MxMIndia

Tag: Nakul Chopra

  • Industrypersons believe the decision is regressive and could set the advertising clock back for news channels irreparably

    Future Shock?! Channels opting out of BARC could lose ad revenue

     

    By A Correspondent [updated thrice, last update: Saturday, May 20]

    The decision of certain English news channels to opt out of BARC measurement could lead to a huge negative fall-out. The channels which do it stand a chance of advertisers renegotiating their deals and even stopping advertising forthwith.

    MxMIndia spoke to a cross-section of the community, and they believe the decision is regressive and could set the advertising clock back for news channels irreparably. Earlier in the week, News Broadcasting Association (NBA) complained to the TRAI about Republic TV’s alleged usage of multiple LCNs for distribution. It later appealed to BARC, urging it to not release data for English news channels pending the verdict from TRAI. And when BARC chose to release the data yesterday (Thursday), the association secretary general sent a mail to BARC CEO Partho Dasgupta as per an Economic Times report. The mail noted: “Given your indifference to the serious situation at hand, we are left with no option but to advise some of our aggrieved members to opt out of BARC’s watermarking system with immediate effect until there is appropriate redressal of our grievance.“

    A reference was made to how print advertising has gone down in the absence of a currency (IRS) over the last two years. “While the advertising for English nosedived, regional is still holding fort,” a senior industryperson told MxM, hours after the news of the NBA’s surprise mail to BARC was shared with select media.

    Shashi Sinha, CEO of IPG Mediabrands and Chairman of the BARC technical committee, was visibly upset with the development. “I don’t know what the hoopla is all about,” he said, adding: “Everyone has done it on different occasions – around their launch or on special days. If at all anyone has not done it, it’s NDTV,” he said.

    Another senior industryperson told MxMIndia that if the English news channels were so aggrieved, they should have opted out of BARC measurement before the data was released. “Now the world knows that Republic TV is ahead of all others, and there has been enough noise about it on the channel and in terms of advertising on other media,” she said.

    And how will media agencies react to the decision? A senior buyer who requested on anonymity as he is not authorised to speak said that if it’s a one- or two-day gimmick, it’s fine. But if it continues, there’s a problem as there is a lot of accountability in terms of deliverables. So if there is no viewership data, advertising may exit from channels who are not able to supply data.

    Industry captains we spoke with also dismiss the decision to look at multiple distribution points (LCNs) as a marketing tactic around launches or induce sampling. “After a few days or weeks, the real picture shows up, and this is what the aggrieved channels ought to have done.”

    Meanwhile, from the BARC India point of view, it has a steady policy on the matter, we were told. And this has been displayed on the measurement body’s website.
    http://www.barcindia.co.in/resources/pdf/Policy%20for%20Measuring%20Viewership%20of%20Channels%20Available%20on%
    20Multiple%20Frequencies-%20Sept%202016.pdf

    On previous occasions too – when a channel has relaunched, or done a special campaign around the UP elections or around the Union Budget, BARC has reported the data in its entirety. However many be the distribution points.

    BARC has been consistent, a senior industryperson told us. But networks haven’t been so. For instance, while a leading business news channel chose the multiple LCN route around the Union Budget this year, it has now opted out of BARC ratings for its general news channel. A case of double standards, perhaps.

    Meanwhile, BARC has issued a statement (Friday, May 20, 5.20pm). Here goes:

    “BARC India was set up with the mandate to measure What India Watches, and our measurement system delivers exactly that.

    We have a transparent policy on the matter of measuring channels, (which is available on our website http://bit.ly/2dllmIp). This policy has been consistently applied to all channels who subscribe to our measurement.

    The fact is that this is a common distribution strategy among various TV channels, particularly News Broadcasters, to place their channels on multiple LCNs and across genres in the past, and they continue to do so even now.

    Based on information collected from various monitoring agencies we have seen that multiple English news channels on different occasions have placed themselves on multiple LCNs viz across 64 distribution networks during rebranding/revamp, across 16 networks during budget coverage, across 12 networks during UP elections etc. It has become a usual practice.

    We are clear about our position – we measure viewership of channels basis their unique Watermark ID, irrespective of the platform the channel is available on or the number of instances within the platform. For channels having same watermark on more than one LCN, viewership gets aggregated and reported as a single channel and not multiple channels. BARC India neither monitors channel placements across the various DTH platforms/cable head-ends in the country, nor does it have the mandate to do so.

    In the past, we have measured multiple LCN instances of channels as per our policy, and reported them as one channel and the same principle has been applied to our data released yesterday. BARC India is not the regulatory body for resolving issues concerning multiplicity of LCNs for a channel.

    Ideally these issues should be sorted among broadcasters themselves rather than dragging BARC India into these.

    BARC India will continue to measure what India watches.”

