NEW DELHI: Enormous Brands, an independent creative agency, has roped in former BBH director of strategy Soumitra Patnekar as the head of its planning vertical. In this role, Patnekar  will be based out of the company’s Mumbai office and will develop brand strategies, communications strategies, and conduct market researches for the company’s clients. 

Enormous Brands managing partner- Ashish Khazanchi said, “I'm delighted to bring Soumitra on board as a part of the management team in Enormous. His experience in personal care and in automobiles is extremely rich and we're looking forward to building on that. Apart from advertising, he's spent a fair amount of time in consulting and in studying the length and breadth of the country's consuming audiences His insights and experiences from there are invaluable as are his perspectives on building businesses.”

Patnekar said, "I am excited to lead the strategy function at Enormous Brands along with Ashish and Ajay. Today, more than ever, I feel that brands need to have a distinctive voice and a consistent footprint across the media and tech landscape. My aim is to help build real, authentic brands rooted in our ethos thereby helping clients achieve/get the right value for their products and services.”

Patnekar brings with him 15 years of brand planning & consulting experience across agencies (BBH, Grey, Contract) and consulting firms (Future brands & Sideways). He has led the strategy on Global Brands Like Audi, Axe, ABnBev & DPA (Diamond Producers association) & Indian majors like Marico & Ferrero India. His work on Axe, & Fiat Punto has won multiple effectiveness awards in International forums like APAC Effies & IAA (International Advertising Association).

NEW DELHI: Medusa Beverages Pvt Ltd that owns the beer brand Medusa, joins hands with Bradford License to foray into the world of brand licensing in India. Medusa is now the only Indian alco-beverage brand who will license their brand for various ranges of product lines to be sold in retail. The collaboration is to create a global licensing program in a broad range of categories including fashion, men’s grooming & fragrances, FMCG, etc. Bradford will extend the brand into strategically-targeted products and alliances emphasising the brand’s DNA as an “unparalleled stripling experience that’s part fantasy, part aspirational and part attainable.”

Medusa was first launched in 2018 and within a span of two years, the brand has already witnessed exponential growth reaching a turnover of Rs 150 crore. Brewed in Punjab the brand is currently available in five states including Delhi, UP, Punjab, Chandigarh, Chhattisgarh, and growing multifold.  

Medusa founder Avneet Singh said, “Post receiving an overwhelming response for our beer brand Medusa from its consumers, we now plan to enter into fashion and lifestyle segment. We could only think of the best when it came to developing the licensing program – Bradford. We are thrilled to utilize Bradford License India’s expertise in unique opportunity identification and marketing to further add value to the brand.”

Bradford License  business head Vatsal Vijay, “Medusa has the right mix of elegance, accessibility, and aspiration which will translate well into categories like fashion, travel gear, health & personal care as well as FMCG. Medusa offers vibrant assets which make the brand stand out amongst the millennial audience and we will move strategically to secure licensee extensions in a variety of categories and territories with customized marketing approach for each.”

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NEW DELHI: RB today announced the launch of a global initiative to generate high-quality scientific research-based evidence to inform public health recommendations and promote behaviours that improve global hygiene. The Reckitt Global Hygiene Institute (RGHI) is a public health research and innovation hub that will bridge epidemiology, public health and behavioural insights to generate practical, high-quality scientific research that leads to enduring behaviour change. 

“The Covid2019 pandemic has pushed public health to the top of the global agenda. At RB, we see the need for a new paradigm that brings together the highest quality scientific based evidence and informed public health recommendations to generate large-scale behaviour change for a cleaner, healthier world,” said RB CEO Laxman Narasimhan. “Today we’re announcing our commitment to convene a group of multi-disciplinary experts who, like us, believe real change on a global scale is within reach if we translate science-based evidence and consumer behavioural insights into sustainable hygienic practices that can be adopted globally. This ambitious goal is the result of our belief that the highest quality hygiene is a right and not a privilege.”  

RB’s commitment to global hygiene research and education includes: 

A multi-year, $25 million investment in research aimed at filling the gaps in our understanding of the science-based evidence around hygiene and the behaviours and solutions necessary to sustain it. 

The formation of an Expert Panel—comprised of cross-discipline luminaries—to guide these research efforts at leading academic institutions around the world. 

The creation of a Global Hygiene Institute with physical infrastructure, a Governing Board supported by full-time staff, ongoing research, and education programming driven by expert researchers and educators. 

Through the establishment of a fellowship program with leading universities, RGHI will generate practical, informed public health research and recommendations that champion global hygiene as the foundation of health. The RGHI Governing Board will determine specific areas for research and will work with the Expert Panel to award the fellowships to promising early career academics, who will become Reckitt Fellows. In addition to the fellowships, the Institute will award grants to institutions for open, collaborative, cross-functional research. The Expert Panel will further define the parameters of these awards. 

