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  • Saugato Bhowmik to head Viacom 18 Integrated Network Solutions, Jaideep Singh moves on

    Saugato Bhowmik to head Viacom 18 Integrated Network Solutions, Jaideep Singh moves on

    MUMBAI: Viacom18 has elevated Saugato Bhowmik as the head of its Integrated Network Solutions (INS) business unit. INS has been instrumental in developing brand solutions for consumers and live properties across music and entertainment genres. Bhowmik takes on the role from Jaideep Singh who will be moving on from the organization. Along with this new role, Bhowmik will continue to head the Consumer Products business line at Viacom18.

    Commenting on this development, Viacom18  Group CEO Sudhanshu  Vats said, “Saugato has rich experience in marketing and his expertise in consumer products has enabled us to monetize various brand properties through successful merchandising and licensing partnerships. We are confident that his sharp marketing sense and ability to mine consumer insights will help grow the INS business further. I would also like to take this opportunity to wish Jaideep the best for his future endeavors.”

    Vats further added, “We are taking this opportunity to build a fully ‘Integrated Network Solutions’ business with Consumer Products, BE Viacom18 & LIVE Viacom18 managed synergistically by one team for the organization”

    LIVE Viacom18 has launched successful IPs like VH1 Supersonic, MTV Bollyland, Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards, Emerge, MTV Xtreme and Comedy Central Chuckle Festival.

    Viacom18 Consumer Products has been extremely successful in creating a robust portfolio of merchandize for the kids and youth segment with products including exclusive ‘Back-to-School’ Toys & Apparel in the kids segment. And everything from footwear to a themed café under the MTV brand name for the youth. The licensing arm of the network has also inked exclusive deals with ‘FC Barcelona’ & ‘Peppa Pig’

  • Saugato Bhowmik to head Viacom 18 Integrated Network Solutions, Jaideep Singh moves on

    Saugato Bhowmik to head Viacom 18 Integrated Network Solutions, Jaideep Singh moves on

    MUMBAI: Viacom18 has elevated Saugato Bhowmik as the head of its Integrated Network Solutions (INS) business unit. INS has been instrumental in developing brand solutions for consumers and live properties across music and entertainment genres. Bhowmik takes on the role from Jaideep Singh who will be moving on from the organization. Along with this new role, Bhowmik will continue to head the Consumer Products business line at Viacom18.

    Commenting on this development, Viacom18  Group CEO Sudhanshu  Vats said, “Saugato has rich experience in marketing and his expertise in consumer products has enabled us to monetize various brand properties through successful merchandising and licensing partnerships. We are confident that his sharp marketing sense and ability to mine consumer insights will help grow the INS business further. I would also like to take this opportunity to wish Jaideep the best for his future endeavors.”

    Vats further added, “We are taking this opportunity to build a fully ‘Integrated Network Solutions’ business with Consumer Products, BE Viacom18 & LIVE Viacom18 managed synergistically by one team for the organization”

    LIVE Viacom18 has launched successful IPs like VH1 Supersonic, MTV Bollyland, Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards, Emerge, MTV Xtreme and Comedy Central Chuckle Festival.

    Viacom18 Consumer Products has been extremely successful in creating a robust portfolio of merchandize for the kids and youth segment with products including exclusive ‘Back-to-School’ Toys & Apparel in the kids segment. And everything from footwear to a themed café under the MTV brand name for the youth. The licensing arm of the network has also inked exclusive deals with ‘FC Barcelona’ & ‘Peppa Pig’

  • Live Viacom18 aims high with experiential marketing

    Live Viacom18 aims high with experiential marketing

    MUMBAI: Recognising the power and potential of experiential marketing, Viacom18’s on-ground arm  Live Viacom18 is all set to take things to the next level. What launched in 2013 with 12 shows, has expanded to more than 300 events in 2015, with 12 solid intellectual properties to its name. From VH1 Supersonic, MTV Bollyland, Emerge to Chuckle Festival, the list is long.

     

    What’s more, the company didn’t stop at just establishing brands but extended the property with every passing year, be it through campus interactions, club nights across tier II and III cities, to engagement through heavyweight events.

