‘Pocket-size’ Idiot box all set to debut

IIPM Ranked No. 1 B-School In Global Exposre - Zee...

An overwhelming majority of Indians are ‘interested’ in Mobile TV. Here’s what this new media promises for all stakeholders. By PALLAVI SRIVASTAVA

“By the end of 2015 the biggest TV viewing in the country will happen through handheld/mobile devices,” exclaims Ashish Kaul, Executive Vice President, Zee Network. He prophesies that since India is a country that has surpassed world standards in mobile penetration, there is a huge emerging market of people who would like to watch content on handheld/mobile devices. “Traditional television in India is already dead and the future of TV is in mobile devices,” he adds.

Ashish maybe exaggerating when he claims the imminent death of traditional TV media in the country, but he is bang on when he says that Mobile TV indeed has a promising future ahead. Sample this: According to a report by Springboard Research – ‘Mobile TV in India’ – 84% of the mobile phone users in the country are interested in using Mobile TV, if it is easily available and suits their pocket.

But how’s it all going to be made possible? Everyone knows that Mobile TV allows users to watch live television content on mobile phone or other mobile devices. And that the phenomena will give users the freedom to watch television anywhere anytime. But here’s what is pushing the potential of the new media. Industry experts feel that mobile TV will kick off in a big way in the coming years, thanks largely to hectic urban lifestyles. Gaurav Sinha, Senior Media Planner in a leading media buying agency explains, “People are spending more time traveling. So, entertainment on the wheels will be the buzz of the industry, in times to come.” He adds that the same is a key reason for the revival of radio in the country, in recent times.

Moreover, India is all set to soon see the emergence of a mass 3G market, to further boost the already budding mobile market. The convergence of broadcast and mobile markets will result in favourable conditions for Broadcast Mobile TV services. “Once these technologies reach acceptable price levels for the Indian market, particularly on handsets, the market for Mobile TV will move ahead rapidly,” says Sue Taylor, Vice-President and General Manager, NDS Asia Pacific. It is expected that Mobile TV will capture around 12 million subscribers in the first year of its launch taking the market size to an impressive (for a beginner) $360 million (Source: Springboard Research).

As far as the technology for Mobile TV is concerned there are two types of technology, which are currently relevant for the Indian market. One is Digital Video Broadcasting-Handheld (DVB- H) and the other is Media Flo (developed by Qualcomm). In the DVB-H technology the content is broadcast just the way it is done in traditional television. But one has to set up a new broadcast network to telecast Mobile TV through DVB-H technology. On the contrary Media Flo technology can telecast Mobile TV using the existing telecom network, with some additional investments and enhancement.

Further, like traditional television, there will be a service provider (one who makes the service available to the end customer like cable or DTH operators for traditional TV), a content provider (the broadcaster), and in place of the traditional television set, all one needs to have is a cell phone that supports mobile television viewing.

However, presently there are no service provider in the country for Mobile TV services. State-broadcaster Doordarshan is executing a pilot project, but that too is in a very nascent stage. The options, however are plentiful. Either an existing broadcaster may tie-up with one (or more) telecom player to provide its content to their subscribers. Or the content provider itself can set up its own network through DVB-H technology. Leading media houses have begun studying the feasibility of various options to go mobile, as they say.

There is also another possibility and that is that an independent company decides to get into the business of service provider for Mobile TV. Whatever be the case, one thing is for sure that mobile operators willing to provide Mobile TV service will have an upper hand over standalone Mobile TV operators as they already have an existing network, which can be used to provide the service.

Further, mobile operators in the country also have an existing subscriber base to whom they are already providing various value-added services. So, they too need not go head hunting for consumers to take their services, and instead sell Mobile TV services directly to existing consumers. Coming to handsets, companies like Nokia and Samsung have already launched a few models that support the Mobile TV format and are planning to launch more.

