MxMIndia

Category: ADVERTISING

  • It is not going to be an easy question to answer in Indian markets, writes Sanjeev Kotnala

    377: Which brand will be first off the block in Indian advertising?

     

    By Sanjeev Kotnala

    Article 377 is out of contention.  A brigade championing the cause has finally found a verdict it was wanting. LGBT community has a sense of relief.

    The battle begins now.

    A lot more need to be done within the legal system. There is a need for sensitising police, public, the Romeo brigade and the religious groups full of ill-founded definitions. Then there is the issue of same-sex marriage, acceptance and inclusiveness in housing societies and employment, new definition of relationships and adoption to name a few.

    We have recently witnessed an onslaught of rainbows and pride in social media. Was that a case of spontaneous expression? Alternatively, should we read a lot more into it?

    Everyone has used the permit to celebrate and mark his or her presence. Many of them are misplaced social activists pushed to celebrate the Supreme Court decision. Many have been happy stamping a token sense of approval.

    Vh1, Flipkart, Indigo, CCD, Durex, Ola, Pringle, Duroflex, Dinshaws, Mother Dairy, Twitter, Amul and Swiggy are some of the brands going multi-coloured in their calculated overtones.

    The real situation could be very different.

    What do the masses think of it? How acceptable is it to the new generation? What about the older generation that looks at it differently?

    Not many are comfortable with this open sense of legalisation. Many fear the winds of change. Most of them are uncomfortable with the thought of what if? What if, their son or daughter came out in the open with their skew of choices?

    The truth remains that social pressure and the so-called family respect have forced many couples to live a life of masked heterosexuality. It is foolhardy to think; it is going to change soon.

    One thing is sure that no one will be able to object to such communication to the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI). Chapter III of the ASCI states that no advertisement shall be permitted that derides any race, caste, colour, creed, gender or nationality, it now gets a broader scope. The Press Council has a stated stance of avoiding references to caste, gender or sexual orientation and not to reinforce stereotypes about sexual minorities including those who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT).

    However, we know the difference between the intent and reality.

    There is a provision that the Supreme Court can review its judgment, this decimalisation and removal of SEC 377 is an example of it. There is ample indication that no further reversal will happen in future, at least on this subject.

    It is not that Indian brands had not breached the barrier or walked the thin line when it existed as a legal constraint.

    Myantra (Bold is beautiful), Vicks (adoption), Urban Clap, Red Lotus (Mazhavil meaning Rainbow sarees), e-bay (#Thingsdontjudge), Jabong (Be You), Virgin Mobile (#ThinkHatke), Red Label (Hum Hai Happy), and Fastrack (come out of closet) are some of the most reported and quoted brands depicting a same-sex relationship. The Indian film always had a slapstick caricature of LGBT community. Maybe it will also change.

    These brands due to their expression were seen as progressive. They were before time.  Many eyebrows were raised when such communication hit the screen. However, times are changing at a faster pace, and there is a higher degree of acceptance of what was earlier called a deviant behaviour.

    Are the brands willing to walk the road? Will, they be opportunistic and try to leverage it? Alternatively, will the brands remain conscious and cautious of the over-riding sentiment and not risk taking a stance.

    The question remains: which brand will be off the block?

    Which brand will take it seriously and endorse the new expression? Which brand will succumb to the lure of trying to leverage the opportunity under the garb of social relevant? Who will be willing to risk alienating a large segment, which thinks otherwise?

    As per government statistics, 2.5 million was the reported gay population in 2012. However, we know the figure is a misrepresented considering the entire LGBT community- closeted and open.

    Many may wish that the brand custodians avoid raising the dreaded question.  It is not going to be an easy question to answer in Indian markets.

     

     

  • Flags it as its top branding job after Godrej, JIO, Infosys and Mahindra

    Interbrand successfully undertakes brand repositioning initiative for Britannia

    By A Correspondent

     

    Interbrand has successfully executed the brand repositioning exercise of Britannia this month.

