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  • Kantar Brandz Report: Tata Consultancy Services retains its crown as India’s most valuable brand

    Kantar Brandz Report: Tata Consultancy Services retains its crown as India’s most valuable brand

    Mumbai: Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has retained its number one position in the 10th anniversary edition of Kantar BrandZ Top 75 Most Valuable Indian Brands Report for the second consecutive year, with a brand value of US$43 billion. TCS continues to successfully capitalise on global demand for digital transformation, despite a tough year for the business technology category in general. HDFC Bank, Infosys and Airtel also hold on to their top four positions, while State Bank of India rises one place to enter the Top 5.

    India’s Top 75 brands have a combined brand value of $379 billion, a decline of four per cent from 2022 – a modest decrease given the ongoing economic volatility across most of the world. This is testament to Indian brands’ resilience, stability and consistency. The decline has been driven by brands in the Business Technology and Services Platforms category, which have a major presence in international markets, and therefore have been impacted by global pressures, recession threats and geopolitical instability.

    The Automotive category produced the Top 75’s two fastest risers: TVS (No.51; $1.90bn) and Mahindra (No.47; $2.01bn) and achieved the second highest category growth at 19 per cent. India’s automotive brands have quickly responded to changing consumer needs, notably the shift in preference from hatchbacks to SUVs, and the demand for electric vehicles.

    TVS gained 59 per cent in value and leapt 24 places thanks to a number of successful product launches and a 10-year partnership with BMW that gives it leverage in markets such as Europe, the US and Canada. Mahindra, which grew its value by 48%, has made itself incredibly meaningful in Indian consumers’ eyes, and has also significantly boosted its salience.

    The ranking’s 16 Financial Services brands contribute the biggest chunk of its total value. They grew six per cent, thanks to the boom in digital banking, led by Axis Bank (No.17; +28 per cent) and ICICI Bank (No.6; +18 per cent).

    Telecom providers also performed strongly, resulting in a 17 per cent rise in total brand value. Airtel (No.4; +29 per cent) took full advantage of the end of the price wars to focus on what makes it special and relevant to Indian consumers’ lives. This included offering differentiated digital services, such as the Xstream entertainment app and Wynk music app. Airtel has also successfully leveraged the rapidly increasing demand among businesses for data and connectivity related solutions, and digital products that enable the delivery of an enhanced omni-channel customer experience.

    There are four newcomers to the 2023 Indian brand ranking, plus two re-entrants. PhonePe – the highest entry at No.21 – has quickly become India’s leading digital payment app by investing heavily in the strength of its infrastructure, building connections with partner banks, and developing a huge network of merchant acceptance points. Also making their debut are fintech brand Cred (No.48; $2.0bn), photo and video sharing app ShareChat (No.67; $1.33bn) and entertainment platform Star (No.71; $1.30bn).

    2023 is the 10th ranking of India’s most valuable brands, during which time the Top 50 have increased almost fivefold in value, from $69.6bn in 2014 to $339.9bn in 2023. The last decade is a story of strength and resilience: 33 of the brands in the current Top 75 were also in the 2014 ranking. The companies behind India’s most valuable brands have consistently outperformed the key market indices – the SENSEX and the NIFTY50 – with share price growth over 10 years of 99.6 per cent compared with 83.2 per cent and 81.7 per cent respectively.

    Kantar BrandZ Top 10 Most Valuable Indian Brands 2023

    Kantar executive managing director- South Asia, insights division Deepender Rana says, “It has been India’s decade. Our GDP has almost doubled with an 82 per cent growth, while the world GDP has grown at 30 per cent. This delta is even more when it comes to the most valuable Indian brands, which have almost quintupled in value (4.9 times), compared to the most valuable global brands, which have grown by 2.4 times. So Indian brands are significant value creators for our economy. We expect this trend to accelerate in the next decade as Indian brands don’t just thrive in India, but also explore growth overseas in their quest to become true multinational giants. Our IT services brands have already done that, with TCS and Infosys already featuring in the Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brand list. The strongest Indian brands have forged powerful connections by consistently adding value to people’s lives, and consumers see them as different to their rivals in ways that really matter. Brands must keep investing in building equity to create future demand, even as they capture existing demand which requires a better balance between short- and long-term strategy.”

