ITV

Tag: Digital

  • Pride Month: Chimp&z Inc celebrates with workplace coming-out stories

    Mumbai: Ad agency Chimp&z Inc celebrated the LGBTQIA+ members of the advertising community by bringing them together for its digital Pride parade, #PrideOfAdvertising, all through the month of June. Conceptualised and executed by the integrated digital agency, the campaign was initiated to understand, support, and celebrate the culture of inclusivity and acceptance at workplaces. The agency collaborated with other agency professionals, brand managers, and freelancers who are out, proud & successful.

    The #PrideOfAdvertising brings out the perspective of people who identify as queer from various facets of advertising and media through a candid yet meaningful ‘Q&A’ series on the agency’s social media pages. The responses beautifully captured their coming-out emotions, reaction to homo/transphobic comments, and some heartening tips for others to come out.

    https://www.instagram.com/chimpandzinc/guide/pride-of-advertising/17950009009463873/

    “Coming out is a challenge for the LGBTQIA+ community, not just personally but professionally and psychologically as well,” Chimp&z Inc CEO & co-founder Angad Singh Manchanda said. “The urban LGBTQIA+ activism has created space for individuals to defy societal norms and perceptions and choose to live as per their will. With awareness of LGBTQIA+ rights rising, the list of Pride-themed campaigns taking over the internet in June keeps getting longer and more meaningful. We wanted to do more than just tell stories. We brought out the perspective of each individual and their experience in the industry after coming out professionally. This digital campaign sets out a virtual pride parade that honors LGBTQIA+ members of the advertising community. I trust it will evolve and adapt to the changing society in the coming years.”

    The campaign featured agency-smiths: Chimp&z Inc group account manager Sumitro Sircar, AdGlobal 360 associate creative director  Dev Mitra Roy, Schbang’s design lead Krina Satra, Gozoop account planner Romario Fernandes, WATConsult’s lead copywriter Mansi Shanbag, and Sugar Rush Media House’s talent & creative head Tanya Nagrani.

    The agency also partnered with media and brand mavens: The Red Pen marketing manager  Archit Ambekar, Humans of Queer founder Yash Sharma, Beunic’s co-founder Ashish Chopra, Amaltas Apparel & Accessories brand manager Anish Prasad, and make-up trainer Saikat Chakraborty. The agency also collaborated with creative freelancers: social media manager & content creator Priyesha Nair, celebrity makeup & hair artist Abhijit Chanda, queer artist Suvajit Mandal, content strategist & e-commerce content marketing expert Sunny Pandey, and social media influencer Gaurav Pandey.

    The agency summed up the campaign by featuring the national award-winning filmmaker, Onir, also known for being one of the earliest advocates for LGBTQIA+ rights in India.

  • HC issues notice to Centre over media firms’ plea against IT rules

    New Delhi: The Madras high court has issued a notice to Centre over a plea filed by the Digital News Publishers Association (DNPA) against the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules 2021.

    This petition challenged the constitutionality of the Rules and alleged that it violates the fundamental right of equality (Article 14), freedom of speech and expression (Article 19(1)(a), and the right to practice any profession or to carry on any occupation, trade or business (Article 19 (1) (g)). The association sought a stay on Rules 12, 14, and 16 of the IT Rules 2021.

    Formed in 2018, DNPA is an organisation comprising of the digital arms of leading media companies of the country, including the ABP Network, Amar Ujala, Dainik Bhaskar Corp, Express Network, HT Digital Streams, IE Online Media Services, NDTV Convergence, Lokmat Media, Jagran Prakashan, TV Today Network, The Malayala Manorama, Times Internet Limited, and Ushodaya Enterprises. 

    According to DNPA, the online news portals of traditional media houses, which run newspapers and TV channels, do not come within the purview of IT Rules.  “While ‘newspaper’ is not governed by the IT Rules 2021, ‘publisher of news and current affairs content’ is governed by Part three of the IT Rules 2021. This implies that some of the members of DNPA association which are primarily newspaper publishers would not be governed by the IT Rules 2021 if they only published newspapers. But by making available, inter alia, the same content on a digital platform, they ought to be governed by the IT Rules 2021. Therefore, the IT Rules 2021 have created a distinction that is vague and arbitrary…” stated the plea, Live Law reported.

