MxMIndia

Author: mxmadmin

  • The Nagpur-headquartered daily organised a 12-hour non-stop dance marathon called Nachenga Nagpur Non-stop

    Orange City dances to NavaBharat tune

    By Our Correspondent

     

    Did you know it was International Dance Day on April 29? Well, we didn’t, but not the folks at leading Hindi Daily NavaBharat. And got the city to dance to its tune, well, idea.

     

    The Nagpur-headquartered daily organised a 12-hour non-stop dance marathon called Nachenga Nagpur Non-stop.

     

    The brand has associated with the Top 12 Dance academies/ choreographers of Nagpur, 12 business partners, 12 corporate houses, 12 eminent personalities, and 12 schools and colleges to create a buzz in the Market.

     

    Said Sandeip Vishnoi, Vice President, NavaBharat: “Ina country like India, people celebrate every small happiness with dance, but after the lockdown people are still in a phase of fear so as to bring people out in this new normal and to get engaged with the youth, we thought it would be a good idea to celebrate International Dance Day.”

     

  • This will be the first time he’ll not be there, but there’s no better Goafest-er ever than Sanjeev Kotnala

    Long live Goafest

     

     

     

    By Sanjeev Kotnala

     

    Sanjeev KotnalaSo, it is final; I will miss the post Covid edition of Goafest. In fact, the first Goafest I will miss. I wish the industry event a grand success.

     

    I am sure the organising team has done enough to rejuvenate the format. I hope it continues to have fun-filled moments, networking opportunities, higher marketer attendance, and afterparties, where stories happen. Undisputed scam-less Awards, and that will not be too much to ask!

     

    My decision not to attend Goafest got nothing to do with the unfinished story and just that there are some commitments life served as a warning. I will keep writing and try to keep up with my frequency and consistency benchmark.

     

    For a few, it will be their first Goafest and, for some, their last. Most participants would have been at Goafest before. The more times they attend the fest, the more blind they tend to become, accepting Goafest the way it was and the way it is. Maybe this time it will be different.

     

     

    Goafest – Nostalgia.

    Goafest has seen it all, and I am nostalgic about it.

     

    THE EARLY MTV DAYS

    I remember in the initial editions when I checked into Hyatt, I was surprised to see a small, well-crafted small bag. It was a small, sponsored gift, and it had a strip of Aspirin to take care of the hangover, a mouth freshener in case you need it, and a condom. I think it was MTV who sponsored the gift.

     

    RAIN DANCE

    Regular Goafest participants would have polarised views on the afternoon rain dance, a standard feature for a few editions. It later became a bit of a nuisance with more crowd on the visitors’ gallery than on the foam-filled floor. Save water campaigns, and a few other reasons stopped it in 2018.

     

    THE INDUSTRY MAGAZINES.

    Authorised and unauthorised Goafest magazines are part of the festival. Four different titles were fighting the audience’s limited attention at one point. The content was more pictorial, with the same set of people featured in most of them.

    Dainik Bhaskar was the first to do the 3-D edition for Goafest. Personally, these magazines outlived their utility as social media has taken over.

     

    AFTER PARTIES

    The late-night beach parties were phenomenal. Later they moved indoors to avoid the 10.30 pm ban.

    Dainik Bhaskar’s Passport Party’ highjacked one such Thursday evening gala. It was people who came early on Thursday but were not part of the Knowledge Seminar that evening. Oh, those days, the first-day seminar was by invitation only.

     

    HYATT IS IN THE NEWS.

    2014 edition, everyone was busy checking how much time the lift takes to travel between the floors at Hyatt Goa. And in 2016, the indoor swimming pool at Hyatt was more crowded than the afterparty, causing many other residents discomfort.

     

    WATER SPORTS AND EARLY BEACH EDITION.

    Water sports were a major attraction when Goafest was held at the Cavelossim beach. Then after a mishap, water sports were stopped and rightly too.

    Those days one walked a reasonable distance before hitting the huge AC seminar hanger. It was fun as the path took you through a mela type street with stalls. In the subsequent few editions, these stalls became more of sponsor technology stalls- google was the best ever stall- and then the fest moved indoors

     

     

    DRINKS ON THE HOUSE.

    The beer on the house for almost 24 hours has been free to be rationed through allotted coupons. By 2016, much beer was being consumed, and the attention from the knowledge seminar was challenged. I even suggested doing away with free beer. Hopefully, beer and drinks will continue.

