PepsiCo launches Gatorade Sports Mix; plans niche advertising to reach its TG
With the launch of Gatorade Sports Mix, PepsiCo India has entered into the powder category here. Gatorade, which is a bottled sports drink, has been quickly gaining popularity with the sport and fitness loving Indian youth. The launch of its powdered variety is the brand extension of Gatorade, which has been in the offing for a while.

One Club to hold the second annual Creative Week in NYC from May 10-16
The One Club has announced the initial line-up for the second annual Creative Week, which will take place in New York City from May 10 to May 16, 2010. Creative Week is a celebration of creativity in advertising, design, digital media and the arts. Creative Week NYC events can be registered at www.creativeweeknyc.org.

Flashed Yesterday: Karishma Initiative bags Hamdard’s media biz
Following a multi-agency pitch, Hamdard (Wakf) Laboratories, Delhi has assigned Karishma Initiative (KI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Lintas India Pvt Ltd as its media AOR. The agency will handle the entire product portfolio including its hero brands - RoohAfza, Safi, Roghan Badam Shirin, Cinkara. The pitch saw participation of five agencies besides Lintas India’s Karishma Initiative. The account size is pegged at Rs 30 crore.

Flashed Yesterday: Span Communications, Crayons Advertising bag part of Incredible India’s international campaign
Span Communications and Crayons Advertising have once again bagged the advertising duties for part of Incredible India’s international campaign. Span Communications has bagged the business for TV campaign in Europe and America, while the print campaign in Europe has been assigned to Crayons Advertising.

Span Communications, Crayons Advertising bag part of Incredible India’s international campaign
Span Communications and Crayons Advertising have once again bagged the advertising duties for part of Incredible India’s international campaign. Span Communications has bagged the business for TV campaign in Europe and America, while the print campaign in Europe has been assigned to Crayons Advertising.

Donear Suitings opts for Thought Bubbles following multi-agency pitch
Donear Industries Ltd has appointed Thought Bubbles, the agency led by Manoj Motiani, for the advertising duties for Donear Suitings & Shirtings. The win comes in a wake of a multi-agency pitch. The ad spend is estimated in the region of Rs 8-10 crore. The media part of the business will be handled internally by Donear Industries Ltd.

Domor and TNS launch study to measure effectiveness of cricketing events
Domor Communication Consulting, in partnership with TNS, has kicked off a marketing effectiveness study, termed as ‘Consumer Response to Investment in Cricket’ (CRIC). CRIC is aimed at measuring the effectiveness of cricketing events largely for sponsors/advertisers who use these events as a marketing platform.

I don’t know any holding company that honours India like Omnicom does: Tim Love
“I don’t know any holding company that honours India like Omnicom does. They call APAC, Asia, SE Asia, we call it India. Even my card mentions APIMA, which basically means Asia Pacific India Middle East Africa. Our vision is not of the vision of the present, but of where we see things going in the future. It is estimated that by 2025, India will be the second largest economy and that to my understanding merits being paid attention to,” says Tim Love, Vice Chairman, Omnicom Group and CEO, Omnicom APIMA.

Flashed Yesterday: TBWA\India pockets NewsX; account size pegged at Rs 15 cr
It is learnt from sources close to the development that TBWA\India has bagged the duties for integrated communication for NewsX. The win comes on the back of a multi-agency pitch that involved incumbent agency McCann Erickson and Lowe, besides TBWA\India. The size of the business is pegged at approximately Rs 15 crore.

TBWA\India pockets NewsX; account size pegged at Rs 15 cr
It is learnt from sources close to the development that TBWA\India has bagged the duties for integrated communication for NewsX. The win comes on the back of a multi-agency pitch that involved incumbent agency McCann Erickson and Lowe, besides TBWA\India. The size of the business is pegged at approximately Rs 15 crore.

Flashed Yesterday: Real estate Co Alpha G:Corp appoints iris as its communication partner
Real Estate company Alpha G:Corp has appointed independent agency iris to create a regional integrated campaign for its new AlphaOne mall in Amritsar. iris will be responsible for all pre- and post-launch activity for the centre, which will include press ads, radio, outdoor, POS, newspaper inserts, on-ground activation.

1pointsize bags Odyssey India’s Editions stores business
Odyssey India, the company claimed to be behind India’s fastest growing leisure store chain, has assigned the creative duties for its new brand ‘Editions’ to Chennai-based ad agency 1pointsize. Editions sells luxury pens and a range of high-end writing instrument accessories. Odyssey India has set aside a marketing budget of Rs 80 lakh to Rs 1 crore over the next one year to promote Editions stores across the metros.

Smith & Jones Masala Noodles takes a cheeky dig at Maggi in new ad
Hardly had the row over the Rin and Tide died down, when comes another ad where a brand has dragged the name of its competitor, this time, a print ad. It is Smith & Jones, which has tongue-in-cheek incorporated the name of competitor Maggi in the ad for its Masala Noodles Tadka Maar Ke.

Ogilvy India lands up with the 2010 campaign for adidas India
Following a multi-agency pitch, adidas India has appointed Ogilvy India to work on its new campaign for 2010. With the upcoming ICC World Cup 2010, the sportswear manufacturer wants to create a buzz with the new campaign. Ogilvy India will be working on the current project for 2010. TBWA\India is the incumbent agency.

Karishma Initiative partners with Media2Win; enters the digital arena
Karishma Initiative (KI), a wholly owned subsidiary of Lintas India Pvt. Ltd., has entered into a partnership with Media2Win, a digital marketing solution company. Through this partnership, the agency will further augment its focus on providing customized and holistic solutions to clients.

Real estate Co Alpha G:Corp appoints iris as its communication partner
Real Estate company Alpha G:Corp has appointed independent agency iris to create a regional integrated campaign for its new AlphaOne mall in Amritsar. iris will be responsible for all pre- and post-launch activity for the centre, which will include press ads, radio, outdoor, POS, newspaper inserts, on-ground activation.

WLC College back in Crayons Advertising’s folds
Crayons Advertising has been assigned the creative duties of WLC College. TBWA\India was the incumbent agency. It may be noted that Crayons had earlier handled the WLC College business from 1998 to 2006, after which the creative duties were being handled in-house by the College. TBWA\India had won the account in December 2009 following a multi-agency pitch.

Sepia Advertising to handle advertising duties of Sci-D’vine Foundation
Sepia Advertising has been appointed to handle the advertising for Sci-D’vine Foundation (The Science of Divine Living), which includes media, creative, OOH and Internet activities for the Foundation. The account size has been pegged at Rs 4 crore.

MediaCom busy with new hires & new businesses
MediaCom India office is buzzing with action. The agency has hired Avinash Pillai as National Buying Head. The agency had recently added Hygienic Research Institute (HRI) portfolio in the wake of a multi-agency pitch, and now has also won the business of Turkish Airlines. While the HRI account is pegged at Rs 20 crore, Turkish Airlines is in the vicinity of Rs 10 crore. MediaCom MD Divya Gururaj is all set for a busy year ahead.

ONGC media & creative pitch enters final stage, decision expected soon
The Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) media and creative pitch has entered the final stage. The pitch has been called as there is a lock-in period of 2-3 years of agency empanelment. The incumbent agencies are Rediffusion Y&R, Grey Worldwide, RK Swamy BBDO and Bates141.

Sam Balsara enthralls young professionals at IAA’s One-on-One
The International Advertising Association (IAA) recently held a one-on-one with Sam Balsara, where the ad veteran interacted with Young Professionals of IAA’s India Chapter. Balsara shared several interesting anecdotes from his life in advertising.

Pepsi creates ‘Wow’ anthem for Youngistaanis; to co-create music video
Following its latest campaign creating the ‘Wow’ factor, Pepsico India has now taken the concept forward with a ‘Wow anthem for Youngistaanis. This anthem proposes to be ‘of the youth’, ‘by the youth’ and ‘for the youth’ and has been implemented through extensive radio activation in partnership with Radio Mirchi.

The industry should not appear worried about the decline in listenership: Prashant Panday
“The radio industry needs to ask itself the question as to why listenership has declined. My point is that if you want to increase listenership in radio, you will have to increase the number of FM stations in the city. In our country, we need to create supply, because when you create supply, you also create demand as we are a starved economy. The industry should not appear worried about the decline in listenership. The fact is that we have to get our priorities right,” says Prashant Panday, CEO, ENIL.

Rin Vs Tide: Kolkata HC orders Rin ad to be taken off air with immediate effect
The Kolkata High Court has passed an ad interim order in the Rin versus Tide ad war case. The Court order restrains HUL from advertising its recent Rin ad. The Court has supported P&G’s belief that the ad is disparaging and has instructed HUL to take the advertisement off immediately. The court has also barred HUL from showing any such ads in the future.

Ad Review: Pillsbury Atta – seeking to be the nutrition custodian of Gen Next
General Mills has unveiled a new TVC for its Pillsbury Atta with Multi-Grains brand. Taking the ‘extra nutrition’ plank, the TVC talks about ‘aaj ke bachche’, who are smart and multi-taskers and need the nutrition that can keep up with their hectic lives. But will the ad be able to create the key differentiation in the branded atta category?

Ad Review: Revenge sweet revenge, Tata Sky Plus ad shows how
After the crackling Aamir Khan-Gul Panag chemistry, Tata Sky Plus has rolled out a series of three new ads that show the lady of the house get back at her husband for not letting her watch her favourite soap because of his cricket match. The ads have been conceptualised by Ogilvy India.

Santosh Desai captures the everyday soul of middle class India in ‘Mother Pious Lady’
Santosh Desai, Head of Future brands and a known name in the Indian media, advertising and marketing industry, released his book, ‘Mother Pious Lady - Making sense of Everyday India’, amid a high-profile audience in Mumbai on March 3, 2010. The book narrates the saga of changing urban middle class India in a witty and engaging way.

Clio 2010: India’s Santosh Padhi & Ashish Chakravorty on jury panel
The jury for Clio Awards 2010, the international advertising, design and communications competition, has been announced. From India, this year there are only two ad men on the jury panel – Santosh Padhi (Taproot India) and Ashish Chakravorty (McCann Erickson). The 51st Annual Clio Awards will be held on May 26-27 in New York City.

Rin Vs Tide: Washing dirty linen in public, literally
It is one of those rare advertising moments when brands wage public war taking the advertising route. The long Holi weekend saw Hindustan Unilever’s Rin take on Procter & Gamble’s detergent brand Tide in a direct comparison, and stating in the ad that Rin is better than Tide. Three days of uninterrupted media bombarding of the ad has raised many conversations and the big question – does this work?

Candid Marketing reinvents itself; unveils new logo and brand identity
Brand activation agency Candid Marketing is reinventing and rebranding itself. The company has unveiled a new logo and brand identity to reinvent its corporate image. In its new avatar, the company is looking to grow beyond BTL by using creative innovation as a central tool.

Doing its own way, Punj Lloyd unveils 2010 print campaign
Carrying forward its print campaign for last year that stated ‘We are Punj Lloyd’, Punj Lloyd has rolled out its first ever India-centred advertisement campaign, a series of print ads, with a common tagline ‘Done. The Punj Lloyd Way’. The ad has been conceptualised by Singapore-based agency C2 Design.

‘While BTL has gained ground, brands are far from leveraging its true potential’
“While BTL has certainly gained ground, brands are far from leveraging its true potential, especially of being able to use all consumer ‘living points’… The biggest learning is to keep believing in your point of view, your product, your clients and your people, and apply harder,” says Rajesh Ghatge, Executive Director & COO, 141Sercon.

Big Bang Awards: Dentsu is Agency of the Year; Titan Industries is Client of the Year and Maxus Media Agency of the Year
Dentsu Communications has bagged the ‘Agency of the Year’ Award, while Titan Industries walked away with the ‘Client of the Year’ Award and Maxus pocketed the ‘Best Media Agency of the Year’ Award at Ad Club Bangalore’s Big Bang Awards 2010, held in Bangalore on February 26, 2010.

ZEEL scouts for creative partner
Following the appointment of MEC as its media partner recently, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL) is now on the lookout for a creative agency. Draft FCB Ulka is the incumbent agency. It is understood that Draft FCB Ulka would retain the flagship Zee GEC channel, while the other channels under the ZEEL umbrella will have a new creative agency.

IndusInd Bank takes the humour plank to promote its services
IndusInd Bank has rolled out a series of three ads as part of its new campaign, which broke on February 26, 2010. Conceived by RK Swamy BBDO Delhi, the campaign uses subtle humour to highlight IndusInd Bank’s world-class services designed to make banking a hassle-free and pleasurable experience.

Flashed Yesterday: ING Vysya Life Insurance reviews its creative duties
It is learnt from sources close to the development that ING Vysya Life Insurance (ING Life) is reviewing its creative duties. The size of the business could not be ascertained, though an earlier news report on ING Life puts the size to be approximately Rs 20 crore. Currently, the creative duties are being handled by Rediffusion Y&R.

Slice unveils a new chapter of ‘Aamsutra’ for 2010
Slice has seen powerful consumer momentum post its re-launch two years back, creating disruptive excitement in the mango juice drinks category. Continuing with its concept of ‘Aamsutra’, which celebrates mango indulgence, PepsiCo has rolled out a new TVC, which went on air on February 26, 2010.

Cochin Ad Club invites entries for Pepper Awards 2010
The Advertising Club Cochin has called for entries for its Pepper Creative Awards 2010. A three-member panel comprising Agnello Dias, CEO, Taproot; Ramanuj Shastry, NCD, Saatchi & Saatchi; and Sagar Mahabaleshwarkar NCD, Rediffusion Y&R, would evaluate the entries for Pepper Awards 2010.

ING Vysya Life Insurance reviews its creative duties
It is learnt from sources close to the development that ING Vysya Life Insurance (ING Life) is reviewing its creative duties. The size of the business could not be ascertained, though an earlier news report on ING Life puts the size to be approximately Rs 20 crore. Currently, the creative duties are being handled by Rediffusion Y&R.

Anantha Narayan & PC Muralidharan set up India’s first brand naming consultancy
Smelling an opportunity in the brand naming space in India, Anantha Narayan has teamed up with PC Muralidharan to start one. Christened ‘Albert Dali’, the start-up, the duo claims, is India’s first end-to-end naming outfit targeted at anyone in the market for a trademarkable, domainable, positionable, communicable and sustainable brand name.

Budget 2010: The Budget needs to be pro-consumerist, say ad honchos
With just a day to go for the Union Budget 2010, the advertising fraternity does not seem to be too excited about it. Two wishes that top the list of most advertising professionals are revoking the service tax and boosting GDP growth as the ad industry is more dependent on the GDP factor. exchange4media finds out more from the Indian ad honchos.

