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Imagica, Green Gold Animation come together to bring ‘Chhota Bheem’ alive

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Imagica, Green Gold Animation come together to bring ‘Chhota Bheem’ alive

Get ready to ride your favourite cartoon character at Imagica starting this May.

Taking a cue from global counterparts, Imagica, India’s favourite entertainment destination is geared to extend a unique consumer experience for guests at the theme park, in association with Green Gold Animation.

This one-of-a-kind association with India’s pioneer in producing original animated content, will witness the introduction of India’s first character ride – ‘Chhota Bheem The Ride’. The kids-friendly attraction is scheduled to be unveiled at Imagica’s Theme Park this May.

The association will introduce an assorted range of merchandise such as Chhota Bheem and his friends’ apparels, toys, and ‘Back to School’ products at all the stores and kiosks across the park.

Taking character’s interaction and popularity to the next level, Chhota Bheem will entertain guests from all across the country through ‘Chhota Bheem The Ride’ at Imagica, Grand Imagica Parade alongside the stars of the theme park, meet and greet with fans.

Commenting on the association, Pooja Shetty Deora, Director, Imagica said, “Our vision at Imagica is to bring the best of experiences at par with international standards to the country, and our collaboration with Green Gold Animation is sure to set a benchmark in the space of Indian Theme Parks. This collaboration marks India’s first of its kind, where a theme park is associating with an animated content creator to bring India’s favourite character alive.”

Providing a permanent presence for India’s favourite character beyond television and digital space, the association is expected to increase footfall at Imagica in Q1 by Rs 1 lakh amounting to an increase of 17 percent as compared to the previous year.

Further to etching a special place in consumer’s heart in the Indian sub-continent, Chhota Bheem’s popularity has helped Green Gold Animation to foray into international markets.

Talking about the partnership, Mr. Dhimant Bakshi, Jt CEO, Imagica shared, “We aim to build a synergistic association with Green Gold Animation and offer an engaging experience for our guests. Since our key target segment is families and children, we see this as an exciting and apt collaboration for both the entities, leading in their own spaces, to give an enthralling experience with Chhota Bheem at Imagica.”

Located between Mumbai and Pune, Imagica is one of India’s leading holiday destinations, offering a gamut of interesting and unique entertainment experiences under one roof through its international standard theme parks.

Reliance JioMusic, Saavn to merge; inks $1 billion deal to create digital music

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Reliance JioMusic, Saavn to merge; inks $1 billion deal to create digital music

Reliance Industries Limited signed definitive agreements to combine music-streaming business Saavn, with its own digital music service, JioMusic.

The deal will combine the streaming media expertise of Saavn with the connectivity and digital ecosystem of Jio, to tap a “billion users in India and globally,” the companies said in the official statement.

The combined entity is valued at over USD 1 billion, with JioMusic’s implied valuation pegged at USD 670 million. In addition, Jio will invest an additional USD 100 million towards making the combined platform one of the largest music streaming services in the world.

Reliance Industries will also acquire a part of the stake held by Saavn’s existing shareholders for a sum of USD 104 million.

Commenting on the association, Akash Ambani, Director, Reliance Jio, said, “We are delighted to announce this partnership with Saavn, and believe that their highly experienced management team will be instrumental in expanding Jio-Saavn to an extensive user base, thereby strengthening our leadership position in the Indian streaming market.”

The integrated business will be developed into a media platform with global reach, cross-border original content, an independent artist marketplace, consolidated data and one of the largest mobile advertising mediums, the oil-to-telecom behemoth said in a statement.

The Jio-Saavn deal comes weeks after rival company Gaana announced a USD 115 million investment in a funding round led by China’s Tencent Holdings.

The shareholder base of Saavn includes Tiger Global Management, Liberty Media, and Bertelsmann, among others. Whereas, JioMusic has been India’s fastest growing music streaming application for over 60 consecutive weeks. It sources content from all major Indian and international labels and currently has over 16 million high definition songs across 20 languages on its platform.

