MxMIndia

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  • Genesis Burson-Marsteller, South Asia's leading integrated communications consultancy, announced it has signed on Visa, global leader in technology payments solutions

    Genesis Burson-Marsteller retains Visa

    By A Correspondent

     

    Genesis Burson-Marsteller, South Asia’s leading integrated communications consultancy, announced it has signed on Visa, global leader in technology payments solutions. Genesis Burson-Marsteller, as part of a one-year retainer, will support Visa in further communicating the benefits of electronic payments, and the company’s latest developments in safe and efficient payment innovations. Further, Genesis Burson-Marsteller will support Visa’s commitment to financial inclusion for all of India.

     

    “Visa is moving at a fast pace in delivering access, safety and ease to financial transactions for businesses, governments as well as individual consumers around the globe,” stated Prema Sagar, Principal and Founder of Genesis Burson-Marsteller. “As Visa further develops what is already the most advanced payment processing network in the in the world, we are delighted to be working with them to highlight these advancements through strategic and targeted communications.”

     

    Genesis Burson-Marsteller will lend counsel and tactical support to Visa’s ongoing communications efforts using targeted media outreach in the technology and consumer space, as well as conduct stakeholder education and engagement. The programme will be targeted at showcasing Visa’s leadership in the sector.

     

  • iProspectCommunicate 2, a search and digital consulting agency, has roped in Mr. Sayan Banerjee as VP – Business Development, key client relationships, digital consulting for BFSI and other core verticals

    iProspectCommunicate2 appoints Sayan Banerjee as VP – Biz Devpt

    Sayan Banerjee

    By A Correspondent

     

    iProspectCommunicate 2, a search and digital consulting agency, has roped in Mr. Sayan Banerjee as VP – Business Development, key client relationships, digital consulting for BFSI and other core verticals and to drive client engagement, planning and revenues for iProspectCommunicate 2.

     

    An alumnus of IIM Calcutta, Mr Banerjee comes in with over 11 years of work experience spanning across Digital Marketing, Strategic Planning and Product Management in Banking, Media and IT. Over the last few years, his primary focus has been in driving the overall digital strategy and the marketing programme implementation for Direct Channels at HSBC India and at Newscorp India. He has created several digital marketing success stories using Search, Display, Social, Web Analytics and award winning Emailer Campaigns. Mr Banerjee has also worked with companies like Hurix Systems and Bennett Coleman and Co. Ltd in the past.

     

    Vivek Bhargava, Managing Director iProspectCommunicate2 says in an official communique, “We intend to drive our leadership in digital consulting with this appointment. Sayan comes in with rich client end experience and as such is best suited to understand marketing rationale from a client perspective and provide digital solutions to such marketing opportunities.”

     

  • The Smarties India 2012 Awards is a global awards programme dedicated exclusively to mobile marketing and recognizes local, regional and international campaigns in a global contest

    Zee TV wins gold for DID mobile app at Smarties 2012

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) presented the first ever Smarties India 2012 Awards, which is a global awards programme dedicated exclusively to mobile marketing and recognizes local, regional and international campaigns in a global contest that showcases the ‘best of the best’ in the industry, across 15 categories in Delhi on September 21.

     

    The first edition of Smarties India 2012 awards winners were adjudged by a global jury of senior brand marketers and advertising executives.

     

    ZEE TV was the only broadcast client along with the agency, Mobilox, which won awards in two categories:-

    · Smarties 2012 Gold for the best mobile APP – DID

    · Smarties 2012 Bronze for the DID – missed call voting innovation

     

    The DID App aimed to provide an expression platform for the audience of Dance India Dance and enable a bi-lateral interaction between the audience and the show. The intention was to engage DID audiences on mobile and extend the 1 hour show format on TV to a 7 day format on Mobile. Till date there has been more than 5.6 lakh downloads of the app. The app also served as a common access point to popular social media Platforms. Live voting through the app was in sync with the show, thus helping boost the number of votes.

     

    Akash Chawla, Marketing Head, National Channels, ZEEL said, “It was very gratifying to know that at a time when ‘on-demand’ entertainment was the order of the day, we were able to provide our viewers with content that kept them engrossed and engaged. Reaching over 5.6 lakh downloads on four mobile platforms strengthens our conviction that technology engages consumers in ways that are addictive.”

