MxMIndia

Category: ADVERTISING

  • The merger is effective immediately and the leadership teams of both agencies are working on operationalizing the merged structure

    Lowe Lintas announces merger with PointNine Lintas

    By A Correspondent

     

    Amer Jaleel & Virat Tandon

    MullenLowe Lintas Group has announced the merger of its omni-channel agency, PointNine Lintas, with its creative agency, Lowe Lintas.

     

    Said Virat Tandon, Group CEO, MullenLowe Lintas Group: “With PointNine Lintas, we’ve grown a new, future-facing strain and now it’s time to graft it into Lowe Lintas, which is already India’s best. Having seen the PointNine offering and skills develop very closely, and being familiar with the position that Lowe already commands, I am super excited about this move and am confident that this is a big leap forward for us. Our promise for clients with this merger is that in the increasingly fragmented and fast-evolving communications landscape, we will now be able to seamlessly extract more power from our big ideas. Lowe Lintas’ new Hyper-bundled offering means that our clients no longer have to settle for the fractured solutions of the past.”

     

    The services that Lowe Lintas will now offer includes digital marketing and transformation, public relations, reputation management, activation, experiential & shopper marketing, and media planning & buying. The PR, Media and Experiential divisions of the group, GolinOpinion, Lintas Mediahub and LinEngage respectively, would continue to offer their services to their clients, while collaborating with Lowe Lintas.

     

    Speaking about the merger, Amer Jaleel, Group CCO and Chairman, MullenLowe Lintas Group added: “We are looking at a future where a lot of very carefully designed and yet differing messages will aggregate to form a stereographic brand picture in the head. We see this emerging need as very challenging and exciting. Our omni-channel incubation PointNine Lintas is now fully ready and positioned to understand these complex brand needs and it’s time to unleash it across the breadth of our vast brand portfolio”.

     

    The merger is effective immediately and the leadership teams of both agencies are working on operationalising the merged structure.

     

     

  • Mehta’s last assignment was to set up the omni-channel creative agency, PointNine Lintas, which he ran as CEO until its merger with Lowe Lintas, announced last week

    Mullen Lintas names Vikas Mehta CEO

    By A Correspondent

     

    Mullen Lintas has announced the appointment of Vikas Mehta as its CEO. Mehta takes on this role from Virat Tandon who was recently elevated to the position of Group CEO, MullenLowe Lintas Group. Speaking of the choice, Tandon said: “Mullen Lintas has very quickly earned the reputation of being a high achieving agency. There couldn’t be a better person than Vikas to lead the agency into its next phase of growth. He brings with him a hunger to build the agency of the future and has the skills needed to do so. His experience as an omni-channel practitioner will give an edge to the solutions that the agency develops. I am sure that under his leadership, Mullen Lintas will only up its challenger game”.

     

    Formed a little over three years ago, Mullen Lintas features amongst the top ten creative agencies in India with some iconic campaigns under its belt. The agency has partnered numerous brands on a client portfolio that includes like Bajaj Auto, Bajaj Corp., Dabur, Fossil, Gionee, Havells, Honda, Modern Foods, Motilal Oswal, Oppo, Pharmeasy, Quikr, SBI Life Insurance, Tata Cliq, Tata Tea, Too Yumm, Viacom 18, Vistara, Vivo and Voonik.

     

    Mehta’s last assignment was to set up the omni-channel creative agency, PointNine Lintas, which he ran as CEO until its merger with Lowe Lintas, announced last week.

     

    Vikas Mehta

    Commenting on the move, Mehta said: “Mullen Lintas has achieved in three years what most agencies would dream of in a decade. Its founding leaders – Amer, Virat and Shriram – have built an agency where the leadership pedigree of Lintas, meets the challenger mindset of MullenLowe Group. It’s a culture of creative excellence, that punches way above its weight. I am delighted at the opportunity to help author the next chapter in the agency’s evolution.”

     

    Amer Jaleel

    Speaking on Mehta’s appointment, Amer Jaleel, Group CCO and Chairman, MullenLowe Lintas Group added: “Mullen Lintas is a special agency. Handcrafted over the last three years, it needs nurturing and attention of a very different level to take it ahead from here. The agency has been the fastest to make it to the top 10 league in reputation ever and its ambition is to reach the 100-crore club too, faster than any other. In Vikas we found a partner to strengthen our already formidable team. Vikas brings so many colours to this role – he’s been a terrific believer and marketer of our name and fame, he’s shepherded PointNine Lintas back into the fold and he is probably visioning the future better than anyone in the industry. We are supremely fortunate to have him.” Mehta will operate out of the Mumbai office of Mullen Lintas, and the appointment is effective immediately.

