Rs 40 THE

May 1-15, 2008 The fortnightly from agencyfaqs! www.thebrandreporter.com THETHE WARWAR BEGINSBEGINS A fascinating battle is all set to unfold. Can The Times of successfully challenge in its stronghold? 28

SOCIAL NETWORKING Differenting 20 How networking sites are CANCAN BRANDSBRANDS looking to move ahead.

DEFINING MOMENTS MOVEMOVE UP?UP? Pranesh Misra 36 The Lowe man looks back over 31 years.

PROFILE Shiv Sethuraman 38 TBWA’s CEO designate is 32 coming back from Paris. ADVERTISING Could brand Deccan have been rejigged to survive? Cool and Confident 42 Horlicks finds itself a Madhukar Sabnavis speculates. celebrity brand ambassador.

  

The fortnightly from agencyfaqs! This fortnight... Volume III, Issue 19

ndia is a more exciting print market than any other in the world. As proof we have this fort- EDITOR Inight’s cover story about Chennai which The Hindu has ruled in near-solitary splendour. Sreekant Khandekar Deccan Chronicle came along in 2005 and created its own market. And last month, (ToI), joined the fray. Nobody blinked an eyelid when ToI said that it is PUBLISHER starting off with a circulation of nearly two lakh copies. Prasanna Singh Starting with a big circulation is a relatively new game, just over a decade old. EXECUTIVE EDITOR This approach was first employed by a then little-known Hindi daily as it ventured M Venkatesh into a neighbouring state: that was Dainik Bhaskar entering Jaipur. Bhaskar con- ducted a door-to-door survey and, in an Indian first, launched with a large, CREATIVE CONSULTANTS PealiDezine guaranteed subscriber base. To return to Chennai, it says something for Indian print that a city with just two LAYOUT major English dailies (The Hindu and The New Indian Express), is witness- Vinay Dominic ing two more within three years. The local market will expand hugely but with LOGISTICS newsprint prices being the way they are, this could turn into a bruising battle. Rajesh Kanwal

he other article on the cover is Madhukar Sabnavis’ take on whether low-priced ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES brands can move up in life. The provocation is Air Deccan’s imminent eclipse. Hansika Koli T Noida: (0120) 4077834 True, stratospheric oil prices plus overcrowded airports did it in. But rivals faced the 4077837 same odds. Gaurav Prabhu Did Deccan overemphasise the fact that it was the common man’s airline to a : (022) 40429702-5 point where it could not command the prices necessary to even survive? At the end, [email protected] the airline needed to raise its revenue per passenger from Rs 2,800 to Rs 3,100 to break even – but consumers wouldn’t pay that little extra. In their minds, the Deccan Marketing Office experience wasn’t worth it. Sabnavis runs through different categories and the Indian class- B-3, First floor, Sector-4, Noida-201301. obsessed mentality to conclude that once a cheap brand, always a cheap brand. Tel: (0120) 4077800. I feel sorry about the way the Air Deccan story ended: the airline gave rise to a revolution in air travel which in the end consumed it. Mumbai 39, A to Z (Industrial) Premises Co-op Soc Ltd, Lower Parel, Mumbai - 400013. Tel: (022) 40429701-5.

Sreekant Khandekar Subscription Enquiries Sakshi Kohli Tel: (0120) 4077837 India's foray into Chennai was arrest- [email protected] ing. Needless to say because of the   visuals. The Times Group has really Registered Office gone all out to get the branding in $0;$0(6)$35 866'   place. Readership is a matter of spec- $0'$-,0,0&.$8(.$-0$0'$(9 Moving with the Consumer ulation at the moment but it does (.+,  <  $0;$0 The profile on Bobby Pawar in seem that Chennai is saying (6)$35 866'$..4,*+654(5(48(' the last issue was interesting because "Vanakkam" to the Times Group in a 6+417*+1766+(914.'!(241'7&6,10,0 it gave the reader an understanding big way. $0;/$00(49,6+1762(4/,55,10,5241 of how this man has developed his Radhika Sharma +,%,6(' 4,06('$0'27%.,5+('%; unique take on creativity. What came Mumbai "4((-$06+$0'(-$410%(+$.)1) through was that Pawar is an avid observer of life and has not restricted $0;$0(6)$35 866'$6  his creative growth within advertis- What Clients Want +!$6$0",0*+1/2.(:$9$.$ ing jargons. I particularly liked The article on what marketers feel (4,$4-(6 $5&+,/#,+$4 reading about the bit where he had about the fact that some of the ads (9(.+,   started appreciating low brow enter- Super Sam! which win awards do not exist in 4,06('$6 $4$5 ))5(6 866' tainment in New York. It once again The cover on Sam Balsara's recent mass media was thought provoking. I  $4$,0$0'7564,$.4($ goes to show that creative genius media acquisition made interesting think it is high time that the policies +$5((9(.+,   stems from one's understanding of read. Every media personnel who for creative entries are to be revised. :&.75,8(',564,%76145,00',$ aspires to turn into a major player what defines for the Or creative agencies have to convince 0',$11-175( 866' someday has loads to learn from average masses. So true that perhaps their clients to run these ads. (9(.+,     the best creative solutions come if Balsara (and from this piece). A mav- Whether clients bite into their logic 7/%$,     they are conceived in the mind by erick in his own terms, Balsara knows will actually determine the relevance 1.-$6$   being media neutral. what he wants despite not being of these ads in the practical context. Rishita Bhatt unnaturally aggressive. He truly is a Sushmita Pali $0*$.14(    +(00$,     via email super Sam, a source of inspiration, and a role model for many. Mahesh Garg Cover Illustration Activating Change via email      Gogol The writeup on The Times of    

The Brand Reporter, May 1-15, 2008 5 AUTOMOBILE         Envisioned to be TimesofMoney> TimesofMoney, a Times Group Company, in association with Barclays a leading global financial he Indian automobile industry for the new company was issued by an aspirational services provider has launched TimesCard, India's only has witnessed unprecedented the Indian government this year in card it offers entertainment co branded credit card. It gives an opportunity Tgrowth in the last few years. March. Daimler Hero Motor some exclusive to customers to attend premier events like Filmfare Awards, Liberal government policies, presence Corporation will initially produce benefits. Femina Miss India and blockbuster movie premieres. It also of multinational players, line light, medium, and heavy-duty offers 25 per cent discount on movie tickets across some of extensions by established brands and commercial vehicles for the Indian the best multiplexes across the country and a slew of gift rising disposable market under a new vouchers from leading brands across categories. income of the average brand name. The population have all search is currently SugarFree> The leading sugar substitute in the Indian contributed towards under way for a suitable market SugarFree has come up with an innovative marketing achieving this. production location. tieup. It has recently shot a promotion ad (already on air) and According to a report Negotiations are being music video to promote the movie ‘‘Hope and a little Sugar’’, by the Indian Brand conducted with three which has been directed by Tanujaa Chandra. Apart from this Equity Foundation Indian states. Once a a radio activity and some multiplex promotions are also being (IBEF) the Indian Road transport decision is reached in planned. The brand had associated itself with the movie automobile industry this matter Cheeni Kum in the recent past where in- product is expected to be placement had been carried out. would reach the 10 construction will begin million mark by 2010. a blue eyed on a plant that will start And much of this manufacturing LG> LG Electronics has sector of the announced a Mobile Theft Insurance

MARKETING growth will come from commercial vehicles in Plan for its customers. LG has tied the commercial Indian economy 2010. up with United India Insurance to vehicles division. This The new company offer this benefit at no extra charge. All LG GSM handsets is because the is aiming to achieve a bought on or after April 1st 2008 will be insured against theft burgeoning scale of localization rate of up for a period of one yea. In the event of handset theft, the goods which require to  to 80 per cent in order buyer is required to lodge an FIR within 24 hours, block the be transported from to optimally utilize cost SIM card with the respective service provider and send the one state to the other is advantages. In this information to the insurance company within seven days of creating an urgent Indo German joint the loss. The customer will be paid back according to the requirement for more venture both the market value of the mobile phone once all the documents are commercial vehicles. groups will invest around 700 million submitted as explained in the claim form. The recent joint venture signed euros (approximately Rs 4,400 crore) between the Hero Group and over the next five years. In addition, BPL Mobile> In an era when mobile banking and mobile Daimler AG for the manufacture of Daimler will contribute 220 million commerce are the buzzwords, BPL Mobile has gone a step commercial vehicles is a significant euros (approximately Rs 1,386 crore) ahead to bring to its customers mobile entertainment at their step in this direction. The venture in the form of foreign direct fingertips with the launch of a WAP initiative called ‘Bartender will be called Daimler Hero Motor investment. The company will be WAP.’ It is a service wherein, the user can browse and Corporation. Formal approval managed jointly by the two partners. download recipes, instructions and other details of cocktail of his/her choice on their mobile phones. To make this service QUOTE OF THE FORTNIGHT unique, apart from the regular cocktail recipes that are available on the WAP portal, BPL Mobile has tied-up with Hotel We’re not here to run a Intercontinental Marine Drive for exclusive cocktail recipes. Mickey Mouse business! We’re SitaGita> Sitagita.com which claims to be India's leading looking at substantial revenues women's website has launched the first all India women's BPO blog.The site has also created a handbook, Late Nights, Coffee from India - in hundreds of and BPO, which can be downloaded for free. It will soon host a millions of pounds rather than BPO Agony Aunt Column. To complete the package on April 15, Sitagita.com has introduced a live chat for women working in tens of millions of pounds. BPO’s which will be aired twice a week, on Tuesdays and SIR STUART ROSE, CHIEF EXECUTIVE, MARKS & SPENCER GROUP IN . Thursdays, between 2:00 pm and 3:00 pm.

Yahoo!>In an attempt to MOVEMENTS/APPOINTMENTS enable more people to A compilation of some major account and people movements in the last fortnight experience the internet on a PC or mobile, Yahoo! India has launched a service in India for the PEOPLE first time. It is introducing maps and walking directions in > Rajesh Puri has been appointed as the president of operations at Tata nine local Indian languages. This enables users to walk to Teleservices . Puri joined Tata Teleservices from Airtel where he served as their destinations following a simple walking route. The the chief operating officer (COO) of the Enterprise Business (East) and directions can be sent to a mobile phone as an SMS. There is International Calling Business. Prior to this, Puri had a stint at Tata also an option to pan and zoom to any point on the map, save Teleservices where he was the chief operating officer (East Circle). it as an image and share it with others. > Manish Sinha has joined as senior vice president-strategy for Mudra marketing services (MMS). Manish will work across all the SBUs of Mudra IMRB> Celebrity led advertising has proliferated in India marketing services, viz. Kidstuff (promotional marketing), Multiplier (trade but has per a survey undertaken by market research firm marketing), Rapp Collins India (relationship marketing), Tribal DDB India (interactive IMRB it falls short of creating the desired impact. Fifty one and new media), Mudra Health & Lifestyle (healthcare brand building) and Primesite per cent of respondents have categorically stated that they (out-of-home solutions). Prior to this he was the VP–Strategy & Regional Digital do not believe that the celebrities actually use the products Initiatives at Bates David Enterprise. they endorse on screen. The survey covered 2,109 people.

6 The Brand Reporter, May 1-15, 2008

ANIMAL PLANET        Walt Disney> The Walt Disney Studios has launched a new film label called Disneynature, a production banner that will nimal Planet’s popular contest produced by the contestants. Secondly, produce big screen nature documentaries. The new banner goes for budding wildlife filmmakers the contest becomes a reality show as beyond the studio, with the Walt Disney Co. embracing this new Ais back in its third season. part of our television series, as we trail initiative around the world through a number of its businesses, Unearthed: Film School Wild started in the selected contestants on their including publications, licensing, parks and educational outreach. 2006 with the aim of identifying and adventurous trips of capturing the wild.” encouraging filmmakers The selected TRAI> The TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India) who have the eye to capture filmmakers will get the has approved a government proposal to cut licence fees paid nature and its wonders. opportunity of shooting at by direct-to-home (DTH) television operators, and hopes the Rajiv Bakshi, director, Shamwari Game Reserve in move will lead to faster growth in the sector. marketing and South Africa. All the communications, documentaries shot will be

MEDIA MidDay> A recently-concluded Brand Track Study Discovery Networks India judged by an international conducted by Hansa Research indicates that MidDay Brand says, “The contest is a panel comprising big Health Scores (BHS) secured the No 2 spot in Bangalore, platform to provide names in wildlife amongst all major English newspapers read by 20-40-year- filmmakers the opportunity Bakshi: happy filmmaking. The winners old SEC A/B working males and females. to experience the thrill of will be mentored and capturing nature from close guided by renowned The company feels Percept> Percept Holdings, the entertainment, media and quarters and, in the process, wildlife filmmakers such as consolidation is communications company, recently concluded a restructuring provide a creative outlet to It gives Lyndal Davies and Andrew exercise and renamed its lead operating and holding company their skills, along with filmmakers Barron. the best way to Percept Limited. Under the new structure, seven group polishing their craft for the chance to The winning will move forward companies – Percept Picture Company (PPC), Percept Profile photography and be aired on Animal Planet, India, Perspectrum, PDM India, Percept Out-of-Home, P9 filmmaking.” experience reaching viewers in more Integrated and Percept Talent Management (PTM) – have been The initiative has seen the thrill of than 160 countries. brought together as divisions of Percept. entries from across the Animal Planet went globe in the pasti. Previous nature. out to film and media With these tie- Future Media> Future Media, entries encompassed institutes inviting ups, Future the media firm of the Future Group, diverse thematic stories applications and creating Media hopes to has acquired the media rights for taken up by contestants. The contest has buzz for the contest. three players in the retail space: My Dollarstore, R-Mall in Mulund two parts to it, explains Bakshi. “Anyone Bakshi reveals that the channel is also accelerate its  (Mumbai) and the upcoming Oberoi above 18 years of age is eligible. exploring the possibility of tying up with entry into Mall, also in Mumbai. The company holds the rights for in-store Applicants are required to shoot a three- social networking sites and blogs to shopping malls. television at each of these places. Future Media has signed minute personal profile in the DVD advertise the terms and conditions of different kinds of contracts with each of the retailers – a six format. The profile shoot has to be the contest. The entries for the contest year (three plus three) contract with R-Mall and three year (one independently shot, directed and are open till May 19, 2008. plus two) contracts with My Dollarstore and Oberoi Mall. QUOTE OF THE FORTNIGHT It remains to be CNEB> CNEB, a Noida-based news and entertainment Before the tournament seen what kind of channel, is set for launch in May 2008. Besides news, the  channel claims to have some of the finest crime programmes, started, people said it won’t ripples CNEB will entertainment shows, travelogues and public interest shows. do well from day 1. Now, after create. The tagline of the channel is ‘Lehar toh paida hogi (Ripples seeing the result, they say it would definitely be created)’. won’t be able to sustain this The old laugh STAROne> The channel is unleashing riot is back with a Season 4 of The Great Indian Laughter viewership. So the goalpost Challenge. This time the jury will have a seems to be moving. new look and brand new look with Shatrughan Sinha and SNEHA RAJANI, EXECUTIVE VICE-PRESIDENT AND BUSINESS HEAD, MAX, AFTER THE more excitement. Navjot Singh Sidhu doing the honours. The OPENING MATCHES TOUCHED RECORD TVR LEVELS, IN AGENCYFAQS.COM. channel promises to come back with an all- new look and a new anchor.

