MxMIndia

Category: Events

  • It also found that inspirational, funny and entertaining content are most likely to be shared on social platforms followed by personal, news and educational content

    Waggener Edstrom’s report throws up interesting insights on content relevance

    By A Correspondent

     

    Waggener Edstrom India, a independent integrated communications agency recently released a research report on changing patterns of digital engagement in India and its impact on brand advocacy: Content Matters: The Impact of Brand Storytelling Online in 2015”. The report reveals that 73 percent of Indians recommend brands with a greater digital footprint and higher levels of online social engagement. It also found that inspirational, funny and entertaining content are most likely to be shared on social platforms followed by personal, news and educational content.

     

    The report explored the correlation between devices and social media platforms relating to purchase behavior and how those dynamics vary across nine industries: Beauty, Consumer Electronics, Finance & Banking, Food & Beverage, Healthcare, Mobile Devices & Tablets, Personal Care, Restaurants & Dining, and Travel & Tourism.

     

    Key findings of the report include the following:

    • The rise of smart phones: Smart phones at 40 percent are a very close second to personal computers at 52 percent as the device of choice to access information related to purchase decisions. Tablets are yet to catch on amongst Indians as the device of choice. However, 91 percent have access to computers whilst 85 percent have access to smart phones.
    • Content is king: 9 out of 10 Indian respondents are likely to follow a brand on social media where 29 percent seek general news about the brand while 27 percent want to receive discounts and promotional offers and 23% are in search of better customer service.
    • Facebook and WhatsApp lead the way: 29 percent of consumers polled indicated that Facebook remains the top social media platform preferred by Indians for sharing content, followed closely by WhatsApp (26 percent)
    • Consumption habits: Although 16% use search engines and another 16% are fans of word of mouth, whilst 14 percent use company websites, review sites, social media, traditional media, forums, blogs, IM and online news are all popular too. When it comes to recommending brands to friends and family, 73 percent of digital savvy respondents are willing to recommend brands that they have a high level of engagement with online.

     

    The report was released at an industry round table comprising marketers, communications leaders and business heads on ‘How can brands best digitally engage with the consumer for maximum advocacy?’ moderated by Madhuri Sen, Managing Director, Waggener Edstrom Communications.

     

    Setting the stage for the discussion, Sen said: “Effective brand storytelling requires an ecosystem of media with both online and offline touch points. However, the dominant platforms shift according to industry and geography. Organizations are now recognizing the need to move away from what was a higher channel focus to a content focus. It is important to figure out the content and then the channel as opposed to having the media plan in place and then deciding the content.”

     

    Addressing the panel, Carolyn Camoens, Regional VP, Waggener Edstrom Communications, APAC said: “I’m not going to share what I had for lunch today. But if there is something funny or inspirational I am sharing that. So it still goes back to the nature of that content that is being shared and how much value it has for the Indian consumer. I know pictures of my half-done kitchen are not interesting to you, but me saying ‘my home coming together’ is sharing an emotional experience with your network. That’s what brands need to connect to.”

     

    Siddharth Sankhe, India Lead, Insights & Analytics, Waggener Edstrom Communications said: “Things are changing at a good pace with regards to inclusion of smartphones in the daily lives of people. Brands need to acknowledge this and create mobile ready content which is easy to consume and share. Computers still stand as an important device for a lot of other functionalities, but smartphones are replacing computers as the primary device of information consumption”

     

    Adding to the shift in smartphone related behavior, Hanneli Slabber, Country Manager – India, South Africa Tourism, shared a travel based perspective – “If I am standing on the top of Table Mountain which overlooks Cape Town, and I can be on Facebook in 30 seconds – I’m there. You got a much bigger bragging factor when you say – this is where I am, wish you were here.”

     

    Nandini Goswami, Director, Corporate Communications, Kellogg, India, presented the flipside to this mobile and digital wave in India, saying: “While social media has its many positives, there is a negative side to this as well. With the rise in smartphones usage, dissatisfied customers have an additional channel to vent on. This means that they don’t give the organization enough time to respond as the issue has already been tweeted, retweeted and shared on Facebook. Each industry will be affected differently by this.”

