Mexico, our performance should be in line with what we achieved last year. However, the revenue may not go to the Rs one billion mark. It will be in the range of Rs 850 million. For a Hollywood studio to do this in a year that has seen huge number of local (Hindi) releases is a very commendable achievement.

    We were also helped by surprise hits such as Maid In Manhattan, Jungle Book 2 and Finding Nemo. The figure is less though this year, because the dubbed Hindi products were not as strong as what we had last year. We were one or two titles short.
    How has Columbia Tristar India managed to achieve transparency in its operations?
    We are basically committed to making our operations as transparent as possible. We have set up a system, which works across the country. It allows us to collect data on a 24×7 basis. As tickets are being sold across the country, we start collating that information. It goes into a central database. This can then be fed to the producer in exactly the same manner.

    The producer has his own password protected system. He can log in and see exactly what his collections are. This is something we do for our movies and the movies we distribute for others.
    “There’s a change taking place in the market. The multiplex audience is happy with urbane, well-heeled products. Now, one is able to segment audiences better“

    What have recent studies signified about the Indian audience?
    There is a change taking place in the market. You have the multiplex audience, which is very happy with very urbane, well heeled products. Romantic comedies have started doing extremely well in recent times. Now, one is able to segment audiences a little better. Having said that, action still rules the roost. But there is more place for other content than there was before. You have a much better chance with them.

    We constantly attempt to understand the target consumer better. The data thrown up by the research helps us structure our strategy better and keeps the campaign from getting de-focussed. There is also an attempt to study the awareness of the consumer for our forthcoming products, as well as that coming out from competition.

    This tracking allows the sales and marketing departments to analyse the box office behaviour of the film.

    Could you elaborate on the innovative marketing strategies that were tried for products like Bruce Almighty and Charlie’s Angels 2?
    The first thing that we did with Bruce Almighty was to take the international campaign and localise it as much as we could. Jim Carey is a big star and is well-known in India. We positioned the film during a relatively softer period when the audience was more open to seeing a different kind of product. The film did well overseas and that helped.

    With Charlie’s Angels 2, the strategy was different. It released here just one week after it released in the US. The aim was to get the picture available for everyone ASAP (as soon as possible). With this film, we wanted to open it with extravaganza, even if there is a big dip after that. This is called front-loading your process and is a part of the saturation strategy. The picture opens big – with huge promos, which later taper off in a hurry. In this strategy, the money is made faster which is good for the cash flows.

    Usually, when we work out such marketing strategies, we keep in mind that new competition will enter in the following week. The entire campaign is usually worked with the aim of giving a film a huge opening, so that the film holds even after the promos are lifted – and even in front of stiff competition from Hindi films.

    This is one strategy we have been very good at, especially this year. The entire process of promoting a film starts at the retail level through a definite trailering and merchandising strategy. We use malls, eateries, restaurants where an incentive is offered. For instance, if people eat a particular dish, they are offered a free ticket.

    Our other way is to add to the flavour of a movie. For Spider-man, we had people dressed up as the action figure. For Monsoon Wedding, we did mock wedding processions. For Charlie’s Angels 2 we conducted a “hunt”. Three hep women were identified as ‘desi Charlie’s angels’. It worked amazingly well. The women spoke about what they thought entitled them to join the elite squad. An aspirational value was added. Plans like these are worked out for every product.
    “The era of Bollywood v/s Hollywood has ended. It’s now an era of coexistence, courtesy multiplexes which have added capacities. Everyone wins“

    What would be a good example of product localisation?
    In case of our latest release Once Upon A Time In Mexico, we are pushing it as a follow up to Desparado, which also starred Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek. Desparado has played quite often on television.

    However, abroad, the positioning of Once Upon… would be the concluding part of a trilogy. The first movie was El Mariarchi which not many people in India are familiar with.

    Once Upon… also stars Johnny Depp who has become big with the Indian audiences because of Pirates Of The Carribean. The film also has elements of style and panache besides the action scenes. We are using the print route for publicity of this movie, and not so much the television.