The Ad Club Bangalore concludes judging for the Big Bang 2010
The Advertising Club, Bangalore has concluded the judging process for the Big Bang 2010, the Awards for creative excellence in advertising and media. A panel of 15 judges judged the entries from over 37 organisations, which are participating in Big Bang 2010 across nine groups and 51 categories.

Mixed Media: Is the GoaFest only about booze and the beach?
Unless care is taken to leakproof the creative Abby and get some really hot speakers, GoaFest 2010 will be yet another 'paid holiday' for adlanders, writes Pradyuman Maheshwari.

CII Brand Summit: There’s a shift from brand communications to consumer engagement: Punita Lal
Speaking on the concluding day of CII Brand Summit 2010, held in Bangalore, PepsiCo India’s Punita Lal urged advertisers to talk about share of conversations, instead of share of voices, and conceive campaigns based on big ideas rather than on brilliant advertisements.

CII Brand Summit: ‘Idea is the celebrity’
The session on ‘Engaging with Consumer through Celebrities’ saw an interesting discussion where the panelists Vivek Oberoi, Ashok Das, Harish Bijoor, Senthil Kumar, H S Goindi and Rajeev Raja gave celebrity endorsement the thumbs down, while maintaining that idea was the core and there was no substitute to idea.

Ex-Ogilvys and industry share the ‘Simple Living, Ayer Thinking’ way in Delhi
The advertising and media fraternity gathered in Delhi on February 19, 2010 to share their experiences and special memories of advertising legend SR Mani Ayer, who passed away on February 8, 2010. Nearly everyone present at the gathering remembered Ayer as a teacher, boss, friend, colleague, mentor and a person with high values and who commanded tremendous respect.

CII Brand Summit: Media convergence a friend to those who embrace it
Day Two of CII Brand Summit 2010 saw an interesting mix of speakers present their view points on the core topic ‘Marketing Disruption: How will brands woo consumers in the age of discontinuity’. One of the panel discussions saw Jonathan Howlett, Director Airtime Sales, BBC Worldwide, UK speak at length on the topic ‘Media Convergence: friend or foe?’

Bangalore celebrates the life and quirks of Mani Ayer
Sunday morning saw ex-colleagues and friends of SR Mani Ayer coming together in Bangalore to celebrate the life and quirks of the advertising legend. All present had some special experience, learning or anecdote to share. Delhi had held a similar ‘remembrance meet’ last week, that saw the Capital’s ad frat pay their tributes to Ayer.

Crayons Communications bags Shoexpress account
Crayons Communications has added Shoexpress, part of the Landmark Group, to its kitty. Launched in 2006, Shoexpress is now looking to increase awareness and build their brand. Crayons proposed a marketing strategy that treats Shoexpress as an entirely new brand.

GoaFest 2010: Ad frat looking forward to celebrating creativity at a new venue
After a year of fighting slowdown effects, the ad industry is looking forward to celebrating ‘Survival of the Freshest’ at GoaFest 2010. Another factor to look forward to is a new venue – the Utorda Beach in South Goa. This change has been welcomed by the ad fraternity, as exchange4media finds out more.

CII Brand Summit: Media should not be seen as mass or social – integration worked better: Rahul Welde
Speaking on ‘From mass media to social media’ at the fifth CII Brand Summit 2010, being held in Bangalore on February 19-20, Rahul Welde, Vice President, Media services, Asia AMET Unilever, Singapore, highlighted the various media touch points of the consumer.

CII Brand Summit: Adi Godrej’s 3 keys to build a successful brand strategy
The two-day CII Brand Summit 2010 got underway in Bangalore on February 19, 2010. The focus in the fifth edition of the Summit is on ‘Marketing Disruption: How will brands woo consumers in the age of discontinuity’. Adi Godrej held the audience’s attention with his three keys to building a successful brand strategy and rejuvenation of brand Godrej.

Remembering Mani Ayer: Industry shares memories of the legend in Delhi
The advertising and media fraternity gathered in Delhi on February 19, 2010 to share their experiences and special memories of advertising legend SR Mani Ayer, who passed away on February 8, 2010.

GoaFest 2010 to celebrate ‘Survival of the Freshest’ at a new venue
Following the announcement of GoaFest 2010 dates (April 8-10), AAAI and the Ad Club on February 19 unveiled the theme for this year – ‘Survival of the Freshest’. This apart, a new venue for the festival was also announced – Utorda Beach in South Goa, instead of the usual venue of Cavelossim beach.

As far as growth target is concerned, we are cautiously optimistic: Prasoon Joshi
“The year 2009 was tough for us, especially for the Mumbai branch, as we handle many financial and retail clients out of here, which were the two sectors that were mostly affected... But at the same time, we fortunately had some good business wins, and as a result the McCann Worldgroup India did really well... our unconventional advertising streams generated a lot... As far the growth target is concerned, we are cautiously optimistic,” says Prasoon Joshi, Executive Chairman & Regional Executive Creative Director, McCann Worldgroup.

CII Brand Summit 2010 starts off today; Adi Godrej to deliver keynote address
The two-day Brand Summit 2010 of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) gets underway in Bangalore on February 19, 2010. The Summit this year focuses on the topic ‘Marketing Disruption: How will Brands woo Consumers in the Age of Discontinuity?’ The keynote address will be delivered by Adi Godrej, Chairman, Godrej Group.

Madison Media, OMG, Starcom Worldwide in final race for General Motors’ media biz
The media pitch for General Motors has boiled down to three agencies – Madison Media, OMG and Starcom Worldwide. The auto major will be deciding on its media agency in 15 days. Industry sources have pegged the business in the vicinity of Rs 100 crore. Gaurav Gupta, Director - Marketing, General Motors, has confirmed the development.

141Sercon wins BTL mandate for the 8th Chennai Marathon
141Sercon, the below-the-line marketing agency, has won the mandate to organise the eighth edition of the Chennai Marathon. The event will be held on February 21, 2010. The marketing spends for the event are estimated at around Rs 3 crore.

Flashed Yesterday:Law & Kenneth bags Kelvinator & Sansui’s creative biz
In the wake of a multi-agency pitch that was called in December 2009, Law & Kenneth has bagged the creative duties of Kelvinator and Sansui. Company sources peg the business at Rs 40 crore. Saatchi & Saatchi was the incumbent on the business.

Crayons Advertising adds new businesses to its kitty
Crayons advertising has recently won new businesses like Khyber Cement, Harvard Business School, and International College of Financial Planning owned by Bajaj Capital. All these accounts were won after multi-agency pitches.

ASCI brings nine ads under scanner; one withdrawn, four modified
The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) has released its report for the period December 2009 on ads that were either withdrawn or modified. A total of nine ads had been brought under the scanner, of which one ad has been withdrawn, four have been modified, while four ads were not upheld by the Consumer Complaints Councils (CCC).

Grey India expands portfolio with Dabur Fem & Oxybleach wins
Close on the heels of bagging the Ferrero Group portfolio, Grey India has reportedly added Dabur’s Fem and Oxybleach business to its kitty. The accounts have been won by the agency’s Delhi office. The wins come on the back of multi-agency pitches. Though no official confirmation was forthcoming at the time of filing the report, highly placed sources have confirmed the wins.

‘Let’s Begin’ – Essar’s ‘brand’ new journey
What started as a construction company in 1969 has today expanded into a $15 billion global conglomerate with interests in steel, energy, power, telecom, shipping, construction and mining. To narrate the Essar story and communicate its philosophy, the Essar Group has launched a new communications campaign, conceptualized by O&M.

Flashed Yesterday: Pitch-Madison Media Ad Outlook 2010: Indian ad pie at Rs 21,145 cr; 13 pc growth projected in 2010
After a tough year in 2009, the Pitch-Madison Media Advertising Outlook 2010 shows a positive trend for the Indian advertising industry in 2010. The study predicts the advertising pie to be worth Rs 21,145 crore, a 13 per cent increase over 2009.

Zenga Entertainment taps into the ad potential of mobile on the back of IPL
Zenga Entertainment has signed on as the exclusive mobile partner for DLF Indian Premier League (IPL) T20 for five years, starting 2009. Zenga is using the IPL platform to open up the mobile users to the full potential and new opportunities that the medium presents for advertisers. Zenga has partnered with Matrix for monetising this initiative.

IPL franchises gear up as countdown for Season 2 begins
With barely five days to go for the IPL 2, the various League franchises have ramped up their activities that range from unveiling merchandising to innovations in brand building exercise. exchange4media speaks to a couple of IPL franchises to find out how they are going about their preparations.

IPL 2 may see average 7 pc drop in TV ratings: MEC estimates
Mediaedge:cia (MEC) on April 8, 2009 organised its first ‘Food for Thought’ session aimed at sharing the insights on consumer expectations from IP2 and their estimates of television ratings for IPL 2. As per MEC’s estimates, IPL2 might see an average drop of 7 per cent in its TV ratings. This drop is due to a combination of the forthcoming general elections and the change in venue as well.

Havas Sports ropes in Cloud9 as principal sponsor for IPL’s Chennai Super Kings
The IPL Season 2 might have shifted to South Africa, but the various franchises are going ahead with their marketing activities and strategic tie-ups. The latest is Havas Sports, which has roped in energy drink Cloud 9 as principle sponsor for the Chennai Super Kings for a substantial amount. Havas Sports will be taking a 360-degree approach and the campaign is set to launch in April.

IPL 2 teams gear up for some intense Net practice too
With IPL 2 finally on its way to South Africa, the Indian fans will have to contend with watching the matches on TV and following it up on the Internet. MSM has retained the telecast rights for the tournament, which is expected to commence from April 17. With less than a month left, the IPL teams are intensifying their activities on the Internet via their websites to garner all the support they can.

It’s confirmed: IPL 2 stays with MSM
After nearly a week of to and fro on the paperwork, the deal between World Sports Group (WSG) and Multi Screen Media (MSM) has been clinched. The telecast rights of the IPL 2 remains with MSM.

With IPL 2 moving to South Africa, will radio ad revenues take a hit?
After much drama over the last few weeks, it is now decided. The second season if Indian Premier League will now be held in South Africa. So what happens to the various media partners of the eight IPL franchise? exchange4media asks a few FM radio players, who are partnering the IPL teams, on what would be the impact of IPL shifting out of India.
IPL 2: MSM still the frontrunner in telecast partner

IPL 2: MSM still the frontrunner in telecast partner
There is clarity on at least one aspect of the Indian Premier League’s second edition. The game is headed to South Africa and six destinations have been earmarked for the series – Durban, Cape Town, Bloemfontein, Pretoria, Johannesburg and Port Elizabeth. However, the aspect that still remains to be clinched is the telecast rights partner.

IPL still to clinch telecast partner
The Bombay High Court’s long awaited decision on the BCCI-MSM case came in yesterday, where the BCCI has now been allowed to “officially” discuss IPL telecast rights with any telecast partner. However, the BCCI has left that part of the negotiation completely with Wold Sports Group. Many close to the situation expect the rights to stay with MSM.

More drama in IPL Season 2, now tournament to be held outside India
The IPL Season 2 has been seeing more twists and turns than a Balaji serial. With the BCCI now deciding to hold the tournament outside India, South Africa, England and New Zealand are emerging as the likely destinations. While fans in India are unhappy about this move, the IPL franchises are still planning their next moves following this latest development.

MSM & BCCI spat over IPL erupts again over ‘non-terminable’ clause
The Multi Screen Media and BCCI row that had appeared to be a settled matter on March 19, 2009 is under threat of erupting once again. IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi has been quoted in sections of the media as saying that MSM’s clause of binding into a non-terminable contract was “unacceptable” to the BCCI.

Major brands join hands with Delhi Daredevils team
With strong existing partners like Hero Honda, adidas, Royal Challenge and Kingfisher to support the team, the GMR-owned Delhi Daredevils team has announced its association with some of the biggest brands and top players in the corporate sector ahead of the 2009 Indian Premier League (IPL) season two.

To give or not to give: The MSM-IPL saga
The spat between Multi Screen Media and the BCCI seems to be resolved. After a high action drama on March 18, 2009, that even saw IPL Commissioner send communication to clients to not send ROs to MSM, and the IPL logo been taken off the MSM channels, MSM fought its way back to oust NDTV and retain the IPL telecast rights.

After an out of court settlement of Rs 1.6 bn, MSM gets IPL back
The various controversies over the second edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) seem to have settled down. After getting a clearance on the dates that the Centre and most of the State Governments have finally accepted, the spat between Multi Screen Media and the BCCI also seems to be resolved. MSM has retained the telecast rights for the IPL ousting close contender NDTV.

Earlier report: IPL rights kept oscillating between NDTV & Sony on March 18
The BCCI spat with Multi Screen Media (MSM) was at its peak on March 18, 2009 when both the MSM and NDTV were fighting tooth and nail for the IPL telecast rights. On March 18 it appeared that MSM had lost the IPL telecast rights completely. However, the battle was not over till then.

HC verdict on IPL telecast rights likely today; Delhi, Jaipur off venue list
The Bombay High Court is expected to give its verdict on whether Sony would retain its telecast rights for the Indian Premier League (IPL) on March 18, 2009, according to an industry source. Meanwhile, as per the revised schedule, Delhi, Jaipur and Visakhapatnam have been dropped as IPL venues for Season 2.

The IPL-MSM spat continues; NDTV in race for the League too
Just 20 days before the Series, the BCCI has displayed its discontent with Multi Screen Media over the Indian Premier League. The BCCI has terminated its IPL telecast rights deal with MSM. And the latter promptly took the matter to court. The hearing of the case would continue on March 17, 2009. In the meanwhile, sources close to the situation state that there is a good chance that MSM might lose the telecast rights, and that at least one strong contender waiting to take on the League was NDTV.

Polls, telecast rights spat spell double trouble for IPL Season 2
As if the clash of IPL matches with poll dates was not enough, now, according to industry sources, Sony has got an injunction to stop the League from discussing telecast rights with other channels. However, in a conversation with exchange4media on Saturday, Rohit Gupta had stressed that the relationship between Sony and BCCI was positive.

IPL 2 to go ahead as scheduled; franchisees give a sigh of relief
Will it, won’t it be held? Will it be moved outside India? After days of intense speculations, all uncertainties regarding the Indian Premier League Season 2 were finally removed on Friday, March 6, 2009. The IPL will go ahead as scheduled – from April 10 to May 24, with a few matches being rescheduled. All’s well that ends well.

