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  • Brands ride the social media wave during IPL 9

    Brands ride the social media wave during IPL 9

    MUMBAI: Come a new Indian Premiere League season and every sponsor and brand associate is ready to go all guns blazing and make the best out of every penny they have invested in this magnum opus of a cricketing tournament.

    According to reports, somewhere between Rs 1000 crore to Rs 1,200 crore is being spent on advertising and sponsorship this IPL season. With over 80 sponsors riding on, there is no doubt that the campaign space surrounding IPL 9 is nothing short of war zone. To cut above the noise, brands are looking to digital media to allow them to be innovative with their brand communication. Having a branding presence on the jersey or standing out with on ground sponsorship is no longer enough to feel reassured at your marketing efforts, unless it is packaged effectively with online engagement with IPL fans, because 70 per cent fans bring their mobile devices to share in stadia experiences and 46 percent mobile internet users search for sporting events and news (Source: ESP Properties- SportzPower Report 2016).

    Therefore social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are playing a major role in leveraging the brand’s online presence this IPL season. At the same time, thanks to IPL, the over conversations and user engagements on these social media platforms have also increased manifold.

    “After a successful partnership at the previous IPL edition where more than 29 million (2.9 crore) people engaged on Facebook, for the first time this season IPL, fans can support their favourite teams by adding exclusive frames – something that fans have already done more that 7.5 million (75 lakh) times so far. People will also have an opportunity to express their support through exciting features like dedicated prompts featuring an all new custom icon to let their friends know they’re watching the game. With Facebook Live fans are able to get closer to the action than ever before and on match days fans can watch videos and see images directly from the stadium and relive key moments from the IPL Facebook page and Instagram accounts,” shared Facebook India sports — strategic partner development head Asha Thacker.

    Twitter is the other social media giant that is driving the brands’ digital presence this IPL. YouTube, on the other hand, redefines the experience of watching and enjoying IPL through live chat making it more social and further integrating it with Google+.

    To keep their fans engaged popular cricket stars such as Virat Kohli and Yuvraj Sigh are also actively present on social media, driving the fanfare. As per data collected from Instagram, Top Players on Instagram were Virat Kolhi with 3 million impressions (30 lakh), followed by AB de Villiers and Yuvraj Singh with 1 million (10 lakh) impression each. When it came to Facebook, the most popular player is Virat Kolhi, with Yuvraj Singh on the second spot and Rohit Sharma as third.

    Unlike last few seasons of IPL, it isn’t the title sponsor that is making the most impressions on social media during IPL season 9 till now, but Vodafone, which is stealing the online show with its aggressive digital marketing. According to Maxus’ MESH data, Vodafone continues to be at the number one spot with its new ‘Super Dad’ spot that promotes SuperNet. It was the most talked about ad in between 30th April and 6 May with a clear lead from the rest of the contenders when it comes to driving online presence. Its hashtags #hakkeBakke and #besuper hashtag got attention on Twitter, too.

    The brand has also launched the SuperFan contest which it is promoting through a dedicated microsite. Using Facebook to its advantage, Vodafone has launched several Facebook only content on its pages, where winners of the contest can share their ‘Superfan Life’ photos and videos.

    Title sponsor Vivo has its own innovative way to grab the attention of the netizens. Riding on the popular culture of betting and predictions amongst cricket fans, the Chinese technology giant has started an interactive website VIVO Power Play that allows users to predict winners of every match. The brand is heavily promoting its ‘gaming’ platform through Twitter, Facebook and other social media platforms.

    Moreover the brand’s recently launched campaign Ek India Happywalla also garnered huge traction through social media making it the second most talked about campaign between April 30 and 6 May.

    Apart from VIVO, several other mobile manufacturers are also using the IPL fanfare to their advantage to gain visibility in the market. A good example is Chinese manufacturer Oppo that has done an excellent job in marketing its new product, with the #OppoCameraPhone becoming the third most talked about campaign on the social media.

    United Breweries’ flagship alco beverage brand Kingfisher has also ensured a strong presence this IPL season by signing deals with multiple teams.
    In the two and a half weeks since the beginning of the season, Kingfisher has already integrated the use of Boomerang & MSQRD apps. Users have created their own content through these apps as responses to calls-to-action from the brand, which were then amplified through brand social handles. The annual brand cricket TVC, which has taken on an iconic status thanks to the Oo La La La Le O jingle, is pushed out to a focused target group through precise targeting and planning, making sure the #UnitedByGoodTimes message reaches a relevant audience.

