Mumbai: Jio Star has appointed Vivek Mohan Sharma as business head of its youth, music, and English cluster, following the departure of Anshul Ailawadi. The announcement was made through an internal communication by the company.
Sharma, who joined Viacom18 in 2021, brings nearly two decades of experience spanning media, telecom, and banking sectors. He has led cross-functional teams in revenue generation, marketing, and content creation. At Viacom18, he built the network sales branded content team from scratch, delivering notable campaigns such as Cricket Ka Ticket, Royal Stag Boom Box, and Imperial Blue.
Ailawadi, who spent 11 years with the organisation, played a pivotal role in expanding the youth, music, and English cluster’s digital footprint and spearheading major tentpole properties. He began his journey as strategy and project lead in the group CEO’s office and is stepping down to pursue new opportunities.
Sharma’s appointment is expected to further strengthen Jio Star’s content strategy and drive innovation across its youth-focused channels.
New Delhi: Panasonic Life Solutions India has launched a digital public relations campaign – #WelcomeToAdulthood in partnership with the storytelling platform – The Scribbled Stories.
The campaign targets young adults, mostly first-time buyers, who are entering their adulthood phase and are looking to invest in smart, affordable, and sustainable home appliances.
The PR campaign is running on all social platforms – Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, in collaboration with The Scribbled Stories. The campaign content captures fun, relatable moments that one experiences when entering the adulthood phase of life and how the right appliances can help make that journey a little easier and a little more comfortable and memorable. Be it setting up a new house and buying new appliances for it, or baking a cake at midnight in your microwave or having to do your own laundry, the campaign emphasises on how appliances are a key part of different phases of our life and hence it is important to make a choice that is durable and sustainable.
New city. First job. There’s a lot that goes on when we enter adulthood. To help you make sustainable purchases of home appliances, we are launching #WelcomeToAdulthood in partnership with @thescribstories. Watch this space for more & share your #adulthood moments with us. pic.twitter.com/HwTdkSigEk
The campaign directs consumers to buying guides that will help them understand the know-how of various aspects to look for before making a purchase decision.
Commenting on the campaign, Panasonic Life Solution India head corporate communications Pooja Garg Khan said, “Adulthood is a time when youngsters are experiencing a shift in their lifestyle and have a plethora of choices to make in life – from moving out of home, first job, building new relationships, setting up an apartment, etc. And through this campaign, we want to support the young consumers in this transition to adulthood by helping them make sustainable purchases through our buying guides. These #WelcometoAdulthood buying guides, will allow consumers to educate themselves and make smart well-informed decisions to buy home appliances and contribute to helping them live their best.”
Had you invested Rs. 1 lakh in Sensex last year, you would get a return of Rs. 1.2 lakh by now. The same investment would give you a return of Rs. 1.7 lakhs if you had invested in Bitcoins. You sure have heard about bitcoins and cryptocurrency. You might have heard about Blockchain technology and have thought that bitcoins and Blockchain technology are interchangeable terms. Well, that’s not the case. Bitcoin is just one type of cryptocurrency that operates using Blockchain technology.
A Blockchain is a shared database that consists of blocks of information stored in a digital format. The structure in which data is organized in blockchains differentiates it from a typical database. Blockchain technology is defined as “a decentralized, distributed ledger that records the provenance of a digital asset.” The asset mentioned here can be both tangible such as a house, cash, etc., or intangible such as intellectual property, copyrights, patents, etc. Blockchains facilitate the recording and tracking of assets in a business network. It is the Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) and the use of decentralization and cryptographic hashing that accounts for the immutability yet transparency of digital assets. Let us find out how blockchain training can benefit you.
Popularity Among Youth
It is not just because of the high returns that people invest in bitcoins. When it comes to bitcoins and cryptocurrency, there is a lack of regulation and extreme volatility in the markets. Despite this, blockchain technology can be seen gaining popularity among the Indian youth. Below are some reasons cited by young users who regularly use blockchain technology.
