<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/58028377.cms" /> 
(Image credit: <a href="http://www.espncricinfo.com/">CricInfo)</a> 
 <keyword id="6354831" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-Premier-League">Indian Premier League</keyword> (<keyword id="6354312" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="IPL">IPL</keyword>) is back! And this time it's 10 year old. However that's not just one reason to celebrate. <keyword id="3790674" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="ipl-2017">IPL 2017</keyword> just got bigger and better. And like every other year, we are back with our analysis on which player got sold for maximum price. To brief, we are finding out which player in IPL 2017 just turned crorepati. 
 
<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/ipl-2017-srh-vs-rcb-predicted-line-ups-match-facts-and-more/articleshow/58025380.cms">ALSO READ: IPL 2017: Predicted line-ups, match facts and more</a> 
 While there are the seasoned players on the list, there are the ones who have struggled too hard to be in the list. For instance, Thangarasu Natarajan who got on board Punjab Kings XI for a whopping Rs 3 crore. Natarajan's mother was a street vendor and his father a railway porter. IPL 2017's story doesn't stop getting any less interesting. Mohammed Siraj of <keyword id="1494441" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sunrisers-Hyderabad">Sunrisers Hyderabad</keyword> was soled for Rs 2.6 crore. For Siraj, whose father is an autorickshaw driver, it's definitely a dream come true. 
 
While Sunrisers Hyderabad plays Bangalore Royal Challengers today, let's find out which player got sold at maximum price.

IPL 2017: These are the richest players of the season

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/51713971.cms" />The ninth season of the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=IPL&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Indian Premier League</a> (IPL) already has enough drama and promise to turn it into a potboiler, including the inclusion of two new teams-Gujarat Lions and <keyword id="3211003" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Rising-Pune-Supergiants">Rising Pune Supergiants</keyword> with their interesting acquisition of players. 
 
The <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Sponsorship-slots-and-spot-rates-take-a-leap-for-the-upcoming-season-of-IPL/articleshow/50820713.cms">IPL 2016</a> is slated to begin on April 8 with much aplomb and grandeur with stars such as Katrina Kaif, Ranveer Sing, Chris Brown, etc enthralling the audience at the opening ceremony. 
 
The matches will begin from April 9, played between eight teams- Delhi Daredevils, Mumbai Indians, Kings XI Punjab, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/IPL-Auction-Yuvraj-Singh-sold-at-Rs-7-crore-to-Sunrisers-Hyderabad/articleshow/50878881.cms">Sunrisers Hyderabad</a>, Kolkata Knight Riders, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/IPL-Auction-Shane-Watson-becomes-the-costliest-buy-for-Royal-Challengers-Bangalore-at-Rs-9-5-crore/articleshow/50876857.cms">Royal Challengers Bangalore</a>, Rising Pune Supergiants and Gujarat Lions. 
 
Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals will not be participating as they have been suspended for two years over the much-hyped IPL scandal. 
 
As all teams are preparing in top gear for the cricket extravaganza, we get you a sneak peek inside the complete squad of each and every team. 
 
We kick off with <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=dhoni&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">MS Dhoni’s</a> Rising Pune Supergiants. Check out the squad in all its glorious detail. 
 
 (Image credit: Indiatimes/BCCL)

IPL Season 9: A peek inside MS Dhoni’s brand new Rising Pune Supergiants squad

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/46850234.cms" /> 
 Kolkata is not called the City of Joy for nothing, and the <keyword id="587833" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="IPL-opening-ceremony">IPL opening ceremony</keyword> that took place last night was a testament of this. 
 
Studded with the who’s who of Indian cricket and elite social circles, the event started a bit late, thanks to the generous water pour in the evening. However, even though the arrangements suffered because of the rain, but it couldn’t dampen performers’ and spectators’ spirit. 
 
Held at the Salt Lake stadium in the city, the event begun with a performance by music composer Pritam. He presented Rabindra Sangeet rendition of Anand Loke. The flavour of Kolkata was seen in the song, with ladies clad in traditional white and red sarees performing what looked like a traditional dance. 
 
The night was hosted by actor Saif Ali Khan, who shares a deep connection with the sport as his late father and grandfather have represented the country in the past. Clad in a plain white Kurta Payjama and a blue Nehru jacket, the actor looked dapper as he called on stage the team captains. 
 
As Saif Ali Khan asked the audience to give a cheer for their favourite cricketer, it didn’t come as a surprise when the loudest cheer came for Gautam Gambhir, captain of the home team Kolkata Knight Riders and the defending champion of the IPL trophy. Through out the ceremony, Saif was seen fumbling, much different from when he used to host award shows with Shah Rukh Khan. The tension of hosting a live show could not be withheld by the Humshakals actor, and a few big mistakes like calling up Shikhar Dhawan at Rohit Sharma’s entry proved to be some irritating moments. 
 
