ITV

Tag: HT

  • Freedom of expression, personalised reach attracting mainstream journos to digital platforms

    Freedom of expression, personalised reach attracting mainstream journos to digital platforms

    NEW DELHI: The competition between traditional v/s digital is only deepening with each passing day, in every field imaginable. From education to shopping, to marketing, the digital options have been gaining far more traction and popularity than traditional modes and news has not been an exception. Internet, as a medium of self-expression, has been lauded for its democratic opportunities and creative freedom, and over the past few years, we have not just seen a fine breed of digital-first natives growing in the news space, but have also witnessed a number of executives from traditional mediums shifting their bases there. 

    According to former Network18 executive editor Bhupendra Chaubey, who is now hosting his own YouTube show Talk To Bhupen, digital is a far more personal medium which offers great freedom, both logistical and content-wise and hence preferred. “Television broadcasting is getting irrelevant despite the viewership going up because TV news is not discharging its responsibility properly. Also, the basics like data crunching, information gathering, etc, are primarily being done by the digital medium.”

    Editorji Technologies founder Vikram Chandra, who had been with NDTV for decades, adds that digital news was already getting a lot of traction and Covid2019 has acted as an inflexion point. “The whole (news) industry is changing and in the post-Covid2019 world, digital is the future. I will say digital has already become the preferred source of news watching for a big chunk of the population.”

    Former Mirror Now executive director-turned- independent journalist Faye D’Souza had shared with Indiantelevision.com in an earlier interview that the erosion of credibility of mainstream media has led people to look outside for news that’s “not adulterated by any sort of compulsion.” She had added,  “if mainstream media was able to hold its audience, it wouldn’t be looking for information in independent digital sources.”

    Barkha Dutt, who is currently on-ground to cover the Covid2019 crisis with her digital platform MoJo had tweeted sometime back that technology has set journalists of today free. 

    Founder and editor-in-chief of GoNews, India’s first app-based TV News Channel, Pankaj Pachauri shares that even investors are more interested in digital entities today. He tells us, “There has been no significant investment increase for mainstream media in the last decade while digital aggregating platforms for news have attracted a high level of interest from investors. The future belongs to the digital genre as smartphone penetration increases and the digital news footprint becomes larger than satellite TV news.”

    He, however, believes that there is “no apparent competition” between TV and digital as a news medium but digital is getting better at sharing news. “Satellite TV news has taken a different character over the years and is now mostly talk shows and live studio-based broadcasts. Digital, on the other hand, is still sticking to storytelling by video. Most satellite channels also have their sizable digital presence, but they are force-fitting TV content on digital formats which is a difficult task. Only a few have been able to do it successfully. They use digital or social media platforms as promotional arms while digital companies are producing content which is digital specific. So, the two are quite different in approach and execution.” 

    Pachauri further states, “A big difference between mainstream TV and digital is that we are able to adhere to our own editorial judgement instead of being led by ratings or populist market sentiment. We can also take our own time in cross-checking facts of a story and guard against fake news as we do not have unnecessary deadline pressures. That’s what differentiates our content from mainstream media and is appreciated by our viewers and readers. This also helps in branding the final product.”

    While all of them are working on a different content strategy, there is one similarity that is quite evident — they want unbiased, fact-checked and difficult news to reach their viewers. 

    Pachauri shares, “As a general news genre broadcaster and publisher our endeavour is to provide news and information for our viewers and readers speedily and factually. But our effort is to give them more news about education, health, employment, agriculture and connectivity which are vastly ignored by mainstream media.” 

    Chandra tells us, “We primarily view ourselves as a tech company that develops technology, which can help in delivering news in a differentiated manner.” 

    Chaubey, who is now planning to develop his talk show into a marketable content property and generate more such products, says going ahead, he wants the identity of his platform to be that of a tech-based news company that does earnest scrutiny of data and brings out issues, which mainstream media would not. 

    Both Chandra and Chaubey feel that more than viewership, what matters is the accessibility of the news to those who need to see it. 

    Chaubey quips enthusiastically, “Currently, I get around four million views on my videos and I want it to reach 10 million in the future. But, keeping that aside, my aim is that if there are even 20 thousand or 30 thousand people in this country who are not aligned with any political party and need unbiased information, they matter to me. My news should reach them. ” 

    Chandra’s mode of working is heavily reliant on AI-based execution, where he delivers personalised bulletins to his viewers. He, along with his team of 50-60 people, is creating more than 150 videos a day and pushing it via their app based on intricate data-based planning.

