International: Discovery's Got a New Manager, a New Brand and a New Ad Model

John Ford to Helm Discovery as Company Creates Investigation Discovery

e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Nov 30, 2007 6:47 AM  | 4 min read
International: Discovery's Got a New Manager, a New Brand and a New Ad Model

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- The times they are a-changin' for Discovery. It's got a new general manager, a new name for one of its networks and new ad model.

Jane Root, president-general manager of Discovery Channel and the Science Channel, left the company to return home to the U.K. That news came a day after the Discovery Times Channel announced it was adopting a new name, Investigation Discovery (or ID for short) starting Jan. 27, to reflect the departure of former editorial partner The New York Times last year. At the head of all the change is John Ford, the new general manager of Discovery and former general manager of the entity which just had its name switched.

Customized spots
Also in the works is a unique ad model. Mr. Ford said the network will work with its marketing partners to create customized spots to "reveal the truth about their products."

The programming is already engaging, he said, so the goal will be to get viewers to stay with the network a long time with cross-media packages, including a robust new website.

In his previous roles at Discovery, Mr. Ford helped launch and expand networks like TLC, Discovery Health Channel and HD Theater. Discovery CEO David Zaslav has said that one of his major initiatives since coming to the company in January was to bring Mr. Ford back to Discovery (he spent the last four years as exec VP-programming at National Geographic Channel). He succeeded in September by bringing Mr. Ford on to run Discovery Times and the Military Channel, which will both announce new management in the coming weeks.

"John Ford is one of the best programming and operating executives in the nonfiction space, and having known him for more than a decade -- he is the perfect executive to lead Discovery Channel into the future," Mr. Zaslav said.

Owns HowStuffWorks
Mr. Ford's appointment represents the latest in a series of significant changes to the Discovery Channel. Last month, the network acquired HowStuffWorks for $250 million to beef up its web content and also add an additional 3.9 million visitors to its monthly user base. Earlier that month, the network revealed a new logo and on-air look to reflect its efforts to target younger men with shows like "Deadliest Catch," "Man Vs. Wild," "Dirty Jobs" and "Last Man Standing." So far, the shift appears to be paying off, with ratings up 18% in November vs. the same period last year and a lowering of the prime median age from 41 to 37.

Mr. Ford spoke with Ad Age the day before his new gig was announced, to discuss the changes at Discovery Times.

Expected to reach 52 million homes by next year, the network formerly known as Discovery Times has gained ratings momentum recently, increasing its total day household ratings by double and triple-digit intervals for the last 11 months.

Mr. Ford said while the Times was on-board as the network's editorial partner, the content had already started to take a more investigative focus, leading to the name change. "We decided that going forward we wanted a new name that transmits the investigative flavor of the channel," he said. There are no current plans for any editorial partners to take the place of the Times, Mr. Ford added.

Another name-changing net
The name change follows Turner's Court TV announced plans to change its name to TruTV on Jan. 1. TruTV is expected to take a more general crime-and-investigation approach to programming. Mr. Ford said his primary consideration was to give the ID network a more established identity, independent of what Court TV or any other network was working on. Nor does he expect Investigation Discovery to compete with the in-depth reporting on networks like CNN or Fox News. "There's plenty of news channels out there. We don't need to join that pack," he said.

Mr. Zaslav said in a statement that the ID strategy reflects the company's overall focus on an "organized, sequential repositioning of our emerging network portfolio." And as consumer interest in fact-based programming and content reaches critical mass, adding a Discovery network to showcase investigative and current-affairs programs is a timely move. "Discovery has a great programming tradition in this category, and Investigation Discovery will have over 200 hours of premiere programming in 2008, and the ability to distribute original content on the U.S. channel and across our networks in 173 countries internationally."

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E4M Our strategy is to target younger audiences through Sports: Rajiv Dubey, Dabur

The Head of Media at Dabur India spoke exclusively to exchange4media on the World Cup, associating with Indian Idol, the company’s digital spending and much more

e4m by e4m Staff
Published: Oct 27, 2023 6:15 PM  | 1 min read
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With quirky campaigns, memes and moment marketing, timed with the ongoing World Cup and particularly the India-Pakistan matches, Dabur India has got considerable consumer attention for its popular brands – Red Paste, Cool King Hair Oil, Chyawanprash, Dabur Vita and the recently launched Bae Fresh Gel toothpaste.

The 140-year-old company is going big on key sporting events, World Television Premiere (WTP) movies and reality shows. It is now gearing up to become the title sponsor of popular talent show ‘Indian Idol’ on Sony TV for the first time, shared Rajiv Dubey, who leads the media strategy at Dabur.

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Swapan Seth's new book 'COOL' is out

The book is a reflection of the author's 'eclectic taste across categories'

e4m by e4m Staff
Published: Oct 27, 2023 6:07 PM  | 1 min read
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Advertising professional and art collector Swapan Seth has announced the launch of his new book COOL. The book is described as "a ready reckoner to the hip and the happening, of the known and the very unknown."

