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Tag: Babita Baruah

  • Saurabh Saksena elevated to the role of President

    VML Announces Babita Baruah as CEO

    By Our Staff

     

    The all-new combo of Wunderman Thompsaon and VMLY&R – VML – has finally announced its India leadership. It may be recealled that the brand, customer experience and commerce company had announced the leadership for the rest of the region, save India.

     

    So Babita Baruah will join as Chief Executive Officer of India from March 1, 2024, and will partner with Saurabh Saksena, who has been elevated into the role of President.

     

    Baruah joins VML India from a dual role working across WPP’s Ford International Market Group as Regional Client Lead and Executive Director at VMLY&R Thailand. She is an old JWT/Wunderman Thompson India hand, where she spent two decades working with global and local brands such as PepsiCo, Unilever, Nestlé, Kellogg’s, Godrej, Kotak Mahindra, Reliance, and Aditya Birla. In 2017, Baruah joined the GTB business in India as Managing Partner and moved to Bangkok in 2021 in a dual capacity role as WPP Lead for the Ford business across India, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, the Middle East, and South Africa, and Executive Director, VMLY&R Thailand.

     

    As mentioned, Saksena has been elevated into the role of President of VML’s India operations and will partner with Baruah on the leadership of the agency. Over the past 30 years, adds a communiuqe, Saksena has delivered business growth, managed change and transition, and built deep internal capabilities across the five agencies including a decade at Wunderman Thompson and most recently VMLY&R. Over the years, he has worked with ambitious brands in diverse categories such as, CPG, retail, finance, technology, automotive, e-commerce and QSRs.

     

    Regarding the new role, Baruah said: “It’s an honour to lead a market like India for VML. I look forward to working closely with Audrey, Yi-Chung, Saurabh, and the whole team in India to make sure that we connect creativity, experience, data and technology, to be the preferred destination for India’s ambitious brands and talented individuals.”

     

    Said Saksena: “I’m very excited to continue this journey of building a strong and successful VML with Babita by orchestrating innovative growth solutions for our clients that sit at the intersection of creativity, experience, data and technology.”

     

    Added Audrey Kuah, Co-CEO of VML APAC: “Babita is no stranger to India, and we welcome her home as the new VML India CEO. With her vast experience in delivering innovation and growth for clients and a passion for building a high empathy and performance culture, I look forward to working with Babita to take our India business, already one of the strongest in the region, to new heights in 2024.”

     

    Said Yi-Chung Tay, Co-CEO of VML APAC: “Saurabh and Babita will be a driving force for growth in India. I’ve watched Babita grow the Ford and VMLY&R Thailand businesses over the years and I’m confident that she will do the same for our clients in India. Saurabh’s elevation is founded on his record of successfully integrating VMLY&R India’s offices, building culture and increasing profitability. I can’t think of a better duo to lead India, which is a key market for VML in APAC.”

     

  • Sanjeev Kotnala writes about the process he followed to create this doodle

    Researching Research for a Doodle

     

     

    By Sanjeev Kotnala

     

    Sanjeev KotnalaResearching Research has a poetic touch. No, I was not exploring research for publishing a paper. Blame it on Priya Lobo, CEO, Ormax Compass, Ex-VP MRSI – The Market Research Society of India and India rep on ESOMAR for triggering the thought.

     

    Last weekend, Priya politely enquired if I was still doodling, and her WhatsApp chat triggered a thought. What about a doodle on a business subject like the mythology and religion doodle series I recently did.

     

    I am happy that my first reaction was still my typical way; why not. Why not create a doodle on a fascinating subject: ‘Research’. Once I started toying with the idea and visualising, I realised it would not be easy.

     

    Doodling Research needed some research. So, I asked my friends on social media for their first thoughts, words, images when they heard Research.

     

    Basic Instinct

    Doodle aside, the reactions covered a spectrum, and I did get a few visual gems. There were few not so funny responses, and I knew it had touched a raw nerve.

    A bunch of housewives having sandwiches and tea- like a kitty party.

    An investigator woke up a housewife, disturbing her afternoon nap after a strenuous morning.

    Field researcher, nose buried in a questionnaire and no eye contact with the respondent.

    Respondents in a focus group, even after not being able to imagine, are prodded yet again by the investigator ‘Phir Bhi Kalpana Kijiyeh’ (still imagine).

    And the best one is from someone who has been there and done that. ‘A couple of tired teenagers sitting on bench filling hundreds of forms to meet their quota’.

