MxMIndia

Tag: Advertising Club

  • Ogilvy and Mondelez India were awarded the Grand Effie at the Advertising Club's Effie Awards 2021 last Friday

    @Effie2021: McCann rules again. HUL tops client roster

     

    By Our Staff

     

    If you don’t see the customary photograph of the winning agency folk in jubilation on stage, it’s because this is an awards event being held in the pandemic.

     

    Although the restrictions on holding events has eased, the Effie Awards is different. In normal years, one needs to visit an ENT specialist on the day after. Given all the hullabaloo that happens. Heck, are we getting confused with the Emvies. Perhaps yes. It’s been a while since the Advertising Club has had one of its top draw award shows, and although the International Advertising Assoication conducted three awards in Mumbai in the last month-odd, the Ad Club Effies are decidedly the most coveted.

     

    The reason is simple: It measure efficiency of the creative. And it’s a part of a global network of awards. So the scores here add up to the global rankings and which are exceedingly critical for worldwide client pitches.

     

    Under normal circumstances, an MxM report wouldn’t have highlighted the sponsors of the event, but given the times we live in, every sponsorship needs to be recognised. So: Colors was presenting sponsor. The event was powered by MX Player and Aditya Birla Capital was Category Sponsor.

     

    So you’ve read the headline, but here’s it again: Hindustan Unilever and McCann Worldgroup India bagged the Client and the Agency of the Year titles respectively while The Ogilvy Group and Mondelez India were awarded the Grand Effie for Cadbury Dairy Milk’s campaign “Melting Power Distance”.

     

    Effie Awards 2021 were held virtually this year, so it was minus all the hooting and cheer, and minus Brian Tellis as the sponsor. The only bright spot was that the event started on time ended way before most people have consumed their third.

     

    The good news is that the Ad Club received a record 950 entries and saw participation from 51 agencies.

     

    Speaking about the participants and winners at the coveted Effies, Partha Sinha, President of The Advertising Club said: “Looking at the cases that have won here today, you will know for a fact that this is the highest level of award in this country. Effie India today is the most definitive award in the country – and is revered by both the client and the agency. I want to thank every single member of the jury, the participating agencies and the sponsors. You know that this award has reached the level thanks to all of you. Let the celebrations continue but more importantly let the effectiveness culture continue. As I had mentioned before we are going to hold Effie effectiveness workshops in Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru. Watch this space for more details.”

     

    Elaborating on the awards, Mitrajit Bhattacharya, Chairperson, Effie India said: “It gives me great pleasure to deliver the first virtual awards presentation of Effie India. It has been a long and tough journey over the past one and half years to bring this to life. To judge 950 entries over two rounds of judging by 520 judges, with minimal physical meetings has been quite a task. I thank each participating agency and client for their support. And a big thank you to our sponsors, the Ad Club managing committee, Effie committee and the Ad Club secretariat to make this possible.”

     

    EFFIE 2021 RESULTS

     

    EFFIE 2021 CLIENT OF THE YEAR (29.10.21)

     

    EFFIE 2021 AGENCY OF THE YEAR (29.10.21)

     

     

  • Brands and agencies innovated to to create relevant, original & impactful work. Should these industry warriors go unrecognised, asks Sanjeev Kotnala

    Goafest: No News is Not Good News

     

    By Sanjeev Kotnala

    Sanjeev KotnalaIt is that time of the year. Goafest time. For the last 15 years, until 2020, Goa was my annual advertising, marketing, networking pilgrimage. I have attended every edition of Goafest.

    I have associated with Goafest in multiple capacities. I have been a delegate, a sponsor, an awardwinner and a jury member. Oh, I have rebelled by attempting to hijacking one evening with a successful standalone show. Few unfinished stories started at the Goafest and never reached a conclusion. I led cross-functional teams to publish the daily newsletter, including the first 3D issue at Goafest. Once, I objected to some Swami’s presence as a speaker. Pushed for more respect and participation to Publishers’ Abby.

