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In the lead-up to the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023, several Indian brands are strategically aligning their festive season campaigns with the cricketing calendar.

Names such as Luxor, Zomato, Porter, ITC, Foxtale, Sleepwell, Axis Bank, Senco Gold & Diamonds, Impresario Hospitality, Maruti Suzuki, and others have recently unveiled their new campaigns. Industry experts say these brands are capitalising on the viewership that cricket commands in India, leveraging the emotional connect and festive spirit associated with the World Cup.

“I can’t think of a better opportunity to tell the world about my brand,” said Rohit Malkani, Joint National Creative Director at L&K Saatchi & Saatchi.

“This is the biggest cricketing spectacle and it’s happening on home soil. There is some serious patriotism flying around. It’s only natural for advertisers to want a piece of the action, whether India reaches the final or not. You’re looking at 45 odd days of viewing and a captive audience to be won,” Malkani said.

Meanwhile, industry estimates project that brands are poised to invest approximately Rs 2,000  crore in advertising spots on streaming platforms. Television airtime has been sold at approximately Rs 30 lakh for a 10-second slot.

The expectation is maximum reach and engagement. 

Brands are also aligning their messaging with patriotic sentiments around cricket.


Top of Form

“Without a doubt, we are a passionate nation of cricket fans. This cricket season is unique in  that it is taking place during the festive season. We want consumers to associate our brand with efficient and reliable delivery services. Given that the term delivery holds importance in both cricket and logistics, the World Cup is the perfect opportunity for us to emphasise and reinforce our core promise of delivery of anything, anywhere, anytime,” said Mohit Rathi, Vice President, Customer Growth and Engagement, at logistics company Porter. 

Porter has also launched a World Cup campaign to be streamed on Disney+ Hotstar during India's games.

Advertisers, however,  are not just looking at Disney+ Hotstar for amplifying viewership.

“We are expecting advertisers to participate across various formats, including sponsorships, features, and shows this World Cup as it coincides with the festive season. There will be a surge in ad spends across digital platforms where there is any World Cup related content. It can be news, special commentaries, analysis or interviews,” said a media buyer. 

Indian brands leverage emotional connect of  cricket, align campaigns with World Cup

Equating gaming with luxury goods and clubbing it with ‘sin goods’ in the highest slab of the goods and services tax (GST) regime of 28 percent may have been a curse for many but has, surprisingly, also become a boon with regulatory measures curbing the illicit operations of offshore betting firms with little accountability. The closure of platforms such as Betway and Bet365 indicate a potential decline in offshore betting activities within the country.

Beltway, the Malta-based online gambling platform offering sportsbook and online casino services, recently announced the end of its operations in India. Attempts to download the platform now display a message stating, "We regretfully have elected to cease trading in your region. We will work with you to return any outstanding balances."

Betway and similar platforms had been operating openly in India, enticing customers with catchy slogans and graphics. They sought to establish legitimacy by featuring endorsements by well-known sports and entertainment figures such as TV personality Rannvijay Singha for Betway, Hindi actor Ranbir Kapoor and Hindi, Haryanvi and Punjabi rapper Badshah for Fairplay, Bollywood’s Nora Fatehi for Sportsexch and many others. Most recently Betway was even seen advertising on popular television channels during the Ashes 2023 England-Australia cricket tournament.

How is the introduction of the 28 percent GST helping?

“In order to bring offshore gaming companies on a par with the domestic online gaming companies, the government has introduced a tax of 28 percent on the total funds collected by online gaming companies from users/gamers and not on each and every bet, i.e., the full bet value. One of the other major another idea behind the introduction of the new raised tax on the full bet value on all online gaming companies is to bring under the purview the rampant suspected money-laundering schemes illegally run by offshore online gaming companies,” said Shivani Bhushan, senior associate at boutique law firm TAS Law.

The resultant effect of this is that all offshore online gaming companies operating in India will have to mandatorily be registered locally or will have to appoint a representative to pay the taxes collected on the full bet values. If they fail to comply, such gaming companies will be blocked from providing their services in the country.

