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Tag: South Asia

  • BBC Worldwide strengthens south Asian sales team

    BBC Worldwide strengthens south Asian sales team

    MUMBAI: BBC Worldwide has promoted Sunil Joshi to head of distribution for BBC Global News in south Asia, and appointed Stanley Fernandes as sales director for south Asia.

     

    Joshi was elevated from his prior role of heading up distribution for the north and western India. In his new role, he will oversee the distribution sales of BBC Global News’ content, including television, online and mobile productions.

     

    Both will be based in Mumbai and report to Myleeta Aga, SVP and general manager for India and content head for Asia.

     

    Joshi will partner with Sirsendu Chakravarty, who handles the eastern region; Hemang Pathak, who handles the west; Sethuraman Sathyanarayanan, for the southern region as well as digital; and Sandra Fernandes, for corporate.

     

    In Fernandes’ new role, he will build and lead BBC Worldwide’s television content sales to linear channels and digital platforms in India and the subcontinent. Previously, he was the senior manager at Disney Media Distribution.

     

    “Sunil has a great depth of relationships in the distribution network and wealth of insights that will help contribute to our next phase of growth in south Asia,” said Aga. “Stanley has joined us at a very important time as we move into the new regional structure with strong market focus.”

  • OTT opportunities emerge in South Asia as 2Mbps+ broadband subs set to double by 2017

    OTT opportunities emerge in South Asia as 2Mbps+ broadband subs set to double by 2017

    MUMBAI: Apple finally opened its iTunes Store in India in December, joining services such as BigFlix, NyooTV, Eros Now, hungama and DittoTV from Zee New Media. In Malaysia, pay-TV provider Astro has launched Astro-on-the-Go to compete with TonTon, Maaduu, DETV and Fine TV.

    But will flagging broadband speeds prove an insurmountable barrier for the development of OTT in the region? To answer this question, Farncombe undertook a study of the broadband markets in five key SEA developing countries: India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. Farncombe analysed fixed and mobile broadband service offers, technologies, nominal and actual bitrates and pricing plans.

    The company is a professional services firm offering technical and strategic support across all digital media sectors, with a focus on TV. Farncombe‘s study shows that around 30 per cent of the existing fixed broadband residential subscriptions offer speeds that are equal to or higher than 2Mbps – the threshold required by many OTT service providers for delivering video content to connected devices, including TVs.

    The company forecasts that this percentage will reach almost 50 per cent by the end of 2017 – with more than 25m fixed broadband connections ? 2Mbps across the six countries by then. India will lead, accounting for 28 per cent of the households in this segment, followed by Vietnam and Thailand.

    Farncombe‘s research shows that ADSL technology will remain the dominant fixed broadband technology in the region, but its share will drop from 84 per cent in 2012 to 65 per cent in 2017.

    Cable (especially in India) and FTTx will gradually increase their presence in the main cities and will increase with CAGR 2013-17 of 31 per cent and 36 per cent respectively. Wireless Broadband Access (mostly WiMax) and other technologies (e.g. Satellite, Ethernet, etc. ) will remain niche alternatives with limited market shares.

    Malaysia emerges in top position in terms of FTTx connections across the six SEA territories, with the average download bitrates increasing at a CAGR of 25 per cent in the final three years to 2017. However, the average bitrates in India, Indonesia and Vietnam are increasing at a CAGR of less than 10 per cent , bringing the average regional speed up to just 1.5Mbps by the end of last year.

    Most fixed broadband plans now include unlimited usage, unlike mobile packages, which are typically ‘capped‘ – an issue that still inhibits OTT usage over mobile broadband. Farncombe compared fixed and mobile broadband costs by looking at how much each charged ‘per Mbps‘, taking into account actual bitrates and mobile usage caps. The company found that on average mobile broadband users would have to cap their monthly use at 1-3Gb to obtain the same ‘per Mbps‘ price-performance as a fixed plan.

    Similar results were derived across all six markets, demonstrating that despite the significant increase in mobile broadband users – which we expect to reach nearly 0.5 billion subscribers by 2017 with a CAGR of 37% across the six countries – fixed broadband remains a much more cost-effective choice for video use.

    As competing two-way platforms will require substantial up-front investment, especially for countries with challenging landscapes like India, Indonesia and the Philippines, OTT platforms can offer significant opportunities for players in these regions to reach audiences and capture market share more cost-effectively and with tighter launch-schedules.

  • 2012 : A year of agency consolidation : Anita Nayyar, CEO, Havas Media India and South Asia

    2012 : A year of agency consolidation : Anita Nayyar, CEO, Havas Media India and South Asia

    India because it is English speaking, in addition to all the other factors, has every global brand, executive and company vying for a place in the sun. Exchange rates and need of funds coupled with the revered Silicon Valley philosophy of getting bought has made buying of media assets, namely smaller agencies, very lucrative. They called it ‘Consolidation’ and this phenomenon was big in 2012.

    Consolidation seems to be the name of the game with agencies today and has caused a lot of excitement with the media too. It signifies growth, scale, of having arrived, of expansion – resources, fresh finance, services, markets, leverage and professional management, for the partners. Sure, it includes all of it and monopolistic rates for the biggies.

    With a sluggish global economy, emerging markets are havens for international companies, advertising having dried in their primary markets. This environment has been great for a bear run to pick up preferred stocks — digital is A list — at the best price to scale up the portfolio and create volume. Economies of scale drive this from all sides – agency, client, target audience, brand and along with the online ad world being truly flat, it makes perfect business value for groups with deep pockets or who wish to be right at the top.

    Customers want it too, more so planning and buying over creative as did Marriott International. With global presence it needs a global agency from the ‘best’ aspect of brand understanding and inventory.

    These are the Pros and they are far more. It builds market share, creates brand opportunities, allows buying options and deals, has finance and human resource, markets and clients can be leveraged, knowledge and systems are at the core and so on.

    However the Cons part is not without its challenges – internal and external.

    Internal Challenge

    The acquisition culture shock has far reaching effects on work output, people morale and also unknowingly to their client . The essential attractive part that defines them comes from their environment. Chances are this could get lost with the change of culture.

