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Tag: Neeraj Vyas

  • IPL 2015: 65 percent ad inventory of Sony already sold

    IPL 2015: 65 percent ad inventory of Sony already sold

    MUMBAI: Even as the cricket World Cup fever is on, Multi Screen Media (MSM) is gearing up for the next big cricket tourney – the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2015 and advertisers are flocking to it nineteen to the dozen.

     

    The tournament starts right after the World Cup. Speaking on advertisers reaction so far, Multi Screen Media president Rohit Gupta says, “We have got amazing responses so far and the way it’s shaping up, we may have to extend our ad inventory. We already have our two presenting sponsors in Vodafone and Amazon. It must be noted that Amazon has upgraded itself as a presenting sponsor and it’s an encouraging example. The seven associates are Hero Moto Corp, Cardekho.com, Intex, Vimal Pan Masala, Pay TM, Pepsi and we have one more advertiser who has confirmed its participation. Hero Moto Corp, Cardekho.com and Vimal Pan Masala are first timers and it proves the growing interest of the tournament.”

     

    Sony Max and Six have already launched India Ka Tyohaar campaign for IPL’s 2015 edition. The campaign, which has been orchestrated by DDB Mudra, speaks about unity and celebration, and portrays IPL as a festival that is followed by one and all irrespective of caste, communities and creed.

     

    Way before the campaign launch, Gupta had told Indiantelevision.com that ad rate for the 2015 edition will be hiked by 15 per cent and MSM has successfully managed to achieve the figures.

     

    “As decided, we have hiked our ad rate by 15 per cent and the hike was not on the basis of arrogance or overconfidence, it’s because we had a seven per cent increase in viewership. We have already sold 65 per cent of our ad inventory and we are in last stage talks with many companies. IPL is a tournament that consistently delivers in terms of meeting viewership expectations and advertisers are presented a platform for the entire tournament. IPL is not a tournament where fans have to wait for a week’s time to have a good match. Moreover all the IPL matches are played in prime time and each and every match has equal interest. The growth of viewership is constant in each and every match unlike World Cup where non India matches failed to garner viewers so far. Overall IPL is an insured platform for advertisers where whatever may happen viewership never declines.”

     

    Talking about the campaign, Sony Max senior EVP and business head Neeraj Vyas says, “IPL is beyond any barrier; it’s a huge event that connects everyone. A family that has members of different generations sit together to enjoy the cricketing extravaganza, which has nail biting finishes and entertainment to satisfy everyone’s need. We are our biggest competitor and the only challenge for us is to do better than what we have done in our previous editions. We did aisa mauka aur kahan milega in 2012, which we followed up with Jumping Japang and Come on bulava aaya hai in the following years. But this year we are going to be better than any other year.”

     

    MSM is known for aggressive marketing of IPL, which is their biggest asset and this year is no different. “We have spent 15 per cent more than previous year for the India ka tyohaar campaign,” informs Vyas.

     

    DDB Mudra chairman and chief creative officer Sonal Dabral is satisfied with the progress and the feedback received so far. “India ka tyohaar is something that everyone has been missing. Festivals in India are based on religion and region. IPL is one such festival where everyone participates in the celebration,” Dabral tells Indiantelevision.com.

     

     

    When queried about the other campaigns that are already buzzing, Dabral says, “There will always be a flurry of creative campaigns and it’s not about what others are doing. You have to understand the brand and then come up with a creative concept. Mauka is a good and creative campaign but India Ka Tyohaar is different and it will emerge as the testimony of all campaigns.”

     

    Sony will launch an interactive digital campaign to connect with youth on various social media platforms. The broadcaster is going to feature the 2015 edition of IPL in different languages and there will be a regional awareness initiative to promote the multilingual strategy.

     

    The anthem of the campaign has been composed by musical duo of Salim – Sulaiman, who hope to get everyone to dance to the anthem of Pepsi IPL 2015. “With Pepsi IPL that reflects the fervour of the nation and an idea as powerful as ‘India Ka Tyohaar’, we tried to create a song, which is very Indian in its spirit but yet has the sound of ‘The Now’. Once we had the lyrics we composed the tune and created a rhythm around it which is the beat of our folk music and festivals all across India. The song is infectious! We hope the audiences will celebrate the music and this festive spirit of the Pepsi IPL across the globe,” the duo said.

