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Tag: Rajiv Bakshi

  • ZEE5 Intelligence Monitor launches new report on Quick Delivery Services (QDS)

    ZEE5 Intelligence Monitor launches new report on Quick Delivery Services (QDS)

    Mumbai: ZEE5, India’s largest home-grown video streaming platform and multilingual storyteller for entertainment seekers, has unveiled the new edition of its intelligence monitor which signifies key trends and insights within the Quick Delivery Services (QDS) segment. This comprehensive research highlights the emergence of Quick Delivery Service (QDS) apps as a revolutionary force in the consumer landscape, reshaping buying trends across both metro and non-metro regions with last-mile access to everyday goods and services. Additionally, it sheds light on the growing preference of today’s women for QDS apps.

    ZEE5’s Intelligence Monitor on the Quick Delivery Service segment offers valuable insights for marketers and businesses, paving way for pioneering initiatives to target potential audiences and navigate this dynamic industry. The report further suggests that the ratio of metro users as compared to non-metro users of QDS apps stand at 53:47, which is drastically evolving in the post-pandemic era. The QDS ecosystem is witnessing phenomenal rise in demand on the back of emergence of individual consumers as a user category.

    Key highlights of the QDS report:

    ·         66 per cent of consumers use QDS apps every week, whereas 54 per cent of women engage with QDS apps every week

    ·         1 out of 2 consumers rank convenience as the top reason for using QDS apps

    ·         79 per cent of non-metro respondents have tried a QDS app; whereas 61 per cent of non-metro respondents are regular users

    ·         38 per cent of users find comfort in shopping from the privacy of their homes

    ·         59 per cent of users make personal care purchases on QDS platforms

    ·         44 per cent of consumers use QDS apps to pick and drop packages within the city

    ·         78 per cent of respondents have tried a QDS app

    ·         56 per cent of respondents display high loyalty to QDS apps

    On the release of the ZEE5 Intelligence Monitor QDS report, ZEE Entertainment Enterprises Limited chief operations officer – revenue Rajiv Bakshi said, “The appeal of doorstep delivery is the main draw for QDS apps, but trust and privacy also play a role. Women users benefit uniquely from time-saving, and QDS apps are on the verge of nationwide adoption, especially among non-metro users. ZEE5 Intelligence Monitor – Quick Delivery Services (QDS) is the latest edition undertaken to identify trends, map behaviours and deliver actionable insights into consumer’s attitudes towards products and services across categories. In the digital age, QDS apps empower women and promise future innovations for businesses. This report, with its data depth and creative capabilities, offers QDS players a great opportunity to communicate their value effectively.”

    The report suggests that India’s digital evolution is taking a new turn, with next-gen consumers as well as non-metro users embracing Quick Delivery Service (QDS) apps. This trend underscores the importance of customization for regional success such as specialized product categories and localized delivery strategies, which strongly resonate among diverse preferences, offering an edge in this dynamic landscape. Innovations in the QDS ecosystem, empowering small brands and reshaping grocery shopping among smaller town consumers driven primarily by convenience and time-saving opportunities.

    ZEE5 Intelligence Monitor is a pioneering effort to bring industry-specific consumer insights based on research conducted by one of India’s largest entertainment platforms, ZEE5. Aimed at aiding business leaders and marketers in their decision making, in addition to tracking consumption and buying habits, this research also provides an insider view on factors that influence consumers’ purchase decision process. The report also showcases varied point of view and nuanced perspectives from leading brands and experts from the broader marketing ecosystem.

     

  • Zeel to create cross-platform content solutions for brands with Zee Brand Works

    Zeel to create cross-platform content solutions for brands with Zee Brand Works

    Mumbai: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (Zeel) on Thursday announced the launch of  its brand solutions vertical Zee Brand Works.

    Zee Brand Works team will work with brands for their branding, sales augmentation, customer acquisition, new launches, content creation, influencer and integration solutions. It will provide brands and marketers with offers to enhance their reach, connect and engage with the right audience through Zee’s portfolio of TV channels, OTT platform Zee5 and social media platforms.

    Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited chief growth officer Ashish Sehgal said “As a pioneer in the Indian Media landscape, we have always had a finger on the pulse of the Indian viewer. This has helped us to develop a deep understanding of the myriad mini-Bharat’s which exist within this great nation, each with its own set of norms, sensibilities and traditions. Blending this understanding of the Indian consumer with the marketing requirements of our clientele to develop bespoke brand solutions has always been a hallmark of ZEE.”

