MxMIndia

Category: NEWS

  • Indians top users for maps and navigation, reading e-books & booking hotel last-minute through apps

    Indians can’t live without gadgets: Expedia study

     

    Leading online travel firm Expedia released the results of its mobile survey. The survey highlights the maturation of the Indian traveller who is fast moving up the ladder of travel apps and is no longer hooked with conventional modes of bookings. This study was conducted on behalf of Expedia by Northstar, a strategic insights consulting firm.  This survey was conducted online from August 25 to September 17, 2014 across North America, Europe, South America and Asia Pacific using the Kantar-owned GMI (Global Market Insite) and Lightspeed Research amalgamated group of panels. The study was conducted among 8,856 employed adults aged 18 years of age and older across 25 countries.

     

    Commenting on the insights of the survey, Vikram Malhi, MD, Asia, Expedia said “We decided to conduct this survey to understand the booking behaviour of the neo Indian traveller. The findings clearly suggest an increasing dependency on the mobile platform.  95% Indian respondents feel that their smartphone is very or of critical importance to their daily life.  Further Indians lead in app booking and data roaming plans globally. In fact, 75% of Indians who have used their smartphone or tablet to book a hotel have booked a hotel stay using a mobile app (the highest of any country) and 68% of Indians say they purchase an international data or roaming plan for their mobile device(s) while traveling away from their home network. With the rise of the smartphones, desktop is becoming an obsolete instrument, with only 28% using it for travel booking, second lowest globally” he added.

     

    Here are findings of the survey:

    Indians high on tech gadgets

    :: India has the highest number of Smartwatch owners globally, with 18% of them owning/using the device

    :: India has the second highest number of Google Glass owners (6%) after South Korea (8%)
    :: 85% of Indians currently have and use a laptop (Fourth highest in the world after Denmark (89%), Austria (86%) and Norway (86%)
    :: 86% of Indians have and use a smartphone

     

    Because we can’t live without gadgets!

    :: On being asked about how important are these devices, Indians scored the highest with 95% saying that their smartphone is very or of critical importance for them, 90% saying it for laptops and 66% seeing tablets as very or critically important

     

    How about leaving them at home when travelling for pleasure? No way!

    :: India ranked 5th in number of people saying they always bring their smartphone with them on leisure trips, with 88% of Indians who have at least one mobile device saying they always travel with their smartphone on leisure trips, and 38% say they always travel with a tablet.

    :: Indians rank second highest in carrying laptops with them on leisure trips (47%) after UAE (48%)
    :: Indians are the most likely globally to travel with a Smartwatch on leisure trips (9%)

     

    For work trips, laptop most important!

    :: 74% of Indians carry a laptop on work trips, second highest after Mexico (79%)

     

    Work life balance? Thumbs up!

    :: Indians use their mobile devices more frequently when travelling than when at home. Only 35% Indians say they use their mobile device most frequently when at home vs. 80% of Canadians

     

    Office giving tech perks? Big yes!

    :: 55% of employed Indians who have a mobile device have a work paid phone, tablet and / or laptop, the highest globally
    :: 75% of Indians who have a work-paid phone, tablet or laptop, take their device with them on vacation, second highest after Norway (82%)

     

    What do we really do on mobile devices? Food, travel, entertainment…we want it all!

    :: India has the highest number of travellers saying they frequently use their mobile devices for maps or navigation when travelling (61%)
    :: Indians are in the top 4 in terms of using their mobile device for entertainment (games, music, movies, tv shows) when travelling (35%) – Top three – UAE (42%), Thailand (41%) and Brazil (39%)
    :: Indians rank third highest in terms of using their mobile devices for travel assistance, translation, currency conversion, travel guides,with 31% of Indians using their mobile device for these purposes when travelling (Top two countries are Singapore (33%) and Hong Kong (32%)
    :: 22% of travellers from UAE, Ireland, Mexico and India read e-books/ magazines on their mobile devices when travelling, far higher than travellers from other regions.
    :: Indians are among the most likely in the world to use their mobile devices for dinning related purposes (reservations, reviews, recommendations) when travelling (16%), surpassed only by Mexicans (19%) and Italians (19%)
    :: India has the highest number of travellers using their mobile devices to access last minute travel booking apps (15%) and fitness /weight loss apps as well (11%)

     

    We care too much for our mobile device

    :: Indians are more anxious than travellers from other countries about losing their mobile device, with 34% ranking it 1st or 2nd in terms of  what would make them most anxious if unexpectedly lost.

