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  • Sony is asked by the I&B Ministry to push Dirty Picture airing to after 11.30pm

    Despite 59 cuts, Sony asked to push Dirty Picture airing to after 11pm

    By Kshama Rao

     

    Until late on Saturday, Multi Screen Media channels Sony Entertainment Ltd and Sony Max showed several promos of the award winning Vidya Balan starrer, The Dirty Picture, which was to be screened on the channel on Sunday at noon and 8 pm.

     

    However, at the appointed time, the channel was running a repeat telecast of its crime shows. Minutes stretched and soon a scroller ran across the channel citing “unavoidable reasons” for not showing the film.

     

    The unavoidable reasons, as we learnt later, was a directive issued to the channel by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry for deferring the telecast of the film. The ministry was in consultation with the Central Board of Film Certification which had given the film a U/A after “59 cuts”.

     

    Pankaja Thakur, CEO, CBFC said: “We didn’t ask Sony to not show the film. We only advised them to ensure there was Parental Guidance. We, at CBFC, have nothing to do with the telecast timings, it’s the prerogative of the broadcasters. Our job ends with certifying the film. As it is made out to be, it’s not an overnight decision the ministry or CBFC took. We have been in talks with the channel for a long time now regarding the timings, we were not happy that they were showing the film at 12 and 8 pm. We had already received complaints and four days back, a case was filed against the film’s telecast and the Nagpur Bench of the High Court passed an order asking the I &B Ministry to look into the matter.”

     

    “According to the Programme Code of the I & B Ministry, a U/A film means you need to have parental guidance, otherwise where is the difference between a U and a U/A film? All that the channel needed to ensure was tell its viewers that the film needed parental supervision. But I guess the decision of just doing away with the telecast was taken by them,” she added.

     

    To the channel’s credit, they had begun showing the promos, accompanied by the U/A symbol. But we guess, the common man is not aware enough to understand its implications. “Yes, it’s true, most viewers are not aware enough about what U, A or U/A means.”

     

    Ms Thakur added that the television industry runs on “self-regulation: “They follow certain Standards and Practices which their body of broadcasters have framed. There have been so many cases where despite a U/A certificate, channels have aired films without ensuring there is parental guidance. Films like Murder 2, Ragini MMS, Haunted, which are not conducive viewing for children have been shown on TV. Is that ethical? It’s high time channels and the film industry stop thinking about the losses they will incur or the money they will make. The common man has to be adequately represented in the bodies governing censorship. A dialogue has begun in that direction. And by the way, 59 cuts amounted to just six minutes. It’s time the film and TV industry stopped thinking only about the losses incurred.”

    Tanuj Garg, CEO, Balaji Motion Pictures, the producer of the film, messaged: “It is unfortunate that even after a valid U/A certificate from the CBFC and all the cuts being in place, the telecast was stopped. We have not seen this happen to any other film with this certificate and are pained by the victimization given that this is among the most celebrated and loved films in recent times. I’m not sure how Vidya (Balan), Niharika (Khan for best costumes) and Vikram (Gaikwad for best make up) would feel about collecting their National Awards!”

     

    A leading industry person who has brokered many deals for channels and film-makers said: “Why should the government pre-empt as it did in this case? Once you give a certificate, let the audience decide if they want to watch it or switch off their TV sets. The minute these films don’t generated adequate ratings, the channels would stop buying these films! What happened with The Dirty Picture is unfair.”

     

    An adult film on a General Entertainment Channel also means losses in sponsorship deals and viewership. An industry insider said: “Sony had already caused problems with the consummation scene in Bade Achche Lagte Hain, they got a rap from viewers as the show ratings have dipped badly in the recent weeks and now with this, they were pushing the envelope too far. As it is, all channels have been forced to run a scroller that says viewers who find any objectionable content, could alert the Broadcasting Content Complaint Council or IBF.”

     

    Meanwhile, the Twitterati is abuzz with voices of protest coming from the film industry. Filmmaker Karan Johar tweeted: “A national-award winning film cannot have a national telecast? This is not an irony but simple and plain hypocrisy! If the censorship is not a final authority, then what is? Complicated and blurred lines defeat the core of democracy.”

