MxMIndia

Category: SANJEEV KOTNALA

  • The three-day event convention today… with 35 speakers, 2.5k-odd delegates, and star-studded after-parties

    10 reasons why the IAA World Congress @ Kochi is the place to be in

     

    The 44th edition of the IAA World Congress starts in Kochi today. It’s billed as the biggest convention in the marketing services world. With a budget of Rs 20-plus crore, the scale is indeed up there. Here are 10 reasons why the IAA World Congress @ Kochi is the place to be in

     

    1. God’s Own Country

    If you are from outside of India, remember you are in God’s Own Country. In the next three days, you’ll get a better idea of why Kochi was the preferred destination for global traders. You are in India, and try and get up-close with the unique cuisine and culture of our amazing land. And if you are from within the country, enjoy the sights, sounds and tastes of Kochi.

     

    2. IAA, like no other

    The International Advertising Association is an industry body that is unique in every possible way. And we now have Srinivasan K Swamy at the helm who will raise the bar in every possible way, globally. He did that when he helmed the India chapter for four years. If the IAA World Congress is any indication, we can expect a lot of action. So if you aren’t a member yet, perhaps you need to do that soonest.

     

    3. It’s the IAA World Congress!

    It’s taken 80 years before the World Congress could happen here. But the time is possibly just right. India has been shining over the last few decades and an indicator of this is the number of Global CxOs in international corporations who hail from here. And our marketing services business is throbbing.

     

    4. Galaxy of Speakers

    We would’ve exceeded the airline baggage had we got all the books that some of the IAA World Congress speakers have written. There’s a lot of toil that has gone on to curating the three-day Congress. So look at networking only in the breaks and the evenings. Sit glued to your seats through the day.

     

    5. Shining Stars

    Along with all the gyaan from industry biggies and thinkers, there is a generous sprinkling of stars through the three days. And we aren’t talking of the glamset from the evenings… they could well be giving you a tip or two on business and life.

     

    6. Evening Entertainment

    Much effort has been invested in ensuring the evenings are enjoyable for all delegates and guests. And each night is being presented people who know it best – whether it’s Kerala culture and cuisine, fashion and films.

     

    7. Network till you Drop

    When you have two to two-and-a-half thousand people in the house, can you manage to work with just a few dozen business cards. If you haven’t got enough, get your folks back home to courier a few to you. It’s the place to network till you drop. Serious.

     

    8. What’s Coming Next?

    Now if that’s a question that you are asking yourself for opportunities on the job front, good to dress up your LinkedIn profile soonest. The IAA World Congress could well take you places.

     

    9. Kochi – attractions

    There is so much to see in Kochi: the Chinese Fishing Nets, the Mattancherry  or Dutch Palace, the Pardesi Synagogue, the Elephant Training Centre in Kodanad, St Francis Church, Loafer’s Corner. We suggest you do a check on the time you have and hire a car to do the sightseeing and shopping. Pssst! You should’ve stayed on for another day!

     

    10. Spices, banana chips… lots to buy for family and the office

    Spices, banana chips, coir products, coconut shell stuff, Kathakali masks, snakeboat models, silk and sarees, the traditional lamp… the list is endless. Perhaps time to plan your next trip to Kochi and LuLu-land.

     

    This article first appeared in a special pull-out compiled by MxMIndia for The Resource 24×7. The supplement appeared with Business Standard today (Feb 20, 2019)

     

     

  • And how Sanjeev Kotnala wins a bet on a smart innovation on radio, that didn’t work

    Sanjeev Kotnala: Radio Innovation – Appointed hour listening

    By Sanjeev Kotnala

     

    I was speaking with someone in brand-marketing consultancy and was not surprised at how myopically media can operate. She was excited when she shared the idea with me last month. It was a smart radio innovation. I told her, why it will not work. But she wouldn’t accept the reality. We ended up with a simple bet.

    She took the challenge and yesterday, she paid up.

    I feel bad winning the bet. A spark has died.

    Another smart thinker has learnt her lesson. Innovations are tricky business.

    The Insight.

    The idea sure was wacky. It was not new. It took its inspiration from sporadic rare events when the channels have come together on a CSR cause. However, to my knowledge, in its current format, it has never been tried before.

    The initial resistance and excuses from the channel stakeholder made her that more determined to push. The more the opposition, the more potential she saw in it.

    It was based on the insight that the medium owners accept. Radio is predominantly an impulse listenership medium. It is at best a background medium. The listeners rarely say, ‘it’s 9 PM, switch on the Radio. I desperately want to listen to Malishka, DaDa or Priyanka.’

    They change the channel the moment the song or what the RJ is speaking is not of their interest.

    Radio Innovation Idea.

    What if on changing the channel, they were treated to the same feed. Find no difference other than the channel frequency reference.

    So, in a non-metro city, she shared the idea with a client who saw merit in it.  To reach to all the radio listeners in the city at one go. Not by creating roadblocks across all the frequencies in the city, but by getting Appointment Listening?

    The brand wanted to push a campaign targeted to generate curiosity among the target audience. Pull them for the appointed time listenership. The brand was considering deploying additional funds on OOH, Radio and Digital to push appointment listenership.

    From the radio stations, it requires acceptance and willingness to co-create in the era of co-optition or cooperative competition. It required the channels to run the same feed. So, if and when a listener changed the channel, he/she would end up catching the same feed across frequencies.

    The brand would virtually be guaranteed maximum possible reach by the medium. The channels get an innovative solution, a brilliant case study.

     

    What Holds The Radio Innovation From Being A Reality?  

    Running the same feed sounds easy. Yes, there are practical issues but nothing that cannot be resolved with an open mind.  It needed the acceptance of possibilities under Cooperative competition.

    Every channel has a frequency ID that it wants to promote. This is easily tackled in the feed.

    The channels have positioning and addressing the audience. This is a slightly tougher one. However, if the appointment listening hour is positioning agnostic and does not promote a particular attitude, it could be fine.

    Allotting equal time to every channel in this initiative may not work. It amounts to one channel promoting the other channel on their frequency. Maybe that is a solution worth considering, as every channel gets supported on every other channel. A zero-sum game.  Everyone is a winner. Though it may lead to confusion among the listeners.

    All the channels are Bollywood-based. The similarity ends here. They have their own commitments and list of songs they want to promote or play. In a curated programme, the song list could be sorted out to everyone’s requirement.

    More importantly, the self-imposed guidelines, myopic reading of the situation and professional ego come in the way. These are the toughest one to crack. I wonder if a collective meeting of the channels could have resolved it.

     

    Twist To The Radio Innovation Idea.

    Forget the RJs and the channel restrictions. What if the characters of the radio stations were to host this hour? The Mawali, Babua or Damodars of the channels hosting the shared feed.

    The well-known characters of the channel, like the character that dials the wrong number or makes a Murga, this time gets the taste their medicine. They get the wrong number call and someone pakao them. The Murga maker is made Murga of the day. The Babua gets someone to talk and give his kind of suggestions to life.

     

    Radio Just Lost A Chance To Bring The City To Standstill.

    The ambition was not too high. The results could have been surprising. Maybe the town could have come to a standstill. Curious listeners tuning to their preferred channel. All getting the same feed even on changing the frequency. It would have been a buzz creating moment for the brand and channels. And, if it won an award, for the first time in history, competitive media would have walked together to receive it.

     

    Radio Innovation. You Could Use The Idea.

    I present the idea here. I have won the bet but here I present the idea. Anyone can use it. And if someone really brings it to life, I will be most happy to give money back to the original idea propagator.

     

     

  • The focus was on rightfully on AI as against just digital at the three-day event, writes Sanjeev Kotnala

    What made the IAA World Congress a Grand Success

     

     

    By Sanjeev Kotnala

     

    The IAA World Congress held at Lulu Bolgatty International Convention Centre (LBICC), Kochi from February 20 to 22 was a grand success.  Most of the delegates I met were satisfied with the sessions, set-up and infrastructure.

    Time to congratulate Srinivasan Swamy, Ramesh Narayan, Pradeep Guha, and the extended team of IAA India, sponsors, delegates and speakers.