MSM busy with IPL, regional expansion & slew of new programming on Sony
It has been two weeks now since Man Jit Singh, who has been the Chairman of the Multi Screen Media (MSM) Board since 2007, took complete charge of MSM as its interim CEO. Singh informs that MSM is busier than usual with its regional expansion plans taking off, beginning with the Eastern India market; IPL being in the process of closing the deals with its sponsors; and Sony, Max, Sab and Pix gearing for a “good year”.

Chennai Super Kings to focus more on merchandising and sponsorships
Chennai Super Kings in IPL Season 2 plans to focus more on their on-ground activities. Though the team is yet to decide on its radio partner, Chennai Super Kings has retained its earlier partners like Aircel, which is its title sponsor, and Salt Creatives, which is its creative agency. exchange4media finds out more about its marketing activities.

Delhi Daredevils set to dare once again
Gearing up for IPL Season 2, Delhi Daredevils is launching its on-ground, online and ATL campaigns, which are scheduled to be launched in the first week of March. The 360-degree campaign has been in-house creativity, while Hero Honda has been roped in a principle sponsor.

NDTV Imagine to scout for cheerleaders for IPL’s Kolkata Knight Riders
NDTV Imagine on February 20 announced the launch of a reality show, ‘Knights and Angels’, which aims to search for the final six cheerleaders for the Indian Premier League team Kolkata Knight Riders. The six-episode series will commence from February 28 and will be aired on Saturdays.

Sprite to bat with IPL’s Kolkata Knight Riders team
Gearing up for the second season of the Twenty-20 cricket extravaganza, the Indian Premier League (IPL), Coca-Cola India and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have announced their partnership, where Coca-Cola India will join forces with Kolkata Knight Riders as an associate sponsor and ‘official pouring partner’ of KKR. The company will get branding rights for Sprite on players’ apparel (leading arm) as well as on the helmet.

Situation grim between IPL & Max: BCCI seeks compensation from MSM (Sony)
The Indian Premier League (IPL) was the single biggest television property last year, and in the initial process of the second season this year, many had said that IPL almost appeared slowdown-proof. Multi Screen Media’s CEO Kunal Dasgupta, however, says that not only is IPL facing a situation where sponsors are not “interested” in the property, but there is uncertainty on whether or not the IPL would be on a Multi Screen Media channel at all, following the latest compensation issue between BCCI and MSM.

Buoyant Rajasthan Royals all set to ‘Halla Bol Phir Se’ in IPL Season 2
Rajasthan Royals plans to take a 360 degree campaign for IPL season II, the franchisee is banking by and large on the on- ground activities. It’s creative agency is Ogilvy which was also part of the team even last year.

Great expectations: Slowdown might garner good viewership for IPL
In the follow-up to the report on the Indian Premier League (IPL) dropping the exclusivity tag, exchange4media spoke to media planners on their expectations from Season 2 of IPL. Most are positive about the tournament garnering good viewership numbers, thanks to the slowdown.

IPL beats slowdown trends; removes exclusivity tag to bring in more brands
Looking at the exorbitant price tags of the players for the Season 2 of the Indian Premier League (IPL), slowdown seems to be nowhere in the picture. There have been comparisons with the Super Bowl in the recession-hit US, which saw yet another successful season and big spendings. IPL is also taking steps to make the tournament slowdown-proof. exchange4media finds out more.

English is the flavour of IPL Season II; Dhoni beaten by Pietersen & Flintoff
The inaugural Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2008 created as much news for its international player cast as it did for the exorbitant bidding amounts for these players. Season 2 of IPL is no different. With the auctioning process of players over, English players like Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff have emerged as the most expensive.

Now Shilpa Shetty joins IPL bandwagon; buys 12 pc stake in Rajasthan Royals
Rajasthan Royals on February 3 announced that Raj Kundra, CEO, Essential General Trading LLC, and actress Shilpa Shetty, who is also CEO of S2 Global Productions Pvt Ltd, have bought a 12 per cent stake in the Indian Premier League (IPL) team and the champions of the inaugural IPL tournament in 2008.

Vijay TV to capitalise on IPL season with a host of new shows
STAR’s Tamil channel Vijay TV is all geared to usher in the IPL Season 2 fever with some new shows. What’s more, the channel is planning to rope in none other than India’s cricket captain MS Dhoni for the shows’ promos. Two of these shows are ‘Chennai Super Kings Juniors’ and ‘Chennai Super Kings Cheerleaders’.

Kings XI Punjab kicks off IPL fever with Kings XI Punjab Cup
Kings XI Punjab on January 27, 2009, officially inaugurated its Season II of Indian Premier League (IPL) with the launch of the Kings XI Punjab Cup, a T-20 format game to be played between five teams from the Kings XI Punjab’s catchment area of Punjab, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, and Himachal Pradesh. The tournament will be conducted in Chandigarh and Mohali over a period of six days starting January 28 with the finals scheduled for February 2 at the PCA Stadium.

‘Expect IPL Season 2 to be bigger and better’
The unprecedented success of IPL Season 1 has made everyone – from industrialists to the viewers – expecting more from IPL Season 2. In an exclusive conversation with exchange4media, Sneha Rajani, EVP & Business Head, MAX, asserts that the Season 2 of IPL would be bigger and better.

FICCI Frames 2010: Defining No 1 in the dizzying newscape
‘The War for TV News: Defining No 1 in the dizzying newscape’ was the only news related session at FICCI Frames 2010. The final consensus that emerged was that while the ratings systems helped evaluate the performance, advertisers had to stop pitching one rating format against the other. The panel also felt that television needed one single rating system to streamline the process.

Pratiyogita Darpan to go more regional, but key focus to remain on Hindi
With more and more regional languages being introduced in competitive exams in various states, ‘Pratiyogita Darpan’, a general knowledge and current affairs magazine, plans to expand its base in regional language publication. Mahendra Jain, Editor-in-Chief, Pratiyogita Darpan, shares the magazine’s plans and also the scope for GK magazines.

8 pm IPL matches go half-covered in some newspapers because of deadline restrictions
Early print deadlines in some newspaper houses are leading them to skip the coverage of the entire IPL match which starts at 8 pm. There are, however, a few newspapers that have relaxed their deadlines especially to cover the complete IPL match. It will be interesting to see if the semi-final and final matches will force the other newspapers to extend their deadlines and give readers full match coverage.

Mumbai gets its first auto rickshaw magazine – ‘Meter Down’
Founded by three young entrepreneurs, ‘Meter Down’, a 24-page general interest monthly magazine, has been launched in Mumbai earlier in March. The idea is to provide passengers travelling in Mumbai’s auto rickshaws with short, crisp and quick-to-read articles that’ll ensure a delightful ride.

Mixed Media: Is Star Plus back as the GEC #1?
Two consecutive weeks of being the top-rated GEC is good news for Star Plus, but the channel needs to do a lot more by way of innovating in programming, writes Pradyuman Maheshwari.

Personal care advertising in print up 31 pc during 2009: AdEx Analysis
Personal care advertising in print grew by 31 per cent during 2009, as compared to 2008. The personal healthcare sub-sector led the advertising of personal care sector in print. Ratan Ayurvedic Sansthan was the top advertiser under personal care sector in print, while Dove Hair Fall Therapy System occupied the top position among the new brands.

HT, Mid-Day join the IPL3 blitz with mass level print activity
IPL3 has been witnessing various marketing activities around it. Joining this bandwagon were Hindustan Times and Mid-Day, which brought out no less than eight full page ads on their front page, denoting the eight IPL teams for their editions on March 12, 2010, the day the tournament kicked off. The entire mass level print activity for HT was conceptualised by Maxus, while Ogilvy India is the creative agency for the print campaign.

Chennai-based SRM Group to launch Tamil TV channel for youth
Diversified Chennai-based SRM Group, which launched Tamil weekly magazine ‘Puthiya Thalaimurai’ in October 2009 under it’s media division, Generation Now Media, is gearing up to further expand as a media conglomerate. In the pipeline is a Tamil satellite television channel for youth. RP Sathyanarayanan, MD, SRM Group, shares the Group’s plans with exchange4media.

With 6.95 TRP, DLF IPL3 opening match delivers better than last season
TAM Media Research has released the numbers for the opening match and inaugural ceremony of DLF IPL – Season 3. Whether it is another signal of a recovering economy or the fact that IPL is back in India, but with a TRP of 6.95 in the six metros, the opening match has scored better than last season, however not as high as Season 1. TAM has also released the numbers for digital households.

Tamil daily Dinakaran takes over the lead from Daily Thanthi again
Tamil daily Dinakaran has regained its No. 1 position. According to the latest ABC results released on March 10, 2010, Dinakaran has widened the gap with its nearest rival, Daily Thanthi, by 43,346 net paid copies. While Dinakaran has a net paid circulation of 1,235,220 copies, Daily Thanthi has a circulation of 1,191,874 copies (Source ABC, July-Dec, 2009). As per the report, Dinakaran has registered a growth of 9 per cent, while Daily Thanthi has a 5 per cent growth.

MIB bans FTV till March 21 for showing nudity on channel
The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting has prohibited transmission/ re-transmission of FTV channel with effect from 7.00 pm on March 12, 2010 till 7.00 pm on March 21, 2010, on cable television networks and any other platform throughout the country.

‘Leveraging assets and innovation is the way forward for print media’
‘Unleashing the power of print: Kickstarting Advertising Revenues’ was the focal point of the day-long workshop conducted by INMA in Mumbai on March 10. The workshop saw industry biggies from both print and media agencies provide solutions to various issues facing the print industry.

Swayamvar seasons on Imagine: Rahul scores… but not as high as Rakhi
Imagine TV had hit jackpot with ‘Rakhi Ka Swayamvar’ and clocked a TRP of 8.4 for the two-hour long finale that was aired on August 2, 2009. In comparison, the final episode of Swayamvar Season 2 – ‘Rahul Dulhaniya Le Jayega’ – had scored a TVR of 5.6. Media planners say this is a natural phenomenon as the first season’s ratings are usually higher than the subsequent seasons. That coupled with Rakhi Sawant’s ability to pull viewers, made all the difference for the first season.

Genre Check: Top 3 Hindi GECs cross 300 GRPs; overall genre on a new high
Even if the week gone was an aberration for Hindi general entertainment channels, as far as genre performance is concerned, it signifies the positive direction that the genre has been in, in the last few months. At one point, Colors and Star crossing the 300-GRP mark made news. This week, Star Plus, which has beaten Colors second week in a row, Colors and Zee TV, all crossed the 300-GRP mark. The second tier channels have also thrown consistent robust numbers.

TOI comes up with innovative cut-out exercise for Volkswagen
After the first ever print roadblock for Volkswagen in November 2009, The Times of India has now come up with an innovative cut-out exercise for the car maker. This innovation has been carried across all editions of The Times of India and is part of Volkswagen’s aggressive campaign for the India market.

INMA Awards 2010: 13 marketing campaigns of 6 Indian papers selected as Finalists
Thirteen marketing campaigns of six Indian newspapers have been selected as finalists at the INMA Awards 2010 competition. Mid-Day has bagged the maximum number of Finalists for Marketing Campaigns (six) across the world. Among the finalists, 30 first-place award recipients across three circulation groups in 10 categories will be publicly announced on April 28 at the 80th Annual INMA World Congress in New York.

Independent News & Media sells partial stake in Jagran Prakashan
Independent News and Media Plc has informed the BSE that it has sold 23.5 million ordinary shares of Jagran Prakashan Ltd. The sale represents approximately 7.8 per cent of the issued share capital of Jargan Prakashan and reduces Independent News and Media’s holding in the former to 5.7 per cent from the earlier 13.5 per cent.

English movie channels come up with counter-measures to take on IPL
With barely five days for the start of IPL3, various entertainment and movie channels are gearing up to beef up their content line-up to retain eye-balls during the IPL tournament. English movie channels have come up with their versions of ‘Movie Premier Leagues’, promising a bonanza of Hollywood blockbusters.

Consumer durables advertising in print up 9 pc in 2009: AdEx Analysis
Consumer durables advertising in print increased by 9 per cent during 2009, as compared to 2008. Television sets was the most advertised category of the consumer durables sector in print, with LG Electronics India Ltd ruling in advertising of consumer durables in print during 2009.

aMap set for IPL3
Following last year’s initiative of overnight reporting during the Indian Premier League (IPL), aMap (Audience Measurement and Analytics) aims to go to the next level this time by providing overnight ad monitoring/audit, competitive analysis and real-time ratings during the IPL tournament.

Maheshwer Peri’s Careers360 launching in Hindi too
Careers360, the careers magazine published by Maheshwer Peri through Pathfinder Publishing India Pvt Ltd, is all set to launch the Hindi edition of the magazine. The Hindi edition of the magazine, a monthly, is priced at Rs 15, whereas the English edition is priced at Rs 40.

Noorings: News or GEC – Ratings God sure knows how to keep life interesting
Everyone loves rankings. In broadcasting, Ratings gives Ranking. Last week was one of the most interesting ‘ratings week’ of 2010 so far. Media heavyweights commented on how most channels claimed to be ‘No. 1’ during Budget coverage – Facebook had some interesting comments. Then of course, Hindi GECs got many talking when, after over five months, Star Plus took the No. 1 slot from Colors.

IPL3 may see 14 pc rise in ratings vis-à-vis 2009: MEC estimates
Mediaedge:cia (MEC), in its third edition of ‘Food for Thought’ session, held in Mumbai on March 5, predicted an increase of 14 per cent in viewership for IPL3 vis-à-vis IPL2, but 4 per cent lower than the inaugural IPL. These predictions are for the league matches and among Adults, 15+ years, ABC and CS.

India-South Africa ODI ratings fail to impress media planners
The India- South Africa ODI series saw an average TVR of 5.0 per cent, which is a combination of both Neo Cricket and DD1 in the TG CS 4+. Most media planners that exchange4media spoke to felt that these ratings were not as per expectations despite India playing well and Tendulkar scoring a double ton.

Flashed Yesterday: Budget 2010: CNBC-TV18 & CNBC Awaaz viewed the most on Budget day
TAM Media Research ratings for Union Budget 2010 coverage are out. On Budget day, CNBC TV18 has emerged the top viewed channel in the English news genre. CNBC Awaaz, the Hindi channel from the group, tops in its genre as well.

Discovery Networks APAC expands channel bouquet in India with Discovery HD
Close on the heels of launching Discovery Science and Discovery Turbo channels in January 2010, Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific has now expanded its channel bouquet in India to six with the launch of Discovery HD. Discovery HD is available on the Sun Direct platform.

