MxMIndia

Category: ADVERTISING

  • Waku Doki adds no value whatsoever to the communication, and to think it’s the central idea! Worse, they are using it for multiple brands

    Debrief:Toyota: Yeh Waku Doki kya hai, bhaiyya?

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    It took me a lot of time to figure what in hell Waku Doki means. It sounded like Japanese to me, so I called a Jap pal for help. And he said it roughly means: ‘Excitedly waiting for something cool to happen’. Toyota has unleashed this Japanese colloquial phrase as the umbrella positioning for two of its brands: Fortuner and Etios. And the other common factor is cricketer Virat Kohli.

     

    In the ad for Fortuner, Kohli says Waku Doki to a kid who’s bored of playing video games. In the ad for Etios, the young cricket sensation plays the same trick on a heart-broken gal. And no prizes for guessing that in these ads Waku Doki means hitting the road in a Toyota. And once the car comes into the picture, it’s back to the usual shots of interiors and exteriors. And speed and dirt tracks, etc, etc.

     

    This is dicey stuff. Indians aren’t going to run around looking for a Jap-English dictionary to figure what Waku Doki means. And without that knowledge, the phrase means nothing, it’s pure nonsense. Which means Waku Doki adds no value whatsoever to the communication, and to think it’s the central idea! Worse, they are using it for multiple brands, so each individual brand story gets lost as we are left scratching our heads over Waku Doki.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”225″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWSrRYJHwl0[/youtube]

    I suspect Toyota opted for a Jap phrase to highlight the Japanese association of the mother brand. Where was the need for that? Bachcha bachcha in India already knows Toyota is a Jap car maker. They would have been better served by coining a desi expression, something like ‘Jhingalala’. So that at the very least the communication doesn’t go over the head. Though frankly, these gimmicky phrases are suitable for low-involvement products like wafers and candies. And not for vehicles which will set you back by lakhs of rupees.

     

    Rating: (On a scale of 1 to 5): 1. Incomprehensible and irrelevant.

     

  • Through this mandate, Aidem will be responsible for marketing Getit's synergistic product suite to leading brands, agencies and corporates

    Getit gets Aidem for corporate ad sales

    By A Correspondent

     

    Media consulting, marketing and advertising sales company, Aidem Ventures, has announced its appointment as the corporate advertising sales representative for Getit for the next 5 years.

     

    Getit originally pioneered the concept of Yellow Pages in India and has now transformed into an integrated digital media organization specializing in local search and classifieds. It is India’s leading ‘directional media’ platform providing quality leads to businesses and brands, across media and devices, thereby helping their business grow.

     

    Announcing the appointment, Sidharth Gupta, CEO, Getit Infoservices (P) Ltd. said: “We have appointed a strategic sales partner in Aidem and going by their track record and level of commitment to their partners, we are confident that we can take our business to new heights. The search advertising industry is one of the fastest growing industries in India and trade analysts have pegged it to grow 5 folds in the next year. We at Getit want to ensure that we set the pace for the growth of the industry and appointing our sales partner is a big step in that direction.”

     

    Through this mandate, Aidem will be responsible for marketing Getit’s synergistic product suite to leading brands, agencies and corporates. While Aidem will be responsible for services to large corporate clients, key brands and agencies, GETIT will continue to sell directly to its SME clients in over 70 cities, through its 1200+ strong sales force.

     

    “We are excited with the mandate to enhance the advertising potential of Getit that will provide brands with a perfect platform for a sustained engagement with consumers. This partnership also complements our plans to expand Aidem’s footprint in the digital and new media space. It is our constant endeavor to enable the Indian advertiser base to explore lucrative media platforms,” said Kaushal Dalal, Executive Vice President, Aidem Ventures.

     

    “The effectiveness of creative advertising is significantly enhanced when used in conjunction with Directional ad spends. Getit has tremendous potential and we are glad to be associated with it”, added Neena Dasgupta, Head, Digital & International Business – Aidem Ventures Pvt. Ltd.

     

  • InMobi to monetize Cricbuzz on mobile devices

    InMobi & Cricbuzz announce partnership

    By A Correspondent

     

    Bangalore-based independent mobile ad network InMobi and Cricbuzz, the cricket property with over 17 million unique users, has announced an exclusive partnership for bringing mobile ads to consumers on Cricbuzz’s mobile site and applications, for the India market. This partnership will make it easier for advertisers to reach premium mobile consumers on Cricbuzz.

