ITV

Tag: SME

  • Shopmatic helps SMEs and individual entrepreneurs in APAC

    Shopmatic helps SMEs and individual entrepreneurs in APAC

    MUMBAI: Shopmatic, a Singapore-based e-commerce company providing a platform for any merchant to take their business online, has joined hands with leading e-commerce marketplaces like Amazon, eBay, Lazada. The alliance will seamlessly enable Shopmatic merchants in Singapore to develop their own webstores for a global presence and sell their products or services on these marketplaces in a convenient, hassle-free manner.

    A financial and business management hub, Singapore provides a strong digital infrastructure with the highest internet penetration in Southeast Asia. Industry analysts estimate that three out of every four residents in the country will use the internet at least once a month [1], a figure well above that for any other country in the region. The platform is focused on helping not only the small and medium businesses of the Asian countries to find their feet in the online world, but also give these firms global exposure.

    Commenting on this alliance Shopmatic CEO Anurag Avula said, “As a global e-commerce company, our primary focus is to empower merchants and individual business owners with an online platform which can help them in reaching out to a bigger audience and boost their business through greater speed and efficiency. By tying up with these successful e-commerce powerhouses, we are enabling our user base in Singapore to leverage the penetration and popularity of these portals and gain instant access to millions of customers across the globe. Meanwhile, they will also continue enjoying the benefits of being enlisted on our platform that provides them with an entire ecosystem to grow their business in the virtual world.”

    Shopmatic has established partnerships with numerous international and local companies in order to make it easier for its users to sell online. Recently, Shopmatic signed deals with global online payments giant PayPal to enable its merchants in expanding their sales across the globe. On the logistics front, Shopmatic has made strategic partnerships with local and global logistics players like Delhivery and Aramex. These tie-ups have been instrumental in helping individual entrepreneurs manage everything that is required to let their business grow, including exposing them to international markets with the help of Shopmatic’s global footprint.

  • Shopmatic helps SMEs and individual entrepreneurs in APAC

    Shopmatic helps SMEs and individual entrepreneurs in APAC

    MUMBAI: Shopmatic, a Singapore-based e-commerce company providing a platform for any merchant to take their business online, has joined hands with leading e-commerce marketplaces like Amazon, eBay, Lazada. The alliance will seamlessly enable Shopmatic merchants in Singapore to develop their own webstores for a global presence and sell their products or services on these marketplaces in a convenient, hassle-free manner.

    A financial and business management hub, Singapore provides a strong digital infrastructure with the highest internet penetration in Southeast Asia. Industry analysts estimate that three out of every four residents in the country will use the internet at least once a month [1], a figure well above that for any other country in the region. The platform is focused on helping not only the small and medium businesses of the Asian countries to find their feet in the online world, but also give these firms global exposure.

    Commenting on this alliance Shopmatic CEO Anurag Avula said, “As a global e-commerce company, our primary focus is to empower merchants and individual business owners with an online platform which can help them in reaching out to a bigger audience and boost their business through greater speed and efficiency. By tying up with these successful e-commerce powerhouses, we are enabling our user base in Singapore to leverage the penetration and popularity of these portals and gain instant access to millions of customers across the globe. Meanwhile, they will also continue enjoying the benefits of being enlisted on our platform that provides them with an entire ecosystem to grow their business in the virtual world.”

    Shopmatic has established partnerships with numerous international and local companies in order to make it easier for its users to sell online. Recently, Shopmatic signed deals with global online payments giant PayPal to enable its merchants in expanding their sales across the globe. On the logistics front, Shopmatic has made strategic partnerships with local and global logistics players like Delhivery and Aramex. These tie-ups have been instrumental in helping individual entrepreneurs manage everything that is required to let their business grow, including exposing them to international markets with the help of Shopmatic’s global footprint.

  • Startup finding reality TV series The Vault makes debut

    Startup finding reality TV series The Vault makes debut

    MUMBAI: The Indian version of Dragon’s Den – on which the iconic Mark Burnett show Shark Tank is based – is being readied to hit Indian TV screens come 1 October 2016. Called The Vault, the reality TV series is looking to fund start ups and nouveau entrepreneurial ideas.

    Each wannabe entrepreneur will get a chance to pitch his idea before a six member strong investor panel and get his or her idea funded to the tune of Rs 1 lakh to Rs 1 crore.

