MxMIndia

Tag: Shashi Sinha

  • Senior marketer and until recently head of the media vertical at all business units of Bharti Airtel, Arun Sharma has moved to IPG Mediabrands as Vice President

    Arun Sharma returns to IPG Mediabrands after 10yrs at Airtel

     

    Arun Sharma
    Arun Sharma

    By A Correspondent

    Senior marketer and until recently head of the media vertical at all business units of Bharti Airtel, Arun Sharma has moved to IPG Mediabrands as Vice President.

    Confirming that Mr Sharma had joined the leading media agency conglomerate on Monday in New Delhi. Shashi Sinha, CEO of IPG Mediabrands, said that he will be working on a group role. “Arun has been at senior positions in the industry and we are glad to have him on board,”  Mr Sinha said.

    A member of various industry bodies, Mr Sharma has a career spanning across 17 years, the last decade of which was spent with Airtel and before that with the IPG Mediabrands group for six-and-a-half years. “It’s a homecoming of sorts for me,”  Mr Sharma said while adding that he is looking forward to the new responsibilities at IPG.

  • Nielsen will source Peoplemeters etc locally, use audio watermarking tech and assure service ownership by BARC

    Kahaani Mein Twist: Nielsen cuts costs 20%+ for BARC TV measurement contract

     

    By A Correspondent

     

    In entertainment television, it’s called ‘kahaani mein twist’. In cricket commentary, you hear of ‘glorious uncertainties until the last bowl is bowled’. But in the course of business deals too, we often see twists in the tale. Or is it case of people getting real? Or is it too little, too late?

    For, the Broadcast Audience Research Council (or BARC) bosses are seeing a real-life soap opera playing out for them.

    Readers of MxMIndia would recall the reports that the BARC board had selected French joint industry body Mediametrie (along with watermarking tech provider Civolution and one or more set-top box providers) as the vendor for television measurement.

    It was a done deal. We even carried a ‘Big Story’ on Mediametrie. BARC representatives had visited France and the Frenchmen were in turn in India. The papers were getting readied, with a back-and-forth between the legal eagles.

    But after the news on Mediametrie was published, at least one other contender for the coveted contract got into action. As we know, TV measurement is currently managed by TAM, a joint venture of the research specialists Nielsen and Kantar. The latter is owned by WPP, which also runs GroupM, Ogilvy, JWT and several other media entities.

    The proposed government regulations are clear on cross-ownership – that the measurement company can’t be owned/co-owned by anyone with stakes in some media businesses. Sound logic, but then given ownership patterns of research companies, it rules out some firms. Also, cross-ownership rules have still not been administered in other media sectors.

    Given this although Kantar had made a bid for the all-important hardware tech partner phase of the BARC-ruled measurement business, there was a cloud on whether it would get the contract given the TRAI guidelines which are set to be notified soon.

    But cross-ownership wasn’t the reason why BARC ruled out Nielsen. It was dosh. Nielsen was charging the moon. Or so we were told.

    Pardon us for the looong backgrounder. But, this is television, and like the various soaps and sitcoms, some foreplay is a must. Okay, so let’s get to the point.

    Nielsen has now written to BARC saying it’s cutting price.

    Yes, you read it right. Nielsen has shaved off over 20 percent of the annual cost. President – India Piyush Mathur has reportedly written a letter bringing down the cost by Rs 13.1 crore per annum. This is thanks to the research major striking a deal with a large business conglomerate (rumoured to be the Tatas) to produce set-top box/meters and a few other components locally. The move saves Nielsen vital monies on custom duties and affords them another shot at the multi-million dollar contract.

    The rest of the scope of the project stays: 20,000 households, 25,000 meters, data, metering and collection systems and software. The all-important technology factor is a non-issue since Nielsen too is employing audio watermark knowhow. Nielsen Watermarks using audio signatures will ensure non-stop daily ratings. Given infrastructure issues in India, the crediting approach becomes critical which Nielsen has ensured it will administer very strictly.

    What Nielsen has also assured BARC is that the service ownership will be BARC’s.  Also, at the end of five years, the ownership of the meters will be transferred to BARC.

    So what does all of this mean? BARC has another Board meeting coming up next week and before that some of the technical/ commercial committee members may meet.

    What’s important to note is that the Nielsen pricing is in the region of what will have to be paid for the Mediametrie++ alternative. An industry observer told us this could only have happened with the Mediametrie number leaking out from someone in the BARC Board.

    While MxMIndia couldn’t reach BARC officials to confirm or deny these developments, according to the information available, there is a view that Nielsen may be excellent option in the short run and is a more tried-and-tested vendor, but there are many concern over costs escalating over time. The worry is that even though Nielsen has assured that the service ownership is that of BARC, in actual terms this may not be the case and BARC may have to fork out more. A lot of what Nielsen offers is proprietary, for which it could charge a royalty.

    Will TAM co-owner Nielsen be the new hardware/technology/data collection vendor for television measurement? It’s not going to be an easy decision for BARC. Like the soap opera on the GECs, we have already seen many twists and turns with television measurement. Watch this space for what happens next.

     

  • Nandini Dias and Anamika Mehta on taking charge of the two IPG Mediabrands agencies

    Meet the new CEOs of Lodestar UM & Initiative

     

    By Ritu Midha

     

    Media agency major IPG Mediabrands has dressed up its top deck with three elevations. Nandini Dias, till now COO, Lodestar UM, will now lead the agency as its CEO and will be based in Mumbai. New Delhi-based Anamika Mehta, the second COO of Lodestar UM, is the new CEO of Initiative. Amar Deep Singh has been elevated to the post of CEO, MAP (short for Mediabrands Audience Platform), comprising Reprise and Interactive Avenues. He was, till now, CEO of Interactive Avenues. With this announcement, the four entities of IPG Mediabrands in India have independent chief executives. The fourth arm – Business Programming Network or BPN has Suresh Balakrishna as CEO.

     

    Said a visibly elated Shashi Sinha, “When I became CEO of IPG Mediabrands, it was decided that for the first six months I would double act, as the CEO of IPG as well as Lodestar. In Initiative while we had senior level resources there was no CEO. Though we have made announcement of our CEOs now, they have been running the organisations for quite some time now.”

     

    IPG Mediabrands formally entered India in March 2012. Media agencies Lodestar UM, Initiative, BPN, Reprise, Interactive Avenues, Magna Intelligence and the outdoor business are part of the global media agency conglomerate. Sinha took the responsibility of the CEO of the holding company in October last year.

     

     

    Nandini Dias: volume and intensity of external demands will increase manifold

    On how it feels to be elevated to the role of CEO:

    It’s a proud moment for me.  It is not very often that a person remains steady in one organisation and moves up the rank right to the top. I joined the organization 18 years back and never imagined one day I would head it. Since I have always felt tremendous loyalty for the firm and share great camaraderie with my colleagues, it looks like an exciting prospect.

