Mumbai: The National Association of Television Program Executives (Natpe) has announced its plan to restructure its business affairs with the Bankruptcy Court under Chapter 11 of the bankruptcy code. It said, “Like many other professional organisations, Natpe has been adversely impacted by the Covid pandemic, which prevented us from holding events, which typically generate significant revenue. Natpe was forced to operate on its financial reserves, which now required it to reorganise its business structure.”
“Natpe is looking at all possible options to restructure, including raising funds through strategic alliances and continuing to operate Natpe as a more streamlined and reorganised operation. For almost 60 years, Natpe has been the leading global professional association for content producers, distributors, developers, streamers, and buyers across all distribution platforms. Natpe is optimistic that it will emerge from the reorganisation process in the same position,” it said.
The emergence of new Covid-19 strains at a time when infections were at their maximum led to Natpe being compelled to postpone its main conference and market activities in 2021 and 2022.
In response to one of the largest rises in Covid infections, Natpe decided to cancel the in-person conference scheduled for January 2022 in Miami, Florida. Next year it will host an event in the Bahamas from 18-20 January instead of in Miami. It aims to return to Budapest in the summer.
Los Angeles: As the credits roll on 2021 and the curtain prepares to rise on 2022, we’ve put together a few previews of entertainment trends to look forward to in the coming year and beyond. The convergence of new technologies, increasing domination of smart devices like smartphones and smart TVs, 5G internet, the growing demand for streaming content combined with the omnipresent Covid lockdowns have been the driving forces behind these trends.
OTT STREAMING SERVICES
The global over-the-top (OTT) streaming industry is booming. According to a report published by Research Dive, the OTT market is expected to generate a revenue of $438.5 billion by 2026, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 19.1 per cent. The outbreak of Covid-19 has contributed to this growth, however, leading players are focusing on developing strategies to bolster growth in a post-pandemic market. Netflix leads the pack of providers with 35 per cent of the global OTT streaming market share followed by Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+, Prime Video, and HBO Max.
SOCIAL VIDEO
By 2022, it is estimated that online videos will make up more than 82 per cent of internet traffic. These clips may be short, only 30 seconds or so long, but the ones that go viral have been viewed over a million times. Social media platforms such as Facebook and YouTube have been trying to retain the social video throne but rising star TikTok is working hard to overthrow them benefitting from Gen-Z users during the Covid lockdowns. Growth has also been seen on Instagram which has been putting a heavy focus on optimising users’ video experience. Likewise, LinkedIn users are increasingly preferring video content over other types of posts. Twitter, Snapchat, and Vimeo are also seeing a significant uptick in video content. However, no matter which platforms are able to increase their share of users, one thing is for sure: social videos are here to stay.
CLOUD GAMING
The ability to play the best video games out there without the need for a console has now become a reality and has pushed this industry forward. There are estimated to be about 3.2 billion gamers in the world and very few have the hardware required to play the latest, most demanding games. Cloud gaming solves this problem by streaming video game content from remote servers to your device. The range of video games is extensive from casino to adventure. Major offerings include Nvidia’s GeForce Now, Google’s Stadia, Sony’s PlayStation Now, and Xbox’s Project xCloud. It’s new and evolving technology but a growing trend to watch for in 2022. According to a report published by Allied Market Research, the global cloud gaming market generated $244.8 million in 2020 and is expected to reach $21.95 billion by 2030, seeing a CAGR of 57.2 per cent from 2021 to 2030.
PODCASTS
The number of people listening to podcasts in 2022 is expected to grow to 164 million and that’s just in the US alone. Podcasts have taken off and are no longer considered a hobby but a legitimate business model with new opportunities for brands and businesses. In a world where influencers are kings and people trust them more than traditional outlets, podcasts have been an effective way for their hosts to grow their influence and share their niche viewpoints and knowledge on specific topics. In addition, with increasing tolerance for advertising – a recent survey by Nielsen found 78 per cent of listeners don’t mind sponsorship ads – podcast ad revenue is expected to grow to $1.33 billion in 2022. Now, big-name companies like 20th Century Fox and Spotify are jumping onto the podcast bandwagon, backing and developing content and, in the process, increasing the production quality and value.
