MxMIndia

Author: mxmadmin

  • Mr Dayani will be directly reporting to Kanika Mathur, President, Digitas India

    Digitas India appoints Nirmal Dayani as its COO

    Nirmal Dayani

    By A Correspondent

     

    Digitas, the digital marketing agency, has appointed Nirmal Dayani as its Chief Operating Officer inIndia. Mr Dayani will be directly reporting to Kanika Mathur, President, DigitasIndia.

     

    Mr Dayani has vast experience in the field of advertising and marketing with a significant exposure to digital media. Having spent over 21 years in this field, he has worked at Mc Cann Erickson, JWT and ESPN Star Sports.

     

    He has worked with leading brands such as Pepsi, Horlicks and Harpic and in his last stint as Head of Marketing at ESPN STAR Sports, he contributed to the successful launch of new channels – STAR Cricket, ESPN HD and STAR Cricket HD and led the company’s diversification into new properties such as espnstar.com and espnmobile. His experience with Digital started with the launch of the famous “Super Selector” cricket game and several other properties for espnstar.com.

     

    Speaking on his appointment, Mr Dayani said: “This is an amazing opportunity and I am incredibly excited to be a part of the Digitas India team. In this new digital era, we have a great opportunity to integrate our offerings and adding value to our customers/clients portfolios. I am looking forward to working closely with our clients and together developing their digital roadmaps and taking them to the next level in their growth curve.”

     

    Kanika Mathur, President, DigitasIndiasaid: “We are looking forward to Nirmal leading DigitasIndia. We believe that with his experience and skills, he will play a key role in nurturing client relationships and driving growth.”

     

  • Moe's Art has bagged Reliance Entertainment Digital, Infiniti Mall and upcoming Hollywood flick Expendables 2 in Q1 2012-13

    Moe’s Art adds 3 more clients to its roster

    By A Correspondent

     

    Moe’s Art Pvt Ltd has bagged three new accounts in the first quarter of 2012-13. The agency has signed on Reliance Entertainment Digital, Infiniti Mall and the upcoming Hollywood film Expendables 2  and will manage their communication and PR across India. All three accounts belong to industries that are fairly diverse. The accounts will be handled by the Mumbai branch of the agency.

     

    Reliance Entertainment Digital is the digital arm of Reliance Entertainment, a part of the Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (ADAG). It reaches out to consumers through its different entities like Zapak Digital Entertainment Ltd; Jump Games Pvt. Ltd and BIGFlix. Moe’s Art will be managing the communication of all three companies across digital, print and electronic platforms across key markets.

     

    Moe’s Art will be managing Infiniti Mall’s shopping malls located in Andheri and Malad in Mumbai. Moe’s Art will be concentrating on the events and activations that are organized in the mall along with specific brand connect.

     

    As for The Expendables 2, Moe’s Art will execute a pan India communication strategy with an aim to target industry as well as consumer stories. The agency will handle the communication for the movie across platforms and also with reviewers. Moe’s Art will also be focussing on promotional activities and events to set the scene for the action packed movie.

     

    Commenting on the same, Mr. Vishaal Shah, Managing Partner and Executive Editor, Moe’s Art said: “The last quarter ended on a positive note for us. At Moe’s Art, we have always strived to provide our clients with an innovative and unique approach towards media communication. By offering integrated communication strategies, we seek to offer value to our clients and look forward to continuing to build on this in future too.”

     

    Currently the agency has offices in Mumbai and Delhi. Moe’s Art has a diversified client portfolio from FMCG to financial space.

     

  • Her largest media stints were around GSK & Nestle. Other accounts handled by her include Pepsi, LG, Dabur, IDEA, Indian Army, Gillette, Motorola, Timex, NIIT, Virgin Mobile.

    Sanchayeeta Verma: General Manager – South, Maxus India

    (Experience: 17 years)

    Sanchayeeta Verma is General Manager – South, Maxus India & part of the Maxus Managing Committee in India & APAC. In her earlier role, she set up the Insights and Communication Planning function of Mindshare India.

