ITV

Tag: India

  • WPP’s billings up 5.2 per cent at ?21.4 billion

    WPP’s billings up 5.2 per cent at ?21.4 billion

    MUMBAI: WPP, the world’s largest advertising company, has reported a strong first-half financial performance.

    WPP declared revenue growth of 8.1 per cent in the first half (organic growth of 6.1 per cent), gaining from a robust advertising environment across the world. North American sales increased 5.4 per cent, and growth in the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India, and China) improved 15 per cent in the first half.

    The company‘s operating margins augmented to 11 per cent from 10.3 per cent in the first half of 2010, with higher profitability in all geographic regions.

    Billings were up 5.2 per cent at ?21.4 billion, while reportable
    revenue has increased by 6.1 per cent at ?4.7 billion.

    The Board of WPP announced its unaudited interim results for the six months ended 30 June 2011. “Despite recent uncertainties, these results continue the post-Lehman bounce-back seen in 2010 and the Group has now achieved levels of pro-forma revenues and profitability beyond 2008,” said an official statement.

    For the remaining 2011, the company states that slowdown in the growth rate in the United States should be compensated geographically by faster growth in the United Kingdom, Western Continental Europe, “from admittedly low levels”, and faster escalation in Asia Pacific, Latin America, Africa and the Middle East and Central and Eastern Europe.

    “Functionally, any slowdown in traditional media spending, is similarly forecast to be covered by increasing digital spending and, in our case, by continued growth in media investment management,” an official statement stated.

  • ‘We plan to list at the US stock exchange to raise funds for the league’ : EFLI CEO Richard Whelan

    ‘We plan to list at the US stock exchange to raise funds for the league’ : EFLI CEO Richard Whelan

    There is a rush among sporting bodies to follow the Indian Premier League (IPL) way to build their sport. The latest to follow this route is American football.

    The Elite Football League of India (EFLI) is making an entry with its first edition ready to kick off in November 2012 in Pune. The franchise model starts with eight teams, building up to a total of 52 by 2022 representing all Indian cities with a population in excess of one million.

    EFLI will work with the Indian government to develop the first ever governing body for the game, similar to that of the BCCI and its governance of cricket.

    Ten Sports has the rights to televise 33 games in the first season including Saturday and Sunday games as well as 13 Monday Night Football games. The league will commence its first nationally televised game beginning November 2012 and the inaugural season will run through February 2013.

    EFLI plans to list in the US stock exchange to raise funds for the league.

    In an interview with Indiantelevision.com‘s Ashwin Pinto, EFLI CEO Richard Whelan talks about the growing sports market in India.

    Excerpts:

    You have a scene where different sporting bodies are looking at leagues in India. What is the reason for this sudden push?

    India is today one of the fastest growing economies in the world. Its vast middle class population acts as the backbone of its economy. They want more than just cricket; they are today watching F1, EPL, Wimbledon and various other sporting activities. This has encouraged people to explore opportunities in the dynamic Indian sports landscape.

    When you look at the Indian sporting landscape, what is your vision for EFLI?

    Looking at the sporting scene in India today, the future for EFLI looks very bright. Games like rugby, basketball and lawn tennis have gained a strong ground in this country. Moreover, F1 and other motorsports events too are getting off the ground. The environment for sports in India is very conducive.

    Have you done any research to find out how American football is perceived in India?

    Clearly we‘ve started from scratch, and the slate couldn‘t have been any clearer for us. This has been terrific. From the early responses to our training and orientation camps, we can tell that India has a great sporting culture hitherto unknown.

    The message about the advent of American football coming to India spread virally at the ground level purely through word-of-mouth and we‘ve had a massive response with hundreds of candidates turning up for player and coach trainings. We are overwhelmed with this kind of response, and whilst we understand that we need to educate people about the sport in its entirety, the desire to want to learn is very strong.

    Indians don‘t watch much of other sports except for cricket. A few major events like the soccer World Cup get some traction primarily among males. Do you see things changing in this regard?

    We have seen some radical changes in Indian sports scenario in these recent years. As recent as two months ago, there was a report in one of the leading English Indian dailies that audience and advertising revenue are bound to multiply in the coming years and that Indians love to see American sports on television.

    It‘s fast, furious and fun to watch. They further reported that according to Tam, Indian viewers are now watching sports other than cricket. There is no doubt in our minds that the EFLI has picked the right time for its Indian touchdown. Even women are keen on watching sports!

     ‘EFLI will create legal bylaws, working with the Indian government to develop the first ever governing body for the game, similar to that of the BCCI and its governance of cricket‘

    You start with eight franchises. How will this be scaled up?

    Economically, EFLI will have an astoundingly unmatched impact on India. The league will incorporate sponsorship from around the world and provide a platform for multinational companies to reach India‘s burgeoning retail market.

    EFLI will auction eight teams internationally. An opportunity will be created within the Indian investment banking arena to offer franchise, league and team ownership to the public marketplace. India offers enormous room for growth within the industry of sport. The US sports industry is currently valued at a half trillion dollars leading the layperson to easily recognise India‘s potential to reach beyond the scope of the American precedent.

    In order to achieve this standard, India must embrace and become a country of many sports. Football will lay the foundation and open the pathway for an explosive sports and media marketplace with reverberating impact into memorabilia and second and tertiary product sales. There is no question that, on behalf of India, football will elicit interest and participation from a broad spectrum of sporting enterprises once the door has been opened.

    What are the different revenue streams available to franchises and have you spoken to any parties for feedback?

    We are still working out these details.

    On the broadcast front, have you signed a deal with anybody?

    EFLI has signed letter of intent with Ten Sports to televise 33 games in its first season including Saturday and Sunday games as well as 13 Monday Night Football games.

    The league will commence its first nationally televised game beginning November 2012 and the inaugural season will run through February 2013.

    Could you talk about how you will partner the sports ministry to set up a governing body like the BCCI?

    We have set up EFLI, the first ever American-style Football Federation in India. This allows for the non-profit entity to work directly with the central government of India for the benefit of Indian society.

    EFLI will distribute 15 per cent of its revenue to the Sports Ministry of India to help maintain many of its ongoing programmes and facilities.

    Also, the league will forge strategic alliances by offering ownership opportunities to all Indian entities; business, military, political, municipalities, private and public partnerships. The EFLI will create legal bylaws, working with the Indian government to develop the first ever governing body for the game, similar to that of the BCCI and its governance of cricket.

    Could you give us an idea of the investments being made and by when you expect the venture to be profitable?

    We plan to list EFLI at the US stock exchange to raise funds for the league. We are planning to raise around $10-12 million through this route. Americans know the growth story of India and want to invest in India.

    The sports business industry is untapped and they are very familiar with the power behind American football. Besides tapping the US stock market, we are also looking at the option of raising funds from private investors but at this point we have quite a few options. We also have private investors and potential debt investors for equity down the line.

    Is the initiative being done under the aegis of the NFL and do you have similar leagues in other markets?

    No, EFLI has no affiliation with NFL. It‘s a completely independent entity which was formed by people sharing a similar thought process.

    There are various other leagues which are present in the US today like the United Football League (UFL), or the Stars Football League which will begin from August 2011. Even Canada has its own football league called the Canadian Football League (CFL). Apart from these professional leagues, there are other various semi-pro and amateur leagues which are held in various parts of United States.

    Could you talk about the team and support staff behind the EFLI?

    EFLI‘s management is in the hands of a very dynamic and experienced team. We have Sunday Zeller, who is the founder of this exciting new initiative. She has worked as a marketing consultant in branding and positioning startup enterprises to help attract capital and attention for the past 22 years.

    Then we have Alex Emmanuel who is the co-chairman. He was the Tata group global VP for Human resources. He has also worked with MNCs like ABB / Boehringer Mannheim. I am the CEO of EFLI. I come from a stock broking background. I had a firm called Moveable Cubicle. I have been involved in many start-up or early stage private companies, many of which went on to become publicly traded.

    Mohan Bangera is our COO. Previously he was Videocon VP marketing and sales. He has been closely associated with sports since a long time. He is the Technical Council of Judo Federation of India Chairman. Bangera comes with 30 years of experience in this field as a player, coach and administrator.

    We also have a robust executive management team with specialists from various backgrounds coming on board with their expertise in specific roles such as corporate alliances, production, events, marketing and choreography among other important job functions.

    What are the different facets of the EFLI?

    EFLI will create an exclusively Indian product packaged perfectly and specifically to advantage television and media support ultimately to become the most valuable sports franchise in the world.

    Thousands of jobs will be created as a result of the immense need for coaches, athletes, trainers, referees, and support staff as well as the even greater demand for employees in the legal, maintenance, media, marketing and retail sectors.

    EFLI will strive to eventually support the highest paid athletes in all of India. Founding athletes and coaches will have an opportunity to become owners of the league. The league will recruit and train a team that will physically and strategically compete at the level of the current US teams, one day defeating the US in competitive play.

    EFLI will establish a grassroots educational project to incorporate the game of football in schools beginning at grade school level extending to universities which will feed the professional recruitment efforts. By introducing and supplying footballs and equipment along with the programme, the league will provide a much needed physical and intellectual stimulus through competitive game play to the male youth of India.

    What are logistical challenges you will face and what is the strategy to tackle this?

    Educating people about the game, providing them with the right kind of exercise and nutrition to be able to play the game in its true form will be our biggest challenge. And we are fully aware of this, and will do everything possible to make this best in sports entertainment.

    What is American football‘s USP from a viewer‘s perspective compared to other sports that Indians follow like cricket and soccer?

    Indian viewers have opened up to newer sporting events in recent years. Sports like rugby and badminton have gained momentum in the Indian sporting culture.

    The introduction of American football will be a new robust sport that Indian viewers can look forward to. It‘s a game which needs speed, strength and strategy. These traits will keep the viewers to their seats. It‘s a total entertainment for the viewers.