    Kantar managing director & chief client officer- South Asia, insights division Soumya Mohanty added, “There is great diversity within the India Top 75: they are a combination of established names and dynamic young brands, both global and local in footprint. What they have in common is their ability to be essentially Indian. Through a deep and detailed understanding of consumers in the market, and adopting the local culture and ethos, even huge international brands are seen and cherished as ‘homegrown’. The trust and loyalty this engenders has helped Indian brands to suffer less and recover more quickly from the storms that have buffeted them over the past 10 years.”

    Other key highlights from the Kantar BrandZ Most Valuable Indian Brands report include:

    ·         Sustainability credentials have a major influence on consumer decision-making – almost nine per cent of Indian brands’ Demand Power – a Kantar BrandZ measure of the ability to drive predisposition to buy – comes from perceptions around sustainability. However, only 8% of brands in India are seen as leaders in this area, compared to 11 per cent globally, indicating an opportunity for those that can do more.

    ·         Differentiation is key to commanding Pricing Power – the ability to justify price charged. Brands that have grown in both Demand Power and Pricing Power over the last year did so by being Meaningfully Different. There are different routes to being perceived as differentiated: a brand could be seen as distinct, to be a specialist, or to have purpose.

    ·         The strength of the domestic economy has acted like a shield – Overseas contribution for the Top 30 Indian brands accounts for 31 per cent of brand value, compared with 47 per cent for Japan, 59 per cent for the UK, and 85 per cent for France. This has protected the ranking from the worst effects of international volatility. 

  • TCS extends sponsorship of Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon

    TCS extends sponsorship of Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon

    Mumbai: Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has announced that it will continue to sponsor the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon (SCSM) corporate challenge for another four years, until 2026. This collaboration also marks the start of TCS’ four-year association as the SCSM’s official mobile app partner beginning in 2022, with the goal of creating truly immersive and community-focused digital race experiences for runners and fans.

    SCSM is set to return to the streets of Singapore from 2 to 4 December, and be the centre of community engagement to end the year on a high and healthy note. The partnership is in line with TCS’ global focus on encouraging healthy lifestyles and community bonding through sports.

    As the official mobile app partner for SCSM 2022, TCS has created an experience that goes beyond the essentials and provides better insights and information about the marathon for the 50,000 participants who are expected at the two-day event. It also streamlines the entire marathon experience for active and passive participants through a single, digitally integrated platform with high functionality and an excellent user experience. Runners can look forward to functions and conveniences such as booking transportation to the marathon grounds, race day weather details, SOS for emergencies, and checking on their run’s progress. The fully immersive race experience, incorporating the runners’ pre-, race-day, and post-race journeys, is designed to cheer every runner.

    The app also features an AR-powered virtual experience, where runners can make use of the AR medal filters, themed frames for photos, and video creation functionalities to share their racing experiences and victories almost instantly. The app aims to create a “running club” experience by allowing participants to connect with other runners virtually, even when they are not at the same location.

    Additionally, TCS is also the sponsor of SCSM’s corporate challenge. TCS sees sports as an excellent way for coworkers to bond and integrate wellness into organisational DNA. TCS’ title sponsorship of the SCSM corporate challenge 2022 creates a unique opportunity for large corporations and small and medium enterprises to collaborate and come together even as they compete for the top spot in an international marathon setting.

    The corporate challenge comprises three categories: the total distance covered by corporate finishers, further divided into four tiers based on the number of runners registered by a company; the top corporate male and female from each race category.

    “Sports, especially community events like marathons, have always played an integral role in enhancing society’s mental and physical well-being. TCS bolsters running communities globally as they transform lives, one sprint at a time,” said TCS Asia Pacific president Girish Ramachandran. “The driving force for us at TCS has always been our community and creating products that allow communities to flourish and push the envelope on innovation, health, and wellness. We are glad to partner with the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon over the next four years to create and upgrade tools like the race app that make the marathon experience integrated and accessible for participants and spectators alike.”

