Mumbai, May 24, 2013: Social Media Week (SMW), a worldwide event exploring the social, cultural and economic impact of social media, is finally making its way to India, this year. Founded in New York by Crowdcentric, Social Media Week is organized collaboratively and participated by people from all walks of life who are touched by social media. In just under five years, SMW has become a platform and a community that has grown to more than 100,000 members in 26 cities around the world.

SMW in Mumbai will be hosted by R SQUARE Consulting, an integrated marketing services agency. It will be organised from September 23 to 27 in Mumbai simultaneously with nine other marquee cities including Barcelona, Berlin, Bogot?, London, Los Angeles, Torino, Toronto and Sao Paulo. During this week there will be multiple events of different formats and themes taking place in several venues across the city. Most of these events will be free and can be attended by anyone who is interested.

?Mumbai is a world-city that has a great mix of people from the fields of art, culture, cinema, theatre and now conversational media. This richness and diversity, makes it a perfect host city for a global event like the Social Media Week. We are thrilled about our first outing in the country and are confident of a great response?, said Toby Daniels, Founder & Executive Director, Social Media Week, and CEO, Crowdcentric.

In 2013, SMW celebrates its fifth year of operation and intends to mark this milestone with a unifying global theme that will explore openness in a connected and collaborative world. Hemant Soreng, Director, Social Media Week Mumbai, added, ?India is witnessing a social media revolution, with the country witnessing tremendous interest and innovation across many platforms. We believe it is the right time to bring an event of this stature to India, as we hope to encourage more people and brands to adopt newer and smarter platforms of sharing ideas.?

SMW has partnered with the leading media and integrated communication agencies, Group M and Genesis Burson-Marsteller to organise the event in India.

MUMBAI, 27th May, 2013: Nick pulls out all stops to ensure kids have an entertaining summer holiday. With the brand new home-grown hilarious chase comedy Pakdam Pakdai and new season of the popular show Motu Patlu; kids will be entertained like never before. That?s not all! Kids also get a chance to party with Ninja Hattori by participating in ?Chocolate Horlicks Presents Nick Party with Ninja Contest?.

Pakdam Pakdai is a hilarious chase comedy and a Nickelodeon India production. It deals with rollicking adventures between a friendly but gullible dog Doggy Don and his older brother Colonel, and the three naughty mice that live in his house ? Chotu, Lambu and Motu. Each story in the series deals with some mischief that the mice create and the havoc that ensues in Doggy Don and Colonel?s life. This hilarious chase is bound to have kids rolling with laughter.

After the successful launch in October last year, Nick is launching Season 2 of ?Motu Patlu?. Set in the beautiful city of Furfuri Nagar, the show is about two characters, Motu and Patlu, who are as similar as chalk and cheese. With their uncanny ability to get into tricky situations, the new season will have this Awesome Twosome Jodi take the viewers to an all-new adventurous expedition - every single day.

And that?s not all. Summer time is party time on Nick. For the first time in India, kids from all across the nation will get a chance to party with Ninja Hattori as he sets off on his all India tour! 6 fun-filled parties will be hosted by Nick where the lucky winners can invite their friends and have the time of their life. From shaking a leg with Ninja, challenging him to a fist fight, eating some yum food to winning lots of prizes, Chocolate Horlicks and Nick are all set to enthrall kids this summer. To win party invites, all that Nicksters have to do, is watch Nick from 6 to 7 pm; Monday to Friday and answer simple questions. Viewers can send the right answers through SMS / IVRS or by logging on to www.nickindia.com. What?s more? Winners also get to invite their gang of friends to join the party.

Speaking about this exciting initiative, Nina Elavia Jaipuria, Executive Vice President & Business Head, Kids? Cluster, Viacom 18 Media Pvt Ltd, says, ?Kids have formed an unbreakable bond with Ninja Hattori. We wanted to make their summer truly memorable by giving them a once in a lifetime opportunity of partying with their favorite super hero and that too by hosting Ninja in their own city! The engagement will continue all summer on Nick ensuring that the kids have a fabulous vacation.?

In order to create maximum buzz, the contest will be supported by a 360 degree marketing campaign across the country. This includes promotion across various general entertainment channels on television and print ads in kids? supplements of various news dailies. Radio spots and RJ mentions on leading radio stations will be used to create buzz in the cities locally. In order to ensure that Nick covers all touchpoints frequented by kids, the channel will also organize various below the line promotions like mall activities and Ninja parties. Nick will also engage the GenY through regular contest updates, spot quizzes and sneak peaks on www.nickindia.com and www.facebook/nickindia.
 

Tune in to Nick, Monday to Friday from 6 ? 7 pm to watch Motu Patlu and Pakdam Pakdai
and
Win Ninja Hattori party invites for you and your friends!

MUMBAI, 21 MAY, 2013 - FremantleMedia and KarmYog Education Network today announced a partnership for Indian Idol Academy, a first of its kind performing arts academy for young learners. The immersive learning course is designed to draw on the assets of Indian Idol, and the methods of the show?s masters and past alumni along with experts, celebrities and educators to prepare and develop aspiring singers for their futures in the performing arts.

The first Indian Idol Academy centers will launch in September 2013, as a part of a nationwide plan for centers in multiple cities across India including Delhi, Kolkata, Lucknow, Ahmedabad, Pune and Mumbai. The coursework offers a variety of practical workshops including an orientation and induction program for one and all, followed by intermediate and advanced-level talent development programs for promising singers.

