MxMIndia

Category: ADVERTISING

  • Chaturvedi was formerly Head of Brand and Media at Medlife and Head of Marketing Services at Kraft Heinz

    Rajneesh Chaturvedi joins Ads2OTT as Co-founder

    By Our Staff

     

    Rajneesh Chaturved

    Ads2OTT, under the aegis of 361 Degree Entertainment & Media Pvt. Ltd, has announced Rajneesh Chaturvedi (former Head of Brand & Media at Medlife & Head of Marketing Services at Kraft Heinz) as Co-Founder. Chaturvedi will be responsible for Revenue Monetization, Product Development, Research and Marketing.

     

    Welcoming Chaturvedi on-board, Arun Tyagi, Founder, Ads2OTT said: “The demand for content streamed via OTT is increasing by the day in India. ads2OTT is committed to fulfil advertisers’ requirements for focused advertising. The exchange will specialise in helping brands, agencies and advertisers understand and navigate this revolutionary media landscape. As a successful Consumer Marketing Professional, Rajneesh knows what it takes to build scalable partnerships, connecting brands with consumers while generating ROI for advertisers across India. We are excited as we welcome Rajneesh on board to be a part of our dynamic team.”

     

    Added Rajneesh Chaturvedi, Co-Founder, ads2OTT: “With the new normal and changing dynamics of advertising, the increasing video consumption at OTT platforms has presented a great opportunity for advertisers and brands alike. ads2OTT will be an exciting and challenging journey to showcase my experience in building, scaling and making business profitable across categories. I look forward to promising times, where we define the power of OTT media advertising ecosystem with ads2OTT enabling brands, agencies & media companies to engage with consumers.

     

    Prior to joining Medlife, Chaturvedi was Head of Marketing Services at Kraft Heinz where he successfully launched the Kraft portfolio including Kraft Cheese in India. Also, he comes with a great experience while being associated with Top Global Communications Organizations- WPP Group and IPG Media brands at various leadership positions.

     

     

  • Meanwhile, Carat and Dentsu X clients will continue to access digital performance services through the Dentsu Media Scaled Services

    Dentsu merges iProspect and Vizeum

    By Our Staff

     

    Amanda Morrissey

    Dentsu has announced its intent to integrate iProspect and Vizeum to create a new media agency under the iProspect banner. Meanwhile, Carat and Dentsu X clients will continue to access digital performance services through the Dentsu Media Scaled Services.

     

    The new iProspect entity will be led by Global President Amanda Morrissey, bringing together more than 8,000 media and performance specialists across 93 key global markets.

     

    Said Amanda Morrissey: “iProspect is designed for clients at the intersection of brand and performance. We believe brand drives performance, and performance drives brand. We no longer exist in an ecosystem where these elements can be planned and bought separately. We must look at business and brand goals through a combined lens, bringing accelerated growth for our clients. By focusing on how consumers behave in their digital world and applying that to real world scenarios via a highly connected and creative use of all channels, we position our clients to combine the learnings from the short and long term to drive more effective business growth today and tomorrow.”

     

    The new agency will now be launched through a phased market plan over a three-month period with a target completion date of March 31, 2021.

     

    And how will things be impacted in India? Well, for that we’ll have to watch and wait.

     

     

  • This will be IAA India’s first physical event after lockdown

    Return of ground-level event in A&M: IAA Retrospect and Prospects in Delhi

    By Our Staff

     

    After a little less than a year, the India Chapter of the International Advertising Association (IAA) is hosting its annual Retrospect and Prospects programme in New Delhi on January 21. This will be its first physical event after lockdown.

     

    Said IAA President Megha Tata: ” This is a programme that sets the tone and pace for the year ahead. We are delighted to have Rajeev Chaba, President and Managing Director of MG Motors presenting this programme for us”.

     

    Added Avinash Pandey, Chairman Retrospect and Prospects Committee & CEO, ABP Network: ” I have been associated with this wonderful programme from its debut many years ago in New Delhi. It is an event where a top marketer presents the highs and lows of the year that was in the marcom industry and does some serious crystal ball gazing into the what the year ahead holds for the industry. A must for every senior marcom professional”

     

     

  • The objective: bring migrant workers closer to employers who are looking forward to a new pool of talent

    Big Ganga partners Lowe Lintas for KaamWapasi initiative

    By Our Staff

     

    Big Ganga, the Zee Entertainment channel, has joined hands with Lowe Lintas for its KaamWapasi that aims to cater and resolve the on-going unemployment issue amongst migrant workers in India.