RB is honored to announce the founding members of the governing board and expert panel including: 

Professor Peter Piot, director of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine 

Dame Sally Davies, master of Trinity College, Cambridge 

Professor Feng Cheng, research center for public health, Tsinghua University School of Medicine, Tsinghua 

Dr Randeep Guleria, Director, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) 

Professor Dr Albert Ko, department chair and professor of epidemiology, Yale School of Medicine  

Professor Teo Yik Ying, Dean, Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore 

“The purpose of RB—to protect, heal, and nurture in the relentless pursuit of a cleaner, healthier world—resonates more than ever in the current environment. I am excited to work with the Expert Panel and combine the deep experience in their respective fields with RB’s expertise in hygiene and consumer behaviours,” said RB chief safety officer Simon Sinclair, who has been named executive director of RGHI. “We look forward to partnering across disciplines and geographies to generate the information necessary to support the right behaviour changes for a healthier world.” 

Updates about RGHI are forthcoming as additional details about the initiative are confirmed. The formal launch of the Institute will be in the autumn of 2020.  

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NEW DELHI: McDonald’s India - North & East is making Friday, the most happening day of the week! The country’s most loved restaurant brand has partnered with Swiggy to make your food ordering rewarding and to make the start of your weekend even more exciting with its #FryItUpFridays offer. As part of this irresistible deal, customers ordering their favourite McDelivery on Swiggy will receive a free medium fries every Friday when they spend INR350 and above (excluding delivery charges and taxes). The offer will be available from 17th July onwards for a limited time period on the Swiggy app.

Whether it’s a working day or a Friday night at home, McDonald’s and Swiggy are making sure it gets more exciting with free fries.

“We are excited to collaborate with Swiggy for this unique offer and hope to make Fridays even more exciting for our customers. Our goal is to provide value with the highest quality experience to our customers and play a part in making memories during these challenging times,” says, CPRL (Connaught Plaza Restaurants Pvt. Ltd. operates McDonald’s restaurants in North and East India) head Robert Hunghanfoo. 

As part of its commitment to quality and safety in the current times, McDonald’s has introduced nearly 50-plus process changes to ensure a safe dine-in, delivery and take away experience to its customers.

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NEW DELHI: This Sunday evening will give you goosebumps as Zee Telugu, one of the leading GEC channels in Andhra & Telangana will take you through a spine-chilling journey where you will experience fear, terror, anxiety, panic and horror. The channel is hosting the World Television Premiere of ‘Akasha Ganga 2’ on Sunday, 19th July at 6:00 PM only on Zee Telugu and Zee Telugu HD. 

Arathi Varma (Veena Nair) the current heiress of the Maanikesseri royal family and the daughter of Unni and Maya, is an MBBS student and an atheist. She doesn’t believe the stories told about her family or the evil spirits that reside in her house. Soumini, played by Ramya Krishnan, daughter of Mepaddan who helped Arathi family in the past, tries to explain to Arathi about the negative energies and how she can speak to souls. Listening to this, Arathi accepts the challenge that her friends, Gopi, Titus and Jithu put forward and decides to communicate with the soul of her mother who died while conceiving her. As dark spirits untangle, she is pulled into the grim and wretched ways of Akashaganga, the evil soul that once tormented her family. Will the evil spirit once again be successful in carrying out the revenge against Arathi’s family? 

With a great cast, gripping story and lauded screenplay, director Vinayan moves away from the cliché film making and creates a classy horror masterpiece. 

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MUMBAI: Star Plus remained the undisputed leader on the pay platform and in the urban market in week 27 of 2020 ( Saturday 4 July 2020 to Friday, 10 July 2020) of Broadcast Audience Research Council of India (BARC) data. Sony Sab secured second position on the pay platform and in the urban market.  Colors replaced Sony Entertainment Television in  fourth position in the urban market. Star Utsav continues to lead in the rural market. Dangal slips down to the tenth position in the urban market.

On Pay platform Star Plus, Sony Sab, Star Utsav, Colors, Sony Entertainment Television, Star Bharat, Sony Pal, Zee Anmol, Zee TV and Dangal and were the top ten channels in the week 27 of BARC India ratings.

Pay Platform

In the urban market, the top ten channels were Star Plus, Sony Sab, Star Utsav, Colors, Sony Entertainment Television, Sony Pal, Dangal, Zee Anmol, Colors Rishtey, and Star Bharat in week 27 of BARC India ratings.

Urban

Star Utsav, Dangal, Zee Anmol, Colors Rishtey, Sony Pal, Big Magic, Star Plus, Sony Sab, DD National, Colors and Zee TV were the top ten channels in the rural market

Rural

On the Free platform Dangal, Star Utsav, Zee Anmol, Colors Rishtey, Sony Pal, Big Magic, DD National, Manoranjan Grand, DD Retro and DD Bharati were the top ten channels in week 27 of BARC ratings.

Free Platform

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New Delhi: Chicco, the brand that takes care of multiple needs of babies with innovative offerings in nursing, cosmetics, toys, travel and fashion has tied up with leading e-commerce platform Myntra for fashion range.

