MxMIndia

Category: ADVERTISING

  • The Gujarati tourists are back, and so are the Bollywood filmmakers. However, we are very aware that all it shall take is another massive terror strike to move things back to square one, Kashmir is such a fragile state

    Anil Thakraney: Media should highlight Kashmiri achievers

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    The last time I went to Kashmir was nine years ago. This was for the shoot of a Nestle Polo commercial (I was employed with Lowe, Delhi, at the time). One morning I woke up late for an early shoot, and missed the last Gondola cable car, which was to take me to the hills of Gulmarg, the shoot location. This compelled me to hitch a horse ride, and this one-hour-long journey gave me a chance to have a detailed conversation with the horse owner, Mohammed. On the state of things in Kashmir. What he told me was heart breaking. Let me skip the gory details and get to the main point he made: Most Kashmiris felt a terrible sense of detachment from India, there was absolutely no sense of belonging. This feeling got further reinforced in my conversations with the other locals.

     

    I believe things are far better now, the Gujarati tourists are back, and so are the Bollywood filmmakers. However, we are very aware that all it shall take is another massive terror strike to move things back to square one, Kashmir is such a fragile state. It’s been a long time now and the politicians have totally failed to deal with this mess. Which is why the role of the media becomes crucial. Two recent success stories from Kashmir caught my attention. One is about the Kashmiri cricketer who’s currently playing in the IPL: Parvez Rasool. And the other is about a lady doctor, Ruvaida Salam, from the strife-torn Kupwara district, who has managed to pass her IAS exams against all odds.

     

    These are fantastic stories, and I would urge the nation’s media (both, print and television) to not report them as regular snippets. The media should help turn these two (and others like them) into national celebrities. We must run a series of huge stories on their achievements so that Rasool and Salam become household names in India. This will inspire other Kashmiri youth to forget about militancy and Pakistan, and instead aim to become successful professionals. If this happens, over time, it will help demolish the one thing that keeps the Kashmiris from kicking out the militants from their soil: The sense of alienation.

     

    I do think these success stories are a superb opportunity for the media to directly affect the fortunes of this nation. And we must not allow them to slip by.

     

    ***

     

    PS: Evian has revived the dancing babies that were such a rage ten years ago. Simple, cute idea: Find a baby version of yourself in the mirror. Purity of water, purity of thought. Nice.

     

  • The win was a result of a multi-agency pitch that saw the participation of several creative agencies from India. Earlier the creative duties were handled by a local agency in the UAE

    Ogilvy Mumbai wins creative duties for Home Centre, Middle East & Africa

    By A Correspondent

     

    Ogilvy India’s Mumbai office has won the creative duties for the retailer ‘Home Centre’ in Middle East and North Africa. This was a result of a multi-agency pitch that saw the participation of several creative agencies from India. Earlier the creative duties were handled by a local agency in the UAE.

     

    Navin Talreja, President O&M Mumbai & Kolkata, said, “We are delighted to have won the mandate to partner with Home Centre for the MENA region. This is a significant addition to our roster of international businesses and work that we do for Global Markets from Ogilvy Mumbai. Coming on the back of our global recognition as ‘Most Effective Agency Office Globally’ in the 2012 Effie Effectiveness Index, this truly fuels our ambition to become the agency office for the world.”

     

    Sumanto Chattopadhyay

    Sumanto Chattopadhyay, Executive Creative Director South Asia, said, “It’s both challenging and exciting to play outside one’s home ground. That’s the opportunity that Home Centre offers us. Working on the pitch made us realize that client and agency are on the same wavelength in terms of pushing for communication that breaks new ground. I look forward to a long and fruitful association.”

     

    O&M will be working towards building a strong brand with a global voice that cuts across all markets in the Middle East and North Africa region. This will require O&M to develop a 360 degree brand campaign.

