Younion, the marketing agency, has appointed Ravi Shankar K as Vice President of Growth for ASEAN market.
Said Shajesh Menon, Founder and CEO of Younion: “We are thrilled to welcome Ravi Shankar as our Vice President of Growth (ASEAN). His extensive experience and proven success in the industry make him an invaluable addition to our team. Ravi’s appointment signifies our commitment to expanding our presence and enhancing our portfolio of brand experiences across the ASEAN region.”
Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd has announced the launch of ‘Hearts to Bravehearts’, an initiative to commemorate the 25th anniversary of India’s victory in the Kargil War.
Said Veejay Nakra, President – Automotive Division, M&M Ltd: “We are deeply honoured to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Kargil victory with our ‘Hearts to Bravehearts’ initiative. This campaign is not just about remembering our heroes but about celebrating the freedom and peace they have secured for us. By sending our heartfelt messages to the brave soldiers who protect our nation, we aim to show them that their sacrifices have not only brought us safety but also endless smiles and a peaceful life. Mahindra is proud to be a part of this significant journey, reinforcing our commitment to exploring the impossible and supporting our nation’s heroes.”
M&M has tied up with Faujiana as a partner to engage with Kargil war veterans to spread awareness and drive citizen participation through its extensive network. Along the way, the drive will also foster goodwill through the involvement of eminent journalists and celebrities, amplifying the campaign’s emotional resonance.
Sportz Interactive (SI) has collaborated with Wisden to revamp and launch its official website. This comprehensive project features a state-of-the-art user interface and user experience (UI/UX), making the platform exceptionally user-friendly and engaging.
Said Ian Sykes, Managing Director of Cricket Properties Ltd & Wisden: “We are thrilled to partner with Sportz Interactive for this significant revamp of Wisden.com. For over 160 years, Wisden has been a trusted source for cricket fans around the world and we are confident that our new website will offer a fantastic and unique user experience, marrying Wisden’s unrivalled heritage with SI’s market-leading tech.”
Added Alex Chamberlen, Director – Head of UK & EU Operations at Sportz Interactive: “Collaborating with Wisden is an extraordinary opportunity for Sportz Interactive. Our goal is to create a digital platform that not only reflects Wisden’s esteemed history but also sets a new standard for how cricket content is consumed online. We are dedicated to delivering a world-class experience that will delight cricket fans globally.”
Can India become an economic superpower without some of its homegrown brands going global, whether in the B2C or B2B space?
Probably not.
The Germans reconstructed a shattered war economy and became an economic giant, building global B2B and B2C brands like Siemens, BASF, Mercedes and BMW. The Japanese did with mid-market, high-volume brands like Sony and Toyota and the Koreans with value brands like Samsung and Hyundai.
A brand is a multi-dimensional complex entity.
Bernd Schmitt of Columbia Business School posited a model delineating a brand into fifteen dimensions.
Figure 1: Consumer Psychology Model of Brands
For a brand to succeed in India and establish itself globally, it must build on all 15 dimensions of its markets.
However, one dimension is critical for a brand to become global.
It is ‘Brand symbolism’ under the ‘Signifying’ triad.
Schmitt writes, “Brands must be used to signify not only individual selves; they may also represent a group, a society, or a culture. As cultural symbols, they can stand for nations (McDonald’s), generations (the Gap), and cultural values (Marlboro, Harley-Davidson). As exemplary symbols worthy of admiration and respect, they can assume the role of cultural icons and assume mythic qualities.”
In writing about Brand Symbolism, Schmitt refers to D.B. Holt’s 2004 book, “How brands become icons: The principles of cultural branding”.
In his book, Holt explains how brands become icons by creating “identity myths” that connect with culture and help people make sense of their lives. He argues that iconic brands cannot be built using conventional branding strategies focusing on benefits, brand personalities, and emotional relationships.
Iconic brands do not target specific consumer segments or psychographic types. They do not mimic pop culture but instead lead it. They speak with a rebel’s voice. They don’t try to mirror their customer’s thoughts and emotions. They speak into a cultural conversation in a relevant way and take on meaning beyond their categories.
The global brands of the US, Germany, Japan, and Korea became global icons because they took a slice of their country’s cultural identity and gave it global resonance.
Indian brands that aspire to global success must do the same. They must capture India’s soul and make it relevant to people’s lives worldwide.
India has done it before with Yoga. Yoga is an iconic practice across the world that captures Indian asceticism and gives it relevance to the day-to-day lives of people.
I have worked, in their foundational years, on two Indian brands that have lately begun to enter global markets – Amul and Tanishq.
Both brands have the DNA to become global successes.
Amul, a food brand focused on dairy products, can build on the Indian cultural concept of Satvik. Satvik is a powerful cultural concept that elevates dispassion and purity as the keystones to blissful happiness. This will find global resonance in the world looking to embrace “less is more” to combat environmental degradation and an epidemic of greed. Specifically in the area of food, there is growing disgust with cruelty to livestock to overstuffed, overdosed, and over-mechanised meat farms, leading to a counter-culture movement towards vegetarianism.
