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Tag: IAA

  • It'll soon be a month since Pradeep Guha passed. In this tribute, Vishakha Singh remembers the many qualities that made PG unique

    The Phenomenon called Pradeep Guha

    Pradeep Guha

     

    By Vishakha Singh

     

    Vishakha SinghEtsy, said the Facebook representative and a few heads turned towards me. It was mid-morning on a sunny October day in San Francisco, nearly a decade ago. The International Advertising Association India delegation of 20 people were seated in a small room at the Facebook headquarters with a bright orange wall on the backside. As a part of the delegation, I was attending a session by Facebook’s Paul Adams on building communities. It was 2012, when the words ‘digital communities’ appeared like precious jewels in our conversations, in small quantities. Building communities as a business model was new for the world and Facebook was showing the path, in action and in presentations. The speaker was then head of Facebook planning and had just released a book titled ‘Grouped’ on communities which we later received as a gift.

     

    Led by Pradeep Guha, IAA had organised a digital tour for the CEOs to the US to visit and learn from the big tech companies. The 2012 digital tour was the second initiative from IAA and I had onboarded the delegation to visit Microsoft, YouTube, Facebook, Google and Twitter.

     

    That October morning, at the Facebook headquarters, in the middle of a talk by Facebook, I had earned a special spot in Pradeep Guha’s thoughts. Before the start of the tour, in Pradeep Guha’s Mumbai office, sitting across his large wooden table, I had requested him to include a visit to the Etsy office too. A listed company, Etsy is dedicated to building small, homegrown businesses and has been building communities since its inception. Those days, Etsy was not widely popular. PG was not familiar with Etsy but he took interest in my conversation on Etsy.  So as the Facebook speaker talked about Etsy as the leading example in building communities, Pradeep Guha, sitting at the centre of the table, leaned forward and gestured a thumbs up to me. And heads on the table turned in my direction on this rare appreciation coming from him. I was suddenly noticed. Etsy had marked a respectable spot for me in his mind.

     

     

    In this article, I want to bring your attention to the phenomenon called Pradeep Guha. To the unknown, you can read about Pradeep Guha in the tribute written here and a lot over the internet.

     

    The Curious:

    Techcrunch Disrupt is an annual event held in San Francisco for the tech startup world. It not only showcases new ideas but also the making of ideas, successes and failures. I had described the event to PG and had recommended him to attend it. One fine morning in 2019, I received a message from him on how excited he was to attend it. Curiosity fuels learning and he stayed at the top of knowledge by attending not just Techcrunch but also Singularity University and some other courses. A sharp thinker feeds his mind with new knowledge. He makes efforts to attend courses to learn and unlearn, no matter his age or designation. This is what Pradeep Guha maintained. It was not just an Etsy moment at Facebook, PG made efforts to learn the new from across fields and continents. He displayed curiosity with a proficiency that lacked any arrogance, the arrogance that becomes a second nature for being successful for a long time.

     

    The secret of making a phenomenon is to live a life with a growth mindset, to stay curious and to hone the knowledge.

     

    The Contrast:

    What is the opposite of grand? Insignificant. To balance the two opposites effortlessly is a magical trait and that is what came easy to the phenomenon called PG. He always came up with grand visions but stayed true to the most insignificant details in execution of that vision. There was never any room for error in execution of the grandest of the vision. This reflected in all aspects of his work whether it was related to media selling by designing Mastermind or in creation of landmark events or even in maintaining his relationships with the world.He effortlessly balanced the contrast of big and trivial detail. It was neither compromised nor showcased. The balancing of the contrast was a given, it came like yin and yang, always together.

     

    The Compassionate:

    Pradeep Guha, the media stalwart passed away on August 21, 2021. On August 9, I had a message exchange where he wrote to me saying, “All good, thank you.” The news of his passing filled me with all shades of emotions, primarily being upset. He had hidden the suffering, at the same time, he had responded. When tributes poured in, all of it had the same tone of how he made people feel very special. Losing him became a personal loss on a mass level. Another contrast. His ability to connect, support, bind with people is an ability less possessed by leaders. I was a nobody in his aura of things, but from time to time, I received a message, sometimes a gentle scolding for staying quiet for months. His ability to keep people in his thoughts, to make them feel important and needed is a lesson in generosity. It was a construct maintained over the years. Not just colleagues and friends, he maintained a magical vibe with celebrities too. Renowned personalities treated him like their closest pal, yet he asked for a picture to keep the podium well-defined for both.

