MxMIndia

Category: ADVERTISING

  • Prior to this, Shukla was with Publicis India as Executive Creative Director

    Dentsu Creative appoints Ajeet Shukla as Group ECD

    By Our Staff

     

    Dentsu Creative has appointed of Ajeet Shukla as Group Executive Creative Director. He will report into Aalap Desai, Chief Creative Officer, Taproot Dentsu and Isobar India. Prior to this, Shukla was with Publicis India as Executive Creative Director.

     

    Speaking on the appointment, Desai said: “Right now, Dentsu Creative is a wonderful work in progress. It’s this time when you need the right people to join in and add to building it. Ajeet fits that profile on every count. His body of work is brilliant and his attitude and love for the business are contagious. I am glad to have him on board for the journey.”

     

    Added Shukla, “The bigger the challenge, the bigger the opportunity. And I am thrilled to take the opportunity in this role. It would really be amazing to work in such a great creative environment filled with the best of the creative minds in the industry. I really look forward to doing some great work here.”

     

  • WARC downgrades expectations as economic slowdown bites and social companies stal

    Global adspend to rise 8.3%, but growth to slow significantly in 2023: WARC

     

     

    By Our Staff

     

    Global advertising spend is on course to rise by 8.3% – or $67.3bn – to $880.9bn this year, reports WARC, lifted by a positive first half for holding companies and a boost from cyclical events in the second, most notably the US midterm elections and the men’s FIFA World Cup in Qatar this November. Market growth is then set to ease significantly – to 2.6% – in 2023, as investment is inhibited by cooling economic conditions and third-party cookie blocking online.

     

    The new projections, based on data from 100 ad markets worldwide, amount to a downgrade of 4.3 percentage points (pp) to 2022 growth and 5.7pp to 2023’s prospects, compared to WARC’s previous global forecast in December 2021. Taken together, the new forecasts represent a reduction of almost $90bn in growth potential for the global advertising market this year and next.

     

    Advertising holding companies – which serve many of the world’s biggest brands – have recorded a positive start to 2022, with all major firms upwardly revising forward guidance for the year ahead. Conversely, small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs), who largely buy ad space directly, are bearing the brunt of worsening economic conditions. A slowdown in SMB advertising activity will impact social media companies most – a sector already struggling to grapple with the impact of Apple’s new privacy measures. WARC expects social media ad spend to rise 11.5% this year (compared to +47.1% in 2021) then ease to just 5.2% in 2023 – the slowest rate yet for the sector.

     

    Aside from businesses, consumers are also feeling the squeeze of soaring price inflation. This is particularly true among low earners for whom energy and food costs comprise a higher proportion of income. Wealthier consumers, however, have seen the value of their assets appreciate in recent years and are more likely to have received above-inflation pay rises – spending intentions among high earners remain bullishly positive per Deloitte monitoring. Sectors like technology & electronics (+11.5% in 2023), pharma & healthcare (+7.5%) and household & domestic (+6.5%) are expected to post healthy increases in advertising investment to capture any available disposable income.

     

    Social media’s $40bn shortfall

    Apple’s move to block third party cookies across its 2bn devices – which are used by 12% of the global population (860m people) – has already had an adverse impact on the social media companies which rely on third party data, most notably Facebook-parent company Meta.

     

    WARC believes that Apple’s privacy push – aside Google’s delayed move to block third party cookies from its Chrome browser (66% global market share) – will remove close to $40bn from the bottom line of these social media companies over the course of this year and next. A recent survey of over 1,500 practitioners for WARC’s Marketer’s Toolkit found that only a third (34%) of respondents felt fully prepared for a post-cookie advertising market.

     

    Meta recorded its first annual decline in advertising income during Q2 2022 and WARC believes its full year growth will be flat over the forecast period, as the Instagram platform stymies ongoing losses from the core Facebook platform this year and next. TikTok (+41.5%), Snap (+5.8%) and Twitter (+2.7%) are all expected to record growth next year, but at a far slower rate than historically seen, while a number of Chinese platforms are set to record losses.

