MxMIndia

Category: ADVERTISING

  • Wavemaker India will be headquartered in Mumbai with offices in Delhi, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Chennai, Thrissur and Cochin

    Wavemaker officially begins its operations in India

    By A Correspondent

     

    Wavemaker, GroupM’s new billion-dollar revenue, media, content and technology agency created from the merger of MEC and Maxus announced the start of its operations in India on Thursday.

     

    While the merger had gotten official after the formation of what was codenamed ‘newco’ and later the announcement of the name ‘Wavemaker’ and the leadership team, the official operations started yesterday. In fact, in many ways the fact that the entries from Maxus and MEC went as Wavemaker indicates that the process had perhaps been actualised even earlier.

     

    Wavemaker India will open with a team of 700+ professionals, led by Managing Director Kartik Sharma and will service a portfolio of clients including FMCG giant ITC Pvt. Ltd and L’Oréal.

     

    The agency will be headquartered in Mumbai with offices in Delhi, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Chennai, Thrissur and Cochin.

     

    Said Sharma, Managing Director, South Asia of Wavemaker India: “I am excited as Wavemaker officially starts operations today in India. All our people, processes and technology are united through our focus on understanding, accelerating and optimizing purchase journeys; making them more satisfying for consumers and more effective for our clients.”

     

    Wavemaker will have offices in 90 countries with over 8,500 employees. Major global clients include L’Oréal, Vodafone, Marriott, Colgate-Palmolive and Paramount.

     

    Alastair Aird, Global Chairman, Wavemaker made the announcement of the formal operational launch in Mumbai on Thursday.

     

     

  • Huria worked with eBay until yesterday heading communications and has worked with Genesis B-M and Avian in the past

    ​Girish Huria to join Ketchum Sampark as President

    By A Correspondent

     

    Girish Huria

    ​Senior communications professional Girish Huria is set to join Ketchum Sampark as President. He is likely to join the PR major on Monday (Nov 13). Huria worked with eBay until yesterday heading communications. Ketchum Sampark is part of the Omnicom group.

     

    Huria who worked with Genesis Burson-Marsteller as Managing Partner where he had an 11-year stint also worked with Avian Media as COO for four years and joined eBay in 2014.

     

    Huria will helm operations at Sampark, partnering founders Managing Director N S Rajan and Director Bela Rajan who lead the agency.

     

  • With many finding it too expensive to attend, the organisers make it more economical. Also rehauled awards

    Coming Soon: Shorter, Cheaper Cannes Lions 2018

     

    By A Correspondent

     

    Cannes Lions has launched the 2018 Festival of Creativity, with significant changes to the delegate experience and awards structure. The 65th edition of the festival will run for five days, from Monday, June 18 to Friday, June 22. This will mean that people will find it more economical to attend and the awards will be more in tune with the times (and trends). It may be recalled the Publicis Groupe has backed out of participating at Cannes Lions and other awards events given rising costs. Other agencies and individuals have also been finding attending the Cannes Lions very expensive.

     

    As a result of the reorganisation:

    :: The Lions will be organised across nine core tracks to better reflect and support the creative industries

    :: The new tracks will simultaneously provide the foundation for the festival’s content programme – speakers, panel sessions and workshops – to help attendees navigate the festival more easily

    :: The points allocations for the Special Awards (Holding Company of the Year, Agency of the Year, Network of the Year) have been changed to appropriately reward the very best work

    :: 120 Lions sub-categories have been removed

    :: Charity and NGO work will now be presented to the jury separately from brand-led work; the first step to separate charity and brand work

    :: A new entry cap means that each piece of work can only be entered into a maximum of six Lions

    :: Lions Innovation and Lions Entertainment return in their established home in Palais 2, with Lions Innovation extended across the entire week with a full programme of content to reflect the importance of technology as an enabler of creativity

    :: Silver metals will now get 7 points (earlier 5), Gold will get 15 (earlier 7), a Grand Prix 30 (earlier 10) and Grand Prix in Creative Effectiveness or Titanium will get 35 instead of 12 points.

