Mumbai:Starcom MediaVest Group has announced with immediate effect that its entertainment and embedded marketing unit Starcom Entertainment, which has been operating in different parts of Asia since 2003, will now be known as The Bridge. The specialist unit will have a three-hub operational structure, based in Mumbai for South Asia, Singapore for South East Asia and Shanghai for Greater China and North Asia.
Commented Ravi Kiran, CEO-South East and South Asia for Starcom MediaVest Group, “It is our conviction as consumer attention becomes increasingly scarce that 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 entertainment marketing offering across India, Philippines, China and other markets over the last five years has given us the confidence that we can create a full service Asia-wide offering that would immensely benefit our clients”
Added Pranay Anthwal, general manager-India for The Bridge, “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 engage clients of SMG’s sister network ZenithOptimedia more effectively.”
Established in 1998 in Chicago, Starcom Entertainment has worked with well known marketers such as San Miguel, Singapore Tourism, WorldSpace satellite radio, Zydus Cadila, Sony Pictures Releasing, SAB Miller, Sandisk, Diageo, General Mills and others.
The unit offers solutions on four main entertainment platforms – movies, television, celebrities and music. It strives to structure a full service entertainment marketing strategy and activation solution, covering product placement, brand integration, promotional tie-ins, licensing and merchandizing, celebrity endorsement strategy, negotiation and outreach programmes, brand asset creation, advertiser funded programming and others. It also consults entertainment asset owners on making their offers more marketer and brand ready.
In April 2007, the unit formed a two way strategic partnership with Los Angeles based entertainment marketing company Pier3 Entertainment, to cross leverage each other’s capabilities and expertise. Several Asian marketers are exploring opportunities of integrating their brands into Hollywood movies and American TV content, through this partnership.