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Tag: marketing

  • PharmEasy continues marketing blitz with three new commercials

    PharmEasy continues marketing blitz with three new commercials

    NEW DELHI: PharmEasy, the online medicine and healthcare ordering app, has launched a new three-film campaign called ‘DanceEasy’, which reiterates that ordering medicines on the platform is so easy that it will make one dance. The campaign has been conceptualised and created by Leo Burnett India.

    The platform has always aimed to make the complicated world of medicines as simple as possible. Taking forward its ‘take it easy’ narrative, the campaign addresses the top three consumer apprehensions where medicines are concerned – value for money, availability and getting genuine medicines.

    Each film in the DanceEasy campaign addresses a consumer concern along with a wacky dance step to the catchy tune of the famous number – Urvashi. In every film, the consumer’s strife has been creatively depicted as a dance form.

    Saumil Parekh, vice president marketing, PharmEasy, said, “We thought of conceptualising short advertisements that would not only build a connection with our audience but do so in an engaging and fun manner. Our aim was to show how easy ordering medicines can be with PharmEasy, and the before and after versions of these dance forms is our way of depicting that. PharmEasy has always focused on being a customer-centric brand, and we have tried to highlight the problems that customers face when shopping for medicines on a regular basis, and offer a simple solution for the same.”

    Vikram Pandey, national creative director, Leo Burnett said, “PharmEasy’s music track — a rehashed version of Urvashi — is a great brand asset and helps break clutter every single time. For this campaign, we used it to challenge offline medicine buying behaviour. We turned each pain point into a dance form – so roaming from shop to shop in search of prescribed medicines became bhatak nritya, expensive medicines became kharchnatyam and so on. The films are funny yet memorable, we are confident this campaign will help build the brand narrative further.”

    The brand is competing in an extremely competitive market that includes players such as 1mg, MedLife, Amazon Medicines, NetMeds and several others. Most of these companies are heavily funded and have been going for big marketing campaigns to acquire audiences. PharmEasy has been advertising across big ticket properties such as Indian Premier League and ICC World Cup 2019.

    The brand also recently appointed Gaurav Verma as CMO. 

  • TRP scam: Republic TV’s Priya Mukharjee granted anticipatory bail

    TRP scam: Republic TV’s Priya Mukharjee granted anticipatory bail

    NEW DELHI: A Mumbai court on Friday granted anticipatory bail to Republic TV COO Priya Mukharjee in the alleged TRP manipulation case.

    The sessions court directed Mukharjee to appear before the concerned police station once every week. In case Mukharjee is arrested, she can be released on bail bond of Rs 50,000, the court added.

    She was taken into custody on 19 November and was later granted transit bail by the Karnataka high court as she was in Bengaluru and was apprehending arrest by the Mumbai police.

    The high court had granted bail for a period of 20 days within which period Mukharjee was asked to approach the concerned jurisdictional court for further relief. Later, she moved the sessions court for anticipatory bail.

    A few weeks ago, Republic TV editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami was also arrested and was later released on bail after a gap of nearly 10 days. Republic TV has been urging the courts to transfer the investigation to CBI.

    Mumbai police unearthed the fake ratings scam on 8 October after rating agency Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) filed a complaint through Hansa Research Group, alleging that certain television channels were rigging TRP numbers. Hansa had been tasked with installing barometers, which record viewership data at sample households.

     Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh then claimed that Republic TV and two Marathi channels — Box Cinema and Fakt Marathi – were involved in manipulating TRPs. 

    Since then several arrests have been made in the case and there have been legal developments both within and outside of the courtroom. 

  • Mamaearth assigns media mandate to Essence

    Mamaearth assigns media mandate to Essence

    NEW DELHI: Personal care brand Mamaearth has appointed Essence, part of GroupM, as its integrated media agency. The account will be managed out of Essence’s Delhi office.

    The agency will be responsible for media planning and activation for Mamaearth’s brand building and awareness campaigns.

    Mamaearth co-founder and chief executive officer Varun Alagh said, “As a digital-first brand, we are constantly connecting with millennials on a product and brand philosophy level. With ever-evolving consumers and the way they consume content, it is important to be present across new age media platforms to be able to speak to them. Our partnership with Essence will help us achieve this goal by identifying the right media mix and expedite the next phase of our growth journey.”

