MxMIndia

Author: mxmadmin

  • Partnered by Economictimes.com

    Discovery platform GapUp launched

    By Our Staff

     

    Rigi, an online content creator, has launched GapUp, a curated discovery platform designed for users to access and learn from influencers and online content creators across various domains. The platform is now live on Economictimes.com.

     

    Commenting on the launch, Swapnil Saurav, Co-founder of Rigi, said: “The inception of GapUp is driven by our mission at Rigi to empower creators continually and, by extension, their communities. While the creator economy burgeons, it’s essential that we reinforce trust, authenticity, and value in online learning and decision-making.”

     

    Speaking on the partnership, Sanjeev Kumar, Business Head of EconomicTimes.com, added: “The partnership between GapUp and EconomicTimes.com is a well-thought-out strategy, featuring content creators sharing their expertise, various events, and more. We are enthusiastic and eager to present our readers with a broader and more enriched content selection.”

     

  • Abhishek Karnani, President, Free Press Journal Group, will be Vice President, Nandini Dias, now an independent advisor will be Secretary and Jaideep Gandhi, Founder, Another Idea, will be Treasurer

    Avinash Pandey re-elected IAA India President

    By Our Staff

     

    At its Annual General Meeting held on September 27, 2023, Avinash Pandey, CEO, ABP Network, was unanimously re-elected President. Abhishek Karnani, President, Free Press Journal Group, will be Vice President, Nandini Dias, now an independent advisor will be Secretary and Jaideep Gandhi, Founder, Another Idea, will be Treasurer.

     

    The following five members were elected as voting members: Srinivasan K Swamy (Chairman & Managing Director, R K Swamy Ltd), MV Shreyams Kumar (Managing Director, Mathrubhumi Printing & Publishing Co Ltd)

     

    Prasanth Kumar (CEO-South Asia, GroupM)

    Anant Goenka (Executive Director, The Indian Express Pvt Ltd)

    Janak Sarda (Director, Blue Logic Systems)

    Megha Tata, CEO, Cosmos-Maya will continue as an ex-officio office bearer as Immediate Past President

     

    Apart from this, five more members will be co-opted in the upcoming managing committee meeting along with other special invited members.

     

    Avinash Pandey
    Avinash Pandey

    Said Avinash Pandey: “The India Chapter of the IAA is arguably the most active industry Association of its kind in the country. Its initiatives cover a wide spectrum of areas including saluting excellence in Marketing, Creativity and communicating Sustainability. In the year gone by, we also started Tech Pulse to cater to the growing digital market. The IAA has always maintained that what is good, is good for business and in that spirit it has converted its Voice of Change initiative into a nation-wide movement aimed at breaking the gender bias in advertising and the entertainment industry. In the year ahead we will also be spearheading two initiatives where we walk the talk that Communication is a Force for Good, and will also once again lead a group of CEOs to the US to study the latest developments in communication. I look forward to a very meaningful term ahead.”

     

  • Conceptualised by Makani Creatives

    Ranveer Singh to promote Lavie Sport brand

    By Our Staff

     

    Makani Creatives has created a campaign for a Lavie Sport sub-brand in an ad featuring Ranveer Singh. The new sub-brand positions itself as a ‘hybrid bag’ with a unisex appeal.

     

    Said Prasad Rao, ECD at Makani Creatives: “There is no one better than Ranveer Singh to stand true to the message of Work. Play. Slay. He has been killing it in the industry for years now. Be it his films, his roles, the characters, or even his style, he slays it every single time. And that’s what excited us because that is exactly what Lavie Sport stands for. His energy defines the generation today. And the best part was it all came effortlessly to Ranveer. It’s just the way he does things, it’s his way of life. It was a pleasure to work with him and witness his energy translate beautifully onto the creatives.”

     

    Speaking of the campaign and the partnership with Makani Creatives, Ayush Tainwala, CEO and Founder of Lavie & Lavie Sport added: “Makani has beautifully captured the active and energetic essence of our brand, in the film and stills. This formidable synergy between the products, our brand ambassador, and the campaign will surely encourage Indians to adopt an active lifestyle.”

