MxMIndia

Author: mxmadmin

  • That the media can allow Modi to get away with such statements proves just how little the media in India understands the concept of a Constitutional democracy and how little it treasures or even understands what gives the press its freedom, writes Ranjona Banerji

    Ranjona Banerji: Fascism is upon us!

    Ranjona BanerjiBy Ranjona Banerji

     

    The destruction of the Amar Jawan Jyoti, the eternal flame to every soldier which has burnt for 50 years in Delhi, will now be extinguished by the Narendra Modi government.

     

    This is part of the Modi government plan to erase all vestiges of an India before 2014, an India in which Modi and the political ideology had no role to play. This nation was built by us, the people of India.

     

    And now we find ourselves at the edge of the abyss.

     

    Do I sound overly dramatic to you?

     

    Suppose we in the media excuse ourselves that the pandemic prevented us from objecting to Modi’s appalling decision to break down all of our heritage government buildings in New Delhi and replace them with some new monstrosities in his “Central Vista” project? As bodies lay strewn on the banks of the Ganga, what are a few buildings one might ask.

     

    It’s not a viable excuse, considering that too many of us also failed in adequately covering the pandemic.

     

    And in the same way that some in the media refused to accept that the bodies had other explanations and tried to cover up death and suffering by pushing government press releases, we now have the same set of pathetic excuse-makers being trotted out to explain the extinguishing of the eternal flame of Amar Jawan Jyoti.

     

    A few of the usual suspects showing up early on Twitter this Friday morning are ANI, a Modi mouthpiece and Gaurav Sawant of India Today, a known BJP-toady who somehow thinks that wearing a camouflage vest on TV makes him an honorary field marshal.

     

    Sawant explains to us that an eternal flame is temporary. And ANI adds that the flame is being extinguished and then moved to merge with the flame at the National War Memorial because it is “odd” that there are no names. The stupidity of ANI parroting such sources is matched by the stupidity of ANI in not understanding the symbolism of an eternal flame to all soldiers.

     

    Neither present the underlying reasoning: that Modi wants to erase all history and thus place himself in the centre of the Indian universe.

     

    Any media worth its salt would mention this as well. And remind us of Modi’s own dismissive attitude towards soldiers, whom he once described as being less useful than businesspeople. That contempt was real. Because we see it in the huge profiteering made by India’s top billionaires who used the pandemic to grow richer as the rest of India grew poorer. In a smaller degree, think of how much money contractors will make from the Central Vista project: yesterday’s newspapers informed us that cost estimates for the new Parliament building have already gone up by 29 %!

     

    What we have now is appropriation of symbols that can fool the public and consolidation of those symbols for greater personal glory. It was why Mussolini and Hitler paraded in grand uniforms which they had no actual rights to wear. They were costumes to bedazzle a brainless populace.

     

    Modi has also just said that we in India have “wasted time” fighting for our “rights”. And this focus on rights has made India weak.

     

    This is the prime minister of a Constitutional democracy: who openly says that fighting for rights is a waste of time. Anyone with any sense of history can see where we are heading.

     

    https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/system-being-created-where-there-is-no-place-for-any-discrimination-pm-modi/article38296828.ece

     

    That the media can allow Modi to get away with such statements proves just how little the media in India understands the concept of a Constitutional democracy and how little it treasures or even understands what gives the press its freedom. Modi swore an oath on the Constitution. But as you can see, neither he nor the media nor the people hold anything by that. Empty words in a moral vacuum.

     

    We have all the warning signs. Fascism is upon us.

     

    There may be no time to cry later.

     

     

    Ranjona Banerji is a senior journalist and commentator. She writes on MxMIndia every Tuesday and Friday. His views here are personal.

