Day One of Goafest 2024 is all set to being a little after noon with a some music and knowledge sessions. And since it’s Goafest, albeit in Mumbai, there’s also a Champagne Launch. Co-hosted by The Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) and The Advertising Club (TAC), Day 1 of the festival will feature key industry experts exploring the diverse aspects of the theme ‘The Age of Adaptability’.
The opening session titled Adapt To Thrive Not Just Survive, will see Harit Nagpal, Managing Director and CEO of Tata Play, and this will be follow by a session on Navigating The Age Of Adaptability by Sanjiv Mehta, former HUL chief and Executive Chairman of L Catterton India.
Then there’s a session titled From Setbacks to Comebacks: The Power of Persistence, with writer and film director Tahira Kashyap in conversation with Atika Farooqui. Concluding Day 1 with what adaptability means in real life, a session titled Embracing Failure to Touch Success, will feature actors Medha Shankr and actor Vikrant Massey chatting with Neha Dhupia.
The evening will see the Media and Publisher Abby awards being presented.
HiveMinds, the digital marketing arm of the Madison Group, has appointed Pradeep Saluja as Chief Operating Officer (COO). As the COO, he will oversee the P&L and growth of the business and be responsible for the organisation’s overall operations.
Said Jyothirmayee JT, CEO and Founder of HiveMinds “We are delighted to welcome Pradeep to HiveMinds. His extensive experience and proven leadership, especially in digital transformation and operations, align perfectly with our vision for the future as we expand and evolve in the digital marketing landscape. His appointment marks a significant milestone in our journey, and I eagerly anticipate the innovative solutions and lasting partnerships that will undoubtedly flourish under his leadership.”
Added Saluja: “HiveMinds has established itself as a leading player in the Digital Marketing space. The leadership’s unwavering focus on delivering value to clients and fostering an employee-centric culture echoed well with my values. I am excited to join HiveMinds and look forward to working closely with our highly energetic and capable teams to deliver sustainable growth and impact to our clients.”
This year, my second-favourite festival of advertising and marketing – GoaFest, relocates to the picturesque hillock by Powai Lake in Mumbai. Despite the change of scenery, the essence of Goafest remains intact. Scheduled at the height of summer during the sweltering ‘Nau tapa,’ it promises the same exclusivity as the Grand Hyatt Goa. Fear not; the accomplished management team ensures continuity in excellence and execution.
Goafest has significantly evolved over the years, shedding its initial entertainment-heavy façade for a more serious, business-focused atmosphere. The transformation reflects the industry’s current realities, with a noticeable reduction in entertainment elements. Pre-session entertainment is now limited and doesn’t set the mood for the serious awards or the informative afternoon sessions. However, the night-after parties still provide ample opportunity for networking and letting loose, albeit within friendly organisational circles. I miss the more relaxed vibe of earlier editions.
Kudos to the organisers for enhancing the knowledge sessions. The event now features keynotes, interviews, and interesting discussions. However, clearly catering to audience preferences, a marked enhanced emphasis on celebrity guest speakers. This raises a pertinent question: Should association-led, fee-based events prioritise audience desires over their foundational goals? Striking a balanced approach seems to be an elusive target for Goafest.
The relocation of GoaFest from Goa’s beaches prompts a re-evaluation of its geographical anchorage. Opinions are divided: some advocate for Mumbai due to its status as an industry hub, while others suggest rotating the location annually. This year’s participation will offer crucial insights into this ongoing debate.
Timing is another crucial aspect under scrutiny. Given the industry’s low activity in April and May, these months appear ideal for higher attendance. Yet, climate conditions, the IPL season, and elections every fifth year suggest a shift to a post-monsoon, pre-festival window or a February prelude, positioning it as the first significant advertising festival of the year.
Goafest is still to address three persistent challenges, even though there is no lack of effort. But, somehow, the results are missing.
First, client-side participation remains low. Second, the ever-expanding list of awards diminishes their value. Third, international participation in both awards and attendance is lacking. While there are no easy solutions, enhancing client involvement could significantly elevate the festival’s prestige and indirectly also address the lethargic response.
