ITV

Tag: Tata Sky

  • Streaming queen climbs the ladder at Zee5

    Streaming queen climbs the ladder at Zee5

    MUMBAI:  In the dog-eat-dog world of Indian streaming, few have climbed the corporate ladder with quite the same gusto as Kaveri Das. The business head of Zee5 Hindi has turned customer retention into an art form, wielding micro-cohort strategies like a digital Michelangelo.

    Das’s journey reads like a clever roster in strategic positioning. After cutting her teeth as a software engineer at Mahindra Satyam back in 2006, she pivoted to the telco trenches at Idea Cellular, where she spent four years mastering the dark arts of customer lifecycle management. A brief stint at Tata Sky as senior manager of subscriber marketing followed, before she landed at Zee5 in 2015 – just as India’s streaming wars were heating up.

    Her ascent at the Zee Entertainment subsidiary has been nothing short of spectacular. From customer lifecycle management head in 2015, Das clawed her way to corporate strategy lead by 2019, before a curious 18-month detour to Onnivation as vice-president of growth and strategy. But like a boomerang with ambition, she returned to Zee5 in late 2022 with grander titles and weightier responsibilities.

    The timing couldn’t be more crucial. India’s over-the-top video market is experiencing growing pains, with players from Netflix to JioHotstar locked in an expensive game of content chicken. Das’s expertise in building “robust processes” and converting casual viewers into loyal subscribers could prove the difference between streaming success and digital oblivion.

    Her latest promotion to Zee5 Hindi business head in April suggests the company is doubling down on her proven formula of strategic thinking meets operational excellence. In an industry where customer acquisition costs are soaring and attention spans are shrinking, Das appears to have cracked the code on keeping viewers hooked.

    Not bad for someone who started her career debugging code rather than decoding consumer behaviour.

  • Spotify plays a new tune with product marketing promotion

    Spotify plays a new tune with product marketing promotion

    MUMBAI: After orchestrating marketing symphonies at Spotify India for nearly four years, Pulkit Mathur has scored a promotion to head of product and growth marketing at the streaming behemoth. The appointment, which took effect in February 2025, elevates Mathur from his previous role as marketing manager, where he had been spinning strategies since August 2021.

    Before joining the Swedish streaming service, Mathur spent over five years at Tata Sky Ltd, where he climbed the ranks from area sales manager to senior brand manager. His tenure at the satellite television provider saw him conducting successful campaigns that struck a chord with regional audiences.

    The marketing virtuoso also collaborated with Ogilvy to redefine Tata Sky’s brand purpose and worked with research teams to establish creative testing methods, including the use of neuroscience.

    Mathur’s earlier career movements included stints at Hero MotoCorp Ltd, where he served as assistant manager and graduate engineering trainee, as well as brief interludes at Unilever as a management intern and at the ColorssFoundation for community development work

  • OneNative Studio ropes in Saregama exec Neha Malhotra to spearhead growth strategy

    OneNative Studio ropes in Saregama exec Neha Malhotra to spearhead growth strategy

    MUMBAI: Mumbai-based content marketing solutions agency OneNative Studio has appointed industry veteran Neha Malhotra as partner and business head in a move set to supercharge the content and media solutions company’s ambitious expansion plans.

    With an impressive 15-year track record of turning digital content into gold, Malhotra will be based at the company’s Mumbai headquarters while orchestrating operations across Bangalore and Delhi offices. Her remit includes driving business growth, crafting strategic marketing initiatives, and leading revenue expansion—essentially becoming the money magnet the studio needs.

    Before jumping ship to OneNative, Malhotra flexed her media muscles as assistant general manager of national music marketing & audio monetisation at music giant Saregama India, where she dramatically boosted streaming numbers and enhanced artist branding. Her CV also boasts stints at EpicTelevision Networks, Dishum Broadcasting and Tata Sky, giving her a 360-degree view of the media landscape.

    Operating for five years, OneNative Studio has carved out a reputation for turning creative concepts into compelling campaigns. The studio’s portfolio includes The Simple Hai! Show, a knowledge-driven podcast hosted by veteran journalist Vivek Law, alongside several high-impact IPs commissioned by leading BFSI brands.

    The studio has recently expanded into premium TVC production for both Indian and global brands and launched The Reelstars, a digital platform celebrating India’s booming creator economy.

