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  • Companies will delay price increases, emphasise on low-priced packs, explore new value price points and step up promotions to prevent possible downtrading, or consumers switching to cheaper products, in case of a crisis

    FMCGs brace for a weak monsoon

    By Ratna Bhushan & Sagar Malviya

     

    Consumer goods companies are busy firming up contingency plans to stem any decline in volume sales in case a deficit in monsoon rainfall hit crop yields, escalate food prices and impact consumer spend.

     

    Companies such as Dabur and Parle Products said they will delay price increases, emphasise on low-priced packs of Rs2, 5 and 10, explore new value price points and step up promotions to prevent possible downtrading, or consumers switching to cheaper products, in case of a crisis.

     

    “If there’s a monsoon deficit, we would obviously look at protecting volumes,” said Sunil Duggal, CEO of Dabur, which makes Vatika shampoo and Babool toothpaste.

     

    “Contingency plans could include a combination of things like putting off price increases, accelerating focus on smaller packs and allocating more spends on consumer promotions, depending on where the deficit is,” he added.

     

    BK Rao, general manager at top biscuits maker Parle Products said the maker of Parle-G, Monaco and Hide & Seek biscuits will focus on smaller price points if the situation is bad.

     

    The monsoon has revived significantly in the past week to reduce total deficit in the country so far to 22 per cent from 31 per cent and accelerated crop planting. But crop yields may still be lower as rainfall has been uneven, with some regions, including parts of Karnataka and Maharashtra, remaining practically dry for three weeks. Economists warn that food prices may rise sharply if rainfall weakens again.

     

    FMCG companies have been bucking the overall slowdown in the economy and posting an average 15 per cent growth, but a weak monsoon could change it.

     

    “A weak monsoon will naturally reflect on costs and we will have to work around that. The industry will feel the impact around September-October,” said Chitranjan Dar, divisional chief executive of tobacco-to-chips maker ITC Foods.

     

    While impact of inflation on the premium urban rich is not very significant, mid-rung and rural demand is strongly linked to the monsoons. Thus, top FMCG firm Hindustan Unilever, Dabur and biscuit maker Britannia, which have large rural presence, could be hurt more than Nestle and GlaxoSmithKline Consumer, which have an urban focus for their products, say experts.

     

    Analysts say consumer goods companies tend to push ‘magic price points’ of Rs2, 3, 5 and 10 in an inflationary scenario to minimise any negative impact on discretionary spends. Such low-unit packs account for over 25-30 per cent sales of makers of shampoos, hair dyes, biscuits and snack foods.

     

    Also, with local competition always posing a threat, established players would have to step up volume discounts and consumer promotions in a weak monsoon scenario. A significant 70 per cent of low unit packs are sold through kirana shops (mom and pop stores).

     

    “Small SKUs and distribution expansion may save the day. Downtrading too would be arrested at the small-pack level,” Shirish Pardeshi, executive director and co-head, research, at financial services firm Anand Rathi Securities, wrote in an investor note two weeks back. “Rural expansion of distribution (for example, HUL’s Project Shakti and Emami’s Swadesh initiatives – both aimed at accelerating expansion in rural markets) would help arrest drop in consumption,” the note said.

     

    Some analysts, however, believe the impact of a weak monsoon will be limited on rural consumption because dependence on agricultural income has been declining. “Our discussions with rural trade and consumers have always highlighted that one bad monsoon does not result in consumption declining. Instead, it leads to trade credit terms becoming more onerous in rural India,” Ambit Capital’s Anand Mour wrote in a report.

     

    Some companies such as Marico, maker of Saffola edible oil, say they would wait for some more time before start worrying about monsoon. “The June-July period is too early to take any decision. We will have to wait for August to check the monsoon trend and get a clearer picture,” said Marico CEO Saugata Gupta.

