ITV

Tag: Star CJ Alive

  • Maharashtra One names Abhay Ojha as chief biz officer; network to launch movie channel

    Maharashtra One names Abhay Ojha as chief biz officer; network to launch movie channel

    MUMBAI: Marathi news channel Maharashtra One has roped in Abhay Ojha as chief business officer. 

     

    According to a source close to the development, Ojha will oversee the distribution of the channel. 

     

    “His vast experience is widely important for the organisation. He will also play a vital role in the planning and execution of the marketing strategy drawn for the channel,” the source adds.

     

    Maharashtra One owned by Fearless Media has Nikhil Waghle as the editorial face of the channel. “Besides Waghle, the network has roped in many other fearless journalists to strengthen the team and a good number of them have been recognised by the Ramnath Goenka awards. The company’s motto is simple To stay fearless.” 

     

    Fearless Media is not only restricting itself to one news channel. The network aspires to emerge as the front runner in the regional space. “Plans are afoot to launch a Marathi movie channel too sometime soon,” informed the source.

     

    Ojha was previously associated with Star CJ Alive, which was later rebranded as Shop CJ as vice president & head, new business initiatives & special projects. He played a vital role in the setting up of the channel’s India operation. Prior to that he worked with Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd as senior manager.

  • Shop CJ eyes Rs 1200 crore sales in 2016; ties-up with Thomas Cook

    Shop CJ eyes Rs 1200 crore sales in 2016; ties-up with Thomas Cook

    MUMBAI: Home shopping network Shop CJ, which has inked a marketing alliance with travel services company Thomas Cook, is eyeing turnover of Rs 1200 crore in FY 2016, which is a growth of almost 40 per cent.

     

    Speaking to Indiantelevision.com, Shop CJ Network CEO Kenny Shin says, “We are poised to cross Rs 1200 crore turnover this year, recording a 40 per cent growth over sales of Rs 850 crore achieved in the last fiscal ended 31 December, 2014. Our channel reaches to more than 6.5 crore households in India and currently caters to about 40 per cent of the market.”

     

    Through the marketing initiative undertaken by Shop CJ and Thomas Cook, the companies will showcase their ‘Holiday Savings Account.’

     

    Earlier this year, the shopping network rebranded itself as Shop CJ from Star CJ Alive, which marked the conclusion of the treaty between CJ and Star. The transition has been smooth sans any glitches according to Shin. 

     

    “The transition has happened smoothly without any breakdown and we have continued our growth journey. We knew from the beginning that we have the strength to establish ourselves and I am happy to say that we are way ahead of where we were,” he informs.

     

    Star CJ is planning to expand its base with multiple developments in various regions of the country. “Before the end of the financial year 2016, we plan to have our warehouse ready in eastern and southern provinces of the country. In the east, we are looking at Kolkata, which will help us deliver efficiently in the Northeastern states, while for the south we are yet to shortlist a place,” Shin says.

     

    Not ruling out possible tie ups with established e-commerce ventures like Amazon.in, Flipkart etc, he however says, “In the future, we may go in that direction if we feel the need but at the moment, there are no such plans.”

     

    Speaking about the tie-up with Star CJ, Thomas Cook (India) chief innovation officer & head – marketing and service quality Abraham Alapatt says, “Our Holiday Savings Account is a truly innovative product that allows customers to save, earn and travel! Its unique concept allows customers to save via 12 easy instalments while earning an attractive interest (via our Bank Partners Indus Ind, ICICI and Kotak Bank), with further benefits of a Thomas Cook top up on the 13th month and a zero exit penalty. Indeed a significant consumer empowering tool.”

     

    Elaborating on the marketing association, he adds, “Our tie up with Shop CJ gives us access to its extensive network of high potential yet under leveraged travel hungry middle India. Our innovative Holiday Savings Account, is ideally suited to the informative format of Shop CJ’s electronic and online shopping platforms, ensuring visibility-reach, as also the personal touch of our Toll Free number for details and assisted transactions.”

     

    “The home-shopping industry is growing rapidly in India and Shop CJ is expanding its market share by entering into a new segment to create a unique shopping experience for its consumers. Shop CJ, with a footprint of 75 million households will create great value for its consumers with Thomas Cook India’s unique and affordable Holiday Savings Account range of holidays. Travel is seeing impressive demand from Indian consumers and we bring to this partnership an audience, which is yet untapped by organized players in the Travel & Tourism industry,” Shin concludes.

  • Best Deal TV readying solution for speedy delivery mechanism across India

    Best Deal TV readying solution for speedy delivery mechanism across India

    MUMBAI: Even as the launch of the channel has been delayed by a week or so, 24/7 shopping channel Best Deal TV is making sure that when it launches, it provides consumers with a service that is a cut above the rest.

