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Tag: Raj Nayak

  • HUL, PKL, Paytm, Indian Accent & Oppo among Marquees award-winners

    MUMBAI: Minster of textile, information & broadcasting Smriti Irani, addressing a gathering of media, advertising and marketing industry stalwarts, said: “All I implore today to the industry stalwarts is that we now, in a systemic fashion, build a platform that takes care of those who need help, specially from the creative faction of the industry. I hope that, one day, on this stage, some of us will stand here to applaud an Indian media company that has made it at the global stage.”

    The Advertising Club (TAC) India hosted the inaugural edition of the unique ‘Marquee Awards’ in Mumbai. Presented by News18 India, powered by Colors and MTV and partnered by One India, the event was flagged off by Irani as the chief guest of honour.

    Hindustan Unilever won the coveted Green Marketer Award, which honors brands that have strived and conquered, by keeping a close focus on environment sustainability. The Special Award for “Conquering an impregnable fortress” was won by Bira 91. Pro Kabaddi League was recognised as the brand that “Traversed unchartered waters” and Paytm was recognized for “Riding on an emerging wave”.  Honda Motorcycle & Scooter was awarded for “Breathing new life into a category”, Indian Accent was recognized for “Creating a Global Impact” while Oppo was recognized for “Carving out a Niche” for themselves in a highly competitive category.

    Making a special mention of the ‘Global Impact’ category, Irani said,  “Having been a part of this journey, I have just one appeal this evening – while we sell dreams to the nation and world, there are many amongst us who wither away with the passage of time. We now build a platform that takes care of the creative faction so that the world does not accuse us selling dreams but living a lie.”

    The Advertising Club president Raj Nayak said, “Marquees 2017 has emerged as the gold standard in marketing awards. I thank the minister Smriti Irani for gracing the maiden edition of Marquees 2017.”

    Marquees 2017 chairman and BARC India CEO Partho Dasgupta said, “The debut edition of Marquees has set a new benchmark of excellence by recognising brands that have challenged the communication archetype in the industry, thus appealing to the evolved consumer of today. These awards through their differentiated scope, right from the jury panel to representation to categories, has ensured that they are a marketer’s dream.”

    A+E Networks | TV18 managing director and Network18 president Avinash Kaul said, “At News18 India, we identify with the spirit of celebrating brands that drive positive change. News18 India, as a brand, has also undergone a transformation after the rebranding exercise and the results are visible. This only re-affirms our association with Marquees which has today honoured path-breaking marketing campaigns that have inspired change.”

    S. No

    Category

    Winner

    1

    Durables

    LG ELECTRONICS

    2

    Auto: 4 Wheelers

    MARUTI SUZUKI

    3

    Auto: 2 Wheelers

    Royal Enfield

    5

    Food

    WAI WAI NOODLES (CG GLOBAL)

    5

    Banking

    HDFC BANK

    6

    Personal Care

    LIFEBUOY (HINDUSTAN UNILEVER)

    7

    Insurance

    LIC

    8

    Telecom Services

    BHARTI AIRTEL

    9

    Home Care

    VIM (HINDUSTAN UNILEVER)

    10

    E-Commerce

    AMAZON INDIA

    11

    Beverages

    FROOTI (PARLE AGRO)

    12

    Telecom Handset

    XIAOMI SMARTPHONES

    Special Categories

     

     

     

    1

    Breathing new life into a category

    HONDA MOTORCYCLE & SCOOTER

    2

    Creating a global Impact

    INDIAN ACCENT

    3

    Green Marketer

    HINDUSTAN LEVER

    4

    Riding on an emerging wave

    PAYTM

    5

     Carving out a niche

    OPPO

    6

    Reimagining for the better

    GOOD EARTH

    7

    Traversing unchartered waters

    PRO KABADDI LEAGUE

    8

    Conquering an impregnable fortress

    BIRA 91

    Also Read:

    Ad Club announces nomination list for ‘Marquees 2017’ 

    Minister Smriti Irani to be Marquees 2017 chief guest

    Marquees 2017: Ad club appoints HUL’s Sanjiv Mehta as jury chair

  • Ad Club announces nomination list for ‘Marquees 2017’

    MUMBAI: India’s foremost advertising community The Advertising Club has unveiled the much-awaited nomination list for the  coveted Marquees 2017. Presented by News18 India, powered by Colors and MTV and partnered by One India in its debut edition, Marquees 2017  nomination list includes thought leaders who have been category game changers and innovators.

    The awards have been adjudged by industry stalwarts that includes Harsh Goenka, Chairman – RPG Enterprises, Ronnie Screwvala, Co-Founder – UpGrad; Agnello Dias – Chairman and Co-Founder, Taproot India; Naveen Chopra –  Ex COO, Vodafone and Sr Advisor, TPG Capital; Dilip Cherian – Founding Partner, Perfect Relations and CVL Srinivas, CEO South Asia – GroupM. These stalwarts along with Sanjiv Mehta, ‎CEO and Managing Director, Hindustan Unilever Limited as jury chair.  

    The Advertising Club president Raj Nayak said “The diverse  jury panel has nominated path breaking marketeers who who each played an instrumental role in redefining benchmarks in their respective categories. The brands that have been nominated have been credited with curating campaigns that have facilitated social and behaviorial change.”