     

    Source: The Economic Times

    Copyright © 2012, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved

     

  • Host of the world famous Doha Debates, Tim Sebastian will be seen anchoring a debate series on Indian television channel BloombergUTV and he hopes to bring quality programming to Indian TV screens, just as he had done with Hardtalk in the past

    I’m not chasing ratings here: Tim Sebastian

    By Shruti Pushkarna

     

    Tim Sebastian

    Award-winning British television journalist known for his ‘hard talk’, Tim Sebastian will soon by seen on Indian television screens. Business news channel, BloombergUTV has joined hands with Sobo Films to produce a debate series called ‘The Outsider’, which will go on air in August. The show will be hosted by Mr Sebastian, the  founder and host of the world-famous ‘The Doha Debates’ and the first host of BBC’s flagship international interview programme, Hardtalk.

     

    Mr Sebastian is hopeful of bringing quality television to Indian TV screens, just as he has done in the past with the Doha Debates and Hardtalk in other parts of the world. He said that a similar rigorous routine will be followed in the making of this show in terms of research as he followed on Hardtalk. Mr Sebastian said: “These are very well-researched programmes. I’m known to do my homework. A very similar research team to the one I had on Hardtalk, providing me with a lot of details, will be working on this show.”

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”225″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vm5FHz1WD6k[/youtube]

    When asked about the choice of India for a debate show at this point of time, Mr Sebastian said: “I’ll be putting India on a global stage. I’ve always visited countries when they are in crisis. Countries don’t incite interest when they are doing well. This is a perfect time to come to India. Why now because the view in the outside world is that India is at a crossing point. Maybe it’s no longer shining in the way it was five or ten years ago. Maybe the national mood has sunk a little bit in India . People are obsessed with their problems; they feel a promise has not yet been fulfilled. My aim is to have a fair debate, a debate that should shed light on a particular issue of concern to India. My job is to make sure these debates contain both the heat of your passion and the light to illuminate extraordinary things to a curious world. India matters more than ever. There’s no escaping that.”

     

    A 13-part series, The Outsider will feature debates on some of the major social, political and economic issues faced by India, including subjects like education,Kashmir, relationship between business and corruption, dynastic politics and more.

     

    Each debate will have speakers arguing for and against the motion. Speakers will include politicians, business people and activists. The debate will be conducted in the presence of a live audience of around 200 people. The audience will vote for or against the motion at the beginning and at the end of the discussion and the votes will be compared at the end of the show. The motion will then be thrown open in the viral world for people from across the globe to post their vote to determine the majority sentiment for the motion.

     

    Sriram Kilambi

    Announcing the launch of The Outsider in New Delhi on July 12, Sriram Kilambi, President, BloombergUTV said: “To understand the business in India, you have to understand the business of India. Business is larger than just the stock market and we want to broad base what our channel can be. We want to be about business and we want to stay in business, but we believe a couple of shows like this help us broad base, so that our shows on policy and on judiciary can actually get people to see them.”

     

    Mr Kilambi said that BloombergUTV was excited about Tim Sebastian hosting the series. “The Outsider is the first ever television show about India to be showcased on a global platform and we are proud to be the channel to carry it. We expect the entire nation, and Indians living across the globe, to sit up, watch and participate in the series, which will send a strong signal to the bureaucracy and corporate India about issues that need to be tackled to ensure that the country stays on-course with its growth map,” he added.

     

    A lot of Indian television programming, as we know, is governed by how well the show scores on TRPs. When asked whether he will be tailoring the content of his show to generate enough ratings, Mr Sebastian said: “No, I am not chasing ratings here. I am chasing interesting television, whether it’s mass market or niche television, it doesn’t really matter to me. I am chasing what I think is good quality television, discussing issues that matter to people. I’ve worked for 30 years in public broadcasting system, and we never chased ratings. We did it because we thought it was useful TV to do. I am applying the same standards this time.”

     

    The Outsider will be broadcast by Bloomberg UTV in India and by Bloomberg TV across Europe, Asia Pacific, Africa and Middle East, thereby reaching out to over 300 million viewers globally, making it the first and only show about India to be produced in India and telecast across the globe.

     

    Mr Vikas Gulati, Director, Sobo Films (SBF), speaking about the series, said: “With a combination of Tim Sebastian, one of the leaders in his field, great topics, a young audience and international viewers, we are looking forward to the start of this series. We are proud to be able to give the youth of this country an opportunity to share their views with a global audience. This programme will allow an international audience to hear what the future leaders of this country have to say.”