    “Our association with Facebook is deeper and wider than ever before. Newer younger consumers are looking for compelling narratives, smarter technology and disruptive messaging. Not only are they digitally enabled, they are also mobile first. Kingfisher and Facebook have come together to address precisely this consumer behaviour over the biggest and most loved sporting event in India, cricket. Kingfisher fans can look forward to ‘’Money can’t buy’’ experiences on Facebook,” shared United Breweries, SVP Marketing, Samar Singh Sheikhawat.

    Not just the eCommerce and digitally inclined brands like Kingfisher which focus on youth, but several FMCG brands like associate sponsor of Rising Pune Supergiants, Cargill Foods India, has joined the digital marketing bandwagon this season with their association with the sporting league.

    “We have initiated several promotions on digital platforms to engage with our consumers and with the trade community. The Gemini Facebook page has a lot of content on the IPL season. We have also done activation for Cargill employees, wherein players’ cut-outs are placed at multiple locations in our offices. People can click pictures and share the same on their social network by tagging the Gemini page and stand a chance to win prizes. Apart from this, we are also running a recipe contest on our Facebook and YouTube pages. The winning entry will get a chance to make the Pune team members taste their recipe,” said Cargill Foods India CMO Neelima Burra.

    Brand IPL has itself maintained a strong presence on social networks this season. Between April 7 to April 20, Facebook witnessed 8 million (80 lakh) Profile Frames being used as this is also the first time this season IPL Fans can support their favourite teams by adding exclusive frames. Moreover 14.2 million (1.42 crore) people generated 111 million (11.1 crore) interactions around the Indian Premier League.

  • Purchasing power of Indian kids has doubled: Turner’s New Generations report 2016

    Purchasing power of Indian kids has doubled: Turner’s New Generations report 2016

    MUMBAI: With kids commanding a market of one third of the country’s population, it becomes increasingly important to understand what they want and what drives their consumption pattern. With that in mind, Turner’s New Generations report 2016 did a comprehensive study of its target audience through a thorough survey. The New Generations report surveyed over 6,690 respondents, which included kids ranging from the age of 7-14 years and parents of 4-14 years old kids.

    While the report clearly pointed at the rapid adoption of the digital media by kids through mobile phones and other smart devices, the primary mode of consumption of media is still television with a staggering 97 percent preference. Going deeper the television viewing data revealed that 50 percent of parents enjoy watching television with their kids daily and 80 percent of them closely monitor what their kids are viewing.

    When it comes to digital, 90 percent of kids are growing up in homes with mobile, though the numbers are still behind compared to more mature markets like the US, Europe and Southeast Asia, which is mainly due to the much developed multiscreen set up in other countries, which is still catching up in India.

    In spite of their increased activity on the social media, targeting kids online can be a tricky business, said Turner International India MD Siddharth Jain.

    “Only kids above the age of 13 are allowed to set up an account in Facebook, but our findings show that 25 percent of the kids are on Facebook, while 5 percent of the parents are aware of that. Regardless of our findings, as a responsible broadcaster, we can’t encourage kids to be on the social media platform just to market our channel better. Instead we urge kids to check out our website. We also have apps, like the recently launched CN Anything that grabs kids attention through short and snacky content that they can consume through their smart phones,” Jain explained.

    When asked how these findings will help the network in shaping its content strategy for the kids, Turner International India executive director and Network dead – Kids, Krishna Desai shared, “Over the years we have seen how kids behave in their households and schools, and the New Generations report helps us identify little nuances of the kids that are relevant to the time we are in. There are many cues from understanding how a typical day in the life of a child is like, what their preferences are segregated in age gender and market that help us determine trends and build content for them.”

    Though technology has brought about a huge change in the ever evolving life of kids and how they perceive the world and society around them, the biggest shift since the 2012 report has been in the purchasing power that an average kid commands currently. Average pocket money for an Indian kid has increased from Rs. 275 in 2012 to Rs. 555 in 2015.

