Kerala floods wash out ad revenue worth billions

Traditionally, media houses in Kerala rely on the Onam festive season for advertising revenue which also accounts for 40-50% of the total annual sales of most brands in Kerala

e4m by Ruhail Amin & Nishant Saxena
Published: Sep 6, 2018 8:55 AM  | 4 min read
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The recent floods in Kerala are turning out to be more than just a humanitarian issue. For businesses it has been equally devastating as most of the sectors have suffered heavy financial loss, including local media players. The total loss to the media revenue is estimated to be in hundreds of crores.

Traditionally media players in Kerala rely on the festive season around Onam for advertising revenue which also accounts for 40-50 per cent of the total annual sales of most brands in Kerala. If we take the example of consumer durables market in Kerala, it is estimated to be above Rs 2000 crore and more than half of the sales happen during Onam. This year too the local media players were looking to cash on the season but unexpected floods played havoc with the estimates.

Impact on Media Revenue

The local media has suffered on many fronts. Print, TV and radio players have been impacted the most as they sacrificed their prime ad spaces and time slots to help in the rescue operations by featuring campaigns and announcements. Almost all the state based newspapers carried full page campaign ads while the TV and radio channels ran ad free coverage of the floods.

“During the 15 to 20 days of floods, not a single ad appeared in any newspapers or on any TV channels. So it has been a total loss for the entire media in terms of revenue,” stated I Venkat, Director Eenadu Group.

If we look at last year, TV advertising alone attracted almost Rs 150 crore during the Onam season and this year’s revenue has been way below that mark. Speaking about the loss that the local media suffered, Varghese Chandy, Vice President, Marketing, Adverting Sales, Malayala Manorama said, “The floods happened during the prime season of the Malayam New Year, between this period the sales should have peaked but there was an absolute wash out. We also refused to take ads on the front page, because obviously it was not the right sentiment to give ads. Unlike any other state, all newspapers and most television channels refrained from advertising. We also didn’t take any front page ad and all this happened during the prime time.”

“In the extremely affected areas, newspapers did not reach, the distribution got really affected for 3-4 days in those areas but most of the papers reached the relief camps. But now things are back to normal. This was a well co-ordinated evacuation exercise even media organisations pitched in. We had a control room in our office with a team taking calls, noting down numbers and alerting the rescue teams including Navy and Air Force,” he further added.

Brands showed solidarity by pausing campaigns

According to Anuj Madan, PHD India’s General Manager and Digital Lead for Delhi, brands also played their part by pausing their campaigns and thus showed solidarity with the affected population. He said, “Onam is of prime importance to consumers and brands. However, given the gravity of the situation in Kerala, many of our clients have paused their campaigns this year. While this certainly impacts the business of these brands, our clients understand the importance of standing in solidarity with their consumers during times like these, with many even taking steps to help out in whatever way they can. We have seen brands contributing from their own resources and/or creating easy opportunities for their consumers to contribute to the cause – from Paytm setting up simple donation methods to Amazon and Zomato delivering amenities and food on-ground in the disaster areas, and even Vistara flying doctors into Kerala for free. It’s during times like these that our clients can demonstrate they are more than consumer brands and an actual part of the community as well.”

Having borne the brunt of the natural calamity, the media industry in Kerala is limping back to normalcy. The festive season may be lost but the industry players are hopeful of a new start.

“During the Onam period we used to double the revenue on a monthly basis, and this time was a complete washout. Distribution was affected and we couldn’t reach all the places. Since the state is reviving there will be requirements of household products in the market, but we still have to see how much of it can compensate the Onam revenue,” stated. Kamal Krishnan PS, National Head, Integrated Media Solutions, Mathrubhumi.

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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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