MxMIndia

Tag: Rediffusion Y&R

  • On the eve of the release of a compilation of his columns, the veteran mediaperson takes our questions, including the all-important one above

    So how does Sandeep Goyal find time to write so much?

     

    To the Indian advertising and media fraternity, Sandeep Goyal is well-known name. As someone who led a very successful run at Rediffusion Y&R, as Group CEO of Zee and JV partner of Dentsu in India who finally sold his stake to his Japanese principals. But, in recent years, he has turned one of India’s most prolific business columnists.

    Goyal now prefixes his name with a Dr, not earned with an honorary doctorate degree please note, after some serious hard work and a thesis earned from FMS, New Delhi. He is also an MBA from FMS and an English literature honours degree from Panjab University.

     After selling his stake in Dentsu India, Goyal  pioneered mobile advertising in India, building his company Mogae Media into a market leader. He co-owns the 24×7 food TV channel FoodFood with celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor.

    Over the last few years, Sandeep Goyal has turned a prolific writer. He writes a fortnightly column for Business India called ‘Honest to God!’; writes a weekly ad review column, ‘Here’s the Pitch’ for the New Indian Express; writes a fortnightly column, ‘Yes, but…’ for Business Standard. Goyal used to write a weekly column for exchange4media, ‘Ask the Doctor’. In the past Goyal also used to write columns, ‘Perfect 10’ for Financial Express and ‘Horse Sense’ for Business Standard. Phew.

    A compilation of 50 of his Campaign India columns from mid-2017 to mid-2018 on a host of marketing, branding and advertising subjects appears in the book BlogBuster that releases today (May 16)in Mumbai. The book is being released by former Viacom18 COO Raj Nayak and CampaignIndia editor Prasad Sangameshwaran. MxMIndia did a quick interview with Dr Sandeep Goyal on the book, on how he finds time to do all his writing and more. Read on… 

     

    You are possibly the most prolific industry biggie writing in the A&M and business media? And perhaps across all industries. How do you manage to do it?

    My late mother used to say that the pursuit of Goddess Lakshmi should never be at the cost of venerating Goddess Saraswati. I was always a very good student (I am a gold medallist in English Honours), but once I started working, career obviously became life’s top priority. So after running after business and profits for well over 25 years, after I sold my stake in Dentsu, I decided to go back to academics and to a life more cerebral.

     

    I enrolled for a PhD at FMS Delhi. That got done last year. So I am now Dr Goyal!

     

    In 2012, I co-authored You’re Hired! with my daughter, Carol. In 2014, I wrote Konjo – The Fighting Spirit on my entrepreneurial stint with the Dentsu JV through Harper Collins. I had earlier published The DumDum Bullet way back in 2004 through Penguin.

     

    Today, besides my regular blogs in Campaign, I write columns for Business India, Business Standard and The New Indian Express. I used to write an Agony Aunt piece every week for Exchange4media but have now stopped that for a while. There have been past columns in the Catalyst (Hindu Business Line) and in Brand Wagon (Financial Express). So, yes I do write a lot. Thank you for terming it ‘prolific’.

     

    I find peace and solace in writing. Actually, to write on a broad canvas of subjects, I need to read a lot. The simplest formula is 10x … You read at least 10 times of what you write. So, the combination of reading and writing is actually a perfect mix for me. I average at least three-four hours of active reading everyday … any kind of reading. And I spend at least two-htree hours writing almost every day.

     

    The day usually begins at 6:45 am and I continue to read, research and write till I am just pooped out!

     

     

    What about your other work? Do you manage time for that?

    Since Diwali of 2017, I have slowed down considerably on the work front. I don’t operationally run any of our businesses any longer. So, ‘work’ now is really about looking at our various investee companies. Which is not so time-demanding.

     

    But I still do keep aside sufficient time for a passion that my wife Tanya and I share for art, especially collecting studio pottery and ceramics. We are setting up a private museum in Gurugram. So, I try to make as much time as is required everyday for this new project. I am now a regular at art openings, art shows, auctions and even travel quite a bit in pursuit of art we would like to acquire. We were at Art Dubai last month. Art Basel in Switzerland is now next on the agenda.

