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Category: NEWS

  • The annual awards for excellence in communication and media will be held on for September 19 at the Ritz Carlton Hotel, Bengaluru

    Ad Club Blr to hold Big Bang Awards on Sept 19

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Advertising Club Bangalore has announced that this year’s edition of the Big Bang Awards will be held on September 19, 2014 at the Ritz Carlton Hotel, Bengaluru.

     

    The Club received a record number of 956 entries this year from various cities including Mumbai and Delhi NCR. Speaking on this, Malavika Harita, President, Advertising Club Bangalore said:  “We have received good number of entries almost across all categories. Digital advertising entries are on the rise, in keeping with the general trend in advertising”.

     

    Said Arvind Kumar, Executive Director of the Ad Club: “A unique thing that is being added to the awards night this year, is a panel discussion on the topic ‘Online Killed the Offline Star – True or False’ with the panelists likely to be Colors CEO Raj Nayak, Puneetha Arumugam from Google India with media serial entrepreneur Annurag Batra as moderator.

     

    “The Ad Club roped in close to 40 judges, who are judging the Big Bang entries this year, and each entry is being judged by a group of three judges, who are experts in their field of communication, to ensure there is fairness in the judging process,” Mr Kumar added.

     

    Those interested in getting entry invites to the event can call Mr Manjunath at Ad Club Office on 080-2361 4888 or +9199005 42055

     

     

     

  • The India Today group has announced the appointment of senior journalist and founder and editor-in-chief of IBN18 Network Rajdeep Sardesai as Consulting Editor

    From Yesterday: Rajdeep Sardesai joins India Today group as Consulting Editor

    By A Correspondent

     

    Rajdeep Sardesai

    It’s now final. After many rumours doing the rounds including one where he was to join NewsX, we have now received a mail from the India Today group announcing the appointment of senior journalist and founder and editor-in-chief of IBN18 Network Rajdeep Sardesai as Consulting Editor.

     

    Welcoming him to the group, India Today group Chairman and Editor-in-Chief Aroon Purie said, “Rajdeep has been an asset to whichever team he has belonged to, including the cricketing ones. Great to have him with us. I know he will hit the ball out of the park for Team India Today.”

     

    Mr Sardesai started his television career in 1994 and was a founding member of NDTV and, subsequently, CNN-IBN. Prior to television, he worked with The Times of India for six years and was the City Editor of its Mumbai edition. He served as the Editor-in-Chief of IBN18 Network, including CNN-IBN, IBN-7 and IBN-Lokmat for the last nine years. He has just finished his first book based on the historic 2014 elections. Mr Sardesai has won several national and international awards for journalism, including the Padma Shri in 2008. He has also been President of the Editors Guild of India and was chosen a Global leader for tomorrow by the World Economic Forum in 2000.

     

  • McCann Worldgroup has announced the elevation of Prasoon Joshi as its chairman for Asia-Pacific region, bringing both Greater China and Australia under his purview, with immediate effect

    McCann elevates Prasoon Joshi as head of its APAC ops

    By Delshad Irani

     

    Prasoon Joshi

    McCann Worldgroup, the biggest agency network in global advertising giant Interpublic Group’s fold, has elevated Prasoon Joshi as its chairman for Asia-Pacific region, bringing both Greater China and Australia under his purview, with immediate effect. Earlier, he was president of McCann Worldgroup South Asia and CEO of the agency’s Indian operations.

     

    Harris Diamond, chairman and chief executive officer of McCann Worldgroup, flew down to Mumbai to make the announcement. In his new role, Mr Joshi will lead the network’s strategic vision in the region and integrate McCann Worldgroup’s skills across platforms in line with its core ideas.

     

    “Collaboration and integration is the value we bring to the table,” Mr Joshi said. “McCann is a truly international agency and clients benefit from talent across the world through one portal that they can access anywhere, say, from Latin America and get the benefit of minds sitting in Mumbai.” Joshi will be based in Mumbai.

     

    Charles Cadell, who spent significant time in India with another Interpublic agency Lowe, and Jesse Lin, will provide him business and operational width from Singapore and Shanghai, respectively.

     

    In an exclusive interaction with Joshi and Diamond, when asked why has Mr Joshi decided to stay in Mumbai despite having several world cities to choose from? “His wife would kill him if he chose to move!” Mr Diamond retorted with a smile. On a more serious note he said, “I believe in the growth story of India, but we also have to play our part and not expect growth on a platter,” emphasising the importance McCann gives to the country. “India is a tremendous growth environment,” Mr Diamond said. “The new leadership, the new prime minister…we are very enthusiastic about the market.