NIMBUS> Nimbus Communications has re-branded the Neo A compilationMOVEMENTS/APPOINTMENTS of some major account and people movements in the last fortnight Sports Broadcast channels. Neo Sports will now be known as PEOPLE Neo , while Neo Sports Plus will become Neo Sports.  While Neo Cricket will be dedicated to cricket events and > The Essel Group has hired Shirshendu Banerjee as chief operating officer programmes, Neo Sports will have a mix of sports for its yet to be launched FM radio channel. Banerjee has been a radio jockey with All programming including sports such as football, tennis, golf, India Radio and head of programming, Red FM. He was also head of the Radio motor sports, badminton and beach volleyball. Division of Media Guru Quality Solution. > The NaiDunia Group has got Arpan Chatterjee on board as chief sales and ANIMATION> Turner International will set up a marketing officer. Chatterjee will be in charge of NaiDunia newspaper and business unit to develop and produce animated WebDunia Portal, the two properties of the NaiDunia Group. films in the country. The animation movies will be in The channel Hindi and designed specifically to cater to the taste of Indian ACCOUNT hopes a mix of audiences. This business unit will aim to produce at least two Hollywood and animation films every year. The company will also launch a > Following a multi-agency pitch, the media duties for Asia Pacific Breweries Hollywood movie channel with sister company Warner Bros by (APB) have been awarded to Lodestar Universal. Lodestar will now handle all the animation will do the end of 2008. The content will largely include hit Hollywood APB brands that are here in India, as also those yet to be launched. Media Circle is the trick. movies and series from Warner Bros. the incumbent agency.

8 The Brand Reporter, May 1-15, 2008

CANNES        Pond’s> Pond’s has relaunched three of its key products: Pond’s Age Miracle, Pond’s White Beauty and Pond’s Perfect ine Indians have managing director, Result with the theme of - rebirth of a timeless brand. been selected to Encompass, is one of has been roped in to endorse the brand Nbe part of the the jurors for the in India. Incidentally, she was also signed up recently for jury at the Cannes Lions Promo Lions, and HUL’s Sunsilk. 2008. Sudhir Sharma, strategy Sonal Dabral, chair- and design founder of Budweiser>A man, Bates David Elephant, is part of the moving field in the Enterprise, and regional panel for the new cate- busy streets of executive creative direc- gory, Design Lions. Mumbai, Pune, tor, Bates Asia Pacific, is When asked what she Goa, Manipal, on the Film Lions panel. felt about being includ- Mangalore, Priti Nair, national cre- ed in a jury for the first Mysore, Bangalore, ative director, Grey time, Nair said, “This is a and India, will be on the It is a good good trend of recognis- Vizag. Shocked? Don't be. In a bid to launch the Budweiser International Cup 6V6 Press panel. Prasoon  ing Indian advertising at tournament in South and West India, RC&M recreated the Old Trafford Stadium, Joshi, executive chair- trend of Cannes.” Manchester in a 43 ft trailer. man, McCann-Erickson recognising Sharma of Elephant The 40 day roadshow was held, to motivate the TG to participate & register for India, and regional exec- Indian Design is sure that with Budweiser 6V6 tournament. The Bud Cup is a six-on-six amateur football tournament utive creative director, Cannes having included that gives recreational players from various countries the opportunity to live out their McCann Asia Pacific, is advertising the category, design will dreams by taking part in an international competition. president of the Outdoor at Cannes. become the most looked Lions jury. forward to category in

ADVERTISING The Direct Lions times to come. panel will include According to Gomes, New TVC New AD campaign of the fortnight Nishad Ramachandran, vice-presi- “In India, we are beginning to see a lot SAINT GOBAIN dent and group creative director ofof integrated campaigns with digital An old man is shown sweating heavily as he is sitting in his iContract. Lodestar Universal’s chief playing an important role, and not room. Seeing this, his wife shuts the window to keep out the executive officer Shashidhar Sinha is just as a campaign website or a display sun. The man starts shivering immediately as the window has a juror on the Media Lions panel. ad unit. I truly believe the time is Saint Gobain Reflective Sun Ban Glass. Karl Gomes, executive creative now, when most brands can have, not Agency: Lowe Worldwide director, Arc Worldwide, is judging just transparent dialogues with their Creative Director: R Balakrishnan the Cyber Lions, while Senthil consumers, but use the Internet and Copywriter: Deepa Geethakrishnan Kumar, ECD, JWT, is on the Radio its various tools to react and optimise Client Servicing: Vijay Xavier Lions jury. Roshan Abbas, efforts,” says Gomes. FASTRACK QUOTE OF THE FORTNIGHT A couple meet to break up their relationship and move on. The moving on is done in an extremely non-nonchalant manner - by Creative people are not giving back mementoes, including some Fastrack accessories, before they part. frustrated. They are talented Agency: Lowe Worldwide individuals who seek to Creative Director: Raja Ramaswamy express themselves and do Production House: Film Farm justice to their craft...so let Director: Navdeep Singh us not demean our own fraternity. PRASOON JOSHI IN AGENCYFAQS! ON WHETHER CREATIVE DIRECTORS SEEK LIMELIGHT THROUGH Most Debated ADS UNFAIR MEANS AS THEY DON’T GET INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION. SPRITE MOVEMENTS/APPOINTMENTS  I think the spoof is very nicely done.... A lot of creative A compilation of some major account and people movements in the last fortnight thoughts goes in to spoofing a bad product, and actually make it hilarious. - Reshma PEOPLE  It is all bakwas but the bakwas could be portrayed in a > Nilanjan (Neil) Dasgupta, creative partner at Rediffusion DY&R, has moved to different and creative manner also...this TVC is just made Mudra DDB as a creative director in Mumbai. He will head the group handling for the sake of contradicting to Pepsi TVC. - Divya the creatives for Reliance ADAG’s soon to be launched DTH venture, called Big TV.  Pepsi had a really bad ad and it deserved to be spoofed... why the hell did pepsi make such a complictaed ad? - RC > Niranjan Kaushik is moving from Contract Advertising to partner creative director Akshay Kapnadak at McCann-Erickson in the same rank. Kaushik is currently VODAFONE serving his notice period at Contract, where he is senior creative director.  You claim a collection of 40,000 songs but your hero is singing the same song; if it is not against the theme...it ACCOUNT seems like other agencies O & M is passing through creative bankruptcy. - Sudha Menon ING Vysya Bank, which has a strong presence in South India, has hired JWT >  Well the script though was bit unrealistic and irritating Bangalore as its creative agency. This is one of the biggest wins for the agency’s went with the USP of the Vodafone. But some more creativity Bangalore branch. According to the official communique, JWT beat five other leading was expected from O&M. - Kakoli Sarmah agencies to win the business, which is estimated to be worth Rs 20 crore. Rediffusion  Nice ad, simple and beautiful. - Sandy DY&R is the incumbent agency.

12 The Brand Reporter, May 1-15, 2008

 ENTERTAINMENT CHANNELS Turning the Heat On The No 3 position among general entertainment channels has become the most coveted position. Sapna Nair talks to the contenders to find out their plans.

here channel supremacy is During the launch of the channel, concerned, the general Sameer Nair, CEO, NDTV Imagine W entertainment space hasn’t had clarified, “We are not different for offered many surprises. STAR Plus the sake of being different.” The has had the top spot - since 2000 - channel wanted to stand for fresh with its launch of Kaun Banega programming instead. Starting from “We have intro- Crorepati (first part). Angrezi Mein Kehte Hain to Nachle Ve duced fresh Change to circa 2008, and STAR with Saroj Khan, both new concepts, Plus is still the number 1 channel. to Dharam-Veer, all have worked won- programming But according to TAM, in the past ders for the channel and added to give few months, ZEE has been slowly a strong opening. Manoj Vidhwans, and our focus is closing in. But that’s not the story. executive vice president, Research It is the third position which is in Marketing and Communications, primetime. demand with new entrant NDTV NDTV Imagine says, “We also intro- MANOJ VIDHWANS Imagine almost taking over Sony duced the trend of weekly one-hour Entertainment Television’s (SET) shows on primetime after a long time, EVP, NDTV IMAGINE place - a spot which the channel has such as Ek Packet Umeed and Idea been enjoying for long. Dhoom Macha De,” he adds. logical show, Jai Maa Vaishno Devi at 8 In January 2008, its launch month, Meanwhile, 9X has been claiming pm on weekdays. NDTV Imagine commanded a chan- to be the number three GEC, in the SET, on the other hand, hasn’t nel share of 3 per cent, whereas Sony C&S 15-24 category. “If 9X is doing taken this challenge lying down. commanded 8 per cent. But after that well in the 15-24 years age group, the Albert Almeida, executive vice presi- NDTV Imagine has remained very channel can attract advertisers look- dent and business head, SET India, close to SET’s ratings from week 11 ing to target that audience,” Nayyar said, “We have our plans to be in the to week 15 (March 10 to April 13) says, adding that in media planning, top slot in the GE channels space. (see table). the numbers can be reflected in That will always be the vision. Sony Media planners see tremendous whichever way possible. is perceived to be a leader channel in SUSHIL KUMAR potential in this new kid on the block. Indrani Mukerjea, founder and this space and we want to be like that “What worked for them when they CEO, INX Media is happy. “We per- in real terms too. As far as speculation “What worked for launched was their complete under- ceive this age-group to be very about positions and stuff is con- NDTV Imagine is standing of what will work with the important, as this is where the adver- cerned, I have no comments to make. audiences,” says Anita Nayyar, CEO, tisers put in maximum amount of Time will tell.” their complete MPG India. The channel’s daring their money,” she states. However, if Sony is gearing up with numerous thought of putting mythology on the audience is expanded to 4+ age- new shows. The channel recently understanding of primetime, she believes, needs to be group, the channel is the No 4 GEC, launched two fiction shows in the 10 applauded, as nobody had ever done as per the TAM Week 15 data. On this pm and the 10.30 pm slots respective- what will work with that before. “They did it and got many spot, it faces stiff competition from ly, Sujata and Waqt Batayega Kaun Apna the audience viewers to sample the channel. Once STAR’s second GEC, STAROne. 9X Kaun Paraya. Basabdutta Chowdhary, they were able to attract such a large has properties such as Jalwa, Chak de CEO, Madison Media Plus is of the NITA AYYAR A N sample size, and offer programming Bachche and Kya Dil Mein Hai. In opinion that Sony hasn’t had much CEO, MPG INDIA that the viewer likes, it obviously led order to consolidate its position, the luck with fiction shows. “Sony does to stickiness,” she explains. channel has also launched a mytho- well with male-oriented and youth- oriented shows. In case of The Race for Number Three reality shows, what really (Channel share in percentage) will matter is the content and format,” she adds. Channel Wk 11 Wk 12 Wk 13 Wk 14 Wk 15 Wk 16 The channel is planning Star Plus 29 30 31 33 32 32 a variety of reality shows as Zee TV 25 24 22 21 20 32 well. Waar Parriwar is a Sony Entertainment TV 9 9 10 8 8 8 music-based reality show, where families will partici- NDTV Imagine 889888 pate. And there is the Sahara One 6 6 6 6 6 8 second season of Comedy Star One 6 6 6 6 6 Circus. The much-delayed 9X 56677 Indian adaptation of DD1 4 4 3 3 4 Extreme Makeover, hosted by Mona Singh aka Jassi, SAB 3 3 3 3 3 will go on air soon. On the Star Utsav 3 3 3 4 3 back of the IPL, there is Zee Next 1 1 1 1 1 another reality show, the Indian adaptation of Power Note: TAM Peoplemeter system

14 The Brand Reporter, May 1-15, 2008

 IPL Razzmatazz The style, glamour and entertainment associated with the puts the game in the background. A round-up of the marketing and promotional efforts by the teams and their sponsors. By Chumki Sen

he IPL fever is on. First, it was the fervour (Mumbai Indians). and media frenzy over the buying of crick- As for brand ambassadors, for Teters by the IPL team owners. Then, it was Daredevils, for Royal time for roping in sponsors for each team. No Challengers, Vijay and Nayantara for Chennai stones were left unturned to promote each IPL Super Kings and Hritik Roshan for Mumbai team. From appointing advertising agencies to get- Indians are doing their bit for their teams, be it on- ting individual team anthems and brand ground performances, releasing music videos or ambassadors and roping in sponsors big and small, even flying their way into the stadium like trapeze the teams have done it all. artists. The opening ceremony held at Chinnaswamy There are others who are doing their bit off- Stadium, Bengaluru could be compared to the ground. is the online gaming partner for Olympics opening ceremony or even the much- Knight Riders. As a part of the , hyped film-awards events. Spectacular fireworks, Zapak will create a dedicated cricket zone on the foreign cheerleaders, star-studded audience— official website of the Knight Riders. Indiatimes, on cricket fans had never seen anything quite like this the other hand, is using its SMS property for IPL. before. It was as if the audience and the participants On all 44 days of the matches, one can predict the had forgotten everything about the game and were winning team by sending an SMS to 58888 and win focusing only on the incidentals. cash prizes in the bargain. Talking about incidentals – there was music, If television and internet have done their bit, can there was dance, there was beer and there were radio be far behind? The Mumbai Indians team is sponsors by the dozen. The main sponsors are popularising the anthem and the players through DLF, Hero Honda, Kingfisher Airlines and Pepsi. Red FM. The radio station is hosting a programme Others include Vodafone, Max New York Life named Yeh Kis Khet Ki Mooli Hai, where each Insurance, Godrej Appliances, Coca-Cola, Mumbai Indian will be introduced in the context of Citibank, HDIL, Aircel, Reebok, Belmonte and where he’s from, what his special skills are and how Tag Heuer. On-ground sponsors are far too many he feels about being a to list, but every advertiser worth its money has Mumbai Indian. gained some visibility. Listeners will get the DLF is running its Karmayudh title track on chance to reach out to radio and television, and each team has roped in the Mumbai Indians on high-profile music composers, lyricists and the Red Mike and can singers to create their team anthem. also win merchandise. Some of the big names are Red FM also has a Vishal-Shekhar (for contest called Red FM Kolkata Knight Sab Ke Sab PL, Riders), Daler where 10 lucky Red Mehndi (Kings FM listeners will be XI Punjab), given a chance to and Javed watch the Mumbai The Delhi Daredevils have partnered with Akhtar Indians in action, Radio Mirchi. By participating in the on-air con- and Anu along with the test, listeners can take away prizes such as Hero Malik Red FM crew. Honda bikes, match tickets and ‘Daredevils’ exclusive merchandise. Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance, one of the main sponsors of the Rajasthan Royals team, is banking on its ‘super agents’ to build team spirit across its 1000+ offices in India. Mobile handset maker Nokia and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have launched a contest titled ‘Milan of the Villains’. And this one is aimed at a Milan with all the players in the KKR team. The winners will get the chance to watch the KKR match from the Nokia Pavilion, with himself. They will also get the opportunity to meet SRK and his team members at an exclusive Nokia ‘After Game’ Party. What about the returns on investments for the sponsors? We’ll follow up on this one with the advertisers after 44 days. [email protected]

16 The Brand Reporter, May 1-15, 2008

 TATA SKY A New Lesson Tata Sky has found ways to bridge the gap between education and entertainment. By Surina Sayal

ore than 450 schools have begun using Tata Sky’s educational services - Actve MLearning, Actve Wizkids and Actve Stories - as a teaching aid in the classroom. Actve Wizkids is an educational service for preschoolers. Through 15 new learning games month. Schools do not pay for these services. daily, the service helps children revise concepts Mehra informs that the services are being used by learnt in school. Actve Learning is an educational top brands of the country as a platform to promote quiz-based service for children between six and 12. their products, thus generating additional revenue It covers questions on Maths, Science and General through ad sales. Knowledge, which are based on the syllabi taught Mehra explains that the perception of TV being in ICSE, CBSE and state board schools. Actve detrimental to a child’s growth is changing. Tata Stories replicates a storybook on TV. The service Sky’s educational services offer several advantages. features 720 stories a year, culled from the likes of tional services and also creating brand awareness. The subscriber gets access to new content every- Panchatantra, Jataka Tales and Hitopadesha. “Schools have permitted us to demonstrate our day, so that the child does not get bored. The The School Contact Programme (SCP) is being services to parents on PTA days,” says Mehra. He content is syllabus-driven. The interactive services conducted in two ways: personal visits to top adds that school chains like EuroKids and are available 24X7 so that children can choose a schools across India and meeting principal in Shemrock have sent circulars to the parents rec- time slot suitable to their routine. All voiceovers schools all over India. Since these services are ommending these services as an essential part of are in grammatically correct English. designed for children, they are easy to use and the after-school learning routine at home. “We “The response has been overwhelming,” says understand. Mehra, chief marketing offi- have been able to reach out to over 40,000 par- Mehra. “Research carried out amongst Tata Sky cer, Tata Sky says that the two main objectives of ents,” he states. subscribers reveal that, on an average, children the SCP are creating awareness amongst teachers, The educational services are available to Tata spend 66 minutes of the day using our services.” principals, parents and children about the educa- Sky subscribers as an add-on package for Rs 30 per [email protected]