     

    When asked if composing music for a tournament of such high magnitude is different and difficult from feature films and music albums, Salim Merchant told Indiantelevision.com, “After composing Chak De nothing seems to be difficult anymore but it is indeed different. The tournament will be watched in each and every household and the audience is across age groups. While we ensured that the song pumps up, we also took care that the unifying factor, which is the USP of the campaign, is kept alive.”

     

    Stretching across a four-week period till the launch of the tournament, the Pepsi IPL 2015 campaign will have a complete 360 degree rollout across mass media. The communication will be seen by viewers across mediums like television, print, radio, digital, outdoor, on-ground, mobile and BTL.

  • Pepsi IPL 2015 goes with ‘Unity in Diversity’ theme

    Pepsi IPL 2015 goes with ‘Unity in Diversity’ theme

    MUMBAI: Sony Max and Six, the official broadcasters of the Pepsi Indian Premier League (IPL), have given viewers a reason to cheer by launching the new campaign for this edition of IPL: ‘Ye Hai India Ka Tyohaar.’ 

     

    As the name suggests, the campaign aims to connect hearts and lives by creating a national euphoria and strengthening emotional affinity towards the sport. 

     

    ‘India Ka Tyohaar’ invites people to break their differences and join in the revelry, which is aptly communicated through a heart shaped mnemonic that excludes spirit of togetherness. 

     

    The campaign kicked off with a series of three prequels set in distinct situations of people’s life, ending with the common message of ‘India Ka Tyohaar.’ Sony Max and Six have roped in the musical duo Salim-Sulaiman to compose the anthem “Dooriyan chodkar… dil se dil jodkar.”

     

    Sony Max EVP and business head Neeraj Vyas said, “Pepsi IPL reaches out to people across age groups, gender and languages. This year’s initiative is a unique thought that stems from the insight of how Pepsi IPL over the years has grown to be a huge festival which people celebrate together. It is a perfect blend of cricket, entertainment and festivity packaged in one. The campaign will be promoted in each and every platforms. And with time we will launch an interactive campaign for the digital medium.”

     

    IPL starts right after ICC cricket World Cup and when queried about it, Vyas told Indiantelevision.com, “We have learnt from our experiences before and that’s why we have a different campaign this time. IPL has its charisma and the campaign will back it. The 2015 edition is going to be bigger and better and in all aspects and I am sure about it.”

     

    The multilingual concept will be witnessed during IPL too as the tournament will be showcased in five different languages viz English, Hindi, Bengali, Tamil and Telegu. While Sony Aath will feature the Bengali edition, MSM may launch two new channels for Tamil and Telegu. But the ad inventory will remain the same and regional players won’t get the opportunity to participate for a particular region.

     

    DDB Mudra CCO Sonal Dabral said, “If cricket is a religion in India, Pepsi IPL is the only true festival. Unlike any other sporting event in the world, it’s a microcosm of the passion and madness that envelops our country whenever cricket is played, uniting hearts and minds in its wake. And unlike any other festival in India, this is one festival that every Indian celebrates. It got the colors of Holi the festivity of Diwali the brotherhood of Eid and joy of Christmas. What else can you call it but one amazing India ka tyohaar? Its been a privilege and an honor to create this big idea for Pepsi IPL.”

     

    Speaking to Indiantelevision.com Dabral said that the name behind the campaign came because of all the religious diversities we are witnessing now a days, “The video shows Muslim man picking a Sikh kid on his shoulder and that’s the beauty of IPL and that’s why it’s ‘India ka Tyohaar,’” he concluded.

  • MAX 2 hops on to Tata Sky DTH platform

    MAX 2 hops on to Tata Sky DTH platform

    MUMBAI: Multi Screen Media’s second Hindi movie channel – MAX 2 has hopped on to the Tata Sky DTH platform.

     

    The channel has been made available for Tata Sky subscribers from 1 February, 2015 on channel number 324.

     

    Besides Tata Sky, MAX 2 is available on other DTH platforms namely Videocon d2h, Airtel, Dish TV and Reliance Digital TV. The channel is also available on leading cable operators like DEN, Siti Cable, Hathway and InCable.