    I have been an observer who regularly provided unsolicited inputs and suggestions. Some of them found the right ears and minds to impress and were implemented with no credit. But that’s par for the industry, or I think some else too had similar brilliant thoughts at the same time.

    So, it is natural that towards the end of March and the first/second weekend of April, I am full of nostalgia. My mind longs to be at Goa and enjoy the festival of advertising excellence. Thankfully, there are no withdrawal symptoms.

     

    GOAFEST 2020

    Goafest 2020 was rightfully postponed as the entire country was reeling under the spectre of the Covid-19. Later, Abbys were also deferred. The Red-Abby, which was to have its maiden appearance, remained silent. Later the whole show was cancelled.

     

    GOAFEST 2021

    One expected 2021 to be better. But, the Covid pandemic is back with a vengeance. The organising bodies AAAI and Advertising Club are silent. There is no announcement I know of.

    Don’t think there is any time left. In all probability, Goafest 2021 is dead.

    The question that stares you on the face is not so simple. Will Goafest ever be revived? There is no reason to believe it is dead! But most people do not see many reasons for it to be restored.

     

    FESTIVALS ADAPTING TO CHANGE

    I do not understand. When most of the awards have adapted to the new realities and have gone online or found other ways to celebrate, what stops from Goafest from doing the same?

    Is Goa the problem? Goa and virtual fun – does not sound right. What about the drinks? The tamasha? The knowledge sessions? The manpower poaching and interviews? Maybe, this is the right moment to get Goa out of Goafest. Maybe, it is time to get back to celebrating the excellence in Advertising and Marketing and be location-agnostic.

     

    ABBY COULD HAVE CONTINUED

    The Advertising Club says on its site: ‘ Recognition of efforts is what motivates an individual. And for an industry that thrives on motivation, the Ad Club has initiated various awards to ensure that Indian ad professionals receive the recognition they deserve. The ABBY AWARD are the Oscars of Indian ad awards to honour creative excellence in advertising.”

    So, when  Cannes changed its format and dates, it allowed a rich interaction with archives and sessions.  Adfest Pattaya went online and announced the winners of the last two years. Near home, award functions continued. Virtual webinars and exhibitions thrived. Knowledge seminars buzzed with suitable content and names… so what about Goafest? Kyoorius Award have started the entry process and were successfully conducted last year – what stops Goafest? Meanwhile, I read about the Filmfare Awards 2021, when the industry was almost shut for the last year. As I write this, I wait to watch the Mirchi Music Awards.

     

    EXPECTATION AND EXPERIENCE

    Goafest has evolved with time. Setting up new expectations and creating experiences to bridge the gap. So, what stops it from taking that leap of faith and get to a 2021 Goafest version going.

    Don’t the organisers have the responsibility and direct accountability to the community of agencies, clients, researchers, PR and marketers. Should the elected body at Ad Club and AAAI not go the extra mile to see it happens.

    2020 is understandable. But what about 2021.

    Why is no one asking and raising the voice?

    Or maybe Goafest does not call for such concern!

    Maybe, it is just me who is paranoid about the changes and what it could spell for Goa in Goafest.

    The industry has worked within imposing constraints. Brands and agencies innovated to find new ways to create fabulous relevant-original and impactful work.

    Should these industry warriors go unrecognised?

    Or do we plan to have a three-year award show in 2022 – subject to fair weather conditions.

     

     

    THE INDUSTRY NEEDS POSITIVITY  

    The economy, business and the advertising-marketing fraternity can definitely do with some positivity and celebration. Offline or online. WFH or lazing around in Goa. Remember, consistency is always a winner. Voids and absence give rise to many uncomfortable thoughts. Frankly, I can’t think how we will bridge the gap if Goafest is not held this year.

    Sanjeev Kotnala is a senior marketing and business strategist and educator. He writes on MxMIndia every Wednesday. His views here are personal

     

     

  • He was arrested on December 24

    Partho Dasgupta gets bail. Finally

    By Our Staff

     

    Partho DasguptaMatter is listed for tomorrow. No 2. That was a terse message which we received last evening.

