MxMIndia

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  • Ketchum will commemorate the milestone with a series of global philanthropic initiatives, including donating 90 creative brainstorm sessions to nonprofit organizations over a period of 90 days

    Ketchum celebrates 90 years

    By A Correspondent

     

    Communications firm Ketchum was incorporated in Pittsburgh, USA in 1923 with three employees. Ketchum’s nearly 3,000 colleagues around the world in 130 locations are celebrating the firm’s 90th anniversary, making it the longest-tenured public relations firm in the world. It will commemorate the milestone with a series of global philanthropic initiatives, including donating 90 creative brainstorm sessions to nonprofit organizations over a period of 90 days. Ketchum’s Mumbai office will be supporting Give Some Space, dedicated to reducing the barriers – both, physical and social; those prevent the differently abled from coming to the mainstream and eventually create a space for them in society.

     

    “As we celebrate our 90th anniversary, we are looking ahead at how we can continually increase the value we deliver to our clients, colleagues and the communities in which we live and work. To keep our focus on the future, we will be celebrating our anniversary by improving the lives of those less fortunate,” said Rob Flaherty, senior partner and chief executive officer of Ketchum. “Ketchum has a rich history and culture that we draw upon to help guide the decisions we make for the firm every day. I am extremely proud of the enormous success Ketchum has achieved to date, and with that success comes the responsibility to propel our business and the industry forward during this time of opportunity.”

     

    For the next 90 days, Ketchum colleagues will lead and participate in creative brainstorms to assist a local nonprofit in overcoming a challenge the organization is currently facing. Mumbai will be supporting Give Some Sapce. Additional organizations can be found at www.ketchum.com/90-brainstorms.

     

    N S Rajan

    N S Rajan, Managing Director, Ketchum Sampark, said, “Several years ago, the agency set a goal to lead in the area of corporate citizenship and established the award-winning Ketchum Social Responsibility programme as a platform for a wide range of partnerships, initiatives and pro bono projects that we are undertaking. As we mark our anniversary, we believe that one of the most meaningful ways to engage our global network and celebrate our success is by continuing this commitment to giving back to others.”

     

    This year also marks Ketchum’s fifth anniversary with Room to Read, a global organization focused on transforming children’s lives through literacy and gender equality in education. Underscoring the importance of Room to Read’s mission, Ketchum and its employees have committed to donating the money needed to empower 90 girls who are enrolled in the nonprofit’s Girls’ Education programme to graduate from secondary school and develop the skills needed to succeed beyond the classroom. The money raised will be a combination of agency and employee contributions.

     

    “So many girls are forced to drop out of school due to economic, social or safety factors, which leaves them at a disadvantage for the rest of their lives,” said Erin Ganju, co-founder and CEO of Room to Read. “It is our goal to provide girls around the world with equal access to a quality education, allowing them to gain literacy skills and become active members of society, lifting themselves, their families and society out of poverty. Ketchum’s commitment to support 90 young women in the Morogoro Region of Tanzania and a region in India through financial support, mentorship and life skills training will provoke a wave of empowerment that will cascade to future generations.”

     

    Mr Flaherty further said, “Looking forward, we aim to be the most valued communications consultancy in the world. We will do this by ensuring our teams are working seamlessly across any geography where our clients need us, increasingly integrating paid, earned, shared and owned media, and providing detailed marketing analytics that allow companies to evaluate effectiveness and optimize their budgets.”

     

  • As controversial IPL 6 draws to close, read our columnists Anil Thakraney and Shailesh Kapoor on the cricketing, er, entertainment spectacle.

    Yeh IPH hai boss!

     

    IPL 6 FAQs IPL: Credibility vs. Viewership
    As Indian television’s biggest annual reality show draws to a close, there are five pressing questions left unanswered. Let me try to deal with them

     

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Okay, so as Indian television’s biggest annual reality show draws to a close, there are five pressing questions left unanswered. Let me try to deal with them.

     

    Does the IPL have a future following the fixing scandal? Will it shut down?

    There’s no way this tamasha is going to close shop, even if more skeletons tumble out of the stinking cupboard. Frankenstein BCCI has created a huge monster, and there’s no taming it now. The masses adore this monster because the IPL is fulltoo entertainment for the full family. It’s less about cricket and more about all the natak that goes around it. The TV ratings for this year have been good, and the stadia packed to the gills once again (the Delhi cricket ground was full house for the two play-offs despite the home team having been knocked out). And, Sreesanth & Co’s antics had zero effect on popularity. The IPL is here to stay. Period.

     

    Will we see a clean IPL season next year?

    Nope. T20 cricket is a fertile hunting ground for spot fixing, all it takes the bookies and their agents is a few dishonest players to co-operate. And this is particularly easy with the IPL because it’s teeming with players who have either been kicked out of the Indian team or aren’t talented enough to find a place in it. Also, India is a vastly corrupt nation, so to expect all our cricketers to be blessed with squeaky clean genes is being downright stupid. Some boys will sell their souls again, but I suspect they’ll behave more smartly than the three idiots: Sreesanth, Chandila and Chavan. Fixing will continue, the procedures will get refined.

     

    Can’t the tournament host, the BCCI, clamp down on fixing?

    Well, according to media reports, the BCCI boss’s darling ghar jamai is allegedly involved in the betting racket, haha. So to expect that organization to follow Gandhian principles is like expecting Phaneesh Murthy to practice celibacy for the rest of his life. It ain’t gonna happen. Therefore what I predict is hyperactive policing next year (match fixing seems to bother our cops more than rapes) and various sting operations by the maha excited media. And yet, the show will go on.

     

    Aren’t sponsors and advertisers furious over the various IPL scandals? Should they not put pressure by threatening to pull out next year?

