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Tag: Digital

  • Bolo Live onboards Abhay Singh as vice president, marketing

    Bolo Live onboards Abhay Singh as vice president, marketing

    Mumbai: Homegrown social live-streaming platform Bolo Live has brought Abhay Singh Kumpawat on board as its vice president of marketing to drive the next level of growth for the company.

    In this new role, Singh will lead the entire gamut of digital, product, and brand marketing initiatives for Bolo Live and will play an important role in scaling the company’s growth in new and existing markets as well as broadening its global reach, it said in a statement on Monday.

    An IIT Roorkee alumnus, Singh is a growth specialist for over seven years and has played an instrumental role in driving early-stage growth and scale for startup brands like Mitron TV and YourQuote. While his specialty includes product marketing, brand building, and the development of transformational strategies for startup brands, Singh has also co-founded IndiaMeets and E-Vogue.

    “Driving business value through real-time, relevant conversations between the content creators and their fans has never been more challenging yet exciting with the complexity and volume of marketing channels in today’s era,” said Singh on his new role. “An exciting market opportunity at the amalgamation of live streaming, microtransactions, and gamification coupled with addressable market size, a profitable business model, the founders’ vision, and the quality of young talent within the team is a great combination at Bolo Live.”

    Bolo Live has over one lakh monthly live streamers on the platform spending close to 120 min daily on the platform, with 18 live streamers already making over a lakh rupee monthly from the platform already; all driven by microtransactions of captive audience base and not fixed payouts from the platform, said the company.

    “As we chase bigger ambitions, it is key to ensure that the growth and marketing strategies of the company keep pace with the evolving business. It is exciting to have Abhay on board as he brings in stellar expertise in the field of growth and marketing,” stated Bolo Live co-founder and CEO Varun Saxena. “He has a clear vision for the future of marketing and innovation and can build a strategic team to execute the vision at Bolo Live. Abhay is an all-rounder who also has an entrepreneurial bent and we do foresee that the team and the brand will flourish under his guidance.”

    “We are currently ramping up the team aggressively and in the next few weeks will see announcements of prominent hiring across Technology, Product and Marketing roles,” he further added.

    Singh is also a Limca World Record holder, International Children’s Excellence Fund scholar, MMCF scholar, and has won an award for Republic Day Honor for academic excellence.

    “Abhay’s appointment is another validation of our commitment and leadership in the industry. As we continue our transformational journey, we are poised for unparalleled growth and innovation,” said Bolo Live co-founder and CPO Tanmai Paul. “We are confident that Abhay’s vision and in-depth understanding of the consumer internet marketing landscape will translate into the exponential growth of the percentage of power users on the platform.”

  • Digital is now second important source of brand awareness after TV: Axis My India survey

    Digital is now second important source of brand awareness after TV: Axis My India survey

    Mumbai: In a reflection of the changing media consumption habit and the surge both in digital consumption & advertising, 38 per cent of consumers shared that they have majorly seen ads on digital platforms in the latest Consumer Sentiment Index (CSI) survey by Axis My India. In terms of brand advertisement placements, 44 per cent said they had seen it on television, while only 11 per cent and seven per cent of the audience believe that they have seen ads on print or outdoor respectively. This digital growth is led by the 26-35 age group audience, as per the survey.

    Consumer data intelligence company Axis My India released its latest findings of the India CSI, a monthly analysis of consumer perception on a wide range of issues. The sentiment analysis delves into five relevant sub-indices – overall household spending, spending on essential and non-essential items, spending on healthcare, media consumption habits, and mobility trends. The surveys were carried out via computer-aided telephonic interviews with a sample size of 10430 people. 62 per cent belonged from Rural India while 38 per cent belonged from urban counterparts.

    Reflecting the view of the majority, the survey for the month of October reveals that media consumption remains the same for 48 per cent of the families while the same has increased by 25 per cent. In addition, a combined 82 per cent said that they had seen more ads on TV and digital platforms over others.

    Overall household spending has increased for 63 per cent of families which reflects a seven per cent increase from the last month. This increase is highest in Northern India.

    The increase in spending on essentials like personal care & household items stands at 50 per cent reflecting a surge by five per cent. The net score which was +20 last month has increased to +27 this month. The growth in rural India is slightly higher as compared to urban markets.

    Spending on non-essential & discretionary products like AC, car, refrigerator has increased for 18 per cent of families. For 73 per cent spends on non-essential purchases remain the same which reflects an uptick of three per cent from last month. The non-essentials November net score, therefore, lies at +9. The trend on spends on discretionary products reflects a fine balance between caution and indulgence.

