MxMIndia

Category: NEWS

  • Reliance Broadcast Network Limited (RBNL) has announced the appointment of well-known chef Rakesh Sethi as the Network Culinary Head, with the colloquial title of Big Chef

    Rakesh Sethi adds spice to Reliance Broadcast Network

    By A Correspondent

     

    Reliance Broadcast Network Limited (RBNL) has announced the appointment of well-known chef Rakesh Sethi as the Network Culinary Head, with the colloquial title of Big Chef. Chef Sethi is all set to take audiences of the Reliance Broadcast Network across radio and television, on a culinary journey that will include sharing recipes, updates on food, chats with prominent personalities, advice on diet and nutrition, and so on.

     

    Chef Sethi will present a special segment each day on 92.7 BIG FM between 1 and 2pm across the 31 Hindi-speaking markets, where audiences can look forward to tips on creating exciting recipes. He will also offer useful information on the nutritional aspects of food and how to retain them while cooking. There will also be a ‘Food Trivia’ section with listeners where he will share fun and interesting tips.

     

    Chef Sethi will also feature as a part of Big Memsaab on Big Magic and Big Punjaban on Spark Punjabi. On these shows, Chef Sethi will act as a mentor to contestants, leading them through the competition and also hosting special workshops with them. Additionally, he will also present a special family reality series on both channels called Saas Bahu aur Swad wherein he will pit the saas against her bahu as they both cook their best dishes in an attempt to win over the men of the family – who, in a blind tasting, will choose the woman who is the master of the kitchen!

     

    Commenting on his appointment as Big Chef, Rakesh Sethi said, “I am delighted to have come on board the network of Reliance Broadcast, which is known to reach out to audiences in new and exciting ways, across multiple platforms. Together, we will share and celebrate our country’s love for good food that is such a central part of the life and culture in India. I look forward to working with the team and creating, producing and distributing an assortment of offerings that meet the taste buds of Indian audiences.”

     

  • Acquired five years ago, Hanmer & Partners is today MSL India, a fully owned Publicis Groupe company and part of leading international public relations major, the MSL Group. Jaideep Shergill, CEO, MSL India spoke to MxMIndia on the new identity

    Jaldi 5 with Jaideep Shergill: Good PR is good storytelling

    Jaideep Shergill

    01. One presumes that other than part of the acquisition plan of Hanmer PR by Publicis Groupe, the switchover to MSL India also indicates that the various MSL policies are now being adopted and totally internalised by the team here. What are the specific MSL Group values that people who deal with you (clients, press etc) can look forward to?

    To be honest, the internalisation has been going on for the last five years. We joined MSL in 2007 and it has been five years since that happened. I do not think that anything is new for people at Hanmer as people here are working as part of MSL for five years. We are already a part of the vision and the brand already.

     

    I do not think anything is going to change as far as our vision and values are concerned. It is not going to change, rather get more aligned, sharp and focused.

     

    What is/are the key differentiator(s) between the agency as it was five years back and now?

    Lots of things have changed over the last five years. When Hanmer joined MSL, the two agencies had a lot of common things. We are focussed on our people, our clients. We have a very transparent structure and open culture. And I think those things are still going to remain.

     

    What has changed is that we have grown from an independent small agency to a global brand today. Today we are working across borders. We have best practices from all over the world. The infrastructure is better. We moved to a new location in a brand new building, which houses all the MSL group agencies. We have focused a lot in the last 3-4 years on digital.

     

    02. Other than the identity, it is interesting that you have moved to an upgraded office. And we thought we were in a stressful slowdown. Evidently you are doing very, very well?

    The company is doing well in any case. But I would say that moving into a new location is not necessarily because of performance but more about the plan that we have spelt out for ourselves.

     

    03. How has this year been for MSL India (including those months as Hanmer MSL India)? In an interview with us last year, you had said: “If there is a slowdown this time we will be better prepared because we have a gameplan”. Are things going as planned?

    Things are going as planned. In the announcement we made last week, we articulated our gameplan for the next three years, and what we want to accomplish over the next three years. Of course we understand that there will or can be difficult times ahead in the market.

     

    We are going to focus more on digital and much more on strategic communication.

