MxMIndia

Category: NEWS

  • LinOpinion is mandated to educate publics on the concept of dental stem cell banking and increase media visibility for Stemade

    LinOpinion wins PR mandate for Stemade Biotech

    By A Correspondent

     

    Stemade Biotech, a pioneer in dental stem cell banking in the Asian region has appointed LinOpinion – the Lowe Lintas public relations division, which bagged the account after a competitive pitch against two other agencies. LinOpinion is mandated to educate publics on the concept of dental stem cell banking and increase media visibility for Stemade.

     

    With an aim to gain repute in the era of regenerative medicine, Stemade endeavours to be the largest dental stem cell bank inIndia, offering services of the highest standards.

     

    Commenting on the reason for picking LinOpinion, Shailesh Gadre, Managing Director, Stemade said: “LinOpinion has an excellent body of work in the healthcare space. I think they were able to immerse themselves completely into the category, and consumers, which led to a thorough understanding of our business and our brief. Considering that we wanted to change our communication strategy from one that was tactical, to one that is insightful and strategic, we believe that LinOpinion is the best fit. Our ultimate aim is to heighten awareness of dental stem cell banking acrossIndiato save lives.”

     

    Kavita Lakhani, President, LinOpinion said: “We are very pleased to work with Stemade who are leaders in the category. Dental stem cell-based therapy indeed seems to have potential to change the traditionally weak Indian medical system. Our challenge is to create awareness of dental stem cell banking and its benefits. LinOpinion will employ a fully integrated multi-media approach to deliver messages and drive conversations with diverse audiences – consumers, healthcare practitioners and regulators. We will also articulate Stemade’s advocacy programs ranging from innovation to education.”

     

    One of LinOpinion’s greatest competitive advantages is a comprehensive understanding of building and protecting healthcare brands through its work with hospitals, insurers, healthcare professionals, policy makers and other key influencers.  The agency’s experience includes campaigns for the Government of Maharashtra – Avert Society (AIDS awareness), Healthspring Community Medical Centres, Allergan, Botox, Centre for Obesity and Diabetes, GSK – Smoking Cessation Therapy, Pfizer-Viagra, Manipal Hospitals, Johnson and Johnson, Johns Hopkins University, National Leprosy Education Program, OncQuest and Rotary’s pulse polio vaccination drive.

     

  • In this TV commercial, Scrat, who is one of most loved characters from the franchise, has turned this attention towards his favourite Alpenliebe

    Alpenliebe re-creates irresistibility in Ice Age 4

    By A Correspondent

     

    Perfetti van Melle India, the market leader in confectionery, has partnered with Fox Studios for the latest marketing campaign for Alpenliebe. The creative for the campaign is set in Ice Age, the internationally successful franchise from Fox, with the release of its latest installment – Ice Age 4: Continental Drift.

     

    The campaign aims to bring alive the “irresistibility” positioning of Alpenliebe. In this TV commercial, Scrat, who is one of most loved characters from the franchise, has turned this attention towards his favourite Alpenliebe. But his greed for Alpenliebe cascades into a hilarious chain of events.

     

    The campaign will surely surprise and entertain consumers and create an excitement around the brand. This campaign can be seen on all leading kids’ channels and on Youtube and Facebook.

     

    Commenting on the initiative, Nikhil Sharma, Director Marketing Perfetti van Melle India, said: “The objective of this campaign was both to bring alive the brand proposition and to entertain our consumers. Thanks to the support we received from Fox Studios, we have been able to produce a TVC that delivers very well on both counts.”

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”225″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Wcl2zVWQ14[/youtube]He added: “Scrat’s tireless chase of an acorn is a well established and entertaining part of the Ice Age story and the whole piece fit very beautifully to highlight the ‘irresistibility’ of Alpenliebe – something which is very rarely the case in such associations.”

     

    Vijay Singh, CEO, Fox Star Studios India said: “Ice Age is the most successful animated franchise in India, and highly beloved amongst children and families; we are really pleased on the association between Ice Age 4: Continental Drift and Perfetti van Melle. The Indian team is very passionate and creative. The idea has been seamlessly depicted in the TVC, from the perspective of both Alpenliebe and Ice Age franchise.”

