MAM
Be prepared to tackle new trends: Marketers tell TV industry
MUMBAI: It is the age of Digital Video Recorders (DVR) like Tivo, which helps to skip ads and how the industry is going to tackle such challenges powered by technology? What happens when creative professionals turn self-indulgent and forget the basic purpose of call-for-sale when they do ads? Would niche channels and Direct-to-Home (DTH) phenomenon contribute significantly to TV’s brand building power? Does weak television content deter the growth? Where would India’s TV advertising stand from two years down the line?
These were some of the issues came up during a panel discussion on “The Power of Television: Television Advertising Helps Build Robust Brands” conducted on the first day of the India Brand Summit. The enlightening and at times whacky discussion, hosted by Star TV at the end of the day, was lead by elite panel comprising Mindshare managing director Vikram Sakhuja, Air Deccan managing director Capt. G R Gopinath, Starcom Worldwide managing director Ravi Kiran, Madison Media Group CEO Punitha Arumugham, Ambience Publicis national creative director Pushpinder Singh, Mattel Toys Pvt Ltd V-P marketing Nanette Dsa, DAKS London country head Reetika Dalal, Reliance Infocomm marketing and branding head Sanjay Behl, Indiantelevision Dot Com founder and CEO Anil Wanvari making many vital and valid points on the future of television advertising in India. The discussion was moderated by former Kelvinator CEO Rajeev Karwal.
Opening the session, Ambience Publicis’ Singh spoke about the important role played by television in the success of ad campaigns like Close Up and Amaron. “TV as a medium played a crucial role in the success of those campaigns. Audacity is the way out to make look any ad different and television serves that purpose,” said Singh. Taking part on the debate about the purpose of a creative, Singh said the purpose of an ad is to generate favorable top-of-mind recall. He also expressed his concern on the lack of interaction between creative agency and media agency while conceptualising an ad. “To a lot of ads, it is the power of the medium that is working, not the message,” he concluded.
Behl pointed out that the scope for convergence on television media with the advent of mobile phones was huge. “We will move from static TV to interactive TV,” he said. He asked the advertisers to re-evaluate the medium as it is beckoning innovations like pause function (where you can pause a live content like cricket telecast) and then vital technologies like DVR. Forecasting a significant change in the media-eco system, Behl asked television channels to bring drastic improvement in the quality of the content. “We feel run out of quality content. In the era of interactive TV media, good content is what matters and not the owner,” he said.
Behl also made futuristic observations on various innovations that would enter the scenario within two years. He listed out novel ideas such as Narrowcast Advertising to specific target group (TG), Dynamic Advertising (Placing an air conditioner ad at the instant it is shown that temperature is rising in a particular city, withdrawing an ad — which was originally placed for a cricket match telecast — when a favourite player is dismissed) and Interactive Advertising (where a certain character in a sitcom is ordering for a pizza and a pizza ad with a helpline number comes as a pop-up).
Wanvari stressed on the significance of in-TV ads and in-programme placements as they would play a key role in checking the onslaught of technology innovations such as DVR. “Media planners and ad sales guys can get together and work towards more such innovations. TV ad is entertaining in the current stage and hence it holds an audience. But the future of TV is changing, especially with the invention of mobile TV. It is important to come up with innovative ways of playing your product or ads.” Wanvari named gameshows Indian Idol and Kaun Banega Crorepati as case studies of successful brand integration. He pointed out that the entry of niche channels and DTH would soon open up an interesting scenario for advertisers and planners.
Arumugham spoke about the crucial role played by TV in the birth of successful Indian brands such as Ujala, Ghadi, Air Deccan and All Out. However, she suggested that TV was losing significance as an ad vehicle due to market fragmentation. “TV is not hungry enough for advertiser’s business. TV is not a creator, sorry to say,” Arumugham said. Speaking about the importance of TG-driven advertising, she said we needed to target consumers instead of audiences.
Taking part in the discussion, Mindshare’s Sakhuja called for immediate actions to reverse the trend of fewer ads spend on TV. “Ads are increasingly losing the call-to-action quality. Creatives must sell. Activation must marry advertising. To change the possibility of TV ending up on the losing side, unique content programming should happen,” he said.
Air Deccan’s G R Gopinath spoke about the wonders TV as a medium has done to the Air Deccan promotions. He explained the successful strategy that Air Deccan adopted to release their first ever ad on TV. “We were not embarrassed about our brand going to TV. We marketed the Air Deccan commercial as a feature film. We spend around Rs 60 million to promote the ad film in the first five days after releasing it. Our successful experimented has proved that TV can be a very powerful medium for an advertiser who is targeting the lower middle class section of the society. The ad helped to break the socio-cast barriers for flying through TV,” he said.