     

    The channel, which is a joint venture by entrepreneur Raj Kundra and Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar, was earlier supposed to launch across major cable and Direct to Home (DTH) platforms on 18 March. However, according to information available with Indiantelevision.com, the launch has been postponed for at least a week.

     

    A new channel’s success is directly proportional to its distribution and marketing strategy. For a home shopping channel; the better the logistics, the better its reach. Speaking to Indiantelevision.com, Best Deal TV COO Meghna Krishna says, “We have tied up with the best logistical agencies to deliver to over 10,000 zip codes in the country. Currently, we have the capability to deliver PAN India within three days. In the next six months, we will be launching a path breaking solution where we will be able to deliver goods PAN India within five hours.”

     

    To back the launch of the channel with a high-decibel marketing campaign, Best Deal TV has appointed McCann Worldgroup as its creative agency. “We want India to know that they have a better option for shopping now and since the idea of the channel is different from the usual, we have to spread the word,” informs Krishna.

     

    With 24×7 shopping channels like Home Shop 18, Star CJ Alive and Den Snapdeal TV, the Indian consumer is now familiar with the concept. In a country obsessed with Bollywood celebrities and cricket, Best Deal TV has the advantage of having many a celebrity names attached to itself. Throwing light on the channel’s strategic plans, Krishna says, “The strategy is very simple. We will be providing a quality service, which has been missing in this arena. We don’t want to position the channel in the elite class. Instead, we are looking at the common man, the people of India because it’s not just about quality but value for money as well.”

     

    Explaining more about the channel’s target audience, Krishna says that Best Deal TV will cater to a versatile group of people as different products are targeted to different a group of audience. “Best Deal TV is the right destination for every Indian, who aspires to be stylish or wants to buy products that showcase the latest trends with great value for money. Since we will be offering different types and range of products on the channel, we will be targeting all age groups.”

     

    When it comes to general entertainment channels (GECs), news or sports channels, the key source of revenue is advertisement. However for a home shopping channel, that key source is the products it sells. Though the channel is terming it as shopping and entertainment channel, the revenue source will continue to be product sales. “We will make money by selling products like other retail channels,” says Krishna.

     

    When queried on how the channel planned to position itself as a cut above its rivals, Krishan says, “So far, all home shopping channels are based on just shopping but our channel will offer entertainment and shopping. The audience will now have the option of buying what their favourite celebrity wears or uses. They can now follow the same trend and style, be it with fashion, lifestyle, home, beauty or health. We are trying to bring products that are more interesting to customers. We have a tie up with the best of designers, actors and people associated with this channel to bring innovation and exclusive range of products.”

     

    Best Deal TV’s exclusive premise is that all the products that it will offer on the channel will have a celebrity seller. However, it is indeed a challenge to have a celebrity association and keep a check on the price tag too. Explaining the celebrity-channel chemistry, Krishna said, “Most of the celebrities that are coming on board will be our partners. Since we are directly dealing and working with the manufacturers, we get the best prices.”

     

    Moreover, celebrities grab eyeballs and the channel was looking at converting those eyeballs into transactions. “The association is different from normal advertisement. The process of watching the ad and then going to buy that particular product is very slow. Here, our mantra is instant gratification. We want people to look at their favourite celebrities with the product they are launching and decide then and there if they want to buy it or not. Once the decision to buy has been made, it is our responsibility to get it delivered at the earliest. The only process here is the customer’s decisiveness. Everything else is instant and innovative.”

     

    Internationally, the home shopping industry is getting bigger and better with time, whereas in India it is still in its nascent stage. Spelling out the challenges that the industry faces, Krishna says, “Like any other industry, the teleshopping industry also has the same growth pattern. The challenges that we have to overcome are, to break the cliché of the teleshopping channel by providing a place where customers come to see the latest style and trends and shop if they like. As far as the growth is concerned, as long as we keep innovating and give the customers what we want, the target is easily achievable.”

     

    “We have very high expectations from this channel. We believe in quality, value for money and we want to keep our customers satisfied. With these aspects playing a major role in our channel, I definitely see Best Deal TV as a leader,” concludes Krishna.

  • Star CJ, Providence: Life after Star India

    Star CJ, Providence: Life after Star India

    When India’s leading broadcast network Star India announced last month that it was exiting the Star CJ joint venture (in favour of Providence Equity) which it had set up with South Korean home shopping major CJ O Shopping, observers wondered about the course the four and a half year old company would take in the Indian market.

