ITV

Tag: Digital

  • Colors’ gung-ho digital strategy

    Colors’ gung-ho digital strategy

    Send in your tweets to @ColorsTV, be a part of a Facebook contest, stand a chance to win an iPad, tweet away your views with #Jhalak..#Madhubala. Watch Colors live, maximum You Tube hits. #ThisIsTHEchannel WithanAdmirableOnlineStrategy.

    Well, the crux of this story is just that. Colors, Viacom18‘s maiden Hindi general entertainment channel (GEC), which has carved a commendable place for itself in a very short span of time, is a channel with a massive digital presence. Hence, taking our digital series forward (read the previous stories on Sony and Star Plushere), we take you through this interactive journey of the very dynamic Colors, presenting awe inducing figures, highlighting the ever increasing online fan communities and much more…

    The official Facebook page of Colors has an overwhelming 1.88 million likes with more than 100,000 active fans. While the channel keeps its official page up-to-date with galleries and snippets of upcoming episodes, it also links the platform to the official pages of its various shows. The official page of its popular fiction dailies likeMadhubala: Ek Ishq Ek Junoon and Balika Vadhu have garnered 0.48 million and 0.43 million likes respectively. Among non-fiction shows, Bigg Boss Season 6‘s official page boasts of 0.16 million likes, whereas, the recently launched Season 6 of popular celebrity dance reality show Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa has already garnered 0.1 million likes.

    Colors contstantly updates its Facebook profile for its 1.88 million plus fans with teasers, pictures and snippets

    Apart from the official pages, Colors has gained immense popularity through the numerous fan driven pages of its hot-selling properties. The upcoming season of Bigg Boss already has a fan page featuring more than 22,000 likes, while the previous season‘s fan page figures around 0.29 million likes. But the show which seems to have broken all records is the very popular Vivian Dsena – Drashti Dhami starrer Madhubala-Ek Ishq Ek Junoon, produced by Nautanki Films. The love-hate relationship of the lead protagonist has definitely captured the imagination of the TV viewing audience. There are more than 100 Facebook Fan pages dedicated to the show with some registering more than 60,000 likes. Well, if that‘s not impressive, what will be?

    In a world where news is being replaced by a tweet of 140 characters, soap plots are tweaked according to fan tweets. Twitter enables instant reactions and feedback and Colors makes the most of this platform. With more than 81,000 followers and around 16,000 tweets, the official twitter handle of the channel (@ColorsTV) is a buzzing place. Every few minutes, the handle buzzes with tweets and re-tweets. Every couple of days, the channel also launches interactive contests to engage with its fans. Recently, @ColorsTV awarded an iPad among other goodies to winners of the #Jhalak contest. The success of the Twitter launch of Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa can be gauged from the fact that the official hash-tag was trending all over India for nearly three consecutive days and also in UK and US for some time.

    It takes a person like Vivek to spearhead the digital revolution at Colors

    Colors Digital Head Vivek Srivastava asserts: "Our effort on social media is to start and manage conversations and we have some very good brands on both fiction and non-fiction which help our cause. Just to give you an example Colors properties trended 51 times at all India level in the last financial year."

    For a general entertainment channel, the video uploads drive maximum traffic and for the same purpose, Colors launched its official YouTube channel in June 2008 and has since uploaded around 18,300 videos. The YouTube channel has 0.2 million loyal subscribers and a magnanimous count of around 149 million video views so far.

    On an average, every Colors upload garners more than 20,000 video views within a couple of days. Here as well, popular properties like Madhubala, Balika Vadhu, Jhalak and Bigg Bossgarner average views as high as 85,000, 40,000, 50,000 and 45,000 respectively. The wedding special episodes of Madhubalaalso recorded views as high as 0.16 million. Besides, the much promoted grand premiere of Jhalak was uploaded in 33 videos, each video garnering thousands of video views.

    Srivastava informs: "The episodes are uploaded within a couple of hours of the show going on-air, however we create specific content for the internet and mobile which goes beyond catch-up for episode. This is primarily aimed at engagement, if there is a Colors fan intending to know more, discuss or comment on our shows, we have to facilitate it."

    The mainstay platform of Colors has web exclusive content, photo galleries, polls and much more

    Such a comprehensive digital presence is further topped by the official website of Colors- www.colors.in.com. This is the mainstay platform of the channel as it aims to use all its other platforms to drive traffic towards the website. It is the hub of all online activities for the channel with web exclusive content created especially for it along with live streaming, picture gallery and video uploads, trends and show trivia. What more, the channel has been successful in generating 100 million page views last year. "We have a very strong offering in colors.in.com a website which goes beyond just catch-up TV. There is news, videos, behind the scene, interviews, discussions, special content, live streaming and much more; the effort is to feed an ardent Colors fan with as much information as possible," Srivastava elaborates.

