MxMIndia

Author: mxmadmin

  • Fans stand a chance to meet their favourite players this IPL season

    Wunderman Thompson creates gamified ads for Nestle Munch

    By Our Staff

     

    Nestle Munch has tied up with four teams this cricket season to create an engaging immersive experience for the Nestle Munch brand. The campaign crafted by Wunderman Thompson India is an experiential, immersive, gaming experience for cricket fans that dials up the brand franchise through use of technology. The entire approach is gamified to build a non TVC tech first approach that is triggered via a scan of specially designed cricket team Nestle Munch packs.

     

    Talking about the campaign, Rupali Rattan, Head – Confectionery Business, Nestlé India, said: “We are really thrilled about how we are leveraging technology to bring alive this exciting partnership between Munch and the loved sport of Cricket. It not only enables youngsters to play specially curated, fun games but also enables them to come up close with their favorite cricketing heroes in an augmented reality universe so they continue to be inspired and stay confident.”

     

    Commenting on the campaign, Joy Chauhan, Managing Partner, Wunderman Thompson Delhi, said: “As we rapidly move towards a digital first economy and spend more and more of our time online, getting consumer’s attention and time through new and emerging technology has become imperative for the brands. The dependence of consumers on technology reflects in time they spent on social media, use technology for commerce, and even use technology for their wellbeing which in turn necessitates for the brands to leverage this changing consumer behaviour and be a part of this evolving journey.

     

  • For its digital agency Experience Commerce

    Cheil India appoints Umesh Bopche as CEO

    By Our Staff

     

    Cheil India has appointed Umesh Bopche as CEO for its digital agency – Experience Commerce.

     

    On this new addition to the Cheil India, Sanjeev Jasani, Chief Operating Officer, Cheil India said: “I am delighted to welcome Umesh into the family. Umesh is an astute & result-oriented business leader with good vision, exactly what Experience Commerce needs at the moment to continue its exponential growth in India. More importantly he is a good human being who is empathetic towards his people and can bring them together to rally towards a common goal.  In my mind, Umesh is a perfect fit for the role. I am sure Umesh will play a crucial part in Cheil India’s growth trajectory in the years to come and make Experience Commerce one of the top digital agencies in India and the APAC Region. I wish Umesh the very best for this role as the CEO of Experience Commerce.”

     

  • Primary focus on brand awareness and community building

    22feet Tribal Worldwide wins digital duties for Porter logistics

    By Our Staff

     

    Porter, the intracity transportation and logistics company, has awarded its digital mandate to 22feet Tribal Worldwide, following a multi-agency pitch.

     

    Said Mohit Rathi, AVP, Growth & Marketing, Porter: “Porter is built on the promise of quality, accessibility and affordability of the service. We plan to carry these values into our next phase of growth. We are excited to bring in 22feet Tribal Worldwide to lead our digital communication as we continue to transform the logistics space.”

     

    Added Ken Sekhar, EVP & National Head of Business, 22feet Tribal Worldwide: “Porter has been on an incredible journey of growth since its inception. It has revolutionised the logistics category in the country and helped several small businesses thrive in the new normal. The brand has bigger ambitions now as it looks to cement its top spot in the market, and we are excited to partner with them in this mission. I’m sure we will create a beautiful story together.

     

  • These are leading questions, one may say. But we genuinely have asked ourselves something like it in the instance. For instance, is there any point living in a big city, when one can enjoy a better lifestyle in a smaller town. Or till what time should one continue the way we are in our business/job. So we posed the question to Dr Bhaskar Das for the May 17 edition of Das ka Dum. Read on…

    Das ka Dum with Dr Bhaskar Das | In the stockmarkets, there is a concept of a ‘stop loss’. At what stage of one’s career or in a job, should one exercise that so that a decay can be arrested?

    Bhaskar DasThese are leading questions, one may say. But we genuinely have asked ourselves something like it in the instance. For instance, is there any point living in a big city, when one can enjoy a better lifestyle in a smaller town. Or till what time should one continue the way we are in our business/job. So we posed the question to Dr Bhaskar Das for the May 17 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 the stockmarkets, there is a concept of a ‘stop loss’. At what stage of one’s career or in a job, should one exercise that so that a decay can be arrested?