GAME STREAMING
Game streaming has been around since the early 2000s but now is gaining traction. It involves the streaming of video games where people broadcast themselves playing games to a live audience online. Professional streamers often combine high-level play and entertaining commentary and earn income from sponsors, subscriptions, ad revenue, and donations. Game streaming became popular on the US-based site Twitch before growing to other sites particularly in China.
In 2014, Twitch was acquired by Amazon and since then it has experienced explosive growth. In Q1 2020 alone, Twitch had more than three billion hours watched, 100 million hours streamed, and an average of 1.4 million concurrent viewers, firmly cementing it as the number one platform for game streaming worldwide.
THE KOREAN WAVE
The Korean Wave or “Hallyu” refers to the rise in South Korea’s growing international popularity for its culture encompassing dance, music, TV dramas, movies, food, and more. In 2012, the music video for “Gangnam Style” by recording artist PSY was one of the first Korean hits to go global, became the first YouTube video to reach one billion views, and spun off an international dance craze. K-Pop bands exploded onto the music scene in the early 2000s and currently boy band, BTS is South Korea’s biggest cultural currency whose sales rival big names like Ariana Grande, Taylor Swift, and Billie Eilish.
In 2020, South Korea’s black comedy thriller, ‘Parasite’, written and directed by Bong Joon-ho, won a leading four awards at the 92nd Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best International Feature Film, becoming the first non-English language film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture.
Now, this September, ‘Squid Game’, the South Korean survival drama series quietly premiered on Netflix and then took off like a rocket ship. With more fans coming on board every day, Bloomberg has reported that the show will bring in $900 million for Netflix (it was produced for 21.4 million). The Korean Wave is going strong and worldwide fans are enjoying the ride.
It will be interesting to see how some of these trends fare in a post-pandemic world but, at least for now, we have come to value these forms of entertainment just as the devices we access them from – our mobile phones, smart devices, laptops, and PCs.
KERALA: At a time when the entire nation is facing the wrath of the Covid-19 pandemic, logistics company Blue Dart has been working round the clock to ensure supply chain continuity. With the #WeMoveSoYourWorldCanMove campaign, the brand ensured quick delivery amid the pandemic scare and ensured that the shipments are moving in perfect conditions.
Indiantelevision.com’s Nirmal Narayanan spoke to Blue Dart CMO and head-business development Ketan Kulkarni to know more about the company’s operations during the pandemic times, and understand how it pivoted during the pandemic to ensure supply chain continuity across the country.
Edited excerpts:
On navigating the Covid pandemic.
The logistics sector is crucial for the business continuity of all industries. It is seldom in the spotlight, but it received due credit for the work done during the pandemic. The resilience of the sector was tested given the restrictions imposed on the mobility of any sort. With the ensuing lockdowns and the fear of contagion rampant, people became increasingly reliant on online services that delivered shipments to and picked up shipments from the customer’s doorstep. This heightened trend, spotted across customer demographics, was enabled by an agile logistics sector.
Blue Dart stepped into action the minute the lockdown was announced, gearing up with its business contingency and continuity plan (BCCP) to aid customers in their time of need. Initially transporting only essentials, we worked with vigour and determination like never before to fulfil our role as the trade facilitator to the nation and continued to do so as the economy ‘unlocked’. We leveraged the power of technology to continue to deliver the premium service quality associated with Blue Dart.
On the challenges faced to deliver shipments on time.