    MxMIndia also spoke with Nakul Chopra, senior industryperson and President of the Advertising Association Agencies of India, the apex body of advertising agencies in the country, and this is what he said: “It’s one industry. Differences will always be there. It’s better to let things settle down, take a deep break and let sanity prevail. Having said that we are a 100% behind BARC and what  BARC has said in its statement.”  When asked on what the AAAI advice would be to member-agencies on the decision to advertise on channels that have pulled out of BARC measurement, Chopra said: “We are discussing amongst ourselves and with the ISA (the Indian Society of Advertisers) and will give our formal response very soon.” Any timeframe, we asked. “Next week,” he said.

    And this is what Sunil Kataria, President, Indian Society of Advertisers, the apex body of advertisers: “Any advertiser wants to put money behind TV media which delivers audience viewership and that metric is available through TV ratings. Hence TV ratings are the sole metric for making advertising spend decisions. BARC has already issued a statement on their policy of measuring what India watches and  hence measuring the viewership as per their stated policy. We are closely monitoring the situation and hope the issue gets resolved. In the meanwhile, we are also in talks with AAAI and would come with our formal statement next week .”

     

     

  • The AAAI President on his fourth year as a key part of the organising committee…

    Lack of good work a prominent reason for agencies not participating: Nakul Chopra

     

    It is AAAI President Nakul Chopra’s fourth year as a part of the core organising committee of Goafest, and it must be acknowledged that the three-day festival has taken a quantum leap in his tenure. Although this interview was conducted much before the fest concluded, we asked Chopra on his expectations, his achievements on his view on the absence of some of the big agencies.

     

    Your fourth Goafest where you’ve been a key part of the organising committee. How would you say was this year’s edition vis-à-vis those of the past years?

    The year 2013 was my first year as the Goafest Chairman. I think A. the mandate was in a sense that it’s all going very well, continue with what’s being done. B. I think I had a lot of trepidation. I think I was given a responsibility I think I wasn’t 100% on top of it. So, 2013 was more a Goafest in which I felt my way around. What became very clear in my head that year was that we needed a fundamental change in the way we approached the festival. It’s a festival, as Raj said, that it’s a pro-bono effort by the associations. However, if you come here as a delegate, how do you care, whether it’s pro bono or for profit or not. You come here  and you see the value you receive from the festival for here. And so, when I came back in 2015 to do it, I remember I sat with the then President of Ad ClubPratap Bose and AAAI President AmbiParameswaran. I said I want your blessings on one thing. We are going to put up the best show we’ve ever put up. Even if it causes a negative financials on our part. But, we have to set a standard with this thing and not the other way around.

     

    While you are an industryperson and an agency leader, you are also known to be fairly aggressive in your approach. The fact is it needed a slightly bolder approach to doing things. Did that really help?

    No, I may have an aggressive personality but I haven’t been aggressive in the way I’ve done business. That’s another matter. Right here, the question was: are you willing to take the bait? Are you willing to say that we will spend the money and we’ll do a great show and the results will follow. And I think somewhere for me, this year in particular is a vindication of that. Because the journey really started in 2015 which progressed a lot in 2016. I’m very proud of the fact that the outlay of the fact has more than trebled in these 3 years! It’s not about me feeling good about it. But hopefully, that is the increased value we are bringing to people who are coming here.

     

    Since when you took charge and till now, are you happy or do you think there is unfinished agenda?

    I could almost say it would almost be a dream for me to do nothing else in the next 2 years. I’m not saying that’s what I want to do. But, in the limited context of GoaFest, there is so much more we can do. But it has to be somebody’s day job for 12 months of the year. It’s very difficult to do that if it is many people’s second job for six months of the year.

     

    Have you ever felt that like it’s with Cannes Lions, you should have a full-time organising team just for Goafest?

    I think there is glamour to Goafest that is endearing. The collective effort of the industry, not just the advertisers alone. The advertisers contribute to it by coming here, speaking. The media contributes in a very big way. You guys contribute to it. I think there’s some magic in that glamour. I don’t want to lose that. That’s part of Goafest! I think, within that context, there’s a lot more we can do.

     

    Anything that you think you wanted to achieve but have not over the last four years? What is that one thing you’d have wanted to achieve?

    I don’t think so. I have targets in my head every year. To say, this year these are the three-four new things you can do. I think we can still improve… not just improve… I think we can perhaps revisewhat we did three years ago…

     

    Does the absence of some big agencies matter to you?

    Of course, it matters. Not just as people who organise the festival. But I think it matters equally to associations who are doing everything they can to be as inclusive as possible. So of course it matters to us. As I have said many times before, I think different agencies have different reasons. Not necessarily all the same. So if there’s a list of things that I could change, that would be on top of my list. I think the real world is competitive and we have to respect that people have competitive reasons for doing what they are doing.