    This is a 100 percent increase in pocket money since 2012. 52 percent kids receive pocket money out of which 50 percent save it (majority being girls), and the balance 50 percent spend their money on buying clothes, shoes, junk food and toys. “At an annual spending potential of Rs. 22,594 crore, Indian Kids have more money to spend than the GDP of 50 smaller countries of the world including Bhutan, Aruba and Maldives,” shared Turner International India Director and South Asia Research Head  Rahul Sachdev.

    Not only that, kids also have a considerable influence in what consumer goods should be bought in the household, which hints at brands to seriously  target kids in their marketing initiatives.  

    “We look beyond television content through this report. We have partners in the broadcast industry as well as advertisers, marketers, and other affiliates who can make great use of this data. A fact like ‘67 percent of purchases at home is influenced by children’ is very important for a good brand advertising with us to find out ways to convince the kids to buy their products,” Jain added.

    When it comes to advertisement, kids are easily won over by the presence of their favourite cartoon characters or superheroes. “Children from the East region love ads with cartoon characters and animations while those in the west region prefers ads with humour; children in the north and south region behave in a similar manner- taking a cue from humour and cartoon characters. Over 65 percent children and parents are attracted towards character based product packaging,” the report says.

    Other highlights from the report included:

    Education: 40 percent parents are seen saving in child specific plans and schemes for a bright future and better education from their child’s tender age

    New Technology: Use of technology amplified exceptionally as kids live in connected homes. Gaming– the number one online activity for children

    Purchasing power: Pocket money given to kids in 2015 has grown by a 100 percent

    Kids & their environment: Kids chose to eliminate poverty and promote peace. 64 percent kids are aware of the government’s Swachch Baharat Abhiyaan and an equal percentage of kids open to participate in the move towards a cleaner India.

    Icons: Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Sachin Tendulkar and Sania Mirza rule the hearts of the kids.

     

  • Purchasing power of Indian kids has doubled: Turner’s New Generations report 2016

    Purchasing power of Indian kids has doubled: Turner’s New Generations report 2016

    MUMBAI: With kids commanding a market of one third of the country’s population, it becomes increasingly important to understand what they want and what drives their consumption pattern. With that in mind, Turner’s New Generations report 2016 did a comprehensive study of its target audience through a thorough survey. The New Generations report surveyed over 6,690 respondents, which included kids ranging from the age of 7-14 years and parents of 4-14 years old kids.

    While the report clearly pointed at the rapid adoption of the digital media by kids through mobile phones and other smart devices, the primary mode of consumption of media is still television with a staggering 97 percent preference. Going deeper the television viewing data revealed that 50 percent of parents enjoy watching television with their kids daily and 80 percent of them closely monitor what their kids are viewing.

    When it comes to digital, 90 percent of kids are growing up in homes with mobile, though the numbers are still behind compared to more mature markets like the US, Europe and Southeast Asia, which is mainly due to the much developed multiscreen set up in other countries, which is still catching up in India.

    In spite of their increased activity on the social media, targeting kids online can be a tricky business, said Turner International India MD Siddharth Jain.

    “Only kids above the age of 13 are allowed to set up an account in Facebook, but our findings show that 25 percent of the kids are on Facebook, while 5 percent of the parents are aware of that. Regardless of our findings, as a responsible broadcaster, we can’t encourage kids to be on the social media platform just to market our channel better. Instead we urge kids to check out our website. We also have apps, like the recently launched CN Anything that grabs kids attention through short and snacky content that they can consume through their smart phones,” Jain explained.

    When asked how these findings will help the network in shaping its content strategy for the kids, Turner International India executive director and Network dead – Kids, Krishna Desai shared, “Over the years we have seen how kids behave in their households and schools, and the New Generations report helps us identify little nuances of the kids that are relevant to the time we are in. There are many cues from understanding how a typical day in the life of a child is like, what their preferences are segregated in age gender and market that help us determine trends and build content for them.”

    Though technology has brought about a huge change in the ever evolving life of kids and how they perceive the world and society around them, the biggest shift since the 2012 report has been in the purchasing power that an average kid commands currently. Average pocket money for an Indian kid has increased from Rs. 275 in 2012 to Rs. 555 in 2015.

    This is a 100 percent increase in pocket money since 2012. 52 percent kids receive pocket money out of which 50 percent save it (majority being girls), and the balance 50 percent spend their money on buying clothes, shoes, junk food and toys. “At an annual spending potential of Rs. 22,594 crore, Indian Kids have more money to spend than the GDP of 50 smaller countries of the world including Bhutan, Aruba and Maldives,” shared Turner International India Director and South Asia Research Head  Rahul Sachdev.

