ITV

Tag: MTV

  • Sonia Huria to handle entire Viacom18s communications

    Sonia Huria to handle entire Viacom18s communications

    MUMBAI: After being vacant for almost four months, the position of Viacom18’s corporate communications head is being filled up. The position had been vacant after Sandeep Dahiya decided to move on from the company. Now, Sonia Huria, who was serving as the Colors corporate communications head, will head all the communication and PR functions for Viacom18.

     

    In her new role, she will be handling the communications for all the Viacom18’s broadcast channels including Colors, the ETV channels it recently acquired, VH1, MTV, Nickelodeon, Sonic Nickelodeon and Comedy Central. She will also handle Viacom18’s motion pictures as well as allied functions like consumer products INS and digital. Her appointment is effective from today, 25 November, and she will report directly to Viacom18 Group CEO Sudhanshu Vats.

     

    “Work has already piled up. The entire Viacom18 is getting into the regional market and I will do my best to deliver the message of one Viacom18,” says Huria.

  • Anchorman 2 heats up its publicity drive

    Anchorman 2 heats up its publicity drive

    MUMBAI: Paramount’s marketing team is working overtime and coming up with PR stunts for its Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues; now the studio has landed Ron Burgundy (AKA Will Ferrell) a gig on Canada’s The Sports Network. Paramount’s is working against time to pack in the promo gags before the 20 December release. Last week Burgundy stopped by Conan to riff on Toronto mayor Rob Ford’s recent headline-making news.

     

    Will Ferrell as Ron Burgundy will be calling a pro curling match during the Tim Horton’s Roar of the Rings, 1 December in Manitoba.

     

    The studio’s co-branding partnerships so far include: Ron Burgundy’s Dodge ads, his MTV EMAs appearance, the renaming of Emerson College’s journalism school, Newseum’s Anchorman exhibit, Burgundy’s new biography (penned by Ferrell), Ben & Jerry’s Scotchy Scotch Scotch-flavored ice cream, a partnership with Jameson Irish Whiskey, and limited edition Jockey underwear available in Sex Panther Red and Beard Of Zeus Blue.

  • Zoom packs a digital punch

    Zoom packs a digital punch

    Not only is it the ‘go to’ television channel for gossip and music, Zoom has caught the fancy of the youth even in the all-important digital space. We did some digging to find out just how much.

    Launched in 2004 and available in over 15 countries, Zoom’s official page boasts a staggering 5.4 million likes, with over 4 lakh fans talking about it simultaneously.

    In September, the channel crossed 5 million likes on Facebook with the community drawing a weekly reach of 95 lakhs, with Facebook posts delivering impressions in excess of 4 crores every week.

    So what’s the secret of Zoom’s digital success? “Through careful monitoring and studying of past trends, Zoom ensures that it puts out content that the audience is looking out for the most. Also, in this space, it is critical to be the first. Zoom has systems in place to ensure that even if one is not in front of the TV – one never has to lose access to the latest,” says ET Now, Times Now and Zoom CEO Avinash Kaul.

    The Zoom page works towards interacting from more of a friend perspective rather than just a brand, says Avinash Kaul

    But with properties like MTV also crossing the magical number of 5 million on Facebook, how does Zoom plan to stay ahead of the game? “Being the first to get to a landmark figure is always special. As an entertainment brand, the channel has its own defined presence in our audience’s mind. Our objective has never been to be the one with the highest number, but to be the one who engages their audiences the best. As long as we continue to focus on that, we would still be the preferred destination for our kind of content,” says Kaul.

    Zoom walks the talk in keeping its official page up-to-speed with pictures of Bollywood divas and hunks and all the masala from telly and Bolly land as well as happenings on its shows like Gennext and Planet Bollywood.

    And how does the channel build traffic? “There is a broader strategy based on a clear understanding of our consumers and their basic requirements. But we also look at micro management on the page, by concentrating on each post to ensure engagement and therefore build traffic.”

    “The question is what the consumer takes away from this page, so be it through contests, trivia, or breaking news, it is told to the fans as and how they want it. The Zoom page works towards interacting from more of a friend perspective rather than just a brand,” reveals Kaul.

    The social media space is managed by a dedicated in-house team, which helps maintain complete control over content apart from ensuring immediate response and interaction with members.

    In a world where news is increasingly being replaced by 140 character-tweets, Zoom tweaks music tunes as per fan tweets. The channel has 2.9 million-odd followers and more than 50,000 tweets, setting the official twitter handle @ZoomTV abuzz.

