MxMIndia

Category: ADVERTISING

  • In 2019 and 2020, Hansa Vision has not bought any advertising time from Republic TV, asserted the statement

    Hansa clarifies on Republic payments

    By A Correspondent

     

    We’ve held back on the communiques that we have received around Hansa in the past. But this one is important. Hansa Research has stated that it has had no business dealings with Republic TV and no payment has been made to the channel nor received from the channel. This was in response in a statement reported in the media, where the Mumbai police has alleged that Hansa Research has made a payment of Rs 32 lakh to Republic TV which is incorrect.

     

    Said Shekar Swamy, Group CEO Hansa, in the statement: “Our group company Hansa Vision India Pvt Ltd is in the advertising business. It purchases advertising time and space in various TV channels, newspapers, radio, digital platforms, and other media regularly for its clients. This is normal, routine business. The last time Hansa Vision has purchased advertising time in Republic TV was two years ago for the period from Sept 2017 to Oct 2018 for a value of Rs 108 lakhs. The Mumbai Police is perhaps incorrectly linking this with the current TRP related investigation.”

     

    Asserts the statement: “In the past two years, as part of its business, Hansa Vision has purchased TV advertising time from 55 TV channels for a total value of Rs 13.42 crs on behalf of its clients. In 2019 and 2020, Hansa Vision has not bought any advertising time from Republic TV.”

     

    Swamy also added that: “The Hansa Research CEO and team have been repeatedly called by API Mr Sachin Vaze of the Crime Branch, and asked to stay till late hours. They are cooperating with the investigation and have submitted various documents as asked for. Hansa Research and the people working for this company, have nothing to do with the advertising activities of the group company Hansa Vision.”

     

     

  • Is it better to run a serialised film than a series of them, asks Sanjeev Kotnala

    How Many Ad Films are too Many in a Campaign?

     

    By Sanjeev Kotnala

     

    Brands make multiple television or digital video commercials (TVC/DVC in short,  referred hereafter as ad films) to engage their audience and deliver the message. They are mostly various expressions of the same idea. So, how many ad films should a brand make? Or, how does the team decide how many should be made? Or, why create a series of ad films? That is not counting the edits and adaptations into regional languages.

     

     

    Why Multiple Ad Films?

     

    There are possibly so many highly logical reasons that may push the client and the creative to look for multiple ad films:

     

    • The client believes in iterative expressions.

    • There is a budget to make multiple ad films.

    • The creative is of the point of view that the concepts need clarity.

    • The media agency needs it to keep the audience engaged when the ad frequency is high.

    • The campaign runs aggressively across a property like IPL, and hence audience gets bored faster.

    • To take advantage of economies of scale in production.

    • To justify the high fee of a celebrity.

    • The communication aims to change behaviour and hence more ad films.

    • The concept is so disruptive that we better have more ad films to explain.

    • The idea is so strong that it demands multiple ad films.

    • The idea is weak, and with multiple ad films, we minimise risk.

     

    I am stopping listing reasons knowing that there could be many more for such a strategic decision. But the questions kept bugging me, and soon I found myself with my dear friend, consultant Vermajee, the Management Guru. Last Friday, over Antiquity Blue topped with chilled No 1 club soda, served in steel glasses, I got enlightened on the subject. Being Navratri, drinking was banned at home. So, we parked his SUV under a banyan tree on the Western Express Highway within sight of a ‘No Parking Zone’ sign and chewed on the subject along with Faldhari Chiwda. Vermajee shared his gyaan and opened my eyes. He usually does have that impact on me.

     

    Ad Films Earlier – Vermajee’s Time

     

    Some few decades back, when Vermajee was part of the agency circus, the brands were happy with one TVC at a time. Maybe one TVC per season. Some TVCs lasted many seasons over TV, Cinema and Rural Vans.

     

    It was not the creative teams lacked ideas. The act of making a TVC was time-consuming and very painful. You had to really work hard. Work in detail. Post work was astronomically costly. Budgets were sacrosanct and less clutter in the media. The clients as usual finicky and khadoos, wanting a Merc at the cost of a Maruti.

     

    The client today is no different. Even then, they did not understand that creative and advertising was an investment, not an expense. They fail to see, it is better to invest in good creative even at the cost of the media budget and expose it a less number of times. Cutting production budget, making an average TVC and exposing it more number of times is a bad idea.

