MUMBAI: The 18th Global Awards for Brand Excellence 2010 administered by CMO Council USA confer the Master Brand Status on Star News. The CMO Council is supported by publications like Business Week and USA TODAY.

"Any Brand in the News Genre can only be built through years of consistent and credible reporting by a dedicated team of Journalists with integrity. The entire team at Star News has delivered 2 pioneering Programmes with undisputed Leadership for 6 Years- Saas Bahu Aur Saazish on the News of Entertainment and Sansani on Crime News. These Programmes with a lot of help from Election News have helped Star News become the "Most Popular News Channel" according to Mr. Ashok Venkatramani, "The Media Person of the Year".

"Kaun Banega Mukhyamantri is arguably the only constant Election Property in the Indian News Space and helped us win the battle for eyeballs in the Bihar Election coverage. An Election for a News Channel is akin to a World Cup Cricket is for a Sports Channel. I am delighted that election that accurate forecasting of the mood of the electorate at Elections have built the equity of the Star News Team which has now been acknowledged by a Global Forum of Branding," continued Ashok Venkatramani.

The Awards are instituted by CMO Asia, Hosted by World Brand Congress and Supported by Marketing Institute of Singapore. The Congress is a meeting place for leaders from every sector and continent from over 500 of the world‘s branding and marketing elite under one roof where top executives from the World‘s biggest brands and most influential marketing organizations answer today‘s critical business challenges.

The Process: In India Master Brand is conferred by CMO Council (www.cmocouncil.org) along with CMO Asia. The initial shortlist of companies was shared by the CMO Council members in USA with the CMO Asia members in India. The shortlist of the CMO Awards was judged by an independent jury comprising of senior marketers and brand experts. Besides the financial results, the selection process took into account the following competencies, Strategic Perspective, Business Goal Management, Risk Management, Internal Branding and People Management, Customer Focus, Performance Management and Achieving Excellence.

The consistent performance of the STAR Combination continued in 2010 which reiterate the trust viewers have in the 3 Stars of with more viewership than any other network, including those with more channels in their bouquet, STAR Combination delivers the power your brand needs to attract more consumers in marketplace.

MUMBAI: Raising a toast to the completion of 18 glorious years of its precious relationship with audiences in India, Zee TV presents ?Zee Rishtey Awards 2010? - Jashn 18 Saalon Ka. The awards ceremony will be a grand celebration of the spirit of Zee TV ? a channel that has brought endearing & relatable stories which beautifully encapsulate the ethos, culture & traditions of India. Zee TV has showcased the soul of India with clean family entertainment, developing a strong emotional connect with its viewers.

In the week leading up to the telecast of Zee Rishtey Awards 2010, Zee TV will showcase lively interactions of the channel‘s primetime actors with their fans from across the country in a special daily segment called ‘Rishton Ki Saugat‘ at 10:30 PM starting Monday, 13th December. And, come 19th December, the Red Carpet special will showcase Zee TV actors walk in their finest threads at 7 30 pm, followed by the grand spectacle of Zee Rishtey Awards 2010 at 8 pm. It will be a memorable evening when the entire constellation of Zee TV‘s most popular stars will descend on a single platform and set the stage ablaze with breathtaking performances bound to set your pulse racing.

The evening will commence with an opulent rath yatra wherein the lead protagonists of each show will make a grand entrance with a procession of dancers following them. The most exciting performances of the evening include a jaw-dropping magic act by India‘s most popular sweethearts Manav and Archana, a fun-filled dance-off between the old-timers and the newbies of Zee and a rain-dance symbolizing the passion of "first love" by Iqbal Khan and Binny Sharma. The evening will also be peppered with comedy acts, dance performances by the cast of Zee TV‘s popular primetime shows and of course, the much-awaited awards ceremony recognizing the invaluable contribution of the artistes that have driven the channel from success to success.

With an extravaganza of entertainment awaiting you on the channel in the coming month, ardent TV viewers will not want to miss Zee Rishtey Awards 2010 - Jashn 18 Saalon Ka for anything in the world!
 

