Authors

DishTV has been going strong in the DTH space, crossing the 9 million-subscribers recently. In conversation with exchange4media, RC Venkateish, CEO, Dish TV, speaks about the DTH leader’s plans for 2011, the challenge of getting into brand distribution penetration and more...

Shikha Dec 8, 2010 7:49 AM

PerceptH has bagged the Deepak Fertilisers and Petrochemicals Ltd account following a multi-agency pitch that saw the participation of five agencies. The account size is pegged at around Rs 10-12 crore. TBWA and Xebec were the incumbent agencies on the business. The account also includes Ishanya Mall, Deepak Fertilisers’ retail property.

Shikha Dec 1, 2010 7:56 AM

Food shows, so far, were seen on travel channels, lifestyle channels and general entertainment channels. However, now two media groups have announced their plans to launch channels dedicated to food – Food First by Real Lifestyle Network and FoodFood by Astro and chef Sanjeev Kapoor. Is the Indian market ready for such focussed specialisation?

Shikha Nov 30, 2010 7:35 AM

While some believe that tier-three channels play a key role in building frequency and even brands, for some others, they are a complete no-no. In the second part of this special report on tier-three channels, we find out if they can survive the GRPs battle.

Shikha Nov 30, 2010 7:33 AM

Amongst nine key players in the Hindi general entertainment channels, there are also those that corner lower GRPs than the other GEC players or players from other genres. How do advertisers and media agencies view these tier-three channels? Are they truly effective in frequency building and brand building? What is the road ahead for them?

Shikha Nov 29, 2010 7:39 AM

Gautam Sharma has joined India TV as Senior Vice-President, Sales. He moves from Star News, where he was working as Assistant Vice-President and Head of Revenue (North) for four years. Sharma has also worked with Aaj Tak, Star TV and Planman Media.

Shikha Nov 23, 2010 8:18 AM

Manoj Sharma has quit India TV as Group Business Head. He had joined India TV in January 2010 and has been responsible for the business expansion of all group companies, including Independent News, India TV Interactive, Independent Media, Studio Brahma and India TV Mission.

Shikha Nov 22, 2010 7:31 AM

Along with shifting the telecast timings of ‘Bigg Boss’ and ‘Rakhi Ka Insaaf’ to after 11 pm, the I&B Ministry has also restrained news channels from showing clippings of these two shows between 5 am and 11 pm, terming them as ‘adult’ content. News channel editors have called it a move in the right direction and stressed that news should have some sensitivity.

Shikha Nov 18, 2010 7:37 AM

The new TVC for Electrolux focuses on the user-friendly appliances that are so simple to use that one can easily multi-task. It features actor Sonam Kapoor, who is shown as a modern day woman who is able to accomplish several tasks at one go, thanks to the Electrolux appliances.

Shikha Nov 16, 2010 7:33 AM

Star One has chalked out some aggressive plans to beef up its programming. The channel is planning to go six days a week with all its shows by November 20, 2010. This apart, the channel has also lined up four new shows. Launched in 2004, not much action had been seen on the Star One front in the past couple of years.

Shikha Nov 10, 2010 7:36 AM

A comparatively new player in the English movie genre, WB faces tough competition from the likes of HBO and Star Movies. However, the channel is happy with its growth so far. Media planners say that the channel is on the right track, but feel that it can do much better.

Shikha Nov 9, 2010 7:31 AM

One of the most respectable names in the news media industry, MCCS’ Editor Shazi Zaman has a very simple way of viewing the business. In an exclusive conversation with exchange4media, Zaman speaks on how he views content, its nuances and the very controversial ‘TRPs’.

Shikha Nov 6, 2010 10:48 PM

Vivek Law, National Editor, CNBC TV 18, has called it quits to join Bloomberg UTV as Editor according to reliable industry sources. Law assumes his new role from November 1, 2010 and will be based out of Mumbai.

Shikha Oct 28, 2010 8:37 AM

Who said election was only serious business? As Hindi news channels gear for Bihar Elections, they prove once again that entertainment or elections, some characters can travel across genre. And hence we have Peepli Live’s Natha, Dabangg-inspired Chulbul Pandey and Bigg Boss title borrowed shows as election faces for some channels.

Shikha Oct 27, 2010 11:36 AM

WelcomHeritage Hotels has assigned its creative mandate to Crayons. The win follows a multiagency pitch. The in house ITC agency was handling the creative duties before this. The account size could not be ascertained at the time of filing the report.

