ITV

Tag: covid2019

  • Brands encourage us to ‘colour with care’ this Holi

    Brands encourage us to ‘colour with care’ this Holi

    NEW DELHI: The festival of colours is just round the corner but with Covid2019 showing no signs of giving a respite, celebrations look to be muted this year. Last year, it may be recalled, it was not long after Holi that the first nationwide lockdown was imposed on 24 March 2020. A year later things don’t seem to have changed much. After a steady drop in caseloads for some months, infection rates are again on an upward trajectory in several states and union territories, forcing authorities to impose either a complete ban or restrictions on the celebrations. However, as the weather warms up and vaccinations increase, there is a glimmer of hope among the masses that this year will turn out different.

    Given the resilient consumer sentiment, brands too, have drawn up optimistic but cautious promotions for Holi, to make up for subdued festivities. Here’s a look at some Holi campaigns that stood out this year:

    Surf excel – Rang Achhe hain!

    A case in point is Surf Excel’s Holi campaign, which showcases how people can still have fun and be inventive while maintaining social distancing as they play with colours. The daag acche hain brand has released a special campaign for the festival of colours. The film looks to address the emotional need of connecting with loved ones with a heart-warming story featuring a young child wanting to play Holi with an elderly man called Rancho.

    With this new Holi ad, Surf excel celebrates the spirit of togetherness, with the overarching message being how the colours of Holi can bring hearts together, even though there may be physical distance between us. “Jo dilon ko paas laayein, woh rang achhe hain!”

    Parachute urges to #ProtectWhatYouCareFor

    Parachute has come out with a Holi special ad which focuses on how hair needs extra protection during the festival of colours. The ad showcases how the festival can be a war against hair, with the chemical-laden colours and elements. And hence Parachute Advansed Gold Coconut Hair oil to the rescue! Containing pure coconut oil, enriched with vitamin E which strengthens the hair from within it is the perfect antidote to your crowning glory-worries on Holi day, says the ad. “Holi ke iss battlefield mein utarne ke liye apne balon ko rakhein taiyyar Parachute Advansed ke 10x deep protection ke saath.”

    Kamdhenu Paints unveils #ColourWithCare safe Holi

    Kamdhenu paints launched a digital campaign for a safe Holi. The campaign titled “ColourWithCare” went live from 26 March on its social media handles, Facebook and Instagram. The campaign aims to deliver the social message that ‘Holi doesn’t give you any free pass to disrespect women. Play with dignity.’ #ColourWithCare

    Shopclues’ Holi sale for safe, non-disruptive celebrations

    Online marketplace ShopClues has announced Holi special merchandise consisting of products relevant for outdoor, as well as indoor celebration of the festival of colors. Understanding the safety concerns, the etailer aims to prompt the consumers to have intimate yet undisruptive festive celebrations. This year, with regards to the restrictions and safety measurements, ShopClues encourages consumers to celebrate the festival with minimum exposure to the external environment. The e-commerce platform will be offering festive food such as refreshing thandai and delectable gujiyas in addition to Holi specific merchandise ranging from organic colors, trendy pichkaris, festive apparel at an affordable price range. The e-commerce platform is also providing gifting service with Holi gift packs for customers who are observing social distancing but want to send across specially curated gifts and combos to their loved ones.     

    Gas-O-Fast Ayurvedic Holi ke rang Gas-O-Fast ke sang

    Holi is also about indulging in a variety of cuisines, sweets and savouries with friends and family. And that is a joy Mankind Pharma’s antacid brand Gas-O-Fast does not want to deprive you of. Traditional Holi cuisines like gujiya, rasmalai, malpua, fritters and many other dishes, while delicious, may lead to gas, acidity and cast a shadow on a happy day.

    With the properties of natural cumin and asafetida variants, Gas-O-Fast claims to fight against acidity, gas and indigestion, that can hijack the occasion of joy and celebration. And there are many culinary highlights of Holi – Brand ambassador Saurabh Shukla says, this Holi, celebrate the love for food with Gas-O-Fast: “Holi ke anek rango aur pakwaano ka maza uthaayein Gas-O-Fast asli jeera ghar layein!”

    The video has been promoted across all social media platforms. The brand has also come up with a contest to engage with their audience. The Facebook-driven contest which will last for five days consists of three different Holi-centric activities.

    Lotus Organics+ & NGO Antarkranti’s Holi Spring Ritu-al box

    Skincare brand Lotus Organics+ has launched its 2021 Holi campaign in collaboration with Antarkranti, a lead organisation in India working to prevent crime through interventions with prisoners. The campaign will reveal the “Holi Spring Ritu-al Box” containing organic skincare products from Lotus Organics+ that are extremely skin-friendly and apt for Holi. Comprising a skin-friendly selection of pre-Holi skincare (sunscreen) and post-Holi skincare products (face wash, exfoliator for face & skin, face crème), the box also includes complimentary gifts such as packs of 100 per cent handmade gulal from Antarkranti.