    In the US, American football has maintained its pinnacle in a competitive and fragmented market with the Super Bowl being the most watched event in the year. What are the learnings from this success that you would look to apply in India?

    When football took off in America in 1960, there was a population of 180 million people; India has 1.2 billion.

    America had 45 million TV households; India currently has 130 million and this is increasing exponentially.

    The economic strength of the United States was $520 billion; the economic strength of India is currently more than double at $1.2 trillion and growing at a blistering pace! India is without doubt an exceptionally fertile market for the immediate and overnight success of the game of football.

    Having said that, you have the disadvantage of a relative lack of awareness for American football compared to other sports in India. How will you work around this?

    We agree that there is lack of awareness towards American football in the county but people are willing to know about this game. There is a huge Indian population in America which follows American football. This trend has passed on to the Indian audience as well.

    EFLI believes that it will easily be able to capture the interest of the enormous population under the age of 30 which has shown proven interest in American form of sports. The EFLI will be branded as the “New and Cool” intelligent ultimate athlete gladiator sport and form of entertainment.

    We also believe that the top US companies with an international presence or those looking to grow their international presence in this enormous 1.21 billion population market will have a keen interest in attaching their brands to the “proven power” of this game. The EFLI will capitalise from the unbelievable discrepancy between the number of unpaid athletes in the country and the enormous potential of gross revenue football has proven to capture through television and electronic media broadcasting, merchandising and licensing revenue, ticket sales, and local and corporate sponsorship as well as future team franchise sales.

    We plan to establish EFLI as an educational project at the grassroots level to incorporate the game of football in schools beginning at school level extending to universities which will feed the professional recruitment efforts. By introducing and supplying footballs and equipment along with the programme, the league will provide a much needed physical and intellectual stimulus through competitive game play to the male youth of India.

    What new technologies have come in to enhance the viewing experience of American football?

    These aspects will be worked upon in close cooperation with our broadcaster partner. Needless to say we will offer our viewers a cutting-edge and technologically advanced viewing experience.

    In terms of global television viewership, how does American football compare to the NBA, soccer and tennis?

    American football has gained strong ground outside US. It‘s now a very popular sport in countries like Israel, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Germany, England, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Hungary, Norway and Spain. Ironically, these are the nations where soccer and rugby are a religion. In terms of viewership, the Super Bowl has a global audience of over two million – this is an impressive number.

    What role do new media like mobile and social networks play for American football in building brand equity?

    Mobile and social networks play a huge role in building a brand name for American football. These are the new platforms through which we can spread the word amongst the new generation.

    They are connected through Facebook and Twitter for news and information, which I guess is apt to promote the game. Besides, new media tools like electronic and fantasy gaming have already proven their ability to attract consumers and also rake in huge profitability.

  • ‘TV is the only medium that does not have geographic targeting’ : Amagi Media Labs co-founder Srinivasan K A

    ‘TV is the only medium that does not have geographic targeting’ : Amagi Media Labs co-founder Srinivasan K A

    Geographic targeting of television advertising is a business that is still in a nascent stage in India. Once adopted by various players in the television advertising chain, it has the potential to be a game-changer in the way brands and products are promoted and aired in India. 

    Bangalore headquartered Amagi Media Labs (Amagi) has the advantage of being one of the first players in this space in India. Amongst the Amagi team are investor and board member N S Raghavan, who was one of the co-founders and joint managing director at Infosys, former ZeeEntertainment Enterprises Ltd CEO Pradeep Guha and ex-CEO of Tata Sky Vikram Kaushik as advisors.

    Amongst the three founders at Amagi who run the show are Baskar S who works on strategy, investments and R&D, and Srividhya S who works on engineering and technology deployment.

    In an interview with Indiantelevision.com‘s Tarachand Wanvari, Amagi‘s third co-founder Srinivasan K A. (Srini as he is called by his friends) talks about the company‘s strategy and growth plans.

    Excerpts:

    How does Amagi tap into advertisers who look at geographic targeting?

    We at Amagi make TV advertising smarter. If you look at all the media options available to an advertiser now, except at a language level, TV is the only medium that does not have geographic targeting. We look to strike out that disadvantage for TV by bringing targeted advertising on this medium.

    By rolling out our patent-pending technology infrastructure across the country, we enable different ads to be run in different regions on the exact same ad spot. So a single 30-sec ad spot can have different creatives running in different cities across the country.

     

    So you have a business model that can assist local as well as national advertisers?

    We have two business models. The first is local ads. Purchasing power across the top 100 cities in India is growing dramatically. This has been good for a variety of regional businesses in FMCG, retail, real-estate and education catering to the local population.

    These businesses have the capacity to spend significantly in advertising to build their brand, but are limited by the absence of a viable TV advertising option.

    Advertising on satellite TV is expensive and there is a significant spillage beyond their target geography for these businesses. So a lot of them have stayed away from satellite TV, except in pockets like Chennai, where a viable local option was available.

    Amagi for the first time in the country has brought the option of advertising on satellite TV channels for a specific region at a fraction of the national price. This enables local businesses to build brands that emotionally connect with the local audience and unleashes the power of TV advertising for these businesses in the most cost-effective manner. 

    The second model is Ad Versioning. This business option is specifically targeted at large national advertisers. Ad versioning allows able to play different creatives in different parts of the country on the ad spots that they have already bought from the channel.

    One example could be an advertiser can have different creatives for the same brand in different parts of the country – one with Aamir Khan in the north and Vijay in the south, say during an ad spot in a cricket match.

    Another example could be to have different local promotions and offers on products in different regions which today are entirely done in print as TV is not isolatable by market.

    This is the Holy Grail for advertisers who want to target Internet, but want the reach of TV. Amagi‘s platform enables this for advertisers. 

    Amagi also works with TV channels and operators to enable this option for advertisers.

     

    How have the various players in the equation taken your offering – advertisers, agencies, television channels, MSOs and the cable operators?

    This is a change in the way TV advertising is currently done. Amagi is working with multiple partners in the TV ecosystem to speed up adoption – obviously, anything as dramatic as this option requires time and patience and we are seeing adoption rate accelerating now.

    We believe that this is good for advertisers and the broadcasters – as this brings more advertising monies to TV and improves productivity and effectiveness for the advertiser.

    In the US, local advertising on TV is a $5 billion business, and has been working great for the whole TV ecosystem, and we believe that we can replicate the same success here in India. Like the US, India has a vibrant local economy that has largely been underserved from media availability perspective. We are filling that gap.

    Amagi is bringing in a new set of advertisers at the local level, and a new set of product advertising from larger advertisers which never looked at TV as a viable option. We believe that this a great boon for TV channels as more advertisers and product categories would advertise on their channels, leading to higher yield and revenues. 

    Amagi partners with MSOs who for the first time have the opportunity to participate in sharing advertising revenue.

     

    What is the size of the market for your services? 

    The size of the market comes from two parts: Regional businesses which contribute 40 per cent of print advertising in the country today; and large businesses that see that Amagi platform enables their ad spends to work better and provide 20 per cent-30 per cent effective over their current ad spends. 

    With these two market opportunities combined, the potential for this capability is above Rs 50 billion by 2015. 

     

    ‘Amagi for the first time in the country has brought the option of advertising on satellite TV channels for a specific region at a fraction of the national price‘
    What is driving your growth?

    We are an ad marketplace. We connect right content with right advertisers at the local level. Our growth comes from expansion across geographies, and bringing in a portfolio of TV channels that cater to the needs of local businesses.

    We are currently in 15 cities across the country, including Mumbai and Delhi. We will be in 22 cities in the next 6 months. We believe that will give us the critical mass to bring a compelling bouquet of TV channels to local businesses; we will have established a local TV marketplace across the country.

     

    Could you tell us how your system works and the safeguards from failure and intrusion or misuse or piracy that you have in your system?

    Amagi places ad insertion systems in different cable MSO headends across the country. These systems uniquely and predictably identify the ad spot that is allocated for Amagi, and replaces them with different content in different regions.

    Amagi is a completely automated technology platform and are securely controlled and monitored from a centralised location. So essentially these ad insertion systems cannot be programmed, tampered or intruded at these headends. The only way to programme them to do their activities is from a secure Amagi control server located in Bangalore. So, essentially these boxes have no way to be tampered at the local level. 

    Amagi has been running this technology for the past two years and has done close to half a million seconds of local advertisements across multiple advertisers across the country. 

    Amagi‘s technology is one of the most advanced, robust and comprehensive technologies in the world, where this is the only system that can handle dynamic requirements of sports, news TV channels with their dynamic scheduling needs and abrupt end of ad spots during sports events. We are in discussions with broadcasters outside the country as well, as this need is universal. 

    So this is a mature system with a built-in secure work-flow that guarantees no possibility of any misuse whatsoever.

     

    How strong is competition in the space that you are in?

    Rediff is one company that started earlier than us in trying to address a similar opportunity. I cannot comment on where they are in their lifecycle.

     

    How scalable is Amagi?

    We have a scalable technology platform, large sales force across 15 cities and hundreds of installations across the country, and are exponentially increasing the number of deployments as we speak. More than 230 advertisers have advertised on our platform with close to half a million seconds of advertising. 

    We believe this the future of TV, and would be happy to see more people exploring this opportunity as it will help build a vibrant marketplace.

  • ‘Food chnnls have tremendous potential to grow’ : FoodFood COO Karthik Lakshminarayan

    ‘Food chnnls have tremendous potential to grow’ : FoodFood COO Karthik Lakshminarayan

    FoodFood, one of the three recently launched food specialty channels in India, is completing six months on 24 July. With Sanjeev Kapoor and Astro as promoters and Madhuri Dixit as the lifestyle promoter, the channel took up the challenge of growing a new genre in India.

     

    Indiantelevision.com‘s Gaurav Laghate caught up with FoodFood COO Karthik Lakshminarayan to talk about the plans ahead and the journey so far.

