MxMIndia

Author: mxmadmin

  • No point being disingenuous with "this is not the India we voted for", writes Ranjona Banerji

    This is the India we voted for…

     

     

    By Ranjona Banerji

     

    Ranjona BanerjiThere are a number of connected but confused narratives running around the Indian media at the moment. Some newsrooms and TV channels try to cover the sectarian violence breaking out in various parts of the country by looking at “both sides”. Others focus on one side or the other. And even others present the violence and hatred as a distraction from other things happening, like for instance, the economy. Actually, scratch that “happening” and replace it with “not happening”.

     

    I was genuinely shocked to read a 50-word edit in The Print which actually named Narendra Modi, Amit Shah and the BJP while commenting on the sectarian violence. This is a new one for Shekhar Gupta’s Print which is usually careful at the way it butters its bread. Mild, mild, criticism of the Emperor and his court is the best it can usually manage:

     

    “Religious processions aimed to provoke, angry slogans, stone-hurling and communal riots – this was the pattern of the old India we thought we had left behind. Obviously not. It’s back with a vengeance under Modi-Shah BJP. An immediate course correction is needed. This isn’t the new India people voted for.”

     

    You may legitimately argue that this isn’t any sort of criticism at all. But you need to see it in context. So far, The Print, like so many others, has ducked from even naming “Modi-Shah BJP” for any problems created by a government over the past eight years. Almost everyone else has been to blame, especially any policies set down by Jawaharlal Nehru before he died in 1964. You may think I’m being facetious but you would be wrong. The pusillanimity of the Indian public intellectual and Indian journalist and commentator is truly award-winning stuff.

     

    Hindu mobs have been on a bigger rampage this year than over the past eight years cumulatively. And they have been ably assisted by the police, governments and dare I say it, the judiciary. It is evident that a new directive has been sent out from the RSS HQ at Nagpur that targeting Muslims is the goal for 2022.

     

    But for the media, it is all about “both sides”. Let’s compare then. The Uttar Pradesh police arrested two Muslim boys – minors – for listening to Pakistani songs. Listening to music is not a crime but it is a crime when the police have been instructed that Muslims have to be tortured at any cost. Compare the severity of this action by the UP police to the soft, gentle reaction of the Delhi Police after an open threat from the RSS accessory, the VHP:

    https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/will-launch-battle-against-delhi-police-if-any-action-is-taken-against-our-activists-vishwa-hindu-parishad/cid/1861270

     

    We know that the Delhi Police will now do practically nothing to the VHP, just some lip service because as The Print said: “Modi-Shah BJP”.

     

    If I was a half-baked public intellectual, I would interpret The Print’s edit as a possible shift within the RSS from “Modi-Shah BJP” to another version of the BJP. Do not get fooled by this. The RSS is the RSS. The names will change. But the ideology will not. Nitin Gadkari may well be pulled out once again as a man who makes things happen (cuts down forests to build roads) and not quite a rioter in spite of being a core RSS person. This is all smoke and mirrors.

     

    The “both sides” media takes its cue from former PM AB Vajpayee’s “who threw the first stone” justification for the Gujarat 2002 riots under Modi’s watch as CM. That is, “Hindus should not have shouted provocative slogans but don’t forget that Muslims then threw stones and that’s why the MP government had no option but to demolish the home of an armless Muslim man for throwing stones”. Chuck in a few “allegedlys” and “reportedlys” and you’ve covered your bases by which I mean backside.

     

    The “distraction” media also hangs from a zipwire. It tries to acknowledge that Muslims are being targeted but does not want to upset “Modi-Shah BJP” too much either. It tells us that murdering a few people here and there is bad for India because it stops us all from getting rich. Something like that.

     

    I have completely ignored that section of the media – and it is enormous – which tells its customers that Muslims are entirely to blame and Hindus are only doing what they should have centuries ago. To me, these are criminals and not journalists, and in another world, they would have been shut down. In this world, armless Muslims have their homes demolished on trumped up charges of throwing stones, young Muslim women have scarves torn from their faces and Muslim boys are arrested for listening to music.