    Topping such a comprehensive digital presence is Zoom’s official website, http://zoomtv.indiatimes.com/, the channel’s mainstay in the digital space with special web exclusive content including live streaming, picture gallery, video uploads, trends and show trivia. The idea is to feed avid Zoom fans as much information as possible through the website.

    Also, Zoom’s official YouTube channel has over 28,000 videos uploaded with 3.4 lakh loyal subscribers and over 81 crore views at last count.

    To its credit, Zoom was adjudged the third most consumed TV channel on Mobile TV by India’s largest consumer survey on mobile usage.

    The channel follows a simple strategy which Kaul puts as: “The strategy has been to listen keenly to know audience conversations, reactions and trends from the past and use that knowledge, almost instinctively, to serve up new stuff that they find interesting. The choice of topic, stars, the time of day (when an update is put out), and selection of hash tags – all comes from the close and mindful study of past trends. Above all, we aim to be as current and quick as possible in making the content available online. Keeping a constant track on all that’s being reported by our own internal resources, while also being watchful at the world outside”

    Zoom’s online channel Telly Talk is the newest jewel in its digital crown and made heads turn when it crossed 10 million video views on YouTube within six months of its launch.

    Telly Talk affords audiences uncensored access to their favourite stars, right from their personal wardrobes to how they celebrate their anniversaries to what goes on behind-the-scenes et al. Not only does it provide entertainment in newer, more user-friendly formats, it also engages viewers by giving them opportunities to interact with their favourite small-screen stars from time to time.

    Telly Talk has over 21,000 subscribers on YouTube. Through Twitter initiative – #TellyMate, the channel facilitates two-way communication between the audience and their favourite stars.

    Asked what makes the channel so popular, sometimes more than GECs, Kaul says: “As a part of family TV viewing, the youth has to follow GECs even when they’re not their most preferred choice of entertainment. In the digital space, it’s entirely left to their individual choice to choose and watch exactly what they want. The width of leadership that the channel enjoys in the space is evidence of the strong connect that the brand has with its core audience.”

    Asked if Zoom would turn to reality shows ever, Kaul simply says: “The youth is really smart and is looking for content that will interest them. The minute it’s not relevant or exciting enough, they have many more options to turn to. So we are focused on the quality of our conversations on the page. It’s more about providing relevant content on the fans’ page to keep them interested and encourage their friends to further develop interest and that automatically gets people to visit the page.”

    The channel is pretty sorted in terms of getting clients and business on-board, says Karthik Lakshminarayan

    On the other hand, Zoom’s activeness on digital platforms is getting praise from senior media professionals.

    “The channel is doing pretty well, very profitable and has made good progress in the last so many years. The channel is pretty sorted in terms of getting clients and business on-board,” says Madison Media COO Karthik Lakshminarayan.

    He further adds that, though the channel is doing well, it does not have any undifferentiated content to offer to its viewers. He suggests that in future, the channel should not take a reality turn and should stay in what its forte is. “Moving beyond that into different forms of offering won’t really help them,” Lakshminarayan signs off.

  • MTV ACT Urges the Youth To Act This October With

    MTV ACT Urges the Youth To Act This October With

    MUMBAI: MTV, India’s leading youth channel is not just about music and entertainment; it is also about collaborating with young India to contribute to the social causes. MTV through their own pro social platform, MTV ACT engages with over 20 NGOs and independent organizations to support cause-based initiatives. The month of October saw MTV ACT going all out to create awareness and raise funds for the betterment of the underprivileged.

    Beginning of October, MTV ACT joined hands with the crowd sourcing platform Hope Monkey to crowd fund a school for the world’s youngest headmaster in India. During the Joy of Giving week in October, MTV ACT and Hope Monkey came together to encourage the youth to have a big heart and drive the cause of education through funding the school. Hope Monkey is a crowd-source platform that gives the power to all Micro-Philanthropists to bring about change the world. The current initiative focuses on breathing life into the dreams of Babar Ali, who is also the world’s youngest headmaster at 16 years, to build a school. Now, at 21, Babar is looking to expand his backyard school to accommodate all the eager little learners in Murshidabad.

    “You may think that just donating what you would spend on your morning coffee won’t make a difference, but this initiative will prove you wrong. The association with Hope Monkey is true sense is reflection of the MTV ACT philosophy of Every Action Counts. By collecting every penny donated by the young generation, Hope Monkey and MTV ACT aims to raise a corpus to support the dreams of better tomorrow.” said Sumeli Chatterjee, Head- Marketing & Insights, MTV India.