Chicco is now ramping up its focus on the digital segment for the Indian market to expand its customer base. Chicco is now showcasing fabulous fashion collection and trendy accessories on the Myntra platform for customers to directly shop from the comfort of their living room. Chicco is present in the baby personal care category also on Myntra and soon plans to launch footwear range. This seems to be the right time for brands to launch their product range online through Specialist e-commerce portals especially when the consumer is shifting more towards e-commerce for shopping and other utilities due to the current scenario.

As India’s leading destination for fashion and lifestyle products, Myntra has a large base of fashion-forward and loyal customers across the country, making it the perfect partner for Chicco to spread its footprint online in India. Myntra is also today, a leading destination for kids to wear with more than 400 international and domestic brands on its platform.

Artsana India Chicco CEO Rajesh Vohra said, “We have collaborated with Myntra to give digital experience to our consumers. It’s all the more important in the current situation than ever. The association is very encouraging in terms of the response we have received. The association has helped Chicco fashion range reach our potential consumers throughout the country which was available only in Chicco Exclusive Stores so far.”

Myntra CEO Amar Nagaram added, “Chicco is a world-renowned brand known for its range and quality of baby products, and is also one of the leading brands in India in the segment. Adding the brand to our portfolio has not only strengthened our offering, but also created the ground for millions of parents to shop for quality products for their kids from the safety of their homes. The kids’segment as a whole is witnessing strong momentum on our platform at present and we believe this trend will continue to shape the future of the category with more and more shoppers across the country opting for buying online.”

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NEW DELHI: Further to last week's mega controversy around the viewership data of TV9 Bharatvarsh released by BARC, NBA has now written to the chairman of the industry body demanding the details of the inquiry. 

In a press statement, NBA president has drawn his attention to several news reports about videos of a sting operation, as purported proof of tampering of panel homes by TV9 Bharatvarsh and response by BARC that it carried out a detailed investigation into the compromised homes and the manipulation of data.

The letter reads, "NBA is rather surprised to note from the news reports that BARC has so quickly investigated into the sting operation and also passed a judgement that those who appeared in those videos were “paid to say what they did” and the videos are “fake”. NBA desires to know who conducted the investigation? Since the allegations were against BARC, NBA presumes that the investigation was conducted by a third party. NBA would like BARC to share this investigation report with NBA to help understand how the investigations were concluded so quickly that there was no tampering of data and the videos are fake."

It highlights that a proper investigation is crucial in the light of the fact that the allegations are against an organisation (TV9 Bharatvarsh), which by BARC's own admission, has a dubious past. "It has a history of indulging in such malpractices and for which the ratings of TV9 Telugu were suspended. Was this record made available to the investigators?"

President, NBA has sought an urgent response with the details of the investigation report.  

MUMBAI:  Since the outburst of the pandemic, we have all missed watching sports LIVE. As the wait to watch sporting events seems far from over, MTV brings to its viewers a breather with a crazy blend of games, drama and entertainment. Starting 23 July, MTV Home Games 2020 will feature every Thursday at 7 pm only on MTV India Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. It is a show that blends in the power of social media, digital and TV, to bring the anticipation and fun of live sports for you, from your living rooms!

MTV Home Games will give fans a chance to participate in 18 quirky, fun and sporty challenges. While participants can submit their entries for 17 challenges on Voot, MTV has tied up with Facebook and Instagram for one exclusive challenge on the newly launched short video feature Instagram Reels. This exclusive collaboration makes MTV the first broadcaster to leverage Instagram Reels for ‘call for entries’ for a show. Users can create videos of doing nimbu squats on Instagram, add creative filters and music and share it by tagging @MTVIndia and using hashtags #MTVHomeGames #FeelKaroReelKaro #FeelItReelIt.

Viacom18 Youth, Music and English Entertainment head of marketing Navin Shenoy said, “Over the years, MTV has catalysed the growth of user-generated content on TV and digital media. With MTV Home Games, we’ll engage youngsters with games and fun activities with a twist, amping up their competitiveness. Showcasing varied games and talent that otherwise go unnoticed, this initiative aims to bring in the thrill of sports that is missing due to the ongoing pandemic.” Further speaking about the partnership with Facebook and Instagram, Shenoy added, “We are happy to collaborate with Instagram Reels for MTV Home Games as it is a great feature to showcase short-form UGC, while also deeply engaging our large audience on social media.”

Ever heard of Twerk Aasans? Did you ever think Channa Ve could be more than just a peppy number? What if you were told that Chullu Bhar Paani could be a cool measure of fun? Or that you could be the OG Chimti Chameli, leaving behind everyone else? Well, these are some of the quirkiest tasks in Home Games 2020 that promises to make it an experience unlike any you have had before.. Streaming on Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter pages of MTV India, with the finale on your home screens on MTV, the show will have some of our favorites from the MTV FAM monitoring all the fun tasks performed by the contestants.  So now, you can twerk in a downward dog position while doing surya-namaskar, and squat while having a spoon in your mouth with a lemon on it, and more, to impress the likes of Rannvijay Singha and Varun Sood, along with many popular faces from Squadrann- an Indian Sports-entertainment collective, founded by Rannvijay.