    And then this morning, a little after 11am, our mobile beeped: Bail is allowed.

    Save some corridors of power – in the media and perhaps elsewhere, there was a sense of relief. For, by targeting Partho Dasgupta, they were actually hitting out at Arnab Goswami, their real nishana. And that worked, but only to an extent.

    Notes a report on LiveLaw website: “The Bombay High Court on Tuesday granted bail to Partho Dasgupta, former CEO of Broadcast Audience Research Council(BARC), Partho Dasgupta, in the case registered by the Mumbai police over the alleged manipulation of Target Rating Points(TRPs) of news channels to give undue favours to Republic TV.

    We suggest going to this link for a more first-hand report on what happened in the courtroom:
    https://www.livelaw.in/top-stories/partho-dasgupta-trp-scam-bombay-high-court-barc-republic-170571?infinitescroll=1

    The former BARC CEO and President of the Advertising Club should be back home soon, we hope. He will also get the right medical attention, that he must get.

    Much relief for his family and friends, some of who in the media world had deserted him. Worried that they may get targeted by the law-enforcers.

    Having said that, the former BARC boss needs to do a lot of explaining. To everyone. And earn back the confidence of all.

    The time right now for him is to recover well to be able to come clean on his not-too-distant past.

  • We Need Answers, writes Pradyuman Maheshwari. The Nation Indeed Wants to Know

    Why? Damn! Pray 🙏🏻

     

    By Pradyuman Maheshwari

     

    The question we ask Dr Bhaskar Das in today’s Das ka Dum is genuine. Ever since we got the news of the arrest of Partho Dasgupta, former BARC CEO, an industry biggie and President of the Advertising Club, we have been very disillusioned with the way things have unfolded over the last few months, in fact last few years.

     

    For, not only is Dasgupta a friend of the industry and ours, but his arrest and the charges made thereafter have shattered our faith in the A&M&E industry. Shattered our faith in the various systems, processes and provisions… in the checks and balances that exist.

     

    Over the last few days, we’ve spoken with many biggies in the business as also people who do the nuts-and-bolts work in the large agencies and television channels.

     

    There is surprise, shock and dismay. Almost everyone shared the sentiment with us.

     

    There are many questions:

     

    1. BARC is a joint industry body set up by broadcasters (60%), advertisers and advertising agencies (20% each). Did these stakeholders not see any chinks in the system all these years?

     

    2. The concern over Republic’s rise and rise was raised by news broadcasters soon after the channel was launched in May 2017. They even pulled out their watermarks in anger, a move that was poohpoohed by many in the business, MxMIndia included. What were the measures taken by the powers that be? Why wasn’t a detailed enquiry instituted earlier? Why did the BARC Board not do anything then? And if they did, why didn’t they act on stuff? Or if they think what’s emerging is untrue, then why don’t they speak up now?

     

    3. What is the view of the IBF, the ISA and the AAAI on this? After all they are stakeholders/co-owners of BARC. They are joint signatories on the BARC P&L and all legal documents. The broadcasters – the most aggrieved if there’s any hera-pheri in the system – have done precious little. The advertisers – who have the most to lose – appear to have been mute witness, and do not care much about what has happened.

     

    4. Arnab Goswami’s counter-argument – which was readied in superquick time – has some valid points. And his primary argument – that the meteoric rise of Republic Bharat happened when the “new dispensation” at BARC was in office – is not incorrect.

     

    5. The Times of India went to town with the news on Saturday – and its interpretation of the Friday press conference and statement by the Mumbai Joint CP wasn’t incorrect. But the question is if the logic was corrected after the investigations, how were Republic TV and Republic Bharat still the #1 in English and Hindi until the ratings were blocked for individual channels post October 8?

     

    The media ecosystem needs answers. The Nation Indeed Wants to Know.

     

    And if they don’t get them, it will lead to the collective loss and fall of the entire industry. Broadcasters first, advertisers second and media agencies third.

     

    Willy-nilly, each of the constituents is partly responsible for the way things are today.

