News Broadcasting
GroupM acquires research and sponsorship firm IEG Inc.
MUMBAI: WPP’s GroupM has acquired Chicago-based IEG, Inc., which is a provider of research, analytics, strategic counsel and training on sponsorship, strategic alliances and promotional partnerships.
IEG’s metrics embed predictability and accountability into sponsorship, allowing companies to value, maximise and measure their participation in sports, arts, entertainment, experiential, on line, affinity and cause marketing.
“Sponsorship is tailor made for a world where consumers are in control. It communicates without interrupting and allows brands to build financial and social capital by partnering with the organizations and experiences that their customers love,” said IEG co-founder Lesa Ukman, who will now become IEG’s chairman.
“IEG’s ability to transform sponsorship from an intangible expense to a measurable investment is spot-on with GroupM’s commitment to increasing the productivity of client expenditures through integrated, channel-neutral communications,” said Mediaedge:cia executive chairman Charles Courtier, on behalf of GroupM North America.
“We selected to work with the GroupM agencies over the other bidders because their leadership, capabilities and geographic reach are simply unmatched,” said Laren Ukman, who becomes CEO of IEG. She will report to Courtier. All IEG employees will be retained.
IEG also created the protocol for determining the fair market value of sponsorship. The IEG Valuation Service has valued more than 1,000 opportunities–from televised events like FIFA World Cup and X Games to destinations, associations, websites and causes like Pebble Beach, AARP, Boys Choir of Harlem, Chicago Park District, Sciencebuddies.com and World Wildlife Fund.
The company works with some 5,000 organizations each year, from the NFL, Kennedy Center and the American Heart Association to Credit Suisse, Verizon Wireless and General Motors.
IEG does not sell sponsorship or collect commission. Its objectivity combined with its vast electronic databases, highly specialised staff and work with leading sponsors and rightsholders, provides the company unduplicated access to the newest and best practices from both the buy and sell sides of the market.
IEG also has broken new ground in Strategic Philanthropy and Corporate Social Responsibility, providing both corporations and not-for-profits strategies, tools and training to leverage and maximise community affairs and philanthropic budgets.
DeSilva & Phillips, LLC, a New York investment broker specialising in mergers and acquisitions to the marketing communications, media, interactive and information services industries, represented IEG in the transaction.
News Broadcasting
News18 India launches Command Centre war explainer with Arya
New show shifts from debates to decoding global conflicts and impacts
MUMBAI: News18 India has rolled out a new war-focused programme, Command Centre, featuring Gaurav Arya, as it looks to offer viewers a sharper, more grounded take on global conflicts amid rising tensions in West Asia.
Positioned as an “insider war room”, the show moves away from conventional panel debates and instead focuses on explaining military developments, decoding strategy and connecting global events to their everyday impact, from fuel prices to economic shifts.
The format leans heavily on visuals and data. The studio has been designed like a command hub, complete with large LED war maps, real-time graphics and an alert system to track developments as they unfold.
At the centre of it all is Arya, who brings his military background to simplify complex war strategies for viewers. His signature line, “Seedhi baat samjhiye”, anchors the show’s promise of clarity over noise.
News18 India managing editor Jyoti Kamal said, “Command Centre, featuring Major Gaurav Arya is designed to deliver accurate insights and a clear perspective on how evolving conflicts impact everyday life, from household budgets to national security. With expert voices analysing every development in real time, the show goes beyond headlines to decode what’s happening now, what it means, and what could come next.”
Echoing the intent, Gaurav Arya added, “In times of war, confusion is the biggest threat. With News18 India’s Command Centre, we are bringing viewers inside the war room, decoding strategies, tracking every escalation, and explaining, in the simplest terms, what it means for India and for every household. Seedhi baat samjhiye, this is where you understand not just what is happening, but what happens next.”
The weekday show will air in the afternoon slot and will also feature Gaurav Shukla, adding to its editorial depth.
With its mix of analysis, visuals and a clear focus on impact, the show reflects a broader shift in news consumption. Viewers are no longer just watching events unfold, they are looking to understand what those events mean for them.