    Helping the under-privileged in realizing their dreams, MTV ACT in association with the NGO Navnirmiti supported an initiative called Maha Mandi. A one of its kind event which is held every year, Maha Mandi is organized by NITIE in Mumbai. MAHA MANDI invites students from top B-schools around the country to sharpen their sales and marketing skills by selling simple NGO made products to commoners on the streets of Mumbai. The revenue hence collected is donated to charitable institutions as a token of respect and support for the noble cause they pursue. This witnessed participation from over 1000 MBA students who engaged in direct sales of the educational toys on the streets of Mumbai.

    Speaking about this initiative, Sumeli Chatterjee, Head – Marketing & Insights, MTV India, said, “MTV ACT constantly strives to support various initiatives that are created by the young generation and are a step towards do-good to the overall society. Maha Mandi is in the entrepreneurial spirit of the students which teaches them different aspects of business while raising funds for a social cause.”

    Furthering the MTV ACT ‘s partnership with the initiative YOU For Uttarakhand, the third music relief concert was organized in Bangalore on October 12, 2013. The concert was organized to raise funds in aid of the tragic Uttarakhand Floods which affected scores of villages and its inhabitants in the state. The line-up for the concert included leading acts by Thermal and a Quarter (TAAQ), Until We Last, Girish and the Chronicles, Solder and Moonarra. The proceeds were donated to Save the Children who is working closely to build lives of Children and families who were affected by the floods.

    For those who wish to do their bit for the society can log on to mtv.in.com/act and donate for a cause that touches their heart or they can simply select any one or more causes that they would like to lend support to by simply spreading the word through their social media profile. Youth can support across causes by donating time through voluntary work or money to the NGOs working for various causes.

  • Seven boys and girls will ride for respect on MTV Hero Roadies X1

    Seven boys and girls will ride for respect on MTV Hero Roadies X1

    MUMBAI: MTV Hero Roadies is back with a new ripping format in its ‘X-series’. ‘No vote outs, only performance can get you to win’. This is the mantra for MTV Hero Roadies X1.

     

    It dons a brand new avatar that salutes those who believe the only thing its worth fighting for is respect. And, this season seven boys and seven girls fight it out on equal grounds in an ultimate ride to win respect.

     

    This year, Roadies is auditioning for equal number of boys and girls who would rough it up on even grounds to be the last Roadie standing. This season champions the youth sentiment that being brave and standing against odds is better than being the bully.

     

    The format will reward performance over petty politics. This year, there will be no vote outs, no shortcuts and no alliances. The winner will be decided purely on basis of merit in performance on tasks. This twist in the format reflects the state of mind of young India. Confident, ambitious and street smart.

     

    Starting 17 November, the hunt for the Roadie of the year will kick off through a grueling four-city audition. The epitome of sportsman spirit – Rannvijay, and the mentor of the format- Raghu, will handpick seven boys and seven girls across the four cities. The show will give an equal chance to both the genders to prove their merit and win the title of Roadies. The first stop for the auditions will be Delhi, followed by Chandigarh, Pune and Ahmedabad.

     

    Speaking about the new season, Rannvijay the host of the show and first ever winner of MTV Hero Roadies says: “In the past 10 years, I have seen numerous contestants come to the show with a game plan in mind. Many a times, contestants have gone far on the show on the basis of their mind games and strategy, rather than performance. But now, all that is a thing of the past. For the first time on Roadies, a winner will be selected only on their performance in every task. It definitely is going to be one exciting journey.”

     

    MTV Hero Roadies the returning judge and mentor Raghu Ram says: “The past 10 years has seen Roadies enjoy the top position when it comes to youth based reality shows. With the onset of season XI of Roadies we want to turn the concept around. This time the battle is solely for respect. The eliminations will also be purely performance based while there will be no place for politics. Like they say- let the best man win!”
    MTV India EVP and business head Aditya Swamy explains: “India’s longest running reality show is back with a format that reflects the mood of young India. On one hand, there is the demand for equal rights, on the other the ambition to succeed but only by playing fair. The theme of this season – ‘Ride for Respect’ gives the participants an equal chance. And no vote outs. All that matters is performance.”

  • MTV dares to step out with ‘Rann VJ Run’

    MTV dares to step out with ‘Rann VJ Run’

    MUMBAI: Come 27 October, MTV will have a brand new adventure reality series for its viewers. The show christened Rann VJ Run is a genre-bending show that takes a look into the life of Rannvijay Singh like never before. The channel has roped in Woodland as the presenting sponsor and the show will be powered by Samsung Galaxy S4.