     

    A. I need to clarify what I understand by the ‘stop loss’ concept. One meaning is what we know in stockmarket language. The other is its metaphorical interpretation.

    A stop loss order is essentially  an order placed with a broker to buy or sell a specific stock, once the stock reaches a certain price point. The strategic intent is to limit an investor’s loss on a secured position.

    In case of careers that kind of exercise is difficult to apply as each point of a career has unique highs and lows. One can’t extrapolate by studying past behaviour of an organisation, people and environmental alterations. In case of stocks, a regression equation can be applied to a large size of data to decode a pattern (AI) and can use predictive analytics (ML). With a provision for margin of error, one can still minimise loss.

    In case of careers, the only route to apply the ‘stop loss’ concept is not to be complacent and suffer from a positive paranoia about one’s dispensability. And in the process keep one’s powder dry to be ready for any contingencies. Sustained upskilling can make an individual anti-fragile and the ‘stop loss’ remote can be in the hand of the individual.

     

  • Essential for wellbeing of online gaming industry

    GST Rate to be continued at 18 % for online gaming

    By Our Staff

     

    The Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) in a statement issued on Monday urged the GST Council to continue maintaining the GST on online gaming at 18 percent. For real money games in particular the GST should continue to be levied on the Platform Fee only at the rate of 18 percent. Any increase in the GST rates in this sector will be detrimental to the overall wellbeing of the industry, seriously impacting the industry’s contribution to the nation’s economy through revenue generation, livelihood creation and foreign investments.

     

    IAMAI notes with concern that there is an ongoing discussion to increase the GST taxation rate to 28 percent for the online gaming industry. There is also no clarity on whether this will apply only to real money games or casual games as well, given that the former being a sub-segment of online gaming. Further, it appears from the reports in the media that for real money games this may be applied to the entire Contest Fee.

     

    IAMAI is of the opinion that any such increase in the GST rate is likely to turn businesses in the sector unviable, leading to complete shutdown, which in turn will result in loss of a large number of jobs and a loss of investor-confidence debilitating India’s online gaming industry, which is currently witnessing fast and exponential growth of 35 percent CAGR.

     

    That apart increasing the GST rate will lead to an erosion of tax-base on the one hand, and encourage the spawning of grey markets on the other.

     

  • To focus on growing the client base in Mumbai

    Wunderman Thompson appoints Anurag Tandon as Managing Partner

    By Our Staff

     

    Wunderman Thompson has appointed Anurag Tandon as its Managing Partner to lead its Mumbai operations effective May 16. In his new role, Tandon will focus on growing the client base in Mumbai and closely work with teams on providing business solutions for brands by leveraging the agency’s capabilities of creative, technology, strategic consultancy, commerce and data-driven experience and design.

     

    Tandon joins Wunderman Thompson from DDB Mudra where he served as Managing Partner heading the Mumbai and Ahmedabad operations focused on driving top line growth and delivering profitability. He was also Global Brand Director for Unilever’s Ice Cream business – responsible for developing integrated brand strategies and communication plans in markets across SEA, NAMET and LATAM.

     

    Commenting on Anurag’s appointment, Shams Jasani, CEO, Wunderman Thompson, South Asia, said, “Mumbai is one of our strongest offices and with our focus on being the strategic partner for our clients across the brand and consumer experience ecosystem, we are delighted to onboard Anurag at this critical juncture to augment growth for our clients and teams.  With his strong track record of achieving business targets and vast experience across diverse categories and brands, we are convinced that he will be able to accelerate the momentum we have and achieve great success.”

     

  • To manage PR solutions for the brand

    Crosshairs Communication bags iTokri mandate

    By Our Staff

     

    Crosshairs Communication has bagged the PR mandate for iTokri. The agency will be responsible for mainline and digital public relations along with media duties for the brand.

