MUMBAI: Maharashtra?s Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan yesterday launched the 6th edition of the popular Hindi Daily, Lokmat Samachar in Pune yesterday. Also present on the occasion were Minister of State for Education Rajendra Darda along with media luminaries Balbir Punj (senior columnist and RS MP from Rajasthan), Prabhu Chawla (Editor-in-Chief - The New Indian Express), Tarun Tejpal (Editor-in-Chief - Tehelka.com), and Vijay Darda, Rajya Sabha MP and Chairman of Lokmat Media Pvt Ltd.

"Lokmat Samachar will enhance the quality of life in Pune and will make it more cosmopolitan," Chief Minister Chavan said at the launch ceremony.

A thought-provoking panel discussion on "The Relationship between Media and Politicians" had been organized to mark the launch. "A journalist is also a politician. Not only should the Media help in shaping public opinion, it should also play a critical part in the development of the political process," the CM observed.

Senior journalists and editors Chawla, Tejpal and Punj, highlighted the increasing complexities of the media world, and the need to maintain a balance in giving coverage and direction.

"Media is a fish that lives in the vast ocean of democracy," said Punj. "Hence strengthening the media will result in the strengthening of democracy."

Highlighting the sharp difference between the cover prices of newspapers in India and abroad, Tejpal pointed out that the readers India are not willing to pay enough money to run these institutions. "This is the structural flaw due to which quality deteriorates," he said.

Chawla decried the increasing incidence of ?paid news? inserted by politicians, due to which media is facing a credibility crisis. "Media has become a victim of this phenomenon," he maintained.

Speaking about the Pune edition of Lokmat Samachar, Rishi Darda, Joint Managing Director - Lokmat Media Pvt Ltd, said, "The Hindi-speaking population of Pune, which has emerged as an education hub and IT city, was in need of a national daily. Since Hindi is our national language and therefore connects people throughout the country, Lokmat Samachar would definitely fill the gap."

The newspaper offering consists of the Main paper of 12 pages all color along with a 4 pager Apna Pune that will detail the local civic issues and also leisure options for the Puneites. For You for the young, Sakhi for Women and Lokarang Sunday supplement will accompany the paper on 3 different days in a week.

This is the sixth edition of the popular newspaper which first appeared in 1989 in Nagpur, and was thereafter launched in Aurangabad, Akola, Kolhapur and Jalgaon in that order. Lokmat Samachar has 13.56 lakh readers as per IRS 2012 Q1 AIR

Its Pune edition has a cover price of Rs 3 plus an attractive subscription scheme that affords good savings.

Lokmat Samachar will cater to Hindi readers who belong to or have migrated to Pune from other Hindi-speaking states and ranging from businessmen, technocrats, housewives, students and central government employees, among others.

MUMBAI: The Dainik Bhaskar Digital Business has achieved 200 million page views (PVs) which has made them the second largest site, and this is a major feat, indeed! To commemorate their success, of letting local language and most importantly, Hindi news sustain its importance, the group had noted filmmaker and showmaker Ekta Kapoor visit their Noida office and participate in the cake-cutting ceremony with Pawan Agarwal, Director and Promoter, Dainik Bhaskar group, Gyan Gupta, CEO, Dainik Bhaskar Digital Business, Harrish M Bhatia, CEO, My FM and employees to make the celebration fun and uber cool!

Highly impressed with the wide digital reach of the Dainik Bhaskar Digital Business, Ekta Kapoor said, "This achievement speaks volume of the interest people take in their content and how successfully they have catered to the varying demands of the readers. Considering its phenomenal growth, Dainik Bhaskar is a rockstar!"

With the number of people accessing their websites - Dainik Bhaskar (www.dainikbhaskar.com), Divya Bhaskar (www.divyabhaskar.com), Daily Bhaskar (www.dailybhaskar.com) and Divya Marathi (www.divyamarathi.com) - increasing by the day, it is obvious that their readers not only relate to their news and articles, but also find these interactive, engaging and cool! Isn?t this enough to validate the allegiance readers share with their websites? Of course!

Commenting on the group?s accomplishment, Mr. Gyan Gupta said, "We have been making constant endeavours to give our readers what they want, beyond news. Our huge growth is an endorsement of the fact that our readers are right."

Those who think that no Indian language can be pitted against English and put a dent into its impact are in the wrong! For local languages continue to be a hit with the readers across the nation! While Dainik Bhaskar has achieved 136 million, Divya Bhaskar has 61 million to its credit, explaining the indelible impact local languages leave on the minds of the readers.

Since the websites? highest traffic is generated from their cardinal sections such as local news section, e-paper, entertainment, sports, business, jeevan mantra, and stories flashed on flicker, all websites are designed keeping in mind viewers? interests. Considering the interesting blend of articles, news items, movie reviews, videos and audio links, which all websites offer, there is something substantial for everyone! In addition to presenting the news of national and international significance in a rational way, it is planned in a way which is simple, enlightening and attention-grabbing!

MUMBAI: NDTV Good Times, India?s leading premium lifestyle channel recently launched its latest food show ?Love Bites with Joey?. Hosted by supermodel and celebrity chef Joey Matthew, the show presents her in a brand new avatar, cooking straight from the heart with food?s most important ingredient ? Love!

"Love Bites with Joey is tailor-made for the Good Times audience - upscale, discerning, and abreast with the latest food and lifestyle trends, and the choice of vehicles for the 360 degree campaign reflected that. For OOH specifically, we have multiple high impact sites in high street areas of Bombay and Delhi, with special emphasis on malls and ?lifestyle purchase? areas?- Ms. Seema Chakrabarty CEO , NDTV Lifestyle.

