MxMIndia

Category: ADVERTISING

  • This year the review was about who cares for advertisements and a lot of discussion on context and content.

    Aggie & Josy present Ad Club’s hosts Ad Review

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Ad Club hosted its annual Ad Review on Wednesday with the theme ‘Who cares? Vs Who cares’

     

    The highlights of the event included engaging and insightful presentations by Agnello Dias, Co-founder and Chief Creative Officer, Dentsu Taproot India, and Josy Paul, Chairman and Chief Creative Officer, BBDO India. Shubhajit Sen, Chief Marketing Officer, Micromax Informatics, moderated the event.

     

    Dias named his presentation – Everybody cares and no one gives a damn! The name had the audience in splits and made an interesting start for the event. He explained the reason for the name by saying, “We live in paradoxical times. Times, when the whole world seems to be hell bent on saving the whole world from the whole world, because every creative is cause and every person is a vigilante in a mission.”

     

    The focus of his presentation was on the target group aspect, basically, ‘Who’s watching?’ According to Dias, earlier there used to be a dialogue between the audience and the marketer in the form of communication, till the target audience understood what was being conveyed everyone else did not matter. But the communication now has become a ‘trialouge’; there is another party who is intervening between the above mentioned parties. So, now, there is this large group of people who are listening what the consumer is being told and they are adding their two bits to that which the consumer is listening to as well. Now, they are doing it the other way round, by adding their opinion on what the consumer is saying and conveying it to the marketers. The marketers cannot ignore this group since the audience is also listening to these communicators who act as middlemen.

     

    He explained how the audience has changed and it is about the product consumer vs. the communication consumer, where the latter influences the former. Dias gave the example of Lifebuoy’s Chamki campaign- which created awareness about using hand wash soap after child birth to avoid any kind of infection for the baby, through an experiment in a village, Ariel’s ‘Share the load’ campaign and Fortune oil’s ‘Mother exchange’ campaign to put across his point about the power of relevance today. “Content without relevance is art and content with relevance is advertisement,” he said. He concluded by saying, “So, what does this mean for brands? Welcome to a world where every ad is a corporate ad and there are no product ads anymore.”

     

    Paul started his presentation by showing an amalgamation of the ads which he thought made an impact and chose to call it ‘artistic stupid impression’. While the earlier presentation was more about content, this presentation highlighted the relevance of context in advertisement.

     

    “People care about context and not advertisement. Nothing matters unless there is context,” said Paul. He stressed that while everyone focuses on the content, it is equally important to focus on the context. “People respond to something that is deep within us, as the world gets more complicated, people want more roots. Contexts are about roots. They are seeking those collective roots so that they can make sense of this chaos that is happening. Contexts give reference to these roots,” he added.

     

    Paul stated that the consumer reacts to context which starts and grows the conversation. The authentication of content is through context. According him, while context is remembered, context is fleeting. Throughout the presentation he showed various national and international ads to explain it further. He lauded Truly Madly’s ‘Creep Qawwali’ as a good social context example in conveying the menace faced by many women. He ended it by saying that “Everybody cares,” as an answer to the topic of the evening.

     

  • India won well on Day 1 of Cannes Lions, and Saurabh Varma and a cross-section of industry folk are quite bullish of India@Cannes2016

    Bullish on India @ Cannes Lions

     

    The 29th annual Cannes Predictions were published by Leo Burnett Worldwide recently, projecting some of the major contenders for wins just ahead of the 63rd Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, which will be held in the French city from June 18 to June 25. And, for the first time in the history of the predictions report, an Indian agency has been shortlisted: Leo Burnett’s own ad for the Bajaj V, ‘The Nation’s Bike’. Pradyuman Maheshwari had a quick chat with Saurabh Varma, CEO, South Asia – Leo Burnett, before he left for the biggest advertising event of 2016.

     

    All set for Cannes? It seems like Bajaj V is going to win.