    The event will most probably be remembered for Sophia, Andre Agassi, may be Amitabh Bachchan and the grand parties in the evening. But, the session ‘Tech Without Affect is the Death of Advertising’ by Havas’s Jacques Seguela will be remembered the most. Seguela, also author of “Don’t tell my mother I’m in Advertising, She thinks I’m pianist in a Brothel”, spoke on Day Two and received a genuine standing ovation. It was a class in presentation, idea delivery, stage coverage, voice modulation and connecting with the audience. Though it was tough following the Frenchman’s English, there was no communication gap. In brief, remember your advertising should not be Brain-to-Heart or Heart-to-Brain, or Brain/heart –to-wallet but Heart-to-Heart. Have the idea and then leverage it with technology and not necessarily the other way around.

     

    FINDING FAULTS IS ALWAYS EASY.

    A Congress of this size with around 2000-plus delegates from a diverse sphere of the industry is like an Indian wedding. No matter what you do, there is always Dal Mein Namak Kum. Delays and minor issues over dramatised. Now, look at the positive side. You may forget the bride and bridegroom. However, such incidents become memory hubs.

    It is natural for IAA World Congress not to meet everyone’s expectations. Remember our ads and strategies also cater to the majority.  IAA World Congress ticked almost all boxes. Knowledge sessions followed the bell curve, so you got a spectrum covering the good, the bad and the ugly. Speaker sessions did not majorly overrun the allotted time.  The evening parties gave ample networking opportunities. The IAA World Congress app was helpful.  The area for question-answer and to jotting down your notes was appreciated. The three evening parties were engaging enough. There were hardly any technology glitches. The buses more or less maintained departure schedule from designated hotels.  The PR agency took good care of media in their movement, schedule, interviews and inputs. However, there was a visible absence of Marketers and brand owners.

     

    FEEDBACK HELPS.

    In case you attended the Congress, do share the experience. Constructive feedback will always help to narrow the gap between reality, and the myth perfection is.

    Before you say I am biased, let me be clear, there were moments when you wondered what was happening. But, then, they are bound to happen in a three-day event and Indian Barat.

     

    OVERALL IMPRESSION

    Day One was slow, and even Amitabh Bachchan’s speech did not help. The Congress warmed up on Day Two and finished on a high note with the Andre Agassi – Vijay Amritraj double volley and the Bollywood night. I am purposely avoiding any mention of the Deepika Padukone session which was the last session on Day Three, as it was going nowhere. I walked off the session, and so it is not first-hand experience. However, whoever, I met has the same expression.

    There were two sessions where the speakers got a standing ovation. It was proof that the delegates were willing to appreciate when they were served something really fantastic. I do not include Piyush Pandey’s session in it, as the ovation was more of respect for the perfect brand ambassador of Indian creativity and the creatives shown as part of his presentation…

    The Andre Agassi- Vijay Amritraj session was a class on how to engage the audience, pace the conversation and to face the camera. Agassi was very transparent, open and emotional in his answers and it helped the cause. He was not hesitant to add tadka-wala statements that resonated with the audience.

     

    SOME SUGGESTIONS.

    I think that panel discussions could very well be done away with. Or we must be willing to give more time for the sessions. That reminds me: this Ted Talk-inspired 30-minuts sessions do not do justice to the speaker or the audience. Time to experiment with 45 minutes or even a 60-minute session.

    I was surprised with few speakers (even in such global event) crib about the shortage of time as an excuse of them not being able to complete the session. It speaks more about the speaker than the organisers. And if something could be done to avoid blatant plugs by a few speakers, the audience will definitely appreciate.

    Loved the media seating. They were provided table seating to help them in filing stories. However, non-media delegates occupied a few of the media seats. It required better monitoring and control.

    As always, we could have done with more bar counters. That reminds me to add: with such a large gathering the number of live counters during evening parties were too few, adding to the wait.

    I loved the small act of lucky draw for the audience who returned from breaks on time. May be a higher valued price would have done the trick.

     

    IMPORTANT SHIFT.

    IAA World Congress also shifted the focus from digital that was becoming a cacophony in every event to Artificial Intelligence, which is where the future lies. Maybe, it is easy to predict that we are going to hear a lot more about AI and IOT this year.

    …………………………………………………….

    PASSING THOUGHTS:

    1. Since the IAA World Congress happened just 50 days before Goafest, will registrations there get impacted?

    2. Surprised that most people I spoke with advised wait-and-watch the situation, before taking a call on attending or boycotting AdAsia 2019, that is scheduled to be held from December 2 to 5  in Lahore.  WHAT DO YOU THINK? DO SHARE YOUR VIEWS ON THIS at editor@mxmindia.comwith the subject AdAsia2019.

  • It’s a mega-event with 35+ speakers. So Sanjeev Kotnala steps in to present packs of must-attend sessions given one’s interests

    Which IAA World Congress pack suits you?

     

    By Sanjeev Kotnala

     

    The IAA World Congress starts tomorrow. It’s two days of jam-packed sessions with the evening parties helping you to unwind. There may be exceptions, but it’s impossible for a delegate to attend all the sessions.

    To get the best out of the conference, including networking, one must choose and pick the sessions of one’s like, interest and relevance.

    Before you question how, here is a tip, don’t treat IST as Indian Stretchable time. If one was to go by the last IAA event at Kochi, events and sessions start and almost finish on time. And the sessions for their content and quality of speakers are jam-packed. This time, I think IAA has packed too much in three days. Most of the sessions are of 30 minutes duration.  Few like the inaugural session are longer with more speakers. And we know how the panel discussions or one-on-one discussion can overrun time. This potentially can lead to a cascading effect on timelines. I am waiting to be pleasantly surprised by IAA, if it can keep time!

    Note the dress code. For conference sessions wear business casuals. For evening parties wear Smart Casuals. The temperature is expected to be Between 23°C to 30°C, so don’t be overdressed.

    Now back to what I was suggesting. Taking a page from recent a TRAI attempt on giving customers to select the channels they want to watch.  Here are SESSION PACKS specially curated for you.

    Look at what you want to get out of the Global Conference and pick the pack that suits your need. Hopefully, it will make your task easy.  Sorry, this is not going to impact your delegation fee. However, you may gain extra time and space to get more out of your trip to Kochi and the IAA World Congress.

    The pack names and the sessions listed do not reflect on the content of the session or the speakers. It is based on best fit and expectations. Do check the time with the official site.

    Here are the IAA WORLD CONGRESS SESSION PACKS I have picked for you. I have tried keeping each of the packs limited to max six to seven sessions each. And you can always add to it.

     

    THE IAA GLOBAL CONFERENCE TECHNOLOGY PACK.
    Day 1. WEDNESDAY. 20TH FEB 2019. 1345 hrs. Nandan Nilekani, Co-Founder & Non Executive Chairman, Infosys Technologies Ltd. He will be speaking on Aadhar Leapfrog. 1415 hrs. Hans Paul Burkner. Chairman, Boston Consulting Group on ‘Who Really Owns the Data? The Privacy Vs. Personalisation Debate’. 1700 Hrs Munish Varma. Partner, Softbank Investment Advisers will be in conversation with Mini Menon. Talk centres around Investing at the forefront of the information revolution. Day 2. THURSDAY. 21ST FEB. 1000 Hrs. Simon Kahn. Chief Marketing Officer, Google APAC. The Future of Digital Immersion. Day 3. FRIDAY. 22ND FEB. 930 Hrs. Scott Bedbury. CEO, Brandstream Inc. ‘Building Superhuman Brands for the Digital Age’. 1500 Hrs. Sanjay Podder. MD, Accenture Labs. Tech4Good: Scaling Societal Transformation in Fourth Industrial Revolution

    THE IAA GLOBAL CONFERENCE CELEBRITY PACK.
    Day 1. WEDNESDAY. 20TH FEB 2019. 1000 Hrs. Catch the tri-murti of Money, Art and Spirituality at the Inaugural ceremony Mukesh Ambani, Amitabh, Bachchan and Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. DAY 2. THURSDAY. 21ST FEB. 1215 hrs. Chris Tung. Chief Marketing Officer, Alibaba. A unique Alibaba model for brand growth. DAY 3. FRIDAY. 22ND FEB. 1415 hrs. 1000 Hrs. Robot Sophia. Social humanoid robot developed by Hanson Robotics.‘Robots & Humans – Friends or Foes?’. 1600 Hrs. Andrew Keen. Entrepreneur, author & broadcaster. Director, SalonFutureCast. ‘Repairing a Broken World: Fix the Future’. 1630 Hrs. Andre Agassi. Former World No. 1 Tennis Player in conversation with Vijay Amritraj. 1700 Hrs. Deepika Padukone, Actor & Social Influencer in conversation with Anuradha Sengupta.