     

    The upshot is, and this is what the media as whole fails miserably, that “Modi-Shah BJP” plus their puppet-masters the RSS will not be acknowledged as the architects of our destruction.

     

    No point being disingenuous with “this is not the India we voted for”.

    We all know that this is precisely the India every bigot voted for.

     

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

     

  • Conceptualised by Mullen Lintas, the TVC features Mrunal Thakur and Ronit Roy

    Dulux paints new TVC campaign

     

     

    AkzoNobel, the maker of Dulux Paints in India, has released a new campaign for Dulux Velvet Touch – its flagship ultra-luxury interior emulsion brand.

     

    Conceived by Mullen Lintas Delhi, the campaign hinges on a woman’s need for autonomy of space to underline the product superiority of Dulux Velvet Touch.

     

    Said Rajiv Rajgopal, Managing Director, AkzoNobel India: “Dulux Velvet Touch epitomises the best quality of decorative paint. As Indian consumers are increasingly spending more time rejuvenating their homes, walls have become a canvas of self-expression. Dulux India is now further empowering consumers to flourish through colours. We’re delighted to present the all new Dulux Velvet Touch with the Tru Color technology. This is our promise of intense rich colours with ultra-smooth finish so that every living space paints a narrative as progressive as today’s consumers and ‘Feels like Home’.”

     

    Added Garima Khandelwal, CCO, Mullen Lintas: “Dulux Velvet Touch wanted to own new conversations in relationship dynamics as we make a comeback in the consumer’s mindspace, carving a contemporary space for the brand. The need for autonomy or the question to why it’s sought by a young independent woman was a fresh conversation with home at the centre of it. It was a collaboration of the right talent coming together that touches the right note.”

     

  • Okay, the objective was to provoke someone who has devoted almost all of his professional life to print. And someone who we know also believes in the need for media companies to continually reinvent. Here's Dr Bhaskar Das in the April 20 edition of Das ka Dum. Read on…

    Das ka Dum with Dr Bhaskar Das | In an era of news available 24×7 on TV and various digital media, is there still a future for a legacy medium like print?

    Bhaskar DasOkay, the objective was to provoke someone who has devoted almost all of his professional life to print. And someone who we know also believes in the need for media companies to continually reinvent. Here’s Dr Bhaskar Das in the April 20 edition of Das ka Dum. Read on…

     

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

     

    Q. In an era of news available 24×7 on TV and various digital media, is there still a future for a legacy medium like print?

     

    A. Absolutely. I have been consistent in my assertion in your column that formats don’t die, business models do. Secondly, print is still in the pink of health if one de-averages an amorphous mass called print media. Publishers are trying to do what they do best viz upgrade readers. The trust quotient of print media is still high and they are fulfilling a complimentary role to other formats of delivery. The print media companies are also creating a 24×7 experience of their respective brands and innovating on monetisation to be in the game. They can do better certainly but any transformational journey has its own challenges. So, I don’t want to pontificate about that when I am not in that game.

     

     

  • With effect from April 1, 2022

    Shoppers Stop gets Madhavi Irani to helm content-to-commerce strategy

     

     

    Shoppers Stop has announced the appointment of Madhavi Irani as Customer Care Associate and Chief of Content and Webcom Officer with effect from April 1, 2022. The brief: to curate and build out the brand’s content-to-commerce strategy.

     

    Speaking on the appointment,  Venu Nair, Managing Director, and Chief Executive Officer said: “We are pleased to welcome Madhavi on board at Shoppers Stop. As we begin our journey in FY23, we are confident of continuing the progress that we have been achieving across each of our strategic pillars, especially in beauty and omnichannel. Customized content-to-commerce initiatives will drive customer engagement, loyalty, and revenue. Content is an integral tool for capitalising on these elements to ensure we resonate with our target audience, and we believe Madhavi will add great value in enabling us to make a quantum leap in this area!”