     

    Actor-producer-director, Farhan Akhtar tweeted: “Has the telecast of The Dirty Picture actually been stopped? I’ll believe it when I don’t see it…shame!”

     

    Producer-director Kushan Nandy tweeted: “In this country, a minister can watch porn in the Parliament, but won’t allow us to watch a 56-cut censored film at home!”

     

    Meanwhile, the film was sold to Sony by Balaji as part of a bouquet deal for Rs 9 crore…and with sponsorship losses and a dent to its image in the competitive GEC market, Sony would need to do a lot to build a pretty picture.

     

  • Ogilvy was the clear #1, but runner-up Taproot showed the Big Boys the might of the small…

    @Goafest, Taproot emerges tall. And how!

     

    By Tuhina Anand (with inputs from Robin Thomas)

    Photographs by Shailesh Mule/Fotocorp

     

    When Big Dad of Indian advertising Ogilvy pockets 51 metals at Creative Abbys at the Goafest 2012, it is something that one expects, so no surprise here really. But when a three-year-old agency goes on to become the runner-up, leaving behind the much settled Leo Burnett, DDB Mudra, Grey and JWT, it is indeed a proud moment for Indian advertising. It says that all is not lost and what still matters in the advertising business is creativity and if you have the ingredients right then there’s no one to stop you from writing your success story. Taproot India and its founders Agnello Dias and Santosh Padhi have shown the industry the might of small and given hope to many aspirants on the same path.

     

    Talking about Taproot’s success, Agnello Dias said: “It’s been great, a satisfying feeling, but it is also slightly scary because we have got to do even better than last year as expectations have gone up, but as of now, we are just happy that we have performed well at the awards.”

     

    On Taproot missing out on the Grand Prix as there were huge expectations from Airtel campaign, Santosh Padhi said: “Yes, a lot of people said that our Airtel or Pepsi campaign would win us a Grand Prix, so I think that itself is a Grand Prix for us. Therefore, we have no grudge and we are happy with the way things have turned out for us. And definitely there were two strong competitors against us for the Grand Prix.”

     

    The victorious Ogilvy team

     

    The most awarded work at the Goafest was for  brands, including The Times of India, Volkswagen India and Airtel. Even for Ogilvy India, the work that fetched them maximum awards was for Fox Crime. Also the work that got CreativeLand Asia its Grand Prix in the Integrated category was for Audi 8L 3D.

     

    TOI’s ‘Wake Up Chennai’ (that fetched accolades at Goafest) has been embroiled in controversy as it spoofed its rival, The Hindu. the ad showed how reading the old player (read The Hindu) puts people to sleep and the readers should wake up to something more exciting – The Times of India. The ad was crafted by Taproot which also created Airtel’s Har Friend Zaroori Hai that fetched many awards for the agency across various categories. In fact, Har Friend… can be dubbed among the most popular campaigns of the year.

     

    A happy Creativeland Asia team

     

    Ogilvy’s work for Fox Crime titled The Photographs case, made by Good Morning, is in keeping with the genre of the channel and creates a mini thriller for its audience, building anticipation for what to expect on the channel. Talking about the wins, Abhijit Avasthi, NCD, O&M said: “It’s been a great year as always and I think the best part is that we have done well in every category, from design to direct to digital to integrated. Obviously there are some works where one wishes we had got more recognition, like the Cadbury in home campaign, but, overall, we are very happy. I think we have got the best clients who allow us to do really some very interesting work.”

     

    “It’s very reassuring that we have managed to win the Grand Prix back to back and this year I hold the digital grand prix to a greater importance, simply because it demolishes the myth of lots of clients that digital is something big network agencies cannot do,” he added.

     

    Volkswagen, which brought awards to DDB Mudra, Grey India and Nomad Films, is a brand that has caught attention because of its innovative use of media since its launch inIndia. While the fraternity may not have lauded all the innovations that Volkswagen did, but it cannot be disputed that the work did catch the attention of the people and fraternity.

     

    However, if one were to look at the Creative Abbys 2012, it will be remembered for Taproot India, which carved a name for itself among the behemoths, only because of its creative supremacy. More power to all those who want to chart their own path and keep in mind that great ideas zaroori hai and the rest will follow. Right, sirji?