     

     

    THE AWARDS AND THE MOMENT

    The awards kept expanding at Goafest to the extent that you could congratulate anyone post-award night, and you would not be wrong. Then awards were rationalised and redefined in sync with the industry evolution and changing trends. Hopefully, we have a far better awards night.

    The selfie moment on stage was a good initiative but has outrun its excitement. One award night, someone used the swear words on stage; other than that, it has been trouble-free.

     

     

    SPEAKERS

    Goafest has seen a strategic move from being just functional oriented speakers to covering a large spectrum of subjects and possibilities. We can always debate if the speakers and their subject interests and engage the audience. However, the film stars and sports personalities drew more attendance than anyone else, and I don’t think that will change.

     

     

    THE ENTRIES DISPLAY 

    Participants’ visit to entries display area has always been an area of concern. They fail to recognise the treasure in there. The organisers tried everything possible to push people to visit the display area but never succeeded. The loss is entirely of the participants, and hopefully, it will change.

     

     

    THE SPONSOR STALLS AND FREEBEES

    In initial Goafest editions, sponsors would trust a gift to every passing participant. And that’s where the laptop bag came in handy. The best one ever was sponsored by Discovery. Slowly, they have moved to strategic games and activities to win goodies. Hope the games and activities are more engaging and exciting and the gifts or utilities better than in earlier editions. There is that additional charm in playing to win something really classy.

     

    THE TEAM

    From the time Goafest started, a core team of industry stalwarts have managed it. They have done a great job, but they have been less appreciated. Three cheers to them.

    But, very few young members of the fraternity are getting into action in managing and organising Goafest. It is not about succession and handing over the rein; it is about sustenance, continuity, rejuvenation, and reviving. Or maybe the transition is so smooth that one has missed the induction of fresh blood and young representatives.

    I am not complaining when they have been doing such a great job?

     

     

  • Avik Chattopadhyay on the ‘Hindification’ of Indian advertising

    English channel, Hindi advertising. Why? Kyun?

     

     

    By Avik Chattopadhyay

     

    Avik ChattopadhyayThe other day a South African friend residing in Delhi remarked, “I have been watching the IPL and there are so many ads in Hindi which I just don’t understand!! I choose to watch the games on an English channel yet why do they air Hindi ads?”

     

    Now, that was a truly existential question… one that asked the right thing but would not get a straight answer. It had been a ‘deaf’ spot for me for all this time, but his query made be surely feel uncomfortable, especially with all this social media chatter about language across the country.

     

    Now, Star1 HD is an English sports channel. The language used is to be English so that all those who understand English or wish to listen to all communication only in English shall feel comfortable and comprehend all that is said, both in the programming as well as the advertising. If one wishes to listen to all the same in Hindi, there is another channel specifically for that language. Why will there be any advertising in a language that the subscriber does not understand?

     

    The same applies to NDTV, Times Now and so on. English channels airing Hindi or Hinglish advertising without batting an eyelid or flapping the ear! And then they carry debates on why Hindi should not be imposed across the country and regional languages should be equally preserved and promoted!! The hypocrisy simply bests me! Just because you do not want to lose out on advertising revenues, you are ready to compromise with a core proposition of your brand yet will question why politicians from the Hindi belt address rallies in that language in the South. At least they genuinely do not know the local language and are handicapped, but you as a channel are not. You can stay true to your proposition, can’t you?

     

    Having lived in North India for most of my life, I too have turned apathetic to this basic issue of why should Indians who do not understand a particular language be force-fed advertising in it. In my professional life, I too have been guilty of the same, working with advertising agencies crammed with copywriters from the Hindi belt based out of Delhi and Mumbai churning out communication to be consumed by the entire country. We used to proudly announce that we have vernacular edits of the Hinglish commercials, as if doing a favour to their intended recipients. Then again, the core creative thinking used to be in Hindi or Hinglish at the best later adapted to a vernacular recipient. Basically, Mumbaikars and Dilliwallas having their way at the cost of regional sensitivities and national sensibilities! Till the time Calcutta/ Kolkata was the centre of Indian advertising, if the communication was to be on an English platform, it would be conceived and crafted in English.