     

    “The idea was to expand each event into several individual extensions, which run through a year. We saw a tremendous growth story by following this strategy. That also ensured that advertisers and consumers have a sustained visibility and access to the properties throughout the year,” says Live Viaocm18 senior vice president and business head Jaideep Singh.

     

    Identifying the advantage that experiential marketing gives brand is the key reason for the initiative’s success across the country in such a short time. Not only has it been successful in multiplying eyeball reach exponentially, it has also managed to establish each of the properties as individual brands with a loyal following.

     

    “From our network perspective, we have premium brands in all the spaces from Nickelodeon to Vh1 to MTV to Colors, which are brands that can take live event space to the next level. Fortunately we are positioned rightly to make the optimum use out of this space and provide advertisers with the same. And these IPs cannot exist in isolation, they need a certain ecosystem as well, which we can create by leveraging the 150 million plus broadcast eyeballs that we command, and 95 million digital footprints that we reach. Viacom18 is our answer to exploiting such a massive reach in the live space,” he points out.

     

    “We have plans to touch one million people in terms of our live events. We are looking at taking us to 25 cities and 300 odd events through the year. The biggest contributor to this massive on ground success of Viacom18 is no doubt our flagship property VH1 Supersonic, which is synonymous with the country’s EDM music scene,” he adds.

     

    With the third instalment of the mega five day EDM extravaganza hitting the country from 27 December, Singh shares that the expectations are quite high from this year’s lineup, audience turnover as well as brand integration and partnerships.

     

    “Last year was fantastic. We felt so connected with our fans who attended the festival and the bond will only grow stronger this year. Building on last year’s success where approximately 100,000 dance music fans surrendered to the enigma of dance music at Candolim beach, we have been inspired to make this year’s edition of Vh1 Supersonic a much grander affair,” Singh shares.

     

    “Our vision at Live Viacom18 is to provide dance music fans with a holistic experiential experience thereby igniting the collective passion for dance music and fulfil the needs of devoted music lovers. The third edition of this festival with its exciting line-up of artists and association with the global music fraternity will be an experience that fans will remember for a long time to come,” he signs off.

  • Viacom18’s live events business sees two-fold increase in a year

    Viacom18’s live events business sees two-fold increase in a year

    MUMBAI: Over the last decade or so Viacom18 has created fresh new ways to connect with its audience and build enduring relationships. The company’s on-ground property Live Viacom18, which has been building innovative IPs, multi-dimensional marketing and engagement platforms, has witnessed tremendous growth ever since it conception in October 2012.

     

    Sharing insights on the business with Indiantelevision.com, Viacom18 Media’s Integrated Network Solutions (INS) senior vice president and business head Jaideep Singh said, “From 2013 to 2014, we’ve doubled our business and this year too we intend to double it. If you look at the whole industry, we are the largest players. What took others five to six years to achieve, we did in a year’s time. Nobody has the ecosystem that we do, and nobody has that kind of IPs that we have. So in a way, we are the leaders in the Rs 400-450 crore market of live events.”

     

    Viacom18 began with 13 IPs and a few events in 2013. It then scaled up to 210 events in 2014 and plans are afoot to expand it to 300 plus events this year.

     

    Singh further informs that the property has been constantly increasing the number of hours of content produced. “The brand, which used to produce 10-15 hours of content when it began in 2013, will produce 50-60+ hours of content this year and that’s huge in the live events industry.”

     

    Live Viacom 18 has properties like Super Sonic, Chuckle Festival, MTV Bollyland, Emerge, MTV Extreme and the awards property, which will be held in the third or fourth quarter this year. Additionally, more than 350 plus artists globally are set to add yet another feather to its success cap.

     

    While Live Viacom 18 is looking to explore with newer formats and enter newer markets, the ultimate aim is to give the audience a better experience, with great artists and bring in the best of the latest technology experience. Singh asserts, “This year we have introduced something new called Spiro, which is an initiative by MTV Indies.”

     

    Live Viacom18, which is a division under Viacom18’s Integrated Network Solutions, currently has presence in about 25 cities and is looking at expanding its footprints to 35 cities this year. When queried as to whether they intended to cater to markets outside India, Singh said, “Given an opportunity, we will explore markets outside India like Middle East Asia and South Asia to begin with.”