Experts foresee the offshore online gaming business decreasing in India as they will now lose the tax arbitrage they enjoyed, and also due to increased competitions from domestic online gaming service providers.

“This imposition of (the new) tax regime is also keeping in mind the severe risk imposed to the financial security, privacy and wellbeing of citizens, as Indian online gamers were/are at risk of being exposed to nefarious and unscrupulous platforms that are not under the scrutiny of the Indian government,” Bhushan explained.

The anomalies

However, the All India Gaming Federation highlighted that there are several states where the amendments have not been incorporated in their respective GST laws and hence the notification may stand suspended till such time all states have carried out the amendment.

Some platforms are using their rivals’ closure to promote their own offerings. Fun88, for instance, is circulating promotional messages announcing the closing of Betway and calling themselves “the only legitimate global brand in India”, while offering a 300 percent welcome bonus. 

 

What were the loopholes these platforms were using to operate in India?

Disguised as content platforms, offshore betting companies had been a significant presence in India for quite some time. Their advertisements often feature QR codes that once scanned redirect users to WhatsApp business accounts. These accounts provided access to websites, complete with usernames and passwords, allowing individuals to place bets.

“Offshore betting platforms exploit various loopholes to operate in India, operating from lax regulatory jurisdictions and obtaining foreign licences. The digital nature of their operations, along with the unclear gambling laws in India, aided their cause. Evading taxes and adhering to FEMA (the Foreign Exchange Management Act) rules, they manage to function in a legal grey area. Tactics like domain shifting post-ban, and collaborations with local entities further facilitate their operations,” said Aviral Kapoor, partner at Alagh & Kapoor Law Offices.

What will the platforms do now?

“In the light of recent regulatory updates, offshore gaming platforms operating in India are now under stringent compliance scrutiny,” Kapoor added.

The government has mandated these entities to officially register within the country, ensuring transparency and adherence to the 28 percent GST slab. Key compliance areas include the clear display of rules, privacy policies and user agreements on their platforms. Additionally, platforms are required to appoint resident grievance officers, chief compliance officers and nodal contact persons, all based in India.

The silver lining of 28 percent GST on gaming: crackdown on offshore betting firms

Excitement is building up among cricket fans, and that is pushing advertisers to spend generously on ads this time in the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup. Advertisers across categories are putting their ad dollars in the World Cup ad inventory for reach, buzz, and engagement.

“With a surge in demand, Disney+Star is looking to close deals amounting to more than Rs 4,200 crore,” said Sarfaraz Ansari, Senior Vice President, Integrated Media, DDB MudraMax.

According to Ansari, in the last World Cup, Star Network was able to generate Rs 2,500 to 2,800 crore. However, this year, even before the tournament, Disney+Star is expected to generate Rs 3,500 to 3,700 crore across both broadcast and digital. However, this is a dynamic number, with some experts saying Star has surpassed this range already.

“Given the excitement and inquiries from clients, we can project that, compared to last year, the current CWC (cricket world cup) will experience an upward trend of 20-25 percent in both pricing and revenue,” he said.

Anticipated to reach Rs 30 lakh for a 10-second slot, advertising rates for the World Cup are poised to surge further, close to the tournament. The substantial increase in inventory sales is driven by the event's widespread popularity and its coinciding with the festival season. Notably, the highly anticipated India-Pakistan match on October 15 has led Star to devise special packages for selling premium inventory around this key fixture.

With almost 75-80 percent of the inventory claimed to be booked and a week still to go before the tournament, prices have seen a steep rise — almost a 20-25 percent jump from the initial closure price, said experts.

Speaking of special packages, according to Ansari, what has changed for Disney+Star this time is their realisation and acceptance of the reality that they can no longer work on a pick-and-choose model.

“They must now accommodate large, medium, and small players who dream of seeing their brand in this mega cricketing event. Therefore, this season, they have designed customised packages to cater not only to large advertisers but also to medium- and small-scale advertisers, especially on the digital platform,” he said.

Initially cautious due to early apprehensions, subdued excitement during the IPL, and a slow Asia Cup in terms of sales, Star approached the start of this cricket World Cup season with caution.

