MxMIndia

Category: MEDIA

  • emphasizes how the incredible range of cars on CarTrade.com will leave consumers spoilt for choice

    CarTrade.com’s new TVC highlights its one-stop-shop USP

    By a correspondent

     

    Leading car portal Cartrade.com has launched a new campaign starting with a TVC to highlight the website as the ultimate address for buying a car, whether old or new. This campaign is focused on choice and has been conceptualized by its agency FCB Ulka. It emphasizes how the incredible range of cars on CarTrade.com will leave consumers spoilt for choice.

     

    The ad is inspired from the insight that every consumer struggles to arrive at a choice. It fills both his rational and emotional needs and more often than not, the consumer ends up compromising one for the other, due to the paucity of options or time to search for those options.

     

    The ad shows a consumer’s heart (dil) and mind (dimaag) debating whether to choose a car that the heart is set on or the one that makes more practical sense. CarTrade.com’s USP is that it gives you all the information on cars available in the market today across models, brands and manufacturers. So now buyers don’t have to worry about exploring every car outlet in the city to find the right car. Besides, accessing all the information that a buyer needs about a car, its pricing, features, comparison, and reviews etc, CarTrade.com offers the widest range of cars you can find online. The only decision the consumer is left with is to make up his mind from the plethora of carsin front of him

     

    Commenting on the campaign, Vinay Sanghi, Founder and CEO, CarTrade.com said, “CarTrade.com prides itself on the extensive variety of cars that we have available for the consumer to choose from and we wanted to communicate the same in an interesting and funny manner. The ad clearly brings out the fact that when it comes to buying a car, consumers need not look further than CarTrade.com to be their ultimate guide. We feel that this commercial will help associate the brand with the values of choice and trust.”

     

    The Mumbai-based online platform, Cartrade.com has over 3.8 million unique visitors every month researching for new and old cars. The latest campaign aims to strengthen its brand identity of offering the best range of automobiles available, and firmly establish its features and services in the market.

     

  • The studio is gearing up to recreate the remarkable epic story in live action on a large scale

    Disney India to develop ‘The Mahabharata’ for the big screen

    By a correspondent

     

    Disney India’s studio business has announced plans to bring the epic mythology tale The Mahabharata to the big screen. The studio is gearing up to recreate the remarkable epic story in live action on a large scale, which will be directed by Abhishek Kapoor and written by renowned author Ashok Banker.

     

    “Indian mythology has a great wealth of stories which have inspired legions of creative minds and The Mahabharata unarguably is the most ambitious and all-encompassing of them all. We believe this epic which has engaged generations of Indians will translate into a magnificent silver screen saga,” said Siddharth Roy Kapur, Managing Director -Disney India.

     

    “The Mahabharata expresses the universal truth; it has defined my understanding of spirituality and of all humanity. I aim to translate this onto the big screen, engage minds and deliver a world class cinematic experience,” said director of the film Abhishek Kapoor. “There could be no one better than Disney India, with its prowess as a creative and distribution powerhouse, to narrate this epic in the manner that befits it.”

     

    For the first time in Indian cinema, a single narrative will be told across two movies. The film will go into pre-production post the completion of Abhishek Kapoor’s next venture with the studio, Fitoor, which goes on the floors in July.

     

  • The project will be the first film jointly produced by the two companies in India

    Endemol, Lionsgate to co-produce ‘Warrior’ in Hindi

    By a correspondent

     

    Entertainment company Lionsgate and Endemol India have come together to co-produce the sports drama ‘Warrior’ in Hindi for the Indian subcontinent. Warrior, inspired by Lionsgate’s critically-acclaimed 2011 North American release of the same name, will be the first film jointly produced by the two companies in India.