     

    On the new responsibilities:

    As a COO, I was focused on the internal operations and the day-to-day business needs. With the CEO role, I am aware that the volume and intensity of external demands will increase manifold. Whether it is international, industry groups, or as a brand ambassador of the agency, the interaction with the outside community will contribute to a large part of my responsibilities. I will have to be able to manage the dual roles of being both inside- and outside-focused.

     

    On equation with clients - will they change?:

    Clients like Mahindra, Amul, Nerolac, Wipro, Zodiac and Tata have been with me all of the 18 years and my relationship with these clients run really deep. In fact in all these organizations, the heads are also people who have risen alongside me and are now in a pivotal role. So I will do all I can to not let the equation change. On the back of my clients, I have found my victories so it is important for me to keep their confidence. There are also clients, I have met socially or in client agency parties but I have not worked alongside. I need to earn their confidence. The heartening fact is that the top 15 leaders who are custodian to these businesses have been with Lodestar UM over 7-8 years. Therefore, there would be a sense of continuity with them.  Having said that, I am also aware that there will be time and knowledge limitations and I need to build in far more efficiency in everything I do.

     

    On the challenge of leading a large multi-city team:

    That is a big challenge. All CEOs are quasi HR heads. Thankfully, I have watched Mr Anil Kapoor and Shashi managing large teams with great elan. The group has the most steady teams among advertising and media agencies.

     

    I am alive to the fact that the external pressures tugging one away from day-to-day operations and the limitation of time may take away my awareness and the pulse off the youngsters. And it will feel strange not to know what subordinates are up to.

     

    However, I believe that, over a period of time, the culture that we have built makes us contiguous and brings us on the same wavelength. So it doesn’t matter which city or where one operates from – the response and behaviour is based on the same principles.

     

    Immediate action points on agenda:

    I think the first thing to do is internalize that going forward I can no longer be involved in all decisions as Lodestar UM is a large organization. To run the organization efficiently, I will need to articulate and communicate a clearly understood strategy, give definite guidelines on the processes and structures  and take forward the defined values and attitudes.

     

    		  

    Anamika Mehta: Doing and scaling things quickly is critical

    On how it feels to be elevated to the role of CEO:

    Exhilarating but also overwhelming!

     

    On the new responsibilities:

    Responsibilities and more! A critical task early on is to establish priorities and leverage the opportunity to reset Initiative’s rhythm to the requirements of future.

     

    It will be as much about driving a shared vision and agenda with teams and client partners. Eventually isn’t it all about driving teams, driving clients’ business and driving the P&L?

     

    On equation with clients - will they change?:

    All of us at IPG Mediabrands have been ingrained over years with the importance of building and strengthening client relationships at the back of product quality and throughput. We have an enviable track record of the most long-term client relationships in the industry - right from Maruti, Sony, MRF at Initiative or Amul, Tata Group, Microsoft, Wipro, Mahindra in Lodestar UM.

     

    So it will be a dual theme of ‘give clients what they want’ and ‘business like thinking’! And like in any business today, it will be as much about a hands-on approach with clients and rolling up my sleeves. Doing and scaling things quickly is critical.

     

    On the challenge of leading a large multi-city team:

    As I mentioned, it is all about prioritizing, driving a shared goal and managing across cities, across clients, across teams in a strategic fashion. I am quite confident our strong second rung of established leaders across cities and our value laden theme will make the journey exciting. And most importantly an open and inclusive culture will help navigate challenges if any.

     

    Immediate action points on agenda:

    A Barefoot Run in a FBDS way - Fast, Brave, Decisive, Simple. In today’s challenged business environment we will have to be bold, fast-moving with greater and purposeful speed, tough-minded and responsible businesspeople to stay ahead of the game.

     

    IPG Mediabrands believes strongly in the power of brands to build a better world. Brands matter most when they are aligned with a larger purpose and we are going to be committed to that vision in the long run.

     

    And last leveraging the strength, scale and clout of IPG Mediabrands India to Initiative’s advantage.

     

     

  • Even though the IAA Global Marketing Summit saw many gurus as speakers, it was BJP’s PM candidate Narendra Modi who stole the show

    He came, He Conquered

     

    By Fatema Rajkotwala

     

    Outside there were traffic jams as he made his way to Bandra Kurla Complex and then across the tracks to Taj Lands End. Inside the Ballroom of the hotel, the audience didn’t mind waiting. Media professionals of all levels gave him a standing ovation twice over.

     

    In many ways, it was an interesting choice to get Narendra Modi as Chief Guest. The Gujarat Chief Minister and the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Prime Ministerial candidate’s campaign for the elections is known on the importance he has laid on messaging and employing technology to reach out to people.

     

    Beginning by acknowledging the fact that as Indians we haven’t done enough to showcase our strengths to the world. He spoke on how we still lack confidence in ourselves as a global brand, a result of years of being subject to submission and foreign rule but even though India has taken the ‘brand route’, some indigenous products have acquired a symbolic value and become door-openers in the global market.

     

    Mr Modi encouraged Indian marketers to take tips from Mahatma Gandhi’s communication, write a book on it and present it as a case study as a sureshot way for India’s branding and make it an irresistible destination for the world to turn to. He suggested that marketers ought to move away from “impressive marketing” and instead strive for “inspiring marketing” to survive and flourish.

     

    Industry veterans and captains MxMIndia spoke with were suitably impressed.

     

    Said Brahm Vasudev, Chairman, Hawkins Cookers: “I thought Mr Modi’s content and delivery were excellent. I think his insights on marketing were top notch and I was very pleased to hear his thoughts.”

     

    Bobby Sista, who is now founder-trustee of Population First, “The entire day was worth my time. All the speakers were good in their own way and one gathered new insights from each other. From a marketing point of view, Mr Modi’s speech showed that he had no doubt in his mind as to what is Brand India and he spelt it out as we would do for any product or service by listing out values and attributes. We have so many strengths and home truths that he highlighted – from our spirituality to mythology to traditions to our today’s achievements in terms of products and services. And we have not marketed ourselves. He is a brilliant orator and as a marketing and advertising person, I wish we had him as the head of our fraternity. The interest in him is heightened due to the expectation that he will win the elections and judging by the way he is being treated, it does seem to be a possibility.”

     

    Sam Balsara

    Said Sam Balsara, Chairman and Managing Director, Madison World, “Mr Modi struck me as an outstanding communicator and not just an orator, to use his own words. I was truly impressed by what seemed like an impromptu speech on a topic that is arguably, not his subject and yet he spoke eloquently on it with well thought through ideas and concepts. Therefore, I feel that if he could come up with such ideas on what is not his subject, I’m sure he has some very good ideas when it comes to the economy, to uplifting our poor, education, employment and more. So, I think we owe it to ourselves to give him a chance.”