     

    Changes to the Lions:

    :: The Cyber Lions, Integrated Lions and the Promo Lions have been removed (okay, retired)

    :: The Brand Experience & Activation, Creative e-commerce and Social and Influencer Lions will be launched as part of the new architecture

    :: The craft categories within Print, Outdoor and Design will be removed from their respective Lions to be judged by a specialist Industry Craft Jury.

     

    Commenting on the 2018 Festival, Philip Thomas, CEO, Ascential Events said: “This is an especially important launch for us. We have spent a lot of time talking to the relevant people to make sure the festival is not only as aspirational as possible, but to also ensure the sentiment behind the Festival is fundamentally founded on the work and those behind it. We have held lengthy discussions in order to curate an updated Festival that puts the creative content back at the heart of Cannes Lions.”

     

    Also, following on from conversations with the City of Cannes, the first in a series of exclusive benefit packages for Festival attendees has also been unveiled. Alongside capped taxi fares and expanded free Wi-Fi facilities along the Croisette, hotel prices will be frozen for 2018, and fixed-price menus will be on offer exclusively for festival badge holders at more than 50 restaurants. The complete pass is now 900 euros cheaper. And Cannes to Nice taxis will cost 80 euros.

     

    Next year’s festival also marks the introduction of a new initiative aimed at nurturing global young talent across the industry. One Young Lions delegate pass will be given free to every office which entered more than 15 entries at the 2017 Festival, totalling over 650 free places for the Festival in 2018.

     

    Next year’s Festival will also mark the first time that every awards show will be available to view for free on all major platforms. As usual, all winning work will be published on the Cannes Lions site.

     

    Speaking to the impact of the plans for the 2018 Festival, Philip Thomas said: “Change has always been part of Cannes Lions and the innovations we’re introducing for 2018 mark an exciting new phase in the story of the Festival. Some of the effects from these changes will be felt immediately, while others represent the start of a longer transitional journey. But what they all have in common is that they refocus the festival and ensure that Cannes Lions continues to be the leading global event for the world’s creative communications industries for many years to come.”

     

    Passes are already available to purchase through the canneslions.com site.

     

     

  • The campaign also received two bronze for Events/Experiential and PR for Health & Wellness

    Medulla bags a Grand at Clio

    By A Correspondent

     

    Medulla Communications has been recognised at Clio Awards 2017 with its first ever ‘Grand’ – for the integrated campaign ‘Last Laugh’. The campaign also received two bronze for Events/Experiential and PR for Health and Wellness. It was also shortlisted for the best ‘Film’ – Branded Entertainment and Content.

     

    Said Amit Akali, ‎Managing Partner and Creative Head – ‎What’s Your Problem: “I’m excited and glad to receive our first Grand award and most of all to make a difference at the way the topic of ‘Death’ is looked at in India.”

     

    Added Praful Akali, founder-director, Medulla Communications: “Medulla thrives to work on insight based campaigns and is truly being recognised as one of the thought leaders in the healthcare industry globally.”

  • As part of the mandate, Publicis India will be responsible for preparing a pan India communication objective for the brand

    Cera appoints Publicis India to handle full-service mandate

    By A Correspondent

     

    Publicis India has been mandated to handle the full-service responsibilities of Cera, the Ahmedabad-based home solutions provider. The mandate will be handled by the Delhi office of Publicis India and was won after a multi-agency pitch.

     

    Commenting on the appointment, Atul Sanghvi – Executive Director, Cera said:“Cerahas exponential growth plans for coming years—with product and brand extensions. We felt the need to bring in freshness into our brand communication and with that in view we narrowed down on Publicis looking at their international stature, past work and people strength.”

     

    On winning the business mandate, Srija Chatterjee, Managing Director, Publicis Worldwide India said:“We’re excited to see our strategic insight and ideas resonate positively with brands. This has led us to win some high-profile accounts in the recent past including a cluster of channels under ZEEL, Linen Club, etc. Cera is a leading home solutions player in India and we’re keen to partner them and play a significant role in making it a future-ready player of tomorrow.”