    Honestly, it is a big deal for us. We are back on the awards scene after a long time, and we are going straight to Cannes. We are very excited about what we have on the table, but Cannes is Cannes. We are going to be competing against the best pieces of work in the world. While we have given our best, we have to see whether it is good enough at the moment. And in a few days, we will have the answers.

     

     

    The bar is set pretty high for India at Cannes this year

     

    The festivities at Cannes Lions 2016 have begun and although India put up a fairly forgettable showing in terms of number of metals one last year there is confidence that our agencies will fare better in 2016. Here’s what a cross-section of industrypersons told Anuka Roy:

     

    Agnello Dias, Co-founder and Chief Creative Officer, Taproot Dentsu: We always hope that India does well. It was only some eight or nine years ago, India started showing significant hope at Cannes; before that it was not so. That’s why the expectations go up every year. I hope we really do well, particularly in the non-traditional medium categories like digital and activation. Ariel’s ‘Share the load’ campaign has a strong chance of winning.

     

    Josy Paul, Chairman and Chief Creative Officer, BBDO India: I think India is going to do better than last year. I have seen some fabulous work from other agencies and there are a lot of probables this year. So I think we are on a good wicket. There is also a lot of contributive work. I think everyone will do well. Every agency will have something, and a lot more is happening in the country, so there is new energy and things that are fresh, for the jury.

     

    Shubhajit Sen, Chief Marketing Officer, Micromax Informatics: We have set pretty high standards over the last few years, and we have got to beat that. I think the industry is moving to a place where we are creating communication that obviously works in India, but we are articulating why that is a global property, that is one of the reasons we have been winning in the past. So I am looking forward to some interesting stuff. As for the winner – we’ll have to wait. Never make a prediction or speculate. That is the golden rule.

     

    Dhunji S Wadia, President, Rediffusion Dentsu Young and Rubicam: I think there has been terrific work. And I think India is really poised to have a great run at Cannes this year. Regarding the winners, it is for the juries to decide. I just feel that there is so much work, that collectively India would be among the strong contenders this year.

     

    Nandini Dias, CEO, Lodestar UM: Hopefully, we will do well. I think since we have done well in the last couple of years, the expectations have grown. Hopefully we will fulfill them this year. I have no clue about the winners, but I think there are campaigns across the creative end which I thought were worth looking at and I hope they win.

     

    Even at the Ad Club ad review there was talking of how the Bajaj V commercial is something dramatically different from what we’ve seen so far, and sort of raises the bar for nationalistic advertising. From your experience, how do you rate the Bajaj V work versus the various things that Leo Burnett has done over the years?

    I am truly grateful that the whole industry has praised an idea like the Bajaj V. Grateful to Josy (Paul), (R) Balki and many other industry leaders for speaking positively about an idea like this. We think this may be the best piece of work we have ever done in India. I think we love it because it is really about business. An idea which leads to the production of bikes — which essentially translates into a sale of half a billion dollars. So we are very positive about the idea. I think the challenge lies is whether the judges at Cannes will understand what INS Vikrant meant for the country. Will they get the narrative and the story? That is going to be the challenge, we feel.

     

    You have been to Cannes over the years. What do you think works very well with the jury there?

    I think what works at Cannes is one of the toughest questions faced by all of us. First, I believe it is really about work which is purposeful. There has to be purpose in whatever we do. Second, it has to be surprising. It has to be an idea which makes you go ‘Ahh!’. And third, it has to be scalable. So in our minds, it has to be purposeful, surprising and delightful. It has to be something which uses technology, media and creativity to have an impact on business. Those are the things which we would like to look at, at Cannes.

     

    You have been taking a large team to Cannes every year. Apart from the awards, the Cannes Lions are also about consuming a lot of knowledge, interacting with a lot of people internationally and such. What, according to you, do the Cannes Lions mean for the advertising fraternity in India?

