MxMIndia

Tag: Goafest

  • Will Kyoorius replace Goafest? Will delegates attend both or will they sacrifice one of them? If yes, then who will lose? Sanjeev Kotnala analyses

    Sanjeev Kotnala: Comparing apples with oranges. Why you must compare Goafest & Kyoorius

    By Sanjeev Kotnala

     

    It is bound to happen. And my telling otherwise is not going to help. Comparisons are inevitable. The industry remains divided between the two. No one has taken sides. They are waiting and watching further development.  Will they become two iconic award properties? Will Kyoorius replace Goafest? Will delegates attend both or will they sacrifice one of them? If yes, then who will lose.  Their being less than seven weeks apart adds to the conflict.

     

    Goafest, the event supported by the industry bodies like AAAI, Ad Club, ISA and IAA is 10 years’ old. It is held in Goa, the fun capital in the peak of the summer, something not everyone is comfortable with. But it helps to keep costs under control and attract more delegates. It may be credited to have brought the industry together on many subjects, yet it is the cause of divided too. On an average, on twin-sharing basis a delegate spends Rs 36,000.

     

    Kyoorius is two-year-old industry function in the advertising arena, run by an independent organisation. It extended itself to include partner events this year. It is held in Mumbai, the advertising capital of the country, which gives it advantage of reach. To attend the awards and ZeeMelt15 you spent on an average of 5,500 inclusive of travel to and fro from home.

     

    Here is disclaimer. I attended all editions of Goafest, first edition of Kyoorius Awards and missed this year’s edition + ZeeMelt15. The comments here are based on conversation with statistically significant number of delegates. As the rule goes ‘Perception is bigger than reality’, I did not contact any official, promoter or sponsor at the two shows.

     

    Kyoorius may have failed to generate the desired heat with so many seminars, workshops and talks but its contet been appreciated. Yet, an overall feeling remains that it lacked the buzz, the fun and the glamour associated with the industry. This was the real first year: give it time. Goafest wins hands down in area of buzz, excitement but definitely need to reinvent itself on content. Unfortunately, no one really knows what the fault with Goafest content is. Seems media verdict and conversation over tea and smoke shape perceptions.  Maybe it refers to parallel tracks, India-relevant talks and workshops. My belief: all it needs is to get the non-participating agencies back into game.

     

    This is where Kyoorius won. It had the agencies missing in Goafest participating. With its stated objective of awarding the work, jury gallery, transparency and the dazzle of the award function, it looked more popular, serious and inviting.

     

    Kyoorius defined its intent. It created space for  some relevant practical sessions with partner brands. Goafest seemed doing more of a lip-service to its ever-changing themes. If one believes  all the talk then it seems the partner brands with their relevant category / brand-centric events  are getting more buck for theuir money in Kyoorius than the sponsors in Goafest. Something that need serious rethink.

     

    Goafest seems more like what advertising events are. Fun-and-work together. Away from work. Immersion into complete festivity. The true Goa feel you can only get in Goa.  This was missing in Kyoorius. The delegate from Mumbai always had work in their backyard and many attended it for only one-half. The number of registered delegates can not be debated but there is doubt on how many really turned up at Kyoorius. Anyway it was far short of the target.

     

    Both awards have the capability of becoming Asia-Pacific events. One of them seems to be in a hurry and  has a headstart. It is speaking with the other regional awards for partnership. Goafest currently does not have much to show much other than few entries and delegates from neighbouring countries.

     

    Oh, on the party, Goafest outscores Kyoorius many times over. Though the party in Goa are really one banqet hall affair and very cramped for space. The party at Kyoorius was termed serious and no fun.

     

    Net net, even though we may say more the merrier and that space exists for more than three or four such events spaced out thrugh the year, the truth remain that finally there maybe  space for just two national level awards, but only one regional award festival. So, with time, one award function will have to supersede the other. Merger is out of question. Kyoorius has cleary stated its intent to be THE SHOW in India’s advertising calendar. There is nothing wrong with it but for the small hitch that is Goafest’s ambitions are the same. Having left few flanks open and allowed this to happen Goafest has its work cut out for the 2016 edition.

     

    Sanjeev Kotnala is Founder and Head Catalyst at Intradia. A Brand, Marketing and Management Advisor. He conducts specialised workshops in the area of IDEATION (Harvest and Liberate) and Innovation (InNoWait). His focus energy in enhancing client’s internal team’s potential and capabilities. In process decreasing their dependence  on external resources. To contact email sanjeev@intradia.in  or tweet at s_kotnala visit www.intradia.in  www.sanjeevkotnala.com.

     

  • … and get worked up, says CVL Srinivas, CEO,GroupM South Asia, who has been actively with both events.

    Don’t compare Goafest & Melt..

