Tag: ROI

  • Stack selects Mundo as exclusive ad provider, $29 mn commitment in 2 yrs

    MUMBAI: Mundo Inc., a leader in online performance based advertising, has announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Mundo Media Ltd., has signed a two-year agreement to be the exclusive performance advertising service provider to Stack Media, the nation’s leading multi-platform sports performance content and media company for athletes. Beginning in July 2017, the agreement provides for US$ 28.8 million in minimum incremental advertising spend through the Mundo platform over the next two years.

    “Stack is among the top brands in sports performance and athletic training and its website is home to exclusive content from many of the world’s most recognized professional athletes,” said Jason Theofilos, CEO of Mundo. “This multi-year agreement is the direct result of initiatives launched earlier this year to drive growth in the second half and demonstrates the value top publishers like Stack see in dedicating more of their advertising inventory to Mundo’s data-driven customer acquisition platform. Our performance-based model drives higher customer engagement for Stack and its advertisers, which should result in greater ROI for both.”

    With more than 10 million unique visitors in peak months, Stack.com ranks among the top websites for the male 13-24 demographic according to top rating services such as Nielsen’s Digital Content Ratings. Stack’s content library includes over 12,000 exclusive videos and 25,000 articles featuring high profile athletes, coaches, and trainers. This includes top tier athlete relationships with over 500 professional athletes across all major sports including Cam Newton, Bryce Harper, Dwayne Wade, and Serena Williams.

    Under the agreement, Mundo will execute advertising campaigns for Stack across the Mundo Network and Stack will provide Mundo with exclusive first right to sell against a select number of video and display impressions each month on the Stack website. Mundo will also collaborate with Stack to develop custom performance advertising programs for its direct brand advertisers. Mundo will also have the right to monetize advertising placements on its network and on the Stack website over and above the contracted impressions. Stack’s content development resources and branded content expertise will also be leveraged by Mundo as part of integrated ad campaigns across its proprietary Network.

    “At Stack , we are focused on providing innovative content that inspires athletes to train and perform better,” said Nick Palazzo, CEO of Stack. “We also strive to bring innovation and higher performance to our advertising partners. By teaming with Mundo, we look forward to providing our advertisers with solutions that allow them to better connect and engage with our target demographic of young, active consumers, while reaching new users through Mundo’s vast network.”

  • BARC India to solve digital puzzle with ‘EKAM’

    MUMBAI: BARC India today announced the phased roll-out of its much-awaited digital measurement service along with the brand name and logo of its digital measurement products. The digital products will be launched under the brand name EKAM (Sanskrit for “One”). The logo of EKAM draws inspiration from the four colors (Red, Blue, Yellow and Green) as BARC India. The branding highlights BARC India’s commitment to provide industry with a single platform for all measurement products, across TV and Digital.

    The EKAM suite of products will include: EKAM Pulse, EKAM Beam, EKAM Stream, EKAM Ad-Scan and EKAM Integra.

    EKAM Pulse will measure video ad campaigns and will be the first digital offering to be rolled out by BARC India. EKAM Beam, the next product lined up for release, will measure linear broadcast that is viewed on a Digital device . EKAM Stream, will measure both non-linear and pure play digital video content. BARC India will also provide industry with EKAM Ad-Scan – which will be a global first-of-its-kind product. It will give an overview of digital ads in India, look at where the advertising money is being spent and which sectors are producing more digital ads. The final product in this suite – EKAM Integra – will help industry with common, robust and independent audience numbers that will give more accurate incremental reach figures. To do this, BARC India’s TV data will be tied with Digital Video data with the help of Single-Source and Digital Booster panels on top of the census measurement and big data.

    Advertisers in digital space face several issues today. These include: dependency on publishers/platforms for data, lack of quantifiable differences in impressions, inability to see unique and de-duplicated reach & frequency across publishers/platforms and lack of knowledge on ROI, among others.

    BARC India, as a Joint Industry Company, has been studying the problems and has developed the EKAM suite of products based on industry-specific needs. By providing unique Reach and Frequency across devices de-duplicated by Brand, Campaign, Site or Placement, the EKAM solutions will allow analysis and comparison of different platforms and their offerings. With a Single-Source Panel, large TV and Digital Booster panels, Census level impressions and Big Data on Digital side, EKAM will offer a much more robust and accurate ability to show key metrics like incremental reach.

