MxMIndia

Category: ADVERTISING

  • The annual report reveals emerging advertising behaviours and technologies

    Dentsu Media Trends 2024

     

     

    By Our Staff

     

    Dentsu released its annual media trends report, titled ‘The Pace of Progress: Dentsu 2024 Media Trends’. Created by gathering insights from its specialists within Carat, Dentsu X and iProspect globally, the new Dentsu report highlights ten key catalysts of change within the media industry which are most likely to set the pace of progress for brands around the world.

     

    With over 40 pages of in-depth commentary, Dentsu 2024 Media Trends extrapolates how Generative AI will be best used to spearhead growth, how monetization of the industry is gaining evermore traction and how genuine integrity in advertising will elevate brands. Not only does the report highlight the key trends within each of these three areas of interest, but it also provides suggestions on how brands can capitalize on them in the short and long term.

     

    • Trend 1 – The rise of generative search 
    Generative AI will transform how people access information, from search engines to commerce platforms.

    • Trend 2 – Creativity reimagined 
    The augmentation of human creativity through Generative AI in fields such as content and copywriting, as well as image development.

    • Trend 3 – Generative optimisations 
    Leveraging Generative AI for simplifying advertising production, targeting, and effectiveness at scale and pace.

     

    The race to monetisation:

    2024 will see the intensification of competition between tech platforms. As they strive to better monetise their services in their economic circumstances, platforms will double down on becoming more protective of their data, understanding their users, and stepping up their advertising offerings. This megatrend incorporates:

    • Trend 4 – A world of lookalike apps 
    As platforms become progressively similar, attracting audience attention has never been more important for brands.

    • Trend 5 – From walled gardens to walled pipes 
    Platforms have a more defensive stance on their data which opens the larger question of the delicate balance between protection and discoverability.

    • Trend 6 – The identity refocus 
    A doubling down on people intelligence by media platforms as third-party cookies approach the end of the line.

    • Trend 7 – More ads for more returns 
    Expansion of advertising into new areas for most platforms, with new formats, opportunities – and risks – emerging as a result.

     

    Integrity economics:

    Growth in the next year will not only be about hard economics; it will also be about brands’ sustainable contributions to society.  Amid rising societal and political polarisation and climate emergency, building more carbon efficient, diverse, and safe online spaces for people and brands will be central to success. Highlighted through:

    • Trend 8 – The new faces of growth 
    With media consumption becoming increasingly diverse and personal, brands must adapt to reflect the needs and identities of audiences and stay relevant.

    • Trend 9 – Safer, better, faster, stronger
    Amid a fast-moving digital landscape, new developments in brand assurance aim to create safer environments for both people and brands.

    • Trend 10 – More attention, fewer emissions 
    As brands implement carbon media efficiency strategies, optimizing for attention should lead to decarbonisation through optimised and improved impact.

     

    Peter Huijboom
    Peter Huijboom

    Says Peter Huijboom, Global CEO, Media international markets, Dentsu: “Our own client research has shown that more than 60% of marketers have said they’ve already started engaging with Generative AI in their company*. So, in our Dentsu 2024 Media Trends report it was important for us to identify and introduce the additive advantages, trends and technologies to help them progress in this space.”

     

    Anita Kotwani
    Anita Kotwani

    Adds Anita Kotwani, CEO Media, South Asia, Dentsu: “Artificial intelligence (AI) is not just a buzzword, but a gamechanger for the media industry. It has the power to automate, optimise, and personalize various aspects of media planning, buying, and execution. It can also unleash the creative potential of media professionals, by enabling them to generate new and engaging content, formats, and experiences for their audiences. This is what we call Generative AI, and it is the focus of our 14th edition of the Media Trends Report. At Dentsu, we take pride in our insightful expertise that keeps us ahead of the competitive curve. We are always exploring new ways to leverage AI for our clients, partners, and employees. The Media Trends Report deep-dives into one of the most disruptive technologies – AI, taking us through the many trends that serve Generative AI on a platter. It aims to enable readers to reshape their work dynamics, tapping into the untapped potential through its many facets.”