CRY plans to use experiential mar- 3D animated video viral campaign, CRY keting in a virtual way to let users which will be released on video-shar- experience the role of CRY. Users will ing sites such as YouTube, to invite first need to register with CRY World, users to explore CRY World. “The Second Life which will, among other things, high- same video might be used as a TVC light the troubles of children in India in the future,” says Banerjee. CRY CRY tries its hand at social networking to get in more via a 3D animated video. There will be World will be implemented once a CRY Centre where CRY members CRY gets the sponsors for it. CRY is members. By Kapil Ohri can interact with each other on proj- not spending any money of its own. Philanthropic activities are not new fter individuals and corpo- NGOs are on Second Life. Worldwide, many rates, it’s the turn of NGOs to NGOs have created islands or avatars Aacquire virtual lives. CRY exploring the or conducted virtual events to raise (Child Rights and You), which creat- funds for real- life causes or to dissem- ed an online office in Second Life in virtual route to inate information about themselves. January 2008, is planning to expand raise awareness For example, last year, the American its presence in the virtual world. The Cancer Society, a voluntary health non-profit organisation will launch a about them- organization, raised around $115,000 CRY Island, which will enable its selves and their by conducting a virtual walkathon in members to interact with each other. Second Life. Volunteers ran around a Indusgeeks, a Mumbai-based com- fund raising virtual racetrack and donated money pany, is developing CRY World in initiatives. to be used for cancer research. Second Life. Another fundraising activity that Second Life is an advanced level garnered a lot of attention was the of social networking developed by The office in Second Life is being ects. CRY Game will allow members homeless avatar of a child created by US-based Linden Lab. It is an used to create awareness about CRY to hone their donation-management a Spanish NGO, Mensajeros de la Internet-enabled virtual world, in among the users of Second Life, skills by virtually allocating money for Paz. The child roamed around and which users create their virtual while CRY World is aimed at creating various causes. Donation boxes in interacted with users of Second Life avatars to interact with other users. a meeting platform, which will enable CRY World will enable members to to get donations, which were used to Members can participate in individ- CRY members to interact with each donate ‘real’ money using credit cards. sponsor healthcare and education for ual or group activities and create and other and discuss the various projects But it is questionable whether Indians children in real life. Mensajeros de la trade items like virtual property and on which they are working. It will be will contribute to this, as many Indian Paz runs various assistance pro- services. Worldwide, 13 million used for fundraising as well,” says consumers are hesitant about con- grammes for women and older users, including 50,000 Indians, sub- Siddharth Banerjee, chief executive ducting online monetary transactions. people too. scribe to Second Life. officer and founder of Indusgeeks. Indusgeeks is also working on a [email protected]

18 The Brand Reporter, May 1-15, 2008



SOCIAL NETWORKS ORKUT.COM IN.MYSPACE.COM BIGADDA.COM Launched: 2004 Launched: 2008 Launched: 2007 Users (in millions): 7.2* Users (in millions): 0.5 Users (in millions): 1.6 FACEBOOK.COM FROPPER.COM ITIMES.COM Launched: 2004 Launched: 2004 Launched: 2008 Differentiation Users (in millions): 0.78* Users (in millions): 3.5 is the Key The social networking party is still on in India. But they need to differentiate if they are to get ahead in

the race. By Kapil Ohri * (Source: comScore June 2007), All others company claims

ecently, the US-based MySpace.com and platform as well. MySpace will monetise its offline tising system allowing advertisers to create their iTimes.com from Indiatimes.com joined the events by roping in sponsors for the same. On the own communities on the site. It is also planning to RIndian social networking arena. site, revenue will be generated through advertis- introduce more rich-media advertising solutions. Although the market is dominated by US-based ing. Online marketing will be used more than Facebook.com and Google’s Orkut.com, several offline to promote MySpace among users. FROPPER indigenous players - Reliance Entertainment’s avin Mittal, business head, Fropper.com also BigAdda.com, Fropper.com from People Interactive ITIMES Nsays, “The next level of growth will come group and Desimartini.com (at present dormant) aunched this month, this site also plans to fol- from smaller cities. Also, we have created tem- from HindustanTimes.com - are also fighting for Llow an integrated platform approach by plates for blogs, which help users to write blog the pie. In a scenario where nearly all the network- providing features beyond networking. Apart from posts.” There are plans to launch a Fropper.com ing sites have the same set of features on offer, each regular networking features like adding or search- site for GPRS phones, which will have certain spe- has put some strategies in place in order to differen- ing for friends, messaging, writing testimonials cial features for the mobile platform, apart from tiate itself and grab more users. A look at the players and participating in communities, iTimes.com also regular Fropper.com features. involved and what they are doing. has an in-built e-mail system which is different Says Mittal, “We will keep on using online There are some indigenous players which have from Indiatimes mail. Users can also create and advertising, focus on the product and make it more carved out their own niche among networking import blogs. A gaming section has also been made interactive.” Fropper.com recently launched an sites. For example, Sequoia capital-funded available on the site, which is powered by online music section called ‘Fropper Music’, MingleBox.com and BharatStudent.com target Games2Win. which enables users to listen to songs in Hindi, college students and alumni while Yaari.com is According to Mohit Hira, director, English, Punjabi, Marathi and Telugu - which are focused on youth. Indiatimes.com, “We want to make iTimes.com streamed directly from the server. Users are not Sites like Brijj.com from Naukri.com and the second major brand after Indiatimes.com, allowed to upload or download songs. TechTribe.com has opted for serious career orient- which will be focused on user-generated content ed networking, similar to the popular business and sharing stuff. We are positioning it as a site ORKUT networking site - Linkedin.com. Niche or not, which provides an integrated platform for social rkut.com, as everyone knows, is more popu- social networking sites have started thinking on networking, e-mail and blogging.” Olar in India and Brazil than in the US. It their feet. Similar to Facebook, iTimes.com offers small follows a localisation approach to reach out to applications such as a clock and newsfeeds from Indians; in 2007, it began offering Orkut in five MYSPACE CNN.com and IBNLive.com, which users can regional languages: Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, ySpace India will be similar to its US coun- add to their profile pages. Facebook, however, does Tamil, and Telugu. Mterpart in features, but plans to use content not offer blogs and email on its site. Following Facebook, Orkut has also launched as a key differentiator to get Indian users on board. As of now, online marketing and below-the- applications that users can add to their profile Offline events like rock concerts and talent line activities will be used to spread the word and pages. There are local and international applica- shows in various regions and coverage of events promote the site. There is no advertising on tions like Horoscope, a travel application called like college fests will be used to power the content. iTimes.com as yet, but the site will be monetised ‘India Dekha’ and ‘Chakpak movies’ application to MySpace has tied up with Zee Network, which through advertising once it gains traction. rate and review movies. will showcase various rock concerts organised by Recently, a mobile version of Orkut called MySpace on Zee Café. MySpace is using its affili- BIGADDA m.orkut.com was also released. This is a reduced ation with NewsCorp to showcase the Channel iddhartha Roy, chief operating officer of version of the site and includes features like scraps, [V] programme, Campus Star. SBigAdda.com says, “At BigAdda.com, 48 per updates from friends, an alphabetic list of friends A tie-up with music label, Saregama has also cent of traffic comes from non-metros and we are and the user’s profile. been worked out to produce 30 albums that will planning to go deeper and target users in smaller promote budding musicians. Tie-ups with various towns. Offering messaging in local languages like FACEBOOK production houses are in progress. The site also Hindi, Gujarati and Bengali is a step in that direc- he increasingly popular Facebook launched its has a special community for Indians called tion.” There are plans to make the blogs and TSpanish version in February and will also roll IndiHub, where users can create blogs and partic- forums available in regional languages as well. out German and French versions soon. However, ipate in various forums. The site claims that over BigAdda.com has recently endorsed blogging localization is not part of its strategy in India. 90,000 members have joined IndiHub. by celebrities by launching Amitabh Globally, small applications available on Deep Malhotra, sales director, MySpace India Bachchan’s blog on the site. Roy says, “We are Facebook are considered the main reason behind its says, “MySpace will look beyond Bollywood and planning to make Bachchan’s blog available in success. Recently, instant messenger-based chat has cricket and allow creative people like filmmakers other languages as well.” There are plans to make also been incorporated inside Facebook. In 2007, to upload their stuff. We will be covering talent the site available on other platforms like mobile Facebook unveiled its advertising strategy, in which shows at colleges and informal conferences like and also integrate mobile telephony. advertisers are allowed to create their branded pages BarCamp and DevJam session.” BigAdda.com claims to have a user base of 1.6 and allow users to become their friends. There are plans to catch the users on the mobile million members. In January, it opened its adver- [email protected]

20 The Brand Reporter, May 1-15, 2008

   To do or not to do? McCann India recently ran into trouble for releasing ads for Hanes without client permission with an eye to awards. Some industry leaders react.

         CEO, Bates David Enterprise Chairman and CEO, Leo Burnett India Chief Creative Officer, Mudra FOTOCORP FOTOCORP THE ENTIRE BUSINESS OF SCAMS I WOULDN’T AGREE WITH WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO CLARIFY IS SPOILING THE CREDIBILITY OF PRASOON IF HE HAS IMPLIED HERE IS THAT THE ENTIRE WORLD OUR INDUSTRY. I HAVE ALWAYS THAT REGULAR WORK DOESN’T ISN’T INTO SCAMS, WHICH IS BEEN AGAINST SCAMS AND CON- WIN INTERNATIONALLY, AND WHAT WE TEND TO BELIEVE TO TINUE TO BE SO. THEREFORE, SCAMS EMERGE. JUSTIFY OUR OWN. I HAVE I think it is unfortunate the way scams Firstly, we’re talking of creative awards, not worked on the other side of the world, the Effies. The latter is explicitly for ad effec- have affected our industry. It isn’t just tiveness, while the former deals with searching and I can tell you for sure that almost all McCann - every agency is involved – it’s for breakthroughs. Around the world, almost the work that comes out of the US isn’t just that McCann got caught. ninety per cent of the ads that win awards are scam. The client there will fire you if Frankly, I’m a bit surprised that either one insertion or two insertions old. And you so much as think of creating a scam trust me, clients are fully aware of the fact Prasoon made a statement that regular that awards that win at these shows may not on his brand. The UK and the US tend work doesn’t tend to win abroad, leading have enjoyed a long stint in the media. to win the most Grand Prixes at Cannes, to scams. One of the pieces of regular Unfortunately, the advertising of yesteryears and this is all big work on big brands. We work that I admire most – Happydent isn’t working today. And enlightened clients should aspire to be like that. know this. In fact, clients such as P&G encour- Palace – is Prasoon’s handiwork, which age agencies to try for creative breakthroughs. I don’t support scams. We should win won practically everywhere. These ads are like experiments for clients – on the basis of our regular, mainstream To an extent, Prasoon is correct: regu- how far they can go with consumers. work, which I agree is the harder road to lar work is more client-agenda oriented, The amount of monies spent on an ad to have tread. Like I said, in the US, agencies do appeared sufficiently is not a great parameter but that doesn’t mean it can’t win. The for giving an award. Whether it has appeared work that works in the market and are best thing, to me, is to eradicate the once, or $100 million was spent on it, is of no proud of it. I wish we had the same arro- norm of establishing the legitimacy of relevance – a great ad is a great ad. Look at gance. We’re in the business of creativity, the ad’s release. Why not have separate the Levi’s Slim Jeans campaign, which enjoyed not in the business of awards. It is a great little presence in the media, but went on to arrangements for unreleased work get- make the brand bigger and better. thing to applaud people who get it right. ting recognition? Why don’t we do away I’ll give you an example close to me: In 1999, But only genuine work deserves that. with the hypocrisy of the ad having the AAAI awards committee threw out a I must confess that at some point, I, appeared in some medium? Complan print campaign (‘Mama Bear, Papa too, was infatuated with this rush of get- Bear’) because it was a ‘single release’ one. I will still advocate strongly that the The campaign went on to win several awards ting international acclaim; obsession client’s blessing for the entry of ads in globally. What’s more, it was converted into a with awards is not a bad thing per se – it award shows is a must. It is his brand regular campaign by the client who ran it for pushes people to do better. It just needs name on your ad, guys. the next four years, backing it totally. to be channelled correctly.

22 The Brand Reporter, May 1-15, 2008

’s    ho Tha W t  ! 

        By Neha Kalra and SUSHIL KUMAR Savia Jane Pinto FOTOCORP

t all began when after much pushing and prodding by her mentors at messed-up last year at school, bad grades and admission into a col- the agency (Anirban Sen, executive creative director, Mayur - creative lege which was well-known for all the wrong reasons. For all that, Idirector, copy and Puneet Sabharwal, associate creative director, art), Alife has been good to Rajat Dawar, one of the finalists for the Clio Shakoon Khosla created a portfolio of her work to submit for Clio 2008. Future Gold. The Young Creative Programs shortlists 12 finalists under the age of 30 The ‘prospective’ medical student decided to enroll for honours in - six copywriters and six art directors selected from all over the world. English literature, at the Deshbandhu College, Delhi (the only college that They will be paired into six teams, following which they will have to he got through). The next three years changed everything. He attributes respond to a creative brief from the client sponsor Yahoo! within 24 hours. this to his English teachers. “Ms Sherina Joshi, Ms Simi and Ms Nag taught “Nirmalya Sen, vice-president, TBWA\India, Delhi was enthusiastic me to think differently, to analyse and to be myself,” he reminisces. and took the initiative to submit my portfolio,” Khosla says. The Delhi Soon after college he sold credit cards for a while. Later, he found his girl, who studied at Air Force Bal Bharti School, graduated in commercial way into Leo Burnett, Delhi and then to Rediffusion DY&R, Delhi. At arts. Since the age of six, art fascinated her. present, the 25-year-old is a creative partner at Rediffusion’s Mumbai In 2006, Khosla began her advertising career as a summer trainee with office. Rediffusion, Delhi. She was deputed to work under Partho Sengupta (a cre- It is not for the first time that Rediffusion’s creative personnel are going ative director in the agency then) as creative associate (visualiser) on brands for Clio. Last year, Preeti Sharma, a creative partner and finalist at the Clio like Amway, Givo, Bacardi, Chevrolet and Xerox. The last three months at Future Gold went on to win the gold. Together they’ve won many awards. Rediff were spent on the Airtel account and in December last year she quit. In 2006, they represented India at the Young Lions Creative Council The portfolio that she sent for Clio 2008 included work done for the after winning the AAAI Young Creative Contest for their ad on female pitch of the social networking site itimes.com. There was PVR and foeticide, titled ‘Kalpana Chawla’. Dawar has been awarded a London Poweron, done when she was with Rediff as well as her work for National International Award and a New York Festival nomination for his ambient Geographic in TBWA. media innovation titled ‘Banana Mountain’, for PVR Cinemas. The duo Currently, the 23-year-old is working on print advertising and design- also won two medals at Abby Awards at Goafest 2008. ing (brochures, stationery and corporate identity) at TBWA and on “Awards,” he says “make a difference the way the bosses look at you and accounts such as MoserBaer, Pedigree and Dabur. send better opportunities to do brand work.”

