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  • He was VP, Business & Programme Development earlier

    Elephant elevates Ravi Kabara as President

    Ravi Kabara

    By A Correspondent

     

    To further strengthen its professional & operational practices, Elephant TM, India’s largest independent strategic design outfit with presence in Pune, Delhi and Singapore, has elevated Ravi Kabra to the position of President. He was VP, Business & Programme Development earlier.

     

    Mr Kabra joined Elephant in 2008 to look after Business Development.

     

    Mr Kabra, a post graduate in Marketing Management with degree in Mechanical Engineering has over 17 years of experience across Marketing, Brand Management, Business Development and Design. He worked with Bajaj Auto across functions in Sales & Marketing for 13 years before he crossed over.

     

    Speaking about his new role, Mr Kabra said: “My aim is to achieve higher levels of growth from meaningful work. I will focus on expanding the reach of Elephant brand and augment the contribution of strategic design across client’s business needs. I will also be responsible for ensuring that quality of delivery, teams & operations remain excellent.”

     

    Elephant team has built a strong portfolio of leading brands and award winning projects across sectors and clients.”

     

    Talking about this development, Ashwini Deshpande, Founder Director, Elephant said: “Ravibrought a good balance of professionalism and business understanding at Elephant without affecting the intrinsic passion and free thinking that this profession requires. It seemed like the right time to entrust him with greater responsibility that would leave the founders with more time to mentor teams and explore newer ways of achieving innovation.”

     

    With 23 years of experience, practices at Elephant include product design, retail spaces, packaging, brand strategy & communication, corporate identity & innovation consulting.

     

  • MxMIndia's next edition or major refresh of stories will be on Tuesday, August 21 since we are closed over the weekend and on Monday, August 20 on account of Eid

    Eid Mubarak. Next site refresh & newsletter on Tue, Aug 21

    MxMIndia wishes all our readers Eid Mubarak.

     

    Our next edition or major refresh of stories will be on Tuesday, August 21 since we are closed over the weekend and on Monday, August 20 on account of Eid.

     

    However, if there are any major updates, we’ll have it up on our site. For instance, we expect a joint press release to be issued after the IBF-ISA-AAAI-TAM meeting concludes later today… we will have an update based on it soonest. 🙂

     

  • Presenting the fifth edition of MxM Buzzer where the focus is on India, Indians and the Independence Movement!

    MxM Buzzer # 5 | Quiz on Patriotism

    Here’s the fifth edition of MxMIndia’s media quiz – MxM Buzzer, that happens every Friday. Our quizmaster is Sorbojeet Chatterjee, Vice President – Marketing at Neo Sports. To enter this quiz, simply email the answers with your personal details (Name, email id and telephone number) and a five-word descriptor for MxM Buzzer at editor@mxmindia.com with Buzzer#5 in the subject. Standard contest rules apply (see box below). Note: entries without the descriptor will not be considered for prizes.

    There will be two prizes for Buzzer #5. One First Prize of Rs 1001 and One Second Prize of Rs 101.

    If there’s a tie, the best descriptor for MxM Buzzer will get the prize (note: tie-breaker question will change every week).
    Last date for sending entries: Thursday, August 23. Entries must reach us by 6pm IST.

     Which country celebrates Independence Day on the same day as India?
     Which agency created the award-winning Silent National Anthem for Big Cinemas?
     This television programme derives its name from a famous slogan coined by former Indian Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri and features celebrities visiting army camps and interacting with them. Identify the TV show?
     The Greatest Indian is based on a format owned by BBC and was a joint initiative by 2 television channels in India. Identify both the channels?
     Dhyan Chand (1936), Pargat Singh (1996), Leander Paes (2000), Anju Bobby George (2004), X (2012). Identify X?

     Which Bollywood star is related to the freedom fighter (shown in the image) and has even named his son after the highly respected leader?
     The Indian National Anthem by Rabindranath Tagore was translated in English as the The Morning Song of India. Which celebrated poet penned the English version?
     Which news channel has launched an initiative called ‘Lets Fly The Flag’ leading up to Independence Day?
     Who has been the editor of the following publications – Indian Opinion, Young India, Harijan and Navjivan?
     ‘A Capella’ is a form of music with only words and no musical aid or accompaniments. Which Indian music channel has created special Independence Day programming with this form of music?