    The 12 episodic show spanning over 30 minutes will enable startups, household businesses, aspiring entrepreneurs with an extraordinary idea, or an established venture an opportunity to expand. The idea is to finance and mentor 36 entrepreneurs by the end of the show.

    But even before The Vault has gone on the floors, it seems to have to run into some sort of controversy. Which is what its American predecessor- Shark Tank – is known for.

    Jatin Goel, the creative brains behind it, says that it will air every Saturday at 7:30 pm on ET Now and every Sunday at 11:30 pm on Times Now. But the channel spokesperson told indiantelevision.com that nothing has been finalized yet.

    However Goel says that he has a signed contract with the Times Group for The Vault.
    Says he: “We have signed a contract with Times Group to discover the next big idea for startups to expand through The Vault. This show is a first-of-its-kind initiative in India towards developing a robust environment that fosters innovation and drives growth for promising business ideas irrespective of the sector they operate in.”

    Goel added that he will be helming the show.

    And he says the procedure to get a shot at the millions on the show has been kept very simple. Entrepreneurs have to register themselves on the show’s website by filling an application form with personal, company or idea related details and the funding expected by coughing up Rs 300 as a one time non-refundable fee. Applicants have to also mention how much equity they are willing to part and for what value. The last announced date of applications is 31 August 2016.

    Accepted applications will be screened and will be shortlisted for the first round of auditions in which each entrepreneur will be grilled about his idea by experts telephonically. A total of 100 applications will be taken forward from this round.

    The shortlisted 100 applications will have to upload a two minute video for the second audition round. From this, the list will be whittled down further to the final list of just 50.

    Goel strongly believes that the Indian entrepreneurial landscape is currently at its peak. “India has the third-largest and the fastest-growing startup ecosystem in the world. The growth witnessed by SMEs and household and rural businesses also indicates that there are many more milestones yet to be achieved.”

    The jury of six will – consisting of self-made millionaires who have already proven their mettle in various backgrounds- retail, technology, real-estate, FMCG, food, health, automobile industry- will judge the entrepreneurs on their idea or startup’s uniqueness and feasibility.

    The investors will be revealed one-by-one on TV and social media through various campaigns.

    A crew of 30 will be filming the show in Film City, Noida, starting the first week of September. An eight multicamera set up is being designed – with four cameras profiling the investors and their closeups when they are talking, two will zoom in on the entrepreneurs as they are pitching and their product showcase, and two will be used for long shots showing both the investor and entrepreneurs in one frame.

    As far as marketing is concerned, Goel says the show will be promoted highly on digital and will have some brand integration involved in it. He and his team are currently in talks with seven or eight advertisers to hop on board for this show.

    “We have not fixed any deals yet. There is no specific sector that we are targeting. Any company which can relate to our concept can be on board,” voiced Goel.

    Plans are afoot to launch a YouTube channel post the show’s run. Apart from a big push on digital, the show will also be marketed on TV, radio, print with various hoardings in metros mainly Delhi, Bangalore and Mumbai. The anchors from various channels falling under Times Network will also talk about the show.

    Will it do well in India? The wagers are on. The Subhash Chandra show on Zee Business has also been running for a couple of years . Shark Tank, which aired on Viacom18 English entertainment channel Colors Infinity earlier this year , met with a muted audience response according to reports. The challenge for The Vault does not only lie in securing advertiser backing but also in gaining its audience.

  • Startup finding reality TV series The Vault makes debut

    Startup finding reality TV series The Vault makes debut

    MUMBAI: The Indian version of Dragon’s Den – on which the iconic Mark Burnett show Shark Tank is based – is being readied to hit Indian TV screens come 1 October 2016. Called The Vault, the reality TV series is looking to fund start ups and nouveau entrepreneurial ideas.

    Each wannabe entrepreneur will get a chance to pitch his idea before a six member strong investor panel and get his or her idea funded to the tune of Rs 1 lakh to Rs 1 crore.

    The 12 episodic show spanning over 30 minutes will enable startups, household businesses, aspiring entrepreneurs with an extraordinary idea, or an established venture an opportunity to expand. The idea is to finance and mentor 36 entrepreneurs by the end of the show.

    But even before The Vault has gone on the floors, it seems to have to run into some sort of controversy. Which is what its American predecessor- Shark Tank – is known for.

    Jatin Goel, the creative brains behind it, says that it will air every Saturday at 7:30 pm on ET Now and every Sunday at 11:30 pm on Times Now. But the channel spokesperson told indiantelevision.com that nothing has been finalized yet.