     

    Why so scared? We feel insecure and wrecked!

    :: 43% of Indians say they would feel insecure, isolated or ship-wrecked if their mobile device was lost or stolen while travelling, a feeling surpassed only by travellers in South Korea (47%)
    :: After Brazil (41%), Indians (35%) are most likely to say losing their mobile device while on vacation would make them feel anxious  because all their apps, music and social networks are on their device.

     

    Texting! E-mailing! Clicking! Gaming – we don’t care about the public!

    Globally, Indians are most likely to use their mobile technology in public areas in the following ways when travelling…

    :: Making phone calls while dining – 43%
    :: Playing games, music without earphones – 36%
    :: Entertaining children with games/apps – 34%
    :: Making calls on speakerphones – 25%

     

    Internet? No negotiation there!

    :: 68% Indians say they purchase an international data or roaming plan for their mobile device(s) while traveling away from their home network – the highest globally

     

    Phone is all we need!

    :: Indians are second highest in keeping a power cord with them at all times to be used in case of dead battery. UAE is at top with 29% where as 28% Indians do so

     

    All-rounder users

    :: 79% of Indians use laptops to make travel bookings, which is second only to Norway (81%)
    :: 55% of Indians use their smartphone to make travel bookings, again second only to Thailand (56%)
    :: 27% have made bookings through a tablet which makes India’s number second highest after Thailand (28%)

     

    Desktop not for us anymore!

    :: Only 28% use a desktop for making travel booking which is the second lowest after Norway (25%)

     

    We know how to use it the best!

    When asked what they have done on a Smartphone for business purposes, categories that Indians surpass all other countries include:

    :: Receiving  flight alerts – 47%
    :: Documenting /capturing travel expenses -40%
    :: Booking a hotel – 36%
    :: Shopping for ground transportation- 34%
    :: Booking ground transportation – 31%
    :: Checking into a hotel – 29%

     

    Leisure travellers are no less!

    In terms of activities done on a Smartphone for leisure travel, India was highest globally for…

    :: Receiving flight alerts – 45%
    :: Booking a hotel – 43%
    :: Checking in for a flight – 37%
    :: Booking ground transportation – 33%

     

    Leisure travellers pro in booking hotels and ground transportation

    :: When travelling for pleasure, Indians are more likely than travellers from other countries to use their tablets to book hotels (45%), shop  for ground transportation (30%) and document / capture travel expenses (30%)

     

    Booking with the swipe of their finger

    :: 75% of Indians who have used their smartphone or tablet to book a hotel have booked a hotel stay using a mobile app (the highest of  any country)
    :: Of Indians who have used a mobile app to book a hotel stay, online travel agent such as Expedia, Hotels.com and Booking.com are  the most popular (69%)

     

    Free Wi-Fi? Definitely counts?

    :: 62% of Indians say, WI-FI availability or pricing (e.g., free Wi-Fi vs. not having to pay for Wi-Fi) impacts their purchase decisions when  searching for and booking flights or hotels.

     

    All prim & proper!

    :: 86% of Indian travellers always book their hotel before they arrive at their travel destination whereas only 49% plan their activities  ahead.

     

    What if not well prepared?

    Among Indian travelers who don’t always book their hotel in advance…

    :: 47% book their hotel using a mobile app (highest of any country)
    :: 36% just walk into a hotel to book their room
    :: 30% use the local travel agent/tourism office to book

     

    Travel accompaniments expected

    :: When booking a hotel for personal travel, 43% of Indian travellers say complimentary Wi-Fi in guest rooms and public areas is very  important
    :: 37% of Indians say access to high-speed Internet (at least 15Mbps) is very important. In fact, along with travellers from Thailand  (38%) and the US (37%), Indians place more importance on high-speed internet than travelers from other countries.
    :: Indian travelers also place more importance than travellers from most other countries on business centers with computers and printers (28% say is very important) and a dedicated mobile app with special digital features or offers (24%) when booking a hotel for personal travel.