     

    The Usual Suspects

    I realised the researcher and the stakeholder have a lot to do to change the image and to be counted. There was hardly a mention of Heat Map, Non-intrusive Research, Eye-tracking or Neuro cap. Research still predominately meant questionnaires, groups and in-depth interviews.

    No doubt, the usual suspects started popping up. Focus Group, Sample Size, Audience profile. The research formats and types poured in Qualitative, Quantitative, Exploratory, Casual, Applied, Analytical and Case study.

     

    Research A Creativity Killer

    I was still thinking of the visualisation problem when Ramanujam Sridhar echoed the unspoken industrywide complaint. His tweet read, Research- ‘Kills creativity. tells me what I know. tells me something new. consumer. insight’.

    Why should people feel that it kills creativity? Does Research suffocate creativity? Is there dependence? On one side, the insights fuel creative freedom to explore. On the other side, creative may find research inputs restrictedly suffocating. I always found Research helpful in creative development and an efficiency-effectiveness enhancer.

     

    Missing Technology And Integrity

    I was still missing and waiting for DATA integrity, confidence limit and confidence itself.

    The next set of responses did add a bit of technology. However, it was the same dish. I-pad and handheld devices based multiple-choice surveys with the geo-tagging. In-depth Zoom call interviews simultaneously translated into different languages. Wow, so much for it.

     

    Funny Visuals Cues

    A bunch of research initiators and observers came up with fancy visuals. Taking my request very seriously. So, I think I got what I deserved. Someone visualised for me images of a harassed Market Research lady shuffling through her papers with a cassette player lying next to her. Somehow, the researcher is always a woman in all visualisation.

    A few even recounted their horrifying and, at times, embarrassing stories. That I will save for another day.

    However, Priyadarshani Narendra’s description seemed an apt representation.

    A guy in a trench coat with a hat and a large magnifying glass. He is on top of a consumer’s head, which is cut open to reveal the brain’.

    The Wah se Aha tak.

     

    More Images on Research

    The images, words and thoughts kept pouring in. Primarily guided by respondents personal expectations and experience and the gap therein. One way mirror, collage, cut-outs, cue cards, illustrations, storyboards, concept cards, lots of graphs and charts, product props, packaging, storyboards, clip arts and poor helpless respondents.

    And finally, trickled in Mind tree, Decision tree, Fish Diagram, Wein Diagrams, Data Array, Excel, Matrices and pivot tables.  Then came some serious stuff, which put Research aim, objective and cause in the right light. Insights, Barriers, and Motivators.

     

    Research Branded By Default

    My respondents were primarily CMPs, planners, marketers, researchers, academicians, and a few management students. Frankly speaking, the first set of associations and images t by people mostly known to me were merely execution led. I can’t say if they were right or wrong, apt or distorted, curated or instantaneous.

    Maybe the research association should consider Researching Research. Perhaps the research organisations have failed to build on awareness and experience. The needle is stuck at questionnaires, focus groups and in-depth interviews. Which for many clients is just a notch above informal consumer feedback.

    (see doodle above)

     

    The PowerPoint link to Research.

    One of the sarcastic comments projected a real-life but maybe not a happy sight.

    ’72 slide PowerPoint deck each with headlined insight’.

    Personally speaking, 72 sides is an understatement. And each slide with headlined insight an overstatement.

    However, we all will agree that research presentations suffer from build-up mania. Every time the presentation is rebooted, the team starts from the obvious- the project initiation. And they do it even with the team that was part of the research process or initiated the project. They do it irrespective of the day, time or audience mix. Typically narrated under the disguise of a recap- it usually takes more time than the insights!

     

    All is not lost for Research

    ‘Unknown, Insight, Journey, Discover and surprise’ by Dwarika Uniyal echoed my thoughts. The best came from Babita Baruah from WPP. She said; Research- ‘People, Heart, Mind, Dreams, fear and hope’. And finally, I was happy, I got my answer.

    So, this one is not really a classic doodle getting redefined at every stage. This one is a bit structured and for a change well researched. Hopefully unbiased and not skewed. With a high degree of confidence limit, it is an excellent representation- even if I say that myself.  How many things about research could you catch up in the doodle.

    Thanks for replying to my shout for help and sharing initial thoughts, words and images. You can consider yourself co-creator but not co-owner of the final artwork.