     

    Click here to view all Goafest 2012 stories

     

  • Mr Mildenhall also explained how a brand must encourage its consumers to express their stories because there is a need to move to dynamic storytelling

    Goafest 2012: Creativity plus content, the Coca-Cola way

    By A Correspondent

     

    Speaking about creativity at Goafest, Mr Jonathan Mildenhall gave a ten point plan on creativity plus content which included key points like ‘evolving creative agenda’, ‘case for change’ and ‘the evolution of storytelling’.

     

    Mr Mildenhall illustrated how Coca-Cola moved from creative excellence to content excellence and the way they created popular culture – which is very important in building a brand – through conversation. Highlighting the three key drivers in the ‘case for change’, Mr Mildenhall said that distribution of technology plays a key role in the growth of a brand. Citing the example of the Vodafone zoozoos, he was of the view that technology enables creativity and hence a brand must have a direct relationship with the technology company.

     

    He also explained how a brand must encourage its consumers to express their stories because there is a need to move to dynamic storytelling. He said that brands need to converse, and not just listen to the consumers, and thereby create an inspiration provocation.

     

    Mr Mildenhall felt that a brand’s story should connect with the consumers as there is a need for more collaborative, adaptive and connected content. He explained in detail about how a brand need to understand how to use research to expand its ideas to the creative best and the importance of brands to iterate and not just replicate content.

     

    During the Q&A session, moderated by Mr Sanjay Behl, CEO Reliance Digital, when Mr Mildenhall was asked on the consequences of negative conversation on brands and the dramatically changing role of marketers in the road ahead, he said:’It depends on how we are creating conversation content that users are generating. If brands inspire good conversation, it will no doubt benefit the brand because I believe that eventually good wins over evil but, brands have to be a lot more open or transparent in their conversation and relation with their consumers.”

     

    Click here to view all Goafest 2012 stories

     

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

    Reviewing the Reviews: Vicky Donor

    Vicky Donor

     

    Starring: Ayushmann Khurrana, Yami Gautam, Annu Kapoor

     

    Directed by: Shoojit Sircar

     

    Produced by: John Abraham

     

    Written by: Juhi Chaturvedi

     

    Critics are often so happy to report the release of an entertaining film that easy rah-rahs follow.  Vicky Donor is one such film—funny, with quirky characters, smart dialogue, and such a sense of joie de vivre, that hardly anyone was even willing to look at the improbable side of it– that sperm donation can hardly be a career for healthy young men with no other skills.  And nobody, but nobody can make a fortune out of it.  Plus there are moral and emotional angles to it that the film doesn’t even touch upon.

     

    Still it can’t be denied that the film is entertaining, and deserves the 3 and above stars that it got from all reviewers.

     

    Anupama Chopra of Hindustan Times gave it 3.5 and commented: “Vicky Donor is one of those rare Hindi films that work purely on the strength of writing and performances. There are no crutches here of stars, sets, styling or foreign locations. But director Shoojit Sircar and writer Juhi Chaturvedi create a heart-felt, keenly observed comic-drama. Sadly, Vicky Donor derails in the second half – the climax is flat-out foolish – but until then, it’s great fun.”

     

    Aakanksha Naval-Shetye & Chaya Unnikrishnan writing in DNA, felt: “Sure the film is not without it’s flaws. There are parts when the editing could’ve been tighter and the climax does seem a tad bit far fetched too, but in the bigger picture, these are minor chips that one can overlook in favour of the entertainment the film otherwise provides. Overall, it’s absolutely worth your money, so go for it!”

     

    Ritu V Singh of IBN Live writes: “Shoojit Sircar proves himself as a director with ‘Vicky Donor’. The film which starts with ‘Sperm bhi koi donate karne ki chiz hai’, ends with a positive message without too much of preaching. Good effort by producer John Abraham who also turned an item boy for the film. It seems, John has worked hard on his dancing skills. Overall, ‘Vicky Donor’ is a lighthearted fun film, which meets expectations. It definitely deserves a watch.”

     

    Kunal Guha of yahoo movies gave it a rare 4-star rave: “Movies that try to cleanse socially disreputable professions tend to get preachy and subsequently boring. But donating one’s seed to enable the seedless garden a happy family is a cause that cannot be covered in a classroom. So director Shoojit Sircar takes us to downtown old Delhi where we breeze through this hilarious adventure that ends in just 122 minutes, leaving you craving for more. While the very mention of sperm donation makes many cringe, this film manages to make the noble deed seem respectable without  compromising on the hilarity that one associates with the process of donation.”

