Week at a glance: Complete COVID-19 coverage; Disney+ delayed; Discovery OTT service

Do’s & Don’ts of brand communication in times of COVID-19 concerns
While India takes the first real wave of the Coronavirus pandemic, misinformation is still prevalent amongst the public. Try asking your local shopkeeper or a rickshaw driver as to how much does he really know about the pandemic. Most of the answers will reflect ignorance, with a misplaced belief of “Hamein kuch nahi hoga” (Nothing will happen to me).  

Covid-19 Effect: How e-comm platforms are coping with demand surge
With the Coronavirus pandemic spreading across the globe at an alarming rate, governments all over the world have urged their citizens to practice social distance and limit going out of home unless necessary. Countries are under lockdown, with borders sealed for international travel. Meanwhile, more and more companies are adopting a ‘work from home’ policy. 

How agencies are keeping productivity levels high while working from home
Tough times call for innovative measures. The ongoing Coronavirus attack across the world is forcing organisations to ask their employees to work from home in order to check the spread of the virus. Covid-19 is also forcing people to bring in certain behaviour modifications, most notably, maintaining hand hygiene to almost OCD levels and opting for social distancing.  

IPL 2020: Rescheduling 19 matches will be a challenge, say experts
The 13th edition of the Vivo Indian Premier League 2020 has been postponed till April 15, 2020 by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in light of the ongoing Coronavirus scare all around the world.  

#TwitterChat: Responsible communication during a pandemic
COVID-19 pandemic death toll has reached 8000 globally, even as the number of infections has crossed 2 lakhs. As per latest reports, the positive cases in India are in the vicinity of 170. Even as Coronavirus fear has gripped the country, the Government of India has initiated a slew of communications and on ground measures to allay such fears and make Indians aware of the steps needed to be taken to keep themselves and their families safe. 

Hindi News genre sees 19% growth in market share amid COVID-19 concerns
With the growing spread of the Coronavirus globally as well as in India, people have been glued to all sources of news to get the latest updates and information on Government advisories.  

ZEEL appoints Piyush Pandey as an Independent Director
The Board of Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL) has appointed Piyush Pandey as an Independent Director based on the recommendation of Nomination & Remuneration Committee, with effect from March 24, 2020. Also, in the said meeting, the Board accepted the resignations of Aparajita Jain and Surender Singh and thanked them for their contribution. 

Discovery enters OTT space with Discovery Plus
Discovery is set to disrupt the OTT landscape in the country with the launch of ‘Discovery Plus’, a new D2C streaming app, offering premium real-life entertainment. With an introductory offer of Rs 299 per annum, the app has been developed and curated specifically for India. In the initial phase, the company will reach out to 25 million strong base of core TV infotainment consumers across Tier 2 and 2 towns. 

There is no big player offering unscripted content in OTT: Megha Tata
Discovery has expanded its offering with the launch of their subscription streaming service called Discovery Plus. With an introductory offer of Rs 299 per annum, the app has been developed and curated specifically for India. The launch of the app will be followed by a marketing campaign, called ‘App interesting to Aapinteresting’, which alludes to the social currency gained by watching infotainment. 

A breakdown of Coca-Cola’s enduring brand management strategy
Value investors Ramaswamy Ranganathan and Sudarshan Rajan analyse the power of Brand Coca-Cola as well as the strategy of the brand in terms of the financial advantage that it bestows on its investors. 

#TwitterChat: Responsible communication during a pandemic
COVID-19 pandemic death toll has reached 8000 globally, even as the number of infections has crossed 2 lakhs. As per latest reports, the positive cases in India are in the vicinity of 170. Even as Coronavirus fear has gripped the country, the Government of India has initiated a slew of communications and on ground measures to allay such fears and make Indians aware of the steps needed to be taken to keep themselves and their families safe. 

53% Indian businesses see marked impact of COVID-19 on biz operations
The Indian economy has been experiencing significant slowdown over the past few quarters. There was a strong hope of recovery in the last quarter of the current fiscal. However, the new Coronavirus epidemic has made the recovery extremely difficult in the near to medium term. The outbreak has presented fresh challenges for the Indian economy now, causing severe disruptive impact on both demand and supply side elements which has the potential to derail India’s growth story.  

How COVID-19 pandemic is impacting media consumption across platforms
As the global novel Coronavirus crisis grows, consumers are making significant changes to the way they interact with content and advertising across platforms. As we adjust to this new reality, Comscore is providing ongoing updates on shifting consumption trends and the resulting impact on the advertising and media industries. 

With postponement of IPL 2020, Disney+ Hotstar launch in India delayed
The proposed launch of Disney+ Hotstar service has been put on hold. The launch was to have coincided with the beginning of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020. In light of the ongoing spread of the Coronavirus all over the world, where countries are under virtual lockdown, BCCI has decided to postpone the 2020 edition of IPL to April 15.  

