MxMIndia

Category: ADVERTISING

  • Cheil has taken on new team heads for Activations, Interactive and Retail

    Cheil Worldwide SW Asia adds to leadership strength

    Vikas Khanna
    Rajesh Bhatia
    Manish Shukla

    Cheil Worldwide SW Asia has announced the appointments of Vikas Khanna as Head - Activations, Rajesh Bhatia as Head – Interactive and Manish Shukla as Head of Retail.

     

    Mr Bhatia joins from Euro RSCG 4D where he was President; Mr Khanna from G2Rams- a WPP group company aligned with Grey Worldwide where he was VP & Branch Head, and Mr Shukla from Retailscape.

     

    Confirming the appointments, Alok Agrawal, COO, Cheil WW, SW Asia said, “The story of our growth trajectory is already known. Nima’s joining has tripled our creative strength. Now with Vikas, Rajesh and Manish on board, our leadership team has become even stronger. This enables us to further capitalise on the demands of the marketplace and take brand Cheil to even greater heights.”

     

    A digital evangelist with over 17 years of work experience, Rajesh Bhatia has been driving innovative digital and integrated marketing strategies for some of the leading global brands including Nokia, IBM, Max Life Insurance, Airtel, Reckitt Bencksier (Dettol, Harpic, Vanish, Veet, Mortein) and Unilever, among others.

     

    Having taken to digital and data led consumer marketing almost a decade ago, Mr Bhatia has been a part of the evolution of new age communication in India and has been helping brands transition from traditional marketing communication to effective marketing in the digital world. Leveraging his rich experience and core competency of ‘creating ideas and concepts’, he has been the chief architect and creator of one of India’s largest virtual communities – igenius (www.igenious.org) for Max Life Insurance.

     

    An experienced professional in events, BTL and activation, Vikas Khanna comes with over 13 years of work experience. His extensive understanding of the business has earned him a longstanding portfolio of client relationships.

     

    Over the years he has managed brands including BlackBerry (RIM), Cisco, Audi, BMW, M3M, Genpact, Hyundai, GE, Canara HSBC, ITDC, HTC, among others.

     

    Manish Shukla brings with him a wide range of business expertise, experience and relationships in the area of Retail Marketing & Management. Over the years he has consulted to a wide range of clients such as HUL-Wall’s Ice cream – Danone International, Evian, PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, Bacardi – Martini, Bharat Shell, Braun, Parker, Airtel, Shaw Wallace, Samsung, LG – CDMA Phones and Barista Coffee Bars. He moves from Retailscape which he set up in 1996.

     

  • WPP has combined its various teams working with Y&R, Wunderman, VML, MEC and GHG to come under the umbrella of Red Fuse Communications

    WPP integrates teams for Colgate-Palmolive under ‘Red Fuse Communications’

    By A Correspondent

     

    This isn’t a first for advertising and marketing services network WPP, but should help the servicing of a key client a great deal. Adland globally has been abuzz with the AdAge newsbreak that WPP has combined its various teams working with creative network Y&R, direct & marcom agency Wunderman, digital shopVML, media agency MEC and healthcare communications firm GHG to come under the umbrella of Red Fuse Communications.

     

    According to the report in Advertising Age, WPP’s Global Managing Partner Stephen Forcione will be CEO, Red Fuse. Mr Focione has been heading the Colgate account thus far and will also be Digital Lead for WPP’s Top 30 clients. Colgate-Palmolive is the 34th largest marketer in the world as per the magazine’s DataCenter. Mumbai will reportedly be among the six cities where the Red Fuse roll-out will happen this year.

     

    Although the Ad Age report quotes the Colgate CMO, the official press areas of both WPP and Colgate are silent on the development.

     

  • 'Boardroom Badshah' Shahrukh Khan is on the cover of Entrepreneur’s third anniversary special issue.

    ‘Entrepreneur’ celebrates 3 years

    By A Correspondent

     

    Monthly magazine Entrepreneur has completed three years in India with its anniversary special issue now available on the stands across the country. Entrepreneur’s 36th issue includes a mix of stories and voices, which captures the essence of the Indian enterprise – from blue-chip companies including family-owned businesses, small and medium enterprises to start-ups.