Tanishq, as a jewelry brand, can build itself on the Indian cultural concept of ‘Shringar’. Shringar is one of the Navarasa – nine emotions, moods, or feelings that govern life. Shringara, in Sanskrit, means love, romance, decoration, beauty, attractiveness, and an aesthetic sense. Shringar can give rise to all kinds of love, be it romantic love, love between siblings, parental love, holy love, or even love towards a pet.
Tanishq can build itself as the Shringar that creates, and nurtures love in an increasingly stressed and alienated world.
I know that both brands–Amul and Tanishq–are currently in a conventional brand-building stage, focused on the 14 other dimensions of the Schmitt model. However, it might be helpful for them to chart their course to becoming global icons starting today. In that journey, they must identify a cultural strand that underlines their Indian identity while resonating with universal concerns and values.
Other categories offer India the opportunity to build brands with the potential to become global icons. I’m fortunate to be working with one such brand. It operates in the fabric space–a natural fabric unique to India and resonant with the very Indian value of non-violence–Ahimsa–while being equally strong on Shringar. Someday, over the next few years, I hope to share the global success story with this very Indian brand.
Sambad Group, the largest media house in Odisha, organised the third edition of Sambad CEO Conclave 2024 in Bhubaneswar last week. The theme was ‘Sustainability Practices in Industry’. In attendance: captains from corporates, advertising and media.
The Chief Guest was Odisha’s newly minted Deputy Chief Minister KV Singh Deo who focused on Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) aspects and opined that the corporate sector should maintain a fine balance between these three factors for sustainable development. “Our government is committed that the people of Odisha will take their own decisions regarding issues related to the environment and natural resources. This is one aspect of the Odia Asmita (self-identity),” he said. Cabinet Minister Suresh Pujari also spoke at the event.
Speaking on the occasion, Avinash Pandey, CEO ABP Network; President, News Broadcasters and Digital Association and President IAA (India Chapter) said: “Television viewership is larger than internet viewership in India. If we raise issues related to environment and sustainable development in television, they can reach the common masses,” adding: “We all should focus on 5 Ps—People, Planet, Prosperity, Peace and Partnership—to achieve sustainable growth.”
Said Madison World Chairman Sam Balsara: “May people from the lower strata are now moving towards the middleclass bracket. This is the first sign of development. Now, we have better infrastructure including road and airport. More and more job avenues are opening up to our youths. Small players in various sectors are now doing well. Our country has recorded the largest digital transactions in the world. Engineers from India are now managing the day-to-day operations of many corporate giants including the Google,” he pointed out.
Added Srinivasan K. Swamy, CMD, RK Swamy Ltd; Chairman, Asian Federation of Advertising Associations and Chairman Audit Bureau of Circulations: “We all should adhere to the principle of 3 Rs—reuse, repair and recycle—to save our planet. We should conserve water and electricity and use eco-friendly products to protect our environment. The use of plastic should be brought to the minimum level. I hope that the government will introduce chapters on climate change and sustainable growth in the curricula for our students.”
On the occasion, Pradeep Dwivedi, Group CEO-Eros Media World, gave a presentation on ‘Emerging trends in global media business-Technology driving tectonic shifts’. “The media and entertainment sector can develop their contents, editing and marketing aspects by utilizing AI and other advanced tools like Blockchain, Web3 and Tokenization,” he said.
Ashwin Padmanabhan, President-Investments, Trading & Partnerships, Group M India, gave a brief presentation on ‘Leveraging influencers and branded content to drive engagement and consideration’. “Around 46 crore people in India are now using social media. The volume of influencer marketing in India has already reached Rs 1,275 crore and it is likely to go up further to Rs 2,800 crore by 2026,” he stated.
Bharat Avalani, Founder & CEO, Connecting the Dots Consultancy, Malaysia; Secretary General of Asian Federation of Advertising Associations; Global Vice-President, IAA, gave a presentation on ‘Business leaders as storytellers’“Business leaders can give proper orientation to their employees through storytelling. The practice will reduce the mental pressure of the employees and raise overall productivity,” said Avalani.
Abhishek Karnani, President, the Free Press Journal Group; Ramesh Narayan, Director Strategy, Asian Federation of Advertising Associations and Rani Reddy of Sakshi Media Group also spoke at the conclave.
IAA governing body members—Ramesh Narayan, Avinash Pandey, Srinivasan K. Swamy, Sam Balsara, Abhishek Karnani and Pradeep Dwivedi—were felicitated at the event. The Sambad Group felicitated five ‘best’ advertisers—Khimji Jewellers, Lalchnd Jewellers, TPCODL, Chandi Bhandar and Freedom Oil—on the occasion.
Similarly, ‘best’ 11 advertising agencies—Fast Communication, Xpose Advertising, Display Line, Anita Advertisers, Star Advertising, Herald Advertising, Sanket Communications, Annapurna Advertising, NextGen Advertising, P&A Advertising Agency and Tarini Advertising Agency—received felicitations at the conclave.