    Winner of Buzzer # 4 is Meghna Mehta (Tel No xxxxx 04×86). Ms Mehta (who works with Star India) wins a Prize of Rs 1001. There are 2 Second Prizes of Rs 250 each. Mr Himanshu Agarwal (xxxxx 94×24, from Infosys) and Ms Natasha Dhingra (xxxxx 96×29, from Aidem)are the second prize winners. Congratulations, Ms Mehta, Mr Agarwal and Ms Dhingra. Please await our mail, send us your coordinates and we will wire/ courier/ deposit you the prize… within a couple of weeks.

     

    Answers to Buzzer # 4

    1. Star News, 2. Times Now, 3. Prannoy Roy, 4. Sagarika Ghose (daughter of Bhaskar Ghose), 5. Bhagwan Allah God, 6. Headlines Today, 7. Sahara Samay, 8. Hindu, 9. NBC News, 10. Jayanthi Natarajan
    1. The families and employees of MxMIndia Private Limited and its associates are not eligible to win prizes.
    2. You can send as many entries as you would like. There is no entry fee.
    3. In case of more than one all-correct entry, the Tie-Breaker will be the decider. Entries without the Descriptor for the Tie-Breaker will not be considered complete.
    4. The decision of the Quizmaster and/or the MxMIndia editor will be final.
    5. If the winner is not reachable by phone/email, the next best entry will be awarded the prize.
    6. By sending your entry, it is assumed that you are in agreement with the rules.
    7.  Entries for Buzzer #5 must reach us latest by 6pm IST on Aug 23.
  • Asia's leading fantasy football game kicks off new BPL Season with US$25,000 in cash prizes

    ESPN Star searches for Asia’s ultimate football manager!

    By A Correspondent

     

    ESPN STAR Sports kicks off the 2012-13 Barclays Premier League season in search of Asia’s ultimate ESPNSTAR.com Football Manager. Following the phenomenal success of last season which saw 46 per cent increase in unique players across Asia, ESPN STAR Sports will be giving football fans the chance to win a share of US$25,000 in cash prizes playing this seasons’ ESPNSTAR.com Football Manager.

     

    The grand prize winner, who accumulates the most number of points in the season, will walk away with US$10,000. A monthly prize of US $1,000 for the player that scores the most number of points is also up for grabs.

     

    This year Football Manager participants will get the opportunity to compete against resident ESPN STAR Sports football experts and presenters. Participants will find themselves pitting their skills against familiar names such as former Liver pool player Steve McMahon, and football experts such as Andrew Leci, Doug Chalmers, Jamie Reeves, Paul Parker and Paul Masefield. Participants will also be able to challenge ESPN STAR Sports’ Sports Center presenters Steve Dawson, Christy Simson, Jason de la Pena and Colette Wong.

     

    In addition, participants will now also be able to bring their passion to the next level, as ESPNSTAR.com Football Manager has been optimised for mobile and tablet devices, allowing participants to manage their teams whenever and wherever they choose.

     

     

  • Listeners will have to share a business idea and send in their entries, the best business idea will be awarded Rs 25 lakh to make their dream come true

    Fever FM launches iDream for aspiring entrepreneurs

    By A Correspondent

     

    Fever 104 FM has recently launched iDream. Sponsored by Reliance Commercial Finance, Fever iDream aims to give an opportunity to listeners to make their dream of starting their own SME business come true. It is said to be an attempt to fulfill the aspirations of the talented who have the ability to make it big as an entrepreneur but, lack financial support.

     

    Listeners will have to share a business idea and send in their entries, the best business idea will be awarded Rs 25 lakh to make their dream come true. The campaign will run on Fever 104 FM Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Kolkata.

     

    Harshad Jain, Business Head, Radio and Entertainment, HT Media said: “It has always been our endeavour to make the radio listening experience special by making it more innovative and interactive. Fever iDream is the first such radio innovation where people can fulfill their business dreams and be their own boss. The concept is aimed towards helping budding entrepreneurs who have the capability but lack funds. Reliance Commercial Finance and Fever iDream can change lives and I am sure it will be a huge success.”

     

  • In other words, they applied a terrific amount of strategic thinking into each and every sport and took a very business performance management approach to everything

    Peter Mukerjea: 2012 Olympic Games – The philosophy of marginal gains!

