ITV

Tag: YouTube

  • Differential pricing can throttle India’s fledgling digital space: Zee

    Differential pricing can throttle India’s fledgling digital space: Zee

    MUMBAI: The fight for net neutrality in India continues with major players submitting their comments to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). After broadcasters like Star India and Sony Pictures Networks India sent in their comments to TRAI, now putting forth its views in favour of net neutrality, the Subhash Chandra led Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (Zeel) has voiced that differential pricing is completely contrary to the concept of net neutrality and competition, and can have the impact of throttling the fledgling digital space in the country. 

    The broadcaster said that differential pricing cannot be on the basis of type of services consumed, rather the basis of pricing ought to be only on the amount of data consumed. “It is akin to electricity consumption – consumers are charged the same per unit consumed. The more you consume the more you pay – you either pay for time used (as in cyber cafes) or data consumed (as in our personal plans),” Zee said.

    Further presenting its case, the broadcaster said that differential pricing was already built in by pricing the bandwidth by volume slabs. For example, if a streaming Content Delivery Network (CDN) uses 1000 GB of data usage a day, it can have a different pricing slab vis-a-vis another customer who uses 1GB per day. The end customers, when they access such websites (say Youtube or Facebook) however pay the same price per GB of usage as per their own data plan without discriminating which website they are accessing/visiting. 

    “However, the current question is whether for the same volume, customers can be offered differential tariffs, and the difference be bartered from the content provider or application provider website,” Zee said.

    This would in turn lead to violation of net-neutrality as bigger content or application providers can make their access free, and thereby causing severe disadvantage to the newer startups, which may not necessarily have the muscle to pay charges to TSPs on behalf of customers.

    Major telecom providers have proposed a new ‘Zero Rating’ scheme also known as toll-free data or sponsored data, wherein TSPs don’t charge end customers for a well defined volume of data by specific applications or internet services via the TSP’s mobile network in limited or metered data plans and tariffs. The most prevalent zero-rated programmes involve giants like Facebook, Google and Twitter, which makes the issue more contentious as it also poses a threat to local content development.

    Zee Network said that in countries like India, net neutrality is more about cost of access than speed of access as Internet speeds in India have not yet caught up with the developed world. 

    “Zero-rated mobile traffic is blatantly anti-competitive price discrimination designed to favour TSPs own or their partners’ apps while placing competing apps at a disadvantage,” the broadcaster said.

    Citing that TSPs like Airtel, Idea, Reliance and Vodafone may offer Zero Rated plans as was done by T-Mobile in the US as a major strategy to win over customers by providing Zero priced access to all streaming websites such as Hulu, Netflix, YouTube etc. The customers of all these websites did not have to make any additional payment over and above their regular data plan for unlimited access to streaming, and such data usage was not debited from their internet pack and was free.

    “As TRAI is aware, Zero Rated plans are in fact permitted by some regulators specifically in developed countries, these are in fact not favoured in developing countries. However selective Zero Rating is not permitted,” Zee opined.

    Opposing any selective Zero rating or differential rating plan, Zee pointed out that the network cannot differentiate between different types of data (the fundamental principle of net neutrality).

    Putting forth the reasons for opposing the same, Zee said:

    (i) Internet is dominated by some large international players in all fields (Search: Google, Apps: Facebook, WhatsApp, Social sites, Streaming: Netflix, Hulu etc). Because of their scale and valuations they can completely dominate and smother any small startups if zero rated plans are permitted.

    (ii) Non-discriminatory internet access Internet is key to India’s startups and innovative service providers. We need them to grow to global levels, rather than allow the Indian landscape to be dominated by selective international players who are able to pay for content.

    “Differential pricing is undesirable at this stage, and in no case there should be differential pricing, which is not equally applicable to all sites that provide the same application or service,” the company said.

    In response to TRAI’s questions as to if there were alternative methods, technologies or business models, other than differentiated tariff plans, available to achieve the objective of providing free internet access to the consumers, Zee said that if differential pricing is offered, it would nominally follow one of the following models:

    1) TSPs providers cover the costs to users of accessing certain hand-picked sites and apps, which are their own. (This is a TSP and Content Owner combination) and should under no circumstances be permitted.

