Guest Column: Will the smartphone spell doom for the idiot box?Dippak Khurana
Users’ love affair with digital media and mobile has far from run its course, and this is one of those that could very well last a lifetime, writes Founder & CEO, Vserv Dippak Khurana

Ardent fans of Bollywood actor Shahrukh Khan flocked to his Twitter page recently when the superstar chose to break the first look of his upcoming film on the online social networking service. King Khan isn’t the only one going the social media way. The trailer for Ajay Devgn’s Drishyam was launched on social media, and reached a total of 2,50,00,000 users within just three days.
Apart from filmmakers, FMCG brands too are jumping on the social media and mobile bandwagon. The classic example of it being Hindustan Unilever’s campaign—‘Kan Khajura Tesan’, in rural Bihar and Jharkhand in which 86% of its target audience owned a mobile phone— nearly 300% the number of those who owned a television. Some of the world’s largest product launches and news announcements are taking the mobile-first or mobile-only route. And India is not one to stay far behind. The Indian marketer is rethinking marketing strategies and reallocating budgets to cope with this mobile revolution.
Move over TV, mobile to dominate the future
The smartphone is entertaining better and providing information faster. To top that, it lets you choose the different degrees of doing so – which means you can watch a two minute song or an entire movie, you can read a whole article or just glance at the news notification. It is empowering the user to absorb content differently – at his own time, pace, location, convenience and in a preferred format; unlike the inherent rigidity of the TV.
Social media enables content-sharing, garnering audience interest, whether it’s the latest national TV channel debate or a newly released TV show. Given that mobile is a device which is always with the user, online video watching has outpaced TV watching. This ‘me-time’ in most cases, translates into mobile time. A significant factor to keep in mind is that mobile reaches specific pockets of the country which do not have access to TV – and that is why ‘Kan Khajura Tesan’ deserves a special mention. In places lacking a television set, mobile broadcast helps as a cost-effective option to reach users. Some consumer technology companies have introduced smartphones that enable you to project images and video onto table tops and walls, further augmenting the switch. Ironically, in metros, an interesting trend has been observed where most people are connected to their mobile devices, even while watching TV.
Research estimates suggest that the average Indian spends approximately 3 hours and 11 minutes on smartphones per day as compared to 2 hours and 8 minutes in front of their televisions.
Putting your monies where your mouth (read: eye) is
Cut to five years ago, when marketing budgets were concentrated around TV with almost nil for mobile. Broadcast was the most expensive medium then, and (arguably) the most effective one too. Today, the story is markedly different. Just how marketers are flocking to mobile, their monies are following suit – the same budgets are more likely to be placed on the mobile platform than on TV, a fact that King Khan is no stranger to.
When TV goes mobile
Mobile phones and tablets are stealing prime time, the period people used to devote to TV. The mobile industry is providing the right platform and innovative technologies to help channel owners utilise their content in newer ways and reach out to contemporary audiences. In fact, TV shows today, are tailor-made to target the largest audience – Generation Y or more popularly known as millennials for whom mobile is the go-to mode of communication. This ‘right here, right now’ generation is not limited to sitting on the couch in front of their TV screens, but are the ones who are always on the move and more importantly, simultaneously on their smartphones. The preference is of a single device with multiple functions than multiple devices offering one function each.
Smartphone usage is largely app-driven. Companies have started publishing content via specific apps like Hotstar, Sony Liv, ALT or on YouTube and are receiving views in millions. Certain channels have gone to the extent of considering shutting shop to streaming their content on mobile phones instead. There are apps like Ditto TV and Tata Sky that enable you to watch all channels on your mobile phone. Inspite of battling seamless video streaming on iPhone and Android phones, volumes of video seen on mobile devices is going through the roof. About 40% of all YouTube traffic comes from mobile. The long and short of it – broadcast on mobile is taking off like never before, and channel owners and content owners alike are facing the exciting challenge of racing to the finish line.