     

  • EEMA's persistent efforts towards streamlining the licensing process in Delhi have yielded some promising results for all EEMA Members

    Govt of Delhi & EEMA streamline Event Licensing issue in Delhi

     

     

    The Event and Entertainment Management Association (EEMA) in collaboration with the Govt. of Delhi recently made significant efforts towards creating a conducive process for license acquisition for events in the nation’s capital.

     

    Besides appointing a nodal officer for creation of the single-window licensing process, with an eye on ease-of-doing-business an agreement and process has been put into place whereby EEMA member companies can do ticketed events in the national capital without paying entertainment tax before the event.

     

    The decision was preceded by a series of meetings between the National Executive Committee of EEMA and the Delhi government led by Hon’ble Chief Minister of Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal, the Hon’ble Dy Chief Minister, Manish Sisodia and the Hon’ble Tourism Minister of Delhi, Kapil Mishra. Following a detailed EEMA representation, the Chief Minister appointed a nodal officer to engage with EEMA and find solutions in the shortest possible time.

     

    True to the CM’s word, the Delhi government has moved at a rapid pace. EEMA’s persistent efforts towards streamlining the licensing process in Delhi have yielded some promising results for all EEMA Members.

     

    Commenting on the achievement, Sabbas Joseph, President, EEMA said “Through the proactive approach of the Delhi government and EEMA, positive results with regards to licensing have started to show yielding a win – win situation for the entire events and experiential marketing industry. This is a big step towards making Delhi an event-friendly city”

     

    Speaking on the development, Rajeev Jain, Treasurer, EEMA stated, “This is indeed a big bold step by the Delhi Govt. & Dept. of Entertainment Tax. Change in the Entertainment Tax depositing framework for EEMA members is certainly a big gift to the industry and number of ticketed & corporate events in the city will see an increase. This directive is a first step to make Delhi an event-friendly city and reinforces the role of the Event Industry as a major stakeholder in the city’s growth.”

     

    Through regular interactions with the Delhi Govt. & Commissioner – Excise, Entertainment & Luxury Tax to ease the licensing laws in Delhi, the following directives have been issued:

     

    Ticketed Events in Delhi

    > EEMA members will now be able to organize their ticketed events in Delhi without submitting any entertainment tax before the event.

    > Tax as per the ticket sale can be deposited after the completion of the event. Earlier this was to be done prior to ticket selling permissions being given.

    > To facilitate this arrangement, EEMA shall enter into an MOU with the Department of Entertainment Tax.

    > EEMA similarly would formulate guidelines for its members availing of this facility.

    > EEMA will also be submitting a Bank Guarantee of a stipulated amount as a surety on behalf of its members.

     

    Licensed Auditoriums under single window clearance

    > 23 auditoriums in the city have been issued a permanent license for holding an event.

    > In another major development to achieve ease of doing business, more such venues are under consideration.

     

    Single Window Clearance: Reducing Licensing Hurdles

    > The government is in the process of bringing Entertainment Tax, Fire, MCD & Electricity under the purview of a single-window clearance.

     

  • Sanjeev Kotnala and Jaisurya Das on what made IAA India's Silver Jubilee event a memorable outing

    Kochi Summit: Mini-AdAsia, only better

    Jaisurya Das: 10 Takeaways from the IAA Silver Jubilee Summit 

    By Jaisurya Das

     

    The largest media and advertising Summit Kerala has ever hosted came to a close with lots of plaudits for its organisers. Here’s a doggy bag of takeaways from IAA India’s Silver Jubilee Summit

     

    1. Brands are made by People, says Amitabh Kant, Secretary, Industrial Policy and Promotion, Government of India

     

    2. The next big star will not be from Films & Television. He/She will undoubtedly be from the Digital World: Shah Rukh Khan

     

    3. Focus on Solutions. Take that extra step. Don’t give up: Sachin Tendulkar

     

    4. Advertising needs a new business model. A new world order is where you make money because you do good. Today’s marketing is about co-creation; tomorrow’s marketing is about co-action . Cindy Gallop, Founder and former Chair of BBH, USA and founder of the MakeLoveNotPorn, New York

     

    5. Put your best in what you do and people reach out themselves to work for you: Ritesh Agarwal, 21-year-old founder of OYO Rooms

     

    6. Think of relevance instead of disruption. Online Companies will have limited Reach. Only one can become #1: Fernando Ortiz-Ehmann, Senior Strategist, Saffron Brand Consultants, Madrid

     

    7. Social is set to disrupt all that we believed is gospel in marketing . All the four Ps are set to be disrupted But social media cannot make your brand better: Simon Kemp, Regional Managing Director, We Are Social, Singapore

     

    8. It’s not easy for an Indian company to build globally acceptable brands. Understanding the equity of tradition is critical: Sanjiv Puri, President FMCG, ITC Ltd

     

    9. Engagement and conversation is the essence of a social network like Twitter: Parminder Singh, Managing Director, Twitter (South East Asia/ India/ MENA).