    Zee Brand Works chief operations officer – revenue Rajiv Bakshi expressed, “Consumers are also increasingly rewarding authenticity and personalization along with purpose-driven brand alignment.”  

    He further said, “Forging a deep emotional connect and occupying a greater share of the mind is a primary challenge for both existing and emerging brands. Zee Brand Works will further boost our endeavor to build brands’ resonance and sales in Hindi-speaking markets (HSM) and regional market clusters by employing the team’s ingenious creativity and inherent consumer understanding. With the onset of this journey, we are excited to partner with like-minded marketers and augment their growth strategies.”

    Zee Brand Works has also introduced new programs keeping audience reach across brands. It will focus on designing product launches that offer brands visibility, importance, and traction leveraging Zee’s network robustness across linear TV, OTT, on-ground and social.  

    It will also focus on offering creative solutions to young entrepreneurs to give exposure to their key successes, and contribution to companies’ success and growth.

    Zee Brand Works’ work for clients such as Pedigree, Dabur Honey Fitness, Ultra Tech Baat Ghar Ki, etc. has won accolades and it is working with advertisers such as GSK India, Pedigree, P&G, UltraTech Cement, Perfetti Van Melle, Philips India, Maruti Suzuki India Limited, Mankind Pharma, MTR Foods, Asian Paints, Swiggy and Amazon amongst others.

  • Content consumption on OTT apps increases the growth of smartphone users, finds ZEE5 Intelligence Monitor research

    Content consumption on OTT apps increases the growth of smartphone users, finds ZEE5 Intelligence Monitor research

    Mumbai: Over 50 percent of smartphone users in the metros are planning to replace their gadgets within the next six months, according to a research conducted by the OTT platform ZEE5.

    In its fourth edition knowledge series ‘ZEE5 Intelligence Monitor’ report, the video streaming platform highlighted the latest trends prevailing in the Indian smartphone industry.

    The ZEE5 research discovered the consumption of an exciting and wide variety of content on OTT apps is another new driver for this upward movement. The post-covid trend is to grab the latest model; with latest features’ scoring well above price as the key motivator.

    The research also found that brand reputation, features and technology are the leading factors that determine consumers’ preferences. Moreover, two out of five viewers intend to purchase a phone which costs Rs 30,000 or above; with a higher tendency among the 35-44 age group. Besides uncovering the fascinating new consumer behaviour and the contrasting preferences between metro and non-metro consumers in their smartphones’ purchase and usage, the ‘ZEE5 Intelligence Monitor – Smartphones Consumer Insights and Trends Report’ also highlighted the symbiotic relationship between smartphones and OTT platforms.

    Launching the report, ZEE Entertainment Enterprises chief operations officer – revenue Rajiv Bakshi said, “By deep diving into the smartphones segment, we have unearthed amazing new insights on user behaviour which can lead the brand marketers to attract millions of customers eager to upgrade and replace their smartphones. We hope this report will act as a guidebook for marketeers and smartphone brands and serve to be distinctive for the industry at large. Marketers and business leaders can use these findings to make smarter business decisions and hyper-target campaigns utilising the ZEE5 platform to connect with audiences in 12 languages.”

    The report also said that 70 per cent of the non-metro respondents are inclined to buy their next smartphone online. The research revealed that men are more brand conscious and have twice the share of women consumers in the Rs 50,000+ segment. Women appear price and deal-conscious & dominate the Rs 10,000 segment.  

    ZEE5 Intelligence Monitor report also uncovered transformative consumer behaviour, attitudes, and aspirations across multiple industries ranging from e-commerce, EdTech, and online gaming to smartphones, presenting an unmatched opportunity to advertisers to access a hyper-enriched predisposed audience cohort across multiple demographics and geographies.

  • EdTech sees exponential growth during pandemic

    EdTech sees exponential growth during pandemic

    Mumbai: Education has been one of the severely-hit sectors during the lockdown as the entire education system had to go online overnight. But on the other hand, the Covid-19 pandemic also led the education sector to an unplanned demonstration of e-learning methods, which was not possible otherwise. Interestingly, remote learning, which started as a substitute for offline classes for some time, emerged as a complementary and supplementary mechanism.

