It’s Goafest time. To the world outside, the advertising industry is a bundle of contradictions. Small in size, but loud in voice. Fiercely competitive, but always united. Well, almost.
One arm of the world’s largest conglomerates WPP finds the Abby awards a no-no. That’s Ogilvy. In fact its supremo – Piyush Pandey – once said that the his team members saw no value in them, in fact they are strewn all over their cabins. Another arm of the same WPP is a fierce believer in the awards. In fact J Walter Thompson has been #1 over the last few years in the final tally of the creative awards. And before we go on and on here, we must add that GroupM, the media investments arm of WPP is not only an active participant in the Media Abby, but its CEO for South Asia – CVL Srinivas – is also an active member of the organising committee.
Then there’s the MullenLowe Lintas Group. The diktat of its former chairman R Balki of not participating in the Abby is still followed, but in the past we’ve had integral parts of the same group participating actively. In fact two years back, Pickle Lintas even won the Grand Prix for its campaign for Dabur.
There are some other agencies which don’t participate in the Abby. Some because their bosses don’t like creative awards in India, some because they don’t have enough good work to send which will hence put them twenty first in the pecking order. Even some hole-in-the-wall digital or out-of-home agency in the boondocks.
Be that as it may, the 12th edition of Goafest, which starts today, is said to be the biggest ever held thus far. And as Organising Committee chair Ashish Bhasin told us, it’s a full house. Though we don’t have the final numbers of registered delegates as there are always some spot registrations and opt-outs at the last min.
We asked MxMIndia columnist Sanjeev Kotnala for his list of favourite speakers, and this is, as he also wrote in this column on Wednesday, his list: Hemant Malik (ITC), Acharya Balkrishna ( Patanjali), Ishita Katyal (Youngest Ted speaker), Gaur Gopal Das (Spiritual Guru), Miss Malini Agarwal (the blogger), Geeta and Babita Pogat (Going to be crowd favourites), Eric Cruz (ECD AKQA), Claus Stangl (IG Creative Shop), Vivian Richards (Cricket), Juhi Kalia (Facebook), Laura Ries and Sanjay Dutt.
We agree with most of the names. But Sanju baba? Well, Kotnala clarified to us, Baba comes last in the list of names which are in order of priority.
The awards start in right earnest from Day 1 with the Media Awards, though the big night is the last with the key creative awards.
Keep tracking the MxMIndia coverage of Goafest starting today. Enjoy
Dentsu Aegis Network today announce​d​ it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Grant Group, the largest independent creative agency and ​regarded as pioneer of advertising in Sri Lanka. The acquisition of the 59-year-old integrated agency is Dentsu Aegis Network’s first foray into the island nation and one of the largest agency groups to enter the market in nearly two decades.
​Said ​Nick Waters, CEO of Dentsu Aegis Network APAC: ​“With social and economic stability in the country, Sri Lanka is set to reap the peace dividend. Significant foreign investment is already flowing into the country, and with strong historical ties to Japan, there is a natural opportunity for Dentsu Aegis Network clients to grow. Grant represents a unique opportunity as a top quality advertising and communications group to get into a strong position in a fast-growing market.â€
Post-acquisition, Grant Advertising will be known as Dentsu Grant while Grant Media will join Dentsu Aegis’ global media network brand, Carat. Other global agency brands within the network will integrate with their strong local agency counterparts to grow the business further adding value to their clients and their staff. ​Said ​Ashish Bhasin, Chairman and CEO of Dentsu Aegis Network South Asia​: “​The acquisition of Grant Group is a key step in the Dentsu Aegis Network South Asia strategy and will launch our business in a market with significant potential. Through the Grant Group, we have a unique opportunity to enter the market with a bang and will be amongst the largest integrated groups in the country.â€
Steering the Sri Lankan leadership team is Neela Marikkar, Chairperson and Managing Director of the Dentsu Aegis Network Grant Group. She will report to Bhasin​.​
​Added Marikkar: “Given our long heritage in this market continuously staying ahead of the game, Dentsu Aegis Network’s cultural fit and best-in-class operating model are the right facets of a multinational partner to take our group and most importantly our clients and staff into a very dynamic future. More importantly given the growth in the market and the push towards digital, we need a strongly aligned and committed multinational partner with digital at its heart as brands grapple with the challenges of a changing media landscape. We are very excited to be able to tap on the network’s resources and work with the 38,000 great people at Dentsu Aegis Network. We are beginning a new chapter in the wonderful story of the Grant Group.†The deal is expected to close this week.
It’s that time of the year when the industry folk get set for Goafest and the Abby awards. And some don’t. But despite the demonetisation and a tightening of budgetary belts, this year’s edition has, say Organising Committee chair Ashish Bhasin, Awards Governing Council chair Ramesh Narayan and Ad Club president Raj Nayak, garnered a record amount of sponsorships and number of entries. For the first time, the organisers fear they may have to say no to delegates with a ‘housefull’ board. In a no-holds-barred discussion over lunch last week, Messrs Bhasin, Narayan and Nayak speak to Pradyuman Maheshwari on this year’s edition, the participation (and non-participation) of some agencies in the Abby, and how Goafest and the Abby are now a lot more than just for creative agencies and awards. Excerpts:
Let’s start with you, Mr Ashish Bhasin. Given all the pressures, would you say being Chair of the Organising Committee is a thankless job. Is it really?Â
Ashish Bhasin (ABhasin): I wouldn’t say thankless. Actually it’s very gratifying because once the thing is done, you feel good about it. But people often underestimate the logistics of it. It’s like having a ‘baraat’ of 2,500 people come over for three days, and the logistics that go into making that happen — the quality of speakers, the funds that have to be organised and the very organising of the event and the awards — are a task. It’s like [working with] 10,000 moving parts. The thing that you are always aware of is that about 9,999 times you will do right and no one will remember that. But the one or two things that may not go as expected, are the things that throw you off.
And all of this alongside your day job…
ABhasin: Is taxing, but it all comes together. This is the time that it all starts bunching up. This year we started well in time, and because of that, I think we have a much better speaker line-up than we’ve ever had.
So to get straight to the point: What’s special this year?
ABhasin: This year’s Goafest, to my mind, is going to be like never before. We already have a record number of creative entries and a record number of media entries, and therefore a record number of total entries. I also think we will have some of the best speakers that we’ve had in a long, long time…
People whom one hasn’t heard or seen before?
ABhasin: Yes. Some you haven’t seen and heard, and to an extent less incestuous, but because it’s not only going to be advertising people talking to advertising people, there is a lot of learning to be had from related industries and from people who have achieved a lot in other areas, like people from Bollywood or spiritual leaders. The Phogat sisters, for example. I think there is a lot to learn from their story.
We are also going to have Masterclasses which will be ‘By Invitation’ and conducted by a very senior [industry leader from] Israel. There will also be one day on innovation, and one on creativity. This will be for a select group, on a first come-first served basis among those who have applied for it. There are a lot of other things planned. You know about the Champions of Excellence award, which Mr Ramesh Narayan will talk more about. Also, this time Goafest is going green in part because we have to be responsible about the environment. So for the first time, we are taking baby steps in water conservation because when there are 2,500 people, it is sometimes painful to see people take three swigs from a bottle of water and then discard it. If you consider this could happen eight hours a day over three days, you can imagine how much wastage of water actually happens. So we are trying to make [Goafest] a little more sustainable. Also the element of fun..
You aren’t returning to make Goafest 2017 more outdoorsy…
ABhasin: Obviously [moving it indoors] works better in terms of both timing and control, and the new technology we are now using, probably won’t work outdoors. But this year, we’ll have sundowners with the sea as a backdrop.