MUMBAI: Cinemax, one of the leading multiplexes in India, announced the launch of Gorbatschow Pure Shots competition in association with 1takemedia.com. One of its kind, national level film competition is announced with an aim to encourage students and give them a platform to express their creativity.

The theme of this competition is "Be Pure" - with what you do. In the hectic city life we portray multiple images and try to find the right balance with dignity. Keeping this thought in mind, each student can make a Two Minute movie to depict their imagination. The competition aims to involve mass consumer participation with a special focus on the media students and youth.

Gorbatschow Pure Shots is supported by veterans from the film, television and advertising industry. The eminent jury panel consists of Mahesh Bhatt, Nagesh Kukunoor, Sudhir Mishra, Pralahad Kakkad & Deepak Roy among others.

Commenting on this occasion Sunil Punjabi, CEO, Cinemax stated, "It‘s our pleasure to be associated with Gorbatschow and 1takemedia.com to initiate a national platform for all aspiring film-makers. Cinemax has always aimed to offer something more than just movies. We hope this film festival is well-received among our target audience to get as many entries as possible."

The entries for the competition begin from tomorrow and the last date of entries is February 2011. While all the films will be available for online viewing, the eminent jury shall shortlist 15 films which will be thrown open for public voting to create conversations, buzz and excitement. The finale will be announced in March 2011.
 

MUMBAI: Monika Shergill, Senior Creative Director, STAR Plus has been chosen among more than 200 emerging leaders from some 30 countries and economies in the Asia-Pacific region who will participate in the Asia Society‘s Fifth Annual Asia 21 Young Leaders Summit, to be held in Jakarta from December 3-5, 2010.

Monika Shergill, Sr. Creative Director, STAR Plus, joins other young leaders, all under age 40, who will engage in discussions about "Unity in Diversity: Responsible Leadership in the Asia-Pacific." The diversity of representation - from business, government, academia, to media, civil society, and the arts - brings a wide range of perspectives to the discussions which will explore issues such as the recent natural crises in Asia, ways to foster more equitable growth across the region, and lessons in leadership from history‘s greatest leaders.

The Asia Society‘s Asia 21 Young Leaders Summit is part of a larger initiative designed to help emerging leaders from across the region to develop common approaches to meet its shared challenges. "The Asia 21 Summit brings together the region‘s most impressive young leaders to develop relationships, trust, and mutual understanding that can drive collaborative approaches for addressing the region‘s greatest challenges," says Asia Society Executive Vice President Jamie Metzl. "We are thrilled to be bringing the Asia 21 summit to Indonesia, one of the most important emerging economies in the world and a thriving democracy. Asia 21 leaders from across the region will work with Indonesia‘s new generation of leaders to help build a better future for all."

The Asia 21 Summit is supported by founding international sponsor Bank of America Merrill Lynch. "As a global organization committed to developing our public and private sector relationships in the region, we are honored to be a part of such a meaningful and educational program," said Brian Brille, Asia Pacific President. "Responsible leadership is a core value at Bank of America Merrill Lynch and as such, we encourage the sharing of best practices and innovative ideas that will enhance the tools and capabilities available to the next generation of Asia‘s leaders."

The Asia 21 Summit is the pre-eminent gathering of Asia‘s most dynamic young leaders from the Asia-Pacific region, from every sector including business, government, media, culture and civil society. To date, the network counts more than 600 of the most accomplished young leaders in the Asia-Pacific among its members, including businessmen, documentary filmmakers, environmental activists, human rights advocates, members of parliament, military personnel, performance artists, and social entrepreneurs.

The Asia 21 Summit in Jakarta is also supported by Biznet, Blue Bird, Femina Group, GlobeAsia, HPRP Lawyers, Media Indonesia, PricewaterhouseCoopers, PT Freeport Indonesia, and Saratoga Capital, among others.