    However Goel says that he has a signed contract with the Times Group for The Vault.
    Says he: “We have signed a contract with Times Group to discover the next big idea for startups to expand through The Vault. This show is a first-of-its-kind initiative in India towards developing a robust environment that fosters innovation and drives growth for promising business ideas irrespective of the sector they operate in.”

    Goel added that he will be helming the show.

    And he says the procedure to get a shot at the millions on the show has been kept very simple. Entrepreneurs have to register themselves on the show’s website by filling an application form with personal, company or idea related details and the funding expected by coughing up Rs 300 as a one time non-refundable fee. Applicants have to also mention how much equity they are willing to part and for what value. The last announced date of applications is 31 August 2016.

    Accepted applications will be screened and will be shortlisted for the first round of auditions in which each entrepreneur will be grilled about his idea by experts telephonically. A total of 100 applications will be taken forward from this round.

    The shortlisted 100 applications will have to upload a two minute video for the second audition round. From this, the list will be whittled down further to the final list of just 50.

    Goel strongly believes that the Indian entrepreneurial landscape is currently at its peak. “India has the third-largest and the fastest-growing startup ecosystem in the world. The growth witnessed by SMEs and household and rural businesses also indicates that there are many more milestones yet to be achieved.”

    The jury of six will – consisting of self-made millionaires who have already proven their mettle in various backgrounds- retail, technology, real-estate, FMCG, food, health, automobile industry- will judge the entrepreneurs on their idea or startup’s uniqueness and feasibility.

    The investors will be revealed one-by-one on TV and social media through various campaigns.

    A crew of 30 will be filming the show in Film City, Noida, starting the first week of September. An eight multicamera set up is being designed – with four cameras profiling the investors and their closeups when they are talking, two will zoom in on the entrepreneurs as they are pitching and their product showcase, and two will be used for long shots showing both the investor and entrepreneurs in one frame.

    As far as marketing is concerned, Goel says the show will be promoted highly on digital and will have some brand integration involved in it. He and his team are currently in talks with seven or eight advertisers to hop on board for this show.

    “We have not fixed any deals yet. There is no specific sector that we are targeting. Any company which can relate to our concept can be on board,” voiced Goel.

    Plans are afoot to launch a YouTube channel post the show’s run. Apart from a big push on digital, the show will also be marketed on TV, radio, print with various hoardings in metros mainly Delhi, Bangalore and Mumbai. The anchors from various channels falling under Times Network will also talk about the show.

    Will it do well in India? The wagers are on. The Subhash Chandra show on Zee Business has also been running for a couple of years . Shark Tank, which aired on Viacom18 English entertainment channel Colors Infinity earlier this year , met with a muted audience response according to reports. The challenge for The Vault does not only lie in securing advertiser backing but also in gaining its audience.

  • Kingfisher to launch Pitchers app to answer all nightlife queries

    Kingfisher to launch Pitchers app to answer all nightlife queries

    MUMBAI: Acknowledging the power of digital, United Beverage’s flagship alcobev brand Kingfisher is all set to launch an aggregator cum classified app targeting urban nightlife. The beverage giant couldn’t have come up with a better name than ‘Pitchers’, hence giving a recall  to its brand association with TVF’s popular web series ‘Pitchers’ which had Kingfisher as sponsors.

    While addressing a summit at Goafest 2016, United Beverages Limited marketing SVP Samar Singh Sheikhawat announced the app, “Our consumers are constantly on the lookout for fun exciting nightlife destinations, and often that information is not curated and presented to them in a sensible manner. This app will be a one stop shop for them for any night life related queries — it could be about pubs, clubs, a fancy eating joint or places with live gigs.”

    Expected to be available at the Google Play store within the next five days with a soft launch in Bengaluru, Sheikhawat shared that the app would compete with the likes of Zomato and Foodpanda, with focus on nightlife being its key differentiating factor. Sheikhawat revealed that Kingfisher was eyeing Delhi and Mumbai next for the launch (in no particular order).

    “The app will share the entire listing of all the restaurants and pubs, provided that they have a liquor license, unlike Zomato. It will answer frequently asked questions about ‘what is the dress code’, ‘what are the charges as couple, singles and stags, ‘will there be valet parking services or not’, ‘how long will the happy hours be’, ‘What is the music going to be like,’ and if ‘the place has an open smoking zone,” etc.