     

    I think time is a stretchable asset. Work expands to fill available time. Earlier my life was just work, work and more work. Now, with a little effort and a bit of planning I do work, I find the time for art, I plan time for travel and of course I read and write. Actually utilization and maximization of time is all in your mind. If you want to do it, you can.

     

    A compilation of your columns in the form of a book is a bit of a shortcut, right? Commentary by way of columns in the media do not count as a considered, well-discussed appraisal of issues. So in a sense it can be considered a ‘fatafat’ read, not to be taken very seriously?

    Haha! I think you are being judgmental. My blogs in Campaign and my pieces for Business Standard online average 1400 to 1600 words, sometimes even more. I have written pieces of length 4200 words too when the subject so warranted (the piece had to be split over four blogs). So, the pieces I write are well-researched and well-detailed. No shortcuts.

     

    In press, for example, in my long-running column in Business India an average piece is 800 words. Since I normally take one subject per column, and I think the content is reasonably well fleshed out.

     

    The compendium, yes, will be a relatively easy read.  Whether ‘fatafat’, I don’t know. At least, the content is not flimsy or superficial certainly.

     

    Which of these comment columns would you say is your favourite? Any column that you regret writing or has put you into a spot with a former/current associate? (please specify the column/issue)

    I enjoy everything I write. Otherwise I wouldn’t do it.

     

    I derive an ‘instant’ high when I write online because most times the piece is up in a matter of minutes after I have finished writing. That is instant gratification!

     

    But, yes, the joy of a piece appearing in print is a very different kind of satisfaction. My first ever piece that I wrote was when I was perhaps in Class 3 as an eight-year old for my school magazine, The Soaring Eagle. The untold joy in seeing my name in print is something I cannot forget even today 50 years later. Ever since, seeing my published piece gives me immense happiness. Almost the same child-like joy of when I was a school boy back then.

     

    Not as much the columns, but yes when I wrote Konjo, and it was a first person account with real names and real people, I ruffled a lot of feathers. There was especially this piece on an ex-client interface at HDFC Life about whom I did some plain-speak. The media asked me a lot of questions, some even wrote that it was all very one-sided, and just my version, but I stood my ground. No rejoinders ever came.

     

    In the columns, I frequently receive negative feedback. PR agencies of the entities I have covered many times reach out to me to soften my stand. I just tell them to send in their narrative to the publication and ask them to also carry the contra-viewpoint. One particular ex-client who is currently at war with his own father too created a ruckus when I wrote about his misleading posturing on a dispute involving his company and his family, but all that really doesn’t affect me. I am no longer in active ‘business’ and don’t really have to worry about repercussions!

     

    Have there been issues that you wanted to write, but not as they would impact your interests?

    Not really. But I steer clear of some domains. Telecom and telcos is one such example. For years now I have worked very closely with the likes of Airtel, Vodafone, Idea, and earlier Aircel and Reliance. I therefore have been privy to a lot of inside gossip, insider news, and lots more many times much in advance of the market. But in all these many years, I have never written about anything to do with this domain except an occasional ad review or such. I feel writing on stuff you know because of your advantaged position tantamounts to tattling. I strictly avoid that.

     

    You’ve been writing a lot, lot more than your Campaign column. Where are the other books? 🙂

    Well, there will be two more books this year, maybe three.

     

    I am really proud of Japan Made Easy, being published by Harper Collins, and slated for an autumn-winter launch later this year. I have spent 5 years researching and writing this book. It has 101essays of about 500 words each on a range of topics covering business, cuisine, culture, philosophy, creativity, spirituality, customs and rituals … 25 years of my experiences in Japan and with Japan are condensed into this tome.

     

    And then there is my first novel, Witches of Worli, which is about half-done. I am planning a 2020 release. It should be a good fun read.

     

  • 'ExpertBridge' has been founded by Atul Chand, Arshad Siddiqui and Suman Varma

    Enter ‘Expertbridge’ for experts on demand!

    By A Correspondent

     

    Senior professionals Atul Chand, Arshad Siddiqui and Suman Varma have set up ‘Expertbridge’ to meet the growing needs of what’s called the ‘Gig Economy’.