     

    Sukanya Varma of rediff.com, writes: “Often, sex and everything it entails is a matter of prudence, provocation or parody. On a few occasions, however, it’s treated as a perfectly healthy science with its share of hiccups and humour. Like Shoojit Sircar’s latest film, Vicky Donor. As its cheeky title suggests, the part rom, part com dwells on how there’s no need to get all queasy over a little round thing with a tail just because it’s outsourced without really dwelling too much on the sensitive nature of infertility.”

     

    Madhureeta Mukherjee of the Times Of India, gave it  3.5 stars, which seems less for the paper that is usually generous: “Director Shoojit Sircar is back with a bold, first-of-its-kind concept that’s taboo. He makes this sperm of an idea swim all the way. He intelligently uses comedy to break mindsets, without embarrassing moments.”

     

    Komal Nahata looking at it from a trade point of view and a little cautious with praise was still 3 star optimistic: “What does not work, to a certain extent, is the latter part of the second half, which starts to play out like a regular love drama. Ashima’s estrangement, Vicky’s despair and the ‘happy ending’ climax are just not predictable but also boring to a certain extent. The crucial scene in which Ashima questions Vicky as to why he has not undergone tests to clear the fact that is he not infertile, stands out like a sore thumb. The drama lacks scenes that might bring tears to the viewer’s eyes. Besides, Vicky’s character endears himself to the audience but they do not necessarily root for him. The orthodox among the audiences will also enjoy the film to an extent, but they might not like the basic plot, which deals with a social taboo.”

     

    Shubhra Gupta of the Indian Express, always a votary of the offbeat writes: “Sircar’s film, a morality tale wrapped up as a fun bon-bon, delivers enough sparkles to make us overlook the sagging bits. And that’s got to do with the perky writing, which leads to fresh characters who speak as they ought to, in flavourful, authentic settings.” From all accounts, the film is a safe bet at the box office. John Abraham can justifiably be proud of backing a dark horse in Shoojit Sircar.

     

  • Given the huge response to our feature tracking Sachin Tendulkar's career via Amul ads, here's bring you the IPL story via Amul ads

    The Anchor: 20 Amul ads that tell the IPL story

    By AN Chorrea

     

    There are many who believe that the Indian Premier League’s fifth edition is not as much of a rage as its earlier editions were, but there’s no denying that the IPL does dominate discussions in the advertising, marketing and media frat.

     

    Given the huge response to our feature tracking Sachin Tendulkar’s career via Amul ads, we dug into the archives to bring you these Amul ads on the cricketing league.

     

    1. On outstanding performers of Rajastan Royal Cricket team (Apr 2012)

     

     

    2. On the commencement of Indian Premier League 5 (Apr 2012)

     

    3. On BCCI terminating franchise of Team ‘Kochi Tuskers Kerala’ for default of payment (Sep 2011)

     

     

    4. On Chennai Super Kings winning the finals of IPL 4 (May 2011)

     

    5 .The West Indian cricketer in top form in IPL 4 (May 2011)

     

    6. Hype around the relationship between Shane Warne and actress Elizabeth Hurley (Apr 2011)

     

    7 .Preity Zinta’s cricket team winning an IPL match (Apr 2011)

     

    8. SRK performs after his team wins an IPL match (Apr 2011)

     

    9. At IPL auction last year, Saurav Ganguly was not bid for (Jan 2011)

     

    10. On the auction of cricketers ahead of IPL 4 (Jan 2011)

     

    11. On the termination of two IPL franchises from IPL 4 (Oct 2010)

     

    12. On the victory of Chennai Super Kings over Mumbai Indians in the IPL 3 final

     

    13. Controversy surounding IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi (Apr 2010)

     

    14. Several cricketers drop out of IPL due to injuries (Mar 2010)

     

    15. On the glamorous women being co-owners of some of the IPL teams (Mar 2010)

     

    16. Rain plays spoilsport during the IPL2 matches being played inSouth Africa(Apr 2009)

     

    17. Venue of IPL shifts fromIndiatoSouth Africa(Apr 2009)

     