Another factor is the content for Mobile TV. 4Ps B&M spoke to industry veterans to figure what programming mix can one expect on Mobile TV. Most were of the view that a majority of Mobile TV subscribers would prefer to watch the same content on their mobiles as they do on their TV sets at home. “News, sports, music videos and game shows are the genres that can rule the ‘pocket size’ idiot box,” says Ravi Shekhar Pandey, Manager, Syndicated Research, Springboard.
Besides, there are manifold benefits of Mobile TV for all stakeholders. A consumer gets the freedom to watch TV while s/he is on the move and that too in a personalised manner (eliminating the need to watch a ‘K’ brigade serial just because your mom wants to watch it!). For mobile service providers and broadcasters, it can result in higher growth opportunity and higher Average Revenue Per Unit (ARPU). And most importantly, for the advertiser, it promises a much sharper audience resulting in higher ROI.

Having said that, there are indeed some policy issues, which can create complication in the application of Mobile TV, but Springboard’s Ravi feels otherwise. “I don’t think policy will be a big challenge one needs to get the right technology and the right business model in place,” he says. So, ready to catch the ‘Delhi Daredevils’ sweating it out with ‘Kolkata Knight Riders’ live on your cell phone then?

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

Read these article :-
ZEE BUSINESS BEST B SCHOOL SURVEY
B-schooled in India, Placed Abroad (Print Version)
IIPM in Financial times (Print Version)
IIPM makes business education truly global
The Indian Institute of Planning and Management (IIPM)
IIPM Campus

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
4Ps Power Brand Awards 2007
When IIPM comes to education, never compromise
IIPM, GURGAON
IIPM - Admission Procedure
IIPM is A World of Career
Why Study Abroad When IIPM Gives You 3 global Advantages!

He always said.... “I’m damn good at business”

When IIPM comes to education, never compromise

Amitabh Bachchan was the last Bollywood superstar who tried to cash in on his star status to build a business empire. King Khan is trying to move much beyond that! By ADITI PRASAD

Late in the 1980s, he burst upon the scene as a gawking teenager in the serial Fauji. Most girls and women loved him; as did some men. Then he arrived in Bollywood as the character Raju who becomes a gentleman – losing his soul for money and greed before redeeming himself. Then he was the successful tycoon in Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gam. Reel life often mirrors real life, and fantasies often come true. And so you have superstar Shah Rukh Khan in a new role – a can do and aggressive entrepreneur who has global ambitions.

Who would have known that behind the carelessly crafted façade of an entertainer who takes dancing at weddings in his stride, lies the limitless energy and entrepreneurial fire that perhaps only a very few in a million possess. A multi-million dollar deal with the Indian Premier League (IPL), a stake in BAG Films’ entertainment foray, a place on the board of Jet Airways, besides his billion dollar ambitions with Red Chillies Entertainment and VFX, SRK has certainly hedged his bets in the cyclical Hindi film industry.

Even as contemporaries like Aamir Khan, Saif Ali Khan and Sunil Shetty are content with floating production houses or launching restaurant chains, as potential retirement plans; SRK has readied himself with a battery of business interests, to launch himself in style alongside the who’s who of India Inc. And his timing is just perfect. Sources opine that the King will continue to proudly flaunt the Bollywood crown for maximum two to four years and Shah Rukh is leaving no stone unturned to make the most of his precious place under the vacillating Bollywood Sun.

Lalit Modi, the suave Chairman of IPL is a sure-shot convert to the growing fan-list of SRK’s business prowess. “In my view, Shah Rukh is the world’s biggest and best marketer,” he exclaims, recounting a recent incident that re-affirmed his faith in SRK’s business acumen. “I met Shah Rukh within a week of his purchasing the Kolkata franchise of IPL. You won’t believe it, but he had already prepared nearly 20 power point presentations that covered the entire gamut – from possible mascots, to team uniforms, to marketing presentations, possible sponsors. He was like a man possessed,” avers Modi. According to Modi, soon after buying the Kolkata team, Shah Rukh had locked himself in at Mannat (his home in Mumbai) for a week to study the game of cricket and to chart out his team’s future direction.