     

    Under the terms of the partnership, InMobi will have exclusive rights to monetize Cricbuzz’s mobile properties across all devices on phones and tablets in India. Advertisers that want to advertise on Cricbuzz’s mobile application on these platforms will now engage with InMobi.

     

    InMobi delivers reach to 578 million consumers, in over 165 countries, through more than 93.5 billion mobile ad impressions monthly. It provides end-to-end solution for mobile advertising including rich media ad creation, distribution, tracking and optimization.

     

    With a presence across multiple digital platforms, Cricbuzz attracts over 17 million monthly unique visitors on its web and mobile properties. This partnership is for ad monetization, and on all their properties – mobile web and apps on phones and tablets.

     

    “Since inception, we have focused on making cricket information available on mobile devices of varying capabilities and were the first to launch a WAP-enabled version as early as 2005. We are excited to announce this partnership with a global leader in mobile advertising, such as InMobi. Being the top cricket destination on mobile, we were looking for a globally renowned partner and InMobi was the obvious choice,” said Pankaj Chhaparwal, Founder and Managing Director at Cricbuzz.

     

    Sandeep Deshpande, Country GM -India at InMobi said: “This exclusive agreement with Cricbuzz reinforces InMobi’s leadership position in the Indian market. Cricbuzz’s mobile properties on all platforms have been immensely popular in India and abroad. In a Cricket fanatic country like ours, where all brands want a share of this pie, advertisers will now be able to reach their target audience wherever they are, through this partnership.”

     

  • The supplement comes in one handy, 8-page packet, Weekend Life, being brought out by Business Line from July 6

    Business Line launches ‘Weekend Life’

    By A Correspondent

     

    Does Horlicks sell more than Coca Cola in India? Why is the Amul girl suddenly pushing milk, instead of butter? What made a music channel stop airing music? Ever wondered why European kitchen equipment stores are popping up everywhere? Find out all this and more about the business of brands, in one handy, 8-page packet, Weekend Life, being brought out by Business Line from July 6.

     

    One of the sections, Brandline, brings you the stories and the stories behind the stories from the world of advertising and marketing. Along with insight and analysis from some of the leading lights of the industry.

     

    Whether it is food and wine and gyan from leading chefs of India, or an insight into gender issues and how women, including rural women, are changing the face of India, it is all included in the supplement.

     

    Even the tech-savvy will be satisfied with eWorld’s updates on the latest trends, fads and analysis from the world of information technology.

     

     

  • Games Developer, Mr Beech, is a veteran of casual games and has many international hits to his credit

    Games2win USA appoints Chris Beech

    By A Correspondent

     

    Games2win USA has announced the appointment of Chris Beech as a Games Developer for its US business operations. Mr Beech, 40, is a veteran of casual games and has many international hits to his credit.

     

    Justin Molyneaux, Head of Games, USA said: “I have worked with Chris for over 5 years during my tenure at AddictingGames. I first discovered Chris when he won the first annual Most AddictingGames Developer Award. He is a very prolific developer who has built nearly thirty games out of which most of them were productions that we created together. He is both a skilled artist and a great programmer.”

     

    Mr Beech will actively work with Mr Molyneaux and help build new global titles for both the online and mobile mediums for Games2win.

     

    Alok Kejriwal – CEO and Co-founder of Games2win said: “We are really excited to have Chris on board. Chris is really talented and can swiftly turn around ideas and concepts into working game prototypes and finished products. He greatly compliments Justin’s game designer skills and I believe that as a team they are set to rock the gaming world!”

     

    Games2win is a global casual games business and entertains over 15 million unique users a month as per comScore. Games2win owns over 600 original games that are published on its portals Games2Win.com and GangofGamers.com and on the iOS and Android market places. Games2win’s latest game ‘Parking Frenzy’ recently reached no 1 position on the global iTunes Stores after scoring top ranks in the Android market place.