     

  • RedWorks has announced the appointment of Gavin Hall as Regional Vice President, RedWorks Digital Services, based in Singapore

    Gavin Hall is Regional VP for RedWorks Digital Services

    By A Correspondent

     

    RedWorks has announced the appointment of Gavin Hall as Regional Vice President, RedWorks Digital Services, based in Singapore.

     

    In this new role, Mr Hall will expand the digital delivery capabilities of RedWorks across the region, including specialist and production operations in Bangalore, Ho Chi Minh and Beijing.

     

    “RedWorks has evolved considerably over the last three years and we are pleased to have Gavin on board to be part of our growth,” said Michael Burgess, Regional President, RedWorks Asia. “His extensive management, mobile, online project and product management experience will further add to our service offerings and strong leadership team, and create additional value for our clients.”

     

    Mr Hall began his career as an award-winning producer for MTV before joining OgilvyOne in the interactive space where he worked on regional projects for Nokia, Unilever and Lufthansa. He moved to Yahoo! where he managed regional mobile product offerings before his most recent role at SingTel, where he was charged with leading the developer and partnership relationships for the company’s drive into mobile applications.

     

    “It has been more than six years since I was part of Ogilvy and I feel as if I am coming home,” said Mr Hall. “It is an exciting time to join RedWorks, and I am looking forward to supporting RedWorks’ growth across Asia Pacific.”

     

  • Ten Sports has extended the live and exclusive telecast rights for the US Open Tennis Championships for a period of four years, starting with the next edition in 2013

    Ten Sports extends TV rights for ‘US Open Tennis Championships’ for four years

    By A Correspondent

     

    Ten Sports has extended the live and exclusive telecast rights for the US Open Tennis Championships for a period of four years, starting with the next edition in 2013. Ten Sports has been telecasting US Open since 2005 and has acquired the rights for India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan and Bangladesh. The final Grand Slam of the year will add to the existing strong line-up of tennis programming on Te Sports.

     

    Comprehensive coverage from start to finish across a variety of platforms will result in more tennis for fans. In addition to the television rights Ten Sports has also acquired the rights mobile, internet and video-on-demand.

     

    Speaking on the acquisition, Atul Pande, CEO, Ten Sports said, “We are proud to be associated with the US Open, one of the biggest sporting events in the world. The conclusion of this agreement is of vital strategic importance as Ten Sports continues to deliver top-flight programming to our viewers.  Rights holders know we have the best distribution of any sports network in the South Asian Market and they appreciate the value we bring to their product not only through having the largest audience, but also the way we present their product, through scheduling, production and expert commentary.”

     

    Gordon Smith, Executive Director of the USTA commented, “We are very pleased that Ten Sports has agreed to continue their relationship with the US Open. Ten Sports has been a good partner of the US Open for many years and their support demonstrates the continuing appeal of the US Open to a worldwide audience.”

     

  • Star Network’s Kannada general entertainment channel Suvarna will telecast its first Parivaar awards on September 29 and 30 at 6 pm.

    Sunfeast Suvarna Parivaar Awards to air on Sept 29, 30

    By A Correspondent

     

    Star Network’s Kannada general entertainment channel Suvarna will telecast its first Parivaar awards on September 29 and 30 at 6 pm.

     

    The event will feature performances by power star Puneeth Rajkumar with veteran stars like Bharathi Vishnuvardhan, Lakshmi, Hema Choudri and Ambika, as well as Suvarna stars.

     

    Channel business head Anup Chandrashekharan said, “For the past few years our audiences have enjoyed these artists in their individual shows; this event will showcase the combine talent of the Suvarna family and I hope all our viewers will enjoy it.”

     

  • The Custom Media division of Mediascope Publicitas has assumed a new brand identity on its 15th birthday, Publicitas Publishing

    Mediascope’s custom pub div is now Publicitas Publishing

    Marzban Patel

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Mediascope Publicitas – Custom Media division, operating in the Indian and Asian market, is celebrating its fifteenth year of establishment with a new brand identity – Publicitas Publishing. The new brand name reflects the close ties with Switzerland-based parent company PubliGroupe and its Publicitas sales operations worldwide. Publicitas Publishing reports directly to the Chief Executive Officer of Publicitas India & Asia, Marzban Patel. Emphasis Media, the custom media company of Publicitas Singapore will also operate under the new brand name of Publicitas Publishing.

     

    Marzban Patel, CEO Publicitas India & Asia said: “15 years is an excellent achievement for the Custom Media division of Mediascope Publicitas and marks the start of an exciting new phase for both our India and Singapore teams. The introduction of a new sub-brand under the Publicitas’ umbrella coincides with the group’s objectives, which is to differentiate and expand service offerings to its esteemed clients. The new brand identity will build upon the strengths and success of our Asia & India operations.”