     

     

  • Hindustan Unilever is Client of the Year as Ogilvy bags the Grand Effie for Fevikwick

    McCann is #1 at Effies, again

     

    By A Correspondent

     

    It was the night when the McCann Worldgroup flag was flying high. Yet again. McCann took home the Agency of the Year title by a comfortable 34 points. Ogilvy was runner-up, but a big consolation for theme would be the winning of the coveted Grand Effie for Fevikwick. Hindustan Unilever was Client of the Year. Interestingly, Saregama was runner-up in the Client of the Year roster albeit at nearly half the points as HUL. Vodafone was #3 and last year’s Client of the Year, Paytm (One97 Communication) was #4.

     

    Interestingly, Hindustan Unilever was #6 on the Agency of the Year roster, having had to send in the entries since its creative agency chose to stay away.

     

    The evening saw a record attendance, and was run efficiently. Like Advertising Club events are. However, many agency biggies – including some from runner-up Ogilvy – were conspicuous by their absence.

     

    Speaking about winning at the Effies, Vikram Sakhuja, President of The Advertising Club and Chairperson, Effies said: “Effies continues to have a place off pride and eminence in the life of every marketeer and advertiser. Winning an Effie is a career milestone and is reflective of the campaign’s innovation, execution efficiency and communication impact. The focus for us at the Effies is to reward and recognize brand stories that have strength of idea and have showcased effectiveness, scalability and contributed significantly to brand and the categories communication and growth agenda.”

     

     

    Added Mitrajit Bhattacharya, Co-chairperson, Effies 2019, said: “The Effies 2019 has continued to witness significant representation and support from industry leaders and media mavens. The awards this year saw as many as 283 leaders, including 137 Clients, 105 Planning/ Agency Heads, 15 Media Professionals and 26 Specialists who adjudged the awards across Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru, ensuring inclusivity and substantial category representation. The awards have year on year evolved to include new categories and represent new genres basis changing industry ecosystems, ensuring that the awards continue to stay relevant and pertinent.”

     

    Speaking on McCann’s success, Chairman McCann Asia Pacific and CEO and CCO McCann Worldgroup India said: “I am extremely delighted and proud of McCann winning the Agency of the Year second year in a row at the Effies. These awards reflect the strategic prowess based on our belief of creating meaningful work for the brands which we have been doing for our clients across all our offices in Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru. Congratulations to the entire team and specially that of our strategic planners led by Jitender Dabas, and hard work of Suraja Kishore, Rajesh Sharma, Prateek Bhardwaj, Kapil Batra, Abhinav Tripathi and leadership support from Alok Lall, Mandeep Sharma and visionary guidance from Partha Sinha.”

     

    Effie 2019 RESULTS FINAL FINAL

  • Binodan will report to Amit Wadhwa, President, Dentsu Impact

    Dentsu Impact ropes in Binodan Sarma

    By A Correspondent

     

    Dentsu Impact has roped in Binodan Sarma as Vice President, Dentsu Impact Digital. The appointment will strengthen digital and content marketing capabilities of the agency. Binodan will report to Amit Wadhwa, President, Dentsu Impact.

     

    Commenting on his new role, Sarma said: “Digital has evolved not just as a marketing vertical but has also become a touchstone to measure the success of the brand’s marketing efforts. Marketers have acknowledged this evolution by bringing in this transformation across their business line up. They expect the same sync from the partners and agencies they work with. Dentsu Impact has been quick to address this need by strengthening their digital teams and investing in set ups for content marketing. I am looking forward to this exciting journey with Dentsu Impact and the overall network.”

     

    Talking about the appointment, Amit Wadhwa, President, Dentsu Impact added: “The entire landscape of creative agency is changing and we at Dentsu Impact realized this a couple of years back when we started investing in digital. Now is the time to take this to the next level where we are getting a senior level resource like Binodan come in and take charge of Dentsu Impact Digital. Binodan will not only strengthen what we offer to the clients but will also help in transforming the existing talent to start thinking digital. I am extremely excited to have him on board.”

     

     

  • For a media services industry that boasts of some top marketing, strategy and creative brains, this isn’t a good commentary

    1 Minute View: Kudos to McCann & Ogilvy on Effies 2019. But…

    Our hearty congratulations to McCann Worldwide and Ogilvy India on bagging the maximum honours at the Effies 2019 held on Friday.

    Both have been consistent in their performance over the years, with Ogilvy and Lowe Lintas getting maximum hits at the #1 slot over the last five years. Last year, McCann was #1 on the back of some brilliant work done across brands, esp Paytm.