    The IRONMAN Group, Singapore general manager Santoz Kumar said, “TCS is synonymous with the world’s greatest marathons. The 2022 Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon marks the seventh year of collaboration with TCS, and their long-standing involvement is testament to the strength and iconic nature of the international event. Their support has been invaluable as we strive to enhance the race experience for participants. This year is no exception, and the TCS-designed SCSM2022 mobile application will play an integral role for our participants and their supporters, as it features essential tools such as live runner tracking, race-day information, and much more.”

    Marathons have been an intrinsic part of Singaporean culture for decades, with the community joining hands every December to celebrate health, fitness, and strength at the SCSM. TCS encourages healthier living globally as a partner and sponsor at some of the largest marathons in the world. As the official mobile app partner and title sponsor of the SCSM corporate challenge, TCS encourages running communities and promotes marathon participation to build healthier, stronger, and more active communities.

  • Tata Consultancy Services is India’s ‘Most Valuable Brand’: Kantar BrandZ report

    Tata Consultancy Services is India’s ‘Most Valuable Brand’: Kantar BrandZ report

    Mumbai: Tata Consultancy Services ($45.5 billion) is the new number one ‘most valuable Indian brand,’ claiming the top spot from HDFC Bank (number two, $ 32.7billlion) which had held the position since the first ranking was unveiled in 2014, as per the latest Kantar BrandZ report on ‘Top 75 Most Valuable Indian Brands.’ TCS’s brand value has been accelerated by global demand for automation and digital transformation following the pandemic.

    India’s strongest brands have bounced back from the pandemic to increase their brand value by a massive 35 per cent CAGR (compound annual growth rate) since 2020, when Covid -19 hit the country, according to the report.

    India’s top 75 brands are worth a combined $393 billion, equivalent to 11 per cent of India’s national GDP. Moreover, the growth rate of the ‘Kantar BrandZ Top 75 Most Valuable Indian Brands’ outpaces the rate of growth being posted in other major markets around the world.

    ‘The Top 10 Most Valuable Indian Brands’ together contribute just over half of the ranking’s total value. There has been significant movement at the top, in addition to the two most valuable brands switching positions. There are two new entrants – Infosys ($29.2 billion) which has rocketed up to the third spot from the 12th position, and ICICI Bank ($11 billion) which has climbed two places to number nine. State Bank of India ($13.6 billion) has also risen four places to sixth position.

    There are brands from 23 different categories in the 2022 Indian Top 75. There are a total of 14 newcomers, from 11 categories – including online gaming, education, apparel and real estate, reflecting the diversity and dynamism of the Indian economy.

    Technology and banking brands account for over half of the total value. Six B2B tech brands and 11 consumer tech brands contribute 35 per cent to the total value of the ranking, reflecting the rise of tech India. Overall, B2B brands (tech and payments) are on average almost three times as valuable as B2C brands, reflecting the fact that many of the B2B brands play on the global stage while B2C are more focused on the domestic market. Six banking brands deliver 19 per cent of the total value. Also notable for their performance are insurance brands, which have performed well as the pandemic increased consumers’ focus on the protection of life and health and telecom providers, led by Airtel (Number four; $17.4 billion) and Jio (Number ten; $10.7 billion), which took full advantage of growth opportunities as everything moved online, from education to work to parties.

    Key newcomers to the ranking include Vodafone Idea (VI) (No.15; $6.5 billion); formed from a merger between VI, Byju’s (No.19: $5.5 billion), the educational technology brand that has become India’s most valuable education brand and Adani Gas (No.21; $4.5 billion).

    Kantar – South Asia’s insights division executive managing director Deepender Rana says, “India’s leading brands have grown at an exceptional rate, despite global economic headwinds, putting the disruption from COVID-19 behind them. Indeed, they have both driven and benefited from the transformation in consumer and business behaviour as a result of Covid-19, especially where it relates to the use of technology. The challenge now is to sustain momentum as inflation bites worldwide and consumers and businesses adjust to the new normal. Brand owners will need to work harder to identify and build on what makes them worth paying for and ensure ROI on their marketing expenditure to avoid a margin squeeze.”

    The pillars of brand building in India

    Kantar BrandZ has identified four fundamentals responsible for powering brand growth: function, convenience, experience and exposure. India differs from other markets around the world, however, in that a brand’s sustainability credentials and purpose matter more.

