MxMIndia

Tag: Ajay Gupte

  • IPL is expected to surpass EPL and become the most popular sporting event worldwide, notes a Wavemaker report

    IPL 2023: 39% increase in overall buzz

     

     

    By Our Staff

     

    Wavemaker MESH – Real Time Data Intelligence solution has released the 8th edition of Earned Equity report that reads real-time environmental signals on IPL 2023. The report analyses how the audience perception of the Indian Premier League has evolved over the years. It focuses on the digital audience and uses data points like consumption data around digital content and social and search insights.

     

    The report records the social conversations around IPL 2023 based on multiple data points collated to create meaningful and actionable insights. This season’s report has data sources from multiple consumer touchpoints across Digital ecosystem ranging from Social Listening, Video Analytics in partnership with Intuition Intelligence Inc. (Viral Analytics & Insights Partner), Tubular Labs, CrowdTangle, User Generated Content with Logo Recognition and Interaction data points collected from Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

     

    Commenting on the report, Ajay Gupte, CEO – South Asia, Wavemaker said: “In today’s competitive landscape, brands cannot afford to overlook the power of social conversations. I believe, the earned equity report can serve as a valuable resource for brands, offering them the insights they need to navigate the ever-changing social media landscape and reach new heights in terms of audience engagement and brand awareness. This report is a reflection of our commitment to staying ahead of the curve, leveraging the power of data analysis and cutting-edge technologies to provide our clients with unparalleled insights and guidance”.

     

    Key highlights of the report:

    • IPL 2023 edition generated even more interest, interactions and video views when compared to the previous season leading to a 39% increase in overall buzz. The tournament featured two months of captivating engagements, including iconic matches and moments that significantly elevated its popularity.

    • The buzz score for IPL 2023 Season 16 reached an impressive 484 million, surpassing the 334 million in IPL 2022. The primary reason for this surge was the emergence of several new players who showcased their talents, delivering match-winning performances and leaving a lasting impact.

    • IPL continues to gain popularity on a global scale as well, ranking as the second most popular sports event after the English Premier League. It surpasses other major sports events such as NFL, NBA, Major League Baseball, and T20 Cricket World Cup. The report suggests that IPL is expected to surpass EPL and become the most popular sporting event worldwide.

    • The consumption of video content related to IPL 2023has seen significant growth, almost 5 times more than the previous period. The rise in video consumption reflects the increasing engagement and interest of fans across the globe

    • This year, according to Wavemaker MESH Earned Equity Report on IPL 2023 season, Chennai Super King and Royal Challenger Bangalore continue to be the conversation driver teamswith Gujarat Titans climbing the popularity spot rapidly

    • One of the hallmarks of IPL is its unpredictability. The IPL finals kept fans on the edge of their seats, where Ravindra Jadeja played a match-winning inning, making it one of the most iconic/talked about matches in IPL history ever and creating a rollercoaster ride of emotions throughout the match. This match generated six times more conversationsthan the most conversed match during the league stage

    • While the IPL showcases established superstars, it also serves as a platform for young and emerging talent to shine. The league has been instrumental in unearthing hidden gems, providing a launchpad for promising cricketers to showcase their skills on a grand stage. Fans eagerly await the emergence of new heroes who can make a lasting impact on the game and capture their hearts with their electrifying performances. To capture the impact of Young Blood, Wavemaker MESH introduced a ‘Disruptive XI’ leader boardto recognize emerging talent, with players like Rinku Singh and Yashaswi Jaiswal standing out as the ‘hottest property’ of IPL 2023.

    • Amongst Wavemaker MESH XI Player leader board, King Kohli continued to be the most popular sports figure in this IPL season. This year, we also saw the emergence of rising stars like Shubman Gill, Vishnu Vinod, and Rinku Singh, who quickly gained popularity during the tournament because of their nail-biting performances.

    • This year Wavemaker MESH has launched a new measurement currency – Most Visible Principal Sponsoron any digital asset around IPL using technology like image recognition. According to the report, Jio emerged as most visible Principal Sponsor followed by Gulf, Slice and Happilo. Team Principal Sponsors, Jio led the leader board since it had partnered with 4 teams, followed by Gulf Oil’s ‘Gulf Fan Academy’ campaign for Chennai Super King which received significant engagement from the audience, Slice for Mumbai Indians, and Happilo for Royal Challenger Bangalore.