     

    ‘ExpertBridge’, notes a communique, is a boutique offering of experts-on-demand to organisations in the areas of marketing – brands, digital, trade marketing, sales and distribution, retail and PR.

     

    Atul Chand

    Said Atul Chand, former CEO ITC Lifestyle: “A rapidly changing business environment and emergence of new consumer trends is throwing up immense opportunities to increase economic output and create sustainable value. Indeed, these are exciting times for all organizations, be it entrepreneurs, corporates, startups or investors.”

     

     

    Arshad Siddiqui

    Added Arshad Siddiqui, ex-CEO Rasna, President of SRL: “We share a singular goal to empower organisations and drive lasting positive change through a leadership stance, by embracing a new way of working with Gig workforce / experts-on-demand. We work towards adding value to our clients business”

     

     

    Suman Varma

    And this is what the third co-founder Suman Varma, ex JWT / Rediffusion Y&R, said: “The start-ups, the small and mid-sized companies who are hungry for growth and cannot afford high cost talent, benefit a lot from ExpertBridge. Of late, we have ourselves become Gigers, taking on projects and leading from the front. These are exciting times for both- the individuals, wanting to be independent and explore on one hand, and for companies who do not attract high quality talent on their payroll to get into short- term contractual arrangement . “

     

     

  • Although there is no official communication on this, the succession has been announced internally via mail.

    Rahul Jauhari & Navonil Chatterjee to take charge at Rediffusion Y&R (& Everest) as Dhunji Wadia to retire in August

    Dhunji Wadia

    By A Correspondent

    There is going to be a change of guard at Rediffusion Y&R as Dhunji Wadia will retire from the agency network in August 2018. Rahul Jauhari and Navonil Chatterjee will take charge as Joint Presidents at the Rediffusion Y&R group. Wadia had joined the group in 2010 first helming Everest and then in late 2014 as President of the Rediffusion Y&R group. While there is no official communication on this, the succession has been announced internally via mail. Jauhari is currently Chief Creative Officer, Chatterjee is Chief Strategy Officer.

    Rahul Jauhari
    Navonil Chatterjee

    Although, the agency bagged the coveted State Bank of India account recently, there have been mixed reports on how the agency is doing in terms of business, thanks to an indifferent advertising services scenario in the country as well as a longstanding dispute with WPP group. But now with the exit of Sir Martin Sorrell from WPP, as reported by MxMIndia earlier, there have been talks of Rediff Y&R buying out the 40 per cent stake of WPP and Dentsu. In the past Rediffusion has lost some prized accounts like Airtel and Colgate.

     

    With over three decades of experience in the business, Wadia has been associated with major national and international brands like Parle, Tata, Unilever, Nike, Levi Strauss, Diamond Trading Co, Kellogg, Aditya Birla Group, Sony Entertainment Television – Max and SAB, Kotak amongst others. Both Jauhari and Chatterjee joined Rediff in mid-2015.

  • According to sources, advanced levels discussions are on for the buyback of the 40% Y&R and Dentsu stakes in the 45-year-old agency

    Is Arun Nanda buying WPP stake in Rediffusion?

     

    By A Correspondent

     

    Is Diwan Arun Nanda buying WPP’s 26.7 per cent stake in Rediffusion Y&R? According to (reasonably reliable) sources, advanced levels discussions are on for the buyback of the Y&R and Dentsu stakes in Rediffusion Y&R. Together, the two global majors own 40 per cent of the 45-year-old Rediffusion Y&R. Or what’s officially called Rediffusion Dentsu Young & Rubicam Private Limited.

     

    It may be remembered that until recently it was WPP that was keen on buying out the 60% owned by Nanda and Ajit Balakrishnan. But that was the WPP run by Sir Martin Sorrell. Now Nanda is reportedly keen on buying the WPP stake. And not just that, the Dentsu stake too.

     

    Not many think it’s a wise move as this will allow Y&R to enter the country on its own and pose fresh competition in what is clearly a tough market for creative advertising agencies.

     

    While Rediffusion recently bagged the prestigious State Bank of India mandate, the creative advertising business overall has been under a cloud over the last year-and-a-half. Even some of the bigger named agencies, including those from the WPP group, have been facing a squeeze on earnings.