● Well-designed Blockchain trading applications are attracting young people. A percentage of youth regularly invest because of a wonderful user experience. The user interface makes the process of investment and transaction easy.
● A regular user had mentioned that even the biggest banks were not able to put it across in an exact way as to what lay on the screen while they were trading stocks.
● A few others are investing in cryptocurrency for betting purposes.
● A person had taken to blockchain technology for ledger management problems after his family faced land transferring issues.
● A budding young adult said that he had opened an account with a cryptocurrency exchange company after seeing an advertisement about the same. However, when he understood the technology behind the working principle of cryptocurrency, he started investing more and saw his returns grow threefold.
● Not everyone, though, invests for the returns. Many are aware that they will not be able to make payments using cryptocurrency, and that, at any moment, the Government can declare a ban on it. This percentage of the population makes a calculated investment as this is a bet on this future-oriented technology and its focus on decentralization.
Benefits of Blockchain Technology
The popularity of Blockchain Technology lies in its features. Let us see what those are:
1. Security
It is a common occurrence for people to send money from one account to another. When money is being transacted, these records can be mishandled. With Blockchain Technology, the mishandling of the data can be prevented.
The blocks are organized in a linear and chronological manner to the end of a blockchain using a digital signature. Each of these blocks has its own hash along with the hash of the preceding block. Hash codes are created by mathematical functions that turn digital information into an alphanumeric string. Changing the content of the block is extremely difficult, which is what makes Blockchain Technology highly secure. It is not easy for even the system administrator to delete a transaction. Let’s understand this:
If a hacker wants to make changes to a blockchain to steal cryptocurrency, his copy would no longer align with the copy of the others. For alignment with the other copies, he will need to make changes to all the blocks. A change in all the blocks of the blockchain not only indicates a new hashcode but a new timestamp on them as well. This would involve a lot of money, time, and resources, and most definitely not being able to remain unnoticed, meaning that the venture would prove to be fruitless and, ultimately, a loss to the hacker.
2. Decentralization
The information in the database is spread out among various network nodes at different locations. This not only helps in accessing the required information should there be a power failure or internet failure in one of the locations but also maintains the fidelity of the data stored in these blocks. Therefore, if a record in one node is tampered with, all other nodes will cross-reference and easily find out the node that has incorrect information.
3. Transparency
With personal nodes or with blockchain explorers, people can see all the transactions, including ones that occur live. Even if hackers are anonymous, the bitcoins that have been extracted or moved can be known. Bitcoin allows the recording and distribution of digital information. The transactions can be recorded only once. The information cannot be altered or mutated, duplicated, deleted, or destroyed. This is the distributed ledger technology of bitcoins.
4. Smart Contracts
A smart contract is a set of rules stored on blockchains and executed automatically to speed up transactions. These contracts define conditions for corporate bond transfers, travel insurance payment terms, and more.
Conclusion
Information is required to run a business. The faster the information is received and with accuracy, the better it is. Blockchain provides information with transparency related to live transactions that can be accessed by one and all. The information provided is immediate and accurate, to the extent that any information that has been hacked can be easily noticed.
Therefore it is self-explanatory why blockchain technology is finding a place of such importance in businesses. Today numerous business domains are using blockchain technology to track orders, payments, accounts, and many other tasks.
Thus, what we understand is that blockchain technology is not just a whim of the young adults but is a serious business that is being considered by the who’s who of the corporates as well.
MUMBAI: Edtech platform upGrad has launched a new ad film addressing the disenchantment experienced by the youth across the country due to the shutting down of institutes in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, as they stare at an uncertain job market and future unemployment.
Taking ahead its ‘Sirf Naam Ki Nahin, Kaam Ki Degree’ campaign, the film aims to highlight the edtech’s offering of online graduation courses from universities across the country.
Conceptualised by The Womb, the film targets the youth disillusioned about their future amid the pandemic, especially those hailing from smaller towns lacking in reputed institutes. The video shot in a scenic location in the country’s interiors showcases a group of friends who harbour dreams of education in the big cities. They vocalise their misery of having to forgo those dreams in these testing times by means of a melancholic jingle.