    • IPL has been associated with the super bowl of India and is the time of the year when advertisers create engaging ads to make an impact with the audience. According to our technology partner Intuition Intelligence (Viral analytics and Insights provider), Jio Cinema created the top four most viral video ads during IPL 2023, securing the top spot. Their collaboration with Sachin Tendulkar played a crucial role in creating engaging and widely shared content. Garnier Facewash Rap and Qatar Airways #PlayBold followed on the viral video content leader board.

    • According to Wavemaker MESH, the Earned Media Equity for IPL 2023 reached INR 3,738 crores, with sponsor Earned Media valued at INR 871 crores. Tata, as the Title Partner, held the highest valuation, followed by Jio Cinema, Gulf, and Star Sports.

    • The Earned media valuation of teams stands at INR 2,867 croreswith Chennai Super Kings with the highest Earned Media Value, followed by Royal Challengers Bangalore and Mumbai Indians. Chennai Super Kings’ popularity, backed by their association with MS Dhoni, contributed to their significant valuation, which was twice that of Royal Challengers Bangalore.

     

    These highlights from the report illustrate the increased buzz, player performances, global appeal, sponsorships, and media value associated with IPL 2023, making it an exciting and impactful event for cricket enthusiasts, notes Wavemaker.

  • To be incharge of consolidated media duties of media planning and buying

    Wavemaker wins media mandate for Tata Consumer Products

    By Our Staff

     

    Tata Consumer Products (TCP), the consumer products company uniting the principal food and beverage interests of the Tata group under one umbrella, has awarded its consolidated media duties of media planning and buying for its India business to Wavemaker India.

     

    Said Puneet Das, President, Packaged Beverages, India & South Asia, Tata Consumer Products: “We have been working with Wavemaker on the packaged beverages business and are now delighted to extend our partnership with Wavemaker for our media mandate of the TCP India packaged foods and packaged beverages business. We look forward to a continued strong partnership and unlocking synergies with the consolidation of the TCP India brands under Wavemaker India”.

     

    Speaking on the win, Ajay Gupte, CEO – South Asia, Wavemaker added: “We are ecstatic to bag the consolidated mandate of Tata Consumer Products in India. To partner with one of the most trusted brands in the country is an honour and huge responsibility at the same time. We are glad to partner with TCP in their ambition to become a leading FMCG player in the country.”

     

    Commenting on the win, M K Machaiah, Chief Client Officer & Head – South, Wavemaker India, said: “We are delighted to be appointed by Tata Consumer Products as their media partners for India. I believe our positive provocative framework compliments the brand’s aggressive growth plans. With the help of our expertise across data, media, content, technology, we are confident of landing business goals for various brands of TCP.”

     

  • Launches a specialised South Entertainment outpost for brands

    Wavemaker collaborates with One Mercuri to turn South

    By Our Staff

     

    Wavemaker India has unveiled a specialised unit in collaboration with One Mercuri which will focus on helping brands leverage the entertainment and content businesses in south India. The unit will open up a whole new world of collaborations and opportunities for brands and creators.

     

    This is an effort to help corporatise the business of ‘south entertainment’, by way of providing brands structured access to entertainment content from South India, right at the conception stage. It will deliver on creating Original Content IPs, enabling better brand associations in films and OTT content (audio & video), bringing in an era of measurement and collaborations with writer rooms, among other things. The partnership will be a catalyst in developing the symbiotic relationship between brands and the South entertainment industry – one that has under-delivered so far.

     

    The unit will be based out of Wavemaker’s Bengaluru office and led by Anilkumar Sathiraju under the leadership of Karthik Nagarajan.

     

    Commenting on the launch of this new unit, Ajay Gupte, CEO – South Asia, Wavemaker, said: “We have always focussed on paving newer ways to provide innovative solutions to our clients and partners. Creativity, Content and Collaboration are the three pillars of this newly launched specialised unit. We see huge potential in content, partnerships, digital content and content creators / influencers in the next few years. With this unit, our aim is to create a new wave in the entertainment and business space”.