     

    Media agency heads have always played a key role in India’s growing media services industry. GroupM, the holding arm of a clutch of agencies owned by WPP, has been on the forefront over the years, with CVL Srinivas, CEO – South Asia, now doing that in a quiet, definitive way. So while we were not surprised when Mr Srinivas was actively associated with Goafest, we wondered whether all was well in the AAAI when we first heard that he had virtually turned co-organiser of Melt, a two-day festival of creativity being organised by Kyoorius on May 21 and 22. Here, in an interview with Pradyuman Maheshwari, Mr Srinivas talks about why GroupM supports multiple trade events and the ‘tu tu, main main’ between the supporters of Goafest and Kyoorius…

     

    You answered this question when Melt was being announced, but given that it is happening now, one would like to hear it from you again: How is it that GroupM and you personally are as actively involved with Goafest and the Abby as you are with Kyoorius Melt?

     

    At GroupM, we try to support as many initiatives as our bandwidth permits. Apart from Goafest over the years, and Melt2015, we have been supporting a host of events, be it MMA, Social Media Week or supporting organisations such as IAA. We believe in doing our bit to shape the market and help the industry evolve. One of our biggest challenges as an industry is to attract talent. We see all these events as having a role to play in keeping our industry exciting and attractive for young talent. For us, it has never been a case of either/or (with regard to the events). Having said that, I must confess that if at all we do not support any particular event, it will be more because of time and bandwidth constraints than anything else.

     

    When we first heard that GroupM was actively associated with Melt, our response was one of disbelief. Did this [Kyoorius] in any way impact your association with that [Goafest]?

     

    We have supported Goafest over the years and even this year, be it with speakers, designing the event, or with sponsorships. We continue to send the maximum number of award entries and among the highest number of delegates. When Melt came to us as an opportunity, we found the format interesting. Coincidentally, it came at a time we ourselves were driving a few programmes internally and externally around creativity in technology and media. We felt this would be a great platform for us to energise our teams and learn from the experts who will be taking part.

     

    I know it’s early for you to make a forecast, but what’s your sense on how Melt will turn out?

     

    We have a great line up of speakers and good buzz around the event. Considering it’s the first such event being held in Mumbai, I am sure it will pick up momentum as we go along.

     

    You were at the Kyoorius Awards last year giving away some of the awards, and you were also present at the Goafest Abbys both last year and this year. What, according to you, would be the key differentiators?

     

    Each awards event has its own flavour. There isn’t any need to compare the two and get worked up. Goafest is clearly an industry event, since industry bodies are behind it. Kyoorius awards is run independently. Just to clarify, GroupM has no role in the awards; we are only partnering on Melt.

     

    A slew of media agencies seem to have no problem with any of the awards shows, or even with each other. Why do you think creative agencies have problems with participating in awards shows?

     

    I am not very sure!!

     

    Even agencies from the WPP group have stayed away.

    Well, GroupM hasn’t.

     

    We may not hear it said out loud, but there is a clear ‘tu tu main main’ between Goafest and Melt/Kyoorius Awards. What would you say to the naysayers from either camp?

     

    It’s better to live and let live and not criticise either of them.

     

    And to all those in the industry who may not have made up their minds yet: Since you are one of the co-organisers, why should they register and attend Melt?

     

    It’s an event that combines advertising, media, digital, marketing and technology. In the real world, each of these areas is merging into the other. Melt is bringing alive this phenomenon in a very interesting way.

     

    A version of this first appeared in dna of brands dated May 18, 2015

     

  • Ironically, Goafest high priests may swear at Economic Times (and its glossy pull-out Brand Equity) for now, but they can’t do without the paper when it comes to giving leads on important news

    Mediaah! Was Brand Equity unfair in damning Goafest?

    By Pradyuman Maheshwari

     

    Last week, Brand Equity in The Economic Times did a hatchet job on Goafest. Unfair for a publication which comes from a group that ought to have lost all reason to point fingers at people. Remember it’s the same media conglomerate that pioneered the concept of paid content for brands and lifestyle companies and individuals in its publication. Economic Times is the same publication which published the leaked results of the Abby at two or three successive Goafests not too long ago. The Times of India is the same group which has been a major benefactor of the event and allowed its top executives to give the Ad Club quality time as its President.

     

    The Times of India’s television arm, Times Now, was the presenting sponsor of Goafest 2015 and the channel’s Editor-in-Chief and Editorial Director Arnab Goswami was allowed to defend his act at a leadership session. Goswami, being one of the most sought after names in Indian news media, was a huge hit.

