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Tag: Mahesh Shetty

  • L’Oréal Professionnel brings Indian Hairdressing Awards

    L’Oréal Professionnel brings Indian Hairdressing Awards

    Mumbai: L’Oréal Professionnel, the professional hair tech brand, is set to introduce the iconic Indian Hairdressing Awards in an all-new format of a reality series streaming exclusively on JioCinema. Since 2014, The Indian Hairdressing Awards celebrate the art and skill of professional hairstyling. The competition recognises and rewards hairstylists across the country. This year’s edition was announced in August 2023 and received over 100K entries for its theme “Meta-morphosis” which represents real transformation.

    From the thousands of hairdressers that participated in the competition, 89 regional finalists were chosen to compete on technical skills. They were judged by an eminent jury comprising of international hair artists and beauty media representatives.

    The top 12 hairstylists will now compete in a mega-augmented L’Oréal Professionnel salon. Judging their art and technique will be an illustrious panel featuring the renowned filmmaker – Karan Johar, Min Kim, the L’Oréal Professionnel global colour ambassador, – and an exciting line-up of Bollywood celebrities.

    The 12 hair pros will go through three challenges testing their skill and creativity to do real transformations through hair color, haircut and styling. hairstylists will have to achieve the ultimate freedom of self-expression and propose bold, elevated and out-of-the-box looks. These challenges will be scored by both judges and consumers. They will then compete in front of a live audience at the Grand Finale, which will also be streamed on JioCinema.  The competition winners will not only win the consumers’ hearts but also a trip to Paris and an opportunity to enhance skills in Le Visionnaire, the prestigious L’Oréal academy in Paris.

     

     

    Speaking on the launch of India’s only hairstyling reality series, L’Oréal Professionnel, India general manager Mathilde Barthélemy-Vigier said, “L’Oréal Professionnel has taken giant strides into the future. Consumer and hairstylist centricity are our key drivers to elevate the professional hair industry in India. In the last two decades, the country’s professional hair salon landscape has evolved at a supersonic pace. The skill of Indian hairstylists is now at par with global hair artists’ and with the 2024  edition of The Indian Hairdressing Awards, we wish to celebrate their infinite talent and potential.”  

    Speaking on the partnership with L’Oréal Professionnel, Viacom18 Media’s head of network sales Mahesh Shetty said, “At Viacom18, we have always worked towards developing and building IPs and formats that are sustainable, relevant and one that deepens consumer connect. L’Oréal Professionnel is the undisputed leader in the professional hair care and styling category and The Indian Hairdressing Awards re-affirms them as thought leaders in this space. As digital partners, we are confident of providing this unique property with its deserving reach through JioCinema, thereby elevating the IP to newer heights.”

  • Viacom18 eyes a bumper festive season, with new show ‘The Big Picture’ set for launch

    Viacom18 eyes a bumper festive season, with new show ‘The Big Picture’ set for launch

    Mumbai: Viacom18’s portfolio of entertainment channels is targeting double digital growth this festive season. According to Viacom18, head – network sales, Mahesh Shetty, the broadcaster expects to beat 2019 festive revenues with two marquee properties to capitalise on.

    2020 was an outlier for the media industry because of the impact that Covid-19 had on the industry. Advertising spends that are closely correlated to the GDP and the business economy was depressed for several quarters. “The way the industry bounced back after the second wave was phenomenal. The last quarter results of most companies have been good and that has had a positive impact on ad spends. As we enter the festive period it is just getting better. Most broadcasters are dealing with a problem of plenty i.e., we’re full up on inventory,” remarked Shetty.

    The volume of advertisers is yet to recover to the 2019 levels but the values have significantly increased over the past two years. The recovery of ad rates has been driven by the strong demand that the media industry is seeing during the festive period. This is having a positive impact on pricing, observed Shetty.

    The broadcaster has invested in big-ticket properties to take advantage of the traction from advertisers. This year its mainline Hindi general entertainment channel (GEC) Colors will telecast two marquee shows during the festive season namely – ‘Bigg Boss 15’ and ‘The Big Picture’.

