Skyline Business School

Issue:9

Advertising & Marketing

Asia-Pacific kids' buying behaviour largely echoes peer preferences; in India, however, television advertising holds the key to kids' spending decisions, according to the findings of an online study conducted by the Media Consumer Insights division of communication services major Group M. Still, peer groups play a vital role in the Indian context too. According to it, a Greater percentage of Indian parents, when compared with their Apac counterparts, believe that their views do not have a bearing on their kids' purchase decisions. However, a vital lesson to marketers, says the study is that "any proposition to the child should not alienate the parent." Source: The Hindu Business Line, Dec.9, 2003

Advertising spending will grow by 4.7% in 2004 as the industry climbs out of the doldrums, according to Zenith Optimedia's closely watched forecast, but Europe's growth will lag behind North America and Asia. The media buying and planning firm, part of France's Publicis, said 2004 major media ad spending in the US would increase 5% and Asian ad spending would rise 5.1%. European ad spending, however, will recover more slowly with a projected 3.7% increase. Source: The Hindu Business Line, Dec.9, 2003

 

The technology that TAM Media Research developed to enable advertisers to know how many times and how many people saw their logos on Sachin Tendulkar's jersey has got international interest. TAM's methodology of fusing data from Adex India with viewership data from its S-Group has been recognized worldwide, and requests to analyse data have been coming from such markets as Hong Kong, UK, Italy and Australia, according to Mr L.V. Krishnan, CEO, TAM Media Research. The firm is setting up a dedicated unit in Baroda to take care of the outsourcing needs from these markets, he added. TAM will also present a paper on its experience in developing this model at the Esomar Asia-Pacific Conference of world research professionals in Shanghai next March, said Mr Atul Phadnis, Vice President TAM Media Research, calling TAM's knowledge base in this area "unparalleled". The paper, titled 'Evaluating soft brand advertising on TV, including product placements and in-programme brand exposures,' describes the outcome of more than a year's work on conceptualising and developing the model for the capture of non-TVC advertising, starting with the FIFA World Cup in 2002, Mr Phadnis said. Source: The Hindu Business Line, Dec.2, 2003

T.V. Media

Zee chairman Subhash Chandra-promoted ASC Enterprises is under the government scanner for its direct-to-home (DTH) set-top boxes. Although ASC fulfilled the licence norm on inter-operability of set top boxes and cleared the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) certification test before the DTH rollout, there were complaints of violation later. According to sources, the I&B ministry sent a letter to the Zee Group recently, asking it to confirm compliance with the inter-operable condition of the DTH licence. ASC hasn't sent a reply to the government yet, they said. The controversy over set top boxes started afew years ago when Rupert Murdoch's STAR was keen on launching DTH as a proprietary (non-interoperable) system. However, the government refused to budge. Source: Financial Express, Dec.19, 2003

Zee Telefilms Ltd. On Monday approved the merger of all its five Mauritius-based subsidiaries, including Zee MGM, into Asia Today, and said that it would shift the broadcasting operations of its flagship channel Zee TV to India soon. The Zee board decided to merge Software Suppliers International, engaged in marketing company's products in west Asia and broadcasting of Trendz channel, and Zee Telefilms International, which carries out international syndication of Zee Telefilms content with Asia Today Ltd, also based in Mauritius and involved in business of broadcasting Zee TV and Zee Cinema channels. Meanwhile the boards of Zee Telefilms and Etc Networks today gave an 'in principle' approval for the merger of Etc with Econnect India. Source: Hindustan Times, Dec.16, 2003

After ensuring that the French fashion channel, Fashion TV (FTV), alters its programming to suit Indian sensibilities, the Government has trained its guns at rival channel, Trendz TV, asking it to stop airing objectionable content. Information and Broadcasting ministry (I&B) said, "One particular show called  'Fashion Uncensored' does not adhere to the Programming Code prescribed in the Cable TV Act and hence a letter has been shot off to them". Trendz channel was launched in May this year and is part of the Zee-Turner bouquet. Source: The Hindu Business Line, Nov.29, 2003

The world 

The world Italy's mighty television networks are today facing their first nationwide viewers' strike. Under the uncompromising slogan "Television is Nasty and Bad" it aims to tempt 400,000 people away from primetime weekend viewing. "We want to say to people that there are better ways of spending their free time than to stay home staring at television," said Anna Spreafico, a spokeswoman for Esterni, the Milan cultural association behind the initiative. The organisers have negotiated discounts with museums, galleries, theatres, bars and restaurants for anyone who turns up between Friday and Sunday carrying a TV remote control, the symbol of telly addiction. Esterni, set up to promote live events and personal encounters to counter modern, media-induced alienation, has been holding strikes in Milan for seven years. During that period it claims to have increased 11-fold the number of protestors. Source: Hindustan Times, Dec.13, 2003

Print Media

Print media is heating up with several news dailies being planned for the Indian market. The Chennai based media group, Sun Network, will launch an English newspaper by mid-April 2004. Sources close to the deal said that the yet-to be named paper will have four editions in the south-Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. Its 24-page broadsheet is expected to compete with 'The Hindu' and expects to position itself as a 'second newspaper' to the readers of Hindu. Sahara Group is also gearing up to launch the Mumbai edition of its weekly English paper Sahara Times. Meanwhile, the Hinduja Group is said to be toying with the idea of launching a newspaper, first in English and later in vernacular languages. Source: The Economic Times, Dec11, 2003