Soumitra Karnik, VP & Executive Creative Director, JWT is also bowled over. “Shah Rukh’s vision for the team is fantastic. The kind of presentations that he had prepared on IPL, were far better than any MBA student could ever have made,” he points out, confident that in years to come, SRK would completely re-define entertainment and sports in India. And Soumitra should know. Having directed SRK in a series of Pepsi commercials, the creative brain has had a fair share of interactions with Shah Rukh the showman turned marketer and business visionary.

For the uninitiated, King Khan bagged the Kolkata franchise of IPL a few months ago - for an estimated $75 million - under the banner of a new sports and games division created under his production company Red Chillies Entertainment. At the time, SRK’s detractors said that playing hockey in college and playing a star coach on-screen for a hockey team (Chak De India) is no claim to fame in the actual world of sports, but Shah Rukh’s keen business vision, is already proving naysayers wrong.

Sources in BCCI affirm that potential sponsors have begun knocking avidly at SRK’s doors for piggybacking his charisma on the cricket field. No surprise here, given that most of the other IPL franchises are biggies of India Inc. (a la Mukesh Ambani, Vijay Mallya & N. Srinivasan), with their own companies & brands to support. SRK’s decision to move in for an IPL franchise has, in fact, put him in the league of these business barons who share the IPL franchise tag along with Shah Rukh.

At the recently concluded IPL auction for players in Mumbai, a blue T-shirt and jeans clad SRK turned up to full house, and sauntered off with stars like Ricky Ponting, Brendon McCullum, Shoaib Akhtar, Chris Gayle, David Hussey, among others in his pocket, from right under the noses of these biz biggies. Of course, although SRK had bid for Dhoni originally, in the final assessment, he gave Dhoni the miss. And rightly so, given that Dhoni went under the hammer for an eye-popping $1.5 million.

The nation’s passion for anything cricket, coupled with SRK’s deft marketing manoeuvres, his entertainment jugglery and his unbridled charisma to pull fans into the stadium, is just waiting to set the cash registers ringing for King Khan. “I expect all IPL teams to be worth $700-800 million within 5 years of operations,” avers Modi. But so confident is Modi about Shah Rukh’s ability to make a success out of his IPL foray that he candidly admits: “Of the existing franchises, I expect SRK’s Kolkata franchise to be the first to break even and recover money, and that too within the very first year of operations itself.”

The reason is not too far off the horizon: Shah Rukh’s team offers the best of both world’s to fans – Bollywood and Cricket – and no wonder marketers are clamouring to hop on to SRK’s Kolkata bandwagon. Of course, Preity Zinta, who has bagged rights for the Mohali IPL team (with Ness Wadia), trails a similar route, but her charisma pales beside Shah Rukh’s in-your face star appeal.

What’s more, SRK has no intentions to stop with cricket. He wants to invest his time and money in other sports too, just that “starting with cricket makes more business sense,” says the Badshah of Bollywood himself. The vision is to move onto hockey and eventually football. “If you want to make a particular sport popular in the country, you need to make it sensible, business-wise,” affirms the King Khan.

Cricket is not the only business foray that Shah Rukh is eyeing. Being India’s ruling entertainment czar, where his very touch has the ability to transform the fortunes of a Bollywood flick, a television show or even an on-stage performance, SRK is raking in enough moolah for himself as an actor and entertainer-par-excellence. But the man, who likes to be in the driving seat, was not content with that. He kept hinting to his friends in the industry about his latent entrepreneurial fire. “He used to keep telling me, “I’m damn good at business’,” says Director, Aziz Mirza. And true to his ambition, he made his debut as a businessman in 1999 with his production company Dreamz Unlimited, along with friend Juhi Chawla and Aziz Mirza. The first film under this banner – Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani – did not do very well. So, he dreamed up the big-budget Asoka, under Arclightz and Films, SRK’s second production banner.