Makkal TV ropes in V Murugan as COO; revamps content line-up
Makkal TV is all set get a facelift with an array of programmes designed to appeal to all members of the family. The initiative is spearheaded by a rejuvenated channel team headed by new COO, V Murugan.

Afternoon band opens well for Colors, but declines in second week
In a bid to continue capturing the highest share of the GRP pie, Colors had launched two new shows in its afternoon time band, christened ‘Saanjhi Dopahar’. The two shows have debuted with “decent” numbers, but have dropped in the second week. This could be one of the reasons why Colors overall GRPs slipped, and week 8 was the first week in 2010, when Star Plus beat Colors to be the No. 1 channel.

Dipayan Chowdhury takes over as National Sales Head, DNA
DNA has announced the elevation of Dipayan Chowdhury as its National Sales Head. Chowdhury has been with the organisation since its inception. With over 19 years of experience he has worked across the media and FMCG industries. His earlier stints with print were with ABP, Business Standard and Hindustan Times.

Budget 2010: CNBC-TV18 & CNBC Awaaz viewed the most on Budget Day
TAM Media Research ratings for Union Budget 2010 coverage are out. On Budget day, CNBC TV18 has emerged the top viewed channel in the English news genre. CNBC Awaaz, the Hindi channel from the group, tops in its genre as well.

BBC World News follows programme revamp with distribution pact with Sun Direct
Close on the heels of its programme revamp, BBC World News has signed a deal with Sun Direct for the channel’s distribution. Colin Lawrence, Commercial Director, BBC World News, has reiterated the importance of India as a market and added that the deal with Sun Direct is a starting point for the channel’s plans in India in 2010.

Experiment, consolidate: 2010 promises another busy year for music channels
Most of the music channels underwent rebranding and content revamp in 2009, introducing a fresh infusion of music and reality shows. And it appears that it has worked out well for the music channels. What next in 2010? exchange4media finds out from some key players in the music genre.

Automobile advertising in print up 7% during 2009: AdEx Analysis
Print advertising of automobile sector increased by 7 per cent during 2009, as compared to 2008.High advertising share for passenger vehicles was seen under the automobile sector in print. Tata Motors Ltd was the number one advertiser of the automobile sector during 2009.

Star Gold completes a decade; opening up more programming slots
Following completion of 10 years of operations, Hindi movie channel Star Gold is now opening up new programming slots to cater to a wider audience base. The channel, which contributes approximately 20 per cent of Star India’s total annual revenue, intends to maintain this figure this year as well.

Despite 90 pc inventories sold, media planners not so enthusiastic about Hockey World Cup
Stage is set for the Hockey World Cup 2010, which is being held from February 28 to March 13 in Delhi. Ten Sports, which has broadcast rights for the championship, is expecting a rating of 2 TVR at least on key matches, which is said to be equivalent to test matches. However, some media planners doubt whether the matches would garner mass audience.

Sahara Samay rechristened as Samay Mumbai; launches 22 new shows
Sahara Samay, the Hindi news channel from Sahara India Pariwar, has donned a new identity as Samay Mumbai. While the name ‘Sahara’ has been dropped, the Sahara logo continues to be a part of the channel’s identity. The channel has also introduced 22 new shows and aims to become the first one-stop Mumbai centric city channel.

Sachin gives 200 reasons for ratings boost of first two India-SA ODIs
Sachin Tendulkar’s double century in the second ODI and India’s remarkable victories in both the ODI matches against South Africa have raised the expectations of media planners and the broadcaster in gaining maximum eyeballs. exchange4media finds out more.

Budget 2010: Broadcasters urge cut in taxes, seeing TV as infrastructure
Most of the Budget wishlist of broadcasters and distributors revolve around reduction in entertainment taxes and custom duties. Some of the broadcasters have also urged the Government to see television as infrastructure of the entertainment industry.

Budget 2010: For the print media industry, it’s old demands and renewed hopes
The Indian print media industry is hoping for favourable Budget announcements from Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee today. In the first budget after the economic slowdown, the industry wants parity in Government and market ad rates. Print players have also urged the Government not to increase the rates of custom duty, excise duty, and anti-dumping duty. exchange4media finds out more on what’s there on the print industry’s Budget wishlist.

Colors to spice up IPL with ‘IPL Tadka Maar Ke’
Hindi GEC Colors has rolled out a new campaign to highlight its new ‘cricketainment’ property, called ‘IPL Tadka Maar Ke’. So far, five TVCs have been released and are on air. ‘IPL Tadka Maar Ke’ aims to combine cricket with glamour, music, Bollywood and fashion.

Food & Beverages sector advertising in print jumps 24 pc during 2009: AdEx Analysis
Food & Beverages sector advertising in print increased by 24 per cent during 2009, as compared to 2008. Beverages was the top category advertised under this sector. PepsiCo India Holding (P) Ltd and Coca Cola India Ltd were the top two advertisers of the Food & Beverages sector in print during 2009.

Noorings: Content-distribution-consumer – the vicious cycle that holds back TV
Distribution remains the trickiest of all functions for Indian television broadcasters. Digitisation of distribution platforms was supposed to be the answer to reducing dependence on ad revenues and leading to subscription. But instead, broadcasters have added another complication to the list. It is this slow takeoff of digital distribution platforms that has become one of the key reasons that have kept television behind mediums such as print and online when it comes to specialised content.

Indian TV Distribution Networks Congress 2010: Drawing up a roadmap for digitisation
The afternoon sessions at the Indian Television Distribution Networks Congress 2010 touched on two topics – ‘IPTV and Mobile TV: Road to Future or yet a distant dream’, and ‘Broadcasters & Bouquets’.

Indian TV Distribution Networks Congress 2010: ‘If content is king, then distribution will always remain God’
The first panel discussion at the Indian Television Distribution Networks Congress 2010 dealt with the topic of ‘Digitisation of Distribution’. TAM’s LV Krishnan gave a run through on the current TV scenario in India before moderating the session, which saw the participation of SN Sharma, Salil Kapoor, Sugato Banerji, and Saurabh Bhatia.

Indian TV Distribution Networks Congress 2010: Industry honchos bat for digitisation
The Indian Television Distribution Networks Congress 2010, an exchange4media Group initiative, was held in the Capital on February 18. The Congress saw Sameer Manchanda and Uday Shankar deliver the key note addresses, where they touched upon a wide array of topics ranging from digitisation, broadband, advertising revenues, and cable versus DTH, among others.

e4m’s Indian TV Distribution Networks Congress 2010 to focus on ‘Distribution Digitisation’
With an aim to understand the key milestone on the road to recovery for Indian broadcasting, the exchange4media Group is organising the Indian TV Distribution Network Congress 2010 in Delhi on February 18, 2010. The theme for this day-long event is ‘Distribution Digitisation’. The Congress is presented by What's-On-India. Star Den is the associate sponsor, while Massco Media is the video partner.

Media planners welcome Mid-Day’s QR code technology, but a lot depends on innovation, connectivity
Mid-Day has become the first Indian print brand to introduce a technology called ‘Quick Response code technology’. This technology will enable readers to read the hard copy of the paper as well as view audio-visual linked file to the key stories on their cell phones. exchange4media spoke to some media planners and industry players to know more about this technology and how it will enhance user experience.

What’s-On-India channel spruces up line-up with ‘Whats on my Teevee’
What’s-On-India, one of India’s premiere TV guidance channel, recently launched ‘Whats on my Teevee’ as part of the original programming on the channel. The show focuses on various popular TV stars and celebrities, who talk about their favourite shows on television.

Colors firms up overseas plans; eyes significant revenues from subscription in the UK
After its launch in the US late last month as ‘Aapka Colors’, Hindi GEC Colors has now forayed into the UK. The channel has appointed Targeted Marketing Solutions (TMS) to handle its airtime sales in the UK and is launching a multimedia campaign in the international markets to establish brand Colors.

Row over IPL3 coverage flares up, channels not to cover matches
The row over restricted coverage guidelines for the Indian Premier League (IPL) Season 3 tournament has further heated up with the News Broadcasters Association (NBA) stating that it would not be able to offer viewers any coverage in relation to IPL or its proposed matches.

ICC World T20 final among most watched on TV in 2009, beats IPL2 finals: LMG ViewerTrack
Initiative futures sport + entertainment, a specialist unit of Initiative Worldwide, which is aligned to the Lintas Media Group and Karishma Initiative in India, has released its 2009 ViewerTrack, an annual report that details the sports viewership pattern across the world. According to the report, in India, it is still Cricket that remains the most loved sport.

MIB nod to Indian edition of ‘Fortune’ magazine
The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting has approved the publication of Indian edition of ‘Fortune’ magazine under the title ‘Fortune India’, dealing with news and current affairs, by Business Media Pvt Ltd.

Sanjeev Kapoor’s food channel’s success depends on the programme menu, say media planners
Celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor, who shot to fame with his food show ‘Khana Khazana’ on Zee TV in the 90s, is now all set to launch a food and wellness magazine, to be followed by a 24-hour food channel. While India has a bewildering range of cuisines, will a niche ‘food channel’ spell profitability? exchange4media finds out from media planners.

RAM Rambling: Big FM continues massive lead in Bangalore; Fever makes some gains too
According to the latest RAM data, Big FM continues its massive lead in Bangalore during week 45 to week 9 in the SEC ABC category. Its nearest rival, Radio Mirchi, is a distant second, though the FM station has managed to make slight gains in its ratings in the last two weeks. The top two are followed by Fever FM, Radio City, Red FM and Radio One.

Red FM launches in Gangtok, completes 49th station
Red FM launched its 49th FM station in Gangtok on March 6. Following the Gangtok launch, Sanjay Pratap Singh, Station Head of the Siliguri station, now has the dual responsibility of both Siliguri and Gangtok stations.

Being J&K’s sole private FM station, Big FM goes beyond entertainment
Not much entertainment options are available in Jammu and Kashmir. Being the state’s sole private FM station, Big FM has been adding some entertainment value to the airwaves, along with Government-owned All India Radio (AIR). exchange4media takes a look at the FM radio scenario in the J&K market and the challenges and opportunities.

Big FM Mumbai ropes in Raju Srivastav as RJ for breakfast show; marketing budget pegged at over Rs 1 cr
Big FM Mumbai station has roped in comedian Raju Srivastav as a radio jockey for its breakfast show ‘92.7 FM ki laughter local’ along with RJ Vrajesh Hirjee. The aim is to increase the humour quotient of the breakfast show. The FM station has earmarked a marketing budget of over Rs 1 crore.

FM scenario in Sikkim: Innovation a challenge, but competition heats up
The FM radio market in Sikkim is dominated by three players – Radio Misty, Nine FM and Red FM. The functioning of FM radio in the hilly state presents its own set of challenges and opportunities. exchange4media finds out more from Radio Misty’s Nishant Mittal and Nine FM’s Bobby Gupta.

Radio Asia 2010: ‘To change mindset is the challenge for any department’
The concluding day of the three day Radio Asia 2010 conference saw an interesting discussion on ‘Change management in the radio industry’ that dwelt on what worked what didn’t work for the radio industry,as well as the pitfalls and the rewards.

Radio Asia 2010: Community radio dissected
Day Two of Radio Asia 2010 delved upon the various dimensions of the radio industry, including community radio – the opportunities and challenges for community radio in India and the different models are being used all over the world. Use of rapid response radio, which can help during the time of disasters, was also a point of interest during the discussions.

Radio Asia 2010: Ready for digital future?
The three-day Radio Asia 2010 got underway in Delhi on February 22. This is the first time that this conference is being held in India and the theme is ‘Journey to the Digital Land’. The event saw industry experts from India and abroad highlighting the need to push for digital in radio medium too and discussing the various challenges ahead.

Budget 2010: Service tax reduction tops radio players’ wishlist
With just a few days to go for the Union Budget 2010, the radio industry has once again has pinned its hopes on Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee. exchange4media speaks with radio players on their Budget wishlist, which includes cut in service tax and lowering of duties on import of radio equipment.

FM scenario in Kolhapur: Small town charm served with big ambitions
Kolhapur in Maharashtra may have only two FM stations – Tomato FM and Radio Mirchi – however, the music royalties issue is just as much a challenge here as in any metro. exchange4media takes an indepth look at how FM players are tapping the small town market and the roadblocks that they face.

RAM Rambling: Mirchi leads Mumbai but, close fight with Red FM among SEC ABC
RAM data for the Mumbai market shows Radio Mirchi continuing to lead among listeners in the SEC ABC category. However, Red FM has managed to narrow the lead in the last few weeks. These two are followed by Radio City, Big FM, Fever FM and AIR FM2 Gold.

FM players slam IRS 2009 R2 findings; call for industry-backed metric
It’s been nearly a month since the IRS 2009 R2 data for radio was released, and the FM players are not very gung ho about it. What they find difficult to believe is how a rapidly growing medium could see a decline in listenership. FM players share their views, reactions and wishlists with exchange4media.

POGO all set for summer vacations with Dholakpur Entrance Test
Had enough of exams and the studies? Can’t wait to plan for your summer holidays? POGO has the perfect answer. Enter the fun, simple and exciting ‘Dholakpur Entrance Test’ by tuning into POGO and answer easy questions about popular Indian animation character – Chhota Bheem – daily and win a dream vacation in Kuala Lumpur and Jaipur.

Videocon launches 9 more mobile handsets; marks entry in CDMA space
After the successful launch of its Mobile Phones Division in October 2009, Videocon Group has now launched nine more handsets, thus enhancing its current offering from 12 handsets to a total of 21 handsets.

ESPNcricinfo revisits the greatest moments in world cricket through ‘Legends of Cricket’
ESPNcricinfo, in association with General Motors India, has launched ‘Legends of Cricket’, a series of videos portraying 25 of the greatest-ever cricketers to have played the game. Starting March 15, ESPNcricinfo will upload one video every alternate week for the next 50 weeks on www.cricinfo.com.

Hewlett-Packard India appoints Rajiv Srivastava as COO
Hewlett-Packard (HP) India has appointed Rajiv Srivastava as its Chief Operating Officer. An industry veteran with 24 years of experience, Srivastava has had an illustrious career spanning varied industries.

Dow Jones, Bharti Airtel jointly launch The Wall Street Journal India Mobile
Dow Jones on March 17, 2010 announced the launch of The Wall Street Journal India Mobile application in association with Bharti Airtel. The application provides the latest international and Indian financial and business news from The Wall Street Journal and Dow Jones Newswires. It will be available exclusively to Airtel mobile customers.