     

    On winning the mandate, Stuti Jalan, Founder of Crosshairs Communication, said: “The entire strategy will be crafted to connect and engage with a cross-section of audiences leveraging the brands legacy. We are honoured to be associated with iTokri, a brand that promotes Indian artisans and women from backward socio-economic sections and keeps Indias traditional handicrafts alive. Looking at our teams experience and knowledge in this industry and differentiated storytelling approach, I’m confident that we will be strengthening brands affinity and helping the company in achieving its set ambitions.

     

  • The Tucker Carlson effect of instigation to death is one that we are long familiar with, writes Ranjona Banerji. They pander to our basest feelings, to the worst of human ideas and beliefs

    Killer News!

     

     

     

    By Ranjona Banerji

     

    Ranjona BanerjiThe supermarket shooting in Buffalo, New York which killed 10 Black Americans and injured three others is shocking enough, even if America is known for its mass shootings. The shooter, Payton Gendron, is a self-confessed fascist anti-Semite white supremacist. According to reports, he scouted out this predominantly Black neighbourhood and then drove 200 miles to carry out his crime.

     

    Gendron was influenced by the extreme right-wing “Great Replacement Theory” doing the rounds in America that falsely claims that Blacks are trying to replace Whites and that they are not really underprivileged or discriminated against.

    https://edition.cnn.com/2022/05/16/us/buffalo-supermarket-shooting-monday/index.html

     

    One of the main proponents of this evil and pernicious theory is TV anchor Tucker Carlson of Fox News.

     

    And here begin the similarities with the worst of Indian television.

     

    Across the spectrum, we have anchors like Carlson who night after night work to ramp up anti-Muslim, anti-Dalit and anti-Christian sentiment in India. They attack anyone who dares to contest their “theory” that Hindus are in danger. They pander to our basest feelings, to the worst of human ideas and beliefs.

     

    Far from having qualms about the hatred they spread and the inherent dangers therein, they are unashamedly proud of their work. “Anchor Anand” poses with a suitably superior look for his toxic show “the right stand” on CNN News18. (It is another matter that CNN International is constantly scathing about Tucker Carlson and about Fox News. That their Indian partner is a close copy bothers CNN International not.) Rahul Shivshankar of Times Now similarly pushes the false line that Hindus are in danger in India because of Muslims, Dalits and other religious minorities.

     

    All these TV channels are, goes without saying, huge admirers of the BJP and of Narendra Modi.

     

    As the BJP has moved closer to its core upper caste vote-bank over the past seven years, these TV channels have also moved from attacking liberals, writers, artists and academics to civil rights activists to “the elite” to Dalits, Christians, Sikhs and on to their favourite targets, Muslims.

     

    Their ways are many. From open bigotry to childish petulance. They follow the trend of Whatsapp forwards: Nehru never taught us that the Ramayana existed and so on.

     

    Thus, none of these channels will challenge the unmitigated nonsense from the Hindu right-wing that the Taj Mahal was once a Hindu temple. Instead, they will amplify Hindutva beliefs that every mosque and Muslim mausoleum in India was built on a Hindu temple.

     

    America’s lax gun control laws put weapons in the hands of murderers and fanatics. India’s laws may not be the same but as we have seen with mob violence over the past seven years, we do not need a Constitutional right to carry arms in order to murder and attack people on the basis of their religion and caste. Instead, we find that help for hate crimes is available from our police forces.

     

    Cue in the Delhi Police and TV person and channel owner Suresh Chavhanke who said he was ready to kill if need be for a “Hindu rashtra”. But the Delhi Police heard nothing.

    https://www.newslaundry.com/2022/04/22/after-delhi-police-says-no-hate-speech-by-suresh-chavhanke-at-event-sc-says-file-better-affidavit

     

    Thus, the Indian media is always there, as both instigator and cheerleader.

     

    Many parallels have already been made between this enormous segment of the Indian media and the infamous Radio Rwanda, which encouraged genocide by the Tutus against the Hutsis by spreading lies and hatred in Rwanda in the 1990s.

     

    The Carlson effect of instigation to death is one that we are long familiar with.

     

    There will be a price to pay.

