Publicis Groupe India has announced that Paritosh Srivastava, the current CEO of L&K Saatchi & Saatchi will now also helm the operations at Publicis Worldwide India. Subhash Kamath and Russell Barrett, who were overseeing Publicis Worldwide India, move into a Groupe advisory role and BBH leadership role respectively, as announced earlier.
Anupriya Acharya
Said Anupriya Acharya, South Asia CEO, Publicis Groupe: “Paritosh is a proven and accomplished leader and under his leadership, L&K Saatchi & Saatchi has won large and coveted mandates, navigated the pandemic judiciously and taken the agency to a position of strength. He has also played an important role in the success of Publicis Worldwide in India for many years and is very familiar with its culture, talent, and key clients and hence was a natural choice. I am confident that his appointment will benefit our clients, business and people immensely.”
Added Srivastava: “This is a huge honour and Publicis Worldwide is very close to my heart. I have spent eight wonderful years of my professional life in the agency. I look forward to working with its hugely talented teams, to bring in world-class, truly impactful solutions for our trusted and respected set of client partners. In the competitive backdrop of today, clients need communication solutions that impact business and are truly dynamic, bold and data driven. Publicis Worldwide is a powerful brand for the Groupe globally, we will ensure that we maintain its impeccable reputation and make it future-proof in India.”
Lowe Lintas has appointed Shayondeep Pal as Regional Creative Officer. Pal will work out of the agency’s Bengaluru office and manage some of the flagship brands of the agency from the South region. Most recently, he led the creative campaigns for Surf Excel, Wheel, Vim, UltraTech and Nestle EveryDay.
Talking about his new role, Pal said: “I am looking forward to an exciting phase in my advertising career. I am thrilled to be part of the team that created stellar work on some of the most iconic brands.”
Commenting on Pal’s new role in the agency, Sagar Kapoor, CCO, Lowe Lintas said, “Shayondeep (Shayon, as we fondly refer to him) has led the Lowe Delhi office in the past. He has worked on a diverse mix of brands across categories. Both his wisdom and creative talent will definitely take Lowe Lintas South to newer heights. I am excited about our partnership and along with him and the teams, hope to create some stunning work very soon.”
Saturday, May 7 saw curtains drawn on the 15th edition of Goafest. The three-day fest saw several marketing and glamour stars, master classes and parties and of course awards on each of the evening. Around 1500 delegates are reported to have been in attendance.
Day 3 began with Mithali Raj – Indian women’s cricket captain in conversation with Sharlene Lobo, Anchor, Mirror Now. This was followed by a digital conclave an introductory address by Gowthaman ‘Gman’ Ragothaman, CEO, Aqilliz & Co-Founder, Web3 Marketing Association. And then there was Sandeep Bhushan, Director and Head of India GMS for Meta.
Later, there was a fireside chat on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion with Rathi Gangappa, CEO, Starcom India, Dheeraj Sinha, CEO & Chief Strategy Officer, South Asia, Leo Burnett, Rohit Ohri, Chairman & CEO FCB Ulka and Suhela Khan, Country Program Manager, We Empower Asia, UN Women on the panel. Post the lunch break, actor and comedian, Aiyyo Shraddha regaled the house with her stand-up act.
Later then was a session on influencers with Ranveer Allahbadia, Niharika NM, Raj Shamani, and Madan Gowri moderated by Viraj Sheth, Co-Founder & CEO of Monk Entertainment.
There was also Rujuta Diwekar, Nutrition Expert and Author in conversation with Anupriya Acharya, CEO-Publicis Groupe, South Asia.
The highlight A&M session of the day was by Kash Sree – Executive Creative Director / Writer who was later engaged in a Q&A by Rana Barua.
The last session for the day had actor Madhuri Dixit in conversation with actor Tisca Chopra.
The mastercasses through the day were conducted by Keigan Pinto, Chief Creative Officer, FCB Ulka, Amaresh Godbole, CEO, Digital Technology Business, Publicis Groupe India, Ram Cobain Creative Shop, Meta, Prakash Jha, Indian film Producer, Actor, Director, and Screenwriter in conversation with Mayank Shekhar, journalist and film critic. The last of the masterclasses on YouTube Shorts by Google.