    Marquees 2017 chairman Partho Dasgupta said, “Marquees 2017 jury  has nominated marketeers and brands who have challenged the conventional communication paradigm. We would like to congratulate   the nominees for making it to the coveted list of the debut edition of the marquees, curated  after extensive deliberation  and discussion by the esteemed jury panel.”

    Marquees is set to be a grand affair bringing together thought leaders and industry veterans from Advertising, Marketing and Media Fraternity.  The awards endeavours to evaluate and recognize success of the brands by judging them basis not only just how they advertised across platforms, but also taking into account important factors like the pricing, distribution and purpose the brand served for the consumers at the end of the day.  

     

    Category

    S. NO

    Nominee

    1

    Banking

    1

    ICICI BANK

    2

    STATE BANK OF INDIA

    3

    AXIS BANK

    4

    HDFC BANK

    5

    PUNJAB NATIONAL BANK

    2

    Insurance

    1

    HDFC STANDARD LIFE

    2

    SBI LIFE INSURANCE

    3

    NEW INDIA INSURANCE

    4

    LIC

    5

    UNITED INDIA INSURANCE

    3

    Food

    1

    PARLE PRODUCTS

    2

    GOKUL AGRO

    3

    FORTUNE FOODS

    4

    WAI WAI NOODLES (CG GLOBAL)

    5

    EVEREST SPICES

    4

    Home Care

    1

    SURF (HINDUSTAN UNILEVER)

    2

    GOODKNIGHT (GODREJ CONSUMER PRODUCTS)

    3

    WHEEL (HINDUSTAN UNILEVER)

    4

    PATANJALI AYURVED

    5

     VIM (HINDUSTAN UNILEVER)

    5

    Durables

    1

    SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS

    2

    GODREJ

    3

    LG ELECTRONICS

    4

    VIDEOCON

    5

    HAIER

    6

    Beverages

    1

    TATA GLOBAL BEVERAGES

    2

    COCA COLA

    3

    FROOTI (PARLE AGRO)

    4

    BROOKE BOND (HINDUSTAN UNILEVER)

    5

    GLUCON D (KRAFT HEINZ)

    7

    Personal Care

    1

    CLINIC PLUS (HINDUSTAN UNILEVER)

    2

    COLGATE

    3

    NIHAR (MARICO)

    4

    LIFEBUOY (HINDUSTAN UNILEVER)

    5

    HEAD & SHOULDERS (PROCTOR & GAMBLE)

    8

    Telecom: Services

    1

    VODAFONE

    2

    RELIANCE JIO

    3

    IDEA CELLULAR

    4

    BHARTI AIRTEL

    5

    BSNL

    9

    AUTO: 4 Wheelers

    1

    HYUNDAI MOTOR

    2

    RENAULT

    3

    MARUTI SUZUKI

    4

    NISSAN MOTOR

    5

    TATA MOTORS

    10

    AUTO: 2 Wheelers

    1

    HERO MOTORCORP

    2

    HONDA MOTORCYCLE & SCOOTER

    3

    TVS MOTOR

    4

    BAJAJ AUTO

    5

    ROYAL ENFIELD

    11

    E-Commerce

    1

    PAYTM

    2

    MYNTRA

    3

    AMAZON INDIA

    4

    FLIPKART

    5

    EBAY INDIA

    12

    Telecom: Handset

    1

    SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS

    2

    VIVO SMARTPHONES

    3

    XIAOMI SMARTPHONES

    4

    OPPO

    5

    MICROMAX

     

    Category

    S. NO

    Nominee

    1

    Banking

    1

    ICICI BANK

    2

    STATE BANK OF INDIA

    3

    AXIS BANK

    4

    HDFC BANK

    5

    PUNJAB NATIONAL BANK

    2

    Insurance

    1

    HDFC STANDARD LIFE

    2

    SBI LIFE INSURANCE

    3

    NEW INDIA INSURANCE

    4

    LIC

    5

    UNITED INDIA INSURANCE

    3

    Food

    1

    PARLE PRODUCTS

    2

    GOKUL AGRO

    3

    FORTUNE FOODS

    4

    WAI WAI NOODLES (CG GLOBAL)

    5

    EVEREST SPICES

    4

    Home Care

    1

    SURF (HINDUSTAN UNILEVER)

    2

    GOODKNIGHT (GODREJ CONSUMER PRODUCTS)

    3

    WHEEL (HINDUSTAN UNILEVER)

    4

    PATANJALI AYURVED

    5

     VIM (HINDUSTAN UNILEVER)

    5

    Durables

    1

    SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS

    2

    GODREJ

    3

    LG ELECTRONICS

    4

    VIDEOCON

    5

    HAIER

    6

    Beverages

    1

    TATA GLOBAL BEVERAGES

    2

    COCA COLA

    3

    FROOTI (PARLE AGRO)

    4

    BROOKE BOND (HINDUSTAN UNILEVER)

    5

    GLUCON D (KRAFT HEINZ)

    7

    Personal Care

    1

    CLINIC PLUS (HINDUSTAN UNILEVER)

    2

    COLGATE

    3

    NIHAR (MARICO)

    4

    LIFEBUOY (HINDUSTAN UNILEVER)