     

    Candidly, a year ago there were a lot of questions.  Mr Joshi will not be the first person to run regional or global operations of a multinational from India. Vikram Sakhuja, the worldwide CEO of media firm Maxus, still works out of his Goregaon East office in Mumbai, two years after taking over. We recently reported that Nitin Paranjpe, who assumed charge of Unilever’s global home care division 11 months ago, was yet to relocate out of India. McCann Worldgroup, which has 23,000 employees in 330 offices across the world, has turned more aggressive under Diamond, who took charge two years ago. Earlier this year, Microsoft parked its global account with McCann.

     

    Mr Joshi – poet, scriptwriter and creative mastermind behind some memorable campaigns such as ‘Thanda Matlab Coca-Cola’ and the Happydent ‘Palace’ – joined McCann in 2002 after a decade at Ogilvy. He’s a member of both McCann’s global creative council and its board.

     

    Source:The Economic Times

    Copyright © 2014, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved

    Licensed to republish

     

  • Day One was dedicated to the second edition of IAA Kyoorius Digiyatra, with six sessions dedicated to creative expression in an increasingly digital world

    Kyoorius Designyatra kicks off with a focus on digital

    By Abhijeet Amonkar

     

    The three-day Kyoorius Designyatra fest kicked off with much enthusiasm with a 1520-strong creative fraternity in attendance. Day One was dedicated to the second edition of IAA Kyoorius Digiyatra, with six sessions dedicated to creative expression in an increasingly digital world.

     

    The theme of the ninth edition of Designyatra is ‘What If’ and the sessions are being moderated by Patrick Burgoyne, Editor of the UK-based Creative Review magazine.

     

    The day started with Gaston Legorburu, Executive Director and Worldwide Chief Creative Officer, SapientNitro on storytelling and how companies need to create worlds instead of creating ads. “Customers don’t want to be told a story, they want to be a part of the story,” Legorburu said.

     

    Next, Christian Etter, Founder of Etter Studio, explored new avenues of being social online, with his collaborative game ‘Drei’ where players are encouraged to build basic structures, working together. “I’m a big fan of limitation, since it allows you to find new, creative ways around the problem,” he said.

     

    The session that received a standing ovation was conducted by the MIT Media Lab’s Dhairya Dand and Deepak Jagdish. They vowed the audience with their research and explorations in digital technology. “Life ends up like an omelette,” said Dand, matter-of-factly with Jagdish adding: “We live in an ocean of data, and it’s time we tap into it.”

     

    Following lunch was content strategist Elizabeth McGuane who develops ways to structure a company’s story and make digital more human. “Bad content is just a symptom that something else is wrong,” she said.

     

    A common thread throughout the day was storytelling and how brands need to find ways to create meaningful connections with their audiences online. Tim Malbon, Founding Partner of Made by Many, asked several relevant ‘What If” questions while at the same time giving an overview of the current state of digital and what to look forward to in the future.

     

    The concluding session of the day was conducted by Maria Eriksson of Hyper Island who highlighting the four fundamental pillars of digital - people, companies, learning and change. “Every agency in India is struggling to define what a digital agency is. What if I told you that digital has nothing to do with digital,” she asked.

     

    Commenting on the day’s proceedings, Rajesh Kejriwal, Founder and CEO of Kyoorius, said: “IAA Kyoorius Digiyatra has been a great success once again. There were a lot of interesting insights and discussions throughout the day about how to humanize digital, and thinking beyond social media,” he said.  Added Srinivasan K Swamy, President IAA India Chapter & Vice President, Development Asia Pacific region of the International Advertising Association, “Digital is gaining much in importance and at IAA we are committed to the digital media,” he said.

     

  • The account is estimated to be upwards of INR 20 crores and will be handled out of the Havas Media Mumbai office

    Borosil hands over media mandate to Havas Media

    By A Correspondent

     

    Havas Media India has won the integrated media duties of Borosil Glass Works Ltd. in a multi agency pitch. The account is estimated to be upwards of INR 20 crores and will be handled out of the Havas Media Mumbai office.

     

    Borosil Glass Works is a leading producer of laboratory glassware and microwavable kitchenware in India having the ISO 9001 certification.