Marketing and mobile – a torrid love affair
Realising the reach and impact of the smartphone and the increasing mobile internet user database, especially over television, marketers have begun to effectively woo the mobile Indian using the power of the smartphone, with brand campaigns tailor-made for mobile.
However, this is just the start; the users’ love affair with digital media and mobile has far from run its course – and this is one of those that could very well last a lifetime.
The author is Founder & CEO, Vserv.
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e4m Digital Marketing Leaders Awards laud contributions of 33 industry pioneers
The leaders have been honoured for their successful digital strategies, campaigns and innovations
By exchange4media Staff | Jun 9, 2023 9:14 PM | 3 min read
The exchange4media Group hosted the inaugural edition of the e4m Digital Marketing Leaders Awards on Friday, June 9, at the Taj Santacruz in Mumbai. The star-studded award night recognized and felicitated the game-changers in the digital marketing domain for their outstanding and impressive contributions to the industry. The awards celebrated the best minds in the digital marketing space for their successful digital strategies, campaigns and innovations that leverage new technologies.
A total of 33 digital marketing leaders were awarded at the dazzling awards night. The occasion was graced by top leaders, industry heads and experts from a wide cross-section of marketing, media and brands. Spotify Advertising is the Celebratory Partner of the event while Lemma is the Networking Partner.
The winners who were honoured with the award include Abhishek Mehta, Digital Marketing Lead, FMCG- Jubilant Foodworks, Altamash Khan, Digital Lead- Kellogg India, Ankit Desai, Head - Media & Digital Marketing (India & Global Centre of Excellence)- Marico., Anvesha Poswalia, Head of Digital & E-commerce - Home Care- Unilever, Apoorva Maheshwari, Head of Marketing- Bestseller, Deepa Krishnan, Director - Marketing, Category, Loyalty, Digital- Starbucks, Dipti Sudhir, Head- Digital Marketing & PR- Britannia Industries, Divya Batra, Head of Marketing- Haldiram’s, Girish Hingorani, Senior General Manager & Head – Marketing & E-commerce Cooling & Purification Appliances Group- Blue Star, Jahid Ahmed, Senior Vice President and Head of Digital Acquisition/ Website/ Content & Social Media Marketing- HDFC Bank.
The other winners are Madhu S Dutta, Head of Marketing & GM- Brand, Media, & Digital Social- Raymond, Madhur Acharya, Vice President E-commerce- Lenskart, Manik Mahajan, Director - Digital Marketing and E-Commerce- Versuni, Niranjan Mutkekar, Associate Director - Digital Marketing- Purplle, Pierre de Greef, Digital Marketing Director- Pernod Ricard India, Priyanka Gandhi, Associate Director - Integrated Marketing Communication & E-commerce Marketing- Colgate Palmolive India, Priyanka Sethi, Director - Head of Marketing- Haier Appliances India, Proshanjit Dey, Marketing Head- Strategy & Innovation, ATL, Digital & Social Media, Nutrition- India & EM Markets- Dr. Reddy's Lab, Puneet Gupta, Business Head - Digital & Marketing- Nuvama Wealth and Rajeev John, Vice President Marketing- Health Care & Strategic Investments- Dabur India.
Adding more to the winner list were Ritu Mittal, Head of Marketing & Digital- Bayer, Sachin Mishra, Digital Marketing Lead- Cipla Health, Sachin Vashishtha, Chief Marketing Officer- Paisabazaar, Sadhana Daswani, Head Brand and Digital- JSW Paints, Saurabh Saini, Head, Digital Marketing & Communication- Havells India, Shaktipriyo Sikdar, Head - Digital Marketing- Emami, Sheena Kapoor, Head - Marketing Corp Comm & CSR- ICICI Lombard, Sunil Nat, Head of E-commerce & Digital Marketing- Galderma, Urmesh Chandra, Head - Digital Marketing- PolicyBazaar.com, Vidya Kailasam Hangal, India Consumer Digital Leader- Mondelez International, Vikram Jeet Bhayana, Head of Marketing- Bajaj Allianz General Insurance, Vinay Dholakia, General Manager - Digital Marketing & Media Head- Tata Motors and Vishal Gaba, Associate Director - Marketing- Bira 91.