The book is a reflection of the author's "eclectic taste across categories: from boltholes to exotic hideaways."

COOL has been published by Simon & Schuster India and is available on Amazon.

Seth is an ad veteran with a long and illustrious career in the industry. He became the youngest-ever Creative Director at Clarion at age 24. He was VP at 26 at Trikaya Grey. Two years later, he started his agency Equus.

He writes for publications such as The Economic Times, Hindustan Times and India Today. This is his second book and he has previously published THIS IS ALL I HAVE TO SAY.

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Disney Star signs 9 sponsors for Asia Cup PAK

Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up come on board

e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 26, 2023 11:48 AM  | 1 min read
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e4m Staff Disney Star has signed nine broadcast and digital streaming sponsors for the upcoming Asia Cup.

Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up have come on board for the upcoming tournament.
As reported earlier by exchange4media, Disney Star has sought Rs 26 crore for the co-presenting sponsorship on TV and Rs 30 crore for Disney+ Hotstar.

According to industry sources, the associate sponsorship on Star Sports has been priced at Rs 19.66 crore, whereas for the ‘powered by’ sponsorship on Disney+ Hotstar, the broadcaster is seeking Rs 18 crore.

As per the information available with exchange4media, Disney+ Hotstar has three sponsorship tiers-- co-presenting (Rs 30 crore), powered by (Rs 18 crore) and associate sponsorship (Rs 12 crore). The broadcaster is offering an estimated reach of 120-140 million for co-presenting sponsors, 90-100 million for powered by and 60-70 million for associate sponsorship.

A spot buy for 10 seconds has been priced at Rs 25 lakh for the India vs Pakistan matches, while for the non-India matches, the ad rate for 10 second is Rs 2.3 lakh. The India matches plus the final for ODIs has been priced at Rs 17 lakh per 10 seconds.

Asia Cup is scheduled to be held from 30 August, 2023, to September 17, 2023.

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Sorted 360 wins creative & social media mandate of Reliance Mall

The agency will manage offline and online campaigns for Reliance Mall

e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 26, 2023 10:54 AM  | 1 min read
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Sorted 360, an integrated creative and social media agency, has won the mandate to providing brand solutions for Reliance Malls across India.

“Sorted 360 is set to enhance Reliance Malls' market presence with their unparalleled creative prowess and strategic thinking,” read a press release.

“Sorted 360's commitment to pushing the boundaries of creative communication aligns perfectly with Reliance Malls' ethos. With a pan-India presence spanning across 19 cities and growing, Reliance Malls has consistently captivated customers by offering an array of Reliance brands and third-party fashion & lifestyle brands. The mall has established an unparalleled connection with its patrons through superior quality, a remarkable value proposition, and an unmatched shopping experience,” it read further.

"We are thrilled to welcome Sorted 360 as our trusted partner in advancing our brand presence across the nation," said the Head of Marketing at Relaice Malls. "Their proven expertise in retail, shopping center management, and innovative creative strategies make them the perfect fit for our vision."

"Partnering with Reliance Malls is a testament to our commitment to shaping extraordinary brand experiences," remarked Prerana Anatharam, Co-founder of Sorted 360. "We are excited to leverage our strategic and creative acumen to further elevate Reliance Malls as the epitome of convenience, choice, and excellence."

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e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 25, 2023 4:39 PM  | 1 min read

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e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 25, 2023 4:38 PM  | 1 min read

KlugKlug onboards Hemang Mehta as Country Manager for Indias

Mehta was most recently Head of Agency Relationships at Network 18 Media & Investments

e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 24, 2023 3:35 PM  | 1 min read
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KlugKlug has appointed Hemang Mehta as its Country Manager for India.

Mehta will play a pivotal role in driving KlugKlug's growth and expansion within the Indian market and be responsible for Sales & GTM Strategy

Prior to that, he has also represented organisations like Exponential (now VDX.tv), India Today Digital and Rediff.com. His expertise spans various domains including digital media sales, mobile marketing, media planning, and buying, social media marketing, and more.

Hemang Mehta expressed his enthusiasm about joining KlugKlug, saying, "I am thrilled to be a part of KlugKlug, a forward-thinking platform that is reshaping the influencer marketing landscape. As much as I look forward to collaborating with the exuberant team at KlugKlug, I am super excited to interact with the brands to deliver powerful data-backed Influencer solutions that will guarantee business outcomes."

Commenting on the appointment, Kalyan Kumar, Co-Founder and CEO of KlugKlug, stated, "We are excited to welcome Hemang Mehta to our team as the Country Manager for India. His extensive experience in digital media sales and marketing will be instrumental in driving our efforts to provide influencer marketing solutions to our clients. We believe Hemang's leadership will be key in scaling our operations and expanding our reach within the Indian market."

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