ITV

Tag: Pradeep Guha

  • 9X Media sale: Pradeep Guha & Rajat Sharma rubbish reports

    9X Media sale: Pradeep Guha & Rajat Sharma rubbish reports

    MUMBAI: The entities that were said to be involved in acquisition talks have no clue about the development. It seems to be pure speculation.

    The media and entertainment industry was since morning rife with speculation that India TV promoter Rajat Sharma is acquiring a controlling stake in the New Silk Route (NSR)-backed 9X Media. Reports emerged in the last few hours that also state the value of the deal was Rs 200 crore (Rs. 2,000 million).

    9X Media’s CEO Pradeep Guha, however, rubbished this news. He told Indiantelevision.com, “All the reports are absolutely rubbish. We are not selling 9X Media.” When Rajat Sharma was contacted, he retorted: “I have no idea where these reports are coming from. I am out of the country. All these reports are absolutely false.”

    Though, Sharma has been keen on evaluating several opportunities to diversify the business portfolio of Independent News Service, which depends entirely on advertising revenue from India TV, acquiring 9X Media is not in his list. Yet. Sharma and his wife Ritu Dhawan are the largest shareholders of INS, which is the parent company of India TV. They own close to 60 per cent stake in the company.

    According to reports that are making the rounds in the industry, Sharma may seek help for the fund transaction from existing investors in INS like the Silicon Valley-based media investor Keyur Patel who also owns a stake in NDTV through his CV Global Holdings, a Mauritius based investment arm.

    NSR was earlier looking to sell its 80 per cent stake in 9X Media to Sony Pictures Networks in August. Its CEO Pradeep Guha directly owns five per cent stake whereas 9X Media Employee Trust has a 13 per cent stake. NSR has Drag Along/Tag rights over Guha’s shareholding and can cause him to sell his entire holding if the transaction materialises.

    9X Media was founded in 2007 by Peter Mukerjea and Indrani Mukerjea and owns a bouquet of music channels that include regional language channels in Marathi and Punjabi. Its flagship channels are 9XM and 9X Jalwa.

    The rise of India TV as India’s leading news channel within a fairly short span of its existence owes a lot to the vision of its chairman and editor-in-chief Rajat Sharma who, along with his wife Ritu, leads a team of professionals.

    Sharma, considered close to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, co-founded India TV with his wife Ritu Dhawan in April, 2004 from a swanky studio-cum-office in Film City, Noida. Sharma and Dhawan had set up their own production house, Independent News Service (INS), the parent company which owns India TV, in 1997 that has now transformed into a broadcasting company — a la NDTV and TV18/Network18.

  • IndIAA Awards to be held on September 16

    IndIAA Awards to be held on September 16

    MUMBAI: The India Chapter of the International Advertising Association (IAA), launched the IndIAA awards “for real creative advertising that was backed by real budgets” last year. Nominations for the second edition were invited and unprecedented number of nominations was received and reviewed.

    D Shivakumar, Chairman & CEO, PepsiCo India, Chaired a jury of senior business leaders, which included Shantanu Khosla, Crompton Greaves, VL Rajesh, ITC Foods, Geetu Verma, Hindustan Unilever, Sanjay Behl, Raymond and Amit Syngle, Asian Paints. The Jury members met and determined the winners in a process that was both objective and transparent.

    D Shivakumar, Chairman & CEO, PepsiCo India, said, “We just finished seeing over 100 shortlisted commercials from 19-20 categories. We spend about 4 1/2 hours reviewing some outstanding work & some average work. We judged the commercials & the whole campaign under 3 parameters 1) does it make us think on the brand and the category in a fresh way 2) Is the benefit visualized brilliantly as a lot of it is in the audio visual medium 3) How campaignable is this. I must say that the whole process has been outstanding and the results have been pretty simple & clear. I wish all the winners the very best & for those who haven’t won, best of luck for the next time”

    Pradeep Guha, Chairman, IndIAA Awards, said, “In our second edition, advertising campaigns that were released between July 1, 2015 and June 30, 2016 will be honoured in multiple product and service categories. To qualify for the Award, the campaign should have film (TV or Digital) as one of its elements. In each product or service category, no more than an overall winner was awarded. The awards ceremony is now slated for 16th September, 2016 at ITC Maratha, near Sahar Airport, Mumbai.”

