MxMIndia

Category: ADVERTISING

  • To lead new business agenda as well as head the account management

    W+K get Shreekant Srinivasan to head Delhi

    By Our Staff

     

    Shreekant Srinivasan
    Shreekant Srinivasan

    Wieden Kennedy  (W+K) India has hired Shreekant Srinivasan, as Head of Business for its Delhi office. In this role, he will lead the new business agenda as well as head the account management function for the office.

     

    Srinivasan joins W+K from McCann Worldgroup India where he was a Senior Vice President leading the Maggi portfolio and the Expo Dubai business. In a career spanning over 21 years, he has worked in multiple agencies, set up new offices and managed more-than-many brands – Maggi, Thums Up, Chevrolet, Dominos, Expo Dubai 2020, Royal Enfield to name a few.

     

    Said Srinivasan: “In the 21 years of my advertising life, I have worked with some really interesting bunch of individuals. From oddballs to seasoned surgeons to mavericks to absolute bat shit crazy, I have seen the best of work come out of each one of my creative partnerships.And this belief that creation is inclusive and personality-agnostic is the biggest driving force at W+K. If you have the hunger for good work and love for advertising, you will blend right in. With Paddy and Ayesha, I intend to build this inclusive creative culture on the shoulders of some ground-breaking work.”

     

    Ayesha Ghosh
    Ayesha Ghosh

    Added Ayesha Ghosh, President, Wieden Kennedy India: “We’ve been looking for people of substance who don’t take themselves too seriously and Shreekant fits that mould just right. He’s been at the helm of important moments in the life stage of significant brands, as well as of agencies. With the talented team that the Delhi office already has, we’re keen to sink our teeth into more and more challenges facing brands.”

     

    Santosh Padhi
    Santosh Padhi

    Said Santosh Padhi (Paddy), CCO Wieden Kennedy India: “Shreekant has a unique point of view on life, creativity and how to run this wonderful creative business called advertising, his energy is truly infectious and we are pretty sure all of these will bring in a very new dimension to our leadership unit.”

     

  • If the industry keeps celebrating those breaking the code, no self-regulation will work, writes Sanjeev Kotnala

    Should repeat offenders of ASCI guidelines be debarred from awards & felicitations?

     

     

     

    By Sanjeev Kotnala

     

    Sanjeev KotnalaI have repeatedly written about the thankless self-regulation job ASCI has been doing by discussing, suggesting, recommending, and trying to make brands follow the guidelines. I sincerely believe that self-regulation as the name suggest is an individual and organisational call. No moral and ethical policing works.

     

    If one was to analyse the roaster of defaulting brands every quarter, they are a mixed lot. One could understand the fly-by-night operators and small businesses not really following the guidelines. However, the list of repeat offenders has large brands and companies working with well-known advertising agencies. It is tough to presume that these agencies and the brand team are unaware of the guidelines. Hence, when they fail to follow the guidelines, it is natural to assume that the act was voluntary and intentionally exploiting the loopholes for business. The brands were fully aware of ASCI procedures and prepared for the action.

     

    The answer to the question of who is responsible for this situation is simple. It is the brand owners and the agency leadership. Because they have decided to overlook their team’s work. It is a question of attitude, ethics, and morality. A question of the culture that permeates the teams. A business call is made knowing the pros and cons. And, if the seniors in the team turn a blind eye or do not guide the teams on proper systems and operations, no number of guidelines will help. Until those exploiting loopholes or not following the guidelines is no way a black mark on your resume or employability. Till it is seen as intelligent working, no set of guidelines will work. And if the industry keeps celebrating the seniors working on the brands and companies breaking the guidelines, no guideline will work.

     

    Why can’t brands and their teams repeatedly not following the guidelines be debarred from industry awards, individual felicitations, discussions and addressing, and holding a post in industry bodies? Can people reject a candidate knowing they were part of the team called for not following the guidelines? Can the CMOs and the agency heads ensure that every marketing, branding, and communication person is aware of the guidelines for the category they work on? Can an ASCI guideline certification be a minimum requirement for creative and strategic teams? Would it be too much to do?