     

  • ESPN STAR Sports to exclusively broadcast all international hockey test matches under HI to be played inIndiafor the next 5 years

    Hockey India signs multi-year deal with ESPN Star

    By A Correspondent

     

    Hockey India entered into a multi-year broadcast agreement with leading sports broadcaster ESPN STAR Sports to exclusively broadcast the soon to be launched Hockey India League (HIL). ESPN STAR Sports will also cover all international hockey test matches under Hockey India to be played in India for the next 5 years.

     

    In a multi-year deal, ESPN STAR Sports has been granted global telecast rights for the professional hockey league. The FIH-approved league will see the best of national as well as international hockey stars showcase their prowess. The first edition of the league is expected to be played in January 2013. The league will comprise of at least six franchise hockey teams and will feature 33 hockey matches to be played in prime time in stadia across the country. All teams will play each other on a home and away basis (30 league matches) followed by 2 semifinals and the final.

     

    Hockey India further announced that ESPN STAR Sports has the global broadcast rights to telecast at least 5 international hockey test matches every year under Hockey India to be played in India for the next 5 years. The number of matches that India will play against top quality international opposition could go up depending on the finalization of the series schedule.

     

    Hockey India Secretary General and Chairman, Hockey India League, Dr. Narinder Batra said: “We are delighted to have ESPN STAR Sports as our broadcast partners. Hockey India has a clear vision – we want to revive the glory days of hockey inIndiaand drive popularity of the game across the country. This partnership with ESPN STAR Sports will play a key role in our overall plans.”

     

    Speaking on the professional hockey league, Mr Batra added: “The proposed league (HIL) will be the biggest initiative that hockey has ever seen in India. We have been working out the details for months now and I am glad to announce that things are quickly falling into place. I am confident that our partners ESPN STAR Sports will help us deliver a flawless world class product.”

     

    Peter Hutton, Managing Director, ESPN STAR Sports said: “Hockey is close to our heart and we will drive all our efforts to make this league a success. We are also delighted to have all international hockey test matches under Hockey India to be played in India on our networks for a 5 year period. I look forward to some memorable occasions and a new era for Indian hockey.”

     

  • Anita Nayyar is among the many captains of media agencies who have returned after a short to long stint on the other side

    U-turn to comfort zone!

     

    By Tuhina Anand

     

    Anita Nayyar

    After a fabulous five-year stint at Havas Media, Anita Nayyar is returning to the agency post a four-month stint at Bennett Coleman & Co Ltd (BCCL). The news of her joining BCCL as Director, Customer Strategy was seen as a big leap and an opportunity for her to be on the other side of the table. Her decision to come back and reclaim her old role as the CEO for Havas Media for India and South Asia hence came as a surprise. The fact that post has been vacant ever since she left in April this year evidently made it easier.

     

    On her part, Ms Nayyar maintains that she was missing the pace of her agency life; after all she has been with media agencies for more than two-and-a-half decades. “There was nothing wrong at BCCL. In fact, it was an interesting assignment and BCCL is a fantastic organization and they took good care of me. However, I have realized that my heart lies in being on the other side of the table and that is on the agency side,” she told MxMIndia.

     

    “In fact, the stint made me understand the issues from a publication point of view which often we fail to see as we have not been a part of it. It gave me an opportunity to see a new side of business and will surely help me in the way ahead,” she added.

     

    CVL Srinivas

    CVL Srinivas, Chairman, SMG India and MD, LiquidThread, APAC, moved to Private Treaties at BCCL after Maxus and now with SMG. Talking about his moves, Mr Srinivas said: “I moved at a time when I was to head to Singapore to run Maxus Asia-Pacific. I had chosen a successor to head Maxus India and completed the handover, so it was a good time to sit and evaluate career options. Having worked in media agencies for 13 years on the trot, I felt it was time to get out of my comfort zone and explore the world outside. I had always done roles that involved scaling up businesses, building teams, so I thought working with or for start-ups would be a good way to build on my strengths and yet do something different.

     

    On the stint at Private Treaties (now called Brand Capital) ending soon, Mr Srinivas commented, “I consulted for a few start-ups before joining Times Treaties where I had a two year stint. In all, I was outside of media agencies for a good four years. I chose to come back because of the role that was offered to me by SMG. It seemed to have all the right ingredients at that stage of my career.”