    18. IPL cricketers in race for top positions – Delhi Daredevils batsman Gautam Gambhir top run-getter, Rajasthan Royals captain Shane Warne leading wicket-taker & Chennai Super Kings captian M S Dhoni bastman for the most boundaries segment (May 2008)

     

    19. Shah Rukh Khan sings for Indian Premier League (IPL) music video ‘Run Just Run’ his franchisee IPL Kolkata Knight Riders cricket team – (Apr 2008)

     

    20. Indian Premier League (IPL) franchisees ranging from Indian business tycoons to Bollywood stars bid for top Indian & International Cricketers during an amazing price auction (Feb 2008)

     

  • National and Public Relations Day is observed to highlight the growing role of public relations practice in the society

    National Public Relations Day celebrated

    By A Correspondent

     

    The National Public Relations Day was observed by the Bhopal Chapter of Public Relations Society of India (PRSI) at a function held at Krishak Jagat Office recently.

    The theme of this year’s National PR Day was “Cancer Awareness”. Speaking on the occasion, guest speaker Dr KV Pandya, Director, Jawaharlal Nehru Cancer Hospital high lighted the types of cancers, techniques to detect it and remedial measures that can be taken. He asked the PR practitioners to promote cancer awareness.

     

    Dr Pandya also added: “Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide. It accounts for 7.4 million deaths. It often creates fear, which comes out of ignorance and misconception. PR People must take pledge to create awareness on this dreaded disease”.

     

    Mr. Vijay Bondriya, Chairman, PRSI Bhopal Chapter, said that the National and Public Relations Day is observed to highlight the growing role of public relations practice in the society today, as well as to make its practitioners aware about their professional responsibilities.

     

    Mr Vishnu Khanna, Vice Chairman, PRSI Bhopal, added that today’s PR has assumed great importance in the day-to-day functioning of the government and other organizations. Mr KC Mouli, Advisor, PRSI Bhopal underlined the need of PR education for which PRSI is making endeavours at the national level.

     

  • The original idea of a business conclave is for a few industry leaders to sit together in a roundtable and discuss the issues of business of advertising says Sam Balsara

    Need for industry leaders to deliberate on biz of advertising: Sam Balsara

    Always the one with the questions, Madison’s Sam Balsara was his usual self at the sessions as he questioned a few ideas and provided his solutions on the same. MxMIndia got Mr Balsara to briefly share his stance on the sessions this year and sought his recommendations for Goafest 2013.

     

    What would be the takeaways from the sessions over the three days?

    I think the sessions this year have been excellent; the quality of speakers has been high this year. I think it’s all credit to the growing brand equity of Goafest that we have been able to attract so many international speakers of repute. There have been some good broad learnings; it’s not that we didn’t know about them but these speakers of stature have reinforced the belief that advertising is moving from one to many – from conversations to stories. Clearly digital seems to be the mantra of today. The sessions were woven around the magic of advertising, I think John Philip Jones came out with a refreshing and different quantitative view on how not to get carried away on what you think and I think are the required numbers. His basic message of not having share of voice or a good share of the market means that you are getting into a dangerous area. I think it is pretty important for many brands inIndiato take note of.

     

    A word on the Media Abby awards held this year…

    Though we did emerge a big winner, I think the enthusiasm among the crowd was low compared to the earlier years. This possibly may be due to the awards being distributed far more in quantity this time – but this is a good thing for the industry and will encourage more participation.

     

    What are your recommendations for 2013 to the Goafest committee?

    A significant recommendation that I have is more related to the Business Conclave, which I feel needs to be relooked at. The original idea of a business conclave is for a few industry leaders across the spectrum of advertising, media agencies and so on to sit together in a roundtable and discuss the issues of business of advertising and how to make it profitable. Also, we need to invest more in talent and learning. Right now I think it has become an extension of the sessions and we need a sharp a dividing line between the business of the advertising seminar and the knowledge seminar. I think we need to bring that back.

     

    Click here to view all Goafest 2012 stories

     

  • So while the focus till now was to get the event going, the plan going forward would be to plan three years' ahead and see what can be planned for the future, says Shashi Sinha

    Special to MxM: Shashi Sinha on Day 2

    By Shashi Sinha

     

    The good thing about the last day at Goafest was the quality and number of gold and silver metals that were given out this year. A number of members came on the jury this year and there were much more metals that were handed out this year compared to last year.