    Usually, the national marketing team pitches with various brands which have the same positioning as that of the film for promotional tie-ups and with media houses for on-air/in-print and outdoor campaigns. Television is by far the most important medium. A lot of people take the decision on whether or not to watch a film on the basis of a trailer.
    Why do you have different marketing strategies for the North and South?
    In a market where there is so much media fragmentation, tastes differ quite substantially. One has to adapt and be more focussed on what works for a particular market. Our marketing teams understand the psyche of the audiences in the various locations. We tweak our campaigns accordingly.

    For example, Welcome to the Jungle did better in the hinterland than it did in Mumbai. The Hindi campaign was quite different from the Tamil and Telugu campaigns. The flavour of the film caught on with the vernacular audiences. The local advertising connects are different. Promotional lines have to be different.

    In the South, outdoors gained in prominence because there is a huge amount of postering that happens there. The regional language posters showcased the action-oriented nature of the film – because to catch the attention of Tamilians you have to get in their faces. All their products are crying out for attention and so you must stand out. The toned down approach will not work there.

    For the English audience you would have to talk about how the film is sleek and stylish. For the Hindi audience who are not familiar with ‘The Rock’ you have to show the outdoor setting, the adventure, the punches he lands.

    Since we are on the subject of Welcome To The Jungle, how was the film able to overcome negative reviews and perform well?
    A famous Indian film director once made a statement: “If the critic likes my product I will ride in an auto rickshaw; if the auto rickshaw driver likes my movie I will fly to Europe first class.”

    Welcome to the Jungle grossed at Rs 14 million at the box office in its opening weekend (12 to 14 December) 2003. It overcame reviews – that ranged from poor to medium – to scale the peak at the box office in its opening weekend. It emerged as the 8th biggest opening weekend film for this year.

    A huge opening is rare in the winter period. Normally, it is the summers that sees most blockbusters. This explains that it is the consumers who decide the fate of any film and not the critics.

    The opinions of the consumer and the critics are often divorced. In the past, we have had films like Anaconda and Godzilla doing well. Both got a single star rating from critics. I am perfectly happy with getting single stars for the movies I release, as long as they show me the money.

    We ran a great grass-root campaign for Welcome to the Jungle. The Rock has been very popular due to wrestling. Also his earlier two movies The Scorpion King and The Mummy Returns played well here. Since he is very saleable we went aggressively after the film.

    To what extent has the size of Hollywood market grown in India and what are the projections for next year?
    This year has been an exciting year for ‘big ticket’ entertainment. There was a good flow of products from all Hollywood studios. This reinforced the cinema going habit.

    If you look at the period last year – (January to July 2002) – and the same period in 2003, Hollywood has grown 30 times in India to 40 per cent. This year has also seen a larger number of films doing well as all the studios have had their share of big hits.

    The figure for January to July 2003 is estimated at Rs 280 million as opposed to Rs 200 million for the same period last year.
    “In terms of grosses we are number 17, which is the same as last year. We are as big as Philippines“

    What are the main factors fuelling this growth?
    Firstly, the growth of multiplexes has ensured that there is space for all. Both Hollywood and Bollywood have benefited. The era of Bollywood versus Hollywood has ended and it’s now an era of coexistence, courtesy multiplexes which have added capacities. Everyone wins. This should explain to you why Terminator 3 stood up to Darna Mana Hai; The Matrix to Chalte Chalte, Bad Boys 2 to Gangajal and Pirates of the Caribbean to Boom.

    Obviously, cinema’s magic is back! Everyone feeds off each other. However, having said all this Hollywood is still three to five per cent of the Indian film industry. In fact, I think the local Hindi films, which were released in large numbers, had a rub off effect on us. They are getting the urbane audiences in, especially the teenagers. I refer to films such as Ek Aur Ek Gyaarah, The Hero, Main Prem Ki Deewani Hoon and Koi Mil Gaya. Our films also target the same group.

