-

The high level delegation, led by H. E. Dr. János HÓVÁRI – Deputy State Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Hungary including Mr. Zsolt BECSEY, Special Adviser to the Prime Minister of Hungary for International Economic Affairs and Mr. Balázs Hidvéghi, Deputy State Secretary for European and International Affairs, Ministry of National Economy of Hungary are on their official visit to India to increase political and economic ties between the two countries and boost tourism, investments and trade exchange. Also present at the ceremony were H.E. Mr. János TERÉNYI – Ambassador of Hungary to India.

VFS Global will start by setting up the Hungary Visa Application Centre (VAC) in New Delhi which will be operational from early March, 2012. This network may also be expanded to other cities in India in a phased manner. VFS Global, apart from this new association in India, already serves the Hungarian government similarly in UAE & UK.

VFS Global will be responsible for accepting and processing applications for Hungary visas from applicants residing across India. The key features of the centre will be longer operating hours, dedicated website for easy access, visa information including visa types, applicable fees and application status, professional and responsive staff committed to handle applications and visa queries, separate submission facilities for travel agents and individual submissions, dedicated call centre, email support and door-step delivery of passports. The service would attract a nominal service fee of INR 520, payable at the VAC at the time of submitting the application. The office will remain open from 9 am to 4 pm keeping in mind the convenience of the applicants.

“With the aim to provide a high level, customer-oriented service during the visa application process, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Hungary pursuant to a selection by tender process, came to the decision to partner with VFS Global. Hungary is keen to attract more investment, boost travel and encourage Indian students to study in Hungary. 70% of travel from India to Hungary is by multinational companies who have presence in the country,” said Dr.HÓVÁRI on the occasion.

He further added, “The Government of Hungary expects from this co-operation in New Delhi to enhance people to people contact in every possible field including business, tourism and education. This arrangement with VFS Global will certainly boost Indo-Hungarian business relations by providing for a more hassle-free environment for business-travellers of major Indian multinational investors at the first place. In this spirit, the Embassy of Hungary in New Delhi has been striving for providing an outmost business-friendly visa procedure and this co-operation with VFS Global would enable us to take a step further in achieving this goal.”

Mr. Murali Raghavan, COO – South Asia and CIS, VFS Global said on the occasion, “VFS Global is honored to be associated with the Government of Hungary, and is pleased to extend our relationship in India, apart from UAE and UK. Applicants and travel agents in India no longer need to send their documents to the Embassy and can now submit their applications with VFS Global. We are committed to provide the professional services to all visa applicants applying for Hungary visas.”

-

Analjit Singh is a leading industry figure in India. He is the Founder and Chairman of Max India Limited as well as its subsidiaries such as Max New York Life Insurance Company Limited, Max Healthcare Institute Limited and Max Bupa Health Insurance Company Limited.

Vittorio Colao, Chief Executive of Vodafone Group, said “Analjit has been a longstanding, reliable and trustworthy partner in India.”

Nick Read, CEO of Vodafone’s Africa, Middle East and Asia Pacific region, said: “I am delighted to announce Analjit’s appointment as Chairman of Vodafone’s operations in India. Analjit brings a wealth of business experience and is one of India’s leading entrepreneurs. He knows our business well, having been the Founder and Chairman of Max Telecom, the business which has grown to become Vodafone India with nearly 150 million customers.”

Analjit Singh commented: “It is a great honour to become Chairman of Vodafone India, a company I have been involved with since its inception. The business has performed strongly in the market under Vodafone’s stewardship and I look forward to working with Vodafone India CEO Marten Pieters and his team as the company continues to compete strongly in the fast-growing mobile market.’’

The appointment is effective from 16 February 2012, following formal approval from the Board of Vodafone India.

-

The English entertainment space is highly competitive and populated with 8 players and the advent of Comedy Central in India marked the entry of the 9th player. According to TAM, Comedy Central just in its second week of its launch garnered 14% market share in the SEC AB, 15-34, 7 metros (barring Chennai) category in the week which ended from 29th January to 4th February. Comedy Central, now on the 3rd spot has deposed established players like Zee Cafe, BIG CBS & BBC Entertainment among others.

