Rs 40 THE August 1-15, 2008 The fortnightly from www.thebrandreporter.com 16 RADIO On the Streets RJs are moving out of the studio. Why? 28 PIZZA HUT Time for a Story... The pizza maker gets some new ideas. 36 There is a media boom in small-town OUT OF HOME India.India. It It is is riding riding on on three three express express A Nice Collage trainstrains - - rising rising purchasing purchasing power, power, Five companies venture out together in Kerala. below-the-line spends and the growth of the regional advertiser. EMAIL MARKETING With the Times 12 RAJ TV Looking Ahead 14 AGENCIES Mission Statements 26 32 MTV-CENTER FRESH Oh, Just Shut Up 28 EDITORIAL The fortnightly from afaqs! This fortnight... Volume IV, Issue 1 he Dhoni Effect. The Bunty Syndrome. The Robert Ludlum-esque names are not EDITOR Tthrillers, at least not in the paperback sense. However, these two studies by Ernst & Young Sreekant Khandekar (E&Y) and Euro RSCG, respectively, are gripping in their own way - for advertisers and media owners. PUBLISHER Though both studies, published within six months of each other between October 2007 and Prasanna Singh March 2008, approached the subject matter differently, the conclusion was common: EXECUTIVE EDITOR small towns in India are taking centre stage. Tier 2 and Tier 3 are the hot words in M Venkatesh the lexicon of businesses. While the E&Y study uses the Indian cricketer’s name to underscore the rise of CREATIVE CONSULTANTS Middle India (or non-metros) in the larger scheme of things, Euro RSCG picks the PealiDezine character from the 2005 hit, Bunty aur Babli. Ignored for long, the Dhonis, the LAYOUT Buntys and the Bablis of small town India have turned out to be the new trend-set- Vinay Dominic ters. As spending power becomes big even away from the metros, marketers – and their agencies – can hardly afford to ignore this phenomenon. LOGISTICS Rajesh Kanwal This fortnight’s cover story looks at how non metros in India, riding on rising affluence and ever-increasing ad spends, are staring a media boom in the face. ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES Radio stations have sprung up in places that would send many scurrying for a map. Hansika Koli From Bhojpuri to Bundeli, media is furiously trying to figure out where to put its Noida: (0120) 4077834 money. 4077837 Digital cinema has made quick inroads into these towns. Newspapers have come Gaurav Prabhu up with more editions and even more sub-editions. Some TV channels are finding Mumbai: (022) 40429702-5 money-spinners in their regional bands. News websites found bustling traffic coming [email protected] from the smaller towns. Local advertising – below the line seems dominant – got a leg-up as marketers eyed these towns. Marketing Office B-3, First floor, Sector-4, The bright lights of small towns are getting brighter. To paraphrase a Sam Walton quote, Noida-201301. “there is a lot more business out there in small town India than we ever dreamed of.” For Tel: (0120) 4077800. everyone. Mumbai 39, A to Z (Industrial) Premises Co-op Soc Ltd, Lower Parel, Mumbai - 400013. M Venkatesh Tel: (022) 40429701-5. Subscription Enquiries Sakshi Kohli Tel: (0120) 4077837 OOH an afterthought? [email protected] LETTERS As a targeted section of society, if Registered Office advertisers wish to catch us they will Banyan Netfaqs Pvt Ltd, 494, have to come outdoors! I see the days Mandakini Enclave, Alaknanda, New Ambitious Plans of the couch potato coming to an end. Delhi 110 019. ©2004 Banyan The new channel Colors has Society is more outgoing, energetic Netfaqs Pvt Ltd, all rights reserved some nice programmes. Khatron Ke and adventurous now. Working pro- throughout the world. Reproduction in Khiladi is a very interesting show and fessionals like me, in fact, don’t watch any manner without permission is pro- Akshay Kumar makes for a very good TV at all. We like to spend our free hibited. Printed and published by host. Going by the popularity of this time in the open air. Sreekant Khandekar on behalf of show I think, Colors’ plans to be Shikha Partho Banyan Netfaqs Pvt Ltd at 7-A/13, among the top three GECs, isn't Kolkata being too ambitious. Ch. Ratan Singh Complex, Jawala Kartik Kapoor A Noble Cause Heri Market, Paschim Vihar, New Delhi With reference to your article New Delhi-110 063. Advertising Wizard Noble Cause on the Teach India cam- Printed at Paras Offset Pvt. Ltd., Missing Marketing Fundas Kudos to The Brand Reporter for com- paign, I am happy to read that The C-176, Naraina Industrial Area, I am a regular reader of The ing out with an excellent write up on Times of India has launched a social Phase I, New Delhi 110 