     

    She has 17 yrs of media & communication planning experience spanning across blue-chip clients in FMCG, durables, finance, telecom, automobile & retail sectors. She started her career in brand marketing with Kiwi TTK. Her largest media stints were around GSK & Nestle. Other accounts handled by her include Pepsi, LG, Dabur, IDEA, Indian Army, Gillette, Motorola, Timex, NIIT, Virgin Mobile.

     

    As national Insights & Communications Planning head for Mindshare, she helped raise the quality client planning product across markets and played a key role in shaping the MindShare relationship with many of its top clients.

     

    As to her choice of profession, she reflects, “The Indian media planning industry was poised at its first radical shift, i.e. the explosion of C&S television when I joined it. The problem solving needed to navigate the increasingly complex environment appealed to my Mathematics Major mind. At the same time, to succeed one had to understand the consumer and brand context in her life. I had an inkling way back then, that media planning would offer the opportunity of indulging in left brain–right brain synchronization. And am glad made the decision to join this industry.”

     

     

  • After specialising in marketing, I was one of very few people keen on a career in advertising. And I must confess I didn't choose a career in media to begin with.

    Dnyanada Chaudhari: COO – Pinnacle, a Unit of Madison World

    (Experience: 16 years)

    Dnyanada Chaudhari has 16 years of work experience in the media and marketing industry with expertise across strategic planning, buying, P&L and media management with the finest financial and FMCG companies. She is currently COO at Pinnacle, a unit of Madison World where she leads the Cadbury Kraft AOR to enable brands to grow profitably and competitively.

     

    Dnyanada started her career at Lodestar where she was responsible for leading cutting-edge media planning and buying. As a media planner, she led several strategic initiatives looking beyond traditional methods of measuring media deliverables. Some of the tools she created were exported to FCB Asia Pacific countries and put Lodestar Media on the world map as an intellectual hub.

     

    At ICICI Prudential, as the first media manager in the finance industry inIndia, Dnyanada set up the media function and processes to drive media effectiveness. She helped drive business growth by improving lead generation to ten-fold using a combination of media alliances and technology.

     

    At Marico, Dnyanada worked closely with marketing and agency teams to develop game changing strategies on new product launches and thought leadership to drive category growth. The team successfully launched Parachute Therapie with a media approach based on consumer insights with a first of its kind non-TV launch in the FMCG segment. For the first time, Parachute Advansed featured amongst the 50 buzziest brands amongst 5 personal care master brands. She encouraged brand teams to create innovations at Marico, which won many industry accolades such as Emmies and Yahoo! Big Idea Chair.

     

    At Hindustan Unilever Ltd as Head-Media Services, Dnyanada drove ROI and competitive advantage forIndia’s largest advertiser. She was chosen by the ISA (Indian Society of Advertisers) to actively lead their media agenda and also inaugurated the knowledge series for advertisers. She was Managing Director – West & South at ZenithOptimedia where she achieved profitable revenue growth with a makeover for the Mumbai office through team collaboration, improvising processes and new business development.

     

    As to why she chose media planning & buying as her profession of choice, Dnyanada said: “After specialising in marketing, I was one of very few people keen on a career in advertising. And I must confess I didn’t choose a career in media to begin with. When I started as a management trainee at FCB-Ulka, Shashi Sinha was convinced that a role in media was most suited for me. I was a bit sceptical, so he offered me the job on a 6 month trial with the option to take on another role, if I didn’t like it. It’s been 16 years, with no regrets. Looking back, what has kept me going is simply working with some of the best minds in the industry. All through my journey in the media profession, I have had the privilege of working on marquee brands and with exceptionally talented people who have shaped my thinking.”

     

     

  • I have built a strong team in LUM Bangalore in the last 9 years and have nurtured a lot of talent in the industry today.