     

  • To be held on November 7

    Adclub’s M.Ad Quiz returns

    By Our Staff

     

    The Advertising Club’s M.Ad Quiz is back. In association with Brand Equity, M.Ad Quiz will be held on in Mumbai on Tuesday, November 7, 2023 and will be hosted by quizmaster-turned-politician Derek O’Brien. Guess this is well before the political frenzy sets in his home state of West Bengal, ahead of the 2024 general elections.

     

    There will be two members per team. The final six teams chosen will go on stage for the final session. One organisation can send multiple teams, as long as the entry fee of Rs 10,500 per team comes in, we guess. The winners will stand to win gifts like Haier refrigerator, Titan watches, Hampers from Unilever, Garnier, Britannia, Mondelez, Dabur, Bombay Shaving Company and Nestle.

     

  • Break the cycle. Start building brands. Rediscover the art of storytelling, writes Vikas Mehta on ads aired around the World Cup

    World Cup cricket advertising in the times of digital

     

     

    With apologies to none at all

    By Vikas Mehta

     

    Vikas MehtaLast week and this week, am on the road and as such am watching the World Cup cricket, streaming on my phone or laptop. So, after a long time I am actually cut off from the traditional DTH media and have a unique opportunity to assess the state of advertising in a digital world. Let me start with my observations:

    It didn’t seem to be a Cricket World Cup event. Because I actually saw more cricket than ads.

    It was unbelievable that sometimes no ads were shown for 3-4 consecutive breaks. Can we even call them ad breaks anymore?

    Earlier Hero, LG, Pepsi were “traditional” advertisers and sponsor of global cricketing events. Then came the new age brands like Cred, Groww and Byju’s. Also: the online gaming brands like Dream 11, My Circle 11. Hardly anyone of these survive today as a mega event advertiser or sponsor.

    And am I glad that Dream 11 is an exception that survives. Because it’s the only piece of communication which stands out with a good thought ”Uthana hai to uthana padega” (If you have to lift, you have to get up), alluding to the cricket heroes having to make an extra effort to lift the cup.

    Not only is the thought interesting its execution is also spot on by using the out-of-sight-out-of-mind Rishabh Pant as the anchor exhorting his teammates.

    Or does it point to the fact that Rishabh Pant is the next Virat Kohli or Dhoni in terms of his status and acceptance by the Indian public?

    Talking about execution there were two ads that I saw which had interesting thoughts. But the execution left a lot to be desired. First was Oreo. The thought of ‘mat bol’ (do not speak) captures the Indian thinking of ‘nazar lagna’. Of not talking about something because if we do then it won’t happen. It will be jinxed. And it sounds eerily true if one looks at all the campaigns run in the last decade which were in the hope and build up to India winning the world cup. But the straightforward mouthing of the concept by Dhoni and no creative leap points to a wasted opportunity

    The second one is Kit Kat. They have used the thought of fingers crossed. Though, my first thought was “fingers crossed” Indian enough for the masses to understand? The execution was better than Oreos straightforward narration but this too was a case of missed opportunity.

    But wait, I discovered that Kit Kat had done an exactly similar campaign in the UK in 2010 hoping England will win the Football World Cup. Well, so much for originality and creativity. And the gall to use a jinxed thought!!!

    It may also point to the fact that account planners are playing a bigger role in brand strategy. But were these ads also scripted by account planners? Oreo sure looks like one.

    On Kit Kat, one thought. Why doesn’t Nestle use Mrs Rohit Sharma? In almost all matches, not just at World Cup but even much before, my lasting image of hers has been sitting with her fingers crossed on both hands. She will be the best brand ambassador for fingers crossed. You read it here first, Nestle.

    And Dhoni is still endorsing more brands than the Rohit Sharma. Does it mean that Rohit is not as bankable, even though he is breaking records and is the Indian captain?

