MxMIndia

Category: ADVERTISING

  • Twenty-one achievers honoured at second edition of the awards + Interviews with Punit Goenka & Shashi Sinha

    Mediapersons, marketers win big at IAA Leadership Awards

    (L to R) S Swamy, President, IAA; Sri BL Joshi, Governor- Uttar Pradesh; Punit Goenka accepting the award for the Media Person of the Year at the IAA Leadership Awards

     

    By A Correspondent

     

    Nitin Paranjpe, until last recently CEO and Managing Director of Hindustan Unilever and now President (Homecare) at parent Unilever, was awarded CEO of the Year at the much-anticipated second edition of the IAA Leadership Awards held at Grand Hyatt in Mumbai on Saturday.

     

    Zee MD and CEO Punit Goenka was named Media Person of the Year and Shashi Sinha, CEO of IPG Mediabrands was Media Agency Head of the Year. R Balki of Lowe Lintas was Creative Agency Head of the Year. Veteran adperson Ramesh Narayan was inducted in the Hall of Fame for 2014 while Dr Gulab Kothari and Arnab Goswami were Editor and News Anchor of the Year respectively.

     

    The event witnessed the presence of the who’s who of the Marketing, Advertising and Media industry as they competed against each other to win the coveted awards. Uttar Pradesh governor, B L  Joshi presented the awards.

     

    The awards night saw winners emerge from across 21 categories:

    Srinivasan Swamy

    Speaking on the occasion Srinivasan Swamy, President IAA India and VP-development, IAA Asia Pacific, and chairman, RK Swamy BBDO said, “While management is about doing things right, leadership is about doing the right things; today I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to all the winners who have outdone themselves this year as well as every nominee for showing what leadership means. I am glad to see another successful year at the event this year and look forward to many more years to come.”

     

     

    Raj Nayak

    The IAA Leadership Awards was presented by leading GEC Colors. Speaking about this initiative, Raj Nayak, CEO, Colors said, “To recognize, encourage and celebrate excellence in leadership – that is what we have done at the IAA, a vibrant association which I have had the opportunity to lead. I would like to thank IAA for giving us the honour to be associated with this event, and congratulate the winners for their outstanding contribution towards the growth of the industry. We look forward to growing this association with the IAA year-on-year and applaud the hardwork of individuals on this national platform.”

     

     

     

     

    Content in Hindi GEC space is evolving: Punit Goenka

     

    As Managing Director and CEO of Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL), Punit Goenka leads one of India’s most successful and profitable television networks. He is also Chairman of the Broadcast Audience Research Council, the joint industry body formed to design, commission, supervise and own a television broadcast audience measurement system. He was awarded the coveted Media Person of the Year award by the IAA India Chapter.

     

    Your thoughts on winning the Mediaperson of the Year award at IAA Leadership Awards?

    It is a great honour to be chosen the Media Person of the Year. I accept this award with great humility on behalf of the entire Zee family. The award is a result of the valuable lessons learnt from our Chairman Subhash Chandra and of the innovative approach taken by the entire team at Zee. My kudos to other winners and nominees as well.

     

    The Hindi General Entertainment Channel (GEC) landscape is currently witnessing a lot of action amongst the top 4-5 players.  How would you assess the evolution of content in the entertainment genre?

    Yes, the content genre in the Hindi GEC landscape has been evolving a lot of late. We have seen many experiments happening on television and you will see the content genre evolving much faster in the near future. I cannot talk about specifics but at Zee, there will be a lot happening going forward.

     

    Has the digitisation exercise benefitted Zee in any way?

    Just by putting set-top boxes doesn’t mean that a home is digitised. I think the industry has to work together to make digitisation happen.

     

    Sports has been a focus area for broadcasters in the recent past. How do you view the performance by the sports channels in the Zee stable?

    We do not create content for sports, we only aggregate content. As you know our country is not a sporting country, it is a cricketing country. The cricket rights for the next 6-8 years have been divided between 2-3 players today in the space. I hope that the country becomes a sporting nation rather than a cricketing nation in the future. This will lead to sports networks having a bright future going forward. Also, the sports business in the country isn’t providing good returns as the costs continue to go up. The revenues have been stagnant for the longest time but hopefully that will change one day.