MUMBAI: Niret Alva, Co-Founder and Executive Chairman Miditech Pvt. Ltd. has been chosen among more than 200 emerging leaders from some 30 countries and economies in the Asia-Pacific region who will participate in the Asia Society?s fifth annual Asia 21 Young Leaders Summit, to be held in Jakarta from December 3-5, 2010.

Niret Alva, Co-Founder and Executive Chairman Miditech Pvt. Ltd joins other young leaders, who will engage in discussions about ?Unity in Diversity: Responsible Leadership in the Asia-Pacific.? The diversity of representation ? from business, government, academia, to media, civil society, and the arts ? brings a wide range of perspectives to the discussions which will explore issues such as the recent natural crisis in Asia, ways to foster more equitable growth across the region, and lessons in leadership from history?s greatest leaders.

The Asia Society?s Asia 21 Young Leaders Summit is part of a larger initiative designed to help emerging leaders from across the region to develop common approaches to meet its shared challenges. ?The Asia 21 Summit brings together the region?s most impressive young leaders to develop relationships, trust, and mutual understanding that can drive collaborative approaches for addressing the region?s greatest challenges,? says Asia Society Executive Vice President Jamie Metzl. ?We are thrilled to be bringing the Asia 21 summit to Indonesia, one of the most important emerging economies in the world and a thriving democracy. Asia 21 leaders from across the region will work with Indonesia?s new generation of leaders to help build a better future for all.?

The Asia 21 Summit is supported by founding international sponsor Bank of America Merrill Lynch. ?As a global organization committed to developing our public and private sector relationships in the region, we are honored to be a part of such a meaningful and educational program,? said Brian Brille, Asia Pacific President. ?Responsible leadership is a core value at Bank of America Merrill Lynch and as such, we encourage the sharing of best practices and innovative ideas that will enhance the tools and capabilities available to the next generation of Asia‘s leaders.?
 

MUMBAI: Shingar Group roped in Percept Out Of Home to handle the retail activation activities of it?s renowned cosmetic brands - Shingar and Tips & Toes. The activation commenced in the month of August with an elaborate retail research activity. The brand with its strong presence in the Eastern and Southern part of the country plans to expand it?s presence in the other parts of the country with this activation campaign.

Percept Out of Home delivered Point of Sale (POS) solutions for Shingar and its two renowned brands ? Shingar and Tips &Toes, and created designs that were adaptable to smaller retail formats as well as multi-brand stores. The modern retail formats had eye-catching sales counters and sophisticated tester bars and the general formats were equipped with attractive and retailer friendly counters, top tester units and shelf talkers.

Commenting on this activity Mr. Sanjay Pareek ? President, Percept Out of Home said, ?After launching the ?Idea Cell? - a specialized design cell within Percept Out of Home to offer cutting edge design solutions in the Out of Home arena, we have been able to offer Design Solutions to many clients like Pepsi, Daiken, Dell and many more. Tips and Toes is an organization where our engagement on design and deployment has been in all the existing retail formats: Modern Trade, General Trade and Specialized format stores. The Retail vertical of Precept is poised to grow more than 100% Y-o-Y and the ?Idea Cell? and our wide gamut of in-store Media innovations will help drive this growth.?

Elaborated Mr. Prashant Gunthey, Business Head ? Retail and Strategic Initiatives, Percept Out of Home,? We met Shingar when they were in the very initial stages of re-launching their Tips and Toes brand in the market in a brand new, exciting avatar. In addition to the regular activities that they planned for their brand, there was an immediate need to bring in a complete overhaul of their entire retail presence in all forms of engagement points. Our Idea Studio Design Cell pulled out all stops in designing an entire range of retail visibility and merchandising solutions that fit exactly within the client?s parameters of cost and competitively superior levels of innovation and creativity.?

?Even as we speak, we are now engaged on other brands too, and together we look forward to a highly satisfying relationship in the coming period?, he added.

The extensive retail branding activity undertaken by Percept Out Of Home created enhanced brand visibility for the Shingar Group at the retail level and translated into increased consumer awareness and interest for the brand.