MxMIndia

Category: ADVERTISING

  • So I have 'upgraded' to 94.3 Radio One. Spending time in the car, despite Mumbai's horrendous traffic conditions, has become fun once again. The only problem is the bloody ads. Most of them are sick, boring and nerve-wracking to hear.

    Anil Thakraney: Good FM, pathetic ads!

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Okay, so I have ‘upgraded’ to 94.3 Radio One and have chucked all my CDs into the Arabian Sea. Spending time in the car, despite Mumbai’s horrendous traffic conditions, has become fun once again. And I must say the RJs don’t ramble much, and the music collection is superb. A good mix of new stuff and retro. So far so good.

     

    The only problem is the bloody ads. Most of them are sick, boring and nerve-wracking to hear. And each ad enjoys high frequency because radio is an inexpensive medium. Imagine what a downer it is to listen to rubbish in the middle of Coldplay and U2. This is like a tapori waiter on duty at the Zodiac Grille. Doesn’t work. So who’s at fault here, can we blame the radio station? Ideally, 94.3 should be picky about the sort of ads they broadcast, so that the overall ambience of the station doesn’t get screwed. They cannot disown the ads completely. But private FM radio stations are bleeding in India, so we really can’t blame them for lapping up whatever ads they can get their hands on. They have to survive, no? So I guess the station can be forgiven.

     

    What cannot be forgiven is the sad quality of the radio ads. I cannot understand why, after all these years, agency creative directors don’t get this fantastic medium. At a very low cost, one can produce award winning work in this space. With no dependence on visuals, the listeners’ imagination can be fired, they can be left to fit in their own images. And how very tantalizing that can be! I suspect the key reason radio advertising continues to languish is that the entire attention of the ad agencies is focused on TV commercials. And perhaps radio spots are still being written by bored copy trainees, who must be treating it as a chore rather than as a creative challenge.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”200″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oG3JPvH3tO0[/youtube]

    Come on, dear Creative Directors. It’s a fab medium and a huge opportunity. Don’t waste it. And I would also appeal to the clients not to accept garbage scripts. They must put pressure on their agencies to come up with sparkling radio spots. Even if the spots cost less, money is being spent on them, so they better be paisa vasool. If the brand managers quietly accept mediocrity, then that’s what will be dished out to them.

     

    ***

     

    PS: Haha. Armani shows you how to tip the room service staff. I strongly suggest you don’t try this out in a desi five star hotel. The consequences can be grievous!

     

  • To say the commercial is so-not-funny would be a mild statement. The exchange between the various characters didn't just bore me, it made me squirm.

    Debrief: No Fizz, only Ewwwwww!

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    This one might possibly be the worst TV commercial on air right now. Everything’s gone wrong out here. The Appy Fizz ad involves some very trite banter between actor Saif Ali Khan and his pals, as they lounge somewhere. The drink, which has come alive, adds in its two bits of nonsense. I am not even going to describe this ad, that’s too boring a task. Please watch it for yourself.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”200″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWVoq1ePqx0[/youtube]

    Where do I begin? Saif Ali Khan? What’s the point of casting a middle aged angry actor for a ‘buddy hang out’ drink? How does he fit in? Next. Since the ad is entirely conversation based and nothing else happens aside from that, wit and sharp humour become key ingredients. To say the commercial is so-not-funny would be a mild statement. Truth be told, I haven’t heard such silly, juvenile banter amongst junior school kids. If the copywriter is weak on humour, he/she must avoid that route like the plague. The exchange between the various characters didn’t just bore me, it made me squirm. And of course, no one tells us what makes Appy Fizz a special drink. That it talks utter rubbish is all we know.

     

    By the way, they missed one little trick. What would have generated some laughs is if the angry middle aged actor punched the Appy Fizz bottle on its face. Boom! Chhote nawab is particularly good at these things. Had they done that, I would have given the ad a few stars. For sure.

     

    Rating: (On a scale of 1 to 5): 0. Humour falls flat.

  • The awards will commemorate women achievers’ across all spheres, with a panel of well-known names to select winners.