     

    Added Sriram Bakthisaran, MD & Group CEO, One Mercuri: “A resurgence of quality content from the region which is home to the four thriving film industries besides a large entertainment-hungry viewership, a larger than life fan following base seen nowhere in the world and the content coming out from this region  fast attracting global interests and gaining prominence on pan India scale and with our already significant presence in the south market having serviced some of the biggest production houses and the celebrities in the past, we feel we are better placed to expand our offerings than before as we jointly venture out to feed all stake holders including the consumer, the production houses as well as the brands. As Wavemaker has all the experience and knowhow with their global exposure, I am very confident that this collaboration will only elevate the industry and set standards for several to follow and benefit.”

     

     

  • The mandate comprises traditional media and content including social creative and digital

    Wavemaker bags media duties for Paragon footwear

    By Our Staff

     

    Wavemaker India has won the media mandate for Paragon Footwear. The mandate comprises traditional media and content including social creative and digital. The account will be handled out of the Bengaluru office of Wavemaker.

     

    Speaking on the association, Navin Thomas, Executive VP Sales & Marketing, Paragon said: “We are happy to partner with Wavemaker as our media agency. Their stronghold on media landscape clubbed with in-depth understanding of consumers dynamics is impressive. We believe the team at Wavemaker will surely help us in our journey to establish ourselves as the leading footwear brand within the young consumers too. Their volume of work in creating successful brands say it all.”

     

    Commenting on the win, Ajay Gupte, CEO – South Asia, Wavemaker added: “We are absolutely thrilled to work with a trusted brand like Paragon. Paragon has been a household name for generations in India. Their consumer focused approach, adapting to sustainable and bio-degradable ways to create environment friendly products is a huge testament to their dedication. With our AI powered platforms, we are certain to drive great efficiencies and help Paragon make a mark as a preferred brand in this changing consumer dynamics.”

     

  • Initiates Cookie Dependency Audit for its clients

    Wavemaker develops audit to navigate cookie-less world

    By Our Staff

     

    Wavemaker has developed an indepth audit which will prepare clients to plan better in the new-age marketing landscape. The audit will assess risk areas, dependency on currently deployed solutions, and where the brand can pivot or redesign its marketing strategies to best mitigate the impact of cookie removal.

     

    Talking about the audit, Ajay Gupte, CEO – South Asia, Wavemaker said: “We have always believed in crafting solutions which help brands better connect with their consumers. We see this as an opportunity to rebuild consumer journeys with trust and creativity and we are already on our way. I am sure we will soon be able to advice our clients on more provoking and innovative solutions.”

     

    Added Vishal Jacob, Chief Digital Officer, Wavemaker India: “The 3PC Dependency Audit is the need of the hour. With increase in fragmentation of audience segments, rising demand for data privacy, navigating in a Cookie-less World is going to be extremely challenging for advertisers and marketers. With this audit, we aim to provide first mover advantage to our clients by providing unique consumer perspectives and solutions to chart out their growth plans.”

     

  • Mandate includes integrated media services for the brand

    Luminous onboards Wavemaker India

    By Our Staff

     

    Luminous Power Technologies has appointed Wavemaker India as its integrated media partner for all categories across inverters, batteries, solar and home electricals. Wavemaker India will manage the brand’s traditional and digital media duties including media strategy and planning, media investment, media activation and content. Wavemaker India won the account post a comprehensive multi-agency pitch. The account will be handled from their Gurugram office.

     

    Said Sachin Bhalla, Senior VP marketing and Solar Business, Luminous Power Technologies: “In today’s scenario, consumers are moving increasingly towards all kinds of media for both discovery and decision-making. Wavemaker appealed to us with their experience and clarity of thought when understanding our business. With the new agency onboard, we would like to leverage their strategic thinking and execution for both traditional and digital media. We look forward to aggressively strengthening our presence and portfolio online and offline, and accelerating our growth,”

     

    Speaking on the win, Ajay Gupte, CEO – South Asia, Wavemaker added: “Luminous is a strong and trustworthy brand with an array of products in the power backup, home electrical and residential solar space. We are thrilled to partner with them and create relevant engagement for the brand with our full-service media offering. This is a perfect opportunity for us to bring in our expertise and deploy our bespoke integrated planning approach that is supported by strong measurement capabilities. We look forward to creating value for Luminous and supporting its growth momentum.”