Okay, let’s move onto the awards, and to you Mr Ramesh Narayan, as Chairman of Awards Governing Council. How have the entries and judging been? Other than the Champions of Excellence category, what’s new this year?
Ramesh Narayan (RNarayan): The Abby Awards are now over 65 years old. They’re a brand that everybody knowsand loves. Everyone said that in a year like this, with demonetisation and a slow economy, it’s good even if we get 20% fewer entries. But, as you know, we’ve got more entries than last time, and it’s the highest ever — despite an increase in the rate…
Will you be able to share some details with us?
RNarayan: [It’s more] in terms of numbers. But I see anincreaseacross categories too, especially in digital. Digital and publishers have led — as far as the numbers go. Another thing to note is that when it comes to awards, historically you’ve had the Big Five of print, film, outdoors and such. Today, throughout the world (and here as well) you have broadcasters and publishers, and now there is an all-new category called Mobile. This was not there before…
Last year, the response from publishers was not very good… they had not entered their best work. How has it been this year?
RNarayan: It has been very good this year. We made it a point to reach out to all the publishers, and even involved the INS (Indian Newspaper Society). We asked them to circulate our mails in the industry. Everybody has cooperated, and the quality has been good. We’ve got very good jury members too. So the whole experience had been quite gratifying. This time, we also had our annual Town Hall very early, sometime in November, so it gave us the opportunity to listen to all voices from our industry and on-board their ideas and suggestions.
Who were the people who attended it?
RNarayan: Creative people
From across agencies?
RNarayan: Yes.
Including those who were not participating?
RNarayan: Yes, at that time they were not aware that they were not participating. So they did come. I can state, for the record, that as far as processes and systems go, we are now ‘super’. I don’t think anybody can have anything to say about it — and I am willing to debate it out with anyone who does!
There has been a charge that it’s not held at the right time. One of the leading lights of your industry, Bobby Pawar, mentioned this during a panel discussion on ET Now. When asked a question, he said that the meeting with creative folk should be held immediately after Goafest.
RNarayan: That’s too early. November, I think, is the ideal time. If you have it in June or something like that, that would be like giving a brief to your advertising agency six months in advance, and asking them to deliver the campaign and no one will remember it.
Mr Bhasin, as someone associated with both creative agencies and advertising agencies, how do you view Goafest in terms of your agency’s participation? We do know that Taproot participates in a big way. I remember the other Dentsu creative agencies participating in large numbers last year. So how do your folks look at it? You are also an active member of the Ad Club …
ABhasin: I wear two distinctly separate hats, my industry hat and my agency hat. When I am sitting with my agency people, they are least bothered about the fact that I am the chairman of Goafest. They want to see what’s in it for them, as any industry agency would do. But as a group, we view this in two or three ways.
First, we see it as a great learning opportunity for youngsters, so we encourage more youngsters, rather than the seniormost guys, to attend. We have a lot of incentives and a lot of facilitation for some of the youngsters because during these three days, you get to see and hear the best of the best. This year, for example, we are concentrating on digital trends.
What about the participating in the Abbys?
ABhasin: I am separating the two. You said going to Goafest. So we encourage people, particularly the youngsters, to hear from the best of the best speakers which they otherwise won’t get an opportunity to do. As far as the awards are concerned, Dentsu, I have to confess, wasn’t very focused on awards until maybe a year ago. It just wasn’t on our radar, apart from Taproot Dentsu, who have always have been very good at it and done brilliantly. Last year, we tried it as an experiment, and it was very encouraging because as a group, we got the highest number of creative awards, and among the Top 10 agencies, three were ours.
What was it that led you to participate in the Abbys when you weren’t earlier?
ABhasin: It’s not that Dentsu wasn’t participating. It was just that we were not taking it seriously enough. When you go and make your creds presentation, when you go out and talk about your creative reputation and go out to recruit youngsters, there is a big high for campaigns that have done well. In the Indian context, there isn’t a bigger awards show than Goafest. So we just decided to dip our toes in it last year. Not just dip our toes, but go in a more serious way. But when three of our agencies made it to the Top 10, we decided to build on that this year.
Selfie time! From Right: Ramesh Narayan, Raj Nayak, Ashish Bhasin and Pradyuman Maheshwari
ABhasin: Absolutely, and that’s why they continue to participate. This is also a good time of the year because after this comes Cannes and various other international award festivals
Do you participate at Kyoorius?
ABhasin: One or two of our agencies have…
Taproot doesn’t?
ABhasin: It’s not that we don’t participate, but how many awards shows can you focus on? It’s a huge investment as well, so you have to balance it out. Last year, we focussed on Goafest. Besides Taproot, this is a relatively new thing [for our other agencies]. So you’ve got to ace the sysem, start learning to present your work, and learning to encourage your team to come up with good work. Once we do consistently well in the local awards, we will start looking at the international ones.
So we have a plan whereby we hope that at the end of three or four years, we will dominate, not just pan-India, but also the international circuit. But I think we’re still on a learning curve with some of our agencies, so that’s where we are.
We have seen that while many creative agencies stay away from awards, media agencies participate in large numbers. I’m not referring to digital and outdoor, since they are slightly different, but creative and media are the two traditional players. Why do you think this happens?
RNarayan: First, the fact that media agencies from all the big groups do, in fact, take part, validates the point that none of them has anything against either the Ad Club, Goafest or the Abby judging… Because if they did, they might be split in their decision even within the group, with one arm participating and the other staying away…
Sorry to interrupt, in the case of WPP you have one part agency participating in all its might like JWT as it is not participating so…
RNarayan: True, so all the more reason to say that this one thing is absolutely clear to all people now, and I’m glad that the organisers of the Abbys don’t need to defend themselves anymore. That age is gone now, as we can see with all the networks and all the agencies participating in some way or the other….
Pardon my saying this, but does this mean you are showing the finger to those who don’t participate?
RNarayan: No it’s not, certainly not. I have always said this, and I say this on record that I will be the happiest man if all the agencies participate. However, I can appreciate that each one has some reason [to stay away], and that this has nothing to do with processes or the way this whole thing is organised. Each one has its unique reason. For some it could be budgets; for some it could be [the condition that if they] enter, they have to win big. Sometimes it may not be a very healthy bag of entries they can send in, so they won’t enter at all.
Are you saying that one of the reasons people may not participate is that they don’t have good work?
RNarayan: Adequate good work. All of them will have [to have] some excellent work to show. Or enough numbers to be able to rank among the Top 3 or even the Top 5. It’s a cultural issue where they might feel this is an important thing for them.
There are charges that the judging quality is not right. [Some agencies] don’t think it’s right for people from their own industry to do the judging. And also the fact that the views of the industry are not taken in time…
RNarayan: As to the views of the industry not being taken, we have a Town Hall for this and it was held early this time, in November. Many people attended it. But for those who did not vote, I’d say if you didn’t vote, keep your mouth shut.
ABhasin: I will add to that. This is the first year in which I actually said that we want to crowdsource Goafest. The speakers, the awards, we wanted to crowdsource it all.
Were Ogilvy and Lowe invited for this meeting?
RNarayan: Everybody was invited. All our members were invited from the Ad Club as well as AAAI. May I say two more things which are my like my hobby horses? First, that the Champion of Excellence award is not an Abby. It is an award, and it goes to those advertisers who have nurtured brands or who have taken that leap of faith and ought to be celebrated. So that is a new thing. Second, as Ashish mentioned, the Abbys have gone green this time, but they’ve also gone good. For the first time we have an industry initiative to start a campaign to mitigate violence against women.
