MxMIndia

Category: NEWS

  • These wins have enabled Adfactors PR to register a 20 per cent growth year-on-year and evolve into a multi-specialty firm

    Adfactors PR closes FY 2013 with a string of strategic wins

    By A Correspondent

     

    Adfactors PR closed the FY 2013 with a string of strategic wins from diverse sectors such as Telecom & IT, Energy, Infrastructure, Healthcare, Travel & Hospitality, Automobiles, Consulting and Financial Services. The firm won over 15 strategic accounts, including Vodafone India, iGate, Cairn India, Essar Oil, Gujarat Gas, Goa Tourism, Rail Europe, GIFT City, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Yamaha Motors, Lamborghini India, PricewaterhouseCoopers India, Citibank, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, S&P Dow Jones Indices and UAE Exchange.

     

    Adfactors PR also supported some of the largest transactions in the capital markets last financial year including the initial public offerings of Bharti Infratel, CARE and PC Jeweller, the open offer of GlaxoSmithKline, and the rights offer of Network 18 Media. It also managed several other strategic projects in Public Affairs and Crisis 24×7 practices.

     

    Madan Bahal

    On the new account acquisitions, Madan Bahal, Managing Director, Adfactors PR, said, “Last year was a significant milestone in diversifying our practice and sectoral portfolio. From a largely corporate and financial communications firm, Adfactors PR evolved into a multi-specialty firm. We now have market leading practices in six key sectors.”

     

    These wins have enabled Adfactors PR to register a 20 per cent growth year-on-year. Mr Bahal added, “This is a reflection of the growing confidence of large Indian and multi-national corporations in the firm’s ability to conceptualize and execute PR campaigns that deliver a strategic advantage in the marketplace.”

     

    In the year 2013-14, the firm plans to strengthen new practice areas like Consumer, Public Affairs and Corporate Social Responsibility. Mr Bahal noted, “We need to remain relevant and lead the curve in serving the emerging needs of businesses in these complex times.”

     

    For the record, Adfactors PR serves over 260 retained clients with staff strength of 320 consultants. The firm has its own presence in over 40 centres which include all state capitals, stock market centres and other residual markets.

     

     

  • A massive marketing campaign, a new fan dance move from Farah Khan, a bigger panel and lots of Extraaas… will IPL 2013 thrill again, asks MxMIndia

    IPL 6: In the mood for Extraaa

    The nine IPL team captains line up after signing the MCC Spirit of Cricket board at the Pepsi Indian Premier League opening ceremony held at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata on April 2. Copyright: BCCI. Photo by Ron Gaunt/SPORTZPICS

     

    By Johnson Napier

     

    The opening ceremony of one of today’s most popular and expensive sporting properties may have matched its impressive track record over the years. And the organisers could thank celebrities like Shah Rukh Khan, Katrina Kaif, Deepika Padukone, rapper Pitbull et al who were joined in force by cricket legends as they steered their way into winning the hearts of the audiences. In fact, the viewership numbers being predicted from the opening ceremony this year is expected to exceed 55 million, a fact that is being reported extensively even across foreign media.

     

    There’s no doubting the effort that has been put in by the organisers and broadcast partner Set Max as the task facing them this year was winning back the audiences that had gone adrift over past few seasons. Apart from a string of new measures and a high-profile marketing campaign, the buzz that was created around IPL 6 was dubbed as being the loudest so far, or so is the claim. Much of the credit to that is being owed to ace choreographer Farah Khan who bought in an element of newness this year with some signature moves involving cricket.

     

    Highlighting the experience this year, Neeraj Vyas, Business Head, Max said, “Firstly, the sentiments have been very positive around the IPL. It follows India’s recent performance against Australia which has kind of boosted cricket sentiments in the country. The other thing about the IPL is that it is cricket of the highest quality and degree and is extremely competitive and edgy, but there is also a lot of entertainment value attached to it. For example, the IPL campaign that we did around IPL this year is very entertainment-led and had director-choreographer Farah Khan playing host. As you’ll observe she is advocating everyone to not just sit but to be a part of the game by dancing to three key moves commonly associated with cricket – fours, sixes and falling wickets.”

     

    In fact the campaign has been a huge hit on the online space where it has crossed the 2 million mark on YouTube. “So the whole scale around IPL is much bigger this year than last year. It definitely has managed to arouse enough hype and curiosity. In fact if you see our marketing budgets, we have invested 15 per cent more than last year. There has been a substantial effort that has gone behind the marketing campaign this year. The same can be reflected through the huge buzz and reach that can be sensed everywhere and across all platforms.”