    Since Pitchers would be a free app, Sheikhawat explained the revenue model, “We don’t need to make money out of this app. We are into the beer business. This is one of the many ways to reach out to our modern age digitally enabled consumer. We will definitely keep an eye out and see how it evolves into something that can be cashed later.”

    Sheikhawat also shared that his company  is open to forming commercial deals with local F&B players, be it SMEs  or five star, who would like to be showcased on the platform. However, his short term goal is to create a buzz around the app’s utility amongst the company’s consumers. The brand would also ensure that the access to the app is age restricted due to the content that will be showcased on it.

    Revealing the marketing and promotion details of  new app Sheikhawat said Kingfisher would be careful, “We want to launch the app, get user feedback,  fix bugs and explore possibilities and then market it to the masses based on our analytics of sometimes’ worth of use. We can create a song and dance around it anytime we want to, but we would rather iron out all issues before talking about Pitchers.”

    With Vijay Mallya making recent headlines for all the wrong reasons, it was inevitable to ask how that affected brand Kingfisher and UBL in general. ”Throughout this time we haven’t seen our shares take a dip. UBL is a completely different entity and a brand on its own. And with Heineken owning 44 per cent stake, we aren’t really worried,” Sheikhawat clarified before signing off.

  • Kingfisher to launch Pitchers app to answer all nightlife queries

    Kingfisher to launch Pitchers app to answer all nightlife queries

    MUMBAI: Acknowledging the power of digital, United Beverage’s flagship alcobev brand Kingfisher is all set to launch an aggregator cum classified app targeting urban nightlife. The beverage giant couldn’t have come up with a better name than ‘Pitchers’, hence giving a recall  to its brand association with TVF’s popular web series ‘Pitchers’ which had Kingfisher as sponsors.

    While addressing a summit at Goafest 2016, United Beverages Limited marketing SVP Samar Singh Sheikhawat announced the app, “Our consumers are constantly on the lookout for fun exciting nightlife destinations, and often that information is not curated and presented to them in a sensible manner. This app will be a one stop shop for them for any night life related queries — it could be about pubs, clubs, a fancy eating joint or places with live gigs.”

    Expected to be available at the Google Play store within the next five days with a soft launch in Bengaluru, Sheikhawat shared that the app would compete with the likes of Zomato and Foodpanda, with focus on nightlife being its key differentiating factor. Sheikhawat revealed that Kingfisher was eyeing Delhi and Mumbai next for the launch (in no particular order).

    “The app will share the entire listing of all the restaurants and pubs, provided that they have a liquor license, unlike Zomato. It will answer frequently asked questions about ‘what is the dress code’, ‘what are the charges as couple, singles and stags, ‘will there be valet parking services or not’, ‘how long will the happy hours be’, ‘What is the music going to be like,’ and if ‘the place has an open smoking zone,” etc.

    Since Pitchers would be a free app, Sheikhawat explained the revenue model, “We don’t need to make money out of this app. We are into the beer business. This is one of the many ways to reach out to our modern age digitally enabled consumer. We will definitely keep an eye out and see how it evolves into something that can be cashed later.”

    Sheikhawat also shared that his company  is open to forming commercial deals with local F&B players, be it SMEs  or five star, who would like to be showcased on the platform. However, his short term goal is to create a buzz around the app’s utility amongst the company’s consumers. The brand would also ensure that the access to the app is age restricted due to the content that will be showcased on it.

    Revealing the marketing and promotion details of  new app Sheikhawat said Kingfisher would be careful, “We want to launch the app, get user feedback,  fix bugs and explore possibilities and then market it to the masses based on our analytics of sometimes’ worth of use. We can create a song and dance around it anytime we want to, but we would rather iron out all issues before talking about Pitchers.”

    With Vijay Mallya making recent headlines for all the wrong reasons, it was inevitable to ask how that affected brand Kingfisher and UBL in general. ”Throughout this time we haven’t seen our shares take a dip. UBL is a completely different entity and a brand on its own. And with Heineken owning 44 per cent stake, we aren’t really worried,” Sheikhawat clarified before signing off.

  • ‘India’s diversity makes distribution a big challenge’ : Brandscapes CMD Pranesh Misra

    ‘India’s diversity makes distribution a big challenge’ : Brandscapes CMD Pranesh Misra

    In a rapidly changing business environment where brands need to be constantly rejuvenated, it is not only important to analyse but also interpret data from a marketing agenda perspective.

     

    The most significant change that has happened in India is the growth of the services over the consumer products sector. Mobile is also emerging as a strong personal medium, which marketers and advertisers have not fully exploited yet.