A final, somewhat controversial point: Are we burdened with too many awards functions? The coexistence of Kyoorius and Goafest within a tight timeframe begs the question. Despite their distinct identities—one is association-led, and the other a privately promoted—both events draw industry attention. However, financial constraints and the rise of digital participation threaten their sustainability. This duality fosters polarisation and factionalism within the industry, necessitating a thoughtful resolution.
While Goafest continues to adapt and thrive, it must address these critical issues to retain its relevance and prestige in the dynamic advertising landscape.
Goafest 2024, the annual industry festival organised by The Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) and The Advertising Club (TAC), kicked off with a performance by Bollywood playback singer Sukhwinder Singh. This was followed with members of the organising committee lighting the ceremonial lamp. Prasanth Kumar, President of AAAI and CEO of South Asia at GroupM, then addressed the attendees, marking the festival’s 17th edition. This year’s event also celebrated the third year of collaboration between The Abby Awards and One Show. Under the theme ‘The Age of Adaptability,’ delegates were welcomed to Goafest 2024 with a champagne launch, setting a celebratory and spirited tone for the proceedings. This is Goafest, and even if it’s being held in Mumbai, tea, coffee, soft drinks and beer were available through the day. No questions and monies asked.
In the first session titled Adapt To Thrive Not Just Survive, Harit Nagpal, Managing Director and CEO of Tata Play, stressed on the criticality of adaptability as a means to thrive. Delivering the keynote, Nagpal underlined the inevitability of disruption in our lives and the importance of resilience in the face of it. “Disruption can be caused by anything or anyone, but it becomes our responsibility to survive and thrive,” he said. After Nagpal, a keynote titled, Navigating The Age Of Adaptability: Leading with Vision, Flexibility, and Purpose, was delivered by Sanjiv Mehta, former CEO of Hindustan Unilever and Executive Chairman of L Catterton India. “Learning happens when you have the humility to say, ‘I don’t know?’” – by admitting so, organisations and corporations open themselves to new knowledge and understanding, fostering a growth mindset that enables them to learn and develop from others’ expertise and experiences, not just myopically thinking of profit generation ,” he said.
Later there was a session titled From Setbacks to Comebacks: The Power of Persistence presented by acclaimed writer and film director, Tahira Kashyap captivated the audience with her inspiring journey, moderated by Atika Farooqui, Celebrity Host & Actor. Kashyap shared personal anecdotes and professional experiences, illustrating how resilience and determination have been instrumental in her success. “Women go through multiple hardware upgrades; every day is so different for women, every hour is so different than the previous one,” she mentions, also candidly referring to the books she has written on womanhood and motherhood.”
And then there was a session titled Lessons of Adaptability: Embracing Failure to Touch Success, featuring Indian actress Medha Shankr and actor Vikrant Massey, moderated by the multifaceted Actor, Producer & Entrepreneur, Neha Dhupia. Medha and Vikrant, the cast of the acclaimed film 12th Fail, illuminated the audience with their insights on embracing failure as a stepping stone towards triumph.
Here’s what the Goafest 2024 leadership team said in a statement:
Prasanth Kumar
Prasanth Kumar, President of the Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) and CEO of GroupM, South Asia: “The composition of the clients has been very interesting this year with a notable presence of tech specialists. It’s encouraging to see such diversity. It’s truly heartening to witness the growing number of partners, which not only strengthens and welcomes many newcomers into the Goafest fold. While we anticipated challenges, the dedication and support of all involved have exceeded our expectations, and for that, we’re immensely grateful. We’re excited to welcome many new faces and investors to Goafest 2024; we’re also looking forward to numerous tech sessions and integrations that will enrich the experience. Our goal is to institutionalise Goafest, constantly striving to improve. By completing 60% of the work early and refining timing, we’re making practical strides toward our vision for the next year.”
Rana Barua
Rana Barua, President of The Advertising Club and Group CEO of Havas India, South East and North Asia: “Through countless journeys together, we’ve always been driven by passion, not profit. This year, our commitment to not miss out has been unanimous. The whole team rallied together, united by our love for this industry, to make Goafest 2024 happen within our tight timeframe.”
Jaideep Gandhi
Jaideep Gandhi, Chairperson of the Goafest Organising Committee: “We aim to keep this festival relevant, as we’ve successfully done in the past two years, especially in the post-pandemic era. Each year, we strive to introduce new elements, constantly raising the bar.”