     

    Yes, some clients made TVC throughout the year. If you made a judgmental error in one, there was not much to worry as the next TVC was on its way.

     

    However, we were absolutely sure of our craft but a bit unsure of consumer understanding. The research was used as the master key for campaign support and approvals. The scripts and even at times the edits were pre and post researched. It was too costly to change anything at a later stage, not that changes did not happen.

     

    Vermajee Gyaan

     

    Vermajee explained the difference between episodic series (procedural) and serialised ad films. He reiterated the need to judge an ad film more on strategy and impact, likeability, memory and engagement than anything else. He empathised on the law of marginal returns. Vermajee said: “the client and creative along with media must risk raising the question about the number of Ad films and must stop when they stop adding value to the campaign”.

     

    The Case of Multiple Ad Films

     

    Here, the same story is repeated with a slight twist or a change of character. Each of the films is complete, and you don’t lose much, not watching all of them collectively or in a particular series.

     

    The recent Cred communication is an example. Film celebrities like Anil Kapoor, Madhuri Dixit and Bappi Lahiri audition for Cred. They perform in their signature styles but are rejected. They are so overexposed that one completely forgets the Cred ad of last year, which is more explanation-based.

     

    People question the creativity in the Cred campaign. There is a huge awareness buildup for Cred, and the single-minded message is clearly established. I don’t have data for app downloads and usage. Recently, we saw  Alka Yagnik- Udit Narayan auditioning, which makes me think that the brand missed an opportunity in using influencers and UGC.

    In another version of this, you have the same proposition and intent but the playground and the story changes. The episodes remain independent and complete in themselves. It works brilliantly with a simple message and some emotional engagement.

    Dream11 seems to have been successful in campaigns in this style of multiple ad films. Dream11 last year #YehGameHaiMahan with multiple fils – Bush or pipeline, Dhobighat, old friends etc. pr the campaign #kheloDimaagsey. This year the Dream11 campaign #YehApnaGameHai features Dhoni, Shikar, Rohit and others.

    One of the best examples of it is Thanda Matlab Coke. Here Aamir Khan played different roles from the Punjabi farmer, Pahadi guide, to Bengali babu and some more. Well, one can not forget the ZooZoos.

     

    The Serialised Ad Film

    Here the multiple ad films that are following a pre-defined narrative. There is a link between them. Sometimes subtle and sometimes overt. They are best watched in series or totality.

    The story moves forward with each ad film, keeping the audience engaged in the campaign. There is a surprise packet of what next. The character layers get unravelled with time.

    Some years back we saw Amazon  Chokpur cheetahs; India Ke Sapno Ki Apni Dukkan. A small town bunch of cricket players and their coach. The ad films are still remembered with films like Dhyani’s Birthday, Introduction, Kab Khelenge 2020 and official song among others.

    Nowadays we are seeing something of serialised ad films by PhonePe ads featuring Aamir Khan and Aliya Bhat. The Chaiwala,  Kiskepass, safety and more. This time, the functionality is overpowering, it is making its point, and the interplay of characters is excellent. However, will it really become a true serialised ad film set is yet to be seen?

     

    The best I have seen in the Indian context is Tata Sky Chota Recharge. The campaign kept the audience glued. In fact, they were rooting for the teenagers to meet and love to blossom. The brand message delivered simply. In such cases, when the audience gets hooked, they want more of it.

     The attempts of true serialised campaigns have been far and few. Such creative requires commitment and a willingness to carry the collective risk. But like gambling, the response and gains are equally large. 

     

    Reminder: How Many Ad Films?

    :: Always look at multiple Ad Film from Brand and the strategy point of view.

    :: Always evaluate the content and multiple ad films in the context of the newness of the message, brand, service, media budgets and complexity or simplicity of communication.

     

    Invest in creative development even at the cost of media budgets. An excellent creative product exposed less will always pay back far more than a bad/mediocre/average creative exposed more number of times.

    Evaluate from consumer interest engagement point of view than the jury and judges at the awards point of view.

    No need to make more films just because you have a good script. As you may end up hitting marginalised returns and underexpose other films.

    Go ahead and do multiple ad films if they really add to the brand message understanding or clarity, emotions and association.

    Maybe Dream11 did not need all the films and Cred could benefit from serialised rather than a series of films. Perhaps, the client-agency-media teams on these brands know better the reason for multiple ad films, and when did they hit the curve of marginalised decreasing returns or maybe they can do with some more films.