     

    Prathyusha Agarwal

    Said Prathyusha Agarwal, Chief Consumer Officer, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd said: “As a responsible media & entertainment platform, we at ZEE believe in serving the community to the very best of our capabilities, coming together with like-minded partners to create extraordinary solutions. The KaamWapasi initiative in partnership with Lowe Lintas is a purposive step in that direction enabling our Big Ganga audiences to take active charge of their livelihoods for a tomorrow that’s better than the pandemic-hit today. Providing a tech-enabled tangible route to employment, we see the platform perfectly complementing the government’s efforts to fuel the economy by accelerating the unlock on a greater scale. This initiative we hope, will not only set the bar for what could be done to serve society in one the most-difficult times but would also further encourage brands and people to come together and take ownership of improving the situation.”

     

    Samrat Ghosh

    Added Samrat Ghosh, Cluster Head East, Zee Entertainment:, “The initiative in partnership with Lowe Lintas is a perfect amalgamation of what Big Ganga stands for. Staying true to our brand ethos of upholding and enhancing regional pride the brand understands that employment is a key social pillar towards ensuring the same.  The association with KaamWapasi serves as an endeavour towards the same restoring the same that caters towards the pressing issue of unemployment and bridges the widening gap between employers and workers in a tech-led effective manner. As a brand our philosophy apart from offering inspiring and aspirational content, we intend to enrich the lives of our viewers through multiple initiatives & the said initiative will help to enrich and brighten their lives.’

     

    Added Shantanu Sapre, Executive Director, Lowe Lintas: “It’s really wonderful to collaborate with a brand like BIG Ganga who has always come forward to support and help people in the hour of need. Through the KaamWapasi intiative, we are trying to re-build the strong foundation for the workers who have lost their jobs unfortunately in pandemic.  The initiative not only aims to re-connect them with urban employers but further propels growth and development in the economy taking it towards the road of recovery.”

     

     

  • He will report to Jayesh Yagnik, CEO, Moms Outdoor Media Solutions

    Moms Outdoor appoints Prashant Mishra as VP – N&E

    By Our Staff

     

    Prashant Mishra

    Moms Outdoor Media Solutions, the outdoor unit of Madison World, has appointed Prashant Mishra as Vice President – North & East.

     

    Said Jayesh Yagnik, CEO, Moms Outdoor Media Solutions: “We’re happy to welcome back Prashant to the team as VP – North & East region. Prashant comes with close to 19 years of experience armed with the knowledge of new business development, client servicing, strategic buying skills and many other aspects to help grow the business and strengthen our work in the North & East region. I look forward to working with him.”

     

    Added Mishra: “I’m excited to be back at MOMS Outdoor Media Solutions and Madison World, this time in a new role with added responsibilities. I’m looking forward to working with the team and grow the business. We have exciting times planned ahead.”

     

     

  • Any day, I will take an advertisement that clearly delivers the brand message, than one with convoluted creativity resulting in much appreciated creative but lacking clarity, writes Sanjeev Kotnala

    Sanjeev Kotnala: Fixed. Simply, Functionally & Emotionally

    By Sanjeev Kotnala

     

    Creative minds always try to find different ways to present things. It is part of their role expectation. The brands also want to Innovate and Improvise. The brand guidelines are often wrongly quoted as constraints and stifling freedom of expression. These at best, are excuses. More so when the recent campaign tries to match past brilliance. No one wants to just fix it and remain faithful to the brand’s creative language.

     

    Any day, I will take an advertisement that clearly delivers the brand message, than one with convoluted creativity resulting in much appreciated creative but lacking clarity. Simplicity is critical in such executions. Here is one of the recent example.

     

     

    1. FIXIT, REALLY FIXED IT. 

     

    The recent communication by Dr Fixit is one of the functionally loaded campaigns. Yet, it manages to deliver the message while adhering to the brand’s creative language.

     

    Fixit uses Amitabh Bachchan as Amitabh Bachchan. The script is excellent, and it even makes Big B interaction sound convincing. In the TVC, Big B asks the unaware consumers some probing questions and in the process introduces him to the right solution for roof repairs and waterproofing; Dr Fixit Roof-seal.

     

    The brand attacks the prevalent practice of using paints and patch-up as a solution for water seepage. What is creditable is that the story creates an almost perfect environment for the protagonist to give a perfectly valid answer and technical reasons. With visual support, Elastomeric Nanofiber Technology does not sound like a technology bomb. It seems a perfect explanation. It makes you believe that the brand will provide long-lasting protection against water seepage and leakage.

     

     

    FIXIT HAS BEEN FIXING IT FOR LONG.

     

    The brand retains its humorous take and tonality in its communication. There is somewhat of a questionable sarcasm like in case of Leakage ka doctor, rising star, Jodi, Leakage man  and my favourite the waterrrrr series ) Dr Fixit Roof-seal TVC. The script is sensitive to the situation—the dialogues delivered in a typical banter between the brand Ambassador and the unaware consumer. Yet, the consumer is enlightened without being embarrassed. That’s the beauty of it.

