MAM
Lodestar takes home the most at Emvies 2002
FCB Ulka’s media buying outfit Lodestar grabbed most of the awards in the four categories for media innovation and achievement given away at the Emvies 2002 last night.
The Advertising Club, Mumbai’s second annual awards for the least glamorous perceived function of the ad industry, wound up on a pleasant summer evening at south Mumbai’s Taj Hotel Monday night. Nominee agencies, club members and assorted celebrities turned up in strength to celebrate the media’s role in the overall success of an ad campaign.
Twenty-three judges from the advertising, media and marketing fraternity sifted through 81 entries before hand picking awards for the four categories that made up the Emvies. That messrs Sam Balsara, Sandeep Goyal, Meenakshi Madhvani, Shailesh Gupta, Mohini Bhullar et al were choosy about the awards was obvious – the gold was denied in one category; nominees in some had to be content with joint silver.
Lodestar bagged the silver for the best media strategy, media research and innovation in net advertising, while netting the gold for outdoor innovation. Not surprisingly, the outfit walked away with the award for best media agency of the year. The lifetime achievement of the year award was given to Suren Chawla, the doyen of the media industry, who is best known for his research on urban and rural market ratings. A Delhi School of Economics alumnus, Chawla received the award from D K Bose, who recalled Chawla’s contribution in inducting professionalism into the industry.
The awards :-
|
Category
|
Nominees
|
Gold
|
Silver
|
|
Best Media Strategy
|
WPP (Sunsilk)
|
–
|
Lodestar (Whirlpool)
|
|
Lodestar (Indica V2)
|
–
|
Lodestar (Indica V2)
|
|
|
Lodestar (Whirlpool)
|
–
|
–
|
|
|
Media Research
|
WPP (Courting Change)
|
Lodestar (Media Graphics)
|
Lodestar (Impress)
|
|
Lodestar (Impress)
|
–
|
Madison (Programme Predictor)
|
|
|
Madison (Programme predictor)
|
–
|
–
|
|
|
Lodestar (media graphics)
|
–
|
–
|
|
|
Best media innovation (TV)
|
Media Edge (Colgate)
|
Madison (Maruti Versa)
|
WPP (Pepsodent)
|
|
Madison (Versa)
|
–
|
Media Edge (Colgate)
|
|
|
WPP (Pepsodent)
|
–
|
–
|
|
|
Best Media innovation (Net)
|
WPP (Close Up Whitening, Axe)
|
WPP (Close Up Whitening)
|
Lodestar (Indica)
|
|
Lodestar (Indica)
|
–
|
–
|
|
|
Best Media innovation
|
WPP (Lakme)
|
WPP (Lakme)
|
Universal McCann
|
|
Universal McCann
|
–
|
–
|
|
|
(Van Heusen)
|
–
|
–
|
|
|
Best Media innovation
|
WPP (Spice Telecom)
|
WPP
|
–
|
|
Best outdoor innovation
|
Lodestar (Nerolac)
|
–
|
–
|
|
Ogilvy Outreach (Castrol)
|
Lodestar (Nerolac)
|
Ogilvy (Castrol)
|
|
|
Best Media Marketer Of the year
|
Dainik Bhaskar MTV
|
–
|
–
|
|
Chitralekha
|
Chitralekha
|
–
|
|
|
Media Agency of The year
|
–
|
Lodestar Media
|
Brands
ZEEL transfers syndication business, invests Rs 505 crore in IP push
Restructuring, stake buy and FCCB moves signal sharper content strategy
MUMBAI: In the content economy, owning the story is half the battle monetising it is the real game, and Zee Entertainment Enterprises is doubling down on both. The company has approved the transfer of its syndication and content licensing business to its wholly owned subsidiary ZI-IPR Enterprises, alongside an investment of Rs 505 crore aimed at strengthening its play in content intellectual property (IP) acquisition, management and monetisation. The move, effective April 1, 2026, will see the business transferred on a slump sale basis at book value, including all associated assets, liabilities and commercial rights effectively consolidating IP operations under a more focused structure.
At its core, the restructuring signals a strategic shift. As content consumption increasingly fragments across digital and global platforms, the value of IP lies not just in creation but in how efficiently it can be distributed, repackaged and monetised across markets. By housing its syndication engine within ZI-IPR Enterprises, ZEEL appears to be building a more agile and scalable ecosystem, one that can better extract value from its vast content library while adapting to evolving distribution models.
But the company’s ambitions are not limited to restructuring. ZEEL has also approved an investment of up to Rs 20.09 crore in Culture of Real Experiences (CORE), acquiring a 51 per cent stake in the entity. The move expands its footprint into the broader creative and experiential space, suggesting a push beyond traditional broadcasting into areas where content, culture and immersive experiences intersect.
At the same time, ZEEL has moved to tidy up its financials, approving the redemption of $23.9 million in outstanding foreign currency convertible bonds (FCCBs) and cancelling an unused $215.1 million commitment. The twin steps are expected to ease pressure on its treasury, freeing up capital and improving financial flexibility as the company invests more aggressively in its IP strategy.
Taken together, the decisions reflect a company in recalibration mode streamlining legacy structures, sharpening its focus on content ownership, and exploring new avenues for growth. In a market where the lines between television, streaming and experiential entertainment are increasingly blurred, ZEEL’s latest moves suggest it is not just creating content, but building a system to make that content travel further and pay better.