    By Peter Mukerjea

     

    So now that the 2012 Olympic Games are over, I felt a sense of withdrawal for a day or so. I had got so used to watching hours of fabulous TV coverage across 24 channels – some in HD, of virtually all the events from different venues across the City ofLondonand further afield – sailing and rowing. I wasn’t one bit disappointed though, at not having been to the Games to see anything LIVE, only because the TV broadcast was of such a high standard, that making the effort to steer through the traffic to get there, shuffle with seating, break for snacks or lunch or tea or a pee break, that watching several events at the same time on TV was simply unbeatable, as an option.

     

    But, I did start wondering what it is that the recent 2012 Olympics did for me, in context to India Inc. and what I learnt from the Games themselves. The Games were terrific, as an event of course, the opening ceremony, the athletes, the management, et al, but how did Team GB do so well and so much better than the Beijing Games, just 4 years ago. What was their secret and how did they go about it? I asked a few people who are in the know of these things and the answers I got were astounding, although not surprising. There was also some timely in-depth research done by the IES (Institute for Employment Studies ) which will give us some insight on this.

     

    What stuck out for me was the “The concept of marginal gains”. This simple philosophy has made a big difference to the end result – the medal tally and put Team GB in 3rd place. This was a real surprise for me but not so when I probed a little to find out more.  Each sport had a performance director who had set a very clear goal for the team and at every stage of activity, the same question was asked – over and over again  – “is this going to make us better?”

     

    Be it rowing, sailing, running, jumping, shooting, boxing, whatever. They set a goal and then went about deconstructing the goals to see what needed to be done and how could something new make a slight marginal difference to the performance – a marginal gain each time. Not to make gains in leaps and bounds, but to do this on a step by step basis. And then to collectively achieve a better result each time.

     

    They would do multi-planner activity and had a meritocratic approach to everything – training, teamwork, funding, performance management, but they were also open to criticism. They were self critical at all times, got rid of flabbier organisations as compared to the earlier Games and better understood the concept of loss aversion. In other words, they applied a terrific amount of strategic thinking into each and every sport and took a very business performance management approach to everything. The support and funding that each sport got from Government was also based largely, if not entirely, on results achieved.

     

    None of this is earth shattering in itself perhaps, but the revelation gets more interesting when we see the ‘how’ and ‘why’.

     

    Based on interviews and focus groups with 154 team members, the research goes on to flag coaching and mentoring as key ingredients for a happy and successful team. It shows the team managers are not afraid of change and help create an atmosphere for innovation rather than wallowing in a blame culture. It also outlines 6 areas to avoid for anyone aspiring to engage their team.

     

    1. Never hope it will go away.

    2. Never have a bad day.

    3. Don’t be part of the problem.

    4. Don’t encourage discord and don’t play games to keep people on their toes or enhance competitiveness.

    5. Don’t manage performance before people

    6. Don’t hide, even if you are naturally shy and retiring.

     

    Great team spirit doesn’t happen by chance. The best leaders ensure their behaviour sets the standards for their staff.  The man behindBritain’s cycling success, Dave Brailsford, insists that it’s the little things that make a difference. Hence the likes of Chris Hoy and Victoria Pendleton taking their own pillows to meets, so they sleep better and making sure they clean gaps between their fingers to reduce probability of illness.

     

    Marginally obsessive perhaps, but dedication to success is infectious, particularly when it so clearly gets results. It’s certainly something for all managers to chew on in this post Olympic period.

     

    (But apart from this , what was also most endearing to me , was the lack of commercial breaks during any of the TV broadcasts. By the way, how’s the IBF getting on with limiting the volume of minutes per hour, for commercial breaks? )

     

  • What e-commerce needs is logistic efficiency at industry level, not at the player level, says Ankur Warikoo

    The Anchor: 5 musts in e-commerce to get to the next level

    By Ankur Warikoo

     

    Cross-sharing of a Logistic Network

    From a back end operations or a logistic perspective every e-commerce company is trying to build its own logistic setup which is their own last mile delivery network. While that is a very good initiative, it is not scalable because what you are ultimately doing is creating a large setup without the economies of scale.  So what e-commerce needs is logistic efficiency at industry level, not at the player level.

     

    Payment Gateway Efficiency

    Industry still suffers from miserable payment gateways options. The failure rates on credit cards, debit cards even net banking are fairly high, much higher than what the west experiences and for no logical reasons. So, we do need someone coming in with innovative payment gateway solution which makes sure that the customers entering legitimate data is never failed. The industry suffers from almost 25 per cent failure rate, which is extremely high. So a payment gateway innovation is required to make sure that the failure rates are lower.