    Every year we have people going to Cannes. It is a big investment for us and it is not just spent on the senior leadership team. We take young planners and account management people, and they all experience Cannes. For us, it is actually the best learning ground. This is an opportunity where 25 people are exposed to the Cannes experience and to the best from around the world. It is about understanding differences, [generating the] best ideas and it is also about understanding where the industry is moving, and then working together with this team to share what we want to build here as Leo Burnett India. I think that is the opportunity and possibility that Cannes offers. And for us, it is one of the most critical things we do in the year, in terms of exposing our young teams to the best works. So their benchmarks and world view changes, and ultimately they start giving shape to the work that we believe is needed for us to evolve as an industry.

     

    Would you like to make any predictions about the Lions?

    My prediction is that we have some great work coming out of India. We have the Khali ad, which is from Publicis, and we have ‘Share the load’, and these are real, honest and big pieces of work for brands. I think we, as a country, will do really well this year. That is my prediction.

     

  • Ogilvy's V12 ranking goes beyond traditional economist and banking indices and is based upon measures of middle-class growth in terms of income

    Ogilvy & Mather report identifies 12 velocity markets that will reshape global growth

    By A Correspondent

     

    Ogilvy & Mather has launched a new report that identifies 12 velocity markets that will be key to middle-class consumer growth over the next decade. With the BRIC index of markets having outlived its usefulness, Ogilvy’s new ranking provides a fresh perspective on the future of global growth, and challenges some of the outdated notions about emerging markets.

     

    Ogilvy’s V12 ranking goes beyond traditional economist and banking indices and is based upon measures of middle-class growth in terms of income, rather than assets, using a Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) methodology – a measurement widely accepted by the IMF, the UN and the World Bank to equalize the purchasing power of different currencies. Critically, it also assessed markets based upon the velocity of growth and change – an increasingly important factor that some companies have grossly underestimated so far in their global growth plans.

     

    The 12 velocity markets identified herald a shift to South Asia as the epicenter of future middle-class growth. Centered principally in India, but inclusive of Pakistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Indonesia, and the Philippines – and extending up to China, and to Egypt, Nigeria, Mexico, and Brazil in the other direction, the Velocity 12 markets represent a vast arc of future growth.   Over the next decade, these 12 markets will be the source of the next billion middle-class consumers, which will create a critical tipping point as the middle-class move from a minority to the majority of the local population in many of these markets.

     

    Miles Young, Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide Chairman: The Velocity 12 research shows the world as it will be in the not too distant future. A billion new middle class members will literally change its shape. It will become, for instance, much more orientated to South Asia, especially India. Most Western businesses simply are not used to thinking this way.  This means finding a new lexicon of growth, as the phrase ‘emerging market’ doesn’t now describe the new realities. ‘Velocity’ better describes the real transformation in these markets.

     

    The Report features the results of a first-of-its-kind middle-class attitude survey conducted across all of the 12 markets amongst 3,600 consumers.  It also addresses a range of V12 social, cultural, technological and lifestyle trends that companies need to know, both to size the prize for their brands and to figure out how to capture it.  This includes identifying the key role that women will play as social change agents and entrepreneurs, with purchasing power crossing cultural, religious and demographic divides. Understanding the progressive Muslim consumer – the Muslim Futurists – as a key consumer segment will be crucial to succeed in the V12. Seeing cities, more than countries, as the unit of invention, entrepreneurship and investment will also alter trade and investment patterns in these markets.