    “We are happy to announce the launch of the EKAM, our digital offering. The ecosystem needs Measurement of both Video Ads and Content, whatever the pipe and device maybe. As the brand name suggests, BARC India is working towards its goal of integrating TV and Digital measurement. Our EKAM suite of products will be rolled out over the next 18-24 months. It will provide the industry with independent third party measurement, verification of audience and eventually viewability of video ads and content,” said Partho Dasgupta, CEO, BARC India.

  • IFFI 2016: Abhay Deol acquires three films;explores digital release

    IFFI 2016: Abhay Deol acquires three films;explores digital release

    NEW DELHI: Actor producer Abhay Deol has acquired critically acclaimed festival favourite independent films to explore their release on digital platforms at the ongoing Film Bazaar at the International Film Festival of India in Goa.

    The films are Aditya Vikram Sengupta’s Venice Film Festival and National Award Winner – “Labor Of Love”; Payal Sethi’s critically acclaimed multi-award winning ‘UN Women’ Selection – “Leeches”; and Brahmanand’s heartbreaking documentary on Ghazal Maestro Jagjit Singh “Kaagaz Ki Kashti”, among others.

    Deol said: “I saw “Labour of Love” at Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles and was blown away with Aditya’s aesthetic sensibilities, and his ability to spin a story without any spoken dialogues! Payal’s Leeches is an important film that people need to watch. She has beautifully woven a compelling story around an issue that is anathema to our social fibre and well-being. My most recent select is “Kaagaz Ki Kashti”, which pays homage to Ghazal maestro Jagjit Singh and premiered at MAMI this year. Brahmanand is a savant behind the lens and succeeds in powerfully bringing the legend back to life. I strongly believe in these films and want to ensure that audiences across the world watch them.”

    On being asked about the strategy of exploring the release the films on digital platforms, Deol said, “The way we consume content has changed. While it is no secret that we have a limited number of screens in India, the economics to engage in a theatrical release don’t make sense for Independent films. Minimum P&A budgets required to secure a decent release add unhealthy weight on a small film. What we need now is to adopt alternate avenues of distribution that are widely available thanks to platforms like iTunes, Netflix and Amazon Prime, all of which are effectively reaching global audiences. I’ve been in touch with some filmmakers who increasingly understand this changing environment. Pulkit’s recent directorial debut “Maroon,” is a fine example of an indie release done right. Vivek Kajaria and his team strategically released the film day and date on iTunes Worldwide, straight from MAMI. The potential reach that a film can achieve adopting this route is significant and can no longer be ignored.”

    Sengupta said, “We’re very excited about this opportunity to collaborate with Abhay Deol and take the next step in this incredible journey of Labour Of Love. Abhay has been a champion for the film right from the beginning and will help in introducing the film to an even wider audience. I’m also happy about the fact that he is taking the initiative to further the movement of Indian independent cinema.”

    Payal added, “This is the start of a new movement for Indian indies, which need to look towards innovation, not just in filmmaking, but distribution as well. I applaud Abhay’s trail-blazing stance, which is a huge boost for films such as mine that have proven capable of winning accolades on the world-stage. This initiative gives our films a digital lease on life and empowers us to build audiences beyond a successful festival run.”

    Brahma whose documentary has been the talk of the town said, “I feel initiatives and eyes for films like these by ambassadors like Abhay is needed for the film to reach its rightful audience in the longer run …A film is a film and the key is to keep you hooked to the narrative and legends like these needs to be remembered and perpetuated for posterity.

    Everyone from the maker to champions of them like Abhay as well as distributors and platforms like Netflix, iTunes, Amazon Prime etc need to come together to drive these initiatives to its rightful viewers.”

    On the topic of monetization via release on digital platforms and online distribution masquerading as piracy, Deol says. “Piracy is not a matter of choice, but stems primarily due to the unavailability of content on legitimate digital platforms. If your film is made available in a timely manner, then I truly believe that audiences would prefer to pay and watch it on a platform legally. Moreover, monetization through digital distribution is increasingly resulting in a positive return on investment (ROI). Licensing platforms are offering fair payouts, potentially paving a way for audiences around the world to watch and appreciate South Asian Content.”