     

    Cash on Delivery Innovations

    This was introduced to bring in people who do not have credit cards or debit cards and are more comfortable with cash transactions. However what has happened is that now cash on delivery is beginning to be misused as people are now using it as an excuse to test what kind of product is coming to their door step and if they don’t like it, they just reject it and that’s not a healthy practice. There needs to be an innovation around this, which means that Cash on Delivery should be restricted to only people who cannot transact through prepaid mechanisms like credit card, debit cards etc. and steps should be taken to not allow cash on delivery to be misused.

     

    Focus on Profitability and Sustainability

    All the companies now need to shift their focus towards profitability and sustainability. So far in the last 2.5 odd years the focus has been on top line growth, to get the customer in but, none of the players are closer to being profitable and definitely not sustainable. So, that needs to be a focus for e-commerce because if it is not profitable and sustainable then all customer pro initiatives could be taken away.

     

    Customer Relation Management

    CRM is missing from most e-commerce companies today. They are neither customer profiling to understand that there are different consumer behaviors and buying patterns. Understanding and treating your value propositions for each and every customer based on how they behave on your platform.

     

    Ankur Warikoo is the CEO of Crazeal

     

  • Rest in peace, Prabuddha. I totally enjoyed the teas and the smokes. And the delightful talk on nude women. Wish we had a chance to do another round

    Anil Thakraney: Prabuddha: Photographer with soul

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    I did a detailed interview with Prabuddha Das Gupta in 1999. This was for The Brief, the ad mag I used to edit at the time. We met at his minimalistic, but very stylish home inDelhi. I recall we had a wonderful exchange, mainly because we hit it off. This doesn’t often happen during interviews, and when it does, you can be assured of a candid and meaningful conversation.

     

    Prabuddha was not in a very happy mood that day, and that’s putting it mildly. He was out on bail, and was irritated over the possibility of another round of police action. The Maharashtra government had got him arrested for the very controversial Tuff shoes campaign, which he had shot. (Younger readers can surf the net to learn more about the sordid drama over that campaign.)

     

    Prabuddha Dasgupta (pic: PrabuddhaDasgupta.com)

    The photographer directed his fury at the IAPA, who, he felt, did not stand by him at the time. He said: “When you are dealing with images with creativity, you’re always dealing with something that’s controversial, you’re always trying to push the envelope. I have no respect for an organization which doesn’t support that.” But all the legal mess clearly hadn’t bogged the photographer down. When I asked if he’d do a Tuff Shoes all over again, without blinking an eyelid he exclaimed, “Oh yeah!”. That was Prabuddha for you. Fearless. A word that best describes the individuality he brought to his craft.

     

    One reason why the entire ad world remembers him fondly is that Prabuddha put his soul in every picture he shot, be it for artistic or commercial photography. This quality is rare to find in Indian advertising photographers, most of who treat photography as an assignment that needs to be done and dusted. According to Prabuddha: “If you are not bringing something of your own to the image, then the image equals another image, which in turn equals the third image, and so on. For a photographer, what is critical is not just to have the ability to deliver a competent image, but the ability to deliver something that’s uniquely his or her own. You are not being paid so much money only for your technical ability to press the shutter six times.”

     

    And this is why his death is a huge blow to the ad world. The industry has lost a photographer who brought his own sensibility to the picture. He conceived, he imagined, he created. And only then did he press the button.

     

    And, me being me, I needled the man on his book, ‘Women’, in which he had captured scintillating nude images. Didn’t he, while shooting, feel the urge to cross the line? I still remember Prabuddha smiling, as he took in a deep drag from his Wills Filter. “No, I didn’t cross the line. If I want to sleep with someone, I don’t have to go through the whole process to do it. But yes, I have to admit the temptation was there. I am a man, after all, with a woman unclothed in front of me.”

     

    Rest in peace, Prabuddha. I totally enjoyed the teas and the smokes. And the delightful talk on nude women. Wish we had a chance to do another round.

     

    * * *

     

    PS: Sadly, the film and ad world has lost another great craftsman: Ashok Mehta. While I did not get an opportunity to interact much with the ace cinematographer, I did work with him on a TV commercial for Taj Mahal Tea. And if there’s one single impression I carried back of the man, it’s this: Mehta was always smiling; he was unflustered and totally chilled out even when things were going wrong, and the director was tearing his hair out. Ashok Mehta was the ‘King of Cool’. Anyone who worked with him will readily agree with this description. RIP.

