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Tag: Infosys

  • For the Brand and Infosys' Digital Innovation

    Infosys onboards Rafael Nadal as ambassador

    By Our Staff

     

    Infosys announced a three-year partnership with Rafael Nadal. The global tennis star is a perfect embodiment of what it takes individuals or business leaders to evolve and continually navigate their next.

     

    To mark this – Nadal’s first-ever collaboration with a digital services company – Infosys and Nadal’s coaching team are developing an AI-powered match analysis tool. This personalized tool will be available in real time to Nadal’s coaching team to simultaneously track insights from his live matches, when he is back on tour, along with historical data from his earlier matches.

     

    In addition, Infosys’ partnerships with tennis have also extended to serve communities around the world, a good example being STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education, made engaging through the lens of tennis, to enable young children to develop a deeper appreciation for STEM studies together with Tennis Australia.

     

    Salil Parekh, Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director, Infosys, said, “It is an honor to welcome Rafa – one of the world’s most respected champion athletes and humanitarians – as an ambassador for Infosys. He is someone who personifies the spirit of always evolving, never giving up, utmost dedication and determination to give the very best in every situation. We are inspired by his approach, and it reflects our own aspirations to continuously evolve and always remain relevant for our clients.”

     

  • To reinforce its brand purpose

    Infosys launches new sonic identity

    By Our Staff

     

    Infosys has unveiled its sonic brand identity, the auditory equivalent of its blue visual identity and logo.

     

    Said Sumit Virmani, EVP and Global Chief Marketing Officer, Infosys: “As more of our stakeholders interact with brands through digital channels, and more brands continue to crowd digital spaces, the Infosys tune will serve as an auditory reinforcement of our unique brand identity. It will also help deepen the emotional connection our stakeholders have with Infosys by cueing in the promise of opportunity creation that is integral to our brand purpose.

     

  • Pushes HDFC Bank to #2 in Kantar BrandZ India rankings

    TCS is India’s Most Valuable Brand

     

     

    By Our Staff

     

    Tata Consultancy Services (US$45.5 billion) is the new number one most valuable Indian brand, claiming the top spot from HDFC Bank (no.2, $32.7bn) which had held the position since the first ranking was unveiled in 2014. TCS’s brand value has been accelerated by global demand for automation and digital transformation following the pandemic.

     

    The Top 10 Most Valuable Indian Brands together contribute just over half of the ranking’s total value. There has been significant movement at the top, in addition to the two most valuable brands switching positions. There are two new entrants – Infosys ($29.2bn) which has rocketed up to no.3 from 12th position, and ICICI Bank ($11bn) which has climbed two places to no.9. State Bank of India ($13.6bn) has also risen four places to no.6.

     

    There are brands from 23 different categories in the 2022 Indian Top 75. There are a total of 14 newcomers , from 11 categories – including online gaming, education, apparel and real estate, reflecting the diversity and dynamism of the Indian economy.

     

    India’s strongest brands have bounced back from the pandemic to increase their brand value by a massive 35% CAGR since 2020, when COVID-19 hit the country. India’s top 75 brands are worth a combined $393 billion, equivalent to 11% of India’s national GDP.

     

    Technology and Banking brands account for over half of the total value. Six B2B Tech brands and 11 Consumer Tech brands contribute 35% to the total value of the ranking, reflecting the rise of Tech India. Overall, B2B brands (tech, payments) are on average almost three times as valuable as B2C brands, reflecting the fact that many of the B2B brands play on the global stage while B2C are more focused on the domestic market. Six banking brands deliver 19% of the total value. Also notable for their performance are Insurance brands, which have performed well as the pandemic increased consumers’ focus on protection of life and health and Telecom Providers, led by Airtel (No.4; $17.4bn) and Jio (No.10; $10.7bn), which took full advantage of growth opportunities as everything moved online, from education to work to parties.

     

    Key newcomers to the ranking include Vi (No.15; $6.5bn); formed from a merger between Vodafone and Idea, Byju’s (No.19: $5.5bn), the educational technology brand that has become India’s most valuable education brand, and Adani Gas (No.21; $4,5bn).