    The question which hits our mind is whether the website delivers on the huge investment? Srivastava is very clear in his answer: "Yes, we are investing in it heavily. For a content heavy platform like Colors where we own most of the IP of our content, it‘s important to have own destinations and build traction for them from a long term perspective. YouTube, Facebook, twitter and other such platforms serve as media vehicles to best engage with our consumers and monetisation of our content, since most of these platforms have huge audience bases we put significant effort on them as well."

    Colors targets all social media platforms and also boasts of ‘web exclusive‘ content. All in all, it has done it all- from having an official Facebook page to an active twitter handle; from one of the largest YouTube portals to the very interactive colors.in.com

    Why so much of social networking? What was the driving force for this aggressive online strategy? The digital head reasons: "Viewers are viewing, sharing, blogging and tweeting TV content. Consumers are willing rather eager to engage with their favourite shows and characters outside the silver screen. We realise this need, these serve as great conversation starters and opinion builders. It's important that we are present wherever our consumers are seeking us, and wherever possible channelise conversations to positively impact the brands."

    An interesting aspect of GECs online is the apt usage of archived content. A lot of older episodes of popular properties as well as popular shows that have gone off air, get a considerable amount of traction. "Blockbuster content from any era gets traction, 1000 episodes down we still have viewers watching initial episode of Balika Vadhu and Uttaran. Obviously the shows on-air will get higher traction but there is always a market for classic content," adds Srivastava.

    Madhubala seems to set precedents for the rest of the fiction shows with more than 100 Facebook fan-driven pages

    In terms of genres, some non-fiction properties like Bigg Boss stand out because of the nature of the property and its ability to start conversations. But at an overall level both fiction and non-fiction gets equal traction.

    The virtual world of Colors is not restricted to your laptop and desktop, the channel has very impressively targeted mobile as well. It all began with the launch of the Bigg Boss app which allowed viewers to watch all that is happening inside the house at any given time. The 24/7 live streaming app became an instant success and got the Bigg Boss fanatics hooked to their cell phones.

    Today, Colors is taking the app world very seriously with the launch of the Jhalak app. This has a play along feature allowing the viewers to play real time along with the original telecast of the show. Apart from this, one can participate in quizzes about the show, vote for their contestants, watch videos, express your views on social platform etc all through one app.

    Srivastava further explains: "People today are using multiple screens – laptops, smart phones, tablets etc and multiple platforms – the video sites, the social networks, Apps, Games etc to access content. Although, the numbers are small especially when compared to the reach TV as a medium provides, however the growth and engagement the medium provides is phenomenal."

    Does he see then a profound shift from desktops to tablets very soon? "Tablets and mobiles are becoming important as the second screen, however the consumption is varied, most of video consumption is catch-up in case you have missed an episode or a highpoint," he further adds: "The bigger hook is exclusive content, viewers want to interact with their favourite stars, know more about their off screen personalities, behind the scenes, news, views, interactions, sometimes even spoilers. We ensure both these are present in equal proportion on our digital platforms."

    Episode videos are uploaded within 2 hours of the telecast. Popular shows get more than 80000 average video views per episode

    On that note, one has to but, wonder about this new-found lucrative source of revenue for the channel. How does the channel use this space in order to monetise? Srivastava reveals: "For a broadcaster, advertising and subscription revenues still contribute the maximum. However, revenues from digital platform have been exhibiting significant growth. Majority chunk of the revenue still comes from Linear and VOD content, then there is WAP, Voice, Gaming etc all of which exhibit positive numbers if you have the right offering."

    In that case, is it time that GECs start taking the digital platform seriously from the revenue generation point of view? "Without commenting on the numbers the digital revenues have been showcasing a healthy growth YOY and as penetration of internet and accessibility to smart devices increases over the next few years we anticipate a bullish trend."

    Television broadcasting is going through a metamorphosing phase, what with the TAM rating fiasco and the impending AD cap regulation. Talks about reducing dependence on advertising revenues is becoming the part of every discussion. In such a scenario, is there a possibility of subscription revenues from this rapidly growing online medium? "The Subscription market on both Internet and mobile is evolving. As models become stronger and penetration increases subscription revenues will start contributing more," states Srivastava.

    All in all, Colors has definitely created an everlasting place for itself on the digital platform. Who are these who have created this dynamic virtual reality? On prodding Srivastava answers: "We have full fledged team looking after content creation, SEO, SEM for all platforms – social media, Colors website, Internet and mobile."

    Whoever you knight in shining armours are, you have surely left an imprint in this ever evolving online space. Way to go!