     

    Excerpts:

    FoodFood is completing six months of operations. Has it been a bumpy or a smooth ride for a channel that is exploring a new genre in India?
    We are on track as per our business plan. We launched in January and as we are completing our first phase, we are seeing a healthy growth in terms of ratings as well as revenues.

     

    Being a speciality channel in Hindi, our connectivity in the Hindi speaking markets is approximately 60 per cent, which is quite good. Also if you see our reach, we have a 5.7 per cent reach in C&S households, while in the core TG of Female 25+ Sec ABC, our reach is almost 9 per cent.

    Isn‘t the ratings too narrow at this stage?
    Our reach is growing and in the core TG we are in the 8-12 GRPs (gross rating points) band. We are more than double of the competition (Zee Khana Khazana and Food First) in terms of ratings as well as time spent on the channel. Our weekly average time spent is over 30 minutes per user, which is extremely healthy.

     

    So, you see, there is no immediate competition. However, having said that, we do feel there is more potential for the genre to grow. But there is no benchmark as such. If you see the US market, the food channels are doing really well, and we see similar potential here also.

    So are you planning to take the channel overseas?
    There are definitely plans to take the channel to the international markets. We have already signed carriage deals in the Middle East and will launch FoodFood there soon. We are a Hindi food channel and will cater mainly to the Indian diaspora.

    FoodFood seems to be the only channel in this genre that is spending on distribution. How big is your carriage payout?
    I do not call it spend. It is an investment me make for distributing the channel. And as far as our position on the cable platform is concerned, we try to get in the Hyper-band and we are also available on S-band in certain markets.

     

    The industry is very dynamic and one has to always fight for the right band.

     

    Having said that, we are now entering into the second phase of growth. We will step up our investments in distribution, marketing and content.
    ‘We are now entering into the second phase of growth. We will step up our investments in distribution, marketing and content. ‘

    And in content?
    When we launched the channel, the buzz generated by Bollywood actress Madhuri Dixit (lifestyle ambassador of the channel), and Sanjeev Kapoor (promoter, celebrity chef) took us to a certain level. Now with our programming, we are going to cash on it.

     

    Very soon, you will see the launch of our biggest reality show – Maha Challenge which will have both Dixit and Kapoor and their teams of women and men battling it out to answer who is the better cook – men or women. It is a battle of sexes in its true sense. The 13-part series is being produced by Fremantle India. We will launch it in September and you will see Dixit for the first time in this role on television.

     

    We will also launch another reality show Secret Recipes in which people will come with their recipes and will cook with Kapoor.

    How many advertisers do you have on board now?
    We have over a dozen advertisers right now including Amul and Samsung. Most of them are either kitchen appliances or food related clients, who get perfect exposure on FoodFood.

     

    And all these get integrated seamlessly in the shows that we air. We do not want to clutter our shows with advertisements at this time and we have only 4-5 minute ads in the half-hour slots.
  • ‘India is our largest revenue contributor’ : TSA Group CEO Marcus Luer

    ‘India is our largest revenue contributor’ : TSA Group CEO Marcus Luer

    As it plans to grow its business in India, Total Sports Asia (TSA) is looking at media formats that combine sports with lifestyle.

    Plotting an aggressive growth strategy, the sports marketing company has been able to double its India business year on year.

    The business in India has been divided into three verticals – media, licensing and events and sponsorship. Forty per cent of the business comes from media. Another 40 per cent comes from events and sponsorship, while licensing takes up the rest.

    In an interview with Indiantelevision.com‘s Ashwin Pinto, TSA Group CEO Marcus Luer talks about the challenges sports marketing companies face in Asia.

    Excerpts:

    How has the business grown over the last couple of years?
    In the TV rights and production business, we are physically involved in over 50 live events across the globe. We provide satellite and production service to our core properties in badminton, table tennis, squash and boxing. We own and sell major properties worldwide including BWF Super Series, ITTF Pro Tour and all other ITTF events, PSA Pro Tour, AIBA Boxing and the World Series of Boxing.

    So far as partnerships and sponsorships go, we work on both ends of the spectrum. We work directly with rights holders and help them find new partners in Asia, including major football clubs from Europe, F1 teams, US Open Tennis and ITTF Pro Tour.

    What challenges did the economic downturn pose for you?
    2008-09 were not “fun” years. We had invested heavily into new areas, manpower and had lost a big account. We stuck to our core principals and retooled certain areas of the business. We are on target to have our best year ever.

    As it plans to grow its business in India, Total Sports Asia (TSA) is looking at media formats that combine sports with lifestyle.

    Plotting an aggressive growth strategy, the sports marketing company has been able to double its India business year on year.

    The business in India has been divided into three verticals – media, licensing and events and sponsorship. Forty per cent of the business comes from media. Another 40 per cent comes from events and sponsorship, while licensing takes up the rest.

    In an interview with Indiantelevision.com‘s Ashwin Pinto, TSA Group CEO Marcus Luer talks about the challenges sports marketing companies face in Asia.

    Excerpts:

    How has the business grown over the last couple of years?
    In the TV rights and production business, we are physically involved in over 50 live events across the globe. We provide satellite and production service to our core properties in badminton, table tennis, squash and boxing. We own and sell major properties worldwide including BWF Super Series, ITTF Pro Tour and all other ITTF events, PSA Pro Tour, AIBA Boxing and the World Series of Boxing.

    So far as partnerships and sponsorships go, we work on both ends of the spectrum. We work directly with rights holders and help them find new partners in Asia, including major football clubs from Europe, F1 teams, US Open Tennis and ITTF Pro Tour.

    What challenges did the economic downturn pose for you?
    2008-09 were not “fun” years. We had invested heavily into new areas, manpower and had lost a big account. We stuck to our core principals and retooled certain areas of the business. We are on target to have our best year ever.

    Are things back to normal now or has the Japan earthquake set things back?
    Sports marketing in Asia has been back to normal since 2010, which was also a big Football World Cup year. I believe the industry has growth potential for the next 20-30 years. Of course, there will be course corrections based on global macro economic problems or more domestic issues in key markets which will affect everyone.

    On the other hand, sports marketing is still only a toddler in Asia and has plenty of years left before it reaches levels of maturity as seen in the US, Europe or Australia. Certain sports have already been developed like cricket in India. But even cricket has plenty of room to improve and grow. As powerful as the IPL is, it‘s not on the same level of professionalism as major football Leagues in Europe. For a still relatively new League, it has done incredibly well and has plenty of room to grow and improve.

    How has the business in India grown?
    The business from India has been doubling year on year. India has always been a very important market, even prior to 2004 when we set up our local subsidiary. Over the years, India has now grown to be the single largest country in terms of revenue contribution to the group.
    ‘We already have great scale in India and do very little in cricket. That just shows that there are plenty of other areas to concentrate on and grow the business outside cricket‘

    Given that India is a one sport country, what is the strategy to build scale here?
    We already have great scale in India and do very little in cricket. That just shows that there are plenty of other areas to concentrate on and grow the business outside cricket.

    We have divided the business into three verticals – media, events and sponsorship and licensing. We do six to seven events a year.

    How did you get involved with the Delhi Golf Club?
    The Delhi Golf Club made the most sense for us in terms of taking the rights for their calendar year and getting sponsors. We have got sponsors like Mitsubishi Motors and China Tourism. The other option is to do a one off event like everyone else. We did not want to get into a crowded space.

    How are you going to get involved with the F1 event here?
    In F1, our focus is on the teams and only occasionally we work with the local races.

    I do believe that F1 viewership and general interest in the sport will dramatically grow in India over the next three-five years. I saw it first hand in Malaysia where F1 was unknown to the general public prior to the first race in 1999; now everyone seems to be an expert. I have no doubt that F1 will have a similar success in India. It‘s an amazing product and even more exciting to watch live than on TV.

    Once Indian corporations have a chance to see the F1 spectacle live, they will get the idea pretty quickly on how to leverage the power of it in the local market and even worldwide.

    In India what work are you doing to grow soccer?
    We have worked with several clubs including Churchill Brothers to help them grow their commercial revenue streams. We had partnered with CAA to bid for the rights, which now are handled by IMG/Reliance. So we were ready to invest considerable resources into the sport, but unfortunately came up a bit short.

    We are seeing sports bodies and agencies making a bigger push in India. WWE just set up an office here. IMG Reliance is doing work to push sports. How will all this activity benefit the sports marketing environment here?
    It clearly will grow the size of the pie,,there is no doubt about it. Just like Cricket, there are several other sports which have good growth potential. It has happened all over the world and will happen here as well. Clear second tier sports will emerge and will develop their own niche and space.

    Growth will be led by new star players emerging in certain sports; the 2012 Olympics will particularly unearth new talent. Sports will be driven by corporations seeking new ways to reach consumers and being driven or prized out of cricket.

    Are you looking at the possibility of a JV in India like what IMG has done with Reliance?
    We are always open to team up with powerful partners.

    In terms of leveraging their brands, to what extent is digital becoming important for sports federations and sports marketing agencies?
    The digital world is a huge opportunity for sports in general. Niche sports can now deliver their content directly to their fan base without having to rely on the big sports platforms or channels.

    At the same time, sports is the only true “appointment TV” and, therefore, will continue to drive pay TV and other traditional media platforms as it caters to huge audiences — “live”.

    The only difference is sports, where it is all about live experience; no one will tape a crucial match of their favourite team, player or sport. People make “appointments” to watch it live; the delivery mechanism and the viewing experience might change but not the desire to see it while it unfolds. That‘s the true power of sports.

    What progress has your online streaming service Total Sports TV made since launch?
    It‘s an on-going case study into the digital world for us. We don‘t claim to have found the ultimate solution yet — but it gives us exposure into a new fast developing area and will lead to new business opportunities down the line.

    How is Total Sports Asia planning to get involved with the 2012 Olympics?
    I assume that the economic impact in Asia will be much smaller compared to 2008. We are working with several companies who are major Olympic sponsors and helping them with marketing and leveraging ideas and implementation across the region.