    THE IIA GLOBAL CONFERENCE DEEP INSIGHT PACK.
    DAY 1. WEDNESDAY. 20TH FEB 2019. 1000 Hrs. Catch the tri-murti of Money, Art and Spirituality at the Inaugural ceremony. . Mukesh Ambani, Amitabh, Bachchan and Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. DAY 2. THURSDAY. 21ST FEB. 1000 Hrs. Simon Kahn. Chief Marketing Officer, Google APAC on The Future of Digital Immersion. 1030 Hrs. Michael McQueen, Trend forecaster and Author, and Tim Reid Comedy Writer and Innovation Expert. A panel discussion De-risk the Future. Preparing Now for What’s Next, moderated by Tom Doctoroff. 1215 hrs. Chris Tung. Chief Marketing Officer, Alibaba. On A unique Alibaba model for brand growth . 1445 Hrs. Prof. Byron Sharp. Professor of Marketing Science and Director of the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute. How Brands Grow in a Digital World. DAY 3. FRIDAY. 22ND FEB. 1430 hrs. Robot Sophia. Social humanoid robot developed by Hanson Robotics. Hear her on ‘Robots & Humans – Friends or Foes’?

    THE IAA GLOBAL CONFERENCE GOOD FEEL PACK.
    DAY 1. WEDNESDAY. 20TH FEB 2019. 1345 Hrs. Nandan Nilekani. Co-Founder & Non Executive Chairman, Infosys Technologies Ltd. on Aadhar Leapfrog. DAY 2. THURSDAY. 21ST FEB. 1730 Hrs. Piyush Pandey. Global Chief Creative Officer of Ogilvy & Mather. Brand Communication for Social Change DAY 3. FRIDAY. 22ND FEB. 1230 Hrs. Rumman Chowdhury. Global Lead for Responsible AI, Accenture Applied Intelligence. Responsible artificial intelligence for humanity. 1500 Hrs. Sanjay Podder. Managing Director, Accenture Labs. Tech4Good: Scaling Societal Transformation in Fourth Industrial Revolution. 1630 Hrs. Andre Agassi. Former World No. 1 Tennis Player in conversation with Vijay Amritraj. 1700 Hrs. Deepika Padukone. Actor & Social Influencer will be in conversation with Anuradha Sengupta.

    THE IAA GLOBAL CONFERENCE MARKETING PACK.
    DAY 1. WEDNESDAY. 20TH FEB 2019. 1445 Hrs. Penny Baldwin. Senior Vice President, Chief Marketing Officer, Qualcomm Technologies Inc. on ‘Accelerating the Mobile Revolution’. 1600 Hrs. D. Shivakumar. Group Executive President-Strategy & Business Development, Aditya Birla Group on Brand Trust in a Digital World. DAY 2. THURSDAY. 21ST FEB. 1145 Hrs. Marc Pritchard. Chief Brand Officer, Procter & Gamble. Leading Disruption to Drive Growth. 1445 Hrs. Prof. Byron Sharp. Professor of Marketing Science and Director of the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute. How Brands Grow in a Digital World.  DAY 3. FRIDAY. 22ND FEB. 0930 Hrs. Scott Bedbury. CEO, Brandstream Inc. Building superhuman brands for the digital Age. 1030 Hrs. Jean David. Pioneer & Builder, Cirque du Soleil. Cirque du Soleil – Lessons in Innovation

    IAA GLOBAL CONFERENCE ENTREPRENUER MONEY PACK.

    DAY 1. WEDNESDAY. 20TH FEB 2019. 1630 Hrs. Jonas Kjellberg. Lecturer, Author, Venture Investor & Co-Creator, Skype. Generating Game Changer Ideas That Attract Venture Capital. 1700 Hrs Munish Varma. Partner, Softbank Investment Advisers in conversation with Mini Menon. Talk centres around Investing at the forefront of the information revolution. DAY 2. THURSDAY. 21ST FEB. 1145 hrs. Marc Pritchard. Chief Brand Officer, Procter & Gamble. Leading Disruption to Drive Growth. 1245 Hrs. Mark D’Arcy. VP, Global Business Marketing and Chief Creative Officer, Facebook will be in conversation with Neeraj Roy. The Crowd Sings Back – The Best Ideas Shaping Culture Are Shaped By Culture.  DAY 3. FRIDAY. 22ND FEB. 1000 Hrs. Sheena Iyengar. Professor, Columbia Business School. The Art of Making Choices. 1030 Hrs. Jean David. Pioneer & Builder, Cirque du Soleil. Cirque du Soleil – Lessons in Innovation

    IAA GLOBAL CONFERENCE ALREADY KNOW EVERYTHING PACK.
    DAY 1. WEDNESDAY. 20TH FEB 2019. 1545 Hrs. Boris Eremin. President, IAA Russia Chapter sharing details on the World Congress 2020, Russia. 1730 Hrs. Sir Martin Sorrell. Executive Chairman, S4Capital. Who will be in discussion with Anant Rangaswami on The New reality? Something only the two of them may know. DAY 2. THURSDAY. 21ST FEB. 1515 Hrs. Rahul Welde. EVP Digital Transformation, Unilever. Lindsay Pattison. Chief Client Officer, WPP. A Panel discussion on Getting Future Ready. Moderated by Ralph Simon. DAY 3. FRIDAY. 22ND FEB. 1000 Hrs.  Sheena Iyengar. Professor, Columbia Business School. The Art of Making Choices. 1600 Hrs. Andrew Keen. Entrepreneur, author & broadcaster. Director, salonFutureCast. Repairing a Broken World: Fix the Future.

    THE GOD’S OWN COUNTRY PACK.
    Day time explore Fort Kochi, toddy shop, sunset views, kathakali dance show, private ayurvedic massage, visit the 400-year-old synagogue, see the distinctive sight of the giant Chinese fishing nets, go for a history ride into Dutch, Portuguese and British colonial area.  DAY 1. WEDNESDAY 20TH FEB. 1900 Hrs. Music & Flavours of Kerala. Indian Actress & Social Influencer, Kajol Devgan is the guest of honour. DAY 2. THURSDAY. 21ST FEB. 1930 Hrs. It’s Party Time and you will be exposed to Indian fashion and flavours. Guest of Honour is Dr Shashi Tharoor, the Diplomat, Parliamentarian and former Under Secretary General of the United Nations. And people on Twitter will know him for the POV and the language he is known to use. DAY 3. FRIDAY. 22ND FEB 1900 Hrs.  Farewell diner. I know, few of you have planned to skip it, but then this could be real fun.

    Do tell me, if this helped you in any way.

     

    Sanjeev Kotnala, a former media biggie (okay, he still is, but not on a full-time basis), is now a marketing strategist, advisor and educator. His column ‘KotMartial’ appears on MxMIndia every Wednesday (the next one will appear tomorrow). He also reports (in a hat ke style) on some key industry events, like the IAA World Congress being held from Feb 20 to 22.

     

     

     

  • For some inane reason, the Indian Marketing, Advertising and Technology fraternity (MAdTech) has not been patronising Adfest Pattaya, writes Sanjeev Kotnala

    Sanjeev Kotnala: Should you attend Adfest Pattaya?

    By Sanjeev Kotnala

     

    By Sanjeev KotnaaThe year 2019 started with the IAA World Congress held at Kochi. Pattaya Adfest 2019 will follow it from 20th to 23rd March 2019 at the Royal Cliff Hotels Group, Pattaya. Goafest is scheduled from 11th to 13th April 2019 at Grand Hyatt, Goa. May is the month of ZEE Melt, to be held on 30th and 31st May at Dome NSCI, Mumbai. Kyoorius awards will follow it on 1st June 2019. From 17th to 21st June 2019 we have the sought after Cannes Lions. And towards the end of the year, there is AdAsia at Lahore, 2nd December to 5th December.