    Srinivasan Swamy, President, IAA India Chapter and SVP, IAA Global, added, “At the IndIAA Awards event, you will see campaigns that have been watched and loved, and went on to impress our stellar jury. Therefore, we will invite on stage all the co-creators of the campaign to accept the award. This will include the marketing team, the agency creative team, the media team and other agencies that contributed to the success of the campaign. A special website www.indiaa-awards.org now hosts all the nominees of the campaigns across 20 categories. Advertising and Marketing professionals can review the work and indicate their choices by clicking on the ‘like’ button.”

  • IndIAA Awards to be held on September 16

    IndIAA Awards to be held on September 16

    MUMBAI: The India Chapter of the International Advertising Association (IAA), launched the IndIAA awards “for real creative advertising that was backed by real budgets” last year. Nominations for the second edition were invited and unprecedented number of nominations was received and reviewed.

    D Shivakumar, Chairman & CEO, PepsiCo India, Chaired a jury of senior business leaders, which included Shantanu Khosla, Crompton Greaves, VL Rajesh, ITC Foods, Geetu Verma, Hindustan Unilever, Sanjay Behl, Raymond and Amit Syngle, Asian Paints. The Jury members met and determined the winners in a process that was both objective and transparent.

    D Shivakumar, Chairman & CEO, PepsiCo India, said, “We just finished seeing over 100 shortlisted commercials from 19-20 categories. We spend about 4 1/2 hours reviewing some outstanding work & some average work. We judged the commercials & the whole campaign under 3 parameters 1) does it make us think on the brand and the category in a fresh way 2) Is the benefit visualized brilliantly as a lot of it is in the audio visual medium 3) How campaignable is this. I must say that the whole process has been outstanding and the results have been pretty simple & clear. I wish all the winners the very best & for those who haven’t won, best of luck for the next time”

    Pradeep Guha, Chairman, IndIAA Awards, said, “In our second edition, advertising campaigns that were released between July 1, 2015 and June 30, 2016 will be honoured in multiple product and service categories. To qualify for the Award, the campaign should have film (TV or Digital) as one of its elements. In each product or service category, no more than an overall winner was awarded. The awards ceremony is now slated for 16th September, 2016 at ITC Maratha, near Sahar Airport, Mumbai.”

    Srinivasan Swamy, President, IAA India Chapter and SVP, IAA Global, added, “At the IndIAA Awards event, you will see campaigns that have been watched and loved, and went on to impress our stellar jury. Therefore, we will invite on stage all the co-creators of the campaign to accept the award. This will include the marketing team, the agency creative team, the media team and other agencies that contributed to the success of the campaign. A special website www.indiaa-awards.org now hosts all the nominees of the campaigns across 20 categories. Advertising and Marketing professionals can review the work and indicate their choices by clicking on the ‘like’ button.”

  • 9X Media is NOT UP for sale: Pradeep Guha

    9X Media is NOT UP for sale: Pradeep Guha

    MUMBAI: Recent media reports spurred speculations that the Pradeep Guha led 9X Media, which has New Silk Route Advisors as a private equity fund holder, is up for sale. However, refuting all such rumours, Guha tells Indiantelevision.com, “There is no truth behind the published statements. I have read the report myself and I was shocked. Let me clarify that 9XM is not up for sale.”

     

    The network now operates five channels namely 9XM (Bollywood music), 9X Jhakaas (Marathi music), 9XO (International music), 9X Tashan (Punjabi music) and 9X Jalwa (forever young Bollywood music).

     

    New Silk Route holds 80 per cent stake in 9X Media while Guha owns 15 per cent.

     

    “Being a media company that has been operating for so many years, eventually the private equity had to come out at some point. And that’s all that we are talking about at this stage. This does not imply any managerial or operational changes in the network or channel,” Guha explains.

     

    The network was started by former Star India CEO Peter Mukerjea and his wife Indrani Mukerjea.

  • Dentsu snaps up Brian Tellis’ Fountainhead; to merge it with psLIVE

    Dentsu snaps up Brian Tellis’ Fountainhead; to merge it with psLIVE

    MUMBAI: Dentsu Aegis Network has acquired Indian event and experiential agency Fountainhead Entertainment founded by Brian Tellis.