     

    Ashish Mishra

    Speaking on partnering Britannia on this milestone, Ashish Mishra, Managing Director, Interbrand India, said: “When good and fun combine, new possibilities arise. The idea was to dispel the belief that what’s good will not be fun and what’s fun will never be good. Exciting Goodness not only provides a unique positioning for Britannia portfolio but also informs its purpose and its future innovations framework.”

     

    Providing the deeper perspectives behind the change, Manjunath Desai, Head – Consumer Insight, Media & Competitive Intelligence, Britannia Industries said: “For around a century now, Britannia has transformed itself at strategically chosen junctures in anticipation of changes in the consumer/business ecosystem and to reflect its renewed aspirations. 2018 forms such a cusp, for Britannia marks the completion of its first century of delighting India and prepares for the next by setting an ambitious goal and taking fresh guard. This identity make-over symbolizes its preparedness for the journey to its next stop, ‘Total Foods Company’, in a milieu that will be entirely different from its first 100 years.

     

     

  • 'ExpertBridge' has been founded by Atul Chand, Arshad Siddiqui and Suman Varma

    Enter ‘Expertbridge’ for experts on demand!

    By A Correspondent

     

    Senior professionals Atul Chand, Arshad Siddiqui and Suman Varma have set up ‘Expertbridge’ to meet the growing needs of what’s called the ‘Gig Economy’.

     

    ‘ExpertBridge’, notes a communique, is a boutique offering of experts-on-demand to organisations in the areas of marketing – brands, digital, trade marketing, sales and distribution, retail and PR.

     

    Atul Chand

    Said Atul Chand, former CEO ITC Lifestyle: “A rapidly changing business environment and emergence of new consumer trends is throwing up immense opportunities to increase economic output and create sustainable value. Indeed, these are exciting times for all organizations, be it entrepreneurs, corporates, startups or investors.”

     

     

    Arshad Siddiqui

    Added Arshad Siddiqui, ex-CEO Rasna, President of SRL: “We share a singular goal to empower organisations and drive lasting positive change through a leadership stance, by embracing a new way of working with Gig workforce / experts-on-demand. We work towards adding value to our clients business”

     

     

    Suman Varma

    And this is what the third co-founder Suman Varma, ex JWT / Rediffusion Y&R, said: “The start-ups, the small and mid-sized companies who are hungry for growth and cannot afford high cost talent, benefit a lot from ExpertBridge. Of late, we have ourselves become Gigers, taking on projects and leading from the front. These are exciting times for both- the individuals, wanting to be independent and explore on one hand, and for companies who do not attract high quality talent on their payroll to get into short- term contractual arrangement . “

     

     

  • The TVC highlights the promise of the shampoo as a dependable solution to hair fall issues

    Himalaya makes tall promise for its anti-hair fall shampoo

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Himalaya Drug Company has unveiled a new TVC under ‘Healthy Hair ka Vaada’ aimed at positioning Himalaya anti-hair fall shampoo as a trustworthy solution to tackle persistent hair fall problems.

     

    Conceptualised by SoHo Square, the TVC highlights the promise of the shampoo as a dependable solution to hair fall issues, leading to healthy hair.

     

    Said Naveen Raman, Senior Vice President and Branch Head of SoHo Square: “The Indian consumer is increasingly getting conscious about personal grooming, and hair care is right up there in terms of priority. Being appreciated for her healthy hair that looks great is a high for the common Indian girl. Speak to her to know how challenging it is for her to get her hair right and keep maintaining it. And the biggest fear is hair fall. Our latest film on Himalaya Anti-Hair Fall Shampoo aims to address this issue.”

     

     

  • Rohit Gupta of Sony Pictures Networks was elected as the Vice-Chairman and Shashidhar Sinha of IPG Media Brands was re-appointed Honorary Treasurer

    D Shivakumar elected Chairman of ASCI

    By A Correspondent

     

    D Shivakumar

    It’s the time when Board meetings are held as was the case with the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) held on Wednesday where  D Shivakumar, Group Executive President, Corporate Strategy at Aditya Birla Group was unanimously elected as the Chairman of the Board of ASCI. As the member of the Board of Governors for three years, supporting self-regulation, Shivakumar is an accomplished business leader having spent over 19 years in sales, marketing and general management positions across consumer products and the luxury industry.