    The plea also contended that there are several regulations in place already for traditional and legacy media outlets in print and broadcasting, which have been operating before the advent of the internet and digital media. The petition filed by DNPA and journalist Mukund Padmanabhan was tagged along with the petition filed by Carnatic singer TM Krishna, which also claimed that the IT Rules 2021 were in violation of the Right to Privacy.  

    The Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules 2021 that into effect on 26 May recommend a three-tier mechanism for the regulation of all online media. Under the rules, the digital publishers are required to take urgent steps for appointing a grievance officer, if not done, and place all relevant details in the public domain. “They also need to constitute self-regulatory bodies through mutual consultation so that the grievances are addressed at the level of publishers or the self-regulating bodies themselves,” according to the ministry.

  • Throwback Thursdays: A look back at game-changer ad campaigns over the years

    Mumbai: IndianTelevision.com kicks off its Throwback Thursdays series where we go into flashback mode to revisit brilliant ad campaigns created over the years – one campaign at a time. Be it in Print, Television, or Digital (in the recent past)- the medium is irrelevant so long as the messaging was crystal clear and the execution fantastic.

    And what better campaign to kickstart with, than one considered by many ad gurus as one of the greatest ad campaigns of all times – and one that broke new ground and changed the rules of the game.

    It’s the 1960s ‘Think Small‘ ad campaign for the Volkswagen Beetle.

    Product: Volkswagen Beetle car

    Agency: Doyle Dane Bernbach (DDB)

    Country: United States

    Year: 1959

    Think Small was one of the most famous ads in the advertising campaign for the Volkswagen Beetle, art-directed by Helmut Krone, the copy written by Julian Koenig.

    However, there was nothing small about the campaign’s aspirations!

    Consider this. The first Beetles arrived in the United States in the 1950s. Volkswagen had hired the Doyle Dane Bernbach (DDB) ad agency to create a campaign that would introduce the German car to the US market.

    A lot was working against the Beetle. It was small and plain in comparison to the big, flashy cars that Americans were obsessed with, at the time. Also, it was awkwardly shaped (which later led to it being dubbed the “Beetle”). And to make matters worse for its sellers, this was at a time when following World War II the anti-German sentiment was at a high. The initial reception to the car was expectedly lukewarm.

    Here’s how an ad agency changed the car’s fate.

    In 1960, DDB launched a game-changing campaign called “Think Small”, that promoted the car’s diminutive size as a distinct advantage to consumers.

    The black & white campaign encouraged drivers to “Think Small.” DDB revolved the print campaigns around the car’s ‘small’ form and focussed on minimalism. It contradicted the traditional association of automobiles with luxury and big size, keeping simplicity at its core.

    This is why most of the print ads from this campaign and others that followed had a lot of empty white space with a small, stark picture of a Beetle, followed by a copy that matter-of-factly listed the compact car’s advantages in an irreverent, even self-deprecating manner.

    Each ad that followed in the series stood on its own, highlighting the car’s strengths while not trying to hide its possible weakness. And they were so cleverly done that they left the readers keen to watch out for the next one.

    Even more notably, the ads were modestly unpretentious and emphasised as much on the intelligence, frugality, and essence of the Beetle’s buyer as they did on the car itself. The smart copy asking ‘Do you earn too much to afford one’, is a case in point- implying that don’t let your money (or its excess thereof) come in the way of buying a good car!

    This tone of dry humour became a hallmark of Volkswagen Beetle ads, even later in its Television commercials. The ads effectively made the case for why owning a small, oddly-shaped car (in other words: thinking small) actually made sense, managing to show the consumer the bigger picture.

    And the rest, as they say, is history or rather the stuff that advertising lore is made up of.

    The Volkswagen Beetle Print Ads shook the automobile industry and the marketing landscape of the 1960s and over the next several years, VW became the top-selling auto-import in the US.     