    Vaishali Verma: Vice President, Lodestar UM

    (Experience – 16 years)

    Vaishali has over 16 years of experience in Media Planning/Buying ranging across a vast set of clients like Nestle, Samsung, Reckitt Benckiser, Madura Garments, General Motors, Gillette, Intel, TVS Motor , Wipro Consumer Care, ING etc. Her career graph reads thus: worked for seven years in Delhi (2 years with Mudra/ 5 years with Universal McCann); in mid 2002, she moved to Bangalore to set up UM Bangalore office and managed TVS Motor, Intel and Madura Garment’s media business. After the merger of Lodestar and UM in 2007, she has been heading and leading the Bangalore office of Lodestar UM.

     

    On what drives her to give out her best, she says: “My work reflects the deep understanding of my client’s business as well as the Indian consumer and I guide my clients to accomplish their business objective by providing effective media solutions. I have built a strong team in LUM Bangalore in the last 9 years and have nurtured a lot of talent in the industry today.”

     

    When asked on choosing media planning and buying as a career option, she said: “Looking back, I always wanted to do something in the area of communication. The course in MICA offered me an opportunity to work in media and what better than spending time in understanding the Indian consumers and help brands connect with them in the most innovative/engaging way. Given the evolution of media, it kept offering me newness at work each day.”

     

  • A brand is a sum total of the creative elements that go into designing the product, its packaging and its communication, says Sumanto Chattopadhyay

    The Anchor: Sumanto Chattopadhyay on 5 ways how creativity can change the image of a brand

    By Sumanto Chattopadhyay

     

    A brand is nothing without creativity. It is, in fact, a sum total of the creative elements that go into designing the product, its packaging and its communication. There are ways and ways of giving these elements a new spin – a new lease of life.

     

    Here are five examples of how a brand can hit the refresh button:

     

    1. Creativity can gloss over history: Volkswagen was launched by Hitler. But creative communication made the brand that rides the Beetle Bug one of the most lovable automobile icons of our times.

     

    2. Creative rebranding can make an old brand new and improved: When UTI Bank became Axis Bank – adopting a contemporary look and logo along with the changed name – it shed some of the negatives – ‘public sector’, ‘technologically outmoded’ – associated with the UTI label and made itself relevant to modern consumers.

     

    3. Not just products, but people too can change the image of their brand: In order to join Bollywood’s A List, Brand Karishma Kapoor underwent a total makeover. It took considerable creativity – that of hair stylists, beauticians, costume designers, film directors, publicists – to change her persona and transform her into one of tinsel town’s more premium brands.

     

    4. Creativity can make a brand attractive by putting it in a different slot in people’s minds: Cadbury’s told consumers to think about it in the same way as they do about Indian sweets – something you eat to make an auspicious beginning. Imaginative skill went into making people see an inherently Western product as something that satisfies a very traditional Indian need. And voilà  – Cadbury’s was reborn in a new avatar.

     

    5. Brand China wanted to replace the existing view of a grey, regressive totalitarian state with the image of a vibrant, young and capable nation. And so, at the 2008 China Olympics, it put on the greatest spectacle on Earth, taking branded event management to a new high.

     

    Sumanto Chattopadhyay is Ecd, South Asia, Ogilvy

     

  • Mahindra Sri Lanka Premier League to kick off on August 11, 2012

    Mahindra bags title sponsorship rights of Sri Lanka Premier League

    By A Correspondent

     

    Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd (M&M Ltd) has partnered with the Sri Lanka Premier League (SLPL) as their title sponsors. The prestigious League kicks off from August 11 and will be played over three weeks at two venues -Colombo and Kandy. The inaugural edition of this League will feature seven provincial teams in a round-robin league format, with the winners having the distinction of playing in the Champions League Twenty20 (CLT20) as one of the teams in the qualifiers.

     

    Upali Dharmadasa, President of Sri Lanka Cricket said: “Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) is proud and honoured to have on board, one of India’s leading business houses as the Title Sponsor of the Sri Lanka Premier League which shall now be referred to as the Mahindra Sri Lanka Premier League (or the “Mahindra SLPL”).