     

  • The shortlists for Emvies 2012 to be held on September 3 have been announced. Mindshare leads with 27 of the shortlists, followed by Maxus (19), Pinnacle (15) and Lodestar UM (13).

    Mindshare leads in Emvies 2012 shortlist

    By A Correspondent

     

    The twelfth edition of the Emvies could well see media agency major Mindshare walk away with the numero uno slot. The agency has managed 27 from the 126 shortlists announced, followed by 19 from Maxus. Pinnacle has 15 entries and Lodestar UM has 13.

     

    This year, organiser Ad Club Bombay has introduced the following new categories/changes at the Emvies: Media Client of the Year, Best Ongoing Media Campaign & Young Emvie of the Year has been introduced as three new categories.  Display and Video has been added as additional sub-categories under Best Media Innovation – Digital.

     

    The Emvies were introduced by the Advertising Club Bombay to honour measurable and significant contributions in the field of media. This year, the event will be held in Mumbai on Monday, September 3, 2012 while the second round of judging will happen on August 23 to 25.

     

     

  • The timing of his appointment to Global CEO of Maxus couldn't have been better as the agency's HQ will shift to India + Dominic Proctor on Sakhuja

    India Shining with Vikram Sakhuja

     

    By Johnson Napier

     

     

    Proctor on Sakhuja

     

    Exclusive to MxMIndia: Dominic Proctor, President of GroupM Global on Vikram Sakhuja’s appointment to the position of Global CEO of Maxus and the relocation of Maxus’ Global Heaquarters to India

     

    Vikram has been selected as he is the best candidate for the job, not because he lives in India. The fact that he does live in India is an additional bonus because it spreads the management of Maxus around the world, consistent with the new world order. It also reflects the fact that much of our global senior talent resides in Asia and I fully expect that more of that talent will move into global positions in the years to come. Not just in GroupM agencies but business in general.

     

    The world has become a smaller place and boundaries are no longer barriers. Maxus does not have a single HQ so there is no plan to move more people into the market. Indeed the agency will continue to grow and develop as a very global business.

     

    Vikram will join the global management team of GroupM and I am really excited by the opportunity to work with him more closely. He will bring a different and interesting perspective to our business as we continue to grow. The fact that he is coming from a fast growing market will also be a benefit as we plan to grow quickly everywhere!

     

    I can’t think of anybody as qualified as Vikram to build on the great work that Kelly Clark and his team have done in establishing Maxus as the world’s fastest growing agency.

    As India celebrated her 66th Independence Day, the headquarters of the world’s fastest growing media agency is to be shifted to the country. And Vikram Sakhuja, currently Group M’s CEO for South Asia, has been appointed Global CEO of the media advertising network’s Maxus agency.

     

    Proctor Dominic

    Mr Sakhuja’s appointment was part of a series of senior-level changes announced on Wednesday by Dominic Proctor, President of GroupM Global. “The world has become a smaller place and boundaries are no longer barriers,” Mr Proctor told MxMIndia. “Maxus does not have a single HQ so there is no plan to move more people into the market. Indeed the agency will continue to grow and develop as a very global business.” Said Mr Sakhuja, “It’s very exciting and humbling at the same time… It’s still sinking in.”

     

    In the first move, GroupM North American CEO Rob Norman becomes Chief Digital Officer for GroupM Global, a new position at the company.

     

    Rob Norman

    “Our activity in digital will define our future success and we are truly fortunate that Rob will step into this crucial role full time,” Mr Proctor said in a communiqué issued earlier, announcing the movements.  “There is nobody better suited or more experienced than Rob to lead our teams into the future.”

     

    Mr Norman has extensive experience in the digital arena having served as CEO of GroupM Interaction since 2006.  Mr Proctor said his responsibilities will be significantly expanded in his new role.

     

    Kelly Clark

    At the same time, Mr Proctor said Kelly Clark, currently Global CEO of the GroupM agency Maxus, will succeed Mr Norman as CEO of GroupM North America.

     

    “Kelly has had wonderful success with our companies in Asia, the UK, and Europe and most recently at Maxus globally,” Mr Proctor said.  “His broad experience and track record will bring a great boost to our business in North America.”  Prior to taking over Maxus in 2008, Mr Clark served as CEO of GroupM Europe, Middle East and Africa.

