The Rin TVC by Hindustan Unilever Limited has been in the limelight for the past week. The TVC did arise a lot of questions in the consumers mind; a) Can a competitor dig at a rivals brand so bluntly, b) Is it legal for a corporate company to avoid all the advertising rules to gain publicity and c) What will be the after effect of this TVC?…Though, we may have to wait and watch for the answers of the above questions, right now what’s evident is that the ad has done what it intended.

The TVC was aired on February 25, 2010 and had the heads turning over the mention of the rival brand Tide Naturals in it. The commercial involved comparison between the two brands. Industry sources also reveal that the ad was released on weekend on purpose, considering the holidays due to Eid-e-Milad and Holi.

The ad featured two mothers waiting at a bus stop for their children to arrive from school. Meanwhile, they happen to glance in each other’s shopping basket. One lady had Rin whereas the other had opted for Tide Naturals. The lady with Tide starts bragging about the product by mentioning about ‘khushboo aur safedi bhi’. The Rin lady just smiles.

When the school bus arrives, both the children come out. The Rin boy’s shirt happens to be more white and shining than the Tide boy’s. The Tide lady is shocked looking at the spotless shirt. The Rin boy then takes a dig at Tide and asks his mother, ‘Aunty chaunk kyun gayi?’ (Chaunk Gaye? is the tagline for the brand Tide).

Though the TVC claims lab results as a proof, the industry believes it’s just a false claim. Meanwhile, P&G has moved to the Calcutta High Court against Rin’s TVC. P&G mentioned that the TVC was “disparaging” against its detergent brand, Tide Naturals.

Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) has also received several complaints against the tvc and will reveal shortly its verdict.

MSN India has teamed up with Webduniya.com to launch probably India’s very first Hindi portal. The site is called MSN Yuva and is targeted at youth audience residing in Tier II and III Indian towns.

The editorial and content strategy rights remain with MSN India while Webduniya will feature as content partner and it will provide Hindi content -produced or owned by Webduniya.

Sanjay Trehan, Head, MSN India, indicated that MSN India may launch more online properties in other regional languages such as Tamil in the coming months. Trehan further said, “The next growth in the online space will be powered by vernacular content.”
Wikipedia and Google have also tried their stints at regional languages in the past.

Owing to the deal with Webduniya, MSN has also made Webduniya’s Social Networking Website – Dosti , which will enable users to create profiles and network with friends, send and receive messages or scraps in Hindi.

The lives of BMM students all over Mumbai, though diverse, follow more or less the same pattern. And at some point in the pattern comes the realization that it is time to start studying for their exams (For most this happens 2-3 days, or even less, before the exams). A very small number actually realizes this more than a month in advance. For those students who have awakened or are soon to awaken and seek guidance on how to tackle this accursed ritual of testing one’s skill on the basis of an archaic syllabus… here are a few tips 😉

1. Get Your Act…err…Notes Together.

You can’t study if you don’t have anything to study/refer

Not those little chits you’ve passed around during lecture… I’m referring to the substantial (hopefully) tome of knowledge you’ve built while you paid attention to the professor during some of the lectures you attended or while you toiled away in the college library not so long ago. (Oh wait a minute… you’ve probably just woken up :P… so if you haven’t done either of the two above mentioned activities… do not fear… there are plenty of notes compiled by students and lecturers that are doing their rounds via email. Just pray that someone forwards you a copy 😉 )

Note: Please understand that notes are not money. There’s no harm in sharing them. The marks you’ll be getting don’t depend on how well someone else is prepared. (Of course if you have an enemy… feel free to abstain from sending them anything… but don’t expect them to send you anything either.) Also, go to your college library and request the question papers of the previous five years. 75-90% of those questions (including the case study structure) are REPEATED!

More easy, upload good projects, get moderated and avail all the previous questions papers (for boards only for now) from BMMBox free of cost via these links – http://bmmbox.com/cafe/forumdisplay.php?f=4 and http://bmmbox.com/cafe/forumdisplay.php?f=3

2. Don’t wait for the Prof.

He/She’s not going to declare war on you just because you’ve started studying a part of the portion he/she’s not finished.

There’s no harm on perusing a chapter before the professor’s touched it in class. On the other hand, there’s a lot of risk involved in waiting for them. Here’s why: –

• They may have completed that part in a lecture you’ve bunked
• They may have completed that part while you were daydreaming about Katrina Kaif/ Whatever girls dream of during lectures 😛
• They may tell you to DIY (Do It Yourself) one week before the exams.
• They may simply rush through it at FTL speed (Faster Than Light) one week before your exam.
• They may be abducted by aliens before they complete it.
Start your studies (at least just read through the chapter) regardless of where your professor’s reached in the syllabus. Once you’ve collected notes… USE them… the spider in your attic or the roaches under your bed can’t read.

Note: – If you HAVE read a unit before your professor discusses it in class… keep it to yourself. There’s no need to show off your so-called superiority in class by interrupting the professor while he/she’s explaining it. You’re not going to get any medals for it and you’re more likely annoying the Prof. and your classmates.