     

    “Since the Mahindra brand is also a household name in Sri Lanka, we believe it is the perfect platform to take the message of the Sri Lanka Premier League, which is “Gama Rata Lokeya, Eka Karana” or “Province, Country, World, Becomes One” to the world,” he added.

     

    SP Shukla, President- Group Strategy and Chief Brand Officer, Mahindra Group said: “Sri Lanka is a strategic market for the Mahindra Group which is already an established name in the country and what better medium than cricket to connect and engage with audiences as it is the most followed sport in the sub continent with a fan base of approximately 1.5 billion fans across India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Bangladesh alone.”

     

    “We are thrilled to be associated with the Sri Lanka Premier League. With the leading lights of world cricket in the fray, we are positive that this League will be a huge success,” said Ruzbeh Irani, Chief Executive – International Operations (Automobile and Farm Sectors), Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. “Mahindra has been actively associated with various sporting events and partnering SLPL endorses Mahindra’s commitment to promote a sporting and active lifestyle,” he added.

     

    The Group’s association with the Sri Lanka Premier League underscores its continued commitment to promote sports not only at the grassroots level but also across a global platform.

     

    There will be 24 games in the Mahindra Sri Lanka Premier League and each team will be allowed a maximum of 18 players. Teams will be allowed to field a maximum of four foreign players per game with the remaining being local players. The Man of the Match in all 24 matches will receive the title of “Mahindra Man of the Match” while the ‘Man of the Tournament’ will win himself an XUV5OO.

     

  • Infomedia18's publishing business, recently demerged and consolidated within Network18 under 'Network18 Publishing'

    Network18 Publishing elevates Mukhtar Qureshi to COO

    By A Correspondent

     

    In a move to further bolster growth plans, Network18 Publishing has elevated Mukhtar Qureshi, EVP, Sales to COO, Business Directories Division. Infomedia18’s publishing business, recently demerged and consolidated within Network18 under ‘Network18 Publishing’, encompasses three divisions of Infomedia18’s publishing business – Business to Consumer (B2C) magazines, Business to Business (B2B) magazines and Business Directories Division (BDD).

     

    Commenting on the development, Sandeep Khosla, CEO, Network18 Publishing said: “The Business Directories Division, especially its yellow pages stable, is core to our growth plans for Network18 Publishing. As we scale up and expand our suite of products and services across touch points, Mukhtar’s proven track record and unparalleled experience in this space will be critical for us. I look forward to working closely with him as we further strengthen our leadership in the business directories space.”

     

    Talking about his appointment, Mukhtar Qureshi said: “At the Business Directories Division, we’ll continue to be focused on fulfilling the growing aspirations of the Indian SME. Our widespread presence under the Yellow Pages umbrella and deep customer relationships provides us with an enormous opportunity to diversify our offerings and innovate through integrated media solutions. It’s been an exciting journey so far and I hope to build further on it going forward.”

     

    Starting his career with Tata Press, Mr Qureshi brings with him over 21 years of experience in sales and operations. He holds a degree in commerce and law from theGovernmentLawCollege(Mumbai).

     

  • This campaign will work. Because it's rooted in desi culture, it features situations that are relevant to the lives of those who live in the heartland of India

    Debrief: KBC: The power of knowledge

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Well, yet another season of Kaun Banega Crorepati is on the way. And the ad campaign has already gotten underway. I have always believed that for an old and established show like the KBC, the advertising needs to be really fresh and exciting to generate viewer interest. Especially so, because all things are likely to remain constant with the show’s format, including the host.

     

    This time the ad positioning is ‘Gyaan’. KBC promotes the show on the contestant’s knowledge skills. And on how it serves as the great leveller in life. While the idea doesn’t excite me much – it’s much too close to the previous ‘Koi bhi insaan chhota nahin hota’ – the execution of the new ads shines, and the script is very well written. There are many commercials on air, I watched the one featuring a vernacular lad called Bhaskar, who keeps getting dissed by friends and foes alike for his poor English speaking skills. And of course the girls avoid him as if the chap suffers from deadly measles. The TVC ends with Bhaskar winning 50 lakh rupees on the show, purely on the strength of his general knowledge. And haanji, he goes one-up on all those people who had trashed him all his life.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”225″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNGT4mQE92I[/youtube]

    This campaign will work. Because it’s rooted in desi culture, it features situations that are relevant to the lives of those who live in the heartland of India. And indeed these are the folks who form the bulk of KBC’s viewers. In that sense, the campaign is highly focussed and will score big on empathy.