The performance by actor Shahid Kapoor, one of the finest dancers in the industry, looked promising to kick-start the event, as he interacted well with the fans all through his performance. He managed to give an enjoyable act even after a shaky performance, once because of his bike ramming into a platform and once when he almost slipped on the stage. 
 
Next in line was a stunning performance by Anushka Sharma, as she grooved to some of her famous songs. As was expected, the camera zoomed to Virat Kohli, Anushka’s love interest and the captain of Royal Challengers Bangalore. For once, he shied away but was later seen enjoying his lady love’s moves. 
 
Following her performance, came the multitalented Farhan Akhtar with his band, and gave the night the much-needed boost. He performed on songs from his movies, and his band complemented him well enough even though he sounded out of breath at times, making way for what would be remembered as the performance of the day. 
 
Towards the end was the sizzling performance given by Bollywood’s very own Greek God Hrithik Roshan, who didn’t only groove to some of his best dance numbers but also electrified the whole night, thus giving the not-so-perfect evening a perfect ending. 
 
Later, all the performers thanked the audience for bearing up with the messy weather and making it an evening to remember. 
 
The first match of the tournament would be played today at 8 PM in Kolkata, between Kolkata Knight Riders and Mumbai Indians. 
 
Picture by Indiatimes

IPL 8 Opening: Rain hampers the ceremony, not the spirit

Toons tell the top stories of 2019 ⁠— with a dash of sarcasm

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/30553450.cms" />Barely few days into the <keyword id="6354977" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Supreme-Court">Supreme Court</keyword> verdict on the infamous son-in-law of <keyword id="208612" type="POSITION" weightage="60" keywordseo="BCCI-chief">BCCI Chief</keyword>, <keyword id="1682587" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Gurunath-Meiyappan">Gurunath Meiyappan</keyword>, the most coveted <keyword id="6354831" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Indian-Premier-League">Indian Premier League</keyword> were auctioned. Players were sold, players were bought and the business went on as usual. Unmindful of the circumstances, all corporate and <keyword id="6356028" type="COMPANY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Sports">sports</keyword> companies which had been looking forward to this auctioning so that they can have a super time shooting the TRPs and booking ad slots, thus adding to their brand equity, were just too thrilled that the auction process went on as expected. 
 Of course, one of the biggies claimed ‘unfair’ methods being adopted at the auction, which he said has now cost him an additional Rs 4 crore for a single player <keyword id="351" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Yuvraj-Singh">Yuvraj Singh</keyword>. And the famous beer baron, who also unsuccessfully tried his hand at giving some good time to people in the skies and turned a huge defaulter to many banks, said the auctioning process was unclear especially with respect to the player he bought and that had to be rectified. Now, this is the same man who still owes crores together to the staff members of his bungled airline company Kingfisher. He had also added the tagline: The king of good times, which now seems rather too stretched and humorous. He happens to be the co-owner of <keyword id="12643" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Royal-Challengers">Royal Challengers</keyword> Bangalore – <keyword id="14678" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Vijay-Mallya">Vijay Mallya</keyword>. 
 Soon after, twitterati and Facebookers were almost laughing out aloud at the allegations and the following complaint Mallya made to <keyword id="121961" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="IPL-governing-council">IPL Governing Council</keyword>. “A man who didn’t pay his staff salaries, but went on to splurge on bare-bodied models for his calendar, and buying players at a whopping sum while he still owes banks thousands of crores alleges that the auction was unfair? Now, that’s too much!” were the generic comments made by those who seemed to be amused by Mallya’s behavior. Man really had no takers for his cry for sympathy and some consideration as far as his ‘cries’ were concerned. 
 The drama that unfolded right at the stage of auctioning is a clear indicator that <keyword id="6354312" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="IPL">IPL</keyword> seems to have kicked off to a good start. A melodramatic opening always promises more entertainment ahead. By now, bookies have acquired new cell phones to mint money, quite oblivious to the verdict that has sounded like a death knell to <keyword id="6354756" type="CITY" weightage="40" keywordseo="BCCI">BCCI</keyword> chief N Srinivasan. By the time curtain call is made, with all matches being played and cheer girls exhausted after jumping with incredulous and superficial joy each time the ball flies to the pleasure of cricket fans, IPL would have delivered more fun and news than anticipated. 
 Supreme court verdict came after the committee probing the alleged corruption charges in the IPL matches said in its report that Gururaj Meiyappan “the face and team official” of IPL franchise <keyword id="13886" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Chennai-Super-Kings">Chennai Super Kings</keyword>, headed by <keyword id="10138" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Mahendra-Singh-Dhoni">Mahendra Singh Dhoni</keyword> was indeed corrupt. The court ruled that the allegations of betting and passing information to bookies and players, in order to encourage betting for huge sums of money, ‘stand proved’. 
 In a caution of sorts, the 200 page document submitted to the Supreme Court, the committee had expressed the need to investigate the involvement of Meiyappan and Rajasthan Royals co-owner <keyword id="18641" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Raj-Kundra">Raj Kundra</keyword> need to be investigated further. Supreme Court has upheld the recommendation. The court also felt adequate punishment in the form of life ban was meted out to two players – <keyword id="13418" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="S-Sreesanth">S Sreesanth</keyword> and Ankit Chavan, five years of suspension to Amit Singh, and a year-long suspension to <keyword id="82630" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Siddharth-Trivedi">Siddharth Trivedi</keyword>. 
 Indians have been experiencing quite a few climaxing moments in sports. Earlier this week, the news came in that India was included in Sochi Winter Olympics after being shamed for almost a year, and having just three sports persons walk at the inaugural ceremony under International Olympics Committee flag. Let bygones be bygones, sports persons back home packed their bags in a hurry after <keyword id="6354733" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="IOC">IOC</keyword> generously agreed to include the India which was banned for reasons that it didn’t follow the Olympics charter when it came to selection of sports persons. 
 
