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Tag: Twitter

  • And now a 3D mobile game for Colors’ 24

    And now a 3D mobile game for Colors’ 24

    MUMBAI: It has been three weeks since Indian audiences have been introduced to a new fictional TV format in the form of real time story telling through the first international adaptation of the American hit 24. With a 360 degree marketing campaign – almost like that used for full length feature films – to help create the buzz around the series, host channel Colors has decided to perk it up by throwing in a sparkling digital ingredient for viewers.

    And it’s coming in the form of a 3D interactive mobile game for iOS and Android phones. Developed by Gameshashtra Solutions, it is targeted at those who want to have the thrill of playing Jai Singh Rathod (Anil Kapoor) – the main protagonist of the show – while on the go. Called ‘Safari Storme 24 – The Game’, it is available for download only in India. It will allow gamers to go through three maps of Worli, Dadar and Parel with 30 levels of two minutes each. As of now only the Worli route is available while the other two will be launched in the coming weeks.The first map of Worli is a rooftop setting.

    Four and a half months went into creating the 3D game. Fans will keep going through levels, scoring points, winning ammunition and then checking scores with others on the ‘leaderboard’ through their Facebook or Twitter accounts.

    “The three locations in the game are also there in the series,” says Colors digital head Vivek Srivastava. “We kept the game in the spirit of the show by taking the concept ‘race against time’ rather than the political drama in it,” he adds.

    Explaining the game technique Srivastava says that players have two ways of surviving – hit and survive or duck and survive. As the game levels progress, the enemies come in hordes and ammunition also stacks up.

    Coming up with a 3D game has probably cost sack fulls of money, apart from what has already been invested in the expensive show. But the channel seems to not be too worried about it.

    Vivek Srivastava is targeting a million downloads of the game

    “For the first season it is not about making money,” says Srivastava who is aiming at getting 1 million downloads for the free game. However, advertisements will be inserted into the game that would give them some amount of revenue.

    24 is Colors biggest fiction property created by Anil Kapoor Productions and Ramesh Deo Productions (RDP). Delly Belly director Abhinay Deo is the series director while Rensil D’Silva is the scriptwriter.

    The show is presented by Safari Storme while Next is one of the associate sponsors. The launch day saw it garner 3.4 million viewers with most of it coming from the urban areas while the second week saw it get an average of 2.6 million viewers.

    “Television executives in India are increasingly understanding that you can take a TV show into other experiences for viewers. Look at KBC which has a game which allows fans to test their general knowledge skills online and on the mobile. And now Colors has developed a 24 game which will allow youngsters and old alike to shoot, and kill while rising up in levels,” says a media observer. “The fact that it is primarily for the mobile will bring in a lot of fans who will play the game when they have a few minutes to spare, whether in the bus or the train or in between meetings. It’s a great move. Hopefully, some of the gamers who are not viewers of the series will be lured to watch it after playing the game.”

    Another media observer says that there is little hope of 24 ever becoming a massy series along the lines of soaps and dramas. “It’s great to flog the horse, but the horse only has that many backers,” says she. “Colors has gambled with 24 and it is to be lauded for the effort especially in terms of taking TV production and narrative to a different level. But it should bear in mind that 24 is going to be a niche affair for some time. So it should not expect too many incremental gains from the game as well.”

  • HUL joins twitter to reach out to its consumers

    HUL joins twitter to reach out to its consumers

    MUMBAI: Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL), the market leader in consumer products in the country, has joined twitter recently.

     

    The company which has presence in over 20 consumer categories such as soaps, tea, detergents and shampoos amongst others with over 700 million Indian consumers using its products joined the social media site with the handle @HUL­_News with a tweet saying “HUL, India’s largest FMCG company is now on Twitter. Join the conversation with us on topics like #Sustainability, Marketing & #Leadership.”

     

    When asked why did the company as a corporate brand chose to join twitter, the HUL spokesperson said: “Social media provides us an opportunity to reach out to our consumers and other stakeholders in an ongoing and engaging manner.”

     

    And with 4,233 followers already on the site in a short span is proof enough what the brand means to the country.

     

    Not to forget that HUL has been on social media for several years now through its various brands like Sunsilk, Surf Excel, Dove which the company boasts of having led digital marketing in India with some path-breaking work and innovations.

  • Twitter has edge over Facebook in real-time TV, says report

    Twitter has edge over Facebook in real-time TV, says report

    MUMBAI: When it comes to so-called “TV talkers”, those who use social media while watching television programs, Twitter still has an edge over Facebook, a report said Thursday.

