MxMIndia

Category: ADVERTISING

  • The question bothering me is the question that I am sure is bothering all brand managers: How did Mumbai Mirror as a brand gain from this event?

    Hard Knocks: Did the flash mob benefit MM?

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Good event idea from Mumbai Mirror, they organized a flash mob dance at Churchgate station with Tamil star Dhanush in tow. Not a very original idea, you have to say, because the event simply married the two viral sensations of the year… the Kolaveri video and the CST flash mob dance. Still, an event worth organizing for a city tabloid. Especially because of its appeal to young Mumbaikars.

     

    The question bothering me is the question that I am sure is bothering all brand managers: How did Mumbai Mirror as a brand gain from this event? Okay, they ran a cover story on it, but that edition will be tomorrow’s fish paper (as it happens to all akbaars), so where does it go from here? Even if the event goes viral, which is what the brand manager of the newspaper might be hoping for, how does it build the Mirror’s own brand image? What return on investment did they get on the venture?

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”200″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nABTOlE8avE[/youtube]

    Here’s a link to the video and you would notice someone else has hi-jacked the party, and after many views I could not spot the Mumbai Mirror branding anywhere. In fact, I spotted translites of other brands in the background, those already present at the Churchgate station. The least the Mirror team ought to have done was to flood the station with their creatives on the big day.

     

    I don’t know the answers, quite frankly. What I do know is that riding the net viral bandwagon is a great idea for brand marketing. At a relatively low cost, it can get you instant access to millions of consumers. But how does one ensure the brand remains the parent of the videos? That it gets paid back for its investment? I really think these answers need to be found before brand managers start salivating over this fantastic new medium.

     

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    PS: Haha. Deadly press release from Droga5,New York. Wonder if the local media fell for it. In India, I am quite certain, something like this would have been promptly published.

    Link: http://www.droga5.com/pressrelease/

  • The publishers of the Deccan Herald are either being very brave. Or very foolish. Either way, let's wish them luck. They'll need loads of it.

    Anil Thakraney: Deccan Herald’s Mission Impossible

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Having learnt to live a life in India where just about anything is possible, nothing ever unnerves me. But I must say I woke up on Sunday morning to rather shocking news, it totally rattled me. No, not that Anna Sahib is going on another fast (that’s no news, really), but that Bangalore’s Deccan Herald has launched a Delhi edition. To be honest, I am still reeling from this totally sensational khabar.

     

    Here are few reasons why the Deccan Herald simply CANNOT be undertaking this suicidal mission: One, newspapers are closing down all over the world. And India, because of its massive reading population and a continuous flow of new readers, will survive this danger for some more years. But closures will happen, it’s only a matter of time. In fact, quite ironically, Deccan Herald’s foray into Delhi comes close on the heels of Mid Day’s closure out there. Given that, prudence lies in beefing up strong editions and putting all the resources into your main markets, so that the demise can be postponed as much as possible. One would imagine that the proprietors of the Deccan Herald would go all out to spruce up their Bangalore edition. And what do they do? They go to Delhi! Wow!

     

    Next. Delhi is a very crowded newspaper market, and it’s pretty much dominated by the very deep pocket wallahs, the TOI and the HT. It took the Times many years and lots of moolah before it could manage to eat into HT’s market share. And there are other cash rich players too. In this fish market scenario bravely trots in the low profile southern Deccan Herald, hoping to make a dent in the market. And from what I know, owners of the DH aren’t exactly loaded like the owners of the TOI and the HT, so they will always struggle to get noticed.

     

    And finally, what sort of freshness can the DH bring to an alien territory? The name ‘Deccan’ itself cues south of India. Why would a Dilliwallah be interested in finding out from a southie what’s going on in his backyard. And where he must wine and dine. Makes no editorial sense at all.

     

    Well, all I can say is that the publishers of the Deccan Herald are either being very brave. Or very foolish. Either way, let’s wish them luck. They’ll need loads of it.

     

    ***

     

    PS: Some of the more enterprising ex-O&M guys organised an agency reunion in Mumbai last week. To catch up and mark David Ogilvy’s 100th centenary. Was fantastic meeting the old boys and gals, it felt like homecoming. I must say this: no reunion brings me as much joy as the one with the Ogilvy gang. Not school, not college, not other organization reunions. Must be Sir Ogilvy’s magical touch. Can’t think of another reason.

