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  • India’s affiliate industry is on track to hit $835 mn by 2025: Experts

    India’s affiliate industry is on track to hit $835 mn by 2025: Experts

    Mumbai: The Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) recently concluded the seventh edition of India Affiliate Summit (IAS) that witnessed over 3000 delegates from across the globe. Over 700 companies and 50 exhibitors participated in the event, held on 25 August.

    Some of the crucial topics of discussion at the event were: ‘How to build a multi-million-pound affiliate empire?’, ‘Is performance marketing a win-win deal or has a flip side?’, ‘Growing role of affiliate marketing in fintech domain’, ‘How are influencers changing the affiliate marketing fame?’, ‘Implementing affiliate marketing in mobile gaming’, and ‘GenZ, the social media generation – vital audience for affiliates’.

    Speaking about the potential of the Indian affiliate industry, Commission’s CEO, Parul Bhargava said, “India’s affiliate industry has tremendous potential of growth and is on track to touch the targeted $835 million by 2025 from around $300 million currently. The Covid-19 pandemic has not affected the affiliate marketing industry; definitely digital and affiliate has grown. Affiliate marketing still contributes about 10 per cent of digital marketing budgets. E-commerce, travel homestays, BFSI, education, D2C, gaming, web services, and health are the top industries contributing to affiliate marketing in India.”

    Echoing similar views, GrabOn’s founder, Ashok Reddy remarked, “We have just scratched the surface of affiliate marketing in India. The affiliate industry has been growing multi-fold over the years and there is no doubt that there is unprecedented growth ahead.  With new content creators on the block and AI that sees no limits, affiliate is shifting and will continue to shift into the hands of the users. Mobile-first strategy, influencers, and video-based content marketing will see an uptrend for the next few years.”

    Optimise, managing director, LD Sharma said that while the sector has the potential to become a billion-dollar industry in the next couple of years, rising fraudulent activities seem to be a major concern. “Fraudulent clicks, cookie stuffing, bad bots, geo-masking, click spamming are some of the challenges for the industry,” he said.

    Sharma also mentioned that government intervention in the form of regulations and punishments for unethical businesses will help the industry to grow further. Suggesting measures to further this growth he added, “Under the current GST regime affiliate marketers are required to pay 18 per cent GST, however, the same is not applicable in other countries. Revisiting the GST regime for affiliate marketers and setting up a regulatory body would be an impetus for the entire ecosystem.”

    The key speakers at the event included Craig Campbell SEO, SEO trainer and consultant, Craig Campbell; Bright Leads Media, founder, Hassan Aanbar; Acceleration Partners, founder and CEO, Robert Glazer; Cashkaro, co-founder, Rohan Bhargava; Ferns N Petals, head – digital marketing, Sai Tota; Max Life Insurance, CVP – e-commerce and digital marketing Aditya Satpute; HDFC Bank, VP and head- digital, content and social media marketing, Jahid Ahmed; Godrej Consumer Products, VP and head – digital, Pankaj Parihar; and Lendinkart, director – marketing, Nijish Nair.

  • E-commerce giants dish out swanky offers this Women’s Day and Mahashivratri

    E-commerce giants dish out swanky offers this Women’s Day and Mahashivratri

    MUMBAI: E-commerce giants normally lure customers through various discount offers throughout the year, and then there are festival and other special days when these companies offer customers exclusive discounts. This Mahashivratri and Women’s day companies have found yet another reason to attract more shoppers in order to boost sales and traffic onto their websites and apps by offering high discount rates. Some of these websites include E-commerce players like Flipkart.com, Paytm.com,Snapdeal.com, Cashkaro.com, Sendmygifts.com, Cubishop.com, Shoppingoutlet.in, Healthians. The online eyewear portal Lenskart.com is supporting women by donating 2.5 percent of total sale towards women empowerment.

    Mobile e-commerce and virtual wallet company Paytm.com has come up with exclusive deals by offering flat 30 percent cashback on premium watch brands for women and up to 50 percent cashback on the bestselling products. Taking off from its ‘Big Billion Day’ a couple of years ago and last year, Flipkart.com has come up with Big Shopping Day from the seventh to the ninth of March and customers can avail up to 20 percent off plus an extra 10 percent off on transactions through SBI cards.