    A high impact social media campaign communicates the creation of a special Holi Spring Ritual box with organic skin care products from the brand and handmade natural gulal made by released prisoners using edible grade ingredients, flowers, and food colours. All proceeds from the sale of Antarkranti products provide livelihood and rehabilitation opportunities to the prisoners, says the brand.

    Livpure Sleep’s Colourful Day, Blissful Night

    Celebrating festivals under the shadow of a pandemic has become the new normal, and this is having wide-ranging implications for brands and also shaping consumer sentiments. Mattress brand Livpure Sleep says that consumer behaviour shows most people would want to spend this Holi with their close ones in their homes itself. And after a hectic day of Holi, you need a night of a calming sleep. The brand doesn’t want it’s consumers to lose their sleep in this pandemic. Thus, with the tagline, “Colourful Day, Blissful Night”, it’s focus is on giving a perfect environment to sleep after the hectic festive Holi day.

  • IFTPC urges producers to follow Covid2019 guidelines to check spread

    IFTPC urges producers to follow Covid2019 guidelines to check spread

    MUMBAI: India on Thursday recorded its highest single-day addition of Covid2019 cases in 2021 so far — total cases rose by 35,871, which is the highest daily rise since 6 December 2020. On the other hand Maharashtra, on the same day, reported 25,833 new Covid2019 cases, the hightest one-day spike since last March when the first Sars-Cov-2 infection was detected. Various stakeholders of the Indian entertainment industry have taken measures to prevent the spread of the pandemic.

    In view of the epidemic spread of Covid0919 virus throughout the world, including India, an urgent meeting by IFTPC held on 18 March 2021 had advised all production houses to strictly abide by all the Covid2019 protocols.

    IFTPC CEO Suresh Amin said in a letter addressed to all the producers: “Last year exactly on this date the industry had ceased shootings unilaterally as a precaution against the Covid2019. Today the industry is functioning to near capacity. Unfortunately, fatigue and carelessness has crept into our system rather exponentially which needs to be rectified immediately.”

    He further mentioned that the growing cases recently are not only worrisome, but have pushed the state government on the back foot and there is talk in the administration to take some drastic measures to hold back the spread of the virus. Amin feared that the media and entertainment industry will be the first target.

    To thwart the possibility of a crackdown, IFTPC at a producers meeting held yesterday has decided to start a special drive to implement the government guidelines with renewed vigour. It is advised that all the producers should personally visit their sets and ensure that SOPs are implemented meticulously.

    Below are the guidelines:

    a.       Please avoid outdoor shoots immediately

    b.       Restrict the number of junior artists and avoid shooting scenes requiring large crowds.

    c.       Do not fall to pressures of the creative team to include extravagant scenes

    d.       Producer shall visit the sets personally in the next two days and send photographs of the set to IFTPC

    e.       Follow the SOP meticulously without making any exceptions

    f.        Ensure that all crew members are insured as directed earlier.

    g.       Restrict the crew size to 33 per cent as prevailing in July 2020.

    Amin shared, “Today we are at the September 2020 situation and the wrath of the virus continues. We urge you to kindly ensure the implementation of the above in right earnest and oblige.”

  • Gift of the jab: MX Player rolls out vaccine program for employees & their families

    Gift of the jab: MX Player rolls out vaccine program for employees & their families

    KOLKATA: As India prepares to enter the third phase of the Covid2019 vaccination drive, MX Player has announced the MX Covid19 Vaccine Program and has taken the responsibility of inoculating its employees and up to four dependents of their family.

    The program will be implemented in line with government regulations, following the same protocols as being advised by the Centre from time to time. With registrations set to be announced soon, this employee-first initiative safeguards the well-being of not only the employees but also their loved ones.

    MX Player CEO Karan Bedi said, “We have always been a people first organisation and as we continue to navigate through the pandemic and its implications – the priority for us remains to be the safety and well-being of our people. As a young and responsible organisation, we have abided by all government guidelines and continue to consider advice from experts on how to best deal with this situation. This initiative is a means to provide our employees with as much support as possible, putting their health first, as well as aiding the government’s efforts to combat and contain the pandemic.”

    Employees have proved to be the core of every organisation’s business strategy and MX Player is driven by a positive workplace culture that focuses on the overall well-being of its employees. Through this drive, the brand is further strengthening its commitment towards its employees.

  • LinkedIn says #WeCanDoIt on Women’s Day

    LinkedIn says #WeCanDoIt on Women’s Day

    MUMBAI: Online professional network LinkedIn has launched its first global integrated campaign for International Women’s Day 2021 with creators, content and community at its heart. The campaign sees LinkedIn bring together influencers and its community to share content that helps and supports women, creating global engagement across the platform.

