MxMIndia

Category: ADVERTISING

  • The Industry Conclave, followed the inauguration, and saw keynotes by Anand Kripalu, D. Shivakumar, R Chandrasekar and Sanjeeb Chaudhuri

    Goafest Day 1: Content key to success, say biggies in Industry Conclave

    By Dyanne Coelho

     

    The first day of Goafest typically sees CxOs from across the spectrum of media, advertising and marketing professionals converge at an Industry Conclave for an interface with leading lights from amongst industry professionals.

     

    Following the inauguration of Goafest’s tenth edition in the afternoon on Thursday, the Conclave saw keynotes by Anand Kripalu, MD and CEO, United Spirits and Member Diageo Global Executive Committee, D. Shivakumar, Chairman and CEO, PepsiCo India, R. Chandrasekar; Head of Communication and eCommerce, Nestle South Asia Region and Sanjeeb Chaudhuri; Global Chief Marketing Office and Regional Head, South Asia, Standard Chartered Bank.

     

    Shivakumar highlighted the dawn of the social media, digital space and e-commerce. “Recruit tech savvy people,” he said, adding: “We are getting seduced by so many tactics that we lose sight of our brand. Don’t be data rich and insight poor,” he added.  Shivakumar included a checklist for agencies in his talk; strategic planning, quality of management, buying, creativity, insights, value and tech solutions are the key, he said

     

    Anand Kripalu was up next, talking about the sacred relationship between a brand and its agency. “A brand and its agency is like a marriage, only divorce after you’ve tried bloody hard,” he said. Kripalu stressed the importance of agencies and clients creating value together. “Today organisations are becoming less and less important to talented people,” he said.

     

    Chandrasekar Radhakrishnan of Nestle pretty much backed up Kripalu talking about the timeless relationship between a client and its agency. “People don’t just buy products, they buy into products.”  Like the previous speakers, Radhakrishnan too highlighted the importance of creating quality content. “Content quality matters the most, not the platform. If the message is great, it will get rewarded. The quality of the message will determine the rewards.” He added the importance of increased creativity. “Brush aside safe creativity to make way for impactful and compelling creativity. Creativity must be relevant, not safe”

     

    The last speaker for the day was Sanjeeb Chaudhuri. “Consumers decide what they want to listen to, they have the ability to make or break your brand,” he said. The bulk of responses that brands receive have to do with consumers increasingly venting out on social media platforms. We need people today, who can listen and acknowledge the problem and offer solutions, he said.

    In Arrangement with MxMIndia.com

     

  • Manish Bhatt of Scarecrow is heading the Integrated Abby Jury

    Top creative honchos judge for Goafest Abby Jury

     

     

    The Goafest Creative Abby Judging has been on in Mumbai with Juries being appointed in different verticals. The Jury Chairs were announced to the media by the Goafest Creative Abby Award Governing Council.

     

    Santosh Padhi of Taproot is chairing the Abby Print and Print Craft Jury this year. Bobby Pawar of Publicis returns after a gap of 5 years to head the Abby Film Jury. Ashish Chakravarty of Contract India is Jury Chair of Radio and Radio Craft Abby while Prashant Godbole of ideasatwork is heading the Out of Home and Ambient Abby Jury. Manish Bhatt of Scarecrow is heading the Integrated Abby Jury.

     

    Chairing the Creative Abby Direct Jury this year is Rakhshin Patel of Pi Communications. Prashant Kanyalkar of KA advertising and design is the Jury Chair in Design Vertical of Creative Abby. Carlton D’Silva of Hungama is the Jury Chair for Digital  Abby while Namita Roy Ghose of White Light Moving Picture is heading the Film Craft Abby Jury.

     

    Aneil Deepak of DDB Mudra is the Jury Chair in Brand Activation & Promotion Abby Jury. Anita Kaul Basu of Big Synergy is Jury Chair in Branded Content Abby.

     

    Paresh Chaudhry of Madison PR headed the Public Relations Abby Jury. Avinash Kaul of Network18 led the Broadcasters Abby Jury while Shailesh Amonkar of Sakal is Jury Chair of Publishers Abby.