    2) A company pays to provide access to a suite of different services; – Zee Network’s view is that this should not be permitted as the data charges are very high in India and only very large well established International players can afford the same killing competition.

    Hence, coining the term ‘Equal rating’ for similar services and products, Zee said that the “principle of Cross ownership between TSPs and their own sites for Application or content needs specific attention and should be specifically prohibited. In some cases, TRAI may need to lift the “Corporate Veil” and ensure that the rules are not being violated by restructuring entities.”

    Voicing its opinion on other issues to be considered in the present consultation on differential pricing for data services, Zee said, “We need to understand that while India is still developing its technologies and has a vibrant start up market, there are well established companies, which would easily pay for user access for access to their own websites or content. Hence: (i) Net Neutrality should in no case be violated; (ii) Creation of network owning companies where they own their network and also create content repositories should be entirely prohibited; and (iii) Zee Network would also like to strongly advise against device specific discriminated tariffs.”

  • Differential pricing can throttle India’s fledgling digital space: Zee

    Differential pricing can throttle India’s fledgling digital space: Zee

    MUMBAI: The fight for net neutrality in India continues with major players submitting their comments to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). After broadcasters like Star India and Sony Pictures Networks India sent in their comments to TRAI, now putting forth its views in favour of net neutrality, the Subhash Chandra led Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (Zeel) has voiced that differential pricing is completely contrary to the concept of net neutrality and competition, and can have the impact of throttling the fledgling digital space in the country. 

    The broadcaster said that differential pricing cannot be on the basis of type of services consumed, rather the basis of pricing ought to be only on the amount of data consumed. “It is akin to electricity consumption – consumers are charged the same per unit consumed. The more you consume the more you pay – you either pay for time used (as in cyber cafes) or data consumed (as in our personal plans),” Zee said.

    Further presenting its case, the broadcaster said that differential pricing was already built in by pricing the bandwidth by volume slabs. For example, if a streaming Content Delivery Network (CDN) uses 1000 GB of data usage a day, it can have a different pricing slab vis-a-vis another customer who uses 1GB per day. The end customers, when they access such websites (say Youtube or Facebook) however pay the same price per GB of usage as per their own data plan without discriminating which website they are accessing/visiting. 

    “However, the current question is whether for the same volume, customers can be offered differential tariffs, and the difference be bartered from the content provider or application provider website,” Zee said.

    This would in turn lead to violation of net-neutrality as bigger content or application providers can make their access free, and thereby causing severe disadvantage to the newer startups, which may not necessarily have the muscle to pay charges to TSPs on behalf of customers.

    Major telecom providers have proposed a new ‘Zero Rating’ scheme also known as toll-free data or sponsored data, wherein TSPs don’t charge end customers for a well defined volume of data by specific applications or internet services via the TSP’s mobile network in limited or metered data plans and tariffs. The most prevalent zero-rated programmes involve giants like Facebook, Google and Twitter, which makes the issue more contentious as it also poses a threat to local content development.

    Zee Network said that in countries like India, net neutrality is more about cost of access than speed of access as Internet speeds in India have not yet caught up with the developed world. 

    “Zero-rated mobile traffic is blatantly anti-competitive price discrimination designed to favour TSPs own or their partners’ apps while placing competing apps at a disadvantage,” the broadcaster said.

    Citing that TSPs like Airtel, Idea, Reliance and Vodafone may offer Zero Rated plans as was done by T-Mobile in the US as a major strategy to win over customers by providing Zero priced access to all streaming websites such as Hulu, Netflix, YouTube etc. The customers of all these websites did not have to make any additional payment over and above their regular data plan for unlimited access to streaming, and such data usage was not debited from their internet pack and was free.

    “As TRAI is aware, Zero Rated plans are in fact permitted by some regulators specifically in developed countries, these are in fact not favoured in developing countries. However selective Zero Rating is not permitted,” Zee opined.

    Opposing any selective Zero rating or differential rating plan, Zee pointed out that the network cannot differentiate between different types of data (the fundamental principle of net neutrality).