    Doyle Dane Bernbach’s Volkswagen Beetle campaign was ranked as the best advertising campaign of the twentieth century by Ad Age, in a survey of North American advertisements.

    The distinctive but simple print campaign and the equally brilliant ones that followed it, brought widespread attention to the car, imbibing the Beetle in pop culture for years to come.

    It did much more than boost sales and build a lifetime of brand loyalty. The ad, and the work of the creative minds behind it, changed the very nature of advertising, becoming known as one of the most legendary campaigns of all time.

  • Republic announces global service R. Global

    Mumbai: Many have tried. Most have failed. But the Arnab Goswami-led Republic Network is not letting that get in the way of its ambition to go global. On 16 June, it announced on Twitter that it is expanding its expanding Republic internationally with R.Global, without revealing whether it would be a TV channel or an online service or a streaming service.

    However, what it did say is that it is hiring more than 120 journos across the globe to “deliver world class content and investigation to our viewers. Arnab is personally committed to the expansion of Indian media in the global market. R. Global is a first step in that direction. With R. Global, Republic will take its international network to another level.”

    The news service stated that it was going to hire 100 digital professionals across tech, content and product teams. The company disclosed that it has seen a 600 per cent digital growth and increase in traffic.

    Additionally, it highlighted that “it is set to deliver a game changer product on air and online with an all-new look and feel with unmatchable content line up.”

    And in true Arnab style it ended the thread by saying: “We are bigger, louder and fiercer! #RepublicIsTheNews and the people of India are on our side. With R. Global, a whole new look, unparalleled journalism, digital expansion and deep reportage, Republic is set to change the news. All over again.”

  • Tata Digital acquires majority stake in 1mg

    Mumbai: Tata Digital, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Tata Group, said it is acquiring a majority stake in online pharmacy 1mg, making this the second majority acquisition in the digital economy, after the e-grocery BigBasket equity purchase.

    The investment is in line with Tata group’s vision of creating a digital ecosystem that addresses consumer needs across categories in a unified manner, it said in a statement.

    Earlier this week, Tata Group also said it had entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with fitness startup Curefit and will invest $75 million in the Bengaluru-based startup. Curefit founder Mukesh Bansal is also joining Tata Digital as its president, as part of the deal.

    In May, Tata Digital announced the purchase of a 64 per cent stake in online grocer BigBasket. 

    The Tata-1mg deal comes when Reliance has entered the online pharmacy space by acquiring Netmeds, while PharmEasy also merged with smaller rival Medlife.

    Incorporated in 2015, 1mg provides online delivery of medicines, health and wellness products, diagnostics services and teleconsultation.

    “We are delighted to join hands with one of India’s most iconic and respected conglomerates. This marks a significant milestone in 1mg’s journey to make high-quality healthcare products and services accessible to customers across India,” said 1mg co-founder and chief executive Prashant Tandon

  • 62 % of urban internet users research for products online before purchase: GroupM & Amazon report

    Mumbai: Consumer behaviour and purchase patterns have undergone a drastic change over the last year. Around 62 per cent of urban internet users now prefer to research for products online, before making any purchase, according to the first-ever Search Advertising Playbook released by GroupM and Amazon Advertising India on Wednesday.

    The comprehensive report – ‘Decoding the shift in consumer behaviour to win on search’ details how an increasing number of consumers are leveraging online platforms for not only buying products but also for conducting holistic product research. Be it personal hygiene, skincare, electronics, wireless accessories, or large appliances, urban consumers are researching the product on at least two platforms before making a purchase decision.

    Online product research influences offline sales since 50 per cent of offline shopping across categories involves prior online product research, stated the report, which also found that at least 60 per cent of ads’ influenced purchase journeys are inspired by search ads.

    The playbook also showed that Amazon.in has emerged as a preferred platform for product research and 52 per cent of urban internet users who research online, visit amazon.in to research products before making an online or offline purchase. Total 89 per cent of consumers discover new products and brands on amazon.in.