     

     

    Talent and leadership is sitting everywhere: Vikram Sakhuja

     

    The new Global CEO of Maxus spoke to MxMIndia hours after the news of his appointment was announced

     

    Congratulations… has the news sunk in yet?

    It’s very exciting and humbling at the same time. It’s a very vibrant and exciting agency to be with. All I can say right now is that I am thrilled with the news. It’s still sinking in.

     

    In a sense you’ve piped some favourites to the job…

    I really have no idea on how the contender things work. It obviously involves the system and you’ll have to ask that to the bosses at Group M.

     

    We’ve seen the stellar work that you have done for Group M but personally, what would you attribute your ascent to the top to?

    I can’t really say what is it that has worked in my favour. One needs to introspect such things, I guess. Something great has obviously worked for me. But one has to work things up and have a gameplan and get people together to move things in a particular direction. The ability to have a vision and the ability to drive it are the things that I have tried to do as the Group CEO for Group M South Asia. And if that has worked, then it’s great.

     

    How big a challenge is it to fit in the shoes of Kelly Clark, who’s been promoted to CEO of Group M North America?

    Kelly’s shoes will be very large to fill. I remember that I joined the system when he was the APAC head at Mindshare and was transitioning between UK and Europe handling several roles for the agency before he moved to Maxus. Hats off to Kelly for the sheer intrusiveness and energy with which he has driven the agency. I am a big fan of his.

     

    What are the immediate changes that will be seen on ground?

    Not sure on when the new change will come into effect and will be clear only when a successor has been decided. These things take time and it is still work in progress.

     

    In a sense you become the first global CEO of a media agency to be based out of India. And Dominic Proctor too has highlighted the emergence of an APAC market as being the driving engine for the future. What do you have to say about this?

    It so happens that you got talent and leadership sitting everywhere. I have been fortunate enough to be picked out of here but at the end of the day, we are living in a pretty global world and the new reality is that communication barriers are slowly fading away. In our earlier system, people used to be running the system out of Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong but suddenly where you sit is not central to what is called the ‘headquarter concept’. In my case too, it just so happens that I am going to be based in Mumbai. But I won’t read anything too much into saying that Asia Pacific has emerged as a hot favourite – it’s great to hear that but at the end of the day we have been part of the global network for years and it feels that way. I don’t see it as APAC being suddenly recognised. If you see Ashutosh Srivastava, the Mindshare APAC head also has taken up a global responsibility…so there are Indians all over the place. It just shows the ability of the system to look at APAC as the global hub rather than elsewhere.

     

    Will it be a challenging task to lead global operations out of India?

    It’s just that I am going to be based in Mumbai and I will be travelling as the other global CEOs do. A global CEO’s job doesn’t automatically mean that everything is decided by a bunch of team sitting at some headquarter and running the entire set-up, it doesn’t work like that. You’ve got to work through a network, you’ve got to create a team and drive a certain agenda. It doesn’t require physically handling a bunch of people in one place.

     

    One of the challenges will be to see that Maxus continues to achieve the 20 per cent growth trajectory in the coming future as well…

    I have no idea how I’ll continue to keep it at that. But it will be an interesting challenge. I look forward to my role at Maxus.
     

    Vikram Sakhuja interviews on mxmindia.com

     

    Interview with Anil Thakraney

    http://www.mxmindia.com/2012/06/ creative-agencies-have-allowed-themselves-to-be-dumbed-down-vikram-sakhuja/

     

    Text and MxMIndiaTV interview at FICCI-Frames 2012

    http://www.mxmindia.com/2012/03/ff12-integrated-media-is-the-best-way-forward- vikram-sakhuja/

     

    MxMIndiaTV interview at World Magazine Congress 2011

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSS2j9PQMkU& feature=player_embedded

    Maxus was named the 2011 “Media Agency of the Year” by Adweek and last month the agency was named the fastest-growing global media services agency in the world for the third consecutive year by RECMA, the independent organization that measures media agency sector operations.

     

    Taking Mr Clark’s role at Maxus will be Mr Vikram Sakhuja, currently CEO of GroupM India and South Asia. “Vikram is the perfect candidate to take on the Maxus role from Kelly,” Mr Proctor said.  “Maxus has a great management team and a lot of momentum.  I have no doubt that Vikram will continue to build a great agency.”  He added that Mr Sakhuja will remain in his current role until his successor is announced (See ‘Proctor on Sakhuja’ in box alongside).