     

    That it’s time to take Goa out of the Goafest has been discussed for a few years now, perhaps the author of the article – Priyanka Nair – would do well to ask her senior colleagues (albeit on the business side) why they put in such huge monies on the event and also sent their mascot Arnab Goswami to deliver a keynote. If the event is indeed a damp squib as the article tries to suggest, then why do all of this? Why unveil your channel’s new identity to a group of people who may seem uninterested in the content of the event.

     

    I agree that not all is well with Goafest. It needs an overhaul. There are several things going wrong with it. Regrettably, the bosses at the AAAI and Ad Club haven’t been able to think too laterally on this one. They fashion themselves as out-of-the-box ideawallahs, but have done precious little in the formatting. Adding on broadcast/ publisher and PR categories last year was of course an out-of-the-box idea.

     

    The 2015 edition was more efficient than the last one, and the Abby Awards have indeed been cleansed, but the format is predictable. Many speakers were great and Jaideep Gandhi put in his bestest. But organizers AAAI and Ad Club weren’t able to pull in all their members to attend.

     

    Ironically, Goafest head priest and organising committee chairman Nakul Chopra and some in his team may swear at Economic Times (and its glossy pull-out Brand Equity) for now, but they can’t do without the paper when it comes to giving leads on important news.

     

    There are some adpersons who are aware of this unpredictability of Brand Equity and have been at the receiving end of the frequent reverse sweeps.

     

    Trying to force-present an event’s ugly face often exposes your own, and this is what the Brand Equity report has done.

     

    As for the Goafest bosses, they should use this article to clean up their act. Professionalise the set up… if necessary bring in professionals to curate the event for you.

     

    PS: A tip for those who read the B’Equity story with glee: remember, the same weekly could do the same to you with a Bekaar!

     

  • Manish Bhatt of Scarecrow is heading the Integrated Abby Jury

    Top creative honchos judge for Goafest Abby Jury

     

     

    The Goafest Creative Abby Judging has been on in Mumbai with Juries being appointed in different verticals. The Jury Chairs were announced to the media by the Goafest Creative Abby Award Governing Council.

     

    Santosh Padhi of Taproot is chairing the Abby Print and Print Craft Jury this year. Bobby Pawar of Publicis returns after a gap of 5 years to head the Abby Film Jury. Ashish Chakravarty of Contract India is Jury Chair of Radio and Radio Craft Abby while Prashant Godbole of ideasatwork is heading the Out of Home and Ambient Abby Jury. Manish Bhatt of Scarecrow is heading the Integrated Abby Jury.

     

    Chairing the Creative Abby Direct Jury this year is Rakhshin Patel of Pi Communications. Prashant Kanyalkar of KA advertising and design is the Jury Chair in Design Vertical of Creative Abby. Carlton D’Silva of Hungama is the Jury Chair for Digital  Abby while Namita Roy Ghose of White Light Moving Picture is heading the Film Craft Abby Jury.

     

    Aneil Deepak of DDB Mudra is the Jury Chair in Brand Activation & Promotion Abby Jury. Anita Kaul Basu of Big Synergy is Jury Chair in Branded Content Abby.

     

    Paresh Chaudhry of Madison PR headed the Public Relations Abby Jury. Avinash Kaul of Network18 led the Broadcasters Abby Jury while Shailesh Amonkar of Sakal is Jury Chair of Publishers Abby.

     

    Pratap Bose,President of Ad Club said, “Our heartfelt thanks to the Jury members who gave their time and passion debating the selection of winners.”

     

    Commented Ajay Chandwani Abby Awards Governing Council Member in charge of Jury appointments and Judging,” We are very fortunate to have the time and cooperation of very high powered juries in each of the verticals. Many of our jury chairs and judges have been judging at major international festivals over the years. An award derives its prestige from the standards set by juries and Abby has indeed retained its leading status in India.”

     

  • Bennett, Coleman and Company Ltd (The Times of India group) bagged three Golds, three Silvers and one Bronze metal at the Publisher Abby category of the Creative Awards

    BCCL scores maximum metals at Publisher Abby

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Publishers Abby category of the Creative Awards at Goafest 2015 may have got a lukewarm response from the print players  – some of who have in fact partnered Goafest in the form of sponsorship, but it’s a sound beginning nevertheless and in an industry where there aren’t too many awards for print publishers, this could well see growth in forthcoming years.

     

    There were 62 entries in all from across 10 publishers and 17 metals were awarded. There were four Golds, six Silvers and seven Bronze metals.

     

    Bennett, Coleman and Company Ltd (The Times of India group) bagged three Golds, three Silvers and one Bronze. The Dainik Jagran group followed by one Gold, two Silvers and one Bronze. Lokmat bagged one Silver while HT Media and Chitralekha bagged two Bronze metals each. The Dainik Bhaskar group bagged one Bronze. Among the publisher brands, The Times of India scored the maximum.

