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Tag: functions

  • Star India restructures ad sales functions

    MUMBAI: Star in its endeavour to grow its advertising revenues has decided to refurbish its ad sales functioning. The network has decided to create specific ‘client service teams’ to build and promote their brands across its entire portfolio of channels.

     

     
    The current practice follows multiple channel sales teams for a marketing campaign for every channel thereby one client having numerous touch points in the network. The new set-up will follow the network sales route, enabling Star’s top 55 clients to deal with one single client servicing team making it simpler and effective for clients.

    Interestingly, Zee’s EVP network sales (and former Star hand) Joy Chakraborthy recently changed Zee’s ad sales strategum with dedicated teams tasked with interfacing with major media buyers like Group M and Madison.

    The Star teams will look at sponsorship, product placement, branded programming, in addition to selling ad spots across the network.

    Star India COO Sameer Nair said, ”With the C&S homes in India growing at an unprecedented rate to reach 61 million now, it is important for us to work even more closely with our clients to reach this expanded audience base. By taking a more strategic approach, I believe we will be able to create new growth opportunities for both our clients and ourselves.”
     
     
    Star will also publish its rate card on the Internet from 1 July at www.star.co.in to make it more accessible to clients. Discounts will be offered to clients with volume buys and established spend patterns.

    Adds Star India EVP Ad sales Kevin Vaz, “We are excited about the new initiatives which we believe will make Star one of the easiest and most effective companies to deal with in India.”

    Under Vaz, Juhi Ravindranath will be handling the top 55 clients for the entire network. Ravindranath was earlier handling Star Plus.

    For the remaining clients, Shailesh Bijlani, who was heading Star Movies and Star World, will handle Hindi cluster while Shanti Rao who was heading Star Utsav, will head the English cluster.

    K Sriram who heads Vijay TV’s sales will continue to be the national head for all clients.

  • Intelsat creates three business units

    BERMUDA: Intelsat has announced that it has created three business units in order to sharpen focus on the data/carrier/Internet, video and government customer segments.
    An official release informs that the units represent key opportunities for growth in fixed satellite services and all are sectors in which Intelsat’s market presence is substantial. The creation of these business units will help sharpen the company’s marketing and customer service focus on these segments. It is also in alignment with senior management appointments announced last month.
    The new units will report to Intelsat president and COO Ramu Potarazu. Intelsat Video Solutions, headed by Jon Romm will streamline all video operations at Intelsat, with the goals of accelerating response times to broadcasters and other video customers while continuing to provide them with high-quality customer service.
    The new Video Solutions unit is identifying opportunities to grow Intelsat’s video business across all regions around the world and introduce the latest video products and services to customers. A dedicated Video operations centre has also been created to manage all video customer bookings, inquiries and billing.
    As president of the Data, Carrier and Internet business unit, John Stanton will concentrate on the strategic development of these key Intelsat customers, who comprise the largest customer base. The business unit will encompass Intelsat’s regional sales teams and will focus on the changing needs of telecommunications companies around the globe.
    Stanton and his global team, operating from 12 office locations around the world, will drive new solutions to current customers as well as those emerging in the marketplace.
    Intelsat Government Solutions, a wholly owned subsidiary of Intelsat USA Sales Corporation will focus on maintaining and developing government customers located in North America and Europe. Susan Miller will serve as president of this unit.
    Intelsat, which has been providing communications services to governments worldwide for decades, attributes approximately 10 per cent of its total revenue to this customer segment. Intelsat Government Solutions will continue to provide specialised and complete satellite-based solutions – bandwidth, infrastructure and networking to government agencies.
    Explaining the rationale behind the organisational restructure Potarazu was quoted as saying: “By creating these new business units with in-house expertise in key growth segments, we will continue to diversify our product offerings and expect to increase shareholder value by visualising emerging customer needs and providing solutions that meet them.”
    In order to support the three new business units, a centralised strategy, business development and global marketing group, led by Amer Khouri, VP strategy and global marketing, has been created to drive Intelsat’s corporate strategy.
    By combining Intelsat’s strategy, planning and marketing functions, the group will drive growth by focusing on new business and product development and all other elements comprising Intelsat’s “go-to-market” strategies.

  • Sales, marketing functions merged after Net advent: Ranjan Kapur

    MUMBAI: Packaged products are being marketed as services in the post Internet era! It is more about desire rather than the need factor!
    These are some of the observations made by Ogilvy & Mather vice chairman Asia Pacific and executive chairman O&M India, Ranjan Kapur at BusinessWeek’s CEO Insights series – “Deepening reform – embracing change and competing to win in global markets” – held at Mumbai’s Oberoi Hotels today.
    Brands are created in economics of plenty and the current competition era has resulted in ensuring that marketers seek the support of customers to co-create value. While addressing a session on collaborative marketing titled “How corporations and customers co-create value”, Kapur said: “The Internet has played a huge role by creating a paradigm shift in the manner in which marketing is conducted. The earlier differentiation between marketing and sales has been demolished as the Net enables marketers to reach out direcly to consumers.”
    However, Kapur also noted that the post Internet era has taken us back to the good old days when similar structures used to exist in the absence of media such as television. “Television is a one-way medium in which half is wasted and marketers don’t know which half is being wasted. The Net creates a two-way dialogue between customers and marketers,” Kapur added.
    Kapur added that TV sells products and services in a scenario which is different from the one in which marketers have created their strategies or R&D. Therefore, there is a strong possibility that TV doesn’t deliver the results foreseen by marketers.
    “Currently, packaged brands aspire to be experimental just like service brands always did. Marketers are looking out for multiple points of contact with the consumer,” Kapur said. The IT revolution has enabled the creation of e-brands which encourage instant gratification for both consumers and marketers in terms of sampling, promotion and sales, Kapur said. Also, technology and WTO (World Trade Organisation) tarriff barriers have ensured that low priced products need not necessarily be called as low quality products. The key, Kapur said, is to ensure sustainable value which can be obtained by marketers over a period of time.
    Kapur however cautioned marketers to avoid falling into the trap of mass media utilisation which prevents customisation. “It is imperative to recognise the importance of the last mile contact which has to be personalised. Take lessons from the nearby grocery store or the milkman who remembers personal details of the customer and never forgets to strike a rapport using simple tools,” Kapur added. 
    Impulse is the key driver for sales at the retail end. Referring to a recent WPP research finding, Kapur pointed out that 60 per cent of women brought more than what they planned to buy. Less than six per cent of the women stuck to the list that they made in their house before starting out on the exercise. More than 25 per cent of the women change their opinions about brands at the retail outlet.
    Having said that, Kapur said that service is the cornerstone of success. When there is a disconnect at the trade or distribution channel level, there is a huge problem which might affect the company in the long run. Value for money is a key proposition which marketers must remember at all times.