    Well, ideally they should, but they won’t. That’s because the corporate suits aren’t out to make India a better place, that’s not in their mission statement. The advertisers are only and only interested in one thing: Eyeballs. As long as the IPL continues to draw in the audiences (which it will), the money will keep getting pumped in. In fact, secretly, some of the sponsors must be elated with all the scandals, they help keep the tournament buzzing on the news channels. That’s a much bigger bang for their buck.

     

    Will Rajya Sabha MP Shri Sachin Tendulkar announce his retirement this Sunday?

    No. He’ll be playing IPL 30 too. Am willing to, er, bet on it. 🙂

     

    Anil Thakraney is a senior journalist and commentator based in Mumbai. He is also Editor-at-Large, MxMIndia. The views expressed here are his own. He can reached at his Twitter handle @anilthakraney

     

    This column can also be accessed standalone at Anil Thakraney: IPL 6 FAQs

     

    		 IPL is cricket-based primetime entertainment controversies are like tabloid gossip which people consume for voyeuristic pleasure and purely as entertainment, writes Shailesh Kapoor
    By Shailesh Kapoor

     

    The last week has been an infamous one for the Indian Premier League (IPL), and from what it seems, we have certainly not seen the end of the controversy the league finds itself in. Newspapers and news channels have prominently covered what obviously qualifies as news of great “national interest”.

     

    There is a strong sense of deja vu here. In 2010, Lalit Modi was ousted from his position as the IPL Commissioner in the week leading upto the finals. I remember how several “experts”, including cricketers themselves, were busy debating the issue on various news channels, even as Chennai Super Kings were playing Mumbai Indians in the all-important match. Wonder which viewers was a news show such as this targeting!

     

    Any issue with legal ramifications needs to be handled by the investigative and legal machinery available for the same. But the part that interests me here is how the media has handled this situation.

     

    The most interesting, even amusing, side of the media’s take on the spot-fixing controversy is an axiom most journalists seem to be operating out of, that “If IPL loses its credibility, it will lose its viewership.” However axiomatic this may sound, it is simply not true. And if you miss this point, you are missing the larger IPL story altogether.

     

    IPL is cricket-based primetime entertainment. I find this description of the tournament not only appropriate, but also encouraging. It feeds right back into the material instincts of the young, ambitious India that we all talk about. As Veeru from Sholay famously said: “Iss story mein emotional hai, drama hai, tragedy hai.” It is as real as any reality show can get, complete with its twists like spot-fixing.

     

    Does the viewer care about these controversies? Of course he does. It is fodder for office and college canteen talk, after all. But does the viewer have a strong position on it? Not necessarily. For many, these controversies are like tabloid gossip, which you consume for voyeuristic pleasure, purely as entertainment. To say that the average Indian cricket viewer is deeply troubled by this is a mile away from the truth. The average Indian cricket viewer is an “average Indian” first. He has enough else to care and worry about.

     

    Hence, the linkage between controversy, credibility and viewership begins to break. But from the high horse that many in the media seem to be on, it seems like the most obvious thing ever known to mankind.

     

    I can understand former cricketers and passionate old-time sports journalists getting worked up about the “entertainment” positioning of a cricket tournament. But why do other journalists and guests take a “cricket is a gentleman’s game” stance is not very clear to me. IPL is now in its sixth year. It has never pretended to be championing the gentleman’s-game positioning of the game. It has been unequivocal about its motives.

     

    There have been a few senior cricket journalists who have taken an exception of the idea of the league from way back in 2008. That’s a viewpoint and understandable. But what does not add up is the news channels approach of giving extensive coverage to the league through half-hour daily shows (with repeats), and then taking a moral view on cricket when a controversy erupts.

     

    When a normal political scam runs into 11 digits of monetary valuation, an IPL controversy involving a few million should actually be inside-page news. But let’s face it. Even the newspapers and news channels know that it is “popular”. In a way then, by giving it disproportionate coverage, they are endorsing the power of the IPL, even using it to their advantage. Talk about irony!

     

    Meanwhile, the viewer is getting all set to watch a final on Sunday.

     

    Shailesh Kapoor is founder and CEO of media insights firm Ormax Media. He spent nine years in the television industry before turning entrepreneur. He can be reached at his Twitter handle @shaileshkapoor

    This column can also be accessed standalone at Shailesh Kapoor: IPL: Credibility vs. Viewership

     

     

  • Havas Media continues its account winning spree with Neo Milk Products whose flagship product in the value-added dairy segment is its brand of curds.

    Havas Media bags Neo Milk Products

    By A Correspondent

     

    Anita Nayyar

    Havas Media continues its winning spree with Neo Milk Products whose flagship product in the value-added dairy segment is its brand of curds.

     

    “We are delighted with yet another win further establishing our services proposition. It is an important one as value-added-products in the dairy segment gains prominence, providing health and nutrition to busy India. The company is backed by strong players and a management keen on pan-India presence, we look forward to working with them,” said Anita Nayyar, CEO, Havas Media Group, India & South Asia.

     

    Dinkar Suri

    “The Neo ‘Ghar Jaisa Dahi’ needed an equally unique communication partner who could get the message across to consumers. We found Havas Media’s understanding of the category where branding and strategy plays a big part to be a major plus in this regard,” said Dinkar Suri, Director & President, Neo Milk Products, on the appointment.

     

     

     

    Mohit Joshi

    “The year 2013 has been a very good year to date. We are working towards extending this winning streak and plan to get very aggressive,” added Mohit Joshi, Managing Director, Havas Media India.