     

     

  • Has been their media AOR since 2010

    Wavemaker retains media mandate for L’Oreal

    By Our Staff

     

    Wavemaker has retained the media responsibilities for the beauty leader L’Oréal. Wavemaker has been the media AOR for L’Oréal since 2010. The mandate includes online and traditional media duties for the brands.

     

    Said Ajay Gupte, CEO – South Asia, Wavemaker: “Retaining L’Oréal in the 12th year of our association and continuing this partnership is a huge testament to our services and efforts. I am excited to strengthen this relationship further and partner with L’Oréal in their transformative business journey. I am certain with our digital first & data led approach clubbed with best in class media services, we will be able to accomplish L’Oréal’s mission of creating an innovative and responsible beauty brand”.

     

    Added Shekhar Banerjee, Chief Client Officer & Head – West, Wavemaker India: “Working with L’Oréal makes you better every day and we have been creating some of the industry first work in real time measurement, precision and audiences for them. We are delighted that they believed in the vision we have set for our partnership and trusted our ability to positively provoke them and drive new thinking”.

     

  • Ropes in Akshay Kumar as brand ambassador

    Wavemaker bags media mandate for PagarBook

    By Our Staff

     

    Wavemaker India has bagged media mandate for PagarBook. It will manage the integrated media mandate for PagarBook and is mandated with the responsibility of scaling up the brand via mass outreach programs cutting across all relevant touch points — Television, print, radio, OOH, Social and Digital. PagarBook has roped in Akshay Kumar as brand ambassador.

     

    Said Sivaprasad K, Senior Vice-President, Marketing and Sales, PagarBook: “Our ethos is focused on solving the most challenging problems faced by the SME sector. The goodwill of India, the common Indian, is something that we strive towards. Wavemaker brings together a unique combination of global expertise & proven track record in bringing quintessentially Indian insights to life. We are excited to have them on-board as a key partner in our mission of helping small businesses grow”.

     

    Added Ajay Gupte, CEO – South Asia, Wavemaker: “Pagarbook epitomises the brand of new-age enterprises that offer simple solutions to challenges faced by small and medium enterprises across the country. Their work strengthens the core of our economy. We are delighted to partner with this transformational brand that is dynamic and rapidly growing. I am confident that as their partners we will help Pagarbook achieve their growth ambitions”.

     

    Said Kishan Kumar MS, Chief Growth Officer and South – Head, Wavemaker India: “I am quite excited to start the new year on such a positive note. Partnering with a disruptor brand like PagarBook is going to be a great learning experience for us. Our vast pool of consumer journey data and insights clubbed with analytical expertise will help us unlock many growth drivers for PagarBook. The journey is going to be an exciting one, indeed!”

     

     

  • Wavemaker India has been the media AOR for Zydus Wellness since 2013 and bagged the consolidated mandate following a multi-agency pitch

    Zydus Wellness consolidates media mandate with Wavemaker

    By Our Staff

     

    Wavemaker India has announced that Zydus Wellness which includes the consumer wellness brands of Heinz India, has consolidated its media duties with it. Wavemaker India has been the media AOR for Zydus Wellness since 2013 and bagged the consolidated mandate following a multi-agency pitch.

     

    Said Tarun Arora, Chief Executive Officer at Zydus Wellness: “We are happy to have Wavemaker on board as our media partner again. 2021 is going to be an exciting year of growth and transformation for our brands and we are confident about the level of expertise, market understanding and integrated solutions they will bring to the table in driving this next phase. We’ve had a long-standing relationship with Wavemaker and are looking forward to continuing this partnership moving forward”.

     

    Added Ajay Gupte, CEO – South Asia, Wavemaker: “I am extremely grateful to Zydus Wellness for renewing our partnership once again. We are excited to be a part of their growth journey focussing on product diversification and expansion. With our deep consumer insights along with digital and e-commerce, I am sure we will unlock newer growth levers for Zydus Wellness”.

     

    Said Shekhar Banerjee, Chief Client Officer & Head – West, Wavemaker India: “We are proud to work on Zydus Wellness brands for over 7 years and our partnership has only become stronger with time. This is a proof of our good work, passion and readiness for future. We thank them for trusting us with the new brands in their portfolio.”

