MxMIndia

Category: SPECIALS

  • Ajit Varghese, Managing Director – South Asia, Maxus believes that life would be boring and predictable like machines if the element of excitement was missing in it.

    ‘Movie action has surely taken a leap’ – Ajit Varghese, Managing Director – South Asia, Maxus

    Ajit Varghese, Managing Director – South Asia, Maxus believes that life would be boring and predictable like machines if the element of excitement was missing in it.

    He opens up to Ritu Midha of MxMIndia on the experiences that bring in an element of thrill in life and at workplace.

     

    Do nail biting finishes excite you, or do they make you feel nervous?

    Nail biting finishes are always exciting. The rush of adrenalin, the unpredictability, the challenge and the feeling of time well spent is always amazing. Don’t think I can say I am not nervous, it would be the high of emotions and expectation of something – seeing or delivering a difference which is more exciting.

     

    What has been the most exciting moment of your professional life so far?

    Lots of exciting moments… The new business wins, new innovations and meetings… some tough KPI’s in a difficult year is all so much fun. But the one which was most exciting was the Vodafone roadblock when it happened in 2007. The speed, the audacity and reactions from the industry all made the moment very exciting. The other big high is when Maxus started to consistently emerge as no.1 agency in most award functions. It always gave me a high of achieving the status of doing “best in class” work for clients – years of hard work put in by our team has made it happen.

     

    What would the life be for you if there was no thrill in it?

    Boring and predictable – like machines!

     

    Moving to people in general, do Indian men look for entertainment only in movies and cricket?

    To a large extent I would agree! Though I would like to believe its sports than just cricket… It’s only because India doesn’t play well or have big stars or athletes in non cricket sports that we end up worshiping cricket too much.

     

    Would you say Action TV has come of age in India? What is missing?

    Not really. Except a few shows, haven’t seen big action in this space. Movie action has surely taken a leap but it’s nowhere reflected on the smaller screen.

     

    Do you believe that a much larger base would view action TV, if it is in Hindi?

    Not really. It’s more about quality of Indian players, facilities and Indians in the action that will help than the language issue.

     

    Would Hindi Action TV be viewed by lower SECs?

    Possibly yes.

     

    Is thrill/adventure missing in Indian ads?

    Completely agree.

     

    Why do you think people are more involved when they are watching a serial/movie with element of thrill?

    Sheer rush of adrenalin, expect the unexpected and difference from the usual.

     

  • Naina Shewakramani: Business Group Head Planning at Mediaedge:cia

    (Experience: 6 years)

     

    After a short stint in a small creative shop, Naina Shewakramani joined MEC in November 2006. My experience varies across the spectrum of categories and market segments from top-end hi-fashion premium brands like Chanel to mass market and rural brands like Colgate, Nivea and Pidilite.

     

    Talking about her experience, Naina said: “To begin at the beginning and speaking honestly, media planning happened by chance. After my graduation, I worked in a small creative agency servicing some of the local brands. Ideally you aspire to join creative agencies of the likes of Ogilvy and JWT, however one day I got a call from GroupM.”

     

    Naina felt that since everything was so new to her, she thought of giving it a try. That was way back in November 2006. And today she can boast of working on some of the biggest brands that one can dream of. She feels that media planning & buying is not boring in any way: “We have to come up with innovative stuff almost every day and that makes life interesting in a media agency. No wonder, I can’t think of moving elsewhere even after spending almost half a decade in MEC.”

     

  • Tinaz Daruwalla: Associate Media Director-Digital, OMD

    (Experience: 6 years)

     

    A Mass Media graduate from Mumbai University, Tinaz joined Ogilvy India in 2006 as a digital media planner and from there began her career as a digital media evangelist. Though she has had the good fortune of learning and executing 360-media campaigns, her passion is still digital.

     

    On her current role she says: “I am currently unlearning and learning the rules of the ever evolving media landscape at OMD. Servicing a CPG giant in Hindustan Unilever has its own challenges, and I’m not going to be stoic about it. Nevertheless, it keeps me on my toes and provides immense opportunities for new learning. I love every bit of it.”