     

    Tim Sebastian, previously a BBC foreign correspondent, based in Warsaw,Moscow and Washington has over 30 years of reporting from more than 25 countries. He is globally recognized as a sharp, incisive and unbiased cross-examiner and enjoys a track record for fearless and forensic questioning of some of the most powerful people on the planet.

     

  • LinOpinion nets senior PR honcho and sportscaster Hemant Kenkre as Vice President

    Hemant Kenkre joins LinOpinion as VP

    Hemant Kenkre

    By A Correspondent

     

    Senior communications professional and sportscaster Hemant Kenkre has joined public relations firm LinOpinion as Vice President.

     

    Mr Kenkre, who was consulting with Hanmer MS&L until recently as Senior Strategist, has also worked with MTV Asia in Singapore as Senior Director, Communications.

     

    Other than PR, Mr Kenkre has been a popular name in sports media. He has played cricket professionally and has done a stint with commentary at WorldSpace and Radio One.

     

    Other than being CEO of Cricketnext.com for a bit, Mr Kenkre has also been a columnist and contributor to various entities: Mail Today, The Straits Times, Rediff.com, Mid-Day, Sunday Observer and MxMIndia.com.

     

  • MPG Media Contacts currently handles the regional media business of one of Temasek's portfolio company in Singapore – DBS Bank

    MPG wins Temasek’s global media biz

    By A Correspondent

     

    MPG Media Contacts, Singapore, the flagship brand of Havas Media, have won the global media planning and buying duties of investment company Temasek Holdings. The agency won the business after a closed door pitch with incumbent OMD.

     

    MPG Media Contacts currently handles the regional media business of one of Temasek’s portfolio company in Singapore – DBS Bank. The agency’s experience on DBS business in particular and financial category in general played an important role in this appointment.

     

    Melvin Lim, CEO of Havas Media Singapore said: “We are elated to be given the opportunity to manage the strategic media services of Temasek Holdings and, by extension, to propagate the success of one of our globally renowned national wealth management organisations. We found a common ground to synergistically contribute to Temasek’s marketing outreach goals because of the deep-set experience we already have in the financial and business sectors.”

     

    Mr Lim attributed the win to “a team which understands the media consumption from the person-on-the-street up to the upper strata, captains of industries. We demonstrated our ability to apply our strategies to good effect for Temasek.”

     

    Incorporated in 1974, and based inSingapore, Temasek is supported by 11 affiliates and offices in Asia and Latin America.

     

     

  • The objective of the page is to disseminate community radio information to a wider public and engage with over 134 operating community radio stations

    MIB starts Facebook page for community radio

    By A Correspondent

     

    In a bid to establish a direct communication between the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting and various stakeholders of community radio fraternity in the country, the ministry has launched a dedicated page on Facebook- ‘Community Radio India’.

     

    The objective of the page is to disseminate community radio information to a wider public and engage with over 134 operating community radio stations of the country and other stakeholders. The page will update the stakeholders on status of licences, screening committee meetings, permission agreements, clearances for new community radio station, consultations and events.

     

    This platform would also enable community radio stations to share information about their radio programmes, upcoming events, success stories, photographs and their challenges.

     

    ‘Community Radio India’ page also aims to encourage new and aspiring stakeholders of community radio by regularly updating them on CR policy, guidelines and by answering their queries. The information shared through ‘Wall’ posts will not only be helpful for them but would also inform individuals interested in community radio.

     

    The Facebook page on community radio not only portrays the vibrant history of community radio movement in the country using ‘Timeline’ feature but also hosts key documents related to policies. The page also carries frequently asked questions (FAQs), relevant documents and photo albums of key events. The ‘Wall’ on Facebook page would facilitate discussions while enabling a participatory communication channel on issues pertaining to community radio stations.

     

    The scheme has been identified as a core intervention during the XII Five Year Plan and it is expected that the Plan period would see a quantum jump in the number of Community Radio Stations set up in the country.