    Essence VP client services India Yoginder Jain said, “In a market where there is increasing consumer consciousness towards personal health, the environment and cleaner living, brands with the right purpose are set to win. Mamaearth has created a distinct space for itself and is perfectly placed to ride this growing opportunity. Our team at Essence is delighted to help scale Mamaearth’s business with our approach to data and analytics.”

    The brand recently launched its first national campaign and is aiming to clock Rs 1,000 crore revenue in the next three years. It partnered with Bigg Boss season 14 and is working towards scaling its operations and creating a wider brand presence. 

  • Sony acquires Crunchyroll from WarnerMedia’s AT&T

    Sony acquires Crunchyroll from WarnerMedia’s AT&T

    NEW DELHI: WarnerMedia’s AT&T has agreed to sell Crunchyroll to Sony in a deal worth $1.175 billion.

    Crunchyroll is an anime direct-to-consumer service within AT&T’s WarnerMedia segment with three million plus SVoD subscribers. It currently serves 90 million registered users across more than 200 countries and territories offering AVoD, mobile games, manga, events merchandise and distribution.

    Funimation is a joint venture between Sony Pictures Entertainment and Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) subsidiary, Aniplex.

    “The Crunchyroll team has done an extraordinary job of not only growing the Crunchyroll brand but also building a passionate community of anime fans. Crunchyroll’s success is a direct result of the company’s culture and commitment to their fans,” WarnerMedia CRO Tony Goncalves said. “By combining with Funimation, they will continue to nurture a global community and bring more anime to more people. I’m incredibly proud of the Crunchyroll team and what they have been able to accomplish in the digital media space in such a short period of time. They’ve created an end-to-end global ecosystem for this incredible art form.”

    “We are proud to bring Crunchyroll into the Sony family,” Sony Pictures Entertainment chairman and CEO Tony Vinciquerra said. “Through Funimation and our terrific partners at Aniplex and Sony Music Entertainment Japan, we have a deep understanding of this global art form and are well-positioned to deliver outstanding content to audiences around the world. Together with Crunchyroll, we will create the best possible experience for fans and greater opportunity for creators, producers and publishers in Japan and elsewhere. Funimation has been doing this for over 25 years and we look forward to continuing to leverage the power of creativity and technology to succeed in this rapidly growing segment of entertainment.”

  • Mindshare names Adam Gerhart as global CEO

    Mindshare names Adam Gerhart as global CEO

    NEW DELHI: GroupM has elevated Adam Gerhart as Mindshare global CEO, effective January 2021. He brings to the role global experience with multinational brands, including a deep expertise in building innovative partnership models and new ways of leveraging media to solve business challenges. Gerhart , who will serve on GroupM’s global leadership team (GLT), also maintains his Mindshare US CEO role until a successor is named.

    As global CEO, Gerhart’s remit includes the strategy and operations of the award-winning global agency network that spans across 86 countries, and the professional development of the agency’s nearly 10,000 colleagues. With a strong belief in media as a business driver for brands, Gerhart’s vision elevates the strategic role media can play in creating purpose and growth. That vision also encompasses data and insights that influence broader brand opportunities like product development, sales and marketing, among others.

    “Adam has an unrelenting commitment to clients and to team Mindshare,” GroupM global CEO Christian Juhl said. “He brings a strategic business sense combined with a commitment to clients and culture. Adam has always played a pivotal role in Mindshare and our clients' success around the world, which makes him the perfect fit to now lead the agency into a new era globally.”

    Mindshare manages $24 billion in media investment billings globally (COMvergence, 2019). This year, Mindshare topped COMvergence’s global new business barometer for the first half of 2020, with GroupM also taking the number one spot for global media agency group.

    “One of this agency's greatest strengths has long been its connected global network. The opportunity to lead this incredible group of people leaves me without words to describe my pride and excitement," said Gerhart. "Media strategy is often defined narrowly yet its dynamism and creativity can impact the trajectory of a company's business success. As we work to bring ‘Provocation with Purpose’ to life, we'll demonstrate how media can solve brand challenges, as well as have a positive impact on the world."