At the Creative Abby, a total of 32 Video Craft ABBYs, 2 Radio Craft ABBYs, 29 Branded Content ABBYs, 13 Brand Activation & Promotion ABBYs, 4 Diversity ABBYs, 17 OOH ABBYs including 1 Grand Prix, 19 Still Print and Still Craft ABBYs, 4 Still Digital ABBYs, 20 Audio Visual TV/Cinema ABBYs, 41 Audio Visual Digital ABBYs, 1 Young ABBY, 2 Red ABBYs, 11 Integrated ABBYs and 3 Green awards ABBYs were handed out to deserving winners.
Speaking about Goafest 2022, Anupriya Acharya, President – Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) said, “Goafest 2022 had an electrifying start by celebrating the superpower within. It has grown to become the magnum opus event for the industry. With meaningful sessions and evenings filled with entertainment and fun, the last 3 days of the festival and the ABBYs, truly celebrated excellence and creativity, making Goafest a unique and enthralling experience. I would like to thank everyone who has contributed towards making Goafest 2022 a huge success with their encouragement and moral support. I’d also like to congratulate all the participants and winners in making the ABBYs’ an eventful evening at all three days.”
On awarding the ABBYs at Goafest 2022, Partha Sinha, President – The Advertising Club said, “Goafest has once again proven itself to be an extravaganza that brings together the entire media and creative fraternity. Reinvigorating Goafest after a break of two years was a challenge that we successfully sailed through. After months of dedication and relentless work by the AAAI and The Advertising Club teams, bringing international jury and the enthusiasm witnessed from all has resulted into yet another marvellous festival this year. Our collaboration with The One Show this year proved to be a game changing proposition, making the ABBYs’ even more aspirational. I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to all the winners and also thank the jury for their meticulous and fair evaluation that makes Abby Awards more globally recognised.”
Added Jaideep Gandhi, Chairman, Goafest 2022 Organising Committee: “After two difficult years, Goafest 2022 came together to celebrate the true essence of happiness and cheer amongst the industry. Over the last three days, not only did we witness some of the best speakers deliver insightful and encouraging talks, we also witnessed stories of empowerment and futuristic innovation. We also saw some of the brilliant creative minds engage and interact with each other, reiterating the true spirit of the festival. I’d like to congratulate each and every one for their incredible win.”
Said Rana Barua, Chairman, Abby Awards Governing Council 2022 & Vice President of The Ad Club: “As we come to the conclusion of Day 3 and of Goafest 2022, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the speakers and delegates for taking out time in to make the conference and the awards a great success. This year, we have witnessed an overwhelming response in terms of participation but what is heartening to note is that agencies are making their presence felt, showcasing some brilliant work.”
Dentsu Asia Pacific has announced the promotions of Sharan Jaswal to General Counsel APAC, Luke Speers to Chief People Officer APAC, both effective April 1 and Paul Koppelman to Chief Financial Officer, APAC effective May 1.
Said Wendy Clark, Global CEO, Dentsu international: “Asia Pacific is critical to the future growth of dentsu and our clients. I am delighted to see the promotions of three executives in the region, bolstering the existing team with exceptional people who have grown through our organisation.”
Madison Media Omega, a unit of Madison World, has been appointed Media AOR for Ki Mobility. The agency will handle the traditional media and digital media mandate for the client including TV, print and online video media buying and planning. The account was won in a multi-agency pitch.
Said Narasimhan Eswar, CEO, Ki Mobility Solutions Pvt Ltd on associating with Madison: “We are delighted to have Madison on-board as our Above-the-Line media partner. We believe that Madison with its incredible scale and talented personnel will add substantial value to Ki’s future plans to pioneer explosive growth in the Indian automotive aftermarket”.
Added Dinesh Rathod, CEO, Madison Media Omega:“We are very excited by Ki’s vision and plans to revolutionize the Indian automotive aftermarket and we are delighted to partner Ki Mobility and help make it a preferred destination for all vehicle owners.”