However, as enthusiasm grew and significant deals were negotiated, prices began to ascend. Disney+Star has already revised costs, citing several reasons for the rate adjustments. With the World Cup returning to India after 12 years and heightened advertiser interest following the successful IPL and Asia Cup in terms of ratings, there's a substantial anticipated spike in viewership for this season.

Rohit Malkani, Joint National Creative Director at L&K Saatchi & Saatchi, agreed.

“This is the biggest cricketing spectacle, and it’s happening on home soil! There is some serious jingoism flying around. 1983, followed by 2011 (28 years later), and now 2023 (12 years later). Will the cup stay at home? It’s only natural for advertisers to want a piece of the action, whether India reaches the final or not. You’re looking at 45-odd days of viewing and a captive audience to be won. I can’t think of a better opportunity to tell the world about my brand,” he said.

 



Disney+Star eyes closing deals worth over Rs 4,200 crore this World Cup

Consumer sentiment and behaviour have evolved post Covid, and brands are adopting new methods to grow with the change and effectively engage consumers.

In a chat with Storyboard18, Deepender Rana, Executive Managing Director, South Asia, Insights Division, of analytics firm Kantar talks about why the revenues of Indian brands only saw a small dip even when global brands suffered significant lows, changing consumer preferences, the importance of brand equity, cautious optimism, and more.

 

Excerpts follow:

 

The latest report from Kantar shows that Indian brands have been resilient compared to global ones. What are the reasons for this?

Other than a minor dip in value of around 4 percent in 2022, Indian brands have been resilient. This decline, though small, stands in stark contrast to the global trend, which has seen a 20 percent drop in value.

This resilience can be attributed to two key factors. Firstly, it reflects India's stability. Secondly, India is less susceptible to global economic headwinds as only 28 percent of the value revenues of Indian brands come from their overseas operations.

Additionally, Indian brands have adeptly managed challenges such as inflation, which was a significant concern last year but is now subsiding. Their success in this regard highlights the importance of building strong brand equity. Brands with robust equity can, for instance, increase prices without losing market share.

 

What factors contribute to the emergence of new players in the brand valuation rankings?

The emergence of new players in brand rankings can be attributed to their ability to disrupt categories and generate substantial revenues. This disruption can be a unique business model or challenging established category norms. In many cases, it's a blend of both factors. PhonePe and Cred are the perfect two examples. 

Moreover, these brands have capitalised on evolving trends, leveraging these shifts to their advantage.

However, it's crucial to acknowledge the associated risks. Startups, while rapidly creating financial value and enjoying strong investor support, can experience swift value erosion if they fail to offer a compelling value proposition. This underscores the enduring importance of brand equity.

Before the pandemic, brand equity was already significant, and this importance remains undiminished in the post-Covid landscape as well. However, the metrics for assessing brand value have evolved. Pre-Covid, factors like purpose held less prominence, but now, sustainability has emerged as a robust building block of brand equity. Brands must adapt to these new dimensions, harness them to boost their equity and effectively engage with consumers.

 

Growth of digital isn’t new but it’s still hard to ignore its scope. What are the emerging trends there?

Digital spending is set to reach 56 percent of total media expenditure, with a significant 70 percent of media spending growth attributed to digital channels. The digital landscape has evolved, encompassing diverse platforms like addressable TV, OTT, social media (e.g., Facebook and YouTube), and influencer marketing.

Measuring the impact of influencers remains challenging, though they hold substantial influence on brand ROI, as revealed by our media reaction study. However, the effectiveness of digital spending is short on robust measurement, leading to potential wastage. Unlike television, digital content can be transient.

As digital continues to expand, advertisers face increased choices and scrutiny. Furthermore, the gradual decline of cookie tracking, vital for ROI tracking, poses a significant challenge.

Thus, measuring the effectiveness of digital spending, particularly outside major platforms, becomes more complex and necessitates close attention.

 

There has also been significant growth outside of metros. What are your observations around brands looking to market and sell in the Bharat market?

India is incredibly diverse, with multiple facets to consider when devising a winning strategy. It's crucial to move beyond the major metropolitan areas and focus on multiple categories. There's ample room for growth, especially in burgeoning sectors like e-commerce, which is entering its second and third years of expansion.