     

     

    Fixit is not the only brand that has successfully used the brand communication language to build familiarity through continuity. Here are some more examples

     

    One cannot  forget how the Happydent campaigns always bring a smile to your face. The new TVC has evolved with time and addresses a social problem, but the smile and the flash retain past campaigns’ language.

     

     

    With its Men Will Be Men series, Imperial Blue shows how a brand can stay true to its creative language. The brand does it consistently enough with not-so-subtle situations that it even encourage spoofs and customer-generated content. To me Imperial Blue along with Fevicol and Tata Tea that symbolises this consistent brand language.

     

     

     

    And while we are at it, a small reminder from MTV. Saal Khatam Khatra nahi.

     

  • Pitchfork will help build rep through multi-channel outreach

    Koo names Pitchfork Partners for comms

    By Our Staff

     

    Koo, the microblogging platform, has appointed Pitchfork Partners Strategic Consulting as its communications partner.

     

    Said Aprameya Radhakrishna, Co-Founder, Koo: “Koo has Indianised the micro-blogging format by creating an immersive language experience. Creators can now express themselves freely in their native language and users can follow them and their thoughts. We understand India’s language diversity is unique and a global solution doesn’t work for our people. We are committed to being a platform that helps create and carry the Voice of India to a billion Indians. We are happy to partner with Pitchfork to support us in our journey and take the platform’s message to a larger audience.”

     

    Added Jaideep Shergill, Co-Founder, Pitchfork Partners: “We’re delighted to partner with Koo. Our diverse experience with startups across sectors will facilitate us achieving milestones together. Technology is the need of the hour and apps such as Koo help the cause.”

     

     

  • Integrated mandate includes brand communications, influencer marketing, and creative and digital services

    Edelman to promote California Pistas

    By Our Staff

     

    Edelman has been appointed Agency of Record (AOR) to promote California Pistachios in India, distributed through the US-based The Wonderful Company. It’s actually old news… it is effective November 1, 2020.

     

    Said Rakesh Thukral, Managing Director, Edelman India: “We are delighted to partner with The Wonderful Company in India. As their communications consultants, we are committed to inspiring people with the healthy choice of California Pistachios, one snack break at a time. We are leveraging our earned-centric mindset to build powerful brand ideas and communication, backed by rich human data, inspired by culture and driven by brand purpose.”

     

     

  • H+K will manage strategic communications and drive narrative forward for brand Kingsley Gate Partners

    Hill+Knowlton bags Kingsley Gate

    By Our Staff

     

    Kingsley Gate Partners, the global executive search firm, has appointed Hill+Knowlton Strategies (H+K) as its official public relations and communications agency in India.

     

    Said Umesh Ramakrishnan, co-CEO, Kingsley Gate Partners: “We are delighted to have Hill+Knowlton Strategies India onboard as our strategic communications partner. India is one of our key growth markets and we believe with their strong experience and in-depth understanding of our market requirements, H+K will drive our narrative in a compelling manner.”

     

    Added Abhishek Gulyani, CEO for Hill+Knowlton Strategies India: “We are delighted to begin an exciting journey with Kingsley Gate Partners and manage their strategic communications in India. With committed teams and our in-depth domain knowledge and experience, H+K is well positioned to drive the desired impact and outcome for the brand.”

     

     

  • With the tagline ‘Thoughtful is Beautiful’, the Hindware TVC focuses on bathroom solutions to making life easy

    Hindware campaign woos young customers

    By Our Staff

     

    Hindware has kickstarted the new year with its new brand campaign ‘Thoughtful is Beautiful’.

    Conceptualized by MagicCircle Communications, the films redefine the category convention, treating beauty as table stakes while starting a conversation that reinforces the brand’s inherent strength of innovations through technology. Directed by Karan Shetty and produced by Fingerprint Films, the ads are centered on the playful and relatable one-upmanship of a millennial couple.

    Speaking on the campaign, Sudhanshu Pokhriyal, Chief Operating Officer, Bath Products, Brilloca Limited said: “Today, Hindware has carved a niche for itself as a relevant and trusted brand, as it has proven with time its dynamic capability to evolve with changing aesthetics over the years. It understands its consumers, and in return, its patrons trust Hindware to offer the best bathware products in India. The increasing amount of consumer data, in particular, is fundamentally changing how brands operate. This is especially true with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, where the already complex path to purchase has evolved even further, setting the scene for long-term changes in consumer behaviour that we must be prepared to address. This is expressed in our positioning direction and it guides our business decisions.”

     

     

  • It will leverage powerful insights and compelling brand strategy of Lowe Lintas to woo customers

    Whirlpool gets Lowe Lintas as agency

    By Our Staff

     

    Whirlpool recently appointed Lowe Lintas as its marketing and communications partner.