     

    But, first, the collective wisdom of all these folks must prevail upon Arnab Goswami to take it easy. Without compromising on its editorial freedom, stop getting so belligerent with the Maharashtra government and Mumbai police and stop spewing invectives in the way he has been.

     

    The casualty right now is not just the industry, also the families of the individuals impacted and arrested.

     

    By the time you read this, Partho Dasgupta would’ve seen his stay in jail extended or could be out on bail. We’re hoping it’s the latter, so that he can come out and clarify his stand. And give us his side of the story.

     

    Knowing Partho, we know he will speak. Name names.

     

    We had a busy Christmas Eve and Christmas. Why do we get this feeling that our New Year’s Eve is also going to be as busy?! Sob.

     

     

  • The event will be held at the Management Centre, Madras Management Association at 6 pm on December 11, 2020

    Ad Club Madras & MMA to host R K Swamy Memorial Lecture on Dec 11

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Madras Management Association and Advertising Club, Madras have jointly supported the Annual R K Swamy Memorial Lecture beginning last year. To be held on December 11, it will serve as a tribute to the veteran adperson who played a pioneering role in the growth of the advertising industry in South India.

     

    The inaugural edition saw D Shivakumar, Executive Group President, Aditya Birla Group deliver a talk on “The Future of Consumer Engagement”.  The second edition will have R Seshasayee, Vice Chairman, Hinduja Group talk on ‘Values for the 21st Century’.  Two senior media industry leaders will participate as Guests of Honour.  Gulab Kothari, Chief Editor, Rajasthan Patrika and Ram Sehgal, Past President, AAAI will provide some additional insights on Mr R K Swamy.

     

    Said Shree Prakash P, the President of the Advertising Club Madras: “Mr R K Swamy was the first recipient of the Distinguished Service Award instituted by the club and we think that there is no better way in immortalising a man who redefined advertising in this part of the world and who was synonymous with the industry.”

     

    Added Group Captain Vijaykumar, Executive Director of MMA: “The MMA is indeed privileged to organize the Lecture in memory of R K Swamy who was an outstanding leader and provided bold Pioneering Leadership in the field of Advertising in India. He was the past President of MMA during 1972 – 74 and significantly contributed to the growth of MMA to propagate management movement in this part of the country.

     

    The event will be held at the Management Centre, Madras Management Association at 6 pm on December 11, 2020.

     

     

  • Partha Sinha continues to be Vice President

    Ad Club re-elects Partho Dasgupta as President

    By A Correspondent

     

    Advertising, marketing and media industry’s body – The Advertising Club has announced the Managing Committee for 2020-21 at its 66th Annual General Meeting held on Wednesday. Partho Dasgupta has been re-elected to lead the body. Under his leadership, in the past one year, TAC has covered new grounds especially in the area of learning and development, notes a communique. He has also come out in support of the industry in these unprecedented times by proactively refunding entry fees for the ABBY Awards 2020.

     

    Speaking about the re-appointment, Dasgupta has said: “It has been an honour to serve and be re-elected as the President of one of the most prestigious Advertising Clubs in the country, and I am truly humbled by the faith and trust that my Industry peers and seniors have bestowed upon me. This is a difficult year for all of us and I look forward to doing our best for the Club in the forthcoming year. As expressed in the beginning of the year, the committee has gone beyond our Marquee events and tried to do new things this year. Initiatives like Leadership Development Programme is something we would like to push forward this year too.”

     

    The OfficeBearers of The Advertising Club for 2020-2021 are:

    :: Partho Dasgupta: President

    :: Partha Sinha: Vice President

    :: Bhaskar Das: Secretary

    :: Aditya Swamy: Jt. Secretary

    :: Shashi Sinha: Treasurer

     

    The Managing Committee members include the below industry leaders who will play a decisive role in driving synergies and ensuring the success of all The Advertising Club initiatives:

    :: Vikas Khanchandani

    :: Pradeep Dwivedi

    :: Sonia Huria

    :: Mitrajit Bhattacharya

    :: Sidharth Rao

    :: Punitha Arumugam

    :: Raj Nayak

     

    And the following has been co-opted on the managing committee.