     

    10. Content is no longer about newspapers and magazines. It’s about creating properties that are exclusive. It’s important to be in the Content Business and not the Advertising Business: Rahul Welde, Vice President – Media, Unilever Asia, Africa, Middle East, Turkey & Russia

     

    This article first appeared in dna of brands dated September 7, 2015

     

     

    		 Sanjeev Kotnala: Mini-AdAsia, only much better! 

    By Sanjeev Kotnala

     

    The International Advertising Association India Chapter’s Silver Jubilee Summit ended at Kochi with a bang. It was almost like a mini-AdAsia, but with much better content. All sessions were rich in content and context. They referred often to global examples, but the talks were tailored to the Indian experience and relevance.

     

    The tempo was set on the inaugural day by a much-appreciated session by Amitabh Kant, on Branding India. The format — banking on keynote speakers to deliver precise and focussed content, rather than have a panel discussion — was a huge success. A 50:50 mix of Indian and foreign speakers delivered engaging messages on ‘What’s coming next’, which was the theme of the summit.

     

    The presentations that brought the house to attention were ‘Make your own change- designing the future you want’ by Cindy Gallop, founder of MakeLoveNotPorn; ‘Technology as an Aggregator’, by Parminder Singh, MD Twitter (SE Asia/India/MENA); ‘How programmatic works’ by Michel de Rjik, CEO Xasis Asia pacific and ‘Meet the Champion Disruptor’, a conversation with Ritesh Agarwal, Founder of OYO Rooms.

     

    One must make special mention of Ralph Simon, Chairman and CEO, Mobilium Global Group who incorporated local nuances and current Indian topics (even delivered in Hindi) while speaking on ‘What’s coming next to brands and products through Mobile’.

     

    In India, three things work the best: Cinema, cricket and politics/religion. The summit had elements of all three with sessions by Shah Rukh Khan, Sachin Tendulkar and Sadguru Jaggi Vasudev.

     

    Not to forget the mega-evening at Bolgatty Palace by Mathrabhumi. It was a provided a rich experience of Kerala culture, street cuisine and hospitality. Kudos to the IAA team for arranging lovely hotel packages and a reasonable delegation fee structure that ensured a lot of regular people – including students from Kerala — could attend. It was a pleasant surprise to find most of the sessions sticking to the time limit.

     

    If I rank the summit a nine out of 10, rather than give it full marks, there are three reasons for it. First, because of the lack of effective Wifi access. Second, for cutting short many talks on Day 3 only to allow Arnab Goswami a lengthy session on ‘Why I chose to disrupt TV News’, which was already covered at Goafest. And third, for not inviting me to the Chill Room! 🙂

     

    Sanjeev Kotnala is a senior media and marketing/brand strategy consultant. This article first appeared in dna of brands dated September 7, 2015

     

     

     

  • Hungama's musical CSR activity aims to hit the right notes

    Hungama partners with Kyoorius Designyatra 2015 for charitable cause

    By A Correspondent

     

    Hungama partners with Kyoorius Designyatra 2015 to raise awareness for a social cause while adding a musical note to the 10th anniversary of KDY. Hungama and Kyoorius Designyatra 2015 will create one of the biggest live-request playlists to raise the funds via a Twitter activity. By tweeting #HungamaKDY2015 and the name of the song, it will be played at the event. While the activity will contribute INR 100 per song streamed at the event it will also allow participants to actively contribute in the process to raise donations.

     

    With an interesting theme like ‘What pumps your heart’ Kyoorius Designyatra’s 10th anniversary edition aims to engage participants and guests alike during the event with a live music request Twitter activity in association with Hungama. The activity will be a means to raise funds for ‘Laadli’, a campaign that highlights the falling sex ratio of the country and their endeavors to correct the issue by making available relevant data, audits of documents received from Sonography clinics among other activities; of which the end goal is to stabilize the sex ratio difference.