    Overall, 65 per cent of Indians feel anxious about climate change, and 64 per cent believe businesses must play their part. The highest-ranking brands in the Top 75 are clear on purpose and have a relevant sustainability agenda. These include the services platform Zomato (No.30; $3.1 billion), which offsets the carbon footprint of its deliveries and packaging. Swiggy (No.20; $4.8 billion) elevates the quality of life of consumers with the speedy delivery of meals, groceries and healthy items, as does Flipkart (No.12; $8.9 billion), while also helping smaller local brands to connect with consumers via its platform.

    Kantar’s insights division managing director Soumya Mohanty says: “Purposeful and sustainable brands are rewarded. Indian consumers look further than the brand attributes that affect them personally – they want brands to improve people’s lives and have a positive impact on wider society. They vote with their wallets, choosing brands they see as ‘doing the right thing.’ Indian brands should have a clear view of their purpose, connect strongly with it by embedding it in their culture, talk about it in creative and powerful ways, and deliver on it – without fail.”

    Salience – the ability of brands to spring quickly to mind when a consumer has a need – is also vitally important. India’s Top 10 brands are far more salient than their counterparts in most other countries. However, for growth to be supercharged, brands must have a strong meaning. They should have functional meaning – doing a good job of fulfilling a need – but also a layer of emotional meaning. The Kantar BrandZ India Top 75 far exceeds other Indian brands on all of these vital predictors of success.

    Other key highlights from the analysis include:

    57 of the brands in 2022 Top 75 have been in the ranking since 2018, while 19 have moved up the league table.

    The share prices of companies behind strong brands are protected in a ‘bear’ market and recover more quickly. Between August 2014 and June 2022, the sensex India Index gained 63.8 per cent, while a portfolio of the most valuable Indian brands rose 81.8 per cent.

    There are 11 consumer tech brands in the Top 75, reflecting the increasingly digital way Indian consumers live, which is 11 per cent of the total brand value. The four most valuable brands in this category are Flipkart (No. 12; $8.9 billion), Byju’s (No. 19; $5.5 billion), Swiggy (No. 20; $4.8 billion) and Nykaa (No. 25; $3.7billion).

    Kantar BrandZ Top 10 Most Valuable Indian Brands 2022

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  • SonyLIV brings in TCS as its technology partner

    SonyLIV brings in TCS as its technology partner

    MUMBAI: IT company Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) on Tuesday said that it has entered into a strategic partnership with SonyLIV, to help the streaming platform create an innovative business model enabled by digital technologies, enhance customer experience, and pave the path for future growth.

    The partnership will leverage TCS’ next-gen digital capabilities, global expertise, domain knowledge, and innovation ecosystem to define SonyLIV’s platform transformation roadmap for India and global markets, it said in a statement.

    TCS will help enhance its core OTT platform to leverage AI and machine learning to provide personalised experiences to subscribers across devices. It will also help SonyLIV use data and insights to monetise content and create new revenue streams, it added.

    Additionally, TCS will set up a world-class Experience Design Center leveraging its innovation labs, where it will deploy its Location Independent Agile Model to accelerate innovation by rapidly prototyping and helping SonyLIV launch new best-in-class features ahead of the market.

    The partnership will help SonyLIV reimagine the customer experience and engagement, enhance its brand, establish competitive differentiation in the marketplace and drive growth, the statement further said.

    SonyLIV, Sony Entertainment Television and Studio Next, business head, Danish Khan said, “We are delighted to have TCS on board as our technology partner. We will work closely with the TCS leadership team in India, the US, and UK to enhance the user experience of SonyLIV. Further, we hope to harness the TCS global talent reach, infrastructure, and global centers of excellence to bring innovations that will improve engagement and provide a delightful consumer experience.”

    “Through this partnership, TCS will bring its deep domain knowledge in the media and OTT industry along with world-class technology capabilities to enable SonyLIV to innovate at speed and scale. TCS will leverage its global innovation ecosystem to introduce next-gen immersive and interactive features to enrich the overall customer experience,” TCS India, country head, Ujjwal Mathur said.

  • TCS adjudged top UK employer by TEI

    MUMBAI: Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), a leading global IT services, consulting and business solutions organisation, has been recognised as one of the UK’s Top 10 Employers by the Top Employers Institute.