    Also, the number of prints per movie has gone up. For Spider-man, we had issued 250 prints. Earlier, the maximum used to be 100-150. Secondly, the relaxation of certain laws has shrunk the gap between the US and India release dates. In fact, Charlie’s Angles 2 was the first film to be released here in just one week after it released in the US. The Matrix Revolutions was released on the same day.

    There has also been tremendous growth through dubbing. This way the studios were able to take Hollywood to the masses. To give you an example, in Terminator 3 Arnold Swarzenneger could easily be a Sunny Deol. In Welcome To The Jungle The Rock’s character could also be a Sunny. Even Finding Nemo was dubbed Kho Gaya Nemo.

    We are also slated to spend Rs 250 million on all our business activities relating to the channel over the next one year.

    What major merchandising and cross-promotional deals has Columbia Tristar put in place for its products?
    We monitor the publicity of visual merchandising activity at the retail level, the exhibition level and also at the retail programme that we take outside the normal exhibition level.

    In a competitive market, it is important to check that merchandising material like trailers are displayed in the right locations and are positioned to the best possible advantage compared to everybody else. As far as consumer products are concerned we do not yet have a representation for that in India.

    As for cross promotions, almost every product of ours has found a brand partner. Seagrams has been consistent at a national level for films like Charlie’s Angels 2 and Pirates Of The Carribean. We also have regional and local partners.

    In the initial phase it used to very tough to associate with brands. However, over a period of time, brands have recognised the huge promotional equity that a feature brings.

    Short-term contests raise the footfalls for the brand in a big way and thus translates into sales. Sometimes, the relationship is so great that companies have had to increase capacities. For Men In Black Rayban had to increase manufacturing of the sunglasses made popular by Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones. McDonald’s associates with us all the time for our animated product. Finding Nemo toys were given away as value add ons to their meals. We had a relationship with BPL for A Bugs Life, a few years ago. A huge campaign was created.

    What are the main challenges faced when you have to create awareness about films belonging to different genres – like the animated Finding Nemo or the action film Terminator 3?
    It is finding the sweet spot with the right audience. It is matter of positioning the film and finding the audience as precisely as possible. The way we are structured is that different teams handle different products. The teams are able to focus in different ways without getting mixed up. Finding Nemo was a product that we had to wait out till the Diwali vacation when kids had time on their hands. We had relationships with a lot of corporates.

    We ran the campaign Aapne Dekha Kya? for the dubbed version. We wanted to break away and break out to get better results. Fortunately, even at Christmas, the film is still playing.

    Terminator 3 is what in market parlance is called a slam dunk. There is a big brand recall for Terminator as a property. We went out with 225 prints. Typically this is what the market likes the most and we exploited it to the maximum.
    What was the logic behind creating a buzz over Spider-man 2, when it is still over half-a-year away from release?
    This is the event film for 2004. We want to carve it out in stone and establish it very clearly in the minds of the movie going public. Spiderman 2 will hopefully be as big as the original one. However we cannot rest on our laurels. It is easy for the public to get distracted by other products. We want to let the public know that they should watch out for us next year.

    Even for Spider-man, we had started a campaign six-seven months earlier. We will do the same thing this time around. It is natural for a big product like this to have a long established marketing plan.

    Another big product for next year is Hellboy. While not well-known in India, abroad the comic strip has become a cult.
    “We are hoping to land distribution rights to Miramax’s romantic epic Cold Mountain “

    What was the budget allocated towards promotional spends in India this year?
    Budget varies from film to film. Ours is not a business where you are spending money in generic form. It basically depends on returns on investment.

    I will say that with the increased fragmentation in the market, you have to run that much faster to stay in the same place. For a four language film release, you have to spend that much more to make sure that more people get the message as opposed to a single language film.
    Besides mainstream blockbusters, do you think the Indian market is growing for niche English films like Seabiscuit?
    Seabiscuit is upscale and a bit difficult to market. However, products like Road to Perdition would have had a difficult time finding their way into the Indian markets, if multiplexes were not there. Yes, the audience that appreciates niche content is growing.