     

    Rohit Bhatia, DGM Brand & Marketing, Home Centre, said, “Ogilvy is the name behind some of the most memorable ad campaigns for brands across diverse categories. Post reviewing their work they seemed to best understand our current business needs and were therefore our preferred choice. We are happy to have them on board and look forward in creating some great work together.”

     

  • Madison Media has just acquired the Maxx Mobiles account, which will be handled by Madison Media Sigma in Mumbai

    Madison Media wins Maxx Mobiles AOR

    By A Correspondent

     

    Madison Media has just acquired another account, Maxx Mobiles. The account will be handled by Madison Media Sigma in Mumbai.

     

    Madison Media has recently won several new businesses including McCain Foods, Ruchi Soya, Max India’s corporate account, Cafe Coffee Day, Radikal Rice and Crompton Greaves.

     

    Vanita Keswani

    Said Vanita Keswani, COO, Madison Media Sigma, “We are delighted to add Maxx mobiles to our roster of clients and are looking forward to a long and mutually beneficial partnership”. Maxx Mobile, a provider of mobile handsets and accessories in India, made its entry in the year 2004.

     

    Ajjay Agarawal, Managing Director, Maxx Mobiles, said, “We were looking to partner India’s top agencies to help us in our mission to make Maxx Mobile one of the leading handset brands in the country. We found Madison, with rich expertise in Media, to be ideal choice and are sure they will add tremendous value in our efforts.”

     

  • ElisaDBI specializes in converting data into client focused intelligence through the application of analytics and as well as offering conversion optimization, web analytics and training

    Havas Media Group acquires data analytics consultancy ElisaDBI

    By A Correspondent

     

    Havas Media Group has acquired the pan-European data analytics firm ElisaDBI (branded Elisa Interactive in Spain) to further develop its connected digital and data capabilities. The acquisition enables Havas Media Group to offer its clients improved methods of collecting, organizing and using data as a strategic asset to drive business insights and marketing engagement.

     

    ElisaDBI, a data analytics and optimization specialist, was launched in Barcelona and Madrid before opening offices in London. Their client roster spans the UK, Spain, Italy, Ireland and Andorra. The business specializes in converting data into client-focused intelligence through the application of analytics and as well as offering conversion optimization, web analytics and training.

     

    Paul Frampton, CEO Havas Media UK said, “The teams at ElisiaDBI ensure that media is better measured, marketing investments better made, and that data is more effectively used. This is the smart way to drive improved brand experiences and more profitable client businesses.” The deal, handled by the Havas Media Group in the UK and Spain, further strengthens Havas Media Group’s reputation for data-driven marketing.

     

    ElisaDBI will work closely with the both Havas Media and Arena’s econometrics teams and with the Havas Media Group’s unique attribution offering through its Artemis data management platform. To ensure total integration, the ElisaDBi teams will be located amongst the planning and strategy teams within the Group’s UK offices.

     

    Mr Frampton added, “Not only is data a topic close to my own heart, but in a number of recent studies, data has been quoted as the top priority for CMOs and CEOs. This acquisition will make sure we lead in this area, rather than follow. The future is not Big Data. For us, it’s “connected data” (off and online, 1st and 3rd party data, etc.). We feel we are better placed than a big tech consultancy to advise here as we execute and understand people and can therefore prove value throughout the chain.”

     

    Mike Potts, the founder of ElisaDBI and Head of Data Strategy, said, “We’re really excited to be joining Havas Media Group, especially at a time when there’s so much noise around data, analytics and digital intelligence. What’s most thrilling for us is the opportunity to fit in alongside great teams that are already delivering complementary services and giving our existing clients access to an even greater range of skills. We’ve already been successfully working alongside the Havas Media team on a partnership basis for a while now, and this is simply a very natural extension of that relationship.”

     

    The deal follows last month’s acquisition of Marketing Consultancy SCB Partners, the marketing trends and insights business.

