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Tag: covid2019

  • Essence Impact to accelerate digital transformation for non-profits

    Essence Impact to accelerate digital transformation for non-profits

    NEW DELHI: Global media agency Essence has green-flagged its pro-bono initiative Essence Impact, that aims to help non-profit organisations raise greater awareness, attract more donations, and recruit new volunteers via their websites to support their causes and effect accelerated change.

    Essence Impact was introduced during the Covid2019 pandemic to aid non-profit organisations in their digital transformation, as many historically depended on tentpole physical fundraising events for their operational needs. As part of the initiative, Essence helps eligible charities apply for Google Ad Grants which provides up to $10,000 per month of in-kind search advertising. Leveraging Essence’s best-in-class digital, data, analytics, and technology capabilities, the agency also assists organisations in setting up, managing, and optimising their advertising campaigns to drive traffic to their websites. The Essence team comprises diverse employees who volunteer and contribute to the initiative in roles including business development, client services, marketing, media activation, and project management.

    Originating in APAC, Essence has since piloted Essence Impact for ACRES which supports animal protection; Bethesda Care Services which serves children, youths, families, and the elderly in need in the community; Club Rainbow which supports and empowers children with chronic illnesses and their families. Following a discovery meeting with these organisations, Essence created Google Ads campaigns targeting local and regional audiences, and set up keywords, ads, and bidding based on the agency’s best practices for clients. Essence further partnered with the charities to optimise the campaigns and expand reach to attract more visitors to their websites, and continue to collaborate with them to improve visitors’ onsite experience through website audits and conversion rate optimisation.

    Essence AVP – client services APAC Matt Holland, who leads Essence Impact in the region, said, “It has been challenging times for charities amid Covid2019 and its resulting lockdown restrictions, as the organisations have not been able to carry out their usual fundraising events. Essence Impact is supporting charities to” help drive increased awareness, donors, and volunteers online, as the organisations pivot their activities to be more digitally-led.”

    With Google Ad Grants available in 68 countries around the world, Essence aims to roll out Essence Impact across APAC and globally via its network of offices.

  • Covid relief: Now you can find hospital beds on Truecaller

    Covid relief: Now you can find hospital beds on Truecaller

    NEW DELHI: As India battles the deadly second wave of the Covid2019 pandemic, many brands have stepped up by contributing to the relief efforts. The latest company that joins this list of good samaritans is Truecaller, which has launched a Covid healthcare directory in the nation. 

    This new feature helps users to locate hospitals and can be accessed from either the menu or the dialer within the beta version of the Truecaller Android app.

    “In light of the recent rise in cases, it’s important that Truecaller helps in any way we can. We decided to make it as easy as possible for everyone in India to find medical care near them. It can be hard to find the right healthcare numbers when you need it most, so we’ve added it to the app,” said the caller ID app in a recent statement. 

    The healthcare directory contains telephone numbers and addresses of Covid designated hospitals from multiple states across the nation. Truecaller has made this directory by sourcing from official government databases. 

    Truecaller users can use the search button to locate Covid hospitals near their location. However, the directory will not provide any details regarding the availability of hospital beds. 

    The company also revealed that it will update the numbers and contact details of hospitals every day and will include hospital phone numbers from as many areas in India as available. 

  • Gift of the jab: Wow! Momo to get employees vaccinated on 1 May

    Gift of the jab: Wow! Momo to get employees vaccinated on 1 May

    MUMBAI: In the wake of the second wave of the Covid2019 pandemic, Wow! Momo has offered free vaccination for its 2,500+ employees. As the country looks forward to starting its 18+ vaccination drive from 1 May 2021 onwards, the Indian fast-food chain made this announcement keeping in mind its employee’s safety and welfare.

    Incidentally, Wow! Momo’s staff vaccination drive coincides with International Workers’ Day or Labour Day, observed all over the world on 1 May.

    CEO Sagar Daryani said, “Vaccination begins at home; it’s our attempt to give our Wow! employees a completely safe working condition and a reassurance that we will stick with them come what may. This is also a reward for their resilience and passion; they have been with us through thick and thin last year and this is the least we would want to do”.

    With this initiative, the company is trying to ensure the safety of both employees and customers, noted Wow! Momo national head Niloy Chakraborty.

    “For us our employees are our first consumers – and this initiative is a testimony of our people first mentality. Amidst the crisis of the second wave of the virus where India is fighting the battle together every single day, employees have been standing by the company in their support and are of the utmost importance. The company has quoted ‘Woh Safe toh Guest Safe. Guest Safe to Country Safe’,” Chakraborty elaborated.