So, get set to play “out of the box”, quite literally, and hop on this sporty ride with MTV Homes Games 2020, only on Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter. And don’t miss the finale of MTV Home Games 2020 on air, on 13 August at 7PM only on MTV.

NEW DELHI: Ride-hailing platform Uber on Thursday said it has elevated Prabhjeet Singh as president of India and south Asia operations. In his new role, Singh will oversee the next phase of growth in the company's mobility business and ensure safety of riders  and drivers across India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, a statement said.

Singh was previously serving as director operations (India and south Asia) and head of cities. "I'm delighted to announce that Prabh is replacing me as Uber's new president for India and south Asia, one of our fastest growing and most strategic markets. Prabh is a passionate and innovative leader and has been instrumental in helping build Uber from the ground up and established our category leadership in the ride-sharing market," Uber regional general manager for Asia Pacific Pradeep Parameswaran said.

Singh said, “I’m thrilled to have been given the responsibility of leading Uber in India and south Asia, and look forward to collaborating with exceptional teams and gifted colleagues across the Uber family to strengthen our services and product offerings. Uber is an integral part of the fabric of our cities and as they start moving again, we have prioritised the highest standards of safety, sustainability, and service that our riders and drivers expect of us.’’  

Recently, other key south Asian leaders have also been elevated to wider, regional roles. Former India SA president Pradeep Parameswaran is now the regional general manager APAC.

Singh, an IIT-Kharagpur and IIM-A alum, joined Uber in August 2015 from McKinsey and Co where he was an associate partner. He will be supported in his new role by a seasoned regional leadership team.

KOLKATA: Evolution is the key to sustain in a transforming ecosystem; India’s leading entertainment network Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (Zeel) is following that route. While it has been charting its growth in the online ecosystem with over-the-top platform ZEE5, the latter is now venturing into short-format video too. It’s not a mere expansion but the ambition is to be able to create a sustainable business over a period of time which essentially addresses a billion users in India, as ZEE5 India expansion projects business head and product head Rajneel Kumar says.

“Very soon we will have a billion Indians who will be consuming videos on a monthly basis. That time could be one, two or three years from now. That’s the overall market size we are gunning for. We have a very long-term strategy around short-form content where we will see new users who will start consuming this content. Of course,  we would like million and millions to come on the platform but our main ambition is to be able to create a sustainable business over a period of time which essentially addresses a billion users in India,” Kumar said in an interaction with Indiantelevision.com.

Nearly two weeks ago, ZEE5 revealed the name of its short-form content platform, HiPi. The announcement came right after the Indian government imposed a ban on 59 Chinese apps including TikTok, the giant in the short-video segment. As opposed to launching as a separate app, HiPi will be a part of ZEE5. 

“We have been working on it for over a year with consumer research, content research, product research as well as trying to understand what features consumers like. The timing was honestly coincidental; it was something we already planned in this quarter. However, once the news came out we did expedite certain priorities to be able to get this out as early as we can while not compromising quality or experience,” he added.

ZEE5 is not waiting for consumers or influencers discover the platform once it launches the new segment. Rather, it is actively getting a lot of influencers who are on other platforms and onboarding them to ZEE5. With these influencers, their followers will be also able to find their content on the new platform. Initially, HiPi is launching with 300 influencers while it also has a list of other 200 influencers that will come on the platform very soon. 

Moreover, it has opened the platform for new influencers as it is launching ‘Creators Dashboard' in the next couple of months. Through this, influencers can upload profiles for the kind of content they have created and references of other platforms where they exist. If they become verified, they would enter into a revenue-sharing model with ZEE5. There will be remuneration and compensation for all content they create. Currently, they can reach out to ZEE5 through the latter’s social handles.

In the past, we have seen user-generated content platforms getting dragged into controversies for sensitive content. While the company is in the final stages of testing, it is highly focusing on user experience and brand safety. Kumar assured that both human and AI intervention will be there to filter content. “Unlike other platforms, no content which is uploaded goes straight and people can see it. Every content which is uploaded goes through a layer of both AI and human moderation,” he added.

ZEE5 has several content pieces ranging from catch-up content to premium originals, news and sports. “Each one of them has individual experiences built up to see which is best for the users. When a user comes on the platform, he or she is able to see all the content which is available. Only when they start to consume a particular piece of content, whether it is a movie or a short-form content, the appropriate interface for the user comes up. The short-form content area will be a vertical scrolling video which is full-screen,” he added.

Now a bunch of short-format video sharing apps are mushrooming as OTTs did two-three years ago; even Instagram launched Reel a few days back. Hence, despite the giant being gone, it is not easy to attract consumers. 

“We have put together a very strong content team which will curate the kind of content to make it different and interesting for users. We will be launching different kinds of AR filters which will enable users to create interesting content. We are focused on a road map of engagement which is beyond just consuming content; so how can the user interact with other people, how can the user play games? We are working on those kinds of areas which will be part of our roadmap and essentially our distinguishing features,” Kumar sounded confident.

MUMBAI: ZEE Entertainment is bringing back its content brand Zindagi on its digital entertainment platform ZEE5. This will include premium content with a global appeal.