     

    Important considerations when booking a hotel for business travel

    :: Wi-Fi: The APAC region places more importance on Complimentary Wi-Fi in guest rooms and public areas, with travellers from Singapore placing the highest importance on this amenity than travellers from any other country (62% rate it as very important when booking a hotel for business travel)
    :: High speed Internet: Malaysians place the highest importance on high-speed Internet (57% rate it as very important), followed  travellers from the US (5%), Thailand (54%), Brazil (53%) and India (53%)
    :: Wired Internet in room: Malaysians place the highest importance on a wired Internet connection in-room (51% rate it as very important), followed by travellers from  Mexico (50%)  and Singapore (48%)
    :: Business Centre: Thai travelers place the most importance on a cusiness center with computers and printers available for guest (45%rate as very important), followed by travellers from Mexico (44%) and India (42%)
    :: Dedicated Mobile App: 34% of Indian business travellers say a dedicated mobile app with special digital features or offers is very important, the importance Indians place on this amenity is surpassed only by travellers from Thailand (36%) and Singapore (35%)

     

    Why use mobile during a business trip?

    :: While 38% of Indian business travellers say they are only likely to use a mobile device to book a business trip if they do not have  access to their laptop or desktop, almost three-in-ten (29%) say they would use a mobile device to book a business trip any time

     

    What’s your device?

    :: If using a mobile device to book business travel, 60% of Indians would prefer to use a smartphone (the highest of any country)

     

    What’s your personal pick?

    :: If booking a hotel for business using a mobile device, Indians place the most importance on a list of amenities available at the hotel  (49% say this is very important), followed by details about the location of the hotel (48%) and adherence to company’s travel policies (45%) – with Indians placing more importance on the latter than travelers from any other country

     

    Information travelers want from travel apps:

    When traveling for business, Indians feel it is most essential for a travel app to provide maps and directions (63%), automatic updates to an itinerary (61%), the ability to check into a flight (52%) and the location of local services / amenities (52%).  Indians also place more importance than travelers from other countries on automatic updates to travel manager (39%)

     

  • Darji joins DDB Mudra Group, from BBH India

    Manish Darji appointed ECD at DDB Mudra West

    By A Correspondent

     

    Manish Darji
    Rahul Mathew

    DDB Mudra West has appointed Manish Darji as Executive Creative Director. With over 15years of experience, Darji joins DDB Mudra Group, from BBH India. He has worked with agencies such as McCann Erickson, Ogilvy, Rediffusion Y&R and Bates 141 and has worked on renowned brands such as Coca Cola, NDTV, Western Union, WWF, Incredible India, Fevicol, Cadbury, Tata Nano, Virgin Mobile, Skoda, CRY, TVS Wego, Marico, Vaseline and Vat 69.

    Rahul Mathew, Creative Head, DDB Mudra West said, “I’ve worked with Manish Darji at various stages of his career, and he has been a different Manish each time. It is this doggedness of his to keep evolving that makes him one of the finest in the country. With his unique and inimitable style, he harnesses the power of design to create solutions for many brands. Little wonder that work has been applauded and celebrated at various forums. And we can’t wait for him to create a lot more magic with us.”

     

    On joining DDB Mudra West, Darji said, “DDB Mudra is undergoing a transformation and it’s always great to be a part of change. The agency has a terrific roster of clients who I’m keen to work with. I’ m also happy to be working with Rahul again and create some spectacular work.”

     

  • GBM will position and establish TEDxGateway as a leading TED conference in the country

    Genesis to drive PR for TEDxGateway 2014

    By A Correspondent

     

    Genesis Burson-Marsteller has been appointed the official communications partner of TEDxGateway, an independently organised TED Conference that will take place at the National Centre Performing Arts (NCPA) in Mumbai on November 2, 2014.

     

    GBM will position and establish TEDxGateway as a leading TED conference in the country, while supporting the event among national and regional media outlets through a robust media and communications strategy.

     

    The TEDxGateway 2014 conference will focus on “Ideas Worth Doing” by bringing together more than 25 dynamic speakers from across India as well as around the world. The speaker line-up comprises of eminent explorers, storytellers, photographers, scientific pioneers, roboticist, social activist, artist, visionaries and provocateurs from across the globe. All speakers will present their world-changing innovative ideas during their brief 15-minute talks.

     

    Participants and speakers at this one-day event include prominent luminaries and industry leaders such as Arsh Shah Dilbagi, a 16 year old Google Science Fair Finalist; Ramesh Raskar who is an Associate Professor and head of the MIT Media Lab’s Camera Culture; Ramanan Laxminarayan, a Drug Resistance Economist; Ram Subramanian, Film Maker, Founder, Handloom Pictures; Graham Hill, Journalist and Founder of TreeHugger.com and LifeEdited; Naresh Narsimhan and Adam Magyar, among many others.