    Wow! Momo & Wow! China has more than 350 outlets pan-India. The initiative also pledges the brand’s commitment towards safety, health and hygiene of its consumers. Be it delivery or take away; brand is ensuring all hygiene and safety standards.

    “This is an initiative that is close to our heart; it marries our core values of people first and customer centricity to the need of the hour,” added Daryani.

  • Apple and Vivo pledge to aid India in Covid relief efforts

    Apple and Vivo pledge to aid India in Covid relief efforts

    NEW DELHI: As India is battling the deadly second wave of Covid2019, smartphone manufacturers Vivo India and Apple have pledged to aid the country in Covid relief efforts. Vivo India has announced that they will donate Rs 2 crore and also help to acquire oxygen concentrators. 

    Last year, Vivo India had donated masks, PPE kits, and 50,000 litres of sanitisers to India’s Covid efforts. The company also expressed its gratitude to frontline healthcare workers who are fighting to curb the spread of the Covid pandemic. The smartphone maker has also urged people to follow strict Covid restrictions to combat the challenge posed by the virus sweeping through the country.

    “In the fight against Covid2019, @Vivo_India stands united with the nation and pledges to donate Rs 2 crores to aid relief efforts and acquiring oxygen concentrators. Together, we can and will get through this,” said Vivo India senior executive Nipun Marya. 

    Apple has also extended support to India during this critical time. Apple CEO Tim Cook took to Twitter to announce that the company will provide help to its Apple family and everyone who is fighting the pandemic. 

    “Amid a devastating rise of Covid cases in India, our thoughts are with the medical workers, our Apple family, and everyone there who is fighting through this awful stage of the pandemic. Apple will be donating to support and relief efforts on the ground,” tweeted Cook. 

    Yesterday, Xiaomi stepped up to donate 1,000 oxygen concentrators worth Rs 3 crore to tackle the Covid crisis in India.

    Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has pledged that the company will “continue to use its voice, resources, and technology to aid relief efforts, and support the purchase of critical oxygen concentration devices.” 

    Google CEO Sundar Pichai revealed that the search engine giant will give Rs 135 crore for medical supplies, organisations supporting high-risk communities, and grants to help spread critical information. 

    Over the last few weeks, India has been devastated by a record surge in Covid2019 cases. The country’s health infrastructure has been stretched to the breaking point, with shortages reported in medical oxygen cylinders, hospitals beds and critical drugs for Covid treatment. The number of reported cases declined slightly on Tuesday, to 323,144 from the peak of 352,991 the day before, bringing the total cases to nearly 17 million with 192,000 deaths.

  • P&G pledges Rs 50 crore for vaccine doses, as Covid2019 batters India

    P&G pledges Rs 50 crore for vaccine doses, as Covid2019 batters India

    Mumbai: As India struggles to combat the record spike in Covid2019 cases, Procter & Gamble (P&G) announced on Monday that it will contribute towards the vaccination of over five lakh Indian citizens by pledging Rs 50 crore in partnership with government and local authorities in India.

    For every P&G employee in India, the company will contribute towards the vaccination of 100 Indians, it said. The FMCG major said it will also cover the vaccination cost of its 5000+ employee force in India, and their eligible immediate family members.

    With as many as 3,52,991 fresh Covid2019 cases and 2,812 deaths, India witnessed a new record high on Monday as the deadly second wave took a toll on the people. This is the fifth straight day that over three lakh cases have been recorded by the country. 

    P&G brands Whisper, Vicks, Pampers, Oral-B, Head & Shoulders and Pantene are partnering in this vaccination drive through their brand programs and will also continue to raise awareness on safety and hygiene in the country.

    P&G Indian subcontinent CEO Madhusudan Gopalan said, “P&G is committed to playing an active role in India’s fight against Covid2019. Since the outbreak of the pandemic, through our #PGSurakshaIndia program, we have stepped up to support the health, safety, and wellbeing of our employees, our consumers and the communities. In the current situation and going forward, vaccines play a critical role in containing the spread of the virus.”

    Contribution towards vaccines will be on top of P&G’s earmarked CSR funds for the current year. Under its #PGSurakshaIndia program, the company will also continue to donate products, in-house manufactured masks and sanitisers specially to aid frontline and essential workers who are tirelessly working to combat the spread of Covid2019.

    The company said it will also continue to leverage its advertising and brand voice responsibly to increase awareness on health, safety and hygiene measures among consumers and the community.

    It has so far donated more than 35 lakh health, hygiene and cleaning products (which include Whisper, Ariel, Tide, Vicks, Pampers etc) to the communities it operates in. P&G stepped up its manufacturing capabilities to produce masks and hand sanitisers to donate more than 15 lakh masks in the country’s fight against Covid2019.

