MxMIndia

Author: mxmadmin

  • The rebranding aims to augment Fitterfly's vision of offering therapy for metabolic health

    Fitterfly unveils new brand identity

    By Our Staff

     

    Fitterfly, a leading health-tech company working in the field of digital therapeutics (DTx), has unveiled a new brand identity as a step towards its next growth phase.

     

    Said Kanwaljeet Singh, Managing Partner and Co-founder, Fireside: “Trust credentials are extremely essential for the kind of business that Fitterfly is in. In this regard, the rebranding comes as an important step in the right direction. As a young brand that aims to make a difference to people’s health, it was imperative that their persona resonates with consumers. We are happy to back them at every step.”

     

  • Tandon was founder of Indigo which was acquired by Leo Burnett in 2012

    Bombay Design Centre appoints Vikas Tandon as a board advisor

    By Our Staff

     

    Bombay Design Centre, the design and tech firm, has announced the appointment of Vikas Tandon as a board advisor. An IIM-A alumnus, the musician and tech strategist, Tandon was founder of Indigo Consulting (which was acquired by Leo Burnett in 2012) will play an advisory role supporting Bombay DC leadership in focus areas of strategy, growth and management.

     

    Said Ankur Rander, Founder & CEO of Bombay Design Centre: “Vikas is a leader, an entrepreneur, a culturist and a strategic thinker. He has an enviable body of work and an inimitable width of experience. As we grow and expand, our board is often tasked with taking strategic decisions. We turn to our advisors for perspective, and long-term understanding and to help us navigate chaotic environments. Vikas is coming on board at a juncture where we are trying to set new design and strategic work benchmarks while also defining the organisation’s future roadmap. We firmly believe that with his experience and entrepreneurial zeal, he can help us spot the opportunities, avoid the pitfalls and build a truly global Indian design firm. We are delighted to have him join us and look forward to working with him”.

     

    Commenting on his appointment as an advisor, Tandon said: ”As part of my efforts to stay in touch with the industry and design trends while at Indigo Consulting, I would always look up interesting UX design work and the people behind the work. I discovered Bombay Design Centre during one such recce and was immediately impressed with their refreshing, international-grade design and execution. I got to know Ankur and his team and was further impressed by their larger-than-life passion to “design a better India”.

     

    When Ankur suggested coming on board as an advisor, I saw it as not only an opportunity to stay engaged with the industry I have been a part of since 1998 but also a chance to be a part of a movement to push Indian design and UX standards to a global level and beyond. The Bombay DC team, in my opinion, has the talent, vision and drive to do some amazing things in this space, and I hope I can contribute in some way while helping them build and scale a profitable business”.

     

  • Bachchan will be it 'Happyness Ambassador'

    Big B to now endorse Nexus Malls

    By Our Staff

     

    Nexus Malls, the retail offered of Blackstone Real Estate funds, has announced Amitabh Bachchan as its ‘Happyness Ambassador’.

     

    Said Dalip Sehgal, CEO, Nexus Malls: “We are extremely privileged to welcome Amitabh Bachchan to our Nexus Malls family. He has a remarkable ability to connect with different age groups. We are proud to partner with one of India’s biggest icons to help us deliver Har Din Kuch Naya experiences to our customers.”

     

  • A music video campaign is developed in collaboration with Grapes Integrated

    Eicher’s #UpTimeHaiTohOnTimeHai

    By Our Staff

     

    Eicher is celebrating its passion for Uptime, as an indicator of its “commitment to put the truck back on the road on time”. Grapes Integrated has conceptualised and executed this music video campaign for the Eicher brand. The overall campaign intends to showcase the competence and collaboration of the technicians and other support services around the theme of UpTimeHaiTohOnTimeHai.

     

    Said Shradha Agarwal, Co-founder and CEO Grapes: “Eicher as a brand has always worked towards optimising the performance of the vehicle. The uptime services it provides play an instrumental role in ensuring minimum disruption to the supply chain by ensuring the vehicle coming to its workshop hits the road back on time. The chorus UpTimeHaiTohOnTimeHai depicted with the help of music and dance effectively establishes the role of Eicher in providing superior uptime to avoid any unplanned breakdowns. Therefore, to instill this message amongst the Eicher uptime workers on regular basis, we thought there is nothing better than coming up with an anthem that can be played and celebrated by the Eicher technicians”.

     

    Added Rohan Mascarenhas (Head – Brand & Marcom), Eicher: “At Eicher, Uptime is not just a service promise but a movement, that each of us, play a role. This video showcases the passion of Team Eicher and is a source of inspiration to make everyone continuously move to the Uptime Beat. And the team at Grapes did a fantastic job in effectively capturing the essence of Uptime in an extremely innovative and entertaining manner”.