     

    I have nothing against Hindi as a language. In fact, I read and write it better than my mother tongue Bengali. While I am ashamed of the fact, it does not take away from the beauty of Hindi, given its eclectic mix of Sanskrit, Prakrit, and Persian. Yet, it is not the national language of my country. It is one of the two official languages, the other being English. It is the official language of only nine states and three Union Territories out of a total of 28 and 8 respectively. I agree that it is spoken by roughly 40% of India, in various forms and dialects but then if numbers alone were to determine a national language, by that logic, the India street dog should be our national animal and not the Bengal Tiger!

     

    The ‘Hindification’ of Indian advertising is not a new phenomenon. It has been happening since the 1980s when Mumbai took over as the hub of advertising. The Bollywood DNA was injected into the thinking and expression. Delhi followed suit and reinforced the used of Hindi as an accepted medium of communication, with brands even creating their advertising taglines in Hindi. Banks to broom-makers signed off in Hindi.

     

    Those who stayed with English as that rightfully reached out to a larger base also fell into the trap and bit the Hindi ‘goli’. Thums Up stopped being “thunder” and became “toofan”. While Bollywood stars became national level brand ambassadors, stars from the South were confined to their respective language belts!

     

    So, you had the convenient nexus of Hindi-thinking advertising ‘mavericks’ and Bollywood to carry this ‘Hindification’ across the country. And they patted themselves on their backs for the same saying that they were thinking and talking ‘Bharat’ and not ‘India’. Then the media platforms joined this nexus, and the rout became complete.

     

    As the media did not balk at accepting advertising in a language that never fitted their intended format, it just emboldened the Hindi-thinkers to keep at it. This has led to a situation today where the brazen use of Hindi on English media platforms is quite apathetic and unapologetic. All research and analysis on the need to ‘think local’ and ‘talk local’ goes out of the window. Almost all North India-based brands seem to have ritualised this behaviour. Till recently, the brands from the East and South used to stay true to the language code but now you do see a few like TVS falling into the trap.

     

    Now with the language row raising its ugly head once again, the ‘cause’ of Hindi will become bolder and vituperative of the other languages of the land. The fact that Bollywood actors openly support the cause is a dangerous sign for the sheer quality of advertising in the country. Communication has to be thought out in the language of the medium of media communication. Assuming that your recipient or subscriber will forcibly learn a language is being foolish. Most of the advertising in Hindi on Star1 HD during an IPL match telecast is lost on the non-Hindi-speaking viewer. The numbers will be there but the comprehension will not. And life will not be as “dhana dhan!”

     

    Avik Chattopadhyay is a senior brand consultant and strategist living in Gurugram. He writes on MxMIndia mostly on every other Thursday, and sometimes on other days as well.

     

  • What’s your Disability Quotient? Take this quiz by Shruti Pushkarna and figure for yourself

    Shruti Pushkarna: Are you really inclusive? Or is it just a lip service?

    Shruti PushkarnaBy Shruti Pushkarna

     

    As someone who feels strongly about disability inclusion, I always look out for accessibility incorporations in physical spaces or the lack of it. Narrow or steep ramps get me all riled up. Just like escalators in shopping malls in lieu of elevators! How can those be interchangeable?

     

    Often, I find myself voluntarily explaining the use of braille signages and tactile markings to random strangers. I take pictures of accessible and inaccessible services/ products to share on my social media handles. All in the name of vociferously seeking equal rights for all citizens.

     

    In the polarised world we inhabit today, people are unapologetic about their opinions and beliefs. If we were to go by social media trends, millions are up in arms against discrimination of any sort. They rake up a storm on any talk of exclusion of women, disabled, children, elderly, LGBTQ+.

     

    But do they really care or understand the issues of diverse communities?

    If yes, then why hasn’t the collective discontent of so many led to a change in mindset?

    Is it because most people don’t practise what they preach?

     

    One thing I have learnt over the years is the need to educate before you advocate. We need to understand the issues and perspectives of vulnerable minorities before we can voice their concerns. The challenges faced by persons with disability in their everyday lives are real. Places like schools, offices, temples, entertainment hubs et cetera pose barriers that keep them estranged from the mainstream society.

     

    How much do we know about this gap in order to be able to bridge it? Here’s a quick quiz to assess your basic knowledge of disability and inclusion. Answer these ten multiple choice questions and find out your individual disability quotient!