    The latest ZEE5 Intelligence Monitor Report gave evidence of the speed and scale of business activities in online education. Conducted on a cross-section of ZEE5 viewers in over 146 cities and towns across rural and urban India, the primary survey included parents who were also regular ZEE5 viewers from tier I, II, and III cities.

    ZEE Entertainment Enterprises chief operations officer Rajiv Bakshi said, “Innovation lies at the epicenter of our business. Coupled with our consumer-centric approach, we endeavored to introduce a property that will educate and empower our audiences as well as partners. ZEE5 Intelligence Monitor knowledge series offers the tenets, roadblocks, and insights of the sectors that have witnessed a massive change in the last two years.”

    The ed-tech report is the first in the series and highlights the disruption witnessed in the Indian education sector, fuelled by tech solutions, convenience and a new-age mindset. “We are confident that the report would benefit brand custodians and product leaders and provide new information and insights for them to make advertising and business decisions,” said Bakshi.

    The report aimed to gauge the changes in consumption patterns and consumer attitudes towards e-learning in India.  This survey by ZEE5 unearthed some interesting insights about online education. Let’s take a look!

    E-Learning Grows As A Nationwide Trend

    As the schools shifted to remote learning, 46 per cent of the survey respondents considered e-learning applications for their children during the pandemic. While 50 per cent of the parents in metro cities embraced e-learning for their children, the corresponding figure for non-metro parents stood at 40 per cent. The figures indicate that e-learning has accelerated nationwide.

    Same Quality of Education For All

    One significant benefit of e-learning apps is that they ensure a similar quality of education for all, which is impossible to imagine in offline classrooms. “E-learning platforms offer the same quality of education across the country, from tier I cities to tier II and tier III locations to the farthest corners of India,” said Toppr founder and CEO Zeeshan Hayath.

    Parents Adopt E-Learning Methods for Kids

    Millennials who were among the early adopters of computers and the internet have also emerged as the first group of parents to adopt e-learning applications. The ZEE5 report highlights that 55 per cent of millennial parents adopted e-learning platforms for their children. As millennial parents include people born during the 1990s, they have grown to see significant disruptions in technology. Hence they were quick to adapt to the e-learning applications.

    Parents See E-learning Cost As An Investment In Child’s Future

    The parents are quick to adopt e-learning and are also open to spending on the platform. As per the report, 63 per cent of parents don’t consider the cost of e-learning as a limiting factor; instead, they see it as an investment in their child’s future. According to ZEE Entertainment Enterprises’ chief operations officer, revenue, Rajiv Bakshi, parents’ willingness to adapt and invest in the new e-learning mechanism is a testimony to the efficacy and value of ed-tech.

    Internet Connectivity Still Remains A Big Barrier

    The applications offering e-learning services interact and participate in activities via computer; thus, robust internet connectivity becomes critical to this new learning mechanism. But even after winning the trust of the majority of parents, ed-tech platforms cannot effectively reach many due to the unstable internet connectivity across the country. With all family members working from home and students studying remotely, internet connectivity is insufficient. Even while mobile phones are available across the nation, the bandwidth it offers doesn’t support e-learning platforms.

    At least 40 per cent of parents feel that internet connectivity is a barrier to effective e-learning. They find internet connectivity even a more significant challenge than the cost of e-learning applications.

    Moving Towards A Hybrid Future Of Learning

    While the lockdown has disturbed human lives like never before, it has forced us towards the things that we couldn’t even think of otherwise- for example- an MNC operating entirely from home or an education system performing remotely. While we all wish to get rid of the pandemic soon, the behavioral changes it has brought will stay with us for life. As far as the education system is concerned, the ZEE5 Intelligence Monitor Report clearly illustrates that e-learning has become very effective.

    E-learning empowers individual learners and has the potential to improve access to education at a broader level when used in conjunction with the traditional class-based model, commented Bakshi on the findings of the ZEE5 survey.

    The e-learning industry trends suggest that teachers and learners have become comfortable with e-learning, they even like this system over the traditional classroom setting. And while the e-learning applications are becoming more immersive, parents also like the fact that they can monitor their children’s academic progress throughout. However, the school environment and physical interaction are crucial for children’s overall growth. We can expect the learning system to move towards a hybrid model where e-learning platforms support classroom learning. 