Given India's vast untapped potential, growth will increasingly originate from smaller towns and regions. However, creating sustained value in these areas is more challenging than in tier-one cities, demanding persistent effort. Leading brands are investing in category creation, distribution, and channel development to tap into this potential.

Moreover, local brands play a significant role in rural areas, often catering to local preferences. To compete effectively, both established and local brands must adapt their products and communication strategies to resonate across diverse Indian markets.

 

Where are the purchases happening? Online or offline?

There's a significant consumer segment that prefers to visit physical stores for certain categories, like clothing, to feel and compare products before ultimately making an online purchase. On the other hand, some consumers research online before buying in-store. Additionally, e-commerce continues to grow across all categories, with consumers becoming savvier, aided by comparison apps.

Brands are adapting by establishing offline stores alongside their online presence, recognising the fluid nature of consumer behaviour. It's important to understand that the same person can switch between offline and online purchase depending on the category, sometimes even combining both in a single purchase journey.

The challenge lies in last-mile attribution. Marketers aim to build a strong brand predisposition offline and online to influence the moment of purchase. This report underscores the importance of brand building.


What are the big trends to look for in the rest of 2023-2024 fiscal?

Firstly, sustainability continues to gain importance and influence consumer decisions. It's key for both demand and pricing power, encouraging consumers to pay a premium for sustainable products.

Looking ahead at the next six months, there's a sense of cautious optimism. Consumer sentiment remains positive, though global factors may pose challenges. The upcoming festive season will be crucial for brands to engage consumers and drive spending. The emphasis remains on investing in the brand and in meaningful communication to make this festive season successful.

Metrics for assessing brand value have evolved post Covid: Deepender Rana

The Securities Appellate Tribunal (SAT) on Wednesday reserved its order in applications filed by Subhash Chandra and his son Punit Goenka to challenge SEBI (Securities and Exchange Board of India)’s confirmatory order that that prohibited them from holding any directorship or key managerial positions in listed entities. A date for the order has been given out yet.

During the hearing, senior counsel Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing Punit Goenka, put forth a series of defenses. He contended that this stage of the proceedings involves allegations and investigations, emphasizing the need for a preventive rather than punitive approach in the public interest.

He pointed out that 8 months is too long a period to wait for and argued that the situation called for a balanced response rather than draconian measures, with a focus on preventive punishment for future compliance rather than penalizing past actions.

Additionally, he requested that the CFO of the merged company be allowed to report directly to the board if necessary, suggesting measures to safeguard shareholder interests.

Singhvi stressed the legitimacy and benefits of all transactions in question, asserting that the prosecution was unwarranted.

He highlighted Goenka's lack of control over other Essel Group companies and the absence of any demonstrated loss caused to the company. Singhvi also pointed out that there had been no recurrence of the matters previously investigated by SEBI in 2019 over the last four years, and failure to set aside the order could have significant repercussions.

 

SAT reserves order in appeal filed by Punit Goenka against SEBI’s confirmatory order

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has released its recommendations on ‘License Fee and Policy Matters of DTH Services.’ These recommendations were sought by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) under Section (11) (1)(a) of the TRAI Act, 1997, as per a letter dated 02.02.2022.

TRAI had issued a consultation paper on the subject on 13th January 2023, inviting stakeholders to submit written comments and counter-comments. During this period, the authority received a total of seven comments and 1one counter-comment from various stakeholders.

The salient features of the recommendations to start with includes, that gross revenue (GR) shall comprise revenue accruing to the licensed entity by way of all operations/ activities and inclusive of all other revenue! income on account of interest, dividend, rent, profit on sale of fixed assets, miscellaneous income etc. without any set-off for related items of expense.

The recommendations also provided certain explanations with the definition.

It also says that applicable gross revenue (ApGR) for arriving at the revenue calculations for license fee should be equal to the total GR of the licensee as reduced by the following items-revenue from activities under a license/permission issued by DoT; reimbursement, if any, from the Government; and list of other income to be excluded from GR to arrive at AGR.