     

    Adding to this, Ravpreet Ganesh, Executive Director, Publicis India said: “Cera is a leading name in home solutions and we’rehappy they chose us to accomplish their communication objective in India. Despite it being a familiar name with the masses, they have high expectations in terms of where they aspire to be in a few months from now. We are confident they will achieve this dream in the quickest and best way possible.”

  • AAAI & IOAA arrive at a Standard Operating Procedure to regulate outdoor media sector

    Outdoorwallahs inch towards Regulation

     

    By A Correspondent

     

    Ask anyone from the advertising business, and the one word that you’ll be told to describe the Indian outdoor industry is: unorganised. There are quite a few other adjectives which are hence assigned to the sector and that’s what creates a problem for the business.

     

    So while no one can really ignore the power of the outdoor medium which no goes beyond billboards to a variety of outdoor opportunities, the lack of transparency necessitates a different kind of acumen to deal with the sector.

     

    It’s not that people don’t realise this malaise. Also, the presence of a large number of internationally networked agencies in the business has indeed brought in some order. But the reality is that if the business has to grow, then it’s got to a follow processes that make sense.

     

    A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) and the Indian Outdoor Advertising Association (IOAA), after months of discussion and deliberations and both parties have arrived at a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to be followed by members of both associations, with a view to regulating the Indian outdoor advertising

     

    On the occasion, both associations echoed the sentiment that this is a landmark agreement in the long history of the outdoor Industry in India and will go a long way in building advertiser confidence in buying outdoor sites and enabling them to invest heavily in outdoor and exploiting its true

     

    Said Nakul Chopra, President of AAAI: “I am delighted that many vexing issues have been sorted out in an amicable manner through healthy debate and discussion over the past few months and I am confident that this will go a long way in growing the OOH

     

    Added Noomi Mehta, President of IOAA: “The IOAA is a premier association of large and established outdoor players in India and growing in strength with more outdoor owners signing up as our members. The agreement on SOP between IOAA and AAAI is a significant step and I do hope that both outdoor owners and agency owners will carry out their responsibilities in order to benefit from the advantages that the SOP spells out for both parties.”

     

    The outdoor media industry is highly fragmented in India with a large number of not-well-organised and small players who own sites or are concessionaires of site owners. This has led to improper utilisation of the medium and also stunted growth of the industry. This has also often led to the exploitation of either advertiser or outdoor agency or outdoor media owner, depending from which lens you view the Industry. Also, advertisers have been unable to buy outdoor with the same confidence that they buy other media.

     

    To enable outdoor agencies to participate in the AAAI forum, AAAI has formed an Outdoor Media Forum (OMF) and AAAI-OMF has entered into a far reaching agreement with Indian Outdoor Agencies Association (IOAA- an Association of Outdoor Owners) with a view to regulate and grow the outdoor advertising industry and ensure that all parties involved, discharge their responsibility honorably and no one party gets exploited in the transaction or feels he is exploited.

     

    Whoever said Regulation is a bad word?

     

     

  • Along with global OTC expert Nicholas Hall, industry experts will share their views on how to explore new dimensions to build a successful consumer healthcare business

    Havas Life Sorento to host annual conference in Mumbai

    By A Correspondent

     

    CubeX, the consulting division of Havas Life Sorento, in association with Nicholas Hall & Company, will be organizing their day long annual conference titled – Consumer Healthcare in VUCA World on Friday, November 17at the Westin, in Mumbai.

     

    Along with global OTC expert Nicholas Hall, industry experts will share their views on how to explore new dimensions to build a successful consumer healthcare business, despite market complexities and uncertainty in the environment. The sessions will touch upon various aspects such as creating meaningful content and brand relevance in a VUCA (Volatile-Uncertain-Complex-Ambiguous) world to circumventing regulatory constraints and reaching consumers in the moments that matter; through speaker presentations and a panel discussion with CEOs of leading consumer healthcare businesses in India.

     

     

  • The account was won following a multi-agency pitch

    Coty awards digital mandate to FoxyMoron

    By A Correspondent

     

    Coty has awarded the digital mandates of Wella, OPI and Sally Hansen in India to FoxyMoron. The account was won following a multi-agency pitch.

