Discover the latest updates, event schedules, medal count, and trending athletes on Search

Relive the action with the majestic event highlights on YouTube

Explore Rio and Olympics venues in Google Maps

Celebrating the buzz and excitement around the Olympic games across the country, Google has unveiled a set of enhanced features to bring alive the Olympic mood among Indian fans. The new set of features will help bring fans closer to knowing more about their favourite athletes and sports disciplines. Fans across the country can even choose to get automatic updates on top event and medal wins.

India is sending out its largest ever delegation of 119 athletes to the Olympics with renowned athletes and India’s medal prospects including Saina Nehwal (Badminton), Abhinav Bindra and Gagan Narang (Shooting), Leander Paes and Sania Mirza (Tennis), Vikas Yadav and Shiva Thapa (Boxing), Yogeshwar Dutt and Babita Kumari (Wrestling) and Deepika Kumari (Archery) to name a few.

In celebration of the next chapter in Olympics history, Google is bringing a new set of experiences to help people around the world enjoy the 2016 Games. Here’s some of the unique features that will help users experience the best of these games:

Google Search: Discover the event schedule, medal counts, results and trending athletes on Search

On Google, when you search for “Olympics” or a similar query, an in-depth search result will be displayed at the top of the Search page or in your Google app, allowing you get information for a specific country, sport, event, or even by athlete.

Pro tip: If you search on the Google app on Android and iOS, you’ll also see an option to get automatic updates on the things you want to keep tabs on during the Games, so you’ll never miss a beat.

YouTube: View event highlights on YouTube

To give you a glimpse into the Games, watch video highlights on YouTube from official broadcasters in more than 60 countries around the world. And as an added bonus, YouTube is sending 15 top creators to the Games, giving you a taste of what it’s like to be in Rio with mobile live streaming.

Maps: Explore Rio and Olympics venues in Google Maps

With Street View in Google Maps, everyone can enjoy the magic of Rio de Janeiro. Even if you’re a world away, preview the places where the world's most talented athletes will make history and explore the breathtaking beauty of Brazil.

Search Trends: Keep up to date with the latest search Trends from around the world
To add to the excitement, Google will be showcasing some unique Olympics-based Search Trends and insights with data visualizations.

BBNPL launches the new face of transforming India - BTVi

The best in class business news coverage and real-time in-depth compelling content for viewers
Stay tuned and connected with the voice of the influential from August 1, 2016

August 2, 2016: In a pioneering move, Business Broadcast News Pvt. Ltd. today announced the launch of new channel BTVi. Taken a step ahead in setting the pace, the channel will provide accurate business and financial information that is of material interest and use to all participants of the financial ecosystem.

According to the official statement released by the company on the launch of BTVi, “We stand by our principle of continuously delivering accurate information to our viewers. The content of the new channel will be a reflection of our proficiency and experienced editorial team. The compelling content of BTVi will be of interest to all participants of the financial ecosystem. BTVi will also have strong digital connect with the viewers with an integrated newsroom.”

BTVi will continue to have strong connect with the senior corporate management, big market movers, technocrats, and the governance administration - both federal and state. With sharp market analysis, investment takeaways & deep data-mining, the show line-up will demonstrate best –in-class insights, exhaustive analysis, detailed company reports and in-depth interviews with the industry stalwarts and influencers.

List of driver shows on BTVi:

Dealing Room (Weekdays 8:00 - 9:30) - Get all the crucial market cues & trade calls as Ashu Dutt & Abha Bakaya take you into the all-important market opening.

Market Guru (Weekdays 09:30 - 10:00) - The very cream of market veterans with decades of street cred share their invaluable perspective and analysis.

The Trading Day (Weekdays 14:30 - 15:30) - Countdown tracks the breaking business news and top stories in the lead-up to the closing of markets.

E-Inc (Wednesday 20:30 - 21:00) - A path-breaking show that charts the twists and turns in e-commerce. Find out what it takes to go from start-up to the next big success story.

The Auto Show (Thursday 22:30 - 23:00) - Get up to speed with the latest in the auto mobile world; hear from leading auto industry voices, review cars and bikes. We also address consumer concerns.
Overall programming initiative will cater to a spectrum of audience - global and domestic influencers, business leaders and government-stakeholder.