    The launch comes at a time when Linkedin’s data shows Covid2019 has disproportionately impacted women’s careers. It’s latest Opportunity Index findings show that 85 per cent of women in India have missed out on a raise, promotion because of their gender. In fact, women’s careers are observed to have been more adversely affected despite increasing flexibility at work, as 68 per cent of women and 74 per cent of working mothers in India say it is difficult to balance career and familial responsibilities today. More than seven in 10 women and working mothers in India also say that household responsibilities often come in their way of career progress.

    Created with lead creative agency VCCP, the campaign will publish advice, insights and inspirational stories to celebrate women’s voices on and off the LinkedIn platform and encourage conversations that help and empower them. The campaign leads with an emotive film showcasing inspirational real-life stories of seven women from around the world. The film, directed by Jessie Ayles, a filmmaker with a focus on socially conscious issues, takes viewers across the world to meet real women telling us their emotive accounts of the doubts, fears and vulnerabilities they have experienced during the pandemic. The campaign features stories of seven women professionals from seven countries from varied industries, who share their pandemic story and talk about a woman in their network who supported and inspired them throughout the crisis. Each story narrates the power of ‘community’, highlighting how women allies come together to help other women shelter their professions from the pandemic and smoothly transition into the new, evolving, normal.

    From India, the campaign features pastry chef and entrepreneur Pooja Dhingra and her struggles as a business owner in the pandemic. In the video, she shares how she was forced to shut down a large part of her pastry business and let go of her staff due to the pandemic. She also credits the unrelenting support from her mother and mentor that helped her survive and pivot a decade-long business effort by reimagining her outlook towards progress and life in the ‘new normal’.

    LinkedIn’s senior director of brand & communications, EMEA, LATAM & APAC Ngaire Moyes, said: “Women have faced greater economic hardship through the Covid2019 pandemic, disproportionately losing jobs and income. Decades of progress in gender equality has been undone in a matter of months. This shift has impacted how our female members interact on the platform and we have seen countless examples of the LinkedIn community sharing their stories and supporting each other in whatever way they can.

    Seeing the way our community pulled together in this crisis was the inspiration for our first international integrated campaign to mark International Women’s Day. Through the #WeCanDoIt campaign, we hope to elevate the voices of our female members across the platform and encourage others to share their personal stories in a bid to help and empower working women around the world.”

    The campaign will go live across PR, social, above the line and through influencer activity, as well as LinkedIn’s owned channels. Besides India, the campaign launches across the UK, France, Germany, Australia and Japan where members will be encouraged to join the conversation on LinkedIn to help and empower others by using #WeCanDoIt.

    To help people and businesses take steps to improve gender equality in the workplace, LinkedIn is also making free online learning courses available to everyone: Leadership Strategies for Women, Planning Your Family Leave and Return, Proven Success Strategies for Women at Work, Own It: The Power of Women at Work, and Becoming a Male Ally at Work (available till 31 March).

  • Guest column: Post Covid, food hygiene is the top priority for F&B brands

    Guest column: Post Covid, food hygiene is the top priority for F&B brands

    NEW DELHI: One of the most desirable consequences of Covid2019 has been the increased all-round consciousness for hygiene. And among several types of hygiene such as personal hygiene, environmental hygiene etc which impact our day-to-day lives, food hygiene has naturally emerged as a major issue for regulators, consumers and above all, food manufacturers and companies. The constant need to be watchful of what is ingested or goes inside of our bodies can never be exaggerated enough. The recent pandemic has only further highlighted the need for making food hygiene a priority for all.

    What makes for unhygienic food: Unpackaged food an invitation to disaster

    There has been repeated reporting of how the open and unpackaged food sold in the streets  fashionably called street food has in a way been responsible for unsafe and unhygienic food consumption in the country. Particularly in these times of Covid2019, if the food maker doesn’t maintain personal hygiene, wears masks and gloves and keeps sufficient physical distance from fellow workers, the food prepared is highly risky to consume. The unhygienic and unsafe food leads to a vicious cycle of disease and sickness particularly impacting the elderly, the sick and the children, adding to the already high burden of disease pervading in the country.  

    Food-borne diseases have an economic cost

    Yet, the rise in outbreak of food borne diseases and safety cases has continued to be reported periodically from different parts of the country. In fact, unsafe food and water have been cited to be the biggest cause of preventable infection in India. Not pursuing basic food safety practices such as wearing an apron, accessing and using tap water, using soap for cleaning utensils, and storing food in proper refrigerated facilities is an invitation to food-borne diseases. This also has an economic cost. It has been estimated that food-borne diseases cost the country a whopping $15 billion.