Zindagi was originally a TV channel launched in 2014 by the Zee network, which showed Pakistani and Turkish dramas. However, due to political reasons, the channel had to shut in 2017 and the brand moved online.

This time, Zindagi is returning with its original content library as well as fresh new shows which will be thought provoking, with a bold multicultural narrative.

Zee, ZEE5 global and international broadcast business CEO Amit Goenka said, “Zee’s strength has always been in its ability to narrate unique stories, to connect with billions of audiences worldwide, and to offer different genres of content. Zindagi has always been appreciated for its premium content offering and culturally rich stories from across the globe, which are far more attuned to the digital audience sensibilities. Zindagi’s universal content has a very strong appeal, and we are excited to offer this rich and engaging content library to the users of ZEE5, in India and across the world. We also understand that the viewers’ needs are diverse and therefore we have a compelling content catalogue from Zindagi, which encapsulates a universality of emotions. We stay committed to offering an extraordinary entertainment experience to our consumers across multiple touchpoints, and we are sure that our viewers will once again embrace this widely acclaimed brand on our platform.”

Zindagi will offer a myriad mix of shows that are global in nature, ranging from family dramas to romance including Shehr-E-Zaat, Aunn Zara, Badi Aapa, Mastana Mahi, Main Abdul Qadir Hun, Noorpur Ki Rani and many other such realistic stories which are customised as per the tastes and preferences of the global audiences. This eclectic mix of curated shows, featuring 1000+ hours of meaningful content, will be available for the global audiences on ZEE5. These shows were originally shown on Zindagi TV as well.

With a promise of ‘Zindagi Mil ke Jiyenge’, the brand reinforces its commitment to live up to its legacy of bringing forth multi-cultural narratives that resonate with the audiences. The brand philosophy is a reflection of its belief that art knows no nation, boundary or religion.

NEW DELHI: Publishers of today are under more extensive scrutiny than ever. Consumers are far more aware and aren’t hesitant to question the sensationalism that they are peddling in the name of information and entertainment. Even some of the brands, globally, have started taking cognisance of the matter and have started pulling away ad monies from certain platforms like Facebook for hate speech and problematic content. This has given rise to an interesting discussion in the media and marketing ecosphere around what roles can advertisers play to curb this issue.

Madison Media & OOH group CEO Vikram Sakhuja, addressing the question in Media Minds season two, shared that there are two ways to look at the current scenario from an advertisers' standpoint: brand health and ethics. 

Comparing the situation to when he started his career with P&G in the late-80s, he stated that at that time the debate was about quantity v/s quality, which was also based on the core idea of the environment in which an ad is seen.

“When Aaj Tak started, advertisers used to think that most ads on the channel are of undergarments and whether it's suitable for my brand health to be visible there. At that point in time, the school of proper marketing told me if a consumer is seeing a particular programming, then they are there for a reason. And if they see your ad, it shouldn’t be a problem. In the case of P&G, in the early 90s, the quantity was always more important than quality.”

He adds that while in today’s time that quality vs quantity debate has got blurred because of tools like social media where ads are no longer seen as an interruption, but there is another debate that has started around what sort of content is surrounding a brand’s ad or branded content. “It is actually very important to actually raise this question even from a brand health standpoint,” he said.

Addressing the situation from an ethical standpoint, he shares that advertisers have to make the call around whether they want to pander to sensationalism or fake news.

“Even though it has, maybe, nothing to do with the brand ad that is placed next to it, the reason this sensationalising (happens) is because advertisers are going to come because of more eyeballs. So, if you take an ethical position on that and say, even if the eyeballs come there, I will not pander to that kind of sensationalism, it will, in fact, dry up the oxygen in that room, rather than give them more oxygen. Then you are actually disincentivising those same publishers from trying to take that strategy to monetise their business,” he added.

He said that as an agency head he will warn the advertiser if there is inflammatory content on a certain publisher’s channel or website, but he will leave the final decision on the brand head.

Apart from this, Sakhuja talked about his favourite subject - data, the need for a unified metric system in marketing and his plans for his agency going ahead.

NEW DELHI: In week 27 of BARC India ratings, no changes were observed in the Bangla market and Asianet Movies stayed no 1 for the fourth consecutive week in the Malayalam market. In the Gujarati market, Colors Gujarati Cinema was the only movie channel holding its position in the Gujarati market with 28555 impressions.

In the Bangla market, Star Jalsha, Zee Bangla, Jalsha Movies, Colours Bangla and Sony Aath were the top five channels in week 27 of BARC India ratings.

In Bhojpuri market, Bhojpuri Cinema, B4U Bhojpuri,Zee Biskope, Big Ganga and Bhojpuri Dhamaka Dishum were the top five channels in week 27 of BARC India ratings.

In Gujarati market, Colors Gujarati Cinema, ABP Asmita, TV9 Gujarati, Zee 24 Kalak, and Sandesh News were the top five channels in week 27 of BARC India ratings.