    Cashback and coupons website like Cashkaro.com are offering high discounts between 50 and 80 per cent rates plus cashback and rewards on purchase of any item on Women’s day on any purchase through Amazon.in and  Askmegrocery.com. In addition to this, Cashkaro is also offering upto10.2 percent reward on purchase of item through Flipkart.com.

    For Mahashivratri, Askmegrocery.com and PepperTap.com have a flat 10 percent off on grocery items.

    Customers can avail a deal of their choice on Snapdeal.com, while women’s apparel, footwear and accessories have up to 25 percent off. Beauty and personal care products are available with discounts between 50 and 70 percent.

    In order to make women’s day special, Sendmygifts.com offers presents with discounts of up to 55 per cent for orders worth Rs 500 or more, plus 15 percent extra off on flowers, cakes and combos and 10 percent off on non-perishable products. 

    Cubishop.com, the marketplace for the consumer electronics industry is offering portable mini bluetooth stereo S10 music speakers for just Rs 350 and mono bluetooth headset worth Rs 275. Meanwhile Shoppingoutlet.in is offering beats pill multicolor bluetooth portable speaker OEM worth Rs 1,199 and JBL micro wireless speaker for Rs 1,399.

  • E-commerce giants dish out swanky offers this Women’s Day and Mahashivratri

    E-commerce giants dish out swanky offers this Women’s Day and Mahashivratri

    MUMBAI: E-commerce giants normally lure customers through various discount offers throughout the year, and then there are festival and other special days when these companies offer customers exclusive discounts. This Mahashivratri and Women’s day companies have found yet another reason to attract more shoppers in order to boost sales and traffic onto their websites and apps by offering high discount rates. Some of these websites include E-commerce players like Flipkart.com, Paytm.com,Snapdeal.com, Cashkaro.com, Sendmygifts.com, Cubishop.com, Shoppingoutlet.in, Healthians. The online eyewear portal Lenskart.com is supporting women by donating 2.5 percent of total sale towards women empowerment.

    Mobile e-commerce and virtual wallet company Paytm.com has come up with exclusive deals by offering flat 30 percent cashback on premium watch brands for women and up to 50 percent cashback on the bestselling products. Taking off from its ‘Big Billion Day’ a couple of years ago and last year, Flipkart.com has come up with Big Shopping Day from the seventh to the ninth of March and customers can avail up to 20 percent off plus an extra 10 percent off on transactions through SBI cards.

    Cashback and coupons website like Cashkaro.com are offering high discounts between 50 and 80 per cent rates plus cashback and rewards on purchase of any item on Women’s day on any purchase through Amazon.in and  Askmegrocery.com. In addition to this, Cashkaro is also offering upto10.2 percent reward on purchase of item through Flipkart.com.

    For Mahashivratri, Askmegrocery.com and PepperTap.com have a flat 10 percent off on grocery items.

    Customers can avail a deal of their choice on Snapdeal.com, while women’s apparel, footwear and accessories have up to 25 percent off. Beauty and personal care products are available with discounts between 50 and 70 percent.

    In order to make women’s day special, Sendmygifts.com offers presents with discounts of up to 55 per cent for orders worth Rs 500 or more, plus 15 percent extra off on flowers, cakes and combos and 10 percent off on non-perishable products. 

    Cubishop.com, the marketplace for the consumer electronics industry is offering portable mini bluetooth stereo S10 music speakers for just Rs 350 and mono bluetooth headset worth Rs 275. Meanwhile Shoppingoutlet.in is offering beats pill multicolor bluetooth portable speaker OEM worth Rs 1,199 and JBL micro wireless speaker for Rs 1,399.

  • YuppTV enters Red Herring’s top 100 global company list

    YuppTV enters Red Herring’s top 100 global company list

    MUMBAI: YuppTV, an OTT platform, has entered the reputed Red Herring’s list of top 100 global awards. The awards identify and honour the leading private companies from North America, Europe and Asia.

     

    Red Herring’s list is a mark of distinction for promising new companies and entrepreneurs.

     

    Red Herring CEO and publisher Alex Vieux said, “Choosing the companies with the strongest potential was by no means a small feat. After rigorous contemplation and discussion, we narrowed our list down from hundreds of candidates from across the globe to the top 100 winners. We believe YuppTV embodies the vision, drive and innovation that define a successful entrepreneurial venture. YuppTV should be proud of its accomplishment.”