    I daresay that Bumrah seems to be more bankable than even Rohit. After Kapil, Sachin, Dhoni and Virat he is the next Boost endorser. And also Thums Up. Now, which brands have I seen Rohit Sharma endorsing? Hmm, let me think. An airline… was it Emirates? I think I saw him in a frame of Bookings.com too. But I saw Rahul Dravid also being used. And not many brands used Rahul, even during his heydays. You draw your own inference.

    Then brands like Booking.com and Mak Lubricants were desperate to connect to cricket. Howzatt for the perfect stay. Huh! Seriously?

    There were Parle brands like Kisme, Kacha mango bite, platina… but I forget what they were all about. Same for Sting. Or MRF. All eminently forgettable. And guess what, Sachin has ditched MRF for another tyre brand. Was it Apollo? Or did MRF ditch Sachin? Musical chairs, I say.

    But the other brand which caught my eye was Herbalife. Not for its insight, nor for its strategy and definitely not for its execution. But for the fact that it has used varied sports stars giving them equal prominence and weightage. Manika Batra, Mary Kom, Smriti Mandhana and Virat Kohli. It has also used Ronaldo for a long time. It was not a Kohli-dominated ad and Kohli just happened to be in it like all others. Brave decision. Because I am sure it must have paid many more times the amount paid to Kohli than others and still to resist the temptation not to give him a higher exposure is commendable.

    Amul must have been worried that it’s a jinxed sponsor given the results of Sri Lanka and Afghanistan. But last night’s result would have given it some relief. And of course South Africa is its trump card.

    My reckoning is that Disney Hotstar, did not anticipate the India-Afghanistan match to last for 85 overs. What otherwise explains the fact that close to end of the match, when 2 crore people had switched on the live streaming, they ran out of advertising inventory. While, when Afghanistan was batting and at the start of the Indian innings, with live streaming figure fluctuating between 90 lakh to 1.5 crore most of the advertising was scheduled. Go figure.

    And for the India-Pakistan match, I had both my laptop and my mobile switched on to Disney Hotstar and both had different inventory of ads. How does this happen? Different streams within digital too?

    So, are there any conclusions. Yes, one big one. Advertising in the times of digital is getting swayed by all digital parameters. It’s about measurements. It’s about brand presence. Disney Hotstar displays a figure of how many people are watching the livestream next to their logo on the top right-hand corner. And I think brands reach orgasam with such figures. Big metrics which run into crores of viewers (read measurable metrics) means everything. What happened to brand building? What happened to storytelling? Did those crores of people even register your brand? Or did they even connect with it?

    What else explains that almost all ads were straightforward presentation of benefits. Statement of facts. The types of services offered. So Lendingcart.com ad had no differentiation. No insight. No emotional benefit. It could have been and ad for Groww for all you know. That’s what Oreo did. Got Dhoni to mouth some superstition and then tried desperately to connect with the brand. There were some big brands. MRF, Parle, Pedigree…none tried any bonding with its target group. None tried to connect. No story telling techniques like twist at the end, stimulus response or even building momentum was used.

    Some brands may not feel the need to build a brand or differentiate. They may think they already have a strong positioning and they need to be just reminder brands. Maybe that’s why Finolex Pipes or Avalon cycles just used static presence of the brand name and maybe a line. But do all brands fall in this category? Categorically, no.

    And then the industry moans that it is losing relevance and not attracting talent or not getting enough remuneration. What you dish out is what you get. It’s not a chicken or an egg syndrome. It’s not a vicious cycle. Break the cycle. Start building brands. Rediscover the art of storytelling.

    Maybe I am jumping the gun. Maybe the next few weeks will prove me wrong. I did see some new ads in the India-Pakistan match from Credit Bee, Thums Up and Snickers. More about the same next time.

     

    Vikas Mehta is a senior marketing services and business strategist and educator based in Dehradun. He writes on MxMIndia every other Monday. His views here are personal.

     

  • Enables brands to engage with festive consumers

    Carat India launches ‘Festive Landscape 2023′ Report

    By Our Staff

     

    Carat, the media agency from Dentsu India, has launched a festive reckoner, ‘Reimagining India’s Festive Landscape 2023’. The report offers insights into the varied phases of an individual’s journey to becoming a festive consumer.

