MAM
KFC hits two chickens with one stone
MUMBAI: Kentucky Fried Chicken – KFC – has flagged off an exciting contest to promote its ‘Bigger, Better Popcorn Chicken’.
Riding on the reality television wave, the Yum Brands owned KFC is asking its US based customers to create their own home spun, 30-second reality TV commercial spot and submit them by 23 September to qualify for a cash prize of $10,000 and a one-time airing of the commercial on prime-time television in early October.
Another $5,000 each has been set side for two runners-up to the contest. The winners will be declared at the end of the contest period on the KFC website – www.kfc.com.
Through the contest, which according to a Reuters report sprung from KFC’s public relations team, the fast food chain is not only harnessing the concept of reality television in this latest promotion drive but is also seeking to draw in direct audience participation, creating a fresh ideas bank in the process.
KFC’s new promo drive comes at a time when programmers and advertisers are taking up the idea of reality television like never before. And does it work? Closer home, our music channels stand the greatest testimony to that,Channel [V] ‘ s Popstars and MTV ‘s Bakra being the prominent examples.
Brands
Hiili names Sanjay Hemady as country manager India
Media veteran to drive digital decarbonisation push
MUMBAI: Climate tech firm Hiili has announced its entry into India, appointing industry veteran Sanjay Hemady as India country manager to steer its growth in one of the world’s fastest-expanding digital markets.
Hemady, a familiar name across India’s media and consulting circles, will lead Hiili’s India operations from Mumbai. His mandate is clear: help Indian companies measure, manage and reduce the carbon emissions generated by their digital services.
Hiili offers a scientifically validated platform, certified by the UC3M-Santander Big Data Institute, that enables businesses to improve the efficiency of their digital infrastructure while cutting emissions. As organisations race to meet ESG targets, the company positions itself as a practical bridge between climate pledges and measurable action.
“I’m happy to share that I’m starting a new position as country manager, India at Hiili,” Hemady said in a LinkedIn post, adding that the company aims to move beyond broad sustainability promises towards precise, science-based decarbonisation.
Hemady brings more than three decades of experience spanning print, television, radio and digital media. He has previously served as chief executive officer at HIT 95 FM, assistant general manager at CNBC TV18, and held leadership roles at MTV India and The Indian Express, among others. Most recently, he worked as an independent business consultant advising firms across media and technology.
With India’s digital economy expanding at pace, the environmental cost of data, streaming and online services is climbing quietly in the background. Hiili’s bet is that carbon efficiency will soon sit alongside cost efficiency in boardroom conversations.
For Hemady, the move marks a shift from selling airtime and ad inventory to championing climate accountability. If successful, Hiili’s India play could make digital growth not just faster, but cleaner too.