     

    In an interview with Indiantelevision.com’s Ashwin Pinto, Brandscapes Worldwide chairman & managing director Pranesh Misra talks about how there is need for a marketing data centric company to build profitable growth strategies.

     

    Excerpts:

    When you started Brandscapes Worldwide in 2008, what was the aim?
    The vision was to be a marketing data centric company. Our difference would be to not only analyse but also interpret data from a marketing agenda perspective.

    What progress has been made so far?
    We have got success with global clients. We work with clients across different markets like Carlsberg, Citibank and Coca-Cola. They employ us in different geographies across the world. We work with their issues in over 40 markets and we do projects there. In India, we get clients who are not only interested in the analytics part of it but also want us to advise in the marketing and brand strategy.

    How are you addressing this need?
    We have announced five different practices that we will focus our attention on. These are market research, data mining, marketing science, involving advanced statistics modelling to project the future. The fourth practice is dashboards which is putting all the information together in an easy-to-digest manner. The fifth strategy is the strategy planning dimension.

    What are the challenges that you face?
    The primary challenge is that when you start with data analytics, there is not enough good quality data available. In international markets it is easily available as people have invested a lot of money behind it. We have worked with clients in the SME sector here who have not done any research. This is where we felt that doing customised research for these clients would be useful. We set up our own discipline in the area of research.

     

    The second challenge is finding the right caliber of people. This is a people driven business. It is about understand marketing and how data can be applied to it. I have been able to put together a solid team of 10 leadership team members. Each member has 20-30 years of experience in fields like research, marketing, media strategy, sales and distribution. It is this eclectic mix of talent that I have gotten together. These are the leaders who recruit the next generation of talent and create an organisation.

    What is the advantage you offer to clients vis-a-vis competitive services?
    We are trying to create a new area. I don’t think that marketing consulting is being offered the way that we offer it. Many companies offer brand consulting which is more into the brand strategy area. Then there are large companies like McKinsey and PriceWaterHouse Coopers who are management consultants and who also do marketing consulting. Our focus is on marketing and we have people with experience in this domain. We have holistic knowledge of all areas and so play in market research, data mining.

     

    We are trying to carve out a niche for ourselves between the bigger consulting houses and narrow focussed marketing consulting players. We give holistic solutions around marketing problems. We are not general consultants nor are we very specific. We are not just analytics focussed or market research focussed.
    “The biggest mistake that has riddled many big companies is that their
    thinking moves slower than the consumers”

    Could you give me some examples where clients have benefited?
    As a consultant I cannot give specific examples; I can give broad ideas. There was a global FMCG client looking at a particular category. They wanted to do 20/20 planning on this category. This involved looking at 60 countries, collecting data of different natures like demographics, category penetration, competitive strength and weakness data and category development index data. Then we created a model around which data could be simplified and synthesised. On this basis we created clusters of countries. Then we did deep dive analysis in these clusters to see a common link. This was a macro level solution.

     

    On a micro level there was an FMCG whose brand was not doing well. We got access to retail data. We had to find an insight to take the brand further. One big pack size was not doing well while the others were growing. This size accounted for 25 -30 per cent of sales and was declining. This was the first clue and we dug deeper. Competition was coming with a slightly smaller pack size at a much cheaper price while this company had pushed the price up. We did price sensitivity testing which led to the right price point being found.

     

    A Marketing Dashboard was developed for a shopping mall. This helps it keep track of Key Performance Indicators relating to its tenants – and take strategic and tactical action on an ongoing basis. Strategy Maps were used to guide a global NGO on how to change its branding approach for better success in some countries.

    How have you grown over the past couple of years?
    We started with 15 people. Now we have around 85 people. We have grown at an average of 45 per cent in terms of revenues. The client roster has grown from three cornerstone clients to around 12.

    Which sector is the most challenging to deal with?
    No sector is particularly more challenging than another. It comes down to your domain knowledge. Since we have domain knowledge on consumer goods and services, banking and financial, retail and in healthcare, we are focusing in these segments. We have knowledge there. If you tell us to look at an industrial sector, it would be a challenge,. We don’t understand the topography of that sector.

    What mistakes do companies make when they go about their marketing?
    The biggest mistake I would say that has riddled many big companies is that their thinking moves slower than the consumers. Consumers move ahead very fast in terms of their attitudes. Companies sometimes focus on the unchanging consumer and lose ground. You fail to move with the consumer in this scenario. Information availability is so much that consumers accept new information very quickly. This is a big challenge.