     

    “Lionsgate is committed to identifying opportunities to produce and deliver motion pictures, television programming and other premium content to one of the largest and fastest-growing markets in the world,” said Lionsgate President of Worldwide Television & Digital Distribution Jim Packer. Lionsgate COO of International Distribution Andrew Kramer added, “Warrior is the kind of locally-produced property based on timeless themes that we expect to resonate with mainstream commercial audiences in India, and our partnership with Endemol’s Eyedentity Motion Pictures will bring valuable local expertise to our venture.”

     

    “We are pleased to partner with Lionsgate in their initial film venture in India by co-producing Warrior,” said Deepak Dhar, Chief Executive Officer of Endemol India.  “Action-filled and emotionally powerful with themes of forgiveness and the enduring bonds of family, Warrior will be a quality film made with top-of-the-line production values that we believe will strike a responsive chord with Indian audiences.”

     

    Inspired by the American film of the same name, Warrior tells the story of two estranged brothers and deals with their struggling relationship with each other and their father.  The film will be adapted for Indian audiences and re-written for Indian tastes. Its focus on contact sport will be integral to the storyline and will position Warrior as one of the few sports dramas made in India.

     

  • Volini launched the pat on the back campaign wherein people applauded the special women in their life

    Volini’s digital campaign draws good response

    By a correspondent

     

    Pain-relieving brand Volini’s nine-day long digital campaign – ‘Volini Pat On The Back’ received a good response from the consumers. Conceptualized and conceived by Volini, the idea was executed by WATConsult and managed to receive 51,000 entries through ‘pats’.

     

    With the core idea of acknowledging and appreciating the efforts made by women to give us a pain-free life, Volini launched the pat on the back campaign wherein people applauded the special women in their life. This was done through several digital medium viz. Facebook, a microsite, through the IVR by sending a SMS or making a call on the toll-free number. Best messages were gratified by sending a special gift to both the pat sender and the receiver.

     

    Subodh Marwah, Vice President and Head Consumer HealthCare Business, noted: “Volini believes that today’s women seamlessly carry on with so many roles in their daily lives, effectively multitasking between work and home and are a source of strength and support for all the loved ones around them. Women’s Day and ‘Volini Pat On The Back’ create one such opportunity of thanking them for all the efforts that they take for us.”

     

    A specially designed microsite and Facebook were prime sources of engagement. Besides IVR integrations through which the pats were sent, SMS and call on toll-free numbers were also introduced. The campaign was supported through Zoom TV with integrations, print with Times of India in key metro editions and radio tags and RJ mentions on Oye and Big FM. Apart from this, there were on-ground activations created in corporate hubs and malls in key cities to encourage people to participate in the campaign.

     

  • Michael Roth, Chairman and CEO, IPG got his Board of Directors to the country despite a slowdown indicating the importance of market

    IPG’s big bet on India

     

    By Shambhavi Anand

     

    IPG is coming off a bad year with a significant decline in net income. What are the reasons for this? How’s 2014 looking?

    We did not achieve our goals and the primary reason for that were problems in Europe. We took a restructuring charge of $61 million to rightsize our cost profile. We also had some new business wins and expenses, and cost to pitch for new businesses ahead of revenues. Some of our agencies were not performing well. We took care of that in the restructuring so those were the reasons we could not deliver the margin we were looking for. The restructuring charge should give rise to $40 million benefits in 2014 and growth in the range of 3%-4%. We expect to expand margin by at least a 100 basis points.

     

     

    Michael I. Roth

     

    Michael I. Roth is Chairman and CEO of Interpublic, one of the world’s largest organizations of advertising and marketing services companies.  Prior to serving in his current role, Mr Roth was a member of the company’s Board of Directors.

     

    Since assuming leadership of Interpublic in 2005, Mr Roth is credited with righting the company’s financial course and moved to make it an industry leader by defining new models that provide value to clients in a rapidly-changing media and marketing environment.

     

    Prior to his current role, he was Chairman and CEO of The MONY Group Inc., a financial services holding company that provides a wide range of protection, asset accumulation and retail brokerage products and services through its member companies.