     

     

  • The Industry Conclave, followed the inauguration, and saw keynotes by Anand Kripalu, D. Shivakumar, R Chandrasekar and Sanjeeb Chaudhuri

    Goafest Day 1: Content key to success, say biggies in Industry Conclave

    By Dyanne Coelho

     

    The first day of Goafest typically sees CxOs from across the spectrum of media, advertising and marketing professionals converge at an Industry Conclave for an interface with leading lights from amongst industry professionals.

     

    Following the inauguration of Goafest’s tenth edition in the afternoon on Thursday, the Conclave saw keynotes by Anand Kripalu, MD and CEO, United Spirits and Member Diageo Global Executive Committee, D. Shivakumar, Chairman and CEO, PepsiCo India, R. Chandrasekar; Head of Communication and eCommerce, Nestle South Asia Region and Sanjeeb Chaudhuri; Global Chief Marketing Office and Regional Head, South Asia, Standard Chartered Bank.

     

    Shivakumar highlighted the dawn of the social media, digital space and e-commerce. “Recruit tech savvy people,” he said, adding: “We are getting seduced by so many tactics that we lose sight of our brand. Don’t be data rich and insight poor,” he added.  Shivakumar included a checklist for agencies in his talk; strategic planning, quality of management, buying, creativity, insights, value and tech solutions are the key, he said

     

    Anand Kripalu was up next, talking about the sacred relationship between a brand and its agency. “A brand and its agency is like a marriage, only divorce after you’ve tried bloody hard,” he said. Kripalu stressed the importance of agencies and clients creating value together. “Today organisations are becoming less and less important to talented people,” he said.

     

    Chandrasekar Radhakrishnan of Nestle pretty much backed up Kripalu talking about the timeless relationship between a client and its agency. “People don’t just buy products, they buy into products.”  Like the previous speakers, Radhakrishnan too highlighted the importance of creating quality content. “Content quality matters the most, not the platform. If the message is great, it will get rewarded. The quality of the message will determine the rewards.” He added the importance of increased creativity. “Brush aside safe creativity to make way for impactful and compelling creativity. Creativity must be relevant, not safe”

     

    The last speaker for the day was Sanjeeb Chaudhuri. “Consumers decide what they want to listen to, they have the ability to make or break your brand,” he said. The bulk of responses that brands receive have to do with consumers increasingly venting out on social media platforms. We need people today, who can listen and acknowledge the problem and offer solutions, he said.

    In Arrangement with MxMIndia.com

     

  • The WPP media agency network bagged 28 metals as IPG Mediabrands agency won 3 Golds, the highest amongst all winners

    GroupM maxes Media Abby as Lodestar UM wins 3 Golds

    All smiles: CVL Srinivas and Shashi Sinha at the Media Abby on Day 1 of Goafest 2015. Picture by Shailesh Mule/Fotocorp

     

    By A Correspondent

     

    “It’s all in the family,” said CVL Srinivas, CEO South Asia, GroupM on his network of media service agencies in India winning 28 metals at the Media Abby last evening. Held as part of the ongoing three-day Goafest, behind held in Goa, the Media Abby is conducted by the Advertising Club for excellence in use of media. Goafest is jointly organised by the Advertising Agencies Association of India and the Ad Club.

     

    According to Pratap Bose, President of the Ad Club and also Chairman of the Media Jury, as many as 70 leading professionals constituted the judging process which was held over four days. There were 674 entries as against the 619 of last year from 53 agencies. “This year we attracted the best possible response in the Media category over the years,” added Nakul Chopra, Chairman of the Goafest Organising Committee. There were a total of 74 metals awarded – 12 Golds, 23 Silvers and 39 Bronzes.

     

    “The quality of entries was more or less similar to that of last year with nothing really very outstanding and hence there was no Grand Prix awarded,” explained Bose.

     

     

    Commenting on the overall trends in the entries, Bose said that with the pressure on margins and the bottomline, getting creative in media is possibly taking a backseat.

     

    Meanwhile, Shashi Sinha, CEO, IPG Mediabrands India is happy to see his network of agencies winning 14 metals. The maximum number of golds won by an agency this year  – three – was from his network’s Lodestar UM. “It speaks for the splendid work put up by our teams from across all our offices,” Sinha said.

     

    The Advertising Club does not award a title of Media Agency of the Year at the Media Abby and also does not rank agencies in any specific order of metals.

     

    Along with the Media Abby, the Publisher Abby category of the Creative Abby was awarded on Day 1 of the Goafest.  There were 62 entries in all from across 10 publishers and 17 metals were awarded. There were four Golds, six Silvers and seven Bronze metals. Bose admitted that the awareness for the Publisher Abby needs to be raised to generate more entries from across the print media.