     

  • Extramarks is planning sizeable investments on the media front with a high profile media campaign soon and the creative mandate will be handled by McCann Erickson

    Carat scores extra with Extramarks

    By A Correspondent

     

    Extramarks Education Private Limited – promoted by Atul Kulshrestha – is a leading new age digital learning solutions company. In a recent development, Extramarks has appointed Carat as their Media partner.

     

    Extramarks has emerged as one of the leading players in the digital education category within a short period of two years, since its commercial launch. Extramarks’ products are being used in more than 3000 schools acrossIndiaand its online service is used by more than 7 lakh students.

     

    Confirming the media agency appointment, Rohit Jain, CEO of Extramarks asserted that Extramarks is now mature enough to take the next step forward in the field of interactive education solutions. “Extramarks is setting revolutionary standards in education whereby we aim to enhance the regular classroom experience and take a quantum leap forward.”

     

    Infotel Broadband Services Ltd. (Infotel), a subsidiary of Reliance Industries Ltd. (RIL), through its affiliate Reliance Strategic Investments Pvt Ltd, has acquired a 38.5 per cent stake in Extramarks Education Pvt. Ltd.

     

    It is learnt that Extramarks is planning sizeable investments on the media front with a high profile media campaign soon and the creative mandate will be handled by McCann Erickson.

     

    Vidhu Sagar, Executive VP Carat Media also acknowledges the development and says “We at Carat are extremely proud to have been chosen by Extramarks as their media partner.  We shall be partnering Extramarks in the media management exercise holistically – thus we’ll manage the entire set of media responsibilities for the brand including planning, buying and execution. Of course, we shall endeavour to do this with the help of all pertinent media platforms – including Television, Print, Digital, OOH as well as Activation.”

     

    Carat, the world’s largest independent media communications specialist, is part of the Aegis Media India Group  that also includes Vizeum, Posterscope the global OOH sector leader, Brandscope,  Hyperspace (Retail), Carat Fresh Integrated (Activation), PSI (Airports), Doosra (Creative), Isobar, the global communications agency with digital at its heart and  iProspect, the global leader in search and performance marketing.

     

  • The Consumer Complaints Council (CCC) of ASCI upheld complaints made against 9 advertisements from various sectors

    ASCI’s upholds complaints against 9 ads

    By A Correspondent

     

    During the month of May 2012, the Consumer Complaints Council (CCC) upheld complaints against 9 out of 14 advertisements. At the same time, the CCC found that complaints against five TV advertisements were not substantiated.

     

    According to the complainant, the advertisement for Brooke Bond Red Label Natural Care Tea claimed that the product “has a scientifically proven combination of five ayurvedic ingredients like tulsi, ashwagandha, mulethi, ginger and cardamom to strengthen your body’s defence” and that “It helps to protect you and your family from cold, cough and flu”. The ad also said: “It is clinically shown that drinking three cups of Brooke Bond Red Label Natural Care daily helps enhance one’s immunity”. The CCC concluded that the claims that Brooke Bond Red Label Natural Care “helps to protect you and your family from cold, cough and flu”, and “drinking three cups daily helps enhance one’s immunity”, were not substantiated adequately.  The advertisement contravened Chapter I.1 of the Code.  The complaint was Upheld.

     

    IMS – Score more at BBA / BBS advertisement that appeared on IMS website claimed that “143 IMS students got selected into SSCBS in 2011”. The  advertisement showed a “bar chart showing selection of IMS students into SSCBS over the years 2008 to 2011”.The CCC concluded that, in the absence of validation by an independent agency, the claims mentioned in the  advertisement and cited in the complaint, were not substantiated.  The advertisement contravened Chapter I.1 of the Code. The complaint was Upheld.

     

    A complaint was filed against Tata Sky’s print advertisement which appeared in The Hindu, Chennai edition dated March 30. As per the complaint, the advertisement states that “Cable is just a Dabba” meaning non standard or poor quality box, which is not the fact.  The CCC concluded that “by referring the Cable Set up Boxes as dabba”, the advertisement unfairly denigrated other products.  The advertisement contravened Chapter IV.1 (e) of the Code.  The complaint was Upheld.