    Will you attend, AdAsia Lahore?

    I was personally looking forward to one-time entry into Pakistan and experiencing Lahore. However, in the current circumstances, I am sure for most of the advertising and marketing fraternity it is not on the radar. Do write to editor@mxmindia.com if you plan to attend or give a miss to AdAsia Lahore.

    Which Event To Attend is a tough call.

    Still, for most of us, deciding which of the above events to attend is a tough decision. There are budget and work-schedule to be balanced, delegate and award nominations to be chosen. With the rising cost of entries, delegate fee and travel, the equations are completely imbalanced. It will be unwise to believe that IAA WORLD CONGRESS won’t impact participation in GOAFEST. There are only limited funds available with marketing and advertising organisations for such events. Do write to editor@mxmindia.com if you agree or disagree that IAA World Congress will impact the delegation at GoaFest.

    Why Visit Adfest Pattaya?

    Each of the mentioned events boasts of an impressive line-up of speaker and networking opportunities. And every event has huge delegate participation.

    Pattaya Adfest with 1200 delegates from more than 50 cities is not a suggestion but a recommendation. It is worth considering the longest running ad-show in Asia-pacific & Middle East. It is also the first show with awards that at times have set the trend.

    For some inane reason, the Indian Marketing, Advertising and Technology fraternity (MAdTech) has not been patronising Adfest Pattaya. Though the number of entries, awards won, and speakers of Indian origin (SIO) has shown improvement at the Adfest Pattaya.

    When it comes to delegating numbers, the needle has hardly moved. The most likely and logical reason is its proximity to Goafest and scheduled too close of financial year. Or the Sin City, Pattaya is no longer the attraction it used to be. In my view the location is exciting and not a barrier.

    Goafest definitely works out more economical. But that should not be the only criteria.

    This year,  Adfest Pattaya and the festival of colour- Holi dates clash. So, the travel and lodging cost is somewhat manageable. One can still book Mumbai-Bangkok-Mumbai flight for as low as 13-17 thousand. Decent hotels are available for 3000 INR a night. And as it finishes on Friday, side trips to Phuket are easily manageable.

    For the two days (22nd-23rd March) CREATIVE FEST (excluding the Craft Fest), the student delegate fee is 15000 Baht, the young delegate (under 28 years of age) 19000 Baht and a full delegate fee at 30000 Baht. At the current rate, it works out at 33000, 42000 and 66000 INR per person. So a complete package with twin sharing would be somewhere from 80000 to 85000 per person.

    Does Adfest Pattaya suffer from lack of awareness?

    I hypothesise that the Adfest Pattaya is not well-known among the Indian MAdTech fraternity. Hence, they are unaware of what they are missing. Otherwise, there is no reason for it to have a low key India presence.

    Maybe the Indian MAdTech does not see the advantage in exposing their employees to overtly oriental skewed advertising- marketing knowledge and creativity on display. I would hate to believe that I am right in my thinking. The seniors in the Industry would know better.

    I have been to the show twice. And I plan to be there this time too. And yes, I am open to sponsorship for my trip and Adfest Pattaya coverage in my weekly column and blog.

    Adfest Pattaya is a place to relax, learn, drink, discuss and network.

    Consider Attending Adfest Pattaya.

    So, here is why you should consider attending Adfest Pattaya. And I am not going to fall into the trap of comparing it with any of the advertising- Marketing festival I listed at the start of this piece.

    Get exposed to Asia-Pacific advertising. The Adfest Pattaya 2019 theme is “TMRRW.TDAY”. It promises to bring the future to the present. And who is not interested in getting some help to make sense of the future.

    Okay, you may not find listening to some of the session delivered in a foreign language on headphones interesting. I suggest you concentrate seeing the displayed entries. If my information is right, Adfest Pattaya is the only festival that displays every entry and not just the short list or winners. Think of getting tired looking through some 6000 entries across formats and media, and in the evening getting a good Thai Massage after downing a few drinks. Rejuvenation is guaranteed in no extra time.

     

    We always wonder why some of the creative find favour with the jury. We keep on cribbing at the lack of transparency in the process. At Adfest Pattaya, you get to listen to Jury debate. Here the jury panel shared in complete transparency their deliberation and reasons for awarding some of the creative.

    Adfest Pattaya, Knowledge Sessions and workshops.

    For the real gyaan (knowledge) seekers there are workshops and exciting sessions. The main workshops are  ‘Think Like A Murder Mystery Writer’ to be delivered by Ankur Kalita, ‘Stimulation Not Replication’ By Paul Drake and WAYS TO GROW by Umma Saini and Claudia Cristovao. The three-day workshop (2 hours every day)  ‘TMRRW Biz School: A New Type Of School For A New Generation Of Thinkers’ by Guan Hin Tay sounds very interesting. These workshops are reason enough to attend, but participation is restricted and available on first come first served basis.

    The young delegates have a chance to talk to, seek advice, and even share your works and portfolios to some of the Adfest Pattaya juries this year.  A one-on-one critique with some of the region’s leading creative. This is the unique ‘Speed Dating The Jury’.

    Adfest Pattaya Awards.

    The award category list is too long for my liking. They include the Lotus awards in Audio, Branded Entertainment, Design, Direct, Effective, Film Craft, Film, Integrated, Interactive, Mobile, Outdoor, and Print Craft And Print.  Additionally, there are unique awards like the Lotus Roots Awards, a celebration of the richness of ideas drawing from local cultures. INNOVA Lotus award entries get a chance to present their thinking to the jury and delegates and an opportunity to learn from the case studies.

    Two new awards make their debut at the Adfest Pattaya. e-Commerce Lotus awards creative works that have the creativity of e-Commerce and all innovative efforts in the digital business.  And which also demonstrate how its efforts in the digital business that define the future. The second is Brand Experience & Engagement Lotus awards for the creative works that have all brand building through the dimension of experience design, activation, immersive, retail and 360° customer engagement. They must demonstrate the customer journey, experience of the brand and optimisation of every touch point led to increased brand affinity and commercial success.

    Watch the winning films at “Fabulous Five Directors.” It is one of the world’s most respected platforms for young directors.

    Adfest Pattaya, the inclusive Festival.

    Anyone can be the speaker at Adfest Pattaya, a very inclusive event. Anyone can submit an idea for the sessions and workshops. And if the Adfest team finds it interesting, it gets slotted.

    Adfest Pattaya gives you time to do more.

    Most importantly, the session starts and end on time. So, your other exciting plans for the evening are not jeopardised. Oh, the area they fail to capture the imagination is the after-event party, or maybe my taste is different.

    You can always extend the stay and go for the skydive, Bungee Jump, attend a scuba diving class and even fire real arms

  • There is perceivably a large population of click-charged jurists who have been offended enough to suggest boycotting the product, writes Sanjeev Kotnala

    Sanjeev Kotnala: Cause Marketing – at your own risk

    By Sanjeev Kotnala

     

    Times have changed. The filters have changed. The way one interacts with advertising itself is changing.  The country’s cultural fabric and tolerance levels are changing. In this scenario, one can understand the trolling of some of the brand’s cause marketing-led communication on social media. Case in point HUL Surf Excel (Daag Acche Hai –Holi) and the Brooke Bond Red Label Kumbh (Hindus abandon elders here).

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KSsrdAR8a4

    At one level there is nothing wrong in the communication. We have seen such communication from brands leveraging festivities. But the comments on social media suggest that the brand has acted out of sync. There is perceivably a large population of click-charged jurists who have been offended enough to suggest boycotting the product. The religious zealots wanting to go to any length to get their argument accepted. And an equally large (or larger segment) appreciating this honest communication un-intently reflecting upon some uncomfortable sentiments prevalent in the society.

