MxMIndia

Author: mxmadmin

  • Head of Content in APAC

    Media.Monks names Matthew Godfrey as EVP

    By Our Staff

     

    S4Capital’s operating brand Media.Monks has appointed Matthew Godfrey to lead its APAC Content practice. He will work alongside Kenny Griffiths, Managing Director APAC of Data, Digital and Media,

     

    Said Bruno Lambertini, Co-CEO, Content, at Media.Monks: “Matt has everything we are looking for as we reshape our leadership structure at Media.Monks in APAC.  With an extensive background in the region and a wealth of knowledge based on his experience in the market, we are confident Matt is the right person to drive the business forward, fostering our client relations. He will add a lot of value to our vision, especially when it comes to the single P&L and single brand, along with our mission to shift industries forward by re-shaping how businesses interact with the world, now.”

     

  • The course will be on Performance Marketing and will start in Jan 2024

    Ad Club renews pact with MICA for online course

    By Our Staff

     

    The Advertising Club has announced a partnership with marketing and communication management institute, MICA – The School of Ideas, for an online programme on Performance Marketing. Kickstarting in January 2024, the collaborative initiative is aimed towards empowering individuals with industry-relevant skills and knowledge through a specially curated leadership and management development module on Performance Marketing. The programme is designed to help experienced professionals as well as freshers develop contemporary need of the hour capabilities that employers are seeking in order to maintain their competitive advantage.

     

    Speaking on the partnership with MICA, Rana Barua, President, The Advertising Club said: “The landscape of the MarTech industry is constantly evolving. With this programme, we aim to provide a platform for freshers and experienced professionals, and empower them to upskill their knowledge, thereby becoming industry ready. We believe this collaboration will foster learning, transform careers, inspire creativity, and ultimately elevate standards within our industry.”

     

    Added Mayank Kumar, Professor at MICA: “At MICA, we unravel the intricate layers of Performance Marketing, offering a panoramic view of its evolution and strategies. Join our experts as they decode the dynamic marketing landscape, empowering your prowess in this ever-evolving field.”

     

    It may be recalled that the Ad Club had also entered into an alliance with MICA in 2020 for a leadership training programme.

     

  • To redefine customer engagement

    Mirum & WebEngage enter a partnership

    By Our Staff

     

    Mirum India, a Wunderman Thompson (soon VML) company, and WebEngage, a full stack retention operating system, have joined forces.

     

    The collaboration is set to bring together Mirum’s experience and expertise in MarTech and WebEngage’s marketing automation platform.

     

    Commenting on the partnership, Mihir Karkare, EVP, Mirum India, said: “This is a significant partnership for both Mirum and WebEngage as we are two best-in-class players working towards delivering value to our customers. The strong synergy of WebEngage’s robust platform with our expertise in delivering MarTech projects will surely create a more holistic approach to delivering a top-tier customer engagement      solution, enabling our clients to achieve even greater success. We have just begun, and I am happy to share we already have some great wins on the way.”

     

    Added Apoorv Sood, Vice President Of Global Business Development and Partnerships, WebEngage: “The digital era has reshaped the way businesses operate and embracing digital transformation is no longer an option but a necessity. Brands need to constantly reinvent their engagement strategies, whether it involves better understanding their customers, enhancing engagement models or deployment of personalised user experiences. In line with our core philosophy of Simplifying Customer Engagement and Retention for brands, we are proud to announce this full stack solution under one roof in partnership with Mirum India. Clients of both WebEngage and Mirum, as well as brands looking to stay ahead of the curve will benefit from this solution.”

     

  • To work towards transforming the digital presence of the brand

    Media Care bags Ard Foods mandate

    By Our Staff

     

    Ard Foods which owns brands like Cafe White Lama and White Lama Villa has partnered with Media Care Brand Solutions, an integrated marketing agency, to manage and promote the brands.

     

    Said Heemanshu Hemrajani, Co-founder & CEO, Media Care Brand Solutions, said: “It has been a great journey working with some of the renowned brands in the hospitality space and now we are delighted to collaborate with ARD Foods. Our strength lies in ideating and executing out of the box strategies for our clients on various social media platforms, to help them achieve their business goals through our marketing solutions. Our aim would be to put our best foot forward and attain the same for Café White Lama and White Lama Villa.”