  • An initial corpus of $10 million committed for organic and inorganic growth across US, EMEA, and SEA markets

    Rajiv Dingra launches RD&X Network to invest in companies & solutions

    By A Correspondent

     

    Rajiv Dingra

    Even though it was a fully-owned Dentsu International venture, digital agency WatConsult has always been known as a Rajiv Dingra enterprise. He quit WatConsult in Jan 2020 and moved out in April to work on RD&X Network which was announced on Tuesday (Oct 27). RD&X is being billed as a “deep-tech network that will drive brand, business, media and data transformation helping businesses globally become real-time, disruptive, and thereby achieve exponential growth”.

     

    Helping him do that is an initial corpus of $10 million that’s been committed for its organic and inorganic growth worldwide. Aiming to be geography-agnostic and remote-first company, its expansion plans include strategic acquisitions and investments in early-stage companies in areas of deep tech, gig economy, mar-tech, and ad-tech. Parallelly, in-house flagship solutions are also currently under development.

     

    On the occasion of the launch, Dingra said: “This decade belongs to deep tech disruption and every organisation around the world will need to evolve through transformation to stay relevant today and grow in the future. We believe that the gig economy coupled with deep tech will create new business models that are agile and effective to scale globally. The disruption caused by the pandemic provided us with a huge opportunity of building a global network in the new normal. The impact of Covid-19 has accelerated the necessity for businesses to rapidly adopt technologies like AI, Blockchain, Robotics, XR, and IoT to navigate an uncertain future. We are already seeing early-stage companies at the forefront of this disruption and we are excited by our ongoing discussions with them. We look forward to such disruptive companies becoming a part of our network.”

     

     

  • It is as if being entry-level or mass-market is a protozoan life rid of all respect and pride, writes Avik Chattopadhyay

    The Obsession To Be Premium

     

    By Avik Chattopadhyay

     

    The other day I was chatting up with a Maruti Suzuki Nexa dealer. Post the expected lament on lack of footfalls and the still elusive operating profit, we got into discussing the basic Nexa model – the purpose, the promise and the delivery. After a lot of soul-searching and head scratching, he finally brought it down to the wooden flooring, fancy furniture and focused lighting as the “premium” experience being offered to a customer vis-à-vis one who walked into a Maruti Suzuki Arena!

     

    Sounds preposterous? Totally believable!

    Let’s just spend a few more words on this Nexa vis-à-vis Arena case. The two channels of the same Maruti Suzuki brand offer separate products to customers, hence ensuring a minimum level of footfalls in both. I cannot buy an Ignis from an Arena outlet, hence go to a Nexa. Similarly, I cannot pick up a WagonR at a Nexa, hence go to an Arena. It is not that I have a similar product portfolio in both, yet I choose a Nexa over an Arena as the entire customer promise and experience is what I associate with and aspire for.

     

    There are various ways I can be premium in being a Nexa channel partner.

    In my product pricing. But the Nexa offers the Baleno that is in the same price band as the Swift.

    In my product positioning by addressing a different customer psychographic. But, then, the Ciaz was moved from Arena to Nexa to allow more revenues to the latter.

    In my overall experience. But the service and ownership experience, as per customer feedback and dealer inputs, are the same in Nexa and Arena.

     

    So, I am fundamentally undifferentiated from my less privileged channel cousin and totally confused in what I am supposed to be in the first place. Yet, I boast that I am “premium”. Not a very sustainable business model, is it?

     

    Maruti Suzuki’s urge to go premium is not an oddity. It is another demonstration of the common malaise many Indian brands have – the obsession to be premium!

     

    From aviation to automobiles, food to furniture, healthcare to homes, brands and businesses make proud statements in press releases and communication that they are a premium brand or aim to go premium.

     

    It is as if being entry-level or mass-market is a protozoan life rid of all respect and pride. It is as if being affordable is an affront to business logic and purpose.

     

    In the three decades I have spent working for a living, I have come across a handful of seniors and bosses who have also expressed this desire to ‘elevate’ the brand into a premium one. Basically, making the customer pay more money for the same product or solution. And how will that happen? Magical marketing! Spend on symbols of an elevated status like brand ambassadors, sponsorships and imagery to package the same product in a new avatar!

     

    Does this not work? It does, for some time and for some people. But it is never sustainable as the brand is desperately trying to live on borrowed clothes and makeup.

