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Tag: Mahesh Shetty

  • Bigg Boss 14 & the big sponsorship question

    Bigg Boss 14 & the big sponsorship question

    MUMBAI: The moment we hear the name Bigg Boss, what comes to our mind is the cacophony of emotions and behaviours ranging from love to jealousy to anger to sorrow to Machiavellianism to kindness. And of course the paternalistic – at times – and strict – at others – face of superstar Salman Khan, who has been the host of the show since we ever can remember.

    Viewers are bombarded with a barrage of histrionics by contestants arguing, fighting, caring, romanticising, dancing, and doing a number of other acts – which is what the show has come to be known for. Interestingly, every year one or the other contestant turns into a household name such as Gautam Gulati, Shehnaz Gill, Rohit Shukla, Dolly Bindra, Gauhar Khan, and Hina Khan.

    Despite Covid2019, the Colors team has put in gargantuan efforts to bring back the show. Bigg Boss 14 promos have been getting impressive air time to whip up interest for the show – slated to air from 3 October at 10:30 pm on weekdays and 9 pm on weekends – from advertisers and viewers.

    SHETTY THINKS THAT THERE CANNOT BE A MORE
    PERFECT TIME FOR BIG BOSS

    “Bigg Boss is a much-needed respite for audiences, it enjoys a very strong and loyal fan base across age groups. There cannot be a more perfect time than now for a show like Bigg Boss as the audience will relate to it more than ever. The country has been through a lockdown and television has been a constant companion during this time. The audience has been eagerly waiting for it, a show that is packed with drama and entertainment and a great differentiator from the regular shows,” says Viacom18 network sales head Mahesh Shetty.

    Advertisers & Brand Integrations

    Industry estimates are that Bigg Boss earned Rs 180-200 crore in advertising revenues from nine sponsors and about 100 advertisers in 2019. Viacom18 has labelled Bigg Boss 13 as the most successful season that went on for 139 episodes setting new records in both viewership and revenue terms.

    This year the channel has already signed fantasy sports brand Mobile Premier League (MPL) as the presenting sponsor while Dabur Dant Rakshak Ayurvedic Paste and Hindustan Unilever's TRESemmé' have been roped in as co-powered by sponsors.

    Shetty highlights that due to ease in the restrictions, businesses are going back to normal and as a result, advertising spends are also increasing. According to him, television is doing good in terms of volumes which is a very positive sign. “As we enter the festive season with Bigg Boss, we are sensing a lot of optimism from advertising and viewers,” he adds.

    According to industry experts, Viacom’s revenue from the show is likely to get a 15-20 per cent cut compared to last year. Its card rate is between Rs 300,000 and Rs 500,000 for a 10 second spot. And it is not budging on discounts.

    Shetty shares, “In a normal scenario, we would have increased the rates by 25-30 per cent from last year but we are neither increasing nor decreasing the prices. As per the BARC data in June, our ad-volumes have also recovered. We initiated discounting in the month of April-May owing to the low demand but starting July, we have let go of discounting and as of this month, we are on zero discounting and the ad volumes are still holding strong.

    " Mediacom India south Asia chief growth officer Soumak Banik said that Bigg Boss is a marquee property, hence it will get the required viewership as audiences have not had much fresh content to watch over the past five months. It is not just Bigg Boss Hindi but the Tamil and Telugu versions will do better in terms of viewership and revenue.

    He adds: “There is already traction from advertisers for sponsorship on Bigg Boss. Also, I don’t think so impact properties will have 15 to 20 per cent of revenue cut. In fact, I think both viewers and advertisers are open to welcome reality shows on TV. Bigg Boss has already signed two sponsors and the makers are in discussion with other brands. Similar to IPL, Bigg Boss will also have sponsors on board before it begins to telecast.”

    In its fourteenth season, it is all set to cover everything from Dussehra, Diwali to Christmas and New Year during its telecast. Viacom18 is currently in talks with several brands for sponsoring other categories and is looking forward to brand integrations.

    Shetty points out that it Bigg Boss is a format which suiting all kinds of brands from e-commerce, automobiles, beverages, snack foods, appliances to gaming apps, and payment gateways. It appeals cuts across categories and offers great brand integration solutions across episodes and in between the episodes on the various Colors digital properties.