     

    Would you say that people who are not participating are not participating because they haven’t done good work?

    I can’t say that as a blanket thing for all those who haven’t participated. But, I would certainly say to you that seems to be one of the prominent reasons why some agencies don’t.

     

    You don’t mind me using that as a headline?

    I don’t mind it.

     

  • Acharya Balkrishna of Patanjali was the star speaker of Day 1 which also saw the presenting of the Media and Publisher Abby

    Day 1 @ Goafest: It’s celebration time

    L to R: Ashish Bhasin, Nakul Chopra, Ramesh Narayan and Raj Nayak

     

    It’s Goafest and while the knowledge sessions, masterclasses and awards, are on offer, it’s the networking and meeting old friends and making new that people look forward to. And in the spirit of things, the inauguration happened with champagne.

     

    The four heads of the organising committee – Ashish Bhasin, Ramesh Narayan, Raj Nayak and Nakul Chopra – appeared delighted that the event took off sans any hitches. Day 1 of the festival saw the Industry conclave with Archarya Balkrishna of Patanjali Ayurved being the star attraction. Other speakers included UpasanaTaku of Mobikwik and Hemant Malik of ITC Limited. The Media and Publisher Abbys were presented in the evening.

     

    Speaking about the event, Nakul Chopra, President –  Advertising Agencies Association of India said, “Twelve years ago, Goafest began as an event for people from the world of advertising to get together to network and celebrate quality work. Today, it gives me immense pleasure to see how this festival has grown into becoming one of the foremost events in the creative calendar. It’s extremely encouraging for us to see so many young people participating in the event with such enthusiasm – and not just attending the Abbys but also showing immense amount of interest in the varied seminars that we have lined up this year. The quality of work that has been felicitated today just goes to show how India has today become a tour de force when it comes to creative thinking. If the scene on day one is anything to go by, I’m pretty sure the next two days are going to be just as exciting with some exemplary speakers taking the stage and some must attend seminars taking place.”

     

    Added Raj Nayak – President, The Advertising Club: “Goafest is the world’s largest industry event in the advertising industry – organized by two industry bodies coming together. In the true sense, it is an event by Indians, for Indians and completely made in India. This year, we had over 300 jurors from across the country coming together to judge the entries for which awards will be presented over these three days of the event…with almost 112 of them judging tonight’s Media and Publishing Abbys. Goafest, when it started was only a creative awards ceremony. However, today, in its twelfth edition, it has become a festival of knowledge, wisdom, entertainment, fun and a great networking opportunity.”

     

    Elaborating upon the event, Ashish Bhasin, Chairman, Goafest 2017 said: “With changing times, Goafest has also evolved. For the first time Goafest is going green in part by getting the delegates visiting the event to conserve water and taking other baby steps to our bit for the environment. This year we have heavily subsidized entry to let more and more young people to attend the event. It is extremely exciting for us to see so many young people participating in the event and appreciating the changes we have brought in. Curious young minds are keen to attend seminars and talks by interesting speakers this year. Day 1 has been such a huge success. We can only see this getting better and better over the next two days.”

     

    Said Ramesh Narayan, Chairman of the Awards Governing Council of Goafest 2017: “The atmosphere at Goafest is always filled with excitement, camaraderie and a whole lot of fun. And this year is no different. It is absolutely heartening to see members of the advertising and marketing fraternity sending in some wonderful entries this year which have kept the jury on their toes. Judging any award is a difficult process and more so when you’re pitting one excellent entry against another. All I can say is, all the winners tonight are truly deserving of the honours that have been bestowed upon them. Judging by the level of excitement today, I’m sure that the next two days are going to be absolutely spectacular.”

     

    Karan Bajaj kicked off the Discovery Channel presents Industry Conclave on the topic ‘Role of brands in changing India’. “The brands that we experience in this room have a deeper impact on our lives than we realise. I’m happy to be in a roomful of people who are impacting people and lives,” he said. The UpasanaTaku, Co-Founder MobiKwik, came on stage to talk about demonetisation, the growth of digital payments and powering 55 million users and 1.4 million retailers in India. “Brands have played a role in transforming India. Consumer choice drives brands, and brands have the power to transform an entire country. 86% of India’s spending is cash. It’s a massive amount of money that moves in an unaccounted manner. I truly believe it’s the era of mobile wallets, and won’t deny that demonetization has sped up the journey,” she said.There was much anticipation for the session by Hemant Malik, Divisional Chairman of ITC’s Food Business, who also spoke about e-commerce and digitisation, while acknowledging the evolution of Goafest. “We are the only carbon positive company in the world.”

     

    But the session that everyone waited for was by Acharya Balkrishna, CEO and MD, Patanjali.  “If you learn to applaud yourself sometimes, the world will learn to applaud you,” he said. “The nation is ours, the children are ours, the life is ours. We must take care of it ourselves. Always remember, for the world India is just a market place; for us it’s our home,” he said.