     

    In an interview to us last year, you had said ‘Two years to be No 1’ (http://www.mxmindia.com/2011/12/we-are-happy-being-no-1-as-msl-group/). One year has nearly passed since you said this. Are we on course?

    I would say that MSL group is number 1 in several respects. Hanmer or MSL India may not be number one but definitely, among the top two-three. The group, which is the entire umbrella entity, has Hanmer MSL focused towards reaching the number one position.

     

    04. Perceptions these days are created not just by the traditional media, but also by social media… over Facebook, Twitter and thousands of bloggers. Your agency was among the first to start a full-fledged social media division. In the months to come, do you see social media PR integrating with traditional PR?

    In our case, it has already integrated. We have over 50 people in our team dedicated to doing social media full-time. At some level, everybody is engaged in digital PR. We have a global hub, which we call social hive. Within our PR team in India, hundreds of people have been trained to deliver on social media.

     

    05. Tell us more about the ‘storytelling motif’ that your communiqué talks of…

    We believe that our job is of storytelling. That is what today’s PR does. Today it is about communicating more creatively and effectively. We believe in our vision of being advisors to our clients and a source of creativity when there is so much competition. It is not those days that there is only newspaper and television, you have internet, magazines, FM coming into play and conversation happening every time. We have to be in play and be good storyteller. We have to call ourselves creative storytellers because that is the job that we do every day.

     

    (Interviewed by Ananya Saha)

     

  • Why do some videos catch on virally & spread like wildfire,while many fail to ignite after an initial spark?

    Sigh! What makes Gangnam Style and Kolaveri Di such a rage?

    Photograph courtesy: Music channel M-Tunes which had premiered Psy’s Gangnam Style earlier this month

     

    By Tuhina Anand

     

    Who would have thought that a rather stocky looking guy mouthing Korean lines would have become a rage around the world? Gangnam Style by South Korean rapper Psy has become a viral hit just like Kolaveri Di which took the digital world by storm. Last, Gangnam Style had 474,915,766 views since being uploaded in July 2012 while Kolaveri Di has 62,798,000 views since it was uploaded in November 2011. The popularity of Gangnam surpasses that of Kolaveri, and it is digital that has played the key role in the video becoming such a rage. How is it that some videos catch the fancy and become such huge hits, whereas others just die out eventually? Dhanush’s Kolaveri Di was such a rage but his next video where he pays tribute to Sachin… errrrr what is it anyway… did not match up to the success of Kolaveri even though it is about a cricketing legend that the nation is crazy about.

     

    Rahul Nanda

    Rahul Nanda, COO at Webchutney, explained, “There is no science that can work out a formula for the success of a viral. I think it depends on the quality of content.” Giving a peek into creating a viral he pointed that one should stick to the basics and remember that content is always the king. He added, “Gangnam Style video doesn’t really feature a handsome hero but the dancing catches the eye. It is then essentially about providing that hook which could be humour or having an emotional connect which has the potential of catching viral and being shared by people. Also to keep in mind is that what catches peoples’ attention is usually something that is simple and easy to understand.”

     

    A Kolaveri Di could not have been such a hit had it just been an audio. The video which captures behind-the-scene moments while recording the song makes it extremely delightful to watch, it shows fun while making the song which many enjoy watching. Similarly, if Gangnam Style was just a song it would probably not be so popular, but the video element adds to the song thus making it extremely watchable and shareable.

     

    Rajiv Dingra

    Rajiv Dingra, CEO of WATConsult.com categorically puts that going viral and a hit depends on two factors- it should be unexpected and original. People would want to watch and share only if there is an element of surprise like in Gangnam Style the dance moves and in Kolaveri Di the lyrics. There has to be a surprise element, besides of course the content has to be original. He adds, “The content while being original should allow people to create their own versions thus giving people a sense of identification.” This definitely happened in the case of Kolaveri considering the various versions that came out and they too enjoy a decent number of views.