    “I am thrilled to be joining OneNative Studio at such an exciting time in the industry,” Malhotra exclaimed. “With the evolving landscape of digital content and media, I look forward to leveraging my experience to drive impactful strategies and expand our reach.”

    Co-founder & chief editor Aparna Joshi  offered a glowing endorsement: “Neha’s deep understanding of the media universe and her expertise in driving revenue growth makes her the perfect addition to OneNative Studio. With her strategic mindset and industry experience, she will play a pivotal role in shaping the studio’s growth and expanding its impact in the media landscape.”
     

  • Excellent Publicity Bags RT News Launch Campaign in India

    Excellent Publicity Bags RT News Launch Campaign in India

    Mumbai: Excellent Publicity, one of advertising agencies, spearheaded the launch campaign for RT News in India. Excellent Publicity has unveiled the launch campaign of RT News following the channel’s recent approval for telecast on major networks such as Tata Sky and Dish TV. The objective behind this branding was creating awareness and marking RT News’ official entry into India.

    While the original plan to unveil the campaign was during G20 but it faced unforeseen challenges necessitating coordination and approvals from all stakeholders involved in the branding process. RT News is the first Russian 24/7 English-language news channel which offers Russian views on global news. Launched in 2005 by the state-owned RIA Novosti news agency, RT News has positioned itself as a prominent media outlet for its comprehensive coverage of international events.

    The RT News campaign encompassed 280 outdoor sites across Bangalore, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Delhi, Mumbai, and Chennai for Out-of-Home (OOH) advertising. Bus branding targeted 250 buses in Delhi and Mumbai, while newspaper campaigns featured in the Times of India in six metro cities, Hindustan Times for Mumbai and Delhi, and The Hindu for Kolkata. Cab branding extended to Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai, Bangalore, Jaipur, Pune, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Surat, and Indore. Additionally, airport branding targeted Bangalore, local train branding focused on Mumbai, and metro train branding was implemented in Mumbai.

    Excellent Publicity territory co-director (MENA) Kamaxi Tekani said, “This campaign goes beyond branding; it’s about creating an awareness of RT News among the Indian audience. It was a thrilling experience to work with the brand and be a part of its journey to establish a foothold in the country. Following the initial success of the launch campaign, Excellent Publicity secured an extension and is actively exploring additional advertising mediums to further strengthen the reach and impact of RT News in India.”

    Excellent Publicity Vertical Director (offline) Yogesh Kori, added, “Working with RT News has been a one-of-a-kind experience. Since it was a launch campaign, it was executed with precision across six major metro cities, strategically utilizing Out-of-Home (OOH) advertising, newspaper ads, bus branding, and cab branding. The campaign has managed to garner a good response among people, which is a testament to the quality of work and networking.”

  • HUL most prolific advertiser in week 5: Barc data

    HUL most prolific advertiser in week 5: Barc data

    Mumbai: With ad volumes of 5635.09 (‘000s) FMCG giant Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) was the top advertiser in the fifth week of 2022 (29 January to 4 February) according to Broadcast Audience Research Council (Barc) data. Reckitt Benckiser grabbed the second position at 2359.58.

    Procter & Gamble replaced Tata Group at the third slot with ad volumes of 888.46. Tata Group fell to the sixth position with 600.08 (‘000s).

    [[{“fid”:”1061029″,”view_mode”:”default”,”fields”:{“format”:”default”,”alignment”:””,”field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]”:false,”field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]”:false},”link_text”:null,”type”:”media”,”field_deltas”:{“1”:{“format”:”default”,”alignment”:””,”field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]”:false,”field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]”:false}},”attributes”:{“height”:466,”width”:500,”class”:”media-element file-default”,”data-delta”:”1″}}]]

    Cadburys India and Godrej Group were at fourth and fifth positions. LIC India, Marico, TVS (G), and Coca-Cola India were placed in the last four spots.

    The brands list was more balanced this week with the slots being equally distributed between FMCG and other categories.

    At number one was a digital brand, Rummycircle.com with ad volumes of 388.0. Harpic Power Plus 10X Max Clean was second (376.23), while Clinic Plus Shampoo finished third at 246.61.