     

    Said Sanchayeeta Verma, CEO, Carat India: “I am super excited to launch this study. Carat has always been a front-runner in bringing to life some core in-depth industry insights. This festive report further exemplifies our expertise in the domain.  It has been created on the key pillars of our DFP framework and incorporates the learnings from our attention economy and Lumen studies.  The intrinsic details captured in the report will allow brands to develop a renewed sense of purpose, better understand their TG, and tweak strategies to swiftly navigate through their journeys.”

     

    Added Anita Kotwani, CEO Media, South Asia, Dentsu: “Dentsu inherits a futuristic forward-looking approach, finely driven by thought leadership. We take utmost pride in launching this first-of-its-kind festive report, a certain go-to for every marketer. In India, advertisers spend a massive 30-35% of their annual budget during the 45-day festive period. Thus, being distinctive in their media strategy can be a complete festive game changer. The report offers some deeply rooted cultural insights from across geographies to enable brands to creatively customize their media approach and maximize their attentive reach.”

     

  • The question really is how WPP is going to transfer the legacy of JWT and Y & R into a Johnny-come-lately such as VML, writes Prabhakar Mundkur

    WPP fells two great brands in one stroke

    Courtesy Pexels, under Creative Commons Licence

     

     

    Prabhakar MundkurBy Prabhakar Mundkur

     

    Is this the final death of advertising as we know it? The last nail on the coffin? Or is it that the communications conglomerate that started it all has forgotten what is branding in their quest for “interconnectivity of brand experience, commerce and customer experiences” words that Jon Cook, Global CEO of VML used to the announce the death of Thomspon, previously J Walter Thompson and Y & R, previously Young & Rubicam.

    Not to speak of Wunderman.  

    Although I don’t think Wunderman was nearly as great a brand as either J Walter Thompson or Y & R, it had certainly gained a reputation starting from its origins as a direct marketing agency.  Somehow I am unable to shed tears for Wunderman but to think that both J Walter Thompson and Y & R do not exist even as the initials depresses me. To me, it is the death of creativity and strategy more than the death of advertising. The fact that they had been reduced to initials itself was depressing but I had just begun to accept it.

    Strangely, the erstwhile JWT which was named after its founder J Walter Thompson had sold the business at the turn of the early twentieth century because he thought that advertising had no future.  While it did well in the intervening 100 years or so it is strange that his spooky prediction about the future of JWT should finally turn out to be true. 

     

    So what is VML?

    Do those 3 letters conjure up any images in my mind? I am afraid not. Who do those initials belong to and what do they mean to the rest of us? To me, I am sorry to say, it sounds like a company producing scooters at best. Maybe that classifies me as an advertising dinosaur. But even dinosaurs must have their say on history.

    John Valentine, Scott McCormick and Craig Legible started VML in 1992 in Kansas City.  I never thought that a great communications company would emerge out of Kansas City. Kansas city is known only for BBQ and a mighty good time!

     

    The Challenge for WPP

    The question really is how WPP is going to transfer the legacy of JWT and Y & R into a Johnny-come-lately company such as VML. What happens to 100 years of thinking about advertising and branding that made JWT famous?  Thanks to stalwarts like Stephen King, Jeremy Bullmore and many others.  People who laid down the foundation of the advertising business and built interesting theories about how communication worked. Or the creativity of Y & R who is known to have produced the first colour television commercial in advertising history? Or the theory of Archetypes and how that could be brought to hear on advertising which first emerged from writers that worked at Y & R?

    What happens to the legacy of proprietary knowledge, analytical rigour and creative solutions  these two great advertising agencies brought to bear on the rest of the communications industry?

    Or are 100 years of history and knowledge going to dissolve in the vacuous nothingness of AI, technology, customer experience and commerce? That is a lot of words that somehow  don’t convey much to me but are found in the press releases of the new age communications companies.

    In retrospect, Wunderman-Thompson was a good example of bad branding from the world’s largest communications conglomerate. Why would they have  delegated Thompson to second place in the first instance? More people surely knew Thompson rather than Wunderman. And in process kill an over 130 year old brand with much higher equity. 