The creative aims to reassure the aspiring learners that while there may be no visible end to the pandemic on the horizon, all their hopes for a bright future need not be lost and that they need not give up on earning a suitable degree from a respected college.
upGrad chief executive officer – India Arjun Mohan said, “We have partnered with the leading universities to provide young India with UGC entitled, and WES recognised degree courses to give them a 360-degree university experience online. Post the course completion, we will also assist these learners with career services that involve a paid internship up to six months and placement support up to three years based on their performance.”
The Womb co-founder Kawal Shoor added, “Now, with upGrad tying up with many universities to provide value-added under-graduate education online, there’s a new opportunity for young students to access high-quality education in their own hometowns, without having to leave to bigger cities as has been the norm. Our campaign borrows from the current reality but also is geared towards positioning online undergraduate education as a powerful alternative to trudging to a nearby big city to access quality education. And also, to nudge them to believe that even online graduation can lead to a ‘Kaam ki Degree’.”
The commercial will be aired across 50 TV channels across geographies, along with 360-degree amplifications in other media channels.
New Delhi: As the country continues to reel under the impact of the second Covid wave, the need for communities to come together towards helping each other has never been more imperative. As part of its latest MTV Cancel Covid initiative, youth entertainment brand, MTV on Tuesday launched a celebrity closet fundraiser in association with e-commerce platform SaltScout that supports fundraising for social causes.
The proceeds from – ‘MTV No Fever Sale’ conducted through Dolce Vee, a platform that conducts charity sales of preloved fashion, will be donated to Sustainable Environment and Ecological Development Society (SEEDS), a non-profit organization that specializes in building community resilience against disasters.
The MTV No Fever Sale will let fans shop from the closets of some of the renowned actors, singers and influencers from the entertainment industry such as Rannvijay Singha, Taapsee Pannu, Shilpa Shetty, Sunny Leone, Raftaar, Terence Lewis, Varun Sood, and many more. These celebrities have come forward to donate clothes, accessories and memorable items owned by them for their fans to get a chance to shop for a cause.
The initiative is an endeavor to mobilise the youth of the country and utilize their love for shopping for the greater good – “Shop for a Cause”, said the channel on Tuesday.
SaltScout founder Komal Hiranandani said the initiative has brought together the country’s top talent with its fan base to make giving back more engaging and to raise awareness about the many ways in which each of us can contribute. “We are incredibly grateful to them, the panel of celebrity participants – the likes of which have never before been assembled, and the fans, who have been sincere in their efforts to help those in need every step of the way,” added Hiranandani.
SEEDS co-founder Dr. Manu Gupta said, “Our association with MTV for a bold initiative like MTV No Fever Sale has hugely boosted our confidence of doing even more for fellow citizens. The unique celebrity closet fundraiser is an endeavor to mobilize youth of the country, with whom we hope to ultimately reach out to most marginalised communities in the country who have limited means and access to timely health care and vaccination,” he added.
Ranging from Taapsee Pannu’s fashionable black jacket and a white shirt she wore for the promotion of her new film to Raftaar’s swanky cap and shoes and Rannvijay’s trendy sneakers, the sale will give fans a chance to own their favourite celebrity’s belongings and extend help to those in need, said the brand. The initiative also brings to light the ever-evolving phenomenon of pre-loved sustainable shopping, which addresses the impact of carbon footprint on the planet and the need for a cleaner environment.
“The pandemic shook the nation in ways none of us would have ever imagined and it breaks my heart to see people suffering. Amidst all the chaos, it is imperative that all of us come forward to help each other in the best possible way, and I’m happy to do my bit for a humbling initiative like this one which endeavors to mobilize the youth of the country to bring about a change,” said actress Shilpa Shetty.