  • Google, Microsoft pledge aid to India in fight against Covid2019

    Google, Microsoft pledge aid to India in fight against Covid2019

    NEW DELHI: Google CEO Sundar Pichai and his Microsoft counterpart Satya Nadella have extended their support to India amid a record surge in Covid2019 cases.

    Pichai tweeted, “Devastated to see the worsening Covid crisis in India. Google & Googlers are providing Rs 135 crore in funding to @GiveIndia, @UNICEF for medical supplies, orgs supporting high-risk communities, and grants to help spread critical information.”

    Taking to Twitter, Nadella said, “I am heartbroken by the current situation in India. I’m grateful the US government is mobilising to help. Microsoft will continue to use its voice, resources, and technology to aid relief efforts, and support the purchase of critical oxygen concentration devices.”

    Amidst the devastating second wave of the Covid pandemic, India reported 3.52 lakh fresh coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours. This is the highest single-day spike registered since the onset of the pandemic.

    Pichai’s tweet also had a link to a blog where Google detailed ways to help with their efforts to fight the worsening situation.

    On the blog, Google India country head and vice president Sanjay Gupta detailed how the 135 crore grant from the search giant would work. “This includes two grants from Google.org, Google’s philanthropic arm, totalling Rs 20 crore ($2.6 million). The first is to GiveIndia to provide cash assistance to families hit hardest by the crisis to help with their everyday expenses. The second will go to UNICEF to help get urgent medical supplies, including oxygen and testing equipment, to where it’s needed most in India. It also includes donations from our ongoing employee giving campaign — so far more than 900 Googlers have contributed Rs 3.7 crore ($500,000) for organisations supporting high-risk and marginalised communities.”

    Moreover, Gupta also informed about increased Ad Grant support for public health information campaigns.

    “Since last year, we’ve helped MyGov and the World Health Organization reach audiences with messages focused on how to stay safe and facts about vaccines. We’re increasing our support today with an additional Rs 112 crore ($15 million) in Ad Grants to local health authorities and non-profits for more language coverage options,” he said.

    Google is already helping India with its core information products like Search and Maps, YouTube and Ads. Covid features on Search are available in India, in English and eight Indian languages, that continue to improve localisation and highlight authoritative information.

    This includes information on where to get testing and vaccines. Maps and Search surface thousands of vaccine sites. Google is also collaborating closely with the ministry of health & family welfare, and with organisations like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, to support vaccine awareness initiatives, wrote Gupta.

    On YouTube, Google is supporting the Indian government in their vaccine communication strategy. It ran a workshop for 200+ health officials to learn how they can use YouTube to reach audiences across Indian languages with vaccine information.

    Indian conglomerates have also pitched in the efforts to increase production and supply of medical oxygen in the country for the treatment of Covid-positive people.

    The Tata Group announced that it would be importing 24 cryogenic containers to transport liquid oxygen to help overcome its shortage. Reliance Group has also committed to increase supply of oxygen to states where Covid cases are rising; its philanthropic arm Reliance Foundation has scaled up its operations to provide 875 hospital beds to Coronavirus patients in Mumbai, which is one of the worst-affected urban centres in the country.

  • Cricket claimed 87 per cent share of sports sponsorship in 2020: GroupM

    Cricket claimed 87 per cent share of sports sponsorship in 2020: GroupM

    Mumbai: With the Indian Premier League (IPL) leading the charge, cricket contributed Rs 5,133 crores ($694 million) to the total sports sponsorship in India in 2020, which works out to a mammoth share of 87 per cent, according to GroupM ESP Sporting Nation Report 2021 released on Monday.

    Other sports cumulatively contributed Rs 761 crores ($ 103 million), which roughly accounts for 13 per cent of the total share. The report pegged the size of the Indian sports industry in 2020 at Rs 5,894 Crores, which includes sponsorship spends, celebrity endorsement and media spends on sports properties.

    Media spends on sports

    The biggest share is occupied by media, where advertisement spends on TV, digital and print media contributed to Rs 3,657 crores, which accounts for 62 per cent of the total spends. Sponsorship spends included on-ground sponsorships, team sponsorships, and franchise fee grabbed up 28 per cent of the industry pie, which translates to Rs 1,673 Crores.

    An interesting shift that gained momentum in 2020 was athlete endorsements which grew five per cent over 2019, against the run of play in a year ravaged by the pandemic. Out of the total 377 endorsement deals that happened in 2020, as many as 275 involved cricket players.