    Wunderman was a small entity. Thompson was a big entity.  Wunderman-Thompson was a non-entity. So I am not even sure I  should be shedding any tears now that both of them are dead. 

    I am sure  “Commodore”  J Walter Thompson as he was lovingly called must have flipped a few times sadly in his grave last evening when he saw the VML press release.

    Goodbye, J Walter Thompson, Young & Rubicam and Wunderman.  

    Hello, VML, whoever you are!

    And Sir Martin what do you think of what your successor is doing?

     

    PS: Meanwhile, Sir Martin’s successor has just got himself another five-year contract from the Board. Share price is trending at a third of its 2015 peak and lagging behind Publicis and Omnicom to No 3.

     

  • Of newly formed Omnicom Advertising Services

    Omnicom names DDB’s Aditya Kanthy CEO of all creative agencies

    By Our Staff

     

    Omnicom Chairman and CEO John Wren has named Aditya Kanthy as CEO of the newly formed Omnicom Advertising Services group in India. Kanthy will oversee Omnicom’s creative agencies in the region, focusing on talent, cross agency collaboration, and innovation to drive growth in one of the company’s fastest growing markets. The respective creative agencies within the group – DDB, BBDO and TBWA – will maintain their current branding in the Indian market.

     

    Noted a communique: “Omnicom Advertising Services will bring together the power of Omnicom to provide exceptional integrated solutions to meet the needs of clients in India. The group will capitalize on the top talent housed within its leading networks and work in partnership with other Omnicom agencies, such as Omnicom Media Group, to further strengthen Omnicom’s comprehensive offering in India. Omnicom recently announced the creation of large global capability centers with four campuses out of Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai and Gururam.

     

    Said John Wren, Chairman and CEO, Omnicom:  “This year India will become the most populous nation on the planet. It is an important growth engine for Omnicom. By centralising the leadership of three creative powerhouses under Aditya, we will continue to build on our agencies’ strong foundations to deliver a wider breadth of capability and scale for our clients. Aditya brings deep experience to the newly created Omnicom Advertising Services, and our India operations is primed to thrive under his leadership.”

     

  • To enable omnichannel commerce through in-store and retail media integration

    GroupM partners Criteo to drive commerce media innovation in APAC

    By Our Staff

     

    Criteo, the commerce media company, and GroupM, WPP’s media investment group, announced the first partnership in Asia Pacific (APAC) to  strengthen omnichannel commerce media capabilities for GroupM clients in the region.

     

    Said Anita Munro, Chief Investment Officer, GroupM APAC: “The innovation in commerce that will be made possible through this collaboration with Criteo is a significant and hugely exciting development for advertisers in APAC, and for our industry as a whole. Combining Criteo’s commerce media capabilities with our own not only strengthens our commerce offering in the region, but also allows us to set a new standard for what’s possible in advertising by bringing products, media, clients and consumers closer than ever before.”

     

    Added Taranjeet Singh, Managing Director, Enterprise, APAC at Criteo: “Together with GroupM, we are honored to usher in the next era of omnichannel marketing in the region. This partnership represents a union of industry leadership, and we are optimistic that it will drive greater integration across omnichannel campaigns and elevate success for brands and advertisers.”

     

  • Rajesh Gangwani: Can’t make sense of VML

    Rajesh GangwaniBy Rajesh Gangwani

     

    I would  consider JWT ( yes it always was that for me ) my second home. Not surprising, if you have spent close to three decades in the organisation and been a Thompsonian all your working life in advertising!

     

    I left JWT just before the letter J fell off  and it morphed into WT (Wunderman Thompson). It was disturbing news but the spirit behind the Thompson name still offered hope of a new beginning where the present and future came together. The baby was still in the bathtub, even as the business waters were getting turbulent.