     

    On the cover story of the issue is a man who is thought of mostly as an actor and entertainer, but does a lot more when the spotlight is not on him. Shahrukh Khan has followed his instinct and his passion to build a business group that covers sports, films and more with his business philosophy. Entrepreneur’s story looks at how Khan, with his very own brand of management style, has made his top team function virtually like co-owners, taking each of the businesses he runs to success.

     

    The special issue is also loaded with a lineup of 12 of India’s biggest business leaders – the likes of Kumar Mangalam Birla, Adi Godrej, NR Narayana Murthy, Malvinder Singh, and K Anji Reddy – who have spelled out their predictions for India, its economic landscape and challenges, and what it would take for entrepreneurs to succeed to the year 2015.

     

    The issue also features a parting note from Kaushik Basu, India’s chief economic advisor for the last three years, as he recounts his successes and failures, and a look at the three Nair sisters – the third generation of the Leela Group of hotels – and how they are taking the homegrown hotel brand into the next stage of its growth.

     

    Entrepreneur Editor-in-chief Sourav Majumdar said, “Entrepreneur has always sought to be a catalyst in the exciting entrepreneurial ecosystem in India, providing credible information and trends to arm our readers with. In our 3rd Anniversary special issue, we have sought to present to our readers the best thoughts, trends and stories which encapsulate the best of the Indian entrepreneurial spirit. It is also a time when we renew our resolve to be the business owner’s magazine of choice.”

     

    Sandeep Khosla, CEO, Network18 Publishing commented “When we launched Entrepreneur in India, we were focused at providing a magazine which is fully dedicated to the needs of the Indian business owners. Witnessing the magazine’s growth in the last three years, we are convinced that Entrepreneur has remained true to its spirit, continuously facilitating entrepreneurship across industry sectors.”

     

  • Decoding Communication is a book that helps in deciphering this complex subject through its fluid and anecdotal writing

    Decoding Communication launched by TRA Publishing

    By A Correspondent

     

    Communication is a universal remedy. It helps bridge relationships, sustain knowledge and also makes chance more predictable. Communication builds a nourishing environment for organisations, brands and individuals to grow. In today’s environment of information overload, it is imperative that anyone interested in understanding, influencing and managing communication, has full knowledge of the subject and Decoding Communication is a book that helps in deciphering this complex subject through its fluid and anecdotal writing.

     

    Sam Balsara, Chairman and Managing Director of the Madison Group, says about the book, “Decoding Communications is an excellent read for both students and practitioners of communication. It helps provide a conceptual framework to better understand what we do intuitively and why it works and sometimes doesn’t. Chandramouli needs to be complimented on coming up with this alongside running two successful companies. The purpose of all business is to create ‘Trust’ and if it succeeds in doing that, business succeeds.”

     

    Author N Chandramouli is the CEO of the Comniscient Group which has interests in several communication businesses. He has been a communication consultant to several global companies that include brands like DHL, Henkel, Botox, D&B and J&J. He lectures in several communication colleges and is also the author of The Brand Trust Report, India Study (2011 and 2012), and Decoding Communication. More information is available at www.nchandramouli.com.

     

  • I am all for some wild action in this low-involvement product category. We usually leave the choice of the plywood to the carpenter, and a disruptive ad is needed to break the end-consumer apathy

    Debrief: Centuryply: Beastly tale!

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    The makers of Centuryply have decided that boring is pointless in the plywood category. It’s time for some fun. And to do the honours, they have hired the services of… not a celebrity… a gorilla!

     

    The TVC features a man being chased all over his house by a very angry gorilla. The chap finally hides inside a cupboard, and the frustrated gorilla isn’t able to smash it. We soon discover the beast is actually his wifey, who’s livid that the cad has forgotten all about their marriage anniversary.