    “Bigg Boss 15 has signed 18 brands and 75 per cent inventory filled at the time of launch” noted Shetty. “We’ve already signed six brands for ‘The Big Picture’ whose launch is two weeks down the line and are confident that this number will go up.”

    Hosted by actor Ranveer Singh, the quiz show is all set to hit the airwaves on 16 October and will be aired on weekends at 8 p.m.

     

     
     
     

     
     
     
     
     

     
     

     
     
     

     
     

    A post shared by ColorsTV (@colorstv)

     

    The network has roped TRESemme, Lotus White Glow, Dabur Red Toothpaste, Knorr, Jeevansaathi.com, JK Smart Tyre, Hershey’s Kisses, Garnier Men, Wow Skin Science, Spotify, Moj App, Fogg Deodorant, and Haier Washing Machine for ‘Bigg Boss 15’ on TV and additional five exclusive sponsors on their OTT platform Voot.

    For ‘The Big Picture’ the sponsors include BYJU’S, Bikaji, LIC, and Haier Refrigerator on TV and two exclusive sponsors for Voot.

    New category advertisers who have become active post-Covid-19 are driving ad volumes and spends, according to Shetty. These advertisers have changed the advertiser mix for entertainment channels and have significantly grown in terms of contribution.

    “Looking at a three-year horizon (2019-2021), FMCG which used to contribute 72 per cent to the total ad revenue pie for mainstream entertainment channels, has come down slightly to 70 per cent. Categories like telecom, handsets, apparel have also dropped from about two per cent to one per cent,” said Shetty.

    The e-commerce marketplaces which used to be two per cent have grown to four per cent. The contribution of social media apps and OTT platforms which used to be around one to three per cent has jumped to six per cent. “Ed-tech which is a new category that has emerged post-pandemic and now contributes about one per cent to revenues. E-wallets also contribute one per cent. The entire contribution for internet brands which used to be around 12 per cent has now grown to 18 per cent. That’s where the advertising mix has seen a change,” he added.

    New categories like e-commerce, fintech, crypto, and ed-tech are investing heavily on TV to change consumer behaviour and drive adoption of their brands. The festive period is the best time to drive preference for their brands when the consumer is usually in a buying mindset and wants to engage with brands.

    Apart from GEC, the network’s portfolio of movies, music, youth, and regional channels are also performing well, shared Shetty.

    The movie genre is seeing advertising traction with inventories filling up. Restrictions on cinema exhibition halls have been relaxed in several states including Maharashtra and producers have announced the release slate for the next six months. “This will also add to the bank of our movie channels,” he added.

    Similarly, the broadcaster has made critical investments in its regional portfolio of channels that will drive growth during the festive period. Apart from Kannada, Tamil, and Bangla channels, the kid’s genre has been going steady and youth and music channels under MTV brand have attracted interest by offering bespoke solutions to advertisers.

    The broadcaster is also poised to ride the enthusiasm for fresh sports content with its upcoming Abu Dhabi T10 that will telecast on its movie channel COLORS Cineplex towards the third week of November.

  • MTV, Unacademy set to bring music show ‘Unacademy Unwind’

    MTV, Unacademy set to bring music show ‘Unacademy Unwind’

    Mumbai: Ed-tech platform Unacademy has partnered with MTV to launch a music show ‘Unacademy Unwind’. Starting from 13 August, the show will feature performances by prolific musicians from India every Friday at 7 p.m.

    The programme will bring artistes across ten genres of music and will span ten episodes. The line-up comprises of musicians including Lucky Ali, Sonu Nigam, Kailash Kher, Badshah, Darshan Raval, Arjun Kanungo, Benny Dayal, Papon, Armaan Malik- Amaal Mallik, Harshdeep Kaur, Monali Thakur, Rochak Kohli, Asees Kaur, Sneha Khanwalkar, Aastha Gill, Reet Talwar, Lijo and King. The musicians that appear on the show will conduct recreations and original compositions, designed to cater to the tastes of a young audience.