    TCS was ranked in the top ten of just 78 employers to achieve accreditation as a UK Top Employer. Acrreditation is based on in-depth research into nine core HR criteria: Talent Strategy, Workforce Planning, On-boarding, Learning & Development, Performance Management, Leadership Development, Career & Succession Management, Compensation & Benefits and Company Culture.

    Established over 25 years ago, the Top Employers’ certification is designed to identify and recognise the world’s leading organisations in the field of HR management and employee conditions – providing the optimum environment for employees to develop, both professionally and personally.

    TCS HR director UK & Ireland Nupur Singh Mallick said: “We are thrilled to be positioned again as one of the UK’s Top 10 Employers. As one of the largest IT and digital employers in the UK, with an industry-leading employee retention rate of over 94%, TCS place huge value on providing an environment that focuses on individual aptitude, talent and interests. We strive to provide an inspirational environment for our employees that gives them the platform to succeed, whilst offering customers a talent pool with expertise that exceeds their industry benchmarks.”

    Top Employers Institute director of operations James Gooding commented: “Our comprehensive independent research and stringent auditing revealed that TCS provides an exceptional employee experience, nurturing and developing talent throughout all levels of the organisation. It has demonstrated its status in the HR environment, striving to optimise its employment practices and to develop all its employees.”

    TCS works with more than 150 UK customers and helps them to adapt to the opportunities and challenges of the digital economy. They include some of Britain’s best known brands: Aviva, Boots, British Airways, Lloyds, BT, Diageo, National Grid, NEST, Marks & Spencer, Thames Water and Virgin Atlantic.

    This accolade builds on a number of recent awards in recognition of the company’s employee engagement and development activities. Last year alone, TCS was named Company of the Year at the 2016 Employee Engagement Awards and was recognised as one of The Times Top 50 Employers for Women in the UK.

  • Brands realize value of digital: Liqvd Asia’s new creative head

    Brands realize value of digital: Liqvd Asia’s new creative head

    MUMBAI: Digital driven marketing communications agency Liqvd Asia has appointed Dharmesh Shah as the national creative director. Shah’s last stint was with FCB Ulka, where he spent close to 14 years.

    Commenting on the appointment, Liqvd Asia MD Arnab Mitra said, “Shah has an exceptional understanding of the creative process and has a genuine yearning to take on larger responsibilities and challenges”.

    Expressing his delight, Shah said, “I am ecstatic to be a part of a team that is so passionate about everything digital. I am looking forward to creating some stimulating work.”

    He further added, “The move from traditional to digital has been a natural one for me and now brands too are prioritizing their ad spends and realize the value digital communications adds to their marketing plans.”

    During his career, he has worked for brands such as ITC foods (all brands under Sunfeast) and their confectionery business, the entire portfolio of brands under Wipro Consumer Goods, Paragon, Levi’s, Amul, Tata Indicom, Tata Motors, Tata Consultancy Services, Zee, Tata Chemicals, Nerolac Paints, LIC and ICICI Bank among others.

    Shah has won several awards including: Best Language (other than English) Film for Minto Fresh(RAPA), Concerned Communicator Award by Rajasthan Patrika 2004- Ad for Literacy published in top 50 journal, CNBC TV 18 Autocar awards for the Best Car Commercial for Tata IndicaV2 Xeta (2007), Mint Wall Street Journal – Campaign of the month for Tata Indicom Unlimited Talktime film in 2007, Amul Probiotic Launch Campaign- Winning the International Dairy Federation best campaign at the World Dairy Summit (London). Some of the other campaigns under his name are Tata Indicom launch, Dark Fantasy and several Santoor TV commercials.

  • Brands realize value of digital: Liqvd Asia’s new creative head

    Brands realize value of digital: Liqvd Asia’s new creative head

    MUMBAI: Digital driven marketing communications agency Liqvd Asia has appointed Dharmesh Shah as the national creative director. Shah’s last stint was with FCB Ulka, where he spent close to 14 years.

    Commenting on the appointment, Liqvd Asia MD Arnab Mitra said, “Shah has an exceptional understanding of the creative process and has a genuine yearning to take on larger responsibilities and challenges”.