    •  Independent or smaller agencies are more nimble having fewer or no bureaucratic networks of process, reporting and structure.
    •  Competitive and enterprising they go to the client with a ‘less is more‘ approach; redefine the brief and some come up with radical solutions.
    •  For their survival they are democratic and encourage creativity from across the board.
    •  Opposition to mandated thoughts is not career suicide.
    •  There is more focus on ideas over targets, while targets never lose sight
    •  There is more interaction and integration with the boss and across teams.
    •   Even smaller clients get the attention of the boss.

    The adjustment factor takes place from both parent and network, working fruitfully only when financial and human value is accrued.

    External Challenge

    The other aspect is monopoly and stifling of competition.

    Also talent moves to the highest bidder. They cut their teeth and shift; which can lead to boxed horizons right in formative years, as agencies get more specialised and the ‘gurus’ do not really interact with them.

    As business increasingly goes to the behemoths that command better rates, use their network and media relations; small and medium sized agencies are restrained from delivering their best work. In the long term this does not auger well for client or industry and certainly not for the agencies who put their best foot forward.

    2012 in many ways was a landmark year of endurance for media in India, in yet another dismal twelve months of depressed global and local economy.

    Traditionally, when markets do not perform the first thing that gets cut is secondary expenditure, marketing and adverting first. The overall growth from 2011 was about 8 per cent; even the festive seasons did not see the spurt of good times as also the duration of activity which was more curtailed.

    To note is that from this 8 per cent not more than about 2 per cent would be new advertisers or channels, attributed towards new brands or media vehicles. The major share is rate increase in cost of purchase.

    “It is not the strongest of species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.” – Charles Darwin

    2012 taught agencies yet again to be more responsive to change:

    Resourcefulness

    Advertisers with their experience of recessionary years have learnt to deliver more with less. But 2012 brought to the fore that this might be here to stay for a longer time and have learnt to work around the client within their budgets and deliver.

    New Media and Clients

    Digital and mobile are now an essential part of a clients marketing plan. They ask for it directly or need to be led towards it. Most have already been approached by at least 2-3 agencies or are already being serviced. They know they want to be up there but many are either not savvy enough or not sure exactly what should be done. Agencies, who force too detailed a brief and asking the client what exactly they want, stand to lose the business to a smaller incumbent.

    Performance, frequency capping and changing of creative’s, altering the ad in real time; alternate ad formats using content and sponsorship have gained prevalence for clients especially those focused on digital; and all are learning fast.

    Working without TAM

    For the first time since its inception almost a decade ago, TAM stopped, chaos was anticipated but clients trusted their agencies and agencies did their job. Advertising continued, inventories were bought, plans were auctioned and the results after the data was released justified that TAM was a report card for good performance not the sole reference point of disbursement of client investment. The “GUT” did return.

    Digitisation

     Finally, the much awaited digitisation set in and 2012 will be a milestone year for TV in India. While it is not complete it moved at a faster pace than people actually expected. Viewers have been sensitised to ‘pay’. It will open alternate revenue streams, create new and differentiated content as also patterns of viewing and grow the platform.

    Integration & Specialisation

    Integrated & Innovative solutions are the flavour of the season. Agencies are positioning themselves as integration specialists along with dedicated teams for clients to become their extended marketing arm in the true sense. Different communication touch points impacting the different stages of the purchase funnel are being looked at as key differentiators.

    Agency Marketing

    More agencies are coming to the fore and marketing themselves, availing the opportunity the industry media and marketing associations afford them. They are more present, more vocal with a shifting mindset from even the more restrained ones.

    2013 is not going to change the economic or advertising scenario. We should see an overall growth of about 9 per cent but when you break it, it shows how lean advertising break-even is and the positives and negatives of economies of scale.

    However, these are realities the industry must contend with. Given its past record, agencies large and small will deliver some great work and value to most of their clients.

    Though what will not change are the growth targets both for top-line and bottom-line.

    Lets wish for happier times going forward. As they say there is no harm in wishing for the best!!

  • Effies 2012: Ogilvy tops 4th time in a row

    MUMBAI: Racing ahead of competition by a humungous margin of 215 points, Ogilvy and Mather retained its title as Agency of the Year for the fourth consecutive time at the Effie 2012 awards. It also landed with the coveted award, the Grand Effie.

    Ogilvy India‘s final scorecard read: nine gold, 11 silver, three bronze metals and the Grand Effie. Led again by Piyush Pandey, creative director, South Asia, Ogilvy India, the agency totaled 280 points, bettering its last year record of 195 points with seven gold, six silver and six bronze.

    Also retaining its position on the leaderboard, Ogilvy‘s Cadbury India was adjudged the Client of the Year at this year’s awards with 85 points.

    O&M won the Marico Uncommon Sense for its campaign ‘Satyamev Jayate – Managing a Billion Expectations‘ for Star India’s Aamir Khan show on social causes. It also won the Lenovo Tech-Doers Award for ‘The Photographs Case‘ campaign it created for Star India’s Fox Crime.

    The campaign for Satyamev Jayate won in the Services and Integrated Advertising category, while ‘The Photographs Case‘ bagged the honour in the Digital Advertising and Integrated Advertising category. The Undumb India campaign created for The Hindu won in the Services category. The other gold metal winners were: Vodafone India’s ‘Drive Into the Big League‘ campaign (B2B Advertising), Madhya Pradesh Tourism’s ‘How Madhya Pradesh became Incredible in Incredible India‘ campaign (Best On-going Campaign), Asian Paints Apex’s ‘Yeh Badhiya Hai‘ campaign (Best On-going Campaign) and Fevicol’s ‘The Ultimate Bond – 20 Years and Still Going Strong‘ campaign (Best On-going Campaign).