    “As a brand that touches millions of youths, it has always been our endeavour to explore newer avenues of connecting with them,” said Unacademy’s associate vice president – marketing, Sonal Mishra. “The pandemic has been difficult for everyone and our learners have had to face the brunt of academic disruptions and uncertainties. Learners love music and use it as a mechanism to unwind. With ‘Unacademy Unwind’, we want to leverage the rejuvenating powers of music to infuse some soothing and magical moments into their lives.”

    “In these trying times, there is no better balm for the soul than music. Every single performance in this property is an MTV masterpiece by itself. We hope that each song will become a lifelong companion to young South Asians across the world as they navigate through life’s twists and turns,” added Viacom18’s head – youth, music and English entertainment, Anshul Ailawadi.

    “At MTV, we have always focused on creating properties that connect with the youth of India and provide a great opportunity for brands to engage with our large and diverse audience base,” said Viacom18’s head – sales, Mahesh Shetty. “We are extremely happy to partner with Unacademy to create this unique music property that will see India’s best musicians descend on one platform to create musical magic and what better for the youth of the country to unwind in these stressful times than soulful music.”

    Viewers can also watch all episodes and songs on the Unacademy Unwind YouTube channel.

  • CaratLane ropes in Nickelodeon’s Dora to promote kids’ jewellery range

    CaratLane ropes in Nickelodeon’s Dora to promote kids’ jewellery range

    Mumbai: Celebrating the legacy of Nickelodeon’s character Dora the Explorer, omnichannel jeweller and Tanishq partnership brand CaratLane has introduced a vibrant collection, ‘CaratLane x Dora the Explorer’, in association with Viacom18 consumer products. This exclusive collection consists of 10 beautifully crafted designs such as pendants, necklaces, bracelets for kids.

    With Raksha Bandhan around the corner, the launch of this fine jewellery is an attempt to bring young fans one step closer to their favourite Nickelodeon character, said the brand in a statement. “While ensuring the designs are safe and secure for kids with no sharp edges, the jewellery comes with a special protective coating,” it added.

    “CaratLane is the ultimate destination for kids’ jewellery. Now, with another feather in our cap that’s ‘Dora the Explorer’, it’s going to be amazing,” said CaratLane, SVP – merchandise, Aakrosh Sharma. “We know there are a lot of fans out there who love this character and they will be delighted to see the range of designs we have. Each design in this collection is beautifully crafted in vibrant enamel and 14-karat gold. They are super kid-friendly and made with care keeping in mind ‘all-day comfort’.”

    “At Viacom18, we believe in working towards creating a relationship with our consumers across multiple touch-points even beyond the screen,” said Viacom 18, head – network sales, Mahesh Shetty. “With a strong affinity among kids, Nickelodeon’s Dora the Explorer has grown to become one of the most iconic characters and therefore our efforts lie in ensuring that our products give our young viewers an opportunity to personally engage with the character. Kids adore Dora the Explorer and this new line stylised and endearing jewellery collection in collaboration with CaratLane is a step further to ensure that they enjoy and interact with their favourite character and make it a part of their daily lives.”

    The collection is now available on CaratLane app, website, and offline stores across the country.

  • Viacom18 ropes in Vivek Mohan Sharma to head branded content

    New Delhi: Viacom18 on Thursday announced the appointment of Vivek Mohan Sharma as head of Branded Content. He will be reporting to head- Network Sales, Mahesh Shetty.

    In his new role, Sharma will be responsible for leading branded content and solutions at the network level. Individually, he will be responsible for driving branded solutions for Viacom18’s Hindi Mass Entertainment, Regional Entertainment, and Kids TV clusters leveraging its broadcast and social reach. In addition to this, he will also work with existing teams at Youth, Music, and English Entertainment as well as the network’s digital play Voot to bring in synergies and dial-up advertiser-funded content-driven growth.

    Viacom18 Network sales head, Mahesh Shetty said: “We are living in a world full of too many choices which however have increasingly minimal differentiation amongst them. Branded content has the potential to bring forth this differentiation and connect with audiences in a more engaging and emotional capacity. With his versatile experience in leadership roles across industries, Vivek is best poised to bring collaborations across our brand offerings and create unique propositions for our clients that are relevant and result-oriented.”