    I believe the London Olympics will be big in Asia, because of the host city itself. Beijing was unique in many ways and might not be topped in terms of the sheer scale and size. But I have no doubt that London will set new standards in many other ways. Overall, the Olympics will definitely grow in Asia and we will see more and more global sponsors trying to take its advantage by making it locally relevant.

    What are the new technologies coming up here that are enhancing the viewer‘s experience?
    Our racket sport production business is growing dramatically this year. We have brought in many innovative ideas such as speed guns and virtual technology to enhance the viewer experience. We are also aiming to provide fans with new data and info about their sport.

    We will continue to work with our Federations to push new technologies and ideas, while making it commercially viable at the same time.

    Sports marketing in Asia has been back to normal since 2010, which was also a big Football World Cup year. I believe the industry has growth potential for the next 20-30 years. Of course, there will be course corrections based on global macro economic problems or more domestic issues in key markets which will affect everyone.

    On the other hand, sports marketing is still only a toddler in Asia and has plenty of years left before it reaches levels of maturity as seen in the US, Europe or Australia. Certain sports have already been developed like cricket in India. But even cricket has plenty of room to improve and grow. As powerful as the IPL is, it‘s not on the same level of professionalism as major football Leagues in Europe. For a still relatively new League, it has done incredibly well and has plenty of room to grow and improve.

    How has the business in India grown?
    The business from India has been doubling year on year. India has always been a very important market, even prior to 2004 when we set up our local subsidiary. Over the years, India has now grown to be the single largest country in terms of revenue contribution to the group.
    ‘We already have great scale in India and do very little in cricket. That just shows that there are plenty of other areas to concentrate on and grow the business outside cricket‘

    Given that India is a one sport country, what is the strategy to build scale here?
    We already have great scale in India and do very little in cricket. That just shows that there are plenty of other areas to concentrate on and grow the business outside cricket.

    We have divided the business into three verticals – media, events and sponsorship and licensing. We do six to seven events a year.

    How did you get involved with the Delhi Golf Club?
    The Delhi Golf Club made the most sense for us in terms of taking the rights for their calendar year and getting sponsors. We have got sponsors like Mitsubishi Motors and China Tourism. The other option is to do a one off event like everyone else. We did not want to get into a crowded space.

    How are you going to get involved with the F1 event here?
    In F1, our focus is on the teams and only occasionally we work with the local races.

    I do believe that F1 viewership and general interest in the sport will dramatically grow in India over the next three-five years. I saw it first hand in Malaysia where F1 was unknown to the general public prior to the first race in 1999; now everyone seems to be an expert. I have no doubt that F1 will have a similar success in India. It‘s an amazing product and even more exciting to watch live than on TV.

    Once Indian corporations have a chance to see the F1 spectacle live, they will get the idea pretty quickly on how to leverage the power of it in the local market and even worldwide.

    In India what work are you doing to grow soccer?
    We have worked with several clubs including Churchill Brothers to help them grow their commercial revenue streams. We had partnered with CAA to bid for the rights, which now are handled by IMG/Reliance. So we were ready to invest considerable resources into the sport, but unfortunately came up a bit short.

    We are seeing sports bodies and agencies making a bigger push in India. WWE just set up an office here. IMG Reliance is doing work to push sports. How will all this activity benefit the sports marketing environment here?
    It clearly will grow the size of the pie,,there is no doubt about it. Just like Cricket, there are several other sports which have good growth potential. It has happened all over the world and will happen here as well. Clear second tier sports will emerge and will develop their own niche and space.

    Growth will be led by new star players emerging in certain sports; the 2012 Olympics will particularly unearth new talent. Sports will be driven by corporations seeking new ways to reach consumers and being driven or prized out of cricket.

    Are you looking at the possibility of a JV in India like what IMG has done with Reliance?
    We are always open to team up with powerful partners.

    In terms of leveraging their brands, to what extent is digital becoming important for sports federations and sports marketing agencies?
    The digital world is a huge opportunity for sports in general. Niche sports can now deliver their content directly to their fan base without having to rely on the big sports platforms or channels.

    At the same time, sports is the only true “appointment TV” and, therefore, will continue to drive pay TV and other traditional media platforms as it caters to huge audiences — “live”.

    The only difference is sports, where it is all about live experience; no one will tape a crucial match of their favourite team, player or sport. People make “appointments” to watch it live; the delivery mechanism and the viewing experience might change but not the desire to see it while it unfolds. That‘s the true power of sports.
     

    What progress has your online streaming service Total Sports TV made since launch?
    It‘s an on-going case study into the digital world for us. We don‘t claim to have found the ultimate solution yet — but it gives us exposure into a new fast developing area and will lead to new business opportunities down the line.

    How is Total Sports Asia planning to get involved with the 2012 Olympics?
    I assume that the economic impact in Asia will be much smaller compared to 2008. We are working with several companies who are major Olympic sponsors and helping them with marketing and leveraging ideas and implementation across the region.

    I believe the London Olympics will be big in Asia, because of the host city itself. Beijing was unique in many ways and might not be topped in terms of the sheer scale and size. But I have no doubt that London will set new standards in many other ways. Overall, the Olympics will definitely grow in Asia and we will see more and more global sponsors trying to take its advantage by making it locally relevant.

    What are the new technologies coming up here that are enhancing the viewer‘s experience?
    Our racket sport production business is growing dramatically this year. We have brought in many innovative ideas such as speed guns and virtual technology to enhance the viewer experience. We are also aiming to provide fans with new data and info about their sport.

    We will continue to work with our Federations to push new technologies and ideas, while making it commercially viable at the same time.

  • ‘We are now in a very strong position to overcome any new challenges in the Indian marketplace’ : WWE International executive VP Andrew

    ‘We are now in a very strong position to overcome any new challenges in the Indian marketplace’ : WWE International executive VP Andrew

     

    Earlier this year to better reflect its business, World Wrestling Entertainment rebranded as WWE. Among other things, it is looking to develop new television products including scripted, non-scripted and animated programmes as well as the launch of a new WWE Network in the next 12-18 months.

     

    Recognising the importance of India, the company this month set up an office here with Rukn Kizilbash as its head. The company has a strong association with Ten Sports and is also exploring possibilities of putting its content on regional channels.

     

    In an interview with Indiantelevision.com‘s Ashwin Pinto, WWE International executive VP Andrew Whitaker talks about the company‘s growth plans in India.

     

    Excerpts:

    You recently opened an office in Mumbai. Given that this is an important market, why did it take so long?
    India has been one of our most successful television markets for a number of years now. In line with our global strategy, since we have begun to introduce our other lines of business, the time is now right to begin building a more local presence in the market. The Mumbai office is the first step of that process.

    Could you talk about the opportunities and challenges that you will face in India?
    With our new Mumbai office and Rukn Kizilbash in place as general manager India, as well as our strong TV penetration with Ten Sports and other lines of business, we are now in a very strong position to overcome any new challenges in the marketplace.

    We have an extremely loyal and extensive fan base in India and are highly confident about the opportunities open to us in this important market.

    How have you built upon the relationship with Ten Sports?
    Ten Sports is pivotal to our success in the market. We deliver fresh original content 52 weeks of the year and are able to provide new content to meet with the growing demands in the market. The promotional strategy we deploy with Ten Sports includes implementing regular local consumer promotions and bringing WWE Superstars to market every year.

    Are you talking to regional channels regarding having your content being seen there?
    We are working with Ten Sports to see if we can make some content available on regional channels.

    Live events will play a big role in terms of growing the fan base here. What can we expect?
    We have held live events in India in the past and I think this is something we will consider for the near future.
    “We are working with Ten Sports to see if we can make some content available on regional channels”

    You now have a talent development department. Is India going to be a part of this?
    We have seen a number of non-American talent prosper within WWE, from The Great Khali to Rey Mysterio and more recently Alberto Del Rio, Sin Cara and Sheamus. In fact this year we signed a new talent from India, Jinder Mahal.

     

    This success indicates a significant appetite and opportunity for us to actively recruit international talent and it is an area we will continue to invest in across all markets, including India.

    How have you grown the studio side of the business over the past couple of years?
    From 2010 through 2012 we have a full slate of nine movies, four of which have been released so far. These are ‘Legendary‘, ‘Knucklehead‘, ‘The Chaperone‘ and ‘That‘s What I Am‘.

     

    We have successfully deployed a deal by deal model which allows us to achieve structural efficiencies per movie. This model has seen our movies released through multiple platforms around the world including theatrical, home video, pay-per-view, VOD/Pay TV and Free TV. The remaining releases for this year include ‘Inside Out‘ and ‘Family Reunion‘.

    Is there a chance of doing a film co-production in India?
    It‘s certainly something we may consider. We enjoyed a successful partnership last year with Viacom whereby one of our top WWESuperstars, The Great Khali came runner up on Bigg Boss.

     

    There are a number of parallels to be drawn between WWE and Bollywood and we see great opportunities for us in this area.

    What strategy has WWE followed to grow the brand globally over the past couple of years?
    Our global growth strategy on a market by market basis is first to bring WWE‘s television programming into the marketplace, which is usually the starting point to begin engaging fans and bringing our unique form of entertainment into people‘s homes. Once we have established a strong television audience, we then look to introduce our other multiple lines of business, from live events where fans can see our Superstars live and in person to our vast lines of consumer products, digital media and publishing.

     

    WWE is a global business, seen in more than 145 countries in 30 different languages, and key to our successful global growth is our local office presence. We have offices in Stamford, New York, Los Angeles, London, Shanghai, Singapore, Tokyo and now Mumbai, which are fundamental to our local level operations.

    Has there been any change in terms of how fans in India and globally perceive WWE?
    I think that our fans have always understood that WWE is fundamentally an entertainment business. In India our partnerships with the likes of Ten Sports, Sify and Mattel provide our fans with multiple brand touch points across TV, online and consumer products and our fans have responded well to our evolution and growth as a family-friendly integrated entertainment business.

