We love the Amul topical advertisements. Not just for the creatives, because in many ways they capture the mood of the nation, as well as touch upon critical events. Presenting what we think are the pick of the Amul topicals of the year. Twenty-one of them? Or perhaps a few more
By Our Staff
Madison Media has just announced that the agency has appointed Kumar Siddharath to lead its entertainment unit, Mates. Mates will be integrated within Madison Media and will focus on brand solutions including in-film associations, celebrity associations, and other ancillary services related to entertainment, content and branding. Siddharath will report to Vikram Sakhuja. Former Founder & CEO of Mates, Sooraj Bhalla has decided to pursue other interests.
Bhalla was responsible for steering the company towards gaining industry leadership position and post his 17-year journey with the organisation, he sets to complete his term on December 3, 2021.
Having started his career as an assistant director to Rajkumar Santoshi, Bhall worked on blockbuster projects like Andaz Apna, Damini, Ghatak and Barsaat. Further, he was Executive Producer of Hindi feature film – Shararat starring Abhishek Bachchan, Amrish Puri etc. After procuring prolific experience in content production and direction, his first independent venture – TeamWorks -was bought out by Balsara to create Mates.
Said Bhalla: “So far, my focus has been to work towards driving impact for clients and touch an emotive chord with consumers with the power of content and communication. In this next chapter of my professional life, I am looking forward to taking these years of rewarding experience with Mates and continue delivering value through the various channels of communication in the content space,”
With over 14 years of experience, Siddharath has worked with companies like Endemol, UTV, Viacom 18, Reliance Broadcast Network, Optimystix Entertainment, and other productions houses where he has produced big shows including Roadies and created AFPs for brands like HUL, Hero, Idea and Woodland amongst other brands.
Said Sakhuja: “I am excited to have Siddharath join our team and provide our clients’ brands content solutions and further strengthen our Madison Media offering, all under one roof.”
Added Siddharath on joining Mates, “I am excited to join Madison and look forward to creating a lot of interesting brand solutions that help our premium roster of clients create magic and meet their business goals.”
By Our Staff
Independent digital marketing agency AdClear has bagged the digital mandate for Value Research, an investment research company that empowers savers to invest wisely and achieve their lives’ financial goals.
As part of the mandate, AdClear will be handling the entire digital marketing duties which include Social, SEO and Performance – this with the objective of giving the brand a robust online presence that will help it conquer new markets and move younger audience towards planned investment.
Said Dhirendra Kumar, CEO, Value Research: “Value Research has been guiding Indian investors since 1990. We are embarking on an ambitious plan to reach a substantially larger investor base with our unique perspective. We have chosen Ad Clear to help us with digital initiatives encompassing brand knowledge and growth.”
Commenting on the win, Gurbir Singh, CEO, AdClear added: “Value research is the most trusted name in India when it comes to investment advice. Its opinion is rooted in deep research, 29 years of experience and an inclination towards simplifying complex financial choices. Being financially wise early reaps great benefits in the long run and we see a great potential for growth not just in the mature audience but also the young earners. We are excited to partner Value Research and help it inculcate better financial decisions in a large but not yet fully tapped market.”
By Our Staff
The RedInk Awards for Excellence in Journalism is to be held at a virtual event this evening. Chief Justice of India NV Ramana will deliver the keynote address and will honour the 31 awardwinning journalists.
The awards will also showcase a discussion on ‘Covid, and its impact on news media’, which will be coordinated by journalist Faye D’Souza. Other participants include Siddharth Vardarajan, Co-Founder and Editor of The Wire, and L P Pant, National Editor of Dainik Bhaskar. The winners’ list in the print/digital and video categories in 12 competitive categories will be declared.
Meanwhile, the coveted RedInk Awards for Lifetime Achievement has been bestowed on senior journalist and author Prem Shankar Jha for his “long and distinguished career of incisive and analytical writing”. Danish Siddiqui, who was the Reuters Chief Photographer based in India, has been posthumously awarded the ‘Journalist of the Year – 2020’ for his spectrum of investigative and impactful news photography.
The RedInk Awards for Excellence in Journalism, instituted by the Mumbai Press Club, have special significance this year as they mark their 10th edition of peer recognition for excellent writing and good journalism. The RedInk Awards were instituted a decade ago to recognize good investigative and feature writing and raise the bar of journalism in the country.
The title sponsor for the event is Zee Entertainment Enterprises (ZEEL). Other supporting sponsors include Indiabulls Housing, L&T Financial Services, Aditya Birla Group, Adfactors PR, Viacom18, and Glenmark Pharmaceuticals.
