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Tag: Madhukar Kamath

  • According to Madhukar Kamath, group CEO and managing director, DDB Mudra Group, Maatra is the first attempt by an Indian marketing communications group.

    Maatra to be rebranded Gutenberg Networks India

    By Ravi Balakrishnan

     

    Following close on the heels of shopper marketing specialist TracyLocke and brand consultancy Interbrand, a third specialised offering from the Omnicom group comes to India via DDB Mudra – Gutenberg Networks. Maatra, a company that exists within DDB Mudra will be rebranded Gutenberg Networks India.

     

    According to Madhukar Kamath, group CEO and managing director, DDB Mudra Group, Maatra is the first attempt by an Indian marketing communications group to hive off the functions usually performed by an in-house studio into a separate successful brand.

     

    Its offering includes premedia services, translation, website localisation and film adaptation. Maatra’s offerings sync well with those of Gutenberg Networks, which has 1,200 employees globally and counts Philips, Pepsico Tropicana and Volkswagen among its clients.

     

    Source:The Economic Times

    Copyright © 2012, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved

     

  • Published by Fingerprint, Life In A Rectangle is a candid memoir where adman Sujit Sanyal narrates some revealing, some intriguing and other whacky stories about the advertising world from his Clarion days

    Today’s ad industry is all about business: Sanyal

    By A Correspondent

     

    Title Waves, the new bookstore at Bandra, Mumbai was teeming with several old-timers who are associated in some way or the other with Sujit Sanyal, a former advertising veteran who worked with Clarion Advertising in old Calcutta. The occasion was the launch of Mr Sanyal’s debut book – Life In A Rectangle, The World Around 55BMirza Ghalib Street.

     

    The launch was made special by the presence of Madhukar Kamath of DDB Mudra – an ex-Clarionite himself who was among the four individuals with an MBA qualification to have joined the agency when it was at the zenith of its success – who unveiled the book to the gathering.

     

    Published by Fingerprint, Life In A Rectangle is a candid memoir where adman Sujit Sanyal narrates some revealing, some intriguing and other whacky stories about the advertising world from his Clarion days, his first agency, which he joined as a trainee and whose Kolkata branch he later went on to lead.

     

    When asked on the factors that led him to script a book on his days at Clarion, Mr Sanyal said: “Life in a Rectangle happened while I was toying with the idea of writing a book on my formative days in advertising. The book is a fun reading piece that chronicles the advertising era of the 70s and 80s in Calcutta.”

     

    On the choice for the name of the book, Mr Sanyal said that “the name for the book came from my mentor who said that all advertising that you see today are flashed on screens that are rectangle in shape, be it television, computer, mobile, magazine, i-Pad, etc.”

     

    According to Mr Sanyal, what made him even more convinced to write a book on the agency with a glorious past is because at one point in time, Clarion Advertising was India’s No 2 agency after HTA (now JWT). “That was around mid-70s to early 80s. In the early 80s, it started falling apart due to differences between theUnion, the Management and the Board. In fact, the agency had seen downfall on many occasions and I, myself, was there during a couple of occasions. Once when I was a newbie and the second time when I was heading Clarion’s profit-sharing centre from Calcutta and I saw the fall from a much closer distance. So since I was writing the book, I said to myself why not add these bits of information too.”

     

    Mr Sanyal added that there are just 2-3 people whom he has slam-banged, but the others have been given due credit for playing an influential role in his life. Highlighting the era of advertising that existed in those days also served as an inspiration for him to pen down his thoughts: “In those days, a man was judged by the way he used to hold his drink. But all that has changed today. I am not at all in favour of the pub-going trends of today where it is about ‘wham bam thank you ma’am’; holding your drink in a particular fashion was an art in those days. Also, we were unofficially trained on how to be a bartender. So if there was a client who came and he was drinking whiskey with water, it was our job to see that he kept getting his refills and not asking him on what else would you have. It was all great fun and at the same time you had to work too. The days of yesteryears were so much more exciting.”

     

    Admitting the factors that have led the industry to undergo a sea-change, Mr Sanyal stated: “The advent of technology has made things a bit easier for everyone in advertising. The times have really changed today. Anyone who has a mobile and a laptop becomes a filmmaker and can do his own work at his own pace. But this has also led to things becoming more clinical; everything now has got into a box including media plans that are largely TRP-driven.”

