June 16-30, 2010 Rs 50 28 24

DEFINING MOMENTS Kiran Khalap chlorophyll’s founder thinks back. 12

UDAY SHANKAR CEO, STAR India PEPSICO Engagement Mantra Augmented reality. Check out this experiment. 32

PROFILE FIGHTING Ambika Sharma Jagran Solutions’s COO is always planning.

QCN BACK Correct Projection 14 BACK ECONOMIST Decoding the World 18 The man in the hot seat when STAR Plus was BLOOMBERGUTV going through troubled times, talks about its Pushing the Envelope 34 recovery and reinvention. ZOOM New Plan of Action 34

EDITORIAL

This fortnight... Volume 1, Issue 12 EDITOR day Shankar must have had a torrid time these last couple of years. To head a Sreekant Khandekar company under pressure is obviously stressful for the boss. And when that company’s U PUBLISHER biggest brand has been toppled from the top; and when this humiliation is reported gleefully Prasanna Singh

in the media on a week by week basis, the pressure must have been something else CREATIVE CONSULTANTS altogether. Because like it or not, the general health of STAR India is judged by the ratings PealiDezine of STAR Plus, its Hindi General Entertainment Channel (GEC). LAYOUT Vinay Dominic When Shankar joined as COO three years ago, he did not have the LOGISTICS June 16-30, 2010 Rs 50 credentials to run a large entertainment-oriented TV network. He’d made his Rajesh Kanwal 24 mark primarily as a TV journalist and had some experience in running a news 28 ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES network. The skeptics were many. Hansika Koli, (0120) 4077834 4077837 Noida

DEFINING MOMENTS Varun Mohan, (022) 40429702-5 Mumbai Kiran Khalap chlorophyll’s founder thinks back. Shankar took over a network that, after a long period of growth, seemed to Neeraj Ranjan, 09886846842 Bangalore 12 have run out of luck. One CEO, Peter Mukerjea, was sidelined and another, [email protected] Sameer Nair, decided that he’d had enough. Both left within two months of Marketing Office UDAY SHANKAR CEO, STAR India PEPSICO B-3, First Floor, Sector-4, Noida-201301. Engagement Mantra each other in 2007. This led to an exodus of people, across departments. Augmented reality. Check out this experiment. Tel: (0120) 4077800. 32 An incoming boss would have his hands full dealing with this alone. But Mumbai that was not it. STAR Plus’ rise coincided with the popularity of its K serials 501-502, Makani Center, 5th Floor,

PROFILE Off Linking Road, Bandra (W), FIGHTING Ambika Sharma created by Balaji Telefilms. By the time Shankar joined, that mass engine was Jagran Solutions’s COO is always planning. Mumbai - 400050

QCN BACK Correct Projection 14 running out of steam – the ratings were declining. The entire TV environment Tel: +91-22-40429 709 - 712 ECONOMIST Decoding the World 18 The man in the hot seat when STAR Plus was BLOOMBERGUTV was changing. Fragmentation was rife. The box was heading into small-towns going through troubled times, talks about its Pushing the Envelope 34 Bangalore recovery and reinvention. ZOOM New Plan of Action 34 India. To complete his cup of sorrows, Viacom 18 launched its channel, Colors, S-1, New Bridge Corporate Centre, 777 D, 100 ft Road, Indira Nagar, in mid-2008 and it overtook STAR Plus in its very first year. For the odd Bangalore - 560038, India week since then, STAR Plus has even had to live with the ingnominy of being the No 3 Subscription Enquiries GEC. Natasha Vohra, (0120) 4077837 [email protected] STAR Plus is back on top for the last many weeks though the war is far from over. afaqs! Reporter used this lull to talk to Shankar. Rarely will you get to read such a forthright interview Printed, published, and owned by Prasanna Singh, Publisher, with a CEO who talks about his days under pressure. Banyan Netfaqs Pvt Ltd at 7-A/13, Ch. Ratan Singh Complex, Jawala Heri Market, Paschim Vihar, New Delhi-110 063.

Printed at Paras Offset Pvt. Ltd., C-176, Naraina Industrial Area, Phase I, Sreekant Khandekar New Delhi 110 028. [email protected] Cover Photograph Kaushik Chakravorty CONTENTS

30 22 PLUS

CONTRACT Calling for Ideas 12 VW POLO Testing it Anyway TELEVISION A consumer The Shift in Orissa 23 engagement event with a difference. JAYPEE CEMENT Bond-building Moves 36 BTL 14 16 Roping Them In BY INVITATION The movie’s stars go out to Chetan Bhagat 43 meet young men and women. BOOK EXCERPT POINTS OF VIEW 42 Braking News 44 FEVICOL INQ HDTV-Effect CAMPAIGN TRAIL As more players come in, will From the Archives Connecting the Dots high-definition television How a very old ad inspired This brand is after the net- Print, TV, Digital, OOH 46 become a rage in India? this TVC. savvy generation’s heart.

afaqs! Reporter, June 16-30, 2010 5 NISSAN MOTOR NEWSBULLETIN A New Statement Sponsored by issan Motor India is finally India, to begin with it hopes to cap- eyeing the Indian terrain ture the B+ segment. G Nseriously with the launch of Globally, Nissan is known for its its first locally manufactured car - a design, spirit of innovation and per- Café Coffee Day> India’s largest integrated coffee compact hatchback - the Nissan formance, with its positioning conglomerate has announced the acquisition of a Czech Micra, which is expected to hit the statement, ‘Shift - the way you Republic café chain - Café Emporio. The deal is valued at Rs 15 crore. The acquisition is indicative of Café Coffee market in mid July. Company execu- move’. This corporate positioning Day’s intention to increase its international presence, espe- tives reveal that the Micra will be will be maintained in India, while cially in the central and eastern European regions. Café followed by the launch of a sedan. the brand campaign for Micra will Emporio, soon to be co-branded as Café Coffee Day- Bollywood star Ranbir Kapoor sport the thought, ‘Drive simpler. Emporio has 11 cafés in Czech Republic. has been roped in for a period of Recently, two 15-second com- three years to endorse all Nissan mercials announcing the products and services in India. commencement of bookings for the This year, the Gillette Mach3 IGC> Riding high Kiminobu Tokuyama, managing Micra were launched on TV chan- championship on the championship’s success last director and chief executive officer, nels. The first ad, ‘Key’, shows promises prizes year, the Gillette Mach3 India Gaming Nissan Motor Kapoor talking Championship (IGC) in association India, says, of how the key worth Rs 1.5 with Zapak is back this year in a bigger avatar. The increas- “Nissan is a car to life is actual- crore. ing popularity of the internet in the last few years has led to company with ly ‘no key’ - as a paradigm shift from offline to online gaming. This year, the a passion for the car doesn’t Gillette Mach3 IGC championship has on offer prizes worth MARKETIN cars. Our require a key to Rs 1.5 crore. brand heritage get inside, but stands for cars is operated by a Cinepolis and Vivacity>Cinepolis, a film exhibitor that maximise remote like recently announced its strategic tie-up with Sheth life and pro- device. The Developers, a real estate company, for their upcoming mega vide the joy of second com- retail space - Vivacity. Operating out of Thane, Mumbai the everyday driving. Micra targets mercial has Kapoor retail space will have a megaplex with 14 screens, making it Kapoor is a passionate, sitting in the car, pro- the largest cinema complex in the country. The fully digital versatile and talented consumers who claiming that life state-of-the-art cinema facility will showcase over 70 shows film star and with his enjoy the experi- begins with a human in a single day offering patrons the flexibility of airing multi- charm and mass touch - as he presses a ple titles through the day. appeal, we hope to be ence of driving button, instead of an major player in India and savour the ignition key, to start Global hospitality major soon.” the car. Slated to open in Hyatt> journey. 2013, the project Hyatt has announced plans to set up Abhijeet Pandit, While these are cap- three new properties, including one vice-president, opera- sule ads, the main would be the first in India, under its ‘Andaz’ brand of hotels. Slated to open in tions, Hover Automotive India, launch commercial for Micra will be Andaz property 2013, the project would be the first Andaz property planned admits that it is a long road ahead for aired in July. The agency on Nissan in India. in India. Targeted at the international leisure and business Nissan in India, going by the clutter is TBWA/India. traveller, Andaz debuted three years ago and has 11 proper- in the B+ segment, Nissan’s late Apart from TV, Nissan plans to ties under development in six countries. entry into India and low brand employ press, outdoor, online, radio, awareness. “This is where our brand direct marketing and corporate pro- endorser will help build quick recall grammes. Yearly ad spends, BSNL 3G> To create awareness at mass level about its from day one,” Pandit says. according to informed sources, are 3G services and to strengthen its brand presence, the opera- Globally, Nissan is strong in dif- pegged at Rs 25-30 crore across all tor has branded Rajdhani trains in association with Indian ferent segments in various markets. Nissan launches. Railways and Peacock Media. While the medium reaches In West Asia, its SUVs such as the Micra targets consumers who about 85,000 people through the external vinyl wrap, internal media (including brochures, audio jingles and other activa- Pathfinder are hugely popular; the enjoy the experience of driving - tions) are consumed by 1500 passengers daily. Routes being US is more of a patron of its sedans who savour the journey, more than covered by the train are Delhi-Chennai and Delhi-Bengaluru. such as Altima and Maxima; in its the destination. Unlike Toyota home country, Japan, it is famous for (which appeals to the rational mind- its small cars including the Cube; set), Micra hopes to capture those The apparel Yishion> Chinese apparel whereas in Europe, its SUVs such consumers for whom a car is a style brand will first retailer Yishion has formed a as the Qashqai are popular. In or status statement. launch its 51:49 joint venture with a local distribution firm to launch menswear range its line of clothing in India, targeting a presence in more QUOTE OF THE FORTNIGHT than 100 outlets in two years. The new venture will launch and follow it up its range of menswear and women’s clothing initially and ‘‘A scooter is a vehicle which with women’s expand portfolio to include kidswear, footwear and acces- has a utility in a certain type clothing. sories by next year. of market... a motorcycle is ZoomIn> Nirmal Lifestyle, a real estate company has versatile which is why you entered into a licensing agreement with Discovery Enterprises International - a division of Discovery have such huge volumes in Communications. The tie-up between the two companies motorcycles...’’ will manifest itself in the form of ‘green’ offices, residential spaces and clubs providing lifestyle, entertainment and edu- PAWAN MUNJAL,MDAND CEO, HERO HONDA MOTORS, ON HOW TWO-WHEELER MARKET WORKS,IN cation. BUSINESSWORLD.

6 afaqs! Reporter, June 16-30, 2010

STAR PLUS-COLORS NEWSBULLETIN Love is in the Air Sponsored by

Red FM> India’s largest network by location, Red FM has increased its ad rates by 12-15 per cent recently. The company took the decision following the re-branding of SFM as Red FM. The radio station has termed this move as ad rationalisation. The current ad rates are in the range of Rs 11,000 and Rs 11,500 per 10 seconds, for the 50 stations. The company had last increased the rates over a year-and-a- half ago. MEDIA

As per a deal TSA> Total Sports Asia KK (TSA) has entered into an Colors’ team of India’s Got Talent Khoj 2 between TSA international distribution agreement with a leading Japanese sports channel Gaora that will see TSA expand its portfolio of oth STAR Plus and Colors corporate identity. Although and Sportscast, TSA will Japanese fight sports. As per the agreement, TSA will appear to be busy with new currently under wraps, a new logo distribute hundreds of hours of Japanese fight content Blaunches. STAR Plus’ Tere and packaging for the network is on distribute 30 including All Japan Pro Wrestling, Dragon Gate Professional Liye is a love story drama produced the cards. hours of the Wrestling, OZ Academy Professional Women’s Wrestling, by Balaji Telefilms, and marks the Meanwhile, on Colors, a new show, Kick Kick Boxing Krush and Kudo All Japan Federation Karate. TSA production house’s comeback on fiction show, Thoda Hai Thode Ki Boxing Crush. has struck a deal with a Taiwan broadcaster Sportscast to STAR Plus. Zarurat Hai debuted on June 7. It distribute 30 hours of the programme, Kick Boxing Krush. “The first time this creative replaced Swarg, which currently union happened, it became historic; occupied the 7:30 pm slot. Next Gen Publishing> The publisher of nine special a new STAR was born. For the last Colors will also launch a reality interest magazines - FHM (For Him Magazine), Mother & 10 years, everything that has been game show, Kitchen Champion,in Baby, Car India, Commercial Vehicle, Bike India, Computer done on television was influenced by mid-June. The show will feature Active, Smart Photography, Ideal Home and Garden and us. We hope a new paradigm of characters from daily soaps on the PowerWatch - has launched the digital editions for all these entertainment will be created this channel competing to win the title of titles. Next Gen Publishing has tied up with the US-based time too,” said Uday ‘Kitchen Champion’. digital publishing solution provider, Zinio.com, which will Shankar, CEO, STAR STAR Plus Among other non- digitise its print editions. The digital editions will be offered India, referring to the bets on fiction offerings, Colors for consumption on the internet and Apple iPad. channel’s runaway has its platter full with success, Kyunki Saas Bhi love story on new seasons of India’s This summer, kids CN and Pogo> Turner Kabhi Bahu Thi primetime, Got Talent, which will can enjoy new International India, the broadcaster produced by Balaji be launched in August, shows Kumb of kids’ channels, Cartoon Network (CN) and Pogo, has Telefilms. Colors followed by Khatron Ke launched new programmes to entertain kids during the Tere Liye is based in banks on Khiladi and the next Karan, Krish Trish summer holidays. The network rolled out a show titled Kumb Kolkata and traces the non-fiction season of reality show and Balti Boy 1 Karan and two movies - Krish Trish and Baltiboy 1 and 2. love saga of Anurag and Bigg Boss, which is and 2 on CN and Kumb Karan is a home-grown Indian animation, and has Taani. The show has slated for the end of the Pogo. been conceptualised and produced by Turner and mounted by replaced Sabki Laadli Bebo, which year. Cornerstone. has been moved to the 6:30 pm slot. In the general entertainment It competes with Uttaran on space, it has been an interesting UTV Bindass> The youth centric channel, UTV Bindass is Colors and 12/24 Karol Bagh on Zee. battle for the No.1 rank, as Colors all set to maximise its gains from advertiser funded Music is being used as a ruled the roost continuously for programming (AFP). It has set up a dedicated team to marketing tool for promoting Tere several weeks only to be replaced by conceptualise and mount AFP shows exclusively. The channel Liye. STAR Plus has released a song STAR Plus, which has been head claims, that last year, AFP accounted for 8-10 per cent under the Times Music banner, sung commanding the highest share in of the channel’s total revenue. In 2010, Bindass is looking at by Kailash Kher, which is being the general entertainment genre for increasing this figure to 20 per cent. played on all radio stations. As the the last few weeks. As per the latest show progresses, the channel plans weekly report from TAM, STAR The radio station Radio Mango> How many beers are downed in your city to have more music releases. Plus and Colors have garnered has come up with everyday? How many autos use the meter? How many STAR Network is also believed shares of 24 per cent and 20 per cent, a witty take on streetlights are not working? Radio Mango's Non - Census to be working on a new respectively. 2010, a witty take on our Indian census, attempts to the Indian census. showcase the answers to questions like these. The FM QUOTE OF THE FORTNIGHT station is asking the listeners to send in such irreverently 'relevant' questions via SMS. A census will be conducted by ‘‘They say the more global we Radio Mango to find out the answers to these questions. become, the more local we become as well. This is one of UFX is a lifestyle UF Media> The South India-based company UF Media, the single biggest reasons, why and music channel has forayed into television with a lifestyle and music channel, launched by South UFX. It will be launched as a multi-lingual channel that will the future of newspapers is cater to Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada and Telugu audiences. strong.’’ India-based UFX’s target audience is in the age group of 15-35 years, company UF belonging to SEC A. While English will be the medium of RAVI KIRAN, CEO, SOUTH ASIA, AND EMERGING MARKET LEADER, SPECIALIST SOLUTIONS,STARCOM Media. communication, music and content will be in the four MEDIAVEST GROUP, ON THE FUTURE OF PRINT, IN AFAQS! southern languages, as well as in Hindi.