Launches first-ever TVC showcasing the joy of playing rummy online sans distractions

India’s leading gaming company Junglee Games has roped in popular movie stars Prakash Raj and Rana Daggubati as the brand ambassadors for its flagship game JungleeRummy.com, the country’s fastest growing and most trusted online Rummy website. The duo, featuring in the company’s first-ever TVC, highlight the changing times and how Junglee Games is offering users the convenience and liberty to play anytime, anywhere without any distractions. Rummy is a popular skill-based card game in India that people play regularly amongst family and friends. Unlike other chance-based card games like Teenpatti etc, playing Rummy requires one to have a good blend of mathematical and memory skills.

Commenting on the TVC launch, Ankush Gera, Founder and CEO of Junglee Games, said, “This is our first TVC with two of the most well respected and recognised celebrities in Indian cinema. By launching it on national television, we are letting every Indian know that Rummy, which has traditionally been one of the most popular skill-based card games in the country, is now available online to played anytime and anywhere. Players can register for free on JungleeRummy.com and play games for free or for cash. The presence of Prakash Raj and Rana Daggubati would help JungleeRummy establish a deeper connect with players in every region in the country”.

Created and conceptualised by JWT Mindset India, the Junglee Rummy TVC starts with the background score “Aao Khele Rummy”, inspired by the nostalgic tune from the 1957 Bollywood track “Sar jo Tera Chakraye” which had the famous comedian Johnnie Walker singing it onscreen. The tune has been redone to create an eclectic mix of modern and old world and takes the viewers back to the yesteryears where a family is sitting in their living room to play a game of rummy with cards. However, due to numerous distractions perpetrated by other family members, the protagonist – played by actor Prakash Raj – gets constantly interrupted, making it impossible for him to play his beloved game.

Meanwhile, Rana Daggubati, who is also a part of the family but is not a part of the game, is having a lot of fun seeing Prakash Raj in such misery. In the end, Rana comes to Prakash Raj’s rescue and introduces a frustrated Prakash Raj to JungleeRummy. The setting changes into the present era where they both play an uninterrupted game of Rummy on JungleeRummy.com. The idea is to showcase, in a very lucid manner and with a touch of humour, how JungleeRummy enables you to enjoy your favorite skill-based card game with absolutely no distractions.

“India is the perfect battleground for Content Marketing due to its sheer market size & potential to do innovative work in content space. Brands have started experiencing dip in their advertising response rates and that is largely because of content issues than anything else. Eg. Most of the brands end up driving users through advertising to their brand websites or social media pages where these destinations either have no content or only branded product focused content, which the users have seen it all. Users are always looking for content in the form of Information, Education & Entertainment and they end up going elsewhere who fulfills that need. Nobody searches for ‘shampoo’ online; rather they search for ‘hair problems’.” Said- RP Singh, Conference Chairperson, Content Marketing Summit Asia.

In an interview with MediAvataar India RP discussed the swelling role of content marketing today and what marketers must hold on to, to formulate memorable communication ideas for the future.

Here is the complete Q&A….

MediAvataar: Do you think content marketing is the future of marketing?

RP: Content marketing, especially in India, has always been looked at a thing of future but we really look at content marketing as a discipline, it is more than hundred years old already. Brands have been telling stories since ages in different shapes & forms, sometimes through branded content and sometimes by creating content that will help their potential or existing consumers. John Deere, a tractor manufacturer, launched its first content marketing initiative in the form of magazine called “The Furrow” in year 1895 so it is really surprising to see sometimes marketers struggling to put this into today’s context. It was and will always be an integral part of marketing, and with technology controlling most of the digital marketing these days; the importance of content is at the peak right now.

MediAvataar: What is your view on how marketers are utilizing this boon?

RP: Different marketers are at different stages of utilizing potential of content marketing. The very evolved marketers have figured out their ways to create content across the marketing funnel that caters to different marketing objectives. Content marketing is helping brands in achieving multiple brand objectives whether it is Brand Awareness or Sales metrics. While FMCG brands try to use content to entertain & empower their customers through content to maintain top of mind recall, B2B businesses are using content to deliver on their ROI objectives by generating leads for their products and services. Examples can be found from each and every product category to see how content marketing can help across verticals.

MediAvataar: Please tell us what to expect from this year’s Content Marketing Summit?