     

    According to our sources, post the buyback of the shares, a merger of Rediffusion, the agency, and Rediff.com, the general interest internet-based portal, is also being mulled.

     

    While our sources do not reveal the deal size, and whether it’s in line with the estimates of a Rs 100 cr valuation for the 60 per cent stake owned by Arun Nanda and Ajit Balakrishnan of a few years back, given the changed business scenario, the 40 per cent equity could well be valued at a low Rs 20 crore.

     

    Part of the current Rediffusion Y&R fold is the Made-in-1946 agency Everest Brand Solutions, Rediffusion-Wunderman, Sudler& Hennessey and the PR wing.

     

    As per the Rediffusion Y&R website, the story goes that “one evening in 1973, three leading stalwarts of advertising came together to discuss the state of creativity in advertising. They wanted to do something about the mediocrity, the contentment with the status quo, the inertia that seemed to pervade agencies and people. The three people, Diwan Arun Nanda, Ajit Balakrishnan and Mohammed Khan, came up with a gameplan – to start their own advertising agency, Rediffusion. An agency that would be passionate and bold; an agency that would take ownership of clients and their work to new heights; an agency that would create fearless, category-busting work.

     

    That was a different era. Forty-five years ago. The rules of the game have changed dramatically. The dramatis personae of the advertising business have changed. Will it be achche din yet again for the two Big As of the Media business – Arun and Ajit. Time will tell.

     

     

  • The bank has consolidated its strategic advisory and creative services mandate with Rediffusion Y&R

    Rediff bags State Bank mandate

    By A Correspondent [updated]

     

    State Bank of India has consolidated its strategic advisory and creative services mandate with Rediffusion Y&R. The mandate was until now handled by a seven-agency panel. The agency, it is said, won the mandate following a rigorously contested pitch, which lasted four months and saw several top agencies of the country competing.The mandate includes supporting brand and marketing communications of SBI and its portfolios with strategic and communication planning, messaging development and execution.The mandate will be handled by the agency’s Mumbai office, and will include full-service creative responsibilities encompassing retail, ATL and BTL communication.

     

    Said Dinesh Menon, Chief Marketing Officer, SBI:  “We are delighted to engage with an extremely passionate bunch of people at Rediffusion. We are confident that this partnership will further strengthen our endeavour  to enhance the quality and focus of our marketing communications.Their appreciation and deconstruction of the pitch brief, articulation of the marketing challenge in a very lucid manner combined with some of the ideas shared left a good impression on the panel.”

     

    Added Dhunji S. Wadia, President, Rediffusion Y&R:  “This is the biggest pitch, so far, this year.  But more than size it is the iconic status of SBI and the pride of our association with them.  Our pitch focus was on how we can make the bank’s imagery more contemporary and youthful, to ensure a better connect with the millennial youth, without alienating any of the their vast target segments.  And that is not an easy task for a bank that’s almost two hundred years old! But I think we had a very interesting approach to how the new-age audience can connect with this ageless bank – and I think that’s what made the difference in the end.”

     

    Said Rahul Jauhari, Chief Creative Officer, Rediffusion Y & R on the win: “To work on a brand that touches more lives than most brands do, is a challenge creative people actively seek. The sheer scale of the task at hand is inspiring and humbling. Our team at Rediffusion is more than delighted to handle the brilliant canvas of opportunities that SBI presents.

     

     

  • Pranav will report to Rajdeepak Das, Chief Creative Officer, Leo Burnett, South Asia

    Pranav Harihar Sharma now with Leo Burnett as ECD

    By A Correspondent

     

    Pranav Harihar Sharma

    Leo Burnett India has appointed Pranav Harihar Sharma as Executive Creative Director. Sharma will report to Rajdeepak Das, Chief Creative Officer, Leo Burnett, South Asia, and will be based in the Mumbai office. His last stint was at Rediffusion Y&R where he was the Executive Creative Director for West and North.

     

    In a career spanning over 18 years, Pranav has worked across several agencies such as DDB Mudra, J. Walter Thompson, Linen Lintas and Grey Worldwide, in addition to three stints at Rediffusion Y&R.