    [[{“fid”:”1061039″,”view_mode”:”default”,”fields”:{“format”:”default”,”alignment”:””,”field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]”:false,”field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]”:false},”link_text”:null,”type”:”media”,”field_deltas”:{“2”:{“format”:”default”,”alignment”:””,”field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]”:false,”field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]”:false}},”attributes”:{“height”:467,”width”:500,”class”:”media-element file-default”,”data-delta”:”2″}}]]

    Horlicks, LIC Corporate and Thums Up were at the next three positions. Tata Play, which was last week’s most advertised brand, was at the seventh spot. TVS Jupiter 125, Meesho App and Dettol Antiseptic Liquid grabbed the last three spots.

  • Our OTT business is poised for strong growth with this rebranding: Tata Play CCO Anurag Kumar

    Our OTT business is poised for strong growth with this rebranding: Tata Play CCO Anurag Kumar

    Mumbai: The advent and popularity of OTT platforms forced almost all major traditional content distributions platforms to reinvent themselves in the last couple of years. But category leader Tata Sky’s decision to go for a complete identity overhaul, rebranding itself as Tata Play, was a big move signalling a formal start to the overall industry transformation.

    After a 15 year successful run, Tata Sky recently announced a new name and identity ‘Tata Play’ to reflect the company’s expanded business interests beyond direct-to-home services. These include its 100 per cent fiber network that has been renamed as Tata Play Fiber, and the aggregator app Tata Play Binge, which offers content from 12 leading OTT platforms. Tata Play has also onboarded Netflix on the Binge service.

    “Tata Sky leveraged its market leadership in its core business to create an ecosystem of content delivery by foraying into OTT and broadband. We believe it is time for a brand identity that resonates beyond our DTH business. The name Tata Play signifies our expanded range of products and services. The new identity is an outcome of our desire to be future-ready,” Tata Play MD and CEO Harit Nagpal said at the time of the announcement.

    Commenting further on the need as well as the timing of the rebranding, Tata Play’s chief communication officer Anurag Kumar added, “Over the last four-five years, we have seen our customers’ content consumption patterns evolving in a manner where they are consuming a lot more OTT content, in addition to watching TV. We wanted to make use of this opportunity to inform people that we offer a wide variety of quality content from across platforms, whether OTT or linear TV. This rebranding was to position ourselves as a holistic content distribution platform in their minds.”

    The rebranding of Tata Sky to Tata Play was conceptualised by the London-based global branding agency venturethree. Talking about the brief given to them Kumar noted, “We wanted the new identity to be more youthful, fun, and distinctive while retaining the trust and quality credentials built by the company over the years. The fresh purple-pink colour scheme not only stands out in the category but also resonates with the new ethos.”

    The word ‘Play’ was chosen to replace ‘Sky’ in the name because it is easily understood by everyone across the country and also conveys the category to an extent.

    The Advertising Blitz

    The rebranding was unveiled alongside the introduction of new offerings and benefits for customers. And to communicate all of this Tata Play collaborated with Ogilvy India to launch a cross-media campaign with Kareena Kapoor Khan and Saif Ali Khan as the face for the national markets, and R Madhavan and Priyamani for the south.  

    Ogilvy was tasked with conveying the new identity, features and benefits in a way that entertains the audience. This was achieved through crisp ad films that portray the celebrities as ordinary people bringing out the message through relatable, light-hearted situations.

    “If we are a platform that allows people to connect with entertainment, our ads/communication should also be entertaining,” emphasised Kumar.

    Within three days of its launch on 26 January, the high-decibel, TV-heavy campaign has made Tata Group the third biggest advertiser of the past week, second only to FMCG giants HUL and RB. The group registered a direct entry in the top ten advertisers list at No. three with ad volumes of 1188.69, according to Barc data for week 4 (22 January 2022 to 28th January 2022). Tata Play was the most advertised brand with ad volumes of 672.02.

    The campaign will run on TV for roughly eight weeks until March-end. It will be accompanied by the digital leg comprising social media (particularly Instagram), YouTube, digital advertising, and influencer activity. In the second phase, the campaign will include more print and outdoor.

    What’s New

    Kumar informs that in addition to onboarding Netflix as an add-on, Tata Play has combined its linear TV and the Tata Play Binge products into a single offering that can be managed as one subscription. The company’s OTT app Tata Play Binge, today, has 12 partner apps, all accessible through its single user interface.