    “There are some sponsors who sign deals for both Bigg Boss and the channel while there are others who are only digital exclusive. Typically, we have separate sponsors for Colors and Voot. Last year, Voot had close to eight to nine sponsors and this year also we are expecting the same or more. On Voot, we also create some very similar shoulder content around Bigg Boss like Bigg Buzz that the brands find attractive.”

    Format

    The format of Bigg Boss 14 is going to remain the same with a bunch of people stuck inside a house. Shetty reveals that innovations are planned for the new season which will weave in the existing realities of the pandemic into its narrative. All the luxuries that most have been deprived of will be made available to the contestants. There will be small shopping and dining areas, a spa and a health club, and even a movie theatre. Some or all of these will be accessible to the contestants, if they do well on activities and tasks that are set for them. Shetty says the format affords a lot of opportunities brands to become a part of the narrative of Bigg Boss 14.

    Expectations are that the current edition will run for 106 episodes, with Shetty declining to talk budgets that are being kept aside for it.

    Why Brands Love it

    BARC India data reveals that Bigg Boss 13 garnered 213 million viewers and the finale alone witnessed 10.5 million impressions. Over the years, the show has been delivering very strong numbers and has helped brands generate a high top-of-the-mind recall and impact.

    Shetty reveals that the response from brands and advertisers has been very encouraging. A lot of brands are now looking at investing in big-ticket properties and Bigg Boss serves as a befitting platform for brand associations and integrations.

    Recently, the Indian government banned a set of Chinese apps, possibly one of the major reasons why Vivo backed out as a sponsor. According to Shetty, only due to certain operational issues and government norms certain brands may not be able to come on board.

    “We expect most of the brands that have partnered with us and have been associated with us in the previous years to come back and renew their partnerships,” he highlights. “Some of the brands which are keeping a low key because of government rule may not be a part of the mix. Dabur is a case in point of a returning partner. It was a powered by sponsor last year and has come on board this year as well.”

    Coinciding with IPL

    This is for the first time the IPL is clashing with Bigg Boss and there is a lot of buzz that it is going to impact the viewership. However, Shetty believes that the clash is very minimal.

    He mentioned that Bigg Boss starts on 3 October and runs for 106 days whereas IPL starts on 19 September and goes on until 8 November. So, the overlap is only for 37 days out of 106 days. Also, any head-on clashes between Bigg Boss 14 and the IPL this year will be rare, given the former’s telecast time of 10:30 pm and the latter’s at 7:30 pm. “The matches will most likely be over by the time Bigg Boss begins,” says an observer.

    The overlap will take place only on the weekends for eight days because Bigg Boss airs at 9 pm on Saturday and Sunday. “So, from a viewer's point of view, there is not much of an overlap. Both the IPL and Bigg Boss are very strong properties and have a very strong following and I am certain people who follow and watch both will continue to do so. From the advertisers' standpoint, they have a scope to invest in two big properties. The IPL ticket size being very high may not be affordable to some of the advertisers but I think there is enough space for both to coexist,” shares Shetty.

    And so shall it be!

  • Mobile Premier League joins as presenting sponsor for Bigg Boss 2020

    Mobile Premier League joins as presenting sponsor for Bigg Boss 2020

    MUMBAI: Bigg Boss 2020 will be back on Colors and take viewers on an entertaining ride packed with drama, thrill, and excitement. Hosted by Salman Khan, for the new season, COLORS joins hands with India’s largest esports and mobile gaming platform Mobile Premier League (MPL) as the presenting sponsor. 

    Speaking about the partnership, Viacom18 network sales head Mahesh Shetty shares, “Bigg Boss is the biggest reality show in the entertainment space, and it appeals to demographics across geographies. Given its strong fanbase makes it one of the sought-after marketing platform for sponsors. Over the years, several brands have come forward to explore innovative customizations and partnerships to deliver their business ambitions. Mobile Premier League (MPL) is one of India’s leading esports and mobile gaming platforms that provide unparalleled gaming experience to the users and we are glad to welcome them as the presenting sponsor for the new season of Bigg Boss.”