    The agency’s 11 silver Effies came from ‘Have You Felt Silk Lately?‘ for Cadbury India Dairy Milk Silk (Beverages, Drinks, Confectionaries and Food); ‘Tayyari ki Jeet‘ for Bournvita (Beverages, Drinks, Confectionaries and Food); ‘As Aamir Steals Light, Titan Steals a March Over Competition‘ (Consumer Products – Others); ‘Chalta Nahin Daudta Hai‘ for Bajaj Discover (Automobiles, Autoparts, Two Wheelers and Auto related); ‘Aapke Sachce Advisors‘ for Max Life Insurance (Financial Services); ‘Poochne Mein Kya Jaata hai‘ for Tata Sky (Services – Others); ‘The Date Fillum‘ for Cadbury 5 Star (Digital Advertising); ‘Loving ‘em Back‘ for Mumbai Indians (Digital Advertising); ‘The Photographs Case‘ for Fox Crime (David v/s Goliath); ‘Drive into the Big League‘ for Vodafone (Integrated Advertising Campaign); and ‘Seedhi Baat No Bakwaas, Freshology‘ for Sprite (Best On-Going Campaign).

    O&M won bronze Effies for its work on the Cadbury Bournville’s ‘Have You Earned It?‘ campaign (Services and Integrated Advertising); Hindustan Unilever’s ‘Swasthya Chetna‘ campaign (Rural Advertising); and Bosch and Siemens Home Appliances’ ‘Bosch: Genetically German‘ campaign (David v/s Goliath).

    Second spot winner McCann Worldgroup won three Silver and seven Bronze metals with a total of 65 points. It had to go home without a gold. McCann‘s performance this year was far better as it improved upon its previous year‘s ranking of No. 7 with 30 points.

    Lowe Lintas and Partners followed close with 60 points. The agency won three silver and six bronze Effies. Taproot India stood fourth with three gold Effies. Leo Burnett raked in eight bronze metals to stand fifth in the metals tally.

    This year the Effies saw the addition of two categories – Direct Marketing and Digital Advertising. This also was the first year when the entire judging process took place online.

  • ‘Premier League Soccer will have $20 mn revenues in year 5’ : Celebrity Management Group executive Director Bhaswar

    ‘Premier League Soccer will have $20 mn revenues in year 5’ : Celebrity Management Group executive Director Bhaswar

    After hosting big names in football like Diego Maradona in 2008 and Lionel Messi last year when the star Argentinean footballer toured India for an international friendly game against Venezuela played in front of a record crowd in Kolkata, Kolkata-based sports management company Celebrity Management Group decided to kick-start a venture like the Premier League Soccer, modeled on the lines of America’s successful Major League Soccer.

     

    An initiative of Indian Football Association (West Bengal), the governing body of football in the state, and CMG, the league has turned world’s attention towards Indian football which has been slowly realising its true potential as a marketable sport.

     

    Testament of the league’s potential is the fact that leading sports media company, MP & Silva, has bought the international media rights excluding South Asia. The organisers are targeting total revenues of $5-6 million from the inaugural season of the league.

     

    In an interview with Indiantelevision.com’s Javed Farooqui, Celebrity Management Group executive Director Bhaswar Goswami, the brain behind the project, shares his vision behind launching the league and its commercial prospects.

     

    Excerpts:

     

    What was the thought process behind launching Premier League Soccer?

    The day we brought Diego Maradona to Kolkata, we realised that we wanted to do something for Indian football which be different. We started looking at different options; we organised exhibition matches, got coaches down for clinics. But these were one-off activities. We decided to do something that is a combination of all these activities but is held on a regular basis and is part of the Indian football system. That’s when this idea came to us and we shared it with IFA (Indian Football Association); they immediately accepted (the proposal) and asked us to start working on how it should happen and what are the modalities.

     

    We studied global football from different perspectives, looked at MLS (Major League Soccer), EPL (English Premier League), and were sure that the franchise model is what we are going to follow. During this time, IPL (Indian Premier League) also happened in India and the cricket league was a roaring success. The inspiration was the MLS.

     

    The I League was going nowhere; it had no vision. It is India’s premier domestic football but only in words; it did not had any effect on the football scenario of India. So we thought we should do something which would create buzz across the nation and catch the imagination of the fans, the sponsors and everybody who loves football. We decided that we should bring the biggest names in football to come and play for our teams. That is how it started.

     

    How difficult was it to get international players like Cannavaro and Crespo to come and play in the PLS?

    It took us seven-eight months to put together these six big names because the first time when we sounded them out, they thought we were crazy; they didn’t understand what we were talking about. They had a long and illustrious career and have been sold and transferred from one club to another. But we came up with a proposal that they would have to sign an MoU and would be put up for auction for a base price which is acceptable to both of us. We also told them that their participation in the league would go a long way to develop football in India. They bought into our vision and accepted our offer. We are happy that we will have some of the big names being part of Indian football for the first time.

     

    Why did you restrict yourself to West Bengal rather than launching a pan-India league?

    I definitely want it spread across the country. But you need to have the endorsement of the AIFF (All India Football Federation) to organise a pan-India league. As AIFF has taken IMG Reliance as its marketing partner, they couldn’t have agreed to our proposal. And in case we want to do something, we have to go through them

     

    The reality is that there are more fans of Manchester United in India than East Bengal and Mohun Bagan put together. So then why can’t our clubs from Siliguri or Barasat have fans across India and beyond? It’s not just the name of the club but also how you create content. We believe that in the era of television, if you have the right product, content and packaging, it’s only a matter of time that it will travel across the world. You will have a winning brand and a winning combination. It doesn’t matter where the matches are played. If the content is seen in North America, South America and Europe besides India, I think we are up for a great future ahead for PLS.

     

    What will drive this league?

    We have the best combination of legends in the world of football who will actually come together and play with our young boys in India. I think the quality of soccer played will be much better than what we see in India now. Each of the teams will be headed by a world-class coach. And in football, we all know coaches play a huge role.

     

    Imagine a young local footballer from one of the catchment areas passing the ball to Crespo for a goal. I mean, just the thought of it excites me! What it will do is bring our young footballers to the global scene. This will become an inspirational story for a number of talented footballers.

     

    Also for the first time in India, a league will be telecast across the globe in Europe, in Americas and Africa. You never know what will happen in five years time – perhaps, there will be an Indian footballer who may end up with a contract in Europe. So the marketing ability goes up.

     

    The market has already expanded. In the last few days, we have mopped up around Rs 1.05 billion that is being invested in teams and overseas players in the PLS. That money was always waiting to come into Indian football. The Indian football market will continue to grow.