When Asoka also bombed, SRK conceived Red Chillies Entertainment (this time with wife Gauri Khan), and launched friend and Choreographer, Farah Khan as Director in 2004, with Main Hoon Na. The film was successful at the box office and ever since Red Chillies Entertainment has become his main production company. The latest flick under the Red Chillies banner has been the hugely successful Om Shanti Om, which according to Box Office Mojo has grossed $36,410,328 globally (as on February 7th, 2008), becoming the industry’s biggest grosser ever. Expectedly, the marketer in SRK pulled all stops to promote the film globally and in India, tying up with leading global distributors Eros International, and even making a controversial appearance at the T-20 World Cup in S. Africa, dressed conveniently in an OSO T-shirt. In as much, the first generation producer has successfully taken on the established Sony and Columbia banners. When awarded the entertainment business leader award last year, SRK said: “They may have big budgets, big banners, but I have Shah Rukh Khan.”

SRK’s ambitions are rocketing sky high with the latent potential for Red Chillies Entertainment. The latest thing on the production house’s hand is a flurry of entertainment-oriented news programming to be produced for BAG Films’ entertainment news channel – E24 – to be launched in March 2008. The deal has its base in the 10% stake that King Khan bought in Anuradha Prasad’s BAG Glamour earlier this year, a subsidiary of BAG Films & Media, for about Rs.10 crore. Here too, SRK made a detailed study of the business prospects and the revenue model of the proposed channel, before betting his energies in this venture.

The other big slice on SRK’s plate is an offshoot of his entertainment company - Red Chillies VFX. Managed by the supervision trio of Arjun Mitra, Haresh Hingorani & Keitan Yadav, Red Chillies VFX is all about creating and nurturing visual effects for feature movies as well as advertisements. Given the pace at which Bollywood is expanding and when big budget movies are more the rule than the exception, the technology edge of VFX is definitely brimming with potential. Small wonder that Red Chillies VFX has been hived off as a separate business unit. The bid is to not just pick up work of home productions, but to also work with other banners. Started nearly a year and a half ago, Om Shanti Om was the last home production that the VFX team worked on, while Jhoom Barabar Jhoom, Honeymoon Travels & Don have been key outside productions. “Our business proposition is exceedingly promising. We’re among the top three VFX studio’s in India and hope to become the topmost in few years. At Red Chillies, we are not going so much for numbers as for quality,” says Arjun Mitra of Red Chillies VFX, even as he takes a breather during a shoot for Nagesh Kuknoor’s movie, in Mumbai’s Kamalistan Studio.

Hollywood is next on Shah Rukh’s VFX roadmap and he’s busy building up capacities to meet the growing demand for his state-of-the-art VFX studio set up. And being the shrewd marketer he is, SRK recently announced his plans to produce India’s most expensive movie @ Rs.100 crore (with oodles of VFX thrown in) to showcase the strength of the subcontinent’s special effects and animation industries to world cinema. But, pertinently, the movie, if anything, will showcase the prowess of Red Chillies VFX to scores of Hollywood studios, which in turn will serve as a potential market for this initiative of SRK.

Arjun Mitra denies any plans to woo Hollywood studios as of now. “We have 70 people in the present VFX team and we need to double that just to cope with the work coming in from Bollywood,” he says. But sources say that infrastructure at Red Chillies VFX is being expanded rapidly to accommodate more assignments.

From merely Bollywood, the noose has been expanded to straddle advertising films too. The advertisement to film ratio for Red Chillies is in the ratio of 20:80, since ad assignments are restricted to brands that SRK endorses. Now, the team is keen on expanding the size of the net to rope in other brands too.

To keep pace with his growing enterprise, SRK recently shifted premises of Red Chillies VFX to Mumbai’s posh Lokhandwala area and his team just can’t stop singing his praises. “We are amazed at his quick decisions. When we asked for a bigger office, he did not hesitate a moment and despite the huge cost of real estate in Mumbai, within a week we had finalised a new place. If that’s not the sign of a good entrepreneur, I wonder what is,” gushes Arjun.

Besides, Shah Rukh is also carefully nurturing brand SRK both on and off screen. Close associates point out that Shah Rukh, in fact, is so obsessed with his brand persona, that he sometimes cannot help referring to himself in third person. Add to that his intelligence, witty remarks, a wicked sense of humour – and you have all the trappings for a media savvy, charismatic and shrewd business leader.

