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  • The question was meant to provoke and get a philosophical spin to our answer. The former didn't happen, the latter did. As you'll figure by reading Dr Bhaskar Das in the November 17 edition of Das ka Dum. Read on…

    Das ka Dum with Dr Bhaskar Das | It’s World Philosophy Day today. Which means it’s your day given that you can put a philosophical spin on anything under the sun! How do you do that?

    Bhaskar DasThe question was meant to provoke and get a philosophical spin to our answer. The former didn’t happen, the latter did. As you’ll figure by reading Dr Bhaskar Das in the November 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 or click here: https://www.mxmindia.com/category/columns/das-ka-dum/

     

    Q. It’s World Philosophy Day today. Which means it’s your day given that you can put a philosophical spin on anything under the sun! How do you do that?

     

    A. It has nothing to do with me , but I personally feel that a philosophical perspective is very crucial to get out of the mediocrity emanating out of perfunctoriness.

     

    Philosophy, I feel, opens the mind for new concepts and innovative ideas. It engenders critical and independent thinking. It is true globally. It’s importance has never been so important, as it is today, thanks to myopic thinking that is plaguing the world due to increasing global conflict, reverse globalisation, rise of narrow nationalistic jingoism, climate crisis, sabre-rattling and lack of compassion and tolerance etc. Global leaders need to pause and reflect how to prevent this harakiri of human and the planet’s existence by evaluating all issues from a philosophical perspective and then act in the larger interest of humanity. But it can’t certainly be done by observing a day. It has to be a global credo and the comity of Nations have to collectively commit to its daily observance. Easier said than done, to say the least.

     

  • Agency retains media duties of the auto major for 5 more years

    Lodestar UM wins media mandate of BMW India

    By Our Staff

     

    Lodestar UM has successfully retained auto giant BMW India’s integrated media duties. The win came on the heels of a multi-agency pitch held through March to October. The account will continue to be led out of the agency’s Gurugram office.

     

    Speaking about the momentous development, Aditi Mishra, CEO, Lodestar UM, said: “We are thrilled to be chosen as the integrated media partner for an iconic global brand like BMW. The continuation of our five-year old journey speaks volumes of how successful the partnership has been in making BMW one of the most desirable brands in the country. The premium auto market in India has witnessed stellar growth in 2022, and there is a growing opportunity to welcome newer customers to this segment. The adoption of our proprietary Futureproof planning process will continue to unleash maximum value by connecting BMW to its audiences through seamless journeys across touchpoints.”

     

  • To announce renewed identity inspired by the new era of travel

    Thomas Cook India unveils new logo

    By Our Staff

     

    Thomas Cook (India) Limited, the travel services company, has unveiled a new logo inspired by the changing environment, renewed energy and excitement that define the company in this new era of travel.

     

    In the new logo, the abbreviation of the brand name, TC, is a younger representation of the brand while retaining its reputation of expertise in travel and travel related solutions.

     

    Said Abraham Alapatt, President & Group Head – Marketing, Service Quality, Value Added Services & Innovation, Thomas Cook (India) and SOTC Travel: “The pandemic has changed several norms in the travel industry and to keep pace with the changing environment/expectations of customers, we are refreshing the familiar Thomas Cook logo with a stronger, more impactful, digital-friendly identity. Our dynamic new logo embodies our fluid and dynamic personality as we transform continually in line with the rapidly changing travel services industry & reconfirms our continued commitment to customer delight with unmatched travel experiences.”

     

  • To beef up Mirchi's own digital transformation

    Mirchi acquires stake in Spardha School of Music

    By Our Staff

     

    Entertainment Network India Ltd (ENIL), a subsidiary of The Times Group, has acquired a significant minority stake in Spardha – a music e-learning startup. This is to beef up Mirchi’s own digital transformation as a mobile-first entertainment brand.

     

    Commenting on this investment, Yatish Mehrishi, CEO, ENIL, said: “Over the past two decades, Mirchi has become synonymous with best-in-class music and entertainment. Even as we transform into a mobile-first entertainment brand and are busy building out our Mirchi Plus app engine, we are keen to explore a number of new areas. We can build those in-house, or we can invest outside. E-learning was one such space, that we were interested in building from a D2C standpoint, but it was best that we invest in a sector leader like Spardha, rather than build inside ENIL.”