Indian Idol Academy will look to use immersive content, effective technology and engaging activities to offer multi-dimensional learning experiences that improve the course participants? overall star quality and ready them for future live performances, competitions and auditions. Students will be taken through a curriculum of interactive exercises that focus on vocal improvement, personality development, stage presence, performance and communication skills, as well as lessons in lifestyle.

Gautam Talwar, VP, Business Development, FremantleMedia, Asia said, "Indian Idol Academy is inspired by the real-life stories of Indian Idol. This pioneering training and development programme will not only assist and groom young singers to cultivate their love of performing, but also instill in them the skills, confidence and self-belief to continue on their path to stardom. Under the guidance of the masters of Indian Idol and our industry and the time-tested learning methods from KarmYog, the Academy graduates will be fully prepared for a life on the stage."

Chuck Schreiner, Managing Director of KarmYog Education Network said, "We are using the path-breaking OmniDELTM approach to learning, developed by KEN founder sourabh J. sarkar, and creating performing arts learning programs that will help every young person discover the magic of singing and shine as performers in every stage of life. Leveraging interactive multimedia and technology in ways that have never been done before, the Idol Academy programs will engage the learners in every dimension. We are confident that youngsters and their families will be excited about this new dimension of the Indian Idol brand."

The past six seasons of Indian Idol have enjoyed a succession of strong ratings on Sony TV, and a brand new Indian Idol Junior series with participants aged 5 - 15 years old, is set to launch on the channel in June 2013.

Mumbai, 27 May 2013 - The United Nations has invited citizens from around the world to vote on the issues that make the most difference to their lives. Over 560,000 citizens from 194 countries have already voted in one of the largest global surveys ever undertaken, providing real-time and real-world intelligence on what people think are biggest challenges.

In order to draw people from the most marginalized communities in India into this global conversation, Actor and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Ms Priyanka Chopra launched the mobile application of the MY World survey today.

At the event hosted by the SP Jain Institute of Management Research and co-organized by the UNICEF and UN Millennium Campaign, Ms Chopra said, "This is a truly ground breaking initiative. I am thrilled that by making a simple phone call people can take a virtual seat at the UN to participate in a global conversation on a roadmap for the future. For the first time I feel we have an opportunity at hand to think ahead, think together yet individually and have a truly impactful plan for a future without poverty and suffering."

The head of the UN system in India, Ms Lise Grande, emphasized, "Now more than ever, we need people to tell world leaders what they want. India is a global leader and when its people stand up for better healthcare, better education, decent work, pensions, sustainable energy for all, human rights and good governance, the world pays attention. The MY WORLD initiative is a way for Indians to shape the global development agenda. It?s an opportunity that?s too important to miss."

Speaking at the event, UNICEF Representative for India, Mr Louis Georges Arsenault pointed out, "The highlight of this survey is that it has given young people an opportunity to contribute meaningfully in shaping the global agenda. I see Priyanka, UNICEF ambassador, as a role model and strong influencer who can encourage millions of young people in India to take this survey and participate in a process which is so important in defining our future priorities."

Mr Minar Pimple, Regional Director, Asia Pacific, UN Millennium Campaign, described the launch of the mobile survey as an important step towards making the process more participatory. Mr Pimple said, "Given the deep penetration of the mobile phone in this country, we are hopeful that millions of people will cast their vote."

Built on the principle of crowdsourcing, MY WORLD harnesses the full power of technology, social media and partnerships. The initiative is supported by over 400 partner organizations globally and has received strategic support from Department for International Development (DFID). In India, the mobile platform is a partnership between the Web Foundation, technology provider Kirusa, service provider Loop Mobile, hosted by the civil society partner, Wada Na Todo Abhiyan.

Through the initiative, people case their ballots in favour of the six most preferred developments that would significantly alter their future. Jamuna Mallar, a young woman from Vellore, Tamil Nadu said, "The whole exercise was in a language I could understand. Instead of being branded as the problem, here I was providing a solution."

Results from the MY WORLD survey have been shared with the UN Secretary General, the UN Secretary-General?s High Level Panel on the Post 2015 Development Agenda and the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development. In India, the votes so far have indicated that the single largest transforming would be "better education" followed closely by "better job opportunities" and "better healthcare."

Mumbai, May 27, 2013: Navratna Cool Talc, a brand extension of the Navratna power brand from the house of Emami Ltd, has emerged as the first sub-brand to join its list of Rs 100 crore ?hero? brands. Navratna Cool Talc which has created a separate ?cool? sub-category in the talc segment recorded an 80% growth in FY ?2012-13. The brand expects to hit a minimum of 25% Y-o-Y growth despite the talcum powder segment in India having hit a near saturation point. The success of Navratna Cool Talc further exemplifies Emami?s strategy on building a robust brand portfolio through brand extensions. Navratna Cool Talc currently enjoys a sizeable market share of 18% in the INR 4300 million worth Cool talc & PHP sub-segments of talcum powder.

As a part of its aggressive marketing strategy to achieve the targeted growth, Navratna Cool Talc is going to roll out a brand new TVC strategically positioning the brand as ?Bina Bijili ka Sabse Chhota A C?. Cosmetic products and talcum powders generally play around the concept of beauty, fragrance and physical discomforts due to natural extremities. Navratna Cool Talc has made a category expansion initiative as a FMCG brand to build a campaign as a relief provider around the concept of extreme physical discomforts during painful long hours of power cuts faced by masses in various parts of the country. Developed by Leo Burnett and produced by Conred, the film for the load shedding campaign has been directed by Gajraj Rao of Code red films.