SAB SAB’S JOURNEY SO FAR… MARCH 2005     ! ! !!  NOVEMBER 2005 The channel   ! ! !!!   !" MAY 2006  By Sapna Nair !! 2007 AB has taken the adage ‘Change vision and SAB Sirf Stories and  !! !! is the only constant’, too seri- wants to leverage that. But he is quick Full Masti 88.2 and prior to that Sously. It is shedding its ‘youth to add that the channel has incorporat- Twinkle Beauty Parlour, which had an 2008 channel’ image and embracing a new ed variations in the show so as to not abrupt end. Taking a cue from there,  !!! identity. The sheer number of come- look like a clone. SAB launched yet another comedy dy show launches by the channel Most of the shows on SAB are show, Bhaago KK Aaya early this year many image changes that SAB has substantiates its desperation to get comedy. Sab ka bheja fry, Office Office, to replace Sab ka Boss, yet another gone through, he says,” It has all back to its original positioning as a Family No.1 and Yes Boss are a few of sitcom. been part of the learning curve. We ‘comedy channel’. them. The slew of comedy shows has After taking over SAB TV, in April have realised that there’s no other SAB’s most recent addition to its stemmed from SAB’s new finding 2005, SET had decided to position way of getting better returns for the comedy platter is a stand-up comedy about its audiences. “We have discov- SAB as a second GEC, targeting channel than through comedy”. So contest called Comedy ka King Kaun. ered that youth prefers comedy. We males above the age of 25. Then in for now, is it back to the old SAB TV It’s an ‘inspired’ version of STAR put this observation into practice, a 2006, after almost a year, SET decid- days, when it was known for its com- One’s path-breaking reality show few months ago, by launching three ed to give SAB a makeover by edy properties? “We hope to retain its The Great Indian Laughter Challenge linear comedies on the channel launching four comedies - F.I.R, old imagery”, he adds. (TGILC). The only difference here which yielded better dividends com- Party, Ji Behenji and Ishq ki Ghanti. It While STAR One has a few hit is that the contestants on the show pared to other shows”, Kapoor says, tried to woo the youth in 2007 with comedies such as are people who have participated in referring to shows such as America’s shows such as Love Story, Mohalla and Instant , there is no chan- the various seasons of TGILC. Funny Home Videos, Comedy ka Tadka, Mohabbatwala and Left Right Left. nel which caters exclusively to the According to Anooj Kapoor, business Office Office. Now, yet again, it plans to shed its humour-loving audiences. Probably head, SAB, stand-up comedy is the SAB had never been lucky with ‘youth channel image’ and become a that could be SABs trump card. current hot property on Indian tele- fiction shows such as Detective Doll, comedy channel. Ask Kapoor of the [email protected]

24 The Brand Reporter, May 1-15, 2008

CHENNAI THETHE WARWAR BEGINSBEGINS Can The Times of India successfully challenge The Hindu in its stronghold? By Prajjal Saha and Sapna Nair

tep out of Chennai’s Kamaraj Airport and DNA, and Delhi’s waded into the first thing that hits you while heading Mumbai in 2004. into the city is the profusion of kiosks. Admits Rahul Kansal, brand director, Times Every available lamppost is taken. If it’s Group, “Our entire attention shifted to Mumbai SChennai, it’s ‘The Hindu’, proclaims the first lot. because of the new players.” Venkatraman later Keep going and another set of kiosks appears. The moved on to Deccan Chronicle and was in charge of Times of India - Changing Tunes is the new message. the publication’s Chennai launch in 2005. It is hard to miss that a full-scale print war is in the However, Murali likes to believe that the Times making. Throw in the Deccan Chronicle and The Group delayed the Chennai launch as it found the New Indian Express and the arena is truly set. market difficult to crack.

START PRESS SPOT-ON n Chennai, the English print market is ruled by ll that is history now. According to the indus- IThe Hindu - and that has been the case for the Atry watchers in Chennai, To I ’s timing is bang last 130 years. However, that hasn’t stopped others on. Says Kavitha Srinivasan, business director, from eyeing the market. (now, MindShare, Chennai, “Things could have been (its sports page is considered one of the best), The New Indian Express) has been around for some difficult for To I had it entered five years ago.” Her Hindu’s popularity seemed undiminished. time now. Deccan Chronicle made heads turn when rationale? “Chennai is shedding its conservative As Srinivasan of MindShare, puts it, “It was a it entered in 2004. The Hindu, meanwhile, held on outlook to become more cosmopolitan. And it’s win-win situation. Each had a positioning that was to its turf impassively. more likely that the new cosmopolitan population comfortable.” According to the latest ABC report However, last month’s entry of The Times of will pick up this product.” Srinivasan has been a (July-December 2007), the average net paid sales India (To I ), the country’s largest read English keen observer of the media scene in Chennai for circulation of The Hindu in Chennai stands at newspaper - all-India readership of 68.3 lakh the last 15 years. 2,80,473 copies, while Deccan Chronicle is only (according to the IRS 2007, Round 2) - led to 23,555 copies behind at 2,56,918 copies (The much excitement. Hindu’s all-India circulation is 13.3 lakh). And The Hindu moved fast. As a first step, it “It’s fashionable However, when it comes to readership, as per reduced the cover price from Rs 3.25 to Rs 2.50 on to call The IRS 2007 Round 2, The Hindu is way ahead. While weekdays. Panic? “Not quite,” says N Murali, Hindu The Hindu has reported a readership of managing director, adding, “We have faced To I in 6.3 lakh in Chennai reporting town, Deccan other markets. However, we know that ToI is a conservative.” Chronicle trails with only 2.2 lakh readers - an force to reckon with. It would be unrealistic to N MURALI unusual occurrence as the per copy readership is hope that we will continue to hold 80 per cent of THE HINDU less than one. the market share.” A Chennai edition has been on the wish list of JAY/GEE IMAGES THE NEW EQUATION The Times Group for three years now. The newspa- Take the Deccan Chronicle example. It entered espite its 130-year headstart and the fact that per was scheduled for a May 2005 launch that did the market with many promises and an irresistible Dit is printed from 12 cities, The Hindu did not not take place. Plans were drawn up in mid-2004, offer in association with ICICI Bank - Rs 99 for a achieve the image of a national paper because of the company ordered printing machines and M year’s subscription. Initially, it seemed that the the fact that of these only one edition was printed Venkatraman, director-corporate, Bennett, Deccan Chronicle would hurt The Hindu’s circula- away from south India (though it has a presence in Coleman Co. Ltd. (BCCL), was appointed as the tion figures. Instead, Deccan Chronicle managed to Mumbai and Kolkata). project head for To I Chennai. get its own followers for lighter news, with more Murali rises to the defence. “Not any more. In The project didn’t take off because ToI was pre- than 50 per cent of its readers coming from the 20- the last 10 years, we have slowly decentralised our occupied with protecting its home turf, Mumbai. 39 age group (as per IRS 2007, Round 2). editions and increased local coverage for respective The Bhaskar-Zee Group combine’s new launch, But when it came to serious news and sports editions. Besides, there was a complaint that we

28 The Brand Reporter, May 1-15, 2008 

in Chandigarh are examples. “ToI’s softer It is too early to predict what will happen in approach seems to Chennai but ToI’s strategy, as of now, is to go slow. be working as it is All it’s trying to say is ‘sample me’. As Ravi Dhariwal, CEO, Times Publishing, says, “In being accepted by Chennai, we are fighting for the readers’ time and readers.” attention. We are just a few days old, and we are KAVITHA SRINIVASAN not getting into the race for number one or two MINDSHARE position. All we want is to give a choice of quality

JAY/GEE IMAGES journalism to Chennaites.” ket, The Hindu anticipated that it’s Dhariwal claims the current print run of To I in leadership could be challenged by a Chennai is close to two lakh. To I is currently offer- few other players.” When Deccan ing a year’s subscription for Rs 299 (the subscriber Chronicle got in, The Hindu was also gets a gift worth Rs 150 in return) with a revamped and redesigned by cover price of Rs 2, which is just 50 paise less than Mario Garcia, an international- The Hindu’s. The other significant player in GOGOL ly acclaimed designer, to get a Chennai, Deccan Chronicle is priced at Rs 1.50 on contemporary-classical look. weekdays. Murali asserts that the newspaper has Keeping the city’s loyalties in mind, ToI’s realised the changing aspirations and approach is consciously devoid of chest-thumping. requirements of readers. “We cater to different Says MindShare’s Srinivasan, “Its softer approace segments of readership. While we have remained seems to be working.” To I concentrated on creat- true to the core values of serious journalism – ing a physical presence. Be it consumer independence, authenticity, integrity, and objectiv- engagement programmes in shopping malls or a ity - we also have introduced very strong lifestyle mega musical concert, the Times touch is certain- supplements on music, fine arts, cinema and edu- ly being felt by Chennai. Within one week of its cation.” launch, it organised a mega concert with AR He also categorically points out that The Hindu Rehman, which pulled in an estimated 50,000 will never go overboard with lifestyle content. “We people. will never have Page 3 kind of journalism and triv- Talking about the history of ToI’s success in ialise the content,” he says. Edit changes apart, The various markets, Narendra Kumar Alambara, gen- Hindu has also adopted a flexible approach towards eral manager and head, Starcom Worldwide, “We are fighting its advertisers. Chennai, says, “ToI’s success in each market, espe- for the reader’s As Srinivasan of MindShare Chennai, recalls, cially in the south, can be attributed to the time and atten- “Recently, we did an innovation with The Hindu non-local population.” He cites the example of IT tion, not the for our client Ford Fiesta. For the first time, we sat city Bangalore, where the non-Kannadiga popula- with the editorial team to work out the execution tion played an important role. No 1 spot.” and logistics. The front page of Metro Plus – a sup- In Chennai, that segment although small is RAVI DHARIWAL plement with the main daily - had the product more likely to try To I . And what about the young TOI visual and the content flowed around it.” In Chennaite? “Had The Hindu or, for that matter, another example, Srinivasan recalls seeing a power The Indian Express, not changed, this segment of carry common southern edition ads, but now we jacket (false cover) on the front page of The Hindu readers would have moved,” points out Srinivasan. have split ads for different editions, and simultane- for one of the real estate players. “These innova- R Venkatasubramanian, associate vice president, ously our regional advertising for respective tions were really impossible on Hindu till a while Lintas Media Group, offers a different take on this editions has increased.” Today, according to esti- ago,” she says. scenario. According to him, To I being a young and mates, 40 per cent of The Hindu’s revenue comes vibrant product, will catch the fancy of young from local advertising, while prior to 1994, it was DENT IN THE WORKS readers including the hardcore Chennaites. only 5 per cent. s the 13-edition-strong ToI woos Chennai He explains, “The strategy will be to enter the How does The Hindu propose to fight To I ? Areaders, The Hindu, despite the ‘loyalty’ factor loyal Hindu households as a second newspaper “Even ToI which continues to be the market leader through young members of the family who are in Mumbai had to give up a share to newer play- looking for such a product - and eventually take ers. In today’s scenario, one can’t have a “ToI’s success can over as the lead newspaper.” monopolistic situation, when the print media as a be attributed to On the other hand, Alambara of Starcom business is evolving,” says Murali, the realist. the non-local opines that before ToI entered the market, the per- As Srinivasan of MindShare puts it: “The Hindu population.” ception was that ToI will go after the Deccan reflects what Chennai is.” Chennai has always NARENDRA Chronicle reader, but he has seen quite a few read- been considered a traditional and conservative city. ALAMBARA ers of The Hindu readers shifting to To I . “It might So was The Hindu. Laughs Murali, “It’s fashion- STARCOM be surprising but was not really unexpected,” he

able, or rather, a cliche to call The Hindu JAY/GEE IMAGES quips. conservative.” To I has offered combined deals to the readers to But the newspaper too is changing, as is is in for some tough times. According to Punitha get a sizeable market share in other markets. In Chennai. The city is experiencing what Bengaluru Arumugam, CEO Madison World, in today’s time Mumbai and Delhi, it came up with combo offers went through a few years ago. It has become more of evolving consumers, loyalty is an outdated term. such as To I with Navbharat Times, The Economic cosmopolitan. That is quite evident from the “If they get a good product and that product is Times or Mumbai Mirror. Although there was no increasing number of IT and BPO operations, aggressively marketed, they will be more prone to official confirmation, it is expected that To I may be more cars being bought and coffee shops that have accept it. Moreover, it’s a known fact that To I packaged with The Economic Times that already has sprung up across the city. Chennai that used to employs aggressive marketing strategies to get a a presence in the Chennai market. sleep at 8 pm is now awake until midnight. strong hold on any market,” she points out. Finally, Alambara says, “The future, for To I - Besides, the IT boom has added a significant float- That aggressiveness has taken it to the top in and the market as a whole, will depend on the first ing population. And The Hindu’s antenna was up many markets (see table), though in Hyderabad, point of conversion for ToI. Will it be primarily The for some time now. Kolkata and Chandigarh, To I found it difficult to Hindu readers, Deccan Chronicle readers or non- A senior media planner shares her opinion, overtake the leaders. The Deccan Chronicle in readers?” “Even before the Deccan Chronicle entered the mar- Hyderabad, The Telegraph in Kolkata or And what does the Deccan Chronicle have to say

The Brand Reporter, May 1-15, 2008 29 

about the new development? Despite numerous its Chennai edition along with the Force To Reckon With calls made to that publication, no response was Hyderabad edition, and it was success- (How The Times of India stands in its markets) forthcoming. ful in getting the corporate advertisers. But there is a substantial chunk of Cities 1st 2nd 3rd MONEY MATTERS retail advertisers in the city and their ToI The Indian Express NA ccording to industry estimates, advertising willingness to try newer dailies is quite Bangalore ToI Decan Herald Vijay Times Arevenues generated by the Chennai print mar- low.” ket is estimated to be Rs 800 crore. Of this, Rs 550 Some of the retail players in the Chandigarh Tribune HT ToI crore goes to the English press (The Hindu city are big spenders. Saravana Stores, Delhi ToI HT The Indian Express accounts for Rs 350 crore, or about two-thirds of for instance, spends around Rs 20-25 Greater Mumbai ToI Mumbai Mirror DNA crore a year, while Chennai Silks Hyderabad Deccan Chronicle ToI The Hindu spends around Rs 14 crore. Other Kolkata The Telegraph ToI The Statesman such as Khazana Jewellers and RMKV “In today’s time Lucknow ToI HT NA of evolving con- Silks have a budget of around Rs 10 crore and Rs 8 crore respectively. Nagpur Hitavada ToI NA sumers, loyalty is Retailers who advertise have just one Patna ToI HT The Hindu outdated.” yardstick: did my message actually Pune ToI The Indian Express NA PUNITHA work? ARUMUGAM “Local retail players do not have a Note: Data according to IRS 2007, Round 2 MADISON fancy media plan. They insert an ad in a

FOTOCORP newspaper and if the response is immediate - Around Rs 100 crore is spent on outdoor adver- walk-ins or call-ins increase - they repeat the ad. tisement in Chennai, mostly to promote retail “Being young and As of now, retailers come back to The Hindu and brands and feature films. Now with the closure of vibrant, the Times say ‘It works’. But personally, if I see a pull that’s these outdoor sites, a major chunk of this revenue will catch the happening from a particular segment for any daily, is expected to move to the print media, which also fancy of the I will ask my clients to invest in it provided this provides localised reach just like outdoor medium. young readers.” pull is sizeable and comes at the right cost,” says Suddenly, the pie itself has grown. R VENKATASUBRA- Srinivasan. The Deccan Chronicle is considered a Supplements too are a weapon newspapers MANIAN, good option too, say media planners. found they could use to great effect. It is happen- LINTAS MEDIA To I , on the other hand, has a great advantage of ing in Chennai too. To capture both the JAY/GEE IMAGES having multiple editions. It will always have the cosmopolitan and young generation, newspapers advantage of bringing the national advertisers in Chennai are fighting the supplement battle - the pie) and the rest to the language publications in under its umbrella. But it will need to have a size- and this is the segment whose loyalty towards The Tamil. According to IRS 2007, Round 2, able base in Chennai first. Hindu is the least. The Chennai Chronicle (a supple- Chennai’s population is 62.86 lakh and the reader- Alambara believes that the To I can get that base. ment of Deccan Chronicle) is very popular among ship for any Tamil daily is 17.83 lakh while the A section of advertisers and media planners say the young Chennaites. So too is Indulge the daily readership for any English daily in that market is that To I also does negative pricing just to keep the supplement with The New Indian Express (it is con- 7.98 lakh. It means that Tamil readership is almost competitors in place. Explains, sidered to have boosted sales of the newspaper). two-and-a-half times that of English. Venkatasubramanian of Lintas, “At times, the ToI To I has already proved that it is the master of Says Starcom’s Alambara, “For a long time, offers a lower price for all editions than individual this game with such supplements or independent there was The Hindu and nothing else. However, editions. This compels many national advertisers publications in other markets be it Mumbai or despite Deccan Chronicle’s entry into this market, to go for all editions. This way, the Times Group Delhi. The Chennai Times, which comes in a the advertising opportunities did not dramatically keeps its advertisers away from its competitors.” tabloid format, is expected to catch the fancy of shift. I have a whole set of clients who still swear Days after ToI’s Chennai launch, there came young readers. The Hindu too has given in. The by The Hindu.” The opinion of MindShare’s another development that spelt happy news for newspaper recently launched a special supplement Srinivasan is no different. She says, “Initially when newspapers. Following a Supreme Court ruling, for the younger generation, called NXG. Besides, Deccan Chronicle forayed into this market, it pushed all the hoardings in the city have disappeared. it has the daily supplement, Metro Plus.