Government was pressed into action, minister met all the ‘concerned’ people in order to make things look brighter and made all the arrangements for India to participate in the games again. It was a face-off situation, which still continues to be despite the fact that India finally got to participate in the games. It resembled a last minute hurried addition to list of events, as it would happen in schools! 
 
You see, all that’s well, ends well. What’s with a few months of shame when you still get to hold your flag, with or without pride, at the end of the ceremony. This too shall be forgotten and channels will certainly keep the viewers engaged on IPL enough to wipe out the embarrassment. Then, off we go to make new mistakes again.

IPL Guilt: But the Match
Must Go On!

<ul><li><keyword id="8033639" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="oneplus-music-festival">OnePlus Music Festival</keyword> is happening in Mumbai on November 16. </li><li><keyword id="31204" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Katy-Perry">Katy Perry</keyword> has confirmed her presence for the music festival through Twitter.</li><li><keyword id="3923485" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="dua-lipa">Dua Lipa</keyword> too was reported to be joining Perry for the festival.</li></ul>International pop sensations Katy Perry and Dua Lipa are headed to India for the One Plus Music Festival on November 16. While OnePlus had announced the festival earlier, the headliners were not confirmed. Now, Perry has confirmed her India gig with a tweet. <div type="twitter" handle="katyperry" handlename="KATY PERRY" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1159677711314386944/-3CQtnBa_normal.jpg" favoritecount="1489" retweetcount="270" status="I am so happy to be returning to India and excited to headline my first-ever performance in Mumbai. I am looking fo… https://t.co/zrO6pcgunx" createdat="1566975420000" id="1166605585212682240"></div>

 This is not the first time Perry will be performing in India, she had earlier performed at the IPL opening ceremony in 2012. The 34-year old star has a huge fan following in India. Perry, who has often found a mention in the highest-earning women in music list by Forbes, is also an international best-selling music artist. Dua Lipa, the 24-year old singer who hit the charts with her self-titled album and hit songs like New Rules and IDGAF, will be heading to India for her first performance. However, it won’t be her first visit to India either. Last year, international stars like Justin Bieber and Coldplay too had performed in India.

Katy Perry all set to ‘Roar’ in India, Dua Lipa might join with ‘New Rules’ at OnePlus Music Festival in November