     

    Well, I am all for some wild action in this low-involvement product category. We usually leave the choice of the plywood to the carpenter, and a disruptive ad is needed to break the end-consumer apathy. Also, even if the Centuryply guys don’t admit to it, Greenply’s zany ads must have inspired them. The latter has shown the way for the rest.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATOwSep_B0k[/youtube]

    However, the problem with this execution is that the gorilla, while it demonstrates physical toughness, takes away from the anti-termite narrative. While this does get mentioned in the voice-over, all the sound and fury in the TVC drowns it out. I think for plywood, threat of termites is an important story. And since Greenply hasn’t taken this positioning overtly, Centuryply could have made it their own, albeit without diluting the madness.

     

    So while the intent is correct, the positioning needs to get more focused.

     

    Rating: (On a scale of 1 to 5): 2.5. Entertaining, but needs strategic direction.

     

  • Adperson Anil Kapoor, Bharat Dabholkar and Rahul da Cunha on the man who created superbrand Amul

    Verghese Kurien: Great vision, Dream client

     

    By Bharat Dabholkar

     

    No better client, no better professional
    By Anil KapoorChairman Emeritus, DraftFCB+Ulka

     

    Dr Kurien was one of the greatest human beings I’ve worked with. You couldn’t find a better client, a better professional. When we were being briefed for what became Amul: The Taste of India, he said “Amul is an iconic Indian brand. Rather than doing advertising on the products, let’s do this and the rest will follow.”

     

    Based on the brief, we took the script and music to him and it was approved immediately. He was a proud Indian who always wanted original Indian advertising. After that, even as they launched a number of other products they never had to do separate advertising.

     

    It was always Amul: The Taste of India. Dr Kurien used to say, “If I have a good product and good advertising, it will sell by itself.”

     

    That’s why Amul is such an iconic brand. In the food industry where brands are constantly coming up with schemes, it has never relied on any schemes to dealers or consumers.

     

    Everything moved; they’ve never dumped. He gave the agency a total free hand and never changed so much as a comma or full stop in the copy.

     

    Once when we were presenting a campaign, a gentleman turned around and started to make suggestions. This was not Dr Kurien’s style at all. ‘

     

    He turned around and told the man, “If you call an architect and then make changes, if the roof falls, would you blame the architect or yourself?”

     

    (As told to Ravi Balakrishnan)

     
    He gave each man his own space
    By Rahul daCunhaCEO, daCunha Communications

     

    My father Sylvester daCunha created the Amul butter campaign in the 1960s. He took it to Dr Kurien and explained its unique qualities: the creation of the girl, the need to run it on outdoor hoardings, the topical nature of the campaign. It needed a certain frequency to be created and therefore the trust that they could go ahead without the client approval.

     

    These were the incredible trust guidelines that Dr Kurien set down — a great example of a client saying ‘You are good at what you do so just go ahead.’ He backed the campaign in spite of it not having any of the clichés of food product advertising since what he created at Amul was off the beaten track.

     

    My interactions with him were more as a child and not so much as a client. By the time I came on board, he’d pretty much delegated the campaign to his team. But the core team has not changed and in many ways, that’s what makes the Amul model so unique. The current marketing team and managing director have worked with Dr Kurien and so it’s just a question of carrying the campaign on. In their favour, many clients change campaigns only when they don’t get good feedback or the sales have been dropping; neither of which has happened with Amul.

     

    Dr Kurien did support us though: there was one hoarding, where the person it was about got quite upset; I won’t get into who the person is. I was quite stressed. This person thought it would be clever to sue Dr Kurien. Which was the worst thing to do since he had dealt with a lot more than one man suing him.

     

    He was quite happy with our work; happy that a campaign he’d given a green signal to back in the 1960s could continue. I interviewed him for the book Amul’s India and he says a very interesting thing: “I realise how wise a decision it was to give complete freedom to the ad agency to do their job in a professional way. I never interfered with their work and the result is before you. They have done an exemplary job.”

     

    When you see a man like this and then see the levels of corruption that exist today you wonder, where are our leaders? Where are the visionaries of today? Here was a man who built a brand and a movement that’s been reproduced in so many unions. We use words like ‘a great man’ very loosely these days; he actually was one.