     

    Neeraj Roy

    Speaking on the occasion, Neeraj Roy, MD & CEO of Hungama Digital Media Entertainment said, “It gives us immense pleasure to partner with Kyoorius Deisgnyatra 2015 to help raise charity and awareness for the social cause campaign ‘Laadli’. The campaign that aims to control female feticide has helped shed much light on the topic. With this association we are proud to leverage our platforms for this noble cause.”

     

    Rajesh Kejriwal

    Rajesh Kejriwal, Founder CEO of Kyoorius said, “We are happy to have Hungama partnering with us at Kyoorius Designyatra 2015. Music is an essential part of the conference experience, it’s one of the things that gets delegates really ‘pumped’, so I’m sure Hungama’s Digital Jukebox will be a huge hit. And it’s for a great cause, which makes it all the more impactful.”

     

  • Guerrilla Art and Design’s entry involving India’s best-known prison and TBWA/India's conservation message grabbed the top awards at the 10th edition of Kyoorius Designyatra

    Tihar Jail & Save Aarey creatives win big at KDY15

     

    By A Correspondent

     

    If you thought a conference in Goa would just be an excuse to celebrate, then Kyoorius Designyatra (KDY) was the wrong place to be. For, it’s certainly not an event where people go to spend time in the lobby, drink away at the bar or head to the beach. Designers, creatives and a mix of marketers and brand practitioners, flock here for their annual dose of gyaan and stand-out creative thinking.

     

     

    In-book: Work that stands out above the rest and meets the three judging criteria, ie 1) An original and inspiring idea, 2) Well-executed, and 3) Relevant to its context. Among the best pieces of work in the year, In-book winners are the nominees for Blue Elephants.

     

    Blue Elephant: Checks off all three criteria and reaches the Kyoorius Awards benchmark of creative excellence. Recognised as a symbol of the very highest creative achievement.

     

    Black Elephant: Best of Show. The ultimate prize. Work that is truly ground-breaking among all the judged work.

     

    For ad industry honchos Ravi Deshpande (Whyness) and Anil Nair (L&K Saatchi & Saatchi), a visit to Designyatra is like an annual pilgrimage. Well, almost. Both underscore the great attention paid to the content of the conference. And what they may not say in so many words is that the stuff dished out elsewhere doesn’t raise the bar and that perhaps a comparison of KDY with Goafest is incorrect given that that their target groups are different, even though both celebrated their 10th anniversary this year.

     

    The interesting news for Indian adland is that its constituents have done rather well at the third D&AD-governed Kyoorius Design Awards. Of the 29 Blue Elephants and two Black Elephants awarded, eight were won by Ogilvy, and three each by JWT and Alok Nanda Company. But the biggest awards of the night – the Black Elephants, and there were two of them awarded – were bagged by TBWA\India and the Delhi-based Guerilla Art & Design.

     

    A total of 488 entries were submitted across 10 categories: Branding & Identity, Design for Packaging, Design for Communication, Design for Space, Design for Books, Design for Editorial, Design Craft, Writing for Design, Product Design and Design for Good. The 29 Blue Elephant winners included Thought Blurb, Out of the Box, Sisterconcern, Open Strategy and Design, J. Walter Thompson, Ogilvy & Mather, Landor, MuseLab, Studio Lotus, TBWA/India, TenArt Private Limited, Star India Pvt. Ltd, Godrej Properties, Open Strategy and Design, Guerilla Art and Design and Ek Type.

     

    Guerilla Art and Design’s Black Elephant-winning work ‘Tihar Jail’ had the design firm working with local sign painters to illustrate an emotional poem written by one of the inmates, on the four walls of the prison.

     

    TBWA/India was awarded a Black Elephant for ‘Rakhis from Aarey’, where the agency created letters on behalf of the trees and rakhis made from discarded material of the same trees, which were sent out to 2,000 influencers.

     

    Said Rajesh Kejriwal, Founder CEO of Kyoorius, on the awards: “Our winners can confidently stand up against some of the best international work, thanks to the rigorous standards and judging criteria laid down by D&AD and Kyoorius. We are committed to nurturing and stimulating Indian creative talent through the awards, which help to fund our educational initiatives.”