     

    Result

     

     

  • It is Sanjeev Kotnala's 10th Goafest and here he offers handy tips to the first- and many-timers on how to max(imise) Goafest 2015

    Sanjeev Kotnala: How to max it at Goafest. A frequent Goafest Traveller’s Guide

    By Sanjeev Kotnala

     

    Goafest is in its 10th edition and I have attended each one that does make me carry the FGT (Frequent Goafest Traveller) tag. I have witnessed the initial euphoria, blatant cribs, complaints, boycott, free beer to paid beer to lovely parties that are very much part of it, and yes the knowledge seminars and the conclaves.

     

    The high expectations have been tempered through the years. The dream of high participation from neighbouring countries remains a distant dream. The template has been working and no one has really bothered other than minor cosmetic changes.

     

    Now we have foam in the rain dance, the beer is still free, the parties indoor and they do last longer, April becomes a bit tolerable by event being indoors. In spirit and in action, Goafest has retained its character in spite of living through umpteen committees and challenges.

     

    So, if you are new at Goafest or been a FGT read this now to Maxit at Goafest.?

     

    I will not duck behind the planner’s standard answer: ‘It depends on what you want from Goafest’. Nor I would claim that the experience and research has any scientific basis.  Yet, I will acknowledge that it matters to question; why you are there in the first place? Who is paying for the registration and TBL? Who are you accountable to? Are you single, single ready to mingle or in a group? What is your age and gender? Do you smoke and drink? Do you like seafood? Are you grass-dependent and can you hold a Glass?

     

    Kicking these possible permutations out, here is the simplified guide. A personal consultation for media brands to best utilise GoaFest can only be arranged by prior appointment.

     

    MAXIT at Goafest is simple- just keep these 11 things in your radar.

    1. PACKING FOR THE FEST
    a. Pack Disprin, ENO, Digene , Highlighter and suntan. Then according to gender, pack shorts, shorter tops, deep cuts, sleeveless t-shirts, three-fourths, t-shirts, crocks, after-shaves and mouthwash. Optimists pack protection, pessimists Google nearest Chemist. Do not pack alarm clocks, high heels and hairbands. Do not pack specialised camera unless you are a photo-enthusiast.

     

    2. HOTEL

    a. Ensure you are at staying at the fest venue. That will most likely not be possible until unless you have links, you are a speaker or a senior industry face. Then look at the next best option, places within easy distance. And if you fall in this category, dump all your formals.
    b. Reach there well in time. A day earlier is acceptable.  At your own pace get the registration completed. Suggest you do that on Day 1 afternoon when all the goodies are available.

     

    3. SESSION MAXIT

    a. Very thoroughly scan the schedule. Now ask if the sessions will add to your professional growth. Then highlight sessions you are going to NOT ATTEND. Use a highlighter (that you should have packed) to clearly visualise your own window of opportunities. Each session highlighted is a NASU (Not-attending-session-unit). If you have less than 12 such units: re-check.

    b. If you are diligent, you could take Step 4 now and pre-feed your Tweets in buffer. So that no one is wiser where you are. Do update in case sessions are cancelled.

    c. Attend few sessions and live-tweet with the right hastag. You can be super witty or foolish and the fraternity will understand.

    d. In the first session, you attend take lots of  selfies (no stage in frame) with different friends. Avoid PYT’s or the dude/stud in selfie unless you are looking at hitting like buttons and answer comments. Now you can up that whenever you want. The background will remain the same.

     

    4. OPTIMISE NAAU

    a. One NASU should be used to collect all free items by participating at the various brand stalls. Do it on the first half of Day 2. The stocks are available then. The stall guys still fresh and willing.
    b. Use 2 NASUs for seeing the entries displayed at the fest.
    c. Use a max of 4 NSAUs to go sightseeing. Do it on Day 2 and be back by lunchtime. On Day 3 there are chances you will oversleep and miss reporting time.

     

    5. NETWORK. Do some work? Target a certain number of new faces that you will meet and a number for of known ones. Check your count. Strategically stalk them to chase your targets

     

    6. BEER. Ask your friends to keep check on the number of beers you enjoy. Around 1-2 per presentation is considered par at Goafest. In case you feel otherwise just leave the venue. You don’t want anyone seeing you in that condition.

     

    7. Get some strange fashion statement dress. This helps to feature in newsletters.

     

    8. Q&A

    a. for the serious-minded: For you self-brand is very important. Go through the sessions you plan to attend (if any). Read the LinkedIn profile of the speaker. Read the first 3-4 Google hits on the topic. Prepare a mast question. Introduce yourself and ask that question during Q&A. Pace it to allow cameraman to pan and catch you in frame.

    b. For lazy ones. You have no questions to ask. Master the art of paraphrasing speakers thoughts and make an arbit contribution. Do it early in the Q&A or you risk the chance of being booed by the crowd.
    c. For uninterested. 99.9% of audience.  It’s your time to get yourself another beer.