     

  • That critical factor is the only thing that will help the channel develop a distinctive identity. And if that doesn’t happen fast, it’s good bye to NewsX

    Anil Thakraney: NewsX needs the X. Very badly

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    No, I don’t watch NewsX. There are two reasons for this. For one, as far as the English news channels go, I have my plate full. With NDTV, Times Now and CNN-IBN. And that’s already more than I can handle. There is simply no appetite left for another ‘helping’. In addition, when I am in a particularly foul or salacious mood, I log into the Hindi news channels. Like India TV and Aaj Tak. And there’s no question of being able to deal with anything beyond this, as far as television news goes.

     

    Second, and more importantly, when I have accidentally dropped by at NewsX on the odd day when I am mindlessly surfing, I have noticed they have absolutely nothing new to offer. It’s just a bad copy of the leading English news channels, a poor me-too. So there’s been no motivation to go back.

     

    Within the above two reasons lie the key problems for this fledgling news channel. The English news channel market is saturated and very busy. Regular TV viewers have formed their individual loyalties, and it’s really tough for a late-comer to grab attention. No wonder NewsX has been languishing on the sidelines for four long years. And worse, because they have nothing fresh to offer, the channel will continue to languish.

     

    Now, to be fair to NewsX, the channel has seen enormous tumult since it was born. Friction within the senior management partners, ugly controversies and frequent change of ownership. Already placed in an extremely competitive market, this is not the kind of stuff they needed. The channel staffers should consider themselves fortunate the brand has survived thus far. And now, yet again, NewsX has a new owner: the ITV Group.

     

    I really can’t understand why ITV acquired the channel; it neither has the ratings nor the distribution. But their best bet now is to do one thing very quickly. Which is to get the X-factor injected into NewsX, the one and only ingredient that will help it survive. That critical factor is the only thing that will help the channel develop a distinctive identity. And if that doesn’t happen fast, it’s good bye to NewsX. And the saddest part is that no one will even notice when the channel’s gone.

     

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    [youtube width=”400″ height=”225″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eisbkQgY2Q[/youtube]

    PS: ‘Take the stage.’ A good campaign released by Adidas, especially for the UK market. This is not just to motivate the Brit athletes but also to create a buzz around the Olympic Games. Would have been nice if there was such an encouraging film produced for the Indian athletes. So that they don’t lose their passion even if Kalmadi lands up at the games to say a warm hello. 🙂

     

     

  • Bang in the Middle would be responsible for strategizing and implementing an entire suite of digital services to spruce up Dulux's online presence

    Dulux ropes in Bang in the Middle for digital

    By A Correspondent

     

    Akzo Nobel India, the maker of Dulux Paints, has signed on Bang in the Middle as its digital communication partner. Bang in the Middle would be responsible for strategizing and implementing an entire suite of digital services to spruce up Dulux’s online presence.

     

    Commenting on the association, Pushkar Jain, Marketing Manager, Dulux, Akzo Nobel India said: “We are actively engaging in the digital space so as to create interactive dialogues with our consumers and even reach out to a larger audience base. Through our association with Bang in the Middle, we hope to impact consumer behaviour through digital experiences.”

     

    Expressing delight on winning the Dulux, Naresh Gupta, Managing Partner, Bang in the Middle said: “It is an honour to be associated with Dulux. They have been early adopters of digital media and we look forward to working with them on enhancing their digital footprint.”

     

    Bang in the Middle would be responsible for planning, and executing a 360 degree digital branding of Dulux through a highly engaging social media strategy.

     

  • TRIP will be based out of Mumbai and it will be headed by Purushottam Joshi, who is also a partner in this unit

    Taproot’s new TRIP

    By A Correspondent

     

    Taproot India Communications Pvt. Ltd has announced the launch of TRIP (Taproot India Plus), a Creative Execution & Services unit specializing in non-mass media and production activities for the advertising, publicity and marketing industry.

     

    The undeniable truth in mass communication is that any idea is only as good as its execution. Any powerful idea can meet a premature end, if the execution is not up to the mark. Many a times, the extension of a TV, press or outdoor campaign is left with limited innovation, and not looked upon with greater attention to details. Yet, very often, that is the only face of the brand that the consumer interacts with. It is not only about the standard BTL, but every single experience point where a brand has a connect with its consumer. For example, POS, brand signage, in-shop displays, merchandise, exhibitions and events and so on. TRIP, with its core competencies in the above mentioned activities of high end, high value production, hopes to change all that.