     

  • He has spearheaded issues management, developed key message and brand positioning, media policies and crisis preparedness for various clients

    Aseem Bhargava appointed VP – Media Relations and Crisis at Hill+Knowlton Strategies

    By A Correspondent

     

    Hill+Knowlton Strategies announced the appointment of Aseem Bhargava – Vice President, Media Relations and Crisis. Based at the Gurgaon head-office, Aseem will run a national mandate for Media relations and Issues + Crisis Communications for clients

     

    “Aseem will actively work at supporting, nurturing and building strong relationships, for Hill + Knowlton Strategies clients across India. His comfort in dealing with senior level media personnel, will be an added advantage and will help establish deep links for our clients’ benefit. In addition with his knowledge and understanding of how Issues and crises can affect all stakeholders and publics, he will look at actively reaching out to any business or organization under duress and add business critical value there. He has a well-established track record of working and leading his clientele in achieving top of mind recall and recognition. I am delighted to welcome him in a leadership role, into the H+K Strategies family” said Radhika Shapoorjee, President-India & South Asia.

     

    Aseem is an agency veteran with over 13 years of experience in the agency world and nearly 13 years on the corporate side. He has worked across sectors including IT, Technology and Telecom, BFSI, Aviation, Entertainment, FMCG, Retail and Lifestyle. He has provided strategic communications counsel to senior clients, advice on media engagement strategies and been responsible for the development and implementation of multiple campaigns.

     

  • Indian entries in the Promo & Activation, Radio, Direct, Print & Publishing and Glass Lions were shortlisted for the Awards scheduled for tonight

    Day2@Cannes2016: 29 shortlists for India

    By A Correspondent

     

    Leo Burnett bagged two shortlists for Promo & Activation Lions on Day 2 of the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity. Both are expectedly for the Bajaj V. O&M Mumbai’s ‘The Popcorn Story’ for Breaththrough was also shortlisted in the Promo & Activation Lions.

     

    In Direct, BBDO India’s ‘Dad #ShareTheLoad’ is in the shortlist. As is Leo Burnett’s ‘Memories for Life’ for HDFC Bank. O&M’s ‘Beauty tips by Reshma’ has been shortlisted twice.

     

    In Print & Publishing, McCann Worldgroup’s ‘Birthday’ for Vaultek Biometric Safes has been shortlisted. JWT entries for Godrej Security Products’ ‘Store Prison’ and for Sleep Apnoea India have been shortlisted. For Sleep Apnoea, three entries have been shortlisted. Three  Dentsu Creative Impact entires have been shortlisted for the Alzheimer’s and Related Disorders Society of India (ARDSI) awareness were shortlisted.  Taproot bagged a shortlist for Times Classifieds and two shortlists for the the Indian Outdoor Advertising Association.

     

    In Radio, Contract and Bates have each had two entries shortlisted and L&K Saatchi & Saatchi has had three shortlists.

     

    In Glass Lions where BBDO India won a Grand Prix last year, four Indian entries have been shortlisted: one each from O&M India, BBDO India, Mindshare and Weber Shandwick.

     

  • Medulla also bagged the 'Healthcare Agency of the Year', the first time ever that an Indian agency has been accorded this title

    Day1@Cannes2016: Medulla is Healthcare Agency of the Year, wins 7 metals. Rediff gets a silver

    By A Correspondent

     

    It was a case of India Shining on the first day of Cannes Lions 2016 with Mumbai-based Medulla Communications winning big with seven Lions.

     

    Medulla also bagged the ‘Healthcare Agency of the Year’, the first time ever that an Indian agency has been accorded this title. It may be remembered that Medulla was third in the pecking order at Cannes Lions last year.

     

    Of the 7 metals Medulla bagged, there were 2 Golds, 2 Silvers and 3 Bronze. The two Golds were for Indian Association for Palliative Care’s Last Words campaign under the Education and Awareness sub-category of the Pharma Lions. A silver and bronze were bagged GSK’s ‘Slums for Worms’ campaign and two Bronze Lions were won for Johnson & Johnson’s ADHD Symptom Stamps.

     

    For Rediffusion Y&R, the Bronze was for the Tata Motors ‘Dipper Condoms’ ad in the Education & Awareness sub-category of Health and Wellness Lions.

