Date-wise News

In a bid to achieve a turnaround, loss-making IFB Industries Ltd, which is the market leader in the front-loading washing machine category, is shedding its low-key image and plans to target a wider audience with a slew of new initiatives. In a change of strategy, IFB also plans to ‘make more noise’ in the marketplace this year and enter lower price points.

exchange4media Staff Feb 24, 2004 5:49 AM

PVR Cinemas has entered into an alliance with Verma Corporation Limited/ K Sera Sera’s production company, ‘Factory’, for the distribution of Hindi films. The agreement between the three entities envisages a profit sharing relationship between them on the distribution of a list of films.

exchange4media Staff Feb 24, 2004 5:48 AM

Asmi, from the Diamond Trading Co., has embarked on a promotional blitzkrieg. The brand recently appointed Mandira Bedi their Brand Ambassadress, and has tied up with the Women’s Cricket Association of India for the Team and Title Sponsorship of the forthcoming West Indies Tour of India.

exchange4media Staff Feb 24, 2004 5:48 AM

Population First, a communications initiative for human development, is now online. Rajashree Birla, Director, Aditya Birla Group and the prime mover behind the Birla Group’s welfare and development initiatives inaugurated the web site www.populationfirst.org in Mumbai. It is a unique website about population and health issues.

exchange4media Staff Feb 24, 2004 5:46 AM

Monitoring stakeholders’ adherence to inter-operability norms in direct-to-home (DTH) broadcasting is expected to come under the regulator’s fold soon. According to government guidelines, inter-operability of set-top boxes is mandatory in DTH. Even as DTH in India has a single player so far, violations in the area of inter-operability have already been reported. ASC Enterprises, which soft-launched its DTH venture late 2003, however denies any violation on the company’s part.

exchange4media Staff Feb 24, 2004 5:44 AM

Certain qualities make RAPA unique. The only organization that gives awards for excellence on radio, RAPA Awards recognize around 17 Indian languages and 53 categories in television, radio and advertising. 2003 has seen a bounty of creative work across radio and television and the organizers of RAPA are hopeful of a good response.

exchange4media Staff Feb 24, 2004 5:43 AM

Kingfisher built its brand equity on the plinth of sports and fashion. Shekhar Ramamurthy, Executive VP (Sales & Marketing), UB breweries division, talks about the brand’s associations in an interview with exchange4media.com. For details, read this week’s Brand Speak.

exchange4media Staff Feb 24, 2004 5:42 AM

The Kumble brothers, Anil and Dinesh have decided to expand their joint venture company, Stumpvision by launching a sports tabloid. Titled Sportvision, the weekly offering is to cover news from the world of local, national and international sports. The date of the launch is yet to be finalized.

exchange4media Staff Feb 24, 2004 5:41 AM

The fate of the conditional access system (CAS) remains uncertain, with the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) asking the government to defer it in the four metros by another three months so that the regulations for governing the sector can be worked out.

exchange4media Staff Feb 24, 2004 5:40 AM

UTV, the Pan Asian media and entertainment integrated company, has appointed Shalini Rawla Vice President, Marketing for its upcoming kids channel. Prior to this, Rawla was with Contract Advertising as Vice President Accounts Manager. The yet-to-be-named channel for youngsters between 4-18 will be the first channel to have localised content made by an Indian company. The channel aims to go on air by September 2004 and will have 100 per cent Hindi content.

exchange4media Staff Feb 24, 2004 5:39 AM

The biggest drawback with outdoor research (the global scene) is that most of the time, number crunchers measure the creative work and not the benefits of the medium in isolation. Unlike radio, print and television, outdoor is that doesn’t quite depend on editorial matter. So, is the creative idea the only means of attracting the right kind of audience? Does this also mean that if the creative fulfils its objectives, the outdoor effort is successful? Or if the creative bombs, the medium fails too?

exchange4media Staff Feb 24, 2004 5:38 AM

Hindustan Pencils, which is currently reviewing its media account, has short-listed Starcom, Mediacom and the newly set up Lintas Group’s Insight. Optimum Media Solutions and incumbent Carat were also selected in the first round. The three short listed agencies are expected to make their final pitch in the first week of March.

exchange4media Staff Feb 24, 2004 5:36 AM

India’s visit to Australia, which included four test matches and four ODIs, was expected to generate around Rs 55–60 crore in ad revenue as per industry estimates. India’s lacklustre performance at home just before the Australia visit had somehow dampened expectations. However, that is history now. The series delivered and delivered in style. As per channel sources, close to Rs 100 crore was generated — 50% higher than the expectations. And so were the ad rates – much higher than heard of in cricket till now.

exchange4media Staff Feb 24, 2004 5:34 AM

Hindi Newspapers in the South provide an apt platform to reach SEC A, SEC B consumers especially during festive seasons. Though this helps media planners reach out to a particular group, the ad monies invested may not be high enough to generate much revenue for the publication.

exchange4media Staff Feb 24, 2004 5:33 AM