  • ZEE5 unveils festive content line-up

    ZEE5 unveils festive content line-up

    Mumbai: ZEE5 has announced its new content line-up including over 30 AVOD premieres and 14 original SVOD new releases for the festive season 2021.

    Enabling advertisers to enhance engagement using personalised tech and data-enabled cohorts and interest clusters, the OTT platform will facilitate brands to increase their market share across categories, including CPG, digital, auto, lifestyle, wellness, ed-tech, BFSI, SMB, and more, throughout the season.

    The slate of multilingual AVOD premieres scheduled between October to December 2021 will engage multiple language affinity consumers such as Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Tamil, and Bangla across demographics, from metros to Tier II and III cities. Shows with a prominent star cast, multi-starrer exclusive line-ups of awards, events, and festive tentpoles have been announced to entertain viewers and act as vehicles for brand integrations.

    Recently the OTT platform also came up with an Intelligence Monitor report to add incremental value to its range of advertisers by decoding the latest and imminent consumption trends, consumer preferences and discovering new insights across various product and service categories.

    ZEEL chief operations officer – revenue, Rajiv Bakshi said, “It is the biggest consumption period across all product and service categories and therefore we have strategised the finest content line-up that will enable brands to plan hyper-personalised marketing campaigns to grow their market shares and brand engagement. ZEE5 extends strategic advantage to clients as it offers a gender-balanced, young, and massive viewer base for brand integration and influencer marketing solutions on its impact properties, and the massive reach and video inventory across entertainment, news, and premium CTV.”

  • Zee5 launches OTT-first ‘Intelligence Monitor’

    Zee5 launches OTT-first ‘Intelligence Monitor’

    Mumbai: Streaming service platform Zee5 on Friday announced its plans to launch an industry-first fortnightly knowledge series ‘Zee5 Intelligence Monitor’ to decode the latest and imminent consumption trends, consumer preferences, and new insights across various product and service categories. 

    According to a statement, the new offering aims to add incremental value to the brands’ range of advertisers.

    With its audience spread across the country, the ‘Zee5 Intelligence Monitor’ will track transformative consumer behaviour across industry verticals spanning diverse categories such as auto, beauty, health and wellness, smartphones, gaming, cryptocurrency and more, said the statement.

    This model will bring together renowned industry leaders for expert viewpoints especially pertaining to the new-normal accelerated by the rapid adoption of the internet and technology, it added.

    “The ZEE5 Intelligence Monitor knowledge series will bring on board brand custodians and product leaders from diverse industries to analyse and examine the deep implications of the emerging and imminent trends, consumer perceptions and outlooks, and further discuss how each product category can take maximum advantage of these disruptive transformations,” said Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd COO for revenue Rajiv Bakshi. “Our objective is to offer our advertiser partners a multidimensional understanding to traditional and emerging product categories, coupled with insights into the minds of consumers and to effectively drive targeted engagement, combat ambiguity and boost smarter business decisions.”

    “It is intriguing and exciting to hear about the imminent launch of the ZEE5 Intelligence Monitor. We all read category analyses from different forums, but I believe this is the first time an entertainment major is publishing perspectives on emerging and established categories,” remarked Madison Media & OOH group CEO Vikram Sakhuja.

  • Promax India’s Digital Reinvent 2021 to be held on 8 Oct

    Promax India’s Digital Reinvent 2021 to be held on 8 Oct

    Mumbai: Promax India has announced the second Digital Reinvent show – ‘OTT and Digital Marketing Innovation Conference and Awards’ for 2021. The event will be held virtually on 8 October.

    The speakers for the event will include leaders, content and business heads from MX Player, SonyLIV, Discovery+, VOOT, YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Disney+ Hotstar, hoichoi, Eros Now among others.

    “The OTT platforms have triggered perhaps the greatest transformation in the Indian media industry. The 500 million-plus smartphone penetration across urban and rural landscapes along with the rapidly growing broadband access will continue to boost OTT growth, thereby attracting billions of dollars of investments from both Indian and global media giants,”  said Zee Entertainment Enterprises, chief operating officer – revenue, Rajiv Bakshi.  “While the initial phase of this OTT revolution focused on differentiated and massive content creation and customer acquisition; the upcoming phase will strengthen the monetisation models for the entire ecosystem. I am a firm believer of collaboration-for-growth and therefore have chaired and co-created the industry’s foremost OTT conference for incisive discussions with content, tech, and business leaders.”