     

    Red Herring’s editorial staff evaluated the companies on both quantitative and qualitative criteria, such as financial performance, technology innovation, management quality, strategy, and market penetration. This assessment of potential is complemented by a review of the track records and standing of start-ups relative to their peers, allowing Red Herring to see past the “buzz” and make the list a valuable instrument of discovery and advocacy for the most promising new business models from around the world. 

     

    Speaking about the new accomplishment, YuppTV CEO and founder Uday Reddy added, “When we were recognized as one of the top 100 North American companies earlier this year, we were absolutely thrilled with the distinction especially given that there were so many great companies. However, to have been selected as one of the top 100 global companies really confirms our belief that we have a service that our customers love and that so many new customers around the world will want.”

  • GroupM delves into Digital World 2013

    GroupM delves into Digital World 2013

    MUMBAI: “Internet is just a world passing around notes in the classroom,” said American television host and stand-up comedian Jon Stewart about the whole world wide web.

    Considering that the classroom has increased manifolds in the past couple of years with each and everyone using the internet ever second, every day of their life, Indiantelevision.com takes a look atGroupM’s recently released report, “This Year Next Year Interaction 2014” which highlights the impact of technology and tech companies on consumers and advertiser behaviour.

    The preview report mostly talks about the social media and video platforms and how the platforms have been utilised by various brands. The penetration and growth of smartphones in the world is stating the obvious and hence, it elaborates on how a few of the next billion online users will use a PC-like object as the principal method of access. Tablets and smartphones rule the roost, these days.

    The report goes on to state that by one mean or other, one-third of the world population is online. With television and print taking a backseat, advertisers have made PCs and now mobile devices a priority to reach out to the attentive audiences.   

    “However, with magnification of fragmentation, multi-tasking, active screen time and increasing adoption of over-the-top (OTT) and often ad-free media, the challenges among advertisers is increasing. Advertisers have to deliver effectively in more places and on more platforms with little additional resources,” highlights the report.

    The report goes on to say that 25 years after the web’s conception, what it delivers to consumers and to the business could not have been imagined by its creator. “Google is the 800-pound gorilla that has seamlessly combined its core revenue engine, search with a strong position in online video and successfully evolved both into mobile.”

    The report adds, “More significantly, Youtube has become the uber-network of video networks and is the wireframe on which more and more of the world’s video content hangs. With 25 per cent of all views on mobile devices and by Google’s definition that excludes tablets, Youtube sits alongside Facebook, twitter and Goggle search as one of the dominant applications of mobile consumption.”

    Global Youtube revenue is estimated, as per the report, at $5 billion and the top 10 brands which have been the platform’s biggest content creators include: Blackberry, DCShoecoUSA, Google, Coca Cola, Old Spice, GoPro, Samsung, Nike, Volkswagen and RedBull.

    Furthermore, the report goes on to say that if 2013 was the year of mobile advertising then Facebook and Twitter made it so. “Of its 700 million daily users, 500 million use the platform of Facebook via a mobile device. And if advertisers create more high-frequency engagement, they will in turn increase the algorithmics distribution of messages to a greater percentage of their fans and beyond, reducing the need to pay for that reach,” says the report.

    Also in 2013 Facebook positioned itself to participate in two new areas – search, long dominated by Google and ‘moments’ news, TV and otherwise on which Twitter has begun to build its revenue base. However, the report also states that twitter will never achieve the level of penetration of Facebook. “The platforms are so often referenced in the same sentence yet they have little in common other than as examples of the network effect as a catalyst of growth.”

    The top brands on the social networking site, as mentioned  in the report, are: Coca Cola, MTV, Disney, Red Bull, Converse, Starbucks, etc.

    Having said that, the report adds how many media companies have embraced Twitter as a tool  to extend the reach of their programming and deepen their advertiser relationship by re-distributing content on it. Top brands on Twitter are: Samsung, Starbucks, Whole Foods, Blackberry, Disney, Zappos, Chanel, says GroupM.

    The agency’s report has highlighted the benefits that professional networking site Linkedin provides to HR managers globaly, even, surprisingly in China. One third of the world’s profesionals, 95 per cent of Americans and 40 per cent Europeans use Linkedin, it says. With a quarter of a billion individual profiles, as well as 300,000 corporate profiles, it states and  goes on to explain how corporations, through their own profiles, sponsored updates and influencer content postings are investing significantly in building their brands and cohorts of followers.  The most-followed companies on the professional networking site are Google, IBM, HP, Microsoft, Apple etc.

