- Partners Biggest Live Global Sporting Event with Leading Global Media Company

- All Rights on All Screens Reaching Over 700 million People Across Europe

- More Games coverage than ever before across Free-to-Air, Pay-TV, Online and Mobile

- Reinforces Eurosport as the #1 European Sports Platform and pan-European Home of Olympic Sports

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) today announced that all TV and multi-platform broadcast rights in Europe for the four Olympic Games in the 2018–2024 period have been awarded to Discovery Communications, the parent company of Eurosport.

Today’s announcement kicks off a long-term partnership between the biggest global sports event, the Olympic Games, and leading global media company, Discovery Communications. With an average of 10 channels in every market and the #1 European online and OTT sports offerings, Discovery and Eurosport will deliver more coverage across more screens than ever before to over 700 million people across Europe.  Discovery and Eurosport’s coverage will be augmented by strong free-to-air access and innovative partnerships with broadcasters and distributors to bring the Games to life like never before.  In a world of increasingly “anytime, anywhere” viewing, the Olympic Games are an unparalleled live event that aggregate enormous audiences and capture the world’s attention in a way that continues to become more valuable for marketers, distributors and fans.

IOC President Thomas Bach said: “This is a significant agreement for Discovery and the IOC, and we are excited to have Eurosport, the pan-European home of Olympic sports, as a partner. This agreement ensures comprehensive coverage of the Olympic Games across Europe, including the guarantee to provide extensive free-to-air television coverage in all territories. Discovery and Eurosport have demonstrated a major commitment to the Olympic Games, to Olympic sports and to the future of the Olympic Movement. The revenue generated from this long-term partnership will be redistributed by the IOC across the Olympic Movement to support the development of sport around the world. Discovery and Eurosport have also made an exciting commitment to partner with the IOC to develop the new Olympic Channel across Europe. Above all, this agreement ensures that sports fans in Europe will be able to enjoy excellent coverage of the Olympic Games and Olympic sports, both during and outside Games time, on their platform of choice.”

Discovery Communications President and CEO David Zaslav added: “Today is a historic day as we proudly add the Olympic rings to Discovery Communications’ portfolio of offerings. The long-term programming commitment with President Bach and the IOC reaffirms Eurosport’s position as the leader in sports across Europe, and will significantly enhance Eurosport's presence on all platforms. With Eurosport’s proud and long-standing tradition of broadcasting many winter and summer sports showcased during the Olympics, adding the Olympic Games, the greatest live event in the world, is a perfect editorial and strategic fit. But most of all, this new partnership is an exciting win for European sports fans as we will deliver record amounts of content across platforms to ensure the Olympic flame burns bright all year long.”

Discovery acquired the exclusive rights, valued at EUR 1.3 billion, across all platforms, including free-to-air television, subscription/pay-TV television, internet and mobile phone in all languages across 50 countries and territories on the European continent.  Consistent with IOC and local market requirements, Discovery has committed to broadcasting a minimum of 200 hours of the Olympic Games and 100 hours of the Olympic Winter Games on free-to-air television during the Games period. Discovery will sub-license a portion of the rights in many markets across Europe.

Discovery’s 30-year history of being the global leader in non-fiction content makes the company uniquely positioned to capture and deliver the remarkable stories and characters associated with the Games not just every two years, but every year and throughout the year. With almost half of Eurosport’s existing programming being Olympic sports, the combination of its strong legacy in winter sports, cycling, tennis and athletics, and now the Olympic Games, will allow Discovery and Eurosport to engage passionate fans around these key sports 365 days a year.  Discovery and Eurosport will have access to the Olympic emblems and the rich Olympic video library and archive to help solidify Eurosport’s position as the pan-European home of Olympic sports.  The partners have also agreed to cooperate closely on the rollout of the IOC’s Olympic Channel, taking advantage of Eurosport’s #1 online sports destination – Eurosport.com – and leading OTT service, the Eurosport Player.

Juan Antonio Samaranch, IOC Executive Board Member and delegate IOC Member for European broadcast rights said: “We are delighted to have reached this agreement, which we believe will bring fantastic coverage of the Olympic Games and the Olympic values to the largest audience in Europe across all media platforms. Discovery and Eurosport will ensure the exposure of the Olympic Games through their own TV channels and media platforms, and, where relevant, by reaching sublicensing partnerships with other broadcasters in the various territories. Olympic fans will also benefit from comprehensive digital coverage on Eurosport’s leading pan-regional digital platforms.”

JB Perrette, President of Discovery Networks International, added: “We took control of Eurosport a year ago and embarked on a long-term mission to reinvigorate and strengthen its networks and brand.  Today’s announcement is an incredibly exciting step forward on that journey. Eurosport’s unmatched technical prowess and ability to deliver the Olympic Games to 50 countries in 20 languages across multiple platforms is an important win for sports fans. We are thrilled and humbled to partner with one of the most recognised and powerful global brands, that not only delivers the biggest global event but also shares our company’s DNA of engaging and inspiring people in addition to entertaining them.”