     

    All three will report to Mr Proctor and the new roles begin later this year.

     

    Mr Sakhuja’s appointment is the second global level appointment made by Maxus in recent times. Earlier this year, Madhvi Pahwa moved from a Group M responsibility to that of Global Talent Director. Ms Pahwa was to be based in India.  But now, Maxus has become the first global media agency to have its headquarters in not just India, but also Asia. Said Mr Proctor on the relocation of the HQ: “It also reflects the fact that much of our global senior talent resides in Asia and I fully expect that more of that talent will move into global positions in the years to come. Not just in GroupM agencies but business in general.”

     

    Lynn de Souza, chairman and CEO of Lintas Media Group, believes that it’s a welcome recognition for Mr Sakhuja and India. “It shows that Indian talent is appreciated and not that it needs to be exported out of India to do good work. That is the essential story that comes out of this,” she said. Added Mona Jain, CEO, Vivaki Exchange: “India has been consistently delivering healthy growth numbers for several agencies and is also one of the fastest growing markets in the continent. So it is only fitting for them to consider India as the hub for managing global operations.”

     

    For Mr Sakhuja, it’s a significant move as he moves to Group M global management team directly and not via the Asia-Pacific route. However, he doesn’t think there’s an all-new focus on APAC. “It just so happens that I am going to be based in Mumbai. But I won’t read anything too much into saying that Asia Pacific has emerged as a hot favourite – it’s great to hear that but at the end of the day we have been part of the global network for years and it feels that way,” he said.

     

    The successor to his current position as CEO, Group M South Asia hasn’t been announced yet. Once that’s done and the transition happens, Mr Sakhuja will take on the global role at Maxus in right earnest.

     

     

    INDUSTRYSPEAK

     

    Lynn de Souza, Chairman & CEO, Lintas Media Group

    I think it is a fantastic development both for Vikram himself who has really done a very good job ever since I have known him and it’s an appreciation for all the good that he has done and the potential that he has. So I am very happy for him. Also, for the industry itself, it shows that Indian talent is appreciated and not that it needs to be exported out of India to do good work. That is the essential story that comes out of this.

     

    Certainly, Maxus is a great agency; I have always said that. It’s excellent news; the recognition for Vikram as well as for India is really very good.

     

    Divya Gupta, Chief Executive Officer, Dentsu Media India

    This epitomizes India as a key, growth engine for most brands and marketers across the globe.
    It also augurs the emergence of India as a strategic global and regional hub for management and control of network businesses.
    I wish Vikram success.

     

    Mona Jain, CEO, Vivaki Exchange

    The agency has always been rated highly. It’s great news that the CEO should be from India which shows that the country is becoming very critical in the entire global scheme of things for agency networks. Also, India has been consistently delivering healthy growth numbers for several agencies and is also one of the fastest growing markets in the continent. So it is only fitting for them to consider India as the hub for managing global operations.

     
     

    Maxus Global Factsheet

    > Launched in late 2008, is part of GroupM, the world’s largest media investment management group that serves as the parent company for all of WPP’s media agencies, and which buys over one third of the world’s media every day.

    > Rated world’s fastest growing global media agency network

    > Talent base 1,400 people across 67 locations worldwide

    > Global clients include Barclays, SC Johnson, NBC Universal, Fiat Group, Nokia, Vodafone, Church & Dwight, Nestle and L’Oreal

    >Services include Communications strategy, Media planning and buying, Digital marketing, SEM and SEO, Direct response media, Data analytics and Marketing ROI evaluation

    (Information source: Factsheet, www.maxusglobal.com)

     
     

    Rise and Rise…

     

    Vikram Sakhuja

    Twitter @VikramSakhuja

     

    Education:

    IIM Calcutta (1988)

    IIT Delhi (1984)

    Modern School, Delhi (1979)

     

    Work:

    Group M

    CEO South Asia (earlier MD, Mindshare Fulcrum and later Mindshare South Asia) (2002-present)

    Star TV

    Exec VP Marketing (Jan-Dec 2001)

    Coca-Cola India

    Marketing Manager-Brands (1996-2000)

    P&G India

    Associate Manager-Media & MR (1988-96)

    DCM

    Management Trainee (1984-86)

     

     

  • The agency is opening offices in Chicago and New York to start with and will expand to other cities at a later date

    Bang in the Middle launches in US

    By A Correspondent

     

    Reversing the trend of global agencies launching in India, the newly formed independent agency Bang in the Middle announced the launch of its operations in the US. The agency is opening offices in Chicago and New York to start with and will expand to other cities at a later date.

