MxMIndia

Author: mxmadmin

  • Mirum will provide brand strategy, creative services and manage social media platforms for the brand

    IDFC Mutual Fund appoints Mirum as digital partner

    By Our Staff

     

    Mirum, the full-service digital solutions agency from the WPP Group, has won the digital duties for IDFC Mutual Fund.

     

    As part of the mandate, Mirum will deliver a bouquet of digital services for IDFC MF. Mirum will provide brand strategy, creative services and manage social media platforms for the brand. Mirum, a Salesforce Crest Consulting Partner, will implement Salesforce Marketing Cloud and provide managed services for a seamless marketing automation solution. IDFC MF will also be utilizing Mirum’s technology services for web development, UI/UX and SEO. The account will be serviced by Mirum’s in-house teams from their Mumbai office.

     

    Commenting on the win, Mihir Karkare, EVP, Mirum India said: “We are happy to partner with IDFC Mutual Fund. It is a proud moment for Mirum to win such a large digital mandate and bears a testimony for our digital capabilities. We look forward to service the IDFC MF account and are confident of delivering a seamless solution.”

     

  • He will report to Oindrila Roy, Managing Director, Publicis Worldwide India

    Publicis WW appoints Nitin Sharma as Senior VP & Head of Client Services

    By Our Staff

     

    Nitin Sharma
    Nitin Sharma

    Publicis Worldwide India, part of the Publicis Groupe network in India, has strengthened its leadership team and announced the appointment of Nitin Sharma as Senior Vice President and Head of Client Services. Sharma will be based out of Mumbai and report to Oindrila Roy, Managing Director, Publicis Worldwide India.

     

    Before joining Publicis Worldwide, he was heading marketing strategy for UAE Exchange (now Unimoni). Welcoming Sharma to the agency, Paritosh Srivastava, CEO, Publicis Worldwide, India said: “While we reinvent ourselves to cater to the evolving marketing landscape, it is imperative to have the sound backing of a team that will drive this momentum forward for us. Towards that goal, we are glad to have someone of the calibre of Nitin Sharma who comes on board with domain expertise that is rich and pragmatic. His strong ability to direct and lead brands to a reputable position in the marketplace while possessing qualitative and admirable leadership skills bode well for our momentum in the long run.”

     

  • Notes an Axis My India Sep CSI Survey, adding an average nine apps are used by a smartphone user

    ‘61% watch online video content like YouTube/OTT on their mobile/home TV’

     

     

     

    By Our Staff

     

    Axis My India, the consumer data intelligence company, has released its latest findings of the India Consumer Sentiment Index (CSI), a monthly analysis of consumer perception on a wide range of issues. The September 2022 report highlights that 20% are planning to shop more this festive season. On media consumption 61% mentioned that they watch online video content either on their mobiles or connected TV. 32% mentioned that they notice advertising on TV, followed by digital (26%). An interesting observation was on app usage, on an average there are 9 apps on the mobile phone of a smartphone user.

     

    The September net CSI score, calculated by percentage increase minus percentage decrease in sentiment, is at +10, from +9 last month reflecting an increase/decrease by 1 point

     

    The sentiment analysis delves into five relevant sub-indices – Overall household spending, spending on essential and non-essential items, spending on healthcare, media consumption habits & mobility trends.

     

    The survey was carried out via Computer-Aided Telephonic Interviews with a sample size of 10014 people across 32 states and UTs. 68% belonged to rural India, while 32% belonged to urban counterparts. In terms of regional spread, 23% belong to the Northern parts while 24% belong to the Eastern parts of India. Moreover 29% and 23% belonged to Western and Southern parts of India respectively. 59% of the respondents were male, while 41% were female. In terms of the two majority sample groups, 32% reflect the age group of 36YO to 50YO, while 31% reflect the age group of 26YO to 35YO.

     

    Commenting on the CSI report, Pradeep Gupta, Chairman & MD, Axis My India, said “After compromising past two festive seasons to the pandemic and its related constraints, this year consumers are expected to shop more during festivities. One can witness slight increase in expenses across essential and discretionary products already. Further improvement in mobility sentiments highlights the fact that more and more people are enjoying the stores and malls experience of discovering, shopping and gifting. This sentiment is also extended among the Indian farmers, wherein a significant percentage of 15% intends to buy a brand new tractor in the next one year. This is thus a crucial time for the Indian advertising business as spend are expected to bring a lot more returns than usual. As more and more people (61%) are watching online video content (YouTube/OTT) on their mobile/home TV and thereby noticing ads across TV, online and social media platforms, it is of utmost importance for the media industry to tap the right medium for addressing differentiated consumer needs.