    Any suggestion – what topic I can take for the next doodle. Researched or not- is something we can consider at a later date. Open for fresh challenges and assignments. You can see the other doodle by Compulsive doodler here or follow @SanjeevKotnala on Instagram and @S_kotnala on twitter.

     

  • Babita Baruah on what's causing the change in India, a topic she discussed at Harvard Business School recently

    Three factors causing a seismic shift in marketing and communications

     

    By Babita Baruah

     

    It was a rare sunny day in snowy Boston when I walked down the corridors of Harvard Business School. I was a speaker for the India Conference 2016 in February, that saw personalities  celebrities like Shashi Tharoor, Karan Johar, Kamal Hassan, Chanda Kochhar, Chef Vikas Khanna and many others share their views on India in transition.

     

    The marketing panel that I was a part of, was about making sense of a billion minds. It was an opportunity for me to speak about the three factors that, in my view, are causing a seismic shift in marketing and communications today. They are:

    1. Retail Infrastructure: Marketers are confident investors today because of the rise of retail. From malls to e-commerce that delivers to the remotest doorsteps. Along with improved media measurement tools, there is scope for better resource management and relatively-reduced wastage of goods and spends.This has resulted in a strong market. With multiple players that are breaking the strongholds of their predecessors.

     

    2. Media Explosion: I still remember the days my sister and I went to our neighbour’s house every Sunday to watch TV. Every programme is imprinted in my mind. There was hardly any choice then. We remembered everything we heard or saw or felt. Today, we have more than a thousand channels. Free content that brands have to vie with, in their communication. That smartphone in the hands of over 200 million people — that is the window of information, connection and entertainment and has helped the nation leapfrog to Web 2.0 and the Social Age. In this context, brands cannot restrict communication strategy to the tried and tested, but have to make unexplored moves in both creativity and ways of engagement.

     

    3. The Changing Mind: Our growing up years were about consumption being a social embarrassment. It was not something we flaunted. The Ambassador car was a sign of the times and of our mindset. We couldn’t go faster, even if we wanted to. Today, we are a nation of risk takers, tearing down the social fabric of family and tradition. Moving cities, investing in ourselves – all this leads to the forging of new ties. We are increasingly being connected by culture and technology as an enabler. Therefore, the expectation of people from brands today is way more than just an ad. It is about what the brand is giving me; how is the brand engaging with me; is there a platform where I can express myself, is there an issue being addressed that makes my life better, and such concerns. It is a challenging environment for brands. But in that challenge also lies potential — the meeting point of proposition, culture and technology. An exciting time indeed, for marketing today.

     

    Babita Baruah is Senior Vice President, J Walter Thompson. The views expressed here are her own, and do not reflect the views of her organisation. This article first appeared in dna of brands dated February 22, 2016

     

  • The campaign will see Ranbir Kapoor in humorous, playful situations that will give consumers a reason to go out of character for the love of Lay's

    Lays leans on ‘Love to love it’ in new campaign

    By A Correspondent

     

    Lays has unveiled a new campaign that celebrates the love for the great taste of Lay’s in a way that is edgy, humorous and will appeal to the Indian youth.

     

    The campaign idea for ‘Love to Love it’ is based on a simple but powerful snacking insight, that a delicious snack like Lay’s is tempting enough to trigger change in people’s demeanour, even if it be for a moment. It can make people act in uncharacteristic ways in order to get to their hands on a pack of Lay’s.The campaignunfolds through a series of exciting films featuringbrand ambassador Ranbir Kapoor,essaying offbeatandnever seen before characters. The campaignwill see Ranbir Kapoor in humorous, playful situations that will give consumers a reason to go out of character for the love of Lay’s.

     

    According to Partho Chakrabarti, Vice President, Snacks Category, PepsiCo India, “Our new campaign has been built on the insight of the basic human truth of how on seeing something tempting, one can do whatever necessary to get it; even if it means acting out of character. The campaign has been woven around the great taste of Lay’s, which triggers an intense urge in people to get the pack.The campaign highlights the fact that you just can’t help loving the great taste of Lay’s & hence the tagline ‘Love to Love It’.”

     

    Speaking about the creative thought behind the ad films, Babita Baruah, Senior Vice President and Head, PO1 Unit, J. Walter Thompson- Delhi said,“Love to love it is based on a simple truth. That you can’t help loving the great taste of Lay’s. The creative idea is about how you can go to any length to get your Lay’s. The films are a humorous take on the proposition, with Ranbir Kapoor in unexpected roles. There is an integrated campaign being developed on this idea.”