Shikha Oct 27, 2010 8:20 AM

Whether it was the return of the original host or Sony’s sudden turn of fate or the sheer time gap since it was last seen, ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’ has emerged as the highest rated show amongst recently launched big-ticket properties with an opening TRP of 6.2 TVR. KBC allowed Sony to catapult to the number three spot without any support from movies or events.

Shikha Oct 21, 2010 8:32 AM

MetLife India Insurance is on the lookout for a creative agency to handle it advertising duties. The insurance company has already invited a few agencies to make the first round presentations.

Shikha Oct 18, 2010 10:55 PM

Bringing in the laughs, it seems, is paying rich dividends to channels like SAB TV and Mastiii. SAB has been outdoing channels like Imagine and STAR One. On the other hand, Mastiii’s mix of music served up with some comedy is also working. The question, however, is has there been enough experimentation in the comedy genre or is there still untapped potential here?

Shikha Oct 14, 2010 12:25 PM

The opening ceremony of the 19th CWG in Delhi hogged prime news spots on all mediums and won much international and domestic praise. However, the ratings for the opening ceremony on DD1 and DD Sports do not match all that hype. Planners state that the opening numbers are way below expectations.

Shikha Oct 11, 2010 8:05 AM

Ramsai Panchapakesan has quit Maxus as Investment Director, CTG. He is joining Etv Network as AGM, Marketing, North. This will be his second stint with Etv Network, where he will be reporting to K Subramanyam, VP, Marketing.

Shikha Oct 8, 2010 8:17 AM

Philips takes the emotional route in its new campaign for its energy efficient lamps. The idea is based on the proposition that you can keep the lights on and still save money.

Shikha Oct 6, 2010 8:09 AM

Barun Das, CEO, Zee News Ltd, has been invited to be on the jury of the finals of the news category at the 38th International Emmy Awards. The prestigious awards will be held on November 22, 2010 in New York.

Shikha Oct 6, 2010 8:03 AM

‘Bigg Boss 4’ premiered on Colors on the day that also saw the grand opening ceremony of the Delhi Commonwealth Games. With quite a few ‘controversial’ house mates and Salman Khan as host, expectations are quite high this time. exchange4media asks media planners about the reality show’s prospects.

Shikha Oct 5, 2010 8:15 AM

Brand David has won the creative mandate for Dabur Red Toothpaste and Dabur Lal Dant Manjan. Bates 141 was the incumbent agency on the business. The size of the account is pegged at around Rs 15 crore. The other agency in fray for the business was Mudra.

Shikha Oct 2, 2010 7:35 AM

Brand David has won the creative mandate for Dabur Red Toothpaste and Dabur Lal Dant Manjan. Bates 141 was the incumbent agency on the business. The size of the account is pegged to be around 15 crores. The other agency in fray for the business was Mudra.

Shikha Oct 1, 2010 4:52 PM

BEI Confluence has appointed Ajay Chaudhary as Vice President and Business Head of its flagship office in Delhi. Chaudhary moves from Percept Hakuhudo, where he was heading a number of leading businesses of the agency in Delhi.

Shikha Sep 27, 2010 8:16 AM

Even as the stage is set for India to take on Australia at home from October 1 in the series titled Championships of No. 1, Neo Cricket is gearing to make the most of the series. According to sources, Neo Cricket is aiming to make Rs 175-200 crore from the series.

Shikha Sep 24, 2010 7:51 AM

exchange4media correspondent Shikha had her hands full trying to comprehend Lintas Media Group’s Connexions, networking with the who’s who of the ad world and cheering for the Choreos winners. Yet, she ended the week in smiles with a couple of exclusives...

Shikha Sep 18, 2010 7:36 AM

Rajat Sharma’s India TV has left its rivals behind in the TRP stakes to be the new No. 1. It has unseated Aaj Tak, for long the numero uno amongst Hindi news channels, for six weeks. From Week 33 to Week 37, India TV has remained ahead of other Hindi news channels in CS 15+ category in all Hindi speaking markets.

Shikha Sep 16, 2010 7:36 AM

Priyanka Chopra and her hunks have been able to draw the eyeballs for ‘Fear Factor - Khatron Ke Khiladi 3’ so far. Season 3 has delivered average TVR of 4.36 for first week of launch compared to 4.11 in 2009 and 2.03 in 2008. However, media planners have mixed views. While some feel Priyanka is doing a better job than previous host Akshay Kumar, others think Akshay had the upper hand.

