ITV

Tag: Vodafone

  • ThinkAnalytics launches ThinkContextualAI high privacy ad solution

    ThinkAnalytics launches ThinkContextualAI high privacy ad solution

    MUMBAI: If you think about, privacy is becoming increasingly important online what with GDPR and all the regulations which apply.

    AI driven video discovery, viewer insights, targeted advertising solutions provider ThinkAnalytics thought about it. The company has launched ThinkContextualAI, a contextual advertising solution that raises the bar for privacy-first, audience-aligned advertising. The solution complements ThinkAnalytics’ broader ThinkAdvertising offerings which have been instrumental in redefining ad targeting across connected TV (CTV)  platforms.

    Combining its  two decades of expertise in viewer behavior and advanced AI technology, ThinkContextualAI leverages a proprietary ontology of more than 40,000 metadata tags, crafted to decode not only what content is about but why it resonates with individual viewers.

    With this insight, ThinkContextualAI allows CTV advertisers to engage with audiences without invasive tracking, ensuring that content signals like genre and sub-genre are mapped to a known ontology so that they can be leveraged consistently by supply side platforms (SSPs).
     
    As fragmentation increases, privacy regulations tighten and personal data access diminishes, advertisers face mounting challenges to engage with audiences. Traditional contextual advertising solutions often fall short, either lacking nuance or failing to capture the true mood and engagement factors of content. In addition, SSPs  are seeing up to 11 million similar but different titled genres and subgenres, meaning buyers can’t reliably buy content-based audiences.

    ThinkContextualAI meets this untapped need, enabling advertisers to target viewers with unmatched precision by moving beyond simple context to align ad placements with themes and emotions.
     
    “Our 40,000+ metadata tags represent not only the subjects of content but also why viewers connect with it,” says ThinkAnalytics CTO & founder Peter Docherty. “This unique capability allows advertisers to achieve a new level of relevance and resonance in ad placement, benefiting both viewer engagement and campaign performance. We worked closely in partnership with customers to ensure this solution meets advertisers’ needs across diverse markets in an evolving regulatory environment.”
     
    ThinkContextualAI empowers advertisers with advanced contextual targeting capabilities, including:

    * Premium Audience Segmentation: advertisers can reach high-value segments like luxury lifestyle and travel enthusiasts without using personal data.
    * Scalable Content Understanding: Scale across vast content libraries with consistent, high-quality categorisation, to enhance the impact of advertising campaigns.
    * Privacy-Safe Solutions: Deploy ad campaigns that are compliant with global privacy standards, helping advertisers maintain audience trust while maximising results.

    ThinkContextualAI offers measurable improvements in campaign effectiveness and user experience:

    * Improved Ad Recall: Drive higher ad recall through genuine content-ad alignment.
    * Increased Viewer Satisfaction: Maintain ad relevance, increasing viewer engagement.
    * Enhanced ROI: Maximize ROI with targeted, privacy-safe placements.
    * Reduced Ad Waste: Minimise irrelevant placements, ensuring efficient ad spend.

    With over 85 service providers serving approximately 475 million subscribers in 47 languages, and generating eight billion recommendations per day, ThinkAnalytics is amongst the largest independent content discovery platform. Its clients include Liberty Global, Vodafone, Deutsche Telekom, DirecTV, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Bell Media, BritBox International, Crunchyroll, Astro, Intigral, MBC, OSN, Proximus, Rogers, Sky Mexico, Tata Play, TELUS, and Mediacorp.

  • PM Modi launches 5G services in India

    PM Modi launches 5G services in India

    Mumbai: On Saturday, prime minister Narendra Modi launched 5G services in India at the India Mobile Congress in New Delhi.

    At the launch, while addressing the nation, Modi said that 5G technology will revolutionise the telecom sector and that it is a historic day for India in the twenty-first century. “The launch of 5G is a gift from the telecom industry to 130 crore Indians. It is a step toward a new era in the country, and is the beginning of infinite opportunities.”

    He emphasised how digital India’s success is based on four pillars, including the cost of a device, digital connectivity, data costs, and the digital first approach.

    Over the next few years, the services will gradually expand to cover the entire country. The fifth generation (5G) service, capable of supporting ultra-high-speed internet, is expected to open up new economic opportunities and societal benefits, serving as a transformative force in Indian society.

    Also read: Reliance Jio to roll out 5G services in major cities by Diwali

    “Earlier, the cost of one GB of data was about Rs 300. It has come down to about Rs 10 per GB now. On average, a person in India consumes 14 GB per month. This would have cost about Rs 4,200 per month but costs Rs 125-150. It’s the efforts of the government that led to this,” he added.