     

    Agnello Dias said: “This sort of service does exist in international markets where once the big idea is arrived at, the creative services execution team, with their practical knowledge of on-ground and retail space takes the idea forward in a more engaging, entertaining and effective way. To the extent that at times most clients do brief these set of team independently like one does to a research or a digital agency”.

     

    TRIP believes that a positive approach, understanding of the medium, innovative thinking, huge industry experience and an eye for perfection can make all non mass-media touch points play a far stronger role in the communication mix than they do today, which is merely a support or reminder to the main communication units.

     

    Santosh Padhi said: “The industry spends on retail/on-ground/merchandise are already steep, but sadly, the quality needs to improve much more to honestly justify those spends. The industry has moved ahead quite a bit on film production in last five years with our television work looking far better than what it was a decade back. But we are yet to do the same in other areas.”

     

    Purushottam Joshi

    TRIP will be based out of Mumbai, but Taproot’s multi-city network tie ups can support national level requirements too. It is headed by Purushottam Joshi, who is also a partner in this unit; Mr Joshi will be leading this unit as a director and will be the face of this unit with an experienced team under him He has over 25 years of experience in the advertising and print industry. He has worked in large agency networks such as JWT, Euro RSCG and Mudra where he played a key role in successfully leading the Art and Production function and transforming them into critical divisions for those agency’s clients.

     

    With his deep knowledge and vast experience of the industry, Purushottam Joshi, Director of TRIP, feels: “There is a disconnect between what kind of state-of-the-art technology available in the market versus what’s being used or rather how it’s being used to reach consumers.” In fact, he is positive that ventures like TRIP can bridge the divide between brands and consumer across non mass-media touch points in a more relevant and effective way.

     

  • Awards are just another recognition for marketers and agencies to do more better says Ajay Kakar, CMO-Financial Services, Aditya Birla Group

    We’re here 2 get inspired & celebrate: Ajay Kakar

    Ajay Kakar, CMO-Financial Services, Aditya Birla Group shares his idea of the changes spotted this year at Goafest and the inspiration it has on the youth of today.

     

    What’s there for clients at Goafest?

    Goafest 2012 is a boiling pot for media, marketing and advertising industries to come together and think, discuss and get inspired. And I think 2012 was no exception.

     

    Key takeaways from sessions…

    Takeways remain the same: whatever you do, whoever you are there is so much more that you can do, there is so much work for you to get inspired and learn from. You go back thinking that whatever I have done, I have not done enough. We need to tap the real potential.

     

    Emphasis on digital…

    Digital has been given due focus for many years now. My one request or regret is that we should stop calling it digital and new medium; it is the medium of today and it will be the medium of tomorrow. How do we bring the potential upfront with the many success stories, I think that should be the focus going forward.

     

    Recognition through awards…

    Awards are just another recognition for marketers and agencies to do more better. This year, the number of entries, the number of agencies from which these entries came and the quality of entries have really done us proud. I think that’s the important part – it’s the work that we are here to get inspired by and celebrate. That’s been a great reality this year.

     

  • Digital is the flavour of the year, it is because digital is a new medium, it is an evolving medium and it is very fashionable these days to talk about digital, says Ajay Chandwani, Director, Percept

    We hope digital could translate into more benefits to clients: Ajay Chandwani

    Ajay Chandwani, Director, Percept talks ton MxM India on what shone and clicked at Goafest 2012 and spells out his expectations for 2013.

     

    What were the key takeaways from Goafest 2012?

    Even though I may have missed some of the sessions at Goafest 2012 since I wasn’t there at that time, however, I was told the sessions were very impactful and that it had covered every length and breadth of the subjects. I was also told how the 3D’s i.e. Design, Direct, and Digital stole the limelight at the day one of Goafest 2012 awards. In fact, it is no longer just the media awards, but the day one awards cover the media and the 3D’s, so I am happy that it has reached that point. Besides, I also found Professor John Philip Jones’ session very interesting and insightful.

     

    On the emphasis given to digital this Goafest:

    Digital is certainly the flavour of the day, may be flavour of the year or the last few years. If you look at most of the seminars, digital has been the talking point, it is because digital is a new medium, it is an evolving medium and it is very fashionable these days to talk about digital. We are hoping that it could translate into more benefits to the clients because today it is still a television and print led economy as far as advertising is concerned. Ironically, not more than 3 or 4 per cent of clients’ money is actually going to digital. So I am hoping that this would change, I am also hoping that through these seminars it will enlarge the digital complementary, it will create interest in the mainstream creative people to enter digital and when this happens then the medium will expand.