     

    Pradeep Guha, the phenomenon, lit the path with his way of life, with childlike curiosity, manlike balancing of contrast and nature like compassion for people. All we need to do is to keep the lights on.

     

    Vishakha Singh is a senior mediaperson and entrepreneur based in Mumbai. She has authored an online course titled SHIFT _ Simple Habits and Ideas for Forward Thinking that that encourages one to think in an alert, creative style in the fast changing business environment. She writes a weekly column at HabitsforThinking.in, the homebase for SHIFT. She also writes a column on Moneycontrol titled ‘Soch to Success’. This article has also appeared on HabitsforThinking.in

     

  • Minister Aaditya Thackeray was chief guest

    IAA presents Olive Crown Awards

    By Our Staff

     

    The India Chapter of the International Advertising Association (IAA) hosted the 11th edition of the Olive Crown Awards 2021, last Friday in Mumbai. The

     

    Selecting the awards was a a jury comprising Bobby Pawar, Chairman & Chief Creative Officer, Havas India; Josy Paul, Chairman & Chief Creative Officer, BBDO India; Tista Sen, Regional Creative Director, Wunderman Thompson South Asia; Carlton D’silva, Co-founder, House of Awe and Kaushik Roy, Advisor, Reliance Industries Ltd.

     

    The awards were presented across 20 different categories, including the coveted title ‘Green Crusader of the Year’ award, which was presented to Aaditya Thackeray, Minister of Environment, Tourism and Protocol, Maharashtra government and the chief guest at the event for his efforts to save the Aarey Forest in Mumbai.

     

    Said Megha Tata, President, International Advertising Association (IAA) – India Chapter and Managing Director – South Asia, Discovery Communications India: “In the last 11 years of Olive Crown we have seen campaigns and brands go from doing ‘something green’ to being vested in sustainability and we are glad that this is a platform to showcase work that can inspire.  One of the things 2020 taught us is that the Nature loved our lockdown! But we need to find this balance and co-exist every single day! And some of the campaigns we have seen this year, have presented this balance beautifully”.

     

    Added Neeraj Roy, Chairperson IAA Olive Crown Awards and Founder & CEO, Hungama Digital Media Entertainment:  “Over the next two decades, your entire customer base and your teams  – the talent you are hoping to attract will largely be millennials and Gen Z and we know that they rate a brand’s ethics and sustainability higher than ever before so it will be impossible and impractical to ignore these trends. Brands, media, advertisers, agencies and marketers, essentially the core of the IAA community, have always played a key role in communication for centuries and it is encouraging to note that brands here in India too are taking note and actions toward sustainability and a greener planet in their product offerings.”

     

    Heartbeat Creative Lab, Taiwan bagge four Gold & two Silver followed by Ogilvy with six Silvers at the Olive Crown Awards 2021. The ‘Green Campaign of the Year’- Gold was presented to Bhamla Foundation for their ‘Dhak Dhak Dharti’ campaign while IIFL Home Finance Ltd took away the ‘Green Brand of the Year’-Gold.

     

  • Ramesh Narayan and Partho Dasgupta pay tribute

    Remembering Pradeep Guha

     

     

     

    Ramesh Narayan: My friend, Pradeep

     

    Pradeep proved to me that you could violently disagree with someone and still be friends, writes Ramesh Narayan

     

    Ramesh Narayan

    By Ramesh Narayan

     

    Sometime in the early nineties I signed on for a tour of Spain organised by the India Chapter of the International Advertising Association (IAA). I was a rookie in the advertising industry and I looked in awe at veterans like Mukul Upadhyaya, Amol Bose, Pheroza Bilimoria, Mohini Bhullar and Pradeep Guha. Yes, his reputation preceded him even then.

     

    He was the man who was building up the Times of India Group into this formidable money-making machine.

     

    In a couple of years, we were travelling to Cancun for a World Congress of the IAA. This time, I knew Pradeep slightly better. At London, where we checked in again for the second half of our flight, he sauntered up to the Business Class queue where I was (he was travelling first class) and cautioned me to ensure my bags had been loaded. I did, and when we landed in Cancun, my bags were there, but his weren’t. And so we spent half a day shopping for some basics for him.

     

    And that was the beginning of dozens of flights and trips we did together for a host of reasons. We were the most unlikely friends. He loved shopping, I never shopped. He was an extroverted partygoer, I preferred to be in bed by 11pm.