     

    How do you see 2014 panning out for your network?

    2014 would definitely be tougher than 2013 and we look forward to the challenges this year. The general elections scheduled in April-May are very important.  -MxMIndia.com

     

    		  

    2013 was a rewarding year for IPG Mediabrands: Shashi Sinha 

     

    Shashi Sinha, CEO of media services conglomerate IPG Mediabrands, was awarded the Media Agency Head of the Year. He was also President of the Advertising Club until mid-2013 and is currently Head of the all-important Technical Committee of BARC, the joint industry body appointed to govern television audience measurement in the country

     

    How is this award different from what the other award platforms have to offer?

    This award is a combination of marketing, media and advertising and I do not know of any other platform that does this. It’s more of the individual and his organisation that gets rewarded here. So it’s a good feeling to be picking up the Media Agency Head of the Year award.

     

    Last year was a formative one for IPG Mediabrands where all agencies were clubbed under one umbrella. How did the year turn out to be for you?

    As you know, 2013 was a year of churn for the company. I got at the helm of IPG Mediabrands in end of 2012 so it’s been just a year for me. I am lucky to be having a team who are all from within the network. Also, I have been actively been a part of industry bodies like Ad Club and BARC which may have worked in my favour this year.

     

    In terms of growth, is the industry clocking at a healthy rate as predicted?

    Last year was a tough year for the industry. The growth was not as high as a few had predicted. Our estimate was around 9 per cent growth for 2013. We were slightly more conservative compared to the others in releasing our numbers but we were on track with our predictions.

     

    Business-wise, you picked up some good clients…

    As for the agency, 2013 was a very good year for us as we also picked up a few good businesses especially at the end of the year. If at all there was a year for us, 2013 would be apt to be winning a big award. The year saw us putting all our companies together; we also bought agencies like Interactive Avenues etc. So it was a testing yet rewarding year for IPG Mediabrands.

     

    You are the Chairman of BARC Technical Committee. When do you see the measurement hurdle being resolved in the country?

    A robust rating mechanism is what we are aiming at. Our sense is that the basic contours are right. It is just a matter of time before it all comes together and we have a robust measurement system in place.

     

     

  • Max Life launches three new TVC's highlighting its commitment to superior post sales service and quality of advice

    Max Life unveils campaign that extends brand promise further

    By a correspondent

     

    Leading insurance company Max Life Insurance has announced the launch of a string of new TVC’s with the tagline “Policy dene ke baad humara rishta khatam nahi, shuru hota hai“. The TVC’s are an extension of the company’s brand campaign ‘Aapke Sachche Advisors’, which aims to highlight Max Life’s commitment to superior post sales service.

     

    Anisha Motwani

    Commenting on the launch, Anisha Motwani, Director and Chief Marketing Officer, Max Life Insurance said, “Amongst all the financial instruments, life insurance has the longest relationship term with a customer. In fact, the real relationship with the customer only start taking shape after the policy is bought, and does not end with a transaction being completed. At Max Life we are guided by the principles of Service Excellence towards our customers, hence, providing them with prompt, reliable, and quality services is our top most priority.”

     

    She further added, “Our new TVC’s are thus aimed at establishing a deeper bond with the life insurance industry audience at large. Through these ads we also seek to reinforce the idea of importance of identifying a reliable company, evaluating the correct selling behaviour and service orientation of agent advisors when seeking to buy life insurance products.”

     

    Abhijit Avasthi

    The ad has been conceptualised by the creative team at Ogilvy & Mather. Abhijit Avasthi, National Creative Director, Oglivy and Mather said, “Through this campaign, Max Life Insurance has taken the brand philosophy of “Sachchi Advice” to the next level by highlighting on their commitment towards the customers. The Agent-Devil format worked wonders for the brand in last campaign and we are sure that this time again, with the freshness brought in by lady devil and the agent and new situations, it will bring that smile back on our audience’s faces and an even deeper trust on the brand.”