     

    It is not uncommon of an advertising person to move to the client side of the business but only few switch to the media side of the business (print and broadcast primarily) and more importantly even rarer come back to the agency once again. However, as we understand that it’s not the case of sour grapes for comebacks.

     

    Karthik Lakshminarayan

    Karthik Lakshminarayan, COO at Crest (Madison Media) re-joinedMadisonwhere he had worked for close to eight years post his foray into broadcast and production when he was with Colors, FoodFood and Fremantle Media. For him the decision to join broadcast was, as he puts it: “A challenge thrown to be a part of a launch and do something completely different and radical from Media Planning and Buying which I was doing for over 14 years and was adept at.”

     

    However, the decision to come back was, “purely because it was Madison as it was a home-coming. Any other agency would not have been the same or felt the same.”

     

    A senior industry person who had been in a similar situation pointed that while hiring an agency person is desirable for media houses as they come with multiple experience of working on various brands, but the difficulty begins once you are inside the publication or broadcast company. There is a huge cultural difference, because the kind of monies the media houses deal with is humongous as compared to what the agencies deal with. In his words: “The agency people are bound by certain set of responsibilities, it’s like a relay race where you do your work and then hand the baton to the next yet at the same time be part of a team, however the media house is huge and set of responsibilities diverse hence making the transition becomes difficult. Also, one could be a CEO of the agency and be well recognized but the same person will get lost in the media house where there are many biggies ruling the roost.”

     

    Suresh Balakrishnan

    Talking of the scale of business being different, Suresh Balakrishna who joined back LMG as CEO of Brand Programming Network after a decade of being with print explained, “The media houses definitely means operating on much bigger canvas and the scale of monies involved being huge. You learn to be a business man as there are hard trade-offs and you need to take hard calls on driving the bottom line as well as the top line. So the pressure involved in definitely higher. ”

     

    While that’s the view of people who have made a comeback, the recruiters have a different take. An advertising industry recruiter on anonymity said: “I can’t really think of many who have made a transition and then come back to the media agency. Yes for us, those willing to come back especially at senior level are good prospects for recruitment considering the dearth of talent besides they are value for money. There is comfort in coming back to your old set up.”

     

    However she added: “I do think that people who are willing to come back are usually those who are having a tough time in their current set up.”

     

    On the other hand, those who made the switch and then came back to agency feel that the experience only helped them in their career. As Mr Srinivas puts it: “I learnt a lot at BCCL. Firstly, to get a first-hand experience of being on the media owner side was very helpful. Secondly, I worked with some very fine minds at Private Treaties and got a much better understanding of how businesses are built and brands created from scratch. And being part of India’s largest media company (when one is not used to such scale on the agency side) was a huge learning in itself.”

     

    Mr Balakrishna too added, “The learnings at media houses have been immense as I had  joined HT around 2001 which was a time when media houses were just getting professional in their approach and this was an aggressive phase of growth. Mint and DNA were challenger brands as they were not the leaders so one had to be literally on our toes thinking all the time to take away whatever possible from competition to establish ourselves.”

     

    However he added that his decision to join back was primarily because he felt that while he had acquired depth of learning he was missing the width of learning that an agency offers. One gets to work on different categories and with market becoming increasingly competitive and clients keeping a vigil on ROI the media agency business has become only more organized and scientific in their approach.

     

    Imaging: Rafiq, Images: Clipart

     

  • There are many who think that the show was a success and will eventually lead to some change as evolutions don't happen overnight

    End of Season 1 of Satyamev Jayate: The good, the bad and the ugly truths of life

    By Meghna Sharma

     

    In the past 13 weeks, one show has done what no other show has been able to in a long time – get people face-to-face with the ugly truths of our society. Aamir Khan’s television debut, Satyamev Jayate, was the most-talked about show even months before it was aired. It was touted to revolutionize the Sunday morning slot on the Indian television.

     

    From the very first episode till its last episode on July 29, the show was able to create a lot of buzz. People shared their views on the social ills the show highlighted on social networking sites. The news channels and newspapers carried expert views and opinions on the show. It didn’t back down from highlighting the fact that a country of one billion lives like ostriches when it comes to taking action against such evils.

     

    However, inspite of all the hue and cry, one question still remains on everyone’s mind: was it really effective?