     

    I applaud the ad agency for lifting what is actually a very generic and obvious concept with cool advertising and witty writing.

     

    Rating: (On a scale of 1 to 5): 3.5 Focussed and funny.

     

     

  • The print companies need to realize that the main asset they hold is their relationship with their consumers and their readers, says Ashish Pherwani

    The Anchor: 5 ways to make print more relevant for advertisers

    By Ashish Pherwani

     

    1. To make print more relevant for advertisers, we’ve got to have more interactions and more engagement through either digital or activations on radio or any other vehicle. There needs to be a level of engagement built into the print offerings of media companies. Advertisers are looking at some kind of measurement which is not just readership but a measurement of a deeper level of engagement.

     

    2. You have got to make print more relevant to the reader, and therefore the one-size-fix-all newspapers being generated today may not be the answer and it may call for better segmentation and better understanding.

     

    3. Overall, the print companies need to realize that they are no longer B2B companies, that the main asset they hold is their relationship with their consumers and their readers. And therefore, they need to evolve into B2C companies, build databases with their customers as information and optimize that database for different advertisements.

     

    4. As youth moves away from its consumption of newspapers and moves towards different methods of consuming media, newspapers need to be able to figure out ways to retain those youth, either on some other medium or by giving them the kind of news that they want to read. Most publishers still believe in giving out news which they believe is relevant. Therefore giving youth-centric content is something that the industry needs to work on and youth is a category which most advertisers look forward to.

     

    5. Print companies need to proactively come to advertisers with innovations with products that resonate with their brands.

     

    Ashish Pherwani is Partner-Advisory Services, Ernst & Young India

     

  • Our audience measurement systems, no matter which medium they address, focus primarily on weight and very little on quality of engagement, rues Paritosh Joshi

    Paritosh Joshi: 10 minutes ≠ 10 minutes

    By Paritosh Joshi

     

    “This time he has surely lost it”. “OK, I’m outta here”. “Back button”. Yes, I can see why my patient readers might one, or even all, of these reactions upon seeing the title of this week’s ramblings. And who could fault them. Those who have survived thus far, I beseech your indulgence for, let’s say, 10 minutes and it shall soon be clear.

     

    One of the most cited metrics of any medium is ‘Time Spent’. Newspapers boast about it. TV stations crow themselves hoarse over it. Even outdoor signage locations, hoarding sites for instance, invoke frequent traffic jams at a particular location as its virtuous attribute- after all it increases ‘Time Spent’.

     

    Unfortunately, not all 10 minutes are equal. A 10-minute journey interruption at Mahim Causeway is malodorous misery. A 10-minute gridlock at Red Road running through Calcutta’s much celebrated Maidan, on the other hand, is an opportunity to deep dive into the heart and mind of India’s oldest metropolis. The first would be marked by frayed tempers and terminally, perhaps irreparably damaged olfactory sensors. The latter would conceivably result in new knowledge about: the human condition, the mythic status accorded to Football in Calcutta and Indian Marxism.

     

    I get two business newspapers. I spend 10 minutes flipping the pages to pick up stories that will probably feature in the day’s conversations. Then I pick up the other one and go to the Edit and Op-Ed pages where I expect to, and always do find, thought pieces that will provide real grist to the intellectual mill. This too lasts 10 minutes but the two are of materially different character.

     

    Unfortunately, our audience measurement systems, no matter which medium they address, focus primarily on weight and very little on quality of engagement. This is hardly unique and not good reason to beat up on the systems or their providers, however. This is how they were all designed historically and the legacy isn’t easy to shake off.

