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  • Ms Pahwa will be based in India, reflecting shifting global priorities and ppportunities

    Maxus names Madhvi Pahwa as first global talent director

    By A Correspondent

     

    Madhvi Pahwa, veteran media agency executive with extensive experience in talent development and marketing, has been named Global Talent Director for Maxus.

     

    The announcement was made by Maxus Global CEO Mr Kelly Clark, who said Ms Pahwa will be based in New Delhi where she currently works as Managing Partner for Learning and Culture at GroupM India.

     

    “This is a hugely important step for Maxus,” Mr Clark said. “Following our explosive growth over the past few years, we need to improve how we recruit, inspire and motivate our people. Madhvi can help us do this.”

     

    Mr Clark noted that locating the talent director’s role in India rather than New York or London signalled a break from tradition for media agencies, one that provides the agency with an important distinction from its competitors. “I’ve always believed there’s big opportunity for a media agency to take an exciting new direction in talent management, one that really differentiates the agency,” Mr Clark said in a communique. “Maxus can be that agency, and I think we can make that happen with Madhvi’s leadership, advice and partnership. Having Madhvi based in Asia also recognizes the importance of our fastest-growing region to the future of our talent agenda.”

     

    Before joining GroupM in India in 2006, Ms Pahwa has held several senior marketing and brand management roles with marketers including Procter & Gamble and Coca-Cola India, where she spent a decade in marketing roles ranging from managing brand portfolios to consumer insights to media planning and buying.

     

  • Onads appointed H&R Block's marketing & communications agency for theirIndialaunch. The business was won after a multi-agency pitch.

    H&R Block appoints Onads as Marketing and Communication Partner

    By A Correspondent

     

    Onads Communications has bagged the business of US-based H&R Block, the global leaders in assisted tax preparation and return filing. H&R Block has over 25 million customers across the world.

     

    H&R Block will be initially present inBangaloreand Pune, but it plans to have 30 outlets in 6 cities next year and open up to 500 outlets across the country by 2017.

     

    The timing of the launch is strategic as H&R Block wants to capitalise on this year’s ‘Indian tax season’ which is essentially April to July for individual tax return filers.

     

    H&R Block had invited ad agencies in Mumbai, with the objective of finding a marketing & communications partner that will understand the business they are in, evaluate the implications for the Indian market, and suggest strategic and creative solutions to build this large global brand in India.

     

    The Onads presentation tackled this with an insightful approach by coming up with a fresh and friendly identity for the brand, followed by a clear road-map for the brand in India.

     

    The challenge was to deliver on the global brand values of a firmly established brand in USA, Canada, Australia and now in Brazil, but completely localise intent and personality. Jignesh Maniar, Founder of Onads said: “We are thrilled to be selected as the marketing partner by a company of the global stature of H&R Block. The marketing launch plan is finalised and Onads is going to partner with H&R Block meticulously and diligently to build a strong foundation in India.’

     

    Rohan Parikh,MD, H&R BlockIndiasaid: “We at H&R Block are delighted to have a passionate and resourceful marketing partner in the Onads team led by Jignesh Maniar. We were impressed by their thorough attention to their micro & macro-objectives and ‘real world’ solutions approach. H&R Block has brought its refined global processes for convenient tax filing and adopted the same for the Indian market. We are very optimistic aboutIndiaand look forward to bringing ease and accuracy to individual, small business and self employed tax filing in India.”

     

  • Pradeep Gairola joins Naukri group's Meritnation as COO

    Pradeep Gairola quits TIL, joins Meritnation as COO

    By A Correspondent

     

    Pradeep Gairola, VP with Times Internet Ltd and Business Head of timesofindia.com has moved on to join Applect Learning Systems as COO. Applect runs meritnation.com which is a leader in the online school education space.

     

    A turnaround specialist in the print and online media with over two decades of experience, Mr Gairola has worked with The Times of India group, Aptech Internet, Mid-Day, Ananda Bazar Patrika and more recently (since October 2008) with Times Internet Limited.