    The report also looks at the online presence of  Apple, and its online music service iTunes and iTunesRadio. With almost 700 million iOS users globally, and 200 million iTunes accounts in the US it is a tour de force able to offer varying advertising options to advertisers. The report then goes on to examine how Yahoo, Microsoft (it acquired Nokia’s handset business this year), AOL, Amazon (almost 35 per cent of all digital customer journeys in the US end up at this online retailer, GroupM research states) and Electronic Arts have been dealing with the rapid evolution online and in digital and what kind of advertiser offerings they are drawing up, and how much success they are achieving.

    If one has to wrap up the year and see what’s next? “For advertisers the world will get more complex. The promise of the cloud and of big data implies an information adjacency and the ability to deliver content to the customer that promises super-precision in segmentation and targeting and by inference a value in an increasingly granular, dynamic and data-informed media environment,” as per the report.

    The report aims to give readers a real understanding of what’s happening in the world of online, and how they as marketers can get prepared to efficiently use the evolving ecosystem.

  • DAS: The Chennai conundrum

    DAS: The Chennai conundrum

    MUMBAI: The country may have entered the third and fourth phases of digitisation, but one of the major metros, Chennai, seems to be lagging behind in the digitisation process from phase one onwards. However, it is time for them to buck up as the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) may soon start cracking the whip on broadcasters, MSOs and LCOs in Chennai if they fail to comply with the digital addressable system (DAS) or digitisation norms, leading to severe repercussions.

    In a meeting organised on 9 December by the TRAI with the three stakeholders, the Regulator said that it has already notified the TV channels in Chennai that are still transmitting analogue signals. The deadline to implement DAS was 1 November 2012, but despite the entire framework such as interconnection, quality of service and consumer complaint redressal and tariff being in order, the stakeholders haven’t really followed the process,TRAI reiterated.

    One of the biggest hurdles in the implementation of digitisation is the dispute between the regulator, the information and broadcasting ministry and the Jayalalithaa-led Tamil Nadu government controlled Arasu Cable corporation that it should be given a DAS licence.

    Arasu Cable, that delivers cable TV services to almost half the subscribers in the city, was revived in 2011 and rapidly grew under the alleged patronage of the Jayalalithaa government.

    A TRAI consultation paper on monopoly in the cable TV sector released in June 2013 put it very aptly: “The Government of Tamil Nadu has incorporated Tamil Nadu Arasu Cable TV (TACTV) Corporation Ltd. on 02.09.2011 for distribution of cable TV in Tamil Nadu. It has taken over 27 Headends from the private MSOs. TACTV Corporation is providing cable TV services with most pay channels at a cost of Rs 70 per month to the public through local cable operators. Prior to this, another MSO, M/s KAL (Sumangali) Cable, which is a subsidiary of the Sun group, had dominance in the cable TV services in Tamil Nadu. However, KAL Cable continues to be dominant in Chennai city, where TACTV has not been registered as an MSO under DAS. Interestingly, channels of the Sun group, an integrated player providing both broadcasting and distribution services, were not available on the TACTV network for quite some time.”

    TRAI had then made it clear that Central and State government ministries, departments, companies and undertakings should not be allowed to enter into the business of broadcasting or distribution of television channels.

    The TRAI consultation paper had estimated that Tamil Nadu has 1.3 crore cable TV homes out of which 50 lakh are subscribers of Arasu. Other estimates are that Chennai has 38 lakh cable TV homes and seven lakh DTH homes. These estimates put Arasu’s subscriber base at 14 to 15 lakh.
    Recent reports claim that the dominant MSO had even ordered a large shipment of STBs in June this year, but has not gone ahead since it has not been issued a DAS licence. Since Arasu is still delivering analgoue signals, most other MSOs too have been tardy on switching over to DAS completely, fearing they would alienate their subscribers.

    In the meeting that the regulator had with the MSOs on 9 December, it ordered them to stop analogue signals and implement complete digitisation. It directed the MSOs to get the Subscriber Management System (SMS) in place with details of customers including their choice of channels.

    It also hurled another missive at broadcasters, clearly ordering them to provide their signals only to those MSOs that are registered for providing cable TV services through DAS. MSOs have been cautioned to ensure that only digital transmissions are provided through their network and Customer Application Forms (CAFs) are collected soon.