     

    RajDeepak Das

    Said Das on the appointment:“Pranav is a passionate and creative person who combines strategic advertising thinking with brilliant filmmaking skills. His understanding of the Indian consumer runs deep, making him the kind of talent that is coveted in our industry. I have great expectations from him at Leo Burnett, and I’m confident he will easily fulfill them all.”

     

    Speaking about the new role at Leo Burnett, Sharma said: “I have always admired the kind of work Leo Burnett India has been behind. It is an agency known for its innovation and effectiveness, and that is exactly the sort of culture I want to be a part of. My role here is to extend the legacy handed over to me and churn out effective work in the space of ‘content’, a key word in today’s advertising industry. I look forward to my new innings.”

     

     

  • The brand name Hoichoi, suggested by Rediffusion Y&R, means non-stop excitement

    SVF awards Hoichois creative mandate to Rediffusion – Y&R

    By A Correspondent

     

    SVF has announced the appointment of RediffusionY&R as the creative agency for its new OTT platform Hoichoi. As part of the creative mandate, Rediffwill create the brands visual identity and its advertising campaigns. The brand name Hoichoi, suggested by Rediffusion Y&R, means non-stop excitement.

     

    Hoichoi is an online platform for Bengali entertainment with over 500 movies, web originals and over 800 songs.

     

     

    Vishnu Mohta

    Said Vishnu Mohta, Co-Founder, Hoichoi: “We wanted an agency that will help our brand become a colloquial name in every Bengali household. The understanding of Bengali ethos that Rediffusion Y&R brings to the table is admirable, and we are sure we will see some exceptional award winning campaigns by them, in the months to come.”

     

     

     

    Nilanjan Dasgupta

    Added Nilanjan Dasgupta, EVP & Executive Creative Director, Rediffusion – Y&R: “We are delighted that the brand name suggested by us, the logo and campaign ideas presented, have all been appreciated by SVF. Having been privy to what Hoichoi aims to bring to the lovers of Bengali entertainment, we believe it will stay true to its name.

     

  • The gaming and entertainment chain currently shares footprint in India and the US via Mumbai, Noida, Gurugram, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ludhiana and Mall of America

    Rediffusion gets Virat to ‘Go Smaaashit’

    By A Correspondent

     

    Smaaash, the gaming and entertainment chain,has got Virat Kohli as the face of its TVC campaign titled ‘Go SmaaashIt!’

     

    Said Ashok A Cherian, CMO – Smaaash: “This film is the perfect testament to Smaaash’s brand strength as it resonates with brand Virat Kohli and showcases the excitement of playing and partying, that is only available at Smaaash. With presence in six cities in India, we strongly felt that the film brings out the essence of our brand.”

     

    Said Sreejith Kodoth, Creative Director at Rediffusion Y&R which has crafted the campaign:, “Smaaashis a unique space and this campaign serves as a great way to convey to the audience the various features it has to offer. Using Virat as a way to grab eyeballs, we set out to drive familiarity. Instead of doing a conventional, boring “demo” video, we decided to redefine it through a ‘Smaaashing-rap’ music video: an interesting, memorable way to see all that Smaaashcan provide. We also incorporated the brand name in the communication to make it a part of the vocabulary and use it as an adjective to define ‘Gaming’ in India.”

     

  • The Mogae Media Chairman responds to naysayers of digital media & talks about his adtechinvestments in mobile-led ventures

    Low comprehension, uptake cause of slow embrace of digital media: Sandeep Goyal

     

    At 52, Sandeep Goyal has achieved what most people in the A&M business would strive to be at. Former CEO at Rediffusion Y&R, former Group CEO at Zee Entertainment, Former Chairman, Dentsu India, a jv partner of Dentsu in India and the Middle East, an investor in a dozen-odd enterprises and now Chairman of Mogae, which again has some prized partnerships. He is currently also purusing a PhD on ‘Human Brands’. Pinning down Goyal to an interview isn’t easy. Over many attempts to fix a meeting (some because of his schedule and some ours), a meeting which happened over some ‘gharkakhana’ but didn’t result in the desired Q&A, MxMIndia did manage to Sandeep Goyal to speak on Mogae, mobile and more. Excerpts:

     

    As a veteran of the industry, how do you view the slow embrace of digital platforms even as the number of devices sold and being used has leapfrogged?