3. Get Your Net Set.

The Internet, like BMMBox :-), is a NECESSITY while preparing for BMM exams.

BMM requires one to stay up to date with current affairs and most subjects require students to provide a lot of current examples to justify the theory they vomit out into their papers. The Internet is the most convenient resource for this. So make sure you speak to your ISP. Do anything required (short of death threats and stone pelting) to ensure that you have a WORKING Internet connection while you study.

4. Collect your Projects and Assignments.

If you don’t have a copy of them, request your friends to share theirs.

Your projects are more often than not based on your syllabus and are a reflection of the practical application of the theory you learn. Go through your projects and the projects made by others to further understand the subject. Believe me… projects help you learn a lot of things that would seem incomprehensible otherwise. Share your projects and take some time out to go through them.

5. Form a Study Group; Follow a strict schedule.

There are many advantages to studying in groups

Get a few of your friends together to study with you. Don’t let the number of people in the group exceed four. Your groupies give you company when studying, help you understand topics that they might know but which you find incomprehensible and stop you from drifting off while studying. Just don’t get carried away making jokes or letting breaks eat into your study time.

A schedule is very important when you’re preparing for exams. Make a time table for yourself, PRINT IT OUT, make multiple copies of it and stick it up wherever you’re likely to notice it in your house (Spare the bathroom and the Television screen if you can). Make sure your leisure activities come AFTER your study time. Your study period should not be divided into different parts of the day as it breaks continuity. However, you can take 3 five minute breaks in every hour spent studying. And most importantly – STICK TO YOUR SCHEDULE.

6. The Study Method.

Here’s the method I employ while studying for my exams

i. Read through the notes. Don’t try to memorize the notes. The first reading is just to get a basic idea of the subject. Read it and try to understand what’s being said. You don’t need to remember the number of factors leading to a war or the different types of headlines. Just go through the entire syllabus once. (This forms the basis for your preparation and, despite the fact that you may not even pass if you gave the exam immediately after completing this step, it is still very important).

ii. After the first step, open the previous years’ question papers, and find an answer to each question in them from your notes. Prepare these answers as well as possible while looking up the latest examples to validate the theory from the net. (After this step, you’re definitely going to pass the externals… but that shouldn’t be the upper limit for your goals)

iii. Subsequently, re-read the topics you’ve missed out while preparing with the question papers. This completes your second read of the entire syllabus.

iv. Once done with your second read… go through the entire syllabus again… but just skim through all the topics. Try to close your eyes and remember each sub point as you read it in the previous two revisions. Re-read whatever you can’t remember. (This step will go super- fast if you did the previous three sincerely)

v. For safety’s sake, skim through the syllabus again for topics you may have missed out.

Miscellaneous Tips:

• Don’t forget to ask your professor about the format to attempt your case study.

• Load up the refrigerator with some snacks. Sure you’ll put on weight… but you don’t get distracted as often when you’re munching on something.

• Get your stationery ready well before the exams. Don’t go hunting for it one day before the exam (I mean it… I get through BMM lectures using borrowed pens and notebooks 😉 )

• You do not need to take photos/videos of your ‘group study night’ to upload on Facebook.

• This one’s for the guys… give all your computer games/PSP/PS3/XBOX to friends who DON’T have exams and delete them from your computer. Once you get started on ‘em during breaks… there’s no stopping.

• Try not to pull all nighters – not only does it mess up your biological clock; you also forget most of the things you studied while your brain desperately pleaded for rest. Coffee makes no difference to this and neither does ‘Sona-Chandi Chyavanprash’ ;-).

• If the books are too expensive to buy on your own, form a book pool where each person buys one of the required books and the others make a copy of it (Xerox/Photocopier shops in remote places offer students huge discounts for large orders.)

• VERY IMPORTANT – Once done with an exam, leave the centre immediately. Don’t hang around to discuss answers and don’t check your answers after you get home. Concentrate only on the next exam.

Now that you’ve read all this, you shouldn’t be in need to read something on how to prepare for exams again!

– Raghav Rao

Voltas India has appointed Lintas Media Group to take care of its media duties. The account is estimated to be worth Rs. 40 crore. Earlier, the account was handled by MPG India (the media agency of Havas Group).

Sudha Natrajan, president and chief operating officer, Lintas Media Group spoke about the win, “Our team is a good mix of brand and communication strategists. Our recommendations seemed holistic and robust to the company. Our aggressive stance for the company helped us win the account.”

She further added, “”While Voltas is one of the more popular brands, we found that it was losing out on mindshare among emerging consumers.”

Pradeep Bakshi, senior vice president and deputy COO, Voltas said, “The brand has been through challenging times. Having launched a new range of 50 exciting room airconditioners, keeping in mind the market’s heterogeneous nature, the brand is keenly looking at capitalizing through a blend of innovative solutions in media to woo every customer segment. We found a good partner who will walk this journey with us, in Lintas Media Group.”

V S Mani, senior vice president and general manager – Lintas Media Group, Delhi also added, “The kind of in-depth work on consumer and market segmentation that was presented to the client was highly appreciated.”