<ul><li><keyword id="501707" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="PV-Sindhu">PV Sindhu</keyword> and her agency Baseline Ventures is taking over 20 brands to court for using her image and name for moment-marketing, without her consent or proper permissions.</li><li>The agency is seeking damages of Rs 5 crore from each of the brands.</li><li>In wake of the incident, we speak to experts to understand how brands can be careful and avoid such legal complications when using <keyword id="6813822" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Moment-Marketing">moment marketing</keyword> as a strategy.</li></ul>Last week, ace shuttler made the country proud by becoming the first Indian woman to win two Olympic medals. The country came together to congratulate her on her historic achievement and brands joined in, as much to congratulate her as to ride on the trend that Sindhu had created with her win. However, Sindhu is now said to be exploring legal options to take a lot of these brands to court, for using her name and image for their marketing purposes without proper authorization. In the past few years, we have seen many brands build their social presence with the help of moment marketing. We have seen brands jump in on topical conversations with their own take on something that is trending. In doing so, they have many-a-times, used individuals and their names to make the most of the trending moment. The benefits are obvious, while coming up with content that many relate with, they are also able to become a part of the conversation, making it easier for them to grab eyeballs and become a part of the conversation. However, with Sindhu taking an objection to the way her name has been used by brand, there is a chance that brands will become more careful about how they use a public personality's image or name in their content. Sindhu, who is managed by sports marketing agency Baseline Ventures, is reportedly seeking damages worth Rs 5 crore from brands that have used her name and images without her consent. Speaking on what is wrong with the way these brands have handled things, Yashwanth Biyyala, Director - Talent and Partnerships, Baseline Ventures said, “The fact that these brands used PV Sindhu’s images and name on their posts is a clear infringement on the player’s privacy. Moreover, they are also clearly flouting the norms of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), that has put together clear guidelines around advertising during the tournament. In fact there was a blackout period between July 13 (when the Olympic Village opens) and August 10 (two days after the Closing Ceremony) when even brands that sponsor the player are not allowed to post about them. Only IOC and the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) partners are allowed to post about the players.” In total, Baseline Ventures is taking close to 20 brands to court for flouting the rules, out of which legal notices have already been sent to 15. The brands that have already been sent notices include Happydent (Perfetti Van Melle), Pan Bahar, Eureka Forbes, ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, Vodafone Idea, MG Motor, UCO Bank, Punjab National Bank, <keyword id="6354731" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="state-bank-of-india">State Bank of India</keyword>, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Fino Payments Bank, Bank of Maharashtra, Indian Bank and <keyword id="5998660" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Wipro-Lighting">Wipro Lighting</keyword>. Over the years, we have seen many brands build a huge social media following on the back of moment marketing. In fact, Amul is one brand that has garnered immense love for their take on almost everything topical. Amongst new-age brands, we have seen the likes of Dunzo and Zomato churn out relatable, topical content time and again. So following this incident, will agencies need to be doubly careful about how they go about communicating on topical issues, when using the names and images of individuals? Sharing his view on the development, <keyword id="244384" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Lloyd-Mathias">Lloyd Mathias</keyword>, Business Strategist and former Marketing Head of HP Asia, Motorola and PepsiCo India said, “Moment marketing is fantastic in itself and brands that have their own take on topical issues do get consumers attention. However, when a brand uses a specific individual and his/her achievements to gain commercial mileage without prior permission or getting into a contract with that individual, then it is unfair. Brands should display more maturity and seek permission from athletes or their agents before using them overtly or covertly.Most Indian sportspersons outside cricket could benefit from a brand association that may provide them support – that could be monetary, or in terms of exposure or facilities.” To ensure brands do not infringe upon the privacy of celebrities, the <keyword id="120108" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Advertising-Standards-Council-of-India">Advertising Standards Council of India</keyword> (ASCI) already has a code in place. The code says "Advertisements shall not, without permission from the person, firm or institution under reference, contain any reference to such person, which confers and unjustified advantage on the product advertised or tends to bring the person, firm or institute into ridicule or disrepute. If and when required to do so by ASCI, the advertiser and the advertising agency shall produce explicit permission from the person, firm or institution to which reference is made in the advertisement," and ads that do not comply with this requirement may be in violation of the ASCI Code. On how brands need to tread in situations like the current one, Manisha Kapoor, Secretary-General, ASCI said, “Brands need to be careful and calibrated about everything that goes into an ad, right from the visuals, the words, and the implication of their messaging. Advertisements are made with high involvement of strategic and creative resources, and it goes without saying that they must pay keen attention to aspects that can be challenged.” Moment marketing is all about coming up with relatable posts when something is making news and reaping the benefits of joining the trend. Agencies usually have very less time in which to churn out content that is relatable and shareable, which is possibly why a few miss out on checking on the legal aspects of putting up such posts. However, in the wake of this incident, agencies will need to be doubly careful, said <keyword id="11806503" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Rajni-Daswani">Rajni Daswani</keyword>, Director – Brand Experience, So Cheers. On how agencies can avoid getting into trouble, Daswani said, “Agencies should definitely educated themselves on what they are and aren’t allowed to do because if they are providing that service to their clients, it is their responsibility to cross checking at their end. Secondly, brands can simply be creative without using individual names, image .You want to be a part of the moment, but you also don't want to get stuck into the legal implications. There are a lot of creative, indirect ways to do it and the internet is full of people who understand such indirect references.” Sharing a similar thought, Manesh Swamy, Sr VP - Creative, Social, PR, Marcom, <keyword id="3900173" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Logicserve-Digital">Logicserve Digital</keyword> said, “The IPLs and the World Cups have stricter copyright laws and hence you don't see pictures of cricketers but victory silhouette poses in branded posts. The Golds and Silvers are still rare for us, so people and brands go a little overboard genuinely to celebrate the Olympic feat. If the brand is just celebrating these small moments of joy without selling anything, I guess it shouldn't be harmful. To ace moment marketing considering the current situation, the best move would be to do surrogate advertising and play with the essence of the moment.” On what could be a simpler way of getting around issues like this while also being a part of the moment, Sushant Vithaldas - Head of Business, Schbang Bengaluru said, "For the larger audience of viewers and consumers, it’s very difficult to distinguish between a direct association and a congratulatory post or show of support by a brand. Significant progress is being made in the way influencers endorse a product with callouts for “#PaidPartnerships” or #Ad. A simple fix like this that carries the words “#MomentMarketing” on such posts is a far more easier way to address the issue and let brands and marketeers celebrate the moment in its true spirit." So can this incident lead to the way moment marketing is done in the future? Sanjay Mehta, Joint CEO of Mirum India said, “For the time being, since ASCI has come down heavily on brands that used these stars without permission, other brands will be sensitive to this idea, and won't use any names if they don't have the rights. Just like brands have got tuned to not abuse the IPL property and the cricketers' rights and privileges. Considering that these non-cricket sports and the sportspeople do not get much visibility ordinarily, these controls will unfortunately, make them even less visible, and brands will not err to the side of caution. They may not even mention a wrestling hero or a woman golfer, for not knowing if they have any other brand engagements and could create conflicts! Moment marketing around events of this kind, will get constrained and may be limited to acknowledging the sport and not the star. These are challenging new areas to tread on, in the digital age, and reforms to these rules, so that guidelines have a reasonable balance, will emerge, ultimately.”