Incidentally, Shah Rukh is not the only Bollywood superstar who boasts having this entrepreneurial fire in his belly. Amitabh Bachchan too headed in a similar direction, but was badly scalded due to the financial mess, which his company ABCL landed itself into. Thankfully, Bachchan bounced back. Kaun Banega Crorepati gave him a new lease of life and he repaid his debts. But, the entrepreneur in him lies dormant to the day. There’s also the jumping jack of the 70s – Jeetendra – who sits as promoter in the Rs.1,515 crore Balaji Telefilms. While one would like to give him credit, he himself passes off all praise to his daughter Ekta Kapoor for the success of this production house. So, it would not be entirely wrong to say that SRK has dared to venture where no other Bollywood superstar has tread.

Over the years, this Raju has helped a host of brands acquire the Gentleman status in the Indian marketplace. Guess it’s SRK’s payback time to himself now. Albeit an unconventional one, Mr. Khan is well on his way to become another coveted gem in the glittering crown of corporate India.

With inputs from Pallavi Srivastava

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

Read these article :-
B-schooled in India, Placed Abroad (Print Version)
IIPM in Financial times (Print Version)
IIPM makes business education truly global
The Indian Institute of Planning and Management (IIPM)
IIPM Campus

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM, GURGAON
IIPM - Admission Procedure
IIPM is A World of Career
Why Study Abroad When IIPM Gives You 3 global Advantages!

Apollo God? Alive?! Today?!?

When IIPM comes to education, never compromise

It’s time to understand that the ancient ‘healer’ lives on...

Greek mythology presents Apollo as the ‘Healing’ and ‘Sun’ God. He was blessed with the power of omnipresence, no matter what the weather... Cut to the present, supernatural powers only seem...well, ‘a thing of the past’. And who’d believe in some ancient Greek God ‘Apollo’ today? Who would?

Surprisingly, many do... and yes, in the present times! Of course, it’s the Apollo Hospitals chain we are referring to here – the largest chain in the whole of Asia with 8000 beds in over 41 hospitals! Today, it’s a name that has come to associate itself with expertise at healthcare! And just as the saying goes, ‘The big only gets bigger,” today, the health major is only geared up for aggressive expansion and mighty investment plans. To ensure that its plans see the light of the day, it is also roping-in many investors – firstly, to create that massive capital pool required and secondly, to hedge total risks involved. The company is also gearing-up to test waters in many ‘untreaded’ health segments. To talk about its infrastructure expansion plans, the group is planning to roll-out a huge 400-bed hospital in Mumbai. And there’s more with the group all-set to expand its muscular arms into the tier-II cities. And none can perhaps beat its excitement about its exorbitant Rs.7 billion investment plan. So does expansion and penetrating into greener pastures spell no risks for the mammoth?

Affirms a company spokesperson, “We at Apollo believe in expanding our services, which (basically) means – taking risks. But we are prepared and each year, as a part of our growth strategy, we try to get into many new areas where nobody has entered.” Hence, merrily banking upon such a strategy, the group is extrapolating an astonishing 40% growth in net profits for the financial year 2007-08.

But here’s a sweet surprise – scintillating financials are not the only reason why the awe-inspiring healthcare titan has stolen the ‘health show’. Compared to its rivals (whose expansion strategy have always rotated around buying-out old hospitals and renewing them), Apollo has always believed in the truth – ‘Old may be gold, but new is diamond!’ And moving along the same line of thought, it has set up many brand-new facilities, and today considers it its secret to success. No wonder, the group has set a target of having a mind-numbing 10,000 hospital beds in India by 2008; from the present 8,000!

However, despite its tremendous growth strategy in place, it should also watch out for competition from many rivals planning a vigorous few years ahead. For instance, Fortis Healthcare Ltd is planning to invest a monumental $500 million to increase its hospitals count by 40 in the next 3-4 years. However, this first-moving giant, who is also credited with becoming the first one to implement the ‘tele-medicine’ concept in India is all set to soar as Sudhir Nair, Head, CRISIL Research agrees, “Telemedicine is one such innovative technology, which if used effectively, would help improve the efficiency of doctors. It was a brilliant move from Apollo indeed...”