    5

    HEAD & SHOULDERS (PROCTOR & GAMBLE)

    8

    Telecom: Services

    1

    VODAFONE

    2

    RELIANCE JIO

    3

    IDEA CELLULAR

    4

    BHARTI AIRTEL

    5

    BSNL

    9

    AUTO: 4 Wheelers

    1

    HYUNDAI MOTOR

    2

    RENAULT

    3

    MARUTI SUZUKI

    4

    NISSAN MOTOR

    5

    TATA MOTORS

    10

    AUTO: 2 Wheelers

    1

    HERO MOTORCORP

    2

    HONDA MOTORCYCLE & SCOOTER

    3

    TVS MOTOR

    4

    BAJAJ AUTO

    5

    ROYAL ENFIELD

    11

    E-Commerce

    1

    PAYTM

    2

    MYNTRA

    3

    AMAZON INDIA

    4

    FLIPKART

    5

    EBAY INDIA

    12

    Telecom: Handset

    1

    SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS

    2

    VIVO SMARTPHONES

    3

    XIAOMI SMARTPHONES

    4

    OPPO

    5

    MICROMAX

  • Colors partners Bajaj for United Sisters’ Pinkathon promoted by Maximus Mice

    MUMBAI: Colors presents Pinkathon – Empowering Indian Women, Inspiring Partners Bajaj Electricals India’s biggest women’s run is coming to Delhi for the Fifth edition on Sunday, 17 September at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Delhi.

    United Sisters Foundation & Maximus Events along with super model, actor, fitness enthusiast, avid barefoot runner and Pinkathon founder Milind Soman formally announced the launch of the Fifth edition run in Delhi at a press conference at Hotel Claridges. Committed to put Women forward, India’s leading entertainment channel, Colors extends its support to this Cause by partaking in spreading the message of ‘wellbeing of women’ through this initiative.

    Present at the conference were eminent dignitaries like Mann Kaur 101 yr old Indian woman runner winner of Gold at Americas World Masters, Silvia Tallon, Sr Marketing Director Reebok India, Geetanjali Babbar Founder Katkatha and Ishita Anand founder Bitgiving.

    Expressing delight on the launch of the Fifth edition of Pinkathon Inspiring Partners Bajaj Electricals in Delhi, founder Milind Soman said, “Pinkathon is the seed of change and the beginning of a movement that is carried forward by a growing community of empowered women across India, who share a belief that a healthy family, a healthy nation and a healthy world begins with empowered women, first step in empowerment is taking control of your own health, respecting yourself and understanding and celebrating the value you bring to your family and society.”

    Reema Sanghavi, Managing Director, Maximus Events Co Founder Pinkathon “Besides Delhi, Pinkathon has already been held in various cities like Hyderabad, Kolkata, Pune, Chennai, Guwahati, and Mumbai in the year 2017. The multi-city national event has received an overwhelming expression of support with over 85,000 women of all ages, across different walks of life having participation in 8 cities in 2016. This number is expected to cross 1, 00,000 in 2017 with 9 cities.

    Said Raj Nayak, COO – Hindi Mass Entertainment, Viacom18 – “Be it a businesswoman, sportswoman, homemaker or au naturel, it’s their values and instincts that drive the entire world. Women leaders form the backbone of my Colors team as well and play a major role in every decision which furthers our business objectives and goals.”

    Commenting on Reebok’s association, Silvia Tallon, Sr Marketing Director Reebok India, said “Reebok as a brand has always been pushing the fitness cause for women to give them the necessary spur to rise beyond societal shackles and become mentally, socially and physically fit.”

    As a precursor to the main day, the team is organising unique events such as the Cancer Shero Trek. A Shero is a cancer survivor & this event is dedicated towards felicitating these inspiring people. Starting with a trek, this event felicitates the inspiring Cancer Survivors honouring them with an “I Inspire” medal.

  • Colors’ version of Chandrakanta coming on 24 June, new weekend shows in pipeline, says Raj Nayak

    MUMBAI: As viewers prepare to bid adieu to the unprecedented leader on Indian television, Naagin 2, Colors is all set to launch a 52-episodic fantasy tale of love and revenge portrayed against the backdrop of magic and mysticism, Chandrakanta, which is already selling at around Rs two lakh per 10-second slot. Addiitonally, new shows are in the Colors pipeline during the weekends.

    Promising to be a visual treat and every fantasy lover’s delight, Chandrakanta will showcase an epic power struggle between two rival Aiyaar kingdoms, Vijaygarh and Suryagarh. Putting the spotlight on the conflicting yet fervid relationship between princess Chandrakanta (Madhurima Tuli) and prince Veer (Vishal Aditya Singh), the show is laden with myths, legends and magic.Along with Madhurima Tuli, Vishal Aditya Singh, Urvashi Dholakia and Shaad Randhawa, Chandrakanta will feature an ensemble cast including actors Shilpa Sakhlani as Queen Ratnaprabha (Chandrakanta’s birth mother), Sandeep Ranjora as King Jai Singh (Chandrakanta’s birth father), Prerna Wanvari as Vishaka (Chandrakanta’s aunt), Nirmal Soni as Djinn (Chandrakanta’s best friend), Shruti Golap as Ruchi (Chandrakanta’s adoptive aiyaar mother), Sayyad Mohammad Iqbal as Bheema (Chandrakanta’s adoptive aiyaar father), Purvi Mundada as Champa (Veerendra’s best friend), Amit Sinha as Kroor Singh (Shivdutt’s confidante) and many more.