     

     

  • It's a Friday, and with a name like Tata, we couldn't have not asked this question. Here's Dr Bhaskar Das in the Jan 21 edition of Das ka Dum. Enjoy…

    Das ka Dum with Dr Bhaskar Das | On a lighter note (given Tata group embracing IPL), every time a batter gets out, should there be a Tata branding

    Bhaskar DasIt’s a Friday, and with a name like Tata, we couldn’t have not asked this question. Here’s Dr Bhaskar Das in the Jan 21 edition of Das ka Dum. Enjoy…

     

    If you wish to access the archives, please go to the Das Ka Dum tab on the website’s top navigation bar.

     

    Q. On a lighter note (given Tata group embracing IPL), every time a batter gets out, should there be a Tata branding

     

    A. That’s a literal interpretation of a possible superstition. On the other hand, the name would conjure robustness, sustainability and resilience in the capabilities and copabilities of players and the organisers. Am I stretching too far? When it comes to cricket, I prefer to be hyperbolic.

     

  • Because cricket is an expensive sport from a media perspective, even a minor loss can be a source of concern, writes Shailesh Kapoor

    Indian Cricket on a Sticky Wicket?

     

     

    By Shailesh Kapoor

     

    Shailesh KapoorCricket is an expensive sport from a media perspective, even a minor loss in fan base can be a source of concern. Broadcasters have to shell out more for cricket rights with each passing year, and ad

     

    January 2022 has been the most unpleasant month for Indian men’s cricket team in many years. The team lost two Test matches and one ODI in South Africa, all from winnable positions. The remaining two ODIs may put that streak to an end, but it’s been a poor start to the year on all accounts. Even more so because of the unexpected decision by Virat Kohli to quit the Test captaincy.

     

    Cricket is by far the most popular sport in India. In our soon-to-be-released report on the sports category, the estimated number of cricket fans in India are almost three times the No 2 sport on the list. The consistency in the Indian team’s performance has managed to keep the sport relevant, especially to the younger audience. However, it now seems that the purple patch is over. The ICC recently announced its World XIs for 2021, and no Indian makes it to the ODI or the T20 teams.

     

    There’s, of course, the IPL to ensure that cricket remains exciting and relevant. In the report mentioned above, IPL emerged as having a stronger following than all forms of nation vs. nation cricket, including T20s.

     

    MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli have been the two icons around which the sport, even IPL, has been built over the last decade. The former has retired, and the latter, we know by now, can come up with surprise career decisions without any prior notice. Except Rishabh Pant and Jasprit Bumrah, there are no younger stars who carry an aura around them. And despite all the talent that the IPL unravels, the batting middle order is the weakest in the last 30 years.

     

    The Indian cricket team last saw an extended lean patch in the 90s, when they were winning very little overseas. But there was one Sachin Tendulkar then to keep the interest in the sport alive. And there was no competition from other sports, such as kabaddi or football either. We are in a different era today, and a lean patch, if it comes, may be trickier to dodge. Football is a younger sport in India than cricket, and it can make significant inroads as a result.

     

    It’s not to say that cricket runs any risk of losing its no. 1 status in what is still a one-sport nation. That’s not happening in our lifetime. But because cricket is an expensive sport from a media perspective, even a minor loss in fan base can be a source of concern. Broadcasters have to shell out more for cricket rights with each passing year, and advertising on cricket is becoming increasingly unaffordable for many brands. This commercial model, which is driven by IPL at its heart, did not exist in the 1990s and the 2000s, when the team used to win some and lose some. This model is based on the implicit foundation that India generally wins. But what if that is not true from 2022?

     

    As a fan, I hope it doesn’t come to that. But if it does, a lot of calculations may go awry.

     

     

  • To amplify the brands across Facebook and Instagram

    Chimp&z Inc wins marketing mandate for MuscleXP & Man Arden

    By Our Staff

     

    Merge Infinity Network’s integrated marketing agency Chimp&z Inc bags the digital marketing mandate for MuscleXP, a sports supplement brand, and Man Arden, a male grooming & skincare brand from the house of Emmbros Overseas Lifestyle Pvt Ltd. As part of the mandate, Chimp&z Inc will be responsible for amplifying the brands’ social media communication across Facebook and Instagram.