     

    The ad which declared Lokmat – No. 1 Newspaper claimed that “Lokmat has added 65,000 readers in SEC A segment in Pune”. The ad did not mention the period over which this growth has been attained, which in itself is misleading. As per IRS 2011 Q4, in the last quarter Lokmat has added only 5,000 SEC A readers in Pune city. The CCC concluded that the claim, “Lokmat has added 65,000 readers in SEC A segment in Pune”, was misleading, as the advertisement did not mention the reference period pertaining to the source data. The advertisement contravened Chapter I.4. of the ASCI Code.  The complaint was Upheld.

     

    A complaint was filed against Glenmorangie’s print advertisement which appeared in Conde Nast India in the February issue. The advertisement states: “Why is it so important that we only use our casks twice?  Taste Glenmorangie and the question becomes rhetorical”.  The visual depiction of the brand name is suggestive of a well-known brand of liquor – Glenmorangie. In the absence of specific information, the advertisement appears to be a surrogate advertisement for Glenmorangie. The CCC concluded that the advertisement was a surrogate advertisement for a brand of alcohol – Glenmorangie.  The advertisement contravened Chapter III.6 of the Code.  The complaint was Upheld.

     

    Alchemist’s claim of “India’s most successful MBA prep” was pulled up too. It has not been backed up and substantiated and there is no validation by any independent agency that confirms this claim. In the absence of any proof, supporting information, from the Advertiser, the CCC concluded that the claim, “India’s Most Successful MBA Prep” was not substantiated.  The advertisement contravened Chapter I.1 of the Code.  The complaint was Upheld.

     

    Shree Maruti Herbal’s print advertisement on “Maruti Stay -On Capsules & Oil” claimed that it “helps improve vitality, stamina and energy”.  The website also claimed “Stay-On guarantees – “Sexual performance of adults in all age groups”,  “Rectifying temporary / partial / occasional or permanent  erectile dysfunction”,  “Increasing the extent of orgasm”,  “Augmenting libido”,  “Increasing the length & size of penis”,  “Mending premature (early & sudden) ejaculation”,  “Enhancing vitality, vigor and stamina”,  “Stay-On is 100% natural with no side effects.  It is a totally secure tested product”. The claims in the print advertisement and on the website were not substantiated. The advertisement and the website do not provide any scientific data related to the safety and efficacy of the product. The CCC concluded that the claim, “helps improve vitality, stamina and energy” was not substantiated.  The advertisement contravened The Drugs & Magic Remedies Act.  Also, the advertisement tends to create, by implication, a perceived inadequacy of physical attributes, in this case the impotence and infertility, which could be objectionable to both men and women.  The advertisement contravened Chapters I.1, III.4 and I.5 (d) of the ASCI Code. The complaint was Upheld.

     

    Jake’s Beauty-Spa-Salon & Academy received a complaint related to its design and copy. It is similar to the Complainant’s advertisement of “Schnell Hans Salon Spa & Academy”. The CCC noted the contents of the Complainant’s and the Advertiser’s advertisements and concluded that the headline, “Your Passport to Success”, was similar to the Complainant’s advertisement and thus suggested plagiarism.  The advertisement contravened Chapter IV.3 of the Code.  The complaint was Upheld.

     

    According to the complainant, the TV commercial for Nikon camera required permission from the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) for the use of birds in advertisement or films.  In the application by Nikon, permission was asked for four sparrows to be shown in their natural habitat with a girl playing and passing through. In reality, the birds turned out to be cockatiels which are being used as toys by the girl. The CCC concluded that as the requisite permission was not received from the AWBI to shoot cockatiels in the TVC, it was in violation of The Performing Animals Registration Rules 2001.  The advertisement contravened Chapter III.4 of the Code.  The complaint was Upheld.

     

    During the month of May, the CCC also received complaints against five television commercials. The complaints were received against the advertisement of Midas Care’s Clean & Dry cream, Sprite Cold drink, Emami’s Fair & Handsome for Men, Gillette Mach 3 and Extra Strong Axe. However, as these advertisements did not contravene ASCI’s codes or guidelines, the complaints were Not Upheld.

