Madison
Madison Outdoor pockets remainder instadia rights for Indo-Pak seriesMadison Outdoor pockets remainder instadia rights for Indo-Pak series
MUMBAI: It’s Pakistan ahoy for Sam Balsara’s Madison Outdoor Media Services (Moms). The outdoor marketing and management firm has pocketed the instadia rights for 40 per cent of the total available space at the various venues that the matches will be played from the Pakistan Cricket Board. Harish Thawani’s Nimbus Sport has the right to hawk the remaining 60 per cent space at the stadia.
“We are very excited by Moms foray into sports marketing,” says Madison chairman Sam Balsara, who reveals that five agencies were bidding for the same tender. “Sports marketing is a high potential business and this is a small step which we hope will be a precursor to many bigger steps.”
Moms has an association with Pakistan’s leading outdoor company, Sign Source, with offices in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad, which will help the Indian firm in the words of a press release issued a short while ago “ensure efficient and speedy on–the- spot services to advertisers.”
Basically, Moms’ 40 per cent share means that it can vend the instadia space to multinational advertisers whose products are available in Pakistan or companies incorporated in Pakistan. “Only brands of multinational companies which are be available in Pakistan can take up the space through us,” clarifies Balsara.
The Moms press release say the Pakistan Cricket Board has split up the rights between Moms and Nimbus “with a view to granting special concession to products and services sold in Pakistan by multi-national companies or local Pakistan companies.”
Balsara adds that Moms is working on drawing up a rate card for potential advertisers who meet the qualifications in the next two to three days. And Moms’ Arunangshu Ghosh is the contact point in Moms for the same.
MUMBAI: Sam Balsara’s Madison Communications has announced its entry into the field of in-film advertising and marketing of films and music.
For the same, Madison has acquired a new firm operating called TeamWorks fp&e. The new company with an authorised share capital of Rs 10 million will operate under the name of Madison Teamworks FP&e (MATES).
TeamWorks FP&e, which was the brainchild of Darshana Goradia (ex-Sony TV) and Sooraj Bhalla (executive producer of the film Sharaarat), already has business in hand of over Rs 30 million and has 14 clients like LML, Frito Lays, Reebok, Castrol, etc.
TeamWorks FP&e is currently working on several films including AB Corp’s Virudh, Creative Eye’s Aabra-ka-Daabra, Entertainment One’s Waqt and various films from Ram Gopal Varma’s – The Factory.
Says Balsara, “We and our clients are constantly looking for new ways to reach the consumer in an impact full manner and with least cost. The high cost of conventional media accompanied by the growing clutter has made in-film advertising an exciting and viable opportunity. On the other hand producers who are also constantly under pressure of making more lavish productions and then finding ways and means of meeting such expenditure are now more open to commercial exploitation of their properties. In keeping with the Madison philosophy, we will offer a highly specialised expert service in this area in a completely transparent manner, which should be welcome by both clients and film producers.”
He further added, “Between Madison, Darshana and Sooraj, I believe we have what it takes to make a successful foray in this area: An understanding of brands and their requirements, client trust and confidence, creative abilities to weave brand stories into film plots, an understanding of producers’ concerns and beliefs, a knowledge of what is happening in the film market and finally selling skills. Over the last few months we have had several discussions with Darshana and Sooraj and I was extremely impressed with their entrepreneurial spirit and with what they had achieved in a short time with very little resources.”
TeamWorks FP&e has successfully managed to get Shahrukh Khan to wear Levis jeans with Reebok shoes and have a cup of coffee at Café Coffee Day or bite a pizza at Pizza Hut. All this happened in the film Main Hoon Naa, where the mentioned advertisers experienced the medium called cinema through the relevant in-film advertising.
Consider another example of their work, in a film called Kyun Ho Gaya Naa, where Vivek Oberoi is shown as a rally enthusiast and hence his introduction in the film is wearing an Overall with Lancer, Castrol, Ceat and Cafe Coffee Day logos. The extensive rally sequence saw Oberoi zooming ahead in an interestingly designed Mitsubishi Lancer Car, with a pit-stop where the Ceat Radials were changed and Castrol GTX Magnatec was poured into the winners car with close shots of the product pack and the logos.
MATES is planning on rendering its services in the area of film promotions and marketing as well. Says Goradia, who will head MATES as CEO, “I am sure that advertiser spends in this area are going to grow by leaps and bounds in the near future and our joint venture with Madison enables us to operate on a wider canvas and with adequate resources to get a good share of this market. Madison is like a dream come true, not only because of its enormous size and reputation but also because of its liberated entrepreneurial ideology. I have dealt with Madison Media when I was with Sony and know the organisation and have got to respect it for its objective and professional outlook with a focus on deliveries.”
Bhalla, who will be director – content, says, “I believe the new venture will turn under-utilised resources of content into profit for a large number of producers and they should welcome our move. Also, we will be now in capacity to inculcate a corporate and professional culture in the fraternity, which is much needed. On the whole, the marriage with Madison will facilitate entry into untapped areas and markets, quicker and at less cost.”
MATES will be the seventh specialised unit of Madison; other units being Creative, Media, Outdoor, Rural, PR and Retail.