     

    A certified public accountant, Roth holds an L.L.M. degree from New York University Law School and a J.D. from Boston University Law School. He is a 1967 graduate of the City College of New York.

     

    Given the Indian economy has been sluggish for a while, how has that changed or affected IPG’s hopes?

    The fact that we brought our board of directors here even though there is a slowdown indicates how important India is. Every market is going through a slowdown but the opportunities India offers are immense. We wanted to send a message to everyone that India is important to us. It is our second largest market and some of our best brands Lowe, FCB and McCann are continuing to grow.

     

    How do your clients feel about India as an investment destination?

    We invested in three acquisitions in India – Interactive Avenues, End to End Marketing Solutions and Corporate Voice. They show the confidence we have in the future. Macro economic conditions affect the environment in every economy. But with the kind of growth we have had, we can work through difficulties. Even in tough situations India has grown at 5%-6%, which is good. In the United States growth is around 2%-3%.

     

    What’s your evaluation of your Indian operations? Are you looking at any further acquisitions?

    We have done very well here. Including the acquisitions our growth is somewhere around 70%. We bring all the IPG offerings to the table here in India. We are always looking for acquisitions in various markets. We want to hear from our agencies on what’s substantial on the horizon. For us digital and activation seem to be the two most important areas of interest. That is one of the reasons we came here. But please don’t ask me to name names.

     

    Would you care to address the speculation that a merger between WPP and IPG is imminent?

    There used to be speculation about IPG and Publicis too. But there is no need to do a transaction like that. We have all the global offerings and disciplines to be competitive. We don’t need capital. The only reason we would do something like that is when somebody put a compelling price for shareholders on the table.

     

    But no one has done that so far. How do you believe the Publicis Omnicom merger will affect the industry?

    Whenever a transaction of this kind happens it will take a long time to be integrated. In this case, it is taking a long time even to happen, and in the meantime there will be disruption. We are seeing recruiting opportunities. There are disruptions in a number of their offerings and we hope to be a beneficiary of that. Obviously, there will be conflict potential, although the transaction has not taken place yet, so we haven’t seen a lot of it. We don’t view it as a threat. Everyone thinks that their media offering will be big. But it will be as big as WPP and we have proved to be very effective against them. Not being so big that we can’t be flexible and responsive to clients needs and provide the human touch. The answer is I don’t go home and worry about it.

     

    How has IPG Mediabrands which is competing in many markets where the other media agencies have a bit of a headstart doing?

    In 2013, Mediabrands was our best performing asset. So that is a pretty good indication that they are doing well. We don’t give specific figures on the profitability of our agencies but clearly both in India and on a worldwide basis they are leading us on growth, revenue and margin expansion.

     

    Source:The Economic Times

    Copyright © 2014, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved

    Licensed to republish

     

  • The TVC shows an empowered, smart, and vivacious woman protagonist, and reinforces the ease and simplicity of the OLX Mobile App

    OLX says SELLphone, as it launches mobile app

    By a correspondent

     

    A new TVC by OLX.in celebrates the exuberance, individuality, and the confidence of the women-of-today, highlighting their independence, and freedom to express themselves. The TVC shows an empowered, smart, and vivacious woman protagonist, and reinforces the ease and simplicity of the OLX Mobile App.

     

    Amarjit Singh Batra, CEO, OLX India, commented, “Selling is a joyous experience on OLX as it is simple, and leaves you with more money in your pocket, and more space in your home for things that really matter. It is this joy of selling that is captured by our new TVC. The OLX Mobile App is the easiest way of selling either from home or on-the-go, and is ranked as the top shopping App on Google Play Store India. Approximately 70 per cent of the traffic on OLX is coming from mobile users, which is why we are urging people to use the ‘Cellphone as a SELLphone‘ and enjoy the experience of selling on OLX.”