    Spread across a sprawling 32,000 square feet, Chandrakanta’s sets, designed by National Award winning Art Director Chandravadan More, highlight regality and opulence of the magical realms. Three distinct zones, Queen Iravati’s darbar in Vijaygarh, Prince Shivdutt’s darbar in Suryagarh, and Chandrakanta’s foster parents’ fisherman’s shack, have been authentically created to form the perfect setting for Chandrakanta and Veerendra’s love saga. Intricately designed costumes, by Sameera Ahmad, offer a kaleidoscope of vibrant colours which add a dimension to the complexity of the monolithic and prodigious backdrop.

    Chandrakanta, produced by Balaji Telefilms, will mystify audiences starting 24 June 2017, every Saturday and Sunday at 8:00 PM on Colors. A brief talk with Viacom18 COO Raj Nayak (RN), programming head Manisha Sharma (MS) and Ekta Kapoor (EK):  

     

    How different will Colors’ Chandrakanta be?rate
    RN: Irrespective of others, we do it as per own plan and ideas. Ekta (Kapoor) has a certain way of narrating a story. In the new telecast, this story has been ‘sectionalised’ differently. It is our version of Chandrakanta.  We are thrilled to collaborate with Ekta Kapoor’s creative intellect yet again to showcase a unique rendition of a story which, though has been narrated before, leaves a lot of scope for creating a cohesive viewing experience.  Chandrakanta narrates the tale of Vijaygarh’s lost princess who lost her family and kingdom to a power war waged by Naugarh’s evil Queen Iravati (Urvashi Dholakia). While many believed the family to be wiped out, an infant Chandrakanta was found in a river by a simple and loving aiyaar fishing couple in Suryagarh. Her true identity lost in the war, Chandrakanta grows up to be a strong warrior-like woman, whose focus and strong determination are unparalleled. But, her real journey starts when she crosses paths with Queen Iravati’s son, Prince Veerendra Singh, who finds himself enamored by Chandrakanta’s entrancing beauty and falls hopelessly in love with her when he comes to battle Suryagarh’s Prince Shivdutt (Shaad Randhawa).

    MS: As a channel, we are committed to bringing viewers a variety of entertainment – be it Naagin, now Chandrakanta or the upcoming Mahakaali that makes for edgy yet pacier story telling as compared to the daily fiction dramas. The success of Naagin tells us that viewers still have a huge appetite for this genre and with Chandrakanta, we are scaling up every aspect of the show and making it as spectacular and thrilling as ever. True to the ethos of the channel that offers differentiated content, be it weekdays or on the weekend – we hope that this enchanting story will be enjoyed by the audience as much as Naagin was.

    EK: Chandrakanta is a very special show for us and it has very big shoes to fill. That said, we were filled with excitement over the prospect of creating this show. The plot is gritty, complex, passionate and is laced with top class VFX which will transport the viewers into alternate reality. We hope that Naagin’s ardent viewers and voracious fantasy-fiction aficionados enjoy watching Chandrakanta and support this mammoth venture.”

     

    Isn’t it a risk to replace Naagin 2?
    RN: It’s obviously a risk to replace a highly-rated show with another, it is a scary thought. But, we believe in the new plot, ….but you know entertainment, creative, shows and their the nature: the ultimate decision-maker is going to be the viewer. So, we did to the best of our ability — the story telling, the casting, the sets, but, we believe Chandrakanta would be engaging, interesting and the element of suspense that is there, like you have seen in Naagin, and so somewhere it is straddling the same genre of content.

     

    Tell us about bringing back ‘Kavach’
    RN: Colors had made Kavach a successful show. Kavach could become equally successful as Naagin. Even, we didn’t think Naagin would become  a superhit. W had expected a rating of 2.5 to 3, but when it went to a rating of 5.5 and 6, we were surprised.

    Whether or not fantasy in shows works?
    RN: From Doordarshan around 25 years ago, like Ramayana, some things work. Love stories, historical and mythological ones will always work. But, it doesn’t mean success comes with the the genre — it needs to be well-scripted, well-cast and well-written. One doesn’t know whether or not stories will work, but the concept of the story will always work, such as the love stories of Heer Ranja, Laila Majnoo. For two back-to-back seasons Naagin has enjoyed the status of being a favorite of the viewers. It’s their confidence in our content that has allowed us to explore this genre further. The recent success of costume dramas and fantasy offerings not only on television but also in films is a testimony that our viewers have evolved, and are willing to explore different narratives.

    Tell us about your marketing plans.
    RN: Our main focus is on television because obviously our audience is there — its easy to connect with them. The show will be aired on Colors and Voot and not AltBalaji. To promote Chandrakanta and bring this fantastical folklore directly to audiences, Colors has devised an integrated marketing campaign encapsulating different mediums including print, television, radio, OOH, and ATL and BTL activations. The channel has also designed an extensive digital campaign including #ChandrakantaKiDuniya – a 360-degree video of Chandrakanta’s magical world, #MyMagicalLoveStory – a viewer engagement initiative asking viewers to share their respective love stories in micro-fiction format, a fan e-book and Facebook canvas, and a mix of 3D GIF images, video bytes and behind-the-scenes sneak peek posts

    Enlighten us about the choice of star cast.
    RN: I’m happy with the star cast. Ekta always gets the casting right. Most of the delays are always because of Ekta as she feels: ‘No no, this cast isn’t good, we need to change it.’