     

    Anil Thakraney is a Mumbai-based columnist and commentator and is a former adman and editor. He is Editor-at-Large, MxMIndia. The views expressed here are his own.

  • Most people find it galling to hear about Yuvi's chemotherapy sessions on the news channels, and watch this particular commercial during the break. In the light of such a strong backlash, I think the advertiser must pull the ad.

    Anil Thakraney: Why Birla must pull the Yuvi ad

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    I have always appreciated Birla Sun Life’s campaign, the one which has cricket players speaking out about their insecurities, much like we ordinary mortals do. The ads look real and they find the mark. It’s quite scary to watch celebs worry about their future. Because this means we aam aadmis and aurats should be really alarmed over what lies ahead, given our meager resources.

     

    However, things have changed a bit with the new Yuvraj Singh commercial in which the player worries about his career in the context of the cancer scare. Many have called the ad opportunistic and insensitive. I agree with that view point. But I have a slightly different take, and I mentioned that when I reviewed this particular TVC for mxmindia. Which is that if Yuvi does not have an issue with the use of his tragedy for commercial reasons, that should be fine. I mean, if the man at the center of the whole issue is cool, then so should we be.

     

    Having said that, it’s abundantly clear that many people don’t agree with my view. I have read and heard many negative reactions on Birla Sun Life’s ad. Most people feel it is deeply insensitive and off-putting, and find it galling to hear about Yuvi’s chemotherapy sessions on the news channels, and watch this particular commercial during the break. In the light of such a strong backlash, I think the advertiser must pull the ad. Because while it’s good to be an aggressive, cunning brand manager, one has to know where to get off. Being perceived as insensitive is too much of a risk to take for an insurance company. Or for any brand for that matter.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”200″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kl1ujzRidmU[/youtube]

    Here’s a suggestion for Birla: Drop the ad immediately. And wait. Sooner or later, Mr Fighter will recover and he will be back on the cricket field. It is THEN that the advertiser and their ad agency should swing into action. And create an ad where Yuvi speaks of his ill health, the fears he experienced, and the subsequent joy and relief on recovery. No one will object to that. We all like happy endings.

     

    Net net: Drop the ad, dear Birla Sun Life. It’s not worth it.

     

    ***

     

    PS: Funny and dark at the same time. This video is an example of how Facebook has strained the relationship between parents and their deviant teenage children. This guy’s reaction is rather extreme… still, a must-watch for today’s parents.

     

  • Apollo Munich Health Insurance launched 'Optima Restore', an 'Unbelievable' health insurance product in this unique way

    Apollo makes it ‘snow’ in Chennai

    By A Correspondent

     

    Apollo Munich Health Insurance launched ‘Optima Restore’, an ‘Unbelievable’ health insurance product in a unique way. To bring this offering closer to the people of Chennai, Apollo Munich conceptualized an unbelievable event where the people of Chennai experienced “snowfall in Chennai” at the Express Avenue Mall on February 19.

     

    Mudramax, the agency partnering Apollo Munich in their ‘Unbelievable’ concepts, came up with an execution whereby it snowed in Chennai, a city which has never seen snowfall! An innovative pre-event hype promotion saw promoters distributing Apollo Munich branded balloons with ‘Snowfall in Chennai’ written on it, as invites. Radio also acted as an invite medium to drive people in hordes to the event!

     

    On the day of the event, the team created a maze-like structure through which people could explore their way to the main event, to experience snowfall – for most of them, this was the first time in their lives that they experienced something like this. A snow machine threw imitation snow around an igloo throughout the day, attracting crowds who not just experienced it, but took home the experience, through their mobiles and cameras, to share with others.

     

    To round off the snowfall effect, the team also got them to play a game of skiing on the large screen, using a motion sensing game. Speaking on the event, Mandeep Malhotra, President and Head Mudra Max (OOH, Experiential, Retail) said: “That the event was a huge success can be seen by the number of people who participated. For a mall event to reach out to more than 100,000 people over the weekend is rare. Needless to say, the brand delivered on its promise of offering the ‘Impossible’ to the people of Chennai and I am indeed happy that I was present here personally to experience the same”

     

    Speaking about Optima Restore and unbelievable ‘Snow in Chennai’, Antony Jacob, CEO, Apollo Munich Health Insurance, said: “For the past four years, Apollo Munich has brought to the marketplace, unique and innovative products. Optima Restore is the latest and most exciting with the presence of two unbelievable benefits.”