    Another stark similarity between their modes of working is their association with technology partners and third-party apps. 

    Chaubey tells us that he is in advanced-level talks with several OTT platforms and TV news channels to push his content. “I also have strategic partners with the biggest digital distributors including Business World, Daily Hunt and Twitter who host my programmes. Twitter, in fact, has white-labelled my content, which means my videos do not appear as links but are hosted directly on its platform.” 

    Pachauri highlights, “GoNews has had inquiries from top media conglomerates for collaborations, partnerships and investments but we have been waiting for the right time and scale to find a partner. Even now, we are in talks with investors who see potential in digital media news.” 

    Chandra is also working in close collaboration with Hindustan Times and Airtel to push his content. He is also providing news via Alexa. 

    When it comes to technology, all of them have invested in high-end shooting and editing suites and swear by their MacBooks for facilitating ease of working. While Chandra has curated technologies to create personalised AI-based newscasts, he has put money in professional editing suites for ease and accuracy of work. 

    Pachauri shares, “GoNews has been successfully able to converge satellite TV technology with digital technology as our product can be uplinked on any satellite channel digitally for broadcast. We have tried and tested this technology during the last general elections with APN news for its prime time broadcast. The entire GoNews office uses Apple’s Mac as we found it to be very good for video production. We use Final Cut Pro and Adobe professional series for fast video turnarounds and use Wirecast for live-streaming every day to our app and website.” 

  • The Social Street beefs up leadership team

    The Social Street beefs up leadership team

    MUMBAI:The Social Street is making significant investments in its senior leadership team. The agency has roped in Shonali Sharmaa as the managing partner for the experiential business vertical and Shilov Mani as the senior vice president in planning. Both the senior executives will report to Mandeep Malhotra and will be based in Mumbai.

    The Social Street CEO and founding partner Mandeep Malhotra said, “Both of them come with exceptional capabilities and inherent understanding of brands, markets and consumers.”

    Sharmaa added, “We have heard it for years; collaborate, work together, integrate. Yet, we still seem to push our clients agenda, be it in digital, activation, retail, OOH, et al in silos. My aim is to have ‘One seamless thought process across media’ to make The Social Street the most effective marketing communications agency.”

    Mani said, “What drew me to The Social Street was Pratap and Mandeep’s vision to build a future-ready agency.”

    Sharmaa has 15 years of experience in experiential marketing. She has worked with agencies like Ogilvy, Bates, among others, as an integrated marketing specialist and has built the requisite skill set and experience to lead from strength to strength. She has serviced clients in telecom (Idea, Vodafone, Motorola, Samsung), FMCG (Pepsi, Cadbury’s) and Media (National Geographic, Discovery Networks).

    In his 16 years of work-experience, Mani has spent five years in supply chain management, working with Mahindra and Total Fina Elf, before joining Ogilvy & Mather handling media buying, planning and client servicing. He moved to the DDB Mudra Group to handle their OOH, activation, events and retail executions. Mani has won numerous awards at MAA, PMAA, Abbies, Effies, Emvies, OAC and WoW. He has worked with clients such as HUL, HSBC, HT, Ashok Leyland, ITC, Uninor, HCC, Idea, among others.

  • The Social Street beefs up leadership team

    The Social Street beefs up leadership team

    MUMBAI:The Social Street is making significant investments in its senior leadership team. The agency has roped in Shonali Sharmaa as the managing partner for the experiential business vertical and Shilov Mani as the senior vice president in planning. Both the senior executives will report to Mandeep Malhotra and will be based in Mumbai.

    The Social Street CEO and founding partner Mandeep Malhotra said, “Both of them come with exceptional capabilities and inherent understanding of brands, markets and consumers.”

    Sharmaa added, “We have heard it for years; collaborate, work together, integrate. Yet, we still seem to push our clients agenda, be it in digital, activation, retail, OOH, et al in silos. My aim is to have ‘One seamless thought process across media’ to make The Social Street the most effective marketing communications agency.”