Every episode will see Joey whipping up three signature dishes, as she prepares quick and easy recipes in her quest to find the perfect restaurant menu. The episodes often end with Joey inviting a few close friends over for an intimate meal.

To create buzz and awareness about the launch of the new show, the channel has embarked 360 degree media path .As part of the launch strategy OOH media has played a significant contributor in building impact and awareness.

The OOH Campaign for ?Love Bites with Joey? powered by Brandscope India has been rolled out in Delhi NCR , Mumbai & Bangalore. The campaign was carried out to ensure that the TG (target group) gets to identify with the newly launched show through multiple visibility touch points across the cities. The brief to Brandscope was to get the brand maximum exposure visibility resulting to impact and awareness.

Strategic corridors and malls were focused while developing the plan. Large format and spectaculars were chosen route for OOH campaign to optimize impact and awareness.

Commenting on this opportunity, Fabian Cowan- Vice President Brandscope said, ?The NDTV group has been at the forefront of quality programming, targeting the discerning consumer. This coincides with Brandscope?s research backed belief that this audience is as discerning when it comes to the consumption of outdoors. This opportunity of working with NDTV on ?Love bites with Joey? was an absolute privilege as it allowed us to demonstrate this amply.?

For the record Brandscope is part of the Posterscope Group and has been at the forefront of innovations in the out of home space. With new initiatives in the ambient space and significant investments been made in research the group is gearing up for the next big leap in the out of home domain.

MUMBAI: Fashionandyou.com, the online leader in the fashion, luxury and lifestyle segment, revamps its website. The new site is a breath of fresh air - for both new and old customers.

The website?s trendy new interface with distinguishable categories for women, men, kids and home, make it easier to search exactly what you want. A helpful addition to the site is the mini "shop" that features trend driven sales which last longer and reach you faster.

Another exciting feature is the "Add to Waitlist" option that allows customers to add sold out items or brands to a waitlist and be alerted as soon as it?s back on sale.

"The new UI is more appealing and customer friendly. At fashionandyou.com our constant endeavor is to create a platform that reflects our commitment to provide world class shopping experiences for our members. We guarantee to increase customer satisfaction with these exciting new features." said Mr. Trivikram Thakore, Marketing Director, fashionandyou.com.

Leaving no stone unturned, the new FashionAndYou delivers an exciting new shopping experience. In response to customer feedback, they have also added "sort filters" which enable users to search by price, size or category. What?s more, access to this member?s only site is now easier with the ?Login Lightbox? where you can log in using your Facebook or Google account.

Saving the best for the last, the introduction of a Rewards Program that promises to reward you every time you shop! Getting into the program is easy and delivers a host of exclusive benefits including access to customized offers, special triple point days, the ability to create your very own wishlist and even a personal stylist. The more you shop, the more you get.

A smarter site for the smarter shopper, the new fashionandyou.com guarantees to keep you indulged.

Mumbai: BookMyShow.com, India?s largest entertainment ticketing portal, witnessed record breaking opening weekend sales of more than 42.5 Million for the Hollywood blockbuster ?The Amazing Spiderman?.

?The Amazing Spiderman is one of the first Hollywood movies of the year 2012 to see such a fantastic response in India. The movie has done very well in Bangalore, Mumbai and Delhi markets.? said Ashish Hemrajani, Founder & CEO, BookMyShow.com.

BookMyShow.com has witnessed similar kind of sales in the past during the release of ?Avatar? followed by ?Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2?.

Mumbai: Perfetti Van Melle, the confectionery giant will shortly be appointing Mr. Ramesh Jayaraman as the Managing Director of Perfetti Van Melle India. Prior to this Mr. Jayaraman was the Managing Director of PVM?s businesses in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. He will take over this responsibility from Sameer Suneja who has been promoted to a global role as Executive Vice President - Innovation and Business Development.

Mr. Suneja will now be based out of Netherlands having a larger responsibility in the global operation of the company and will report to the Global CEO of Perfetti Van Melle.

Mr. Jayaraman is well respected for his extensive skills and knowledge across all functions of the company. His leadership has been a key driver in transforming the company?s operations and sustained growth in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh markets.

Mr. Jayaraman is a graduate of XLRI Jamshedpur. In India, he worked for Cadbury and Britannia, in the Marketing area. He also had a brief stint with Ogilvy and Mather. From early 1999, he has worked mainly outside India, and his assignments have taken him to China, France, Egypt, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

Prior to joining Perfetti Van Melle in 2006, Mr. Jayaraman was Project Director India for Danone, and the Deputy Managing Director of Yakult Danone India Private Limited, a joint venture between Groupe Danone and Yakult Honsha of Japan.

Mr. Suneja who now moves on to this international assignment has been with Perfetti for more than 15 years in various capacities. During his tenure in India he has played a key role in the company?s distinguished growth and he has been heading the Indian business for the past 4 years. During his tenure the company forayed into the snacks category in India, thus becoming the first subsidiary in the group to diversify into non-confectionery segment.

In his new role as Executive Vice President - Innovation and Business Development, Mr. Suneja will identify and eventually develop projects in different markets related to new product ideas and exchanging cross-Group successful experiences in the marketing and commercial fields.

Mr. Sameer Suneja has also been accredited as one of ?India?s Hottest Young Marketers? in 2005 by Brand Equity and also one of ?India?s Hottest Young Executives? in 2008 by Business Today.