     

  • Maxus has the won the media business on online bus ticket-booking site Redbus.in in a recently conducted pitch process

    Maxus wins Redbus media business

    By A Correspondent

     

    Maxus has the won the media business on Redbus.in in a recently conducted pitch process. Redbus.in, an online bus ticket-booking site, recently started advertising on television and other mass media. It was a highly contested pitch which saw the participation of Mindshare, Madison, ZO and Mudramax.

     

    Sanchayeeta Verma, GM, Maxus South who is the key lead in the pitch, said, “Redbus is a highly reputed name in the travel space. We are very excited with this win and believe our role is to help our clients navigate and maximize the opportunities of change in an always-on, fully digitized media world. And we’re looking forward to partnering Redbus in their exciting journey towards exponential growth.”

     

    Commented LK Gupta, Chief Marketing Officer, Redbus, “As an ecommerce travel brand launching in mass media for the first time, we were looking for the right blend of aggressive presence, yet delivering efficiently for the business. In Maxus, we found a partner that showed innate understanding of what our business needs are, and complementing it with sound planning and buying capabilities in media. We’re excited to embark on this exciting journey during which we’re sure Ajit and his team will be big contributors. ”

     

    RedBus.in started in 2005, with a personal experience of the founder members. During Diwali of 2005, one of them wanted to spend the festival in his hometown. Since he didn’t know his schedule till the end, taking a bus was the only choice. He ran around town hunting for a ticket, but they were all sold out minutes before he reached the travel agents. That’s when he thought of the possibility of providing consumers the convenience of booking a bus ticket over the internet. The objective was two-fold – to ensure that they don’t have to leave the confines of their comfort to book a ticket, and to help them get a ticket when they need it the most.

     

  • The FAB Awards is an international awards programme focused entirely on work done for food and beverage brands.

    McDonald’s wins FAB Brand of the Year 2013

    By A Correspondent

     

    The International Food and Beverage Creative Excellence Awards have named McDonald’s as the 2013 Brand of The Year. The brand bagged 13 nominations across the various categories.

     

    This is the only award that is publicized in advance and is based on the number of nominations that McDonald’s achieved this year. The calculations include performance at both the Creative Awards and the Effectiveness Awards. The rest of the nominees will find out their outcome on the night of the Awards Ceremony.

     

    Some of the nominated work includes ‘We all make the Games’ campaign, which was implemented during last year’s Olympic games in London; McDonald’s ‘Our Food. Your Questions’ campaign that focused on making the company more transparent; and the ‘Small Currency’ project from Indonesia, which tackled the problem of no small currency in the country.

     

    “McDonald’s truly deserves this accolade for an outstanding year of Creative Excellence across several communication disciplines and markets. Their outstanding nominations are from the UK, Sweden, India, USA, Canada, Indonesia and range from TV Advertising, Integrated, Collateral and Sales Promotion to Packaging Design,” said FAB Awards President, N.Nayar.

     

    The award will be presented in London on May 30.

     

  • It doesn't feel like an ad, this could be a scene from a Bollywood film or a television serial. Very subtle, very soft, and therein lies the commercial's power

    Debrief: Tanishq: Director’s film

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Very pleasing slice-of-life commercial from Tanishq. And what makes it truly refreshing is that the ad deals with the brother/sister relationship, something we don’t usually get to watch in advertising (unless it’s Raksha Bandhan time).

     

    The TVC is set in a bedroom which the siblings share. This subliminally cues middle class family, perfect for this brand which offers jewellery at an affordable price. The sister is about to get married, and the younger bro has bought her a gift from his first salary. It’s Tanishq, of course. This follows a warm, playful exchange between the two, difficult to describe, it’s best watched. Suffice to say the film has a fantastic emotional connect.

     

    It’s actually a simple script (must have been tough storyboarding it), and the onus therefore is totally on the director. And must say he/she has delivered big-time. It doesn’t feel like an ad, this could be a scene from a Bollywood film or a television serial. Very subtle, very soft, and therein lies the commercial’s power. This feels like a real conversation captured from the ‘shaadiwala’ house next door, and the interaction between the siblings is delightful. A less competent director would have treated the situation in-your-face, and the emotion would have tanked.

