MxMIndia

Category: ADVERTISING

  • Yatra.com finalises McCann as its creative partner; estimated account size INR 15-20 cr

    Yatra.com to partner with McCann for their creative business

    By Shubhangi Mehta

     

    Travel company Yatra Online has gone ahead and announced the appointment of McCann as its creative agency. McCann takes over from TBWA who handled the account for the agency until recently. On the appointment of McCann, a senior official from Yatra Online Pvt Ltd said, “Yatra and TBWA have decided to part ways. Though they helped us present ourselves as a ticketing brand and position us rightly in the online travel space, we felt the need to engage the services of a bigger agency and hence we called in for a pitch.” The official confirmed that the agencies that took part included Ogilvy, Percept H, McCann and TBWA.

     

    Sources close to the development have confirmed to MxM India that there is also a media pitch happening for the online travel company.

     

    Before TBWA, Yatra.com had appointed Rediffusion Y&R as its creative agency in 2009; while Leo Burnett was the official agency in 2007.

     

    The online travel company entered the market in August 2006. It had initially appointed Everest Brand Solutions as its creative agency, and Mudra’s media agency, Optimum Media Solutions (which was re-christened Mudra Connext), handled its media duties.

     

    Yatra Online is a travel company providing information, pricing, availability and booking facility for air travel, hotels, buses and car rentals across 5,000 large cities and small rural areas around the globe. It acts as a complete tour planner for travellers and is a one-stop shop for every travel need.

     

  • Ajay Kakar, CMO – Financial Services, Aditya Birla Group on when the time's right for you to say ta ta to your agency

    The Anchor: 8 indications when you know it’s time to bid goodbye to your agency

    By Ajay Kakar

    These are the views of a person who has invested 15 years at the agency end. And for the last six years he has been at the client side.

     

    These are the views of a marketer who strongly believes that the role of an agency partner is invaluable to his success and the success of his brand.

     

    #1 When you have the frequent need to say all the best to exiting key members of the agency: A brand is built over years. Passion and consistency are two critical pillars in this journey. And if an agency loses/shifts your key team members frequently, that’s bad news.

     

    #2 When you have many people servicing your account but you do not remember the name of any: You do need mere hands and legs. To quote David Ogilvy, you need people who know more about the brand than even the client. People who leave an impression on you and make an impact on the brand. People you can’t afford to forget. Nothing less will do.

     

    # 3 When you have meetings only at times of a brief initiated by you: You need Brand Custodians and Brand Stewards. People who are thinking of your brand all the time. And not only when you have a felt need. Else you will always feel compromised.

     

    # 4 When your agency only discusses advertising or 30-seconders with you: In today’s world you need to surround and engage your fickle and distracted consumer at all times. And if your agency doesn’t help you with that they may be contributing to your losing your customer.

     

    # 5 When your agency does not meet you after a campaign to enquire about the results: A marketer does not need advertising. He needs advertising that sells. He is evaluated on results. If your agency is not helping you get there faster, cheaper or better, why will you value them?

     

    # 6 When your agency doesn’t ask for an annual hike with confidence and more so if your agency does not propose a performance-linked incentive plan: A true partnership must be a win-win for both parties. And if your agency is contributing to your success, why would they think twice before asking for your just rewards. Is it because they are not performing?

     

    # 7 When an agency doesn’t meet you at regular intervals to seek a structured

    feedback/evaluation: If your partner doesn’t have a road map with clearly defined milestones, there is a good chance that you are not headed in the right direction.

     

    # 8 When an agency does not aspire to win industry recognition/awards on your brand: In our business passion is everything. And if your partner is not excited to do pathbreaking work for your client work that gets noticed and talked about the brand is possibly not in safe hands.

     

    Ajay Kakar is CMO – Financial Services, Aditya Birla Group

     

  • Yatra.com finalises on its creative partner, mandates will be now handled by McCann. Estimated account size,15-20 crore.

    From y’day: Yatra.com entrusts McCann with creative biz

    By Shubhangi Mehta

     

    On the appointment of McCann, Pratik Mazumder Head Marketing & Strategic Relations at Yatra Online Pvt Ltd said,” Yatra and TBWA have decided to part ways, the helped us present ourselves as a ticketing brand and position us but now we felt the need of a bigger agency hence decided to call for a pitch. There was Ogilvy, Percept H, Maccann and TBWA involved in the process and we decided to get MacCann on board.”

     

    Sources close to the development have confirmed to MxM India have confirmed that there is also a media pitch happening for the online travel company.

