MxMIndia

Category: ADVERTISING

  • Talks about role of financial planning in scripting one’s Bounce Back

    HDFC Life’s latest brand campaign

    By Our Staff

     

    HDFC Life has launched its latest brand campaign, Bounce Back.

    Said Pankaj Gupta – Senior EVP (Sales) and CMO, HDFC Life: “The pandemic has tested us all, creating an atmosphere of uncertainty.  Individual confidence has been low and the feeling of financial insecurity has been higher.  The importance of life insurance to protect oneself from financial setbacks was reinforced during this period of human history. The most important thing these times have taught us is the importance of family and the need to secure our family’s future.  Our latest brand campaign celebrates the indomitable human spirit and how financial resilience helps one to overcome challenges”

    Added Rajdeepak Das, CEO & Chief Creative Officer – South Asia, Leo Burnett: “The past year has made everyone realize that setbacks can come at you most unexpectedly. But these tough times can also present the opportunity to pivot to a better future. However, the only way one can embrace these changes is when you are financially secured and well planned. This thought is poignantly put across in our film which narrates the tale of a couple’s success and takes us back in time when life dealt them an unexpected setback and how they overcame it. This campaign is the perfect extension to the brands ‘Bounce back’ narrative and takes a cue from the steadfast Indian spirit of resilience.”

     

     

  • The guidelines for influencers advertising on digital media will be available for all stakeholders, including industry, digital influencers as well as consumers for feedback till March  8, 2021

    ASCI to have guidelines for influencer advertising post April 15

    By Our Staff

     

    The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) has released draft guidelines for influencer advertising on digital media. The guidelines for influencers advertising on digital media will be available for all stakeholders, including industry, digital influencers as well as consumers for feedback till March  8, 2021. Based on the feedback and inputs, the final guidelines will be issued by ASCI by 31st March, 2021. This guideline will be applicable to all promotional posts published on or after April 15, 2021.

    Said Subhash Kamath, Chairman, ASCI: “The digital space is vast. However, promotional content is often indistinguishable from regular posts. Consumers have the right to easily recognise promotional content. The guidelines will help consumers identify promotional content and also guide digital influencers. We look forward

    Draft Guidelines for influencer advertising on digital media 

    1) Advertisements must be obviously distinguishable by the average consumer from editorial and independent user-generated content, to prevent the audience from being confused between the two. Therefore, a disclosure label must be added from the list of approved labels. Only permitted disclosure labels will be considered as adequate as consumers may not be familiar with various creative ways in which advertisers and influencers may wish to convey that the said communication is an advertisement. Examples of such advertisements could be paid music promotion in a video, promoting a store or a brand through a post on the influencers media handle

    2) The disclosure label used to highlight advertising content needs to be upfront (within the first two lines of any given platform, such that a consumer need not click on see more or have to scroll under the fold), prominent (so people don’t miss it), appropriate for the channel (what can you see and when) and suitable for all potential devices (it needs to be visible regardless of the device used, or platform such as website or app etc.).

    3) The disclosure label must be in English or translated into the language of the advertisement in a way that it is well understood by the average consumer who is viewing the advertisement.

    4) Blanket disclosures in a profile/bio/about section will not be considered adequate because people visiting the site might read individual reviews or watch individual videos without seeing the disclosure on another page

    5) If the advertisement is only a picture post such as Instagram stories or Snapchat, the label needs to be superimposed over the picture and it should be ensured that the average consumer is able to see it clearly.

    6) In the case of video not accompanied by a text post, the disclosure label should be superimposed on the video in a manner that is easily visible to the viewer. For videos that last 15 seconds or lesser, the disclosure label must stay for a minimum of 2 seconds. For videos longer than 15 seconds, but less than 2 minutes, the disclosure label stays for 1/3rd the length of the video. For videos which are 2 minutes or longer, the disclosure label must stay for the entire duration of the section in which the promoted brand or its features, benefits etc are mentioned. In live streams, the disclosure label should be placed periodically, for 5 seconds at the end of every minute so that users who see part of the stream can see the disclosure.