     

    Rohit Gupta, President – Network Sales & International Business, Sony Pictures Networks India Pvt Ltd, was elected Vice-Chairman and Shashidhar Sinha, CEO, IPG Mediabrands, was re-appointed Honorary Treasurer.

     

    Members of the Board of Governors include; Harish Bhat (Director, Tata Global Beverages Ltd.), Subhash Kamath (Managing Partner, BBH Communications India Pvt Ltd), Sandeep Kohli (Executive Director & Vice President for Personal Care Hindustan Unilever Ltd), Prof SK Palekar (Adjunct Professor & Advisor – Executive Education Institute of Management Technology), NS Rajan (Managing Director, Ketchum Sampark Pvt Ltd), KV Sridhar (Founder & Chief Creative Officer (Director), Hyper Collective Creative Technologies Pvt Ltd), Abanti Sankaranarayanan (Former Vice Chairperson, CIABC), Girish Agarwal (Director, Dainik Bhaskar Group), Madhusudan Gopalan (CEO, Procter & Gamble Hygiene and Health Care Ltd.), Prasun Basu (President – South Asia – Nielsen (India) Pvt. Ltd.), Sivakumar Sundaram (President- Revenue Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd), Vikas Agnihotri (Director Sales, Google India Pvt. Ltd.), Umesh Shrikhande (CEO, Taproot India Comm. P. Ltd.).

     

    Said Sankaranarayanan, the outgoing Chairman, ASCI: “2017-18 has been another strong year for ASCI as we have made significant advancements towards building our organisational muscle, external credibility and strong collaborations. Our stringent guidelines, seamless processes and the dedication and hardwork of our Consumer Complaints Council have contributed to restricting the use of misleading advertisements and enhance self regulation. ASCI’s momentous achievements for the year include successful completion of three year-long collaboration with Department of Consumer Affairs, renewal of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Food Safety Standards Authority of India, introduction of ‘Guidelines for Celebrities in Advertising’ and inclusion in Ayush’s Empowered Committee to control misleading ads of AYUSH drugs. As the Chairman for ASCI for the year 2017-18, I am extremely proud to be a part of this journey and I am confident that under Shivakumar’s Chairmanship. ASCI will continue to grow swiftly and steadily.”

     

    Added Shivakumar: “I want to thank Abanti for her stewardship. We live in changing times with respect to information, media and trust of society. ASCI has been built on the foundation of self-regulation and the wisdom of the previous chairmen and the board. It’s my privilege to do the role now.”

     

     

  • She will report into Sam Singh, CEO of GroupM, South Asia

    Motivator appoints Mausumi Kar as Managing Director

    By A Correspondent

     

    Motivator has announced the appointment of Mausumi Kar as its India Managing Director effective from October 1. She will report into Sam Singh, CEO of GroupM, South Asia.

     

    Kar has been associated with GroupM for over 10 years and has handled multiple roles from heading Maxus–North and East, to leading the Google Partnership for GroupM nationally. Before the move, she led the independent SBU that handled the Airtel mandate.

     

    On the announcement Sameer Singh, CEO of GroupM, South Asia said: “It’s a welcoming change in the organisation. I have seen her work and feel her leadership skills and experience will play a vital role in the firm. I’m looking forward to working with her and wish her all the best for her new role.”

     

    Talking about her new role, Kar said: “It has been a rewarding journey at GroupM. I am excited and looking forward to the new assignment. My aim would be to become a trusted advisor to my clients and help them in delivering superior value while  delivering the best to our partners . I would like to thank Sam and the leadership team for reposing their faith  in me. I am grateful to my team which has made me shine.”