Earlier Sambad and Kanak News Editor Tanaya Patnaik delivered the inaugural address, and later Sambad Group Managing Director Monica Nayyar Patnaik delivered the concluding address.
“The Sambad Group has been organising the CEO conclave for the last three years to deliberate on various issues. The first conclave in 2022 had deliberated on the post-pandemic scenario. The second conclave in 2023 delved into the emerging challenges before the corporate sector. The third conclave focused on sustainability practices in industry,” Monica Nayyar Patnaik said. Tanaya Patnaik set the context for the Conclave on by talking of climate change and its impact on our daily life. “In this summer, a few places in Odisha including Bhubaneswar and Baripada recorded maximum temperatures above 45 Degree Celsius. They were among the hottest places in the world. This is very alarming,” she said.
FULL PAGE-Odisa Daily
This June, the International Women’s Media Foundation awarded Palestinian journalist Maha Hussaini with their Journalism of Courage award for her coverage of Israel’s war on Gaza.
This week, the IWMF withdrew that award for comments made by Hussaini in the past. The IWMF’s position is that it is opposed to intolerance and it cannot compromise on that.
Hussaini writes in the Middle East Eye about being subjected to smear campaigns after the award, from Israeli sources, demanding that the award be withdrawn. She makes the important point that the IWMF has not mentioned what these objectionable comments are.
What is courage in journalism if it is not protesting against the intolerable?
Writes Hussaini: “During this period (since October 7, 2023), I was forcibly displaced three times, moving from one shelter to another. My home was bombed, and I endured months of starvation, blackouts and ongoing bombardment. At times, I had to resort to using a pen and paper to send my reports via text messages after Israel cut fuel and electricity supplies and bombed the infrastructure of Gaza’s main telecommunications companies.”
https://www.middleeasteye.net/opinion/palestinian-journalist-gaza-take-away-award-will-not-take-away-my-voice?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=Social_Traffic&utm_content=ap_wlfqanvigg
What we have seen consistently since Israel’s bombardments on Palestinians, first in Gaza and now elsewhere began, after the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, is the failure of journalism. Especially western journalism. Thousands of Palestinian civilians have been killed, women and children in large proportions, medical staff and UN workers have been killed. Hospitals and universities have been targeted and destroyed. And now suddenly we have found that the release of numbers has dried up. Now we do not know how many people are being killed every day by Israeli forces.
In such circumstances, what is “journalism of courage”? Is it standing on a rooftop from a distance asking an Israeli politician to identify missiles raining down on another country? Or is it being on the ground, in the midst of battle fire, reporting on events as they happen?
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/israel-gaza-war-education-students-fight-keep-learning
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/israel-gaza-war-famine-mothers-struggle-feed-babies-starvation-returns
It is not a sufficient excuse for media organisations – where I include media houses and associations – to hide behind the curtain of funding and the threat of withdrawal of funding for their actions. Yes, money is important, but if we are going to give in to rich people pulling the strings then we might as well give up now and stop pretending that our work has any meaning.
Why didn’t the IWMF do due diligence on Hussaini before giving her this award, if her crimes were so terrible? That the IWMF cannot even be clear about Hussaini’s transgressions, gives credence to the allegation that the award was taken back because of Israeli pressure. It is difficult for anyone to take their excuse seriously. Every murderer after all is entitled to a defence in a just world, where organisations claim to have core “principles”.
**
Meanwhile in India, the Modi-led BJP government demonstrated its intolerance of foreign journalists once again. Sebastien Farcis of Radio France found his work permit had been cancelled on March 17 and he was forced to leave India on June 17. Farcis had lived in India since 2011, is married to an Indian and has OCI status.
https://www.livemint.com/news/india/home-ministry-refuses-to-renew-visa-of-french-journalist-sebastien-farcis-says-uprooted-overnight-with-no-reason-11718870004826.html
https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/french-radio-journalist-leaves-india-adds-to-exodus-of-foreign-correspondents/cid/2028481
Although we are now in the regime of the BJP-led NDA government, and Farcis’s departure predates the new ascension to glory, the message to the media remains the same: criticise us and you will pay the price. Even if there appears to be marginally more courage from some journalists and newsrooms, the bulk of the media is still in worship mode. And possibly applauds this decision taken by their lord and master. No doubt his three set not very taxing yoga poses will get maximum coverage today. Because who cares for a few public examination scams, destruction of lives of thousands of students, train accident, fallen bridges and so on when you can stay blessed in permanent worship-asana?
https://www.livemint.com/news/india/home-ministry-refuses-to-renew-visa-of-french-journalist-sebastien-farcis-says-uprooted-overnight-with-no-reason-11718870004826.html
Ranjona Banerji is a senior journalist and commentator. She writes on MxMIndia on Tuesdays and Fridays. Her views here are personal.