In the age of digital, consumers still look to The Times of India group publications for brand and sale offers re-iterating the fact that the print medium is still the best for discovery. And the festive season is no exception. With the stock markets at an all-time high and many categories seeing healthy growth, brands are banking on the festive season to achieve their best performance of the year.

In its third edition, “Times Wishlist” was back this year asking the most important questions for the festive season. "Times Wishlist" is a one-of-a-kind campaign that asks consumers questions about their purchasing behaviour during the festive period.

This year was our most comprehensive analysis yet, with questions about not just what they want to buy but when they buy, where, and what sources influence their decisions. Emerging as the most popular choice, 4 out of 5 readers turn to newspapers for festive deals and offers and 3 in 4 prefer to shop in physical stores.

A whopping 56% of readers are looking to buy consumer durables this year, while 48% are in the market for mobile phones. 33% of people looking to buy mobile phones, intend to spend over Rs. 40,000 on the same. More than half of the readers who want to buy a car are planning to spend more than Rs. 20 lakhs.

There is also a lot of excitement around the regional festivals, with around 69% of readers in Kolkata looking forward to Durga Puja to make festive purchases, while over 35% in Ahmedabad will be shopping during Navratri.

It is now up to the brands to use these valuable insights to make their move, as there is a captive audience waiting. 

Star Vijay has announced the line-up of 11 sponsors for Bigg Boss Tamil Season 7 an unprecedented success. This season, presented by VIM Liquid and G Square, powered by Vasanth & Co and Brooke Bond 3 Roses, and featuring associate sponsors Atomberg, Kajaria Tiles, Chik Shampoo, Iswarya Fertility Center, Haier Appliances, Association of Mutual Funds in India and Fantastic Jeyachandran continues the tradition of delivering outstanding content to its audience.

“Bigg Boss Tamil is a tentpole property for advertisers, running for an impressive 15-week duration, perfectly aligning with the pivotal festive season when brands seek standout content. The timing couldn’t be better, with Star Vijay currently dominating prime time with a line-up of top shows in Tamil Nadu and the addition of Bigg Boss Tamil S7 will only enhance the already diverse and captivating content offerings. Across all seasons, sponsors have consistently found immense value in their association with Bigg Boss Tamil, and this season is no exception. With the exciting twist of not one, but two Bigg Boss houses, this season promises to deliver double the entertainment, excitement, and drama! The anticipation for this season has been quite high since the release of a series of promos making this announcement. The promos have garnered a staggering 25 million views in record time,” stated a press release.

Bala Ramajeyam, Managing Director of G Square Realtors Private Limited, expressed his excitement about securing the title sponsorship: "G Square is truly honoured and thrilled to announce that we have secured the coveted role of the title sponsor for the immensely popular TV show, Bigg Boss, on Vijay TV. This is a momentous occasion for us, and we are deeply grateful for the opportunity. The association with Bigg Boss Season 7 opens new horizons for us, and we are excited to become an integral part of people's everyday lives through this iconic show."

NS Satish, President, Haier Appliances India, emphasized the significance of this partnership, stating, "At Haier, we have always strived to be a part of the daily lives of Indian consumers by offering innovative, reliable, and technologically driven home appliances. Given that Tamil Nadu is an important market for Haier India, and over the years, we have received promising feedback from our consumers, the upcoming Season of Bigg Boss Tamil presents a great opportunity for us to further connect with our customers."

Arindam Paul, Founding Member & Chief Business Officer at Atomberg, shared his enthusiasm about the association, saying, "Bigg Boss Tamil is a beloved show across Tamil Nadu and will provide us with the right platform to reach out to more and more people in this region. We are very excited about this collaboration."

While the list of contestants remains shrouded in mystery, one thing is certain – Bigg Boss Tamil Season 7 will feature a diverse group of individuals who have made their mark in various facets of pop culture. Their interactions, conflicts, friendships, and emotional moments, combined with the two Bigg Boss houses, will offer viewers an exhilarating rollercoaster of entertainment.

Bigg Boss Tamil Season 7 is set to premiere on October 1^st 6PM, 2023, airing on Star Vijay and streaming 24X7 on Disney+ Hotstar.

Teads has announced the results of its collaborative research with Ipsos, which focused on unraveling the key creative elements that ignite the engine of success in the omnichannel automotive campaign landscape. By leveraging Ipsos' cutting-edge AI capabilities and advanced statistical modeling techniques, Teads gained profound insights that will revolutionize the way automotive advertisements are crafted and optimized for maximum impact.