Adjusted gross revenue (AGR) as per the recommendation is calculated by excluding GST paid to the Government from the ApGR, if ApGR had included as component of GST.

Additionally, MIB should revise the Form-D (the Statement of Revenue and Licence Fee for DTH Licensees) and adopt the format of Form-D as prescribed in the recommendations. The process for the submission of Form-D should be made end-to-end online with facility to upload all the related documents in digital mode via single window system.
Some of the other key features of the recommendations include that MIB should develop a robust mechanism for deduction verification process through single window portal. Then there one that said DTH Licensee should pay an annual license fee equivalent to 3 percent of AGR. 

License fee for DTH Licensees should be brought down to zero in next three years. DTH Licensees should not be charged any license fee after the end of the financial year 2026-2027. 

The licensee should submit an initial bank guarantee from any scheduled bank to the MIB for an amount of Rs 5 crore for the first two quarters. Thereafter, as per the recommendation the licensee should submit a bank guarantee (covering financial and performance bank guarantee) from any scheduled bank to the MIB for an amount equivalent to the initial bank guarantee or 20% of the estimated sum payable, equivalent to license fee for two quarters and other dues not otherwise securitized, whichever is higher. 

Once the license fee becomes zero, the licensee should submit a bank guarantee for a fixed amount equivalent to the initial Bank Guarantee from any scheduled bank to the MIB, which should be valid for a minimum of one year and renewed every year to ensure it remains valid for the entire currency of the license agreement. 

The licensor should be at the liberty to encash the Bank Guarantee in full or part in the event of violation of any of the license condition. 

Electronic Bank Guarantee should be encouraged and permitted for ease of doing business. 

Lastly, as per the media statement about the recommendations, these recommendations including the definition of gross revenue (GR), applicable gross revenue (ApGR), adjusted gross revenue (AGR) and the percentage of AGR to calculate the License Fee for the DTH License may be made applicable 'prospectively'.


TRAI releases recommendations on DTH services license fee and policies: Key points to know

Nodwin Gaming and Star Sports have unveiled the return of the BGMI Masters Series, while Krafton India has partnered with JioCinema for live-streaming the Battlegrounds Mobile India Series (BGIS). Just like established sports events such as IPL, both TV and digital media companies are actively seeking esports IPs, benefiting the sector as a whole. With the esports market in India projected to hit $107.8 million in 2023, broadcasting and streaming are turning significant contributors, generating enthusiasm among brands.

Brands like Lenskart, TVS, Lenovo, Intel, Philips and others are joining in the esports frenzy.

According to experts, the biggest reason behind mainstreaming of esports is that now it is making its way to a much broader and diverse audience, including those who have previously never been exposed to it.
Why are platforms looking at these properties? The answer is manifold.

While announcing its association with Krafton, JioCinema said esports has evolved beyond its niche origins and emerged as a mainstream experience, with a consistent surge in popularity and such collaborations help the platform deliver diverse and engaging content to the viewers.

The demographics of these viewers is a key reason.
“Since the gaming community comprises a significant portion of the younger population, marketers targeting the youth demographics can connect and engage directly with their target audience through esports. Esports tournaments serve for endemic brands to showcase their gaming hardware, peripherals and software within the gaming community,” said Lokesh Suji, Director, Esports Federation of India and Vice President of Asian Esports Federation (AESF).

Bigger scale

According to Suji, with esports making its debut as an official medal sport at this year’s Asian Games while also being confirmed for the 2026 edition of the tournament, video gaming is only going to gain more credibility by being part of these major multi-sport tournaments.

Shradha Agarwal, Co-Founder & CEO, Grapes, said there were always options to watch esports, what has changed is the scale of it.

Online streaming of esports saw a definite spike after COVID-19 but broadcasting of esports dates back to 2017 in India. Earlier, UTV started UCypher, an esports league airing on MTV with Counter-Strike: GO and DOTA 2. Following that, Discovery Communications brought its own channel DSPORTS which broadcast esports and tournaments.