Transport restrictions on the ground put a spoke in our wheel. However, our market differentiating air express service won the day, as we leveraged our Boeing 757-200 freighters to transport essentials across the country as well as to our neighbours internationally as part of the government’s Lifeline Udan initiative. We pioneered the Contact-Less Delivery service that eliminated contact by allowing access to over 14 digital wallets, netbanking, credit and debit cards, UPI, and BHIM. The pandemic helped us understand the resilience of Blue Dart. The success mantra we followed was to tackle challenges head-on with an ‘improvise – adapt – overcome’ perspective and it worked.
On Temperature Controlled Logistics Solutions (TCL) for pharma products.
Blue Dart has been a Temperature Controlled Logistics (TCL) industry expert for a significant period. Our solutions are developed, keeping pharma and life science in mind. It provides a secure and validated supply chain for all temperature-sensitive needs and ensures safe and compliant transport in frozen, chilled, and ambient conditions. Using appropriate cooling mediums, the packaging performance delivers temperature for the range – 20°C, 2°C – 8°C, and 15°C – 25°C for varying distribution times.
We also design customised packaging to meet our customers’ unique requests. We have pharma grade conditioning rooms at strategic locations like Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Pune, Kolkata, Delhi, and Bangalore. These rooms are close to our Blue Dart Aviation Stations which reduces our turnaround time and aids in the speedy delivery. With our TCL Solutions, we can deliver excellence to 9,000 pin codes within 24 hours and 12,000 pin codes within 72 hours. Additionally, as part of the DPDHL Group, we have access to several additional assets such as reefer vehicles, cold storage trucks as well as a global network spanning 220 countries and territories worldwide.
On the #WeMoveSoYourWorldCanMove campaign.
Blue Dart’s USP is our quick delivery and fast turnaround time, all while ensuring shipments move in the perfect condition. When the pandemic hit, this was only reinforced further as we put in an extra 100 per cent to ensure supply chain continuity. We understand that every shipment, something as small and yet so meaningful as a Rakhi, something as valuable as bank documents, or something as crucial as a vaccine or medicines matters to our customers, and hence, it matters to us. Therefore, the phrase ‘We Move So Your World Can Move’ and ‘If It’s Important, #BlueDartIT’.
On Blue Dart’s first women-led service centre in India.
We value the diversity of our teams as a genuine strength. Our organisation brings together people from a wide range of cultural backgrounds – all with different skills, experiences, and viewpoints. We perceive diversity as something that goes beyond gender, race, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, or any other characteristics protected under law. We promote inclusion because an inclusive team leads to happier and more innovative employees. We wanted to take one step ahead to help our nation bridge the gender gap that is widening as we speak. The All-Women Service Centre is a step in the right direction towards achieving this feat. Diversity begins at hiring and in the future we will continue to hire more diverse talent, increasing our Diversity and Inclusivity ratio.
On getting certified as a Great Place to Work for the 11th year.
Blue Dart has always championed a ‘People First’ philosophy. Therefore, we ensure our colleagues and their families are taken care of. ‘A Happy colleague equates to a Happy Customer’ – keeping this as the foundational tool of our business, Blue Dart has launched several initiatives, including several internal campaigns that highlight the outstanding work done by our colleagues.
We have also launched the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) to increase mental health awareness. For the outstanding work done during the pandemic, we offered a special Covid-19 appreciation bonus. Additionally, in case a team member falls victim to the virus, special Covid leave and a special medi-claim policy have been put in place to ensure that the individual feels supported in their time of need. Our HR initiatives include the Death Benevolent Fund (DBF) to help resolve the financial crisis of the family rising due to the death of a team member. Upstairs is another program that aims to help children of team members by offering a scholarship program that provides them with Rs 1 lakh per year along with a mentor.
New Delhi: As the country battles the devastating onslaught of the novel Coronavirus, Amazon India has rolled out a slew of measures for small and medium businesses to help them wade through the crisis.