     

    9. SMOKERS:

    a. Do not show that you carry any light.  Remember asking for light is a good way to start a conversation. If someone asks you for a light be helpful and when he/she is taking first drag to light, its time for you to start a conversation. No need to mention that smoke only in the designated area.

     

    10. SMARTPHONE MANAGEMENT.

    a. Start a rumour that your phone battery has been draining fast. It helps to escape unwarranted calls or ‘can I use your phone’ requests. Do not flash your smartphone at the awards nite. And never praise its megapixels and picture quality in dim light or be ready to become unofficial photographer for your team.

     

    11. AWARD NITES

    a. Do not be bogged down by the award nite unless you are one of the finalists
    b. If you are one of the finalists, check and cross-check which award nite includes your category. You don’t want to be sitting in a wrong award nite. Ensure your team has the right Noise Making And Amplifying Gadgets. Make one of team member reach early and block seats so that you can sit in groups.
    c. Join your gang on stage even if the only thing you did on the project was say congrats. You are a veteran if you could collect your trophy alone discouraging other team members.
    d. Ensure someone clicks your photographs with the trophy and you immediately upload that.

     

  • Campaigns that have been released till February 15, 2015 are allowed to submit their entries at this year's Goafest Abbys

    Call for Entries for Goafest Abbys 2015 announced

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Awards Governing Council (AGC) of Goafest 2015 has announced its “call for entries” for Goafest Abbys. The entry forms can be downloaded from www.theadvertisingclub.net. The last date for submission of entries is Friday, February 27, 2015. This year, Goafest will be held from April 9th to 11th at The Grand Hyatt, Bambolim, North Goa.

     

    Campaigns that have been released till February 15, 2015 are allowed to submit their entries at this year’s Goafest Abbys.

     

    The regular Award entry Fee is INR 7,304/- (inclusive of Service Tax). The entry fee for the categories – Integrated Advertising i.e. from 1e to 15e, 18(J) – a, b, c & d. Integrated Digital Campaign, 19h. Direct Campaign, 20h. Best integrated entertainment content campaign, 21w. Programmes that use multiple media platforms in one promotional campaign, 22u. Integrated Campaign led by PR is INR 10,113/- (inclusive of service Tax). For South Asian Countries the entry fee will be USD 22.47 (inclusive of service Tax).

     

    Goafest is in its 10th year and this is the 8th year that AAAI and The Advertising Club have come together to award ABBYs, India’s definitive honour that recognizes creativity.

     

  • – CE0, Publicis South Asia & Vice President of The Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) will be the Chairman of Goafest 2015

    Dates for Goafest 2015 announced

    By A Correspondent

     

    Nakul Chopra
    Pratap Bose

    The Organizing Committee of Goafest 2015 have announced the dates of the event.Goafest 2015 will be held on April 9th, 10th and 11th. The venue will be Grand Hyatt, Bambolim and the event will be open for all the delegates on all the three days. The ABBYs will also be held on all the three days.

     

    The Committee also announced that Nakul Chopra- CE0, Publicis South Asia & Vice President of The Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) will be the Chairman of Goafest 2015 and Pratap Bose- President of The Advertising Club will be the Chairman of the Awards Governing Council.

     

    Goafest 2015 will be in its 10th edition and this is the 8th year that AAAI and The Advertising Club will come together to deliver ABBYs, India’s definitive awards that celebrate creativity.

     

  • Sanjeev Kotnala suggests 12 ways in which the Goafest organising team can deliver a seamless smooth fest and set new benchmarks

    Sanjeev Kotnala: 163 Days to Goafest 2015. 12 Suggestions

    By Sanjeev Kotnala

     

    Why speak of Goafest 2015 so early? Most likely it will be held on April 9-10-11, 2015. The answer is simple. I Love Goafest. I have attended every edition and I will be there again. It is still THE INDIAN ADVERTISING & MARKETING FESTIVAL. It has the Abby, the most prestigious Indian awards in creative and media. It expanded to include Publishing & Broadcasting awards, which are yet to make an impact. Meanwhile we know Kyoorius has upped the benchmark.

     

    I also hate controversies linked with Goafest. Its brand equity has been taking a huge beating in the last few years. With this humble piece, I want to provoke the organising team to deliver a seamless smooth fest and set new benchmarks.

     

    Therefore, here are my suggestions:

    1. DEFINE THE ORGANISING BODY NOW

    Do not wait for Jan-Feb. 2015.