Referring to an article that appeared in the Hindi daily, Rashtradoot, on October 14, 2003 Times of India has stated that if it is misinformation, then it invites the NRS to publicly deny it, or else issue an appropriate clarification. According to the article, Times of India has overtaken the Hindustan Times in Delhi, according to the National Readership Survey (NRS) for 2003 to be released at the end of the month. Earlier another agency, IRS, had said that TOI had gone ahead of Hindustan Times in Delhi but the latter had argued that the IRS results were flawed. Many advertising agencies trust IRS but NRS has a greater reach. Hindustan Times has been claiming a higher readership in Delhi for decades but now not only IRS but also NRS shows the Times of India to be ahead. The NRS 2003 data were due to be published in September but have been delayed due to the pressure to check them. Source: The Times of India, Dec.13, 2003

Nirvik Singh, chairman of South Asia, Grey Global Group, has been awarded the 'Agency head of the year' award at Media Magazine's Asia Pacific awards function held in Hong Kong. Source: Hindustan Times, Dec.16, 2003

Radio Media

Radio City has shortlisted 10 Delhi kids, including a visually impaired girl, Ambika Khattar, in the first phase of its Junior RJ Hunt, giving the children of the city a unique opportunity to co-host a new radio programme along with the RJs of Radio City 91 FM. Sumantra Dutta, COO, Radio City, says, "There is a lot of potential in kids and we are happy to provide a platform to children to demonstrate their talent. Radio being a community medium is ideal - by involving the children we involve the entire family and thereby build a stronger bond with our listeners." Source: WWW.Agencyfaqs.com,Dec. 19, 2003

 

Web Media 


Google, the Internet search king, is homing in on Bangalore for its first research and development centre outside the US. The centre is slated to open in March and will initially employ about 100 engineers, the Mountain View, California based company announced on Thursday. The Google move comes just when the Microsoft and Yahoo are spending colossal sums to challenge the growing dominance of what they dismissed as the smaller player in the search engine market till not long ago. The New York Times reported last week that Microsoft was seeking a partnership or buyout, but was rebuffed by Google. Source: Hindustan Times, Dec.13, 2003

The world 

Armed with a sharp wit and a concealed camera Iran's Vice President Mohammad Ali Abtahi is offering Internet users a daily-behind-the-scene peek into the corridors of the powers in Iran. Abtahi a mid ranking cleric and one of President Mohammad Khatami's most trusted aides, started his own website www.webnevesht.com last month featuring amusing anecdotes and pictures from top level meetings in the country. The website gives an unusually irreverent insight into the closed world of the Iranian government which is generally seen through the filter of state-controlled media that present a serious and formal picture of the country's leaders. Source: Hindustan Times, Dec.14, 2003 

 
Events & Public Relations

Sports commentator and TV personality, Charu Sharma has signed up with 9 YARDS, the sports and entertainment company promoted by Walchand Capital Group, for exclusively managing and marketing his career towards corporate endorsement, events and appearances. Other celebrities who have already signed up with the company are soccer star Baichung Bhutia, actress Manisha Koirala, Australian cricket captain Ricky Ponting and go-karting prodigy Sahil Shelar. Says Mr Naveen Sharma, CEO, 9 YARDS Sports and Entertainment, "We are excited to exclusively represent Charu with the aim of maximising and sharing his skills with sports lovers in general and brands and corporate organisations in particular through hosting innovative events, endorsements, TV programming and leadership speakers series, among other things." Source: The Hindu Business Line, Dec.9, 2003

This month, the Indian Express Group brings to India, World Press Photo '03. It would be held from December 18, 2003 to January 7, 2004, in Mumbai. This exhibition, which is the result of a worldwide annual contest on Press photography, travels each year to about 80 venues in 40 countries across the world. This year 3,913 photographers from 118 countries entered a staggering total of 53,597 images, each of which were intensively deliberated upon by an independent international jury consisting of 13 renowned professionals within the field of photojournalism. The primary objective of the event has always been-to raise public interest in a field that most feel is a little too harsh, promote the free flow of information worldwide and stimulate discussions amongst professionals, about the finer aspects of news photographs. Source: The Sunday Express, Dec.14, 2003

Films & Cinema


Bollywood's latest export, the Hindi musical melodrama Kal Ho Na Ho, directed by Nikhil Advani, boasts to be comfortably in the box-office top 10 for two weeks now in UK. Though a full-fledged crossover film hit is yet to come, Bollywood abroad is doing just fine, finding a devoted audience in the UK by skipping over the major Anglo advertising outlets and concentrating promotional efforts with NRI-newspapers, TV and Radio. Overseas ticket, video and DVD sales now account for perhaps 40% of the revenue for the Hollywood, a multibillion-pound industry. "A ticket in London is ten times the cost of a ticket in the most upmarket theatre in India," explains Rachel Dwyer, chairperson of the Centre of South Asian Studies at the University of London and author of several books on Indian Cinema. Source: Guardian, Dec.12, 2003
 
Miscellaneous  

Walt Disney Company's proposal to set up office in the country to launch a broad range of media and entertainment products has been cleared. Information and Broadcasting Minister, Ravi Shankar Prasad, said in a written reply, "one of the conditions of the approval given by the Government is that the company would not undertake any broadcasting from Indian soil unless specifically permitted to do so." Source: The Hindu Business Line, Dec.9, 2003


Compiled by

Saurabh Marya, BA Mass Comm (1st year)

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