     

    I like the way the Tanishq team has built the brand. They never shout low price, but you always know you can afford their stuff. And the packaging is full-on desi emotion. Perfect!

     

    Rating: (On a scale of 1-5): 4. Warm, soft, real.

     

    Anil Thakraney is a senior journalist and commentator. He is also Editor-at-Large, MxMIndia. The views of the writer are his own.

     

  • Longhand 2.0, conceived by Bodhisatwa Dasgupta, Associate Creative Director, Grey Worldwide, culminated recently and the winners were announced yesterday

    Longhand 2.0 winners announced

    By Ananya Saha

     

    Click to enlarge

    It is a free, open to all, ad contest that tests your ability to write long copy. Conceived by Bodhisatwa Dasgupta, Associate Creative Director, Grey Worldwide, the Longhand 2.0 culminated recently and the winners were announced yesterday. (Read more about Longhand 2.0 here: http://www.mxmindia.com/2013/01/longhand -2-0-getting-better-and-longer/)

     

    While Longhand 2.0 did not receive as many entries as last year, according to Mr Dasgupta, the submissions were better and more refined. He said, “We got about 430 entries or so. Last year we got 500. But this time we got entries from US, Canada, UAE Singapore, London etc.” The entries were subjected to critical eyes of who’s who of advertising industry including client judges such as Rahul Kansal, Executive President, BCCL and Mohit Hira from JWT. Apart from the client judges, there were known names such as Prasoon Joshi, Executive Chairman & CEO of McCann Erickson Worldgroup India; Agnello Dias who co-founded Taproot and David Shanks - a copy-based Creative Director who runs his own one-man company called Clear Brand Essence from London; and guest judges Ed McCabe, co-founded Scali, McCabe, Sloves and advertising legend Tony Brignull. “Why I chose different jury this time was because I wanted a higher standard of entries, which came through too. So while the entries were lesser this time, the kind of entries that came in was far better and professional,” claimed Mr Dasgupta.

     

    Q&A with David Shanks, Jury, Longhand 2.0

    When you were asked to judge Longhand 2.0, what was your initial reaction?

    Well, delighted obviously. I’m a copywriter so I have to believe that good storytelling is central to what we do. I was also curious to what we would get.

     

    Judging the copy: was it a tedious or a good sign of people getting interested in writing long copy?

    It’s not tedious at all and I think you have to give credit to every writer who is going to take the time to put his thoughts down about a zoo or a bunch of flowers. I think Indian writers are inherently interested in long copy, perhaps more than other countries. But they need to absorb more.

     

    Would you agree that writing long copy, and good long copy, is a dying art?

    Well it seems to be, but it could be that as we become more immersed in technology long copy might actually re-invent itself in a whole new way. See my thoughts about that below. I hope so because I am more interested in preserving the ability of people to write and hold a thought.

     

    If you have to revive the interest of creative people and clients in long copy, what would you say to them?

    Our business needs intelligent people who can distil complex messages down to simple thoughts, delivered in a manner that is both engaging and entertaining. Those creative people who wish to impress on clients their ability to think and deliver ideas must be able to express their thoughts in a way than demands to be heard.

     

    Writing a long-copy ad (and art directing it) is a good way of showing you can combine intelligence, discipline and creativity for any length of time.

     

    Your words of advice for the winners and the participants?

    I feel too many Indian writers wrote their ads with little direction or inspiration from how the best writers in the world would have tackled the same briefs. So they came across as ads written in isolation.

     

    In all honesty, many needed a lot more work. This may sound silly, but too many writers simply do not understand the importance of art direction and typography in a good long-copy ad. I killed most of the entries purely because of these distractions.

     

    On the writing side, too many writers still think it’s an exercise in wordplay. It’s about an interesting thought, delivered through an ad that talks to you, with enough wit or notions in there that makes you think. And yes, it must be easy to read. I felt that maybe 10 ads delivered this, no more.