In the Kannada market, Zee Kannada,  Udaya TV, Colors Kannada, Star Suvarna and  Udaya Movies were the top five channels in week 27 of BARC India ratings.

In the Malayalam market, Asianet, Surya TV, Flowers TV, Mazhavil Manorama and Zee Keralam were the top five channels in week 27  of BARC India ratings.

ZeeTalkies, Star Pravah, Zee Marathi,  Shemaroo Marathibana and Fakt Marathi were the top Marathi channels in week 27 of BARC India ratings.

PTC Punjabi, Pitaara TV, Zee Punjabi, 9X Tashan and MH One were the top five channels in week 27 of BARC India ratings in the Punjabi market.

Sun TV, Zee Tamil, Star Vijay, KTV, and Star Vijay Super were the top five Tamil channels in week 27 of BARC India ratings.

Star Maa, Zee Telugu, ETV Telugu, Gemini TV, and  Star Maa Movies were top-five Telugu channels in week 27 of BARC India ratings.

Tarang, Zee Sarthak, Alankar, Colours Oriya, Prarthana were top-five Oriya channels in week 27 of BARC India ratings.

BENGALURU: GTPL Hathway Ltd (GTPL) reported 19.3 percent growth in revenue for the quarter ended 30 June 2020 (Q1-2021, quarter or period under review) and 8.9 percent growth in the operating profit for its cable TV business (CATV business) as compared to the corresponding year ago quarter Q1 2020. The company’s consolidated revenue from operations for the quarter under review grew 10.8 percent year on year (y-o-y) while consolidated total income expanded 10.1 percent in Q1 2021 as compared to Q1 2020. Consolidated profit after tax grew 39.8 percent to Rs 46.47 crore in Q1 2021 as compared to Rs 33.23 crore in Q1 2020. All the three major segments of the company had operating profits.

GTPL reported consolidated revenue from operations at Rs 495.46 crore in Q1 2021 as compared to Rs 447.22 crore in Q1 2020. Consolidated total income for the period was Rs 502 crore as compared to Rs 456.05 crore in the corresponding year ago quarter. CATV business revenue was Rs 412.53 crore in Q1 2021 as compared to Rs 345.91 crore in Q1 2020. CATV business reported operating result of Rs 50.17 crore for the period under review as compared to Rs 46.06 crore for Q1 2020. ARPU or Q1 2021 was up by Rs 7 to Rs 422 from Rs 415 in the previous year’s corresponding quarter.

The company’s internet services business (Ex-EPC Project numbers) revenue grew 34 percent to Rs 52.65 crore in Q1 2021 from Rs 39.29 crore in Q1 2020. The segment reported an operating profit of Rs 5.34 crore in Q1 2021 as compared to an operating loss of Rs 0.18 crore in the corresponding year ago quarter. The company had been awarded Package B of the prestigious Bharat Net Phase-II project from the Gujarat Fibre Grid Network Ltd under Digital India Initiative (EPC Project) last year. GTPL reported revenue of Rs 30.28 crore an operating profit of Rs 2.01 crore from the EPC Project.

GTPL reported revenue (Ex EPC Project) of Rs 471.7 crore, which was 20 percent more y-o-y. The company says in an earnings release that its CATV subscription revenue increased seven percent y-o-y to Rs 265.3 crore. EBITDA Ex EPC Project increased 14 percent y-o-y to Rs 126.1 crore.

On the operational front, GTPL says that it has seeded 100,000 STBs but at the same time, it has lost 300,000 digital paying subscribers in Q1 2021. The company says that it had 72 lakh (7.2 million, 0.72 crore) digital paying subscribers as on 30 June 2020.

Company Speak

GTPL managing director Anirudhsinh Jadeja said, “GTPL Hathway delivered another strong quarter. The highlight of the quarter was strong profitability anddebt reduction. Our Q1 FY21 consolidated revenue, EBITDA and PAT grew by 10 percent, 11 percent and 39 percent respectively. During the quarter, we have reduced our gross debt by Rs 368 million (Rs 36.8 crore). During the current financial year, we plan to launch a Hybrid box, which will enable us to provide multiservice product that will have Broadband, OTT and Cable service at an attractive price point. Our CATV Business expansion in Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Telengana is on track and it will gain momentum in the coming quarters.”

Let us look at the other numbers reported by GTPL

Consolidated total expenditure increased 9.5 percent during the quarter under review to Rs 444.48 crore from Rs 405.74 crore in Q1 2020. Pay channel cost in Q1 2021 increased 24.8 percent to Rs 226.98 crore from Rs 181.92 crore in the previous year. Other operational costs increased 48.9 percent to Rs 31.85 crore from Rs 21.39 crore.

Employee benefits expense in Q1 2021 decreased 11.4 percent to Rs 31.28 crore from Rs 35.29 crore in the correspond period of the previous fiscal. Finance costs reduced 33.9 percent during the quarter under review to Rs 8.23 crore from Rs 12.45 crore. Other expenses in the period increased 26.2 percent to Rs 55.46 percent from Rs 43.93 crore in the corresponding quarter of the previous year.

