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Tag: Emvies 2015

  • And this is how the various Agencies and Clients stacked up in the Emvies 2015 results

    EMVIES 2015: Points tally for Agencies & Clients

     

  • We saw a rare public display of emotions from GroupM South Asia CEO CVL Srinivas in the Mindshare victory celebrations on Emvies 2015 night

    We are all winners: CVL Srinivas

    Your position would be like that of Serena and Venus Williams’ father – to have one daughter win and the other lose, isn’t it?

    For me, I think, we are all winners. All [the agencies have] done extremely well and at the end of the day, one agency has to come out as a winner, and it happened to be Mindshare. Maxus, I thought, put up a tough fight and ended up in the Top Three. What’s heartening to know is that we did well across agencies and across clients. Overall, it’s been a fabulous night and we’re going to party hard.

     

    What do you think led to Mindshare gaining the No 1 spot?

    Mindshare had a fabulous body of work, not just across clients, but also across all the different categories. They’ve really managed to institutionalise excellence across the entire agency. Mindshare is India’s No 1 standalone agency. But when you become No 1 and keep winning, it’s also challenging to keep the team motivated and continue to do well, year after year. That’s something that’s there in the DNA of Mindshare. They have a new leader in Prashant Kumar who took over the reins at Mindshare a few months ago, and I think that has brought in a lot more energy and passion. They’re growing from strength to strength.

     

    Madison gave a pretty good fight at the end?

    The Emvies night is really the big night for all of us in the media industry and it’s the most looked-forward-to event in the year for all the boys and girls who toil very hard in the office every day. There’s been a lot of build up and anticipation in the last few weeks. Of course, Mindshare had a lot of shortlists, so they were expecting to do well. But as we’ve seen in the past, it’s not necessary that the agency with a lot of shortlists will win the Agency of the Year title. But I think they managed to pull through in the end by quite a healthy margin. Madison also did pretty well. In fact, there was great work, not just from Madison, but some of the other agencies as well. So we need to ensure that we don’t get complacent. We have to come back next year and try to do even better.

     

    What were the trends that you could see from the results of this year?

    Winning an award has become important not just for agencies, but also clients. Today, we find a lot of our clients telling us to work hard and to actually get them fame as well. All the hype that goes into awards in our industry, is actually helping the fraternity raise the bar in terms of quality of work. And today, we’re getting a lot more support from our clients and partners. A good thing that was done this year was that there was a recognition for media partners too at the Emvies. So it’s good if all stakeholders are celebrated equally because all of us come together to create great work.

     

    What would be your message to the team at Maxus?

    Maxus has won many titles in the past and continues to do well in many other awards. I’m sure they’ll be a tad disappointed for having come close and still not winning the Agency of the Year title. But knowing Maxus, I’m sure they’re going to go back and put shoulder to the wheel and try and come out Number One next year.

     

  • Madison may have been runner-up at the Emvies 2015, but Chairman Sam Balsara was visibly content with his agency network's performance

    We’ve finally understood the awards code: Sam Balsara

    So near, but yet so far?

    On the contrary, it’s more like going from nowhere to somewhere. I’m personally delighted that we made it to the runners-up Emvie of The Year because the way it started, it was a little scary for us. It’s been a fantastic season for us on the whole. I think Madison has finally understood the awards code. We always knew we were very good at our work, but somewhere in our awards entries, something was lacking.

     

    You think sending entries from various Madison arms as one unit may have helped?

    In a way you could say that. We persuaded a lot of our people to give up on their tags. But I think our performance tonight has been better than it has ever been in the past. We’ve always been in the Top Three. But this time in the Emvies, we were at Number Two for the first time.

     

    What does an award like this mean for an agency which is well-known for its work?

    It doesn’t mean too much but also means a lot because it energises us and gladdens our heart to see that we’re being recognised. Unlike some other agencies, Madison won these awards for a large number of clients. What delights me is that we’re producing outstanding work, not for one or two clients, but we won today for Mondelez, Asian Paints, Marico and Godrej. For Cadbury, we had eight in the shortlist, and converted all eight. For Marico, we had 11 in the shortlist and converted eight. So our track record tonight has been rather good.

     

    Now the challenge is to maintain this pace…

    Yes, that indeed is a challenge but I think we’re up to it. We’re doing lots of things at Madison. In fact, as we speak, we’ve launched a massive programme called Madison Next. We flagged off one of the first big initiatives of Madison Next, which is a four-day programme on digital. There are about 75 people going through a four-day programme on adopting digital as a way of life.

     

  • Clearly, someone from Ad Club ought to have been more responsible, and swung into action. And not just because there were journalists involved, but it could have been anyone

    Journo assaulted outside Emvies venue, Ad Club biggies accused of casual response

    By A Correspondent

     

    On Friday night, soon after the last of the Emvies 2015 awards was presented and dinner was served, three journalists left the venue and move to the cab stand, with one of them – Shibani Gharat of CNBC – being assaulted by a person who was at the venue and who hit one the journalist saying she had slapped him at the Emvies venue.

     

    The matter has been widely posted, commented on and reported at least in one newspaper – Mumbai Mirror. Ad Club President Pratap Bose has been quoted in the report.

     

    Deplorable. Sad. Scary.

     

    One of the journalists who accompanied the journalist – Pritha Mitra Dasgupta – assaulted has now spewed on Bose.

     

    We think things are going out of hand now, and it requires intervention of a senior industryperson. Former Ad Club president Shashi Sinha, who is out of the country, has promised action on his Facebook posts. Perhaps Dentsu Aegis chief Ashish Bhasin, who is among the agency biggies, who has expressed his support for the journalists, should step in.

