Mumbai: It was a great moment for AXN when they were awarded a silver award at the 2012 Marketing Events Awards in the Best PR/Guerilla Marketing Stunt category for Cyril?s Family Vacation (Hawaii Edition). The award ceremony that took place on 25th November, 2012 in Singapore boasted of an impressive line-up of judges.

Up against stiff competition, it is heartening that the promotional efforts for the show which centered heavily around PR and the guerilla marketing stunts (Cyril hanging from the lamp post) in Kuala Lumpur and Mumbai have been recognized. In total the campaign generated US$4.7+m in press value across 302 different media including 24 TV shows, 7 radio shows , 99 print media and 172 articles on line, 30 video uploads, 500,000+ video views and over a million reach on FB updates and buzz. Cyril had visited India earlier this year in June and had performed an outdoor stunt to showcase his illusions at Carter Road, Bandra.

The Marketing Events Awards recognize and honor the very best of Asia?s event marketing, management and planning industry. It is the event for event marketers and planners ? giving praise to creative excellence, strategic marketing, and operational precision. Winners of the Marketing Events Awards represent the best in the business.

Some of the categories in the awards were: Best Consistency in Branding, Best Consumer Event, Best Digital Integration, Best Event For Press/Media to name a few.

Mumbai: Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. (M&M Ltd.), India?s leading SUV manufacturer, has announced that the Xylo, one of India?s most popular MPVs (multipurpose vehicles), has crossed the significant milestone of one million fans on Facebook. This makes the Xylo, the 2nd brand in the Mahindra automotive stable, apart from Scorpio, to cross this 1 million fan base mark on Facebook.

Speaking on this milestone, Vivek Nayer, Chief Marketing Officer, Automotive Division, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. said, ?With 1 million people endorsing the Xylo on Facebook, this is indeed a recognition that we are proud of. Today, the Xylo is one of the most admired brands in the Indian automobile industry, as is clear from the recognition provided by fans and critics alike as well as the 1 lakh plus vehicles on Indian roads. This fan following further validates our continued focus to innovate in order to drive customer engagement and buzz around our brands?.

The Xylo page on Facebook is a forum for Xylo owners and enthusiasts to communicate with each other to discuss and share their moments and experiences with the vehicle. It allows them an opportunity to post
photographs and videos of their Xylo in action, get product updates, offerings and previews on the latest happenings on the brand and enables them to participate in several exciting contests regularly. While these ensure engagement with consumers, it also lives up to the brand?s philosophy of enabling people to have the ?Time of their Life?.

The Xylo is also strongly represented by its customers in the virtual world: from thriving Xylo communities on the web, to Xylo owners exchanging notes and sharing online travelogues on blogs and various other fora. Having set new benchmarks in luxurious space and with a host of features for passenger comfort, the Xylo has been an unmitigated success since its launch. Today, the brand?s popularity is also evident on the Xylo Youtube channel which has garnered over 1.69 million views and the website which has received over 5 lakh visitors in just the last 8 months.

Mumbai: After months of intense competition and inspiring live performances, ?India?s Got Talent? crowned the winner of its fourth season Saturday night, ?Biwash Kids? from its home in Kolkata beat out thousands of acts, including finalists like the aerial act performers ? Mukesh and Tanaya, sufi singer - Deep Raj, the gymnasts - Acrobatic Boys, Opera singer, Toshan, sand artist Nitish Bharti and Kirron Kher?s favourites, Ocean Kids. To take home the coveted title of India?s Got Talent, grand prize of 50 lakhs and a Maruti. For the first time ever the show has seen kids as winners of the show. The grand finale show of ?India?s Got Talent? featured a night of jam-packed performances and special guest stars, including Shahrukh Khan, Katrina Kaif & Anushka Sharma

Led by their choreographer Biwash Choudhary, Shonali Majumdar (7 years) and Maraju Sumanth (13 years) are the small wonders of India?s Got Talent. Coming from a humble background, Shonali and Sumanth had only one motto in mind ? to dance! Now, having danced their way to the judges and people?s hearts, the Biwash kids today have mesmerized the audiences with various forms of acrobatics along with Salsa which has left the judges spell bound. With them giving the kids standing ovations and calling them ?small wonders?, Shonali and Sumanth truly deserved to be the winners of India?s Got Talent.

Talking about their win, Biwash Choudhary said, ?When we came as the runners up last season, it really was heart wrenching. This season, we wanted to give it more than our 100 percent and now the efforts have paid off. India?s Got Talent is one of the best shows for talent and to be the winner of such a show, it feels like we have achieved it all! India?s Got Talent has given us everything we could have asked for, they have made us stars!?

Speaking about the show, Manisha Sharma, Weekend Programming Head, COLORS said, ?India?s Got Talent this season has broken all records in terms of the gamut of entertainment that we have presented. The show has produced many winners and changed lives, making it a platform that is a front runner in promoting talent. We are happy to have been part of so many success stories.?

MUMBAI: CNBC-TV18 and National Stock Exchange (NSE) jointly presented the 3rd edition of Investothon 2012 ? India?s largest and most acknowledged investor support movement in the city. The run was flagged off from Sandy?s Tower Hotel & Conventions in the presence of Mr. Ananta Narayan Jena, Mayor of Bhubaneshwar. Investothon is an inventiveness to spread and sustain publics? confidence on investment and stabilize the future of Indian capital market.

Investothon 2012 brought together Bhubaneswar?s well-known wealth creators on a common platform. This unique initiative witnessed an unprecedented response of over 5,000 participants, who came together to extend their support and run for the common cause. Recognizing Bhubaneshwar as one of the emerging investment destinations, CNBC TV18 invited financiers to take a pledge to develop the city in to a healthy capital market.