Dheeraj Sinha
Dheeraj Sinha, Group CEO – India and South Asia, FCB and Co-chair Awards Governing Council, Abby Awards 2024 powered by One Show: “We’re thrilled to see a fantastic response from returning agencies, with VML, and McCann Worldgroup India, amongst others, making a comeback, along with many others. It’s a near-complete reunion, with only a handful of agencies not joining us this year!”
Day One ended with Publisher and Media Abby being presented.
Photograph: Bossman Dheeraj Sinha with Team FCB bagging the Grand Prix in the Technology category
On the second day of the Abby Awards held at Goafest 2024, Leo Burnett India was awarded the Specialist Agency of the Year title in four categories namely Technology, Direct, Mobile and Digital. FCB was declared the Public Relations and Design Specialist Agency of the Year and Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) bagged the Broadcaster of the Year.
FCB Group India won the two Grand Prix. One for the #Lulumelon campaign for HDFC Bank in the Technology category for use of AI, and the other in Direct for for social awareness or charity causes for Stir Design Magazine’s Untangling The Politics Of Hair campaign.
In the Technology category, Leo Burnett India topped with won two silver and five bronze metals. While LBI got 36 points, FCB was second with 26 which included a Grand Prix. Hardcastle was third with 10 points.
In Direct , Leo Burnett bagged 26 points with two silver and three bronze metals. Although FCB was awarded the Grand Prix in Direct, it was second with 20 points. Star India was in the third place with 8 points.
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In Mobile category, Leo Burnett topped with 18 points – a gold, silver and a bronze, followed by Redbus. This was followed by Flipkart and Hardcastle – both at third place with 8 points each.
In Digital category, Leo Burnett India topped the tally with 54 points – two golds, four silvers and two bronze metals. FCB Group India was second in this category at 32 points, and Redbus was third with 21 points.
FCB topped in Design with two bronzes that earned them 10 points. Brave was second with 9 points and Creative Land Asia and Ebbxflo were a joint third with 6 points each.
In Public Relations , as it happens internationally, more than PR agencies, it was creative agencies topping the tally. FCB Group India topped the category with one gold and three silvers at 27 points. Leo Burnett was second with 21, followed by Tribes Communication at third with 10 points.
Zee Entertainment was Broadcaster of the Year with two golds, 10 silvers and six bronze metals at 100 points. Interestingly, Zee Kannada had entered separately and it grabbed the second place with 66 points. Would’ve been a tad tricky if it was on top, and ZEEL was second. TV18 secured the third place with 8.
EssenceMediacom, GroupM’s media agency has announced winning the media mandate for Wonder Cement, after partnering with BCCI to secure them as the official umpire partner for the IPL.
Said Navin Khemka, CEO, EssenceMediacom – South Asia: “We are witnessing a paradigm shift in how brands engage with their audiences. Through this partnership we look forward to being a part of Wonder Cement’s ambition in becoming India’s foremost cement company. By leveraging innovation and technology, we aim to deliver outstanding results for both the fans and the company. This victory reaffirms our commitment to building stronger teams and creating innovative, tailored solutions for our clients.”
Added Vinit Karnik, Head, Sports E-Sports and Live Entertainment, GroupM – South Asia: “Securing the media mandate for Wonder Cement underscores our agency’s expertise in positioning brands at the forefront of their industries. By harnessing advanced technology and innovative strategies, we are poised to elevate Wonder Cement’s profile as a leading cement producer in India. This partnership with the IPL exemplifies our commitment to leveraging sports marketing to drive brand growth and visibility, and we are thrilled to contribute to Wonder Cement’s ambitious journey.”
Said Vivek Patni, Director, Wonder Cement: Wonder Cement is a gold standard when it comes to quality. BCCI represents the highest standard in the world of cricket. Partnering with BCCI for IPL is in line with our philosophy of maintaining the highest quality standards be it in our products or our associations and partnership.
IPL is the most watched sports across continents. And it is a matter of pride and happiness to be seen on the National stage and what better way than IPL? This partnership is a significant step towards building a brand that spells quality, commitment and excellence.”