Shikha Sep 16, 2010 7:30 AM

Grey Worldwide India has added the Kwality Dairy India Ltd account to its kitty. The win follows a multi-agency pitch that had seen the participation of Euro RSCG, Law & Kenneth, Lowe Lintas, and McCann Erickson, besides Grey.

Shikha Sep 13, 2010 7:38 AM

UTV World Movies and NBC have joined hands to help cancer patients. Some of Hollywood’s biggest stars are performing live as part of a first of its kind CSR initiative, titled ‘Stand up to cancer’. This performance will be aired on UTV World Movies and NBC and the proceeds will go to the cancer patients.

Shikha Sep 11, 2010 7:42 AM

Neo Cricket is all geared for the upcoming India-Australia series, which starts from October 1. McCann Erickson, the creative agency for the series, has designed a campaign titled ‘India apni awaaz bacha ke rakho, aa raha hai Australia’. According to sources, the marketing budget has been pegged at around Rs 80-90 million.

Shikha Sep 9, 2010 7:56 AM

India lost out to Sri Lanka in the finals of the Micromax Cup, but the series recorded an average TVR of 2.27, much better than the average TVR of 1.7 garnered by the Asia Cup, which was held in June 2010 and was won by India. According to media planners, factors like India playing more matches and better distribution network boosted the ratings for Micromax Cup. exchange4media finds out more on what worked for the series.

Shikha Sep 7, 2010 8:02 AM

ESPN roping in Amitabh Bachchan as brand ambassador for the Champions League T20 tournament has evoked mixed reactions from media planners. exchange4media finds out from media planners whether Big B will help ESPN leverage numbers for the tournament, which starts from September 10, 2010.

Shikha Sep 3, 2010 8:09 AM

Animated show ‘Chhota Bheem’ has been winning kids over week after week. Seeing the success of the show, kids’ channel Pogo now plans to take it to various platforms such as on-ground promotions, online games, mobile downloads, and 360 degree activities, among others.

Shikha Aug 31, 2010 8:20 AM

Stage is set for the third annual edition of NewsNext, which will be held in Delhi on September 1, 2010. The theme this year revolves around ‘An industry in change - Has the shift begun?’ As in the previous editions, this year, too, sees a line-up of several insightful sessions such as ‘Reality of news content Vs its perception’, ‘News Television – Up close and Personal’, ‘News Television’s role for Brands’, and ‘Has the regional promise delivered?’, among others.

Shikha Aug 30, 2010 8:28 AM

The recently launched campaign for Nissan Micra, stars the uber cool Ranbir Kapoor. The ad talks about the new features of the car, like the I-key, Push Button Start, Short turning radius, with Ranbir demonstrating the features to his peers.

Shikha Aug 25, 2010 8:13 AM

Recently-released ‘Peepli Live’ is a scathing satire on a serious subject like farmers’ suicide. What the movie has also done is shown a not too flattering mirror to what Indian media has become today. Swooping down as vultures in the race for breaking news, and also the marked divide and snobbery that exists in the English media for vernacular media.

Shikha Aug 23, 2010 8:37 AM

The exchange4media Group is on course to recognise and felicitate achievers in the television news sphere at the Indian News Broadcasting Awards (INBA) 2010. The third edition of the INB Awards will be held on September 1 in Delhi. The distinguished jury, led by Jury Chairman Vinod Mehta, came together in Delhi on August 21 to deliberate on the shortlists for the INB Awards.

Shikha Aug 23, 2010 8:37 AM

After nearly a year of re-launching David, Ogilvy’s youngest brand has now moved into a new office space in Splendour Forum, Jasola, New Delhi. The office is fully operational now. David is headed by Vandana Das who is reporting to Sanjay Thapar, Group President, Ogilvy, North & East.

Shikha Aug 13, 2010 8:33 AM

Working with celebrities today brings a whole new range of challenges. While celebs lend personality and high aspirational value to brands, it is also tied with the rise and fall of the popularity graph of the celebrity himself/ herself. In the second part of this special report, exchange4media finds out how brands steer away from controversial celebs and whether the industry can look beyond movie stars and cricketers as brand endorsers.

Shikha Aug 5, 2010 8:49 AM

Brands have been utilising celebrities for quick impact or for breaking through the clutter for years now. However, in the last few years the brand and celebrity equation has evolved, at least for the advertisers, who have understood that celebrities while lending personality to a brand cannot overshadow the brand itself and should truly represent the brand. In this two part special, exchange4media explores the evolving relation of a brand and its celebrity ambassador.