     

    Before TBWA, Yatra.com had appointed Rediffusion Y&R as its creative agency in 2009; while Leo Burnett was the official agency in 2007.

     

    The online travel company entered the market in August 2006. It had initially appointed Everest Brand Solutions as its creative agency, and Mudra’s media agency, Optimum Media Solutions (which was re-christened Mudra Connext), handled its media duties.

     

    Yatra Online Pvt Ltd. is a travel company providing information, pricing, availability and booking facility for air travel, hotels, buses and car rentals across 5,000 large cities and small rural areas around the globe. It acts as a complete tour planner for travellers and is a one-stop shop for every travel need.

     

  • If the businessmen aren't going to learn anything from the nation's biggest, mind-numbing financial scam, they never will

    Anil Thakraney: Time for clean up the 2G scam

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    The Supreme Court’s judgment on the 2G spectrum scandal is horrendous news for the telecom industry, the entire corporate world and the end consumer. The court has cancelled the 122 spectrum licenses issued in 2008 by the great A Raja, the then telecom minister. Fresh auctions will be held later in the year, and new allotments made.

     

    This means the cost of the licenses will shoot up, and the additional expenses will be passed on to the subscribers. What impact this will have on the telecom boom, you can easily imagine. Not just that. This judgment finally confirms the massive corruption involved in the 2G scam, and this is going to damage the overall business sentiment in the country. Foreign investors are going to think many, many times before parking their funds in this maha corrupt nation. Where, first you are expected to bribe to get licenses, and then one day you could be back to square one, your business model sent for a toss. Basically, it’s a lose-all situation.

     

    However, one hopes this huge scandal and its fall-out will serve as a starting point for a massive clean-up operation. Quite obviously, blatant corrupt practices such as these cannot be allowed to go on. If a huge shake up doesn’t take place this time, we will see this happen again and again. To begin with, Shri Chidambaram, who was the finance minister when Raja tore into the cookie jar, must accept moral responsibility and quit. And if he doesn’t, the mantri ought to be immediately sacked. Even if he was in the dark on the then telecom minister’s nefarious activities, he must be held accountable. Because at the very least, Chidu fiddled while Rome burnt. This is important. It’s not enough that Raja is in jail, the big heads must roll.

     

    And secondly, corporates in the telecom sector must take equal blame for this mess. Because if they had refused to bribe Raja, this scale of corruption wouldn’t have happened. The scam should be a lesson for all suits that they must play an equal part if the nation has to be rid of graft. In any shady deal, at least two shady partners have to be involved.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”200″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lw9ZeXB2uKs[/youtube]

    So even as the telecom industry gets busy and studies the exact impact of the SC’s judgment, it’s time for all corporates to wake up and smell the coffee. And swear to run a clean ship from now on. If the businessmen aren’t going to learn anything from the nation’s biggest, mind-numbing financial scam, they never will.

     

    ***

     

    PS: TV serials based on vampires have been a rage in the US in recent times. Audi has capitalized on their popularity, and has released a hilarious commercial. Damn cool!

     

  • Interface creates a goes ahead and creates a slightly 'bold' campaign for Mahindra SUV.

    New campaign dares to highlight Mahindra SUV ‘masculinity’

    By Shubhangi Mehta

     

    Mahindra’s new SUV Campaign, ‘Stories’ created by Interface Communications focuses on the ‘masculinity’ of Mahindra with an extreme but engaging story.

     

    The campaign actively seeks out new experiences that become a global trend. People today aren’t just happy with accumulating riches and assets. Living a rich life is as important, if not more, is what the campaign focuses on.

     

    The media vehicles chosen for the same are TV, as of now, and going forward the campaign will also focus on press, digital and outdoor.

     

    On being asked about the ‘bold’ avatar of the campaign, Mr Robby Mathew, NCD, Interface said: “Here is a vehicle that doesn’t look like any other SUV in the country. It is truly a global vehicle. Its design and technology rivals the very best in its category, anywhere in the world. Hence the edgy idea and the British humour. The ad, with it’s over the top plot, different narrative style, and lastly the action and setting tries to reflect this”.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJue4VKbWUk[/youtube]

    The creative idea revolves around ‘interesting people’ who have stories to share.

    People who have travelled lot, seen different places, done different things, in short are interesting people and they have interesting stories to tell. They are the life of any party or get together. Everyone wants to listen to them. They take us out of our mundane existence and promise us a life that we could live if we only we had the courage and desire to. Hence the creative idea of stories.

     

    In fact, the tag line of the brand is not just a tagline but a wish/blessing which says “may your life be full of stories”. It is a wish that you live a very rich, very fulfilling life. And that is the life the brand wishes for you.