     

  • I doubt if the show has made any impact on the nation. Because every Sunday, a new issue is being raked up, the one discussed a few weeks ago gets erased

    Anil Thakraney: Satyamev Jayate: Handkerchief entertainment

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Okay, the nation’s most expensive and the most-hyped TV show is drawing to a close. In a few weeks from now Satyamev Jayate will be history (there may or may not be a sequel). In fact, host Aamir Khan’s already moved on to what he does and what he knows best: Making movies. The hero’s strutting around in his ‘Dhoom 3’ look these days. It’s a good time to do an appraisal, and I have three large points to make.

     

    The ratings of SJ have been disappointing. It reported an okayish 4 when the show began, but in recent times the TVR points have dipped to about 3. And that is sad. This means India isn’t really euphoric over a TV show that discusses serious public issues. Dance reality shows enjoy better ratings. We can’t blame this on the channel or the producer. And this is also the reason I doubt they’ll put out another season.

     

    I also doubt if the show has made any impact on the nation. And I had expressed this concern when I first wrote about SJ. Because every Sunday, a new issue is being raked up, the one discussed a few weeks ago gets erased from the memory. In that sense, SJ has ended up becoming what I call ‘handkerchief entertainment’. Weep a bit and then discuss where to step out for lunch. This also tells me entertainment channels cannot change this nation. News channels can, but they have other problems which we’ll discuss another day.

     

    The onus then falls on the star host to keep the pressure going on the various issues he’s brought up. The only reason SJ even scores a TVR of 4 is Aamir Khan. Take him out of the equation and it will earn less than 0.5 points. It’s his charisma that drives the show. Which is why if Aamir doesn’t keep the fires burning, no one else will. But obviously the actor won’t and can’t do this. He has many other fishes to fry, and in any case his involvement in public causes in the past has been at a superficial level. So there’s no reason to believe it will be any different this time.

     

    Net net: An average performer. A nice Sunday tear jerker. Even voyeuristic to some extent. But all those of us who believed SJ will change India got a might egg on the face. Just as Aamir hummed ‘Meri jaan meri jaan Sunday ke ande’ in the show’s promos.

     

    * * *

     

    PS: Here’s a respected TV producer saying that advertising is killing the television medium. Of course he makes valid points. However it’s tough to visualize a situation where TV is freed of these irritating ads. Unless subscribers are ready to pay a lot of money to broadcast stations. That’s never gonna happen. Also, if there were no ad breaks, what happens to the loo breaks? 🙂

     

    Link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/8227864.stm

     

  • With the number of infotainment channels on the rise, it’s important to re-look at factual entertainment as an alternative experience to general entertainment

    The Anchor: Ritu Kapur on 5 ways factual entertainment channels can score over GECs

    By Ritu Kapur

     

    In a cluttered TV environment with increasing content sameness and fatigue, factual entertainment channels are a refreshing “window to the world”, with unpredictable, spectacular, high end productions.  But with the number of infotainment channels on the rise, it’s important, we feel, to re-look at factual entertainment as an alternative experience to general entertainment.

     

    Production Style

    Factual channels need to change the production style to make the content more entertaining, interactive and accessible. History TV 18 has broken the documentary “all-knowing voice of God” format with shows like Pawn Stars, Ice Road Truckers and a competition show like Top Shot. Where the content is not shying away from information, but presenting it in viewer friendly, character-driven reality format.

     

    Characters

    Television across the world is driven by iconic characters. For the longest time animals took centre-stage. There is already a move towards characters becoming the defining face of channels like Bear Grylls on Discovery. But it’s important for these characters to evolve further and break away from repetitive formats.

     

    Unlike other channels, factual channels need to create identifiable characters out of everyday people, doing extraordinary things.  And it’s not enough to just build these characters but to use them creatively to convey information to the viewers.

     

    Drama

    Why should drama only be the forte of a GEC? Factual entertainment channels should take the lead in creating high quality drama that is not there just for drama sake but to bring alive themes from history, science and survival. History TV18 is taking its first step towards that with an Emmy award winning drama series called The Kennedys. The series is very well-researched, hasHollywoodgreats like Katie Holmes and is a big budget production.