    This is a perfect example to explain the NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) meta-model of communication. How the same stimuli generate differential interpretation and reactions.  How the rigid filters of personal experiences, expectations, learnings, inclinations and beliefs make people see things differently. And once you realise perception is projection and the world is a mere reflection of inner self, it becomes easy to understand. But let’s leave that for another time.

    Nothing wrong with Cause Marketing,,, it is here to stay.

    To remain socially relevant, brands are rightly hitching their future on to cause marketing or higher-level purpose marketing.

    Brands have always been digging for cultural insight, emotions and relationships they could leverage. Today, brands and agencies are sieving through the environment for a cause to overtly associate with. In fact, as my dear friend Vikas Mehta is bang on target when he says, ‘Cause Marketing is the new Celebrity endorsement’.

    The right ones pick a cause in sync with organisational culture and philosophy. The successful cause is always relevant and has a unique representation/ expression to be able to create the desired impact among the Target group.

    Most brands fail to get it right. A classic recent example is Close-up (#FreeToLove) and All Out (Strong Mother, #StandByHer) communication.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7f8Cmu3Gmc8

    Few brands find the sweet spot of a relevant impactful uniquely positioned cause for their product, brand or service. However, we are talking of emotions, relationships, social causes and impact. Sometimes even the larger brands in fail to read the signals right and time the communication wrong.

    The current Brooke Bond Red Label-Kumbh abandoning of elders communication and Surf Excel, Holi DVC are perfect examples of getting the timing wrong and misreading the pitch.  The case in point, an earlier Brooke Bond Red Label ( taste of togetherness) ad, which did not get adverse reaction.

     

    Cause Marketing is always risky  

    The brands have a right to choose the cause, expression and execution. In other times these could have been appreciated. But someone needs to decipher, how does an organisation like HUL fail to read the pulse.

    I am not going to discuss why a Hindu Girl, why not a Hindu Boy and a Muslim girl and the conspiracy theory of Love Jihad. Neither will I venture into the area of what close-up has to do with #freeToFindLove and how a mosquito repellent propagates standing by a tough mother. To me, these brand communications are just examples.

    Taking on religion and festivals to leverage the brand’s equity and association comes with its own expectation. Once the brand decides to move along this path, it must be ready for trial by fire because every act will be suitably be scrutinised.

     

    Cause Marketing Needs You To Act Like The Indian Constitution If Not Like Indian Justice And Law.

    Do not discriminate. Do not overtly get polarised. Do not take freedom of speech to mean freedom of cultural commentary.

    Brands know about India’s rich cultural and religious diversity. Why not explore a bit of every colour. To be unique and appreciated, it may help to go beyond the Hindu religion.

    Explore it at your own risk. Similar opportunities exist in Christianity, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism and Muslim cultural-religious heritage.  Show the audience and this social media-trolling police how strongly you are rooted with cause marketing. Continue to be brave enough to reflect the uncomfortable sentiments.

    Otherwise, a revision of the Meta Model of Communication and a better understanding of the national mood may help.

     

     

  • It's a fallacy that this readership and circulation data is a critical release. A few days or even a week’s delay has no consequences, writes Sanjeev Kotnal

    The How, What and Why of Erroneous Claims by Newspapers

     

    By Sanjeev Kotnala

     

    Recently one of the top newspapers published a corrigendum on its circulation claim. Another newspaper hinted that the competition was lying. And a few others’ claims went unchallenged.

    When claims happen, you know the IRS (Indian Readership Survey) or ABC (Audit Bureau of Circulation) reports have been released. Reacting to competition,  calling them ‘liars’ and ‘unethical’ is very polite for the season.

    It’s not the first time and definitely not the last time when claimed circulation or readership data has error or is disputed. Surprisingly these originate from prominent publications fully aware of the rules and regulations guiding the research report usage. They know, what is allowed and what is not. Yet human errors creep in.

     

    Behind The Scene. Getting Ready.

    The release date and timing of the research reports is one of the worst kept secrets in the newspaper industry. Everyone seems to know it in advance.

    Just before the expected release, the marketing executives are stressed out. The anxiety level is high. The external interest is low. A few trade portals are still interested in the press conference, to report the change in hierarchy.

    Inside newspaper offices, predictions are made. The conspiracy and corruption theories are discussed over coffee and beer. Soon, the wait is over, the data is released.

     

    Readership And Circulation Data are Like the Board exams for Newspaper Industry..

    ‘IRS/ ABC data swing ki kimat tum media planners aur client kya jano.

    The swing in readership or circulation data can result in psychological metamorphosis within the newspaper taskforces. The employee’s confidence may get strengthened or be shattered beyond repair.

    The wait is agonising. The fears are not unfounded. The ‘Number One’ tag may fly away. ‘Largest’ may need a new definition. The gaps between rival newspapers may get widened or narrowed. Being second maybe reason enough to celebrate. The advantage in few strategically placed editions could be lost.

    These are like the Board exams for the newspaper industry. The data is expected to reflect the impact of all the efforts on Ground Zero. Hence, many unanswerable questions arise with every data release. Some questions get buried temporarily.

    That’s the power of readership and circulation data.

     

    You Have To Be Part Of The System To Know How It Feels.

    The management waits for the analytics team to truthfully present a favourable picture. The marketing department time and again crosschecks strategies and alternate presentations. The Excel sheets are verified at many levels. They are now ready to face anything other than a glitch in data.

    The sales guys are eagerly to get some good news. It can ease sales target pressure. It’s known that the good news comes with revised sales targets. But for the pride, they are willing to live with it. They will take even the bad news. It will make their life a lot tougher. However, they will get a new excuse.

    The circulation team is tense. Whatever may be the new data, circulation is involved and responsible. The earlier unconcerned editorial department too is dynamics stressed. The debate ‘circulation from readership’ or ‘readership from circulation’ is not yet settled. However, in the last decade, editorial too has been sucked into this not-so-unfamiliar number game.

    The numbers define power equations. They create new relationships. The newspaper’s perceptual positioning is validated, strengthened or destroyed. It has the potential of defining the order in which a media buyer or planner will meet the media sellers on a hectic day.

     

    The Claim League Starts.

    The moment data is out; the analyst’s fingers start moving n the keyboards with the practised smoothness. The fingers run with the rehearsed flow. The matrices and cross-references start whispering to each other. The colourful graphs are conceived with alarming speed.

    The marketing head, revenue heads and the top management keep their fingers crossed. There is an unheard prayer in their lips. They are like the expectant father outside the operation theatre, waiting for ‘the’ news.

    The instructions are unambiguous. The SOP for the situation is well-defined.  No slip is allowed. Only the top management must have access to the first cut data. They will in their strategic business huddle debate and define the new strategic implementations. No delay is allowed.

    Everyone is racing against time. It’s like the next sequel to Mission Impossible. Or like the Wild West, where the first mover and the fastest draw would survive to live another day.

    Before the close of the day, rightly slaughtered and supremely cut acceptable data is released. It will feature in the next day edition. The position of this news will depend upon how the newspaper edition or group has performed. It could be anywhere from the front page, back page, city page, business page or tucked in some unmentionable corner.

    You can’t blame any newspaper title for it. It’s a league of claims out there. If they don’t publish their interpretation and skewed impressions, the competition will. It is a necessity. They have to present their point-of-view.

    No one can risk to be branded by default. The readers and the advertising industry must not only get what the competition publishes.

    Some are in the race to catch the next morning e-mailers. They know most of the e-mailers land in the spam folder or are trashed without being opened. But, the tradition and internal SOP demands action.

    It is complicated. It is a multi-dimensional race. The numbers have to be interpreted differently for the readers, advertisers, employees, and trade partners, competition and in some cases investors and share market. After all they have different expectations from the newspaper title.

     

    In A Premeditated Surgical Strike, Collateral Damage Is Acceptable.

    It will be foolish to believe that stakeholders are unaware of what is going out in the public domain. How the data has been tweaked? What new interpretations have been unearthed? How the numbers are stacking? And what is the tonality of communication.

    Printing corrigendum is not a problem. Corrigendums don’t reverse the gained advantage.

    ASCI can be ‘handled’. Saying sorry, giving newer explanation and temporarily abandoning the campaign is acceptable practice. The process of interrogation and explanations gives enough time for small battles to be won. The art of self-regulation and ethical practices is not discussed in such forums.