Coca-Cola seeks to ‘Burn’ its path in the fashion scene
Coca-Cola India has come up with a unique initiative for its energy drink Burn. Christened ‘Burn Curate’, this initiative seeks to provide an opportunity for young students of fashion designing to show their creative abilities. The winning design will be displayed at the Wills India Fashion Week (WIFW) - March 2010 Season across five days and will be entitled to a cash prize of Rs 50,000

Aircel partners with ‘INQ’ in India to offer an eclectic social mobile experience
Telecom operator Aircel, which claims to have a subscriber base of over 35 million, and INQ Mobile have announced the launch of a first-of-its-kind dynamic Social Mobile INQ Chat 3G and INQ Mini 3G, which offer a vibrant social experience and keeps one connected with one’s friends and family 24x7. INQ on Aircel claims to offer the best Facebook and Twitter experience as it is deeply integrated in one’s phone. “It’s not Facebook ‘on’ your phone, but its Facebook ‘in’ your phone, the application is always on and always connected,” states a company release.

MagicBricks.com unveils the Brix Research Regional Value Analysis Reports
Brix Research, the knowledge centre of property portal MagicBricks.com, promoted by the Times Group, has issued its Regional Value Analysis Report - Volume 1 across India. The report tracks and analyses the changes in real estate values across regions – city-wise and locality-wise.

Leo Burnett helps create a safer Mumbai for women
For the second time Leo Burnett Mumbai has created a campaign for 103, a Mumbai Police helpline for crimes against women. The helpline is a collaborative effort between Mumbai Police and Akshara, an NGO working for women’s rights. The campaign is visible across various touchpoints, including all major traffic signal poles, bus panels, local trains and ticket counters, public places like colleges, hospitals, police stations, cinema halls, etc

Meru Cabs explores movie and entertainment space
The humble taxi is fast evolving from being a mere mode of transportation to creating maximum impact in the OOH space. Radio can service provider Meru Cabs had recently tied up with the film ‘Toh Baat Pakki’, and buoyed by the association, is now further exploring the movie and entertainment space.

Chetan Ahuja joins Media Direction as Media Director
Media Direction has brought on board Chetan Ahuja as Media Director. He will be working on brands such as Rasna and Seimens, among others. Les Margulis, President, RK Swamy Media Group/ Media Direction, has confirmed the appointment. Ahuja will be reporting to K Satyanarayana VP and Communications Officer, Media Direction.

Videocon D2H ropes in Abhishek Bachchan as brand ambassador
Four months after the launch of Videocon D2H, the direct-to-home service from the Videocon Group, the company has appointed Abhishek Bachchan as its brand ambassador.

Hungama’s Sourabh Rawal joins Tyroo as Regional Sales Manager - West
Sourabh Rawal has been appointed as Regional Sales Manager – West at Tyroo, an online advertising network that connects websites (publishers) with advertisers who want to run advertisements. Rawal will be responsible for all operations and business development for the West market and will be reporting to Narayan Murthy Ivaturi, National Sales Manager, Tyroo.

LG Electronics ropes in Akshay Kumar as brand ambassador for flat panel displays
LG Electronics India has announced the appointment of actor Akshay Kumar as its brand ambassador for the flat panel display (FPD) segment. Positioning itself as a frontrunner in the increasingly competitive digital TV market, LG Electronics aims to constantly develop and communicate groundbreaking products and next generation technologies in the FPD segment.

AdFest 2010 postponed; to be rescheduled to May 2010
AdFest 2010, which was scheduled to take place in Thailand from March 18-20, 2010, has been postponed. The AdFest Working Committee is currently assessing alternative dates for the advertising event, which is likely to be rescheduled to take place in May 2010. The postponement follows news of a planned political rally in Thailand on March 14, which is expected to attract up to one million people to Bangkok.

Track2media ties up with Australian Heusler PR; gets footprint in 10 countries
Track2media Consulting, a Delhi-based communication consulting agency, has tied up with Sydney-based Australian agency, Heusler PR, to expand its operations in the international market. As per the agreement, the two agencies will share clients, logistics and resources in the operational locations of the other agency. Both the agencies will also use the partners’ respective offices as their operational office in the given geographical location.

Rajeev Luthra joins MPG Active as Business Director
Out of home communication specialists MPG Active has appointed Rajeev Luthra as Business Director. In his new role, Luthra would be responsible for client acquisition and business win. He brings with him over 18 years of professional experience and has worked with some of India’s biggest companies such as ING, Max, and Bharti, among others.

Bookmyshow.com is official ticketing partner for Mumbai Indians and Kings XI Punjab
Bookmyshow.com, one of India’s largest entertainment ticketing website, has been roped in as the exclusive ticketing partner for the Mumbai Indians and Kings XI Punjab teams of the Indian Premier League. Bookmyshow.com is already the official online ticketing partner for Delhi Daredevils.

Nick on expansion spree in kids’ consumer products segment
Nick is geared up to fortify its presence in the kids’ consumer product segment in India with its consumer products division now foraying into the electronic products market. According to Nick, worldwide it earned more from consumer products than from its television channel. It was now vying to emulate the same success journey in India as well.

IPL 2010 inks deal with ITV for broadcast across network
The Indian Premier League (IPL), one of world’s biggest sports league as per Forbes, announced that IPL 2010 would be broadcast in its entirety in the UK in an exclusive deal with ITV. This landmark deal will mark the first time live cricket will be shown across the ITV network, the oldest and largest commercial television network in the UK.

Google Transit to provide updated information on metro schedules, fares, routes across Delhi
Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) and Google India have announced their partnership through Google Transit to provide complete information on Delhi Metro schedules and routes. Transit service for Delhi Metro would also be available on mobile devices with Google Maps for mobile to enable commuters to check the latest updates to make route changes on-the-go. Google Transit, which is a way to navigate on Google Maps, can give easy information on train timings, station locations, frequency of service, time taken for travel and ticket fares.

Quasar partners with Sprinklr India to provide high end e-direct marketing solutions
Quasar, in association with Sprinklr India, has expanded its service portfolio to offer email marketing as a form of online direct marketing services. Helping its customers extend their campaigns with regular customer outreach through one of the most effective and productive direct marketing tool – email.

Metro Cash & Carry moves beyond transactions to building relationships
Metro Cash & Carry India, the international B2B company focusing on wholesale, is moving beyond transactions to building relationships with its customers. Keeping this as its goal, it has launched Metro Bandhan, an exclusive loyalty programme. The programme is positioned at reiterating and strengthening Metro’s partnership with its customers by offering a range of privileges and value added services to the Metro Bandhan members.

Bharti Airtel announces senior management changes
Bharti Airtel has announced that Sanjay Kapoor, who has been elevated to CEO (India and South Asia), has taken charge of his new role from March 1, 2010. He was earlier supposed to take charge from April 1. The telecom major has also announced other senior level management elevations effective April 1.

Radio Mirchi goes ad free to celebrate Slice’s launch in Mumbai
Slice, PepsiCo’s mango juice drink brand, partnered with Radio Mirchi to provide listeners in Mumbai with complete non-stop music entertainment all through the day on Friday, February 26, 2010, as part of its launch celebrations in Mumbai.

Dinamalar.com launches novel contest zone to bring out the inherent talents of readers
Dinamalar.com, the online edition of Tamil daily Dinamalar, has launched a special contest zone for its readers. According to S Balasubramanian, Head of Marketing, New Media, Dinamalar, it was the first time such a contest zone was being introduced in a regional publication portal with an intention to expose inherent talents as well as to provide good recreation to all the readers of the website.

Amar Chitra Katha now on Android
ACK Media has joined hands with MoFirst, a leading mobile and telecom solutions company, to launch Amar Chitra Katha on Android for both Indian and international markets. This launch will allow the Android application community to enjoy their favourite Amar Chitra Katha and Tinkle comics in full colour high-resolution, live wallpaper and special zooming facility based on screen density.

Fever FM signed on as official radio partner of IPL team KKR
Fever 104 FM has joined hands with the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the forthcoming Indian Premier League Season 3. As official radio partner, Fever FM promises to bring the cricketing heroes closer than ever for fans in Kolkata. The FM station is all set to host a series of on-air and on-ground promotional initiatives and promises to bring alive the fun and thrill of the game for the listeners in Kolkata this time as well.

Hungama launches digital promotion campaign for ‘My Name Is Khan’
Hungama Digital Media, one of South Asia’s largest digital entertainment companies, in association with Dharma Productions and Fox Star Studios, has launched a digital promotion campaign for the SRK-starrer ‘My Name Is Khan’ (MNIK). The campaign includes a series of interactive and engaging initiatives based on the film’s concept, which are available on PC and mobile. ‘My Name Is Khan’ is directed by filmmaker Karan Johar after a four-year hiatus.

Studio18 restructures its senior management
Motion picture major Studio18 has announced the restructuring of its senior management. Hemant Bhardwaj, who had joined in October 2007, takes over from Priti Shahani (who recently resigned) to spearhead the Domestic Distribution, Marketing, and Syndication verticals from Mumbai. Bhardwaj, an alumni of IIM Ahmedabad, has more than 17 years' experience in sales, marketing and advertising in varied business categories.

Networkplay’s Rammohan Sundaram awarded Star Youth Achiever of The Year
Rammohan Sundaram, Founder, MD and CEO, NetworkPlay.in, has been awarded the ‘Star Youth Achiever’ Award by the Global Youth Marketing Forum, which is in strategic partnership with the CMO Council.

Balaji Telefilms unveils new corporate identity
Balaji Telefilms Ltd has gone for a corporate image makeover, unveiling a brand new visual identity and its new vision and brand values. The new identity reflects the fresh perspective adopted by Balaji Telefilms towards existing and new businesses and the core brand values that the brand has successfully been built on over the last 15 years.

CNBC-TV18 and Moneycontrol.com launche Moneycontrol My TV
Network18 powerhouses, CNBC-TV18 and Moneycontrol.com, have collaborated to launch Moneycontrol My TV, an online TV module that will combine the benefits of both in the Indian business and online financial space.

Rediffusion Y&R’s Sagar Mahabaleshwarkar joining Bates 141 as NCD?
Speculations are rife about Sagar Mahabaleshwarkar putting in his papers at Rediffusion Y&R as Chief Creative Officer. He is reportedly on his way to Bates 141 as its new National Creative Director. Bates 141 had been on the lookout for an NCD for some time now. Despite repeated attempts, officials from neither Rediffusion Y&R nor Bates 141 were available for comments.

POGO all set for summer vacations with Dholakpur Entrance Test
Had enough of exams and the studies? Can’t wait to plan for your summer holidays? POGO has the perfect answer. Enter the fun, simple and exciting ‘Dholakpur Entrance Test’ by tuning into POGO and answer easy questions about popular Indian animation character – Chhota Bheem – daily and win a dream vacation in Kuala Lumpur and Jaipur.

Videocon launches 9 more mobile handsets; marks entry in CDMA space
After the successful launch of its Mobile Phones Division in October 2009, Videocon Group has now launched nine more handsets, thus enhancing its current offering from 12 handsets to a total of 21 handsets.

ESPNcricinfo revisits the greatest moments in world cricket through ‘Legends of Cricket’
ESPNcricinfo, in association with General Motors India, has launched ‘Legends of Cricket’, a series of videos portraying 25 of the greatest-ever cricketers to have played the game. Starting March 15, ESPNcricinfo will upload one video every alternate week for the next 50 weeks on www.cricinfo.com.

Hewlett-Packard India appoints Rajiv Srivastava as COO
Hewlett-Packard (HP) India has appointed Rajiv Srivastava as its Chief Operating Officer. An industry veteran with 24 years of experience, Srivastava has had an illustrious career spanning varied industries.

Dow Jones, Bharti Airtel jointly launch The Wall Street Journal India Mobile
Dow Jones on March 17, 2010 announced the launch of The Wall Street Journal India Mobile application in association with Bharti Airtel. The application provides the latest international and Indian financial and business news from The Wall Street Journal and Dow Jones Newswires. It will be available exclusively to Airtel mobile customers.

TDI deploys unique digital signage at DLF Emporio Mall in Delhi
DLF Emporio Mall has brought together TDI International India Ltd, Samsung and Scala, touted as the world’s largest digital signage technology provider, to deliver, what it claims, an experience that has never been brought to Indian malls before – visually breathtaking digital signage.

Nokia, KKR roll out ‘Main Bhi Coach’ consumer engagement campaign
Nokia India and IPL team of Kolkata Knight Riders have announced the ‘Main Bhi Coach’ consumer campaign. The consumer engagement programme is an innovative way to involve cricket lovers across the country to be a part of the IPL action. Nokia has been the presenting sponsor for KKR since IPL’s inception in 2008.

Radio: A perfect platform for IPL
IPL has millions of fans across the globe and will be the buzz for the coming month and a half. Radio for its part, has been an integral part of the IPL extravaganza since its inception. From partnering with IPL teams, to giving match updates & match tickets, to doing on-ground activations etc., radio has been finding innovating ways to fuel the nation’s passion for cricket, says Nisha Narayanan.

The industry game changers, according to Ronnie Screwvala
The first session of Day 2 of FICCI Frames 2010 commenced with a keynote address by Ronnie Screwvala, CEO and Founder Chairman, UTV Group. He said that the mobile phone was his favourite technology right now and that he saw this medium as a potential game changer. He then went on to give some key pointers that would help create game changers in the gaming, mobile, web and movie business.

Coca-Cola seeks to ‘Burn’ its path in the fashion scene
Coca-Cola India has come up with a unique initiative for its energy drink Burn. Christened ‘Burn Curate’, this initiative seeks to provide an opportunity for young students of fashion designing to show their creative abilities. The winning design will be displayed at the Wills India Fashion Week (WIFW) - March 2010 Season across five days and will be entitled to a cash prize of Rs 50,000

Aircel partners with ‘INQ’ in India to offer an eclectic social mobile experience
Telecom operator Aircel, which claims to have a subscriber base of over 35 million, and INQ Mobile have announced the launch of a first-of-its-kind dynamic Social Mobile INQ Chat 3G and INQ Mini 3G, which offer a vibrant social experience and keeps one connected with one’s friends and family 24x7. INQ on Aircel claims to offer the best Facebook and Twitter experience as it is deeply integrated in one’s phone. “It’s not Facebook ‘on’ your phone, but its Facebook ‘in’ your phone, the application is always on and always connected,” states a company release.

Guest Column
Retrofit: The murky world of telecom licensing
This week, Sandeep Bamzai delves into the murky world of telecom licencing. He cites the peculiar case of CBI investigating the role of the country’s number one lobbyist in the award of a Unified Access Services telecom license to Unitech in 2007-08. But the rabbit hole goes far deeper than first thought.