KOLKATA: All the different genres of television channels have seen marginal growth in the week 47, 2020 of Chrome Data Analytics and Media data. Religious genre is the top gainer with a marginal growth of 0.19 per cent.
In this genre, Sanskar has gained the highest OTS with 98.2 in the HSM excl < 1 market. OTS is the actual census-based percentage connectivity of a channel spread across 81 million homes, as reported by Chrome DM, across analogue cable, digital cable, and DTH.
This week, music and youth genre has emerged second on the top gainers list with a growth of 0.03 per cent in the HSM excl <1 market. In the music genre, MTV Beats has gained the highest OTS with 91.5 per cent.
MUMBAI: English Movies genre has become the top gainer in week 39, 2020 of Chrome Data Analytics and Media data with a steep surge. The genre has grown by 5.21 per cent.
In this genre, Romedy Now has gained the highest OTS with 51.8 in the six metros. OTS is the actual census-based percentage connectivity of a channel spread across 81 million homes, as reported by Chrome DM, across analogue cable, digital cable, and DTH.
This week, youth as emerged as the distant second on top gainers list with a growth of 1.19 per cent in HSM excl <1L market. In this genre, MTV has gained the highest OTS with 89.6 per cent.
MUMBAI: Religious genre has become the top gainer in week 36, 2020 of Chrome Data Analytics and Media data. The genre grew by 0.81 per cent. In this genre, Sanskar has gained the highest OTS with 98.2 per cent in HSM excl <1l market.
OTS is the actual census-based percentage connectivity of a channel spread across 81 million homes, as reported by Chrome DM, across analogue cable, digital cable, and DTH.
This week, Hindi news has gained second with a growth 0.66 per cent in HSM excluding <1 lakh market. In this genre, ABP News gained the highest OTS with 99.8 per cent.
Following Hindi News, English News, Youth, Sports have grown by 0.38, 0.20, 0.14 per cent respectively. In these genres, Loksabha TV , MTV, DD Sports have gained highest OTS.
MUMBAI: Seventy-one per cent of youth in our country are inspired by content. The number has moved from 58.4 per cent in 2016 to 71 per cent in 2018, revealed a new study by MTV Insights Studios ‘Mera Bharat Amazeballs’. Millennials are digital natives and they seek content beyond the confines of traditional TV. So what kind of content do they like? Which are the platforms they prefer to consume content and how is it helping the youth to overcome the challenges in their lives?
Whether its Bhuvan Bam’s roleplay, Ashish Chanchlani’s gyan or Jose Covaco’s parenting on social media platforms, or the rise of thoughtful entertainment like Pad Man, Toilet, Dangal, Mary Kom and other movies or even dozens of stand-up comedy specials available on different platforms, there is an upsurge of local/Indian digital content being consumed by the youth. The report informed that there is more diversity than ever within digital content.
The study revealed some interesting numbers, read below
Why youth watch what they watch: 52 per cent of millennials watch content to learn something new; 30 per cent watch to distress and refresh themselves and 27 per cent watch content to help them to get through their life’s problem.
What drives them towards new piece on content: 35 per cent of youth choose content based on the uniqueness of concept; 18 per cent like entertaining content; 14 per cent choose content based on the relatability of story; 10 per cent prefer content on ease of understanding story; seven per cent pick stories because of credibility and narrative and three per cent choose emotional narrative.
What really gets them: As per the report 75 per cent of youth like stories where people struggle to win; 71 per cent of youth prefer stories based on real life people; and 62 per cent youth prefer watching real stories.
What do they do when they discover a new show: 37 per cent of youth discusses it with friends whereas 21 per cent binge-watch the show. 20 per cent check out trivia about the show; 14 per cent try to find more similar shows; five per cent discuss with family and three per cent talk about it on social media.
Where do they discover new content: 26 per cent youth discover new show on the internet and watch it online or download it to watch later; 24 per cent of them discover a new on TV and only watch in on TV; 24 per cent of youth discover new show on the internet and then find out when and where it comes on TV and watch it there; and 21 per cent discover new show on TV but they go online to watch it.