    Previously, Gerhart served as CEO of Mindshare US, where he led media innovations in areas such as neuroscience (the first in-house NeuroLab of its kind for a media agency), investment (the first Inclusion private marketplace series for a US media agency, including LGBTQ and Black voices and publishers), voice commerce, audio strategies, and more. 

    In the last 18 months, Mindshare has been honoured with Ad Age’s Agency A-List, MediaPost’s Media Agency of the Year, WARC 100’s Top Agency Network, Cannes Lions’ Media Network of the Year and the leading winner in the MMA’s SMARTIES X Awards.

    Gerhart joined Mindshare in 2003 and quickly rose through its ranks, becoming US CEO in 2016. Over the years, he’s helped build and grow the agency’s client portfolio across a range of global brands. Early in his Mindshare tenure, he was a founding member of Mindshare’s US communications planning group, a specialist team dedicated to bringing multi-disciplinary thinking to clients’ communications needs.

    He’s been an active member of The International Advertising Association and previously on the boards of the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) in Europe and think in the US. Gerhart was also honoured as one of The Internationalist’s 2016 Agency Innovators for his forward-thinking global achievements.

  • Disney+Hotstar crosses 26 mn subs, makes up 30% of Disney’s global base

    Disney+Hotstar crosses 26 mn subs, makes up 30% of Disney’s global base

    New Delhi: The Walt Disney Company conducted its annual Investor 2020 day where it shed light on the current properties and the future plans associated with them. Several executives – including media & entertainment distribution chirman Kareem Daniel, Disney+ and ESPN+  president Michale Paull,  international operations and D2C chairman Rebecca Campbell, Hulu president Kelly Campbell, ESPN and sports content chairman Jimmy Pitaro, Walt Disney Television entertainment chairman Dana Walden, FX chairman John Landgraf, Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy, National Geographic content president Courteney Monroe, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Productions president Sean Bailey, Walt Disney Animation Studios chief creatie officer Jennifer Lee, Pixar chief creative officer Pete Docter, Marvel Sutidos president and Marvel chief creative officer Kevin Feige, executive chairman &  chairman of the board  Bob Iger, senior executive vice president & chief financial officer Christine McCarthy – spoke at length about their progress of their charges and the milestones they have set for them globally and in the US. 

    McCarthy shared that Disney+ Hotstar subscribers accounted for 30 per cent of Disney+'s 86.8 million subscriber base as of December 2, 2020. This accounts for nearly 26 million sign ups for the OTT platform in India. One of the primary drivers for this has been its partnership with Jio. 

    This accounts for nearly 7.5 million increase in the subscriber in the last two months, as the last reported numbers on the Hotstar’s subscriber base were 18.5 million in September 2020.

    Indian Premier League has clearly played a strong role in increasing this subscriber base.

    Disney+Hotstar is currently offered in seven languages and has over 17,000 hours of original local programming. It also plans to expand Disney+ Hotstar to more markets. The service is currently available in India and Indonesia.

    “With a rapidly growing middle class, India is a promising market opportunity and we are uniquely positioned to succeed in the country due to our existing presence with Star TV and Hotstar,” added Campbell.

    McCarthy further mentioned that Disney+ Hotstar is expected to contribute 30-40 per cent of its projected paid subscriber base of 230-260 million by 2024. It also expects to become profitable in the same year.

    Disney+ has added over 16 million subscribers to it already existing 73.7 million global subscriber base pool (reported in the last earnings call).

    The overall portfolio of the organisation including Hulu, ESPN+ and Disney+ includes over 137 million plus paid subscribers. This includes – Hulu (38.8 million), ESPN+ (11.5 million) and Disney + (86.8 million). The company shared its expectations to hit 300 – 350 million subscriber base by 2024.

    The executives  further announced that the company  will include its general entertainment content brand Star on Disney+ in a few international markets. It will be launched in Latin America in June 20201 while in Europe, Canada, Australia-New Zealand, and Singapore the date has been set as  February 2021. Star has a huge library of television shows and movies and thousands of hours of local programming content including content from multiple sources – Disney Television Studios, FX, 20th Century Studios, 20th Television, and others. The cost for service in ANZ, Europe, Canada and Singapore will be at 8.99 euros.