     

    Very few product sectors are cutting advertising investment

    Of the 18 product sectors monitored by WARC, all bar automotive are on course to increase advertising spend this year. Only four sectors are expected to cut spend in 2023; transport & tourism (-0.4%), alcoholic drinks (-1.1%), financial services (-4.5%) and automotive (-12.4%).

     

    The technology and electronics sector – the third largest of the 18 monitored by WARC – is forecast to lead growth this year and next (+25.0% in 2022 and +11.5% in 2023), culminating in a total spend of $85.1bn by 2023. The pharma & healthcare sector then follows, with expected growth of 11.0% this year and a further 7.5% in 2023, by when investment will have topped $60bn globally.

     

    Retail – the largest sector monitored by WARC and which includes Amazon, the world’s largest advertiser by spend – is set to increase advertising investment by 6.8% this year and 3.6% next year despite retailers seeing tighter margins from inflationary pressures. The automotive sector, however, is bedogged by both supply- and demand-side pressures and is the only sector set to cut advertising spend in both 2022 (-5.3%) and 2023 (-12.4%).

     

    AVOD market heats up as streaming becomes war of attrition

    Advertising spend in the video streaming sector is set to grow faster than the total ad market this year (+8.4%) and next year (+7.0%). Within this, the advertising-funded video on demand (AVOD) sector – which includes the likes of Hulu, Amazon Prime Video and YouTube – is expected to rise 8.0% this year and then a further 7.6% in 2023 to reach a value of almost $65bn.

     

    Aside from the social media players, YouTube’s fortunes have also proven vulnerable to privacy changes on Apple devices; WARC believes that YouTube’s advertising revenue will rise 7.3% this year (compared to a 45.9% in 2021), but that its growth will then ease to 5.6% in 2023. This would give the company 39.4% of the global AVOD market, a declining share (down 0.9pp from 2021) as competition heats up with the introduction of advertising to Disney+ and Netflix later this year.

     

    There is already evidence of saturation in the streaming market, particularly in the US, with audiences now using seven streaming services on average (compared to the global average of five). Consequently, new entrants are just as likely to be fighting for existing advertising spend as they are for incremental dollars, which could hinder overall growth of streaming operators in the short- medium-term.

     

    Streaming services owned by broadcasters (BVOD) are also set to grow their advertising income this year (+9.7%) and next (+5.2%), but from a far lower base (reaching $18.5bn in 2023). Linear TV is set to benefit from cyclic sporting and political events this year, raising advertising investment by 3.6% to $180bn (20.4% of all advertising spend) but the market is then on course to record a 4.5% loss in the absence of these events next year.

     

    Summing up, James McDonald, Director of Data, Intelligence & Forecasting, WARC, and author of the research, says: “With the growth rate of global output now set to halve and acute supply-side pressures fanning inflation, the economic slowdown has removed close to $90bn from global ad market growth prospects this year and next. Yet brands are still spending as the Covid recovery continues, and global ad trade remains on course to top $1trn in value by 2025. Platforms with rich sources of first-party data – most notably Amazon, Google and Apple – are well placed to weather future headwinds by offering measured performance in a climate where return on investment becomes paramount.”

     

  • Ten Digital evangelists decode the digital mantra

    Ad Club’s holds third edition of D:Code

    By Our Staff

     

    Leaders from different digital domains spanning publishers, marketers, new age digital companies, and creative and media agencies gathered on 26th August at The Advertising Club’s third edition of D-Code: The Annual Digital Review 2022 in Mumbai.

     

     

    Amit Wadhwa, CEO, Dentsu Creative kicked off as the first speaker showcasing two case studies – The Protest March and Back Up Ukraine and prodded the audience to remember that we are still about people.

     

     

    Michel de Rijk, CEO – APAC, S4 Capital presented the Tata Tea example done for Independence Day and emphasised how the integration of data, and content with technology enables agencies to create high-quality content overnight in just their own studio Shireesh Joshi, Chief Business Officer, ONDC articulated the vision and implications of the ONDC initiative for sellers, buyers, and every component and process along the e-commerce chain Shedding light on the power of targeting and geolocation insights in campaigns, Gulshan Verma, CEO, Jio Ads enlightened the audience on the scale and solutions offered by JioAds P G Aditiya, Founder of Talented took the audience through the 55 steps that were involved in creating the Cannes 2022 Grand Prix winner, The Unfiltered History Tour, and emphasized the benefits of a long client-agency relationship in creating path-breaking campaigns Following this was Sidharth Shakdher, Executive VP and CMO, Disney+ Hotstar, who shared his thoughts on reversing the narrative of digital driving people apart by building a better consumer experience.