     

    (As told to Ravi Balakrishnan)

     

    Source:The Economic Times

    Copyright © 2012, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved

     

    I have worked for almost 15 years on Amul and I have interacted professionally with Verghese Kurien. He was a dream client to work with and simply an amazing person. At the outset, he had set the premise of our working relationship, where he clearly said he didn’t want to see what we were doing as he didn’t want to interfere in our work. He said he didn’t know advertising and that is the reason he had got us, so he didn’t want to change or rewrite anything that we wrote. This was such a change from clients who would always want to give their inputs even if they didn’t know anything about the way advertising works.

     

    I have always maintained that the success of Amul advertising lies in the hand of Mr Kurien and his approach. His immense trust in the agency and their creative potential is so gratifying, and that was what made us push to do good work. If the onus lies fully on you to create something and you get total freedom to create that brand I think it only leads to more responsibility and makes one conscious of the efforts one is making, because it had better be brilliant and match the confidence that the client has shown.

     

    I have visited him a few times in Anand and what he has created is a dream out of nowhere. His vision is unmatched, whether it is about creating a world class campus at Anand or in his vision of creating milk powder from buffalo milk instead of cow which was the norm. He rewrote rules and was an innovative thinker. He had a fabulous lot of lieutenants who supported him and whom he supported in these innovations. Like when we launched Nutramul he tasted it and said make chocolate out of it too, so he was inspirational too.

     

    For his advertising agencies, he knew that he had chosen the right people and trusted them immensely. The confidence he showed in a copywriter tells much about his personality.

     

    Another thing I shall always remember about him was that he was always very punctual and never late for meetings. If he had given a time to his agency he would never make them wait unlike many who deliberately would make an agency wait. He respected the agency and not just see them as supplier of creative product. This was a rare personality.

     

    He was an honest entrepreneur. I remember once we were to launch Amul milk shake and we came up with our research that said chocolate and strawberry were the most popular flavours. He immediately said that chocolate milk shake was possible because of the chocolate powder Nutramul but strawberry he said was a seasonal product and he refused to put essence as it would be cheating consumers. He put his foot down on the strawberry flavor instead opted for elaichi which was more readily available.

     

    Also I remember when Amul launched its tetra pack he hated the design. Once when we went to meet him, he asked, are you still using the horrible pack? But he never interfered and asked us to redesign having known that even if he didn’t like it the pack worked in the market.

    I feel fortunate to have met someone like Mr Kurien and to have had a client like him.

     

    – As told to Tuhina Anand
    Image credit: amul.com

     

  • CRI Pumps, established in 1961 and associated with water lifting pumps, has roped in Vizeum India to handle its mandate

    Vizeum enters Coimbatore, bagging CRI Pumps

    By A Correspondent

     

    CRI Pumps, established in 1961 and associated with water lifting pumps – be it for agriculture, industry, domestic, mining or civil applications – has roped in Vizeum India to handle its mandate.

     

    Commenting on the win, S Yesudas, Managing Director, India Sub-continent, Vizeum, said, “We are extremely delighted with this win. We sincerely thank CRI Pumps management for their faith in us. With the communication initiatives planned, the journey ahead would be quite interesting. This also opens up a new market for us and increases the width and breadth of our Southern operations. As with every win of ours, we are humbled and stay acutely aware of our responsibilities. This business will be handled out of our Chennai Office.”

     

     

  • Star Network's Kannada general entertainment channel Suvarna has announced the first edition of its Parivaar Awards. The on-ground event will be held on September 15

    Suvarna announces 1st Edition of Parivaar Awards

    By A Correspondent

     

    Star Network’s Kannada general entertainment channel Suvarna has announced the first edition of its Parivaar Awards, exclusively for shows that air on Suvarna. The title sponsor is Sunfeast.

     

    The on-ground event will be held on September 15.

     

    Sunfeast Suvarna Parivaar Awards has 33 different categories highlighting not just individual characters but relationships within the Suvarna family. Some of the award categories include Best Hiriya Sadasya, Best Appa (Father), Best Amma (Mother), Best Magalu (Daughter), Best Child Artist, Best Hosa Sadasya (New Member), etc.

