MAM
LG’s ad spend to stay flat at Rs 6 bn in 2012
MUMBAI: Consumer electronics major LG will not reduce its ad spend in India despite a difficult economic environment.
The company will spend Rs 6 billion on advertising, the same as last year, as it targets sales growth of 25 per cent.
“We are only reallocating spends to a certain extent. While on television it will remain the same, we will spend slightly less on print and focus more on digital this year,” LG India senior VP marketing L.K. Gupta tells Indiantelevision.com.
LG will up its digital spend by 50 per cent. Explains Gupta, “We always look at efficiencies and we are seeing good response from the digital platform.”
In a slowdown scenario, LG realises that fewer consumers are willing to buy and defer their discretionary purchases. The short term focus for LG will, thus, be on achieving in-store excellence.
“Investments will be geared to give consumers a better experience inside the store via display, demonstration and branding visibility for flagship products. At the same time, advertising will be more streamlined to deliver higher efficiency within the same budget. This will impact the media choices in print and TV media. Digital media, which plays an important role in the consumer decision journey of searching and evaluating products, will be given a bigger share to have an early influence on potential buyers,” says Gupta.
MAM
Sameer Nair steps down as CEO of Applause Entertainment
Veteran media executive exits after a decade at the Aditya Birla Group-backed studio.
MUMBAI: After a decade of calling the shots, Sameer Nair is taking a bow from Applause Entertainment. The veteran industry leader and CEO of the prominent content studio is stepping down from his role, according to sources familiar with the development. This marks a significant leadership transition at one of India’s key players in the television and digital content space.
Applause Entertainment, part of the Aditya Birla Group, has built a strong reputation under Nair’s leadership for its high-quality adaptations of international formats and a slate of original series across OTT platforms. Nair, who joined the company a decade ago, was instrumental in shaping its growth and positioning it as a notable force in India’s evolving streaming landscape.
Prior to Applause, he held senior roles at major media organisations, including Star India, where he played a pivotal part in the launch of the iconic show Kaun Banega Crorepati in 2000. He also worked with Balaji Telefilms and NDTV Imagine.
It remains unclear who will succeed Nair or what his next professional move will be. Queries sent to Nair did not receive a response, and Applause Entertainment declined to comment on the matter.
His exit comes at a time when the Indian content ecosystem is undergoing rapid changes, with streaming platforms recalibrating investments, focusing on profitability, and adjusting content strategies amid shifting viewer preferences and increasing competition.
Industry insiders suggest the transition could signal a strategic reset for Applause as it navigates the next phase of growth.
In the fast-paced world of Indian entertainment, where hits can fade as quickly as they rise, Sameer Nair has enjoyed a remarkably steady and influential run. As he steps off the stage at Applause, the spotlight now turns to what comes next for both the executive and the studio he helped build.