    The company also revealed its original content slate over the next few years. Disney+ plans to release approximately 10 Star Wars series and 10 Marvel series, as well as 15 Disney live-action, Disney Animation, and Pixar series, as well as 15 Disney live-action, Disney Animation, and Pixar features.

  • Hina Nagarajan appointed MD & CEO of United Spirits

    Hina Nagarajan appointed MD & CEO of United Spirits

    NEW DELHI: United Spirits has appointed Hina Nagarajan as MD & CEO, with effect from April 2021. She takes over from Anand Kripalu, who has been associated with the organisation for over eight years.

    Nagarajan is currently serving as the MD for Africa emerging markets.

    Kripalu will step down by June 2021. During his tenure, he has led the transformation and growth of United Spirits Ltd (USL), with considerable improvement in operating performance – margin growth, working capital and cash generation. Following Diageo’s acquisition of USL in 2013, he led the full integration of USL, reigniting the market’s portfolio strategy. 

    A strong advocate for the contribution of the alcohol industry in India, Kripalu has formed lasting relationships across the sector, driving local community initiatives and partnerships while tirelessly promoting responsible drinking. Known for his restlessness and entrepreneurial spirit, as well as his commitment to coaching and growing talent, he has championed inclusion and diversity across the business.

    The USL executive team is now 40 per cent female. He leaves the USL leadership team and the broader workplace set up for future success. 

    Since joining Diageo in the summer of 2018, Nagarajan has led Diageo’s ARM comprising operations in Ghana, Cameroon, Ethiopia, the Indian Ocean, Angola and several other countries. Under her leadership, ARM has become a significant growth driver for Diageo Africa. She is known for her passion and drive to deliver results and her ability to build strong teams that deliver outstanding outcomes, with a strong commitment to Diageo standards and compliance. She has leveraged capabilities and synergies across the market to drive regional growth, delivering a significant step change in supply chain performance across ARM. She has also been an active and passionate advocate for inclusion and diversity in Africa and Diageo more broadly. Prior to joining Diageo, she has spent over 30 years in the consumer packaged goods businesses and has worked across multiple brands such as Nestle, ICI Paints, Mary Kay Cosmetics, and RB Singapore.

  • Netflix India shares what worked for the platform in 2020

    Netflix India shares what worked for the platform in 2020

    NEW DELHI: Since its launch in 2016, Netflix has been making substantial inroads in India. Initially, despite having a massive content library, it would still lose out to rival streaming services because of its pricier subscription plans. With the twin aims of retaining users after the one-month free trial and widening its subscriber base, Netflix last year introduced its mobile membership plan, priced at only Rs 199 per month.

    In its last earnings call, the CEO of the streaming platform  stated that India is a priority market for them. It has been working tirelessly to attract Indian audiences to sample the platform. A week ago, Netflix held StreamFest, where it offered free access to its content across the country with the objective to create buzz and get newer audiences.

    The streaming platform also has an extremely active social media platform that continuously keeps the audiences engaged with its witty and funny tweets, YouTube community posts and collaborations with influential Indian vloggers and content creators.

    In a recent blogpost, Netflix India VP content Monika Shergill shared some insights into ‘What India Watched in 2020.'

    She began with stating that India has the highest viewership of films on the platform globally. “It’s no surprise that we love films in India. India has the highest viewing of films on Netflix globally and over the last year, 80 per cent of our members in India chose to watch a film every week.”

    While Extraction, Malang and The Old Guard were the most popular action films, Raat Akeli Hai was the thriller that kept audiences on the edge of their seats.

    “Ludo was the most popular comedy film. Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo (Telugu), Kannum Kannum Kollaiyadithaal (Tamil), Kappela (Malayalam), and Uma Maheswara Ugra Roopasya (Telugu) are among many other films that featured in India’s Top 10 row,” she added.

    There is no doubt that OTT platforms have created a level playing field for the new talent in the industry. Netflix’s original shows and movies include top actors and fresh blood.  