     

    Prema Sagar

    On partnering with TEDxGateway 2014, Prema Sagar, Principal and Founder, Genesis B-M, said: “We are proud of our association with TEDxGateway, a melting pot of creativity, ideation and most importantly, change. We are always looking to expand our repertoire of experience and TED provides us a unique communications opportunity. The prospect of helping TED lead conversations around a range of subjects and establish itself as a science and technology led social movement, excites us.”

     

  • KS Chakravarthy (Chax), Vikram Gaikwad, Raj Kamble, Josy Paul, Bobby Pawar Arun Iyer, Malvika Mehra, Rahul Mathew and Ashish Chakravarty comprised the Envies jury

    Second edition of Ogilvy’s Envy Awards on Nov 3

    By A Correspondent

     

    It is not a jamboree of 150 judges who may or may not be capable of identifying the best ideas.” No marks for guessing who these words from Ogilvy South Asia Executive Chairman & Creative Director Piyush Pandey are directed at. Mr Pandey’s agency has stayed from participating in the last two editions of the Abby awards held at the annual Goafest conference. But that hasn’t prevented Ogilvy from participating in a slew of international shows and the homegrown Kyoorius Awards.

     

    And then there are the Envies, the in house creative awards of Ogilvy & Mather India whose second edition will happen on Tuesday, November 3. The evening will see awards handed out to 25 pieces of work from the entire body of work that Ogilvy India produces in a year. A jury comprising non-Ogilvy creative biggies poured over the entries. KS Chakravarthy (Chax), Vikram Gaikwad, Raj Kamble, Josy Paul, Bobby Pawar, Arun Iyer, Malvika Mehra, Rahul Mathew and Ashish Chakravarty comprised the jury.

     

    Said Mr Pandey in a statement: “The Envies are rewards where we raise the bar beyond any other standard in the industry. 25 best pieces of work are awarded regardless of category and media. There is no easy way out.  Stalwarts from the best creative team measure up against each other with the sole purpose to raise our standards so that we deliver even better to our clients in the year ahead. And these are truly unique because a set of the best minds from the industry judge the entire body of work together. It is not a jamboree of 150 judges who may or may not be capable of identifying the best ideas.”

     

    Hmmmm.

     

  • NCD Abhijit Avasthi calls it a day after a 15-year bonding with Ogilvy. Rajiv Rao will hold solo charge wef Dec 1

    Ogilvy’s ‘jod’ goes unstuck as Abhijit ‘Kinu’ Avasthi quits

     

    By A Correspondent

     

    It’s a bond one thought would last forever. For many years, Ogilvy & Mather India has been known for Piyush Pandey. So strong is the association with Pandey that the agency’s name could well be prefixed with a Pandey.

     

    But over the last five years, National Creative Directors Abhijit Avasthi and Rajiv Rao have come into their own and established themselves as creative gurus with their own standing, albeit a notch below Pandey.

     

    The news of Ogilvy India National Creative Director Abhijit Avasthi parting ways with the agency after working there a decade-and-a-half sent shockwaves in the industry. Confirming this development, Avasthi said he was mulling his next steps.  He said he was in discussions with Mr Pandey (coincidentally also his maternal uncle) for a few months.

     

    Last evening, Piyush Pandey, Executive Chairman & Creative Director, Ogilvy South Asia sent a mail to Ogilvy & Mather employees announcing the development. Rajiv Rao, who also shares the creative charge of the agency as National Creative Director (NCD), will be the sole NCD with effect from December 1.

     

    Mr Avasthi will be with the agency till November 30 and continue to be associated with small projects, Mr Pandey said in a mail. According to sources, Mr Avasthi is likely to set up his own creative agency, a move that he has been contemplating for a while. The outgoing NCD though is tightlipped about his plans and would talk about them when the time is right.

     

    A metallurgist by formal education, Kinu, as Avasthi is known in the fraternity, got into advertising after working in a steel plant, manufacturing textile dyes, trading in saris and even exporting playing cards and match-boxes. He started as a copywriter with Enterprise Nexus in 1997 and joined Ogilvy in July 1999. Other than winning several awards and being on the jury of many award shows, Avasthi has been several acclaimed advertising campaigns to his credit. These being for: Fevicol, Cadbury, Asian Paints, Google, Tata Sky, Bajaj, Centerfresh, Mentos and Unilever amongst others.