    To what extent has the share of revenue from international markets grown? Which are the top three markets?
    When we set up our first international office in London in 2002, international revenues were worth $32 million. That figure has now grown to over $133 million.

     

    Outside of the USA and Canada, our biggest markets are the United Kingdom, Mexico and France.

    In terms of your various divisions, which has shown the healthiest growth and why?
    Internationally, our television business continues to grow and remains our most profitable division. We have also expanded our global live events business, now scheduling more than 70 international live events on an annual basis.

     

    Since 2006 international consumer products revenue has doubled, meaning that the retail brand value of WWE now exceeds $1 billion per year globally.

    In terms of the new business model, which are the key focus areas?
    There are two key components to WWE‘s recently announced brand expansion plans. First, the company will maintain a strong focus of growing its core business on a global basis and announced that Paul “Triple H” Levesque will be heading a new talent development programme.

     

    In addition, innovation will be the key to the long term growth through new consumer product launches, new television programming and international growth.

     

    The second component will be the active pursuit to acquire entertainment content companies and the outsourcing of WWE‘s core competencies – television and film production, live event production and licensing.

    What targets has WWE set for this year?
    Internationally, our focus continues to be on the Bric markets on the back of our recent TV launches with 2×2 in Russia and EI in Brazil and the growth of our already established business operations in India and China.

     

    As mentioned above, our new talent development department will be another key focus for us in 2011.

    What growth has there been in terms of doing international tours and holding ‘Raw‘ and ‘Smackdown‘ abroad?
    As I mentioned above, we operate over 70 live events internationally each year and are continuously exploring potential new live event markets. In the last five years, we have held live events in 35 different countries.

     

    To date, we have taken our Raw and SmackDown TV events that you mention to three markets outside of the USA and Canada – the UK, Japan and Italy – and in May of this year we announced that in October 2011 Mexico will become our fourth international market to host our Raw and SmackDown TV events.

    You recently rebranded as WWE. What was the aim?
    WWE is constantly evolving and this is simply the next step in that evolution to provide a ‘bigger, badder and better‘ – as we say in our advertising campaign – entertainment product for our fans.

    There has been talk about mixed martial arts and boxing now providing more competition for your viewership globally. I would appreciate your take on this?
    We don‘t view MMA or boxing as competitors for our viewership globally. Their product is completely different to WWE. Whilst they may borrow from various elements of WWE‘s production to entertain their own fans more, what they provide is a pure sporting spectacle.

     

    We view our competition as any live or televised family entertainment event.

    You have stars of the past returning briefly like Bret Hart. Is the aim to reinforce WWE‘s brand value?
    We are fortunate enough to have an extremely loyal and diverse fan base on a global basis, spanning all ages. As such, WWE has the ability to bring back stars of the past and feature them in programming from time to time, thereby creating both nostalgia and new storyline angles.

    What role is the global tie up with Mattel playing in growing your licensing and merchandising business?
    With Mattel, the number one company in toys, WWE has enjoyed impressive growth in its toy revenues. Mattel‘s distribution footprint is unrivalled.

     

    Allied to the reality of reaching more fans and customers in more countries is Mattel‘s innovation of various WWE lines.

     

    New play patterns in the action figure segment as well as bringing genuine scaling mean the current line of action figures are as accurate and detailed in their depiction of WWE Superstars than ever before.

    How are you growing the consumer products business in India?
    We have announced our appointment of the specialist licensing agency Dream Theatre to undertake the task of developing a scaled up programme of branded consumer products.

     

    Local licensees in apparel, footwear, stationery, publishing, magazines, nightwear, underwear and novelties are due to be added over the next two years to compliment the efforts of Mattel, THQ and Topps. We anticipate direct to retail tie ups and traditional licensees representing WWE‘s business as it continues its efforts to grow distribution as India‘s retail landscape continues to change and mature.

     

    Piracy is a big concern especially in markets like China. How are you tackling this issue?
    WWE is actively engaged in minimising the impact of piracy and counterfeit products on its businesses. We have a robust and mature trademarks registration and protection policy.

     

    The company takes down sites in real time that illegally stream WWE‘s PPV‘s, which otherwise represent a significant segment of annual revenue. The company also ensures that it seizes all counterfeit goods and legally challenges those companies and individuals found guilty of their manufacture and distribution.

     

    Piracy is a problem all over the world and cheats fans of genuine articles. It is a cost burden for brands and limits the investment being made in new lines for those consumers purchasing the genuine and authentic branded products. We are committed to continuing to do our utmost to protect our IP in every country.

    How is WWE expanding its presence in the digital space?
    WWE has seen 1,000 per cent growth over the last year in worldwide fans to our Facebook pages. We are currently working with Sify, our web partner in India, to create a WWE branded Facebook page with a few simple but powerful goals in mind:

    To build a direct connection with our fans in the local market, create awareness of our local site (wwe.in), encourage brand loyalty through special offers and promotions, and give fans the opportunity to connect and share their passion for our brand with other fans.

     

    Could you shed light on how social networks are changing the equation between WWE and its fans?
    The way I see it, the rapid adoption of social networks gives a large amount of power to the fan. It is less about “selling” and more about engaging with the fans. WWE is taking a more editorial rather than a promotional approach with social networks. The key is to use social networks to entertain and inform while subtly marketing to fans.

     

    Are the social networks allowing you to change course and take corrective action quicker?
    Absolutely! social media gives us immediate feedback to everything we do as a company.

     

    We have Facebook pages for many of our products from the WWE Superstars to our merchandising and the information we receive is shared directly with our creative and editorial teams. Social media feedback is key to our future initiatives.
  • ‘Like Latin America, Indian fiction can be sold around the world’ : The WIT MD Virginia Mouseler

    ‘Like Latin America, Indian fiction can be sold around the world’ : The WIT MD Virginia Mouseler

    As format shows have become globalised, India offers an interesting opportunity. The consumption of reality shows has gone up even as channels like MTV have changed their positioning.

    In fiction, India is also emerging as a powerful production force and has the potential to sell its products around the world.

    The Wit (World Information Tracking), an agency specialised in research and information on TV programmes worldwide, is looking at expanding in India.

    In an interview with Indiantelevision.com’s Ashwin Pinto, The Wit’s managing director Virginia Mouseler talks about the company’s plans and the kind of content that works globally.

    Excerpts:

    When you founded The Wit 15 years ago, what did you set out to achieve?
    We wanted to explore creativity around the world and explore new ideas. We realised that other countries had good ideas and in France nobody knew about it.

    Now formats have become globalised. They travel around the world. Earlier only game shows like Wheel of Fortune travelled. Now it is a world of formats. The same good idea that works in one country can go to another and be adapted to the local culture.

    How have you expanded?
    In the beginning, we started with eight countries like UK, the US and Germany. These are the big markets in the Western world. Now we cover 40 countries, including some smaller countries like Belgium, as they are dynamic and creative. We observe every day the new shows and
    programmes that are being launched.

    We have correspondents around the world that send us a weekly report about the new shows that are launching in that country with ratings. You can track our database if you are a subscriber. Television channels subscribe to us. They get to know about interesting ideas.

    What are the major trends that we are seeing globally?
    The most successful show is the music talent contest. Music is everywhere. You cannot have just a singer in front of an audience. There has to be a competition element. Last year the number of formats adapted globally was 10 times compared to five years back.

    People are buying more and more formats. The top formats adapted globally include Dancing With The Stars, Idol, Got Talent, X-Factor and who Wants to Be A Millionaire. Another trend is reality TV. This is everywhere. Another growing trend is factual entertainment.

    TV channels want to address serious social topics without being boring. They find a way to tackle important social issues like homelessness or being jobless or being overweight in an entertaining way. Instead of doing a documentary, they will create experimental shows where people can change their lives and change another life.

    Could you give me an example of this?
    Teenagers in the UK are difficult to handle. They do what they want. They do not go to school nor do they obey their parents. They are unruly. They are sent to another part of the world. In one example on a show called ‘World’s Strictest Parents’, two UK kids were sent to an Indian family in Rajasthan. They had to adapt to discipline. The father showed them what education means to him.

    Is the kind of content that works here different from what works abroad?
    I don’t think so. Of course, there are cultural differences. At the same time in India Big Boss has been a success as it has been everywhere. A good idea will work anywhere if it is not shocking or provocative. It should have universal and positive values.
    ‘The economic downturn has led to consolidation. Spain launched two new national channels and smaller thematic channels two years back; this year they merged. Consolidation has also taken place on the production front.‘

    How are drama and comedy faring?
    They are popular. The problem is that drama and comedy are more expensive than reality TV. Everywhere local fiction is the most popular. But some channels in the UK wanted to reduce costs due to the financial crisis. They are good at fiction and drama but it is expensive. They did more reality TV. It was not a matter of success but of cost.

    So the economic downturn impacted programme expenditure?
    Yes! The UK was hit. A lot of people lost jobs. Producers made less content due to less ad revenue. Channels decided not to buy big budget fiction. I hope that they will do it again. The crisis impacted budgets of channels. They couldn’t pay for big historical fiction.

    In Germany they decided to buy more American shows rather than produce quality local shows due to costs. Now the situation is getting better. Spain is producing good fiction but with less expensive budgets. We are also seeing more co-productions happen in Europe between countries. This allows for expensive historical series to be made. For one country to do it would be difficult. The budgets are less than what is available in the US. When there are only 50 million viewers, it is difficult to produce an expensive show.

    The other impact of the downturn is that it led to consolidation. Spain launched two new national channels and smaller thematic channels two years back. This year they merged. Economically they could not attract enough ad revenue.

    How has the production sector been affected?
    Consolidation has also taken place on the production front. Earlier there were 10 independent production houses in a country. Now most have been acquired. It is tough for independent producers as there are few independent formats. They cannot buy a format as the big production houses have the major formats. It is difficult for a new
    idea to go on air now if it was not a success elsewhere.