     

    Added Saurabh Srivastav, founder director and CEO of Spardha: “I feel thrilled about this new partnership with ENIL. We at Spardha strongly believe that there are multiple opportunities where Spardha & Mirchi can collaborate in the common interest of helping Spardha grow faster & improve its brand visibility in the market. Mirchi has a strong presence in many international markets where Spardha is focusing on for the next level of growth. Mirchi’s strong presence in these markets will help Spardha optimize its branding & marketing strategies to penetrate deeper into those international markets at a faster pace. Spardha looks to gain from Mirchi’s prowess in building strong consumer facing brands, its deep engagement with the film & music industry as well as its ad-revenue and B2B sales ecosystem.

     

  • Prefer to make purchases on mobile phones after visiting a store

    Consumers increasingly prefer hybrid shopping experience: Sinch Research

    By Our Staff

     

    Sinch, a Sweden-based computer software company, has conducted a research on the shopping preferences of consumers. According to the findings, 73 percent of shoppers prefer to make purchases on their mobile phones after visiting a store.

     

    Entering the 2022 holiday season, consumers are increasingly embracing a hybrid shopping experience that couples in-store visits with digital tools that optimize the buying process, according to a global survey of nearly 3,000 customers commissioned by Sinch.

     

    Shoppers prefer retailers that super-charge the in-person experience by layering on a level of automation and efficiency before they even enter the store. For example, a whopping 92 percent of consumers would message a chatbot to check if a product is in stock before making a trip to the store, while 73 percent want to visit a store and then make a final purchase on their mobile phones, often from within the store itself.

     

    Consumers are open to messaging or chatting with retailers, but are frustrated by one-sided conversations or delayed responses:

    :: Shoppers are open to messaging retailers for initiating product returns, exchanges and refunds (90 percent), getting updates on items left in their online carts (89 percent) or completing a customer satisfaction survey (77 percent). But more than half (53 percent) of consumers are frustrated when they can’t respond to mobile messages from businesses.

     

    :: More than half (54 percent) of respondents have messaged a retailer on a social platform, believing it a faster path to answers than going to a store, sending an email or making a phone call. Yet only a quarter of the queries receive an instant response, while 75 percent of those messages take anywhere from several hours to more than a day – or, they go completely unanswered. These delays carry real consequences – particularly as more consumers are making purchases directly through these social media channels after viewing products in store – driving the majority of them (54 percent) to shop elsewhere.

     

    Said Jonathan Bean, Chief Marketing Officer, Sinch: “Just as it has in our home and work lives, the line between physical and digital experiences when shopping has become increasingly blurred. The winners this holiday shopping season will be the retailers that do more than just optimize online- and in-store processes. Adding rich messaging, chatbots or other conversational technologies into the mix will meet shoppers how and where they want to engage.Direct messaging – and its inferred immediacy – is woven into every aspect of consumers’ lives, and they clearly expect brands and retailers to keep pace, or they will take their business elsewhere.”

     

  • For Season 2 of MTV Nishedh series

    Viacom18 and MTV Staying Alive Foundation roll out campaign

    By Our Staff

     

    Viacom18 and MTV Staying Alive Foundation are back with Season 2 of television series MTV Nishedh.

     

    Speaking about the campaign, Anshul Ailawadi, Head – Youth & English Entertainment, Viacom18, said: “We believe that doing good is good for business, and that ethos drives our content choices too. The maiden season of MTV Nishedh performed well with a consolidated viewership of over 11 Mn and a growing digital following. We are excited to push the boundaries when it comes to content narratives and to shine the spotlight on topics that might be considered taboo.”

     

    Added Georgia Arnold, Executive Director of MTV Staying Alive Foundation: “I’m excited that we’ll be able to reach even more young people, empowering them to make informed choices about the social and health issues they encounter. With partners like Viacom18, it gives the campaign monumental leverage in terms of reach and engagement.”

