GECs
MAX gears up for its next big innings
MUMBAI:Trust MAX to experiment and innovate – that too in style. After the much-hyped Cricket World Cup that reaped fruitful returns for the channel, it is now all geared up to create a similar buzz around its next catch – Devdas – ,the biggest blockbuster film of 2002 .
Mandira Bedi, who attracted many an eyeball during the World Cup, is all set to charm the viewers once again on Sunday, 27 April when the mega movie premieres on the channel at 8 pm.
Clad in the sari worn by Aishwarya Rai who played the lead role of Paro in the movie, she will host the interstitials disclosing facts, a peek behind the scenes and trivia associated with the movie. “Did you know that nearly 600 saris were brought in from Kolkata for her role as Paro,” said an over-excited Mandira who gave only this one hint as to what was in store for the viewers.
The channel is pulling out all the stops to entice viewers. Apart from showcasing the making of the movie on 21 April, the channel will also air Dola Re Dole, an exclusive compilation of songs from the film.
“Presenting films on a channel is a different business altogether. The challenge faced by our channel is to differentiate our movies from that shown on other channels. So we decided to experiment and give the Indian audience a new experience of watching a movie ,” said MAX executive V-P Rajat Jain.
“Max’s perspective is to focus on big products. What the World Cup is to cricket, Devdas has been to films last year,” he stated.
The interstitials will appear before the movie begins, during ad breaks and after the movie. “The whole idea is to generate excitement and interest among viewers. We will run a contest wherein questions will be flashed during the movie. The viewers will be required to SMS the answers. The lucky winners will win a free trip to Mauritius ,” said Jain.
The other blockbuster movies lined up for the channel include Deewangee and Aap Mujhe Achche Lagne Lage to name a few. “Investment in the brand depends on the returns expected. Every effort has been taken to position the brand,” said Jain, when asked if a similar hype would be created for all its blockbuster movies.
“After Devdas, we will be air the Rolling Stones concert on 10 May, followed by Indian International Film Awards IIFA sometime early June,” said Jain of the future attractions on the channel. In addition, the channel has also announced a Friday Blockbuster Festival which will showcase some of the latest Bollywood flicks, starting 2 May till 22 June 2003.
Though it remains to be seen if the new experiment with Mandira gets the desired results, it is the channel’s attempt to innovate and present movies and events in a more palatable style that keeps everyone asking – what next?
GECs
ZEEL overhauls sales structure to chase growth across TV and digital platforms
New structure sharpens digital push as viewing habits fragment fast
MUMBAI: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. is reshuffling its sales playbook as it looks to keep pace with a fast-changing media landscape, where audiences are scattered, screens are multiplying and advertisers are following the data.
According to media reports, the rejig is anchored in the company’s push to build a more integrated, data-led monetisation engine, one that can straddle both traditional television and fast-growing digital platforms with equal ease.
At the heart of the move is a reworked sales architecture designed to deliver cross-platform solutions. With connected TV gaining ground and digital consumption surging, ZEEL is aligning its teams to move quicker, think broader and sell smarter.
The restructuring is being led by chief operating officer, advertisement revenue, Sandeep Mehrotra, at a time when the company says it is seeing tremendous growth. The idea is simple: match the right talent to the right opportunity in a market that is anything but static.
As part of the overhaul, several long-serving executives have been elevated to chief sales officer roles across regions and content clusters. Sanjoy Chatterjee will head the east market, while Gunjarav Nayak takes charge of the west along with high-margin verticals such as hmg, brand works, intellectual properties and digital sales. Rajnish Gupta will oversee bengaluru and chennai markets alongside the kannada and tamil clusters.
In other key moves, Divjyot Dhanda will lead hyderabad and kochi markets and manage zee tv, zee keralam and the telugu cluster. Roshan Vasu Kotian will supervise a diverse portfolio including Zee Marathi, &tv, Zee Punjabi, Zee Anmol, Big Magic and Zee Biskope.
The company is also strengthening its bench, appointing national sales heads across retail, regional clusters, digital and brand solutions. Ankur Kapila’s appointment to lead digital sales signals a sharper push into a segment that continues to outpace traditional formats.
Behind the scenes, dedicated strategy and operations roles have been carved out for both linear and digital businesses. Nitin Shetty, Rajkiran Shrivastav and Priya Nambiar will take on key responsibilities to ensure the new structure runs with precision.
The broader aim is clear. ZEEL wants a bigger slice of advertising budgets that are steadily drifting towards digital and connected TV ecosystems. By integrating its offerings, the company hopes to deepen client relationships while unlocking new revenue streams.
The new structure takes effect immediately, with Mehrotra continuing to report to chief executive officer Punit Goenka and steer the company’s advertising revenue strategy. Senior executive Laxmi Shetty will support the transition, with her revised role expected to be announced soon.
In a market where content is everywhere but attention is scarce, ZEEL’s latest move is less about rearranging the org chart and more about staying in the game.