     

    Being direct, Mr Sanyal didn’t hesitate when asked on his views on the state of the advertising industry today: “The advertising industry today is all about business. There are a few legends who still are wowing the industry with their work but they will all go away.  At the end of the day what are you doing in advertising – you are playing with human emotions. Also, what is happening is that I may have a relative who is the boss of a big client company but he cannot give me the business because the diktats are decided by people who sit across the transatlantic ocean. In a nutshell, globalisation is taking its toll on the industry. They are not allowing the Indian agencies to grow.”

     

    Still basking in the accolades that are coming his way from friends and family over the first book, Mr Sanyal is already tempted into writing a second book that may see the light of the day soon. If he were to go by suggestions thrown up by his friends at the venue, it would well be a book on his first job at Junior Statesman (JS, as it was popularly known), a magazine that was far ahead of its time.

     

    Life in a Rectangle: The world around 55B, Mirza Ghalib street; published by Fingerprint Publishing; price Rs 395/-

     

  • Dr Rao comes to MICA from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad.

    IIM prof Dr Nagesh Rao is MICA Director

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Mudra Foundation is pleased to announce Dr. Nagesh Rao’s appointment as a Director of MICA (Mudra Institute of Communications, Ahmedabad). He comes to MICA from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, (IIM-A). MICA,India’s premier communications management institute, was established in 1991. The institute’s foundation lies in being an innovative and creative school addressing the needs of an ever-changing marketing and communications environment.

     

    Dr. Rao has done his doctorate in communication fromMichiganStateUniversityin 1994. Over the past twenty years, he has taught in several US universities, including University of Maryland, Ohio University and University of New Mexico. In each of these universities, Dr. Rao was voted the Teacher of the Year at the university-level, and was voted “University Professor” in 2002. He has also been a visiting professor at Bangkok University, Zayed University (U.A.E) and Hong Kong Baptist University. He has been faculty, from 1996, in the prestigious Summer Institute of Intercultural Communication, teaching professionals from all over the world about different aspects of intercultural competence.

     

    Dr. Rao’s work has been published in internationally reputed communication and health journals, including Communication Monographs, International Journal of Intercultural Relations, and Studies in Family Planning. He has served as a consultant or a trainer for Siemens India, NextGen Health Care, Price Waterhouse Coopers, England, Johns Hopkins University Medical School, and North western University Medical School, US.

     

    He has worked on research projects funded by the National Institutes of Health(NIH), the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (AHCPR) and the National Institute for Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). “Dr. Rao has achieved outstanding success in his field of specialization. Given his varied international experience and prolific achievements, we look forward to his steering the Institute over the next several years and taking it from its pre-eminent position as a leading Communication Management school in India to a globally recognised school,” said Madhukar Kamath, Chairman, Mudra Foundation on the appointment.

     

    On joining MICA as the Director, Dr. Rao said: “It is with honour and pride, I accept the position of Director, MICA, a premier communications management institute in the country. With its outstanding Governing Council, faculty, staff and students, I look forward to taking MICA to greater heights – both nationally and internationally.” MICA (Mudra Institute of Communications, Ahmedabad) is India’s No. 1 communications management school nestled in a 20-acre campus in Ahmedabad. Since its inception more than a decade ago, MICA has produced over 900 advertising, communications & marketing professionals and was ranked the 3rd best private business school in the country by Outlook India magazine’s ‘Best B-School Survey 2009’.

     

  • She will be responsible for building both the DDB Mudra and Mudra brands in Delhi.

    Vandana Das to join DDB Mudra, Delhi as President

    By A Correspondent

     

    Vandana Das, President and Branch head at Brand David, a sister agency of Ogilvy, is all set to come on board the DDB Mudra Group as President. She will be responsible for building, both, the DDB Mudra and Mudra brands in Delhi.  She brings with her more than two decades of experience including more than fifteen years at Ogilvy.

     

    A post graduate in Psychology and Business Administration, Ms Das is credited with the significant growth that Ogilvy Delhi has enjoyed in the last few years. Besides successfully turning around many Dabur brands across the hair care, skin care, oral care and home care categories, she launched the hugely successful Maruti Zen Estillo Little box campaign, a completely integrated effort that spanned television, print, OOH, digital as well as rural marketing.