    On his new role, Sharma said, “Brands today are looking at creating moments and mindshare that stays with the audience for long. Branded content acts as the bridge, bringing in solutions that truly connect the brand with its consumers engagingly and effectively. I look forward to driving value, innovation, and overall growth in my new role at Viacom18.”

    Sharma has close to two decades of experience in Business Management, Revenue, and Marketing across Media, Telecom and Banking sectors, and has held leadership roles at Mirchi, Idea Cellular, Deutsche Bank, and ICICI Bank in the past. Prior to joining Viacom18, he worked as head- Digital Business and worked towards transforming Mirchi into a dominant digital content and solutions brand.

  • Vh1 Supersonic 2021 officially cancelled due to Covid2019 crisis

    Vh1 Supersonic 2021 officially cancelled due to Covid2019 crisis

    MUMBAI: Dear #Superfam, it is with a very heavy heart that we must announce that Supersonic 2021 is officially cancelled. The organizers have been closely monitoring the unprecedented situation and keeping the safety measures in account, it has become clear that a large gathering is not feasible in this macro scenario.

    Right before the onslaught of the pandemic, which got everyone locked indoors with masks, sanitizers and social distancing norms, Vh1 Supersonic gave music lovers an experience of three days of an unparallel musical extravaganza.  Dancing to the tunes of Diplo, Illenium, Machine Gun Kelly, DIVINE, and 95+ top artists, festival audiences submerged into the stunning visual and musical experience. The three day festival featuring an iconic line-up, ended on an even higher note with the announcement of dates for the festival in 2021.

    2020 had other plans and the world came to a sudden standstill. A “crowd gathering” was no longer safe. Consumer Experience & Safety is of utmost priority for the organizers of Vh1 Supersonic which led to the postponement of the 8th edition of Vh1 Supersonic.

    For Vh1 Supersonic, the music won’t stop, and it will return with all its glory in a bigger and better avatar in 2022. Speaking about the postponement of Vh1 Supersonic, keeping in mind the safety of artists, festival goers and the behind-the-scene people who make a festival of this scale happen, Viacom18 Network Sales  head Mahesh Shetty, said, “Vh1 Supersonic has brought artists and festivalgoers under one roof for many years now, always leaving them with countless memories and unforgettable experiences. Unfortunately, our decision to cancel the festival in 2021 and push it to 2022, has come due to the global uncertainty of the ongoing pandemic. Our primary responsibility is to ensure the safety of our festival goers and taking that into consideration, we have decided to cancel the 2021 edition. In the meantime, we are leaving you all with a promise that we will be back bigger and better in 2022. Stay tuned and see you guys soon.”

    Festival Curator Nikhil Chinapa added, “As we were preparing to unite our SuperFam for an electrifying 8th edition of Vh1 Supersonic, we’ve had to stop and take stock of where the world stands with respect to Covid2019. Several countries are going into a second lockdown, international air travel is restricted and there is still no news of when a viable vaccine will be available to the public.

    Rather than present a diluted version of the festival we love, which would also put fans at risk, we feel we have no other option but to cancel the 2021 edition. However, Be There, Be Free continues to embody the spirit of the festival and we will look to the future, knowing we have to make up for lost ground and create a larger than life fiesta next time around, at India’s most-loved multi-genre music festival.”

    Until Then #GoSupersonic2022 #BeThereBeFree

  • Viacom18’s Mahesh Shetty’s tips for sales teams & professionals

    Viacom18’s Mahesh Shetty’s tips for sales teams & professionals

    MUMBAI: Most management graduates harbour dreams of getting into a marketing job at one of the FMCG majors once they graduate. But if they have eyes on the corner office they would do well to get into sales, and not just be swayed by its more glamorous cousin, marketing. At least that’s the advice that Viacom18 network ad sales head Mahesh Shetty’s would like to give them. Says he: “Selling is core to any business. I think if you want to become the CEO of an organisation and you have done sales in the past you stand a better chance.”