  • TRAI warns Delhi cable TV customers to speed up on CAF

    TRAI warns Delhi cable TV customers to speed up on CAF

    MUMBAI: The Telecom Authority of India (TRAI) has raised concerns about the slow pace of collection of consumer application forms (CAF) by multi system operators (MSOs) in New Delhi. On 7 June, it had cautioned and warned consumers and cable TV operators/MSOs to get a move on the CAFs, giving 25 June as the deadline, after which the consumers would face the penalty of disconnection.

    TRAI says that despite that warning only 50 per cent of consumers in Delhi have submitted details and choice of channels to cable operators and MSOs until 21 June.

    It says the Digital Addressable Cable TV System Regulations 2012 mandate that CAFs have to be first collected before the activation of set top boxes and transmission of digital signals.

    Come 25 June the cable TV remotes may no longer function in Delhi if the customer forms are not submitted – warns TRAI

    It has therefore once again warned MSOs and cable TV operators that they would have to perforce switch off subscribers who do not send in their CAFs by 25 June 2013 or they “will be in breach of law.”

    Says the TRAI: “We have been issuing public notices on this from time to time to sensitise consumers that they have to submit their CAFs. Broadcasters and the cable TV service providers have also been running scrolls and video programmes on major news and entertainment TV channels for the last few months. The authority has reviewed the progress and observed that even though there has been an increase in the number of subscribers who have provided their details, still there is pendency in respect to the availability of complete consumer details with the cable operators/MSOs.”

  • Star Plus believes digital is the way forward

    Star Plus believes digital is the way forward

    (Hindi GEC Star Plus features in this the second of our series on what TV channels are doing in the digital and social media space)

    It’s the leader in the Hindi general entertainment space in India and has been so for the most part of the previous decade, and even this one. The Star India network, has been gung-ho on the online space, ever since one can remember like its owner Rupert Murdoch, who has had a fascination for it but confesses he does not know how to deal with it.

    Star India took a big punt when it acquired the much-touted indya.com way back in 2001, coughing up a hefty $50 million in buying it. It has since not known what to do with it. Just like Murdoch failed to fathom what the group could do with myspace.com, finally selling it out cheap.

    Star India‘s Indya.com fiasco looks unlikely to be repeated today. CEO Uday Shankar is quite clear on that and a crack team at the media giant has been working overtime to engage with its viewers.

    “We have leveraged the platform of digital, our various digital assets and the power of broadcast integration to drive deeper multi-screen engagement and conversations,” says Star India marketing & communications executive vice president Gayatri Yadav.

    “Having an engaged audience that can interact with the brand is a very meaningful goal. This helps us build loyalty for the characters and the brand, develop interest in new launches and of course acts as a great influencer for new audiences to sample the on air content. The engaged audience base also acts as a great feedback mechanism for our content.”

    Star India marketing & communications executive vice president Gayatri Yadav

    Star has been innovative in actively energising, featuring and interacting with audiences with powerful integration of online with on-screen content. All the key show launches and events now have at least one element of live engagement with the viewers. Auditions, which were earlier only limited to on-ground activities, have further been extended to the digital platform, reveals Yadav.

    In terms of video content that it uploads, Star Plus broadly classifies it into long form and short form, catch-up content, web exclusives, promos and legacy. For platforms like YouTube the channel‘s approach has been to upload short form catch-up content, which it says has been very well received. Its own video platforms have long form catch up content, along with some marquee legacy shows.

    Starplus.in and Star Player (www.startv.in) are among the two-owned platforms that it uses to encourage users to engage with the channel and download content. Data on how many downloads the Star Player app has achieved was not available at the time of writing but its Facebook page had received 93,000 likes or so.

    Star Plus constantly keeps on updating pictures and videos of its shows on their website

    Star Plus constantly keeps on updating pictures and videos of its shows on these websites. Star, however, does not upload an episode within a couple of hours of its telecast. Besides, it uses textual and image content like daily recaps, show highlights, trivia and polls to interact with and engage the visitor.

    Apart from internet based platforms, Star Plus also leverages the reach of the voice platform through SPOM (Star Plus on Mobile – 5057827). Through its voice portal Star Plus on Mobile, the channel runs audio recaps of the daily shows, daily diaries, and voice blogs of popular characters and also title tracks of the shows.

    Star Plus uses the mobile platform to leverage it‘s content

    With live engagement being one of the significant elements, Star has Plus has created applications for Apple, Blackberry, Android and Nokia through which people could interact, chat with the judges and read blogs while watching shows such as ‘MasterChef India‘.