    Additionally, Tata Play has waived off the service charge of Rs. 175 for all technician visits. It is also leveraging the campaign to communicate its existing benefit of ‘no reconnection charges’ for customers who want to reactivate their Tata Play subscription.

    Future-Ready

    Tata Play ‘Binge’ was introduced on Fire TV Stick in 2019. It was extended in 2021 with the launch of the OTT aggregator app, ‘Binge Mobile App’. Commenting on the progress, Kumar shared, “We have more than half a million customers on Tata Play Binge which is a fairly good number. The business is poised for strong growth with this rebranding.”

    Currently available only to Tata Play subscribers, the company is considering opening it up for a larger universe of audiences.

    Tata Play Fiber, on the other hand, is a relatively niche service available only in select cities and localities. “Our fiber business is targeted at customers at the top-end of the market who want very-high quality internet with great speed and minimal downtime. It was intended as a profitable business with selective play. We don’t aim to go ‘mass’ with it,” explained Kumar.

  • HUL top advertiser, Tata Play most advertised brand in week 4: Barc

    HUL top advertiser, Tata Play most advertised brand in week 4: Barc

    Mumbai: With ad volumes of 4940.62 (‘000s) FMCG giant Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) was the top advertiser in the fourth week of 2022 (22 to 28 January), according to Barc’s weekly data. Reckitt Benckiser was second at 3449.43.

    While Cadbury’s India, ITC, Godrej Group, Procter & Gamble, LIC India, GSK, and Colgate Palmolive were at number four to ten, the highlight of fourth week was Tata Group making a direct entry at number three with ad volumes of 1188.69.

    The company has launched an advertising blitz to promote the new identity and rebranding of its content distribution business Tata Sky (a joint venture between Tata Sons and TFCF Corp) as Tata Play.

    The high-decibel, celeb-heavy campaign has also catapulted Tata Play to the top spot in the most advertised brands list this week with ad volumes of 672.02.

    Harpic Power Plus 10X Max Clean (477.26) slipped to the second position, while Republic Day Greetings (397.85) was the new entrant at the third position.

    Dettol Antiseptic Liquid, Vanish Oxi Action, Ultratech Cement, Lizol, Harpic Bathroom Cleaner, Horlicks, and LIC-Coprorate grabbed the rest of the spots.

  • Tata Sky rebrands to Tata Play to reflect its expanded business interests

    Tata Sky rebrands to Tata Play to reflect its expanded business interests

    Mumbai: DTH and pay TV platform Tata Sky has announced a new name and identity – Tata Play as it expands its business interests beyond direct-to-home services.

    The company’s services include a 100 per cent fiber network that has been renamed to Tata Play Fiber. Its aggregator app Tata Play Binge offers content from 13 OTT platforms through various bundled offerings. The company announced that it has also onboarded Netflix as one of the OTT platforms on the Tata Play Binge service.

    To enhance its customer experience, Tata Play said it will now offer free service visits for customers and de-active DTH customers can continue to recharge and get restarted on the platform with no reconnection charges.

    The new identity has been created by venturethree, London and the campaign has been designed by Ogilvy India. According to the statement, the new brand identity will be promoted heavily across all touchpoints starting 26 January and through the coming months. Kareena Kapoor Khan and Saif Ali Khan have been engaged to promote Tata Play in national markets and R Madhavan and Priyamani will be the face of the campaign for the South markets. Both ‘Tata’ and ‘Tata Play’ are trademarks of Tata Sons.

    “Tata Sky leveraged its market leadership in its core business to create an ecosystem of content delivery by foraying into OTT and broadband. We believe it is time for a brand identity that resonates beyond our DTH business,” said Tata Play MD and CEO Harit Nagpal. “I firmly believe that it’s one thing to own content, quite another to make it accessible. Distribution is what makes content easily discoverable for the masses, consumed, and talked about. Our DTH business has a sizeable market share and we’ll continue our endeavour to expand the TV viewing universe. The name Tata Play thus signifies our expanded range of product and services. The new identity is an outcome of our desire to be future-ready while making tomorrow better than today for homes and families.”

    Tata Play chief communications officer Anurag Kumar said, the Tata Play brand mark and play mark takes inspiration from the ‘Tata’ mark – borrowing and reinforcing the trust, quality and recognition of India’s most valuable brand. “The word ‘Play’ adds youthfulness, ease and simplicity to an already trusted brand. The brand colours pink and purple along with dark blue and white are vibrant, youthful and add distinctiveness to the overall identity. With Tata Play, we promise you Fun, personalisation, flexibility, freedom, quality, innovation and connection. With Tata Play, you play better. And entertainment becomes aur bhi Jingalala,” he added.