    :: Ajay Kakar

    :: Rana Barua

    :: Sabbas Joseph

     

    And then there is a industry leaders who will “continue to bring value to The Advertising Club through their expertise and deep understanding of the respective industry segments::

    :: Debabrata Mukherjee

    :: Avinash Pant

    :: Ajay Chandwani

    :: Kartik Sharma

    :: Asha Kharga

    :: Rathi Gangappa

    :: Sapangeet Rajwant

    :: Namrata Tata

    :: Sanjay Adesara

     

    Vikram Sakhuja will continue as a member of the Managing Committee as the Immediate Past President for the ensuing year.

  • Viacom18 veteran Sonia Huria to join Amazon Prime Video to head India comms

    Sonia Huria
    Sonia Huria

    By A Correspondent

     

    Sonia Huria, Head of Corporate Marketing, Communications and Sustainability for Viacom18, will move to Amazon Prime Video to lead all communication efforts for its India business. Huria will be a part of the global communications team – leading PR and Communications for Amazon Prime Video in India. She will report to Tobias Tringali – Head of Amazon Prime Video PR Asia Pacific & Canada who is based in Seattle.

    Widely regarded as one of the most influential PR heads in the M&E space, Huria has moved up the ladder at Viacom18 from heading PR for Colors in 2008 to the entire Viacom18 brand portfolio including corporate and then the key roles of corporate marketing and sustainability.

    In the areas of sustainability, Huria successfully created a model of multi-partner-funded behaviour change communication content at Viacom18… from the Navrangi Re! series to the more recent MTV Nishedh. In addition to managing internal and external communication, she also spearheaded trade marketing and digital media for the organisation.

    Huria serves as a managing committee member at The Advertising Club. Under her leadership, Viacom18 has won several awards on the global and India stage. She has been featured in Impact magazine’s Top 50 Women Leaders in Advertising, Media & Marketing for four years in a row.

     

  • Supporting the communication efforts of this initiative is Dentsu Webchutney, the Dentsu Aegis Network agency which has come on board as Creative Partner

    Ad Club & MICA announce data science programme

     

     

    The Advertising Club and MICA has announced a Leadership Development Programme on ‘Data Science in Strategic Marketing & Management’ is aimed at driving learning and effectiveness in the category. Supporting the communication efforts of this initiative is Dentsu Webchutney, the Dentsu Aegis Network agency which has come on board as Creative Partner.

     

    Speaking about the partnership, Partho Dasgupta, President, The Advertising Club: “The current global landscape has been challenging and every business strategy had to be adapted to the new digital order. In such a scenario it is critical that the young minds in the category upskill and are aligned to meet the changing demands of the advertising and marketing landscape – data analytics being one such important and defining marketing metric. The program curated in association by MICA and delivered by category thought leaders will play a key role in allowing young minds from the industry to develop an appreciation of the applications of big data analytics in marketing. It will aid in learning tools required to solve marketing problems through data science.”

     

    Speaking about the  initiative, Dr Preeti Shroff, Dean – MICA, said: “The programme curated together with The Advertising Club is critical in elevating knowledge level and expanding learning experiences of our young and creative advertisers and marketeers. The course will induct these young minds into the world of data mining analytics – now imperative to understand consumer trends, track impact and showcase effectiveness of every marketing effort. Data is the most important global currency at a time when ROI is being constantly measured in a rapidly changing world. This programme will empower young professionals with knowledge required to ensure effectiveness for their campaign and deliver return on every rupee and all other resources invested in marketing”.

     

    Application information to be available soon at www.theadclub.com.

     

     

  • An MoU has been signed to drive upskilling and enhanced learning opportunities for A&M industry folk

    Advertising Club & MICA ink partnership to upskill professionals

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Advertising Club and MICA – School of Ideas have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to to drive upskilling and enhanced learning opportunities for A&M industry persons. The MoU was signed Partho Dasgupta, President, The Advertising Club and Preeti Shroff, Dean at MICA.