As per the official statement, the company will continue to operate the over-the-top media platform available on all app stores. The three co-founders of Saavn, Rishi Malhotra, Paramdeep Singh and Vinodh Bhat, will continue in their leadership roles in the combined entity.

“Nearly 10 years ago, we had a vision to build a connected music platform, dedicated to South Asian culture across the globe. Our alignment with Reliance enables us to create one of the largest, fastest-growing, and most capable media platforms in the world,” said Rishi Malhotra, co-founder and CEO, Saavn.

Founded in 20017, Saavn offers 36 million tracks in 15 languages. The company has more than 900 label partnerships, including Universal, Sony, T-Series, Tips, YRF, Saregama, Eros and Warner Music.

Recently, social networking giant Facebook has signed a licensing agreement with major record label Warner Music. The new partnership will cover the music company’s recorded music and music publishing catalogs for use in social media.

Under the agreement, users of Facebook, Instagram, Messenger and Oculus will be able to upload and share videos containing licensed music in the Warner Music and Warner/Chappell catalogs.

JioMusic claims content from all the major Indian and international labels, with over 16 million HD songs across 20 languages.

Kenneth Cole expands EMEA’s footwear accessories

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Kenneth Cole expands EMEA’s footwear accessories

Kenneth Cole Productions has partnered a four-year global distribution agreement with manufacturer GBG Europe footwear and accessories for the EMEA region, as per a report in the Global Licensing.

EMEA is a designation given to a set of countries in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa for business purposes.

The footwear collection is all set to debut this fall.

Under the agreement, GBG will distribute men’s and women’s footwear and manufacture women’s handbags in select countries across the region.

Meanwhile, a new collection of women’s handbags will be manufactured and distributed under the label – Kenneth Cole New York and Reaction Kenneth Cole labels, and will launch in spring 2019.

Additionally, under the label, the agreement also gives GBG Europe Footwear and Accessories the rights to manufacture and distribute items such as briefcases, luggage, portfolios, backpacks and small leather goods.

Commenting on the association, Marc Schneider, chief executive officer, Kenneth Cole said, “We are looking forward to having a central European based partner who specializes in footwear and is able to offer best-in-class service to department stores and independent retailers in these regions. We are excited about this partnership and the growth opportunities it affords us in these categories of our business.”

The deal will focus on the men’s and women’s Kenneth Cole New York and Reaction Kenneth Cole as well as Women’s Gentle Souls brands.

The partnership will target cities such as London, Paris, Milan, and Berlin.

BBC Worldwide secures licensees to develop products for “Hey Duggee” in Australia

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BBC Worldwide secures licensees to develop products for “Hey Duggee” in Australia

BBC Worldwide has inked a number of licensees to develop new products and events for its preschool property “Hey Duggee” in Australia, reported by the Global Licensing.

  • ABC Shop has signed on to create an additional range of “Hey Duggee” soft lines this winter
  • Designworks Clothing Company will also release a new collection of apparel in association with Big W.
  • Winning Moves to launch a new line of branded toys, including branded versions of Junior Guess Who and Top Trumps.
  • The Royal Easter Show and Foxtel are set to host a number of non-ticketed, mini-musical shows throughout April.

The new shows will be created in combination with the “Hey Duggee” costume character licensee, ‘The Entertainment Store’, and will be based on episodes such as “The Dancing Bug Badge” and “The Making Music Badge.”

FREAKY FRIDAY – Trump Organisation and realty deals: An unfinished story in India

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FREAKY FRIDAY – Trump Organisation and realty deals: An unfinished story in India

Remember Lord Voldemort from the Harry Potter? A masked death-eater, who was using the body of ‘Professor Quirrell’ and ‘Tom Riddle’ to destroy Harry and his friends. He-who-cannot-be-named! Unfortunately, this is exactly the scenario of real estate licensing in Indian market.

Real estate in India is a notoriously corrupt industry, regulated by a hulking government bureaucracy that runs on graft. The World Bank Group’s most recent “Doing Business” report ranked India 181st out of 190 countries in terms of the difficulty of obtaining construction permits—an improvement over the previous year, when it ranked 185th.