Ferzad Palia, Sr. Vice President and General Manager, English Entertainment, Viacom 18 Media Pvt. Ltd. Added “We at Comedy Central are ecstatic with the way the channel has driven in viewership in its second week of launch. It’s definitely been a great start to the New Year. This surely proves that India is ready for a dedicated 24*7 comedy channel and with time Comedy Central will prove its prowess amongst its competitors.”

Comedy Central is available in approximately 20 million households across the country and is available across analog, digital cable & DTH.

-

“At ŠKODA we believe that a car is much more than a mere product. It is an extension of an individual and this insight has helped us arrived at the positioning ‘Built to be Thoughtful’. We used the backdrop of Indian wedding in our campaign to demonstrate the emotional connect between a family and a car. The ŠKODA Rapid embodies that sentiment with its Simply Clever solutions and product values at various occasions during the wedding. Since a wedding for an Indian family is valuable, emotional & a grand occasion, it is a perfect fit to partake in the celebrations with the ŠKODA Rapid – Family Car of the year 2011” says, Mr. Thomas Kuehl, Brand Head, ŠKODA Auto India & Member of the Board – Sales & Marketing.

The campaign revolves around the typical Indian wedding, replete with all its flair and flamboyance. The TVC opens with the scene of a palatial Indian house that has workers running through the impending wedding preparations. It continues into the different stages in the run up to the wedding ceremony, with the ŠKODA Rapid playing an integral role in all the diverse situations – from ferrying the flowers to the venue, driving the girls (wearing mehndi) comfortably, picking up relatives & guests for the ceremonies etc. At each occasion, Rapid meets the demands of exhilarating Indian wedding, thereby making life comfortable for the family. The film concludes with an emotional moment which is symbolic of a new bride & groom meeting and is typical of an Indian wedding.

Ramanuj Shastry, Chief Creative Officer – Saatchi & Saatchi says, “To dramatise the ‘thoughtfulness’ of ŠKODA Rapid, we chose the big, fat Indian wedding, the torture test for any car. It’s the only time where not just the badge value of the car, but its work horse like qualities also matter. A car for the Indian wedding has to be spacious, comfortable, dependable and economical. Director Sam Ahmad has created a delightful film which underlines the fact that the Skoda Rapid is as sensible as it is stylish. We firmly believe the film will be well received and and establish Skoda Rapid as the car of choice in the entry level sedan category.”

The Rapid has been created keeping in mind the Indian customer and marks ŠKODA’s entry in the extremely important C segment. It is a comfortable car for the family with an elegant design, ensuring an efficient drive.

Credits:

> Project (working title of the film): Big Fat Indian Wedding
> Client: ŠKODA Auto India Private Limited
> Creative Agency: Saatchi & Saatchi
> Chief Creative Officer: Ramanuj Shastry
> Creative Director: Rakesh Pandit
> Business Head: Bhairavi Naik
> Director (of the film): Sam Ahmad
> Production House: Fingerprints Films
>Media Agency: Mediacom

-

As the biggest cricketing event of Bangladesh, BPL will bring all the glitz and glamour of T20, featuring some of the top names in cricket from around the globe with 21 days of non-stop world class cricket action and entertainment. As the definitive rights holder of the best in international sporting events, ESPN STAR Sports will showcase this exciting new T20 event to cricket lovers across Asia, along with Channel 9 which will broadcast the tournament domestically in Bangladesh.

With the match action kicking off on 10 February, this first edition of the Bangladesh Premier League will feature six teams that will play each other twice each in a round-robin format over 33 matches held in Chittagong and Dhaka. Each team will feature a stellar mix of a leading Icon player from Bangladesh along with current T20 stars and cricketing greats including:

Said Joyee Biswas, Director, Programming of ESPN STAR Sports, “We are delighted to support the expansion of T20 to Bangladesh by bringing this exciting new tournament to cricket fans in Asia.