     

    MxMIndia spoke to industry experts, journalists and even activists after the show was aired on May 6 and almost all of them gave it thumbs up. Now that the show has ended, we got in touch with the same people to know their opinions…

     

    TRP: the only yardstick?

    Chandradeep Mitra

    For any channel and show, the TRPs it gets are the yardstick at which its popularity is measured on. Star India’s Satyamev Jayate which premiered across nine channels – Star Plus, Star Pravah, DD National, ETV, Star Utsav, Vijay, Star Jalsha, Star World & Asianet – got a rating of an average 4 TVR for the CS4+ in the Hindi speaking markets and an average of 4.9 TVR for the All 4+, according to the TAM viewership data. But, as the weeks rolled on, the ratings dipped.

     

    Many, however, feel that such shows cannot be measured by TRPs as they are much bigger than that. “For a show like this, ratings alone cannot be the yardstick. One must not forget that the it was a non-entertainment show and was aired on Sunday mornings.  For a slot and content like that, the show did very good,” said Chandradeep Mitra, managing partner, Anvention.

     

    Anil Sathiraju

    He added: “We must look at the social impact it created and I’m sure it will remain in people’s memories for a long time. Apart from the buzz created on social networking sites and getting eyeballs, I’m sure now companies will also increase their CSR activities as it highlighted the work done by a few.”

     

    Similarly, Anil Sathiraju, Head – south, Mudra Max Media, too feels that content and impact are more important than the ratings: “What the show has done to the morning slot is evident enough, that it made people sit up and take notice. And I’m sure now most channels, including Star, will want to revive the slot and come up with shows which will not make the slot redundant.”

     

    Sundeep Nagpal

    The show wasn’t developed and promoted for TRPs, said Sundeep Nagpal, founder director, Stratagem Media. “It was applicable for the masses and not many shows of such genre have been created. Hence, it would be wrong to judge it on the ratings…it’s much more than that. It bought out the issues which are prevalent but under the surface. For example how many of us in Mumbai knew about Khap panchayats? The show is a turning point in the Indian television history.”

     

    The much-hyped show even went on to charge an exorbitant amount for the 10-second advertisement slot which was sold at thrice the usual rates. “For an advertiser, the show was the best medium to reach its audiences. For the first time, a show was created, which in turn created two new stakes – timeslot and a new category of a show. So, many didn’t hesitate in paying that extra for the quality they were getting in return,” explained Llyod Mathias, director GreenBean Ventures and former CMO of Tata Teleservices and Motorola.

     

    Aamir Khan vs Content

    Anita Nayyar

    According to the media planner, Anita Nayyar, who is moving back to her former agency Havas from Bennett, Coleman & Company (BCCL) by August, initially the show got the hype only because it was anchored by the actor and the fact that the concept of the show was well hidden. However, for a show like Satyamev Jayate, it’s the content which plays a bigger role.

     

    “Satyamev Jayate is a socially relevant show and in the beginning, I think, it did mobilize people. However, in between it lost its public appeal. And I’m not surprised as such shows only appeal to a certain section of the society. Hence, it wasn’t even able to garner the TRPs it deserved,” said Ms Nayyar.

     

    She explained that though the show was anchored by a popular actor like Aamir Khan there was a gap between enlightenment and mobilization. “The show was supposed to mobilize people, but it was only able to highlight the evils which we all know exist. Nonetheless, it was a good show.”

     

    Voicing the same opinion, Sarla Bijapurkar, sociologist, believes that if one has to score Aamir Khan vis-a-vis the content of the show, Aamir would win. “Public memory is very short and everything will be lost if there is no follow-up. For instance, take the episode where diktats of Khap panchayats were highlighted. Has anything changed? No, we still have such bodies making people’s lives miserable. Sometimes, when one hears or reads about such instances, it makes you wonder if we, as a society, take two steps backward for every one step taken forward.”

     

    “For me, the show will only mean something if it is able to do a follow-up on the issues highlighted. Also, instead of raising a new issue every time, I think, they should have focused on fewer and discussed about different dimensions related to a particular issue. Maybe, then it would have been able to brought about a change,” said Ms Bijapurkar.