    The two had over that period established a 24×7 home shopping channel called Star CJ Alive, which reaches more than 50 million homes, a web-based portal StarCJ.com which allows third party sellers to list their products for sale, and had managed to attract more than 5 million shoppers.

    A large part of that acceptance in India was on account of  Star. The latter has a lot of clout thanks to its large channel bouquet,  giving  it lots of leverage in India’s highly competitive broadcasting and fragmented cable TV markets. And then there is the credibility of the Star brand with Indian viewers, especially housewives, who bought products from TV because of that trust.

    The question was: would Star CJ Network be at a disadvantage without Star?

    Star CJ Network India CEO Kenny Shin does not think so. He says that the joint venture has about a year before it will have to drop the Star tag. Already, the company has designed a new mascot ‘Shoppie’ which will work at bridging the gap between the current name and until the new name is finalised. “The name has to be such that consumers can connect with it as Star will be moving out of the brand name,” says Shin. “However, Star India was only a financial investor. It was we who were managing the business and we are extremely optimistic about the market.”

    Indeed it was Star India ad sales and distribution president  Paritosh Joshi who had been deputed by CEO Uday Shankar to lead the Star CJ joint venture in its early days. But Joshi got the company on its feet and running and quit in 2012, after handing over to Shin who has been at the helm since.  

    For the south Korean firm which is the second largest home shopping company in the world, India is among the high growth and focus markets, after China, and hence it is imperative that its India play pans out right.  

    Global home shopping leader QVC Home Shopping (part of Liberty Interactive) turns over $8-9 billion each year,  CJ O Shopping which notched up revenues of $4.6 billion has a lot of catching up to do; though its vice-chairman Miky Lee is gunning for global leadership status by 2020. Apart from China and India she is driving the company towards expansion in other markets such as Vietnam, Indonesia, Japan, Philippines, Thailand, Turkey and even Latin America.

    CJ O Shopping believes it has a good partner in Providence to help achieve its ambitions in India. Says Shin: “We have a long term partnership with Providence. Their global average investment relation is an average six years. That’s a long time. Providence also has knowledge of the business with their investment in the German shopping channel.”

    Home shopping in India is about a Rs 2000 crore opportunity today and Star CJ Network accounts for about 35-40 per cent of that. And that despite the fact that the 700 employee strong company is working in a restricted manner in India as compared to other territories. Because of foreign direct investment restrictions, which prohibit multi brand retail in the country, Star CJ operates as a wholesale cash and carry company. Viewers call in after watching the product capsules on Star CJ Alive to its call centres which then pass on the order to one of the five franchises it has appointed nationally. These then deliver the products to the home shopper through logistics partners.

    Star CJ on its part handles the backend, which includes content creation for the television channel, product selection, procurement, warehousing and marketing. An extremely efficient ERP system works as the glue for the whole operation.

    Headquartered in Mumbai with three studios and three control rooms, it has offices in Delhi, Chennai, Bengaluru and Ahmedabad as well.  Warehouses are located in Delhi-NCR, Bengaluru and Mumbai.

    It has plans to open a warehouse in West Bengal at an investment of about Rs 2 crore by 2015 in order to ensure fast delivery in the eastern part of the country, apart from establishing a more efficient warehouse and logistics management system.  About 70 per cent of its revenues come from urban India and it delivers to more than 4500 pin codes.

    Currently the company has a little less than 2000 products from 210 brands. 49 per cent of the products are Indian such as Satya Paul, Tanishq, Asmi, Videocon;  26 per cent are international brands such as FILA, BlackBerry, LG, Canon, Dell, Sony, Samsung, Adidas, Reebok and the remaining 26 per cent are exclusive Star CJ brands such as  Malhar, Sharika.  20 per cent of transactions are accounted for by kitchen appliances followed by 17 per cent contribution from both IT/cameras and small appliances. Fashion trails at 14 per cent.

    All the products go through a quality test and are put through sampling by 20 customers. If they meet with approval, they get onto the Star CJ catalogue. Despite this rigorous filtration process, products are returned to vendors and providers if they don’t move fast from the warehouses.

    The average customer transaction value is around Rs 3000 currently, reveals Shin. He is hoping to take this up by bringing in more international brands as well as travel goods.

    Revenue has been growing at a rapid clip of about 50 per cent annually and estimates are that Star CJ Network clocked in Rs 800 crore in sales last year. Estimates are that more than $100 million has been sunk into the venture and losses are at about half that. Shin, however, is sanguine of breaking even this year and has set his eyes on $1 billion in sales by 2018-2019. 