    Shergill shone the light on strong female leads that viewers admired. “We gravitated towards stories with strong female characters across genres and formats. The inspiring story, Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl, was the most popular drama film in 2020. The other popular films and series in India this year included Guilty, Masaba Masaba, Bulbbul, She, Miss India, Never Have I Ever and Emily in Paris,” she wrote.

    “Talented new actors became the face of clever scammers in Jamtara: Sabka Number Aayega. This thriller became the Indian title to feature the longest on the Top 10 row in India. And we saw one of our favourite actors return as Ayyan Mani in Serious Men, one of the most popular drama films this year. Confused because your fan loyalties may be shifting? Well, you are not alone,” added Shergill. 

    Shergill went on to note that the viewing for non-fiction series on Netflix in India grew more than 250 per cent in 2020 over 2019.

    “The most popular non-fiction shows that got us hooked were Too Hot to Handle, Indian Matchmaking and the recently released Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives. Documentary viewing also grew more than 100 per cent in 2020 over 2019, and Bad Boy Billionaires, The Social Dilemma and Money Heist: The Phenomenon were the most popular documentaries on Netflix in India this year,” read the blog by Shergill.

    As they say, all we need is love. Shergill mentioned that Love Aaj Kal, Ginny Weds Sunny and Mismatched were some of the most popular romantic films and series that made us swoon this year. “In 2020, the viewing for romantic stories on Netflix in India increased by roughly 250 per cent compared to 2019,” added Shergill.

    In the kids genre, she wrote that the viewing of kids titles increased more than 100 per cent in India in 2020 over 2019.

    “The kids adored traveling to outer space with Over The Moon, which was the most popular kids’ title on Netflix in India in 2020. The kids also loved to discover the meaning of a family with The Willoughbys and Boss Baby: Back in Business (S4) and grooved with Feel the Beat. Special mention to the lovable Mighty Little Bheem (S3) that featured in the top 10 lists in the most number of countries globally,” she stated. 

    Great stories can come from anywhere. Indian audiences also keenly watched a lot of international content across languages. “This year, we explored stories from around the world, making the best use of subtitles and dubs. The German series Dark made our world go forward and back and then back and forward and then some, and the Spanish series Money Heist, made us wish that we were in the bank when Tokyo, Berlin, the Professor and many others took over. Dark was on the top 10 row in India for 95 days and Money Heist featured on our top 10 row for 170 days. The Turkish series The Protector is among the most popular titles in the fantasy genre this year and was also the non-Indian, non-English title that was viewed the most with subtitles and/or dubs. Pokémon: Mewtwo Strikes Back-Evolution, Blood of Zeus and One-Punch Man (S2) were the most popular anime titles in India this year.” 

    Interestingly, the viewing for K-dramas on Netflix in India increased more than 370 per cent in 2020 over 2019, shared Shergill. Some of the most popular K-titles in India included The King: Eternal Monarch, Kingdom (S2), It’s Okay to Not Be Okay and Start-up.

    The platform is growing massively in India and is teaming up with multiple partners to bundle its offerings. It is working to make  payment processing easier and seamless. Overall, the company added 2.2 million subscribers worldwide in the quarter ended 30 September.

  • ZEE5 decrypts future of digital entertainment with Contech.ED 2020

    ZEE5 decrypts future of digital entertainment with Contech.ED 2020

    Mumbai: ZEE5 will air the final episode of their Contech.ED 2020 series on December 12, 2020. #BingeNomics is an eight-partknowledge series to discuss the trends and triggers behind changing media and entertainment consumption patterns and how companies are responding to it. Bringing together renowned industry personalities like Ajay Kakkar from Aditya Birla Capital, Vikram Sakhuja from Madisson Media, Siddharth Banerjee from Games24x7, Pankaj Parihar from Godrej Consumer Products, the discussions aim to capture expert viewpoints to holistically address the challenges that befall the industry. 