     

    She played a significant role in transforming Limca from an uninspiring brand to a very refreshing drink for the youth. She has also worked on Costa Coffee, Hindustan Times and Four Square Cigarettes. At Ogilvy Delhi, Vandana also served as a training leader.

     

    Speaking on the new development, Madhukar Kamath, Group CEO and MD of the DDB Mudra Group said: “I am glad that Vandana is coming on board. I look forward to working closely with her. In the Group, we are keen on building our Delhi operations around her. I was impressed with not just her dynamic leadership capabilities, but also her boundless energy and lively people skills. Both, in terms of culture and mindset, she will be a great fit and asset within the DDB Mudra Group.”

     

    Vandana Das said; “It has been great working with Ogilvy for the past 17 years and my time spent has been very enriching and will always be cherished. It is now time to explore other opportunities and I am excited. DDB Mudra is poised for even greater growth and I am looking forward to being part of the team that will steer it.”

     

  • 'We are thrilled to welcome a truly exceptional talent, an excellent creative leader and a wonderful person like Sonal to the DDB Mudra Group,' said Group CEO and MD Madhukar Kamath.

    DDB Mudra confirms Sonal Dabral entry as Chairman & CCO; will also be on global & regional creative councils

    By A Correspondent

     

    Madhukar Kamath, the Group CEO and MD of the DDB Mudra Group, has announced the appointment of Sonal Dabral as the Chairman and Chief Creative Officer of the DDB Mudra Group. On Mr Dabral’s appointment, Mr Kamath said, “Coming on the back of an excellent 2011, both in terms of business and recognition, the DDB Mudra Group is poised for explosive growth. As the most awarded Indian agency at Cannes, Spikes, Abbys etc, to name a few, we are thrilled to welcome a truly exceptional talent, an excellent creative leader and a wonderful person like Sonal to the DDB Mudra Group. His mandate will encompass the entire spectrum of agencies that work across what is certainly the most integrated marketing and communications services network in the country. Agencies like DDB Mudra, Mudra, DDB Mudra Max (OOH, Media, Experiential and Retail), Rapp, Tribal DDB, DDB Health & Lifestyle, Water, Maatra etc. which constitute the DDB Mudra Group will now have their creative teams reporting in to Sonal.”

     

    He added, “I am personally thrilled to welcome Sonal Dabral. I have known him for two decades now. We worked together in Delhi years ago, on the iconic ‘Humko Binnies Mangta’ campaign. He will partner me on the exciting agenda that we have ahead of us for the DDB Mudra Group. The legendary Bernbach legacy, the much admired creative business solutions of the DDB Worldwide network, the Social Creativity agenda, the entrepreneurial zeal and track record of building several successful national brands that Mudra brings to the table, the extensive and certainly unique multi-faceted offerings in the DDB Mudra Group will all form an excellent platform for Sonal.”

     

    Mr Dabral has over two exciting decades of experience on brands like Audi, Fiat, Tata Safari, Dove, Le Sancy, Unilever Foods, Ponds, Lakme, Panadol, Cadburys, Asian Paints, Fevicol, Virgin Mobile, Tata AIG, Prudential, GE, Nestle’s Maggi and Milo, DBS, Remy Martin, Colgate, Pizza Hut, Sony, Coca Cola and DHL.

     

    A graduate of the National School of Design (NID), Mr Dabral began his career in Lintas, Delhi. After a brief stint in Mudra Delhi, he went on to have an extremely successful stint at  Ogilvy Mumbai before moving to Kuala Lumpur to head Ogilvy in Malaysia and make it one of the top creative offices in the region. Next, as the Chairman and ECD of Ogilvy Singapore, he led the agency to become not just the hottest agency in the region and the No 1 creative office in the whole of Ogilvy Worldwide but also in the entire WPP global network. His last assignment was in a dual role, as the Regional Creative Head and Chairman-India of Bates operating out of Singapore and Mumbai.

    Apart from being a prolific winner in most of the Regional and International Award shows like Cannes, Clio, D & AD, One Show, LIA, Andy Awards, AdFest, Spikes etc., Sonal has served on most of the juries globally.

