The Madras Management Association and Advertising Club, Madras have jointly supported the Annual R K Swamy Memorial Lecture beginning last year. To be held on December 11, it will serve as a tribute to the veteran adperson who played a pioneering role in the growth of the advertising industry in South India.
The inaugural edition saw D Shivakumar, Executive Group President, Aditya Birla Group deliver a talk on “The Future of Consumer Engagement”. The second edition will have R Seshasayee, Vice Chairman, Hinduja Group talk on ‘Values for the 21st Century’. Two senior media industry leaders will participate as Guests of Honour. Gulab Kothari, Chief Editor, Rajasthan Patrika and Ram Sehgal, Past President, AAAI will provide some additional insights on Mr R K Swamy.
Said Shree Prakash P, the President of the Advertising Club Madras: “Mr R K Swamy was the first recipient of the Distinguished Service Award instituted by the club and we think that there is no better way in immortalising a man who redefined advertising in this part of the world and who was synonymous with the industry.”
Added Group Captain Vijaykumar, Executive Director of MMA: “The MMA is indeed privileged to organize the Lecture in memory of R K Swamy who was an outstanding leader and provided bold Pioneering Leadership in the field of Advertising in India. He was the past President of MMA during 1972 – 74 and significantly contributed to the growth of MMA to propagate management movement in this part of the country.
The event will be held at the Management Centre, Madras Management Association at 6 pm on December 11, 2020.
Bosch Home Appliances (BSH) has brought on board Isobar India, the digital agency from the house of Dentsu international, as its strategy and creative agency partner. Headquartered in Munich, Germany, BSH is poised to enhance its marketing strategy in India with this announcement. The agency won the account following a multi-agency pitch and will service the brand from its Mumbai office. As per the mandate, Isobar India will handle the entire gamut of strategic planning, digital strategy and creative duties for the brand.
Commenting on the partnership, Neeraj Bahl, MD, BSH Household Appliances said: “We are delighted to have Isobar on board to drive the digital communications for Bosch and Siemens. Keeping in mind our core proposition of empowering the Indian audiences and enabling them with peaceful and hassle-free life at home, Isobar was an appropriate fitment for us as their solution-oriented approach combined with creative renditions aligns with our core requirements. We are confident that together, we will be able to creatively connect with audiences to make Bosch a relatable household name.”
Speaking on the win, Shamsuddin Jasani, Group MD, Isobar South Asia added: “I am thrilled to witness the faith that BSH has put in us. Our digital-first, innovation-led approach truly hit home and now, together with the BSH team, we look forward to creating long term relationship to help drive value for all stakeholders.”
Open Strategy and Design, India’s most awarded design agency in the last three years, has bagged the brand strategy and design mandate for Jiva Ayurveda, the Ayurvedic healthcare organisation, established in 1992. Through the engagement, Open will support Jiva Ayurveda in charting out its brand strategy and rebrand Jiva and its sub-brands to reflect its ethos and outlook.
Commenting on the engagement with Open, Dr Partap Chauhan, Director, Jiva Ayurveda, said: “The future of Ayurveda will be paved by rationale and authentic principles rather than wizardry and miracle cure. Jiva’s unique strengths, scientific approach and robust practice makes it one of the leading contributors of Ayurvedic practice, in India and abroad. We are confident that Open’s expertise in innovation, design-led thinking and multi-disciplinary team will help us strengthen our credibility amongst our stakeholders.”
Added Puneet Pandey, Strategy Head and Managing Partner, Open Strategy & Design: “Ayurveda is a category that is more relevant today than ever before as health and well-being becomes a priority. Jiva has taken an uncompromising route to build a modern medical practice of this authentic Indian science. We are happy to partner with the esteemed brand to support them in reflecting its purpose and expertise amidst the category clutter. Through the engagement, we hope to curate a sharper brand strategy that can lead Jiva to the next wave of growth.”
Products that cater to the consumer need for convenience while adapting to the homebody economy dominated the festive sale period in India (Oct. 15 – Nov. 13, 2020), according to measurement giant Nielsen.
With the need for communication and increased media consumption, mobile phones and accessories (e.g. earphones, headsets, case covers, etc.) continued to account for over half of e-commerce sales during the festive period. While notably, electronics (e.g. laptops, printers, peripherals) increased its share by 10% compared to 7% during the festive season last year (Sept. 28 – Oct. 25, 2019) given the increase in remote working and schooling. See chart below.
Nielsen India’s E-commerce Consumer Panel (E-Analytics Solution) helps measure consumer behaviour across more than 30 E-Commerce platforms, finds double digit increase in average spend of online shoppers for electronics and accessories (39%), mobile and accessories (12%), and fashion, including apparel, footwear, and accessories (10%). Appliances (e.g.TV, WM, refrigerators, etc.) also saw notable shopper spending increase at 9%.