    Femina, L’Oreal announce Women Awards 2012

    By A Correspondent

     

    Women’s lifestyle monthly Femina in conjunction with beauty products brand L’Oréal Paris has announced the launch of women’s awards property ‐ the L’Oréal Paris Femina Women Awards 2012, in association with Rasvihar, to be held in Mumbai on March 22, 2012.

     

    The first ever L’Oréal Paris Femina Woman Awards will celebrate and honour the most accomplished women in the fields of art, music, education, business, social activism and cinema for their talents, grace and ability to inspire. The jury includes names from photography, film and the corporate world such as Gayatri Ruia, Jatin Kampani, Nandita Mahtani, Nathalie Gerschtein, Priya Dutt, Sulajja Firodia Motwani, Tanya Chaitanya and Zeenat Aman will choose the winners across various categories.

     

    Readers are also invited to vote for The Man We Love, The Woman We Love, and The Favourite Face of a Cause by visiting www.facebook.com/feminawoman. They can also participate in the L’Oréal Paris ‘Who’s worth it to you?’ contest by logging on to www.lorealparis.co.in. Commenting on the announcement, Tarun Rai, CEO, WWM said, “Indian women are making their mark in diverse fields including in the traditional male bastions. The L’Oréal Paris Femina Women Awards are both a celebration and a recognition of the achievements of Indian women in arts and entertainment as also science and business. Femina believes that the modern Indian woman can be all that she wants to be and these awards are a tribute to this belief. And we are very happy that L’Oréal Paris is our partner in this celebration.”

    Tanya Chaitanya, Editor, Femina said, “The first‐ever L’Oréal Paris Femina Women Awards set the spotlight on how much a woman can achieve if she believes in herself. Femina, having known the Indian woman for more than 50 years, hopes that the inspiring stories behind each of our winners will help our readers realise their own strength. To women power!”

    Nathalie Gerschtein, Director of L’Oréal Paris in India said, “Our legendary signature – “Because you’re worth it” – has empowered women over the past 40 years. These four timeless words are a reflection of women’s potential to express themselves. L’Oréal Paris is not just a leading beauty brand, but also a brand that embodies self‐confidence and empowerment. Today, being a L’Oréal Paris woman means being an individual with a charismatic personality, a determined outlook and a strong personality. We are happy to honor such women by partnering with Femina to host our first Women awards.”

    Readers can vote in the categories of Woman We Love; Man We Love; and Face of a Cause.

     

  • Ormax Media has announced the launch of the 3rd edition of its Cricket Advertising Recall & Effectiveness research – Day After Cricket (DAC), for brands advertising on IPL 5.

    The Day After Cricket – Ormax survey of viewer recall

    By A Correspondent

     

    Ormax Media has announced the launch of the 3rd edition of its Cricket Advertising Recall & Effectiveness research – Day After Cricket (DAC), for brands advertising on IPL 5. DAC was launched in 2010 for IPL 3. In 2011, the research was conducted for IPL 4 and the Cricket World Cup.

     

    Day After Cricket research has two components. The first one involves day-after tracking, available as bi-weekly syndicated reports to advertisers and media agencies over the seven-week long duration of the tournament. This phase of research will be conducted across the six metros, covering more than 2100 IPL viewers over the course of the tournament.

     

    The second phase of DAC is post-event research customized to the brand’s requirements and target audience. In this phase, the impact of IPL on the brand’s equity will be determined, by measuring the difference in the performance of the brand on key attributes amongst viewers and non-viewers of the tournament. An advertiser can opt for either or both phases of the research, depending on its objectives.

     

    Speaking about DAC, Shailesh Kapoor, CEO – Ormax Media, said, “From a research perspective, there are two key deliverables in big ticket cricket advertising – Recall & Equity Impact. Recall needs to be monitored to understand if the brand has managed to stand out in the clutter. Equity Impact is the long-term influence of the campaign, measured in a way that nullifies the role of all other media or promotions, thereby isolating the specific impact of IPL on the brand.”

     

  • Tang, introduced last year in India through Cadbury India, part of Kraft Foods, has launched the thick Tang Mango flavour in India.

    Tang introduces mango flavour

    By A Correspondent

     

    Come summer and everyone looks forward to the King of Fruits – juicy mangoes. Tang, introduced last year in India through Cadbury India, part of Kraft Foods, has launched the thick Tang Mango flavour in India. Delicious, refreshing and rich with the taste of mangoes, Tang Mango will give consumers the experience of a juicy mango-flavoured beverage.