     

    Commenting on the partnership, Sarthak Ranade, Managing Director of Janssen India & South Asia, part of the Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson said: “Johnson & Johnson continues its fight against TB in India, building on our longstanding work in collaboration with the Government of India, NGOs and other partners. We believe that there is tremendous power in multi-sectorial partnerships to help turn the tide against this devastating disease. Through our partnership with the MTV Staying Alive Foundation on Season 2 of MTV Nishedh, we aim to empower the youth of today to make a real change and champion the cause of a TB-free India.”

     

  • The scrapping of the entire Accessibility Experience Team could impact the PwD-friendly platform, writes Shruti Pushkarna

    Will the Twitter Takeover lead to Muzzling of the Disabled?

     

     

     

    By Shruti Pushkarna

     

    Shruti PushkarnaSince Elon Musk’s takeover on November 4, Twitter has been constantly in the news. For firing around 3700 people within the first week in the name of cost-cutting. For $8-a-month fee to get the verified blue tick status. For scammers that popped up soon after the announcement of the Blue subscription plan. It’s been chaotic, in short.

     

    Both the Indian and the foreign news media have been nosing around for the tiniest whiff of this musky saga. Chasing all angles of the unraveling stories, be it the woes of the Twitterati, their tweeps, the economics at play or the lives affected by the brutal layoffs.

     

    In the local context, we’ve seen moving accounts of Indians who stand to lose their H1B status after being fired. A tweet by the new CEO rationalising the nearly 50% reduction in staff to save the company $4 million a day, is hardly any consolation.

     

     

    There is another human angle to this disruptive development that has been missed by the Indian media. It’s how the new guard and the subsequent decisions impact persons with disabilities. However, there has been some coverage in the American media, of the disabled Twitter users’ fears of the changes being brought about on the social media platform. But unless you are a Disability Rights Advocate, or disabled yourself or related to someone who is, it’s not the most obvious issue that stands out in the flood of mainstream Twitter reportage.

     

    Let’s try and understand why it matters. And what has changed.

     

    Fifteen percent of the world’s population lives with some form of disability. Despite the huge numbers, the community has remained invisible for various reasons. Lack of access to opportunities, barriers in the physical and digital environment, stigma in the society towards disability and so on. The emergence of the internet, technology and finally social media, provided a possibility of engagement to these faceless people, giving them a chance to voice their ideas and opinions.

     

    Social media platforms level out the differences that may exist in the physical world, extending an equal chance to mingle with the mainstream. The vulnerabilities and the discrimination fade away to a great extent.

     

    Up until now, Twitter has made significant efforts to make the platform accessible for persons with disabilities. In 2016, it introduced ALT (alternative) text for images where you can add description for non-textual content, to help users with low vision, blindness or cognitive disabilities. In a statement released in September 2020, Twitter promised to enhance its efforts to make the platform more accessible, announcing new teams placed in-charge of focusing on user experience. A new handle, @TwitterA11y carried all updates on product/ service accessibility.

     

    If you are wondering what are these features and how do they make it possible for people with different types of disabilities to engage on the platform, here’s a list naming a few:

    1. Image Description

    2. Captions

    3. High Contrast Buttons

    4. Left-aligned text

    5. White background

    6. Accessible content labels

    7. Keyboard shortcuts

    8. Reduce Motion

    9. Auto-generated Captions

    10. Magic Tap action to compose tweets

     

    And there are several more, including different settings for Web, iOS and Android users. Earlier this year, the Twitter Accessibility Experience Team rolled out the ALT text badge and new Closed Captions (CC) button. The visible The ALT badge on images lets you know when someone has added a description to their image. The CC button appears in the top-right corner of a video that has captions available, giving you the option of turning captions on or off.

     

    Now here’s the big news.

     

    On November 4, 2022, Elon Musk scrapped the entire Accessibility Experience Team, along with other important ones like Human Rights, Communications, Public Policy et cetera.

     

     

    Rejected and dismissed by surrounding community, many disabled people found a new home on social media. A place that helps them discuss issues, find support and answers, pursue interests other than disability and make friends beyond physical boundaries. Not all platforms are mindfully geared towards accessibility needs of the PwD (persons with disabilities) groups. Twitter was leading by example. Many users looking for alternative platforms of interaction, have now been reporting barriers of access on platforms like Mastodon and so on.