     

    Earlier, the ceremonial lamp was lit by M K Anand, MD & CEO Times Network, Piyush Sharma, CEO New initiatives India Zee Entertainment India, Karan Bajaj, Senior Vice President & General Manager, South Asia, Discovery Networks, Asia Pacific, and Nagesh Alai other than Nayak, Chopra, Bhasin and Narayan.

     

    Click here for slideshow

     

    Media – Abby 2017 | Publishers – Abby 2017

     

  • PubCom CEO Saurabh Varma unveils new top deck: Nakul Chopra turns Advisor. Srija Chatterjee & Sudeep Gohil to join Bobby Pawar. Launches Marcel in India

    Rejig time at Publicis Worldwide

     

    It was the day of the Effies. A few days before the announcement, we had received indications that it could happen. But then it was an announcement that was long overdue.

    At the Effies itself, the new boss ensured that he’s not seen just as head of one of the arms that he led thus far.

    We’re talking about Publicis Communications and Saurabh Varma. On December 16, it was announced that Varma, the Leo Burnett Group CEO South Asia, would be incharge of Publicis Communications for India.

    The announcement assumed significance as Varma would also be incharge of three other major agencies: Publicis Worldwide, L&K Saatchi & Saatchi and MSLGroup and their respective subsidiaries.

    While MSL wasn’t going to be much of a problem with Amit Misra being at the helm after the exit of joint head Chetan Mahajan and he would report to Varma, there could be a problem at the other two. The communique sent to us then said that Nakul Chopra, the head of Publicis Worldwide for some years and Praveen Kenneth, head of L&K Saatchi & Saatchi will not report to Varma, even as Varma was to be incharge of the agency. Hmmm.

    But later it became clear. While Chopra continued to be in his position, he was no longer head of business (or overseeing the P&L).

    In the case of Kenneth, his commitments with Publicisare reported to end soon. The picture will get clearer on that front in the next two quarters.

    For Varma, the job on hand was tough.

    Having done a clean-up at Leo Burnett, getting an all-new team (okay, okay, we are euphemising the exiting of the old guard), integrating Indigo and Orchard into the system in a bigger way, it was time to look at Publicis Worldwide.

    A press release sent to us confirms the intent. Though the mainstay of the story has been tucked in at the end: Nakul Chopra, CEO, Publicis South Asia, will now be the Senior Advisor at Publicis Communications India. Chopra has spent over 20 years helming Publicis in India. He is currently President of the Advertising Agencies Association of India (coincidentally when Varma took charge at Leo Burnett, CEO Arvind Sharma was also President of the AAAI).

    But along with the overhaul, there is also the announcement of the entry of Marcel from the group’s international shores to Mumbai. Marcel is a combo of a digital agency and creative boutique. Its clients include Uber, Instagram and Ray-Ban, but these aren’t coming to India with it for now.

    Said Charles Georges-Picot, Global CEO, Marcel: “We are thrilled to open a new office in Mumbai. Marcel is a precious brand that we only share with like-minded people. I know that together we will create amazing work. It is what drives us at Marcel.”Marcel has offices in Paris, Sydney, New York and Sao Paolo. In India, it will be headquartered in Mumbai.

    But while Marcel is good news on any day, here’s what make the March 30 announcement significant, other than the official announcement of Chopra’s advisory role: Currently, Publicis Worldwide has three agency brands – Publicis Ambience, Publicis Capital and Publicis Beehive. This will change with immediate effect.  Now, Publicis Ambience and Publicis Capital will become Publicis India. It will continue to build on the momentum of creating shareworthy ideas that impact share of wallet.

    And Publicis Worldwide will have a new leadership at the helm. Srija Chatterjee (Managing Director) and SudeepGohil, (Chief Strategy Officer and Managing Partner) will join forces with Bobby Pawar, (Chief Creative Officer and Managing Director). They will run all the Publicis Worldwide operations in India, including Marcel, and report to Saurabh Varma, CEO, Publicis Communications, India.

    We aren’t yet sure of who will have have the P&L responsibilities, because there’s got to be one clear leader for PublicisWW.

    Speaking about the new developments, Varma said: “I believe it is the right time for Marcel to come to India. ‘Lead the change’ can only happen through a disruptive model and a world-class International-Indian team. The leadership team has been carefully put together to deliver on our ambition for Publicis Worldwide, in India.”

    Chatterjee joins from MullenLowe Singapore, where she was the Global Business Director. On her new role, Chatterjee said: “When I met Saurabh and discussed the plans for Publicis, the potential and ambition for the agency left me both, excited and nervous. With its mantra of ‘Lead the Change’, and the focus on true integration across all our different platforms, I believe that Publicis is now at a crucial juncture, poised for exponential growth and recognition. I look forward to being part of this journey with Bobby, Sudeep and the team here.”