OTHER FACTORS ne of the biggest problems that the English Holding its Own Onewspapers are facing in Chennai is shortage he Hindu’s journey started in 1878, but as of talent. What happened in Mumbai three years Ta weekly. Later it became a tri-weekly ago (at the time of DNA and Hindustan Times’ and in 1889, it turned into a daily with only launch) is happening in Chennai with one big dif- 800 copies. ference. Mumbai received talent from all corners When India became independent, The of the country (besides, To I apparently had a ‘no- Hindu had a circulation of 65,000 copies, poaching’ agreement with its foe-turned-friend which was primarily distributed in Chennai. Hindustan Times). Today, it claims an all India circulation Apparently, just before Times’ entry in the mar- of 13.3 lakh (ABC, July- December 2007.) ket, The Hindu raised staff salaries hugely, but In 1950, The Hindu ventured out of Chennai smaller players such as The New Indian Express lost to other southern Indian cities - initially many of its journalist to To I . through rail or surface transport. But often Journalists in Chennai today command a pre- there would be delay in the of news- GVB mium. An industry insider quips that the Chennai is in for some exciting times papers, and only the evening or Dak editions placement scene at the Asian School of Journalism could reach these markets. In 1960, it went a step ahead and hired a chartered Indian Airlines aircraft and later acquired IPL-esque proportions. Though this will its own fleet of aircraft to ensure speedy delivery of copies. However, a few years down the line, as the opera- increase the pressure on the dailies already bur- tional costs mounted, the aircraft operations were no longer feasible. dened by the increasing cost of newsprint and In 1969, it started with facsimile editions in Coimbatore followed by Bangalore in 1970 - with Chennai being the marketing, most consider this money well spent. centre. Later, it started its first printing centre outside Chennai in Madurai. Outside southern India, the newspa- The battle has begun in real earnest and the war per only has one printing centre in . It also has a presence in Kolkata and Mumbai. But it needs to ahead promises to be fascinating. But it is a prize launch more editions beyond the south to be called a truly national player. worth fighting for. [email protected]

30 The Brand Reporter, May 1-15, 2008

BRANDING CAN BRANDS MOVE UP IN LIFE?

Could brand Deccan have been rejigged to become somewhat more premium and acceptable to the large middle market? Madhukar Sabnavis wonders.

arisma Kapur is an interesting case study. open the airports to fliers who had, until then, The ugly duckling of the early ‘90s seen them only from the outside. It connected became the beautiful swan by the end of with the lower classes. that decade. Her film with , A brand, especially in the service category such RajaK Hindustani, was a turning point. If you study as an airline, is known by the company it keeps. So her films before and after 1995, two distinct phas- Deccan got defined as a ‘mass discount’ brand – es appear in her filmography. good to fly on personal travel but not good to be In the first, she acted with mass directors and seen with when travelling on business by the actors. She was often a village belle in village set- ‘mass-class’. ups. She wore loud, garish clothes, had bushy When the Kingfisher deal finally happened last eyebrows, curls and a manly demeanour. She was year, Deccan was still trying to raise its yield per mainly a glamour doll in her films, dancing around passenger from Rs 2,800 to Rs 3,100. Had it man- trees and playing second fiddle to the hero. During aged that, it would have broken even and, for all this phase her films were characterised by raunchy we know, it could have retained its independence. lyrics and songs that appealed to front benchers. But it couldn’t make it because travellers wouldn’t Karisma underwent a transformation in the late pay the couple of hundred extra rupees to fly on a 1990s. She starred in films made by ‘class’ directors Deccan jet. The Deccan saga shows clearly that it and actors: Khan was the first among them. She is critical for a product to be continuously upgrad- played roles of the urban sophisticate from the ed and delivered to consumers if one wants to upper classes. She wore designer wear and had sustain, even at the lower end of the pyramid. The sleek tresses, well made brows, dark eyes. Overall, market is ruthless - there are no sympathy pur- a more ladylike appearance. She played characters chases available. around whom the story revolved. Her films were But one question, albeit academic, is worth set in international and upmarket locales. Songs pondering: could branding have saved Deccan? were lyrical and dances were contemporary and Given Deccan as a brand has high awareness and western. And it all rubbed off on her. Result: by created enough emotional equity, could re-jigging the end of her career, she had a reputation for style. of the price-value equation have helped its busi- Kapur’s story tells us that a ‘mass’ brand can go ness viability? Could the brand equity built by ‘class’ if the right changes are made to all the ele- Deccan brokenreak the shackles of its discount

ments of the mix. Viewers - who are celebrity imagery and be used to provide an alternative to FOTOCORP consumers - are willing to make the change. Can it the ‘mass class’ airline travelers in the Indian mar- happen in the ‘product’ or ‘service’ brand world? ket? These are questions worth pondering about. ing consumer goods (FMCG) is the most devel- The question relates to Air Deccan, which, The Karisma Kapur example shows that brands oped branded area in the country, having been going by media reports, is in the process of being can be moved up, if managed well. However, the driven for decades by multinationals such as gradually retired as a brand. By every indication, history of Indian branding in the product space Unilever, Colgate and Procter & Gamble (P&G). Kingfisher, the new owner of the airline, will play reveals that what happens with ‘people’ brands is Historically, most brands have played in the mass up its own name as the Air Deccan name slowly not true about product brands. Products have suc- market and addressed the middle class. The ‘mass recedes into the history of aviation. This raises cessfully managed to move from ‘class’ to ‘mass’. discount’ market has often been attacked by new interesting questions on branding and brand Yet, there are few examples of product brands that brands - Nirma and Wheel in detergents, A1 in tea, building. began by playing the ‘mass discount’ (or price war- Tiger in biscuits. Deccan was launched in 2003 with the vision of rior) game and later managed to climb up and While brands have managed to upgrade their making flying affordable to the masses. With its no become ‘premium and aspirational’. image and evolve together with their consumers - frills offering and rock bottom rates, it managed to Let’s look across product categories. Fast mov- Lifebuoy is a great example, having moved from a

32 The Brand Reporter, May 1-15, 2008 

 There is a strong price-quality equation in the consumer’s mind. Higher price means high quality and if the product delivers, brands can create desirability - and then extend down. Consumers buy into the brand values even if the product is not as good. The bottom market is always handled separately.  In categories that drive status through label value, consumers like to leave behind their past as they move up. And the middle-lower class divide is quite well defined. Even FMCG mar- keters have subliminally recognised this. There is an unconscious yet clear ‘caste divide’ in brand purchases and associations too!

randing in services, especially airlines, is dis- Btinct from product branding of the 20th . In the manufacturing world, brands are product plus advertising. In the service world, it’s the sum of product, advertising and experience. The service experience extends from consumer transactions to the environment in which the transactions happen to fellow consumers you are transacting along with - which is quite apparent in an airline (as it is with retail and restaurants). India is a class conscious society. And interest- ingly, this is acceptable to the classes. Observe the reaction of a middle class Indian tourist in London or Paris, if his tourist bus driver were to come and sit with him at his table: he would become uncom- fortable. Yet, ask your driver in India to come and GOGOL share a table with you in a restaurant and he would carbolic, sweaty association to a desirable health ing branded sectors and brands have targeted the be reluctant. imagery - there has been no example of a brand middle market. They have tended to work on uni- In his book, The Argumentative Indian, Amartya that has moved to the top of the pole after residing versal images of ‘accessibility’ and ‘dependability’ Sen says that the only place where India is equal is at the bottom. Middle market beauty and health rather than attempting to create ‘aspiration’. Hutch at the time of voting. At all other times, an Indian’s brands have not been able to offer higher order and Reliance have been exceptions. view of life has to do with the caste system and the benefits of skin care and thereby appeal to the pre- Hutch, now Vodafone, has continuously deep-rooted Hindu philosophy of re-birth. It mium end of the market. attempted to stay aspirational while broadening its enables people to accept classes and class differ- P&G, a late entrant into the market, entered top appeal to reach out to a larger audience. Reliance, ences. In this context, could Deccan have been down. It came in at a premium to the market with interestingly, has done it the other way. It came in re-jigged to become somewhat more premium a discernibly superior product and then expanded much like Deccan, with the vision of democratis- and acceptable to the large middle market – there- by offering either low cost variants or low price ing mobile telephony and putting a handset in by allowing it to raise prices and maybe even keep SKUs to reach the mass. Clearly, image shifts are everyone’s hand. But in the last couple of years, as its independence? possible, but village belles can’t become style divas. the market has heated up, it is working hard to I think it would have been a challenge to shrug Brands in consumer durables have acted simi- off the discount imagery. This would have espe- larly. The discount segment has been often left to cially been hard for a brand that managed to get local and regional players who offer basic price- “An Indian’s view of life clear defined associations with a focused ‘lower driven products that give the lower-income has to do with the caste end market’ – that too in a category where segment ‘category’ status rather than ‘brand’ sta- the crowd you travel with is part of the brand tus. LG and Samsung, two late entrants in the system and the deep-rooted impression. market, used pretty much the P&G principle: Does this mean ‘product’ brands cannot move came in at the top and then expanded their foot- Hindu philosophy up the way ‘people’ brands can? It would seem that print by offering lower priced products or by way though there is one interesting example cur- dropping prices to become more accessible. of re-birth”. rently out in the market. For Onida, expansion downwards has been Pond’s, a mass, familiar, lovable brand has with a separate brand, Ego. And expansion upgrade its image through both product (that is, embarked on a journey of brand re-engineering to upwards in the premium segment, as with value added services) and advertising. It’s working move both imagery and relevance upwards in a Videocon, has been via another brand, Integraa. hard to shrug off its ‘phone for the driver’ image. skin care market where needs are evolving. About Titan, which falls somewhere between FMCG and a year ago, Pond’s launched a premium range to durables, has always been premium in imagery to SO, WHAT DOES THIS SAY ABOUT tap the top end hitherto occupied by global brands. the mass market. To keep its integrity intact, it has BRANDING IN INDIA... It attempts to take its ‘beauty and skincare’ equity tapped into the lower income segment by intro-  Brands have historically addressed the middle alongside the consumers as she moves and has ducing a new brand, Sonata. class market because that is the group which has higher-order needs. The jury is still out on its suc- All the categories discussed so far are relatively the spending power and yet offers great vol- cess, but it’s worth tracking and watching out for. developed in India. Price warriors addressing the umes. Till then, the verdict remains that in a class con- discount segment entered at a later stage of market  New entrants into categories have come in from scious India, there is a caste divide in brands too development. Was Air Deccan ahead of its time, the top, offering strong value propositions, and and upgradation has its limits. We remain a brand especially in a market where infrastructure devel- then extended into the middle market. unequal society. Sounds hard but seems true. opment is critical and has been relatively slow?  While there have been cases of brands upgrad- Branding in services is relatively new in India, ing their image, a shift from the bottom to the Madhukar Sabnavis is Country Head - Discovery and even if growing exponentially. Mobile services, top has not happened. Planning, Ogilvy India. The views expressed are personal. financial sector and retail are the three big boom- ...AND ABOUT INDIAN CONSUMERS? [email protected]