     

    Has there been an improvement in digital creatives over the years?

    Yes, there has definitely been an improvement in the digital creative which was not so until two years ago because it was a new medium, it is still not attracting the top talent of, say, the mainstream creative, but when this happens, only then we will see the real growth of digital happening in India. However, the fact that we won a grand prix in digital in itself is a very good trend.

     

    Expectations from Goafest 2013…

    We expect Goafest 2013 to be even better and even brighter and smarter in terms of selection and more participation from companies is also expected.

     

  • While the intent is right… Maggi is an old brand and it needs to build bonds with consumers to stay relevant in their lives… the execution left me totally unmoved

    Debrief: Maggi: Weak stories

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    ‘Spreading happiness’ is an interesting platform for Maggi. Going beyond just the fast food narrative, the new ad tries to bring out people’s happy association with Maggi noodles. So as to build an emotional connect with the brand. The theme is: ‘Meri Maggi – 2 minute mein khushiyan’.

     

    The commercial features Amitabh Bachchan as the host, as we watch vignettes of junta’s happy Maggi moments. A hungry biker is fed Maggi by a stranger woman. Some kids use candles to cook Maggi. A bahu wins over her in-laws’ affection by serving them Maggi (really?). These are supposed to be authentic consumer stories. And Big B dutifully invites viewers to send in their own Maggi tales, which will be shared with everyone.

     

    While the intent is right… Maggi is an old brand and it needs to build bonds with consumers to stay relevant in their lives… the execution left me totally unmoved. The Maggi tales/moments/whatever need to have some adrenalin, some energy and most importantly, a surprise element. If they remain at the basic level, which currently is the case, the communication isn’t able to do its job. Because the emotional quotient is very weak. And yes, Bachchan plays an over-paid prop in the commercial.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”225″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmE4xnWoTQ4[/youtube]

    We need touching, heart-felt stories, dear Maggi. Cook them up if you can’t find real ones. And take your time, you don’t need to do it in two minutes. Just like good food, good things take time to happen. 🙂

     

    Rating: (On a scale of 1 to 5): 2. Right idea. Let down by very average execution.

     

  • This rebranding is part of the company’s efforts to ramp-up the Johnson Bathrooms Business by investing in capacities as well as market reach

    H&R Johnson rebrands bath-fittings & sanitaryware biz as Johnson Bathrooms

    By A Correspondent

     

    H&R Johnson (India), the tile, bath and kitchen company, has rebranded its bath-fittings & sanitaryware business as Johnson Bathrooms. This rebranding is part of the company’s efforts to ramp-up the Johnson Bathrooms Business by investing in capacities as well as market reach.

     

    The rebranding to Johnson Bathroom reflects a definitive shift of H&R Johnson (India) from product marketing to solutions marketing with emphasis on product innovation and after-sales service, a key deliverable towards achieving customer delight. The “solutions marketing” emphasis will form a key thrust area to further boost revenue growth for Johnson Bathrooms division.

     

    Commenting on the refreshed brand identity of its bathroom products business vertical, Chief Marketing Officer, H&R Johnson (India) Mr R Kurup said: “The rebranding of the bath product business to Johnson Bathrooms is an effort to create a strategic refresh of the business vertical as we seek to scale-up Johnson Bathrooms business through investments in capacity building, enhancing market reach, focus on introducing new innovative products and provide greater impetus to solutions marketing over mere product marketing. As part of this process, we have set-up a pan-India solutions marketing service team.”

     

    The company has put in place a pan-India service infrastructure team to service the customers’ post purchase requirements. The company has invested nearly Rs40 crores in ramping up manufacturing capacities.

     

    Further elaborating on the new brand identity for Johnson Bathroom, Mr Kurup averred: “The new brand identity Johnson Bathrooms rides on the strong market equity & service commitment of Johnson brand. The identity mark is designed using Black & Red visuals to signify vibrancy while being coherent to the flagship brand’s identity.”

     

    During the last fiscal, this business vertical contributed Rs103 crores to H&R Johnson revenues of Rs1,729 crores. The company will support this rebranding exercise with a 360 degree marketing campaign.