     

  • Mumbai was among the 24 cities across the world where young talent participated in what’s billed as speed-dating for creatives

    A creative night to remember

     

    By A Correspondent

     

    The headquarters of JWT India played host to Portfolio Night on Wednesday evening. There was much fanfare, many drinks and eats flowing, a makeshift discotheque and other than JWT employees, some clients and a cross-section of trade and business journalists and photographers.

     

    Tweets @pnmumbai11
     

    A selection of tweets buzzing around during and Portfolio Night Mumbai

    vipul @nutcrack87

    A night before to remember, a night after @pnmumbai11 to remember, indeed

    – 

    Abhishek Khan @overdryve

    What a night it’s been. This includes a ceiling projection clock and a iPad stylus. @pnmumbai11instagram.com /p/ZoOepSET4z/

    –

    Sakshi @RowdySax

    Chiller boss taking care of the bar counter. @pnmumbai11pic.twitter.com /htOjuuWcr8

    –

    VS @sukhijavineeta

    @pnmumbai11 it was a rocking night :)))))

    –

    JWT India @JWTIndia

    The insightful sessions today here at @pnmumbai11 will change the lives of the young participants forever. Oh, what impact does#PN11 have!

    –

    Brand Equity @ETBrandEquity

    Overheard at @pnmumbai11 – “Can you make an announcement. Half the NCDs are smoking. The participants are waiting yaar.”

    –

    Abhishek Khan @overdryve

    Feel very confident after@pnmumbai11. Good things are in store.

    –

    tista sen @tistathinks

    Work hard party harder@pnmumbai11

    –

    JWT India @JWTIndia

    Myths busted. Eyes opened. Minds made up. Wonderful to find how young creatives found their calling in life here at @pnmumbai11#PN11

    –

    JWT India @JWTIndia

    @pnmumbai11 a huge success here at the JWT Mumbai office! Participants now catching up with ad-gurus over drinks. Cheers to creativity #PN11

    –

    Brand Equity @ETBrandEquity

    Overheard at @pnmumbai11 – “Salary scene in advertising is not going to get better. You can consider bank-robbing as an alternate career”

    –

    Thompson Waterson @tommywaterson

    Couldn’t make this year! Surely will be there next time around!@pnmumbai11

    –

    Sumit Rane @awesumit

    Be ready for me next year@pnmumbai11

    –

    Brand Equity @ETBrandEquity

    Overheard at @pnmumbai11 – “There should be a Super Portfolio Night for these NCDs to show their portfolios to Dan Wiedens of the world”

    –

    Kevin Karani @ke_win

    @pnmumbai11 .. Sir Piyush Pandey can read what’s inside you at the first go! #Gut #MindBlowing !

    –

    Sumit Rane @awesumit

    30 cds under one roof..like a dream come true @pnmumbai11 il never forget this day..thank u.

    –

    Brand Equity @ETBrandEquity

    Overheard at @pnmumbai11 – “Everybody is liking the same four portfolios at the end. There might be an IPL auction equivalent right here.”

    –

    Milton Rebeiro @MiltonRebeiro

    Creativity FullyLoaded !!!@pnmumbai11

    –

    Rohan Suri @TheRohanSuri

    @pnmumbai11 what an awesum opportunity!

    –

    Milton Rebeiro @MiltonRebeiro

    Just landed@pnmumbai11…..Awesome Portfolio Night11!!!

    –

    Anant Rangaswami @AnantRangaswami

    Great energy at portfolio night.@pnmumbai11

    –

    Brand Equity @ETBrandEquity

    Overheard at @pnmumbai11 – “I met one guy who was a young Prasoon Joshi. For every piece of work there’s a poetry.”

    –

    Brand Equity @ETBrandEquity

    Overheard at @pnmumbai11 – “Salary scene in advertising is not going to get better. You can consider bank-robbing as an alternate career”

    –

    Kevin Karani @ke_win

    @pnmumbai11 Station 1 with Piyush Pandey, hope it will be crackling one-on-one session…

     

    Abhishek Khan @overdryve

    Time passes rather quickly when you’re peeking at badges to find common review station numbers.@pnmumbai11

    –

    Brand Equity @ETBrandEquity

    Overheard at @pnmumbai11 – “Anyone wondering why Piyush has Station1 and Prasoon has Station2? Is there a story behind these stations too?”

    –

    Sakshi @RowdySax

    Perks of being an intern at JWT; experiencing PortfolioNight.@pnmumbai11

    –

    Pranav Nayak @AlmostaNayak

    With 30 great Ad minds of today and 90 young Ad folks present here, if you want advertising dead,@pnmumbai11 would be a great nuking zone.

    –

    Dinkar Sharma @imdinkarsharma

    @pnmumbai11 no other industry has this kind of an interactive platform Ad-men here are right on money \m/

    –

    Radhika Shapoorjee @rshapoorjee

    Portfolio night at JWT@pnmumbai11 is all set to rock, 90 students await to show work to India’s top creative headspic.twitter.com/5U3aG5mgvP

    –

    Brand Equity @ETBrandEquity

    Overheard at @pnmumbai11 – “Aspiring cinematographer walks in to meet admen. Is it because admen make more films than ads these days?”

    –

    Portfolio Night @pnmumbai11
    The judges are in. The participants are ready. Portfolio Night Mumbai officially begins in 3…2…1..