     

    But it was sometime in the late nineties when India (to be read as Pradeep Guha and Goutan Rakshit) decided to make a bid to bring AdAsia to India that we really became a threesome.

     

    Flashes of incidents come back to me.

     

    I excitedly told him that I had managed to wrest a 15-minute slot at the IAA World Congress in Beirut to pitch the AdAsia. He looked at me and said: “You really think those guys want to see you and me on stage? Let’s get Miss World to invite them instead”. And so Pradeep, Priyanka Chopra, the reigning Miss World and I flew to Beirut. I made the presentation and then Priyanka in her gown and wearing the crown and sash came on to invite the audience to India, promising to meet them there as well.

     

    During the build-up to the AdAsia I was at the Times of India office every day from 2 to 7pm for about six months. The security assumed I was some senior employee and saluted me all the way to Pradeep’s well-designed room. Here, he poured every minute detail that could make this a memorable Congress. From the bus routes to the venue to the staff who would clean the toilets, no detail was too small for him.

    And thanks to his personal goodwill, Mukesh Ambani, Kumarmangalam Birla, Amitabh Bachchan, Priyanka Chopra and Shah Rukh Khan all graced the AdAsia. And his name never appeared in the media. He made me the face of the AdAsia with a sardonic: “I will not allow the TOI to carry my picture. And the other newspapers won’t carry it in any case. So you have to do the honours”.

     

    In 2008, a call from him brought me back from organic farming to my second innings with the advertising industry. He was taking over as President of the IAA and he insisted I be at least a mancom member with him.

     

    In 2011, after the completion of the AdAsia in Delhi, we were driving to an after-party hosted by a friend. I told him of an ethical problem I was facing in accepting a large company which was faced with pollution charges as our sponsor for the fledgling Olive Crown Awards. He listened and quietly said: “I’ll do it”. And for three years after that 9XM sponsored the Awards.

     

    In my year as President of the Rotary Club I asked for speakers, a star Chief Guest for a function at a Municipal school and TV time. He never said no to me.

     

    Even in 2014 when we were organising the silver jubilee Summit of the IAA, I called him and said he should somehow get Shah Rukh Khan to come for the opening session of the conference in Kochi. He just said, “You deliver a jet. I’ll deliver SRK”. And that was it.

     

    On the work front, as President of the AAAI, I was able to recover many longstanding dues from errant clients for our members simply because as regional Chairman of the INS he was happy to arm me with a letter that would place an embargo on the advertising of those clients if they didn’t pay up.

     

    Pradeep had the dubious distinction of being the author of the Page 3 culture. He also helped birth the Bombay Times and though he didn’t personally usher in the era of paid news, he half-heartedly oversaw it. He knew how to make anything into a huge spectacle. The Filmfare awards, the Miss India pageants, even the Bombay Times party. It was the only party people lusted to get invited to. However, through all this he never took his eye off the ball. All these efforts were aimed at brand-building for the various publications of the Times of India group.

     

    Here was a large-hearted man. Sure we had our differences, including one bitter exchange of hot words at KL airport over the theme of the 2019 IAA World Congress. But when the Congress was over and it turned out so well, we were back to our old relationship. Pradeep proved to me that you could violently disagree with someone and still be friends.

     

    Ambi Parameswaran, as President of Advertising Club honoured Goutam, Pradeep and me on stage and called us the Three Musketeers of the advertising industry.

    We lost Goutam last year. Pradeep a couple of days ago, and I stand bereft.

     

    Ramesh Narayan is a veteran and awardwinning industryperson and headed various media industry associations

     

     

    		  

    Partho Dasgupta: Live like a King again, Boss

     

    The outpouring of love, respect, devotion as well as a sense of despair and loss – in words and pictures – in newspapers, and social media posts though don’t do justice to the Man himself, writes Partho Dasgupta

     

    Partho DasguptaBy Partho Dasgupta

     

    It’s amazing to see the various social media posts on PG (The Boss) pouring in through the weekend. So many, just so many have remembered him with their memories of the man who shines today as one of the brightest stars of the media and advertising world out there. The outpouring of love, respect, devotion as well as a sense of despair and loss – in words and pictures – in newspapers, and social media posts though don’t do justice to the Man himself. He is (yes, not using the past tense still) a man who is bigger than all this.