     

    Convenient, affordable and available in delicious flavours, Tang provides mothers with an opportunity to make a quick, refreshing drink for their children by just adding water. Tang also contains vitamins A, B and C; and Iron that normally get depleted during the course of a hectic day in the life of today’s children.

     

    Announcing the new mango variant, Narayan Sundararaman – Director, Powdered Beverages, Gum & Candy – Kraft Foods, said, “We are extremely happy to announce the launch of Tang Mango, the first product in the Indian powdered beverage category in a unique thick format. Our consumer research showed that consumers prefer mango drinks that are thick, pulpy and give them the mango flavour and experience. Tang Mango has been developed in line with consumer expectations of consuming a thick and juicy mango flavoured beverage.”

     

    He further added, “We launched the ‘made-in-India’ Tang last year and the consumer response has been very good. We are working towards a bank of flavours that appeal to local tastes. We believe consumers are going to love Tang Mango and the experience that comes with it.”

     

    Tang Mango will be introduced through a new TVC campaign. Developed by Bates, the campaign is based on the theme of “Surprising Thickness” creatively rendered as ‘isse jaldi se kha jao’– “you will need to eat this”, playing closely on the experience of consuming a mango.

     

    Developed to suit the Indian palate, Tang Mango will be available in retail stores across the country in two pack sizes of 200 grams for Rs 40 and 500 grams for Rs 85.

     

  • Global analytics firm AbsolutData Research & Analytics has recently expanded its top management team in India. The new additions to the team will operate out of the Gurgaon, India office of AbsolutData.

    AbsolutData expands Senior Management team in India

    By A Correspondent

     

    Global analytics firm AbsolutData Research & Analytics has recently expanded its top management team in India. The new additions to the team will operate out of the Gurgaon, India office of AbsolutData.  A company statement said the expansion is a crucial step forward in supporting the company’s aggressive growth plans for its business activities globally.

     

    Sundar Ramaswamy has joined as Chief Operating Officer. He has close to 15 years of experience across consulting, off-shoring and outsourcing. Prior to joining AbsolutData, he led the Global Analytics capability at McKinsey and Company, and before that close to seven years at Accenture as consultant.

     

    Abishek Sawhny has joined as Chief Financial Officer. He has over 20 years of work experience across consulting and industry in England, India and US.  His experience ranges from strategy consulting, cross border company purchase and sale, diligence, funding, ERP, tax and audit.  He was CEO of Tensys, USA, CFO at RMS, and has worked at Arthur Andersen, Tilda, TeamCube, Wagner & Partners, Morgan Brown & Spofforth.

     

    Rahul Monie has joined as Chief Technology Officer.  He has 22 years of experience across IT business solutions, ERP, data center services, product development, etc. He has successfully run technology startups and managed P&Ls in large organisations. He was Director Engineering at Firstrain, a US based leading provider of search-driven research applications. Prior to that he was at Comsat Max involved with Design, Network Security, Enterprise Data Centres for managed IT infrastructure and outsourcing services. He was at Microsoft Consulting Services leading North & East India branches and before that leading technology at The British Council for SAARC region.

     

    AbsolutData CEO Anil Kaul said, “AbsolutData has been a leading player in providing Marketing Analytics services to global organizations. With this expansion of the India team, we are adding significant and broad industry experience, business delivery skills and senior leadership to our management team. I am very pleased to welcome the addition of Sundar, Abishek and Rahul to the AbsolutData team”.

     

    Founded in 2001, AbsolutData is a global consulting oriented analytics firm headquartered in San Francisco.

     

  • New LinkedIn research reveals seventy-nine percent of Indian professionals believe in career luck.

    LinkedIn survey shows luck helps career, Indians believe

    By A Correspondent

     

    Professional network LinkedIn has released data about global professionals’ perceptions of the role Lady Luck has played in their career trajectory.

     

    LinkedIn has more than 150 million members worldwide and over 14 million in India.

