ITV

Tag: game

  • Videocon Telecom ropes in Gauahar Khan as brand ambassador

    Videocon Telecom ropes in Gauahar Khan as brand ambassador

    NEW DELHI: Even as Videocon Telecom plans to spend ten per cent of its gross revenue on brand and communication this year, the company has brought on board actor and model Gauahar Khan as its new brand ambassador

     

    With Khan as the new face of the brand, the telco intends to connect with forward-looking, modern youth segment and extend its presence in the market. The company is also gearing up for its 4G rollout and is eyeing a pan India presence.

     

    According to the company, Khan’s popularity and youth appeal will complement Videocon Telecom, which engages consumers via its innovative telecom services.

     

    Khan made her Bollywood debut in 2009 with Rocket Singh, Salesman of the Year, followed by Game, and Ishqzaade. She also made her debut in a Punjabi film Oh Yaara Ainvayi Ainvayi Lut Gaya this year. Khan also made her presence felt on the small screen with her TV show Khan Sisters in 2011, and was also crowned the winner of the seventh season of the reality show Bigg Boss.

     

    Videocon Telecom will leverage the association with Khan through various mediums including TV commercials, OOH, press ads and digital marketing.

     

    Given its regional presence, the telco has been limiting its presence on television, but now with options being available on geo targeting on TV channels including Star and Sony, Videocon Telecom plans to leverage the option.

     

    Videocon Telecom director and CEO Arvind Bali said, “Change is always good and refreshing and brings in vibrancy in the environment. We are pleased to add the noted celebrity, Gauahar Khan into our Videocon family. Gauahar signifies a positive vibrancy, bold attitude, sense of dedication and reflects our brand spirit- young, vibrant, and cool. She represents the youth of today who are independent, expressive, confident, and carefree and brand conscious. Going apt with the same, this association has been established to connect with the youth consumers at ground level.”

     

    “The choice of bringing Gauahar on board was no brainer as she is a self-made youth icon with huge fan following in India and across the continent. She is a fantastic artist and we seek to use her charisma extensively in our forthcoming marketing initiatives, wherein she will be seen prominently across television commercials, newspapers advertisements, digital medium, billboards, retail front displays, and on-ground activities of the brand. We are confident that this association will go a long way in improving Videocon Telecom’s brand awareness and consideration,” he added.

     

    Khan said, “Videocon Telecom is so young and vibrant with its approach that I can actually relate myself to the brand. Owing to its wide reach and consumer- friendly services, I did not have second thoughts in associating myself with Videocon Telecom. With this association, I see myself connecting with millions of consumers of the brand.”

  • Have talent, will become animation hub

    Have talent, will become animation hub

    MUMBAI: The state-wide agitation over Telangana notwithstanding, the Andhra Pradesh government is pulling out all stops to make Hyderabad a media, animation and gaming hub.

     

    And not without reason, for, of the approximately $70 billion worth global animation industry, India’s contribution is around $ 900 million, with Hyderabad alone accounting for nearly $ 550 million.

    The Rs 350-crore GAME City project is in the last leg of finalising tenders, informs Madani

     

    So, after sponsoring the participation of Hyderabad-based animation companies at the recently concluded MIPCOM 2013, Information Technology and Communications Department deputy director (promotion) Syed Shawket Hussain Madani also made a pitch about how Hyderabad has a large talent pool that just needs the right push.

     

    Enlisting the challenges facing the animation industry, Madani said: “Infrastructure, which is dedicated to the media pool, is one challenge. The second important thing is to nurture the talent pool that specialises in 2D and 3D. The third challenge is to make gaming a part of the curriculum while the fourth is the policies relating to the animation industry,” and added that the AP government is coming up with a Gaming Animation Media Entertainment (GAME) City to tackle these obstacles.

     

    About the Rs 350-crore GAME City project funded by the state government, Madani informed: “We are in fact in the last leg of finalising tenders, which will be out by this month end.”

     

    Spanning more than 38 acre, GAME City will have an incubation space constructed over 8 lakh sq ft and various other facilities including a sound and acoustic studio, auditorium and shade studio. “We will give free bandwidth to the occupants for the first three years. Also considering that the software required for making animation series is expensive, the government has decided to buy the software and load it on the common server, which can be used by various companies located within GAME City,” said Madani.

     

    With plans to complete the 27,000 square feet incubation centre in the next two months, “Tenders for this are already out,” said Madani. The AP government is looking at big names to be part of the GAME City project. “Though Electronic Arts and Walt Disney already have their presence in Hyderabad, we want more such names to be part of this GAME city,” he said.