     

    He was a towering personality in the Old lady of Boribunder (Times – VT building) whose presence in every review meeting or otherwise meant one learnt something that day. I still remember presenting The Economic Times  efforts in franchising the brand into regional languages by providing a page of the top news in the local language but with English ET masthead. He taught me never to use the term Vernacular – since it meant the language of the Vernas i.e the slaves. I have always learnt from him how to think strategically, thinking big and to encourage people instead of pulling them up for their mistakes.

     

    The way he gave the Indian event industry a new scale, stature, and glamour, was unprecedented. He was a man who always thought way ahead of his time, encouraged people to perform and partied hard to get amazing results. I still remember the way he organised the Abbys with SRK and stars performing on stage as the President, The Advertising Club. From there on the AdAsia at Jaipur to the recent IAA World Congress at Kochi – he brought the world to recognise and witness the Indian advertising industry at its best. I doubt anyone else could do that.

     

    He was the life of every party. His Diwali do every year was a sought after one and one where most erstwhile colleagues and senior people would meet. A man with excellent relationships, across industries and across levels, he loved to entertain. And lastly the managers he helped groom, the startups he advised, are there across the industry successfully managing their businesses – is the big legacy he left. I doubt we will see another PG again.

     

    Live like a King again, Boss.

     

     

    Partho Dasgupta, former CEO of BARC India, is Management Strategy Consultant and worked with The Times of India for many years
  • Colors and Havas Group to partner discussion

    IAA to host discussion on gender sensitisation in media

    By Our Staff

     

    The India Chapter of the International Advertising Association (IAA) will be hosting a high-powered virtual panel discussion with leaders of the marcom industry on July 27. The subject is Gender in media and the impact on children and their future.

     

    Said Megha Tata, MD- South Asia, Discovery Communications India and President, IAA: “A few weeks ago, we released the toplines of the results of a unique market research conducted on 1000 Indian advertisements by UNICEF and the Geena Davis Foundation. The IAA had facilitated this important research on gender representation in Indian advertising on July 27. UNICEF will present the results in depth, and then there will be a discussion on the implication of these findings on gender in media and the impact on children and their future. This will truly represent industry as the Voice of Change”.

     

    Speaking about the initiative, Nina Elavia Jaipuria, Head – Hindi Mass Entertainment and Kids TV Network, Viacom18 and Co-Chair – Women Empowerment Committee, IAA said: “Conversations and actions go hand in hand when tackling an issue as important and nuanced as gender representation in media and its impact. We are thus bringing together leaders across the ecosystem who can not only identify the change in discourse needed but also have the power to actually bring about that change.”

     

    The panelists include Rana Barua (Hon’ Treasurer, AAAI & Group CEO, Havas Group, India), Subhash Kamath (Chairman, ASCI & CEO, BBH & Publicis Worldwide, India), Atit Mehta (Head of Marketing, BYJU’s), Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari (Artist, Filmmaker and Writer), Kainaz Karmakar (Chief Creative Officer, Ogilvy India), Dr A L Sharada (Director, Population First), Nina Elavia Jaipuria, (Head – Hindi Mass Entertainment and Kids TV Network, Viacom18) & Shreyasi Jha (Senior Advisor – Gender Equality, UNICEF, New York)

     

    Added Shreyasi Jha, Senior Advisor – Gender Equality, UNICEF, New York: “Gender related stereotypes are formed at very young age and prevent adolescents and young people from reaching their full potential. Advertising and media, more broadly, plays a key role in forming and perpetuating stereotypes. UNICEF is delighted to be the knowledge partner with IAA and its members for this important event that is the beginning of a very important journey to promote positive gender roles and practices through advertising so every young person can live a life free from stereotypes and achieve their full potential.”

     

    The discussion has UNICEF as its knowledge partner, Colors as the industry partner, Havas Group as an associate partner and Clutter Cutters as the on-ground knowledge partner.

     

  • Will continue to evolve and face challenges

    IAA India Chapter completes three decades

    By Our Staff

     

    The India Chapter of the International Advertising Association (IAA) completes thirty years in the service of the marcom industry.