    Abhay Deol will continue to curate films he loves and present them to audiences the world over by collaborating with Digital Platforms.

  • IFFI 2016: Abhay Deol acquires three films;explores digital release

    IFFI 2016: Abhay Deol acquires three films;explores digital release

    NEW DELHI: Actor producer Abhay Deol has acquired critically acclaimed festival favourite independent films to explore their release on digital platforms at the ongoing Film Bazaar at the International Film Festival of India in Goa.

    The films are Aditya Vikram Sengupta’s Venice Film Festival and National Award Winner – “Labor Of Love”; Payal Sethi’s critically acclaimed multi-award winning ‘UN Women’ Selection – “Leeches”; and Brahmanand’s heartbreaking documentary on Ghazal Maestro Jagjit Singh “Kaagaz Ki Kashti”, among others.

    Deol said: “I saw “Labour of Love” at Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles and was blown away with Aditya’s aesthetic sensibilities, and his ability to spin a story without any spoken dialogues! Payal’s Leeches is an important film that people need to watch. She has beautifully woven a compelling story around an issue that is anathema to our social fibre and well-being. My most recent select is “Kaagaz Ki Kashti”, which pays homage to Ghazal maestro Jagjit Singh and premiered at MAMI this year. Brahmanand is a savant behind the lens and succeeds in powerfully bringing the legend back to life. I strongly believe in these films and want to ensure that audiences across the world watch them.”

    On being asked about the strategy of exploring the release the films on digital platforms, Deol said, “The way we consume content has changed. While it is no secret that we have a limited number of screens in India, the economics to engage in a theatrical release don’t make sense for Independent films. Minimum P&A budgets required to secure a decent release add unhealthy weight on a small film. What we need now is to adopt alternate avenues of distribution that are widely available thanks to platforms like iTunes, Netflix and Amazon Prime, all of which are effectively reaching global audiences. I’ve been in touch with some filmmakers who increasingly understand this changing environment. Pulkit’s recent directorial debut “Maroon,” is a fine example of an indie release done right. Vivek Kajaria and his team strategically released the film day and date on iTunes Worldwide, straight from MAMI. The potential reach that a film can achieve adopting this route is significant and can no longer be ignored.”

    Sengupta said, “We’re very excited about this opportunity to collaborate with Abhay Deol and take the next step in this incredible journey of Labour Of Love. Abhay has been a champion for the film right from the beginning and will help in introducing the film to an even wider audience. I’m also happy about the fact that he is taking the initiative to further the movement of Indian independent cinema.”

    Payal added, “This is the start of a new movement for Indian indies, which need to look towards innovation, not just in filmmaking, but distribution as well. I applaud Abhay’s trail-blazing stance, which is a huge boost for films such as mine that have proven capable of winning accolades on the world-stage. This initiative gives our films a digital lease on life and empowers us to build audiences beyond a successful festival run.”

    Brahma whose documentary has been the talk of the town said, “I feel initiatives and eyes for films like these by ambassadors like Abhay is needed for the film to reach its rightful audience in the longer run …A film is a film and the key is to keep you hooked to the narrative and legends like these needs to be remembered and perpetuated for posterity.

    Everyone from the maker to champions of them like Abhay as well as distributors and platforms like Netflix, iTunes, Amazon Prime etc need to come together to drive these initiatives to its rightful viewers.”

    On the topic of monetization via release on digital platforms and online distribution masquerading as piracy, Deol says. “Piracy is not a matter of choice, but stems primarily due to the unavailability of content on legitimate digital platforms. If your film is made available in a timely manner, then I truly believe that audiences would prefer to pay and watch it on a platform legally. Moreover, monetization through digital distribution is increasingly resulting in a positive return on investment (ROI). Licensing platforms are offering fair payouts, potentially paving a way for audiences around the world to watch and appreciate South Asian Content.”

    Abhay Deol will continue to curate films he loves and present them to audiences the world over by collaborating with Digital Platforms.

  • Amagi partners with BARC India to offer monitoring of geo-targeted TV ad-campaigns

    Amagi partners with BARC India to offer monitoring of geo-targeted TV ad-campaigns

    MUMBAI: Amagi Media Labs has entered into a partnership agreement with India’s apex television viewership monitoring body BARC India to help advertisers monitor geo-targeted ad-campaigns of brands across TV channels.