M&E industry to grow 13 pc in 5 years to Rs 1,091 bn: FICCI-KPMG report
The FICCI-KPMG report released on the inaugural day of FICCI Frames 2010 paints an optimistic picture for the Indian Media and Entertainment (M&E) industry. According to the report, this industry is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13 per cent to reach a size of Rs 1,091 billion by 2014.

KKR effect on North-Eastern FM stations; IPL engaging more local advertisers
Indian Premier League has managed to reach every nook and corner of the country, including the usually considered to be remote North-East. Leading the spread there are the region’s FM radio stations with several on-air and on-ground activities. With a lot of supporters of Kolkata Night Riders in the North-East, Nine FM and Radio Misty are helping the IPL franchise further strengthen its fan base here.

FICCI Frames 2010: Hard to shake that feeling of déjà vu
FICCI Frames 2010 kicked off with a full house on March 16, 2010, and much of the credit for that can be given to the eminent speakers that sat on the stage for the inaugural session. The feel of Frames was unshakeable and nothing seemed different. There was a sense of déjà vu – you were there, you had done that. And yet, FICCI Frames manages to look as important as ever.

India is not a developing market; it is a developed market: Martin Sorrell
FICCI Frames is rarely known for engaging the advertising community. Yet this year, the event saw none other than WPP’s CEO, Sir Martin Sorrell, as the Keynote speaker of the day. In typical Martin Sorrell style, the advertising visionary divided his address in points to give his view on why he was bullish on the communication services or marketing services industry.

MagicBricks.com unveils the Brix Research Regional Value Analysis Reports
Brix Research, the knowledge centre of property portal MagicBricks.com, promoted by the Times Group, has issued its Regional Value Analysis Report - Volume 1 across India. The report tracks and analyses the changes in real estate values across regions – city-wise and locality-wise.

Leo Burnett helps create a safer Mumbai for women
For the second time Leo Burnett Mumbai has created a campaign for 103, a Mumbai Police helpline for crimes against women. The helpline is a collaborative effort between Mumbai Police and Akshara, an NGO working for women’s rights. The campaign is visible across various touchpoints, including all major traffic signal poles, bus panels, local trains and ticket counters, public places like colleges, hospitals, police stations, cinema halls, etc

From smallest screen to the biggest, IPL is wooing viewers
The third season of IPL is available for viewing on screen formats – from the smartphones to the large cinema screens – thus touching viewers no matter where they are. This year, technology is giving cricket fans the power to follow their favourite IPL teams’ performance. Exchange4media takes a look at the various initiatives taken.

Flashed Yesterday: Hari Krishnan is back at Grey India as VP & Branch Head, Grey Mumbai
It’s a homecoming of sorts for Hari Krishnan, who is back at Grey India as the VP & Branch Head, Grey Mumbai. The position had been left vacant for over a year now. Prior to this, Krishnan was with STAR India in the channel’s marketing division for a few months. Hari’s first innings at Grey started in 2007 when he joined to head Grey Bangalore. He is credited with building the branch successfully, retaining and consolidating clients and building a highly efficient team.

FICCI Frames 2010: There’s something for everyone this year… well almost
In its 11th year, over 2,000 Indian and 800 foreign delegates are expected to attend FICCI Frames. Frames will also have a new Co-Chairman of the FICCI Entertainment Committee in Karan Johar. So, a lot is expected at the annual three-day media and entertainment event this year.

Karishma Initiative bags Hamdard’s media biz
Following a multi-agency pitch, Hamdard (Wakf) Laboratories, Delhi has assigned Karishma Initiative (KI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Lintas India Pvt Ltd as its media AOR. The agency will handle the entire product portfolio including its hero brands - RoohAfza, Safi, Roghan Badam Shirin, Cinkara. The pitch saw participation of five agencies besides Lintas India’s Karishma Initiative. The account size is pegged at Rs 30 crore.

Hari Krishnan is back at Grey India as VP & Branch Head, Grey Mumbai
It’s a homecoming of sorts for Hari Krishnan, who is back at Grey India as the VP & Branch Head, Grey Mumbai. The position had been left vacant for over a year now. Prior to this, Krishnan was with STAR India in the channel’s marketing division for a few months. Hari’s first innings at Grey started in 2007 when he joined to head Grey Bangalore. He is credited with building the branch successfully, retaining and consolidating clients and building a highly efficient team.

NID seeks to demystify IP rights for design protection
Intellectual property rights came under intense scrutiny at a day-long awareness workshop hosted by the National Institute of Design in the Capital on March 13, 2010. The workshop, fourth in the series, sought to demystify the entire process of getting a design registered and saw lively debates on the entire patenting process.

GenNext Media Magnate: Anwesh Bose – The surround media planner
In a career spanning 12 years, Anwesh Bose, Chief Growth Officer, Dentsu Media, has worked on wide ranging product categories and brands. Bose calls himself a ‘Surround Media Planner’ and believes that it’s time we stop seeing the consumer as a mere ‘statistic’. The GenNext Media Magnate is chosen by a committee comprising the exchange4media editorial team in consultation with Raj Nayak.

Noorings: Looking forward to the ‘Karan Johar Effect’ at FICCI Frames
The announcement of Karan Johar as the Co-Chairman of FICCI Frames has led to many conversations on what this new thinking, known for its creative and freshness, and more importantly, ideas that can engage the younger audience, bring to FICCI Frames, which is now in its 11th year.

The case of two measurements: aMap there, but TAM is the single industry currency
The media industry has often got caught in the debate whether two measurement systems would help the industry grow or create a recipe for disaster for media sellers and buyers alike. The merger of NRS and IRS may have sorted that dilemma for the print industry and the clear strength of TAM Media Research has kept things simple for the broadcasting industry. However, aMap is present as a second television measurement system, and time and again has created the dreaded confusion as well.

Pepsico creates high brand recall for brand Slice in Mumbai
Katrina Kaif cheek-to-cheek with a cut mango – the visual is sensual, mouth watering, and traffic stopping. It’s the new Slice campaign hitting Mumbai. With the outdoor medium playing a lead role, Pepsico has set out to capture the mango-loving metropolis. The out-of-home plan is being executed by Platinum Outdoor.

Dr Manoj Vaish, Kaushal Sampat
Dun & Bradstreet India, provider of business information, knowledge and insight, has announced that Dr Manoj Vaish would be stepping down as President & CEO of the company, effective March 31, 2010. Dr Vaish will be succeeded by Kaushal Sampat, who is currently D&B India’s Chief Operating Officer. Sampat’s new role will be effective from April 1, 2010. In a career spanning over 16 years, Sampat has held a host of strategic responsibilities. He joined Dun & Bradstreet as a Business Analyst in 1998 and has played a key role in developing new businesses for the company in India (Sales & Marketing Solutions, Economic Analysis Group, Financial Education Solutions & Hoovers) and also forging strategic alliances. Sampat has held a variety of strategic and operational roles in the company’s various SBUs. He has also been responsible for Dun & Bradstreet's e-commerce initiatives in ASEAN/South Asia.

Raja Natesan
Online travel company Yatra.com has announced the appointment of Raja Natesan as Chief Operating Officer of the company. As COO, Natesan will oversee the overall business of the company, including structuring policies and developing new strategies. Natesan brings with him 19 years of rich experience in the travel and travel technology industry. Prior to joining Yatra.com, Natesan was Chief Commercial Officer at Interglobe Technology Quotient. In his earlier roles, he was Regional Manager, South East Asia, at Kingfisher Airlines and was also President and CEO of Galileo India Pvt Ltd. Natesan has been a part of the top management for over 10 years now and has played important roles in companies like IGT Solutions Pvt Ltd, AFL Ltd. and Air France. He had also owned a company called Keep the Change Management Consulting Pvt Ltd, which specialised in consulting for top management in areas such as communication, work efficiency, change management, etc.

Juju Basu
Juju Basu, Creative Director, Saatchi & Saatchi is joining Contract Advertising as Vice President and Senior Creative Director. He will be reporting to Ravi Deshpande, Chairman and Chief Creative Officer, Contract Advertising. The agency will create a structure around Basu for him to lead a group of talented creative people at Contract in order to build and prosper some of the agency’s robust businesses. He will also help Contract drive its digital agenda in an aggressive way. Basu will join Contract from mid-April.

Meru Cabs explores movie and entertainment space
The humble taxi is fast evolving from being a mere mode of transportation to creating maximum impact in the OOH space. Radio can service provider Meru Cabs had recently tied up with the film ‘Toh Baat Pakki’, and buoyed by the association, is now further exploring the movie and entertainment space.

Chetan Ahuja joins Media Direction as Media Director
Media Direction has brought on board Chetan Ahuja as Media Director. He will be working on brands such as Rasna and Seimens, among others. Les Margulis, President, RK Swamy Media Group/ Media Direction, has confirmed the appointment. Ahuja will be reporting to K Satyanarayana VP and Communications Officer, Media Direction.

OOH Media in strategic partnership with Mega Cabs
OOH Media India Pvt Ltd has announced an exclusive strategic partnership deal with 24-hour radio taxi service, Mega Cabs, wherein OOH Media will market advertising inventory for the latter’s fleet of 700-plus cabs pan India.

Videocon D2H ropes in Abhishek Bachchan as brand ambassador
Four months after the launch of Videocon D2H, the direct-to-home service from the Videocon Group, the company has appointed Abhishek Bachchan as its brand ambassador.

Hungama’s Sourabh Rawal joins Tyroo as Regional Sales Manager - West
Sourabh Rawal has been appointed as Regional Sales Manager – West at Tyroo, an online advertising network that connects websites (publishers) with advertisers who want to run advertisements. Rawal will be responsible for all operations and business development for the West market and will be reporting to Narayan Murthy Ivaturi, National Sales Manager, Tyroo.

Flashed Yesterday: Abhishek Verma joins Star World and Star Movies as Marketing Head
Abhishek Verma, who had recently moved out of Neo Sports as Marketing Head, has joined Star World and Star Movies in a similar capacity. In his new role, Verma will be reporting to Anupam Vasudev, EVP - Marketing, Star India. At Neo Sports, Verma was overseeing the marketing of all the business verticals for Neo Cricket and Neo Sports.

Guest Column
Retrofit: Not about safedi ki chamak, but ratings ki chanak
Safedi ki chamkar where Rin and Tide are slugging it out isn't the only battle zone these days. There is another joust in the media firmament where an ongoing glove fest has everyone riveted. And this has nothing to do with iski shirt meri shirt se zyada safed kyun hai? This one is about an entrenched player and a newbie, says Sandeep Bamzai.

Abhishek Verma joins Star World and Star Movies as Marketing Head
Abhishek Verma, who had recently moved out of Neo Sports as Marketing Head, has joined Star World and Star Movies in a similar capacity. In his new role, Verma will be reporting to Anupam Vasudev, EVP - Marketing, Star India. At Neo Sports, Verma was overseeing the marketing of all the business verticals for Neo Cricket and Neo Sports.

LG Electronics ropes in Akshay Kumar as brand ambassador for flat panel displays
LG Electronics India has announced the appointment of actor Akshay Kumar as its brand ambassador for the flat panel display (FPD) segment. Positioning itself as a frontrunner in the increasingly competitive digital TV market, LG Electronics aims to constantly develop and communicate groundbreaking products and next generation technologies in the FPD segment.

AdFest 2010 postponed; to be rescheduled to May 2010
AdFest 2010, which was scheduled to take place in Thailand from March 18-20, 2010, has been postponed. The AdFest Working Committee is currently assessing alternative dates for the advertising event, which is likely to be rescheduled to take place in May 2010. The postponement follows news of a planned political rally in Thailand on March 14, which is expected to attract up to one million people to Bangkok.

Track2media ties up with Australian Heusler PR; gets footprint in 10 countries
Track2media Consulting, a Delhi-based communication consulting agency, has tied up with Sydney-based Australian agency, Heusler PR, to expand its operations in the international market. As per the agreement, the two agencies will share clients, logistics and resources in the operational locations of the other agency. Both the agencies will also use the partners’ respective offices as their operational office in the given geographical location.

Walt Disney ropes in Arnab Chaudhuri as Director, Content & Creative
Arnab Chaudhuri has joined Walt Disney Television International India as Director, Content and Creative. His responsibilities include overseeing the creative and content strategy for Disney TV’s network in India, which includes Disney Channel, Disney XD and Hungama TV.

ET Now strengthens senior editorial team with new appointments
Business channel ET Now has appointed Ashu Dutt to the newly created position of Chief Consulting Editor, Financial Markets. Dutt will be reporting to Andy Mukherjee, Senior Editor, Financial Markets, ET Now. Along with Dutt, ET Now has also roped in Manisha Gupta as Editor, Commodities and Currencies.

Gennext Media Magnate: Alok Kalra – Driving in the new
Curiosity for seeking something new has been the key driver that has kept Alok Kalra, Chief - Communication, IDBI Fortis, going despite the deadlines and the mad rush. He sees himself wherever he can drive in the new. The GenNext Media Magnate is chosen by a committee comprising the exchange4media editorial team in consultation with Raj Nayak.

ZEEL gears for 2010; restructures organisation
Zee Enterprises Entertainment Ltd (ZEEL) has effected some senior management changes to streamline its functions. Nitin Vaidya has been re-assigned the regional channel’s portfolio in the Hindi speaking markets, while Anurag Bedi’s portfolio will see the addition of Zee Studio and Zee Café.

Aditya Mehrish
Wunderman has appointed Aditya Mehrish as Executive Vice President, heading their Delhi operations. He will be based out of their Gurgaon office. Mehrish has over 17 years of diverse expertise with agencies as well as consumer durable, hospitality, and publication industries. He has worked with brands such as Microsoft, Accenture, Oberoi Hotels and Reader’s Digest. In his last assignment with Reader’s Digest Delhi as Associate Publisher, Mehrish had worked on brand marketing, circulation, and advertising sales. Prior to that, at the Oberoi Group, he was responsible for direct marketing, CRM, and digital initiatives for both The Oberoi Hotels & Resorts and Trident Hotels. In his earlier stint with Wunderman, Mehrish handled the Citibank and Ford Motors accounts out of Chennai and then moved to Bangalore to set up the branch that then became the fastest growing office for Wunderman. Mehrish has also worked with Netcarrots Loyalty Services, Infovision Group and Result McCann.