    Not only that, kids also have a considerable influence in what consumer goods should be bought in the household, which hints at brands to seriously  target kids in their marketing initiatives.  

    “We look beyond television content through this report. We have partners in the broadcast industry as well as advertisers, marketers, and other affiliates who can make great use of this data. A fact like ‘67 percent of purchases at home is influenced by children’ is very important for a good brand advertising with us to find out ways to convince the kids to buy their products,” Jain added.

    When it comes to advertisement, kids are easily won over by the presence of their favourite cartoon characters or superheroes. “Children from the East region love ads with cartoon characters and animations while those in the west region prefers ads with humour; children in the north and south region behave in a similar manner- taking a cue from humour and cartoon characters. Over 65 percent children and parents are attracted towards character based product packaging,” the report says.

    Other highlights from the report included:

    Education: 40 percent parents are seen saving in child specific plans and schemes for a bright future and better education from their child’s tender age

    New Technology: Use of technology amplified exceptionally as kids live in connected homes. Gaming– the number one online activity for children

    Purchasing power: Pocket money given to kids in 2015 has grown by a 100 percent

    Kids & their environment: Kids chose to eliminate poverty and promote peace. 64 percent kids are aware of the government’s Swachch Baharat Abhiyaan and an equal percentage of kids open to participate in the move towards a cleaner India.

    Icons: Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Sachin Tendulkar and Sania Mirza rule the hearts of the kids.

     

  • #Qyukistars rank No.1 and 3 in Youtube’s Fastest Growing List

    #Qyukistars rank No.1 and 3 in Youtube’s Fastest Growing List

    MUMBAI: Digital Broadcast Network and Agency Qyuki, driven by a unique strategy of partnering with creators versus an aggregation or ‘owned and operated’ channel approach, recently surpassed over 5 billion views across YouTube and Facebook.

    With a creator DNA in the founding team of Shekhar Kapur and AR Rahman and digital entrepreneur Samir Bangara, the Company has created a clear leadership position in the market as a home for creators across the genres of Music, Pranks and Auto blogs while making headway in other popular genres.

    The strategy has been vindicated by YouTube’s recent list of top ten fastest growing channels in the country that ranked Qyuki partners Sanam Band (Music) and FunkYou (Pranks) No.1 and No.3 respectively. The genre based focus of the company has also helped bring on board celebrated Bollywood and indie artists like Salim-Sulaiman, Clinton Cerejo, Dhruv Ghanekar and most recently Rabbi Shergill.

    Its differentiated approach and successful track record in the space led to a recently announced partnership with YouTube to create one of the biggest digital properties in India called Jammin. Jammin will bring together some of the best Bollywood composers with the biggest YouTube stars of music. The show begins online and finishes offline with a massive live performance.

    Beyond music the Company is home to some of the biggest Prank channels, a genre that is very popular with the 13-34 millennial audiences, with FunkYou emerging as the largest prank channel in the country across Facebook and YouTube. The group of four 19 year old boys has grown 1000 times on Facebook with more than 5.6 million fans amassed over the last 10 months and a following across the world with Cairo, Metro Manila, Lahore and Karachi forming part of their top ten cities of viewership.

    While content is king, Qyuki believes that in the digital space technology can serve as a very successful ‘kingmaker’. Therefore it has built proprietary tools to spot and effectively market creators to their respective communities. The mix of technology, deep understanding in content, and marketing has helped win the confidence of several brands like Coca-Cola, Olx, VW, Moneycontrol and Mercedes, amongst others, to invest significantly with the company on branded content or as sponsors for Qyuki properties.

    Shekhar Kapur, Co-founder Qyuki said, “Everyone is born creative, we just forget that in our daily lives. By helping creators achieve their creative ambitions, Qyuki is fulfilling a dream I had years ago.”
    AR Rahman, Co-founder Qyuki noted “In the digital world of excessive clutter Qyuki curates and offers a platform for promising artists and improves the audience experience.”