Innovative treatment, increased presence, better doctors... the group has everything going for it at the moment. Perhaps, Apollo God lives on... Why? Don’t you think?!

Edit bureau: Angshuman Paul

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM, GURGAON
IIPM - Admission Procedure
IIPM is A World of Career
Why Study Abroad When IIPM Gives You 3 global Advantages!

Done counting the zeroes yet?

IIPM is A World of Career

No one like Mukesh Ambani, when it comes to creating wealth

What goes into the making of good quality life? Get yourself a dream American job, find a sprawling British mansion to live in, eat authentic Chinese cuisine, a traditional Indian wife, and... and what? Shares of Reliance Industries limited (RIL), so that you remain afloat in times of financial distress?!

For decades, RIL has been a good partner to a significant group of investors, amidst the not so significant stock-savvy Indians. The adage – survival of the fittest, applies not just to individuals but also to companies, communities and countries, believes Mukesh Ambani, Chairman, RIL. Whether in terms of creating shareholder’s wealth or the conviction with which it does business, there is admiration all around for RIL and Mukesh Ambani. And not without reason. The company which started off with textiles, today straddles polyester, fibre intermediates, plastics, petrochemicals, petroleum refining, oil and gas exploration & production. If father Dhirubhai laid strong foundations of the Ambani empire, son Mukesh has carried forward his legacy and business acumen perfectly, since his death in 2002. Just the increase in share prices of RIL in last five years has been a smashing 1,000%. Little surprise that awards and accolades for the elder scion of the Ambani clan abound, the latest being the United States-India Business Council leadership award for “Global Vision” 2007, in Washington.

Clearly the strategies that have been thought up by Mukesh Ambani to take Dhirubhai’s legacy forward have paid off in multiples. Here come a few of the strategies that have helped Mukesh and RIL scale dizzying heights. Firstly, “RIL is primarily a B2B company. 99% of its companies are B2B, and secondly, 55% of our revenues come from export. Because of this, we don’t need much of marketing and sales. Even if we do, it is sparse. Particularly in 2007, we have done no marketing,” confirms a Reliance spokesperson.

The year 2007 has been particularly eventful for RIL, even as its oil and gas exploration & production arm has gone on to script amazing success stories. The Empowered Group on Ministers approved the pricing formula for sale of gas from KG D6. The company also announced its first oil discovery in Krishna deep-water basin on the east coast of India. However, the company prefers to be modest about its accomplishments. “Success can’t be defined in particular terms. One has to have the conviction that oil and gas can be found there – it depends purely on luck. We might be trying for 3-7 years to explore an oil basin, but due to luck, one may strike in a lesser time. It’s the lucky person who strikes the goal,” says the spokesperson.

What El Dorado was to 16th-17th century explorers, the Krishna-Godavari (KG) Basin is to 20th-21st century investors, including Mukesh Ambani. RIL holds 90% participating interest in the KG Basin & Canada based partner Niko Resources holds the rest 10%. The first gas find of RIL, which is also the largest gas find in the world, was in 2002, where production is scheduled to begin in 2008.

“The KG Basin gas find catapults the company into one of the largest gas players in India, having a capacity of 40 mmscmd, which is further expected to double in a year’s time,” opines Sarabjit Kaur Nangra, VP, Research, Angel Broking. “At present, KG Basin accounts for almost 10-15% of the overall value of RIL. The key reason behind the success of RIL has been the huge scale up that the company has been able to do for the individual segments,” feels Kaur.


Now Mukesh Ambani has his eyes set on achieving global leadership, evident in RIL’s recent expansion plans and latest acquisitions. Petroleum, chemical and oil & gas segment have been on a high growth trajectory, on back of robust GDP growth, posing a growth of 9.4% and 17.9%, respectively, last year.