     

    Commenting on the appointment, Rituraj Sharma, V.P. Consumer Products, Borosil Glass Works, said, “Havas Media came across as a very professional and a passionate agency. Their transparency, knowledge and media expertise was impressive. We wanted a dynamic partner to help us scale further and found one in them .”

     

    Anita Nayyar

    Speaking on the win, Anita Nayyar, CEO, Havas Media Group, India and South Asia, said, “Borosil is a prestigious and trusted brand in India and we are glad they have entrusted us with their business. It has been a good year of integrated media wins for us. Our ability to provide meaningful connections across communication touchpoints has been appreciated by clients.”

     

    “This win further consolidates our integrated media offering with digital at the core. We look forward to partnering with Borosil as they scale in India”, said Mohit Joshi, Managing Director, Havas Media India.

     

    Mohit Joshi

    Borosil Consumer Products division sells microwavable and flameproof kitchenware and glass tumblers through over 5000 retail outlets. Recently Borosil also diversified into small appliances, melamine dinnerware and home decor. Borosil also specialise in scientific glassware which has found use in over 2000 different products and applications, in areas as diverse as Microbiology, Biotechnology, Photo Printing, Process Systems and Lighting.

     

  • Post the name change, the original Lycos branding will be retained and communicated with a renewed front-end team

    Ybrant renames brand name to Lycos

    By A Correspondent

     

    Digital media company Ybrant Digital Limited has announced its intent to change the name to “Lycos Internet Limited” subject to shareholder & ROC approval. This will see the consolidation of all media properties to simplify the identity of the group to an easy name Lycos.

     

    The new Lycos is a 500-employee strong, larger version with local offices in 24 countries spread across Asia, Australia, Europe, Latin America and the US. Post the name change, the original Lycos branding will be retained and communicated with a renewed front-end team. At the same time, the network business of Ybrant will continue to perform under the same name, Ybrant Digital.

     

    Lycos has been one of the pioneers in providing solutions during the static web pages days, creating an incredible text based search engine to simplify the user experience in seeking information across a barrage of websites created in the late 90s.

     

    “Sticking to the original philosophy of helping the users navigate the Internet, Lycos will stand for “Simplify Your Digital Life” then and now. This new Lycos will effectively leverage the company’s expertise in digital media and advertising globally. And the company will derive strategic benefits out of the well-known name in generating more business and entering new areas,” said Suresh Reddy, Chairman and CEO of Lycos.

     

    Innovations in the areas of IOT (Internet of Things), Cloud computing, Data (Big and Smart), Crypto currencies, OpenSource, Security and Privacy (Ephemerality or otherwise) set the stage up for an all-enveloping simple framework to operate from. Lycos will spearhead this effort to bring these disparate, disconnected entities (Web sites, apps and IOT devices) to work in a cohesive manner.

     

  • The channel has increased its ad-rates on account of 26 per cent increase in their viewership from January 2014 to July 2014

    Decent growth numbers lead Kolkata TV to hike ad rates

    By A Correspondent

     

    After putting up a good performance in the Bengali News genre, Kolkata TV has decided to hike its advertising rates. The Group has also inked a media sales deal for the North & South markets with Aidem Ventures.

     

    The channel has increased its ad-rates on account of 26 per cent increase in their viewership from January 2014 to July 2014. The time spent per viewer has also increased by 21 per cent for the same period.

     

    In 2006, Kolkata TV was launched as a 24X7 Bengali News Channel in order to fill the dearth of quality content that existed in Bengal’s electronic media. It has emerged as the leading Bengali 24-hours news channel on the strong base of meaningful reporting, strong programming content and smart presentation.

     

    Speaking of the rate hike, Kaustav Roy, Kolkata TV said, “West Bengal is an attractive target market for national brands. While most regional television channels get majority of their advertising revenue from local brands, Bengali TV channels witness larger chunks of ad revenue coming in from national brands than the local brands. As the leading news channel in the market, there is robust demand for Kolkata TV. This, combined with limited available inventory drove unit prices higher. Moreover, with a nation-wide network second to none, Aidem will help us develop and enforce our long-term sales and revenue strategy.”

     

    “Although viewership has increased sizably, the percentage rate hike is far lower because we want Kolkata TV to continue to be considered a channel that provides great value to a media plan. With this development, we hope to unlock greater revenues for Kolkata TV,” added Vikas Khanchandani, Director, Aidem Ventures.