     

    Said Dasgupta:  “The global Advertising and Marketing landscape has been continuously evolving – contemporary aspects like digital and social communication is center stage now. Like Advertising, analyzing consumer data and using it for profiling and recommendation is mainstream now with the success of Facebook, Netflix, Amazon etc. The association with MICA is critical in our effort to ensure that the category and its patrons continue to stay ahead of the curve and in tune with evolving trends that are currently driving the category, and will define its future growth trajectory. I am sure that MICA known for its academic ingenuity and renowned faculty will help further curate relevant and high impact programs that will help us achieve our objective of continuous learning

     

    Added Shroff:  “This is an exciting partnership and program for data science, artificial intelligence, machine learning, deep neural learning, marketing analytics, digital communications for the smart business strategy in a transformational world.  We are facing challenging times where individuals, industries and organizations all have to evolve and adapt for risks management and business model development. Upskilling is critical and urgent for developing  powerful analytical tools for spotting gaps, trends and patterns, and for business transformation. In such a scenario upskilling and relevant learning opportunities for individual growth and resultant category growth are essential. MICA values ongoing partnership with businesses and organizations across industry subsectors to ensure that academic excellence and business relevance are facilitated in curated learning and professional development programs.  We are certain that programs developed under this partnership will bring significant value addition and learning enrichments to rising professionals in the Advertising and Media industry, and those constantly seeking new skills and knowledge.”

     

     

  • The first debate in the series will be held on Saturday, June 20, 2020 at 6.15 pm

    Ad Club’s announces interactive digital debate series titled ‘Vice & Versa’

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Advertising Club has announced a digital debate series titled Vice & Versa. Moderated by Agnello Dias, Creative Chairman – Dentsu Aegis Network & Founder, Taproot Dentsu, the debate will see industry veterans Santosh Desai, CEO, Future Brands and Josy Paul, Chairman and Chief Creative Officer, BBDO India. The first debate in the series will be held on Saturday, June 20, 2020 at 6.15 pm. The live streaming will be done on Zoom, Youtube and Facebook.

     

    The theme of the firset debate is Brand Purpose – Responsible Or Opportunistic. Speaking about the debate series, Partho Dasgupta, President, The Advertising Club said: “These are unprecedented times requiring all brands and organizations to adapt and reinvent their media and brand strategies.  The digital debate series has been curated to provide insights and guidance on how to empower brands to thrive in the new normal. We are sure that Agnello along with Josy and Santosh will make this an interesting session full of breakthrough ideas and insights.”

     

     

  • This comes in the face of the prevailing global and national Covid-19 crisis

    Goafest 2020 and Abby 2020 won’t happen this year

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) and The Advertising Club have announced that both Goafest and Abby Awards 2020 will be deferred for the year. This comes in the face of the prevailing global and national crisis.

     

    Notes a communique: “The Abby Awards saw some of the greatest works being submitted this year and inspite of a muted economic scenario and a global health pandemic the number of entries were at almost at par to that of last year. Such large participation numbers for the Abby awards are a testament to its covetous stature in the industry.”

     

     

  • The Abby awards will be held soon, the details of which will be announced soon

    Coronavirus Effect: Goafest 2020 postponed

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Advertising Club and the Advertising Agencies Association of India, joint organisers of Goafest, have announced the postponement of the 2020 edition of the festival until further notice. According to a statement, the Abby Awards – for which entries have already been received – will still be conducted jointly by them. Details with regard to the awards are currently being finalised and will be announced shortly.

     

    Notes a communique issued jointly by AAAI and Ad Club: “The move has been taken considering the heightened global concerns on the spread of the Coronavirus posing a threat to well-being and safety of festival goers.  The festival also receives many speakers from across the world and travel advisories issued across countries and organisations against being a part of large gatherings has also contributed to the decision.  In such challenging times it is critical that everybody acts responsibly and does their best to prevent any escalation of the already fairly alarming scenario. Nothing precedes the health and wellbeing of the patrons of the festival and the postponing of the festival is a result of the organisers intent to safeguard the wellbeing of Goafest patrons.”