    What other obstacles do companies face?
    In a country like India, sales and distribution is a challenge, especially for new companies. How do you reach out to big markets? When multinationals come in, the challenge is about pricing. They believe that the same prices that are in the developed markets should work here. They get a shock when nobody picks up their product. This is a pitfall that you have to work around.

    Which categories will spend the most on advertising and marketing this year?
    It would be the service sector. Telecom will be one of the biggest drivers in terms of mobile telephony, followed by consumer durables and financial products.
     

    During the downturn did the spends of clients on research get affected?
    We didn’t feel the pinch as we are still a young organisation. But I know that a downturn does not mean that research spending will fall. In fact research happens more as people want to be more careful about spending more ad money and marketing money. Research takes place more in downturns.
    How is India different as a market from other countries?
    In India, distribution is a big challenge. There is a lot of diversity compared to a country like the UK which is fairly homogeneous. It is not about where do you enter in India but about how do you get going. India’s complexity is a challenge in terms of distribution, pricing, target segmentation. You have to be careful in terms of deciding which markets do you go to and which audience do you address.

    You have a JV with Design Bridge. How has this worked for you?
    It has worked out well. We have worked for several clients together. They bring the actual design part of it. We don’t have any creative resource here. So what we do is the first part that is strategy planning. Then you have to create a look and feel, logo design for a product. They do that creative part of it.

     

    In the healthcare category we have a JV with Healthy Marketing Team. They are focussed on helping clients quickly zoom into the brand positioning strategy in the healthcare segment. We partnered with them, have trained our people on their system and have brought that to
    our clients here.
    What marketing strategies work well for alcohol companies in India, given that direct advertising on television and print is not allowed?
    Associating with a sporting event like Golf works. Spirit brands want to have a lifestyle association; they want to project a certain lifestyle and be in a premium space. Alcohol companies also take space in retail outlets. Besides, a lot of attention is spent on packaging of the product, which works towards effective brand building.
    In the financial and insurance sector a lot of companies follow a guilty tag to get parents to buy products. Is that a wrong way to go about selling products like insurance?
    It depends on the situation. Too much of guilt can be counter productive. In some situations, guilt might work. But from my perspective, a positive outlook is better than guilt. Consumers after a while do not want to receive too many negative messages.
    Which marketing avenue is most effective in terms of ROI – print, television, radio, online?
    It differs from category to category and brand to brand. This is what our marketing modeling mix practice estimates. We are able to pinpoint for a market which element gives higher ROIs.
    Is new media becoming more important?
    Yes! It is credible as a medium as people share their opinions and experiences here. It is becoming a credible source of information. A lot of companies, especially international, go to new media first to get answers about consumers.

    But are companies tapping into this medium properly in India?
    It is still a new medium here. Some companies are doing it well while others are experimenting. Mobile is about SMS at the moment. I think that as rich media comes in through 3G, marketers will use it a lot more.

     

    As far as online is oncerned, Indian consumers are already using that medium in categories like hotels and airlines. They want to find out what others feel about a particular brand. This is an area where a dramatic change will happen in the next three to four years. Companies have to understand that the Internet will play a critical step in the decision making process. Companies will need to have a larger presence online.

     

    They can be a part of the online conversation, at least in terms of keeping track of what consumers are saying, and then take corrective action if there is negative feedback. They can also find out what consumers feel works for the brand and why they choose it over competition.
    When you look at the marketing and advertising scenario what are the two biggest changes that have happened over the past five years?
    The growth of the services over the consumer products sector is a big change that has happened in India. Also, the emergence of mobile as a personal medium is a change. This has not been totally exploited by marketers and advertisers, but I think that this is a life changer today. Younger consumers have evolved.
  • CNBC Awaaz partners Entrepreneur magazine to launch new show

    CNBC Awaaz partners Entrepreneur magazine to launch new show

    MUMBAI: CNBC Awaaz, the Hindi business new channel from the TV18 stable has partnered with Entrepreneur magazine to launch a new show Awaaz Entrepreneur. It will focus on the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) across the country.

    The weekend show will launch on 15 May and will be aired Every Saturday at 8.30 pm.

    Awaaz Entrepreneur will profile SME’s and talk to various stakeholders. The series will also showcase the journeys of eminent industry figures who have witnessed the SME phase and have now transformed into larger businesses. People from across the country can also have their queries resolved through an expert on the show.