    The numbers are far too scary to ignore

    In India, food-borne diseases (FBD) lead to 120,000 deaths each year imposing a burden of over eight million Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs). In fact, little children under five years are at 40 per cent more risk with around 30,000 deaths each year. These are frightening figures which are only expected to rise further in the coming years.

    The Covid-driven exigency

    These ongoing measures were given a new impetus when Covid2019 showed up resulting in a new set of guidelines. In addition to the existing food safety protocols, the food businesses were directed to ensure that food handlers and workers are made aware of the symptoms of the virus, the risks emanating from it as well as the good practices to circumvent those risks. Training programmes on risk factors, safe food handling, social distancing and other protective behaviours such as wearing of face mask, hand washing with soap or using alcohol-based sanitisers were made mandatory. In addition, food premises including areas of food establishment such as preparation, storage and packing areas, equipment and containers besides toilets and washrooms were to be periodically sanitized without fail. There should be limited food workers/handlers in a kitchen or areas of food preparation, packaging etc with each worker strictly maintaining personal/social distancing. Further, the personnel involved in delivery, transport and distribution mechanisms must also rigorously observe Covid-related social distancing and personal hygiene norms and practices.

    Therefore, for food to be finally consumed in a safe and hygienic manner, it must become high priority for the entire ecosystem of food manufacturing, distribution and consumption. From hospitality and restaurants to food manufacturers and food vendors to food handlers and finally the food-consuming individual, everyone needs to be aware of and engage in hygienic food practices. “A man is what he eats,” a German philosopher had once said. Good food hygiene practices not only reduce morbidity and mortality but also relieve pressure on the already overburdened health infrastructure and services in the country. And even more importantly, by keeping more people healthy and thereby raising the quality of human capital, the much-touted demographic dividend in the country can truly be tapped.

    (The author is director, Bikano. The views expressed in this article are his own and indiantelevision.com may not subscribe to them.)

  • Guest column: Roll camera, action – the show must go on

    Guest column: Roll camera, action – the show must go on

    MUMBAI: ZeeL music cluster deputy business head Pankaj Balhara shares his learnings from 2020:

    1. TV is king

    We always had the conviction within the network about the power of TV, and all those questions were put to rest with the trends and data seen during the lockdown – that OTT and TV can co-exist. Specifically, with our TG (the youth), their consumption also increased during the lockdown but overall, it has remained consistent since the past four to five years.

    2. Resilience and innovation of our industry  

    If Covid2019 has taught the entertainment industry anything, it’s that we can’t continue to go on as we have. After a gap of 100 days due to the national lockdown, it was ‘roll camera, action’ again for the entertainment industry, but even in this phase the industry has shown the resilience to innovate and adapt successfully. During the lockdown, the television industry introduced content which was shot from home. TV merged into the virtual space and everyone in the entertainment industry managed to run their operations innovatively. Adapting to the new norms, TV constructed stories and scenes to keep everybody reasonably distanced. With the ongoing pandemic in mind, makers created new shows that both reflect the socially distanced moment and use its tools. What's exciting overall is that Covid has pushed the industry to work in so many creative ways.

    3. TV and food are two true loves for Indians

    The Covid2019 pandemic has pushed television viewership to record levels as it has seen unprecedented growth. Television consumption at this scale hasn't been witnessed or even imagined before. TV continues to attract maximum new eyeballs as the coronavirus outbreak keeps other options of outdoor entertainment limited. With social distancing and work-from-home being the new normal, families have found themselves with a lot more together time, be it having meals to watching their favourite movies or shows together. Same goes for food – as the pandemic made us housebound, we began buying, cooking, and eating very differently. Today both television and food has taken a centre stage at homes for family bonding and entertainment.    

    4.  And above all, life and entertainment must go on!

    There is no historic parallel to the crisis and uncertainty brought about by Covid2019. But the pandemic has taught us that we don't need too much to be happy. There can be a pause, but life doesn’t get stagnant. The show must go on.

    (The author is deputy business head of ZeeL music cluster. Indiantelevision.com may not subscribe to his views.)

  • #Forecast2021: E-commerce industry set for a massive uptick

    #Forecast2021: E-commerce industry set for a massive uptick

    NEW DELHI: Remember the good ol’ days when we could go to the corner store and buy essentials without fear of catching some newly fangled disease? All that changed with the outbreak of the novel Coronavirus. Lockdown was imposed, and only a minimal number of mom and pop stores and modern trade outlets were allowed to open with a specified in-store limit. This led to the quick adaptation of digital medium by people for fulfilling their daily needs. The adaptation was so fast and in such huge numbers that many of the companies did not have the infrastructure ready to cater to such a high need. For instance, online grocery players were working overtime to deliver orders, yet in the early days of the lockdown, there was a delay of nearly three to five before one’s order reached their doorstep. Local kirana that always dealt in ‘cash only’ quickly adopted e-wallets to ensure that business works as per routine.