     

    The mandate focuses on building and developing the digital presence of all three brands by highlighting their product offerings and creating a distinct brand personality. The agency will be involved in the strategy, content creation and design across all social media platforms. The main objective will be to build affinity via brand advocacy on digital.

     

    Discussing this alliance, PK Hariharan, General Manager – India Consumer and Professional Beauty, Coty said: “We are pleased to have FoxyMoron as our digital partners. In today’s competitive landscape it’s important we use multiple tools to reach our consumer and digital is a great canvas to showcase just how much the brand has to offer. I am confident that our partnership with FoxyMoron will help us create more resonance with our customers and bring forward the true spirit of our brand. Our digital strategy is aimed to maximise visibility and create high impact across the country, to increase our reach and maintain our focus on building affinity.”

     

    Added Suveer Bajaj, Foxy Moron co-founder: “With years of experience in the categories of beauty, personal care and make up, FoxyMoron has gladly taken on the responsibility of introducing Coty, a global leader in beauty to the already saturated Indian markets. The brands are chic and edgy and wish to flirt with the young, fun and urban youth of our country. The agency’s approach has always resulted in strong communication that embodies the ethos of each brand. We are excited to on-board this international giant that celebrates and liberates the diversity of each one’s beauty and are confident that we can, with our immense creative richness, help Coty see a path filled with beauty and transformation.”

     

     

  • George will assume charge effective January 1, 2018, while

    MSL appoints Viju George as MD of 20:20 MSL

     

     

    MSL, Publicis Groupe’s strategic communications and engagement firm, announced the appointment of Viju George as Managing Director of 20:20 MSL. George will assume charge effective January 1, 2018, while continuing his current responsibility as India Managing Director of Publicis Consultants Asia.

     

    Viju George succeeds Amrit Ahuja, who is leaving the organisation following a successful 21-year career with the firm, to pursue interests on the corporate side. As Managing Director, George will oversee the operations of 20:20 MSL, Publicis Consultants Asia, and Creative+, the firm’s creative wing, He will continue to report to the India CEO of MSLGroup, Amit Misra.

     

    “Viju’s people-first leadership style and his PR industry expertise make him the right choice. His passion and drive will contribute immensely in building on the success of the firm in the years ahead,” said Misraon the appointment. “On behalf of MSL, I thank Amrit Ahuja for her years of vision, dedication and leadership. Under her leadership 20:20 MSL emerged as India’s leading technology/B2B PR firm, with a strong foundation that we will build on. We wish her the best in her future endeavors,” he added.

     

    With over two decades of communications experience in both advertising and public relations, George has been with the organization for 20 years.  He took over as Managing Director of Publicis Consultants Asia in December 2016. George will continue to focus on building the firm’s business while creating more efficiency and value for clients. In addition to the India roles, George will also take on the role as Technology Practice Leader for Asia.

     

     

  • The main objective of the campaign is healthcare, education and transformation of women

    FOGSI enhances focus on women’s health through ‘She Matters’

     

     

    FOGSI – the Federation of Obstetric and Gynecologist Society of India has launched anationwide movement called ‘She Matters’.

     

    Said Dr Rishma Dhillon Pai, President FOGSI:  “She matters is about care, education and transformation of women in urban and rural areas. ‘She Matters’ fashion show is the most unique in the country as gynecologists and celebrities from all walks of life walked the ramp. The need to promote quality health care is of utmost importance to reduce the mortality rate amongst mothers. The upgradation of nursing homes, better infrastructure and education to transform the system is our key objective and we are happy to have the overwhelming support of Shaina N C, Rebeca Dewan and all the celebrities like Pooja Hegde, Soha Ali Khan, Monica Bedi, Swati Wadhwani, Sheeba, Malvika Sharma, Cyrus Broacha etc. who supported us today.”