     

    This is a short piece so I won’t get into much detail today but more will follow on what such systems might look like.

     

    Paritosh Joshi was until recently CEO, Star CJ. He has been a marketer, a mediaperson and on the Board/committees of various industry bodies. He can reached via his Twitter handle @paritoshZero

     

     

  • MxMIndia spoke to Manish Paul, the anchor of Jhalak Dikhla Jaa, to find out what makes one the most sought after host…

    I’ll never give up anchoring: Manish Paul

    A show without a good host is Nothing. And that’s why anchoring has become such an important part of not only events, but shows on television too. The boom of reality shows on television has given birth to a new breed of hosts – spontaneous and as much a part of the show as the contestants and judges.

     

    MxMIndia’s Meghna Sharma spoke to Manish Paul, the anchor of Jhalak Dikhla Jaa, to find out what makes one the most sought after host…

     

    From RJ to VJ, actor to anchoring shows, you have done it all. How has been the journey so far?

    The journey has been just brilliant…and hosting shows has taken my career to another level. I’m glad that I got an opportunity to be associated with some of the biggest shows and events.

     

    How are the two worlds of radio and television different?

    The only difference between the two for me has been the fact that for a radio show, I don’t have to worry about my looks. No one will care if I host the show in my shorts, whereas when one is on TV, one has to worry about how presentable they are. Here, looks matter too.

     

    You have also acted in serials and now are hosting shows. If you had to choose between the two, which one will you opt for? Why?

    It’s very difficult to choose between the two. Right now, I’m opting to stay away from acting – even though I’m getting offers – because the character or role I have to play doesn’t match my sensibilities. For an actor it is very important that he/she truly believes in the role they have to portray. And until and unless, that happens, I’m happy doing what I’m doing right now.

     

    You have anchored DID and now hosting Jhalak, how has been the experience? How are the two different?

    Jhalak has been outstanding for me, now I get smses and mails from my fans about the show. Some even tell me which lines or jokes of mine entertained them the most. As for difference between DID and Jhalak; though both are dance shows, the difference comes from the celebrities. If you take DID, apart from the three judges and one grandmaster, the contestants are all common people, whereas in Jhalak, even the contestants are celebrities. So, as a host I have to keep that in mind and work according to that. One cannot make a mistake of offending anyone.

     

    Will you be hosting India’s Got Talent?

    Yes. Cyrus Sahukar and I will be hosting the show. The shooting has already started and it would be an understatement to call my life ‘hectic’ right now. With the amount of flying to and fro for the shootings of Jhalak and IGT, I have gone almost deaf (laughs).

     

    So, how do you balance work and your personal life?

    There is no doubt about the fact that television industry has become very competitive over the past few years and hence life has become difficult. One has to not only juggle between family and work, but at times, between various projects they have taken up. I make sure that in all this, I don’t compromise on my family.

     

    What are the most memorable moments of your career?

    I started my career 10 years ago and have done a lot so far. However, the most memorable moment would be the night where I was awarded the ‘Best Anchor’ award. And the funny part is that I was also hosting that show, so I read out my nomination with the others before being handed over the trophy!

     

    According to you, what qualities should a good host possess?

    A good anchor should be a well-read one. He/she should know what’s happening around too. Also, one needs to read the script well. Many a times, anchors don’t read their scripts, which I don’t think is a correct way to go about their work. And, of course, one needs to be spontaneous as well as witty. However, one also needs to be careful and know where to draw a line. It’s not our job to offend anyone. Humour too has its limits.

     

    Every TV actor harbors the ambition of becoming a film star. Will you ever give up small screen to concentrate on films?

    I am doing a film called Oye Mickey. And if interesting offers come which meet my sensibilities, then of course, I will be inclined towards the big screen. However, I will never give up anchoring. It is what I love doing…I love talking, so it is one profession which suits me the best!

     

    What’s next on you agenda?

    Right now its Jhalak, IGT and Oye Mickey….life is good, so far.