    The pressure to meet timelines is a star excuse for the errors in data interpretation. The wiser ones know this game of self-congratulatory chest thumping news is of no real value. But, the serious players must play the league.

    The ABC rules are clear and the penalty for violation is high. Hence, the trade-off call always involves the top management.

     

    No Surprise for Repeated Errors.

    In time, everything is forgotten. The new claims and presentation lose their sheen.

    The newspaper sales and marketing comes back to the position it deserves. Dominance, arrogance, humility, relationship, negotiation and commoditisation become the norm. Everything is forgotten over field trips, parties, 3-D mailers, discounts, freebies and such facilitation tools.

    The wait for the next round of results begins. The essential steps in brand building are forgotten. The newspaper marketing with new found determination focuses on client and media-agencies. The sales team is back to their revenue mining activities.

    All forget that the results are mere reflection and directional in nature.

     

    The Fastest finger First Claim league must stop.

    No one wants to be left behind. No newspaper title will allow the competition even a 24-hour advantage in presenting the result. It’s a jungle out there. And to survive you must draw the gun first.

    Here is what can be done.

    A) Create Release And Usage Gap.

    It’s a fallacy that this readership and circulation data is a critical release. A few days or even a week’s delay has no consequences.

    What if such data was released on a Monday morning with 72 or 84 hours embargo? What if the newspapers are forbidden from releasing it in the public domain for some time? Even the trade portals are not allowed to release the story. The leading pink paper signs the Non-disclosure-agreement and honours it.

    The hurried analysis and a race for the data are removed from the system. Everyone gets the real breathing time to analyse and decide the course of action. No one plays ‘Fastest Finger First’. The chances of Fat-finger or surveyors error is removed. The stress decreases.

    B) Wrong Data Usage And Interpretation Is Severely Penalised.

    There should be strict no-tolerance policy on data usage and interpretation error.  It becomes totally unacceptable. Any violation debars the title, edition or group from further using the data, even if they have subscribed and paid for it. Repeat offenders are no longer covered. And to get back has a lag of two rounds!

    C) Facilitate And Educate.

    To ensure no-tolerance policy additional steps need to be taken.

    Every subscriber of these circulation survey and readership researches must have one person in trained by the research body. It is like a certification programme leading to chief interpretation officer.

    Moreover, for the initial month, the research body should provide a free-facility to crosscheck interpretation. Promise and deliver a response within 4-6 hours. Maybe that will help.

     

    No one is afraid of paper tiger. The bite must be felt if the industry has to stop playing fastest finger first.

     

     

  • Sanjeev Kotnala picks his favourite Lotus winners at the Pattaya Adfest

    Kamaal Kamals @ Adfest

     

    By Sanjeev Kotnala

     

    Pattaya Adfest is my favourite advertising-communication festival. The 2019 festival came to an end last Saturday. Due to some personal emergencies, I had to cancel my trip at the last moment.

    India won 16 Lotus awards, and we are aware of the work.

    I have been following the fest online and keeping a tab on the winners. Here I am sharing some of the Lotus awards winning creative that I personally liked.

    ‘FriendShit’, ‘Disgusting stories’ and ‘Speak-up’, won the Gold Lotus for Film. Prasoon Joshi, Audio and Film Jury President, Adfest Pattaya had this to say about these winners: “‘Friendshit’ stood out because the direction, casting and writing is fantastically done. ‘Disgusting Stories’ is a timeless idea, while ‘Speak Up’ is of the moment – it encourages people to do more than watch, share or like a video but to take action.”

    So, in the era when Social cause is becoming the new celebrity of brand association and communication, Prasoon Joshi made a valid and hugely relevant comment. “If we were awarding pure craft only, we would have had a lot more winners. I would like to encourage younger generations to pay equal attention to the idea and execution. Not many entries married both. There was a time when our industry felt Public Service Announcements for charity work should not win Grande awards. The time has come to reconsider this. A lot of brands are partnering more with charities. What we need to understand is that this work is brand related. We are living in a world where people do care about what their favourite brands are doing for humanity at large – they are not just consuming their products but also their brand philosophies.”

    ‘FRIENDSHIT’ won the Grande Lotus for Branded Entertainment. The jury said “We found one supreme example in ‘Friendshit’. It connected the brand, Kasikorn Bank’s K PLUS app, to people in a unique and engaging way. A brilliant and highly entertaining idea that created human value and rewarded people for their time.”

    In the category ‘Branded Entertainment’ the two gold Lotus were won by Publicis Singapore for Vicks India ‘One in a Million’ and J. Walter Thompson, Bangkok for Sunsilk ‘Hair Talk’.

    Mark Tutssel, Jury President; Branded Entertainment, Effective and Integrated Lotus explained: “The jury was looking for work that was brilliant in its thinking and innovative in its execution. We wanted to shine a light on the bravest, most transformative creative ideas in the region,”

     

    My favourite winners at Adfest Pattaya.

    ‘Girl From Nowhere’

    The series tells the story of Nanno, a mysterious schoolgirl who takes the audience on an extraordinary tale of revenge. Powered by women to empower women, the IP is co-owned by the agency and client. (‘Girl From Nowhere’, Sour Bangkok for GMM Grammy – winner Gold for Effective Lotus- watch the series trailer ).

    https://youtube.com/watch?v=0vN-qJReZQg

    Mark Tutssel sums it up: “The agency created a new business model by turning themselves, ‘the creative agency for women’, into an insightful content creator. The series created incredible social impact.”

    It is entirely a new dimension, and I personally would have loved to be part of such an engaging initiative in any capacity.

    The Unforgettable Bag.

    The world’s oceans are drowning in plastic; the vast majority are single use. On average, every Malaysian uses 300 plastic bags per year, 9 billion bags in total. To accelerate the reduction in single-use bags and reinforce Tesco as a leading sustainability champion created the Unforgettable Bag. By simply adding a barcode, they transformed the bag into an on-going discount, an incentive that creates behaviour change on a mass scale. Creating a life-saving behaviour every time we shop. (Unforgettable Bag, Grey Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur for Tesco Malaysia – Winner INNOVA LOTUS)

    ‘Al Umobuwah: Putting ‘Mum’ Into ‘Parenthood’.

    And when you look for change and contribution, you cannot miss the INNOVA Gold winner ‘Al Umobuwah: Putting ‘mum’ into ‘parenthood’. It’s a brilliant thought. In Arabic, words representing parenthood are all derived from Father. So the agency created a new inclusive word for its client ‘Babyshop’. This new world for Parenthood is inclusive and has ‘Mum’ in it. It also won LOTUS roots, representing a work that draws on the different histories and cultures of the countries and people of Asia Pacific and MENA regions. (FP7 McCann Dubai for Babyshop ‘Al Umobuwah: Putting ‘mum’ into ‘Parenthood’)

    Impressive Winners at Adfest Pattaya.

    Also winning in the Innova Lotus was BWM Dentsu, Sydney for The ALS Association ‘Project Revoice’, Leo Burnett Colombo / Leo Burnett Toronto for JAT Paints ‘Petal Paint’ (also winner Gold Lotus Roots). Here link to a wonderful Brand experience and engagement lotus winner, the AIG Pride Jersey.

    https://youtube.com/watch?v=7sLLEdBgYYY

    Hot and spicy KFC (Outdoor and print craft), McDonald’s- All-nighters (outdoor), Kill one kill all- for Freeland foundation (Print Craft), And the NARCOS outdoor.

    Here is the BBDO Bangkok work for Mercedes-Benz Vans ‘The Universal Language of Pain’ . Simple, original, relevant and one where the impact is global.

    Do watch the outdoor winner, Super Air-down drone attack.

    The above creative represents a small part of the Lotus awards. Being at the Adfest Pattaya gives you an opportunity to see all the entries and not just the shortlist or only the winners. One of the prime reasons for me to appreciate and attend the Adfest Pattaya.

    In case you are interested in scanning other winners, you can access the list here and then search for them individually on the Internet. Happy hunting.