    Produced by Anshuman Jaiswal, the 10-part series will follow Rannvijay as he embarks on an epic journey to discover new places, new sports, new cultures, new people and a new way of life. Each destination across the globe will see Rannvijay challenge himself into doing things that he always wanted to do but never imagined he could.

    Speaking about the new show, MTV India EVP and business head Aditya Swamy exults: “We have always seen our favourite stars in charge and in control. But how often do you get to see the real person behind the star, that’s exactly what this show is about. The most real reality show which you will see, it captures what happens when a man challenges himself to the very limit. It’s not about how hard you fall but it’s how fast you will bounce back.”

    Will the series work wonders for the channel? A media planner answers: “I don’t think the channel has made a right move by airing it on Sundays, where people are either busy with friends or family. The channel’s main target group (TG) is youngsters, but who will like to sit home on a Sunday in front of the television box and watch the series.”

    He further goes on to say that: “As far as concept is concerned, it is quite interesting. Rannvijay is known as the face of the channel. But the time slot the channel has booked won’t give them the numbers it might be expecting. Let’s hope his fans churn out numbers for the channel.”

    Thrilled at being part of the show, Rannvijay Singh says: “I am extremely delighted to be part of a project like MTV Rann VJ Run which makes me go that extra mile and challenge myself. I am not going to play against any opponents but myself. It will be just me and the game. This is one journey I just can’t wait to commence.”
    The series will be air every Sunday at 6.00 pm.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • LIVE Viacom18 and Nikhil Chinapa to give Goa a brand new electronic dance music festival pegged as one of the largest India will ever witness

    LIVE Viacom18 and Nikhil Chinapa to give Goa a brand new electronic dance music festival pegged as one of the largest India will ever witness

    LIVE Viacom18 has roped in India’s much loved DJ, VJ and dance music promoter, Nikhil Chinapa and one of the world’s leading electronic music promoters to launch a truly world-class dance music festival in North Goa this December. The five day festival will offer music lovers an unparalleled, immersive experience coupled with quality music across a number of popular and underground electronic music genres. With Viacom18’s huge broadcast strength, leverage of iconic music brands like MTV & Vh1 and considerable knowledge of events across all platforms and with Chinapa’s in-depth understanding of the Indian dance music industry, the festival promises to create an unforgettable experience in Goa. The associated international festival company has executed large format events in destinations such as Los Angeles, Las Vegas, New York, Chicago, Dallas, Puerto Rico and London and is   regarded as one of the world’s finest dance music companies with the forte of delivering an electrifying carnival atmosphere.

    The aim of the festival is to restore the spirit of community and passion for music that’s been missing from some electronic music festivals held in India recently. By giving preference to top-notch DJs over commercial names, the festival will target devoted music lovers whose needs aren’t being met in the current Indian music festival landscape. It will connect serious music enthusiasts directly with the artists they love and become a sanctuary for forward-thinking music fans looking for life-affirming experiences.

    Besides immersive experiences, the festival will also have a strong local focus, creating a platform to nurture and promote some of India’s best DJs on the same stages as the international artists.
    The festival’s goal is to maintain a balance between popular and underground music. This will be a festival for the true dance music fan, for whom music is a way of life… and life itself unthinkable without the music they love. Putting it simply, this will be quality over quantity. What better place in the world to bring friends and music together but Candolim Beach, Goa .

  • MTV ‘Unplugged’ season 3: A raw and acoustic musical experience

    MTV ‘Unplugged’ season 3: A raw and acoustic musical experience

    MUMBAI: MTV is all set to take their fans on a new musical high. Come November, the channel will premiere the season 3 of its popular music series Unplugged, which promises to be exclusive, intimate and personal through a live gig format experience to audience.

    Standing true to its theme of ‘Mega Artists, Mega Hits’ the last season of Unplugged brought prodigious possibilities like Rahman for the first time on world television; Sunidhi Chauhan’s performance which was another stellar one backed up the sentiment; the ever-charismatic Lucky Ali also made his comeback on the show.

    Boasting of an impressive line-up of artists, fans are in for a treat as each episode will feature one renowned artist who is all set to regale the audience with his vocals – Bollywood director, actor and singer Farhan Akhtar with Farhan LIVE, Bollywood singing superstars Sonu Niigaam, Mika and KK, Indie rockstars Pentagram and The Raghu Dixit Project and the next gen superstars Arijit Singh and Benny Dayal; all in all, a great mix.