     

    Mr Matthew added: “International production values, exotic locations, never seen before car shots – unlike other car ads where the car shots are smooth and romance the car slowly – here the shots resemble the action scene in a Hollywood film: ‘edge of the seat’ treatment is how I will describe this campaign and this is what makes it different from others”.

     

  • After calling for a pitch in October last year, Colorplus has decided to partner with Lowe Bangalore.

    Lowe Lintas Bangalore to handle ColorPlus creative

    By Shubhangi Mehta

     

    The creative mandates for Colorplus, casual wear offering from the Raymond Brand, have been awarded to Lowe Bangalore and industry sources close to the development confirmed the news to MxM India.

     

    The incumbent on the account was Rubecon. The creative agencies on Raymond’s roster include RK Swamy BBDO and TBWA. RK Swamy has worked on this account for around a decade whereas TBWA Mumbai was added to the roster in January 2011.

     

    The media agency on the Raymond account is the RK Swamy Media Group. In December 2010, Raymond had consolidated its media planning and buying with the RK Swamy Media Group, comprising Media Direction, Digital Direction, Hansa Media Services, and Hansa Outdoor.

     

    It may be recalled that in December last year, Raymond released an ad campaign aimed at popularising its lesser known product offerings, one of which was ColorPlus. The campaign was rolled out with the objective of informing customers that The Raymond Shop is a one-stop shopping destination for men, complete with all Raymond’s brands under one roof. The ad marked a digression from the parent brand’s age old positioning – The Complete Man.

     

    ColorPlus is a complete lifestyle brand that was launched in 1993, and stands for luxury and style.

     

  • The coming years will see massive newspaper wars because the category is on the decline curve. And each brand will have to be very smart and proactive to survive.

    Anil Thakraney: So then what must The Hindu do?

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    The Times is on a rapid expansion drive. They’ve recently launched multiple editions in Kerala, including in small towns. This is quite understandable. Newspapers are in a slow death mode in large towns, and it makes sense to penetrate as many towns as possible to delay the inevitable demise of the newspaper as we know it.

     

    And this portends a serious challenge for incumbent brands. How can they protect their turf? How can they retain their readers in the face of stiff competition? It’s not going to be an easy task. The Times, which is a powerful challenger, has many strengths – the group has deep pockets, tremendous marketing fire power and the newspaper is wholesome; a healthy mix of serious news and entertainment. If the local brands remain lazy and complacent, they will struggle hard, that’s for sure. Deccan Herald learnt this lesson the hard way in Bangalore.

     

    Let’s take the current battle raging between The Hindu and The Times in Chennai as an example. The ad war between the two has already been discussed, and I mentioned in the Debrief section of this portal that I quite like The Hindu’s spirited fight back. But in terms of the content itself, what can the newspaper do to stay alive and relevant? This is a tough one; but allow me to put forward two critical points: The Hindu must NOT dump its image of an ultra serious brand. This is the newspaper’s core strength, it has been so for many decades, and it must be protected.

     

    If they attempt to emulate Times’s please-all mix, they will become a me-too brand and quickly lose the battle. Sticking to their core values will ensure they don’t disillusion their loyal readers. However, at the same time, they have to win over the hearts and minds of younger readers. Already, there is pressure from the internet, so this is going to be a huge problem. The Times is, anyway, particularly strong in its youth appeal. The trick here is not to dumb down the content and dive into a full on filmi and party coverage.

     

    The youth of India aren’t dumb. Yes, they enjoy entertainment coverage, but they also have their own serious issues to worry about, which include education and career opportunities. And this is what The Hindu must tap into very aggressively.

     

    The Express tries to do that but they haven’t achieved much success, and that’s because they are pretty clinical in their approach, and don’t make enough song and dance. The style of presentation and the marketing of youth-related stuff is critical. Features on career prospects don’t have to be boring; they can be made to rock. And marketed in such a way that the youth of Chennai perceives The Hindu to be a newspaper that understands their needs and concerns.

     

    As I said, it’s going to be a tough one. And I used The Hindu only as an example. The coming years will see massive newspaper wars because the category is on the decline curve. And each brand will have to be very smart and proactive to survive. Interesting times await!

     

    * * *

     

    PS: I am not a huge fan of authors who parade themselves at Litfests. And an even lesser fan of authors who tweet. I have always believed writers must remain enigmatic and should be known only through their books. That, the mystery enhances a writer’s appeal. Here’s an interesting article from The New York Times, it  explains the authors’ obsession with Twitter.