    7) In the case of audio media, the disclosure label must be clearly announced at the beginning and at the end of the audio.

    8) Filters should not be applied to social media advertisements if they exaggerate the effect of the claim that the brand is making- eg. makes hair shinier, teeth whiter etc.

    9) The influencer must do their due diligence about any technical or performance claims made by them such as 2X better, effect lasts for 1 month, fastest speed, best in class etc. Evidence of due diligence would include correspondence with the advertiser or brand owner confirming that the specific claim made in the advertisement is capable of scientific substantiation.

    10) It is recommended that the contractual agreement between advertiser and influencer carries clauses pertaining to disclosure, use of filters as well as due diligence

     

    Ready Reckoner for Social Media Platforms

    1. Instagram: Disclosure label to be included in the title above the photo/beginning of the text that shows. If only the image is seen, the image itself must include the label

    2. Facebook: Include the disclosure label in the title of the entry or post. If only the image/video is seen, the image/video itself must include the label eg FB story

    3. Twitter: Include the disclosure label or tag at the beginning of the body of the message as a tag

    4. Pinterest: Include the disclosure label at the beginning of the message.

    5. YouTube and other video platforms: Include the label in the title / description of the post.

    6. Vlog: Overlay the disclosure label while talking about the product or service

    7. Snapchat: Include the disclosure label in the body of the message in the beginning as a tag.

    8. Blog: Include the disclosure label in the title of the post.

  • An ode to the millions of uncrowned and unsung beauty queens

    Lowe Lintas films for Blue Heaven

    By Our Staff

     

    Blue Heaven Cosmetics recently released an advertising campaign conceived by Lowe Lintas Bangalore. The minute-long film brings out the brand’s proposition – Don’t miss any opportunity to express your beautiful self.

    Said Amit Chopra, CEO & MD, Blue Heaven Cosmetics: “Over the last 45 years, Blue Heaven has enabled Indian women to express their beauty through its range of makeup products. Today, makeup is more than an occasional phenomenon, and Indian women are celebrating their beauty in everyday micro moments. Our new campaign, “O Beauty Beauty!”, is an ode to these beautiful women who make the most of their everyday life. Lowe Lintas understood the pulse of our customers and helped us connect better with them. We believe that the new campaign will help us deliver not just a great advertisement but effective business results.”

    Added Puneet Kapoor, Regional Creative Officer, Lowe Lintas: “Blue Heaven makes great contemporary makeup solutions available to every woman across India. This film is an ode to the millions of uncrowned and unsung beauty queens found in every locality and pin-code of the country. It celebrates the expression of the most spirited everyday moments in their lives, as if there were a grand, non-stop makeup party happening across the country every day, whose proof can be found in the 15 seconds of fame playing on insta-reels (earlier tik-tok) generation.”

     

     

  • Call for ‘Brands and Consumers: 2021 and Beyond’

    ISA to organise webinar

    By our Staff

     

    The Indian Society of Advertisers is organizsng a two-part webinar titled ‘Brands and Consumers: 2021 and Beyond’.

    Said Sunil Kataria, ISA Chairman: “ISA is the apex body, successfully representing the interest of the advertising fraternity for nearly 70 years. The World has gone through a very difficult Covid period during 2020. This sad event has significantly impacted all the brands and consumer behaviour. It’s the time to review and more importantly, understand the learnings and the way forward both in the short term as well as the long term. Over the years, ISA has been organizing knowledge seminars/webinars for the benefit of the ecosystem of advertisers and marketers. Continuing the same, our next 2-part webinar series focuses on the issue most of us are facing: Brands & Consumers-2021 and beyond. We bring you leadership views and strategies from across both the manufacturing and the services sectors.”