     

    I can’t make sense of VML. There are heavy numbers being thrown behind it to herald its creation but I don’t even recognise it. I hear words like scale, technology platforms,  deep expertise , massive  transformation etc. But one thing doesn’t change even as the world changes dramatically – people still value trust and relationships. Built in no small measure by powerful brands like JWT and Y&R that have weathered many a storm during their illustrious existence.  And that remains an  issue to be resolved at the core of the new behemoth unleashed. Can VML forge the same level of trust and build the same quality of relationships (both external and internal) in future, freed from the valuable legacy of its pedigree constituents.

     

    JWT will always conjure for me the endurance of timeless values – integrity, respect, humility, warmth, passion for learning and committed brand ownership. When you call your company your second home, it also shapes your persona and mirrors your own personal values. It’s a bittersweet moment for me as I put words to my feelings.

     

    This is all that I can say with both pride and a heavy heart: Goodbye JWT. It was a privilege serving you.

     

    In gratitude, Rajesh Gangwani

     

     

    Rajesh Gangwani is an Executive and Leadership Communication Coach based in Mumbai. He worked with J Walter Thompson for over 27 years (1991 to 2018). He can be reached at https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajesh-gangwani-executivecoach-communication/. His views here are personal

     

     

  • Ogilvy is the star in the mush, writes Prabhakar Mundkur

    Why Ogilvy has survived the WPP mergers, and others haven’t

     

     

    Prabhakar MundkurBy Prabhakar Mundkur

     

    With the recent apocalypse of well-known agency brands, JWT, Y & R, Wunderman, Grey and several others, it seems in comparison, that the only agency to escape the onslaught of mergers in the WPP group is Ogilvy.

     

    There is a near mythical story about a conversation that was once overheard in one of New York’s many synagogues between two heads of the world’s top communication conglomerates. “You know JWT is past its prime. It is very good at handling old established brands like Kellogg’s and Unilever. The best ad agency in the group is Ogilvy. They handle modern brands like IBM and many others. They are ready for the future. The two men departed the synagogue after that propitious meeting. Almost 25 years later, the JWT brand was slain.

     

    The dialogue in the synagogue seems to have come true in many ways. Ogilvy has withstood the test of time as one would call it. They have continued to be one of the most creative agencies in the world coupled with their knowledge of new media, customer experience and data-driven communication. It is no wonder then that it continues as Ogilvy and refuses to be overcome by mergers and acquisitions. The only acquisition ever was when Sir Martin Sorrell pitched for the agency from WPP in 1989 when he acquired Ogilvy in a hostile acquisition for $864 million. A move that irked David Ogilvy into calling Sorrell ‘an odious piece of shit’ publicly. A little later, David Ogilvy’s tirade against Sorrell changed from ‘shit’ to ‘jerk’.

     

    But David Ogilvy quickly changed his earlier animosity against Sorrel. He was to write much later, “To my surprise, I liked you. . . I was flattered when you quoted my books, and even more so when you invited me to become Chairman of your company, which goes by the name WPP. I accepted your invitation..  . It remains for me to tell you that I am sorry I was so offensive to you-before we met.

     

    When Ogilvy was dying of cancer, Sorrell visited him and promised to look after his wife and even paid for his nurses, according to Miles Young.

     

    The magic of Ogilvy 

    For one, Ogilvy pursued excellence in creativity relentlessly unlike its contemporary brethren like JWT. Also, Ogilvy embraced direct marketing much earlier than some of the other agencies in the old days, quickly giving it skills beyond mass media. For many decades, JWT produced middle-of-the-road advertising for its largest client Ford which once accounted for 25% of the agency’s revenue making JWT Detroit its biggest office in the world. That coupled with its client portfolio of old world brands perhaps was it undoing. It failed to embrace the tilt to modern forms of communications as well as Ogilvy. Its slew of modern brands like IBM, Verizon, Ikea and others I believe helped Ogilvy to keep in touch with the future much better than other agency brands which have got acquired and withered away. It has been creating iconic, culture changing advertising ever since Ogilvy founded the agency in 1948.

     

    So here is a lesson to the rest of the agency brands out there. Please look at what Ogilvy is doing. Because if you follow them, you will stay alive and hope to avert the death of advertising as predicted by many.

     

    Let me end this piece with one of my favourite quotes from David Ogilvy.

