With the start of IPL3, iDubba has launched some features that allow users to set team-specific and player-specific alerts so that they need not worry about missing their favourite player batting or bowling during the match.
According to TAM, in the CS4+ category, all India market, IPL3 matches held from March 28 to April 3, 2010, a total of 10 matches, have delivered an average TVR of 4.50 per cent. On the other hand, the average TVR for the last 33 matches during IPL3 touched 4.67 per cent as compared to 4.69 per cent TVR during the inaugural season of IPL.
Online travel company Yatra.com and eBay India have signed a strategic deal to promote the products of Yatra.com across te eBay portal. eBay India will now feature Yatra.com as a recommended travel website. In return, Yatra.com will offer the customers of eBay India the option to search and book travel products – domestic and international flights and domestic hotels.
Codemasters, one of the leading British developer and publisher of world-class video games, has announced that Reliance Big Entertainment Ltd (RBEL), a part of Reliance ADA Group, has agreed to acquire a 50 per cent shareholding in the company, alongside existing investor, Balderton Capital, one of the leading European venture capital firms that first invested in Codemasters in 2005.
Loksatta has launched yet another reader engagement programme – ‘Khel Saap Sheedi Cha’ – giving a new twist on the traditional game of ‘Snakes & Ladders’. The new game follows the same rules as Snakes & Ladders with the added incentive of winning grand prizes every week. The game gives Loksatta readers in Mumbai and Pune the chance to win diamond pendants from D’damas and more than 5,000 other prizes, including Benetton wallets and shades, travel bags, travel irons and I-ball headsets among others.
Winners of the Chanakya Awards 2010 were announced recently. Integrated communications firm Brand-comm was adjudged PR Agency of the Year. Meanwhile, Coca-Cola India was adjudged the Organisation of the Year for PR Excellence. Deepak Jolly, Vice President, Public Affairs and Communication, Coca-Cola India received the Award.
‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’ (KBC) is gearing up for its fourth season and there are very strong rumours that Aamir Khan would be the new host. Meanwhile, the industry is also talking about KBC-4 being telecast on Sony instead of Star Plus. exchange4media takes a look at KBC over the last three seasons and the expectations from the fourth season.
Stage is set for India’s biggest advertising festival, GoaFest 2010, that kicks off today. Already the Cavelossim Beach is brimming with the media, advertising and marketing fraternity ready for yet another festival season under the sun. Meanwhile, as a precursor to the event, an Industry Leadership Conclave is being organised on April 8.
Cricket fans, who are not able to watch the IPL matches on TV, have an additional option this year to catch up with the action on YouTube. Some technical glitches notwithstanding, live streaming on YouTube is paying off. And it’s not just cricket fans, but advertisers too who are upbeat about this medium. exchange4media caught up with Narasimha Jayakumar, Business Head, Google India, to know more about the YouTube effect on IPL, the viewers and advertisers.
O&M has bagged the creative duties of IndusInd Bank following a multi-agency pitch. The agencies in the fray included JWT, Rediffusion Y&R, Saatchi & Saatchi and Mudra. RK Swamy BBDO is the incumbent agency. It is learnt that IndusInd Bank plans to spend close to Rs 40 crore in the coming financial year on advertising and other visibility initiatives.
The winning streak of OMD continues with the agency adding two more accounts to its kitty – Hindustan Pencils Ltd and Cotton World. The cumulative account size is pegged at Rs 18 crore. No pitch preceded both the wins. OMD officials have confirmed the wins.
Deva Dutta has joined DNA as Vice-President – Revenues for the Bangalore operations. He will be reporting to Dipayan Chowdhury, EVP (Revenues), DNA. In his new role, Dutta will be responsible for the group’s overall operations, including Ad Sales, Circulation, HR and Administration, Production, and Marketing.
The second Mobile Ad Conference presented by IAMAI held in Mumbai on April 7, discussed ‘Mobile advertising: The next big thing - capabilities and challenges’. The eminent panel members also provided valuable insights on the challenges of delivering successful creative mobile campaigns.
Emami has earmarked a marketing budget of Rs 20 crore for Zandu Balm for the current fiscal and has roped in Genesis as its agency. Emami has also signed on cricketers Virender Sehwag, Amit Mishra and Dinesh Karthik as brand ambassadors to promote Zandu Balm. The TV campaign is slated to commence from June 2010.
Kushal Sanghvi has joined StratosHear as Executive Director - Business Development, Media and Alliances. He came on board on April 7, 2010 and is in the process of settling in. Sanghvi moves from Media Contacts, where he was Managing Director. In his new role, Sanghvi will be responsible for forging alliances with telecom companies to grow the business.
The Blackstone Group, one of the world’s leading investment and advisory firms, has announced that it will be investing Rs 225 crore (approximately $50 million) in Jagran Media Network Pvt Ltd, which will hold majority share of Jagran Prakashan Ltd (JPL).
Leo Burnett has bagged the creative duties of McCain Foods India Pvt Ltd, which offers a wide variety of products such as Aloo Tikki, Tandoori Vege Nuggets and Vege Burgers. The win comes on the back of a multi-agency pitch. KS Narayanan, MD, McCain Foods, has confirmed the development.
As part of 2020 Vision, an integrated upliftment programme, Hindi daily Hindustan has launched yet another awakening programme – ‘Education Abhiyan 2010’. It may be recalled that prior to this initiative, Hindustan had also launched ‘Samagam’ and ‘Manthan’ in UP, Bihar and Jharkhand to mull over the present condition of these states and future objectives.
Chennai-based Fifth Estate Communications has bagged the creative and media mandates for Kirtilal Kalidas Jewellers. Mindshare is the incumbent media agency of record, while the creative duty of Kirtilal was handled by Grey Bangalore. The ad spend is estimated to be upwards of Rs 5 crore.