     

    The new TVC, shot to the catchy tunes of the popular Bollywood number ‘Womaniya’, aptly captures the aspirations of the women of India to make their lives more manageable, to not feel financially dependent on others, and to have some fun in the process.

     

    Conceived by advertising agency Lowe Lintas, the TVC captures a quintessential conversation between a husband and wife, with the wife expressing her desire to buy new household products, and the husband procrastinating and rejecting the idea for lack of money, and space in the house. The wife, who is left a little stumped by his response, decides to take matters in her own hand by downloading the OLX mobile App to sell things the family has no use for. The idea of selling, ridding her home of clutter, and earning money without anyone’s help is so enjoyable that she is seen dancing and skipping around her home, merrily clicking used items from her ‘SELLphone’to post Ads for free on OLX. So infectious is her energy that her mother-in-law soon joins the selling frenzy, breaking into a jig to the beats of the Womaniya song. When the husband returns in the evening, he is left puzzled by the uncluttered apartment and his wife and mother dancing with a wad of cash in their hands. When he asks where all the stuff went, the two ladies hold up the cellphone and proudly tell him that they sold all the goods they didn’t have use for on the ‘SELLphone’, referring to the OLX mobile App.

     

    “We chose to tell the story of ease of usage of the OLX mobile App through a commercial dedicated to women. ‘Phone Ko Banaao ‘SELLPhone‘ as an idea captures the proposition of the OLX mobile App and caps the effortlessness with which a woman goes about selling things in her house in a fun manner,” says Shriram Iyer, Executive Creative Director, Lowe Lintas India.

     

    The campaign has gone live from March 26, 2014 and will be broadcast in seven different languages.

     

  • Hill+Knowlton Strategies has announced changes to the leadership in two of its offices in India

    IPAN H+K Strategies announces new leadership

    By a correspondent

     

    Hill+Knowlton Strategies has announced changes to the leadership in two of its offices in India, reflecting a period of sustained and robust growth across its largest operations. Vinod Moorthy, a member of the H+K Strategies team since 2007, has been appointed as Senior Vice President, North India and APAC regional Corporate Practice Leader. Vinod will be based in the H+K Strategies Gurgaon office and takes on this new role after a successful tenure as Senior Vice President, West. While Devasis Chattopadhay, who joined H+K Strategies in early 2013, has been promoted to VP, West India with responsibility for the Mumbai operations and the continued growth of the finance practice across India. He most recently served as Senior Client Services Director in Mumbai.

     

    Radhika Shapoorjee, President, South Asia & India, H+K Strategies commented: “The opportunity in a market like India is that we are in transformative times where we are seeing a political and social change that will have a huge impact on business. This rapid pace of change and growth needs leaders who are flexible and quick to adapt new environments with ease. We inherently believe in giving our senior people the opportunity to experience new markets and take on new roles both in India and internationally. Vinod has been an instrumental part of the Mumbai business for over seven years, and in that time has grown our footprint into diverse sectors including infrastructure, entertainment, FMCG and finance and we’re looking forward to seeing more of that expansion in North India. Devasis has exactly the right level of experience and passion to take the Mumbai business forward to even greater heights. These are exciting times for us here in India.”

     

    Vinod has been associated with the Indian communications industry for over two decades, and has exposure spanning diverse sectors & disciplines. He is a crisis communications expert and has advised CEOs across a wide range of industries on issues including managing policy & regulatory challenges, factory closure & industrial relations, consumer crisis, NGO activism, tax litigation, aircraft crash landing, and environment & health issues.

     

    Devasis brings nearly three decades of senior experience in the corporate and financial communications sector to H+K Strategies. His special expertise is in identifying and resolving the highest priority communication challenges of diversified corporate entities and organizations operating across sectors. Before joining H+K Strategies he held senior positions in companies in the finance and various industrial sectors.