“The viewership at that time was limited to a very small audience segment. There were limited teams, especially the Indian contingent. Recently, platforms like YouTube and Facebook saw the emergence of video game streaming, when a large audience started interacting with gaming content. Also, games like PUBG and Fortnite, with their ease of compatibility and interactive features, made gaming easier for everyone,” she said.

Eventually, it gave a pedestal to esports tournaments as well, and now they have collaborators to broadcast them on television again making them accessible to people and viewers, she said.

Television boost

Experts said esports consumption is now a popular trend with a growing audience that seeks effortless discovery and access to engaging gaming content on various screens, including TV.

“Some of the biggest TV channels are now broadcasting top esports IPs, while digital streaming has improved through the integration of apps like Rooter across connected TVs. Together, they serve millions of households in the country. Brands now see esports as a valuable way to connect with passionate viewers. In the ongoing BGMI Master series, non-endemic brands like Lenskart, TVS and Phillips have joined on smart TV streams and TV, respectively,” said Piyush Kumar, founder and CEO, Rooter.

While digital streaming platforms like Rooter and Loco have always streamed gameplays and tournaments, involvement of mainstream media in televising or streaming boosts the reach, recall and engagement of these events to a whole new level. 

As per EY estimates, the esports industry revenue is expected to reach Rs 1,100 crore by FY25 and tournament revenues, streaming media revenues and prize pool are key revenue streams.

The same report also says that streaming platforms will generate the largest chunk of esport revenues. As esports grows popular amongst youth and the affluent, advertisers and agencies are expected to increasingly use esports tournament viewership to gain reach and engagement with the audience, growing over 4x to Rs 650 crore by FY25.
Infect, eventually, the industry could explore subscription revenue models. Tournament sponsorship and syndication revenue would likely quadruple to more than Rs 350 crore growing at a CAGR of 45 percent.

“Media broadcasting rights and advertisement sponsorship revenue together constitute this segment,” the report highlighted.

This is what experts are calling the beginning of an innovative era for gaming in India.
The role of the audience is of primary importance. They not just add to the reach and boost numbers but are the main reason why brands like to get involved.

“The mix of TV and streaming platforms creates a diverse and dynamic audience—from the dedicated gaming community to those venturing into this dynamic realm for the first time. It also opens up exciting avenues for various brands to advertise,” said Animesh Agarwal, founder and CEO at 8Bit Creatives, a creator agency specialising in gaming, and esports organisation S8UL.

Brands are collaborating with esports at various levels. Agarwal’s organisation recently concluded the S8UL Gaming Festival 2023 and the brand participation in it is a clear indication of their interest in the domain. Popular brands like Lenovo and Intel were an integral part of the festival.

Brands however are not always endemic, sometimes brands that are in no way related to gaming collaborate with players in the space to resonate with a tech-savvy and engaged demographic.
 

What brands gain other than reach?

“The gaming audience in the country is much younger, and we need to deploy various ways of reaching out to them – by participating in community and culture-first events to enable a direct conversation with our consumers. ROI (return on investment) is in two parts, the direct ROI is in showcasing and engaging with the fans at the event we are a part of, and the indirect ROI is the digital engagement and content we are able to drive for us,” said Chandrika Jain, Director - Marketing, Lenovo India.

Shradha Agarwal highlights a few examples of how brands can use the space. “The fashion world, for instance, can present its best designs, using the players as the brand ambassadors. Food and beverage brands can bring their customised products by teaming up, as we have seen in the international market. The automobile industry can leverage the opportunity, collaborating with gamers or distributors to market their products within the game. Also, there are more typical ad formats like TVCs, in-stream ads, skippable ads, short-form videos, and even influencer collaborations,” Agarwal said.

Why TV and digital media companies are pursuing esports IPs?

The print industry is gradually shaking off the post-Covid lull, showing a significant boost in ad volumes during the first half of 2023 (January to June), amid subdued performance by the TV sector. 

 According to the latest report from TAM, ad space per publication in print saw a 43 percent growth compared to the first half of 2021 and a 5 percent increase over the same period in 2022.

Experts suggest that advertisers are boosting their festive ad budgets for print by up to 15 per cent.