     

     

  • With ASCI’s guidelines falling in place by April 15, the onus is now on the ecosystem to make it a success, writes ASCI, both brands and influencers now have a reference to ensure that they are responsible in their messaging

    Influencing the Influencers, finally

     

    By Bhuvi Gupta

     

    Bhuvi GuptaI have long held a strong belief in the power of Influencer marketing (as regular readers of this column would vouch). Digitisation and connectivity has changed marketing forever and Influencer marketing is the sweet love child of this new media – it’s part Celebrity advertising (influencers with large followings become celebrities), word-of-mouth (influencers are relatable, hence their recommendations seem to come from a friend), branded content (product placements and content marketing) and pure play advertising.

     

    Influencer marketing is here to stay and which is why I was enthused to hear that the (Draft) ASCI Guidelines for Influencer marketing, which have been in process since 2019 have been released.

     

     

    The guidelines are available for all stakeholders, including industry, digital influencers and consumers for feedback till March 8, 2021. Based on the feedback, the final guidelines will be issued by March 31 and will be applicable to all promotional posts published on or after April 15, 2021.

     

    Manisha Kapoor
    Manisha Kapoor

    I joined a freewheeling chat that Manisha Kapoor, Secretary General, Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) had with the MxMIndia editor and it helped me understand the thought process behind drafting the guidelines. Sharing an overview of my thoughts and a few points of feedback which can get incorporated before the guidelines are finalised. The highlights of our conversation and my thoughts ar:

     

     

    Who will take the fall?

     

    One of our major points of discussion was around the roles of the platform and agencies which form crucial parts of the current ecosystem. In the current draft regulations, the onus of the responsibility lies only on the influencer and the brand. ASCI has already onboarded a few major platforms on their board and hopes to also partner with other major platforms and agencies to disseminate the guidelines.

    From a managerial perspective, this is perfect. However, digital platforms unlike traditional platforms like TV and Print run on algorithms with low human intervention. This means that content gets served a multitude of times to people dependent on the influencer’s engagement, followers and other weighted parameters (parameters which are only known by the platform and are tweaked constantly basis multiple feedback loops). Hence, beyond the influencer and the brand, the platforms also ideally should be held responsible because they control the spread of the message.

     

    The Influencer Agency

     

    Influencer agencies are the newest agency type to hit the agency marketplace. As influencers mostly wear multiple hats like scriptwriter, actor, director, editor and costume designer, the influencer agency is part-celebrity management and part-media agency.

     

    The role of these agencies is primarily to be responsible for deals they broker for influencers and to help brands partner with relevant influencers for their campaigns and to ensure speed in execution and content quality. ASCI will be using these agencies as a means to reach and educate influencers. Agencies typically work on commissions and will charge a percentage from the brand and from the influencer as well. However, by putting all the responsibility of the due diligence on the influencer, the role of the influencer agency is severely limited to being only a vanilla middleman. Whether or not it becomes a part of ASCI’s official guidelines, for survival, agencies must provide these services to influencers.

     

    The Question of the Disclosures

     

    One of the best directives of the guidelines was the prohibition of filters in case they emphasise the claim the brand is making.  [Filters should not be applied to social media advertisements if they exaggerate the effect of the claim that the brand is making – like makes hair shinier, teeth whiter etc.] It is no secret that using the augmented reality and editing features (available easily on smartphones today) can dramatically alter your features. For influencers whose sphere of influence and impact is contingent on their credibility and trustworthiness, using augmented reality for a before/ after to promote a product to a trusting audience is more unfair than a photoshopped celebrity in an ad, because the audience trusts the influencer is real and just like them. This is hence a step in the right direction to minimise the pressures of fake imagery on consumers. Beyond filters, a declaration about whether images have been edited should also be added to this directive to ensure transparency

     

     

    Damage control, Punitive Measures & their Efficacy

     

    Manisha Kapoor mentioned that while ASCI is a self-regulatory body and doesn’t have the authority to take punitive action, the compliance rates with ASCI decisions have always been over 90% and they expect the same compliance for these influencer guidelines. In terms of any wrongdoing, or misleading advertising, they expect influencers to carry corrigendum announcing the error while taking down the content.