KOLKATA: It’s not a surprise that Netflix has added 10.1 million paid subscribers in the second quarter of 2020. With the massive shelter-at-home mandate brought in by the Covid2019 pandemic leading to another phase of digital acceleration, the streaming services have emerged as beneficiaries. Although it has beaten the expectations for this quarter, the third quarter subscriber addition guidance is low as the world is gradually adjusting to the pandemic effect and may not jump onto new subscriptions to fight social distancing.

It forecasts 2.5 million paid net adds for the third quarter compared to 6.8 million in the prior-year quarter. “As we indicated in our Q1’20 letter, we’re expecting paid net adds will be down year over year in the second half as our strong first-half performance likely pulled forward some demand from the second half of the year,” Netflix said in a statement.

Netflix has added 26 million paid memberships in the first half of 2020 while it achieved 28 million in the year 2019. However, it has mentioned that the growth is slowing as consumers get through the initial shock of Covid2019 and social restrictions. 

The streaming giant has reported $6.15 billion revenue, 25 per cent growth year over year, while quarterly operating income exceeded $1 billion. Average streaming paid memberships in Q2 rose 25 per cent year over year while streaming ARPU increased 0.4 per cent year over year. Netflix has given a third-quarter estimation of $6.33 billion. 

“Since our content production lead time is long, our 2020 plans for launching original shows and films continue to be largely intact. For 2021, based on our current plan, we expect the paused productions will lead to a more second-half weighted content slate in terms of our big titles, although we anticipate the total number of originals for the full year will still be higher than 2020,” it said on the pandemic impact on the content slate.

It also spoke of competitors like WarnerMedia, Disney along with mentioning that Apple, Amazon have been growing their investment in premium content while also regarding TikTok as a competitor given its 'astounding' growth. However, it mentioned that Netflix continues to improve content and service at a faster pace compared to others.

KOLKATA: The brain behind the content strategy of the undisputed king in streaming service has additional responsibility now. Netflix has named its chief content officer Ted Sarandos as co-CEO of the company. In addition to that, Netflix has also appointed Greg Peters to be its chief operating officer, in addition to his role as chief product officer. 

“Ted has been my partner for decades. This change makes formal what was already informal -- that Ted and I share the leadership of Netflix,” Netflix co-founder and CEO Reed Hastings said while announcing the Q2 result. 

Sarandos will continue as the company's chief content officer also. “My journey to co-CEO of Netflix has been as a fan of great entertainment. And that's my commitment to Netflix members going forward: to keep pushing the boundaries of what a consumer-first company can achieve for people who love stories,” he said.

"Ted’s been instrumental to our success as a company. While I saw streaming coming and pushed for it, Ted drove the revolution in our content strategy, which was way ahead of its time and has been key to our continued success. It was typical of his ability to see where the industry - and consumer tastes - are headed. He’s built an extraordinary team, attracting some of the most creative and best entertainment executives from all around the world," said Hastings.

Sarandos praised Hastings as an unbelievable role model and source of inspiration for him  and stated in an earnings call, “my focus is to continue the successful train we’ve been on for the next 200 million subs around the world.” 

"Greg’s appointment as COO reflects the strategic and analytical strengths he’s brought to our product team over the past 10 years. As we’ve grown, one of my biggest roles at Netflix has been to be broad across the company, getting to know many different people in every area of our business. This has helped Netflix stay mostly aligned, loosely coupled and very productive. In his new role, I want Greg to take on more of this work so that we continue to improve rapidly. Eventually he needs to know every corner of Netflix better than I do today," added Hastings.

These changes are part of a long process of succession planning, announced Hastings. "While transitions can be hard, I am optimistic because we have a well established culture that’s built to be flexible and many years to get good at this. I’m committed to Netflix for the long term,” he added.

NEW DELHI: Digital agency Mirum India has bagged the digital mandate of Lotus Herbals. It will be responsible for creating a digital strategy road map for the brand, manage the social media platforms, and execute display and performance-focused paid media campaigns. The account will be serviced from Mirum India’s Delhi office.

With Mirum onboard, Lotus Professional aims to engage with both businesses and customers to create awareness for the brand and drive customers to avail of their services.

Mirum India CEO Sanjay Mehta said, “Lotus Professional is one of the most respected beauty brands in the Indian market. We are looking forward to working with them and enabling the best solutions for new customer acquisition as well as brand engagement. We are confident of delivering solutions that will aid the brand in aligning their marketing budgets, to boost their brand awareness and drive sales."

A plethora of emotions can be conveyed through a written message; however, humans are inbred to visuals. That’s exactly why emotions travelled through texts to a winking semicolon and finally to a visual representation of emoticons. While words communicate the message, emojis convey the feelings it carries. Expression of emotions has always been an integral part of any performing art be it music, dance or drama. Cinema especially is a classic example which rests on the pillar of genres like romance, drama, action & comedy. Rejoicing this delightful journey of emotions, ZEE Biskope presents its viewers with Emoji Lahariya – a category first initiative on World Emoji Day making it an occasion to remember. The two most popular concepts on the social media today are selfies and emojis. ZEE Biskope designed Emoji Lahariya with a perfect amalgamation of the two giving its viewers an opportunity to convey their self-expression through the lens of emojis.