    ‘The Indian football market has already expanded. In the last few days, we have mopped up around Rs 1.05 billion that is being invested in teams and overseas players in the PLS. That money was always waiting to come into Indian football’
    Don’t you think that the PLS will compete with I League?
    I League will continue to be the premier domestic competition in India. But I do believe that the PLS will be popular.
     

     
    Will it be more popular than I League?

    I hope so, that’s what my target is. A large number of television audiences watch EPL and I want them to watch our Indian league; that’s where my target audience is. If you look at Tam figures, in 2010 there were 155 million television viewers that watched football. I want most of them to watch the PLS.

    I also think that the PLS will complement the I League. It will be a talent supply source that the I League can tap.

     

     
    While the PLS will have big foreign names, will Indian players be able to participate?

    The I League players will not be eligible to participate in the PLS. We are talking about the other guys. The Kolkata Football League, which is one of the strongest leagues in India, has 16 teams in the premier division. Both Mohun Bagan and East Bengal have been beaten by four teams in the league. This proves that there are a lot of good footballers outside these I League clubs. Similarly, in Goa there are a lot of good footballers in the local league. So it’s actually these footballers who will get to showcase their talent in the PLS.

     

     
    A lot of I League clubs have been shut down in the recent past due to lack of returns. Many have blamed these clubs for not investing in talent development and marketing. Do you have commitment from the franchises that they will invest in talent development and help in marketing the league?

    One of the terms in the tender mandates each of the franchises to run U-13, U-16, and U-19 coaching camps. It is in the interest of the franchises to nurse talent. Because if you have a footballer who is worth being exported to one of the clubs in Europe, you might earn millions. The commercial opportunities in developing a footballer are enormous.

     

     
    What is your business model and how are revenues to be shared between PLS and the franchises?

    PLS has a central revenue pool which includes commercial rights. The broadcast and other media rights form part of this. Fifty per cent of that will be distributed among franchises. They also hold the marketing rights for their own teams; they have ticketing, merchandising and licensing rights. We are sure that the franchises will make profit.

     

    When do you expect the league to be profitable? What is the break-even period for the league as well the franchises?

    The league will be profitable in year one because of the model. In a franchise system, you cannot make loss because you are paid a fee. Then you will sell the commercial rights packages, out of which you share 50 per cent with franchises. So your earnin is the franchisee fee (which is Rs 75 million and is expected to reach Rs 85 million with the addition of the sixth franchise). And if you have $6 million from commercial rights in year one, you will make another $3 million from there (after sharing 50 per cent with franchises). We are also sure that each of the franchises will make profit in year two.

     

     

    What kind of investments you are making to organise the league?

    We will be investing around $3 million. A large part of that will go into developing infrastructure at all the venues. There will be floodlights in all the stadiums; upgradation will also be done.

     

     
    Do we have stadias in each of the franchise cities?

    The franchise cities itself were chosen on the basis of whether they have stadias and hotels.

     

     
    What do you think is the revenue potential of this league?

    I am expecting the league to reach $20 million in revenues during the fifth year. So far as the franchises go, if they do a consolidated P&L account they will earn a profit of at least $15-20 million.

     

     
    Why have fixed the expense cap for the franchises at $2.5 million?

    We don’t want them to over-spend. This cap will, however, change each year after discussing with the franchises.

     

     
    What about your broadcast partner for India?

    We are in talks with three of them. We are still evaluating what kind of deal we want to have. We are looking at a broadcaster who would help us in promoting the league. We want the matches to be shown live.

     

     
    Will you have a local broadcaster in West Bengal besides a South Asian rights holder?

    We are not looking at a local broadcaster at this point, but you never know what happens. We are looking to sell a South Asian package. I want my league to be a pan-Indian product.

     

     
    How many sponsors are you looking to sign in?

    We will have a title sponsor, six on-ground sponsors and one referee sponsor. We haven’t started looking out for sponsors yet, but we will sign them very soon.

     

     
    Will slowdown have an impact on PLS?

    I am not looking at billions of dollars, so I am not bothered about slowdown.

     

     
    What are your marketing plans for the league?

    We are in talks with leading agencies who will work with us on marketing the property. We are seeing presentations from a lot of them. We will have a 360-degree marketing strategy.

     
  • Dev Anand’s funeral on Saturday

    Dev Anand’s funeral on Saturday

    MUMBAI: Dev Anand will be cremated at the Putney Vale Crematorium in London on 10 December at 11.40 am. Later, at about 2 pm, a condolence meeting has been organised at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan in West Kensington.

    This was decided by the actor‘s wife Kalpana Kartik and daughter Devina. His ashes will later be brought to India, where a ceremony of remembrance will be held at the Mehboob Studios in Mumbai. Later the actor‘s son Suniel Anand will address the media there.

    Suniel Anand said in a statement, “In due course, Dev Anand‘s ashes will be taken back to India, where a major ceremony of remembrance will be held in Mumbai. The family of Dev Anand is moved and touched by the outpouring of public sympathy and love emanating from India, South Asia and the rest of the world following the sad news of his passing away.

    “Accordingly, we would like to express our sincere gratitude to everyone for their kind words and moral support. These have been of tremendous comfort and support to them throughout this very difficult period,” he said.

    Meanwhile, PVR Rare Film Club will pay tribute to Dev Anand by screening his evergreen classic Hum Dono at nine PVR cinemas across the country in its digitally restored colour print.

  • ‘We will bend over backwards to be user friendly to new clients from India’ : Natpe president, CEO Rick Feldman

    ‘We will bend over backwards to be user friendly to new clients from India’ : Natpe president, CEO Rick Feldman

    Natpe, the US-based media marketplace organiser, is now turning its sights toward the critically important markets in South Asia. It is working with a Mumbai-based team of Murtuza Kagalwala overseeing business development to raise its profile with Indian buyers and sellers of content and to attract more Indian and Asian attendees to both Natpe Miami and Natpe Budapest.

     

    Indiantelevision com‘s Ashwin Pinto caught up with Natpe president, CEO Rick Feldman to find out about Natpe and what it offers Indian companies.