     

  • With the negative approach, Bajaj shows the market leader in a poor light, and in this testosterone-charged product category, such an approach will work.

    Debrief: Bajaj Discover: From Hero to Zero

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Looks like The Hindu’s new campaign is going to unleash an avalanche of ‘beeps’ in Indian advertising. No, not to camouflage swear words, but to trash rival brands without naming them. So, all fun and no legal tensions.

     

    The latest brand to discover the beep sound is Bajaj Discover. In their ad, they have attempted to project the rival brand (read Hero) as the one meant for those who settle for the second best, buggers who compromise in life. The TVC contains testimonials from such people. One guy says he deliberately bought a slower bike so that his boss does not get the impression that junior wants to overtake him. A young lady says she asked her hubby to buy a thakela bike because now that the chap is married, he doesn’t need to show off. ‘Chalta nahin, daudta hai’, is the message.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”200″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyp1QECfas4[/youtube]

    Strategically, the commercial makes sense. With the negative approach, Bajaj shows the market leader in a poor light, and in this testosterone-charged product category, such an approach will work. At the very least, it would make bike buyers give Bajaj Discover a nice try before they make up their minds on the brand of choice. Another good thing is the fresh use of the testimonial route. Usually, consumers are made to sing paeans for the advertising brand, but in this case testifiers are people who bought the rival brand.

     

    The only weak part is the treatment. The situations and the overall direction is too laidback and dheela. Surely they could have executed the whole idea with a lot of flair and excitement. The Hindu ads scored better on this parameter.

     

    Rating: (On a scale of 1 to 5): 3. Not really a ‘heroic’ effort but chalega ji!

     

  • DID viewers can pick up the phone and give a Missed Call to vote for their favourite contestants

    One missed call to vote for DID 3 participants

    By A Correspondent

     

    We all have hopes. It’s what equips us to deal with life’s trials and tribulations. Each one of us has endless hopes….It’s this ‘Umeed’ that keeps us going.

     

    Zee TV’s dance reality show, Maruti Suzuki Presents Dance India Dance will be shortly announcing its Behtareen Terah (13) contestants. And the key decision has been thrown open to the janta. Voting is our fundamental right and if we can vote for free to choose our government, then why should we spend money to vote for our favourite reality show contestants?

     

    Taking this thought forward, Zee TV has made the entire voting process in reality shows free of cost. DID viewers can pick up the phone and give a Missed Call to their favourite contestants.

     

    The thought of giving audiences an opportunity to choose the winner of a reality show through a public voting system, as a concept, was initiated by Zee TV for the very first time in 2003 for the show, Zee Cine Stars Ki Khoj.

     

    After that, the concept of ‘one mobile- one vote’ was introduced during the time of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Singing Superstar in 2010, to avoid duplication while counting of votes made from the same number.

     

    Now, the channel has devised a method which nullifies the entire debate about voting being a money making mechanism between the channel and the telecom companies! The Missed Call voting system devised by Zee TV in Dance India Dance Season 3 will ensure that there’s no fallacy in choosing a winner and will also erase all doubts about the existence of any benefits to the channel in the voting process. The channel will incorporate the same in its future reality shows as well.

     

    “With DID Season 3 – Voting Free, we are aiming for never before achieved viewer’s participation in the show. With this voting system, every unique missed call will be counted as one unique vote thus making the janta janardan, the true adjudicator in deciding the fate of our show.  Technology is helping us value the viewer’s point of view even further. The decision of free voting is a welcome change to those who have hitherto refrained from participating owing to extra charges for an SMS to special numbers! There can be nothing more transparent than this mechanism in the decision of choosing the final winner of any reality show on ZEE TV,” said Akash Chawla, Head Marketing, National Channels, ZEEL.

     

    Here’s how the mechanism works: Every contestant in the Behterein Terah has been designated with an unique number. All a viewer has to do is dial that number and after one ring, the call gets disconnected automatically. The viewer gets an acknowledgement message that his vote for the particular contestant has been registered. In one week, a viewer can vote for a particular contestant only once. However he can vote for multiple contestants in the same week. The best part is the viewers can call to vote their favourite contestant even with zero balance. The mechanism has already assisted in choosing the Wild Card entrants of the show.

     

    Dance India Dance has always believed in exploring unique initiatives on a large scale to build its brand equity. Be it the grand Carnival that was conducted on the streets of Mumbai during DID Season 2 or the unique ‘Dance Mobs’ that were conducted in malls, multiplexes, railway stations and streets of Mumbai and Delhi during the launch of DID season 3 or the very recent Licensing & Merchandizing deal that the show has done with apparel giant Reebok to further build the brand.