     

    “The consumer isn’t a moron; she is your wife. You insult her intelligence if you assume that a mere slogan and a few vapid adjectives will persuade her to buy anything”

     

    Long Live Ogilvy!

     

  • With theme 'Fair and Open Society'

    Dentsu celebrates sustainability initiative, 7th time over

    By Our Staff

     

    Dentsu India celebrated the seventh edition of its volunteering initiative – ‘One Day for Change’ (ODfC). Aligned to the network’s 2030 Sustainability Strategy, the seventh iteration of this initiative was themed around one of the network’s global sustainability pillars – ‘Fair and Open Society’.

     

    Said Harsha Razdan, CEO, South Asia, Dentsu: “Sustainability is not just an idea; it is a way of being. At Dentsu, our social impact goals are driven by our commitment to offer people-centred transformations that shape society. Our priority is to empower people – in business and beyond. As a leader in the space, we are privileged to have the expertise to influence people, making it our moral responsibility to ensure that opportunity and equality are provided as fundamental rights. They are not meant to be earned, but rather to be owned. Our goal for ODfC 2023 was to give this vision a boost, modify preconceptions, and embed the values that drive an open and fair society for all.”

     

  • The consumer is changing. The brands needs to change. Should not the communication partner change too, asks Avik Chatt…

    Thompson, with a ‘p’

     

     

    By Avik Chattopadhyay

     

    Avik ChattopadhyayHere I am, on a blue-blooded advertising and marketing platform, taking a chance at expressing my opinion on WPP finally doing away with the famed “J. Walter Thompson” name. I am not an advertising professional, so do I have the very credibility to write on this subject? I think I do as I have been a ‘client’ for almost two decades dealing with various advertising agencies, including the one with a ‘p’.

     

    Since WPP decided to give the agency a new name, or impose a name of an existing much smaller agency on the bigger one, many advertising professionals have lamented and lambasted the decision. “How can you take away such a venerable name?” has been the common refrain. “Who on earth knows the new name? No one!” has been the second most popular one. Most of these people have had careers in HTA / JWT / WT and have moved on in life.

     

    So, will the name change see a change in business? Will it see a change in the ethos and culture? Will clients leave as they do not like the new name? Will employees leave as clients are leaving? Will the entire business come crashing down?

     

    As someone had told me early in my career, “An agency is as good as the client.” This adage has had a 100% success rate in my professional career till now across eight organisations, six as a client and two as an agency. At every stage, whatever the context or occasion, the communication output has been as effective, efficient and enriching as the quality of the brief, the level of the involvement and most importantly, the depth of the understanding. Right across conventional advertising to media planning to digital marketing to out-of-home to on-ground activation and event management.

     

    Just like brands have grown being with the right communications partner, so have the partners grown continuing with the right brands. The relationship is mutually impactful. If HTA / JWT / WP is the intellectual behemoth that it is today, it is because its relationships with certain brand behemoths have endured over decades. And these relationships have built its reputation. Just like any superstar, more than 50% of its work would be mediocre or pedestrian but it is that balance that has created the magic for it.

     

    Over the years I have realised that using “partner” in place of agency and “brand” in place of client works better if you keep repeating them a thousand times in your head as then you start respecting the agency more as a partner and a client more as a brand. That makes a huge difference in the relationship and the quality of the communication.

     

    Fiat became FCA. Peugeot became PSA. Then Fiat and Peugeot became Stellantis. One may argue that only the corporation names have changed while the customer-facing brands have remained the same. Okay. Ciba-Geigy and Sandoz became Novartis. ICI became Akzo Nobel. Sakura became Konika. Vam Organics became Jubilant. Phoenix became Firefox. Danone’s Bio became Activia. Bombay became Mumbai. The legacy brands wore new clothes and went about their work. The earth did not part consuming them for this act of blasphemy.

     

    In fact, most of them benefited from donning a new name. it gave a new sense of purpose and direction. And the customer was the biggest gainer. In the enthusiasm of the new name, new ways of customer delivery, product innovation and delight were conjured up by the same team, almost like saying, “We have not only changed, we have gotten better!”