    With this partnership, TV networks offering geo-targeted split of its national channels, including their national and regional feeds will be monitored on a separate basis and will be listed across BARC India’s interfaces. This will help Amagi’s advertisers evaluate their national geo-targeted ad-campaigns on BARC India’s software and as a result will increase the credibility of the concept of geo-targeting advertising.

    “Our partnership with the BARC India is a proof of the increasing ad spends of brands geo-targeting on TV. As competition becomes local, be it large brands or small regional brands all of them need to target specific region as their product has specific regional promotional needs. This will help marketers measure the ROI of their targeted TV campaigns and fine tune their media strategies. It will also be a great tool for our future customers to understand the large and varied audiences they can cater to using Amagi’s patented geo-targeting technology”, said Amagi Media Labs co-founder Baskar Subramanian.

    As the industry’s authoritative voice on TV viewership data, BARC India’s association with Amagi will provide transparent and quality data on geo-targeted advertising, thus enhancing its offering to its own clients, and providing unprecedented insights into the viewership patterns of the diverse and heterogeneous Indian market.

    “BARC India has always endeavored towards providing the media industry with cutting edge viewership and advertising data. Our tie up with Amagi in monitoring geo-targeted advertising is a big step in this direction. As more and more companies opt for geo-targeted advertising, the importance of this data is only growing. This partnership is an essential tool in providing the industry with data that will help them plan their campaigns with deeper insights,” said BARC India CEO Partho Dasgupta.

  • Amagi partners with BARC India to offer monitoring of geo-targeted TV ad-campaigns

    Amagi partners with BARC India to offer monitoring of geo-targeted TV ad-campaigns

    MUMBAI: Amagi Media Labs has entered into a partnership agreement with India’s apex television viewership monitoring body BARC India to help advertisers monitor geo-targeted ad-campaigns of brands across TV channels.

    With this partnership, TV networks offering geo-targeted split of its national channels, including their national and regional feeds will be monitored on a separate basis and will be listed across BARC India’s interfaces. This will help Amagi’s advertisers evaluate their national geo-targeted ad-campaigns on BARC India’s software and as a result will increase the credibility of the concept of geo-targeting advertising.

    “Our partnership with the BARC India is a proof of the increasing ad spends of brands geo-targeting on TV. As competition becomes local, be it large brands or small regional brands all of them need to target specific region as their product has specific regional promotional needs. This will help marketers measure the ROI of their targeted TV campaigns and fine tune their media strategies. It will also be a great tool for our future customers to understand the large and varied audiences they can cater to using Amagi’s patented geo-targeting technology”, said Amagi Media Labs co-founder Baskar Subramanian.

    As the industry’s authoritative voice on TV viewership data, BARC India’s association with Amagi will provide transparent and quality data on geo-targeted advertising, thus enhancing its offering to its own clients, and providing unprecedented insights into the viewership patterns of the diverse and heterogeneous Indian market.

    “BARC India has always endeavored towards providing the media industry with cutting edge viewership and advertising data. Our tie up with Amagi in monitoring geo-targeted advertising is a big step in this direction. As more and more companies opt for geo-targeted advertising, the importance of this data is only growing. This partnership is an essential tool in providing the industry with data that will help them plan their campaigns with deeper insights,” said BARC India CEO Partho Dasgupta.

  • Planetcast forays into OTT segment

    Planetcast forays into OTT segment

    Mumbai: Planetcast Media Services Limited (formerly Essel Shyam Communication Limited) today announced its foray into OTT segment by introducing its OTT solution targeted towards existing broadcasters and non-TV content owners. Planetcast OTT is a new, turnkey OTT solution for media companies, publishers and content creators to build advanced OTT app and web based entertainment ecosystem and deploy it in a highly cost effective manner.

    Planetcast OTT solution is aimed towards exponential increase in ROI for broadcasters, media companies, video content owners and publishers who wants to take their content over the top. Planetcast OTT empowers the customers to quickly launch, manage and monetize new OTT offerings.