     

    Excerpts:

    Could you talk about the services that Natpe offers the media and entertainment industry?
    Natpe is the global content marketplace for a digital world. It is strongly committed to being the destination for TV programme buyers and sellers. Evolving to meet the demands of a changing media landscape, Natpe delivers a first look at fresh content before Mip and the LA Screenings, giving industry leaders a jump-start on monetising their projects.

     

    Now, in Miami, a major international destination, Natpe is a catalyst in the content revolution – providing thousands of chances to make a deal. Celebrating over 45 years of service to the ever-changing international televisionindustry, Natpe continues to redefine itself and the services it provides to meet the needs of its members. Today‘s industry encompasses more than ever before and Natpe has remained flexible in its effort to encourage and support the progress of the industry and all of the platforms it now serves.

     

    What has remained constant is Natpe‘s commitment to keeping the industry appraised of the changes occurring daily in the global media environment.

     

    Natpe implements its mission by providing the multiplatform video industry with education, networking, professional enhancement, vibrant business environment through Markets and technological guidance through year-round activities and events. The organisation also offers a full complement of online services including access to a database of industry executives to anyone interested in learning more about the digital video industry.

    How has Natpe expanded on its marketplace Content First?
    After operating independently for 15 years, Discop East was acquired by Natpe in 2011 as part of a continued strategy for expansion within the international arena. The market has now become Natpe||Budapest and will take place from 26-28 June, 2012.

    What prompted the move from Las Vegas to Miami and how has this helped?
    After 10 years in Las Vegas we felt it was time for a change. Miami Beach and the Fontainebleau is an international destination that is much better for our international attendees and a welcome change to our US attendees.

     

    What is the theme of Content First next year and how is it different from previous years?
    Natpe||Content First is always our theme – to feature and support the creation, distribution and funding of original global content and it will remain the same in the coming years as well.
    ‘What has remained constant is Natpe’s commitment to keeping the industry appraised of the changes occurring daily in the global media environment‘

    What sort of participation is expected for next year‘s event in Miami?
    At Natpe 2012, we expect over 5000 attendees to Natpe Miami. About 70 per cent from the US and Canada, and a cumulative presence from 70 countries. We are a market that is smaller than Mipcom but larger than Budapest.

     

    Many of the sellers that are at Mipcom are also at Natpe||Miami, but we have more content being bought / sold in the US / Canada / Mexico and Latin America. We can‘t say what content is most in demand, as each platform has unique needs. But, at Natpe both packaged content and format content is bought and sold.

     

    As we are an international, multiplatform market, we have many people from the ad and digital world at Natpe. So in addition to buyers and sellers, we have producers/agents and all matter of creative/funding/and distribution types at our market.

    Who are some of the big players who will be present?
    There will be companies from various sectors participating at Natpe 2012, some of the key industry players which make their presence are as follows:

     

    Traditional Entertainment: ABC, CBS, Comcast, Discovery, FremantleMedia, Fox, Globo, Hearst, Lionsgate, MGM, NBCUniversal, Shine Group, Televisa, Univision, Venevision, Warner Bros.

    New Platforms: AOL, Google, YouTube, Yahoo! 

    Investment: American Express, Nomura Securities, Credit Suisse

    Agents: APA, CAA, ICM, WME, UTA

    Ad Agencies: Carat, Digitas, Group M, Mediaedge:cia, MediaCom, Ogilvy 

    New Media: Facebook, Demand Media, Hulu, iTunes, Netflix , SeamBI, Stickam, Tremor, YuMe 

    Technology: AT&T, Adobe, HP, Intel, Microsoft

    Electronics: LG, Motorola, Panasonic, Sony

    Research: ComScore, MediaLink, Nielsen, PricewaterhouseCoopers, SNL Kagan, Rentrak 

    Global Brands: American Express, Audi, IKEA, P&G, Pepsi Co., Saban Brands,

    Subway, Wal-Mart

     

    The list above is just a representation of the attendees, where Natpe is expecting over 5000 attendees from all over the world in 2012. Attendees from North America, Latin America and South America, Europe, Asia and other parts of the world will be seen for various engagement purposes like joining, attending, exhibiting, advertising, networking, experiencing and sponsoring at Natpe.

     

    There are buyers here in the States that will not be at Mip and for the Indian market we think that Natpe||Miami is a better fit than the two events in France.

    Could you give an idea of the effort and time it takes to organise each edition? How far ahead do you have to plan? 
    Planning for Natpe||Miami and Natpe||Budapest is a year-round activity. We look to build each year upon the growth and opportunities we see at each market.

     

    Whether it‘s booking speakers, working with programme distributors to book their space or developing new partnerships with media around the globe or keeping our web sites fresh and up-to-date, there is always something to do.

    To what extent have you and your clients been affected by the on-going economic downturn? The US is one of the worst hit countries along with Greece and Spain.
    Yes, the world is grappling with many economic issues…but positively the ad spend in the US continues to be strong.

     

    I think that so far the economic downturn does not seem to be hurting the transactional video market place. I am not sure why, as one would think it might. Our numbers are consistent with last year, so for now, so far so good!

     

    How is digital impacting the business and what steps has Natpe taken to address this? 
    All over the world, the distribution of content is a major topic of conversation. Band width and technology is only going to make the opportunities greater, certainly in India too. Each country will get to various places at different times, but there is no doubt that more video content that people want to watch and pay for will be created in the near future than ever before.

    What is the USP of Content First vis-a-vis other markets like Mipcom, Nab and ATF?
    Natpe delivers a first look at fresh content before MIP and the LA Screenings, giving industry leaders a jump-start on monetising their projects. Now, in Miami, a major international attraction, Natpe is a catalyst in the content revolution – providing thousands of chances to make a deal.

     

    Natpe||Miami is the only global marketplace for the buying and selling of content that takes place in the US each year. Nab is not a marketplace for those involved in producing content. It is instead a place to go to see recent advances in the technology of broadcasting and for channels to purchase equipment.

     

    ATF is primarily a market in Asia for Asia – as we have stated Natpe is the only global marketplace based in the US that brings buyers and sellers from around the world.