     

    Indu Joshi, COO of Publicitas Publishing India (former Custom Media, Mediascope Publicitas), said: “With our editorial, design and marketing expertise in the Indian luxury print segment & the digital experience of our Singapore team, our growth strategy will evolve in the direction of a multi-platform publishing environment, offering deeper audience engagement solutions for clients across Asia.”

     

  • Ogilvy & Mather Asia Pacific has won five IPA Effectiveness Awards in 2012 for work from India, China, Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan. The colour of the metal will be revealed at the awards ceremony on October 29

    5 IPA Effectiveness Awards for O&M Asia Pacific

    By A Correspondent

     

    Ogilvy & Mather Asia Pacific has won five IPA Effectiveness Awards in 2012 for work from India, China, Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan. O&M is the only agency in Asia to win any awards in this global competition and the colour of the metal will be revealed at the awards ceremony on October 29 at the Hilton Park Lane, London.

     

    “Winning five awards for our Asia Pacific work is an unprecedented achievement as the IPAs are recognised as the most rigorous awards globally,” said Paul Heath, Chairman, Ogilvy & Mather Asia Pacific. “It builds on our history of being the first agency from Asia to win an IPA Award in 2008 for Motorola. My congratulations to the client and agency teams for producing great work that works.”

     

    The accolades go to a range of work including growing chocolate consumption for Cadbury Dairy Milk from Mumbai, India; quadrupling market share in China for Dove; turning anti-smoking into pro-quitting for the Singapore Health Promotion Board; developing the ‘Shangri-La – it’s in our nature’ approach that dramatically increased room nights; and making Ta Chong Bank famous, which drove increased sales and profitability.

     

  • Godrej Appliances has launched an online shopping portal powered by Indiatimes Shopping which is a part of Times Internet Limited (TIL)

    Indiatimes Shopping launches online shopping store for home appliances; to launch Jewellery brand soon

    By A Correspondent

     

    With online shopping portals becoming increasingly popular amongst consumers, Godrej Appliances has launched an online shopping portal – Shopping.Indiatimes.com, powered by Indiatimes Shopping which is a part of Times Internet Limited (TIL).

     

    Consumers can search for products by category and look for ‘Deals of the Week’, offering select products at competitive prices, from the range of consumer durables on the site, ranging from air conditioners and refrigerators to washing machine and microwave ovens. While the Godrej online store will exclusively sell Godrej merchandise, Indiatimes Shopping aims to launch a jewellery brand very soon.

     

    In conversation with MxMIndia, Mr Subhanker Sarker, COO, Indiatimes Shopping explained that while Godrej was the natural choice for home appliance, Indiatimes Shopping has partnered with Nokia for mobiles. “Indiatimes Shopping’s strategy is to partner with the leading players in each significant retail category. In the home appliances space, Godrej is the natural choice in India as it is a brand customer’s trust. We have partnered with Nokia in the mobiles category and are in discussions with a major jewellery player.”

     

    According to IAMAI (Internet and Mobile Association of India) March 2011 report, the e-commerce industry in India is growing at an average of 55 percent year on year since the past four years. In addition to this, the size of the home and kitchen appliances segment is valued at about Rs 62 crore.

     

    With the robust growth of e-commerce business, Godrej Appliances are said to be targeting growth of its online business at over 150 per cent year on year. While Indiatimes Shopping already has an android and iPhone app for its horizontal shopping store, Godrej products are also now available on app. “Going forward the preferred route is through responsive design where you don’t have to build different products for different devices. We will go that route and will enable the store on all kinds of devices within this financial year itself,” added Mr Sarker.

     

    Asked whether this indicates a growth in consumer trust regarding online shopping, Mr Sarker said that today there is a lot of comfort with the online format, although it is a limited to a certain psychographic profile. “It is definitely not limited by the traditional demographic models. We have all kinds of payment options, the most popular being net banking and credit cards with free EMIs. There are immense growth opportunities in the e-commerce space; however, customers first experiment with the model through low-value standard goods and low-risk payment options like COD (Cash on Delivery). But once comfortable with the format and service levels, they then go for goods with high perceived value like baby products and apparel.”