     

    Added Irani on her appointment: “I am delighted and honored to join Shoppers Stop and be a part of its stellar journey. The brand’s growth trajectory along with online and offline store expansion has been remarkable. I am looking forward to defining and building the content-to-commerce strategy, deepening the engagement, and connecting this iconic brand with the relevant target audience.”

     

  • Advertising, ease of playing and the low entry cost have made many of them socially accepted, writes Sanjeev Kotnala

    Gambling or Game of Skill?

     

     

    By Sanjeev Kotnala

     

    Sanjeev KotnalaPolarised views are part of life. Most of us may have polarised views on gambling, drinking, smoking, pornography and prostitution. Ethics and morality are always contextual and comparative. However, there is confusion when it comes to gambling disguised as a ‘Game Of Skill’. I don’t have extreme views about it, despite being overexposed to their unrepentant, hugely dominant share of screens near me.

     

    I am an impulsive gambler. I love it. Whenever abroad or in Goa, I visit casinos. And if nothing else, I am known to bet harmlessly on random things. I have taught the basics of casino games to many and have seen wealth created and destroyed, sometimes within a few hours. Moderation in gambling has been the key for me. And fortunately, till now, life has been easy as the opportunities were fewer.

     

    As an advertising and marketing person, I am willing to put my expertise into helping anything that is not illegal. That would include gambling apps (game of skill) acceptable and completely legal in many Indian geographies.

     

    In the last few years, legalised gambling with cricket has grown manifold. Dream 11, My Circle and what not. Everyone tells you, you can win big though it carries the possibility of financial risk and may lead to addiction.

     

    Advertising, ease of playing and the low entry cost have made them socially accepted. Around the dinner table, parents and kids discuss their teams and their earnings in the morning.

     

    These new-age gambling companies have been the rebel, masquerading their luck-based game as a game of skill and convincing decision-makers. In sharp contrast to permission to app-driven platforms, Deltin Daman, a brick-and-mortar casino in Daman, is waiting for approvals to start.

     

    Some late entrants are still waiting as this type of gambling is not legal everywhere in India. There are apps playing Share Market within the share market. New forms of skills and talent demanding games are entering, including cryptocurrencies.

     

    Like any other gambling, the gaming apps are instinct-based, and expectations are fuelled by past experiences. Imagery is designed and amplified due to the possibility and desire for easy money and not necessarily adventure or entertainment. Many gamblers on these apps see money as one of the social discriminators and are just wishing for the jackpot.

     

    A small win is enough to amplify the flight of their dreams and exponentially enhance their chances of further participation. In other terms, move towards the ultimate spiral of addiction and financial doom. None of them likes to listen and acknowledge that, in reality, they are funding others and moving towards addiction. Remember, the house never loses.

     

    I believe playing these team selection based skill games needs no more skill or talent than picking the winning single-digit lottery. It is uncertainty and luck. It is nothing but an open-eyed conscious gamble where past performance is no guarantee of any future performance, and results are entirely luck-based. This is true for the gambler and the players they pick. So, where is the question of skill?

     

    Self-regulation is merely not doing anything illegal. In this case, it is limited to carrying desired mandated warnings. The business inherently wants more and more people to play more and more often. There are no algorithm-driven cut-offs and sudden flag-offs to flash out the out-of-characteristics betting. Just because minor loopholes and legal armour breaches allow the floods to enter, do we open the floodgates? It seems that is the way these apps see it.

     

    In ads, we showcase how the horses worked hard, supported by their close ecosystem to reach the pinnacle of their success, so you can now bet on them. The bigness of a possible win. We keep telling the audience: dream big, and gambling will help you realise their dreams. And someone kidnaps the experts to learn the game of skill. It is so upfront that the most vulnerable audience starts treating it as truth.