     

    “We have been clear from the start that we won’t be a single country operation. This is the next step in our evolution and we aren’t going to stop here. We are exploring some more opportunities in Asia and Europe, and we hope to expand into those markets. It’s time to demonstrate a brand new way of doing business, and what a better moment than India’s Independence Day to announce this,” said Prathap Suthan, Managing Partner, Bang in the Middle.

     

    To facilitate the US entry, Bang in the Middle has brought on board Ms Saira Mohan as the president, Bang in the Middle, US. Ms Mohan is a well-known international supermodel with extensive advertising and marketing experience, especially in the world of global fashion, luxury and design.

     

    “I am excited to partner this incredibly talented team in India and open up the opportunities in US for brands from India and open up Indian markets for brands in US,” said Ms Mohan. “I have been in the world of branding and design for over a decade and I intend to fully bring that experience on table for all our current and potential clients” she added.

     

    Bang in the Middle, US will help the growing ambitions of many mainstream brands who are not owned by MNCs, but want to expand their ambit and enter India. Bang in the Middle will also help its clients like iYogi and Veen Waters to establish their brand in US. It is currently in conversation with a few brands in US, and some leading communication and professionals to bring them on board. Through its unique suite of offering that span design, branding and digital marketing, this is Bang in the Middle’s first international foray into establishing itself as a mainstream global creative media company.

     

    “We currently have a very eclectic bunch of clients who require our services in more markets than just US. We have launched campaigns in US, Europe and Middle East already for our clients, and are about to launch some more for our brands. In today’s hyperconnected world, you need to be present in everywhere where opportunity is, and for us USA is a vast opportunity” said Naresh Gupta, Bang in the Middle.

     

    Bang in the Middle currently works with iYogi, Veen Waters, Hawktrack from Knoxx Global, Dulux Paints, Vimal, and BigFlix among others.

     

  • The reason for this little history lesson: Because most Indian news channels apparently think that Indian Independence has something to do with military might

    Ranjona Banerji: A lesson on India’s Independence

    By Ranjona Banerji

     

    Independence Day, one is pained to point out to India’s media, celebrates India’s independence from British colonial rule. As many people in the world are aware, though evidently not the Indian media, India achieved this independence through non-violent means. This method of fighting for human and civil rights, by appealing to the moral conscience within all of us, inspired other oppressed peoples the world over. Most famously, Martin Luther King Junior who fought for civil rights for Black Americans in the 1960s and later Nelson Mandela who fought against apartheid in South Africa were inspired by India’s unique battle for Independence.

     

    The man who steered this course of action to success was Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi.

     

    The reason for this little history lesson: Because most Indian news channels apparently think that Indian Independence has something to do with military might. The focus was on Indian soldiers fighting for India’s boundaries. In fact, there is no connection at all between the military and Indian Independence. And much as we have decided that Gandhi has got too much publicity already and perhaps we cannot tell the difference between MK Gandhi and Indira Gandhi (and have developed an anathema to the surname), the fact is that the struggle for Independence cannot be disentangled from the Mahatma.

     

    Also even if we love Hindi cinema and we are all excited by rightwing propaganda which tries to move the discussion away from Gandhi, the RSS had almost no role to play in the events of 1947 and neither did Bhagat Singh. There is always room for critical discussion on those times – and for disagreement – but no Indian new channel is interested in the intellectual rigour required for a meaningful conversation on how India got its independence.

     

    In 1947, just as a matter of interest, the army was under British rule. It was not involved in our freedom struggle. Running to the National Defence Academy to eat with the cadets – I refer to CNN-IBN – is sadly inappropriate on a day which celebrates non-violence.

     

    If the media wants to glorify the armed forces (and it is impossible of course to expect a dispassionate analysis of India’s military from its news channels which are always stuck in rah-rah nationalism) then it should wait till January 26. That is when we have a military parade, remember?

     

    As an aside, the media might now end this struggle to search for freedom fighters. The mathematics and mortality rates are both against it. India became independent 65 years ago. You may honour the youth who were inspired by the freedom struggle but all the meaningful players are long gone.

     

    That’s it. Class dismissed.

     

    The writer co-authored and co-edited a book on 50 years of Indian Independence with Ayaz Memon in 1997, called India 50: The Making of a Nation.