MUMBAI: Cafe Coffee Day is one of the first brands in India to experiment with location based advertising on a mobile platform called Ovi. It‘s a unique platform that is rolling out a pilot for only three brands in India (Dominos, Cafe Coffee Day and ICIC Bank) have done. The main idea is to target customers based on their location and drive them to their nearest Caf? Coffee Day outlet.

If you have a Nokia phone above N97, then just by clicking the weather or Events page, you will see this ad. On clicking on the ad, the user is given two options, ‘click2web‘ which takes the user to our facebook page and ‘click2route‘ which directs them to their nearest CCD. This is an exclusive pilot and the first ever location based ad targeting on phone by Nokia. It‘s a unique platform that only three brands in India (Dominos, Caf? Coffee Day and ICIC Bank) have experimented.

This campaign started yesterday and we‘ve had 7% click through rate. About 3,702 impressions were served on the first day and about 263 users clicked to see the ad out of which 73 looked at the map to go to their nearest CCD and about 30 landed on our Facebook Page. This is a two month pilot and a touted to be a remarkable way to target our customers.

MUMBAI: Good Relations India (GRI), the country?s leading strategic PR and corporate communications consultancy, has promoted two of its key members of the management team. Deepak Kanulkar, currently Chief Operating Officer (COO) will be the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Jhon Arokiasamy, currently Head of National Account Management will be the Chief Operating Officer with immediate effect.

Deepak Kanulkar has been with GRI since October 2007 and has served as the COO for the last 2 years. His key role going forward will be to focus on the growth of the consultancy in India, West Asia and Sri Lanka. Deepak will also lead the consultancy?s new division ? Public Affairs Consulting ? which now has a dedicated team of experts and senior advisors.

Jhon Arokiasamy who has spent over 5 years with GRI will lead the consultancy?s national business strategy and client servicing operations across all the branches.

Tony Good, Executive Chairman of GRI commented, ?Both Deepak and Jhon have demonstrated high level of professionalism and commitment to GRI and their outstanding work not only with clients but also with the team have paid dividends. GRI is strongly positioned to be the strategic business partner for our clients ? continually adding value to their business. We offer both Deepak and Jhon our sincere congratulations on their new and well deserved appointments.?

Commenting on his new appointment Deepak said ?My journey with GRI has been both challenging as well as exciting. Jhon and I, along with the support of our highly talented and motivated team look forward to taking GRI to a different height altogether. ?

Deepak has been in the industry for 18 years. In his earlier years, he has handled Corporate Communications for Tata AIG, Arab Insurance Group (Arig), Coca-Cola India, Hinduja Group and the Bombay Chamber of Commerce & Industry amongst others.

Jhon, a post-graduate in English Literature and Management has been a corporate communications specialist for more than 12 years. He has worked on client mandates that include Ashok Leyland, Apollo Hospitals, Henkel, TVS Electronics, Helios & Matheson, One North East and some of the key brands of Unilever in his early days of PR career. He holds specialisation in HR and Systems management and has an MBA from the prestigious LoyolaCollege, Chennai.

MUMBAI: Gear up for the next phase, wherein our beloved Upper East Siders, leaving behind glossy teen farce, are entering the college world wherein you can be sure a future of love, scandal and, of course, secrets wait. And bringing all this out in the open is Gossip Girl!

Gossip Girl Season 3 looks forward to entice audiences with the convoluting plots and supposedly thickening entertaining drama from week to week in their new phase of life ? College.

Based on the best-selling series of young-adult novels by Cecily von Ziegesar, this drama is told through the eyes of an all-knowing blogger -- Gossip Girl -- who, via constant, avidly read text messages, is determined to uncover and fuel every scandal possible on Manhattan‘s Upper East Side, where gossip rules and affluent young people find themselves with the money, access and appetite to explore all the temptations New York City has to offer.

Keeping track of the shifting friendships, jealousies and turmoil in this wealthy and complex world isn‘t easy; that‘s why there‘s Gossip Girl.

So, tune in on July 22nd, into Zee Caf?, Monday to Friday, 10PM.
 

MUMBAI: UTV World Movies, India?s initial and leading World Cinema channel is bringing the roof down with arguably the most popular Indian band - Indian Ocean, who are set to perform at all the Hard Rock Caf?s across India. UTV World Movies has always brought the best of world culture ? through cuisine, movies and now, music! The channel now brings to its Indian Audience an exclusive opportunity to experience fusion music in association with Indian Ocean. As a part of the band?s India tour, Indian Ocean will be performing live in their hometown Delhi at the Hard Rock Caf? on 22nd of July at 8.30 pm.