    –

    Shephali Bhatt @ShephaliBhatt
    Ahem ;-)”@ETBrandEquity: Overheard at @pnmumbai11 – “More NCDs than ever, at JWT today” #PortfolioNight

    –

    JWT India @JWTIndia

    Watch out folks, it’s headed your way “@ColvynHarrisPOV: The calm before the storm!! pic.twitter.com/8U9S9IjS4l”
    @pnmumbai11 #PN11

     

    Cabins and cubicles were where the ‘reviewers’ were in waiting, appraising each entrant. Portfolio Night is a trademarked event where aspiring copywriters, art directors and designers meet with several renowned creative directors in a fast-paced evening of advice, networking and recruitment. While the evening has been called “speed-dating for creatives”,  it’s a lot, lot more. In the 11 years since its inception,  Portfolio Night has grown to be a global event, reaching creative hubs in every continent in an evening where the ‘best of the present’ meet the ‘best of the years to come’.

     

    The Mumbai edition of the Portfolio Night was billed a success with some 90 participants and 28 reviewers or judges. Yes, Bobby Pawar was there, and, no, Ravi Deshpande wasn’t. Both made exits from the JWT fold in recent times. Mr Pawar under controversial circumstances and Mr Deshpande to “pursue his personal passions”.

     

    For the JWT South Asia CEO Colvyn Harris, the storm over the Ford Figo scam ad controversy appeared to be a thing of the past.

     

    Also, Portfolio Night was celebration time. A celebration of talent and a celebration of creativity.

     

    The jury was present – including the big boys. In fact the only reason why there were some absentees was that another edition of Portfolio Night was happening in Delhi NCR on the same day, hosted by Leo Burnett. All of them were present only because they wanted to give back to the industry what they had earned and learnt, and, of course, encourage and mentor young talent.

     

    For the record, Portfolio Night was simultaneously held in over 20 cities yesterday across the world, including Athens, Austin, Beijing, Boston, Costa Rica, Johannesburg, Los Angeles, Montreal, New York, Paris, Sao Paulo, Stockholm, Tokyo, Toronto and New Delhi amongst others. Portfolio Night is an annual property of ‘IHAVEANIDEA’, the creative founders and the world’s first and largest community of the international advertising industry.

     

    Photographs: Javed/Fotocorp 

     

     

  • Cricket has given the master batsman everything; it's time to give something back to it, writes Anil Thakraney

    Anil Thakraney: Gavaskar’s silence is deafening

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    For many guys from my generation, Bachchan was the childhood hero. But even at a young age I was smart enough to be able to differentiate real and reel life, and therefore the movie star meant little to me. Today when I see Big B moronically sell us cookies and jewellery (don’t those ads make you cringe?), I am glad I did not make him my idol. My one and only hero was Sunil Gavaskar, and I still admire him for his cutting insights on cricket. I vividly recall Gavaskar taking on the most lethal fast bowlers of this world, wearing only his white floppy hat… that was sheer guts. More than physical strength, it needed nerves of steel. He was THE man to me.

     

    About two years ago I chased him hard for an interview for a magazine. But failed. I can think of two reasons why. Some retired cricketers now prefer to speak only in exchange for money. Or, perhaps my nasty reputation preceded me, and therefore my childhood hero thought it’s best to duck this one. If that was so, he made a terrible mistake. Being a fan for life, my knees will have trembled in his presence; Gavaskar could have had me for lunch.

     

    However, today when I watch my hero desperately play those ultra defensive shots on the IPL scandal, it breaks my heart. This could be because he has been and desires to be on the BCCI’s payroll, and he does not want to risk losing that revenue stream. Therefore in his appearances on NDTV (another paid contract), all he does is side-track important questions, or defend the organization that has ‘Controversies’ enshrined in its mission statement. This man cannot be my childhood hero, this must be an imposter. It deeply saddens me to state this.

     

    I wish India’s finest batsman ever (I rate him above Tendulkar) chooses cricket over money. And takes the bull by its horns. Gavaskar is universally respected in this country, his views will make a huge difference. The IPL mess has put the credibility of the game on the line, and we need heroes like Gavaskar to rise to the occasion. Cricket has given the master batsman everything; it’s time to give something back to it.

     

    Throw that helmet out of the TV studios, Sir. If blokes like Andy Roberts, Malcolm Marshall and Michael Holding could not intimidate you, why would you worry about a businessman called N Srinivasan? Be the hero you always were in my eyes. Take him on, and hit him out of the cricket ground.

     

    PS: Terrific idea. Hold an exhibition of posters containing the worst client feedback, and make a charity organization happy. Indian creatives need to do stuff like this. So much better than indulging in dirty scam ads.

     

    Link: http://www.boredpanda.com/sharp-suits-worst-client-comment-posters/

     

    Anil Thakraney is a senior journalist and commentator. He is also Editor-at-Large, MxMIndia. The views expressed here are his own. He can be reached via Twitter at @anilthakraney

     

  • The campaign created by McCann Erickson for mouth freshener brand Rajnigandha, embarks by releasing TVC followed by digital, outdoor, and below the line (BTL) and POS medium

    McCann gets Rajnigandha to the stadium

    By A Correspondent

     

    Dharampal Satyapal (DS) Group has launched a new campaign captioned Stadium for its mouth freshener brand Rajnigandha. The new campaign will mark a giant leap in the underlying perception and motive of the brand with the new punch line “Munh Mein Rajnigandha Dil Mein Hai Duniya”. The key message of the campaign is “Success that makes a difference evokes admiration”. The campaign created by McCann Erickson, embarks by releasing TVC followed by digital, outdoor, and below the line (BTL) and POS medium.

     

    Commenting on the campaign, Rajeev Jain, Sr General Manager, Marketing, said, “Rajnigandha has always been a symbol of success, aspiration, stature and a perfect companion for the successful people for last three decades; it will now redefine the leadership aspect as well. The new punchline “Munh Mein Rajnigandha Dil Mein Hai Duniya” is a paradigm shift to a new benevolent and successful India.”

