MxMIndia

Category: ADVERTISING

  • While Michelle Suradkar will continue to help with some special projects until June 2019, Heather Gupta will take over the HR operations with immediate effect

    Heather Gupta joins MullenLowe Lintas Group as Group HR Director

    By A Correspondent

     

    MullenLowe Lintas Group has hired Heather Gupta as Group HR Director. She takes over from Michelle Suradkar, the current Group Chief HR Officer, who is taking a break from work for personal reasons.

     

    Virat Tandon

    Gupta’s move back to the group coincides with a renewed focus on meaningful integration at all levels of the business. Said Virat Tandon, Group CEO, MullenLowe Lintas Group: “We could not imagine an HR leader better suited for the task, given our vision of hyper-bundled solutions for the future, and the need for extreme agility as we integrate the various parts of our offering. Heather’s experience across diverse media businesses, including traditional and digital advertising, production, movies, TV, and content make her perfectly placed to help us shape our existing people for the future and also attract the very best talent in the industry”.

     

    Heather Gupta

    Commenting on her appointment, Gupta said: “I am thrilled to be returning to Lintas Group, after a journey of several years on a sharp learning curve across the media spectrum. Lintas is a special place with a strong identity and emotional resonance, and the company’s vision for the future is incredibly exciting”.

     

  • TV market grew ahead of expectations in the second quarter of 2018, with total spend rising 1.9 per cent to £1.2bn

    UK H1 adspend strongest since 2014

    By A Correspondent

     

    UK adspend rose 6.4 per cent year-on-year to reach £5.6bn in Q2 2018 – the 20th consecutive quarter of market growth. Coupled with an overall adspend rise of 7.2 per cent year-on-year during the first half of 2018, to a total of £11.4bn, this was both the strongest second quarter and first half since 2014.

     

    This investment, highlighted in Advertising Association/WARC Expenditure Report data, means full-year outlooks for 2018 and 2019 have been upgraded to +6.3 per cent and +4.9 per cent respectively. This would lead to a projected adspend total of over £23.5bn for 2018.

     

    Overall market growth is being driven by increased spend on online advertising. Internet advertising – inclusive of online revenues for newsbrands, magazine brands, broadcaster video-on-demand and radio station websites – continues to grow at a rapid rate and consequently full-year projection figures have been upgraded by three and a half points to 13.3 per cent growth this year. This would result in over £13bn being spent on online advertising in the UK this year.

     

    Data show that mobile accounted for over half of search spend for the first time in the second quarter. Further, display formats are also growing strongly – online video attracted half a billion pounds during the three months to end-June.

     

    The TV market grew ahead of expectations in the second quarter of 2018, with total spend rising 1.9 per cent to £1.2bn. Spot advertising – 89 per cent of the total – rose for the third consecutive quarter, and the 1.4 per cent growth rate was ahead of forecast.

     

    Said Margot James, Minister for Digital and the Creative Industries: “It’s fantastic to see our world leading advertising sector continuing to flourish. The industry makes a huge contribution to the UK economy, and its international reputation for creative excellence is playing a vital role in helping to bang the drum for Britain abroad.”

     

    Added Stephen Woodford, Chief Executive at the Advertising Association:

    “Spend on advertising is showing real strength and resilience especially at a time of some uncertainty for UK business. We know advertising has a positive effect on the economy, with £1 spent generating £6 for UK GDP, so it is encouraging to see the strongest Q2 and H1 results since 2014. While we welcome these figures, we are also conscious that our upgraded predictions for 2018 and 2019 depend on getting the right deal from Brexit negotiations and clarity on what the future will look like. We must also ensure that the unique features that have made the UK the global hub for our industry, such as access to the best and brightest creative talent from across the world, are prioritised as we leave the EU.”

     

    Said James McDonald, Data Editor at WARC: “Growth in online advertising spend continues to exceed our expectations, resulting in the fifth upgrade to our forecasts in as many quarters. Barring any major shock to the system, this trend should continue to play out over the years ahead, lifting total market value in tow.”