8 afaqs! Reporter, June 16-30, 2010

ASCI NEWSBULLETIN In Action Sponsored by he Consumer Complaints Gillette India, T.I.M.E., Godrej Hair Council (CCC) of the Dye, Sensodyne Toothpaste, Castrol TAdvertising Standards Lubricants, Listerine Mouthwash, Council of India (ASCI) has upheld Reliance Big TV and Set Wet Zatak AAAI-Cannes Young Lions Creative Competition> a complaint against Kimberly-Clark deodorants. Pradeep Ravindran, art director and Shruti Sadani, Lever’s Huggies Dry Comfort Before this, in February, the CCC copywriter, Mudra Bengaluru have reasons to celebrate as commercial by barring it from being upheld complaints against six the duo has been adjudged the winners of the AAAI-Cannes aired. advertisements from brands such as Young Lions Creative Competition 2010. To encourage The commercial claimed that 88 Dabur Chyawan Junior, Maruti SX4, young creative talent, the AAAI organises the competition (supported by the Times Group) every year as a national per cent parents chose Huggies Dry Shanti Badam Amla Hair Oil, Tata initiative providing an opportunity for international Comfort diapers. ASCI found that AIG Insurance, IMS CAT Approach exposure. The competition received a total of 200 entries the claim was based on an internal Program and Mahindra Flyte Power for the theme ‘Don’t buy animal tested products’. survey, which did not cover a Scooter. substantial sample size. However, this time, the ASCI did Stating that claims by brands not uphold consumer complaints Clio Awards> The award show has announced the cannot be based on independent and against ads such as Garnier Fructis winners for the 2010 Interactive and Innovative Awards, self generated data, the CCC says shampoo, Coca-Cola, Fastrack, held at Skylight Soho in New York City. Taproot India’s that the claim made in ‘Colours of India’ campaign for Transasia Paper has won a the commercial is false, gold in the Print campaign category. The agency was also misleading and attempts shortlisted in the Billboard category. The other shortlisted to confer an artificial Indian agencies were O&M Delhi in the Design Direct advantage upon the Marketing category, O&M Mumbai in the Media category and Leo Burnett in the Print category. ADVERTISING product by citing a Following Lodha Aqua, Digital non-independent ASCI’s Radio, Axe Boost and JK source, which is neither White Cement. In all Haier India> The brand has signed on John Abraham as reliable nor authentic in decision, these cases, the its ambassador for two years. Abraham will represent the respect of rating or Kimberly-Clark complaints were either entire product portfolio of the brand, including LCD TVs, grading of diapers in found to be baseless, washing machines, refrigerators and small kitchen India. Lever has some claims were appliances. To reach the consumer, the brand has launched Kimberly-Clark withdrawn the substantiated or were a TVC for its LED TVs, which will go on air very soon. The Lever has withdrawn within the limits of ad spends are pegged at Rs 36 crore for this fiscal. Arms the ad, which was Huggies ad decency. Crestra handles the creative duties for the brand. created by creative which was In the case of JK agency Ogilvy India. Cement, the CCC >>ACCOUNT MOVEMENT The body observes created by observed that whilst in that although Ogilvy India. the TVC the bikini clad > Hakuhodo Percept is no longer a part of the involvement of woman coming out of Maruti Suzuki roster. Till now, the agency handled consumers is on the rise, the the ocean was irrelevant to the four brands - Wagon R, A Star, Grand Vitara and summer months have seen a decline product, it was not found to be Maruti 800. These brands will now be handled by the other three agencies in the of misleading advertisements. indecent. roster - Dentsu India, Lowe Lintas and Capital Advertising. The automobile company A total of 120 complaints were For the record, ASCI is a self has about 13 brands under its umbrella, which were till now looked after by four received. After narrowing it down to regulatory voluntary organisation of agencies. However, in an effort to consolidate its functioning, it has done away with ten, only one complaint - against the advertising industry. the fourth agency. Huggies - was upheld, with nine The role and functioning of the other advertisers either justifying ASCI and its CCC include dealing > Lowe Lintas Mumbai has clinched the creative duties for claims that were made or were with complaints received from Canara Robeco Mutual Fund (the joint venture between Canara proved to be within defined consumers and industry, against Bank and Robeco of the Netherlands). The development follows parameters and hence were allowed advertisements which are a multi agency creative pitch in which eight agencies took part, to continue with their respective considered false, misleading, out of which three, including Lowe, were shortlisted for the campaigns. indecent, illegal, leading to unsafe final round. The incumbent agency on the account was Chennai based Salt Some of the other brands whose practices or unfair to competition, Creatives. The size of the business is pegged at Rs 8-10 crore. complaints were not upheld are and consequently in contravention Sugar Free Natura - Diet Sugar, of the ASCI Code for Self > Real-estate company, Era Landmarks, a part of the Era Pampers Active Baby Diapers, Regulation in Advertising. Group, has appointed Percept’s AMO Communications as its creative partner. The agency won the account in a multi- agency pitch. Six agencies pitched for the account and the QUOTE OF THE FORTNIGHT company shortlisted and held active discussions with three of them. The brief given to the agencies was to create a campaign for Era’s upcoming project in Bengaluru. ‘‘Even before the first teams However, the account will be handled out of New Delhi. The account size is pegged take to the ground, it’s clear at Rs 10-15 crore. that the biggest investors are > Percept/H has been roped in to handle the creative most strongly associated with duties for Aadhaar’s pilot phase following a multi agency the event in consumers’ minds.’’ pitch. Aadhaar is an initiative by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) to provide unique identity numbers to Indian residents - PIYUSH MATHUR, PRESIDENT, INDIA, THE NIELSEN COMPANY ON THE a project headed by Nandan Nilekani, until recently co-chairperson of the board of BUSINESS OF BRANDS DURING FIFA WORLD CUP 2010. directors of Infosys Technologies.

10 afaqs! Reporter, June 16-30, 2010

NEWSDIGITAL 7UP New Engagement Mantra In a first, PepsiCo experiments with augmented reality to engage the youth. By Kapil Ohri

ndhra Pradesh(AP) is witness to a new form which is managing this digital campaign, explains, of advertising these days, as PepsiCo tries “First, the online user will be required to open the Aout ‘augmented reality (AR) advertising’ or 7Up website and click a link - available on the ‘ARvertising’ for its 7Up brand. site’s homepage - titled ‘Now everyone can make Augmented reality involves the addition of vir- Allu Arjun dance’. This will prompt him to con- tual elements to the real environment. Virtual nect his computer with a web camera, select the elements could include computer-generated dance-style video and then point the camera to the images, video clips or textual information pulled coded image printed on the PET bottle. Once the from the internet; while the real environment ‘black and white image’ gets decoded through the includes elements such as a printed picture, object, camera, which acts like a reader, the video will start or a building or landscape. To retrieve additional or playing.” ‘virtual’ material, the user would need an informa- These videos can also be accessed on operating tion ‘reader’ — such as a web camera connected to system (OS) based mobile phones, which are an internet-enabled computer or the camera of a internet enabled. For this, users will be first GPRS-enabled mobile phone — which can iden- required to download a special software or applica- tify the real object, and then pull out ‘virtual’ tion on their mobile phones. Then, a user can information contextually related to the real object. open the application, select the camera mode and For instance, an advertiser could embed a spe- EXPERIENCE AR point the camera to image on the PET bottle, in cial code in its logo or a picture printed in ads or order to play the videos. packaged material. Thus, whenever users point Alpana Titus, executive vice-president, their mobile-phone or web camera to the flavours, PepsiCo India says, “The objective logo/picture, they could get some additional infor- behind this campaign is to create buzz and positive mation from the internet, such as images, video word-of-mouth about 7Up among the youth in clips or discount offer details, on their mobile or Andhra Pradesh. We have opted for AP, because it computer screen. is an important market. About 25 per cent of the In the case of 7Up, PepsiCo has initiated a two- country’s lemon-based drinks sales come from month campaign, ‘You Click, Allu Arjun Dance’. here.” The Tollywood actor is famous for his dancing “We have figured out that dancing and Arjun skills and is also 7Up’s brand ambassador in the are popular among the youth in AP. Thus, we have South. zeroed in on dancing and the Tollywood star for For this campaign, PepsiCo has created videos the campaign. Augmented reality has been opted of Allu Arjun performing seven different dance for as we want to carry out a disruptive initiative, styles, which are hosted on the website, To understand and experience Augmented which will create interest, and thus, engage users Reality (AR), follow the two steps below to www.7Up.in. A small-size code, ‘black and white with the brand,” she adds. open this story on your GPRS-enabled mobile picture or graphic image’, has also been developed, phone. Titus indicates that the company will consider which the company will print on 600ml 7Up PET unique visitors on the 7Up website, time spent by bottles distributed in AP. This coded image is the 1. Download an application or QR code Reader users and the level of engagement, to judge the virtual key or enabler for users to access the dance via Beetagg.com/downloadreader/. effectiveness of the ARvertising campaign. Based videos. 2. Open the application on phone and take a on the success of the campaign in AP, it may be Speaking to afaqs! Reporter Carlton D’Silva, snapshot, which in turn will open the web link. extended to other states, too.  creative director, Hungama Digital, the agency [email protected]

CONTRACT ADVERTISING cost-effective solutions, at a time Taking it to the next level, the agency when marketers kept their budgets attempted to explore what it sees as a tight in a recession-stricken year. very potent medium for brands to Calling for Ideas This time, however, the focus was on exploit. digital. "The idea came when we walked The initiative was born out of a into the slowdown. We wanted to see The agency explores the possibilities in innovative desire to add value to brands with how we could come up with power- communication. By Biprorshee Das non-traditional, economical ideas. ful ideas with small money. This time, however, we feel the time is nnovative ideas need not be the right to escalate with digital. With domain of a creative team alone, increased mobile penetration and the Iand Contract Advertising seems internet, you cannot possibly come to understand that well. In the sec- up with integrated communication if ond edition of an internal initiative you ignore digital," says Ravi titled 'Let's Make A Difference', the Deshpande, chairman and chief cre- agency called for ideas from its entire ative officer, Contract Advertising. workforce across India. "While everybody is talking digi- The first edition of the pro- tal, we wanted to walk the talk and gramme, last year, invited media-neutral ideas to provide novel, (From left) Deshpande, Nair, Bhatia, Shrikhande continued on page 18 >>