     

    Shashi Sinha

    Shashi Sinha, CEO, IPG Mediabrands echoed this view. “Mr Modi’s thoughts and suggestions on Brand India were excellent and it is evident that he is a great orator.”

     

    Said Suman Srivastava, marketing consultant and former adman: “As Mr Modi said, we tend to impress or inspire. This may be one of the many speeches he has given today and to think that we tire out after a few presentations… I am left inspired.”

     

    Suman Srivastava

    Mr Modi listed out a range of examples where there is a clear need gap between the global market and our products such as Indian architecture, music and dance, film industry, organic foods, herbal and holistic health care and more. He further highlighted how our rich culture and traditional values could help solve world problems such as global warming because of our beliefs such as respecting of nature and our resources, which were earlier considered orthodox and medieval. “Not everyone has to be sold the Taj Mahal but we have failed to look beyond it. Soft powers rule nations, more than economic or military strength. We have what the world is waiting for but we lack faith in our own product. If we meet global requirements with our legacy, our identity will spread. We have to fill Brand India in our minds; to speak, breathe and live it in order to turn it into a reality.”

     

    The IAA India chapter made Mr Modi an honorary member.

     

    The speakers before Mr Modi

    What makes a brand a brand? Are Indian brands still suffering from an apparent lack of confidence in the global market? Are we not recognizing and respecting our “Indianness” and using it to leverage our brand identity? How should marketers brand their corporate responsibility in a way that it builds and leverages their brand and the Indian society as a whole? These are some of the areas on which other conversations permeated at IAA’s Global Marketing Summit.

     

    To mark the platinum jubilee of the Indian chapter of the IAA (International Advertising Association), marketing stalwarts came together for the Global Marketing Summit on Monday (September 30) at the Taj Lands End, Mumbai.

     

    In attendance were global names such as Wally Olins, Chairman & Co-founder, Saffron Brand Consultants, UK; Will Platt-Higgins, Director, Global Account Partnerships, Facebook, USA; Arunachalam Muruganantham, CEO, Jayaashree Industries; Ashley Benigno, Director, Creative Expression, Global Brand Strategy & Marketing Creation – Nokia, Finland; Tyler Benson, General Manager – Marketing and Operations, Microsoft, SMSG, India; and Sanjeeb Chaudhuri, Regional Head for South Asia and Global Head of Marketing, Standard Chartered Bank. The gurus shared their insights on brandbuilding, the art of marketing in a competitive environment and the sustainable strategies to be deployed in the future in the Indian context. The marketing knowhow sessions were followed by a dinner session and speech by Hon’ble Chief Minister, Gujarat, Shri Narendra Modi.

     

    Pradeep Guha

    The agenda and vision for the daylong summit was introduced by Srinivasan Swamy, President IAA India and VP Development, Asia Pacific; Pradeep Guha, VP and Area Director, Asia Pacific, IAA; and Anurag Batra, Chairman and Editor-in-Chief, exchange4media group.

     

    Wally Olins, Saffron Brand Consultants, UK left the audience nodding in agreement with his eye opening presentation on ‘What A Brand Really Is’. Mr Olins firmly propagated brands to clearly define what they stand for and pronounced “authenticity” as the new zeitgeist for marketing. “A brand is not a logo, a tagline or a slogan. It is what you stand for visually. It is demonstrating what the company does visually. Emotional factors profoundly affect the way we think about brands. If there is no empathy and warmth with the brand then you cannot choose. What does the product stand for? Why should I buy it?”

     

    Wally Olins

    In his talk titled, ‘Encountering a fast changing virtual world and a real slowdown, how does a bank stay competitive?’ Sanjeeb Chaudhuri, Standard Chartered Bank shared handy marketing strategies needed in the banking sector. Looking at the challenges for the software industry, Tyler Bryson, General Manager – Marketing & Operations, Microsoft SMSG India spoke on his presentation, “Reimagining marketing in a digital world”. This was followed by a panel discussion on the ‘Future of Sports and Movie Marketing’.

     

    Sharing Nokia’s experiences and learning from their latest brand offering, Ashley Benigno, Nokia, Finland presented his talk themed on “Connecting to an Emergent Global Youth – Lessons from Nokia Asha’. Sharing their research and statistics on the Indian youth demographic, trends in internet usage worldwide and emerging behaviours, Mr Benigno highlighted how recent successful crowdsourced campaigns by Nokia in Asian countries such as the ‘Querty Me’ campaign and their experience and learning from them. “Participation, appreciation and awareness” and “resonance and relevance” are two key takeaways for the company.

     

    Another session that was unanimously applauded and enjoyed by the audience was by Arunachalam Muruganantham, CEO, Jayaashree Industries on his out-of-the-box presentation on his journey as a rural innovator, themed, ‘Marketing and beyond’. Mr Muruganantham’s story is an awe-inspiring one that begun by a simple problem definition within his own home – lack of access to affordable sanitary napkins by women in India. There on, he designed, tested and invented a low budget napkin-making machine that he then converted into a sustainable business model that today, helps offer livelihood, hygiene, dignity and empowerment to underprivileged women all over the world.

     

    Through his presentation, he dropped nuggets of pure marketing advice and wisdom to an expert audience after pointing out that he had received no formal education. “Be original; don’t copy. As a rule of marketing, don’t fear your future. Marketing is not done on a war footing; it should be a sportive and passionate approach. Be proud of your product. Your product, organization or business model should be the solution to a problem – that is, build your organization on measurable social impact.”

     

    Will Platt-Higgins from Facebook spoke about how marketers and advertisers can turn to Facebook, things to keep in mind while creating content and design, practical suggestions for brands in his presentation on ‘Building Brands on Facebook’. “Rather than building a brand community, brands need to enter a user’s community. There is a need to design for the Newsfeed but good creative is just good creative. Shared passions are a great way to connect with consumers. One per cent of brand apps get more than 2000 users, so if you are thinking about investing in apps, it is incredibly difficult.” Despite talks on Facebook fatigue, Mr Platt-Higgins argued “Effectiveness on Facebook for advertisers and marketers lies on the basis of the increasing scale of people using it, which in turn increases the time spent, at the new prime time, which is – all the time.” Talking about the evolved narrative on Facebook from fan base count to a greater understanding of ROI, these were the core learning, “Branded content, impressions, reach and placement matter on the Newsfeed”.