     

    Full-year forecast summary Adspend 2017 (£m) 2017 v 2016 Forecast 2018 Forecast 2019
    % change % change % change
    Internet* 11,553 14.3% 13.3% 9.6%
    of which mobile 5,223 37.3% 27.9% 19.5%
    TV 5,108 -3.2% 1.4% 0.8%
    of which VoD 211 7.1% 10.5% 9.5%
    Direct mail 1,700 -3.1% -4.5% -3.8%
    Out of home 1,144 1.5% 3.3% 3.6%
    National newsbrands 1,033 -5.5% -4.3% -3.3%
    of which digital 275 19.3% 3.5% 6.3%
    Regional newsbrands 887 -13.1% -8.0% -4.1%
    of which digital 212 9.9% 11.4% 9.7%
    Magazine brands 776 -11.5% -8.5% -6.5%
    of which digital 271 -4.0% -1.1% -1.6%
    Radio 679 5.2% 6.8% 5.1%
    of which digital 35 26.3% 25.0% 16.7%
    Cinema 259 2.7% 3.9% 7.0%
    TOTAL UK ADSPEND 22,137 4.3% 6.3% 4.9%
    * Broadcaster VoD, digital revenues for newsbrands and magazine brands, radio station websites and mobile advertising spend are also included within the internet total of £11,553m, so care should be taken to avoid double counting.

    Source: AA/WARC Expenditure Report, November 2018

     

    At-a-glance media summary – Q2/H1 2018 Q2 2018 v Q2 2017 H1 2018 v H1 2017
    % change % change
    Internet* 14.5% 14.8%
    of which mobile 29.2% 30.4%
    TV 1.9% 3.5%
    of which VoD 9.4% 10.8%
    Direct mail -4.1% -5.0%
    Out of home 1.5% 3.3%
    National newsbrands -7.4% -4.2%
    of which digital 3.6% 3.2%
    Regional newsbrands -9.6% -9.3%
    of which digital 9.7% 14.0%
    Magazine brands -9.0% -8.7%
    of which digital 6.2% 1.1%
    Radio 1.9% 7.1%
    of which digital 20.4% 29.2%
    Cinema -2.4% -7.8%
    TOTAL UK ADSPEND 6.4% 7.2%
    * Broadcaster VoD, digital revenues for newsbrands and magazine brands, radio station websites and mobile advertising spend are also included within the internet total, so care should be taken to avoid double counting.
    Source: AA/WARC Expenditure Report, November 2018

     

  • Assumes title set by The One Club for Creativity and The 3% Movement

    FCB’s Gayatri Sriram only Indian to assume ‘Next Creative Leader’ title

    By A Correspondent

     

    Gayatri Sriram

    The One Club for Creativity and The 3% Movement, the advertising industry voice for gender equality and diversity overall, announced the 10 winners of their joint Next Creative Leaders global awards programme for 2018 at this year’s 3% Conference in Chicago.

     

    Among this year’s winners is Gayatri Sriram, digital creative head at FCBUlka in New Delhi. Developed collaboratively by the organisations in 2015, Next Creative Leaders identifies and celebrates talented creative women who are making their mark with both great work and a workplace perspective on diversity that helps change the industry for the better. While most of the 2018 honorees currently work in the US, the programme has a strong global element with three winners located outside the US and half of this year’s winners originally from other countries.

     

    The winners for 2018 are:

    Nedal Ahmed, copywriter, Droga5, New York, NY, USA

    Lama Bawadi, copywriter, Leo Burnett, Beirut, Lebanon

    Maddy Kramer, art director, Saatchi & Saatchi, New York, NY, USA

    Julie Matheny, associate creative director, Droga5, New York, NY, USA

    Mietta McFarlane, copywriter, Droga5, New York, NY, USA (originally from Sydney, Australia)

    Krystle Mullin, associate creative director, RPA, Santa Monica, CA, USA (originally from Toronto, ON, Canada)

    Evelina Rönnung, art director, Forsman & Bodenfors, Stockholm, Sweden

    Jessica Shriftman, art director, Wieden+Kennedy, New York, NY, USA

    Gayatri Sriram, digital creative head, FCBUlka, New Delhi, India

    Lizzie Wilson, associate creative director, McCann New York, NY, USA

     

    Said Kevin Swanepoel, CEO, The One Club: “The One Club for Creativity has a long-standing commitment to providing programming that helps solve the industry’s diversity problem as opposed to just talking about it. We created our own Inclusion and Diversity Department nearly a decade ago, and are proud to support programs like Next Creative Leaders that identify, elevate and give voice to those who are making a real difference. They are the ones who are opening the door and inspiring the next generation of women who follow in their footsteps.”