The e-commerce major said it will waive 50 per cent of the ‘sell-on-amazon’ or ‘referral fee’ from 1-31 May for sellers who have had an average monthly gross merchandise sale (GMS) of Rs 10,000 or below across January, February, and March 2021. It will also reimburse storage fees and long-term storage fees charged for keeping sellers’ products at its warehouses for merchants based out of non-serviceable pin codes.
“Never has it been more important to stand with small businesses and we wanted to do our part to help our sellers tide through these tough times. We hope our initiatives, which include fee waivers, policy relaxations, and vaccination support, will be of help to our sellers at this time,” tweeted Amazon India vice president Manish Tiwari.
Amazon India has over 8.5 lakh sellers on its platform. It has recently announced its decision to cover the Covid2019 vaccine costs for its eligible sellers and their dependents.
The etailer said it will temporarily relax the claim windows for various types of reimbursements that the sellers file for 30 days. It will also take steps to mitigate any negative impact on sellers’ performance metrics due to defaults caused by the pandemic and the resulting restrictions in several states, on the sellers’ account health.
“We are also working to relax our policies regarding late shipment rate, order cancellation, and returns to better support our sellers during this period,” said Tiwari in a blog post.
India on Sunday recorded a massive surge of 3.92 lakh new Covid2019 cases and as many as 3,689 deaths from across the country. While the government has announced the beginning of phase-3 of the vaccination drive, the process remained suspended in several states due to a shortage of vaccines for the 18-44 years age group.
Amazon India said the lockdowns and curfews announced in different states to tackle the situation continues to impact its businesses, even though the e-commerce companies have been allowed to operate. The government has allowed the delivery of only essential items like groceries and medicines.
Amazon India works with more than 10 lakh small and mid-size businesses (SMBs) including sellers, delivery and logistics partners, neighbourhood stores, enterprises, developers, content creators, and authors in the country.
“Our number one priority right now is to help save lives and extend support communities across the nation including our employees, sellers, delivery associates, other partners, and their dependents in this time of crisis,” said Tiwari.
KOLKATA: During the Covid2019 outbreak last year, cable operators in India served the country’s entertainment and infotainment needs as an essential service. It was not easy to operate in a lockdown for an industry that involves huge on-ground operation as well as close contact with consumers. From running out of inventories to fall in payment collection, the operators face an array of issues. Now, with the country feeling the heat of the second wave, the industry says it is better prepared than last year.
Fastway Transmissions group CEO Prem Ojha said that the MSO is not facing any issue presently, because only a few parts of the country like Delhi and Mumbai have been significantly impacted. Most of the other geographies are normal right now, barring weekend and night curfews in some places. He noted that field activity gets very limited post 10 pm, right up to 6 am in the morning anyway. Hence, there is no such disruption as of now.
Although Ojha is uncertain how things will pan out with cases on the rise, the leeway of being part of essential services will play in their favour. But partners and teams have to brave it out, risking their own health to continue to serve, added. The company already has a contingency plan with the right amount of technical support and equipment in place should matters turn more critical.
“There will be some hardship but the work will carry on. It will be a challenging scenario but nothing will get stalled. This time people are braver, more confident than last year. Uncertainty factor is lesser compared to last year,” he said.
GTPL Hathway cable TV head & chief strategy officer Piyush Pankaj acknowledged that due to the looming possibility of a lockdown, certain problems are creeping back. But they have experience on how to deal with the crisis, and the company is well prepared for the situation, he asserted. Since Covid cases began to surge in late March, efforts are underway to cope with the issues.
PPE kits are ready for staff, digital payments have been established. Moreover, customer communications are being taken care of through online and telephonic medium rather than in-person visits. “We have already taken precautions on ground. We are not facing the mounting problem that we faced last time,” he summed up.
As of now, the situation on their end is under control, said Siti Networks CEO Anil Malhotra. While the Covid curve began peaking 10-15 days back, the MSO has not seen any major impact so far. However, more operators and staffs are getting affected. Unfortunately, people were not being cautious this time, which will further compound problems, he mused. The company has already started telling people how to take precautions, and is helping those who are suffering.