     

    1. What do you call someone who requires a wheelchair to move around?

    a. Handicapped

    b. Wheelchair bound

    c. Invalid

    d. Wheelchair user

     

    2. Which of the following is true?

    a. All persons with autism are intellectually disabled

    b. Intellectual disability is a type of developmental disorder

    c. Intellectual disabilities are hereditary

    d. Down syndrome is the only cause of intellectual disability

     

    3. An accessible building has…

    a. Ramp

    b. Elevator

    c. Braille signage

    d. All of the above

     

    4. How do you help a blind person cross the road?

    a. Drag them by their shirt or dress

    b. Offer them your elbow

    c. Yell audio instructions at them

    d. Push them from their shoulders

     

    5. Which of these is not a disability recognized by the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016?

    a. Hearing impairment

    b. Speech impediment

    c. Attention DeficitHyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

    d. Thalassaemia

     

    6. If a school is inclusive, it allows admission to which community?

    a. Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe

    b. Transgender

    c. Disabled

    d. All of the above

     

    7. How you shouldn’t communicate with a deaf person?

    a. Texting

    b. Calling

    c. Signing

    d. Writing

     

    8. Which of these spaces should have tactile markings?

    a. Bus stop

    b. Metro station

    c. Airports

    d. All of the above

     

    9. The Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan was launched in December 2015 to ensure…

    a. All physical and digital spaces are made accessible

    b. Reservation for persons with disabilities in private and government jobs

    c. All schools have accessible classrooms for disabled students

    d. Accessible toilets are built across the country

     

    10. Which of these make content accessible to persons with disability?

    a. Closed captioning

    b. Audio description

    c. Sign Language

    d. All of the above

     

    Answers: 1 d, 2 b, 3 d, 4 b, 5 c, 6 c, 7 b, 8 d, 9 a, 10 d

     

    So how did you score? If it’s 10 on 10, then go ahead and term yourself an inclusion champion. But anything less than that means your tall claims of DEI (Diversity Equity and Inclusion) are unsubstantiated.

     

    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

     

  • Remember you'll only find such questions being asked on MxMIndia. And on Das ka Dum. Here's Dr Bhaskar Das in the May 5 edition of Das ka Dum. Read on…

    Das ka Dum with Dr Bhaskar Das | We’ve seen in the past that stars in Entertainment TV haven’t had much success with their entrepreneurial ventures elsewhere. Any words of advice to new entrants so that we don’t see an Action Replay?

    Bhaskar DasRemember you’ll only find such questions being asked on MxMIndia. And on Das ka Dum. Here’s Dr Bhaskar Das in the May 5 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. We’ve seen in the past that stars in Entertainment TV haven’t had much success with their entrepreneurial ventures elsewhere. Any words of advice to new entrants so that we don’t see an Action Replay?

     

    A. I must admit that your hypothesis suffers from clustering bias or availability heuristics. You arrived at a conclusion on the basis of past episodic instances and exported it to future role players. Life is not mathematics or algorithm only. One can’t draw a priori deductions when it comes to human potential.

     

  • The campaign is conceived and created by Tilt Brand Solutions

    Tilt launches Tata Copper Water TVC

    By Our Staff

     

    Tata Copper Water has unveiled a campaign titled ‘Jeene Ka Paani’ that has been conceived and created by Tilt Brand Solutions.

     

    Said KS Kuttiah, VP – Marketing, Nourishco Beverages: “We worked very closely with Tilt for the rebranding of Tata Water plus to Tata Copper Water and developing the new packaging, positioning, and communication. We are delighted with the feedback we have received on this new brand communication idea as it does full justice to the powerful consumer proposition on which it’s based”.

     

    Added Adarsh Atal, Senior Director – Creative, Tilt Brand Solutions: “We conceived and designed this campaign to persuasively, but with a light touch, draw a parallel between Tata Copper Water and water drunk from copper vessels. We also wanted to land the message that this water enables you to embrace life in all its fullness. Thus ‘sirf peene ka pani nahin, yeh hai jeene ka paani’.

     

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxf9Xsef900

     

  • The creative has been conceptualised by Tanishq and Dentsu Webchutney

    Tanishq celebrates leader in every mum

    By Our Staff

     

    Tanishq, the jewellery retail brand, has launched its latest digital film ‘The Interview’ ahead of Mother’s Day. Conceptualised by Tanishq and Dentsu Webchutney, the two-minute slice of life film attempts to break stereotypes around maternity break and showcases an apt description of Life’s Boot Camp through the eyes of a new mother.