     

    While mistakes will happen, because influencer content on social media gets reposted and reshared there will have to be some social media platform involvement to ensure takedown of the misleading content and the review cycle may need to be speedier as ASCI’s review of misleading advertisements follows a schedule.

     

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    One of the biggest positive takeaways of our conversation with the ASCI Secretary General was that the entire industry has welcomed this step because the influencer ecosystem has been disorganised and self-regulated till now. With clear guidelines to follow in place, both brands and influencers now have a reference to ensure that they are responsible in their messaging.

     

    ASCI also recognises this is just the first step in creating a regulatory framework for a digital marketplace that is evolving at breakneck speed and the framework will adapt as the ecosystem evolves.

     

    This was a much-needed and long-awaited framework for the industry and I am excited about the creation of a more transparent digital ecosystem.

     

    While stakeholders are very enthusiastic about the self-regulatory mechanism falling in place, a lot rests on them to make a success of the guidelines when they come into force on April 15.

     

  • To lead creative mandate as national Creative Director

    FoxyMoron appoints Dhruv Warrior

    By Our Staff

     

    Dhruv Warrior
    Dhruv Warrior

    FoxyMoron has appointed Dhruv Warrior as National Creative Director. In this role, he will be leading the creative mandate for the agency’s clientele. Dhruv will be reporting into Pratik Gupta and Suveer Bajaj, Co-Founders of Zoo Media and FoxyMoron.

    Said Gupta: “Dhruv exuberates creative energy and has the qualities of a leader that can create inspired and well-rounded teams. Our vision of being a global agency network aligns with his global & Indian exposure. He has an exceptional track record of delivering exceptional creative campaigns across markets and we are truly excited to have him on board.”

  • As head of design will build competitive advantage in the region

    Conran Design Group Mumbai appoints Mayuri Nikumbh

    By Our Staff

     

    Mayuri Nikumbh
    Mayuri Nikumbh
    Lee Hoddy
    Lee Hoddy

    Conran Design Group Mumbai has appointed Mayuri Nikumbh as Head of Design. In her new role, Nikumbh will be responsible for creative stewardship for clients in the region and will lead the creative vision for Conran Design Group, Mumbai. Conran is part of Havas India.

    Said Lee Hoddy, Executive Creative Director, Conran Design Group: “The branding and design industry in India is growing at an extraordinary rate, providing a huge opportunity to innovate across a broad range of client sectors and categories. We are delighted to welcome Mayuri to Conran Design Group. With her passion for great design, breadth of experience and cultural understanding of the market, Mayuri will support the growth of our offer and help us to build competitive advantage in the region.”

     

     

  • With the tagline ‘We Cover India. You Discover India'

    Club Mahindra launches campaign to up travel

    By Our Staff

     

    Club Mahindra recently launched a new 360-degree campaign titled ‘We Cover India, You Discover India’.

    Said Pratik Mazumder, Chief Marketing Officer, Mahindra Holidays & Resorts: “With the launch of this campaign, we aim to inspire people to experience the unmatched offerings that India has to offer to travellers. Club Mahindra’s unique proposition, allows the traveler with an opportunity to discover India like never before. At Club Mahindra, our focus is to redefine the holiday experiences of our guests. Being present across 60+ resorts at various destinations along with 2000+ unique experiences, we want people to explore India through Club Mahindra”.

  • Rebrands itself with new logo and tagline

    Elanpro unveils new brand identity

    By Our Staff

    Elanpro (Elan Professional Appliances) has unveiled a new logo and tagline. The new logo is also supported by a tagline – ‘The Commercial Refrigeration Experts’ which embodies the brand’s quality of delivering innovative, world-class and consistent quality products.

    Said Ranjan Jain, Managing Director, Elanpro said, “Being one of the key differentiators in the industry, we stepped forward to redefine our brand positioning. Built on three strategies – offering innovative and transformative products, excellent customer services and upholding trust among its stakeholders, we at Elanpro evolved our vision and mission and redesigned the logo. The newly created logo along with its tagline is synchronized with our defined brand positioning. With expanding our presence in all the major cities and developing an impressive infrastructure and offerings to our end customers, we look forward to establishing and sustaining our brand identity for a longer term”.