Shikha Aug 4, 2010 8:47 AM

Parachute Advansed’s latest TV campaign targets the young Indian woman with a single-minded value proposition – better growth of hair. The campaign aims at giving women seeking long hair a modern scientific rationale to re-affirm their beliefs in the traditional practice.

Shikha Jul 31, 2010 9:02 AM

There is no denying that the English news genre has been one of the most hyperactive genres of the year gone by. This had less to do with action in the form of new players and much more to do with the constant attention that channels like Times Now, NDTV 24x7 and even newcomers like NewsX and News9 garnerd during the year. exchange4media takes a detailed look at how this genre has grown, the key trends, viewership profiles, ad volumes and more.

Shikha Jul 27, 2010 8:37 AM

Saatchi & Saatchi has bagged the creative duties of Harley-Davidson in India. The 360 degree account win comes on the back of a multi-agency pitch. According to industry sources, the account size is pegged at around Rs 12-15 crore. Republic was the incumbent agency for Harley-Davidson.

Shikha Jul 22, 2010 8:24 AM

Vodafone’s latest TVC introduces a new character – an animated talking parrot called Behram Anticharwala. No Zoozoos this time. How the sceptical parrot is convinced about the Rs 4 bonus card from Vodafone constitutes the gist of the TVC.

Shikha Jul 20, 2010 8:56 AM

The Headlines Today’s office in the Capital was ransacked by suspected RSS workers. The attack was reportedly to protest a sting operation that was aired by the channel to expose the saffron brigade’s links to the Mecca Masjid and Ajmer Sharif bombers.

Shikha Jul 17, 2010 8:41 AM

Gopal Krishnan has been roped in as Vice President for Mudra Delhi. He moves from Rediffusion Y&R, where he was Business Head for Airtel. This is Krishnan’s second stint with Mudra. He will be reporting to Ajay Naqvi , EVP Mudra and Head of Mudra North & East.

Shikha Jul 12, 2010 8:57 AM

With most DTH players offering high definition television, the space is set to see some tough competition. Buoyed by the ongoing FIFA World Cup and the forthcoming Commonwealth Games, HDTV is witnessing a growth spurt in India. While media planners are excited about HDTV, they feel spectrum and bandwidth for HD transmission pose the biggest problem.

Shikha Jul 6, 2010 9:14 AM

Saatchi & Saatchi has appointed Niharika Awal as Associate Creative Director. This is her second stint with the agency. Awal moves from Black Swan Life agency in Mumbai, where she was Creative Consultant. She has confirmed the development.

Shikha Jul 3, 2010 9:03 AM

With a plethora of strong and established competitors in the market, Religare Mutual Fund has quite a job in hand to stand out. Its new TVC that states that putting things in the right place and the right hands make them flourish may be too generic a thought for a brand trying to make its presence felt. What was needed was a strong value proposition.

Shikha Jun 19, 2010 8:56 AM

The next session that engaged that audiences on the Delhi leg of the exchange4media Conclave 2010 was, ‘Evolved Marketer: Lessons of an unprecedented Slowdown.’ It witnessed the participation of Gaurav Gupta, Director – Marketing, General Motors India, Himanshu Khanna, Director- Marketing, Wrigley India and Santosh Kanekar, Director - Marketing, Diageo India.

Shikha Jun 10, 2010 8:37 AM

The Delhi leg of the exchange4media Conclave 2010 was held in the Capital on June 9. The annual flagship event of the exchange4media Group, the Conclave is special this year as it marks the commencement of the Group’s 10th Anniversary celebrations. The theme for the Conclave this year is ‘Rebooting the Indian media and advertising industry’. The first session that kicked off the Conclave delved on ‘Media Service Brands – a creation of the past decade; what is next?’ and witnessed some riveting arguments from the star studded panel.

Shikha Jun 10, 2010 8:36 AM

The new TVC for Paramount Cables takes the humour peg to get the message across that its wires are lead-free wires. The ad supports Paramount’s claim of launching India’s first lead-free wires, which do not harm one’s health.

Shikha Jun 9, 2010 8:13 AM

Brand India’s success story amid a gloomy global slowdown scenario has been inspiring. However, now is the time to pave the path for the future and address issues like corruption, education and healthcare. These issues were covered in detail at a panel discussion on ‘Brand India – Determining the future’, organised by NewsX in partnership with the CEO Club India. exchange4media was the online partner for this event.