028. Brand Reporter. I like reading Colvyn Harris and JWT. Harris no initiative on education. But my con- Exclusive distributors in India: Points of View, as its good to get the doubt is a true leader, who has natural cern is that the TOI group should India Book House Pvt. Ltd. leadership abilities and knows how to expert views on various issues. not restrict itself to carry out these New Delhi: (011) 23313014/5, However, I feel you don't cover the take along people with him. Hard work initiatives as one-time marketing or Mumbai: (022) 24925651, topics from the marketing industry or and a vision for future, helped this dis- so-called social activity. Kolkata: (033) 22498096, views of marketers in that column. ciplinarian in turning the fortune of Surinder Sodhi Bangalore: (080) 22261305, I think you should cover more of JWT. Harris and his team are true Chandigarh the marketing industry too, as people torch bearers of an age old agency Chennai: (044) 28275217 like me do have a lot of interest in that is on the path of resurgence. reading about the marketing fundas. Abhijeet Chatterjee Cover Illustration Anamika Arora Bengalauru Readers can mail their feedback to Gogol New Delhi [email protected] The Brand Reporter, August 1-15, 2008 3 VIDEOCON NEWSBULLETIN On a Roll Sponsored by ideocon Retail, which had Dhoot is confident that acquired Planet M, the music considering the fast paced growth of It has already BMW> German luxury car maker, BMW AG, Vstore, last year, is in the the network, the company will showcased the plans to bring hybrid vehicles into India after a process of revamping. The company reach $1-billion mark in next three global debut in the next 18 months.BMW has has readied a detailed expansion plan years. Concept X6 in developed hybrid vehicles and showcased them at for Planet M and Next (appliances “Taking in to account the speed at Frankfurt. the Frankfurt Motor show last year. retailing format) for coming months. which the company is expanding its It is estimated that investment to the network, we are confident that we Spencer Retail> A unit of power utility firm CESC, tune of Rs 800 crore will be made, will achieve the $1-billion mark after Spencer Retail will roll out two joint ventures over next two spread across 2-3 years. three years,” he says. months with international fashion brands. The planned Elaborating on future plans, As part of its plan to offer value- Nearly 100 cafes ventures will help expand Spencer’s high-margin non-food Saurabh Dhoot, director, Videocon added services, the company of late will come up in offerings in its hypermarkets. In the recent past, Spencer Retail, says, “We are going to add 40- has initiated talks with general had also announced its tie-up with US bakery cafe chain, Au 50 Planet M stores every month in insurance companies to offer 18 months. Bon Pain. the next few years to insurance for handsets. reach 1,500 outlets. The company already Maxwell posted a Maxwell Industries> The textile firm is in Currently the company offers extended net profit of Rs 2 talks with a premium European inner-wear runs 200 stores in 42 warranties on certain brand for a joint-venture or a marketing tie- cities.” products. crore on net sales up. Sunil Pathare, MD, Maxwell Industries, MARKETING The first measure in The decision also has of Rs 50.1 crore. said that it has posted a net profit of Rs 2.03 this direction came when been taken to increase the crore for the quarter ended June 30, 2008 Videocon launched the number of Next stores to first Café eARTh outlet, 700 from the present 400, Samsung> The electronics company has decided to foray in attached to a Planet M covering 200 cities. to the business of projectors and digital photo frames. The firm store at Banjara Hills, Modern retail still pegged the size of the domestic market for projectors at Hyderabad. Plans are constitutes only 30 per 66,000 units, of which 5 per cent accounted by the professional afoot to launch Café cent of the market. movie grade segment. Samsung India is aiming to for a 30-35 eARTh outlets for all the Traditional retailers per cent market share in digital frames. Planet M stores. As part accounts for the rest. of revamping exercise, Competition depends on This is Titan’s Titan> Watch and jewellery already 80 stores have the first-mover advantage third major line retail major, Titan Industries of been redone. These retail and private labels. Retail Tata Group has forayed in to the eyewear segment with the outlets offer mobile The speed“ at players believe that of consumer launch of the company’s latest chain Titan Eye Plus. The phones, accessories, modern retail provides a business.