    Shin’s predecessor Joshi believes that the numbers are achievable, keeping in mind the buoyancy amongst India’s consumers.

    “About 55 per cent of India’s GDP is consumer spending. This accounts for about $1 trillion. Of this 20 per cent is accounted for by organised retail. Estimates are that the home shopping business is going to swell to $10 billion, leaving enough room for many players,” says a media observer.

    Indeed, Star CJ Alive’s closest competitor- Network18’s HomeShop18- has already applied for a listing and public offering on the New York stock exchange. Shin says he is hoping to get Star CJ Network listed on the Bombay Stock exchange in about three years.

    Currently, Star CJ Alive can be viewed on almost all the DTH platforms Tata Sky, Dish TV, Videocon d2h and Airtel Digital; the only one it has not managed to get on to is Sun Direct. It has deals in place with the major multisystem operators such as Hathway, Den Network, Fastway, GTPL and Siticable. Again it has not managed to get carriage on major MSOs in south India.

    The lack of distribution in the south has meant that only 10 per cent of the company’s sales emanate from there. But Shin believes that this will be overcome in the not too distant future when the channel will start beaming its product capsules in regional languages. The company will be seeking governmental clearances for the same in terms of licensing. “We are looking at a regional expansion in the next two years post our rebranding,” he says.

    Around 5 per cent of its total sales come from its starcj.com portal, with 65 per cent of the traffic coming from users on PCs and laptops. The remainder log on to the portal from their mobile hand phones or tablets. Shin wants to double and treble revenue from starcj.com over the next few years. A mobile app is being developed to make mobile shopping an easier experience for shoppers.

    “Looking at the change in the consumer behaviour in India due to the penetration of online shopping, we intend to strengthen our presence online and reach out to a wider consumer base, ” Shin had told indiantelevision.com sometime back. “TV home shopping is however going to be our linchpin.”

    Shall we say amen to that?

  • Star CJ Alive to soon start mobile commerce

    Star CJ Alive to soon start mobile commerce

    KOLKATA: Taking cue from various online retailers, Star CJ Alive, a home shopping channel, too plans to soon start mobile commerce.

     

    It is further learnt that the decision of the company is subject to the board’s approval and as soon as the television company gets the nod, it will start mobile trading. The company is in the process of launching its mobile application also.

     

    Star CJ Alive chief executive officer Kenny Shin says that the company is looking at mobile commerce as around 35 per cent of the traffic on its website comes from smartphones. “We are also developing mobile application for the customers who are keen to buy goods via their handsets,” he says.

     

    He further adds that the channel that was launched around four years ago is one of the fastest growing shopping channels in the country. “The television shopping industry in India is pegged at around Rs 2,000 crore and Star CJ Network India enjoys a market share of around 30-35 per cent at present,” Shin claims.

     

    On buying preference and trends, he says, “Looking at the change in the consumer behaviour in India due to the penetration of online shopping, we intend to strengthen our presence online and reach out to a wider consumer base.”

     

    The channel known to offer an array of products ranging from fashion, lifestyle, home appliances, kitchenware, digital services and lots more, also plans to sell travel packages, insurance products in the next two years or so. 

     

    In the past as well, the TV channel ventured into the array by creating awareness for ICICI Lombard and Tata AIG products.

     

    Going forward, the channel which has already crossed five million registered customer base, is looking at seven to eight million customers in the next two to three years, he concluded.

  • Star CJ Alive to start selling cars from April

    Star CJ Alive to start selling cars from April

    KOLKATA: STAR CJ Alive, a home shopping channel, will start selling cars from April, said Kenny Shin, chief executive officer, STAR CJ Alive.

    The home shopping channel owned by STAR CJ Network India, a joint venture of STAR Asia and South Korean home shopping major CJ O Shopping, has already entered into agreements with two car manufacturers, said Kenny Shin, chief executive officer, STAR CJ Alive.

    Shin declined to name the two car manufactuers.

    Star CJ Alive earlier planned to start selling cars from this month but the 3-6 per cent reduction in excise duty across different class of vehicles in the interim budget resulted in its plan getting delayed.
     

    CJO Shopping which sells cars in China and Korea since 2003, garners good business from the auto segment. “In the year 2012-13, out of $1.5 billion turnover, around Rs 1,000 crore (about $161 million) was contributed by auto sales in China,” he said.

    Shin said about 15 per cent of the enquiries get translated into deals. The shopping channel has around 50 million viewership.

    Shin expects cars priced between Rs 4 lakh and Rs 10 lakh to sell the most.

     
    He said the shopping channel will also start selling products like insurance and travel packages in another three to four months. It has earlier carried programmes for creating awareness about ICICI Lombard and Tata AIG products.