12 afaqs! Reporter, June 16-30, 2010

NEWSADVERTISING FEVICOL From the Archives The brand turns to an old and memorable ad from the past to introduce its water-resistant variant. By Biprorshee Das

evicol revisits its first-ever televi- used in the Kerala backwaters. The chair sion commercial (in 1992), The was fixed on to the river bed, so that the Ftug-of-war for the launch of its boats wouldn’t drift away with the boat- new variant, Fevicol Marine. men rowing vigorously. The camera was In the new TVC, one hears the icon- suspended in the middle of the backwa- ic Dum lagake, zor lagake haisha line once ters on a Jimmy Jib crane, mounted on a more as the idea of musclemen and an platform supported by four other boats. elephant try to pull apart blocks of wood “It is a simple demonstration film, joined by Fevicol is revisited. visualised larger than life, in a bizarre The new commercial, created by low-tech, high-scale experiment in Ogilvy India, has been shot in Alleppey, Kerala style,” says Nattoji. The TVC will Kerala. This time, it is the state’s popular event - be supported by outdoor and BTL campaigns. the snake boat race - that has been used to show the tug-of-war. The TVC shows two snake boats BONDING FINE tied to a chair underwater, with 50 boatmen trying dlanders agree that the message of the product to pull it in opposite directions, attempting to Acomes across in a simple and sound manner; break the Fevicol ka jod. and the dramatic demonstration of the product The chant, Dum lagake, zor lagake haisha contin- benefit is appreciated. ues, along with Kerala boatmen enjoying folk “The ad conveys the news of ‘marine’ well - a melodies. Eventually, as the boatmen give up, the Fevicol product that also works in water. The cre- film ends with the presenter, who acts like a tourist ative thought of dramatising the use of the product referee, saying that the bond is now impossible to Indrajit Nattoji and Rajiv Rao: revisiting history in water is sound; as is the core brand promise,” break, even when the plywood is wet. says Shivanand Mohanty, national creative direc- The new product claims that bonded plywood al creative director, Ogilvy India, says, “We wanted tor, Dentsu Communications. would remain intact, even if it is kept in water for to remind everyone what Fevicol is and hence, Josy Paul, chairman and chief creative officer, 48 hours or in boiling water for up to an hour. turned to one of the most memorable Fevicol ads BBDO India agrees, saying that the film makes the The film has been directed by Indrajit Nattoji to introduce the variant. It is like a sequel to the desired point about the water-resistant feature and of Blink Pictures. The creative team at Ogilvy con- old ad. Through the tug-of-war idea, the strength benefit well. sisted of Abhijit Avasthi, national creative director, of the product comes out even better.” Mohanty, however, adds that the execution Amitabh Agnihotri, creative director and Samir The shoot was no mean task, reveals Nattoji. leaves a little to be desired, and falls short when Sojwal, associate creative director. The underwater chair was shot in a swimming compared to the earlier films.  Talking to afaqs! Reporter, Rajiv Rao, nation- pool in Mumbai, and had to be matched to the one [email protected]

QCN The Correct Projection The agency creates a currency for cinema media planning and buying. By Surina Sayal

he digital advertising division of the universe had visited at least of Real Image, Qube Cinema “The best results in one QCN theatre in the last one year. TNetwork (QCN), had “Over the last 10-15 years, cinema recently commissioned The Nielsen advertising are achieved has slipped off media planners’ radar Company to conduct a study in screens and now accounts for less Tamil Nadu on the impact of in-cin- by using multiple than 0.5 per cent of India’s ad spend. ema advertising.The Real Image is media in tandem.” One reason for this is that there has the technology developer and not been a scientific measure of the RVIND ANGANATHAN enabler for the entertainment A R value of the medium in a media plan. industry. CEO, REAL IMAGE This research plugs this gap,” says Marketing consultancy Aqumena Arvind Ranganathan, chief executive Marketing Services helped conceptu- active consuming class in Tamil thirds visited cinema hall at least officer, Real Image. alise the study to derive a currency to Nadu, in the age group of 15-44 once in the previous one year. The main objective of the measure the reach and frequency of years, belonging to SEC ABC house- Another finding showed that cine- research was to create a currency for specific cinema advertising sched- holds and living in Class I towns. An ma’s reach is higher in SEC A than in cinema media planning and buying ules. array of questions was put forth to SEC B and C. This upmarket skew is similar to currencies that exist for The research was conducted on a the respondents in their homes. despite the fact that more than 95 per print and TV. door to door basis, where 2,774 Some of the key findings showed cent of the screens in Tamil Nadu are The study focuses on consumers respondents were selected from the that more than one fourth of this not in multiplexes. and their cinema going habits in electoral roll list in the state. The universe visited cinemas once a A QCN related finding also research was conducted amongst the month or more often. Nearly two revealed that more than 75 per cent continued on page 16 >>

14 afaqs! Reporter, June 16-30, 2010

NEWSADVERTISING INQ Connecting the Dots The TVC conveys the personality of the brand which is at par with today’s Net savvy generation. By Antara Ghosal

NQ Mobile, the wholly owned subsidiary of Hutchison Whampoa, makes its communica- Ition debut in India, targeting the young rebellious ‘Facebook Generation’. The campaign aims to convey the attitude and personality of the INQ brand and the generation which has always grown up with the internet in their lives. The creative starts with a female model getting ready for a photo shoot, while continuously chat- ting with her friends in between on her Facebook and Twitter accounts. As she takes her time to get ple launches recently. INQ, says, “The campaign is about the new gen- ready, her fellow male models wait for her and fid- Talking more on the posi- eration all over the world, which lives online 24x7. dle with their individual INQ phones. tioning of INQ, Satbir We shot the campaign in conjunction with some of Meanwhile, one of them dozes off for a while Singh, chief creative offi- India’s most talented photographers, directors and and the other one clicks his picture and puts it on cer, Euro RSCG, says, “It models, and are thrilled with the results.” Facebook. Thus, during the entire episode, the is not about a phone. It is For the record, INQ entered the Indian market protagonists keep talking to each other and to the about this generation’s in March with its social networking phones, INQ world, without even speaking a word, thanks to way of life - which is why Chat 3G and INQ Mini 3G. their INQ mobiles. we stayed away from cre- Designed and conceptualised jointly by INQ ating a phone-y campaign. THE THIRD TAKE and Euro RSCG, this campaign is based on the Satbir Singh Instead, we have posi- he ad fraternity doesn’t look very convinced creative idea of ‘Inquilab’, which is actually a cock- tioned it in the space of fashion and lifestyle.” Twith the piece of communication. Some find tail of social revolution and fashion. ‘Inquilab’ by He adds, “No one till date has looked at the a lack of a strong creative idea, others feel that the INQ is about the always-on power of being in mobile phones along the vectors of fashion and commercial leaves a lot to answer. touch. social revolution. INQ talks a new, refreshing lan- Vivek Dutta, national planning head, The ads are based on the insight that today’s guage of friendship, bonding and sharing.” Hakuhodo Percept finds the commercial “ordinary generation has quietly created a peaceful revolu- The ads have been conceptualised by Sushant - maybe because there is a complete absence of any tion - it’s not political but social. Relationships, for Panda, director, Euro RSCG and Satbir Singh, idea whatsoever!” He adds, “The consumer would this generation, are rather different from how the chief creative officer, Euro RSCG. The film has like to break away from the clichéd imagery shown previous one viewed them. Today, it’s possible to been directed by Yusuf Khan and the photography in the commercial,” says Dutta. be a very close, involved friend with someone is by Bharat Sikka. He explains that although there are lots of shots without ever having met him or her physically. The multimedia campaign covers print, TV and showing how easy it is to be connected, the com- The campaign positions 3G-enabled INQ radio across four metros and also spans a breadth mercial leaves a lot to be answered. “Primarily, phones as a facilitator of today’s virtual, socially- of digital activities including online, search and why INQ over others? Considering that CORBY networked relationships. The ad is all about youth social networking sites. The advertisements are has already established itself on a similar proposi- and their social revolution. being aired across all news and entertainment tion, I fear that it would project INQ as a me-too The objective of the campaign is to sharply channels and are supplemented by outdoor media. brand,” he adds.  define a space in a category which has seen multi- Jeff Taylor, marketing director and co-founder, [email protected]

<< continued from page 14 quency - meaning the number of The currency will help brands launch of the new currency takes the times those reached have ‘opportuni- through the addition of quality OTS gut-feel out of cinema planning,” Correct Projection... ties to see’ (OTS) the spots. in a media plan and through strategic says Ranganathan. The media planner specifies (i) use of the media multiplier effect of The data from the research also totality, irrespective of whether they the target market for a brand in geo- cinema and TV acting in tandem. It shows that inclusion of cinema in a go to QCN or other theatres. In fact, graphical terms (ii) the demographic will also help estimate the value an media plan can deliver effective it is possible to evaluate cinema plans definition of the target group of indi- advertiser gets in a two-week or four- reach, perhaps more cost-efficiently for all theatres and QCN theatres than a broad based ‘TV only’ media separately - both options are available plan. The data has, for the first time, to brand managers and media plan- The QCN currency is designed to provided the advertising industry ners. measure the value delivered by cinema in with a quantifiable currency using Now - how exactly does this cur- hard numbers to evaluate cinema rency work? The QCN currency is a given brand’s media plan. plans and place the buying and sell- designed to measure the value deliv- ing of ad time at par with that for ered by cinema in a given brand’s viduals and (iii) the duration (in week burst, and so on. press and TV media. media plan. The currency focuses on weeks) of the campaign. “The best results in advertising While the currency has been two dimensions: Reach - meaning The currency works by using the are achieved by using multiple media launched only in the TN market for the number of relevant people who data from the QCN research study, in tandem. Thus far, press and TV now, the company is looking for are exposed to the spots in the media focusing on the recent cinema-going planning were done using scientific investors and sponsors to conduct schedule, expressed in terms of behaviour of the specified target currencies, while cinema planning the research in other states as well.  number of people in lakh and fre- group. was mainly a gut-feel affair. The [email protected]

16 afaqs! Reporter, June 16-30, 2010

NEWSTVC THE ECONOMIST Decoding the World With the aim of widening its reader base, the publication launched its first TV campaign in India. By Antara Ghosal

fter its tryst with outdoor and print, The Economist in India made its debut on TV Awith a new brand campaign. Last year, the magazine did convert its print- outdoor campaign into TV spots by animating them and running them across news channels on an experimental basis. However, for the first time - the premium magazine brand in the hard news space - has come up with a television campaign. The move comes at a time when the brand intends to extend the awareness beyond metros. While its earlier brand communication was focused on three cities - Bengaluru, Delhi and Mumbai (with Pune included in the last brand Sumanto Chattopadhyay, executive creative direc- campaign) - the magazine, with a TV campaign tor at Ogilvy India. wants to target a wider audience base now. While talking about the choice of situations, “We find that whenever we run an online cam- Chattopadhyay says that the creative team became paign, the response comes from across the country. avid readers of The Economist during the making This indicates that there is a large market, which is of the campaign. They reviewed several issues of still untapped due to lack of awareness. Hence, this the magazine, picked up stories that could have time we have switched to a more mass medium - mass appeal, and converted them into scripts. television. Given the potential for the magazine “The film based on Chinese kids is in black and beyond metros, TV comes as a marketing and white and the colour has been toned down in the strategic call,” says Suprio Guha Thakurta, manag- African film to give it a realistic and documentary ing director, The Economist Group, India. feel,” shares Chattopadhyay. The insight for the new campaign remains the Guha Thakurta (left) and Chattopadhyay Besides Chattopadhyay, the creative team at same as the earlier one, as does the positioning, India. The second is based on the impact of the Ogilvy India that worked on the campaign include ‘Interpret the world’. As Guha Thakurta explains, civil war in Africa on children. creative directors Sukesh Kumar Nayak and understanding the real story, getting the connec- The film shot in Africa shows two kids playing Heeral Desai Akhaury. The films have been direct- tions between events and how they create an soccer. It’s only when one of the kids strikes a goal, ed by Shashanka Chaturvedi and produced by unexpected impact, is the real joy of reading The that one realises that the goalposts are guns. The Vikram Kalra of Good Morning Films. John Jacob Economist. He adds, “It’s called the butterfly message is that the civil war in Africa is robbing Payapalli is the director of photography and the effect - any action anywhere in the world can kids of their childhood. The second film shows music has been composed by Ashutosh Phatak. influence phenomena elsewhere.” Chinese kids learning Hindi in school. As one The campaign is on-air on English movie chan- wonders what the connection is, it is explained nels such as STAR Movies, HBO and Sony Pix; INTERPRETING THE CREATIVE ANGLE that China exports workers to its factories in India. and infotainment channels such as Discovery, he campaign, conceptualised by Ogilvy India, “The idea is that there is an invisible thread Animal Planet and National Geographic. Other Thas broken in the form of two commercials. connecting events in different parts of the world, than television, the commercials are also being The first is based on the trend of Chinese workers which apparently appear unrelated. The migrating to work in Chinese-owned factories in Economist makes that thread visible,” says continued on page 24 >>

<< continued from page 12 Dutta, managing director, sees the whole exercise generating a better ideas makes us have more faith Samsonite; and Rajesh Iyer, head, wonderful feeling of partnership in it," he adds. Calling for.... marketing, personal financial servic- between clients and the agency, and The initiative has also proved to es, HSBC, judged the entries along thinks it is a win-win situation for be an eye-opener for the judges, as come with differentiated ideas to with Deshpande. both. they admit that clients know little engage the consumer. And it is Of the 41 entries, nine were Clients, too, are no less enthused. about the digital medium and are refreshing to see the team with awarded earlier this month. The Dutta is all for the initiative and says more comfortable with the tradition- everybody wearing different hats," awards included one Grand Prix, one he was pleasantly surprised to see the al media mix. It gave an opportunity adds Raj Nair, regional creative each of gold, silver and bronze, and number of "implementable and to explore further possibilities in director, Mumbai and South, five merits. Moreover, practical and usable" ideas. "Exercises like these innovative communication. Contract Advertising. workable entries would also be con- allow us, as clients, to build a lot Bhatia says that the session served Over 300 entries were received sidered for usage by clients. confidence in our chosen creative two objectives - knowing the limit- over the last three months. After two Umesh Shrikhande, chief execu- partner. An agency that spends so less possibilities of the medium, and rounds of internal judging, 41 of tive officer, Contract Advertising much time and energy to generate realising that brands need to bet big these were shortlisted. The agency's on digital. "Marketers need to be clients were then invited to judge the braver than before. With Shopper's shortlisted entries. Over 300 entries were received over the Stop and its target audience, I must Vinay Bhatia, customer care asso- last three months. After two rounds of be nuts not to participate in digital," ciate and vice-president, marketing he exclaims.  and loyalty, Shopper's Stop; Subrata internal judging, 41 were shortlisted. [email protected]