    To me this is not surprising at all. I suppose when you refer to me as an industry veteran, you mean advertising?! Actually I have been now away from mainline advertising for well over six years. And in the interim, advertising has really not changed, or changed much.

    The slow embrace of digital is simply a function of client and agency businesses being run by a generation that is too old. Thankfully, many of them have either retired or just faded out in the last few years. But the decision-making layer on both sides of the table is a pre-digital generation. In India, the dividing line is 1995 when mobiles were launched. If you were born before that, you are not born digital. You still think print and you still think TV. You don’t read your morning newspaper on the mobile. Neither do you catch all cricketing action on an app. You therefore also do not create for the mobile or think mobile first.

    These are not sweeping generalisations. I have seen them first-hand. While a lot of the older guys in Indian advertising try to feign knowledge and understanding of digital and mobile, those from my generation, some even younger, struggle to make sense out of digital offerings. I have now been in digital, especially mobile, since 2005 when we setup Mogae Digital and started making Indian comics for mobile. Ever since then, my experience with fellow advertising peers has been one of low comprehension and low uptake. Reason is not just age. It is a mindset. Advertising was always about client briefs and campaigns therefrom. Concepts such as UGC (User Generated Content) or targeting using ARPU rather than SEC needed a fresh start. It never happened.

     

    Captains of some large corporations like Coca-Cola and P&G have questioned the efficacy of digital… your comments?

    Who am I to quarrel with such worthies? This is precisely the point I was making earlier. Captains of large corporations (and I won’t say Coca-Cola or P&G alone) are still calculating brand and communication effectiveness on parameters and metrics that are a generation too old. It is not that digital is not effective for their brands. It is that they have not tried hard enough (or long enough) to make concepts meant for a digital consumer.

    Your answer lies in looking at sluggish sales for cola as a category. I am not singling them out, but perhaps some introspection on whether the brand owners are really connecting with a consumer who has either moved on in taste or in habits. Entire categories like banking, travel, commerce, even education and learning have adapted themselves to a new digital world where consumers became co-partners in the brand journey. FMCG never tried hard enough. Its digitalization remained dwarfed.

    In some markets, the colas have done remarkable work. But as long as you continue to refer to such work as ‘innovations’, it will never become mainline or the new normal.

     

    You have acquired Ao1 which is a personalised video platform as well Ngage, adtech platform of Nimbuzz. What are the specific growth plans for each of these?

    We were already working on personalised video since 2015 when we tied up with Idomoo of Israel. But because we were dealing with CRM data, most clients wanted the servers to be located in India for regulatory compliance. With Idomoo, we were unable to that despite their product being a world leader. We had no choice but to look for indigenously developed solutions. Ao1 fitted the ask. We now have a versatile and cost economical platform that works like magic on large customer data bases allowing customisation of content and creating this entirely new category of targeted personalisation.

    Today, we work across banking, insurance, travel, holidays, hotels, retail, e-commerce, in fact every category that has personalisation possibilities. Global research shows that personalisation of a message kicks up response rates by almost 86 per cent. Every one of our clients is now a repeat client. Initial hesitation has been more than overcome. Also, new experiments are being tried out every day. I think Ao1 will do well.

    We never did eventually consummate the Ngage/Nimbuzz deal despite press reports to the contrary. The due diligence and the financial model did not meet satisfactory levels. We preferred not to take the deal to conclusion. We are instead fully focused on our Mozeo programmatic platform which I can discuss later in this interview.

     

    Given the rapidity with which technology is changing, there is a need for continuous upgradation and bettering of service, especially in the areas of adtech and video. What are your commitment levels to both business.

    On adtech, our Mozeo platform is world class. Our partners Zeotap of Germany now have a 25-strong backroom team in Bengaluru looking at customising the platform to Indian requirements. We have been running campaigns since January 2017. We are in an advanced stage of integration with most of the large digital agencies and large clients. We have created dedicated trading desks and both quantitatively and qualitatively, we are poised for large numbers in 2017.

     

    Our biggest plus is that we are in the process of building up 150 million profiles on the telco data. These anonymised customer profiles make for the best targeting possibilities, far superior to FB or Google.