     

    Waiting for a change…

    Ranjona Banerji

    However, there are many who think that the show was a success and was able to do more than just generate public interest and will eventually lead to some change as evolutions don’t happen overnight.

     

    Ranjona Banerji, a senior journalist and contributing editor, MxMIndia, feels that the show did justice to the concept though there were a few dodges like the show being too emotional, sometimes. The first two episodes – female foeticide and child sexual abuse – were able to create a lot of public interest. “Apart from these two episodes, the episodes which moved me were the ones on disability and senior citizens. The show did the work of a journalist and was even able to answer a few questions. Hopefully, they’ll tweak the show a little bit and come up with a second season – better and stronger.”

     

  • It also bagged a Gold in 'The Best Innovative concept' category, two Silvers for 'The Best Use of the Internet in a Promotion Marketing Campaign' and 'Best Use of Social Marketing in a Promotion Marketing Campaign'

    Hungama Digital bags Best Campaign award at PMAA

    By A Correspondent

     

    Hungama Digital Media Entertainment Pvt Ltd has won four awards at The Promotion Marketing Awards of Asia (PMAA) – The Dragons of Asia 2012.

     

    Hungama Digital Media bagged the PMAA Dragons of Asia for ‘The Best Campaign from India’ for its Maruti Suzuki Cricket Stock Exchange campaign. It also bagged a Gold in ‘The Best Innovative concept’ category, two Silvers for ‘The Best Use of the Internet in a Promotion Marketing Campaign’ and ‘Best Use of Social Marketing in a Promotion Marketing Campaign’.

     

    Said Sunila Dhar, Deputy General Manager Media, Maruti Suzuki, “We are very happy to have got this award. Our association with CSX has been for two years and it is overwhelming to see the response to the game. It was based on the correct consumer insight of the passion for cricket, and the fact that we all have an opinion on the players and like to give a calculated opinion. Besides, the game has been made highly engaging by Hungama with many new segments in its second avatar.”

     

    Speaking to MxMIndia on the news, Siddhartha Roy, COO, Consumer Business & Allied Services, Hungama Digital Media Entertainment  said, “To be acknowledged by the PMAA for our campaigns is a great boost to the team’s morale, but it does raise the bar for them to keep creating successful, clutter breaking campaigns . Our Biggest winner – Maruti Suzuki Cricket Stock Exchange was a well thought out and superbly executed project by the team.” Speaking about the product, he added, “Cricket by far dominates and drives consumption on digital gaming, and with CSX we created a differentiated offering for consumers. With a trading game that is impacted by the real world cricketing news and stats, consumers have the opportunity to be more involved within the game. Ayaz Memon’s expertise ensures that users have the most accurate knowledge and info to make the trade on the stock exchange so as to maximise their earning.”

     

    Added Ms Niloufer Dundh, Head – Integrated Media, Hungama Digital Media Entertainment  said: “I am delighted, and thrilled with the awards we won, hats off to the team for creating Maruti Suzuki Cricket Stock Exchange campaign and for constantly improving and innovating. This is the second year we aired a campaign for this product, it was first launched during IPL 2011. I am also very happy because we had a brand like Maruti who supported us and had faith in us for these two years.”

     

    This year, the awards witnessed the introduction of the Dragons of Malaysia, in partnership with Marketing Magazine, as a plan to recognize more local agencies. All winning campaigns were then judged locally and then again in the Dragons of Asia, with 50 Gold, Silver and Bronze winners now taking part in the 2012 MAA Worldwide Globes.

     

    Awards won by Hungama at PMAA 2012 – The Dragons of Asia (Orders of Merit)

     

    The Dragons for the Best Campaigns in their Country

    Dragon Campaign Client
    Best InIndia Cricket Stock Exchange Maruti Suzuki

     

    Best Innovative Idea or Concept

    Dragon Campaign Client
    Gold Cricket Stock Exchange Maruti Suzuki

     

    Best Use of the Internet in a Promotion Marketing Campaign

    Dragon Campaign Client
    Silver Cricket Stock Exchange Maruti Suzuki

     

    Best Use of Social Marketing in a Promotion Marketing Campaign

    Dragon Campaign Client
    Silver 7 U Lemon Pattalum 7 UP

     

     

  • Clean & Clear creates a morning alarm clock TVC for teenage girls

    Clean & Clear’s morning energy campaign

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”225″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_7cyKss7Ts[/youtube]

    By A Correspondent

     

    Clean & Clear didn’t want their brand to be associated only with problems. They wanted girls to celebrate their skin and have fun with their beauty regime. This sparked the need to launch Clean & Clear’s new fruity range – Clean & Clear Morning Energy Face wash.