     

    Key findings:

    • Overall household spending has increased for 61% of families which is the same as last month. The net score which was +52 last month has increased by +1 to +53 this month

    • Consumption of media remains the same as last month, which is 19%. The overall, net score, which is -1, this month, also remains the same

    • Mobility has increased for 7% of the families, reflecting an increase of 1% from last month.

    • Spends on essentials like personal care & household items has increased for 46% of the families which is an increase by 1% from last month. The net score which was at +26 this month has increased by +3 to +29

    • Spends on non-essential & discretionary products like AC, Car, and Refrigerator has increased for 7% of families which reflects an increase by 1% from last month. The net score which was at 0 last month has improved to +2 this month. This could reflect the spirit of festive season approaching.

    • Consumption of health-related items has increased for 37% of the families, which reflects a decrease by 1% from last month. The health score which has a negative connotation i.e., the lesser the spends on health items the better the sentiments, has a net score value of -23, as compared to -24 last month.

     

    On topics of current national interest:

    • In an attempt to understand consumer’s engagements with mobile apps, the survey discovered that on an average consumers have 9 apps on their smartphones. 16% use minimum of 4-8 apps, through their smartphone and 22% have more than 8 apps. A significant 24% mentioned that they use a feature phone

    • In order to understand in which medium advertisements get noticed more, the survey found out that a majority of 32% notice advertisements on TV, while 26% notice it through online mediums. It also discovered that only 17% notice ads on social media platforms, 15% on Print, 6% on Outdoors and 2% on Radio.

    • The survey further revealed that a majority of 61% watch online video content like YouTube/OTT on their mobile/home TV.

    • Digging deeper into the festive spirit, the survey shows that 20% plan to shop more this festive season compared to last year. However 32% plan to shop the same as last year

    • According to Axis My India Consumer Sentiment Index Survey, 48% of consumers shop/purchase more products during the festive season as compared to rest of the year

    • Exploring farmer’s sentiments towards new tractors, the survey found out that 10% are planning to purchase new tractors in the coming year, while 3% and 2% plan to but within 6 months and 3 months respectively. Also, a significant 86% of farmers don’t own a tractor, because of reasons like smaller land size, renting or affordability.

     

     

  • The death of 54-year-old former Tata group boss has sent shockwaves. For, many (or most) amongst us do not wear seat belts when on the rear seat. We asked Dr Bhaskar Das a question on the need to build awareness in the September 6 edition of Das ka Dum. Read on…

    Das ka Dum with Dr Bhaskar Das | Since a large number of us use cars, do you think advertisers, media and marketers must get together to build awareness on safety

    Bhaskar DasThe death of 54-year-old former Tata group boss has sent shockwaves. For, many (or most) amongst us do not wear seat belts when on the rear seat. We asked Dr Bhaskar Das a question on the need to build awareness in the September 6 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. Since a large number of us use cars, do you think advertisers, media and marketers must get together to build awareness on safety?

     

    A. Every crisis heightens the cacophony of pontifications about an issue, it ebbs till we move to the next one. What would the campaign promote? Drive safely, don’t speed, wear seat belt, etc etc.

     

    Behavioural transformation at scale isn’t easy to achieve through a time-bound campaign. I remember when the authorities urged drivers/ co-passengers in the front seat to wear seat belts. It took time for universal adoption. It still differs by state. Then came the threat of punishment in the form of fines. In the new models of various cars, now there is constant beep if one doesn’t wear seat belt.

     

    So I feel it needs a combination of efforts to mitigate this disaster: automobile tech should introduce beeping for wearing seat belts in the rear seats, punitive steps for non-compliance, air-bags for the rear seats too. After this, a marketing campaign would work well.

     

    By the way, I don’t know if you have seen or not—an impactful and always topical drive safely campaign by FCB has been running at the crossing of Babulnath and Marine Drive for the last 20 years. South Mumbai residents must have seen it too. But has it shifted behaviour? A marketing campaign can’t be a panacea for all.

     

  • A media which has spent years building up the reputation of Ratan Tata as a veritable god, finds it cannot bring down a shibboleth of its own making, writes Ranjona Banerji

    Ranjona Banerji: Everyone’s an expert on car safety!