     

    Friends in Ogilvy, say that while he is a creative, Kinu has a sharp business mind and in his quiet, affable way can win over clients and make decent monies for his agency.

     

    Watch this space for more.

     

    Image: Part of a Fevicol ad was doctored to show a hand (Abhijit Avasthi’s) getting unstuck from that of Ogilvy’s

     

  • Across nearly all industries, use of Big Data and Mobile to drive innovation lags their perceived importance

    BCG report maps journey of innovative companies in India

    By A Correspondent

     

    In the 2014 list of most innovative companies released by the Boston Consulting Group, technology and telecommunications companies once again lead the pack, holding down all of the top 5 spots in 2014, 7 of the top 10, and 21 of the top 50-the most since 2010. The consumer products industry holds 14 of the top 50 spots, also the most since 2010.

     

    BCG has surveyed more than 1,500 senior executives in a wide range of countries and industries since 2004 to help cast light on the state of innovation in global business. In its new report, ‘The Most Innovative Companies 2014: Breaking Through Is Hard to Do’, the firm reveals the 50 companies that international executives ranked as the most innovative. Many of these companies have demonstrated impressive staying power over the years: Apple has been number one every year since 2005; Samsung and Google switched places again at numbers two and three; Microsoft and IBM round out the top five and TCS amongst the Indian companies has entered the list.

     

    The biggest change in the 2014 top 50 list is the decline in the number of auto companies. Only 9 auto companies are in the top 50 in 2014, and only 4 ranked in the top 20. This compares with 3 automakers in the top 10 places in 2013, as well as 9 in the top 20, and 14 in the top 50 spots. Automakers also reported both a 26 percent decline in innovation priority, with 62 percent assigning it a top-three position, down from 84 percent last year.

     

    In 2014, BCG again asked respondents to name up-and-coming companies-companies that are still relatively young or have yet to reach the scale of the top 50 global giants but are making themselves known for innovation. WhatsApp, Square, Rakuten and Wipro lead this list. There was 50 percent turnover on the up-and-coming list, with only four companies returning from 2013. Last year’s up-and-comers all leveraged mobile platforms in one way or another; this year’s list comprises more varied innovators: consumer products, auto, media, and big-data companies.

     

    The 2014 report examines the factors that separate breakthrough innovators from other companies. It found that breakthrough innovators are strong innovators first-they excel at the fundamentals that define successful innovation programs. But they stand out from strong innovators in three ways: they cast a wider net for ideas, they use business model innovation more, and they have cultures geared toward breakthrough success. Almost half of breakthrough innovators reported generating more than 30 percent of sales from innovations over the past three years, more than twice the average for all companies.

     

    Neeraj Aggarwal

    “Innovation isn’t getting any easier. Too many companies want to shoot for the moon while their innovation programs are barely airborne,” said Neeraj Aggarwal, a BCG Senior Partner & Director. “It is no longer enough to be good at incremental innovation. Breakthrough innovators are especially effective at bringing together the pieces required for radical innovation such as management, governance, and organizational design that can have a major impact on any company’s innovation program. Breakthrough innovators corral them all.”

     

    The 2014 survey found that only 13 percent of respondents have a significant ambition to deliver radical innovation. More than 40 percent of these would-be disruptors indicated that their companies’ innovation capabilities are average at best. Executives from companies with strong innovation capabilities-and disruptive ambitions-represent just 7.6 percent of the sample.

     

    While technology companies lead the list of those seen as most innovative, respondents in multiple sectors said that there will be limited impact from digital technologies in their own industries in the next three to five years. Less than half of the respondents in the telecommunications, financial services, pharmaceuticals, consumer products, retail, energy, and manufacturing sectors, among others, said that big data and mobile will have a big impact. Less than a third in each sector said that their companies are targeting big data and mobile in the innovation programs.

     

  • The Green Batti Projects invites young advertising and media professionals to volunteer their time to mentor children from under-resourced communities

    Help the under-resourced with your time. Inviting volunteers for Green Batti Project

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Green Batti Projecthas already enabled some 500 young professionals to mentor children that are a part of the Teach for India community in Mumbai. Children from under-resourced communities often lack inspiring adult relationships and the Green Batti programme is designed to fill that void

     

    The pairs are chosen based on similar locations, gender and interests. With a fixed curriculum developed in collaboration with Tata Institute for Social Sciences and inspired by Big Brother Big Sister USA, the mentoring programme focuses on life skills and social skills that will take place over the course of Four months starting December 2014, where the pair meets once a week for two hours at a mutually convenient time. The venue for such meetings will be pre-authorized public places such as coffee shops, parks and culture spaces.