Said Kunal Gupta, Head, Consumer Intelligence, Nielsen, South Asia: “Consistent with the trends that we are seeing globally, consumers in India are fitting into the homebound behaviour. Triggered by the desire to make life and work easier and more convenient at home, we see a significant increase in shopper spend in categories that are perceived to cater to homebody needs on account of the pandemic.”
Geographically, the growth of e-commerce during the festive period is led by Bharat (<10 lakh population towns). Nielsen reports a 16% increase in orders from smaller cities (<1 lakh population towns) and a 14% rise in shopper spends from >1 lakh+ population cities. This clearly shows the evolution of the shopper spend journey through urban classes.
Added Vaughan Ryan, Nielsen’s Consumer Intelligence managing director in Asia: “Manufacturers and retailers in multiple markets such as China, the Koreas and South East Asia have long recognised the affinity of consumers to online shopping during popular festivals. The behavior of waiting and saving up for the big festival online sales have clearly turned into a consumer habit. It doesn’t come as a surprise that manufacturers and traditional retailers have online sales promotions on their own or have partnered with online platforms to get products faster to more consumers.”
FMCG continues to record the highest orders during festive sales with 35% unit share. Looking at FMCG sales over the last 14 months, FMCG sales are higher during the festive period this year versus the pre-COVID period and matches the same level during Republic Day sale in January this year. New FMCG shoppers have been enticed to shop online for the first time during the festive period in 2020, and with shopper penetration remaining high at almost 20% in the festive period for the year. An uptick from 14% in 2019, indicates that more consumers were persuaded to shop online for FMCG.
“We see the gradual recovery of FMCG online from April when consumers were mostly buying essentials online and there were supply and delivery issues. The Big Day Events which usually happen during festive sales in August and October helped accelerate the recovery of FMCG,” added Gupta.
Korra, the digital content and media agency in India, has been appointed as creative and content partner by personal care brand Mamaearth. Korra won the mandate in a multi-agency pitch competing against well-known global network agencies.
Said Varun Alagh, Co-Founder & CEO, Mamaearth: “Korra demonstrated innovative thinking and a deep understanding of our brand philosophy. Being a digital-first brand for millennials, we were looking for a bright, young and talented set of individuals who reflect our philosophy. We are excited about our partnership with Korra and look forward to building the brand with them through meaningful and insightful communication”.
Added Gaurav Nabh, Founder & CEO- Korra India: “It’s not every day that you find partners that share the same core philosophies. We are excited to partner with Mamaearth– one of the fastest-growing D2C personal care brands in India. With the challenger DNA fueling both brands, we look forward to delivering more path-breaking work in the times to come. We are working towards further strengthening the brand’s foothold in this hyperactive category through an innovative approach aimed at creative storytelling and targeted, digital-first campaigns that raise aspiration for the brand.”
As the ABP Network commissioned the Madrid, Spain-based Saffron Brand Consultants to undertake the complete rebranding, including the new logo, on the eve of the unveiling, MxMIndia co-founder and editor-in-chief Pradyuman Maheshwari caught up with Matt Atchison, Creative Director at Saffron.
Atchison spoke about the journey of the rebranding, his views on the visual identity of other news television entities in the country and more. Atchison has been a key designer at Saffron since 2008, as a Creative Director there he has put his name to the rebranding for clients such as A1 Telekom Austria, Bankinter, BBVA, Cepsa, C&A, El Corte Inglés, Kyivstar, Megafon, Madrid Open, Raiffeisen, Swiss Re, YouTube and Volotea, among others. He has been on the jury at Cannes Lions Awards and the Kinsale Sharks Awards and a guest keynote speaker at the CXI Konferenz in Germany, A visiting lecturer at the IE School of Architecture and Design in Spain.
Wavemaker India has announced that it has retained media duties for Perfetti Van Melle. The GroupM agency has also been entrusted with integrated media duties for Perfetti Van Melle India.
Wavemaker India has been Perfetti’s media agency on records since 2006 in India. The multi-agency pitch saw participation from other leading agencies. The account will continue to be handled out of Gurugram office.
Commenting on the association, Rohit Kapoor, Director Marketing,Perfetti Van Melle India said: “Wavemaker team has been a trusted partner for nearly 14 years now and we are delighted that our partnership will start its third innings after a well-contested integrated media pitch process. Wavemaker has over the years played a significant role in our success and we hope this innings will be an equally good one for both of us.”
Speaking on the retention, Ajay Gupte, CEO – South Asia, Wavemaker added: “We are extremely thrilled to renew our relationship with Perfetti Van Melle. It is a matter of great pride to win additional mandate of integrated media and continue the traditional media mandate. I am confident with our new operating system, newer models in analytics, e-commerce and media we will be able to unlock growth and drive further efficiency to the brand”.