    With more exposure to outside activities, the importance of health bounced back quickly. Consumption of health-related items increased for 47 per cent of families as compared to 44 per cent last month. The health score which has a negative connotation i.e. the lesser the spends on health items the better the sentiments, has a net score value of -27.

    Consumption of media remains the same for a majority of 48 per cent of families and increased for 25 per cent of the family, while mobility net score reflects a constant improvement over the last four months.

    88 per cent of families said that they are going out the same or more on getaways/staycations /malls/restaurants, with travel bans being lifted and double vaccination providing easier movement opportunities. The overall mobility score is at -4 which is an improvement over last month which was at -5. This reflects slow but consistent progress in people’s sentiments for engaging in out of home activities

    Gauging views around the Diwali festivities, Axis My India, further discovered that 36 per cent of the consumers are planning to go beyond small-ticket purchases this festive season. While 24 per cent are looking to spend on household or personal items like White Goods (AC, TV, Washing Machine, Refrigerator, etc.), furniture, electronics, and jewellery; Nine per cent are looking to buy a four-wheeler or a two-wheeler. Further from a purely sentimental outlook, 59 per cent of the consumers reflect the view of a more hopeful and cheerful Diwali this year!

    The November net CSI score, calculated by percentage increase minus percentage decrease in sentiment, was recorded at +9, up from +7 last month and rising at a constant pace over the last three months, indicative of a positive shift in consumer consumption metrics.

    “With the festivities at its peak, one can easily witness consumer’s excitement in terms of loosening their purse strings for varied expenses and experiences. While Diwali has triggered spending on products of personal indulgence (like 2-wheeler/4-wheelers or jewellery) and household items, the upcoming festivities and enthusiastic consumer sentiment will further set the momentum for the last half of this year,” said Axis My India CMD Pradeep Gupta, commenting on the October report.

    “In addition, one can also witness a transition in terms of preferences amongst consumers’ like opting for EVs or cheering for privatisation of loss-making companies. The growth of digital as a medium of advertising overtaking print & just after TV reflects the change in media consumption habits which was triggered by the pandemic. Lastly, our survey shows that a vast majority of India is still not investing in this age of cryptocurrencies, it would be interesting to see how financial players beyond traditional banks can capture and convert their interests for investments using varied instruments,” he added.

    This month, Axis My India’s Sentiment Index also delved deeper to understand consumers’ views on varied issues of national interest. These include privatisation of loss-making public-sector companies like that of Air India, views on economic recovery by 2022, alternatives to rising fuel prices, investment preferences, sentiments around Diwali, and on brand advertisement placements.

    While the long-awaited sale of Air India to the Tata group reflected a hopeful future for the airline. Axis My India further gauged consumer’s sentiment on whether or not the government should privatise other loss-making public sector companies. 46 per cent are in agreement with privatisation of such companies while 36 per cent disagreed with this view.

    When asked if economy/livelihood and business is expected to bounce back by January 2022, 41 per cent believe that the same is possible and Southern India being more optimistic with 54 per cent agreeing to this. With rising fuel prices being a concern, 48 per cent are optimistic about shifting to electric vehicles wherein 33 per cent and 15 per cent said that they will consider buying a 2-wheeler and 4-wheeler respectively in this segment. The younger age group of 18-35 have a more likelihood, with 53 per cent in agreement to an EV shift.

    Sharing their views on financial planning, a majority of 23 per cent still prefers to park their money in savings accounts, while a combined 12 per cent prefers to invest in fixed deposits, shares/stock market, and mutual funds. Gold is still seen as a reliable investment option for four per cent of the consumers. 40 per cent of the audience still don’t invest and interestingly two per cent still save their money in post offices.

  • Maulik Kalamthekar to lead consumer engagement strategy for WolfzHowl

    Maulik Kalamthekar to lead consumer engagement strategy for WolfzHowl

    Mumbai: Brand strategy consultancy Wolfzhowl Strategic Instigation has brought on board Maulik Kalamthekar as the lead of consumer engagement strategy. This is Maulik’s second stint at the behaviour change strategy firm.

    “Strategy is about devising the best plan for winning. The wolves are mavericks in strategy craft. As we create robust strategies, we also want to focus on helping our clients execute our winning strategy with candour and creativity. Super pumped to be returning to do some rainmaking work for brands,” said Kalamthekar who carries over seven years of experience in advertising and digital marketing across functions, agencies, and brands. In his previous brief stint at The Glitch, Kalamthekar was the group head of strategy for the WPP agency and content division – Flux.