     

     

  • The GroupM agency has bags integrated media mandate for the brand

    Wavemaker retains media duties of Perfetti Van Melle

    By A Correspondent

     

    Wavemaker India has announced that it has retained media duties for Perfetti Van Melle. The GroupM agency has also been entrusted with integrated media duties for Perfetti Van Melle India.

     

    Wavemaker India has been Perfetti’s media agency on records since 2006 in India. The multi-agency pitch saw participation from other leading agencies. The account will continue to be handled out of Gurugram office.

     

    Commenting on the association, Rohit Kapoor, Director Marketing,Perfetti Van Melle India said: “Wavemaker team has been a trusted partner for nearly 14 years now and we are delighted that our partnership will start its third innings after a well-contested integrated media pitch process. Wavemaker has over the years played a significant role in our success and we hope this innings will be an equally good one for both of us.”

     

    Speaking on the retention, Ajay Gupte, CEO – South Asia, Wavemaker added: “We are extremely thrilled to renew our relationship with Perfetti Van Melle. It is a matter of great pride to win additional mandate of integrated media and continue the traditional media mandate. I am confident with our new operating system, newer models in analytics, e-commerce and media we will be able to unlock growth and drive further efficiency to the brand”.

     

    In addition, Wavemaker has been appointed by the sweets giant to handle the account in other main markets US, China, Netherlands – as well as in the UK, MENA, Belgium, Turkey and Indonesia – after a series of local pitches held throughout 2020. Wavemaker now handles 85% of Perfetti Van Melle’s global media spend.

     

     

  • The Wavemaker CEO – South Asia speaks on the GroupM agency's three years in India, his journey at the helm, Gurugram v/s Mumbai, and the rivalry with sibling Mindshare

    MxM Live with Ajay Gupte

     

     

    By A Correspondent

     

    Wavemaker India celebrates its third anniversary on Monday, November 9, and we speak with Ajay Gupte, CEO – South Asia, Wavemaker, on the occasion.

     

    Gupte took charge in January 2020, and we know of the tumultuous times across the world after that. A coincidence of course. The marketing services business was badly hit given the events and advertising spends going south post that.

     

    But in this period, Wavemaker – part of WPP’s GroupM network – has managed to reinvent itself and forge ahead, says Gupte. There is a beefing up of the top deck. Some noteworthy work. And development of analytical tools that are now adopted within Wavemaker global framework.

     

    In a freewheeling interview with MxMIndia Founder and Editor-in-Chief Pradyuman Maheshwari, Ajay Gupte speaks on a cross-section of issues around the business, around Wavemaker, his settling back into the country, the job, Gurugram versus Mumbai, the rivalry with sibling Mindshare. And more.

     

    Watch. Enjoy. Like.

     

  • The goal of the campaign was to reach potential customers digitally to influence them to visit a Nokia phones retail store

    Xaxis & Wavemaker collaborate to influence store visits

    By A Correspondent

     

    Xaxis, GroupM’s programmatic arm has announced the results of a national campaign for Nokia smartphones with Wavemaker South Asia. The goal of the campaign was to reach potential customers digitally to influence them to visit a Nokia phones retail store.

     

    Said Ruchira Jaitly, Head of Marketing – India, HMD Global: “Xaxis and Wavemaker have delivered outstanding results that enable us to see the impact of digital ad targeting on real world actions. This campaign highlights the important connection between digital ads delivered to the right people at the right time and its impact on offline behaviour. We look forward to applying these insights to future campaigns.”

     

    Added Bharat Khatri, Country Lead, Xaxis India: “The campaign proves the growing importance of an insight-driven approach in today’s marketplace. With Xaxis Places and our technology partners, we were able to demonstrate the positive influence that digital targeting can have on driving awareness, offline behaviour and overall value for the brand.”

     

    And this is what Ajay Gupte, CEO, Wavemaker South Asia said: “There are many developments in digital that are changing the models of advertising in India, and our client HMD Global, the home of Nokia phones, has been at the forefront of bringing fresh strategies to market,” “Our partnership with Xaxis underscores the power of mobile data and other digital insights and its impact on customers in the real world.”