     

  • The Board has appointed Lachlan Murdoch Non-Executive Co-Chairman and James Murdoch has been elevated to the position of Co-Chief Operating Officer

    21st Century Fox announces Board & Executive leadership changes

    By a correspondent

     

    21st Century Fox has announced that the Board has appointed Lachlan Murdoch Non-Executive Co-Chairman and James Murdoch has been elevated to the position of Co-Chief Operating Officer. The announcement was jointly made by Rupert Murdoch, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer; Chase Carey, President and Chief Operating Officer; and the 21st Century Fox Board of Directors.

     

    Rupert Murdoch said, “Lachlan is a strategic and talented executive with a rich knowledge of our businesses. From 1994 to 2007, Lachlan’s executive career at the company spanned the globe, culminating as Deputy Chief Operating Officer responsible for the group’s most important publishing businesses in addition to its vast U.S. television station holdings. I’m very pleased he is returning to a leadership role at the Company, where he will work closely with me, Chase, James, and the rest of the Board of Directors to drive continued growth for years to come.”

     

    He continued, “We are pleased to elevate James into this important role alongside my partner and trusted advisor Chase Carey. I’m confident James and Chase will continue to make a great team during this time of immense opportunity. James has done an outstanding job driving our global television businesses and our shareholders, customers, and colleagues will benefit greatly from his many talents. This Company has never been better positioned to capitalize on the increased global demand for quality storytelling and news, and our collective future has never been brighter.”

     

    As Non-Executive Co-Chairman, Lachlan Murdoch will work closely with senior management and the rest of the 21st Century Fox Board in developing global strategies and guiding the overall corporate agenda.  Lachlan will divide his time between Sydney and New York.

     

    As Co-Chief Operating Officer, James Murdoch will partner with Chase Carey to set the strategic direction and drive momentum across the Company’s global portfolio of assets. In this capacity, James will have direct responsibility for Fox Networks Group, which will now report to him.  James will also have direct responsibility for the strategic and operational development of the Company’s owned and controlled interests in the pay-television Sky and Star services in Europe and Asia, respectively. James will continue to report to Chase Carey.

     

    In addition to these appointments, the Company also announced that Peter Rice, Chairman and CEO Fox Networks Group, has agreed to extend his employment agreement.

     

    James Murdoch said, “Under Peter Rice’s leadership Fox Networks Group has continued to push creative boundaries across the Company, and has grown tremendously with successful channel launches including Fox Sports 1 and FXX, an increased international footprint and enhanced sports offerings across the world.  Chase and I are delighted Peter is committed to continuing to grow this incredible business and look forward to even more success in the years to come.”

     

     

  • OneIndia, available by invitation to select display advertisers only, offers the unique benefit of a single-platform reach comparable and incremental to television

    HT, Hindu & ABP groups get together to offer single-platform reach to advertisers

    By A Correspondent

     

    Six leading publications of the country – Hindustan Times, Hindustan, The Hindu, The Hindu Tamil, The Telegraph and Ananda Bazar Patrika have come together and formed the OneIndia group as a platform to facilitate reach to the largest print audience with a single advertisement.

     

    OneIndia, available by invitation to select display advertisers only, offers the unique benefit of a single-platform reach comparable and incremental to television, along with the many clear benefits of print, such as immediacy, impact, comprehension, credibility, and a clutter-free environment, to name a few.

     

    Talking about the key idea behind this alliance, Benoy Roychowdhury, Executive Director, HT Media Ltd., said, “The idea behind OneIndia is to provide an unduplicated reach like never before, along with a single-window service, in order to invite non-print and infrequent print advertisers to experience and profit from the significant benefits of print advertising.”

     

    Apart from the fact that print media readership is significantly more upmarket than television, several research studies globally have also demonstrated that print plus TV has driven more than 20 per cent incremental push-through in brand equity compared to TV alone. Further, some recent media multiplier research studies by leading international research agencies have demonstrated that print advertising in Asia-Pacific indexes three times more than TV on RoI, and five times more on brand impact.