    The year 2020 also saw female athletes pulling in brands. “The continued success of these stars is proof of the fact that our champions are loved, and we are proud of them. As the sporting nations wait eagerly in anticipation, the stocks are highly in favour of endorsements from our athletes,” the report stated.

    Group M South Asia CEO Prasanth Kumar said, “Even without any activities, our sports heroes stayed close to us during the pandemic by actively engaging with their followers on social media. The spontaneity of this online content flow demonstrates the power of sports in our country. Speedy responses and improvisations are on the go where the situation demanded. Among the many things the Covid2019 situation taught us, marketers were the need to be adaptable as the tide turns fast around us.”

    The boom in e-sports in 2020

    The lockdown had also catalysed the growth in certain sectors. The absence of live sports along with a sub-optimal supply of fresh OTT content led to the shift towards gaming. The month of April 2020 saw an 11 per cent increase in users per week along with a significant jump in average time spent per gamer. This led to a sudden boom in e-sports in 2020, with communities getting built and multiplayer activities gaining ground. Over the last three years, there has been a doubling in the gamer base as well as viewership numbers in the time, the report stated.

    Sports: A success story in 2020

    Despite the Covid2019 threat and multiple risks, the 13th edition of the IPL got underway in UAE in September 2020. The success of the IPL was a great demonstration of the qualities of brinkmanship and improvisation and was able to lift the spirits of the nation battered by the pandemic, highlighted the report.

    In November 2020, the Indian Super League (ISL) kicked off in three venues in Goa with strict protocols and adherence to bio-bubble considerations. This was the first major sports event to be held in India after the pandemic and according to the report, it gave ample demonstration of the country’s ability to pull off an event of this magnitude under such circumstances.

    GroupM South Asia head – sports Vinit Karnik said it was commendable how the sporting ecosystem reacted to the crisis in 2020 and returned sooner than expected.

    “Many sports properties were either canceled or postponed and even sponsorship and media spends were impacted. Even in the face of an adverse context, the stakeholders came together to provide the spark the industry needed. The IPL and ISL are an exemplary demonstration of India’s preparedness to host major sporting events under such taxing circumstances,” he added.

    Karnik went on to say he was hopeful of an increase in demand for subscription viewing in live sports in 2021, with many sporting events lined up in the next few months. “2020 looks like that proverbial backward step we take before a giant leap, like the one we are expected to take in 2021, as part of the making of the sporting nation,” he concluded.

  • Muthoot Microfin hires 2,300+ employees during pandemic

    Muthoot Microfin hires 2,300+ employees during pandemic

    New Delhi: At a time when businesses worldwide are struggling to retain employees and maintain salaries, Muthoot Microfin has expanded its employee strength by 37 per cent.

    In a statement issued on Friday, the microfinance firm said it has hired more than 2,300 employees while opening as many as 64 new offices across different parts of the country. Most of the new employees were roped in as part of recruitment drives conducted for candidates who had lost their job due to the pandemic.

    The firm has allowed all employees to work from home during the period, apart from providing Covid insurance for all, covering hospitalisation costs as well as expenses on medicine. “Besides, Muthoot Microfin ensured no pay cut and complete job security for all employees. It was on the basis of these aforementioned initiatives that the company was ranked among ‘Best Place to Work’ by GPTW Institute,” said the company.

    Muthoot Microfin CEO Sadaf Sayeed said, “We have always kept employee wellbeing on the top of the pedestal, as they are the backbone of our institution. As the pandemic struck, we issued alerts and opened a full-fledged control room to address the panic and concerns among our employees. Also, we actively engaged with them through skill development programs.”

    The company’s HR head Subhransu Pattnayak added, “Our communication strategy was primarily to keep in constant touch with all employees throughout the lockdown period and keep a tab on their safety and wellbeing. We also rolled out a slew of employee engagement activities, associated with online learning platforms and activated internal LMS for skill training of employees. We invested a lot on providing training to our staff over the past year.” 

    The company has disbursed Rs 2,700 crores worth of loans in FY2021.

  • IFTPC urges Maharashtra govt to allow TV, film post-production

    IFTPC urges Maharashtra govt to allow TV, film post-production

    MUMBAI: Days after the Maharashtra government shut down all film and television shoots in the state to combat the spread of Covid2019 infections, the Indian Film and Television Producers Council (IFTPC) has beseeched the Shiv Sena-led ruling dispensation to at least permit post-production work in the studios to help the industry get back on its feet.

    In a letter addressed to chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, the IFTPC implored the government to consider other possible options that could allow the film and television industry to function while following the strict guidelines. It has formed a coordination committee comprising all the craft unions, broadcasters, and producer bodies to meet with Thackeray next week and discuss possible options of shooting.