“As the rights holder for some of the globe’s best cricket events including ICC World T20, CL T20, India-Australia test matches, ODI tri-series between Australia, India and Sri Lanka, and England-Australia ODIs, we are pleased to add Bangladesh Premier League to our portfolio of top cricket coverage.”

Said Enayetur Rahman, Managing Director of Channel 9, “As the first GEC channel of Bangladesh with a mix of Sports and Entertainment, and the producer of BPL T20, we are pleased to partner with ESPN STAR Sports to bring BPL to cricket lovers and look forward to a long term relationship.”

Running from 9-29 February the tournament will feature a mix of 1-2 matches per day. On days when two games are played, the first match will begin at 2pm local time followed by the second match at 6.30pm. In addition to the Icon player from Bangladesh, each team is allowed 9 foreign players, 5 of who can play per match per team. The opening ceremony of BPL will commence at 5pm local time on Thursday 9 February.

ESPN STAR Sports showcases an unparalleled variety of premier sports from around the globe featuring some of the most iconic sports events to viewers across 24 countries in Asia. ESPN STAR Sports operates from its Singapore headquarters and has regional offices across six countries in Asia (China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, India, Malaysia, South Korea). ESPN STAR Sports features a comprehensive portfolio of multimedia assets including its 25 television channels, 3 broadband networks, digital content services, and its on-ground Event Management group.

-

Emami enjoys leadership in niche product categories such as cooling talc, men’s fairness cream and headache curing balms. However, this is Emami’s first venture into the face wash segment; which is a well penetrated category with intense competition from national and international players with an overall valuation of at Rs 681 crores (Mat Dec 2011).

Meantime, Emami has also been entering other skin care categories. Over the past year, for instance, it extended the Boroplus brand into sun screen lotion, skin therapy cream, winter cream and entered the soap category with launch of the Malai Kesar and Pure Skin Soap. The company promises to live up to the precedence of high quality range of products this time as well.

Says Krishna Mohan, CEO, Emami Limited, “We all face skin problems due to dryness and dirt which pose real challenges to maintain the natural hydration of the skin. As a category, face wash has crossed the Rs 681 cr mark with good growth rates – both in value (61%) and volume terms (46%).However, this latest face wash from BoroPlus is our answer to skin care with one single solution– a moisturizing face wash that will remove all impurities from your face and make the skin soft, supple and irresistible to touch. The product is going to have a pan-India launch with the initial target being the metro cities; later we gradually plan to penetrate into regional markets as well which also harbours a huge consumer base for Emami”.

Boroplus Advanced Moisturizing Face Wash has a breakthrough formulation that is enhanced with the goodness of natural products like Honey, Almonds and multiple herbs. The USP of the face wash lies in its unique double action potency – deep cleansing of dirt and active moisturizing through deep penetration into the layers of the skin. Boroplus face wash is extremely pocket friendly with an introductory price of Rs. 40 for a 50 ml. tube; keeping in mind the varied range of customers Emami caters to.

Print, electronic and social media together with radio have been roped in for taking care of the promotional campaigns for the face wash. Emami has also kicked off an innovative TVC for launching the face wash.

-

Furthermore, for the second year running, Havas Media also found that most people would not care if 70% of brands ceased to exist and evidence says that the existing approaches to building and measuring brand value are out of date. As a direct response, Havas Media has launched “Meaningful Brands,” a global framework that offers a new index, analysis and proprietary tools to measure and build brand value in the context of today’s demanding environment.

The research was carried out from March to June 2011 across 14 markets – France, Spain, UK, Germany, Italy, USA, Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Argentina, China, Japan and India. The research took into account the views of 50,000 consumers via online panels.

This innovative global undertaking that covers India and China in Asia Pacific enables us, for the first time, to connect brands with our quality of life and wellbeing. It does this by measuring the perceived impact of brands on our personal wellbeing – their influence on factors such as our health, fitness, happiness, values, social relationships, financial security, lifestyles and habits – and our collective wellbeing, that is, how brands help to improve communities, societies and the environment.