18 afaqs! Reporter, June 16-30, 2010

NEWSBTL VOLKSWAGEN POLO Testing it Anyway The automobile manufacturer promoted its new car through a unique consumer engagement event. By Surina Sayal

he TVCs for the New Polo from company was bringing the German driver to India Volkswagen convey the superior features of and to their manufacturing facility in Chakan; and Tthe vehicle and suggest that the car needs they wanted to utilise him for leveraging sales.” He no test-driving. However, an on-ground activity to adds, “Rather than inviting everybody for such an promote the car did just that - but it stayed clear of event, we decided to invite people who had test the regular test drives and burnt some rubber driven the vehicle, but hadn’t made up their mind instead. yet.” The brand, with the help of brand solutions The event was attended by three types of audi- division, Group M’s Dialect, conducted a unique ence - people who had test driven the car through consumer engagement event, ‘The New Polo dealers; the mall crowd who had free walk-ins; and Ultimate Test Drive’. Professional German race dealers and their families as well, to create a feeling driver, Ronny Wechselberger was invited to per- of excitement amongst them. Besides announce- form custom-made stunts at the on-ground event Stunts performed by ments in the mall itself, 10 promoters walked to showcase the features of the New Polo. Wechselberger included around giving out leaflets and information on the Consumers were invited to watch breathtaking slalom obstacle with 90- event, inviting interested mall goers to attend it. stunts, and even become co-passengers while the degree turns, 180-degree The event and the stunts were conducted four stunts were performed. Wechselberger also inter- turn forward and reverse, times during the day - at 11 am for the media; and acted with them and provided tips and tricks on precision parking and 360- then at 3 pm, 6 pm and 8 pm. Sarkar informs that driving and parking in crowded metros. degrees reverse. All this around 500 invites were sent to dealers, of which The test drive was conducted on May 27 at was done using the origi- about 340 attended the event. Another 800 people Mumbai’s Inorbit Mall’s huge parking lot. The nal New Polo, without the walked into the event. At least 45 solid leads have objective of the event was to showcase the features vehicle being put through been established through the first event in Sarkar: test driving of the car, especially those which are being depict- any overhauling or rigging. Mumbai itself. The event will now be held in ed through ATL, such as superior handling, Soumik Sarkar, business director, Dialect, Delhi on June 20.  ground clearance and safety. GroupM says, “The brief given to us was that the [email protected]

>>MOVEMENTS/APPOINTMENTS<< A compilation of some major people movements in the last fortnight ADVERTISING OOH > After spending 18 years at JWT, Dhunji agency. While Tarun Chauhan will work with George and will > Media sales company Publicitas has Wadia, senior vice-president and manag- handle a broader portfolio of clients. Chauhan will also contin- roped in Robin Carruthers as manag- ing partner, JWT Mumbai has moved on to ue heading Lintas Productions, the film production unit of Lowe ing director to head its OOH (out of home) explore opportunities beyond JWT. Lintas. business. Earlier, Carruthers was chief However, he has not yet decided on his > Surajit Roy, head of Contract Delhi, is on his way out and executive officer (CEO), Square Circle next destination. Wadia has spent around Prashant Mathur, senior vice-president, will take charge of the Media Outdoors and has also served as 25 years in the advertising industry, having Delhi office. With over 24 years of experience, Roy has spent CEO of out of home company Clear Channel worked on major national and international five years at Contract, prior to which he was the vice-president Communications, where he joined in 2005 brands such as Nike, Levi Strauss, Jockey, and client services director at JWT. He started his career in as national head, sales. He has also Unilever, Diamond Trading Co., Kellogg, Standard Chartered, advertising with JWT in 1986 and worked at the agency for 19 worked with Grey Worldwide (formerly known as Trikaya Grey) Warner Lambert and Bosch. years, before moving out in 2005. His client list included ESPN, and various other outdoor agencies such as Primesite, MOMS, OAP and RMG David. > Karan Rawat has been appointed Cargill Purita and Timex among others. executive creative director, Grey India, > Gourav Tandon, the chief operating Mumbai. In his new role, his copy partner officer of Navia Asia has put in his papers will be Rohit Malkani and he will report to MARKETING at the organisation. Tandon has more than Amit Akali and Malvika Mehra, national cre- > The chief marketing officer of Virgin 12 years of experience in the out of home ative directors at the agency. He has been Mobile, Prasad Narasimhan has put media business and has worked in all in the advertising industry for about 13 in his papers at the company. He is aspects of OOH including printing, sig- years and has worked on brands such as currently serving his notice period at nages, acquisition and sale of media, Killer Jeans, Times of India, Femina, the copmany. Narasimhan plans to start besides planning and buying. Sanjay Shah, Ravissant, ICICI credit cards, Smirnoff, Coke, Fanta, Inorbit his own brand consultancy firm. chief executive officer will look after Mall, Mother’s Recipe, Filmfare and NECC. Narasimhan has been with Virgin Tandon’s responsibilities in the interim period and until further Rawat started his career with McCann Erickson as a visu- Mobile since 2007. Prior to this, he was with TVS Motor announcement. Earlier, he was national director, Navia Asia, aliser in 1997. Later, he joined JWT (then HTA) and stayed there company for about three years where he was vice presi- and was in charge of business development since April 2009. for four years. Subsequently, he joined Enterprise Nexus (Bates dent-marketing. India) as creative director in 2006 and spent six years at the > The activation arm of Ogilvy India, organisation. OgilvyAction has appointed Vipul Salvi as creative head of its urban experiential, > The top management of Lowe Lintas has just been restruc- MEDIA shopper and trade marketing practices. tured. Joseph George, executive director at Lowe, is taking > Sandeep Khosla, the erstwhile vice-president and Salvi will be based out of Mumbai and will on the larger role of deputy CEO. Tarun Chauhan, currently head, business publication division, Indian Express Group, directly report to Abhijit Avasthi and Rajiv an executive director at the agency, has has joined Infomedia18 as CEO - publishing, with immediate Rao, national creative directors, Ogilvy been elevated to the post of president. effect. Khosla will be based out of Mumbai, and will report India. Also, Anaheeta Goenka, who is currently to Sai Kumar Ganapathy Balasubramanian, non-executive In 1999, Salvi was a senior art director the executive vice-president, has been ele- director, Infomedia18. Prior to the new assignment, Khosla with Contract Advertising. After spending vated to the post of executive director. was heading the business publications division, internation- five years at the agency, he moved to Impact BBDO, Dubai in George, a Lintas veteran, will now be work- al marketing and special events and projects group at 2004. Later, he worked at Grey Worldwide and Lowe, both in ing with Charles Cadell, CEO. He will be Indian Express. He has been associated with the Indian Dubai. In January 2009, he returned to Mumbai to join Law & looking after the overall functioning of the Express Group for the last 22 years. Kenneth as creative director.

22 afaqs! Reporter, June 16-30, 2010 NEWSREGIONAL

ORISSA has the time spent. Earlier, there was clearly a dearth of quality options for the people of Orissa. Now, there are enough channels to choose The Shift from,” says Sumit Kanungo, execu- tive vice-president, LMG. Over the last few years, the state witnessed a gradual shift in advertisers’ Imran Karim, national buying head, TME says, “In most of the interest from print to television. By Sapna Nair plans, even if it is a P2 (priority 2) rom a one-player market to launched as a news channel. market, regional language channels eleven satellite channels - The next spurt was in 2009, find a prominent place.” Fthat’s some track record for when five Oriya channels - Naxatra Advertisers are opting for a growth. And that’s exactly what News, Tarang Music, Kamyab TV regional focus, as it ensures reach Orissa’s television market has wit- Oriya, Super Star Josh and Kanak and there is no spillover. “Looking nessed in recent times. TV were launched, in the general at a regional channel is favourable in For long, Orissa has been a print- entertainment, news and music terms of cost per contact, while dominated state. Advertisers had no genres. At least three more channels that’s not true with national chan- option but to look at the top three are expected this year. nels,” says Kanungo. publications in the market, as TV Eastern Media, which houses The revenues paint an encourag- almost did not exist. Of the Rs 200 Orissa’s widely read newspaper, ing picture as well. While the print crore spends on media in Orissa, Sambad, has launched Kanak TV, a revenues went up by 17.5 per cent, print media still commands Rs 110- news channel. “The television sce- advertising revenue on television 130 crore. Pre-2000, Doordarshan’s nario here is definitely changing. grew by more than 50 per cent over DD6 Oriya was the only channel, Although we just started our full- the last year. Currently, the size of which was a GEC. After this, ETV fledged operations four months ago, the Oriya television market is Oriya was launched in 2002. we are getting encouraging response pegged at Rs 50-60 crore and is In 2006, Ortel Communications’ from advertisers,” says Monica Nair poised to grow. Orissa Television (OTV), a cable Patnaik, director, Eastern Media. Ratikanta Satpathy, senior gener- channel earlier, debuted as a satellite The share of Oriya GECs has A serial on Tarang TV (top) and a al manager, marketing and sales, poster for Kanak TV channel, offering viewers news and increased from 7.1 per cent in 2008 OTV, reiterates that the last year has entertainment. In 2008, the compa- to 12.8 per cent in 2010, as per TAM top three channels today contribut- seen tremendous action in the mar- ny, with a view to separate news Media Research data (C&S, 4+, ing 700-800 GRPs. ket, with television managing to from entertainment, launched Orissa market). The overall GRPs “We have observed that the num- break the monopoly of print.  Tarang, a GEC and OTV was re- have also gone up considerably with ber of viewers has gone up, and so [email protected]

Brandcom, he assumes the role of MILESTONE BRANDCOM business head, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Prior to OOH, Prakash worked in PR and print and has Aiming High about 12 years of experience in the media industry, eight of which The agency has made key appointments for were spent in OOH. Southern markets. By Surina Sayal Commenting on his appoint- ment, Prakash, says, “My mandate OH (out of home) agency sional with about 15 (From left): Prabhudev, Prakash and is to handle the Tamil Nadu and Milestone Brandcom, after years of experience, Bhattacharyya: growth is the buzzword Kerala markets, where I will be Ostrengthening its West and moves in from the strategising, buying and taking care North India operations, is now DPI Group and Media 24x7, two “Prabhudev will play a key role in of operations and the business.” beefing up its operations in South sister concerns with interests in our management team.” Bhattacharyya adds that India. OOH digital printing, media and Prabhudev shares that the Milestone has radical plans on the The agency has brought on sports marketing, where he spent agency is looking to build a team of card to create disruption in the board Ganesh Prabhudev as five years. Earlier, he spent close to five-six people in the Bengaluru market place. He is confident of regional head, South India and a decade at Ogilvy Landscapes. office in a year. closing the year with Rs 100 crore member, executive committee and Commenting on his appoint- The agency has also roped in billing, with 12 offices and a team J Prakash as business head, Tamil ment, Nabendu Bhattacharyya, Prakash, who till recently served as strength of more than 60 Nadu and Kerala. founder and managing director, group account manager, Ogilvy members.  Prabhudev, an OOH profes- Milestone Brandcom, says, Landscapes. At Milestone [email protected]

afaqs! Reporter, June 16-30, 2010 23 NEWSPEOPLE DEFINING MOMENTS “I have lived my life in reverse”

school teacher who became a copywriter, brand hour. It was a dramatic change from the sharp-as- Usha Bhandarkar: Ever so cool and laidback, she consultant, travel writer, author and founded a a-balloon fuzziness that I was subjected to till taught me to teach creative disciplines to manage- Acommunications company, Kiran Khalap then. ment graduates and stand up to clients despite my shares a few defining moments in his career. being a relatively junior writer in Lintas. In trust- Most Indians opt for sanyasa ashram at the end Alyque Padamsee: Besides being a high-profile ing me she taught me to trust others. of their career. I did so in the beginning. I expe- CEO, the hyperactive Alyque rienced a sense of freedom when I was 18 was the only creative Ram Ray: He was the true Renaissance Man, because of J Krishnamurti, the philosopher and I director who had from Kolkata. Ray urged me to take over as CEO decided to work for his cause of education. trained in film mak- of Clarion despite my inexperience in manage- Three decades ago, I was a teacher and a ing in London. He ment. In doing so, he reaffirmed his own housemaster for four years in an experimental taught me script- generosity of spirit and made me the only chief school in Varanasi. I learnt from my students, fel- crafting first by creative officer and chief executive officer ever low teachers and the greatest minds of the 20th hand holding me in that agency. If at all there is a wound on my century who held discussions with Krishnamurti (1984-86) and later heart, it is related to the last role. I never real- then - Buddhist scholars, Western physicists, (1989), by sending ly fulfilled the expectations of my colleagues Hindu pandits, writers, artists and music com- me to Lintas Sydney as CEO of Clarion. posers. for training. It taught Since 1999, chlorophyll has been the third During the first phase of my working life I me production disci- phase of my work life. It’s a brand I have attempt- learnt not to push the river, as the phrase goes: to plines that were far ahead ed to create in a self-referential mode. flow with events, to discount success, to under- of the times. chlorophyll was made possible by a man stand that ambition brought frustration. I also called Madan Bahal, who like the learnt to define my identity not through what I rest of the giants in my life, did but through how I evolved in my humanness. trusted me unquestion- The second phase of my working life com- ingly. Today, my new prises my career in advertising. The four defining role as consultant to moments there relate to four strikingly different the Nandan people. Nilekani-led Unique Identity Authority of Cossy Rosario: In 1983, Rosario was a whimsi- India is a new chal- cal, but eternally positive copy analyst in Lintas lenge, a new level of and I was a trainee copywriter. In just my third learning. month there, he opened my eyes to the complex Where does that science of advertising. leave me vis-a-vis the My left brain feasted on cognitive-affective- future? There is a behavioural models, high-leverage attributes, and beautiful quote by tools to generate over 50 propositions inside one Teilhard de Chardin, the French philosopher and “I also learnt to define priest, who was also a paleontologist and geolo- my identity not through gist: “To create is to unite.” That’s what I will be pursu- what I did but through ing - uniting people and ideas and sections of my identity KIRAN KHALAP how I evolved in my  Co-founder & MD, chlorophyll Brand & within myself. humanness.” Communications Consultancy As told to Surina Sayal