    Speaking on the occasion Samir Bangara, Co-founder and MD, Qyuki said, “We are building a new form of a media conglomerate that can power creators with technology, production and marketing across multiple platforms and genres in order to build business models that begin on digital but spread across TV, Live and Theatrical”

  • #Qyukistars rank No.1 and 3 in Youtube’s Fastest Growing List

    #Qyukistars rank No.1 and 3 in Youtube’s Fastest Growing List

    MUMBAI: Digital Broadcast Network and Agency Qyuki, driven by a unique strategy of partnering with creators versus an aggregation or ‘owned and operated’ channel approach, recently surpassed over 5 billion views across YouTube and Facebook.

    With a creator DNA in the founding team of Shekhar Kapur and AR Rahman and digital entrepreneur Samir Bangara, the Company has created a clear leadership position in the market as a home for creators across the genres of Music, Pranks and Auto blogs while making headway in other popular genres.

    The strategy has been vindicated by YouTube’s recent list of top ten fastest growing channels in the country that ranked Qyuki partners Sanam Band (Music) and FunkYou (Pranks) No.1 and No.3 respectively. The genre based focus of the company has also helped bring on board celebrated Bollywood and indie artists like Salim-Sulaiman, Clinton Cerejo, Dhruv Ghanekar and most recently Rabbi Shergill.

    Its differentiated approach and successful track record in the space led to a recently announced partnership with YouTube to create one of the biggest digital properties in India called Jammin. Jammin will bring together some of the best Bollywood composers with the biggest YouTube stars of music. The show begins online and finishes offline with a massive live performance.

    Beyond music the Company is home to some of the biggest Prank channels, a genre that is very popular with the 13-34 millennial audiences, with FunkYou emerging as the largest prank channel in the country across Facebook and YouTube. The group of four 19 year old boys has grown 1000 times on Facebook with more than 5.6 million fans amassed over the last 10 months and a following across the world with Cairo, Metro Manila, Lahore and Karachi forming part of their top ten cities of viewership.

    While content is king, Qyuki believes that in the digital space technology can serve as a very successful ‘kingmaker’. Therefore it has built proprietary tools to spot and effectively market creators to their respective communities. The mix of technology, deep understanding in content, and marketing has helped win the confidence of several brands like Coca-Cola, Olx, VW, Moneycontrol and Mercedes, amongst others, to invest significantly with the company on branded content or as sponsors for Qyuki properties.

    Shekhar Kapur, Co-founder Qyuki said, “Everyone is born creative, we just forget that in our daily lives. By helping creators achieve their creative ambitions, Qyuki is fulfilling a dream I had years ago.”
    AR Rahman, Co-founder Qyuki noted “In the digital world of excessive clutter Qyuki curates and offers a platform for promising artists and improves the audience experience.”

    Speaking on the occasion Samir Bangara, Co-founder and MD, Qyuki said, “We are building a new form of a media conglomerate that can power creators with technology, production and marketing across multiple platforms and genres in order to build business models that begin on digital but spread across TV, Live and Theatrical”

  • Q1-2016: Facebook ad revenue up 56.8 per cent, income triples

    Q1-2016: Facebook ad revenue up 56.8 per cent, income triples

    BENGALURU: Facebook Inc., (Facebook) advertisement revenue increased 56.8 per cent year-on year (YoY)for the first quarter ended 31 March 2016 (Q1-2016, current quarter) at $5,201 million as compared to $3,317 million in Q1-2015. Advertisement revenue growth in percentage terms was led by the US and Canada (64.3 per cent growth) and the A-Pac (62 per cent growth) regions. Ad revenue share by geography in Q1-2016 was: US and Canada – 50.3 per cent); Europe – 24.4 per cent; A-Pac – 16.3 per cent), and the rest of the world (ROW) – 9 per cent.

    Facebook reported 51.9 percent growth in total revenue at $5,382 million as compared to $3,543 million in the corresponding quarter of the previous year.The social media giant’s GAAP income in Q1-2016 almost tripled (by 2.95 times) year-on-year (YoY) to $1,510 million, as compared to $512 million in Q1-2015. Non-GAAP income in the current quarter was 87.5 per cent higher YoY at $2,229 million as compared to $1,189 million.

    Growth in revenue in percentage terms was also led by growth from the US and Canada (57.6 per cent growth) and the A-Pac (59 per cent YoY growth) geographical regions. A major share of Facebook’s revenue (50.9 per cent) came from the US and Canada region, while the A-Pac regioncontributed 16 per cent to revenue in Q1-2016. Europe’s contribution to Facebook revenue was 24.3 per cent and ROW contributed 8.8 per cent in Q1-2016.

