Meet Meena Kumari, First Media's Top Business Negotiator
Jakarta. Amid a rapidly evolving landscape in the pay-television industry in Indonesia, where traditional services are currently challenged by the rise of numerous popular over-the-top video services, Meena Kumari Adnani, executive vice president of content and business affairs at First Media, needs to make sure that she stays ahead of the game.
First Media, which has been a major player both as an internet and pay-TV service provider in Indonesia, has recently been pushing for more innovations to keep up with ever-changing industry demands.
The company, which is part of diversified conglomerate the Lippo Group, started offering a converged service with the introduction of the "TV anywhere" feature available under First Media X. It allows subscribers to watch on-demand content as well as any of their favorite programs they may have missed via a smartphone application.
The Art of Negotiation
Responsible for pushing through important deals for First Media, including negotiating deals with world-famous content providers such as HBO, Discovery and many others, and also responsible for business development in the group, Meena acknowledges that the art of negotiation is as important as industry knowledge and insight.
"Negotiating is about knowing how to communicate, who you are communicating with, what issues are at stake, what you can compromise on and when you need to be assertive. I don't believe in 'impossible.' When someone tells me 'impossible,' my response is, 'I will show you how,'" she said.
Meena is qualified as a solicitor in England and Wales, and as an attorney in New York.
She has served in various legal positions at different companies, including as an associate at Makarim & Taira S, associate at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius in London and Singapore, as well as director/deputy legal counsel at MTV Asia in Singapore.
In 2013, Meena joined First Media as executive vice president of content development and business affairs.
She currently oversees the distribution of more than 180 channels through the pay-TV service offered by First Media and its affiliate, Big TV.
"My job includes reviewing the content strategy of the group as part of our holistic offering and negotiating new deals as well as deals that need to be renewed," Meena said.
"There is a lot of homework that needs to be done before we can sit across the table to negotiate. We need to think through a number of things, including the value the channel brings to our platform, the competitor landscape, the return on investment and our media sales opportunity, amongst other things."
With such a huge responsibility, which determines the company's content strategy, Meena must ensure that the deals and negotiations are in line with the company's objectives.
"The reason negotiation is an art is because you need to see the person sitting across the table as a person as well as an executive. It requires you to have a heightened sense of awareness about the person and their objectives and you need to balance that with your own goals. In the end, the idea of a sustainable partnership is if you can deliver a 'win-win' for both," said the executive, who describes herself as a "gymoholic" and a "thinker-writer."
In her spare time, she likes to work out and she also loves to write articles about motivation, perseverance, strength and happiness on her Facebook group titled "Strong and Shine."
The group started out with 500 followers, which rapidly grew to 2,000 in a few months. She is planning to set up her own blog as well as vlogs very soon.
"As much as I enjoy what I do, for me the most important aspect of life is to be able to deliver value to your stakeholders, your partners, your employees as well as your 'circle of influence.' If you are able to incorporate these values in your day-to-day life, you will be leaving a legacy that outlasts you," Meena said.
Indonesia at Unique Crossroad
Meena needs to be very strategic about the deals she negotiates and the partners she brings on board.
As Indonesia is at a unique crossroad when it comes to pay-TV services, she has to be mindful about the changing landscape in the industry.
The fact that Indonesia is an under-penetrated market for pay-TV poses both a challenge and an opportunity for industry players such as First Media.
The recent increase in OTT services in Indonesia is threatening the old business model of pay-TV and even free-to-air TV operators.
A survey by the Indonesian Internet Service Providers Association (APJII) indicates that the number of internet users in the country reached 132.7 million in 2016 – a 50.62 percent increase from the previous year.
It also showed that the millions of internet users now consume on-demand content from the various OTT providers.
According to data compiled by Media Partners Asia, fixed broadband penetration in Indonesia stood at 9.1 percent and pay-TV at 11.2 percent last year, while, the number of players in the sector also declined.
There were about 18 players in fixed broadband services and pay-TV about three or four years ago, but due to attrition, this number has since been reduced to only five strong players.
This is the reason many, including First Media, need to quickly embrace the new way of offering their services. As a group, First Media is strategically placed because it is able to offer internet, 4G as well as pay-TV services to its subscribers. Meena says First Media is a top player in the industry due to its innovations and service quality.
First Media's innovative approach by using advancements in technology to add value to its services, including bundling pay-TV, fixed-line internet and mobile internet services, in cooperation with 4G network pioneer Bolt!, has placed the company in a strong position when offering services to its subscribers.
However, Meena said it is imperative that she reminds herself to be humble, regardless of the strong bargaining position she is in.
"Never be arrogant, because the world is small. People will always have a perception of you. Make sure it's a positive one. I don't want to be known as the arrogant executive or the nice executive. I want to be known as someone who is sharp, assertive, pleasant and someone who brings value to the table " she said.
"My faith is very important to me. As a Christian, I know that everything I have today is by grace, not by deeds. It's important for us to have an attitude of gratitude each day. Happiness is not about having more. It's about being grateful about what we already have."
The negotiations and hard work have paid off for Meena as First Media's services are now enjoyed by its 1.05 million individual subscribers and 1,651 corporate customers.
According to the company's first-quarter financial results, the average revenue per user has increased to Rp 418,000 ($31) from Rp 407,000, thanks to upselling, as subscribers opt to spend more on value-added services offered by the company.
For Meena, the question of how to expand First Media's business is also never-ending when she looks at the way the industry is developing.
"We can never afford to be complacent. With the industry changing and with the subscriber's lifestyle and consumption patterns constantly evolving, we need to ensure that we are always at the forefront of innovation, services and technology," she said.
Meena is optimistic about the future, both on a personal and professional level.
"Ultimately if we are focused, adaptable and have a clear objective, we can achieve anything we put our minds to," she said.
First Media and the Jakarta Globe are both affiliated with the Lippo Group.
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