     

  • From romance-tinted stories to scary thrillers, virtual relationships to the nuances of multicoloured Mumbai, there’s something for every listener!

    Team Mirchi takes off, leaving behind a giant storybook for listeners!

    By A Correspondent

     

    In a unique concept, Radio Mirchi 98.3 FM’s listeners will get an exclusive chance to enjoy some thrilling stories left behind by the Mirchi team as they go on a chutti. From romance-tinted stories to scary thrillers, virtual relationships to the nuances of multicoloured Mumbai, there’s something for every listener!

     

    The Mirchi team is off on a holiday to the land of sun and sand…Goa! And in their absence, the station is going to take on a whole new avatar as different ‘kahaanis’ with different flavours will be played out on various shows, complete with songs, recaps and sound effects.

     

    Celebrities like Vidya Balan, Bipasha and R Madhavan will be on-air as well to add to the thrill! Mirchi’s unique programming initiative promises to hold the listeners spellbound with its innovative content.

     

    On Dheemi Local, tune in to ‘Samir aur Khushi ki Kahaani’, where the protagonists realize the many differences between them once they fall in love. Will Samir and Khushi be able to overcome the many obstacles to achieve happiness?

     

    Get a scoop of classic chill and goose bumps on the Mirchi airwaves as Sunset Samosa will play ‘Sushant ki Kahaani’, where Sushant will find out if ghosts exist or not.

     

    On Mumbai’s popular morning show, Hi Mumbai, Mirchi listeners will witness the extraordinary story of Pankaj and Aarti caught in a loveless arranged marriage. Their story takes an unexpected turn as Pankaj is attracted to an enigmatic girl sitting in a rickshaw and follows it.

     

    Purani Jeans will take on a romantic yet mysterious trip with its story of Shreya and Ankit. The enigma will be palpable on the Mirchi airwaves as the story unfolds through the eyes of a man who starts weaving stories in his imagination around the couple.

     

    Love, drama, tension, thrill and many such emotions will unfold on Mirchi, as the various kahaanis from the Mirchi Storybook will be played on air till February 20.

     

  • Tune in to catch your favourite stars on February 26th at 8pm only on MAX!

    10 years of Max Stardust Awards

    By A Correspondent

     

    Max, the premium Hindi movies and special events channel, is bringing for the audience an unforgettable night with the 10th Kamla Pasand Max Stardust Awards 2012 on February 26 at 8pm. This award ceremony is a salute to the new talent of the film industry.

     

    This year the awards are even more special as Kamla Pasand Max Stardust Award celebrates its tenth year and pays a tribute to Hindi cinema.

    The evening will witness many entertaining acts by hosts Vir Das, Kunal Roy Kapoor and Shreyas Talpade and some scintillating dance performances.

     

    Shahid Kapoor will enthrall the audience with his performance on a medley of hit songs including ‘Munni Badnam Hui’; Bollywood beauties Kareena Kapoor and Bipasha Basu will dance to the songs of their latest movie releases and Anushka Sharma will sway to the tunes of evergreen Hindi songs.

     

    The ever-ravishing Rekha will bring the evening alive with her harmonious singing to the tunes of ‘Oo La La’ as she receives a special MAX Stardust award: “Role model of the industry”.

     

    The lavish sets for the awards have been infused with archaic and arty structures ofParis, including the iconicEifelTowerand coupled with lasers, special effects, lighting and acoustics.

     

    The winners list:

     

    New Talent Awards

    Superstar of Tomorrow:

    Male: Ali Zafar (Mere Brother Ki Dulhan)

    Female: Parineeti Chopra (Ladies vs Ricky Bahl)

     

    Breakthrough Supporting Performance

    Male: Vidyut Jamwal (Force)

    Female: Poorna Jagannathan (DelhiBelly)

     

    Standout Performance by a:

    Music Director: Krsna (Tanu Weds Manu)

    Lyricist: Ashish Pandit (Dhinka Chika/Ready)

     

    New Musical Sensation

    Male: Ash King (Te Amo/Dum Maaro Dum)

    Female: Neha Bhasin (Dhunki/Mere Brother Ki Dulhan)

     

    Best Debut Producer: Atul and Alvira Agnihotri (Bodyguard)