     

    On video, I have already talked of Ao1. It is not video alone (and the recent YouTube controversy on inappropriate targeting is a good example) but personalisation of video content that will separate the winners from the losers going forward. With Ao1, we have a technology that can address an audience-of-one. This kind of precise targeting allows custom made content to be beamed to individual customers.

     

    While everyone in the media agency business is talking of programmatic, the value of business done via it is minimal. Your comments?

    The problem with programmatic is that not enough amount of consumer profiles are available. This naturally restricts and constricts the scope of business. As more and more of consumer profiles come into circulation, the conversion rates on programmatic will improve.

    Also, programmatic worldwide is used for brand communication. In India digital buyers insist on running performance campaigns to these audiences. There is therefore a big mismatch there. The owners of the data are very hesitant to allow intrusion into the lives of customers. Performances campaigns necessitate that. So, there is a lot of learning required there between privacy and performance. We are pioneering this business. The road is tough but it leads to the right destination.

     

    Talk to us more about StarStar… your launch happened with much fanfare and you have some big-name clients who have signed up?

    StarStar has done well. The recent high-decibel Kotak Bank campaign for their 811 initiative was run on all CTAs with **811.

     

    Our list of clients includes Star TV who ran a very successful campaign for HD a few months ago. Yes Bank uses StarStar extensively. So do SAB Miller, Discovery TV, Nerolac Paints, Axis Bank, Urban Clap, Kellogg’s, Merril Lynch and more. One of India’s largest car companies will be using StarStar soon.

     

    StarStar is a disruptive idea. Yet it is a boon for creating an actionable real time customer data base. The opportunities are just beginning to open up. You will see a lot of StarStar in the days ahead.

     

    We understand you are looking at investing in more digital startups. Are these all in the mobile space? Any specific direction that you are looking at?

    We have a big appetite in this space. But I am not indiscriminate in making investments. Any business model predicated on advertising as the main source of revenue is largely pipe-dreaming. The reason is that discoverability of content and destinations in the digital world is a big issue. If you do not achieve critical mass, your business model remains theoretical.

    Most businesses that approach us are copied ideas from the West with insufficient inputs or understanding on how this will work successfully in India. One Flipkart competing with an Amazon or one Ola competing with an Uber cannot become the flag bearers of every untested idea.

    We are actually now focused on looking at distressed assets who have burnt sufficient investor funds so far to build some market visibility but now are running low on fuel. We think we can reinvent some of these businesses and take them to a new level of being able to succeed.

     

    Most successful digital entrepreneurs and investors have a tech background, and can get their hands dirty on code or hardware. But you are essentially a businessperson with successes in the creative and marketing services business. Is the fact that you aren’t a techie a stumbling block to be on top of the various technology business you own and evangelise?

    Yes, I am an English Literature graduate. And have 30+ years in advertising. But neither of this has prevented me from creating new and profitable digital ventures.

    As I said before, we setup Mogae Digital way back 12 years ago. We pioneered comics for the mobile. We were the first guys in India to use JavaLite. I had to struggle to find developers and coders.

    I setup India’s first Fantasy League when IPL launched 10 years ago. We were in the Alexa Top 100 within the first week. The Times of India group were our partners. We ran leagues for cricket, tennis, for the BSE and ran many jigs on politics, elections, the Olympics and much more. We had a team of over 200 tech guys working for us. We ran into legal complications and had to scale the business down. But while we ran the business, it was intensely profitable.

    I launched www.lastminuteinventory.com in 2008. We did Rs 100 crore of business over the next 2 years, every year. We were again pioneers in the space. The contours changed when we sold out to Dentsu.

    When I launched Mogae Media even the telcos did not know enough about mobile monetisation through third-party advertising. We used a lot of ingenuity and technology to mine the data and to meaningfully interpret it.

    I think technology is just all in the mind. In fact those that come from a technology background struggle to find customers for their businesses. So, I wouldn’t worry too much about my Literature background. Life is about being receptive to opportunities. Technology is only a means to the end.