     

    Internationally, the Clean & Clear Morning Energy range is advertised as the perfect solution for girls who’ve had a late night and need to perk up in the morning. However, inIndia’late nights’ have negative connotations of parties and irresponsibility. They kept Indian sensibilities in mind while creating communication for this new range.

     

    Research with teen girls confirmed what they had feared. They immediately rejected the notions of late nights claiming that it didn’t hold true for them. However, when spoken to about their daily routine, they found that most teens spoken to went to sleep after midnight on weekdays. In fact, they stayed up much later when they had exams or project submissions due.

     

    They have created a series of fun TVCs that showed a girl employing unusual techniques to wake her best friend up. They’ve used these spots to communicate that in addition to your best friend, you also need an alarm clock for your skin.

     

    The TVCs were followed by a crowd-sourcing contest on social media where contestants were asked to shoot their own crazy ways of waking their best friends up. Radio, outdoor and print was used to reinforce the message that there’s now an alarm clock for your skin.

     

    Credits:-

    Chairman & CCO: Sonal Dabral

    President: Rajiv Sabnis

    Executive Creative Director: Louella Rebello

    Group Creative Director: Hanoz Mogrelia

    Art: Rithwick Raghunath

    Copy: Kashyap Joshi

    Account Management: Sharmila Malekar, Sumeeta Bhangalia & Aastha Chopra

    Account Planning: Aditya Kanthy, Mitali Srivastava, Saloni Handa

     

     

  • Team Scarecrow jammed with Agnee to draft the lyrics and roped in a technology partner to design this one-of-its-kind app

    After 1.5lakh+ views, Agnee’s ‘reveal yourself’ video is unmuted for launch of B’lue!

    By A Correspondent

     

    Almost a week back, on July 23, Scarecrow Communications had launched a silent music video featuring Agnee to promote Danone-Narang’s new drink B’lue. People were asked to lip-read and guess the lyrics. Through a specially designed Facebook application, one could type in the lyrics. On submitting their lyrics, every user got a score on the correct words revealed and more interestingly, the correct words got unmuted in the silent music video on replaying.

     

    In just a week’s time, the campaign got a whopping 1.5 lakh+ views. With engagement and curiosity at their peaks, on July 30, the original track – Reveal Yourself – was unmuted and released. Here is when the brand B’lue unveiled its association with Agnee and the idea behind the ‘Reveal Yourself’ campaign.

     

    Renu Bansal, Head-Marketing, Danone-Narang Beverages said: “Today’s youth is aware of what they want to pursue and don’t live a life dictated by others. With our new campaign ‘Reveal Yourself’, we wish to foster a passion to inspire people to pursue their dreams. Agnee has beautifully captured this sentiment in their music video. ‘Reveal Yourself’ is B’lue’s tribute, along with Agnee, to all Punekars.”

     

    The premise of the campaign was unique. Amitabh Sreedharan, AVP-Account Management, Scarecrow Communications said: “Before launching the brand nationally, Danone-Narang was looking to do a pilot launch for B’lue in Pune. While a print and outdoor campaign was created under the theme of ‘Reveal Yourself’, there still had to be a big buzz-generating activity that engaged the youth of Pune.”

     

    Kapil Tammal, Executive Creative Director, Scarecrow Communications said: “Since ‘Reveal Yourself’ is all about inspiring people to follow their hearts, team Scarecrow decided to help the brand philosophy come alive through a song that connects with the youth of Pune. While Agnee is today a popular national band, it’s still very much Pune-based. Agnee’s popularity among the youth of Pune and the roaring music culture of the city was only to leverage upon.”

     

    Team Scarecrow jammed with Agnee to draft the lyrics and roped in a technology partner to design this one-of-its-kind app. Sarvesh Raikar, Creative Director, Scarecrow Communications said: “Besides launching the silent video, we created a range of interactive elements that drove engagement further. Videos were shot with Mohon and Koco (the band’s lead singers) playing dumb charades and helping people guess the lyrics.  Fun stuff like lip-reading tutorials and crosswords were also uploaded to boost the buzz.”