     

    Pratap Bose,President of Ad Club said, “Our heartfelt thanks to the Jury members who gave their time and passion debating the selection of winners.”

     

    Commented Ajay Chandwani Abby Awards Governing Council Member in charge of Jury appointments and Judging,” We are very fortunate to have the time and cooperation of very high powered juries in each of the verticals. Many of our jury chairs and judges have been judging at major international festivals over the years. An award derives its prestige from the standards set by juries and Abby has indeed retained its leading status in India.”

     

  • The WPP media agency network bagged 28 metals as IPG Mediabrands agency won 3 Golds, the highest amongst all winners

    GroupM maxes Media Abby as Lodestar UM wins 3 Golds

    All smiles: CVL Srinivas and Shashi Sinha at the Media Abby on Day 1 of Goafest 2015. Picture by Shailesh Mule/Fotocorp

     

    By A Correspondent

     

    “It’s all in the family,” said CVL Srinivas, CEO South Asia, GroupM on his network of media service agencies in India winning 28 metals at the Media Abby last evening. Held as part of the ongoing three-day Goafest, behind held in Goa, the Media Abby is conducted by the Advertising Club for excellence in use of media. Goafest is jointly organised by the Advertising Agencies Association of India and the Ad Club.

     

    According to Pratap Bose, President of the Ad Club and also Chairman of the Media Jury, as many as 70 leading professionals constituted the judging process which was held over four days. There were 674 entries as against the 619 of last year from 53 agencies. “This year we attracted the best possible response in the Media category over the years,” added Nakul Chopra, Chairman of the Goafest Organising Committee. There were a total of 74 metals awarded – 12 Golds, 23 Silvers and 39 Bronzes.

     

    “The quality of entries was more or less similar to that of last year with nothing really very outstanding and hence there was no Grand Prix awarded,” explained Bose.

     

     

    Commenting on the overall trends in the entries, Bose said that with the pressure on margins and the bottomline, getting creative in media is possibly taking a backseat.

     

    Meanwhile, Shashi Sinha, CEO, IPG Mediabrands India is happy to see his network of agencies winning 14 metals. The maximum number of golds won by an agency this year  – three – was from his network’s Lodestar UM. “It speaks for the splendid work put up by our teams from across all our offices,” Sinha said.

     

    The Advertising Club does not award a title of Media Agency of the Year at the Media Abby and also does not rank agencies in any specific order of metals.

     

    Along with the Media Abby, the Publisher Abby category of the Creative Abby was awarded on Day 1 of the Goafest.  There were 62 entries in all from across 10 publishers and 17 metals were awarded. There were four Golds, six Silvers and seven Bronze metals. Bose admitted that the awareness for the Publisher Abby needs to be raised to generate more entries from across the print media.

     

    Result

     

     

  • Bennett, Coleman and Company Ltd (The Times of India group) bagged three Golds, three Silvers and one Bronze metal at the Publisher Abby category of the Creative Awards

    BCCL scores maximum metals at Publisher Abby

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Publishers Abby category of the Creative Awards at Goafest 2015 may have got a lukewarm response from the print players  – some of who have in fact partnered Goafest in the form of sponsorship, but it’s a sound beginning nevertheless and in an industry where there aren’t too many awards for print publishers, this could well see growth in forthcoming years.

     

    There were 62 entries in all from across 10 publishers and 17 metals were awarded. There were four Golds, six Silvers and seven Bronze metals.

     

    Bennett, Coleman and Company Ltd (The Times of India group) bagged three Golds, three Silvers and one Bronze. The Dainik Jagran group followed by one Gold, two Silvers and one Bronze. Lokmat bagged one Silver while HT Media and Chitralekha bagged two Bronze metals each. The Dainik Bhaskar group bagged one Bronze. Among the publisher brands, The Times of India scored the maximum.

     

     

  • Nuggets from what various speakers said on the three days of Goafest

    SoundBytes @ Goafest 2015

    By Dyanne Coelho

     

    This is what the various speakers said on the three days of Goafest.