     

  • Prasun is returning to Nielsen, having previously led the BASES and Consumer Research businesses in South Asia

    Prasun Basu appointed President, South Asia for Nielsen

    By A Correspondent

     

    Market research industry veteran Prasun Basu has taken charge as President, South Asia of Nielsen India. In this role, he’ll be responsible for leading Nielsen’s business operations in India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka.  Basu has been heading operations of Millward Brown as MD-South Asia from April 2013 till this announcement. According to information received, Piyush Mathur who led Nielsen operations in India from 2010 has now moved as Senior VP at Westport, Connecticut.

     

    Basu has previously held senior roles within research and consulting organizations covering both developed and emerging markets such as the US, Latin America, Middle East, Africa, Southeast Asia and South Asia. Basu is returning to Nielsen, having previously led the BASES and Consumer Research businesses in South Asia, as well as heading up the BASES business in India, Africa and Middle East.

     

  • On Day3 of Cannes Lions 2016, Indian agencies score big with a Grand Prix and 2 Golds in Glass and more!

    It’s a Grand Prix for Mindshare!

     

    By A Correspondent

     

    It’s been happy days for the Indian contingent at Cannes.

     

    Some rich pickings in the awards that were presented on Monday evening, the second day of the International Festival of Creativity, better known as the Cannes Lions.

     

    After Medulla being crowned the ‘Healthcare Agency of the Year’ on Day 1, Day 3 saw really rich pickings for India, even though there may have been some disappointments for a few favourites.

     

    Mindshare India bagged the Grand Prix for Glass Lions for ‘The 6-Pack Band’, a branded content campaign for Hindustan Unilever’s Brooke Bond Red Label tea.

     

    This is the second consecutive year where an Indian agency has won a Grand Prix in the Glass Lions. Last year, it was BBDO India for Touch the Pickle. The award was picked up by Ashutosh Srivastava and Gowthaman Ragothaman as Mindshare South Asia CEO Prasanth Kumar was in Mumbai.

     

    Meanwhile, BBDO India and Ogilvy bagged Gold at Glass Lions for their works ‘Ariel Matic – Dad, SharetheLoad’ and ‘Make Love Not Scars – Beauty Tips by Reshma’ respectively.

     

    Earlier in the evening, in Radio Lions, L&K Saatchi & Saatchi was awarded two Silvers for Thomas Cook and Contract Advertising won a Bronze for Nokia in the same category. In Print & Publishing, JWT won a Bronze for its Sleep Apnoea campaign. In Promo & Activation, Leo Burnett India brought home a Bronze Lion for Bajaj V.

     

  • We peek into two sessions held yesterday at Cannes Lions 2016

    @Cannes2016: Sessions on VR & Gender Equality

     

     

    On a Virtual Reality adventure!

    Google took the audience on a Virtual Reality adventure at Cannes Lions 2016

     

    By A Correspondent

     

    Virtual Reality (VR) has arrived. For the first time, you can step inside experiences and feel like you are actually there. VR lets you travel to faraway destinations, stand on stage with your favorite artists, and play in new worlds. From Cardboard beginnings to fully immersive experiences, Google is bringing virtual reality to everyone.

     

    On Tuesday, Google hosted the session ‘Adventures in Virtual Reality’ at Cannes Lions 2016. The session was started by Clay Bavor, Vice President of VR, Google. “The thing that is so compelling about virtual reality is something that you really got to see first-hand to get it fully,” he said. Bavor did a quick poll, through a show of hands, about people who have used a VR instrument. The results were impressive as most members of the audience had experienced VR.  He explained what really appealed to him about the concept of VR. Bavor’s ‘obsession’ with VR began from his childhood when he saw pictures made with acrylic and oil paints, which felt very really. He said, “I have always been intrigued by this idea of creating something that looks and feels real out of stuff that is not.” VR, according to him, is not just going to be restricted to gaming but it will change the way we communicate, create, travel and how we think and remember more. He gave the audience a glimpse of that future.