    “These are exciting times – with the rise in demand for new content and investments in technology, it is the best time for the OTT platforms to shine,” said Promax Asia Pte Ltd, country head and strategic partnerships (India, Hong Kong, and the Philippines), Rajika Mittra. “We are privileged to host one of the most spectacular virtual conferences and awards bringing together the best minds in the business of OTT and storytelling. At Promax, our endeavour is to create and build a highly engaging community that believes in collaborative partnerships, growth, and new opportunities.”

    The awards aim to support and recognise quality digital entertainment in India. These celebrate and honour outstanding achievements in talent, promotion, marketing, and design. Building on the overwhelming response to the first edition of the awards in 2020, this year there are 39 categories in Gold and Silver.

    The event is supported by ‘platinum’ sponsor MX Player, ‘powered by’ sponsor SonyLIV, ‘gold’ sponsor Discovery+ and VOOT, ‘official music’ sponsor BMG Production Music.

  • Content Hub 2021: Growing relevance of language personalisation in OTT advertising

    Content Hub 2021: Growing relevance of language personalisation in OTT advertising

    Mumbai: The last one and a half years have escalated the pervasiveness of the OTTs and streaming platforms in our lives like never before. Not wanting to lose out on their share of the OTT marketing pie, brands have begun exploring promotions and advertisements on these channels.

    With regional content being a major chunk of the consumer viewership on the OTT platforms, there is a growing conversation around advertising too being tuned towards regional to resonate more with their audiences. Representatives from some leading brands came together to discuss the growing relevance of this regional targeting in OTT advertising at the fifth edition of the Content Hub 2021- ‘TV, Film, Digital Video, and Beyond’ which was organised virtually by IndianTelevision.com from 28-30 July.

    The panel consisted of representatives from Lenskart, Myntra, DABUR, ESSENCE and Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL). The discussion was moderated by IndianTelevision’s founder, CEO & editor-in-chief Anil Wanvari, who began the session by seeking the panellists’ views on how brands are looking at the OTT ecosystem as a communication tool with their customers.

    “The platform (OTT) represents the best of both worlds,” remarked ESSENCE India, managing director, Sonali Malaviya, “It provides the ‘comfort & love of Television’ and the possibility of ‘an ad-free background’, which is what consumers have been wanting to have, since time immemorial. As an advertiser, it gives you the flexibility, the dynamism and the targeting dexterity which we have always wished for in TV. So definitely OTT platforms are here to stay.”

    As the OTT boom revolutionised the media industry, it also opened new avenues for advertisers who had otherwise been reviewing their ad spends on certain genres. One such example has been Lenkskart, which moved out of advertising on English genre, along with the premium audience which gradually moved to OTT.

    However, the lack of data measurability remains a concern, pointed out Lenskart, brand media head, Anupam Tripathi. “The only worrying factor is that little black-box of information about viewership, targets in terms of absolute numbers that doesn’t pass on via the OTT to the marketers. Especially during the streaming of live sports,” said Tripathi.

    While the OTTs have evolved in terms of content and consumer reach, the lack of adequate data measurement and the ability to compare that data with other platforms has proved to be an obstacle for advertisers looking to invest in OTT, according to the panellists. But they also contended that, since these are early days for digital platforms, it may take some time before the new technologies and data measurement systems are devised and made available for advertisers and brands.

    One of the many things that may be challenging for OTT is the high level of expectations that advertisers may have from it. Nevertheless, there’s one area that sets the OTTs apart as a marketing medium, is the regional reach, and the ability to target specific audiences through vernacular content.

    “From an OTT stand point, that’s where the next level of growth is going to come from,” highlighted Malaviya. “And, this is also what makes ‘measurability’ all the more critical- for brands to be able to figure out the scope of the language content, and for marketers to know where they are putting their money is the most optimal use of it.”

    Regional content is drawing advertisers’ interest across all segments. A major portion of the ad-spends of FMCG brands is also shifting towards regional, highlighted Dabur, head of media, Rajiv Dubey. The brand has also been creating regional marketing teams, producing local content & ads, getting local influencers, getting closer to the ground by creating custom made campaigns for that market.