     

    Star CJ Alive was launched about four years ago and is one of the fastest growing shopping channels in the country. “The television shopping industry is growing at a rate of 35-40 per cent whereas in the current fiscal, we are growing at a rate of around 60 per cent,” he said.
     

    The size of the television shopping business in India is around Rs 2,000 crore and STAR CJ Network India enjoys a market share of around 30-35 per cent at present, Shin said.

     

    Star CJ Alive is in the third position in terms of sales. Home Shop 18 is at the top. Star CJ Alive gets 90 per cent of its business through the television channel and 10 per cent from online shopping.
     

    “Looking at the change in the consumer behaviour in India due to the penetration of online shopping, we intend to strengthen our presence online and reach out to a wider consumer base,” he said. Star CJ Alive offers an array of products ranging from fashion, lifestyle, home appliances, kitchenware to digital products.
     

    On buying preference and trends, Shin said home shopping trend has changed and consumers now also buy personal care products and products like sarees and jewellery. Earlier, home shopping was restricted to digital products.

    The channel has 5 million registered customers and aims to increase the customer base to 8 million in the next 2-3 years.

     

  • STAR CJ Alive inks a deal with Siticable to reach 1.2 mn subscribers in WB

    STAR CJ Alive inks a deal with Siticable to reach 1.2 mn subscribers in WB

    KOLKATA: With Kolkata emerging as one of the largest hubs of shopping from the comforts of the home, the home shopping channel STAR CJ Alive from the house of STAR CJ Network India, is looking at better penetration in West Bengal. The channel has tied up with the multi-system operator (MSO) – Siticable in order to reach more than 1.2 million subscribers in the state.

     

    STAR CJ Network India – a joint venture between STAR Asia and the South Korean home shopping major, CJO Shopping – is also planning to expand its operations in Kolkata by leasing a warehouse in the next one year.

     

    “Kolkata contributes around three-four per cent to the total turnover. We have tied up with Siticable for better penetration in the West Bengal market. STAR CJ Alive will be available on no. 121,” said Star CJ Network CEO Kenny Shin.

     

    When Suresh Sethia, Kolkata director of Siticable was contacted, he said, this tie-up will help the channel to reach more than 1.2 million Siticable subscribers in the state.

     

    After observing the growth rate of TV shoppers in the eastern and north eastern region, the channel might look at a warehouse facility in order to make the delivery faster, informed Shin. “We believe Kolkata is going to be our hub in the eastern region. We would like to expand our business in Durgapur, Darjeeling and Siliguri too,” he added.

     

    The channel which was launched four years ago is one of the fastest growing shopping channels in the country and has 4.5 million registered users. “The television shopping industry is growing at a rate of 35-40 per cent whereas we are growing at a rate of 60 per cent in the current fiscal,” said Shin.

     

    The television shopping industry in India is pegged at around Rs 2,000 crore and STAR CJ Network India enjoys a market share of around 30-35 per cent at present, Shin further added.

     

    The channel is known to offer an array of products ranging from fashion, lifestyle, home appliances, kitchenware, digital services and lots more. “Going forward, the channel aims to cross five million registered customers by this month end, while in the next two-three years, it is looking at seven-eight million customers,” he concluded.

  • Star CJ Alive announces special deals for December

    Star CJ Alive announces special deals for December

    MUMBAI: As the year draws to an end, the festivities increase in tempo and so does the shopping. Providing shoppers lucrative deals and exciting offers, Star CJ Alive, the 24 hours shopping channel, has introduced ‘50 Biggest and Best Offers of 2011‘ where it will air 50 episodes with the best of offers.

    The merchandise on sale ranges from LCD and LED TVs to laptops and mobiles and cameras, fashion and jewellery, to home linen, kitchen ware and food. The brands on offer include Samsung, LG, Whirlpool, Videocon, Nokia, Reebok, Puma, Tanishq, Sia and Welhome among others. 
     
    Apart from the offers, the channel also has an ongoing contest where it will award some of their biggest shoppers in the month of December on the basis of total purchase value for that month. These shoppers stand to win prizes like a 4 nights / 5 day trip to Europe, a 3 nights / 4 day trip to Singapore, a 32″ LED TV, LG Touch Screen Phones and Reebok watches.

    “As the year comes to an end, everyone gets into the mood of celebration and shopping for loved ones as well as for oneself. People are always looking for the best offers and deals and the ‘50 Best Offers of 2011‘ on STAR CJ Alive is an irresistible proposition,” Star CJ Alive CEO Paritosh Joshi explains.