     

  • The inference that NDTV invented newsrooms insulting if it were not so amusing, writes Ranjona Banerji

    Ranjona Banerji: E-NDTV?!

    By Ranjona Banerji

     

    Ranjona BanerjiThe resignations of the Roys from NDTV followed by that of Ravish Kumar, the Hindi channel’s prime and very popular anchor, dominated social media for two days.

    Many viewers were terribly upset and mourned the death of journalism in India forever. Others, including some TV journalists and personalities, wrote obituaries and tributes of NDTV, journalism, newsrooms and so on.

    The pain is understandable. NDTV is the first of the TV “news” channels which expanded to dominate much of India’s news space. I use the present tense deliberately. NDTV has not shut down. It has been taken over by the Adani Group and its founders and one editor – so far – have quit.

    As for the end of journalism in India?

    Well, that’s another story.

    How about asking this question: how much journalism exists in television “news”? In the early days of private television, there were several excursions into various aspects of journalism. But even then, not enough deep investigations, and somewhat suspect ground reporting. And then all too soon, TV reporters, anchors got caught up in the breathless excitement of being on-air.

    TV and this includes NDTV, also reiterated its own cliches and set patterns. For instance, every monsoon in Mumbai, one or more anchors would stand in the rain at a below-road-level subway to describe how much water had collected. But if you have to do a Mumbai monsoon story, you need to go a little, well, deeper, than that. Standing in a low-lying area is just laziness, and going for visual effect over substance.

    But what NDTV and everyone that followed did do was create generations of news-watchers. The CNN 24-hour pattern that they all followed showed up the problems fast enough – news does not follow a pattern of constant news breaks. To capture and retain viewer interest, the debates followed.

    And thus within a decade, TV wrote its own decline as far as journalism goes.

    Why am I being so unfair, do you ask?

    Or am I?

    Regular readers will know that I often state that journalists are scum. Our business is to dig into areas which are uncomfortable and this makes our business intrusive. It’s just that a print cycle means that this intrusion happens once a day. TV news made that intrusion 24 hours. And amplified all the problems with the medium.

    I dismiss the nostalgic reminiscenses of former staffers as being irrelevant to what I am writing here because newsrooms are not unique to NDTV and existed long before TV hit India. I would find the inference that NDTV invented newsrooms insulting if it were not so amusing.

    The huge love showed for NDTV as it was however is heartening for the media as a whole. NDTV still exists. What form it will take under Adani and without the Roys is unknown but most viewers evidently believe that it will collapse. Apart from Ravish Kumar, there have been no big exits as I write this. Many earlier fans of NDTV complain that the channel had already succumbed to government pressure before the Adani buyout – maybe not as much as its competitors but certainly more than before.

    Kumar has a huge burden to bear. To many, he is the one TV journalist who still exists, the lone flag-bearer of that profession. It may be annoying to some of us who work in other mediums that he is being called the “only journalist” but we should not begrudge his fans their immense pain.

    The link below is Kumar’s message to his fans and followers. He is scathing of the media as it exists, as he has been for some years now. The rare TV journalist with courage and convictions.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9K9vpGTofo&t=1001s

    For non-media readers however, I would urge you to think beyond TV as a news source. There are a few journalists out there – real journalists – doing actual work.

    Just not on TV.

     

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

     

  • Mantri is the first ICCO President from Asia

    Avian WE CEO Nitin Mantri inducted into ICCO Hall of Fame

    By Our Staff

     

    Nitin Mantri, Group CEO of Avian WE, a leading integrated communications firm in India, was inducted into the International Communications Consultancy Organisation (ICCO) Hall of Fame. Mantri was given the honour, along with international communications expert and civic activist Nataliya Popovych

     

    Said Nitin Mantri, who was also the first ICCO President from Asia: “I am deeply humbled and honoured to have joined this venerable group of achievers. I would like to thank ICCO for their support and generosity from the very beginning. This recognition gives me new impetus to promote purposeful, ethical, and inclusive communications around the world and foster hope, compassion and understanding in an increasingly polarised and complex world.”