Coronavirus hits entertainment industry; shootings cancelled
Along with sports, the impact of the Coronavirus spread is now being seen on the entertainment industry. In a release issued yesterday (March 15, 2020), the Indian Motion Picture Producers’ Association (IMPPA) announced that shootings for all entertainment formats will remain suspended between March 19 and 31.  

Newspapers won’t infect you with COVID-19, assures BCCL’s Raj Jain
Raj Jain, CEO, Bennett Coleman and Co Ltd, in a letter addressed to employees at the leading English daily The Times of India, has addressed the fake news and misinformation that is being circulated with respect to process of newspaper print and distribution. 

Ariel sparks a new conversation with #ShareTheLoad campaign
Over the last 5 years, Ariel India has continuously sparked conversations around the unequal division of domestic chores within households and urging more and more men to #ShareTheLoad. #ShareTheLoad is not a regular campaign, but a movement for social change. In the spirit of keeping this conversation going and furthering the cause of equality within households, Ariel launched the 4th chapter of ShareTheLoad.

MCOF asks TRAI to defer NTO 2.0 implementation amid Covid-19 outbreak
The Maharashtra Cable Operators Federation (MCOF) has written to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) to suspend the implementation of new tariff regime amendments (NTO 2.0) that rolled out on 1st of March.

What the ad fraternity likes the most about Parachute Advansed’s latest ad
Parachute Advansed, the premium hair nourishment brand from Marico Ltd, aims to forge a deeper connect with women through its new, distinctive TVC campaign – Mere Baal, MeriJaan. Conceptualised by team WPP, the TVC builds on modern beauty imagery while using real-life instances, where hair is fundamental to the expression of a woman’s emotions and frame of mind.  

Brand Moments 2020: Covid-19 bug bites brands
Take the Covid-19 outbreak seriously because brands are. Leveraging moment marketing once again, some brands have entered the #CoronaVirus conversation on social media. Will digital natives get over the paranoia around the virus and settle down to appreciate the creativity of these posts. Check them out.

When opportunistic advertising bombed
It was a smart move, but not the best one. Bizarre remedies are being touted as means to fight and even cure Coronavirus – from cow urine to Giloy to Ashwagandha to even alcohol and marijuana. Looking to tap into a moment marketing opportunity, Mumbai-based company, Arihant put out a print ad in the Bombay Samachar, claiming that its mattress is anti-fungal, anti-allergic and is resistant to the Coronavirus! The mattress is priced at ₹15,000. 

McCann Worldgroup Delhi No. 1 agency in APAC: WARC Effective 100 rankings
McCann Worldgroup Delhi has emerged as the No. 1 agency in APAC and No. 4 globally as per The WARC Effective 100 which is a ranking of the world’s most awarded campaigns and companies for effectiveness. 

Breaking the rules of B2B marketing
Meenu Bagla, Head of Global Brand, Field and Digital Marketing, writes about how brands need to stay true to their purpose. She strongly believes that if brands can change hearts, they are in a better place to change minds. 

Ad land’s Young Guns: Nehal Khosla, Senior Art Director, Isobar
A creator at heart, Nehal Khosla, Senior Art Director, Isobar, is a forward-thinking Designer and Illustrator. With less than 5 years of experience in advertising, she is currently working as a Senior Art Director at Isobar India - Dentsu Aegis Network Group. She specialises in ideation and art direction for integrated campaigns, social media, branding and design direction that delivers extraordinary digital experiences. At the age of 21, she joined Foxymoron as a Junior Visualizer, where she crafted social content for Snapdeal, Motorola, Pulse Candy, and Muscleblaze.  

WHO launches social media outreach to curb Coronavirus misinformation
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has opened a TikTok account and launched a campaign #SafeHands to fights coronavirus misinformation that is floating online. On March 13th, the WHO released the following film on their social media Twitter which suggests simple ways in which people can protect themselves from infection by Covid-19 including washing your hands regularly and using an alcohol based sanitizer. 

The rise & rise of 4G Mobile Internet in India
A significant 81% of the respondents surveyed were using 4G phones, followed by 3G and 2G at 6% with India having one of the lowest 4G mobile data prices in the world as of now; many more Indians are now using 4G speeds for their mobile internet consumptions. 

Mirum India to provide social listening services for Poorvika Mobiles
Mirum India will provide Poorvika Mobiles, a leading multi-brand retail chain, with social listening solution by implementing Social Studio from Salesforce Marketing Cloud.

 

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Week at a glance: Covid-19 hits IPL; Disney+ Hotstar now in India; Women Disruptors

Week at a glance: Complete Covid-19 coverage; Disney+ delayed; Discovery OTT service

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