    Speaking further, Modi said, “With developments in technology and telecom, India will lead the industry’s 4.0 revolution. This is not the decade of India, but the century of India.”

    At the event, Modi was accompanied by telecom minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, junior telecom minister Devusinh Chauhan, and Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani, Bharti Enterprises founder & chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal, and Aditya Birla Group chairman Kumar Manglam Birla.

    After officially opening the show, Modi visited pavilions set up by several telecom carriers and technology providers to get a first-hand look at what 5G is capable of. He began at the Reliance Jio booths.

    Reliance chairman Mukesh Ambani thanked the prime minister for inspiring the vision of a developed nation by 2047. “Every action and policy of the government is skillfully crafted to propel India towards that goal. Steps taken to fast-track India’s march into the 5G era provide compelling proof of our prime minister’s determination.”

    He narrated the possibilities of 5G in key areas like education, education, and climate change, etc. “Your leadership has raised India’s prestige, profile, and power globally like never before. In today’s fast-changing world, there will be no stopping a resurgent India from soaring to the top,” Ambani concluded.

    Bharti Enterprise chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal remarked that the launch of 5G is the beginning of a new era and since it is happening during “Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav,” it makes it even more special. “With the efforts of the prime minister, this will usher in new energy in the country. We are fortunate to have a leader in the prime minister who understands technology very well and has deployed it to the development of the country in an unmatched manner,” he noted.

    Mittal further said that it will open up a sea of opportunities for people, especially in our rural areas. He recalled the PM’s initiatives in the fields of infrastructure and technology from his Gujarat CM days. He said that during the pandemic, traffic shifted to villages and homes and the country’s heartbeat did not stop even for a second. Credit for that goes to the digital vision. He also praised the audacity and achievement of the vision of “Make in India.” “Along with “Digital India,” the prime minister also took forward the “Start-up India” campaign and, soon enough, India started producing unicorns,” Shri Mittal added. “With the advent of 5G, I’m sure that the country will add many more unicorns to the world.”

    Aditya Birla Group Chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla called the advent of 5G a transformational event that proves India’s prowess on the global stage and reiterates the role of telecom technology as the bedrock of India’s growth. He thanked Modi for his vision and leadership for a generational leap in technology that has resulted in India’s making a mark on the global stage. He also thanked the PM for his inspirational role in supporting the telecom industry during the ongoing pandemic and for the path-breaking telecom reforms in the industry.

    Birla said that the launch of 5G marks the beginning of an exciting journey for India. “We will see limitless potential for 5G development and use cases in the years to come,” he added.

    Reliance Jio connected a teacher from a school in Mumbai with students in three different locations in Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Odisha.

    The Vodafone Idea test case demonstrated the safety of workers in an under-construction tunnel of the Delhi Metro through the creation of a ‘Digital-Twin’ of the tunnel on the dias.

    In the Airtel demo, students from Dankaur, Uttar Pradesh, witnessed a lively and immersive educational experience to learn about the solar system with the help of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR).

  • Locus onboards Mehul Kapadia as chief growth officer

    Locus onboards Mehul Kapadia as chief growth officer

    Mumbai: Technology company Locus on Wednesday announced the appointment of Mehul Kapadia as its new chief growth officer. His leadership will be instrumental in further scaling the business, including through continued enterprise customer acquisition, strategic expansion into key verticals and markets, and the cultivation of long-lasting partnerships that bring incomparable value to Locus and existing clients.

    Mehul’s appointment comes at a milestone marker for Locus, as the company celebrates its seven-year anniversary as a leader in Last-Mile excellence.  

    Kapadia brings onboard an experience of over 20 years within enterprise technology, sales, marketing, product management, and operations. Prior to joining Locus, he served as global head of marketing for Vodafone’s Large Enterprise & Public Sector, as chief operating officer and board advisor for Motorsport Network, and as SVP of global marketing for Tata Communications.

    Speaking on the appointment, Kapadia said, “Considering that e-commerce sales are expected to reach $7.4 trillion by 2025, and the pressures to meet ever-evolving and high-stakes consumer demands have reached critical levels – there is a global need for solutions that streamline and optimise strategies and effectively contribute to the bottom line for enterprises.”

    “Locus is making this a reality by using the power of AI to transform Last-Mile operations into growth centres and it’s paving the way towards a more sustainable future as a result. I look forward to working alongside an incredible team that is just as passionate about driving positive change in this world as I am, and with innovation at the centre of its DNA,” he added.