    But this comment is not about the success of McCann and Ogilvy. But about the rest. And the state of our media ecosystem. Okay, the MullenLowe Lintas Group has stayed away since last year, but if some cynics are to be believed the possible reason for them not participating is because they weren’t sure of how much they would win and hence didn’t want to be seen at #2 or #3 or even lowe-r.

    Take a look at the tally sheet that’s part of the Solus issue distributed at the Effies. See where some of the iconic ad agencies are placed in the pecking order. In fact we think we even heard the emcee at the Effies referring to one agency’s state of being as comatose.

    For a media services industry that boasts of some top marketing, strategy and creative brains, this isn’t a good commentary.

  • The International Advertising Association World Congress to be held at Kochi next month

    IAA out to promote awareness about Diabetic Retinopathy in India

    By A Correspondent

     

    International Advertising Association (IAA) in association with the All India Ophthalmological Society (AIOS) is providing a platform for all advertising and marketing professionals in India to showcase their creativity for a cause during the upcoming International Advertising Association World Congress in Kochi next month. IAA is inviting entries for creating a campaign to drive awareness on Diabetic Retinopathy. This national health initiative is titled EYE4Future and is conceptualised by IAA in partnership with All India Ophthalmological society.

     

    Said Punit Goenka President IAA (India Chapter): “The ethos behind the campaign is that IAA has always believed that communication should be a force for good. The India Chapter has an excellent track record of supporting good societal causes.”

     

    Added Dr S. Natarajan, President-Elect of the AIOS: “The diabetes pandemic is sweeping across the country. There are 62 million people with diabetes in India and another 77 million people estimated to be pre-diabetic. These and all those who have not yet been diagnosed as diabetic are facing grave risk, including those of Diabetic Retinopathy and hence there is a need to build mass awareness about this issue. I am glad the IAA is supporting this much needed initiative.”

     

    The campaign will be judged by a jury for creativity and simplicity. IAA will support the winning team to produce the campaign, and invite two members of the team to Kochi. The campaign will be unveiled in the presence of renowned speakers and celebrities at the IAA World Congress on February 22. The last day to send in entries is January 28, 2019.

     

     

  • The rebranding follows the February 2018 merger of Burson-Marsteller and Cohn & Wolfe to form BCW (Burson Cohn & Wolfe)

    Genesis Burson-Marsteller rebrands as Genesis BCW

    By A Correspondent

     

    Genesis Burson-Marsteller in India has announced its formal rebranding as Genesis BCW, effective immediately. The rebranding follows the February 2018 merger of Burson-Marsteller and Cohn & Wolfe to form BCW (Burson Cohn & Wolfe).

     

    Said Prema Sagar, Chief Executive Officer & Founder, Genesis BCW: “We are excited to take on the BCW brand proposition as part of our new identity. The respect, credibility and leadership that brand Genesis has established in India will only grow further with the vision, energy and fresh offerings of BCW. We are incredibly excited for this next chapter.”

     

    Genesis BCW will continue to be led by Sagar along with newly appointed Managing Director Deepshikha Dharmaraj.

     

    Added Matt Stafford, President, Asia-Pacific, BCW, to whom Sagar reports: “In India, the Genesis brand is synonymous with PR excellence and as an employer of choice for up and coming communicators. The brand will continue to thrive and resonate in our industry as Genesis BCW. Our India team is on a roll. The end of year financial results for 2018 have just been finalised and Genesis BCW achieved its highest annual revenue growth in its 26 years of existence.”

     

     

  • The campaign has been conceptualised by Grey Bangalore

    Britannia’s new ad looks to add extra layers of fun

    By A Correspondent

     

    Grey has created a new campaign for Britannia Treat Crème Wafers. The campaign has been conceptualised by Grey Bangalore.

     

    Speaking on the launch, Jayant Kapre, Business Head, Adjacencies and New Business said: “Britannia is diversifying into more categories in macro- snacking, and with the introduction of ‘Crème Wafer’, we offer a quick on- the- go snack. We aim to expand the market and take a leading position over time.”

     

    Speaking about the films, Gautam Bhasin, Group Creative Director, Grey Bangalore added “The idea for the films came from the insight that children are great at spinning yarns. Their imagination is akin to the product attribute of wafers, one layer on another. So, in the films we let the kids create layers of fun, drawing a parallel to the structure of the wafer.”