     

    Not to be left behind in the production department, Set Max has gone the extra mile this year where its studio and expert panelists are concerned. Affirmed Mr Vyas, “We have a brand new set of Extraaa Innings this time around; it is a set that is bigger than any other set that you’ll see in recent times. And joining Gaurav Kapur and Samir Kochhar will be two new hosts, Karishma Kotak and Rochelle Maria Rao. The there’ll also be big names associated with cricket like Navjot Sidhu, Harsha Bhogle, Ajay Jadeja and Sunil Gavaskar. What we’ve also done is added new names to the roster like Kapil Dev and Rameez Raja. They’ll primarily be driving the show in Hindi. So it’s also the best line-up that we have where studio names are concerned.”

     

    Not wanting to stop at that the broadcasters sensed immense opportunity in reaching out to the masses beyond the metros and tier 2, 3 towns and who until now were denied their share of voice in the affair. The wishes of the many Indians who reside in far-off towns and rural belts will be realised as they can enjoy the matches in Hindi as well. Asserted Vyas, “Another new addition this year is the airing of content in Hindi. That was done to essentially reach out to interior pockets of India who are more comfortable with Hindi commentary. Also, if you saw our coverage last year we had upped our quotient of Hindi usage on XIDs. So there was a lot of Hindi banter that happened between the expert panellists which was a decision that was taken intentionally. And this year we have just expanded that by having a dedicated Hindi feed. So the idea was to reach more and more people.”

     

    Number-crunching affair

    It has been widely reported on how the IPL this year has heeded the demands of the marketers and have offered them advertising value worth a steal. According to estimates, the channel expects to earn close to Rs 900 crore overall this year and much of this will come from top clients like PepsiCo, which is the title sponsor for the tournament, having signed a deal in the range of Rs 50-60 crore. Set Max has also sealed associate sponsor deals with eight clients including Godrej, Havells, Panasonic, Karbonn Tabs, Usha International, Cadbury, Tata Docomo and Samsung Mobiles.

     

    Highlighting the response received from the clients this year, particularly new entrant PepsiCo, Mr Vyas said, “The response from the clients goes to show that IPL is still a massive brand and secondly, as I said earlier, it is the reflection around the positive buzz surrounding Indian cricket at the moment. So there has been an extremely positive sentiment from the viewers as well as the advertisers.”

     

    He added, “Client-wise if you ask me, the best thing to have happened is Pepsi’s association with IPL – who are the on-ground as well as on-air partners. Given their past history, they will naturally bring in their own flavour to the tournament. I know for a fact that they are planning some special campaigns that will begin during the IPL. In a sense, Pepsi probably understands cricket better than most other brands as they have been associated with the sport for around 15-20 years. So one can expect them to bring in their own creativity around cricket, which is always entertaining to say the least.”

     

    Confirming Mr Vyas’ sentiments, Vinit Karnik, Head of Sports and Live practice at GroupM ESP said through a statement, “We’ve been part of IPL since its inception and we strongly believe that IPL is India’s biggest and the most powerful marketing platform for brands to leverage the combined appeal of cricket and entertainment. This season has been a busy and fruitful season. We had the opportunity to work closely with the Sun Group’s Sunrisers and have enabled the new franchise get off to strong start with 10 on-ground official partnership/sponsorships including Make My Trip, 7UP, Garnier, Kingfisher, Live In Jeans, Manyavar, Sheltrex, RN Sports etc…. We also advised Vodafone backed by a comprehensive valuation exercise based on proprietary data and insights which helped them build a case to renew their on-ground associate sponsorship for another 5 years. Other high profile deals which we managed to facilitate this year included Bajaj Allianz and Mumbai Indians, Flying Machine and Royal Challengers Bangalore among others.” The total value of all the on-ground deals enabled and activated by GroupM ESP in IPL 6 is estimated at US $ 15 mn.