    Mobile Premier League (MPL)  growth and marketing VP Abhishek Madhavan said, “Bigg Boss is one of the most-watched reality shows in India and easily the most popular and most talked-about reality TV show across the country. With a superstar like Salman Khan hosting it, every season is eagerly awaited by millions and promises something new. With MPL expanding into areas like entertainment via its live-streaming and a bunch of video-first features, Bigg Boss was the most obvious choice for us to associate with. We eagerly look forward to this season and hope to cement MPL’s position as a household name through the partnership.”

    Elaborating on the partnership, Mediacom India & South Asia CEO Navin Khemka said, “We are delighted with this partnership of MPL and Bigg Boss. This is one show that has shown consistent performance over the years. We are confident that we will be able to leverage a strong association with the loyal Bigg Boss audience through some innovative associations that we have in store for our exponentially increasing gaming audience. India loves to play and this time it’s going to be inside the Bigg Boss house with MPL.”

    Being the most-awaited and entertaining reality show on Indian Television, the upcoming season of Bigg Boss will enthrall the audience who will once again witness all the high-voltage drama and action unfold on their screens.

  • Not viable to continue Covid2019 discounts with new episodes: Viacom18’s Mahesh Shetty

    Not viable to continue Covid2019 discounts with new episodes: Viacom18’s Mahesh Shetty

    MUMBAI: Covid2019 had a devastating impact on GECs with close to no advertisement revenue for almost three months. Now, television shooting has finally resumed and TV channels have begun to telecast fresh episodes of the shows.

    According to Viacom18 network sales head Mahesh Shetty, in the month of April and May, advertising was severely impacted due to the lockdown. However, with considerable relaxations from June, retail markets opening up and supply chains for brands stabilising, advertising spends have moved up. He points out that more brands are now willing to advertise and even spend more. Shetty also thinks that though new advertisers are queuing up, most of them are still FMCG brands. However, there has been a jump as compared to lockdown levels.

    Shetty explains that the channel is actively working with brands to go beyond the regular free commercial time (FCT) ad spends. “Thanks to the strong ‘impact properties’ portfolio that we have, we are giving customised sponsorship and integration packages to advertisers. In addition to this, we are also working closely with some of the brands on their specific briefs and exploring options on content solutions for our fiction shows,” he adds.

    He highlights that post easing of the lockdown across the country, overall advertiser interest has gone up in July as compared to the previous month. New advertisers have come onboard across categories. Maruti has been the channel's long term partner for Khatron Ke Khiladi and according to Shetty their spending has increased post resumption of the fresh episodes.

    Shetty also mentions that all broadcasters had given special pricing with discounts to advertisers in the April-June period in the absence of original programming. However, with fresh episodes starting this month, it is not viable for any broadcaster to continue with the Covid2019 discounting. “There has been a drop in discounting in July and we are steadily moving close to pre-Covid2019 level pricing,” he shares.

    In terms of inventory fill, growth rate has been at 45-60 per cent level in comparison to April. Advertisers are hopeful to catch up to last year’s level by August.

    DAN India Amplifi group trading director Sujata Dwibedy says, “During the lockdown very few advertisers were active. We are seeing slight momentum since May-June. Hopefully, the festivals would turn it around. As soon as there will be normalcy and the pandemic will contain, we may see more brands coming back. The time slot that would deliver better be more cost efficient and would definitely be preferred.”

    Dwibedy believes original shows will definitely change the previous quarter’s pattern to the classic viewing behaviour.
    Even though audience sentiments are still low, the rates might go up slightly due to original content. But it will still take some time for broadcasters to get back to the original January-February levels as the lockdown is still on and many advertisers are not yet willing to advertise.

    So the new episodes have quite a lot of catching up to do.

  • Event Capital announces the 4th edition of Nickelodeon Windmill Festival

    Event Capital announces the 4th edition of Nickelodeon Windmill Festival

    Mumbai:  The 4th edition of India’s largest festival for kids, Nickelodeon Windmill Festival, an initiative of Event Capital and Tribe Asia, is all set to take place on 22nd and 23rd February, 2020 at JioWorld Garden, BKC in Mumbai. The festival offers a wholesome experience for toddlers, pre-teens and parents. The key objectives of the festival are to give the urban child an outlet to be creative, to gain information and to encourage quality time with family through recreational experiences curated at the festival.