     

     

    Mansha Tandon, Head, Consumer Marketing, YouTube India spoke about shaping creativity with culture and trends in the digital space.

     

     

    Speaking next was Rizwan Bachav, Luxury & Lifestyle Influencer who walked the audience through his journey, learnings, and challenges in becoming an influencer.

     

     

    Sharing thoughts on how creativity can build brands, Rathi Gangappa, CEO, Starcom emphasized the need of being human in the age of digital transformation.

     

     

    Concluding the review, Avinash Pant, Marketing Director, Meta spoke about the evolution of social connections and the exponentially growing metaverse space empowering meaningful experiences.

     

     

    Addressing the evolving digital ecosystem at the third edition of D:Code, Partha Sinha – President of The Advertising Club, said, “Digital marketing has gone on to become a gamechanging phenomenon and the Advertising Club’s D:CODE is a testimony to our persistent efforts to create awareness and enhance the learning curve of the fraternity with insights and takeaways from the industry’s best digital minds. D:CODE has witnessed great case studies that have worked beyond the boardroom. As we move forward in this ever-evolving and competitive digital era, D-CODE will continue to become a significant platform with case studies that give profound experiences, transforming the way brand custodians especially approach their digital.”

     

    Earlier, Sinha paid tribute to the late journalist Anant Rangaswami and called the attendees to maintain a minute’s silence.

     

  • It will call for entries in October 2022

    Adfest 2023 returns to Pattaya

    By Our Staff

     

    Adfest, the regional creative festival, has announced that it will be return to its customary home in Pattaya, Thailand. Adfest 2023 will be a 3-day festival held from Thursday 23 –  Saturday 25 March 2023 at the Pattaya Exhibition and Convention Hall (PEACH), Royal Cliff Beach Hotel. It will call for entries in October 2022.

     

    Said Vinit Suraphongchai, Chairman of Adfest: “Now with international travel restrictions being lifted and more and more people having been vaccinated, we feel it is safe for our delegates to finally join us in sunny Pattaya once again for a few days of learning exposure, inspiration and relaxation. It’s been a long time coming and we can’t wait to welcome you all with open arms. More details will be announced in the coming months, but please save the date to celebrate our return with us.”

     

  • As Managing Director & Head, Publicis Content

    Hari Krishnan to head Publicis Content

    By Our Staff

     

    Hari Krishnan
    Hari Krishnan

    Publicis Groupe India announced that it has further strengthened its content practice with the appointment of Hari Krishnan as Managing Director & Head, Publicis Content.

     

    Krishnan’s role involves bringing data-driven insight, platform content strategy, creative excellence and seamless delivery to the rapidly expanding field of branded content. He will lead the groupe’s teams of content specialists, as well as shaping further the groupe’s creative product, particularly around advice to brands about how to participate in culture.

     

    Anupriya Acharya
    Anupriya Acharya

    Said Anupriya Acharya, South Asia CEO, Publicis Groupe: “Given that more and more brands are looking for newer, continual storytelling formats, Publicis Groupe’s Content Practice is witnessing exceptional demand from advertisers for unique solutions at the intersection of media, data, and creativity. Hari with his proven track-record and passion for content is a perfect fit for the role and I am sure that he will advance our Content offering still further, through platform-fit ideation, data-led intelligence, strong IP leverage and innovation partnerships.”

     

  • To focus on further building the travel company's digital presence

    Dentsu Webchutney wins MakeMyTrip mandate

    By Our Staff

     

    Dentsu Webchutney, the digital creative agency from Dentsu Creative India, has won the digital mandate for MakeMyTrip. The account was won following a multi-agency pitch and will be serviced from the agency’s Mumbai office. As per the mandate, the agency will focus on further building MakeMyTrip’s digital presence by implementing an aggressive creative growth strategy.