    Expressing his delight, Shah said, “I am ecstatic to be a part of a team that is so passionate about everything digital. I am looking forward to creating some stimulating work.”

    He further added, “The move from traditional to digital has been a natural one for me and now brands too are prioritizing their ad spends and realize the value digital communications adds to their marketing plans.”

    During his career, he has worked for brands such as ITC foods (all brands under Sunfeast) and their confectionery business, the entire portfolio of brands under Wipro Consumer Goods, Paragon, Levi’s, Amul, Tata Indicom, Tata Motors, Tata Consultancy Services, Zee, Tata Chemicals, Nerolac Paints, LIC and ICICI Bank among others.

    Shah has won several awards including: Best Language (other than English) Film for Minto Fresh(RAPA), Concerned Communicator Award by Rajasthan Patrika 2004- Ad for Literacy published in top 50 journal, CNBC TV 18 Autocar awards for the Best Car Commercial for Tata IndicaV2 Xeta (2007), Mint Wall Street Journal – Campaign of the month for Tata Indicom Unlimited Talktime film in 2007, Amul Probiotic Launch Campaign- Winning the International Dairy Federation best campaign at the World Dairy Summit (London). Some of the other campaigns under his name are Tata Indicom launch, Dark Fantasy and several Santoor TV commercials.

  • Asia’s investment in US Sports makes it an ‘Emerging Giant’: Repucom

    Asia’s investment in US Sports makes it an ‘Emerging Giant’: Repucom

    MUMBAI: Over the past three years, investment from Asia into US sports franchises has been growing consistently. This comes in wake of a report released by sports management company Repucom titled ‘Emerging Giants’, which states that in the past two years, close to $1.1 billion has been invested by Asian businessmen in US Sports franchises.

    All of the US big leagues now have at least one team fully or partially owned by an Asian-born investor. Asian ownership first came to American sport when Japanese company Nintendo bought the Major League Baseball (MLB) Seattle Mariners back in 1992. Ever since the team imported Ichiro Suzuki, who emerged as one of the great players in MLB history, there has been a steady stream of Japanese talent into the US league, drawing the world’s two biggest baseball markets closer to one another. Nintendo remains one of the few corporate owners of US teams.

    According to the report, one of the most well-known Asian investors in US sport is Chinese-born software mogul Charles Wang of Computer Associates became the majority owner of the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League (NHL) in 2004. After failing in his efforts to get a new arena approved for the team in its original suburban New York location, he has decided to move the Islanders to Brooklyn’s Barclays Center for the 2015-16 season as the new arena’s anchor ice hockey tenant. India’s Vivek Ranadive’s investment in National Basketball Association (NBA)’s Sacramento Kings’s is pegged at $ 348 million.

    Major investment in US sports sponsorship has been dominated by three big exporters from the region i.e South Korea, Japan and China and the key industry sectors are  automotive, consumer electronics and sports apparel.

    Recent deals such as India’s Tata Consultancy Services’ decision to sponsor the New York Marathon has been pegged at $ 3.8 million. South Korean automotive brand Kia and their deal with LeBron James has been reported to be around $ five million and Kumho Tires’ deal with the NBA has been pegged at $ 2.6 million.

    South Korean investment has come mainly in the shape of Hyundai, Samsung and Kia. Hyundai invested $8 million into the naming rights of the Hyundai Tournament of Champions on the PGA Tour in 2011 and Samsung’s $33.3 million per year deal with the NBA in 2013 has made the electronics company the league’s supplier of mobile device and televisions. As part of the agreement, referees of games in the NBA as well as the WNBA and NBA Development League will use Samsung tablets alongside the basketball court to review plays. Kia chose another route into US sports by targeting one of the most iconic venues in the country. Their $ seven million sponsorship deal with Madison Square Garden (MSG) in New York gives the company prominent signage in this famous arena, a custom-built display space at the entrance for its cars, tie-ins with the MSG owned New York Knicks (NBA) and Rangers (NHL) and an expanded presence on the MSG regional sports networks. Japan’s Sony Electronics sponsorship and technology agreement with the Barclays Centre in Brooklyn, home of the Nets NBA franchise, is another example of big name property rights purchasing. As part of the deal, 600 Sony professional and consumer HD screens are positioned throughout the arena.