    GroupM South Asia president – growth and transformation Tushar Vyas said. “The last year has seen a rapid shift in purchase decision making and channel preference for purchases with more consumers now researching and purchasing online. This trend is only accelerating with not only metro consumers but consumers from smaller cities and towns. Furthermore, the role of e-commerce platforms in the purchase funnel is undergoing a change with more consumers relying on them from a product research point of view.”

    The pandemic has led to an increased focus on health and wellness since personal protection (PPE kits, masks), home sanitizing products (disinfectants, floor cleaners), and health supplements (protein, vitamins) have seen quite an upsurge. This is followed by searches on WFH setups, laptops and fitness equipment, gaming accessories, smart TVs and home theaters, UV sterilizers, DIY toolkits, dishwashers, etc. 

    Amazon Advertising India director-ad sales Vijay Iyer said the playbook aims at helping brands understand the behavioral trends with respect to consumer demand and discusses recommended strategies to drive awareness and performance on amazon.in. “With the drastic increase in media consumption, online and e-commerce platforms have become the go-to destination for urban consumers to make a product and brand choice before making a purchase online or offline. The search environment provides brands the opportunity to reach ‘intent’ consumers and create awareness in the early phase of the purchase journey. Native search advertising formats aid in establishing a seamless connection with researching audiences,” he added.

    This playbook shares a holistic approach to marketers and on-platform advertising execution teams on how to plan, evaluate performance, and follow best practices from a search execution point of view, with the support of case studies, said the agency in a statement.

  • Blue Dart launches GoGreen digital initiative in line with global ESG benchmarking

    MUMBAI: South Asia’s express air and integrated transportation & distribution company, Blue Dart, has announced paperless transactions on their new digital portal for all vendor partners.

    The online launch event of the paperless technology was a registered event with the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) to mark the World Environment Day. Under the new sustainability roadmap, Blue Dart has made significant investments in developing future-ready technology to protect the environment and deliver excellence in a sustainable way.

    It has executed over 50 per cent of its customer invoices online and is working towards achieving a 100 per cent transition. “Manufacturing paper is energy-intensive; one A4 sheet requires approximately 50 watt-hours. Going paperless will help conserve energy, reduce CO2 emissions, avoid deforestation, protect the natural habitat and strengthen forest-based livelihood opportunities for the surrounding communities,” it said. The group has also planted 1, 11,000 trees annually, in order to offset 22, 20,000 kg of carbon per year upon their maturity.

    Blue Dart managing director Balfour Manuel said, “This initiative is our endeavour to inculcate sustainable business practices and at the same time raise the bar on innovation. Blue Dart is a market leader and we believe that if we navigate through our sustainability roadmap, we will be able to contribute to reducing India’s, and in the larger scheme of things, the World’s climate change issue – one step at a time.”

    The company said it has committed this decade to its efforts towards ecosystem restoration, while recognising the importance of fighting climate change and is integrating robust Environmental Social and Governance (ESG) mechanisms into this decade of ecosystem restoration.

    ESG is the new buzzword among multinational corporations, particularly in Europe, where compliance of these parameters has prompted most companies to adopt it as the prescribed mandatory compliance standard. In India too, the benchmarking is being slowly introduced with a recent advisory issued by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) in March.

    Blue Dart chief financial officer, Aneel Gambhir said, “In the journey of being an ESG compliant organisation, we have identified sustainable ways to carry out business operations. We are committed to giving back to the community in which we operate and at the same time, we are doing all that it takes to restore and protect our environment. The pandemic era combined with climate change emphasises the urgent need for organisations to invest in the ecosystem, before it’s too late.”

    Blue Dart’s new sustainability roadmap calls for clean operations for climate protection, a great company to work for all, as well as building a highly trusted company. The express logistics provider has launched many initiatives to ensure it is doing its bit to aid the world in the battle against climate change and global warming. The company aims to make all their owned or leased facilities operate at net zero carbon (footprint) by 2025, drive increased efficiency and use cleaner fuels within their fleet of six Boeing 757 freighters, support customers with sustainable and optimized packaging solutions and design greener products and services through comprehensive solutions.