     

    As part of the larger project, a delegation was recently formed, comprising members from the AP government, industry and associations as well as architects and teachers from various institutes. “The team went to Dubai, Manchester, Amsterdam and South Korea to understand the needs of the animation industry and ensure that GAME City is well equipped,” said Madani.

     

    Additionally, the government is in the process of holding meetings with BBC and Al Jazeera among a host of other channels to set up businesses in Hyderabad. “We are negotiating with the University of Manchester for its specific programme that promotes animation in 2D and 3D. We have already signed a memorandum of understanding with Netherlands to set up an educational joint venture for making available its educational content to universities in Hyderabad,” informed Madani.

     

    Not only Hyderabad’s animation industry but also the work force stands to gain from these measures, which are expected to generate jobs for nearly 40,000 people. “This GAME city will complement the existing media and entertainment industry of Hyderabad,” concluded Madani.

     

    This is all very well but naysayers peg the fortunes (or otherwise) of the project on the upcoming elections. “The project sounds interesting and will be helpful to us. But, everything depends on the upcoming elections. If there is change in power, I am unsure if the project will see the light of the day,” said a Hyderabad-based CEO of an animation company who did not wish to be named.

  • DD launches new family game show

    DD launches new family game show

    MUMBAI:  DD National will soon be airing a new show. It is a game show christened Family No 1: Rahein Saath, Khelein Saath (Stay Together, Play Together) and will only have family members as contestants.  The show aims to bring the families together to have good times together and have fun.

    The format of the show is very simple wherein the games played will be as easy as breaking matkas while blindfolded, finding coins from cake with your hands tied and so on. Every episode has two contestants (families) playing against each other. The innovative and interesting games will be played in four rounds. In the first round one member from each team will participate, second round will involve two members from each team, third round will have three members from each team and fourth round will be open.

    The ultimate winner will get a Family Car, first runner up will get a trip to Disneyland and the second runner up will get a bike. Episodic winners will get a full year supply of Pepsodent. The show is sponsored by the toothpaste brand.

    The show will be hosted by the stand-up comedian Rajiv Thakur of Comedy Circus and The Great Indian Laughter Challenge fame and Sa Re Ga Ma L’il Champs anchor Afshaa Musani.

    It is directed by Gajendra Singh and produced by Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni Saa Productions. Singh is the pioneer of the music reality shows in India and has given super hit shows such as Antakshari, Sa Re Ga Ma, Voice Of India, Music Ka Maha Muqabla, Sur Kshetra among many others.
    The show will be aired from 5 October 2013 every Saturday and Sunday from 8.30 pm to 9.30 pm.

  • WPP acquires eCommerce digital agency Salmon

    WPP acquires eCommerce digital agency Salmon

    MUMBAI: Global media communications company WPP has acquired 100 per cent of Okam Limited, the holding company of the UK-based digital agency Salmon Group.

    Salmon has expertise in technical and business areas and provides digital consulting, design, delivery and support services to leading retail, wholesale and manufacturing brands including Akzo Nobel, Argos, Game, Halfords, Kiddicare, Morrisons, Selfridges and Premier Farnell.

    The acquisition reflects the increasing importance of eCommerce to retailers, manufacturers and brand owners in both business-to-consumer and business-to-business markets. eCommerce sales in the UK are growing at 10 per cent per annum and account for all the growth in retail sales. Salmon will be in a position to partner with the rest of WPP to broaden its offer and develop its business internationally.

    Salmon has a worldwide workforce of 420 people with offices in the UK, in China and in Australia. Salmon will continue to operate as an independent and stand-alone brand within WPP and be led by CEO Neil Stewart.

    Stewart said, “With increased client exposure and access to new geographies, our partnership with WPP will help fuel the next stage of our evolution into a global full-service digital delivery agency. We are delighted to be able to do this whilst preserving Salmon‘s independent culture and maintaining our focus on serving our clients.”

    WPP CEO Sir Martin Sorrell said “The application of technology to marketing continues to accelerate, not least in the retail market and success requires close collaboration between our clients‘ marketing and sales organisations and their IT organisation. Close collaboration between Salmon and WPP‘s other agencies will allow WPP to bring clients a tightly-integrated solution across both marketing and technology and help both the CMO and CIO deliver customer-centric multi-channel solutions – yet another example of where CMO and CIO have to work together.”

    Salmon‘s consolidated unaudited revenues for the year ended 31 October 2012 were ?34.3 million, with gross assets of ?11.3 million.

    WPP‘s digital revenues (including associates) are budgeted to exceed $6 billion in 2013, over 33 per cent of the group‘s total revenues, which in 2011 totalled $16 billion. WPP has set a target of 35-40 per cent of revenue to be derived from digital in the next five years.