     

     

    Zafar Rais

    On the success of Kolaveri Di or Gangnam style, Zafar Rais, Founder and CEO, Mindshift Interactive, said, “Kolaveri Di owes 80 percent of its success to the entertaining content it brought along. That is the element most brands forget in wanting to create the next ‘viral’ concept. An agency does have the capability to use the right strategies in increasing visibility to help you reach out, but without an insightful approach towards the content apt for your consumers, you just won’t make it. Humour, music and emotions are the key riders of all viral marketing efforts. Likewise, for the Gangnam style of dancing. Additionally, originality and unexpectedness are the superpowers in the viral race. It’s time for simple ideas to take over big ideas, Beyond One Language: strengthening the concept that regional innovations with a mix of global touches, does add to the concept. If it’s funny, it got to be viral and youth connect: connecting with the youth via their daily experiences in their diction is the key.”

     

    One cannot overlook the role of professional players in making a viral gain epic proportion. Like in the case of Gangnam which has been around for 6-8 months but gained popularity only once Sony Music took over its distribution and splashed it across various networks to garner better mileage.

     

    Same was also the case with Kolaveri Di too which Sony Music and the agency Jack in the Box Worldwide worked on to devise its viral strategy.

     

    Carlton D’Silva

    Carlton D’Silva, Chief Creative Officer at Hungama Digital Media Entertainment also pointed that the ridiculous nature of the video is what has helped in making Gangnam popular. He said, “I have seen that humour though not the only factor but is an important driving factor when essaying out a viral campaign. It’s not necessary to just bank on humour to make inroads into the digital medium and reaching the consumers. However, humour works well on the internet medium.” He also cites the example of Johnnie Walker F1 campaign where they put videos of behind the scenes which has caught on well on viral and this doesn’t necessarily stick to taking the humorous approach.

     

    Arvind Nair, Business Head, Social Wavelength echoes the humour element that all the digital players have expressed. However, he added, “It has to do with creating content that cut across all type of people. However, there have been brands who have experienced great success on digital by taking the route of a cause. Aircel with Save the Tiger campaign has done it successfully and has sustained it for long thus becoming relatable with this cause and also a viral hit.”

     

    So it is clear that original with a surprise element does best for going viral. Humour is the best route but not the only route when brands want to go viral. Keep in mind though that it is always the content that rules.

     

  • Indian mobile users state they plan to shop on their phones this festive season to avoid crowds, according to the eBay India Mobile Commerce Survey

    Mobile commerce, the answer to festival shopping crowds

    By A Correspondent

     

    eBay India (www.ebay.in), India’s leading eCommerce marketplace, shared key shopping habits of Mobile Commerce Users in India, based on the eBay India Festive Mobile Commerce Survey conducted with over 2,500 eBay India users in October 2012. 92% of all Mobile Commerce survey respondents were Male. 42% of consumers were in the age group of 18-25 years & 30% of consumers were in the age group of 26-30 years. 52% of Mobile Shoppers were from the Metros.

     

    Key Highlights of the eBay India Festive Mobile Commerce Survey included:

     

    59% of Mobile Shoppers stated they would consider shopping on their Mobile phone during the festive season to avoid crowded market areas

     

    86% of Mobile Shoppers prefer to use their Mobile to shop for themselves, while 52% of consumers use their Mobile to shop for Gifts for Family & only 29% of shoppers use their Mobile to shop for Gifts for Friends

     

    Phones (62%) were the most popular category of purchase by Mobile Commerce shoppers followed by Home Appliances (44%) & Clothes & Footwear (41%)

     

    Comparing product prices (68%) is the top activity for Mobile Shoppers

     

    Home (69%) was the favourite point of access for mobile shoppers

     

    Over 43% of shoppers accessed shopping sites at Night

     

    57% of Mobile Shoppers always checked prices on their phone before they shopped in a store or a mall

     

    83% of all respondents stated that they accessed shopping sites or shopping apps on their mobile phone; with 56% of all respondents stating that they had bought a product online on their mobile device

     

    Over 27% of Mobile Shoppers preferred to shop via their mobile device for products in the price point of Rs. 3,000-Rs. 10,000

     

    Mobile continues to be the favourite Mobile Internet device for Mobile Shoppers at 52%; with 19% using both their Mobile & Tablet equally

     

    Mobile Shoppers prefer to access shopping sites via Browsers (45%). Over 20% of Shoppers use both the Apps & Browsers equally on their Mobile Phone