TAM's report also highlights a striking trend in the advertising landscape. Between January and June 2023, a total of 51,000 advertisers with 67,000 brands exclusively advertised in print as compared to the corresponding period last year.

According to Sujata Dwibedy, chief investment and trading officer, Amplifi, the supply-side management platform of dentsu, with no readership survey for print, it is difficult to prove numbers. However, trends in the usual sectors remained steady, she said.

“For instance, the first quarter does see BFSI and Auto in addition to CPG (consumer packaged goods) and e-commerce which are the lead spend categories, growing,” Dwibedy added.

While World Cup and other big-ticket events will be a spending booster for H2, it is primarily the festive season that will add significantly to AdEx, said Dwibedy.

According to her, the festive season leads to a lot of activations in print and large-format ads for announcements and promos. “Some of the clients advertise only around the festivals! Even without the larger properties, the ad expenditure sees a higher share of spends in the second half,” she said.


Advertiser and brand breakdown

As per TAM numbers for the first half of the year, the top sectors dominating the print advertising landscape in the first half of 2023 came from diverse interests. The education sector claimed the lead with a substantial 19 percent share, emphasising its commitment to reaching a wide audience. Following closely, services and auto industries secured the second and third positions with 16 percent and 11 percent stakes, respectively.

Meanwhile, retail and banking/finance/investment sectors held strong at 8 percent each. The rest in the top 10 included personal accessories at 6 percent, personal healthcare at 5 percent, and food & beverages, as well as durables each claiming a 4 percent share and personal care/personal hygiene contributing 2 percent.

In terms of leading advertisers, the top 10 advertisers contributed 13 percent share of ad space in print. Maruti Suzuki India secured the lead with a strong presence, followed by SBS Biotech, Reliance Retail, LIC of India, and Hero Motocorp, each making noteworthy contributions. Think & Learn, Titan Company, MG Motor India, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India and Allen Career Institute also made their mark. Allen Career Institute held its position among the leading advertisers, reflecting the dynamic landscape of print advertising's key players.


What worked for advertisers?

Maruti Suzuki India which topped the advertisers list is equally excited about the second half of the year to leverage the medium’s reach and create recall.

Shashank Srivastava, senior executive director-marketing and sales, Maruti Suzuki India, explained how print works for the brand.

“Our print advertising strategy encompasses four primary categories. Firstly, we announce new launches; secondly, we take up sustenance advertising for existing brands, thirdly, we engage in tactical advertising, often tied to seasonal themes. Lastly, we conduct corporate branding efforts,” he said.

“In the first half of this year, we went heavy with advertising related to new launches because we had three major launches which included the Fronx, Invicto and Jimny. These campaigns print extensive ads for maximum reach. Moving forward, our advertising budget in the second half will remain consistent but a larger portion will be allocated to festive tactical advertising. Our focus will be on creating engaging conversations and amplifying recall across all regional markets,” Srivastava said.

Chirag Shah, vice president, Madison Media Sigma, a media planning and buying firm, also highlighted how the regional markets performed well in the first quarter.

According to him, regional genres, specifically Maharashtra and West Bengal, saw significant growth in ad volumes in H1 2023 over the same period last year.

His expectation is that advertising and consumer promotion expenditure will see a significant surge in the second half of 2023. “It will be spurred by factors such as inflationary pressure cooling off, marquee cricketing events like Asia Cup and ICC World Cup coming up in H2,” he said.

 
The print publisher’s take

Satyajit Sengupta, chief corporate sales and marketing officer, DB Corp Ltd, said the first half of the year has been encouraging for the brand with double-digit growth in advertising revenue.

 “Almost all verticals have shown strong growth. Education, real estate, jewellery, health sector, automobiles and BFSI, all strong print categories have been growing over the last year. We are already talking to our advertisers regarding festive plans and budgets are going to be up in most cases to the tune of 10-15 percent,” Sengupta said.

 Like most marketers, Sengupta also believes this year's robust cricket calendar with the Asia Cup and One Day World Cup would fuel advertising.

 “We also have state elections in the large states of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan. So we have got our hands full. We can see that advertisers are increasingly gravitating back towards print,” he added.