     

    Not only was the future of VR was explained, Bavor took the audience through the journey of VR at Google. The VR projects that the organisation is working on or has introduced in the space of VR were also showcased. Through VR brands can bring in people to experience their products virtually. He spoke about ‘Daydream’ one of the projects to enhance VR expiences on mobile phones.

     

    Bavor went on to explain how ‘Story, art and memory’ will be influenced by VR. Basically, when a story is unfolding in VR, you will be in that story. And, to explain further JessicaBrillhart, VR filmmaker, Google took the stage. Brillhart has been with Google for seven years and made films about search, quantum computing and artificial intelligence. “And, just when I thought my career cannot get any more nerdy, a year and a half ago Google engineers gave me this,” said Brillhart. She showed a clip shot with the help of VR. In the process, she realised VR is not about filmmaking. She said, “It is an existential crisis for a filmmaker, whose job is to make VR content.”

     

    But filmmaking in this context can be used as framework to create something new. From the filmmaking point of view, the frame is the most important thing. In traditional filmmaking you cannot move the frame but in VR if you are not moving it, then you are doing it wrong. “VR is the potential for frames and the frames can be everywhere and anywhere,” Brillhart explained. She explained the use of VR with the help of some more videos.

     

    Bavor came back to explain VR’s influence on art. Artists can create things that look and feel real with the help of VR. “There are artists who are using it to create and express their art,” Bavor continued. But he handed it over to Glen Keane, Animator / Artist, Glen Keane Productions who has worked on many Disney projects to explain the concept about the new type of VR paint that can be used. “I can be anything I imagine,” began Keane. After spending 40 years in Disney, his desire to find something new out there made him leave the job.  He introduced and demonstrated the ‘tilt brush’ to the audience. With that tool he made a painting in front of the surprised audience.

     

    “We place enormous values to our memories,” said Bevor by explaining the effects on memory. Photographs are something which everyone is attached to as they help people recreate those memories and experience that are captured in it. Bevor spoke about a prototype camera that he used to capture some moments of his life. “A few years from now, I will be able to relive those moments virtually,” he said. With VR people will be able to connect with people who live afar whenever they like.

     

    “VR would be profoundly additive to the human experience,” Bavor said in conclusion.

     

    		  

    @Cannes2016: Gender equality: No laughing matter

    Gender Equality Is No Laughing Matter was by The Girls’ Lounge at the Cannes Lions 2016

     

    By A Correspondent

     

    Gender equality has been a burning issue these days. Right from advertisements to movies everyone seems to be trying to advocate this issue. And, discussing this issue in the context of humour on Day 3 of  Cannes Lions 2016, Shelley Zalis, Founder & CEO, The Girls’ Lounge hosted a panel discussion with three cast members of Saturday Night Live (SNL)- Cecily Strong, Aidy Bryant, Vanessa Bayer and Linda Yaccarino, Chairman, Advertising Sales and Client Partnerships , NBCUniversal. The topic was ‘Gender Equality Is No Laughing Matter’, Gender parity or gender parody? Sensationalise gender equality to make you laugh, so you don’t cry. Let’s get real.

     

    “The best conversations are unplugged, nonlinear and conversational. And, that is how we are going to do it,” said Zalis. She referred to it as ‘girls’ style of conversation’ rather than a panel discussion. “Sometimes we have to sensationalise the issue to know where we are going,” Zalis began. She gave an example of how a candy bar is sold at a lesser price to women than men to kick start the conversation about ‘gender parity’.

     

    The discussion began with Yaccarino answering about NBC’s initiative towards bringing more women to comedy and behind the camera as well, in the light of equality. “Commitment to women and diversity is one of the top priorities of the entire company. Our news division, the on air talent, has over 40% women. And, when you look behind the camera it is equally important for the company. We are leading in this front and would hopefully continue to do so,” was the NBC Chairman’s reply.