The Brand Reporter, May 1-15, 2008 33    Those lovely little breaks

illers, promos, capsules, PPFs, interesting number of interpreta- stands up and Sparklers. These may not have tions, from the literal, where the notices. There is Ftoo much in common but they listener simply laughs at his endear- also an Angry do the same thing, more or less. ing vanity, to the treatment of ‘Sud’ Ganeshan, Prayag These are just different names for as an inside joke, for the more up and Kavi Ki Kalpana. those minute-and-a-half spots on market listener, who actuallys enjoys Most operators radio. And some of them might be smiling at the reaction of his down- create fillers that on their way to achieve iconic status market cousins to Sud. may be uniform in – beyond radio. Some examples to Rana Barua, National Head – format, style and make the point are: Radio City’s Programming and Marketing, Radio intent across all sta- Babber Sher and Radio Mirchi’s Sud City 91.1FM says, “Innovation is key tions but would be – Hassi Ke Phuwarey. As we try and to listener stickiness and we at Radio modified to appeal get you some gyaan on the species, City are known for pioneering inno- to local ear drums. for convenience and universal com- vative content, be it Babbar Sher or Radio City’s prehension, we’ll call them ‘fillers’. Goldie Gill’s Golden English Apratim Nana, for So why ‘fillers’? While the word Speaking School. These pre-pro- instance, airs only in describes their function admirably, duced features (PPF) continue to Pune. The latest ie, something to fill up time between delight our listeners and the good sparkler from scheduled changes or songs, it’s a fact news is that we are constantly using Mirchi is Mirchi that station programming heads listener feedback to create newer and Murga. “Normally, devote more than a little attention relevant content. Babbar Sher for most have a local flavour and we around their Bheja Fry campaign. Or and resources to these. But then the example, possibly the longest run- don’t run the same sparkler across when the Mumbai Indians asked question – what else can these fillers ning feature on Indian FM, is a huge the country, but this one (by their RJ them to do a Cricket Ki Kalpana.” he do? Most radio stations would want success because of its unique style of from Delhi) overrides even a local says. Mirchi’s Sen says that moneti- them to help strengthen their brand zation can only be a by-product. and reinforce their personality. While consumer-connect is primary, Tapas Sen, Chief Programming he doesn’t mind sponsors coming in. Officer, Radio Mirchi, says, “There When asked about the length of are two ways to personify the station such promos, Thomas says they are brand. One is RJs and this is the usually about a minute to a minute other. We call them ‘Sparklers’, and a half long. But he also throws in because they add a sparkle to the sta- a last word of caution: However long tion’s sound.” According to him, or short they may be, promos have to these are capsules that act as a mem- be gripping. If they are gripping and ory hook for the brand – a window even three minutes long, they won’t for listeners to remember the Thomas, Barua and Sen: When every minute matters be considered long. But if they are not brand/station for. Apart from that, gripping enough, even half a minute they are objects of liking for listeners delivery and the ambience of a real connect and we decided to take it is too much. Which, in retrospect is and reach a stage where audiences ‘mehfil’. It is generally accepted that nationally.” Mirchi’s Sen adds. about the only time you should call love them. Bappida was a sparkler it is the best produced show on Red’s Thomas would also like us these creative gems fillers. But if they (yes, we’ll use it as a noun). The Radio today.” With some of the best to believe that there is a little bit of make you forget the song that is about recent Sud – Hassi Ke Phuwarey parting lines, one might add. Other science involved in slotting these to come, anything but that. became popular because of its like- PPFs from City are LUSSI and promos. They follow a certain rota- So the next time you laugh at a ability. These are spots of a young Apratim Nana. tion and also build-in the frequency Babbar Sher or a joke from Hassi Ke man ‘Sudarshan’ who likes to call Abraham Thomas, Chief and timing while airing their proper- Phuwarey, think harder. It’s doing himself ‘Sud’ seemingly to project a Executive Officer, Red FM, doesn’t ties. A formula those who are more than just filling in. These modern and urban image and tries to like to call them ‘fillers’. “These are addicted to just the promos might do fillers, promos, PPFs and Sparklers make listeners laugh at the jokes that not to fill space between two songs. well to figure out. act as differentiators for stations, to he reads out from a joke-book ‘Hassi We call them promos (OK, that’s So are these properties only for create stickiness and build properties ke Phuwarey’. He also lets listeners simple). These are properties that we internal consumption (or self-pro- that may become brands in their own know the page number, and only he build to bring value to consumers.” motion, if you may). Or can they be right. And although they are really knows why. What you end up laugh- Red FM would know a thing or two monetized too? Red’s Thomas says good saleable properties as they offer ing at, is not the joke, but the vanity about building properties. Kamla is that although they are made for something ‘different’ to the mar- of it all. More interestingly, the reac- one. She bajaoes moviedom in a way brand RED, there may exceptions. keter, monetization is not the priority tion to ‘Sud’ brings out a very that, claims Thomas, Bollywood “…like when 7 Up used “Shendi” – branding is.    Atahar (Urdu), Sayyed Asgar Ali     (Urdu), Dr Harsh Inder Kaur, (Punjabi), Aditi Tandon, Tarannum Manjul-Lucknow, Anilesh Mahajan, CSR, 94.3 MY FM style Gayatri Rajwade, Damayanti Datta, Sushma Verma, Annu aking the lead in promoting spots too. Thirty one Anand, Dayashankar Tsocial issues, 94.3 MY FM radio winners were chosen in Mishra and Sultan station has undertaken to promote different categories. Ahmed. Gender Sensitization by supporting The winners in the Special awards went the UNFPA-Laadli Media Awards; Electronic Media cate- to Dr Gurmel Chahel     Chennai given to different media persons and gory are Braj Mohan, for his telefilm, celebrated ‘World Earth Day’ in outfits for promoting the cause of Ravinder Bawa, Dheeyan Maro Na, partnership with Chennai NGO – Gender Sensitivity through various Natasha Jha, Anureet Avinash for his web ini- Exnora International. The FM station media. The Awards were presented Sidhu, Suraj and Rajvir- tiative, Betiyon Ka Blog, presented an inspirational contest on 26th April at Chandigarh. Chandigarh and Sandhya Raman, for her called ‘Green Salute to Mother The promotions were carried in Jalandhar, TVCs of conceptualization of the Earth’ conceived with the sole pur- Chandigarh, Chattisgarh and Draft FCB Ulka, Leo multi-media perform- pose of spreading awareness on the Madhya Pradesh through its 17 radio Burnett, and Lowe. In ance, Mythologies hazards of global warming. The con- stations. The station conducted con- the Print section, the Retold, and Afsana test invited Chennai’s Radio Cityzens tests relating to theme of gender, girl awards in different jour- Rashid of Etalaat, J&K, to share few innovative liners on child and women and made nalism categories have for the best reporting in how to keep the city clean. announcements and played radio gone to Mohammad adverse conditions.

            “Our USP is the sheer quality and choice of music ”

As India’s only satellite radio broadcaster, Worldspace has come a long way from the early       days when consumers wondered just why they should pay for a radio service. decided to celebrate and cheer for the Delhi Dare Devils cricket team in What are the key areas for you this year, in India & internationally. Mirchi style with its listeners. The Internationally, WorldSpace is fast expanding its footprint and has acquired licences to IPL celebrations started with the operate satellite-based digital radio services in Italy, Switzerland and Germany. The broader visit by international cricket icons European market represents a remarkable business opportunity in the next few years. In Glen McGrath and Fervez Maharoof India, WorldSpace will be looking to capture a larger chunk of consumers thereby crossing to the station. The station has also the chasm from an early adopter group to an early majority. 2008 looks to be an exciting year introduced a special on air charac- for WorldSpace in India wherein we will make our presence felt in tier-2, class B cities of ter called DITTOO, a pure Dilliwala India. and dil se fan of Delhi Dare Devils.

How difficult was it building a market for Satellite radio in India. Any lessons learnt in the process? WorldSpace is a pioneer of the medium of Satellite Radio and has the world’s largest global satellite radio broadcast footprint. When we started our operations in India, we were (and continue to be) the only satellite radio player in the Indian market. In its initial years, WorldSpace faced the challenge of demystifying a new category and concept of media and entertainment called satellite radio. Our early efforts was focused on expanding our reach and educating music lovers across the country on the value proposition that WorldSpace offered them. These efforts were of course directed at enabling the consumer to appreciate and comprehend the unique proposition that is satellite radio. The one thing that is evident from all the years that we have been in business is that a superior product offering with unmatched quality, variety and depth of music will always find a customer in a true music lover.

How would you compare India to other countries, as a market, in terms of response to satellite radio? Satellite Radio was first introduced internationally in the US in 2001. The two companies who operate satellite radio services in the US are XM Satellite Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio ‘‘these two companies merged in March 2008’’. US as a media and entertainment market is high-    announced the ly mature. Despite the presence of hundreds of private FM stations and other formats for consumption of music ‘‘like the iPOD, CD players, and appointment of Himanshu Shekhar music download sites with high-speed broadband connectivity enabling the same’’, the subscription-based satellite radio user base is in excess as the Regional Head-North and of 17 million subscribers. That just goes to show how satellite radio business boomed over the past 6 years or so. West. An MBA of the 1997 batch

In India, the future looks promising. With an average Indian in the habit of ‘free radio’, our subscription based model has over 170, 000 from FMS, BHU Himanshu’s last Sponsored feature subscribers in India. Our USP is the sheer quality and choice of music that is made available to almost every type or category of target audi- stint was with Mindshare Fulcrum, ence. With Indians adopting the latest global technologies, and in fact, in many cases dictating the way technologies are developing worldwide, as General Manager Position, han- it is a matter of time before satellite radio experiences its point of infliction. dling the Unilever Account.

For more on radio, log on to Radio Rocks at http://www.agencyfaqs.com/radiorocks   OOH  %   #% % !% “I thrive on Airlines are fighting it out through ads for larger market risks, life is boring shares, while the consumers chuckle. By Surina Sayal otherwise.” FOTOCORP here aren’t many who have been associated with one agency for 31 years. any might remember the spin- the Air Deccan business, this specific Pranesh Misra is one of the few. Take away two stints - a research spell Moff campaign that Kingfisher spin-off campaign was done by Tat Clarion and a brush on the client’s side with Mashreq Bank in Dubai Airlines created on Jet Airways when Equus. (then Bank of Oman) - and Misra has enjoyed a happy marriage with Lowe the latter underwent a brand Swapan Seth, chief executive offi- since the very onset of his career, thanks to varying roles over the years. makeover last year. While Jet’s out- cer, Equus Red Cell, who ideated the Known in the ad industry for his quiet, reserved persona, Pranesh Misra deliv- door campaign read, ‘We have campaign, says it was just a quick ers a shocker when he confesses to The Brand Reporter: “I thrive on risks; changed’, Kingfisher came up with a reaction to something JetLite did. “I life is boring otherwise!” Here’s a peek at some of the defining moments that strategically placed hoarding close by, just landed at the airport, saw the shaped Misra’s career. which read, ‘We made them change’, JetLite campaign there, and went to One of my first highs in this profession was when I was working for to imply that it was the client with the Lintas, Kolkata. I was all of 24, in my second year there, and IIM Kolkata competition from idea I had.” asked me to serve as visiting faculty for the advertising course. It had Kingfisher that The intent was He adds, “The barely been a few years since I had completed my MBA. I decided to go prompted Jet to entire intent was for it, and it was a turning point with regard to my confidence in myself. refashion its brand. to add a little spin that while Jet was Later, I took over the Lintas Kolkata branch from my then senior, Exactly a year and bring smile talking about the Stanley Pinto (who in turn, relocated to Lintas Mumbai). I was only in later, April 13 saw a smiles on their my late 20s, and it was a different kind of euphoria for me to be man- similar ad war. Jet to consumers’ faces, we thought aging a branch at such a young age. Airways put up an that we’d add a lit- Another satisfying moment for me was in the 1980s, when I was outdoor campaign faces. tle spin to it and working closely with our team on Cherry Blossom - a brand that was for JetLite that said, talk about the struggling to connect with its then tagline, ‘Shines and Protects’. Our ‘Our smile lights up 502 flights to go smiles we bring to our customers’ problem? There was a Cherry Blossom tucked away in every house- over 50 cities every day’ with pictures faces. This, therefore, provided hold, but few felt the need to use it everyday. of their smiling staff. A couple of Deccan with another layer, in terms We couldn’t go down the rational route to make Cherry Blossom a days later, Deccan put up its cam- of a personality of being young, agile, charming friend. Pranob Ghose, Rema Ezra and I cracked the idea at paign right next to this, which said, with-it, and reactive and on its feet, 1:00 am on the night before the presentation. We decided to narrate ‘We’d rather you smile :)’, with pic- which actually stems from the brand comic tales of a Charlie Chaplin look-alike and his sidekick, fighting to tures of their smiling customers. kernel of Kingfisher Airlines. Now, outdo each other over Cherry Blossom. We didn’t have any storyboard The campaign was ideated and since both these brands belong to the and Pranob had to enact the whole film, and the rest is history. executed by Equus Red Cell, which same stable, it was to add that con- In 1986, Alyque Padamsee the then CEO of Lintas, asked me to also created the Kingfisher campaign become the general manager of Pathfinders – Lintas’ research arm. It was- last year. Though it does not handle !"%%%%>> n’t doing too well then, with just a team of three to boot. I remember protesting, “This is a punishment posting!” but Alyque believed that I was the only one who could turn Pathfinders around. I had two options: to either convert Pathfinders into an independent research agency, or let it flourish as a brand planning division of Lintas. I chose the former. From 1986 to 1991, I led Pathfinders, managing clients like Unilever, Philips and Nestle. Some ad agencies like Rediffusion and Contract too, became our clients. When it was a team of 40, Pathfinders finally moved out of the plush Express Towers office in Mumbai (Lintas’ home for the past several decades), into a smaller office at Manik Mahal. I never really had a mentor as such, but three people influenced me immensely – Stanley, Alyque and Balki. Stanley because he was flam- boyant and I was not. Alyque, to the outside world, was a little mad with his temper tantrums but to me, he was different: an uncannily intuitive man who would gauge exactly when a person is getting typecast in a role, and would pre-empt what you want to do next. Balki is a brilliant lateral thinker, and it has truly been a privilege to work with him for the last 7-8 years. As told to Devina Joshi (Top) Air Deccan’s answer to Jetlite’s campaign this year and (above) last year’s rivalry.

36 The Brand Reporter, May 1-15, 2008

   $  << !"% %% PROFILE I SHIV SETHURAMAN I CEO DESIGNATE I TBWA GROUP #% % !%

sumer-centric focus as far as Air The Homecoming Deccan was concerned.” This idea was used for Deccan e’s gearing up to hit the and not Kingfisher because the Jet Indian advertising scene after campaign was for JetLite, says Seth. Ha seven year stint at O&M He adds, “From a no-frills airline, Paris. When The Brand Reporter which is how Air Deccan was con- caught up with Shiv Sethuraman, 41, ceptualised originally, I thought we’d who will take on the duty as TBWA move this to a ‘few thrills’ kind of India’s CEO from mid-June this year, thing. That’s important – that you he was busy wrapping up things in can be economical and yet sprightly Paris to drop anchor in Mumbai. and smart.” Sethuraman, who has a degree in The campaign is being done only microbiology from Mumbai at the airport. Seth believes that University, stumbled upon advertising these are tactics that don’t need large and joined O&M as a management sums of money in terms of a cam- trainee in 1989. He worked on busi- paign idea. nesses like Cadbury’s and Philips till Seth says this kind of advertising 1993, after which he moved over to just reflects a very dynamic market the client side when he joined Shell, as a deputation from O&M. He spent about 18-20 months in marketing here where his job included moving around the country touring highways, working on the forecourts of the gas stations and deciding on pricing strategies for lubricants. After this short stint, he was back at Ogilvy. In between, he also moved to Rediffusion for a year but calls it a dis- astrous experience. “I joined them to work on the Colgate business but did- FOTOCORP n’t really enjoy that. They asked me to things. If you are aware of the conven- go to Bangalore, and I did with my tions in the market place, as a brand wife. On one of the flights back from “The India you are now in a position to disrupt there, I met Ranjan Kapur and I com- those conventions, in order to stand plained about how I didn’t like it there story is so out.” “If Jet does react, and he just said ‘‘why don’t you come According to Sethuraman he’s back?’’ So, in 1996, it was back to good now “joining the best agency in the world” and we feel we O&M Mumbai. but he also agrees that in India it’s not should respond, In 2001, Sethuraman was looking and I did not at all at that position, so the expecta- to move within the Ogilvy network tions are high to now take the brand then the war globally. The job he was looking for want to miss up. “If we’re able to sit and have lunch was based out of Paris, and he took it. at the same table as O&M and Lintas will go on.” The good part was that all Ogilvy out on it.” in a couple of years, it would be an SWAPAN SETH offices share the same philosophies interesting achievement,” he says. and cultures but personally he felt “What is nice about TBWA is that space in which brands sometimes Europe to be a very individualistic society and this took it’s a collection of very creative and strategic agencies talk to each other and in that manner some getting used to. like BDDP in France, Chiat\Day in the US, Hunt also talk to consumers. “I’m sure He says, “The language was a barrier, but I picked it Lascaris in South Africa. It’s not very organised and when people see both the hoardings up quickly. Also, leading a French team is not an easy structured and there aren’t too many rules and regula- side by side, they will chuckle and thing to do, especially if you’re an Indian. My job there tions. It’s also very young. It’s the youngest network in say that obviously, there’s a bit of a was working with the central clients to develop strate- Asia Pacific and I think it can be shaped and made into conversation going on between both gies and communication for all around the world,” he something fantastic in the future.” the brands.” says. As global business director, for the first four years About returning to India, Sethuraman says that he Is he worried about how Jet will he ran the Nestle account out of the Paris office. has always been in touch with friends and colleagues react? “The point of the matter After four years at O&M Paris, he was elevated to like Mahesh Chauhan (who he worked with on Shell). is that in these wars, you never the post of managing director there in 2005. There he Prasoon Joshi, who used to be his creative partner on know how long the war will carry led the team of about 240 people and also looked after Cadbury’s and Sonal Dabral who’s a good friend, and on. I don’t know whether Jet is the Louis Vuitton business. He served as MD till the so he’s been in tune with what’s going on here. “The going to respond, but if Jet does, and TBWA development occurred this year. India story is so good and I read so much about it. I just if we feel it important to react, Sethuraman says that he was tempted by TBWA didn’t want to miss out on it. I was keen to come back,” we might, or we might just say because of one key tool, ‘disruption’. “Disruption is he smiles. enough of the game, let’s get back to very simple,” he says, “Jean-Marie Dru has written On the personal front, Sethuraman enjoys playing studying.” several books on the subject and like all great pieces of squash and going deep sea diving. He has a nine year At the time of filing this report, thinking it is a very simple piece of thinking.” Explains old daughter and four year old son who take up a lot of the Jet Airways spokesperson was Sethuraman, “In any market, there are conventions his time. “I am just a regular family guy,” he smiles. not available for comment. and conventional ways of doing and thinking about [email protected] [email protected]