     

    Day 1

     

    “A brand and its agency are like a marriage. You have to make a commitment and try really hard before getting a divorce.” — Anand Kripalu, MD & CEO, United Spirits Ltd and Member, Diageo Global Executive Committee

     

    “We are getting seduced by so many tactics that we lose sight of our brand.” — D Shivakumar, Chairman and CEO, PepsiCo India

     

    “Content quality matters the most, not the platform. If the message is great, it will get ewarded. The quality of the message will determine the rewards.” — R. Chandrasekar; Head of Communication and eCommerce, Nestle South Asia Region

     

    “Our Boards, who have been in the industry for years, are new to social media. Thus we must have people in their 20s who are tech-savvy, mentoring our seniors on the digital space.” — Sanjeeb Chaudhuri; Global Chief Marketing Officer and Regional Head, South Asia, Standard Chartered Bank.

     

    Day 2

     

    “I am often accused of not listening to the other side. There was one day I let someone speak, and that man was Rahul Gandhi.” — Arnab Goswami, Editorial Director and Editor-in-chief, Times Now.

     

    “Companies are self-obsessed, and they make ads that are self-congratulatory.” — Chetan Bhagat, writer

     

    “We ought to focus, not on where the money is spent, but on where we need to work the hardest.” — Guy Abrahams, Worldwide Strategic Marketing Director, ZenithOptimedia

     

    “Don’t try and cram everything into the ad> Instead sequence messages effectively.” — Neil Stewart, Head of Agency, APAC, Facebook

     

    “Stop spamming, stop annoying. Treat consumers like humans, not simply ad targets. Is social media the new dumping ground?” — Jonny Stark, Senior Vice President, APAC, Razorfish

     

    “Every time the tide pulls back, we hire talent and buy companies.” — Ashish Hemrajani, Founder-CEO, Bigtree entertainment

     

    Day 3

     

    “The idea of Vishnu and Shiva and God as a whole, has remained constant even after 2000 years. That kind of consistency is what brands ought to strive to achieve.” — Devdutt Pattanaik, Leadership consultant and Mythologist

     

    “It’s hard to shift perspective when everyone feels safe with the obvious.” — Alan Moseley, President and CCO, 180 Amsterdam

     

    “Build your own dreams before someone hires you to build their’s. Take risks, we need to encourage the young to make new mistakes.” — Suhas Gopinath, Founder, CEO and Chairman of Global Inc.

     

    “Comedians are also brands, and you need to find the right partner while choosing a comedian to advertise your own brand.” — East India Comedy

     

    “You’re lucky if your life gets disrupted, as you are more likely to reach a breakthrough then.” — Vikas Bahl, filmmaker and screenwriter.

     

  • The Advertising Club President Bose speaks on how the awards have been this year, and whether the Ad Club will ever be able to bring Ogilvy and Lintas back to participate

    Credibility of Abby has been restored: Pratap Bose

    Is there anything to ask, Advertising Club’s Pratap Bose asked us, minutes after announcing the 2015 edition of the Abby Awards. The awards have been controversy-free so far, and save the non-participation of some of the bigger advertising agencies, they could be termed a huge success. In this Q&A, Mr Bose speaks to Pradyuman Maheshwari on how the awards have been this year, and whether the Ad Club will ever be able to bring Ogilvy and Lintas back to participate.

     

    Your broad view of how the Abby Awards have been this year…

    I think on the personal front I am happy because we continued with what we did last year. My objective was to deliver a fair and controversy-free process at Goa, which will ultimately bring back the confidence of most advertisers in the future. Now, whether they come next year, or the year after, I won’t hazard a guess. But I think the credibility of the event, the awards and the awards metals we gave out, have been restored.

     

    Would you say it was scam-free also?

    That’s a debate I can have for three days with you. What is the definition of a scam? We are not the Interpol at the Ad Club. It’s work that has ticked all the boxes in terms of the process. That’s been done and adhered to. It is very difficult to say it is a scam ad. Has it been created just for the awards? If that is the case, it’s been sanctioned, it’s been delivered, the client’s approved it and it’s gone out in the market, on even one release. Can you then call it a scam? I think you should be able to answer that question.