     

    As for the sessions, the big one for me was the one by John Philip Jones, which was media-based and I really found it interesting. It must have been a complex thing for the students and youngsters gathered at the venue, as it was based on investments and so on, but it was a good one for those in upper hierarchy. It was all about how one can spend clients’ money smartly; in fact I am going to do a detailed presentation for my team later on.

     

    While that was about sessions, the event had its share of fun too. Rain dance was an occasion that was enjoyed to the fullest by the young adlanders. It was good to see so many youngsters revelling together. Unfortunately for me, again I was stuck up with a press conference and had to give it a skip. But that said, I think the Creative Abbys were the highlight of the evening. Compared to Media, Creative Abbys had more Grand Prix on offer and were bagged by deserving candidates, including Ogilvy and Creativeland Asia.

     

    As the president of AAAI and we were discussing that if we had ten thousand to spend, how would we spend them. So while the focus till now was to get the event going, the plan going forward would be to plan three years’ ahead and see what can be planned for the future. But having said that, the event will continue to remain big and will continue to stay as relevant going forward.

     

    So it will not be only about 2013, but about the next 3-5 years because right now we have attained the critical mass and the focus would be to maintain the success levels going forward.

     

    Click here to view all Goafest 2012 stories

     

  • They should have got some speakers from television and print too, as they need to be told what are they doing to sustain in these mediums because they are also growing, says Joy Chakraborty, CEO, TV Today

    Don’t ignore TV & print: Joy Chakraborthy

    Joy Chakraborthy, CEO, TV Today gets candid as he talks with MxM India about the quality of sessions that were held at Goafest 2012 and what the committee needs to consider for 2013.

     

    How would you rate the several sessions that were held this year at Goafest?

    It’s good to see some good speakers at the sessions this year, but I would still suggest that they should have had some sessions on media because we are talking about future technologies while we are also talking about existing technologies like television and print – that is what I found missing. It’s always good to come back to Goafest because you get to meet all your friends, interact and network with them and partake of the nostalgia. So it’s great place to network, party and go back.

     

    Is digital receiving too much of a prominence at Goafest?

    Digital is getting prominence everywhere but people should not forget that all existing mediums are going to coexist; nothing is going to replace anything. The focus should also be on television and print and they should have got some speakers from these mediums too, as they need to be told what are they doing to sustain in these mediums because they are also growing. I have already put forth these recommendations to the committee. If you see, all sponsors are from print and broadcast, so they need to make these mediums inclusive in their plans.

     

    What are your views on the awards that were held this year?

    I think the awards got a little boring towards the end. Till Media Abbys were given it was good, but once it got to digital and other verticals it became boring. A few moments at the awards were interesting like the laser presentation made by Google.

     

    What are your travel plans for Goafest 2013?

    I think it’s always good to come here but I hope they accept our recommendations. I felt a bit let down this year, as you are setting standards of Cannes, you cannot afford to have technological glitches (as it happened on the first day at the Conclave); it reflects badly on us Indians. Such issues need to be addressed better.

     

  • Mr Love talked about how language is a technology and how we have underestimated the effect language has on human misunderstanding

    Goafest 2012: Innovation is the magic of ideas: Tim Love

    By A Correspondent

     

    Tim Love, CEO, APIMA, Vice Chairman, Omnicom Group talked about how the world we live in today has become interdependent especially because of technology during his address on ‘The Magic of Ideas – Our Language Impediment’. He was of the opinions that one thing the financial crises have taught us is that we are all inter-dependent.

     

    Mr Love spoke about how “Digital is not a channel but, the air we breathe and communicate with each other,” giving the example ofIndiabeing the fourth largest internet user population despite its internet penetration being merely 8 per cent. He also talked about how language is a technology and how we have underestimated the effect language has on human misunderstanding.

     

    Besides talking about the importance of verbal communications, Mr Love also spoke about the importance of nonverbal communications. He said that just as verbal or spoken communications, nonverbal communications like sign language, although universal, differs from culture to culture; but no matter what the stream of communication, technology will always flow through.