    Said Mr Kamath, “Apart from partnering me in India, Sonal Dabral has also been invited by Amir Kassei, the Global Chief Creative Officer of DDB WW, to serve on the Global Creative Council of DDB. In the Asia-Pacific region, he will Co-Chair the Regional Creative Council with Amir Kassei. With the vast array of clients, brands, services and offerings in the DDB Mudra Group, an exciting ‘Growth Agenda’, an unparalleled creative manifesto in the Bernbach legacy, I eagerly await Sonal’s arrival.”

  • With his background in advertising, brand marketing, Data & Digital communication, Mr Mallik brings a unique combination of skills needed to build Tribal DDB, as well as RAPP, feels Madhukar Kamath

    Venkat Mallik to head Tribal DDB & RAPP in India

    By A Correspondent

     

    DDB Mudra Group is pleased to announce that Venkat Mallik will head its Tribal DDB operations inIndia, with immediate effect. Simultaneously, Mr Mallik will continue to lead RAPP India.

     

    Mr Mallik majored in marketing from XLRI,Jamshedpurover two decades ago and has since worked with companies like JWT, Leo Burnett, Euro RSCG and Unilever.

     

    More recently, he was Managing Director for an International Online Game Company. He has held multiple Board level positions and business leadership roles for over a decade. Mr Mallik’s brand experience spans 50 different brands and categories, including leading brands from companies like Unilever, SmithKline Beecham, ITC, Indian Oil, Ultratech, Sara Lee, Van Melle, CavinKare, Standard Chartered Bank, HDFC, Tata Communications and HP.

     

    Over the past four years, Tribal DDB Asia Pacific has expanded rapidly, from five offices to 18 spanning 12 countries, with 450 staff. In 2008, Tribal DDB was the most awarded agency network at Media’s Digital Marketing Awards, in 2009, the most-awarded pure digital agency network, and also voted Media’s Digital Agency of the Year by peers and clients. In 2010 Tribal DDB Asia Pacific was again awarded Campaign’s Digital Agency Network of the Year.

     

    The Tribal DDB India story has been similar with the agency being one of the most awarded and respected digital agencies in Indiasince its inception. In 2011 alone, the agency won around 15 metals across Abbys, Yahoo Big Chair, Campaign Indiaand Digital Media awards.

     

    Commenting on the new structure Madhukar Kamath said, “With around a 100 million internet users, digital advertising is acquiring mainstream proportions and it is important to create a leadership structure for Tribal DDB which understands both digital and mainstream brand marketing communications well. With his background in advertising, brand marketing, online gaming and Data & Digital communication Venkat brings a unique combination of skills needed to build Tribal DDB, as well as RAPP at this juncture.”

     

    Commenting on his new role Venkat Mallik said: “Tribal DDB is among the finest digital networks in the world and has a great track record inIndia. It’s exciting to have the mandate to grow RAPP and Tribal DDB, both of which are leading global new age agencies. We are looking to scale up both agencies quickly while leveraging synergies between them.”

     

    InIndia, Tribal DDB has a blue chip client list including Idea Cellular, Star TV, McDonald’s, TourismAustralia, Emirates among others. Meanwhile, RAPP has seen very strong growth over the last couple of years with its new industry vertical focused strategy combined with its thrust in building new age data, digital and brand capabilities. The RAPP client list inIndianow includes Hewlett Packard, Standard Chartered Bank, Johnson & Johnson, Tata Communications, among others.

     

  • On October 31, 2011 AdAsia began in New Delhi in Grand style. The opening ceremony hosted 1200 delegates from over 25 countries.

    AdAsia opens in grand style

    By Akash Raha

    AdAsia went underwent today with a gala high decibel opening ceremony called the ‘Zee Gala Night’. The event will host over 1200 delegates from over 25 countries. All the leading names of the advertising fraternity were present to grace the opening ceremony of AdAsia 2011, held in New Delhi.

    The evening began with traditional Cambodian dance which represented the dance of Asia. It was followed by several other dance forms from Taiwan, Thailand, Japan and not to mention, India. The day’s proceedings was anchored by the multi-talented Boman Irani who enthralled the crowd by his witty comments, his humour and not to mention, by singing wonderful songs. Mr Irani also announced the Chariman of AdAsia, Mr Madhukar Kamath of the in-the-news Mudra Group.

    This was followed by a speech by Mr Tejender Khanna, Lieutenant Governor of Delhi. Mr Khanna spoke about India, Delhi and the theme ‘Uncertainity: The new Certainity’.  A part of this amazing evening also was percussion maestro Taufiq Qureshi who enchanted the crowd with his amazing performance.