     

    “I had a great innings at Times Internet,” he says. “The leadership team of TIL is outstanding and I have benefited tremendously from my stint with the company.” On his move to meritnation.com he says, “I am quite excited about the potential of the education sector in India. According to Technopak, the private education sector is estimated to reach US$ 70 billion by 2013 and US$ 115 billion by 2018. The team at Meritnation.com has built a solid foundation and it is well-placed to benefit from the education revolution that will sweep the country. It is great to be a part of the team that will touch lives of millions of students in India”.

     

    Meritnation employs more than 125 people, with a large bias toward content creation. It was started in 2009 by IIM Bangalore 1996 batch-ers Pavan Chauhan (CEO) and Ritesh Hemrajani (Director).

     

    Meritnation is part of the Naukri.com group and is headquarted in Delhi. It caters to the learning needs of students for Classes I-12 (K12) from CBSE, ICSE and leading state boards. Amongst pay sites in education in India, Meritnation is reported to be numero uno. It offers online and correspondence learning resources for Maths, Science, English, Hindi, Sanskrit and the Social Sciences.

     

  • Internet advertising hit $84.8 billion in 2011, representing a 16 percent increase over the previous year, according to a new report from GroupM

    GroupM study says global web spends up 16% in 2011

    By A Correspondent

     

    Internet advertising hit $84.8 billion in 2011, representing a 16 per cent increase over the previous year and accounting for more than 17 per cent of all global measured advertising expenditures, according to a new report from GroupM.

     

    North America led the pack in terms of overall digital ad spending with an estimated $34.5 billion; Asia-Pacific came in second with $24.8 billion followed by Western Europe with $21 billion, according to the study, entitled This Year, Next Year: Interaction 2012.

     

    The study is part of GroupM’s media and marketing forecasting series drawn from data supplied by parent company WPP’s worldwide resources in advertising, public relations, market research, and specialist communications. It was released on Wednesday by London-based GroupM Futures Director Adam Smith and New York-based GroupM Interaction Global CEO Rob Norman.

     

    The study also predicts that in 2012, digital advertising spending will reach $98.2 billion globally, almost 16 per cent more than this year.  The figure represents almost 19 per cent of all measured advertising investment.  In the 2012 forecast, North America once again ranks first with an estimated $38 billion in digital ad spend; Asia-Pacific follows with $31.4 billion followed by Western Europe with $23 billion.

     

    In the US, digital advertising spending hit $32.2 billion in 2011, representing a 22 per cent share of the overall domestic market and a 12 per cent increase over the previous year, according to the study.  This year those figures are expected to reach $35.4 billion for a 23 per cent share and a 10 per cent increase over 2011.

     

    The report also includes detailed commentary on the current state of various digital marketing developments and offers insightful observations on the evolution of digital communications and the inherent implications for marketers.

     

    “At the risk of an ‘oh really?’ response, it’s possible to argue that for the first time since these reports began that the last year has been one of evolution rather than revolution,” Mr Norman wrote in the report’s introduction.  “It seems that less is brand new and that a combination of scale of usage of an increasingly social and mobile web, the penetration of devices supported by it, and the continued atomization of audiences and content, in both their creation and distribution combine to tell the story of the year.”

     

    Mr Norman added: “In 2007 we speculated about a world that would be truly social, searchable, mobile, addressable and interactive and illuminated by data that could be collected and applied across all marketing functions; in 2012 that is no longer a matter for conjecture.”

     

    In addition to spending forecasts, the comprehensive, 20-country report also details ad investment in paid search and Internet display as well as providing data on broadband penetration, media time spent online and e-commerce per user data.

