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Tag: MMA

  • BIG RTL Thrill beefs up weekend programming

    BIG RTL Thrill beefs up weekend programming

    MUMBAI: BIG RTL Thrill with its new additions is all set to turn up the entertainment quotient for men through the weekends. The channel which is available in dual feeds of Hindi and English will premier two internationally recognised shows – Bellator and Love in the Wild starting 5 October.

    The new line up will kick-start with Bellator, the largest tournament based mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion in the world. The world renowned series that was launched in 2008 has showcased nine successful seasons internationally and holds tournaments across weight classes. With Bellator, BIG RTL Thrill aims to give its audiences an hour of exclusive and exceptional action entertainment.

    Next on the anvil is Love in the Wild. The show is a reality based programme wherein ten young and single girls and boys are marooned on an island in Costa Rica. The boys and girls are paired as couples and participate in various adventurous activities while they seek love. In order to find true love, the contestants have to undergo hardships and challenges that will test their compatibility, chemistry and mental grit.

    BIG RTL Thrill vice president Vijay Koshy said, “We are delighted to bring these two new fantastic shows to our audiences over weekends. While Bellator is an internationally well established property amongst mixed martial art fans, Love in the Wild promises to provide for scintillating content in the late night slot. We are confident that this mix of action-entertainment shows will work well with audiences, while offering marketers with properties that promise best ROI.”

    The new shows on the channel aim to tap into the expanded market for BIG RTL Thrill following its dual-feed launch earlier this year. The channel, which is available on all leading networks, offers male viewers international action-programming in both Hindi and English across key 1mn+ HSMs.

  • Group M elevates Ajit Varghese to Maxus Asia Pacific CEO

    Group M elevates Ajit Varghese to Maxus Asia Pacific CEO

    MUMBAI: Media vet Ajit Varghese has more than one reason to celebrate. He has been going max at Maxus South Asia and his efforts are being recognised in his promotion to CEO Maxus Asia Pacifiic. The elevation, which comes into effect come new year 2014, will see Varghese shifting to Singapore, replacing Neil Stewart who has been sent upstairs as chief client officer Maxus Global.
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    Tha announcement was made by GroupM on Sunday 23 September.

    Varghese will work closely with Stewart in the transition period of six months, and will report into Group M CEO Asia Pacific Mark Patterson and Maxus Global CEO Vikram Sakhuja

    Over the last seven years, Varghese has been responsible for scaling up Maxus in India and South Asia, says the release issued by Group M. Under his leadership Maxus has achieved several distinctions. Maxus now has the best record in the industry in terms of new business wins and client retentions. It is the only media agency in India to be ranked ‘dominant‘ for three years in a row by RECMA for its outstanding overall performance.

    Ajit Varghese: Singapore is going to be his base come 1 Jan 2014

    Led by Varghese, Maxus has also dominated the industry award scene in India and South Asia, winning at Cannes, FOMA, Emvies, Goafest and recently retaining the Mobile Marketing Agency for the second year running at MMA.

    GroupM CEO South Asia CVL Srinivas said: “Ajit has been an outstanding leader for Maxus and a great ambassador for GroupM. He combines intellect with a passion for delivering the best value for his clients. He has helped create a very unique culture at Maxus and truly embodies the Maxus spirit. All of us at GroupM are very proud of his achievements and wish him the very best in his new role”.

    Maxus Global CEO Vikram Sakhuja said: : “Ajit has displayed exceptional leadership to make Maxus one of India‘s best and biggest agencies. With this promotion, I am very excited that Ajit will now lead Maxus APAC. I have no doubt that with his brand of entrepreneurial leadership, Maxus APAC will scale new heights. “

    Ajit Varghese said: “The last seven years at Maxus has been an exciting journey; we have built a strong portfolio of clients, secured their trust, delivered them a world-class product and picked up many accolades along the way. We have worked hard to develop our value proposition, building a Maxus spirit and culture that will help sustain and propel our business in the coming years. I’m now looking forward to learning and contributing more to Maxus and GroupM across the region and am sure the journey will be as exciting and fruitful in the coming years. India obviously continues to be part of my scope and will remain close to my heart”

  • Maxus India bags Agency of the Year at Smarties India 2013

    Maxus India bags Agency of the Year at Smarties India 2013

    MUMBAI: Maxus India won the prestigious Agency of the Year in Mobile at the second edition of Smarties India at The Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) Forum India 2013.  Outstanding campaigns across 21 categories were awarded recognising innovation, creativity and leadership in mobile marketing from across the country. MMA is emerging as a powerful platform where all relevant players wish to connect and take the mobile marketing industry to the next level.

    Winners came from across a broad range of industry segments in India, including FMCG, retail, automobile, ready-to-drink beverages, telecommunications, and quick-service restaurants, amongst others.