    What expansion plans have been lined up?
    We are trying to make our distribution as strong as possible. With distribution the job is never complete. You are constantly chopping, changing and revaluating the networks setup. We want to make sure that the partners we work with are falling in line with the kind of plans and dreams that we have envisaged.

    The growth in North India has been spectacular. We have also set up distribution hubs in new places like Gorakhpur. In the East, a multiplex has come up in Kolkata. The rest of the East is not strong for us. Bihar, Orissa, Assam have never been a strong market even for dubbed products.

    We have a long way to go before we can be counted as a major player in the global scheme of things. In terms of grosses, we are number 17, which is the same as last year. In Asia, you have bigger markets like Japan, Taiwan, Korea. We are as big as Philippines.
    “At a suitable time, we will look at co-production if our involvement would make a difference and if it makes sense for us in terms of the return on investment“
    What efforts were taken to cement relationships with exhibitors across India?
    Various initiatives have been put in place by our teams. It is like a customer relationship management programme. One initiative is our Good Morning Columbia programme. This allows the exhibitor to book morning shows in advance. Other programmes see exhibitors working with us as partners to add muscle to our products. The revenue sharing arrangement varies from place to place and picture to picture.

    How much money comes from the English version and how much from the dubbed versions of your products?
    Usually it is 50:50. There are always exceptions. The vernacular version of Welcome To The Jungle made more money than the English version. That was a situation we had been anticipating right from the start.

    34 movies were released by us this year out of which 11 were dubbed. Seven of them were dubbed in four languages. We have to be careful though about what to dub. Once Upon A Time… will not be dubbed.

    Now it’s the season for awards . Are there any films you are looking to push to coincide with the Golden Globes and the Oscars?
    Big Fish with Albert Finney is one film that we would push in the January to February period. It has already got a few Golden Globe nominations. This will go in the Oscar rally period.

    We are also hoping to land the distribution rights to Miramax’s romantic epic Cold Mountain. The Julia Roberts starrer Mona Lisa Smile is another film that we are pinning our hopes on.

    Are you looking at co-production for Indian films?
    Yes. This is an option we have been considering and will get there eventually. Right now while there are opportunities coming our way, we are not actively talking to any Bollywood producers.

    At a suitable time we would look at it if our involvement would make a difference and if it makes sense for us in terms of the return on investment.
    To what extent is your business being affected by piracy?
    Hugely! We are constantly fighting it. It is a never ending war. Films are shown on cable sometimes even before its release in the US. Video piracy is rampant. For every legitimate VCD that is being sold there are five illegitimate ones. We have an anti-piracy wing in Delhi. An attorney runs it on a retainer basis.

  • Columbia Tristar & Asia Vision launch international quality DVDs

    MUMBAI: Columbia Tristar Home Entertainment, along with Asia Vision Home Entertainment yesterday launched international quality DVDs in India at the Times Group owned music store Planet M in Mumbai’s Andheri suburb.
    Columbia Tristar is the first Hollywood studio to manufacture quality DVDs in India and that too at an affordable price. Present on the occasion were Columbia Tristar country manager N Muthuram and Asia Vision director Dhirubhai Shah. Asia Vision is the sole licensee in India of Columbia Tristar.
    Muthuram said, “It is a momentous day for us as we are launching a totally new format which is the DVD format in the country. DVDs have been in India, but the quality is not like the international ones.” He also said that Columbia Tristar will from now on bring DVDs in India on an ongoing basis and will also manufacture them here. “The quality is going to be international class because of the high standards that we have set for ourselves,” he added.
    Talking on the occasion Shah said, “This is the first time that a Hollywood studio has brought DVDs for India. The master copies are made in Australia and will be replicated in New Delhi.”
    “At present we have come out with four movies but very soon we are going to release the DVDs of Stuart Little 2 and Men in Black 2. Within the next three months we are also planning to release all time classics like The Guns of Navarone and McKenna’s Gold,” Muthuram added.
    The first lot of DVDs that the companies have come out with for the Indian market are Tobey Maguire starrer Spiderman which is the biggest home entertainment product in the world, Jodie Foster starrer Panic Room, Steven Segal starrer Half Past Dead and The One. The introductory offer is that on purchase of every DVD, one VCD will be given free and the DVDs are available at an inaugural price of Rs 599.