    Historical numbers suggest that Facebook’s revenue in Q1 is the lowest for the year, with revenue peaking in Q4. Hence, revenue increase for the year 2016 should be substantial, considering that the company has also launched new revenue generating products.

    “We had a great start to the year,” said Facebook founder and CEOMark Zuckerberg. “We’re focused on our 10 yearroadmap to give everyone in the world the power to share anything they want with anyone.”

    Please refer to Fig 1 for Facebook’s revenue and Fig 2 for Facebook’s advertisement revenue breakup by geography below.

    It is evident from Fig 2 below that the share of revenue from US and Canada, and A-Pac regions has been increasing, while share of revenue from Europe and ROW has been declining.

    Facebook’s daily average users (DAU) increased 16.5 per cent YoY in the current quarter to 1,090 million as compared to 936 million in Q1-2015. For the current quarter A-Pac (21.9 per cent YoY growth) and the ROW (21.9 per cent YOY growth) regions lead DAU growth in percentage terms. In Q1-2016 DAU from US and Canada grew by 16.5 per cent YoY, while Europe DAU grew 7.5 per cent YoY. Please refer to Fig 3 below.

    The proportion of people logging on to Facebook on their mobiles has grown to 90.7 per cent in the current quarter as compared to 85.3 per cent in Q1-2015 and 90 per cent in the immediate trailing quarter (Q4-2015).

    The curve B in Fig 3 below signifies the ratio of DAUs’ to Monthly Average Users (MAU), while curve A indicates the percentage of Mobile DAUs’ to DAUs’. Mobile DAU’s in Q1-2016 have increased 23.9 per cent YoY to 989 million as compared to 798 million in Q1-2015.

    ARPU

    Facebook’s worldwide average revenue per user (ARPU) in the current quarter was $3.32 in the current quarter as compared to $2.50 in Q1-2015 and $3.73 in Q4-2015. The US and Canada regions lead in terms of ARPU by far. ARPU for the US and Canada region was $12.43 in the current quarter. Corresponding numbers for other regions for Q1-2016 were Europe $3.98; A-Pac1.56; ROW $0.91.

    Facebook announcement

    Facbook has announced that its board of directors has approved a proposal to amend and restate its existing certificateof incorporation to create a new class of non-voting capital stock, known as the class C capital stock. If the proposal isapproved, Facebook intends to issue two shares of class C capital stock as a one-time stock dividend in respect of each outstanding share of its class A and class B common stock. This proposal is designed to create a capital structure thatwill, among other things, allow the company to remain focused on Zuckerberg’s long-term vision for it and to encourageZuckerberg to remain in an active leadership role at Facebook. The adoption of the proposal is subject to the approval Facebook’s stockholders at its 2016 annual meeting of stockholders to be held on June 20, 2016. The record date for thepayment of the class C stock dividend would be set by the board of directors at a later date.

  • Q1-2016: Facebook ad revenue up 56.8 per cent, income triples

    Q1-2016: Facebook ad revenue up 56.8 per cent, income triples

    BENGALURU: Facebook Inc., (Facebook) advertisement revenue increased 56.8 per cent year-on year (YoY)for the first quarter ended 31 March 2016 (Q1-2016, current quarter) at $5,201 million as compared to $3,317 million in Q1-2015. Advertisement revenue growth in percentage terms was led by the US and Canada (64.3 per cent growth) and the A-Pac (62 per cent growth) regions. Ad revenue share by geography in Q1-2016 was: US and Canada – 50.3 per cent); Europe – 24.4 per cent; A-Pac – 16.3 per cent), and the rest of the world (ROW) – 9 per cent.

    Facebook reported 51.9 percent growth in total revenue at $5,382 million as compared to $3,543 million in the corresponding quarter of the previous year.The social media giant’s GAAP income in Q1-2016 almost tripled (by 2.95 times) year-on-year (YoY) to $1,510 million, as compared to $512 million in Q1-2015. Non-GAAP income in the current quarter was 87.5 per cent higher YoY at $2,229 million as compared to $1,189 million.