22feet Tribal Worldwide has announced the appointment of Vishnu Srivatsav as National Creative Director. Prior to this, he was Creative Head of DDB Mudra’s South office. Srivatsav will take over from Debashish Ghosh, the former NCD at 22feet Tribal Worldwide, and will continue to report to Rahul Mathew, Chief Creative Officer, DDB Mudra Group.
Rahul Mathew
Said Mathew: “Vishnu has been a great partner to the organisation in our pursuit of creative excellence. He recently led our South office to one of our best years creatively. I look forward to him taking this momentum and his infectious energy into the exciting opportunity at 22feet.”
Preetham Venkky
Added Preetham Venkky, President, 22feet Tribal Worldwide: “Vishnu has always been a huge source of inspiration for the creative team at 22feet. His grasp on culture, specifically internet culture, is arguably the best in the country, and established through his work over the years. We are super excited to have him come aboard, to inspire, shape and establish the culture of excellent creative work for our clients.”
Anant Rangaswami with Piyush Pandey. Photograph from Rangaswami’s Facebook page
It’s no secret that Anant Rangaswami was one of Ogilvy big boss Piyush Pandey’s closest friends and supporters. He was associated with the two books written by the Ogilvy Chief Creative Officer Worldwide and Executive Chairman India. In fact, in the just-released Open House, Rangaswami’s name figures as co-author.
“I have lost a very close friend, a partner and a confidante,” Pandey told MxMIndia on Tuesday morning, adding: “The industry has lost a supporter and an objective commentator.”
Dentsu India has announced the appointment of Saagar Sethi the President of its supply side management platform, Amplifi. In his new role, Sethi will lead the network’s Investment Management, Media Trading (Media Owner Services and Principal Buying) and Content (Original Partnerships & Entertainment) businesses in India. He will also have responsibility for helping drive the continued growth of The Story Lab and Posterscope, two specialist agency units within Dentsu which focus on entertainment production and Out of Home (OOH) capabilities, respectively. Sethi will report into Divya Karani, Media CEO, Dentsu – South Asia and work closely with the global Amplifi leadership.
Divya Karani
Commenting on the appointment, Karani said: “We are excited to have Saagar join our management team as we consolidate and prepare for the next stage of growth. In today’s increasingly complex media market, the experience he brings to the table will help us increase our client delivery skills in India.”
Added Sethi: “I have always been passionate about media. The timing of this opportunity could not have been better. This role complements my transformation experience and passion. I am committed to creating synergies and incremental value for all our clients, stakeholders, and partners, underpinned by the need of driving compliance and transparency. Truly, it is an exciting time to be at Dentsu India.”
Havas CX, the specialised customer experience unit of Havas Creative Group India, has bolstered its leadership team with key appointments.
Arunima Singh
Arunima Singh has been appointed Vice President – Customer Success and Ashtad Gandhi has been roped in as Associate Vice President – Data & Analytics. Both will report to Prashant Tekwani, Managing Partner, Havas CX India.
Rana Barua
Said Rana Barua, Group CEO, Havas Group India: “Havas CX India has witnessed exponential growth in less than 2 years through massive business wins across Mumbai and New Delhi. In addition, it has successfully built resonance in the industry through its annual report X Index. We understand that brands that get CX right will be the ones that stay relevant in the future, and therefore, our aim now is to scale up Havas CX to the next level and further expand both its expertise and our teams.”
Prashant Tekwani
Added Tekwani: “Over the past few years, we have partnered with brands to create business solutions with data and technology playing an integral role. As Arunima and Ashtad come on board, we’re embarking on the next phase of our rapid growth. The experience and expertise that both bring to the table will help us strengthen our offering further and empower us with the necessary tools to provide strong, strategic counsel to our clients.”
Carat has bagged the media mandate for Croma, the retail chain for consumer electronics and durables. As per the mandate, Carat India will oversee the brand’s media planning and buying rights (Traditional + Digital).