     

    72% of Consumers are using 3G services

     

    Samsung is the most popular Mobile Device (39%), followed by Nokia (20%) & Sony (11%)

     

    Mobile Shoppers have Android (62%) as their favourite operating system followed by Symbian (18%) & iOS (11%)

     

    Muralikrishnan B, Country Manager, eBay India stated, “Mobile commerce is very popular with many smart online shoppers as they always have their phone with them as an anytime, anywhere device. As 3G penetration increases, many online shoppers will prefer mobile commerce over digital commerce. eBay India is an active evangelist of mobile commerce and have introduced a suite of apps to cater to the mobile shopper.”

     

    eBay India users were surveyed online in October 2012. Over 2,500 users filled up the mobile commerce survey about their mobile shopping habits.

     

  • With the new addition, the communications firm takes its award tally to 17 for the year

    Pulp Strategy brings home a Globe

    By A Correspondent

     

    Pulp Strategy Communications has added another feather to its cap by securing a bronze at Globe Awards in the category Best Telecom, Utilities and Technology for their campaign: Learn with Yahoo – New to Net campaign.

     

    The awards were announced at the 27th Annual MAA GLOBE Awards during the MAA Worldwide Conference at the Park Hyatt, Chicago. Over 130 judges from 15 countries, representing agencies, clients, academia, media and industry associations carefully reviewed over 300 campaigns spanning across 25 countries in July and August this year.

     

    “We are thrilled with the win at the MAA Globes; it’s indeed a high to realize the scale at which the program takes place, and to absorb the fact that we made our place among the best of the best across the globe. This win not only speaks of our work which has shone with 17 awards this year but also sets the pace for us to do better with each campaign in the future. Behind this win silently glows our constant endeavour to deliver innovation and results,” saidAmbika Sharma,MDand CEO, Pulp Strategy Communications.

     

    The Globes are the most competitive and renowned awards. Only the campaign winners in the PMAA and similar partner awards in each continent can enter into the Globes. Including the Best of the Best Globe Award, 72 Awards – Globe, Silver and Bronze – were awarded in 25 Categories and announced at the 27th annual MAA GLOBE Awards during the MAA Worldwide Conference at the Park Hyatt, Chicago. Entries were received from six continents and some of the most innovative ideas came fromBrazil,Russia,China,UkraineandIndia.

     

    The MAA Globe Awards recognizes the very best in marketing campaigns executed globally with association partners: CAMPRO from Argentina, the APMA Stars from Australia & New Zealand, AMPRO from Brazil, CAPMA PROMO Awards from Canada, the JPM Awards from Japan, the PMAA Dragons of Asia, the Silver Mercury’s from Russia and Ukraine, the IPM Awards from the UK and the PMA REGGIE Awards from the USA. Entries were also received from Israel, South Africa and Ireland.

     

    Over 130 judges from 15 countries, representing agencies, clients, academia, media and industry associations carefully reviewed over 300 campaigns from 25 countries in July and August this year. Kathryn Williams, a judge from Australia, commented “…the entries are world class. My categories were perfect, and I found the calibre of work to be exceptional – in times where our marketing budgets seem to be drying up, creativity shines…”

     

  • Harry Winston Opus 12 has won the coveted Watch World watch of the year 2012, while Titan's MD Bhaskar Bhat has been awarded for special contribution to the watch industry

    Harry Winston Opus 12 awarded at Watch World Awards 2012

    By A Correspondent

     

    Watch World, from the Chitralekha Group, hosted the third edition of Watch World Awards recently.

     

    The marquee event was moderated by Chitralekha’s President and Publisher, Mitrajit Bhattacharya, while the jury which comprised of Master watchmaker with five decades of experience in watchmaking – Antoine Simonin; Leading image consultant Chhaya Momaya; Noted designer Priyadarshini Rao; Cricket Commentator Ravi Shastri along with established marketing consultants from Market Gate – Shripad Nadkarni and Sharda Agarwal; awarded leading watches across eleven categories in the Product Awards section and five categories in the Marketing & Merchandising Awards category.