     

    JWT is the No 1 agency in terms of the number of metals (it has won). But then, Since you’ve not had an Ogilvy or Lowe participating in the Abby. Do you think JWT can rightfully say they are the No 1 creative agency in the country?

    We don’t take the position on whether they are No 1 or not. I think they have won the most number of metals in terms of the actual number of awards. In that sense they have been the most successful agency. It would be unfair of me to comment  on whether they are the most creative agency or not. Our job is to deliver an awards event that celebrates creativity. That’s always been the mantra at Goafest. We haven’t gone back to the old days where we declared an ‘Agency of the Year’.

     

    What do think will get an Ogilvy and Lowe to come back?

    I think it’s largely the leadership at the top which takes those calls. It’s not going to be easy. For example, Balki has clearly said I’m not going to enter the creative awards though the Grand Prix winner this year – Linen Lintas – is part of the same group. I don’t know whether he is going to smirk or have a smile on his face (because of this). But I think it’s difficult for anyone else to say whether they would participate or not because at the end of day, it is the boss who needs to decide.

     

    You’ve been leading the Ad Club and the Abby for two years. Must be sad to see these guys not participating. Is it a kind of unfinished agenda?

    Of course, if you had every agency in the country participating without exception, that’s always the best cake you could get. But life is not always about pretty roses.

     

    How do you take it to the next level?

    That’s something we need to get back to the drawing board for, because Goafest is a templated event over three days. It has graduated from two days, to three.

     

    Will Abby continue to be part of Goafest?

    Yes, that is the intention as we go forward.

     

    One of the reported reasons for an Ogilvy to not participate in the Abby is it’s not in Mumbai…

    Well, no one holds any one at ransom. An agency can’t decide where the awards ceremony is going to be held.

     

    You think combining an Abby with an Effie will help bring back Lowe and Ogilvy, both of whom participate in the Effie?

    Both the events are completely different. This is a creative show.

     

    One message to the people who did not participate…

    Goafest is a celebration of work. I would say there is nothing you gain by not participating. And you only stand to gain when you do. We are not ranking agencies over here; that’s the media’s job. But I think it’s for the younger people that work in the agency, to give them a sense of pride, a sense of achievement in their hard work. That’s one of the biggest reasons I would recommend every agency to participate.

     

  • The Goafest Organising Committee Chairman is content to have helmed a successful edition of the three-day fest. And that he certainly achieved what he set out to do

    It was a slick and satisfying show: Nakul Chopra

    As Goafest 2015 concluded after the last of the Creative Abby Awards were presented, Nakul Chopra, chairman of the Organising Committee, tells Pradyuman Maheshwari that he is content to have helmed a successful edition of the three-day fest. And that he certainly achieved what he set out to do

     

    As Chairman of Goafest 2015, your views on how the event was this year…

    I feel all the boxes I wanted to tick have been ticked. I wanted this to be a grander, bigger, wider, deeper Goafest than it has ever been before. I wanted it to be a slickly-produced show. I wanted it to have all the elements, and I think I have done what I set out to do. Now it is for people to give us feedback about what they liked or didn’t like.

     

    Is there something that you would like to include next year or in the years to come?

    For me, a single-screen Goafest, 10 years after it was established, is the biggest shortcoming. We need to have a multi-screen, multiple-track event. Not everyone is interested in the same thing at one time. I need to give people a choice.. There are limitations, no doubt. But if I had to say what would be the target for next year, I would like add one more screen to the event.

     

    But can’t you do something about the time of the event? April is too hot and humid…

    What is the problem with the season? There are 2,000 people here. Does it seem like it an issue? I don’t think it is.

     

    But the 2,000 could increase if the weather was better. In the past, Goafest has seen a larger number of people particpating

    The maximum we’ve had is about 2,600. At this venue (Grand Hyatt), 2,000 is the upper limit. But 2,000 people do not all eat at the same time. And it’s a three-day festival, and almost half or more of the people attend on a two-day pass. They come either for the first two days or the second and third day. So I never have 2,000 people here all at once. Next time I don’t mind willing to take the risk of registering 2,300 delegates provided I am not selling them a three-day pass.

     

    So will you continue with this venue?