Shikha Jun 7, 2010 8:20 AM

Introduced way back in 1907, Rooh Afza from Hamdard Laboratories has been seeking to keep up with the times. Actress Juhi Chawla had appeared in its TVCs a few years back to show how this ‘sharbat’ could fit into a modern household. The new TV campaign takes this peg further and revolves around everyday moments of celebration and positions Rooh Afza as the perfect refresher for these moments.

Shikha Jun 3, 2010 8:28 AM

Following its inclusion in October 2008 in The Kantar Group, WPP’s information, insight and consultancy division, TNS, the world’s largest custom market research specialist, has been growing from strength to strength. In an exclusive conversation with exchange4media, Pedro Ros, CEO, TNS, highlighted the five areas that is agency is focusing on to spur further growth.

Shikha Jun 1, 2010 8:19 AM

After having unveiled a new brand identity, NewsX, soon to be IMN News (Independent Media Network), has appointed MPG as its media agency of record. MPG won the business after a multi-agency pitch, which commenced a few months back. IMN News officials have confirmed the development to exchange4media.

Shikha May 27, 2010 8:36 AM

After having unveiled a new brand identity, NewsX, soon to be IMN News (Independent Media Network) has appointed MPG as its media agency of record. MPG won the business after a multi-agency pitch, which commenced a few months back. IMN News officials have confirmed the development to exchange4media.

Shikha May 26, 2010 12:41 PM

The new TVC for Pizza Hut encapsulates the dilemma of today’s youngsters when it comes to treating their friends. The whole point of the ad is to inform about the economical price range at Pizza Hut so that today’s youngsters don’t shy away from treating their friends out.

Shikha May 26, 2010 9:18 AM

The role of digital media, especially social media, came up for special discussion at the inaugural PR & Corporate Communications Summit. Panelists also spoke about the close synergy between marketing and corporate communication and the need to explore that further.

Shikha May 24, 2010 8:36 AM

Despite maintaining a low-key profile, David, Ogilvy's youngest agency brand, has been quite busy. After bagging quite a few new clients, including brands from Dabur and GlaxoSmithKline, and roping in Vandana Das as Branch Head, David is now set to get a new office in Delhi.

Shikha May 24, 2010 8:20 AM

ESPN is on the lookout for a creative partner for the upcoming Champions League Twenty20 tournament. Several leading creative agencies are said to have been invited for the pitch that will take place next week. Though the account size could not be ascertained, it is believed to be huge.

Shikha May 20, 2010 8:08 AM

IMN News (formerly NewsX) has an uphill task ahead of it, if media planners’ reaction is anything to go by. While the rebranding exercise has been welcomed by the media planners, it’s a wait and watch to see what changes will be effected in its content line-up and positioning. The general consensus is that changing the channel name is not enough.

Shikha May 13, 2010 8:43 AM

Delhi is set to get a new Ad Club. The initiative is led by Prathap Suthan, National Creative Director, Cheil Communications. The club currently goes with a temporary name of ‘The Delhi Alternative’. According to Suthan, “Delhi being one of the major advertising hubs, deserves to have an ad club or forum to provide feedback to industry and lead the industry higher.”

Shikha May 11, 2010 8:24 AM

Broadcast24 will soon add a dedicated sports news channel to its kitty. Christened, Sports24, the new channel will sport a youthful look and feel. Anurradha Prasad, MD, BAG Films, explained, “The requirement is of dedicated sports news 24x7. Only 30-40 per cent of the content on news channels right now is on sports, whereas we will offer the audience sports news content as it happens all the time.”

Shikha May 7, 2010 8:34 AM

Hindustan Times has appointed Sudeep Mukhia as Resident Editor in Delhi. Mukhia takes over from Yashwant Raj, who now moves to Washington DC as HT’s North America representative. Mukhia comes from CNN-IBN, where he was part of the channel’s launch team in 2005. He would report to Sanjoy Narayan, Editor-in-Chief, Hindustan Times.

Shikha May 4, 2010 8:33 AM

Move over Jaaved bhai and your ‘It’s different’ sauce. Here comes ‘stuntwoman’ Shefali Chayya, who is ready to go to any lengths to lay her hands on the newly launched Del Monte sauces. The new ad grabs the attention and leaves one curious to know what the sauces taste like.

Shikha Apr 27, 2010 8:51 AM

The new ad for Airtel Digital TVR banks on the Saif-Kareena chemistry to highlight its feature, wherein one can record one’s favourite show with the help of one’s mobile phone even when one is outside the house. A chirpy Kareena would remind one of the bubbly Geet in the movie ‘Jab We Met’.

Shikha Apr 22, 2010 8:51 AM