     

    On the association, Sahil Mehta, Director, Emmbros Overseas Lifestyle Pvt Ltd, said: “I have always believed that associating yourself with people of good quality always brings the best to you. I am immensely excited to associate with Chimp&z Inc as I know that they are the best ones to take our business a notch higher digitally. I personally have ingenuousness on Chimp&z Inc to amplify the brands’ social media communication across Facebook & Instagram. We want to reach as many people as we can and Chimp&z Inc are the foremost in the market to do so! Looking forward to working with just the best!”

     

    Commenting on the association, Angad Singh Manchanda, CEO & Co-founder, Chimp&z Inc said, “We’re excited to work with Sahil and his vision for both the brands. The game plan is to create recognizable social and digital strategies which back the brands’ key messages. Over the next few months, the team will be releasing a series of digital and social content plans to reach the brand’s targets which will starlight the brands and their USP to their desired target groups. Chimp&z Inc and Emmbros Overseas both have high ambitions, and their shared values and vision will lay the groundwork for an active partnership that will produce remarkable outcomes in the future.”

     

     

  • To boost admissions in affordable Private Schools

    TBWA creates campaign for school edtech unicorn, Lead

    By Our Staff

     

    School EdTech Unicorn, Lead, has launched a high-decibel campaign across TV, Digital and BTL. The campaign comprises two TVCs – one focusing entirely on South India and the other on the rest of the country – that showcases the visible learning outcomes of students studying in Lead Powered Schools. The TVCs – conceptualised by TBWA and directed by filmmaker Nitesh Tiwari are being aired across multiple GEC and regional channels, and will be a part of Lead’s 360-degree campaign via outdoor, digital and BTL activation.

     

    Said Lead CMO Anupam Gurani: “The pandemic continues to impact all of us, especially those belonging to the lower economic strata. There are plenty of students who have not gone to school in the past 20 months and this has resulted in severe learning gaps. This is where Lead comes in. We are building India’s largest network of schools that provide International standard of education at an affordable price. Through this campaign, we want to help parents find the right Lead Powered School in their vicinity, thereby bridging student learning gaps and enabling parents to provide world-class education to their child, right in their hometown.”

     

    Added TBWA\India CEO Govind Pandey: “Lead is leading a movement in India to provide access to a world class education to as many kids as possible regardless of which town or city they are studying. We see many progressive and proud parents joining in and giving their kids the foundation that opens all kinds of possibilities for them in the future. This campaign reflects this and invites more and more parents to join this movement.”

     

  • Mrunal Thakur to be its first brand ambassador

    M&C Saatchi creates campaign for hair removal cream, Nair

    By Our Staff

     

    International hair removal cream, Nair, has signed on actor Mrunal Thakur as its first brand ambassador. The launch campaign has been conceptualized by Scarecrow M&C Saatchi. Church & Dwight Co is the owner of the Nair brand and has partnered exclusively with Pittie Group in India for the marketing and distribution.

     

    Said Aditya Pittie – MD, Pittie Group: “Mrunal has carved out a niche for herself in a competitive industry. She exudes confidence, authenticity and positivity – all attributes that resonate with the NAIR brand. Her individualistic personality makes her relatable across age groups, especially the younger audience, making her the perfect choice for the NAIR brand.”

  • Its Youth, Music and English Entertainment (YME) cluster launches NFT marketplace Fully Faltoo

    Viacom18 steps into the world of NFTs

    By Our Staff

     

    Viacom18’s Youth, Music and English Entertainment (YME) cluster is now eyeing the big pie of non-fungible tokens with the announcement of the NFT marketplace Fullyfaltoonft.com. It has been setup by GuardianLink.io, an NFT Tech player. The marketplace will offer  ‘fully valuable’ digital art conceptualised and created by the MTV, Vh1 and Comedy Central team in India, and is all set to go live on February 14, 2022.