The virtual event will be hosted on Facebook from 7pm, and one can register at https://experiencenext.in/RedInkAwards2021/login.html to gain access to the event venue as well as to a variety of archival material and sidelights. The event can also be viewed at https://www.facebook.com/mumbaipressclub.
By Sanjeev Kotnala
The yearend is right at the corner. 2022 is waiting to be welcomed. It went fast like the shortened IPL season, and you never could anticipate what would happen next. Oh yes, there were trendwatchers (not analysts) fishing in the chaotic world trying to make some sense of it. They knew everyone was for themselves and that predicting a trend was becoming dangerous. And even if one did pick the right trend, predicting when it would hit the shore and with what capacity was challenging. Predicting a typhoon and tornado was decidedly more straightforward.
I was born in the last week of December, and here is the riddle with the date. ‘Three days here or there- the world celebrates with me’. The yearend is a new beginning in more ways than one. So, I am unsure if I should smile and celebrate surviving another year or cautiously welcome the future uncertainties with all hope and smile.
Pressure Plates
The tectonic plates of Human Needs, Desires, Ambition, Greed, Love for Simplicity and Certainty have been rubbing against Fear, Anxiety, Complexity, Chaos and Uncertainty plates. All this is happening in an unstable ecosystem of uncertainty, scalability, digital technology-induced euphoria, job unsustainability, climate changes, Covid pressure, vaccination, immunity studies, conspiracy theories, religious zeal and regionalism fuelled by interested stakeholders. Something is going to give way soon. And what form will the resultant earthquake take is anyone’s guess.
Media Games
The media has been at its games. The lobbies and the puppeteers are clearly identified. Believability is dependent upon your loyalties and pre-existing POV. You and I, like everyone else, is already in a reverse spiral spin.
Accelerated Radicalisation
We are being sucked deeper and deeper into fixated ideologues. Arena where it is my way or no way. Unknown to us, we are getting radicalised.
We further help and accelerate the process with our over-dependent on the digital and social media world. A world that knows you better than your parents. And may better predict your reaction to a stimulus than you could.
Identifying fake news or harmful propaganda will be a colossal task in the future. Will digital provide a solution to the Bhasmasura it has created?
Artificial and Alternative intelligence, along with the machine learning capabilities, may soon be giving birth to the real android. And with that, the future unpredictability and uncertainties will spike.
In search of purpose
Purpose or no purpose, intended or unintended, overt, or covert- it seems everyone in the universe is seeking one. Technology is seeking purpose, so are the brands, and humans have been seeking meaning from time immemorial.
People without a defined life purpose keep defining the brand’s purpose, despite knowing they no longer own the brand.
Yes, when purpose resonates like the twin twining forks in a physics experiment, they get amplified. However, the range of this resonance is way limiting. And, hence, believe that the business should and must keep growth, revenue, and ROI in focus, and treat purpose as one of the arrows it has in its quiver and not the only one. Because the purpose is higher up in the chain. Needs and wants at the primary level still need to be satisfied first. A 10-minute delivery may only matter to those who can afford to buy and experiment.
However, I must remind all that life on planet earth can be purposeful without living or chasing a stated- discovered- at times crafted purpose. Be true to yourself in every way possible and do justice to your potential. Purpose can take care of itself.
Digital Tsunami
Like digital and digital currency and wallets, OTT had a good year. More converts are deserting the earlier love: television. Print is still holding. However, the OTT space is overcrowded, and niche play is not the answer. I do not see OTT behaving like television and following price correction, original overloads, exclusive deals, genre dominance, and focus on availability, accessibility, acceptability, and affordability. This is another tectonic plate that is under pressure and set for disruption. The How and what is unknown.
Long live the agency
The agency model is changing. In many ways, advertising is dead. However, there is still scope for a group of professionals who know their business well. Who sees themselves as a business contributor and not merely a communicator, storyteller, or advertising? The business is getting redefined, and the more it does- the more it will remain the same- Brand Creators- Brand custodians, Brand evolvers.
The war of consideration set
Irrespective of technology price wars and delivery timelines, return policies and other interventions, the human mind will continue to gyrate towards the three-four brands in the consideration set. The top brands in any business real or number lead will continue to make over evaluated and have disproportionate revenue and market share.
It may be advisable to be the strongest brand in smaller geographies, addressing a viable not necessarily a niche need than be one with marginalised shares across geographies. The dominance will be further fragmented across categories, and it will be price and geographic area dictated. Irrespective of the life-cycle stage, degree of dominance, stronger and vital chain management, or employee’s satisfaction- no brand will remain immune to business volatility. Hence, a brand must seek expansion and extension of its value and association.