  • McDonald’s to launch NBA-themed promotions in select locations across 39 cities

    NBA and McDonald’s announce marketing partnership in India

    By A Correspondent

     

    The National Basketball Association (NBA) and McDonald’s announced a partnership to introduce NBA-themed promotions and interactive NBA Experience Zones in select McDonald’s locations in 39 cities across India.

     

    From today (Nov 13) till Dec 12, McDonald’s will give away an NBA-branded basketball with every family meal purchase at any McDonald’s restaurant in the West and South regions while stocks last.

     

    Said Seema Arora Nambiar, Senior Vice President of Strategy, Innovation and Capability, McDonald’s India: “We at McDonald’s believe that playing sport is crucial to the overall development of children. Globally, McDonald’s is associated with various sports and this Children’s Day we are partnering with the NBA to encourage children to step out and play to have fun and create happy childhood memories.”

     

    Added Yannick Colaco, NBA India Managing Director: “We are excited to partner with a global iconic brand like McDonald’s. This campaign with McDonald’s is a perfect way for us to deliver new and engaging NBA experiences to our fans.”

     

     

  • Here’s the second part of the interview with Wavemaker CEO – South Asia Kartik Sharma

    Clients are happy to pay wherever one demonstrates value

     

    It’s been a year since GroupM merged its two leading media agency networks – Maxus and MEC. We spoke with Kartik Sharma, CEO-South Asia of the merged entity called Wavemaker on how the business has been in the past year, the credo of ‘Rapid Growth Planning’, winning awards, talent and more. Excerpts from Part Two of an interview with Kartik Sharma… (Part One of the interview can be accessed at http://www.mxmindia.com/2018/11/we-cant-sit-on-past-laurels/)

     

    One of the challenges in attracting young talent specially at the entry level is the low salary levels in media agencies.

    We relooked at how we attract talent. This is not just about Wavemaker, but we worked with the GroupM leadership team and the composition revisions have already happened. Also, my genuine belief is that while people may talk about compensation, the real reasons why people stick is obviously due to the people they work with. Second thing is if you have a great purpose. It’s easy to rationalise and say I don’t get money and move out of an organisation. Also when you go deep and we sit in exit interviews and we find out that people largely leave for two reasons. Either you have a lousy boss or you are not able to connect with a purpose or not able to see a purpose of what you are doing. As long as you are able to address these two factors well, I think people want to stick much, much longer.

     

    In the light of the various changes in the media landscape, digital gaining ground and as we enter the new year, do you see a dramatic shift in the way the media agency business is going to be? Also, will be there be a change in the current commissions-/fee-based structures

    See the way the compensation structures were done, because commission-based compensation structure was actually invented more than 100 years ago. Agencies or as they were called agents and we started selling it. But markets are maturing, clients are maturing. Agencies are maturing. I can’t talk for the entire industry but surely wherever one can clearly demonstrate value, clients are happy to pay. Wherever you cannot show value, why should the customer pay?  So there have been many, many instances where we are able to get our fair share based on the work that we produce which often is loosely termed that we are more costly. But its value, the value creation for the business is demonstrated and that job is on us to show and demonstrate why we are asking for whatever compensation. It’s not easy but in many, many instances those are happening even today.

     

    So, would you be able to give an indicator on what is the kind of increase that you get from your existing clients in terms of percentage?

    It increases when we are able to show value.  I can’t speculate any number. I can’t share anything else…

     

    Broadly. Are the big clients paying you more?