     

    About the three-day conference, Kejriwal was ecstatic. “We were blown away by the creativity, passion and dedication on display,” he said. In a session entitled ‘10 Years of Designyatra, 10 years of Design’, that followed, Designyatra regular Harsh Purohit of Cognito, did a survey of 10 years touching on the things that have changed and those that have stayed the same.

     

    There were several speakers who were standout on the three days. Nick Law of R/GA, Lydia Winters (Mojang/Minecraft), Satya Raghavan (YouTube) and John McHale (SapientNitro) on Day 1; Jon Wilkins (Karmarama and, earlier, Naked), Morihiro Harano (Mori), Dave Trott (Author), Armin Vit (Underconsideration) and Max Weisel (innovator) on Day 2, and Jessica Walsh (Sagmeister & Walsh, who has done the new Frooti identity) and Neville Brody (Brody Associates) on the last day.

     

    Meanwhile, work has already begun on the 11th edition of KDY. Planning ahead and with uncompromising rigour with regard to curating content, are the key to Kejriwal’s success with Designyatra. Indeed.

     

    A shorter version of this report first appeared in dna of brands dated September 14, 2015

     

  • The 120 Media Collective Founder and CEO to represent India on the prestigious panel

    Roopak Saluja on the jury of Cristal Festival 2015

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Cristal Festival has invited Roopak Saluja, Founder & CEO, The 120 Media Collective, to be a member of jury for Brand Entertainment & Content and Sports Marketing this year. He will also be speaking at the programme on the subject of Online Video in the Brand Content space.

     

    A global summit for Media & Communications, held every year in Courchevel (French Alps), the 15th edition will be held from 9 to 13 December, 2015 with a special focus on Content Creation in the digital era and Content Distribution as a result of data & technological innovations.

     

    Commenting on the development, Roopak said, “Cristal is a unique event that seamlessly straddles the cutting edge of content and communications spaces. It’s where the future lies and I’m greatly honoured to be on their jury as well to be speaking at this year’s edition.”

     

     

  • The 2015 Awards represented the biggest and most inspiring creative collection for Facebook as it reviewed over 2,700 submissions from 160 countries that offered a snapshot of the state of creativity and innovation across Facebook, Instagram and the entire industry

    5th edition of Facebook Awards announced

    By A Correspondent

     

    The nominations are open for the fifth edition of Facebook Awards. The awards celebrate the best creative work being shared on Facebook. More businesses are using Facebook and Instagram to connect with audiences and tell stories than before and the FB Awards showcase the power of Facebook and Instagram as creative canvases.

     

    The 2015 Awards represented the biggest and most inspiring creative collection for Facebook as it reviewed over 2,700 submissions from 160 countries that offered a snapshot of the state of creativity and innovation across Facebook, Instagram and the entire industry.

     

    For 2016, the awards program will include –all countries will have the ability to be recognized for great work within their region, with local creative executives from each region as judges at the Regional Voting Events; Regional awards: “Best of APAC”, “Best of EMEA”, “Best of LATAM” and “Best of NA” have been added; top winners from each Regional Voting Events will move to the Global Judging Event; the judging process is in three rounds this year due to the volume of entrants

     

    Also, for the first time ever, the FB Awards will recognize small business advertisers who have earned effective, eye-opening results. Winners of this category will also receive FB Ad Credits.

     

    Other initiatives include

    – Best Use of Facebook family of brands: Awarded to the most creative, original and well-executed Facebook and/or Instagram campaign concepts. Example: Lexus 1000 to 1

    – Innovation: Awarded to campaigns that aren’t only creative, but engage audiences in ways we’ve never seen before. Example: GT Ride – Viral Gaming for Kia

    – Small business Awarded to those who successfully captured the attention of local audiences and drove gained results with creative thinking on Facebook and Instagram.