     

    Every gambling app defence is it is a game of skill. I know that blackjack, poker and even our local teen patti or chaucer are more skill and less luck-based than making an IPL team. The spate of these app advertisemetns, funding and persuasion- will make it seem like the whole industry is one way or the other connected with these gambling apps.

     

    Knowing that nothing will be achieved. The dice are clearly loaded in favour of the betting apps, and the decision-makers have given them the status of being a Game of Skill.

     

  • DDB Mudra Group has announced the elevation of Vanaja Pillai as the company’s Head of Diversity, Inclusion and Impact

    Vanaja Pillai to head diversity, inclusion & impact at DDB Mudra

     

     

    Vanaja Pillai
    Vanaja Pillai

    In her expanded role, Pillai will work closely with CEO and MD Aditya Kanthy and HR head Rita Verma on initiatives to grow a diverse and inclusive workplace, including talent acquisition, retention, training and outreach to talent in underrepresented communities.

     

    Said Kanthy: “If we don’t change, we’re done. To compete in our times, we need to take a critical view of every aspect of our business. Our approach to talent and culture included. There is much to do in this area, and Vanaja is just the right person to lead us to success. Besides being a stellar leader, having run operating roles in the agency business with flair and distinction, Vanaja has over the last two years built one of the industry’s best run diversity programs – the Phyllis India Project. This work with the Group’s effort as a global network to bring in diverse voices to help shape workplace culture and brand communication of the future.”

     

    On the appointment Nikki Lamba, Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer, DDB Worldwide said: “Vanaja’s work on the Phyllis India program has been applauded across DDB’s borders and is a brilliant example of senior leadership driving actionable change in advancing DEI within the DDB family. We are excited about her taking on this larger mandate and bringing DEI to the heart of our business, people and product strategies in India. There is a lot of good work happening already in parts of the DDB network that India will surely build off and gain from.”

     

    Speaking on her deeper role, Pillai added: “It has been an exhilarating journey, from the intent of creating an India chapter for the Phyllis Project, to having the first batch graduate last week. The bar has been set high for every challenge we pick up from hereon. Over the next year we will focus on a select set of DEI goals and approach them with the same rigour and passion that made the Phyllis India Project what it is today. From an overall talent perspective, the pandemic made us even more aware of the need for constantly focusing on people and their growth. We hope to make some of our talent programs world-class this year.”

     

  • The ads have been executed by Ogilvy

    Sprite campaign asks audiences to ‘chill’

     

     

    Coca-Cola India has unveiled a new campaign ‘Thand Rakh’ for its lemon and lime-flavored beverage – Sprite.

     

    Commenting on the new campaign, Tish Condeno, Senior Director, Sparkling Flavours Category, Coca-Cola INSWA, said: “Sprite has always been known for refreshing consumer’s mind and body. Now that summer is here, we want to offer a cold Sprite to chill everyone down from the intense summer heat and the everyday heated moments of stress and pressure. ‘Thand Rakh’ urges our audience to grab India’s ultimate refreshing beverage ‘Sprite’ and stay calm as they battle the summer heat and the numerous challenges of the ‘new normal’. Our brands have always sought to add value across various consumption occasions and this summer, Sprite is ready to keep India chill and cool!”

     

    Added Sukesh Nayak, Chief Creative Officer, Ogilvy India: “Sprite has always been the refreshment of choice for the smart ones. And the smart ones definitely know that when stuck in a heated situation, it’s best to just ‘Thand Rakh’ and get things done, your way without losing your cool. The new positioning, inspired by our lingo, will truly connect and help keep things cool in an overheated world.”

     

     

  • Effective April 18

    OnMobile appoints Asheesh Chatterjee as Global Group CFO

    By Our Staff

     

    Those who’ve battled for their dues with Reliance Broadcast would be familiar with the name. Some mails may have even had the CFO/CBO marked.

     

    Asheesh Chatterjee

    Well, after many, many exits from the company, Asheesh Chatterjee has moved on. To: OnMobile Global Limited, the mobile entertainment company as Group Global CFO, as per a press release. He has joined OnMobile on April 18.