Print advertising gains momentum in H1 2023; brands seen boosting festive ad budgets by up to 15%

The Press and Registration of Periodicals Bill, 2023, was passed by the Rajya Sabha on August 3. The bill aims to replace the existing Press and Registration of Books Act, 1867. 

“This bill, which rids us of the colonial mindset, is a dynamic step towards promoting transparency, ease of doing business and freedom of the press,” said Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur.
“This bill, while ensuring freedom of the press, will also promote many budding writers who can freely express themselves on a variety of issues,” he added.

While law required newspapers, magazines, and books to be registered. The new bill adds periodicals to the list, which includes publications with news or comments on news. Under the law, the printer or publisher must declare their information to the District Magistrate (DM). The DM then sends the declaration to the Press Registrar, who issues a registration certificate. This declaration is necessary for publishing newspapers. The new bill allows periodical publishers to apply for a registration certificate online with the Press Registrar General and a local authority. 

However, the bill also clearly mentions that, ‘no person who has been convicted by any court for an offence— (a) involving terrorist act or unlawful activity; or (b) for having done anything against the security of the State, shall bring out a periodical.’

As per the bill, an exact reproduction of a foreign periodical may be printed in India but only with the prior approval of the central government. 

The new bill also creates the role of Press Registrar General of India, who will issue registration certificates for all periodicals. The Press Registrar General has other responsibilities like maintaining a record of periodicals, setting guidelines for their titles, checking circulation figures, and managing registrations, including suspension or cancellation when needed.

Registration of printing press has also been simplified by the bill. The Act required a printing press to be declared before the DM. The Bill however allows for information regarding printing presses to be submitted to the Press Registrar General through an online portal.

The Bill also empowers the Press Registrar General to suspend a periodical's registration for at least 30 days, which can be extended to 180 days. Primary reasons for suspension could include, obtaining registration by providing false information, irregularity in publishing of periodicals or furnishing false details in the annual statements. 

Registration may also be canceled if the periodical has the same or a similar title as another periodical, or if the owner/publisher has been convicted of a terrorist act, unlawful activity, or acted against the security of the state.

There are also provisions for penalties and appeals in the bill, the Bill empowers the Press Registrar General to impose penalties for a variety of reasons like, publishing periodicals without registration (up toRs5 lakh), failing to furnish annual statement within the specified time (up to Rs 20,000 on first default). If a periodical is published without registration, the Press Registrar General may direct its publication to be stopped. Not complying with such direction within six months will be punishable with imprisonment of up to six months.
Any person may appeal against the refusal to issue a registration certificate, suspension/ cancellation of registration, or imposition of penalty. Such appeals should be filed before the Press and Registration Appellate Board within 60 days.



Rajya Sabha passes the Press and Registration of Periodicals Bill, 2023

The GST Council in the 50th meeting held on July 11, 2023, had deliberated on the Second Report of the Group of Ministers (GoM) on casinos, race courses and online gaming and had recommended that the actionable claims supplied in casinos, horse racing and online gaming may be taxed at the rate of 28 percent on full face value, irrespective of whether the activities are a game of skill or chance.

Stakeholders appealed to the government for reconsideration. The 51st GST Council meeting on August 2 provided clarity and settled all uncertainties.

Here are the key takeaways from the meeting:



Taxation on Casinos and Online Gaming: The Council recommended a 28 percent GST levy on full face value for actionable claims in casinos, horse racing, and online gaming, irrespective of whether they involve skill or chance.

Liability for Offshore Gaming Companies: A specific provision in the IGST Act was proposed to make offshore gaming companies located outside India liable to pay GST when supplying online money gaming facilities to individuals in India.

Valuation of Online Gaming: The valuation of online gaming and actionable claims in casinos will be based on the amount paid or deposited by players, excluding the amount entered into games/bets from previous winnings.

Simplified Registration Scheme: Offshore gaming companies will need to register in India under a simplified registration scheme. Failure to comply with registration and tax payment provisions may result in access blocking.

Effective Date: The Council aims to complete the amendment process at the earliest, and the changes are expected to come into effect from October 1, 2023.

TASMAYEE LAHA ROY