Which you kind of introduced last year in a smaller way…
RNarayan: That was an Abby, in gender-sensitive advertising. This is an industry initiative where we have invited entries, and the winning entry will be funded by the industry to turn into a campaign that will then run for a month, across the country and across media. For example, we had FCB creating the call for entries; and we’ll have GroupM running the campaign for us afterwards. We have MullenLowe Lintas’ chairperson judging it… in the chair, so we’ve got the entire industry on board for this, and I think that speaks volumes for today’s leadership of Goafest — the Ad Club and AAAI– who have been able to pull this off.
Sorry to push on this question: Participation in this proposed campaign is from across agencies, even those who are not participating in the Abbys?
RNarayan: So Goafest has now evolved into a thing that is bigger than the Abbys. We have all these agencies participating to mitigate violence against women, so I don’t want to distinguish between those who are a part of this campaign and those who will participate in the Abbys. Though it is a fact of life that yes, those who have judged an Abby have not judged here. I don’t want to say, but it’s true; Lintas is there, so that makes everybody.
Having discussed the nitty-gritty of Goafest and the Abby with Messrs Bhasin and Narayan, I am going to turn to you, Mr Raj Nayak.
Raj Nayak (RNayak): I won’t go politically correct, so don’t worry.
Sodoes it upset you that you’re still not able to get the growing number who choose to stay away from the Abbys, to participate in the awards?
RNayak: Let me pick it up from where Ashish left off. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but over the last two or three years, there has been a strategic shift in the way we view Goafest, both as an industry body and at AAAI. The Abbys are not just about creative awards anymore. It’s a place for networking, for showcasing work, yes, and it is one place where we bring all parts of the industry under one roof – broadcasters, publishers and even digital. I think you can’t find another award [that has all of this put together].
And, of course, the speakers. Year on year, we have over 3,000 or 4,000 people come together for a three-day festival. First, there is no entity or body that brings all this together for three days in one place. More importantly, the way to look at this is there is no agency which has not participated. You say my right hand has participated or my left leg has not participated, but the fact is that taken collectively, there is no agency that has not participated.
Can you elaborate?
RNayak: You name an agency.
Lowe Lintas?
RNayak: Yes, but their media has participated.
I’m talking about the creative agencies
RNayak: My friends will be politically correct. But I have spoken to a lot of media people and a lot of agency heads I don’t wish to name, and they’ve clearly told me this is about one or two people not participating, though nobody wants to assign any reasons for it. But I think sometimes when you take a stand, it becomes difficult for you to do a U-turn from that stand without a valid reason. Then there are those who don’t want to lose if don’t have enough good work. One person told me that they did not have enough good work this year, and didn’t want to send an entry just for the sake of it. If I don’t participate, it doesn’t matter if I don’t win. But if I do participate, and I don’t win — or don’t make it to the Top 5 at least – that makes me look bad. It’s like the countries who stay away from the Olympics.
All these agencies who tell you that we don’t listen to the industry and we don’t take feedback from them [are not being entirely honest]. Last year, I personally invited them to the Town Hall, where you were also present. We had a media meet last year where we said ‘forget about feedback, we welcome you to come, and be part of the event.’ But you have no right to be an armchair critic and say this is bad or that is bad, if you don’t involve yourself. Why are Ashish, who runs his full-fledged agency, and Ramesh Narayan, who’s got his own business, giving up their time for this? Why am I, with my full-time job, doing it? It’s not for personal benefit, it’s for the industry.
Does it worry or anger you when people from your own business — as you might have seen on a recent TV show – and just stop short of damning the awards?
RNayak: I don’t know which show this is, but I’m sure that there was no representation from AAAI or Ad Clubthere.
The anchor, Sonali Krishna , said she reached out [to you’ll]. She didn’t quite use the word boycott, but she almost said that.
RNayak: Of course. I will go on record to tell you that we chose not go on that show.
Why?
RNayak: Because this has been going on for the last five years, and it’s time to move on. Goafest has become bigger, is getting more entries and more delegates. Goafest is getting better. So you have to move on. As an industry body, you can’t pander to one or two individuals.
Why do you think some in the A&M media are being unfair? Because you have chosen not to participate in one event, in one panel discussion now, another anchor of another show has been openly critical of Goafest and the Abby? Do you think it matters?
RNayak: It doesn’t matter. You have to do what you believe is in the best interests of the industry. We are all practising professionals. We have full-time jobs to do and yet everybody is giving their time, pro bono, for the sake of the industry and that is something that must be recognised and appreciated.
The happening thing is, of course, that all of them — including the Big 2 or the Big 5 – do participate in the Effies. So it’s not that they have something against the Ad Club…
RNayak: Let me tell you that it’s the same process that we follow for Effies and the Emvies. We have 150 or 200 jury members even for the Goafest Abbys in different phases. Everything is online. It is transparent and we even upload the shortlist. How much more transparent can one get? Be upfront. I have no hesitation if you to say: ‘listen, I don’t want to participate’. This is the first time — and I’m saying this on record – that we did not reach out to anybody asking them to participate. We said Goafest will continue, irrespective of someone’s participation (or not). You can’t be saying the same thing every year. You have to move on, and that’s what I am saying.
Given the fact that people are saying they don’t have enough good work — and some of these are big agencies — do you think there’s a way out where you can still attract some really good work? I know you don’t have a ranking system, but whatever it is, one does to look at ranking eventually…Â
RNayak: But even if you have one good work, and if you believe it to be good, you can get you an award. You don’t necessarily have to get the Grand Prix. I mean, if India were to participate in the Olympics only if we are to get all the medals, that won’t work. You may be good in shooting or you may be good in wrestling, but you are still bringing honour for your country. You are still bringing honour for your agency.
ABhasin: And even the sad part is, most of the guys who are part of the non-participating agencies, have built their careers on the Abbys.
RNayak: Very true. Did you see the campaign ‘Made of Abbys’? Did you see agency after agency, some of whom are not participating, featured in our campaign?
Yes, I saw one with Piyush Pandey or Ogilvy
Let me tell you something very interesting. We released a set of eight agencies and obviously we would want to show every agency who has won in the Abbys, but it’s not possible because we don’t have the campaign or the resources to do that. So we decided we will pick out eight agencies and we will put it in order. We chose strategically to showcase first those agencies who are participating. The head of an agency which is not participating – I will not name the agency – asked: ‘How come we are not featured in your campaign?’ And I said: ‘You are being featured, my friend. It’s just that we will put you later’. We actually included their campaign after the entries were closed, and it was a strategic decision to demonstrate that we are not canvassing for entries. And also to demonstrate that as an industry body, we will always continue to be inclusive. It’s not a mom-and-pop show.
After attending various Goafests and Abbys, I can say that last year’s was a stupendous show. Does it really upset all of you, having spent so much time and pro-bono effort, that people who should be participating in the event, are not participating?
RNayak: It used to upset me – I’d be lying if I said that it didn’t — probably next year, I may not be there. Ramesh may not be there. Ashish may be there for a year or two. We will pass the baton to somebody else. But I believe that Goafest, given the way it’s going, will only get bigger and better. [So as an agency] you may choose to stay away today, but there will come a stage when you will want to be a part of it.
You do, however, also recognise people who are not participating, like Balki or Piyush….
RNayak: Of course. We are an industry body and we have no personal agenda. We will always be inclusive, no matter who participates or doesn’t. It is a stated rule for AAAI and the Ad Club that as an industry body, irrespective of participation, we will be continue to be inclusive. If there are good suggestions, we will always welcome them. We may make a mistake, but you should look at the intent behind everything that we do. As president of the Ad Club and on behalf of president of AAAI and my colleagues, the intent is to give it our best. Let’s put on a great show, and let’s do it for the industry.