    Shetty should know. He did the grind in sales at Pepsi, followed by marketing and then went back to sales. He then moved on to Radio Mirchi where he headed various sales functions before becoming the organisation’s COO. He was then hired to head a much larger organisation – Viacom18 network’s in the early part of 2019. 

    Read more news on Mahesh Shetty

    Shetty – whose key strengths lie in offering brand solutions to clients rather than just selling – says that working in sales for a substantial amount of time has many benefits. “Sales helps develop the right attitude and confidence in an individual,” he points out. “It improves communication skills and allows a person to know all aspects of the business right from selling the product, branding and marketing or dealing with the finance team at multiple levels.”

    Some of the key attributes and attitudes, he believes, sales people need to have include: be positive, be constantly hungry, always desire to do more, spot opportunities not just problems, every problem has an opportunity, read, learn,  and meet people.

    Elaborates Shetty: “Sales is not an usual eight hour job, it works round the clock. Meeting people and understanding brands is a very important part that helps. Before engaging with customers or clients it is important to equip ourselves with knowledge. It is important to have an intelligent conversation. Then, don't be dismayed if you don’t close a deal.  If there is one brand which has decided to not come on board then there are five other brands out there. It is important to find ways to excite them; this is what keeps me going day in and day out. Close to the year ending, if I am far from my numbers I will still have hope because there are many brands out there who want to grow their business and I have certain solutions which would help them to grow. That is my mantra.”

    According to Shetty, there are ways that organisations can hone the skill sets of sales people. 

    Watch virtual fireside chats with industry leaders

    Says he: “Large FMCG companies take you all around through sales, marketing, general management but many organisations still continue to keep sales people in the sales department. I think these companies lose the opportunity when they don’t move their best sales people into other departments because they lose the chance to create great leaders. I believe salespeople can do better in marketing as they have a good sense of the entire chain. They know what works with trade or distributors and they are also aware of what consumers want.”

    He also advocates that sales people need to get comfortable with data, for it can be a great lead generator as well as a deal maker. Says he: “Data gives you a lot of insights. I feel some of the sales people are not comfortable with data or pulling out the insights from the data. I want salespeople to understand that just don't get drowned in the data but try to remove key insights from the data.”

    Shetty admits that broadcasting is different from other direct to consumer businesses as sales people are selling products they create to an advertiser, whereas in other categories, the manufactured items are designed for the end consumer and sold to him or her.

    To do better at broadcast sales, executives need to have an open mind. “Accept the changing times. The pace with which digital is growing I believe broadcast sales people should have a good understanding of both television and digital,” he explains. “Television being so strong in the entire media pie, sales folks sometimes think that their job is just to sell FCT. But I think sales people need to broaden their horizons to learn all the things around them so that they can pitch the right solutions to the brand manager.  Because when you are going out and selling solutions, you could include brand integration or certain messaging driven by  social handles which would be more effective.”

    Read more news on Viacom18

    According to him, the pandemic induced social distancing has meant that physical meetings are few and far between.  And the pressure has come on sales to deliver now that economic activity is showing signs of reviving. “Everything has gone digital now,” says he. “The personal touch is something that will come back. Until then,  managers have to work to help his teams achieve what they want to do. At times it starts with opening doors with the client or helping them with the solutions, or closing the deal with the client. We are all under pressure but what's important is to focus our energies on getting a solution, and ourselves back.”

  • Leadership secrets & wisdom from Viacom18

    Leadership secrets & wisdom from Viacom18

    MUMBAI: A few months ago,  during the thick of the lockdown due to the pandemic, Viacom18 CEO Sudhanshu Vats announced that he was moving on from the organisation he led for around eight years. Earlier, in 2019, his deputy COO Raj Nayak too departed from a company he was associated with for seven years. Both  the leaders have left a long-lasting impact on Viacom18. And especially the senior team which is currently being led by the new CEO Rahul Joshi, who also heads the news operations under TV18.