     

    Additional key findings in the survey include the following:

     

    • Digital advertising’s share of total ad investment rose from 4.4 per cent worldwide in 2004 to a projected 18.8 per cent in 2012.
    • The average percentage of consumers’ “media time” spent online increased from 11 percent in 2006 to 19 percent in 2011. The absolute number of broadband homes worldwide has nearly tripled in this period to reach 500 million, and the typical country has seen broadband penetration grow by half.
    • Aside from general monetary inflation, ad investment growth has two main vectors: aggregate audience hours, and advertising intensity per individual. Average online advertising investment per online user doubled between 2006 and 2011.  For 2011, Norway had the highest per-capita online ad investment in the study’s sample–$200.
    • E-commerce accounts for about 5 per cent of global retail sales today, with instant-on devices, secure and simple payment, vouchering, and the optimization of retail for mobile serving as catalysts for growth.
    • Consumer tablet penetration reached double digits in only three of the survey’s countries in 2011: the US, Finland and South Korea.  However, take-up is expected to be rapid and nine countries should reach double digit penetration in 2012.

     

  • Created by O&M, the campaign proposition is of "internet is fun" to be substantiated by products that make internet fun to use on Vodafone network

    Vodafone pushes to access net via phone

    By A Correspondent

     

    Looking at growth opportunity in using internet on phones, Vodafone is pushing for this aggressively. Data shows that a sizable proportion of internet enabled phone owners do not use internet or have very low minutes of usage. To tackle this issue, Vodafone has come out with a campaign to drive usage and penetration of internet among Vodafone customers by simplifying usage experience and showing the fun possibilities of internet.

     

    Created by O&M, the campaign proposition is of “internet is fun” to be substantiated by products that make internet fun to use on Vodafone network.

     

    The brief given to the agency for the campaign is based on the core idea that internet and the mobile phone are ubiquitous in today’s world. The message communicated is to ensure that consumers get easier access to the internet and experience it in a simple and fun manner, on their Vodafone mobile phones. In short – The Internet is fun on Vodafone.

     

    “This also meant creating services, products and offerings that substantiate our proposition, which you will see unveiled over the IPL. We will be staring the campaign with an execution on the Opera Mini browser available on Vodafone that facilitates faster internet browsing as an added caveat – this campaign was for the IPL. Hence the creative execution needed to be different and have scale to break clutter and standout during IPL 5,” stated an official communique from Vodafone.

     

    “To deliver the ‘internet is fun on Vodafone’ promise we brought alive the Vodafone internet world in the form of huge, larger than life real games in a setting reminiscent of the Tele Matches. These games are set in a timeless space, with real people playing ridiculous games and generally getting together to have a fun time. And that provided the best metaphor for our proposition.”

     

    “each offering explains how Vodafone makes the mobile internet experience more fun and was brought to life with its own unique and absolutely fun game played between two teams. To bring out authenticity in the execution, the TVCs are set in a small village nearPragueinCzechoslovakiaand all the props are real and have been constructed for the films. And because the drama is happening in Czech, and english commentator explains the proceedings to the audience,” stated the communique.

     

    This is an 8 week long campaign. The campaign started with 3 teaser films on April 4 followed by the first TVC which aired on April 8. This is part of the 8 TVC’s on different products from Vodafone that make the internet experience on Vodafone fun. The campaign will be supported with a high decibel 360 media plan using TV, Radio, Print, Outdoor, on Ground and a digital and online plan.

     

  • The former Network 18 Group CEO is joining PE firm India Value Fund Advisors as Partner

    My experiences around building brands & teams will come in handy: Haresh Chawla

     

    He’s had an indelible association with Network 18 and was largely responsible for the group turning into a large conglomerate today from being a wannabe a few years ago. He’s better known for effecting quite a few turnarounds across the multiple organisations that he’s worked in, especially start-ups that have gone on to become large empires today. Whether at HCL Group, where he headed business development for HCL Comnet or at ABCL, where he set up the Film Distribution Business or at the Times of India Group where he launched their music label – Times Music, Haresh Chawla has an exceptional approach in the way businesses need to function.