     

    On choosing media planning as a career, she said: “For me it was not me that chose media planning & buying, actually, media planning chose me! It happened unexpectedly at my first job as a client servicing executive with a mid-sized agency. The only person who managed media left and overnight I had to fill in that role. It was the most stressful situation I faced then, but had no option but to take it in my stride. What stood out for me in the media planning function is that you are completely in control of the work you deliver- the idea, plan, and logic. There is more ownership, as you will never let something that you are not personally convinced about, go to your client.”

     

    When asked on the role that she would like to take on in the future, she said: “I see myself as a digital media ‘guru’ to watch out for in the next 5 years.”

     

  • Ritika Misra: Group Manager – Mudra Max

    (Experience: 4 years)

     

    “5 ft tall, 28 years old pseudo-Punjabi who has been brought up in almost every city in India”, is how Ritika Misra responds to the question about her upbringing. Infact when people ask her where she’s from, she usually sticks to “I’m from Bangalore”, and leaves it at that. In reality, Misra is a Punjabi who was raised in Palakkad, Goa, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Cochin and now finally has found home in Bangalore.

     

    Avers Misra: “To say that my life has been a travel journal of sorts would be an understatement, but during the journey I’ve met a lot interesting people and seen a lot of beautiful places. Maybe this journey from place to place is what moulded me as a person and made me what I am. Having supportive parents who shifted to Bangalore for me is also an added bonus and I don’t think I need to say that family was and will always be my first priority in life.”

     

    But while she enjoys her stint at her current company, Misra has a rather interesting tale to tell about her love of numbers. Sharing her experience she says, “I have had an aversion to numbers, maths and statistics from time immemorial and so it was quite a shocker to myself when I decided to make a career in research and then in media. But the mere fact that I have survived this long is proof enough for me to realize that numbers love me!”

     

  • Arati Jere: Manager – Media Planning, DDB Mudra Max

    (Experience: 3.5 years)

     

    Arati Jere is an engineer who decided to give the super computers a miss in favor of a career in media. She graduated from MICA in 2009 and worked in the radio industry for a couple of years before making a move to the ‘other side’.

     

    Talking about her decision to move to the other side, Arati said: “I find the absolutely crazy notion that a 30 second communication can have a lasting influence on the human mind extremely exciting.”

     

    She specialized in Account Planning in MICA and spent the first two years of her career in a media house. She feels that though the move to media planning was rather serendipitous: “It was the perfect meeting ground of those two things (advertising & media) and I enjoy it so much is because it is a heady concoction of creativity and analytical rigor.”

     

  • Aditi said, I am a people's person, with a real interest in brands and their communication…

    Aditi Patkar: Media Planning Manager, Mindshare

    (Experience: 2.5 years)

     

    Aditi Patkar is fondly known as Aditi Patkar. She was born, brought up, schooled (where she passed & failed), tutored, all in Bombay… that’s what it was called when she was born.

     

    She works at Mindshare, Group M Media Pvt Ltd and has two and a half years of media experience. “I am extensively into media planning and I enjoy every bit of it,” she said.

     

    Continuing with the self portrait, Aditi said: “I am a people’s person, with a real interest in brands and their communication. With media planning, the focus is more on your interaction with people and understanding brand requirements. These are mainly the reasons why I chose planning as my forte. Also the fact that it’s dynamic in nature and the success and progression is ultimately down to how you perform!”

     

     

  • 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.

     

     

  • 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!

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

     

    By Pradyuman Maheshwari

     

    Doom in the world outside almost always rings music to the newsperson’s ears. So, while it was heartening to have scooped the news on Ogilvy choosing to skip the Creative Abby at Goafest 2013, we were saddened by it. Deeply.

     

    This is not the first time that an agency is boycotting the Creative Abby. Lowe/Lintas has been doing it for years. R Balki has his reasons, which some believe are valid. Every year, there are stories of agencies not sending in any entry – many essentially because they don’t believe they’ve done awardwinning work in the year and some because it’s a drain on resources.