    Entertainment consumption patterns have witnessed a dramatic shift in 2020 – from appointment viewing on TV to on-demand viewing on-the-go. Combined with several technology innovations propelling this growth, the steady penetration of connected devices, and smartphones giving rise to parallel second screen viewing, consumers are discovering newer ways to satiate their content needs. The #BingeNomics series brings to fore various questions with the aim to decode the preferences of the current end consumer, market growth drivers, the importance of storytelling and need for superior consumer experience to decipher what the future has in store for the media and entertainment industry. 

    Zee5 chief revenue officer Rajeev Dhal opined, “OTT saw a comeback in Q2 compared to Q1 post the lockdown. ZEE5 has grown more than 2X in terms of numbers, in Q2:Q1 our user base has grown 50 per cent and engagement rates have grown 4X – basically, everything consumed at-home has only been growing, and OTT is here to stay. There is no debate that digital ad expenses are only growing, and by 2026, 50 per cent of the AdEx will be digital oriented and bigger than TV or print. While consumption rates grow exponentially, users are going to choose to be discreet by limiting ad tracking, removing cookies which will inevitably disrupt the system. BingeNomics is ZEE5’s way of having such thought-provoking, engaging and inspiring conversations on the fast-paced, always evolving media and entertainment industry.” 

    ZEE5 India business head expansion projects and head of products Rajneel Kumar added, “Technology plays a very important role across all material changes we’re witnessing in the media and entertainment space. Consumers are now multi-device, multi-platform users and in order to know where their right audience is, brands must track them closely and accurately in order to understand where they spend their time and why. The more attuned we are to understanding these technological shifts, the better prepared we will be to entertain our consumers and make their content viewing experience superlative.” 

    Moderated by SheThePeople founder Shaili Chopra, ZEE5’s Contech.ED 2020 #BingeNomics kicked off in October 2020 and airs a new episode every Saturday. The first three episodes delved into the disruptors that are currently shaping the digital entertainment landscape, storytelling in digital content, and how innovations are changing the way we look at the rise of digital. The next four talk about the future of advertising in the digital age, who the new digital video consumer is, regional markets driving digital growth, and if and how digital media is poised to overtake traditional media.In the final episode,experts will discuss the nuances of ensuring a brand safe environment on digital media. 

  • PitchWorx simplifies designing presentations with Nimmio

    PitchWorx simplifies designing presentations with Nimmio

    NEW DELHI: PitchWorx, a creative design agency, has launched its integrated online platform – Nimmio, developed to deliver visually compelling presentations. The online platform provides quick access to pre-designed, and fully-editable presentation slides that entice and engage the audience.

    For almost a decade, PitchWorx has been creating presentations, animated videos, branding, graphic design, and web design solutions for clients mainly – start-ups, SME’s, large corporations, and government organizations. Later, the company realized that the clients wanted a quick turnaround while retaining the design liberty. Through Nimmio, the company strives to provide visually cohesive and high-quality designs while ensuring that the sense of ownership is retained with the client.

    PitchWorx CEO & founder Dharmendra Ahuja said, “Getting the brand message across the target audience requires breaking down of relevant data into an interactive presentation design. To create highly impactful marketing pitches, we have come up with the launch of Nimmio. The online platform provides pre-designed presentation slides that grab and sustains the audience’s attention. The slides can be downloaded anytime, anywhere. This results in driving efficiency and boosting the conversion rate.”

    “As we grow, we have plans to expand Nimmio’s library into designing social media posts, posters, flyers, brochures, logos, invitations, business cards, and more. Along with this, we have plans to create a marketplace where designers can showcase and sell their design templates across the globe. We are aggressively working on making Nimmio a global marketplace for designers. This will play a crucial role in discovering and connecting them with relevant opportunities around the world”, he added.

    Nimmio boasts a range of highly interactive features that empower people with design thinking capabilities to turn their ideas into reality within a few clicks. Its library is equipped with fully-editable graphic assets and resources to deliver the perfect pitch in no time. Additionally, it provides access to unlimited professionally designed and ready-to-download presentation slides at an affordable cost.

    The platform works on three different pricing plans, flexible for one time or frequent users. For one-time users, it offers the ‘Pay as you go’ model where you pay the cart value with no commitments. The ‘Monthly Plan’ is ideal for intermittent users who want value for money, and the ‘Yearly Plan’ is perfect for frequent users with unlimited downloads.