    For some of its marquee shows like ‘Nach Baliye‘ and ‘MasterChef India‘, Star Plus has leveraged the transmedia storytelling route – where the main show has a strong storytelling leg running exclusively on digital platforms which link back meaningfully to the main show.

    Apart from this, the channel has showcased its content on the digital platform through initiatives like the web premiere of ‘Saraswatichandra‘ exclusively for digital audiences.

    Star Plus has an official Facebook page with around 2.80 million likes and hundreds of thousands of visitors talking about the channel and its programmes at any point in time. On Twitter, another vital ingredient of the social media mix, the channel has around 88,250 active followers. @StarPlus is buzzing with tweets and re-tweets every couple of hours. The numerous fan-driven handles of their popular shows are busy re-tweeting and sharing every Star update, making for a huge cacophony of views across the digital world.

    YouTube also plays an integral part in Star’s digital strategy with close to 2.50 million subscribers

    YouTube also plays an integral part in Star’s digital strategy with close to 2.50 million subscribers. Drama series and reality shows are attracting a good number of page views, say channel executives. Star uploads day-to-day activities, episodes that viewers may missed, comparatively, among on-air shows, fiction has an upper-hand over non -fiction shows.

    The channel’s official Facebook pages for some of its TV shows have received commendable responses from nitizens/viewers. The Facebook page of its leading fiction series ‘Diya Aur Baati Hum’ has 2.34 million likes with 2,485 active followers on Twitter. ‘Diya Aur Baati Hum’ also leads the drama genre with more than 32,304 video views on YouTube in just two days. Another fiction show ‘Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai’ bagged 20,529 video views for one of its episodes. Reality shows such as ‘India’s Dancing SuperStar’ lead with 1,18,222 video views.

    Star Plus marketing vice-president Nikhil Madhok

    Star Plus marketing vice-president Nikhil Madhok states, “We are producing a lot of content exclusively for our digital assets, be it in the form of behind-the-scenes clips, rehearsal footage, bloopers, interviews and much more. We have even made special edits of the episode acts just for digital. For example, Chaavat Boys, which is a group of engineering students from a Mumbai college, have already become a rage online, and all their dance acts have gone viral. In fact, people have been uploading videos of their own version of Chaavatgiri.”

    Star Plus claims that ‘Nach Baliye’ generated one billion impressions online during the course of its telecast. Of these, a 100 million happened on the final episode itself, which not only trended at no 1 in India but also worldwide, it says.

    ‘Satyamev Jayate’, (SMJ) the first talk show produced by Aamir Khan Productions created a lot of buzz on social media platforms. It became the most searched query on Google immediately after its first episode. SMJ has 93,929 followers on Twitter and its official Facebook page has 1.69 million likes.

    SMJ has 93,929 followers on Twitter and its official Facebook page has 1.69 million likes

    Official pages of SMJ were launched on the big three of social media – Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, to provide a platform for fans to share their views and interact. Updates were posted at regular intervals. Video snippets and full episodes were uploaded on YouTube for fans to watch the show or a favourite segment at their convenience.

    Reports suggest that though initial conversations around SMJ were triggered by Aamir Khan’s popularity, conversations around the causes he espoused on the show took centre stage later. The reason for this trend can be assumed to be the content fed into social media platforms. The fever of the show became strong on digital as the show only aired once in a week for 1 hour on Sunday. For the rest days, they storm the viewers by different social messages by constantly updating videos and statuses and also by tweeting.

    “We at Star deeply cherish our relationship with consumers. Giving consumers a chance to engage and interact deeply with our brands and characters is no longer an option, but a necessity. It is something we value deeply and have set up a team, infrastructure and partners to enable us to interact meaningfully with consumers across the network,” concludes Yadav.

  • Dentsu Marcom has launched a new TVC for Pass Pass

    Dentsu Marcom has launched a new TVC for Pass Pass

    MUMBAI: The mouth freshener brand ‘Pass Pass‘ has launched a new television campaign, which targets people of all ages.

    The campaign showcases people from different ages coming together which also portray a family as a new friend.

    The brand creates a world that enables such moments in many different ways for all kinds of people, using different touch points in the ecosystem: social media, radio, real-world experiential engagement, and point of sale activities.

    The film opens with a young woman opening the window of a car, letting the sunshine in and taking in fresh air. Then there is a young woman walking away after having opened a door, followed by a man and a woman whose hands touch as they are passing by and the woman turns around and walks away smiling. After this, a man coming up and greets a young lady who is holding a Pass Pass family pack seated with her friends. The scene cuts to a middle-aged man picking up his woman, almost suddenly, in an open field. Then there is a bunch of young men and women holding hands on a terrace and grooving to music, as one of them passes on a sachet of Pass Pass.