     

    For non-fiction shows the Sunfeast Suvarna Parivaar awards has categories like the Best Anchor, Best Reality Show, etc.

     

    Awards in the Favourites category are based on audience votes, to collect which a can has gone across the state covering cities and major towns.

     

    Channel business head Anup Chandrashekharan said, “Sunfeast Suvarna Parivaar Awards will felicitate the entire family of Suvarna, comprising Fiction and Non-Fiction, who have contributed to the channel’s success. The characters of our shows have become immensely popular among the television viewers and this is an opportunity for us to celebrate relationships. All the artists are working hard to put up a great show and I am sure our viewers will enjoy it.”

     

  • While I agree that charges of sedition are misplaced in this case, it is equally true that Trivedi needs to face the music

    Anil Thakraney: Criticise. Don’t piss

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    And we are back to debating that same old contentious issue: Freedom of speech. This time it’s been triggered by a young cartoonist who decided to have some cheap fun. And Trivedi has got what he obviously wanted: Attention and free publicity.

     

    No, I am not supporting the fellow. While I agree that charges of sedition are misplaced in this case (and are likely to be dropped due to the brouhaha in the media), it is equally true that Trivedi needs to face the music. Yes, I am totally fine with freedom of expression as guaranteed in the Constitution, and am all for criticism and negativity (I thrive on it myself!). But I have no time for people who piss on symbols/emblems that are sacred to the nation. Because, aside from generating some publicity for the creators, they bring about no change at all… in fact, they make many of us cringe with disgust.

     

    Writers and cartoonists must understand that while it’s kosher to lampoon netas and their political parties, it’s not cool to trash the nation itself. India is a great country, it was founded on the correct principles, it is indeed the microcosm of all the good things the world has to offer. It is the unworthy leaders of post-independence India who have consistently damaged the idea of India, and it is THEY who deserve our scorn. Not the nation itself.

     

    In that context, I am all for Trivedi being punished a bit. So that the right lesson goes out to all attention-seeking mischief mongers. RK Laxman made us smile/angry/sad with his satirical cartoons on politicians, but not once in all those years did he cause offence. Young cartoonists like Trivedi must learn something from him.

     

    Having said the above, the one good thing that must emerge from this controversy is that the law of sedition needs to be redefined and amended. It must be reserved for those who provoke violence and hatred in the country.  Cartoonists with ‘g&%d mein kida’ must be made exempt from this charge. Ironically speaking, it’s too big an honour for them!

     

    ***

     

    PS: Noticed this at a shop in London. Free mineral water when you buy a newspaper! An example of the intense pressure to survive that newspapers find themselves under, in the Western world. One fine day this is going to happen in India as well. Proprietors will have to offer condoms and papads to entice us into buying their akbaars. Sad.

     

     

     

     

  • Big FM announces the second edition of BIG Kannada Music Awards 2012, an exclusive platform that acknowledges, applauds and recognizes the versatile outstanding talent of the Kannada music fraternity

    Big FM to give Big Kannada Music Awards on October 13

    By A Correspondent

     

    Big FM announces the second edition of BIG Kannada Music Awards 2012, an exclusive platform that acknowledges, applauds and recognizes the versatile outstanding talent of the Kannada music fraternity. BIG Kannada Music Awards is said to be a unique platform which seeks to recognize the excellence in the regional music industry.

     

    It is conceptualized and marketed by BIG FM. The property will see all the verticals of Reliance Broadcast Network’s Ltd coming together to ensure that the awards show reaches maximum consumers through multiple touch points across the country.

     

    Starting from the last week of September, BIG Kannada Music Awards 2012 is said to see a month long 360 degree marketing through various verticals including TV, Radio, Print, Outdoor and Digital, thus ensuring maximum reach and visibility. The extensive promotion gives opportunity for the marketers and the advertisers to reach opening space for greater brand visibility in every nook and corner of the country.