     

    Have I been successful in any such attempt? Not once. Have tried a few times but failed miserably. But in the process, have learnt five important lessons which I wish to share.

     

    Premium vis-à-vis Expensive

    These are two separate concepts. A Harley-Davidson is expensive. It is not premium. It is expensive because the Americans can just not get efficient enough. But in its home market no one buys it for its premium-ness but for its distinct imagery and culture code.

     

    Mass vis-à-vis Premium

    A Bic ballpen is mass. And people love it because it is so. But a special edition Bic commemorating the Black Lives Matter movement will certainly sell at a premium. Similarly, a Maruti Suzuki Swift is mass. But a 15th anniversary limited edition Swift Sport will be premium. Hence, mass and premium are not mutually exclusive concepts… in reality.

     

    Premium vis-à-vis VFM

    These are not conflicting at all. In fact, the better a brand is able to demonstrate value-for-money [VFM] to its target customer, the better the premium it will attract. And not extract. I once met Mr R M Dhariwal, the owner of the Manikchand Group, who told me that he bought a Maybach for his daughter on her birthday as believed for the amount of money he wanted to spend, the Maybach offered him best value for money!

     

    The intangible value of a product or experience, over and above the physical value is what allows a brand to command a premium. And not just demand it.

     

    Premium vis-à-vis Profit

    These two are not necessary and sufficient conditions to co-exist. There are mass-market brands that make profits that many luxury brands would give both arms for. A premium offering need not make higher profits than an entry-level one. The focussed definition and delivery of its promise is what makes a brand charge a premium.

     

    Response vis-à-vis Objective

    This is the biggest lesson for me. Being “premium” is a desired consumer response and not a business goal or objective. It is an outcome and not the process. It is the end and not the means. This clarity of brand management happens only when the brand stays true to its intended purpose and promise.

     

    We experience brands like Bata, Amul, McDonald’s and Chevrolet not because they are positioned as “premium” but because they are true to their brand DNA and carry no pretensions. As customers, we give them their due premiums when we wait for the pack of Amul Taaza milk to arrive at the store, love to see the sparkle in the eyes of our children on getting them a Happy Meal, squeal the hell out of the tyres of a gleaming Corvette or splash about in muddy puddles in the Naughty Boy shoes. Each of these experiences is what truly makes a brand “premium”!

     

     

  • He will continue to report to Rana Barua, Group CEO, Havas Group India

    Mohit Joshi is now CEO, Havas Media Group

    By A Correspondent

     

    Mohit Joshi

    We thought he was CEO of Havas Media already, but now it’s formal and official. Havas Group India has announced the elevation of Mohit Joshi to Chief Executive Officer of Havas Media Group with immediate effect. Prior to this, Joshi was Managing Director of Havas Media Group. He will continue to report to Rana Barua, Group CEO, Havas Group India.

     

    Joshi has spent over 13 years at Havas Media and has 20+ experience in the media. He is also in the mancom of AAAI and IAMAI and is actively involved in other industry bodies as well.

     

    Vishnu Mohan

    Added Vishnu Mohan, Chairman and CEO, Havas Group, India and Southeast Asia: “I have had the privilege of welcoming Mohit to Havas almost 14 years ago. A true dynamic leader with an in-depth understanding of consumers, brands, and the changing media landscape. Mohit’s experience and long association with Havas makes him an ideal choice for the leadership role, as we look to significantly scale our presence in the media space.”

     

     

    Rana Barua

    Said Barua: “Over the last few years, Mohit has not just driven existing clients and business but has also played a lead role in driving the growth for the agency. He is a passionate and a visionary business leader, who brings invaluable expertise. His long-term vision coupled with his acumen will help us make a more meaningful difference to brands and consumers. I am happy that its Mohit who will lead Havas Media Group into the next phase of growth.”

     

    Added Joshi: “In today’s dynamic and evolving business environment, Havas overall is undergoing a massive change to stay differentiated, relevant and meaningful. I’m excited to take on this huge responsibility and new responsibilities and combating the challenges during this crucial time and I look forward to the next chapter working closely with Rana, the senior management of Havas Group India, my wonderful colleagues and clients and the entire team across the region and all our global offices.”

     

     

  • Ratan Kumar to join as COO, India Country Manager

    Evolve Digitas acquires ‘Thinking Folks’

    By A Correspondent

     

    Evolve Digitas, a digital and design company, has announced the acquisition of Thinking Folks, a creative agency in Gurugram. The all share swap deal will see Evolve Digitas strengthen its creative and design team looking to consult and service global clients.