     

    On to another important number that’s watched closely by all, the ratings for IPL 6 is expected to outdo that put up by the previous season. According to statistics released by MEC-Meritus, average TV rating for the league stage is expected to go up from 3.8 last year to 3.9 – an increase of 2.6% (15+ years, Male/Female, SEC ABC). Also, MI (23%), Chennai (19%) and KKR (14%) are the most popular teams while support for Hyderabad has gone up by 200% (2% to 6%). Further, the study notes that Sachin Tendulkar (80), MS Dhoni (79), Yuvraj Singh (76), Virat Kohli (74) and Virender Sehwag (73) are the most popular Indian players in the League while Chris Gayle (60), Ricky Ponting (55), Brett Lee (51) and Kevin Pietersen (50) are the most popular foreign players.

     

    T Gangadhar

    T Gangadhar, Managing Director, MEC India, said, “Our study suggests that the IPL seems to have matured as a property. The study clearly establishes that ratings in the first phase (first 18 games) impact the fate of the entire league. With Pepsi activating their title sponsorship in a big way, the BCCI launching the IPL Fantasy League and India’s strong performance against Australia, the first stage of the league could get further momentum.”

     

    According to Mr Vyas, in terms of ratings expectations, “People need to realise that IPL is now a mature and a long tournament that last 76 games spanning 54 days. Nothing of this scale ever exists in the country. In fact about 30 per cent of the games are played in the afternoon…so despite all these ground realities it sustained an average rating of 3.5 last year, which according to me is nothing short of a miracle. If you look at GEC shows today, no one manages to retain audiences over such long periods. And this despite the fact that about 30 per cent of the matches are played in the afternoon. So we will be happy if we are able to retain the ratings at that level or even better it to around 4 or so.”

     

    Amin Lakhani

    Agreeing with Mr Vyas, Amin Lakhani, Principal Partner, Mindshare said, “I’ve always maintained from the start that where cricket and especially IPL is concerned, there has been a positive sentiment observed. It kind of picks up in terms of popularity and buzz closer to the start of the tournament. The thing about IPL is that it is now a time-tested property; only last year was an aberration. It has always been a winning property and will continue to do so. It is too early to write it off. And frankly, I am not even bothered about viewership as it a 76-match affair spread across 54 days…whatever ratings it has achieved has been brilliant so far. I can’t think any other property that has managed to do so in such a scale and manner. Where viewership is concerned, I feel even if it manages to hold at 4 or above would be a very good thing.”

     

     

    Mona Jain

    But feelings seem to be mixed for Mona Jain, CEO of Vivaki Exchange, who remarked, “I expect the ratings to display a similar trend to that of last year. Also, where the campaign is concerned I believe they should have started that much earlier on mediums like television, outdoor, radio etc. And the fact that IPL is an established property maybe that’s the reason the broadcaster maybe wanting to push the property closer to the start of the event. I guess more emphasis was paid on leveraging the event then trying to build it up.”

     

    While there may be a few naysayers who’ll be raising questions on the waning demand of the sport in India, SET MAX would want to prove them wrong by posting numbers a notch better than at least the previous season. One will have to wait and watch if King Khan managed to work his charm to at least get the inaugural event off to a flying start.

     

  • India ranked #4 in the pecking order of shortlists, albeit a distant one as UK, US and Australia saw 51, 38 and 25 shortlists respectively at the Festival of Media Global scheduled to be held in Montreux, Switzerland from April 28 to 30

    Mindshare gets 7 shortlists at Festival of Media Global

    By A Correspondent

     

    Mindshare shines with seven shortlists from among the 11 entries that Indian media agencies find themselves for the big metals at The Festival of Media Global scheduled to be held in Montreux, Switzerland from April 28 to 30.

     

    India ranked #4 in the pecking order of shortlists, albeit a distant one as UK, US and Australia saw 51, 38 and 25 shortlists respectively. Interestingly, the India flag is flying ahead of Spain (8), New Zealand (7), Thailand (7) and Germany (6).  Brazil and China had two shortlist each.

     

     

  • In the light of the recent controversies, we asked industry players what they feel about Goafest, what they are looking forward to, & who they think should win

    What does Goafest have in store?

     

    By Meghna Sharma

     

    In the world of media and advertising, awards go hand-in-hand with controversies. The upcoming Goafest is no exception – the annual festival to celebrate creativity in South Asia has been in the news for the wrong reasons. First, one of the biggies and main winners at the fest – Ogilvy and Mather – decided to stay away from the Creative Abby. Then, the entry of a controversial scam ad by JWT for their client Ford India led to heads rolling and shock waves across the industry.

     

    But turning to the positives, of which there are many, Goafest among other things offers many, especially youngsters in the industry, the opportunity to showcase their talent and learn from each other.