     

    Said IAA President Megha Tata: “This is a landmark year for us. The IAA has evolved into what is arguably the most prominent association in the country representing marketing, advertising and the media. We commit ourselves to remaining relevant and doing what is in the best interests of our constituents as well as our consumers. Though we are still in the midst of the pandemic we have rolled our several initiatives and you will see many more beginning this month itself. I salute all the past Presidents and members who have contributed to the growth of IAA.”
    Added Srinivasan K Swamy immediate past president IAA Global: “The India Chapter has been addressed by everyone from the Prime Minister, to several Union Ministers to film and sports celebrities. It has shown its capability to host one of the biggest and best World Congresses ever held. It has a varied bouquet of initiatives and events catering to its wide spectrum of constituents and has been recognized by the IAA World Board as its Best Chapter several times. I wish the members all the very best and exhort them to evolve and face the challenges of a dynamic environment.”

     

    Veteran mediaperson Roger Pereira, the person who brought IAA to India in the first place said: Forty years ago, I still remember reading with rapt attention Prof Theodore Levitt on Globalisation and thought to myself: How could India not possibly be part of it! Founding the India Chapter was certainly the first step. Thank you, RBI Governor IG Patel”.

  • Calls for best practice considerations in dealing with one another

    IAA appeals to the industry for Covid sensitivity

    By Our Staff

     

    The India Chapter of the International Advertising Association (IAA) is appealing to all segments of the industry to take a deep breath in this hour of crisis. The campaign was created by the Madison BMB team of Rohan Joseph CD Copy, Vallabh Yeolekar CD Art, Raj Nair, CEO and CCO.

     

    Megha Tata
    Megha Tata

    Said Megha Tata, President IAA India and Managing Director – South Asia Discovery Communications India: “Yes, we are passing through an unprecedented crisis. There is pain and grief all around us. But as they say, extraordinary times need extraordinary responses. Corporates have responded with alacrity and fortitude to the call of the nation. Money and material is being raised to help those in need. Communication is being used, and will be used, to strike a chord of positivity. And this time around, as a responsible industry Association with a unique mix of members including leaders from the world of marketing advertising and the media, we are appealing to all stakeholders in our industry to deal with one another with a degree of sensitivity, understanding, empathy and kindness. It’s as simple as that. And as important. I thank Raj Nair and his team at Madison BMB for immediately responding to our appeal to prepare a communication campaign that will convey this message to our community.

     

    Nandini Dias

    Added Nandini Dias, Chairperson IAA Leadership Awards Committee and CEO Lodestar UM, India:  “For three years now IAA through a well-managed campaign has been urging industry leaders to save lives by adopting flexi-timings. It evoked a very positive response. This time the challenges are different. We need to rebuild lives and livelihoods irrespective of where you work from or whether you belong to a local or global organization. Our industry members at every level of the corporate ladder are facing unique challenges. And we believe this is the time to introspect, look within, and dip into the reserves of goodness that exist in all of us and create strong foundations for long term renewal.”

     

  • The new date will be communicated in due course

    11th IAA Olive Crown Awards postponed

    By Our Staff

     

    The revised Maharashtra government regulations on events have led to the postponement of IAA India’s Olive Crown Awards.

    Neeraj Roy
    Neeraj Roy

    Said Neeraj Roy, Chairperson of the Olive Crown Awards Committee and a Past President of the IA: “We have been monitoring the rising cases of Covid-19 in our state very closely, which is why we had taken a decision nearly 4 weeks ago to hold the awards with no more than 50 people in attendance and also ensure all safety of our guest and enforce strict social distancing norms. Whilst we are keen to celebrate the success and creative work in a difficult and challenging year like 2020 towards sustainability and a greener planet, nothing is more important to us than the safety and well-being of our members, our invited guests, winners and indeed all stakeholders associated with the IAA Olive Crown Awards.  Late last evening, the government of Maharashtra has issued an order, dated the 15th of March, 2021, stating that “No Social/Political/Religious gatherings to be allowed.  Respectfully we adhere to the guidelines issued by our government and in light of the same, we have taken the decision to postpone the 11th edition of the IAA Olive Crown Awards, which was scheduled to be held on the 19th of March, 2021 at the ITC Maratha Hotel in Sahar, Mumbai.”

    Megha Tata
    Megha Tata

    Added Megha Tata, President IAA, “The Olive Crown Awards ceremony are a big draw, more so since the entire process is run as a cause. We were happy that despite the extraordinary circumstances that prevailed last year, the entries, and more importantly the quality of the entries was encouraging. We will wait for the current situation to improve and then announce the winners at an appropriate event.”

     

     

  • The series is titled Gaming: The Next Big Thing

    IAA presents second series of gaming by Young Professionals

    By Our Staff

     

    IAA Young Professionals (YP) wing of the India Chapter of the International Advertising Association (IAA) presented the second session in the series of Gaming: The Next Big Thing.