     

    Chatterjee, a Chartered Accountant, has 25-odd years of experience across organisations like EY India, ICICI Pru AMC, Sony Pictures and Moser Baer India.

     

    At Reliance Broadcast Network Ltd, he was as a CFO & CBO, managed various responsibilities in multiple areas, and played a leadership role in JVs, Asset monetisation, Phase-3 auctions for FM Radio, Sales, and Revenue management, etc.

     

    Welcoming the new Global CFO on board, Sanjay Baweja, MD & Global CEO of OnMobile, said: “We are excited to have Asheesh join us as Global Group CFO. He will be an integral part of the company’s management, helping OnMobile realise its long-term financial and operational goals. Over two decades of his experience makes him the perfect fit to lead the financial chapter of the company’s transformation as we work towards putting our customers first.”

     

    Other than being a CA, Chatterjee is also a Management Accountant (India & UK), Chartered Global Management Accountant, and an alumnus of Northwestern, Kellogg School of Management.

     

  • There are times when we ask a question and later wonder whether we could've avoided asking it. Today's question falls partly in that bracket. It was meant to provoke our Wizard with Words to give an answer, but he played the ball straight. As he always does. Here's Dr Bhaskar Das in the April 21 edition of Das ka Dum. Read on…

    Das ka Dum with Dr Bhaskar Das | It’s World Creativity and Innovation Day today? If you were to rank India versus the rest of the world on the creativity and innovation index, what would the rank be?

    Bhaskar DasThere are times when we ask a question and later wonder whether we could’ve avoided asking it. Today’s question falls partly in that bracket. It was meant to provoke our Wizard with Words to give an answer, but he played the ball straight. As he always does. Here’s Dr Bhaskar Das in the April 21 edition of Das ka Dum. Read on…

     

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

     

    Q. It’s World Creativity and Innovation Day today? If you were to rank India versus the rest of the world on the creativity and innovation index, what would the rank be?

     

    A. I am sure there is a formula for determining rankings of countries in creativity and innovation index. Since I don’t know the formula, I don’t want to hazard a guess. But I can imagine it must be improving over the years as the entrepreneurial culture in our country is thriving. One point is clear that innovation and creativity are also dependent on many factors that spur business sentiments and creative pursuits. India can certainly contribute to accelerate the process to remain competitively ahead amongst Nations.

     

  • Can the media ensure that the caregiver’s everyday battles are not dismissed or forgotten, asks Shruti Pushkarna

    Time to empathise with the caregiver?

     

     

    By Shruti Pushkarna

     

    Shruti PushkarnaAll along I have been writing about the missing disabled perspective from the media narrative. How the society (and media) overlooks issues surrounding disability, challenges faced by the community, resulting in their absence from the mainstream scheme of things.

     

    But there is something that finds even less of a mention in discourses around disability and healthcare. Caregiving. Without which daily existence of many can turn into a nightmare.

     

    Persons with disabilities are portrayed in a stereotypical fashion, either glorified or demonised, commended for their success or pitied for the lack of it. If nothing, they have been labeled as a minority. But truly faceless and invisible are their caregivers.

     

    It’s the caregivers who make it possible for 15 per cent of the global disabled population to get by on a daily basis, helping with waking up, showering, eating, interpreting, commuting and more.

     

    For a family caregiver, it’s a 24-hour job that needs patience, attention to detail, a bit of humour, and most importantly, compassion. Not every caregiver may have all those traits, so they have no choice but to cultivate them.

     

    During the first two Covid waves, governments and citizens across countries put up a show of support in their own ways, for the caregivers. These were nurses and doctors who are paid for their service to humanity. While the gesture of gratitude was heartwarming and necessary encouragement, I wished we recognised the millions of anonymous supporters who work tirelessly, without pay. Their motivation is sheer love for a dear one who may be sick, old or disabled.