The group will perform in Bangalore on 29th of July, in Pune on 5th of August, in Mumbai on 6th of August and in Hyderabad on 12th August.

Over the last 21 years, the band has attracted a huge fan following for its outstanding performance of original music that ranges from rocking political anthems to meditative spiritual ballads. The band has performed at prestigious places worldwide, like Edinburgh Fringe festival, Trafalger Square in London to name a few and also composed the original sound track for the critically acclaimed feature film Black Friday. Their album Kandisa that released in 2000 created ripples across the globe and on the present day they have huge fan following not only across the nation but throughout the world.

Amit Keswani, Vice President, JSM Corp. Pvt Ltd says ?Indian Ocean is well acclaimed for purity in their music, as well as their level of instrumental independence and magnitude which always makes way for their larger-than-life stage performances. Hard Rock Caf? believes in creating extraordinary experience for the music lovers. We are elated to be a part of Indian Ocean?s India tour and look forward to our customers having a splendid time with the world renowned indigenous band?

On this occasion, Mr. Sameer Ganapathy, Business Head, UTV World Movies, comments ?We are extremely delighted to be associated with Indian Ocean. The band is known for their creative and extraordinary music. Our tie-up with this event is yet another unique initiative of UTV World Movies to provide the Indian audiences a unique and entertaining experience.?

Catch your favorite band performing in Delhi this Thursday, 22nd July 10 at Hard Rock Caf? starting 8.30 pm!

MUMBAI: BBC.com launches a new look to its award-winning News site www.bbc.com/news. BBC.com has introduced new functionality and design and is ramping up its coverage of sport, travel, business and technology. BBC.com has achieved 41% growth in the last financial year (ending March 31, 2010) and unique users have grown from 50 to 54m a month outside of the UK.

The redesign sees an overhaul of the layout with including better use of video and images, more prominent labelling and easier ways to share stories with others.

Commented Luke Bradley-Jones, Global EVP & MD BBC.com ?This investment clearly underscores our commitment to growing our digital business internationally and continuing to bring people authoritative and distinctive journalism. Our new redesign will make it even easier to find, use and share the BBC?s global news?

Later this summer, BBC.com will launch a travel section, in partnership with sister company Lonely Planet. It will be led by former NYTimes.com Travel & Style Editor, David G. Allan who was recently appointed Editorial Director, BBC Travel. Already attracting blue chip advertisers, the travel section will launch with partners in different territories including Hilton in Europe and Emirates in North America. Enhanced technology, sports and entertainment sites will follow.

Kelly Brough, Global Digital Director, Lonely Planet says: ?Partnering with BBC.com further strengthens Lonely Planet?s leading position as the trusted advisor to travellers everywhere. Our online editorial and community content on lonelyplanet.com is updated around the clock for travellers. We are excited to be providing travel content to appeal to BBC.com?s audiences and drawing more and more people into our own growing travel community. ?

BBC.com also offers a range of successful apps, including the BBC News app for iPad and iPhone and a BBC Sports app for iPhone. In addition, the business has today launched an edition specifically for North America, a strategy it aims to roll out in other territories. Over 600 blue chip advertisers have now partnered with BBC.com since its commercial launch in late 2007.

MUMBAI: POGO, kids‘ favorite TV channel, is offering kids a never before opportunity to be a part of their much loved show Chhota Bheem. POGO today announced ‘Bheem Ki Team‘, a nationwide contest that will give five kids a once in a lifetime opportunity to star as an animated avatar with their favourite hero Chhota Bheem and his friends in a special on-air vignette on POGO. Through an on-ground school contact programme kids will be invited to send in their reasons why ‘Bheem Ki Team needs him/her‘ and (five) kids with the wittiest answers stand to win this exclusive chance.

"POGO‘s remarkable Desi Toon, Chhota Bheem is not only a rating rocker but also kids‘ favorite hero in India. Seeing the immense popularity that Chhota Bheem enjoys amongst kids, we decided to create this innovative initiative where ‘real-life‘ fans meet and star with their favourite ‘animated‘ hero. At POGO, it is our constant endeavor to provide and create multiple platforms for our viewers to interact and build a bond with characters they see on-air and the ‘Bheem Ki Team‘ contest is all about rendering this experience." said Monica Tata, Vice President and Deputy

Besides promoting the contest on the channel, POGO teams will also be visiting around 500 schools across India to invite entries from kids aged between 4-14 years for the "Bheem Ki Team" contest. New Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Kolkata, Indore, Bhopal, Lucknow, Kanpur and Allahabad are the cities that are part of this initiative. The contest will start from July 19, 2010 and children can participate by calling 58888388 and completing the line ‘Bheem Ki Team needs me because?‘. The contest will run until August 31, 2010.