    How detailed is the seminar at Content First?
    We offer more than 50 sessions with over 150 speakers across the three day conference which runs along with the market.

     

    The focus is on the creation/distribution/funding of original content. Most of the speakers are from the US. However we also have speakers from Latin America and Europe on the panels.

    Could you talk about the importance of India for Natpe?
    I would rather talk about how India will benefit from Natpe 2012 and going forward at all Natpe platforms.

     

    From an Indian broadcasters‘ point of view, they will meet all the world‘s content owners and will learn how broadcasters all around the world are operating in this creative and economic climate. There is also an advertising and digital track that will provide ideas about how best to monetise content.

     

    The idea of the market is to see what is happening around the world, especially in the US/Canada/Latin America for the rest of the world. The South Asian market is a small but growing part of our business. But India especially has so much potential here and around the world because of your production infrastructure and common language.

     

    The idea of the market is to see what is happening around the world, especially in the US/Canada/Latin America for the rest of the world.

    What is the strategy going to be to create awareness in India for Natpe?
    We have hired Murtuza to help us navigate the Indian market and provide specific outreach and information that will help those considering attending from India see the value of this market and conference.

     

    Contentino Entertainment is a content management and acquisition company owned by Murtuza Kagalwala. Murtuza had approached us a few months ago via email, and impressed us well. India is a big place and far away, and Contentino will help us extending our relationships with content sellers, buyers, content aggregators and other interested audiences in the country.

     

    With having someone like Murtuza with his vast experience in this digital field, talking us up is a positive for us as he is there and well respected.

    Some Indian broadcasters go for the LA Screenings. How will a presence at Natpe as well benefit them? 
    NATPE||Miami is the only global marketplace for the buying and selling of content that takes place in the US each year. LA Screenings is primarily an opportunity for the major US studios to showcase new programmes about to launch on U.S. stations. It is not a comprehensive market as only some of the US and very few of the international program distributors are at the screenings.

     

    For Indian/English content, I would think that it would be wrong to ignore the largest TV marketplace based in the US. We have the only market place in the largest market in the world and deals get done. You never know what you miss when you don‘t come. It is THAT meeting that you have with someone you didn‘t even know existed that is the magic at Natpe.

    In the past what sort of participation has Natpe seen from India and what kind of business growth are you looking for from here?
    In the previous years, Natpe saw participation from leading players like Star India, Shemaroo, Miditech, Accel Animation Studios, Cellcast Asia Holdings amongst the other few, whereas this year we are looking at more attendance from across industries like, film, broadcast, digital etc for both our summits combined Miami (Jan 2012) and Budapest (June 2012).

     

    And with respect to business growth, India as a country, for sure, we believe, has immense potential for its ever growing innovatively conceptualised content globally, where the fraternity attending, exhibiting have the best of opportunities to meet representatives from varied platforms from across the world, utilising our arrangements available to facilitate the best deals during these three days.

    You also have Natpe Budapest. Will you be looking at doing an event in Asia for the Asian market?
    We currently do not have plans to set up an expo in the Asian subcontinent.
  • BBC World News appoints Nidhi Dutt for India Business Report

    BBC World News appoints Nidhi Dutt for India Business Report

    MUMBAI: BBC World News has appointed Nidhi Dutt as presenter of India Business Report, the half-hour weekly programme which airs every Sunday at 11 am and 10 pm.

    Prior to BBC, Dutt was with the Australia Network, where she covered events in India and across South Asia for ABC Television as well as on radio and online.

    India Business Report examines the business landscape across India. It has, in the last few years, presented the varied facets of the Indian economy to audiences not just in South Asia but across the world. The programme talks to the entrepreneurs transforming the economy, the business leaders behind India’s surge onto the international scene and the small businesses that are set to make their mark in the years ahead.

    Commenting on the appointment, BBC World News editor business programmes Peter Eustace says, “India is already a major player in the global economic landscape, so India Business Report is a key programme for us. With the country forecast to become the world’s third largest economy by 2040, it will only grow in importance. Nidhi has the experience and expertise to illuminate this dynamic and expanding market for global audiences.”

    Dutt has also worked at Thomson Reuters, as well as with the English news channel Times Now.

  • ‘Ad sector will see a double digit growth this year’ : Havas Media India & South Asia CEO Anita Nayyar

    ‘Ad sector will see a double digit growth this year’ : Havas Media India & South Asia CEO Anita Nayyar

    As the advertising industry prepares to come out of the slowdown clutter, Havas Media has found proper representation in India‘s two high-growth sectors: telecom and automobiles.

     

    While Maxx Mobiles came into the fold in 2009, the big catch this year has been Hyundai.

     

    Havas has almost 50 per cent of its revenues coming from the top five clients – Reckitt Benckiser, Jockey, Bank of Baroda, Max Mobiles and MTS. With Hyundai falling into the net, the top six are in a position to power the media agency‘s growth story in India.

     

    Havas will stay Delhi and Mumbai focussed while posting slow growth from its three southern offices – Bangalore, Chennai and Hyderabad.

     

    The big push will come from its integrated funtions – sports, digital and out-of-home.

     

    In an interview with Indiantelevision.com‘s Anindita Sarkar, Havas Media India & South Asia CEO Anita Nayyar speaks about her company‘s growth plans at large.

     

    Excerpts:

     
     
    How has the first half of the year fared for MPG India?

    We are on track as far as revenues and billings are concerned. On a percentage basis, we have met out targets quite in line with last year and the growth has come from both existing and new businesses. While our existing clients have fared better for us this year, the new businesses have also helped in pumping up the growth.

     
    But are you implying that 2010 has been similar to 2009 in terms of growth?

    Yes. We won MTS and Maxx Mobiles last year and Hyundai this year, all large and prestigious clients. And both telecom/handsets and automobiles are considered as categories doing well with minimal recessionary impact. We also won Dixcy, News X and M3M this year.

     
    As far as revenues are concerned, which clients and categories are the largest contributors?

    We have a client list that is upwards of 50 and across categories which include FMCG, telecom, automobiles, banking, mobile hand sets, beauty and wellness, media and real estate. About 40-50 per cent of our revenues come from our top five clients – Reckitt Benckiser, Jockey, Bank of Baroda, Maxx Mobiles and MTS.