    Donning his twin responsibilities, both as Vice President – Digital Innovation IAA Global and Vice President – IAA Young Professionals Development, Janak Sarda, Managing Director, Deshdoot Media Group, India, opened the session, mentioning how Covid has opened up a new vertical – Gaming as the 4th medium!

    Added Abhinay Bhasin, Co-Chair, IAA YP India: ‘The increased proliferation of smartphones coupled with better internet connectivity and increased time spent on content consumption during the lockdown period has made the Gaming Industry in India thrive. From a mere 25 in 2010, the number of online development companies in India has risen to over 250 in 2021 focusing on platforms linked to online games and sports entertainment such as Dream11. This led to the curation by the IAA YP India chapter to bring about awareness and highlight the opportunities within advertising and brand-audience engagement through gaming’

     

     

  • The URL Link for submission of entries is: https://oca2021.awardor.com/.

    Olive Crown last date for entries is Jan 31

    By Our Staff

     

    The India Chapter of the International Advertising Association (IAA) has announced the call for entries for the 11th IAA Olive Crown Awards. The URL Link for submission of entries is: https://oca2021.awardor.com/. Last date of submission of Entries: 31st Jan 2021

     

    Megha Tata

    Said IAA India President Megha Tata: “These are very special awards. They remain the only one of their kind that salutes excellence in communicating sustainability. And as someone who has personally been involved in its journey it gives me a great sense of satisfaction to see its growth and acceptance all over India and Asia. The pandemic focused attention on the environment and I am sure we will get to see some significant work.”

     

    Neeraj Roy

    Added Neeraj Roy, Chairperson of the Olive Crown Awards Committee and Past President of IAA India: “these awards are run as a cause. There is no entry fee. And the new categories like Green NGO of the Year, International Green Campaign of the Year and New Age Green Initiatives got an immediate traction when they were launched last year. Of course the Green Crusader of the year and the Corporate Crusader of the Year are awards that have gained in respect with every passing year.”

  • The events which led to the recent Tanishq advertisement being pulled back are very unfortunate, notes the India Chapter of the International Advertising Association

    IAA India statement on Tanishq ad

    By A Correspondent

     

    The India Chapter of the International Advertising Association (IAA) has issued a statement on the Tanishq ad controversy.

     

    Notes a statement:

     

    “The India Chapter of the International Advertising Association (IAA) strongly reiterates the need to strengthen and safeguard the fundamental right to express and receive commercial expression as guaranteed in Section 19 (1) (A) of the Constitution of India.  Any attempt to stifle this should be condemned in the strongest of terms.

     

    The IAA has always stood for freedom of commercial speech and expression, self-regulation and gender-parity. Our many meaningful initiatives in these areas stand testimony to that commitment. The marcom industry has always used its creative depth to create messages that promote amity, peace and harmony in every area of life and work. The events which led to the recent Tanishq advertisement being pulled back are very unfortunate. While we respect the opinion of every individual on subjective matters, these should not descend to illegal threats and anti-social behaviour.

     

    We appeal to the concerned governments to take a serious view of such intimidating behaviour and take exemplary action where required to ensure that businesses are provided a safe environment to communicate their brand advertising messages and contribute to economic resurgence of the country.

     

    Both AAAI (Advertising Agencies Association Of India) and TAC (The Advertising Club) are also united with India Chapter of IAA (International Advertising Association) on this stand.”

     

  • Punit Goenka (Managing Director & CEO, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd) will continue as a member of the Managing Committee as the Immediate Past President

    IAA India unveils power-packed mancom

    By A Correspondent

     

    The India chapter of the International Advertising Association has announced the names of co-opted members and invited to the Managing Committee of the India Chapter of IAA for the financial year 2020-21. These were done by newly elected President, Megha Tata, Managing Director – South Asia, Discovery Communications India.

     

    Said Tata: “I am delighted to bring together such a wonderful mix of youthful enthusiasm, experience, and diversity in gender, geography and industry-wide representation”

     

    The Mancom members are:

    :: Rana Barua (Chief Executive Officer, Havas Group India),

    :: Ashish Bhasin (CEO, APAC and Chairman India, Dentsu Aegis Network),

    :: Rajiv Kental (President – Marketing, Amar Ujala Publications Ltd)

    :: Rani Reddy (Director, Indira Television Ltd)

    :: Srinivasan K Swamy (Chairman & Managing Director, R K SWAMY BBDO Pvt. Ltd.)