    Best Debut Director: Ali Abbas Zafar (Mere Brother Ki Dulhan)

     

    Achievers of the Year

    Drama

    Best Actor: Hrithik Roshan (Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara)

    Best Actress: Vidya Balan (The Dirty Picture/ No One Killed Jessica)

     

    Comedy/Romance

    Best Actor: Akshay Kumar (Desi Boyz)

    Best Actress: Anushka Sharma (Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl)

     

    Thriller/Action

    Best Actor: Ajay Devgn (Singham)

    Best Actress: Bipasha Basu (Dum Maaro Dum)

     

    STAR OF THE YEAR

    Male: Salman Khan (Ready & Bodyguard)

    Female: Vidya Balan (The Dirty Picture & No One Killed Jessica)

     

    Dream Director: Rohit Shetty (Singham)

     

    Film of the Year: The Dirty Picture

     

    Stardust Searchlight Awards (Small Budget, High Concept Films)

    Best Actor: Gulshan Grover (I Am Kalam)

    Best Actress: Shraddha Kapoor (Luv Ka The End)

    Best Film: Ragini Mms

    Best Director: Tigmanshu Dhulia (Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster)

     

    Style Icon of the Year: Deepika Padukone

     

    Pride of the Industry: Tanuja

    Role Model of the Industry: Rekha

     

    Max,India’s No. 1 Hindi Movie channel, backed by Sony Pictures Television International (SPTI), provides its viewers with the biggest and best of Hindi Movies and Special Events. It is the exclusive broadcaster of the world’s biggest entertainment extravaganza, the DLF Indian Premier League (DLF IPL). Some of the on-air movie properties of Max, such as ‘Ab Tak Bachchan’, ‘Maha Movie’ and ‘Mera Movie’ have become a staple diet of millions of viewers across India. Max has also been widely acclaimed and distinguished in the media marketplace with a host of awards recognising leadership and marketing excellence.

     

  • GroupM clinched this position, backed with a string of people initiatives in talent management, attraction and retention

    GroupM awarded 2nd Best Employer Brand 2012

    By A Correspondent

     

    GroupM, the leading media planning and investment agency of the country, was awarded the 2nd Best Employer Brand of India 2012, on February 18, at the Employer Branding Awards. GroupM improved its last year ranking of 7th to 2nd this year. Backed with a string of people initiatives in talent management, attraction and retention, GroupM clinched this position beating several biggies of the corporate world!

     

    GroupM bagged awards in most of the categories, making them one of the top contenders for the top 2 spots. GroupM was given Awards in Innovation in Recruitment, Talent Management, Excellence in Training, Best HR Strategy in line with Business, Innovative Retention Strategy, Excellence in HR through Technology, Continuous Innovation in HR Strategy at Work, Global HR Strategy and Innovation in Career Development.

     

    “It has become a cliché to say that people are our strength. At GroupM we are proud to walk the talk on this truism. We have been investing steadfastly in talent development. It feels wonderful to move from 15th to 7th to the 2nd best employer brand over the past three years”, said Vikram Sakhuja, CEO, GroupM, South Asia.

     

    “GroupM’s HR team has worked relentlessly over the last 3 years, working towards building a nurturing culture and innovation in Human Resources practices, walking alongside the business,” said Sonali Vaidya, Human Resource Head for GroupM India.

     

  • It would hurt Dr Vijay Mallya's pride if his pet project got killed. But there's no place for ego and emotion in business

    Anil Thakraney on 9 reasons why KFA must shut shop

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Dr Vijay Mallya is in no mood to entertain talks about shutting down his messy airline. He is a proud man, and it would hurt his pride if his pet project got killed. But there’s no place for ego and emotion in business, every die hard dhandhewala knows that. Here’s why I think it’s better to ground Kingfisher Airlines Limited (KFA).

     

    1. Dr Mallya doesn’t get this business at all.

     

    2. Running an airline is not the same thing as running a liquor company. Or sailing on a private yacht. Or anchoring Page 3 parties. Or owning an IPL cricket team.

    Totally different sets of rules apply.

     

    3. Kingfisher’s continuing crisis has badly hurt Dr Mallya’s own image as that of a man who can do no wrong. This is damaging his credibility as an industrialist.

     

    4. Because it’s a brand extension, the airline’s very poor image in the market could harm UB group’s cash cow beer brand, Kingfisher Lager. It’s not a risk worth taking anymore.