    As per the report, Twitter is still more attractive to advertisers and marketers than Facebook when it comes to real-time TV, according to eMarketer.

    “Facebook is further behind, but it has several advantages—such as its massive size—that will, over time, make it an attractive option,” said the report.

    Still, with more than a billion users, compared to Twitter’s base of more than 215 million, Facebook’s real-time TV promise is huge. A major reason is that, compared to Twitter, it has more user data for advertisers to tap.

    Twitter, the report noted, “integrated with TV shows and networks and developed ad products that align with marketers’ television advertising.” Twitter has reported that “95% of public social conversations around TV happen on its service,” the report said.

    Twitter’ strong TV potential has become more prominent as the San Francisco-based social network moves toward going public. Analysts sizing up the Twitter offering have consistently pointed to TV as one of its core strength.

    In a way, Twitter’s TV edge is based on how it quickly emerged as “a place where people have gone to discuss what they are watching on TV.”

  • Close Curtains come down on Mipcom 2013

    Close Curtains come down on Mipcom 2013

    CANNES: Mipcom 2013 drew to a close yesterday after one week of frenetic activity. Even as buyers, sellers and exhibitors bid adieu to the world’s largest content market amidst plans to meet again the coming year, a panel of independent experts got together to summarise 2013’s hottest trends.

    Yummico co-founder Traci Paige Johnson observed that digital has changed the way content is developed and consumed. “There is a new trend: content producers can create pilot projects, put them on the digital medium and test for audience response. With digital, there is also an explosion of where the content can be put,” she said.

    Paige said the need of the hour was to keep devising ways to offer more and think about stories and characters digitally though ‘Content’ still remained the king. Content producers especially faced the challenge of connecting digitally with children.

    A key takeaway was that everybody is now looking at bolder and newer ways to package and sell content. As FTI consulting managing director Mary Ann Halford pointed out: “Content producers are now thinking ‘out of the box’. And that’s because the consumer is consuming content from everywhere.” Halford further said that Netflix and Amazon had made producers competitive. “This outburst will lead to more dynamic deal making. Hope no producer has made a five year deal with broadcasters.

    In a sense, Mipcom 2013 was about changing needs as Superhuman founder Louisa Heinrich observed: “Buyers, sellers, content producers – all of them need to be more flexible in formats, content, distribution and rights models. So, if one has a 23 minute episode, they need to be flexible enough to also have a seven minute episode and still maintain the content.” Heinrich said content producers should stop thinking of people as being ‘mysterious’ because only then would they come up with new ways to do business.

    Like many others, Heinrich heaped praise on Netflix saying it was a testament that people would pay for what they liked.

    Mipcom also highlighted the fact that there were lots of customers for quality TV. “If customers are leaving TV, it is because they are demanding more content. More screens and fragmentation has led to more opportunity to make money. Content producers are getting more and more experimental. 

    Channels are also entering the digital medium and it is a far less risk than launching a new show on TV,” said one of the speakers at the wrap-up session.

    The panellists were agreed on one thing: With 30 per cent traffic on Twitter talking about TV shows, social media was surely driving people to consume more content. “It is a golden age for television. There are so many stories to say and to live in,” they concluded. 

  • Twitter and Viacom announce Twitter Amplify partnership

    Twitter and Viacom announce Twitter Amplify partnership

    MUMBAI: Viacom has announced a partnership which will see it deliver social video advertisements for its channels via Twitter Amplify.

    The collaboration will start at the 2013 MTV EMA on Sunday 10 November, and will provide followers of Viacom’s channels – including MTV, Nickelodeon and Comedy Central – with video extras of major shows and live events, including instant highlight replays, exclusive backstage interviews and extra content.

    The partnership was trialled successfully at the MTV Music Awards in August, and both partner companies see the experiment as an exciting opportunity.

    BeViacom MD ad sales unit Chris Shaw said: “We’re thrilled to be pioneering this initiative in Europe and across the world, creating a truly unique opportunity for marketers looking to join the global youth conversation around the ‘2013 MTV EMA’.”

    Twitter Amplify senior director Glenn Brown added: “We are excited to build on the success of our US Twitter Amplify partnership with Viacom by rolling it out internationally, including across the UK and Europe. The EMAs are the perfect way to start the program, allowing brands to tap into the conversations already happening on Twitter by offering people highlights and exclusive content across all devices.”

    Viacom’s programmes are already an influential Twitter presence, with the 2012 MTV EMA inspiring 5.7 million tweets, spawning 32 worldwide trending topics and at times notching eight of the top 10 trends during the show’s broadcast.