    – Social for good: Awarded to charitable/non-profit org campaigns that creatively and successfully raise awareness and drive positive social change using Facebook or Instagram. Example: ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, Kafa

    – Integrated: Awarded to campaigns that creatively use Facebook as part of a larger, overall media mix.Example: P&G Always “Like a Girl”

     

  • Vijay Shekhar Sharma received the coveted Best Digital Person of the Year from Shri. Jayant Sinha, Minister of State – Finance

    6th India Digital Awards felicitates worthy achievers

    By A Correspondent

     

    Anand Mahindra was adjudged as the Social Media Person of the Year at the 6th India Digital Awards presented by IAMAI. The winners of the 6th India Digital Awards coinciding with 10th India Digital Summit, 2016, were announced at a ceremony recently. The awards, this year had 6 Categories and 32 sub-categories for the internet and mobile value added services industry. The categories were Digital Advertising; Website; Mobile; Digital Payment; Digital Social & Economic Empowerment and Special Awards. While WatConsult’s “Sony SIX” was awarded Advertising / Marketing Award on Mobile, the coveted Best Digital Person of the Year was awarded to Vijay Shekhar Sharma of PayTm & Bhavish Aggarwal of Ola. Interactive Avenues won the best Digital Agency of the year award.

     

    Vijay Shekhar Sharma received the coveted Best Digital Person of the Year from Shri. Jayant Sinha, Minister of State – Finance.

     

    Winners of 6th India Digital Awards include:

    Award Winner
    Best Advertising / Marketing on Mobile WatConsult for Sony SIX
    Display Madison for Marico
    Search Marketing iProspect for ShopClues
    Viral Marketing Campaign Star India
    Email Marketing Campaign netCore for BIBA
    Social Media Marketing Campaign Interactive Avenues for Micromax Interactives
    Digital Integrated Campaign Experience Commerce for Lenovo India
    Execution of Performance Campaign Realty Redefined for The Wadhwa Group
    e-Commerce Website for a Retail Brand www.trendin.com – Madura Fashion & Lifestyle
    e-Commerce Website in a Specialised Category www.pepperfry.com
    Local Language Website www.chuttuvattom.com – Malayala Manorama
    News Content Website NDTV.com
    Travel Website Thomas Cook
    Financial Website www.bankbazaar.com – A & A Dukaan Financial Services
    Educational Website www.simplilearn.com
    Brand / Product Website www.hotstar.com – Star India
    Consumer Mobile Service National Mobile Number Portability – Vodafone India
    Mobile Enterprise Product or Services Abbott India Radio
    Mobile Game Star Chef by 99Games
    Innovative Mobile App Inshorts
    Mobile Money Prepaid Card / Product Happay and Payback
    Money Product / Service mVisa
    Digital Payment Facilitator Avenues India
    Digital Wallet PayTm
    Money Transfer Programme MobiKwik
    Payment Technology / Solution Provider PayU Payments
    Best use of Mobile for Social and Economic Development Karnataka MobileOne by Centre for e-Governance
    Best use of Internet for Social and Economic Development Intelligent Grid & Smart Metering Solution by Essel Infraprojects
    Start-Up of the Year OYO Rooms
    Digital Person of the Year Vijay Shekhar Sharma & Bhavish Aggarwal
    Digital Agency of the Year Interactive Avenues
    Social Media Person of the Year Anand Mahindra

     

  • India, Pakistan are new market wins, while in Thailand, the pre-paid category is an additional win for OMD

    OMD bags media business of Telenor

    By A Correspondent

     

    OMD has been awarded the media strategy, planning and buying duties for Telenor Group, a leading mobile service provider with more than 200 million mobile subscribers. The win covers the markets of Thailand, India and Pakistan in Asia Pacific, across both online and offline media platforms.

     

    India, Pakistan are new market wins, while in Thailand, the pre-paid category is an additional win for OMD. OMD Thailand has successfully retained Telenor’s post-paid business along with dtac – Telenor’s subsidiary company in Thailand.

     

    Commenting on the win, Stephen Li, CEO, OMD APAC, said, “The win is a fabulous start to the year and our teams could not be happier. We believe that in working with Telenor, it will give us the opportunity to create interesting, challenging and effective work in the changing marketing and media ecosystem.  Leveraging our deep analytical capability, performance-based media channels, and media creativity, we are looking forward to driving tangible business results for Telenor.”

     

  • A 2-day festival for creativity & innovation in marketing and communications

    Kyoorius announces ZEE MELT 2016

    By A Correspondent

     

    Kyoorius announces ZEE MELT 2016, a unique festival that brings together advertising, digital, marketing, emerging technologies and the media & PR industry. MELT is a 2-day festival conceptualized in partnership with Zee Entertainment, Hindustan Times, GroupM, and D&AD.