I’m going to ask you a question, you can choose not to answer it…
RNayak: No, I will answer it.
As the CEO of Colors, you are also associated with the Kyoorius Awards. What is your experience with that? Even that doesn’t get the participation of all.
RNayak: See, I could have been petty and not sponsored Kyoorius, right? But for us, every awards event is mutually exclusive. That’s a private show. Some other media publication may host another one. We are a part of everything. We are a part of the Ad Club as well, and continue to be. For me as Colors CEO, if I see value in an event — whether or not it is an industry event, though there must be some RoI because I am answerable to my organisation — we may decide to either sponsor it or be associated with it. But there is a big difference between an event for profit and an industry event. Made in India…
Let me ask you a naughty question. Which gives better RoI?
RNayak: Definitely Goafest, for the simple reason that there is no other event that brings all the different constituents under one roof for three days. If there was something that you could compare it with, maybe it would have been difficult for me to say. But right now, every other event is a smaller one.
RNarayan: I would like to add that I’d also like everybody to keep in mind that Goafest and the Abbys are probably the only industry-organised awards show in the world may be. So it’s in our interest to get together and to cherish it.
There is a feeling that privately managed shows are better…
ABhasin: What is your opinion?
Two or three years ago, I felt the same. But since the tenure of Shashi Sinha, the Abbys have been very well-organised.
RNarayan: Without naming any shows abroad, it’s true you don’t have any kind of right to appeal there. Here you can pick up the phone and speak to Ramesh Narayan, and ask, ‘What the hell is going on, guys?’ That happens only in India. So, in fact, we must celebrate it.
Any last word from the Goafest chairman?
ABhasin: I think this might be the first year when we may have to say no to delegates. When we started off, we did so with trepidation. We started marketing Goafest from the morning of November 8 and you know what happened that day. and I’m happy to go on record to say that we’ve received record sponsorships than ever before.
Then we feared that we might get 20-35% fewer entries this year, because everyone was on a tight budget. But we got a record number of entries and now it’s looking like I might have physical, space constraints because the hall only has a certain capacity. Already, it looks like it may be over-packed. So much as we would not like to, this might be the first year when we have to close the delegates list on the date we say we will. This year, we might have to put up a ‘housefull’ board.
Had its media partner have its way, this report wouldn’t have appeared on MxMIndia today. Hmmm. Why restrain media organisations or associations from calling other publications which you perceive as competition? Shouldn’t the focus be on partnering the industry and spreading the message for the larger good? One can understand events that are your own (like the various awards and conclaves), but bullying media companies into not inviting select media is not on.
However, our commitment is to our readers, and we are hence bringing you this report which was shared with us eventually.
Here goes parts of the communique. The big story image is culled from the report, a soft copy that is with us. The primary message: The share of spends on digital media in India, which currently stand at 12%, is expected to reach a whopping 24% of the total advertising pie by the end of 2020,says the inaugural edition of the Digital Advertising Report 2017 from the Dentsu Aegis Network India stable.
Digital media has been the forerunner of growth for the advertising industry in India.Every year, an increasing proportion of marketing budget is spent on digital media due to the increasing affinity of the consumer towards digital experience.
Said Ashish Bhasin, Chairman and CEO, Dentsu Aegis Network South Asia: “The digital ecosystem in India today stands for innovation and growth. Yet, there is no consistent and rigorous research data to back up and push this growth forward. Not to forget, the several researches that are provided to us today through a variety of industry reports do not talk about the advertising categories within digital. Consequently, Dentsu Aegis Network, which today stands at the forefront of digital evolution, decided to come up with an extensive and comprehensive digital study that can further help understand the needs, the gaps and the challenges that this industry faces when it comes to digital. We recognise that there is a need for an industry level research report which not only covers the market size but also gives a direction towards which this industry is moving. It will be an annual report and I strongly believe that it will eventually become the most credible source of information when it comes to digital in India.â€
The digital advertising industry currently stands at Rs 6, 825 crore and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 37% to reach Rs 23,795 crore by 2020. Increase in consumer adoption of mobile phones as an important medium of communication along within creased Internet usage will act as the key catalysts in taking this growth forward, spurred by falling data prices.
According to the executive summary, the “Indian advertising industry currently stands at Rs 56,398 crore and is expected to grow at a rate of 14% to reach Rs 64,488crore by 2017â€. The exec summary further adds: “TV and print contribute to the largest share while digital advertising contributes to 12% of the overall advertising share in India. Among industry verticals, the e-commerce sector contributes the highest proportion (25%) of its overall marketing budget towards digital media. The share of spends on digital media is expected to reach 24% by 2020 from the current 12%. The reason behind this growth will be a shift from traditional mediums to digital mediums due to greater effectivity and benefits of hyper-targeting. The digital advertising industry currently stands at Rs 6,825 cr and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 37% to reach Rs 23,795 due to an increase in consumer adoption of mobile phones as an important medium of communication along with increased internet usage.â€
InDeed, Dentsu Aegis Network’s newly launched CSR Advisory, will facilitate corporate investments by companies in Corporate Social Responsibly, through insights &a brand-led approach.
InDeed, will provide best-in-class expertise and capabilities in Creative, Media, Digital, OOH, Activation and PR communications services,which will help brands build a truly Integrated and a Brand-Led CSR journey in India.
InDeed will work with clients toinfuse brand purpose into their CSR strategies.The aim is to integrate branding and CSR in order to build a corporate culture around responsibility, leading to business sustainability andthereby reap reputational rewards. This will, in turn, makeCorporate Social Responsibility into an opportunity that is accountable, measurable and scalable across several CSR areas of development. (eradicating hunger, poverty & malnutrition, education, gender equality, rural sports, rural development projects,measure for the benefit of armed forces,ensuring environmental sustainability, contribution to the prime minister’s national relief fund and contributions or funds provided by technology incubators).
InDeed is building a repository of India’s most credible and reputed NGOs and will connect them to corporates on the basis of thematic and geographical priorities – to create the best possible match. It will also be involved in conducting employee engagement activities and volunteering programs that result in a meaningful engagement of the staff in innovative social initiatives that are grounded in business practices.
Indeed has also invested in best brand led CSR case studies to link itto NGO / Brand / CSR activity. More than 2500 case studies are mapped by geography, cost, product, NGO and CSR activity to make sure the best brand-led CSR is delivered.
Ashish Bhasin
Commenting on the launch, Ashish Bhasin, chairman and CEO, South Asia, Dentsu Aegis Network, said, “Today several of our clients are making a huge investment in CSR but in an adhoc manner. Many corporates want to give back to the society but often don’t know how to go about it in a consistent and meaningful manner. Indeed will act as a catalyst in this entire process and Haresh and his team have really done pioneering work in this area. Feels great to be able to give back to society via a socially relevant businessâ€
Haresh Nayak
Haresh Nayak, Mentor and Managing Director of Indeed, will lead this initiative from Dentsu Aegis Network. Hestrongly believes that brand building should be seamlessly combined with CSR strategies. He said, “It is not enough for brands to just ‘Greenwash’ their actions to provide PR-able fodder. Mostly such acts of philanthropic projects are short lived and rarely build a brand connect. However, if implemented in the right manner and with the right approach, brand building and CSR can perfectly complement each other.â€
Being a part of Denstu Aegis Network, InDeed will not only work with their existing clients but will also look at fresh collaborations.