  • Assures 4 dot mosquito protection for kids

    Good Knight rolls out new digital film

    By Our Staff

     

    Goodknight launched a new digital film for Goodknight Fabric Roll-On. The film is conceptualised by Wunderman Thompson Mumbai.

    Said Sunil Kataria, CEO – India & SAARC, Godrej Consumer Products Ltd (GCPL): “As normalcy is returning, kids have started to go out to play with all necessary precautions of masks, sanitizers etc. Parents have also said that kids are also more aware and responsible about the situation when they step out. However, the threat is not just about COVID; it is about any disease that you can be exposed to when you are playing outside, particularly mosquito-borne diseases during this season change. Through this digital film, we want to position Goodknight Fabric Roll-on as a must-have precaution and reiterate it is to be used before sending kids out so that they safe from mosquitoes. Just like it is important to use a mask and sanitizer outdoors, it is also important to use Fabric Roll-on against the threat of mosquitoes and mosquito-borne diseases.”

    Added Steve Priya, VPs and Executive Creative Directors at Wunderman Thompson Mumbai: “There is no one more happier than children, that the world is returning back to normalcy. Kids everywhere are thrilled that they can finally step out and play once again. Of course moms are being extra careful by making sure that kids wear masks, carry hand sanitisers and maintain social distancing. But to be fully protected outside, it’s equally important to maintain social distancing even from mosquitoes that spread dengue and malaria.  We want to make using Goodknight Fabric Roll On an essential habit, so kids can always step out and play truly fearlessly!”

     

     

  • To be national buying head

    Zenith India appoints Ramsai Panchapakesan

    By Our Staff

     

    Ramsai Panchapakesan
    Ramsai Panchapakesan

    Zenith India has appointed Ramsai Panchapakesan as National Buying Head. He will be incharge of the company’s pan-India media operations, working within Publicis Media’s investment practice, PMX, to leverage scale and clout in the local marketplace.

    Said Jai Lala, COO – Zenith India: “We are continuously strengthening the media buying vertical at Zenith and with the on-boarding of Ramsai Panchapakesan we are confident of reaching our evolving objectives. He has been a steady force behind establishing the business process in sales and buying functions across his clients in the industry. His work experience and solutions-oriented approach will add great value to our organisation.”

    Added Panchapakesan: “I am excited to be a part of Zenith and I look forward to the new role. With my core expertise and skillsets, I look onward to bring significant value to the company.”

     

     

  • To enhance understanding of fertility challenges, treatment and awareness

    Hill+Knowlton to partner with Art Fertility Clinics

    By Our Staff

    Art Fertility Clinics appoints Hill+Knowlton Strategies (H+K) as its official integrated communications agency in India following a competitive pitch. The mandate will encompass three major services, Social Media, ORM and PR, to handle the launch of their clinics around the country to enhance understanding of fertility challenges, treatment and awareness of ART Fertility Clinics.

    Said Vinesh Gadhia, CEO, Art Fertility Clinics India: “We are pleased to appoint Hill+Knowlton Strategies India as our integrated communications partner. As we embark upon a new journey in India, we believe with their strong experience and capabilities, H+K will be able to drive our narrative in a compelling manner and build brand trust.”

    Added Abhishek Gulyani, CEO for Hill+Knowlton Strategies India: “We are delighted to begin this journey with ART Fertility Clinics. ART comes to us at a very exciting time given the recent introduction of H+K’s robust Content and Publishing Strategy specialism to India and healthcare being one of the top priority sectors for the government of India – including plans to more than double spending on healthcare in the next fiscal calendar. Our Content and Publishing Strategy specialism is built on the idea that content and where it is placed should be based on consumer behaviour and it spans the entire paid, earned, shared and owned model. By marrying this philosophy with H+K’s award-winning healthcare expertise, we believe H+K is well positioned to provide sector specific, innovative and integrated solutions to drive the desired impact and outcome for the brand.”