Reliance Petroleum Limited (RPL) the greenfield petro-refinery in a SEZ in Jamnagar, Gujarat (being set up by RIL) will ink a new chapter in the history of RIL and its stakeholders. RPL will be the world’s largest grassroots refinery. Even before commencing operations, RPL has set global benchmarks in project implementation and wealth maximisation (RPL stock jumped from Rs.60 in January this year to Rs.290 in November). Not surprising, when you remember that scalability of businesses is RIL’s key vision, it automatically translates into maximised shareholders’ wealth. All one has to do, is to remember the key ingredients of a happy life, of which RIL (or at least their stock) may have now become an integral part! Just ask the millions of investors who’ve ridden the RIL boom!


Edit bureau: Sunanda Roy

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
When IIPM comes to education, never compromise
IIPM, GURGAON
IIPM - Admission Procedure
Why Study Abroad When IIPM Gives You 3 global Advantages!

Hey! Where’s my tattoo?

IIPM, GURGAON

...lost in the capsules, maybe!

Honey, it sure must’ve been the truest moment of love when you got ‘I Love Dick’ tattooed on your body. So what if your relationship with the bozo lasted just three weeks. Or even if it later occurred to you that it was the stupidest decision of your life. Heck, tattoos and love are for keeps, aren’t they? Fret not, we’ve got a simple exit strategy for you, and no we aren’t referring to the costly and painful multiple laser treatments used to remove tattoos. Developed by Harvard Dermatology Professor, Rox Anderson,and marketed by a California- based company called Tat2BeGone, a spanking new ‘permanent, yet removable’ tattoo imprinting dye, slated to rock tattoo parlours this fall, guarantees that if your boy friend’s history, so will be your passion-forsaken tattoo. The tattoo ‘brew’ is created by ‘storing dye in microscopic capsules’ that, though permanent, can be zonked away with the swish of a painless and cheap ‘single’ laser session. Mike Cowasji, a renowned tattoo artist says, “At last, we’ll not have to rack our brains when a customer wants to get a tattoo removed! Also, we’ll get a cleaner canvas to work on!” With a report suggesting 36% of Americans aged 18-29 having tattoos, one can wonder how easily this ‘vanishing’ elixir will encourage more of ‘em yankees. Come to think of it, if only those Harvard nitwits could’ve invented some such inkpotion for our glorious graduation marksheets and our marriage certificates and our performance appraisal forms and for... Hallelujah, the Lord gives new hope!
Edit Bureau: Pooja Priyadarshini

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
When IIPM comes to education, never compromise
IIPM - Admission Procedure
IIPM is A World of Career
Why Study Abroad When IIPM Gives You 3 global Advantages!

BANNED!

IIPM - Admission Procedure

Is I&B Ministry’s ad ban spree mere outrage at obscenity or a move to gag the industry?

The thunder-down-under (read men’s jocks!) has been given a solid jolt by being served (legal) notice to stop the plunder and surrender to the august body called the Information and Broadcasting Ministry (I&B). Two ads in this category – Amul Macho (ranked as Bakwaas ad by 4Ps B&M) and Lux Cozy have been alleged to have a ‘negative’ effect on zillions of tele-viewers and generally playing havoc with the very concept of ‘family viewing’!

Coming ahead of the proposed broadcast bill – designed to control media outbursts of the wrong kind – the banning of these ads is being seen by many in ad-frat as sending out the wrong signals. Within the media industry as a whole, advertising was the only vertical where self regulation had been somewhat successful, with ASCI (Advertising Standards Council of India) exercising some control. ASCI had given these two ads the ‘clean’ chit just about a month ago, and the I&B (over?)ruling now has only served to undercut the ASCI authority. The word ‘gag’ has also been making the rounds.

Before anything else, what are these ‘evil’ ads about and what are they saying – or showing – that have shaken up the sensibilities of these august bodies? The Amul Macho ad shows a young, attractive woman at a ghat, with a bundle of clothes, who is seemingly washing her husband’s Amul Macho underwear. Her expressions while washing the garment (arguably totally fantasy driven) shocks her companions and her body language blows their mind. The voice-over comes on to the super: Amul Macho – Crafted for Fantasies. The Lux Cozy ad too has a washerwoman, who’s calling at an apartmentto collect laundry. A man (wearing only a towel) opens the door; but accidentally drops the towel. Well, the washerwoman’s eyes – darting fast and furious - at the undies, register naughty delight!