    What will be the rate for a 10 second spot?
    RN: Right now, the team is selling at rupees lakh and a half to one lakh eighty, but let’s see, it all depends on the ratings of the show.

     

  • Colors’ ‘Khatron Ke Khiladi’ invests Rs 70 cr so far, Shetty & team leave for Spain on 17 May

    Colors’ ‘Khatron Ke Khiladi’ invests Rs 70 cr so far, Shetty & team leave for Spain on 17 May

    MUMBAI: Action director-producer Rohit Shetty is back on Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi wherein 12 daredevil (jaanbaaz) Khiladis will test their fear quotient in Spain.

    Twenty episodes of ‘Khatron Ke Khiladi’ have already been lined up to be telecast on Viacom18’s Colors channel which is accessible in over 90 per cent television households in India. Around Rs 60-70 crore has already been invested in the show of dare-devilry, it has been reliably learnt by www.indiantelevision.com.

    ‘Pain in Spain’ is the theme of the new season of the biggest action=packed reality show on Indian television, for which celebrities will be travelling to Spain on 17 May.

    The show will showcase action from the land of flamenco, fiesta and folklore – Spain, this year. Shetty makes a comeback after a year to host the upcoming season.

    Produced by Endemol Shine India, the beautiful terrains of Spain are all set to turn into a battleground with never-seen-before stunts as Khatron Ke Khiladi preps up to premiere this monsoon.

    Speaking about the newest edition, recently promoted Viacom18 COO Raj Nayak said, “Both the seasons that Shetty hosted earlier yielded rich dividends. This time, with an exotic destination like Spain and carefully handpicked contestants, we are sure the show will become a blockbuster.”

    Living the ‘pain’ in Spain on Khatron Ke Khiladi will be 12 enthusiastic khiladis who will taste fear at every step of their journey on the show. The handpicked khiladis include internationally acclaimed wrestler Geeta Phogat, Bigg Boss’s common man champion Manveer Gurjar, bold and daring Shibani Dandekar, Lopamudra Raut, Monica Dogra and Nia Sharma, charming actors Ravi Dubey, Karan Wahi and Rithvik Dhanjani, television beauties Hina Khan and Shiny Doshi, and hip-hop king Shantanu Maheshwari.

    Together, these jaanbaaz khiladis will battle not only Spain’s unpredictable spring weather, but also specially curated stunts that will challenge their limitations.

    Said Manisha Sharma, Programming Head – COLORS, “The line-up this year is very promising and the fact that we must take the show to its next level is very challenging. With Shetty back, we have tried to custom-make stunts going by the playout of the previous seasons. Shetty too has his own ideas of frying this new bunch of contestants! The season is truly going to be Darr Ki Nayi Definition. The viewers will have a blast watching the Dangal girl – Geeta Phogat fight in a new battleground, daily soap bahu – Hina Khan test new waters out of her comfort zone, and have other television heartthrobs, Bigg Boss winners, singers and anchors prove their mettle against fear.”

    Shetty, said, “Muchas gracias, Colors for having me back on Khatron Ke Khiladi. Spain has some amazing locations that can truly test the daredevilry of the khiladis. With Colors and Endemol, together, I’m hoping we create another blockbuster experience for all. Colors has picked up some excellent contestants this season and like the viewers, I’m looking forward to know them and test their fear quotient.”

    Deepak Dhar, Managing Director & CEO – Endemol Shine India said, “With Khatron Ke Khiladi, Endemol Shine India continues to push the threshold of action, drama, and entertainment, on a grander scale with every passing year. Our constant endeavor is to redefine the notion of fear while creating a wholesome entertainment experience. This year, Spain will form the perfect setting for the stunts that we have planned. It’s going to be a fear-filled ride; Khatron Ke Khiladi will explore uncharted avenues of ‘Darr’ this season.”

    As Khatron Ke Khiladi’s 12 unsuspecting khiladis depart for Spain with Shetty, they will be faced with a mix of stunts featuring not only heights, water, creepy crawlies and wilderness, but also some of the wildest experiences that will change their perspective of fear altogether!

  • Viacom18 elevates Raj Nayak as COO, restructures leadership team

    MUMBAI: As it steps into the 10th year of its existence, Viacom18, one of India’s fastest growing media and entertainment companies, has announced an organisational rejig that aims to dial up synergies across the multiplatform network that houses iconic brands.

    Led by the elevation of Raj Nayak to Chief Operating Officer, Viacom18, the restructuring exercise is aimed at making the organisation future-ready as it enters its next growth phase. With this move Viacom18 has consolidated its national brands aimed at youth and adult audiences viz. Hindi, Youth, Music and English Entertainment offerings under the leadership of Raj.