    Locus founder and CEO Nishith Rastogi commented, “We’re thrilled to have Mehul on board with us and inject the bold, audacious goals and razor-sharp focus that have guided his successes to date. The company is at an exciting and pivotal stage, and Mehul’s invaluable expertise will help cement Locus’ market position, reinforce our brand awareness, and further bolster our marketing and sales enablement functions to scale our brand alongside our growing customers.”

  • Reliance Jio adds 1.68 mn wireless subscribers in April: Trai

    Reliance Jio adds 1.68 mn wireless subscribers in April: Trai

    Mumbai: Reliance Jio added 1.68 million wireless subscribers at the end of April, as per subscription data by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai). Bharti Airtel added 0.81 million wireless subscribers during the same period. Vodafone Idea lost 1.56 million wireless subscribers in April.

    The total number of wireless subscribers increased from 1,142.09 million to 1,142.66 million in April. The wireless subscription in urban areas decreased from 624.23 million to 623.78 million. However, wireless subscription in rural areas increased from 517.86 million to 518.88 million.

    As per Trai data, there were 1013.81 million active wireless subscribers during the month. Reliance Jio had the highest number of active wireless subscribers at 378.85 million followed by Bharti Airtel at 352.68 million and Vodafone Idea at 222.33 million. BSNL had 59.31 million active wireless subscribers.

    As per information received from 657 operators in April, Trai found that total broadband subscribers increased from 788.30 million to 788.77 million. The broadband subscribers comprised 759.87 million mobile device users, 27.25 million wired subscribers and 1.18 million fixed wireless subscribers.  

    The top five broadband service providers were Reliance Jio Infocomm with 411.31 million subscribers, Bharti Airtel with 215.28 million subscribers, Vodafone Idea with 122.06 million subscribers, BSNL with 26.10 million subscribers and Atria Convergence with 2.08 million subscribers.

    The top five wired broadband service providers were Reliance Jio Infocomm with 5.63 million subscribers, Bharti Airtel with 4.85 million subscribers, BSNL with 3.80 million subscribers, Atria Convergence with 2.08 million subscribers and Hathway Cable and Datacom with 1.11 million subscribers.

    The top five wireless broadband service providers were Reliance Jio Infocomm, with 405.68 million subscribers, Bharti Airtel with 210.43 million subscribers, Vodafone Idea with 122.05 million subscribers, BSNL with 22.29 million subscribers and Intech Online with 0.21 million subscribers.

    The number of wireline subscribers increased from 24.84 million to 25.16 million in April.

    The number of telephone subscribers in India increased from 1,166.93 million to 1,167.82 million. Urban telephone subscription decreased from 647.11 million to 646.99 million. However, rural subscription increased from 519.82 million to 520.82 million.

  • Jio leads in 4G download speed, Vodafone Idea fastest in upload: TRAI

    Jio leads in 4G download speed, Vodafone Idea fastest in upload: TRAI

    New Delhi: Reliance Jio continues to reign over the 4G internet segment with 21.9 megabit per second (Mbps) average download speed in June. The download speed has increased marginally from 20.7 Mbps in May, showed the latest monthly data published by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).

    Jio’s network speed in the month was over three times higher than that of the nearest competitor Vodafone Idea, which showed an average download speed of 6.5 Mbps. Meanwhile, Airtel also recorded a marginal improvement in its average 4G download speed, but it was still the lowest at five Mbps, as per the data.

    While Jio tops the 4G download chart, Vodafone Idea leads in the upload segment.

    According to the telecom regulator, Vodafone Idea had an average upload speed of 6.2 Mbps in May, followed by Reliance Jio with an upload speed of 4.8 Mbps and Bharti Airtel with 3.9 Mbps.

    The download speed helps consumers access content from the internet, while upload speed helps them send or share pictures or videos to their contacts. The average speed is computed by TRAI based on the data it collects across India with the help of its MySpeed application on a real-time basis.

    Government owned telecom operator BSNL, which has also rolled out 4G service in select areas, did not figure in the TRAI data.

  • In a first, Rexona books umpires’ armpits for advertising

    In a first, Rexona books umpires’ armpits for advertising

    NEW DELHI: One may have heard of underarm bowling in cricket, but underarm advertising has to be a first. In the latest, Rexona has partnered with Cricket Australia and Big Bash League (BBL 2020) in a unique sponsorship deal that does not include players, but focuses on umpires instead.

    The deodorant and antiperspirant brand will be advertising on the underarms of the umpires. The use of armpits for product placement is believed to be a first in the world of sports.