     

    Speaking about advertisers’ response to its properties, Singh said, “In the first year, we had about 15 brands on board, then in 2014 we had 40 brands and this year we have 70 plus brands on board. So the response from brands has been overwhelming for us.”

     

    Of the 300 plus events planned this year, Live Viacom 18 has already held 30 events in the first quarter of 2015. What’s more, the team is all prepared to handle the pressure. Asked whether the company was looking at beefing up its team, Singh said, “No we are not beefing up our teams. We have separate teams for our properties and hence there is focus among them and they are all set and excited for the line up of events.”

     

    On the marketing front, Live Viacom 18 will leverage its advantage of being a broadcaster and its digital presence to engage with audiences. Additionally, the traditional forms of media like print, radio and OOH will also be used to gain marketing traction. All in all, the company will roll out a 360 degree integrated marketing campaign, which will be executed across properties.

     

    Apart from this, the company also has an innovation up its sleeve. A tie-up with US-based technology company Mixify will help Viacom18 bring in artists to perform on video without them being present physically. With this technology not only will they increase their fan base but also create a lot more engagement in multiple cities at the same time.

     

    Highlighting three key trends that the industry was moving towards, Singh said, “The first one is towards more and more live entertainment events with newer formats. Secondly, there’s been an increase in consumer spends and thirdly consuming merchandise.”

     

    Singh informed that currently LIVE Viacom18 is not active in the merchandising front, but it is an avenue that the company will explore going forward.

  • I am looking at large strategic partnerships, says Jaideep Singh

    I am looking at large strategic partnerships, says Jaideep Singh

    MUMBAI: A new mobile handset brand, Vivo, is set to enter the Indian market. And helping it have a presence in the already cluttered mobile market space in the country is the two year old Viacom18 Integrated Network Solutions (INS).

     

    Both Vivo and INS have forged a strategic marketing and communications partnership. “Through this partnership we are giving them all the services required to launch their brand in India. This includes advising them in the first phase about the youth insight, the media market of the country and the overall brand space,” informs Viacom18 Media INS senior vice president Jaideep Singh.

     

    Since the audience the handset is catering to is the same as that of Viacom18, INS will also select the right broadcasts and the right digital social media platform which Vivo can choose from the Viacom18 portfolio. “We have some of the best brands and properties to target them,” adds Singh.

     

    So how did INS bag the partnership? Answers Singh, “Well, in a phased manner, we did an exercise with Vivo, which involved making them understand the insights about youth, then profiling all the assets we have, from broadcast to live to digital and social media and then creating a package for them, telling what it will take to launch a brand in India.”

     

    As for the marketing strategy of the new brand, INS has created a package, which is a mix of broadcast, live, digital, social media, PR communication, media planning services and a big brand launch event.

     

    This apart, all the creative ideas to be used and executed through the launch is what INS is working on. Singh informs that the deal with Vivo is a long term one and this is just the first phase. “The first phase is till June-July and we are working on it. The discussion of the phase post July is ongoing and we will come up with a plan for that,” he says.

     

    As part of the first phase, INS will be promoting the brand through properties like ‘Roadies’, ‘Comedy Nights With Kapil’, ‘MTV Bollyland’ etc. It is also exploring other fun ideas on the digital front. “We will also be creating the TVC for the brand,” informs Singh adding that currently it will use the global TVC of Vivo, since there is not too much time before the big launch. “But as we move forward, the TVC will also be created by Viacom18,” he says.  

     

    INS has got a dedicated team to service Vivo. This comprises digital experts, marketing experts, creative experts and operations experts for ground activations. “It is a sizable team, which has been taken both internally as well as externally from the partners we work with,” he adds.

     

    According to Singh, the deal with Vivo helps the company leverage its consultancy services and in-house strong marketing capabilities for launching a brand in India. “A deal like this also opens up a new avenue for us in terms of having long term strategic partner, rather than trying to find many small partners on regular basis,” he says.  

     

    “I am looking at large strategic partnerships which will be of sizable ticket size and covers the sizable assets we have on the network and create more assets,” Singh further adds.

     

    So what’s the marketing budget for the handset? Says Singh, “Vivo is a major brand in China with 8 per cent market share. Presently the size of the marketing activities is substantial, but as we go in the second phase, it will be equal to the scale of any major handset in the country.”  