     

    Having sent the media world into a tizzy post his decision to move on from Network 18, Haresh Chawla is back in the news and will be seen reprising a role that he has advocated earlier, though in a smaller way. Chawla has joined private equity firm India Value Fund Advisors (IVFA) as Partner and will be responsible for building and scaling up businesses owned by IVFA across sectors, as well as leading media & entertainment investments at IVFA. He will resume office on June 1, 2012.

     

    In conversation with MxM India’s Johnson Napier, Haresh Chawla divulges his plans and responsibilities at IVFA, on the scope that private equity firms offer to mid-sized businesses and admits on missing working for the behemoth that continues to make noise even after his departure. Excerpts:

     

    Congratulations on your appointment as Partner, IVFA. After your announcement of moving on from Network18, many had anticipated you to be joining another large media entity but that’s obviously not the case now. What made you join a private equity firm and not take up anything else?

    My desire really was to grow from the role that I had undertaken at Network 18 and try and do something different. As I said, I have prior experiences in building businesses and brands and I can use that in a much different environment where the operating environment is different and where both capital and management coexist together and you also have to mentor teams. So it’s slightly different attempt from a pure operating point of view.

     

    Any other interesting offers from media entities before you took up this role at IVFA?

    I wouldn’t like to comment on that.

     

    While you’ve donned the role of being an entrepreneur-investor in the past, what is the newness that this role will bring to the fore at IVFA?

    It’ll be about focussing on new projects. If you see, the fund (IVFA) is a diversified fund, so it will be in a larger operating space in that sense. Also, the fund will also be about operating with mid-sized companies and scaling their businesses up. This is what will be the difference in the projects that I have undertaken in the past and what I will be doing at IVFA.

     

    My experiences around building brands and teams in the past will come in handy here, only this time around it will be done in a much larger space. The company is unique, in the sense that it has both capital and management, so the canvas is much larger than what I have attempted in the past.

     

     

    You’ve been seen as a leader who enjoys taking up challenges in floating new start-ups and turning them into profitable ventures. How similar or different will be your approach at IVFA?

    The approach would be pretty much similar to what I have done in the past. The challenge is that IVFA is a firm that buys businesses that are at an interesting stage in their lives and really help them scale up and build them into much larger businesses. I look forward to continuing what one has done in the past few years and build up on that.

     

    Your new role would see you being involved with various other sectors apart from Media & Entertainment. Having largely handled media-based clients in the past, how do you see yourself acclimatising to these new sectors?

    I actually see this as an opportunity. Whatever work I do on Media & Entertainment will clearly be an opportunity for me to put to use my past experience. As for work on firms with a non-media background, I look at it as a challenge as to how to learn a new business and how to further develop that into something more meaningful for the company.

     

    One of the focus areas at IVFA would be on strategic management thinking that is required to scale up mid-sized businesses into large professionally-run enterprises. Is this something that is being ignored by most other equity players of today?

    IVFA is unique in the sense that it has a very strong operating focus as well, which is not the case with other PE fund companies. The other thing about IVFA is that it tries to take majority stake in businesses. Bottomline is, the operating focus of IVFA is of a magnitude that’s very different from other PE funds.

     

    What do you perceive of the private equity space in India today given that the country is witnessing a slowdown where investments/spends are concerned?

    My sense is that despite the slowdown,Indiais still a growing market. One of the challenges that PE businesses had is that valuation has been prohibited in the Indian market for the last few years. But I guess that there is sensibility coming back in the valuations as the economy comes to terms with moderate growth. Therefore clearly, opportunities for private equity players are better because access to public markets is currently less buoyant. So you will find entrepreneurs and promoters turning to private equity now versus the last few years where public markets were the major source of money.

     

    Do you miss your association with Network 18?

    I do and I have learnt a lot at Network 18 where brand building and engagement is concerned. Hopefully I could use a lot of what I have learnt there at IVFA.