    Putting forth the reasons for opposing the same, Zee said:

    (i) Internet is dominated by some large international players in all fields (Search: Google, Apps: Facebook, WhatsApp, Social sites, Streaming: Netflix, Hulu etc). Because of their scale and valuations they can completely dominate and smother any small startups if zero rated plans are permitted.

    (ii) Non-discriminatory internet access Internet is key to India’s startups and innovative service providers. We need them to grow to global levels, rather than allow the Indian landscape to be dominated by selective international players who are able to pay for content.

    “Differential pricing is undesirable at this stage, and in no case there should be differential pricing, which is not equally applicable to all sites that provide the same application or service,” the company said.

    In response to TRAI’s questions as to if there were alternative methods, technologies or business models, other than differentiated tariff plans, available to achieve the objective of providing free internet access to the consumers, Zee said that if differential pricing is offered, it would nominally follow one of the following models:

    1) TSPs providers cover the costs to users of accessing certain hand-picked sites and apps, which are their own. (This is a TSP and Content Owner combination) and should under no circumstances be permitted.

    2) A company pays to provide access to a suite of different services; – Zee Network’s view is that this should not be permitted as the data charges are very high in India and only very large well established International players can afford the same killing competition.

    Hence, coining the term ‘Equal rating’ for similar services and products, Zee said that the “principle of Cross ownership between TSPs and their own sites for Application or content needs specific attention and should be specifically prohibited. In some cases, TRAI may need to lift the “Corporate Veil” and ensure that the rules are not being violated by restructuring entities.”

    Voicing its opinion on other issues to be considered in the present consultation on differential pricing for data services, Zee said, “We need to understand that while India is still developing its technologies and has a vibrant start up market, there are well established companies, which would easily pay for user access for access to their own websites or content. Hence: (i) Net Neutrality should in no case be violated; (ii) Creation of network owning companies where they own their network and also create content repositories should be entirely prohibited; and (iii) Zee Network would also like to strongly advise against device specific discriminated tariffs.”

  • Nissan’s Datsun bets on experiential marketing with ‘ISayYes’ campaign

    Nissan’s Datsun bets on experiential marketing with ‘ISayYes’ campaign

    MUMBAI: Eighty year heritage car brand Datsun from Nissan has launched a new brand campaign in India called #ISayYes. The 360 degree campaign kicked off with a teaser video online, which is the first of many initiatives. This one-of-a-kind “crowd sourcing of dreams” activity will be launched on 25 January.

     

    Under the #ISayYes campaign, this activity will give Datsun fans a chance to share their dreams online. Platforms like Twitter, YouTube and Facebook will be used to reach out to fans.

     

    Nissan Motor India managing director Arun Malhotra said, “Young Indians want to have a voice in society as they strive to achieve their dreams. They want to be heard, and Datsun understands this. We’ve been engaging with young people for four years since Datsun came to India. Our new #ISayYes campaign is designed to connect with the energy of these young dreamers, further strengthen our bond with them, and encourage them to never give up.”

     

    The six-week-long campaign will consist of above-the-line (ATL) activations such as television commercials, as well as a social activation phase, which will include sharing of stories, opportunities to participate in unique experiences and win prizes.

     

    The campaign will culminate with Datsun fans vying for one grand experiential gratification and five tangible gratifications related to their dreams.

  • Nissan’s Datsun bets on experiential marketing with ‘ISayYes’ campaign

    Nissan’s Datsun bets on experiential marketing with ‘ISayYes’ campaign

    MUMBAI: Eighty year heritage car brand Datsun from Nissan has launched a new brand campaign in India called #ISayYes. The 360 degree campaign kicked off with a teaser video online, which is the first of many initiatives. This one-of-a-kind “crowd sourcing of dreams” activity will be launched on 25 January.

     

    Under the #ISayYes campaign, this activity will give Datsun fans a chance to share their dreams online. Platforms like Twitter, YouTube and Facebook will be used to reach out to fans.

     

    Nissan Motor India managing director Arun Malhotra said, “Young Indians want to have a voice in society as they strive to achieve their dreams. They want to be heard, and Datsun understands this. We’ve been engaging with young people for four years since Datsun came to India. Our new #ISayYes campaign is designed to connect with the energy of these young dreamers, further strengthen our bond with them, and encourage them to never give up.”