As PV Sindhu takes 20 brands to court for using her name and image without permission, here's how agencies and brands can be careful with moment-marketing in the future

<ul><li>The constraints of 2020 encouraged brands to be more creative. </li><li> In 2020, Twitter saw more people using the service than ever before and monetizable daily active users growing 29% year-over-year to 187 million driven by global conversation around current events and product improvements. </li><li>Here is a look back at 2020 and a few <keyword id="862159" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Best-tweets">best tweets</keyword>. </li></ul>Twitter is a reflection of what’s happening in the world and what people are talking about. Over time brands across categories have leveraged Twitter’s ad offerings and influence to strengthen their presence among audiences. This year, as businesses pivoted to digital-first campaigns, Twitter emerged as a partner to launch something new and to connect consumers with what’s happening. The constraints of 2020 encouraged brands to be more creative, thoughtful and personal, resulting in campaigns that warmed the heart and left consumers wanting more. As we <keyword id="10505807" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="wrap-up-2020">wrap up 2020</keyword>, let’s look back at some brands and campaigns that stood out and made a difference: Best brand for speaking out and standing up: <keyword id="6355975" type="DOMAIN" weightage="20" keywordseo="axis-bank">Axis Bank</keyword> While nearly every industry was drastically impacted in 2020, the worst-hit were local vendors and small businesses, with many being forced to the brink. Axis Bank took up this important concern and asked people to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ReverseTheKhata?src=hashtag_click">#ReverseTheKhata</a>, referencing the bond between customers and their corner shop through the maintenance of a ‘khata’. The khata is based on the trust and loyalty shared between the two parties. The campaign showed us different moments on the relationship between customers and small businesses, projecting the various emotions that bubble up from the simple statement ‘Khate mein likh do’, urging people to reverse roles and support vendors who have continued to serve us while keeping our accounts. The campaign used a clever and relatable insight, connecting with its audience in an authentic way making it the best brand for speaking out and standing up. <div type="twitter" handle="AxisBank" handlename="Axis Bank" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1105444963142098945/el9N1DVr_normal.png" favoritecount="973" retweetcount="174" status="Small businesses have always supported us with credit transactions and kept their khatas open for us. Now it’s our… https://t.co/uM6dOejDHo" createdat="1592034075000" id="1271709200398249985"></div> Best #OnlyOnTwitter campaign: Netflix India We love to watch our favourite series and films on Netflix and look for the best recommendations, including on Twitter. Netflix India built on this insight and launched<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NetflixMatchmaker?src=hashtag_click"> #NetflixMatchmaker</a>. This innovation allowed a customised bank of emojis to serve fans a personalised experience on Twitter, helping them decide what to watch. So, how does it work? When someone tweets an emoji with the hashtag <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NetflixMatchmaker?src=hashtag_click">#NetflixMatchmaker</a>, they are rewarded with a content recommendation tied to that specific emoji. For example, tweeting a gift emoji might send a recommendation for a holiday movie. Netflix knew there would be an ongoing demand for recommendations, so<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NetflixMatchmaker?src=hashtag_click"> #NetflixMatchmaker</a> pops up every weekend to help people match their mood to what they could enjoy watching on Netflix. This is why they had the best #OnlyOnTwitter campaign this year. <div type="twitter" handle="NetflixIndia" handlename="Netflix India" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1072124554808422401/s8K84jEW_normal.jpg" favoritecount="11351" retweetcount="869" status="Looking for some suggestions that s̶l̶e̶i̶g̶h̶ slay? 🎅Tweet with the options below and #NetflixMatchMaker will send a film your way!" createdat="1608308115000" id="1339967470887608320"></div> Best brand that brought the stadium to the phone: Star Sports To make up for the lack of on-ground sports experiences, Star Sports turned to Twitter to bring fans closer to all the sporting action, especially on two key occasions - the Indian Super League and the Indian Premier League. During the Indian Super League’s <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TrueLove?src=hashtag_click">#TrueLove</a> campaign on Twitter, Star Sports invited football fans to send in Tweets with messages for their favourite footballers. At the trophy-lifting ceremony of what was a thrilling finale between ATK FC and Chennaiyin FC, these love-filled Tweets presented in a physical form as Twitter-confetti