CNBC TV18 relentlessly helped investors make appropriate financial decisions every day; Investothon is an extension of the same endeavor. Investothon - India?s largest investor support movement is an attempt to evolve our nation from a mere savings economy to an investment hub. The core ethos of this initiative is to educate investors and market participants about India?s investment potential. In its 3rd year, ?Investothon 2012? comprises of three categories of runs based on the distance. The three categories v.i.z are ?Power Race?, ?Health Race?, and the ?Wealth Race? would cover distances of one, two and four kilometers respectively.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Anil Uniyal, CEO, CNBC TV18 & CNBC Awaaz, said, ?Aggressive and judicious financial planning and wealth management is crucial as India?s economy is poised for a big leap. It is important for all investors to know about their requirements and get the facts straight, especially in the time when the market is overabundant with financial instruments. CNBC-TV18 over the years has earned the recognition as one of the most trusted financial advocacy to guide Indian investors and member brokers in their investment planning and management. Through our partnership with NSE for ?Investothon 2012? we aspire to extend the significance of investor empowerment and strengthen their confidence.?

Mumbai : Amitabh Bachchan, Priyanka Chopra, Hema Malini, Salman Khan, Ranbir Kapoor, Madhuri Dixit, newlywed Kareena Kapoor Khan, Katrina Kaif, Prabhudeva, Parineeti Chopra, Sonu Nigam, Vijender Singh, Mary Kom and more attended the PEOPLE?S CHOICE AWARDS in India. Hosted by Ayushmann Khurrana, the show will be broadcast on Sunday, Nov. 25 9:00 PM-12:00 AM IST on Viacom18-Colors.

They were joined by celebrities Sajid Khan, Kabir Khan, Mini Mathur, Zarine Khan, Sameera Reddy, Subhash Ghai, Samir Soni, Darsheel Safary, Ekta Kapoor, Ram Kapoor, Sakshi Tanwar, Vivian D?sena, Drashti Dhami, Anup Soni, Dilip Joshi, Giaa Manek, Ragini Khanna, Rakhi Sawant, Terence Lewis, Rajiv Laxman, Javed Ali, Neha Bhasin, Mauli Dave, Sushil Kumar, Gagan Narang and Yogeshwar Dutt.

In addition to appearances by their favorite stars, and dazzling performances from Priyanka Chopra, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Salman Khan, Parineeti Chopra and Sonu Nigam, Executive Producer Akash Sharma has also revealed that fans can expect to see hilarious comedy sketches starring Vicky Donor star Ayushmann Khurrana and Comedy Circus comedienne Bharti Singh throughout the show.

As the only major awards show that lets you ?Voice Your Choice? across the year?s best in entertainment, PEOPLE?S CHOICE AWARDS in India also aims to entertain via a partnership with P&G?s Pantene. The partnership features a unique P&G makeover experience on PeoplesChoiceIndia.com where fans were able to upload their photos for a chance to ?Shine with the Stars?. The contest allowed two lucky fans to flaunt a glamorous makeover and be special onstage guests during the filming of People?s Choice Awards. The partnership with P&G will culminate on-air, through in-show integrations featuring talent who will reveal additional People?s Choice Award winners and interact with celebs in attendance.

The People?s Choice Awards is spreading outside North America for the first time in its 39-year-old history, with a local version now completed in India. Via its license distribution partner Mark Burnett Prods., People?s Choice Awards franchise owner Procter & Gamble Entertainment has licensed the format to Bulldog Media and Entertainment in India.

The People?s Choice Award 2012 winners are determined by the fans and the first ever show in India has logged millions of votes across 30 categories on PeoplesChoiceIndia.com and the official People?s Choice Awards Facebook app. Of the total response, 49 per cent has come from people living outside of India, making this democratic format truly of the people, for the people and by the people.

Goa: On November 21, the LA India Film Council announced the winners of the ?LA- India Connect? online short film competition at the 43rd International Film Festival of India (IFFI), Goa. The competition aimed to encourage emerging filmmakers in India and Los Angeles and was judged by a jury of high - profile film industry representatives from Los Angeles and India. The winners of the competition, Piyush Shah from the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) and Manish Sharma from the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI) won USD 1,000 each for their films ? Loops? and ?Kharratey?. Chirag Mehra from the Asian School of Media Studies (ASMS) won the ?Most Popular Film Award? for his film ? The Blind Date?.

Announcing the winners, Uday Singh, Managing Director, MPDA (India) and Chairman of the LA India Film Council said, ?I would like to congratulate the winners and all the participants of the LA-India Connect competition. Young talent need a global platform to showcase their creativity and this competition was the right step in that direction.?

The films were based on the theme ?Hollywood - Bollywood?. Each entry of no more than ten minutes in duration was judged on the participant?s ability to create a film that bypasses geographical boundaries and appeals to a global audience.

Piyush Shah?s film ?Loops? revolves around a man who is trying to break free from the monotonous cycle of life. ?Kharratey? by Manish Sharma is based on a director?s attempt to capture the perfect shot. ?The Blind Date? with maximum votes on YouTube is based on a young visually challenged protagonist who feels attracted to a young girl sitting at the next table in a restaurant.

Vijay Singh, CEO, Fox Star Studios said, ?The LA-India Connect short-film competition is a great opportunity for students to showcase their skills and push the boundaries of their creativity. We need more such platforms to help build future talent. ?

"Such a competition is a great initiative and an excellent opportunity to empower the younger generation to meet their creative ambitions.?,said Siddharth Roy Kapur, Managing Director - Studios, DisneyUTV.

The competition was supported by Pocket Films, the short film division of 1takemedia.com, India?s leading aggregator and distributor of alternative content and the Ramanaidu Film School, Hyderabad.