     

    Advertising has evolved into communication. Communication is going through a tectonic change with the AI interface now rubbing shoulders with the creative human being. Mediums and methods are changing as rapidly as you can say “James Walter Thompson”. The new name VML has been consciously chosen to denote a fresh look at the world of communication. The consumer is changing. The brands needs to change. Should not the communication partner change too? As long as the people are the same and the intellectual capital only increases, the lamenters can rest easy. The clients will not run away. Neither will the employees. Nor will the operating standards fall.

     

    As long as the ‘p’ of Thompson remains intact.

    ‘P’ for partner.

    Cheers.

     

  • The date of the awards event has not been announced

    Shashi Sinha to be conferred with AAAI Lifetime Award 2023

    By Our Staff

     

    The Advertising Agencies Association of India has announced that the AAAI Lifetime Achievement Award for 2023 will be conferred on IPG Mediabrands CEO and senior advertising industry executive Shashi Sinha. Notes a communique: “This is the highest honour to be given to an individual in India for her/ his outstanding contribution to the advertising industry. With nearly four decades in the advertising industry, Shashi Sinha is seasoned professional and has dedicated the majority of his career to a single agency group. In a leadership span of 25 years, he progressed from being the head of Media at FCB Ulka to the CEO of all media units under IPG Medianrands in 2013. As CEO, he orchestrated a remarkable turnaround, transforming a little known media group into the most respectable entity among all IPG business units in India. This success elevated the global standing of IPG Media Brands. Simultaneously, his enduring stewardship of Amul for over 37 years attests to the high regard in which he is held. Beyond corporate achievements, he played a pivotal role in the sevenfold growth of Interactive Avenues, a digital agency acquired during his tenure. His emphasis on human resources ensured the retention of original founders within the leadership team at MB agencies. Notably, MB agencies, apart from GroupM, are the only media agencies to have received Agency of the Year Awards at prestigious local shows like Emvies and Goafest Abbies. Renowned for his active presence and guidance in various industry bodies, including roles as the current Chairman of BARC, former President of the Ad Club and former Chairman of ABC and MRUC. His involvement in ASCI, and contributions to IRS editions and AAAI further exemplify his commitment to influencing the advertising landscape. He has also been Chairman of the Awards Governing Council at Goafest. Beyond his professional life, he contributes to social causes through advisory roles in organisations like Akhand Jyoti Charitable Trust and TRRAIN Foundation, focusing on healthcare for curable blindness and supporting the training and placement of people with disabilities in the retail sector.”

     

    Making the announcement, Prasanth Kumar, President, AAAI, said, “Shashi Sinha’s journey in advertising is an inspiring narrative of leadership, innovation, and resilience. As the AAAI Lifetime Achievement Awardee for 2023, he exemplifies decades of transformative impact, steering media entities to unparalleled success. His tenure as CEO at IPG Media Brands marked a turnaround that elevated industry standards, making it the most profitable entity under IPG in India. Beyond corporate milestones, Shashi’s commitment to industry bodies and social causes is laudable. His achievements reflect not just professional excellence but a deep-seated passion for shaping the advertising landscape and contributing meaningfully to societal progress. Shashi Sinha is truly deserving of this honour.”

     

    Added Anupriya Acharya, Chairperson of the AAAI Lifetime Achievement Award Selection Committee: “No one deserves this prestigious honour more than Shashi. While his success in advertising is remarkable, his contributions to the industry at large are nothing short of exemplary. It is no surprise therefore, that the entire committee unanimously agreed to bestow this award upon Shashi, recognising his outstanding achievements and significant impact on the advertising landscape.”

     

    Some of the past winners of this award include Subhas Ghosal, Alyque Padamsee, Mike Khanna, R K Swamy, Piyush Pandey, Sam Balsara, Prem Mehta, Roda Mehta, Ram Sehgal, Madhukar Kamath, Arvind Sharma, Colvyn Harris and others. The date of the awards event has not been announced, though it’s likely to be post-Diwali (that’s around November 12-14, 2023).