     

    In the light (and shade) of this, MxMIndia asked industry players what they feel about the festival, what they are looking forward to, and who they think should win.

     

    KS Chakravarthy, NCD, Draftfcb Ulka

    It’s an open field this year as there is no frontrunner or contender this year. All of the campaigns so far are good and deserve an equal chance of winning. There has been a good amount of work done by various agencies and it would be great to see it together. Also, to hear what the speakers have to share with others is always an interesting part of the event.

     

     

     

    Naresh Gupta, managing partner, Bang In The Middle

    I don’t have a favourite. This year hasn’t seen one landmark campaign that is the favourite. I would like to see a lot of challenger brands’ work to win. I would like to see more real work. Work that is mainstream. Work that the brands did to solve a marketing problem. I would also like to see greater integration of real and digital world.

     

     

     

    Anil Kakar, Founder/Chief Creative Officer, Gasoline

    As always, I am hoping to see the finest our industry has to offer. This year, in particular, I expect to see surprising work, especially in terms of craft. It’s good to see that we’ve been raising the bar in terms of execution, year after year and I am hoping this year will be no different. Among the few pieces that I can remember, I think the print campaign for Varuna D Jani is brilliant in terms of execution. The Morphy Richards commercial is another exceptional piece of work, worthy of a metal.

     

     

    Ashish Khazanchi, NCD, Publicis Ambience

    I’m sure the conversations, this year, are going to focus mainly on the controversies. However, apart from that, I’m going forward to the work and new talent. Also, with Ogilvy stepping out of it, it is difficult to say who’ll be a clear-cut winner unlike the previous years where some of the work done by the agency has won various awards. We expect to do well and of course there is Leo Burnett and McCann which have good work to their credit.

     

     

    Vivek Srivastava, Jt MD, Innocean Worldwide

    It’s a platform to interact and observe. There should be some interesting seminars. The Goafest committee has worked rather hard to get an interesting line up of speakers. And the Industry Conclave is being done in a manner which makes the business leaders deliberate and argue about issues that are affecting our businesses in the immediate term. I am surely looking forward to these. Our agency Innocean has had some shortlists. I would be happy to see those win for sure. In my view campaigns that genuinely impact consumer behaviour, make an impact on the brands’ future and ensure their relevance in this dynamic are the ones that deserve to win.

     

  • Ogilvy – that powerhouse of creativity – is not in the running for the Creative Abby. What does the industry think of that?

    The unexpected has already happened @ Goafest

    By Meghna Sharma

     

    This year the theme of Goafest is ‘Just what you unexpected’, and people were certainly not expecting Ogilvy to skip the event!

     

    Yes, for the very first time in the history of the event, the agency which has been winning big and inspiring many others at the event has decided to not participate in it. Shocking as it may seem, according to the agency, the decision has been taken after they felt that the event wasn’t energizing its people enough. Hence, they’ll skip it this year. As for the future, it is still unclear.

     

     

     

    MxM Comment: Sad to see an Abby minus Ogilvy… Time to ‘lagao’ pressure to get ’em back!

    It’s vital to exert all possible pressure to get Ogilvy back to the Creative Abby, writes Pradyuman Maheshwari. An Ogilvy not participating in the Creative Abby is like a China or USA not competing in the Summer Olympics!

     

    Last year, the Creative Abby was dominated by Ogilvy with the agency taking home 51 metals, including one Grand Prix, 11 Golds, 16 Silvers and 23 Bronzes. In earlier editions too, the agency has performed very well and has won the Grand Prix in 2007, 2011 and 2012. And in 2005, Ogilvy won the Creative Agency of the Year.

     

    MxMIndia asked around in the advertising industry whether it is in general a good idea for any agency to stay away from an industry event, and what will Ogilvy’s absence mean when the industry gets together in Goa, next month…

     

    R.Balki, Chairman and CCO, Lowe Lintas & Partners

    We have never entered the Goafest and other awards for a long time now. So, it would be wrong for us to comment on Ogilvy’s decision.

     

     

     

    Prasoon Joshi, President South Asia, McCann Worldgroup

    Every agency is entitled to its beliefs and I guess it is Ogilvy’s personal decision that they have decided to stay away from participating at Goafest this year. We should not focus on the negative side of this decision; the problem with all creative festivals in India is that we focus too much on controversies and one-upmanship. Instead, we should be celebrating each others’ work as it is only once or twice a year that we get to meet each other and celebrate our work. Bottomline is, if Ogilvy has decided to not participate this year at Goafest then we should respect that decision.