The highlight of second half of Day 2 saw a session titled A Story Of Adaptability: From the Silver Screen to the Mobile Screen with Zeenat Aman, actor and now an Instagram star speaking with RJ Anmol. There was Knowledge Seminar titled Marketing Adaptability: Blending Traditional And New-Age Marketing For Brand Success, featuring Chandan Mukherjee, Director & Executive Vice President at Nestle; Shubhranshu Singh, Chief Marketing Officer of Tata Motors Commercial Vehicles, Sukhleen Aneja, Chief Executive Officer of The Good Glamm Group, Sandeep Karwa, Vice President, Monetization at Flipkart and Zairus Master, Chief Business Officer at Honasa Consumer Ltd. Conducting the discussion was Delshad Irani, Editor of Storyboard 18.
A masterclass by Flipkart Ads on the topic Flipkart IRIS: Winning the e-commerce game with deep analytics was conducted, followed by another by Spotify’s Shraddha Shetty. Another masterclass was conducgted by D&AD with Paul Drake, introduced ‘Win One, Teach One’ at the Trend Immersion Workshop, which emphasised on nurturing new talent in the creative industry through initiatives like D&AD New Blood and D&AD Shift. Notably, 270 Shifters have completed the program, with 72% now employed in creative roles across sectors. Drake explored trends like ‘Pay It Forward’, ‘Open Source Casting’, and ‘Ownable Iconicity’, highlighting the ‘Awe Economy’ and extreme responses as key drivers. He quoted Arthur Schopenhauer on stress innovative thinking and discussed distinguishing between trends and fads, showcasing examples like Pokemon Go and Fortnite. Participants engaged in interactive activities and viewed videos like Pharrell Williams’ ‘Cash In Cash Out’ to learn about trend applications. The workshop emphasised humour, awe, and authenticity while prioritising the product. Overall, it emphasised innovative thinking and strategic foresight in navigating trends within the creative industry.
Another highlight of the evening was Advertising Rocks!; a musical contest that offers a platform for the advertising, media and marketing fraternity to showcase their musical talents. Stealing the show in first place in the Solo – Indian and Solo – International category were Nishant Patil from Logicserve Digital Pvt. Ltd., and Bodhisattwa Banerjee from VML India, respectively.
Day 2 of Goafest 2024 began began with a session hosted by the India chapter of IAA in collaboration with UNICEF. The theme was titled Gender-Sensitive Marketing: Navigating The New Consumer Landscape. Among the panellists were Chandni Shah, Chief Operating Officer of FCB Kinnect, Darshana Shah, Head of Marketing & Customer Experience at Aditya Birla Capital, Kailashnath Adhikari, Business Head of Sri Adhikari Brothers & Managing Director of GovernanceNow, Rajdeepak Das, Chief Creative Officer of Publicis Groupe South Asia & Chairman of Leo Burnett South Asia; and Ram Madhvani, Filmmaker, Producer, and Founder of Equinox Films and Ram Madhvani Films. Moderating the discussion was Kranti Gada, Founder of NeOwn.in.
Post that, in a keynote address, Pulkit Trivedi, Managing Director of Snap Inc. India, revealed how Snapchat emerged as the preferred platform for young India. This was following by a session titled titled Media Agencies Panel – The Changing Expectations from a Media Client Leader, and the Challenges in Getting There, comprising prominent industry leaders. The panellists included Ajay Gupte, CEO, Wavemaker South Asia, Anita Kotwani, CEO – Media (South Asia) at Dentsu, Tanmay Mohanty, CEO of Publicis Media Services India and Vaishali Verma, CEO of Initiative India. Steering the discussion was Vikram Sakuja, Partner & Group CEO of Media & Out-of-Home at Madison Communications.
The third knowledge seminar was titled, Trust or Bust: Thriving in the Digital World, with ASCI as partner. The panel of experts included were Amit Doshi, Chief Marketing Officer at Britannia, Falguni Vasavada, Professor at MICA and Digital Creator, Paras Sharma, Director of Global Partnerships at Meta and Sharan Hegde, Finance Content Creator and Co-founder and CEO of 1% Club. Manisha Kapoor, CEO & Secretary General of ASCI, moderated the session. We thought the session could be a tad longer.