    Ranjona BanerjiBy Ranjona Banerji

     

    The death of industrialist Cyrus Mistry in a car crash outside Mumbai has shaken up the chattering classes, sections of social media and business circles. It did not take long though for the WhatsApp Conspiracy Cohorts to write enormously long messages and explanations. Who are these people and how come they have the time to react with such detail to random events all over the world?

    Are they just those proverbial monkeys on typewriters or chimpanzees on keyboards?

    However, we must acknowledge, that they are all experts.

    And as a result of the untimely deaths of Mistry and his fellow passenger Jehangir Pandole, all of us are now experts on airbags, seatbelts, Mercedes Benzes, road safety, neck injuries, spine injuries, vehicle safety and much more. We may never follow any of these, but we know all about it thanks to the sabjantawallahs of WhatsApp. Plus everyone’s great uncle’s best friend’s cousin who worked in a car dealership in 1911.

    Of course, car safety regulations are very important. It is imperative that India makes seatbelts compulsory for drivers and all passengers and that all cars have front and rear airbags. India holds the terrible global record for the highest number of road accidents every year and the maximum number of deaths from road accidents. We know this and yet it seems there is nothing we can do about it.

    Even in the lockdown years, with limited movement, we still managed over 350,000 accidents and 133,000 deaths in 2020 and over 400,000 accidents and 155,000 deaths in 2021.

    https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/in-mistry-crash-tragedy-a-reminder-of-high-numbers-of-road-deaths-in-the-country-8131214/

    https://edition.cnn.com/2022/09/05/business/cyrus-mistry-tata-death-india-accident-intl-hnk/index.html

     

    We have bad roads (badly made and badly designed), no consistency in road design, dangerous debris lying everywhere, not enough proper pavements, not enough designated places to stop, little thought to pedestrians who can neither walk comfortably nor cross the road, terrible signages or good signages covered by political hoardings, banners and electricity poles, hardly anyone following speed limits, indiscriminate use of mobile phones while driving, two-wheeler drivers without helmets, not to mention all the other elements which wander along high speed roads, putting themselves and everyone else in danger.

    All this is now being discussed.

    Excellent.

    What is not being discussed quite as much and not in sufficient detail is Cyrus Mistry’s business legacy and his battle with the Tatas. That is, the details of the legal fight that began after Ratan Tata sacked Mistry is everywhere.

    The reasons why Tata stepped back to get Mistry out are cloaked in shadow.

    There are some hints in this piece by Coomi Kapoor in the Indian Express, that Tata was scared that Mistry was messing with his legacy and that Mistry felt he was fighting not just for his own legacy but for the future of the Tata Group. And that he felt justified because the CEO who replaced him, N Chandrasekaran has carried forward the changes Mistry initiated.

    https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/coomi-kapoor-writes-cyrus-mistry-was-an-introvert-bruised-by-tata-battle-8131144/

    In general however, a media which has spent years building up the reputation of Ratan Tata as a veritable god, finds it cannot bring down a shibboleth of its own making. That Mistry tried to correct much that was wrong with Ratan Tata’s management decisions, including the ill-fated Nano car, is well-known in business circles and within the Tata Group. But the media cannot bring itself to hold Tata to account. Instead, the concentration has been on events subsequent to Mistry’s removal.

    Coomi Kapoor has set the ball rolling. Let’s see how many media houses can take that further.

    Like I always say, don’t hold your breath.

    And do use that seatbelt.

     

    Ranjona Banerji is a senior journalist and commentator. She writes on MxMIndia on Tuesdays and Fridays. Her views here are personal

     

  • To direct the financial major’s strategic marketing activities for business growth

    Edelweiss Wealth appoints Sujay Rachh to head marketing

    By Our Staff

     

    Edelweiss Wealth Management (EWM) has appointed Sujay K Rachh as its Head of Marketing.

     

    Rachh will direct the financial major’s strategic marketing activities for business growth. As a part of the executive leadership team, Sujay will be responsible for overseeing the execution of Edelweiss Wealth Management’s marketing strategy.

     

    While announcing the appointment, Rahul Jain – President and Head Personal Wealth, Edelweiss Wealth Management said: “Sujay’s entry marks a new chapter in our business journey. He brings with him a wealth of experience and will elevate Edelweiss Wealth Management’s business framework. We are in an interesting phase of growth and are confident that he will contribute towards our mission to create and position a comprehensive wealth management platform of the future.”