In addition, Wavemaker has been appointed by the sweets giant to handle the account in other main markets US, China, Netherlands – as well as in the UK, MENA, Belgium, Turkey and Indonesia – after a series of local pitches held throughout 2020. Wavemaker now handles 85% of Perfetti Van Melle’s global media spend.
On Maruti’s 37th birthday last week, our columnist and senior brand and auto industry specialist Avik Chattopadhyay goes first person
Ladies and gentlemen,
Terribly sorry for the delay in writing to all of you. Was caught up in my 37th birthday celebrations last week. It was quite something!
So many messages. So many wishes. So many memories. So many little milestones to remember. Brought a tear to my eye actually. Never realised there is so much love for me still in the hearts and minds of people around me.
A newspaper report announcing the big launch
Life has been quite a roller coaster for me. it took quite some time to conceive me. Guess my mother took her time to choose her suitor and settle down. She finally did, with my Japanese father. The early days were not the best for me. you see, I was born a bit underweight in 1983. My mother was worried about my health. People kept telling her that this sickly kid would not make it. But I gave it my best, ably shielded in my mother’s lap. A few relatives came to our support in my initial years.
By the time I was three, the tide had turned. I was a rockstar in kindergarten. The two bullies of my class were outclassed by me. The fat English one beat a hasty retreat. The slick Italian did put up a brief fight, given his extended family, but finally accepted to operate under my protection. I became a social magnet. Exams were cracked and the playground was conquered. Music and art classes were literally child’s play. I even took to the racetrack and licked it every time I stepped on to one. Teachers pampered me, the girls swooned over me and the boys wanted to be like me. school was a breeze.
I brought about a revolution of sorts. People by the thousands came out on to the streets, from all walks of life. I gave them the freedom to move, the freedom to explore, the freedom to express themselves. Being seen with me was a matter of status.
I entered college when I was only 14, having topped the higher secondary exams with record marks. Stepped out of my town for the first time. There were newer people around me, from other towns, of different shapes and sizes. But my reputation had preceded me. After all, the state had never seen such a young topper in academics and all-rounder. I held my ground. Donned a new style and new ambitions to conquer a larger world now. Gave myself flashy new colours, new clothes and learnt new tricks. I might not have been the biggest guy but was still a favourite with the crowd. Was at every happening place…concerts, parties, shopping malls, marriages…you name it, and I was there. Ubiquitous. Universal. Unanimous.
By the time I graduated, I realised that life would be getting more competitive and stressful. But my parents had never taught me to give up so easily. So, I stepped right into the professional world. Did not want to waste time on further academic qualifications. As a young lad of 18, you do not expect to get the best of jobs. You might be light on your feet, quick thinking and efficient at whatever you do but your size becomes a bit of a constraint. So, I had to plan my moves carefully. No point getting squeezed amongst the big guys without finishing my task. The early 2000s were also a turning point for India. The consumer had come of age. Life was rapidly getting global, connected and ambitious. The millions I had brought on to the roads now wanted a better experience. Quite natural of them. Life does not stand still for ever. I had to bring more millions on the roads… the ones who had never imagined so. I had to continue to be accessible and friendly. I was now this rockstar who was called in for nostalgia concerts. I knew that I could not continue this for much longer. Being on the road for twenty years non-stop does take its toll on health and constitution.
So, I had to plan my exit…slow, smooth and steady. I had to prepare the next line of command and hand over the mantle of leadership. I had identified my worthy successor. He was now four years old. A strapping young lad in whose eyes I saw myself way back in 1988. He sure was modern, with a fresh outlook but not altogether different from my DNA. The task of drawing out more millions on to the roads had to be carried on.
Some legends are born. They appear like the supernova. And then they go away in a burst of fireworks. And some legends are crafted. They take time to take shape and leave a lasting impact and a worthy successor. I happen to be of the latter type. And I have enjoyed every moment of this journey…the straights, the bends, the chicanes and the blind alleys.
The last 10 years of my life were quite uneventful. Boring, to be quite honest. Just like leaders who have crossed their prime but are forced to stay put, I was made to endure the same vegetative state. But I tried to make the most of it by a thorough handover to my successor. And enjoying some special moments like when I saw a couple of 70-year-olds ambling along India Gate in New Delhi with the words “Narain Karthikeyan ka baap!” on the rear screen. Occasions such as these make a life worthwhile. Finally, after 31 whirlwind years of bringing 2.6 million Indians on the roads, I bid adieu in 2014.