<< continued from page 18 terms revolving around the news director, Pickle Advertising likes the getting there. “The current commu- realities across the globe. This was ads but feels that they are a little less nication seems to be in a different Decoding the World followed up by the Script campaign engaging than some of the outdoor space. Perhaps they are globally in May 2009, in which headlines work done earlier, where one had to evolving the brand,” says Upputuru. promoted in movie theatres, and on were written in what seemed at first decode the visuals. He says, “The Sandhya Srinivasan, managing social media sites such as YouTube, glance to be a foreign script, but in films are well shot, nicely done. But partner & chief strategy officer, Law Facebook, Metacafe and Ibibo. reality the script was English. to people like us who know the & Kenneth states, “I quite like the international Economist work, one quizzing in their print approach and LOOKING BACK IN TIME INTERPRETING THE COM- tends to miss the famous wit.” while it may have been easy for most, he Economist launched its first MUNICATION Titus Upputuru, executive cre- it got one involved. TV, however, has TIndia-specific campaign in early he ads have generated mixed ative director, Saatchi & Saatchi feels to tell a story, rather complete it. In 2008. The campaign used the posi- Tresponse from the industry. that the brand has huge legacy to live the spirit of ‘Interpret the world’, I tioning statement, ‘Interpret the Rahul Jauhari, national creative up to. With each creative, India is found the China story fresh and very World’, which was communicated present. The Africa story has been through a series of alphabet based The insight for the new campaign seen before, and didn’t surprise me creatives. The reader was given a at all.”  unique interpretation of regular remains the same - Interpret the World. [email protected]

24 afaqs! Reporter, June 16-30, 2010

“I did not pretend to have all the answers”

Uday Shankar was the man in the hot seat when STAR was going through troubled times. In this freewheeling interview, he talks about the recovery and the reinvention of STAR. By Prajjal Saha KAUSHIK CHAKRAVORTY

day Shankar’s appointment as Chief Secondly, I was aware of the impact news has on STAR News. Experience has taught me that these Operating Officer, STAR India in 2007 people’s lives, but I was surprised to find the battles are not lost nor won in a day. These are long surprised many in the industry. A veteran intensity of the impact that general entertainment haul battles where patience and focus matter. print and television journalist, who studied has on the lives of people and the similarities that Ueconomic history at Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University, existed in both genres. Q: STAR Plus did well for years, but didn’t he had shifted to the business side only in 2004. He was experiment. Was that a reason for its decline? rather an unconventional candidate to head the country’s Q: News channels are expected to show a cer- A: Yes, that was one of the key reasons. When you largest entertainment company. Within a few months, tain restraint. Does this apply to a GEC? are so successful you don’t feel the need to however, he was named the CEO. A: Responsible behaviour is often confused as experiment or change. Media is a 24-hour Shankar has had the opportunity of launching many homogenous, non-creative behaviour but it treadmill which requires daily delivery. It’s like brands such as Aaj Tak, Headlines Today, Sahara’s doesn’t mean being staid and non-innovative. being on a Formula 1 track, there’s no time to step television venture and STAR News. In his career, he has Creativity is about experimentation. But if it is back and evaluate. STAR Plus was successful and played the role of both a defender as well as a challenger. used for short-term cheap tactical gains and has no everybody - including itself - started following its Probably this was the quality which helped him navigate larger social explanations then it needs to be own model. Ideally, STAR should have changed STAR Plus through choppy seas, when the country’s checked. Self-regulation is better than any official the model, but didn’t because it was working. No 1 channel had slipped to the No 3 position (week 15, and unofficial cultural policing. 2009) for the first time in nine years. News reaches out to a few members of the Q: During the stormy days, what helped Now, with STAR Plus nosing its way to the top - family, while entertainment reaches out to a much STAR keep the battle going? though Colors and Zee are not too far behind - Shankar larger number and its impact is much greater. But A: I saw a discomfort in the team because STAR seems to have lowered all the raised eyebrows. In this chat we should be subjected to a fairer review. Creative Plus had ceased being the leader. That was a big with afaqs!Reporter, the man reveals that he has no growth will not happen without experimentation. motivator. STAR hadn’t come to terms with it so intention of slowing down or taking it easy. Excerpts: we fought back. Anguish was the biggest driver. Q: Since March, STAR Plus regained its No 1 But there were a series of other successes - Jalsa, Q: How did the transition from news to GEC status. When you look back, what went wrong Pravah, the English leadership and STAR Den. So, strike you when you took over? and what was the kind of pressure you faced? there was never this feeling that nothing is A: The huge scale of operations in entertainment A: STAR Plus is like a precocious child who has working for us. Everything else was encouraging vis-à-vis news was surprising but what shocked me been topping since nursery school. After that, if he and we thought ‘if only we could fix STAR Plus’. more was how unprepared the entertainment tops the board exams, it is not an exceptional genre was. I say this because till about 2-3 years event. Instead, if he comes second in one test it Q: But there must have been some pressure ago, the entertainment industry was running with becomes a big deal. from advertisers who, more often than not, the mindset of ten years ago. Yes, STAR Plus was under attack and we were tend to hate what they call ‘the leader’s arro- The industry is measured on revenue it garners all under pressure. But this pressure wasn’t from gance’. How did you handle the situation? which is valid to a certain extent but this our top bosses, instead it was from within the A: That’s the biggest mistake one can make - be advertising revenue is further dependent on company. When a company is used to excelling in consciously arrogant when at the top and be several other external factors such as the whatever it does, people become uncomfortable consciously supplicant when on a decline. I am advertising currency, the size of the advertising when something goes wrong. The advantage I had cognisant of that. The talks were tough, but universe which is also related to the size of the was that I have played both the defender and the advertisers had faith in STAR and none walked economy and disposable income. And the industry challenger in my news stint. Defender, when new away. Besides, this challenge was limited to the wasn’t prepared to address these factors. channels came up and challenger, when I joined Hindi GEC leadership not other genres.

28 afaqs! Reporter, June 16-30, 2010 COVERSTORY

Q: You have moved ahead and taken pole Q: Even STAR did not invest monies in qual- through the same cable. That instantly made my position, but the gap between STAR Plus, itative research… team comfortable. Colors and Zee is still quite narrow… A: STAR has started doing a lot of it. I am from a A: I think the dogfight will continue for a while. non-entertainment background. Our COO, Q: What was the brief given to you? There’s no reason to believe that STAR has all the Sanjay Gupta, is from FMCG and telecom. Many A: To retain STAR’s place of eminence in Indian answers and others do not have any. However, of us came from varied backgrounds. We had broadcasting. My understanding was clear - that with a robust, consistent plan, we will come out on questions which were not answered by Hindi will always be big but STAR has reached top. quantitative data. We revamped our research team. that stage of evolution where it can’t limit its The insights - our understanding of the viewer, growth to Hindi. It had to metamorphose into a Q: Balaji and STAR Plus were almost synony- marketing strategy, content, communication and network. Today it is the No 1 network in mous once. What went wrong? packaging - led to the reinvention of STAR Plus. viewership, advertising and subscription. A: I don’t think anything went wrong. The environment had shifted in terms of content and Q: When you joined, did you decide to disupt Q: Has the dependence on STAR Plus the relationship had to be re-set to suit the and change or carry on the same way? decreased over the years? environment. Balaji did a brilliant job of building A: I like trying new things but I am not a violent A: Of course! Today, the non-STAR Plus channels STAR Plus’ leadership. What Balaji needed - the disruption guy. Violent disruption is usually less deliver 50 per cent of revenue and profits. margins, high cost investments - at that time could productive than calibrated disruption. I had a fair Regional and English contribute hugely to that. not have been provided by any other channel. amount of exposure to STAR and knew that a few Similarly, what STAR Plus needed couldn’t have things needed to be changed. But I wasn’t going to Q: STAR Jalsa and STAR Pravah have been been done by anyone apart from Balaji. walk in with a sledge hammer. I can be accused of fairly successful. What are the learnings from Then multiple opportunities arose in the going slow on a few things but I’m satisfied. these markets? market and because of fragmentation in the Hindi A: It’s about understanding your viewer, and regional space, STAR Plus’ market share was experimenting, being conscious of the fact that the under pressure. An exclusive relationship became society is changing rapidly and that you cannot go unaffordable because it came with a premium. with a set of fixed set of notions. Emotional Both Balaji and STAR got the opportunity to have triggers are universal and creative people need to new partners which was contractually not allowed, recognise those triggers. We pick up format shows leading to frustration. So we needed to take a fresh from around the world and they work in India. view of the relationship. It worked and now we are But we are uncomfortable about picking up an back doing a new show. idea from one state and try it in another language within the country. But we have picked popular Q: What made Colors so successful? concepts from Bengal and tried it out in A: Colors followed the basic discipline of Maharashtra. programming and launch, came up with new ideas and stories. Colors’ success is even more Q: STAR One, lately, has become a copy of remarkable because a few channels launched prior STAR Plus. It had a distinct positioning... to it were not so successful. In this business, A: It was a sound strategy but we lost confidence success or failure is evident in the first few weeks in it too soon. That, perhaps, was a mistake. But

of the launch itself and Colors managed it. KAUSHIK CHAKRAVORTY we are experimenting. There have been shows which have worked well, but we need more. We Q: What was more threatening? Zee’s come- are okay with a lean second channel since you can’t back or Colors’ launch? I have enormous have two high cost propositions in the same space. A: This is like asking which enemy is better. When We will re-build STAR One without increasing I came in, Zee was resurgent. I have enormous respect for Zee and the cost just as we did with Channel V. respect for it. The fact is that it stayed for many have to take it more years as No 2 in the shadow of a giant and yet grew. Q: There has been talk about STAR’s interest I have to take Zee more seriously because we seriously than Network in print. Anything moving on that front? compete in many other sectors. But with Network A: Globally, News Corp is one of the few 18, the competition is only in Hindi GEC. So Zee 18 because we compete companies that continues to believe in print. As is a far more formidable player. the literacy and disposable incomes grow and in many other sectors. affluence trickles down to smaller towns, print, Q: What has the industry learnt from the fail- especially vernacular, will continue to grow. ure of 9X and Real? Management and editorial are our strengths A: This is an industry which is focussed on not Q: Did you face any resistance in STAR when and we should be able to contribute to that. If learning from others’ mistakes. It enjoys learning you – an ‘outsider’ - took charge? there is a compelling partnership opportunity I’ll from its own mistakes. That’s sad. On one side, A: There were two key people who had been with present it to my bosses and they will consider it. there is 9X and on the other, Colors. One can see the company for long - Peter Mukerjea and the difference in strategy and discipline. Sameer Nair. They had shaped the company and Q: Where will STAR’s growth come from? the team in a big way. A: Localisation and regionalisation have just Q: In this industry, quantitative research gets I came from a very unconventional background begun. The biggest challenge is that the delivery far more weightage than qualitative. How has and a much smaller company. Though my bosses platform is not geared. Cable is just not there. it affected the business? gave me an appointment, I knew I had to earn my Distributing niche content in an analog A: Hugely. TAM does a useful job. It helps create licence from the team. It took me some time to do environment is impossible because cable doesn’t the currency for commercial negotiations between that. Moreover, unlike in many other cases, I did have the bandwidth. Running niche content only advertisers and broadcasters. However, merely not bring my own team with me when I came in. on advertising revenue is not viable. DTH’s looking at quantitative research does not give you Also I did not pretend that I was ready to run bandwidth is also getting clogged. If we solve the any insight to qualitative data. This industry this company or that I had all the answers. I still distribution problem, we can unlock investment in doesn’t do even a fraction of the qualitative remember my first meeting with the senior content in a big way. research that it should. That is, why when management team when I told them that I do not As GDP grows, the volume of advertising something is successful, people blindly copy that understand anything about entertainment revenue to will rise. That is what will support the idea without examining the core behind that programming, but that I understand consumer mass delivery channels. success. The clones also affect the viewership of behaviour as both news and entertainment are the originals. beamed on the same TV, in the same household continued on page 30 >>

afaqs! Reporter, June 16-30, 2010 2 9 NEWSBTL RAAJNEETI Roping Them In As part of a marketing campaign just before the release of the film, the cast of the movie visited colleges and universities to discuss politics. By Sangeeta Tanwar

rakash Jha’s much awaited movie, Raajneeti campaign was why should released in theatres on June 4. The launch youth be seen alienated Pof the film was preceeded by a month-long, from politics. There are youth-centric campaign. many who idolise young A Prakash Jha production, the movie has been politicians such as Rahul co-produced by UTV Motion Pictures and Gandhi. The communica- Walkwater Media. The film is a political saga cap- tion governing the turing the power tussle within a political family. campaign highlighted the The movie boasts of big Bollywood names, such fact that today, youngsters as Naseerudin Shah, Nana Patekar, Ajay Devgan, are an evolved lot. Politics Kapur: connecting Manoj Bajpai, Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina Kaif. is relevant to them, so why with the youth For the last month, this cast took on the role of let the subject be dry and people’s representative and was busy striking the restrict its appeal to one set of people alone? right chord with the youth of the country, in a bid In order to strike the right tone with the youth to create curiosity about the movie. and create a political atmosphere before the As part of the marketing campaign, Jha and the launch of the movie, the producers organised ral- cast of Raajneeti visited colleges and universities lies in various cities, where each rally attracted a in Delhi, Chandigarh, Bengaluru and Lucknow, crowd of about 500-1,000 people. Interestingly, discussing politics with the audience. During these rallies were turned into a televised property their interaction with students, they raised issues by STAR News. For a month, 30-minute episodes such as whether voting should be compulsory in covering these rallies were aired on the news the country; whether a year’s military training channel. should be mandatory for every citizen; and As part of branding, individual cut-outs of the whether film stars should join politics. movie’s characters, along with signages, were used Talking about the theme of the campaign, extensively, to create an impression of a real-life Shikha Kapur, vice-president, marketing, UTV event of the year. The common thread running election campaign in progress. Also, co-branded Motion Pictures, says, “We did not promote through the on-ground, print, radio and TV pro- content and contests were carried in Hindi publi- Raajneeti as a traditional film at all. We promoted motions was the distinct focus on youth.” cation, Dainik Bhaskar.  the movie as an event, and that too, the biggest Kapur points out that the insight governing the [email protected]

