ITV

Tag: MTV Network

  • ‘From the’Small Big’ company to the ‘Big Small’ company’

    ‘From the’Small Big’ company to the ‘Big Small’ company’

    2007 was a remarkable year for the Indian media industry. It was a year that witnessed small steps as well as giant leaps, fundamental shifts as well as tactical maneuvers, greater clutter as well as cutting edge innovation.

    On the whole, 2007 fulfilled a lot of potential in the industry, yet it leaves us with a sense that the Indian media story is still pregnant with a thousand more possibilities… Media players saw newer growth pastures, widened their business horizons, deepened their portfolios and above all competed and cooperated aggressively. This was a sign that the industry was alive, kicking and ready to reach the next level. The fact that many global brands made a beeline to enter the market or strengthen their presence is a testimony to the health of the industry.

    There was widespread strengthening of newer trends such as the heightened sensitivity to user generated content across genres, and a greater focus on interactivity and ‘mobilization’ of content across the board
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    The year saw some good old fashioned competition reach newer pinnacles. Within television, multiple channel launches, especially in news and entertainment, aggressive sales and marketing ploys such as those displayed in the battle for cricket broadcasting supremacy, innovative new show formats, dogged pursuance of alliances and rights and the perennial scramble for prime time shares, ensured 2007 was an exciting period for the industry. At the same time, there was widespread strengthening of newer trends such as the heightened sensitivity to user generated content across genres, and a greater focus on interactivity and ‘mobilization’ of content across the board.

    Even in other media such as print, competition became fiercer amongst the national print majors. Yet, there was also a rise of more targeted products, creating niche plays across regions (launch of city specific compacts in Delhi and Bangalore), demographics such as the youth, women (launch of youth oriented compact paper) or genres such as lifestyle, global fashion, celebrity gossip ( launch of many international magazine titles). The same high intensity and feverish growth pitch could be seen in the online and new media space, with multiple mobile marketing solutions, out of home innovations and web enabled services hitting the market.

    Clearly, 2007 was a momentous year for the industry, with a great degree of optimism in the air. However, there were also concerns that made us exercise caution in all that optimism. Talent management became an important issue for the industry, with sustained levels of attrition. Industry fee and rate structures were under much debate, especially for broadcasters with respect to the surcharge issue. The need for a re-alignment in these became a matter of contention and that is yet to be fully resolved. The regulatory environment for the industry did not improve substantially and a lot of streamlining in policymaking is still necessary in close consonance with industry players. Issues such as revenue leakages through media value chains and a greater level of industry consensus and organization are other key areas that continued to impede us in 2007.

    This year, the group saw tremendous ‘competency expansion’, apart from continued organic growth in its already existing market leading brands.
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    For Network18, 2007 was a defining moment in many ways. Befittingly, in 2007, we confidently unraveled our new brand identity and re-committed ourselves to continue enlightening, entertaining and enabling India. Moreover, the year symbolized a great culmination of the first phase of Network18’s growth story. By 2007, we have progressed from being only a “small company” a decade ago, a production house as our genesis, to now becoming a “small BIG company”, which is considered as one of India’s leading full play media conglomerates.

    In fact, in 2007, our growth story reached newer unprecedented highs. This year, the group saw tremendous ‘competency expansion’, apart from continued organic growth in its already existing market leading brands. In 2007, Network18 expanded into newer media such as print and genres such as general entertainment, through strategic alliances with global leaders like Viacom and Forbes, the acquisition of Infomedia and announcement of the JV with Jagran Prakashan.

    We diversified our gamut of services with the launch of E18, our full spectrum events business which clocked early coups with prominent music gigs such as Americas and Scorpions. Our filmed entertainment venture Studio18 led from the front with innovative distribution and marketing strategies as was evident from Jab We Met becoming one of the year’s blockbusters, despite the high voltage drama from other big budget releases.

    We continued on the leadership path in the Indian online space with stronger performance of all portals across the content, communication and transaction spectrum. Our foray into the Hindi online space with the launch of ‘Josh18’ and success with our latest mobile innovation “Moneycontrol’s Markets on Mobile” ratified our status as new media pioneers in the country. In fact, Markets on Mobile has already emerged as one of the largest mobile subscription services in the country within a couple of months of launch.

    On the television side, our leader brands across business news, general news and music and entertainment (CNBC Channels, CNN-IBN, IBN 7 and MTV Network channels) continued to traverse new boundaries and sustained their momentum through 2007. Ratings, viewer feedback, awards and advertiser interest ratified the continued progress of our television business.

    Clearly, in 2007, it was definitive that Network18 has become a “small BIG company”. The future promises to be exciting and invigorating for all of us at the group. Our long term vision is quite simple and clear. Network18 must emerge as the “Big Big company” on the global media stage, a torchbearer of the Indian media industry’s arrival on the world market.

    However, our immediate objective towards achieving that vision is to FIRST become a “big SMALL company”. The “SMALL” symbolizes our passionate commitment to huddle together (Much like the famous Indian cricket one!) and continue to work as a well knit team which envisions and synergizes together and above all never loses the spirit of innovation and enterprise that has been the DNA of Network18. At Network18, expanding size will not mean furthering distances!

    At the group, our success mantra has always been our ability to execute with great precision, led by India’s best media talent along with strong adherence to our core values and vision. We hope to continue attracting and retaining the most innovative and passionate minds in the business as we strive to achieve the next phase of the Network18 growth story. 2008 and beyond…

  • MTV Networks sets up Global Inclusion Strategy advisory committee

    MTV Networks sets up Global Inclusion Strategy advisory committee

    MUMBAI: MTV Networks (MTVN), a unit of Viacom has announced the formation of a Global Inclusion Strategy advisory committee. Drawn from across MTV Networks’ brands and business units, the advisory committee will set priorities, develop strategies and implement policies that advance MTVN’s core values of diversity, multiculturalism and inclusion throughout the company.