     

    Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/08/books/review/why-authors-tweet.html?_r=2&smid=tw-nytimes&pagewanted=all

     

     

  • 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 is compiled by Shubhangi Mehta.

    Ad Strat: Kirloskar – Engineering Solutions

    Aniruddha Oka, Chief Operating Officer, Quadrant communications

     

    1. Name of the Campaign:

    Kirloskar – Engineering Solutions – just a phone call way

    Client: Kirloskar Proprietary Ltd. (owner of Kirloskar and Kirloskar Green Brands)

    Client Person: Mr. Vijay Varma, President

     

    2. The Brief:

    Take the Engineering high-ground by dramatically communicating the engineering capability that Kirloskar possesses of handling seeming impossible, large challenges (in water and power businesses) with ease and also build awe /respect for Kirloskar.

     

    3. Research insights:

    Though, Kirloskar enjoys a high brand recall, the relevant TG like key decision makers and general public are not completely aware of the true capabilities that the Kirloskar possesses.

     

    Though, the brand is known for a wide range of products it offers, there was a need to highlight the magnitude and ease with which they can provide engineering solutions.

     

    Moreover, a foreign consultant acknowledging/endorsing a brand to a set of Indians delivers a surprise value that in Africa andMiddle East, Kirloskar has earned a high reputation with the European/American consultants for large projects.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”200″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tL27uKluzaU[/youtube]

    4. The thought process behind the creative:

    When you have a highly capable giant on your side, even the toughest daunting tasks

    appear simple. Utilising this insight, the TVC highlighted Kirloskar’s engineering capability by actually de-glorifying large challenges like shifting a lake up the hill, a capability Kirloskar has actually exhibited while executing the Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam’s Project in Saurashtra – the world’s largest irrigation scheme, inIndia.

     

    Lastly, if a company can handle such complex engineering problems so easily, handling my problem is a child’s play is what the unsaid message to the TG is.

     

    5. Media vehicles chosen:

    TV (primary) – Select Infotainment, Business and news channels – with support of the Internet.

     

    6. Key issues kept in mind while executing the ad:

    While dramatically projecting the largeness of the problem/task, the challenge was to deliver the “shock value – just a phone call” and yet make it look very real.

     

    7. Does the treatment do justice to the brief?

    Well, we think it does.

     

    8. What according to you is the differentiating factor about the ad?

    Unlike the other engineering/project sector advertising that shows products and project details in full glory and actually highlights their complexity, here it takes the air out of them making it seem very simple, thanks to Kirloskar.

     

    9. Market and client feedback:

    The TVCs were well appreciated and were viewed even on Youtube and other sites.

    The video pre-rolls on ESPN.com during World Cup Cricket last year, were viewed in such a large number, that the client’s website bandwidth went for a toss. And even when the viewers had the option to skip, almost 90% surfers viewed these ads completely before watching live cricket.

     

    The “Call whom, God? and ” No Kirloskar” were the elements that had a very high recall amongst viewers.

     

  • Along with Manappuram, an existing account, this makes LMG a serious player in the Kerala market, says Suresh Balakrishnan.

    Lintas Media Group wins Jayalakshmi Silks

    By A Correspondent

     

    Kochi-based Jayalakshmi Silks, one of the largest readymade textile retailers in Kerala, has awarded its Media duties to Lintas Media Group. The account, estimated at an annual spend of Rs20 crores, was handled by a local media agency prior to this.

     

    Suresh Balakrishnan, CEO, LMG said, “Vidya Nandakumar has just taken over as the head of the Kochi office and we have won Jayalakshmi Silks. We are extremely delighted to win this business which, along with Manappuram, which is an existing account inKochi, makes us a serious player in the Kerala market.”

     

    Govind Kamath , Managing Partner, Jayalakshmi Silks said, ” The retail market in Kerala is extremely vibrant, especially in the textile and jewellery categories. We have been growing and expanding at a healthy pace. In the last 18 months, apart from ourKochioutlet, which is more than 50 years old, we have opened huge outlets inCalicutand Thiruvanthapuram and are opening our largest outlet in Trichur in April. We realized that in order to help us in the expansion process we need credible partners having an international pedigree. We are very excited about appointing Lintas Media Group as our Media AOR. We are hoping that they will enable our growth in the years to come”.

     

  • I like the strategy. But the commercials try hard to be funny; they are executed quite shoddily and end up becoming a bit irritating.

    Debrief: Thomas Cook: Forced humour

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    ‘Travel Smooth’ is Thomas Cook’s latest punch line. And the promise in their new campaign is that they will ensure we don’t face embarrassing situations when we travel abroad. That Thomas Cook is an expert travel agent and we can feel safe when we do business with them.