     

    The six-week-long campaign will consist of above-the-line (ATL) activations such as television commercials, as well as a social activation phase, which will include sharing of stories, opportunities to participate in unique experiences and win prizes.

     

    The campaign will culminate with Datsun fans vying for one grand experiential gratification and five tangible gratifications related to their dreams.

  • IndiaMART bags 1 lakh customers, launches digital campaign to elevate SMEs

    IndiaMART bags 1 lakh customers, launches digital campaign to elevate SMEs

    NEW DELHI: Online marketplace IndiaMART has launched a digital video campaign that brings these emerging entrepreneurs to the limelight in a concise montage.

     

    Acknowledged as the true heroes of India’s growth story, these entrepreneurs share their journey to success while on how IndiaMART helped them scale their business effectively with the reiteration of ‘#IBelieveInIM.’

     

    A mammoth 1,00,000 premium customers have enrolled on the platform. IndiaMART has always endeavoured to give speed to its mission to ‘make doing business, easy.’

     

    The campaign brings to the fore these individuals who have gone on to not only survive but sustain and scale their businesses pushing the boundaries of how they trade today and achieving full-fledged sustainability for their venture. The campaign kick starts the new year on a note of promise and positivity and will run for 21 days across digital platforms including Facebook, Twitter and YouTube among others.

     

    Highlighting IndiaMART’s crucial role in the Small and Medium Enterprises sector, the campaign will showcase how small enterprises grew with increased profitability and size through the business matchmaker. The campaign videos showcase how sellers from various segments of enterprises have achieved real time growth and productivity. The videos focus on sellers who have built their brands and expanded their businesses on IndiaMART. They also talk about how coming on to the online platform has helped them to acquire new businesses, higher lead generation and also export their products.

     

    IndiaMART director Dinesh Gulati said, “By coming on board with IndiaMART, we have enabled the MSMEs of India with an Opportunity to Innovate. Through the launch of this digital campaign, we want to showcase the pride our customers take in associating with IndiaMART. As their business growth has multiplied over the years, their belief and trust in us has grown even stronger. SMBs see the highest Return on Investment with IndiaMART with an increased profitability and wider geographic reach. We aspired to put a face to the millions of stories we have experienced in our journey so far and what better way to do so than through social media. People will be able to easily relate to these stories as the campaign encompasses real people talking about how they achieved real growth in real businesses!”

  • IndiaMART bags 1 lakh customers, launches digital campaign to elevate SMEs

    IndiaMART bags 1 lakh customers, launches digital campaign to elevate SMEs

    NEW DELHI: Online marketplace IndiaMART has launched a digital video campaign that brings these emerging entrepreneurs to the limelight in a concise montage.

     

    Acknowledged as the true heroes of India’s growth story, these entrepreneurs share their journey to success while on how IndiaMART helped them scale their business effectively with the reiteration of ‘#IBelieveInIM.’

     

    A mammoth 1,00,000 premium customers have enrolled on the platform. IndiaMART has always endeavoured to give speed to its mission to ‘make doing business, easy.’

     

    The campaign brings to the fore these individuals who have gone on to not only survive but sustain and scale their businesses pushing the boundaries of how they trade today and achieving full-fledged sustainability for their venture. The campaign kick starts the new year on a note of promise and positivity and will run for 21 days across digital platforms including Facebook, Twitter and YouTube among others.

     

    Highlighting IndiaMART’s crucial role in the Small and Medium Enterprises sector, the campaign will showcase how small enterprises grew with increased profitability and size through the business matchmaker. The campaign videos showcase how sellers from various segments of enterprises have achieved real time growth and productivity. The videos focus on sellers who have built their brands and expanded their businesses on IndiaMART. They also talk about how coming on to the online platform has helped them to acquire new businesses, higher lead generation and also export their products.