    More people come together and connect as a young man teaches a much older woman how to ride a scooter, or youngsters bond over a bonfire and a guitar tune. The film ends with people from all age groups coming together and sharing moments over a dinner on a terrace lit by lamps.

    The campaign is created by Dentsu Marcom, directed by Shashank Chaturvedi (Bob), produced by Good Morning Films and the music is composed by Anand.

    The brand has used mediums like television, digital, radio and BTL activations and POP materials to promote the product.

  • How Sony Entertainment is driving its online ambitions

    How Sony Entertainment is driving its online ambitions

    Nitesh Kripalani is a man on a mission. His weapons: a MacBook Pro, a high tech smartphone and a 3G internet connection. His battleground: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and the oceanic mobile app market. Kripalani spearheads the very dynamic ‘digital team‘ of 10-15 young and passionate social networking experts at Sony Entertainment Television (SET). It is his responsibility to create a virtual and online connect for hundreds of millions of Sony Entertainment Network Television viewers – in India and worldwide. Kripalani is one of the masterminds of the digital revolution that has gripped India‘s Hindi general entertainment TV channels (GECs).

    The future of television could very well be digital. What could not have even been imagined a decade ago is now an indispensable part of our television viewing experience. Social interactivity with viewers at home is now just a ‘comment‘ away. ‘Tweet‘ and express your views on the latest twist and plot of your favorite daily serial. Guess what? The future is here and how!

    Catching up with the pulse of the audiences, Multi Screen Media‘s (MSM‘s) Hindi GECs Sony and SAB have carved out an online indent for themselves. The need for making their presence felt on the dynamic platform of new media urged Sony to gradually devise a social media integrated communication plan around three years ago.

    Let‘s consider the statistics to gauge the digital reach of the two GECs of SET.

    Sony and SAB both have an official Facebook profile and Twitter handle with a commendable fan base. While Sony‘s Facebook page boasts of around 0.17 million likes with 7,500 plus facebookers talking about it, SAB has 50,249 likes and 2,649 active followers. The quintessential TV viewing audience is increasingly engaging on Facebook. Then its official Facebook pages for its TV shows tot up large numbers. Itsiconic Ram Kapoor and Sakshi Tanwar starring Bade Acche Lagte Hai Facebook page has 0.7 million likes with 21,000 active followers. The official page of its Kaun Banega Crorepati has 0.35 million likes with 6,700 active followers and the show‘s registrations have yet to start. Crime Patrol has knocked up 0.1 million likes with 3,800 active followers. The long running CID, which garners huge ratings for the channel, however has a comparatively low 33,000 likes with 1,110 active followers.

    The thirst to know more about their favourite shows is quenched on these Facebook pages. Sony constantly updates these with pictures and teasers of upcoming episodes. The buzz is also kept alive by the Sony‘s TV show addicts who go to make up its fandom. When looking at a channel‘s Facebook presence, fan driven pages cannot be left in isolation. A lot of action takes place through these fan pages. Look for Bade Acche Lagte Hai, Sony‘s popular fiction show, in the Facebook search bar and chances are that you will be looking at 10 active Facebook pages with as the most popular sporting close to 0.25 million, with 40,000 fans being active.

    Twitter, being an indispensable aspect of social media, cannot be left out. And it is here where the Sony Network has to buck up and it lags behind its rivals Star and Colors. Hindi GEC Sony has an active twitter handle with around 7,500 followers, while SAB follows with approximate 4,500 followers. @SonyTv is buzzing with tweets and re-tweets every couple of hours.

    What more? The numerous fan-driven handles of their popular shows are busy re-tweeting and sharing every Sony update, making for a huge cacophony of views across the digital world.

    Ironically, the Facebook and Twitter fan base is just the tip of the iceberg. What takes the cake is Sony‘s official YouTube channel which has one of the most massive subscriber‘s bases in India of nearly 1.6 million and a humongous video views count of over 660 million. SAB has its own share of digital audience with around 28 thousand subscribers and 190 million video views. Ever since Set India joined YouTube on 20 September 2006, it has uploaded 1,69,994 videos so far and counting. No wonder, Sony leads most other GECs in the rat race of YouTube subscribers.

    In order to aggregate all its social media activities under one umbrella, SET India launched a vibrant and ‘lively‘ Sony Liv this January. Sony Liv is a branded website cum app which is slowly but surely gaining momentum which has generated nearly two million downloads on android and iOS platforms. The official SonyLiv Facebook page has over 0.12 million likes. In five months, the branded site has attracted around 12 thousand followers with 15 million videos watched so far. The fans are more than happy to catch up with not only the latest episodes of their favourite on-going shows, but also remain loyally connected with their beloved shows which have gone off air.

