MAM
ITC Bingo! introduces three Korean flavour variants a new brand song
Mumbai: ITC Bingo!’s latest offering Bingo! 2X Hot and Spicy Korean-style chips are all set to delight consumers with its three sizzling formats – Bingo! Original Style, Bingo! Hashtags and Bingo! Potato chips. Recognising the Indian consumers’ undeniable love for all things Korean, from K-drama to K-pop and now Korean cuisine, Bingo! is the first brand in India to launch Korean-flavoured savoury snacks.
To amplify the launch and tap into the K-wave, Bingo! has collaborated with popular South Korean singer Aoora, for a new song – Maeun Maeun, which means Spicy, Spicy in Korean. The music video has been conceptualised and developed by Tonic Worldwide. The song is fun, catchy and energetic, set to resonate perfectly with the vibe of the brand. This strategic collaboration leverages the immense popularity of Korean pop culture (K-pop) amongst the target audience, creating a wider buzz around the launch of Bingo! 2X Hot and Spicy Korean-style chips.
The brand is planning a 360-degree media campaign to connect with the audience. Bingo! will leverage social media to engage users and generate pre-launch excitement. The brand will tap into the relevant online spaces by being present on K-Pop and Gen Z music lineups across leading platforms like Spotify and YouTube. Bingo! will leverage music channels to organically position the song as an engaging content. Promotional spots featuring the song will be strategically placed across movie, music, and general entertainment channels. The brand has also partnered with approximately 15 influencers across regions, including Korean influencers in India, Indian influencers in Korea and food vloggers, to spread awareness about the new launch.
ITC Bingo! has always been at the forefront of bringing differentiated and innovative snacking experience to Indian consumers. It has carved a niche for itself by bringing several ‘industry–first’ products such Mad Angles!, Hashtags! that takes consumers on an adventure of textures and flavours.
Today, consumers are increasingly looking to experiment with products and flavours. Research shows that there is a growing interest among consumers to try Korean flavours and engage with Korean culture. According to the Mintel Report, this is more evident among GenZ consumers, with about 30 percent GenZ females showing interest in new Korean flavours.
Having identified a gap in the market for a Korean-inspired product in the snacking segment, Bingo! Korean style delivers an authentic taste experience that perfectly blends the essence of fiery Korean-style flavours with Bingo!’s potato chips.
ITC Foods VP & head of marketing, snacks, noodles and pasta Suresh Chand commented on the launch, “The Korean culture has significantly penetrated in India especially among the GenZ audience. We, too, noticed that our consumers are seeking Korean experiences in snacking. Catering to this demand, we have launched the all new first-of-its kind spicy, tangy Korean-Style Chips in the Indian market. Infused with Korean-inspired flavours tailored to the spice-loving palates of India, we are confident that this range will delight our consumers.”
Spokesperson from Tonic Worldwide said, “This collaboration between Bingo and Aoora is twice as spicy. ‘Maeun’ means spicy in Korean. The new flavour is so spicy that we had to add another ‘Maeun’! As an agency, we are obsessed with the consumer, their behaviour, so when it came to launching a product that is for the GEN-Z, we wanted to do it in their language. K-Pop, is way beyond a music genre for the audience, it’s a part of their culture. The catchy song captures the core essence of the new flavours Korean style. Super excited!”
The new range will be available across all markets in India in convenient and pocket-friendly packs.
MAM
Network18 reshuffles editorial leadership across platforms
Expanded roles and new reporting lines aim to sharpen focus on growth across digital, social, CTV and linear TV.
MUMBAI: Network18 is giving its leadership structure a fresh edit because in the fast-changing world of media, even the newsroom needs a compelling new headline. The company has announced expanded roles for its editorial leadership across social, digital, connected TV (CTV) and linear platforms. In an internal communication, Rahul Joshi, MD & Group Editor-in-Chief, outlined new reporting structures designed to drive stronger coordination and growth.
Smriti Mehra, S Shivakumar and Mitul Sangani will now report directly to Joshi. Ganesh Iyer and Abhinay Chauhan will continue reporting to him as well.
Prabhat Chatterjee, Business Head of Forbes, and Arun Thapar, President of Content & Communication for AETN-18, will report to Smriti Mehra and lead revenue growth, marketing and product initiatives. Mallika Nath Handa will spearhead the development and scaling of special projects, including new shows and non-linear properties, and will also report to Mehra.
Jayesh Gokalgandhi, CFO for AETN18, will report to Ramesh Damani. Sidharth Newatia, CRO-ILC, will report to Mitul Sangani and focus on expanding reach and revenue across Hindi and regional language markets, with special emphasis on Tier-II and Tier-III regions. Pankaj Soni, Head of Marketing-ILC, will report to Mitul and work functionally with Ganesh Iyer.
The branded content business of Moneycontrol has been consolidated with News18 Studio. Don Zarrar will now collaborate with Shiv in the News18 Studio business while continuing to head his existing Studio/Focus teams at Moneycontrol.
Pranav Bakshi has taken on additional responsibility for the international business, alongside continuing to lead growth in Connected TV and social platforms. Naveen Mathur, who oversees Revenue Management for Network18’s international business, will report to Pranav, who continues to report to Puneet Singhvi.
Rajesh Sharma (Head of Broadcast Technology & IT), Rahul Singh (Head of Events & Technical Operations) and Bhupender Bhardwaj (Head of IT Security) will now report to Puneet Singhvi. Darshil Parekh, Head of Sales Strategy, Planning & Ops, will work directly with Ramesh Damani and Rahul Joshi, while Stanley Cyril, who manages Digital Sales Operations, will report to Darshil.
Jitamitra Mohanty, who leads the viewer and audience-focused Research & Analytics function, will now work with Santosh Menon to convert data on reach and engagement into actionable insights for content strategy, product innovation and sustained viewership growth.
In a media landscape where platforms multiply faster than breaking news, Network18’s latest reshuffle is clearly aimed at keeping its editorial and business engines firing in sync. Expect sharper storytelling, stronger revenue plays, and a more agile approach across every screen that matters.