     

  • He will report to R K Arora – Group CEO, ITV Network

    ITV Network appoints Sanjay Dua as CEO, NewsX

    By A Correspondent

    Sanjay Dua

    ITV Network has announced the appointment of Sanjay Dua as the Chief Executive Officer NewsX and Chief Revenue Officer ITV Network. Sanjay, an industry veteran with exhaustive market experience, brings with him formidable credentials and a wealth of knowledge. He will report to R K Arora – Group CEO, ITV Network

     

    In his new role, Sanjay’s responsibilities will include providing strategic direction, creating new opportunities in the market, paving the roadmap for the overall businesses of NewsX, while also being responsible for Revenue Management and pursuing innovative revenue models for ITV Network as part of the Network’s growth strategy.

     

    “Sanjay is a seasoned and trusted leader who consistently delivers results.  He is uniquely qualified to drive strategic monetization and product prioritization”, said Kartikeya Sharma, MD, ITV Network. “Sanjay’s profound experience of working with clients has provided him with a keen understanding of the challenges and opportunities in the current media environment. Sanjay has the vision, tenacity and integrity to ensure that ITV Network will quickly become India’s most profitable and largest TV news network.”

     

    Sanjay is a management graduate from Lucknow University and holds a management degree from Mudra Institute of Communications, Ahmedabad (MICA).

     

  • Ten Sports will also air WWE content in multiple Indian languages for the first time and bring WWE live events back to India in 2015

    Ten Sports extends contract with WWE

    By A Correspondent

     

    Ten Sports and WWE have extended their television distribution agreement for five more years through 2019 while growing their partnership beyond WWE’s weekly flagship programming to include localized content, more languages and live events.

     

    In addition to the continued broadcasts of WWE’s flagship programs Raw, SmackDown, NXT and monthly pay-per-view specials, starting January 1, 2015, Ten Sports will introduce a new one-hour fully customized version of Raw tailored specifically for the Indian audience and add WWE Main Event to its programming lineup. Ten Sports will also air WWE content in multiple Indian languages for the first time and bring WWE live events back to India in 2015.

     

    Rajesh Sethi, CEO, Ten Sports said, “We are very excited to extend our long-standing, successful partnership with WWE for the Indian Subcontinent. WWE is the leader in sports entertainment, and its high-quality entertainment is a huge hit among Indian audiences. Being rights holders since 2002, we have seen WWE grow over the years to dominate the sports entertainment space, and with this new deal through 2019, we are confident of taking our partnership to the next level, delivering audiences more breakthrough programming and engagement opportunities in the years to come.”

     

    “India remains a strategically important market for WWE and we are thrilled to continue our long-term partnership with Ten Sports, the region’s leader in sports programming,” said Gerrit Meier, WWE Executive Vice President, International. “As the value of the WWE brand and our content continues to increase around the world, the scale and scope of this new agreement illustrates our ability to drive a passionate and engaged audience as well as the potential we have for future growth.”

     

  • The partnership will assist in developing the best strategic communication route for Pro Ecuador, create a stable, impactful image for the destination and promote investment and trade opportunities for Ecuador in India

    LinOpinion GH bags PR mandate of Pro Ecuador

    By A Correspondent

     

    LinOpinion GH has announced their win of Pro Ecuador, the Institute for the Promotion of Trade and Investment for Ecuador working part of the Ministry of Foreign Trade, represented by its Commercial Office here in Mumbai. The partnership will assist in developing the best strategic communication route for Pro Ecuador, create a stable, impactful image for the destination and promote investment and trade opportunities for Ecuador in India. The account was won via a multi-agency pitch.

     

    Speaking on the association, Trade officer in India, Priscila Moscoso Meiller said, “We are proud to be associated with LinOpinion GH and we look forward to a successful and long standing partnership with them. With their vast expertise in the travel, tourism and trade promotion, we are sure that Pro Ecuador will gain from this association and evolve into an even stronger entity with distinct awareness and positioning created for its products and services thereby impacting Ecuador’s image and market share in India.”

     

    Ameer Ismail

    Commenting on the new win, Ameer Ismail, Executive Director, LinOpinion GH and Lowe Lintas and Partners says, “We are thrilled to have won such a prestigious mandate. With our domain expertise and proven track record, we demonstrated the right mix of insight, strategy and ability to build salience on Ecuador, its unique offerings and position it as a great investment and travel destination. We are honored to partner with Pro Ecuador and will use unconventional and innovative communication routes to add value to their marketing campaign as it unfurls.”

     

    For LinOpinion GH, the win comes as a significant addition to their already existing roster of some leading clients in the travel, tourism and trade vertical. These brands include Tourism Victoria, Starwood Group of Hotels, Etihad Airways, to name a few.