    “This goes hand in hand with regional content on OTTs,” he added. “But, OTTs have to give people options to watch original content in their language. Then it becomes a level playing field. Right now the content is only skewed towards English & Hindi content. So there’s a huge place to grow over there. Though, reaching people behind the paywall will be a challenge.”

    Myntra vice president & head of marketing, Achint Setia concurred. “The next big growth for OTT will come from regional content and advertisers would want to be part of this journey. However, the expectations from OTTs are higher. Almost one-third of our money is deployed in sharp regional campaigns today, so I think it’s just going to get bigger as we see success in this. It’s bound to happen- if anybody has to scale in this country you just cannot not go regional,” said Setia. “It’s an industry which we all have to support because in the future, it will provide solutions which do not exist today.”

    While it took television several decades to understand the power of regional, digital platforms are plunging into vernacular content within a few years of their debut. “Regional is a dominant force in OTT content because of the sheer numbers of people consuming it. It’s just that the expectations from OTTs are also higher, in terms of addressability. The responsibility is higher,” said Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL), Revenue, COO, Rajiv Bakshi.

    The OTT platform launched three years ago has already expanded into 11 languages, including Hindi, Bhojpuri, Tamil and Telugu. It has been leading the way in regional content with the release of several original series in local languages, including Nanna Koochi (Telugu), Utsaha Ithihasam (Malayalam), Date with Saie (Marathi) and What’s up Velakkari (Tamil).

    “I don’t think any medium can invest or prepare for the future, as best as OTT,” added Bakshi, giving a sneak peek into the platform’s latest solution for brands and advertisers, which he said will differentiate why OTT is an important medium for tomorrow’s media planning. “So, when you are watching any piece of content, you can pause and see the jhumkas (or any other item), and when you press on it, you can see the price, colors, details etc and if interested, you can go to the platform and buy it. This is the new solution we are offering to our advertisers. So, at any point viewers can pause and visit the platform to purchase an item. We have the solution, now rest depends on our partnership with the client as to how to develop it so as to ensure it doesn’t affect the overall consumer experience. These are the kind of solutions we are investing in.”

    Summing up the discussion, Wanvari also drew attention towards the lower cost of advertising on digital and OTT, compared to TV. “Digital and OTT channels are offering reach at a fraction of the cost that print and TV offer, and that makes a case for allowing this new medium to develop and grow similarly too with adequate support. At the end of the day, for anyone using regional languages to target specific audiences, first movers would always stand to benefit from the platform as the medium grows because one builds a relationship early on,” he added.

    The three-day summit organised from 28-30 July, 2021 concluded on Friday. It was co-presented by IN10 Media Network and ZEE5, and co-powered by Applause Entertainment and Tipping Point, the digital content unit of Viacom18 Studios. PTC Network was the supporting partner.

    Centred on the theme – ‘The New Dynamic’, the three-day event witnessed insightful sessions with industry stakeholders deliberating on how the new forces are transforming the way content is created and stories are told. It also delved into the impact of these changes on the business models for the world of films, TV and OTT.

    For more details, visit: https://www.thecontenthub.in/

  • Guest column: CEO of the Year Rajiv Bakshi shares his learnings

    Guest column: CEO of the Year Rajiv Bakshi shares his learnings

    MUMBAI: Over the past few years, young executives and management students have reached out asking for advice on how to plan a successful and rewarding career. I am no certified expert, and I am still striving, grasping and improving each day; but I think I should share some learnings from my career. Hopefully, they come in good use in your journey.

    Starting off as a young management trainee in 1999 to being awarded the CEO of the Year has been a fulfilling ride, packed with opportunities, surprises, failures and joy. In the first of the series (this is me being blatantly hopeful), seven notes for early stage professionals:

    1.    Do the small things perfectly, and primed for the big day: We are all excited and eager to lead the top initiatives of the company, often not realising that we are not yet prepared for it. The best use of your time would be to execute your daily tasks, however small and insignificant, with perfection. It will build the right attitude and character, and will lead you to scale high performance benchmarks. When you take over the big project, you should be 110 per cent ready.