     

    While the earlier Rajnigandha campaign focused more on the success, the new Rajnigandha campaign has a more compassionate, humane approach. The campaign talks about an evolved person who is an equal contributor to the success of his fellow men. The protagonist of the commercial is shown as a successful business magnate, who not only has strong business acumen; but is also concerned for the well-being of society at large.

     

    The TVC shows with three investors presenting a blueprint to a young businessman in a field. This is followed by a well-heeled businessman with a calm and serene air around him, who steps out of a Limousine. The elder brother surveys the land and sees few kids playing cricket. The younger brother then excitedly blurts his business plan to create India’s biggest mega mall consisting of theme parks, amusement grounds and 6 multiplexes on that land. We see that the batsman hits the ball and it strikes the car. The elder brother throws back the ball to the kids and says “Yahan stadium banna chahiye”. One of the investors mutters under his breath ‘Charity ke bare main soch rahe hain’. Elder brother responds “Kal ki soch rahe hain”. He opens a pack of Rajnigandha, pops in a spoonful and replies “kabhi toh aisa khwab dekhiye, jismain hazaro khwab shamil ho”. Followed by this sequence is a newsperson making an announcement ‘GR Enterprises ke international stadium ne iss sheher ke logon main garv ki bhaavna aur sports culture ko adbhutt badaava diya hai’.

     

    Credits:

    Creative Agency: McCann Erickson

    Creative Head: Prasoon Joshi

    Account management: Rajeev Rakshit, Bhaskar Preenja, Shourabh Verma, Ayesha Mehra

    Planning: Jitendra Dabas and Srayan Ghosh

    National Creative Director: Nakul Sharma and Tirtha Ghosh

    Director (of the film): Rajesh Saathi

    Production House: Kerosene Films

     

  • Publicis Worldwide announces star acquisition: Bobby Pawar, Partha Sinha & Ambika Srivastava. Report + Jaldi 5 Q&A with CEO Nakul Chopra

    Emergence of a new superpower

     

    By A Correspondent

     

    A few months back, when we spoke with Bertrand Siguier, Special Advisor to Publicis Groupe chairman Maurice Levy, this is what he said of Publicis Worldwide India: “Publicis has made a lot of progress but I still want to see more in terms of creativity and visibility.” But when we asked him about how Publicis is not considered a sexy agency in India, he said: “You may be right but you have a very Indian focus. I do not know why this market is obsessed with stars – the advertising business is not like Bollywood. I know that in India some creative people are considered as stars. You see them in newspapers, you see them with beautiful ladies, you see them trying to film things for Bollywood…we are not in that league. I think we could do a bit more.”

     

    To use an adline, karo zyaada ka iraada.

     

    And that’s what Publicis has done. In one masterstroke, it has announced the arrival of three superstars of the Indian advertising industry in its fold: Bobby Pawar joins as Director, Chief Creative Officer – South Asia; Partha Sinha as Director, Chief Strategy Officer South Asia; and Ambika Srivastava as Director, Marketing and New Business India. All three will join the Management Board of Publicis India and report to Nakul Chopra CEO South Asia.

     

    Jaldi 5 with Nakul Chopra: Partha, Bobby partnership will set us apart, Ambika will bring in new competencies & clients
    All that you though about Publicis India will now be history with the news of Ambika Srivastava, Partha Sinha and Bobby Pawar of hopping on board. CEO South Asia of Publicis Worldwide Nakul Chopra took a few questions from MxMIndia. And as you will read, he is as candid as you can get. Including that question on Bobby and JWT. Read on…01. This is decidedly a coup. So would we be right in saying that this is the emergence of a new superpower in Indian creative advertising?

    Clearly our intent is to emerge as a new superpower in Indian advertising. The potent partnership that Partha and Bobby will bring underlines our belief that thinking and creativity needs to be seamless. It this partnership we believe that will set us apart from the competition. And it is only through such a partnership that we can indeed emerge as a superpower.

     

    02. It’s interesting that you’ve pulled in a media heavyweight like Ambika Srivastava. As a media planning and buying expert, what would her role be in marketing and new business development?

    On the one hand marketing and new business development is how we traditionally think of it – prospecting new clients. On the other it is equally about defining our strategies to address new opportunities – or needs from our clients’ perspective – in this very fast changing environment. Ambika is not only a media heavyweight – she is one of the most senior people in the advertising industry today – and she has a very good perspective of emerging media and trends given her ringside view in the media business. Her role is hence to help us gain new competencies and clients.

     

    03. Does the bringing in of the three impact the existing organizational structure at Publicis India?

    It does immediately add immense potent strength to the existing organisation. There is no major change in our other existing structure for now. Of course as we go forward we want to ensure that the strong partnership that Partha and Bobby reflect on the top goes all the way through the organisation. This will be perhaps less about major changes in the organizational structure – and rather more about changing processes through which we work as a team.

     

    04. Bringing in Bobby Pawar is another coup, but the circumstances in which he moved on from JWT was controversial. Given that the Publicis Groupe has clear values on this, your hiring him virtually confirms that his exit from JWT was uncalled for. Comments?

    It is not for me to comment on what another agency did. For our part we have the highest benchmark of values for both Corporate Governance and standards of the work we create. Certainly in hiring Bobby we believe that he shares these values and will partner us in maintaining them.

     

    a.  Is Partha’s move a transfer within the group? Do we see more synergies between BBH India and Publicis India?

    Partha is making a move within the Publicis Groupe – and this is certainly through a collaborated effort from Publicis and BBH. Publicis Groupe companies in India do frequently collaborate on a wide variety of issues and meet regularly to channelise Groupe strategy for India. However, this move does not in any manner signify any specific additional synergies between Publicis and BBH.