    Big clients see value and they pay more. Even small clients. Big or small is not the point. We have been able to ask for a reasonable compensation which when compared to many other competitors would be higher. It’s a guess. If and whenever we are given that kind of feedback based on that we deliver. Whenever there is value, clients will pay.

     

    You were among the early players looking at startups and looking at non-legacy businesses. But now you have grown as an agency.  Do you find that you are still as hungry for those start-up kind of clients?

    Absolutely. We have recently conducted a startup connect in Bengaluru where we invited a couple of good startups which we believed in. We invited some of our media partners and creative partners what they are seeking is kind of, if they were to launch their product and services in the market, what should they be doing. It was an experimental project and has done exceedingly well for us. Some clients are signing up. Once that is done we will announce the name. Some other startups have also started talking to us so I think the hunger to be in that space is very high.

    What startups do is they kind of come with a very different point of view compared to the larger, well-established players. They want growth faster. They want to look at the product and services differently and it challenges us. Recently we have got one very big startup. We will announce once the contract is closed. Our solutions have been so different! Had we not pitched for that business. We have to constantly think that maybe what we could have done different or a standard mode is not what is going to work. It helps us to also think afresh. The solution of the client is very important.

     

    I know it’s an integrated agency now… but how is the MEC part of the business doing?

    All the clients are doing very well as brands and as categories most of them are doing very well. For eg., Netflix is a case in point. There are other clients. Eureka was an MEC relationship which we have. Today it doesn’t matter if it is Maxus or MEC, it’s a client we are working or. Whatever we have promised to a client we have to deliver on that. Overall, I think all the business that have come from NEC they are all in good space.

     

    As you go forward to the next year, any specific target or sentiments that you would like us to look at.

    I’m an eternal optimist. I think next year will have its own set of challenges and opportunities. What I am seeing is more use of technology and technology-based solutions. It could be in the area of analytics and actually creating new technologies for clients. That’s broadly where it is. Of course all the traditional media business or use of media will continue but there are many opportunities in the way that we use technology where I am seeing early trends.

     

     

  • Prior to the move, both, Asad and Vishal, worked at Performics.Convonix as Associate Directors

    iProspect India strengthens its leadership team with two new hires

    By A Correspondent

     

    Asad Khan
    Vishal Shah
    Rubeena Singh

    iProspect India has appointed Asad Khan and Vishal Shah as Senior Directors to lead the SEO practice at the agency. Both Khan and Shah worked at Performics.Convonix as Associate Directors.

     

     

    Said Rubeena Singh, CEO, iProspect India on the appointments: “Reinvigorating the team with new talent is crucial in driving business performance. Both Asad and Vishal have rich experience. With them leading the SEO teams, we hope to strengthen our service suite and accelerate our growth in the next phase.”

     

     

  • A WARC report identifies themes from marketing initiatives with a brand purpose which have achieved commercial success

    Marketing with Purpose. And Purposeful

     

    By A Correspondent

     

    WARC has released its ‘Effective Use of Brand Purpose Report 2018’ outlining successful key trends when using brand purpose in marketing strategies. Based on an analysis of the winners of the Effective Use of Brand Purpose category of this year’s international WARC Awards, a global search for next-generation marketing effectiveness, the report identifies common themes from marketing initiatives that have successfully embraced a brand purpose and achieved commercial success as well as a benefit for a wider community.

     

    Said Jury chair, Claudia Willvonseder, Chief Marketing Officer, Ikea: “In 2018 so far, I have heard ‘purpose’ being discussed more often than ‘positioning’ in marketing circles. I expect that, in the future, this year will be seen as the tipping point when purpose went mainstream. Purpose, product and profit have a symbiotic relationship: they work together. There are more than enough studies now available that show how strong, purposeful brands enjoy positive results, not just in terms of profit, but also in terms of positive impact on the world.”

     

    Following WARC’s analysis of the metadata of the entries, together with an entrants’ survey and contributions from the esteemed judging panel, four key themes have been identified around the Effective Use of Brand Purpose:

     

    Purpose needs participation

    Some of the top-performing initiatives were designed with people’s participation in mind, including Grand Prix-winner Bodyform/Libresse, which increased its share of voice in the feminine hygiene sector through having its message amplified by a vocal community supporting the brand’s boldness.