    “We were immensely touched by the pain and anguish experienced by you while addressing the citizens of Maharashtra state. It was very clear to us that you were perturbed by the measures you were announcing and we share your deepest feelings. We hereby express our wholehearted support to Break the Chain-2 guidelines and fondly hope that your initiative will be successful," the letter read, highlighting that all the stakeholders in the industry have agreed to follow the guidelines in true spirit and ensure that the spread of the deadly virus is restricted totally. 

    The association urged the government to allow post-production work for TV and movies which is done in a studio facility in a closed environment so that the already shot portions of content can be edited and completed for final broadcasting. "The telecast of fresh episodes is essential to keep the people who are forced indoors due to the lockdown entertained with fresh content," it stated.

    The association also raised concerns over the mounting losses that producers would have to face when the sets that are being built will become unserviceable due to the halt on shootings. “To avoid the same, setting work may be allowed to continue just as you have allowed construction workers, only if the workers are allowed to stay at the set with all precautions. This will also help the workers who are largely migrant workers to get a safe abode and wages in these difficult times," they wrote.

    Requests have also been made to include the workers, technicians, and actors in the M&E industry, most of which are daily wage earners as beneficiaries of the government's financial package. If required, the body is ready to share the list of such workers and actors with full details, said the IFTPC. Among other suggestions, it sought setting up vaccination centers at the Film City and in Mira-Bhayander region specially catering to film & TV workers.

    “We believe the fight with the dreaded Coronavirus will be a long drawn one. Hence, we already have started working on the same and will submit a detailed operational plan for the industry in the coming days," said the association, seeking a meeting with the CM to chalk out a plan in case the government decides to extend the present lockdown after 1 May.

    Maharashtra: Worst affected by Covid2019 second wave.

    Maharashtra has been swamped by the second wave of the Covid2019 pandemic, with hospitals running short of essential medical supplies, oxygen cylinders, and beds. On Saturday, the state recorded as many as 67,000 cases of positive infections – the highest single-day spike and lost 419 lives to the novel Coronavirus. The number of daily infections rose to 8,834 cases and deaths to 58 in Mumbai – the financial and entertainment capital of the country.

    With no slowdown in sight, the government had announced strict restrictions and directed all malls, theatres, cinema halls, gyms, sports complexes to shut till 1 May. It also stopped all film and TV shoots from 14 April onwards.

    Meanwhile, television producers have begun to shift their production set up to other states to continue shooting for the shows which are on air. Neighbouring Goa, Silvassa, and Daman have become the hotspots for most of these TV shoots. Hyderabad, Surat, Rajasthan, and Delhi are other places where shoot locations are being shifted. The production base of TV producer Ekta Kapoor’s Kundali Bhagya and Kumkum Bhagya have been shifted out of Maharashtra to Goa for a month, the cast and crew of Shaadi Mubarak and Barrister Babu are making arrangements to go to Rajasthan’s Bikaner.

  • Weekend curfew in Delhi, cinema halls to operate with only 30 per cent occupancy

    Weekend curfew in Delhi, cinema halls to operate with only 30 per cent occupancy

    New Delhi : After witnessing the highest ever single-day spike in the number of Covid2019 cases, the Delhi government has decided to impose a strict weekend curfew in the national capital, starting 10 pm on Friday.

    The AAP government has also ordered all the malls, auditoriums and spas to shut shop from 16 April till further orders. Cinema halls, however, have been allowed to remain open during the weekdays, but can function with only 30 per cent occupancy.

    "I had a meeting with the L-G. We have decided to impose weekend curfew in Delhi. This is because people generally go out for work on weekdays and entertainment on weekends. In order to break the chain we are imposing a weekend curfew, exempting essential services," said Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday.

    According to the new restrictions, no dine-in options will be allowed in restaurants and eateries and only home deliveries will be permitted. The weekend curfew will start at 10 pm on Friday to 6 am on Monday. However, all essential services will remain functional.

    A night curfew has also been imposed in Noida and Ghaziabad Friday onwards.

    The decision comes two days after the Maharashtra government announced strict restrictions for the next two weeks in wake of the alarming surge in the number of infections. However, unlike Delhi, Maharashtra has also closed all movie theatres as well. All television and film shoots have been shut down till 1 May.

    The country is reeling under a severe second wave of the novel Coronavirus, with the number of caseloads surpassing last year's records. On Thursday, India recorded a record two lakh cases during the last 24 hours and over 1,038 deaths.

    The national capital too reported 17,282 fresh cases in the last 24 hours, its highest spike so far. The number of daily Covid deaths has also been increasing, with 104 deaths recorded on Wednesday alone.