     

    It is envisaged that in 2016, Dentsu’s existing experiential offering of psLIVE, with 86 people in India, will be merged with Fountainhead, making the combined agency India’s largest experiential and activation agency business.

     

    As per industry sources, the acquisition is pegged in the region of Rs 350 – 400 crore.

     

    Fountainhead’s expertise and presence within the fastest growing sector of India’s advertising industry adds scale to Dentsu Aegis Network’s growing presence within the country.

     

    Founded by chairman Tellis, managing director Neale Murray and director Otis D’Souza, Fountainhead was later joined by co-directors Pradeep Guha, VG Jairam and Owen Roncon.

     

    Post-acquisition, Fountainhead will continue to be led by Tellis. The current management team will also continue as is. Tellis will report into Dentsu Aegis Network South Asia chairman and CEO Ashish Bhasin.

     

    This acquisition will be one of the largest in India within this sector.

     

    Established in 1994 and now with more than 205 experiential specialists, Fountainhead is headquartered in Mumbai and has offices in Delhi and Bangalore.

     

    Fountainhead supports its client base of more than 100 on all types of events, digital initiatives, product launches, brand activation and meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions. The five brands within the business are: Fountainhead Events, Oranjuice Entertainment, Fountainhead Activations, Fountainhead Corporate Journeys and Fountainhead Digital. Together, they deliver in excess of 350 events annually.

     

    Dentsu Aegis Network Asia Pacific CEO Nick Waters said, “Fountainhead’s reputation in the event and activation market, and their extensive experience in both music and sports marketing, complements and strengthens our experiential offering in one of the region’s most exciting markets. This move represents a further step in our continued investment programme in the Indian market. We welcome Brian and the wider team to the network.”

     

    Bhasin said, “As the fastest growing network in India, we are continuing to expand our portfolio of diverse specialisations available to our growing client base. Fountainhead’s creative quality and reputation in the market make it the perfect addition to Dentsu Aegis Network India. Our unique ‘One P & L’ philosophy will help us bring their expertise to all Dentsu Aegis Network clients. This is another big step forward in helping us achieve our mission of being the second largest agency group by end 2017 in India, overturning for the first time the existing ranking which has historically been in place for over 80 years in India.”

     

    Tellis added, “Our vision is to deliver world class experiences to our stake holders. To set benchmarks in delivery through cutting-edge creativity, innovation, value pricing and practices and processes.  We are thrilled to join Dentsu Aegis Network. The sheer dynamism of the group will open up opportunities for us. Our values are well aligned and the potentially combined entity of Fountainhead and psLIVE will become the most comprehensive experiential offering in India. We are very excited about this opportunity and the growth potential it offers. Fountainhead, a full service experiential agency, will now start to align with an enviable spectrum of brands through the Dentsu Aegis Network.”

     

    Fountainhead will retain its identity and branding, working alongside the other specialist Dentsu Aegis Network brands locally: Carat, iProspect, Isobar, Posterscope, Vizeum, Amnet, Dentsu media, Dentsu branded agencies (Dentsu Creative Impact, Dentsu Marcom, Dentsu Communications, Taproot Dentsu, Dentsu Webchutney), WATConsult and Milestone Brandcom. 

  • Colors’ Raj Nayak to lead Indian delegation at AdAsia 2015

    Colors’ Raj Nayak to lead Indian delegation at AdAsia 2015

    MUMBAI: Colors CEO Raj Nayak will lead the Indian delegation at AdAsia 2015 to be held from22-25 November in Taipei. 

     

    The announcement was made by The Asian Federation of Advertising Associations (AFAA) chairman Pradeep Guha in the presence of AFAA vice-chairman Raymond So. 

     

    Guha said, “I am very pleased that Raj Nayak is leading the Indian delegation to AdAsia Taipei. It is a great opportunity for professionals from marketing advertising and the media to participate in Asia’s premier advertising event.”

     

    The principle objective of AdAsia is to give Asian advertising a boost while showcasing that it is at par with international advertising standards. Every alternate year, the event is held at a different destination with Taipei being the host for the congress’ 2015 edition.