    Judge Jo Arden, chief Strategy Office, MullenLowe Group UK says: “The intersection of purpose and participation is a powerful one which has been under-explored. There is a new mood in purpose-driven communications which is more confident, committed and clear-sighted.”

     

    Exercise caution with ’empowerment’ campaigns

    While campaigns that endeavour to ’empower’ women are undoubtedly prompted by the very best intentions, this route is now becoming well-trodden and differentiation is a challenge. Many judges agreed that female empowerment campaigns are now becoming so common that, in the words of Govind Pandey, CEO, TBWA\India: “Every brand is now trying to do something for women – they all blend into each other.”

    Winning campaigns that took a more original approach included Microsoft’s #MakeWhatsNext in STEM, a plea for US high-school girls to stick with STEM subjects, and Grand Prix-winner Bodyform/Libresse with its #bloodnormal campaign.

     

    Purpose that demonstrates dual impact

    Purpose marketing is still under attack from many quarters of the industry, so case studies that could demonstrate ‘dual impact’ – a clear commercial benefit as well as a societal benefit – are crucial in proving that brand purpose is a sustainable business strategy.

    “A purpose-led brand should benefit society in a way that is also of commercial benefit to the business,” says judge Dan Izbicki, Founder, Ethos. Winning papers that demonstrated this dual impact included Heineken-owned beer Tecate in Mexico, which grew its brand value and substantially increased calls to an NGO helping victims of domestic abuse.

     

    TV is a popular channel choice for purpose

    The reach and capacity for emotion offered by TV is still crucial in establishing purposeful campaigns. As judge Jem Fawcus, Owner and Group CEO, Firefish comments: “purpose-led campaigns from brands including Guinness in the UK and Vaseline in the US used TV to pack an emotional punch and, incidentally, listed ’emotion’ as their main creative strategy.”

     

    While online video and social media played important supporting roles in the media mix, there was no denying that TV remains the preferred channel for brands looking to establish a purposeful position.

     

     

  • For the first time, The One Show will accept submissions for the coveted Green Pencil

    Santosh Padhi & Harshit Jain to judge at One Show

    By A Correspondent

     

    The One Club for Creativity has announced that Santosh Padhi and Harshit Jain will serve as judges for The One Show 2019. Nearly 200 highly qualified creatives representing 26 countries will judge work from around the world.  While Jain, Chief Growth Officer, McCann Worldgroup, currently in London, will be a judge for Health Wellness & Pharma category, Santosh Padhi, Co-founder and Chief Creative Officer, Taproot Dentsu, Mumbai will judge enties in Print & Outdoor.

     

    “The quality of jurors has long been a hallmark of The One Show”, said Kevin Swanepoel, CEO, The One Club for Creativity. “This year’s gender balanced juries consist of the industry’s top tier of creative thinkers and doers from around the world. They will judge work through the lens of creativity of ideas and quality execution, and use our robust judging platform featuring proprietary, state-of-the-art voting and scoring technology.”

     

    For the first time this year, The One Show will accept submissions for the coveted Green Pencil, recognizing excellence in environmentally-conscious advertising and design. In past years, the award was based on nominations.

     

     

  • Bollywood superstars Alia Bhatt, Varun Dhawan and Sonakshi Sinha to headline the awards

    Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards 2018 to be held in December

    By A Correspondent

     

    The 2018 edition of Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards will have Bollywood stars Varun Dhawan, Alia Bhatt and Sonakshi Sinha present their talent with their favorite cartoons. The show will be held on December 13, 2018 at NSCI Dome, Mumbai.

     

    Speaking about the award Nina Elavia Jaipuria, Head – Hindi Mass Entertainment and Kids TV Network at Viacom18 said: “It brings me immense pleasure to present yet another year of Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards. This year, the Kids Choice Awards is slated to come to life as an apex entertainment bonanza for kids and their families. Our intent with this novel award show is entertaining kids, empowering them and their choices as well as engaging with parents, making it a truly memorable family experience.”