     
    What are your expectations for 2010?

    We foresee a decent growth in 2010, given that 2009 was a recessionary year. Percentage growth in our integrated functions – sports, digital, and out-of-home – will be better as margins in offline business is pretty low.
     
     
    But has not out-of-home taken a hit this year?

    I don‘t think so. In fact, out-of-home has been doing very well for our clients and though it has not increased dramatically, it has surely not taken a dip.

     
    ‘About 40-50 per cent of our revenues come from our top five clients – Reckitt Benckiser, Jockey, Bank of Baroda, Maxx Mobiles and MTS‘

     
    Which are the geographical areas that show potential in terms of advertising?

    As far as we are concerned, we have five offices across India – Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Chennai and we expect our growth to come in primarily from Delhi and Mumbai. Growth from the southern market is slow for us.

    Overall, from the consumer‘s point of view, the potential surely lies in the semi-urban and rural areas.

     
    How are the other divisions faring – Havas Sports & Ent, Media Contacts and MPG active?

    All three are doing well and on an upswing. Havas Sports took up interesting projects during IPL like the strategic sponsorship deal and the Dhoni endorsement with Max. We are in the process of finalising some more deals. Digital is seeing an interesting growth and Media Contacts is encashing on the situation. MPG Active has been in the news for executing interesting campaigns including the one on INQ Mobiles where they executed the country‘s tallest billboard.

     
    How do you predict the 2010 advertising scenario to be like?

    We should hit double digit growth in 2010. It should be somewhere in the region of 10-12 per cent, though the pace is a bit slow.

     
    According to Tam, the first half of the year has seen a 36 per cent rise in TV ad volumes. Revenue, however, is not growing at the same speed. Why?

    There is too much of a fragmentation today and this is making it difficult to attract the consumer. There are multiple touch points today to capture consumer attention and you never know when and where the consumer will spot the advertisement. And though the ad volumes are increasing, we are not seeing much increase in ad rates.

     
    How much of a change has recession brought into the functioning methods of an advertising strategy?

    When recession‘s not around, we tend to work more liberally. However, recession always teaches businesses to get more from less and our business is no exception. This time around, it taught us to keep a tight watch on our purse string. It told us that we can do with lesser inputs, work, people and resources. Also, while there was a bit of retrenchment as far as our industry is concerned, it was more about not giving increments during the period.

     
    Which advertising platform is expected to show the maximum growth?

    Digital for sure. This is because the medium is progressing towards accountability and efficiency. The platform is seeing about 40 per cent growth year-on-year as advertisers are increasingly getting into the digital and media space.
  • ‘The mad race to get cricket rights has created a bubble’ : Venu Nair – WSG South Asia CEO

    ‘The mad race to get cricket rights has created a bubble’ : Venu Nair – WSG South Asia CEO

    With the Indian Premier League (IPL) in its catch, the World Sport Group (WSG) is sitting pretty. Even as it plans to cash in on the new T20 format that is set to change the cricket economy, the sports marketing company has also set its sights on the growing popularity of soccer and golf.

    In an interview with Indiantelevision.com’s Ashwin Pinto, WSG South Asia CEO Venu Nair unveils the dynamics of the sports business.

    Excerpts:

    How far has World Sport Group progressed in India?
    When we set up our office in India two years back, we had a plan to establish a credible business over a three-year period. We looked at cricket, soccer and golf. We decided to develop each of them independently. Cricket and golf has grown phenomenally. However, with soccer it is still an uphill task.

    We changed our football outlook to a five-year plan. We own all the rights and work closely with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), with whom we have been working since 1992. Our current contract runs till 2011. The fact that we have worked with them for so long to promote soccer across Asia speaks of the fact that we are long term players.

    How have you grown the cricket business?
    We have brought in professionalism into the management of the title and central sponsorship rights. We tell clients what they can avail of over a year. From a brand perspective it works, as they are able to plan forward. This gave us an entry into cricket at the highest level.

    During 2006, the BCCI’s sponsorship rights were available. We paid Rs 1.8 billion for it. Prior to us, these rights were vested with corporates and not with a proper sports marketing company.

    How is this deal with the BCCI working out?
    We work on a margin of 15-20 per cent. When we acquired the rights, we bought it at a premium. Two years down the line we have managed to stay at par with our revenue targets.

    Where are the opportunities for WSG in cricket other than the BCCI and IPL?
    There are opportunities to represent other boards. People are looking inward into India and they see the job we have done for the BCCI. As far as IPL is concerned, we have aggregated the media rights and sold it outward.

    But aren’t sports bodies working directly with broadcasters?
    Broadcasters are limited by the region that they want to serve. They often tend to sell the rights outside their interests to other parties. This puts the broadcaster into an agency position, which is not often a comfortable area to be in as it is not their core expertise. So, to say that sports bodies increasingly work with broadcasters is an anomaly.

    Fifa, for instance, works very closely with sports marketing agency Infront.
    ‘You will have to put higher monies on the T20 format and put the squeeze on Tests and ODIs‘

    WSG managed a coup with the IPL rights. What targets have you set?
    We expect to start making money by the end of the third year. We have sold rights it to many territories including the US and Canada. We have let some territories sample the product like Sky in Italy. We sold IPL to the Southeast Asian countries including Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand.

    Are these deals long term?
    We have sold everything with the ability to re-look at periodic intervals at the contract. We will see how it is working. It had to be a partnership model. The format was something new.

    How does the IPL build in club loyalty and sustain viewership interest?
    Teams will have to build more local heroes. Catchment areas have to expand. If the IPL franchise owners treat it just as a balance sheet-led proposition, then it may not survive in the long run.

    The IPL will face competition from other boards. England wants to start a league in 2010. Australia, South Africa and New Zealand want to start a joint league in 2011. How does this affect the IPL?
    In soccer different leagues like the EPL, Spanish league, and German Bundesliga are played at the same time. But the EPL is most watched. The IPL is a home grown product and has the first mover advantage. More home grown talent will take centre stage. Foreign players might want to play the IPL to shore up their revenues. They will then reach a stage where they might want to play in another league to enhance their skill. The player migration seen in soccer will happen here as well.