     

  • She replaces Uttio Majumdar who moves to a career in marketing

    Sita Narayanswamy to head Rediff ops in Mumbai

    By A Correspondent

     

    Sita Narayanswamy  will head operations for Rediffusion Y&R in Mumbai. An alumnus of the Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies, followed by a Fellowship in Leadership and Globalisation from the London School of Economics., she has over two decades of experience in marketing, advertising as well as setting up new global enterprises. She was recently Senior Vice President, Head of Network Marketing at Zee Entertainment. She replaces Uttio Majumdar who moves to a career in marketing.

     

    Said Dhunji S Wadia on the appointment:“I’ve known Sita for a long time having worked with her at J Walter Thompson.  Sita’s enormous talent and instincts make her a valued partner to clients and an inspiration to all who work with her.  It’s great to have her return to advertising with the experience she has gained from marketing as well as setting up new global enterprises. She will be a great resource for all of us,” adding: “Uttio Majumdar moves to a career in marketing after playing an important role in making our company robust and solid.  I thank him for all his help and support.  I wish him the very best and am sure we’ll continue our relationship.”

     

    Said Narayanswamy: “I am excited about joining Rediffusion DY&R which has a huge legacy of producing strategically sound yet outstanding creative work for its clients.  The agency team is extremely talented and passionate about building great brands. It will be an honour to work with them.”

     

  • His experience spreads across categories like FMCG, Food, Beverages, Personal Care, OTC products and Automobiles

    Rediff appoints Siddhant Lahiri as Head – Strategic Planning in Mumbai

    By A Correspondent

     

    Rediffusion Y&R has appointed Siddhant Lahiri as Head – Strategic Planning in Mumbai. Lahiri will be based out of their Mumbai office and report to their Chief Strategy Officer – Navonil Chatterjee.

     

    Said Dhunji S Wadia, CEO, Rediff Y&R:  ‘We are delighted to have Siddhant with us. He brings with him a lot of passion, energy and bright thinking. We want to work with the best and Siddhant is a great addition to our team. Looking forward to many more winning stories together in the near future’

     

    Added Lahiri: “Rediffusion Y&R is writing a new story for itself – and I’m honoured to have the opportunity to contribute a chapter. It is a place teeming with possibility and energy and I cannot wait to see what the future here brings. This also gives me an exciting opportunity to lead the team here and I look forward to creating many compelling brand narratives with them.”

     

  • The Brand Asset Valuator is a diagnostic tool for building and managing brands

    Rediffusion-Y&R unveils Brand Asset Valuator 2017

    By A Correspondent

     

    Rediffusion-Y&R has launched the 2017 version of its proprietary tool called the Brand Asset Valuator (BAV) based on a nationwide study of real consumers. The Brand Asset Valuator is a diagnostic tool for building and managing brands.

     

    Notes a communique: “Y& R’s Brand Asset Valuator or BAV, as it is popularly known as, is the biggest brand database in the world – spanning across 51 countries over 24 years, covering 57,400 brands in 200 different categories, capturing the feedback of over 12,05,150 respondents.”

     

    The Brand Asset Valuator (BAV) India 2017 study was conducted across 16 cities, tracking the opinions of 10,529 respondents in the age group of 18-65 years. Brand Asset Valuator (BAV) is one of its kind in the country that uses the finest global standards to harness insights gained from real consumers talking about more than 1400 brands across 100 categories in India.

     

    Commenting on the launch of BAV India 2017, Dhunji S Wadia, President, Rediffusion Y&R India said: “BAV is a significant investment from our side, in terms of money, energy and resources. But we as an agency find it to be of immense value when it comes to not just communication, but marketing decision-making. It helps us a lot as clients acknowledge the depth and breadth of our cross-category understanding. It’s a potent marketing tool, based on hard-core quantitative data, which more and more marketers should subscribe to.”

     

    Added Navonil Chatterjee, Chief Strategy Officer, Rediffusion Y&R India: “Normally one would assume that any marketer would keep a track of his own brand and its competitors within the category. But for an agency to monitor 1400 plus brands across 100 odd categories, and manage the back-end of that mindbogglingly complex data set? Well, it’s almost unthinkable. The BAV is our magic box, which elevates our conversations to something far more data-substantiated than the nebulous world of usual agency dipsticks. And the data right now is oven-fresh.”