  • Now give a missed call to follow @SrBachchan

    Now give a missed call to follow @SrBachchan

    MUMBAI: Amitabh Bachchan is undoubtedly India’s most enigmatic, charming, talented, informed and witty superstar. With a fan following ranging from the age groups of eight to 80 the superstar is the heartthrob of millions across the country. The Shahenshah of Social media is followed by more than 13 million people across social media platforms including 6.5 million on Twitter.

    His Birthday is a date marked on many calendars across India as a day of celebration and this year is no different. As a special surprise for his fans this year as part of global integration with Twitter India and ZipDial, any mobile user in India can now follow the actor’s Twitter account @SrBachchan by simply dialling, or giving a missed call, at +91-22- 33010007.

    Now fans across India can get access to their big screen idol’s thoughts on several topics and get a peek into the latest happenings in his life. The collaboration in association with Fluence, will allow everyone across the country to follow and engage the superstar on Twitter via SMS. The service works for all mobile users in the country with any phone or any operator; moreover it’s free irrespective of whether they have a Twitter account or data-enabled phone.

    Commenting on this service, CA Media India EVP investee operations Rishi Negi said: “The madness that is associated to Bachchan has no boundaries and to this date fans are mesmerised by a mere interaction with him. On 11 October every year millions throng outside his Mumbai residence to catch a glimpse and wish the brightest shining star of the Indian film industry a Happy Birthday. This year thanks to this technology fans across the nation who don’t access Twitter will be able to connect with their idol on his big day and read his thoughts  and sentiments about his life and the world in general and on an on-going basis on their phone.”

    Twitter India market director Rishi Jaitly said: “Twitter is live, conversational and public. Bachchan’s use of Twitter has for years exemplified the power of our platform’s ability to connect audiences directly with the people and organizations that interest them most. We are pleased to see ZipDial and Bachchan use the Twitter platform to extend his reach even further.”

    ZipDial founder and CEO Valerie R Wagoner said: “By using ZipDial, Asia’s leading mobile marketing platform with the simple user experience of ‘missed calls’, Bachchan can now reach the hundreds of millions of fans in India and internationally who have phones but do not yet use Twitter. Bachchan’s fans can now interact with their iconic hero on Twitter through the simple ZipDial interface of dialing. Our team members at the company are among Bachchan’s fans, so we are particularly thrilled that his ZipDial number 02233010007 reflects his suave and heroic ‘007’ persona.”

  • Congress TV Agenda?

    Congress TV Agenda?

    With elections looming large, the spotlight may be on political parties and their candidates however an unlikely candidate seems to have entered the fray, i.e. television.

    Very quietly, two shows have been launched on two TV channels within the span of one week, bearing an uncanny resemblance to Indias biggest ruling party – the Congress.

    One; Anil Kapoors Indian adaptation of the American espionage series 24, which aired on Colors on 4 October and the other; Desh Ki Beti – Nandini, which premiered on Sony on 7 October.

        
    The desi 24 sees the young scion of a political family, Aditya Singhania played by Neil Bhoopalam, reaching out to the countrys youth a la our very own vice president of the Congress Party, Rahul Gandhi.

    While Desh Ki Beti has a bun-sporting, saree and long sleeve blouse-clad Nandini waving out to the crowd, reminiscent of Indias only woman PM, the late Indira Gandhi.

    Leaving aside similarities; both the shows couldnt have been timed better. North India goes to elections in November while the race for Indias next PM unfolds in the first half of 2014.

    24 will end in approximately three months but the impact is sure to last. That Colors reduced the air time of one of its most popular shows, Comedy Nights with Kapil, to accommodate the series is proof of just how much is riding on the timing. Similarly, Sony prematurely pulled the plug on its earlier week day show Chhanchhan to make way for Nandini, citing low TRPs as reason.

    Social media has been quick to catch the so-called connect between these shows and the ruling party. Heres sampling the kind of comments on Twitter and Facebook: A new show called desh ki beti nandini seems to be funded by congress, daily soap Nandini will subtly glorify pre emergency Indira. Direct editorial control from Rahul Gandhi, waiting for Aditya Singhania the 24 character based on Rahul Gandhi, to take his speech and say phaad ke phenk do, 24 just predicted a Rahul Gandhi victory and so on.

    Makes one wonder whether this is part of the viewers fertile imagination or truly Congress Ka Haath behind these shows…

  • Bullett Raja trailer crosses 2.7 million views

    Bullett Raja trailer crosses 2.7 million views

    The trailer of the much awaited Bullett Raja shows Saif Ali Khan mouthing, Jab hum aaengey to garmi thodi badh jaegi. Well, it seems the mercury is already heading north!