    The deal requires umpires in the BBL 2020 to sport the product’s branding under their arms, which will be fully revealed to the watching world upon the signalling of a six (both arms raised, two logos revealed) or a bye (just one).

    Along with the six, Rexona brand will also be sighted when an umpire raises his finger to give a batsman out. Other than this the brand will feature on cardboard cut-outs of umpires in supermarkets and retail outlets, according to reports in Australian media.

    The deal is the latest in a string of commercial partnerships either renewed or acquired by Cricket Australia this year. The organisation will generate a record $70 million in sponsorship this summer, despite the financial difficulties presented by the Covid2019 pandemic.

    Rexona is the 22nd sponsor to join cricket’s stable of commercial partners as part of its strategy to “own the underarm space” during summer for Cricket Australia.

    This season beside Rexona, Australian board has clinched landmark sponsorship deals with Dettol as T20 and ODI series sponsor, Vodafone as Test Match series sponsor. Besides this KFC has been renewed as title sponsor of the BBL 2020, with Cricket Australia rejecting $10 million a year offer by rival fast food giant McDonald's in favour of the fried chicken brand.

  • ShareChat gets Wavemaker’s Ajit Varghese as chief commercial officer

    ShareChat gets Wavemaker’s Ajit Varghese as chief commercial officer

    NEW DELHI: ShareChat has appointed Ajit Varghese as its chief commercial officer. Varghese brings in a track record of 25+ years of leading large-scale business transformations and building diverse and successful businesses around media, creative, digital, data, content, sports, and performance.  

    Prior to joining ShareChat, Varghese was the global president at WPP group’s Wavemaker, known among the world’s top five media networks with clients ranging from industry giants like Vodafone, L’Oreal, Huawei, IKEA, Paramount Pictures, Chanel, Xerox, Netflix, Chevron, Beiersdorf, and Tiffany.  

    In his new role at ShareChat, he will be pivotal in expanding and strengthening the platform’s revenue efforts and building a robust monetisation approach with the strategic content partnership. He will also spearhead its marketing functions, to be inclined towards brand elevation, aligned with business centricity. He will be reporting into ShareChat COO & co-founder Farid Ahsan. 

    This key appointment announcement comes amidst Sharechat witnessing exponential growth in the past few months. The upward curve not only mirrors the new user growth and higher user engagement on the platform but also reflects an increased interest among B2C brands, for leveraging Bharat internet audiences. 

    Farid Ahsan said, “Brand marketing and monetisation is going to be the core focus of ShareChat and we will direct our efforts towards elevating the brand positioning through strategic communications approach. Ajit, with his leadership capabilities and expert knowledge of the media, marketing and advertising domain, will play a critical role in further building brand awareness, deepening relationships with our business stakeholders and driving ShareChat toward the next phase of growth.”  

    Ajit Varghese said, “Having previously worked and transformed several global organisations, it has always been a hidden desire to contribute towards transforming an Indian organisation to global repute. I believe ShareChat in the next few years will evolve as the default partner to every brand, homegrown and global, who intends to engage with the internet-first population. As the digital advertising landscape awaits the inclusion of over 400 million new internet users, mostly inclined towards native languages, ShareChat will stay at the forefront of unveiling a new digital era. This will be an exciting journey for me as I look forward towards contributing to ShareChat’s growth and building a win-win relationship with our community of users, partners and business stakeholders.” 

    An alumnus of Xavier Institute of Management, Bhuvaneshwar, and a graduate in agriculture engineering from Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology, Varghese has worked across India, Singapore and London. With years of leadership positions across globally-reputed media organisations like Wavemaker (WPP), Maxus (WPP), Madison World, he has been recognised as a Global Media Leader with a track record of turning around organisations, leading rapid growth, and gaining market dominance. 

    Over the past few months, ShareChat has been strategizing to become a future-ready organisation by delivering an immersive social experience to its users and building a global product. The platform has collaborated with leading music labels in India and across the globe, set up ‘ShareChat Labs’ in Silicon Valley, and driven content partnerships with various news and entertainment organisations. Over 150 B2C brands have partnered with ShareChat to explore its strength in engaging with Bharat (language-first) internet audience on the platform. 

  • Vi elevates Anveesh Khosla as CMO, Kavita Nair moves on

    Vi elevates Anveesh Khosla as CMO, Kavita Nair moves on

    New Delhi: Vi, a leading telecom player, has elevated Avneesh Khosla as the new CMO of the brand. He will be spearheading the overall marketing activities of the new brand entity Vi.