     

    KV Sridhar, NCD, Leo Burnett

    I don’t think it is correct of any agency to skip the event. It is an event organized for the industry by the industry. Having said that, I do believe that everyone has their own choice and reasons to do otherwise. It is an event where we should all come together and celebrate each others’ work. There is no charm in it if everyone doesn’t participate. Earlier too, McCann hadn’t for a year and Lintas don’t at all. I wish Ogilvy decides to come back to the event as it is not only a big but also a good agency.

     

    Pratap Bose, COO, DDB Mudra Group

    It is every agency’s decision to particpate or not to at any event. Therefore, Ogilvy’s decision is its own and I’m sure there are enough and more reasons for taking it. As for the event, I’m a firm believer that no matter who participates or who doesn’t, the show must go on.

     

     

    Arijit Ray, CEO, Dentsu Communications

    Goafest is a very recognized property and all agencies participate in it. Therefore, there is no reason to question or doubt the event’s sanctity. There is no doubt that Ogilvy is a big force at the fest and will be missed, but I guess it will go on as usual.

     

     

     

    Jishnu Sen, COO, Grey India

    It’s disappointing, but I am sure they have their reasons and am also sure when you examine those reasons closely, you will find that they have batted on the other side in some other fest. These decisions are taken to suit oneself and never for a broader good as often projected. Of course Ogilvy’s absence will affect the fest. Anybody’s presence or absence makes a difference. If it’s a competition, then the more there is, the more fun it is.

     

    Viral Pandya, CCO, Out of the Box

    This in fact is shocking news. It’s a delight to see their solid work every year and it also inspires a lot of young talent today. In my opinion, O&M has kept consistency over the years as far as finding creative solutions for its clients. And in process, the work, over and over, every year has worked for them at Goafest. It’s a pity that they are stepping out. Surely, there’s going to be a huge impact this year. And I sincerely feel that even Goafest need to reinvent itself. It has to become more ‘real’.

     

  • This year the theme of the Goafest Advertising Conclave is 'Time to Listen'. The Conclave will highlight the shortcomings of media and creative agencies, as perceived by major advertisers

    What do advertisers want? Goafest Conclave to investigate

    By A Correspondent

     

    As the excitement around Goafest 2013, the eighth edition of India’s most awaited advertising festival, builds up, the Advertising Conclave preceding it has also become a highlight for senior minds in the industry to pause and plan its course. This year the theme of the Goafest Advertising Conclave is ‘Time to Listen’. The conclave will highlight the shortcomings of media and creative agencies, as perceived by major advertisers. Much like the last few years, the conclave, sponsored by Discovery Channel, will see 200 industry leaders drawn from Marketing, Advertising and Media. Participation to the conclave is by invitation only.

     

    Srinivasan Swamy

    Srinivasan Swamy, Chairman of the Goafest Advertising Conclave, who has also chaired the conclave in the past few years, said, “Our Conclaves always focus on issues of relevance to us. In the past we have talked about how to grow the advertising industry, or on the changing agency structure or how advertising is more than creative and media etc. In the same vein, this year we will get advertisers to tell us how we can be more relevant to their needs. The theme ‘Time to Listen’ captures this essence.”

     

    The conclave will have some of India’s biggest marketers identify the areas that both creative and media agencies need to focus on, and make suggestions to get served better.

     

    Nitin Paranjpe

    Nitin Paranjpe, MD and CEO Hindustan Unilever, will deliver the keynote address, and other industry stalwarts will share experiences and insights. The finalized names include: Harit Nagpal, MD and CEO Tata Sky, Arundhati Bhattacharya, MD SBI Capital Marketers and Arunabh Das Sharma, President Bennett Coleman & Co.

     

    Sunil Alagh, Founder and Chairman of SKA Advisors and former MD of Britannia, will moderate a lively panel discussion.

     

     

    Nakul Chopra

    Nakul Chopra, Chairman of Goafest 2013, said, “The original idea of the Conclave as distinct from Goafest was a forum where industry leaders could contemplate the future of our industry and come together to cooperate in improving it. True to this spirit this year it is our endeavour to make the Conclave a much more potent learning experience for the industry. There is no better way to improve our future than by listening to our own customers. With a stellar caste of speakers and a potent theme this year’s Conclave promises to be thought provoking at the very least.”