and were showered upon the winning team covering them with <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TrueLove?src=hashtag_click">#TrueLove</a> for this one-of-a-kind activation. <div type="twitter" handle="StarFootball" handlename="Star Sports Football" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/875393235354439680/qWkpDQnh_normal.jpg" favoritecount="44" retweetcount="3" status="Do you have a message for your favourite #HeroISL team in the Final?Tweet your wishes to the players using… https://t.co/bdTcDVUpQ1" createdat="1584106195000" id="1238457261397176320"></div> For the Indian Premier League, Star Sports cued people in for the opening match through reminders on Twitter, activated by the Heart-To-Remind functionality. The brand also changed their Twitter username to ‘Star Sports at 7:30 PM’ to mark the time slot as the viewing time for the IPL. <div type="twitter" handle="StarSportsIndia" handlename="Star Sports" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/875393698195886080/vp03Mgqk_normal.jpg" favoritecount="75740" retweetcount="5788" status="#Dream11IPL 2020 begins with MI v CSK at 7:30 PM! 🏏 ❤️ this tweet and we'll give you a reminder when the match st… https://t.co/qLIA0nN6mQ" createdat="1600259818000" id="1306210468189540355"></div> Their consistent usage of Twitter to connect fans to the games they love made Star Sports the brand that brought the stadium to the phone. Best campaign celebrating fandom: Samsung India for #GalaxyS20PlusBTS Edition While launching the #GalaxyS20PlusBTS edition, Samsung routed its campaign towards the massive BTS fandom on Twitter. The brand launched a custom BTS quiz to engage with the K-pop band’s ARMY on the service who could put their love to the test and even stand to win a pair of the Galaxy Buds+ BTS edition. This carefully targeted campaign not only reached its audience but also had them glued to their Twitter timelines through a series of Promoted Tweets with creatives featuring various members of the band. The BTS edition campaign was part of a sustained promotion plan for the S20+, with the global launch event achieving millions of views worldwide. Samsung India’s clever use of Twitter to connect with their consumers made it the campaign that best celebrated fans. <div type="twitter" handle="SamsungIndia" handlename="Samsung India" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1342807518246912002/rIUpN6Dg_normal.png" favoritecount="46564" retweetcount="4658" status="Galaxy &amp; BTS unite! Introducing the exclusive #GalaxyS20PlusBTS Edition in stunning Haze Purple colour. Take a fun… https://t.co/AC0N2yFzTo" createdat="1595403000000" id="1285839495841996805"></div> Best brand connection to the couch: Amazon Prime Video for <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Mirzapur2?src=hashtag_click">#Mirzapur2</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Mirzapur2?src=hashtag_click">#Mirzapur2</a> hype on Twitter was real, evidenced by the many Tweets begging Prime Video for the second season. As the OTT service finally prepared to premier the series, it decided to count down to the launch along with eager fans, and host a watch party to finally answer everyone’s wishes and get people watching (and reacting) together. Through a carousel events page, the brand curated a timeline of all conversations around <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Mirzapur2?src=hashtag_click">#Mirzapur2</a> and also rolled out exclusive content leading up to the big day. A ‘Mirzapur throne’ emoji was also launched to fuel excitement. <div type="twitter" handle="PrimeVideoIN" handlename="amazon prime video IN" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1198899881940672513/-NEvhd4u_normal.jpg" favoritecount="5314" retweetcount="491" status="Bhaukaal is nearing and we want you to be a part of it! Date: October 22Time: 11:30pm onwardsIske liye humare… https://t.co/rEPhDx35DF" createdat="1603288800000" id="1318914940145520640"></div> But that was not all, following the watch party, the show’s characters were leveraged to engage the audience via a personality test pairing people with their favourite <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Mirzapur?src=hashtag_click">#Mirzapur</a> characters when engaged with the Tweet. Their thoughtful end-to-end integration and celebration of such a popular show earned them the title of best brand connecting all of us to our couch. <div type="twitter" handle="PrimeVideoIN" handlename="amazon prime video IN" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1198899881940672513/-NEvhd4u_normal.jpg" favoritecount="13211" retweetcount="355" status="If Twitter was #Mirzapur, which character would you be? Go ahead and click on 'Try Now' to find out!" createdat="1605794371000" id="1329424067217133568"></div> Best brand for pivoting when it counts: Uber India for <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MoveWhatMatters?src=hashtag_click">#MoveWhatMatters</a> At a time when everyone was being encouraged to stay put, Uber India, a brand that is built on doing the opposite, responded in just the right way. Playing