MAM
Zee TV highest gainer in week 6 of 2013; Star Plus retains top spot
MUMBAI: Zee TV was the only Hindi GEC with significant gains in week six of 2013 at 243 gross rating points (GRPs), allowing it to narrow the gap with leader channel Star Plus.
Zee TV added 29 GRPs to week five’s 214 GRPs and maintained its No. 2 position in the Hindi general entertainment channel hierarchy. The jump is the combined result of all the regular shows (weekend and weekdays) gaining or maintaining the ratings and a fair performance of the weekend properties — English Vinglish 1.1 GRP for 12 noon airing and 1.6 GRP for 8.00 pm airing; Fear Files 1.2 GRP on Sunday and 2.3 on Saturday; and the Valentines Event that raked in 3.2 GRPs.
Star India’s Hindi GEC Star Plus continued to lead the ratings race at 264 GRPs, though it did suffer a loss of 17 GRPs from the trailing week.
There has been no change in the pecking order of GECs since last week as Colors takes the third spot with 206 GRPs (week five – 210 GRPs).
Sony Entertainment Television gained one GRP to reach 160 GRPs and maintained its position at number four, according to TAM data (HSM including 5 new LC1 markets, C&S, 4+) for the week ended 9 February, sourced from a Hindi GEC.
While last week saw Star Plus as a big leader with a lead of 67 GRPs, this week the gap between number one and number two narrowed to 21 GRPs. Consequently, the gap between the second and third place increased from four GRPs in week five to 37 GRPs in week six.
Zee gained seven GRPs for the weekday primetime slot (7.00 pm to 11.30 pm) to collect a total of 115 GRPs from this band. In the weekday afternoon slot too, Zee was the highest gainer (four GRPs) at 27 GRPs as was the case in the weekend primetime slot where it gained four GRPs to collect 36 GRPs in all.
Star Plus gained six GRPs in the weekday primetime slot (total 119 GRPs), two GRPs in the weekday afternoon slot (total 24 GRPS) and lost 16 GRPs in the weekend primetime slot (total 39 GRPs).
In the case of Colors, the channel lost 12 GRPs in the weekday primetime slot (total 98), gained two GRPs in the weekday afternoon slot (total 18 GRPs) and gained 11 GRPs in the weekend primetime slot (total 40 GRPs).
Sony remained more or less stable from week five to week six shedding just three GRPs in the weekday primetime band (total 45), gaining one GRP (total 13 GRP) and losing two GRPs (total 40 GRPs) in the weekday afternoon and weekend primetime segments respectively.
Zee’s show Sapne Suhane Ladakpan KE was the highest rated show for week six at 4.3 TVR (3.8 TVR), followed very closely by Star Plus’ Diya Aur Bati Hum at 4.2 TVR (4.3 TVR). Star’s Saathiya Saath Nibhaana raked in 3.6 TVR (3.9 TVR) while Zee’s daily soaps Qubool Hai (3.1 TVR) and Pavitra Rishta (3.3 TVR) both got ratings of 3.3 TVR. CID continued to be Sony’s top performing show with 2.8 TVR, unchanged from week five. Star Plus’ dancing reality show Nach Baliye raked in 3.0 TVR (3.5 TVR) while Sasural Simmar ka on Colors earned 3.1 TVR (4.0 TVR).
Star India’s second GEC Life OK gained three GRPs to reach 124 GRPs in week six (week five – 121 GRP) while Sab TV lost two GRPs to end up at 132 GRPs in week six.
MAM
Madison World to launch AI platform M BrAIn for media planning
Agency group invests about $1 million as it shifts to AI driven growth planning.
MUMBAI: If media planning once ran on spreadsheets and gut instinct, the next chapter may run on algorithms and curiosity. Madison World is preparing to roll out the first version of its proprietary artificial intelligence platform Madison M BrAIn in early April, as the independent agency group accelerates its transition toward AI driven planning and product led media services.
The platform, expected to involve an investment of around $1 million, is designed to reshape how the agency approaches strategy by combining internal knowledge, external data sources and advanced AI models into a single intelligence ecosystem.
According to Madison Media, OOH and Hiveminds partner and group CEO Ajit Varghese the initiative forms part of a larger structural rethink within the organisation. “Traditionally agencies built frameworks around media planning and allocation. We are redesigning that structure into what we call a Growth Planning System (GPS),” Varghese said.
The shift reflects a growing belief that effective media strategy must begin earlier in the decision making process. Instead of jumping directly to channel allocation, planners must first decode the market itself identifying consumer barriers, purchase triggers and the core challenges facing a brand.
Once those insights are mapped, agencies can build clearer growth agendas for clients and design media strategies that connect more closely with business outcomes.
To support that approach, Madison has built Madison M BrAIn as what it describes as a human AI cognitive ecosystem. Acting as a central intelligence hub, the platform aggregates proprietary insights alongside external data sources and large language models, enabling planners to access deeper market intelligence before building campaign strategies.
Varghese said one of the core objectives is to democratise knowledge across the organisation. “In the past, this level of understanding was largely available to senior leaders or experienced strategists. With Madison M BrAIn, even a junior planner should be able to access the same intelligence and approach clients with a far more informed perspective,” he said.
The agency has already implemented the new planning philosophy internally and completed three months of testing for the AI platform, with early trials showing encouraging results in terms of learning capability and system performance.
While the first version relied on global large language models, Madison is now developing its own proprietary Small Language Model (SLM) to serve as the core of the M BrAIn ecosystem.
“The SLM will be able to read global LLMs, but the LLMs cannot read the SLM,” Varghese explained. “That ensures all the intelligence we build remains within the Madison ecosystem and strengthens our proprietary knowledge base.”
The first version of Madison M BrAIn is expected to go live in early April, with a more refined version targeted by the end of June. Over time, the platform will integrate additional external data streams and APIs including consumer insight platforms, social listening tools and client datasets.
These integrations are expected to enhance the system’s learning capability and enable it to generate increasingly sophisticated strategic recommendations.
Although the platform is currently being deployed for internal use, Madison sees potential for it to evolve into a licensable product in the future.
“At the moment, our focus is to stabilise and strengthen M BrAIn internally. But over time there is potential for this to become a product that could be licensed externally,” Varghese said.
The AI platform is also part of a wider technology transformation underway at the agency group. Alongside M BrAIn, Madison is building a broader digital infrastructure called the Catalyst operating system, which aims to integrate operational processes, data and product platforms into a unified ecosystem.
This broader technology stack could require an additional $1 million to $1.5 million investment over time, though spending will be phased and reviewed regularly.
“We are evaluating progress every three months and prioritising the most critical capabilities first,” Varghese said.
Madison expects the full AI and operating ecosystem to be fully functional within 12 to 18 months, positioning the agency to combine human strategy with machine intelligence as the advertising industry enters its next data driven phase.