     

    For self-regulation, you need self-discipline. It is as simple as that. It is just like you deciding to use a seat belt or not while driving, knowing fully well that by not wearing the seat belt, you are not violating a guideline but a law. And moreover, you are risking yourself and no one else. You do not wear it knowing that the traffic police cannot fully monitor it, and people are not shamed for not wearing the seat belt. You decide not to wear the seat belt despite its availability, and wearing it is as simple as clicking it in. You don’t wear it because you think you can get away with it and nothing will happen to you. The same approach is visible in people and organisations not following the ASCI guidelines. They think they can get away with it and lack something as basic as self-discipline.

     

    Checking if the brand is not violating guidelines should not be a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) but a habit. It should happen naturally. And, if it does happen naturally, indeed, after some time, the teams may not even need to check as their internal working will weed out the wrongs. SOP reeks of checks to see we are within the framework and technically cannot be faulted for not following the guidelines. There is no question of exploiting the loopholes when it is a habit. It is not about technical grounds but more about realism and ethicality of action. As naturally as brushing your teeth.

     

    Guidelines keep evolving. Maybe some have lost their relevance. ASCI is always there to discuss and re-evaluate. Remember, all the guidelines have been developed in consultation with Industry experts and after they have been publicly open for discussion and input. The guidelines are not ASCI- the guidelines are of the industry. And by following them, no one does a favour to ASCI. We help the industry stay within the scope of self-regulation without governmental interference.

     

    Net-net

    So, decide, you want to be the smart one who exploited the guidelines under technical loophole. Or you were morally ethically correct to have followed the guideline. It is typically a business call that must be made individually. And it is finally all about – the culture and attitude promoted in the organisation. Think again about what you teach when you turn a blind eye or knowingly violate the guidelines on technical grounds.

     

    ASCI doing its part

    ASCI has been upfront and transparent in its dealing and communication, but it needs industry support. As per an ASCI report, It processed 52% more ads in 21-22 compared to 20-21. Digital contributed 29% of all complaints, and Education remained the largest violator of the guidelines followed by Healthcare and Personal Care. And 94% of all ads processed needed some modification. Important point- 21% of complaints originated from consumers, and 7%5 were Suo-moto action by ASCI. Both are good signs. Print and digital led with 47% and 48% of the complaints.

    As per ASCI’s sector report 21-22. For example, in the personal care category. There has been a 261% increase in ads, where 69% were informal resolutions not contested, and 31% were upheld. Most ads, 88%, came from digital space, Print contributed 4% and Tv 6% of the contested ads. 371 ads were found violating influencer disclosure guidelines, and 4 ads featuring celebrities were found misleading!

     

  • To digitally amplify the institution's community-first initiatives

    Chimp&z Inc bags mandate for Tata Steel Foundation

    By Our Staff

     

    Chimp&z Inc, digital advertising and marketing agency from the house of Merge Infinity Global, has won the digital and creative mandate for Tata Steel Limited’s wholly owned charitable trust, Tata Steel Foundation. The account was won post a multi-agency pitch and will be handled by the agency’s Gurugram and Mumbai offices.

     

    As per the mandate, Chimp&z Inc will be responsible for increasing the online visibility of Tata Steel Foundation, reinforcing its growth goals and new CSR initiatives by strategically leveraging various digital platforms.

     

    Shuvra R
    Shuvra R

    Said Shuvra R, Communications, Tata Steel Foundation: “Our presence across the social media domain is aimed at opening meaningful windows of learning, cross-pollination of ideas, and spaces of collaboration. We appreciate the emerging social media platforms as instruments of change and a builder of ecosystems by themselves. Tata Steel Foundation is, therefore, happy to partner with Chimp&z Inc in this endeavor and we look forward to an encouraging journey ahead.”