     

    Speaking on the occasion, Aparna Gupta, Managing Director, Evolve Digitas said: “Evolve Digitas has been rapidly scaling up for the past 2 years with a growing digital footprint globally. A testament to the dynamic approach and value we bring to them. With Thinking Folks getting on board we will accelerate further and continue to partner in the business growth of our clients’ businesses.”

     

    Ratan Kumar comes with close to two decades of experience in leading agencies like Hakuhodo, Vyas Giannetti and Leo Burnett Orchard.

     

     

  • Its agency PWW-BBH India has conceptualised a campaign

    Taco Bell new campaign

    By A Correspondent

     

    Taco Bell, the Mexican-inspired restaurant brand, has announced the launch of its new Best Of Bell menu, which offers Taco Bell’s signature menu items at attractive prices. And to launch it, its agency PWW-BBH India has conceptualised a campaign.

     

    Said Russell Barrett, CCO & CEO, PWW-BBH India: “Taco Bell is one of the most exciting brands to work on in the world and has a rich history of making disruptive moves in the market and disruptive advertising too. We needed to land the unbelievable value that the #BestofBell carries and we needed to do it with the Taco Bell wink. It was quite a challenge to make this film happen with the current constraints, but a brilliant team led by Nivedita Agashe in creative and Chetan Mane in account management, along with the director Siva made it possible.”

     

     

  • The Glitch acquisition by GroupM was announced in February 2018

    Glitch moves from being part of GroupM to VMLY&R

    By A Correspondent

     

    Leading digital-led creative agency The Glitch has joined forces with global experience agency VMLY&R. Earlier, it was part of GroupM, when it was acquired in February 2018.

     

    The Glitch and VMLY&R India will continue to operate distinct brands and organisational structures while working together. This will allow clients to experience their combined proposition of marketing talent, capabilities, and experience, while maintaining the simplicity of their current communication cadence with each agency. In a sense a similar message was sent out in Feb 2018: “The Glitch will continue to operate as an independently positioned brand, while taking advantage of GroupM’s larger infrastructure and agency ecosystem.” We don’t know the reasons, but we now have a realignment.

     

    The integration will see The Glitch become a part of the nearly $1 billion global VMLY&R network, which employs over 7,000 people across 75+ offices across the world. These include three offices in India, based in Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai.

     

    The Glitch senior leaders, including CEO Pooja Jauhari, Co-Founder & Chief Creative Officer, Rohit Raj, and Co-Founder & Content Chief, Varun Duggirala will now report into Tripti Lochan, Co-CEO of VMLY&R Asia. In addition, the Glitch leadership team along with VMLY&R India CEO Anil Nair, will form an India leadership council to manage strategic decisions for both companies. The council will be headed by Anil Nair.

     

    Said CVL Srinivas, Country Manager, India, WPP: “WPP’s aim is to provide clients with a simplified and integrated offer to help them grow their businesses holistically. The Glitch over the past 10 years has grown to become a digital and content powerhouse, and when combined with VMLY&R’s capabilities in digital transformation and customer experience, can help clients make an impact in their transformation journeys.”

     

    On joining the VMLY&R Network, Pooja Jauhari, CEO, The Glitch, added:: “We have flourished alongside WPP in the past 3 years. The founders and I are delighted that we’ve now found a great permanent home for our brand, our company and most importantly, our people. The Glitch is a gender blind, inclusive and progressive high-performance workspace and with this marriage, we’ve found kindred spirits in VMLY&R when it comes to driving the same vision. We’re eager to explore our complementary capability sets for the benefit of our clients’ businesses. With this union, we believe we are in the best position to help our clients be more agile, sharper and ready for whatever the future may bring.”

     

    Added Anil Nair, CEO, VMLY&R India: “This union spells great news for clients looking at building digital-first brands. In addition to cutting edge solutions such as customer experience (CX), commerce , technology, innovation, AI/ML, data, media innovations and good old culture impacting creativity, we will now be able to add new weaponry to our arsenal, including powerful capabilities in brand experience, new-age content, youth  marketing, connections thinking, brand publishing, and live creativity amongst others. This makes us the most relevant agency group in the market with best possible capabilities to help our clients future-proof their businesses and succeed in the new paradigm.”

