Dentsu, in partnership with Amdocs – a software and services provider, has launched the brand’s first-ever campaign in India. The campaign, ‘Live Amazing. Do Amazing.’, aims to showcase the work culture and opportunities that Amdocs offers to its employees and prospective candidates. The campaign is conceptualised and executed by Dentsu Creative India along with sibling iProspect.
Speaking on the campaign, Gil Rosen, Chief Marketing Officer, Amdocs said: “As technology advances rapidly, so do the expectations of our workforce. Amdocs leads the way by offering more than just jobs; it provides platforms for employees to drive change and shape their futures, making an impact on the world with today’s most cutting-edge technologies. Through this innovative employer brand campaign, kicked off with the Raja Kumari video, we aim to showcase the dynamic work culture of Amdocs and celebrate our people.”
Added Amit Murthy, Vice President, Dentsu Creative India: “In our business, briefs like this come once in a lifetime, allowing the agency to think creatively and uniquely. It is a great collaboration between two major companies in the world transcending borders. The high level of trust and independence we received was genuinely unparalleled, and I feel it is reflected in the ideas and work we have produced.”
Said Jay Mehta, Associate Vice President, iProspect India: “To bring this theme to life, our strategy was based on three key pillars: captivating, engaging, and innovative. We crafted a media architecture intended to seize the audience’s attention through visually striking and immersive experiential platforms. Our aim was to create a holistic brand experience that reaches audiences across multiple touchpoints, igniting engagement and nurturing connections with the brand’s consumers.”
Dentsu released its annual media trends report, titled ‘The Pace of Progress: Dentsu 2024 Media Trends’. Created by gathering insights from its specialists within Carat, Dentsu X and iProspect globally, the new Dentsu report highlights ten key catalysts of change within the media industry which are most likely to set the pace of progress for brands around the world.
With over 40 pages of in-depth commentary, Dentsu 2024 Media Trends extrapolates how Generative AI will be best used to spearhead growth, how monetization of the industry is gaining evermore traction and how genuine integrity in advertising will elevate brands. Not only does the report highlight the key trends within each of these three areas of interest, but it also provides suggestions on how brands can capitalize on them in the short and long term.
• Trend 1 – The rise of generative search
Generative AI will transform how people access information, from search engines to commerce platforms.
• Trend 2 – Creativity reimagined
The augmentation of human creativity through Generative AI in fields such as content and copywriting, as well as image development.
• Trend 3 – Generative optimisations Leveraging Generative AI for simplifying advertising production, targeting, and effectiveness at scale and pace.
The race to monetisation:
2024 will see the intensification of competition between tech platforms. As they strive to better monetise their services in their economic circumstances, platforms will double down on becoming more protective of their data, understanding their users, and stepping up their advertising offerings. This megatrend incorporates:
• Trend 4 – A world of lookalike apps As platforms become progressively similar, attracting audience attention has never been more important for brands.
• Trend 5 – From walled gardens to walled pipes Platforms have a more defensive stance on their data which opens the larger question of the delicate balance between protection and discoverability.
• Trend 6 – The identity refocus
A doubling down on people intelligence by media platforms as third-party cookies approach the end of the line.
• Trend 7 – More ads for more returns
Expansion of advertising into new areas for most platforms, with new formats, opportunities – and risks – emerging as a result.
Integrity economics:
Growth in the next year will not only be about hard economics; it will also be about brands’ sustainable contributions to society. Amid rising societal and political polarisation and climate emergency, building more carbon efficient, diverse, and safe online spaces for people and brands will be central to success. Highlighted through:
• Trend 8 – The new faces of growth With media consumption becoming increasingly diverse and personal, brands must adapt to reflect the needs and identities of audiences and stay relevant.
• Trend 9 – Safer, better, faster, stronger
Amid a fast-moving digital landscape, new developments in brand assurance aim to create safer environments for both people and brands.
• Trend 10 – More attention, fewer emissions
As brands implement carbon media efficiency strategies, optimizing for attention should lead to decarbonisation through optimised and improved impact.