     

    The award ceremony is scheduled for October 13, 2012. There will be a total of 21 awards. The talents will be judged by the audience to ensure transparency and fair play as the power to vote rests with the audiences.

     

    Sandal wood super star Ramesh Arvind will be the event ambassador for the music awards. Mr Ramesh Arvind said, “With the rich music heritage of Karnataka with an amalgamation of versatile talent, BIG Kannada Music Awards provides a platform for recognition at much larger scale. With Big Kannada Music Awards we endeavor to felicitate the best talent in the Kannada music industry. Due to Big FM’s constant endeavor to recognize the best music stalwarts, I have decided to be a part of this prestigious event.”

     

  • Online fashion and lifestyle shopping portal Jabong.com has appointed Avian Media as its public relations agency.

    Avian Media wins PR mandate for Jabong.com

    By A Correspondent

     

    Online fashion and lifestyle shopping portal Jabong.com has appointed Avian Media as its public relations agency.

     

    The development comes on the back of a multi-agency pitch process held in New Delhi in July 2012. Avian Media’s PR mandate is to position Jabong.com as the leading online fashion and lifestyle portal in India. Through its PR campaign, Avian Media will highlight the USPs of the company such as the wide selection of products, on-time delivery and quick resolution of any concerns along with a highly experienced buying team, agile warehouse systems and state of the art customer care center.

     

    Commenting on the appointment of Avian Media, Manu Kumar Jain, Managing Director, Jabong.com said, “Of the agencies that presented to us during the pitch, Avian Media showed the best understanding of our brand, our PR requirements and came up with a customized PR strategy to enhance our brand image and visibility among our stakeholders. Given our business model, we need to deliver innovative and sustained communication to become the single ‘go-to’ destination in our customers mind when it comes to fashion and lifestyle. Avian Media with its capabilities and experience of managing PR campaigns for leading lifestyle and fashion brands, promises to deliver results that suit our business needs.”

     

    “As an agency we have always focused on enhancing our capabilities and offerings, providing our clients superior, result-oriented services. As part of this commitment, we are thrilled to be working together with a fast growing fashion and lifestyle brand like Jabong.com, which is surely an added asset to our growing consumer client portfolio.  We look forward to augmenting value to their business through our specialized communication approach that delivers superior quality results for the brand,” commented, Nitin Mantri, CEO, Avian Media.

     

  • The second issue of the North-east's lifestyle magazine 'Good Times' has Arnab Goswami being interviewed

    Good Times with Arnab Goswami

    By A Correspondent

     

    He is one of Assam’s most famous sons, probably the best known Assamese face in the world. Okay, there have been other big names from the state – Bhupen Hazarika being the foremost, but there’s no doubting the fact that Arnab Goswami is undoubtedly the most prominent – not just in the media but from other walks of life as.

     

    Little wonder that he was on the cover of the second issue of Good Times, an all-new lifestyle magazine that is edited by Guwahati-based mediaperson Koushik Hazarika.  Mr Hazarika was until earlier this year Executive Editor and Marketing Manager with Eclectic Publications. His magazine is priced at Rs 40 and Mr Hazarika can be reached at: koushik.h@gmail.com

     

    Sample some questions posed to Mr Goswami:

    Coming to debates, there are a lot of talk shows that are aired in the television channels now. What is the kind of impact that these shows should aim to create with these discussions? It seems like it has happened on TV and then it’s over!

     

    I have often thought about this and I have come to a conclusion that only when the people, who need to be embarrassed and the people, who need to be humiliated are exposed, only then can a change happen…

     

    Personal and professional future in the next 5 years?

    I wouldn’t know about the professional future but yes, I do dream that at sometime in the future, our country will have a channel like BBC or CNN which is going to be broadcast to the world and if such an opportunity arises, I would certainly like to play a role in it. Personally, I hope I get more time to visit my parents who are in Guwahati and to spend time with my family. That would be good enough.

     

    One last thing – regarding the recent open letter by Madhu Kishwar. Any comments?

     

    I have a postal as well as an e-mail address and if anyone wants to reach me, they can write directly to me.