off their slogan to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MoveForward?src=hashtag_click">#MoveForward</a>, they suggested we <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MoveWhatMatters?src=hashtag_click">#MoveWhatMatters</a>. The brand echoed what we were hearing from public health authorities, asking people to stay home and stay safe, while their drivers continued to serve India’s essential workers. Moreover, the brand also urged people to come out in support of their driver-partners who had also been impacted by the pandemic and set up the Uber Care Driver Fund. In a time when people needed to be assured of their safety, Uber India made it clear that it was a priority. <div type="twitter" handle="Uber_India" handlename="Uber India" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1145570081725800448/2XcVUx6q_normal.png" favoritecount="30" retweetcount="8" status="Over 75,000 families have already been reached out to, thanks to your contributions to the Uber Care Driver Fund. O… https://t.co/rSHUz4zGAK" createdat="1588342198000" id="1256224347334889473"></div> Best virtual launch: Hyundai India for the TUCSON launch with <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheNextDimension?src=hashtag_click">#TheNextDimension</a> Hyundai India moved ahead and launched its new TUCSON via a magnificent (virtual) event called <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheNextDimension?src=hashtag_click">#TheNextDimension</a>. Hyundai adopted a three-phased strategy for the launch; it acquired an active viewership through the Heart-To-Remind functionality, which reminded people to tune-in for the launch; it took over the service’s premium real estate with a Promoted Trend and livestream to maximise visibility, and to wrap up the launch it Tweeted highlight videos from the event which were injected into people’s timelines via Promoted Tweets, making sure nobody missed the action. Despite not taking place on-ground, this campaign by Hyundai proved that launches can be as successful virtually. The live event recorded over 1 million views in the first 12 hours itself, making it a winner in the best virtual launch category. <div type="twitter" handle="HyundaiIndia" handlename="Hyundai India" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/763697106422992896/uUFoEhC7_normal.jpg" favoritecount="9266" retweetcount="794" status="Witness the Virtual World of Hyundai, #TheNextDimension Live Launch https://t.co/OeFqtxSWed" createdat="1594708551000" id="1282926768056184833"></div> Best new brand on the block: CRED CRED, the fintech startup was all over Twitter timelines in the best way. Launching its first-ever campaign with a series of videos, the brand made a strong impact, reaching new customers. The campaign was spearheaded by some of the strongest voices in the public space, including the founder himself. Moreover, picking up on a trend around nostalgia, they worked with some of the most iconic talent from the 90s and early 00s including, Govinda, Bappi Lahiri, Madhuri Dixit Nene, Anil Kapoor, Udit Narayan, and others in a creative way, ensuring mentions of CRED on Twitter reached new highs. These combined strategies made CRED the best new brand on Twitter’s block. <div type="twitter" handle="CRED_club" handlename="CRED" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1168783954985414656/jr3zLavO_normal.jpg" favoritecount="300" retweetcount="21" status="Sorry, Bappi Da. https://t.co/owaz8eTB0m" createdat="1601298547000" id="1310567212273393665"></div> Best brand voice: Zomato Restaurants may have been closed to visitors earlier this year, but delivery services like Zomato made themselves indispensable. And maybe because Zomato was experiencing it themselves, they knew just what to say to keep people on Twitter engaged. Keeping up with cultural moments and trends, Zomato stayed connected with its audience through conversations that were fun, light-hearted, and more often than not, perfectly hilarious. From being excited about a cricket match to being grumpy because of hunger pangs, Zomato engaged with its audience in one-on-one banter, replying and engaging with Tweets. Adopting a sensitive voice, yet full of personality, the brand built its own community of followers making it the best brand voice on Twitter this year. <div type="twitter" handle="zomato" handlename="zomato" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1100268333352525826/IkyIXuZ4_normal.png" favoritecount="753" retweetcount="64" status="me looking at every dish while deciding what to order https://t.co/KtFEgtwmGm" createdat="1603882550000" id="1321405306396528641"></div> Best brand Fleet: IndiGo Since the test launch of Fleets in June, several brands have embraced it with content designed especially for the format. IndiGo stood out by engaging with its followers through consistent and coherent messaging via Fleets. Adhering to the needs of its patrons, the brand has been using the format to keep passengers informed about flight schedules and other real-time updates. Their diving into this new Twitter format gives them the title of best brand Fleets!