    Commenting on the 2013 Smarties India Awards Winners, Rohit added, “I would like to congratulate all the award winners who put forward a very strong range of entries, demonstrating the exceptionally high standard of mobile marketing talent, innovation, and creativity we have in India. I would also like to give thanks to the delegates, partners and sponsors for their participation in MMAF 2013 India.”

    Click here for the list of all winners

  • Affle Group launches $3.3 million M2X fund to boost mobile ads

    Affle Group launches $3.3 million M2X fund to boost mobile ads

    NEW DELHI: Affle Group, a leading smart media company, has announced the launch of M2X, a $3.3 million (Rs 20 crore) fund, in association with the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA).

    M2X or Mobile 2x is set up to enable brands, publishers, agencies, app developers and entrepreneurs to create mobile assets, increase mobile ad spends and promote development of innovative technologies in emerging mobile markets with particular focus on India, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines and Singapore.

    M2X is an industry-first effort, spearheaded by Affle Group with support of MMA, to fuel the growth of the mobile marketing ecosystem in emerging markets. Qualifying companies will be able to submit their applications to M2X to gain access to funds under two broad categories: (i) dollar-for-dollar co-investment with advertisers, agencies and publishers for mobile asset creation and advertising campaigns that use mobile as a medium with Affle; and (ii) investment in start-ups or existing companies that are investing into technology innovation and IP creation in the field of mobile advertising.

    Affle Groupe chairman Anuj Khanna Sohum said, “We see huge untapped potential for mobile advertising in developing Asian markets. Some significant bottlenecks we see the industry facing in this part of the world include lack of quality mobile assets, limited or no investments in mobile advertising by some brands and limited investments in technology innovation. Affle’s M2X fund is a very unique sector-focused fund that will help grow the industry and help boost entrepreneurship in this domain. Through our dollar-for-dollar matching co-investment scheme, we plan to help qualified brands and publishers increase the value proposition and user traction of their mobile assets. Also through our entrepreneur acceleration program we are confident of providing a significant impetus to ad technology innovation in mobile-first markets.”

     “Half of world’s mobile population is located in Asia, and a substantial portion of this is in emerging markets and the race is on to connect with the next billion consumers. The launch of Affle’s M2X fund comes at an opportune time to mitigate any reticence on the part of advertisers and publishers to add mobile to their media mix, particularly where budgets have been cited as a reason. M2X will also enable faster go-to-market for companies in this region who are creating products and solutions for the mobile advertising space. M2X is a strategic industry-focused initiative that aims to encourage this community to place their bets on the power of mobile, while sharing in risk and therefore increasing return-on-investment,” said Mobile Marketing Association Asia Pacific MD Rohit Dadwal.

    As part of the MMA’s involvement in M2X, applications from existing members will be reviewed on a priority basis. In addition, non-members that meet the criteria for funding will automatically be eligible for co-funding towards regional MMA membership. Through the MMA, qualifying companies will benefit from access to international guidelines on global standards, measurement and best practise in mobile marketing and advertising.

    The launch of M2X is in line with Affle Group’s commitment and determination to lead the change and drive growth for the mobile ad industry. This mobile ad fund will aid and assist all major stakeholders as well as industry players to capitalize on the opportunities in this market.

  • Mountain Dew targets MMA fans with SFL sponsorship

    MUMBAI: PepsiCo‘s carbonated soft drink brand Mountain Dew has joined hands with Super Fight League, the first India-based Mixed Martial Arts property founded by Raj Kundra.

    The association brings alive the brand philosophy of ‘Darr Ke Aage Jeet Hai’ as the new season of Friday Fight Nights commences on 29 March in Mumbai.

    Mountain Dew has always supported extreme sports that test the true strength and spirit of the mind and body. As a brand, it has constantly identified itself with energy, bravado and fortitude.

    In this exhilarating season, MMA warriors from all across the globe will come together in a legendary battle for the ownership of the Championship Title belt and the honour of being known to all as the Super Fight League World Champion.

    With 11 title belts this season, 8 for males and 3 for female weight categories, the battle has only heated up.

    PepsiCo India Category Director- Flavours Ruchira Jaitly said, “Mountain Dew is proud to partner with the Super Fight League. The brand has always aimed at inspiring people to be fearless and believing in their convictions. Celebrating the spirit of confronting fears to win, Mountain Dew’s ‘Darr Ke Aage Jeet Hai’ philosophy has always urged consumers to shrink their fears, move ahead with a self- belief and explore new boundaries. The brand enjoys high salience in the Indian market via an engaging platform of experiencing action sports like never before. Super Fight League brings together wonderful athletes from the entire world to showcase their talent and we are hopeful of an exciting season ahead.”