<< continued from page 29 the reporting structure in the that it should be treated decided to change the look. It is organisation changed? independently and invite the direct more like a tool to convey the larger “I did not pretend... A: The reporting structure change focus of the promoters. change. was the fall-out of a larger re- In the Indian context, red is is the For niche channels and local calibration exercise. STAR India Q: Was a new logo and look nec- colour of life, festivities, family, offerings, advertising can only be a used to report to Asia, but over the essary? marriage, positivity and energy. We smaller segment, most of the last 10 years its growth has been A: Qualitative analysis over eight tested it and red emerged as the most revenue has to come from more dynamic compared to the rest- months showed that we needed a compelling colour that people could subscription. of-Asia business. And it was felt that new positioning. It amounted to a relate to. Besides, the fact is that red STAR India had reached a level of complete re-invention of content looks great on broadcast.  Q: You are now reporting direct- maturity both in terms of size of and positioning, but how do we [email protected] ly to James Murdoch. Why has business and management ability and communicate that? That’s when we Additional reporting by Sapna Nair

PROFILE

t would seem to be an unusual COO JAGRAN SOLUTIONS agency was backed by a strong business for a woman to be in, AMBIKA SHARMA I I group. Fortunately, we won our Ibut Ambika Sharma, COO of first account worth Rs 2.5 crore Jagran Solutions, is in love with where we reached the brand’s TG activation. And this love goes back across Uttar Pradesh and new 14 years. Uttarakhand,” adds Sharma. Within Hailing from an army back- a year of its launch, the agency had ground, Sharma grew up away from lined up work for brands like the cities till, by the end of her Microsoft, Cadbury, Lux and schooling, she came to Delhi. “I Lifebuoy. was clueless about my calling but The major challenge in the ini- like many youngsters wanted to do tial days was not to be something different,” she recalls. overshadowed by Dainik Jagran and In 1996, as she awaited the not to treat activation as just an add- results of her Class XII exams, she on to print. “It took me some time made a friend who was then work- to realise the advantages of working ing with Kidstuff Promotions with a group that is equipped to (today, it is the activation division of provide multimedia solutions to its Mudra Max). After listening to clients. Initially, we tried not to many interesting stories on how force fit our offerings,” she brands were talking to students in explains. Sharma remembers schools and colleges, Sharma decid- another memorable event when the ed to try it out. agency bagged the Indian launch of She got on board as a member of Windows Vista. They pulled it off the operations team (providing against the backdrop of the Taj logistics support), working on pro- Mahal, something that no other motional activities for brands such brand has done till now. as Cadbury, P&G and Discovery at a Planning is the most important salary of Rs 300 a day. aspect of activation and Sharma It was here that she realised that spends close to two hours everyday activation was the thing for her. She supervising her team. “The effec- continued to be a part-timer tiveness of an on-ground activity throughout her graduation years at can be measured then and there. Jesus and Mary College, Delhi Sometimes, the best of ideas do not University. “We do not force- work with the TG,” she declares. During the final year of her Discussing the various changes graduation in 1998, Sharma joined in the industry over the years, Kidstuff as a promotion executive. fit our offerings” Sharma observes how, today, every With the basics in place, Sharma brand wants to explore the might of now worked towards understand- activation. Fifteen years ago, brands ing the intricacies of the business by By Rohit Nautiyal that experimented with BTL were understanding return on invest- content with whatever little they ments, comprehending different Encompass (in 2002) whose activa- best activation agency. I continue to achieved. Today, matrices are in sets of TGs and zeroing in on what tion business was not very strong strive towards this. Being the best is place to gauge the effectiveness of clicks with people on-ground. Each then. “I was the only one there with a constant struggle,” she says. an activity. Consumer profiling, too, day started with a school contact a background in activation. But Within a month, Sharma was has evolved in a big way. programme followed by another in Encompass was willing to experi- able to figure out a plan of action A workaholic, Sharma’s hobby is a college by noon. Evenings were ment with newer ideas and I had a with a team of five people, all spe- biking. In fact, this proud owner of spent in either handling a road great time,” she reminisces. cialising in operations. As the a Honda CBR 1000 is the only show or activation in an RWA. In 2005, she joined Jagran agency had just started, there were female member of GODS (Group This was followed by a brief stint Solutions, the newly launched acti- hardly any credentials to boast of as of Delhi, Superbikers), a registered with Candid Marketing where she vation arm of Jagran Prakashan as she made her first presentation to club of bikers in Delhi. Unusual? honed her skills in servicing and regional manager - North. “My goal TVS Scooty. Well, that’s Ambika for you.  operations. She then moved to was to make Jagran Solutions the “All we mentioned was that the [email protected]

NEWSMEDIA BLOOMBERGUTV Pushing the Envelope The channel has launched an ad campaign to communicate its new programming strategy. By Sangeeta Tanwar

he business news channel, BlombergUTV steadily increase content related to consumer is gearing up for changes on the program- finance, insurance, mutual funds and industry Tming front. It is looking to shift its focus news. The focus will shift towards people who are from stock market followers to a wider audience. not experts in stocks, but individuals who are To communicate its new programming strategy interested in business news. and address various stakeholders, including view- Commenting on the advertising campaign, ers, traders and advertisers, the channel has Agnello Dias, co-founder and chief creative offi- launched an advertising campaign titled ‘Blunt and cer, TapRoot India, says, “Our thought was very Sharp’. The campaign has been put together by the clear - to highlight the category and consumer business channel’s creative agency, TapRoot India. truths within the existing business news environ- Sharing details about the programming changes ment. And then to bring out the brand idea of on the cards and the campaign, MK Anand, chief BloombergUTV being the only ‘blunt and sharp’ executive officer, UTV Global Broadcasting, says, offering in the space.” “Early this year, we conducted a survey in Delhi, He adds, “In the new avatar presented by this Kolkata and Ahmedabad, covering SEC A, B 25+ communication, the brand stands out as intelli- audience. Our findings revealed that only 9 per gent, not clever, bold yet understated.” cent of business channel viewers had invested in The campaign is skewed towards metros, and the stock market. This survey established the need prints ads are being carried out in leading national for us to shift our focus to generating content for dailies. Also, BloombergUTV has used the new the rest of the 91 per cent audience, which does terminal, which has recently come up at Mumbai not have their own portfolio.” Airport, for branding. In the next four months, the channel will (Left) Anand and Dias: a new look [email protected]

ZOOM Bollywood’, with a view to be syn- Soon it will foray into fiction as onymous with Bollywood. well with a series on crime and The channel began the year by Bollywood, being produced by hiking its ad rates. Zoom had to offer Milestone Productions. “We hope The New Plan of Action heavy price discounts to advertisers viewers otherwise not interested in owing to the slowdown last year. In Zoom will tune in, thus broadening The channel hopes to strengthen its position with its 2010, Iyenger says the price has been our audience base,” Iyengar says. Bollywood offering. By Sapna Nair corrected. “We recorded a 10 per cent The channel will also extend the growth in revenues last year and this brand into franchises such as apparels oom, after its launch in 2004, derivative of Bollywood. We just year, with the market looking up and and is already in talks with a few was unable to make a clear shifted the lens from Page 3 to with the price correction, we hope to brands. Besides, it also plans to Zmark in the market. From Bollywood, retaining the glamour.” increase revenues by 50 per cent,” he launch interactive events to bring being a glamour lifestyle channel So, while in 2006, Zoom was adds. Bollywood closer to viewers. catering to the crème de la crème weighed along with channels such as Following IPL 3, Zoom launched Advertiser funded programmes audience, it now offers Bollywood AXN, Zee Cafe and STAR World, it eight new shows. are also high on Zoom’s agenda. entertainment to the masses. is now slotted with channels such as Zoom hopes to get younger view- Almost 15 per cent of advertising Thinking back, Bala Iyengar, busi- MTV, 9XM, Bindass and Channel V. ers onto the countdown shows and revenues come from these. ness head, Zoom says, “We found out In the last few years, the channel the 25-34-year-olds who like watch- Syndication is another source of rev- that while the lives of Page 3 celebri- has changed its positioning to reflect ing biographies of Bollywood enue that the channel is looking at ties are interesting - it is not its heavy Bollywood offering. From personalities. The channel plans to aggressively. Currently, that compris- perpetually so. The connotation of ‘Zoom into Bollywood’ in 2007, it launch new seasons of its shows es 5 per cent of its total revenue. glamour in India has always been a now promises ‘100 per cent every quarter. [email protected]

NEWSBTL JAYPEE CEMENT Bond-building Moves In a bid to connect with its TG across Punjab, the brand goes on-ground for the first time. By Rohit Nautiyal

o create noise about its latest packaging inno- vation across Punjab, Jaypee Cement, a part Tof the Rs 10,000 crore infrastructural indus- trial conglomerate Jaypee Group, has launched a phased on ground campaign - using BTL (below-the-line) marketing on a big scale for the first time since the brand’s inception in 1986. The brand has introduced a laminated cement bag in Punjab, replacing the one made of high density polyethylene (HDP). Cement bags are often handled in a rough manner and get damaged and some of the cement is lost. The new bag intro- duced by Jaypee is also waterproof and has been launched at this time keeping in mind the much awaited arrival of the monsoon. Punjab is renowned for its history of revolu- tions and the same thought was explored by Soi Live Marketing & Events for the on-ground cam- paign. Tobegin with, the teaser campaign aimed to catch the attention of end users of cement. The week long activity involved life size torches fabri- cated on floats, with an accompanying message: ‘Punjab mein kranti, cement industry mein pehli Punjab has a history of revolutions and the same thought baar’. Every day, after 7:30 pm, the life size torch was explored for the cement brand’s campaign. was lighted and promoters carried real torches or mashaals in both hands. Besides, close to 5 lakh and the second set comprising individual house The brand has spent 15 per cent of its marketing hand bills shaped like mashaals were distributed builders and petty contractors. As a matter of fact, budget on BTL activities for this campaign. across the length and breadth of the state. the second category of clients contribute 75 per Hemant Shah, chief mentor, Soi Live For the reveal campaign, the torch on the float cent to the sales of any cement brand and that is Marketing & Events shared how, unlike mass was replaced with a life size replica of the new why a majority of ad spends are directed to con- media platforms, with BTL, measurability is cement bag. To penetrate semi urban areas in the nect with them. The first set of TG is more instantaneous. “Before executing a plan, we work state, the same display was executed on Tata interested in the price point. on actual figures on touch points and reach so that Sumos. As compared to other parts of the country the client is assured that the results will be closer Promoters visited retailers (including paint, where markets are crowded with cement players, to the estimates,” he added. hardware and cement shops) and informed them Punjab has only a few big players such as ACC, With an annual production capacity of one about the new pack and its advantages over other UltraTech and Ambuja. Therefore, the need to million tonnes, Jaypee Cement’s first facility came bags. Also, a bat signed by brand ambassador come up with a unique communication strategy up in Madhya Pradesh in 1986. Sachin Tendulkar was given away as a memento. was evident and this is where the brand decided to As the brand entered other markets in the So far, through the activity, Soi Live Marketing explore the potential of on ground. country beginning with Uttar Pradesh in 2003, the & Events claims to have touched base with 10,000 Shiva Dixit, executive vice-president, Jaypee production retailers. Soon, the campaign will enter its third Cement, stated, “Mass media is expensive and capacity touched the mark of seven million tonnes phase, where print and radio will be used to create when you are dealing in a category like cement, and today, it is more than 22 million tonnes. buzz. there is hardly any scope for experimentation. Currently, Jaypee Cement is available in 20 states Typically, a cement brand has two sets of TGs While our earlier on ground initiatives were tradi- pan India, including Jammu and Kashmir, (target groups) - clients in the institutional space tional activities such as retailer and dealer meets, Himachal Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, West Bengal.  including builders and construction companies we plan to use BTL aggressively in the future.” [email protected]

BYINVITATION Some of India’s well-known professionals write on issues that they feel passionately about