Diverting the discussion to a less-trodden path, Starcom’s Kiran spoke on the insignificance of television as an ad medium to groom certain consumer brands in the market. He relied on the market success of certain B2B brands including technology products such as iPod to support his theory. Opining that the industry is over-glamourisng the role of advertising in brand building, Kiran asked the advertisers to use unconventional strategies including word-of-mouth as promotional tools. “We should understand the consumer first, brand then and only then the media,” he said excusing his media agnostic stance on the topic.
Speaking on the occasion, Reetika Dalal and Nanette Dsa explained the good things TV, as an ad medium, has done to their products. Dsa spoke about the power of TV in tackling the TG called kids. “Kids don’t read and TV is the most effective medium to reach out to them. The fact that, they can’t differentiate between commercial and product also serves the purpose,” she pointed out.
Weekend travel is becoming a bigger part of urban life in India. In cities where weekdays are shaped by long work hours, traffic pressure and fixed routines, weekends offer room for more flexible movement. This change is influencing how people approach car hire. Instead of treating it only as a backup travel option, many now consider it a convenient way to plan short breaks, city outings and personal travel on their own schedule.
Why Weekend Driving is Growing
Weekend travel is no longer limited to major holiday plans or long journeys. It often includes short drives, social visits, shopping trips, family outings and quick getaways within or near the city. This is where car hire in Pune and similar cities’ rental choices are becoming more relevant to changing travel habits.
The appeal of weekend driving comes from freedom and control. People often want to decide their own departure time, route and duration without depending fully on fixed transport schedules. A hired car can support that need more effectively for users who value convenience, comfort and flexibility in a short travel window.
Pune’s Weekend Travel Pattern
In Pune, weekend travel is often planned very differently from weekday movement. Office travel usually follows a set routine, but weekends leave more room for personal plans, short drives and flexible schedules. This shift is changing what people expect from rental options. Instead of looking only for availability, they may also look for convenience, simple terms and a vehicle that suits a more relaxed and self-planned journey.
Bangalore’s Weekend Shift in Mobility
In Bangalore, the idea of the weekend driver is closely linked to the need for a break from fixed weekday travel routines. After a week shaped by long commutes and tightly managed schedules, weekend plans often require greater flexibility and better control over time. This changes how users look at rental options, especially when the journey is planned around comfort, privacy and convenience.
In this setting, self-drive car rental in Bangalore becomes relevant to the way many urban users approach weekend travel. A smoother booking process, easier access and vehicle choice that suits personal plans can matter more when the journey is not routine. In this sense, weekend car hire supports a style of travel that is more independent, more flexible and more aligned with how people want to use their free time.
What Weekend Users Now Expect
As weekend driving becomes more common, users are paying more attention to the full rental process. They are not only looking at whether a car is available. They also want the service to be easy to understand and simple to manage. Clear booking steps, transparent pricing, flexible timing and suitable vehicle choice are now important parts of the travel decision.
Weekend plans are often made quickly, and people usually prefer arrangements that do not feel complicated. If the booking process takes too much effort or if service terms are not clear, the experience may feel less useful. For many users, ease of use matters as much as the vehicle itself.
Why Vehicle Choice Matters More on Weekends
Weekend travel also changes how people choose a vehicle. A weekday requirement is usually linked to basic commuting needs, but a weekend journey is often planned with comfort and purpose in mind.
Passenger space, luggage capacity, driving comfort and trip duration often become important before choosing a car. This shows that car hire is becoming more need-based. People are selecting vehicles more carefully because the journey itself matters more.
How MyChoize Adds Value to Weekend Travel
As weekend driving becomes more common in cities such as Pune and Bangalore, MyChoize fits into this shift by supporting travel that is planned around personal time and convenience.
For users arranging short drives, outings or day-long movement, it offers the benefit of better control over timing, more suitable vehicle choices and a car hire experience that can adapt more easily to different weekend plans. In this way, MyChoize becomes relevant not only as a rental option but as a more flexible and comfortable mobility choice for weekend travel.
Conclusion
The rise of the weekend driver in Pune and Bangalore shows a wider change in how urban India is approaching mobility. People are making more thoughtful travel choices and giving greater importance to flexibility, comfort and control over time. In both cities, this trend reflects a more deliberate and experience-led way of planning travel beyond the weekday routine.