    Nickelodeon Windmill Festival brings to life children’s most loved tales through musical plays, dance shows and never seen before performances.  Patrons present at the festival can also enjoy a specially curated flea market with a wide variety of food and other recreational activities including interaction with their favourite Nickelodeon toons. Various experiential zones like ballet parade, Bungee Park, Trampoline Park, Vertex tunnel and Human Claw and more will be set to entertain everyone.

    An array of over 50+ workshops specially designed to cater to various age groups  on a variety of topics like indoor gardening, beat-boxing, science on wheels, robotics, Lego workshops, stop motion animation, aeronautics, karate and kick-boxing, storytelling, doodle art,  wheel pottery and many more.  With a petting zoo available at the venue kids can interact and play with a variety of animals.

    Speaking on this, Janak Vora, CEO, Event Capital said, “In its previous editions, the festival has witnessed a footfall of over 20,000+ attendees and over 50+ brand associations.  This year, we aim to create a more holistic family ambience with unique range of activities and workshops that would encourage families to get outdoors. Through this festival, we want the child to discover his/her innermost passion and get inspired!”

    Commenting on the upcoming festival, Mahesh Shetty, Head – Network Sales, Viacom18 said, “With Peppa Pig Musical, we forayed into kids live entertainment genre and with Windmill festival we have taken the next big leap. Event Capital has cultivated the festival very well over past few years and we are very excited to collaborate with them and scale up Nickelodeon Windmill Festival. The festival brings alive the concept of quintessential outdoor learning and is backed by widespread activities such as indoor gardening, workshops, aeronautics and more. The Nickelodeon Windmill Festival is a combination of educational and fun activities for the young generation.

    Nickelodean WindMill will take place on 22nd and 23rd February, 2020 at JioWorld Garden, BKC and the tickets can be bought on :  https://bit.ly/2R3lwEw

  • Viacom18 Consumer Products and Work With Fun launch Club Roadies in Jaipur

    Viacom18 Consumer Products and Work With Fun launch Club Roadies in Jaipur

    MUMBAI: Post the successful launch of Café Roadies in Noida earlier this quarter, Viacom18 Consumer Products extended the legacy of Roadies to India’s pink city. In association with Work With Fun, the brand announced the launch of India’s first ever ‘Club Roadies’ in Jaipur today. Club Roadies is a perfect hangout spot for youngsters who are inspired by the vigour and appeal of the show. As India’s longest running adventure reality show, Roadies has not only fascinated generations of the young audience but also evolved as a cult over 16 years.

    Club Roadies offers a vivid and innovative experience to all clubbing and party enthusiasts of Jaipur. With the undying spirit of Roadies at its core, this place embodies the vibrance of youth, their passions and preferences thereby letting customers celebrate unabashedly. Coupled with an ode to the iconic legacy of Roadies that comes to life with its décor, Club Roadies is your go to place for all things adventure.

    Commenting on the launch of Club Roadies, Mahesh Shetty, Head- Network Sales, Viacom18, said, “Our Consumer Products business is constantly thriving to create experiences for audiences and being a catalyst to fandom. Roadies enjoys extreme popularity and fanfare amongst the youth therefore, it makes a perfect fit for extending into a lifestyle franchise. After launching Café Roadies earlier this quarter in Noida, we are happy to partner with ‘Work With Fun’ yet again to bring an out of TV Roadies experience to Roadies fans.”

    Commenting on the launch and association with Club Roadies in Jaipur, Mr. Neeraj Singhal & Mr. Ankit Gupta, Co-Founders of Work with Fun said, “Club Roadies has set up a next-level clubbing and food experience for the fun-loving people of Jaipur. We wanted to create a place that is synonymous with comfort for an audience who loves spending time with their loved ones or groups and wants to enhance their everyday experiences like a Roadie. At Club Roadies we have tried our best to create an atmosphere for Roadies lovers to make them feel like a part of the show. With this, we have taken special care of Rajasthani taste and style which makes this club the outstanding one in pink city."

    Celebrating all things ‘Roadies’, the menu here will offer dishes and beverages that rekindle nostalgia. From ‘Game ke Andar Game’ (Burgers and steaks) and ‘One for the gang’ (pizzas) to ‘Pasta Ka Vaasta’ (Pastas) and ‘Bada Dhamaaka’ (Platters), this place lets you indulge in the most delectable treats. Also, present is a special section ‘An Evening in Pink City’ including all popular local dishes and flavours to munch on. Club Roadies offers a diversified range of beverages catering to different types of Roadies like LIIT, Brave, Desi, Extraordinary and old school.