Permits in the city center, including Lower Parel, where the Mumbai Trump Tower is being built, went for about USD 20 per square foot for the most basic permissions, according to a 2014 Times of India investigation. At that rate, bribes to secure permits for the tower, planned for 900,000 square feet, could easily run into the millions of dollars.

Like his master, ‘The Trump Organization’, which is a private conglomerate owned by him, is controversy’s favourite child.

Following the election of Donald Trump as US President in November 2016, the management of the company was transferred to his sons Trump Jr and Eric.

Donald Trump Senior, media’s favourite kid, faced yet another concern about the Trump presidency, which is the potential conflicts of interest he aspects as his children continue to represent the Trump Organization in business deals around the world. And the brand they’re selling is the name of the ‘Trump’ is now in the White House.

A businessman masquerade as a minister? Or, A minister trapped in the body of a businessman? Pretty confusing!

Things became more complicated when Trump Jr. arrived in India to promote several luxurious residential projects in the country. The projects are named after the elder Trump and are licensed by his firm Trump Organisation.

Recent Issue:

Donald Trump Jr. has made at least ten trips to India over the past decade, calling the country “the biggest push for our organization.”

However, his most recent visit to India was a headline-grabbing jaunt in February. In the days leading up to his four-day, all of the leading English-language newspapers in New Delhi carried full front-page ads featuring an image of Donald Jr., asking, “TRUMP HAS ARRIVED. HAVE YOU?” and, “TRUMP IS HERE. ARE YOU INVITED?” Anyone who, by midweek, had put down a deposit of about $39,000 on an apartment in the newest Trump Tower India project, located just outside New Delhi, would be invited to a Friday night dinner with him.”

A paid news? Might be!

It seems to give the impression that if you do favors for the Trump business, you get favors from the US government.

Donald Jr. was also expected to deliver a policy address on “Indo-Pacific” cooperation to business leaders and politicians at a major conference in the city. He changed his plans when ethicists and former government officials in the United States questioned whether the son of the American president should serve as a sort of informal government envoy on a trip to help promote a real estate venture. “I’m here as a businessman. I’m not representing anyone,” he was quoted as saying at the conference.

This lady digs into the king’s den….

Author Anjali Kamat, an investigative journalist and Belle Zeller visiting professor at Brooklyn College published its groundbreaking April cover story, “Political Corruption and The Art Of The Deal,” a bombshell investigative look at how the Trump Organization’s business partnerships in India are creating conflicts of interest in the White House and corrupting the presidency.

The journalist uncovers a long history of lawsuits, police inquiries, and government investigations that contain evidence of potential bribery, fraud, intimidation, illegal land acquisition, tax evasion, and money laundering. The Trump Organization’s ties to these partners leave it potentially vulnerable to violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, the 1977 law that prohibits U.S. companies or their business partners from bribing, or unduly influencing, foreign officials to advance a business deal.

The months-long investigation was conducted in collaboration with The Investigative Fund.

In an exclusive interview with NPR’s Terry Gross, Kamat on Ivanka Trump’s role in India’s business transaction deals was quoted as saying, “A retired planning official in Gurgaon, the suburb of New Delhi where the Trump Organization has two major developments coming up, told me that right after Ivanka’s trip, the permits, final permits on a project that was launched just before Don Jr.’s visit, those permits were rushed through. He told me it came through in no time, right after Ivanka’s trip, which raises a lot of questions about what kind of power Ivanka Trump’s presence in India can have in terms of Trump’s business interests.”

Talking about the bribe system in Trump Organisation, Kamat said while the Trump organization seems to have had legal counsel and legal firms in India helping them on their deals, one of the things I found out that’s really interesting is that the middlemen and the fixers they hire to help them procure deals, to help them scope out new licensing deals, are also responsible for doing due diligence.

“And this is something I was told by a former consultant to the Trump organization in India and also found on a draft agreement between the Trump Organization and another consultant where doing diligence on partners is a part of their responsibility. And the question here, when I took this to legal experts, is, why would you entrust someone who is getting a cut out of finding new deals with the job of also doing due diligence? Legal experts call this a clear conflict of interest,” he was quoted further from the NPR.