The agreement covers the XXIII Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang in 2018, and the Games of the XXXII Olympiad in Tokyo in 2020, as well as the Olympic Games in 2022 and 2024, the host cities of which have yet to be elected.

Discovery and Eurosport boast unique assets and capabilities to bring the Olympic Games to more fans on more screens than ever before. With an average of 10 TV channels in every market, local infrastructure and teams on the ground across the region, and a 30-year legacy of developing great characters and stories, Discovery and Eurosport will bring the greatest sporting event to life like never before.  Beyond free-to-air and PayTV channels, Eurosport Player, DPlay, Eurosport.com and Eurosport 360 will deliver more coverage and immersive experiences to passionate fans across all screens.

When the Creative Marketer of the Year at Cannes Lions 2015 speaks on creativity, you better sit up and listen.  When the speakers are global marketing heads at Heineken, a company with a legendary history of award winning creativity (41 Lions including a Grand Prix) you dare not look elsewhere.  When they share their principles and beliefs that have guided them in this path, start taking notes.

Gianluco Di Tondo, Senior Brand Director, Global Heineken Brand and Soren Hagh, Executive Director, Global Marketing shared the brand’s journey of using creativity as a tool to network with its consumers, right since 1864 – at a time when there were no likes, posts or follows.

They attributed this success to 3 principles – the right partner, the right culture, the right leadership.

All three of three principles have been followed diligently at Heineken. The founding fathers of Heineken made a conscious decision to be creative from the time of the company’s inception. They made bold creative decisions, starting from selling their beer in green colored bottles which was unusual in those times.  They produced a premium beer, because good quality is at the very heart of creativity,  and made it stand out from competition by labeling it as ‘the gentleman’s beer.’

Today a Brand Building Forum governs creativity in the company.  They also run Creative Leadership Master Classes where hundreds of their partners - both internal and external are trained on a regular basis.  A specially created Creative Council also meets regularly to monitor the work.

In order to set standards they have come up with a unique – universal language of creativity.  This helps them differentiate a good advertisement from an okay advertisement to a bad advertisement. (Refer the chart) This chart ensures that their advertisements meet their stringent standards of creativity by being - Legendary, project a cultural phenomenon, contagious and ground breaking. A fantastic example of this is - if we made it .com.

An advertisement which is merely a Cliché is not accepted.

Another bold step taken by company was to have a single global positioning and identity across its presence in 192 countries.  In 2009, Heineken unified the brand with a global campaign – Entrance.  While maintaining the global positioning, they also encourage diversity by encouraging local talent and work.  This has resulted in an entire body of outstanding work.

Today they lay stress on moderation in drinking and are trying to change drinking behavior with their zany advertising.

Prema Sagar Named Vice Chair of the Region

Burson-Marsteller, a leading global public relations and communications firm, today announced that, effective immediately, Margaret Key has been named CEO, Asia-Pacific. Prema Sagar, Principal and Founder of Genesis Burson-Marsteller, takes on the additional title of Vice Chair, Asia-Pacific. Key is based in Hong Kong, and Sagar is based in New Delhi.

Key succeeds Terri-Helen Gaynor, who has resigned from the company for personal and family reasons. Sagar succeeds Patrick Ford, who has moved back to the U.S. and continues as a Burson-Marsteller Worldwide Vice Chair and its Global Chief Client Officer. Both Sagar and Key report to Worldwide Chair and CEO Donald A. Baer, and they join Burson-Marsteller’s Global Senior Leadership Team.

“Margaret Key is an outstanding professional who is highly respected throughout Burson-Marsteller, among our top clients and across the entire communications sector, and we are thrilled she will now lead Burson-Marsteller’s Asia-Pacific region to new levels of success,” said Baer. “Throughout Margaret’s two decades of experience in public relations, she has provided expert counsel to governments and multinational companies, while steadily taking on greater leadership responsibilities. I am extremely confident she will bring great talent to leading our continued growth throughout Asia-Pacific and to attracting and developing the brightest talent in the field. We are fortunate to have her as a new member of our Global Leadership Team.”

Key had served as Chief Operating Officer for Asia-Pacific for the past year and was acting Hong Kong Market Leader until earlier this year. She joined Burson-Marsteller in 2010 as Korea Market Leader, having previously served in senior roles at Edelman in Japan, Korea and Hong Kong. Her expertise spans a range of industry sectors including technology, healthcare and automotive, as well as international corporate affairs. Following her appointment as Market Leader, Burson-Marsteller Korea experienced tremendous growth, doubling in size and growing its impressive roster of clients to include globally recognized brands in the automotive, healthcare, entertainment and technology industries. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in sociology and English from Wofford College, and her Master’s Degree in International Relations, Policy of International Cooperation, from Yonsei University in Korea.