     

    On one hand, Musk publicly vouches for making Twitter a space for citizens, and yet on the other, sidesteps the needs of more than 1 billion people. Would it be an exaggeration to call this another Nazi-like propaganda against the disabled?

     

    So why are we publishing this column on an A&M site? Well, we strongly feel that the media can help in dramatically transforming the world for persons with disabilities. And this series can help bring forth issues that the media must champion to create a truly inclusive and accessible India. To write this column, we invited Shruti Pushkarna, a former journalist who now works as Director, EnAble India where she heads North India operations as well as media and communications outreach. Shruti writes for MxMIndia every other Thursday. Her views here are personal. To access the archives of all her 60-plus columns, please visit: https://www.mxmindia.com/category/columns/shruti-pushkarna/

     

     

  • To manage brand strategy and creative

    BBDO wins mandate for Cargill edible oil

    By Our Staff

     

    Cargill India, the American global food corporation, has appointed BBDO India to manage the brand strategy and creative for their edible oil brands portfolio.

     

    Asked about the partnership, BBDO India’s GM and chief growth officer, Nikhil Mahajan, said: “The relationship between us has been built on great conversations, insightful work and the desire to do something more than just an ad. With a unified vision and a common goal, I am certain that this partnership will lead to some great pieces of work that will always find ways to stir up a conversation with our consumer.”

     

    Added Krishna Mani, Chief Creative officer BBDO India (Delhi): “We are really looking forward to working with our partners at Cargill to write meaningful and impactful narratives for various brands in their portfolio.”

     

  • Campaign showcases Tru SyncTM technology

    Rishabh Pant promotes Noise smartwatch

    By Our Staff

     

    Noise, lifestyle tech brand, released a brand new campaign series, featuring brand ambassador Rishabh Pant. The digital ad, that will be aired on Prime during the New Zealand series, aims to focus on Noise’s own advanced calling feature – Tru SyncTM – that helps smartwatch users connect  effortlessly and quickly.

     

    Said Gaurav Khatri, Co-Founder of Noise said on the launch of the new campaign: “We at Noise have always strived towards creating a brand that resonates with the young Indian audience. Keeping this spirit alive, our brand campaign with Rishabh Pant echoes our mission to be young India’s pulse keeper. With new-age India keen on uninterrupted experiences, our Tru SyncTM technology in the new campaign series, offers just that. We are confident that our young audience will identify with the campaign while they indulge in the upcoming cricket series.”

     

  • We know he's a huge fan of all sporting action. So we couldn't have not asked this question. So here's Dr Bhaskar Das in the November 18 edition of Das ka Dum. Read on…

    Das ka Dum with Dr Bhaskar Das | FIFA World Cup starts in Qatar from Nov 20. Your sentiments on the biggest sporting action in the world? Goodbye, cricket?

    Bhaskar DasWe know he’s a huge fan of all sporting action. So we couldn’t have not asked this question. So here’s Dr Bhaskar Das in the November 18 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 or click here: https://www.mxmindia.com/category/columns/das-ka-dum/

     

    Q. FIFA World Cup starts in Qatar from Nov 20. Your sentiments on the biggest sporting action in the world? Goodbye, cricket?

     

    A. There is no doubt that World Cup football creates a platform for countries, all over the world, to share a sporting moment together and engage in possible constructive negotiations amongst Nations. If I recall, FIFA commented once that “Football can again be a vector for unity and peace amongst people.” With Russia being banned from participation, and Ukraine still aiming to qualify for a spot, there is an opportunity to see resiliency on display from Ukrainians on the field and solidarity from other competing nations. Besides, regional football enthusiasm could get a boost.

     

    But the above are more macro factors. All of us are aware that there have been controversies and debates about Qatar holding the the FIFA World Cup. This column is not a forum to debate on that. I think audience (read fans of soccer) would be glued to the screens for the matches , apart from those at the stadiums at Qatar. Indirectly, economies of the world would get a fillip as there would be lot of travel and tourism around the event.