     

    Ashish Duggal
    Ashish Duggal

    Commenting on the win, Ashish Duggal, COO, Chimp&z Inc added: “Partnering with one of India’s finest solutions-oriented foundations is a big win for our team. In the attempt to live up to the vibrant legacy of Tata Steel Limited, it is of utmost importance to elevate the communication of Tata Steel Foundation digitally. With a collective experience of 9 years in social media management, our dedicated team will aim at creating a mark for the programs of Tata Steel Foundation by leveraging our team’s social media acumen. As we extend our digital frontiers, we look forward to magnifying their digital presence and providing effective social media outcomes through our strategic expertise.”

     

  • Pushes for prevention and for helping industry "get it right" under new

    NS Rajan takes charge at ASCI

    By Our Staff

     

    Public relations veteran NS Rajan has been unanimously elected Chairman of the Board of Governors of industry self-regulator Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI). Rajan was earlier Founder and Managing Director of Ketchum Sampark, an Omnicom Group Company, and is currently Director, August One Partners LLP.

     

    Saugata Gupta, Managing Director & CEO, Marico Limited, was elected Vice-Chairman, while Shashidhar Sinha, Chief Executive Officer at IPG Mediabrands India, was appointed Honorary Treasurer. Subhash Kamath, the outgoing chairman, will now be a part of the Consultative Committee of the board, which, among other activities, mentors the new initiatives of the organisation. Virat Tandon, Group CEO of Lintas India, and Arun Srinivas, Director, GMS India (Meta), were newly inducted onto the board at the same meeting.

     

    Talking about his new role as the ASCI Chairman, Rajan said: “It is indeed a privilege to take up the role of ASCI Chairman. Our thought leadership initiatives, industry reports and ASCI Academy are important pillars of taking ASCI ahead into the future. I am looking forward to advancing the agenda of the Council to rapidly increase ASCI awareness among consumers so that they engage more readily and in greater numbers, voicing their concerns, anxieties, and questions about what they experience in the form of thousands of ads per day. That number, on average, in India is anywhere between 7000-10000 ads per day! I would also focus on ASCI’s efforts more towards prevention, in addition to the robust corrective mechanisms we have built over the decades. This we would do by using the several initiatives already in play – whether advice, guidance, training, or self-regulation.The third pillar would be to keep ahead of the fast-expanding and fractionalising digital domain to ensure that responsible advertising principles are followed equally across all media and consumer engagements by advertising in every form. A lot has been done by ASCI over the last several years, and I am committed to seeing that the momentum generated by all past efforts is kept alive or even pushed forward with greater speed.”

     

    A key initiative announced at the AGM by the Kamath, the outgoing chairman, was the soon-to-be-launched ASCI Academy for training and awareness creation of various stakeholders in the prevention of objectionable ads.

     

    Speaking about his two-term tenure as ASCI Chairman, Kamath said: “The past two years have been truly transformational for ASCI. Our vision of making ASCI more future-ready by taking on the challenges of a digital world and a fast-changing communication landscape, and by adding value to the industry through more agility, responsiveness, services, and thought leadership, has started showing results. I’m sure ASCI will continue to grow from strength to strength in the coming years. It’s been a privilege to serve as its chairman and I thank the board, the CCC members and the wonderful secretariat team for making it possible.”

     

  • Abhishek Karnani, Director, Free Press Journal Group

    Avinash Pandey is IAA India President

    By Our Staff

     

    Avinash Pandey, CEO, ABP News Network

    ABP Network CEO Avinash Pandey was elected President of the India Chapter of the International Advertising Association (IAA) for the year 2022-23. Abhishek Karnani, Director, Free Press Journal Group, was elected Vice President, Nandini Dias, former CEO of Lodestar UM, is. Secretary and Jaideep Gandhi, Chairman, Another Idea, is Treasurer. Immediate Past President Megha Tata will also be on the Managing Committee.

     

    Other members of the mancom are Srinivasan K Swamy (Chairman & Managing Director, R K Swamy Pvt Ltd), Shreyams Kumar (Managing Director, Mathrubhumi Group), Prasanth Kumar (CEO-South Asia, GroupM), Anant Goenka (Executive Director, The Indian Express Group) and Janak Sarda (Managing Director, Deshdoot Media Group).