     

    Would you like to comment on how work is progressing at Network 18 post you moving on?

    No, I wouldn’t like to say anything on that front.

     

    Is there a goalpost that you have set aside for IVFA in a year from now?

    Right now I am taking a break and will join IVFA in two months’ time. You could probably call me later and ask me this question again and I’ll be able to give you a clearer picture on the road ahead.

     

  • Ajay Kakkar lists reasons why a client should rather than not attend GoaFest 2012

    8 days to Go-Goafest: Ajay Kakar on why the client frat should not attend Goafest!

    By Ajay Kakar

     

    I do believe that as a client/marketer you should definitely not waste your valuable time attending the Goafest…

     

    …if you believe that agency partners have no role to play in the building, nurturing and success of your brand

     

    …if you believe that the output of your agency partners is mere creatives

     

    …if you believe that your agency partners do not value your presence and encouragement

     

    …If you believe that your agency is a mere vendor

     

    …If you have not certified the entries made by your agency as your work, actioned by you

     

    …if you believe that agency partners do not want to share their success and joyous moments with you

     

    …if you feel that it is ‘their’ win and you have had no role to play in it

     

    …if you do not feel a sense of ownership and pride to see your agency win

     

    …if you do not want to partake in their success celebrations

     

    …if you do not feel the need to be by the side of your agency team, holding their hand – in case they do not win

     

    …If you do not hope and aspire that some day your agency will do work that is worthy of industry recognition

     

    …if you feel that there is nothing that you have not seen, or there is nothing left for you to learn from

     

    …if you do not feel inspired by work that has won the recognition of a distinguished panel of jury

     

    …if you do not feel the need to be inspired by speakers who have proved their mettle against the best of the best – in India and abroad

     

    …If you believe that the only place for good creatives to be displayed at is the Jehangir Art Gallery

     

    …If you would not like to see all the best work done, from across the country, from across agencies, across the year, at one place – at one time

     

    …If you do not like to meet your peers from the advertising, media and marketing fraternities

     

    …If you believe that the 3000+ people who went last year have wasted their time

     

    …If you….

     

    Rather than think, procrastinate and defer the decision, come and experience the learning, the networking, the inspiration, the bonding….kuch din to gujariye Goafest men. And I can assure you that you will come back for more. Take it from a client who has been there every year, with a contingent size that could be the envy of many an agencies.

     

    Ajay Kakar is CMO – Financial Services, Aditya Birla Group

     

     

    Click here to view all Goafest 2012 stories

     

  • I wasn't even aware that Cag awards still exist. They've become so low profile and unhappening in recent years, I imagined they had shut shop some years ago

    Anil Thakraney: Cag awards: Need to be revived

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Interesting story on Cag awards in mxmindia. Here’s the link in case you missed it:

    http://www.mxmindia.com/2012/04/why-cag-has-stopped-awarding-seniors/

     

    To be quite honest, till I read this particular article, I wasn’t even aware that Cag awards still exist. They’ve become so low profile and unhappening in recent years, I imagined they had shut shop some years ago. In fact, I often used to wonder what went wrong.

     

    Once upon a time, Cag awards were the most respected and the most wanted in the ad world. Creatives used to value them hugely. Unlike the Abbies which were perceived to be commercial in nature, and therefore lacked the value of Cag awards.

     

    The difference between the two was essentially what happens with film awards. Those in the popular categories and those awarded by the critics. The latter is more valued by the film frat. According to the story in mxmindia, what led to the de-valuing of Cag awards is that scam ads slipped in, and the scamsters robbed the awards of the credibility they possessed. A pity, really. Because in my books, Cag had the opportunity to be that ONE awards competition which most ad people would continue to covet and which would truly reflect their skills.

     

    Surely the entry of scamsters could have been controlled. It’s not so difficult to do.