The key consumer trends in China and India include:

74% and 62% say they would pay 10% more for socially and environmentally responsible goods in China and India (highest globally aside from Chile).

Information and expense are the main barriers to socially responsible consumption, with credibility being another key issue in both markets.

84% in China feel it’s the responsibility of companies rather than the government to solve social and environmental issues (compared with 64% in 2009) and 76% in India with a similar increase since 2009.

95% and 85% say they trust companies with a responsible or social profile more than those without in China and India respectively.

Empowerment is down in China: 64% feel that they can make a difference to how companies behave and this is static in India at 71%.

But so is cynicism: 71% feel that most companies are only trying to be responsible to improve their image and only 12% trust what companies say in this area.

On the research part, Vishnu Mohan, CEO of Havas Media Asia Pacific, said: “The findings of Meaningful Brands analysis are especially relevant for marketers in Asia. It clearly shows the seriousness with which consumers in Asia look at the social, ethical and environmental aspects of a brand. As a region, which is growing at a rapid pace, the findings provide us a huge opportunity to create the context that promotes the growth of meaningful brands. Companies and brands operating in our region can play a big role in transforming the lives of millions of people and contribute to the progress of their societies.”

“By contrast, the situation in developed economies is the opposite. Brands in these regions are no longer seen to improve people’s quality of life. There is an aging and increasingly poorer middle class who are demanding that brands help them to lead and create new lifestyles that fit in to their new expectations and values. In order to survive, these brands must re-evaluate their definitions of success and take up the challenge to make meaningful contributions to these people’s lives.” Added, Mohan.

People in fast growing economies, such as Asian and Latin American markets, record a stronger and healthier relationship with brands. The proportion of brands making a notable positive contribution to our lives increases to around 57 % in China, 30% in Latin America, compared to 8% in European markets, where people tend to be more sceptical and less engaged with brands. In the US it’s 5%. The analysis suggests that the next generation of brands will come from emerging economies.

Meaningful Brands helps us to develop this type of relationship by understanding exactly what people expect from brands. It also shows us that there’s a big business opportunity for brands that are able to satisfy consumers by creating wellbeing in the context of their new values, expectations and local market realities.

Meaningful Brands would help us to track how successful companies are responding to these needs by understanding how these companies are contributing to our wellbeing, both as citizens and individuals, and how they communicate these values to us.

-

Though Sony entertainment remained at the second position but lost 20 GRPs and recorded 217 GRPs whereas Colors, took a huge jump of 30 GRPs last week, recorded 204 GRPs this week after losing 26 GRPs but remains at the third position.

Zee TV sticks to the 4th position and recorded 179 GRPs after gaining 7 GRPs whereas SAB TV also stays at the 5th position and recorded 133 GRPs after gaining 1 GRP.

Similarly Life Ok also remained at the 6th position but again lost 2 GRPs this week and registered 83 GRPs. Imagine TV also continues to stay at the 7th position but lost 6 GRPs and registered 55 GRPs this week.

Though the week remains dull for the channels but let’s see how it was for the programs. This time top 4 positions are taken over by Star’s shows. Saath Nibhana Sathiya takes over its 1st position with 6.21 TVRs. Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai slips to the second position with 6.18 TVRs. Diya Aur Bati Hum takes over the third slot with 6.1 TVRs and on the fourth position is Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon with 4.70 TVRs. Closing the chart was C.I.D at the fifth position with 4.15 TVRs.

-

Sahara India Pariwar, in the year 2003 with the intention of supporting the national sport came forward to support the team. Renewing its support Sahara India Pariwar, has assured their whole-hearted support for the development of the national game. This sponsorship is a part of Sahara’s program to promote sports at ground level. In addition to this, Sahara has adopted Indian Boxing, Wrestling, Archery, Shooting, Track & Field and Tennis covering support of a total of 95 sportsmen in these 6 games who are potential medal winners, until after London Olympics 2012 and is associated with other a sports at various levels.