     

    The members co-opted at the first Managing Committee meeting were Nina Elavia Jaipuria (Head – Hindi and Kids TV Network, Viacom18), Neeraj Roy, (Founder, Hungama Digital Media Entertainment), Pradeep Dwivedi (Group CEO, Eros Media World PLC), Kranti Gada (President – New Business Opportunities Shemaroo Entertainment) and I.Venkat (Director, Eenadu Group.)

     

    The invitees to the Managing Committee include

    Ramesh Narayan, Founder Canco Advertising Pvt. Ltd.

    Neena Dasgupta, CEO & Director Zirca Digital Solutions Pvt. Ltd.

    Rana Barua, Chief Executive Officer, Havas Group India

    Partha Sinha, President, The Times of India Group

    Dr Bhaskar Das, Veteran mediaperson

    Mitrajit Bhattacharya, Founder & President, The Horologists

    Sam Balsara, Chairman & Managing Director, Madison Communications Pvt. Ltd.

    Alok Jalan, Managing Director, Laqshya Media Group

    Rahul Johri, President -Business South Asia, ZEE Entertainment Enterprises Ltd

    Rajeev Beotra, Executive Director, HT Media Ltd

    Kevin Vaz, Head – Network Entertainment Channels ,Disney Star

    Kunal Lalani, Managing Director, Crayons Advertising Pvt Ltd

    Ashok Venkatramani, Founder, Intelligent Insights Pvt Ltd

    Rani Reddy, Director, Indira Television Ltd.

    Monica Nayyar Patnaik, Managing Director, Sambad Group

     

  • In the past, industry leaders like Rajan Anandan, Uday Shankar, Ronnie Screwvalla have delivered keynotes

    Aroon Purie to deliver AAAI Subhas Ghosal Memorial Lecture on Oct 7

    By Our Staff

     

    The Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) and the Subhas Ghosal Foundation (SGF) are have announced that the Subhas Ghosal Memorial Lecture will return this year with Aroon Purie, Chairman and Editor-In-Chief, India Today Group, as speaker. The event will be held on Friday, October 7 in Mumbai. While talking about his personal and professional experiences, Purie will share many valuable insights which he has gained during his lifetime.

     

    With the support of Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI), the SFT has been hosting its ‘AAAI Subhas Ghosal Memorial Lecture’ series, for several years, where industry leaders like Rajan Anandan, Uday Shankar, Ronnie Screwvalla have delivered keynotes.

     

    Said Sam Balsara on behalf of SGF: “We live in an age where media and advertising are shaping and also rapidly changing society. It will be interesting to hear Aroon speak about his journey, how he built a media empire, as well as his views on life today and how the media has changed over the years. I believe this lecture will be helpful and enlightening for both immigrants and natives of the advertising and media”.

     

    Ahead of the lecture, Anupriya Acharya, President, AAAI added: “Aroon Purie has been at the forefront of change and innovation in the news business as it transitioned from print to electronic media and then to digital and social media. A recipient of the Padma Bhushan award, his contribution to Indian journalism is exemplary. I am sure that Aroon’s life experiences will be fascinating for the audiences and we look forward to his perspectives at the Subhas Ghosal Memorial Lecture.”

     

  • For any brand professional, the City is a perfect case study of what product and brand management is all about, writes Avik Chattopadhyay

    A Tale of One City!

     

     

     

    By Avik Chattopadhyay

     

    Avik ChattopadhyaySo, the Honda City completes 25 years in India. That is quite an achievement given the proliferation of choice the consumer has had in the last 10 years and the sheer impatience automakers have with continuing with ‘old’ product names.

     

    I have never owned a Honda City neither have I worked in or for Honda, yet I take this opportunity to salute one of India’s most successful brands, across industries and product categories. So, what exactly has made it such a darling of the Indian marketplace?