     

    A 360 degree view of India

    High end productions onIndiahave always had the western perspective. It’s important now for Indian channels to assert and present the realIndia, breaking all clichés. These should be done with global syndication in mind so that this perspective is accessible internationally.

     

    Making International Content Accessible

    Dubbing in regional languages has been the primary means of reaching out to larger viewership inIndia. It’s important now to review the kind of experience this dubbing provides for its viewers. Languaging that creates a context for the aspirational regional Indian viewer is important. It is also important to go beyond dubbing to also use short formats, promo styling and other creative TV devices to make international content relevant and “belong” to the Indian viewer.

     

    Ritu Kapur is the Programming head at A+E Network, TV18

     

  • Ranjona Banerji will write about a grouse. Either spewing venom or tongue-in-cheek

    Ranjona Banerji: I also hate the chip chip!

    By Ranjona Banerji

     

    I’m taking off from next week and staying with the advertising industry since it is also “news” as some Indian media organisations have told us for years. Also, you cannot escape advertising if you watch the news or read newspapers and magazine. After careful consideration and consultation with others, it is clear that Priyanka Chopra’s “chip chip” ad for Garnier remains the most annoying on television. It comes on so often and with such clever cross-channel planning that you are forced to watch it unless you jump up and run every five minutes. By this time, the sun, the dog, the grass have all started looking extremely embarrassed at being made party to the ill-matched song and dance routine.

     

    But close to this one are those with annoying children like the rude boy in the McCain’s ad. I don’t see why he deserves to be treated with various kinds of fried potatoes. He should stay in his room downloading food while his family has fun without him. Next is the little girl in the Cadbury’s ad who is smiled on indulgently/ protected for not wanting to share her chocolate. (I am far more generous. If anyone gives me a chocolate product made by Cadbury’s I promptly give it away.)

     

    Today’s newspapers say that table manners are becoming a thing of the past. The advertising industry has long known this which is why it is particularly fond of promoting messy eating. People who eat Cadbury chocolates not only give each other long and profound looks while discussing vegetables they don’t want to eat, they also manage to get half the bar of the chocolate they’re eating all over their faces. This is an Indian rule I think and also applies to eating ice-cream. To save money, these ads should be joint ventures with washing machine/washing powder companies and maybe even whatever Garnier is selling in that “chip chip” ad.

     

    Then there are irritating mothers – based on the general feeling that the advertising industry specialises in mothers you want to murder. The Kellogg’s mother, who does something as amazingly innovative (sarcasm emoticon please) as putting almonds on top of a bowl of cornflakes, wins the current round of MYWM. If Kellogg’s only sold their variety of cornflakes with almonds in it in India, she wouldn’t have to be quite so smugly clever.

     

    An award has to be given to both Rahul Bose and Mahesh Bhupathi for agreeing to tell us that their mouths are full of germs. This is courage extraordinary. Also, for the ungrammatical manner in which they both say: “and much less germs”. Since both speak very good English the rest of the time, one assumes (or hopes) that Colgate paid them a lot of money.

     

    Vodafone’s attempt to make old men cuddly and lovable after Tata Docomo’s portrayal of them as curmudgeonly and crotchety should win an anti-ageism award at one of the next 1,000 award ceremonies the advertising industry seems to organise. At which, the best actress award has to go to Anushka Sharma for not only being convincing in selling cameras, internet services, scooters and so on but also for beating Amitabh Bachchan, Katrina Kaif, Priyanka Chopra and all the rest of the stalwarts for successful grabbing of TV time.

     

    Currently, there are several ads for a film called Cocktail starring, I think, Saif Ali Khan and Deepika Padukone. I saw a film called Cocktail once. It had Tom Cruise in it. Any relation?

     

     

     

  • Kapil Batra, Subrato Mehta and Abhishek Dey join as Senior Creative Directors

    Creative talent moves to Eleven Brandworks

    By A Correspondent

     

    In a growing trend within the Indian advertising industry, creative talent and clients are making a focused move towards smaller agency set-ups. The latest to make the move are Kapil Batra, Subrato Mehta and Abhishek Dey who have joined Eleven Brandworks as senior creative directors.