     

    AdAsia is a platform that brings together prominent professionals from all over Asia as they get the opportunity to interact and exchange ideas. With top notch speakers from across the world who will not only talk business but also participate in informal get-togethers to foster a strong relationship, AdAsia is the must-visit event for the industry every year. 

     

    Nayak said, “I would like to thank my peers and colleagues in the industry and the industry body associations, who have found me worthy of this honour. AdAsia serves as the ideal platform to bring together like minded professionals to meet, network and share ideas on a global scale, helping in the overall growth and development of the community at large. I would urge my friends from the industry to try and send as many delegates from their organisation to represent India in its full strength.”

     

    The Advertising Club chief operating officer Bipin R Pandit added, “AdAsia, a biennial event, is one of the most looked forward to event within the advertising community. With the Indian market evolving constantly, AdAsia serves as the perfect platform for industry leaders to come together to showcase Indian campaigns that have potential to create global impact. We are happy to have Raj Nayak lead the delegation in Taipei this year; his knowledge and expertise in the M&E industry is unparalleled and under his leadership, the very huge Indian delegation will surely emerge as the frontrunners at the congress.”

  • “I’m optimistic that BARC will be able to measure all screens very soon:” Shashi Sinha

    “I’m optimistic that BARC will be able to measure all screens very soon:” Shashi Sinha

    MUMBAI: Stressing on the importance of measurement, IPG Mediabrands CEO Shashi Sinha is of the opinion that with the way things are shaping up along with technological advancements, India’s new television ratings measurement body Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) India will be able to measure all screens very soon and not just television.

     

    Giving a keynote at a media review organised by The Ad Club of India, Sinha said, “If you cannot measure, you cannot control. In India, measurement is not always about science and technology, it’s also about giving stakeholders a perspective. The television industry is migrating from TAM to BARC and hence witnessing a lot of glitches. But going forward with how things are shaping up and the technologies that BARC is using I am optimistic that BARC will be able to measure all the screens very soon. It is very important to have common matrices and single source when it comes to measurement.”

     

    Sinha also expressed his anguish about the fact that besides having so many powerful associations, India does not have an organised measurement mechanism.

     

    The media review was organised to discuss the challenging issue: Continuous Partial Attention (CPA) of Audiences and was attended by key media, advertising and marketing veterans.

     

    The theme of the discussion was ‘Is Anyone Listening,’ which began with Asian Federation of Advertising Associations (AFAA) executive committee chairman Pradeep Guha announcing the road map of Ad Asia Summit, which will be hosted by Taipei in November. Every year, the India delegation is led by a stalwart from either media, advertising or marketing agency. Guha announced, “2015 India delegate in Ad Asia will be led by Colors CEO Raj Nayak and the emphasis will be around digital – the theme of 2015 Ad Asia.”

     

    Media veteran Meenakshi Menon threw light on the lack of communication between the advertiser, agency and client. “The model we are following is totally broken. The advertising model cannot move like an ostrich in a lightening fast world. India has always shown the world how to do work differently.”

     

    Highlighting the factors that play a pivotal role in bringing about agency reviews for accounts, Menon’s said, “Change of CMO – 63 per cent, business performance – 78 per cent, creative dissatisfaction – 59 per cent, general relationship – 56 per cent and compensation – seven per cent. Discount can be an icing on the cake but can never be the reason behind the selection of an agency. Additionally, there is a strong distrust amongst clients and agencies, which needs to be addressed and worked. Moreover, the guys in advertising need to believe in themselves.”

     

    Contradicting Menon’s viewpoint, Google India agency business director Punitha Arumugham said, “Agencies are the most effective listeners in the business and they are doing some good and progressive work. They are the only stakeholders in the fraternity, who listen to everybody.”

     

    Arumugam abbreviated ‘Listen’ from the topic’s ‘Is Anyone Listening,’ wherein L stood for Leverage Insights, I for Investigative Features, S for Seek moments, T for Think Moonshots, E for Employ Curious People and N was for Never stop being amazing.”   