     

    2. LET MR SUNDAR SWAMY GUIDE AND ORCHESTRATE GOAFEST 2015.

    He did a phenomenal job in the short time available for Goafest 2014. Let him choose the team he wants and can depend on. As an experiment, let us keep fragile egos and side-nudges to minimum.

     

    3. DECLARE THE DATES.

    It not only helps planning but also helps in getting the right speakers. It will decrease dependence on supporting agencies and clients to prop up a few speakers and in process make the event more ‘Value for Money’ for the delegates. Let’s get whom we want and not whom we can!

     

    4. ENHANCE RELEVANCE TO AUDIENCE.

    Stop being futuristic zooming at 2020 and beyond. Leave that for boardrooms. It is irrelevant to most of the delegates who are young. Be realistic and zoom onto current imperatives for the industry. Stop being a Digital-plus event. In India, print, radio and TV are still a huge part of the ad investment.

     

    Get the right speakers. Reject recyclers. People who present two-year-old Cannes winners as insights or just do a brand sales pitch. The fest should ideally be delivering focused learnings, debate and healthy arguments.

     

    5. GET THE CLIENT SIDE INVOLVED.

    We cannot afford not to focus on it. It is critical for future and current success. There are no readymade solutions. I am hoping that the industry that claims to work wonders for brands based on consumer insights would not fail Goafest (the brand) in getting Clients (consumers) to its 2015 edition. Maybe like clients we could call for an idea pitch. In addition, there are brands to willingly sponsor such a contest.

     

    6. REVISIT THE AWARD PROCESS NOW.

    TASK #1. Get all who can constructively contribute to define the award and its process. Use crowdsourcing to publicly solicit suggestion and objections. After that, we should just roll with the new process and stop worrying about distractors.

     

    I support creating an unreleased/ not approved by client category. In addition, severely deal with scam in any category. Ban the individuals (client and agency) for a three-year period. Ban the brand/ organization for a year. Ban should be complete- they can no longer, be a delegate or a speaker.

     

    7. TAKE ACTION ON FEST SPOILERS.

    To participate or not is an internal decision and is respected. Positive criticism and suggestions are more than welcome. What is unacceptable is the publicly raising doubt on Goafest credibility. Bar the organizations engaging in such practices from being part of Jury panel or attending or speaking at the fest. Can we stop licking for the few that take the industry for granted. Do we have balls to take such a stance?

     

    8. HONOUR THE WINNERS PROPERLY.

    The blank plate on trophy is an insult to the winner. No name! No Category! The industry known for great execution skill failed on this front in Goafest 2014. Not again.

     

    Please do rationalize number of awards. Otherwise, dinner and late night parties become an event by ‘Mutual Admiration Society’. Everyone is a winner. It kills the excitement and pleasure of winning.

     

    Do not end up discriminating between award categories. Same treatment to metal winners is necessary. Unlike 2014, please do not call bronze winner of one category on stage and deny other bronze winners in some other category the pleasure to accept trophy on stage.

     

    9. GET SOME NON-MEDIA SPONSOR!

    This is a tough one and a tougher to manage. Media organizations have been sponsoring almost all industry events. Why are the advertisers and advertising agencies not sponsoring Goafest? Do we have a selling proposition?

     

    10. MAXIMIZE RETURNS FOR SPONSORS AND DELEGATES.

    The answer to above is here. Let delegates go back enlightened or with smile of having got something worth which is more than networking, backslapping, beer and raindance. Let the sponsor get more than mere logo presence and memento delivery. We have neglected this in past and are paying a price for it now.

     

    11. TAKE THE ‘TBL’ PAIN OUT.

    Internationally not done does not mean we should not do it. What about ‘travel inclusive’ or ‘Travel + stay inclusive’ tickets? Use the technology and firms specializing in it. What about an early morning flight to Goa and midnight return flights? Maybe lot many more will consider coming only for a day and the party that night.

     

    12. GET BACK TO OUTDOOR VENUE IF POSSIBLE.

    This is not the most important thing on agenda. Beach was fun and indoor does not have the same feel. Indoor is not really Goa. I understand the issues associated with outdoor but no harm in poking a bit more.

     

    Sanjeev Kotnala is Head Catalyst at INTRADIA and believes that the best way forward for an Organization is to enhance the potential of internal teams instead of depending on external resources. He is a management consultant and runs specialised workshops in the area of Liberating Ideas. To contact e-mail netkot@yahoo.com or tweet at s_kotnala

     

  • Several creative leaders in India are increasingly vocal about missing the forest of creativity for the trees of a final tally

    Gunning for more ad awards, creativity loses plot

    By Ravi Balakrishnan

     

    A little over a decade ago, when the Abby awards were still the only show in town, the after party found Prasoon Joshi in a pensive mood. As team Ogilvy celebrated their ‘agency of the year’ win with a characteristic lack of subtlety – drums, horns, and people in black posing for interminable photoshoots – Mr Joshi, then early in his stint at Mc-Cann Erickson reasoned, “There are youngsters from many agencies who’ve won their first trophy tonight. But all of that is being forgotten in this obsession with who won most. We should celebrate the work and not the numbers.”