Emami Group recently launched branded edible oil ‘Healthy and Tasty’ thus strengthening its foray into Food and Beverages sector. The creatives of the brand ‘Healthy and Tasty’ have been done by JWT, O&M and On Ads.

The mass media campaign for the oil brand is already in place. MS Dhoni and Preity Zinta have been roped in by Emami for the brand communication. The ad film has been directed and conceived by Prahlad Kakkar and Adi Pocha, respectively.

Aditya Agarwal, Director of Emami group said, “We have entered the edible oils market. We plan to produce many items which are needed in the kitchen like masala and biscuits.” Agarwal further added that the brand would be available in variants like soyabean oil, sunflower oil, palmolein, mustard oil, soyabean blend and palmolein blend.

The campaign will also have other promotional activities like mobile kitchens and cookery workshops. It will also have aggressive BTL activities.

Agarwal further spoke about the celeb endorsers, “Emami for the last 36 years has been associated with celebrities. All its power brands have been able to connect to the masses well because of the celebrity faces. In this case too, MS Dhoni and Preity Zinta are not only youth icons, but represent two sport teams. This will definitely enhance the fitness quotient of the brand.”

In the first year, the company plans to clock a turnover of Rs 300 crore from the edible oils business. The company plans to introduce many more brands in the F&B sector, thus becoming synonymous with the Indian kitchen.

Do you want to go for world-class shopping, enjoy wildlife safari, admire the scenic beauty and get wild with the outdoor adventures? If you think we’re talking about four different destinations here, then hold on. We’re talking about destination South-Africa.

The South African Tourism Board has launched an extensive national outdoor campaign targeting Indian traveler. The campaign has been rolled out across 18 cities, the largest number of cities targeted by any international board. The campaign aims to tap the potential from the smaller regional markets as well and thus has targeted cities like Amritsar, Chandigarh, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Panchkula, Jaipur, Pune, Baroda, Surat and Mohali apart from the usual metros Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata and the NCR — Delhi, Gurgaon and Noida.

Medha Sampat, country head – India, South African Tourism, said, “India is an important and growing market for South Africa. Tourist arrivals from India have been growing steadily with a year-on-year growth at 18.1 per cent till October 2009.”

Creative hoardings consisting of a cut-out of a giraffe on a road median, cut-outs of footballers, elephants, and a jet skier diving into the water have been well placed in key metros to gain the attention of the target group.

Emphasizing on the facts, Sampat added, “Research has shown that, overall, Indian travellers are more than satisfied with their South African experience and a good percentage of them plan to return for a second holiday. South Africa has established itself as a preferred holiday destination for Indians. We are confident of riding the growth curve, with an aim to achieve 100,000 tourists by 2012.”

Nikon, the Japanese Company dealing in imaging products like Digital camera, lens etc will launch its first TVC in India by April. The company competes with Canon and Sony for the domestic market share.

The company until now had been focusing on below-the-line campaigns. The ad campaign is slated to increase the brand visibility and spread more awareness about the brand and its various products in different segments. As of now, Nikon enjoys 45 per cent of the 15,000-units per year domestic digital SLR camera market and 13 per cent in the compact segment, which is estimated at 1.2 million units per annum.

With the ad campaign, the company aims to increase the share to 50 per cent of the digital SLR segment and 15 per cent of the compact category by the end of this year. The company will invest heavily in spreading awareness as well as start a new initiative ‘Nikon School’, an educational programme related to the company’s products and services.

Hidehiko Tanaka, managing director, Nikon India confirmed the news, “We are aggressive with our marketing campaigns. We are coming out with our first television commercial (TVC) in this market in April.”

Nobuyoshi Gokyu, head of Asia operations, Nikon Corporation, further added, “Unlike the rest of the world, the Indian camera market is growing and we see a lot of potential here. So we aim to get 50 per cent of the SLR camera market and 15 per cent of the digital compact market this year.”

From April 1, 2010, Sun Network’s two free-to-air Malayalam channels, Surya TV and Kiran TV will be converted into paid. Surya TV is the general entertainment channel (GEC) whereas Kiran TV is the 24-hour music channel.

The move is an attempt to revive its viewership, confirmed the Sun Network’s officials. The officials further added, “The two channels have been most viewed channels since our launch in Kerala. Up to 2007, we held the No. 1 position in the state; and in the past couple of years, we have been at the No. 2 position. This is our attempt at regaining the same position.”

“Initially, some resistance will be there; but at the end of the day, those who want to watch a channel will be willing to pay for it. So, as we go ahead with our plans, we will take the necessary measures,” said the executive.

The two channels, as a bouquet, will be priced at Rs 20.33 per subscriber per month in non-CAS areas; while in CAS areas, the price would be Rs 5.35 per channel per month.

Sun TV Network, one of the largest television broadcasters in India, operates 20 satellite television channels across four languages — Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam. The company had earlier announced in 2006, that its flagship channels would be converted into pay channels. Out of twenty, only three to four are free-to-air currently.

Paid channels account for a 14-15 per cent of the overall revenue of Sun Network.