     

    MAX and MAX2 senior EVP and business head Neeraj Vyas said, “We are pleased to announce the availability of MAX 2 on India’s leading DTH platform – Tata Sky, which widens the channel’s reach. We have received numerous requests from Tata Sky viewers for showcasing MAX 2 and are convinced that our association will help us reach out to a larger audience. We are sure the subscribers will love the channel and will enjoy savouring the timeless films of Indian cinema.”

     

    MAX 2 is the second Hindi movie channel from the stable of Multi Screen Media (MSM) and was launched in 2014.

  • “I don’t see growth beyond a point in the music industry”: Neeraj Vyas

    “I don’t see growth beyond a point in the music industry”: Neeraj Vyas

    The music industry has had a lot to celebrate this year. If we look at Sony Mix, I am happy to say that we have set a record; the music channel was a leader for 52 weeks in a row and for a three-year old to achieve this, is remarkable.

    We have set our niche and made it stronger through the years. We are now labelled as a channel which understands the nuances of musical play out, we know what to play at what time and at what tempo. Mix is a channel that probably understands melody more than anybody else.

    I think we have now happily established ourselves as a melodious channel and whether we remain number one or two is irrelevant. Ups and downs will happen and we have to be ready for it as it is a part and parcel of the industry.

    What we have managed to do and what makes me happy is the fact that we have led a change. Previously, the entire genre was a trade genre where people just played free music and movie trailers. But I think, Mix can take a lot of pleasure in saying that it has brought back musicality in the genre. And today a lot of people are trying to do what Mix is doing.

    The only desire, we as an industry have, is to better our rates in terms of what we sell at. We would be a lot more profitable if we don’t just remain frequency buying options for advertisers. And we would become a lot more relevant if we produced better content and not just play music back-to-back.

    Also, I don’t see growth beyond a point for the entire music industry. I think we are still around 125-130 GRP mark and we all have a long way to go. But time spent is also an issue. People watch music channels for 4 to 5 minutes a day which is not optimal. The reality is that we need to monetise better and that needs to be a goal for all of us going forward because we are still extremely critical to a media plan. There is a general entertainment channel (GEC) and Hindi feature film genre and after that if one wants to capture the Hindi heartland, then they have only two options – music or news. And with 6 per cent share of the overall pie, we should be charging a lot more and getting a lot more.

    But unfortunately, music channels have historically been undersold and have become a frequency option. I think that needs to be cleaned up as fast as possible. 2014 has not seen much change in the music industry. We all depend on labels to provide us music.

    A significant learning that we have acquired in 2014 from our audiences is that retro songs still hold a strong relevance. And the trend will only grow. Our own retro brand has shown a growth in certain key markets. Retro, overall, even on other channels has grown. It is not that everybody is watching a music channel is the so-called youth. There is a large cross section of people that come in to sample good music. Getting the right mix across the right day parts is the challenge going forward. Melodies of the past will never go out of fashion. Item songs can be a good tadka, but they cannot be your main staple.

    However, unfortunately not much has happened in the genre beyond a point. I don’t think anybody has created anything different apart from Mix, which has and will continue to experiment.

    (These are purely personal views of Sony Mix, Max and Max 2 senior EVP and business head Neeraj Vyas and indiantelevision.com does not necessarily subscribe to these views.)

  • Sony Max gets ‘filmy’ yet again!

    Sony Max gets ‘filmy’ yet again!

    MUMBAI: It’s no surprise that Indians have always been crazy or ‘deewana’ about two things – Bollywood and cricket. It is the only country, where in the most unexpected of moments one can find people using a dialogue from a movie or breaking into a song. And it’s this ‘Bollywood Fever’ which makes it important for Hindi movie channel Sony Max to bring out the ‘deewanapan’ (craziness) in a new, surprising manner every time.

     

    It was in 2012, when the channel felt the need to get viewers close to the world of movies and live the life filmy style, and thus launching a campaign titled, ‘Shuruaat Yahin Se’ which celebrated 100 years of cinema. It talked about how watching a good film is a way to handle extreme emotions.

     

    But the phrase failed to click with the audiences, and so in 2013, the channel’s tagline ‘Deewana Bana De’ had to come back in a new avatar. Max launched three television commercials as part of its brand campaign – ‘Jahan Dekho, Vahaan Deewana’ which added a new dimension to its existing positioning, ‘Deewana Bana De’.