     

     

  • Joining him are Vandana Verma and Rakesh Hinduja

    Saurabh Varma sets up Wondrlab, billed as a platform-first martech firm

    By A Correspondent

     

    Advertising and brand communication specialists Saurabh Varma, Vandana Verma and Rakesh Hinduja have launched Wondrlab. Wondrlab is billed as a platform-first startup with three key verticals – Content, Experience and Digital business transformation.

     

    Speaking about the launch, Saurabh Varma, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Wondrlab, said: “There has never been a better time to disrupt the communication landscape. At Wondrlab all our teams are platform first. We will work with key platforms to create hybrid teams that help clients win on these platforms. We will also curate, partner and build martech platforms that can create meaningful experiences and become an advantage for our clients.”

     

    Speaking about the launch of the martech company, Vandana Verma, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Experience Platform, Wondrlab said, “We have completely platformised brand experiences at Wondrlab. What brands will see are productised events, shopper marketing, retail and brand activations into tech platforms. Backed by data and automation, Wondrlab’s platforms unlock new levels of efficiency to drive new sources of growth for brands.”

     

    Added Rakesh Hinduja, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Content Platform, Wondrlab: “Brands now have an opportunity to make a personalised connection with their target audience, something that doesn’t happen with a one-size-fits-all approach towards platforms. Wondrlab’s key focus will be service and technology-based platforms combined with creative ideas based on data and human understanding.”

     

     

  • PA = Public Affairs

    Ipsos hires Sandeep Ghosh, as ED to bolster PA team

    By A Correspondent

     

    Sandeep Ghosh
    Parijat Chakraborty

    Ipsos India has further reinforced its Public Affairs team, by the hiring of Sandeep Ghosh as Executive Director.

     

    Said Parijat Chakraborty, Country Service Line Leader, Public Affairs, Ipsos India: “Sandeep Ghosh has enormous amounts of experience in the development sector, across prestigious clients and a great depth of work. I foresee, our position becoming stronger and well entrenched in social research and we hope to snag a lot of untapped work, which will further boost the business.”

     

    Added Ghosh: “Ipsos is the market leader in the development sector research, with all the remarkable work being done across the globe. It will be my privilege to grow the business for Public Affairs in India, leveraging my client relationships, and working closely with the team here.”

     

     

  • Campaign is titled #DontBeAHeaterHitesh

    Racold launches new campaign

    By A Correspondent

     

    Water heater specialist Racold has launched a new digital campaign, #DontBeAHeaterHitesh. The campaign is conceptualised by WatConsult.

     

    Said Vikram Raman, Vice President, Marketing and E-Commerce, Ariston Thermo India: Commented, “Racold is a brand synonymous with breakthrough innovation be it with our range of innovative products or our marketing campaigns. The main objective of this campaign is to let consumers know about the unique features of our Omnis range of water heater. I am sure that people will love this humour and ‘Heater Hitesh’ will have a long lasting impact on people’s minds.”

     

    Added Heeru Dingra, CEO, WatConsult: “The campaign creatively highlights the convenience of the product along with capturing its unique set of features. The videos seamlessly place it as the answer for the water heating problems generally faced in our homes, especially during the winter months. The humorous tone of the videos and the extravagant protagonist makes the technologically oriented product feel familiar and a more acceptable fixture for our homes.”

     

     

  • The former Publicis Communications boss has now set up Wondrlab, a 'platform-first' martech firm. He speaks with MxMIndia on his plans, philosophy and promises to reveal more… soon

    MxM Live with Saurabh Varma, Wondrlab

     

    Saurabh Varma’s exit from the Publicis Groupe In December 2019 was much discussed. But what was never really debated was the great value and out-of-the-box thinking that he brought into Leo Burnett.

     

    After 329 days of moving out from Publicis Communications, Saurabh Varma set up Wondrlab with former colleagues Vandana Verma and Rakesh Hinduja. Wondrlab is being billed as India’s largest platform-first martech firm and will have three key verticals – Content, Experience and Digital business transformation.

     

    In a 25-odd-minute interview with MxMIndia founder and editor-in-chief Pradyuman Maheshwari, Saurabh Varma talks about the thinking behind Wondrlab and the concept of a “platform-first martech” firm. Of course he promises to reveal more in the days to come – four weeks to 18 months. Sigh.

     

    Watch. Enjoy. Like.