IPTV - Pulls Consumers

From Govt regulated Television to Cable to DTH to IPTV.

As of now there are only approx 12,000 IPTV subscribers compared to DTH’s 11 million. But the trend is catching up.

What is most striking about IPTV is that it will not depend on 'Push' advertising but on 'Pull' advertising. That is, Advertising on demand ;)

What is 'Pull'? - you can select from a given category, say second-hand cars, choose the brand, click to know more and the best part : you can simply navigate through the video clips on A-Tube and decide for yourself. On other mediums, you look at the brand, get convinced but still the 'buy action' needs to wait. In IPTV, you just press the button. Red-hot call to action. Money spinner.


~ Satish Chathanath
Call : 9884011654
Mail : csadhy@yahoo.co.in

Taming Attrition

In the last couple of years whenever I bump into HR heads of outsourcing companies or BPOs, they never fail to mention about the hairy beast called attrition. They have tried everything from Mercer techniques to swank get-togethers to astrology;) … but more employees walked out on them.

Surprise… Surprise… the economic slowdown has apparently done what crazy employee engagement activities, crazier salary hikes and craziest perks and incentives couldn’t: keep more employees of outsourcing companies and BPOs on the rolls.

Sometimes, the best CEO is the market condition !!


~ Satish Chathanath
Call : 9884011654
Mail : csadhy@yahoo.co.in

British Airways & Hyderabad Blues

British Airways recently announced the launch of its new routes from Hyderabad to 22 cities in North America. Look at its creative... What a cliche. Akin to showing a Kangaroo if you are flying from Australia.

The rangoli in this ad was specially commissioned from the renowned Singapore based ‘rangoli’ artist, Vijaya Mohan, who has won a slew of awards, including a Guinness World Record for the largest ‘rangoli’, for her creations. Apart from this trivia, nothing strikes a chord. Sometimes, Clients and Agencies get into a cliche trap and fail to realize it.


~ Satish Chathanath
Call : 9884011654
Mail : csadhy@yahoo.co.in

Recession stumps Cricket !

Now Recession stumps cricket, cricketers, advertisers and cricket lovers. Advertisers will be spending Rs. 300-350 crore less in 2008-09. Immediate casualties – upcoming India-England one-day series and Champions League.

When jobs and heads are rolling - latest news is that BT is laying off 10,000 bodies- Auto companies, telecom, FMCG, real estate, insurance and beverage companies want to play it safe. There will be huge media cuts, nasty negotiations and probably the newer TV commercial scripts will be stalled or dropped. Star values will be questioned. ROI will be the star again.

I think the present scenario can help our cricketers – focus on cricket more and less on camera lens and half-clad sirens.


~ Satish Chathanath
Call : 9884011654
Mail : csadhy@yahoo.co.in

Another Election. Another Pitch. Who is the real winner ?

Who else can understand the power the communications better than a politician. Big names in national politics are turning to professionals to communicate to the mass. Their blood. Their siblings. Their votebank!

Objective : Campaign for the forthcoming Assembly and Lok Sabha elections and swing the votebank for a change.

BJP campaign theme : three Is – inflation, internal security and incompetence

General : Bring to light the issues affecting the country at large.

Medium to be used : Use both above-the-line and below-the-line media, including media vehicles such as SMS, MMS and online presence.

Account Size : Rs. 150 crores. Now close your mouth !!


~ Satish Chathanath
Call : 9884011654
Mail : csadhy@yahoo.co.in

Airtel Digital TV ad - what is digital about it ?

Celebrities sell products. Here the celebrities become the product.

Bharti and JWT (Creative Agency) had roped in 10 celebrities as products to advertise Airtel Digital TV. But sadly, they are not seen as products by the target. I keep hearing the same comment from wannabe consumers : “why do they spend so much money having so many celebrities for this ad” Boom down goes the concept. Nevertheless it makes a ‘cluttered’ impact ;)

Just to take you through the commercial… here is the flash back – swaying and fading out monotone TV ad of Airtel… Madhavan and Vidya Balan accompany yet another business executive in a luxury car to his home. Cricketers Zaheer Khan, Gautam Gambhir and a few other sports icons (and who are they..?) welcome the dad of a 5 year old into the lift. As he reaches his house, the door opens to reveal Kareena Kapoor. Rahul’s wife makes an appearance and ushers him in, where AR Rahman plays piano. And Saif Ali Khan is there to welcome him too.

Now the big question : Is ‘Digital’ TV all about cine and sports celebrities? Give us a break.


~ Satish Chathanath
Call : 9884011654
Mail : csadhy@yahoo.co.in

Internal Communicator ? - Are you lucky ?

After my session on ‘Internal Communications’ at Ad Club of Madras, one of the students raised an interesting question: how will I break the mindset of the senior management about the importance of internal communications?

Good question… here is my take…

Consider yourself lucky if the senior leaders in your organization view internal communications as important and central to everything that happens inside the organization. Be it celebrations or stick and carrot or polished cane or even hygiene messages.

But on the other hand, if the senior leaders view internal communications as an ‘optional tool’ or ‘gimmick tool’, then you have a bigger task at hand. Break that mindset. Create a space for yourself in the boardroom first or in the CEO’s cubicle. So how do you do this – be extremely proactive, be courageous, be curious about everything in the organization and your line of business.

Tie everything you do with tangible results. Keep proving.


~ Satish Chathanath
Call : 9884011654
Mail : csadhy@yahoo.co.in