     

    IndiaMART director Dinesh Gulati said, “By coming on board with IndiaMART, we have enabled the MSMEs of India with an Opportunity to Innovate. Through the launch of this digital campaign, we want to showcase the pride our customers take in associating with IndiaMART. As their business growth has multiplied over the years, their belief and trust in us has grown even stronger. SMBs see the highest Return on Investment with IndiaMART with an increased profitability and wider geographic reach. We aspired to put a face to the millions of stories we have experienced in our journey so far and what better way to do so than through social media. People will be able to easily relate to these stories as the campaign encompasses real people talking about how they achieved real growth in real businesses!”

  • O&M’s ‘Anti Jugaad’ campaign for Sulekha strikes at India’s makeshift tendencies

    O&M’s ‘Anti Jugaad’ campaign for Sulekha strikes at India’s makeshift tendencies

    MUMBAI: Makeshift arrangement or ‘jugaad’ as we call it here, is a long running tradition of sorts for a few. We all must have, at some point of time, gone ahead with a temporary solution for our everyday household issues.

    That’s why Ogilvy Bengaluru’s new #anti-jugaad campaign, with heart thumping beats and ‘I can sing along too’ lyrics, for popular classified portal Sulekha.com catches consumers with the right hook. The punch comes when the TVC, directed masterfully by Prasoon Pandey under Corcoise production house, gives viewers a glimpse of all these ‘jugaads’ gone wrong and backfiring, while craftily urging users to seek professional help from the services advertised in Sulekha.com for a sustainable fixture to their everyday issues.

    Ogilvy & Mather Bengaluru senior vice president and head of advertising – South Tithi Ghosh tells Indiantelevision.com that the idea to launch a campaign on anti jugaad was inspired by the lives of relocating young couples who find it hard to meet their requirements in a new city without any connections or network.

    “Earlier when we never moved cities, the practice was to use the ‘family carpenter’ or ‘family plumber’ – who would come with recommendations from uncles and aunts. Now with an increasingly mobile population in India, young couples and families find themselves at sea when they relocate. Since the quest to find an expert in a new city, is as painful as the problem itself, consumers resort to makeshift solutions. Consumers shared funny anecdotes with us about their experiences with quick fixes and struggle to find someone reliable, which led us to the ‘jugaad’ idea. It’s a cultural phenomenon but not the best solution to home issues. Obviously our brand represents an antidote to jugaad,” she shares when asked what led them to come up with the concept.

    “Our planning team studied consumer behaviour when enlisting services like plumbing, remodelling kitchens – basically all kinds of home services and the findings were narrowed to the sharpest insights, which had creative potential,” Ghosh adds.

    A pan Indian campaign, to ensure that familiarity with language does not come in the way of enjoyment the jingle, is sung in multiple languages with the top eight metros as the key target markets for the brand.

    The campaign will be visible on television, radio, outdoor and digital as well but with a different approach to the campaign for each medium. “You will experience different kinds of engagement on different mediums. The idea is to leverage the opportunity each medium presents for the anti jugaad thought. So it will not be a cut and paste campaign – it will take on different avatars on different mediums. We are using several platforms on digital,” points out Ghosh.

    While taking the 360 degree route, the agency has innovative marketing plans to take the campaign forward. “Firstly, we wanted to make sure enough number of people viewed the ninety second video. So we released it on digital a week ahead of television. Fifty per cent of the audience, around 30 million in the top eight metros should get to see the ad at least thrice. On television, we are re-marketing. So those who do not view the ad on TV will be targeted on digital. We are using audio beacon technology,” she explains the strategy in detail hinting that the agency has very strong digital plans to make sure the brand statement penetrates the target market.

    Not to mention, the brand is also putting in a considerable chunk of its marketing spends on the campaign. “Our audience is using technology to empower themselves, they are seeking new information and solutions online. Therefore we have a very heavy digital plan. Native stories, YouTube, Twitter, top apps and Facebook are all being deployed. The campaign will soon break on television and significant investment will be made,” Ghosh adds.

    “In the cities where radio as a medium is popular, we are augmenting radio reach with digital radio channels like Saavn, Gaana, Hungama,” she informs.

    The video has already garnered three million views each on YouTube and Facebook. The hashtag of the campaign was also trending on various social media platforms. 