    Besides economic growth, the report mentions the various reasons for the driving trend for investment in sport which are as follows:

    1) Health-The rise in interest and participation in sport is a reflection of efforts to promote health, and companies in the Middle East and Asia are using sponsorships of global sports as a means to engage local consumers with a healthy and active lifestyle message.

    2)  Entertainment- With the growth of television and internet, the appetite for entertainment has surged across the Middle East and Asia. Given the lack of local sports attractions and the time required to build new clubs and franchises, investment in global sports properties is a short-cut to delivering programming that engages audiences.

    3) Growing young population- Brands from the Middle East and Asia are using sponsorships of key global sports to target and engage this youth population.

    4) National Unity- Governments from the Middle East and Asia see investment in sport as a key means by which to promote national unity in what are often markets which have very fragmented sociocultural sub-pockets, domestically speaking.

    5) Social mobility- Encouraging people from all levels of society to follow and engage with sport, offers them a level playing field for social interaction.

  • CNBC-TV18 partners with TCS and Twitter for elections

    CNBC-TV18 partners with TCS and Twitter for elections

    MUMBAI: Social media can no longer be sidestepped when it comes to figuring out the mood of the people. Recently, c announced its partnership with Twitter for the upcoming elections and now another business broadcaster has decided to bond with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and the social media hub Twitter to track insights into the Lok Sabha elections.

     

    Through TCS’s app iElect, CNBC-TV18 will use the analysis and data from it on air through the day. Says CNBC-TV18 managing editor Shereen Bhan, “These elections are landmark, in the sense that we are all seeing a lot of Indians having conversations and voicing their opinions online. It would be interesting and extremely insightful to be able to gauge the sentiment of Indians in this new age of social media. We at CNBC-TV18 have always been at the heart of bringing value to our viewers through credible reportage, insights and analysis. This partnership complements our cause of enabling our viewers to view elections in a well rounded, informed manner.”

     

    TCS global communications VP and head Pradipta Bagchi said, “TCS is happy to bring real time social media analysis to CNBC-TV18. India has a large amount of smartphone users and almost 100 million first-time voters in general elections 2014. TCS iElect will be new and engaging for them to participate through the entire process with its gamified and interactive features We think bringing live television  & Twitter together along with TCS’s big data capability will change the way India will look at election 2014.”

     

    Twitter India marketi director Rishi Jaitly commented “Twitter is at the heart of the political conversation in this election. We are excited that CNBC-TV18, using the TCS iElect App, will be distributing Twitter conversations and their analysis to a new set of TV viewers. This is in line with our strategy of making elections-related conversations on Twitter accessible by everyone, placing real-time data and content in the hands of every Indian to make an informed voting decision.”

  • TCS ties up with Twitter India for election app

    TCS ties up with Twitter India for election app

    MUMBAI: Arguably the country’s largest software services firm Tata Consultancy Services has tied up with social media giant Twitter to launch an app, iElect, to help users gain social insights into the ongoing Lok Sabha polls.

    “The TCS iElect app is a completely new way to observe, analyse and participate in the social conversations around the world’s largest general elections,” TCS said in a statement.

    The app harnesses the power of social media, big data, analytics and mobility to make sense of what seems to be a complex web of conversations, it added.

    “TCS iElect will be new and engaging for them to participate through the entire process with its gamified and interactive features,” TCS VP and head corporate communication Pradipta Bagchi said.

    Users of iElect app will have access to insights and trends on a real-time basis. Plans are afoot to launch an iOS version as well.

    “iElect makes real time Twitter data and analytics around key political events and content accessible to every Indian. The app has opened up a unique engagement opportunity with Twitter content for our users,” Twitter India market director Rishi Jaitly added.

    More that 814 million voters, including over 23 million in the age group of 18-19 years, are exercising their franchise in the world’s largest democracy where polls are being held in nine phases up to 12 May.

    India has the third-largest number of internet users at more than 238 million, with a majority of them youth. This includes over a 100 million people active on social media platforms including Facebook and Twitter.

    According to a study by IRIS Knowledge Foundation and the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI), there are 160 high-impact constituencies in India out of the total 543, which are likely to be influenced by social media during the general elections.