July 16-31, 2016 Volume 5, Issue 3 `100 INTERVIEW 6 SATYA RAGHAVAN Head of Content, Entertainment, YouTube India MICROMAX 16 Bridging the Gap It is not necessary to use English always. AIRBNB 8 Home and Hearth Don’t just go to a place. ‘Live’ there. 12 COVERFOX Subscriber copy not for resale Subscriber copy not “IN INDIA, Stalking Netizens Check out this humorous, call-to-action ad. WE ARE STILL SRINIVISAN SWAMY Recognition 14 VIACOM 18 New Entertainer 21 TODDLERS” CAMPAIGN TRAIL Google’s video platform finally has New Ads 22 competition. Need team YouTube worry? BY INVITATION 10 Most Watched Ads 24 editorial This fortnight... Volume 5, Issue 3 EDITOR omeone famous once said – We are all products of our time and creatures of habit. Sreekant Khandekar S Almost everything we find ourselves doing, thinking and feeling can be made sense PUBLISHER Prasanna Singh July 16-31, 2016 Volume 5, Issue 3 `100 of if we look at it through the lens of this truism. The saying also makes me wonder what 6 INTERVIEW EXECUTIVE EDITOR SATYA RAGHAVAN the likes of Kanan Gill and Lilly Singh would have done with their talents had they Head of Content, Ashwini Gangal Entertainment, YouTube India belonged to the pre-internet, no-YouTube world. MICROMAX PRODUCTION EXECUTIVE 16 Bridging the Gap It is not necessary to use English always. Andrias Kisku The advent of the ‘YouTube star’ began only post 2013, in this market. Before ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES that, as YouTube India’s content head Satya Raghavan points out during the course of Shubham Garg 81301 66777 (M) AIRBNB 8 Home and Hearth this interview, people used the platform primarily as a convenient place to catch up on Don’t just go to a place. ‘Live’ there. Apoorv Kulshrestha 12 television content that they couldn’t watch on ‘the tube’ – ironically enough, that’s old 9873824700 (M) world slang for ‘television’ – as scheduled. Noida COVERFOX Pradeep Hegde Subscriber copy notfor resale “IN INDIA, Stalking Netizens Check out this humorous, call-to-action ad. 9833933577 (M) WE ARE STILL SRINIVISAN SWAMY Post 2013, Google’s YouTube became home to independently created, original Recognition 14 Mumbai VIACOM 18 New Entertainer 21 TODDLERS” CAMPAIGN TRAIL content, largely in the comedy, music and entertainment space. The popularity of some Google’s video platform finally has New Ads 22 [email protected] competition. Need team YouTube worry? BY INVITATION 10 Most Watched Ads 24 of these creators is comparable to, and in many cases more than, that of mainstream MARKETING OFFICE television stars. And that’s pretty much the premise and promise of YouTube, world over B&B Genesis, A 12/13, Ground Floor, Sector - 16 – people like you and me can put content on the platform and stake claim to stardom. Noida - 201301 The “ultimate platform”, in Satya’s view, is one where there is no one between creator and consumer. MUMBAI 302, Makani Center, 3rd Floor, Off Linking Road, Bandra (W), From ‘catch up TV’ to original content, YouTube has come a long way in India, Mumbai - 400050 over the course of 11 years. After basking in its glorious monopoly for the better part of SUBSCRIPTION ENQUIRIES that period, today, the brand has competition pouring in from all sides – whether it’s Akhilesh Singh Facebook video, the video-on-demand platforms of broadcasters, or newer independently- [email protected] run streaming platforms, content creators now have a choice. Owned by Banyan Netfaqs Pvt Ltd and Printed and published by Prasanna Singh, Satya is unperturbed, though. Categorically skirting our questions about Facebook’s at 7-A/13, Ch. Ratan Singh Complex, three-second model – a suspiciously low threshold for a ‘video view’ – he tells us, instead, Jawala Heri Market, Paschim Vihar, New Delhi-110 063. why now’s a great time to be an Indian content creator. Printed at Cirrus Graphics Private Limited Can’t argue with that, though. B-61, Sector 67, Noida (U.P.), 201301 Ashwini Gangal [email protected] CONTENTS 14 10 ENGLISH GECs Problems Galore The challenges that face English general entertainment channels are not insurmountable but hinder growth. 