     

    LinkedIn surveyed more than 7,000 professionals globally and found that 84 percent of professionals do believe in career luck. Forty-eight percent consider themselves to have better luck in their careers, compared to other professionals.

     

    Seventy-nine percent of the more than 500 professionals surveyed in India believe in career luck. Out of the fifteen countries in which LinkedIn surveyed professionals, India ranked as the fourteenth-luckiest country. Thirty-six percent of survey respondents report feeling slightly luckier, or much luckier, than other professionals.

     

    For professionals in India, the top five most important factors that contribute to luck are:

    • Learning from your mistakes
    • Having a strong work ethic
    • Having strong communication skills
    • Striving to be the best at what you do
    • Having strong technical skills

    Globally, the top five most important factors that contribute to luck are:

    • Having strong communications skills
    • Being flexible
    • Having a strong work ethic
    • Acting on opportunities
    • Having a strong network

    India is the only country with “Having strong technical skills” in its list of the top five factors contributing to career luck.

     

    “Progressing in their careers and moving up the organizational ladder is crucial for professionals across all levels. The objective of this survey was to discover how professionals perceive luck in their career growth,” said Hari V. Krishnan, Country Manager, LinkedIn India.

     

  • Nine Indian entries across seven categories made it to the shortlist for the Festival of Media Montreux

    9 Indian entries in Festival of Media Montreux shortlist

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Festival of Media Global Awards 2012 received a record number of entries, with over 870 entries, from more than 50 countries. They celebrate the very best in media thinking from around the world and are a platform to promote the best in class, rewarding creativity and innovation that is at the very heart of effective media communications. India has had its share of mentions in the shortlist. Here goes:

     

    Best Communications Strategy

    Title: Change the game

    Company: Mindshare

    Brand: Pepsi

     

    Title: Making of a superstar

    Company: Mindshare

    Brand: Lux

     

    Best Contribution to a Campaign by a Media Owner

    Title: Making of a superstar

    Company: Gemini TV

    Brand: Lux

    Other credits: Mindshare

     

    Best Entertainment Platform

    Title: Little big film maker

    Company: Mindshare

    Brand: Surf Excel

    Other credits: Newscorp

     

    Best Use of Content

    Title: Little big film maker

    Company: Mindshare

    Brand: Surf Excel

    Other credits: Newscorp

     

    Best Use of Emerging Technology

    Title: Customising Technology to create world’s first light powered Facebook app, mobile app and billboard!

    Company: Maxus Bangalore

    Brand: Titan HTSE

    Other Credits: Titan, KRDS, Kinetic

     

    Title: Technology helped save 100,000 lives

    Company: Maxus

    Brand: Vodafone India

     

    Best Creative Use of Media

    Title: Auto rickshaws

    Company: Mediacom India

    Brand: Duracell

    Other credits: Mediacom India

     

    The Effectiveness Award

    Title: It’s a great time to be a family

    Company: Lodestar UM

    Brand: Microsoft

    Other credits: Excel Entertainment, Turner International, Star Plus

     

    In its sixth year, The Festival of Media 2012 will return to the Montreux, Switzerland on April 15-17, 2012. Billed as the world’s first celebration of media creativity and innovation, the Festival of Media sees global media specialists network with senior marketers, media owners and thought-leaders, to do business and debate the many changes in media that are altering advertising landscapes worldwide.

     

  • Following the announcement of Micromax bagging the title sponsorship of the Asia Cup 2012, leading power brands Standard Chartered, Jaypee Cements, Daikin, Indian Oil and Bangladesh Tourism have signed up as the five official partners.

    Micromax Asia Cup 2012 sponsor family grows

    By A Correspondent

     

    Following the announcement of Micromax bagging the title sponsorship of the Asia Cup 2012, leading power brands like Standard Chartered, Jaypee Cements, Daikin, Indian Oil and Bangladesh Tourism have signed up as the five official partners.

     

    Yannick Colaco, COO Nimbus Sport said, “I am delighted to announce a stellar sponsor family for the Micromax Asia Cup 2012. There is no doubt that this is by far the biggest ODI tournament this year. All our commercial partners see tremendous value in associating with the blockbuster that will see the World Cup rivalry among India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka resume once again.”

