iWorld
Social media glory: Vivo IPL 2016 versus Pepsi IPL 2015
MUMBAI: Although broadcast partner Sony Pictures Network (SPN) has touched estimated sponsorship revenue of Rs 1,200 crores from IPL Season 9, Vivo IPL 9 failed to garner as much social buzz as its predecessor Pepsi IPL did in 2015. As per a recently released report Social Penetration by IPL through MESH, which is a proprietary tool for data analysis by Maxus India, Pepsi IPL generated almost double the social media buzz in 2015 as compared to Vivo IPL this year. Comparable buzz numbers were 240,164 minions in IPL 2016 and 456,943 mentions in 2015
The MESH report says that the buzz around #Pepsi IPL 2015 vs # Vivo IPL 2016, Pepsi had generated 47 percent more mentions than this year’s IPL. Across social media platforms, IPL 2016 crossed 3.1 million (31 lakh) mentions.
According to the MESH report in week one of IPL 2016, mentions dropped by 9 percent against IPL 2015. Also in week 2 and week 3 of IPL 2016, the mentions went down by 20 percent and 11 percent respectively, while in week 4 social mentions hiked up by 20 percent. As per the reports, week 5 again witnessed a downfall of 8.1 percent but in week 6 mentions went up again by 3 percent. Week 7 of IPL 2016 was an impressive session. The last week witnessed 74 percent hike in social mentions from IPL 2016.
RCB was the highest buzzing team followed by KKR and Sunrisers Hyderabad. Virat Kohli with 533128 mentions and AB De Villiers with 229 831 mentions were the most tagged players of IPL 2016.
When it comes to top IPL and top buzzing sponsors hashtags Vivo ruled the buzz with more than around 2 lakh mentions around #VivoIPL followed by beverages company Kingfisher’s #UnitedByGoodTimes campaign. Gionee was number three with #GioneeKKR getting 100,000 plus mentions while Freecharge’s #LoDoKhatamkaro and Telecom company Vodafone’s #BeSuper campaign clocked 50,000 plus mentions during IPL 2016.
iWorld
Snapchat parent Snap cuts 16 per cent of workforce in AI-driven restructuring
The Snapchat parent is axing around 1,000 jobs and closing 300 open roles to save $500m, as artificial intelligence makes smaller teams the new normal
CALIFORNIA: Snap is snapping. The Snapchat parent has confirmed plans to cut around 1,000 employees, roughly 16 per cent of its full-time workforce, as it bets that artificial intelligence can do what headcount once required. Shares jumped more than 10 per cent in premarket trading on the news, a brisk vote of confidence from a market that has watched the stock shed about 31 per cent this year.
The restructuring, which also closes more than 300 open roles, follows pressure from activist investor Irenic Capital Management, which holds an economic interest of about 2.5 per cent in the company and has been loudly pushing Snap to tighten its portfolio and lift performance. The firm got what it asked for, and then some.
Chief executive Evan Spiegel told employees the cuts would reduce annualised expenses by more than $500m by the second half of the year. The company expects to incur charges of between $95m and $130m related to the layoffs, mostly severance, with the bulk landing in the second quarter. Staff in Snap’s North America team were asked to work from home on the day of the announcement.
The financial backdrop is not without bright spots. Snap expects first-quarter revenue to rise around 12 per cent to approximately $1.53 billion, broadly in line with analyst estimates. Adjusted core profit for the January to March quarter is forecast at about $233m, comfortably ahead of Wall Street’s expectation of $186.8m.
The harder question surrounds Specs, Snap’s augmented reality smart glasses subsidiary, which Irenic has urged the company to spin off or shut down entirely. The unit has absorbed more than $3.5 billion in investment and burns through approximately $500m in cash annually. Snap is pressing ahead regardless, with a consumer product expected later this year, even as Meta leads the market in the segment.
Spiegel is betting that leaner teams, smarter machines and a consumer AR play can restore Snap’s credibility with investors who have run out of patience. The redundancy notices have gone out. The harder restructuring, the one that requires a hit product rather than a headcount reduction, is still very much pending.