Millennials' most preferred genre of shows: 30 per cent of youth like comedy; 13 per cent prefer romance; 12 per cent like family shows; 10 per cent looks for fantasy shows; eight per cent like action genre; seven per cent like documentary; seven per cent like crime genre; four per cent like historical genre; four per cent prefer music and dance genre; three per cent prefer Quiz shows and two per cent like animation.
Where do they watch their favourite shows: 37 per cent of youth watch shows on both the platform but more on online than TV; 26 per cent watch shows only online; 20 per cent watch shows only on TV; and 14 per cent of youth watch shows on both but more on TV than online.
Preferred device and platform: 75 per cent of millennials prefer watching shows at home on TV; 55 per cent of youth watches content on laptop; 41 per cent prefer streaming platform and 39 per cent opt for theatre.
How MTV uses this study
MTV Insights Studios has been doing this study since 2002 once in every two years to understand its target audience and cater tothem with better content. “Doing the study and sharing the facts with marketers have given them positive affinity that we know youth better than anybody else. That's one primary reason for us to do that from the external perspective. From internal it also helps form our choice of both new shows, tweak existing shows and even brand marketing,” says Viacom18 youth, music and english entertainment marketing head Navin Shenoy.
This year the channel will be tweaking its flagship show Roadies’ theme. The study revealed that the youth are purpose-driven, they want to get behind the cause and they are action-oriented. Therefore, this year Roadies’ theme is called Roadies Revolution, which means the contestant will not only be doing normal physical challenges, but there are also causes behind which they'll get and they'll have to perform actions to support that cause and showcase the impact.
Last year, one of the insights that people felt more about was plastic pollution. “So we took up this issue and on the day of Dussera we called upon a message which was ‘Plastic is the new Raavan’ with TrashAsur. And what activities like these do is they reinforce brand affinity in the consumers’ mind, they realise that this brand understands what causes matter to them and they are actually taking action in that space. So in a nutshell, that's how it works for both existing shows, choosing new shows and for brand marketing; these insights inform most of our decision,” said Shenoy.
This year one big theme that has emerged is women empowerment. He opines, “I think every aspect of that space seems to be something that bothers young people, and hence it equally bothers us, which is whether it's the brutal crimes against women or the fact that they are not getting enough of opportunities, or that society, in its thinking is more likely to be patriarchal, and gender stereotypes being enforced on women. There is very little positivity on how the system is structured, so that's likely to be a space we would want to explore.”
The channel has doubled its viewership compared to last year. He informs, “A flagship show for us like Hustle has been key to the strategy of pulling more viewers, because it has pulled in both time from an existing viewer who's had a new MTV show and also a new kind of viewer whose destiny is hip hop music but may not have consumed so much of MTV’s other shows in the past. So that pretty much has been the key. And now the challenge is to keep the momentum going in season two.”
MUMBAI: Former head of marketing: Network18 Digital, Sangeetha Aiyer, has been appointed as the head of marketing, NBCUniversal India. She will be responsible for the marketing, digital and promotional strategy of Universal Pictures theatrical products in India. In her new role, she will develop the cohesive strategy for the studio’s IPs and premium products in India working in tandem with the international marketing team and other functional heads in India to ensure the strategic direction of the studio’s releases is successfully implemented.
With a career spanning over 19 years, Aiyer is an experienced marketing and content professional with comprehensive experience across industries. She has been instrumental in building media brands on both linear and non-linear platforms, ranging from FM radio, Youth, News, Factual and Lifestyle channels.
Prior to Network18 Digital, Aiyer has had a long and fruitful association with AETN18 (JV between A+E Networks and TV18) for over 8 years. As one of the founding team leads, she has played a significant role in spearheading the growth strategy for the JV, specifically the brands History TV18 and FYI TV18 on linear and social platforms.
She has also worked with Times Network, Star Network, Reliance Big FM, Arvind Brands and Ambience Publicis.