     

  • Hindustan Unilever runs Bihar's most popular radio on mobile phones… in fact the FMCG major has stopped advertising on traditional radio in the state

    Bihar mein No 1 radio station kaunbaa? Aapan Hindustan Unilever ke ‘Kan Khajura Tesan’

    By Sagar Malviya

     

    At Gosaidaspur, a village near Ganga river basin in Bihar, people regularly listen to movie songs, dialogues, radio jockey talk, jokes and shayari on their mobile phone. There’s no FM station covering this village 250 km east of Patna; villagers owe this special service to Hindustan Unilever.

     

    The country’s largest consumer goods maker has come up with a free radio-on-demand service to reach out to villagers in remote areas. And it says its lone channel – Kan Khajura Tesan, or ‘centipede station’ – is already the largest radio station in Bihar in terms of subscribers.

     

    This is how it works: any mobile phone user in Bihar can give a missed call to a specific number to immediately get a return call that will play Kan Khajura Tesan for 15 minutes. Besides a series of entertainment programmes, the channel of course plays advertisements of HUL brands.

     

    HUL has Stopped Ads on Radio

    “There is a lot of demand for content or entertainment in media-dark villages and mobiles become their only route to that world. So, we thought, can we institutionalise missed calls into an entertainment channel,” said Hemant Bakshi, executive director for home and personal care at HUL.

     

    “For consumers, it’s just like any other free radio station. But the one big difference compared with a radio is that we know who’s listening to our programmes,” he said.

     

    Mr Bakshi said the company has stopped advertising on radio in Bihar because its own channel reaches more people than any radio station. The company has printed the phone number for the channel on some of its product packs and has put up banners outside stores to increase its reach.

     

    It has already acquired more than 5 million subscribers, and interacts with about 1 lakh consumers everyday. That means about 25,000 hours of engagement daily with consumers in Bihar. And the company says it has more than 26 million ad impressions till date.

     

    Buoyed by its success in Bihar, Hindustan Unilever has launched this service in neighbouring Jharkhand and plans to take it to other states including Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.

     

    Experts said Hindustan Unilever has reinvented “The notion that more advertising could mean more sales is diminishing. Also, impact of paid media is waning. HUL’s initiative is like a viral which will give much bigger bang for the buck,” said Alpana Parida, president at brand consulting firm DY Works.

     

    So, where did the company get this idea of running a parallel radio station? From a radio campaign for Wheel detergent it ran more than two years ago.

     

    The Active Wheel advertisement on All India Radio in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar asked listeners to give a missed call from their mobiles to a particular number.

     

    When they did so, they promptly got a call back with a recording of actor Salman Khan’s dialogues from his blockbuster film Ek Tha Tiger and his endorsement of Wheel.

     

    HUL got 16 million missed calls in four months and, by the end of the campaign, brand awareness scores for Wheel had increased 25% and its sales jumped three times in the region.

     

    To ensure quality programmes, HUL has roped in several third-party firms to generate content and services for the channel, which it had initially named ‘Mobile Vani’ before opting for a more sticky and colloquial name.

     

    Also, similar to a loyalty card system for retailers, HUL plans to develop strategies once it gets profiles of the listeners over a period. “Content and advertising are becoming more linked with each other than they used to be in the past.

     

    As we go forward and have richer profiles of our listeners, we can leverage the database and plan customised strategies for our brands,” Mr Bakshi said.

     

     

    Source:The Economic Times

    Copyright © 2014, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved

    Licensed to republish

     

    Editor’s Note: Many thanks to Sanjay Singh, senior journalist and now communications specialist based in Patna, for help with the Bhojpuri headline

     

  • According to the data captured from major e-tailing sites in the monthly tracker, online visit to branded apparels and designer label segments showed a rise of 113 percent and 41 percent respectively

    IAMAI report shows spurt in internet users across verticals

    By a correspondent

     

    The latest Internet Economy Watch, a report published jointly by the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) and IMRB has noted that the number of online users visiting the mobile segment has gone up from 6.31 million in January 2013 to 20.70 million in January 2014, registering a YoY growth of 228 percent. According to the data captured from major e-tailing sites in the monthly tracker, online visit to branded apparels and designer label segments have increased by 113 percent and 41 percent respectively, when compared to the numbers of corresponding month last year. The online users visit to spa and restaurant segment saw a decline from 0.76 million in January 2013 to 0.54 million in January 2014.