    It seemed like the Covid2019 pandemic poked a hole in time and the global e-commerce industry just sped through it, landing in an era that was yet to arrive. Several industry leaders, observers and think tanks pointed out that the digital adoption which would have otherwise taken five years was achieved in a matter of months. While the Indian side of it struggled to find its foothold in the initial few months, it managed to attract a swarm of takers, both in terms of investors and consumers, throughout 2020. According to a Goldman Sachs report released in July last year, the e-commerce growth rate for 2020 is expected to be 18 per cent. It also estimated growth rates of over 33 per cent and 28 per cent in 2021 and 2022, respectively. 

    The report further suggested that online grocery is going to be the biggest driver for e-commerce in India, accelerating with an 81 per cent annual growth rate. This was proven throughout the lockdown when people developed the habit of ordering groceries online. Coming close on the heels will be fashion, mobile & electronics, general merchandise, personal care and home furnishings, as indicated by the marketing industry. 

    This has given a huge boost to the e-comm players who are now thriving with a bigger and active community than before. Their bellies are filled with investments from global giants and investor presentations are shining with the bright future of this domain in the Indian market.

    The silver lining is that e-commerce has also spread vertically and horizontally in the non-metro regions. The number of pin codes has increased and these players are covering more ground than ever.

    As part of their omnichannel strategy to cover more ground, e-commerce players are adding and will continue to add kirana stores and local shops to their network. Amazon and Flipkart have been the torchbearers of this rapid expansion.

    “E-commerce players are also looking to increase the number of consumer touchpoints to gain higher customer mindshare. In the next five years, over 60 per cent of e-commerce volumes are likely to come from tier-2 and tier-3 cities, making it imperative for e-commerce businesses to build their seller base and delivery reach in smaller towns,” Starcom CCO Rajiv Gopinath interjected[L1]  added.

    Headless commerce

    Many experts have mentioned that people are moving towards headless commerce. This would mean a lot of investment in technology and the integration of different functions to create a seamless experience. A result of this would be the reshaping of retail stores, a drive-through model of shopping and experiential showrooms for the sake of enhancing user experience.

    Logicserve digital founder and CEO Prasad Shejale highlighted, “Headless commerce is evolving, and we will surely see more of that soon. We will also see more and more adoption of virtual or e-trial rooms and cashless payments. Buying online and picking up in-store (BOPIS) is also a phenomenon that might soon become popular.”

    “While the infrastructure for it is in its infancy, we can expect auto-checkout, curb-side pickup, order-online-pickup-offline and tap-and-pay experiences to become the norm in the coming months,” 22feet Tribal Worldwide president Preetham Venkky suggested.

    This will also result in 2021 laying the foundations of a touch-free world. 

    Digital  transformation for the retail industry means automating and digitalising their existing systems, adopting DevOps (a set of practices that aims to shorten the systems development life cycle) for modernisation and sustenance, and using cloud and everything as a service added Gopinath. “Digital ecosystems that combine their core e-retail business with sticky customer services, such as video streaming, gaming, booking and payments, in a single platform, will grow.” 

    While the integration of technology in e-commerce has been going on for a few years but the pandemic has given a huge fillip to its adoption. Try-n-buy, cashless payments, personalisation and applications have all become a part of online shopping.

    The platforms are investing to ensure one-on-one communication with customers and offer personalised offerings.

    For years, the allied beneficiary of e-commerce growth is the logistics and warehouse category. However, the next step in their evolution is the digital transformation of these two categories.

    dentsu Asia Pacific (APAC) chief data & product officer and dentsu Programmatic – south Asia CEO Gautam Mehra opined that warehouses will be centralised and home deliveries will pick up sharply. “In the automotive segments, real estate is a huge cost for dealerships, this will definitely come down. With VR headsets and a car in the parking, one can turn a mall activation into a dealership with a test drive option.” 

    The rise of online shopping has led to greater digital spends over the last couple of years, a trend which will only gain further traction. If e-commerce volumes rise, it is conceivable that investment is focused on digital advertising to facilitate the path to purchase, particularly in the channels that are closest to consumer decision-making.

    Brands will advertise heavily on e-commerce platforms. “Brands are responding by investing more in e-commerce advertising. Marketers are looking to create an optimised combination of media used for advertising in order to maximise ROI,” shared Gopinath.

    The industry will continue to advertise heavily in 2021 as well; digital and TV being the preferred channels. TV advertisements are ideal to raise awareness among the masses and build brands, which e-commerce embraces. In Shejale’s view, television will remain a popular medium among the masses and TV ads will continue to generate higher advertising demands in the immediate future as well.

    In order to tap into this massively viable growth environment, brands will have to focus primarily in four areas: smooth, expected and fast user experience; value addition over marketplace offerings; digital experience befitting the brand; and last but not the least – better customer service (than marketplace), suggested Venkky. 