Here’s the complete list of winners:
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Disney+ Hotstar offers free streaming of Asia Cup, ICC Men’s Cricket WC on cellphone
Both tournaments will be held later this year
By exchange4media Staff | Jun 9, 2023 11:10 AM | 1 min read
Disney+ Hotstar has announced that Asia Cup and ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup tournaments being held later this year will be made available as free-to-view to all mobile phone users accessing Disney+ Hotstar.
“Disney+ Hotstar has remained at the forefront of the rapidly evolving OTT industry in India and the various innovations we have introduced to continue enhancing the viewer experience has allowed us to delight our audiences across the region. Making the Asia Cup and ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup available to a wider audience, we believe, will help us grow the overall eco-system,” said Sajith Sivanandan, Head of Disney+ Hotstar.
We reached out to Disney+ Hotstar for a comment on the same but are yet to receive a response.
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e4m-ESP Indian Online Gaming Landscape 2023 Report: Glimpses unveiled
The report seeks to decode the growth of the online gaming landscape in India and focus on how brands can leverage this billion-dollar industry
By exchange4media Staff | Jun 9, 2023 10:54 AM | 2 min read
India has witnessed a digital revolution over the past decade, driven by various factors such as technological advancements, government initiatives, increasing internet penetration and the rapid adoption of smartphones. With over 750M active internet users in 2022, the country has become a prime destination for the open internet and all that digital media entails.
The key driver of India’s digital revolution is gaming, with the country being home to close to 500M individual gamers. The ever-evolving gaming market in India is fuelled by devices, data and digital penetration, all of which are getting cheaper, better, and faster.
The e4m GameOn Online Summit held in Mumbai today gave a sneak-peek into the much-awaited e4m-ESP Indian Online Gaming Landscape 2023 report. The comprehensive report serves as a compass, guiding stakeholders through the vast opportunities and challenges that lie ahead in the gaming sphere. The detailed report is set to be unveiled soon and will be available for public use.
Gaming has emerged as a powerful force and the industry has experienced remarkable growth in recent years. 2022 has been a game changing year for the gaming industry in India with publishers, streaming platforms, esports organizers, and teams coming together to create a very healthy gaming ecosystem. It is believed that with professional teams training to compete and win in global tournaments, 2023 may well be a crucial year for esports.
The gaming industry in India has created bundles of opportunities for gamers, making them economically independent. Moreover, e-sports has gained substantial popularity in India and is poised for significant growth in the coming years. The emergence of professional teams, increased prize pools, and a growing fan base, esports is expected to become a mainstream form of entertainment and a lucrative industry in India.
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Sociowash bags eBay India’s integrated digital mandate
The agency will develop performance media strategies while deploying its video production and influencer marketing verticals
By exchange4media Staff | Jun 8, 2023 2:41 PM | 1 min read
Sociowash, an integrated advertising agency, has won the integrated digital mandate for eBay India. The agency will be responsible for enhancing the brand’s overall digital presence by developing creative tactical strategies. The account was won in a multi-agency pitch and will be handled by the agency’s Mumbai team, stated a release.
As part of this strategic partnership, Sociowash will be responsible for creating awareness about the brand and executing campaigns to onboard more sellers onto the platform. The agency will provide end-to-end solutions and services for the brand's creative, performance media, video production, and influencer marketing needs while resonating with its target audience and helping them achieve their business objectives.
Pranav Agarwal, the co-founder of Sociowash, commented on the win, "eBay India is a prominent leader in the e-commerce industry. We are elated to have been chosen by them to manage their digital landscape. Our team's extensive experience and expertise will redefine and elevate the brand's digital positioning. Together, we can create an impact that goes beyond what has been achieved before, setting new benchmarks and adding genuine value for the brand"
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Meta Verified now in India
As per reports, the subscription is available for ₹699 monthly on iOS and Android3
By exchange4media Staff | Jun 8, 2023 11:35 AM | 1 min read
Meta has said that Meta Verified will now be available in India.