     

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

     

  • It is the first accreditation programme for Public Relations Professionals

    PRCAI accredits 18 public relations professionals

    By Our Staff

     

    The Public Relations Consultants Association of India (PRCAI) has announced results of India’s first Accreditation Programme in Indian Public Relations (AIPR) for public relations professionals – including young professionals and emerging leaders.

     

    Announcing the list of 18 public relations professionals who qualified for the first-ever batch of AIPR, PRCAI conferred each one of them with the prestigious AIPR pin. These young professionals will be the torchbearers of the industry as they strive to maintain strong professional and ethical standards, leading the industry.

     

    Said Atul Sharma, President, PRCAI: “At PRCAI, we celebrate, honour and work everyday to forward the vision of our industry – to be more professional, ethical and prosperous. AIPR is our endeavour in that direction, and this is just the beginning. I am very happy for our first batch of accredited professionals, who I am sure will help in this pursuit as they lead this industry into the future. Heartiest congratulations to each one of them. ”

     

    Added Deeptie Sethi, CEO, PRCAI: “The communications industry has an invaluable pool of subject matter experts who are incredible thinkers, strategists, planners, writers and are extremely committed to their profession. AIPR is a platform to recognize such talent and motivate them to continue to upskill to remain relevant in the evolving world of communications and aspire to be the best. PRCAI appreciates the efforts of seasoned veterans who formed the jury and believed in the program and its merits and are supportive mentors to help shape them as effective practitioners.”

     

  • Once again, any resemblance to recent or distant events is purely coincidental. We asked this question to Dr Bhaskar Das for the May 18 edition of Das ka Dum only to enlighted ourselves and you, dear read. #Just. Sachchi, really. Read on…

    Das ka Dum with Dr Bhaskar Das | For someone who has stuck around in one job for 3-4 decades, and then a few back-to-back changes, albeit all for more than 2-3 years, what according to you is the best career strategy

    Bhaskar DasOnce again, any resemblance to recent or distant events is purely coincidental. We asked this question to Dr Bhaskar Das for the May 18 edition of Das ka Dum only to enlighted ourselves and you, dear read. #Just. Sachchi, really. 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. For someone who has stuck around in one job for 3-4 decades, and then a few back-to-back changes, albeit all for more than 2-3 years, what according to you is the best career strategy

     

    A. There is no one deterministic route for a career. At the outset, I would like to ask how does one define a career — by material gains, by hierarchy, by how others perceive you, etc? I think each individual has a distinctive definition of career. I have none beyond what gives one job satisfaction where compensation complements contribution and learning. One needs to follow a career that one feels passionate about and make it best from one’s priorities of life.

     

  • Results can be seen on www.goldenaward.com

    Montreux Festival 2022: India bags 4 Golds and 10 Finalists

    By Our Staff

     

    At the 33rd Golden Award of Montreux Festival, Indian companies won four Golds in the categories of Digital/Interactive, Direct Marketing and Design.

     

    BC WebWise bagged a Gold in the Digital category with the website for Vespa75 Bioscope. Blink Digital India was awarded Gold for ICICI Prudential Mutual “Quest2Invest”. In Direct Marketing, Cog Culture received a Gold for “Committed To Cure”‘ for Medharbour and Tree Design won Gold in the Design category for motion graphics on packaging for Tata Tea.

     

    Cog Culture won three Finalists for The Class of One, Osho Flexibles and Medharbour. HT Labs won two Finalists for OTT Play. Tree Design won two Finalists for PVR and one Finalist for Tata Tea. Blink Digital won two Finalists for ICICI Prudential Mutual and Amazon.

     

    Said Frank Bodin, President of Art Director Club, Switzerland: “Montreux is a place of world-class creativity,” “As a musician, you have to experience the Montreux Jazz Festival. As an advertiser, you have to have won a Golden Award of Montreux.”

     

    The Golden Award of Montreux only Golds, there is no Silver or Bronze – so the Finalist Certificate is also said to carry a lot of value.