     

    What are your views on the work in India in terms of Longhand copy?

    India has some excellent writers and art directors, but I fear they may be few and far between. I feel that writers really must start getting the D&AD books out and start copying the copy of the best writers. I think Indian writers need to open their minds a bit more about how to get there in a different way. I felt many of the ads were written in isolation rather than “How would Indra Sinha or Neil French have tackled this brief?”

     

    Where do you see the future of long copy in India?

    We may as well ask that question about anywhere in the world. I generally think keeping long copy alive is good because it preserves and encourages the ability for people to hold a thought for more than 140 characters. As business people and storytellers we must be comfortable with words. But long copy needs to find its place again. Perhaps as we become more deeply immersed in technology, we might find that long copy resurfaces in a completely different way. Through an ad that talks to you, for example. I hope so.

     

    This time’s gold winner is Lyle Shemer from JWT, New York – an entry that Neil French and David Shanks gave Gold to. And it won. However, no Silver has been awarded this year. “We had initially given out a Silver. I spoke to Neil and we decided not to award silver to that entry because there were lots of errors in that ad. So we decided not to give it silver but gave it a bronze.” (Winners Showcase here: http://longhandawards.com/winners/). Last year the winners received ‘Sorry for The Lobsters’, a book written and signed by Neil French. This time around, the winners will have to wait for the surprise!

     

    Mr Dasgupta aspires to get sponsorship for Longhand 3.0. What can we say? Some things only get better with age!

     

    Q&A with Edward McCabe, Guest Judge, Longhand 2.0

    Were you aware of the Longhand contest?

    I really didn’t know anything about it and had never heard of it but since long copy (in fact ANY) copy in advertising is becoming more and more rare.

     

    As a judge, did the process become tedious?

    It wasn’t tedious because I only had to look at the seven entries left after the regular judges had done their work.

     

    Would you agree that writing long copy, and good long copy, is a dying art?

    Absolutely agree.

     

    How can one revive the interest of clients in long copy?

    Saying won’t do much. It’s doing that counts. And then getting good results.

     

    What would you say to young creatives interested in long copy?

    If it’s long it had better be VERY interesting and rewarding to read.

     

    Your personal favourite from the winners.

    I thought the best of these BY FAR was the “Rape Joke” ad.

     
  • I don't think a few rotten eggs will spoil the big IPL party, it will carry on as usual. Too many people make too much moolah from it, the show will simply go on. The IPL is used to surviving scandals

    Anil Thakraney: IPL: Show will go on

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    I write this post at 1pm on Thursday. The latest IPL scandal is still unfolding, and by the time you read this piece, we would have learnt a great deal more, and perhaps more skeletons would have tumbled out of the dirty closet. However, here are my thoughts as of now:

     

    S Sreesanth needs urgent medical help. I said this recently, and wish his family members had paid attention. I am sure they’d rather see this idiot on a shrink’s couch rather than in a police detention room. From what I have gathered so far, the Delhi cops have direct evidence against Sreesanth, which means his cricketing career is finally cooked. But here’s the pity: The man will be invited to take part in the next Bigg Boss season (they love hiring such losers), and therefore Sreesanth will continue to earn revenues from showbiz. Sad.

     

    As you’d expect, the media has gone into frenzy, and as always, there are unconfirmed reports being put out on air, and wild speculation indulged in. We can crib and complain as much as we want, our news channels will never mend their ways. Anyway, lots of easy meat ready for Arnab, Rajdeep and others, am sure they are sharpening their claws even as I write this.

     

    Many trigger happy tweeters and some ill informed TV reporters and anchors have been ranting against the latest ‘match fixing’ scandal in the IPL. Please be corrected; this isn’t match fixing, this is spot fixing, and that’s a different thing. For fixing a match, you will need to take the captain into confidence, and the Rajasthan Royals’ leader is a gentleman called Rahul Dravid. Over his dead body will the high-integrity Dravid allow anyone to cheat with the game.