Celebrating World Emoji Day, ZEE Biskope will launch Emoji Lahariya – a new Instagram filter on 17 July 2020, that is all set to take the excitement level up by a notch. Viewers would need to select Emoji Lahariya filter on their Instagram story screen and record a video mimicking expression of emojis displayed on the screen with the upbeat hook line of the channel’s brand song playing in the background. They can then share the video on ZEE Biskope’s Whatsapp number 8563856302 along with their full name and address. The closest and funniest matches from the barrage of videos received, will get featured on ZEE Biskope’s Social & TV platforms throughout the day on July 31.

Building up to the D-Day, the channel has initiated a teaser campaign on 10 July. This is supplemented by other emoji-led interventions like ‘Express Your Emotions’&‘Look Into The Eyes’. While the former is an interactive Q&A on quirky real-life instances that are expressed as emojis, the latter requires the viewer to look into the eyes of an emoji to play a video snippet from a popular Bhojpuri movie. World Emoji Day will also witness ZEE Biskope’s logo being recreated with Emojis across its social platforms. Just when you think that as the end of the celebrations, the channel has more happy emotions to share throughout the entry phase of the contest. ‘Emoji Scenes’ will have emoji integrated version of ZEE Biskope’s brand song and popular Bhojpuri movie sequences where relevant emojis will superimpose the face of the lead(s) matching the mood of the sequence. ‘Lovey Dubby Chat’ will involve a light-hearted, emoji driven, romantic conversation between a couple on a social messaging app leading viewer to channel tune-in. It’s truly going to be an Aanthon Pahariya Loota Emoji Lahariya time for viewers.

Speaking about the initiative, Samrat Ghosh, Cluster Head East, ZEE Entertainment Enterprises Ltd said, “Viewer engagement has always been one of the key priorities of ZEE Biskope. In times when parts of the region are going back to lockdown, digital happens to be an effective alternate media to reach out to our viewers real time. The channel has been consistently strengthening its virtual viewer connect through initiatives like #LahariyaChallenge, Talent Camera Action and now Emoji Lahariya. Complimenting the digital intervention with Television exposure not only excites the audience but even offers a multi-platform consumer connect opportunity for the advertisers.”

Speaking about the new Instagram filter, Amarpreet Singh Saini, Business Head, ZEE Biskope and Big Ganga said, “Emojis have become the new way of expressing emotions amongst millennials and the youth of today. At a time when netizens are critically mindful about the makeover of their online persona, curating a trendy and interactive Instagram filter perfectly paves way to uplift the social quotient of our young audience. With Emoji Lahariya, ZEE Biskope will mark yet another milestone in keeping up its promise of offering novelty to its viewers beyond the magic of movies.”

Being a channel that takes prides in knowing the pulse of its viewers, rejoicing World Emoji Day in true Bhojpuri style is an attempt to deliver an immersive and entertaining joyride to viewers on Instagram. Get set to revel in an ocean full of Bhojiwood blockbusters only on  Zee Biskope available on Airtel (channel no 663), Tata Sky (channel no 1120), DEN Bihar(channel no 840), DEN Jharkhand (channel no 839), DD Free Dish (channel no 31), d2h (channel no 859), Dish TV (channel no 1555), Siti Cable (channel no 214) and Darsh Digital (channel no 189). It’ll soon be available on all other major cable platforms.

NEW DELHI: The Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) of India has released its data for top advertisers and brands for the period between 4 July to 10 July 2020.

The data reflects the top 10 advertisers and brands across genres on India television, 2+ Individuals, NCCS All demonstrating ads that were inserted the most in the 27th week of 2020.

Top advertisers:

Hindustan Unilever continued to be the biggest advertiser with 272,916 insertions, followed by Reckitt Benckiser which ranked second with 103,531 insertions.

Brooke Bond Lipton India Ltd bagged the third spot, like earlier week with 41,837 insertions. Godrej Consumers Products and ITC Ltd secured the fourth and fifth place with 41,145 and 40,154 ad insertions respectively.

Wipro Ltd acquired the sixth spot with 31,601 ad insertions on TV.

Other top brands in the pecking order were as follows: Cadbury India, Colgate Palmolive, Ponds India, and PepsiCo.

The total number of insertions for top 10 advertisers stands at 626,717 as compared to 637,000 in the previous week.

Top Brands

Lux Toilet Soap continued to lead the list with 17,523 insertions. It was followed by Dettol Antiseptic Liquid 16,940 a new entrant in the list. Policy Bazaar bagged the third spot with 16,227 impressions.

The fourth and fifth sport was acquired by Santoor Sandal and Turmeric, and Surf Excel with 12,893 and 12,632 as insertions respectively.

Other top brands in the pecking order were as follows: Horlicks, Wheel Active 2 in 1, Dettol Toilet Soaps, Fair & Lovely and Close Up.

The brand category saw 133, 068 insertions as compared to 140,604 insertions last week.

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