    Speaking about the agency’s appointment, KG Singh, Vice President – Marketing, Whirlpool of India said: “We are extremely delighted to have Lowe Lintas India on board as we expand and grow our India business to the next level. The digital first approach, powerful insights and compelling brand strategy presented by Lowe Lintas will help reinforce our connect with existing consumers and bring newer consumers into the care and comfort of Whirlpool. We look forward to a long and exciting journey ahead.”

    On the win, Naveen Gaur, Deputy CEO, Lowe Lintas added: “The core of the brief from Whirlpool was very clear – to help them become the category leader in coming years with a strong focus on digital. The foundation for our strategic thinking and approach included the agency’s digital tool called Intent Optimiser coupled with our capability to stitch up a hyper-bundled solution for the brand.  Our expertise of being able to bring a new age, contemporary and truly integrated solution was what won the hearts of the Whirlpool leadership.”

     

     

  • Bhuvi Gupta picks things that have caught her eye in the last fortnight

    Bhuvi Gupta: On Fesive sales, Micromax & Hooked by Nir Eyal

    Bhuvi GuptaBy Bhuvi Gupta

     

    Today’s column is a bit different from my usual deep dive into a single topic, with some thoughts from my notepad about things that have caught my eye in the last fortnight.

     

    2020 has been strange, to say the least, and I, like most, have been awaiting the festival season to celebrate and feel some joy. A sentiment shared by the corporate sector, which depends on this quarter for their profits, but this year, it’s depending on it for minimising losses. The initial reports are showing signs of recovery and buoying positive sentiment. According to data from Redseer Consulting, the first week of festive sales conducted in the last fortnight has seen an increase of 51% in Gross Merchandise Value  (from $2.7 billion in 2019 to $4.1 billion). While this is partly also fuelled by offline consumption moving online, the economy is heaving a sigh of relief.

     

    Micromax’s Comeback

    You might have seen Micromax’s relaunch campaign helmed by the CEO, Rahul Sharma.  With more than half a million people yet to go online in India, combined with the high replacement rates for smartphone for people, the smartphone categpry is and will be on fire for the coming decade at least. Every year the festive e-commerce sales also depend on smartphone sales with the category contributing upwards of 40% to the GMV. Coming back to Micromax, India’s Number 1 homegrown smartphone brand, in the relaunch video (link – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRo69b1wTNg), Rahul Sharma plays all the cards which are sure to strike a chord in the average Indian’s heart – he talks about being a middle class boy who took a loan of 3 lakh from his father to launch Micromax, but with the onslaught of Chinese smartphone makers stumbled, and lost his way, vision and subsequently market share. He touches on the ‘Make in India’ call to rouse audiences to buy the new series aptly titled ‘In’

     

    The problem of course is that the story, while compelling omits certain points Micromax built its market share on the back of great marketing.  It took China-manufactured phones and branded them as Micromax devices. As a result, because of a lack of R&D, the after-sales service and support was negligible – a weak point which all the China mobile behemoths took full advantage of to wipe out market share (and rightly so, after-sales service is crucial for an essential device like a phone). He also forgets to mention his marriage to Bollywood/ Kollywood/ Tollywood star Asin, which makes his description of the middle-class boy-next-door a little hard to stomach, as these descriptors no longer hold true.

     

    While the majority of the market is oblivious to these facts, and these points will work, I am sure it will give competition to the Chinese behemoths which control the smartphone market for a large part today.

     

    Hooked by Nir Eyal

    The advent of the internet has brought with it great changes in marketing in the last decade. A key differential of the digital evolution as compared to the TV evolution is how understanding consumer behaviour has become easier. This in turn has lead to building products, which fit target audiences better. The concept is beautifully explained in my latest read, ‘Hooked’ by Nir Eyal.

     

    Eyal has explained the consumption process through a four step model – a internal trigger like a frisson of anxiety or external trigger such as an ad, which leads us to the action of logging into social media like Facebook or Twitter, which through previous interaction, we know will reward us by showing us our posts which has been liked, or content which is of interest to us, thereby assuaging our anxiety.

     

    Such feedback loops help in establishing habits, which make these products so addictive. The fourth quadrant which focuses on ‘Investment’ explains why such habits are so hard to break – users invest time and build a community of friends and followers which feeds these feedback loops and creates stickiness to the platform.

     

    While the book focuses on digital products like Facebook, the concepts can be applied to other industries and products. All in all a great read on understanding consumer behaviour and psychology.

     

    That’s all from me today. Do share if you have read ‘Hooked’ or whether I have inspired you to pick up a copy.

     

    Bhuvi Gupta is a marketer with over 10 years across industries, of which the last six have been in Media & Entertainment. She has been a part of many launch marketing campaigns – specifically at the Times of India group, Republic TV and the latest in marketing a Bollywood film. She will write on A&M (mostly marketing, but often on advertising too) every other Tuesday. Her views here are personal. She tweets at @bhuvigupta3