     

  • Highlights range of rice varieties

    LS Digital campaigns for Tilda Basmati Rice

    By Our Staff

     

    LS Digital, a digital marketing transformation group, has created two short films for Tilda Basmati Rice, an Ebro Foods brand, celebrating the occasion of Onam and Ganesh Chaturthi with videos likening its diverse range of rice varieties with India’s rich multi-cultural heritage.

     

    Said Puneet Kapoor, Head of Marketing at Ebro India: “Our Onam and Ganesh Chaturthi films are a heart-warming celebration of love, family, and the joy of giving. They beautifully capture the spirit of festivities, reminding us that even the simplest gestures can create unforgettable moments. We always believe in celebrating diversity and Tilda Basmati Rice offers an array of rice that caters to each region and is part of their every celebration. Join us in this cinematic journey that reaffirms the power of love and instigate cultural diversity.”

     

    Added Nishant Patil, ECD & AVP 2, Design at LS Digital: “Food and festivals bring people together and that’s what we played on. Tilda being a rice brand was a perfect fit for this campaign. In the Onam film, we took this opportunity to showcase today’s contemporary society where men are equally inclined towards cooking as women have been. After all, why should only women do the cooking always? Overall, the campaign not only promulgates the brand Tilda but also gives out a positive message to society by changing stereotypes of home cooking. Now, with the Ganesh Chaturthi film, we have showcased how Tilda beautifully strengthens the unique bond between a mother-in-law and a daughter-in-law and brings them closer.”

     

  • To celebrate World Dentist's Day

    Sensodyne launches digital campaign

    By Our Staff

     

    Sensodyne, the oral care brand from the house of Haleon (eka GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare) has launched a digital campaign to celebrate the role of dentists on World Dentist’s Day, that’s observed on October 3.

     

    Said Bhawna Sikka, Category Head, Oral Care Lead, Haleon said: “This World Dentist Day, we wanted to demonstrate our firm belief in the importance of the role played by dentists in helping people maintain their overall health. Most people feel wary of visiting dentists; hence, through this campaign we hope to bring alive stories and conversations that show how dentists enable small joys throughout our life. They are the doctors of joy and people should see them more often.”

     

  • To take leadership position in New Music across all Indian languages

    Saregama acquires majority stake in Pocket Aces

    By Our Staff

     

    Saregama (eka HMV) has acquired a majority stake in digital entertainment company Pocket Aces Pictures Private Limited. This acquisition, notes a communique, will further strengthen Saregama’s strategic ambition to take leadership position in new music across all Indian languages.

     

    Said Avarna Jain, Vice Chairperson Saregama: “This acquisition signifies the confluence of tradition and innovation. While we have always been leaders in the realm of music and media, this partnership with Pocket Aces will add new dimensions to our business as we tap into the burgeoning young digital audiences.”

     

  • The introduction of a telecom regulatory regime for OTT service providers would be an act of over-regulation, notes IAMAI

    Demands for imposing revenue share by OTTs smack of ‘rent-seeking’: IAMAI

    By Our Staff

     

    The Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) has in its counter comments submitted to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on the consultation paper ‘Regulatory Mechanism for Over-The-Top (OTT) Communication Services, and Selective Banning of OTT Services’ said that demands for imposing revenue sharing mechanisms between internet companies and telecom service providers (TSPs) smack of rent-seeking.

     

    IAMAI also flagged demands made by the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) and the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER). The COAI has called for regulatory intervention to ensure “largest traffic originators” pay a ‘fair share charge’ to telecom companies to account for capital investments made by the latter to “accommodate surging data traffic”. Similarly, ICRIER has called for the imposition of a ‘Broadband Infrastructure Levy’ to be applied at 3% of India operations of “significant” OTT service providers based on “specialised contracts” between service providers and network operators.

     

    According to IAMAI members, by requiring “largest” OTT service providers to pay TSPs for data used by consumers, TSPs would effectively be charging twice for the same service – as they already charge consumers for data. In any case, “surging data traffic” is merely data consumed by consumers that they have already purchased from telecom companies. Therefore, the “strain” on infrastructure of TSPs occurs when they sell data to consumers beyond their infrastructural capacity – a fact that has been conveniently ignored.

