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Tag: GolinOpinion

  • Ameer Ismail to lead the digital first creative PR agency. Sarvesh Raikar appointed Creative Head

    GolinOpinion  will now be Lintas Live

    By A Correspondent

     

    GolinOpinion will be rebranded as Lintas Live with immediate effect and will be part of MullenLowe Group’s global communications network which includes U.S. based agency MullenLowe PR – voted Global Creative PR Agency of the Year in the Holmes Report 2017

     

    Lintas Live will be a digital-first creative PR agency Lintas Live also announces the appointment of Sarvesh Raikar as its Creative Head.

     

    Amer Jaleel

    Speaking about the launch, Amer Jaleel, Group CCO and Chairman, MullenLowe Lintas Group said: “From Mumbai Police to Starbucks, every brand wants to throb with its own energy and charisma, stay part of conversations by streaming its thoughts, it’s consciousness to its franchise. We deconstructed and re-built our PR organisation to not just reflect the current times but to lead the thinking for times to come. And recognising the need to be digital in our behaviour but creative at our core we have at the tip of Lintas Live one of our brightest RCOs Sarvesh Raikar who is possibly India’s most experienced and celebrated brand creatives to head a PR company. We recognise that brands should lead from PR into campaigns and that creative thinking will evolve PR into becoming seamless and inextricable from marketing.”

     

    Virat Tandon

    Added Virat Tandon, Group CEO, MullenLowe Lintas Group: “In today’s digitally interconnected world, opinions get formed not only through the news media, but through influencers, experts, leaders, bloggers, celebrities and all other individuals and communities who have a voice and want to use it. Moreover, corporations, leaders and brands have to operate real-time in this “always live” world. Lintas Live will be able to provide our clients with agile, proactive and “always live” PR and communications solutions. I am quite confident that this new offering will be quite the game- changer for our clients.”

     

    Ameer Ismail

    Talking about his new role, Ameer Ismail, ­­­­­­President-Lintas Live said, “Golin has been an outstanding partner and we will always cherish our many achievements and learnings together.  Our PR practice in India has gone from strength to strength and this rebrand is a bold move in our evolution. I’m excited about the relevance of our new offering to brands, marketers and leaders in these changing times. Being part of the MullenLowe Lintas Group has given us a unique opportunity of drawing on the core of our creative skillsets. We are confident of being able to deliver ideas and solutions that are bold and impact worthy in a digital age.”

     

    Golin’s operations in India will now report through IPG’s Constituency Management Group in line with Golin operations elsewhere.

     

    Added Darren Burns, President of Asia for Golin: “We thank Ameer and his team for a productive partnership over the last five years and we look forward to ongoing collaboration with the Mullen Lowe team within our IPG family. India remains an important market for us and we will continue to evolve our business there under the Golin brand.”

     

     

  • MullenLowe Lintas Group elevates Lakhani as ED of its PR arm

    Kavita Lakhani is now ED, GolinOpinion

    By A Correspondent

     

    MullenLowe Lintas Group has promoted Kavita Lakhani to Executive Director for the group’s PR firm, GolinOpinion. Said Ameer Ismail, President, GolinOpinion: “Kavita has been an integral part of driving GolinOpinion’s successful growth over the years. Her elevation is a reflection of her valued contribution in helping the agency achieve its commitments and contributing to our overall positive perception in the marketplace. Kavita is a strong business leader and I am delighted to have her take on the new role for GolinOpinion. Kavita will be responsible for GolinOpinion’s national businesses, leading new business initiatives, building a management team and enhancing our corporate marketing efforts, including brand awareness and engagement.”

     

    Speaking on her elevation, Lakhani said: “My passion for communications has only increased over the years. I am proud to be part of a great institution like the MullenLowe Lintas Group. GolinOpinion is a market-leading PR consultancy that delivers powerful creative campaigns to clients, coupled with high-quality execution. I look forward to enhancing GolinOpinion’s blue chip client portfolio and developing new competencies.”

     

     

  • The account will further strengthen the agency’s technology practice

    Golin Opinion wins PR mandate for Charmboard

    By A Correspondent

     

    GolinOpinion has been awarded the PR mandate for Charmboard, an in-video discovery platform. The agency was appointed after a multi-agency pitch for its distinctive PR and creative approach. The account will further strengthen the agency’s technology practice and will be handled by the agency’s Bengaluru office.