     

     

  • Uncertainty about IPL's future freezes ad sales

    Freeze! Media agencies put on hold IPL-7 buys given uncertainty over tourney

    By A Correspondent

     

    Media-buying firms have frozen all ad sales of the Indian Premier League for the next 48 hours as they await clarity on the future of the tournament, two top officials of leading media buying firms said.

     

    They said advertisers are considering either re-negotiating ad rates for the IPL, or considering pulling out of the twenty20 tournament and putting their money on elections instead, after the Supreme Court on Thursday recommended suspension of two teams – Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals.

     

    Gautam Kiyawat

    Gautam Kiyawat, CEO at media buying firm Madison Media group, said the development will hit the sentiments of marketers. “There was a bit of scepticism from the beginning with some matches being moved out of the country and now with the potential disappearance of two star teams, advertiser sentiments are going to tank even further,” he said. Media buyers, which represent some of the country’s biggest advertisers, are of the opinion that if 20-30 per cent of the IPL matches are scrapped, it would bring down the overall revenues of the popular twenty20 tournament by half.

     

    Multi Screen Media-run Sony Entertainment, which holds broadcasts rights for the tournament, would also face a similar quantum of losses because advertising airtime would also shrink with less number of matches, said the CEO of a top media buying firm.

     

    Multi Screen Media (MSM), which is charging Rs4.5-5 lakh for 10 seconds, was expected to better its last year’s IPL earnings of around Rs900 crore that was helped by 30 per cent – 40 per cent jump in advertising revenues. Rohit Gupta, president at MSM, said: “Since the final order has not come yet, it is too early for us to comment on the matter. Let the order come.”

     

    If Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals are banned, then it would have a direct negative rub-off on advertisers. Title sponsor PepsiCo, which had has committedRs400 crore for five years, stands to lose the most, as it has hinged its entire annual plans on the tournament that falls in peak summer season for the soft drinks sector. PepsiCo declined comment on the matter.

     

    CVL Srinivas

    CVL Srinivas, CEO at GroupM, the country’s largest media conglomerate that also represents PepsiCo, said, “It is too early to take any decision (on whether or not we should advice our clients to stay away from the IPL) as we don’t know which way the scenario will pan out. We will get more clarity in days to come and then we will weigh the options for our clients.”

     

    Some matches of the IPL will be played in the UAE, which is not a market for many brands, and with the Supreme Court banning two teams, advertisers stand to accrue huge losses if the tournament is scrapped. Navin Khemka, managing partner at media buying firm ZenithOptimedia, said absence of two key teams will bring down the value of IPL as a property.

     

    IPL’s brand value grew 4per cent, from $2.92 billion in 2012 to $3.03 billion in 2013. The total brand value of the nine franchises last year reached $325.8 million from $321.12 million in 2012, according to consulting firm Brand Finance.

     

    Nandini Dias

    Mr Khemka said that big advertisers may choose to be on elections over IPL, while likely lower ad rates may open IPL doors to smaller companies. “The sense is that overall ad rates could come down in the IPL. The flip side is that many small advertisers, who otherwise were not able to afford IPL as the entry costs were very high, may get a chance to be a part of it this time,” he said. Nandini Dias, CEO at media-buying firm Lodestar UM, said the agency was not advising clients to pull out of the tournament.

     

    “Controversies in cricket seem to have become a regular occurrence. Advertisers like PepsiCo have paid unprecedented amount of money despite all the controversies and uncertainties,” she said. “There are enough clients who want to ride on the higher viewership likely due to controversies. In fact, there are clients who change their media plans and skew their media plans to news channels when the channel is breaking news regarding controversies and scams.” The hospitality industry too could take a hit if some matches are cancelled.