  • Tata Sky, Airtel Digital TV hike prices of traditional STBs

    Tata Sky, Airtel Digital TV hike prices of traditional STBs

    Mumbai: Direct-to-home (DTH) service providers Tata Sky and Airtel Digital TV have hiked the prices for new SD and HD set-top-box connections. The gap in prices between traditional STBs and hybrid STBs was reduced considerably.

    Tata Sky has revised its cost for new SD and HD connections and hiked the rates by Rs 200 and Rs 400 respectively. An SD connection that was previously priced at Rs 1499 now costs Rs 1699 and an HD connection priced Rs 1499 now costs Rs 1899. These costs include a one-time installation charge (Rs 350), activation charge (Rs 100) and accessories such as LNB, antenna and 10 metre cable. The new rates are published on the Tata Sky website. The price of the Tata Sky Binge Plus STB remains unchanged at Rs 2499.

    Airtel Digital TV also published its revised STB rates after Tata Sky’s announcement. An Airtel HD STB connection that was earlier priced at Rs 1300 will now cost Rs 1850. The Airtel Xstream Basic STB and Airtel Xstream Premium STB are priced at Rs 2150 and Rs 2949 respectively. For customers based in Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad, Airtel HD STB costs Rs 1500.

    It should be noted that subscription fees for pay-TV channels and network capacity fee will be charged separately.

  • Tata Sky Classic TV brings back golden era of Indian TV shows

    Tata Sky Classic TV brings back golden era of Indian TV shows

    Mumbai: Rekindling the love for age-agnostic TV classics of the ’80s and ’90s, Tata Sky has launched a new service Tata Sky Classic TV – which promises to take viewers back to the golden era of Indian television. Popular TV and film actor Neena Gupta has been roped in as the face of the promotional campaign.

    Tata Sky Classic TV is being touted as the first such attempt to curate and offer all classic content on television. It is available to all subscribers on channel number 152 at no cost for the first 10 days, followed by a nominal subscription. Some of these titles can also be watched ad-free on the Tata Sky mobile app, said the company in a statement.

    “Tata Sky Classic TV brings back the nostalgia of television from the 80s and 90s with handpicked shows and titles from those decades,” said Tata Sky chief commercial and content officer Pallavi Puri. “It has been curated in partnership with Shemaroo who are experts in genres across TV shows and movies. They also power Tata Sky Classic Cinema, a popular service that celebrates the richness of vintage Bollywood.”

    “Tata Sky has always recognised the appeal of unique and varied content and we believe that Classic TV will bring a whole new facet of entertainment to our viewers. We believe Neena Gupta is the perfect ambassador for this genre and the service,” she further said.

    The service, powered by Shemaroo Entertainment, includes notable shows like “Hum Paanch,” “Saans,” “Fauji,” “Banegi Apni Baat,” “Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai,” “Movers & Shakers,” “Karamchand,” “Hasratein,” “Hip Hip Hurray,” “Zamana Badal Gaya,” “Raja Aur Rancho,” “Dard,” “Akbar The Great,” “Yug,” “Upanyas,” and “Mahanagar” among others.

    There is an exclusive chat show hosted by Vishal Malhotra titled “Roobaroo with Star,” which will feature veteran actors like Seema Pahwa, Sudha Chandran, Ashok Saraf, Vandana Pathak, Suchitra Pillai and others reminiscing about their time and sharing unheard anecdotes with the audiences.

    Commenting on her association with Tata Sky Classic TV, Neena Gupta remarked, “Tata Sky has been known to amplify the entertainment quotient for all its subscribers. And this time I will be a part of that excitement with a relatable brand film that is quirky and fun. I hope the audience loves it as much as I did.’’

    “Shemaroo has created a strong association with classics which have the comfort of familiarity.  Our research also indicates that consumers are missing their favourite TV shows of yesteryears. We’re confident that there’s a strong appeal to this service due to the nostalgia factor. We are excited to partner with Tata Sky Classic TV and bolster our longstanding relationship with the brand,” stated Shemaroo Entertainment Ltd CEO Hiren Gada.