    “At Wolfzhowl, we are constantly strengthening our team, bringing in diversity, improving our skill-sets. This time we have Maulik, who joins us back at a crucial juncture in our journey,” Wolfzhowland head of culture, partner Renuka Asnani said. “As a Strategic Consultancy, we are increasingly focusing on providing final mile engagement solutions that bolster our strategy craft that lead to better business outcomes. Maulik’s consumer and culture first thinking along with his expertise in new-age platforms, especially using data, will give us an edge to deliver not just effective strategy but also delightful creative engagement solutions.”

  • The Trade Desk partners with Lifesight to help brands optimise digital campaigns

    The Trade Desk partners with Lifesight to help brands optimise digital campaigns

    MUMBAI: Global advertising technology firm The Trade Desk has partnered with Lifesight, a customer intelligence company that specialises in location-based measurement. The association will enable the tech firm to provide insights to marketers in India regarding the impact of their online advertising campaigns on store visits and the ability to optimise campaigns.

    Through the platform, marketers would also be able to effectively measure how their digital campaign is driving in-store visits to complement other online campaign metrics such as views or clicks, said the company. “By leveraging in-flight location data insights, marketers can optimise campaigns on the go and use those campaign insights to inform spend allocation and shape media strategies that drive better business outcomes,” said the tech firm.

    “In the last 18 months, measurement has become a top priority as marketers are under pressure to prove ROI of every advertising dollar. As we step into the festive season and economic activity picks back up in India, brands can apply learnings from the pandemic to change the way they market to consumers that is more effective and efficient,” The Trade Desk India- general manager, Tejinder Gill said.

    As more people go shopping for India’s festivities, brands are experiencing huge traction on digital channels and in their physical stores. This retail resurgence both on and offline have marketers re-assessing their measurement approach in an increasingly complex consumer journey.

    The announcement comes at a time when Indian marketers are increasingly embracing the value of data-driven and cross-channel advertising campaigns. Through The Trade Desk, brands can measure and compare their campaigns’ performance with other channels on the open internet such as connected TV (CTV), over-the-top (OTT), audio streaming, web and mobile apps.

    Lifesight CEO Tobin Thomas said, “This partnership marks the first time that Lifesight’s footfall measurement solution has directly integrated within a programmatic buying platform in India. This is a much-needed innovation that can help brands get the most out of their programmatic spend. Together with The Trade Desk, we are advancing the measurement capabilities for marketers in India.”

  • DoT permits laying of overhead fiber ahead of 5G roll out

    DoT permits laying of overhead fiber ahead of 5G roll out

    New Delhi: The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has amended the Indian Telegraph Right of Way Rules (RoW), 2016 by way of a gazette notification permitting laying overhead optical fiber cable (OFC).

    This will be applicable to all digital infrastructure (including Digital CATV & Broadband distribution).

    Optical Fiber is a fundamental and structural part of both mobile and fixed broadband networks. Faster rollout of fiber is important for backhauling a large amount of data at high throughput, improving reliability, and reducing latency. The decision paves way for creating the necessary infrastructure to cater to forthcoming 5G rollouts in the country.

    “These amendments will ease RoW-related permission procedures for establishment and augmentation of digital communications infrastructure across the country,” a statement issued by the DoT said. “To achieve the objective of universal broadband connectivity at 50 Mbps to every citizen, fiberisation of telecommunication networks is essential.”

    The amendment prescribes a one-time compensation of Rs 1,000 per kilometer for laying overhead OFC, which will bring further uniformity in charging of fee/ levy by local authorities for grant of permissions for this critical infrastructure.

    Digital Infrastructure Providers Association (DIPA) director-general T R Dua told IANS, ” We are sure this is just the beginning and this amendment will pave the way for other major reforms in line, encouraging investments and faster deployment of critical broadband infrastructure in the country enabling rollout of 5G and various new technologies.

  • ShortsTV is now on Amazon Prime Video channels in India

    ShortsTV is now on Amazon Prime Video channels in India

    New Delhi: ShortsTV- 24×7 linear and OTT channel dedicated to short-form content has announced a partnership with Amazon to launch ShortsTV on Amazon Prime Video channels in India.

    ShortsTV is already broadcasted in India across major DTH platforms including Tata Sky, Airtel TV, Dish TV, and d2h, and earlier this year, it entered India’s OTT world through the Airtel Xstream App. Through Amazon Prime Video, the short form entertainment network will now extend its reach into the Indian heartland at a cost of Rs 299 for a year, it said on Tuesday.