     

    Speaking on the launch of the film, Ranjani Krishnaswamy, General Manager – Marketing, Tanishq, Titan Company Limited said: “The woman of today is seeking to express herself with honesty and authenticity to confidently celebrate her realities. She’s thriving in her vulnerability while rising in her power to change her world. The brand believes these powerful stories build positive momentum in cultivating a world of equality and adding to her self-growth. This film is an ode to women who challenge set narratives and inspire many others to follow the change”

     

    Speaking on the film, Binaifer Dulani, Founding Member and Creative at Talented said: “Studies reveal that it will take at least 136 years to close the global gender pay gap, and one of the biggest factors for this is the lack of representation of women in senior leadership. We need more workplaces to see beyond the dominant culture and create equity for women so that they can make their comeback. There is no parallel to the thought differentiation and unique life experiences mothers bring to the table, yet they are constantly on the back foot when they want to make a comeback after a maternity break. Through this campaign, we want to inspire organisations to take affirmative action towards retaining and hiring mothers, and we want to inspire mothers to claim their maternity breaks as what it is – a boot camp in life and leadership”

     

     

  • He joins the agency as Regional Creative Officer

    Shayondeep Pal to head Creative at Lowe Lintas, BLR

    By Our Staff

     

    Lowe Lintas has appointed Shayondeep Pal as Regional Creative Officer. Pal will work out of the agency’s Bengaluru office and manage some of the flagship brands of the agency from the South region. Most recently, he led the creative campaigns for Surf Excel, Wheel, Vim, UltraTech and Nestle EveryDay.

     

    Talking about his new role, Pal said: “I am looking forward to an exciting phase in my advertising career. I am thrilled to be part of the team that created stellar work on some of the most iconic brands.”

     

    Commenting on Pal’s new role in the agency, Sagar Kapoor, CCO, Lowe Lintas said, “Shayondeep (Shayon, as we fondly refer to him) has led the Lowe Delhi office in the past. He has worked on a diverse mix of brands across categories. Both his wisdom and creative talent will definitely take Lowe Lintas South to newer heights. I am excited about our partnership and along with him and the teams, hope to create some stunning work very soon.”

     

    The appointment is effective immediately.

     

  • Launch to be supported by 360-degree communication plan

    Center fruit launches new gum with blitz

    By Our Staff

     

    Center fruit, the largest gum brand from the house of Perfetti Van Melle India (PVMI) has announced the launch of the all-new Center fruit Tennis ball-shaped gum.

     

    Speaking on the communication campaign,  Rohit Kapoor – Director, Marketing, Perfetti Van Melle India said: “Perfetti holds nearly 70% market share in the gum category. We are delighted to extend the portfolio of our loved brand Center fruit with the launch of our all-new Tennis Ball-shaped gum. Center fruit as a brand has been a growth driver and we hope to optimize and add to this momentum with this new product introduction. The communication positions this product as an enabler of mood upliftment while catering to the brand’s core audience.”

     

    Added Nasar Husami, Group Creative Director – Ogilvy: “Being a teenager today is not easy – it’s a full-time job. Boredom can strike at any given time, and it’s essential to have a pick-me-up. With the new Center Fruit tennis ball-shaped gum, we have showcased a quirky and spontaneous way of playing tennis, the ‘ting tong’ way, and defeating boredom.”

     

    This is an exciting new launch by Perfetti Van Melle India, that is a visual treat as well as a treat for the taste buds! It is likely to create a popular category for itself among the consumers.

     

  • To launch Vedantu’s Ai-Live augmented interactive technology offering

    Aamir Khan stars for Vedantu TVC

    By Our Staff

     

    Vedantu, an online learning player, has launched a brand campaign to launch its Ai-Live augmented interactive technology, featuring actor Aamir Khan.

     

    Speaking about the campaign, Nikhil Rungta, Chief Growth Officer, Vedantu, said: “Vedantu has always been a student first and has created products that will help provide quality education and access to top teachers to every student across India. The objective of our latest campaign is to showcase how every child can now learn from the most inspiring Master Teachers and best-in-class live interactive features like real-time doubt solving, quizzes, leaderboards, and many more at an extremely affordable price point of just Rs 5000 per annum. We believe that this will be an important step towards bridging the learning gap and thereby creating impact
    at scale.”