    I am not sure. Last year, we got feedback that the delegates missed the outdoors.  And this year, all the feedback I’ve got points to this being a better venue. So I don’t know. We had logistical issues with this venue last year. But I must say the hotel has done a great job. So there is a very high chance we will be back here next year.

     

    What do you have to say about some sessions having poor attendance and half-empty halls?

    I don’t think we need to have 800 people in the room for a session to be a success. For me, even if 200 interested people attend and go back saying they’ve got something from the session, it’s been a great one.

     

    How do you ensure that the biggies from your fraternity turn up for Goafest?

    I think the two things need to be separated. There is an awards event and there is a festival. The awards are a question of trust and credibility. According to me, that wasn’t an issue, and that’s why I am here. But we have to win back that trust and the credibility. Second is the question of the festival itself and how useful or meaningful it is, and what value can agencies extract from it. I may participate in the awards, but do I send 20 to 70 people to attend the festival as well? We are working very hard to make it people-oriented. So that they can plan more and focus on the young guys. The job the festival had to do, is demonstrate these values. I think we demonstrated that value this year. It took us a little time to build it up in a particular way. We had to reinvent things last year. So give us a little time, and we’ll get back. One day you and I will stand here and discussing the 4,000 delegates who attended the fest.

     

  • When did the advertising awards lose their innocence? The gamification has perverted the very reason why advertising awards were birthed, writes BobbyPawar

    Bobby Pawar: Awards – 2. Awards Business – 4

    By Bobby Pawar

     

    The gamification of awards has perverted the very reason why advertising awards were birthed.

     

    The first award shows came about when some of the finest practitioners of the craft came together to cherry-pick the best work. It was put on stage so we could all celebrate it, learn from it, and hopefully, be inspired to beat it. That was a noble purpose.

     

    Yes, it was still a contest. But it was a field where one idea jousted with another. The biggest ones won the day, and their creators bathed in the applause of their peers. Careers were made in those moments, not just of the people who held aloft the shining statuettes of their creativity, but also of those in the audience who were fired up to do work that was great enough to get them there, one day. Almost all of today’s creative legends, even those who now bemoan the awards, became what they are because their shelves glitter with gold.

     

    It was all good, till it wasn’t. What happened? When did awards lose their innocence?

     

    My theory is that the wheels came off when statistics slipped a roofie in our creative cocktail. Agencies stopped merely celebrating great ideas and started counting the awards that they won. The thing is when you start keeping score, what you are doing becomes a game. Everyone knows the objective of a game is to win. When that became a corporate imperative, and let’s not fool ourselves it has, the objective became to win at all cost.

     

    Awards were supposed to put a spotlight on what’s best about our business, now they have become a for-profit business. Every award show has become a festival and the people who attend have gone from being fans of great work to delegates. Duck me with a fork and call me Daisy.

     

    Now you may call me a regressivist, a naïve fool or simply a fool, but the question still remains are we better off now than we were all those years ago?

     

    Bobby Pawar is Director and Chief Creative Officer – South Asia, Publicis Worldwide. The views here are his own. A slightly shorter version of this appeared in ‘dna of brands’ dated April 13, 2015

     

  • It won the account in a multi-agency pitch; Maxus was the incumbent on the account

    Popees hands over media mandate to Dentsu

    By A Correspondent

     

    Media communications specialist Dentsu Aegis Network has wonthe media mandate of Popees Baby Care products that manufacture the finest natural clothing for newborns and kids in the age group of 1-6 years. Carat will handle the account from its Kochi office. It won the account in a multi-agency pitch. Maxus was the incumbent on the account.

     

    Popees is a Kerala based company founded by Shaju Thomas, a young and passionate entrepreneur with the vision to bring the finest and most fashionable children’s clothing into the mass consumer market. The company, which began in the year 2005, has various brands under its portfolio including Ourkids, Pomees, Junior Popees and Vanchris.

     

    Shaju Thomas, Managing Director of Popees Baby Care says, “We welcome Carat Media to the Popees family as we look forward to makingbrand Popees more reachable to our customers, keeping the vision of the company intact. Carat’s differentiated media approach made us re-think about our overall media strategy and we decided to make our journey along with the dedicated Carat team.”