     

     

  • BFSI is the biggest spender on digital media, notes Dentsu Aegis Network’s annual digital report unveiled yesterday

    Digital to contribute 29% of ad market by 2021

     

    On Wednesday, the Dentsu Aegis Network’s DAN Digital Report was released in the presence of a cross-section of the media and marketing professionals. Here are key highlights from the report and an executive summary:

     

    :: As of 2018, the Indian advertising market stands at Rs 61,878 crore ($8.76 billion) and is estimated to grow with a CAGR of 10.62% till 2021 to reach a market size of Rs 85,250 crore ($12.06 billion).

     

    :: “The digital advertising market size is around Rs 10,819 crore ($1.3 billion) and the estimated CAGR growth will be 31.96% and the market will expand to Rs 24,920 crore ($3.52 billion).

     

    :: Television and print take the largest share of media spends at 70% aggregated followed by digital media at 17%. Digital will contribute 29% of the ad market size by 2021.

     

    :: Currently, BFSI is the biggest spender on digital media with a contribution of 38% of all their marketing budgets. This is followed by consumer durables (36%), e-commerce (34%) and telecom (31%). FMCG spends heavily on the television (63%) and the retail sector spends largely on print (54%) medium of advertising.

     

    :: The advertising expenditure on the digital advertising formats is led by social media (29%) followed by search (25%), display (21%) and video (20%).

     

    :: The main drivers of the growth of digital media will be voice, vernacular and video. Apart from this, some of the other drivers of digital media growth will be engaging mobile experiences based on augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR).

     

    Executive Summary:

    :: Internet penetration and adoption of digital media in India is growing at an unprecedented rate, which is creating huge opportunities to tap into the unchartered arena of digital space in newer ways. The ever-evolving digital industry and the advancement of technology opens various opportunities to interact with the audiences. Marketers can now choose innovative ways to reach out to their target audience and cater to the demand to create unforgettable experiences for them.

     

    :: As of 2018, the Indian advertising market stands at Rs 61,878 crore ($8.76 billion) and is estimated to grow with a CAGR of 10.62% till 2021 to reach a market size of Rs 85,250 crore ($12.06 billion). The digital advertising market size is around Rs 10,819 crore ($1.3 billion) and the estimated CAGR growth will be 31.96% and the market will expand to Rs 24,920 crore ($3.52 billion).

     

    :: Television and print take the largest share of media spends at 70% aggregated followed by digital media at 17%. Digital transformation is being adopted at a substantial scale, which in turn, is increasing the adoption of digital media at a rapid pace.

     

    :: Currently, BFSI is the biggest spender on digital media with a contribution of 38% of all their marketing budgets. This is followed by consumer durables (36%), e-commerce (34%) and telecom (31%). FMCG spends heavily on the television (63%) and the retail sector spends largely on print (54%) medium of advertising.

     

    :: The advertising expenditure on the digital advertising formats is led by social media (29%) followed by search (25%), display (21%) and video (20%). The BFSI vertical spends the largest share of its digital media budget on search (38%), while FMCG spends the largest share of its digital media budget on video (33%).

     

    :: Currently, 18% of all digital media is bought programmatically and has grown from 15% last year. The major reason for the growth are technological advancements,  improvements in data science & analytics, implementation of algorithm to automate various procedures, better ad fraud detection and improved data policies & regulations. The rapid increase in the penetration of mobile devices and internet has led to 47% of digital media spends on mobile devices and is expected to grow at CAGR of 49% to reach spends share of 67% by 2021.

     

    :: Machine Learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) will see heavy adoption and implementation in various media in the near future. The main drivers of the growth of digital media will be voice, vernacular and video. Apart from this, some of the other drivers of digital media growth will be engaging mobile experiences based on augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR). In the near future, data-driven decision-making and business strategies will be more transformative and will entail building and merging of different types of business models and its implementation.

     

    Commenting on the report, Ashish Bhasin, Chairman & CEO- South Asia, Dentsu Aegis Network said, “Today, you no longer have to sell ‘digital’ to a client. This is the only medium which gives you a very measurable ROI, and almost an immediate impact. We have about 500 million people on the internet today and in the next three to four years, another 300-400 million people will join in. Concurrently, the next phase of internet users will speak regional languages and as a result, you will probably see a lot more advertising in regional languages on digital in the years to come. Dentsu Aegis Network understands this scope. Consequently, we are over-weight on digital. Of our 3500 people, more than 1600 are in our digital agencies. Nearly 48% of our revenues comes from digital at a time when the market average in India is still 15-17%. As leaders in digital, we recognise the need for an industry level research report which not only covers the market size but also gives a direction towards which this industry is moving. The lack of detailed and accurate Digital Advertising Spends is surprising for a medium that lends itself to measurement. It is to fulfil this gap that all the 8 agencies of the Dentsu Aegis Network i.e. Isobar, iProspect, Merkle Sokrati, WatConsult, Dentsu Webchutney, SVG Media/Columbus, Fractal and Amnet collaborated again for the 3rd edition of our Digital Report that extensively covers digital trends, spends and insights across all sectoRs The report has now become the industry standard for digital marketing and this year the report summary will also be available on Alexa.”

