MAM
India now a focus market for Animax
MUMBAI: Until now India was not as important a market for Sony Pictures Entertainment’s (SPE) anime channel Animax and that reflected in its poor and negligible ratings. But now, with the repositioning of Animax Asia, which took place on 1 June, 2006, the network will be pushing it in India will renewed vigour.
Animax Asia has been repositioned as a lifestyle channel for the youth and will target the age group of 15 – 24-year-olds. One of the reasons for this shift was the fact that animation from Japan was moving towards a more youth-driven demographic. Hence, keeping with the pace of change, Animax too was repositioned.
Speaking to Indiantelevision.com, SPE Networks Asia vice president Animax programming and production Betty Tsui says, “In the last couple of years, we were not very focused on the Indian market because we underestimated the Indian youth’s consumption of animation. Our focus initially was on the kids’ but now we will be targeting the youth and the Indian market with renewed focus.”
“We are not a kids’ channel and we’re not competing with the likes of Cartoon Network and Pogo. Animax will be creating a category of its own. We are not followers. Animax will be charting out its own path,” she adds.
Apart from the re-positioning, Tsui also informed that Animax will also be looking at targeting the youth with the gaming and mobile platforms. “We will be connecting with the youth not only with animation but also with gaming and mobile. However, it is still too early to talk about it,” she says.
Animax is also undertaking an extensive lifestyle survey of their target audience in order to understand what’s important to them and where they get their messages from. Once the results of the survey are out, the channel will be analyzing the responses received and accordingly bring about changes in the channel and its promotions.
Queried whether the channel was looking at going totally Hindi, unlike the Hinglish feed that it has now, Tsui says, “One of the questions in the lifestyle survey that we will be conducting will be Animax’s language preference of our target audience. Based on the results, we will take the necessary changes. South Indian languages may also be a possibility as we are open to everything.”
The channel has streamlined its programme structure to target the youth segment and has also introduced an on-air creative campaign – Imagine Nation – to capture the minds of the youth. Imagine-Nation features popular personalities that are connected to the creative world of games, film, anime and design from the Asian region to share with viewers their success stories, aspirations and passion for their work. For starters, F1 driver Narain Karthikeyan and Indian Idol 2 winner Sandeep Acharya will be featured on this from India.
“We will be featuring people who are successful but not necessarily in the conventional sense of the term. Our aim is to inspire our viewers to pursue their dreams, whatever they may be,” says Tsui.
The programming line up will be spruced up with popular anime that have garnered massive followings in Japan and around the world. Animax features programmes of various genres, from action (Blood+, Trinity Blood) to sci-fi (Ghost in the Shell), romance (Paradise Kiss and Honey & Clover) to drama (Black Jack, Jigoku Shojo), and also favorites like (Dragon Ball).
A new integrated brand campaign in India will also be rolled out in a couple of weeks.
Brands
Rapido unveils new logo as it shifts to multi-modal mobility
From bike taxis to buses, cabs and travel bookings
MUMBAI: Rapido is changing gears. The homegrown mobility platform has unveiled a new brand identity as it moves beyond its origins as a bike taxi operator to position itself as a full-stack, multi-modal mobility service.
At the heart of the refresh is a redesigned logo. The earlier bike-centric symbol has been replaced with a simplified wordmark, signalling that Rapido is no longer defined by two wheels alone. The clean new look mirrors a broader ambition: to become an everyday mobility companion for millions of Indians.
The shift reflects how far the company has travelled. Rapido now facilitates over five million rides daily across more than 400 cities. What began as a bike taxi service has expanded into auto-rickshaws and cab services, along with parcel deliveries and integrated travel bookings.
Through its in-app OTA feature, users can now book flights, hotels, buses and trains without leaving the platform. The removal of the bike icon from the logo underscores this evolution from a single-category service to a comprehensive mobility ecosystem.
Rapido works with over 30 lakh registered captains across service categories. Powered by a technology-led, SaaS-driven framework, the platform aims to offer flexible earning opportunities while strengthening its footprint in tier-2 and tier-3 cities, where it has seen significant expansion and income generation.
The new identity will be rolled out across the app, captain network, marketing channels, digital platforms and on-ground assets in the coming weeks.
Rapido chief marketing officer Pawandip Singh, said the updated visual language reinforces the company’s promise to be the “Wheels of Bharat”. He added that the brand is moving beyond its origins to deliver an integrated, homegrown solution that connects every Indian from the first mile to the last, and every getaway in between.
As Rapido trades its bike-first badge for a broader mobility mantle, the new logo marks more than a visual tweak. It signals a brand that now wants to move India in every possible way, not just on two wheels.