     

    Said GBS Bindra, Founder and CEO, Charmboard: “Charmboard is a young and passionate brand which is leveraging the power of video content in fashion and lifestyle segment. We could feel the energy that GolinOpinion team brings to the table with regard to ideas and experience they have. We hope to see some great work together.”

     

    Commenting on the win, Ameer Ismail, President, GolinOpinion added: “I am truly delighted that Charmboard, a young brand in the segment of AI visual discovery platform has trusted and placed their confidence in us to build and deliver successful PR campaigns. This win firms up the large strides we are taking in the technology space. Additionally, our expertise in lifestyle & start-up will add value to the brand and empower Charmboard to be visible among the top lifestyle brands as the non-intrusive digital platform to advertise with them.”

     

     

  • The Relevance Framework released by Golin global CEO Fred Cook throws up some interesting data

    A Matter of Relevance (& Trust)

     

    By A Correspondent

    GolinOpinion, the PR division of PointNine Lintas, released its first marketing product, Relevance India. At an event in Mumbai last week, Fred Cook, Global Chairman, Golin unveiled the Relevance framework which is being rolled out globally. The research was conducted in 13 markets, including India, covering over 13,000 respondents. The first round of data from the study indicates that in the battle for relevance, truth is having a moment of truth. Golin’s global research focused on three categories that touch billions of lives every day: social media, personal banking and automotive.

    After three years of research, in partnership with the USC Annenberg School for Journalism and

    Communications, Golin’s study in four continents including India, uncovered what drives relevance for categories and brands across the globe. The survey population encompassed millennials (18-34), Gen-x (35-54) and boomers (55+).

    The India data, that covered three categories, threw up some interesting aspects:

    People around the world believe that their ideal brand would deliver on being trustworthy (ethical, moral, honest and truthful. However according to the research, study the reality tells a different story. Of the most relevant brands studied, 0% met the ideal when it came to being trustworthy; while people are seeking it, leading brands aren’t seen as relevant. 91% of the most relevant brands studied exceed the expectation when it comes to being popular. This is a part of a major shift.

    Having lost faith in brands and institutions, people are looking to each other, to their trusted tribes – friends, family, advocates and influencers – for validation in the choices they are making. Popularity isn’t a frivolous, fleeting dimension. Talkability means putting a premium on the people who will vouch for and recommend your brand.

    Within the three categories studied it was found that social media category, research found that people don’t need truth; they want to be entertained. People prefer local banking over global – and since all banks are under-delivering on the ideal, unique relevance drivers in this category have emerged. And the automotive category struggles to have a breakout relevance brand leader.

    An ideal banking brand in India is Trustworthy, Effective and Transparent. As with other categories, respondents scored brands very similarly to one another, though SBI scores higher against the ideal and exceeds expectations on Essential and Popular. None other bank in 12 other countries, where the research was done, scored so high on trust.

    The automotive sector which covered global brands, shows Honda as a clear Relevance leader in India, followed by a close competition between Toyota and Ford. Nissan has low relevance, while Fiat is barely known. In India, an “ideal” automotive brand is Trustworthy, Effective, Authentic and Innovative. However, there is little difference in how consumers score each brand.

    Social media is a highly-relevant category overall in India, with Facebook and YouTube ranking at the top in relevance. Local channel Hike is less relevant than global channels.

    Meanwhile, the macro global trends included:

    Screens win out over people

    > Social media (59%) and television (57%) consistently ranked first and second above “word of mouth from friends and family” (45%) as the most relevant sources of news and information

    Word of mouth sees gender differences

    > Word of mouth from friends and family is more relevant to women (50%) than men (39%)

    People are drawn to pragmatic and funny

    > The top characteristics of information people found relevant were useful/practical (54%), informative (53%), and funny (35%), beating out others like inspiring, shocking and exciting

    The one dimension that is currently driving relevance across all categories is popularity: being talked about and recommended by others showing that talkability trumps truth.

    Speaking about the findings at the event, Cook said: “Relevance is what attracts and keeps people paying attention to what brands have to say and moves them to act. This is something that we, as marketers and communicators, can directly impact. We’ve been studying, and perfecting the art of analysing relevance for years because we understand that it is the most important measurement of a brand. Our research indicates that despite people being continually let down by the perceived trustworthiness and truthfulness of brands, they continue to buy their products and services.”