India Dies. Bharat Rises
The unnecessary ill-defined polarisation of Bharat and India will continue to be pushed by consultants and Marketing managers. While they will start being more dependent on micro-market schemes, Geo-targeted brand communication is more and more in the language of relatability. India will die a niche death, and Bharat will emerge- one nation with many territories in market terms. More zones and regions will get redefined and recharted under a digital socio-cultural geographical divide.
Micro-influencers for impact
The influencers will have ore role to play. At some places, they will become the mini brand ambassadors and, at times, the brand ambassadors. The OTT celebrity and even regional sports person and personalities will find their role in the brand and marketing world.
Ignore at your own cost
The brand will find that they are more and more in a market full of scattered market forts across categories, willing and well equipped to defend against the rebels and disrupters. No longer will the giants take any disruption at face value or ignore than as business unviable. They will drive innovation, disruption and even Jugaad. Guerrilla warfare and moment marketing will continue to be debated. And few desperate brands will even adapt and properly manoeuvre and execute a controversy as a marketing strategy.
Back to basics
People have blamed westernised lifestyles and the pursuit of materialistic dreams for decaying emotions and relationships. They realised and accepted the need for interdependence. Thus, recognising the need for a healthy body and mind more than anything else. Finally, believing in the legacy of lineage – transferring of culture and heritage. A substantial upsurge of patriotic feelings will be reshaping the thoughts of people. A potpourri of mixed emotions and redefined needs will start shaping the ideas. And hence return to basics of Vegetarianism, Yoga, Healthy food, saving for the future, investing in family, taking care of elders, and working family life balance will happen. The ethical use of technology and data privacy will take centre stage.
Uncertainties will certainly win
The year 2022 will remain in flux with uncertainties and recoveries; hence the idea of these thoughts will find support, but I expect them to really flourish by 2023 or 2024. Undoubtedly, uncertainties will multiply, and emotions will be further stretched. Technology will keep disrupting life. And naysayers will keep asking for concrete proof of reality.
By Our Staff
Ferns N Petals, flower and gifts retailer, has recently appointed Mullen Lintas Delhi to handle its creative duties. The agency will be responsible for the brand’s strategy and creative output.
Commenting on the association, Sai Thota, Head – Digital Marketing, Ferns N Petals said: “The forthcoming campaign that we are currently working on is a landmark one in the journey of Ferns N Petals towards an accelerated growth. Since it is a very important campaign, we have partnered with Mullen Lintas, one of the best creative agencies in the country. We are very confident that this association is going to help Ferns N Petals to get into the next orbit of growth.”
Added Hari Krishnan, CEO, Mullen Lintas: “We are seeing an accelerated evolution across many traditional product categories. Business models are pivoting to keep up with the dynamic environment around us where D2C brands are emerging faster than mushrooms. At such a juncture, to partner a brand like Ferns N Petals to chart it’s future journey is an exciting challenge and we look forward to it.”
By Our Staff
Grapes marketing agency has appointed Partha Sengupta as the Creative Director. He will be based out of the agency’s Delhi office and will report to Shradha Agarwal, Chief Operating Officer and Strategy Head at the company. Sengupta will be responsible for the agency’s creative output for brands.
Speaking on the appointment, Shradha Agarwal, COO and Strategy Head, Grapes, said:“We are pleased to welcome Partha to the team. He comes with years of creative experience in the advertising fraternity and is a great asset to us as he holds impeccable expertise in conceptualising and executing creative ideas for brands. I am confident that he will continue to be an amazing leader, he brings not just the experience but the kind of enthusiasm and passion he entails has inspired us. I am sure he will deliver astonishing work, and I could see an exciting time for the agency.”
Partha Sengupta, Creative Director, Grapes, added: “I am extremely excited and ready for the new and exhilarating journey at Grapes. Advertising gives me the scope to solve problems for brands through design, art, and creative strategy. I look forward to working with the teams and assisting them to deliver creative solutions for our clients.”
By Our Staff
GroupM, WPP’s media investment group, released its second annual survey on consumer attitudes toward technology in the U.S last week. The results reveal increased concern about sharing personal data, declining interest in buying the latest tech products sooner rather than later, and greater numbers of people confused by technology and its promises overall. Conducted by GroupM’s Audience Origin (formerly LivePanel) in December 2021, this proprietary research surveyed one thousand U.S. consumers on their attitudes toward technology across six general categories: attitudes toward technology, information sharing and privacy, virtual reality-based devices and services, smart appliances, mobile devices and digital services, such as visual search, streaming audio and streaming video.