     

  • Unfortunately, this tool is used by governments of all political persuasions, writes Ranjona Banerji

    Ranjona Banerji: Sedition – a draconian tool used to suppress media…

    Ranjona BanerjiBy Ranjona Banerji

     

    Obviously, there’s nothing to be surprised about. The annual Press Freedom Index has put India down 8 points for 2022, from 150 to 142. We had been at that reasonably bad spot for a few years and now we have got considerably worse.

     

    The Reporters Without Borders (RSF) report reads: “The violence against journalists, the politically partisan media and the concentration of media ownership all demonstrate that press freedom is in crisis in “the world’s largest democracy”, ruled since 2014 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the embodiment of the Hindu nationalist right.”

     

    Vijay Shankar Singh, a retired police officer, has written a letter to Mukesh Ambani, owner of the news channel News18, “This open letter is to the owner of News18, Mukesh Ambani. If a survey of the programmes of the channel owned by him for the last 8 years is done, you will find that one of the objectives of this channel is to run a communal agenda in the country and also to do such mental adaptation which will lead the country towards the divisive agenda.”

     

    The letter mentions that these discussions go against the nature of the Constitution of India.

    https://thenewzindia.com/retired-ips-officer-vijay-shankar-singh-writes-letter-requesting-mukesh-ambani-to-stop-communal-debates-on-his-channel-news18/

     

    Aman Chopra of News18 is on the run from the Rajasthan police after two FIRS were filed against him for “promoting enmity between different groups” and “deliberate and malicious acts to outrage religious feelings”.

     

    Here we have a problem. A sedition case has also been filed against Chopra. Sedition is a draconian tool used by governments to suppress the media. Unfortunately, this tool is used by governments of all political persuasions. Chopra is fairly accused of promoting enmity and malicious lies. He presented, on television, the demolition of a temple in Rajasthan (Congress-ruled) as revenge for the bulldozing of a mosque in Jahangirpur, Delhi (AAP ruled but with the municipality and the police under the BJP), which was part of a deliberate BJP attempt to assault Muslims. However, what he omitted to mention is that the temple was demolished on the instructions of the BJP-run municipality in Alwar.

     

    Chopra said, “The revenge of Jahangirpur by attacking Mahadev. Please listen to me carefully what I’m about to say (sic).” The use of Mahadev, a term for Lord Shiva, is a clear dogwhistle to Hindus that their gods are under attack.

     

    https://www.siasat.com/news18-anchor-slapped-with-2-firs-for-provocative-temple-demolition-coverage-2314803/

     

    News18 also carries the infamous “Right Stand” show where anchor Anand Narasimhan incites anti-Muslim feelings every night.

     

    If the Rajasthan government dropped the sedition charge, it would show the good faith of the Congress Party in understanding press freedom and the Constitution.

     

    The RSF report only emphasises the reality of India under the RSS-BJP. Modi does not exist outside the RSS’s Hindu supremacist ideology.

     

    The bulk of the Indian media has now also fallen into that ideologic pit.

     

    Excuses galore will be made. About how employees are saints at home but at work have no option but to obey what their bosses dictate. The owners are all evil and so on. Anyone who has worked in a newsroom knows that neither of these are wholly true and that dissent, debate and refusal are all possible.

     

    We have to accept that large swathes of the journalistic community as well as TV anchors and producers have reneged on their primary responsibilities and bought into a toxic and divisive agenda.

     

    This is our reality, sadly encapsulated by the RSF report:

     

    “With an average of three or four journalists killed in connection with their work every year, India is one of the world’s most dangerous countries for the media. Journalists are exposed to all kinds of physical violence, including physical violence, ambushes by political activists, and deadly reprisals by criminal groups or corrupt local officials. Supporters of Hindutva, the ideology that spawned the Hindu far right, wage all-out online attacks on any views that conflict with their thinking. Terrifying coordinated campaigns of hatred and calls for murder are conducted on social media, campaigns that are often even more violent when they target women journalists, whose personal data may be posted online as an additional incitement to violence. The situation is also still very worrisome in Kashmir, where reporters are often harassed by police and paramilitaries, with some being subjected to so-called “provisional” detention for several years.”

     

    We know who the destroyers of Indian journalism are and we know they are within us. We know that we have done this to ourselves. Systematically, willingly and gleefully. We might look back to fascist Italy – Benito Mussolini was an editor after all – and Nazi Germany with its hugely successfully propaganda machinery as historical precedents. But we have to concede that we ourselves had done this to our democracy. With our eyes open.