    All you need is a copy of the media plan and a letter from the client. To kill the whole idea because of that makes little sense to me. Also, GoaFest charges heavy fees per entry. And therefore its revenues are dependent on the ad frat. This makes the organizers powerless.

     

    In my interview with Shashi Sinha, he mentioned that given a choice he’d invite clients to the jury team, but the creative directors won’t allow it. What Sinha didn’t say openly is that the real control lies with the creative directors so there’s nothing he can do. They pay for the festival, right?

     

    Cag could have been that organization where there are no entries. Or the entries aren’t paid for. Like the film awards. Where the jury members select the winners on their own. And this allows the organizers to run the show in their way, on their terms. Minus all the scams and controversies that have been known to dog GoaFest.

     

    And Cag could so easily have found sponsors who desire to be associated with a clean, respected ship.

     

    In fact, I believe this can still be done. It needs just one entity/organization to revive the awards and make them the most valued in the Indian ad world.

     

    * * *

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”200″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qxjz_P3yjwM[/youtube]

    PS: Brilliant commercial from Land Rover. What a refreshing way to advertise a powerful SUV. Says so much about the brand without having to pack the ad with the usual, tired, vehicle-in-action shots.

     

  • With advertising, brands can rationally differentiate themselves by highlighting their unique selling points which makes it stand different from other brands

    The Anchor: Sanjeev Singhai on 6 reasons how brands benefit by specific ad solutions

    By Sanjeev Singhai

     

    1) Advertising informs and educates

    Advertising delivers news around the brand to consumer. explains how brand is the best fit around taste, value for money or lifestyle that the consumer is looking at, thus making it easy for consumer to make the purchase decision. It can also be used to explain complex product feature or clarify consumer doubts around the brand or raise awareness among consumers about the new variety or categories of products and services that the brand has to offer.

     

    2) Advertising differentiates

    With advertising, brands can rationally differentiate themselves by highlighting their unique selling points which makes it stand different from other brands, making it easier for a consumer to make a purchase decision.  It also stimulates competition in the marketplace and allows space for the category to grow.

     

    3) Advertising persuades to purchase

    Advertising aims at persuading the potential customers, impacting their intention to purchase the product. Advertising attracts attention towards a product, and by sharing its unique features, advantage and benefits, creates desire to have the same and finally induces consumers to visit the market and purchase the same. Advertising has psychological impact on consumers. It influences the buying decisions of consumers.

     

    4) Advertising drives sales

    Advertising not only creates an emotional connect between consumer and the brand but can also be used to support the sales promotion efforts of the brand, allowing it to make positive contribution in sales promotion. Thus advertising help brand contribute to company’s growth and profitability.

     

    5) Advertising creates demand (drives trial)

    Advertising spreads information and encourages consumers to ‘try’ new products. Such advertising leads to product trials, thereby leading to creation of new demand. Various promotions are offered to consumers in the initial period giving them an inertia to try the new product and generate positive response which helps in creating new demand from non-users and build a relationship with brands.

     

    6) Advertising helps brand reinforcement

    Advertising helps in reinforcing brand’s name and image to the public, which can be part of a long-term marketing strategy. For example, when Nestle produces an ad for Aata Maggie, it is not only telling the benefits of that product but is also keeping the Maggie brand live in the minds of consumers, which can also help the sales of its other products. Advertising help build brand image with distinct personality of the product. Advertising builds brand image and this develops consumer loyalty towards a specific brand.

     

    Sanjeev Singhai is Business Director – Indian Sub Continent, Buchanan GroupIndia

     

  • The mobile app has unique integrated features designed keeping the brand engagement in mind

    MY FM launches Mobile App for android phone users

    By A Correspondent

     

    MY FM launched its mobile application, ‘My Mobile’ for Android phone users, with an aim of further increasing their interaction with the station. The launch of MY FM app comes after the huge success of ‘Radio Dikhta Hai’ campaign wherein listeners could watch their favourite shows on MY FM’s YouTube channel.