     

    The event which saw attendance by eclectic timekeeping brands like Cartier, Harry Winston, Zenith, Hublot, Bulgari, TAG Heuer, Dior, Greubel & Forsey, Breitling, Corum, Parmigiani, Romain Jerome, Seiko, Citizen, Titan, Timex, HYT, Rotary, and many others; saw stiff competition amongst the brands with Harry Winston coming out the winners and bagging the ‘Watch of the Year’ commendation.

     

    Commenting on the occasion, Mitrajit Bhattacharya said, “The success of this third edition of Watch World Awards reiterates the success of the franchise and creates a pertinent connect within the horology industry. By bringing together marquee brands, our endeavour is to create a common platform to laud the technical innovativeness and bespoke workmanship that these finesse masters create. This opportunity is also a time to celebrate the greatest leveller of life – Time and honour its significance in our lives.”

     

    The winners in the Product category were GREUBEL FORSEY GMT which won the award for the ‘Complicated Watch of the Year’. While the HUBLOT Oceanographic 4000 won the ‘Sports Watch of the Year’ award, ROMAIN JEROME Steampunk RED Chronograph was adjudged the ‘Watch with Best Design’, HARRY WINSTON Opus 12 and HYT H1 both won the ‘Best Concept Watch of the Year’ award and CARTIER Pocket Watch Grande Complication Skeleton which was adjudged the ‘Best Limited Edition Watch of the Year’.

     

    Gurinder Sahni, CEO Jot Impex said, “Watch World Awards is a very special platform as far as the Indian market is concerned. We thank the Watch World team’s initiative year on year, and on behalf of our team back in Geneva at Romain Jerome, we are proud to win the prestigious Design category this year”.

     

    The jury also presented the ‘Jewellery Watch of the Year’ award to BULGARI Serpenti and the ‘Fashion Watch of the Year’ award to HARRY WINSTON Ladies Midnight Moon Phase. While ‘The Watch with Most Innovative Material’ was awarded to HUBLOT Big Bang Ferrari Magic Gold, the ‘Watch with Highest Utility’ award was presented to SEIKO Astron GPS, the ‘Watch with Artistic Excellence’ award to CARTIER Promenade d’une Panthere and TAG HEUER Formula 1 Lady Steel & Ceramic Diamond Dial bagging the ‘Value for Money Watch of the Year’ award.

     

    Jury member Antoine Simonin, commented “I am honoured to be a part of the jury this year as well. There has been a greater increase in the brands and quality of nominations this year which augurs well for the horology eco-sphere. Seeing the response of global brands in this third year, I am happy to watch the Watch World Awards making a mark for itself in a very short span. I wish that these awards go strength to strength and create an unforgettable franchise for itself.”

     

    While the Product category saw stiff competition; the Marketing category saw TIMEX Helix bagging the ‘Best Marketing Campaign in Print’ award with TITAN HTSE picking up the award for ‘Best Marketing Campaign on Television’. While ‘Best In-Store Merchandise’ was won by HUBLOT, BREITLING Rue de la Paix, Paris picked the ‘Best Boutique’ award and PARMIGIANI Château-d’Oex International Balloon Festival 2012 was adjudicated as the ‘Best Organised Event’.

     

    Bhaskar Bhat, MD of Titan Industries ,was honoured with a special award for his contribution to the watch industry.

     

    Commenting on the event, Ashok Goel of Beanstalk Brand Consulting said, “Watch World Awards is a well thought out independent project from the Chitralekha Group. Apart from honouring the best work of the year, it helps expanding the luxury watch market in India by reaching out to newer potential customers. Almost all the brands we represent in India like Hublot, Parmigiani Fleurier, HYT, Breitling etc are proud winners in this year’s edition of the awards”.

     

  • Veteran adman Gopi Kukde believes there do exist some professionals in our awards-crazy advertising world who believe in the movement to change perceptions on the girl child as a social responsibility

    Jaldi 5 with Gopi Kukde: No gender bias in advertising

    Veteran adperson Gopi Kukde was one of the mentors invited by Population First for the creative thinking workshops engaging mass media students on gender issues. Although the International Day of the Girl Child was celebrated last week, Mr Kukde has been travelling and he completed this interview via email over the last week.