     

    But we have been seeing that in the case of comedy shows, it is the men who get their independent shows more than women comedians or actors. Also, the fact that many believe, ‘Men are funnier than women’. So, does it affect any of the actors who have been doing sketch comedy in SNL for quite some time? “No!” came a quick reply from Bryant. “I do not get that statement but I am sure there are people who think that way, you just need to ignore them, because it is boring to even answer them,” she said.

     

    The star cast also discussed how in most of the scripts that they are offered they are supposed to just push the plotline. “It is like you are never given the joke, you are the hot girl,” said Strong. But these women have used these stereotypes to create funny sketches on the show, which has been extremely popular. They spoke how earlier women were afraid to speak up due to the fear of getting fired but now with more women joining comedy and other parts of the industry, it has changed but there is still a long way to cover.

     

    Well, with so much talk in the media about gender equality, it sure is headed in the right direction. But to reach the finish line, the path is quite long.

     

     

  • Unilever CMO Keith Weed tries to predict the future of brands at Cannes Lions 2016

    Brands and their Future

     

    By A Correspondent

     

    The question about future of brands has been doing the rounds for quite some time. Keith Weed, CMO of Unilever, tried to explore the future of brands in a world where information and experience eclipse ownership as the key to growth at Cannes Lion 2016.

     

    “Brands! Love them or hate them, they are an integral part of our lives,” was Weed’s opening statement for the session ‘The Future of Brands’ hosted by Unilever. But what exactly is the future of brands in this dynamic, complex and ever changing world? Weed tried to answer this question in his a little over 30 minutes session.

     

    “I believe the future of brands is best represented by i to the power n,” continued Weed but was quick to add that it is not going to be a math lesson. This equation, in the context of brands, signifies what is going on in this technology driven world. So, i equals individuals, influencers and impacts. He explained each of them one by one.

     

    Said Weed, “With technological advancement, now, we can market to individuals. We have gone from mass marketing to massive customisation.” So, marketing is about engaging individuals. “From Unilever’s perspective, we want to build a relationship with a billion brands- a billion people around the world,” he continued.

     

    Weed emphasised that as much as we have to do work globally, we must engage people locally as well. The combination of the two, according to Weed, is ‘magic’ done by technology. He gave an example of the Axe ad which showed the changing modern man. It was a good example of connecting with individuals. Weed urged brands to use data about individuals to connect with them.

     

    Influencers do play an important role in building a brand. In this part, Weed explained the changing face of influencers. The re-launch of the ice cream Magnum double was used as an example to explore the role of influencers. Kendell Jenner was used as an influencer to promote and magnify the brand. Twitter as a tool for influence was also lauded by Weed. “We need to think about influencers more as we build a brand,” he said

     

    While explaining impact he looked at it from three different points- campaigning brands, challenging stereotypes and what consumers want. “In some ways they say campaigning brands is the right thing to do but I think we should campaign brands which make good economic sense,” said Weed. Unilever’s climate change video was showed as an example to prove this.  Addressing the audience about challenging stereotypes, Weed focused on how women are portrayed. According to a research done by his organisation, 80% women do not identify with most of the ads. “We can create better advertising, if we create progressive advertising,” he said. Weed said, “We found 54% of people would buy a product if they find it socially and environmentally sustainable,” while speaking about consumer needs. Focusing on consumers wants is extremely important for brands.

     

    The fact that brands can take their products to endless number of people with the help of technology is quite commendable. “With all that is going on in technology, consumers have been ahead of marketers,” said Weed. So, using these ‘i’s multiple ways and times, brands can be successful and that is the future of brands, Weed concluded.

     

    Meanwhile, on the awards circuit, there were no golds added to the kitty.  In Media Lions, Rediffusion Y&R bagged a silver for Dipper Condoms and a bronze went to PHD for Hindustan Unilever’s Wheel detergent. BBDO India picked another metal – albeit a bronzed one – in Cyber Lions for its Ariel “ShareTheLoad campaign.