    Gohil moves from 72andSunny LA, where he consulted on the agency’s Asia-Pacific plans, and led the Adidas business globally. On his appointment, Gohil said, “The Publicis team really impressed me with their bold ambitions, tenacious attitude and passion for great work – they have great clients and an enviable team. The opportunity to work with Bobby, Srija and Saurabh was a big part of my belief and excitement for the plan ahead for Publicis. All of this combined with the bold mandate for the business both locally and in the region made it an offer I couldn’t refuse.”

    Echoing Varma’s sentiments on the evolution of Publicis Worldwide, Pawar added, “I am really excited for our people and our clients. We’ve been doing some cool work. With the addition of the world-class talent and global experience of Sudeep and Srija, I’m sure we will take it up a few notches. It’s game on.”

    Meanwhile, Publicis Beehive will stay focussed on offering holistic marketing solutions to Indian entrepreneurial clients. SanjitShastri continues as the CEO of Publicis Beehive and will report directly to Saurabh Varma. Paritosh Srivastava, the COO at Publicis Ambience, is now COO at Marcel.

    Next stop: L&K Saatchi & Saatchi.

     

  • The Ad Club and AAAI to fund the campaign and launch it at Goafest, 2017

    Ad Club & AAAI unite to fight violence against women

    By A Correspondent

     

    In a unique joint initiative, The Advertising Club (TAC) and the Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) have combined forces to launch a pioneering campaign to pitch communication as a force for good and battle the scourge of violence against women.

     

    Explaining the thought behind the initiative, Raj Nayak, President, The Advertising Club said, “From governments to Fortune 500 companies, everybody entrusts us to communicate their agenda to the larger public. It is time to take our combined learnings and experience to devise a campaign that is in the interests of this larger public. To this end, we will be running a national search for a multi-media campaign that will aim to mitigate violence against women. I am confident that, as one, our industry will rise to pool in the highly creative resources at our disposal, to come up with a highly creative and effective communication campaign. We will fund the production of the wining campaign and launch it at Goafest in April 2017.”

     

    Elaborating further, Nakul Chopra, President, AAAI commented, “Violence against women is an issue that concerns each and every one of us. As an industry we have the finest creative minds and strongest media linkages that are at the core of a high voltage communication effort. We also have the heart to take up a cause like this at a national level. I believe it will make the younger people proud to be a part of an industry that cares about real problems and uses its resources to address them.”

     

    Ashish Bhasin, Chairman, Goafest observed the growing scope of the festival, saying, “Goafest was all about saluting creativity and presenting the Abby awards. We then added a knowledge quotient with the day-long seminars. Now, with this meaningful effort being launched here, the festival will celebrate not just our achievements but lay down our agenda of giving back to the society that we influence through our creativity.”

     

    The Advertising Club and the Advertising Association of India will release the campaign to call for entries on Thursday, January 19. The entries would be judged by an elite jury and the winning entry would be produced as a multimedia campaign and released ceremoniously on April 7 at Goafest.

     

     

  • Agencies to nominate "Best Clients" for the first time in Indian advertising awards history

    AAAI & The Advertising Club announce “Champions of Excellence Awards” to be held at Goafest 2017

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) and The Advertising Club have announced the Champions of Excellence awards to recognize and honour six champions of excellence at Goafest 2017.

     

    Speaking about instituting the new awards, Raj Nayak President, The Advertising Club said: “We believe that this initiative will plug a very important white space in the process of celebrating excellence in advertising. The advertiser’s product or service is the raison d’etre for advertising and their role in inspiring good advertising is imperative and must be celebrated.”

     

    Added Nakul Chopra, President AAAI: “These awards celebrate clients who motivate and encourage their agencies to push the creative envelope and create winning campaigns. They also acknowledge clients who invest in meaningful relationships with their agencies.”

     

    Said Ashish Bhasin, Chairman, GoaFest: “The presentation of this award at Goafest makes our festival more complete and comprehensive. Now we have all the people playing an instrumental role in bringing alive the magic we call advertising, assembled and recognized in one place.”

     

    Nominations for the awards are invited from agencies for Champions of Excellence, and will be judged by senior members of the Awards Governing Council of the Abby awards. The entry should mention the name of a senior member of the advertiser team who could be considered for this high honor. It should include a note of not more than 500 words explaining why the individual was deserving of this award. The entry should be signed by the NCD or CEO of the Agency and sent to the AAAI (aaai@vsnl.com) before January 31, 2017. Multiple entries are permitted. There is no entry fee.