    TRAI has stated that it will closely monitor the progress of digitisation in the city and will also consider taking strict action against those who do not follow the protocol.
    Even customers have been advised to ensure that they receive cable TV connection only from operators supplying DAS signals or face a blackout of their TV screens.

    TRAI has also urged them to duly fill the CAFs at the earliest and submit them to their local operators. If they fail to do so, MSOs will be compelled to cut off transmission of those consumers, failing which they may will be in breach of law.

    In Chennai, out of the 38 lakh cable TV homes, only four lakh STBs have been seeded. This leaves nearly 34 lakh houses receiving analog signals.

    Will cable TV operators, broadcasters, and MSOs change the status quo and possibly face the ire of the state? They have not dared to challenge its might for the past year or so. On one side is the telecom regulator which is glaring down on them; on the other there is the state government has made its intentions clear when it asked the centre that Arasu be given a DAS licence. A conundrum if there ever was one.

    Will TRAI’s current warning turn out to be just what it is?

  • Starcom MediaVest seals a data deal with Acxiom

    Starcom MediaVest seals a data deal with Acxiom

    MUMBAI: Many mergers, partnerships and acquisitions happened in this year. Now, when the year is coming to an end, there’s another big deal that has been sealed between media agency Starcom MediaVest Group and marketing technology and services company Acxiom. A multi-year deal has been signed between the two.

    The deal will let Starcom use Acxiom’s Audience Operating System, which enables audience segmentation and targeting across online and offline media using first-party and third-party data. The two firms aim to develop new applications for the system, such as targeting TV advertising.

    The deal gives the Publicis Groupe an option to expand its services to other companies under the umbrella. It also gives Starcom MediaVest the first right of refusal for using Acxiom system in overseas markets when in becomes available outside US. Acxiom expects to roll out the audience targeting platform in the UK and China next.
    However, the deal isn’t exclusive and Starcom can test system with other companies as well.

    The time-frame of the deal hasn’t been revealed by the companies. And since Publicis and Omnicom are in the middle of a merger approval process, there’s no indication on how the Acxiom deal might extend over to Omnicom agencies once the merger is completed.

    The new partnership is followed by similar deals that have been signed earlier in the year. A pact gave Starcom MediaVest a first crack at premium Twitter ad inventory, and is intended to give the agency the ability to influence new Twitter products. Even last month, a deal between Starcom and Yahoo was announced which gave the agency exclusive access to Yahoo’s first-party data on its visitors.

  • Essel plans to raise $500 mn to fund growth of its companies: Bloomberg

    NEW DELHI: Media baron Subhash Chandra’s Essel Group is understood to be seeking to raise as much as $500 million to fund expansion and pay debt at some of its companies.

    The group may use the funds for DTH service provider Dish TV India Ltd, multi-system operator (MSO) Siti Cable Network Ltd. and schools operator Zee Learn Ltd, according to sources quoted by Bloomberg.

    Essel joins Indian media companies including Network 18 Group and Living Media India Pvt. in seeking capital. It is understood that Essel has approached private equity firms for this purpose.

    Dish TV, India’s biggest provider of DTH services, and Siti Cable are expanding as the nation makes digital television services mandatory. Advertisement and subscription revenue is forecast by G2Mi Research to increase 87 per cent by 2015.

    “There is a heightened interest among investors in two media segments, broadcaster and cable companies, owing to a structural change that’s anticipated in the country through digitization,” Vivekanand Subbaraman, an analyst at MF Global Sify Securities India in Mumbai, told Bloomberg.

    Essel is not in “active dialogue” with buyout firms, said Himanshu Mody, group head for finance and strategy, in an interview to Bloomberg. “We from time to time keep raising expansion capital for various entities within the group.”

    According to the report, the money raised will not be used for Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd., Essel’s largest publicly traded unit. With a market capitalisation of 164.3 billion rupees ($3 billion), Zee Entertainment had 3.3 billion rupees in cash at the end of March, data compiled by Bloomberg showed.

    Apart from its television business, Essel manages firms that build roads, runs a newspaper and makes packaging for toothpaste and food companies.

    Dish TV had total debt of 12.1 billion rupees as of March 31 and Siti Cable, which sells cable services to about 10 million households in India, had 3.5 billion rupees of debt at the time, data compiled by Bloomberg show.

    Siti Cable plans to raise Rs 3.2 billion selling warrants convertible into equity to its owners including Essel.