Premlesh Machama
Buzzintown, an Internet portal dedicated to the promotion of events and entertainment in India, has announced the appointment of Premlesh Machama as VP, India Business. Prior to joining Buzzintown, Machama was working with Sify.com as Head of Ad Sales, responsible for pan India sales across all Sify properties. He has also worked with with TBSL (Times Business Solutions Ltd), heading sales for Simplymarry.com; Dainik Bhaskar Group, where he was responsible for branding and marketing of Divya and Dainik Bhaskar; Getit & India Database, where he was heading online sales; and Reed Elsevier, Plc.

Krishna Prasad
Dentsu India has roped in Krishna Prasad as Head of its Digital Division. He was with MSN India as Executive Producer until October 2009. Prasad has about 16 years of work experience, of which seven were spent at MSN India. As Executive Producer at MSN, he was heading the content team and was mainly responsible for creating content strategies and alliances to drive Internet users to MSN India network websites. He was also part of the team that launched MSN Search and MSN Video in India. Prior to MSN, Prasad had worked with companies such as Microland Group, where he was Head of Production at Indya.com, which was later acquired by News Corporation.

Rajeev Luthra joins MPG Active as Business Director
Out of home communication specialists MPG Active has appointed Rajeev Luthra as Business Director. In his new role, Luthra would be responsible for client acquisition and business win. He brings with him over 18 years of professional experience and has worked with some of India’s biggest companies such as ING, Max, and Bharti, among others.

Bookmyshow.com is official ticketing partner for Mumbai Indians and Kings XI Punjab
Bookmyshow.com, one of India’s largest entertainment ticketing website, has been roped in as the exclusive ticketing partner for the Mumbai Indians and Kings XI Punjab teams of the Indian Premier League. Bookmyshow.com is already the official online ticketing partner for Delhi Daredevils.

Nick on expansion spree in kids’ consumer products segment
Nick is geared up to fortify its presence in the kids’ consumer product segment in India with its consumer products division now foraying into the electronic products market. According to Nick, worldwide it earned more from consumer products than from its television channel. It was now vying to emulate the same success journey in India as well.

IPL 2010 inks deal with ITV for broadcast across network
The Indian Premier League (IPL), one of world’s biggest sports league as per Forbes, announced that IPL 2010 would be broadcast in its entirety in the UK in an exclusive deal with ITV. This landmark deal will mark the first time live cricket will be shown across the ITV network, the oldest and largest commercial television network in the UK.

Neelanjan Shome moves out of HT Media
Neelanjan Shome, CMO, HT Media, has decided to move on. Shome was serving his notice period, which had ended last week. He had spent close to three years at HT Media, where his key responsibilities included managing assets in print (English and Hindi general interest dailies, English business newspaper), radio and Internet.

Young India in search of the right communication formula, says PRCAI
The Public Relations Consultants Association of India (PRCAI) brought together an interesting mix of industry people to discuss on ‘Young India: The 600 million magnum opus in search of the right communication formula’. The discussion ranged from the story behind the successful Tata Tea Jaago Re campaign to iconic youth brands.

Google Transit to provide updated information on metro schedules, fares, routes across Delhi
Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) and Google India have announced their partnership through Google Transit to provide complete information on Delhi Metro schedules and routes. Transit service for Delhi Metro would also be available on mobile devices with Google Maps for mobile to enable commuters to check the latest updates to make route changes on-the-go. Google Transit, which is a way to navigate on Google Maps, can give easy information on train timings, station locations, frequency of service, time taken for travel and ticket fares.

Quasar partners with Sprinklr India to provide high end e-direct marketing solutions
Quasar, in association with Sprinklr India, has expanded its service portfolio to offer email marketing as a form of online direct marketing services. Helping its customers extend their campaigns with regular customer outreach through one of the most effective and productive direct marketing tool – email.

Flashed Yesterday: Dipayan Chowdhury takes over as National Sales Head, DNA
DNA has announced the elevation of Dipayan Chowdhury as its National Sales Head. Chowdhury has been with the organisation since its inception. With over 19 years of experience, he has worked across media and FMCG industries. His earlier stints with print were with ABP, Business Standard and Hindustan Times.

Rajiv Mishra joins US-based CineMaya Media as COO & President
US-based CineMaya Media Inc has appointed Rajiv Mishra as COO and President of the group. Mishra will be based in Delhi and will be responsible for the entire India operations. He will be reporting to Sunil Hali, Chairman, CineMaya Media Group.

Abhishek Verma quits Neo Sports as Head of Marketing & Communication
Abhishek Verma has put in his papers as Head of Marketing and Communication at Neo Sports. March 4 was reportedly his last day with the organisation.

Metro Cash & Carry moves beyond transactions to building relationships
Metro Cash & Carry India, the international B2B company focusing on wholesale, is moving beyond transactions to building relationships with its customers. Keeping this as its goal, it has launched Metro Bandhan, an exclusive loyalty programme. The programme is positioned at reiterating and strengthening Metro’s partnership with its customers by offering a range of privileges and value added services to the Metro Bandhan members.

Bharti Airtel announces senior management changes
Bharti Airtel has announced that Sanjay Kapoor, who has been elevated to CEO (India and South Asia), has taken charge of his new role from March 1, 2010. He was earlier supposed to take charge from April 1. The telecom major has also announced other senior level management elevations effective April 1.

JCDecaux creates high visibility for Yahoo! and Aircel in Bangalore
India’s technology hub Bangalore has been witness to some innovative campaigns for Yahoo! and Aircel. OOH company JCDecaux has created a new iconic structure for Yahoo! at the Bangalore International Airport. Meanwhile, Aircel has joined hands with Mudra Max and JCDecaux to create a unique branding opportunity by branding the roundabout at the Bangalore International Airport with a head-turning structure.

TAG Media’s PR Satheesh to join Telibrahma as its President
It is learnt from sources close to the development that PR Satheesh, President and COO, TAG Media, has put in his papers and will be joining Telibrahma as its President. Headquartered in Bangalore, Telibrahma Convergent Communications is a leading mobile solutions company.

Radio Mirchi goes ad free to celebrate Slice’s launch in Mumbai
Slice, PepsiCo’s mango juice drink brand, partnered with Radio Mirchi to provide listeners in Mumbai with complete non-stop music entertainment all through the day on Friday, February 26, 2010, as part of its launch celebrations in Mumbai.

Dinamalar.com launches novel contest zone to bring out the inherent talents of readers
Dinamalar.com, the online edition of Tamil daily Dinamalar, has launched a special contest zone for its readers. According to S Balasubramanian, Head of Marketing, New Media, Dinamalar, it was the first time such a contest zone was being introduced in a regional publication portal with an intention to expose inherent talents as well as to provide good recreation to all the readers of the website.

Amar Chitra Katha now on Android
ACK Media has joined hands with MoFirst, a leading mobile and telecom solutions company, to launch Amar Chitra Katha on Android for both Indian and international markets. This launch will allow the Android application community to enjoy their favourite Amar Chitra Katha and Tinkle comics in full colour high-resolution, live wallpaper and special zooming facility based on screen density.

Fever FM signed on as official radio partner of IPL team KKR
Fever 104 FM has joined hands with the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the forthcoming Indian Premier League Season 3. As official radio partner, Fever FM promises to bring the cricketing heroes closer than ever for fans in Kolkata. The FM station is all set to host a series of on-air and on-ground promotional initiatives and promises to bring alive the fun and thrill of the game for the listeners in Kolkata this time as well.

‘It’s imperative that major players strive to create perceptual brand differentiation among potential TG’
“In an industry characterised by a low level of differentiation, it is imperative that the major players strive to create perceptual brand differentiation among the potential target group. To create a higher involvement among the consumers while purchasing a pen, it is essential for pen companies to advertise the PODs (USP) of the product and the brand overall,” stresses Deepak Jalan, Managing Director, Linc Pen & Plastics Ltd.

Kavitha Srinivasan joins OMD Chennai as consultant
After strengthening the core team with several key appointments, OMD Chennai has now roped in Kavitha Srinivasan as consultant. Srinivasan had recently quit Lodestar Chennai as consultant.

Mixed Media: Why barbers and bus drivers are more trusted than journalists
A Reader’s Digest survey shows journalists ranked at #30 from among 40 professionals, with only cartoonist RK Laxman in the Top 10, rues Pradyuman Maheshwari analysing the top-level findings.

Guest Column
Retrofit: Believing in the relevance of news
Sandeep Bamzai takes a look at the most relevant news covered by Headlines Today in recent times to stress that if the bulwark of a news channel remains news, then this long and arduous road of perseverance will pay off. The process of distillation at Headlines Today has been slow and capital intensive, but one can safely say that it is bearing fruition finally.

Mixed Media: Why barbers and bus drivers are more trusted than journalists
A Reader’s Digest survey shows journalists ranked at #30 from among 40 professionals, with only cartoonist RK Laxman in the Top 10, rues Pradyuman Maheshwari analysing the top-level findings.

Navia Asia plans to consolidate this year, focus on technology, expansion
Navia Asia has chalked out some aggressive plans for the year ahead. The company had recently launched a second unit, Vector. Sharing the company’s growth plans, its CEO, Sanjay Shah, says that Navia Asia plans to consolidate this year, where there would be more focus on technology and expansion.

GenNext Media Magnate: Patrick Gomes – Pioneering in digital as a medium
Patrick Gomes, Account Director, MediaVest Worldwide, believes in putting people first and nurturing and guiding those working with him. He also sees himself in a larger role, pioneering in digital as a medium, five years hence. The GenNext Media Magnate is chosen by a committee comprising the exchange4media editorial team in consultation with Raj Nayak.

Hungama launches digital promotion campaign for ‘My Name Is Khan’
Hungama Digital Media, one of South Asia’s largest digital entertainment companies, in association with Dharma Productions and Fox Star Studios, has launched a digital promotion campaign for the SRK-starrer ‘My Name Is Khan’ (MNIK). The campaign includes a series of interactive and engaging initiatives based on the film’s concept, which are available on PC and mobile. ‘My Name Is Khan’ is directed by filmmaker Karan Johar after a four-year hiatus.

Global Media Business Forum: The new paradigm of business media
The Global Business Media Forum, in its final day, focussed on new horizons in business media. Each of the sessions gave a refreshing perspective of the existing business principles in the business media sector. The concluding day also saw an interesting Q&A session between Dr Pramath Raj Sinha and Vanita Kohli-Khandekar.

Global Media Business Forum: Spotlight on corporate media and role of exhibitions
The concluding day of the Global Business Media Forum saw the spotlight on topics such as ‘Corporate Media’ and ‘Events and Exhibitions: The power of face to face – best practices’. Most of the industry experts present agreed that corporate publication was an appropriate tool for successful communication in times of crisis.

Changes in Radio City: Ashit Kukian elevated to COO & President- Ad Sales
Radio City has announced the elevation of Ashit Kukian to COO and President – Ad Sales. Besides Kukian, there have been some other senior level elevations – Anil Dimri has been elevated to CTO and Senior EVP, Sagorika Kantharia is now EVP & Head – HR, while Reshma Khalid has been elevated to CFO & VP, and Rachna Kanwar to VP - Digital Media & New Business.

N Mahalakshmi takes on additional charge as Editor of Outlook Business
N Mahalakshmi, who has been with the Outlook Group since September 2007 in her capacity as Editor of Outlook Profit, has also taken over additional charge as Editor of Outlook Business. She will take forward the brand philosophy created by Anand M, the outgoing Editor of the magazine.

Budget 2010 Reactions: ‘Overall, Budget is positive for the media sector as a whole’
Industry honchos have largely reacted positively to the Union Budget 2010, presented by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on February 26, 2010. Most have the termed the Budget as progressive and balanced. Exchange4media brings the Budget reactions of a cross-section of industry honchos like Tarun Katial, MK Anand, Ambrish Bakaya, and Siddharth Shankar.
Flashed Yesterday: Budget Impact: A mixed offering for media and entertainment sector – E&Y’s Rakesh Jariwala

Flashed Yesterday: Budget 2010: News agencies that fulfil certain criteria to be exempted from service tax
Presenting the Union Budget for 2010-11, Finance Minister Pranab Mukerjee said that news agencies, which fulfilled certain criteria, were to be exempted from payment of service tax. Moreover, concessional customs duty of 5 per cent has been given to cable TV operators for importing equipment.

Budget Impact: A mixed offering for media and entertainment sector – E&Y’s Rakesh Jariwala
The Union Budget 2010-11, presented by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on February 26 is being seen as a balanced one with no major surprises. Ernst & Young’s Rakesh Jariwala cuts down to the basics and highlights the points in the Budget that impact the media and entertainment sector.

Budget 2010: News agencies that fulfil certain criteria to be exempted from service tax
Presenting the Union Budget for 2010-11, Finance Minister Pranab Mukerjee said that news agencies, which fulfilled certain criteria, were to be exempted from payment of service tax. Moreover, concessional customs duty of 5 per cent has been given to cable TV operators for importing equipment.

Navia Asia appoints Aman Chaudhary as National Client Services Director
Navia Asia, the out-of-home specialist network, has announced the appointment of Aman Chaudhary as National Client Services Director on the Uninor business. He will be based in Delhi and report to Gourav Tandon, COO, Navia Asia. Chaudhary was till recently Deputy General Manager at Percept Out of Home.

Global Business Media Forum: Turning the spotlight on the B2B media community
The two-day Global Business Media Forum, organised by Cross Border Media Inc, got underway in Delhi on February 25, 2010. The Forum provides an interactive platform to the Indian B2B community to get together with their international counterparts to exchange ideas and best practices from around the world. Day one saw discussions on topics such as ‘Advertising in Business Media’ and ‘Growth of digital media platform and new media opportunities’.

Changes at Viacom18: Biz Planning & Strategy Head Karthik Lakshminarayan quits; new CCO & Head Int’l Biz appointed
Karthik Lakshminarayan, Head of Business Planning & Strategy for Colors, has moved on from the organisation. Viacom18 also announced on February 25, 2010, the appointment of Gaurav Gandhi as Chief Commercial Officer - Viacom18 Group. In this newly created role, Gandhi would spearhead Viacom18's international business and would be reporting to Rajesh Kamat, Group COO, Viacom18 and CEO, Colors.

JWT, O&M, On Ads roped in for Emami’s new edible oil brand ‘Healthy and Tasty’
Emami Group has forayed into the food and beverage business with the launch of its edible oil brand, ‘Healthy and Tasty’. The Group has appointed JWT, O&M and On Ads for the creative duties of the brand. A TVC, directed by Prahlad Kakkar, is being unveiled. Emami has also roped in MS Dhoni and Preity Zinta for the brand communication.