    Channels are afraid of making mistakes. They don’t want to take the risk of buying a new idea from an independent producer.

    Across Asia what has the scene been like?
    Fiction in Korea and Japan is a big success in terms of soaps and dramas. After that, you have music and dance. We cover those two markets in Asia. Now we are focusing on India.

    What are the plans for India?
    Until now we followed formats which were adapted from abroad to see how it was done and if it had different cultural values. We did not follow fiction as there was a lot of it. Now we see channels like MTV have interesting local reality formats developed here like Roadies.

    We will focus on this kind of creativity. We will also cover fiction shows on channels like Colors. We want to touch base with the people in these channels to understand what is important for them and their style of production. India is such a powerful production force in fiction. I think that Indian fiction can be sold around the world as has been the case with Latin America. Their telenovelas are sold globally.

    Are you setting up an office here?
    No! We have one office in Geneva. We have correspondents globally sending us reports. It could be a housewife who loves television and will tell us everyday what is going on. Local correspondents also tell us why a fiction show is successful. It could be that the host is popular or that nobody wanted to see competition. You could have a
    show that runs for three hours and which delivers good ratings.

    Only a local person can tell you why it is a success. You need background and gossip. Someone who loves television and is not judgmental makes for a good correspondent. Correspondents should be able to work with our schedule and way. They have to be people that I can trust. I have to count on them every week. In India at the moment the PR agencies of channels send us data.

    Why didn’t you focus more on India earlier?
    We focus on countries that want to export their formats. Japan and Korea are looking increasingly at exporting formats. India so far has imported formats. They did not export anything. Now local concepts are being created here that are worth exporting. Important people in television and media read the Wit. It is an advertising platform for channels.
    We are seeing many foreign companies like CBS and RTL in Germany coming in now and tying up with Indian media companies. How do you see this impacting the content landscape?
    They will try to widen their own sales catalogue and adapt it to the local market. It is good for viewers as they have more choice. RTL and CBS want to have more space to sell but they have to be an Indian channel first of all if they hope to succeed. RTL has been in Greece recently and they have to adapt to the Greek market. They have to develop local fiction with local producers.
    What challenges are content producers and distributors facing as they try to hold on to audiences?
    The most threatened are the bigger channels. In the US for instance, the big networks have lost their audiences a lot over the past five years due to newer cable channels that drew young viewers. Specialty channels came in that targeted young women.

    What they have to do is create new channels themselves that are niche. The needs of people are becoming more specific. If you like golf, you want a channel for it.
    What impact is new media having on time spent on traditional television?
    Statistics show that people watch more television. New media is another platform. It is a new possibility to watch television. The challenge is to do good stories, ideas. Young people can connect to Twitter and Facebook. This is why the industry is developing connected television. They can attract young viewers on the TV and use what they like on their computer. Channels are working with technology companies.

    Is research more important today in an increasingly fragmented television environment?
    Television is a cultural product. When you see a TV show, you want to see something that reflects your society. You want to find yourself or your neighbour. Television is an image of society. You have to look at social and cultural influences to do a good TV show.
     

    But did the downturn impact channel budgets on research?
    We are a research tool. We did not lose any subscribers. We are a necessary luxury as channels need to know what is happening in other markets. We do social research to watch the social images of other countries through television. Television teaches you about the social worlds in other countries.

    The youth is probably the most difficult demographic to capture. They also migrate across platforms. What can media companies do to hold their attention better?
    Channels spoke about multiplatform formats last year. I think though that just going multiplatform does not make a show. It has to be an interesting story, a good topic something that touches the life of a youth.

    The youth might want to interact with and control content. However this is only an additional tool. The core is to have a show that meets the youth’s issues in an innovative way. It could be in fiction, reality. One show that has worked is Young Dumb and Living Off Mum. It airs in the UK on the BBC and focuses on making youngsters who have been lazy more responsible. But it is done in an entertaining way.

    The series follows a group of youth who‘ve waited on hand and foot their whole lives. The series sees them living together in a house and fending for themselves. Each week they must compete against each other in tough work challenges set by their parents, designed to encourage them to become more independent. After each assignment, their parents meet to watch the footage of the task and decide who, based on behaviour and performance, should be eliminated from the competition.At the end of the series, the winner will receive a round-the-world trip for two people.

    In what way has the youth perception and expectations from television changed over the past five years in India and globally?
    The youth want to watch television everywhere. Earlier the family gathered at a certain time. That has changed. The youth want to watch it anytime and anywhere and enter it anytime. You cannot tell them that a show starts at 8 pm. They want to control television and not be in control of it.

    What are the mistakes that television channels catering to the youth should avoid?
    It should avoid giving them lessons. It should not talk down to them. Television is not a tool of power. Broadcasters should realise this. Television is a consumption good. Television should understand that it has to be attractive and at the same time offer flexibility. It should not be a big brother. The youth want information in an entertaining way.

    What lessons have come from shows that have worked for youth?
    Youth needs guidance and coaching. This is why there are so many coaching shows for the youth. Guidance can be given but not through lessons. It should be done through experiments like involving somebody’s life being changed for the better.

    The youth also want avenues that allow them the possibility show their talents. That is why talent shows are popular. However everything does not have to be about being a star. There are talent shows for ordinary jobs like a butcher, nurse. Television has to offer experiments on different worlds.

    What about content targeted towards women?
    There is an interesting show in the US that has been adapted in many European countries called ‘The Real Housewives of’. They follow real housewives from a neighbourhood. You can enjoy watching the life of a real housewife. It is not necessarily about the successful woman professionally. She can be middle class or upper class. You can see her daily life. The ideas came from the fiction show Desperate Housewives.

    Another interesting thing is that shows that only targeted women earlier are also hooking on men. For instance, cooking shows are very successful. Here you have Masterchef India. This genre also targets men. Men and women compete to cook the best meal and welcome guests. Japan loves this genre. But what is interesting is that countries like France and Italy which are famous for food have less cooking shows.

    In terms of television consumption patterns, what differences are there globally?
    What we have seen is that it is often linked to when people have dinner. So in the UK the news is at 7 pm, in Germany it is at 8 pm and in Spain it is at 10 pm. In the UK the average length of a show is half an hour. In Italy it is three hours.

    In the first 20 minutes, the host is greeting the audience and saying nice things. In the UK it would be over. In Turkey, a fiction show is four hours. Turkish people like watching TV, going to eat and going back to watch the show.

    Are any genres becoming more popular?
    Hidden camera shows are making a comeback on television globally. This would work well in India. These shows have a lot of comedy. Big global events are becoming stronger drivers for channels like a world cup.
     

    In India we are seeing a trend where music channels to capture youth have moved away from music and doing different shows. Is this something being seen globally as well?
    Yes! They realised that they needed an identity. Music video clips can be found in many places. MTV realised that they had to be something else than just a music channel. When MTV started, it was the only place where you could find music clips. That is not the case now. They needed a clear personality. The music channels realised that they need to have a face, a real identity.

  • ‘Break-even year for first eight IPL teams” : GroupM ESP managing partner Hiren Pandit

    ‘Break-even year for first eight IPL teams” : GroupM ESP managing partner Hiren Pandit

    The Indian Premier League (IPL) has seen an erosion in brand value due to governance issues. Two franchises got termination notice from India‘s cricket board but are still alive in IPL 4.0 as the court has come to their rescue.

    In an interview with Indiantelevision.com‘s Ashwin Pinto, GroupM ESP managing partner Hiren Pandit talks about how the IPL can still be a revenue earner for the franchises as new advertisers take to the sport.

    Excerpts:

    Will there be revenue pressure for the IPL franchisees to break even now that two teams have been added?
    The first eight teams that came in have done well for themselves – and will continue to do so. They will operationally break-even this year.

    The two new franchises, however, will have to have a serious ace up their sleeves to achieve their numbers. It is a tight situation and will take at least eight to nine years for them to break-even.

    Is it a good time for a franchise to sell a stake?
    At any point in time, people will be in the market trying to find the value that they can get. The question is whether they need the money or if they can hang on. Now a lot of feelers have been in the market. Kings XI Punjab was nearly sold at one of time, but then issues came out.

    Deccan Chargers were in the market after the first year, but now they have Saina Nehwal with them. They seem to have a sports strategy in place. They are trying to have a play in sports by building sporting properties and icons.

    What about Sahara?
    Sahara picked up Pune and it could be related to Amby Valley. They might try to make each property feed of each other. Otherwise, they should have chosen Lucknow. Obviously, the play goes beyond owning a cricket team. It makes sense for them to leverage the IPL across other properties.

    Can Kochi run a smooth ship given that there are so many owners?
    My first take has been that the strength of a team is as good or bad as the strength of a franchise. If the people who are there cannot run and act like a team, then the players will not fare well. This could be an internal problem and if they have resolved it then good for them. Team owners buy a team and give to a professional body or a professional set of people to run.

    They are responsible to deliver for the team. In Kochi‘s case it is the team owners who are trying to run it. The scary part here is that the glamour element that is so huge and you can‘t hobnob with the team. If this is not managed properly, then it can become a problem. I have a feeling that Kochi still has to get its act together.

    They came into the market with serious sponsorship numbers which they are not getting. This is going to have an impact on their cash flows.

    How has off-the-field controversies impacted the IPL?
    The off-the-field activities affected the IPL itself. It impacted when the auction was held. All this is behind us. However, certain issues will have to be addressed after IPL 4 is over. It is not that the off-the-field issues have disappeared; it is just that they are on the backburner.

    With India lifting the World Cup, what viewership gains do you expect?
    IPL should get a boost from the World Cup. Viewers will want to see more of the Indian players. But I don‘t see a dramatic change in viewership. Keep in mind the fact that team compositions have changed drastically – except for Mumbai and Chennai.

    How is GroupM ESP involved with the IPL this time around?
    Maxus is the agency of IPL. In the first year, we did the deal with Citibank, which continues this year. GroupM ESP has got in Volkswagen as car partner for the IPL.