     

    The Advertising Conclave will be held on April 4, 2013 at Zuri White Sands, Goa from 3.30pm to 7.30pm.

     

     

  • Leading creative agency Ogilvy & Mather has decided not to participate in this year's Creative Abby at Goafest 2013

    Ogilvy to skip Creative Abby @ Goafest 2013

     

    Familiar images of Team Ogilvy after the Creative Abby will not be seen this year!

    By Meghna Sharma

     

    The Men in Black will not be seen running to the stage at the Creative Abby this year.

     

    Yes, that Ogilvy & Mather shines at the Abby every year is a foregone conclusion for the creative fraternity in India. Yes, there are the folks at Taproot, DDB Mudra, JWT, BBDO, Creativeland and the like, but the Piyush Pandey-headed O&M has been ruling the Indian creative awards.

     

     

    Abhijit Avasthi

    “Yes, we won’t be participating  in Goafest this year,” confirmed Abhijit Awasthi, National Creative Director of O&M to MxMIndia. “We won’t be entering in the awards as we have felt that they were not energizing our people as they used to earlier. So we decided to take a break and may be see later what happens.”

     

    MxMIndia wasn’t able to reach Advertising Club for an official comment, though informally senior members have confirmed the development. While they don’t expect Ogilvy to reverse its decision, at least one senior person said that efforts are being made to get Ogilvy back.

     

    Goafest 2013 is scheduled to be held in Goa from April 4 to 6 this year.

    Update: While confirming the development with MxMIndia, Advertising Club president Shashi Sinha said that the awards will go on as usual, even though he agreed that Ogilvy’s absence will have an effect.

     

  • Bisleri is pushing its 500ml bottle, focusing on the theme that each one should buy their own bottle to drink water, and not share

    #dontshare but kiss the drink, says Bisleri

    By Meghna Sharma

     

    Shraddha Nathani

    From Pure and Safe and Play Safe to Stay Protected, Bisleri has always tried to reinvent itself from time to time to stand out in the market.

     

    The latest campaign – Kiss to Drink – will see three ads being launched. “Bisleri has been consistently doing clutter-breaking communication. These are cool, funny, slightly over the top set of ads. The unique selection of characters in the ads makes them appealing to people across all TGs . Bisleri is projecting a very youthful and cool imagery,” says Shraddha Nathani, marketing head, Bisleri.

     

    #dontshare

    But what differentiates this campaign from the previous ones is the launch of its 500ml personal pack. Through this, the company will launch its product (500ml SKU) focusing on the theme that one should buy their own bottle to drink water, and not share.

     

    Ms Nathani explains, “A basic consumer behaviour is that we do not like to share water with someone who has touched the bottle to his/her mouth (jhootha). The campaign takes into consideration this behavior and asks the consumer to buy their own bottle and drink straight from the bottle (kiss).”

     

    Anuraag Khandewal

    Elaborating the idea, Mr Anuraag Khandewal, ECD and Creative head, Soho Square (Mumbai) adds, “With the intention of giving the Bisleri 500 bottle a context in the consumer’s life, we built upon the cultural taboo of ‘jhootha’. Indians hate it when their bottle of water is picked by another and touched to the mouth while drinking. We presented the Bisleri 500 as a solution to this bottle defiling. Being the right size we touted it as ‘your personal bottle’. Encouraging habitual bottle-hijackers to go get their own bottle, put it to their lips, and drink.”

     

    Through the campaign, Bisleri wants to change consumer behaviour. “Not just a consumption behaviour, but a social behaviour too. Bisleri as a brand has never done communication that focuses on a single SKU. Until now,” Mr Khandewal underlines.

     

    Digitally, first

    Another unique feature about the campaign is that marks the first time Bisleri uses digital innovations and a staggered media roll- out plan. The TVCs will be launched released digitally across platforms followed by on-air, radio and on-ground events.

     

    Parag Ghandhi

    “Bisleri has an active fan following of 50000+ on Facebook & 800+ on Twitter. Looking at the new brand communication we saw an opportunity for fantastic integration with digital playing an important role in increasing reach of media and sure short viewership of new TVCs,” says Parag Ghandhi, Director, Flying Cursor, on the idea behind going digital first.