     

    Opposing demands to bring OTT service providers under regulations typically reserved for telecom companies, IAMAI highlighted that such demands fail to recognise that telecom service providers are subject to a special regulatory and licensing regime by virtue of the control that they exercise over valuable national resources such as spectrum. Therefore, the introduction of a telecom regulatory regime for OTT service providers would be an act of over-regulation.

     

    Over-the-top service providers have provided high quality content for little-to-no cost to users. This in turn has spurred the rapid growth of data consumption and economic activity in India. Mandating revenue-sharing mechanisms between OTTs and TSPs would effectively reverse this phenomenon by disincentivising growth for OTT based businesses, for whom a volume-based revenue sharing mechanism would be a glass ceiling for continuing growth and may prove to be an entry barrier for startups.

     

  • Comprises 5 films, a key brand film and 4 shorter product films

    Shubman Gill stars in Tata Capital campaign

    By Our Staff

     

    Tata Capital, the flagship financial services company of the Tata Group, unveiled a new campaign featuring cricketer Shubman Gill. The campaign comprises five films, a key brand film and four shorter product films.

     

    Speaking about the campaign, Abonty Banerjee, Chief Operating Officer- Digital and Marketing, Tata Capital said: “The essence of the campaign thought is to portray Tata Capital as an enabler in the financial journey of our customers, while allowing them to focus on life’s beautiful moments. Khoobsurat chinta are those beautiful ‘worries’ which we enjoy thinking about, such as the colours of a new home or the venue for a wedding. The campaign uses Shubman’s life story as a metaphor of how one can focus on the more meaningful things in life when financial worries are taken away.”

     

  • To deliver comprehensive integrated brand and reputation management

    Mavcomm & House of Lions forge partnership

    By Our Staff

     

    Mavcomm Consulting, a brand and reputation management agency, and House of Lions, an integrated communication consultancy,  announced a partnership that integrates both firms and promises to redefine brand and reputation management.

     

    Both entities will merge their collective expertise to offer a 360-degree approach to fortifying and enhancing brand reputation.

     

    Expressing her excitement about this partnership, Chhavi Upadhyay, Partner at Mavcomm Group, said: “We are thrilled to embark on this partnership with the House of Lions. Together, we are committed to pushing the boundaries of brand and reputation management and providing our clients with innovative and strategic solutions. By combining our strengths, we are confident of creating powerful stories and setting new industry standards. This collaboration represents the future of integrated communication solutions, and we at Mavcomm are thrilled to be a part of this journey.”

     

    Added Anand Mahesh Talari, Co-Founder & Managing Director of Mavcomm Consulting: “Our experience with clients across diverse sectors has highlighted the demand for a communication partner capable of harmonizing reputation management and digital marketing with cohesive and synchronized strategies. This symbiotic approach aligns with the evolving nature of communication, fostering client confidence and improving their visibility and public perception.”

     

    Said Amit Shankar, Founder of House of Lions: “Gone are the days when clients relied solely on agencies for rudimentary brand communication. Today, they seek comprehensive strategies that encompass all facets of communication, recognising the interdependence of each element. Partnerships like these not only benefit clients but also nurture the creative talents within agencies, enabling them to explore and acquire new skills while masterfully executing diverse communication aspects.”

     

  • Conceptualised by Ogilvy

    Eveready launches new campaign

    By Our Staff

     

    Eveready Industries India Ltd (EIIL) has introduced a new range of Ultima Alkaline batteries with a TVC conceptualised by Ogilvy.

     

    Said Anirban Banerjee, Senior Vice President & SBU Head (Batteries & Flashlights) of Eveready Industries India Ltd: “Empowering the present, energising the future – defines the revamped Ultima battery series from the house of Eveready. Its smarter appeal and long-lasting power embodies our commitment to solving for emerging consumer needs and innovation. Demanding devices like battery operated toys, smart remotes, wireless mouse, BP machines etc need more power. The new and improved Ultima batteries, push our boundaries, with 400% and 800% longer-lasting performance, highly suitable for the high drain devices. The batteries are also equipped with a unique Turbolock Technology which prevents leakage and protects the consumer’s precious devices from damage caused by the batteries. As a testament to our vision of responsible innovation, Ultima batteries are eco-friendly, devoid of Mercury, Lead, and Cadmium. This is not just a product upgrade; it’s a step towards shaping a better tomorrow.”