Commenting about Mumbai’s licensees and political connections, Kamat said, “The Trump Organization’s current partner in Mumbai is the Lodha Group, which was founded by a man named Mangal Prabhat Lodha. And he is a five-term state lawmaker with a party called the Bharatiya Janata Party, or the BJP. And that’s the party that the country’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, belongs to. So it’s the ruling party in India since 2014. They’ve been winning state elections since 2014. They’re gaining power across the country. The Lodha Group is the current licensing partner with the Trump Organization in Mumbai.”

While concluding the interview Kamat added that she wants to investigate the flow of money model in these transactions as its difficult because The Trump Organization entities involved are set up as LLCs in Delaware and almost all of the Indian licensees are private companies or limited liability partnerships with very limited reporting requirements.

Where all the controversy begins?

Donald Trump built his career in real estate in the 1970s and ’80s in New York City by cultivating, persuading, threatening, and manipulating politicians and public officials to obtain tax breaks and public subsidies for his construction projects.

According to a report in the New Republic, Trump Organization entered into international licensing deals in countries such as Argentina, Azerbaijan, Indonesia, and the Philippines. Interestingly, all these places ranked as highly corrupt by Transparency International.

India’s version of crony capitalism, in which wealthy business interests are inseparable from the government, and influence peddling is routine, must have felt like familiar terrain.

Trump’s first major partner in India was a man named Harresh Mehta, the founder of Rohan Lifescapes, a real estate firm that has reaped massive profits from Mumbai’s slum-redevelopment boom. Mehta was a controversial figure in Mumbai long before he met the Trumps. Commonly known as “Harresh bhai” or “Brother Harresh”, he is known for his close connections to the most powerful elected officials in the state.

Is it a fair business transaction?

A 2012 report by the Indian Ministry of Finance acknowledged that many real estate transactions are “not reported or are underreported.”

Agency records for the Mumbai Trump Tower show only 36 mortgages and sales registered since 2014, eight to Mangal Prabhat Lodha himself, and another nine to current and former Lodha Group directors and officials. Of the 23 apartments in the first Pune tower, which was completed and ready for occupancy in 2015, only 16 sales have been registered; in the second tower, launched by Donald Jr. in February, only one has been registered.

A look at Trump’s real estate deals in India:

India is Trump Organization’s biggest international market, with residential projects in four cities — Mumbai, Pune, Gurugram and Kolkata, and one commercial, estimated USD 1.5 billion.

Trump Jr during his visit to India met investors and business leaders in the four cities to expand the firm’s business interests

The organization’s fourth project titled ‘Trump Towers Delhi NCR’ was launched in Gurugram in January this year.

The Trump Organisation is not, however, investing in the project, which is a collaboration between NCR-based real estate major M3M and Tribeca Developers of Mumbai.

The properties are already pegged at rates 30 percent higher than the current market rates.

Construction of ‘Trump’ project with 137 luxury units is set to begin soon in Kolkata.

Equipped with all luxurious amenities such as private theatre, wine and cigar lunge; the Kolkata project is being built by a collaboration of Unimark, RDB Group and Tribeca.

Trump Jr will open a demo unit at the golden-facade Trump Tower, being built by the Lodha Group in Mumbai. In Pune, it was being constructed in collaboration with the Panchshil Developers.

…. To sum up:

As real estate transactions still a hidden topic, Trump’s conflicts of interest in India remain an unfinished story.

Frida Kahlo’s works to now appears on N16 Vintage apparels

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Frida Kahlo’s works to now appears on N16 Vintage apparels

Art Ask Agency has partnered with London-based manufacturer N16 Vintage for a new merchandise collaboration based on the life and work of the creative artist Frida Kahlo.

“Frida Kahlo was and is a fashion icon. We are very pleased to be working with N16 Vintage on this new and exciting development. Their creative skills and use of materials, texture and pattern is amazing,” said Maria Strid, owner, Art Ask Agency.