Madison Public Relations adds Parle Agro, Asia MotorWorks wins to its kitty
Madison Public Relations, a unit of Madison World, has bagged the public relations mandate for Parle Agro and Asia MotorWorks Ltd. Veena Gidwani, CEO, Madison Public Relations, has confirmed the wins. Madison PR will be handling all the brands of Parle Agro, including Frooti, Appy Fizz, and the newly launched Hippo.

TBWA\India appoints Anand Narayan as VP-Account Management for Mumbai ops
Following the partnership between TBWA\India and Ignitee Digital Solutions, TBWA\India has appointed Anand Narayan as Vice President, Account Management, for its Mumbai operations. At TBWA\Mumbai, Narayan will head a unit that handles brands such as Nissan, IDFC Mutual Funds, Angel Broking, Singapore Airlines, etc.

Lintas Media Group bags Voltas AC media biz; account size pegged at Rs 35-40 cr
Close on the heels of bagging the Religare Enterprises media business, Lintas Media Group (LMG) has won the media mandate for Voltas ACs. The account size has been pegged at Rs 35-40 crore.

Studio18 restructures its senior management
Motion picture major Studio18 has announced the restructuring of its senior management. Hemant Bhardwaj, who had joined in October 2007, takes over from Priti Shahani (who recently resigned) to spearhead the Domestic Distribution, Marketing, and Syndication verticals from Mumbai. Bhardwaj, an alumni of IIM Ahmedabad, has more than 17 years' experience in sales, marketing and advertising in varied business categories.

Flashed Yesterday: Keertan Adyanthaya to move to Fox International Channels & NGC as Managing Director
Keertan Adyanthaya, the EVP and GM at Star Movies and Star World, is slated to take charge at Fox International Channels and National Geographic Channel, as Managing Director. Adyanthaya moves to his new role in April 2010. Even though official confirmation was not available at the time of filing the report, highly placed sources have confirmed the development to exchange4media.

W+K Delhi wins Budweiser brand business
Following a multi-agency pitch, AB-Inbev India has engaged Wieden+Kennedy (W+K) Delhi to work on its Budweiser brand. W+K Delhi will also be strategising for Stella Artois and Tennents brands from AB-Inbev. The first phase of the assignment is due to start immediately.

Guest Column
Retrofit: Newswallahs out of sync with reality
Dang, media is once again in the news. Yup, the newswallahs are very much in the news again. Targeted in the crosshairs, they are once again everyone's favourite whipping boys. Sadly, their role has been thrown into stark relief again. And it does not make for happy reading, says Sandeep Bamzai.

Budget 2010: OOH industry looking forward to a growth-oriented Budget
The OOH players are quite optimistic about the Budget regarding GDP growth. They are expecting that there would be no increase in service tax or VAT. The OOH players are also looking forward to additional benefits been given to new media options and digital OOH.

Hamdard media pitch underway, 4 agencies in the fray
Hamdard (Wakf) Laboratories, Delhi has called for a media pitch. It is learnt that four agencies are currently in the fray, however, the names could not be ascertained. Media Direction, the media services arm of RK Swamy BBDO, is the incumbent agency. The pitch is currently underway and a decision on the agency is expected soon.

Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilizers empanels NAC, Sobhagya, Prachar, Goldmine, Moulis for creative & media biz
Following a multi-agency pitch, Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilizers Ltd has empanelled NAC, Sobhagya, Prachar, Goldmine & Moulis Advertising for its creative and media business. These agencies have been appointed for the company’s Corporate Communications Department, Thal Unit, Marketing and Industrial Products Division for a period of three years from March 1, 2010 to March 1, 2013.

MEC India adds Mercedes-Benz India business to its kitty
The year 2010 has brought some big wins for Mediaedge:cia (MEC) India. Following the back to back wins of Zee Entertainment and Colgate Palmolive, the agency has now added the Mercedes-Benz India business to its kitty.

Keertan Adyanthaya to move to Fox International Channels & NGC as Managing Director
Keertan Adyanthaya, the EVP and GM at Star Movies and Star World, is slated to take charge at Fox International Channels and National Geographic Channel, as Managing Director. Adyanthaya moves to his new role in April 2010. Even though official confirmation was not available at the time of filing the report, highly placed sources have confirmed the development to exchange4media.

Networkplay’s Rammohan Sundaram awarded Star Youth Achiever of The Year
Rammohan Sundaram, Founder, MD and CEO, NetworkPlay.in, has been awarded the ‘Star Youth Achiever’ Award by the Global Youth Marketing Forum, which is in strategic partnership with the CMO Council.

India B2B Media Summit 2010: Internet medium will see fragmentation in time to come: Ajit Balakrishnan
The Association of Indian Magazines, in association with Pressmart and exchange4media Group, organised the India B2B Media Summit 2010 in Mumbai on February 22. The Summit saw industry experts converge to discuss ways to build communities digitally and how B2B companies need to move beyond traditional modes of operation.
India B2B Media Summit 2010: ‘B2B has brought in micro marketing’
India B2B Media Summit 2010: Of building communities on the web

India B2B Media Summit 2010: Of building communities on the web
Carrying the discussions forward, the afternoon sessions at the India B2B Media Summit 2010 covered issues such as technology landscape, social media, and content evangelists, among others. The Summit concluded with a CEO Roundtable. The Summit was held in Mumbai on February 22.

India B2B Media Summit 2010: ‘B2B has brought in micro marketing’
The second panel discussion at the India B2B Media Summit 2010, held in Mumbai on February 22 was on B2B and the media multiplier effect. The panellists highlighted the ability of B2B to offer better solutions to clients and why B2B was in a better position as media multiplier.

Flashed Yesterday: Lowe Lintas announces new structure; Arun Iyer, Amer Jaleel appointed as NCDs
Lowe Lintas India has restructured the agency. To start with, Arun Iyer and Amer Jaleel have been appointed as National Creative Directors with immediate effect and have the responsibility of managing the creative product of the agency between them. R Balki will continue to head the agency as Chairman.

Television & radio will dominate; ad spends will see modest rise: Deloitte media predictions
The Technology, Media & Telecom practice at Deloitte has announced predictions for 2010 for the media sector. According to the survey, the fastest growing medium will be television and radio. Ad spends will see a modest increase and the expected incremental spends will be around 10 per cent.

Mohit Beotra calls it a day at Lowe Lintas
Mohit Beotra, Executive Director, Lowe Lintas Delhi, has put in his papers. He is slated to join Airtel, where he will be heading the Northern Circle. Senior sources close to the development have confirmed the news. Beotra had joined Lowe Lintas in February 2004 as EVP.

Lowe Lintas announces new structure; Arun Iyer, Amer Jaleel appointed as NCDs
Lowe Lintas India has restructured the agency. To start with, Arun Iyer and Amer Jaleel have been appointed as National Creative Directors with immediate effect and have the responsibility of managing the creative product of the agency between them. R Balki will continue to head the agency as Chairman.

Balaji Telefilms unveils new corporate identity
Balaji Telefilms Ltd has gone for a corporate image makeover, unveiling a brand new visual identity and its new vision and brand values. The new identity reflects the fresh perspective adopted by Balaji Telefilms towards existing and new businesses and the core brand values that the brand has successfully been built on over the last 15 years.

CNBC-TV18 and Moneycontrol.com launche Moneycontrol My TV
Network18 powerhouses, CNBC-TV18 and Moneycontrol.com, have collaborated to launch Moneycontrol My TV, an online TV module that will combine the benefits of both in the Indian business and online financial space.

GenNext Media Magnate: Bhavna Jha – Energetic, confident, positive
Three words that keep Bhavna Jha, Head, TME Delhi, going are energetic, confident and positive attitude. Beginning her career in Media in 1997, Jha has worked on a wide array of clients over the years that include Coke, Hyundai, Maxima, Nomarks, Airtel, Sony Ericsson, Bharat Petroleum, Honda Motorcycles, Xerox, Nike, and W, among others. The GenNext Media Magnate is chosen by a committee comprising the exchange4media editorial team in consultation with Raj Nayak.

Leo Burnett’s C Vijai Ambalavanan to head Grey Chennai
C Vijai Ambalavanan has moved on from Leo Burnett to join Grey Group India as Branch Head in Chennai. Popularly known as Amby among peers, he will be reporting to Vijay Jacob, who recently joined Grey as Vice President and Head of South.

Anandiya Mukherji, Ameet Joshi
Ameet Joshi, Client Servicing Director, and Anandiya Mukherji, Account Manager, have put in their papers at Grey Mumbai. Joshi is moving to Rediffusion Y&R Mumbai. However, Mukherji’s next destination is not known yet. He was with Grey Mumbai for a year. Prior to that, he had worked with O&M Mumbai and Delhi for close to three years.

Arati Jerath
English daily DNA's Senior Editor, Arati Jerath, has decided to move on. She has been with the newspaper since 2005. At DNA, she was heading the Delhi bureau. February 1, 2010, was her last working day at the office. After a brief stint in India Today, Jerath had joined The Indian Express and spent 23 years there as a crime reporter, before graduating to politics.

Prakash Iyer
Kimberly-Clark Inc has appointed Prakash Iyer as Managing Director of Kimberly Clark Lever Pvt Ltd. Iyer takes over from Rajeev Mohan, who is retiring from the company after a stint of over 30 years, stretched across the US and India in multiple functions and roles. Iyer’s last stint was with the Future Group, where he was CEO, responsible for the loyalty business. At Kimberly-Clark, he will be based out of Pune and will be responsible for growing the business and the category in India. He will also be a part of the regional leadership team of South Asian Developing & Emerging Countries comprising India, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines and Indonesia.

Nielsen appoints Amit Adarkar as Vice President of its Bases Division
The Nielsen Company has announced the appointment of Amit Adarkar as Vice President, Nielsen Bases. Adarkar will be based out of Mumbai and will report to Prasun Basu, Vice President, Nielsen Bases, South Asia and Middle East & Africa, and Executive Director, Consumer Research, South Asia, The Nielsen Company.

Globosport’s Anirban Das Blah ventures into entertainment & marketing company KWAN
Anirban Das Blah, former CEO of Globosport, on February 18, 2010, announced the launch of his entertainment and marketing company called KWAN. The company operates across various entertainment driven verticals and markets.

AIM and e4m present the India B2B Media Summit 2010 on February 22
The Association of Indian Magazines, in collaboration with the exchange4media Group, is organising the India B2B Media Summit 2010 in Mumbai on February 22. The theme of the Summit this year is ‘Building communities digitally’. The aim of the Summit is to help advertisers understand the B2B domain in India.

PTM’s Manish Porwal joins Alchemist as Managing Director
Manish Porwal, who had quit Percept Talent Management in January 2010, has joined Alchemist, an HR and talent solutions company, as Managing Director and promoter. He has also bought a controlling stake in the company. Anujita Jain, Founder and COO of Alchemist, will continue to be at the helm of affairs.

Russell Barrett quits Bates141 as ECD; on his way to BBH India
Russell Barrett has called it a day at Bates141 as Executive Creative Director. It is believed that Barrett’s next destination is BBH India. According to sources, Barrett will work closely with Priti Nair, Managing Partner, BBH India. Barrett had joined Bates in January 2009.

Guest Column
Retrofit: Will ‘My Name is Khan’ survive the vagaries of the BO?
Friday after Friday, the fate of stars and their bankrollers – the producers and bulge bracket distributors – is decided on the Box Office across the world. After ‘Chak De’, ‘My Name is Khan’ is Shah Rukh Khan’s greatest acting performance. Week one and week two will determine its fate and future course. B Town is merciless, replete with crabs, says Sandeep Bamzai.

Deccan Chargers rules out boycotting IPL3; completes its inventories with five sponsors
After threatening to boycott IPL3 over shifting the match venue out of Hyderabad, Deccan Chargers has said that that there is no question of it boycotting IPL3. The IPL franchise is said to have completed its inventories with five sponsors, along with Idea Cellular as its title sponsor.

s4m Round Table Conference: Industry honchos upbeat about a flourishing Hindi media
To ponder over the state of Hindi media in India and its future, exchange4media Group recently organised a Round Table Conference in Delhi. The Conference, which was part of the run up to the launch of the Group’s Hindi media and advertising news portal samachar4media.com, witnessed the participation of prominent media stalwarts like Shashi Shekhar, Paresh Nath, Shravan Garg, Maheshwar Peri, Sameer Kapoor, and Aunindyo Chakravarti, among others.

Law & Kenneth bags Kelvinator & Sansui’s creative biz
In the wake of a multi-agency pitch, that was called in December 2009, Law & Kenneth has bagged the creative duties for Kelvinator & Sansui. Company sources peg the business at Rs 40 crore. Saatchi & Saatchi was the incumbent on the business.

Flashed Yesterday: Himanshu Shekhar quitting Big FM; headed back to Mindshare on Unilever biz
After a stint of two years, Himanshu Shekhar, Business Head - North and West, Big FM, has decided to move on from Big FM. According to sources close to the development, Shekhar is reportedly headed back to Mindshare, where he will head the Unilever business. He will be based in Jakarta.

IBD India wins creative duties of Sunil Mantri Realty Ltd
IBD India, the integrated brand development division of Percept Hakuhodo, has bagged the creative duties of real estate and community developer Sunil Mantri Realty Ltd. Following rigorous rounds of evaluation processes, IBD India was appointed as the agency to provide creative solutions across their entire communication spectrum.

Trust in Indian media is waning over the years: Edelman Trustbarometer Survey
According to the Trust Barometer Survey conducted by Edelman, Indian media has been losing its credibility and trust among the people. The study has noticed a sharp drop in trust over the past two years in television news in India. However, newspapers are ranked higher than other mediums in terms of credible news.

Mixed Media: Will someone ask Amitabh Bachchan to keep a check on what he blogs
Amitabh Bachchan spews venom at India Today Executive Editor Kaveree Bamzai on his blog and rues that his criticism would lead her magazine and channel Headlines Today to turn against him. Guess someone needs to advise the megastar to be restrained in his posts, writes Pradyuman Maheshwari. A free-to-access blog is open for public view, and he is legally liable for all that he writes.

TME & Colgate Palmolive part ways; MEC gains
It has been a good year for Mediaedge:cia (MEC) so far. Last month, Zee Entertainment broke its seven-year relation with Madison Media and moved to MEC, and this month, Colgate Palmolive and TME have “mutually agreed to part ways”, ending a 25-year long relationship, and the FMCG major has landed in MEC’s kitty. Industry sources peg the business in the vicinity of Rs 250-300 crore. The reason cited is global realignment.