     

    Prateek Bhardwaj, Founder Director, Eleven Brandworks, said: “Adding depth to the talent pool has been a priority for us. These additions are another step towards building a robust creative organization.”

     

    For Kapil Batra, who has been Creative Director (copy) McCann Delhi for close to 5 years, “the move to Eleven Brandworks is an exciting challenge. With the freedom the small set-up offers, comes the responsibility of winning and managing substantially-sized businesses while producing outstanding creative products.”

     

    In his decade long experience Mr Batra has handled the Perfetti portfolio (Chlor-mint, Big Babol, Happydent & Alpenliebe) and worked on General Motors, Greenlam Laminates, yatra.com, Usha Fans, among others. His work has been applauded by the jury of Clio, Cannes, The One Show, Adfest, Fab Awards, Spikes, The Work, Goafest and MirchiKaan.

     

    While clients appreciate the direct interface and attention from leading creative/planning resources, the creative think tanks enjoy the flexibility these outfits offer. Commenting on his recent move, Subrato Mehta said: “Smaller set-ups are bringing like-minded people together and offering greater freedom of thought as well as a relief from mundane systems.”

     

    Mr Mehta moved to Eleven Brandworks after a 4 year stint with Dentsu. In his 22 years in the industry, he has worked with agencies like Ogilvy & Mather, Lintas, JWT and Triton. Winner of many prestigious international awards, he has worked on brands like Canon, Honda, J&J, ICICI, Reid and Taylor, SAB TV, Kinetic, HDFC and  Manchester United Cafe, to name a few.

     

    Abhishek Dey moved from Lowe Lintas, Mumbai to Eleven Brandworks. Mr Dey has been in advertising for the last 11 years.  Having worked in Rediffusion DY&R, McCann Eriksson and Publicis before his stint at Lintas, he has worked on brands like Tata Tea, ICICI Prudential, Bajaj Motors and Lifebuoy. On the way he picked up a few awards at Indian shows like ABBY, Goa fest and some international shows like Clio and Adfest (Pattaya).

     

    Welcoming the new team aboard, Sampada Chaudhari, COO, Eleven Brandworks said: “Increasingly clients’ businesses are moving faster and getting more demanding. There is a shift in preference to independent agencies, as they are fleet footed and create fresh work. Our new creative talent will help create a dynamic creative pool to manage and acquire exciting businesses.”

     

    Seconding her view, Vivek Suchanti, Partner, Eleven Brandworks added: “The independents have been able to attract some very good talent, with open structures, great work environment and partnership/ownership models (more like the consulting firms), they have become true brand custodians taking on the onus of performance of their work.”

     

    Also Sambit Mishra, currently Senior Creative Director (copy) at Eleven Brandworks, Delhi moved to Mumbai to partner Abhishek Dey and Aneesh Jaisinghani, currently Senior Creative Director (art) Eleven Brandworks, Delhi will team up with Kapil Batra.

     

    Eleven Brandworks is a full-service creative agency based out of Mumbai and Gurgaon. Some of the clients the agency handles are Tata Mutual Fund, Big FM, Star Plus, Times Group, Nokia Maps(Navteq), NDTV Goodtimes, Modi Ilva (Artic Vodka), Archies, Hallmark, and Homex India.

     

  • Group M survey findsSingaporeconsumers have a clear preference for accessing the Internet from a mobile device over a PC or other stationary computer

    Singaporeans prefer accessing Net from mobiles over stationary PCs: Mindshare

    From the MxM Infodesk

     

    Consumers in Singapore have a clear preference for accessing the Internet from a mobile device over a PC or other stationary computer. This is the prominent finding from a study that Mindshare has released of the latest round of the GroupM 3D Survey, which surveyed almost 2,200 consumers. 3D is the only scale agency survey that looks at brands, media touch points and consumer attitudes in a single study.

     

    3D is GroupM’s proprietary research study. It is the most comprehensive single source study in Singapore, covering brand relationships, social dynamics (based on attitude statements) and media consumption in the context of total brand communications. These three dimensions are the essence of 3D.

     

    The survey in Singapore covers 2,189 respondents aged 15 to 54 years, and also includes an additional 300 affluent respondents (with personal income above 6,000 Singapore dollars).