     

    Joydeep Raha, senior VP – Carat South said, “We are delighted and honored to havePopeeson board as our esteemed client. Our Carat Kochi team, led by MrAnanth Narayan, did a remarkable job in demonstrating customized solutions in line with their tasks. We look forward to partnering with Popeesto take them to new heights in the future.”

     

  • Here's a look at Creative Abby winnings over the years

    Creative Abby winnings over the years

     

     

     

  • In the eyes of the industry, the Creative and Media Abby became the main attraction of Goafest, writes Sanjeev Kotnala who has attended all 10 editions of Goafest. This three-day fiesta has fought many a battle, but lived to create its own niche and has only emerged stronger after all these challenges, he writes

    Sanjeev Kotnala:Destination #1 for ad,media & mktng pros

    By Sanjeev Kotnala

     

    Since its inception in 2006, Goafest been something of an annual pilgrimage for me. Its birth had all the excitement of a baby being born in the extended family of advertisers, media and advertising agencies. It was an event everyone was looking forward to.

     

    It took off in style at Cavelossim beach. My own introduction to Goafest was nothing short of shocking. When I checked into the hotel room at the venue in 2006, I found a mystery pouch from one of the sponsors (I think it was MTV). The pouch, kept next to the pillow, claimed to have the three most essential items one might need at the fest – a mouth freshener for managing foul, beer breath; an antacid to deal with the next day’s hangover, and a condom for the opportunities that may come. That was a trend being set. Since then, Goafest has evolved in many ways, but somehow the ‘beer and rain dance’ have continued as its brand identity.

     

    This three-day fiesta has fought many a battle, but lived to create its own niche. Goafest started as an independent property of the AAAI with an aptly-designed Dolphin trophy, to remind people about its roots. It got a boost when, in 2008, when ‘Ad Club’ came on board and the Abby moved to Goafest. The Dolphin trophy, sadly, became history.

     

    In the eyes of the industry, the Creative and Media Abby became the main attraction of Goafest. It survived the 2014 boycott of the awards by some agencies. It withstood the high-decibel complaints about jury bias, internal awards trading and scam ads, like the JWT fiasco with Ford, the withdrawal of radio spots by Leo Burnett or the local politics. It outlasted the controversy of a business daily publishing the names of the winners ahead of the awards ceremony. Goafest has only emerged stronger after all these challenges.

     

    The beer had started flowing from the very first year. Indeed, Kingfisher has remained the one, stable sponsor for the event. Initially, with free beer being served between 10 am and 4 pm, the beach would be littered with empty bottles the following day. When people complained about too much beer being consumed, a Tughluq-like decision was implemented offering the beverage only with coupons. Fortunately, good sense has prevailed and the fizz is back at Goafest, though the beer is no longer as easily or widely available.

     

    The knowledge seminars have experimented with Indian speakers as well as speakers – legends in their field – from abroad. Now the fest seems to have acquired a touch of ‘spirituality’ and contemporaneity: The young start-up icons are now also invited to the seminars, alongside tried-and-tested creative and media speakers.

     

    To engage both the young and energetic, as well as the young-at-heart, water sports were introduced. An unfortunate incident in 2010 when a delegate plummeted 200 feet during a parasailing event has made the organisers stop this. In its new avatar, Goafest offers sailing and kayaking instead.

     

    The late-night parties at Cavelossim beach were one of the most happening, raucous and full of energy. But the heat, the need to set up hangers on the beach every year and some obliquely-referenced local issues have forced Goafest to move to a hotel instead. Parties now take place in relatively cramped halls, but they go for much longer.

     

    The move to relocate Goafest indoors took away the discomfort of walking in the blazing sun, but it also brought the curtains down on the lively, though informal, fashion and glamour quotient of the delegates that held a charm for some participants.

     

    One year, the India chapter of the International Advertising Association joined the Goafest gang. It held its debate and the first Olive Crown awards here.