     

    05. So what kind of targets have you set yourself for this year (given the entry of the trio)?

    We don’t discuss specific business strategy and financials in the media. Our goal is very clear – to be in the Top 3 – by size, reputation and recognition.

     

    Making this announcement, Jean-Yves Naouri, Chief Operating Officer, Publicis Groupe and Executive Chairman, Publicis Worldwide, said in a communiqué: “India is central to the future success of our key clients and indeed to our own success. We are committed to making the required investments in this critical market, whether organic or through acquisitions. Following the recent acquisitions of iStrat and Marketgate, these hires confirm our ambitions to invest in top talent. I have no doubt that the new team will help meet our aspirations and those of our clients.”

     

    Mr Naouri also mentioned that Sanjay Sharma will move into the lead planning role at BBH, a function that needed to be looked at given Mr Sinha’s exit. BBH, as is known, is a fully owned Publicis Groupe company. In India, as it does in the rest of the world, BBH leads an independent existence.

     

    Said Nakul Chopra, CEO South Asia of Publicis Worldwide, and also the head of the advertising conglomerate in India: added “I am delighted to have people of such exceptional caliber join our leadership team. Each is arguably among the best in their specializations. I am very confident that each of them will add greatly to the quality of our output, to the quality of Publicis management in India and most importantly to the value we can deliver to our clients.”

     

    Said Erik Vervroegen, Global Creative Director at Publicis: ‘Bobby is just the kind of talent that we believe can take our creative product in India to the next level. I am very happy to have Partha join him as a partner. I look forward to working with this very potent team’.

     

    It has been rumoured that both Mr Bobby Pawar and Mr Partha Sinha along with Kamal Basu, former Saatchi & Saatchi CEO and now CMO at Skoda, were joining hands to launch an agency. When MxMIndia spoke to Mr Sinha a few weeks back, he laughed it off saying that while they were close friends, there was no truth in the news.

     

    Commenting on their appointment, Messrs Bobby Pawar and Partha Sinha said: “We have been wanting to work together as a team for some time now – Publicis has provided us the perfect platform to do so. Brand communication in today’s world has changed substantially – thinking and creativity need to be more concurrent and seamless – we want to approach it that way. Being involved from the root of the problem to the final delivery of the solution is the best way to add value to a brand.”

     

    Ms Ambika Srivastava added “I am excited about my new role. For me it is literally ‘back to the future’ where in today’s environment paid, earned and owned media are bringing complete perspective to a client’s business. And this is a great way to Lead the Change.”

     

    Speaking to MxMIndia, Ms Srivastava said she was looking forward to the new assignment having worked with VivaKi Exchange as Chairperson and led Zenith Optimedia from its start. “Nakul was a great help then and has a great vision for the agency.” Ms Srivastava had moved out of the VivaKi fold in March this year and was Managing Partner with a firm headed by her husband Deepak Sahai.

     

    What remains to be seen whether the joining of the threesome helps Publicis Groupe realize it ambitious target of double its size in India ahead of the 2015 deadline. Some acquisitions have happened in the last year, and clearly Publicis India – armed with the top talent – can help do that.

     

    What’s clear is that it’s the emergence of a new superpower. Watch out, others!

     

    Meanwhile @ BBH: Sanjay Sharma elevated as head of planning
    By A CorrespondentBBH India issued a statement announcing today a change in its strategic leadership. With the exit of founding managing partner Partha Sinha, Sanjay Sharma, Senior Strategy Director and a long-time BBH-er will be stepping up to take on the role of Head of Planning at BBH India.

     

    Discussing the restructure, Gwyn Jones, Global CEO, said, “Partha was the first person we hired in India and has done a great job for us over the past 4 years helping to establish the BBH brand. However, the opportunity to work with his good friend Bobby and to remain within a business he knows well was one he felt he had to take and obviously I am happy that he will still be part of the Publicis Groupe. Furthermore it is testament to the job Partha has done that we have someone of Sanjay’s quality ready to step up into the role.”

     

    Says Subhash Kamath, managing partner, “We’ll miss Partha as we’ve been friends and colleagues for years. He’s done such a wonderful job for us. But as they say, every change also throws up an opportunity. Both Russell and I are delighted that Sanjay is being able to seamlessly step into those shoes. He’s been with us right from the start, knows all our brands well and we have no doubt that he’ll be able to lead our focus on strategic planning at the heart of creative excellence.”

     

     

     

  • The Big B is in movies, endorsements, music, game shows and now will act in a TV fiction.

    1 Minute View: Amitabh Bachchan does everything. And more.

    Amitabh Bachchan in movies.

     

     

    Amitabh Bachchan in live acts.

     

     

    Amitabh Bachchan contests an election.

     

     

    Amitabh Bachchan in endorsements.

     

     

    Amitabh Bachchan in inaugurations.

     

     

    Amitabh Bachchan in music.

     

     

    Amitabh Bachchan doing a quiz-based game show.

     

     

    Amitabh Bachchan in more endorsements.

     

     

    Amitabh Bachchan as chief guest at events.

     

     

    Amitabh Bachchan playing host on a reality show.

     

     

    Amitabh Bachchan in an item number.

     

     

    Amitabh Bachchan is brand ambassador of a state.

     

     

    Amitabh Bachchan writes a blog.

     

     

    Amitabh Bachchan tweets.

     

     

    Amitabh Bachchan receives a doctorate.

     

     

    Amitabh Bachchan receives various national awards.

     

     

    Amitabh Bachchan hosts newer seasons of his game shows.

     

     

    The list is endless.

     

     

    And now:

    Amitabh Bachchan to act in a television show.

     

     

    Also to produce it.

     

     

    Next is what?