  • Sony Pictures’ studio chief Calley steps down

    LOS ANGELES: Sony Pictures Chairman and Chief Executive John Calley will be stepping down after seven years in the top job of the studio.
    Calley took this step in order to focus on producing films, the Sony Corp. unit said yesterday. The chief of the movie studio that made Spider-Man and other hits will remain on an operating committee that will oversee the company.
    Columbia Pictures’ Amy Pascal, Columbia TriStar Worldwide Marketing and Distribution President Jeff Blake and Sony Pictures Digital President Yair Landau will continue to manage the studio, Sony said.
    Calley would remain on an operating committee for Sony Pictures Entertainment which reports to Sony Corp. of America Chairman and Chief Executive Howard Stringer.
    Also on the committee are Blake, Landau, Pascal, Revolution Studios’ Joe Roth and Rob Wiesenthal, Sony America’s chief financial officer.

  • Starcom India wins Columbia Tristar, Sony Music accounts

    NEW DELHI: Publicis Groupe-owned Starcom India has won the media planning and buying business of Columbia Tristar Films and Sony Music Entertainment.

    According to reports from the Asia Pacific region, besides India, Starcom has also won the Sony group business for markets such as Australia, Singapore and Korea.

    The media business of Columbia Tristar Films and Sony Music will be handled by Starcom Mumbai office. Prior to these two wins, Starcom had won the Sony Electronics business, which is being handled by agency’s Delhi office. The billings details were not disclosed.

    “Starcom has won several Sony group businesses in India. These include Sony India (audio, video products), Columbia Tristar Films and Sony Music Entertainment. Regarding the joint venture companies such as Sony Ericsson, they do not participate in the consolidated ad media buying for the time being. The media consolidation in India is part of Sony’s overall global initiative to consolidate media buying in each region,” said Starcom managing director (west and south) Ravi Kiran.

    Though there was no information from Starcom on the Indian assignment, media reports indicate that the client is not only looking for advertising efficiency and effectiveness but also enhancing group synergies among the Sony group companies in the Asia Pacific region.

  • Columbia Tristar gears for ‘Jungle Book II’ promo blitz

    MUMBAI: Columbia Tristar Films, distributors for Buena Vista International in India, are gearing for a Rs 30 million promotional blitzkrieg prior to the release of Disney’s Jungle Book Part II that’s scheduled for a May-end release in the country.

    Beginning 1 May, Columbia Tristar will, with the confidence born of a successful multimediaSpiderman promotion in India, launch Jungle Book mania across major metros. A tie-up with Cadbury’s will ensure brand visibility at retail level, while merchandising, including books, mugs etc will also be launched in the coming month. According to Columbia Tristar Films of India MD Uday Singh, the campaign will involve TVCs, a publishing tie up that will include colouring books and games as also a tie up with NIIT for a summer course with the Jungle Book theme.

    The sequel to the evergreen Jungle Book movie promises to be as successful a venture in India as the original. Dubbed in Hindi, the movie is to be released in over 25 prints across the country. Known personalities like Jaaved Jaffrey have lent their voices to the dubbed version. Film star Amitabh Bachchan was supposed to do the voice of Baloo the bear, but backed out of the venture later, says Singh.

    According to Columbia Tristar marketing manager Divya Pathak, there’s more by way of tie-ups and promotions in store for the film. There are tie-ups with Pantaloons, contests and a mini Jungle Bookrelated series on Cartoon Network in the coming month. Housing colonies across major metros (1,500 in all) will get a taste of what to expect from the sequel in door-to-door visits, says Pathak.