     

    01. It was good to see the first ever International Day of the Girl Child being celebrated last week. How do we prevent it from being mere tokenism (as in, what are the steps that need to be taken to avoid it being just another ‘day’)?

    It always happens that a ‘top-of-mind’ event is spoken about and celebrated for a few days. Unless we feel for the cause from bottom of our hearts it is difficult, rather impossible to convert it into a revolution. Nevertheless one must keep on trying!

     

    02. In your experience with interacting with marketers and advertising agency professionals, do you think they are sincere in their attempts to appreciate the responsibility towards the ‘girl child’ in a society like ours?

    Yes and no. While most of them look at it as an opportunity to win an award, which is why you see most shallow attempts time and again, there are some professionals in this award-crazy world who do it as a social responsibility.

     

    Though I feel that a lot of professionalism and science needs to be added to our attempts for, the task is a mammoth one. It is an issue that is spread across the country for centuries, in different levels, sometimes absolutely contradicting each other.

     

    Do you think self-regulation bodies like ASCI and Advertising Club and AAAI should also take it upon themselves to promote the cause?

     

    Although I believe that advertising is a smaller part of the pie in such a movement, the larger part depends on the government, the media and the social leaders. In this situation, the more the merrier, without making it a case of too many cooks complicating matters. For this we need a systematic approach and a strong belief in the cause. The more systematic we are better the results would be.

     

    03. Your views on gender biases in today’s advertising?

    For the last 35 years I have not come across any instance like this, which is why I am proud of advertising as a profession!

     

    04. One view of marketers is that they need to sell to consumers given the prevailing behavioural patterns and they can’t be correcting those. How do change this view? (Marketers often feel that they need to sell according to prevailing Indian consumer attitudes and mentality and that there is little they can do to change that. How do you think this can be tackled?)

    I don’t think so. Advertising has changed many perceptions. Yes, it might take time, but constant efforts will definitely show results.

     

    05. Television serials, television and print media content also further aggravate this image of women. What is your view on this?

    You are right, our television serials and some other media do portray a woman the way she shouldn’t be. The ultimate goal they look for is TRP and sales. This would automatically reduce once this small effort becomes a movement.

     

    (Interviewed by Fatema Rajkotwala)

     

  • Team Ogilvy, the 2011 Champions, retained the championship cup when they won the annual 5-A-Side Football Tournament organised by The Advertising Club Bangalore jointly with The Dainik Bhaskar Group

    Team Ogilvy wins Ad Club Bangalore football tourney

    By A Correspondent

     

    Team Ogilvy, the 2011 Champions, retained the championship cup when they won the annual 5-A-Side Football Tournament organised by The Advertising Club Bangalore jointly with The Dainik Bhaskar Group.

     

    Team Ogilvy convincingly beat Group M, 4 – 3 in a keenly contested finals this afternoon, at The Powerplay sports Pavilion at Bangalore. The tournament began on Friday, 12th October under flood lights and continued on Saturday 13th October. 18 teams contested in 4 groups on a league basis. The teams were tied at 1 – 1 at the end of the stipulated time and went into extra time of 5 + 5 minutes. During the extra time Sameer of Ogilvy scored with a hatrick. Group M fought back valiantly by scoring 2 Goals but eventually Team Ogilvy won by the one goal margin.

     

    Sameer of Team Ogilvy who scored a total of 28 goals for the Champions, bagged the trophy for the Highest Scorer. Sameer of Team O & M who scored 28 goals and excelled in an all round display of skill & sportsmanship was also unanimously adjudged “Player of the Tournament “. Soumya Das of Group M, was adjudged ” The Best Goal Keeper for his consistent performance in all matches played by Group M.

     

    The tournament, which is into its 21st year, is being jointly presented by the leading national media group Dainik Bhaskar, which has instituted a championship trophy for the winners. Commenting on their association with this tournament, Dainik Bhaskar’s Sr General Manager-south and Business Head – International Raja Mitra said, “We are proud to be associated with this prestigious event which brings together members of the advertising & marketing community in Bangalore. Such events not only help in improving inter-company relations, it also helps in bringing out a competitive spirit, albeit on the football field.”