     

    Commenting on the association, actor turned entrepreneur Aman Singh Deep of ARD Foods, added: “We are excited to welcome team Media Care Brand Solutions on-board as our marketing partner for Café White Lama and White Lama Villa. The demonstrations of their creativity and their industry specific insights from time to time have been impressive, and I believe they are the right choice to drive the successful story of our brands.”

     

  • A play-based learning brand on BBC Player and BBC Kids

    BBC Studios launch CBeebies on Prime Video

    By Our Staff

     

    Prime Video and BBC Studios have launched a live feed of CBeebies, a play-based learning brand, on BBC Player and BBC Kids, two recently launched channels on Prime Video Channels.

     

    Talking about the launch, Stanley Fernandes, Vice President, Distribution, BBC Studios, South Asia, said: “We are delighted to add CBeebies as a live feed on BBC Player and BBC Kids via Prime Video Channels for our Indian audience. With its exceptional reputation for delivering safe and enriching viewing content through engaging and entertaining programming, the channel aims to keep its commitment to fostering early childhood development through content designed specifically for children.”

     

    Added Vivek Srivastava, Head – Prime Video Channels, Prime Video, India: “CBeebies joins the existing content we offer through BBC Kids and BBC Play, which have received a phenomenal response since their launch a few months ago. The addition of CBeebies’ live feed to BBC Player and BBC Kids strengthens our commitment to enhancing the viewing experience particularly for children and families, and we are certain that subscribers will love the convenience of watching their favourite British content on a single destination, at no additional cost. Our aim with Prime Video Channels is to offer our customers an incredible diversity and variety in programming by enabling convenient access to content from other streaming services. We now offer over 28,000 hours of global and local programming across genres and languages through our channel partners, with more to come.”

     

  • Das will also focus on elevating the Groupe's creative agenda through the a "lchemy of technology and data for transformation of client businesses"

    Rajdeepak Das now Chief Creative Officer. Publicis Group + Chairman, Leo Burnett South Asia

    By Our Staff

     

    Rajdeepak Das
    Rajdeepak Das

    Publicis Groupe has appointed Rajdeepak Das as Chief Creative Officer, Publicis Groupe South Asia and Chairman Leo Burnett, South Asia.

     

    In these newly created roles, Das will also focus on elevating the group’s creative agenda through the “alchemy of technology and data for transformation of client businesses”. He will work closely with the creative, data and technology talent across the group to champion these mandates.

     

    Anupriya Acharya
    Anupriya Acharya

    Said Anupriya Acharya, South Asia CEO, Publicis Groupe: “I have really enjoyed working with Raj as his ideas and creativity continue to fuel both business impact and accolades. His quest for world-changing brand ideas is truly remarkable. His scintillating, sustained performance, ability to transform agency culture and reputation, as well as the width of the work that captures innovation, business transformation, data and sustainability, make him an ideal choice. We hope to leverage these strengths on a larger Groupe canvas.”

     

  • An India to US referral program will also roll out soon

    Zee5 Global to aggregate add-on streaming platforms for US audiences

    By Our Staff

     

    Zee5 Global, the streaming service for South Asian content from the Zee Entertainment conglomerate, has announced an aggregation of multiple South Asian streaming platforms within the Zee5 Global platform with the launch of ‘add-ons’ in the US market. With this, offer subscribers in the US will get a single-window to access variety of South Asian entertainment platforms on the Zee5 Global platform. The add-ons pricing starts from $1.49 onwards.

     

    These were unveiled by Amit Goenka, President, Digital Businesses and Platforms and  Archana Anand, Chief Business Officer, Zee5 Global at an event in Mumbai on Tuesday.

     

    Said Archana Anand, Chief Business Officer, ZEE5 Global: “The launch of Add-ons on Zee5 Global is a significant milestone, further cementing our leadership position as the No.1 South Asian streaming platform in the US market.”

     

    ZEE5 Global Add-ons currently offers content across languages from streaming platforms like Simply South (all South Indian languages), Oho Gujarati (Gujarati), Chaupal (Punjabi, Bhojpuri, Haryanvi), NammaFlix (Kannada), EPIC ON (Hindi) and iStream (Malayalam) with at least six more being onboarded. originals across languages.

     

    Added Amit Goenka, President – Digital Businesses & Platforms, ZEE Entertainment Enterprises Ltd:  “As digital entertainment consumption and delivery models evolve in the global landscape, addressing the growing consumer demand for engaging content and a seamless, personalized experience that combines accessibility and affordability is the need of the hour. With the launch of our aggregator platform Zee5 Add-ons, we aim to unite the entertainment ecosystem for the discerning viewer to build a robust monetization opportunity for multiple players in the global markets. We are pleased to have on board some of the most renowned names offering South Asian content to the diaspora audience, and we look forward to building a healthy partnership by enhancing capabilities in the realm of content creation and distribution by establishing ZEE5 Global Add-ons as the single destination for all South Asian content.”