    The role of Ferzad Palia, Head – Youth, Music & English Entertainment has been further expanded, to include two new businesses as the network dials up its content & music offerings. ‘Brand Studio’ will create branded content and white label solutions for partners, along with original commissioned content. ‘MTV Music Project’, will nurture an ecosystem of new and established artistes and create original music content. This is in addition to Ferzad’s existing portfolio that includes MTV, MTV Beats, COLORS Infinity, Comedy Central & Vh1.

    With a clear focus on strengthening its rural presence, Viacom18 has also elevated Anuj Poddar from his current role at COLORS Marathi and COLORS Gujarati to lead the rural expansion as Head – Rural Business, including Rishtey Cineplex.

    Saugato Bhowmik, Head – Viacom18 Consumer Products & Integrated Network Solutions, will continue to drive the efforts towards building homegrown experiential IPs and a robust consumer products business.

    Ferzad, Anuj and Saugato will report to Raj Nayak.

    Underlining its belief in the growth potential of regional broadcast entertainment, Viacom18 has entrusted the responsibility of its existing regional channels (COLORS Kannada, COLORS Super, COLORS Marathi, COLORS Bangla, COLORS Odia, COLORS Gujarati) and the soon to be launched COLORS Tamil with Ravish Kumar, Head – Regional Entertainment, Viacom18, thereby combining all its regional offerings under one roof to ensure greater focus.

    Viacom18 is the leader in the kids entertainment category with the No.1 Kids entertainment channel Nickelodeon and a strong portfolio comprising Sonic, Nick Jr and Nick HD+. Under the leadership of Nina Elavia Jaipuria, Head – Kids Cluster, Viacom18, the network will be growing its presence in the ‘kids ecosystem’ as it plans to enhance its repertoire of homegrown content and drive up its consumer connect with live events, experiential touchpoints and learning initiatives.

    Viacom18 Digital Ventures, with Gaurav Gandhi at its helm as COO, will be leading the network’s digital foray with its flagship VoD service, VOOT. In its second year of operations, VOOT will look to grow its portfolio, bolster its content catalogue, collaborate with like-minded partners and launch segmented offerings.

    The network’s film studio, Viacom18 Motion Pictures, led by its COO, Ajit Andhare, will continue to create content-driven cinema, while ramping up its regional play, in line with the network’s enhanced focus on regional entertainment.

    Raj, Ravish, Nina, Gaurav and Ajit will continue to report to Sudhanshu Vats, Group CEO, Viacom18.

    “Viacom18’s DNA has enabled it to pre-empt market shifts and adopt unconventional approaches to address conventional business challenges. Since inception, our topline has grown 40x and channel count has grown over 12x while being PAT profitable. Today, Viacom18 has 5 diverse lines of business – in addition to a core broadcast offering it now has a strong presence in digital, filmed and live entertainment along with a fast-growing licensing and merchandising operation. None of this would have been possible without our most valuable asset – our team. Our endevaour has always been to build a future ready organisation with distinct capabilities and a distinctive culture with an emphasis on developing internal talent. This new structure will power us as we enter our next growth phase,” said Sudhanshu Vats, Group CEO, Viacom18.

    While congratulating Raj Nayak on his new role, he said, “Raj is one of those rare leaders in our industry who possess a sharp business acumen coupled with a nuanced understanding of what makes brands iconic. I am confident that he will be able to take this portfolio of brands to even greater heights as he leverages deeper synergies in his new role.”

    Viacom18 has announced that the new leadership structure will be operational with immediate effect.

  • Live audience engagement: Colors premieres ‘India Banega Manch’ on Sunday

    MUMBAI: No judges. No votes. The street is the stage and all you need to do is win the crowd. After tasting success with Rising Star, Colors is ready to take live audience engagement to newer heights with Opp Camera phone presents India Banega Manch – the Indian version of the successful Israeli format, Win the Crowd.

    Moving away from the confines of a studio and celebrity judges, India Banega Manch, hosted by Krushna Abhishek and Mona Singh, will empower live on-ground audience to select ‘hunarbaazs’ (skilled talent) who possess the capability to stun the crowd within five minutes of their performance.

    Shot at iconic locations like Red Fort and Delhi Haat in New Delhi, Juhu Beach and Kala Ghoda in Mumbai, and New Market and Princep Ghat in Kolkata to name a few, India Banega Manch will make the streets every hunarbaaz’s playground. Their score, calculated basis the number of people whose attention they’re able to grab through their performance, will earn every location’s top performer a spot on the Jeet Ki Seat. India Banega Manch, produced by BBC Worldwide Entertainment, will bring power-packed talent and performances to television screens starting 7 May 2017, every Saturday and Sunday at 9:00 PM on Colors.

    Colors CEO Raj Nayak said, “Following the success of Rising Star, we are taking our belief in the audiences’ ability to choose extraordinary talent to the next level with India Banega Manch. We are proud to bring to our viewers another pathbreaking show which has been shot live on the streets, sans any stage, judges or votes. Keshet International is the format owner of this concept which we thought was apt for a market like India which has exceptional talent hidden in every nook and cranny.”

    Adding further, he said “Oppo Camera phone is on board as the Presenting Sponsor. Our continued association highlights the branding synergies that we are able to draw jointly leveraging our respective business objectives and goals.”