     

    Anand Bazaar Patrika gave special prizes to the “Player of the tournament”, Top Scorer and Best Goal Keeper apart from the trophies instituted by the Ad Club.

     

    Speaking about the tournament, Arvind Kumar, Executive Director of the Ad Club, said, “This is the 20th year of this five a side competition and we are happy to receive 19 entries, a record for the Advertising Club, Bangalore. I am happy to see the enthusiasm and fair play, displayed by all the teams.”

     

  • The cover design for Bangali O Probas (The Expatriate Bengali), Outlook's first Puja special in Bengali, is a painting done by the renowned Paris-based artist, Shakti Burman

    Outlook Puja Special has Sandeep Ray as Guest Ed

    By A Correspondent

     

    Bangali O Probas (The Expatriate Bengali), Outlook’s first Puja special in Bengali has Sandeep Ray, the filmmaker and Satyajit Ray’s son, as the Guest Editor. The cover design is a painting done by the renowned Paris-based artist, Shakti Burman. The lead essay is by one of the leading and most popular Bengali writers, Shankar, of  Chowringhee fame.The focus of the issue is on the expatriate Bengali and contributors include Nabaneeta Deb Sen and Sunil Gangopadhyay, two respected figures in Bengali literature. Contributions have also come in from London, Massachusettes and Australia. Graphic novel has been done by Delhi based Bishwajyoti Ghosh.

     

    The art review is by curator Ina Puri. There is a bit of history, a bit of nostalgia, a bit of humour, an adda session on Bengal’s politics, a humour column by Suhel Seth and column by Sharmila Tagore.There are interviews with Bipasha Basu, Diya Mirza and the director of Kahani, Sujoy Ghosh. There is a photo feature as well on Bengali actors. There are provocative reports on Bengali actresses hogging the limelight in the South, a Bengali being the first Law Minister of Pakistan and the growing matrimonial bonds between Kerala and Bengal. There is an erudite essay on Bihar based Bengali writers enriching Bengali literature and also a review of Bengali blogs. A whosesome and varied fare, in short, to stimulate the mind, draw a laugh or two and make readers think.

     

  • PrecisionMatch promises effective audience data for display advertising, offering data targeted advertising that tracks how users interact with content

    Smile Vun Group launches of PrecisionMatch

    By A Correspondent


    Nitin Chowdhary

    Display advertising is losing the ROI race to search and social media due to lack of targeting options. Smile Vun Group, the digital media conglomerate, has announced the launch of PrecisionMatch that promises effective audience data for display advertising. What it offers is data targeted advertising that tracks how users interact with content.


    “PrecisionMatch will utilize advanced data mining and analytics to identify prospective consumer segments for advertisers, generate actionable insights from aggregated data and develop consumers online behaviour models,” said Nitin Chowdhary, Business Head, PrecisionMatch


    PrecisionMatch has launched its operations simultaneously in three markets: India, SEA and UAE with 50 million unique users and around 60% of internet users across India, Singapore and UAE across a variety of consumer segments.


    Manish Vij

    “Over 50% of the web inventory globally is already on exchanges and this trend is accelerating.  In APAC, it is estimated to be 5-10% and is rising rapidly. Additionally, in APAC, that has about $700 MM of display advertising spend, the supply of inventory outstrips the demand by at least 5 times. In such a scenario, buying the right impression is critical to drive ROI for which advertisers will need quality audience data. recisionMatch is our resolution to make display advertising more effective in APAC and UAE by means of targeting data without destroying the ROI,” said Manish Vij, Founder, Smile Vun Group.


    PrecisionMatch works via partners. Marketers will be able to use PrecisionMatch data through their media partners i.e. DSPs, Agency Trading Desks and Ad Networks. PrecisionMatch has added advertisers such as: Samsung, General Motors, Tata Motors, Ford, Snapdeal.com, Expedia.com etc. to its portfolio and is rapidly expanding its services across different categories of advertisers in India, Singapore and UAE.

    Post the launch in India, Singapore and Dubai, PrecisionMatch will be expanding to other countries in the region in 2013. “Data targeted display can improve click through rate by 300% and post click engagement by 200%. In addition, the relevance of the audience improves significantly.” added Nitin Chowdhary


    With an investment of $2 million, PrecisionMatch plans to break even in next two years.

