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Tag: DCMN India

  • Weekend Unwind with: DCMN India’s country head Bindu Balakrishnan

    Weekend Unwind with: DCMN India’s country head Bindu Balakrishnan

    With another weekend upon us, it’s the time to unwind with some tete-e-tete that peeks into the mind of a corporate executive. An attempt to get to know the person behind the title a little better, by having them share their nuggets on life and their mantras to deal with the curveballs that life throws – not necessarily revolving around work life – and sometimes going beyond work.

    This week we have Bindu Balakrishnan, who leads DCMN’s operations and expansion in the Indian market, shares her musings and thoughts with IndianTelevision.com. Bindu also heads DCMN India’s offline and online marketing experts, while also being responsible for client strategy, bridging customer needs and commercial operations. An alumna of the Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode, Balakrishnan has over 15 years of experience in marketing, mobile attribution and sales, and has worked across the Netherlands, Germany and India.

    Here it goes:

    Your mantra for Life
    Do good for others and good things will come back to you.

    A book you are currently reading/ plan to read
    I love reading, but often don’t have time to do so. Recently, I enjoyed Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari.

    Your fitness mantra, especially during the pandemic
    Long walks with my dog, Loki.

    Your comfort food
    Comfort food is always one’s mother’s cooking. For me, that’s South Indian food and the dishes I grew up on.

    When the chips are down a quote/ philosophy that keeps you going
    Not to be put down by failures, because something better is always waiting right around the corner.

    Your guilty pleasure
    Playing games online, specifically crosswords, puzzles, and the New York Times’ Wordle. It helps me to switch off!

    When was the last time you tried something new?
    It’s been a while since I’ve tried something new, which makes me think it’s about time to be more spontaneous! One memory that sticks out is going dune bashing in Dubai, a form of off-roading in 4X4s across the sand. It was like being in the ocean, but with pristine dunes instead of water.

    A life lesson you learnt the hard way
    To accept that some people aren’t a good fit within your team, and let them go when you know it isn’t working out. When I haven’t listened to my gut, this has sometimes backfired and led to bigger problems.

    What gets you excited about life?
    Family, friends, travelling, food and movies.

    What’s on top of your bucket list?
    Going to Machu Picchu and skydiving – not necessarily at the same time!

    One thing you would most like to change about the world
    Putting an end to child poverty. It pains me to see children around the world not having the same access to food, water, education and opportunities in life. My dream, when I retire, is to start a small orphanage, or home, for children who have been abandoned or lost their parents.

    An activity that keeps you motivated / charged during tough times
    Working with forward-thinking brands, and the impact and growth that DCMN has on our clients. It’s hugely rewarding to have worked with many clients on their way to becoming unicorns or to IPOs.

    What lifts your spirits when life gets you down?
    Spending time with family and friends, and travelling somewhere new.

    Your go-to stress buster
    Taking my dog Loki for a walk in nature, where I can let him loose, is the ultimate way to clear my head.

    If you could give one piece of advice to your younger self, what would it be?
    Not to fret over things unnecessarily, because there is a bigger plan for you and things will always fall into place.

  • KBC returns with a bevy of sponsors for its 13th edition

    KBC returns with a bevy of sponsors for its 13th edition

    Mumbai: Sony Entertainment Television (SET)’s iconic quiz show – ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’ has returned with its 13th season on Monday. The show’s creators have stepped up the game with a bevy of sponsors backing the show hosted by megastar Amitabh Bachchan.

    With the second wave ebbing away, and ad volume returning on TV, the broadcasters are optimistic of a better show than the 2020 edition which was marred by the Covid-induced challenges. First, the show had to be shot in absence of a LIVE audience, and second, the ad rates reeled under the pressure of an economy battered by the pandemic’s first wave. It’s telecast also clashed with the 2020 edition of Indian Premier League (IPL), which had witnessed a record viewership in the pandemic year.

    For the latest edition which began airing on Sony TV on 23 August, the quiz show has on boarded two ‘co-presented by’ sponsors including Cadbury Dairy Milk and BYJU’s and four ‘co-powered by’ sponsors including Hyundai Motor India, Asian Paints Royale Glitz, Ultratech Cement and Zydus Wellness (Complan). Last year, it had only roped two ‘co-powered by’ sponsors and seven ‘associate’ sponsors.

    This year’s ‘associate’ sponsors include CERA, Pharmeasy, IDFC First Bank, LIC of India, Bharat Matrimony, and Reserve Bank of India which has come on board as ‘special partner’. The four sponsors including Asian Paints, Ultratech Cement, IDFC First Bank, LIC of India and Reserve Bank of India were associated with “KBC” for the previous season as well. The audience too has returned to the sets, however, the shooting is happening as per Covid protocols.