What followed was a fireside chat featuring Ankit Kapoor, Head of Marketing & International Business at Parle Agro, Mahesh Shetty, National Sales Head at Viacom18 and Navin Khemka, CEO – South Asia of Essence Mediacom. Conducting the conversation was anchor and marathoner Shibani Gharat.
Day 2 also saw a series øf masterclasses. By WhatsApp on Agency Exclusive: Drive growth across the customer journey with WhatsApp, presented by Riddhika Sand. Then Ujaya Shakya, Founder and CEO of Outreach Nepal on Unlocking Market Potential: Open your eyes to Nepal. There was also the the D&AD masterclass presented by Lisa Evans and Paul Drake titled Unlocking Award Winning Ideas. Amazon miniTV also held a masterclass on Brand Integration with Vijay Iyer, Director, Amazon Ads India and Amogh Dusad, Head of Content, Amazon miniTV conducting the session. There was also a masterclass on Hall of Flame – The Olympics Masterclass presented by Chandan Roy.
It’s now become a winning habit for GroupM agency Wavemaker. On the first day of the Goafest 2024, Wavemaker India was crowned Media Agency of the Year at Abby Awards Powered by One Show. They bagged 16 metals. Earlier, ABP Ltd bagged the Publisher of the Year titled with five metals.
The EssenceMediacom team winning the sole Grand Prix Media Abby for Airtel 5G Plus Ultimate Fans: Look Maa! I am on TV
The Wavemaker tally include four golds, nine silvers and three bronzes. The sole Grand Prix presented was won by GroupM agency EssenceMediacom for Airtel 5G Plus campaign #LookMaImOnTV for innovative use of branded content – integration.
While Wavemaker scored 98 points, the next best was less than half that at 48. That was Initiative Media. EssenceMedia secured 42 points.
The ABP Pvt Ltd team winning the Publisher of the Year Abby
Like last year’s edition, the Abby Awards are powered by One Show and have received a total of 3506 entries as against 3301 last year. As many as 73 entrants for the Media Abby as against 63 last year. In Creative, there are 198 entrants as against 181 last year. The total number of entries for Media Abby were 1258 this year (up from 1019 last year) and in the various categories under Creative, it’s been 2248 this year, as against 2282 last year. Digital, Mobile, and Technology, have collectively garnered 626 entries from 75 companies.
The gates for receiving entries had to be shut as per deadline, we were told, else, the entries for Creative Abby would’ve crossed last year’s tally.
There were 23 jury chairs and 204 jurors across 23 categories. Of these there were 53 new, young, award-winning judges. There were 68 women amongst the judges (nine jury chairs are women).
Leo Burnett India was crowned the Creative Agency of the Year on the final day of the Abby Awards 2024 which were powered by One Show. The Publicis Group agency also won the Specialist Agency of the Year titled for Brand Activation and Promotion, and Branded Content and Entertainment Specialist categories. Good Morning Films won the same in Video Craft of the Year category and Havas Worldwide India was named the Health Specialist of the year.
In Creative, Leo Burnett won a Grand Prix for Spotify India’s Feel the Music campaign featuring Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy in the category audio visual TV, cinema, digital, OTT below one minute. It also took home four golds, eleven silvers and eight bronze metals to aggregate 157 points. VML India came second in the Creative Agency category with two golds, three silvers, 15 bronzes netting 105 points in all. FCB Group India stood third with two golds, three silvers, eight bronzes to earn 72 points on the last day.
A Grand Prix each awas won by Famous Innovations and Maitri Advertising Works. Famous won it for the OOH campaign for Mumbai Police titled Blockbuster Excuses. Maitri got it for Netflix’s promotion of the show Sex Education titled ‘Shakila’s Driving School’ in the category audio visual TV, cinema, digital, OTT above one minute.
Ahead of a day of knowledge seminars and masterclasses, singer Harshdeep Kaur started the proceedings. This was followed by a session titled.
Indian Women Harnessing the Power Of Identity. This panel discussion saw playback singer Shilpa Rao, film-maker Alankrita Shrivastava, actor Tamannaah Bhatia, content creator and Prajakta Koli. Ambika Muttoo, Editor-In-Chief of Femina, was moderator of the session.
An interesting session titled Secrets of Longevity: Adapting our lifestyles to increase our ‘Healthspan’ saw Dr Marcus RannJey – Founder and CEO, Human Edge speaking with moderator – Anupriya Acharya, CEO, Publicis Groupe, South Asia.
