Indiantelevision.com Team

(28 May 2008 5:30 pm)

MUMBAI: Starcom Mediavest Group announced that its entertainment division Starcom Entertainment has been renamed as The Bridge. Starcom Entertainment has been operational in Asia since 2003.

The specialist unit will be based on three-hub operational structure - Mumbai for South Asia, Singapore for South East Asia and Shanghai for Greater China and North Asia. The Bridge seeks to create a mix of asset owners and independent talent to deliver value to its clients on a collaborative platform.

The unit will offer solutions on four main entertainment platforms - movies, television, celebrities and music. It will create a full service entertainment marketing strategy covering product placement, brand integration, promotional tie-ins, licensing and merchandising, celebrity endorsement strategy, negotiation and outreach programs, brand asset creation and advertiser funded programming.

Starcom MediaVest Group CEO-South East and South Asia Ravi Kiran said, "It is our conviction as consumer attention becomes increasingly scarcer, we will need to use content and entertainment assets as a powerful and effective vehicle to connect our brands and their customers. Our experience with our entertainment marketing offering across India, Philippines, China and other markets over the last 5 years has given us the confidence that we can create a full service Asia wide offering that would immensely benefit our clients."

The Bridge GM (India) Pranay Anthwal said, "This is more than a simple name change. The new name now says what we do, rather than who we belong to. It will help us build a more focused future and also engage clients of SMG's sister network ZenithOptimedia more effectively."

Starcom Entertainment has worked with marketers like San Miguel, Singapore Tourism, WorldSpace satellite radio, Zydus Cadila, Sony Pictures Releasing, SAB Miller, Sandisk, Diageo and General Mills.