     

    Said Deepender Rana, Executive Managing Director- South Asia, Insights Division, Kantar: “India’s leading brands have grown at an exceptional rate, despite global economic headwinds, putting the disruption from COVID-19 behind them. Indeed, they have both driven and benefited from the transformation in consumer and business behaviour as a result of COVID-19, especially where it relates to the use of technology. The challenge now is to sustain momentum as inflation bites worldwide and consumers and businesses adjust to the new normal. Brand owners will need to work harder to identify and build on what makes worth paying for and ensure ROI on their marketing expenditure to avoid a margins squeeze.”

     

    Kantar BrandZ has identified Four Fundamentals responsible for powering brand growth: Function, Convenience, Experience and Exposure. India differs from other markets around the world, however, in that a brand’s sustainability credentials and purpose matter more.

     

    Overall, 65% of Indians feel anxious about climate change, and 64% believe businesses must play their part. The highest-ranking brands in the Top 75 are clear on purpose and have a relevant sustainability agenda. These include services platform Zomato (No.30; $3.1bn), which offsets the carbon footprint of its deliveries and packaging. Swiggy (No.20; $4.8bn) elevates consumers’ quality of life with speedy delivery of meals, groceries and healthy items, as does Flipkart (No.12; $8.9bn), while also helping smaller local brands to connect with consumers via its platform.

     

    Added Soumya Mohanty, Managing Director, Insights Division, Kantar: “Purposeful and sustainable brands are rewarded. Indian consumers look further than the brand attributes that affect them personally – they want brands to improve people’s lives and have a positive impact on wider society. They vote with their wallets, choosing brands they see as ‘doing the right thing’. Indian brands should have a clear view of their purpose, connect strongly with it by embedding it in their culture, talk about it in creative and powerful ways, and deliver on it – without fail.”

     

    Salience – the ability of brands to spring quickly to mind when a consumer has a need – is also vitally important. India’s Top 10 brands are far more salient than their counterparts in most other countries. However, for growth to be supercharged, brands must also have strong meaning as well. They should have functional meaning – doing a good job of fulfilling a need – but also a layer of emotional meaning. The Kantar BrandZ India Top 75 far exceed other Indian brands on all these of these vital predictors of success.

     

    Other key highlights from the analysis include:

    :: 57 of the brands in the 2022 Top 75 have been in the ranking since 2018, while 19 have moved up the league table.

    :: The share prices of companies behind strong brands are protected in a ‘bear’ market and recover more quickly. Between August 2014 and June 2022, the SENSEX India Index gained 63.8%, while a portfolio of the most valuable Indian brands rose 81.8%.

     

    There are eleven consumer tech brands in the Top 75, reflecting the increasingly digital way Indian consumers live, which is 11% of the total brand value. The four most valuable brands in this category are Flipkart (No. 12; $8.9bn), Byju’s (No. 19; $5.5 bn), Swiggy (No. 20; $4.8bn) and Nykaa (No. 25; $3.7bn).

     

  • Infosys' acquisition of Wongdoody is yet another threat to communication groups, writes Prabhakar Mundkur

    So what do we make of Infosys gobbling up Wongdoody?

     

    By Prabhakar Mundkur

     

    Prabhakar Mundkur

    The acquisition of Wongdoody for the Infosys Consulting Group could mean two things:

    1. Infosys is serious about the consulting business which has hitherto been a bit of a weak spot for them.

    2. The threat of the consulting-creative shop is closer back home for the communication groups in general.

     

    Not surprising. When Salil Parikh took over as CEO, many industry analysts predicted that he would strengthen the Infosys consulting business given his experience in consulting with Capgemini. His other strength was that he had worked in Europe for Capgemini, again a weak spot for Infosys whose primary strength has been the US.

    It did seem certain that Infosys could get more acquisitive and this was something that perhaps Salil Parikh would understand better than anyone else at Infosys. Capgemini’s successful consulting business accounted for 4% of its revenue. In comparison, Infosys has been struggling with the consulting business although they took a view to revive it in 2016. So the acquisition of Wongdoody makes more than good sense. No doubt the sale of Panaya and Skava announced recently will help fund this acquisition. It is indeed a smart move by Infosys to add value to its existing offering.