     

    This year, to further strengthen its emotional connect with the consumers, the channel has launched three commercials as part of its brand campaign – ‘Ab Khulkar phailegi Deewangi’. The three 40-seconders, carve out the very basic element within the common man. It doesn’t talk about brand Max, but about the deewanapan in everyone.

     

    The first of the three TVCs that went on-air on 15 December shows how an extremely slow tuk-tuk driver gets charged-up by listening to the ‘Dhoom’ song tune and starts cruising through the road in full speed.

     

    The second TVC shows bridesmaids along with an old aunt making a war cry for the bride ‘Chak De’ to perk her up from the anxiety of her suhagraat. The third TVC depicts how a furniture showroom salesman bitten by the Bollywood bug replicates the iconic Zanjeer movie scene while attending a customer.

     

    This year the channel has particularly borrowed dialogues and songs from key films like Zanjeer (1973), Dhoom and Chak De India. The films have a very subtle humorous appeal and the brand films are directed by ace ad film maker Anaam Mishra from Crome Pictures.

     

    Sony Max VP – marketing Vaishali Sharma believes that this will make the campaign more powerful. “It will help us integrate the brand seamlessly into the consumers’ life,” she says.  

     

    According to Sony Max senior VP and business head Neeraj Vyas, Hindi films have their own kind of crafting and now the germ is all over. “In the last 50 years of cinema, the characters and songs have become larger than life. There is filmy madness in everybody and now the madness is spreading. Till last year, we said ‘Deewana Bana De’ and showered some elements and this year we are saying that look, now the craziness is spreading.”

     

    Conceptualised by DDB Mudra, it took two months for the channel from planning to the execution of all the three commercials. Vyas found the scripts very cute and in the Max zone. When asked why the channel picked these three movies, he says, “It could have been anything else as well. But when you sit for a campaign for over two months you go through a lot of ideas and scripts. We thought that these were quite relevant and without being over-the-top funny.”

     

    According to Sharma every year the channel continues to strengthen its emotional connect with the consumers so that it can, within the space of Hindi movie genre, continue to occupy strong position and affinity in the hearts and minds of consumers.

     

    For Sharma , ‘Deewana Bana De’ as a positioning line, has lived for a long time but the channel’s attempt in the last one-two years has been to make it more relevant to people’s life.  “The impact that Bollywood films have on our lives is ingrained into our DNA. Also from the brand perspective, strengthening the fact that people from all strata’s continue to watch Max and owning the space of how movies impact our daily lives.”

     

    DDB Mudra Group chairman and CCO Sonal Dabral feels that the new campaign is all about infecting people with passion and love for this great Indian cinema and to encourage people to see the lighter side in every walk of life. He adds, “India is a country passionate and obsessed with ‘Bollywood’ and what better way to capture this unique obsession than by coming out with a campaign which pays homage to Indian cinema.”

     

    Sharma shares the learning that the channel has acquired over the years. One, to understand what role movies plays in people’s lives and two, how it is a big source of entertainment.  “Over the years how we have evolved as a brand is how we make ‘Deewana Bana De’ or Max as a brand more relatable. We have wide range of audience’s right from people in metros to LC1 and rural markets, but to find a brand essence and a campaign that cuts across audiences is a tricky task for us.”

     

    So to make the job easy, year-on-year the channel keeps in touch with the consumers by doing qualitative and quantitative research to find out how they are interacting with the brand and how movies on television forms a big chunk of their daily lives. “Especially when you keep going down to smaller and smaller towns, the whole aspect of ‘I wait to watch movies on television to brighten up my life’ is what consumers share the relation with the brand. So the brand affinity scores are very high for Max.”

     

    According to Vyas, the channel does hygiene research every year to keep understanding what the consumers want and to keep a tab on social relevant changes that keeps on happening across which also helps the channel in the kind of movies it picks.

     

    To give an extra dose of entertainment, apart from the brand campaigns, fillers like Bittu Bak Bak, Fully Deewana, etc also keep running throughout the day.