Speaking on the occasion, ‘Saharasri’ Subrata Roy Sahara, Managing Worker & Chairman, Sahara India Pariwar, said, “It is our national game and we are proud to be associated with this game and are elated to continue our patronage and support for the game. We will achieve greater laurels and success in the sport of hockey in the coming years and Sahara India Pariwar is committed to the development of sport at all levels.”

Narendra Batra, General Secretary, Hockey India, said, “I take this opportunity to thank Sahara India Pariwar, specially ‘Saharasri’ Mr. Subrata Roy Sahara who is the greatest patron of sports, for coming forward and supporting the sport of Hockey. I am sure this association would encourage all the players to perform even better in the forthcoming International tournaments.

Sahara India Pariwar has been the official sponsor of the Indian Hockey Team (Senior and Junior Hockey Teams) since 2003. This support was extended to the Indian Hockey Team when the national game was in distress and facing apathy. Apart from being sponsor to the Indian Hockey Team, Sahara India Pariwar played host to Indian hockey team in Lucknow for their coaching camp for Champion’s Trophy – 2003. The organization arranged for the boarding, lodging, practice camps and traveling of the entire Indian Hockey Team. As a part of the Hockey World Cup preparation Sahara organised a physical conditioning team for the whole contingent in Germany.

Sahara India Pariwar also joined hands with Federation Internationale De Hockey (FIH) in 2004, the World’s apex Body for Hockey, and became the 4th Global Partner of the Federation for a period of 3 years. Sahara India Pariwar also felicitated the entire Indian Hockey Team, including both the players and the officials, on winning the Asia Cup – 2003 for the first time. Each member was awarded with a cash reward of Rs. 1, 51,000 in a glittering ceremony.

Sahara also rewarded all the players, coach and assistant coach of the Indian Hockey team with Rs. 2 lakhs each as a token of appreciation after India routed Pakistan in their World Cup match in 2010 and has provided for their insurance individually. In the genuine interest of National Hockey Players, Sahara India Pariwar paid Rs. 1 crore to Hockey India, for distribution to the players so that they can practice and play peacefully and happily for the Country in 2010 when the players were seriously concerned at their emoluments at a Camp hosted in Pune prior to the World Cup.

-

MRSS India will offer Indian marketers local access to best breed of technology for consumer insight generation.

Panchal has more than two decades of experience in Market Research. He holds a master’s degree in management studies from Jamnalal Bajaj institute of Management studies and has worked in P&G prior to his career with D&B, VNU and Nielsen.

Majestic MRSS, Asia’s largest independent full service multi-country market research company, has presence in over 18 countries. It has been working with clients in the Pharmaceutical, Healthcare, FMCG, ICT, Automotive, Hospitality, Retail and Media sectors. It conducts research across APAC and MENA regions, and has always been at the forefront of technology-enabled research.

Speaking about MRSS India, Panchal said, “It has been over a decade now that I have observed Majestic MRSS closely. I have developed lot of respect for this company over a period of time for its understanding of our industry, and the company’s ability to leverage technology. My primary role here is to mentor the leadership team that we are putting in place. With my experience, I am best positioned to guide them on what not to do, and what will work. We expect the full team to be in place by the end of the month.

Commenting on today’s scenario of Indian Market Research Industry, Panchal said, “Research agencies need to continue to be receptive to understanding clients needs in today’s dynamic world. Further, extensive use of technology while delivering true consumer insight is something clients appreciate in an internet and digital world. Our aim at MRSS India is to further leverage the use of technology to offer better and customized services. We will continue adding more innovative and strategic technologies as we become one of the leading players in India. We are pioneers in getting technology in the Asia-Pacific region, and now ready to introduce them to India.”

Speaking on apppointing Panchal as advisor, Raj Sharma , Co-founder and President of Majestic MRSS said , “We know Panchal through his work and contribution to the Market research industry in India. His knowledge, associations and active presence in the industry will bring instant recognition to MRSS India as a brand with global technological leadership and hyper-local understanding. We believe that embracing digital is the new marketing imperative. It is a game changer, and how companies will win, moving forward.