     

    It pioneered a segment

    When the first City was launched at Auto Expo 1998, it started a trend of the affordable performance sedan. The Opel Astra was too expensive and unreliable while the Maruti Esteem was a bit underwhelming. Till then, the only Honda people had access to was the expensive Accord, imported through Tata Exports. Suddenly, the aspirational Honda badge became accessible in the form of the City and there was no looking back.

     

    It has stayed true to its core promise

    In its fifth generation in India over the last 25 years, not once has the City wavered from its core promise of “comfort + reliability + performance = prestige”. It is not that every generation has been equally loved and successful, as competitive offers have kept increasing, but one cannot fault the brand for deviating from its promise. The service standard has been a terrific support to the cause.

     

    It has kept reinventing itself

    The brand has kept listening to customer feedback, media feedback, social media chatter and expert inputs to keep refreshing its proposition every 5-6 years. And the refreshment has been totally transformational in style and shape without compromising on the promise. The second generation launched in 2002 was not much liked for its polarising styling yet the promise was otherwise delivered. It has had its dip for the lack of a diesel engine when diesels were the toast of the day, but came back with an offer, even though some may say too late to make the desired impact. Given the stereotype of the Japanese image of being slow and procedure driven, the City has shown that as a brand it has had no ‘holy cows’ to live by.

     

    It has a symbiotic relationship with the mother brand

    “City” is a standalone brand by itself, just like Bravia and iPhone. While it derives its core essence from the Honda DNA, its unprecedented success across South Asia and China has allowed it to feed into the Honda DNA too. The Honda brand has always been about race-bred performance, reliability, and edgy styling. The City has definitely added the facet of comfort to the mother brand. This can only happen when a product badge evolves into a brand with its own following and advocacy.

     

    It is loved by competition

    Strong brands are usually feared or at the most respected by competition. The City is in fact loved! Every automaker has had the City as a benchmark. The V-tec engine was a performance standard for competition to follow. Just like the Maruti 800 gave the Indian consumer access to modern technology and motoring, the City allowed the consumer to experience an enviable package of comfort, safety, performance, reliability and badge value! Competition always has wanted to outdo the City in providing a better package. Interestingly, when in Maruti Suzuki, my team used the entry-level City as a benchmark in deciding the feature package and price point for the top variant of the to-be-launched Swift in 2005. When working out the India entry strategy in Peugeot, we had the City as the only benchmark to use ignoring sedans offered by other badges. In VW, we used to keep scratching our heads on how Honda could offer the City at that price point maintaining the quality index.

     

    For any brand professional, the City is a perfect case study of what product and brand management is all about…staying true to one’s promise, always open to feedback and, sincere respect for the consumer and the market!

     

    Frankly, I remember none of the Honda City communication or advertising. Not because of any quality issues but because the fundamental package of the product + service was so compelling, that all else can only exist on the side-lines. The growing clan of Honda City owners and the increasing tribe of an envious competition has done all the talking all these 25 years. I hope the brand story is kept the same way if it wishes to celebrate another 25.

     

  • Mohanty will be instrumental in accelerating the agency's growth in the North region

    Joy Mohanty is CCO, Dentsu Creative

    By Our Staff

     

    Dentsu Creative India has announced the appointment of Joy Mohanty as its Chief Creative Officer. He will report into Ajay Gahlaut, Group Chief Creative Officer of the agency.

     

    Mohanty will be instrumental in accelerating the agency’s growth in the North India region.

     

    Commenting on the appointment, Gahlaut said:, “Dentsu Creative is transforming into a powerhouse of creativity. We are rapidly building capabilities to stay ahead of the curve in a dynamically evolving industry. However, the tallest structures are built on strong foundations. Joy’s appointment is, thus, vital to our plan for times ahead. He is a veteran who has worked on some of the most groundbreaking campaigns. I am certain that his experience will bring solidity and wisdom into the fresh, bubbling cauldron of creativity at dentsu.”