The new collection will include a variety of tees, sweats, dresses, outerwear, jackets, scarves and more that have been made form re-purposed military surplus, vintage denim, leather and sweats.

The exclusive Frida Kahlo-inspired collection will be available for the spring/summer season at a host of retailers..

Earlier this month, Art Ask has partnered with Spanish fashion retailer Mango for a new line of apparel based on the life and work of Kahlo.

Six Flags, Riverside partner with Turner to offer new attractions

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Six Flags, Riverside partner with Turner to offer new attractions

Six Flags Entertainment Corporation, the world’s largest theme park company, Riverside Investment Group, an award-winning tourism and real estate developer, and Turner Asia Pacific, announced a new partnership that will bring original, branded experiences to Six Flags parks throughout China.

The first addition would be a thrilling, new Tuzki-branded dark ride, is joining the line-up of world class, record-breaking rides and attractions at Six Flags Zhejiang and Six Flags Chongqing, which are scheduled to open in 2019 and 2020 respectively.

“The Six Flags brand is synonymous with innovative thrills for all ages. We look forward to working with Turner Asia Pacific to create immersive, content-rich attractions throughout our China parks,” said David McKillips, President of Six Flags International Development Company.

In addition to the new ride, both parks will also feature Tuzki theming and new retail locations offering branded merchandise. The Turner-owned rabbit IP is a household name in China, with millions of Tuzki emoticons exchanged through instant messaging apps every day.

Tuzki is a rabbit emoticon created by Momo Wang in 2006. Outlined in black and white, this rabbit is a youth-oriented character made famous by his expressive and amusing body gestures. The Tuzki emoji package is widely used by young adults across various online platforms such as instant messaging platforms, social media and blogs.

Commenting on the association, Ricky Ow, President of Turner Asia Pacific, said, “We are honoured to join forces with these two best-in-class companies to bring memorable, one-of-a-kind entertainment offerings to China. This is the first time that Tuzki’s loyal fans will be able to really experience their favourite emoticon in such a tangible and authentic way. Together with our partners, Six Flags and Riverside Investment Group, we are excited to offer this immersive, new attraction to park guests.”

The agreement between Turner and Riverside Investment Group also allows for other Turner-owned IP from Cartoon Network’s extensive portfolio of characters and shows to be featured inside Six Flags Kids World.

Six Flags is the world’s largest regional theme park company with USD 1.3 billion in revenue and 20 parks across the United States, Mexico and Canada.

Indian sports sponsorship industry crosses $1 billion mark, grows 14% in 2017: Report

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Indian sports sponsorship industry crosses $1 billion mark, grows 14% in 2017: Report

Indian sports sponsorship has witnessed a growth trajectory with the overall sports sponsorship growing by 14 percent in 2017 to Rs 7,300 crore from Rs 6,400 crore in 2016, led by media investments

According to a report released by ESP Properties, media spends on sports grew by 15.8 per cent from Rs 3,511 crore to Rs 4,065 crore.

Football showed a significant 64 percent increase in on ground sponsorship to Rs 179 crore from Rs 110 crore.

According to the fifth edition of ESP Properties (a GroupM company) and SportzPower report, ‘Sporting Nation in the Making’ report, Indian advertising expenditure in 2017 was Rs. 61,263 crores, and this report estimates 12% contribution to the overall ad spends are from sports sponsorship alone.

Sponsorship of non-cricketing sports grew in 2017, for instance, football grew by a considerable 64 percent.

India hosted its first ever FIFA U-17 World Cup that became the most attended in the history of the event. Attendance for this Football World Cup was a record 1,347,133, surpassing China’s 1985 audience of 1,230,976.

Two major events of title sponsorships of domestic leagues:

  • Hero MotoCorp renewed ISL Title Sponsorship till 2019 at 196 percent incremental value from previous year.
  • Vivo secured PKL Title Sponsorship for 5 years at 100 percent incremental value from right holder’s previous ask.