     

    I don’t think FIGA would mean goodbye to cricket. Each has its individual and collective passion but fundamentally fans of sports are fans and they are obsessed with the games, and not substituting one sporting event for the other. There can be exceptions but that proves the rule.

     

  • Will focus on bringing business and revenue priorities together

    Sandhya Devanathan to occupy Facebook hotseat in India, as Meta India boss

    By Our Staff

     

    Meta, formerly Facebook, has announced the appointment of Sandhya Devanathan as Vice President of Meta India. Devanathan will focus on business and revenue priorities as also supporting the “long-term growth of Meta’s business and commitment to India”. And perhaps also a watch on the socio/geo-political realities that concern Meta.

     

    She will report to Dan Neary, Vice President, Meta APAC and will be a part of the APAC leadership team. She will move back to India to lead the India org and strategy.

     

    On the appointment, Marne Levine, Chief Business Officer, Meta said: “India is at the forefront of digital adoption and Meta has launched many of our top products, such as Reels and Business Messaging, in India first. We are proud to have recently launched JioMart on WhatsApp, which is our first end-to-end shopping experience in India. I’m pleased to welcome Sandhya as our new leader for India. Sandhya has a proven track record of scaling businesses, building exceptional and inclusive teams, driving product innovation and building strong partnerships. We are thrilled to have her lead Meta’s continued growth in India.”

     

  • No one within newsrooms appears to stepping back and assessing the damage caused by the way the Shraddha Walker gruesome murder case is being covered, writes Ranjona Banerji

    Not what journalism should be!

     

     

    By Ranjona Banerji

     

    Ranjona BanerjiSomething called National Press Day came and went.

    Don’t be that cynical, you want to say to yourself.

    Do not be sanctimonious either.

    Journalism has never been perfect. There are any number of instances in the past where so much has gone wrong, so much has been manipulated and so many have fallen prey to the attractions of access and money.

    Just think back on how press conferences became massive bribery events post-economic liberalisation in 1991. Journalists were so overjoyed with the white goods, money, share options they had been gifted that they ignored problems of fairness and distance. Business journalism collapsed then and has never really recovered.

    There were a few bastions which tried to hold out. And the collapse of those is what hurts and irks.

    I often blame television and you might wonder why. Those day and night time anchors have become your friends. You feel you know them because they enter your homes and talk to you. But by talking more than collecting information and then analysing it for the viewer, they decided instead to ask a million opinions without any clarity or sense. This format has debased the essence of the job and degraded the worth of anyone else who tries to do it the other way.

    The result is that news has become elitist. The way Hindi cinema became at the height of the Bollywood blockbuster – nonsensical regressive punch-ups with rape and violence as entertainment for the general public and high art cinema for the few who could appreciate it.

    That is not what journalism should be.

    But it is what it has become.

    However, what’s happening in this terrible murder case of Shraddha Walker and the accused Aftab Poonawalla is, I’m sorry to say, typical journalism. I know many will get upset with me and pretend there was some perfect time where journalists behaved ultra-responsibly and did not sensationalise a case like this, but I put it to you that you are dreaming and you have forgotten.

    The danger appears to be that there is no one within newsrooms who’s stepping back and assessing the damage. It’s push push push for the next titbit. And the police are playing up, for their few minutes of fame. Look back to the Aarushi case. The police worked for the cameras more than the victims. Forensic investigation was a joke. The media acted out a million scenarios which only muddied a dirty situation. Justice eventually was not done.

    And people, us, well we all had our theories, based on nothing. Our own personal prejudices and pet ideas emerged, as they have now. The police are no different. They float theories based on their personal mindsets. And the idea of serial killers, psychopaths, sociopaths are not part of our cultural myths about ourselves. For years we’ve behaved as if murder was some alien thing which goodie-goodie Indians never commit. This is despite all evidence to the contrary! The perfect Indian is a legend we love to propagate: non-violent, hard-working, studious, quiet, non-combative, family-oriented and whatever other nonsense.

    The media and police come from this same social cauldron and react accordingly.

    What am I saying? That we are like this only?

    Not really.

    Only that our idea of responsibility and analysis is even more flawed than normal in these times.

     

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