     

    This is also not the first time that Ogilvy is threatening a skip. It took all of Colvyn Harris’s persuasive power to convince a Piyush Pandey in 2009. I still remember giving the headline ‘Please Piyush, Please’ to an Impact magazine cover carrying Colvyn’s interview around that time.

     

    The JWT (then-also-Goafest) boss was lucky that Team Ogilvy agreed to participate, but Ad Club prez Shashi Sinha, AAAI chief Arvind Sharma and Goafest committee chair Nakul Chopra haven’t been successful in winning them over.

     

    The reason that Abhijit Avasthi gave my colleague wasn’t convincing. There’s obviously a lot more that he’s not telling and is perhaps being polite on record. This is what he told us: “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.”

     

    A Goafest grand prix or gold not energizing employees enough! Wtf!!!!! The cheers from the team every time a winner is announced, the run to the stage and the final group picture with everyone yay-ing (and not to mention the various interviews given after the wins) are testimony to the sentiment in the Ogilvy camp after every Goafest. Look at the picture alongside… this is at the Creative Abby last year. No energy?

     

    It’s evident that there’s more to this boycott. I am told one of the issues is that Team Ogilvy believes there’s not much done to ward away scam ads. I agree that there are many ads which are made-for-awards. But, there’s little that the Ad Club can do, especially when an entry is found eligible as per rules. If a well-known agency and hotshot creative guru have no scruples and aren’t embarrassed about sending a scam ad, the best deterrant is exposure. Let them get exposed! And I am sure they will – over time – stop sending scam work.

     

    The Advertising Club is not the personal property of any individual or group. It’s a body of elected members from within the fraternity. Madhukar Sabnavis, Vice Chairman and Country Head, Discovery and Planning, O&M India and recently appointed Member of the Worldwide Board of O&M is Treasurer of the Ad Club and member of the 13-member managing committee. Let me repeat this: The #3 honcho of Ogilvy India is one of the five big officebearers of the Advertising Club.

     

    Couldn’t he have done something to avoid this from happening? Whatever happened to the meeting of Creative Directors?

     

    Goddammit, an Ogilvy not participating in the Creative Abby is like a China or USA not competing in the Summer Olympics! Or an IPL without Chennai Super Kings. Or idli served without chutney or sambar.

     

    Okay, comparing an adfest to the Olympics or even an IPL is stretching it, but you get the sentiment?!

     

    When I spoke with Shashi Sinha yesterday and asked him to react to the fact that it’s a huge, huge setback, he said setback is too strong a word. He did admit though that it will affect the Abby. Sinha is a pragmatic man. He has successfully managed to clean the Creative Abby judging process and the awards have been happening without a hitch (or a leak) over the last few years.

     

    Most people my colleague spoke with were shocked to hear the news. And all those who I interacted with unequivocally said that the Abby this year will lose its sheen. “The credibility of the awards takes a major blow, as will the attendance at Goafest,” commented Anant Rangaswami on Facebook.

    So will we now have a Balki participate in the Creative Abby? I don’t think Lowe will this year, because his peeve is with the process followed.

    There’s a belief that it’s the participating that’s critical, not the winning. That’s good to say and hear for losers, but, remember, it’s all about winning.

    It’s critical that the advertising fraternity gets together to work on a solution. And it’s important for the Advertising Club to effect these in doublequick time.

    From what I am told, Ogilvy’s absence this year is a done deal. No comebacks. Sad, as we’ll now also have cynics making remarks that one of the reasons why Ogilvy isn’t participating is because it doesn’t hope to win much this year.

    I still think another attempt should be made. Push them hard! Do it via the clients, do it via Miles Young or Sir Martin Sorrell. Lagao all the pressure!

    It’s not a Fevicol ‘jod’ yet… and am sure the impossible can be achieved.

    In the interests of God, awards and advertising 🙂

     

    As for the energy, let’s send the Red Bull kids!

     

    MxMIndia believes that the advertising fraternity must get together and ensure unity. Forums like Goafest and the Abby must not be allowed to fade in importance and/or value.