     

    The mobile app has unique integrated features designed keeping the brand engagement in mind. Users will be able to set an alarm or a show reminder along with MY FM tones instead of default handset tones with the feature MY Alarm. MY Connect would allow users to go to their city-specific social media platforms – Facebook, YouTube or MY FM website instantly to view, comment or participate in any discussions or contests.

     

    Other interesting features include MY Message where one can send a song request and MY Download where end users can download MY FM tones as their mobile ringtones.

     

    In addition to these exciting features one could also get regular updates such as station promotion, information regarding a show etc. with the Ticker feature. The application is available for free on Android Marketplace as well as on MY FM website.

     

    Mr. Harrish M. Bhatia, CEO, 94.3 MY FM said: “This is a one-of-its-kind innovation by an Indian FM station. With an increase in consumption of FM radio on mobile handsets, this application seamlessly fits into listeners’ life, enhancing their overall brand experience.”

     

  • One learns from every profession but it's a different learning if one has had a dramatic shift in professions, says Nayyar

    The Anchor: Anita Nayyar on 6 things she has learnt from being in the media business

    It seems like a lifetime that one has been in the media business. One learns from every profession but it’s a different learning if one has had a dramatic shift in professions. From being a Microbiologist & Pathologist to the business of Media has been a long and interesting journey.

     

    Passion pays:

    Passion pays tremendously. Inspite of a dramatic shift in profession I realize that it was/is my passion to excel in whatever I do, has paid off in my career.

     

    Adapt as you progress:

    Key to success is to be always ready to adapt oneself especially in the fast moving and evolving industry like media. From full service to media brands, from implementation to strategy and planning, from traditional media solutions to integrated solutions, from media to communications, from media planning to communication planning.

     

    Eye for detail:

    As they say “God lies in the details”. In the fast paced, unorganized world of media and advertising unplanned and non implement-able big ideas fail to make impact of any kinds.

     

    Hardwork & Dedication:

    There is no shortcut to success. Hardwork and dedication are the key ingredients to a good professional recipe. Especially when you don’t have any mentors. Get known by your work.

     

    Multiple solutions:

    It is important to always have multiple solutions; it reduces the chances of failure.

    Alternates are keys to media solutions.

     

    Never repeat mistakes:

    In media you are allowed to make a mistake only once hence, never ever repeat a mistake, it costs.

     

    Anita Nayyar is the CEO, India & South Asia at Havas Media

     

  • Good approach. By demonstrating the scheme laterally, they have made the Docomo offer get wings.

    Debrief: Tata Docomo: Entertaining and effective

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    The Tata Docomo guys have done a bizarre thing in their new campaign. They have made hottie Ranbir Kapoor, their brand ambassador, dress up as a really old man. A crime in itself, but one that could have been overlooked if the advertiser had at least put out a little reason why the young actor was made to go geriatric.

     

    In the commercial I watched (and there are many more), Kapoor plays a cheating old down-market restaurateur. He insists on serving three idlis per plate, and if the patron wants only two, well then, too bad. Kapoor will still charge for three pieces.

     

    It’s Tata Docomo’s way of selling their ‘Pay for what you use’ scheme. As in, unlike the old, cheating Kapoor, they will only charge for what you use.

     

    Good approach. By demonstrating the scheme laterally, they have made the Docomo offer get wings. A direct route would have been pretty cold and boring.

     

    And this approach immediately becomes entertaining. Nope, you won’t tire of the commercials even on repeat exposures. Must say, so much better than those horrendous Ranbir Kapoor talk shows that Tata Docomo used to inflict on us.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”200″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YC-tq7XJ0Ew[/youtube]

    However, I still have one problem: Why is Kapoor decked up as grandpa? Why, why, why? Why take a sexy man and then totally kill his sex appeal? Why?

     

    Rating: (On a scale of 1 to 5): 3. Lateral route works.