MUMBAI: Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) has announced its flagship marketing campaign for the FY 2012-2013 to boost tourism promotion in India. For the innovative promotional campaign, HKTB has tied up with India?s leading television network, Network 18 for its channels CNN-IBN and CNBC TV18. Riding on the promotional campaign, HKTB will further collaborate with travel agents to launch ?value for money? Hong Kong summer leisure packages bundled with popular theme park offers and special shopping and dining privileges offered by Harbour City and Times Square.

The promotional campaign will be divided in two phases targeting the Summer and Winter holidaying season in India. Targeting the Family for Phase I and Young crowd and Couples for Phase II, the campaign will roll out through a travelogue giving a firsthand experience about the destination. The objective of the travelogue is to showcase Hong Kong as Asia?s World City with highlights on its vibrant and cosmopolitan lifestyle along with its unique fusion of East and West as well as great diversity of attractions.

Anchored by the vivacious Bollywood actress Sandhya Mridul, the travelogue will kick-start with an exciting half-hour programme where she will take viewers around Hong Kong re-visiting and showcasing her favourite spots during her stay and also discovering new attractions in the city. The highlights of Sandhya?s trip to Hong Kong include visits to Sky 100 Hong Kong Observation Deck, Ocean Park Hong Kong, Hong Kong Disneyland, Ngong Ping 360 Cable Car, Po Lin Monastery, Victoria Peak & Madame Tussauds Wax Museum, Repulse Bay, etc.

Mr. Sunil Puri, the representative of the Hong Kong Tourism Board in India said: "We are very delighted to associate with Ms. Sandhya Mridul for our marketing campaign. Her brand appeal will help us directly connect with the Indian consumers. Every year, we try to demonstrate the variety of Hong Kong in innovative ways. ?Hong Kong-Asia?s World City? travelogue is one such initiative. With ?Hong Kong-Asia?s World City? travelogue, we wanted to give Indian viewers the personal touch and firsthand experience to which they would be able to relate and experience Hong Kong through her eyes."

" The first episode of the show will be aired on 16th and 23rd June on CNN-IBN and CNBC TV18 respectively.
" The second capsule is scheduled to broadcast in the winter season and is targeted towards the young working segment and couples. It will showcase Hong Kong as a romantic destination. The second episode will also feature the Hong Kong?s popular Canto Pop singer and actor Mr. Aarif Lee.

With such exciting content in the dedicated programme and a special host, ?Hong Kong - Asia?s World City? travelogue will certainly set to amaze the Indian audience with its showcase of the cosmopolitan allure of the city and its diverse attractions. Its blend of cultures and traditions will offer the visitors an exceptional world-class experience.

So, don?t miss the ?Hong Kong - Asia?s World City Travelogue? with Sandhya Mridul on 16th June on CNN IBN and 23rd June on CNBC TV 18

Mumbai: CNBC-TV18 has been honored with Gold for the best print campaign for a property/show at the PromaxBDA India Awards for their Budget Print Campaign.

Designed around the theme of ?Bounce Back or Break Down?, the campaign on the Union Budget 2012 was an aesthetic reflection of the fact that subtlety is not the need of the hour. The campaign was conceptualized and executed by Cell18.

The campaign, together with the shows, focused on the major challenges faced by the Indian Economy, both internally and internationally and the solutions versus the deficits in the budget. The creatives were thought provoking, and exuded an ?in your face? attitude.

The PromaxBDA Awards recognize excellence in on-air promotion, branding and advertising. Contestants competed for the coveted PROMAX Muse and BDA Isis, all to be recognized as the best in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. The award categories were open to Satellite, Cable, Broadcast Television, Radio Station and associated new media, their agencies and production houses.

Mumbai: The Budget is the most important financial event in the country. The fact that the viewers have chosen CNBC Awaaz to witness it bears testament once again to the trust and faith they have in the in-depth analysis, detailed coverage and insights that the channel provides of the Budget each year. CNBC Awaaz is India?s leading Hindi business news channel which has yet again established itself as the confidence of the Indian business audience, and numbers pay tribute to this fact. The commitment to quality of coverage that CNBC Awaaz is repute for has been supported by the sheer volume of the viewership figures that the Budget coverage and analysis has garnered in comparison to the closest competitors.