     

  • He will continue to helm Leo Burnett, South Asia, as Nakul Chopra & Praveen Kenneth will continue reporting to Publicis Comms Global CEO Loris Nold

    Saurabh Varma appointed as Publicis Communications’ India CEO

     

    Publicis Communications has announced the appointment of Saurabh Varma as CEO of Publicis Communications India. Varma’s appointment comes on top of his existing responsibilities as CEO of Leo Burnett’s South Asia operations, and he will be based in Mumbai.

     

    Varma, as well other country leaders Nakul Chopra and Praveen Kenneth, will continue reporting to Loris Nold, global COO of Publicis Communications, incharge of the APAC & MEA region. In the Indian subcontinent, Publicis Communications comprises Leo Burnett, Publicis India, Law & Kenneth | Saatchi & Saatchi, Orchard India, MSLGROUP, Publicis Ambience, Publicis Capital, Indigo iStrat and Publicis Beehive.

     

    “With Saurabh leading our India efforts,” said Nold, “I am very confident that we will drive significant acceleration across Publicis Communications, ultimately for the direct benefit of our clients”  Said Varma on the announcement: “I am thrilled to be given the opportunity to help our creative brands fully leverage the strength of our collective expertise around digital, shopper marketing, PR and production platforms. In my mind, Publicis Communications is first and foremost about giving our clients full access to our capabilities, talent and resources across the country, as our aim is to deliver end-to-end solutions to all of our clients.”

     

    It may be recalled that Varma was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Leo Burnett India in 2013, and a year later, was elevated to a South Asia role. He has about 20 years of industry experience, seven of which were spent as Chief Strategy Officer for South Asia, in Singapore.

     

  • The account will be handled out of the agency's Bengaluru office

    Publicis wins Kingfisher Ultra Max account

    By A Correspondent

     

    Publicis has announced that it has been awarded UB’s Kingfisher Ultra Max. The account will be handled out of the agency’s Bengaluru office. KF Ultra Max was launched in 2014 and JWT is the incumbent agency.

     

    Said Samar Singh Sheikhawat, Senior VP – marketing, United Breweries: “Having partnered with Publicis for a year now we have seen exceptional work done on the Heineken brand. From there it was a natural progression to enhance the scope of our engagement with this outstanding communications partner. We are delighted to partner with them on the KF Ultra Max brand, which is one of the fastest growing brands in our portfolio. We believe the agency will bring their strategic vision and creative clarity to further drive traction and business growth for the brand”

     

    Added Nakul Chopra, CEO, Publicis South Asia: “There is no better accolade for us than when an existing client awards more brands to us. We are both humbled and honoured. I am sure our teams will only work harder to partner them towards more & more success.

     

    Said Paritosh Srivastava, COO, Publicis Ambience on the win: “Kingfisher is an iconic brand and a giant in the alcobev industry, we are thrilled to work on its high potential variant Ultra Max. The team in Bengaluru led by Theresa Ronnie has done a great job on Heineken and made the decision in our favour easier. We respect the client for creating a great product and having a sharp vision for it. We’re confident that our work will get KF Ultra Max a disproportionate share of the fast growing super premium strong beer segment”

     

  • The Ad Club and AAAI have jointly announced an 11-member Awards Governing Council (AGC) for the Abby Awards at Goafest 2017

    Ramesh Narayan to continue as chair of Goafest Awards Governing Council

    The Advertising Club and Advertising Agencies Association of India have announced the Awards Governing Council for the Abbys at Goafest 2017.

    Ad veteran Ramesh Narayan, founder of Canco Advertising Pvt. Ltd, has been once again appointed Chairman of the AGC. The other members elected to the Council are:

     

    • Nakul Chopra, CEO – South Asia, Publicis Communications India & President, Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAA’s of I)
    • Ajay Chandwani, Director, Percept Ltd
    • Ajay Kakkar, Chief Marketing Officer- Financial Services, Aditya Birla Group.
    • Ashish Bhasin, Chairman Goafest 2017 and ‎Chairman & CEO South Asia Dentsu Aegis Network
    • CVL Srinivas, Chief Executive Officer, South Asia, GroupM
    • M G Parameswaran, Founder at Brand-Building.com
    • Nagesh Alai, Founder, Independent Business Advisory and Chairman of C4A
    • Partha Sinha, Vice Chairman and Managing Director, McCann Worldgroup
    • Pradeep Dwivedi, CEO Sakal Group
    • Shashi Sinha, Chief Executive Officer, IPG Mediabrands

    Said Raj Nayak, President of The Advertising Club: “We are pleased to announce that Ramesh Narayan will be the Chairman of the Awards Governing Council of the Abbys for the upcoming 2017 edition of Goafest.  Under his leadership, Goafest 2016 emerged as a huge success with increase in participation and highest standards of ethics and governance. We are sure that with once again taking on the reigns of the awards, he will take this key industry event that is the gold standard in advertising awards, to greater heights”

    Welcoming the announcement Nakul Chopra – President, Advertising Agencies Association of India (3As of I) said “It is great to once again have Ramesh in the driver’s seat of the governing council.  His experience of leading multiple industry bodies and awards gives him great perspective and foresight to be able to drive excellence, in the judging and execution of this year’s awards”

    Said Ramesh Narayan on being appointed as Chairman of the Awards Governing Council: “The Abbys are the Oscars of Indian advertising. The Awards Governing Council has a wealth of experience and expertise and I feel privileged to lead such an august panel. It will be our endeavour to engage actively with all constituents and ensure that creativity is properly judged and celebrated.”