  • Come, prove Unfinished stories too have a happy ending, writes Sanjeev Kotnala who is still longing to the meet the mystery cigarette-borrower at Goafest

    Sanjeev Kotnala: An Unfinished Story seeks a Happy Ending

    By Sanjeev Kotnala

     

    Unfinished stories have an uncanny feeling to them. Expectations and imaginations play havoc with the sense of directions. They leave you starving for that last chapter that will wrap the things as per your thread.

    So, I am going to share one such story seeking an end. There is no guarantee that the unfinished story will find the end it is seeking. And I am willing to live with it.

     

    Unfinished Story; Part 1- 2016.

    It is at 2 am., the last night of Goafest 2016. The after-hours party is in full swing at Grand Hyatt, Goa. I am a bit tipsy like every other night and was chatting with a few friends at the reception area. Then magic happened.

    This young lady, who is short on cigarettes, asks me if she could borrow one. Young me, feeling alone in the crowd obliges. Who can refuse a young lady a cigarette?

    We start talking. The conversation meanders across topics of interest.  And I don’t remember what all we discussed that night. It must be the after-hours Vodka confusing the evening beer.

    I never ask her name. And if she did share, I don’t recall. I am sure; she too does not remember me. What I know is that she is working in digital space and planning to pursue an MBA from one of the IIMs.

    All I have is a faint memory of a slightly tipsy lady in her mid-20s wearing a light-pastel-coloured dress sharing a smoke with me. She has a small dimple on her left cheek. Or was it the right cheek. Maybe my confused mind is making up images.

     

    Unfinished Story; Part II- 2017

    I am banking on Twitter. I send out a cryptic tweet. ‘Dear young lady, if you are attending the Goafest this year too, do connect. And yes, you can find me around 1230, you know where’.

    Few noble gentlemen support me by re-tweeting it. I have declared my intent on my blog and the weekly column on mxmindia.com. I am hoping for a miracle, for the message to reach the intended person. I think it will do the trick.

    It is  ‘Mission Impossible’.

    On the first night at Goafest 2017, I wait, and I wait. Nothing happens. Next day I tweet an update ‘Woh Nahi Aayi’.

     

    Unfinished Story; Twist In The Tale.

    On Day 2, two cryptic emails land in my box.  Both emails suggest a meeting. I am confused. Is someone playing a prank on innocent Kotnala? I have no option. I have to follow the instructions and wait.

    I am waiting at the designated area slowly sipping my beer. I lazily smoke while my eyes continue to scan the area for a clue.

    Late night, I give up. I stroll down to my room.

    As I am swiping the room key, my phone beeps with SMS notification.

    There is a short SMS. ‘Meet me tomorrow the same place. Do not reply or call. Have left for my hotel’. I check the number on ‘True Caller’. It is in the name of some ‘Priyanka’. There is another email with a similar message but a different name. I am in two minds. I decide to play along. There is nothing to lose.

    At the designated hour, I move to the reception area. There is a PYT sitting at one corner. I hesitate. Meanwhile, she walks up to me and asks if she can borrow a cigarette.

    To me, it is some sort of code. My eyes light up. I know she (Meeta) is not my Miss2016. We chat. I am feeling it is going to be a waste of time.

     

    Unfinished Story, Abhi Baaki Hai Dost.

    From the corner of my eyes, I catch another girl coming out of the party area. She stands next to the door and scans the arena. She approaches us and with superb confidence says, ‘Finally, so do you have a smoke to spare’.

    I smile and push the pack forward.

    Priyanka, Meeta and I are meeting for the first time.

    The girls were bored with the party and being with the same set of colleagues for the last two days. They were seeking a change. And they knew about the tweet. Both of them have independently sent me cryptic emails and SMSes. Surprisingly, I believe them and smile.

    Last night, my focus and dedication to the cause impressed them. They have seen me waiting, smoking and drinking at the registration area. ‘Aapki Talash Ke Fan Ho Gaye Hum’ Priyanka had commented.

    We end up in my room. I have enough stock of cigarettes and beer.

    We finally call it a night at 2:30 a.m. they have an early flight to Mumbai.

    Unfinished Story. My Belief.

    I believe my original Miss2016 with the dimple on her left cheek did not attend Goafest 2017.

    Unfinished Story. 2018.

    Hope is a silly feeling. I again shared my expectations in 2018. But neither Miss2016 nor Priyanka or Meeta showed up.

    Unfinished Story Still Seeking A Happy End In 2019.

    Life cannot be so ruthless. Miss2016, you have to connect.

    Come-on, connect with this person, who is young at heart. I am dying to know if Miss2016 has a dimple on the left or the right cheek.

    Few of my friends (you know who you are) who were with me on that fateful night in 2016, tell me whatever you remember.

    I was sitting low on the ground, looking at her, while she stood in a white dress. Wow, I remember this much. Vodka and beer combination is right for retrieving memories.

    Do You Have A Story From Goafest?

    If you have a story from Goafest or you want to just catch up, tweet at S_Kotnala or connect on Facebook. Miss2016, if you get to read this, do connect at Goafest or otherwise.

    Unfinished Story. Disclaimer.

    This is a true story but not necessarily the complete truth. The desire to meet again is sincere, god promise. The memories are hazy with time.

    Come, prove Unfinished stories too have a happy ending. I am a very practical person. I can differentiate between fantasy and realistic fantasy and I believe ‘Life is Perception adulterated with reality’. I am a winner either way. If I meet Miss 2016 so much better, but If I don’t, I have my imagination to help me finish the story.

     

  • Sanjeev Kotnala, who has been at every edition of the fest-cum-awards, offers handy tips on navigating Goafest 2019

    Getting the most out of Goafest

     

    By Sanjeev Kotnala

     

    Goafest was fun when it used to be held at the Cavelossim Beach. It was hot and humid. One needed sunglasses, a hat and suntan lotion as standard accessories to navigate through the venue. I have been one of the stupids who questioned the relevance of some of fun activities including raindance, and I regret it.

    Certain limitations, costs, security, liabilities and other management issues moved Goafest to a hotel venue. The air-conditioning is excellent and the sessions are mighty comfortable. There used to be sundowner, after-hours party and enough beer to go around. But, in the process, Goafest missed out on both GOA and the FEST.  The fun element had taken a beating.

    It still holds its charm. It provides ample opportunities for ice-breaking, networking, training, knowledge sharing, deal closure and even informal business commitments. And it keeps evolving with time.

    This year we are moving to Unplugged entertainment of 30 minutes right after lunch. It may be a tough act. However, it achieves few things. It used lunch break as stage set-up time. It wakes up and recharges delegates. It gets them into the hall early and hence help in starting the post-lunch knowledge session on time.  Moreover, it allows the awards to start early without the long entertainment set-up period. And that will help start the after-parties early. My issues with this masterstroke are very few. Why even have these 30 minutes of entertainment. And such entertainment on a full stomach… does it sync? It may not work.  On top of it: just a 30-minute performance? What are we trying to do?

    For all we know, this is a mellowed down version of the real disruptive idea. Have the entertainer or the star performer as first slot of the day to help start conference on time.

     

    Goafest is fun when you are a part of a group.

    It’s pure fun when you are part of a group nominated by your organisation to attend Goafest. However, there is another subset of delegates. Independent individuals. These are start-up guys, entrepreneurs, small agency owners, media representatives and consultants. For them, it is a challenge to be a part of a group for long. And that includes the group from your ex-organisation.

    Whatever may be the subset you belong to, Goafest becomes chaotic by Day 2. It does not matter how big your group is. And by Day 3, people are bored of being with the same colleagues. The conversations dry up.  At this stage, Zombies takes over. You find delegates missing knowledge sessions and relaxing in their rooms. Sometimes it is just late-night partying and stressed out socialising/ networking that is the culprit. Sometimes, it’s the sequencing of the sessions.

     

    So, what can you do at Goafest?

    Get up early.  Take a walk along the beach. Many of you may not be near the beach. It’s okay, catching the early morning soft-flowing Goa breeze is a fabulous experience.