Peter Huijboom
Says Peter Huijboom, Global CEO, Media international markets, Dentsu: “Our own client research has shown that more than 60% of marketers have said they’ve already started engaging with Generative AI in their company*. So, in our Dentsu 2024 Media Trends report it was important for us to identify and introduce the additive advantages, trends and technologies to help them progress in this space.”
Anita Kotwani
Adds Anita Kotwani, CEO Media, South Asia, Dentsu: “Artificial intelligence (AI) is not just a buzzword, but a gamechanger for the media industry. It has the power to automate, optimise, and personalize various aspects of media planning, buying, and execution. It can also unleash the creative potential of media professionals, by enabling them to generate new and engaging content, formats, and experiences for their audiences. This is what we call Generative AI, and it is the focus of our 14th edition of the Media Trends Report. At Dentsu, we take pride in our insightful expertise that keeps us ahead of the competitive curve. We are always exploring new ways to leverage AI for our clients, partners, and employees. The Media Trends Report deep-dives into one of the most disruptive technologies – AI, taking us through the many trends that serve Generative AI on a platter. It aims to enable readers to reshape their work dynamics, tapping into the untapped potential through its many facets.”
The Carlsberg Group appoints iProspect as the new media agency to drive the company’s advertising and marketing campaigns across all markets.
With iProspect’s support, Carlsberg aims to establish an integrated media strategy and execute impactful campaigns that resonate with consumers, ensuring its brands remain relevant and influential across all the Groups markets.
Said Søren Brinck, Chief Commercial Officer at Carlsberg Group: “We are thrilled to have selected iProspect as our global media partner. Their comprehensive, creative, and innovative approach, combined with their range of cutting-edge tools and strategies, convinced us that they are the ideal choice to drive our marketing and our brands’ to new heights. We are eager to collaborate closely with iProspect and leverage their expertise to achieve our objectives.”
Added Amanda Morrissey, Global Client & Brand President, iProspect: “Sometimes things just feel right and ‘click’. For us, this was an immediate reaction from our entire international team, across all markets, when we started this pitch process with Carlsberg and, we understood straightaway what needed to be done. With a shared passion for the brands and their success, an ambition to create new opportunities to create meaningful connections with the consumer and a cultural connection that united us, we felt the spirit of partnership throughout. We can’t wait to get started and work together to create some of the best media work in the industry.”
Vinod Thadani, Chief Digital Growth Officer, Media, Dentsu India & CEO, iProspect India said: “We are proud to have the Carlsberg Group as a client. The strategies presented are deeply rooted in the agency’s vision blended with a future-centric approach. We are excited to produce some fantastic innovation-led, tech-enabled media campaigns that will provide a huge thrust to the brand to reach its business objectives. Congratulations to the entire team for their tireless work on the pitch.”
IProspect, the digital-first end-to-end media agency from Dentsu India, has launched ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India’s (AM/NS India) latest campaign titled ‘Reimagineering’. The campaign’s objective is to raise awareness and build imagery of a global new-age steel manufacturer committed to creating a brand-new future for the industry, people, and the planet.
Speaking on the campaign, Bibek Chattopadhyay, Head – Communications, ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India said: “We embarked on a journey almost a year back to craft the corporate identity and design for AM/NS India – a venture between ArcelorMittal and Nippon Steel, two of the most valued brands in the metal and mining space worldwide. With the 360-degree campaign, entailing media formats, we unveil a Young, Dynamic, Smart, Thoughtful, and Global architecture that elevates the brand presentation. Reimagineering – one world that eloquently puts forth our ambitions for the market we are privileged to serve – is rudimentary to our concept and reflects our brand philosophy, ‘Smarter Steels, Brighter Futures’.”
Added Vinod Thadani, CEO, IProspect and Chief Digital Growth Officer, Dentsu Media: “We are extremely proud to be part of this amazing campaign. The beauty of the campaign is in synchronization of 6 very impactful KVs, a powerful and visually delighted TVC with melodious background score and multiple format renditions across touchpoints. We planned the campaign such a way so that each touchpoint complement each other to establish the core proposition of the brand. I am confident post this campaign, AM/NS brand awareness will be enhanced significantly.”
iProspect, the digital-first end-to-end media agency from Dentsu India, has won the digital mandate for multiple countries of the leading online career and recruitment resource – Monster.com.