    The collaboration is led by ShortsTV’s larger aim to expand its digital footprint in the country, and reach a new set of highly engaged viewers. Prime members will now be able to access the short film channel alongside a specially curated on-demand short film library of over 4,000 titles.

    ShortsTV chief executive Carter Pilcher said, “Short films are India’s cauldron of creative energy, with some of the world’s most surprising and interesting movies emerging in what can only be described as a post-Bollywood revolution.  We are thrilled to join with Amazon Prime Video to bring these ground-breaking films to audiences across the sub-continent on the Prime Video platform.  Our goal to bring the short film revolution to every hamlet in India is one step closer.”

    “From star-studded, internationally acclaimed films by The Academy Awards, Cannes, BAFTA, and others, to the movies produced by international, independent, and local Indian filmmakers, ShortsTV offers a complete binge-watching experience,” the company said in a statement. “In addition to a vast array of short films, the service also features various segments on local film festival coverage, film school vignettes, ‘making-of’ features, and interviews with directors, actors, and other leaders in the industry.”

    The service features multi-language short films across English, foreign language, and local Indian languages, including Hindi, Gujarati, Bengali, Marathi, Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam, and Telugu.

    According to ShortsTV president- Asia Tarun Sawhney, the service will provide viewers with the flexibility to watch their favourite shorts anytime, anywhere. “Our strategy is to continue partnering with the top content aggregators in India and worldwide to present the largest selection of short films to our viewers,” he added.

    Head of Prime video channels Chaitanya Divan said the streaming platform is excited to bring even more selection to its Prime members in India with the launch of Prime Video Channels. “As consumers consume more content on the go and on their mobile phones, there has been increasing interest in short-form content in India, especially high-quality short films. We are happy to collaborate with ShortsTV and provide access to their deep library of short films from across the globe to Prime Members, with an add-on subscription. Consumers can select, subscribe and enjoy their favourite short-form content all within the Prime Video app and website,” he said.

  • GUEST COLUMN: Mobile marketing in the OTT landscape: Big opportunity for digital marketers

    GUEST COLUMN: Mobile marketing in the OTT landscape: Big opportunity for digital marketers

    Mumbai: The rise in both viewership and engagement of over-the-top (OTT) has opened up a world of possibilities for marketers looking for new and better ways to reach their consumers sitting in the comfort of their homes. Recent reports estimate that the OTT segment will grow to approximately $ four billion by 2025. 

    Confirming this trend, India saw a huge upsurge in media consumption between March and June 2020. By the end of 2020, OTT video subscribers almost tripled to nearly 62 million, up from 32 million at the end of 2019. This accelerated growth of the Indian SVOD industry is assumed to be caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. 

    Despite the fact that the OTT streaming business is dominated by large corporations such as Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, and Amazon Prime, smaller OTT streaming services continue to emerge. In order to have an edge over these budding competitors, it’s essential to utilise the power and proven results of mobile marketing.

    Before we dive into the strategies, below are some major trends that mobile marketers must be cognisant of, to make the best use of this ripe opportunity:

    Mobile is becoming the first choice for content: Mobile has surpassed traditional TV as the main growth route for video distribution. In fact, mobile collaborations now account for more than half of all recent OTT video bundle deals, indicating that customers are increasingly using mobile devices. As more MNOs subsidise at no additional cost to encourage upsell and retention, this trend is anticipated to continue.

    The rise of 5G: Because 5G internet is projected to become the standard, especially in metropolitan areas, it will permanently transform streaming patterns.

    Shared viewing due to lockdown: The entire population has been forced to stay at home owing to worldwide lockdowns, which has resulted in a fast rise in the consumption of content. Many OTT platforms, such as Netflix and Disney+, quickly acted on this and launched technology that allows individuals to view films together on a video chat, allowing platform users to stream in sync, to assist customers to isolate themselves and social distance. GroupWatch on Disney+ and Teleparty on Netflix have been huge hits, and it’s a trend that is likely to remain.

    Shift in OTT Model: Live and linear OTT services, which are projected to be an essential element of the future generation of OTT video, have a large growth opportunity based on existing watching trends and untapped video segments. Pay-TV providers are ideally positioned to offer live streaming services that make use of content that is best enjoyed in real-time, such as news, weather, talk programs, and sports. In the future, the content will be re-bundled under an OTT structure, whereas the previous cable model concentrated on content unbundling.