     

    Singh also informs that while as a digital strategy for Viacom18’s large content library, it will be looking at being present on multiple handsets, but currently there is no such arrangement on exclusive content sharing with Vivo. “They could have access to content on the properties they are partnering with us. The content partnership can happen in the later stage. It is the core to our heart and can be explored,” he further adds.  

     

    Talking about the integrations, Singh says that as part of the soft play, while integration with ‘Roadies’ has already started, the TVC will break in end of December and ‘Comedy Nights With Kapil’ will begin  from January.

     

    INS is positive about the feedback the new entrant will get from the consumers in India. “The brand film is looking good and so is the product. From the Chinese market perspective it would be the best product to enter the market. Once the film comes out and the product is integrated and the features are shown, the brand will have an appeal,” he opines.

  • Live Viacom18 announces musical extravaganza on World Music Day

    Live Viacom18 announces musical extravaganza on World Music Day

    MUMBAI: This World Music Day, LIVE Viacom18pledges to provide an array of music and entertainment experiences tailor-made for the Indian diaspora. It will provide anideal platform forpopular music genres by way of the wide rangeof IPs from Bollywood to EDM to Rock and much more.

     

    Bollywood music is an eternal favorite for most Indian audiences. With increasing global awareness, the average Indian is exposed to international music and trends &evolution. In recent times, Electronic Dance Music (EDM) has also seen a surge in popularity, as anelectrifying genre with an infectious dance vibe.Live Viacom18 has been instrumental in creating an innovative genre called Bollywood Dance Music (BDM) which sees these two popular genres fusing in an avatarnever seen before. In celebration of this novel genre, an experiential property – MTV Bollyland was launched last year. MTV Bollyland has, as a focused decision, decided to expand its reach with 12 club nights for urban audiencesand 12 City Concertsfor Tier II cities with the aim of making this mesmerizing experience available to a broad audience.

     

    Emerge,true to its name,is a platform for upcoming internationalartists to provide invigorating new experiences for the Indian audience. Memorable performers from the past three editions includeJeremy Loops, Dinner and a Suit, and Engine-Earz and UK Producer Asa. The property’s impact will be amplified with a monthly presence pan-India, starting this August. There will be sixmulti-city club tours featuring upcoming artists from across the world and two large format, day-long city festivalsin the coming months till March 2015. Emerge will have upcoming artists and music trends from across the world performing over a period of eight months.  Artist announcements will follow every month.

     

    Vh1 Supersonic, the hottest EDM property on the block, which started off with a bang last December on the sunny sands of Goa, will travel across India in the form of over 100 gigs and concerts with electrifying performances from renowned international and Indian artists. Vh1 Supersonic Arcade is a series of concerts which will be held across the country from September onwards.Vh1 Supersonic ClubNights will see talented national and international DJs perform in clubs across various cities.Vh1 Supersonic Campus 101, created especially for the youth of today will be woven into college festivals across the country. All legs of Vh1 Supersonic will engage EDM lovers with a steady stream of gigs throughout the year and will seamlessly lead into the eagerly awaited main event Vh1 Supersonicin Goa this December.

     

    Music is consumed across a variety of platforms by the evolved Indian, today. To stay at the forefront of this phenomena, Live Viacom18 will engage with music aficionados across its revamped social media platforms. Independent web destinationswill serve as entertainment hubs for each of these genres.

     

    In taking these giant strides, the personal experience of mobile has also been integrated with dedicated applications for EDM fanatics and a mobile platform that will enable the discovery of new music for the discerning.The primary objective of these digital initiatives is to unite like-minded individuals to form a music community.

     

    On the occasion of World Music Day, Mr. Jaideep Singh, Sr. Vice President and Business Head – INS, Viacom18 Pvt. Ltd. says, “India’s youth population is at an all-time high of 70%. A considerable percentage resides in urban centres. They are exposed to myriad genres and have individualistic and multiple tastes, which often overlap. Bearing this in mind,we have conceptualized and created multiple IPs that experimentwith various music genres and mix sounds for loyalistspan-India. In fact, LIVE Viacom18 will reach outto a wide audience across a number of Indian cities and targetvaried audiencespectrum withdistinctive properties.”

     

    On World Music Day, through 150+ live events across various music genres, LIVE Viacom18 promisesevery weekend to become a musical weekend.