20 23 SPICEJET Cruise Comfort The airline has rolled out a new television campaign that STAR INDIA 18 VARUNA PUMPS-SCARECROW TATA SALT focusses on its new feature, Sporting a New Look Water, Water... Energy Pops SpiceMax. How will fliers STAR’s new channels will Client and agency join hands The Puri Rath Yatra led respond? beam only global sports. to banish thirst. to this campaign. afaqs! Reporter, July 16-31, 2 0 1 6 5 digital MICROMAX Bridging the Language Divide Micromax, a brand that has sold many a phone on the back of white models, now gets Kapil Sharma to say #AngrezipantiKoAngootha. How? By Suraj Ramnath icromax Informatics, He further adds, an Indian mobile “We realised that “There are a couple Mmaker, recently a lot of people in of mis-steps in the ad. launched a digital campaign Firstly, the product #AngrezipantiKoAngootha for its the small and big connect is absent. Why Canvas Unite 4 Series, featuring towns are not is Micromax suddenly comedian Kapil Sharma. The brand evangelising Hindi? has also launched its TVC, which really comfortable Is it because its phone doesn’t feature Sharma though. The with English.” supports Hindi? Where campaigns have been conceptualised is that mentioned? by Creativeland Asia. SHUBHAJIT SEN Secondly, after all Micromax, in the past, has been this ‘gyaan’ about the known for making all its ads with their local language rather than in national language, the link to the white models. But now, the brand, English.” Snapdeal site selling the phone opens in its new campaign, is saying in English. If it was really serious #AngrezipantiKoAngootha dikhao, SO, WHY WAS SHARMA NOT about this issue, then it should have to promote its multi-language IN THE TVC? made sure its actions matched its supported mobile Canvas Unite 4 Sen says, “The digital campaign words. The phone’s interface, too, Series. featuring Sharma went above one- is in English. Is this just a campaign, Talking about the reason behind and-a-half minutes, and that could or is this Micromax’s stand? Will not sticking to ‘Nuts. Guts. Glory’ as have not been run as a TVC. all Micromax ads be in Hindi a tagline for this campaign, and going Moreover, the ad doesn’t have the henceforth?” with #AngrezipantiKoAngootha product features and the same has Carlton D’Silva, chief executive dikhao campaign, Shubhajit Sen, been blended into the TVC.” officer and chief creative officer, chief marketing officer, Micromax We asked our experts about the Hungama Digital Services, says, Informatics, says, “We realised that execution of the digital campaign. “The execution was alright, nothing not all types of advertising will Saji Abraham, executive director, spectacular. It feels like the film was appeal to all types of people. The Lowe Lintas, says that although the executed as per the script.” communication has to be different ad is well-executed, and the topic is He further adds, “Just putting for every product launch.” pertinent, it has not been handled a film online does not make it a Abraham (above) and D’Silva: not impressed He further adds, “We realised that well. “It’s disappointing from the digital campaign. This campaign has a lot of people in the small and big point of view of both a product, as no legs online apart from the film. towns are not really comfortable with well as the context. It looks and feels If the idea is to start a revolution contest. To be honest, I don’t see any English. They can talk in English, real and the performances are very against ‘Angrezipanti’, it has surely strategy here.” but have trouble typing messages. Is it a good idea to have Kapil There is no separate target group Sharma in the film? based on demographics because they The brand promotes its multi-language D’Silva says, “(Kapil) Sharma does are cut across different towns and supported mobile Canvas Unite 4 Series have an internet following, but he has cities.” a greater following in the ‘outernet’. Sharing data with afaqs! regarding good. The topic that was chosen, chosen the wrong medium to do the With Sharma in the ad, the consumer the social media, Sen says, “Seventy which was to shame people who do same. The campaign is non-existent expects a funny situation. But, apart per cent of all YouTube content is not understand English is a relevant on its website, as well as the place from the last bit, he ends up being non-English, while 40 per cent of and interesting one. However, it is a where the brand should be building a too preachy. Anyone could have been the messages on WhatsApp are not complex nuanced issue and the way revolution, the social media (Twitter used in the film for that matter and in English. So, there is a section the ad solves it is unfortunately as and Facebook). What was the hashtag saved a fair bit of money in the of people who are certainly more nuanced as the axe Sharma wields in meant for? Currently, I only see bargain.” n comfortable communicating in the film,” says Abraham. the hashtag accompanying a ‘Sultan’ [email protected] 6 afaqs! Reporter, July 16-31, 2 0 1 6 advertising AIRBNB Home and Hearth Airbnb has recently launched a campaign — ‘Don’t go there. Live there’. By Ashee Sharma strategic market for us. With internet scenario, insists Bajaj, is no different. penetration, the economy, and travel “Almost half a million Indians and tourism taking off in a big way, have already tried Airbnb.