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Tag: Rajesh Gangwani

  • Rajesh Gangwani: Can’t make sense of VML

    Rajesh GangwaniBy Rajesh Gangwani

     

    I would  consider JWT ( yes it always was that for me ) my second home. Not surprising, if you have spent close to three decades in the organisation and been a Thompsonian all your working life in advertising!

     

    I left JWT just before the letter J fell off  and it morphed into WT (Wunderman Thompson). It was disturbing news but the spirit behind the Thompson name still offered hope of a new beginning where the present and future came together. The baby was still in the bathtub, even as the business waters were getting turbulent.

     

    I can’t make sense of VML. There are heavy numbers being thrown behind it to herald its creation but I don’t even recognise it. I hear words like scale, technology platforms,  deep expertise , massive  transformation etc. But one thing doesn’t change even as the world changes dramatically – people still value trust and relationships. Built in no small measure by powerful brands like JWT and Y&R that have weathered many a storm during their illustrious existence.  And that remains an  issue to be resolved at the core of the new behemoth unleashed. Can VML forge the same level of trust and build the same quality of relationships (both external and internal) in future, freed from the valuable legacy of its pedigree constituents.

     

    JWT will always conjure for me the endurance of timeless values – integrity, respect, humility, warmth, passion for learning and committed brand ownership. When you call your company your second home, it also shapes your persona and mirrors your own personal values. It’s a bittersweet moment for me as I put words to my feelings.

     

    This is all that I can say with both pride and a heavy heart: Goodbye JWT. It was a privilege serving you.

     

    In gratitude, Rajesh Gangwani

     

     

    Rajesh Gangwani is an Executive and Leadership Communication Coach based in Mumbai. He worked with J Walter Thompson for over 27 years (1991 to 2018). He can be reached at https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajesh-gangwani-executivecoach-communication/. His views here are personal

     

     

  • The ad campaign conceptualised by J Walter Thompson (JWT) India

    Goodknight Cool Gel launches new ad campaign

    By A Correspondent

     

    Goodknight Cool Gel has launched a new television commercial which is a parody on a popular old Hindi song – Hai re Hai.The ad campaign is conceptualised by J Walter Thompson (JWT) India

     

    Speaking on the ad campaign, Sunil Kataria, CEO – India and SAARC, Godrej Consumer Products Ltd (GCPL) said, “Goodknight is a brand that has its focus on consumers bases not only in metro cities, but also smaller towns in India. We have cost effective and efficient solutions for the mosquito menace for all our consumers. Brand Goodknight has always understood mothers and their struggle to protect their families from the mosquito menace. The new ad film aptly captures this emotion.”

     

    Added Rajesh Gangwani, Managing Partner J. Walter Thompson, Mumbai: “The campaign is targeted towards semi-urban and rural consumers who normally sleep outdoors/open air during warm summer nights. The key benefit that we wanted to propagate is that unlike other mosquito repellent creams, our product contains Aloe Vera gel which is non-sticky & has a cooling sensation. The communication is crafted keeping in mind the rural sensibilities and is delivered through an engaging & catchy sing song between the family members.”

     

     

  • The campaign is aimed at creating investor awareness about mutual funds

    JWT Mumbai makes new pitch to invest in mutual funds

    By A Correspondent

     

    In its continued association with the Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI), J Walter Thompson, Mumbai, has rolled out the next phase of the multimedia campaign aimed at creating investor awareness about mutual funds.

     

    The new campaign aims to build greater confidence in mutual funds and guides investors on finding out more through the microsite while addressing some barriers as earlier.

     

    Commenting on the purpose of the campaign, AMFI Chairman, A Balasubramanian said: “The Mutual Funds Sahi Hai campaign has worked really well for us. Research results and industry data only prove to show the magnitude of the campaign effect. At AMFI, as an industry association body, it is our constant endeavour to propel the category further through a collaborative effort. With new insights and deeper understanding of the audience’s mindset we are set to achieve that.”

     

    Speaking about the campaign, Rajesh Gangwani, Managing Partner of JWT Mumbai added: “The AMFI campaign connected with the audience because of its easy conversational style which reassured investors that mutual funds were right for them. The new campaign takes them on to the next leg of the journey by challenging some misconceptions and importantly guiding them about what to do next as far as investment in mutual funds was concerned”

     

     

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

    JWT bags creative mandate of Morphy Richards

    By A Correspondent

     

    Kitchen and home appliances brand Morphy Richards has announced the appointment of J Walter Thompson as its creative agency.  The agency will lead the development of all the brand campaigns for Morphy Richards in India. The account will be handled out of the agency’s Mumbai office.

     

    In addition, JWT Design has also bagged the brand identity and packaging mandate for the brand.