     

    Speaking on the win, Upasana Naithani, Associate Vice President, Dentsu Webchutney said: “MakeMyTrip is a big win for us, not only does it show faith by the best of the industry in our agency but also because their values align with ours, beautifully. We are very excited to work on campaigns that move both, the business, and the brand in the right direction.”

     

    Added Vipul Prakash, Chief Operating Officer, MakeMyTrip: “Today, travellers seek more when consuming and engaging with brands across channels. Together with Denstu Webchutney, we hope to introduce new, innovative ways, and concepts that can help engage with Indian travellers, better. Our goal remains to be authentic in what we say and innovative in how we connect with the new-age traveller.”

     

  • He will support Sangeeta Barde, Managing Director, Havas Life Sorento, in further building the agency’s perception and position in the market

    Havas Life Sorento appoints John Mathew as President

    By Our Staff

     

    John Mathew

    Havas Life Sorento (HLS), the health division agency of Havas Group India, has announced the appointment of John Mathew as President.

     

    As a part of his role, Mathew will oversee the HLS business in collaboration with the Global Havas Health & You (HHY) team. He will support Sangeeta Barde, Managing Director, Havas Life Sorento, in further building the agency’s perception and position in the market.

     

    Sangeeta Barde
    Sangeeta Barde

    Speaking about the appointment, Barde said: “Havas Life Sorento has been witnessing a robust growth trajectory on the back of innovative campaigns over the last few years. We’re delighted to welcome John on board as we continue to grow further, breaking barriers and disrupting conventions for the health of brands, businesses, and people through purposeful and meaningful work.”

     

    Rana Barua
    Rana Barua

    Added Rana Barua, Group CEO, Havas Group India: “I am delighted with the progress and the growth we have made with Havas Life Sorento in the last few years with Sangeeta at the helm. It became pertinent to further bolster the leadership team of the agency and I am glad John has taken on this profile. I wish him all the best and welcome him to the Havas Family.”

     

    Mathew was until recently part of Glenmark as Head – Digital & Multichannel Marketing.

     

  • He will report to Oindrila Roy, Managing Director, Publicis Worldwide India

    Publicis WW appoints Nitin Sharma as Senior VP & Head of Client Services

    By Our Staff

     

    Nitin Sharma
    Nitin Sharma

    Publicis Worldwide India, part of the Publicis Groupe network in India, has strengthened its leadership team and announced the appointment of Nitin Sharma as Senior Vice President and Head of Client Services. Sharma will be based out of Mumbai and report to Oindrila Roy, Managing Director, Publicis Worldwide India.

     

    Before joining Publicis Worldwide, he was heading marketing strategy for UAE Exchange (now Unimoni). Welcoming Sharma to the agency, Paritosh Srivastava, CEO, Publicis Worldwide, India said: “While we reinvent ourselves to cater to the evolving marketing landscape, it is imperative to have the sound backing of a team that will drive this momentum forward for us. Towards that goal, we are glad to have someone of the calibre of Nitin Sharma who comes on board with domain expertise that is rich and pragmatic. His strong ability to direct and lead brands to a reputable position in the marketplace while possessing qualitative and admirable leadership skills bode well for our momentum in the long run.”

     

  • Starts an initiative for 'The Responsible Manhole' during monsoons

    Dentsu Creative partners with BMC & TVS for safer roads

    By Our Staff

     

    Dentsu Creative’s latest innovation ‘The Responsible Manhole’, a road safety initiative in partnership with the Brihanmumbai Corporation (BMC) and TVS Motor Company addresses the critical issue of open manholes in the city.

     

    Commenting on the initiative, Aniruddha Haldar, Senior Vice President (Marketing), TVS Motor Company, said: “TVS Motor Company has always endeavoured to leverage technology to enhance road safety. This time round along with our partner Dentsu Creative we have focused on monsoon and the Open manhole. A simple but insightful use of connectivity and technology coupled with building support ecosystem with the administration proves to literally be a lifesaver!  We have anchored this in inception and will take it to other cities. TVS Motor Company remains committed to leveraging technology to making our roads safer!”