     

    MxMIndia is actively supporting the Green Batti Project and we invite young advertising and media professionals to apply to mentor. Details: http://www.thegreenbattiproject.in/

     

  • Taproot was the creative agency for the film and the brief from BCCL to the agency was clear: "To continue to portray Mumbai Mirror as a fearless voice of the common citizen of Mumbai."

    Baddies turn scared in Taproot’s new film for Mumbai Mirror

    By A Correspondent

     

    After having made waves and won some critical acclaim (and many awards), Mumbai Mirror has unveiled an all-new television commercial. (Link: http://youtu.be/2iTWJiEeCuI)

     

    So what’s the insight behind this campaign, we asked Rahul Kansal, Executive President, Bennett, Coleman and Company Limited. “Criminals and corrupt people have got away with impunity in India for way too long,” he said, adding: “The average citizen is impatient to bring an end to this impunity. We decided to show these bad elements in  society being finally brought to book, thanks to the fearless exposes done by Mumbai Mirror.”

     

    Fundamentally, this film is actually saying the same thing as the first film, said Mr Kansal. “However, its totally inverted the prism through which the story is being told. The last time around, we showed it from the point of view of the citizen, who had been hurt by the system and was fighting back. Now we are showing it from the point of the ‘baddies’, who are running scared.”

     

    Taproot was the creative agency for the film and the brief from BCCL to the agency was clear: “To continue to portray Mumbai Mirror as a fearless voice of the common citizen of Mumbai.”

     

    Client: BCCL:  Rahul Kansal, Sandeep Singh Arora, Amiteshwar Kukreja, Pooja Bala and Sana Arora

    Agency: Taproot: Umesh Shrikhande, Santosh Padhi/Agnello Dias – Chief Creative Officers

    Production House: Ramesh Deo Production (RDP)

    Writer: Agnello Dias

    Director: Abhinay Deo

    Music: Ram Sampath

    Producer: Apurba Sengupta

    Cinematographer: Kartik Vijay

     

  • The fest is noted for its eclectic mix of genres and for premiering performances by well-known musicians from across the world

    The Hindu’s November Fest scheduled next month

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Hindu Friday Review November Fest is scheduled to start from the first weekend of November in Kochi and Coimbatore, and will be followed by Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad. The November Fest was launched in Chennai in 2005 as a curtain-raiser to Margazhi, the famed December music season, and is noted for its eclectic mix of genres and for premiering performances by well-known musicians from across the world.

     

    This year, the fest features musical heavyweights such as Shenkar (formerly L Shankar), Indian Ocean, Bickram Ghosh, Clinton Cerejo, Thaikkudam Bridge, Shillong Chamber Choir and Vidya Shah. For those who enjoy instrumental music, performances by Korean percussionist NoreumMachi and Indian National Orchestra are a must-see. The fest also features a concert that brings together Pandit Sanjeev Abhyankar and Dr AshwiniBhide, and a performance by Simon Thacker’s Svara-Kanti in the Indo-Western genre.  This year too, Bose is the presenting sponsor of the Friday Review November Fest.

     

  • Chennai Egmore, Ahmedabad and Delhi Hazrat Nizamuddin are now part of the Armour Station TV network

    Armour Station TV announces additions to lineup

    By A Correspondent

     

    Armour Station TV, a Digital Out Of Home media company has announced new additions to its existing network – Chennai (Egmore), Ahmedabad and Delhi(Hazrat Nizamuddin).

     

    Armour Station TV works on a PPP model with Indian Railways, in which railways provide live train running information to Armour’s proprietary software which is then announced and displayed on the screen in a synced A/V format.

     

    Armour Station TV has been providing these services for over 13 years and with the addition of the new stations is now available at eight railway stations in India including Mumbai CST, Mumbai Central, Pune, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai Central, Chennai Egmore & Hazrat Nizamuddin.

     

    Anil Hirani, Director, Armour Display Systems, said, “We are committed to providing traveller’s with accurate travel related information and have invested in high-end audio and video equipment at all the stations we are present in and we plan to expand our network in the coming years.”