     

    Mr Ghandhi adds, “Also the campaign is youthful, humorous and has an instant connect with the target audience which allowed us to creating engagement and a sense of delight among fans rather than just asking them to watch the new TVCs. The whole digital plan is a buildup to take the traditional media beyond viewership and conventional mediums.”

     

    Using Facebook, YouTube, Twitter etc, the ads will be released across all platforms and several contests are also being launched simultaneously. The hash tags #Shabhash and #Dontshare which capture the essence of the campaign will be integrated within the entire plan. An extensive outdoor and radio plan is also in the offing.

     

    Marketing mix

    Bisleri has earmarked 30 percent of their annual marketing spends towards the campaign and would be spreading it over three months starting April 2013. “We have planned an integrated marketing approach for popularizing this campaign and hope to connect with the target audience effectively,” says Ms Nathani.

     

    The campaign spreads across metros, mini-metros and across GECs and youth-centric channels. The integrated marketing plan also features on-ground events which are being managed by Nash Events. A series of flash mobs/ fun contests are being planned for key metro cities.

     

    By the end of the year Bisleri is looking at a 40 percent increase in the 500ml SKU.

     

  • To celebrate this landmark, the magazine's 5th anniversary issue is a 230-page 'luxury special'

    GoodHomes turns 5

    By A Correspondent

     

    GoodHomes, the interiors magazine published by Worldwide Media, completes five years this month. To celebrate this landmark, the magazine’s 5th anniversary issue is a 230-page ‘luxury special’. This mega issue focuses on the various avatars of indulgent home decor. The luxury theme has been chosen, keeping in mind consumer aspirations & the growing luxury home decor market (expected to grow at 25% per year, according to ET).

     

    GoodHomes Editor Ronitaa Italia-Dhanu said, “The 5th Anniversary issue looks at luxury as an experience; a way of life. It could be an object for some people, a feeling for others, or a setting for some others. Whatever it is, it is always aspirational. If I were to define ‘luxury’, I’d say it’s a state of mind. One where you feel so good, you’re always wanting it. And once you have it, you automatically and involuntarily aspire to another. This issue endeavours to address not so much the feeling itself, but the aspiration of it. This issue is all about aiming higher; about living well.”

     

    The promotional campaign includes print, outdoors, on-ground and digital. The print campaign will run across city dailies in the key metros, while the outdoor campaign would focus on Mumbai and Delhi. A pan-India on-ground push is a part of the plan as well. The digital campaign will be led by social media through contests and other engagement initiatives.

     

    Over the past year, the magazine has interpreted the ‘home’ space in new ways. Starting with a redesign of its issue last April, GoodHomes has also created an art week titled ‘GoodHomes for Art’ in Mumbai. Held between Oct 29 and November 4 last year, the aim of the art week was to educate, appreciate and understand art, to take art out of the galleries to as many people as possible. The week was filled with public art displays, workshops, artists’ meets and special showings. The art week will return to Mumbai this year during the same period.

     

  • Shruti Haasan will to help drive brand's digital and online fashion campaigns

    American Swan signs up actress Shruti Haasan as its digital Brand Ambassador

    By A Correspondent

     

    Global fashion and lifestyle brand American Swan(www.americanswan.com) has announced its association with Shruti Haasan as their digital brand ambassador. The design concept of American Swan collection is aimed at the fashion-forward youth offering a range of authentic smart casuals to people who seek an aspirational, glamorous yet restrained lifestyle. Earlier last month the brand had roped in India’s upcoming cricketer Unmukt Chand to celebrate its “Young Achievers” campaign and this association further reinforces the brand’s ethos in the direction.

     

    Speaking about the association, Anurag Rajpal, Director and CEO, American Swan said, “We at American Swan believe we have our finger on the pulse of the fashion conscious youth and our Spring Summer collection offers international styling & trends. We are confident that with this association American Swan will be seen as a brand that celebrates the dreams and aspirations of the youth.”

     

    Mr Rajpal further elucidated, “We aim for a differentiation through our brand relevance & positioning: To offer affordable luxury to an aspiration-led audience that seeks International quality & fashion. While the e-commerce space in India is defined by deals & discounts, we believe in wooing customers with ‘True Value’: to offer trending fashion and top-notch products at affordable pricing.”

     

    On the occasion, Ms Haasan added, “I am delighted to be collaborating with American Swan and I personally relate to the brand and their collections as they suit my style sensibility. I am confident that the brand will make a mark in the fashion and retail space.”