“It can’t get worse than last year. We have learnt in 2020 how to work with little or skeleton staff. This time, I am more worried about our staffs and it would be great if the government can insure these people,” Maharashtra Cable Operators Federation president Arvind Prabhu highlighted.
Despite the sector’s resolute outlook, operational challenges have already cropped up. Although the government has issued a notification where cable service is categorised as essential services, transport is becoming an issue. There is also the risk of infection. At present, operators are rotating the staffs so all of them don’t fall sick and in case someone falls sick, they have backup, Prabhu mentioned.
Other than workforce issues, the industry faced shortage in inventory and other supply chain issues during lockdown. The same situation is playing out again; there was no disposable income to purchase stock in advance, as cable operators took a 40 per cent hit in revenue last year, Prabhu pointed out. Apart from some of the big players, no one else has kept inventory ready.
Fastway’s Ojha highlighted a significant trend. With more offices being closed again, the incremental demand for broadband is going up. That traction is visible now, Ojha added. The demand will further go upwards, and therefore the operator is ensuring inventory and other things are in place so they can meet the demand.
Some of the major MSOs have started work-from-home provision again. One-third of GTPL Hathway’s staff is working from home currently. Siti Networks has also initiated WFH option for non-critical employees and is providing necessary apparatus for that. While all Fastway workers are operating from home, the company is being flexible with employees who are travelling from containment zones or showing any Covid symptom. All of them are ready to ask more staff to work from home if the situation deteriorates.
New Delhi : After witnessing the highest ever single-day spike in the number of Covid2019 cases, the Delhi government has decided to impose a strict weekend curfew in the national capital, starting 10 pm on Friday.
The AAP government has also ordered all the malls, auditoriums and spas to shut shop from 16 April till further orders. Cinema halls, however, have been allowed to remain open during the weekdays, but can function with only 30 per cent occupancy.
"I had a meeting with the L-G. We have decided to impose weekend curfew in Delhi. This is because people generally go out for work on weekdays and entertainment on weekends. In order to break the chain we are imposing a weekend curfew, exempting essential services," said Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday.
According to the new restrictions, no dine-in options will be allowed in restaurants and eateries and only home deliveries will be permitted. The weekend curfew will start at 10 pm on Friday to 6 am on Monday. However, all essential services will remain functional.
A night curfew has also been imposed in Noida and Ghaziabad Friday onwards.
The decision comes two days after the Maharashtra government announced strict restrictions for the next two weeks in wake of the alarming surge in the number of infections. However, unlike Delhi, Maharashtra has also closed all movie theatres as well. All television and film shoots have been shut down till 1 May.
The country is reeling under a severe second wave of the novel Coronavirus, with the number of caseloads surpassing last year's records. On Thursday, India recorded a record two lakh cases during the last 24 hours and over 1,038 deaths.
The national capital too reported 17,282 fresh cases in the last 24 hours, its highest spike so far. The number of daily Covid deaths has also been increasing, with 104 deaths recorded on Wednesday alone.
MUMBAI: After showing signs of flattening the curve, India is once again struggling to leash the deadly virus that has reared its ugly head in the last few weeks. On 13 April, the country recorded more than 1,61,736 Covid2019 positive cases and over 900 related deaths. As the pandemic rages on, several states including Maharashtra and Karnataka are considering a second lockdown.
Like all other sectors, the entertainment industry in India is also facing a setback due to the resurgent virus. Even though the government gave permission to open theatres in November 2020, the footfall in cinema halls was very low, and most screens in Maharashtra witnessed an attendance of just four to five per cent.
Covid brings entertainment industry to its knees
Even though several Bollywood movies including Mumbai Saga hit the big screen, none of these films succeeded in creating an impact at the box-office. Industry experts believe that the only way to revive the exhibition industry is by waiving taxes imposed on cinema halls, and by allowing them to function without restrictions.