It has been six years since then. I have not had an obituary written about me. Nor an epitaph. No resting place for me. For I do not rest. I am still alive in the hearts and minds of millions. 2020 for all of you has been quite like the last 10 years were for me…waiting for it to end. For tomorrow will be better and brighter. So, here is wishing you all a terrific 2021!
Independent advertising agency celebrated its 16th anniversary last week, and invited film-maker Siddharth Roy Kapur as chief guest.
Eggfirst has clients such as Fino Payments Bank, HDFC Ergo, Bayer, and Roxx among others.
On the occasion, Ravi Banka, MD – Eggfirst said: “It’s a huge occasion for us. When I started in 2004, I did not imagine this is the scale and size we would reach. I kept taking one step at a time with a clear intention of doing good honest work. There three things that define us: Dependable, Dependable, Dependable. This is how we coined our new tagline – As good as our word. I am thrilled that the results have paid off. A huge thank you to all our clients, partners and of course, my amazing team, who have been equal contributors in this journey.”
Added Kapur: “My hearty congratulations to Ravi and the entire team. It’s not easy to have such longevity in advertising, but Ravi has shown that with commitment to your work, and genuine relationships built over years, you can scale great heights. He has a fantastic, energetic team. My best wishes to Eggfirst.”
Dentsu International has announced the merger of its celebrity, influencer, and sports marketing division – C’Lab, with its global branded content division – The Story Lab (TSL) in India. Deepak Kumar, erstwhile Director of C’Lab, will now lead the business in India as Country Head – TSL.
Deepak Kumar
Commenting on his new role, Deepak Kumar said: “‘Content is king’ is an old adage but the relevance continues. Its significance, in fact, has increased manifold during the lockdown and further fueled with the advent of newer platforms. It’s an exciting and challenging time to be in this business wherein harnessing a brand’s interest and relevance to the consumer will be the key guiding force for us.”
Haresh Nayak
Added Nayak, COO India- Media Brands, Dentsu added: “As we enter an era of simplification, this move will only help clients achieve single-window content solutions. TSL will redefine content across multi-platforms and multi-devices, offering brands immersive experiences. Our global and local experiences will only help brands to get the best of both worlds.”
Wondrlab has appointed Sandesh Shetty as Lead Integration Director – West, Experience Platform. He will report to Vandana Verma, Co-Founder and Managing Partner – Experience Platform at Wondrlab. In his new mandate, Shetty will infuse new-age thinking with conventional mediums of experiential marketing, helping clients in India’s western regions win in these spaces.
Vandana Verma
Said Verma: “Our recent acquisition of What’s Your Problem and our new operations in NCR are testimony to our growth and momentum. Bringing in experienced talent like Sandesh to support this unprecedented pace is the natural next step. His ability to understand offline experiential touchpoints and leveraging technology helps nudge products off the shelf for clients. Sandesh has the unique ability to merge the best of traditional cross-category thinking with contemporary platform-first experiential solutions. With his appointment, clients can leverage his stellar experience and expect a deep commitment toward solving their business problems.”
Shetty’s last stint was as Senior Vice President – Experiential at Arc Worldwide, and before that atsenior roles in agencies such as DDB Mudra, Ogilvy, and Kidstuff Promos.
R K Swamy Hansa has announced the elevation of S Swaminathan, Co-founder and CEO of Hansa Customer Equity (Hansa Cequity), as Executive Director – Group Strategy, from January 1, 2021, to build a ‘Total Digital’ blueprint and drive integration of its offerings for the benefit of Clients.
Commenting on the appointment, Srinivasan K Swamy, Chairman of R K Swamy Hansa Group said: “We recognised very early the rising adoption of technology and analytics in marketing and were first off the block 13 years ago on this journey. R K Swamy Hansa aims to be at the forefront of the integration of marketing communications, technology, digital and analytics. We recently opened our office in Singapore and have a presence in the US. We plan to take our offering across geographies as the blueprint gets ready.”
Said Shekar Swamy, Group CEO: “Hansa Cequity has a strong client portfolio, professional talent, and an experienced management team led by Neeraj Pratap Sangani as COO at the helm. The company is well-recognised by clients in Martech & Analytics in India. We have built strong capability across multiple disciplines in the Group. We have a compelling offering to add value to clients and their brands globally, in an increasingly technology, data-rich & digital first world. Swami is the ideal leader for this. He will continue to be on the board of Hansa Cequity and provide strategic direction to Hansa Cequity.”
The Madras Management Association and Advertising Club, Madras have jointly supported the Annual R K Swamy Memorial Lecture beginning last year. To be held on December 11, it will serve as a tribute to the veteran adperson who played a pioneering role in the growth of the advertising industry in South India.
Independent advertising agency celebrated its 16th anniversary last week, and invited film-maker Siddharth Roy Kapur as chief guest.