    Elaborating on the format, Manisha Sharma, Programming Head – Colors said, “India Banega Manch is a show that viewers have never experienced before. The sets for the show are the arenas of iconic and historical locations like Red Fort, India Gate and Connaught Place in Delhi, New Market and Princep Ghat in Kolkata. The talent has to ensure that they attract the busy people around them with their performances, and force them to stand and watch despite the summer heat; audiences have stepped out in large numbers. Given the scales that viewers are used to, it was very challenging yet exciting for our teams to shoot with hidden cameras. Talent was also a little taken aback to perform in these locations. Even our anchors, Krushna Abhishek and Mona Singh, will be in an avatar unlike ever before. We’re certain that it’s this uniqueness which will make India Banega Manch a truly first-of-its-kind proposition.”

    Commenting on the scale of India Banega Manch, Myleeta Aga, SVP & GM South East Asia and South Asia at BBC Worldwide said, “We are glad to be working once again with the team at Colors to bring this uniquely democratic series to Indian audiences. Contestants will get to showcase their talent and be judged by the crowd they attract. We hope to continue to bring many more novel concepts and formats that truly represent India to our audiences.”

    Abhishek said, “The format of the show defies traditions while welcoming a new wave of talent which connects with the masses and wins their hearts.” Adding further, host Mona Singh said, “While I have hosted TV shows in the past, nothing comes close to the thrill and excitement connected to India Banega Manch. There is a different kind of energy that percolates the environment when the talent is performing live in front of audiences. We’ve shot in multiple locations so far, and the response from the viewers has been spectacular.”

    Oppo presents India Banega Manch will see a robust high decibel 360-degree marketing campaign, PAN India, that will effectively leverage all mediums like outdoor, on-air, radio and digital to garner top-of-mind recall amongst viewers. On the digital front, the channel has designed a holistic campaign striving to drive conversations across several social media platform. Activities lined up during the launch phase include a blogger outreach program, and a video contest named ‘Talent Ka Manch’ urging the live audience to share videos of the talent that they have witnessed.

    With hunar taking precedence over the stage, celebrity judges, glitz and glamour, India Banega Manch will uncover the rarest jewels whose talent will make India proud.

  • Ad Club announces another property ‘Marquees’ awards

    GOA: Having given to the industry marquee properties like the EMVIES, EFFIES and ABBY’s, The Advertising Club that has been a catalyst in developing the industry and a leading ideas exchange platform has announced another annual property ‘Marquees’ addressing the needs of marketeers who form a large constituency of the Advertising Club.

    The club has get on board Network 18 as the presenting partners and the Partho Dasgupta will be the chairman of this new property.

    The Awards intend to recognise brands for their excellence in marketing, but also those who have come out successful despite facing numerous adversities iterating the well-known adage “That which does not break you only makes you stronger.” The debut edition of The Marquees is slated to premiere in August, 2017.

    Speaking about newly constituted awards, The Advertising Club president Raj Nayak said, “Brands operate in a dynamic and evolving environment where challenges are manifold and mostly unpredictable. It is hence important to recognize and honor creativity and effectiveness of brands that take challenges to their stride and emerge triumphant. The Marquees will play the role of acknowledging and cheering brands and marketing initiatives that have been game changers.”

    Speaking about the raison d’être of the awards Marquee awards chairman Dasgupta said ,“We believe that brands are a force of change and influence in society. The awards will recognize all the elements of marketing with communication being just one of them. We are sure that the awards will emerge as an ultimate benchmark for excellence in marketing.”

    Apart from the regular category awards for sectors such as FMCG, Banking, Auto, Insurance, Telecom & DTH, Consumer Durables & E-commerce. The Marquees will also have “Marquee special awards” and will recognize brands who have made a name for themselves differently. Some of the examples of the special awards are: Conquering an impregnable fortress, Riding on an emerging wave, Reinventing for the better, Carving out a niche and Traversing unchartered waters.

  • FICCI Frames 2017: Stakeholders feel regulations cripple monetization

    MUMBAI: In keeping with the tone set in the morning about the changing scenario as far the political climate and censorship were concerned, every participant was keen to hear what the Government had to say about this on day one of the FICCI FRAMES meet here.

    Clearly not wanting to disappoint the M and E sector, Information and Broadcasting Ministry Secretary Ajay Mittal said the Ministry was conscious of these issues and was working on them.

    He expressed optimism that the entertainment industry will soon get an effective solution to their complaints, though he said he was not liberty at present to give more details about this. But the Government appreciated that “Creativity is a great thing, is the soul of society and it should not be affected”.

    Earlier in the same session, film producer Siddharth Roy Kapoor said, “I would strongly urge the government when it comes to the sub-titling and the litigation of the businesses, these issues must be left to the industry. The maximum support from the government should come from the tax regime, infrastructure sector and censorship.”

    Even as everyone appreciates the growth of the sector over the year, the ‘Do the Lions still roar: a reality check for the M&E industry’ was largely devoted to exploring whether the players in the content ecosystem have done their part to address the industry’s shortcomings or has the plot got lost in translation.

    The M&E industry has been a steady contributor to national revenues, employment growth and socio-economic development; it has shown a trajectory of growth over the past 15 years, been at the real cusp of ‘Make in India’ while promoting Indian culture and its soft power globally. And yet, it was largely dismissed as a glamour hub rather than a serious economic nerve centre.