     

    The industry conclave, which started out as an ‘invitee only’ event, has evolved into a more democratic meeting today, being now open to all delegates. But one might argue that that has made it lose some of its seriousness and importance. Goafest also experimented with a two-and- three-day delegate registration, but then reverted to the single-registration package. Thankfully, the hugely-successful ISA-associated, and the hugely-subsidised young advertiser registration packages continue.

     

    The awards have increased with Digital and Activation being added. In 2014, the Public Relations, Publisher and Broadcasting category was also added.

     

    Transport arrangements for the delegates, with buses plying between the main hotels, is a boon. It is well-managed and adds to the success of the fest. But when you sometimes see empty halls, it raises questions about whether there is a mismatch between the selection of speakers of what they would speak on, and what the delegates actually want.

     

    An industry event like Goafest is possible only because of its sponsors. Media companies have always acted as the prime sponsors. Hopefully, we will soon see brands taking on that role, and thereby showing their willingness to reach out to this hugely-influential prosumer population. Meanwhile, Goafest will keep evolving and remain a useful platform for media, advertising and marketing professionals to come together.

     

    Sanjeev Kotnala is a leading marketing and brand consultant and trainer. He is founder of Intradia. The views expressed here are his own. A shorter version of this appeared in ‘dna of brands’ dated April 13, 2015

     

  • They put in their papers last week and will serve notice till the end of April

    Navin Talreja & Kawal Shoor quit O&M to launch agency

    By Pritha Mitra Dasgupta

     

    Senior Ogilvy & Mather executives Navin Talreja and Kawal Shoor have quit to launch their own advertising agency. Both Talreja, president at O&M Mumbai & Kolkata, and Shoor, national planning director at O&M India, confirmed the development. They put in their papers last week and will serve notice till the end of April.

     

    The industry is abuzz with speculation they will join hands with Abhijit Avasthi, erstwhile national creative director of O&M who quit to launch his own venture along with ex-colleague Sonali Sehgal. Talreja and Shoor, however, denied it. “Let’s get the elephant out of the room. Kinu (Avasthi) is a great guy, but at the moment Kawal and I would like to go at it alone and start our own company and be on that adventure,” he said.

     

    Shoor said, “Navin and I are still talking about how to shape our new shop. And I desperately want to refrain from clichés (‘different’, ‘new kind of agency’, etc). We will let our work speak. The one thing we’re clear is that we will not chase numbers.”

     

    While Shoor has spent 21 years in O&M, Talreja has worked with the agency for 18 years. Overall, they have 40 years of experience in advertising and communications business with expertise in planning, business development, client servicing and administration. The duo is now looking for a creative partner for the new venture. “A creative partner (or partners) is crucial, and, thankfully, a few good minds are keen, but it’ll take alot more to build the kind of place we’re dreaming of. Navin and I will try to find some unconventional partners, as unless you have new kind of people, you won’t get new kind of work,” said Shoor

     

    A senior agency head, talking on condition of anonymity, feels Talreja and Shoor should join hands with Avasthi because they don’t have the creative expertise to start a new agency. Also, the duo shares a great rapport with Avasthi, the person said. “It only makes sense if they come together,” he said. But all the three have said there’s no chance of that happening. “I am not teaming up with Kawal and Navin to form a new agency,” Avasthi said. The news of Talreja and Shoor exiting O&M came to light on the eve of the 60th birthday of Piyush Pandey, executive chairman at the agency. “I have been out of Mumbai for the past five days and, hence, Navin and Kawal are yet to tell me what they are planning to do. But they are not joining hands with Abhijit,” Pandey said. “I can also say that they won’t do anything that is against the interest of O&M.”

     

    Some top officials, meanwhile, suggested Talreja quit because O&M recently went through a senior management restructuring following which Kunal Jeswani was made the CEO of the agency and Talreja didn’t get any prominent role. But Talreja said, “The reason to move on is a feeling that the time is right to try and do something new and exciting on my own.

     

    Do it at our own pace and scale and to enjoy a different kind of journey by challenging oneself.” Talking about the two exits, Jeswani said, “Change is inevitable. It keeps us sharp and makes us stronger. The transition is being worked out and should be completed in a month.”

     

    Source:The Economic Times

    Copyright © 2015, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved

    Licensed to republish