    In a fireside chat with Indiantelevision.com founder, CEO & editor-in-chief Anil Wanvari last week, Viacom18 network head of ad sales Mahesh Shetty recalled the days when he had an opportunity to work with both  Raj Nayak and Sudhanshu Vats and his bond with his current CEO Rahul Joshi. And he shared the leadership and management styles of the two senior execs. 

    Watch the virtual fireside chat with Mahesh Shetty

    “I have huge respect for Raj Nayak. He is a maverick sales guy, and an amazing person. It was big shoes to fill in. I have done deals with him in the past when I worked at Radio Mirchi for Mirchi Music Award that used to come on Colors. He is someone who enjoys huge respect in media and entertainment industry,” Shetty shared during his conversation…

    Shetty was hired by Vats to look after ad sales and revenue for the whole network – both regional and Hindi channels. “Raj was COO and he looked after direct sales for Colors,” said Shetty. “He built and left behind a fabulous sales team. There is not much of a change that has happened in it. It is not like that the new leaders have come in and they have changed the entire team, most of the team leaders are the same.”

    He further highlighted that Raj had this attitude to think scale, to think big in sales efforts. “It is a great legacy that Nayak has left behind. The team is aware of the fact that they are selling big impact properties. So, I don’t have to go out and tell the teams how to sell.”

    Read more news on Raj Nayak

    Recently, long-timer Simran Hoon stepped down from her role as Viacom18 EVP and ad sales head after nearly 13 years with the organisation.

     “I don't have control over things which are above me,” said Shetty referring to Vats’ exit a few months ago. “But it’s to his credit that he handled my hiring the way he did. And how he kept the morale at the company high, during the tough times. The fact is that if you look at the past 18 months there are not too many exits. All the key people are there in the company.  it is a journey that all of us as a team have gone through. We all have tough times,” he shared.

    He has been focused on building and strengthening the sales team, getting their trust, and bringing in processes and data mining and management into the sales efforts. Said he: “I think I have a job and a challenge at hand. My boss (Rahul Joshi) is a person who helps me in this journey, Rahul is also great person, he has a different kind of experience than what Sudhanshu Vats had. The last six months with him have s been good.”

    He further added, “Both Sudhanshu Vats and Rahul Joshi are managers who let you build and drive your own strategies. Because then the onus is on you to deliver and it’s not like you can put your monkey on your boss’ back.”

  • Bigg Boss 14: The brand countdown has begun

    Bigg Boss 14: The brand countdown has begun

    MUMBAI: A century. That’s what Viacom18 head of network sales Mahesh Shetty is hoping to hit with the fourteenth edition of celebrity reality show Bigg Boss. “It will be great if we manage to hit last year’s 100 advertiser landmark we did with the show,” says Shetty.

    Recently, the sales team once again signed on Capital Foods Ching’s Secret as an associate sponsor for the show. It already has e-sports and mobile gaming league platform MPL as presenting sponsor, while Dabur Dant Rakshak Ayurvedic Paste and HUL’s Tresseme have come on as co-powered by sponsors.

    It looks like Shetty has his work cut out for him with only around a fortnight to go before the show starts filming in Mumbai’s Film City on 3 October. However, he is confident that the sponsorship and advertising contracts will start rolling in faster now.

    Says he: “It’s not that this is the first time the team that is selling Bigg Boss is facing environmental pressure. At some point of time there was demonetization followed by GST, which created huge pressure on the economy. The feedback that we got from brands who wanted to associate with us has been phenomenal. I’ll give the credit to the equity of Bigg Boss and to my team also.. I am very optimistic about this season as well. We are expecting the same traction this year itself.”

    Read more coverage on Bigg Boss

    He further explains why he is not worried. Says Shetty: “There are certain brands who come on board for the entire season while others come only for half-season. Some of our key brands have been associated with us since the last season. We have 106 episodes, so there are many brands who wish to come in the later part of the show. Apart from that a lot of revenue comes from the Free Commercial Times (FCT).”