SANDHYA SRINIVASAN Keeping It S&S

got a whiff of this way back in as opposed to a relationship? Quite is the new adrenalin in cricket, beat- when a printout of the movie poster college. Commenting jealously the contrary. Let’s look at some mag- ing the five-day test match and even was shown before a webcam, the on the short girlfriend of a guy nets that make S&S work. the gripping one-day international. image on the poster was brought everyone loved in class, a friend What added the twist to T20 was a alive in 3D. exclaimedI the futility of being DWMO (DON’T WEAR ME new brand called IPL. The same An overwhelming but short expe- involved witha4ft9inch woman. OUT) cricket match got played between rience, it started a conversation as Another guy quipped, “Dynamite Does a three-month hi-budget competing state teams, comprising a opposed to a monologue. comes in small packages!” blitzkrieg in media work or an annu- mix of the world’s best players. A Thus, what could let a brand idea So true, more so today. Look al presence with continuous surprising format, as one couldn’t breathe is to shock and awe any- around at life and you’ll witness the engagement? I think it’s simply about guess who was going to win. where with stories that tickle many overarching concept of ‘short and small and heady doses in every inter- With brands, what could add senses. sweet’ (S&S). Many things come in action. Cecile DeMillesque mega excitement is creating new codes and mini packages and also leave a big advertising, propped by expensive presenting them as a series of dra- SBG (SNAP, BLINK, GONE) impact - the pint-size 32GB pen commercials, should be used spar- mas. Time waits for none, and shorter drive, iPod Nano or Victorinox. The ingly. attention spans abound. For example, other more popular and contagious Let’s look at music. How many NTC (NO TEN COMMAND- the retail space, with streaming gon- dimension of mini is the ‘power of people download songs and how MENTS) dolas and competitive clutter, can’t small with no compromises’, aka many buy albums? Product brands It’s a new concept, hence, it doesn’t keep one riveted for more than two SMS, T20, Twitter and what not. such as iTunes and Hungama.com prescribe rules about the vehicle to minutes. So it’s a great breeding What amazes me though is the try to beat piracy and stay profitable be used. For example, for years, ground to practice S&S in brand apparent simplicity, and the lack of by being consumer friendly. They movie trailers used dramatic clips on building. any loss of experience. When Orange provide a choice of inexpensive, TV to build interest. However, most Imagine this - in select modern said, ‘SMS, the new language’, little small (music) bites. films today use multiple media to formats, a coffee brand uses olfactory did one know that it was the flavour Last year, Lucky Ali introduced create many teasers about their forth- stimuli to stop shoppers. Chances are of things to come. his new album, Iksoi by releasing one coming film, sometimes even it would initiate trial. So a sure-shot So, what’s the joy in the minia- romantic ballad, Dil Gayee Jaa as a stoking interactivity. success magnet could be preparing turised T20? Or the excitement of paid download. Some more songs The Disney movie, A Christmas brands for the ultimate inflection 140 words that appear at rapid fre- followed in installments. While it Carol was promoted using Amtrak point, that is, where buying decisions quency on Twitter? Did the was finally released at retail stores, train cars, which started at Los are taken in an instant. three-hour escape experience at the- this innovative approach was engag- Angeles and travelled to 40 US cities. The world surely is becoming a atres get truncated, when Bollywood ing. The interior showcased film footage, smaller place. One could start with movies got crisper at two hours? Not When advertising brands, can we behind-the-scenes material and a design, packaging and dialogue at the at all. create more of these small indul- demonstration of technology. Post concept stage, consumer collaborated Can brand communication learn a gences? Here, the fun could be in this, a 15-minute clip of the film was ideas that start conversations. Let the thing or two from this? Will it mean imaginatively refreshing the brand in shown at a 3D theatre. Enough to get brand create a series of ‘short and we need to keep the drama out? Be shorter and continuous doses. kids excited? sweet’ addictive experiences that succinct and to the point? Will it still Another Disney movie, Summer make customers long for more.  be as exciting and create long lasting WTT (WHAT’S THE TWIST?) Nightastic used augmented reality to interactions? Will it become a one- Every small interaction too must build desire. Here, after installing (The author is managing partner & chief night stand? Will it be a transaction, have potent appeal. For example, T20 software and opening a website, strategy officer, Law & Kenneth.)

POINTSOFVIEW Can HD TV Take Off in a Big Way in India? Recently, Dish TV joined Sun and Reliance Big TV as the third high definition TV service provider in the country. Is this a sign that HD TV will become the new rage? By Sangeeta Tanwar

VIVEK COUTO SALIL KAPOOR R ZUTSHI Executive Director, Media Partners Asia COO, Dish TV Dy. Managing Director, Samsung India

HD TV HAS SIGNIFICANT LEVELS THE NEXT LEVEL OF THE DIGI- GIVEN THAT INDIAN CON- OF LONG-TERM POTENTIAL IN THE TAL ENTERTAINMENT SUMERS RAPIDLY ADOPT NEW INDIA MARKET. IT’S ALSO CRITI- REVOLUTION IN THE FORM OF TECHNOLOGY, BE IT LCD TVS OR CAL THAT HD TV TAKES OFF IF HD WILL CATCH UP WITH CON- LED TVS, I WOULD SAY HD TV IS DIGITAL IS TO BRING SOME SUMERS OWING TO HERE TO STAY. premium value and differentiation for offerings such as Dishtv’s HD service - Dish The HD phenomenon in India is no the customer. Tru HD. HD creates an audio visual sensory different from what we see happening in The key is to reduce capex (funds experience that is far richer, deeper and more other advanced markets like the US or required by a company to upgrade or panoramic than standard definition viewing. Europe. As consumers go in for larger acquire new consumers) and consumer In 1982, the Asian Games set the stage for displays, they show a preference for bet- costs across the value chain, which com- the colour TV revolution. Similarly, the ter resolution screens, flatter displays and prises HD TV sets, HD set-top boxes, Commonwealth Games 2010 will unleash the greater interactivity. satellite transmission capacity and content. HD growth in India. The year also promises As consumers look at downloading There is a captive market of more back-to-back sporting action in the form of the applications and accessing the internet than one million HD TV set homes FIFA World Cup, ICC World Cup and the from their television sets, the preference waiting to be converted. Content - IPL Champions League. All these sporting events for HD TVs is bound to increase. This cricket, the Commonwealth Games, will be broadcast in HD and will add momen- goes beyond just the benefits of better, FIFA World Cup and movies - will prove tum to the growth of HD in India. more real picture quality. Greater afford- critical, as will pricing. But right now, For long, consumers have been unable to ability is another factor driving the trend before you have the economies of scale, enjoy the benefit of HD technology due to lack towards HD TVs since the differential HD TV will be positioned as a premium of distribution and programming. But with sub- between HD TVs and non-HD TVs has service that can increase average revenue scription being as low as Rs 150 for four HD decreased considerably. per user and provide a much-needed channels and a set top box costing under Rs The growing popularity of gaming boost to EBITDA (earnings before inter- 6,000, things are bound to change. consoles, full HD DVD and Blu-ray est, taxes, depreciation and amortisation). players is contributing to the popularity As per our forecasts, there will be of HD TVs. The contribution of HD flat 350,000 HD subscriptions in India by panel TVs is 30 per cent of the total flat March 2011, growing to more than 5.2 panel TV market. million by March 2015.

42 afaqs! Reporter, June 16-30, 2010 BYINVITATION Some of India’s well-known professionals write on issues that they feel passionately about

CHETAN BHAGAT Hunting for the Stars

was extremely nervous before ever judge you like. Just pick the signing on as a judge for best.” STAR Anchor Hunt, a talent I lifted my pen and signed the search show to find potential contract. And thus began a journey newsI anchors across India. After all, into the Indian heartland. We met an English-language author judging the youth of this country from all a reality show on a Hindi news chan- backgrounds - rural and urban, rich nel - when was the last time you and poor, moderately to highly edu- heard that? cated. However, they had one thing And yet, the STAR News contract in common - everyone had a dream, was in front of me. Over three and they were willing to work hard months, we would traverse the for it. Many candidates lacked entire Hindi belt, visiting around a anchor-like skills, but quite a few dozen cities. were excellent. We would cull the top 20 candi- In every audition city, all of us - dates from tens of thousands of Tisca Chopra (Bollywood actor), applications filed online. After that, STAR News anchors Deepak we’d put the selected candidates into Chaurasia and Siddharth Sharma, a stringent final round in the STAR and I - had a tough time making the studios in Delhi. From there would final shortlist. emerge a handful of candidates, who I witnessed the raw talent of my would become the face of STAR Every hard-working youth I saw, inspired country firsthand, which frankly, is News. India’s only hope in making it to the Yes, this wasn’t a regular reality me to work harder in my own job. league of big nations. A girl had show, where the winners would be fought with her conservative parents patted on their backs, given gift to come for the audition; a boy had hampers and sent home. Here, the It is easy to criticise something No SMS polling? I wondered. How learnt English by watching English winners would actually get jobs as from a distance. can a show give up on that easy, movies; some kids borrowed clothes anchors for the news channel. If It is easy for me to sit in my lucrative source of revenue? to look good. When you see dedica- selected, they would speak to crores English-literature world and com- “Don’t forget,” the STAR News tion like this, you see hope for our of people on a daily basis. ment on the lack of standards in official said, “We have to give the country, which has been marred by Still, I wasn’t convinced. What’s Hindi TV programming. But it is winners a job. We live with them.” corruption and poor leadership. an English-language author doing in hard to join in and try and improve I was impressed by the effort to Every hard-working youth I saw, the middle of all this? The people the situation. And here I had an make a real show. I also saw the logic inspired me to work harder in my from STAR asked me what the opportunity to do it. Did I have the in showing the Anchor Hunt on TV. own job. Every youth we rejected, a apprehensions were. I told them a power to sign This way, the pain seethed through my heart. After couple. the contract youth of India three months, I felt I had an experi- One, Hindi news channels are infront of me? It is easy to criticise could see the ence of a lifetime. the kings of sensationalism. The “What else ?” selection As the show shoot ends, all I can loud fonts and screaming headlines, they asked me. something from a process. An say is STAR may have found a few the over-exaggeration of minor news “Why do you distance. But it is anchor is good anchors, but I found some- items, the fake tugging at emotions - have to make it a required to have thing a lot more valuable. I found a news channels in India are often reality show?” I hard to join in and good communi- lot of hope for my country, as I see criticised for the mockery they make said. “Why not cation and immense pools of talent tucked away of news; and the criticism is not just an interview try and improve the on-the-spot in its interiors. All they need is an without reason. process in your thinking skills. opportunity, that one little chance to Everyday, we have at least 50 offices? The situation. These are the prove themselves. I hope with this breaking-news items, which are for- moment it same skills used show, we have succeeded in provid- gotten the next day. In the quest for becomes a public show, there is SMS in almost any job interview. So, ing that. TRPs, news channels turn into polling with regional biases, which whether a young person wanted to For we as individuals can’t actual- entertainment shows. hurts actual talent.” be an anchor or not, watching the ly change the world. But we can all The people from STAR looked at The STAR people had come pre- show would help add some useful be that ray of sunshine, which each other and turned to me. “Your pared for this. skills to him. changes a few lives.  concerns are valid,” they said, “This may be a reality show. But “Do I have to be a tough judge?” “However, tell us one thing. How there will be no SMS voting. We I said. The STAR officials smiled. (Chetan Bhagat is an Indian author, will all this change?” That sentence want the best, above everything They could see I was leaning whose books include Five Point Someone hit home. else,” the media honchos told me. towards the show. “You can be what- and One Night @ The Call Center.)

afaqs! Reporter, June 16-30, 2010 43 A Dacoit and a Teacher

Braking News is an account of the journey that the author and her colleagues undertook across the country in the NDTV bus to cover last year’s general elections. Excerpts.

he SUV lurched to a had soon choked supplies as the self - she’d shown an ignoramus stop and Ganga Singhji courts decreed that sugarcane juice from the city one of the pleasures of Tgot off. dispensers had notoriously poor small-town life. We walked back ‘What’s wrong?’ hygiene standards. Ma and Papa refreshed and ready to get on with ‘Madam, I am just check- wasted no time in describing all the our journey bur our SUV was still ing.’ Ganga Singhji had his diseases we could contract from not moving. head under the bonnet. drinking it, putting the fear of god in I turned to Naseem imploringly: ‘Ganga Singhji, what’s me. I had not ventured near a sugar- ‘Naseem, what do we do now?’ Poor happening?’ cane juice stall since. Two decades Naseem, our local fixer, hitched a ‘Madam, the clutch plate later, Naghma’s suggestion brought ride back to Buland Darwaza where has broken.’ back that fear: ‘But it’ll be dirty,’ I the cab stand was and returned in a I didn’t understand what said weakly, knowing what a chicken Qualis with no AC and seats so hard that meant and neither did I sounded. they blistered our buttocks. Naghma. ‘How much time ‘Arrey, don’t worry, we’ll make ‘This is not looking good, yaar,’ will it take, Ganga Singhji?’ them wash the machine’ she said. said Naghma, as we bumped along ‘Madam, I will try to fix We left the guys to tend the bro- sorely. ‘Second day, and we have a it. I’m going to do some ken car and walked down to a nearby breakdown. jugaad.’ juice stand. The walk wasn’t exactly A half-hour went by. It pleasant with Agra notching up 40 was more hassled about having to was already 1PM. ‘I think degrees, and I was glad that I’d forgo lunch. I’d made a deal with I’ll have to go get it fixed,’ brought along a dupatta to cover my INaseem to stop at his friend’s Ganga Singhji finally head. On seeing us the vendor restaurant for Mughlai food, which announced. moved towards the fridge that con- he’d said was seriously good. ‘Why couldn’t he just tained the bottled drinks. ‘No, But I was still on a sugar high. I figure it out before?’ bhaiyya, we want some juice,’ said think the juice had kind of seduced Naghma and I couldn’t Naghma. ‘But first clean the me into loving the idea of life on the help but crib, sitting in the machine.’ road. So even though we got back to car, 20 kilometres away from our If someone had come into my town all hot and sweaty with only a story. establishment and ordered a thor- half-hour to set up the show and BRAKING NEWS But Ganga Singhji had been ough cleaning, I’d have told them even after we were caught in a major gung-ho: ‘It’ll just take me half-an- where to go. In Delhi, many vendors traffic jam, and even though we’d hour to go with this guy and get a and restaurants will tell you exactly panicked and screamed ‘Naseem, do by Sunetra Choudhury pipe which may make it work.’ where to go for lesser reasons: ‘We something!’ - we all burst into laugh- Our local contact Naseem don’t have change, go to hell’; ‘We ter when like an honourable warrior, HACHETTE INDIA informed us that getting another car only have masala dosas, go to hell’; Naseem called the local cops: ‘Sir, Pages 310 was going to be extremely tough, so ‘We only have this table, go to hell.’ the NDTV team is here, please come we didn’t have much choice but to But this juicewala acted as if asking for and get us out of this jam.’ Rs 350 wait. That’s when Naghma looked at a clean up was a routine and legiti- What did we expect? Special me, suddenly all chirpy: ‘Let’s go mate demand. choppers deployed by the police to Excerpted with permission have sugarcane juice!’ ‘Wash it well, okay?’ Naghma land, lift us up and take us to our from Hachette India Uh-oh, what was she, nuts? The continued with her directions. ‘Now show location? Even though we last time I’d had sugarcane juice was make it without the masala, okay? knew it was totally irrational, we just when I was six years old and lived in Just plain.’ felt better that Naseem had made RK Puram. My dad had left the I didn’t want to reveal my non- some calls. Soon enough, the traffic house armed with a couple of large gourmet knowledge of the best way had eased on its own and we did a containers to organise some from the to drink sugarcane juice and anyway, happy show. This time Naghma was local vendor. After that one time, we Naghma seemed to know what she pleased with all the production work had to make do with just the memo- was doing, so I took the glass of juice here and in Delhi. She got lots of ry of the sweet juice with its distinc- sans condiments, the way she had calls telling her how fabulous and tive odour. Delhi’s civic authorities prescribed it. I don’t know whether it clever it was to have done the show was because my throat was parched from a roadside dhaba, sipping chai. and we were in the middle of The warm fuzzy feeling was still We all burst into laughter when, like an nowhere, between Taj Mahal and strong the next morning as we head- Buland Darwaza, but the juice tasted ed for Gwalior. We were travelling honourable warrior, Naseem called the like a glass straight from heaven. I the 118 kilometres from Agra by bus couldn’t stop raving about it: ‘Oh my and the road was just amazing. It was local cops: ‘Sir, the NDTV team is here, god, how amazing is this? Isn’t it? the first time that we had the feeling lsn’t it? of journeying on a new road. We’d all please come and get us out of this jam.’ Naghma looked pleased with her- done the Delhi-Agra route lots of