     

    Fig: 1

    Source: IAMAI/ WAM Data January 2014

     

    According to the January data, the number of profile uploads on matrimonial sites also witnessed an increase. Profile uploads on matrimonial sites increased to 1.96 million in January 2013 as compared to 0.85 million in the corresponding month last year, a YoY growth of 130 percent.

     

    Fig: 2

    Source: IAMAI/ WAM Data January 2014

     

    The monthly tracker further indicates 56.44 million people accessed various e-tailing sites. There were 2641.22 million page views in the category. The user reach for job and matrimonial websites is 29.37million and 18.95 million respectively with 1166.10 million and 495.08 million respective page views. Online travel segment has reach with 29.99 million reach and 1905.77 million page views.

     

    Fig: 4

    Source: IAMAI/ WAM Data January 2014

     

    Sourced from all India active internet data, the monthly internet tracker is based on WAM data captured from various relevant sites, and encapsulates online usage for E-tailing, Online Travel and Vertical Classifieds.

     

     

     

  • Mindshare has appointed Gowthaman Ragothaman as Chief Operating Officer and Roy Sudipto as Regional Chief Client Officer for Asia Pacific. Both of them are based in Singapore.

    Mindshare APAC promotes Gowthaman Ragothaman to COO, Roy Sudip to COO

    By A Correspondent

     

    Gowthaman Ragothaman

    Mindshare has appointed Gowthaman Ragothaman as Chief Operating Officer and Roy Sudipto as Regional Chief Client Officer for Asia Pacific. Both of them are based in Singapore.

     

    Mr Gowthaman takes on the role of COO Asia Pacific after spending a year as Chief Client Officer, APAC / CEO South and South East Asia. During this time, he was responsible for Mindshare’s key clients across the region and expanding the agency’s services, including the launch of an emerging market activation unit across ASEAN in partnership with Geometry Global.

     

    In his new role as COO, Mr Gowthaman will focus on continued development and delivery of Mindshare’s services to marketers, across the marketing value chain – from emerging consumer activation at one end to big data management on the other, and a more effective business model for working with clients.

     

    Said Mr Gowthaman: “I am extremely delighted to take on this role. I am especially looking forward to designing and rolling out new work streams that provide Mindshare’s clients with great new opportunities and accelerate sustainable growth of our business. Despite our scale and size, we are increasingly behaving more and more like a start-up – provocative, hungry, adaptive, full of energy all underpinned by a promise to be the agency of the future.”

     

    Meanwhile, Mr Roy takes over from Mr Gowthaman as Chief Client Officer Asia Pacific following a two-and­-a-half-year stint as Managing Partner of Client Leadership and Partnerships. During this time, his primary responsibility was to run some of Mindshare’s key accounts including Unilever, Kimberly Clark, Lenovo and others.

     

    In his role as Chief Client Officer, Mr Roy will focus on growing Mindshare’s relationship with its key clients across Asia Pacific, by creating faster, more agile and adaptive marketing services for them.  Mr Roy will also spearhead creation of a stronger open source collaboration model around Mindshare’s key clients, with relevant partners from WPP as well as other independent companies. Mr Roy will report to Mr Gowthaman in this role.

     

    Commenting on his appointment, Mr Roy said, “I am passionate about our clients’ businesses and how we think about them, so this move is exciting as it enables me focus on what I really love. I believe we have a great opportunity to drive cutting edge thinking for Mindshare and our clients and fundamentally reimagine how we think about media services while continually raising the standards for how media agencies can drive ROI. I really look forward to this part of the journey.”

     

    Said Ashutosh Srivastava, Chairman & CEO for APAC & Growth Markets at Mindshare,: “We are privileged to have highly talented people like Gowthaman and Roy stepping into these roles – over the years, they have developed trusted relationships with our clients, by focusing on what they value most. These roles are incredibly crucial for us at this stage and will help Mindshare continue to lead the industry thinking, and shape its development and growth at an exciting time, where understanding of media, technology and effective data usage are becoming more and more central to brand success.”