    Behind every successful electronic advertisement, there’s a music director and lyricist, who is credited for drawing everyone’s attention at one go. And such is the case with this campaign whose lyrics have been penned by none other than Prasoon Pandey. Moreover, the ad’s soulful and catchy music has been given by music director Dhruv Ghanekar. The lyrics through its simple yet catchy wordings, builds the protagonist in the TVC up to a superman who can find a solution to anything through his clever mettle and yet finds himself at loss when luck averts its eyes from him. 

    The ad resonates well with every guy or girl who has a sense of pride in finding quick solutions, and yet is constantly worried if their fixes will sustain.

  • Skip Maurice

    Skip Maurice

    MUMBAI: Recording a holiday message for his employees is a tradition for Publicis Groupe CEO Maurice Lévy. And complying with the tradition, that’s just what he did this year too… ’cept this year’s holiday greeting video from Lévy found a wider audience amongst netizens, with its witty take on skippable advertisement.

    To the television audience, advertisement breaks are an excuse to flip through channels and look for a different entertaining program. When Video On Demand (VOD) platforms gained traction amongst digital audience, the ‘Skip Ad’ feature soon became a popular one, with YouTube taking the lead.

    Being an advertising agency itself, it is ironic how the company’s CEO took to ‘Skippable Ads’ to deliver his message to employees. The idea was to bank on everyone’s habit of skipping ads to go to the content and do exactly the opposite! Confused? Don’t be… Read on…

    “Times are too tough to play around so don’t expect anything funny or any technological tricks. I’ve long suspected that only a handful of you are actually paying attention to what I have to say. Although it’s often tempting to skip the ads and get to the content, this time you should be glad to skip me and watch some ads,” says a poker faced Lévy in a YouTube video.

    However, 28 seconds into the video the humour quotient is just about to hit the roof as instead of the traditional ‘Skip Ad’ button that one is used to seeing on the video screen, there’s a… wait for it… ‘Skip Maurice’ button! However, this is “just a ploy” as Lévy continues his speech while crashing each ad spot and it must be said that for a septuagenarian, he totally rocks and how!

    Should you choose not to skip Maurice, he’ll continue his address from behind his desk. But if you’re the inquisitive kind (like us) then you would’ve definitely ‘skipped Maurice.’

    And therein lies all the fun! Watch him play cameo, especially in a shampoo advertisement, which adds to the comic relief of the entire concept. From spoon feeding yoghurt to a woman, washing his shirt, starring in a shampoo commercial a la L’Oreal (touché), cleaning his teeth in a toothpaste ad to appearing inside a sink for a liquid cleanser ad, Lévy enthrals the audience while also highlighting the company’s plans to enhance the power of one in the coming year. 

    In this 2:55 minute video titled ‘The Skippable Wishes,’ Lévy takes us through the agency’s benchmarks in 2015, through a series of advertisement, which he spontaneously crashes in. 

    “2015 has been a kind of bumpy ride. It’s been kind of tough for us. Nevertheless, we’ve fared pretty well in some of our operations and the most difficult part is behind us. More importantly, we have set ourselves up for a promising future,” he starts, as he talks about the company’s expectation from their Sapient acquisition, the “media palooza of which we have won more than we have lost,” the Cannes Lions wins and the highlights of the agency’s San Francisco seminar.

    It must be added here that Publicis recently lost Procter & Gamble’s media planning and buying account in North America to Omnicom as well as the L’Oréal media account in North America to WPP. Hence, for Lévy to say that 2015 has been a “bumpy ride,” would be nothing but an understatement.

    But these losses aside, Lévy goes on to say that 2016 will be a great year and that the agency has all the ingredients for it. “We will leverage the power of one across the group and our teams are excited about it. 2016 will the year of no silo, no solo, no bozo,” he says emphasising that there will be more transparency within the different departments and implementation of united effort within the company.

    “All the group’s leadership is in line and is already putting this into action. We have seen the fruit of this approach through the outstanding creative achievements and campaigns. I’m counting on you. I can’t wait to fast forward to 2016 to show our clients the potential of the transformed Publicis Group and the power of one,” he says.

    As was reported earlier by Indiantelevision.com, Publicis recently undertook a major client-centric restructuring for 2016, wherein the agency will be breaking down its disciplines into four distinct ‘solution hubs’ with each client that will be led by a chief client officer. And that’s exactly what Lévy speaks about here.