     

    Photographs of event awaited from IAA India Chapter

     

    Narendra Modi Photograph: www.NarendraModi.in

     

     

  • Ad industry strongman Anil Kapoor felicitated with AAAI lifetime achievement

    By A Correspondent

     

    They don’t make people like him these days. Forthright, never into any frivolous conversation, he is known as a no-nonsense man in the industry,” said Shashi Sinha, CEO, IPG Mediabrands and Lodestar UM on Anil Kapoor, Chairman Emeritus, Draftfcb+Ulka group who was felicitated with the Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) Lifetime Achievement Award last evening (Friday, September 27) at an event attended by top ad industry honchos and senior advertisers.

     

    Accepting the award from the AAAI, Mr Kapoor said: “There is never a dull moment in advertising. For me it was simply a passion. I strongly believe advertising agencies are solution providers and not suppliers of creativity.”

     

    Making his opening remarks, AAAI President Arvind Sharma said Mr Kapoor is a huge influence on the industry.

     

    Mr Kapoor was appointed Chairman Emeritus of Draftfcb + Ulka in 2010, after a 22-year stint with the company and its associated agencies. He is a Past President of the AAAI, Chairman of the Audit Bureau of Circulation of 2007-08 and was also on the Management Board of the National Readership Survey and the Television Audience Measurement Research. In May 2002, Kapoor was also inducted into the Foote, Cone & Belding’s Worldwide Board.

     

    Before joining Draftfcb+Ulka, Mr Kapoor was with the Boots for 14 years, where, as Marketing Director, he launched a string of brands, all of which went on to become market leaders. Before that, he was with the legendary agency MCM. He graduated in English Literature from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi and then did his MBA from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad.

     

    “One thing that defines him is his ‘Never Say Die’ attitude. Anil Kapoor, who was seen as an outsider in the Industry, was soon accepted as an equal and may be as a ‘more than an equal’,” said Dr M G Parameswaran, Executive Director and CEO, Draftfcb + Ulka.

     

    Photographs by Fatema Rajkotwala

     

  • Shashi Sinha & M G Parameswaran pay tribute to Anil Kapoor who will be presented the Life Achievement Award by the AAAI

    Anil Kapoor: An ‘Outsider’ who was more than an ‘Equal’

     

    All roads lead to the Trident at Nariman Point today (Sept 27) as the Advertising Agencies Association of India felicitates and awards Anil Kapoor, Chairman Emeritus, Draftfcb+Ulka with the Lifetime Achievement Award.

     

    A little about Mr Kapoor, courtesy the Draftfcb+Ulka website: His love for challenges saw him taking charge of Draftfcb+Ulka (Ulka Advertising, at the time), turning it into the fastest growing agency in India and taking its rightful place as one of the ‘Big Five’. With the formation of Draftfcb in 2006, Mr Kapoor was appointed as Draftfcb President with responsibility for Asia-Pacific region and Africa.

     

    He was appointed Chairman Emeritus of Draftfcb + Ulka, after a 22-year stint with the company and its other associated agencies. As one who is known to make things happen, his role expanded naturally into industry bodies. He is a Past President of the Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI), the Chairman of the Audit Bureau of Circulation of 2007-08 and was also on the Management Board of the National Readership Survey and the Television Audience Measurement Research. He was also on the Editorial Advisory Board of The Economic Times. In May 2002, Mr Kapoor was also inducted into the Foote, Cone & Belding’s Worldwide Board.

     

    Before joining Draftfcb+Ulka, Mr Kapoor was with the Boots Company, India, for 14 years, where, as the Marketing Director, he launched a string of brands, all of which went on to become No. 1 in their markets. At Boots, he also set up two field forces, one for consumer products and the other for ethical pharmaceutical products. Before that, he was with the legendary agency MCM and though not the cause, he says he had to preside over its closure – quite a learning experience! Now a confirmed Mumbaikar, Mr Kapoor grew up in Delhi and graduated with a BA in English Literature from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi and then did his MBA from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad.

     

    Dr M G Parameswaran

    Executive Director and CEO, Draftfcb + Ulka

    I have worked with Anil Kapoor for over two decades and I have seen him in various roles, as Head of Marketing of a large British multinational, as a CEO of a pioneering media company and as a CEO of a struggling ad agency. One thing that defines him is his ‘Never Say Die’ attitude. When he joined Ulka no one thought he had a chance of saving an agency that was fast sinking. In fact someone who is revered in advertising world even told me that I was mad to join Anil Kapoor in his mission of saving an ailing Indian agency. Anil proved all his detractors wrong though his passion, attitude and commitment to the cause. He also showed the industry how to build a strong team and keep it together for two decades. How to build an agency group entirely from within, and without the help of international experts and hand-me-down accounts. He demonstrated how to partner clients at senior levels to launch one successful brand after another,  in tough market conditions. As Ulka became FCB Ulka and later DraftFCB Ulka, his managerial and leadership skills got recognized on the global stage, many times over.

     

    Anil Kapoor, who was seen as an outsider in the Industry, was soon accepted as an equal and may be as a ‘more than an equal’. He went on to play leadership role in various industry bodies such as AAAI and ABC. He was instrumental in setting up the independent NRS survey in the mid-’90s.  He also played a very vital role in helping the formation of IBF as a body that could work with AAAI to create norms and processes on how agencies work with television.

     

    We don’t have too many people in advertising industry today who can fill his shoes.  While Anil Kapoor continues to serves as the Chairman Emeritus of Draftfcb Ulka Group and continues to play the role of an advisor to the Group which he built,  he has not been involved with industry affairs for almost a decade. I am sure it is the industry’s loss that he decided to move on. But then, all things have to change, and that is not an entirely bad thing after all.

     

    Shashi Sinha

    CEO, IPG Mediabrands and Lodestar UM

    They don’t make people like Anil Kapoor these days.

     

    I have had the good pleasure of working with Draftfcb+Ulka a few years before he joined the agency from a strong client background. In fact that possibly ensured that he was very focused on deliveries.  As someone who helmed the agency for many years and even now as Chairman Emeritus, we and our clients included have always known him to be a no-nonsense man. Forthright, never into any frivolous conversation. He was always focused on the task on hand.

     

    He had a keen eye on the business and would actively engage with all his clients.  Even now when some of us meet him, his observations are pertinent to the business and may I say: bang-on.

     

    Anil Kapoor has always been an excellent people manager considering his team has been together for so long.

     

    I have always had an excellent rapport with him and have found in him a Guru whom I admire and respect.

     

  • DDB Mudra COO Pratap Bose takes charge from Shashi Sinha, CEO, IPG Mediabrands & Lodestar UM

    Continuing education, not awards to be focus of new Advertising Club prez

     

    By A Correspondent

     

    DDB Mudra Group Chief Operating Officer Pratap Bose was unanimously elected President of the Advertising Club. He replaced Shashi Sinha, CEO, Mediabrands India and Lodestar UM, who held the post since 2011.

     

    Speaking on his priorities, Mr Bose said that while awards (like the Abby, Effies and recently held Emvies) are important activities of the Club, his priority will be continuing education programmes for the industry.

