TOI’s Chennai edition ‘not for now’; ‘Strategy is also what not to do,’ says Bhaskar Das
Bhaskar Das, Executive President, Bennett, Coleman & Co.Ltd. , is clear that The Times of India is not looking at an edition in the Chennai market, for now. Speaking to exchange4media on the sidelines of MMA’s golden jubilee convention, he admitted that the South as a market was better poised for growth, and that in future, print as a medium would veer towards compactness.

Bhaskar Das, Executive President, Bennett, Coleman & Co.Ltd., was among the speakers at the MMA Golden Jubilee conclave at Chennai. Speaking to exchange4media on the sidelines of the convention, he said that the group was not considering the launch of The Times of India in Chennai, for now.
The market has been abuzz with news of The Times of India’s impending launch in Chennai for some time now. Denying any immediate intentions of launching an edition here, Das said, “Strategy is also what not to do. For the time being, our priorities are different. You can’t manage business with emotion. It has to make sense commercially. It would depend on whether or not there is a need gap in the market. Right now, someone else is battling it out in the market. Let that battle get over first. We are immediately not thinking about it.”
With media fragmentation, the ability of a media to survive would depend on its ability to reinvent itself, stated Das. Answering a question on the compact format taking over from the broadsheet, he said, “The reconfiguration of format is likely to happen. 50 per cent of newspapers have converted to a compact size. Compactness acknowledges the time constraint and the attention deficit of the audience. Compactness also means that the content is also relevant. There are different needs and interests, and because of plurality of interests and the time-squeeze, compactness of size, and compactness of content, is going to be the order of the day.”
While he did not affirm that the Mumbai Mirror model was likely to be replicated in other cities, Das did not deny the possibility either.
“It is difficult to say. No one realised that Times London would go compact. Strategy is always a function of a corporation’s priorities, market priorities, evolution of the industry. You need to constantly adjust with that, and give due respect to consumer tastes,” explained Das.
The South is being viewed by TOI as one of the most promising regions. One key to this was identified as political stability and a resultant favourable environment for emerging industries, leading to creation of a new category of employees and consumer affluence. Das explained that the South would “definitely be in the consideration set for any launch, and that includes media”.
Underlining one of the advantages of being an established player in an era of new brand launches, he reasoned that with no overnight supply in the ideas industry that is media, new players would be forced to operate on higher pay scales. This, resulted in changes to the cost structure, and changed competitive positions. Das reflected, “That’s competition, so one has to face it. One cannot prevent the pace of movement. So, one has to look at talent development and talent retention in a way that makes commercial sense.”
On the pride the brand takes in its youthful visage, he said, “Today, young or youth is not an age band – it is a mindset. Though we are 168 years old, we have an incumbent body but an insular mind. We have no choice because the market is getting hyper competitive, especially with the competition shifting from intra category to inter category. In a hyper competitive market, one needs to be agile enough to continuously reinvent the corporation to adjust to consumer tastes and preferences. The key challenge is to manage the present from the future, and not the future from the present.”
And therein, lies the challenge.
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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
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'
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 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
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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KlugKlug onboards Hemang Mehta as Country Manager for Indias
Mehta was most recently Head of Agency Relationships at Network 18 Media & Investments
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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