    Speaking of the India launch, Vikas Mehta, CEO, PointNine Lintas, said: “Finding a unified metric that can measure the impact of multiple marketing initiatives is one of the biggest challenges today’s marketers face. In Relevance, I believe GolinOpinion has found a viable choice that replaces data analysis with data analytics. It’s a great way for any brand to find out where they stand vs. competition, locally or globally.”

    Added Ameer Ismail, Chief Growth officer, PointNine Lintas and President GolinOpinion: “As the landscape changes rapidly and as brand managers or communication professionals it is extremely important to have data based insights to decide the interventions that are important for the brand and its agency partners. This is tool is designed to give brands an edge.” Developmental work on the study is being done in Chicago and Mumbai, to further improve functionalities of the tool including real-time data integration.

  • The agency has been appointed to help conceptualise and plan the launch of the brand in India

    GolinOpinion bags mandate for Lingerie Shop

    By A Correspondent

     

    Lingerie Shop has appointed GolinOpinion, to handle the PR mandate of the brand. The agency has been appointed to help conceptualise and plan the launch of the brand in India.

     

    Commenting on the appointment, Radhika Goenka, Founder –Lingerie Shop said: “As we are a brand that advocates for unconventionality and uniqueness, GolinOpinion was the unanimous choice when it came to choosing a communication partner. The team has given us confidence in the fact that they are equipped to position us strongly in this space with their deep experience, unique creative ability and strategic input. We also felt that the team dynamics was in sync with our values and vision.”

     

    Commenting on the win, Kavita Lakhani, Executive Vice President, GolinOpinion said: “We are delighted to have won this impressive mandate. We believe that in this brand, we have found a partner who understands and believes in the power of all-inclusive branding and strategy.”

     

  • Ismail has led GolinOpinion (eka LinOpinion) for over two decades

    MullenLowe Lintas Group elevates Ameer Ismail to Prez, GolinOpinion

     

     

    PR veteran Ameer Ismail has been promoted to President by MullenLowe Lintas Group, effective immediately. He has led the group’s PR firm GolinOpinion (formerly LinOpinion) for over 20 years and built the agency into one of the top players in the PR industry. He was also instrumental in bringing Golin on-board as JV partner in India in 2014. GolinOpinion operates as a part of the marketing services offerings of MullenLowe Lintas Group.

     

    Ismail continues to report to Vikas Mehta, Group CMO & President, Marketing Services for the group. Announcing this elevation, Mehta said: “Ameer is just the right mix of vintage and vision. In a time when the practice of PR is more important than ever, but the business of PR is getting highly commoditized; he’s the kind of leader the industry needs. PR is an integral part of our re-bundled offering and GolinOpinion occupies a great position in the market today. Reinventing yourself from a position of strength is a rare & valuable opportunity and I’m delighted to have Ameer lead that agenda for us.”

     

    Speaking of the promotion, Ameer Ismail, says, “I am so proud to be a part of this great institution – the MullenLowe Lintas Group and am looking forward to this new phase in my journey with a renewed focus and dedication towards delivering great work.”

     

  • The agency was appointed after a multi-agency pitch and was granted the mandate for its distinctive PR and creative approach

    GolinOpinion wins the PR mandate for Dr. Oetker India

     

     

    GolinOpinion,the PR agency from the marketing services cluster of MullenLoweLintas Group, has won the PR mandate for food brand Dr.Oetker. The agency was appointed after a multi-agency pitch and was granted the mandate for its distinctive PR and creative approach.

     

    Commenting on the appointment, Oliver Mirza, MD & CEO, Dr. Oetker India said: “We needed a strategic communication approach, innovative ideas and a self-motivated team with a passion that resonates with our ideology. GolinOpinion came out as the right partner for our approach and we are confident that with this partnership we will be able to build and communicate our vision.”

     

    Commenting on the win, Ameer Ismail, Executive Director, GolinOpinion said:“We are delighted to have won the PR mandate for Dr. Oetker India. It’s amazing to see the positive inroads the brand has managed to make in India. We are excited with the vision they have drawn up for India and hope to achieve path-breaking results for them in the coming future. In this ever evolving PR industry, Dr. Oetker is a prestigious food brand that believes in taking every aspect of communication and brand value to the next level.”