    Growth in revenue in percentage terms was also led by growth from the US and Canada (57.6 per cent growth) and the A-Pac (59 per cent YoY growth) geographical regions. A major share of Facebook’s revenue (50.9 per cent) came from the US and Canada region, while the A-Pac regioncontributed 16 per cent to revenue in Q1-2016. Europe’s contribution to Facebook revenue was 24.3 per cent and ROW contributed 8.8 per cent in Q1-2016.

    Historical numbers suggest that Facebook’s revenue in Q1 is the lowest for the year, with revenue peaking in Q4. Hence, revenue increase for the year 2016 should be substantial, considering that the company has also launched new revenue generating products.

    “We had a great start to the year,” said Facebook founder and CEOMark Zuckerberg. “We’re focused on our 10 yearroadmap to give everyone in the world the power to share anything they want with anyone.”

    Please refer to Fig 1 for Facebook’s revenue and Fig 2 for Facebook’s advertisement revenue breakup by geography below.

    It is evident from Fig 2 below that the share of revenue from US and Canada, and A-Pac regions has been increasing, while share of revenue from Europe and ROW has been declining.

    Facebook’s daily average users (DAU) increased 16.5 per cent YoY in the current quarter to 1,090 million as compared to 936 million in Q1-2015. For the current quarter A-Pac (21.9 per cent YoY growth) and the ROW (21.9 per cent YOY growth) regions lead DAU growth in percentage terms. In Q1-2016 DAU from US and Canada grew by 16.5 per cent YoY, while Europe DAU grew 7.5 per cent YoY. Please refer to Fig 3 below.

    The proportion of people logging on to Facebook on their mobiles has grown to 90.7 per cent in the current quarter as compared to 85.3 per cent in Q1-2015 and 90 per cent in the immediate trailing quarter (Q4-2015).

    The curve B in Fig 3 below signifies the ratio of DAUs’ to Monthly Average Users (MAU), while curve A indicates the percentage of Mobile DAUs’ to DAUs’. Mobile DAU’s in Q1-2016 have increased 23.9 per cent YoY to 989 million as compared to 798 million in Q1-2015.

    ARPU

    Facebook’s worldwide average revenue per user (ARPU) in the current quarter was $3.32 in the current quarter as compared to $2.50 in Q1-2015 and $3.73 in Q4-2015. The US and Canada regions lead in terms of ARPU by far. ARPU for the US and Canada region was $12.43 in the current quarter. Corresponding numbers for other regions for Q1-2016 were Europe $3.98; A-Pac1.56; ROW $0.91.

    Facebook announcement

    Facbook has announced that its board of directors has approved a proposal to amend and restate its existing certificateof incorporation to create a new class of non-voting capital stock, known as the class C capital stock. If the proposal isapproved, Facebook intends to issue two shares of class C capital stock as a one-time stock dividend in respect of each outstanding share of its class A and class B common stock. This proposal is designed to create a capital structure thatwill, among other things, allow the company to remain focused on Zuckerberg’s long-term vision for it and to encourageZuckerberg to remain in an active leadership role at Facebook. The adoption of the proposal is subject to the approval Facebook’s stockholders at its 2016 annual meeting of stockholders to be held on June 20, 2016. The record date for thepayment of the class C stock dividend would be set by the board of directors at a later date.

  • ICC Worldcup T20 2016 sets new record in viewership; both traditional and digital

    ICC Worldcup T20 2016 sets new record in viewership; both traditional and digital

    MUMBAI: ICC World T20 2016 has locked a 114 percent viewership growth in India, making it one of the most successful years for the tournament, says ICC.  

    “In India alone, the India versus Pakistan encounter rated 17.3 across the Star Sports network and Doordarshan, the best rated Twenty20 match ever since the final of the World Twenty20 in 2007, reaching 83 million people. And the cumulative in-home viewership for the event in India was 730 million, an increase of 114 per cent over the previous edition,” read a statement released by International Cricket Council.

    Commenting on the unprecedented success of the ICC’s digital and broadcast activity at the ICC World Twenty20 India 2016, ICC chief executive officer David Richardson said, “It is a fact that the ICC World Twenty20 2016 engaged with fans, old and new, like never before. The dynamic and fascinating cricket on field was matched by the innovative presentation of the world feed broadcast and the efforts of our broadcast partners, which delivered record viewership numbers. “

    The tournament, won by the West Indies men’s and women’s teams, which beat England and Australia in their respective finals at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on 3 April, was the first major ICC event produced by ICC TV. That involved coverage of 48 matches across seven venues in India using 30 cameras at each venue.