Currently the InDeed team will be based out of Dentsu Aegis Network’s Gurgaon, Mumbai and Bangalore offices.  Dentsu Aegis Network’s presence in India comprises the global network brands Carat, iProspect, Isobar, Posterscope, Vizeum, MKTG, Amnet and mcgarrybowen along with the Dentsu branded agencies – Dentsu Impact, Dentsu One, Dentsu India, Dentsu Media, Taproot Dentsu and DentsuWebchutney. Also, newly added to the group are the recently acquired local brands Milestone Brandcom, WATConsult, Fountainhead MKTG, the Perfect Relations Group, Happy mcgarrybowen and Fractal Design Studio.
For nearly a year Ashish Bhasin, Chairman and CEO of the Dentsu Aegis Network South Asia, has been saying that he is working towards DAN being the #2 agency network in the country. What Bhasin hasn’t spelt out in so many words on record is that he is looking at making DAN as second only to the WPP group, and displacing IPG, short for the Interpublic Group.
Earlier today (Wednesday, Feb 15), we received a mail from the corporate communications team at DAN with a communique making the claim. On record, via a communique. This is a claim that has been dismissed by many in the industry who MxMIndia spoke with as one without any basis. MxMIndia hasn’t looked at the numbers directly and we weren’t able to get official numbers to prove or reject the claims.
List of Companies/Brands within IPG & DAN
(as per information received from the communications teams of two groups)Â
INTERPUBLIC GROUP (IPG)
1. Lodestar UM
2. Initiative
3. Interactive Avenues
4. Reprise
5. Rapport
6. Ansible
7. Magna Global
8. Mullen Lintas
9 Lowe Lintas
10. LinOpinion
11. dCell
12. LinConsult
13. LinEngage
14. GoLinOpnion
15. LinProdcution
16. Linteractive
17. McCann WorldGroup
18. MRM/McCann
19. Momentum
20. McCann Health
21. Craft
22. Weber Shandwick
23. FCB Ulka
24. FCB Interface
25. FCB Interactive
26. FCB Healthcare
27. FCB Cogito Consulting
28. FCB Asterii
29. FCB Aquila
30. FCB Neon Brand PR
DENTSU AEGIS NETWORK (DAN)
1. Carat
2. Vizeum
3. Dentsu Media
4. iProspect
5. Isobar
6. WAT Consult
7. Taproot Dentsu
8. Dentsu Webchutney
9. Dentsu Impact
10. Dentsu One
11. Posterscope
12. Brandscope
13. Ambient
14. Hyperspace
15. Milestone Brandcom
16. The Story Lab
17. Dentsu India
18. Fountainhead MKTG
19. Happy mcgarrybowen
20. Perfect Relations
21. Fractal
But first let’s look at what DAN is claiming. Here are excerpts from the communique:
Dentsu Aegis Network has entered the top two bracket of the Indian advertising space to become the # 2 Agency Group in India. With this, Dentsu Aegis Network has now overturned for the first time the existing rankings, which have historically been in place for over 80 years in this country.
Despite being a late entrant in the Indian advertising space, Dentsu Aegis Network today is the fastest growing agency network for three years in a row. The group has steadfastly helmed some of the industry’s most successful acquisitions in the recent years includingthat of Milestone Brandcom, Dentsu Webchutney, Taproot Dentsu, iProspect (Communicate2), WATConsult, Fountainhead MKTG, Perfect Relations, Happy Mcgarrybowen and Fractal Ink. This has, in turn,not only helped it aggressively scale up its operations organically and inorganically in India but also expand itself to a 3000+ people network. It is pertinent to note here that the latest Fractal acquisition has now brought together a team of over 1,000 digital experts inside DAN, the largest in India, including the combined Isobar team and the existing network digital brands iProspect, WATConsult and Dentsu Webchutney.
Meanwhile, with Posterscope and Milestone Brandcom under its umbrella, Dentsu Aegis Network is not just the leader but a dominant player in the OOH space in India. It is also home to the most sought-after creative agencies of the country, the biggest social media agency in India and has the most comprehensive marketing communication offerings under its unique One P&L philosophy.
In the past year, Dentsu Aegis Network India took a huge leap with dramatic improvement in scale, making India a key contributor towards Denstu Aegis Network’s global revenue growth. While the business in India grew 300% of the market growth, the network went on to win some of the largest accounts in India, include Mondelez, Maruti (digital and creative), Carlsberg, Nokia, Microsoft, General Motors, British Airways, Allied Blenders, MasterCard, Sony, Hindustan Times, Panasonic and several other key accounts in the past two years. Digital business grew by 250% (industry average 30%) and OOH advertising by over 150% (industry average 6.1%). The network’s turnover growth stands at a 102% (Industry average 11%) while its revenue growth is over 100%.
This is what Ashish Bhasin, Chairman and CEO Dentsu Aegis Network South Asia, said in the communique:  “We are delighted to have overturned 80 years of history. I stuck my neck out and publicly announced our ambition and my superb team worked hard and smart to deliver what then looked like an impossible target, well ahead of time. We will use the rest of 2017 to further consolidate our position because from here onwards the top slots of this industry are likely to be, more and more, a two-horse race… We have changed the paradigm in our industry and will continue to strive to ensure that we keep raising the bar to global standards as we march towards a Digital India.â€
The worry is that given that since none of the ad agency majors are listed, the numbers aren’t public. Also, the balance sheets filed with the Registrar of Companies are as of March 2016, and so current numbers aren’t official, but only on the basis of what DAN may present.
Many observers and senior people in the industry we spoke with in the last few weeks and since this morning are wondering why DAN got into the numbers war, when they don’t really matter in advertising since one is looking at the quality of work. It’s almost like mine’s bigger than yours, said one CEO.
We asked Bhasin on whether he needed to do it all. After all, the industry has taken note of the rise and rise of the Dentsu Aegis Network. It has been winning business steadily (at the time of writing, there is news that the group has also bagged the Maruti Media AOR aggregating around Rs 400 crore), and it’s no longer a poor cousin of the various agencies. Agreed it’s not won big in the media awards or the Effies, but in the creative awards, the agencies have been fairing well. So why make this claim, and get into a tu tu-main main?
Bhasin says it was necessary as it was an impossible target he had set for himself and this was a celebration of the achievement. The big thing, he said as in the official communique, is that it has changed 80 years of ranking… It was exceedingly difficult, Bhasin told us given that DAN has started out late and with no major base.
However, industry observers say that if you compare the work and revenues, it’s difficult to believe IPG is lagging behind DAN. The agencies of IPG – in the MullenLoweLintas Group, McCann and FCB Ulka still have big clients. And even factoring in the loss of a Maruti, Mediabrands is ahead of Carat and Dentsu Media.
In terms of staffing DAN may be ahead given that digital typically is employee-intensive, but that we are told is not consequential.
Our attempts to interact with the IPG group in India were unsuccessful as the group doesn’t have a collective leadership. However, we did speak informally to some senior to mid-level employees in the group as well as well as some independent observers, and they were dismissive of the claim. Not yet, and not for long is what we were told.
Clearly, we haven’t heard the last of this war of oneupmanship initiated by Dentsu Aegis Network. The worry is whether in the process the agency business – which is already experiencing some rough weather – will be a loser. And will get used by marketers to be beaten down in margins and profits.
Although there may not been any specific media and entertainment-related provisions in the Budget, there is an overall mood of positivity in the sector. Although no one has given a specific forecast, there is a belief (or at least a hope) that with the housing, auto, telco and most importantly FMCG sectors having a positive outlook, adspends could increase.