Survey respondents indicated some material shifts in sentiments around privacy, with greater numbers of people concerned about the use of their data online, fewer willing to share data associated with health trackers or allow smart appliances to automatically refill consumables. Fewer households now believe it is important that they are equipped with the latest technology and greater numbers profess to being confused by new technologies – which we can see in responses to questions regarding VR and AR device access or 5G access – with more saying they will wait until technology becomes cheaper before purchasing devices. Of more direct importance for the advertising industry, a shrinking majority of respondents (73%) said that they would accept having to watch commercials in order to maintain a lower monthly bill for streaming video services versus 76% in last year’s survey.
These trends reinforce the importance of data privacy to consumers and its implications for marketers—including the need to go above and beyond in securing consent from consumers when collecting or otherwise working with their data-to ensure that consumers experience real benefits from the use of that data and to always be mindful of how third-party data used in campaigns has been aggregated. The results also suggest that marketers could benefit from creating more clarity around how their technology products work and their practical benefits for consumers.
Finally, the increasing willingness of consumers to pay to avoid advertising in streaming video services reflected in this survey strengthens GroupM’s instinct that, over time, advertising will become a diminishing feature in this channel. This highlights the challenges that marketers will increasingly face in using TV for reach and frequency-based goals in the future: it will be increasingly important for marketers to either more directly manage TV budgets alongside their spending on UGC-based platforms such as YouTube or to look at the use of TV differently, managing budgets for related campaigns more directly alongside those intended for sports, culture, music or other event sponsorships.
Highlights of the research:
1. General attitudes toward technology. 51% of respondents agree with this statement: “It’s important my household is equipped with the latest technology” versus 54% in our survey last year. 32% of the population somewhat or completely agreed that new technology “confuses me” in the new survey versus 28% last year. 73% agreed that they “wait until technology becomes cheaper before considering a purchase” versus 69% last year.
2. Information sharing and privacy.77% of respondents strongly or somewhat agree with the statement “I worry about how companies use my personal data online” in our most recent survey, up from 72% in last year’s survey. 51% of respondents believe that only they should have access to health-related data from fitness trackers. The comparable figure was 55% in last year’s survey. As with last year, only a small share of the population believes that the company that made the device or software should have access (5.4% this year versus 6.9% last year).
3. New services and devices: VR/AR, 5G and Smart Device-Based Consumables. Virtual or Augmented Reality: 32% of respondents claimed to own a VR or AR device in our most recent survey, with 15% claiming they are likely to buy such a device in the next 12 months. Consumer perceptions of what, exactly, such a device is may not be commonly shared, as last year 39% claimed to own one, with 22% planning to buy one. Looking at 5G devices, 60% of respondents said they have a 5G device such as a mobile phone that can connect to a 5G network, up from 49% last year. Among the 40% of the population without a 5G connected device, more than a third expect to acquire such a device this year. As with VR/AR, consumer understanding of 5G may not fully match the reality of the product, as third-party estimates of shipments of rates of 5G devices in the United States major U.S. carriers imply substantially lower figures. In the world of smart devices, 31% agreed that they would like a home appliance to “automatically order replacements when I am running out of related products” (i.e.: a washing machine ordering new detergent or a refrigerator ordering food). By contrast, the comparable figure was 48% last year. While it is possible the driver of this sentiment change is related to a lack of satisfaction with related products, we also note that this trend is coinciding with greater concerns around privacy illustrated above.
4. Advertising trade-offs on streaming services. Asked, “If it meant a lower monthly bill for your streaming services, how likely would you accept having to watch commercials?” 73% agreed with this statement in our newest survey versus 76% last year. Access to ad-free or ad-lite subscription services remains high, consistent with data observed through public filings made by the operators of streaming services.
By Our Staff
Havas Group India has appointed Sumeer Mathur as National Planning Head & Managing Partner, Havas Worldwide India – the creative agency of the group with immediate effect.
Mathur will be partnering Manas Lahiri, Managing Director and Ravinder Siwach, ED & NCD of Havas Worldwide (Creative) and collaborate with key clients including Reckitt, Citroën, Dabur, Suzuki, William Grant, Tata and Harman (JBL) among many others. He will be based out of the Gurugram office and report to Rana Barua, Group CEO, Havas Group India.
Talking about this appointment, Barua said: “The last two years have been game-changer for Havas Worldwide India. We have been relentless, focused and committed. This led to exponential growth, effective partnerships, and addition of several marquee clients. We need to now build a strong integrated leadership team that aggressively takes this growth mandate ahead. With Sumeer, Manas, Ravinder, Arindam, Prashant, Geet and all the other leaders forming the core team, it will further fuel our growth and empower us to deliver meaningful, ROI-centric marketing solutions for our clients. I am confident that Sumeer will drive this mandate quite effortlessly.”