38 The Brand Reporter, May 1-15, 2008 Steal-a-Deal

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IRS 2008 ROUND 1 The Top 10 (The final standings) Publication 2008 R1 2007 R2 % change Progress Report Dainik Jagran 16,384 16,502 - 0.7 Dainik Bhaskar 12,832 12,823 0.1 The Indian Readership Survey 2008 Round 1 is out after a little delay. Hindustan 8,752 8,551 2.4 Does it have any surprises? By Prajjal Saha and Sapna Nair Malayala Manorama 8,614 8,662 - 0.6 Amar Ujala 8,091 8,075 0.2 Delhi Thanthi 7,564 7,910 - 4.4 n IRS 2008 Round 1, most publications in the by 16,000 readers, while its casual top 10 list saw either a decline in average issue readership increased by 13.93 lakh Rajasthan Patrika 7,332 7,402 - 0.9 Ireadership (AIR) or a marginal growth. In readers to a total readership of 2.96 Eenadu 7,109 6,919 2.7 terms of casual readers (those who have sampled it crore. Daily Thanthi, the sixth largest The Times of India 6,789 6,828 - 0.6 or read it once in a while), the top 10 publications publication in the country, recorded a Ananda Bazar Patrika 7,332 7,402 - 0.9 saw growth - with a few exceptions. decline in AIR of 4 per cent - from Note: Figures in 000s, AIR Not considered: Infomedia Yellow Pages 79.1 lakh readers in the last round of THE TOP 10 AND CASUAL READERS the IRS to 75.6 lakh readers in the current round. readers from 1,26,65,000 in IRS 2007 Round 1 to ndia’s most read publication, Dainik Jagran, In absolute terms, its readership declined by 3.5 the current 1,27,06,000. At No 6, Gujarati dailies Ireported a marginal decline in average issue lakh readers. If that was not all, its casual reader- are next in terms of readership (1.13 crore). Its readership (AIR). Dainik Jagran’s AIR stands at ship also declined by 2.87 lakh readers. AIR increased marginally by 23,000. 163.8 lakh which is 1.18 lakh readers less than in At No 7, Rajasthan Patrika’s AIR went down by Bengali dailies’ readership stands at 1.02 crore the previous round. But when it comes to casual 70,000 readers, but its casual readers increased by (seventh in the list) with a negative growth of 1.9 readership, the Hindi daily witnessed an increase 4.66 lakh with a total readership of 1.37 crore in lakh readers this time around. Telugu dailies were of 29.5 lakh readers. Its total readership, as per the the current round of IRS 2008. Eenadu, at No 8, another among South Indian languages to have IRS 2008 Round 1 report, stood at 5.66 crore. recorded a growth in readership of 1.9 lakh read- experienced growth although marginally by 0.87 On the other hand, its closest competitor and ers. Its readership went up from 69.19 lakh readers per cent to 96,88,000 in this round. arch rival, Dainik Bhaskar reported an almost to 71.09 lakh readers in the current round. It’s Kannada dailies are the only one from the steady readership. Its AIR increased by only 9,000 casual readership also increased by 5.02 lakh read- South to have registered a decline. They lost 2.16 readers from 1,28,23,000 readers in IRS 2007, ers while the total readership stood at 1.47 crore. lakh readers to touch 77,41,000 (AIR). Oriya Round 2, to 1,28,32,000 readers in the current The ninth and tenth positions saw a switch dailies were lucky to have witnessed the maximum round. When it comes to casual readers, it wit- between The Times of India and Ananda Bazar growth in percentage terms - 4 per cent from 28.34 nessed a growth of 13.6 lakh casual readers. The Patrika. Interestingly, both registered negative lakh to 29.45 lakh. In absolute terms, the AIR for total readership for Dainik Bhaskar in the current growth. At No 9, The Times of India is the only any Oriya daily increased by 1.11 lakh. While round of IRS is 3.19 crore. English daily to feature in the Top 10 publications. Punjabi dailies lost just 8,000 readers with an AIR At No 3, Hindustan not only moved up one While its AIR declined by 39,000 readers, casual of 22 lakh. Assamese, which gained 32,000 readers, position from the previous round, but also regis- readership increased by 1.63 lakh readers. is the last in the list with 21.55 lakh readers tered a growth of 2.01 lakh readers. It has 87.5 lakh Ananda Bazar Patrika, went down a slot record- readers and is one of the very few in the top 10 list, ing negative growth in both AIR and casual THE ENGLISH PUBLICATIONS to have grown both in terms of AIR and casual readership. While its AIR declined by 77,000 read- nglish publications in all saw a decline in read- readers. For Hindustan, the casual readership went ers, the loss of casual readers was 1.83 lakh - from Eership. While, the Englsih dailies lost 3.1 lakh up by 16.3 lakh. 1.57 crore total readers in IRS 2007 Round 1 to readers (AIR), English weeklies witnessed a Things haven’t been too good for Malayala 1.55 crore readers in the current round of the IRS. decline of 12.34 per cent. Similarly, English Manorama which came in at No. 4. Not only has it Others that recorded significant growth in monthly magazines also recorded a decline of 11.6 had to give up the No 3 position to Hindustan, its casual readership were Oriya daily Sambad (6.82 per cent in AIR. AIR also declined by 48,000 from 86,62,000 in IRS lakh), Chhattisgarh-based Hari Bhoomi (5.88 lakh) To I is followed by Hindustan Times, with a read- 2007, Round 2. Besides, its casual readership and Gujarati daily Sandesh (5.11 lakh). ership of 32.8 lakh, a decline of 1.3 per cent from declined by 2.42 lakh to 1.26 crore. Amar Ujala, at the last round. At No 3 is weekly magazine India No 5, retained its slot and also featured among the MALAYALAM AND ORIYA STAR Today with a readership of 24.02 lakh, dropping few dailies to have registered growth both in terms n terms of languages, Hindi dailies continue to 8.9 per cent from the last round’s 26.36 lakh. At of AIR as well as casual readers. Its AIR increased Ienjoy the highest readership vis-à-vis other lan- No 4 is The Hindu with a readership of 22.43 lakh, guages. The AIR for any Hindi daily is increasing 0.3 per cent from the last round. It is the Mind the Language 5.60 crore, although readership only English publication in the Top 10 to have (How the regional language publications fared) declined by 2 per cent - 11.2 lakh risen. Language 2008 R1 2007 R2 % change readers in comparison to the last Declining by 8.9 per cent is Readers’ Digest, a Hindi 56,096 57,217 - 1.9 round. monthly with a readership of 15.94 lakh. It lost Among other languages, Marathi 1,55,000 readers and holds the No 5 rank. Marathi 18,129 18,541 - 2.2 dailies came in at No 2 with an AIR of Registering the maximum decline, 16.1 per cent, is English 16,599 16,907 - 1.8 1.81 crore. However, the AIR General Knowledge Today, losing 2,60,000 readers. to Malayalam 15,591 15,435 1.0 declined by 4.12 lakh – 2.22 per cent. touch 13.5 lakh. Deccan Chronicle came seventh - a Tamil 12,706 12,665 0.3 Following Marathi - in terms of read- readership of 12.25 lakh, declining by 2.8 per cent. Gujarati 11,305 11,282 0.2 ership - came English dailies with an The Telegraph garnered a 10.08 lakh readership, AIR of 1.66 crore. However like dropping from the last round’s 10.15 lakh. Bengali 10,260 10,451 - 1.8 Hindi and Marathi, its AIR also Competition Success Review is at No. 9 with a reader- Telugu 9,688 9,604 0.9 declined - by 1.82 per cent (3.08 lakh ship of 8.99 lakh, 14.6 per cent down from the last Kannada 7,741 7,957 - 2.7 readers). round. Filmfare, lost more than a lakh readers to go Oriya 2,945 2,834 3.9 Malayalam dailies’ at No 4 with an to 8.58 lakh, down 13.4 per cent. To I ’s tabloid, AIR of 1.55 crore, added 1.56 lakh Mumbai Mirror, came in 11th with 7.75 lakh read- Punjabi 2,200 2,208 - 0.4 readers, which is the highest growth ers, adding readers from its last round’s status of Assamese 2,155 2,123 1.5 for any language. Tamil dailies, mean- 7.52 lakh. Note: Figures in 000s Average Issue Readership while, rose marginally by 41,000 [email protected]

40 The Brand Reporter, May 1-15, 2008



VODAFONE looks around for her missing sock, her faith- ful pug runs across the house with the sock in his mouth, and puts it Dogged before her. In another shot, the little girl is sitting on a The pug which started its run with river bank, trying to fish Hutch continues its journey with something out of the water. Her pug comes Vodafone. By Devina Joshi trotting along, a net in its mouth, for her to use odafone India chose to go abroad for this TV in her endeavours. customers know that Vodafone is always ready and commercial. In an ad for Vodafone’s cus- The next vignette is that of the girl dutifully ‘happy to help’. “The ad is a metaphorical story of Vtomer care service, the company has used the sticking stamps on some envelopes; methodically, the brand and our customer,” he says. picturesque Cape Town in South Africa as the set- she holds out each stamp before the pug, he licks it, The TV commercial has been directed by ting. It even used a South African pug for the ad. and she pastes it on the envelope. Lastly, the girl is Prakash Verma of Nirvana Films (who was also According to Harit Nagpal, chief marketing seen in a school bus, staring out. Suddenly, her hand behind the original network ad featuring the pug, officer, Vodafone India, this ad is the first instance flies to her throat – she has forgotten to wear her tie. more than five years ago; Verma has shot several of a customer care service being advertised in the Cut to the shot of the pug with the tie hanging out films for the brand since). telecom category in India. Why now? “Actually, we of his mouth, chasing the bus as it speeds away. The Verma doesn’t cite any particular reason for were waiting for the infrastructure to fall into ad ends on the super: ‘Happy to Help. Vodafone using a Cape Town pug instead of Spikey (the pug place, post the rebranding of Hutch into Customer Care’. who took to the Vodafone throne after the earlier Vodafone,” says Nagpal. The Vodafone pug resurfaces after seven months one, Chika, grew older with time). With Vodafone stores and mini-stores, mobile (it was last leveraged in the Hutch-Vodafone transi- A dog trainer at the set trained the animal to do vans, self-service kiosks and thousands of cus- tion ads in September 2007). The pug is usually as told. In fact, pugs usually tend to keep their pink tomer service personnel in place, the timing is used in the case of thematic brand communication, tongues hanging out, but this particular one right, Nagpal asserts. and generally not for individual products and serv- refused to do so. O&M, Vodafone’s agency in India, has created a ices. Then why make an exception in an explicitly “The stamp sequence was quite an adventure,” 60 second TV commercial which carries four service based ad? Varma grins. Once the stamp was put before him, vignettes that have further been broken down into Nagpal explains, “Customer care is the face of however, he started licking it. Anand has scored individual ads. There are 30-second TVCs in the our brand, so in a sense, this aspect of Vodafone the background music. The TVC has been sup- series and extensions of the 60-second one too. encompasses the entire brand.” ported with other media, including outdoor, print, The ad opens on a day in the life of a little girl, as Rajiv Rao, group creative director, Ogilvy & radio, below-the-line and the Internet. she wakes up and gets ready for school. Just as she Mather Mumbai, says the brief was simple: letting [email protected]

HORLICKS and his crush dressed in trendy casu- professional when the camera rolls. als, with their respective group of Debarpita Banerjee, director, friends. client services, JWT, says, “This com- Visibly impressed by his cool atti- mercial is not different in strategy Cool and Confident tude, the girl compliments him, from Horlicks’ earlier TV commer- saying “Cool shades.” The back- cials. It is in fact an extension of the Horlicks has found the perfect fit in Darsheel Safary to ground score keeps up the synergy strategy which has been consistently throughout the commercial. recurring in all the commercials position itself as a fun energy drink. By Proyashi Barua According to Vivek Kamath, direc- since 2003, when Horlicks was posi- tioned as a pleasurable nutrition he new Horlicks TV com- drink, rather than as just a family mercial features Darsheel nutrition drink. The brand philoso- TSafary, the little star of Taare phy of Horlicks is ‘Live life with Zameen Par. Safary has been signed as vigour and energy and do what you the brand ambassador for Horlicks. love doing’.” The TVC, which is part of the Banerjee explains the creative Horlicks cold consumption cam- strategy. “When it comes to kids, it is paign, is significant in more ways for those who are confident being than one. For Darsheel, it is his first themselves. Other health drinks TV commercial, and for Horlicks, position themselves in a competitive this is its first commercial featuring a context,” she says. celebrity child. According to Saluja, “Kids today According to Sumeet Saluja, gen- are instrumental in purchase deci- eral manager, GlaxoSmithKline and who has the uncanny ability to be cool tor of Vivek Kamath Films, the sions. So, we are conscious that category head for the Horlicks brand, by being uncool?” production house which made the all communication touches their “Summer is a time when most con- The script revolves around a TV commercial, “Working with an lives. Extension of our product sumer brands innovate to bring out schoolboy’s infatuation with a actor gave us a lot of creative licence. attributes through various themes is summer variants. Horlicks is tradi- schoolmate and how he manages to Darsheel is a very spontaneous per- what is intended as part of our strat- tionally perceived as a hot and impress her turning on his easy son off screen. We took cues from his egy. This campaign and other nourishing drink, so the ‘cold appeal’ charm. personality and integrated them into campaigns (which Darsheel will be was difficult to integrate into it. The initial shots of the TV com- the script. Unlike the case with mod- part of) are an attempt in this direc- However, the new variants – pistachio mercial show the boy, Darsheel, els, here, we let the script flow with tion. Darsheel’s association will help and butterscotch – can be consumed walking into the girl’s classroom and his personality.” Kamath points out us leverage other connections which both hot and cold. So, what better way bumping into the teacher. The sub- that though he is mischief personi- are part of the campaign as well.” to promote it than by using Darsheel, sequent shots show both Darsheel fied, Darsheel is uncannily [email protected]

42 The Brand Reporter, May 1-15, 2008

          Pain Without Borders Poor Leverage ravaged piece of land hanging in Aspace. The tagline reads ‘To end ustomer relationship management (CRM) is a term endless pain make a donation.’ Cin modern marketing parlance which holds a lot of weight. Most organisations around the world spend phe- nomenal sums in understanding the profile and psyche of the existing and potential customer base. The fundamental mandate is more or less common to all organisations - get- ting an insight into what can keep the customers loyal to your brand/service and thereby induce consistent pur- chase. Advertising Agency: TBWA/Paris But as per a recent study by the cross selling and upselling. This Creative Director: Sebastien New York based CMO Council, Smart customer essentially means optimising rev- Vacherot, Manoelle van der Vaeren most organisations fall short in enues from existing customers and Art Director: Stephane Lecoq implementing this data. Out of the management is customer relationship management 450 plus marketers polled globally, is the key towards achieving this.    only 16 per cent of companies were the need of Ironically only half of the marketers confident about the quality of their said they have a strategy in place for Baygon customer relationship management the hour further penetrating and monetising programmes. Forty five per cent key relationships. Two thirds said living room with all its furniture and acknowledged that their customer relationship manage- they have no system in place for reactivating lost or dor- Adécor in wrought iron giving it a ment programmes fall short of actual data integration. mant customers. skeletal look. The tagline reads ‘No According to Donovan Deale May, the executive director Most organisations are faced with the ordeal of inte- place to hide.’ of the CMO Council, given the current economic grating a wide variety of data sources across often restraints, marketers need to be more concerned about inadequate IT systems.