    The day ended with mouthwatering food and drinks. The food from all over Delhi was brought to the table for the delegates and was named ‘Streets of Delhi’.

    Day 1

    The day one of the conference begins today (November 1) with several key sessions and addresses by prominent members of our industry. The day will be started off with the Indian national anthem followed by a choir performance. Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan and Minister of Information & Broadcasting Ms Ambika Soni are scheduled to  be the guests of honour.

  • Delegates from 25 countries can look forward to three days of stimulating give-and-take as the annual advertising festival begins with a gala.

    Ad Asia set to take off

    By A Correspondent

    Close on the heels of the Formula One extravaganza comes the annual Asian advertising mela, AdAsia 2011, which begins tonight with an opening gala. The three days that follow will see sessions featuring some of the biggest names in the advertising, media and marketing fraternity take the stage and share their views with the more than 1,000 delegates from 25 countries who have registered for the event.  The theme of the congress is ‘Uncertainty: the new certainty’ but there is nothing uncertain about the buzz around AdAsia 2011, New Delhi.

    Over the 20 sessions planned for the congress, panels will share their invaluable experiences, insights and sharp analysis of ongoing events, providing new ideas, concepts and a firm handle on how the changes we are witnessing today will translate into trends in the future. They will go beyond analysis to address the question of ‘How’, and to elaborate innovative ideas and solutions to key global challenge.

    Some of the key members who will share their views include Harish Manwani, Chief Operating Officer, Unilever, and Chairman, Hindustan Unilever Ltd, Nikesh Arora, Senior Vice President and Chief Business Officer, Google, Indra Nooyi – Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, PepsiCo, Joseph Tripodi – Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing & Commercial Officer, The Coca-Cola Company, David Droga – Founder, Creative Chairman, Droga5, Kelly Clark, Worldwide CEO, Maxus and Mainardo De Nardis, CEO, OMD Worldwide among othes.

    Piyush Pandey, Executive Chairman and CD, South Asia, Ogilvy & Mather India will be part of a session on `Asian Creative? A New Brief’ which will discuss if Asia can lead the next creative renaissance, what is lacking to achieve this and how it can be tackled. There will also be a session on ‘Conversation as a route to driving certainty’. The topic will be addressed by Chuck Brymer, President & CEO, DDB Worldwide and Nikesh Arora Senior Vice President and Chief Business Officer, Google who has wide experience in various functions at Google. There will also be a session by BCG Japan on ‘Marketing to Women Consumers in Asia’ which will share insights and analyse traits of the Asian Woman Consumer and will try to ascertain whether her DNA affects her shopping habits. An interactive session with Luis DeAnda, Chief Operating Officer, TBWA\Hakuhodo, Japan will follow.

    Commenting on the Agenda and the delegate participation, Madhukar Kamath, MD & CEO, Mudra Group and Chairman of AdAsia 2011 said, “The amount of buzz and excitement this event has generated is truly incredible. I can confidently say that this is an Asian event that has caught the interest and attention of the world. Apart from Asia and the Middle East, even delegates from countries like USA, UK, Australia, Poland and Africa have registered for the event. The magnitude of the event this year is much larger than the previous years with nearly 50 speaker confirmations from across the globe. Delegates of AdAsia 2011 can look forward to intellectually thought provoking sessions of debates and discussions which will redefine how we look at the world we operate in. Speakers will include leading lights from the fields of business, marketing, advertising, media and communications.”

    This year AdAsia 2011 will also be different as it will bring to attention, provoke debate, and challenge the minds present to think of providing creative solutions to one of the critical issue on ‘The girl child’. During the AdAsia, this effort will surface in different aspects and areas of the congress. It will include a special presentation dedicated to ‘The Female Equation: Communicating with Conscience’  by  Frederika Meijer, Representative – India & Country Director- Bhutan, UNFPA.

    AdAsia began as a three-day Asian Advertising Conference in 1958 sponsored by the Japan International Advertising Association (JIAA). The principal objective of the conference was to give Asian advertising a boost in the post-war era. The conference was attended by delegates from six countries including Japan. The modest conference grew into a congress in the 1960s and was named AdAsia in 1984. AdAsia2011 is being organised under the aegis of the Asian Federation of Advertising Associations (AFAA).