Best Tweets of 2020: Brands that led the way on Twitter in India

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/45896101.cms" /> Murders have an objective. But, hate crime is like an abstract art. It can evoke a thousand images in the eyes of those who are staring at it. <keyword id="138503" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sunanda-Pushkar">Sunanda Pushkar</keyword>’s early departure from the world seems to be wracking quite a few nerves almost after a year after she died. 
 Congress MP <keyword id="42749" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Shashi-Tharoor">Shashi Tharoor</keyword>, the suave looking gentleman who had had a perfect career growth till he entered politics with his elite education, is grappling with the aftermath of the death of a woman who happened to be his third wife. This is hardly the kind of life the man who almost occupied the top most post in United Nations imagined for self. 
 
Sunanda Pushkar, the impeccably beautiful woman who was just 49 years old when she died, left behind a plot that could have had Shakespeare write another Macbeth if he wished to. Or, did you mention Hamlet? The kind of skeletons that tumbled out of the closet before and after her death are enough to create scripts for at least a dozen Hollywood films. Wonder why RGV hasn’t yet announced a film on that! 
 A breathtakingly beautiful Kashmiri Pandit woman who had a rags-to-riches story in her blood, departed suddenly after an almost fantasy marriage to the then Union Minister Shashi Tharoor who enjoyed great proximity with the powers in the <keyword id="26374" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="UPA-government">UPA government</keyword>. The IPL fiasco where Sunanda was given sweat equity just days before the IPL bid, and her liaison with Shashi Tharoor didn’t go down too well with the Indian media. Embarrassments later, Sunanda said she would relinquish her bid, but continued to hold it. Accusations that Sunanda was Shashi’s proxy flew back and forth, finally costing Tharoor his ministerial berth. By then Sunanda and Shashi had been much married. The wedding was covered extensively with chosen dignitaries attending the ceremony held in Kerala, and subsequently an elite reception in Delhi. The ‘who’s who’ of Indian politics and sports were surely there. 
 
All was well till another woman came into the picture. A Pakistani journalist Mehr Tarar, a single mother for whom Shashi Tharoor had already taken a liking, entered the scene and all hell broke loose. 
 
Sunanda managed to scan and retweet Shashi’s newfound love saga on Twitter, tweeting from Shashi’s twitter handle, and overnight ruined his image with the information she had access to. Just when the plot was getting murkier, Shashi and Sunanda had an ugly spat, moved into Leela Hotel in Delhi to probably settle things down. The ‘blow hot blow cold’ time was still on when Mehr claimed innocence, returned equally abusive tweets to Sunanda Pushkar. Rest that followed was so close to being filmy that it couldn’t have happened in real life. 
 
By a wintery evening of January 17, 2014 Sunanda had breathed her last. The death was as mysterious as her life and the ways and means in which she had amassed enough wealth to buy apartments and properties at elite locations worldwide. Investigations began and the death turned into a deeper mystery. A year later, India is yet to hear a final word on the death of Sunanda Pushkar nee Tharoor. 
 
Few months into the new government after Narendra Modi assumed power, Shashi Tharoor’s support to the PM was often dubbed as his attempt to keep from being arrested in connection with his wife’s mysterious death. Investigative authorities have not been able to give a definite answer to the questions about what led to her death. 
 In the recent times, the case has gained a different dimension with BJP MP Subramanian Swamy sending out insidious tweets about the facts he (Tharoor) was ‘in the know of’ of about Sunanda’s murder. The war of words began between Swamy and Tharoor on the matter. Swamy said Tharoor knew who the murderer was, and challenged Shashi to reveal the names to the police. Ugly spat later, <keyword id="6358992" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Delhi-Police">Delhi police</keyword> said they will question Shashi Tharoor pertaining to the murder, almost turning it into an ‘open and shut’ case. Now truly, Shashi Tharoor and a few more ‘influential’ names who are supposed to be in the know of matters relating to shadow play in IPL have begun to see Sunanda’s ghost. Till Delhi police says who killed her, Sunanda will continue to haunt many. 
 
Image: indiatimes

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