     

    In order to attain independent living with a sense of dignity, persons with disability must have a strong support system in the form of parents, teachers, siblings and friends. A child on the autism spectrum or born with a learning disability, a hearing or vision impairment, cannot make sense of the world without an empathetic parent. Similarly, a person with a chronic medical condition cannot go through life without a caring family.

     

    It’s great to celebrate the disabled folk who make it despite all the hurdles in education, employment and social environment. But what about the millions rooting for their triumph? Don’t they deserve an applause? Don’t they traverse the same path ridden with obstacles?

     

    As a caregiver, I have never really deliberated on how different my life is from someone who doesn’t have such responsibilities. Probably because there has never been a need for comparison.

     

    Since childhood I have known and accepted this to be my ‘normal’. It has shaped me into the person I am. A natural empath, caring for another’s physical and emotional needs, at times more than my own.

     

    Is it easy? Definitely not.

     

    Caregivers face the risk of shelving their personal needs and dreams. Often overwhelmed with the chores that drive their routine. I don’t have any regrets, nor do I feel compromised in any way. But I must confess, it feels a bit lonely at times.

     

    As much as we talk about mental health these days, why don’t we have peer help groups for caretakers? Why aren’t the struggles of empaths acknowledged and normalised? Why aren’t there any mechanisms in place to support the primary attendant?

     

    If disability and chronic illness hamper the standard of living of the person affected by the condition, it also significantly alters the lives of people around.

     

    In fact, some such issues have been highlighted in films and books showcasing disability themes. Some characterisations highlight the complexities and dilemmas that are inherent to the lives of caregivers. Their choices oscillating between personal aspirations and the overarching needs of another.

     

    In the post-Covid world, caretaking has taken on new definitions. With more and more people experiencing deteriorating health on a physical and mental front, we need compassionate warriors to stand the ground. It can only help to celebrate the unsung heroes, those who go about business without expecting or complaining.

     

    Can the media ensure that the caregiver’s everyday battles are not dismissed or forgotten?

     

    Shruti Pushkarna is a former journalist who now works as a programmes and media specialist for the inclusion of persons with disabilities. Shruti was part of the founding team of MxMIndia and now writes for MxMIndia every other Thursday. Her views here are personal. She can be reached via Twitter at @shrutipushkarna

     

  • Ad campaign is conceptualised and executed along with Wunderman Thompson

    Park Avenue TVC celebrates essence of masculinity

    By Our Staff

     

    Park Avenue, the men’s grooming brand from Raymond, has unveiled a new advertising campaign  conceptualised and executed along with Wunderman Thompson.

     

    Speaking about the campaign, Pooja Sehgal, Chief Marketing Officer, Raymond Consumer Care, said: “Consumers preferences for fragrances have evolved from being simply a practical choice to becoming a discerning lifestyle choice. At Park Avenue, we cater to the evolving choices, of the modern man while they explore and expand the horizons of their personality. Our latest campaign is an endeavor to showcase the openness and acceptance of one’s authentic self.”

     

  • Rasna to launch new packaging through ads on multiple channels

    Chhota Bheem is Brand Ambassador for Rasna

    By Our Staff

     

    After Hrithik Roshan, Karisma Kapoor, Akshay Kumar, Rohit Sharma, Paresh Raval, Anupam Kher, Kapil Dev, Virendra Sehwag, Genelia D’Souza, Saina Nehwal, Kareena Kapoor and many more; Rasna now ties up with popular kiddie icon Chhota Bheem.

     

    Commenting on the move,  Piruz Khambatta, Chairman, Rasna Group, said: “We are proud to be associated with the Make in India icon, Chhota Bheem. There is a natural synergy between our brand, Rasna and Chhota Bheem. We both are brands for the masses, especially children. We are also delighted that Rasnagamers.com is being launched with Chhota Bheem as the brand ambassador. Through this move, we are aiming at offering a unique platform to the kids where they would have rejuvenation along with learning. “