     

    Both the elevations are are effective immediately.

     

  • The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity is introducing a number of changes to some of its Special Awards

    Cannes Lions adds a few more award categories for 2014

    By a correspondent

     

    The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity is introducing a number of changes to some of its Special Awards which are based on points accumulated from shortlisted and award winning work presented at the Festival.

     

    The Palme d’Or award, presented to the best performing Production Company, will see changes introduced to bring it in-line with the other special awards. The calculation will continue to be based on a points system awarded as follows: 10 points for a Grand Prix; 7 points for a Gold Lion; 5 points for a Silver Lion; 3 points for a Bronze Lion; 1 point for a shortlist entry.

     

    The changes being introduced are:

    • Production companies no longer have to have at least 10 entries in the qualifying categories -  Film, Film Craft and Branded Content & Entertainment – to be eligible for the Palme d’Or.

     

    • The Palme d’Or will consider all shortlisted and winning entries from a Production Company.  In previous years, only the best 10 entries from each production company were considered.

     

    • Shortlisted points will now be capped at 10 points, which is in line with the existing Agency of the Year rules.

     

    “We welcome these positive changes to the Palme d’Or award as they will allow exposure to more producers throughout the world,” said François Chilot, President of CFPE/YDA.

     

    The Media Agency of the Year Award will be replaced by the Media Network of the Year award. It will be awarded to the media agency network that obtains the highest score for entries in the Media Lions section. Only media agencies are eligible to compete in this award, which will be based on a points system as above. Advertising agencies credited on shortlisted and winning campaigns in Media Lions will see their points included in the Agency of the Year and Independent Agency of the Year calculation.

     

    “As is our usual process when introducing changes at Cannes Lions, we consult extensively with industry leaders to ensure that we continue to be relevant and reflect the changes that are happening in the business around the world,” said Terry Savage, Chairman of Lions Festivals. “These adjustments to the calculations of the Special Awards are no exception, and as such we are delighted to have the support and endorsement of the key players.”

     

  • Mountain Dew has unveiled a new campaign that preaches to individuals to push their passions to the limit, allowing them to conquer their fears along the way

    Bang Bang Films unveils new commercial for Mountain Dew

    By a correspondent

     

    Conquering challenges has always been the proposition with which Mountain Dew has treaded ahead in the soft-drinks market, a fact that has been captured appropriately through its several campaigns released in India. Taking the proposition further, Mountain Dew has unveiled a new campaign that preaches to individuals to push their passions to the limit, allowing them to conquer their fears along the way.

     

    The new TVC for Mountain Dew, shot by Bang Bang Films features a young boy who faces his fears, and triumphs with the help of Mountain Dew and his own can-do attitude. Despite falling, breaking bones, friends who laugh and parents who nag, his persistence eventually pays off and he successfully completes a daredevil stunt in front of a large audience.

     

    The creative duties for Mountain Dew in India are handled by Taproot India and the script is the brainchild of Chief Creative Officer, Agnello Dias, and Associate Creative Director, Mayuresh Dubhashi.

     

    Directed by Danish filmmaker, Martin Aamund and produced by Bang Bang Films, the spot is both realistic and dramatic at the same time. The daredevil stunt in question was done in Delhi, where a dirt bike track was created with a ramp built entirely from scratch, at a location which had never before been used for a shoot.

     

    Mayuresh Dubhashi, Associate Creative Director, Taproot India commented, “Everything about this project was a challenge. Right from the brief to the script and then its execution. The reason is that Mountain Dew has moved on to a more cerebral nature of fear. And that makes it a lot scarier. A physical version of fear can be overcome with sheer will, but it takes something special to rock your own boat and challenge your status quo. After 3 days of a hectic shoot with Martin and a resilient Bang Bang team through crowded Delhi streets, huge setups and unpredictable weather, the film has managed to do just that.”