     

    Added Grzegorz Szczepański, ICCO President and CEO, Hill+Knowlton Strategies, Poland, said: “The ICCO Hall of Fame is reserved for the most outstanding ambassadors of our profession, those who lead, who inspire and who make an impact. Our two new inductees for 2022 do all of those things and more. I thank Nitin Mantri for his tenure as ICCO President, his work on countless new projects and initiatives drives our organisation and industry forward. And I thank Nataliya for her unbelievable work bringing communicators together in the efforts to save lives in the war in Ukraine. Both of these professionals deserve to be recognised alongside the best of our industry”

     

    Said Melissa Waggener Zorkin, Global CEO and Founder, WE Communications: “Avian WE and Chase India are an integral part of WE Communications and Nitin, as their leader, has always believed in the power of communications to bring about positive community impact, equity and inclusion, and environmental sustainability. We are incredibly proud of his achievements and this well-deserved recognition.”

     

  • E-sports in India has evolved as a new form of entertainment, notes the Dentsu Gaming Report India 2022

    Game on!

     

     

    By Our Staff

     

    Gaming in India has since, come a long way. In India, the gaming boomed in the 1990s with the adoption of liberalisation, privatisation and globalisation policy and opened its doors the global economy, repots the Dentsu Gaming Report India 2022 released last week. A bigger fillip happened in the Covid pandemic-led lockdown where around 45% of India started playing games, the electronic variety essentially.

     

    Said Anita Kotwani, Chief Executive Officer, Carat India and Lead, Dentsu Gaming: “Gaming’s growing cultural impact, combined with the promise of the metaverse, has generated endless opportunities for advertisers. With the meteoric expansion of e-sports and streaming platforms, gaming has shifted from solitary play to spectator sport. Gaming platforms are now the main avenue for social connections and self-expression. One cannot follow the cookie-cutter approach anymore given the fluidity and dynamism of the industry. Dentsu Gaming offers the minds and tools necessary to create and develop strategies that are relevant to the culture, promote it and graduate the brand to be a cultural icon itself. Dentsu Gaming was created to deliver the tremendous expansion of gaming needs to our clients through creative partnerships, products, and solutions. We bring together enthusiastic, diversified expertise to help brands add incremental value through mutually beneficial relationships with game publishers and partners. Dentsu has access to in-depth gamer audience information via priority data and analytics. Our CCS (Consumer Connection Systems) data platform has been boosted by data fusions of unique bespoke gaming surveys as well as the GWI (Global Web Index) Gaming survey, providing us with advanced gaming audience data from across 24 markets.”

     

    Key highlights of the report:

     

    1. There is a game for everyone. In varying degrees, gaming is consumed across age groups as there is some or the other game available on some or the other device. People can choose their own devices, genre, and platform. The choices are virtually unlimited.

    2. The Covid-19 pandemic has acted as the biggest recruiter in the gaming pool. Around 45% of the Indian population started playing games during this period. Cheaper internet and one’s need to kill time and connect with people were the biggest drivers.

    3. Gaming-related content is on its way to be mainstream content. Gaming-related web series, merchandise, fashion, and music are all indicators of gaming culture making its way into the day-to-day lives of people.

    4. Gamers are not media-isolated. They watch and follow a lot of content on TV as well as Online TV. They spend around 28 hours a week on the medium.

    5. Casual gamers make up the largest cohort in the gaming audience pool. They mostly prefer smartphones as their gaming device. They choose to play puzzles, trivia, 3match, and especially board games like ludo, scrabble, UNO, etc. They are not into spending a lot of money on gaming but are prone to In-App micro transactions to progress their game.

    6. E-sports in India has evolved as a new form of entertainment. The scope for brands to associate with E-sports is massive and the receptivity from the gaming community is also high. Gamers understand that brands & sponsors are vital for the E-sport industry to go big.

    7. AR/VR (Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality) in India is still at a nascent stage. The challenge in the market is due to high cost and lack of exposure & experience. Contrary to smartphone apps made in India, the apps and technology that employ AR&VR are also underdeveloped.

    8. The rapid rise of gaming in India has also affected the Education and Learning industry. A lot of education and coaching centres have now incorporated animation, game development, coding, etc. in their curriculum and offerings. Even the apps and education formats are gamified to engage the students and assist them in learning.

    9. Gamers are passionate about gaming-related stuff but are also quite interested in fashion, fitness, and food.

    10. Gaming as a habit is an expensive hobby. On average, a hardcore gamer spends approximately Rs. 6500 on accessories and peripherals to enhance the gaming experience.

     

  • It's perhaps something that ought to happen. Even if it's not in the form of an ombud~. So we asked Dr Bhaskar Das the question for the December 5 edition of Das ka Dum. Read on…

    Das ka Dum with Dr Bhaskar Das | There have been cases of ad agencies clashing over credit. Do you think there is need for an ombudsperson?