    We also went outside GroupM and did deals with outside clients who wanted to be associated with the IPL franchises. It could be awareness tracks, helping a client taking on competition or helping them form an association. We have also done licensing and merchandising deals that help the brand.
    ‘The Champions Twenty20 League is a great initiative that happened may be a little too early. It will become serious five years from now. But I am not so sure if it will be as big as the IPL‘

    What growth in revenue will franchises see this time around?
    Two new teams coming in means that the central kitty will be distributed among eight to 10 teams. The franchises will see growth from stadium income.

    Some franchises went to the market with high sponsorship price points. They then had to reduce their prices. Good marketing and good performances have helped.

    Mumbai and Chennai have done well and will see substantial revenue growth. Then you have Kolkata and Delhi in the middle. I have a feeling that Pune will pull through while Kerala will struggle.

    In terms of ticket revenues, the Wankhede Stadium will make a big difference to Mumbai. It is in the heart of the city. It is also possible that Mumbai will make more money on licensing and merchandising than any other team.

    The key to success is to reduce the heavy dependence on the central pool. Do you this happening this year?
    While some franchises may manage to up their local revenues, the Central pool may stay stagnant. But Chennai and Mumbai, and perhaps Kolkata, may manage to change the percentage ratio between central and local revenue in favour of the latter.

    The World Cup meant that franchises could not carry out activation with sponsors in the lead up to the IPL. What has been the impact?
    Every sponsor was aware of this problem. But if sponsors are smart enough, they will look at it from the longevity point of view so that they can build an association. Some companies like Luminous are doing activities. It is a tight situation, though, with players not being available. Sponsors will do such things during the IPL.

    Also, with the team structure changing, the task of building a fan base becomes that much more harder. Chennai and Mumbai are, of course, better positioned to strengthen their existing fan base.

    Rajasthan brought in Floriana which is a company that has never advertised in cricket. Are we going to see more of new advertisers taking to the sport?
    You will see a lot of newcomers as there is a churn happening. Some sponsors got in due to the glamour of the IPL without understanding what their objectives were; their relationship with the franchise owner may not have been good.

    In years four and five, you will see this settling down. Sponsors now have a clearer idea of what they want; franchises also realise that you cannot have a revolving door policy where you take money and not do anything.

    Which brands have done a good job?
    Nokia and Aircel are some of the companies that have stayed on with the franchise. Vodafone has benefited with the Zoozoos as its idea. Those sponsors who only looked at it as a piece of real estate for a logo are the ones who got screwed.
     

    Will we see more advertisers this year?
    The number of advertising opportunities on clothing will stay the same. This year, though, we will see advertisers coming in as partners and doing on-ground activation. An entrepreneur in a city like Hyderabad could decide to open two restaurants and bars named after the Deccan Chargers. The logo part is static, but the number of partners can increase.

    You will see more people moving in to the licensing and merchandising space. The franchises also have to look at this more seriously. At the same time, it is a slow burner.

    Wearing the team colour is the starting point; you will see clothes, watches, etc. But a pub or a shop like what Manchester United has is still a long way off. However, licensing and merchandising will still be a small part of a team‘s revenue.

    Two more teams mean more ad clutter. Is this going to be a major challenge for brands?
    Clutter was there with eight teams. Anybody who wants to break this, must do something different.

    Of all the brands that were associated with the ICC World Cup, the one that stands out is Pepsi. The whole creative concept that they did like the ‘helicopter shot‘ gave it a different flavour. The viewers saw something different, which stood out.
     

    Some feel that having two groups was the BCCI‘s way of trying to solve a problem of 10 teams. Do you agree?
    This is a format issue. You would have had 94 games. This is a lot of games. I remember traveling the first year with the Deccan Chargers. I wasn‘t even playing, but I was still tired. If you expect people to play so many games, it is unfair.

    The BCCI has tried to fit things in the best possible manner. They will review the current situation. But the window available is 45 days; this is not going to increase.
     

    What we have seen so far over three years is loyalty to the IPL and not so much for teams. Will this situation change this year?
    This has changed. In the Mumbai versus Chennai match, the yellow and blue colours were very dominant. People were talking about teams. This time it might get affected due to a new team structure. But over a period of time, the relationship will build. Team loyalty should grow for certain franchises.
     

    Some franchises were thinking of forming alliances with clubs globally. Will this concept work?
    It is great to have a relationship. The question is what is that relationship built on? Rajasthan went abroad to play matches in the first year. It cannot just be a piece of paper, though; both parties must benefit. How many franchises have built a school to develop cricket and build a base that will feed into their team? These things need to happen. Just tying up with a foreign club is not the solution. Not enough has been done during the ‘off season‘. At the same time, money must make money.
     

    Can the Champions Twenty20 League be declared a dud?
    It is a great initiative that happened may be a little too early. It will become serious five years from now. But I am not so sure if the Champions Twenty20 League will be as big as the IPL.

  • ‘India is among CNN’s top 3 markets in Asia Pacific’ : CNN International VP ad sales news William Hsu

    ‘India is among CNN’s top 3 markets in Asia Pacific’ : CNN International VP ad sales news William Hsu

    CNN is banking on India to boost its ad revenue this year as the international news outfit hunts for fast-growing economies in a downturn environment.

     

    CNN expects a 10 per cent growth from the Asia Pacific region. India, away from recession, will grow the fastest this year as the news network plans to tap into more clients. .The target is to keep posting 20 per cent growth over the next couple of years as Indian companies go global.

     

    The recession has affected CNN the least as it tweaked its strategy. The news network built a 360 degree solution around TV and the Internet. The focus on digital, which makes up 20 per cent of CNN‘s revenues, also helped CNN to combat the global downturn.

     

    CNN is growing its India content. Eye On India is ready for launch and CNN is dedicating a lot of its daily news output towards Indian business, which will be aired across the world.

     

    In an interview with Indiantelevision.com‘s Ashwin Pinto, CNN International VP ad sales news William Hsu talks about how the global news network has insulated itself from recession and how it plans to grow its business in India.

     

     

    Excerpts:

    Which are the key markets for CNN and how has the Asia Pacific region been faring for the global news network?
    CNN has grown in the region and 30 per cent of its revenue is coming from the Asia Pacific region, up from 25 per cent three years back.

     

    The top three markets are Korea, Southeast Asia and India. Over the past decade, CNN has been growing at about 11 per cent compounded a year.

     

    The recession has affected us the least. We had a good digital product; and we deal with government entities – whether it is investment or tourism. Governments actually spend more money during a recession to stimulate growth.

    So what targets have been set for the year?
    We expect 10 per cent growth from the Asia Pacific region. India will grow the fastest this year in terms of revenue and getting in more clients. We expect 20 per cent growth from India over the next couple of years, up from 17 per cent.

     

    North Asia‘s contribution in terms of Korea, China, Taiwan and Hong Kong will still be the most.

    CNN International has seen profit growth for the past seven quarters. What factors have contributed towards this?
    We have a strong distribution revenue stream. This insulates us in terms of a recession. Another driver has been new media. Internet advertising has grown quite a lot.

     

    One of the biggest opportunities is our CNN branded portfolio. You might think of us as a TV channel; I think of CNN as being a news provider. We have a TV channel. And we have the largest news site in the world. We have just launched a series of mobile products starting with the iphone, ipad and Android 3.0 in the US. There is an opportunity to build the 360 degree solution. The challenge is how fast advertisers will embrace this.

    But did you have to tweak your strategy during the downturn?
    One of the things we did was that we anticipated the recession before it happened. Throughout 2007, we expected something to happen without knowing when. This allowed us to tweak our strategy. We approached more governments. We built up a 360 degree solution around TV and the Internet.

    How has CNN been able to broad base its revenue stream as it is key for any broadcaster to survive in a difficult global economy?
    From a product base, I just mentioned three of them – and they are all growing. Internet and mobile are experiencing fast growth, which is good. Incidentally, new media contributes 20 per cent of CNN‘s revenues.
    ‘The Asia Pacific region accounts for 30 per cent of CNN’s revenues, up from 25 per cent three years back. CNN expects to post a 10 per cent growth from the region, with India growing the fastest‘

    Does that give you an advantage in India?
    In terms of an advertiser base, we are focusing on Asian companies that are expanding internationally. Suzlon is an example. We are also looking to work with Just Dial which has just launched in the US. Essar is another company that is expanding its global footprint. We are tapping a wave of Indian companies that are going overseas.

    Even global clients are increasingly preferring local news channels. Does this pose a challenge to CNN?
    No! We deal with corporate branding; our clients are high end corporates.

     

    If you look at the type of advertising on news channels here, I don‘t think that a company like Rolex would want to advertise in that environment. The quality is dodgy. A Rolex watch will cost as much as a car here. Would they be in an exclusive group with CNN International or would they rather be with the mass targeted brands?

     

    There is a certain purity that CNN International offers. My TG is that top three per cent of India‘s population. They are internationally focused; they are very well traveled; they do business overseas frequently. I tell clients that this is my profile. Which channel do you think this TG is watching in India?

    News channels in India are struggling as the ad pie is not growing against the backdrop of Hindi general entertainment channels (GECs) and sports. How do you see things shaping up here?
    I don‘t look at the general news channels as competitors. The market is totally saturated; there should be consolidation. In any case, sport is the most attractive genre on cable TV anywhere in the world.

     

    Our focus rests on international advertising. I bring a platform to an Indian company which is looking to promote itself overseas. We have around 20 Indian advertisers with us. And we aim to grow this.

    Have the ad categories grown for CNN over the last couple of years beyond just tourism?
    Travel covers airlines and hotels, but we have gone much beyond that. We have clients like Rolex, Nokia and Longines. We have quite a few companies from the Middle East. Banks also advertise on CNN.

     

    Our USP is that we are pervasive. We are on Internet devices, television homes and hotels. Many news channels may have a strong distribution. But how many of them also have a strong website? How many can rank No. 1 on ipad downloads? We are in a good position.