The announcement was made in a post by Mark Zuckerberg who also mentioned that previously verified accounts will maintain the status for free.
Meta Verified in a subscription bundle on FB and Insta.
Subscribers will get a badge indicating their account has been verified with a government ID, extra protection against impersonation, direct access to customer support and more visibility, the company had earlier said.
As per media reports, this subscription is available for ₹699 monthly on iOS and Android3. The company also plans to introduce a web purchase option for ₹599 a month.
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e4m GameOn Summit to explore the future of gaming
The conference will be held on June 9
By exchange4media Staff | Jun 8, 2023 8:55 AM | 2 min read
The gaming market in India is dynamic and is a rapidly evolving ecosystem. Gaming has emerged as a powerful force and the industry has experienced remarkable growth in recent years and continues to expand at a rapid pace. The widespread availability of affordable internet access, affordable data plans, has led to a surge in online gaming, allowing people across the country to access and engage with various gaming platforms. In order to explore the gaming industry further, e4m has announced the third edition of the e4m GameOn-Online Gaming Summit. The conference is set to be held on June 9 in Mumbai. The Presenting Partner of the event is AnyMind, the Growth Partner is Mobavenue while AdScholars is the Co-partner.
At the conference, top leaders from the gaming ecosystem will come together and share insights on key topics under the theme ‘Online Gaming, The Next Big Thing?’. The summit will also give a sneak-peek to the much-awaited e4m-GroupM ESP Report on the Indian online gaming landscape.
As per industry experts, 2022 was one of the landmark years for the Indian esports and gaming industry, as publishers, streaming platforms, esports organizers, and teams came together to create a very healthy ecosystem. It is believed that with professional teams training to compete and win in global tournaments, 2023 may well be a breakout year for esports.
Click here to see the full agenda: https://e4mevents.com/e4m-GameOn-2023/agenda
Due to the advancements in technology, the gaming market is only getting bigger. Top leaders and experts from the gaming industry are set to come together under one roof to discuss the opportunities, challenges and the future of the gaming industry in India. The e4m Summit explores the industry’s rapidly growing revenue streams, the drivers of growth, the changing demographics of the gaming universe, and ways brands can seize the opportunity to target consumers.
To ensure you don’t miss out on valuable insights, click here to register:
https://e4mevents.com/e4m-GameOn-2023/login
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e4m Digital Marketing Leaders Awards: Inaugural edition on June 9
The awards recognize and honour digital marketing leaders for their impactful strategies, campaigns and innovations
By exchange4media Staff | Jun 8, 2023 8:51 AM | 1 min read
Digital marketing leaders play a crucial role in shaping the industry and driving innovation. Their expertise, insights, strategies and vision help others advance their knowledge and understanding of digital marketing practices. These leaders inspire the next generation of marketers and help the industry grow.
With an aim to honour the great minds in the digital marketing sphere, the exchange4media Group is hosting the first edition of the e4m Digital Marketing Leaders Awards on June 9 in Mumbai. The awards night will celebrate and acknowledge the stars of the domain in India and witness the coming together of some of the best brands, individuals and agencies. Spotify Advertising is the Celebratory Partner of the event while Lemma is the Networking Partner.
e4m Digital Marketing Leaders Awards acknowledges the great leaders who have developed & implemented successful digital strategies, campaigns, and innovations by leveraging new technologies for digital marketing. The awards aim to inspire leaders to stay ahead of the curve and unlock their full potential as digital marketers by felicitating pioneers in the digital marketing sphere.
The star-studded awards night is a perfect opportunity to network with the best and brightest minds from the digital marketing ecosystem, expand knowledge and get an overview of the functioning of several digital marketing agencies.
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