     

    In today’s day and age of cut throat competition it is a task to get noticed without going full throttle in promotions! But Tigmanshu Dhulia’s Saif Ali Khan and Sonakshi Sinha starrer Bullett Raja has done it! Where filmmakers can’t create much hubbub about their films without having gala launches, Bullett Raja came without any crutches of any star studded event and has conquered hearts!

     

    The trailer of Fox Star Studios’ Bullett Raja which released a week ago is spearheading with a fantastic response, making it one of the quickest films to cross the 2.7 million mark without any conventional promotional events. Under four days from the release, the movie trailer was a hit and crossed the two million views mark on YouTube. And even before the trailer release, the anticipation was really high on the digital space, where #WeWantBullettRaja was trending in India throughout a day before, by a Twitter activity, called Garmi Badi Kya Contest.

     

    With Saif’s bold, rustic and trigger-happy avatar and Sonakshi’s Bengali look packed with some slick action, romance, crisp dialogues and blazing guns, Tigmanshu Dhulia’s (maker of Paan Singh Tomar and Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster) Bullett Raja has set the mood in B-town to gear up for action!

     

    Presented by Fox-Star Studios, the film also stars Jimmy Shergill, Gulshan Grover, Vidyut Jamwal, Chunky Pandey with Mahie Gill in an item number and is slated to release on 29 November, 2013.

  • Fluence signs Malayalam Cinema Actress Manju Warrier

    Fluence signs Malayalam Cinema Actress Manju Warrier

    MUMBAI : CA Media Digital’s first venture, Fluence – India’s leading online influencer network around celebrities and brands has recently signed renowned Malayalam cinema actress Manju Warrier.
     

    Fluence helps brands maximize their impact on audiences, by utilizing the online influence of celebrities and providing specific demographic and psychographic analytics of the celebrity fan base highlighting campaign effectiveness. Currently, Fluence will focus on various digital platforms for Manju including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, YouTube, and Bubble Motion and focus on the monetization strategy for her on the digital platform

    “We are thrilled to have a national award winner and a fantastic actress like Manju Warrier on board. The crux of Fluence is connecting our prospective celebrities via their digital platforms to both fans and brands across verticals. Manju is already very popular on Facebook with over 4 lakh followers. Fluence actively ensures that the celebrity engages with their fans across genres and regions in India.” said Rishi Negi, Executive Vice President Operations.

    Keyed up about the association, Manju Warrier commented, “Social media continues to evolve and has become an integral part of modern society. For celebrities however, there’s so much more that goes into how we use and leverage our social media platforms to connect with our fans. I am excited to work with the young talented team at Fluence as I believe that Digital media is definitely the way forward.”

    Fluence has been managing celebrities such as Amitabh Bachchan, Salman Khan and Karisma Kapoor, handle their digital life which includes; their social media presence, their digital endorsements, online/mobile monetization and equity-linked investments in the digital space. Brands that are actively spending on Fluence are Nestle, Thums Up, Suzuki, Kalyan Jewelers and Binani Cement. Fluence is also in active discussion with other Celebrities from Bollywood, the south and Indian cricket to get on board.

  • Trendspotters.tv goes mobile with the beta launch of its Android app

    Trendspotters.tv goes mobile with the beta launch of its Android app

    MUMBAI: India’s first online digital channel, Trendspotters.tv, is set for a beta launch of its app that will help you stay tuned to the latest trends, wherever you are. With direct access to watch all the stories that are trending on www.trendspotters.tv, it helps you catch a quick glimpse of what’s hot this season in the world of fashion, entertainment and lifestyle. It also enables you to share interesting news in these segments with your friends, through popular social networking sites like facebook, twitter etc.

     

    Trendspotters.tv founder Kunal Kishore Sinha elaborates: “The launch of our new Android app for Trendspotters.tv is in continuation of our commitment to reach out to our target audience through the tablet, smartphone and online platform. The mobile generation today demands a way of accessing their news in a manner that is snappy and crisp without losing its relevance. The app caters to this need to be in the thick of micro trends as they happen as well as comment, review and share their feedback directly with our team.”

     

    The app is also created to enhance user engagement with an opportunity to connect with Facebook and Twitter friends via the Trendspotters.tv page. It is a whole new way of digital interaction that manoeuvres the medium of the smartphone to keep you ahead of the times. The app is push notification enabled so as to alert you with new content, as soon as it hits the page online.

     

    With Trendspotters.tv gaining favourable traction since its launch so far, its app goes a step further in empowering users to stay on top of the best of entertainment and fashion, through a platform that is quick, convenient and extremely user-friendly.