     

  • A quick chat with NS Rajan, who was unanimously elected  Chairman, Advertising Standards Council of India last week

    ‘Misconception that regulation and self-regulation compete’

     

     

    At the board meeting of the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) held last week, public relations industry veteran NS Rajan was unanimously elected  Chairman. Rajan, Director, August One Partners LLP, was Founder and Managing Director of Ketchum Sampark. Sampark is an agency that Rajan set up with his wife Bela which was later acquired by the Omnicom group. Rajan was Vice Chair of ASCI over the last two years, and was an active participant of the weekly complaints meetings that the Council conducts for complaints redressal. Excerpts from a quick interview over email.

     

    ASCI has reinvented itself over the last few years. What next for the self-regulator?

    ASCI has reinvented itself to keep pace with the nature of the new and emerging advertising ecosystem. Besides upgrading our complaints systems and processes to become more agile and responsive, we have also invested in monitoring technology. As we go ahead, we will strengthen the preventive side of our work to become more robust and mainstream. ASCI Academy through training, outreach, and thought leadership is an important pillar of taking ASCI into the future. I look forward to advancing the agenda of the Council to rapidly increase ASCI’s awareness among consumers so that they engage more readily and in greater numbers, voicing their concerns, anxieties, and questions about what they experience in the form of thousands of ads per day.

     

    Has the ghost of the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) usurping ASCI’s status/role vanished?

    It is a common misconception to think that regulation and self-regulation compete. Both these mechanisms are part of the ad regulation ecosystem and, they are complimentary in nature. Self-regulation is the first line of defence that looks at voluntary compliance and education and essentially this is an inexpensive and quick method to resolve issues related to advertising. It comes at no cost to the taxpayer. ASCI has a very robust infrastructure setup to resolve consumer grievances as well as take suo-moto cognisance and action. Across the world, self-regulation and regulation co-exist and work together in complementary ways. When the advertiser refuses to undertake voluntary compliance, ASCI works with regulators to resolve the issue. It is also important to note that the CCPA advertising guidelines and ASCI’s guidelines on misleading ads are very similar. We will continue to work with the government together on this common agenda. It is also pertinent to note that the Consumer Protection Act deals with misleading ads, but the ASCI code also looks at indecent, unfair, and unsafe ads in addition.

     

    How has the prevention offering worked? The pre-approval process that was announced with much fanfare.

    We would like to clarify that there is no pre-approval offering. ASCI has s a voluntary due diligence exercise that advertisers or endorsers can avail of. They can seek advice from ASCI at the pre-production stage. Many brands have used this service both for technical and non-technical claims before major campaigns. We also have some companies signing up for an ongoing subscription and this shows that the culture of preventive responsibility is taken seriously. In time, we expect this to become a more mainstream practice. So far, about 30 ads have undergone a pre-production scrutiny at ASCI.

     

    What’s your view on influencer complaints. Are advertisers and influencers gaming the system?

    Honesty and transparency are the bedrock for any system that wants to be sustainable. As with any category, there will be a set of people who will always try to game the system and undermine it. However, by and large, we have seen a very positive response around the influencer guidelines and increasing awareness about their responsibility when it comes to promotions. We are also keeping a close watch on this category, and 30% of the complaints that we looked at last year have been from influencer advertising. As influencers become more aware of their responsibilities, we see a more long-term honesty-based orientation. Compliance is at 86% in the first year itself. We will continue our efforts to educate advertisers and influencers as to the importance and benefits of honesty in advertising.

     

    The awareness levels of self-regulation appear pretty low. What are ASCI’s plans for outreach across the trade?

    While ASCI’s awareness has seen an increase, it is still lower than desired. Our outreach budgets are low; however, we are happy to note an increase in our interactions with industry, government, domain experts, consumer organisations and other stakeholders. Now, with the soon-to-launch ASCI Academy, we look forward to interacting even more with young industry professionals, students, influencers, endorsers consumers as well as non-industry stakeholders.