     

  • The awards bring together the biggest names from the business and design fraternities in celebration of design that creates value

    Designomics Awards 2014 ready for India showdown

    By A Correspondent

     

    Into its fourth year‚ Designomics Awards is scheduled to be held at the Taj Lands End, Mumbai on November 15th from 3pm onwards. The awards bring together the biggest names from the business and design fraternities in celebration of design that creates value.

     

    The awards ceremonypromises to be an exciting evening with awards being presented in over 20 categories to businesses of diverse scales and across a wide-range of industries. Some of the popular categories include strategic brand identity, digital & social media innovation and integrated design projects, the past winners include Tanishq by Tata, HUL’s Vaseline, Kingfisher and Whirlpool Icemagic.

     

    Designomics is an initiative that was setup to raise awareness of the power of design to enable businesses to enhance productivity and processes. Designomics embarked on its journey with an eponymous show on Bloomberg, which featured top industrialists who believed in the power of design and had used design tocreate successful businesses. Some of the stalwarts interviewed include Anand Mahindra (MD – Mahindra & Mahindra), Kumarmangalam Birla (Chairman – Aditya Birla Group) and Kishore Biyani (CEO – Future Group).

     

    Over the years Designomics has gained recognition and momentum thanks to affiliations and endorsements from prominent organizations, such as the India Design Council, National Institute of Design (NID) and the World Marketing Congress. One of the key reasons that the Designomics Awards have gained the credibility that they have has been due to the eminent panel of judges that adjudicate the case studies. The panel this year comprises: Abhijit Bansod – Founder and Creative Director – Studio ABD; AjaiChowdhry – Chairman & CEO – HCL Infosystems Ltd.; Anthony Lopez – Founder and CEO – Lopez Design; Ashish Mishra – Managing Director – Interbrand India;Bhaskar Das – CEO – Zee Group; BhupalRamnathkar – Founder and Managing Director – Umbrella Design; Dr. B.K. Chakravarthy – Professor – IDC IIT Bombay;DeepaliNaair – Chief Marketing O­icer – Club Mahindra Hospitality;Ektaa Aggarwal – Creative Director – Landor Associates;LatikaKhosla – Founder Director – Freedom Tree Design; Mahesh Murthy – Founder – Pinstorm; MayankRuia – Director – Residential Business – The Phoenix Mills Ltd.; Neha Harlalka – Founder – NH1 Design; Neil Foley – Founder – Neil Foley Designs;Pradyumna Vyas – Director – National Institute of Design;PramitiMadhavji – Editor-in-Chief – Elle Décor India; Ram Gudipati – Founder and Managing Director – Brand Harvest Consultancy; RanjanaDani – Professor – H.O.D. Graphic Design – MIT Institute of Design;ShekharBadve – Founder Director: Strategy & Marketing – Lokus Design Pvt Ltd; Shital Mehta – CEO – Pantaloons; Suresh Sethi – Vice President, Global Consumer Design Asia – Whirlpool Corporation; and Tania Singh Khosla – Founder and Design Director – TSK design.

     

  • LTD is an essential service for anyone looking at digital media buying around the world

    Logicserve Digital unveils digital inventory service LTD

    By A Correspondent

     

    Accredited digital marketing agency Logicserve Digitalhas launched Logicserve Trading Desk (LTD). The service aims at disentangling the tedious job of digital media buying and planning, with expertise in choosing the right inventory.

     

    Armed with a comprehensive understanding of the latest technology, global expertise, performance-driven insights into the digital market and healthy relationships with the publisher network; LTD is an essential service for anyone looking at digital media buying around the world. It aids in identifying and allocating the inventory at competitive rates. LTD is a combination of tapping market’s nerve, categorizing media buckets and analysing the performance in real-time.

     

    The advantage that LTD provides ranges from access to the best DSP/RTB platforms, assistance in digital inventory buying, comprehensive multi-media approach, retargeting, optimisation, creative assistance etc. With a 360 degree service, inclusive of impressions across display, mobile, video etc, LTD becomes a single platform for multiple media buying.

     

    “With each media buying platform reciprocating in a unique manner- identifying, tracking and optimising can be a cumbersome task. Hence, we have introduced Logicserve Trading Desk where the client’s life is simplified and spends optimised,” Prasad Shejale, Co-Founder & CEO (India), Logicserve Group.