     

  • The former Sports 18 CEO will take charge of Caravan Talkies, a new rural entertainment division of Valuable Group that is currently being tested.

    Satish Menon joins Caravan Talkies as CEO

    By A Correspondent

     

    Senior mediaperson and until recently CEO of Sports 18, the sports management division of Network 18 where he spent around six years, has moved on to join the Valuable Group’s Caravan Talkies division as Chief Executive Officer.

     

    Mr Menon will take charge of Caravan Talkies, a new rural entertainment project that is currently being tested. Dry runs for the project have commenced, Mr Menon told MxMIndia. The concept is that Caravan Talkies vans will move from in a cluster of seven villages and screen recently released films on the evening when the village holds its weekly market or ‘haat’.  The ‘caravan’ would then move to another village in the cluster and return a week later. There will be five clusters to start with, the first being in Maharashtra and later in Bihar, UP, Rajasthan and other states.

     

    The film screening has been called ‘The Sundown Show’ and villagers will not be charged for the viewing. The Valuable Group hopes to recover its monies from marketers wishing to target the rural populace by selling or showcasing their wares.

     

    Caravan Talkies is being spearheaded by Ameya Hete, Executive Director of the nine-year-old Valuable Group which has been running UFO Theatres among other ventures. The company has been in the recruitment mode and the emphasis has been on hiring those who have a background in rural markets.

     

  • TV18 & Viacom 18 too have withdrawn their subscription to TAM ratings, it is learnt. Reliable sources from the Network18 group inform MxMIndia about this decision.

    Now TV18 & Viacom 18 too withdraw subscription from TAM

    By A Correspondent

    TV18 and Viacom 18 too have withdrawn their subscription to TAM ratings, it is learnt. Reliable sources from the Network18 group informed MxMIndia about this decision.

    MSM (Sony), Times Television, NDTV and SAB had already withdrawn their subscriptions. TAM, a spokesperson said, was unaware of the development.

    Over the last week, there has been much discussion in the Indian broadcast industry on the issue of the television measurement service administered by TAM Media Research, a joint venture of Nielsen and Kantar Media, a WPP firm. Broadcaster body IBF issued an advisory last week urging its members to make their decisions.

    While the apex associations of advertisers and ad agencies – the ISA and AAAI scoffed at the suggestion that measurement should be done away even in the interim, earlier this week SAB and today (Friday, June 14) TV 18 and Viacom18 have gone ahead with the withdrawal of the subscription.

    Withdrawal of the subscription would of course not mean that TAM would stop even as around 80 percent of TAM’s revenues comes from the broadcast fraternity.

    According to a report on afaqs.com, Star India too has pulled out, though MxMIndia has not received any intimation of the same. The PR agency of Star India said it had not issued any communication on this.

    At the time of the writing, other leading networks – Zee Entertainment, Sun, Discovery, Reliance Broadcast etc were still subscribed to TAM’s weekly ratings.

  • Every week, Deepa Gahlot casts a critical eye over media reviews of Bollywood releases… in Reviewing the Reviews

    Reviewing the Reviews: Fukrey not quite there

    Fukrey

    Key Cast: Ali Fazal, Manjot Singh, Pankaj Tripathi, Priya Anand, Pulkit Samrat

    Directed By: Mrighdeep Singh Lamba

    Written By: Mrighdeep Singh Lamba, Vipul Vig

    Produced By: Farhan Akhtar, Ritesh Sidhwani

     

    It would seem as if Excel Entertainment (Farhan Akhtar-Ritesh Sidhwani) have patented the buddy movie. Fukrey is a buddy movie, without the glamour associated with their films like Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara and Delhi Belly.

     

    Critics were divided over this Mrighdeep Singh Lamba film – there was the deja vu, of course, but also some ‘fukra’ humour and set in Delhi, where the slang is funnier and the moral compass out of order. The actors did their bit to elevate the film to 2.5 and some 3 stars. Considering that the director’s last film was Teen Thay Bhai, he could only go up from there.

     

    Anupama Chopra of Hindustan Times was cool with its flaws. “Director Mrighdeep Singh Lamba gives us a theatre of the absurd set in East Delhi. The characters and actors are a perfect match. Pulkit embodies the over-confident charmer and Manjot looks comically sweet and bewildered all the time. But my favourite was Varun as the foolish and always-in-heat Choocha whose dreams kick-start the entire mess – he manages to be both, idiotic and endearing. Ram Sampath’s boisterous score add to the rough and tumble feel of the film. But the problem with Fukrey is that the characters and milieu are more engaging than the plot, which gets more far-fetched as it thickens. By the time we get to a rave party and drugs, the outrageousness of the story becomes exhausting. By the climax, the writing becomes slack. Anything is possible, including a financial windfall from a character who seems tacked on to save the day. But there is enough pep in Fukrey to make it pleasantly diverting. I’m not suggesting that you drop everything and get to the theatre. But if you happen to stroll in, you are likely to come out smiling.”

     

    Rajeev Masand of IBN Live commented, “Four slackers in Delhi seeking fast cash make a deal with a ruthless don. But when things go wrong, as they inevitably do, they must pay the price for it. That familiar premise gets a fresh coat of paint in Fukrey, with co-writer and director Mrighdeep Singh Lamba putting a new spin on some old cliches. Yet, while individual scenes inspire laughs, the film doesn’t quite fly because there are too many gags and not enough plot.”

     

    Shubhra Gupta rightly pointed out how cliched this kind of Dilli film is getting to be. “Four Fukreys which loosely translates as good-for-nothing waste fellows are let loose in the gallis of Dilli in order to a) save their skins b) earn some ill-gotten moolah c) run miles away from a foul-mouthed female goon. All of which comes down to the first point namely a) save their skins. This may be a new film, but it is certainly not madly novel. Delhi Belly had the same idea with the addition of some excrement and expletives, minus one fukra. Also minus the fun, because this combo of Dilli slackers-using very Dilli slang-doing very Dilli things already feels like a template.”