The powers-that-be are however far from delighted at these slip ups and refuse to believe it is ‘andar ki baat hai’ anymore. Over-ruling ASCI’s earlier green signal to the Amul Macho ad, they have banned it as ‘vulgar’ and ‘unfit for family viewing’ and point toward sustained pressure/complaints from the general viewing public. According to ASCI, the difference in opinion (between the two) comes due to the difference in the respective codes being followed by them. Now, that’s a real original one!

While the I&B Ministry bemoans that “more than vulgarity and obscenity, the ad is derogatory because it’s not breaking away from stereotypes,” advertisers insist that what is being deemed “offensive” is only “actual clutter-bursting for a brand!” JWT’s Josy Paul who had worked on one of these commercials says that while the responsibility of the creative guy certainly comes into play, “the other three i.e. client, consumer and channel must not be overlooked, forgotten or ignored. It is a collective thing,” he avers. Are those for/ against the proposed broadcast bill listening carefully?
Edit lead: Monojit Lahiri

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
When IIPM comes to education, never compromise
IIPM, GURGAON
IIPM is A World of Career
Why Study Abroad When IIPM Gives You 3 global Advantages!

High, wide…inside!

When IIPM comes to education, never compromise

Indoor cricket to strike the winning sixer?

Even as the world of sports has undergone sweeping changes in the past few decades, with newer avenues being explored by several organisations to harness potential talent that would set new benchmarks on the field, here is a brand, Neo, way to go about the entire exercise. Neo International Sports Academy (NISA), launched a year ago, is crafting inroads into the arena of sports training, marketing and management by promoting the unique concept of indoor cricket in the country.

Mushtaq Khan, MD, NISA spoke to 4Ps B&M on this unique initiative. Some excerpts from the interview:

Would indoor cricket work, when youngsters still play cricket in gullies?
Gully cricket is not producing Ranji players and test cricketers. It is a pastime, or a distraction. As Kapil Dev and Dean Jones have both opined, these indoor centres will be the best thing that could happen to budding Indian cricketers. Not only will they develop skills and fitness, but they will become competitive at an early age. The big advantage, that young Australians have over young Indians is that they play competitive cricket at an early age. Indoor cricket is a short, fast game where skills and instant decision- making are paramount for success and it is our intention to provide this facility for schools.

Where will these centres be?
Indoor cricket centres will be built in areas where there could be up to 50,000 school children with no real sporting facilities. Besides indoor cricket, we’re looking at providing nets and coaching for outdoor games, indoor soccer, tennis and volleyball as well.

Is there a way to channelise your offerings for financially weak but talented youngsters?
These will be destinations with a lot many attractions, hence won’t be solely reliant on income from indoor cricket. The cost of the cricket will be subsidised by these other elements. We have researched other pastimes and their costs, and will establish ours accordingly.

What are the challenges NISA faces in India, which has a vast untapped talent pool?
The major challenge is making all these services available to as many Indians as possible at an affordable price. We feel confident that India is ready to embrace this enormous stride forward into making the nation competitive in an array of sports and regaining some of the pride that we lost in the Caribbean World Cup. We don’t think India wants to rely just on our cricketers. Let’s regain our place in world hockey and tennis; we have the right temperament for golf and other sports too. We have all the ingredients. We are working with several school groups and we’re always on the lookout for partners. India is a very large country and the opportunities are equally immense.

Are you working out synergies with the BCCI and other sporting bodies too?
We are working at the grassroots level, mainly with schools. It is now accepted that a child will develop so much better with a good balance of physical and mental activity. Schools are now recognising that sport is an essential requirement for a complete education. It is natural that some of these youngsters will turn to sports as a career and NISA will be there to help them. We feel confident that as our work and success progresses, so will our association with the major sporting bodies here. Their success depends on talent coming through and if we’re there to aid in moulding and providing that talent, then they should want to engage with us! 4Ps

Edit bureau: R Prasad


For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM, GURGAON
IIPM - Admission Procedure
IIPM is A World of Career
Why Study Abroad When IIPM Gives You 3 global Advantages!