     

    The band members also interacted with the participants through Twitter and encouraged them.

     

    To catch the teaser phase action, visit Agnee Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/agneelive

     

     

  • This development is the result of a multi-agency pitch that was initiated in Chennai around the first week of April

    Lowe Lintas bags Amrutanjan mandate

    By A Correspondent

     

    Amrutanjan has selected Lowe Lintas and Partners as its new brand communications partner. The agency’s Chennai office will handle the business. This development is the result of a multi-agency pitch that was initiated in Chennai around the first week of April.

     

    Joydeep Chatterjee, Business Head-Sales & Marketing said: “Lowe Lintas and Partners’ long experience in FMCG and its proven track record in turning around the fortunes of brands gave Amrutanjan immense confidence. During the pitch, the agency highlighted its deep understanding of the Indian consumer across SECs and categories and we felt that a heritage brand with an iconic status such as Amrutanjan would benefit from this understanding in its effort to stay relevant and increase market share. Yet another aspect that went in favour of Lowe Lintas and Partners was its long associations with clients, many of them stretching over decades. This kind of consistency is good for brands as it is possible to share and pursue a vision in a spirit of partnership over long periods of time.”

     

    GV Krishnan, Executive Director, Lowe Lintas and Partners added: “We are proud to have won the creative mandate of Amrutanjan, an iconic brand with a rich heritage. Our task will be to rejuvenate the brand and build preference. This win adds to our strong and rich FMCG portfolio.”

     

    Joseph George, Chief Executive Officer, Lowe Lintas & Partners concluded: “Being asked to partner a brand like Amrutanjan is both a privilege and a huge responsibility; and we look forward to the challenge. After Daimler Bharat Benz, this is Lowe Lintas Chennai’s second significant win this month. This momentum of success and positivity is not just great for the agency, but also for the brands it handles.”

     

  • MG Parameswaran has been elected as the Vice President. Nagesh Alai, the outgoing President will be the ex-officio member of the new Executive Committee

    Arvind Sharma elected AAAI President for 2012-13

    By A Correspondent

     

    Advertising Agencies Association India (AAAI) has elected Arvind Sharma, Chairman, Indian Subcontinent, Leo Burnett as the President for the year 2012-13. MG Parameswaran, Executive Director and CEO, Mumbai at Draftfcb Ulka has been elected as the Vice President. Nagesh Alai, the outgoing President will be the ex-officio member of the new AAAI Executive Committee.

     

    When MxMIndia congratulated Mr Sharma and asked about his agenda for the year ahead, he said: “AAAI is an industry body and it is a team work. We will be meeting on August 17, where we shall be listening to each other’s views before setting up the agenda.”

     

    He added: “The industry is growing and transforming at a rapid speed, thereby also providing newer opportunities to an advertising agency for growth. The amount of monies being invested in advertising has increased, and newer avenues have opened up for investments, thus the challenge is to understand and adapt to the changes. As an industry, we need to understand what lies ahead and prepare the agencies for the future.”

     

    Other elected members of the Executive Committee include Ganesh Baliga (Fifth Estate Communications), Ashish Bhasin (Aegis Group), Nakul Chopra (Publicis Communications), Tanya Goyal (Mogae Group), Kunal Lalani (Crayons Advertising), Vinod Nair (Network Advertising), Pranav Premnarayen (Prem Associates Advertising & Marketing), Sridhar Ramasubramanian (Matrix Publicities and Media India), Vikram Sakhuja (Group M), Umesh Shrikhande (Contract Advertising) and Srinivasan Swamy (RK Swamy BBDO).

     

  • Arvind's wholly owned subsidiary Arvind Lifestyle Brands is holding advanced talks to buy a large portfolio of retail assets, including Nautica stores, from Planet Retail

    Arvind eyes Debenhams, Next’s businesses; to take over brand rights, stores from Planet Retail

    By Boby Kurian & Reeba Zachariah

     

    Arvind’s Sanjay Lalbhai may acquire the operating stores and rights of British fashion retailers Next and Debenhams from Planet Retail, triggering another retail industry consolidation , said two sources directly familiar with the developments.