    So you approach advertisers across platforms?
    Yes! One of the benefits is that it allows an advertiser to constantly engage with the consumer. In the morning, the consumers drive to office. In the office, they use the Internet. During the tea break, they use their mobile phones. Then when they go back home and watch us on TV. We follow the consumers everywhere.

    Could you give me examples of integrated solutions?
    Cartier advertises with us on the net and the TV. They were the first advertisers on the ipad.

    What work has CNN done online?
    We have invested in social media. For any story, you have five different social media links which you can send to a friend. You can also follow a report on Twitter. We push citizen journalism through i-report. This has been integrated into television news.

     

    A great example of that is Iran. The student protests happened six months ago. The government sealed all access to Iran for journalists. What we did was have citizens do filming and reporting for us.

     

    On a platform basis, we invest heavily on the mobile. We have CNN mobile Web which allows you to surf a mobile version of CNN. Then we have iphone, ipad apps and Android. That is where our consumers are digitally. The itunes interface is its own marketing platform.

    What is the strategy in terms of lifestyle content?
    A typical news consumption pattern is that you watch half an hour to an hour of news and then you are done for the day. The lifestyle content is designed to keep you watching for up to an extra hour by having content that is designed for an international businessperson. He/she would be interested in Golf, sport, design. I categorise this as news and information.

     

    Eco Solutions, which is about environment, has done well. CNN Go is a travel lifestyle programme sponsored by Korean Airlines. We, in fact, have diversified our news programmes. We have a show called Backstory in the morning. What we have found out is that people do not only want news headlines; they want to understand what is happening behind the scenes.

     

    On I-report we have found a way to take content that people send and create a news show around it. It is a different way of portraying the news. This is not just feature programmes.

    How did the idea of CNNGo come about?
    One thing that is common about upscale business people is that they are well traveled. They have a desire to know unique things about countries. Travel is one of the most interesting things for them. This is what CNN Go is about. It offers you insights on things to see, do and buy. There isn‘t a travel programme quite like it. There is a site as well that is quirky and interesting.

     

    The site is about six countries being featured including India. On television, one country and a different city is featured every month. Online, we have Citibank as a sponsor. For television, it is Korean Airlines.
    How are you growing your India content?
    Eye On India is coming up and we are promoting it. We are dedicating a lot of our daily news output towards Indian business, which will be aired across the world. We have, for instance, filmed the Birla Group.
    What role has Eye on India played to boost your perception here?
    It does generate a lot of interest. We are promoting it through the press. We are using outdoor hoardings – we have a big presence in the international Airports of Mumbai and Delhi. We are also using social media.
    Al Jazeera is looking at India with content focused here. Your views on this in terms of the impact it will have on the existing global players?
    We welcome competition; it keeps us on our toes. They have a good product, which is undeniable. But we are the No. 1 news network across the region. We aim to keep it that way.
    You recently announced sponsorship of the ISPS Handa Senior World Championship. How many events does CN sponsor and what role does it play in building brand awareness?
    Sports content is popular on CNN. We have Living Golf. Sports is an important platform. We sponsor five to 10 events a year.
    Organisations trimmed costs in the global recessionary environment. What did CNN do?
    We did not have any salary freeze and we did not layoff anybody. Being a part of Time Warner, we are always cost conscious. During the downturn, we actually invested more in our newsgathering operations. We boosted our staff and added more bureaus.
  • ‘Our aim is to see that India is a top 5 market for us in 2 years’ : Sony chairman, CEO and president Sir Howard

    ‘Our aim is to see that India is a top 5 market for us in 2 years’ : Sony chairman, CEO and president Sir Howard

     

    Sony Corporation expects India to be among its top five markets by sales in the next two years.

     

    Betting big on 3D, Sony chairman, CEO and president Sir Howard Stringer is targeting 30 per cent of its India sales to come from 3D products by 2012.

     

    The first non-Japanese head of Sony feels that the company needs to improve its broadcasting business in India and build synergies across all its verticals.

     

    Stringer was in Mumbai to inaugurate Sony Media Technology Centre (SMTC) in association with Whistling Woods International (WWI), Indiantelevision.com‘s Ashwin Pinto unravels Stringer‘s plans in India.

     

    Excerpts:

    India only forms three per cent of Sony‘s global sales of around $88 billion. How do you explain this, given the large consumer base here?
    While this is true, our aim is to see that India is a top five market for us in the next two years. Year on year we have experienced a 50 per cent growth in turnover. Our commitment is to establish a strong brand here.

     

    We were not quick to come here with all the facets of our business. Twelve years back, India was not a focus market for us. You have to remember that our television sets have premium margins; they are expensive.

     

    Now as India‘s economy has grown, Indian consumers are getting aspirational for our products. You can only be as big as the market is. We expect solid growth in the coming four years.

    Is it fair to say then that India has become very important for Sony?
    Yes! When it comes to entertainment, we love India. We are trying to cash in on our success. We are the No. 1 consumer electronics brand here.

     

    On the television front, we do the IPL. Our film studio has had great success here. Everything that we do works here. The size of the Indian film industry is why India is so important. We have a good relationship here.

     

    A few years back, we started building infrastructure for 3D; digital cinema has helped us grow here and in other markets. Being in this industry is like no other. This is a wonderful business to be in.

    Are you confident that 3D will penetrate here?
    Yes! India will adopt 3D faster due to the size and scale of the film industry. People said that I should not tie my career in with 3D. However, I have never doubted this medium. 3D is not about special effects; it is about capturing the reality around us.

     

    Avatar focused a lot on special effects and the story was secondary. That is why I think that it lost the Best Picture Oscar.

     

    However now what you are seeing is that the technology is being integrated with the storyline. On television, it will be a feature but not everything needs to be in 3D. For instance, you would not want to see Gadaffi in 3D. We have a channel 3D Net. Sony Pictures Imageworks made Alice In Wonderland. 3D is an art form. Sony is home to engineers and film directors working on this technology.

    From a revenue standpoint, what difference is 3D making to Sony?
    It is becoming an important avenue with home video sales declining. You can charge a premium on tickets. Of course, there are films that are not good and so 3D will not work there. However if the product is good, then it offers a premium.

    What content is coming from Sony in 3D?
    The Smurfs is coming in 3D. Spiderman 4 is currently being shot. We are present across the spectrum of 3D. Last year, Hollywood made 40 films in 3D. By 2013, you will see 120 films using this technology. 3D is actually growing faster than HD.
    ‘We were not quick to come to India with all the facets of our business. Now as India‘s economy has grown, Indian consumers are getting aspirational for our products. You can only be as big as the market is. We expect solid growth in the coming four years‘

    What is the size of the 3D market?
    In India, we have a 60 per cent share of 3D related products. Sony‘s target is that 30 per cent of India sales will come from 3D products by 2012.

     

    We launched 3D LCDs last year in India. More 3D capable products will be launched by us, one after the other.

     

    Globally, we are targeting sales of more than $12 billion for the current fiscal from 3D products. This includes consumer and professional products and games.

    There has been criticism that the 3D experience at home is not good. Your views?
    I do not agree. With high quality glasses, 3D becomes a riveting experience. We haven‘t had complaints about our products. The problem, though, is there is a lack of awareness about 3D.

     

    I have seen stores abroad where 3D TV sets are on display, but the glasses are not offered. So the picture is fuzzy and unclear. We test our 3D by seeing how many consumers can view it at a time. 3D is not a fad. At the moment you cannot view 3D glassless, but it will come in at some point in time.

    How did the collaboration with Whistling Woods International come about?
    Through the new initiative, we can learn from each other. This was not a hard choice. We have been impressed by their staff and use of technology.

     

    Whistling Woods International is a mirror of the American Film Institute (AFI), of which I am the chairman. We have a film studio and Whistling Woods International is a great school. We want to create a new world of Indian filmmaking.

     

    The Sony Media Technology Centre (SMTC) is the result of an on-going conversation. It is one of just three facilities we have globally. The others are in Hollywood and in the UK.

     

    The facility will provide a forum for us to offer our latest high definition and 3D technologies. We will be able to share Sony‘s expertise in 3D content creation with aspiring filmmakers and industry professionals. We aim to enhance and develop India‘s entertainment industry by popularising HD and 3D content creation.

    SMTC continues an effort started a year back with the opening of the first Sony 3D Technology Centre in Los Angeles where over a 1000 industry professionals have visited and trained to date.

     

    What is the investment being made here?
    We are investing $4.5 million in this centre. Sony has installed HD and 3D content creation and digital cinema projection equipment in Whistling Woods International. Sony will also provide its knowhow in HD content creation from acquisition to post -production of content. The 3D market will grow and we know that creation of high quality 3D content is essential to this growth.

     

    As a filmmaker ,you have to know what you are doing all the time. That is because your work is out there for everybody to see. India produces more films than any country. Your films are seen in 80-90 countries globally. As you migrate towards the latest technologies and go digital, the Indian film industry will be able to go global. Digital allows you to be both national and international.

    As a filmmaker ,you have to know what you are doing all the time. That is because your work is out there for everybody to see. India produces more films than any country. Your films are seen in 80-90 countries globally. As you migrate towards the latest technologies and go digital, the Indian film industry will be able to go global. Digital allows you to be both national and international.

    SMTC continues an effort started a year back with the opening ofustry professionals have visited and trained to date.

    What is the investment being made here?
    We are investing $4.5 million in this centre. Sony has installed HD and 3D content creation and digital cinema projection equipment in Whistling Woods International. Sony will also provide its knowhow in HD content creation from acquisition to post -production of content. The 3D market will grow and we know that creation of high quality 3D content is essential to this growth.

     

    As a filmmaker ,you have to know what you are doing all the time. That is because your work is out there for everybody to see. India produces more films than any country. Your films are seen in 80-90 countries globally. As you migrate towards the latest technologies and go digital, the Indian film industry will be able to go global. Digital allows you to be both national and international.