     

    Added Gurbaksh Singh, Chief Innovation Officer, Dentsu Creative: “The Responsible Manhole is a testament to how the right use of technology and data can aid the lives of countless people. Collaborating with the BMC and TVS Motor Company on this project was such an enriching experience. We’re glad to see that innovation is at the source of solving some of India’s biggest problems.”

     

     

  • A multilingual outdoor campaign in nearly 150 towns

    Laqshya creates OOH campaign for Santoor soap

    By Our Staff

     

    Laqshya Media Group has executed an Out of Home (OOH) campaign for Santoor, the flagship brand of Wipro Consumer Care. The multilingual campaign is aimed to uplevel the brand’s reach at the grassroots level to improve the brand’s footprint nationally.

     

    Said Prasanna Rai, CMO and Head of Ecommerce Business, Wipro Consumer Care and Lightning: “As part of the growth strategy on Santoor, we are looking at delivering tactical brand message on-ground, at scale, in sub-5 lakh population towns in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Orissa, Gujarat, and Tamil Nadu. In Laqshya, we found a partner who could seamlessly plan, source, execute and monitor our largest ever outdoor campaign in close to 150 towns across these states quickly.”

     

    Added Amarjeet Hudda, COO of Laqshya Solutions: “It’s always our goal at Laqshya Media Group to build long-term relationships with brands who are just as passionate as we are. We’re so glad that Santoor is one of those brands, and we’re honored to empower them by delivering dynamic and contextually relevant regional content that resonates with campaign TG. Providing our clients with the best-in-class and most effective and innovative Out of Home solutions is what we’re all about.”

     

  • Shows growth and effectiveness of Podcast listening & advertising

    Triton Digital conducts Podcast Advertising Effectiveness Study

    By Our Staff

     

    Triton Digital, the technology and services provider to the digital audio and podcast industry, has released the results of its Podcast Advertising Effectiveness Study commissioned with Vtion Digital Analytics, a digital consumer behaviour intelligence platform.

     

    According to the study, on average audio content consumers in India listen to podcasts three to four times per week. In metro cities this rate is even greater, with 70% of respondents listening to podcasts weekly and 30% listening daily.

     

    Said Aditya Summanwar, Director of Market Development, Triton Digital: “As a rapidly growing medium in India, podcasts continue to gain significant attention in the Indian market. Our study further demonstrates a high brand recall in the region and willingness to receive additional advertisements, setting the medium up for a long future of success.”

     

    Added Manoj Dawane, Chief Executive Officer, Vtion Digital Analytics: “We are grateful to be commissioned by Triton Digital to study the state of podcast listening in India and measure the effectiveness of podcast advertising in the region. Podcasts are clearly becoming a popular medium in India. It is great to see listeners respond positively to podcast advertisements as well.”

     

    Additional key findings include:

    :: Podcast Listeners are Willing to Listen to Ads. In fact, of the respondents who have reported ever hearing a podcast ad, 42% had no issues with hearing ads in the middle of podcasts that are free.

    :: Advertisements Often Lead to Purchases. Eighty percent of listeners who have heard of a product are interested in learning more about it, with 29% claiming to have bought the product they heard advertised.

    :: Podcast Ads Grab Attention. Forty percent of listeners state that ads in between podcasts ‘always’ or ‘often’ capture their attention, with 40% of these listeners saying they trust these advertisements.

     

  • Supports indigenous sports of India

    Octa sponsors Kho Kho team

    By Our Staff

     

    Octa, an investment-focused educational platform, recently sponsored the Kho Kho team Telugu Yoddhas, one of the six teams playing in the inaugural Ultimate Kho Kho (UKK) League season.

     

    Said Sujoy Ganguly, Business and Marketing Head at GMR Sports, the Telugu Yoddhas’ franchisor: ‘Kho Kho is an emerging professional sport that provides a window of opportunity for young talents across the country. We are grateful to Octa for their effort in supporting us and, consequently, the sport itself. Together we bring closer the day when Kho Kho is known and loved all over the world.”