  • “We are particularly strong in the late night slot” : Laxmi Hariharan Hallmark’s director marketing, Asia Pacific

    “We are particularly strong in the late night slot” : Laxmi Hariharan Hallmark’s director marketing, Asia Pacific

    The Hallmark Channel is planning a slew of programming and marketing initiatives in a bid to increase visibility in India. And coordinating these activities is Hallmark Entertainment Network‘s director marketing, Asia Pacific Laxmi Hariharan. As director-marketing (Asia), her responsibilities include communications, research, events and promotions, brand building, and brand management, besides contributing to programmes and production. She is also involved in distribution and ad sales for the channel in India.

     

    Indiantelevision.com‘s Ashwin Pinto caught up with Hariharan last Thursday (12 September) to find out what Hallmark has planned for the months ahead.

    Are you satisfied with the response your marketing initiatives for shows like ‘The Guardian‘, ‘Early Edition‘ have received?

    Yes. Our Mother‘s day initiative in May was successful. Last month, we came out with 900,000 copies of ‘Early Edition‘ to promote the show. At traffic junctions, people who received a copy got the impression that a new tabloid had been launched.

    How successful has the channel been in attracting new advertisers so far this year in India? Have any revenue targets been set for the financial year?

    For major promotions like Mother‘s Day, we have been able to find sponsors like Whirlpool. Right now, we are pitching our programming initiatives to a whole new batch of advertisers. This week, Maruti commenced a campaign on the channel. We have also become aggressive in the trade marketing department. We offer the advertising community value added tailor made packages including at times a presence in Hallmark Cards. It is too early however, for us to talk about revenue targets.
    “The channel is popular in the South in cities like Chennai and Bangalore.”

    Tell me about the brand awareness programme working across the metro cities?

    During the first part of the year we concentrated on the metros of Mumbai and Delhi. Later on through research, we found that the channel is popular in the South in cities like Chennai and Bangalore. So our marketing mix will now target cities. This will include e-newsletters, advertising shows like The Guardian in cinemas in a big way. We also sponsor horoscopes in the local dailies. We are planning more innovative stunts. For instance, we will be coming out with two more editions of Early Edition Tomorrow (13 September) we are having a special screening in Delhi of the Hugh Jackman film ‘Paperback Hero‘ for the advertising community to create awareness about the product.

     

    We have found that using three to four media outlets at the same time for a few days to hit the viewer is extremely effective in getting the message across. At the moment through radio spots we are promoting our late night movie specials. In this manner, people driving home from work late will have an instant reaction to the ad flash and will feel like tuning in.
    ” Through radio spots we are promoting our late night movie specials. In this manner, people driving home from work late will have an instant reaction to the ad flash and will feel like tuning in “

    What is virtual product placement and how are you pushing it through?

    This is a unique technology exclusively available from Princeton Video in the US. This allows Hallmark to insert products into the film or serial once it has been shot, edited. The advantage is that since Hallmark owns the television movies it airs it can make changes to a particular scene. For instance if the show is passing through a road in Europe an automobile marketed in the country can be inserted on the curb and then the viewer will think to himself that Europeans also drive it. Similarly at the breakfast table you can insert a packet of Kellogg‘s cornflakes which is popular in the country. The same scene will change from country to country. In England for instance the advertiser may want the Kelloggs packet to be removed from the scene.

     

    This is a relationship that Princeton has exclusively with Hallmark. On the other hand Star and HBO, which rely on acquired content, cannot use the technology as the production company whether it is Columbia Tristar, Twentieth Century Fox or Miramax would raise instant objections if they were to alter the original content using technology in any manner.

     

    We are at an advanced stage of discussions with an automobile, biscuit as well as a soft drink manufacturer to offer this value added service.
    ” Our value proposition to the cable operator is that we are a family channel and are not just targeting certain age groups “

    Are you doing cross-promotions on other channels such as Discovery and MTV?