     

     

  • From its Mumbai office, the multi-service agency will handle the marketing & communication strategy, media planning & buying, creative for digital and offline advertising

    A&O Realty appoints Fruitbowl Digital as its digital agency

    By A Correspondent

     

    Real estate developer A&O Realty has entrusted its media mandate to Fruitbowl Digital after a multi-agency pitch.

     

    The 360-degree directive will include site branding, creative and media strategy, social media, SEO, ORM, mobile and content marketing, and search engine marketing (SEM) across digital platforms, for existing and upcoming projects across Mumbai, including f.Residences Ghatkopar, f.Residences Malad, Bellevue, Palazzio, Excellenté and Eminenté.

     

    Rahul Patel

    Commenting on the association, Rahul Patel, Director, A&O Realty said: “When they came to us, they brought some ideas that we had never even thought of, and the confidence to execute the ones that we already had in mind. Their fresh perspective towards what real estate communication can be, is definitely helping us stand out in an industry where the competition is never sparse.”

     

     

    Dedeepya Reddy

    Added Dedeepya Reddy, Co-Founder, Fruitbowl Digital: “We want to have conversations beyond elevation, carpet size, and cost per square foot. We want future home-owners to see, imagine, and live the experiences that the brand promises and delivers time and again. The average Indian home buyer has evolved. In our current world of communication clutter, you can’t sell to them; you have to grab their attention. In the time that you read this article, at least 2 more real estate ads will have found a space in Mumbai. Our city is plastered with them but how many do you really remember?”

     

     

  • With the launch of Isobar Sri Lanka, it is looking at creating a leading agency for the digital age

    Isobar begins Lanka ops

    By A Correspondent

     

    Isobar has expanded its operations to Sri Lanka. Last year, Dentsu Grant Group launched Dentsu Aegis Network in the country and now it has launched its full-service digital agency, Isobar.

     

    Shamsuddin Jasani

    Shamsuddin Jasani, Group Managing Director – Isobar South Asia said, “I am very excited to launch Isobar in this amazing country. Sri Lanka is a rising mobile economy with smartphone penetration growing by over 20 per cent and mobile penetration growing over 120 per cent year-on-year. With the launch of Isobar Sri Lanka we are looking at creating a leading agency for the digital age that follows a true full service model. Under the guidance of Neela and her team, I am sure we will be a force to reckon with in this market in the years to come.”

     

    Neela Marikkar

    Speaking on the launch of Isobar Sri Lanka, Neela Marikkar, Chairperson – Dentsu Grant Group and Dentsu Aegis Network Sri Lanka added: “We are thrilled to be introducing such an iconic brand into the Sri Lankan advertising industry. We are fortunate to be working so closely with our global and regional offices; we are confident that we will be able to use their global knowledge and skills to help develop business opportunities for our clients as well as help the digital economy of the country and accelerate through Isobar’s experience led transformation and brand commerce expertise.”

     

     

  • Gives fast-growing content production unit complete global reach with 24-hour client coverage

    India becomes first Asia office for FCB’s FuelContent 

    By A Correspondent

     

    Sébastien Desclée

    Sébastien Desclée, Chief Executive Officer of Fuel Content – the  content production arm of the FCB Global Network – announced its expansion into India. With offices in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Kochi and Kolkata, this new venture builds upon FuelContent’s existing hubs in Canada (Fuel Canada) and South Africa (Fuel SAF).

     

    Said Desclée: “Since its inception in 2016, FuelContent has been steadily gaining momentum to become a robust global network. This latest addition in India is the next piece in the puzzle, providing a rich market in which to tell ‘Never Finished’ stories to new audiences. Forging a larger FuelContent network adds value to our clients’ businesses and provides the opportunity for us to strengthen our offerings in Asia and continue to grow our global footprint.”

     

    Fuel India will be led by Debarpita Banerjee, President North and East, FCB Ulka, and the India operation will offer content creation solutions in an end-to-end format.