    Planetcast, with its OTT solution will break the glass ceiling which prevents passionate media companies and content owners from making OTT market entry due to the high cost attached to it. An out of the box solution, it enables the customers to deploy premium OTT experience within the time limit and within their budget. Planetcast OTT solution will have a simplistic interface which does not require engineers to manage or build services, Planetcast is very clear about OTT product offering, its to make customer’s life simple and hassle free.

    Commenting on the occasion, M.N Vyas, Executive Director, Planetcast said “Indian market is responding positively towards OTT services and media companies are highly optimistic about tapping into the fast growing opportunity OTT offers. Media companies were not able to do so due to high cost and ambiguity in the market, Planetcast OTT solution will put an end to all this as it will enable the media companies to launch quick, cost effective and easy to manage OTT services across all connected devices.”

    Commenting on the occasion, Sanjay Duda, Chief Marketing Officer, Planetcast said “The global OTT market is projected to surpass $64.9 billion by 2021 , its too big a business not to be done. Media companies and content owners can increase their business exponentially through OTT offerings and I am confident that they will find a like minded partner in Planetcast. Our solution is cost effective, easy to deploy and easy to manage. Our two decades of successful broadcast industry operations is the biggest differentiating factor behind Planetcast OTT solution.”

    Planetcast will give a sneak peek into its OTT solution at Broadcast India 2016, Mumbai, booth number B-212-1. The product will be available in December 2016.

  • Planetcast forays into OTT segment

    Planetcast forays into OTT segment

    Mumbai: Planetcast Media Services Limited (formerly Essel Shyam Communication Limited) today announced its foray into OTT segment by introducing its OTT solution targeted towards existing broadcasters and non-TV content owners. Planetcast OTT is a new, turnkey OTT solution for media companies, publishers and content creators to build advanced OTT app and web based entertainment ecosystem and deploy it in a highly cost effective manner.

    Planetcast OTT solution is aimed towards exponential increase in ROI for broadcasters, media companies, video content owners and publishers who wants to take their content over the top. Planetcast OTT empowers the customers to quickly launch, manage and monetize new OTT offerings.

    Planetcast, with its OTT solution will break the glass ceiling which prevents passionate media companies and content owners from making OTT market entry due to the high cost attached to it. An out of the box solution, it enables the customers to deploy premium OTT experience within the time limit and within their budget. Planetcast OTT solution will have a simplistic interface which does not require engineers to manage or build services, Planetcast is very clear about OTT product offering, its to make customer’s life simple and hassle free.

    Commenting on the occasion, M.N Vyas, Executive Director, Planetcast said “Indian market is responding positively towards OTT services and media companies are highly optimistic about tapping into the fast growing opportunity OTT offers. Media companies were not able to do so due to high cost and ambiguity in the market, Planetcast OTT solution will put an end to all this as it will enable the media companies to launch quick, cost effective and easy to manage OTT services across all connected devices.”

    Commenting on the occasion, Sanjay Duda, Chief Marketing Officer, Planetcast said “The global OTT market is projected to surpass $64.9 billion by 2021 , its too big a business not to be done. Media companies and content owners can increase their business exponentially through OTT offerings and I am confident that they will find a like minded partner in Planetcast. Our solution is cost effective, easy to deploy and easy to manage. Our two decades of successful broadcast industry operations is the biggest differentiating factor behind Planetcast OTT solution.”

    Planetcast will give a sneak peek into its OTT solution at Broadcast India 2016, Mumbai, booth number B-212-1. The product will be available in December 2016.

  • Measuring ROI is the biggest challenge: Digital Marketing Industry Report 2016

    Measuring ROI is the biggest challenge: Digital Marketing Industry Report 2016

    MUMBAI: According to the Digital Marketing Industry Report 2016 released by Social Beat, 87 per cent brands leverage digital and 38 per cent of them allocate a third of its budget to digital marketing. The reason why the later figure is low is probably due to inability of the medium to take accountability for the brands.

    Tracking Return on Investment (ROI) is the biggest challenge being faced by brands, closely followed by content creation, quality lead generation and attracting talent. Currently, CMOs are using Sales / Leads, Engagement, Brand Reach and Mentions as the metrics to track the effectiveness of their campaigns.