    Clearly, e-commerce players and its various stakeholders will have a lot to contend with this year. As consumers’ buying behaviour undergoes a sea change, with preferences tending to simpler, more interactive, and quicker ways to shop, the forward-thinking e-tailer will be wise to keep the aforementioned pointers in mind.

  • How 2020 turned out for Zee English cluster

    How 2020 turned out for Zee English cluster

    MUMBAI: Despite the challenging business environment, 2020 was a year of adaptability, growth and innovation. During the lockdown, television came across as a trusted medium. There was significant growth in TV viewership, led by more walk-ins as well as more time spent on television. The Zee English cluster of channels grew by 93 per cent (BARC data week 12-week 22 vs week 1 to week 11).

    &flix, the Hollywood blockbuster movies channel had one of the most engaged audiences in megacities, with 56 minutes (BARC data week 12-week 22) average weekly time spent on the channel. This, given the context of the lockdown, tells us that viewers find content on television compelling and comforting, said ZeeL premium channels business head Kartik Mahadev.

    English entertainment (movies + GEC) on television caters to 216 million+ viewers (BARC data All India Period: week 01’20-week 49’20). The lockdown has shown broadcasters that people choose to watch television for the curated content experience it provides, not just to individuals but the entire family. Mahadev shared that the English entertainment viewership grew by 45 per cent as compared to last year (BARC data @ All India 2+ U+R data, week 12-week 22’20 vs week 12-week 22’19).

    This year, Zee English cluster introduced tactical changes in the programming with specially curated properties to suit the entertainment needs of a steady subscriber base. For instance, Zee Café added 300+ hours of new content, which includes the latest season of dramas such as Grey’s Anatomy, Nancy Drew and Evil along with iconic sitcoms such as Seinfeld and I Dream of Jeannie along with the original airings of the celebrity chat show Starry Nights GEN Y. Recently, the channel launched its first-ever original production Dance With Me with celebrity dance experts Shakti Mohan and Mukti Mohan. According to Mahadev, the show added to the merriment of the festive season coupled with a unique and interactive format via exciting weekly hook step challenges. The year 2020 also marked the milestone celebration of 20 years for Zee Café.

     

     

    Moreover, with the growing popularity of Hollywood movies across India, the network launched ‘Flix for All’ on &flix, which played blockbuster movies in English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu. With this, the channel witnessed a 41 per cent jump in viewership. The ‘Pick your Flix’ initiative found consumer resonance with immense traction across &flix’s social handles, with 2X engagement and 3.5 million reach.

    While the supply was sporadic, the demand for movies in regional languages also grew. Thus, the network spearheaded the launch of ‘Ticket to Hollywood’, a pan network offering where it combined the might of Zee to broaden access to Hollywood movies across the width and breadth of the country through a multi-channel, multi-language offering.

    “In addition, our fastest to TV premieres with the First Day First Show at Home of blockbusters like Jumanji: The Next Level and Bad Boys For Life enthralled audiences through the year while delivering value to our brand partners. A true testimony to this is the premiere of Jumanji: The Next Level on &flix and a simulcast on Zee Cinema clocking a whopping 34 million impressions,” Mahadev said.

    *(BARC; TG : NCCS AB 15-40, Megacities, pre-Flix For All Period- week 45’19- week 14’20, during Flix For All Period- week 15’20 – WK 37’20).

    English GECs are facing tough times but at a macro level, interest in English content is growing. There is a whole set of audiences moving from regional to English content as they become more comfortable with English as a professional, conversational language. Mahadev has designed unique offerings such as world television premieres, multi-language block, Flix for All on &flix and locally nuanced content on Zee Café, that will stand out as enablers of bringing an aspirational, English-comfortable audience onboard.

     

     

    On television, he has witnessed a trend in audience preferences towards light-hearted content, superhero flicks and adventure as a genre. Moreover, ‘nostalgia’ clearly emerged as a big theme across shows, with several successful examples in Hindi GEC.

    There was a growth in non-prime time viewing as well, and hence to keep viewers entertained throughout the day, Zee Café introduced back-to-back episodes of MasterChef Australia S8, Nancy Drew and Evil, Everybody Hates Chris, and The Big Bang Theory S12. There is also an increasingly leaning towards genres like action, animation and horror. 

    As for the network’s distribution strategy, its strengths and weaknesses across time bands, Mahadev revealed that post lockdown, there has been a growth in English content viewership led by both reach and a more engaged audience across dayparts. Zee Café introduced 'Café Film Club' which features blockbusters from Hollywood in the afternoon time band, leading to cutting-edge English GEC content in the prime-time band.