     

    Meanwhile, an India to US referral programme will also be rolled out soon. Subscribers in India will be able to share a referral link with friends or family in the US and earn Rs 500 for each successful referral. There will be no capping on the number of referrals, so there is no upper limit to how much one can get.

     

    At the launch event, a panel discussion titled the Coming of Age of South Asian Entertainment: The Time is Now was conducted. The panel discussion, moderated by Anupama Chopra, featured actors Manoj Bajpayee, Guneet Monga, Vishal Bhardwaj, Pratik Gandhi, and Archana Anand from Zee5 Global.

     

  • He was until now Group COO, a position he assumed in February 2022

    Hersh Bhandari is now CEO of Republic’s broadcast biz

    By Our Staff

     

    Hersh-Bhandari
    Hersh Bhandari

    Republic Media Network has elevated Hersh Bhandari to CEO of its broadcast business. Bhandari, who was until now Group COO, a position he assumed in February 2022, will oversee the entire national operations for all existing broadcast channels of the network. Based in New Delhi NCR, Bhandari will also spearhead future growth activities of the group including new channel launches.

     

    Speaking on his elevation, Bhandari said: “At Republic Media Network, we continue our march and strengthen ourselves with speed for the growth that beckons us. I’m energised by the trust reposed in me by the Board, Management, and my colleagues, to help shape and deliver the next phase of growth. We think and move as one. [I am] extremely thankful and my gratitude to the Republic management, my colleagues, special team and business partners which made this happen with their constant support through this journey.

     

  • Co-hosted by DDB Mudra Group, D&AD and McDonald's

    Indian Creative Women to host Portfolio Evening

    By Our Staff

     

    Indian Creative Women (ICW) has partnered with DDB Mudra Group and D&AD for the fourth edition of Portfolio Evening, sponsored by McDonald’s.

     

    Two winners will earn an all-expense paid trip to the D&AD Festival in London. Note: this is not to be confused with Portfolio Night, the event that has been organised by One Clubfor many years, and the 2023 edition was hosted by DDB Mudra

     

    Call for portfolios is now open with the virtual event scheduled for Thursday, December 7, 2023 and the in-person event is slotted for Friday, December 8, 2023 at the Omnicom House, Mumbai. Application deadline is Monday, December 4, 2023. To register, please visit: bit.ly/3SPL8GG  

     

    Said Sakshi Choudhary, Founder, Indian Creative Women: “Despite the growing focus on DEI in the industry, there’s still not much action on ground. Indian Creative Women is committed to making the Indian ad & design industry more diverse through actionable solutions. Portfolio Evening, supported by D&AD, our local long- standing partner DDB Mudra Group, and sponsored by McDonald’s, serves as a key initiative to nurture a pipeline of strong female talent. It’s time our industry accepted the influence women bring to consumers, brands and the business of creativity.”

     

    Speaking on the sponsorship, Rajeev Ranjan, Managing Director, McDonald’s India added: “As a proud advocate of creativity and diversity at workplace, I am immensely thrilled to witness the transformative journey that Indian Creative Women (ICW) is forging in the advertising and design landscape. At McDonald’s India, we value the pivotal role women play in improving the quality of business outcomes not only by bringing in diverse perspectives and brilliantly executing unconventional breakthrough ideas but also by leveraging and shaping consumer trends and narratives.  Women today represent a significant economic force. The success of our communities in many ways depend on the success of our women associates. The ICW Portfolio Evening is a testament to the brilliance and untapped potential of female creatives across India. We are honored to support ICW in celebrating and elevating the voices of women who are the architects of tomorrow’s most compelling stories and campaigns.”

     

    And this is what Rahul Mathew, Chief Creative Officer, DDB Mudra Group, said in a communique: “We’re excited to partner ICW for yet another edition of Portfolio Evening. This is an important initiative to help the industry move forward. And to have D&AD and McDonald’s join us in this journey makes this edition of the Portfolio Evening, bigger than ever.”

     

  • To handle the brand's creative and media duties

    Dentsu wins BharatBenz account

    By Our Staff

     

    BharatBenz has onboarded Dentsu India as its integrated communication partner. BharatBenz is the truck and bus brand of Daimler India Commercial Vehicles.

