MAM
AXN chalks awareness campaign around ‘The Contender’
MUMBAI: One of AXN’s major programming initiatives for the year is The Contender. The boxing based reality show kicks off on 10 March with a double episode at 9 pm. The next episode airs at the same time on 11 March. Thereafter it will air every Monday live at 8 am with a primetime repeat at 10 pm.
The show from US broadcaster NBC’s stable deals with 16 boxers competing for the chance to win a million dollars and go professional. To create awareness around the same the channel will conduct an integrated marketing campaign.
Speaking to Indiantelevision.com on this Sony assistant VP marketing Rohit Bhandari who looks after the channel in India says, “We will be using different mediums for The Contender. You will see hoardings coming up in the Metros. We will be using the backs of buses. As far as radio is concerned we have tied up with Red and Go 92.5 FM. There will be promotional spots as well as contests.”
Online, the broadcaster has tied up with MSN and Yahoo. Besides contests through which AXN will be handing out merchandise, visitors can also get further information on the show. Bhandari adds “Right now we are not looking at tying up with retail outlets. We are at the awareness building stage. However once the show picks up momentum we could look at tying up with youth hangouts. We are also examining the possibility of holding a contest whereby one winner goes to Las Vegas to view the final bout.”
Mountain Dew, LG and Skoda are sponsoring the show. Bhandari expressed optimism on the show doing well. “Sylvester Stallone and Mark Burnett who is the show’s creator are well known names. Historically boxing fights are more popular when a famous name is involved in some capacity. The Contender has also roped in boxing great Sugar Ray Leonard.”
Bhandari however does not feel that a local production for a sports based reality show will work in India. “It is too early for that. Right now awareness about sport outside cricket is limited. There is some awareness for hockey. Tennis is growing to a certain degree due to Sania Mirza. I however feel that the growth of Formula One’s popularity will be restricted because the Indian viewer cannot experience it first hand. When you see cars live zooming at the venue that is when you get a real feel for the sport.”
Brands
Uidai partners with Google to help users locate Aadhaar centres
Verified Aadhaar centres to appear on Maps with services and access info
MUMBAI: Finding an Aadhaar centre may soon be as easy as finding your favourite café. In a move aimed at making public services more accessible, the Unique Identification Authority of India has partnered with Google to display authorised Aadhaar centres on Google Maps. The feature, expected to roll out in the coming months, will allow residents to locate verified centres quickly and confidently.
More than 60,000 Aadhaar centres, including state of the art Aadhaar Seva Kendras, will be mapped. When users search on Google Maps, they will be directed to authorised facilities rather than unverified listings, helping curb misinformation and confusion.
The listings will do more than drop a pin. Users will be able to see the nature of services offered at each centre, whether it is adult enrolment, child enrolment, or limited to address and mobile number updates. Details such as operating hours, parking availability and divyang friendly infrastructure will also be shown wherever applicable.
Uidai CEO Bhuvnesh Kumar, said the collaboration is part of the authority’s continued effort to improve ease of living for Aadhaar holders by making authorised centres simpler and faster to navigate.
The partnership will deepen in its next phase, with Uidai using Google Business Profile to manage information and respond directly to public feedback. Looking ahead, the two organisations are also exploring the option of enabling appointment bookings through the Google Maps interface, potentially allowing residents to plan their visits with greater efficiency.
Google India country head, strategic partnerships Roli Agarwal, said integrating verified Aadhaar centres would help millions access trusted services with confidence, bringing essential government infrastructure closer to the people who need it most.
If all goes to plan, a routine Aadhaar update may soon begin not with a queue, but with a search bar.