As Vice Chair of the region, Sagar will continue in her current role with Genesis Burson-Marsteller and tap her extensive experience as a senior advisor to Key and the firm’s Asia-Pacific Leadership Team. Sagar is renowned as one of India’s most respected communications professionals. She founded Genesis Burson-Marsteller in 1992 at the advent of the economic reforms in India with just one client and one colleague. It is recognized today as India’s most trusted public relations and public affairs firm. She has served in a variety of leadership roles in the industry, as the Founding President of the Public Relations Consultants Association of India, Council Member for India of the International Public Relations Association and as a member of the global Board of Management of the International Communication Consultancies Organisation. In 2015 Sagar was ranked 18 on IMPACT magazine’s list honoring the leadership and work of 50 trailblazing female professionals in the media, advertising and marketing industries in India and is the only public relations professional on the list. In 2001, Sagar established the Genesis Foundation, a trust created to provide access to world-class medical care for abandoned and underprivileged children facing life-threatening ailments.

“Prema Sagar is one of the most respected communications professionals in the world and has long been among our most valued leaders and colleagues, having built one of India’s top firms from the ground up,” Baer said. “Prema will serve as a trusted senior advisor to Margaret Key and our other regional leaders across the Asia-Pacific region, where we have 18 owned offices and 11 affiliate relationships. Asia-Pacific is a cornerstone of our overall growth strategy, and the leadership team of Margaret Key and Prema Sagar will be great for this crucial region.”

The USD 4.5 billion Godrej Group has awarded its public relations mandate to Adfactors PR, India’s largest PR firm, through a multi-consultancy pitch process.

The responsibilities involve enhancing the Godrej Group’s corporate reputation and PR across  its business entities namely, Godrej Industries Limited, Godrej Consumer Products Limited, Godrej Properties Limited, Godrej Nature’s Basket, Godrej Appliances, Godrej Agrovet, Godrej Locking Solutions and Systems, Godrej Security Solutions, Godrej Interio and all the B2B SBU’s under Godrej and Boyce.

Tanya Dubash, Chief Brand Officer, Godrej Group, said, “This is an important milestone in our communications journey. In line with our 2020 vision, we have laid down a significant foundation for growth across our businesses. I firmly believe PR and communications have a critical role to play in shaping an appropriate stakeholder perception that is conducive for us to achieve our business objectives. Adfactors PR’s ability to service large conglomerates, research orientation and diverse capabilities within the PR field was noteworthy and I look forward to some brilliant work together, going forward.”

Sujit Patil, Vice President and Head Corporate Communications, Godrej Industries Limited and Associate Companies said, “Adfactors PR was selected through a robust multi-level, multi-consultancy pitch involving seven large firms. The selection panel drawn from across the Godrej businesses appreciated the firm’s understanding of our Group’s corporate reputation and PR needs. On the operations front, we were particularly impressed with the innovative servicing team structure recommended by Adfactors PR that includes specialists in account planning, research, analytics, as well as a national media relations coordinator. I feel this will ensure that our PR is more strategic and impactful.”

He further added, “On behalf of the group, I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Perfect Relations and many other PR consultancies who have helped shape the Godrej narrative over the past many years.”

Madan Bahal, Co-founder and Managing Director of Adfactors PR, said, “It is our privilege to work with a highly respected Indian conglomerate such as Godrej. Through its diverse offerings, the Group touches the lives of 600 million Indians every day and thereby presents unique communication opportunities. We are confident that we will deliver on the trust placed in us.”

Discovery Channel presents INDIA’S WANDERING LIONS, a special one hour programme that uncovers a mesmerizing story of Asiatic lions which were once on the brink of extinction. The increased numbers of Asiatic lions have forced the big predators to spill over the borders of the Gir Forest National Park & Wildlife Sanctuary and find a way to become an integral part of the farming community in Gujarat.

India’s Wandering Lions will premiere on Monday, July 6 at 9 pm on Discovery Channel.

Discovery Channel cameras get special access in and around the Gir Forest National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary to uncover the story of these lions as they adapt their savannah hunting instincts to work alongside humans in starlit fields and orchards. The programme offers unbelievable testimonies of villagers and people from the farming community about their camaraderie with the big cats who have become an integral part of their lives and their co-existence with minimal conflict.

Rahul Johri, Executive Vice President and General Manager – South Asia, Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific, commented, ”Discovery Channel is always committed to present unmatched stories about India to viewers around the world. India’s Wandering Lions is a fascinating story about the survival of Asiatic Lions amongst human beings and will force the audience to rethink their views about these dangerous predators.”

Tracking lions over three years, Discovery Channel’s enthralling programme captures the extremely rare occurrences of lion’s daily living and opens the door to Indian wildlife of the Gir Forest National Park & Wildlife Sanctuary like never before. The cameras also capture incredible animal species like hyenas, jungle cats, leopards, jackals, nilgai’s, wild boars, porcupines, deer among others roaming unhindered right next to villages, in orchards and fields with people totally unaware of their presence. Viewers will get up and close with the wildlife as the deployment of special thermal, starlight, infrared and hidden cameras capture striking images.

India’s Wandering Lions has been produced by Kosmik Global Media in association with Discovery Channel.