MAM
Hot Star takes to cinema advertising to reach younger TG : Feb ’15 CAM report
MUMBAI: Being the newest entrant on the bloc, Star India’s digital baby Hot Star has managed to create the necessary buzz around it. The digital app, in a bid to reach a wider segment of young audiences, has chosen cinema advertising as part of its mega marketing campaign.
Using the movie Roy as a case study, the CAM report for the month of February 2015 found that out of the 200 screens, they were present in 32 per cent of the screens, which is close to 65 screens. “This number is more than the category that four wheeler and mobile phones undertake for their campaigns,” said Interactive Television CEO Ajay Mehta.
According to industry experts and estimates, Hot Star undertook cinema advertising because of the demographics to reach out effectively to their TG i.e young audiences. The campaign for cinema advertising undertaken across the eight metros could have cost Star India close to Rs 50 – 70 lakhs. Such campaigns are usually undertaken for a period of four weeks. In the past, apps such as Free Charge, Viber and Hike have used cinema advertising extensively in similar patterns.
The report also found that during the same period, a total of 297 brands were active. Banking and Finance have emerged as the top category spending with State Bank of India topping the list. F&B followed with beauty and Personal care coming third in the hierarchy.
“There has been a three per cent increase in the number of brands active on cinema with the movie Roy in February 2015 round as compared to the earlier round,” adds Mehta.
There has also been a major increase in spending of clothing/apparels category from 45 per cent in January 2015 to 79 per cent in February 2015. The automobile category has increased from 34 per cent to 57 per cent during the same period. Online portals too increased their spending from 21 per cent to 48 per cent for the same period. Choc On has the highest recall with 24 per cent present in 152 screens followed by Syska LED with 20 per cent present in 136 screens.
Brands
Abhinav Rastogi named global marketing director for YouTube Shopping
Google veteran to scale creator commerce and expand shopping across global markets
SINGAPORE: Abhinav Rastogi has stepped into a new role as global marketing director for YouTube Shopping, marking the latest chapter in a more than decade-long career at Google.
Rastogi, who took on the position in February and is based in Singapore, will lead global marketing for YouTube Shopping, a platform designed to connect creators, viewers and merchants in a single ecosystem. His remit includes expanding the service into new markets and strengthening its positioning as a growth channel for both creators and brands.
In a reflective note on the transition, Rastogi pointed to a simple but powerful idea driving the role. For years, creators have quietly built trust with audiences through consistent and authentic content, and that trust often shapes purchasing decisions. What is changing now, he said, is the infrastructure around that behaviour. YouTube Shopping aims to make it easier for viewers to discover and buy products recommended by creators they already follow.
The scale is already significant. More than half a million creators have joined the programme, with recent expansion into Japan through a partnership with Rakuten signalling further global ambitions.
Rastogi believes the future of shopping on YouTube will be driven by a blend of creators, content and communities. In his view, it is the human voice behind the screen, not just the product, that ultimately builds trust and drives discovery.
Prior to this role, he served as director of marketing, YouTube Asia Pacific, where he led regional marketing across creator engagement, brand building and reputation. During that time, he played a key role in launching and scaling YouTube Shopping across eight markets in the region.
Earlier stints at Google include group product marketing manager, consumer apps, overseeing growth for products such as Search, Maps and Assistant across India and Southeast Asia, and product marketing manager roles spanning consumer apps and YouTube, where he contributed to launches including YouTube Music, YouTube Originals and YouTube Shorts.
Rastogi began his career in consulting with Boston Consulting Group and A.T. Kearney, before moving into the technology sector. He is an alumnus of Indian Institute of Management Calcutta and Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur.
Alongside his corporate role, he is also an active angel investor, backing early-stage startups in consumer technology and electric mobility across India and Southeast Asia.
As he settles into the new role, Rastogi is betting on a future where every video can double up as a storefront, and where commerce feels less like a transaction and more like a recommendation from a trusted voice.