     

    Maybe we should be proud that the world acknowledges our “achievement”?

     

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

     

  • Day 1 saw the Media & Publisher Abby. Mindshare bagged the Media Agency of the Year title

    It’s Goafest time again…

     

     

    By Our Staff

     

    Goafest 2022 started on high energy. Singer Sukhbir electrified the auditiorium to kick off the 15th edition which happened after a two-year Covid pandemic-led hiatus. The festival started with the lighting of the lamp and the unveiling of AAAI’s new logo. The underlying theme being of celebrating The SuperPower Within.

     

    AAAI’s new logo has been created created by Tempest Advertising’s art director, Lohidasu. The agency’s design was chosen amidst 200 entries. The logo effectively brought the past, the present and the future of both AAAI and advertising in unison. The official unveiling of the redesigned logo at the Goafest, was done by Rohit Ohri, Chairman and CEO of FCB Ulka and film star, Yami Gautam.

     

    Further, the Industry Conclave presented by ABP Group marked the beginning of the festival with the first session of the day, witnessing actress Yami Gautam in a one-on-one conversation with Rana Barua, Chairman, Abby Awards Governing Council 2022 and Vice President of The Ad This was followed by a keynote by Vineeta Singh, Co-founder and CEO, SUGAR Cosmetics & Shark, Shark Tank India, who highlighted the importance of building a brand with quality products and content before focusing on advertising. She also emphasized the power of empowering a team, which mirrors the ethos of Sugar, passionately stating, “Empower them and let them go rule the world!”

     

    The next session saw Ankush Sachdeva, Co-Founder & CEO, Sharechat & Moj, in conversation with Vikram Sakhuja, Group CEO Madison Media & OOH at Madison World.  Following this was a session in partnership with the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI), where Rohit Kumar Singh, Secretary (CA), Ministry of Consumer Affairs & Food Distribution spoke with Piyush Pandey, Chairman of Global Creative Ogilvy Worldwide & Executive Chairman, Ogilvy India discussing the importance of consumer protection and its responsibility that we have as professionals. The session was moderated by Subhash Kamath, Chairman, ASCI & CEO, BBH, India. Singh ended the session on an impotant note: “If we don’t look after the interest of the consumer, who will?”

     

    After that Kiran Bedi, Former Lt Governor Puducherry and one of India’s best known retired IPS offices, highlighted the importance of leadership, emphasising: “Leadership is internal – you start with yourself; if you can’t lead yourself, you can’t lead people.”

     

    This year, for the first time ever,  after over 50 years of being solo, the Advertising Club collaborated with The One Show.

     

    Speaking about Goafest 2022, Anupriya Acharya, President, Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) said, “It’s been a tough two years, and it’s great to be back on-ground not only in terms of organising the festival but also where achievements are concerned. We are thrilled to  have everyone back, bonding and celebrating this festival.”

     

    Added Jaideep Gandhi, Chairman, Goafest 2022 Organising Committee: “Goafest has undoubtedly grown into one of the most prestigious conventions in South Asia, bringing together some of the most talented and brightest creative geniuses from all walks of life to celebrate the ad-land spirit. We are looking to keep the overall exuberance of this year’s festival about enjoyment, about people coming together to celebrate and connect. As a result, we will be able to understand the true essence of organizing a festival after experiencing two major setbacks in the past. The Goafest festival gives young talent the chance to interact and learn from some of the industry’s stalwarts. These people have played a crucial role in paving the way for them, making the event worthwhile. In addition to these benefits, it serves as a place where young people can engage and network cohesively with the entire media and advertising fraternity.”

     

    Discussing the ABBY Awards at Goafest 2022, Partha Sinha, President, The Advertising Club said, “2022 is definitely a landmark year because of the collaboration of the Abby  Awards with The One Show, and this is a game-changing proposition. It gives a platform to a plethora of agencies, enabling it to become more global. We owe it to the industry to bring something of global standing especially when we are one large world.”

     

    Speaking about the Abbys Awards, Rana Barua, Chairman, Abby Awards Governing Council 2022 & Vice President of The Ad Club said, “A staggering number of participants has been witnessed, surpassing all previous records. In addition to agencies that have participated since our inception, we have also seen those returning every year. Overall, the numbers are higher this month since we had to package everything together in one month. This year and henceforth, Goafest will be considerably bigger and more extravagant.”