    The report is the result of a survey sampled across 376 CMOs and Marketing Heads in India. The companies that participated in the study were from various sectors and verticals including e-Commerce, FMCG, Media/Entertainment, healthcare, education, real estate, and travel.

    Most of the respondents said they focus on Social Media Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Content Marketing and Emailers for marketing their brand online. Not surprisingly, Facebook (89%) and Google (78%) have emerged as the most popular platforms followed by Twitter (56%) and LinkedIn (51%).

    Penetration of smartphones, faster internet connectivity and interesting video content have resulted in 51% brands targeting YouTube for marketing their brand. It would be interesting to track the growth of newer channels like Instagram and Snapchat in India for brand marketing in the near future.

    Speaking on the report, Social Beat Co-Founder Vikas Chawla said “The report highlights the rise of digital marketing, though brands continue to use television and print mediums to have a 360-degree approach. It was encouraging to see that 87% of the brands surveyed leverage digital marketing. While brand awareness and lead generation/sales seem to be the primary goals set by the CMOs, digital marketing is increasingly being leveraged for Customer Engagement (46%) and customer service (35) too.”

    The responses from the survey indicate that digital marketing spends are about one-third of the total marketing spends. The results here are considerably different from the IAMAI – IMRB International Report which pegs the digital spends at 12% of the total marketing spends.

    Speaking about the survey, Social Beat cofounder Suneil Chawla said, “Around 10% brands surveyed spend more than Rs. 1 crore annually on digital marketing while around 50% brands spend more than Rs. 6 Lakhs annually. Overall, 20% brands plan to increase their digital marketing spends by 25% in the next financial year. This is important in the context of growing internet and digital penetration in India – brands understand that digital is the way forward. With an expected 500 million internet users in India by 2017, brands understand the massive opportunity to reach out to their consumers.”

  • Measuring ROI is the biggest challenge: Digital Marketing Industry Report 2016

    Measuring ROI is the biggest challenge: Digital Marketing Industry Report 2016

    MUMBAI: According to the Digital Marketing Industry Report 2016 released by Social Beat, 87 per cent brands leverage digital and 38 per cent of them allocate a third of its budget to digital marketing. The reason why the later figure is low is probably due to inability of the medium to take accountability for the brands.

    Tracking Return on Investment (ROI) is the biggest challenge being faced by brands, closely followed by content creation, quality lead generation and attracting talent. Currently, CMOs are using Sales / Leads, Engagement, Brand Reach and Mentions as the metrics to track the effectiveness of their campaigns.

    The report is the result of a survey sampled across 376 CMOs and Marketing Heads in India. The companies that participated in the study were from various sectors and verticals including e-Commerce, FMCG, Media/Entertainment, healthcare, education, real estate, and travel.

    Most of the respondents said they focus on Social Media Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Content Marketing and Emailers for marketing their brand online. Not surprisingly, Facebook (89%) and Google (78%) have emerged as the most popular platforms followed by Twitter (56%) and LinkedIn (51%).

    Penetration of smartphones, faster internet connectivity and interesting video content have resulted in 51% brands targeting YouTube for marketing their brand. It would be interesting to track the growth of newer channels like Instagram and Snapchat in India for brand marketing in the near future.

    Speaking on the report, Social Beat Co-Founder Vikas Chawla said “The report highlights the rise of digital marketing, though brands continue to use television and print mediums to have a 360-degree approach. It was encouraging to see that 87% of the brands surveyed leverage digital marketing. While brand awareness and lead generation/sales seem to be the primary goals set by the CMOs, digital marketing is increasingly being leveraged for Customer Engagement (46%) and customer service (35) too.”

    The responses from the survey indicate that digital marketing spends are about one-third of the total marketing spends. The results here are considerably different from the IAMAI – IMRB International Report which pegs the digital spends at 12% of the total marketing spends.

    Speaking about the survey, Social Beat cofounder Suneil Chawla said, “Around 10% brands surveyed spend more than Rs. 1 crore annually on digital marketing while around 50% brands spend more than Rs. 6 Lakhs annually. Overall, 20% brands plan to increase their digital marketing spends by 25% in the next financial year. This is important in the context of growing internet and digital penetration in India – brands understand that digital is the way forward. With an expected 500 million internet users in India by 2017, brands understand the massive opportunity to reach out to their consumers.”