     

    Source:The Economic Times

    Copyright © 2014, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved

    Licensed to republish

     

  • The film – part of the #Pledgetovote series – hopes to inspire both – seasoned, as well as first-time voters

    Google ‘Pledge to Vote’ film with India’s first voter

    By A Correspondent

     

    Independent India’s first general elections may have happened in early 1952, but an exception was made for Kinnaur in Himachal Pradesh as snowfall was expected. Hence the polls were held in October 1951 and there lies the story of Shyam Saran Negi, India’s very first voter, and a 97-year-old retired schoolteacher. This is the theme of the new Google commercial in the crafted by leading ad agency Ogilvy.

     

    Since 1951, Negi has voted in every single election, including each of the 15 Lok Sabha polls held thus far. The years haven’t diminished his belief in democracy and the power of elections. He also continues to be an inspiration to his family, friends and community in Kalpa.

     

    The film was shot in Mr Negi’s hometown, Kalpa, over several days in early March. The team worked closely with the village folk and Negi.

     

    Says Sandeep Menon – Director, Marketing, Google India: “Perhaps more than any other election in the past, these elections are about capturing the imagination of millions of both first-time as well as experienced voters. This video has been developed to inspire Indian voters to vote this election. The story of Mr Negi is a testimony of Indian voters’ belief in the power of democracy.”

     

    Abhijit Avasthi

    The film – part of the #Pledgetovote series – hopes to inspire both – seasoned, as well as first-time voters, said an Ogilvy India spokesperson. Added Abhijit Avasthi, National Creative Director at Ogilvy: “While all of us have cribs about the state of affairs in the country and a cynicism about the government, we forget that the only weapon of change we have in our hands is our vote. Like so many others, Google too wants to motivate people, especially youngsters to exercise their right to vote. But rather than being preachy, it wants to do it the inspirational and emotional way. And who better to inspire us than Mr Negi.” Leading internet services conglomerate Google has been attempting to integrate with the country through ad films that strike a chord. Its film on showing an Indian and Pakistani reuniting for the first time after Partition, has received rave reviews.

     

  • Ballabh will be leading the agency's efforts in digital media planning and strategy for all clients

    Cheil appoints Vivek Ballabh as AVP – Digital Media

    By a correspondent

     

    Cheil Worldwide SW Asia announced the appointment of Vivek Ballabh as Associate Vice President – Digital Media. Ballabh will be leading the agency’s efforts in digital media planning and strategy for all clients. He will be reporting to Rajesh Bhatia, Senior VP & Head Digital, Cheil Worldwide SW Asia.

     

    Ballabh is an accomplished digital media professional with over 12 years of experience and a proven track record of planning and executing numerous integrated digital campaigns that have worked to the advantage of driving client businesses. Known for his out-of-the-box thinking, he is a strong believer in capturing consumer minds through effective deployment of new media strategies.

     

    Hari Krishnan

    Hari Krishnan, COO, Cheil Worldwide, SW Asia said, “Vivek is an accomplished digital media specialist and will add muscle to our strategic firepower in Digital.  His joining enhances our talent pool and will enable us to broaden our scope and augment our offering to a larger market.”

     

    “We are delighted to have Vivek on board. With his knowledge and experience I believe, he will be an invaluable asset to Cheil India’s Interactive team,” said Rajesh Bhatia, Senior VP & Head Digital, Cheil Worldwide, SW Asia.

     

    Ballabh joins from Razorfish [Publicis] where he was Sr. VP Digital Media. Prior to this he was with Solutions | Digitas [Publicis], where he set up the entire Digital Media practice and was responsible for  both operations and P&L. Previously he was with Webchutney as Head of Media Planning, where he led the HP business and was instrumental in launching successful campaigns for PSG. His work on the launch of a new range of notebooks by HP was awarded with a Bronze at Zenith Optimedia’s ROI Excellence Awards in 2008.

     

    Ballabh is an alumnus of The Institute of Public Enterprise (IPE), Hyderabad, from where he obtained his MBA and a Graduate in Science from Osmania University, Hyderabad.