     

    Mr Joshi may have been among the first to voice this concern, but he’s far from the last. Several creative leaders in India are increasingly vocal about missing the forest of creativity for the trees of a final tally.

     

    Festivals like Cannes Lions have arguably made things worse, adding layers to the competition like Holding Company of the Year. WPP won for the fourth time running in 2014, which according to media reports led Interpublic to boast of its far better win to entry ratio. Closer home, Goafest officially scrapped ‘agency of the year’, ostensibly to make it more about the work and less about the numbers. It however resulted in a cottage industry where previously math-phobic creatives sliced and diced the numbers till they were left with a rank that satisfied them.

     

    Apart from no year being complete without some controversy, protest or conspiracy theory, the numbers game is tainting large parts of the industry.

     

    Remember all the worldwide chief creative officers who’ve lashed out against scams? Creative directors in their employ will tell you, off the record of course, that the scamming happens entirely with their approval, frequently on their insistence. Truth be told, it’s hard to say no when even a laggard that gets lucky and scores bronze adds one more to the total tally. It’s resulted in a business where scams are the worst thing to happen only so long as you get caught.

     

    The judging process too is compromised as long as tallies – official or unofficial – continue to be important. Says Bobby Pawar, chief creative officer, Publicis, “Judges may be more open to acknowledging how they feel about a piece of work when voting for it doesn’t make them losers. When you have younger people on the jury who haven’t won that much, it’s hard (for them) to be charitable.” In every award jury, if some industry folk are to be believed, there are people wondering “what’s in it for me?”

     

    With the role of tallies coming into question, the Gunn Report is perceived to be the biggest villain of the piece. Started in 1999 by former Leo Burnett adman Donald Gunn, it’s currently the largest, most authoritative source of league table on ad agencies. The 2013 edition considered 46 award shows – global, regional and national. While undoubtedly a definitive source of information on the varying creative fortunes of agencies, doing well in the Report has become an unhealthy obsession.

     

    Mr Pawar says sardonically, “It’s a great idea – for Donald Gunn. Or CEOs and creative guys looking to put notches on the belt. I don’t think it’s a good idea for work. Let’s not reduce creativity to accounting because that’s what these things do.” Adds a creative chief who wishes to remain anonymous, “I know the networks love Gunn but does the report motivate me to break the mould? Is it inspirational?

     

    Or just an impotent report card?” The latter has no place in an industry that’s playing it fast and loose, finding ideas from unlikely sources, some of whom are not agencies. The Gunn Report had not responded to our questions at the time of going to print.

     

    The alternative: Let the year be remembered not for who scored the maximum but for the best work. Irrespective of where it came from or what else the agencies who created those pieces won. In spite of being the top ranked Indian shop by Gunn this year, Mr Joshi, currently president – South Asia, McCann Worldgroup continues to have a purist perspective.

     

    “The creative world is more like a garden than a wrestling ring. We shouldn’t be trying to outshine each other but to complement each other. People will say ‘here comes Prasoon again with his poetry’, but I’ve said this since I was in school. Every child is unique but the moment you ask ‘kitne number aaye?’ you make him start thinking in those terms.”

     

    However, in spite of these pious and occasionally poetic sentiments, it’s unlikely that tallies are going anywhere. Because as KV Sridhar aka Pops, chief creative officer at SapientNitro points out Gunn and accounting are unnecessarily being pilloried. For one, the report is a lot more nuanced, measuring both the width as well as depth of wins.

     

    At worst, it represents a deeper malaise: “Gone are the days when creative people were obsessed with peer recognition. Awards are now more about business development. There’s nothing wrong (in wanting to win big) since this is how advertising agencies sell themselves. It’s both for the benefit of new marketers and to tell your existing clients ‘we’ve still got it.’”

     

    The obsession with tallies is less about creative oneupmanship. Says Mr Sridhar, “It’s the obsession of people like Martin Sorrell and Maurice Levy. It’s a global diktat to every agency since this is how a brand seeking to enter the country decides on who to start talking to. Every country head is measured by creative reputation as much as bottomline. If you deliver 21 per cent instead of 23 per cent you are sacked, but if you’ve got a creative reputation with 21 per cent, you get your bonus.”

     

    And so what it comes down to is this; when the agency man’s stuck at the wrong end of the barrel, even the most virtuous will start Gunning for more awards. Don’t blame the player, blame the game.

     

    Source:The Economic Times

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