     

    Mr Bose and 14 others would constitute the office bearers and managing committee of the Ad Club, the country’s premier advertising club constituting members of the advertising, media and marketing fraternity.

     

    Other officebearers include Ajay Kakar, Chief Marketing Officer – Financial Services, Aditya Birla Group (Vice President), Raj Nayak, CEO, Colors (Secretary), Ajay Chandwani, Director, Percept (Joint Secretary) and Umesh Shrikhande, CEO, Taproot India (Treasurer)

     

    The managing committee members are:

    in alphabetical order of last names: Punitha Arumugam (Google), Bhaskar Das (Zee Media), Kunal Jeswani (Ogilvy & Mather), Harit Nagpal (Tata Sky), Rohit Ohri (Dentsu), Josy Paul (BBDO India) and Ravi Rao (Mindshare).

     

    While outgoing president Mr Sinha (IPG Mediabrands, Lodestar UM) continues as Immediate Past President for a period of two years, Sunil Lulla (Times Television) and Prasanth Mohanachandran (AgencyDigi) have been co-opted on the committee.

     

    Said Mr Kakar on the constituting of the Ad Club’s top deck: “This year we are fortunate to have a very senior and strong committee comprising people who are not only committing their names but also their invaluable time to the common good of our industry,” Mr Bose too is happy with the core team. “It’s a good mix of people from across the spectrum,” he said.

     

    The Advertising Club annual general meeting was held in Mumbai on Wednesday (September 11) and the managing committee and officebearers were elected for the year 2013-14. The committee members can seek re-election next year.

     

     

     

    If processes are clear, there will be no problems with Creative Abby: Pratap Bose

     

    The new Advertising Club President’s has a day job that possibly has him work beyond 24×7. As Chief Operating Officer of the DDB Mudra Group and a member of the agency’s operating board, Pratap Bose joined DDB Mudra from Ogilvy & Mather in 2008, where he worked for 15 years in various capacities, and went on to become its youngest CEO in 2006.

     

    Excerpts from an interview with Bose where he speaks on his priorities, a problems-free Abby and how he hopes to drive the Ad Club forward.

     

    What will be your priorities as president of the Advertising Club:

    For a long time, the perception has been the Advertising Club is the purveyor of awards. While awards are important and they recognise the best in class, for me the focus is going to be on continuing education programmes. Giving back to the community in various forms - by not just awards, but also education, seminars and learning via interacttion with personalities.

     

    Speaking of awards and the Creative Abby specifically, while a lot has been cleansed, it touched a new low this year.

    Remember, the Emvies and Effies go without a hitch. It’s only with the Creative Abby. Mind you, there were no issues the year before. Last year, there were a couple of things that sprung up but we realise that these issues can easily be fixed. What I am looking to do is to institutionalise a very transparent and frank discussion on what needs to be done with all stakeholders well before Goafest. I am a strong believer that if you have a process that has a buy-in from everyone and it’s not a diktat, things will sort themselves out. If the processes are clear and there are no ambiguities, we should have no problems whatsoever.

     

    Some agencies have had reservations about going to Goa. Any thoughts of shifting the awards back to Mumbai?

    It’s not a Goa versus Mumbai debate in my mind. As long as the process is clean and you are fair, rational and honest, I don’t think there’s any issue about Goa and Mumbai

     

    The Bombay has been dropped from Advertising Club, how successful has the move to go national been?

    I think we’ve made a start. I believe the local ad associations - whether in Delhi, Kolkata, Bengaluru and Chennai should co-exist. We are happy to have them on board… at the end of the day, we are one community. The whole idea is to be inclusive and work for the betterment of the industry. We have made some progress by having the awards judging of Effies and Emvies in Delhi. And there’s no reason why it can’t go beyond Delhi. We could extend to Kolkata, Bengaluru…

     

    What else in the next two years?

    Well, we are going to looking at all forms of communication. We are talking of a two-day workshop for the entertainment industry and looking at people to help us on film production. So, it’s not just talking to creative guys or planners. We are also looking at developing a new website, a new logo, be relevant on Twitter and Facebook. All in all, lift the image of the club and not just an awards club.

     

    All this is going to take a fair bit of time… how do you take care of your day job at DDB Mudra?

    (laughs) Well, that’s the reason why I have picked a nice mix of people. I am going to entrust each of them with a responsibility that’s clearly defined and they will all take things forward.

     

    		  

    Abby should continue in Goa: Shashi Sinha

     

    IPG Mediabrands and Lodestar CEO Shashi Sinha on his two-year term as Ad Club President, the Creative Abby controversy and the demand to bring the Abby back to Mumbai

     

    The IPG Mediabrands and Lodestar CEO Shashi Sinha is widely regarded as ‘Mr Consensus’ in the Indian advertising and marketing industry. Known to take the industry along in whatever he does which may require wielding the stick at times, Mr Sinha is credited with cleansing Ad Club’s Creative Abby awards process a few years back. In a short interview with MxMIndia, Mr Sinha speaks on on his two-year term as Ad Club President, the Creative Abby controversy and the demand to bring the Abby back to Mumbai

     

    How do you feel relinquishing charge after an eventful two years as Ad Club President?

    Mixed feelings, frankly. We successfully moved from Advertising Club Bombay to Advertising Club, and making it more national in character. We’ve done well financially. Goafest and the Creative Abby was a problem last year, though my first two years were excellent

     

    Any unfinished agenda?

    We started with other markets very well, but I wish we had done more on continuing education. I think we got stuck with awards and the plan to go to smaller towns couldn’t be done.

     

    And the Creative Abby controversy. Any solutions, as you look back?

    We discussed that in the meeting. The solution is that there are rules, put them down clearly, publish them and let there be no deviation.

     

    There is a demand for the Abby to be held in Mumbai and not in Goa

    Goafest brings the industry together, and I think we should continue to have the Abby in Goa. We are one industry and it shouldn’t be a divided house.

     

    Do you think the Abby should be given to a private operator like it is at the Cannes Lions?

    Right now, the Abbys are for the industry and by the industry. While we make profits that’s not our primary objective. I think when you hand it over to a private player, the entry and delegate fees will go up dramatically.

     

    What next?

    I am already actively involved with BARC, heading the technical committee. In fact the last two months that has taken priority over most other things, but I am happy with the way things are going on that front.

     
  • The Goafest 2013 Awards Governing Council decides to set up a 'superjury' comprising the chairpersons of the 11 Creative Abby categories

    These 11 members of the Creative Abby ‘superjury’ could decide the future of Indian advertising! [Updated]

    By A Correspondent

     

    Running the Awards Governing Council (AGC) is a thankless job. Getting gaalis for no real fault and innumerable doubts being raised on their credentials.