    The advisory committee was selected by MTVN chairman and CEO Judy McGrath and MTVN Global Inclusion Strategy EVP and Nickelodeon/MTVN Kids and Family Group EVP public affairs and chief of staff Marva Smalls. She will serve on the committee as its chair.

    An official release issued by the company stated that the members of the advisory committee reflect the business units of MTV Networks, and will have direct impact on diversity, multicultural and inclusion issues. The committee will be responsible for promoting MTVN’s core values across its global workforce, as well as engaging employees throughout the company for their ideas and perspectives on diversity issues.

    “It is imperative that every line of business has direct access and involvement with our diversity and inclusion strategy,” said Smalls. “This team approach will ensure that MTV Networks’ culture remains every bit as diverse, multicultural and vibrant as the audiences we serve.”

    MTVN’s Global Inclusion Strategy is the company’s commitment to championing the next generation of leadership across its global brands, and ensuring that its culture continues to evolve as a welcoming and inclusive place for talent.

    MTVN aims to create a work environment across the company where all employees can contribute to its success while achieving their own professional goals. Through this strategy, MTVN will not only further weave diversity, multiculturalism and inclusion into the fabric of the company, but also expand partnerships with external organizations and advocacy groups, adds the release.

  • MTV Network’s fourth annual presentation addresses industry needs

    MTV Network’s fourth annual presentation addresses industry needs

    MUMBAI: At its fourth annual joint upfront presentation, MTV Networks (MTVN) presented the advertising community with a multi-platform message underscoring how the company’s brands –MTV, MTV2, Vh1, Comedy Central, CMT, Logo, Nick at Nite, Spike TV, The N and TV Land — are best positioned to feed the needs of both consumers and advertisers in the digital media age.

    The presentation, led by MTVN chairman and CEO Judy McGrath, focused on how the company’s multiple platforms, global reach and unrivalled brand strength connect to audiences worldwide offer advertisers many opportunities to reach viewers of all ages and demographics.
    Held on 2 May in New York City, the event was highlighted by exclusive musical performances and special guest appearances by some of the biggest names in entertainment.

    Among those featured were Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jerry Seinfeld, Kanye West, Jamie Foxx, Lucy Liu, Jessica Alba, Jon Stewart, Mr. T, Miss America Jennifer Berry, The Hogans, Jesse McCartney, Miranda Lambert, Carlos Mencia, Chris Kattan, Ludacris, Stephen Colbert and Sarah Silverman among others, informs an official release.

    “MTV Networks is all about developing original content specifically for every platform, for television, wireless and broadband,” said McGrath. “In a lot of ways, the technology has finally caught up with us. We are the only pure play content company with a global footprint and a multi-media playbook.”

    Through its 122 channels, more than 100 Web sites, broadband channels and mobile content spanning 171 countries and territories, MTVN continues to set the standard for creating relevant content that connects with target audiences throughout the demographic spectrum and across the digital landscape.

    MTVN’s portfolio of brands is reaching its highest audience levels ever, at a time when more than 61 per cent of its core viewers consume their entertainment content on multiple screens.

    McGrath continued, “We have the most loyal and digitally wired audiences in the world, the very consumers who are driving the digital revolution. Our portfolio of brands is enjoying record audience levels because wherever our viewers are, we know how best to connect to them with original and relevant content. Our advertisers know this, and they can count on us to reach every demographic across the trusted and influential environments we create worldwide.”

    MTV Networks president and COO Michael Wolf remarked, “If there’s one thing that has become clear in this multiplatform world, it’s that brands matter, and we know that our audiences look to MTVN as the navigator through their choices. Because we listen to them, they’ve led us to other businesses that they find relevant, which means MTVN now has even more touch points for advertisers. We know that our audiences are into user-generated content, social networking and gaming, so we’ve made strategic acquisitions like IFilm, GameTrailers, NeoPets and, just last week, XFire.”

    MTVN’s 2006 Upfront presentation also took a look at the company’s first-of-its-kind Multiplatform Engagement and Transference Study. The study was a survey providing new insight into the effectiveness of advertising and the impact of entertainment brands that live across multiple platforms.

    The study, done in partnership with OTX, focused on quantifying audience “Engagement” — defined as a deep consumer connection to a media brand’s content — and “Transference”- – the degree that consumers extend the positive feelings they have for media brands to the advertisers associated with them.

    Among the survey’s key findings were:
    * Engagement and Transference multiply when media and advertising embrace multiple platforms;
    * Regular viewers of MTV Networks are more strongly engaged with and influenced by the advertisements they see versus viewers of broadcast or other cable networks
    * The MTV Networks’ brand family offers the strongest Transference of positive brand feelings not only on television, but also on broadband
    and online platforms.

    “We set out to do an expansive study to find how consumers react to multiplatform media brands as content providers and advertising vehicles,” said MTVN executive VP research Colleen Fahey Rush.

    “As programmers looking to forge the strongest relationship we can with our consumers, we’ve deployed content on all platforms, on every screen.”

    Fahey Rush also said, “We know that advertisers and agencies are looking for a compass in navigating this emerging digital world. Associating themselves with the strongest brands that are creating terrific opportunities to reach consumers in a well-rounded, multiplatform way looks to be an effective strategy, as proven by this study.”