     

  • The film, conceptualised by Mullen Lintas Mumbai, highlights the underlying message that it seeks to convey: #RideDontHide

    Bajaj Avenger urges fans to ride and acknowledge true wealth

    By A Correspondent

     

    Bajaj Auto has unveiled a new campaign that urges Indians to discover true wealth (and not just the materialistic stuff that has come to the fore post-demonetisation). Commenting on the need for the film, Sumeet Narang, VP Marketing, Bajaj Auto Ltd said: “We, as a brand, understand Avenger riders really enjoy and cherish riding and value experiencing outdoors. They seek treasure on either mountain tops or some sunny beaches. When demonetisation took the country by storm, we saw the subject of wealth accumulation from the riders’ perspective.”

     

    The film, conceptualised by Mullen Lintas Mumbai, highlights the underlying message that it seeks to convey, namely #RideDontHide. It begins with a statement on the immense wealth that the protagonist, or rather the rider, possesses as he makes his way across amazing trails in the country. Agreeing that his wealth is stashed away across many places, he makes his way to those locations much to the curiosity of the viewers. He eventually leads viewers to the natural wealth that’s abundantly available like the greenery, blue waters, bright yellow leaves, white snow etc. He eventually confesses that he is indeed wealthy beyond measure but none of it is black. Thus every ride that one embarks on makes him richer; richer by newer experiences.

     

    Commenting on the film, Ayyappan Raj, EVP-Mullen Lintas Mumbai said, “Bajaj Avenger has been engaging on social media with topical messaging for almost a year now – from IPL to Social Media Day to Brotherhood Day. And it has worked quite well for the brand. This time, there’s a POV that’s very true to the biker’s attitude/outlook and sincere to the brand belief. How does the Avenger rider look at wealth is the perspective that we’ve brought out in the current context. It’s already got a good response and has received positive comments & feedback.”

     

    Highlighting the creative thought process behind the campaign, Shriram Iyer, NCD, Mullen Lintas said, “A rider’s wealth is the experiences he collects while riding. Riding brings us closer to the wealth of nature. The current conversation about black money allowed us a powerful context to make this point. Acknowledging the beauty of the world around us will.”

     

     

     

    About Mullen Lintas:

    Launched on August 1, 2015, Mullen Lintas is the new creative agency offering from MullenLowe Lintas Group.It is headquartered in Mumbai with presence in key cities of Bangalore & New Delhi. The agency understands that a great brand needs a great narrative that flows seamlessly through screens, experiences, shopping environments and conversations. Mullen Lintas is born ahead of the curve and intends to remain a mashup of the enduring and the emerging. It intends to partner brands whose reality or ambitions are driven by a passionate pursuit of leadership.

     

    MullenLowe Lintas Groupis one of the largest country operations of the MullenLowe Group (part of the Interpublic Group of Companies (NYSE: IPG). It has operating divisions in advertising (Lowe Lintas, Mullen Lintas), design (dCell), PR (GolinOpinion), brand consulting (LinConsult), experiential marketing & activation (LinEngage),video content (LinProductions), digital marketing (LinTeractive) that manage 300+ clients. With a talent pool of over 900 people across 7 cities in India, MullenLowe Lintas Group currently manages more brands amongst the Top 10, Top 20, Top 50 and Top 100 of AC Nielsen-Brand Equity’s India’s Most Trusted Brands (2013 and 2014), than any other agency in India. MullenLowe Lintas Group was also ranked the No. 1 creative agency in the world in effectiveness by the World Advertising and Research Council’s report, WARC 100 for two consecutive years (2015-2016). Recently, the group was declared the Effie Agency of the Year for 2015 in India & also the APAC Effie Agency of the Year 2016.

     

    To know more about MullenLowe Lintas Group, visit us at www.mullenlowelintas.in or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn or YouTube

     

    For further information, please contact: 

    GolinOpinion                                                  MullenLowe Lintas Group

    Aparna Mehrotra                                          Johnson Napier

    +91 9969623947                                            +91 9892981600

    aparna.mehrotra@golinopinion.in             johnson.napier@mullenlowelintas.in