    All in all, SET has done it all from having an official Facebook page to its twitter handle; from one of the largest YouTube channels to a newly launched Sony Liv. The numbers are heartening! On an average, each YouTube upload by Sony garners as many as 25 thousand video views! The episodes are uploaded within two hours of telecast and by the next day, the newly discovered online audience has watched it repeatedly.

    Bade Acche Lagte Hai leads the race on Sony‘s YouTube channel. The adorable middle-aged married couple – Ram and Priya have a dedicated fan-following of around 35 thousand viewers who watch every episode within a couple of days. Next in the YouTube popularity index stands the veteran fiction-crime show CID, which continues to garner a massive count of more than 30 thousand video views for each episode.

    We have finally entered the era where the quintessential TV viewing audience is engaging on the digital platforms. Who knows, in the not so distant future, our stereotyped Saas-bahu sagas will drive a lot more traction online than what the TRP‘s tell us now!

    Sony began targeting the online space around three years ago. The first phase focused on handphones with the Indian Idol audition mobile registrations and special Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) apps. The second phase promoted the Sony YouTube channel and the third phase which continues today, involves the development and promotion of its own branded website-cum-app Sony Liv.

    Sony Entertainment Network SVP – new media, businessdevelopment and digital/syndication Nitesh Kripalani says: "We have covered all social media platforms from mobile to our own branded site that is the newly launched Sony Liv. It is an integrated marketing communications approach. We look at the online space as the means to reach maximum audience. The main aim is – first, to interact with and engage with our audiences and get their valuable feedback; second, to spread the word and promote our shows through this mass medium; and finally third, it is to monetise the online traffic."

    Kripalani estimates that the Indian digital market is Rs 1,000 crore – Rs 1,500 crore out of which approximately Rs 200 crore constitutes the mobile market; the rest is left to digital. Understandably, this digital revolution has opened up a whole new universe for revenue generation.

    Sony derives its online revenue through its existing advertising associations. Last year, Sony‘s official YouTube channel earned significant online revenue from brands like Axis bank, MTS and Maruti that sponsored popular shows like KBC and Indian Idol.

    As far as social media such as Facebook and Twitter go, Kripalani says, "Currently, our goal is not one of maximum monetisation. In fact, we believe the platform must be primarily used for reaching out to our viewers. Perhaps a year from now, we may look at subscription based content following a premium model where 80 per cent of the content is free while the rest is paid for."

    Sony Liv has been attractively packaged with several elements including videos, photos, behind the scenes videos and archived content. Some of the older shows like Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahi, Aahat, Heena and older episodes of Crime Patrol, Comedy Circus and CID receive considerable traction as well. This content that was otherwise rendered useless after the shows went off air is now being made to eke out revenues through digital media.

    Comparatively, among on-air shows, fiction has an upper-hand over non -fiction shows. Kripalani reasons, "Fiction series dominate the most watched content online because of loyal viewers who watch episodes repeatedly. However special episodes of non-fiction shows like Indian Idol, Comedy Circus or a KBC attract thousands of views. Fiction series have a consistent following which is understandably missing in case of non-fiction."

    Sony‘s revenue from its online initiatives runs into millions of dollars. Yet the network has not moved into producing web exclusive content like some of the other Hindi GECs. However, Kripalani does not dismiss a possibility of producing such content in the future. "As the market expands and becomes more receptive, we will look at generating content exclusively for the web. Let‘s say in the next year and a half, Sony Liv will be the one stop destination for exclusive web content. After all, the digital platform is very profitable and is growing rapidly," he concludes.

  • Cannes Lions 2013 launches special app, online game

    Cannes Lions 2013 launches special app, online game

    Mumbai: The 60th Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity- 2013 is here and with full fan fare. One of the most prestigious advertising festivals of the world, Cannes Lion has launched a special pre-festival app for iPhone and Android users.

    The international festival is also launching an online contest which will be PHD’s multi-player online game. The lucky winner stands a chance to return to Cannes 2014 as a VIP delegate.

    Each year, around 11,000 members of the global creative communications industries come together to be inspired and educated at Cannes Lions. Cannes Lion 2013 can be downloaded for free on the iPhone or any 4.0 and up Android phones and will take 16 mb of space. What’s more? The app has a high rating of 4.6 on the Android platform.

    This is where you can find out everything about attending the festival as a delegate, from the registration packages available and where you can stay, to the latest news about the world-class seven day learning programme. This year’s festival will be held during 16 – 22 June in Cannes, France.