     

    American Swan is a part of The American Swan Lifestyle Company (www.taslc.com), a dynamic Fashion & Apparel Lifestyle Company.

     

    To enhance the brand’s reach, American Swan has spread its wings and the merchandise is also available on other leading e-commerce sites including Jabong, Myntra, Flipkart, Pepperfry, Yebhi, HomeShop18 and select leading MBOs across the country.

     

  • Mumbai-based advertising agency Eggfirst has appointed two key people – Hitesh Sohandani and Sunil Balan – in order to strengthen the senior management team

    Eggfirst strengthens senior management

    By A Correspondent

     

    In line with their growth plans, Mumbai-based advertising agency Eggfirst has appointed two key people in order to strengthen the senior management team. Hitesh Sohandani joins as Business Head, while Sunil Balan joins the agency as Client Servicing Director.

     

    Mr Sohandani joins Eggfirst after a successful stint as Business Head at Everest. With more than 15 years of experience in advertising, he has also worked with Triton as a Group Account Director. He said, “I am looking forward to the exciting opportunities at Eggfirst. Given the ambitious growth plans, I am relishing the challenges that lie ahead.”

     

    Mr Balan said, “Eggfirst is the place I was looking at to do some really exciting work. With an immensely hard working team, I am keen on working with them to take it to the next level”.

     

    Ravi Banka

    Ravi Banka, CMD, Eggfirst, said, “With an ever-evolving business environment where consumers are co-creators of brands, with the cut throat competition amongst agencies, Eggfirst intends to have those brands as clients – the ones that are known for their creative breakthroughs. Having both of them on board gives us all the more strength to explore new endeavors in coming years.”

     

  • The alliance is for sales, integrated solutions and activations

    94.3 My FM, Fever 104 FM ink strategic sales alliance

    By Meghna Sharma

     

    94.3 My FM & Fever 104 FM have entered into a strategic sales alliance, which is aimed towards leveraging each other’s strengths and market leadership to offer unmatched value proposition to the radio advertisers nationally. The alliance will offer advertisers the best of both metro & non-metro markets while allowing both the radio brands to sell stations they are not present in. The alliance is for sales, integrated solutions and activations.

     

    Mona Jain

    “The alliance will obviously benefit them. Geographical expansion being the main one. Today, everyone is getting into such alliances and collaborations which means there is no monopoly. Hence, making it a seller’s market and not a buyer’s market,” said Mona Jain, CEO, Vivaki Exchange.

     

    The radio business of DB Corp Ltd, 94.3 My FM is present across 17 growing cities of India ie Jaipur, Jodhpur, Chandigarh, Bhopal, Jalandhar, Ahmedabad, Surat, Udaipur, Gwalior, Indore, Ajmer, Amritsar, Bilaspur, Nagpur, Raipur, Kota and Jabalpur. While Fever 104 FM, owned by HT Media Ltd, is present in the four largest metro cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Kolkata. The purpose of this association is to leverage on the strong local understanding that My FM has in the growing markets for corporate advertisers and My FM advertisers will benefit from Fever’s strengths in the metro cities. The main idea behind the partnership is that the customers should benefit by having the best of both – national reach and local relevance.

     

    Harrish Bhatia

    Harrish M Bhatia, CEO 94.3 My FM said, “It’s a win-win situation for both of us as we can accomplish more this way. Nobody understands the pulse of the growing tier-2 and tier-3 markets better than 94.3 My FM and with Fever 104 FM’s strength in the metros we will be able to provide our advertisers a great platform to leverage their brands.”

     

    According to the official statement, 94.3 My FM is the largest radio station network of the growing India (17 tier-2 & tier-3 cities) attracting over 5 million radio listeners (as per IRS, which is similar to Fever’s reach as per IRS).

     

    Harshad Jain

    Commenting on the alliance Harshad Jain, Business Head, Radio & Entertainment, HT Media said, “With this alliance we aim to provide the best of both the worlds for our advertisers. The combination of our strengths in key metro cities and My FM’s strong presence in growing Indian cities will be a great proposition for any advertiser in the radio category. The expertise of each of the brands will be leveraged to the best to offer unmatched radio solutions.”

     

    “The thought process behind the alliance has been to fill in the gaps in the market. Clients come to us who want certain networks while some want a pan India approach. This will help us reach out to both,” Mr Bhatia told MxM India, adding, “We did a drill and found out the challenges ahead, now let’s see how its goes. We have just announced the alliance.”