     

    Regular readers of this blog would know that I have no love lost for the tamasha that is the IPL. Even if I was given a free VIP pass by Dr Mallya, with a guarantee that the RCB cheerleaders will dance on my lap throughout the match, I would refuse to go, and would instead watch Balika Vadhu at home. That’s because the IPL is everything but cricket. And yet, I humbly accept that there are millions who enjoy this ‘entertainment’, and therefore I support its existence. And I don’t think a few rotten eggs will spoil the big IPL party, it will carry on as usual. Too many people make too much moolah from it, the show will simply go on. The IPL is used to surviving scandals.

     

    And yes, looking forward to watching Sreesanth in Bigg Boss. Such is the world we now live in.

     

    ***

     

    PS: All journos must read this article carefully. It’s about how to use (and more importantly, not to use) Twitter during a national crisis. The way some people tweet without thinking, I shudder to imagine what might have happened if Twitter was popular during the 26/11 carnage.

     

    Link: http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/technology/2013/04/boston_marathon_bombing_all_the_mistakes_journalists_make_during_a_crisis.html

     

  • Behind every great commercial is super strategy. Every week, MxMIndia will bring you the brief and the strat as given by the client and whatever else that went into creating a winning ad.

    AdStrat: Danone: Getting the good in

    Jochen Ebert, General Manager, Danone Food & Beverages India Pvt Ltd.

     

    Name of the campaign/ad: Only Good Gets In

     

    The Brief: With the positioning of having the best and most natural ingredients, the campaign has been designed to play on the ingredients story, and to complement that a very important part of the brief was to make the packs hero of the creative. The key challenge was to portray the “natural” qualities of the product and the highest quality maintained from the actual production to the actual consumption of the product.

     

    Research insights: A very important insight that came out of research was that consumers believe that packaged dahi contains preservatives and additives to make it last longer than homemade dahi. This, along with the growing trend of healthier and natural products finding place in consumption habits of the target audience. Thus an amalgamation of these insights was the positioning of “Only good gets in”.

     

    The thought process behind the creative: As the products are the hero of the creatives/ads, it was essential to convey that the products are the best available in the market by being made out of only natural Ingredients and nothing else. The whole thought process was to string together the story of ingredients and the actual experience of consuming the products.

     

    Media vehicles chosen: TV, Outdoor advertising in Mumbai and in-cinema advertising in Delhi.

     

    Key issues kept in mind while executing the ad: The key insight of the consumer’s perception of the presence of additives and preservatives in dahi/yoghurts had to be allayed, thus it was essential that the communication of “No preservative”, “No additives” and “Only good gets in” was communicated in a simple and very clear way.

     

    Agency comment: Illuminations Productions, which produced and directed the series, said, “Danone all this while was one of the most international brands with a huge presence in Europe and America, now for the first time entering India in a big way. So it was exciting to be part of such a huge global brand and we knew we have to live up to the international standards of their commercials. We had to keep not only the quality of live action of the films high but also the quality of the CG integration of the films. One of the main challenges was that how all the films, though different in concept and approach, can have a unified feel of the Danone campaign.”

     

    As told to Meghna Sharma

     

  • Just when you thought the Sanjay Dutt media circus is done and dusted, that he will now be left alone to atone for his sins, the madness rages on

    Anil Thakraney: Dutt teri ki!

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Just when you thought the Sanjay Dutt media circus is done and dusted, that he will now be left alone to atone for his sins, the madness rages on. And it’s back to…. yes… ‘Sensational’ news of food arriving from home for the criminal star, and his displeasure with the choice of the cell allotted to him. We already have full details of the ‘perks’ allowed to the macho man inside the prison: Mosquito repellent creams, soft pillows, toilet rolls, etc, etc. Line diagrams of the Arthur Road Jail are being published once again. Soon, ditto will happen with the Yerawada Jail. Is this going to continue right till the time Dutt is inside prison? I fear it will.

