Event Coverage
Zee Mindspace Awards 2016 to acknowledge marketing fraternity
MUMBAI: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) has instituted the Zee Mindspace Awards to give recognition to brands.
The awards ceremony will be held on 27 August at #ZEEMelt 2016 in the capital.
ZEE Mindspace Awards aim to serve as an additional independent barometer for marketers. It will recognize the overall marketing mix implemented by the brand owners to carve a mindspace within the consumers.
ZEEL chief business officer Sunil Buch said, “Achieving ‘consumer mindspace’ is every marketer’s ultimate goal. The thought of extending our three-year old brand intellectual property ‘ZEE Mindspace’ also as an awards property was based on this very essence. The marketing fraternity is an integral part of our overall business value chain, and in today’s digital era it is indeed a challenge for the marketers to arrive at the right marketing mix. The proof of the pudding is being present in the ‘Mindspace’, which is the foundation of ZEE Mindspace Awards.”
The network has partnered with market research company Nielsen to execute a nationwide research to identify brands which have created maximum impact on the minds of the consumers. The primary criteria to arrive at the winning brands are popularity, advocacy, desire and buzz. Brands which have a top of mind recall are also a part of the structured research methodology.
Nielsen has targeted a sample size of 12000+ audiences, covering key zones across the country.
The winning brands will be awarded at the ZEE Mindspace Awards 2016 in the presence of over 500 CMOs and stalwarts from the marketing and advertising industry.
Nielsen South Asia MD Prashant Singh said, “Nielsen’s research methodology is a brand assessment among consumers who have adopted new age media in addition to traditional media and provides brand owners’ insights into how brands are adapting to this fast-evolving space. More than 12000 online surveys were conducted to evaluate 288 brands across 36 categories. The research was broken into multiple phases – from initial screening of brands to final rounds focusing on understanding what makes a brand resonate in the consumer’s mind. The winners were identified after undertaking a rigorous process, based on top-of-mind recall, popularity, the kind of advocacy the brand commands, the desire to own the brand and finally the buzz it generates. Above all, it’s the brand’s ability to pop-up in mind at the first instance that holds maximum weightage.”
#ZEEMelt 2016 will also witness the 4th edition of Zee Mindspace Conference which aims at bringing the marketing fraternity together to connect, discuss and explore new possibilities. The sessions under conference comprise of two main themes: Previewing tomorrow – where one gets insights into the future of several areas in the industry, and Open possibilities which introduces the many advantages that data, content, consumer analysis and branding offer in transforming businesses.
The speakers at the conference are Constellation Research founder and chairman and principal analyst R Ray Wang, News Works deputy chief executive Vanessa Clifford, Havas Media SVP of strategy and innovation Tom Goodwin, strategist and speaker Jeff Bullas, Financial Times chief data officer Tom Betts, Semcon corporate communication and marketing director Per Nilsson, XAxis global CEO Brian Gleason, technology and media author, strategy consultant Tomi Ahonen.
ZEEL has embarked on an extensive promotion campaign in key markets targeting print, outdoor, digital, social media platforms and PR. Further, as a part of integration with Twitter, the awards ceremony will be live-streamed on Periscope and extensively promoted on the social media platform. Actor and Television presenter, Gaurav Kapur who would be the event anchor, will also interact with the users through Twitter’s #BlueRoom today at 6.30 pm.
Event Coverage
Anime India announces Amazon MX Player as co-presenting partner for Anime India Kolkata 2026
MUMBAI: Riding high on the success of its blockbuster Mumbai debut, Anime India is accelerating its nationwide expansion with the announcement of Amazon MX Player as the co-presenting partner for Anime India Kolkata. The partnership marks a significant step forward in the festival’s mission to deliver large-scale, accessible, and fan-first anime experiences across the country.
Scheduled for 14 and 15 February 2026 at the iconic Biswa Bangla Mela Prangan, Anime India Kolkata will launch the first regional chapter of what is set to be a year-long, multi-city tour. As the curtain-raiser for the 2026 circuit, the Kolkata edition aims to fuse the energy of global Japanese pop culture with India’s fast-growing community of anime, manga, and pop-culture fans.
A household name in digital entertainment, Amazon MX Player brings unmatched reach and cultural relevance to the Anime India platform. With its expanding focus on anime and youth-driven content, Amazon MX Player’s involvement as co-presenting partner reinforces Anime India’s vision of making anime culture more inclusive breaking barriers of language, geography, and accessibility to connect with fans nationwide.
Anime India Kolkata 2026 will showcase cosplay competitions, interactive zones led by the Indian Gunpla Community, India-39 Vocaloid Community, The Japan Curry, and Adda-o-Otaku by The Otaku Guild. Fans can join tournaments across fighting games, Pokémon VGC, and more. Acclaimed Japanese director Susumu Mitsunaka (Haikyu!!) will attend as guest of honour, appearing in panels and live sessions. Positioned as an immersive celebration of fan culture and industry collaboration, the Kolkata edition marks the beginning of Anime India’s nationwide expansion.
Sharing their perspective on the partnership, Amazon MX Player director Aruna Daryanani expressed, “Anime in India has evolved from a niche interest into a mainstream cultural movement, driven by an increasingly engaged and passionate fanbase. At Amazon MX Player, our focus is on expanding access by bringing anime to audiences across the country for free and in multiple local languages. Our association with Anime India reflects our commitment to supporting the growth of anime in India and deepening connections with fans, while continuing to build Amazon MX Player as a trusted destination for free, high-quality entertainment.”
“Anime India Kolkata is a celebration of how anime has grown beyond entertainment into a powerful cultural and creative force. By bringing fans, creators, and industry leaders onto one shared platform, the festival is helping define the future of pop culture in India,” said Anime India co-founder and director Neha Mehta.
The debut edition of Anime India 2025 in Mumbai attracted over 29,000 fans, quickly cementing its status as a landmark celebration of anime and Japanese pop culture. Riding on this overwhelming response, the Kolkata chapter is projected to draw more than 40,000 visitors across two days, positioning it as one of the biggest anime conventions ever held in eastern India.
Anime India is focused on bringing together fans from across the country to create a truly pan-India celebration of anime, manga, cosplay, gaming, and Japanese culture. With plans to expand into four key metropolitan hubs in 2026—east (Kolkata), north (Delhi), west (Mumbai), and south (Hyderabad)—the festival seeks to deliver globally benchmarked experiences while supporting and uplifting creators, artists, and fan communities throughout India.