    Bhaskar DasIt’s perhaps something that ought to happen. Even if it’s not in the form of an ombud~. So we asked Dr Bhaskar Das the question for the December 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 or click here: https://www.mxmindia.com/category/columns/das-ka-dum/

     

    Q. There have been cases of ad agencies clashing over credit for work done. Do you think there is need for an ombudsman?

     

    A. With the tight cash flow position in the market due to variety of factors in global and Indian markets, it’s a Catch-22 situation for both creative and media planning and buying agencies. When clients have business headwinds, they generally expect their agency partners to empathise with them. At the same time, agencies survive dominantly on intellectual capital/ right brain capabilities (without jettisoning left brain capacity completely) and that’s their real Capex. When there is supply-side squeeze, how would they invest in talent to offer superlative services?!

     

    I wonder if a mutually agreed ombudsperson can mitigate the challenge completely. I wonder if an idea of credit rating agency evaluating credit worthiness of a client would be acceptable to both the partners.

     

    But whatever may be the solution, it should be mutually agreed upon for genuinely appreciating the interdependence of their relationship and agencies need to be united in combating this challenge, if you may will. This is not the time of any frictional loss. It’s the time to be collaborative and symbiotically face the challenges of PERMACRISIS ( not my coinage but the chosen word of Collin’s dictionary to reflect the state of the business environment).

     

  • Guha was former Chief Editor, Bloomberg Businessweek Middle East

    Sudeep Guha joins PRP as Chief Content Officer

    By Our Staff

     

    Sudeep Guha
    Sudeep Guha

    Sudeep Guha, former Chief Editor at Bloomberg Businessweek Middle East, assumed the role of Chief Content Officer at PR and communication agency PR Professionals (PRP), at the organisation’s headquarters in Gurugram.

     

    Said Sarvesh Tiwari, Founder and Managing Director, PR Professionals: “I look forward to Guha infusing new ideas in the company and assisting me in outthinking other PR agencies. I welcome him and look forward to his long innings at PRP.”

     

  • Novo Nordisk, the global healthcare company, has engaged with Kapil Dev

    Novo Nordisk India launches campaign with Kapil Dev

    By Our Staff

     

    Novo Nordisk, the global healthcare company, has engaged former Indian men’s cricket team captain Kapil Dev to launch its ‘Break the Partnership’ campaign.

     

    Said Vikrant Shrotriya, Corporate Vice President and Managing Director, Novo Nordisk India: “At Novo Nordisk, patient centricity lies at the core of everything we do. Diabetes with obesity can jointly coexist and this partnership is often not addressed adequately in clinical practice. The combination can further lead to serious complications for people living with type 2 diabetes.10-16 The diabetes management landscape has evolved over the years to bring about medical therapies that target blood sugar alongside reducing weight. Our newly launched ‘Break the Partnership’ #WeightinDiabetes campaign educates people about the impact of weight in diabetes, encourages them to consult their doctor to explore newer treatment options to manage not just blood sugar but also weight in diabetes and curtail onset and progression of complicated comorbidities. We are hopeful the initiative will help us inspire strong action among PwD in the country.”

     

  • He joins other endorsers actor Taapsee Pannu and cricketer Rishabh Pant

    Noise onboards Virat Kohli as brand ambassador

    By Our Staff

     

    Cricketer Virat Kohli has joined actor Taapsee Pannu and cricketer Rishabh Pant as brand ambassador of Noise, the smartwatch offering.

     

    Commenting on the announcement, Gaurav Khatri, Co-Founder of Noise said: “We are thrilled to welcome the Indian cricketing legend Virat Kohli as a Noisemaker. Our leadership in the smartwatch domain perfectly mirrors the journey Virat has undertaken to become a fan favourite the world over. With our continuous zeal to listen to the noise within, coupled with the need to deliver a power-packed performance, we are certain that his association with Virat will further bolster our connect with the young audience in India and overseas.”

     

  • It's called the #BridesOfKaya campaign

    Kaya launches campaign ahead of wedding season

    By Our Staff

     

    Kaya, the hair and skin care company, has launched the #BridesOfKaya campaign ahead of the wedding season.

     

    Said Samyukta Ganesh Iyer, VP and Head of Marketing, Kaya: “At Kaya, we believe that every bride-to-be deserves customised and personalised services that are best suited for her. With the wedding season right around the corner, we have curated packages that have been designed specifically for someone who would be tying the knot soon and our treatments and products help her look her absolute best on her special day. We have roped in real brides staying true to our purpose of “beautiful is you”, an authentic inclusive highly relatable narrative. Our mission is to promote the intrinsic value of the strongest foundation of skin and hair health.