    But when other leagues come up, won’t some monies shift from IPL to them?
    No! 100 per cent of the IPL revenues come from home grown clients. They want the local audience and so they will not invest in an Australian or an English league.

    In India sponsorship revenue is higher than ticketing revenue. In England it’s the reverse. However, a time will come in India where ticketing revenue will grow. Hospitality is another area which, if developed properly, can be a solid, successful revenue stream. Soccer clubs in Spain and England make a huge line of revenue from this area.

    If the revenue potential is so strong, then why are owners already selling stakes so soon?
    They are looking to sell a stake at a premium. They are not looking at funding their working capital needs.

    Will Test cricket and ODIs lose some of their lustre as T20 comes up?
    That is the market reality. Next year there are around 120 games, which include IPL, T20 World Cup, Champions T20 League. And one would not have known about it two years back.

    You will have to put allocated monies on this new format and squeeze monies on the other two formats. Even from a viewer’s experience how many takers are there for a Test Match! The purists are in a minority. Cricket is now more about entertainment. T20 has taken that window; you can watch a game in three hours.

     

    The PCB got $140 million for its rights. So isn’t there still value in the traditional formats?
    In bilateral events, the icon series will get money. If it is India versus Pakistan, then advertisers and viewers will chip in. The whole value of the deal with the PCB comes from these two series that are present in the contract. At the same time, there is no guarantee that they will get the same value. They will probably get the same monies as in 2004 when India toured Pakistan after a long time.

    However, the acquisition costs have shot up. In advertising you may not see a corresponding incremental value as it could get diverted to T20. The escalation may not happen.

     

    Is there a danger of some broadcasters going bust due to a huge escalation in rights fees?
    Yes! Ideally, ad rates should double which probably is not going to be the case. The rights fee has gone up disproportionately due to the need for content in a calendar year. The challenge for broadcasters is to figure out where the business is going. You also need to take care of distribution. In India sports channels have to have a certain number of events in a year. Otherwise the cable operator may stop beaming you. Cricket is reaching a saturation level and there will be a tapering down of values.

    The mad race to get cricket rights has created a bubble that will eventually burst. For example, tennis went through this huge bubble a few years back. It also happened with soccer.

    Broadcasters who have bought rights at high rates will have to sit down with their books at the end of next year and strike out the red. Market forces will pull prices down as the high price cannot be sustained. As a sports marketing company, I can bid a certain amount but if it is not in touch with the reality, then I stand to lose.

    Sports bodies, however, have to realise that the value that sponsors attach to the older formats of the game will increasingly be less. A sports body, though, will not lose money as it will get transferred from one format of the game to the other.

     

    Even the 2010 soccer World Cup rights went for a five-fold rise. Why?
    You cannot underestimate the fact that soccer is catching up. This is especially the case in urban India which has been fed a diet of quality football from world leagues.

    The awareness of global soccer icons due to the media coverage is also high. This is why premier tournaments are time bound. It has the carnival atmosphere. People follow certain teams. Once people watch it, advertisers also want to be in on the action.

     

    You wanted to do a league around soccer with AIFF and use the franchise model. What happened to that?
    We worked on a plan around a year ago. We did not go anywhere because of a combination of reasons. Firstly there already exists a certain kind of league. The soccer development process in India is not as robust as it should be.

    If the AIFF actually chalks out a 20-year plan to grow soccer at the grassroots level and has a realistic target, it can work. It is not about sending the team to the next World Cup.

    Cricket has been managed well at the administrative level. Cricket has also had periodic highs like winning the 1983 World Cup. This ensures that interest stays. After the 1950s, there has not been a high in soccer. Even followers of the sport do not have role models to look up to. If the AIFF comes up with a proper plan, then I am sure that there are enough corporates out there who are willing to invest.

    Bharti Airtel has committed Rs 100 crore. If it is spent in the right manner, it will give you results in 10-15 years. But thinking about reaching the 2010 World Cup final is a folly when you cannot reach a South Asian tournament.
     
    How has your work with the AFC been progressing?
    It has done well. The Asia Cup is held every four years. The AFC Champions League happens every two years. Everybody plays it. Australia has come through. We work with the Australian Football Association also on their leagues. Australia reaching the soccer World Cup was a culmination of many years of work. The sport has been revived as the body had a long term plan.

     

    What activities does WSG do in Golf?
    We acquired the rights for the Indian Open which is the most prestigious event. The deal is for six years and slowly we have been able to increase the prize money. The Indian Open is now a million dollar product. Next year we will add $250,000 more to the event.

    Our aim is to take the prize money to $5 million given the fact that Golf is slowly growing in appeal in India. Our goal is to develop another multi-million dollar golf property in the first half of the year. We want to have two Indian Golf events that occupy a prominent position on the Asian Tour calendar.

    What is working in our favour is the fact that marketing managers today want to invest to reach different levels of the strata.

     

    What are the plans in the player representation business?
    In India cricket is intricately linked to player management. You cannot stay away from this. We figured that small entrepreneurs were running this business. There was no professional marketing company running athletes in India. To a large extent this is still the case.

    We manage Sachin Tendulkar. We have a five-year deal with him so that we can monetise his brand. Since Sachin has aged, we have moved away from brands that he was endorsing in the past. He is a family man; his core values are honesty, integrity and long-term commitment. That is why you have brands like Aviva, Royal Bank of Scotland and Canon. We are looking at brands that can go past his playing days.
     
    Are you looking at more stars?
    Yes, but a decision will only be taken after the second season of the IPL gets over. Player management is a tricky business. We have to be convinced that the player wants a long-term partnership rather than a short term money-making venture.

     

    What impact will the economic downturn have on the business of sports marketing?
    There will certainly be an impact. What the extent will be is early to say. Numbers will get reduced by 15-20 per cent. It will depend on the extent that the global economic crisis has on India.

    We may have to look at our cost basis. We have to re-look at future acquisitions; we will have to work with experts to get a fix on what the economy might look like three or five years down the line before making another acquisition. Our buys will be made on the basis of market realities.