     

    As per the mandate, Dentsu India will provide end-to-end communication solutions for BharatBenz. Dentsu Creative will be responsible for developing the brand strategy, creative campaigns, and digital content. Simultaneously, dentsu X will spearhead the media planning and buying of digital and traditional media for the brand.

     

    Speaking on the development, Siddharth Kirtane, Associate Vice President, Marketing – Daimler India Commercial Vehicles (DICV) said: “As we step into the second decade of BharatBenz, we looked for a strategic partner who could collaborate and resonate with the ethos of our brand. With dentsu, we found a team that is passionate, enthusiastic and eager to learn the nuances of our business. We look forward to this great partnership that will take the BharatBenz brand to the next level.”

     

    Added Indrajeet Mookerjee, President, Dentsu Creative:  “We are extremely honoured to win the coveted mandate for BharatBenz – a highly reputed truck and bus brand from Daimler India Commercial Vehicles. In the last 10 years of BharatBenz’s journey in the Indian market, it has clearly carved its position and achieved superiority in heavy-duty truck segments. We are looking forward to partnering with the brand in its next phase of growth.”

     

  • Findings by a report prepared by ET BrandEquity and Ipsos

    Digital adspend has reached INR 31.5kcr in 2023

    By Our Staff

     

    Market research firm Ipsos released ‘The State of Digital Marketing in India 2023 – 24’ report jointly with ET BrandEquity.

     

    Key Highlights of the Report:

    Digital Advertising Spend – The report indicates that digital advertising spending in India has reached INR 31,500 crore in the fiscal year 2023, with an anticipated surge to INR 41,000 crore by FY 2024. This underscores the growing prominence of digital platforms in advertising strategies.

    Digital advertising spending in India is primarily driven by nine key sectors, with FMCG and e-commerce contributing to over 60% of the total digital spending. E-commerce is the fastest-growing segment, with an increase of 43% (FY 22 vs. FY 23), and FMCG grew by 30%.

    Internet adoption, data analysis and technological advancements are critical drivers of growth for digital advertising.

     

    Additional insights to look out for:

    Media Share Shift: A significant finding is the projected overtaking of digital    media over television in ad spend share by FY 2024, accounting for about 39% of the total. This shift signifies changing advertiser preferences and the growing audience inclination towards digital platforms.

    Trend projection: Marketers have adapted to the fast-paced change around technology, consumers and business by going digital and adoption, to tap into their key audiences.

    As attention spans keep dwindling, the need for video content to be brief, targeted, and engaging is more crucial than ever. The trend of concise, and powerful advertisements, known as bumper ads is projected to persist

    Influencer marketing will  play a critical role in enhancing brand and customer relationships and driving business growth

    Personalised and customised marketing to gain prominence catalysed by AI & ML

    WhatsApp Business continues to be a rising force in digital marketing, capitalising on its 2.5 billion active users globally and ~500 million in India.

     

    Said Amit Kumar Gupta, Business Head of The Economic Times Business Verticals, commented on the launch: “The integration of digital media in marketing strategies is evident, yet there’s immense untapped potential. Our report aims to shed light on these trends for business leaders steering digital marketing in their organisations. We believe this report will further open the opportunities that digital platforms offer.”

     

    Added Deepak H, Partner, Strategy3, Ipsos India: “The digital marketing landscape is rapidly evolving with trends like Generative AI, Influencer Marketing, Machine Learning, and Multi-channel Marketing taking centre stage. This report is instrumental in understanding these changes.”

     

    Intersesting findings, now let’s see whether the mothership (and industry gospel) The Economic Times uses this data as a reference point in its reports on digital.

     

  • Campaign spotlights seller success stories

    Flipkart launches 4 new ad films

    By Our Staff

     

    Flipkart has launched a series of new ad films as part of the second phase of its ‘Kuch Khaas Kamao’ campaign for sellers on its marketplace.

     

    Said Rakesh Krishnan, Vice President and Head of marketplace, at Flipkart: “As a homegrown e-commerce marketplace, we are committed to fostering an environment where the sellers can get an opportunity to make their offerings accessible to customers across the country. Empowering sellers is at the heart of our ‘Kuch Khaas Kamao’ campaign. By leveraging Flipkart Seller Hub, our 1.4 million sellers unlock vast business opportunities and build enduring customer trust. It’s a journey where reliability meets success, creating a win-win for sellers and customers.”