Commenting on the win, Saurabh Srivastava, CMO, Monster.com, APAC & ME said: “Monster is bracing itself for a new growth journey as it evolves into an end-to-end talent management platform in the months to come. A household name for jobseekers across countries and a preferred talent discovery platform for recruiters, Monster continues to invest in innovative tech product offerings and services that are continuously improving the experience of its users across the web and mobile app. As we move ahead with our renewed aspiration of catering to the diverse requirements of an evolving job market, we are confident that partnering with the best of minds from the digital marketing space will help us create the much-needed brand resonance and equity with our existing and prospective users across emerging markets.”
Added Vinod Thadani, CEO, iProspect and Chief Digital Growth Officer, Dentsu Media: “Monster is a great brand that has been in the market for many years and has established itself as a great engagement platform for users who are looking for jobs and progressing in their careers. At iProspect, we look forward to deploying our innovative and data-driven digital marketing solutions to deliver the right engagement for the brand with its digital audience.”
iProspect has appointed Nitin Sabharwal as Managing Partner, North. He will also lead the agency’s affiliate marketing function, nationally.
As per the mandate, Sabharwal will be responsible for client relationship management, business operations and new channel development. He will report to Vinod Thadani, CEO iProspect India & Digital Growth Officer India, Dentsu Media.
Speaking on the appointment, Thadani said: “Nitin embodies iProspect’s vision efficaciously. With his understanding of our clients, industry and the market, he is undoubtedly the successor for the role. We look forward to welcoming him at iProspect and working with stakeholders to unlock greater potential and empowering our clients to make better and swifter decisions. I am confident that he will lead the organisation to greater heights and accelerate the momentum of growth.”
Commenting on his new role, Sabharwal added: “I am really excited to work with the leadership team at iProspect. This is a great opportunity to carry forward the torch of digital performance marketing for brands in India. I am also looking forward to building new channels of performance delivery via strategic partnerships along with creating a robust team that is client-focused, data-driven, and insight-oriented.”
iProspect has announced that it has been named global media partner for all Kering luxury brands and goods. iProspect will be responsible for managing all end-to-end media planning and buying, integrated across brand and performance. It will operate as a media partner across all 42 markets where Kering has a media presence, and gradually take charge over Q1 2022.
Said Amanda Morrissey, iProspect Global Brand President: “Enhancing our strong partnership with Kering is an amazing win for iProspect, one which propels our existing relationship onto a global stage. As the end-to-end agency, with the full scope of Brand & Performance Media, our passionate team looks forward to working with one of the most innovative, digital first, and data driven luxury brands in the world.”
Dentsu has announced its intent to integrate iProspect and Vizeum to create a new media agency under the iProspect banner. Meanwhile, Carat and Dentsu X clients will continue to access digital performance services through the Dentsu Media Scaled Services.
The new iProspect entity will be led by Global President Amanda Morrissey, bringing together more than 8,000 media and performance specialists across 93 key global markets.
Said Amanda Morrissey: “iProspect is designed for clients at the intersection of brand and performance. We believe brand drives performance, and performance drives brand. We no longer exist in an ecosystem where these elements can be planned and bought separately. We must look at business and brand goals through a combined lens, bringing accelerated growth for our clients. By focusing on how consumers behave in their digital world and applying that to real world scenarios via a highly connected and creative use of all channels, we position our clients to combine the learnings from the short and long term to drive more effective business growth today and tomorrow.”
The new agency will now be launched through a phased market plan over a three-month period with a target completion date of March 31, 2021.
And how will things be impacted in India? Well, for that we’ll have to watch and wait.
IProspect India, the digital marketing agency from the house of dentsu international, has bagged the account of HarperCollins Publishers, one of the world’s largest book publishing companies. The agency bagged the account following a multi-agency pitch and will service the brand from its Delhi office.
As per the mandate, IProspect India will handle the Paid Media (which includes all biddable platforms like Google Search & Display, Programmatic, Facebook and Amazon) and SEO duties for the brand.