    CNBC Awaaz Editor-in-Chief Sanjay Pugalia said, “Awaaz Entrepreneur is a series solely focusing on SMEs. Our intention is to aid and educate budding entrepreneurs and make them understand the nuances of starting and building their own ventures successfully. This is a step forward in our pursuit to supporting the emerging businesses in India.”

    Small and Medium Enterprises are the driving force of the Indian economy and CNBC Awaaz, with this initiative is aiming to reveal the journeys of various SMEs and also bring out various ideas, options and solutions available to various sections of society who yearn to venture out and make it big on their own.

  • ‘We have helped in the democratisation of the business news market space’ : CNBC Awaaz editor-in-chief Sanjay pugalia

    ‘We have helped in the democratisation of the business news market space’ : CNBC Awaaz editor-in-chief Sanjay pugalia

    Five years and counting big. CNBC Awaaz dominates the Hindi business news segment, leaving counterpart Zee Business behind, and even marching ahead of elder sibling CNBC TV18 in terms of audience reach.

     

    CNBC Awaaz has become more interactive along the way and has shaped up as a well-defined channel with a clear focus on utility news. It treats news with the aim of helping viewers take informed positions on investments.

     

    The fundamental challenge that CNBC Awaaz faces is in scaling up revenues. The cost restructuring will, however, help the channel in improving its profitability.

     

    In an interview with Indiantelevision.com‘s Gaurav Laghate, CNBC Awaaz editor-in-chief Sanajay Pugalia talks about the channel‘s growth in the last five years and the path ahead in terms of content that would guide viewers in the verticals of stock, tax planning, commodity and SMEs.

     

    Excerpts:
     
     
    CNBC Awaaz has completed 5 years. How has the Hindi business news market shaped up?
    Five years back there was no Hindi business news channel. Today, with just two channels in this segment, there are close to 38 million Hindi business news viewers and we command a 70 per cent market share in this.

     

    If you take the total viewership of the business news channels, it was close to 10 million five years back. Within two years of our launch, the pie grew to 30 million. Today, the combined viewership base for English and Hindi business news stands at almost 55 million.
     

     
    How come the Hindi viewership base is higher from just two channels while the revenue is much lower?

    On a mass basis, our appeal is larger then even CNBC TV18. Our viewers include small investors, consumers and businessmen. So in a way we have helped in the democratisation of the business news market space.

     

    On the revenue front, even some English business news channels can‘t command the kind of advertising rates we do. But yes, it is also true that the dynamics of the market is that English business channels get higher rates.

     
     
    So is it true that Hindi business news channels do not have a scalable model?
    There is a myth that Hindi is not so upmarket. But if you do an affluent audience profiling, we are as good as that of CNBC TV18. And if you see our viewership pattern, most of them come from Mumbai and Delhi, followed by Gujarat and Maharashtra.

     

    It is pertinent to note that the initial five years were a build-up stage. We will see much faster growth from now on.

     
     
    What made you edge out Zee Business when both were launched around the same time?
    The focus of our channel is in outlining the utility of news. There might be 10 important stories in a day, but how many are affecting our viewers? We decode such news in a manner that helps them understand the implications.

     

    We will be covering other news as well, but our main emphasis will be user-centric. We focus on helping our viewer make the right investments to increase their wealth. Take real estate as an example. Our focus stories will be on the ground realities the sector faces rather than talking about how to improve the policies on real estate. Our object will be how to help viewers decide on which property to buy and we will suggest the rates and other things there.

     
     
    Going forward, do you see space for more channel launches in this segment?
    Business news viewership will definitely increase with time. With more and more people getting capital to invest and more awareness spreading on personal finance management, this market segment is set to grow.

     

    Our estimate is that out of every 100 new consumers, two-thirds will come from the Hindi speaking belt, so you can imagine the future that the Hindi business news genre has.

     

    I would say there is scope for new channels, but the success will depend on the strength of the network and how much credibility they can build. It won‘t be easy for new players.
     

     
    Recently TV18 went through a cost restructuring and 12 per cent permanent jobs were cut. How effective has the move been in achieving profitability?
    Cost rationalization is a necessity for any business. But you will not see any change in the editorial content. I can‘t share the absolute numbers, but very few editorial jobs have been cut.
     