    Spend some time watching the shortlisted entries. Move to the display area early in the morning when the rest of the delegates are still deciding what to do. Now that you are there, don’t just glance over them, invest time. Study and understand them. If you find something that stuns you, compliment that agency or people when you meet.  Sometimes this is the best way to network. Everyone wants more appreciation!

    Pick the 2-5 sessions you definitely want to attend. Pick the first half and close it with the Unplugged session or may be start your day with it.

    Use your fingers and check about the author and the subject. Priming dry land before showers always helps. You will find that your interest in the subject and session gets enhanced. May be you already have the question you want to ask. Draft it and save it in your SMS. And when the time comes, plug that in the Goafest App.

    Avoid the sessions you do not want to attend. Don’t get pulled into them for any reason. The time is better utilised at the display area, networking outside, having drinks or just relaxing. I recommend early morning or the lunch time extending into the Unpugged session for this. There is nothing more tiring than listening with resourcefulness to something you are not interested in.

    Remember, networking and introductions happen in less crowded situations. So, create opportunities by being early at the start of the day, post-lunch session and awards night. A wee bit earlier than the hall doors open up and you may find it rewarding in term of connects you make. Do work like a homing pigeon. Make the networking worth for the other person too. So be ready with your deeply researched true networking opening conversation.

    Find the missing GOA in Goafest. Step out. Go to another beach. Eat at shacks. Have streetfood with friends. Find that lovely seafood joint or just land up at a casino for the adventure. Do something beyond Goafest!

    Most importantly, switch-off your e-mail and social media notifications. Do continue to post from the fest. People must know you are there. And respect the speaker, organisers and delegates by putting your phone on silent when you are attending any session.

    Find out the free Wi-Fi spots and passwords at the hotel. Check the connectivity. And at night update all your apps.

    Place three-alarms on your phone. Slot 15-20 minutes for an unhurried clean-up and replies of your inbox. Maybe at 0830, 1330 and 1830 Hrs.  Practice upward delegation. Check up how you can stop playing e-mail ping-pong and kill it with a phone call.

    Trust me, if there is fire, the right people have your number to reach you. Use your mobile camera to capture the moods, selfies and groupies. Select the picture you want to keep, delete all others and post the images (if you’re going to) then and there. Timing is everything.

    This Goafest, may you get what you deserve from it. May it create an all-new benchmark and reference of what to do in future. And may I meet Miss2016.

     

     

  • Goafest veteran Sanjeev Kotnala offers tips to the AAAI & Ad Club thinktank

    Unsolicited advice to help make Goafest2020 better

     

    By Sanjeev Kotnala

     

    In the article yesterday, I discussed ‘what you missed, and they messed?’ with reference to advertising industry’s biggest festival of creativity and ideas. Goafest2019 finished on April 13, 2019. Like always, it had its own moments of the Good, the Bad and the Ugly.  There has been tremendous change as the festival keep evolving.

    Here I am sharing few inputs, that may help the Goafest Managing Committee see things differently:

    1. REALIGN. Do meet the absentee agencies now. Show them the new picture and help to get them positively polarised towards the fest.

    2. Launch a Goafest2019 survey among delegates. Provide a platform for free, honest expression and suggestions. Run it with all delegates and all sponsor and organisations on the corporate level.

    3. ENHANCED TRANSPARENCY. STOP SCAMS. Share all entries in their totality at the time of Shortlist. Give it enough time for people to check and raise an objection. Make the association protocol, SOP for objection resolution public.

    4. ENHANCE EFFICIENCY AND FESTIVAL CONSTRUCT. Capture data to make more sense of priorities and preferences. Track people movement. Record entry and exit details from different zones.

    5. TRANSPARENCY. Include a session where jury members express and share what they were looking at, what kind of discussion happened, and what favoured the significant winners.

    6. SESSIONS OF IMMEDIATE RELEVANCE. The festival needs more sessions like the one by Ambarish Mitra, CEO & Founder, Blippar who spoke about augmented reality, virtual reality and its rapid evolution in the marketing and advertising realm.

    7. SCHEDULE SHARING. Speaker schedules should be shared much in advance along with the title and synopsis for every speaker activity. Stop hiding timeline inefficiencies by creating a block of activities. Restrict evening dinner timing. Force discipline and movement to the after-party.

    8. HELPING GETTING SPONSOR THE DUE. (A) Once after-party starts, stop all ports serving drinks. Helps maximise sponsor return from parties. (B) Rightsize and re-position the sponsor logo on stage panels to ensure they are part of the picture frame.

    9. DELEGATE COMFORT.(A) Introduce premium seats that one can pre-book by session or by day. (B) Include a section in the app where the participants can see the complete list of questions asked to a speaker. (C) Let the speakers choose the question, or the moderator choose the question. Or a third panel to select the question to be raised.

    10. GOA QUOTIENT. Think about somehow increasing the missing Goa quotient, else we may as well call it the ‘Hyatt Advertising Fest’. Even if that means adding a feni stall. Floral-print-T-shirts, food items. May be offer some discounts.

     

    Like every piece of unsolicited advice, I hold no liability if it does not give the desired results. So act on your own risk.

     

    Sanjeev Kotnala is a senior marketing and strategy consultant. His columns appear on MxMIndia every Wednesday and on special occasions. The views here are personal

     

  • May be a bit late, but the Empire is trying to hit back with a simple communication, notes Sanjeev Kotnala

    ‘Print Is Proof’ needs wider collective commitment

     

    By Sanjeev Kotnala

     

    Sanjeev Kotnala

    The coming together print publishers is a rare celestial aberration. However, this is not the first time when some of the largest print houses have got together. We know when they collectively questioned the IRS and hence MRUC some years back. Even at that time, people viewed it as a disturbing disruption, but it led to something good, a better more robust IRS.

    In the current era of the voyeuristic audience with limited attention, video-led consumption, social platform-based news sharing necessitating instant gratification, the print is unfairly being treated as a media that has lost its sheen.

    May be a bit late, but the Empire is trying to hit back with a simple communication celebrating Print in its regality.

    A few weeks back, major print players – Dainik Bhaskar Group,  The Hindu Group, Hindustan Times, The Times of India, released their campaign on owned media. Full-page advertisements shoutig ‘Print is Proof’.

    It will be great if the HT campaign ‘Print is the Answer’ or another such campaign can get teeth by print coming together in a heightened B2B initiative.

    There is no doubt that print is still the most credible media by a margin. The barrage of fake news and the impulsive sharing of it is something everyone has experienced. I hope that many other print houses bury their hatchet and believe in each other’s intent to join the movement. Even if it may just be doing a post-purchase dissonance correction among the loyalists…

    Print proposes and wants the audience to believe that in the fastest-finger-first digital media, tracing the origin of news is a tough proposition. And that only in print the story before it is printed and delivered to you goes through multiple filters and crosschecks.  Unfortunately, the argument is not without holes. And the current generation does not believe the statement print makes: “If we don’t have the facts, we don’t print the news. It’s that simple. For us, the starting point of any story is verification”. Or ‘if a digital story doesn’t check out, it can always be deleted’.

    In its current avatar, the new generation feels that print is also as much about sensation, colouring, tinting and or manipulation of news. In the polarised and pressurised ecosystem prevalent in the country, it is foolish to believe that ‘No one edits the editor’. However, a large part of the audience from the print dominant era still believes ‘What’s Printed Is True’.

    India is one of the few countries where print still holds its position and continues to grow in circulation.

    I would be personally thrilled if the print houses can come together and do a collective correction in cover pricing. It’s much needed. In my view, it will still deliver a better financial position, even if the fringe readers drop out. Print needs it.

    Whatever may be their reasons to join the initiative, it needs to continue its momentum. More groups need to join in and help sustain the campaign and widen its reach through multimedia exposure funded by a collective kitty. Being in print alone is not the answer.

    Some other print advantages are capabilities to keep the story alive till its natural conclusion, share-and re-share the ground facts and developments, address individual sub-segment differentially and place advertisements contextually. But, just ‘Print is Proof’ may be a weak war cry that can lose steam fast.

    ……………………………………

    DISCLAIMER: I must confess I have not been able to check if the campaign has a digital, TV and or an outdoor avatar. It will be great if it exists and or the collective takes the initiative in this direction.