     

    Speaking about the film, Roopak Saluja, MD and Founder, Bang Bang Films said, “With the problem solved by Mountain Dew moving from physical fear to cerebral, Martin was the best suited Director for the job given the deftness with which he handles inner monologue and self-reflection.  The result: a gritty, gripping and realistically slick spot that tells a great story.  It was a mountain of a job given all the challenges but I’m glad we’ve more than managed to give it its dew”.

     

  • The Olive Crowns are Asia's first and only awards that salute excellence in communicating sustainability

    Big B goes green, to present IAA’s Olive Crown Awards

    By a correspondent

     

    The fourth edition of the IAA Olive Crown Awards from the India Chapter of the International Advertising Association (IAA) will be presented at a glittering function on 14th March 2014 at the Palladium Hotel, Parel, Mumbai.

     

    The Olive Crowns are Asia’s first and only awards that salute excellence in communicating sustainability. Endorsed by the Asian Federation of Advertising Associations (AFAA) these awards for “green” advertising have been warmly embraced by the industry and have grown in stature and size over the last four years.

     

    The awards are run like a cause without no fees for creative entries and a non-ticketed, entry-by-invitation-only awards ceremony.

     

    This year the IAA introduced a new special award for the Corporate Social Crusader of the year. This award saluted a corporate for an outstanding CSR initiative.

     

    Srinivasan Swamy

    “The response to this award from top corporates is very heart-warming,” said Srinivasan K Swamy, President India Chapter IAA. “The awards ceremony promises to be as meaningful as it will be entertaining” he added.

     

    Pradeep Guha said “The association of 9XM as presenting sponsor with the Olive Crown awards is in its third year now. We believe that industry associations should work for the general good and are therefore happy supporting such initiatives. I am personally happy with the way these awards have grown and the elite attendance at the awards function only endorses this.”

     

    The Green Partners for the Olive Crown awards are Hungama.Com and the Patrika Group. The Banking Partners are Yes Bank Ltd.

     

  • The survey highlights shopping, relationships, wellness and parenting as the four categories that women discuss on social media and how most of them find happiness discussing these

    ThoughtBuzz study depicts what women love the most

    By a correspondent

     

    ThoughtBuzz, the social media analytics arm of TOTHENEW, recently conducted a survey that provides insights into aspirations that women look up to and what they love to do. The survey highlights shopping, relationships, wellness and parenting as the four categories that women discuss on social media and how most of them find happiness discussing these.

     

    The prominent trend spotted is that about 48 per cent of women love shopping with most of them discussing updates, experience, love, hatred etc. Further, 54 per cent of women love talking about apparels with about 56 per cent of them talking highly of the brands that they prefer to shop with.

     

    The report also notes that 61 per cent women prefer online shopping than traditional over the counter shopping. Further about 21 per cent women associate shopping with Sale and Discounts while 43 per cent Women’s key sentiment was “Happy” about shopping rest was either neutral or negative.

     

    The report further goes on to add that about 33 per cent women talk about relationships or marriage where a majority of them talk about dating while others discuss about expectations from boyfriends or partners. Further, the study notes that 56 per cent women want trust and honesty from their partners, 11 per cent want romance while 11 per cent want just friendship.

     

    What is also noteworthy is that just 14 per cent women talk about health & fitness with a majority of them discussing tips and facts while others talk about gym and exercise options.

     

  • A shortlist of 191 campaigns across 19 categories has been selected, recognizing the very best in media thinking from around the world

    9 Indian entries shortlisted for FOM Awards

    By a correspondent

     

    After much deliberation, the 70 strong judging panel, led by Sameer Singh, VP, head of global media of GSK have cast their votes for the much anticipated Festival of Media Awards.

     

    A shortlist of 191 campaigns across 19 categories has been selected, recognizing the very best in media thinking from around the world including countries such as Australia, Brazil, Denmark, Germany, India, Japan, Mexico, Poland, Singapore, Sweden, UAE, UK, US and many more

     

    The entries from India that have managed to make it to the shortlists include Hindustan Unilever (HUL)’s Kissanpur 2.0 “Where What You Grow Is What You Eat” campaign in the Best Communication Strategy while Madison Media Infinity’s ‘How Radio triggered 1.6 years of engagement around an unspeakable problem’ campaign for Mediker Anti-Lice Treatment Naturals was shortlisted in the Best Engagement Strategy category.