     

    On the marketing front, it’s a primarily television led campaign. Apart from both the movie properties – Max and Max 2, the commercials will also be available across the Sony network. Moreover, Max has bought space on 32 channels for over three weeks from other networks to promote the new campaigns. These include English news, regional channels, kids and music channels to a large extent. The 360 degree marketing plan also includes a digital campaign and cinema across key markets spread over the next one month.

  • Max 2 wraps up the year on a romantic note

    Max 2 wraps up the year on a romantic note

    MUMBAI: This month, Sony Max 2 presents its viewers with some of the biggest Bollywood hits through the decades with its ‘Jubilee Hits’ movie festival starting from 14th – 27th December. The iconic movie channel is all set to showcase 13 films from the 1950s to the late 1990s portraying different genres. Reinforcing its positioning of showcasing evergreen movies, the channel aims to end the year by presenting the best of Indian cinema to its viewers.

    Comprising a mix of movies filled with romance, family dramas and social issues, the movie festival fits in perfectly with the festive season by spreading cheer to its viewers through movies of the golden era. Movies that will be showcased as part of this festival include ‘Amar Akbar Anthony’, ‘Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak’, ‘Kati Patang’ and ‘Chandni’ to name a few. ‘Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge’ which has completed 1000 weeks of its run at Maratha Mandir on 12 December is also a part of the festival. This directorial film by Aditya Chopra will enter the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest running Bollywood film ever.

    Commenting on the film festival MAX & MAX2 senior EVP & business head Neeraj Vyas said, “The holiday season is all about spending time with loved ones and what better way to do this than by showcasing a movie festival that enables families to catch up on quality time together over iconic films. The ‘Jubilee Hits’ movie festival aims at building and spreading that love and appreciation for great Indian cinema which is what MAX2 is all about.”

      Catch the ‘Jubilee Hits’ movie festival airing from 14 -27 December at prime time viewing.

  • Fall in love 1000 times over with DDLJ on Max2

    Fall in love 1000 times over with DDLJ on Max2

     MUMBAI:  Max 2, India’s iconic Hindi movie channel brings back Indian cinema’s most iconic love story ‘Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge’ on Friday, 12th December at 8pm with a simulcast on Max. The blockbuster hit of the 90’s is synonymous to channel’s positioning of ‘Kuch filmon ka jaadu kabhi kam nahin hota’. Whilst taking its viewers on a nostalgic trip it also is giving the viewers a chance to relive the moments of the movie by initiating a contest where lucky winners can stand to win memorabilia signed by the stars of the film.

    The trans-continental romance which helped popularize locales like Switzerland was declared an all-time blockbuster and remains the longest-running film in the history of Indian cinema, completing 1000 weeks at the Maratha Mandir theatre in Mumbai. Produced by Yash Chopra and written and directed by his son Aditya, the film stars Shahrukh Khan and Kajol in lead roles.

    Commenting on the movie Max & Max 2 Sr. EVP & business head Neeraj Vyas says, “It is a timeless classic which has charmed Indian audiences through the decades and is the reason why it is longest-running film in the history of Indian cinema. We would like to bring this magic alive for our viewers and what better way to do this than have a simulcast of this iconic film on both our channels.”

    Participate in the 1000 weeks celebrations by tuning-in to ‘Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge’ on 12 December, Friday at 8pm on Max 2 and Max.

     

  • Big B fans are in for a bonanza treat on the occasion of his birthday

    Big B fans are in for a bonanza treat on the occasion of his birthday

    Mumbai, 6th October, 2014:  Commemorating the star’s 72nd birthday, SONY MAX & MAX2, India’s leading movie channels present Amitabh Bachchan fans with a movie extravaganza starting from 5th October to 11th October. MAX will premiere the supernatural comedy blockbuster, ‘Bhoothnath Returns,’ on Thursday 11th October at 8pm and MAX2 will run the a special film festival ‘Ab Tak Bachchan’ from 5th -11th October during the evening prime time.

     

    The MAX premier of ‘Bhoothnath Returns’, a sequel to the 2008 film, tells the fascinating tale of a ghost (Bhoothnath – Amitabh Bachchan) who returns to earth in his quest to scare children. Upon befriending Akhrot, a street smart boy, they form a formidable team set out to help people which sees the ghost contest elections. The film stars Amitabh Bachchan, Parth Bhalerao (Child actor) and Boman Irani in lead roles.