     

     

  • The campaign will be rolled out pan India across multiple touch-points and with a greater digital presence

    Dentsu Impact launches inaugural campaign for Mobiistar

    By A Correspondent

     

    Dentsu Impact has rolled out the launch campaign for Mobiistar X1 Notch.

     

    Commenting on the execution of the campaign Anupama Ramaswamy, National Creative Director, Dentsu Impact said: “In an already cluttered market, we wanted the X1 Notch to stand out. Instead of focusing only on the features, we decided to show how this phone can help people not just dream big but also fulfill them. Through the X1 Notch our protagonist empowers his friend to shine. This insight led us to find a story that will resonate with anyone who has ever struggled to fit in. We are sure people will relate to this and welcome the phone, thanks to its super affordable price and amazing features.”

     

    Added Aniruddha Deb, Chief Marketing Officer, Mobiistar India: “This is an interesting take on our consumer’s life since it showcases how the X1 Notch is not only adding value to lives but also enabling people realize their dreams. Our testing results revealed that the college situation was not only relatable and likeable but also was understood well by our TG. Mobiistar has always stood strong as a propeller of confidence and aspirations and this new campaign adds another dimension to our vision of ‘Shine and Enjoy More’.”

     

  • A media professional with over 14 years of experience in the media and marketing arena, Mehra’s last stint was at Creativeland Asia as Editor-in-chief – Content Marketing. Prior to that, she was Associate Editor at exchange4media.com

    Havas appoints journalist Priyanka Mehra as Director Marketing and Communications

    By A Correspondent

     

    Priyanka Mehra

    Havas Group India has appointed Priyanka Mehra as Director Marketing and Communications. Her appointment is in line with unifying communications across all disciplines under the Havas Group umbrella, notes a communique, adding: “Her remit includes working with the senior leadership in India and the regional communications team to elevate brand reputation and awareness.”

     

    A media professional with over 14 years of experience in the media and marketing arena, Mehra’s last stint was at Creativeland Asia as Editor-in-chief – Content Marketing. Prior to that, she was Associate Editor at exchange4media.com.

     

    Bobby Pawar
    Rana Barua

    Said Bobby Pawar, Chairman & Chief Creative Officer, Havas Group India: “The sheer length and breadth of communications at Havas collaborating with Vivendi entertainment and content platforms provide us with great marketing ammunition and Priyanka’s appointment is a step forward in showcasing our strength as a Group in the Indian market.” Added Rana Barua, Group CEO, Havas Group India: “Given Priyanka’s understanding of content and communications, her appointment is part of a management structure that brings together all communication disciplines – creative, media, healthcare under the Havas Village umbrella. Part of her mandate will be overall communications and going forward key strategic tie -ups and initiatives given Havas Group India’s future-forward vision.”

     

    Said Mehra on her new role: “What makes Havas Group India an exciting place to be is the integrated offering across media creative and healthcare. Added to this is the collaboration with Vivendi which includes Universal Music, GameLoft and Daily Motion, which in turn creates a unique narrative and a unique marketing force “

  • The third Monday in January – is known as the saddest day of the year

    Zenith launches global culture initiative on Blue Monday

    By A Correspondent

     

    On January 21, Zenith encouraged more than 6,000 employees across the network to participate in team-building activities that promote good causes and benefit their community. Each Zenith office selected a charity or organization to support. The highlights include helping with the construction of a library, transforming slums into thriving areas, teaching adults with learning disabilities, delivering free coffee and snacks to underappreciated civil workers and collecting leftover food to redistribute to those in need.

     

    The idea to transform Blue Monday into Zenith Monday stemmed from an agency-wide competition. To celebrate Zenith’s 30th anniversary this past October, a global contest ‘If I were CEO for a day’ asked employees to come up with ideas on how they want to see Zenith evolve. Zenith Mexico won with their idea of Zenith Monday.

     

    Said Matt James, Global Brand President, Zenith: “At Zenith, we believe in giving back to the communities that support us. By transforming a day of sadness, our brilliant specialists are creating one small way to send positive thinking and acting around our global network.”