In-video advertising company Mirriad has entered into an agreement with Universal Music Group (UMG) and Havas for its video technology that allows digital integration of brands, products, signage, video and other forms of branded assets into professionally produced video content.
According to Mark Popkiewicz, chief executive officer, Mirriad, working with UMG and Havas will help grow the brand globally and extend the technology beyond broadcast television to online digital video. "We designed Mirriad with content producers very much in mind so our platform allows all stakeholders to painlessly review and approve campaigns ahead of launch," said Popkiewicz. While UMG will use the technology for its select music videos, Havas Media Network will be the first global agency to partner with Mirriad and UMG for strategic native in-video advertising from key clients including LVMH, Dish Network, LG, and Coca-Cola. Havas's venture 18-Siliwood, a research center launched in collaboration with Orange Silicon Valley, will also incorporate Mirriad technology and UMG content in ongoing research it is conducting in media, content, technology and data science.
Raising pitch
Bringing industry-leading imaging technology to more affordable price levels, Microsoft Devices recently unveiled Lumia 830 and Lumia 730 dual SIM smartphones running the latest Windows Phone 8.1 operating system. The company also announced the sales start of the much awaited Lumia 930 in India, plus the Lumia Denim update, which brings extra features and enhancements to existing Lumia smartphones. Raghuvesh Sarup, director-marketing, Nokia India Sales Pvt Ltd (a subsidiary of Microsoft Mobiles Oy), said the company recognises the potential of the affordable smartphone segment and has brought some very successful products under the Lumia range in the past.
"Building on our momentum in this space, we are introducing three new devices, Lumia 930, 830 and Lumia 730, which we believe will help us consolidate our position in the mid-priced smartphone market in India," said Sarup. To be available from second week of this month, the smartphones have been priced at Rs 28,799 (Lumia 830), Rs 15,299 (Lumia 730) and Rs 38,649 (Lumia 930).
Bigger pie
With Gusto (110cc), Mahindra Two Wheelers is aiming for a larger pie in the segment, which is currently dominated by Japanese manufacturer Honda Motorcycle and Sccoter India. According to industry estimates, the 100cc scooter segment currently contributes around 90% of the overall segment sales, while Mahindra Two Wheelers did not have any presence in this category. The scooter segment has grown 30% this financial year and Mahindra Two Wheelers is aiming to leverage this growth with Gusto. Other models in this segment include Hero MotoCorp's Maestro, TVS Jupiter, etc. Mahindra spent Rs 65 crore on the product development over 25 months.
Glamour quotient
Premium audio and infotainment group Harman International and Sahil International have got on board Arjun Kapoor and Parineeti Chopra as ambassadors for the JBL home and multimedia range of products in India. According to company executives, the actors' recent successes and their immense youth appeal make them an ideal fit for a brand like JBL, which has a slew of products catering to the youth segment from headphones to portable speakers, available in a range of quirky designs and colours. JBL has also created a bollywood style peppy music video echoing youth sentiments and speaking their language. "Arjun Kapoor and Parineeti Chopra represent the youth of today who are independent, expressive, confident, carefree and brand conscious and this is the theme we have tried to explore through the campaign," said Sahil Sani, director, Sahil International, which is the authorised sales and service partner for Harman lifestyle division products in India.
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