     

    Results can be seen on www.goldenaward.com

     

  • Why would someone advertise their win in print in the digital era, wonders Sanjeev Kotnala

    Long live Advertising Awards

     

     

    By Sanjeev Kotnala

     

    Sanjeev KotnalaAs the trend goes, the agencies had stopped advertising their win at award events even before the pandemic. However, after Goafest 2022, one ad appeared in Brand Equity, in The Economic Times. And one started questioning the need for it. Why would someone advertise their win in print in the digital era? Not a tricky question, but the answers are vague. So, I did what I usually do, I reached out to my dear friend and a well-known brand and marketing consultant, Vermajee. I wanted an explanation for this anti-advertising posture of agencies? You win something good- so why not advertise?

     

    As I poured Vermajee his glass of preferred Single malt, I could see he was deep in thought. Today, the mystery would be resolved.

     

    Vermajee on award wins

    Like any good consultant, Vermajee placed the case details for agreement.

    Agencies enter awards to win. Entering awards is a costly ritual, and no agency enters awards to be counted as an also-ran. So, they enter their best work. A work they can be proud of and at least is internally considered award-worthy under peer group evaluation. In fact, the agency does not want anyone to know they entered the awards unless they make it to the finalist.

    The participants hate shortlists, but then it works for the event organisers.

    It all was making sense after two pegs.

     

    Who advertises the award win?

    There are only two possible outcomes: you win an award, or you don’t. The reaction and happiness on winning an award is a function of what metal the agency wins, the size of the business, who worked on the creative, if winning awards is a habit or if the award is a surprise.

    It holds true for most awards other than the Cannes Advertising award. There every win is worth celebrating.

    Vermajee explained the logic.

    If one win is a bronze or a silver or two, it is not worth advertising. And that is true for small as well as big creative powerhouses. Anyway, the winners will brag on social media about the win. Friends would congratulate, and the client might add their social media support to the win.

    On the other side, say one wins big. Like Grand Prix, the agency of the year type, it changes the perspective. It is a piece of huge news. It should naturally get covered by media partners and industry-specific media, including social media. Most likely, the people who matter would be following the event, and hence they would know. Seems logical.

    However, the agency may want to amplify the win by advertising and making the unaware target group know of their big win. It will happen only if the win counts in the eyes of the CMOs. The creative awards are okay for this, but they are no proof of efficiency and effectiveness. And then it costs money to advertise.

    Rather than advertising, doing personal communication to the few the agency wants to reach out and impress will be more effective.

    But, if the awards have lost their sheen. Suppose they are no longer considered the epitome of excellence and have lost their importance and relevance as a business development tool. In that case, there is no need to consider advertising the win.

     

    Vermajee seeks accountable award organisers

    Vermajee was playing with his glass and my thoughts. He smiled at my ignorance and continued. Award organisers for years have gone unchallenged. They go out of their way to amplify the call for entries; their moral duty is to amplify the wins in relevant media. Not as coverage, but as an ad.

    Vermajee adds it may not be possible to do justice to every winner. Prioritisation and award hierarchy need to be defined to communicate the top awards. Where media organisations are sponsors, the deal itself could include space for such an ad and special rates for the winners to advertise.

     

    What’s missing from the award ads

    The award ads tell you who won what. However, you are left guessing what they won it for. The ad cannot show every thumbnail, but it can carry a QR that loads a page where you can see all the relevant wins in their full glory and details. One can even link it to the agency’s pages featuring other work.

    The award organisers can easily create an award page as the entries now are digitised. In fact, it works for the awards. Is it too much to expect the myopic award organiser to look for stakeholders’ interests? Most even don’t allow the Jury to present their point of view as to why they awarded one entry over the other equally good entry.

     

    Net-net

    Vermajee closed the discussion with a bottom-up of his fifth drink.

    Advertising or not advertising is dependent upon a few simple answers. How creatively can you treat the award win ad? How strong is the need to commu8nicate the win? If there is an internal pressure to advertise? Do you want to reassure the existing clients with these wins or use them as a new business tool? And finally, What is the ROI you expect from the investment in an award advertisement.

    Vermajee dramatically raised the glass and shouted at the top of his voice, “To the last of the award ads. Go treasure the moment. Long live advertising- long live awards, Jab Tak Client Aur Agency Rahegi, Tab Tak  Awards Their Kaam Rahega“.  Award will remain  till there are clients and agencies.