    Mani said, “What drew me to The Social Street was Pratap and Mandeep’s vision to build a future-ready agency.”

    Sharmaa has 15 years of experience in experiential marketing. She has worked with agencies like Ogilvy, Bates, among others, as an integrated marketing specialist and has built the requisite skill set and experience to lead from strength to strength. She has serviced clients in telecom (Idea, Vodafone, Motorola, Samsung), FMCG (Pepsi, Cadbury’s) and Media (National Geographic, Discovery Networks).

    In his 16 years of work-experience, Mani has spent five years in supply chain management, working with Mahindra and Total Fina Elf, before joining Ogilvy & Mather handling media buying, planning and client servicing. He moved to the DDB Mudra Group to handle their OOH, activation, events and retail executions. Mani has won numerous awards at MAA, PMAA, Abbies, Effies, Emvies, OAC and WoW. He has worked with clients such as HUL, HSBC, HT, Ashok Leyland, ITC, Uninor, HCC, Idea, among others.

  • Cheil Worldwide SW Asia appoints Saurabh Mathur as senior VP

    MUMBAI: Cheil Worldwide SW Asia has brought on board Saurabh Mathur as senior vice president – client servicing as part of the agency’s strategy of building a strong integrated local team. He will be leading Cheil India’s client servicing team and working closely with Cheil Worldwide SW Asia president and head of regional headquarters John Koo.

    Before joining Cheil, Mathur was with Dentsu, where he led the agency’s efforts on all key businesses including Aircel’s Wifi and 3G campaigns, Panasonic business and launch of the Ingersoll Rand group in India.

    Koo said, “Cheil’s SW Asia’s operations are growing at an extraordinary pace. Saurabh’s rich experience and stellar track record makes him ideal to lead the client servicing team. He is highly energetic and is well aligned with the agency vision and philosophy Cheil India to manage the growing business.”

    Mathur said, “Cheil is leading the change with its new model of communication that is holistic in its approach and with a greater degree of integration across disciplines. This represents a great opportunity and I believe it is the right time for me to be at Cheil and drive the change.”

    Mathur has 20 years experience in advertising and has worked with ad agencies like JWT, Contract and Grey. Prior to joining Dentsu, Mathur was at Contract where he was involved with brands like DelMonte in India besides leading the communication efforts for Dabur’s Hair Care and Glucose businesses, Spice Group’s mobile handsets and retail business. At Grey, he launched Suzuki Motorcycles and Ebony Gautier apart from handling other businesses like Wrigley-JoyCo, India Today group, Ranbaxy, Haier, Genpact and Halonix. During his eight-year stint at JWT, he worked on some iconic brands like Pepsico’s Kurkure, Nestle’s Maggi, Reebok, HT, ITC Hotels, Swatch Group and Hero Honda.

  • Barney brings smile to kids and new business opp

    Barney brings smile to kids and new business opp

    MUMBAI: If you forget for a while this is business, just think: two dozen hardened scribes armed with tough questions laughed in glee and clapped heartily… Barney & Friends are here, for the first time in India.

    There is business, of course, but the short sneak peek for the media saw what Kavita Bedi said come true. Barney does indeed touch the child in everyone of us. Bedi’s company Just Because It’s Children has brought the world famous show to India.

    The huge Tyrannosaurus rex and his two friends danced and sang with amazing agility, despite their fluffy costumes, and gave a preview of the pure, innocent entertainment that is now a billion dollar industry the world over, as Nik Larkin, officially designated Chief Dreamer at MEI Entertainment of Australia (MEIEA) told indiantelevision.com after the press preview.

    The show is to be held at the Siri Fort Auditorium on 17 and 18 February, and Bedi was forthcoming: “I need the media’s help to make this programme a success.”

    Bedi told this correspondent that as a marketing person, she feels there is a huge business in this sector of live edutainment, where entertainment is not just educative but has parental approval as well. “We shall talk money if this programme is successful. Let’s see,” she said.

    Part of this business outlook was evident with sponsors ranging from Lilliput, Sunfest Pasta Treat, HT I Love Delhi, Hotel Intercontinental, Eros, Whirlpool, LIC, Berger Kidz, Singapore Airlines and others.

    Tickets range from Rs 1,500 down to Rs 300, “so that a wide range of children and their parents will be able to see the show,” Bedi says. But she added that 50 disadvantaged children – to be selected by the various NGOs her company works with – will be given free tickets.