RP: The marketing fraternity in this part of the world needs education & hand holding when it comes to understanding content marketing. And that is the sole objective of Content Marketing Summit Asia ever since it’s conception. This year again, we have tried to pool in experts from different parts of the content marketing ecosystem to share and spread content marketing knowledge among the entire set of stakeholders. We have speakers from leading brands, technology providers, content creators & agency partners to create a perfect learning platform.

MediAvataar: What do you think you could improve upon or take suggestion from last year’s event?

RP: Content marketing being a very vast subject; we have always had a challenge of scarcity of time. There are a lot of topics we could not discuss in the previous two editions of CMS Asia. We will definitely try to cover those in the upcoming edition. We are learning continuously from every edition, since no one from either the Advisory Board or the organizing team is from events background, there are improvements happening every year. We have always tried to address every single attendee’s expectations and we will continue to speak to each one of our attendees to ensure we deliver value through our content.

MediAvataar: Who all should attend it and what could be their best take home advice?

RP: My humble advice is that anyone & everyone who is in marketing directly or indirectly, it is an important platform not to be missed. The industry is going through a continuous rapid shift and this will be a good way to keep yourself abreast if you are in marketing related job function whether you are at Top Management level or at the beginning of your career. Typically, if you are a brand marketer, service provider, PR professional, Agency partner, content creator, publisher or a production house, then you will enjoy every bit of this event.

MediAvataar: Is India really ready for real content marketing?

RP: India is the perfect battleground for Content Marketing due to its sheer market size & potential to do innovative work in content space. Brands have started experiencing dip in their advertising response rates and that is largely because of content issues than anything else. Eg. Most of the brands end up driving users through advertising to their brand websites or social media pages where these destinations either have no content or only branded product focused content, which the users have seen it all. Users are always looking for content in the form of Information, Education & Entertainment and they end up going elsewhere who fulfills that need. Nobody searches for ‘shampoo’ online; rather they search for ‘hair problems’. Given the amount of digital advertising done in India and it’s year on year growth, content marketing is a huge connecting link that India can leverage immediately.

MediAvataar: Do you plan to take the summit to other countries?

RP: As the name suggests, CMS Asia is an Asia conference that needs to travel across APAC. We are happy to take it to Mumbai after New Delhi and we are exploring other countries such as Philippines, Malaysia, UAE, Thailand, Hong Kong & Singapore for next edition in 2017. We are building right partnerships in all these countries at the moment which will help us spreading our wings faster into other parts of the continent.

MediAvataar: How you plan to grow and what challenges/bad/good you see ahead?

RP: One of the biggest challenge we are facing is the amount of speaking requests we receive every time, although it is a good problem to have but we don’t want to let go of some brilliant speakers every time. So we are trying to work out a method to accommodate maximum speakers at the summit. Another issue is the geographical limitation in a country like India, we have been receiving requests for hosting the summit in Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata and then other countries from across Asia are also looking up to us to host it there. We are very happy that we are able to take this from Delhi to Mumbai this year and hopefully other countries as well in near future. We are too young too see ‘bad’ yet but we are learning from our own mistakes every year.

“Statistics show that we’re perhaps at the leading edge of all things Digital or Tech. We have a young population; we have a high mobile density etc. But that is the consumer. The Digital Marketing Agency side is unfortunately rather disappointing. I can count on my fingertips the number of agencies that actually strive for client business impact. They have all gone the ‘Main-Line Agency’ way of patting each other’s back & chasing awards given by each other. I’d love to see an Awards Show that only has Clients and Business guys as the Jury – measuring the Campaigns on business impact, not on the number of ‘shares’ that a video got. Having said that, it’s not all too bleak, there is a lot of innovation happening. Many young entrepreneurs are creating a new type of agency, that's driven by Tech. We like to think that we’re at the tip of that wave.” Said Priyanka Shroff, COO, Digital Republik 

In an interaction with MediAvataar India Priyanka shared the agency’s vision and what makes for a profitable technically creative venture.

Here is the complete Q&A….

MediAvataar: What does Digital Republik stand for?
Priyanka: Digital Republik stands at the intersection of Technology, Strategy & Marketing. It's a new way of thinking that puts Digital first, as a means to achieve maximum Brand Impact for any Client that is trying to make sense of this “thing” called the ‘Internet’ and on how to leverage it to maximize marketing efficiency.