     

    In the category of Best Event / Experiential, Mindshare found three of its campaigns vying for the top prize including ‘106,000 Found’ for Closeup Toothpaste; Sunlight – It’s Raining Roses for Sunlight Detergent Powder and Surf EW-Worshipping the Lord with 10 Hands for Surf Excel.

     

    Mediacom’s Soldier for Women for Gillette India was nominated in the Best Use of Content category, while PHD had two of its entries ‘Mobile Entertainment Box’ for Kaan Khajura Teshan and ‘Good Life Club’ for Brooke Bond that were nominated in the Best Use of Mobile category.

     

    In the Effectiveness Award, Madison Media Infinity’s ‘Convincing consumers to become our sales force’ for its client Parachute Advansed Ayurvedic Hair Oil was the final shortlist that was nominated from India.

     

  • Flipkart hits $1 billion in sales, a year ahead of schedule

    Billion dollar baby Flipkart crosses miletone faster than Amazon

    By Radhika P Nair

     

    Indian ecommerce flag bearer Flipkart has hit $1 billion in sales. This is a coming of age for Indian ecommerce as the market leader hits the target a year ahead of schedule. Global ecommerce giant Amazon reached the same target seven years after its launch. Flipkart, launched in October 2007, has achieved this milestone a few months faster.

     

    “We are really proud and excited to announce that we have hit a run rate of $1 billion GMV (gross merchandise value) one year before our target,” said co-founders Sachin Bansal and Binny Bansal, in a joint message. “In March 2011 we announced that by 2015 we wanted to hit $1bn in GMV. At that point in time our run rate was $10 million.”

     

    Flipkart, which started out as an online retailer of books, has raised over $550 million in risk capital funding. The company, which is backed by South African internet major Naspers and investments funds like Dragoneer Investment Group, Morgan Stanley Investment Management, Tiger Global and Accel Partners, was valued at $1.6 billion when they raised $360 million last year.

     

    The company, which started out as an inventory retailer, pivoted to an online marketplace in 2012. The company, which ships out over 1 lakh orders a day on an average, now has about 1,000 merchants on its platform.

     

    The Bengaluru-based firm, which has over 10,000 employees, has also grown beyond ecommerce. It spun out its payment solution PayZippy into a separate entity last year. This service is used by other internet companies like MakeMyTrip, Zansaar and Yepme. The company is also opening up its logistics arm, eKart, which supplies to 150 cities, to other online retailers.

     

    The company is also increasingly focusing on mobile commerce, as over 20% of its sales already comes from handheld devices. Sachin Bansal, in an earlier conversation, had said that in the near future Flipkart.com would be a m-commerce based marketplace.”

     

    Source:The Economic Times

    Copyright © 2014, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved

    Licensed to republish

     

  • Dentsu Inc wins Agency of the Year, Agency Network of the Year and Interactive Agency of the Year

    McCann wins 11 awards at Adfest 2014

    By A Correspondent

     

    McCann Worldgroup India, Mumbai won 11 awards at Adfest 2014 which concluded last week in Thailand.

     

    Said Jimmy Lam, President of Adfest: Adfest, says: “This year’s Lotus winners raise the bar for the industry and are indicative of the trends to come. Over the last three days, Adfest 2014 welcomed the region’s brightest creative talent to this year’s festival – creatives who will now go on to ‘Co-Create the Future’ together.”  This year, 1,095 delegates from 53 cities attended the fest.

     

    Mumbai agencies sent 314 entries, next only to 712 entries from Tokyo.

    Winners’ Tally:

    Dentsu Inc., Tokyo 27 Awards
    Leo Burnett, Sydney 19 Awards
    Hakuhodo Inc., Tokyo 16 Awards
    McCann Worldgroup India, Mumbai 11 Awards
    Ace Saatchi & Saatchi, Manila 7 Awards

     

    Top 5 Award By City

    Tokyo 84 Awards
    Sydney 36 Awards
    Bangkok 35 Awards
    Mumbai 24 Awards
    Singapore 13 Awards