4 4 afaqs! Reporter, June 16-30, 2010 BOOKEXCERPT

times before, but even though thought. ‘Ganga Singhji, stop the Is he going to blow Sunetra’s head Gwalior hardly qualified as unchar- car! I want to speak with them.’ No off now? tered territory, none of us had done one was quite sure where I was But the old man just laughed. Was that route by road before. going with this and I didn’t really it my imagination, or was the strain ‘This is where the dacoits used to have the time to explain what I was showing on his forehead? I decided be, this is the Chambal region,’ doing; I wasn’t sure either. If I was to go for the jugular: ‘Sir, are you a Naghma announced as we entered a travelling across the country, I just dacoit?’ distinctly ravine landscape. wanted to know why in god’s name The man couldn’t take it any- Naghma had figured out that people thought it was okay to drive more. ‘I am a Sanskrit teacher,’ he she’d clocked the maximum amount on the highway with lethal weapons said, smiling through gritted teeth. of travel among all of us and so she slung across their shoulder. Maybe, ‘You are? Then what are you had assumed the role of guide. What it wasn’t very surprising for many. doing with guns, sir?’ she hadn’t prepared herself for was But, I sure hadn’t seen a sight like ‘We are going to hand them over my unbridled enthusiasm; my adren- this, and definitely not in Delhi’s today. It’s the last day for that.’ aline-induced super-enthusiastic Vasant Kunj! ‘Are guns necessary to survive in high. Mohammed took my cue and Morena, sir?’ readied his camera but none of us got He laughed indulgently at my off the SUV. ‘Ganga Singhji, will you silliness. I giggle a lot, laugh loudly and say some signal for them to stop?’ ‘Do you vote?’ ‘They won’t stop,’ Ganga Singhji ‘Yes, we usually vote for the silly things so the interviewee said, hoping they wouldn’t, but he Bhartiya Janata Party around here.’ put his hand out as soon as we caught ‘What’s your name, sir?’ ‘Radhey indulgently attributes my offensive up with them and they slowed down Shyam Shastri.’ their bike. To my delight, the older By this point I felt the man questioning to my dumbness. man with the guns got off the bike deserved a medal for not blowing my and came towards our car. Anyway, head off for asking such puerile ‘It looks amazing! Wow!’ I said despite his guns, he was smiling at questions, so just to make him happy, every thirty seconds clicking pictures us. When he came closer, I saw that I said, ‘Your guns are very cool.’ so frantically it would have put a he had the most benign grandfather- I don’t know how Radhey tourist from Tokyo to shame. ‘Oh ly expression. His wrinkled, bespec- Shyamji knew the meaning of ‘cool’ my god, Phoolan Devi would have tacled face didn’t look like it’d take but he was well pleased with my hung out here...Do you know, I think offence at anything I’d say, however compliment. they actually shot Bandit Queen over stupid. ‘Hahahahahaha.’ here...it looks very familiar...Do you ‘It was great to meet you.’ think there are still some dacoits leant across and lowered the win- ‘Jai Shri Ram’. there?’ dow to look at the old man in his As soon as he roared away on his I think my questions were irritat- Idhoti, kurta, gamcha and guns, bike, everyone burst out laughing. ing Naghma. She started a phone using what I like to think of as my Naghma said, ‘Sunetra, only you can conversation with her friend and I special strategy; a strategy I use in do this! heard her say, ‘Yes, Sunetra is thrilled some tricky reporting situations “Sir, you are very cool”, “Sir, are that we are going through the where because my questions have you from a Daku family?” How Chambal. She wants to know if the potential to anger the intervie- could you ask him that?’ dacoits still live here...’ And they wee, I deliberately play dumb. I gig- ‘Guys, I had to ask him like that. both had a good laugh over it. gle a lot, laugh loudly and say some How else would he have said any- Naghma was still on the phone silly things so the interviewee indul- thing?’ when I suddenly shouted, ‘What the gently attributes my offensive ques- As it turned out, this exchange hell?’ tioning to my dumbness. With politi- became the most quoted one on our It was a scene straight out of a cians, tricky bureaucrats, police offi- journey. Whenever things got too curry Western! There were two men cers, it’s always worked. They always stressed, someone would bring up on a motorbike; the man driving the respond with mild irritation but my conversation with Radhey Shyam bike was in his forties, the one on the oftentimes also divulge prize infor- Shastri. It went beyond the group of pillion was older. The older man mation thinking that my dumbness course, once it was aired. I had held three big guns, two on one wouldn’t be able to process the infor- friends calling me up: ‘Listen, my shoulder and one on the other. My mation! colleague said that apparently you scream got everyone’s attention, and So, in fact, in my mind, that was asked a guy with guns whether he we all turned back to look and see if what I was doing again, but of was a dacoit, please tell me that’s not they were for real. course, for everyone else in the car, it true?’ ‘What are those people doing rid- was going down as something else. ‘Yes, but you have to have been ing with guns?’ Naghma was ‘Sir, we are journalists from Delhi there to understand the context.’ silenced. and we just saw you with these guns, Others were worried: ‘Don’t ask Ganga Singhji said, ‘Madam, they so we wanted to know what you do,’ such questions, yaar, it’s not safe.’ I will just shoot us.’ was my introductory line in Hindi. knew that this was one Daku Would they? Of course not, I As soon as I said it, I knew that it was encounter I wasn’t going to live pretty bizarre calling someone here down! ‘sir’; ‘bhaisaheb’ or ‘babaji’ or any- By the time we reached Gwalior, Everyone hoped that this entertaining thing else would have been more Naghma had called everyone in appropriate but I just wanted to Delhi and even instructed her pro- piece of television was just a precursor sound polite, servile even. ducers to carry my little clip with the ‘Where do you stay, sir?’ Daku in the Hindi show. Everyone for all the good stuff we had ‘In Morena.’ hoped that this entertaining piece of Then I put my foot in it: ‘Are television was just a precursor for all waiting for us. you from a dacoit family, Sir. the good stuff we had waiting Everyone’s heart skipped a beat. for us. 

afaqs! Reporter, June 16-30, 2 0 1 0 4 5 PRESENTS CAMPAIGNTRAIL New and notable campaigns across television, print, out-of-home and digital media TELEVISION

KARNATAKA TOURISM ITC SUPERIA LEMON FRESH MARUTI ALTO The government of Karnataka organised the Global Investors The ad shows how body odour can prove to be a rift in the The film showcases Maruti Alto’s features presenting it as a Meet earlier this month in Bengaluru. Karnataka Tourism closest of relationships. A father is shown playfully throwing favourite choice among first car buyers through an arranged came out with a TVC inviting potential investors to the meet. up his child in the air. The child in the ad is, however, shown marriage sequence with a couple meeting each other, going The TVC featured popular art forms of the state. suspended in the air till the father takes a bath using Superia on a drive and getting to know each better by the end of it. Lemon Fresh soap, thus, getting rid of odour. Creative Agency: Stark Communications, Bengaluru Creative Agency: Lowe Lintas (New Delhi) Creative Director: Sharat Kuttikat Creative Agency: Meridian, Mumbai Creative Heads: R Balki, Amer Jaleel and Anand Suspi Art Director: Santosh K Executive Creative Director: Rensil D’Silva Copywriter: Anand Suspi Copywriter: Sharat Kuttikat Creative Director: Sridhar Rajagopalan Film Director: Navdeep Singh Film Director: Ashok V.A Film Director: Rensil D’Silva PRINT SUGAR TIMES OF JM FINANCIAL FREE INDIA The ad for JM Financial’s services emphasises the NATURA (MISSION importance of trust in The ad introduces ADMISSION) financial matters and two new flavours of Presenting The Times assures consumers to Sugar Free Natura – of India’s new expect the same from the Ginger Masala and initiative Mission Group. Lemon Mint showing Admission, the ad that even ants get talks about the Creative Agency: attracted to the platform that enables Creativeland Asia sweetener. students to take informed decisions about the courses they Creative Heads: Sajan Raj Kurup, Vikram Creative wish to pursue, profiles of various colleges and details Gaikwad and Anu Joseph Agency: about courses are on offer. Copywriter: Huzefa Rediffusion Y&R Kapadia and Siddhartha Menon Creative Head: Anisha Sarin Creative Agency: TapRoot India Art: Bryan Elijah and Devdatt Manjrekar Copywriter: Rajat Dawar and Ramkrishna Raorane Creative Heads: Agnello Dias and Santosh Padhi Exposure: Magazines Art: Vihar Patkar and Lokesh Padmashali Copywriter: Kaushik Iyer Art: Abhishek Sawant

OOH DIGITAL

LG REFRIGERATORS AIRCEL MUSIC CONNECT As part of its new outdoor campaign, the South Korean Creating noise about the new value added service, the brand has created a clock mechanism on hoardings. The life- BANK OF BARODA telecom player has experimented with a billboard using size clock has fresh fruits and vegetables in place of The bank is running a banner ad campaign to convey its back lit acrylic boxes and neon tubing. numbers and cut-outs of two Okra (bhindi) as the hands. technological capabilities in seven banking products including ATM, rail ticketing and net banking facility amongst Creative Agency: Rediffusion Y&R Creative Agency: Dentsu Communications others. OOH Agency: Primesite Outdoor Agency: LG Ad and OMI Exposure: Mumbai Exposure: Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bengaluru Creative Agency: Mudra West and Tribal DDB (India) Media Agency: Media Contacts Exposure: Yahoo!, MSN and Business-Standard.com Got some great campaign that has been published recently? Upload it on afaqs! for the world to see. Visit: www.afaqs.com/advertising/creative_showcase

4 6 afaqs! Reporter, June 16-30, 2010

NEWSBOOKS Reading Room RAJESH MEHTA Director, Marketing, South and South East Asia, Western Union

ooks for me are companions, stress busters, Bentertainers, guides and knowledge mines. They have always stayed with me through thick and thin. I have always enjoyed reading fiction, books by thought leaders, work related and sometimes even comics like Archie too! I am currently reading two books, ‘The Google Story’ by David A Vise. It is definitive account of one of the most remarkable and successful organisations created over the last decade. The point being, can anyone of us today stay away from using Google in our day to day life? The second being ‘The Funniest Thing You Never Said’ by Rosemarie Jarski, an ultimate collection of over 6000 humourous quotations on various topics under the sun. The next books on my ‘to-read’ list are ‘The World Since 1945’ by Wayne C. Williams and Harry Piotrowski. This book is a promising account of events that have shaped the world, the major political, economic and ide- ological patterns that have evolved in the global arena from the end of World War II to the present day. ‘Carry on Jeeves’ by P.G. Wodehouse, who is one of my all time favourite authors, is also on my list. This book specifically is about the famous character created by him called ‘Jeeves the Butler’. Sometimes I read his books over and over again and they never fail to perk me up or give me a couple of hearty laughs. Another book I just picked up at the airport is ‘Our Iceberg is Melting’ by John Kotter. It is about change management, it talks about eight steps to ensure successful organisational changes. As told to Surina Sayal New Arrivals THE UPSIDE OF IRRATIONALITY The Unexpected Benefits of Defying Logic at Work and at Home Author: Dan Ariely Publisher: Harper (Hardcover)

n his earlier book, Predictably Irrational, social sci- Ientist Dan Ariely revealed the multiple biases that lead people into making unwise decisions. Now, in The Upside of Irrationality, he exposes the negative and positive effects irrationality can have on lives. Focusing on behav- iour at work and in relationships, he offers new insights and truths about what really motivates one on the job, how one unwise action can become a long- term habit and how people learn to love the ones they are with. THE FEMALE VISION WomenÊs Real Power at Work Authors: Sally Helgesen & Julie Johnson Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers (Paperback) s everyone knows, women and men experience Athe world differently - not only do they see things differently, but they see different things. Based on extensive research and workplace experi- ence, The Female Vision demonstrates that what women perceive in organisations and beyond that goes unnoticed and unrewarded is exactly what so many companies need to succeed. Helgesen and Johnson delve deeply into the stories of a number of women whose vision improved their companies.

4 8 afaqs! Reporter, June 16-30, 2010 


 

   

         
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5 0 afaqs! Reporter, June 16-30, 2010 Growth comes naturally to us. Only this time it was the fastest! 57 lakh* readers agree.

PRAJAVANI THE MOST TRUSTED KANNADA DAILY

Prajavani, the flagship Kannada daily from The Printers Mysore Group, yet again proves that it is indeed the most trusted and respected in the category. We just grew by 3,26,000* more readers. And, at a time, when the print industry has generally shown signs of sluggishness. More and more Kannada readers choose Prajavani, because it is the

*Source: IRS 2010 Q1 *Source: voice of Karnataka. A trusted, dynamic voice you cannot ignore. The influence of truth

       Sudip Nag, GM (Advertisement) - 96861 88840.   Vijaya R - 98440 92091, Tony Doulton - 98450 67371, Anantha Krishnan - 81477 52856    Deepak Menon - 98106 65814    Kaushik Laha - 98303 23151   A V Vinod Babu - 99520 16709   Ramachandra Rao - 98490 41737   Rajeev Pathria - 98201 51642. Or [email protected]