MAM
Something out of nothing: Rob Middleton
MUMBAI: Speaking at the PromaxBDA 2012 held in Mumbai on 23 and 24 May, Astro creative director Rob Middleton enthralled the audience with a stimulating presentation on the topic ‘Something out of nothing‘. The session focused on creating good quality engaging creative on tight budgets.
According to Middleton, “There are four pre-requisites to a good television promo. Content, communication, chop (the editing) and copyright. The biggest television taboo would be a lack of belief in self.” He firmly supports the belief that whatever a channel or brand does, if done properly, can be used a tool for mini-positioning. This helps create brand presence and map it in the consumer‘s psyche over a period of time.
What a brand‘s logo stands for, bear more importance than how it looks. A brand‘s manner of communication is as important as its ‘look‘ in the market space in order to leave an impression on the consumer‘s mind. In this case, the communication objective should be to leave an impression through effective expression.
In case the budgets do not permit the extravagance one would want, one may use techniques like type face and simple graphics to make interesting promos. The use of animation takes the production to a different level while maintaining the budget limits.
Music is another element that can be used to enhance a promo. Experts believe that nearly 80 per cent the audience‘s reaction on a promo is through its music. More than music, it is the sound that it used. A clever assortment of everyday sounds can make for a very good audio piece. The trick is to synchronies the audio with the video and the context of the communication. A seamless integration of the four elements makes for a good promo.
Humour always sells, he added. Infusing humour in the promos not only makes for a good viewing, but also helps brand recall. It is common knowledge that commercial with a humourous twist are faster in catching the audiences‘ fancy and may even be the topic for discussion. All this contributes to establishing a brand in the consumer‘s life.
Lastly, he said that investing in technology makes sense as it helps reduce cost in the long run. With technology emerging as an ally, the avenues of creativity are ever increasing.
Digital
BSE revamps website with real-time data, mobile-first design, smart search
New platform brings cleaner layout, live market trackers and easier navigation
MUMBAI: BSE has rolled out a major redesign of its official website, aiming to make market data faster to access and easier to navigate for both seasoned traders and new-age retail investors.
The updated platform introduces a cleaner, more modern interface, replacing the earlier dense and text-heavy layout with a streamlined design. Navigation has been simplified with clearly segmented menus across markets, corporates, public issues, members, investment advisers and research analysts, helping users find information without the usual maze of links.
At the top, a refreshed header now offers quick access to notices, media releases, trading holidays and career updates. A centralised search bar allows users to instantly locate securities using names, codes, IDs or ISINs, cutting down the time spent digging through pages. For those still attached to the old layout, a dedicated toggle lets users switch back during the transition period.
A key highlight of the revamp is the sharper focus on real-time market data. A live ticker band now runs across the site, offering updates on indices including the SENSEX and BANKEX, alongside pre-open market signals. The homepage also features interactive charts, giving users a quick visual read of market trends without needing to navigate deeper.
Market activity sections such as top gainers, losers, turnover stocks and block deals have been reorganised into tabbed formats, making them more intuitive and easier to scan. Meanwhile, specialised areas like index derivatives and corporate data have been upgraded with better visualisation tools, offering clearer insights into contracts, turnover, open interest and company fundamentals.
The overhaul also reflects a strong mobile-first approach. With a growing number of investors tracking markets on their phones, the new site is fully responsive, ensuring charts and data tables remain readable and interactive across devices.
With this redesign, BSE appears to be aligning its digital presence with the needs of a more tech-savvy investor base, where speed, clarity and usability are just as critical as the data itself.