     

    Nimbus Sport has signed a host of international distribution deals to maximize global reach. The various distribution partners are:

     

     

    No Partners Region
    1 Neo Cricket Indian Sub Continent, US, Canada, UAE, Singapore, North Africa, Philippines & Hong Kong
    2 Willow TV US & Canada
    3 Zee UK & Europe
    4 Super Sports South Africa
    5 PTC Pakistan
    6 BTV Bangladesh
    7 Carlton Sri Lanka
    8 Setanta Australia Australia
  • The best definition of an organization's culture is the one I learnt in management school and it's stuck into my head. It's about 'How the employees behave when no one is looking'.

    Anil Thakraney: Are you cultured?

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    A senior executive quit Goldman Sachs, and his resignation letter has gone viral. In fact, it’s a hot topic of discussion on Wall Street even as you read this. Full marks to the man for standing up for what he believes in. For sure the officer will be black-listed in the corporate world (as most whistle blowers are) but he will walk with his head held high for the rest of his life. Here’s the full text of his resignation letter, in case you haven’t read it.

    http://www.ndtv.com/article/world/why-i-am-leaving-goldman-sachs-186001

     

     

    What got me interested in this issue is the said executive’s reason for quitting: the organization’s culture had eroded and that was unacceptable to him. Haven’t many of us experienced this situation in our careers? Most of us don’t chuck our jobs because of this, but it’s a fact that an organization’s culture is important to its success. And yet, in the chase for profitability, this truth is often ignored. The result is loss of focus and staff friction across all levels.

     

    The best definition of an organization’s culture is the one I learnt in management school and it’s stuck into my head. It’s about ‘How the employees behave when no one is looking’. If there is a culture existent in an organization, then all employees would behave identically in a given situation. For example, at the Taj, if a piece of paper is found lying in the lobby area, chances are any staffer would quickly pick it up, right from the general manager to the waiter. That’s culture.

     

    I have noticed that organizations do start out with a clear, identifiable culture. But as the leadership changes, or as more money comes in, it’s quickly forgotten. I’ll give you another example. I once worked in a large ad agency and it used to be entirely client-led. Pleasing the client at all costs was the culture. The sort of people who were hired believed in that. And this percolated down the line. Even the peon treated the visiting client as god. Later when the top leadership changed, the agency’s culture changed to creativity. I don’t work there any more but I suspect every employee, perhaps even their admin staff, thinks of different ways to do routine things.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”200″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yotq4zr0dRc[/youtube]

    Shut your eyes and ask yourself a question: What culture does my organization have? If the answer is a blank or if it’s something that goes against your core values, it’s best to move on. Like the gentleman from Goldman Sachs.

     

    ***

     

    PS: Johnson’s captures the mother/child relationship wonderfully. A simple idea. Instead of a regular voice-over, they have imagined what a child might think of his/her mum. And that makes the emotions flow.

     

  • Star Network's Kannada GEC Suvarna begins its new fiction show Amrutavarshini on March 19, Mon-Fri at 9.30pm.

    Suvarna’s new fiction show begins today

    By A Correspondent

     

    Star Network’s Kannada General Entertainment channel Suvarna announces the launch of their new fiction show “Amrutavarshini”

     

    The show is about an innocent, docile girl from a poor family who has few expectations in life; she is content with the simple things that her family life has to offer. How her life changes when she gets married into a rich family is the story forward.

     

    The show will go on air from March 19, Monday to Friday 9.30 PM.

     

    Anup Chandrashekaran, Business Head, Suvarna Channel says “All our shows are unique and have a different treatment. We at Suvarna ensure that every fiction show has a strong story plot and an engaging screenplay. This show is unique as this showcases the mother in law – daughter in law relationship with a new lens. The making of this show is exceptional and the story will undoubtedly appeal to the viewers tastes. This show is ideal for the 9:30 pm slot as this will be the immediate program after “Kannadada Kotyadhipathi” which is the biggest show on Kannada Television”

     

    The show is produced by the production house RG Media Stuff which has also produced one of the most successful shows of Kannada General Entertainment “Krishna Rukmini” for Suvarna.

     

    Ravi Garani of RG Media Stuff says, “We have ensured that the production values of the show are not compromised, and the look and feel is of national standard. I am thankful to the Suvarna team for giving me this opportunity to do this show.”