     

    The festival is scheduled to be held on 11 and 12 March at Hotel Pullman Suites and Novotel, in Aerocity, New Delhi. Over the two days of MELT, Aerocity will transform into a buzzing zone of activity where 2000 people connecting creativity with marketing shall convene to discuss, inspire and learn through sharing and interaction.

     

    MELT 2016 will consist of a range of conferences, seminars, exhibitions, showcases, workshops and networking sessions for delegates from advertising, digital, media & PR, marketing and emerging technologies by industry experts, catering to all experience levels. To name a few, Ted Mellström (Art Director at Forsman&Bodenfors, Sweden); Mark van Iterson (Director Global at Heineken, Amsterdam); Mark Curtis (Founder & Chief Client Officer at Fjord Net, London); Tom Betts (Chief Data Officer at Financial Times, London); Gaurav Mishra (Digital Director at Conde Nast, Mumbai) for Media and PR and Darren David (CEO at Stimulant, San Francisco).

     

    The content for MELT 2016is divided across 4 key pillars:

    :: Learning – These events are based on imparting knowledge and provide inspiration in the form of vocational or skill workshops

     

    :: Showcase and Gallery – To excite visitors with newer experiences, with curated content from partners

     

    :: Networking – Encouraging new, meaningful and relevant interactions with people from the industry

     

    :: Celebration – No festival is complete without opportunities to have a good time with peers and friends

     

    Each of these pillars are being driven by content partners and participating brands at MELT 2016. Each of these will give delegates an opportunity to gain real insights into the creative communications industry from industry specialists.

     

    Punit Goenka

    Punit Goenka, MD & CEO of Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) said: “As we pursue our vision 2020 of being ranked amongst the leading global media companies, there has been a conscious effort invested in creating and partnering brand IP’s. ZEE MELT will enable stakeholders from Media, Marketing and Communications to meet at a common platform and exchange experiences, knowledge and insights. This is the second edition of MELT and I firmly believe that it grow and be accepted as a premier Industry event in the years to come.”

     

    Rajan Bhalla

    Rajan Bhalla, Chief Marketing Officer, HT Media Ltd said: “HT is delighted to associate with MELT, which bring together doyens from the world of branding, advertising & media, creating an excellent opportunity to interact and engage with them through intellectually stimulating sessions. I am especially excited about ‘HT Osmosis’ at MELT, which will provide creativity new wings.”

     

     

    CVL Srinivas

    Renewing their association with MELT 2016, CVL Srinivas, CEO, GroupM South Asia said: “We are delighted to continue our association with MELT. It is a platform where leaders from technology, content, data and digital interact with young talent to help shape the future of our industry. Like last year, GroupM agencies and specialist units will help curate content for the event in addition to holding workshops.”

     

     

    Rajesh Kejriwal

    Rajesh Kejriwal, CEO and founder of Kyoorius said: “We are delighted to announce the second edition of Zee MELT. This two day gathering of the best speakers and presenters from the industry with the addition of experience zones and workshops is definitely going to set us apart. It is heartening that our founder partners, Zee, Hindustan Times and GroupM, have increased their involvement, bringing more compelling content for delegates to enrich themselves.”

     

  • The Zee Entertainment Group with its wide reach and strong foothold in the international market brings an extensive exposure for TOIFA 2016

    Zee acquires global telecast rights for TOIFA 2016

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Times of India Film Awards 2016 has announced its partnership with Zee Entertainment Group to be the exclusive telecast partners across the world excluding India. Some of these regions include Middle East, Pakistan, Asia Pacific, America, Africa and Europe. The partnership is aimed at promoting TOIFA’s grandeur, to reach out to viewers across the globe. The event is scheduled to take place in Dubai on March 17 & 18, 2016.

     

    The Zee Entertainment Group with its wide reach and strong foothold in the international market brings an extensive exposure for TOIFA 2016.

     

    Commenting on the acquisition, Mukund Cairae, CEO, Zee Entertainment Middle East says, “It’s a privilege to associate with TOIFA as an exclusive broadcast partner, as Zee is also the global leader in providing entertaining content for global viewers at present. This partnership goes beyond the Middle East region, as we have acquired International telecast rights. With Zee’s global reach and viewership, we are sure to entertain the audience with Indian and Bollywood content.”