     

    In his end note, moderator of the panel discussion, Madison World chairman and managing director Sam Balsara left the audience to ponder over a few pertinent questions. “With new ratings and measurement bodies coming in, should the fundamentals and principles remain same or should they also change with the change of mechanisms?” he asked. Balsara also threw light on the inconsistencies in subscription fees while referring to the migration from BARC and TAM but accepted the fact that measurement is an essential tool as, “matrices are the building bricks of any plan,” he concluded.

  • AFAA to organise training programme for ad, media professionals in Malaysia

    AFAA to organise training programme for ad, media professionals in Malaysia

     MUMBAI: The Asian Federation of Advertising Associations (AFAA), of which Advertising Council of India (a division of STACA Trust) is a member, had commissioned a unique initiative in 2013, called Fast Track Professional Excellence Programme. In its third year now, the Fast Track Professional Excellence Programme, is a three day specialized training programme held in Malaysia. It is targeted at young professionals from advertising, marketing and media industry. This year, the specialized training programme will be held from 17-19 April, 2015.

     

    Fast Track Professional Excellence Programme was designed with an aim to support the up-and-coming-stars of the industry in their growth. It empowers young professionals (below 35 years and with at least five years of work experience) with the necessary skills to excel in their respective professions. This year, too, The Standing Committee on Advertising (STACA) will be sponsoring around four – six young professionals for this programme. It’s an expression of STACA’s and ACI’s commitment to the industry in India. 

     

    Commenting on the initiative AFAA chairman Pradeep Guha said, “Since its launch in 2013, the Fast Track Professional Excellence Programme has been a catalyst in accelerating the careers of many young professionals. This year too, the three-day specialized training programme will guide young professionals to reconnect with their passion for the industry, and enhance their skills as they face the challenges ahead. ”

     

    Young professionals can apply for Fast Track Programme sponsorship by writing an article on how communication can be made into a force for good. The article (not more than 100 words) should be mailed to acifasttrack@gmail.com along with their brief profile (age, valid passport number, jobs details, etc.) before 24 March, 2015.

  • IAA invites entries for 5th Olive Crown Awards

    IAA invites entries for 5th Olive Crown Awards

    MUMBAI: The India Chapter of the International Advertising Association (IAA) has announced its call for entries for Olive Crown Awards.

    In its fifth year, the Olive Crown Awards are Asia’s first and only awards that recognise excellence in communicating sustainability. Run along with the Asian Federation of Advertising Associations (AFAA), these awards have been attracting entries from India and Asia. Run as a cause, there is no entry fee charged.

    IAA Asia Pacific development VP and IAA India chapter president Srinivasan K Swamy said, “These awards have grown from strength to strength. This is our way of showing that we as professionals in the communications industry are not just custodians of the brands we work for, but are also custodians of Brand Earth. We are very happy with the warm response we have received from all sections of our industry.”

    IAA vice president and Olive Crown Awards Committee chairman Neeraj Roy added, “I feel the Olive Crowns have pulled the green message back on top of the strategic agenda. More corporates and Agencies are realizing how important it is to do their bit for the environment as evidenced by the increasing interest and stature of these awards.”

    Asian Federation of Advertising Associations (AFAA) chairman Pradeep Guha said, “I am pleased that IAA and AFAA are partners in the Olive Crown initiative. This remains the first and only such effort in Asia and needs to be encouraged at every level. I am also glad the Corporate Social Crusader Award, which was launched last year and received such a great response from corporates has been continued this year.”

     

  • AFAA launches DigiAsia

    AFAA launches DigiAsia

    MUMBAI: The Asian Federation of Advertising Associations (AFAA) announced the launch of their new property DigiAsia a bi-annual event which will be held from 11 to 14 November 2014 in Taipei.

     

    According to AFAA chairman Pradeep Guha it caters to a growing need amongst creative, management, design and technical professionals to have a truly global digital congress. He adds: “This is a very happy day for us. After the AdAsia which has become a respected and looked-forward-to event on the roster of all senior communications professionals, DigiAsia is a new property AFAA has curated. As we all know, Taiwan has been at the forefront in this space, and therefore we felt it was the ideal place to organise this event.”

     

    DigiAsia will provide delegates an opportunity to learn from experts, share with peers and be inspired by cutting-edge innovation. With several interesting formats, there will be a Digi Forum with 20 experts in the field. There will also be a unique Digi Matching session between entrepreneurs and business leaders.