Here are a few reactions we received to Budget 2017 from a cross-section of the media and entertainment sector and a consulting major (published here in no specific order):
IBF on the Budget
The Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF) commends the efforts put by the Finance Minister in presenting a reform oriented budget mainly focused on Rural, Social and Infrastructure sectors. We are certain it will help in further strengthening the foundations of the Indian economy.
The massive thrust on Infrastructure sector in general, and on the social and rural sector in particular, will go a long way in generating additional income and employment. This, we hope, will provide direct and indirect impetus on the growth of the Broadcasting sector though enhanced spends on advertisement. The 5% tax relief provided to the MSME companies is also a step in the right direction.
“India is on the threshold of scripting a successful growth story. It is already the world’s fastest growing economy. The Union Budget presented by Finance Minister will help in consolidating the benefits of this unfolding economic regime,â€Â said IBF President PunitGoenka, while hailing the Budget proposals and describing it as a transparent instrument for prudent fiscal management. He was also hopeful that some of the specific proposals and concerns raised by the broadcasters in its pre-budget memorandum are addressed soon by Hon’ble FM.
The IBF welcomes the Finance Minister’s proposal to allow carry forward of Minimum Alternate Tax (MAT) up to a period of 15 years instead of the present 10 years. “The Foundation was, however, extremely hopeful that the Government would consider the suggestion for granting ‘infrastructure status’ to the broadcasting industry along with permission to carry forward of losses in case of amalgamation or merger as that would have made the M&E sector a more viable engine of speedy growth,â€said Girish Srivastava, Secretary General of IBF.
Speaking on the budget, A Mohan, President-Legal and Regulatory Affairs, ZEEL re-emphasized on the need of Infrastructure status for the Broadcasting sector as the Broadcasting, Cable and DTH sectors fulfill all the eligibility criteria required for qualifying as “Infrastructure services†viz investment criteria, creation of assets giving enduring benefits, employment criteria and contribution to exchequer in the form of direct and indirect taxes and accordingly this sector deserves to be treated as Infrastructure industry thereby qualifying for benefit u/s 72A(1) of the Income Tax Act.
IBF is certain that the Government would revisit this issue on a priority basis in line with the overall theme of its budget to promote infrastructure in country – both physical and digital.
Sudhanshu Vats, Group CEO, Viacom18 & Chairman, Media and Entertainment Committee, CII:
“Much had been speculated about the economic slowdown post demonetization. With this budget, the government has taken important steps to boost the economy in a structured manner, building on the promise of transparent growth. Steps to liberalize the FDI regime further coupled with the abolishment of FIPB and tax reforms for MSME’s are bound to have impact in the foreseeable future. This budget has seen some positive solutions to tackle poverty in our country including one of the highest allocation of funds to MNREGA and rationalization of rate for the lower personal tax slabs. I am particularly enthused by the strong reforms push for digitization and look forward to digital transactions increasing in the country. This also augurs well for digital consumption of video content. The move to cap political donations in cash at Rs 2000 and all cash transactions at 300,000 are also much-needed, bold steps that are in line with the government’s commitment to uprooting corruption. With Swaach Bharat being close to our hearts, the budget has built further on this theme in a welcome move. I’ve said this before and will say it again: as the M&E sector we have a lot to gain from buoyance in the economy at the aggregate level and I believe this Budget has delivered on that front.
Punit Goenka, MD & CEO, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited:
“ #Budget2017 speaks a lot about the Government’s positive & committed approach towards creating a stronger & balanced economy. Being directionally right & focused on spending in growth centric areas, it clearly reassures the fact that #Remonetisation is in! â€
Ashish Bhasin, Chairman & CEO South Asia – Dentsu Aegis Network:
The Budget has some good growth oriented features, which should help the overall economic growth. Whenever the economy grows by 1% point, advertising grows by 1.5 – 2% points and therefore this should benefit the advertising industry in the long run. There are several steps to encourage Digitisation. This is the  right direction and eventually this will also benefit the Advertising Industry. The fact that the Service Tax was not raised is a relief and the Finance Minister has taken into account the sufferings caused by temporary setbacks due to demonetization and that is a welcome step.Personal taxation has shown some marginal relief, which should put some money into the pockets of people and spur the economy, though I wish some more had been done on that account. There was an expectation for corporate taxation to be reduced. Unfortunately, particularly for mid to large organised sector, that has not happened but hopefully it will happen in the near future. Overall, the Budget is better than what we had anticipated, for the Advertising & Media Industry  in my view.
Deepak Lamba, CEO, Worldwide Media
The Union Budget 2017 doesn’t include much on the  M&E sector, however there are some points that will have a positive impact on our industry. The budget reinforced India’s huge shift towards digitization especially with the proposed deployment of high optic cables to increase internet penetration in rural India. This is a big positive for content creators like us, as it will boost the digital content consumption across online and mobile platforms. Further impetus on digital payments and transactions will eventually help the subscription model. Also, the government’s move to abolish FIPB to make the inflow of FDI smoother and to consider liberalisation of the FDI policy will have a positive impact for players across sectors in the long run’’.
M K Anand, MD & CEO, TIMES NETWORK
After the recent massive policy implementation of demonetisation, my expectation was of some radical reforms. I was a bit disappointed on that count. However, enhanced provision for MNREGA and allocations for rural, agriculture and allied sectors and a clear push for the affordable housing sectors are the silver linings. Agriculture and real estate are the most important employment –generating sectors in India. This should improve the rural situation which is still recovering from demonetisation. Hopefully that will have a ripple effect on spending and the larger economy.â€
Rohit Ohri, Group Chairman and CEO, FCB India:
The focus on reviving rural consumption, digital India and Swayam were the highlights of Budget 2017 for me. The high impetus on digitisation will pave the way for empowerment of the common man. And will open doors to a massive opportunity, untapped as of now, in the digital space. Overall, a progressive budget.
Budget 2017 is neutral for the M&E sector although the consumption-centric Budget will put more money in the pocket of the common man and hence help the advertising and broadcast industries. Radio broadcast industry has requested specific policy measures like 5% GST rate, reduction in custom duty for capex, etc and we look forward to the announcements when the GST rates are announced.
Sreedhar Prasad, Partner, E-Commerce and Start-UPs, KPMG in India
The Government gave income tax exemptions to start-ups with certain conditions last year. For the purpose of carry forward of losses in respect of such start-ups, the condition of continuous holding of 51% of voting rights has been relaxed subject to the condition that the holding of the original promoter/promoters continues.
For start-ups, the condition of continuous holding of 51% of voting rights has been relaxed. Now, if the shareholders having voting rights continues to hold those shares, the Start-ups will be eligible to carry forward those losses. In other words, fresh infusion of funds will not obviate start-ups from carry forward of losses. This will be significant advantage to Start-ups which are likely to be profitable in say 4 to 5 years’ time frame as this will reduce their tax burden.
The profit linked deduction available to the start-ups for 3 years out of 5 years is being changed to 3 years out of 7 years.
This would be a big benefit for startups since they can choose which all consecutive 3 years they can avail tax exemption within a wider time frame of 7 years based on their assessment of the business in the future. Many startups in Technology products, Pharma & Healthcare, Consumer products, Education and B2B online businesses would benefit considerably through this reform since they would have a higher chance of being profitable within the period specified.