     

    ‘The focus of our channel is in outlining the utility of news. There might be 10 important stories in a day, but how many are affecting our viewers? We decode such news in a manner that helps them understand the implications‘
     
     

    So do you mean to say there was flab?
    No. There were different growth plans during the bull run. We were focusing on extended news gathering. Now the market scenario has changed. We also have sensed that the news gathering needs are different. You see, the market dynamics are changing very fast and we have to change our FPC as per viewer‘s needs.

     

    So we have reduced the number of shows but consolidated the information in them. We have also increased the coverage on commodity, personal finance, stocks and property.
     
     

    How has the channel evolved over time?
    Along with time, we have become more interactive; we promote direct involvement and grievance redressals. The treatment towards the stories has changed – and we are now positioned as an innovative business news channel.

     

    We are catering to the specific needs of our viewers. I get more then 6000 SMSes and emails daily. And we try to reply to most of the queries. We are not just a business news channel; we run more like a campaign or a movement.
     
     

    So what will the future focus be?
    As I said earlier, the focus will predominantly be on the markets, SMEs, commodity and tax planning.

     

    We will also continue to reach to our consumers on-ground with our activations and award properties.

     

    The way India is progressing, there will be lot more new and young entrepreneurs. Our one-year focus is to organize more of financial literacy campaigns, help SMEs to grow, and cover miraculous entrepreneurial stories from different places.

     
     
    And what about hard news?
    I am not missing out on news. News hour shows are sacrosanct. But we need to have other strong offerings.

     
     
    Hindi general news channels are into sensationalising content for gaining TRPs. Do you also see such a need for the business news segment?

    I do not think there is any need to sensationalise. I am not against presenting news in an interesting and stylish way, but there is no need or room to sensationalise. 

     

     So how will you define your channel?

    To sum it up in one sentence, we help viewers in spotting opportunities to prosper.
  • Rising number of SMEs drives growth of Asia-Pacific VSAT market

    Rising number of SMEs drives growth of Asia-Pacific VSAT market

    MUMBAI: The Asia-Pacific VSAT (very small aperture terminal) market is firmly in its growth stage, and has come to represent the new battleground for global VSAT players who are faced with declining growth in other regional markets.

    VSAT services are beginning to gain greater acceptance among the SME (small and medium enterprise) and SOHO (small office/home office) segments. The continuous expansion of corporate VSAT networks is also beckoning the next stage of growth for satellite services.

    New analysis from global growth consulting company, Frost & Sullivan reveals that revenues of VSAT customer premise equipment (CPE) – covering 13 major Asia-Pacific economies – totaled US$73 million in 2005 and is forecasted to reach an estimated US$109 million by end-2012. The total installed base for VSAT applications is likely to grow to over 900,000 sites by end-2012, from the approximate 300,000 recorded in 2005.

    “Future growth in the corporate and enterprise VSAT segment will result from the booming number of SMEs and the associated demand for easily deployable, reliable broadband connections in areas underserved by terrestrial services,” notes Frost & Sullivan research analyst James Lye.

    Growth of the VSAT market is also likely to be driven by the increasing deployments of rural telecommunications, telemedicine and distance education programs across the region. Rural telecommunications, in particular, is expected to contribute significantly to growth in this segment as many rural communities in emerging markets of the region still lack modern telecommunication access. Most governments in the region have universal access programs that set aside funds and subsidies to tackle this issue. Such developmental subsidies help to partially offset the initial capital expenditure required to deploy wireless and satellite infrastructures.

    VSAT service providers in Asia-Pacific will however need to brace themselves for increasing competition from telecom service providers. Sensing the same opportunities in the underserved areas, terrestrial telecommunication providers have been rolling out infrastructure as fast as they can justify it. These telcos are furthermore emphasizing the managed services model among enterprise customers, which increases revenue per customer and builds very strong loyalty due to the provision of complete solutions.

    “Telecom service providers often wait until the local market is sufficiently developed before moving in with lower pricing to oust the VSAT providers,” explains Lye. “The hardest hit segment is where VSAT is used solely to deliver broadband access.”

    The overall Asia-Pacific VSAT market is expected to experience continued and steady growth over the next few years, offering considerable opportunities for both VSAT equipment vendors and satellite service providers. India and Indonesia are seen as markets with high growth potential. Indonesia’s geography, combined with the lack of foreseeable terrestrial infrastructure build-out has already created a lucrative SME market in the corporate VSAT segment.

    While growth in India’s VSAT sector will come mainly from the myriad of small and medium businesses that are flourishing as the country opens-up its economy with the liberalization of regulatory barriers to foreign players.