     

    Ever since Goafest 2013 ended, the AGC has been working overtime with procedural errors and complaints. At first it was the Leo Burnett radio spots which the client Tata Chemicals got the agency to pull from the awards. And then started a series of complaints alleging sameness in the creative (read plagiarism). One of these on DHL Express created by BBDO Proximity was even taken up the AGC and some metals were withdrawn leading to BBDO chief Josy Paul lambasting the decision.

     

    The Proposed Superjury
     

    Integrated: Prasoon Joshi (McCann)

    Film: Senthil Kumar (JWT)

    Film Craft: Piyush Panjwani (Equus)

    Print: Agnello Dias (Taproot)

    Print Craft: Josy Paul (BBDO)

    Brand Content: K S Chakraborty (DraftFCB Ulka)

    OOH: Sonal Dabral (DDB Mudra)

    Design: Rakhshin Patel (M&C Saatchi-i)

    Radio and Radio craft: Nitesh Tiwari (Leo Burnett)

    Design: Prashant Kalyankar (KA Advertising)

    Digital: Carlton D’Silva (Hungama)

     

    The complaints kept coming in, forcing AGC chairperson Shashi Sinha to ask the media to put in a notice that no complaints would be allowed after the evening of Friday, April 12.

     

    However, what possibly led to this decision of setting up a ‘superjury’ by the Awards Governing Council comprising the chairpersons of the 12 categories that constituted the Creative Abby (see box), was that not everyone among certain agencies was happy that complaints filed against their award-winning creatives were judged by junior members of the fraternity.

     

    According to Shashi Sinha, chairperson of the AGC, the meeting will be held within three to four days, though one industryperson told us it could even take over a week. The decision to have chairpersons of the various creative juries will, it is hoped, ensure an end to all charges of favouritism and juniors taking critical decisions. While the ‘superjury’ will discuss and deliberate on each of the disputed creatives, the final voting will be via secret ballot. Note: the ‘superjury’ will only look at the complaints on creative issues like a certain ad being similar to another released earlier.

     

    MxMIndia was unable to ascertain whether all the 11 members of the proposed superjury have agreed to be part of this extraordinary meeting.

     

  • The AGC will not take any more complaints for the Creative Abbys after today (Friday, April 12) evening

    Bas Karo! No more complaints for plagiarism etc after today for Abby-winning ads

    By A Correspondent

     

    Shashi Sinha

    The Goafest Awards Governing Council chair’s job is a thankless one, as every such responsibility  gets to be. But this year, it’s gotten long and laborious with the committee headed by IPG Mediabrands and Lodestar UM CEO Shashi Sinha receiving complaints against winning metals until late Thursday.

     

     

    MxM View:

    Receiving complaints is a democratic prcess, and there should be no bar on entertaining them, but only at the shortlists stage and not after the metals are awarded.

     

    Also, the shortlisted ads must have the entry image/audio/hyperlinked on the Abby website for people to see. It will be great if the entire entry is also available for viewing – include the names of media vehicles used for the ad. The above information may be available for viewing to only registered surfers, if need be. Complaints can then be lodged before the final judging is done. There must be a fair amount of time between the announcement of shortlists and the final judging.

     

    Mr Sinha sent us a request asking us to inform the world that after today (Friday, April 12) evening, the AGC will not take any more complaints for the Creative Abbys . “Enough is enough and we must move on,” he wrote.

     

    Is the number of complaints received this year (post the awards) more than what was received last year, we asked him via mail. “Normally we don’t take complaints after the awards… this year: lots” he wrote back.

     

    Meanwhile, on the disputed BBDO Proximity creatives for DHL Express, 2 golds and 1 silver have been withdrawn. The AGC has also received complaints against ads that won Abbies for a large consumer durables brand as well as those for a branded TV event. Both are being processed currentl.

     

  • McCann likely to be on top as Leo Burnett withdraws gold and silver Creative Abby-winning Tata Salt Lite Radio spots

    Leo Burnett withdraws awardwinning Tata Salt Lite radio spots [from Mon eve]

     

     

    By Pradyuman Maheshwari

     

    In what could spark a longdrawn controversy in the scam ads-afflicted Creative Abby awards, Leo Burnett has withdrawn two Tata Salt Lite radio spots that won it four coveted metals in the radio and radio craft categories.

     

    Arvind Sharma, Chairman and CEO, India Subcontinent of Leo Burnett, has mailed the Awards Governing Council (AGC) chairman, Shashi Sinha, with a request to treat these two spots as withdrawn from the agency’s side.

     

    Arvind Sharma

    The Tata Salt Lite ads won a silver and a gold each in the radio and radio craft categories, and their exit reduces the final tally of Leo Burnett to 67 (7 golds, 32 silver and 28 bronze). McCann Worldgroup has lesser number of metals, but with 1 grand prix, 7 golds, 15 silvers and 33 bronze, it becomes the numero uno agency this year.

     

    In his mail to Mr Sinha, a copy of which is with MxMIndia, Mr Sharma has written that he was aware that there was a debate at the AGC about two Tata Salt Lite radio spots submitted by Leo Burnett. While he “recused himself from this debate and the AGC decided to award the spots… a website alluded to this debate with unnecessary insinuations”. The dispute is over the ads being created only for awards and not as commercially released work.

     

    Although he hasn’t named MxMIndia, we believe that Mr Sharma was referring to the story at MxMIndia at: http://www.mxmindia.com/2013/04/5-things-well-want-to-forget-about-goafest-2013/. Much as we would like to be given the credit for having corrected a wrong,  sources tell MxMIndia that the word had indeed reached Tata Chemicals/Bombay House including the ethics committee ahead of our post.

     

    Updated: It is learnt that when KPMG, the auditors for the Creative Abby jury, pointed out that the the client (Tata Chemicals) had intimated that the ads were created for awards, it was decided to debar the entry. However, later, the AGC decided to go ahead with the awarding of the metals after it received a revised communication from the client that the ads were indeed released commercially.

     

    Meanwhile, Mr Sinha confirmed receipt of Mr Sharma’s letter of withdrawal. The AGC’s decision on the letter is awaited, though according to sources, the demand will be accepted.  Also, while it depends entirely on the decision of the AGC, there is a likelihood that in the Radio Craft category, a gold that Lingo India has won may also be considered withdrawn.

     

    Clarifying its standpoint on the controversy, Tata Chemicals has also issued a statement: “The entire award submission process is one initiated and entirely managed by the agency; our role as a client was limited to approval of the creative. As a client, we were not aware of all the other technical requirements and subsequent process of submission criteria etc.  As soon as the inconsistencies were brought to our attention, and upon further enquiry, we conclude that it would be appropriate for the agency to return the award to the organizers.  We regret this incident which only strengthens our resolve for and commitment to strict adherence to standards.”