     

    Manoj Mathew, Chief Content & Creative Officer at Zee Entertainment Middle East added, “At Zee, our simple mantra is to continuously entertain and bring new content to our viewers. We continue to do this with our association with TOIFA and this year the awards have special significance since it is hosted in Dubai.” He also added, “The event offers great entertainment with performances by some of the biggest Bollywood icons; we are thrilled to partner with the event which will further delight our viewers not only on-ground but also broadcasting it on Zee Cinema and Zee Aflam for the region.”

     

  • With the theme as DesignX – discovering the exponential power of design thinking, top design professionals are set to converge at PDF 2016

    Pune celebrates Design, 10th year running

     

    By A Correspondent

     

    With the objective of celebrating the power of creativity and design thinking, the Association of Designers of India (ADI) is holding the tenth edition of the Pune Design Festival (PDF).  Based on the theme of ‘DesignX’,  PDF 2016 will be held on February 26 and 27 at Hyatt Regency, Pune. This 2-day fest will showcase and rejoice the power of design which contributes in creating communications, products and provide a great impact on quality of living. Considering it as the need of hour, the 10th edition of PDF will be offering exciting interactive sessions, workshops and a better platform for connectivity.

     

     

    1. 10 years of PDF:

    A small spark has caught on and become into a huge event over the years. This is an amazing coming together of people, and its an interesting process of working together – which perhaps could be a more interesting study as the making of the event.

    Bala Mahajan: President

     

    2. Design over the last ten years:

    Design has now percolated everywhere. But things that were spoken in the 2006 PDF is still relevant today too. So design thinking has been and still is as relevant. It only has become more mainstream.

    Darpana Athale: Vice-President

     

    3. How Businesses are finally taking note of the design input:

    We got more partners this year! Design was always considered as a latent benefit earlier, related to big brands and ventures only. But in recent times, more and more businesses are looking at design and designers as the drivers and influencers.

    Ashwini Deshpande: General Secretary

     

    4. Theme of PDF 2016:

    DesignX (Design raised to the power of X) The exponential power of design thinking.  ‘X’ is the magic that design brings to the table. Each of the speakers has brought out that magic to their own fields – from social to venture capitalists.

    Siddharth Kabra: Treasurer

     

    Beginning the festival with an interesting note, there will be a unique way of reinterpretation of music by renowned Indian composer, Rajat Dholakia and design by the guru of animation, Suresh Eriyat in a very unique style. Later, the festival will have a keynote session of political columnist and design activist Uday Dandavate, followed by Mickey McManus’ presentation on ‘Curiosity + Empathy = Mindful design’.

     

    The highlight of this edition of PDF will be a memorial session on Late Prof MP Ranjan, a highly respected design thinker and a senior faculty member of National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad by Swati Ramanathan. Catering to the five problems of modern society: Ageing, Healthcare, Energy, Mobility and Education, the fest will also host a ‘Design Swarm’ – a unique overnight workshop based on the theme of ‘Designing for a better world – Cradle to Cradle’, which will be hosted by designer Surya Vanka, ex-Director of User Experience at Microsoft.

     

    There will also be focused sessions on design and entrepreneurship, design in business, design and academia at the two-day event. Addition to this there will also be sessions which will showcase the contribution of designers in shaping the future of Smart cities and development. An example being Kiran Bir Sethi, founder of ‘aProCh’ – an initiative to make our cities more child friendly. She has also founded ‘Design for Change’ (DFC) – the world’s largest movement of change – of and by children.  DFC is in over 30 countries – impacting 25 million children.

     

    The concluding keynote session will be delivered by acclaimed  advertising films director, Prasoon Pandey.

     

    More than just a celebration, the fest will be filled with interactive lectures, workshops and insights by designers, design thinkers & evangelists from diverse domains. These being Danish Husain, theatre actor and co-founder of Dastangoi;   E Phani and Sanath PC who have worked on the visual effects of movies like Bhaag Milkha Bhaag and Baahubali; Pratap Bose of Tata Motors, to name a few.

     

    PDF 2016 will also host panel discussions on culture, education and business bentures, one-on-ones and provide a chance of networking under one roof and cultural exchange. It will be a medium in creating, collaborating and celebrating good designs.