    Some of the key features of this app are listed below:

       *Full Festival programme with calendar and sharing options
       * Social feeds, news, photos and videos
       * Insider tips on locating ‘the best place in Cannes to…’
       * The last 60 years of the Film Lions Grand Prix winners
       * A massively multi-player online game
       * iPad version coming soon

    Social media and digital platforms are increasingly becoming an indispensable aspect of marketing. How could Cannes 2013 be left untouched by this phenomenon.

  • IG to sponsor an episode of AXN’s ‘The Apprentice Asia’

    IG to sponsor an episode of AXN’s ‘The Apprentice Asia’

    MUMBAI: Financial company IG will tap in to AXN‘s local show ‘The Apprentice Asia‘ which kicks off on 24 May at 9 pm in India. IG‘s episode airs on 21 June.

    IG is a global financial derivatives company. The company adds that the sponsorship provides an opportunity to increase brand awareness in the Asia Pacific region, through association with a quality production and large target audience, as well as leverage the communication benefits of the progressive integration of TV, digital and social media.

    IG Asia Paci?c head Tamas Szabo said, “We are very pleased to be a regional sponsor of ‘The Apprentice Asia‘. Serious investors and professional traders across Asia are keen to take advantage of global financial markets. And they want to trade with someone they can trust. IG is a world leader in financial derivatives trading.

    “Part of IG Group, a FTSE 250 company, we pride ourselves on delivering exceptional customer service alongside innovative trading technology. Partnering with a quality production like The Apprentice Asia, through Asia‘s No.1 general entertainment channel AXN, provides us with an excellent opportunity to showcase our service and product across the region.”

    During IG‘s episode, the contestants must demonstrate to the show‘s host AirAsia founder Tony Fernandes and his advisors that they possess the business acumen to manage and make sound decisions under pressure.

    Szabo added, “The attributes and qualities of a good trader are exactly those needed to become Tony‘s Apprentice. Without giving the game away, we know everyone will enjoy our exciting and unique episode”.

  • Vishal Gondal quits Disney UTV Digital; Sameer Ganapathy to replace

    Vishal Gondal quits Disney UTV Digital; Sameer Ganapathy to replace

    MUMBAI: UTV Disney managing director – digital Vishal Gondal has decided it is time he should be gone from India‘s premier gaming company. Gondal took over as digital MD of the company in August 2012, almost a year after Indiagames.com a company he founded was acquired by Disney in 2011, following the buyout of media company UTV by Disney. He is serving his notice period and his last working day will be 30 June.

    The Digital team of Disney UTV combines all mobile, video, audio, broadband, ITV, games and virtual world‘s initiatives. All digital content across all brands namely Disney, Marvel, UTV, Indiagames, bindass including original content for web, mobile and games will be developed and managed by this team.

    The gaming pioneer set up Indiagames when he was just 13 in 1999 and ran it for years before a majority stake in it was acquired by Chinese gaming company Tom Online. Tom Online later sold its holdings in Indiagames to UTV. Gondal was appointed as MD of Disney UTV Digital in August 2012 after The Walt Disney Company India restructured its digital assets under a new division, Disney UTV Digital. He took over the role to drive better growth in games, video and audio services for mobile, online and interactive TV.

    Gondal is believed to be quitting the company to concentrate on his investments in startups and also to pursue entrepreneurship. He has been part of the Nokia Advisory Council for Games and actively advices Nokia on wireless and gaming technologies.

    Disney UTV executive director movie channels and channel distribution Sameer Ganapathy will now take on the business function for the digital arm of Disney UTV.

    Disney UTV MD Ronnie Screwvala said, “Vishal has been a great founder and CEO for Indiagames. As we consolidate the digital, mobile and web play for Disney UTV in India, we plan to build on our creative prowess and transform the digital business to be a direct to consumer, yet working closely with all our partners, telecom operators, OEM‘s and others. This is similar to our approach in our other verticals of movies, broadcasting and consumer products. Sameer Ganapathy brings an astute business sense and high resourcefulness to this position, which is key to meet the ever growing trajectory of the digital business in India.”

    “Indiagames had small beginnings but a big dream. I cannot help but look back with a tremendous sense of fulfillment and pride, upon the long, eventful and exciting journey. I am really proud of what the team has accomplished. Excellent support from our early investors Infinity, IL&FS, TOM Online, Adobe, Cisco and UTV and the subsequent acquisition by Walt Disney provided us the opportunity to work towards our vision of making gaming big in India. Over the last 18 months, we have spent time integrating the teams and set a platform for continued growth. Consequently, I‘ve decided to move on to pursue my dreams and passion of being an entrepreneur,” said Gondal.

  • Disney Junior expands digital offerings in the US

    Disney Junior expands digital offerings in the US

    MUMBAI: Disney Junior is boosting its presence on the digital front in the US. The Disney Junior Appisodes app for iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch has been announced following the ‘Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Road Rally Appisode‘.