     

    Arvind’s wholly owned subsidiary Arvind Lifestyle Brands is holding advanced talks to buy a large portfolio of retail assets, including Nautica stores, from Planet Retail. “Arvind is doing due diligence to takeover operations of Next, Debenhams and Nautica, and a deal could be clinched shortly,” said one of the sources mentioned earlier.

     

    Mr Lalbhai’s move follows Aditya Birla’s decision to buy department store chain Pantaloons and Reliance Retail’s continuing strategy of striking partnerships with a slew of international fashion brands. Arvind would gain control over high-street brands providing fresh impetus to its fashion and retailing business, which brought in more than Rs1,200-crore revenue in FY12.

     

    Arvind Lifestyle Brands owns value retail chain Megamart and a slew of international and local brands, such as Gant, Arrow , US Polo, Elle and Flying Machine. It also holds a 50 per cent stake in Tommy Hilfiger’s India unit.

     

    Arvind declined to comment on speculation, while Planet Retail chairman Ramesh Tainwala could not be reached for immediate comments.

     

    Mr Tainwala, who controls Samsonite’s Asia-Pacific and West Asia business, and NRI entrepreneur V P Sharma equally own 97 per cent in Planet Retail. Kishore Biyani’s Future Group holds the remaining 3 per cent. Planet Retail controlled several international retail brands through licensing deals, but the potential sale to Arvind would leave it with fewer brands like The Body Shop and Accessorize. The Mumbai-based lifestyle retailer had earlier sold the operations of another UK retailer Marks & Spencer to Reliance Retail.

     

    While Debenhams plays in the department store segment , Next, which retails home products and accessories globally, have been a pure-play clothing retailer in India. Both brands have underperformed with very few stores, even after five-six years in the country. Sources said Arvind would acquire stores with revenue topping Rs130 crore once the takeover of the three brands was finalized.

     

    The transaction will be multi-pronged with Arvind acquiring existing operations – stores and some staff – from Planet Retail. Arvind would simultaneously enter into fresh agreements with Next, Debenhams and Nautica (owned by US-based VF Corp) to strike a fresh licensing agreement and business development plan for India.

     

    Business valuations in fashion retailing are 1-1 .6 times topline revenue, according to industry experts.

     

    Wholly owned subsidiary Arvind Lifestyle Brands are already in talks to acquire some staff and retail assets, including Nautica stores, Arvind will also ink fresh deals with Debenhams, Next & Nautica for India business.

     

     

    Source: The Economic Times

    Copyright © 2012, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved

     

  • The venture is being spearheaded by Abhishek Dadoo who explained it as 'intelligence on SMS'

    GullakMaster to launch in August

    By Tuhina Anand

     

    The enforcement of DND (Do Not Disturb) in many ways has spelt doom for SMS marketing in India. However, the same played a key role in the genesis of GullakMaster – a customer engagement platform for merchants. Still being piloted in Mumbai, GullakMaster is due to be launched in the last week of August in Mumbai followed by Bangalore and Pune and then in a span of six months time in Delhi and Ahmedabad.

     

    The venture is being spearheaded by Abhishek Dadoo who explained it as ‘intelligence on SMS’. Explaining the mobile advertising network, he said: “There is still a big market for SMS advertising which remains untapped because of the restriction. So what we are offering is on demand advertising. We ask permission and then sms promotions tailor made to the person’s requirement. We have TRAI approval and we do not fall into the DND list as we are not sending unsolicited messages.”

     

    So how does GullakMaster work? To start with when one visits a mall, if GullakMaster has an association there, then one could see information as one enters the mall. If interested, one could sms on the number given and get information on the deals available in the mall. Mr Dadoo explained that the concept can be taken beyond the malls; in fact anywhere that is close to the merchant’s location.

     

    For starters, the company will be advertising heavily in malls and outdoor locations like auto rickshaws to spread awareness of their offering. The same will be taken to the radio medium if their funding plan comes through.

     

    Mr Dadoo dubs his offering as providing a dashboard to the merchants to communicate to potential customers in an effective way. The company is a subsidiary of Dadoo Pvt Ltd, which is a Singapore-based company. The company is also eyeing the markets in Indonesia and Philippines.