In its pursuit of unlocking the secrets to success, Teads carefully curated a vast collection of 500 videos spanning from 2019 to 2022, representing 18 different automotive brands across 23 countries. This comprehensive assortment embraced a wide array of video formats, spanning the entire spectrum of the digital marketing funnel. Within this collection, certain videos underwent meticulous cutting-edge optimization by  Teads Studio, while others served as pivotal benchmarks, allowing  for discovery into the profound impact of these enhancements.

Teads and Ipsos aimed to cast a wider net and gain a comprehensive understanding of the strategies employed within the automotive industry as a whole. By immersing in various successes and shortcomings, Teads was able to extract invaluable insights that inspired its own optimization endeavors.

To provide Ipsos with a holistic view, Teads shared a carefully curated selection of key performance indicators (KPIs) and corresponding percentages of in-view time. Leveraging their expertise, Ipsos employed artificial intelligence algorithms to cluster and organize the data, revealing hidden patterns and trends.

The culmination of this research lies in the identification, categorization, and quantification of the key elements present in successful omnichannel automotive campaigns. Statistical analysis, utilizing the innovative Shapley values technique derived from game theory, was employed to establish the influence of each visual characteristic on the output, specifically the in-view time. This step connected all the information, shedding light on the significant factors that contribute to campaign success.

Collaborating closely with Ipsos, Teads conducted a meticulous manual review of sample videos, delving deep into the insights conveyed by the data points. This qualitative analysis allowed for the translation of raw information into actionable findings, paving the way for groundbreaking discoveries.

Here are some of the top insights of the research:

Beyond the Vehicle: Videos that focus less on the vehicle, and instead integrate it into a larger storyline, tend to have higher in-view times.

Revealing the Interior: Showcasing interior features can be as engaging as telling a complete story, particularly in consideration-focused ads.

Brand Clarity: Prominently featuring the brand logo and name captures audience attention and provides a strong hook.

Wide and Simple Perspectives: Wide shots that convey a sense of freedom and movement tend to engage viewers. Additionally, videos with fewer scenes tend to have higher in-view times, as they require less cognitive effort to comprehend.

Color Contrasts: Chromatic contrasts, such as blue and orange, make videos more appealing and increase in-view time. Dark-colored videos have lower in-view time due to lack of contrast, but adding a lighter element can make a significant impact.

Henner Blömer VP Global Client Partnerships: “Creativity is the crucial component of successful digital car campaigns. In previous Teads research, we found significantly higher levels of attention (+49%) and brand lift (+31%) with creatively optimized campaigns. In order to provide clients and agencies with further insights into the optimal design of advertising media, we have collaborated with IPSOS to develop best practice to significantly increase the view time of campaigns.“

Jessica Sleep, Brand Communications and Social Media Manager, MINI said: “There have been some great insights presented as a result of this study, particularly around the use of people, colour contrasts and text. We’ve implemented Teads’ recommendations in our upcoming campaigns and I look forward to seeing the results!”

CNN-News18 has announced the launch of ‘The Hard Facts,’ a news show anchored by Network18’s Consulting Editor Rahul Shivshankar.

“Starting from 2nd October at 7 p.m., ‘The Hard Facts’ stands as a testament to the channel’s unwavering dedication to deliver meticulously researched, unbiased news. At a time when noise and sensationalism have taken center stage in media, this show will offer presentation that is composed, well-researched and purely based on hard facts,” stated a press release.

The upcoming show aims to set itself apart through a singular commitment to objective reporting. Spearheaded by Rahul Shivshankar and supported by a team of seasoned researchers, the show embarks on a quest to unearth the stories that matter to the public. It will focus on presenting viewers with a point of view based on well-researched facts, free from any hint of bias, spin and sensationalism, the release mentioned.

‘The Hard Facts’ will be divided into two segments: the first segment will delve into the top story of the day in conversation with guest speakers, where the anchor will present an argument keeping the well-researched facts at the core and engage in a meaningful conversation. The second section will provide a concise overview of other key stories of the day.

The show will cover a wide spectrum of topics, including politics, economics, science, and culture to empower viewers with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions by presenting facts and enabling them to form their own well-informed perspectives.

Speaking on his upcoming show, Rahul Shivshankar said, "In 'The Hard Facts,' I will be the viewer’s guide through the chaos of misinformation. I draw from my 30 years of journalistic experience to deliver only well-researched, verified, and attributed facts.  In a world where unverified news and empty rhetoric thrive in abundance, I refuse to compromise credibility. This show is unique – it's not just news, but a perspective built on irrefutable hard facts. Facts are the foundation of every compelling argument, and here, you'll find them. I’m looking forward to this journey of navigating the news with clarity and conviction."