    According to a media planner, the entire sponsorship basket for “KBC 13” is covered within a window for Rs 30-60 crore, with the ad rates ranging from Rs 3 to 4.5 lakh per 10 seconds. The show has also roped in Acko General Insurance as ‘co-presented by’ and Asian Paints Royale Glitz as ‘décor partner’ for KBC Play Along, a game where viewers can also participate in the game show via OTT platform SonyLIV.

    The streaming platform SonyLIV is also exploring deals with advertisers for the show by offering custom packages and engagement initiatives such as KBC Play Along. “The CPM rates vary depending on the targeting, category, size of investment one may choose, ranging from Rs 180-240”, said Zenith, senior vice president – digital transformation, Rashmi Sehgal.

    “SonyLIV has one of the most dynamic non-fiction reality line-ups and this ensures a keen interest from advertisers for a partnership. Their unique proposition of marrying the show with digital engagement properties like Play Along make it appealing. This has attracted advertisers, across FMCG to digital first brands, to help them reach more than 100 million digital natives,” she added.

    The latest data from Broadcast Audience Research Council (Barc) also indicates an uptick in the ad volume on Television. According to its latest report, the ad volumes for July 2021 registered a 14 per cent growth over July 2020. As many as 869 new advertisers chose Television in July 2021, re-affirming their trust in the medium.

    The expectations are also bolstered by the massive vaccination drive across the country, which is also likely to boost consumer sentiments. While there are still apprehensions of another Covid wave, the advertisers have expressed confidence of a ‘stronger festive season’ in 2021.

    However, similar to last year, the current edition of the quiz show will also end up competing with IPL, which is set to resume on 19 September. As many as 30 matches are still to be played in the current season, which was suspended mid-way in May. The cricket league will be followed by the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in October.

    “Post Covid, the ratings and performance of impact shows have increased dramatically and KBC should be riding on top of it to attract many sponsors,” said DCMN India, head of media and growth, Mohit Gyanchandani. “KBC has always been a top choice for sponsors in terms of impact and lands exactly on the touch point to deliver fresh content and high ratings to the advertiser. This season has made some small changes in the overall format which would make it more fun and interesting to watch.”

  • Truecaller Appoints DCMN India as Media AOR

    Truecaller Appoints DCMN India as Media AOR

    MUMBAI: DCMN India, the growth marketing partner for digital first brands, has bagged the media mandate for Truecaller, one of the leading global communications app.

    The account was won following a multi-agency pitch that involved several big agencies. The mandate includes managing the company’s TV media duties across different markets and campaign tracking using DCMN’s proprietary TV attribution technology, DC Analytics. Truecaller is a very popular brand that cƒuts across categories and geographies globally.

    The pitch process was held in New Delhi and the account will be handled from DCMN’s Gurgaon office. The business will be led by BinduBalakrishnan, Country Head, DCMN India.

    Truecaller is all set to launch its new TV campaign, which aims to communicate its new features that positions it beyond just a caller ID app. The app integrated video calling, instant messaging and even payments in March last year. The features have been embedded in the app to take into account the demands of a new-age user and over the last year, audiences have responded well to the updates.

    Speaking on same, Manan Shah, Director Marketing – India, Truecaller, says, “Over 150 million people use Truecaller in India alone, primarily to know who is calling. Over the last year Truecaller has transformed into a complete communication suite with video calling, a unique instant messaging utility called Flash and integrated UPI based payments and banking features. This is a story worth telling to our users so that they can find all these features in their most-loved app, without the need to use multiple apps.”

    During the pitch process, the synergies between DCMN India and Truecaller became apparent because Truecaller understood the importance of TV tracking, a unique offering from DCMN in the Indian market.  

    With the help of its flagship tool DC Analytics, DCMN India will analyse how consumers are using these top-end features of the Truecaller app in real-time across different locations.

    Speaking on the association Balakrishnan said, “I am very excited about this partnership as I am a Truecaller user myself. The idea of integrating video calling, payment and instant messaging into the app solves multiple purposes for any consumer. While awareness and downloads are already high, the brand is now looking at performance metrics as its main KPI for the upcoming TV campaign. Our strength lies in the experience we have in performance media marketing. DCMN’s performance approach includes data-driven media planning and tracking the direct response at a TV spot level with our proprietary TV attribution tool. We are looking at running a highly optimized media campaign for Truecaller.”

    “Using DC Analytics, DCMN India will track the growth and usage of the new features on the app once the campaign is launched. With the real time learnings, we will help Truecaller optimise its media spend and reach a larger audience. Our tracking tool is a unique offering to the Indian market.”

    Truecaller is one of the most used apps in the country. It began with solving a very basic problem of identifying the caller but in the process has become a huge communication tool for advertising. Several leading brands like Nestle, Airtel, and others use the platform to reach their consumers as the platform provides a very direct and uninterrupted connect with users. 

    Currently Truecaller has 200 million subscribers in India. The brand is rapidly growing in the country and has come up with several successful campaigns in the past to reach out to their consumers.