    2.    Relax, you are not so important: Too much time is spent worrying about the reaction, perception or consequence of actions. In doing so, authenticity is sacrificed and opportunities are passed over. Every action will lead to a reaction. Chill and give your honest best to every task. Be consistent with your approach. Don’t self-judge, enough people will be doing it for you.

    3.    Break the Rules: Rules are often expectation benchmarks basis the past experience. In a dramatic and disruptive environment, how far can you go if just you adhere to the done and dusted rules. Remember, break the rules, not the law or trust. Take bold risks.

    4.    Only thing finite is time, use it well! You will not be 25 again. Most of the events may never get repeated. There is no undo button in life. The 1 per cent achievers have used time well. Plan your year, month, week and day as well as you can.

    5.    Be proud to be different: Let that be the biggest risk you take! We are all distinct. Our life paths have been unique. Our circumstances are contrasted. However, our goals and aspirations are quite similar. To realise them, don’t try to merge with the crowd. It reminds of something I read many years back, “we all want to go to heaven, but none of us want to die.” If you want to stand out in a group, you will have to do better than wear neon yellow. Let the real you shine up in the room. Be authentic and be proud of it. The world is craving for diversity. You will be helping their cause.

    6.    Life is a continuous trade off: Be ready to sacrifice! I learnt this from my HBS professor Sunil Gupta. Trade off. It’s a core ingredient in defining corporate and brand strategy. Wanting it all is a sure route for stress and anxiety. I am not suggesting that you have to ignore the important tasks, people and goals, except that you will have to learn to prioritise. Train your mind to be able to make those tough decisions, be it in personal or professional lives, especially when they come in conflict. What is more critical for your overall well-being and aspirations is a personal choice. Make that choice, and stand firmly by it.

    7.    It’s the companion,and neither the journey nor the destination that you enjoy most: When you commence a long journey – colleagues, friends and family will be your biggest asset. Value them and their contribution. Surround yourself with a group of well-wishers, critics, coaches and role models. Riding alone is quite a boring affair. There is no joy is reaching a destination alone. Even scaling the Everest is a group expedition.

    (The author is chief operations officer – revenue at Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. The views expressed here are his own and Indiantelevision.com may not subscribe to them.)

  • Reliance Big Synergy CEO Rajiv Bakshi calls it quits, joins ZeeL

    Reliance Big Synergy CEO Rajiv Bakshi calls it quits, joins ZeeL

    KOLKATA: Reliance Big Synergy CEO Rajiv Bakshi has stepped down from his position. Bakshi has now joined Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZeeL) as its chief operations officer – revenue. According to sources close to the development, he will report to ZeeL South Asia business president Rahul Johri.

    The Harvard Business School alumnus has more than 20 years of diverse work experience in business transformation, P&L and commercial operations, corporate strategy, brand management, product development, digital strategy and market expansions across varied industries.

    According to the source mentioned above, he will work towards achieving ZeeL’s revenue objectives by identifying and leveraging internal synergies across all linear and digital platforms. In his new role at ZeeL, Bakshi will lead the sales strategy and operations function. In addition to that, he will also be responsible for leveraging technology to augment the revenue vertical. He will drive the marketing initiatives and focus on strengthening relations with key external stakeholders and partners.

    Bakshi joined Reliance Big Synergy back in 2018. During his stint at the company, he led it to branch out the content studio across all genres with high focus on fiction while it was earlier known as a non-fiction powerhouse. Along with that, he aggressively scaled its hold over regional language shows as well. The company has produced content for Star Maa, Zee Punjabi, Dangal, Zee5 and many more under his guidance. Enterr10 TV Network’s Bhojpuri channel launched a social mythology series produced by Reliance Big Synergy in January, a genre where the production house never worked earlier.

    Under his leadership, the studio produced some of the top rated TV shows across national and regional networks  in Hindi, Telugu, Punjabi, Bhojpuri and other languages. More importantly, he pushed the business in the booming OTT segment as well to produce web series for both international and homegrown platforms.

    He was conferred the ‘CEO Of the Year’ 2020 award by the jury of World Brand Congress, World Marketing Congress and CMO Global. The award was given in recognition of Bakshi’s differentiated strategy to establish Reliance Big Synergy as a leading content development and production powerhouse in India.

    Earlier in his career, Bakshi also turned around Discovery Networks’ India and South Asia business as the head of products and marketing, and is credited for building its 11-channel portfolio.