The Government is targeting INR 2500 Crore worth of digital transactions by FY18. Towards this, they are encouraging rollout of 20 lakh Aadhar based PoS machines and another 1- lakh additional POS terminals through banks over the coming few months. To enable access to digital services at low tariffs and increase the adoption of BHIM app for mobile payments, Government also announced INR 10,000 Cr allocation for Bharatnet for providing high speed broadband to 1.5 lakh gram panchayats, supplemented by removal of all duties on devices – such as PoS machine, fingerprint reader etc. – used in cashless transactions.
Given the clarity on digitization of transactions, businesses will continue their efforts on enabling cashless transactions on their offline and online channels. These initiatives will not only increase the fraction of cashless transactions from current consumers, but also serve as a catalyst for onboarding new ones. Bill payment for utilities as well as services such as telecommunication, dish TV and others will be among the early beneficiaries of this initiative. Overall transparency in the system will rise on account of the digital trail and over time, the transactions will also become more secure.
Amarjeet Singh, Partner – Tax, KPMG in India
“Although there are mix responses to the Budget and there are many such areas where Government could have done more. However, from a startups perspective, the Government has taken care of key demands to support this sector.
Clearly, the focus of the Government is on the ‘Digital economy’, starting from the impetus on building requisite infrastructure for digital transactions, promoting BHIM application through referral bonus and cash back schemes, incentivizing small and medium tax payers to do digital transaction and save 2% additional tax, exempting excise/custom duty on POS equipment etc. These steps would bring in more people on the digital platform and thus, helps the entire e-commerce sector.
From a tax perspective, for Start-ups, the Government has accepted three key demands, firstly, extending the period of claiming deduction to 3 years out of 7 years, second – relaxing the carry forward of losses rules, thirdly, the Government has also given boost to investor by clarifying that conversion of preference shares into equity will not be taxable.
In summary, the long term future of the e-commerce and Start-up sector in India looks robust with more and more people coming on digital platform. It would be interesting to see the investors perspective on growing Indian digital consumer market. “
The stock markets seemed to appreciate the Budget, with the Sensex and Nifty rising steadily as Jaitley’s speech progressed. When Jaitley finished, the Sensex was more than 300 points up and finished the day more than 480 points in the green.
There seemed to be a strong, if not euphoric positive reaction from industry. The worry is the fiscal deficit. While the finance minister reiterated his commitment to maintaining it at 3% from the next fiscal, the failure to stick to it will worry many. The aggression on rural development, the socially backward and agriculture will be seen by many through the lens of the upcoming Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Goa. These are politically significant and losses in these states would severely set back the NarendraModi government. Also, the greatest challenge will be effectively implementing what has been laid out in the Budget documents. This has historically been a problem in India, and could derail this government’s agenda.
Similarly, how effectively the government rolls out its digital economy measures will be keenly watched. Demonetisation was turbulent and more such shocks to the system could be disastrous. Having said that, a paperless economy would be greatly beneficial to the economy, ensuring greater transparency and compliance.
This is a politically significant year for the Modi regime and ensuring the effectiveness of its economic and social agendas will be critical for it.
Tanay Kumar, CEO and Creative Director of Factral Ink Design Studio.
The Union Budget 2017 gives a huge impetus to Digital India. Incentives like no service tax on digital rail bookings, digital pension distribution system for retired defense personnel for easier access to their funds, the DigiGaon initiative to provide tele-medicine, education, and skills, through digital technology and two new schemes to promote use of BHIM should drive digital traffic.
Along with this steps to strengthen connectivity with high-speed broadband on OFC will be available in more than 150,000 gram panchayats, with hotspots and access to digital services at low tariffs, and the emphasis on cyber security with computer emergency response team to be established for the financial sector to work in close coordination with financial sector regulators and other stakeholders, with boost confidence in the people to use digital platforms.
As a Digital Design company we are really excited on the opportunities that this budget has created in developing some path breaking work in the areas of user interface and user experience.
Ashish Shah, CEO and Founder, Vertoz
The budget presented by the Finance Minister is encouraging for different strata of society. From agriculture and rural economy to digital initiatives and from FDI to relaxation in tax slab in the entry category, the Finance Minister had something for all.
As a tech-based advertising firm, Vertoz welcomes these measures announced today to promote the digital sector. From infra layout to digital transactions and from introduction of Aadhaar Pay to cyber security, Budget 2017 is certainly a booster for the digital economy.â€
Sandeep Goyal, Chairman, Mogae Media:
It is a growth oriented budget with special emphasis on youth and rural, and large provisions for skill development and alleviating unemployment. Combined with the digital thrust, this should help brands focussed on younger audiences especially outside cities. Two-wheelers, telecom, handsets, ‘get-ahead’ education products, grooming and accessories (look-good) products should all receive an advertising fillip.
Digitisation of payments and purchase should help enhance the geographies of e-commerce making more brands more easily available to larger numbers of newer customers. This is a new opportunity for advertising and a new challenge for targeting right media to right customers through right apertures at the right time.
GST will help brands effect more uniform and deeper distribution. This should naturally enhance impact of advertising. I see this as big opportunity for targeted programmatic advertising especially on mobile.
Vivek Bhargava, CEO, DAN Performance Group:
It’s a good budget overall and an extremely positive one for the digital industry. The strong focus on promoting a digital economy through various initiatives on the digital payments front will give a great impetus to the digital revolution that the country is currently undergoing. We are witnessing a significant increase in digital transactions owing to the cashless movement already, which is a huge indication of the times to come – largely in the benefit of the common man. It’s encouraging to see the government introduce movements like ‘Digi-gaav’ and others which will take digital technology to the rural areas where most of the country’s population is actually based. This aggressive digital push is sure to contribute substantially in making India one of the fastest growing economies in 2017.
Tripti Lochan, CEO, VML SEA & India:
The government has created a budget with prominence on digital. Demonetisation’s longer term benefits will percolate – as the first step towards a cashless economy. But more importantly, there are incentives across all areas of the budget pushing digital.
Rahul Puri, MD, Mukta Arts:
The Union Budget this year has focused more on uplifting some of India’s poorest sections of society. While this year again the media and entertainment sector has been overlooked, however some announcements will definitely help our industry in many ways. Setting up the cyber security teams will help fight piracy, similarly, the government’s push towards Internet penetration in rural markets will help increase content consumption and increase the audience base. Further the abolishment of FIPB will make it easier for foreign investors to invest in Indian companies.
Venugopal Ganganna, CEO, Langoor:
There are a few positives for the advertising world. The impact won’t be an avalanche increase in spend in advertising rupees, but rather, more like drops filling up a bucket. Firstly, the strong push around digital transactions will result in greater digital spends. That should see some direct increase in digital marketing spends in particular. The reduction in tax rates will have some positives too. For smaller businesses, they will have slightly more room to invest within their business. That should see an increase in their marketing spends. News around making credit more available through banks will see businesses be more aggressive around building their brand. That increase in liquidity, especially for smaller businesses will directly impact advertising spend. The increased infrastructure spend will infuse some capital in the economy. Consumption should also increase given the reduction in tax rates at lower income levels. Both of these will see revenue growth for consumer brands, which will directly increase their budgets for advertising. We haven’t spotted any major negatives yet for this sector.
Divyansh Bajpai, Co-Founder, Indi.com:
The Union Budget 2017 lives up to our expectations, since it brings about institutional changes warranted for the evolution of a nascent digital economy. To begin with, allocating INR 10,000 crore to Bharat Net is an impressive step in the direction of digitalization. This is going to democratize digital access to over 150,000 gram panchayats, while also improving the Fiber Optic network. Besides, the GST bill and allocations of INR 745 Cr to policies like MSIPS and EDF will further reduce the cost of owning a smartphone, hence making it easier for users fromTtier 2, 3 and 4 cities and towns to transition online. Lastly, investments in cyber security along with setting up CERT will immunize users from cyber-attacks and hacks. In conclusion, we really appreciate the announcements and feel inspired to further innovate and channel our efforts in taking the digital wave forward.