     

  • Conceptualised by FCB Interface

    Navneet Education rolls out campaign to honour teachers

    By Our Staff

     

    Navneet Education, better known for its guides and last minute revision books, celebrated Teachers’ Day this year with a campaign #TrForTeachers to honour teachers with the title of Tr. before their names.

     

    The campaign, conceived and executed by FCB Interface, a digital agency, has been aired on several platforms like YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

     

    Talking about the campaign, Devish Gala, Head – Branding, Navneet Education Ltd. said: “We at Navneet believe that schooling creates the foundation of education, and teachers are the ultimate guiding force in a student’s journey. Therefore, we always strive to give our best possible support to teachers who are working relentlessly and selflessly through our expertise and new-age products. A teacher’s job is one of the most difficult jobs however it doesn’t necessarily gets the recognition like other professions. #TrForTeachers is our way of paying an ode to the spirit of teacher and a salute to their noble profession. This is just the beginning, and we are confident it will inspire many others to move in this direction”

     

    Added Rakesh Menon, National Creative Director, FCB Interface: “Teaching is a profession that makes all other professions possible. And yet, it is perhaps the most undervalued profession of all. Honouring teachers with a title of Tr. is a small but powerful way to change the way we look at them.”

  • Starts an initiative for 'The Responsible Manhole' during monsoons

    Dentsu Creative partners with BMC & TVS for safer roads

    By Our Staff

     

    Dentsu Creative’s latest innovation ‘The Responsible Manhole’, a road safety initiative in partnership with the Brihanmumbai Corporation (BMC) and TVS Motor Company addresses the critical issue of open manholes in the city.

     

    Commenting on the initiative, Aniruddha Haldar, Senior Vice President (Marketing), TVS Motor Company, said: “TVS Motor Company has always endeavoured to leverage technology to enhance road safety. This time round along with our partner Dentsu Creative we have focused on monsoon and the Open manhole. A simple but insightful use of connectivity and technology coupled with building support ecosystem with the administration proves to literally be a lifesaver!  We have anchored this in inception and will take it to other cities. TVS Motor Company remains committed to leveraging technology to making our roads safer!”

     

    Added Gurbaksh Singh, Chief Innovation Officer, Dentsu Creative: “The Responsible Manhole is a testament to how the right use of technology and data can aid the lives of countless people. Collaborating with the BMC and TVS Motor Company on this project was such an enriching experience. We’re glad to see that innovation is at the source of solving some of India’s biggest problems.”

     

     

  • She will be taking an active role in the growth and product vision of the company

    Meenakshi Menon joins Icogz as Chairperson

    By Our Staff

     

    Meenakshi Menon
    Meenakshi Menon

    Meenakshi Menon has joined the board of Icogz, a business intelligence platform, as Chairperson.

     

    On the recent association with Icogz, Menon said: “Over the years my objective has been to deliver data driven actionable insights helping brands and businesses. That continues to be an area that fascinates me given the seismic shifts in the market place. Brand-owners today are drowning in data, that’s probably why the term Data lake! Unfortunately the digital world encourages silos given the fact that the two biggest players have walled gardens with restricted access. When I saw what Icogz had done in combining independent sources of data and establishing causal patterns across disparate data sets it was truly a Eureka moment.  For me it’s a fantastic opportunity to help a young dynamic team grow their business while helping brand owners, a constituency I have worked with for the last 40+ years. I have always believed in walking the talk and thus the investment, as not only do I believe in the product but also the team behind the product and their vision to build a truly world class product.”

     

    Amit Tripathi
    Amit Tripathi

    Added Amit Tripathi, Founder & Managing Director: “It gives me immense pleasure and honour to have Meenakshi on board as Chairperson of Icogz. Icogz has been a dream cherished for a while, and today is arguably one of the foremost Data AI tools in the industry. Having known Meenakshi for over two decades, it is extremely encouraging to associate with her and carve growth strategies for taking icogz® to the next level. We are currently engaged with some of the biggest brands across the World to build actionable intelligence and insights in their business, and under Meenakshi’s mentorship we hope to make a meaningful difference to their bottom lines as well as business growth.”

     

  • Conceptualised by Hashtag Orange digital marketing company in Gurugram

    Sanya Malhotra promotes Philips Smart Wi-Fi Led lights

    By Our Staff

     

    Signify, the new company name of Philips lighting, has unveiled its festive campaign ‘Smarter Generation ki smart lights’ for its Philips Smart Wi-Fi LED lighting range, featuring leading actor and Philips brand ambassador Sanya Malhotra.