    Of late, the industry has seen a battle of wits between stakeholders and the Government, thus preventing the sector from realizing its full potential. But the question sought to be explored in the session was whether the industry had done enough to highlight its own story.

    Moderated by The Times of India consulting editor and South Asian History and Culture senior fellow, IDF and editor Nalin Mehta, the session was attended by Union Department of Commerce joint secretary Sudhanshu Pandey, the Film and Television Producers Guild of India president Siddharth Roy Kapur, BAG Films & Media chairman and managing director Anurradha Prasad, Harvard Business School Professor of Business Administration Bharat Anand, Viacom 18 Colors CEO Raj Nayak, TataSky MD and CEO Harit Nagpal, and UFO Moviez India Ltd joint managing director Kapil Agarwal among the panelists.

    Asked about the impact of digitization of content and on the business, Nayak said, “People say that the data is the new oil but my philosophy is that the content is the new water. Digitization is no longer a new word. It is just that the number of pipes delivering the content has multiplied in different platforms. If I look at digitization, what is happening is that people have the choice of watching content wherever they want to. But the television audience today is 180 million households and still expected to grow by 80 billion households.”

    He added, “When we look at the monetization, 85 per cent is between Google and Facebook.Of the balance 15 per cent, the growth may be 30 to 35 per cent but it is so fragmented that everybody is losing money. Even when Netflix came, it came via television. If some breaking news is happening people will watch it, if there is some live speech going on or may be for sports, people will watch it on their television sets. As we evolved, we wanted bigger screens to watch television sets that show reality. For content creators, it is a great thing and it is not a golden but a diamond era for them. But the problem is when it comes to monetization because there is so much fragmentation I really doubt how most of these platforms will survive unless of course you are able to get subscription. If you are not able to make the right subscription revenue model, a lot of digital platforms will find it difficult to survive.”

    Asked whether the DTH players were making money from the content, Nagpal said, “People consume content in different ways. Some will spend Rs 20 on the content and some might take different channels in a bundling. So there are different segments. But the purpose of television digitization is to create the infrastructure which is digital and the customer can make his choice. We created a box between the customer and the television, but is that addressable? Officially, DAS Phase 1 and 2 are digitized. We were also supposed to bring transparency. The Government is one stakeholder, the broadcaster is the other stakeholder and the platform that distributes is the third one and the money is divided between the three of us.”

    Nagpal said, “DTH took 33 per cent of phase1 and phase 2 market and two-thirds is sitting with cable. On the service and entertainment tax, this 33 per cent component of digitization would be paying 80 to 90 per cent entertainment tax and 66 per cent of the digital cable sector is paying 10 to 20 per cent of the taxes. Is that addressability? So let not the government waste its time in deciding how I should be pricing myself. They should be making sure whether the digital transparent addressable platform that has been created rightfully.”

    Prasad asked, “Do we still roar? Sorry to say we don’t roar, we don’t have a voice. We have so many issues and for every issue we are going to the court. The stakeholders and the policy makers have divested their power and authority in the organization called TRAI and they vote themselves as they do not know how to move forward. Content needs to be curated, you have to be innovative and for that you need to spend money. You don’t have money flowing back to the system. So the money is getting divested. We don’t get the money back.”

    Sudhanshu Pandey said the service sector in India largely remained unorganized and had to find its own way to develop and grow. Fair market practices have to come in, and the finances should be there for that industry to grow. Some sectors regulators have come but there are many sectors without regulators.

    Agarwal asked: “How do you monetize the film content? The first window of monetization of the film content is theatre, then it goes to the satellite channel and then to other platforms. As a country we need more than 20,000 screens. The capital is there, the facilitation is there but it is restricted by regulations because at least 40 approvals are required. Today the screens are growing only by 2 per cent per annum. When we move from regulation to facilitation, the growth will start and the growth will just not come from the multiplexes but has to happen all over the country. The multiplex sector is very expensive.”

  • Abby Awards 2017 shortlists to be available for review

    MUMBAI: The iconic and pioneering Creative Awards – Abby 2017 has set another benchmark in transparency and efficacy. After receiving the highest ever number of creative entries, the first round of the prestigious Abby awards judging is presently on in multiple locations. The shortlists selected by the esteemed jury panels will progressively be uploaded on www.abbyshortlist.com

    The Advertising Club president Raj Nayak said, “Abby’s are the most prestigious national award for excellence in communication. We have left no stone unturned to make our judging process transparent and responsive. Uploading the shortlist entries for feedback is a step towards facilitating greater transparency and inclusivity.”

    Any further comments about what could be inspired work etc. could be sent within five days of the shortlist appearing, along with supporting documents, to the Advertising Club (adclub@vsnl.com) marked to the Chairman Awards Governing Council. No correspondence would be entertained after this. Only correspondence submitted with an original name and email id would be accepted. After Audit screening the feedback received could be put up to the jury in the second round of judging.

    ABBY Awards 2017 is to be held at Goafest 2017 on 6, 7 and 8 of April. The awards adjudged by a renowned jury panel will see inspiring campaigns brought alive in the period from 1 January 2016 to 31 January 2017 being celebrated by the entire fraternity.