Dentsu Aegis Networkand Times Centre for Learning Ltd under its brand TimesPro have announced a collaboration to offer a ‘Post Graduate Diploma in Digital Marketing’ in Bengaluru, Mumbai and Delhi. A three-month full-time programmed focuses on the strategic and practical aspects of Digital Marketing. The program is scheduled to begin from January 31, 2017 and will be available for graduates, especially from marketing, retailing and the advertising sectors.
With domain expertise, Dentsu Aegis Network has assisted TimesPro to curate a robust educational program to provide thorough and professional training to the entry-level professionals in digital marketing. The course offers a total of 450 hours of instructor-led training, immersions and eLearning.
Speaking about the association, Ashish Bhasin, Chairman and CEO South Asia, Dentsu Aegis Network said, “Digital marketing is the fastest growing part of the advertising and marketing industry. Being Digitally Ahead and being the domain experts in Digital, through our digital companies like Isobar, iProspect, WatConsult, DentsuWebchutney and Fractal, we have collaborated with TimesPro to curate a robust curriculum relevant to the current trends in the industry. We hope that thousands of students will benefit from this program.â€
Said Anish Srikrishna, President, Times Centre for Learning Ltd. (TCLL): “We are glad to be associated with Dentsu Aegis Network, who have conceptualised their years of domain expertise in the form of a course for the next generation professionals. Digital marketing has become one of the most important elements of any business to grow and flourish in today’s world. Many companies have started to realize the untapped potential and value proposition brought by digital marketing to drive company’s success. Through this partnership, we will be able to provide a platform for aspiring students to make a successful career in one of the most lucrative career segments. We shall facilitate the course in across four major cities in India.â€
On successful completion of the course, the top candidates will find placement opportunities in the various companies of Dentsu Aegis Network and TCLL among other top e-commerce and digital companies in the country.
Leading social and digital media news website Social Samosa has announced the first edition of its Best Social Media Brand Awards.
Conceptualised with the thought of promoting best practices benchmarking in the industry, #BestSoMeBrands will facilitate a platform to adjudge a brand’s performance amongst peers on a relative scale. Brands can submit awards across 16 categories which include Automobile, Cement, B2B, Beauty, BFSI, eCommerce, Education, FMCG, Food & Beverage, Healthcare, Media, Real Estate, Retail, Tourism & Hospitality, Technology, and Telecom categories.
The jury panel which is headed by Ashish Bhasin, Chairman & CEO South Asia Dentsu Aegis Network, Chairman Posterscope and MKTG Asia Pacific.
Speaking on the same, Hitesh Rajwani, Head-Social Samosa said, “The Indian social media industry has grown by leaps and bounds in the past five years. Hence to cherish this diligence, we have initiated the Best Social Media Brand Awards. Looking back at the growth of this medium involving real-time conversations and live feeds of things that happen around us, we can safely infer that Brands have played a major role in the making of this industry.â€
Said Jury Chair Ashish Bhasin: “I think with growing importance of digital as medium, its time it got its due and spotlight and so events like Best Social Media Brands are extremely important. It helps digital practitioners showcase their work better.â€
WATConsulthas launched a CSR activity titled#That’sMyGirl as a part of its 10thanniversary celebrations.With this initiative, WATConsult is looking to aid the education and hygiene necessities for girls in the primary section (Class 1 to 5) and donate a minimum of Rs10lakh to the renowned NGO Nanhi Kali.
For the cause, WATConsult has partnered with Ketto, the leading fundraising portal, leading insurance company Bajaj Allianz, stem-cell bankBabyCell and stationary brand Kokoyu Camlin to promote the campaign across digital platforms, create awareness and raise funds.
WATConsult has built a microsite to highlight and share the current insights on the state of girl education in India. The site will showcase video bytes from established women leaders across various fields, proud parents of a girl child, management of Dentsu Aegis Network, Kunal Kapoor along with brand partners will support the campaign and voice their concerns, perceptions and suggest solutions around the cause.
To conclude the activity on National Girl Child Day, on January 24, they will raise funds via a Twitter campaign. WATizens, Twitterati and brands will come together to promote the causeby using the hashtag #ThatsMyGirl and cite opportunities andaccomplishments of a girl child. For each ‘hashtag mention’, WATConsult will donateRs 10 to Nanhi Kali.
Speaking on the same, Rajiv Dingra, Founder and CEO, WATConsult, said, “In many parts of India, the arrival of a baby girl still calls for mourning rather than celebration and that’s indeed sad. We would like to build awareness around this cause and support girl child education via our initiative. We look forward to achieve atleast 1,00,000 mentions and contribute 10 lacs to Nanhi Kali.â€
Sharing his views Ashish Bhasin, Chairman and CEO – South Asia, Dentsu Aegis Network said, “Gender equality is one of the most important priorities for us at Dentsu Aegis Network. This can be enabled only if the girl child is educated. I am glad WATConsult has taken the initiative of #ThatsMyGirl as a part of their 10th anniversary celebrations.â€
In a unique joint initiative, The Advertising Club (TAC) and the Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) have combined forces to launch a pioneering campaign to pitch communication as a force for good and battle the scourge of violence against women.
Explaining the thought behind the initiative, Raj Nayak, President, The Advertising Club said, “From governments to Fortune 500 companies, everybody entrusts us to communicate their agenda to the larger public. It is time to take our combined learnings and experience to devise a campaign that is in the interests of this larger public. To this end, we will be running a national search for a multi-media campaign that will aim to mitigate violence against women. I am confident that, as one, our industry will rise to pool in the highly creative resources at our disposal, to come up with a highly creative and effective communication campaign. We will fund the production of the wining campaign and launch it at Goafest in April 2017.â€
Elaborating further, Nakul Chopra, President, AAAI commented, “Violence against women is an issue that concerns each and every one of us. As an industry we have the finest creative minds and strongest media linkages that are at the core of a high voltage communication effort. We also have the heart to take up a cause like this at a national level. I believe it will make the younger people proud to be a part of an industry that cares about real problems and uses its resources to address them.”
Ashish Bhasin, Chairman, Goafest observed the growing scope of the festival, saying, “Goafest was all about saluting creativity and presenting the Abby awards. We then added a knowledge quotient with the day-long seminars. Now, with this meaningful effort being launched here, the festival will celebrate not just our achievements but lay down our agenda of giving back to the society that we influence through our creativity.â€
The Advertising Club and the Advertising Association of India will release the campaign to call for entries on Thursday, January 19. The entries would be judged by an elite jury and the winning entry would be produced as a multimedia campaign and released ceremoniously on April 7 at Goafest.
Asia Pacific Effie Awardshas named Dentsu Aegis Network South Asia CEO Ashish Bhasin as jury head for the 2017 edition of the APAC Effie Awards.
Commenting on the appointment, Bhasin said: “I am very pleased to accept the invitation to be the Head of Jury at the APAC Effie 2017. It gives me a great opportunity to see some of the best work around the region, across markets as well as to interact with some of the best minds in our business. I look forward to APAC Effie 2017 being a grand success.â€
Also appointed to the jury is Jean-Paul Burge, Chairman and CEO of BBDO Asia.
Now in the fourth year, the APAC Effie is recognised by agencies and marketers to be the most prestigious and ‘must-enter’ effectiveness awards in the region. It celebrates ideas that work and honours marketing communications that have achieved the most significant results.