     

    The 40-second film, conceptualized by Hashtag Orange, digital marketing company in Gurgaon, features a catchy soundtrack and highlights the features of Philips Smart Wi-Fi LED lights.

     

    Speaking about the new campaign, Nikhil Gupta, Head of Marketing & Integrated Communications and Commercial Operations, Signify Innovations India Limited said: “Smart lighting is a new yet rapidly growing category in India, with the demand driven by young consumers who prefer home devices that are smart, convenient and innovative. Our latest TVC highlights how smart LED lights can completely transform the ambience and mood of a room and the campaign tagline ‘Smarter Generation ki smart lights’ aptly positions the new Philips Smart Wi-fi LED lights as the perfect lighting option for the modern tech-savvy generation. We are the global leader in lighting and the film reiterates our technology leadership in the LED lighting segment.”

     

    Commenting on the campaign, Amit Shankar- Co-Founder, Chief Creative Officer, Hashtag Orange added: “There couldn’t have been a better brief for Diwali than Philips Smart Wi-Fi LED lights. When we researched the product and all the offerings that come with it, our entire team got excited knowing the fact that these LED lights are Wi-Fi enabled with voice commands and have a customised Wiz app that lets you switch between millions of colours based on your mood. To showcase these lights, we decided to craft a film with a contemporary take on Indian festivities. We married choreography with the various functionalities of the lights which work wonderfully through voice and app control. We highlighted the playfulness of young members of the family and how well these smart LED lights could change the entire setting based on their various moods. For us at Hashtag Orange, we had a blast filming and editing this peppy, energetic and a truly Diwali film. Post this wonderful film, we have come to realize that when it comes to smart lighting, it has to be Philips.”

     

     

  • A multilingual outdoor campaign in nearly 150 towns

    Laqshya creates OOH campaign for Santoor soap

    By Our Staff

     

    Laqshya Media Group has executed an Out of Home (OOH) campaign for Santoor, the flagship brand of Wipro Consumer Care. The multilingual campaign is aimed to uplevel the brand’s reach at the grassroots level to improve the brand’s footprint nationally.

     

    Said Prasanna Rai, CMO and Head of Ecommerce Business, Wipro Consumer Care and Lightning: “As part of the growth strategy on Santoor, we are looking at delivering tactical brand message on-ground, at scale, in sub-5 lakh population towns in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Orissa, Gujarat, and Tamil Nadu. In Laqshya, we found a partner who could seamlessly plan, source, execute and monitor our largest ever outdoor campaign in close to 150 towns across these states quickly.”

     

    Added Amarjeet Hudda, COO of Laqshya Solutions: “It’s always our goal at Laqshya Media Group to build long-term relationships with brands who are just as passionate as we are. We’re so glad that Santoor is one of those brands, and we’re honored to empower them by delivering dynamic and contextually relevant regional content that resonates with campaign TG. Providing our clients with the best-in-class and most effective and innovative Out of Home solutions is what we’re all about.”

     

  • We are of course referring to a large format news channel and not a internet-based offering. Let's hear it from Dr Bhaskar Das in the September 7 edition of Das ka Dum. Read on…

    Das ka Dum with Dr Bhaskar Das | With NDTV likely to go the Adani way,  do you think there is a business case for a left-of-centre news channel?

    Bhaskar DasWe are of course referring to a large format news channel and not a internet-based offering. Let’s hear it from Dr Bhaskar Das in the September 7 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. With NDTV likely to go the Adani way,  do you think there is a business case for a left-of-centre news channel?

     

    A. I wonder why any new channel has to start with the basic assumption of LEANINGS. Why can’t the primary motto be to reflect FACTS and well-researched opinion to help audiences make sense of the tsunami of information all around them from multiple sources.

     

    The million dollar question, however, is how to devise a positive business model to make the initiative commercially viable. It can’t be over-dependent on AVOD. It has to be a smart (read hybrid) combination of SVOD, Freemium, AVOD etc and screen-agnostic in delivery. But the search for a viable business model presupposes unflinching commitment to quality journalism and quality distribution. The news genre in India is deeply sullied by a variety of controversies. And due to a glut in the supply side, the merit of frequency building and the context of immediacy of news genre have been relegated in the background and the genre doesn’t get what it deserves. It is high time media owners think of the audience and avoid polarised perspectives.