     

    I watched three ads; each caters to a specific traveller’s need. One involves a conservative desi family booked into a very shady hotel, courtesy an unreliable agent. Likewise, other ads deal with problems on foreign currency and sight-seeing. It’s a negative campaign, an attempt to get a positive spin-off by rubbishing the competition.

     

    I like the strategy. Rather than use the tried and tested route of boasting about Thomas Cook’s great work, better to make fun of the rivals. This ensures refreshing advertising, so that’s fine. However, in the execution of that intent, the advertiser loses the way.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”200″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAhfCt4GKdM[/youtube]
    [youtube width=”400″ height=”200″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vp1kql2V9ZY[/youtube]

    The commercials try hard to be funny; they are executed quite shoddily and end up becoming a bit irritating. While the hotel one is marginally better, the currency and the bus tour ads leave you totally cold.

     

    Maybe the writers of this campaign haven’t travelled much. I can put out a laundry list of hilarious events that unfold because of poor planning. Enjoy an international holiday, guys. And then come back and write the storyboards.

     

    Rating: (On a scale of 1 to 5): 2. Good strategy not backed by creative.

     

  • The cricket body has conveniently cloaked its workings in dark secrecy, and this has led to many dubious deeds.

    Anil Thakraney: A Sahara lesson for BCCI

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Though they may eventually resolve their dispute, and Sahara could again partner the BCCI in some form, it must be said one feels happy that the former decided to pull the plug on constant moolah supply to the cricket board. And the Sahara group has also opted out of the IPL. The world’s richest (and most arrogant) cricketing body can do with some hard jolts like these.

     

    In fact, I do believe sponsors and advertisers are the ONLY entities with the power to clean up cricket in India, so that the sport doesn’t wither away and lose its mass appeal. They must list down harsh terms and conditions on the BCCI before they put the money down. And this includes demand for complete transparency in the way the BCCI functions. The cricket body has conveniently cloaked its workings in dark secrecy, and this has led to many dubious deeds. Including financial scandals, unethical business practices, badly planned tour itineraries and a myopic vision of the future of Indian cricket. Humiliating defeats of the team in the recent past is sure to affect viewership of both, international tournaments and the great IPL. This means ad rates must be slashed as well.

     

    The big problem is that the BCCI appears to be accountable to no one. And quite characteristically, they are completely allergic to being put under the purview of the RTI Act. Which means there is no way to clean up this dodgy organization. Unless of course the advertisers gang up against them, and put some serious pressure. The autocratic style of operating Indian cricket cannot be allowed to go on. This is very important for the future of cricket in this country.

     

    Hopefully, Sahara’s bombshell will serve as a wake-up call for everyone else.

     

    ***

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”200″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGMOhOYvcw4[/youtube]

    PS: An ad tailor-made for the commercial break. Chrysler released this stunning patriotic commercial during the Super Bowl half-time, featuring the Hollywood superstar, Clint Eastwood. I can feel the blood rising miles away in Mumbai, imagine the impact on Americans. Super stuff.

     

  • Dentsu will now be handling the media duties, along with the creatives it was handling previously.

    Top Ramen consolidates its advertising duties with Dentsu

    By A Correspondent

     

    Top Ramen, the instant noodle company from Indo-Nissin, has consolidated its advertising duties with the Dentsu India Group. Dentsu Communications has been already handling the creative duties and now with media, too, coming under its umbrella, Dentsu has consolidated the entire business.

     

    The media duties were earlier being handled by Madison Media. The size of the business in the last financial year was close to Rs10 crore and is slated to scale upwards and be in the range of Rs15 crore.

     

    Confirming the development, MNVV Prasad, General Manager, Sales and Marketing, Indo-Nissin Foods Ltd, said: “At this juncture we were looking at integrating our communication. Since Dentsu is already partnering with us for creative, we decided to consolidate the media with them too.”

     

    He added: “The instant noodle market has undergone tremendous change in the last two years, especially with international players coming into fray and the existing ones going aggressive. Top Ramen has been a leader in the world in this category and scores in innovative product strategy. We hope to combine our advantages and come out with a strategic communication that will differentiate us from others. We want to grow on the basis of our different positioning in this category.”

     

    Top Ramen has been competing with Nestle’s Maggi much before Knorr, ITC’s Yippee or GSKs Foodles came in the fray. Sensing competition, Top Ramen has gone aggressive on its marketing plan in the last two years and even signed on Saina Nehwal to feature in its advertising, which is a shift from its earlier strategy.