    The evergreen actor, who has enthralled audiences with unforgettable roles in his 45 year old career, will also be seen on television screens through carefully handpicked films showcasing him in unforgettable roles. The ‘Ab Tak Bachchan’ movie festival on MAX2 will showcase the movie icon at his versatile best portraying roles ranging from a bumbling simpleton in Yaraana to the shrewd Natwar in Mr Natwarlal, to a hardened criminal in Kaalia.

     

    Commenting on the Big B movie bonanza, Neeraj Vyas, EVP & Business Head, MAX & MAX2 stated, “Indians across all age groups and segments of society, admire and love Bachchanji. He is an iconic movie star who has left an indelible mark on the Indian movie industry.  We couldn’t have thought of honoring a more fitting actor through our movie channels which aim to provide enriching and memorable movie experience for our viewers.”

    Tune-in to catch Big B in action on MAX & MAX2 from 5th -11th October during the prime time movie slots

  • Sony Max’s ‘No Talkies Returns’ a box-office hit with media agencies

    Sony Max’s ‘No Talkies Returns’ a box-office hit with media agencies

    MUMBAI: ‘No talkies Returns’- the national level dumb charades competition between media agencies organized by Sony Max, the premium Hindi movies channel concluded on an entertaining note on Friday, 19th September with Mumbai’s Red Fuse team taking away the trophy.

     

    With engaging regional rounds held across the cities of Bangalore, Delhi and Mumbai, the grand finale in Mumbai received a thumping response from media agencies and saw them battle it out to win the much coveted title of ‘No Talkies Returns’2014. Participants put their acting skills to the test as they competed against each other in a series of exciting rounds.  Teams that qualified for the finale round included MEC from Bangalore; Maxus and Lintas from Delhi; and OMD and Red Fuse from Mumbai.

     

    With a quest to find the ‘filmi deewana’ amongst media agencies, the channel carried out this interactive and entertaining initiative for the second year. With registrations having begun from 19th August onwards and lasting for 10 days, the channel received an overwhelming response from media agencies, with more than 150 teams registering this year as compared to a 100 teams in year one. Media agencies that signed up for the event included Maxus, MEC, Mindshare, Motivator, Madison, Zenith Optimedia & OMD to name a few.

     

    Commenting on the success of the event, Vaishali Sharma, VP Marketing, MAX commented, “We are immensely glad with the success of our initiative which had media agencies display their ‘filmy deewanapan’ side.  Seeing how well received this competition was, encourages us to bring it back year on year. We as a channel hope to keep the Bollywood spirit high by inspiring people through our unique endeavors.”

  • Max 2 celebrates evergreen Indian cinema

    Max 2 celebrates evergreen Indian cinema

    MUMBAI: Bringing alive the magic of great Indian cinema, MAX 2 is all set to get evergreen films to its viewers that are fresh and enjoyable to watch. With a differentiated brand positioning of ‘Jab dekho tab naya’, it will showcase iconic films that have an eternal appeal.

     

    With a rich selection of plots, dialogues, characters and music, the channel will handpick films for its viewers that will never cease to delight.  Moreover, MAX 2 seeks to establish an emotional connect with viewers through an appreciation and understanding of great Indian cinema.

     

    The objective of the channel is to not only cater to the needs of millions of Indian audiences who appreciate rich Indian cinema but also to inspire newer audiences to recognise and admire what went into creating such magnificent cinema.

     

    On the programming front, a fresh spin has been given to the movie wrap around programming called ‘Take 2’. Detailed research has been put into gathering authentic and never heard before movie trivia to make it relevant and appealing across generations.

     

    This short format programming will also draw a parallel between these iconic films and current consumer trends to make it appealing to the younger movie audience. ‘Sitaare’, another short format interstitial will be presented as mini biography. Featuring superstars of Indian cinema, these interstitial will take the viewers through an unseen, unknown and magical journey of their life. These will be presented in motion comic’s style making it contemporary, unique, visually appealing and relatable to the current generation of movie lovers.

     

    Sony Max EVP and business head Neeraj Vyas believes that no matter what day and age, great stories, legends and music has eternal appeal. “MAX 2 has been conceptualised as a contemporary place for great Indian cinema. It attempts to give that due pedestal to great Indian cinema.”