     

    Tell us more about the AI-driven engine that ASCI has development for complaints redressal

    ASCI has been upgrading its complaints system ‘TARA’ to offer a seamless experience to both consumers and advertisers in the management and resolution of complaints. TARA will offer features like real-time tracking of complaints, dashboard views, automatic updates etc. In the second phase which we are embarking on now, the system will allow for a rich access to its archival data and cases.

     

  • Passport is a leading brand design agency based in Southern California

    WPP acquires branding agency Passport

    By Our Staff

     

    WPP has announced the acquisition of Passport Brand Design, a leading brand design agency based in Southern California.

     

    Said Eric Campbell, VMLY&R Global President: “Our ambitions for network growth reflect the best-in-class range of capabilities we continually offer our clients. This move will expand our network’s brand design expertise, which is essential in determining how brands visually show up in compelling new ways in the world and build a connected consumer experience.”

     

    Added Natalie Taormina, CEO of Passport: “It is a great honour to join a global team of passionate branding and business experts. Nearly twenty years ago, we founded Passport on the mission that great creative output is a result of a great team connection and respect. When the agency is happy, the client is happy. VMLY&R shares this ethos, and with the strength of its global network and WPP’s vision, Passport intends to continue that mission.”

     

    Said Mark Read, CEO of WPP: “With consumer expectations at an all-time high, defining a brand’s characteristics and identity has a major impact on its ability to succeed in today’s world. Passport brings extensive experience in delivering strategic positioning and creative execution across all touchpoints that will greatly benefit our clients. I’m delighted to welcome its people to WPP.”

     

  • The initial agreement between WPP and Balsara and his family dated back to 2008, under which the Balsara family owned 51%. In 2017, the Balsara family sold 25% to WPP

    WPP acquires remaining stake in MediaCom in India from Sam Balsara & Lara Balsara Vajifdar

    By Our Staff

     

    WPP, veteran adperson Sam Balsara and his daughter and adperson Lara Balsara Vajifdar have announced that WPP has purchased the remaining 26 per cent stake in MediaCom Communications Private Limited in India from Sam Balsara and Lara Balsara Vajifdar.

     

    Following WPP’s decision to merge Essence and MediaCom globally, Balsara and Vajifdar entered into a discussion with WPP agreeing to exit MediaCom in the interest of MediaCom clients to enable the merger.

     

    The initial agreement between WPP and Balsara and his family dated back to 2008, under which the Balsara family owned 51%. In 2017, the Balsara family sold 25% to WPP.

     

    Said Balsara said: “This innovative partnership we invested in nearly 15 years ago has been a great success for all parties. It has established MediaCom in India as a fast-growing and highly respected agency by advertisers.”

     

    Added Nick Lawson, Global CEO, MediaCom: “It has been a pleasure working with Sam Balsara and Lara Balsara as we grew this successful business in India. We will build on that legacy to deliver the agency model our clients want for the future – founded on brilliant strategy and brand-building capabilities, with pioneering digital expertise running throughout.”

     

    It may be recalled that on April 26, 2022, WPP announced that global agencies MediaCom and Essence would merge to form EssenceMediacom.

     

  • To build various frameworks, platforms, and business processes

    Benny Augustine appointed COO of Dentsu Creative India

    By Our Staff

     

    Benny Augustine
    Benny Augustine

    It’s announcements time from Dentsu Creative India. A new one each day. Well, almost. It has now elevated Benny Augustine to the role of Chief Operating Officer (COO). He will report into Amit Wadhwa, Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

     

    Augustine will oversee the operations of Dentsu Creative in India. His objective will be to build various frameworks, platforms, and business processes that promote efficiency and effectiveness for clients using Modern Creativity. Furthermore, he will aim to foster the company culture by leading internal initiatives and implementing training programs to help develop talent. He will work closely with Dentsu Creative’s Global Operations community led by Global COO, Andrea Terrassa.

     

    Amit Wadhwa
    Amit Wadhwa

    Said Wadhwa: “While we move into this new era of a strong brand like Dentsu Creative in India, it is important to have someone to spearhead the operational transformation who understands people as well as the business. To be honest, I don’t think I could have asked for a better person than Benny to do this.”