Additionally, ISL Sponsorship has increased by 22 percent from the previous year. The gap between Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) and IPL TV ratings is narrowing – PKL delivered 1.5 TVR with 312 million reach and IPL delivered 2.7 TVR with 411 million.

2017 also saw the birth of five new franchise based leagues – Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT), Super Boxing League (SBL), Super Fight League (SFL), Cue Slam, and P1 Power Boating.

Brands and endorsements:

  • Overall sports endorsements have de-grown by 17 percent, primarily due to Lionel Messi and Tiger Woods’s deals got over with Tata Motors and Hero MotoCorp.
  • Cricket endorsement has grown by 15.5 per cent.
  • Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli leading with 19 brands and over Rs 150 crore worth of endorsement value.
  • Badminton player PV Sindhu is leading the non-cricket endorsement space with 11 brands and over Rs 30 crore worth of endorsement value.
  • Cricketers got a total of 90 brands whereas non-cricket athletes got 78 brands endorsements.

“While demonetisation and GST hit overall ad expenditure in 2017, the sports sector has been able to ride the storm with a steady and positive trajectory. All major sporting leagues managed to bring on board sponsors at a 100 per cent or more incremental value for the title sponsorship. Specifically, the IPL has emerged as one of the top five most valuable global sports properties in the world,” the report further stated.

The IPL has emerged as one of the top five most valuable global sports properties in the world.

Commenting on the overall progress, Thomas Abraham, Co-Founder, SportzPower said, “With the 2017 momentum and the economy also looking up and set to grow at 7.3 per cent in 2018-19, sports is looking at an even bigger year. As the industry anticipates clarity on the structure of club football in India, among the new leagues on the horizon, volleyball seems the most promising. In the media firmament, while new revenue benchmarks are expected from television, it will be traction in the Digital arena that provides real pointers to where the industry is going over the next few years.”

All new Snookinis are here! Polizzi inks deal with Swim USA

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All new Snookinis are here! Polizzi inks deal with Swim USA

Nicole Snooki Polizzi, has inked a deal with Swim USA to create line of body inclusive swim suits, dubbed as “Snookinis.”

According to a report in the License Global, the swimwear range will include five styles–including one hot mesh, sexy mawma, rarwr, GTL pin up and pinkalcious.

With aa aim to support vast range of body types, the collection is now available exclusively at the official webstore — The SnookiShop.com.

Sharing pictures on various social-media handles, Nicole wrote, “IT’S FINALLY HERE! THE SNOOKINI COLLECTION! Get yours before they sell out. Today only launch price of $49 At NicolePolizzi.com”

“Trying to be sexy while on mama duty isn’t always the easiest. The Snookini collection I created is here to change that! I want women of all shapes and sizes to feel sexy and confident while keeping everything secure,” added Nicole.

Known for her appearance on the MTV reality show “Jersey Shore,” Snooki is all set to return to television next month.

After a gap of 14 years, Thomson is all set to re-enter Indian market next month

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After a gap of 14 years, Thomson is all set to re-enter Indian market next month

After almost a gap of 14 years, France based Technicolor SA owned consumer electronics brand Thomson, is all set to re-enter Indian television market in Mid-April.

In India, the brand will be under an exclusive licensing agreement with a local counterpart. However, the name of the counterpart has not been disclosed yet.

The brand would bring in the range of its smart televisions, the company said in a statement.

Media reports suggest the buzz created by Xiaomi TVs has forced Thomson to make a comeback in the Indian market. However, this is not the first time, it had proposed to invest Rs 300 crore in Resolute Electronics India, while trying for a comeback in 2015.

It was reported in the media around mid-2015 that Resolute would manufacture and market Thomson brand’s LED televisions and large home appliances. The LED TVs were to be the first to roll out of its Medchal facility under a licensing agreement with Technicolor SA. However, the deal did not materialize.

The European electronics brand has been known to sell TVs, digital set-top boxes, digital imaging, LCD monitors, healthcare, lighting and some automaton products. Thomson currently sells seven different series of Smart TVs in Europe, all of which is connected through DLNA for easy access of content stored on devices connected to a user’s home network.

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