    The Infosys-Wongdoody combine is yet another emerging threat to the large communication groups like WPP, Omnicom and Publicis who have seen a slew of consulting groups joining the fray to acquire creative and digital capabilities.

    Scott Sorokin, the global head of Infosys’ digital arm is known to have said: “Their creative excellence and reputation for driving engaging digital customer experiences that operate at the intersection of advertising, retail, technology, and design precede them. I’m personally excited to work closely with the Wongdoody team to strengthen our customer experience capabilities and bring new thinking, talent, and innovation to our global clients.” For Wongdoody applying their creativity and design capabilities in new ways with Infosys’s technological capabilities creates a win-win situation for both.

    Large communication groups like WPP had been initially dismissive of the threat from the consultancy business. Sir Martin Sorrell is famously known to have said consultancies can’t buy “culture”. But with the sudden resignation of Sorrell, one looks forward to a new leader at WPP who can push back the emerging consulting threat for communication groups in general. And of course, push back the threat for WPP which has seen its stock price plummet by 35% from its 2015 high.

    But what is happening in the meantime to the advertising agency and the communication groups? Advertising agencies for a long time now have devalued their own services by charging less than they are worth. Add to this the unfair price competition with every agency trying to undercut every other agency. Their current weaknesses have allowed them to let clients disrupt their business model.

    The Chief Disruptor of the agency business model seems to be not the agencies themselves but a client. Mark Pritchard, Chief Brand Officer for P & G, has pooled three of his agencies into one creative agency called People First. Responsible for creating the Tide Super Bowl commercial in 2018 which was certainly not the best Tide commercial to date, it is keeping industry observers busy while they wait in great expectation to see what good comes out of it. But one thing that disruptors like Pritchard seem hell-bent on doing is to disrupt what they call the Mad Men model. Who would have thought that one famous television serial could have created so many demons around us wanting to decimate the quintessential character of the advertising business?

    You may not want to believe it. But to sum up, with all the emerging threats on the communication groups, including clients like Pritchard who want to disrupt their business models, the threat of consulting groups taking over a slice of the business from communication groups might be closer home than we think.

     

     

  • The shortlist includes 88 cutting-edge campaigns hailing from different parts of the country

    Shortlists for Indian Marketing Awards announced

    By A Correspondent

     

    Dabur, BJP, Infosys, HUL, Satyamev Jayate topped the list of campaigns shortlisted for the Indian Marketing Awards 2014 (IMA), which will be handed out at the awards gala on December 12 at Hotel Leela, Gurgaon. The shortlist includes 88 cutting-edge campaigns hailing from different parts of the country and reflects the finest work in setting new standards of marketing excellence today, while also pointing to the trends that will drive tomorrow’s marketing arena.

     

    The first part of the two-stage judging process was completed last week by a pre-screening jury comprising of leading industry leaders. The members of the pre-screening jury include Debabrata Mukherjee of Coca Cola, Vivek Sharma of Philips, Dinesh Garg of TTK Prestige, Prabhakar Tiwari of Ceat India, Aarti Ahuja of TCNS Clothing, Girish Shah of Godrej Properties, Sandipan Ghosh of Ruchi Soya Group, Anshul Punhani of Monster.com, Sandeep Aurora of Intel, Apurva Chamaria of HCL, Devendra Chawla of Future Retail and Saujanya Shrivastava of Bharti Axa Life Insurance.

     

    The IMA jury is headed by Vinita Bali, former Managing Director, Britannia and the jury members include RanjanKapur, Country Manager – India at WPP; Prema Sagar, Principal & Founder at Genesis Burson-Marsteller; Thomas Puliyel, President at IMRB International, Mumbai; Vijay Subramaniam, Managing Director – India & South East Asia, Bacardi India; Kamal Bali, Managing Director, Volvo India; Dr. Amarnath Anantha narayanan, Managing Director & CEO, Bharti AXA General Insurance; Amit Burman, Vice Chairman, Dabur; Geetu Verma, Executive Director – Foods & Refreshments, HUL; HaritNagpal, CEO, Tatasky; Sangeeta Pendurkar, Managing Director, Kellogg and Saugata Gupta, Managing Director & CEO, Marico.