    Now, in OTT, when it comes to developing a short- or long-term marketing strategy, mobile marketing is a critical component. There’s a mobile marketing channel for every segment of your audience where they are most comfortable, from email to pay-per-click (PPC), search engine optimisation (SEO), content marketing, and social media marketing. 

    To be effective with mobile marketing, marketers must provide a consistent experience that customers expect—which may be difficult to do when you’re trying to attract, engage, and retain people across several platforms.

    Following are some of the key things that marketers must keep in mind while crafting strategies for the OTT landscape-

    Push notifications are key: User-behavior-driven push notifications should remain a crucial component of the entire engagement plan, which are proven to boost engagement rates by as much as 80 per cent. 

    Value recommendations of customers: It’s extremely important for marketers to understand the preference of their customers and value their suggestions. Viewing history, in-app behavior, and daily time of app launch are some of the data points that when accumulated continuously will give a wealth of information on customer behavior, significantly helping personalisation. This personalisation will further help in increasing in-app time spent by generating the most appropriate content recommendations over time.

    Timing is crucial: Focusing on personalisation and context is very important to make mobile marketing work for OTT platforms. However, what’s also important is delivering the content, suggestions, and notifications at the correct time, the results of which are proven to be phenomenal.

    Conversion of freemium subscribers to paying customers is imperative: Acquiring users is definitely important when it comes to implementing a growth strategy, but the end goal should be to turn the subscribers who are consuming content for free into paying customers. Hence, marketers need to focus on pitching the platform’s subscription options, with appropriate personalisation, to the customer.

    Make the customers feel important: Finally, building brand loyalty is the key at every stage, and this can be done by making customers feel valued by addressing their feedback. Hence, through personalised and crafted push notifications and in-app messages, repeat users can be encouraged to rate and review the OTT platform.

    Connecting the links between online and offline media is the future of mobile marketing. When used with other, more traditional media, mobile is a strong tool that should be viewed as the glue that holds everything together. The competitive environment for OTT apps, both native and browser-based, is continuously shifting. Benchmarking one’s performance and development versus industry norms is essential for marketers. 

    OTT marketers need to note that distinctions between the provision of and accessibility to high-quality content across OTT platforms will continue to merge. How they can achieve a substantial competitive edge is by using data-driven AI-powered customised, relevant, and time-bound multi-channel dialogues with consumers. For successful user engagement for your media, marketers must take advantage of every single mobile moment!

    (Dave Dabbah is former chief marketing officer of CleverTap. The views expressed in the column are personal and Indiantelevision.com may not subscribe to them.)

  • Chimp&z Inc wins digital mandate for Hashtag Poker & Poker Sports League

    Chimp&z Inc wins digital mandate for Hashtag Poker & Poker Sports League

    Mumbai: Digital advertising agency from the house of Merge Infinity Global, Chimp&z Inc has won digital mandate for video poker app Hashtag Poker and Poker Sports League, affiliated with Mind Sports League. The accounts were won after a multi-agency pitch.

    Along with social media and influencer management, the agency will also oversee its production and performance campaigns. It will also drive its efforts towards creating the world’s largest poker community with the brands, stated the agency.

    “We are intrigued to work on creating powerful communications for Hashtag Poker & Poker Sports League who believe in shattering stereotypes and the team at the brand believes in the same,” stated Chimp&z Inc CEO & co-founder Angad Singh Manchanda. “Over the next quarter, you will be seeing a lot of work on social media, digital performance, and the video production front. Chimp&z Inc and Hashtag poker both share extremely high aspirations and that common value and vision will make this partnership favorable for us and a treat for our audiences.”

    Hashtag Poker and Poker Sports League aim to sportify the game of poker through a unique, team-based format. Chimp&z Inc plans to articulate its vision and USP’s using a wide array of strategies to position them as the one-stop-shop for all the poker fans. 

    “The game of poker is assumed to be a tedious task and to break that glass between the truth and assumption, we have joined forces with Chimp&z Inc to help us communicate our vision and establish poker as a fun mind sport,” commented Mind Sports League founder & CEO Pranav Bagai. “After scouting across various agencies, we have now found the right ROI-driven agency that understands our long-term goals and can amplify our voice on social media through campaigns and creative strategies.”

    “It’s time for us to enhance our reach and spread the word that poker is more of a lifestyle that aids in the development of life skills such as decision making, recruiting, financial planning, interview skills, and risk appetite,” said Mind Sports League co-founder & CFO Akshay Chachra. “Since poker is a relatively new game in India, its acceptance and development potential are enormous. We believe in the dedicated team of Chimp&z Inc and are thrilled to embark on this new journey with them.”