    Now the broadcaster has said that the Disney Junior Appisodes app is the first TV appisode app for kids that combine viewing and interaction with the TV characters and stories they love. It can be found now in the App Store at: appstore.com/disneyjuniorappisodes.

    Developed by Disney/ABC Television Group‘s Digital Media team, the new app offers true interactive viewing, allowing fans 2-7 to touch, tap, swipe, tilt, shake and talk their way through various fun-filled activities embedded into episodes of some of their favorite Disney Junior shows.

    The all-new “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse – Mickey and Donald Have a Farm Appisode” and the “Jake and the Never Land Pirates Appisode,” which features “Hide the Hideout” and “Captain Hook‘s Hooks,” are available for $4.99. A free download of the original “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Road Rally Appisode” is included. In the coming months, episodes of shows ‘Doc Mc Stuffins,‘‘Sofia the First‘and more ‘Jake and the Never Land Pirates‘will also be available for download as appisodes.

    Disney Channels Worldwide VP digital media Lauren DeVillier said, “The Mickey Mouse Clubhouse appisode has been successful because it‘s a natural extension of what kids are already doing in their daily lives. Over 70 per cent of households with kids have app-enabled devices in their homes. Touching, tapping and swiping are second nature to them.

    “We are allowing kids to move the narrative of their favourite show forward by interacting with the characters, giving them the opportunity to take an active role in the story. Being able to do that with one of their favorite TV shows is really exciting for them. And from a content perspective, it gives our shows a whole new life on another platform.”

  • Avid unveils upgraded digital audio and video technology at NAB

    Avid unveils upgraded digital audio and video technology at NAB

    MUMBAI: Avid, the creator of digital audio and video technology, has introduced a new and upgraded solution for audio production, professional editing, multi-platform content distribution, on-air graphics production, and asset management at the Nab television technology trade convention in Las Vegas.

    The company also shared its strategic vision, termed “Avid Everywhere,” which expresses the company‘s commitment to create the most fluid end-to-end, distributed media production environment in the industry.

    ‘Avid Everywhere‘ recognises that flexible deployment options, including remote and cloud-based collaboration technology, have become critical to content creators and distributors as they face relentless pressure for operational excellence.

    Intense cost pressures and content creation complexity are key challenges for media and content professionals in this ever more mobile and social world. ‘Avid Everywhere‘ helps our customers meet these challenges by empowering distributed work teams, multi-platform delivery, and the ability to work in any production environment.

    Avid president, CEO Louis Hernandez Jr said, “Over the past 25 years, Avid has built a strong heritage of industry leadership; we‘re proud of the role we play in empowering our customer community to create the most compelling media in the industry. As a critical element of Avid‘s growth strategy, Avid Everywhere inspires our next phase of innovation around our entire product suite. We look forward to sharing more announcements over the next year.”

    Specific new and upgraded products announced at Nab include:

    Creative Tools-Avid‘s professional creative tools set the industry standard for the highest quality content creation and production solutions to power the complete professional content creation environment.

    • Avid Media Composer 7 – The nonlinear editing solution is now available and the aim is to bring value to post production editors. The new version features accelerated and simplified file-based workflows including optimised HD delivery from high-res source material and automated media operations. The new release also offers Interplay Sphere for Mac support, extending real-time production everywhere.
    • Avid Pro Tools 11 – Avid‘s digital audio workstation features audio and video engines, 64-bit architecture, expanded metering, and direct HD video workflows.
    • Avid Motion Graphics 2.5 – Avid‘s next-generation platform of on-air graphics production includes a new dual-channel configuration option and stand-alone playout engine to increase deployment flexibility and speed graphic workflows, to create stunning imagery and get work quicker to air.
    • Avid Fast Track Solo and Duo – Avid‘s two new portable audio interfaces for composing and recording high-quality audio come equipped with Pro Tools Express software for Mac and PC, and connect directly to the iPad, providing high-quality I/O for any iOS app.Media Management Solutions-From the largest media enterprises to independent professionals, Avid provides the most open, flexible, and scalable solutions in the industry.
    • Avid Interplay Production 3.0 – Avid‘s latest version of the production asset management solution simplifies and speeds file-based workflows for post production and broadcast customers, and offers Interplay Sphere with full Mac support.
    • Avid Interplay Pulse – Avid‘s enhanced multi-platform content distribution solution delivers content to online, mobile, and social platforms everywhere, in the right form and format for each, while featuring integration with Avid‘s connected newsroom solution set and unified web client.
    • Avid AirSpeed 5000 2.5 – Avid‘s latest-version video server delivers slow motion playback for SD and HD, fast media replay, and continuous record.