     

    During the Q&A session moderated by Ms Kainaz Guzdar of P&G, when asked to give a few suggestions or advertisers and marketers on how to come with great ideas on language impediment, Mr Love explained that one must be more cognisant in languages, and show some sensitivity to different languages verbal or nonverbal. He added that ideas are best communicated from individual to individual. He also pointed out that one needs to be careful with languages in different cultures, as it could have different meanings in different cultures, and how we have always minimised the importance of language.

     

  • Start a video advertising campaign online, and you will be surprised to find how people are passionate about participating with the brand they love, says Lucas Watson, Global Vice President, YouTube

    Goafest 2012: Net better RoI with online video ads: Lucas Watson

    By A Correspondent

     

    In just six years since its launch, YouTube has garnered over 8 million users and billions of videos have been uploaded on the site. At Goafest, YouTube demonstrated how consumers can be used to build a brand by conducting a flash mob. Mr Lucas Watson, Global Vice President, YouTube further added to the brand’s insight by sharing his views on how ‘Magical Ideas Come When You Harness the Power of many People’.

     

    Mr Watson put across his point when he cited how Lady Gaga has built up her brand through a passionate group of fans who have played a vital role in building the Lady Gaga brand. Mr Watson explained that nowadays it has become very easy and inexpensive to build a brand by starting a video advertising campaign online, thanks to the Internet. He said that a brand need not be big to come online and start a video campaign, all it needs is to gain the trust of its consumers. “Start a video advertising campaign online, and you will be surprised to find how people are passionate about participating with the brand they love. The magic of YouTube is available for all as it allows everyone to participate. Besides online video advertising allows a brand to run its advertisement in a cost efficient manner, delivering better RoIs.”

     

    During the Q&A session moderated by Mr N Rajaram of Airtel, when Mr Watson explained his views on the rapidly changing role of advertising agencies: “Being creative and coming up with new ideas is a skill which not everyone has. So we need creative directors to nurture young talent to build brands. Unlike television, where consumers have a dedicated time slot to watch their favourite programme, in the online world it is the consumers who decide when to watch what and for how long.”

     

    Talking about if there is scope for co-existence between television and online video, Mr Watson said that there is no win-win situation but, there will be either winners or losers. “Like many industries even we are going through a transformation scenario. There are brands which are afraid to disrupt their way of functioning and there are brands which are keen to reach their consumers in newer forms of media platforms and thus rapidly build their brands. Therefore, I believe there could be some co-existence but, there will also be winners and losers.”

     

  • The panel discussed the need to present their agencies differently; the loss of long term relation between the clients and the agencies and the need for multiple agencies to build a brand

    Goafest 2012: ‘Need for old & wise to guide youth’

    By A Correspondent

     

    Keeping in line with the theme, ‘Ideas that impact the full circle’, a panel discussion moderated by Anuradha Sengupta, Features Editor, CNBC TV18 and including panelists like Tim Love, CEO, APIMA, Vice Chairman, Omnicom Group; Jonathan Mildenhall, VP, Global Advertising Strategy and Creative Excellence, Coca-Cola; Jayant Murty, Director of Strategy, Media and Integrated Marketing, Asia Pacific Region, Intel Corp and Jean-Yves Naouri, COO, Publicis Group discussed the need to present their agencies differently; the loss of long-term relations between the clients and the agencies and the need for multiple agencies to build a brand.

     

    Tim Love observed that advertising is actually an education and noted that while the advertising industry is all about ideas and thus need young rebellious minds, there is also a need for the old and the wise to guide and direct the youth.

     

    Jean-Yves Naouri, on the other hand, insisted that creative agencies are here to respond to business and gain the trust, mind and presence in their client’s life. “Keep the dialogue between brand and consumer alive. Engage consumers as there will be people who will be inspired by the brands and this is what matters the most.”

     

    Speaking on the agency-client relationship, Jonathan Mildenhall said that it is easy to maintain one relationship better that ten different ones, and therefore he would reluctantly look outside his roster agencies for creativity. However, he felt that brands may scout for multiple creative agencies if they find the need for specialist agencies that could help them reach out to their clients more effectively. He was also quick to point that although digital is showing robust growth in India, it needs to boost its creativity in this space. “Majority of UK spends on digital, however the internet reality is bigger than the creative ambition in India.”

     

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