     

    See link:

    Advertising Club mancom: http://theadvertisingclub.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=234&Itemid=77

     

     

     

  • 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.

     

  • The Abby awards may be the highlight for some, but the annual ad festival will also see some heavyweight knowledge sessions

    Stage set for Goafest 2013 @ Zuri

     

    By Johnson Napier

     

    Most flights headed towards the sunny state of Goa in the morning of April 4 are sure to be filled with execs and honchos from the ad and media world. Camaraderie, bonhomie and banter are travelling companions, as conversations surrounding Goafest take precedence.

     

    The eighth edition of Goafest 2013 will kick off with an Advertising Conclave at the Zuri White Sands post noon on April 4. 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 over 200 industry leaders drawn from Marketing, Advertising and Media.

     

    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.

     

    Srinivasan Swamy

    Srinivasan Swamy, Chairman of the Goafest Advertising Conclave, who has chaired it in the past few years as well, 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.”

     

    Nitin Paranjpe, MD and CEO Hindustan Unilever, will deliver the keynote address, and other industry stalwarts will share experiences and insights. Other big 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.

     

    Nitin Paranjpe

    The real deal of the festival will kick off from April 5, with seminars and keynote addresses that begin at 2pm in the afternoon. Roger Mulchandani of WARC is to kick off the afternoon session with an address on ‘Seriously Social’. He will be followed by Ray Velez of Razorfish who will talk on ‘Transfroming Business at the intersection of Marketing & Technology’. Graham Fink of O&M is to speak next, followed by David Alberts of Mo Films. The Media Abbys followed by the awards gala will conclude the evening.

     

    Day 2 of the creative festival will see a rather unconventional start to proceedings as Swami Sukhabodhananda, Founder Chairman of Prasanna Trust will speak on ‘Uncertainty is also a part of life.’ This will be followed by a keynote by Mark Tutssel and Tom Bernardin of Leo Burnett. Following next is Shiv Singh of Pepsi who will talk on ‘No one cares about marketing. Do what matters’, and Nick Vale of Maxus Worldwide speaking about ‘What does great work look like in our changing world’. Director Abhishek Kapoor is expected to add a dash of Bollywood as he will speak on ‘Do what your heart says’. Amir Kassaei of DDB Worldwide will follow next with the topic ‘New creative revolution.’ The Creative Abby awards will bring the day to a close.

     

    MG Parameswaran

    Goafest 2013 Knowledge Seminars Chairman M G Parameswaran said, “We have lined up a great list of speakers this year. We have Graham coming from China, the hottest consumer market in the world today. We also have two speakers from very different domain, and you can’t get any more different than this. Swamiji was the only speaker at AdAsia 2011 to get a standing ovation. I am sure he will bring a lot of new thought to the seminars. And who said ad awards cannot get a bit of stardust. Abhishek who delivered a super hit last month is sure to deliver a super hit talk in Goa!”

     

    Also, last year Goafest saw the introduction of Marketing Wizards, an initiative whereby young client delegates could not only avail of the special under 30 delegate fees, but were also provided free accommodation – over 70 delegates from client organizations availed of this offer. This year Goafest is targeting a base of 150. In addition, Goafest will continue to have strong participation from senior clients in the Knowledge seminars as was the case in 2012. “Clients are our equal partners in creating ideas – we naturally strive to have their equal participation in Goafest both as speakers and delegates. This year we aim to attract participation from over 75 client organizations and hopefully over 250 people,” said Nakul Chopra.

     

    Nakul Chopra

    One of the biggest things to have happened or rather not happened is the participation of Ogilvy. This has paved the way for other creative agencies to prove their mettle at the grand stage. Despite the absence of Ogilvy, the organisers are claiming to have received a participation of over 4,200 entries. This will definitely prove to be a good year for some unknown stars who could prove their strengths here.

     

    Says 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

    According to Naresh Gupta, managing partner, Bang In The Middle, “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.”

     

     

     

     

    Vivek Srivastava

    Adding his perspective, Vivek Srivastava, Jt MD, Innocean Worldwide said, “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.”