     

  • Vivek joins Maxus from Cheil India, where he managed the media operations for multiple clients

    Maxus appoints Vivek Ballabh as GM-Digital, Maxus

    By A Correspondent

     

    Marketing communications consultancy Maxus announced the appointment of Vivek Ballabh as the General Manager – Maxus Digital for North India.

     

    Vivek joins Maxus from Cheil India, where he managed the media operations for multiple clients. Vivek brings with him extensive experience in digital marketing and branding which enables a significant understanding in planning/executing various integrated digital campaigns. In a career spanning 14+ years, Vivek has worked with leading agencies/companies – these being Cheil India, Monster.com, Webchutney, Digitas & Razorfish etc.

     

    Vivek started his career with the online marketing domain with Careercommunity.com which launched India’s first online job portal- Winjobs.com. He has spent two years at Monster.com as a Brand Manager where he handled marketing operations for South East Asian markets. With over five years spent at Digitas & Razorfish, Vivek launched the digital media practice and also setup a SEM centric off-shore centre of 120 people, catering to the group’s business needs worldwide.

     

    Commenting on the appointment, Vishal Jacob- National Director, Maxus said, “Vivek brings invaluable experience in digital marketing.  He  brings the right mix of talent, experience and enthusiasm we seek to inject into our talent pool and will help the Maxus team in Delhi  take a leap forward. The mandate for Vivek is to consolidate and grow the North operations which I’m sure he will do a fabulous job of and successfully achieve all milestones.”

     

    Elaborating on his new role Vivek Ballabh- General Manager – Maxus Digital, North India said, “I believe the digital revolution has just taken off in this market and the times ahead will be more exciting than ever. Brands have evolved in their digital thinking and Maxus is strongly poised to deliver cutting edge digital innovations, leading to more meaningful brand and consumer connections. I look forward to working closely with the super talented and energetic team that exists within the agency.”

     

  • Ruth Stubbs, CEO of iProspect Asia Pacific, will be running the initiative with an extended leadership team

    Dentsu Aegis teams up with Dentsu Ventures and iProspect to mentor and fund start-ups set up by women

    By A Correspondent

     

    As part of One@DentsuAegis, a programme developed to support diversity and innovation across the business, Dentsu Aegis Network has formalised an initiative to mentor, develop and help fund female start-ups in South and Southeast Asia. Partnering with other female led diversity initiatives such as Female Founders, Women Unlimited and She Means Business, Dentsu Aegis Network will run a three-part program launching in August 2016.

     

    Ruth Stubbs, CEO of iProspect Asia Pacific, will be running the initiative with an extended leadership team from across Dentsu Aegis Network and strategic business partners which include clients and other third parties. A blueprint has been developed to recruit, mentor and fund female founded start-ups that display `innovation, diversity, social sustainability and tech leadership’ at their core.

     

    In partnership with some of the leading institutions, foundations and associations focused on the empowerment and promotion of female leadership in both start-ups and across the industry, the programme will culminate with an opportunity for successful candidates to pitch their business for secondary funding, often the hardest to land, through Dentsu Ventures.

     

    “We believe this initiative will allow Dentsu Aegis Network to lead the industry towards a more socially conscious approach to the onset of the digital economy, especially highlighting the role women and emerging markets are set to play. Digital convergence and an emerging generation of female entrepreneurs are changing the shape of traditional business as we know it. Understanding these women, their motivations and how we can help them is critical to the success of us all,” said Ruth Stubbs CEO iProspect Asia Pacific.

     

    “This initiative will facilitate a working partnership with our clients, the investment community and our industry at large. It will support female founders of start-ups by providing access to tools and connections, skills to develop commercial infrastructure, training to scale platforms and mentorship to hone softer skills – allowing them to thrive as businesses and continue innovate,” Nick Waters CEO Dentsu Aegis Network Asia Pacific added.