  • Tim Isaac, Chairman of bates Asia, has announced that David Mayo will take over as CEO of the agency network as he retires at the end of October

    David Mayo to take over leadership of bates Asia

    By A Correspondent

     

    Tim Isaac, Chairman of bates Asia, has announced that David Mayo will take over as CEO of the agency network as he retires at the end of October.

     

    Mr Mayo who came to Asia in 1994 from London to join bates in Hong Kong was hired by Mr Isaac to Ogilvy & Mather in 1997 to run Guinness, among other regional business. In the time since, he founded creative boutique, Red Card and after 2005 went on to hold several key senior roles at Ogilvy, including the Presidency of Ogilvy & Mather Advertising, Asia’s largest Advertising Agency and latterly of Ogilvy & Mather ASEAN.

     

    “David is one of Asia’s most experienced and creative agency leaders with a very strong track record in building brands and driving creativity,” said Mr Isaac. “He is a born entrepreneur and has put many of our clients’ brands firmly ahead of their competitors. He is the right person to build on the good work and the platform that has been established and to take bates to the next level in its long history in Asia.”

     

    Mr Mayo’s track record with clients in Asia such as Guinness, Nike, Gillette, The Economist, Motorola, Coke and Diageo will bring added impetus to Bates as the agency model changes in Asia. His brief will be to galvanize the agency leadership, develop the bates brand and establish a new network model.

     

    “When I originally came to Asia in 1994, it was to work at bates,” said Mr Mayo. “It has a very strong track record as a maverick and creative brand in Asia and it has a unique place in a region of the world where more and more clients are asking for the bespoke and the personal. We will take bates to the next level. I am returning to take this heritage and fashion a fresh new agency offer for ambitious brand owners across the region.”

     

    “David’s verve, energy and drive will be the perfect tonic for bates. David has done a brilliant job at Ogilvy across the region for more than a decade. I will miss him personally but am delighted he remains part of the broader family,” said Paul Heath, Chairman, Ogilvy & Mather Asia Pacific.

     

    Bates’ major clients in Asia include HSBC, Shanghai General Motors, Diageo, Philip Morris, Cheong Kong, Colgate, Castrol, P&G, Disney, Nokia, Singapore Government, Marico, Kraft and Yum Restaurants. They have 12 offices in Taiwan, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Vietnam, KL, Singapore, Manila, Jakarta, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangalore and Delhi.

     

  • The brand ambassador signifies the strong focus of the tractor major towards the Andhra Pradesh market and its steady progress towards creating a young and vibrant brand image among the next generation of farmers

    Southern superstar Mahesh Babu is Mahindra Tractors brand ambassador

    By A Correspondent

     

    Prominent tractor manufacturer Mahindra & Mahindra has announced its new brand association with Telugu superstar Mahesh Babu in Andhra Pradesh. The brand ambassador signifies the strong focus of the tractor major towards the Andhra Pradesh market and its steady progress towards creating a young and vibrant brand image among the next generation of farmers.

     

    Sanjeev Goyle, Sr Vice President, Marketing & AppliTrac, Farm Equipment Sector, M&M Ltd, said, “Andhra Pradesh is a critical market for Mahindra and our products are especially designed to suit the needs of this market. The Bhoomiputra 475 and 575 tractors have the largest user base in Andhra Pradesh. Mahindra has been a dominant tractor brand in the state and has been the market leader for over three decades.”

     

    Commenting on the brand association with the southern superstar Mahesh Babu, Mr Goyle further said, “We now want to connect with the next generation of farmers who are keen to use tractors equipped with technology that offer better fuel efficiency. Hence we felt the need to associate brand Mahindra with Mahesh Babu, a superstar and the youth icon in Andhra Pradesh. Both brand Mahindra and Mahesh Babu are super stars in their own industry and the celebrity fit compliments the brand value.”

     

    Commenting on the association, Mahesh Babu said “I’m very excited to be the brand ambassador for Mahindra Tractors. The company drives positive change in the lives of farmers and I would love to connect with the young farmers in Andhra Pradesh.”