"If theatres in Maharashtra remain closed due to lockdown, it could affect Hindi movie releases in all other states as well,” pronounced Cinema Owners and Exhibitors Association of India president Nitin Datar. “Theatres are making sure that all hygiene measures are adopted to combat the spread of the Coronavirus. Even though the attendance in theatres is very low, the expenses incurred by theatres which include electricity bills, taxes (including entertainment and property) remains the same. In Maharashtra alone, theatres incurred loss of Rs 800 crore. We request government to waive the taxes which is very much necessary for the exhibition industry to survive.''
Datar also added that the closure of theatres in Maharashtra could not only affect theatre owners, but will also impact the lives of thousands who are directly or indirectly dependent on cinemas.
"In a theatre, there will be 25 workers. There will be four or five people working in the parking area, and other people working in the canteen area. In the surrounding areas, around the theatres, it will be a market hub depending on people coming to theatres. All the small shops are also dependent on the public who come to see cinemas. Around 1000 or 2000 people used to visit the theatres every day, and these retail shops are running relying these theatre visitors," he pointed out.
Exhibitors are ready to cooperate with whatever call the government takes during the pandemic, said Dadar, but at the same time, they expect help to survive.
Production houses may postpone releases
If a possible lockdown happens in Maharashtra, release of several movies including Sooryavanshi and Salman Khan's Radhe may get postponed. With a power-packed star cast of Ajay Devgan, Akshay Kumar, and Ranveer Singh, Sooryavanshi is scheduled to release on 30 April, but if theatres remain closed, makers may postpone the theatrical hit, and some day, may even opt for an OTT release.
Elara Capital vice president & research analyst (media & consumer discretionary) Karan Taurani hinted that theatres will return to pre-pandemic normalcy only by September 2021, which means several big budget movies may well take the direct to OTT route.
"In January 2021, industry experts believed that theatres will return to pre-pandemic normalcy by May-June 2021. However, due to the second wave and a lockdown scare, things have turned upside down. I personally believe that the process of returning to normalcy will take some time, and I believe things will return to pre-pandemic atmosphere by September 2021. Makers of films like Sooryavanshi may consider OTT release, as the content is getting old," he said.
Taurani also added that OTT releases are inevitable in the current scenario. While films like Sooryavanshi are not made to release on video streaming platforms, the current pandemic situation is compelling production houses to release their films online.
"If filmmakers have the option to release movies in theatres, they will obviously screen in big screens. And personally I believe that production houses will not opt for simultaneous releases in both OTT platforms and theatres on the same day, a practice which is widely followed in Hollywood," he stated. 14apr-Anx-mailer.html
MUMBAI: Kansai Nerolac Paints Ltd (KNPL) has launched a new digital film in line with its Aaj Careful toh Kal Colourful (Be careful today for a colourful tomorrow) campaign to celebrate the festival of Diwali. Through the video, Nerolac beautifully captures the recovered hues of the environment during the lockdown and inspires consumers to do their bit to care for these colours.
The digital film showcases various instances of the lockdown’s positive impact on the environment such as the Himalayas being visible from Punjab due to the reduced levels of air pollution, the shimmering and clear waters of river Ganga, flamingos migrating back to Mumbai and more. The film encourages citizens to nurture and protect the environment this Diwali by using diyas made of clay, preventing air and noise pollution by trying to avoid firecrackers, and planting trees.
Kansai Nerolac Paints Ltd executive director Anuj Jain said, “The lockdown has taught us a lesson on the impact of care. Mother Nature has blessed us with gifts in abundance. This is yet another chance to colour her. We at Nerolac, have always believed that acting responsibly today, will herald a brighter tomorrow. Our Diwali campaign reiterates this thought by encouraging consumers to celebrate a safe, environment friendly, yet colourful Diwali.”
Conceptualized and created by FCBUlka and directed by Kashif Memon, the film is being promoted across Nerolac’s digital and social media platforms.