     

    Clearly, someone from Ad Club ought to have been more responsible, and swung into action. And not just because there were journalists involved, but it could have been anyone. I am told that one of the top officebearers was attending to four women who had passed out.  What about the others?

     

    Fountainhead, the agency, which gave out the pass to the assailant, deserves a sack for this. Just a reprimand or the sacking of the employee who gave out the pass won’t do. Yes, Brian Tellis is a permanent fixture at all Ad Club awards and is good at his job, but they can keep him for the emceeing. His company needs to go.

     

    Meanwhile, media entities sending out journalists for late-night assignments need to be alert on the safety of their employees. What’s happened to the threesome on Friday evening could happen to anyone.

     

    For, as Prasad Sangameshwaran, the other journalist who was with Shibani and Pritha, commented to a post, “The most shocking part of this entire incident is the attitude of senior ad men and a large media agency, that was chasing us for good media coverage just a couple of hours before the incident. We always suspected that they are fair weather friends. Last night confirmed our suspicion. They chickened out and how!” Fair weather indeed. Am sure some of them will rush to Pritha Mitra Dasgupta for that exclusive in ET soon!

     

    Read:

    Shibani Gharat’s post on Facebook:

    I was walking out of Ad Club’s Emvies event with two fellow journalists Pritha Mitra Dasgupta and Prasad Sangameshwaran when at the exit gate of Phoenix Mills a random guy came from behind and started stabbing and hitting me on my left shoulder with his arm. He claimed that I slapped him-which is untrue as I spent my entire evening with Prasad and Pritha at the event and hadn’t seen this person ever in my life. We called the Phoenix security officials to first take charge of the guy-who showed no sign of being sorry. Then we informed the police and the police arrived. The most shocking part about this whole incident was that the guy was present at the event. He had an official event pass. He is a peon at some garment company in bandra. What business does he have attending an ad industry event. So, when the police probed it was found out that the guy had been given a pass by a member of the event management company Fountainhead as the culprit insisted that he wanted to visit such an event. ‘MAJOR SECURITY LAPSE’. Why can’t the organisers have every member scanned who enters the event, just like any other event.

     

    Now, if this is not enough when this incident happened two people present with me Pritha and Prasad tried reaching out to a few senior ad club committee members neither of them came forward to even come and see what has happened. No one accompanied us to the police station to lodge an FIR. They sent a few students who stay around lower parel to the police station. I am amazed by this gesture.

     

    Now, I have finally filed an FIR against the person whom I absolutely don’t know from anywhere who just randomly came a hit me. Hope to get justice.

     

    Pritha Mitra Dasgupta’s post on Brand Equity website: http://brandequity.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/media/shock-and-horror-at-the-emvies-journalist-assaulted-by-drunken-goon-after-security-lapse/48934863

     

    Part of Pritha Mitra Dasgupta’s post on Facebook:

    @pratapbose: I did not call you to provide medical aid for Shibani. I called you because we were alone and helpless and didnt know what to do. I trusted you more and therefore I called you before calling the cops. I think 11.30 pm to 3 am was a really long time to turn around your car and come and stand by us. I want to know what would you have done if your daughter were in a similar situation? In the last couple of months me and Economic Times provided you relentless support to fight your cause. The least you could have done is show up. I am shocked and hurt beyond repair. This enquiry has actually opened a can of worms which we publish soon.

     

    Prasad Sangameshwaran’s Facebook comment:

    The most shocking part of this entire incident is the attitude of senior ad men and a large media agency, that was chasing us for good media coverage just a couple of hours before the incident. We always suspected that they are fair weather friends. Last night confirmed our suspicion. They chickened out and how!

     

    Mumbai Mirror report:

    http://www.mumbaimirror.com/mumbai/crime/Man-arrested-for-attacking-woman-scribe-at-ad-event/articleshow/48951630.cms

     

    Kalyan Kar comment on the incident on BestMediaInfo:

    http://www.bestmediainfo.com/2015/09/commentary-ad-clubs-emvies-night-of-shame-as-shibani-gharat-is-assaulted/

     

  • A quick chat with Prasanth Kumar, CEO, Mindshare South Asia after Mindshare won the Agency of the Year title at Emvies 2015

    This is something which belongs to us: Prasanth Kumar on Emvies win

    After last year’s loss to Maxus, this must be a huge win, right?

    Last year was just an aberration. It was one of those years when probably a ‘no ball’ situation happened. This is something which belongs to us.

     

    What does an Emvie mean to successful media agency like Mindshare?

    It means a lot to us. Wherever we’ve demonstrated our work, it’s been acknowledged by most of our clients. As you’ve seen, we’ve won awards across different categories and clients. That shows that a lot of team effort goes into every single brand. We’re quite happy with our performance and we’re going to celebrate hard.

     

    And how do you think clients view wins?

    I’m sure clients appreciate great work on their brand, and the fact that we can provide solutions. Clients do get attracted to the best of talent, the best of the tools and the best of products and processes. And this is one display of how great things happen and it’s a no-brainer: Clients see lot more meaning in working with teams like this.

     

    Maxus won last year but couldn’t beat you this year. Madison almost got there. The competition out there is quite stiff. So what’s your mantra going to be for Emvies 2016?

    For us, it’s simple: Every work needs to be the best work. And for us, it’s not the competition. We need to be shaping the market. We are the leader by a large margin and it’s because of a lot more talent focusing on lot more great work. That shows in every single research that we’re doing. We want to ensure that every single brand that we work on, gets more success. For us, that is the bigger [aspect of] pride. And this is just encouraging us to do that.

     

    For you personally, it’s a big night, right?

    This team in Mindshare is one of the best in whatever it does. I feel lucky to have been able to facilitate this entire thing. I’m looking to do this magic more and more, and even better it. It’s just proving to me that I’ve been able to facilitate this, and it’s just the beginning.