     

  • The three-day design, digital and creativity conference ended on a high with a 1970s-style theme party coinciding with the D&AD-backed awards.

    Ivan Chermanyeff and Ajaz Ahmed were highlights of Day 3 of #KDY14

    By Abhijeet Amonkar

     

    Ajaz Ahmed

    It was the last day of an event that no one wanted to end. The three-day design, digital and creativity conference ended on a high with a 1970s-style theme party coinciding with the D&AD-backed awards.

     

    The day began with Mat Heinl, CEO, Moving Brands who was of the firm belief that for brands to be successful, they must stop separating themselves from their products and services. Brands must create behaviours, instead of artefacts, he said.

     

    The next speaker, Todd Rovak, Managing Partner, Fahrenheit 212 said that while making toys, children respond more to Batman, a human being who gets to the top through training rather than Superman, who is born perfect. As far as innovation is concerned, an idea must solve a problem for the consumer as well as the business. He believes that “In order to go big, first go small.”

     

    Next up was Morihiko Hasebe, Executive Creative Director from Hakuhodo Inc who showcased the idea of combing various sectors to create an aesthetic and useful product. His company looks ahead, and is preparing designs for as much as a decade ahead.

     

    The two highlights of the day were Ivan Chermanyeff, Principal, Chermanyeff  & Geismar & Haviv and Ajaz Ahmed, Founder, AKQA. Chermanyeff, widely regarded as the god of logos , spoke about the thoughts that went into designing his work. “I’m one of those few people who can’t sit still,” he said while talking of his formula of success. His advice to future graphic designers is “Bring an idea that stays in place for a long, long time.”

     

    Ahmed, on the other hand, who founded leading digital agency AKQA at age 21, gave said even the smallest seed of an idea can cause a great revolution of hope.

     

    Earlier, Holly Hall, the Awards Director of the London-based D&AD spoke on the ‘What If?’ theme. The final speakers were Nathan Prince and Liam Paton from Silent Studios. They spoke about how music enhances our lives, and how in advertising, music is very important. Like most of the speakers, they said “Experiences, rather than products, make people happy.”

     

    So what was the highlight of the Kyoorius event versus various others held in the country or the region. When asked to comment on this, Rajesh Kejriwal, Founder and CEO, said that the event was a serious business. “We don’t want to people to come here for entertainment and drinks, even if it’s Goa. We want them to return inspired and be brimming with more ideas.”

     

    A senior marketer, who had been to the festival for the first time, echoed this sentiment. “I was told that you come here for the content, and I wasn’t disappointed,” she said.

     

  • There were two Black Elephants and 27 Blue Elephants present at the D&AD-governed Kyoorius Design Awards

    Ogilvy, Bombay Duck Designs win top accolades at #KDY14

     

    By Sandeep Puraname

     

    It wasn’t like any other award night. Around a thousand-odd creative and allied industry professionals were in attendance at the D&AD-backed 2014 Kyoorius Design Awards in Goa.

     

    In the signature Kyoorius style of a larger-than-life format, the audience was treated to a 1970s theme party.  A total of 680 entries were submitted across nine categories – Branding and Identity, Communication Design, Book Design, Editorial Design, Design for Space, Design for Packaging, Writing for Design, Design Craft and Design for Good. The 72 In-book winners were also nominees for Blue Elephants, and the jury awarded a total of 27 Blue Elephants and two Black Elephants. Student awards were also presented to meritorious submissions.

     

    Two Black Elephants were awarded to outstanding work that cut across categories, both in terms of concept and execution. Bombay Duck Designs was awarded a Black Elephant for Blued Book in the Design for Books category while Ogilvy & Mather was awarded a Black Elephant for :{to:) CleftToSmile, created for Operation Smile India in the Branding and Identity category.

     

    The 27 Blue Elephant winners included work by (in no specific order): Alok Nanda & Company, Trapeze, Redlion, Kulture Shop, Umbrella Design, Bombay Duck Designs, Locopopo, Eleven:43, The Architects Office, NH1 Design, Please See, Out of the Box, Lotus, Famous Innovations and Grey Worldwide, Publicis India, Creativeland Asia, TBWA India.

     

    While the awards are named Kyoorius, the entry and judging procedure is governed by D&AD, a London-based premier creative body. A mix of international and Indian jurors participated in a three-day judging session held in Pune in June 2014.

     

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