     

     

  • Madison won the business in a multi-agency pitch and will handle the entire digital mandate for both brands including social media

    Madison Digital wins digital mandate for Marvel Tea

    By A Correspondent

     

    Madison Digital has announced that it has been appointed the digital agency for Marvel Tea in Delhi. Madison won the business in a multi-agency pitch and will handle the entire digital mandate for both brands including social media.

     

    Said Nitin Jain, Director (Operations), Marvel Group: “The appreciation of our products and services has always been a stimulus to keep innovating and moving forward by providing best of quality and value for money to our buyers. We are in an exciting phase right now where we would like to keep our customers informed on every step in the brand. We are confident that the collaboration with Madison Media would help the brand grow to the next level in the digital space”.

     

    Added Vishal Chinchankar, Chief Digital Officer, Madison Media:“Marvel Tea is one of the top brands in beverage category and we are absolutely thrilled that Marvel Tea has chosen us to be their digital partner. With our team expertise and capabilities in CPG category, we hope to do exciting and innovative work that will help Marvel Tea strengthen its brand and business in the coming years”.

     

     

  • The campaign would reach out to consumers via TV, digital and social media advertisements and influencer engagement

    Sennheiser unveils its #DareToDisconnect initiative in India

    By A Correspondent

     

    Sennheiser has rehashed its marketing strategy and launched its first ever television campaign titled #DareToDisconnect for the Indian market. Urging the consumers to disconnect from the mundane and monotonous lives by losing themselves to music, the new campaign is aimed to bolster the wireless headphones category in the Indian market.

     

    Targeted towards the new age hyper-social consumers this 360-degree campaign planned and executed by Motivator would reach out to consumer via TV, digital and social media advertisements and influencer engagement.

     

    Commenting on the launch of the campaign, Kapil Gulati, Director Consumer Segment, Sennheiser India, said: “With over a 70-year history that has been built on the culture of innovation and a vision to shape the future of the audio industry, we at Sennheiser have always strived to give our consumers the best of audio. Taking that one step further, we are extremely excited to launch our new campaign #DareToDisconnect. We believe in understanding the needs of our consumers in the market, as every market is dynamic and requires a unique approach. The Indian consumer has always been a smart and aware one; if they do not receive value in what they invest their time and resources in, there is no coming back from there. Over the past 12 years, we have invested tremendously in the Indian market and now that it has become an evolved headphones space, we thought it is the best time to take a step further and deep dive into building meaningful connections. With the launch of our new campaign that focuses on our wireless range, we really look forward to reaching out to the millennials and hope they receive value from it.”

     

    Added Nitin Jain, General Manager, Motivator: “We are part of a very fast paced and rapidly changing lifestyle. Thanks to the smart devices around us, staying connected has become the need of the hour. However, one needs to disconnect for a while from the mundane life reconnect with oneself and what better than Music to do this. We saw this as a perfect insight to launch Sennheiser’s first-ever campaign – #DareToDisconnect. We have integrated with Flux@TheGlitch & Foxymoron to design & deploy the campaign.”

     

     

  • The event will be held tomorrow, September 19, at the St. Regis Hotel, Mumbai

    IAA to launch collector’s item on power of print

    By A Correspondent

     

    The India Chapter of the International Advertising Association (IAA) will launch a coffee table book titled ‘The Gutenberg Galaxy’ on September 19, at the St Regis Hotel, Mumbai.

     

    Ramesh Narayan

    Said IAA India President Ramesh Narayan: “There is perception and there is reality. Our effort is to support and cater to all our constituents. Print as a medium is doing remarkably well in India. And this coffee table book shows how creative advertising agencies have been able to use the power of print to build brands for their advertisers. The case studies and the articles by leading marketers and media agency heads will form a unique collector’s item. Add to that the panel discussion by Ashish Bhasin, Santosh Padhi and Ajay Kakkar and the presentation by I. Venkat on the perspective of the Audit Bureau of Circulation and you have the perfect recipe for a great evening.”