     

    Commenting on the association, Anant Bajaj, Joint Managing Director, Bajaj Electricals Ltd said: “We’re delighted to have appointed J Walter Thompson as our creative agency. We saw some fantastic ideas from multiple agencies in the pitch process, but JWT’s work stood out from the first moment itself. I’m sure this partnership will be fruitful for the brand with the intent of increasing brand awareness, higher top of mind recall and overall market share. I would like to wish all the luck to the JWT team.”

     

    Commenting on the win, Rajesh Gangwani, Managing Partner, J Walter Thompson Mumbai added: “We are elated to win the business. Our strategic recommendation and creative approaches presented won us the mandate. The awe-inspiring range of Morphy Richards products backed by the marketing muscle of Bajaj Electricals gives it a unique advantage in the category. We look forward to the partnership and to create some memorable work on the brand that builds equity and delivers growth.”

     

  • Campaign wants investors to realize "Mutual Funds SahiHai"

    AMFI goes multimedia to up MF awareness

    By A Correspondent

     

    Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI), the trade association of Asset Management Companies (AMCs) of all Mutual Funds in India launched a comprehensive media and communication campaign, as a part of the mutual fund industry’s investor awareness outreach program, that is aimed to position Mutual Funds as a preferred investment option for potential investors.

     

    The campaign was launched by G Mahalingam, Whole Time Member, SEBI. Speaking at the launch event, Mahalingam said: “It is for the first time in the history of financial services, that all industry participants have come together to promote the category. This campaign makes it easy for common public to understand about mutual funds and dispels many myths around them.”

     

    On the occasion of the launch, AMFI Chairman, A Balasubramian said: “There is a need to encourage households to shift from physical savings to financial avenues, especially mutual funds. With this objective in mind, under SEBI’s guidance, AMFI has launched this investor awareness outreach program. I am sure the public will find these simple but powerful messages very thought provoking and will be encouraged to start investing in mutual funds.”

     

    J. Walter Thompson (JWT), was entrusted with the creative work for the campaign. Speaking at the event, Rajesh Gangwani, Managing Partner of JWT, said: “We see this as a big platform idea which is multi-layered, multimedia and multi –narrative and can run over a long time frame. We are confident it will create the desired awareness about the mutual fund category and behavior change in terms of driving persuasion.”

     

    Adding further, Hanoz Mogrelia, VP & ECD, JWT Mumbai, said: “Sahihai may seem like a very simple idea. But, to execute this idea, we had decided to stay in the space of warm, real conversations between friends. We shot eight commercials over a fortnight using absolute ‘non-models’, we shot at real locations, using live sound recording. The client team must be commended for the tremendous faith they have reposed in this idea; and backing it with such a massive ad campaign.”

     

  • The agency will handle all strategic, mainline advertising and digital creative services for the brand

    NPCI hands over creative mandate to J. Walter Thompson

    By A Correspondent

     

    National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has awarded its creative mandate to J. Walter Thompson India following a multi-agency pitch. The account will be handled by the agency’s Mumbai office.

     

    The agency will handle all strategic, mainline advertising and digital creative services for the brand.

     

    “National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) is pleased to be associated with J. Walter Thompson India. NPCI aims to reach out to every Indian with its products & services, we are sure J. Walter Thompson will aid in achieving this massive yet exciting and daunting task,” said A.P Hota, MD & CEO, National Payments Corporation of India while making the announcement.

     

    The mandate is to be the organisation’s strategy and creative partner for their flagship brand RuPay and other products. The agency will be responsible for the entire creative mandate in the ATL and BTL space.

     

    “We are privileged to partner NPCI in its mission to deliver efficient and speedy financial services. NPCI will play a crucial role in writing the new India story and we are delighted to be a part of this journey,” said Rajesh Gangwani, Managing Partner J. Walter Thompson, Mumbai.

     

  • In a communiqué issued this morning, JWT South Asia CEO Colvyn Harris announced leadership changes across the creative agency's key offices in Mumbai, Bengaluru and Sri Lanka

    Rajesh Gangwani, Himanshu Saxena, Joy Chauhan new heads of JWT Mumbai, Bengaluru & Colombo offices

    By A Correspondent

     

    Colvyn Harris

    JWT South Asia CEO Colvyn Harris announced leadership changes across his key offices in Mumbai, Bengaluru and Sri Lanka. Rajesh Gangwani, head of JWT South, is being appointed as Senior Vice President and Managing Partner, JWT Mumbai effective immediately. Himanshu Saxena, currently President, JWT group companies, Colombo will succeed Rajesh Gangwani as Senior Vice President and Managing Partner, JWT South. Joy Chauhan will be taking over from Himanshu Saxena as President, JWT group of companies, Colombo. Announcing their appointment, Mr Harris said, “Rajesh and Himanshu are both dynamic leaders with strong connections to the markets, the consumers and the clients. By leveraging their strengths and strategic insights, JWT is uniquely positioned to maximize growth in these critical markets.”