    This show is the outcome of an exclusive tie-up between JBC and MEIEA, which is the official licensee of Barney Big Funtime, along with Turner International’s kids channel Pogo.

    Monica Tata, Turner vice president, advertising sales and networks (India and South Asia) said that this is a big business but did not want to talk about any new business model.

    Asked whether there seems to be a new business direction emerging at Turner’s with two programmes with outside companies and NGOs coming in rapid succession (Turner is also promoting the Galli Galli Sim Sim kids programmes to be taken to slums through TV on push carts), she said: “There is no business model. Galli Galli is a different project with a different philosophy and aim… this programme is different.”

    She explained that this is in keeping with Turner’s policy of staying ahead in the business of kids entertainment. “We had introduced Barney and Friends to India in 2004, in our pre-school block, Tiny TV. Likewise, it was natural for us to pioneer this kind of stage shows for children and we are the media partners in the project.”

    Bedi admitted that this is a hugely costly project. Apart from the cost of bringing in the team, there was research. She said her company is trying to bring in something radically new in children’s education and entertainment.

    Asked why she thought children here would relate to things so distinctly foreign, she said that she had followed the programme elsewhere as part of her research, and “whether they are Malaysians or Chinese, children have accepted this as their programme,” she averred.

    But she would not disclose the cost, and though the programme has several sponsors at various levels, she did not want to discuss business issues.

    MEI has been working in the field of edutainment for the past 20 years and have created some major live family entertainment programmes in Australia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan and the Middle East.

    Currently it is doing these live character shows using licensed characters from major entertainment property owners, such as Cartoon Network, HIT Entertainment, and others, and some of their programmes – whether originally created by them or licensed – have played in other languages like Mandarin, Cantonese and Arabic.

    Barney, a character created in 1987 by Sheryl Leach, has already won the BEANIE License of the Year in 1993, from the International Licensing Industry Merchandisers Association, and played live at Bill Clinton’s inauguration as US president.

     

  • Former Disney boss Eisner enunciates ‘box’ theory at HT summit

    Former Disney boss Eisner enunciates ‘box’ theory at HT summit

    MUMBAI: The success is all in a box. The financial box coupled with micro-management is the key to the success of any enterprise, says Michael Eisner, who used to head US media conglomerate Walt Disney.
    Speaking at the ongoing Hindustan Times Leadership Summit, Eisner complimented India on its success and traced its cultural heritage as a reflection of its potential.

    Speaking about the glorious story of Walt Disney drawn from the concept of ‘Inside Box’, he pointed to the success that creativity could bring to any business. He also highlighted the need to learn lessons fast and to evolve to succeed rather than being bogged down by them.

    “We faced resistance when we entered France and were pelted with eggs. In India we did not get that reception. The Indian film industry is a success story, so I do not wish to suggest how it has to develop. But then we have developed the model that has had tremendous success” said Eisner.

    Stressing on the importance of weaving creativity around the financial box, he said, “Creativity is essential to any industry, not just animation. Creativity has to have a symbiotic relationship with financial aspects.”

    Eisner also pointed out that using the benefits of micro management, Disney achieved success. “We never lost a dime on a single movie, thanks to the financial box. Creativity can flourish within financial limits. It really works,” said Eisner.

    He explained that Disney, which was also involved in other activities, the financial box system had been deployed to achieve maximum benefits.

    Quality, creative products and the ability to bond with the customers was the mantra that Disney adopted in every toy, movie, hotel room, ashtray, Broadway, credit card etc. “Each of it is a dot that symbolises the Disney brand. The brand friendly initiative is also reflected in our hotel initiative (32 hotels) and each hotel is a financial box. We used whimsical icons to bring in creativity. In Star Cruise — it was a floating box –creativity was witnessed in gambling that was introduced,” said Eisner.

    Highlighting the importance of internet, Eisner said, “The world has become a single dot. Time, money or language, internet has impacted every part of the entertainment industry. With a video and internet one can be creative. Internet is the next platform for the entertainment industry. Fantastic things with tremendous potential are possible with internet.”

    “Think inside the box, micro-manage it and have a good time. That is what it takes to become a financial success,” was the mantra of Eisner.