  • Paytm shrinks loss to Rs 1,704 cr in FY21

    New Delhi: Digital payments firm Paytm has reported narrowing of its loss for the second consecutive fiscal year. According to its annual report, the company has reduced its consolidated loss from Rs 2,943.32 crore loss in 2019-20 to Rs 1,704 crore for 2020-21.

    The total revenue of the company has decreased about 10 per cent to Rs 3,186 crore in 2020-21 compared to Rs 3,540.77 crore in the previous year. Expenses have come down 22 per cent to Rs 4,782.95 crore, largely because of the cut down on marketing and promotional expenses.

    According to the company spokesperson, despite a significant disruption in the business of the merchant partners due to the ongoing pandemic especially in the first half of the year, “the company has had a minimal impact on revenues, due to strong recovery in the second half of the year.”

    “As Covid-19 continues to spread across the globe and India, it has had an impact on all local and global economic activities. The company has considered the possible effects that may result from COVID-19, on the carrying amount of the receivables, investments, goodwill etc,” the report said.

  • RIL’s M&E biz EBITDA margin rises to 17% in FY21

    RIL’s M&E biz EBITDA margin rises to 17% in FY21

    KOLKATA: Despite all odds, Reliance Industry Limited’s (RIL) media & entertainment business has recorded profitability during the pandemic-hit financial year. According to the company’s latest annual report, Network18’s consolidated operating margins expanded to 17 per cent in FY 21, up from 11.5 per cent in FY 20, RIL’s annual report said.

    Consolidated EBITDA of the business rose 29 per cent y-o-y to Rs 796 crore despite the pandemic impact dragging revenue down by 12 per cent y-o-y. The company’s overall profitability was attributed to cost controls and concerted efforts to increase annuity-style revenue streams, including subscription and syndication.

    The margins of the news business expanded all through the year, despite pandemic-linked logistics constraints and blackout of BARC ratings in the second half of the financial year, the report added. Overall news segment’s operating margins expanded to 13 per cent. The TV News operating margin expanded to 16 per cent, marking four years of continuous improvement. In addition to that, digital news broke even on a full-year basis, driven by accelerated revenue growth.

    Despite the Covid-19 impact, entertainment margins went up to 19 per cent thanks to operating leverages. TV Entertainment grew viewership share by two per cent to 10.9 per cent. One in two Indians watch Network18 television channels that reach more than 95 per cent of TV homes in India annually, as per the report.

    The entire M&E industry started on a weak note in FY21 due to the onset of the pandemic, but there was a turnaround during the second half of the year. For Network18, TV News advertising recovered by the second quarter itself growing across the year. Entertainment advertising revived fully by the third quarter, led by a full content roster. Strong viewership trends for Hindi GECs, both pay, and FTA, drove underlying ad growth into high-single digits by the fourth quarter.

    Digital media platforms witnessed an increase in content consumption. Digital advertising gained momentum from the platforms’ inherent advantages of being able to target audiences, drive personalisation, and lower costs.

    “Digital engagement continued to grow due to the volume of high-quality content and key events. Industry sources indicate a ten per cent y-o-y increase in OTT video consumption. Increased propensity to pay has been witnessed, amidst domestic OTTs increasing prices selectively, while global players create India-specific cheaper offerings. Digital subscription revenue continued to rise sharply, albeit off a low base, both from B2C (direct) and B2B (telco-driven) distribution of OTT platforms,” the company stated on Thursday. The company was also satisfied with domestic subscription revenue in the M&E segment which remained strong, despite the stress in international. Improved distribution tie-ups for TV and Digital have driven the subscription growth.

    The leading OTT platform under RIL’s M&E bouquet, Voot, garnered 12 billion minutes of watch time during FY21 and was the number two broadcaster-OTT, it said in its report. According to the company, Voot Select was the fastest to reach one million D2C subscribers, thanks to original content, digital-first TV content, and digital-only spin-offs.