GECs
Sony to redefine HD entertainment in 2005
MUMBAI: At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas consumer electronics giant Sony Electronics demonstrated its advancements in high-definition (HD) entertainment and the breadth of its HD products.
The corporation’s diverse spectrum of content and technology assets were highlighted to illustrate a consumer HD leadership position which it claims to be unmatched in the industry.
Sony Electronics president and COO Hideki “Dick” Komiyama noted the Sony Electronics’ double-digit sales growth and market share strength. At a media briefing he cited a solid holiday season performance for the US electronics business. He noted that Sony’s products, such as its HD, LCD-based Grand Wega microdisplay televisions were proving to be the key drivers for success.
Meanwhile Sony America’s chairman and CEO Sir Howard Stringer focussed on Sony’s convergence strategy. This will lead to a horizontal age where technologies and resources are leveraged across product and business groups among the various electronics and entertainment related operations.
He said, ” 2005 is the year when Sony will fulfill its digital promise by creating a formula that melds electronics, video game entertainment, movies, music and other forms of entertainment, and becomes more networked and converged than ever before.” Elaborating his point with Sony’s holistic approach to high-definition Stringer said, “From pictures to electronics — both consumer and professional — to computer entertainment, Sony is heading down a path where no other competitor dare tread.”
Stringer focused on other technologies that he claims make Sony like no other when it comes to putting HD in the hands of consumers. For instance the corporation’s recently launched HDR-FX1 consumer camcorder was the first to let consumers capture all the power and nuance of high definition in full 1080i resolution.
The company touted new ways to show high-definition video such as the new 80-inch Chromavue screen with black screen technology, designed to reflect ambient light for an enhanced home theater experience even during the daytime.
Sony also heralded the Blu-ray optical disc as an important growth engine for HD content with demand streaming both from consumers and the content community in the US. Sony suggested that its first products using blue laser-based optical technology would be available in the US sometime in a year or two.
Emphasis was also placed on such proven successes as LCD technology. It is predicted to be the standard of choice for watching HD content in the coming year. The first LCD panels from the Sony/Samsung joint manufacturing venture will hit the US in a few months time.
Sony also attributed its HD leadership to exclusive technology like 3 LCD which improves the viewing experience by optimising colour reproduction full-time, across the entire screen.
Another product that adds to Sony’s HD prowess is Vegas 5 software from the company’s professional development division. It offers HD audio and video production support to meet the creativity needs of HD video.
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.