Anita Kotwani
Commenting on the win, Anita Kotwani, CEO, Carat India said: “We are backed by a consumer understanding proprietary framework, Designing for People (DFP), which is strong & always relevant. It is inspired by design thinking which enables us to help brands with an in-depth understanding of their consumers. Our single-source consumer-connected system is the key differentiator in the Indian market. It has the ability to drive full-funnel client outcomes. Our ability to stay ahead of the curve in the tools and tech space by showcasing a unified holistic view of the consumers has been a key tenet that helped us clinch the business.”
Shibashish Roy
Added Shibashish Roy, Chief Business Officer (eCommerce & Marketing), Croma – Infiniti Retail: “We are expanding our presence in India by strengthening our omnichannel proposition with digital initiatives and aggressive store expansion plans. We look forward to working with Carat India as our media planning partner to further build on the Croma brand.”
India is in fifth place of adspends, accounting for 4.6% of the growth this year, even though it is only the twelfth-largest ad market. India will be the fastest-growing market in percentage terms, expanding by 20.8%, driven by election advertising and the resumption of festivals that were cancelled at the height of the pandemic.
Jai Lala
Said Jai Lala, CEO, Zenith India: “India continues to have a robust AdEx growth on the back of Digital and TV. Key categories continue to be led by FMCG and the new app-based clients in the area of Fintech, Edutech, Foodtech amongst others.”
Global adspend is forecast to increase by US$58 billion in 2022, rising to US$781 billion from US$723 billion in 2021. Most of the new ad dollars will come from the US, which is forecast to expand by US$33 billion in 2022, driven by continued, rapid digital transformation, accounting for 57% of all the money added to the ad market this year. China, Japan, and the UK come next, supplying 9.1%, 6.2%, and 5.8% of new ad dollars, respectively.
Global advertising expenditure is forecast to grow 8.0% in 2022, according to Zenith’s latest Advertising Expenditure Forecasts report, published today (June 8). This represents a minor downgrade from the 9.1% growth rate Zenith published in December 2021. Growth will be supported by the Winter Olympics, mid-term US elections and soccer World Cup, which for the first time will take place in the most advertising-intensive period of the year in the run-up to Christmas. Faced with this tough comparison, growth will slow to 5.4% in 2023, before the Summer Olympics and US presidential elections help boost it to 7.6% in 2024.
Zenith’s forecasts for North America, MENA and Western Europe this year are unchanged at 12%, 7% and 6% growth respectively. Latin America was downgraded slightly from 9% to 8%, but Asia Pacific was upgraded from 6% to 7%, thanks to a very strong performance from India. Severe disruption in Russia and its closest trading partners after the invasion of Ukraine will lead to a 26% decline in adspend in Central & Eastern Europe, even though most other markets in the region will continue to grow.
Adspend has remained on track despite the macroeconomic headwinds that emerged this year. High inflation, concentrated in essentials like heating, petrol, and food, is forcing consumers to reprioritise their spending, particularly the less well-off, and has led to a drop in consumer confidence. But for now, consumer spending continues to grow, as consumers demonstrate their strong appetite for the travel and entertainment experiences that were denied to them over the pandemic. Business confidence is generally high, and corporate investment is rising, and there is little evidence of widespread cost-cutting.
Higher prices in traditional channels accelerate shift to digital alternatives
The sustained growth in demand from advertisers is pushing up media inflation, particularly in television, where the supply of audiences is falling steadily as viewers switch to alternatives. Price rises vary widely for different audiences in different countries, but the global average cost of television advertising across all audiences is expected to rise by 11%-13% this year. Online video prices are expected to increase by about 7%, although in this case the supply of audiences is rising. Other digital channels where supply is climbing and volumes are flexible are inflating only modestly, with 3% average price rises forecast for social media and other digital display. Out-of-home and radio prices will go up about 4% this year, while print prices will remain stable, because demand for advertising in printed publications is falling as rapidly as readership.
Brands that simply buy broad audiences to achieve reach targets will not be able to avoid having to spend more to reach the same audiences. But brands that use first-party data to identify their most profitable customers, and combine it with third-party data to target their best prospects in the most efficient channels, will be able to mitigate much of the effect of media inflation. The huge and growing volume of digital content consumption is making it more effective for brands to scale by aggregating digital audiences. Zenith predicts 62% of ad budgets will be spent on digital media in 2022, up from 59% in 2021, and that this proportion will reach 65% in 2024.