     

    Added Sukesh Nayak, CCO, Ogilvy India: “Khelenge Toh Sikhenge” is an empowering platform that helps look at playing with toys in a new way. The games children play with their toys have a lot to teach them. Lessons on partnership, sharing, caring, teamwork, empathy and more can be learnt by continuous play. Eveready, India’s No. 1 battery with its new long lasting Ultima batteries wants to own and build this empowering platform. And help enable every child in every household across India to learn something new and meaningful, every single day.”

     

  • Our offices will be closed on Monday, October 2 on account of Gandhi Jayanti. There will hence be no scheduled updates and newsletters on that day

    We’re closed on October 2

    By Our Staff

     

    Our offices will be closed on Monday, October 2 on account of Gandhi Jayanti. There will hence be no scheduled updates and newsletters on that day.

     

    We’ll be back on Tuesday, October 3. See you then.

     

  • News and digital media do give us scant information about Manipur, writes Ranjona Banerji

    Ranjona Banerji: News TV as we know lives in another place

    By Ranjona Banerji

     

    Ranjona BanerjiThe narrative by our public intellectuals and commentators has not changed. Basically, if you protest against any religion-based atrocities by the BJP and its affiliates, you have scored a self-goal. The general Hindu is, by this argument, narrow-minded, bigoted, and more than a bit stupid.

    Thus, the atrocity itself does not matter. BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri called BSP MP Danish Ali a pimp, a terrorist, a militant and an insulting term for a circumcised Muslim man in the Lok Sabha. He was not corrected by the Speaker Om Birla, also BJP. And later, he was rewarded by the party and made in charge of the Tonk constituency in the upcoming assembly elections in Rajasthan.

    https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/ramesh-bidhuri-danish-ali-hate-speech-new-role-for-ramesh-bidhuri-who-abused-danish-ali-is-reward-for-hate-4431513

    Anyone who points this out is politically unwise, goes the argument.

    How then is the media or members of the public going to hold an incumbent government accountable?

    Apparently, when faced with a majoritarian government which panders to the lowest common denominator, one can do nothing. Various scenarios will be played out, like the current crisis with Canada. You can say or do nothing, because you will be playing into the BJP’s hands.

    Or the situation in Manipur. Five months have passed since the violence began. The biggest act of the Central government has been to ban the internet. With a media which has tied itself in knots trying to bow down to the authorities, we have forgotten that awful video of women being molested and raped. We have forgotten that armouries were raided. We have forgotten that there is anarchy, or civil war, if you will in the state. To point this out is of no use, according to our public intellectuals, because it only plays into the BJP’s hands.

    https://english.jagran.com/india/manipur-violence-cars-burnt-bjp-offices-attacked-as-protests-continue-for-third-day-in-strife-torn-state-10-points-10103776

    News and digital media do give us scant information about Manipur. No carpet-bombing, as would have likely happened in other times. TV? Well TV as we know lives in another place.

    As an aside, a TV anchor recently laughed away on X, formerly Twitter, about how the Washington Post had got a headline in a story about India wrong. O my, what a crime. This Washington Post recently did an in-depth report on how the BJP uses social media trolls to spread hatred, misinformation and BJP anti-minority propaganda. How could it. And yet, is it not the Washington Post that is the “gold standard” for investigative journalism with its work to uncover the Watergate scandal? The reason why every third-grade TV channel uses the suffix “gate” for every scandal. As I recall, I’m getting old here, this investigation got a US President to resign?

    If only the Indian media managed to work even a third as hard to uncover scams and scandals under the current dispensation. O dear. Forgive me. Any such action would be counterproductive, as our public intellectuals inform us. The Indian population adores a scammy government, as long as its Hindu majoritarian.

    So.

    A girl is raped and walks the streets begging for help. Ignore.

    A Muslim man is tied to a pole and beaten to death for eating prasad at a Hindu temple. Ignore.

    A state continues to burn for five months. Ignore.

    An elected representative abused a Muslim elected representative in Parliament. Ignore.

    You complete the list.

    I give up.

     

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