     

  • The first senior hire in creative since Taproot India started, Pallavi Chakravarti joins as associate creative director from Grey Worldwide

    Taproot India hires Pallavi Chakravarti as associate CD

    By A Correspondent

     

    Taproot India has hired Pallavi Chakravarti as Associate Creative Director from Grey Worldwide. She is the first senior hiring in creative since Taproot India started, and will be based in Mumbai reporting to Santosh Padhi and Agnello Dias.

     

    Ms Chakravarti has eight years of experience, having worked at Saatchi & Saatchi, JWT and Grey before joining Taproot India. Over the years she has worked on brands like Rin, Bajaj Allianz, Nutrine, Vimal, Diageo, Ariel, Head & Shoulders, Reliance Communications, Leela Group, IndianOil, Bharat Petroleum, cleartrip.com, AXN and SOTC.

     

    Last year, she featured in Brand Equity’s list of promising under-30 creatives. Her work won her awards at shows like Goafest and Adfest Asia Pacific. She was also judged ‘Copywriter of the Year,’ at the Young Achievers’ Awards last year.

     

    “Apart from both of us there is a powerful team of 30 odd people who have played a huge role to what Taproot India is today, because we have been hand picking people personally as apart from great work we try and make sure the person is a great human being as well,” said Santosh Padhi.

     

    Agnello Dias added, “While hiring it was very important for us to make sure the person fits into the existing culture seamlessly.”

     

  • Forbes India has announced the Forbes India Leadership Awards 2012 to be held in Mumbai on September 28

    Corporate leaders vie for top honours at Forbes India Leadership Awards 2012

    By A Correspondent

     

    Forbes India has announced the Forbes India Leadership Awards 2012 to be held in Mumbai on September 28. Celebrating transformational leadership, this year Forbes India will honour outstanding leaders who have epitomized success in their fields and are the visionary champions in creating sustainable future.

     

    The theme for the evening this year is ‘Seeing What Next’ – the one common feature that most leaders showcase. It’s their ability to see what’s coming ahead, react to it before everyone else that makes them the visionary. The Forbes India team has invited some of the leading business and thought leaders of the country to present their thoughts in precisely 3 minutes on “The one thing that will change everything for people in this room, except that they haven’t heard of it”. These speakers will then be rated real time by the audience on their thoughts and ideas. The list speakers for the evening include names like Adil Zainulbhai – MD, McKinsey & Co India, Kumar Mangalam Birla – Chairman, Aditya Birla Group, N Chandrasekharan – CEO, TCS, Akhil Gupta – Chairman, Blackstone India, Karl Slym – MD and CEO Tata Motors, William Bissell – MD, Fabindia, Nitin Paranjpe – CEO & MD, Hindustan Unilever and Lakshmi Narayanan, Vice – Chairman, Cognizant.

     

    The nominees have been chosen by a jury panel that includes Jury Chairman KV Kamath, Non-Executive Chairman, ICICI Bank & Chairman, Infosys; Dr. J.J Irani, Former Director, Tata Sons; Adil Zaniulbhai, Chairman, McKinsey India; Akhil Gupta, Chairman, Blackstone Advisors India; Zia Mody, Founder AZB Partners and Raghav Bahl, Founder & MD, Network 18 Group. These jury members along with knowledge partners KPMG, through a rigorous and exhaustive process, chose five nominees in each of the ten categories, and 10 winners were selected from the list of 50.

     

    The categories for the awards are:

    Outstanding Start-up

    NextGen Entrepreneur for the Year

    Best CEO – Public Sector

    Best CEO – Private Sector

    Best CEO – Multinational

    Woman Leader for the Year

    Entrepreneur with Social Impact

    Entrepreneur for the Year

    Lifetime Achievement

    Conscious Capitalist for the Year

    More details on the awards and nominees are at forbesindia.com/leadershipawards/index.html.

     

  • Soap characters Maanvi and Viraat are set to tie the knot this month, and viewers stand a chance to participate

    Star Plus involves viewers in marketing innovation

    By A Correspondent

     

    Continuing its innovation of involving viewers in its soap stars’ lives, Star Plus has now called for congratulatory messages for Ek Hazaaron Mein Meri Behna Hai couple Maanvi and Viraat, as they prepare to get married.

     

    Viewers across India are invited to send the couple their best wishes, and the best messages selected by Maanvi get a chance to be a part of the wedding. The channel has chalked out a 13-city on-ground activity plan during which wedding floats will travel around collecting wishes for the couple.

     

    More details about the float schedule are at www.starplus.in and on Star Plus’ Facebook page.