FCB Ulka president- Mumbai Kulvinder Ahluwalia said, “Nerolac has been building on the theme of Aaj Careful Toh Kal Colorful. It is an interpretation of a fundamental life truth, the actions we take today will impact the kind of world we would live in. For Diwali, Nerolac is building on this theme with a message that encourages all to reflect on the learnings from the lockdown which helped cleanse the environment and taking care to continue to sustain this improvement.”
Early this year, Kansai Nerolac Paints Ltd launched its campaign, ‘Aaj Careful Toh Kal Colourful’ with intent to underline the importance of taking necessary precautions in the current Covid2019 situation to ensure a colourful future.
NEW DELHI: Logicserve Digital, a digital marketing company and the Indian arm of Logicserve Group, has strengthened their market position by aptly using their expertise and devising tailored strategies to onboard over 20 new accounts during the lockdown period. The new brands onboarded come from across industries like FMCG, finance, lifestyle, real estate, entertainment, and so on. The company’s overall focus will be to amplify the digital marketing activities for the brands while augmenting their overall digital presence.
Logicserve Digital’s service mandates for the new brands are across their core capabilities i.e., media, creative, data & insights, and technology. The new clients have a healthy mix of some brands that have been active in the digital space, as well as the brands that have been focusing entirely on traditional marketing channels. Some of the notable brands they have onboarded include Hero Insurance Broking, Dr. Rhazes, MakeMyTrip, PhableCare, Oyo Hotels & Homes, Mrs. Bector’s Food Specialities, Paper Boat Apps (Kidopia), Spectra, Goibibo.
Speaking on the new account wins, Logicserve Digital founder and CEO Prasad Shejale said, “We are very excited with the new account wins. As a company, we have been very quick to adapt to the changing situations and have been putting in a lot of effort to design innovative solutions that are in sync with the changing environment. I also feel very proud of our team, who has been dedicatedly working on delivering the promises for all the brands we work with, ensuring that the quality isn’t affected. These are really tough times for everyone, and, I think, we have been tackling all the challenges very well and keeping up with the work with the same enthusiasm and spirit despite all the odds. Also, it’s great to have some brands who will be testing the waters of digital marketing for the first time with us. We appreciate the trust bestowed upon us by them and everyone, and we are certain we will not disappoint them. We are charged up to work on the new brands we have onboarded and look forward to helping them create unique experiences for their consumers.”
NEW DELHI: While the world is still struggling to understand how to take their day-to-day activities online, IBM India was already one step ahead as it enjoys the success of a number of online events, simply by the virtue of being better prepared to handle a complete digital takeover of the world. The company’s CMO for the country and South Asia Deepali Naair shares her thoughts in this latest episode of Indiantelevision.com’s Media Minds season 2.
“Last year in October, when we didn’t even know that Covid2019 was going to happen, my team sat down and said that the world is going completely digital. We, of course, thought that it would take some time for that to happen but we discussed how to prepare ourselves for that moment. What do we need to learn; what do we need to do; what do we need to experiment with! And in February, even before the lockdown, we did a 100 per cent virtual event which was attended by 3500 people.”
She said that their vision and quick actions helped them create properties and a culture that other CMOs also took inspiration from.
Naair also talked extensively about her journey in the industry and the shift between different roles she has taken up in her career spanning over more than two decades. She attributes the success and popularity to her attitude of being a lifelong learner.
“I am a lifelong learner. I approach everything saying let me learn. Let me learn the medium of a podcast, let me learn the medium of digital, which is how I moved to digital and e-commerce much sooner than some of my contemporaries. So that attitude has helped me again that I moved to technology.”
She also shared tips for CXOs who want to get into the personal branding space, stating that having one’s own brand helps even the organisation that one is working for. “I think if you have a large CXO brand you are also available to everybody to reach out to, for them to take an authentic point of view from you.”