“In a world where trading is becoming dominated by auctions, competitive advantage is achieved not by scale, but by data,” said Ben Lukawski, Global Chief Strategy Officer, Zenith. “Inflation will hit cheap reach buyers hard, but brands that make smart use of their data will manage costs and grow their business at the same time.”
Online video overtakes social media as the fastest-growing channel for the first time in past decade
Online video is now predicted to be the fastest-growing channel over the next three years: Zenith forecasts it will grow 15.4% a year on average between 2021 and 2024, driven by the rapid development of connected TV, ad-funded video-on-demand, streaming and other video formats. Connected TV is now a mainstream video platform in the US, with a higher penetration than cable TV, and is becoming established in other markets, especially in Western Europe and Asia Pacific. The introduction of cheaper ad-funded tiers by SVOD services like Netflix and Disney+ will boost growth further by providing new high-quality environments for brand communication. Mixed video-on-demand models that combined subscriptions with advertising will also help online video audiences continue to grow across the world by recruiting consumers unwilling or unable to afford the growing roster of subscription-only services. Zenith expects online video adspend to rise from US$62 billion in 2021 to US$95 billion in 2024.
Online video will overtake social media, the fastest-growing channel for the previous nine years. Social media adspend (which includes video ads in social media feeds) is still forecast to grow at an average rate of 15.1% a year between 2021 and 2024, propelled by rising competition among platforms that is driving continued innovation on formats and closer integration with commerce. Meta’s share of social media adspend outside China has been falling steadily since it peaked at 89% in 2019, reaching 85% in 2021 as TikTok, Snapchat, LinkedIn and Pinterest gained market share. Zenith forecasts social media adspend will rise from US$153 billion in 2021 to US$187 billion in 2022, when it will account for 25% of expenditure on advertising across all media.
Cinema and out-of-home will take third and fourth place among the fastest-growing media, averaging 11.9% and 8.0% annual growth between 2021 and 2024 respectively. These are still recovering from the deep losses they suffered in 2020 and 2021 when cinemas were closed, and consumers were confined indoors. Cinema and out-of-home have a lot of ground to make up, however, and are taking their time to do so. Many brands that were forced to find alternatives, often digital, have found them effective, and see little need to shift their budgets back again. Zenith expects cinema adspend to reach US$3.9 billion in 2024, well below its pre-pandemic level of US$4.8 billion in 2019, while out-of-home will reach US$45.0 billion in 2024, exceeding the US$42.3 billion it achieved in 2019 for the first time.
Linear television advertising is forecast to grow by 1.1% a year on average between 2021 and 2024, from US$173.6 billion to US$179.2 billion, as price rises continue to compensate for loss of audiences. This ongoing decline in reach and efficiency will drive brands to digital channels, however, including online video. Television’s share of total adspend is forecast to fall from 24.6% in 2021 to 20.8% in 2024, while online video’s share increases from 8.8% to 11.1%.
“Online video is growing by creating new opportunities for building brand awareness, complemented by social media’s capacity for cost-effective targeting with low barriers to entry,” said Jonathan Barnard, Head of Forecasting, Zenith. “Online video is steadily narrowing the spending gap with television, and will be half as large as television by 2024.”
Havas Worldwide India (Creative) has strengthened its strategy and account management leadership with senior appointments. Arthi Basak has joined as EVP & Planning Head – West and Esha Datta and Sougata Kundu have been roped in as Vice President, Client Servicing. While Arthi and Esha will be part of the Havas Mumbai office, Sougata will work out of Havas Gurgaon.
Manas Lahiri
Commenting on the appointments, Manas Lahiri, Managing Director, Havas Worldwide India (Creative), said: “Havas Worldwide is currently at a very interesting growth stage with a client roster of well-established traditional as well as many new-age brands. Marketers are now increasingly seeking our expertise in creating cutting-edge, innovative solutions that are strategic, tactical, and out-of-the-box. With Arthi, Esha and Sougata on board, we will be able to further strengthen our client partnerships.”