    From a wall of fame dedicated to winners to colourful graffities, task zones and larger than life installations, Club Roadies stands out with its well curated interiors that embody the essence of the show. The club also houses the iconic Roadies bike that has intrigued millions for over a decade. More than just an addition to the city’s vibrant club culture, this one of a kind differentiated destination promises a genuine ‘Roadie’ experience that will be enjoyed by one and all.

  • Helo partners with India’s biggest entertainment show ‘Bigg Boss Season 13’

    Helo partners with India’s biggest entertainment show ‘Bigg Boss Season 13’

    Mumbai: Reiterating its commitment to provide its community of over 50 million monthly active users access to popular, trending and engaging content, Helo has launched a strategic partnership with leading entertainment show Big Boss Hindi Season 13, hosted by Salman Khan. 

    As part of this partnership, Helo is offering users exciting opportunities to meet and engage with the contestants of the hit reality show. One lucky Helo user will stand a chance to meet the contestants and feature with them in one of the weekend episodes.  

    This partnership between Helo and Bigg Boss Hindi Season 13 comes after a series of successful stints with the regional versions of the show in Kannada, Marathi, Telugu, and Tamil. As a part of its Bigg Boss Kannada partnership, Helo launched an in-app engagement campaign, where Helo users got to interact with their favourite BBK contestants by following the trending hashtags #ಬಿಗ್ ಬಾಸ್ ಚಾಲೆಂಜ್ as well as the contestants’ personal accounts. Through the hashtag #ಬಿಗ್ ಬಾಸ್ ಚಾಲೆಂಜ್, Helo users selected tasks for the BBK contestants to perform during the show.

    Helo also recently partnered with Bigg Boss Marathi for its second season as its social media partner and gave select Helo users a chance to become the ‘Caller of the Week’ and ask their favourite contestants in the Bigg Boss House quirky and fun questions of their choice.

    Mahesh Shetty, Head, Network Sales, Viacom18 said, “With Bigg Boss being our flagship property, it has a huge fan base and our association with Helo will help us expand it further. Our aim has always been to make the show more engaging and entertaining for our viewers so that they also feel a part of the fun-filled journey of the inmates. Through this partnership, we hope to bring our audience closer to the Bigg Boss experience.

    “We’re delighted to partner with Bigg Boss again, this time for Bigg Boss Hindi Season 13. Our partnership with Bigg Boss is in line with our mission to constantly connect our users with their favourite content, in the language that they are most comfortable with. Following our previous regional partnerships, which saw unprecedented engagement from Helo users with over 20 billion combined impressions on the app, we are looking forward to reaching greater heights when it comes to engaging our users with Bigg Boss Hindi.” said Chhandita Nambiar, Head of Entertainment, Helo.

    Helo users will also get day-to-day updates on all activities at the Bigg Boss house and the show’s contestants, by following the official handle of Voot/Colors on the app. To further engage with the viewers and Helo users, official Bigg Boss fan page of the reality show’s contestants will provide all the latest news and updates from the show. This fan-generated content will be shortlisted and featured on the Bigg Buzz episode. Each week, one fan will win a hamper or referral point from Helo. The show went live on 29th September, airing from Monday to Sunday.

  • Colors partners with vivo as presenting sponsor for Bigg Boss 2019

    Colors partners with vivo as presenting sponsor for Bigg Boss 2019

    MUMBAI: COLORS collaborates with the premium global smartphone manufacturer, vivo as the presenting sponsor for Bigg Boss 2019. Produced by Endemol Shine India, the show has attained a cult status over the years and has become one of the sought-after reality shows hosted by actor Salman Khan. 

    Promising to be packed with utmost thrill and excitement, the new all celebrity season will have many surprise elements that will make it a stellar watch for the audience. 