        Mom Knows Best Upbeat Advertising Agency: Saatchi& ohnson &Johnson which years ago communications director at Saatchi, Bangkok Jhad pumped millions of dollars Johnson&Johnson, New Jersey, and he year 2007 was a landmark year Creative Directors: Panu Meepaibul into television ads to reach out to the Camp Baby organiser, put things Tfor UK’s online advertising. Art Director: Somboon mothers is now turning a different in perspective by stating that the According to a study undertaken by Charukijphaisarn route. It is making use of social online environment is constantly the Internet Advertising Bureau, Copywriter: Bhakpong Skonvitayanon media, specifically websites to forge a evolving and the company is trying PricewaterhouseCoopers and the connect with young mothers. ‘Camp to evolve with it. World Advertising Research Centre,    Baby’ an event which the company The company is trying to reach spending grew by 38 per cent in the had organised for 56 young influen- out to mothers in a social context year 2007 to reach £2.8 billion ($5.6 Invision: tial mothers (who are also active through other initiatives as well. It billion). The internet now accounts for bloggers) early this month was a step also runs a web site called 15.3 per cent of total media ad spend- Tumbled Stone in this direction. BabyCenter, man sitting on the ground wear- Camp Baby was which connects Aing clothes which reflect the a three day all with moms colours of the stone wall in the expense paid trip through online background. The tagline reads: to New Jersey messages, videos Invision produces commercial car- where almost all and bulletin pet - the target consumers are aspects of baby- boards. This architects and interior designers. hood were medium not only deliberated upon lacks any overt by these discern- company plugs, ing young mothers. The event was but accepts advertising from com- conspicious by the absence of any petitors and is considered an ing in the UK, according to this group. advertising pitches from independent entity. Improved broadband speeds, a profu- Johnson&Johnson. First steps are Johnson&Johnson is not alone in its sion of multiple sites catering to niche never perfect and so is the case with initiatives to reach out to mothers interest groups are all favourably con- Camp Baby. Possibly one of the within the context of commercially tributing to the rise in online biggest initiatives of free social domains. P&G also has a advertising. In fact online advertising Johnson&Johnson in the social growing branding campaign on its is expected to overtake television domain so far it was criticised for social networking site, Vocalpoint, advertising in 2009, to become UK’s excluding children. Some social that engages mothers via e-mail and biggest medium, according to Guy commentators also said that the direct mail. The objective is very Phillipson, CEO of the IAB. Research event lacked focus and it almost simple- spreading product informa- also reveals that paid search ad seemed if it was trying to incorporate tion through word of mouth. spending grew by 39 per cent Advertising Agency: Fletcher a distinct identity. Johnson&Johnson After Vocalpoint’s participants Internet display and classified adver- Martin, USA however is unaffected by these spec- started discussing about P&G’s prod- tising spending grew by 31 per cent Creative Director: Brandy Gill ulations. Lori Dolginoff, global ucts, sales increased by 30 per cent. and 54 per cent respectively.

44 The Brand Reporter, May 1-15, 2008

           Roadblocks Legal Score re marketers across the world ike and Adidas, two of the world’s leading sports Aembracing technological innova- Nbrands, are edging anxiously for a score. But this is tions at the same pace? The answer a legal score. Nike has sued its German competitor probably will be ‘no’. The mobile (Adidas) and Chinese soccer star Zheng Zhi at an advertising scenario in Russia is a Intermediate People’s Court at Shanghai. The accusation case in point. At best the most opti- hurled at the soccer player was that he was making pub- mistic analysts can predict that in this lic appearances at Adidas events while working as a brand year the mobile advertising market in ambassador for Nike. Nike claimed that Adidas had Russia will comprise 2 per cent of the resorted to foul play and had bribed him in doing so. world’s mobile advertising market. Nike is now seeking eight million yuan (1.14 million US Expectations for 2008 roughly fluctu- dollars) in compensation from the two. ate between $12-$14 million and $57 But both the accused had much to say in answer to Zheng had adhered to the contract at the beginning. million, according to several analysts. Nike’s insinuations. According to them Zheng’s contract However according to Nike’s attorney the problem start- However, there are no definite esti- with Nike did not hold ground as Zheng had not been ed in August 2004 when Nike refused Zheng a raise, mates and forecasts. Mobile receiving his payments. As per the original contract which he had requested. Since then abberrations started advertising is a 5-10 fold cheaper which was signed in 2003, Nike had promised to pay in terms of honouring the contract at Zheng’s end. In option than internet advertising. Zheng 110,000 yuan by October 2003 and another April 2005, Zheng wore Adidas soccer shoes at matches Hence analysts expect a fair amount 760,000 in 2004. The contract, which was to expire at the in Japan. Soon after he informed Nike that he wanted to of migration happening from the end of last year, had stated that Zheng should wear Nike cancel his contract. Nike’s attorney further stated that online medium to mobile networks, products on any public occasion and refrain from attend- taking advantage of Zheng’s faltering loyalties, Adidas thus resulting in a 80 per cent growth ing publicity events of other competing brands. Nike said had used him for their interests. in the mobile domain. The Gartner analysts expect the world mobile advertising market to   surpass $2.7 billion in 2008 versus     $1.7 billion in 2007. But analysts in Smart Connect earst Digital Media, a sister interface with users seem more real Hconcern of the San Francisco and meaningful Spleak operates like based Chronicle has found an exciting a robotic friend. It appears as a buddy way to connect with teens. It will on the person’s instant message list supply celebrity information and to distribute updates to the user. other interesting trivia to teens via Hearst, which is shifting its tradi- instant messaging through social net- tional media focus to online media

Social Scent Jam networking alk about finding innovative ways general are of the opinion that the Tto connect to your target audience. growth in this domain has been rather sites are the Procter & Gamble (P&G) has recently slow and measured. Though a lucra- partnered with the Island Def Jam tive ground for many players, such as gateways to Music Group, New York, to create traders, carriers, banks, and payment TAG Records. TAG is P&G’s popular agencies there are specific factors reach out to deodorant brand that competes with which are impeding development of Axe in the body spray category. The mobile advertising. Analysts attribute teenagers partnership is aimed at appealing to lack of transparency and exact stan- the savy urban youngsters by promot- dards and the value chain complicity ing hip-hop music alongside the as some of the fundamental hin- packaged goods product. According to drances. works via a partnership with San distribution in multiple capacities, the deal, the TAG Records’ artists will Though these operational issues Francisco’s Spleak. (Spleak takes pre- will be utilizing Spleak’s publishing be supported by integrated marketing are likely to be resolved in a couple of mium content and user-generated platform for integrating its content including TV, print, radio, digital and years it is a matter of conjecture content, aggregates it, and pushes it deeper into social media. As of now event components. whether people will actually want out for a combined perspective on Hearst will be using Spleak’s The TAG brand will use the label’s more and more advertisements current topics. Spleak also uses this Embassy option, which allows the artists in its brand advertising and beamed into their mobile phones. same interface for gathering its user- publisher to place a Spleak interface marketing initiatives throughout Subscribers might find it a nuisance generated content, so users and on some of its major content sites- 2008. The first artist will be revealed and that is when the dead end comes viewers can participate with the con- such as Teen Magazine, CosmoGIRL! in May. The deal is also expected to for advertisers. tent in a very direct manner.) Spleak and Seventeen. The San Francisco provide exposure not typically acces- However, despite all restrictions currently has a program called startup said it has about 100,000 sible to up-and-coming artists. analysts are inclined to think that the CelebSpleak, where users, mostly active users a day, and the plan is to Exact size of the marketing budget market will continue developing and teenagers, can share celebrity gossip extend beyond CelebSpleak to other was not revealed, though the compa- by the end of 2011 it is expected to by publishing it through an instant topics. ny said it would be a multimillion- reach $12.8 billion. message or text message.To make the Compiled by Proyashi Barua dollar effort.

46 The Brand Reporter, May 1-15, 2008     Wellman Tommy Hilfiger Wellman has introduced an ener- Tommy Hilfiger has introduced a collection of handbags & wallets.Sporting gy drink which is an alternative to unique styles this 2008 spring/summer collection is a manifestation of energy drinks having a high style and sophistication. The hobo & satchel styles sporting a mini- sugar and caffeine quotient. It is malist look can complement designer and formal wear while the a light and refreshing drink con- continental wallets and wristlets are suited for everyday and taining apple, grape and passion informal wear. The handbags and wallets come predominantly fruit juice. Formulated with a in the shades of pure white, warm brown and dramatic red. unique mix of B vitamins, miner- This collection is marked by the symbolic ‘‘TH’’ logo. Priced als, amino acids & botanical between Rs 995 and Rs. 5,000, it is available at all Tommy extracts (Ginseng, Hilfiger flagship stores, select outlets of Shoppers Stop, Guarana Extract, Pyramid, Landmark, Pantaloons, Lifestyle and all leading multi- Green Tea brand outlets across the country. Extract, Artichoke Extract) this Sony CyberShot drink is packed Sony India has launched the Cyber-shot DSC-H10, a high-zoom digital camera. The with nutrition DSC-H10 has a 8-megapixel camera with a powerful optical zoom lens and a and is a substi- long-range flash which makes it possible to capture close-ups, even from tute for light a distance. Its face detection technology can identify and focus on up meals. A 250 ml to eight faces in a frame, and automatically adjust the focus for bottlet is priced correctly exposed photos.This high-zoom camera also includes at Rs 100. Sony’s advanced sports shooting mode, which combines high It is available at shutter speed and continuous auto-focusing which helps cap- select retail ture fast-action shots. This technology allows the camera to stores across quickly focus on fast-moving subjects by predicting where the country. they will be in the frame – and ultimately reducing shutter lag. The DSC-H10 also has additional accessories such as wide and telephoto conversion lenses, filters, batteries, travel Nike chargers, sports packs and cases. Priced at Rs 15,990, it is avail- Nike has introduced a designer able at all leading retail stores and exclusive Sony outlets. range of sports shoes for women. This range includes the Nike Air Relentless which incorporates design elements from the late Whites 80’s along with modern technolo- Whites, a leading UK based company, which gy. It has an exposed midsole manufactures and supplies bed linen and home with a painted or speckled look. accessories to leading retail outlets across the The heel contains supportive foam world has recently introduced its summer col- and an air bag which compresses lection in India. The collection includes on initial contact and ramps up exquisitely designed fitted sheets, flat sheets, pressure thus offering greater pillowcases, duvet covers and quilted coverlet support as it bears more weight. sets in cool blues, soothing pinks and serene This system allows the athlete to whites. This exclusive collection is available at maintain a cushioned feel City Square Mall in New Delhi and DLF Mega throughout training activities. The mall in Gurgaon. The price range starts from Rs presence of multidirectional lugs 75 and goes up to Rs 10,950. on the outsole provide optimal traction and durable performance. This range also includes a single- IDLDPL lasting phylon forefoot which IDLDPL (India Digital Life Style Distributors Pvt. Ltd.) which claims to be one of the improves flexibility while offering largest distributors of IT and life style products in the country has introduced a lateral stability. zeroshock digital camera case. This case has a compact, zippered design which includes a built-in belt loop and a handy neck strap for easy portability. Manufactured from low-resilience polyurethane it has superior shock absorbing capabilities and hence delivers effective protection against impact and external pressure. In fact compared to normal polyurethane foam this case has extraordi- narily low rebound (slow to compress and slow to reform) which enhances its protection quotient. In addition, due to the built-in metal wire frame the contents are protected from all angles against impacts and even twists.

The Brand Reporter, May 1-15, 2008 47

  JOBSWITCH

Organization Name: R2S Group team while being able to intervention such as competency Positions: Manager Operations conceptualise the right marketing mapping would be an added Location: New Delhi strategies and effectively present advantage. Profile: The incumbent would be them to clients. The applicant must Email: [email protected] required to check Quality execution be a Graduate with minimum 6 ...... of the projects, organizing elements years of relevant experience in Organization Name: Adlabs Films involved in the projects, Sourcing Client Servicing or Media, Limited (FM Radio Initiative) and managing vendors & suppliers preferably from an Online Ad Positions: Marketing Manager on regular basis and to Execute Agency. The person should know Location: Bangalore project cost effectively and within how to manage campaigns Profile: The successful applicant the time frame. The applicant efficiently and optimise them to would be required to create systems should have 4 - 7 years of relevant maximise returns for our clients. and process / implement current experience in Operations and Email: [email protected] systems and processes which ensure Production in Events and ...... that the marketing teams function promotions with a minimum of 3 Organization Name: Vasant in a manner aligned to the business years in leading a team. Creative Catalysts goals of the company while Email:[email protected] Positions: Art Director formulating Media strategies for ...... Location: Mumbai national campaigns and strategic Organization Name: ICG Profile: The applicant must have direction for regional campaigns. (Integrated Communications minimum 4-5 years in a reputed Ad The individual should have 5-7 Group) agency with Innovative and fresh years of experience which would be Positions: Associate Account outlook with a good understanding help him/her to champion creative Director of branding. excellence in the marketing team Location: New Delhi & Bangalore Email: [email protected] through a combination of systems, Profile: The applicant must have in- ...... periodic training and reward depth understanding of BTL Organization Name: Infinity programs. communication, Experience in Advertising Services Email: [email protected] prospecting new business leads and Positions: Creative Director (Art), ...... hands-on involvement in project Client Servicing Director & Head Organization Name: Explocity management and Strong Human Resource Private Limited. management and supervisory skills Location: Delhi, Bangalore & Positions: Senior Manager - Sales & in leading a team of dedicated Chennai Marketing project managers. The applicant Profile: Creative Director (Art): The Location: Hyderabad must have minimum 8 - 10 years person applying for the position Profile: The candidate should have experience in client servicing and should be an acclaimed creative the ability to generate revenues for marcom project management. thinker with an exceptional vision, the company through advertisement Email: who can inspire the creative team sales and should have the ability to [email protected] and raise the creative output of the work with a team to meet this ...... agency with every assignment. The objective. The applicant would be Organization Name: Pentagon candidate should be a master of the required to have knowledge of Communications art of design and proficient in the advertising sales and should have Positions: Account Director (Client science of design software while generated business through them as Servicing) having 10-12 years experience in the the individual would be required to Location: Bangalore field. have 5 - 8 years of experience in Profile: The individual would be Client Servicing Director: The advertisement sales with print media. required to handle key accounts applicant would be responsible for Email: [email protected] independently, achieving agreed meeting the business objectives of ...... metrics on customer satisfaction, the Group’s advertising department. Organization Name: Aditya Birla topline and bottomline as well as The person should have an Retail Limited Lead and motivate a team. The analytical bent of mind and a keen Positions: DTP Operator applicant must have 10 - 15 years appreciation of creativity to be able Location: Mumbai experience and a minimum of 5 to lead the team in creating unique Profile: The candidate should have a To advertise, contact: years in an advertising agency is and strategically relevant keen creative eye for detail and is %,!. ,)%-. mandatory. communication solutions while able to handle projects from start to Email: [email protected] having 10-12 years experience in final delivery in record speed. The  ..    ...... similar field. individual with 3-8 years of $ #.%,!! ,)%-%-(*&$ Organization Name: Mediaturf Head Human Resource: The person experience would be required to )+ . +) .,$  Positions: Senior Client Servicing should have 10+ years experience in adapt packaging designs, signages,  ..    Manager the reputed organization with an advertisements, visual $ #.)+ " +) %-(*&$ Location: Mumbai experienced hand in recruitments, merchandising into multiple formats Profile: The incumbent would be training & development, and sizes in the Print medium. To view other jobs in Marketing, required to understand client compensation and incentive Email: Media and Advertising, log on to: requirements and translate them management. The individual should [email protected] ++'!&*%-(*&$ into accurate briefs for the Creative have exposure to process ......

50 The Brand Reporter, May 1-15, 2008

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