    Yes. For Friendship Day we tied up with MTV. We promoted each other‘s programmes through snippets. We have tie-ups with the magazines Elle and Cosmopolitan.

    What would you say is the USP of the Hallmark channel for the Indian audience and advertisers?

    Viewers see us as a channel with emotions. If they are in a romantic mood, they will automatically come to the channel. We offer something, which one can watch with the entire family. The kid‘s block works well with mothers looking for a healthy alternative as well as those who want their children to be exposed to educational programmes.

     

    For the ad community, we offer a clutter free environment, integrated marketing packages as well as an atmosphere where ads get noticed. Advertisers know that on Hallmark they are reaching a viewer who is loyal and has aspirations regarding attaining a certain lifestyle.

  • “I may distribute a news channel. I just do not want to run one”

    Sony Entertainment Television has secured the cable and satellite television rights for all ICC-designated One-Day cricket for the next seven years, which includes the next two World Cups. But with a reported $255 million acquisition tab, SET CEO Kunal Dasgupta has his task cut out to profit from it. At a media briefing last Friday, Sony presented the captain of India’s successful World Cup campaign of 1983, Kapil Dev, as its brand ambassador. Dasgupta talks of this and other issues like conditional access, DTH, uplinking from India to indiantelevision.com’s Thomas Abraham.

     

     

    What made you plump for Kapil Dev as your brand ambassador?
    The point is, just as Amitabh Bachchan is the icon of movies, Kapil Dev is the icon of cricket and we expect Kapil to do for Sony Entertainment what Bachchan did for Star.

     

     

    There is this huge investment of $255 million that has been pumped into getting the rights to ICC-designated One Day cricket tournaments. Recovering that is a tough ask any way you look at it. At least as far as the ICC tourney in September and the World Cup next March, are there any programming initiatives that you have in mind?
    There are a number of them we have lined up but I don’t want to talk about these initiatives at this juncture.

     

    What about an outline of your overall strategy?
    First and foremost, we want to take the game beyond the male and offer it as family entertainment. The programming initiatives that we are working on will take cricket beyond the boundary and get the families in. There will certainly be a focus on women in our plans.
     

     

    Secondly, we have to generate interest beyond the matches India is playing. And we will have to create devices that provide for that.
     

    And the ICC rights that we have include under-19 cricket tournaments. There is no interest for this now but we will have to generate it.
     

    One way is to make the cricketers more media savvy. They will need to be groomed accordingly so as to give the proper sound bytes at the proper time. Tiger Woods is not just a sporting success story but a marketing one as well and this has been achieved by a great deal of coaching on how he conducts himself.

     

    Now that you have acquired this massive cricket property, have you thought of an IPO. Would this not be a good time to raise funds from the market?
    My board doesn’t think so.

     

     

    The big debate currently is around the government’s determination to introduce conditional access systems in the country. What is your stand on this?
    Well I would have to see how it is implemented. My principal concern is that there should not be a disruption of services which is something I am sure the government would ensure when CAS is introduced.
     

     

    The big question is, will the law make it mandatory to declare the subscriber management systems, which are in the hands of the cable operators? How do you control this is a big worry?

     

    The Cable TV Networks (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2002 is almost certain to get cleared in the next session of Parliament in July. How long do you think the first phase of the rollout in the four metros will take?
    It should take about a year or so at the very least, I would think.

     

    What will happen to DTH in this scenario? The whole concept of having tiers means that high-end services can be offered to consumers which would incorporate interactivity and other options like pay-per-view. Would this not make the DTH option a non starter?
    The introduction of CAS as is visualised would in fact speed up the entry of DTH. If the customer has any way to invest in a set top to access channels, the quality of service that DTH provides would make it quite a feasible option if the price is right. It should be noted that in India what we are talking about as far as CAS is concerned is an analog service. To digitise, massive investment is needed for cable TV headend upgradation as well as line upgradation. What we are looking at is costs of up to Rs 50,000 crores (Rs 500 billion). At the moment, it is only Reliance that is doing this kind of cabling.