     

    Rajesh Gangwani
    Himanshu Saxena
    Joy Chauhan

    “Having successfully established brands like Pepsi foods, Nestle’ and more recently Airtel, Joy’s move to Sri Lanka will help develop his career further. He has managed large teams and big brands and that experience will hold him good stead. JWT Colombo is one of the most admired agencies in Sri Lanka and that will continue under Joy’s leadership,” he added.

     

    Tista Sen, National Creative Director, JWT India, will be Rajesh’s creative partner and together they complete the leadership team at JWT Mumbai.

     

    “I look forward to my second innings in Mumbai and to the opportunity of leading our flagship office. Having been part of some amazing journeys on brands like Nike, Levi’s, Madura, Lifestyle and others, it’s going to be exciting times ahead.  Mumbai has a great portfolio of brands, a fabulous client mix and a fantastic talent pool,” said Mr Gangwani on his appointment.

     

    It’s a homecoming for Mr Gangwani, who joined JWT Mumbai as a Management Trainee in 1991 and worked on Hindustan Unilever, and other Mumbai clients. He was later transferred to Bengaluru in 2002 and has been leading the office since Jan 2008 and later as Head of South, since 2011.

     

    With 22 years of experience in Advertising, Branding, Consumer Research and Sales, Himanshu Saxena comes in with diverse experience of leading brands, offices and cross functional teams. As Head of the JWT Group in Sri Lanka, Himanshu was overseeing JWT and the recently set up Contract advertising.

     

    “In our 150th year JWT India has reached great heights of achievement.  It is both an honour as well as a huge responsibility to lead a region as dynamic as JWT South. I look forward to carrying on the good work and pushing the bar higher. Leading JWT Sri Lanka was truly an enriching experience and I am glad to move on to the next professional assignment after three years in Colombo.” said Himanshu Saxena on his new role.

     

    Senthil Kumar

    Senthil Kumar, National Creative Director, JWT India, will continue to lead JWT South and Kolkata as Himanshu’s creative partner.

     

    “It is an immensely exciting opportunity for me to be a part of a great legacy like JWT Sri Lanka. To be a part of a growing market like Sri Lanka, is the high that I really wanted at this point in my career. Armed with the rich experience of some of the best national and international brands like, Pepsi foods, Nestle, Hero and Airtel, I feel my learning will help me grow the brands and businesses at JWT Sri Lanka. JWT will continue to shine,” said Joy Chauhan on his move to Sri Lanka.

     

  • Rajesh Gangwani lists what is absolutely crucial before, during and after making a pitch to the client

    The Anchor: 5 things to follow when pitching for a new biz

    1. Getting all the facts right

    The more you know about the client and the key stakeholders involved, the context in which the pitch is being called for, with due diligence regarding client business fundamentals, the marketing issues facing the brand in question, the competitive agencies you are up against, the more it will help in channelizing the agency’s efforts in the limited time frame that is available to do justice.

     

    1. Getting the Brief right

    From a detailed RFP to providing a website link, client briefs can pose different challenges! Irrespective of the format, it is crucial that complete clarity on pitch expectations, deliverables and evaluation criteria is obtained before starting work. Government pitches are a totally different experience altogether …from the tendering process to the voluminous documentation required. Making sure that there is no ‘technical’ slip up is a critical part of the protocol.

     

    1. Getting the ‘pitch strategy’ right

    Even before formulating a brand strategy, it helps to have agreement on the broad pitch strategy. Are you going to lead through a strategic recommendation or do you spend more time on beefing up the creative idea? What’s the budget on the pitch…Do you need to spend money on conducting research to back the strategic approach or make a cheap and cheerful audio visual to amplify the idea?

    Do you need a simple brainstorm session or a war room kind of set up to get everyone aligned? Do you present one idea or more than one (different schools of thought here!)?

    What level of integration are you aiming at in the pitch with the number of specialists on hand…Media, PR, Digital, Activation etc.? Should the pitch be in the client conference room or an out-of-box location to create the desired impact?

     

    1. Getting the Team right

    Pitches can range from a small local proposal to a large global one. Getting the right team composition is vital to bettering your chances to make it a pitch winning effort. While some clients insist on strong local teams and people who will eventually lead the brand post the business being assigned, many clients are not averse to seeing what the agency has to offer in terms of national and global resources. Big global pitches, therefore, increasingly involve multi-country teams and specialized skill sets from across the world as part of the pitch offering.

     

    1. Getting the client engagement right

    Pitches nowadays tend to be long drawn affairs with multiple agencies and many rounds involved. It is important, therefore, to be completely engaged with the client- pre, during and post the pitch process. There can be many a slip between the cup and the lip at any of these stages! The pitch outcome in many cases may not have anything to do with the pitch, ironical as it may sound. The final act could well be enacted far away from the scene of the pitch…so all ears to the ground as they say!

     

    Rajesh Gangwani is the Senior Vice President-South, JWT India