     

  • Kadne comes with 15 years' experience in advertising, with successful stints with Ogilvy & Mather, McCann Erickson, Leo Burnett, Mudra and SSC&B Lintas

    Manasi Kadne joins Publicis Capital as ECD

    By A Correspondent

     

    Manasi Kadne

    Publicis Capital has announced the appointment of Manasi Kadne as Executive Creative Director. Kadne moves from Ogilvy & Mather Mumbai and at Publicis Capital she will lead the creative charge at the Mumbai office and the L’Oreal Garnier account, reporting to Bobby Pawar, Managing Director & Chief Creative Officer, Publicis South Asia.

     

    Commenting on the appointment, Nakul Chopra – CEO Publicis South Asia said, We have been very fortunate in our ability to always attract the best talent. This time is no different. In Manasi, we have found a more than capable leader to take over the creative reigns at Publicis Capital Mumbai. I’m confident she will add significantly to our firepower and add value to our client’s brands, especially Garnier for L’Oreal India”.

     

    Added Pawar:  “It’s no secret that great work comes from great people who thrive in a great culture. We’ve been on a mission to make that happen. And it shows in our output. Manasi can help us up our game. She is not only a good creative, she is a good leader. But what I like most about her is that her creativity isn’t limited to the office, it bleeds into her life. Her interests will only aid us in making new kinds of stuff for our brands.”

     

    On her appointment, Kadne said, “It’s a great opportunity for me to work with Publicis, the agency that pioneered beauty and luxury brand advertising. I have always loved working on beauty and working on Garnier will only bring out the best in me. I am sure it’s going to be a fun ride working with Bobby and the team, creating great work and building brands.”.

     

    Kadne comes with 15 years’ experience in advertising, with successful stints with Ogilvy & Mather, McCann, Leo Burnett, Mudra and SSC&B Lintas.

     

  • Nagesh Alai, Founder, Independent Business Advisory and Chairman of C4A has been elected as Co-Chairman of the committee

    Ashish Bhasin named Chairman of Goafest Organising Committee

    By A Correspondent

     

    Ashish Bhasin
    Nagesh Alai

    The Advertising Agencies Association of India and The Advertising Club have announced the appointment of  Ashish Bhasin, ‎Chairman & CEO South Asia, Dentsu Aegis Network as Chairman of Goafest Organising Committee 2017.  Nagesh Alai, Founder, Independent Business Advisory and Chairman of C4A has been elected as Co-Chairman of the committee. The scheduled dates for Goafest 2017 will be announced soon, notes a communiqué. Like last year, the chairman of the Abby Awards Governing Council will be announced soon, it is learnt..

     

    The other members on the committee are as below.

    • Bhaskar  Das, ‎ President and Chief Growth Officer,  Zee Unimedia
    • CVL Srinivas, Chief Executive Officer, South Asia, GroupM
    • Jaideep R Gandhi, Chairman,Jaya Advertising
    • M G Parameswaran, Founder at Brand-Building.com
    • Partho Dasgupta,Chief Executive Officer at BARC India,
    • Rana Barua, CEO, Contract Advertising
    • Rohit Ohri, Group chairman and CEO of FCB Ulka
    • Shashi Sinha, Chief Executive Officer, IPG Mediabrands
    • Tarun Rai, Tarun Rai, CEO, JWT, South Asia
    • Vikram Sakhuja, Group CEO at Madison Media

     

    Nakul Chopra
    Raj Nayak

    Commenting on his appointment Nakul Chopra – President, Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAA’s of I) said “Ashish has been a celebrated industry veteran and holds deep understanding of this event. I am sure that he will bring new fervor and spirit into the event this year. I am sure that his vision will make Goafest 2017 scale new highs”

     

    Welcoming the announcement, Raj Nayak, President, The Advertising Club said, “Ashish has been an intrinsic part of the Goafest Organising Committee last year and has played an important role in its success. I have had the privilege of working with him closely and his biggest strength is to be able to carry along People with him. I am sure that his rich experience, vision and insider view of media and advertising trends make him the best man for the role.  I look forward to an outstanding Goafest 2017 under his aegis”

     

    On being nominated as chairman, Bhasin said,” I am honoured to have been given the opportunity. The event has emerged as a key thought leadership platform and I hope to be able to further elevate the experience of Goafest 2017 for the entire fraternity.” The scheduled dates for Goafest 2017 will be announced soon.