Adding further, Bobby Pawar, Chairman and Chief Creative Officer, Havas Group India, said: “The meaningful difference we make to our client’s business through our differentiated products, digital-led strategic solutions and engaging storytelling, is what led us to the top league in the industry. Sumeer will drive this further. Throughout his career, Sumeer has worked with strong business teams, delivering tangible business results. His keen interest in understanding what drives culture, what motivates consumers, and how digital technologies are reshaping brand interactions will add a tremendous value to our strategic planning function.”
The Advertising Standards Council of India, the self-regulator body set up advertisers, advertising agencies, media companies and others in media ecosystem, has come up with a report titled ‘What India Takes Offence To’.
Based on 1,759 complaints against 488 advertisements over the past three years, ASCI undertook a deep dive to identify trends in such complaints in order to deconstruct not only the messaging that was found objectionable, but also the articulation of the complaint along with desired action asked for.
There are six broad patterns of triggers:
Socially undesirable depictions for commercial gains: Some ads were seen to reinforce depictions of society that perpetuated unhealthy practices or beliefs for the sole purpose of commercial gains. For example, ads that promote stereotypes such as fair skin, certain body shapes or ads that create undue pressure on parents and kids in the field of education.
Inappropriate for children: This category had ads, mostly viewed at prime-time, that seemingly provoked children’s interest in ‘adult life’, particularly in the idea of sexuality and physical intimacy. The complainants were largely embarrassed or concerned parents.
Ads where people seemingly crossed cultural boundaries: Depiction in these ads seemed to cross boundaries set by society or to make fun of what was considered sacred in our culture. Individualist depictions, particularly of youth and women, were key triggers. Many ads that showed intergenerational dynamics in non-traditional ways were also considered problematic by some people.
Advertising mocking men: Ads where men were depicted in a negative or poor light, even in humorous or introspective ways, were considered offensive by some.
Hurting religious sentiments: Ads portraying mixed religious narratives, depictions of new interpretations of traditions or the use of religious and cultural motifs in a humorous manner became a trigger point. Complainants questioned the intent of the ads and felt the need to guard against ‘conspiracies’.
Depicting unpleasant realities: Everyday realities, when depicted in an in-your-face manner, triggered complaints from consumers who preferred a more sheltered and ‘civilised’ version of realities. Showcasing death, raw meat or blood tended to raise the hackles of these complainants.
Said Manisha Kapoor, Secretary General, ASCI: “Being in direct touch with the complainants gives ASCI a unique vantage point to understand what people find offensive in advertising. We are sharing these insights with our stakeholders to help advertisers plan campaigns better and be more cognizant of consumer sentiment.”
Added Subhash Kamath, Chairman ASCI said “At ASCI, we believe our role is not just to police the narrative but to also constantly add value to the industry by guiding our members towards more responsible advertising. These kinds of reports, along with initiatives like our ‘Advertising Advice’ service will help the industry a lot in that direction.”
The report can be accessed at https://ascionline.in/.
By Our Staff
Havas Media Group India has announced the elevation of Uday Mohan to the role of President and Chief Client Officer, effective immediately. Mohan will continue to report into Mohit Joshi, CEO, Havas Media Group India. Mohan has spent 14 years with Havas Media
Said Rana Barua, Group CEO, Havas Group India: “We have been consolidating the senior leadership teams of each of our agencies. Going forward, these leaders will not only drive our business growth but will further fortify our vision of integration, enhance our reputation, and help secure greater milestones and accomplishments. Uday’s experience and client partnerships make him the apt leader to drive this for HMG India with Mohit’s vision.”
Added Joshi: “I have completed 15 years with Havas Media Group India, while Uday has spent 14 years. Uday is a friend, partner and key to the resurgence of the Media Group in the last few years. He has been working closely with me and the leadership team to turn around Gurugram operations into one of the largest in India; and in scaling up the Mumbai operations by forging strong client relationships, wins with marquee clients such as Tata Motors CVBU, TVS Tyres, ACC and Ambuja Cement among others. I look forward to his continued support and leadership”.
Commenting on his new role, Mohan said: “I have spent a long innings with HMG India and witnessed the agency go through several transformations. However, the innovations, integration and collaborations in the past three years have been unprecedented and put us in the top league in the country. I thank the group for empowering with newer challenges and look forward to working with the leadership team, many wonderful clients and colleagues, launching newer expertise, to consolidate our strengths further.”