The one-hour show is scheduled for launch on 2nd October, 2023, and will air on weeknights at 7 p.m. on CNN-News18 and its YouTube platform.

Radio Mango is now the first regional FM network to mark its presence on WhatsApp Channels.

This new feature from WhatsApp, now available in India and over 150 other countries, enables global followers of Radio Mango to receive important updates that matter right within the platform.

By following the channel you can be the first to know about upcoming shows, watch exclusive celebrity interviews and listen to podcasts, get the latest music and movie updates, receive alerts about contests, and giveaways, and know about events hosted by Radio Mango in your city.

To follow Radio Mango, simply click this link https://bit.ly/RadioMangoWhatsAppChannel

Gurgaon-based meme marketing platform Meme Chat has roped in renowned brand communication and PR strategist Vivek Satya Mitram as Head Of Brand Strategy and PR.

“Vivek is a key hire and will be part of the leadership team at Meme Chat. As Head Of Brand Strategy and PR, he will be spearheading the brand marketing, consumer connect, investor relations and public relations (PR) initiatives for the startup that is redefining the digital marketing space by channelising the proven virality quotient and humor connect of memes, to secure unimaginable awareness and unique recall for brands organically,” the company said in a press release.  

Speaking on the appointment, Kyle Fernandes, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Meme Chat, said, "We are truly elated to work with Vivek. His decades of experience in the media and brand communication space, along with a proven track record of shaping multiple successful startups into trustworthy brands, will surely be a value addition at Meme Chat. He will be working on crafting strategies for brand communication, marketing, PR and investor communications. Vivek’s association with the company also reiterates our commitment to build a great team at Meme Chat roping in veterans from industry that can help us accelerate our growth plans and achieve our goals.”

For over a decade, former journalist, serial entrepreneur and independent brand consultant Vivek has been instrumental in shaping the unique brand identity and hyper-growth for scores of fast-paced startups including WittyFeed, MyOperator, Bobble AI, Winni, Vitto, and Oye! Rickshaw by crafting compelling brand communication strategies. He is known for building impeccable communication strategies that align business goals, the founder’s vision and the growth plans to ensure 360-degree visibility, the right brand positioning, consistent key messaging and the tangible measurable impact on business growth and the brand value.

Commenting on his latest role Vivek said, “I am thrilled to be part of Meme Chat & its super talented team that has envisioned an innovative brand marketing solution for ensuring massive organic visibility, awareness & connect for the brands among GenZies & millennials by using the enormous creative potential of memes. I am truly moved by the amazing work they have done for so many marquee brands, including Prime Video, Share Chat, McDonald's, OnePlus, PVR Cinemas, Marvel etc.“

He adds, “I have always been excited to work with passionate young founders who want to translate their crazy ideas into reality and build something that can redefine the existing norms of the industry. Meme Chat is one such idea that has the potential to bring a paradigm shift in the digital marketing industry. I am looking forward to adding value in their growth journey as a brand custodian, mentor and co-learner.”

Times Internet has expanded its leading cricket distribution positions in North America, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia regions, by acquiring the exclusive rights to broadcast India’s home bilateral series from September 2023 through March 2028.

In North America, Willow TV’s position across the United States and Canada will be further strengthened. Alongside the BCCI rights, Willow also distributes more than 10 other boards and tournaments, making Willow the leading cricket destination in North America.

In the Middle East, Times Internet has developed a strong position, now holding the rights to distribute the IPL alongside the BCCI rights, giving any cricket fan a year-round calendar of the highest quality cricket offerings in the region. Times partnered with Noon, Etisalat, and Cricbuzz to distribute the IPL in 2023, and will look to establish its distribution partnerships in the Middle East region further.

In Southeast Asia, this is Cricbuzz’s first rights package in the market, and the rights will be distributed on its own platforms as well as other distribution partnerships.

Commenting on the occasion, Satyan Gajwani, Vice Chairman of Times Internet: “We are proud to partner with [PITCH or VIACOM], as well as the BCCI again. Willow TV has a longstanding position as the home of cricket in the U.S.. With our foray into the Middle East, I’m confident that Cricbuzz and The Times of India Group will be able to bring a best-in-class consumer viewing experience to more cricket fans around the world.”