     

    The introduction of CAS would certainly alter the dynamics of the business. What sort of scenarios do you visualise?
    Bundling of packages will certainly be there. It will ultimately boil down to who offers the best package. There will be possibilities of a number of currently rival networks like Sony, Star and Zee for instance coming together and offering a shared bundle. India is a unique market. Ultimately, market forces will settle the issue.

     

    What other options are there available to the broadcaster?
    One possibility is to supply boxes directly to the consumer. That way we bypass the cable operator altogether by entering into a direct relationship with the consumer.

     

    If you are talking packages, then strong bouquets will still be important. Have you earmarked any candidates for joining “The One Alliance” (what the addition of the Discovery and Animal Planet channels to the Sony Entertainment bouquet of SET, MAX, AXN and CNBC India is called)?
    An English movie channel is top of our wish list. Music and niche channels are our other options.

     

     

     

    How many new channels can we expect on the platform by the end of the year?
    Ask me on 20 June.

     

     

    What about a news channel? There is a lot of buzz that a news channel is also on your list.
    As long as I am CEO, a news channel will not happen. We do not want to get into issues of editorial management as that would involve taking sides on issues. The issue we have with running a news channel is that we prefer to remain neutral. We have a lot of products that we promote in India besides our channels. There is the movie business, music and electronics goods that we have as well, so that is the position that we are comfortable with.

    That is not to say I cannot have a news channel on my platform. I can certainly distribute a channel. I just do not want to run one.

     

     

     

     

    Now that the government has liberalised uplinking, there is talk that broadcasters who uplink abroad will be looking at transferring operations to India so as to bring in new avenues for advertising. Is Sony considering such an option?
    Not for the near term at least. If at some later date, we feel there are clear advantages to be derived, then we would have to reassess the situation.

     

     

    What of programming? Is there anything new happening on Sony?
    We will be introducing a new blockbuster series slotted for the weekend prime time. The weekend has been associated with blockbuster movies. Now we are working on a blockbuster series that will run for 39 episodes. With it, we expect to carve out the weekend prime time slot.

     

     

    Balaji has said it is readying a 39-part weekend series that is going on air within the next two months, slated to run as a one-hour show on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. And the talk is that you are doing a big new show with Balaji. Is this that show?
    Yes it is.

     

     

    Still, it is the weekday programming that ultimately decides the success of a channel. What have you lined up for the weekdays?
    We will be continuously introducing new shows but they will be short duration series. The days of the long-running serial are numbered.

     

     

    Do you have any big ticket shows lined up?
    One show we are seriously looking at is a game show called Russian Roulette.

     

     

    From whom are you acquiring the rights?
    It is a Columbia Tristar property.

     

    (Russian Roulette, produced by Columbia TriStar Domestic Television [CTDT], is a game of chance where every question could cause a contestant to literally “drop out” of the game and has been a hit in countries as wide apart as Russia and Spain. In this knowledge test, four strangers challenge each other to answer a series of multiple-choice questions. If a contestant answers incorrectly, he must pull the lever potentially triggering one or more “drop zones”. When only one contestant is left standing, that person keeps all of the money won and proceeds to the final round. In the US version, the final winner takes home an additional $100,000.)

     

     

    What about Shubh Vivaah (Sony’s blockbuster marriage reality show)? When do you see it finally launching?
    There is a hearing scheduled for 8 July. After that, we will know for certain.

     

     

    But I thought the issue was settled. Didn’t the Delhi high court ruling (of 3 March) state that Taal (which went to court over claimed copyright violation) gets a lead time of two months if its own show Swayamvar launches on or before 30 June, otherwise Sony would be free to launch Shubh Vivaah?
    Well, Taal went in appeal of that ruling. So the judge has put 8 July as the date for final hearing of the case. Basically, Taal is only employing delaying tactics. In any case, we expect to have the show out in the next few months.