One of the interesting sessions on day two of the Indian Magazine Congress 2006 dealt with the age-old problem of the right distribution strategy peculiar to the magazine industry – whether to go for the subscription model or the newsstand model. Media experts had some through-provoking insights in this regard.
It's time to lead consumers by the nose. So goes the thinking at major package-goods marketers including Mars, PepsiCo, Kraft and Procter & Gamble, who hope scents will help them get attention among fragmented audiences.
Hindustan Lever (HLL), the Rs 11,000-crore consumer products giant, capitalised on rising consumer demand to post a 17.7% increase in profit after tax (before exceptional items) to Rs 383 crore in the quarter ended September '06.
After Indra Nooyi, the first Indian woman CEO of PepsiCo, Kurkure could be the next big find from India. Developed by Frito-Lay India - PepsiCo's snack food subsidiary - the home-grown savoury brand, Kurkure is all set to tickle American palates.
Kansai Nerolac Paints Ltd has found a unique way to promote its new range of Nerolac Impressions designer paints. A reality show is called, what else, ‘Nerolac Impression Jama De’. This show premiered on Zee TV from October 21, and will air on Saturdays at 7.30 pm with repeat telecasts on Sundays at 11 am and Monday at 12.30 am.
Future Internet revenues are expected to largely emanate from the continuous migration to broadband services and the explosive growth in first-time user markets, particularly in India, Indonesia and the Philippines, a Frost & Sullivan study has said. The overall Asia Pacific Internet subscriber had reached 161.8 million by the end of 2005.
In a bid to build up on-ground connect Radio Mirchi held a ‘Mirchi Achievers Forum’ on October 30, which also recognised the excellent work done by achievers in the field of entertainment, arts and sports. Noted actress and one of the Mirchi achievers, Shabana Azmi, interacted with listeners on various topics as part of the Forum.
ESPN-STAR Sports on Tuesday announced the launch of Mobile ESPN, marking its entry into the mobile value added services (VAS) domain in India. Besides information on cricket, the specialised feature service will have latest updates from international soccer matches, Sportscenter news, exclusive interviews and sports schedules.
The Bharat Matrimony Group has handed its creative duties to Network Advertising, following a multi-agency pitch. The agency will handle all the brands of the group. Prior to this, Starcom was finalised as the media agency. The business is pegged at Rs 25 crore. Murugavel Janakiraman, CEO, Bharat Matrimony Group confirmed the development.
After getting the nod from the Group of Ministers, the fate of community radio is now in the hands of the Union Cabinet, which is going to take up the issue within two weeks, according to I&B Secretary S K Arora.
Reader’s Digest has identified book and home entertainment for further growth of the brand in India. For this purpose, it has launched a wholly-owned subsidiary, Reader’s Digest India Book and Home Entertainment, with India Today Group. It is also mulling the launch of a Hindi edition of RD.
R K Swamy BBDO has been quietly adding on to its business bagging as many as 17 accounts in seven months with the total billings exceeding Rs 100 crore.
The two-day Indian Magazine Congress 2006 concluded in the Capital on October 31 on an optimistic note. All the delegates present agreed that the industry needed to take a hard look at the ways and means to take magazines to the next level and settle all doubts raised about the efficacy of the medium.
The second and concluding day of Indian Magazine Congress 2006 saw media stalwarts discuss several relevant issues, including leveraging magazines successfully with consumers and advertisers and how magazines are more engaging and cost effective than other media forms.
The prickly issue of imposing control on media (especially print media) was raised by India Today Group’s Prabhu Chawla on one of the sessions, ‘Driving growth of magazines through policy initiatives initiated by the Government of India’, on the concluding day of the Indian Magazine Congress 2006.