The Hindu Group wins two awards at the INMA Global Media Awards ‘19

The Hindu Group won the Second place for Best Marketing Solution for an Advertising Client for 'Parle Platina Festive Delights' solution offered to its client Parle and the Third place for Best Idea to Encourage Print Readership or Engagement for The Hindu In School at the INMA Global Media Awards ’19.

Presented by the International News Media Association (INMA), the 2019 Global Media Awards were held recently in New York’s Times Square. The 2019 Global Media Awards competition garnered 664 entries from 165 news media companies in 34 countries. Participants included newspaper media, magazine media, digital media, television media, and radio media. An international panel of 46 executives from 15 countries selected 194 finalists.

The Hindu Group was awarded the Second place for Best Marketing Solution for an Advertising Client for its outstanding consumer connect initiative - 'Parle Platina Festive Delights', conceptualised and executed by The Hindu Group, to promote their premium range of cookies from the India-headquartered FMCG company, Parle. This was a print-led brand activation with a strong digital amplification with activities that involved a local celebrity chef integrating Parle Platina cookies into traditional South-Indian festive sweets. A cookery contest for readers incorporating the cookies in their sweets was organised. Winning recipes were profiled through print features and winning sweets were displayed at the popular chain, Sri Krishna Sweets. The contest was amplified through brand engagement content across print and micro-influencer campaigns on social media.

 On receiving the award, Preetinder Kaur, Head - Brand Solutions, Marketing, said, “The Hindu Group is the only market leader in the South that has invested deeply when it comes to understanding the consumers. Based on that deep understanding of the Tamil Nadu market and the TN Consumers, we started conversations with Parle a year back regarding the brand's interest to build its Parle Platina division in TN. 'Parle Platina Festive Delights' also called, ‘Parle Platina Pandigai Palagarangal’ was conceptualised around the local insight: sweets for festivals are most often home cooked. This is an association which has a winning proposition that created value for the readers and also ensured mileage for Parle Platina as a brand.”

On winning the award for their campaign, Mayank Shah, Category Head, Parle Products Ltd., said, “’Parle Platina Pandigai Palagaarangal’ has been a great campaign for us and to win INMA’s Global Media Award, makes it sweeter! At Parle Platina, it has always been our endeavour to be more involved and connected with the regional culture. That is why we integrated with traditional sweets, made it more visible and started building conversations around Parle Platina through key influencers. Our cookies are made from the finest and most exotic ingredients and it was overwhelming to see how consumers used them innovatively to make unique, traditional recipes which are so close to their culture.”

The Hindu In School won the Third place for Best Idea to Encourage Print Readership or Engagement. Through their lively, picture-filled, lucidly explained features, these publications help children rediscover the fun in learning. The issues cover a wide range of subjects -- current affairs, the hows and whys of scientific discovery, lesser-known facts of history and geography, wildlife/environmental issues relevant to the future and the intricacies of language and literature. Every issue is carefully curated and attractively packaged to kindle children’s appetite for learning.

Sridhar Aranala, Vice President – Sales and Distribution

On receiving the award, Sridhar Aranala, Vice President – Sales and Distribution, said “It is indeed an overwhelming moment for us to celebrate the success of winning the Best Idea to Encourage Print Readership or Engagement for The Hindu In School at the 2019 Global Media Awards presented by International News Media Association (INMA). Launched on the premise of encouraging readership and our engagement with children, The Hindu In School has been designed to address impressionable minds in the 10 to 17 age group. The language is simple, the format is interactive, and the topics are chosen with care and deconstructed in a way that young readers can connect with the issues and comprehend them. Inspired by the response from the student-teacher fraternity, we launched The Hindu In School Weekender essentially to bond with our student readers during their holidays. These products for children are curated with a prime objective of putting the three Es (Educate, Engage and Enlighten) back into the lives of gadget-enamoured children.”