MediAvataar: How important is the Online Brand Identity in today’s day and age?
Priyanka: It’s everything. Brands today are built online. From the movie you choose to go watch on the weekend, to the restaurant you wish to dine at. From the brands you aspire to purchase, to a service that you’re willing to try out. All of them are based on experiences shared online. Gone are the days of the ‘Passive Consumer’, where a Marketer would come up with a Big Idea & use all her resources to broadcast it from One-Way mediums like the TV, Newspaper, Radio or Billboards. Today’s Brand Identity is a constantly evolving process, through multiple, networked and agile mediums. A brand that does not believe this and act on it, is building a dying brand.

MediAvataar: What’s Digital Republik’s idea of enhancing it for clients?
Priyanka: All our Clients work with us, because of the Strategic Business Insight we bring to the table. We’re perhaps the only “agency” that has a ‘Strategic Research & Knowledge’ division, For us, it’s not about creating a “Cool Campaign”, that does nothing to build the business for a Client, its about delivering real business impact. The Awards we like to win are called, ‘Client Renewals’. We understand the Client’s Business Objective (not just Marketing objective) and create a marketing plan that works to achieve those objectives.

MediAvataar: Does one shoe really fits all when it comes to digital marketing?
Priyanka: Certainly not, every Client is unique & their brand message is different. The mediums (Search, Social etc.) need to adapt to the Brand’s business needs.

MediAvataar: Please share some of your campaigns that have really made you feel proud.
Priyanka: 1. Polygel Industries: http://digitalrepublik.com/digital-marketing-case-study/polygel/
2. Regenesis campaign: http://www.digitalrepublik.com/digitalgazette/2016/march/the-Genesis-of-ReGenesis.html

MediAvataar: How do you look at your competition?
Priyanka: We don’t look at them; we’re too focused on building our Client’s business. They’re “Agencies” we’re “Marketing Partners”. They strive for Awards. We secure Long Term Client Contracts. They focus on Design & Creative; we focus on Strategy & Tech.

MediAvataar: In your career journey, what has been one of your most a) gratifying and b) bizarre experiences so far?
Priyanka: Gratifying: With our Fit2RunHearts for Asian Heart Hospital, we were humbled to see the determination and the achievements of former heart patients, running the Mumbai Marathon – 100 of them. Our small initiative to showcase these champions won us many awards and was perhaps the most gratifying for me and my team.
Bizarre: This one is straight from an Internet Meme: We asked a Client for a Google Hangouts meeting and the Client looked perplexed, saying, “I don’t know where the Google office is”.

MediAvataar: What’s the secret to attracting the best talent and keeping clients happy while balancing the books?
Priyanka: We believe in creating our own talent. Hiring them for common sense and a sense of future promise. We then train them for skill. All the while providing them with a fun atmosphere. We take our work very seriously, but not ourselves. Just take a look at the Careers page on our website, and you will get an idea of the things we offer to attract talent.

Keeping clients happy is a constant balance, between what you think is good for the client’s business and what the specific individual on the client side wants to achieve, given whatever organizational dynamics exist within.

We only work with clients where we have the ability to have an impact. Where the client treat us an extension of their own Marketing Department, rather than a Vendor. We probably say NO, more times than we say YES to new clients that ensure we balance our books too.

MediAvataar: Where do you place India on the global digital marketing backdrop?
Priyanka: Statistics show that we’re perhaps at the leading edge of all things Digital or Tech. We have a young population; we have a high mobile density etc. But that is the consumer. The Digital Marketing Agency side is unfortunately rather disappointing. I can count on my fingertips the number of agencies that actually strive for client business impact. They have all gone the ‘Main-Line Agency’ way of patting each other’s back & chasing awards given by each other. I’d love to see an Awards Show that only has Clients and Business guys as the Jury – measuring the Campaigns on business impact, not on the number of ‘shares’ that a video got.
Having said that, it’s not all too bleak, there is a lot of innovation happening. Many young entrepreneurs are creating a new type of agency, that's driven by Tech. We like to think that we’re at the tip of that wave.

MediAvataar: Your message to the budding digital marketing professionals in India.
Priyanka: Preach what you Practice (not the other way around). You are a consumer of Digital Media, what you practice as a Consumer, should drive your insight into becoming a better Digital Marketing Professional. Common Sense is another thing that we can never get enough of and finally humility. This medium is evolving very fast and uses both sides of your brain. So be humble and be willing to learn.