     

    Anil Narang, Head of Marketing & Strategy, Suvarna Channel says “This show will enhance the fiction offering of our channel. The story line will relate well to our core audience. We have ensured that the artists chosen to play the key roles in the show are the best fit to the character values they portray.”

     

  • Hindustan embarked on a grassroots campaign to unearth 100 "quiet reformers" who are working tirelessly for the betterment of society and life in the state

    From Zero, Bihar reaches 100: Hindustan shares a dream to take it beyond

    By A Correspondent

     

    Bihar has long been known as the land which gave the world “zero”, Gautama Buddha’s message of peace, the foundation of structured education with Nalanda and the seat of culture. It led the creation of modern thought. The recognition of Bihar’s contribution to society and the modern world led Hindustan to create a programme on the occasion of completion of 100 years of Bihar’s formation on March 22.

     

    With a stable and progressive government at the helm for the second time, citizens are nursing a dream of a modern and developed state. Unknown to most, at several places the seeds of change have been sown and have taken root as well. For the pools of transformation to become an ocean of development in Bihar, it is critical for the good work to be shared with the citizens of the state. With that objective in mind, Hindustan embarked on a grassroots campaign to unearth 100 “quiet reformers” who are working tirelessly for the betterment of society and life in the state. The zeal of these “gems of Bihar” deserves to be lauded and should not be a quiet endeavour.

     

    Over the last 25 years in Bihar, Hindustan has been a partner and a witness to the state’s transformation story. Hindustan kicked off a campaign in December 2011 with the mission to first locate 100 individuals and then reveal their stories to the citizens of the state. These real stories of hope and inspiration have a tremendous role in communicating the importance of “naya zariya”, initiative and responsibility of citizens to make their own future brighter. A multi-pronged strategy was used which involved communication through the newspaper and an appeal to readers to nominate deserving initiatives that they knew of in one of 8 categories:

     

    1. Education

    2. Agriculture

    3. Women Empowerment

    4. Employment Generation

    5. Communal Harmony

    6. Entrepreneurship

    7. Self-reliance

    8. Social Upliftment

     

    The news network was also used to reach out and identify transformation initiatives. January 1, saw the formal launch of “Bihar…100 ke aage” which featured the first of a daily series of articles to highlight people who were creating positive social impact. Readers were introduced to citizens who did not wait for help from any external source to make a change in their immediate surroundings. For the first time, these initiatives were brought into public knowledge.

     

    Along with these stories, a campaign was launched that appealed to readers to nominate deserving individuals. Hindustan created an out-reach programme by contacting opinion makers and other socially aware individuals for their collaboration in this effort. Schools and colleges were also activated through painting and essay competitions. Organisations like the Bihar Chamber of Commerce and Bihar Industries Association were also co-opted into the campaign. “Samvaads” were held to help spread the message and to get more leading citizens to join the movement. Close to 500 nominations were received. Of these, 100 deserving nominations were scrutinized closely by an eminent panel of judges which comprised Justice S Jha, Justice R Prasad and VS Dubey (retd. IAS, ex-Principal Secretary, Jharkhand) to identify initiatives with the maximum social impact in their respective categories.

     

    The Hindustan Samagaam on March 19, 2012 will bring these 100 individuals together. The Chief Minister of Bihar will honour selected individuals at this event.

     

    At the same event, eminent panelists like the Chief Minister of Bihar, Mr Nitish Kumar, Mrs Shobhana Bhartia (Chairperson, HT Media), Mr NK Singh (MP, Rajya Sabha), Mr Sunil Bharti Mittal (MD & Group Chairman, Bharti Enterprises) and Dr Rukmini Banerji (Director, Pratham) will participate in a dialogue on insights for growth and development in Bihar.

     

    Hindustan Media Ventures Limited (HMVL) is the publisher of the leading Hindi newspaper – Hindustan, Hindi magazines Nandan & Kadambini and the news website livehindustan.com. The Company has presence in the states of UP, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Jharkhand & Delhi and its publications have a combined Total Readership of 3.81 crore readers.

     

    The company is a subsidiary of the HT Media Group – a diversified media group with interests in Radio, print & online media.