CNBC Awaaz leads across business news channels across audience group in HSM in Budget Season
a. CNBC AWAAZ is the #1 Business News Channel in Budget Week with 2.2 times the viewership of the nearest competitor
i. Market share amongst Hindi Business News channels is 69% in HSM amongst CS AB Male 25+ audiences (Time Period: Wk11?11, All Days, 0600-2400 hrs)

b. CNBC AWAAZ is the #1 Business News Channel on Budget day more than 2 times the viewership of the nearest competitor
i. Market share amongst Hindi Business News channels is 67% in HSM amongst CS AB Male 25+ audiences (Time Period: 16th March 2012, 0600-2400 hrs)

c. CNBC AWAAZ is the #1 Business News Channel during FM Speech on Budget day with more than 1.4 times the viewership of the nearest competitor
i. Market share amongst Hindi Business News channels is 59% in HSM amongst CS AB Male 25+ audiences (Time Period: 16th March 2012, 1100-1250 hrs)

Mr. Sanjay Pugalia, Editor-in-chief, CNBC AWAAZ said; ?CNBC Awaaz has this year, once again, taken the top spot in the budget viewership ratings. These numbers are indicative of the trust that our viewers have in the analysis and coverage that we offer. These figures also showcase the optimum level of scrutiny and examination that we have convened for the budget. It is through this commitment that we have truly been able to deliver a thorough understanding of the Budget deliverables and its significance to the common man.?

Mumbai: CNBC-TV18 will offer a comprehensive lineup of dedicated programming on the budget day led by its editorial team and a stellar panel of global and Indian voices from markets, policy and India Inc. CNBC-TV18 has launched a special line-up of initiatives analyzing the challenges and opportunities facing the Finance Minister this year and will also air views and expectations of stakeholders across the country.

On the morning of March 16, 2012, CNBC-TV18 shall initiate Budget day with an exclusive Budget Breakfast at 7 am. Following that, CNBC-TV18 Managing Editor, Udayan Mukherjee will present Budget Day: Morning Call, at 8 am. Post the show, CNBC-TV18 will telecast LIVE and uninterrupted coverage of the FM?s Budget Speech from 11 am-12:30 pm. During the speech, CNBC-TV18 will focus on the minute details and impact of budgetary proposals, as they are presented in the parliament, through razor sharp on-air graphics. This will be done by a battery of experts who will be analyzing the measures announced and its ramifications on the Indian economy. The channel will present exclusive and comprehensive LIVE budget coverage through the day from multiple locations. It will showcase reactions from corporate India, government voices, market experts and leading thinkers in The Market Verdict & The Corporate Verdict. This will be followed by the Final Trade, the definitive markets ending show on Budget 2012?s impact. In primetime evening, CNBC-TV18 will present a budget special of its primetime show, India Business Hour ? Budget Special, which will round up the day?s coverage and provide a comprehensive review of the national reaction to Budget 2012.

Speaking on the Budget Programming special, Mr. Anil Uniyal, CEO, CNBC-TV18 said, ?Considering the context that this budget has for the govt. and our nation, it is all the more crucial as it can impact the near future of the Indian economy. Therefore the channels approached Budget 2012 with a theme that epitomized the expectant atmosphere prevalent and looked to answer the big question, ?Will Budget 2012 lead to bounceback or breakdown?? As in earlier years, on Budget day, CNBC-TV18 will present exclusive and comprehensive budget coverage through the day and from multiple locations, showcasing reactions from the leading names in India Inc. and policy making, the nation?s biggest market experts and fund managers, tax specialists and views of India?s flagship industry bodies. Thus, ensuring we can give the most comprehensive views and analysis to the various stakeholders be it the CEOs, the SMEs, the professionals or the common man.?

On March 17th, day after the budget, CNBC-TV18 will host an exclusive star-studded ground event called The Verdict, which will present the definitive and decisive analysis of Budget 2012 from the corporate and personal finance perspective. Led by CNBC-TV18?s Senthil Chengalvarayan, The Verdict will include leading names from markets, policy and corporate India.

CNBC-TV18 will also engage viewers through a variety of new media platforms, delivering its power packed Budget day content. On the online front, this will include LIVE STREAMING on the Budget day programming on Moneycontrol.com as well as You Tube, an exclusive alliance with the global online major (www.youtube.com/cnbctv18), special budget initiatives on LinkedIn.com and Facebook.com including polls and contests.

On mobile, CNBC-TV18 will be delivering a host of power packed content on the mobile through the 51818 platform, focusing strongly on adding value to the viewer experience and building interactivity on the day of India?s most important economic event. From BUDGET NEWS ALERTS (SMS ALERT TO 51818) to PROGRAMMING UPDATES (SMS BUD to 51818), from MARKET REACTIONS to LIVE TV (SMS MOM to 51818), the channels will provide the best on budget day, to investors and consumers, on the move.

In the past month, CNBC-TV18 has initiated a comprehensive programming plan for Budget 2011. These initiatives included editorial shows, ground events, on-air segments and vignettes and other special initiatives. From capturing the expectations of the markets and investors to India Inc.?s voices, from the voices of young India to the average tax payer, the channels focused on multiple perspectives within the larger theme of ?Will Budget 2011 make the Impact India Needs?. This programming plan was supported through a multiplatform marketing campaign, ranging from television to outdoor, radio, print, social media, mobile and direct marketing targeting both viewers as well as the marketing trade community.