     

    Added Dr Nandita Palshetkar, President MSR and Organising Secretary of the event: “My walk with Ex Miss World Diana Hayden and her baby Aria was a special part of the show since she was the youngest beauty on the ramp and Diana is currently pregnant with twins. This show brought many doctors and women of substance together on one stage, which will help spread the message of She Matters.”

     

     

  • She will work closely with Tejas Mehta, Co-founder and Director – Strategy and Business

    Leena Pirgal to head operations at What’s Your Problem

    By A Correspondent​

     

    What’s Your Problem Brand Solutions has announced the appointment of Leena Pirgal as Head of Operations to further strengthen its leadership team. She will work closely with Tejas Mehta, Co-founder and Director – Strategy and Business.

     

    Said Mehta: “I am delighted to add Leena to the WYP family. We at WYP have people from diverse backgrounds who bring in different strengths to the table, and that truly makes our solutions media-agnostic. In Leena we found a perfect fit to all things WYP. Like most of us, she’s a truly ‘integrated’ marketing person with experience in both digital and mainline advertising. In the past, she has played an instrumental role in not only managing strong client partnerships, but also steered brand management and communication strategies. She will lead operations on all our current and future partnerships at WYP.”

     

    Added Pirgal: “Coming back to advertising after a brief hiatus (for higher studies), I was very clear about the kind of agency I wanted to be a part of. The communication landscape has changed, obviously, and I wanted to be a part of a team that is creative, nimble and ambitious. I believe those three qualities will decide who wins in these changing times and with Tejas, Amit, Huzefa and the passionate team at WYP, I found all three in a good measure. Thrilled and happy to be a part of What’s Your Problem; I look forward to making a difference.”

     

     

  • Asian brands are moving from tactical, activation-based marketing to more long-term, consistent and strategic marketing, notes a WARC report

    Asian Marketing Trends 2017

     

    By A Correspondent

     

    WARC, the global body tracking advertising and media effectiveness, has released its annual Asian Strategy Report, an analysis of the region’s most effective marketing trends based on insights from the 2017 WARC Prize for Asian Strategy.

     

    Said Lucy Aitken, Case Study Editor at WARC: “We’ve analysed the data of close to 200 entries from 17 countries to the 2017 WARC Prize for Asian Strategy to ascertain insights and trends that Asian marketers are deploying to build their strategic capabilities.

     

    “Against a backdrop of demographic challenges, new technologies and market-orientated reforms, we’re seeing that Asian brands are moving from tactical, activation-based marketing to more long-term, consistent and strategic marketing.”

     

    WARC’s Asian Strategy Report highlights the following key insights and marketing trends in Asia for 2017:

    Mirroring social change: Purpose continues to be a popular strategy for many brands in Asia that successfully plug into the social and cultural change that is still under way in many territories. Brands are still recognising the long-term value in appealing to women and taking on the issues that are important and significant to them. However, brands need to exercise caution: those that are not entirely authentic to a particular cause will find themselves called out by consumers.

     

    Low-interest categories, high-interest ideas: User experience is starting to play an important role in brand differentiation, so smart product or packaging ideas are emerging within Asian communications. These ideas are efficient at engaging with elusive target audiences, particularly if they can prove that they are useful products. Asian brands are increasingly putting innovation at the heart of their marketing strategies.

     

    Channel-first ideas: Channel choice is core to an effective strategy and is not an afterthought. Having a particular target audience and the means by which it is reached, is reframing the brand, building awareness and engagement, and adding to the bottom line.

     

    Blue Ocean brands: Deploying a Blue Ocean strategy – which sees brands existing in places where they are not competing with rival brands for the same sector – is increasingly important at a time when brands are finding it hard to differentiate through mere function alone.

     

    WARC Datapoints – Asian Strategy 2017

    • 78% of shortlisted campaigns used online video – a 34% increase from 2016
    • 72% of shortlisted campaigns used emotion – a 41% increase from 2015
    • 2 out of 5 shortlisted campaigns targeted influencers – a 17% increase from 2016

     

    The Asian Strategy Report 2017 in full is now available to WARC subscribers on warc.com

    The WARC Prize for Asian Strategy is an annual competition showcasing the smartest