This was followed by a keynote by titled Do More With Conversations, delivered by Gaurav Jeet Singh, Head of Agency Business, India, at Meta.
The first half also saw a WARC masterclass by Sujeet Kulkarni titled The Anatomy of Effectiveness. Another masterclass titled Meta Creative Shop x WhatsApp: Getting Creative with Conversations was presented by Varun Goswami. And then there was Jo Jackson, CEO of D&AD, delivering a masterclass on Unpacking Brand Iconicity.
The second half of Day 3 started with a seminar titled Customer-Centric Adaptability; Meeting Shifting Expectations; Maintaining Customer Loyalty in a Dynamic Environment, focusing on meeting shifting expectations and maintaining customer loyalty in a dynamic environment. Leading the discussion was Tarun Puri, Senior Operating Partner at Lighthouse Funds, Asha Kharga, Chief Customer & Brand Officer at Mahindra Group, Siddharth Roy Kapur, Founder & MD at Roy Kapur Films, with senior journalist Anuradha SenGupta as moderator.
The next session, titled The Art of Storytelling, was conducted by journalist and radio presenter Neelesh Misra. This was followed by a session titled Adaptability And Innovation: The Cornerstones Of A Future-Ready Agency featuring Anusha Shetty, Chairperson & Group CEO of Grey Group, India; Jitendra Dabas, Chief Operating Officer & CSO, India, Head of Effectiveness, APAC, McCann WorldGroup and Babita Baruah, Chief Executive Officer of VML India. Moderating the discussion was Dheeraj Sinha, Group CEO for India and South Asia at FCB Group India.
Another panel titled Evolving Market Landscape: Navigating The New Normal saw Shashank Srivastava, Member of the Executive Committee at Maruti Suzuki, and Sunil Kataria, Chief Executive Officer of Raymond Lifestyle (India & International) as speakers with journalist Anuradha SenGupta moderating the session.
OOH took centrestage with a session titled Adapting to be accountable featuring Darshana Shah, Head of Marketing & Customer Experience at Aditya Birla Capital, Pawan Bansal, COO of Jagran Engage & Chairman of IOAA (Indian Outdoor Advertising Association); Noomi Mehta, Chairman of the Board at Selvel One Group; and Jahan Mehta, Chief Growth Officer at Oap Mediatech. Sam Balsara, Founder, Chairman & MD of Madison World & Madison Communications, moderated the session.
The next two sessions featured cricket and cinema. The session titled Embracing Change: Lessons from The Field to Life featured Sourav Ganguly alongside journalist Boria Majumdar who was moderator. And then a session titled The Art Of Adaptability: From Real Life to Reel Life featuring actor Manoj Bajpayee alongside Prasoon Joshi, CEO and CCO of McCann World Group India who was moderator.
There were many masterclasses held as well. These being:
by Yagnesh Ravi and Srivatsan Jayasankar on GenZ Marketing 101: The Snap Camera.
by Ranjan Mishra and Rahul Singh on Elevating Your Digital Marketing Strategy with AI
by Jayesh Moorjani on Youtube Shorts
and lastly by Lisa Evans and Paul Drake on Unlocking Award Winning Ideas.
Liqvd Asia advertising agency appoints Monish Sanghavi and Sunil Gangras as Directors – leveraging their expertise to drive further growth.
Said Arnab Mitra, Founder of Liqvd Asia: “At our company, we have consistently embraced evolving trends and advancing technologies. While these changes present new challenges, they also provide us with opportunities for innovation and growth. We are also excited to introduce our new directors and look forward to the continued progress. To honour the invaluable contributions of our dedicated team members, we are proud to offer Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOP) to those who have been with us for over five years. Their unwavering commitment and hard work have been crucial in driving our remarkable growth over the past fiscal year.”
This year, my second-favourite festival of advertising and marketing – GoaFest, relocates to the picturesque hillock by Powai Lake in Mumbai. Despite the change of scenery, the essence of Goafest remains intact. Scheduled at the height of summer during the sweltering ‘Nau tapa,’ it promises the same exclusivity as the Grand Hyatt Goa. Fear not; the accomplished management team ensures continuity in excellence and execution.