    “I am extremely excited about partnering with Mountain Dew. The brand has always stood for fearlessness and adventure. I am sure that our journey together in SFL would be full of spirit, courage and good sportsmanship. The long haul for victory, the ‘can-do’ attitude of the brand is in perfect keeping with the motto of Super Fight League. Martial Art is an inspiring sport. It seeks to tell everyone what can be achieved with a ‘never-say-never’ attitude and hard work,” commented Raj Kundra, Co-Founder, Super Fight League.

    SFL‘s Friday Fight Nights will be televised live on Star Sports, Star Sports 2 every alternate Friday besides being live streamed on YouTube.

  • Synovate integrates analytic and strategic biz units

    Synovate integrates analytic and strategic biz units

    MUMBAI: Custom market research company Synovate has integrated two of its global analytic and strategic business units, Marketing Management Analytics (MMA) and Synovate Management Analytics (SMA).

    The single unit is designed to merge traditional and emerging analytics with “mind of the consumer”attitudinal and behavioural data. It will be branded as MMA.

    Synovate SMA CEO Patrick Cummings, a former Accenture partner who led the development of its North American marketing sciences practice, and the former president of Global Analytics at SymphonyIRI will become CEO of the integrated companies.

    Doug Brooks, who has been leading the transformation of MMA, will become executive vice president of the combined entity, and will report to Cummings.

    Synovate in North America CEO Scott Miller said the power of the combined MMA and SMA business lies in its ability to directly link predictive analytics with consumer attitudes and behaviours, helping companies drive significant gains in incremental value through more effective product development, marketing and sales.

    Integrating the two companies‘ analytic approaches is aimed to enable brands to connect predictive analytics and econometric data with near real-time attitudinal and behavioural insights to drive brand and product innovation while also significantly improving planning and forecasting processes on a global scale.

    MMA focuses on brand, marketing and media performance, including digital and social media. For over 20 years, it has been working in the areas of predictive, automated modeling that supports a range of business process integration techniques for planning and forecasting.

    SMA has developed solutions that support clients‘ global portfolio investments, innovation and product life cycle solutions. These capabilities apply analytic techniques, econometric data and consumer attitudinal and behavioural insights to build stronger brand performance.

    Cummings said, “The merger of these two powerful sources of insight will provide a disruptive set of solutions capable of solving some of industries‘ most elusive and challenging problems. Traditional analytics capture the “what, where and how”behind key enablers of business performance. Consumer market research encapsulates the “who and the why”of consumer decision making. By finding the intersection of these two powerful insight sources, these truths can be integrated to provide a more holistic view of companies‘ business and consumers. This new combination of insights will allow global organisations to achieve better results through more predictive and relevant decision making.”

    “Many companies have struggled to establish a single view of their business due to the siloed nature of current analytic solutions, data and business functions. By combining the capabilities of MMA and SMA we have established a highly experienced analytic consulting team with a business- relevant set of solutions that enables the integration and translation of complex analytics into easy-to-use and actionable brand and board room strategies that result in real and measureable value creation for our clients. We call this ‘Disruptive Analytics‘,”added Brooks.

    Averred Miller, “Too often analytics and consumer market research are managed separately. But by combining the recency and relevance of consumer market research with traditional analytics, companies can achieve an unparalleled level of accuracy and predictability for planning and forecasting. An integrated MMA/SMA puts Synovate on the leading edge in terms of developing the next generation of value creation in analytics and market research.”

  • Alfred Haber to distribute International Fight League’s properties globally

    Alfred Haber to distribute International Fight League’s properties globally

    MUMBAI: Alfred Haber Distribution (AHD) has teamed up with the International Fight Leagu (IFL), the world’s first team-based professional league of the fastest growing sport in the world today, Mixed Martial Arts (MMA).

    AHD will be the exclusive international distributor (excluding Latin America and the Middle East) of the IFL’s two new series IFL Fight Night and IFL Batleground.

    IFL is looking to make the sport of MMA more mainstream by moving from the cage to an oversized boxing ring, while also taking out many of the moves that emphasised blood over strategy and athleticism. The result has been the production of two series, one for primetime and one late night for television.

    IFL Fight Night showcases five fights between two teams. IFL Battleground takes a behind-the-scenes look at the IFL with action footage of the MMA’s rising stars and their world champion coaches. The series also includes event action, highlights, and vignettes.

    Haber says, “Over the last few years, the growth rate of the MMA has been nothing less than phenomenal. With the IFL coming on the scene at this juncture, with its team based format, the FSN combat series and the primetime network ‘Battleground’ presentation, it all combines to create explosive television for broadcasters around the world. This is a tremendous opportunity to grow the audience from the original limited mainstream exposure.”