     

    Speaking on the introduction of Viacom18’s maiden NFT offering, Anshul Ailawadi, Head – Youth, Music and English Entertainment, Viacom18, said: “The global Media and Entertainment industry has recognised the power of NFTs. As one of the world’s largest media markets, India is uniquely positioned to be at the focal point of this ‘Web3 revolution’.  The brands that make our YME portfolio – MTV, MTV Beats, Vh1, Comedy Central and Colors Infinity, have always stayed ahead of the curve when it comes to emerging trends and pop culture. Our entry in the NFT space with Fully Faltoo is another step in the same direction.” He further added, “The Fully Faltoo collection will be edgy and quirky. This is special for us as we’re giving our fans a chance to own a unique piece of our legacy. We look forward to building FullyFaltoonft.com as the go-to destination for must-have digital art.”

     

    Speaking about the new offering, Ramkumar Subramaniam, Co-Founder & CEO, GuardianLink.io, added: “We are elated to work with India’s leading entertainment conglomerate – Viacom18 to launch this NFT marketplace. As a technology framework ecosystem, Guardian has always been on the forefront of the race to build and operate some of the largest Marketplaces and most advanced Creative NFTs in the space. With its foundation in Creative Media, Guardian has led the race in terms of designing high impact creative NFTs protected by our Anti.RIP technology and legitimacy protocol.”

     

  • The mandate consists of brand communication for print, outdoor and digital

    Lokmat’s G2 Snacks names Agency09 for creative communication

    By Our Staff

     

    G2 Snacks, a new entrant in the FMCG sector from leading Marathi daily group, Lokmat announces the appointment of Agency09 as its creative agency. Agency09 will be responsible in defining the brand communication via print that reaches the entire Maharashtra and explore the new-age audience’s engagement possibilities in the digital ecosystem.

     

    Speaking on the successful launch, Rishi Darda, Founder, Good 2 Great Industries Pvt. Ltd. said: “It is always thrilling to foray in a new territory and produce a world class product. With G2 Snacks, we are geared up to create a fantastic snacking experience, made with a combination of high quality standards and ethnic taste. And with a lot of integrity and honesty, we want to bring in the Dugni Goodness in the lives of people. We are excited to partner with AGENCY09 who displayed the right interest and expertise to bring this vision forward.”

     

    Added Tushar Khakhar of Agency09: “The team Lokmat has always given us great liberty in all our creative collaborations. We have some interesting and innovative work lined up for G2 Snacks, and are confident of ensuring that G2 becomes a household name.”

     

  • The information will be given by a subject expert/doctor from Project StepOne

    Red FM belts out info on new Covid variant

    By Our Staff

     

    Radio network 93.5 Red FM, along with Project StepOne, has announced a new campaign titled ‘Wave Se Safe’ that puts the spotlight on spreading authentic information about the new variant of Covid-19. The campaign aims to sensitise people about the situation and how putting it under control is in our own hands.

     

    The information will be given by a subject expert/doctor from Project StepOne, covering the important aspect of the new variant that people must know. The information will reach out to listeners of RED FM across 40 cities.

     

    Speaking on the initiative, Nisha Narayanan, Director & COO, RED FM and Magic FM, said: “Looking at the ongoing hysteria around the third wave of Covid, we believe that the need of the hour is for thorough and accurate information. We realised there is a huge population that lacks authentic information about safety precautions around the new variant. Therefore, Red FM along with Project StepOne hereby announces its new campaign “Wave Se Safe” to deliver indispensable instructions and spread awareness. We have had a long and fruitful association with them in the past and our collective aim is to do everything we can to try and help as many people as possible to stay aware and updated about the pandemic.”

     

    Speaking on the initiative, Dr Shuchin Bajaj, Founder, Ujala Cygnus and Core Team Member, Project StepOne, said, “We are proud and privileged to have been associated with Red FM since the very beginning of this fight against the Pandemic. Red FM has driven many educational campaigns including ‘Doubt ko out Kar’ and ‘Nation ka Vaccination’ to urge the community to adopt COVID appropriate behaviour. ‘Wave se Safe’ is a great step to get reliable advice to the community members straight from the doctors to make sure we sail through the omicron wave smoothly.”