     

    5. Even if Dr Mallya decides to run KFA as a totally low cost, zero frills airline to slash operating expenses drastically, it will backfire as this strategy doesn’t gel with the stated brand position of ‘Good Times’. So it makes no sense to be around from the marketing point of view either.

     

    6. The huge inconvenience and financial losses Kingfisher has been causing to thousands of flyers across the nation because of cancelled flights will have seriously eroded brand preference. And this situation in the hospitality industry has a cascading effect. Loyalty once lost is very hard to gain back. Just to give you can example: GoAir once cancelled a flight I was booked on at the nth hour, and I have sworn never to touch them again.

     

    7. The KFA staff is highly demotivated. I don’t even want to discuss the ramifications if the airline’s maintenance engineers don’t do their jobs with care.

     

    8. There’s not much hope in his son and heir to the throne, young Sid Mallya. The way he dives into verbal clashes with aggrieved KFA flyers on Twitter is a clear indication that the dude does not fit in with the service business.

     

    9. Dr Mallya doesn’t get this business at all.

     

    * * *

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”200″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuiEKm5dDrY[/youtube]

    PS: Not a very recent commercial, but a must watch in case you missed it. Super one from Playstation. Fantastic understanding of the target audience, and totally exciting creative.

     

     

     

  • The Bridgestone World Series Hockey will be held from February 29 to April 2, and will involve 200 leading players – Indian and international

    Bridgestone is title sponsor of World Series Hockey

    By A Correspondent

     

    Bridgestone, the world’s largest tyre & rubber manufacturing company, has come on board as the ‘Title Sponsor’ of World Series Hockey (WSH), the biggest-ever hockey league in the world.

     

    The Bridgestone World Series Hockey will be held from February 29 to April 2, and will involve 200 leading players – Indian and international – who will showcase their talent in 59 matches and vie for the biggest prize money hockey tournament in the world.

     

    The 8 venues for the inaugural edition of the league are Bengaluru, Bhopal, Chandigarh, Chennai, Delhi, Jalandhar, Mumbai and Pune. Chandigarh Comets will face-off against Bhopal Badshahs in the first tie of the tournament on their home ground.

     

  • Pavan Varshnei, President, English language publications at Ananda Bazar Patrika (ABP), has decided to move on

    Pavan Varshnei quits ABP, hands over to Kaushik Banerjee

    By A Correspondent

     

    Pavan Varshnei, President, English language publications at ABP, has decided to move on with Kaushik Banerjee, Vice President of the ABP group, taking additional charge with effect from March 1, 2012.

     

    Pavan Varshnei joined ABP in 2008 to run Businessworld, and set up and launch Fortune India. Prior to joining ABP, he was the Publishing Director of the Business Division at the India Today Group and was credited with rapidly expanding the portfolio. He identified new segments and successfully launched four new publications: Scientific American, Harvard Business Review, Men’s Health and BT More. He also negotiated a joint venture with Germany’s Axel Springer Group to launch Auto Bild India.

     

    Before joining the IT Group, he was executive vice-president at Lintas India. He spent 14 years at Lintas, working across several Unilever brands, Maruti Suzuki, Electrolux, Joyco, Wills Lifestyle and Sony Ericsson. At Lintas, he also served as head of insight and oversaw the AOR (agency of record) media business for Bajaj Auto, Idea Cellular, UTI, Pantaloon and Parle Agro. Varshnei is a Chevening scholar from the London School of Economics, UK. He graduated from St Stephen’s College, Delhi, and holds an MBA with distinction from the Asian Institute of Management, Manila.

     

    Mr Kaushik Banerjee joined ABP in 2007 and oversees all SBU activities of Anandabazar Patrika. Armed with 15 years experience in sales and marketing, he had a long stint at Titan Industries, where he was instrumental in launching their range of alarm clocks in India. Thereafter, he moved to Duncans Industries Ltd in Calcutta, becoming the marketing head for their packaged tea division.

     

    After a short stint at Bombay Dyeing, he joined Idea Cellular Ltd. He them moved on to the Murugappa group where he became Vice-President, Sales and Marketing, working with the bathroom products and travel divisions. Mr Banerjee is a mechanical engineer from Jadavpur University and is an alumnus of IIM, Lucknow. The move took place earlier this month and an internal communique was sent out. Mr Banerjee is likely to relocate to New Delhi from Kolkata and Mr Varshnei has not yet revealed his plans for the immediate future.