    With the who’s who on the 3rd season of Unplugged, the list is sure to get the music buffs jumping with joy… but the excitement doesn’t end here.

    So what’s happening on the promotions front? To engage the fans in this musical revelry, MTV is having fans picked up in an official Unplugged gig bus from prime locations across the city to give them a front row view of some of the biggest music acts. All that fans need to do is put on their dancing shoes and hop on the bus to catch their favourite artists live in concert and the passes will be free.

    Speaking about going back to the roots, MTV India, EVP and business head Aditya Swamy, exults: “MTV Unplugged is a property that both artists and music lovers look forward to. Across three seasons, we have featured legends across every genre and their unplugged compositions have become instant hits. This year we have integrated real music fans into the show and this energy will really lift the experience for viewers and performers. Brand new versions of your favourite hits are coming at you.”

    There are activities planned on the digital front as well; in the third season of Unplugged, giving fans a special treat; MTV will run a contest across its social media platforms to give 10 lucky fans a chance of being part of the MTV Unplugged experience. Each fan participating in this experience will get a wrist band which will not only serve as a memory of the experience but also as an entry badge. The band will also have a QR Code on it that leads to a personalised profile of all his activities at MTV Unplugged.

  • Twitter adds CBS to its stable of big advertisers

    Twitter adds CBS to its stable of big advertisers

    MUMBAI: Twitter has been frantically adding partners to its Amplify advertising program ever since it began informally last year with a partnership between the social network, ESPN and the Ford Motor Company. In those initial ads, the sports broadcaster sent out clips of football games, disguised in a Ford Fusion ad, as short messages on the service.

    Since then, more than a dozen other content distributors, from the Fox television network to Globosat in Brazil, have joined the program, with brands including Heineken and AT&T promoting clips from major sports events like the U.S. Open tennis tournament and NCAA basketball games and live events like MTV‘s Video Music Awards.

    Twitter recently announced that it had signed CBS, one of its biggest partners yet. The broadcast and internet network intends to use Twitter Amplify to showcase content from 42 products, from TVGuide.com to its fantasy football site.

    As an example, Twitter and CBS showed off a possible “60 Minutes in 60 Seconds” ad, which could promote content from the revered television news magazine.

  • Zoom’s Facebook boom

    Zoom’s Facebook boom

    MUMBAI: Not only does Times Television Networks’ channel Zoom enjoy the distinction of being the first Indian television channel to air all the hot gossip from tinsel town, it is now also the first to cross five million likes on Facebook.

    Indeed, at the time of filing this news piece, the number stood at 5,164,957 with 484,777 ‘talking about it’ (the channel).

    So how does Zoom pull it off? The channel claims its target audience is mainly youth, which is most interested in the happenings in the Bollywood universe.

    The Facebook page keeps audiences updated on all that they’ve missed out even if they’re not actively watching the channel. “Zoom has systems in place to ensure that even if one is not in front of the TV, one never has to lose access to the latest news,” explains Zoom CEO Avinash Kaul.

    It’s a known fact that building traffic is difficult and sustaining it even more so. In such a scenario, Zoom claims it focuses on understanding conversation patterns to come up with newer, more innovative posts in the future.

    “The choice of topic, stars, the time of the day (when an update is put out) and selection of hash tags – all comes from a close and mindful study of past trends,” elaborates Kaul, adding that the channel tries to put out breaking news to create buzz among youngsters.

    An in-house team handles social media and is responsible for selection of posts to keep audiences engaged, which includes contests, trivia and news. According to Kaul, the team micro manages the posts to draw and keep traffic. “Immediate response and relevant content through posts is our key focus that has ensured a fantastic interaction,” he says.

    Zoom’s Facebook page, which started in 2009 and reaches 95 million people weekly, also has a show called ‘Zoom It’, which plays song dedications made by its Facebook followers. The fact of the matter is Zoom has sped past GECs in terms of Facebook likes and the reason, according to Kaul, is: “As part of family TV viewing, the youth has to follow GECs even when they’re not their most preferred choice of entertainment. In the digital space however, it’s entirely up to them to choose and watch exactly what they want.”

    As things stand, only MTV just crossed the level of five million likes as well, coming a close second to Zoom with 5, 013, 539 Facebook likes, followed by Zee with 49, 349, Star Plus with 3, 184, 230 and Colors with 2, 225, 824.

    While Zoom may want to be cautious about MTV’s proximity in terms of Facebook likes, for now, it sure is leading the pack…