Rubeena Singh
Commenting on the win, Rubeena Singh, CEO, IProspect India said: “HarperCollins is one of the big five English language publishing companies. As consumption of content has shifted significantly to digital, IProspect is happy to help the brand strengthen its digital presence through its expertise in integrated content and digital marketing.”
Added Subhashree Das, Deputy General Manager – Digital Marketing, HarperCollins: “If you’re looking for a book on almost any subject, there’s a HarperCollins book for you out there. And so, the logical next step in our digital strategy was to ensure that our books became easily discoverable to anyone looking for them online. IProspect brings onboard their tremendous experience in performance marketing and we are confident that their strategic approach will go a long way in growing our business and ensuring that the right book reaches the right reader.”
HDFC Life has announced a tie-up with Google to restructure HDFC Life’s campaigns thereby making them run better with automation. HDFC Life said that this effort has worked well and generated positive results.
Through this collaboration, HDFC Life, along with its agency partner, iProspect, has been able to leverage machine learning built into Google Ads to target potential customers with relevant ads through fewer search marketing campaigns and targeting groups.
Speaking about the collaboration, Vishal Subharwal, EVP e-commerce and Digital Marketing, HDFC Life, said: “Technology is the way ahead for life insurance. We have a very clear focus when it comes to reaching out to consumers. We have always believed that our investments in technology will yield results. Keeping this in mind, we have collaborated with industry leaders who have enabled us to achieve our goals. This joint engagement with Google and iProspect has yielded superior results in terms of increase in ROI and decrease the lead costs. This is in line with our continuous endeavour to enhance our reach and offer financial security to more individuals.”
Speaking about the effort, Vikas Agnihotri, Country Director, Google India, said “With the evolution of technology, brands today are able to optimise their campaigns and get better results and higher return on investments through machine learning. Working closely with HDFC Life Insurance and their agency, our teams were able to simplify the Search Marketing campaigns using automation. Thanks to automation the volume of target groups (i.e. ad groups) reduced by 500X and the teams are now focusing their time on creative experimentation and building further on this success.”
As part of One@DentsuAegis, a programme developed to support diversity and innovation across the business, Dentsu Aegis Network, and its digital agency iProspect, have formalised an initiative to mentor female start-ups in India.
The initiative – Female Foundry – will launch in the country after its successful run in Singapore.
Female Foundry aims to drive diversity and inclusion in business. It provides access to tools, training, connections and resources, empowering female entrepreneurs to thrive in today’s complex digital economy.
In India, Rubeena Singh, CEO, iProspect India will be running the initiative with an extended leadership team from across Dentsu Aegis Network and strategic business partners which include clients and other third parties.
Talking about the initiative, Singh said: “As you know, iProspect has women leaders across its offices in the world. Internally, we run various programmes to help women reach the leadership programmes. Take Women@iprospect, for instance, which caters to junior and mid-level women who have a capability to be a leader tomorrow. Female Foundry is more than just an initiative for us. We are leading the programme in India, along with the help of DAN leadership and resources as well as our partners who have volunteered, to help build a more cohesive ecosystem for women entrepreneurs.”
Added Ashish Bhasin, CEO Greater South, Dentsu Aegis Network and Chairman & CEO India: “DAN as a network has been at the forefront of encouraging and supporting entrepreneurs. Women play an important role in every aspect of business today – from leading companies to building new ventures. We are proud to bring Female Foundry to India as we believe that getting the right mentorship is necessary for anyone to grow especially in today’s competitive world. To succeed in what ones believes in needs constant learning. And I believe that the day one does that, it is the day we stop growing – personally or professionally.”
iProspect India has roped in Abhishek Balsara and Vineet Sawant as AVP – Analytics and Director of Technology, respectively. Based out of Mumbai, both Balsara and Sawant will report to Karan Jaitapkar, EVP – Technology, to strengthen the agency’s martech division.
Commenting on the agency’s latest appointments, Rubeena Singh, CEO, iProspect said: “At iProspect, we believe in delivering data-driven integrated marketing solutions to our clients. And with Abhishek and Vineet joining the martech team, I believe we are now a force to reckon with. Both bring with them a rich experience in digital technology and will play an integral part in our next phase of growth.”