    He has no regrets that he has pegged the advertising and sponsorship rates at least year’s levels when Star Sports has managed to command higher pricing for its IPL inventory than last year. Explains Shetty: “It is not a short-term relationship as some brands also come back. We have kept similar rates as last year because Bigg Boss is a 106-day property. At the end of the day, it is a demand-supply game.“

    He is hopeful that Bigg Boss this year will be able to command higher sticker prices than the Rs 300,000-350,000 per 10 second spot that it did last year. “Depending on how the property performs and demand-supply it creates, we will look at increasing the prices. When the show starts and if the demand is very good, we will definitely hike the prices,” he says.

    Shetty’s opinion is that very platforms can offer the brand integration that Bigg Boss does.”I don’t think there is any property like Bigg Boss when it comes to brand integration and brand engagement. The show not only gives them a wide visibility and reach, but helps them connect with the end consumer,” says he. “We engage very deeply with brand owners, and not just with the agency. Every integration of ours is something that we kind of take them through, also at the same time our programming team, people who run the show are very well equipped and experienced.

    Shetty points out to how last year presenting sponsor Vivo used the platform to showcase the video features of its brand new phone the V17 Pro. For Dabur, the programming team innovated by enrolling contestants of season 13 – Shehnaz Gill, Madhurima Tuli, Rashmi Desai, Mahira Sharma, and Shefali Bagga to promote Dabur Amla Hair Oil while walking the ramp after they were tasked by Salman Khan to do so. Shefali Zairwala and Aarti Singh became the hair stylists for the ramp walkers. Siddharth Shukla, the ultimate winner of the season, and Asim were the judges and chose Shehnaz Gill as the winner. “Again, it was very entertaining and brands’ core values got communicated. It is something you will see again this year,” says Shetty.

    He is quite emphatic that advertisers will hitch themselves to the Bigg Boss bandwagon. “Today, if there is so much traction for IPL, it is because there isn’t anything like IPL. In the same way, I would say there is nothing really like Bigg Boss. It’s not just another property,” he says. “It starts on 3 October goes on all the way till January 2021. It covers all the key festivals from Dussehra to Diwali, Christmas, New Year, and Sankranti. In terms of consumer spending, this entire period is a big chunk as far as consumer spending goes. So brands would want to latch upon the properties like Bigg Boss.”

  • Virtual Fireside Series: Catch Viacom18’s Mahesh Shetty live on 17 September

    Virtual Fireside Series: Catch Viacom18’s Mahesh Shetty live on 17 September

    MUMBAI: Taking ahead its virtual fireside series with eminent professionals of the media and advertising industry in India, Indiantelevision.com will be hosting Viacom18 network sales head Mahesh Shetty on Thursday, 17 September 2020 at 4:00 pm. The session will be helmed by our founder, CEO, and editor-in-chief Anil Wanvari.

    Shetty has been handling the Viacom18’s network sales and is associated with the company for the past year and a half. He comes with over two decades of experience in marketing, sales and general management across media and FMCG sectors. His last stint was at Radio Mirchi where he spent 12 years and played a key role in the expansion of the radio network to 66 stations, and eventually expanding its footprint in the international market. Shetty started his career with PepsiCo to lead the beverage major’s marketing outreach in Maharashtra and Gujarat and over his decade long stint grew within the organisation to become the general manager, national sales – organised trade.

    Read more news around Mahesh Shetty 

    He will be sharing his experiences of sailing through the past few months of nationwide lockdown, managing advertising revenues, and other insights from the world of broadcast, marketing, ad sales and general life. 

    The virtual chat series had earlier hosted industry veterans such as Zee Entertainment Enterprise Ltd chief growth officer – advertisement revenue Ashish Sehgal; Sri Adhikari Brothers Group MD Markand Adhikari; Applause Entertainment CEO Sameer Nair;  BCCL president – response Partha Sinha; DAN CEO APAC and chairman India Ashish Bhasin; and IPG Mediabrands CEO Shashi Sinha. During these interactions, these eminent industry leaders have shared their understanding of the  television business, advertising industry, content pipeline and strategies that will be leading the new world order in the post-pandemic era.

    Watch our Virtual Fireside Chats

    Keep watching this space to know more.