    He highlighted that the youth-focused premium brands can choose from a repertoire of high-quality content to drive association with and reach a premium subscriber base, given a sharply segmented audience that English entertainment on television attracts while similar content on digital is behind a paywall. Said he: “Over the years, we have delivered value to some of the most reputed brands who have partnered with us in our endeavour to engage an evolved audience with the latest in international content. At present, some of the top categories active across Zee English cluster include FMCGs, auto, BFSI and insurance, OTT, smartphone brands, and e-commerce.”

    The rapid flux in the traditional media landscape and rising levels of digital sophistication in consumers has led to the emergence of multiple mediums to engage with the consumer. Context has also emerged as a key factor in any integrated marketing strategy. With the Covid2019 outbreak, there has been a surge in television viewership alongside brands engaging on digital through live video formats. In the English cluster, Mahadev has adopted digital engagement alongside television as part of the channel marketing strategy. He quipped, “For instance, our First Day First Show at Home campaign featuring comic José Covaco garnered an overwhelming response with nine million views on YouTube.

     

     

    For Zee English cluster, the primary target audience for &flix include Hollywood enthusiasts from metros. They are brand-conscious, tech-savvy, and in sync with the latest trends. When it comes to Zee Café, the viewers are evolved, motivated and have a global outlook. &PrivéHD, on the other hand, is for the non-conformists and cinephiles who appreciate nuanced content.

    During the pandemic, we saw a shift in consumer trends toward OTT platforms, and it has confirmed that the digital video platforms are here to stay. However, today we live in an ‘and’ world, not an ‘or’ world. Studies reveal that consumption of overlapped content between TV and OTT grew on television from 59 per cent pre-NTO to 82 per cent contribution post-NTO for sitcom, drama, reality genres. It naturally follows that navigation between screens is seamless and consumption on TV and digital is complementary in nature.

    “When it comes to OTT, content discovery is and will continue to pose a challenge to viewers looking to unwind with quality content. This is where television channels that understand their consumer and curate well, delight the viewer. With content availability growing across platforms leading to fragmented viewing, it has led to a greater and a more central role for television. Curation of content on television that lends to co-viewing, making TV for a great community experience for family and friends,” added Mahadev.

    All in all, he believes the network has certainly moved the needle to a noticeable degree this year and the future too looks promising.

  • 82% people are worried about carrying germs in clothes: Whirlpool & Kantar survey

    82% people are worried about carrying germs in clothes: Whirlpool & Kantar survey

    KOLKATA: Whirlpool of India, the world’s leading kitchen and laundry home appliance company, facilitated a survey with Kantar to understand how consumers are responding to the hygiene and sanitation of their clothes. In the current environment, people world-over are concerned about keeping themselves and their surroundings germ-free and sanitized. Extra precautions are being taken every step of the way to minimize interaction with the outside world. 

    The detailed survey was conducted with a sample size of 500 individuals (men and women) aged 28-40 years in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai and Kolkata. The primary objective of this survey was to arrive at hard-hitting facts on consumer’s awareness around the cleanliness of clothes and its implication in today’s time. 

    The survey reveals that 97 per cent of consumers feel the importance of sanitization has increased and the frequency with which they wash clothes has gone up for 87 per cent consumers.

    The other stark findings revealed by the survey include:

    Clothes worn outside the home tops the list of objects feared to carry germs with 93 per cent endorsements. The other carriers of germs include- 

    • Any surface area like lift, railings etc. and home delivered food (92 per cent)
    • Footwear (88 per cent)
    • Bags (83 per cent)
    • Mobile phones and money (82 per cent) 

    In the current situation, 82 per cent respondents claimed that they are worried about carrying germs in clothes when coming from outside. The other worries include- 

    • Sanitisation of hands and surfaces (80 per cent)
    • Sanitization of clothes (78 per cent)
    • Falling sick (76 per cent)
    • Lack of adequate medical help (73 per cent)
    • Increase in household chores (72 per cent)

    People from Mumbai are most worried about carrying germs in clothes when coming from outside at 89 per cent, followed by Chennai and Kolkata 

    87 per cent of the respondents claim that worrying has led to increase in washing of clothes for the following reasons: 

    • To maintain hygiene and cleanliness (91 per cent)
    • To keep our kids and elderly members safe from germs/allergens (83 per cent)
    • Prevention from falling sick (82 per cent)
    • Washing clothes worn outside after single wear (81 per cent)

    79 per cent of the respondents claim that hot water helps in Sanitizing clothes along with ‘effective cleaning’ and ‘removal of tough stains’

    • 88 per cent consumers in Chennai believe hot water cleans clothes more effectively, the highest among other regions

    Significantly higher number of female respondents (82 per cent) feel that hot water will help sanitize ‘kid’s toys, bedding and clothes’ more than males (73 per cent) 

    Respondents claimed that Germs/allergen in clothes can be removed by washing it with:

    • Detergent (82 per cent) 
    • Hot Water (76 per cent)
    • Disinfectant (71 per cent)
    • Using home remedies (43 per cent) 

    73 per cent of the consumers claimed that they use hot water to wash only a certain type of clothes such as:

    • Clothes with tough stains (91 per cent)
    • Baby clothes (86 per cent)
    • Clothes used in kitchen (85 per cent) 

    96 per cent of the consumers claimed that they will consider buying a washing machine that has an advanced option for sanitising clothes as well

    • In fact, 98 per cent of the consumers are even willing to pay premium while buying a washing machine with sanitisation feature rather than on other consumer appliances like AC, refrigerator, etc., shown to respondents

    93 per cent of the consumers believed that different water temperature is required for cleaning different type of clothes

    80 per cent of the consumers believe that washing clothes in a washing machine with hot water is the best way to remove stains and sanitise clothes

    • However, only 20 per cent of these respondents claim to use hot water wash for all types of clothes

    ‘Safe’ is the word that consumers associate with the feeling that their washing machine can help remove germs/allergens (79 per cent)

    Women are much more conscious about ensuring sanitization of clothes 

    • Significantly higher number of female respondents (81 per cent) have done online search to understand how to sanitize their clothes than male (72 per cent) respondents
    • There is a relatively higher concern among Moms (85%) on the worry of germs getting carried in from outside
    • 75 per cent of working women are more aware and highly concerned through online search on improving sanitisation
    • More working women (82 per cent) believe that hot water helps in sanitizing clothes

    Whirlpool of India vice president marketing KG Singh said, “People today are more vigilant of their health and hygiene than ever before. With sanitisation becoming the need of the hour, we commissioned a survey to gauge the behaviour patterns around their rising concerns of keeping clothes clean. With ‘Everyday, Care’ at the core of our brand, we wanted to be there for our consumers during this time by better understanding their needs and offering a portfolio of products that meet their expectations.” 

    “The survey clearly indicates the stress and worry around sanitization of clothes. Consumers are researching online to know of effective ways to clean their clothes and kill germs brought in from outside the home. Hot water which is known to be effective in cleaning stains has stood out as a top preference for consumers when opting for a washing machine along with the added benefits of sanitization features. It is extremely critical to take care of the hygiene and sanitization of one’s surroundings and clothes,” said the official spokesperson from Kantar. 

  • Guest column: What not to do – A revelation in the times of Covid2019

    Guest column: What not to do – A revelation in the times of Covid2019

    MUMBAI: As we now stand in 2021, I remember a strategy quote by Sissy Gavrilaki which reads, “Failure is nothing more than a chance to revise your strategy.” When the bullet of Covid2019 pierced through our uneventful and routine lives, we didn’t know what hit us. There was pandemonium, anxiety, struggle, outbursts all around us – in every household of every city belonging to every country. All we saw, heard, spoke of was Covid2019 which had become the centre of all our lives and livelihoods.

    Uncertainty became a constant in our lives. As we realised that the path ahead would be undefined, all we could now do was reflect, reassess, redetermine, revalue, re-strategise, realign and run forward with a redefined strategy for our respective businesses.

    Strategy, to think of it, is a word with a simple meaning – a detailed plan for achieving a goal. But execution of a plan has its layer of complexity coupled with strategic vision. As we faced the pandemic, the first question which arose in front of our eyes was, ‘What happens to the business strategy which affects the outcome of goals, that in turn impacts revenue, which ultimately defines the future of our respective businesses’?

    This simple yet alarming question was to be addressed and thus began the path to re-strategise in the Covid2019-dominated world. Each sector carved out its own innovative ways to re-strategise its business plans. Somewhere the strategy was to pause, somewhere it was to slow down, at some places it was to dismantle and while at others, to move forward. Each of these strategic steps redefined the business model, which redefined each human being’s life cycle which now consisted of new patterns, behaviours, lifestyles, cultures and most important habits.

    As a start-up media network fuelled by the fire of ambition, we decided to stand together with the vision ‘united we stand, divided we fall’ to combat the avalanche of issues created due to Covid2019. Reassessing plans to ensure we achieve our goals in an uncompromised fashion became the need of every second and every hour at IN10. Grit, hard work, focus, teamwork became the artillery in our mission to stay on the targeted track of our business goals.

    The pandemic taught me a very simple lesson – ‘What not to do.’ Yes, since the time we make a dramatic entry into this vast universe as human beings, we are taught ‘what to do’ at each level of our life. But as we grow out of the cocoon and take our steps on the road to adulthood, no one tells us, ‘What not to do.’ Now, as one of the most gruelling years of the decade comes to an end, I sit back and reflect on what I learnt ‘not to do!’

    (The author is VP – corporate strategy and development network, In10 Media. Indiantelevision.com may not subscribe to her views.)