     

  • Industry honchos and rivals – past and present – are all praise for Madison and Sam Balsara

    Madison@25: Andre Nair, Ashutosh Srivastava,Vikram Sakhuja, Shashi Sinha, Lynn de Souza, Ambika Srivastava & Divya Gupta on the formidable frenemy

    Madison and Sam Balsara are so close to each other’s identity that while talking of one, people start talking of the other. The same happened in the case of these honchos. It is almost as much a tribute to 25 years of Sam Balsara in the industry as it is for Madison World.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Andre Nair, (Former CEO GroupM South Asia), Chief Operating Officer, DatVietVAC Group Holdings

    For me, Sam Balsara & Madison represent two aspects; each the maker of the other.

     

    Madison: Joyously Indian to its core, they’re a competitor to be reckoned with. They jealously retain their clients and pitch clever, selectively & aggressively; no secret to their success & expansion over 25 years. And, through its history, Madison has grown & given opportunity for new bold leaders, like CVL Srinivas & Punitha Arumugam, to rise.

     

    Sam: Outside the competitive arena, as a key industry leader, he lives up to that old Ogilvy aphorism – a gentleman with brains, who works tirelessly with other leaders for the general betterment of the industry.

     

    Here’s to Madison and their next thriving 25 years!

     

     

     

    Ashutosh Srivastava, Chairman & CEO, Global Emerging Markets, Mindshare Worldwide

    My first encounter with Sam was years ago when I used to run Fulcrum (Unilever’s media AoR@HTA ,now JWT), prior to setting up of Mindshare in India – when Sam was looking for a person to replace Sriram who had moved to Singapore with Starcom. Sam was by then a charismatic industry leader with high credibility among clients, and Madison was seen by the advertising firms as an upstart, disrupting the establishment and breaking up the full service agency model.

     

    While I did not end up joining him in Madison, I did end up joining that industry. That one conversation with him really deepened my resolve to do what I could, along with other like minded colleagues, to get WPP to bring Mindshare & Maxus (Maximize in those days) to India. The rest, as they say, is history! Personally speaking, it certainly inspired me to get to where I am today, and I hold Sam in the highest regard as a pioneer in the market, who showed us the way. Even after WPP set up GroupM and carved out a dominant share in the market, we always saw Sam and Madison as a worthy ‘frenemy’ in the market. ‘Frenemy’, because they had similar values as us, they were a worthy competitor in pitches who always had good talent, had trusted relationships with their clients and for a long time, were very careful about who they chose to work with – Sam is always a man of his word, and was extremely careful not to overcommit to new clients without first making sure his existing clients got the highest value out of their relationship with Madison. So bitter competitors in pitching for new business, but similar views and vision on what would grow and strengthen the media agency sector. And eventually as frenemies, we ended up doing a JV together, to set up an independent Mediacom in India !

     

    Congratulations and best wishes for your 25th!

     

    Vikram Sakhuja, CEO, Maxus Worldwide

    I’ve known Sam for 20 of the 25 years Madison has been in existence. It dates back to 1993 when in P&G I took on the Media Manager role. In those days Media planning and buying were managed through full service agencies, and I introduced the notion of a consolidated Buying AOR (subsequently both Planning and Buying). Madison won the pitch, and Sam’s personal entrepreneurial style had a lot to do with it. With Sam’s support we pioneered the afternoon slot / as well as India’s first daily strip – Shanti on DD. And that was a start of a very productive relationship that continued when I moved to Coca-Cola and held a Media pitch there. Sam’s greatness lies in his high client orientation, his indefatigable energy, his deal making angles and in those days an ability to get quality talent like D Sriram, CVL Srinivas, Ajit Varghese and Lakshmi Narsimhan into Madison to work on our business.

     

    Even as a competitor it is a pleasure to work alongside Sam. He is a true statesman and puts industry interests above own. He continues to have an amazing eye for detail, and is practical to boot. For me, Madison and Sam are inextricable. I have learnt a lot of the Media I know from him, and he continues to inspire. I wish both him and Madison warmly on this milestone.

     

    Shashi Sinha, CEO, IPG Media Brands

    I have immense regard for Sam as an individual. At the time when media was not much recognized by the industry, he came to the forefront and provided industry the needed pedigree. It was largely his efforts that brought credibility to media buying business,

     

    Madison has definitely grown a lot – and created many milestones. Challenge now is to scale up and keep the momentum going. Organisation is built on culture and systems – and I am sure focus is on the side now – Sam whenever he decides to leave, would leave a legacy. Challenge is to take it up from there.

     

    Lynn de Souza

    Madison and Sam have always fascinated me. A true blue Indian story of guts and glory, innovation, ambition and perseverance. And often a bit of healthy jugaard!

     

    They believe in the strength of long term relationships, and are not afraid to ask for what they deserve. Sam’s energy is legendary and he built a successful empire largely on his ability to drive himself, and build lasting relationships with key team players and clients.

     

    I wish them 25 more years of pathbreaking game-changing success.

     

    Ambika Srivastava, Chairperson Vivaki Exchange India, Vivaki

    I have always admired and respected Sam. There are two things that I would love to mention – one, that Madison has provided very good talent to industry in leadership roles – CVL Srinivas, Ajit Varghese, Punitha Arumugam. It is just amazing. It is a place from where leaders have emerged – it is Madison’s great contribution to the industry, and a tribute to Sam’s leadership.

     

    Second, Madison has always been very tough competition. When you win against Madison – the win is far sweeter, because the competition one knows is formidable. It is not that every pitch we competed has converted into a win for us – but whenever it has happened, it has been exciting.

     

    I admire Sam for his energy and that he finds time to do so much for the industry as well.

     

    Really very good people.

     

    Divya Gupta, CEO, Dentsu Media

    My full salute to Sam and his team

     

    Madison’s client roster, the deep relationship and tenure it enjoys with these clients, speaks volumes.

     

    Just when you think you have managed to get a lead on Madison, Sam pulls out a rabbit from nowhere! By far one of the toughest competitors to go up against in a business pitch… I have had the misfortune of learning it the hard way!

     

    Sam’s passion, drive, tenacity is legendary. Madison stands testimony to this.

     

    I wish Madison and Sam an equally dynamic and successful future.

     

    Interviewed by Ritu Midha

     


  • MxM Mondays records the sentiment on the timing of Goafest and participation in the creative Abby

    MxM Mondays: Are delegates ready to face the heat at Goafest 2013?

     

    By Johnson Napier and Ananya Saha

     

    The festival that has been hailed as the Cannes of India beckons upon the advertising industry. April 4-6, 2013 are the days when the who’s who from advertising will be joined by a few from the media and marketing domains in keeping with the tradition of making it to the venue every year. The venue this year remains the same – Zuri White Sands in Goa! Like every year, the Goafest committee will be going all out to ensure that the event remains world-class, be it in the quality of speakers or the introduction of new initiatives or simply by bringing about a twist in the awards tale.