    :: Sam Balsara (Chairman & Managing Director, Madison Communications Pvt. Ltd.)

    :: Umang Bedi (Co-Founder, Dailyhunt)

    :: Dr Bhaskar Das (Group President, Republic TV)

    :: Partho Dasgupta (President, The Advertising Club, Mumbai)

    :: Pradeep Guha (Managing Director, 9x Media Pvt. Ltd.)

    :: Nina Elavia Jaipuria (Head – Hindi and Kids TV Network, Viacom18 Media Pvt. Ltd.)

    :: Alok Jalan (Managing Director, Laqshya Media Group)

    :: Salil Kappoor (Business Unit Head-Appliances, Orient Electric Ltd)

    :: Tarun Katial (CEO, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL)

    :: Anbuchezhiyan K (Independent Communication Consultant, Past President- The Advertsing Club, Madras)

    :: V. Shreyams Kumar (Managing Director, Mathrubhumi PTG & PBG Co. Ltd.)

    :: Sunil Lulla (Chief Executive Officer, BARC India)

    :: Ramesh Narayan (Founder , Canco Advertising Pvt. Ltd.)

    :: Sangeeta Pendurkar (Chief Executive Officer , Pantaloons (Aditya Birla Group)

    :: Kallie Purie (Vice Chairperson, India Today Group)

    :: Neeraj Roy (Managing Director & CEO, Hungama Digital Media Entertainment Pvt. Ltd)

    :: I Venkat (Director, EENADU)

    :: Ashok Venkatramani(Founder -Intelligent Insights Pvt Ltd -a business intelligence tech platform )

     

    Other than Tata, ​at the AGM held on September 28, 2020, the following officebearers were elected:

    :: Pradeep Dwivedi (CEO- Eros India of Eros STX Global Corporation) elected Vice President,

    :: Jaideep Gandhi (Founder -Another Idea) as Hon. Secretary,

    :: Abhishek Karnani (Director-The Free Press Journal) as Hon. Treasurer

     

    Punit Goenka (Managing Director & CEO, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd) will continue as a member of the Managing Committee as the Immediate Past President. ​

     

    The other elected members of the Managing Committee were:

    :: Anant Goenka (Executive Director, The Indian Express (P) Ltd),

    :: Avinash Pandey (CEO, ABP News Network Pvt. Ltd.),

    :: Janak Sarda (Managing Director, Deshdoot Media Group),

    :: Nandini Dias (Chief Executive Officer, Lodestar UM),

    :: Prasanth Kumar (CEO-South Asia GroupM- A WPP Company).

     

  • Dwivedi takes over from Ramesh Narayan who held the position

    Pradeep Dwivedi is elected as IAA VP & Area Director for APAC

    By A Correspondent

     

    Pradeep Dwivedi

    Pradeep Dwivedi, CEO, Eros India of Eros STX Global Corporation, has been elected as the Vice President and Area Director for the International Advertising Association (IAA) APAC region. He is currently Honorary Treasurer and Director of IAA India chapter. Dwivedi takes over from Ramesh Narayan who held the position.

     

    Said Dwivedi: “I am humbled and honoured at the responsibility. I must thank  Mr. Ramesh Narayan for a fruitful and productive tenure as my predecessor in leading IAA APAC wonderfully for the past two years as well as Mr. Srinivasan K Swamy, Chairman & World President, IAA Global  for inspiring me to take on this mandate.  The APAC region has amazing potential and I look forward to working with all the Chapter Presidents to take the ideals of the IAA forward and collectively ensure that IAA remains the harbinger and compass of marketing communications world-wide in a unique post-CoVid19 era, even as we navigate the challenges ahead of us. ”

     

    Added IAA Chairman and World President Srinivasan Swamy: “I am delighted to welcome Pradeep Dwivedi as our Area Director and Vice President for Asia Pacific. He has been an integral part of IAA India chapter for nearly a decade and has been leading many initiatives while building a world-wide network with his commitment to IAA. I wish him all the very best in taking on this leadership responsibility at IAA Global.”

    Said Ramesh Narayan, IAA APAC region’s outgoing VP & Area Director:“ I have always believed in advertising as a potent force for social good, and our actions in IAA APAC have been a testimony to that ethos. I am happy that Pradeep will carry the torch forward with sustained zeal and continue our sincere endeavour. Our best wishes are with him.”