    Elaborating on the sponsorship, Viacom18 Head, Network Sales Mahesh Shetty said, “Bigg Boss is one of the largest platforms in the entertainment segment.  With every season, the show has set new benchmarks in the television reality space and has become one of the widely viewed shows of the country. The format and content of the show allows us to experiment with brand integrations and associations that reach out to a sizable number of audience across all age groups and  it is the only show that cuts across festivities. With its growing success and popularity, more and more brands have come forward to explore innovative customizations and partnerships to deliver their business ambitions. vivo is one of the trusted mobile phone brands with a growing consumer base and we are happy to welcome them on board as the presenting sponsor.”

    Talking about the collaboration,  vivo India Senior Vice President Jerome Chen said, “We at vivo are constantly looking for innovative ways to connect with our consumers and their interest areas. We always aim to create new and effective marketing platforms that will engage our audiences across the country. We are excited about our partnership with COLORS for Bigg Boss. The show is one of the most popular reality TV shows that brings the diverse audience together with its entertaining content.”

    Being the most anticipated and celebrated shows of Indian Television, the upcoming season of Bigg Boss will continue to entertain the audience with high octane drama and action. 

  • Viacom18 appoints Mahesh Shetty as network head of sales

    Viacom18 appoints Mahesh Shetty as network head of sales

    MUMBAI: Viacom18, today, announced the appointment of Mahesh Shetty as the Head – Network Sales. Mahesh will be reporting to Sudhanshu Vats, Group CEO & MD, Viacom18. 

    Speaking about his appointment, Sudhanshu Vats, Group CEO & MD, Viacom18 said, “Amidst market shifts, we continue to make strides across platforms and geographies as we build brand solutions powered by analytics and insights. The way ahead is to work more closely with our partners and identify customised whitespaces with an eye on delivering consumer centric ad solutions across platforms. Mahesh’s multi-industry experience will be an asset to Viacom18 as we accelerate our journey to integrate and dial up revenue.”

    Mahesh Shetty, currently serving as the COO of Entertainment Network India Ltd. (popularly known as Radio Mirchi), has over 2 decades of experience in marketing, sales and general management across geographical regions, in the media and FMCG sectors. Mahesh 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 organization to become the General Manager, National Sales – Organized Trade. He, thereafter, joined Radio Mirchi, where over the course of 12 years, Mahesh has donned many hats and has led Radio Mirchi’s network expansion to 66 stations, expanded its presence in international markets and started and scaled up multiple revenue streams. Mahesh has successfully led his team to achieve dominant leadership in listenership and revenue market share in the highly competitive radio business.

    Mahesh Shetty will be joining Viacom18 in April, 2019. 

  • Radio Mirchi makes appointments for senior positions

    Radio Mirchi makes appointments for senior positions

    MUMBAI: Soon after the launch of radio stations in Bangalore, Jaipur and Hyderabad, Radio Mirchi 98.3 FM gears up to launch new stations, including Nagpur, Lucknow, Surat and more.

    According to Radio Mirchi deputy-CEO Prashant Panday, “We are in the process of hiring professionals with a wealth of experience and knowledge for key positions like station directors and regional marketing heads. Each candidate is being carefully hand picked by the company with the objective of putting together the best team in the business. Each new recruit will be playing a pivotal role in sustaining the leadership position of the brand Radio Mirchi.”

    Radio Mirchi has appointed Mahesh Shetty and Sriram Kilambi as Station Director for Chennai and Kolkata respectively. As station directors both Shetty and Kilambi will be responsible for all operational related activities of the brand in their respective cities, such as sales, marketing, finance, programming initiatives, technical, HR and other expansion plans, informs an official release.

    The current station directors Anand Parameswaran, Chennai and Nipun Bhardwaj, Kolkata, will be moving into national level assignments.

    Shetty comes with over 10 years of experience in sales, marketing and operations. His last assignment was with Pepsi Co. where he was responsible for handling on-premise channels for the brand nationally. Kilambi was working with Coca Cola India, prior to joining Radio Mirchi and comes with over seven years of experience in marketing, sales and operations.

    To meet the growing need of marketing the brand Mirchi on a more aggressive basis, the radio station will be appointing regional marketing heads across India. Shivangini Jajoria has recently joined the Delhi team as AVP marketing north-India. Her previous assignment was with Bharti Airtel Ltd, in the broadband and tele services division and she was responsible for establishing the brand pan India. At Radio Mirchi, Jajoria will be able to utilize her invaluable experience in marketing Radio Mirchi across North India, according to the statement.