    He concludes the video by dedicating his wishes to the victims of Paris terrorist attacks on 13 November.

    At the time of filing this report, the video on Publicis’ website was almost nearing 50,000 hits. If innovation and disruption is the name of the game, then this latest salvo from the agency’s CEO himself wins it hands down.

    PS: There’s a strategically placed coffee mug on his desk, which says, “Yes I am the BOSS!”

    Well, Mr Lévy, after watching this video, we have absolutely no doubts about that!

  • YouTube Rewind: What India watched in 2015

    YouTube Rewind: What India watched in 2015

    MUMBAI: 2015 has been an exciting year on YouTube in India. One saw more and more people consuming content on digital platforms, with YouTube leading the pack. YouTube has garnered a huge fan following not only in terms of the audience but also amongst original content creators in India. While YouTubers like All India Bakchod (AIB) and The Viral Fever (TVF) rose to superstardom, an array of new players also joined in to professionally create videos for YouTube. Even big screen celebrities were seen more open to experimenting with artists online.

     

    As per YouTube Rewind, the top trending YouTube video in India in 2015 was AIB: ‘Every Bollywood Party Song feat. Irrfan,’ followed by ‘Chhota Bheem – aur – Krishna Jodi No. #1.’

     

    In spite of the huge surge in original digital content from YouTubers, it is mainstream media, which still commands YouTube viewership. As per the data, six out of 10 in the list of top most trending videos on YouTube  belong to mainstream media, including television and film.

     

    The data also sheds light on the fact that in 2015, comedy ruled in India. This is evident as five out of top 10 most viewed videos on YouTube were of the comedy genre. 

     

    Grabbing the first spot is the amusing comic music video by AIB: ‘Every Bollywood Party Song feat. Irrfan,’ which redefined comedy and gave the video a very refreshing twist. AIB’s ‘Honest Indian Weddings (Part 1),’ ‘PK movie Spoof,’ TVF’s ‘Barely Speaking with Arnub | Arvind Kejriwal’ are amongst the other top trending comedy videos, which were placed in the list of top 10.

     

    2015 was also a good year for music with Honey Singh’s ‘Dheere Dheere Se Meri Zindagi video song (OFFICIAL),’ ‘Chittiyaan Kalaiyaan Video Song’ and ‘Badshah – DJ Waley Babu’ being the top most trending music video locally.

  • Toonz Animation to develop Gummy Bear series for YouTube

    Toonz Animation to develop Gummy Bear series for YouTube

    MUMBAI: India-based Toonz Animation has signed a major deal with Gummybear International Inc, which will see the two companies extend the Gummy Bear IP into entertainment and merchandising. Additionally, YouTube has commissioned an initial 39 x 7’ episodes series, which Toonz will produce from its studio in India.

     

    Plans are also afoot to expand Gummy Bear’s presence online and in consumer products and exploit the brand in the television and feature film space.

     

    Gummy Bear (originally Gummibär in its native Hungary) is an internet phenomenon. The dancing and singing bear has grown into a YouTube multi-channel Gummy Bear network with over 5.2 billion video views and over 1.5 million subscribers in total. His multi-lingual abilities have led to a huge international following with his music released in over 40 different countries and in over 27 different languages. The original Single “I Am A Gummy Bear (The Gummy Bear Song}” was a Top 10 Hit in many major markets and reached No.1 on the Itunes Dance Charts in the USA, where it reached double platinum status.

     

    Toonz Media Group CEO P Jayakumar said, “With its considerable online fan base, this property has all the ingredients to be a success far beyond its current online presence. The commission by YouTube for a series of dedicated episodes is the first step in our plans to help build Gummy Bear into a 360° brand encompassing traditional broadcast, feature films and licensed merchandise.”

     

    Gummybear International Inc president Jurgen Korduletsch added, “We’re excited to have found in Toonz an enthusiastic and motivated partner for the further development of our Gummy Bear. We’re looking forward to working with a company that clearly shares our vision to introduce our YouTube star to an even bigger audience by creating new content for traditional media platforms.”