     

    Guys and gals, please leave him alone, treat him like just another convict serving out his sentence. The Indian media has to grow out of this insane celebrity obsession, at least when it comes to crime. And we must remember that special attention to one criminal is not fair to the rest of the prisoners. I am quite certain the other convicts, after reading about or watching all the fuss over Dutt, will start demanding mosquito lotions and home-cooked biryani. Perhaps a Jacuzzi too. The jail is a tough place to survive; it’s supposed to be that way, it’s not a holiday resort. The whole idea is ‘punishment for crimes committed’, and that’s the way it should be. In any case our hero will be out sooner than expected (there are enough powerful people holding the candle for him), so kindly leave the dude to his elements for now. If for nothing else, please respect the feelings of the survivors of the 1993 blasts. Some of whom don’t even have a leg left to apply mosquito cream on. Let them feel at least some justice has been done, and that Dutt is being treated like an ordinary criminal. This is important.

     

    On another note, the IPL scandal continues to rock and roll, as the Mumbai cops try hard to go one up on their Delhi counterparts. But the crowds continue to surge into the stadia regardless. And that’s because people want entertainment, they don’t care if the masala being dished out is real or scripted. On the first day of the fixing news break, some over-enthusiastic young journos went on air with the ‘news’ that huge sums of cash were found in the rooms of bowler Shaun Tait and a few other players. Should the channels concerned not issue an open public apology to these guys? They should, if these channels wish to retain at least a modicum of credibility.

     

    ***

     

    PS: Life and times of apna ad agency folks, all captured through graphics and illustrations. Very accurate and quite funny. Enjoy!

     

    Link: http://digitalsynopsis.com/advertising/a-closer-look-at-agency-folk-and-their-habits-infographic

     

  • Under the partnership, Mindshare will be responsible for strategy and OgilvyAction will work on activation

    Mindshare & OgilvyAction partner for rural marketing solutions

    By A Correspondent

     

    Media conglomerate WPP’s Mindshare and OgilvyAction have come together to create the first full suite of communication solutions aimed at rural and low-income consumers across Asian markets. Operations are being carried out across India, Vietnam, Indonesia and Thailand. Under this partnership, Mindshare will be responsible for strategy and OgilvyAction will work on activation.

     

    In India, Mindshare and OgilvyAction presently partner with Dialogue Factory (the experiential marketing division of GroupM) to provide a full suite of communication solutions targeted at rural and low-income consumers. This includes strategy, ideas and activation through customized communication programmes.

     

    The framework for approaching this large-scale communications plan is mapped out in six steps. The first four steps cover groundwork and rural research using Mindshare proprietary tools. These tools include task maps, ethnographic studies, brand health parameters and 3D Rural. 3D is a proprietary Mindshare tool – it is a comprehensive quantitative study that covers brand relationships, consumer demographics and media consumption.

     

    The last two steps focus on activation and campaign tracking. Mindshare has developed tools including Rural GRPs (a system that captures rural TV viewership as opposed to the popularly used Peoplemeter in urban areas), mAllocator (allocates budgets based on campaign KPIs), Mindware (measures brand awareness) will be used to closely monitor the campaign.

     

    Said Ashutosh Srivastava, chairman, Asia Pacific and CEO for Emerging Markets of Mindshare, “This is an extension of our partnership with Ogilvy into one of the most promising growth engines. It is relevant to all our stakeholders who want to leverage insights on low income consumers and deliver breakthrough media innovation and activation.”

     

    John Goodman, President of OgilvyAction Asia Pacific said, “We know low-tier consumers are an increasingly important segment for our clients and we are thrilled to partner with Mindshare on this endeavour.”

     

    This partnership has been launched across ASEAN with activation and planning solutions being provided for select clients already. This includes fully realized rural specific research expected to be available in the next six months across all ASEAN markets.