     

  • The campaign is aimed at inspiring audiences to reach their 'PalatDe' moments

    Ogilvy films with Jasprit Bumrah for Thums Up

    By Our Staff

     

    Thums Up has launched a new campaign ‘Toofan’ with Jasprit Bumrah by leveraging the brand’s distinct association with its strong taste and experience. Its latest Toofan campaign is aimed at inspiring audiences to reach their ‘PalatDe’ moments.

     

    Said Tish Condeno, Senior Category Director Sparkling Flavours , Coca-Cola India and Southwest Asia: “Thums Up has always been a loved beverage by our consumers for its strong taste and experience, which has been the core differentiator in the category. In continuity with our partnership with the Toofan of our Indian Cricket Team – Jasprit Bumrah who is known for his pace, strength and resilient attitude on the field , this new  campaign offers a strong execution idea – ‘Soft Drink nahi, Toofan’,

     

    Commenting on the campaign, Sukesh Nayak, Chief Creative Officer, Ogilvy India added: “The big idea to land strong drink for me is the repositioning of the commonly used word ‘soft drink’. An iconic brand like Thums Up which stands for the ‘never give up attitude’ deserved a separate word to be called out as, hence, ‘soft drink nahi toofan’. From the day we thought of this idea, we all knew that this can be huge and we were thrilled to see all our partners react with same excitement when they heard about the core thought. A big shout out to my team and Bob, who have truly brought this idea to life with an execution that is bold and powerful. This is a big idea and Jasprit is the first part of it, so watch out for some more toofani action coming soon.”

     

  • To expand healthcare benefits

    Asleen Madhok joins Onsurity to head comms

    By Our Staff

     

    Asleen-Madhok
    Asleen-Madhok

    Onsurity, the tech-led monthly subscription-based employee health benefits platform, has onboarded Asleen Madhok to head its Public Relations and Corporate Communications wing. In previous roles, she has worked with Adfactors, Alibaba and Satin Creditcare Network.

     

    Said Samar Kagalwalla, Head of Marketing & Growth, Onsurity: “We are on mission to serve Healthcare for all especially SMEs and start-ups. Asleen comes with a firm grip on the industry nuances while being in-tuned with all new developments. Our leadership team has been further strengthened with her presence as we are at an exciting juncture of our growth story and strongly believe that communication is one of the key drivers in establishing a brand’s stature.”

     

    On her new role, Madhok commented: “I am intrigued to put my expertise in a cause of expanding the healthcare benefits to millions at an affordable cost. The healthcare sphere is on the cusp of a digital transformation, and I look forward to lead the communication mandate for a brand like Onsurity which is rewriting the rules of providing affordable healthcare benefits and working towards social security for gig workers.”

    Intrigued?!

     

  • Varun Dhawan is Brand Ambassador

    Parle Agro launches new Smoodh Coffee Frappé with TVC

    By Our Staff

     

    Parle Agro has launched a brand new coffee-flavoured drink, Smoodh Coffee Frappé. The new variant was introduced to customers through a campaign with national brand ambassador, Varun Dhawan.

     

    Commenting on the launch of the new flavour, Nadia Chauhan, Joint Managing Director and CMO, Parle Agro said, “With Smoodh, we’ve disrupted the flavoured milk category in India with record-breaking sales. In a span of just six months and with just two variants, Smoodh is today, leading the growth of the flavoured milk category in the country. With plans to continue to expand further, we have launched a new variant, Smoodh Coffee Frappé. As a pioneering brand, our vision is to grow coffee flavoured dairy segment and make it more accessible to the masses. Our classic price point of Rs. 10 for our quality offering, Smoodh Coffee Frappé will enable us achieve this goal.”