     

     

  • Ad Club sets up new managing committee, Raj Nayak re-elected President, Vikram Sakhuja, Group CEO, Media and OOH, Madison Communications Pvt. Ltd is vice-president

    Ad Club sets up new managing committee, Raj Nayak re-elected President

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Advertising Club has elected Raj Nayak, CEO, COLORS, as its President for the second consecutive term.

     

    The new managing committee is as follows:

    • President: Raj Nayak, CEO, COLORS, Viacom18 Media Pvt. Ltd.

    • Vice President: Vikram Sakhuja, Group CEO, Media and OOH, Madison Communications Pvt. Ltd.

    • Secretary: Ajay Kakar, Chief Marketing Officer, Financial Services, Aditya Birla Group

    • Jt. Secretary: Bhaskar Das, Group CEO, Zee Media Corporation Ltd.

    • Treasurer: Shashi Sinha, CEO, IPG Mediabrands

    • Officebearer: Ashish Sehgal, COO, Zee Unimedia Ltd.

    • Member: Mitrajit Bhattacharya, President and Publisher, Chitralekha Group

    • Member: Partha Sinha, Vice Chairman and Managing Director, McCann

    Worldgroup

    • Member:Pradeep Dwivedi, Chief Corporate Sales & Marketing Officer, DainikBhaskar Group, DB Corp Ltd.

    • Member, Ramesh Narayan, Managing Director, Canco Advertising Pvt. Ltd.

    • Member, Vikas Khanchandani, Chief Business Officer, Reliance Broadcast Network Limited

    • Member, Viral Jani, Head TV Partnerships, Twitter India

    • Co-opted Member: Partho Dasgupta, CEO, Broadcast Audience Research Council

    • Co-opted Member: Punitha Arumugam, Director, Agency Business, India and South East Asia, Google India Pvt. Ltd.

    • Co-opted Member: Ajay Chandwani, Director, Percept Limited

    Immediate Past President: Pratap Bose, Founder, Social Street

     

    Special Invitees:

    :: Preeti Vyas, Founder & Chairwoman, Vyas Giannetti Creative.
    :: Namrata Tata, Head of Sales, Colors Infinity, VH1 & Comedy Central.
    :: Sapangeet Rajwant, Head of Marketing, Hindi Mass Entertainment, Viacom18
    :: Manish Bhatt, Founder Director, Scarecrow Communications Ltd

     

    Expressing his pleasure at his re-election, Nayak said: “I am extremely honored and humbled at the love bestowed upon me by the industry. I hope to continue working even more vigorously to realise The Ad Club’s agenda of acting as a catalyst in developing our vibrant and dynamic industry.”

     

    Said Nakul Chopra, CEO South Asia, Publicis Worldwide and President, AAAI welcoming the announcement: “I am delighted that Raj has been elected President Ad Club for another term. A dear friend, a respected colleague – Raj has always worked for the good of the industry via various forums. I look forward to working closely with him to further the already strong relationship between The Ad Club and AAAI.”

     

    Commented Punit Goenka, MD & CEO, Zee and President, IBF: “I am most certain that with his rich experience, acumen and industry knowledge, Raj will continue to take ‘The Advertising Club’ to greater heights. The very fact that he is re-elected, speaks abundantly about his contribution made to the club and to the industry. Over the last year, the club has certainly been a catalyst in developing the industry and with its interactive platforms and properties, it has served as a brilliant platform for industry professionals to interact and exchange thoughts. I wish Raj all the success in this role.”

     

    Expressing his excitement about the announcement, Srinivasan Swamy, Chairman and MD, R K Swamy BBDO and President IAA India Chapter and Senior Vice President IAA Global, said, “I was delighted to hear that Raj was reelected to lead The Advertising Club. His passion and energy levels are infective. He has brought in many senior names‎ to join the committee and I eagerly look forward to next phase of accelerated growth for the Club under his stewardship.”

     

    Industry stalwart Sam Balsara, Chairman, Madison World, also expressed his pleasure by saying, “I am delighted that Raj has agreed to continue as The Ad Club President. This augurs well for the members of the advertising, media and marketing community in general and members of The Ad Club in particular. Raj is everybody’s favorite person and is uniquely positioned to discharge this onerous responsibility which he has kindly agreed to, despite his hectic and I am sure taxing work schedule”.

     

    Industry veteran CVL Srinivas, CEO, GroupM, South Asia, commented, “Its great news for the industry that Raj Nayak has been re-elected President of The Advertising Club. Raj brings a lot of style and substance to whatever he does. His boundless energy, passion and commitment is so amazing. I wish him the very best and look forward to another great year with him at the helm”.