     

    350 entries were received across 14 categories, which comprise Brand Activation; Brand Extension; Brand Revitalisation; Business-to-Business Marketing; Cause Related Marketing; Consumer Insight; Customer Relationship Marketing; Digital Marketing, Social Media, Mobile Marketing; E-Commerce; Global Marketing; Marketing Communication; Marketing on a Small Budget; New Brand, Product or Service Launch and Not-For-Profit Marketing.

     

    Leading communication agencies Contract Advertising, Genesis Burson-Marsteller and Landor have partnered with Indian Marketing Awards 2014. The awards are presented by Hindustan Times and powered by Colors, VIACOM 18.

     

    Anurag Batra

    Announcing the shortlisted campaigns, Anurag Batra, Chairman & Editor-in-Chief, Exchange4media group, said, “Indian Marketing Awards is our biggest and most prestigious competition, aimed at advancing the marketing profession and identifying the emerging trends in marketing. The awards will be presented to organizations, individuals and teams who have achieved extraordinary success from innovative and effective marketing practices, having regard to the particular circumstances of different industries and diversity of marketing programs”.

     

    “Indian Marketing Awards 2014 offers the chance for the next benchmark to be set for marketing effectiveness within the country. We have an exciting mixture of work on the shortlist and we will watch with interest to see which pieces the jury deem worthy of being elevated to prize winning status and in turn, set the new precedent,” says Vinita Bali, Non-Executive Director CRISIL, Titan Industries Ltd., The Wadia Group Companies and Piramal Glass Limited.

     

  • Entrepreneur Guru Mantra lecture series’ second edition in Mumbai with Phaneesh Murthy.

    2nd Guru Mantra with Phaneesh Murthy

    By A Correspondent

    Entrepreneur magazine in association with Client Associates is presenting the second edition of its Guru Mantra lecture series with Phaneesh Murthy, CEO of iGate Patni, better known as the man who built a US$1 billion empire in just seven years.

    An alumnus of the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad and Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Murthy began his journey in 1992 as a part of Infosys. His contribution to Infosys has been widely regarded as one of the major reasons why Infosys became the IT giant that represented the booming Indian economy along with other luminaries. Since his exit from Infosys in 2002, Murthy has served first as the founder of US-based consulting firm Primentor and then as the co-founder of Quintant Services in 2003.

    The latter was acquired by iGate in 2003, bringing Mr Murthy to the top of a major IT giant once again. At iGate, Mr Murthy has helped to improve the company’s performance by bringing in a new management team, changing the firm’s business models, putting emphasis on higher offshore revenue contribution, increasing resource utilization, amongst other measures.

    Mr Murthy also spearheaded iGate’s acquisition of Patni Computers, the sixth largest IT company in India for US$1.22 billion, creating an IT behemoth that employs a talent pool of 26000 people to deliver solutions to 360 Fortune 1000 clients across the Americas, Europe- Middle East-Africa, and Asia-Pacific.

    Mr Murthy will be talking to a select gathering of established entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, and corporate executives at the ITC Grand Central, Parel on October 18, 2011 at 7.30 pm. The talk will be followed by an interactive Q&A session on the Indian entrepreneurial ecosystem with the audience, where Murthy will discuss his trials and tribulations as an entrepreneur and what it takes to succeed in the modern economy.

    Registration for the event is at entrepreneurindia.in/gurumantra.

    MxM Media will help to take the event to the relevant online community as the Online Media partner.

    Organized by Entrepreneur magazine, Guru Mantra is a lecture series that celebrates the spirit of entrepreneurship, organized at premium venues across different cities. Every session has a successful entrepreneur as the guest mento who shares his or her entrepreneurial journey with the attendees, followed by a Q&A session where the attendees get a chance to ask questions specific to their business.