    The tournament also showcased staggering figures when it comes to its digital reach with 320 million video views across ICC digital properties and social media pages alone. “During the event, 46 million people across the world engaged on Facebook, the most ever for any Twenty20 event in history, while the 85 press conferences streamed live on the ICC’s Facebook page had more than 10 million views,” ICC shared. In addition to that there were 5.75 billion impressions of Tweets related to the ICC World Twenty20, an all-time record for any cricket event. The data on the digital activities was equally stunning and it all added up to make the event a hugely successful one.

    “Our philosophy that the game is about the fans encouraged us to push digital media and broadcast boundaries at the ICC World Twenty20 India 2016 with some creative and engaging activations and innovations.And this enhancement, supplemented by the skills of the players and a highly competitive format, contributed enormously to the overall success of the tournament as we recorded unprecedented broadcast and digital figures. We are delighted with the results and look forward to continuing to develop both our digital activities and our broadcast coverage ahead of next year’s ICC Champions Trophy and the ICC Women’s World Cup, both set to be held in the United Kingdom,” Richardson concluded.

  • ICC Worldcup T20 2016 sets new record in viewership; both traditional and digital

    ICC Worldcup T20 2016 sets new record in viewership; both traditional and digital

    MUMBAI: ICC World T20 2016 has locked a 114 percent viewership growth in India, making it one of the most successful years for the tournament, says ICC.  

    “In India alone, the India versus Pakistan encounter rated 17.3 across the Star Sports network and Doordarshan, the best rated Twenty20 match ever since the final of the World Twenty20 in 2007, reaching 83 million people. And the cumulative in-home viewership for the event in India was 730 million, an increase of 114 per cent over the previous edition,” read a statement released by International Cricket Council.

    Commenting on the unprecedented success of the ICC’s digital and broadcast activity at the ICC World Twenty20 India 2016, ICC chief executive officer David Richardson said, “It is a fact that the ICC World Twenty20 2016 engaged with fans, old and new, like never before. The dynamic and fascinating cricket on field was matched by the innovative presentation of the world feed broadcast and the efforts of our broadcast partners, which delivered record viewership numbers. “

    The tournament, won by the West Indies men’s and women’s teams, which beat England and Australia in their respective finals at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on 3 April, was the first major ICC event produced by ICC TV. That involved coverage of 48 matches across seven venues in India using 30 cameras at each venue.

    The tournament also showcased staggering figures when it comes to its digital reach with 320 million video views across ICC digital properties and social media pages alone. “During the event, 46 million people across the world engaged on Facebook, the most ever for any Twenty20 event in history, while the 85 press conferences streamed live on the ICC’s Facebook page had more than 10 million views,” ICC shared. In addition to that there were 5.75 billion impressions of Tweets related to the ICC World Twenty20, an all-time record for any cricket event. The data on the digital activities was equally stunning and it all added up to make the event a hugely successful one.

    “Our philosophy that the game is about the fans encouraged us to push digital media and broadcast boundaries at the ICC World Twenty20 India 2016 with some creative and engaging activations and innovations.And this enhancement, supplemented by the skills of the players and a highly competitive format, contributed enormously to the overall success of the tournament as we recorded unprecedented broadcast and digital figures. We are delighted with the results and look forward to continuing to develop both our digital activities and our broadcast coverage ahead of next year’s ICC Champions Trophy and the ICC Women’s World Cup, both set to be held in the United Kingdom,” Richardson concluded.

  • 9XO Emoji Life launched; provides international news via emoticons

    9XO Emoji Life launched; provides international news via emoticons

    MUMBAI: 9XO, the international music channel by 9X Media, has created a unique programming segment on its channel called 9XO Emoji Life. This short format show will capture the latest buzz in International celebrity news and present it in the language used by the millenials. 

    The show will air all day long starting 15 April 2016.

    Commenting on the initiative, 9XO programming head Clyde D’Souza said,”9XO has always prided itself on helping millenials discover great music in the language they speak. Whether its Facebook reactions or Whatsapping our friends we all use Emojis to express a range of emotions. Emoji Life will bring you the hottest news of the week emoji style.”