     

    Abhishek Karnani

    Added Book Launch Committee Chairman and Mancom Member IAA and Director, Free Press Journal Abhishek Karnani: “This was been quite a remarkable journey. Reaching out to the creative community, compiling the 24 case studies, getting 14 top marketers and agency heads to contribute articles has been a very satisfying exercise. We are expecting a wide cross-section of advertisers, agency planners and buyers and media people to attend this launch. It will have something for everyone.”

     

     

  • The account will operate out of the agency’s Bengaluru office

    Uber awards digital mandate to Dentsu Webchutney

    By A Correspondent

     

    Following a multi-agency pitch, Dentsu Webchutney has won the digital and social media duties for Uber in the India & South Asia region. The account will operate out of the agency’s Bengaluru office.

     

    Sanjay Gupta

    On the new development, Sanjay Gupta, Head of Marketing, Uber India SA commented: “Dentsu Webchutney is an agency that has a track record of working on some of the most dynamic and impactful digital campaigns. We believe they have the right expertise for a brand like Uber. Uber’s journey in the region is only getting started and we are excited to partner with Dentsu Webchutney to tell the story of how Uber is shaping the future of urban mobility in India.”

     

    Gautam Reghunath

    Added Gautam Reghunath, Executive Vice President, Dentsu Webchutney: “We long for opportunities to partner with consequential companies that shape society. More and more, technology brands expect dexterity in understanding their core vision, for solutions that marry the future to the present. This chance to work towards realising Uber’s vision is a true privilege. Our interactions with the team here have been a wonderful bonus and we see both sides challenging each other in our quest to create meaningful, effective work.”

     

     

  • Zenith and Starcom recognized in independent evaluation of the media agency landscape

    Publicis Media agencies named a strong performer by The Forrester Wave

    By A Correspondent

     

    Publicis Media agencies Zenith and Starcom were named a leader and a strong performer, respectively, in The Forrester Wave: Global Media Agencies, Q3 2018. Both agencies were among the select companies that Forrester invited to participate in this evaluation of the media agency landscape, notes a communique from the media agency holding firm.

     

    Zenith received the second-highest score in the Strategy and Current Offering categories, and was recognised for its ability to converge commerce and media to drive client growth. The report noted that the agency’s heritage as one of the first independent media networks sets the stage for its vision to master the newly converging media and commerce landscape, and cites its investments in eCommerce, personalization, marketing consulting, automation, AI and data visualisation skills and tools.

     

    Starcom was named a strong performer, and was noted for its ability to blend operational excellence with digital prowess. According to the report, Starcom’s “reputation as a strong media operations partner has allowed it to catch up its data practice and integrated approach to planning and activation.” The report also cites that “Starcom shows strength in operationalizing its HX process into media strategy, communications planning, buying and activation.”

     

     

  • Forays into Bangladesh and UAE markets to reach out to a wider audience

    Hoichoi announces extensive content plan for upcoming months

    By A Correspondent

     

    Digital Bengali content platform Hoichoi has announced plans to launch 30 originals and 12 original Films equivalent to 100-plus hours of original content in the upcoming year. It also announced plans to double the overall content library to approx. 2800 hours in the next one year by acquiring 200 Bengali movies, 12 of which will be World Digital Premieres.

     

    Said Vishnu Mohta, Co-Founder, Hoichoi:“We launched Hoichoi with the objective of making it the ultimate destination for Bengali entertainment and we believe we have taken great strides on our way to achieving it. Almost all the shows are loved by the audience and has become the reason for pop-culture references! The fact that the average time spent in-app for Hoichoi is 60 minutes per day per subscriber is extremely encouraging, which is way above the industry average.

     

    Added Mahendra Soni, Director and Co-Founder, Hoichoi:“At Hoichoi we try to keep a finger on the pulse of our audience.  With almost 40 per cent of our audience coming from non-urban areas, we decided to emulate the successful telecom model and introduce Hoichoi Top Up cards to make it convenient for our customers to subscribe to Hoichoi. This offline payment mechanism is never heard of before in the OTT industry and will help us reach the masses in Tier II and Tier III cities.”