     

    Karan Anshuman accorded it a mild rave, “There’s a lot to like in Fukrey. It sticks to the subtle and shies away from the tomfoolery and slapstick you’ve come to expect in films of the genre. It gives you an almost absurd Delhi-based love story that relies merely on stolen looks and notes exchanged across terraces on kites. In fact, it presents Delhi unpretentiously and one can tell that the details have a lived-in quality about them, the sort that Khosla ka Ghosla had. The writing often jumps time, leaving the audience lagging and playing catch-up. This isn’t always a bad thing in times of spoon-feeding viewers. Ram Sampath’s music is catchy but comes in spurts, making you long for more. Some of the film’s transitions are outstanding, the mark of a good director. However, a few shortcomings keep Fukrey from hitting the bullseye.”

     

    Sanjukta Sharma of LiveMint sounded a bit fed-up. “The buddy movie in Hindi cinema, in surfeit in recent times, always rests on the comical charm of floozy men, and Fukrey is no different. Lamba extracts his humour from the academically challenged boys’ desperate fraudulent measures to get ahead in life. The story’s backdrop consists of corrupt and depraved ministers, thieves, money-minded teachers, and the unspoken premise that the only way to survive and rise above middle-class circumstances is to be part of a circle of cheats-the kind of vapid, humdrum thinking that abounds in our film writing.”

     

    Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV.com wrote. “There is something hugely infectious about the exuberance of youth. That is probably why Fukrey, a comedy about four Delhi boys in a tearing hurry to realise their little dreams against all odds, appears to exude much greater energy than it intrinsically possesses. While the bubbly air of eccentricity that underlines the script is endearing for the most part, it tends to get trapped in a repetitive loop at times. But, in the end, its meanderings do not last long enough to mar the fun beyond salvation. Comparisons, though odious, are inevitable. Fukrey is unlikely to hold up too well against similar buddy-buddy flicks that Bollywood has churned out in recent times with such frequency that they have now begun to feel like rip-offs of each other, barring a minor tweak here and a little twist there.”

     

    Madhureeta Mukherjee of The Times of India was the only one who punned on the title (cringe!) and raved, “Mrighdeep infuses comedy throughout, subtle and fresh. The humour is finely spun in the writing and dialogues (Mrighdeep, Vipul Vig). There’s levity in the language and some hilarious moments. The first half is slow-paced, but it rips riot soon. The story has newness, but at times it lacks the chaotic craziness that such a comic premise can unfold. Yet, the laughs are many to keep you entertained. So what the ‘fuk-rey’, go, crack up on your seats.” Indeed?

     

  • Golds finally happen on Day 3 for India@Cannes2013. Plus 3 bronzes in Outdoor. And 19 Design shortlists.

    Taproot leads India with twin golds

     

    By A Correspondent

     

    Agnello Dias
    Agnello Dias
    Santosh Padhi

    When Agnello Dias and Santosh Padhi set up Taproot not many moons ago, one of their first benefactors was The Times of India. With reason. Aggie, as the Chief Creative Officer and Co-founder of the agency is better known as, had won his former agency JWT a Grand Prix in Direct at Cannes in 2008. The client in question was The Times of India.

     

    For, Aggie and Paddy (Santosh Padhi’s aka) have done some splendid work for the media group ever since.

     

     

    Rahul Kansal

    “The Times Group brand has an old legacy and is considered a great brand but I think with their association, Aggie and Paddy have managed to create a new buzz around the brand,” said Rahul Kansal, Executive President of Bennett Coleman and Company Limited. Talking of the duo the day the news that Dentsu had acquired stake in the agency, Mr Kansal told MxMIndia: “Aggie I would say is amongst the most versatile thinkers. He assesses the brand, market and consumer needs and comes out with a specific solution that will address the issue. Paddy then complements by giving the most appropriate treatment to the concept and that probably is their winning formula.” (Read full account at: Rahul Kansal: No shortcuts with Taproot).

     

    On Wednesday, even as Indian agencies had won a silver and 3 bronze metals in the PR and Direct categories, all eyes were on Outdoor where 43 Indian entries were shortlisted. Yes, there was Media too, but there were just two shortlists.

     

    While Media saw a blank for Indian entries, in Outdoor, there were as many as five metals, including two golds.

     

    Leading India in the metals foray this year is Taproot with two golds in Outdoor. Both are for The Times of India’s Farmer Suicides campaign. From amongst the numerous congratulatory messages he received on his Facebook profile, there was one from a senior creative: “To hear the word congratulations, must be so cliche for you. Boss how do you do it year after year!!!”

     

    The two golds are in the ‘Fundraising, Charities, Appeals, Non-Profit Organisations, Public Health & Safety, Public Awareness Messages’ and ‘Illustration’ sub-categories.  Meanwhile, Grey won two Bronze Lions for DHL and Duracell and O&M won its Bronze Lion for Philips Electronics.

     

    With this, India’s total tally of metals at Cannes Lions 2013 is 9: 3 in PR, 1 in Direct and 5 in Outdoor.

     

    But there are many shortlists in Press and Design. And the glamour part of the Lions – films, integrated are still to happen. The Cyber, Design, Press and Radio Lions will be awarded today (June 19) and Branded Content & Entertainment, Film, Film Craft and the Titanium and Integrated Lions will be presented on Saturday (June 22).

     

    Going past last year’s tally of 14 now appears easy, but will we cross the 2009 high of 25? We’ll know for sure before the week ends.