    Khosla is an old hand at Vodafone and has been with the organisation for over 12 years and served in multiple roles. In the last role, he was serving as the director of marketing for the brand.

    The development comes after Vi chief digital transformation officer moved on from the organisation. She is also an old hand at the telecom brand and has been associated with it for over 20 years.

    She successfully spearheaded the Vi launch in the Indian market.

    She has led different roles such as Marcom, data business, enterprise marketing, retail digital and customer experience. Nair will be soon moving out of the organisation and is said to have chosen a different career path for herself in the future.

    The company has confirmed both the developments.  

  • Neel Pandya to lead ISA media forum

    Neel Pandya to lead ISA media forum

    New Delhi: Indian Society of Advertisers (ISA) has roped in Neel Pandya to lead its media forum. Pandya is also serving as the L’Oreal India national media and digital head.

    The development was announced in a meeting of the media forum held on 4 November 2020.

    ISA chairman, CEO, secretary-general and other members of the forum welcomed Neel to this role.

    “We are confident that Neel from his varied experience across sectors and functions would add considerable value through the media forum to the ISA,” it said in a statement.

    The ISA media forum meets periodically to take stock of and deliberate on industry developments that affect advertisers.

    Pandya has over 13 years of experience and has worked across several brands and agencies including – Vodafone, GroupM, TAM, Future Group, and HDFC Bank. He joined L’Oreal India in 2017.

    He was a speaker at the 2019 edition of indiantelevision.com’s BrandVid Summit.

  • Indian broadband subscribers growth down in July 2020

    Indian broadband subscribers growth down in July 2020

    BENGALURU: Indian broadband internet subscribers growth for the month ended 31 July 2020 (Jul-20) was less than half (49.6 per cent) of the growth in Jun-20 as per the latest Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) data. The broadband subscriber base grew by just 71.7 lakh in Jul-20 as compared to 1.447 crore in the previous month.

    Overall, in calendar year 2020, the country has seen addition of 4.347 crore broadband internet subcribers or 6.2 per cent growth until Jul-20. Apr-20, the first month of the Covid2019 lockdown, had seen broadband internet subscribers decline by 1.13 crore.

    There were 70.54 crore broadband internet subscribers in India in Jul-20 as compared to 66.194 crore in Jan-20 and 69.823 crore in Jun-20.  

    The top five service providers constituted 98.91 percent market share of the total broadband subscribers at the end of July-20. These service providers were Reliance Jio with 40.196 crore, followed by Airtel with 15.574 crore, Vodafone Idea with 11.527 crore, the public sector BSNL with 2.303 crore, and Atria Convergence Technologies with 16.9 lakh broadband internet subscribers.

    Mobile devices users (Phones and dongles)

    The largest growth driver has been through mobile devices, which include phones and dongles, with addition of 4.254 crore broadband internet subscribers or a 6.2 per cent growth in CY 2020 until Jul-20. Mobile devices are the largest platform for broadband internet in India with a more than 97 per cent share of subscribers. There were 68.464 crore broadband internet subscribers through mobile devices in Jul-20 as compared to 64.219 crore in Jan-20 and 67.779 crore in Jun-20.

    The top five wireless broadband service providers in Jul-20 were Jio with 40.08 crore, Airtel with 15.325 crore, Vodafone Idea with 11.526 crore, BSNL with 1.517 crore, and Tikona Infinet Ltd with 3 lakh subscribers.

    Wired broadband internet subscribers

    The second largest broadband internet services platform with a 28-29 per cent share of broadband internet is the wireline or wired platform. This segment has witnessed a growth of 4.9 per cent in Jul-20 as compared to the beginning of the year, with the addition of 9.9 lakh subscribers, for a total of 2.013 crore subscribers in Jul-20.

    The top five wired broadband service providers in Jul-20 were BSNL with 78.6 lakh subscribers, Airtel with 24.9 lakh, Atria Convergence Technologies with 16.9 lakh, Jio with 11.6 lakh, and Hathway Cable & Datacom at 10.1 lakh subscribers.

    Fixed wireless subscribers (Wi-Fi, Wi-Max, Point-to-Point Radio & VSAT)

    Fixed Wireless platform (Wi-Fi, Wi-Max, point-to-point radio & VSAT) is the smallest of the three with about 0.09 per cent share of the total broadband internet subscribers in the country. This platform has seen growth 0f 4.7 per cent in CY 2020 until Jul-20 to 6.4 lakh subscribers, as compared to 6.1 lakh subscribers in Jan-20.