     

    But in doing their bit in raising the bar of the festival, what they have not achieved so far is holding the event in some other month in Goa – by now the biggest peeve facing delegates. The Goafest committee led by Nakul Chopra of Publicis this year, has been making attempts to actively bring it forward by a few weeks if not a month or two. But that doesn’t help solve the issue of the torrid heat that delegates have to put up with in order to enjoy a festival that boasts of being the largest of its kind.

     

    MxMIndia speaks to a few committee members and also some members from the ad and marketing fraternity and explores possibilities of whether the delegates can expect the unexpected…

     

    Nakul Chopra, Chairman, Goafest Committee

    There is a logistical issue with doing it in February from a perspective of the location. As one would know, the tourism season here starts from October right until March. The same is the case with Cannes where it is not a vacation season when the awards are held there. But we’ve tried our best by getting the event ahead in the first week of April. We do understand that the heat gets unbearable but we would make provisions to have more cooling areas in the venue.

     

    As for the non-participation dilemma, I don’t think that with Abbys and Goafest in its current avatar, anybody is staying away in protest. Probably some agencies have a principle of not participating in awards or any other personal reason but not because of some issue from our end. These were issues of the past and as an industry we have managed to fairly overcome them in recent years. Due credit should be given to the fact that Goafest is the only award of this size and stature that is being run by industry bodies. This enables us to reach out to as many agencies and delegates as possible and not be limited in our approach towards the industry.

     

    Ajay Kakar, Chief Marketing Officer, Aditya Birla Group – Financial Services

    The heat and passion of advertising industry is stronger than the heat of Goa. Whenever you have it is immaterial. On a serious note, there is an economics of the whole thing. We try to do it away from the peak season, which helps us in two ways. One, of course the economics and second, it helps us with avoiding the crowd and congestion all over.

     

    It is a democratic country but it is too early to think or know who might not be a part of Goafest. So far, we have the support of every agency. And it is too early to think anything to the contrary.

     

    Anant Rangaswami, senior editor at Firstpost.com and author of The Elephants in the Room

    On the timing, all I can say is that April first week is better than April second or third week. That they managed to get it to the first week is not a bad thing. Also, it’s not easy to get an event of this scale to be held in February/March; it could be a logistical nightmare. Whether they should hold the festival at some other venue, I don’t know what’ll be the right thing to say as they had envisaged the festival with a certain concept in mind. I think it is a trap that they are finding difficult to get out of. Goa will continue to remain the venue as long as the name remains Goafest. That is not the case with other awards like Spikes that can be held at Bali, Singapore etc. For me, it looks like a big trap that they cannot get out of.

     

    As for non-participation in the awards, the number has come down significantly. As for McCann Erickson preferring to opt out last year, it  did not opt out of the awards because of any issue with the way it was conducted. Prasoon made it quite clear that he did not think that they had a body of award-winning work. I can understand that, because the awards are an expensive business, and it makes sense not to enter unless you stand a decent chance of winning. In this industry, every sector apart from television is about scam and scam requires investment, time, energy…it’s not easy. There’s serious money that goes in the development of scam. But what the committee has done in the past two years is also noteworthy as they have managed to eradicate issues like bias in judging by the jury, favouritism, leaking of results and other such things involving the awards.

     

    Arvind Sharma, President of the Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI)

    The real challenge is getting rooms for so many delegates. With so much international tourists pouring in and domestic travel also seeing a spike it becomes difficult to arrange for rooms for so many delegates. But can it be held in early March, yes it certainly can. We are working towards it.

     

    Any awards show around the world, a few agencies will chose not to participate for a variety of reasons. We should be looking at the fact that the number of participating agencies is increasing every year at Goafest. It also means that the number of winners are increasing every year because part of the purpose of an awards show is to be a beacon of light for excellence and I am particularly excited that we are recognising excellence in more than 119 organisations.

     

    Shashi Sinha, President – The Advertising Club and Chairman of the Awards Governing Council, Goafest

    The event is a very low-cost affair and not on the scale of what one gets to see at Cannes. There is no-profit motive behind this event and the effort is to try and accommodate the youngsters by offering them subsidised rates. This whole exercise is designed on the basis of sponsorships. The goal is to ensure that we have the right balance of sponsorships and also encourage more youngsters to come and attend the event. The other point is that October-March happens to be peak season for tourism and therefore the rates are pretty expensive. To accommodate more than 3000 delegates therefore becomes a huge task. We have tried our best to bring it forward by hosting it in the first week of April. But we would be providing more cooling options at the venue like the display area that saw heavy movement last year by the youngsters.

     

    On the issue of non-participation by agencies, we have managed to successfully bring down that number significantly in the past two years. In fact last year there was only agency – McCann Erickson that did not participate. What we have managed to do is that if somebody is not participating we have made it clear that it is not because of the process; it is because of some other reason. Previously it was very convenient to blame the committee etc for the drawback but that is not the case today. One of the biggest reasons why agencies now participate openly is because of the transparency that we managed to bring in the process. That has cleared doubts that existed among agencies.

     

    Prathap Suthan, Managing Partner & Chief Creative Officer, Bang In The Middle

    I personally have not been there too many times and I did find that the heat was a torture. It is actually the old in the industry that are affected by the heat, the younger lot are not. It is a bit of summer blast everywhere in India at that time before summer actually begins. For youngsters, it implies lots of time on the beach, lots of time to run around, lots of beer, hang out in the shacks. It is going to be, let us say, 200 seniors and rest are going to be juniors. From that perspective, it does not really matter. Going to Goa, for youngsters, is the big thing no matter what time of the year. Seniors, anyway, are used to be driven around, staying in air-conditioned homes and offices. So to be outdoors, it is terrible. I am in creative, so I go for shoots, I do not complain. If I am in Goa then, I would prefer to stay in the auditorium or watch and learn rather than go out and stand in the sun. If I were young, say 25, I would be enjoying going everywhere. For organisers, to get hold of amenities is possibly a better deal at this time of the year. Since February and March are tourist seasons, availability of rooms could be a problem for organisers.

     

    For the agencies refraining from participating, I would say that everything is fair. It is all about the money at the end of the day. If I have ‘X’ amount of money and I am sure of winning a metal at international festival, I would rather put my money at Cannes rather than Goa. It is also about the fight of action between two or three groups. Personally, I do not ascribe to any awards. I do not want to be part of any awards. I am very happy doing whatever I am doing. I am not here cutting any favours. My whole responsibility is only towards the clients that I handle, and towards my juniors.

     

    I may or may not go. But boys and girls from my office will definitely go.